cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Preparing for technology: Systems planning and implementation in Lied Library

There are numerous considerations when constructing a state‐of‐the‐art twenty‐first century library. Major tasks include detailed network planning, system specifications, and equipment procurement. Collaborative teamwork and constant monitoring of the construction process are essential to ensure a successful outcome. Hardware and software that promote efficient management of various library systems will help ease the tremendous task of managing and troubleshooting the “beast” that has been created. Regardless of the amount of planning and vigilance, challenges and problems will occur during various phases of building construction and subsequent occupancy.
A plasma exchange versus immune globulin infusion trial in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy

Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy is a paralytic syndrome, causing considerable disability and even death. In controlled clinical trials, plasma exchange prevented or ameliorated neurological deficits, but the efficacy of immune globulin infusion remains unproved. Also unknown is whether immune globulin infusion is as effective, or more effective, than plasma exchange and what dosages and frequencies are best. In this observer-blinded study, using some objective end points not subject to bias (e.g., summated compound muscle action potential), 20 patients with progressive or static polyneuropathy were randomly assigned to receive either of the two treatments for 6 weeks, followed by a washout period, and then were assigned to receive the other treatment. Plasma exchange (twice a week for 3 weeks then once a week for 3 weeks) and immune globulin infusion (0.4 gm/kg once a week for 3 weeks, then 0.2 gm/kg once a week for the next 3 weeks) were used. End points assessed before and after treatment schedules were neurological disability score; muscle weakness of the neurological disability score; summated compound muscle action potentials of ulnar, median, and peroneal nerves; summated sensory nerve action potentials of ulnar and sural nerves; and vibratory detection threshold of the great toe using CASE IV. Observers were masked as to treatment used. Of 20 patients, 13 received both treatments whereas 4 did not worsen sufficiently to receive the second treatment--1 patient left the study during and 2 after the first treatment to receive unscheduled treatment elsewhere.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
An improved transmission line pulsing (TLP) setup for electrostatic discharge (ESD) testing in semiconductor devices and ICs

Transmission line pulsing (TLP) is a useful technique to characterize electrostatic discharge (ESD) events in semiconductor devices. The pulse waveforms generated by a typical TLP set-up, however, are often distorted and oscillatory. In this paper, a new and simple experimental set-up is developed to improve the shape of the TLP waveforms and thus to increase the effectiveness of the TLP technique. Experimental results obtained from the conventional and improved set-ups are presented and compared.
Adrenocortical Activity, Stress Response and Behavioral Reactivity of Five Inbred Mouse Strains

Ten male mice from each of 5 inbred strains were found to differ in resting eosinophil counts, in reliability of successive counts, in eosinophil change resulting from handling and the taking of blood samples, in adrenal weights, in behavior and in adrenalbehavioral relations. The pattern of responses for one strain over several variables cannot be used to predict the pattern of responses for any other strain.
Implications of Recursive Distributed Representations

I will describe my recent results on the automatic development of fixed-width recursive distributed representations of variable-sized hierarchal data structures. One implication of this work is that certain types of AI-style data-structures can now be represented in fixed-width analog vectors. Simple inferences can be performed using the type of pattern associations that neural networks excel at Another implication arises from noting that these representations become self-similar in the limit. Once this door to chaos is opened, many interesting new questions about the representational basis of intelligence emerge, and can (and will) be discussed.
ACG Clinical Guideline: Evidenced Based Approach to the Diagnosis and Management of Esophageal Eosinophilia and Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE)

5Esophageal eosinophilia and eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) are increasingly recognized and prevalent conditions, which now represent common clinical problems encountered by gastroenterologists, pathologists, and allergists. The study of EoE has become a dynamic fi eld with an evolving understanding of the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment. Although there are limited data supporting management decisions, clinical parameters are needed to guide the care of patients with eosinophilic ‐ esophageal disorders. In this evidence-based review, recommendations developed by adult and pediatric gastroenterologists are provided for the evaluation and management of these patients. New terminology is emphasized, particularly the concepts of esophageal eosinophilia and proton-pump inhibitor-responsive esophageal eosinophilia (PPI-REE) as entities distinct from EoE.
Meta-Analysis of Survival in African American and White American Patients With Breast Cancer: Ethnicity Compared With Socioeconomic Status

Purpose The extent to which socioeconomic disadvantages and inadequate health care access account for the disproportionately elevated mortality hazard observed in African American compared with white American patients with breast cancer is poorly defined. Methods We identified 20 studies reported between January 1980 and June 2005 that provided survival analyses in patients with breast cancer after adjusting for ethnicity and some measurement of socioeconomic status. These studies also adjusted for age and stage of disease at time of diagnosis. Results The pooled outcome data yielded estimates for the mortality hazard in 14,013 African American and 76,111 white American patients with breast cancer. Studies varied in their methods for assigning socioeconomic status, with most relying on area-wide measures such as census tract and census block data. The combined analysis (adjusted for age, stage, and socioeconomic status) revealed that African American ethnicity was associated with a statistically significa...
A Breed Difference with Respect to Carry-Over Effect of Unidentified Growth Factors

