cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of a whole-blood interferon-γ release assay for the detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in 2 study populations

A whole-blood interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA) is being evaluated for its potential to replace the tuberculin skin test (TST) for detecting Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. To test the assay in a population in which tuberculosis is highly endemic and in another population that is representative of an urban United States population, 253 volunteers from Ethiopia and 175 volunteers from Baltimore were studied for responsiveness on IGRA compared with a simultaneously performed TST. The agreement between the 2 tests, beyond that due to chance, was 68% among subjects from Baltimore and only 35% among those from Ethiopia. IGRA had a sensitivity of 71%, compared with 95% sensitivity for the TST, among 21 subjects who had undergone treatment for culture-confirmed tuberculosis. The specificity was 85% for IGRA and 96% for TST among 52 subjects with no known history of exposure to tuberculosis. In its current form, with purified protein derivative used as the stimulation antigen, the IGRA was found to perform poorly in comparison to the TST in diagnosing M. tuberculosis infection.
Projection of compact fractal sets: application to diffusion-limited and cluster-cluster aggregates

Abstract. The need to assess the three-dimensional fractal dimension of fractal aggregates from the fractal dimension of two-dimensional projections is very frequent in geophysics, soil, and atmospheric sciences. However, a generally valid approach to relate the two- and three-dimensional fractal dimensions is missing, thus questioning the accuracy of the method used until now in practical applications. A mathematical approach developed for application to suspended aggregates made of cohesive sediment is investigated and applied here more generally to Diffusion-Limited Aggregates (DLA) and Cluster-Cluster Aggregates (CCA), showing higher accuracy in determining the three-dimensional fractal dimension compared to the method currently used.
Luminescence properties of amorphous AlN thin film phosphors incorporated with mixtures of Tb, Cu or Cu, Cr

Amorphous thin films of AlN doped with Cu (blue luminescence), Tb (green luminescence) and Cr (red luminescence) were deposited on p-doped Si (111) substrates using RF magnetron sputtering in a nitrogen atmosphere and made luminescent active by heat treatment at 1000°C. Single layered amorphous AlN films deposited with Tb and Cu showed cathodoluminescence from only the Tb3+ ions. Presumably, energy is transferred from Cu luminescence centers to Tb centers in close proximity. In contrast to this, double layered amorphous AlN films doped with Cu (∼200 nm) on top of Tb (∼50 nm) emits from both ions. This behavior is observed in a double layered amorphous AlN film doped with Cu (∼200 nm) on top of a Cr (∼200 nm) doped film. Secondary-ion mass spectrometry depth profiling revealed that the incorporated metals moved from one layer into the other during the heat treatment step necessary for luminescence activation.
A novel multispecialty surgical risk score for children.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: There is a lack of broadly applicable measures for risk adjustment in pediatric surgical patients necessary for improving outcomes and patient safety. Our objective was to develop a risk stratification model that predicts mortality after surgical operations in children. METHODS: The model was created by using inpatient databases from 1988 to 2006. Patients younger than 18 years who underwent an inpatient surgical procedure as identified by using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification , coding were included. A 7-point scale was developed with 70 variables selected for their predictive value for mortality using multivariate analysis. This model was evaluated with receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis and compared with the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) in two separate validation data sets. RESULTS: A total of 2 087 915 patients were identified in the training data set. Generated risk scores positively correlated with inpatient mortality. In the training data set, the ROC was 0.949 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.947, 0.950). In the first validation data set, the ROC was 0.959 (95% CI: 0.952, 0.967) compared with the CCI ROC of 0.596 (95% CI: 0.575, 0.616). In the second validation data set, the ROC was 0.901 (95% CI: 0.885, 0.917) and the CCI ROC was 0.587 (95% CI: 0.562, 0.611). CONCLUSIONS: This study depicts creation of a broadly applicable model for risk adjustment that predicts inpatient mortality with more reliability than current risk indexes in pediatric surgical patients. This risk index will allow comorbidity-adjusted outcomes broadly in pediatric surgery.
Interleaving for combating bursts of errors