ABSTRACT PRIOR to the discovery of vitamin B12, several investigators demonstrated the ability of the hen to transmit a growth factor present in fish by-products to the progeny via the egg, (McGinnis and Carver, 1947; Bethke et al., 1947; Robblee et al., 1948; Wiese et al., 1948; and Pensack et al., 1949). Vitamin B12 was considered to be the single entity involved for when the hen’s diet was supplemented with the vitamin, there was a carry-over to the chick which permitted normal growth for several weeks of age (Milligan and Combs, 1950; Wiese et al., 1952; and Petersen et al., 1953). However, results of other investigations, reviewed by Branion and Hill (1953) and Lillie et al. (1953), indicated that fish by-products as well as other animal protein supplements contained another unidentified factor required by chicks in addition to vitamin B12. Wiese et al. (1952) reported that 3 percent of herring fish . . .
Objectivity in Photography

In 'Transparent Pictures: On the Nature of Photographic Realism' Kendall Walton argues that lack of mental-state involvement in the formation of photographic images is a quality that sets them apart from handmade images such as paintings or sketches. This paper defends and substantially develops this idea. It argues that viewers' knowledge of this objective character of the photographic process provides them with special warrant for the acceptance of first-order perceptual beliefs formed as a result of viewing photographic images. As well, it distinguishes between two different ways in which mental states can be involved in the formation of photographic images, and uses this distinction to ward off the objection that decisions about film type, composition, moment of exposure, etc. undermine the objectivity of the photographic process.
Environmental conditions affect the magnitude of inbreeding depression in survival of Darwin's finches.

Understanding the fitness consequences of inbreeding (inbreeding depression) is of importance to evolutionary and conservation biology. There is ample evidence for inbreeding depression in captivity, and data from wild populations are accumulating. However, we still lack a good quantitative understanding of inbreeding depression and what influences its magnitude in natural populations. Specifically, the relationship between the magnitude of inbreeding depression and environmental severity is unclear. We quantified inbreeding depression in survival and reproduction in populations of cactus finches (Geospiza scandens) and medium ground finches (Geospiza fortis) living on Isla Daphne Major in the Galapagos Archipelago. Our analyses showed that inbreeding strongly reduced the recruitment probability (probability of breeding given that an adult is alive) in both species. Additionally, in G. scandens, first-year survival of an offspring with f = 0.25 was reduced by 21% and adults with f = 0.25 experienced a 45% reduction in their annual probability of survival. The magnitude of inbreeding depression in both adult and juvenile survival of this species was strongly modified by two environmental conditions, food availability and number of competitors. In juveniles, inbreeding depression was only present in years with low food availability, and in adults inbreeding depression was five times more severe in years with low food availability and large population sizes. The combination of relatively severe inbreeding depression in survival and the reduced recruitment probability led to the fact that very few inbred G. scandens ever succeeded in breeding. Other than recruitment probability, no other trait showed evidence of inbreeding depression in G. fortis, probably for two reasons: a relatively high rate of extrapair paternity (20%), which may lead to an underestimate of the apparent inbreeding depression, and low sample sizes of highly inbred G. fortis, which leads to low statistical power. Using data from juvenile survival, we estimated the number of lethal equivalents carried by G. scandens, G. fortis, and another congener, G. magnirostris. These results suggest that substantial inbreeding depression can exist in insular populations of birds, and that the magnitude of the inbreeding depression is a function of environmental conditions.
Performance Evaluation of Low-Tension Three-Strand Cable Median Barriers

The primary purpose of longitudinal safety barriers, such as cable barriers, is to contain or redirect errant vehicles that depart the roadway and thereby keep them from entering opposing travellanes or encountering terrain features and roadside objects that may cause severe impacts. In this study, finite element analysis, vehicle dynamics analysis, and fullscale crash testing were performed to study the effects of sloped terrain on the safety performance of cable median barriers. A detailed finite element model of a three-strand cable barrier was developed and validated against a previously conducted full-scale crash test. The full-scale crash test and simulation were set up for an impact of the cable barrier with a 2,000-kg (4,400-lb) pickup truck at an angle of 25° and an initial velocity of 100 km/h (62 mph). This setup is in accordance with NCHRP Report 350 guidelines for Test Level 3 safety performance. With this model, computer simulations were performed to assess the performance of the barrier und...
Enacted Support and Well-Being: A Test of the Mediating Role of Perceived Control

This study examined the unique effects of three forms of enacted (i.e., received) support (emotional, unpaid assistance, financial) on well-being and tested the potential mediating role of perceived control. The analysis was based on a national sample collected through the second wave of the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) survey conducted in 2004–2006. Findings revealed emotional support exhibited a positive effect direction on well-being, while unpaid assistance and financial support both showed negative effect directions. Perceived control was found to fully mediate the relationships between all three forms of enacted support and well-being: Emotional support boosted well-being through higher perceived control, while unpaid assistance and financial support reduced well-being through lower perceived control. Findings provide evidence that effects of social resources on well-being are mediated through psychological resources.
Simulated effects of forest management alternatives on landscape structure and habitat suitability in the Midwestern United States

Understanding the cumulative effects and resource trade-offs associated with forest management requires the ability to predict, analyze, and communicate information about how forest landscapes (1000s to > 100,000 ha in extent) respond to silviculture and other disturbances. We applied a spatially explicit landscape simulation model, LANDIS, and compared the outcomes of seven forest management alternatives including intensive and extensive even-aged and uneven-aged management, singly and in combination, as well as no harvest. We also simulated concomitant effects of wildfire and windthrow. We compared outcomes in terms of spatial patterns of forest vegetation by age/size class, edge density, core area, volume of coarse wood debris, timber harvest, standing crop, and tree species composition over a 200-year simulation horizon. We also used habitat suitability models to assess habitat quality for four species with diverse habitat requirements: ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapilla), prairie warbler (Dendroica discolor), hooded warbler (Wilsonia citrina), and gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis). Management alternatives with similar levels of disturbance had similar landscape composition but different landscape patterns. The no-harvest scenario resulted in a tree size class distribution that was similar to scenarios that harvested 5% of the landscape per decade; this suggests that gap phase replacement of senescent trees in combination with wind and fire disturbance may produce a disturbance regime similar to that associated with a 200-year timber rotation. Greater harvest levels (10% per decade) resulted in more uniform structure of small or large patches, for uneven- or even-aged management, respectively, than lesser levels of harvest (5% or no harvest); apparently reducing the effects of natural disturbances. Consequently, the even-aged management at the 10% level had the greatest core area and least amount of edge. Habitat suitability was greater, on average, for species dependent on characteristics of mature forests (ovenbird, gray squirrel) than those dependent on disturbance (prairie warbler, hooded warbler) and habitat suitability for disturbance dependent species was more sensitive to the management alternatives. The approach was data-rich and provided opportunities to contrast the large-scale, long-term consequences for management practices from many different perspectives.
Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1A toxin-binding glycoconjugates present on the brush border membrane and in the peritrophic membrane of the Douglas-fir tussock moth are peritrophins.

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) Cry1A toxin-binding sites in the Douglas fir tussock moth (DFTM) larval gut were localized using immunofluorescence microscopy. Cry1Aa, Cry1Ab and Cry1Ac all bound strongly to the DFTM peritrophic membrane (PM); weaker binding of the Cry1A toxins was observed along the apical brush border of the midgut epithelium. Comparative analysis of the Cry1A toxin-binding molecules in the PM and brush border membrane vesicles (BBMVs) showed that a similar toxin-binding complex was present in both. The Cry1A toxin-binding substance, a broad band with an apparent size of 180 kDa, consisted of a closely spaced doublet. The doublet was present in peritrophins, proteins tightly bound to the PM. Lectin binding studies of the PM and BBMV toxin-binding components revealed that they are glyconjugates with terminal a-GalNAc residues comprised exclusively of O-linked oligosaccha- rides in their glycan structures. Mild periodate oxidation, release of O-linked glycans by b-elimination, and enzymatic removal of terminal a-linked GalNAc residues with N-acetyl-a-D-galactosaminidase digestion abolished Cry1A toxin-binding to the PM and BBMV components. These data provide strong evidence that O-linked glycans are the target structures on the toxin-binding glycoconjugates for the Cry1A class of insecticidal proteins in DFTM larvae.
Microendmill Dynamics Including the Actual Fluted Geometry and Setup Errors—Part II: Model Validation and Application

This paper presents a study to validate the microendmill dynamics model derived in Part I. A laser Doppler vibrometer system that is coupled with a microscope is used to measure the natural frequencies and mode shapes of nonrotating microendmills with different geometries. Free-free boundary conditions are obtained by suspending the microendmills using elastic bands. The dynamic excitation is delivered through miniature piezoelectric elements attached to the microendmill shanks. In each case, the model is compared to experimental results and solid-element finite-element (FE) models. To evaluate the model in the presence of rotational effects, the model is compared to an FE model. In most cases, the model was seen to capture the dynamic behavior of microendmills accurately. The validated model is used to investigate the effects of microendmill geometry, and radial and tilt runouts on the modal behavior of microendmills. Furthermore, possible geometric simplifications to fluted region are evaluated based on the accuracy of the predicted natural frequencies of the microendmills.
Phosphorylation of Steroid Receptor Coactivator-1 IDENTIFICATION OF THE PHOSPHORYLATION SITES AND PHOSPHORYLATION THROUGH THE MITOGEN-ACTIVATED PROTEIN KINASE PATHWAY