To ensure data fidelity, a number of random error correction codes (ECCs) have been developed. ECC is, however, not efficient in combating bursts of errors, i.e., a group of consecutive (in one-dimensional (1-D) case) or connected (in two- and three- dimensional (2-D and 3-D) case) erroneous code symbols owing to the bursty nature of errors. Interleaving is a process to rearrange code symbols so as to spread bursts of errors over multiple code-words that can be corrected by ECCs. By converting bursts of errors into random-like errors, interleaving thus becomes an effective means to combat error bursts. In this article, we first illustrate the philosophy of interleaving by introducing a 1-D block interleaving technique. Then multi-dimensional (M-D) bursts of errors and optimality of interleaving are defined. The fundamentals and algorithms of the state of the art of M-D interleaving - the t-interleaved array approach by Blaum, Bruck and Vardy and the successive packing approach by Shi and Zhang-are presented and analyzed. In essence, a t-interleaved array is constructed by closely tiling a building block, which is solely determined by the burst size t. Therefore, the algorithm needs to be implemented each time for a different burst size in order to maintain either the error burst correction capability or optimality. Since the size of error bursts is usually not known in advance, the application of the technique is somewhat limited. The successive packing algorithm, based on the concept of 2 /spl times/ 2 basis array, only needs to be implemented once for a given square 2-D array, and yet it remains optimal for a set of bursts of errors having different sizes. The performance comparison between different approaches is made. Future research on the successive packing approach is discussed. Finally, applications of 2-D/3-D successive packing interleaving in enhancing the robustness of image/video data hiding are presented as examples of practical utilization of interleaving.
Searching for Tomorrow's Innovators: Profiling Creative Adolescents

Profiling may be a viable means of identifying those creative adolescents who can benefit from specialized guidance and exploration of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, arts, and human services. The experimenters developed 1 general and 5 specific profiles including interest, personality, and achievement variables based on the profiles of eminent people in five domains of creative endeavor. Educators of gifted students at schools throughout a Midwestern state identified 485 students to attend a research through service counseling laboratory. One cohort received the Vocational Preference Inventory, the Personality Research Form, and the Tellegen Absorption Scale, and a second cohort received the VPI, the Revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO- PI-R), and Tellegen Absorption Scale. For each cohort, descriptive data were gathered and principal components analyses were performed on scales of interest and personality inventories. In addition, a cluster analysis was performed for ...
Seasonal response of photosynthesis to elevated CO2 in loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) over two growing seasons

Trees growing in natural systems undergo seasonal changes in environmental factors that generate seasonal differences in net photosynthetic rates. To examine how seasonal changes in the environment affect the response of net photosynthetic rates to elevated CO2, we grew Pinus taeda L. seedlings for three growing seasons in open-top chambers continuously maintained at either ambient or ambient + 30 Pa CO2. Seedlings were grown in the ground, under natural conditions of light, temperature nd nutrient and water availability. Photosynthetic capacity was measured bimonthly using net photosynthetic rate vs. intercellular CO2 partial pressure (A-Ci) curves. Maximum Rubisco activity (Vcmax) and ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate regeneration capacity mediated by electron transport (Jmax) and phosphate regeneration (PiRC) were calculated from A-Ci curves using a biochemically based model. Rubisco activity, activation state and content, and leaf carbohydrate, chlorophyll and nitrogen concentrations were measured concurrently with photosynthesis measurements. This paper presents results from the second and third years of treatment. Mean leaf nitrogen concentrations ranged from 13.7 to 23.8 mg g−1, indicating that seedlings were not nitrogen deficient. Relative to ambient CO2 seedlings, elevated CO2 increased light-saturated net photosynthetic rates 60–110% during the summer, but < 30% during the winter. A relatively strong correlation between leaf temperature and the relative response of net photosynthetic rates to elevated CO2 suggests a strong effect of leaf temperature. During the third growing season, elevated CO2 reduced Rubisco activity 30% relative to ambient CO2 seedlings, nearly completely balancing Rubisco and RuBP-regeneration regulation of photosynthesis. However, reductions in Rubisco activity did not eliminate the seasonal pattern in the relative response of net photosynthetic rates to elevated CO2. These results indicate that seasonal differences in the relative response of net photosynthetic rates to elevated CO2 are likely to occur in natural systems.
A phonemic analysis of monosyllabic words

Abstract This analysis of high‐frequency monosyllabic words breaks these words into five categories. The spelling‐sound characteristics of these categories is shown to justify such categorization. The different characteristics of these categories indicates that a certain order for teaching high‐frequency monosyllabic words is called for. This sequence of teaching, as presented, represents an order for the teaching of these words to be preferred over those previously offered.
Increasing the portability and re-usability of protocol code

Deploying protocols is an expensive and time-consuming process today. One reason is the high cost of developing, testing, and installing protocol implementations. To reduce this difficulty, protocols are developed and executed within environments called protocol subsystems, and protocol software is often ported instead of being coded from scratch. Unfortunately, today a variety of protocol subsystems offer a plethora of features, functionality, and drawbacks; the differences among them often reduce the portability and reusability of protocol code, and therefore present barriers to the deployment of new protocols. In this paper, we consider differences in subsystems and their effect on the portability and reusability of protocols and protocol implementations. We then propose two different approaches, each optimized for a different situation, that allow protocol code implemented in one subsystem to be used without modification within other subsystems, and thus reduce the barriers to protocol deployment. We relate our experiences designing, implementing, and measuring the performance of each approach using, as a baseline, an AppleTalk protocol stack we have developed.
Allele- and Tir-Independent Functions of Intimin in Diverse Animal Infection Models