Steroid receptor coactivator-1 (SRC-1) is a member of a coactivator family that enhance the activation of the steroid/nuclear receptor superfamily of ligand-stimulated transcription factors. To study the regulation of SRC-1 by signaling pathways in the cell, the major phosphorylation sites of SRC-1 were identified in COS-1 cells using a combination of in vivo labeling with [(32)P]H(3)PO(4), modified manual Edman degradation, phosphoamino acid analysis, endoproteinase digestion, and mutagenesis of the SRC-1 phosphorylation sites. Seven phosphorylation sites were identified in SRC-1: serine 372, serine 395, serine 517, serine 569, serine 1033, threonine 1179, and serine 1185. All the sites contained consensus sequences for the serine/threonine-proline-directed family of protein kinases, and two sites (serine 395 and threonine 1179) contained a perfect consensus sequence for the mitogen-activated protein kinase family (Erk-1 and Erk-2). Furthermore, Erk-2 phosphorylated threonine 1179 and serine 1185 (and to a lesser extent, serine 395) in vitro, suggesting the importance of this pathway for SRC-1 regulation. Treatment of cells expressing SRC-1 with epidermal growth factor enhanced the ligand-dependent, progesterone receptor-mediated activation of a target reporter gene. These results identify phosphorylation as a regulatory modification of SRC-1 and provide a basis upon which to identify signaling pathways that regulate SRC-1 function and, consequently, modify steroid/nuclear receptor action.
A client/server approach to open-architecture, behavior-based robot programming

This paper describes our progress in the development of a behavior-based, stimulus-response robot control software architecture that is expressly designed to program and execute interactive tasks, including assembly, multi-robot collaborative manipulation, and exploration. The system has been designed to assure stability and safety while maintaining flexibility and achieving expert performance. The architecture incorporates a reactive controller as a behavior server, and applications are written as client programs that can operate either locally or across a network. This organization has been demonstrated to be sufficiently open to support teleoperation tasks as well as human-guided supervisory control and full autonomous functionality.
On hearing the'"shape"' of a vibrating string

Mark Kac (1966) first posed what is now a famous question in mathematical physics: "Can you hear the shape of a drum?" In this article, the author discusses a related question concerning vibrating strings. Many musical instruments, including the guitar, piano, and violin, employ vibrating strings. The string vibrational modes are well known: they are just the usual standing waves. This problem nicely illustrates the power of Fourier analysis with a number of examples that fit easily into the classroom, particularly as part of a course on physics simulation methods.
Isolation and Characterization of the Xanthine Dehydrogenase Gene of the Mediterranean Fruit Fly, Ceratitis capitata

Xanthine dehydrogenase (XDH) is a member of the molybdenum hydroxylase family of enzymes catalyzing the oxidation of hypoxanthine and xanthine to uric acid. The enzyme is also required for the production of one of the major Drosophila eye pigments, drosopterin. The XDH gene has been isolated in many species representing a broad cross section of the major groups of living organisms, including the cDNA encoding XDH from the Mediterranean fruit fly Ceratitis capitata (CcXDH) described here. CcXDH is closely related to other insect XDHs and is able to rescue the phenotype of the Drosophila melanogaster XDH mutant, rosy, in germline transformation experiments. A previously identified medfly mutant, termed rosy, whose phenotype is suggestive of a disruption in XDH function, has been examined for possible mutations in the XDH gene. However, we find no direct evidence that a mutation in the CcXDH gene or that a reduction in the CcXDH enzyme activity is present in rosy medflies. Conclusive studies of the nature of the medfly rosy mutant will require rescue by germline transformation of mutant medflies.
Olfactory epithelia exhibit progressive functional and morphological defects in CF mice.

In normal nasal epithelium, the olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) are continuously replaced through the differentiation of progenitor cells. The olfactory epithelium (OE) of the cystic fibrosis (CF...
Firearm injuries to children in Cape Town, South Africa: Impact of the 2004 Firearms Control Act

Background. Before the introduction of the Firearms Control Act in 2004, the epidemiology of childhood firearm injuries from 1991 to 2001 in Cape Town, South Africa, was reported. This study analyses current data as a comparator to assess the impact of the Act. Methods. Firearm injuries seen at Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital, Cape Town, from 2001 to 2010 were respectively reviewed. Data recorded included the patients’ folder numbers, gender, date of birth, age, date of presentation, date discharged and inpatient stay, firearm type, number of shots, circumstances, injury sites, injury type, treatment, resulting morbidities and survival. These data were compared with the 1991 - 2001 data. Results. One hundred and sixty-three children presented with firearm injuries during this period. The results showed a decrease in incidence from 2001 to 2010. Older children and males had a higher incidence than younger children and females. Most injuries were to an extremity and were unintentional. Mortality had reduced significantly from the previous study (6% to 2.6%), as did the total number of inpatient days (1 063 to 617). Conclusions. Compared with the earlier study, this study showed a significant reduction in the number of children presenting with a firearm-related injury. Mortality and inpatient stay were also significantly reduced. The study shows the impact that the Firearms Control Act has had in terms of paediatric firearm-related injury and provides evidence that the medical profession can play an important role in reducing violence.
Photo-physiological variability in phytoplankton chlorophyll fluorescence and assessment of chlorophyll concentration.

Photo-physiological variability of in vivo chlorophyll fluorescence (CF) per unit of chlorophyll concentration (CC) is analyzed using a biophysical model to improve the accuracy of CC assessments. Field measurements of CF and photosystem II (PSII) photochemical yield (PY) with the Advanced Laser Fluorometer (ALF) in the Delaware and Chesapeake Bays are analyzed vs. high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) CC retrievals. It is shown that isolation from ambient light, PSII saturating excitation, optimized phytoplankton exposure to excitation, and phytoplankton dark adaptation may provide accurate in vivo CC fluorescence measurements (R2 = 0.90–0.95 vs. HPLC retrievals). For in situ or flow-through measurements that do not allow for dark adaptation, concurrent PY measurements can be used to adjust for CF non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) and improve the accuracy of CC fluorescence assessments. Field evaluation has shown the NPQ-invariance of CF/PY and CF(PY−1-1) parameters and their high correlation with HPLC CC retrievals (R2 = 0.74–0.96), while the NPQ-affected CF measurements correlated poorly with CC (R2 = −0.22).
Polar and non-polar solvation in the femtosecond evolution of 2D Fourier transform spectra

A combination of magic angle pump-probe and femtosecond 2D Fourier transform spectra is used to probe polar and non-polar solvation in two structurally related molecules with and without a dipole moment change upon electronic excitation.
Disinfecting and Stabilizing Biosolids Using E-Beam and Chemical Oxidants

Municipal sewage and sludges can harbor a variety of infectious microorganisms as well as estrogenic compounds and their metabolites. Biosolids and other residuals generated from municipal wastewater treatment facilities need to be used for beneficial purposes such as land application. To reduce the potential for adverse environmental and human impacts, it is critical that novel approaches be investigated so that municipal biosolids can be disinfected and stabilized to reduce the pathogen loads and levels of estrogenic compounds. The overall objective of this project was to demonstrate the disinfection and enhanced stabilization of municipal biosolids when high energy (10 MeV) Electron Beam (e-beam) technology is coupled with oxidants such as chlorine dioxide and ferrate. High energy E-Beam is effective as a disinfection technology. Significant reductions of all target organisms can be achieved in municipal biosolids depends on the dose that is employed. An e-beam treatment system utilizing 15 kGy e-beam dose has been designed and mathematically modeled and validated. Based on these engineering design considerations, e-beam treatment was shown to be cost-effective. There was synergistic disinfection of pathogens when e-beam is coupled with oxidants such as chlorine dioxide and ferrate. E-Beam at 8 kGy was unable to destroy estrogenic activity in the sludge samples. Ferrate (100 ppm) was capable of destroying estrogenic activity in the biosolid samples with or without the addition of e-beam irradiation. Chlorine dioxide (100 ppm) was not effective at destroying the estrogenic activity either by itself or in combination with e-beam. The combination of 100 ppm of ferrate with 8 kGy of e-beam promoted the stabilization of aerobic and anaerobic sludge samples as indicated by BOD, VSS and SOUR test results. The results demonstrate that 10 MeV e-beam is capable of cost-effectively inactivating a variety of bacterial and viral pathogens in aerobically and anaerobically digested biosolids. Overall, thes results suggest that when e-beam is combined with ferrate significant reductions of microbial pathogens, estrogenic compounds and biosolid stabilization can be achieved. This title belongs to WERF Research Report Series . ISBN: 9781843392996 (eBook)
Unintentional child poisoning risk: A review of causal factors and prevention studies

ABSTRACTUnintentional child poisoning represents a significant public health priority in the United States and globally. This article was written to accomplish three goals: (a) outline and discuss a conceptual model of factors that lead to unintentional poisoning incidents among children under 5 years of age, including the roles of individual people, the environment, packaging and labeling of toxic products, and community and society; (b) review published literature concerning interventions designed specifically to reduce unintentional child poisoning; and (c) draw conclusions about what is known and what gaps exist in the current literature on unintentional child poisoning prevention to inform development, evaluation, and implementation of empirically supported, theoretically based prevention programs. The need for multi-faceted, multi-disciplinary, team-based approaches to prevention is emphasized.
Autoimmune cytopenias in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia treated with ibrutinib

Autoimmune cytopenias (AIC) are common in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and include autoimmune hemolytic anemia, immune thrombocytopenia and, less frequently, pure red blood cell aplasia. It is generally accepted that treatment of CLL-associated AIC should be primarily directed against the
Superconductivity of Dc Reactive Magnetron Sputtered Epitaxial TiN/NbN Superlattices