Upon binding to intestinal epithelial cells, enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC), enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC), and Citrobacter rodentium trigger formation of actin pedestals beneath bound bacteria. Pedestal formation has been associated with enhanced colonization, and requires intimin, an adhesin that binds to the bacterial effector translocated intimin receptor (Tir), which is translocated to the host cell membrane and promotes bacterial adherence and pedestal formation. Intimin has been suggested to also promote cell adhesion by binding one or more host receptors, and allelic differences in intimin have been associated with differences in tissue and host specificity. We assessed the function of EHEC, EPEC, or C. rodentium intimin, or a set of intimin derivatives with varying Tir-binding abilities in animal models of infection. We found that EPEC and EHEC intimin were functionally indistinguishable during infection of gnotobiotic piglets by EHEC, and that EPEC, EHEC, and C. rodentium intimin were functionally indistinguishable during infection of C57BL/6 mice by C. rodentium. A derivative of EHEC intimin that bound Tir but did not promote robust pedestal formation on cultured cells was unable to promote C. rodentium colonization of conventional mice, indicating that the ability to trigger actin assembly, not simply to bind Tir, is required for intimin-mediated intestinal colonization. Interestingly, streptomycin pre-treatment of mice eliminated the requirement for Tir but not intimin during colonization, and intimin derivatives that were defective in Tir-binding still promoted colonization of these mice. These results indicate that EPEC, EHEC, and C. rodentium intimin are functionally interchangeable during infection of gnotobiotic piglets or conventional C57BL/6 mice, and that whereas the ability to trigger Tir-mediated pedestal formation is essential for colonization of conventional mice, intimin provides a Tir-independent activity during colonization of streptomycin pre-treated mice.
Microarray analysis of Arabidopsis under gold exposure to identify putative genes involved in the synthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs)

Very little is known about the genes responsible for Au uptake, reduction and detoxification in plants, which indeed essential to understand the complex trait of AuNP biosynthesis. We designed a targeted experiment to elucidate the response of plant at transcriptional level under Au exposure, and a microarray was performed on root tissue treated with AuCl4 (-) in the absence of nutrient media to record specific gene expression signature. Here, we describe the experimental procedures and data analysis in detail to reproduce the results (available at GEO database under GSE55436) published by Shukla et al. (2014) [1] in the Frontiers in Plant Sciences. The data produced from this study provide significant information of genes which may be used to enhance the AuNP biosynthesis.
Direct Torque Control With Reduced Switching Losses for Asymmetric Multilevel Inverter Fed Induction Motor Drives

In this paper a high performance torque and flux control strategy for multilevel inverter fed induction motor drives is presented. The control method is based on Direct Torque Control operating principles. The stator voltage vector reference is computed from the stator flux error imposed by the torque controller. This voltage reference is then generated using an asymmetric cascaded H-bridge multilevel inverter. This inverter provides nearly sinusoidal voltages with very low distortion, using less switching devices. Due to the small dv/dt's, torque ripple is greatly reduced. In addition, the asymmetric multilevel inverter can generate a high and fixed switching frequency output voltages with less switching losses, since only the small power cells of the inverter operate at high switching rate. Therefore a high performance and also efficient torque and flux controller is obtained, enabling a DTC solution for multilevel inverter powered motor drives.
Insulator and electrode mass erosion and surface voltage holdoff recovery for transient, high current surface discharges

Several polymeric insulator materials commonly used as sidewall insulators in electromagnetic accelerators were subjected to repetitive (from approximately 0.1 to 1 discharge per second), high current (from approximately 100 to 300 kA peak or approximately 100 to 300 kA/cm), transient ( approximately 20 mu s pulse width) surface discharges. The insulator materials tested include the thermosetting polymers G-9, G-10, and G-11 (i.e., fiberglass reinforced melamine and epoxy) and the thermoplastic polymers Lexan (i.e., polycarbonate) and Delrin (i.e., polyacetyl). Empirical scaling relationships are given that relate the amount of insulator and electrode (i.e., molybdenum) mass erosion to the total amount of arc energy transferred. Scaling relationships are also given for the lifetime of the given polymer as a function of the initial discharge current. The lifetime of an insulator material is defined as the number of discharges required to reduce the initial surface holdoff voltage to its half-power level for three consecutive discharges and is a useful parameter when specifying insulator materials to be used in high-power switching devices. >
Calcium uptake by isolated sarcoplasmic reticulum treated with dithiothreitol.