Epitaxial B1-structure TiN/NbN superlattices have been grown by reactive magnetron sputtering On MgO(001). X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) diffraction spectra exhibited up to nine orders of superlattice reflections, indicating that the superlattice interfaces were relatively sharp. TEM images also showed well-defined layers. The superlattice wavelength (Λ) dependence of the superconducting transition temperature (Tc), critical Current density (Jc), and electrical resistivity (ρ) have been investigated. Tc values increased from 12 K to 17 K with increasing Λ. Jc in a magnetic field perpendicular to the film surface ranged from 104 to 106 A/cm2, increasing with increasing wavelength and decreasing with increasing applied magnetic field. Jc in a field parallel to the film surface was > 10 times higher, ≈ 107 A/cm2. The resistivity exhibited different Λ dependencies in three different Λ ranges.
Atomic Masses of Th 232 , U 235 , and U 238 and a Mass Table for the Heavy Isotopes

This paper reports the results of the authors' mass spectroscopic measurements on the masses of the isotopes $^{232}\mathrm{Th}$, $^{235}\mathrm{U}$, and $^{238}\mathrm{U}$. Notice is taken of recently reported mass-difference measurements and $Q$-value measurements, and a least-squares process is used to construct a new mass table for the heavy isotopes. This table differs from Wapstra's 1967 table in two major respects: (1) For most isotopes with $Ag220$ the new mass value is lower than the old mass value by 20-25 \ensuremath{\mu}u, or roughly 1\textonehalf{} times the quoted error in the 1967 table. (2) As a result of the new measurements, the uncertainty in our knowledge of the masses of most of the heavy isotopes has been reduced by very roughly a factor of 3.
The Role of the Public Health Sector in Promoting Physical Activity: National, State, and Local Applications

Background Regular physical activity has been demonstrated to protect against coronary heart disease, Type 2 diabetes mellitus, selected cancers, hypertension, obesity, and other chronic conditions. Therefore, the public health significance of promoting physical activity and preventing inactivity has become a well-established agenda for public health agencies at all levels. Methods A secondary search of the literature, focusing on existing evidence reviews, was conducted to identify effective or promising public health physical activity interventions. Further examination of published evidence-based programs also was carried out to supplement the known evidence base. Intervention strategies were selected using criteria prescribed by each of the systematic reviews to yield categories of intervention effectiveness. Key recommendations The selected physical activity interventions conformed to the domains identified by The Guide to Community Preventive Services. Recommended evidenced-based strategies from within the domain of informational approaches include 2 exemplary community-wide campaigns; mass media campaigns, represented by VERB; and an emerging practice of delivery of short physical activity messages at key community sites. Exemplary representative behavioral/social interventions include social support through organized walking clubs/partners within communities. Exemplary environmental/policy approaches include creating/enhancing access to places for physical activity with informational outreach activities and the emerging strategy of community-wide policies and planning.
A Facility for Ground Based Testing of Nanosatellites in Relevant Environments

The need for a modern ground-based facility for accurate spacecraft environment simulation is growing. The function of simulation facilities is to assist scientists and engineers in the design and selection of materials and systems for future space missions. There are currently facilities in existence that simulate space; however they are generally limited to testing one or two environmental factors at a time. This has drawbacks in that the combined effects of environmental factors can affect materials and systems in a different manner than the singular factors alone. The Chamber for Atmospheric and Orbital Space Simulation (ChAOSS) is currently being developed at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs to simulate multiple parameters of the orbital and inter orbital environments that spacecraft will be exposed to in future missions. This facility will have the ability to accurately simulate multiple space environment conditions allowing for synergistic testing of materials, thermal systems, electronics, and optics. To ensure a higher rate of mission success, sensors need to be tested prior to conducting on-orbit measurements to evaluate the influence of the space environment in relation to sensor performance. The growing demand for smaller spacecraft and diagnostic equipment has been made feasible by recent advances in micromachining and the development of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). Due to the reduced size of nanosatellites the ChAOSS facility will have the unique ability to provide experimental validation and calibration of sensors in relevant environments during the design, development, and testing phase. In addition to these applications the facility is of sufficient size to be a potential testbed for a completed nanosatellite.
Fragile Democracies: Constitutionalism in the Time of Fragile Democracies

History rewards cautious judgments. Had this book been written a half-century earlier, at the height of the postwar consociationalist experiments, a certain triumphalism would no doubt have accompanied the description of negotiated power sharing among rival ethnic or religious groups. That enthusiasm would no doubt have waned as civil wars ravaged Cyprus, Sri Lanka, Ivory Coast, and other bastions of negotiated accommodation of coordinated political solutions. Twenty-five years have now passed since the fall of the Berlin Wall and a renewed period of democratic euphoria. The historic end of the Cold War brought with it a heralding that the epochal wars of the twentieth century had at last been concluded. Democracy was triumphant. Its ideological challengers of fascism and communism were defeated. The market was ascendant in China and the few outliers in North Korea or Cuba were simply rogue states that were ill suited to resist the demands of their populations for freedom and improved material standards of living. With the fall of the Soviet Union, the proxy wars of the great powers ended, leaving the client states of East and West vulnerable to popular demands for liberty and democratic rule. In short order, apartheid fell in South Africa, democracy took root in the Pacific Rim, and Mexico recovered competitive elections. Entire regions were transformed, as with the stabilization of civilian rule in Latin America. Even in sub-Saharan Africa, long the bastion of strongman rule, there was actual rotation in office for the first time in the postcolonial period. History was on the march, and this was a glorious Whiggish account, with perhaps a touch of Dr. Pangloss thrown in for good measure. The Hegelian unfolding of events had revealed the “end of history,” as proclaimed by Francis Fukuyama: “What we may be witnessing is not just the end of the Cold War, or the passing of a particular period of post-war history, but the end of history as such: that is, the end point of mankind's ideological evolution and the universalization of Western liberal democracy as the final form of human government.”
An acute, epitope-specific modification in the dopamine transporter associated with methamphetamine-induced neurotoxicity

Preclinical studies demonstrate that repeated, high-dose methamphetamine administrations rapidly decrease plasmalemmal dopamine uptake, which may contribute to aberrant dopamine accumulation, reactive species generation, and long-term dopaminergic deficits. The present study extends these findings by demonstrating a heretofore unreported, epitope-specific modification in the dopamine transporter caused by a methamphetamine regimen that induces these deficits. Specifically, repeated, high-dose methamphetamine injections (4 × 10 mg/kg/injection, 2-h intervals) rapidly decreased immunohistochemical detection of striatal dopamine transporter as assessed 1 h after the final methamphetamine exposure. In contrast, neither a single high dose (1 × 10 mg/kg) nor repeated injections of a lower dose (4 × 2 mg/kg/injection) induced this change. The high-dose regimen-induced alteration was only detected using antibodies directed against the N-terminus. Immunohistochemical staining using antibodies directed against the C-terminus did not reveal any changes. The high-dose regimen also did not alter dopamine transporter expression as assessed using [(125) I]RTI-55 autoradiography. These data suggest that the repeated, high-dose methamphetamine regimen alters the N-terminus of the dopamine transporter. Further, these data may be predictive of persistent dopamine deficits caused by the stimulant. Future studies of the signaling cascades involved should provide novel insight into potential mechanisms underlying the physiological and pathophysiological regulation of the dopamine transporter.
Distribution Law of Mantle-Origin CO_2 Gas Reservoirs and Its Controlling Factors in Songliao Basin

Based on the interpretation of 15s deeper seismic profiles and the anatomy of typical CO_2 gas reservoirs,the distribution law of CO_2 gas reservoirs and its controlling factors have been deeply analyzed in the Songliao basin.Vertically,CO_2 is mainly rich in volcanic rocks of the Yingcheng Formation,and sandstone reservoirs in 3th and 4th Members of Quantou Formation.The beaded distribution feature of CO_2 is mainly dominated by lystric basement faults which are in direct contact with deep thermal fluid: heat-flow diapirs and intrusions,and are depression-controlling and volcanic vent-controlling.Meanwhile,outlet points of CO_2 are controlled by strike infection-points,endpoints and overlap zones of these faults.And CO_2 mainly comes from the deep thermal fluid.The activity of basement faults connected with thermal fluid led to the basin filling by mantle-derived magma,at the same time,the carried CO_2 was released into volcanic rocks erupted earlier and then developed into volcanic CO_2 gas reservoirs of Yingcheng Formation.Considering that faults controlling gas pool are usually basement faults which were active during fault-depression phase and the Late Quantou Formation to the Early Qingshankou Formation,it was speculated that CO_2 reservoirs of Yingcheng Formation were mainly formed between the Late Quantou Formation and the Early Qingshankou Formation.In Songliao basin,the stronge tectonic inversion occurred in the Late Mingshui Formation,and during the declining of compressive force from the SSE to the NNW,the reactivation of basement faults formed positive inversion faults;released from thermal fluid diapirs,CO_2 was migrated upward and then accumulated in inversion structural belts;as the development of fault-style inversion tectonics in the southern part is better than the northern part,and the western is better than the eastern part,CO_2 is richer in the south than in the north,richer in the west than in the east in Songliao basin.
Al-Shabaab and Social Media: A Double-Edged Sword

Al-Shabaab, one of the most powerful armed militant groups in Africa today, has earned a reputation for savvy use of new communication technology to recruit, fund-raise, and advance a radical Islamist narrative. This paper reviews the group videos, web-site material, and Twitter messaging to assess the effectiveness of the group use of social media. Among its findings are the observations that the group has gravitated to waging a war of narratives via internet and Twitter as its fortunes have waned on the ground; that communication technology has amplified the group messaging but has also exposed its deep internal divisions; and that its use of Twitter is useful is reinforcing and reshaping a grievance narrative that was already in place in the Somali public.
Respect the implementation: Using NI myRIO in undergraduate control education