Isolated vesicles of the sarcoplasmic reticulum are known to take up calcium when provided with magnesium adenosine triphosphate as an energy source. Preparations of high activity are obtained by keeping the vesicles in 5 millimolar dithiothreitol (a reagent that reduces disulfide groups), and these preparations retain activity for a week or longer. The highly active preparations lend themselves to a spectrophotometric method for following calcium uptake, and continuous uptake kinetics are readily obtained. Calcium uptake appears to follow Michaelis-Menten kinetics (K m = 8x10 -6 ; V mas , = 7x10 -7 mole per second per milligram of protein). These preparations are also useful for studying the effects of inhibitors of uptake, such as quinine. When extrapolated to the intact muscle, the results from these isolated vesicles should give a better estimate than has been available of the actual rates of calcium uptake and of the physiological effect of inhibitors of uptake.
Towards complete node enumeration in a peer-to-peer botnet

Modern advanced botnets may employ a decentralized peer-to-peer overlay network to bootstrap and maintain their command and control channels, making them more resilient to traditional mitigation efforts such as server incapacitation. As an alternative strategy, the malware defense community has been trying to identify the bot-infected hosts and enumerate the IP addresses of the participating nodes so that the list can be used by system administrators to identify local infections, block spam emails sent from bots, and configure firewalls to protect local users. Enumerating the infected hosts, however, has presented challenges. One cannot identify infected hosts behind firewalls or NAT devices by employing crawlers, a commonly used enumeration technique where recursive get-peerlist lookup requests are sent newly discovered IP addresses of infected hosts. As many bot-infected machines in homes or offices are behind firewall or NAT devices, these crawler-based enumeration methods would miss a large portions of botnet infections. In this paper, we present the Passive P2P Monitor (PPM), which can enumerate the infected hosts regardless whether or not they are behind a firewall or NAT. As an empirical study, we examined the Storm botnet and enumerated its infected hosts using the PPM. We also improve our PPM design by incorporating a FireWall Checker (FWC) to identify nodes behind a firewall. Our experiment with the peer-to-peer Storm botnet shows that more than 40% of bots that contact the PPM are behind firewall or NAT devices, implying that crawler-based enumeration techniques would miss out a significant portion of the botnet population. Finally, we show that the PPM's coverage is based on a probability-based coverage model that we derived from the empirical observation of the Storm botnet.
Student experiences across multiple flipped courses in a single curriculum

Context The flipped classroom approach has garnered significant attention in health professions education, which has resulted in calls for curriculum-wide implementations of the model. However, research to support the development of evidence-based guidelines for large-scale flipped classroom implementations is lacking. Objectives This study was designed to examine how students experience the flipped classroom model of learning in multiple courses within a single curriculum, as well as to identify specific elements of flipped learning that students perceive as beneficial or challenging. Methods A qualitative analysis of students’ comments (n = 6010) from mid-course and end-of-course evaluations of 10 flipped courses (in 2012–2014) was conducted. Common and recurring themes were identified through systematic iterative coding and sorting using the constant comparison method. Multiple coders, agreement through consensus and member checking were utilised to ensure the trustworthiness of findings. Results Several themes emerged from the analysis: (i) the perceived advantages of flipped learning coupled with concerns about implementation; (ii) the benefits of pre-class learning and factors that negatively affect these benefits, such as quality and quantity of learning materials, as well as overall increase in workload, especially in the context of multiple concurrent flipped courses; (iii) the role of the instructor in the flipped learning environment, particularly in engaging students in active learning and ensuring instructional alignment, and (iv) the need for assessments that emphasise the application of knowledge and critical thinking skills. Conclusions Analysis of data from 10 flipped courses provided insight into common patterns of student learning experiences specific to the flipped learning model within a single curriculum. The study points to the challenges associated with scaling the implementation of the flipped classroom across multiple courses. Several core elements critical to the effective design and implementation of the flipped classroom model are identified.
Disappearance of the Dowry: Women, Families, and Social Change in São Paulo, Brazil, 1600-1900

Tables and figures note on currency Introduction Part I. The Seventeenth Century (1600-1651): 1. The family as the basis of society 2. The importance of dowry 3. The marriage bargain Part II. The Eighteenth Century (1700-1769): 4. Transition in the family and society 5. Continuity and change in the practice of dowry 6. A changing marriage bargain Part III. The Nineteenth Century (1800-1869): 7. The growth of individualism 8. The separation of business from family 9. Decline of the dowry 10. A new marriage bargain 11. Problems with the dowry Conclusion: disappearance of the dowry Appendixes Glossary Notes Bibliography Index.
Analyzing the successful development of a high‐novelty innovation project under a time‐pressured schedule