In this paper we present, due to it's low-cost, portability, and high-functionality, the National Instruments (NI) myRIO as an excellent platform for hands-on in systems and control education, from advanced to beginner courses. That said, implementing control algorithms by the beginner, especially, is not to be taken lightly on digital platforms like the myRIO. We show, using a simple electric circuit as a plant, how a student can get some catastrophic results when implementing even a simple proportional controller. These catastrophic results stem partially from discretization choice, determinism of the sampling rate, and sampling rate limitations. Throughout the paper we discuss how to enhance determinism and prevent catastrophic results by being aware of your hardware's limitations.
Communicating Applied Social Psychology to Users

Reporting applied social psychology research to people whose lives might be actually changed by our findings is a serious endeavor, not an undertaking for the fainthearted. To do so means stepping into a real-life attitude change experiment in which the “subjects” are professionals in their own right, not introductory psychology students. They can argue with us rather than silently leaving the lab with their extra credit form properly signed. Moreover, the “subjects” in these attitude change experiments often possess more organizational power than the applied social psychologist recommending changes. Few of us were trained for this.
Teaching about complex systems is no simple matter: building effective professional development for computer-supported complex systems instruction

The recent next generation science standards in the United States have emphasized learning about complex systems as a core feature of science learning. Over the past 15 years, a number of educational tools and theories have been investigated to help students learn about complex systems; but surprisingly, little research has been devoted to identifying the supports that teachers need to teach about complex systems in the classroom. In this paper, we aim to address this gap in the literature. We describe a 2-year professional development study in which we gathered data on teachers’ abilities and perceptions regarding the delivery of computer-supported complex systems curricula. We present results across the 2 years of the project and demonstrate the need for particular instructional supports to improve implementation efforts, including providing differentiated opportunities to build expertise and addressing teacher beliefs about whether computational-model construction belongs in the science classroom. Results from students’ classroom experiences and learning over the 2 years are offered to further illustrate the impact of these instructional supports.
A semidiscrete approximation scheme for linear neutral delay-differential equations which preserves adjoint semigroup convergence

We construct a semidiscrete approximation scheme for a class of linear neutral delay-differential equations. The scheme is shown to yield Trotter-Kato type convergence for both the solution semigroup and the adjoint semigroup. This extends to neutral equations the ideas found in earlier studies which considered only retarded delay-differential equations. Convergence of adjoint semigroup approximations is known to be an important sufficient condition for applications to optimal control problems - for example, to guarantee convergence of the approximating feedback gain operators in LQR problems. We describe the scheme and provide several numerical examples to illustrate its applicability.
Phase I/II Trial of a Novel Gemcitabine and Vinorelbine-Containing Conditioning Regimen in Autologous Hemotopoietic Cell Transplantation for High-Risk Recurrent and Refractory Hodgkin Lymphoma.

Abstract Background: High dose chemotherapy and autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation (AHCT) is the most effective treatment for recurrent and refractory Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). Disease recurrence is still a major cause of treatment failure. Augmented BCNU-regimens are reported to have good outcomes but greater pulmonary toxicity. A novel transplant regimen incorporating gemcitabine and vinorelbine, active drugs in HL different from alkylating agents, was tested to establish the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of gemcitabine and to assess safety and efficacy at the MTD. Methods: In this phase I/II study, dose escalation was performed with gemcitabine in combination with vinorelbine followed by BCNU at reduced dose, etoposide (VP-16), cyclophosphamide (CY) and AHCT. The first 7 patients had dose escalation of gemcitabine before determining the MTD at 1250 mg/m2 on the basis of elevated liver transaminases and a symptom complex of fever, headache, and skin toxicity. For phase II, a total of 92 patients with recurrent or refractory HL have been treated at the MTD to establish safety and efficacy. The regimen consists of gemcitabine 1250 mg/m2 IV at 10 mg/min and vinorelbine 30 mg/m2 on day-13 and day-8, BCNU 10 mg/kg on day-6, VP-16 60 mg/kg on day-4, CY 100 mg/kg on day-2. Regimen-related toxicity, freedom from progression (FFP) and overall survival (OS) were endpoints of the trial. Results: 70 patients were high risk (based on stage IV disease at relapse, failure to achieve minimal disease, or B symptoms at relapse) and 22 patients were low risk (having no risk features). Median age was 33 years. Median follow-up is 2 years (.26–6.8 years). Median time to neutrophil engraftment was 10 days. Regimen-related toxicities of grade 3 skin rash, fever, headache and liver transaminase elevations were transient. Remarkable was the reduction in incidence of systemic steroid-requiring pulmonary toxicity Conclusions: This novel transplant regimen for HL has decreased incidence of pulmonary toxicity compared with augmented BCNU-regimens and is associated with encouraging OS and FFP, even in the high risk groups. Download : Download high-res image (55KB) Download : Download full-size image
Western plague literature, the Irish Famine and Anthony Trollope’s Castle Richmond

AbstractThis article places Castle Richmond, Anthony Trollope’s controversial Irish Famine novel, within the context of Western plague narratives as outlined by recent plague narrative scholars and...