Research has identified numerous determinants leading to the success of new product development (NPD) projects. However, which particular determinants carry more importance when developing high-novelty projects under tight time constraints have yet to be clarified. We study the development of ECJ-400 of Eclipse Aircraft Company, a highly innovative new jet airplane that was designed and built in a very aggressive 229-day timetable. Through an in-depth case analysis using interviews with members of the four companies involved in the design, manufacturing, and flight testing of the airplane, we enquire about the underlying factors that led to the successful creation of this product. Propositions were formulated and then depicted respectively through the development of a casual network diagram. Our study contributes to the NPD speed literature by highlighting the particular interrelationships between determinants that are influential toward highly novel time-pressured NPD projects.
Thiobarbituric Acid Values and Glutathione Perioxidase Activity in Meat from Chickens Fed a Selenium-Supplemented Diet

Selenium glutathione peroxidase (SeGSHpx) was assayed in breast and leg muscle from chickens fed a basal (0.09 ppm Se) and a Se-supplemented (0.31 ppm Se) diet. The same muscles were ground and made into 50g patties and stored 4 days at 4° C. TBA values were determined on the stored patties. SeGSHpx activity was higher (p < 0.05) in muscles from the Se-supplemented chickens than in muscles from the non-Se supplemented birds. The higher SeGSHpx activity was accompanied by lower (p < 0.05) TBA numbers in the stored chicken patties.
Heat Stability of Maize Endosperm ADP-Glucose Pyrophosphorylase Is Enhanced by Insertion of a Cysteine in the N Terminus of the Small Subunit

ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase) is a key regulatory enzyme in starch biosynthesis. However, plant AGPases differ in several parameters, including spatial and temporal expression, allosteric regulation, and heat stability. AGPases of cereal endosperms are heat labile, while those in other tissues, such as the potato (Solanum tuberosum) tuber, are heat stable. Sequence comparisons of heat-stable and heat-labile AGPases identified an N-terminal motif unique to heat-stable enzymes. Insertion of this motif into recombinant maize (Zea mays) endosperm AGPase increased the half-life at 58°C more than 70-fold. Km values for physiological substrates were unaffected, although Kcat was doubled. A cysteine within the inserted motif gives rise to small subunit homodimers not found in the wild-type maize enzyme. Placement of this N-terminal motif into a mosaic small subunit containing the N terminus from maize endosperm and the C terminus from potato tuber AGPase increases heat stability more than 300-fold.
Is the Association between Socioeconomic Position and Coronary Heart Disease Stronger in Women than in Men

The association between socioeconomic position and health is generally believed to be weaker among women than men. However, gender differences in the relation between socioeconomic position and coronary heart disease have not been evaluated in a representative sample of the US population. The authors examined this association in the First National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1971-1993), a longitudinal, representative study of the US population (n = 6,913). Information on educational attainment, household income, and covariates was derived from the baseline interview, and that on incident coronary heart disease was obtained from hospital records/death certificates over 22 years of follow-up. Cox's proportional hazards models showed that education and income were inversely associated with incident coronary heart disease in age-only and multivariate models. Risk associated with education varied by gender (p = 0.01), with less than high school education associated with stronger risk of coronary heart disease in women (relative risk = 2.15, 95% confidence interval: 1.46, 3.17) than in men (relative risk = 1.58, 95% confidence interval: 1.18, 2.12) in age-adjusted models. Low education was associated with greater social and psychological risks for women than men; however, metabolic risks largely explained gender differences in the educational gradient in coronary heart disease.
Service-Learning: Implications for Empathy and Community Engagement in Elementary School Children

The literature on service-learning outcomes in pre-adolescent children is relatively sparse. Empathy (i.e., overall, cognitive, affective) and community engagement (i.e., connection to the communit...
Supplemental Mathematics Intervention How and Why Special Educators Intensify Intervention for Students With Learning Disabilities

Researchers design scripted supplemental mathematics programs for struggling students, such as students with learning disabilities (LD), to encourage an evidence-based presentation of concepts and use of instructional language in teachers’ implementation. In practice, teachers may or may not implement these programs with high fidelity, resulting in slight to substantial curriculum alterations. Yet there is a dearth of studies detailing the nature of changes teachers make during instruction or their perceptions of why the changes were necessary. We present a qualitative analysis of 10 special educators’ employment of a Base Ten Numeration and Multiplication/Division Strategies intervention with students with LD. Results show that teachers altered modeled practice and guided practice lesson components more than any other lesson component. Three interrelated themes illustrate reasons for pedagogy, materials, and tasks alterations: (a) scripted tasks/script, (b) connections, and (c) lesson delivery methods.
A History of Breast-Feeding Practices in the English-Speaking Caribbean in the Twentieth Century:

This article traces the history of breastfeeding practices in the English-speaking Caribbean since 1900 with particular emphasis on cultural attitudes. A pattern of early weaning and supplementation with milk bush teas carbohydrate gruels and condensed milk was widely practiced in the early part of the 20th century and reflected womens work patterns. Malnutrition morbidity and infant death due to early weaning and suplementation with poor and unsanitary diets had gained recognition as serious health problems by 1925 however. In the years following World War II the production and promotion of infant formula led again to a shift toward earlier weaning and suplementation in turn producing increased incidence of marasmic infantile malnutrition. At present a majority of Caribbean mothers are breastfeeding at 3 months although they are giving a wide range of supplementary milks teas juices and paps. The causes of the recent decline in the prevalence of breastfeeding are a combination of womens activity patterns access to substitute feeding and perceptions of desirable feeding methods. Feeding practices have been associated historically with adaptations to material conditions that encourage separation of working mothers and infants. This observation underscores the need to understand breastfeeding practices within the context of womens lives specifically the social structures of underdevelopment. Nutrition policies that affect these structures in ways that enhance womens opportunities and desire to breastfeed should be the goal.
Repellent compound with larger protective zone than DEET identified through activity-screening of Ir40a neurons, does not require Or function

The widely used insect repellent DEET has a limited spatial zone of protection, requiring it to be applied over all exposed areas of skin. Identification of insect DEET-sensing neurons expressing a highly conserved Ionotropic receptor, Ir40a, provides an opportunity to identify new structural classes of volatile agonists as potential spatial repellents. By imaging the activity of the Ir40a+ neurons in D. melanogaster expressing the calcium sensitive GCaMP3 protein, we identify a strong agonist, 4-methylpiperidine, with a much higher vapor pressure than DEET. Behavioral testing reveals that 4-methylpiperidine repels Aedes aegypti, which is consistent with our model that Ir40a marks a conserved innate aversive pathway. Using a spatial repellency assay we demonstrate that 4-methylpiperidine applied to one part of the hand repels mosquitoes on another part effectively, whereas DEET cannot do so. Using orco mutant A. aegypti we demonstrate that avoidance to 4-methypiperidine is not dependent on Or family function. Additional testing of orco mutant mosquitoes demonstrates that they are also effectively repelled by DEET, without coming in contact with it, in heat attraction assays. Together, these results support our initial observations that the conserved Ir pathway plays a key role in olfactory repellency and can be used to identify new classes of repellents.
Systemic Insecticides for Control of Oriental Rat Fleas: Tests in Guinea Pigs

Fourteen systemic insecticides administered orally to guinea pigs caused complete mortality of oriental rat fleas, Xenopsylla cheopis (Rothschild), without noticeably affecting the guinea pigs.. Six other compounds killed all the fleas but also killed the guinea pigs. Nine compounds killed 50-95% of the fleas, but 4 of them killed the guinea pigs at the same dose. Eighty-six other compounds were ineffective as oral systemic insecticides against oriental rat fleas.
The Identification of the Critical Haptic Stimulus Features in a Clinical Dental Task

This paper reviews evidence from a series of experiments that identify a characteristic 250-350 Hz tool vibration that may enable a dentist to make a specific clinical determination during a dental exam. The specific task is a generalized version of crown margin gap estimation. The results suggest that the vibration of the dental tool may be the salient haptic characteristic perceived by the dentist. Our previous experiments indicate that this vibration occurs when the probe releases potential energy after moving across the gap. A Fourier power spectrum of the vibration indicates that the vibration energy is in the maximally sensitive range of the Pacinian corpuscle, an organ which senses fingertip skin vibration. This paper discusses follow-up experiments designed to verify that including the vibration makes the size of the crown margin gap more salient while damping the vibration makes the size of crown margin gap more difficult to estimate. Defining the essential characteristics of the haptic signal is essential for redesigning, implementing and assessing the next generation of our dental surgical simulator.
Sample Confirmation Testing: A Short Tandem Repeat-Based Quality Assurance and Quality Control Procedure for the eyeGENE Biorepository.

Quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) procedures are vital to good biorepository management. The National Eye Institute (NEI) core CLIA-certified laboratory of the eyeGENE® Network receives blood from individuals with inherited eye conditions and isolates DNA for clinical genetic diagnostic testing and research. Clinical genetic test results are returned to the affected individuals, making it imperative that sample integrity is preserved throughout laboratory processing. A clinically validated, short tandem repeat (STR)-based approach, termed Sample Confirmation Testing (SCT), was developed to ensure that no significant laboratory errors occurred during processing. SCT uses modified protocols from commercial kits to create and compare STR profiles for each participant's original blood and derived DNA. This QA/QC procedure has been performed on 47% of the more than 6000 participants in the eyeGENE Biorepository and has identified significant laboratory errors in 0.4% of samples tested. SCT improves...
Young Children Choose to Inform Previously Knowledgeable Others

Children recognize that people who know more are better informants than those who know less. How does an individual’s prior knowledge affect children’s decisions about whom to inform? In 3 experiments, 3- to 6-year-old children were invited to share a novel piece of information with 1 of 2 potential recipients who differed in their recent history of knowledge. Children tended to inform the previously knowledgeable person rather than the previously ignorant person. This same effect was observed in a 4th experiment when the knowledgeable person stated that she already knew the information the participant had to share. In no case was the opposite pattern observed: Children never chose to inform the person who had known less. These results seem to conflict with equity considerations and may reflect a preference to affiliate with competent social partners.
Study on the Change of Serum and Pleural Effusion Inflammatory Markers of Children with Mycoplasma Pneumonia and Pleural Effusion

Objective:To study the change situation of serum and pleural effusion inflammatory markers of children with mycoplasma pneumonia and pleural effusion.Method:28 children with mycoplasma pneumonia and pleural effusion in our hospital from August 2011 to April 2013 were the group A,28 children with only mycoplasma pneumonia were the group B,28 healthy children were the group C,then the serum and pleural effusion IL-6,IL-2 and TNF-αof three groups were compared.Result:The serum and pleural effusion IL-6and TNF-αof group A and group B were all higher than those of group C,those of group A were higher than those of group B,serum and pleural effusion IL-2 of group A and group B were lower than that of group C, that of group A was lower than that of group B,the fluctuation of those indexes of group A with large effusion were bigger than those of mild and moderate effusion,there were all significant differences(P0.05).Conclusion:The serum and pleural effusion inflammatory markers of children with mycoplasma pneumonia and pleural effusion show an abnormal condition,and they can be the indexes of understanding the development and prognosis of mycoplasma pneumonia and pleural effusion.
Generalized Correlations and Kernel Causality Using R Package GeneralCorr

Karl Pearson developed the correlation coefficient r(X,Y) in 1890's. Vinod (2014) develops new generalized correlation coefficients so that when r*(Y|X) > r*(X|Y) then X is the "kernel cause" of Y. Vinod (2015a) argues that kernel causality amounts to model selection between two kernel regressions, E(Y|X) = g1(X) and E(X|Y) = g2(Y) and reports simulations favoring kernel causality. An R software package called 'generalCorr' computes generalized correlations, partial correlations and plausible causal paths. This paper describes various R functions in the package, using examples to describe them. We are proposing an alternative quantfication to extensive causality apparatus of Pearl (2010) and additive-noise type methods in Mooij et al. (2014), who seem to offer no R implementations. My methods applied to certain public benchmark data report a 70-75% success rate. We also describe how to use the package to assess endogeneity of regressors.
OPAL: An open-source software tool for integrating biodiversity and ecosystem services into impact assessment and mitigation decisions

Abstract Governments and financial institutions increasingly require that environmental impact assessment and mitigation account for consequences to both biodiversity and ecosystem services. Here we present a new software tool, OPAL (Offset Portfolio Analyzer and Locator), which maps and quantifies the impacts of development on habitat and ecosystem services, and facilitates the selection of mitigation activities to offset losses. We demonstrate its application with an oil and gas extraction facility in Colombia. OPAL is the first tool to provide direct consideration of the distribution of ecosystem service benefits among people in a mitigation context. Previous biodiversity-focused efforts led to redistribution or loss of ecosystem services with environmental justice implications. Joint consideration of biodiversity and ecosystem services enables targeting of offsets to benefit both nature and society. OPAL reduces the time and technical expertise required for these analyses and has the flexibility to be used across a range of geographic and policy contexts.
Chemical kinetic model uncertainty minimization through laminar flame speed measurements

Laminar flame speed measurements were carried for mixture of air with eight C3-4 hydrocarbons (propene, propane, 1,3-butadiene, 1-butene, 2-butene, iso-butene, n-butane, and iso-butane) at the room temperature and ambient pressure. Along with C1-2 hydrocarbon data reported in a recent study, the entire dataset was used to demonstrate how laminar flame speed data can be utilized to explore and minimize the uncertainties in a reaction model for foundation fuels. The USC Mech II kinetic model was chosen as a case study. The method of uncertainty minimization using polynomial chaos expansions (MUM-PCE) (D.A. Sheen and H. Wang, Combust. Flame 2011, 158, 2358-2374) was employed to constrain the model uncertainty for laminar flame speed predictions. Results demonstrate that a reaction model constrained only by the laminar flame speed values of methane/air flames notably reduces the uncertainty in the predictions of the laminar flame speeds of C3 and C4 alkanes, because the key chemical pathways of all of these flames are similar to each other. The uncertainty in model predictions for flames of unsaturated C3-4 hydrocarbons remain significant without considering fuel specific laminar flames speeds in the constraining target data set, because the secondary rate controlling reaction steps are different from those in the saturated alkanes. It is shown that the constraints provided by the laminar flame speeds of the foundation fuels could reduce notably the uncertainties in the predictions of laminar flame speeds of C4 alcohol/air mixtures. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that an accurate prediction of the laminar flame speed of a particular C4 alcohol/air mixture is better achieved through measurements for key molecular intermediates formed during the pyrolysis and oxidation of the parent fuel.
The Young Professional: A Personal Budgeting Challenge

A common dream of many college students is to have a job within their chosen field awaiting them when they graduate. However, given the economy and other situational factors, this may not become a reality for all students. In this case study, a soon-to-be-graduate, Kate Denny, has been fortunate enough to have received a job offer in her chosen field commencing upon graduation. She has worked extremely hard to place herself in this situation. Offered, what she considers a generous starting salary and benefits package, she is beginning her journey into the real world and living independently and being truly self-supportive. However, she is not quite sure whether or not she will be able to live within her means, support herself, fulfill her obligations and at the same time, live the good life of a young professional. A personal budget is what Kate needs. She seeks your advice and counsel to help her manage her finances so she can have her cake and eat it too!
Threshold collision-induced dissociation of protonated hydrazine and dimethylhydrazine clustered with water.

Threshold collision-induced dissociation using a guided ion beam tandem mass spectrometer is performed on (N2H4)H+(H2O)n, where n = 1 and 2, and on the protonated unsymmetrical 1,1-dimethylhydrazine one-water complex. The primary dissociation pathway for all clusters is a loss of a single water molecule, which for n = 2 is followed by the sequential loss of an additional water molecule at higher collision energies. The data are analyzed using a statistical model after accounting for internal and kinetic energy distributions, multiple collisions, and kinetic shifts to obtain 0 K bond dissociation energies (BDEs). These are also converted using a rigid rotor/harmonic oscillator approximation to yield thermodynamic values at room temperature. Experimental BDEs compare favorably to theoretical BDEs determined at the B3LYP, M06, mPW1PW91, PBE0, MP2(full), and CCSD(T) levels of theory with a 6-311+G(2d,2p) basis set both with and without empirical dispersion. These calculations also allow visualization of the s...
Maintenance pharmacotherapy normalizes the relapse curve in recently abstinent tobacco smokers with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder

Abstract Objective To compare the effect of maintenance pharmacotherapy on sustained abstinence rates between recently abstinent smokers with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder (SBD) and general population smokers without psychiatric illness. Method We performed a person-level, pooled analysis of two randomized controlled trials of maintenance varenicline, conducted in adult smokers with SBD and general population smokers, controlling for severity of dependence. Smokers abstinent after 12-weeks of open varenicline treatment were randomly assigned to ≥ 12-weeks maintenance varenicline or identical placebo. Results In those assigned to maintenance placebo, the abstinence rate at week-24 was lower in those with SBD than for those without psychiatric illness (29.4 ± 1.1% vs. 61.8 ± 0.4%, OR:0.26, 95% CI: 0.13, 0.52, p 95 days, 95%CI:non-est), (Χ23df = 96.99, p Conclusions Following a standard 12-week course of pharmacotherapy, people with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder were more likely to relapse to smoking without maintenance varenicline treatment. Maintenance pharmacotherapy could improve longer-term tobacco abstinence rates and reduce known smoking-related health disparities in those with SMI.
Relaciones Públicas Internacionales: Un análisis de la estructura y conductas de comunicación para la internacionalización universitaria.

El presente estudio presenta una vision exploratoria de las estrategias y conductas de comunicacion internacional universitaria en Chile y Espana. Mediante una encuesta a 66 responsables de comunicacion internacional en las universidades, se determino que la comunicacion internacional en Chile, esta en manos del Departamento de Relaciones Internacionales en un 86% de los casos, en cambio en Espana, se reparte entre, un 44% unicamente en Relaciones Internacionales y un 40% en ambos, el de Comunicacion y el de Relaciones Internacionales. No parece haber planes periodicos de Comunicacion Internacional (solo 29% si los tiene en Chile y Espana); tampoco los presupuestos aparecen con gran relevancia (43% de las chilenas y 36% de las espanolas si los tiene). Ni los equipos de gestion ni los responsables tienen formacion en comunicacion. Las universidades en ambos paises usan material impreso tradicional; participacion en ferias y misiones internacionales; y la seccion web con contenido especifico como acciones mas comunes en sus estrategias de comunicacion. El articulo presenta algunas ideas de como se estructura la gestion de la comunicacion internacional en las universidades y lineas de investigacion que pudieran ayudar a incrementar el marco de conocimiento para la profesionalizacion de la disciplina.
Inferring left behind passengers in congested metro systems from automated data

Abstract With subway systems around the world experiencing increasing demand, measures such as passengers left behind are becoming increasingly important. This paper proposes a methodology for inferring the probability distribution of the number of times a passenger is left behind at stations in congested metro systems using automated data. Maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) and Bayesian inference methods are used to estimate the left behind probability mass function (LBPMF) for a given station and time period. The model is applied using actual and synthetic data. The results show that the model is able to estimate the probability of being left behind fairly accurately.