cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Temperature dependence of anisotropic magnetoresistance and atomic rearrangements in ferromagnetic metal break junctions

Recent experiments have found that the anisotropic magnetoresistance AMR of nanometer-scale ferromagnetic contacts at low temperature can be larger than that of bulk samples and can exhibit more complicated variations as a function of sample bias and the angle of an applied magnetic field than in the bulk case. Here, we test a proposal that quantum interference of electrons may explain these results, by measuring the temperature dependence of the AMR signals in nanometer-scale contacts made from Permalloy Ni80Fe20 , Ni, and Co. We find a strong temperature dependence, in quantitative agreement with expectations for a quantuminterference effect. In the course of making these measurements, we also observed that two-level resistance fluctuations as a function of time, associated with reconfigurations of the atomic structure, are present in all of our samples as the temperature is increased above a few tens of Kelvin, and they can be found in some samples even at 4.2 K. The relative energy of the different atomic configurations can be extremely sensitive to the angle of the sample magnetization, so that the conductance in some samples can be made to change abruptly and reproducibly as the angle of an applied magnetic field is rotated.
Prolonged Disruption of Plasma β-Endorphin Dynamics after Trauma in the Nonhuman Primate*

Recent evidence has suggested that a circadian rhythm exists for plasma β-endorphin-like immunoreactivity. The purpose of the present study was to examine the long term effects of surgical trauma on plasma β-endorphin dynamics. Blood samples for RIA were obtained from female baboons every 4 h for three 48-h periods: one beginning 1 week before surgical trauma, the second 30 min after surgical trauma, and the third 1 week after surgical trauma. Animals were subjected to laparotomy and 30-min anesthesia (n = 8), 5-min surgical trauma under 30-min anesthesia (low trauma; n = 8), or 20-min surgical trauma under 30-min anesthesia (high trauma; n = 8). Computer analysis of β-endorphin levels as a function of clock time demonstrated a true preoperative circadian rhythm for all animals, with a mean of 87.9 pg/ml. In the immediate 48-h postoperative period, a postoperative alteration in circadian β-endorphin dynamics occurred that was correlated with the severity of trauma. A disruption of circadian rhythms of pla...
Influence of a values discussion on congruence between elderly women and their families on critical health care decisions.

ABSTRACT This study investigated if prior discussion of values by competent older women (N = 60) with their proxies assisted these proxies to make critical health care decisions in congruence with the desires of the women. Women were randomly assigned to experimental or control groups. Experimental treatment consisted of discussion of value indicators in the presence of their proxies. The proxies were instructed to make decisions in 10 situations across 3 mental states using the substituted judgment standard. The experimental group did not have statistically higher agreement than women-proxy pairs in the control group in 27 of the 30 situations, but they had greater percentage agreement in 11 of the situations. Limitations of the Kappa statistic in health care agreement studies were addressed. The mean treatment decision scores were significantly different across mental states, indicating as mental acuity was decreased in the scenarios, the women were more likely to refuse the recommended treatment.
Horizontal gas and gas/solid jet penetration in a gas–solid fluidized bed

Abstract In this paper, the real time, dynamic phenomena of the three-dimensional horizontal gas and gas/solid mixture jetting in a 0.3 m (12 in) bubbling gas–solid fluidized bed are reported. The instantaneous properties of the shape of the jets and volumetric solids holdup are qualified and quantified using the three-dimensional electrical capacitance volume tomography (ECVT) recently developed in the authors’ group. It is found that the horizontal gas jet is almost symmetric along the horizontal axis during its penetration. As the jet width expands, the total volume of the gas jet increases. A mechanistic model is also developed to account for the experimental results obtained in this study. Comparison of jet penetration length and width between the model prediction and ECVT experiment shows that both the maximum penetration length and the maximum width of the horizontal gas jet increase with the superficial gas velocity. When the horizontal gas jet coalesces with a bubble rising from the bottom distributor, it loses its symmetric shape and can easily penetrate into the bed. For the horizontal gas/solid mixture jet penetration in the bed, the tail of the jet at the nozzle shrinks and the jet loses its jet shape immediately when the jet reaches its maximum penetration length, which are different from the characteristics exhibited by the gas jet. The solids holdup in the core region of the gas/solid mixture jet is higher than that in the gas jet. The penetration length of the horizontal gas/solid mixture jet is also larger than that of the gas jet.
The History of X-ray Free-Electron Lasers

The successful lasing at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory of the Linear Coherent Light Source (LCLS), the first X-ray free-electron laser (X-ray FEL), in the wavelength range 1.5 to 15 A, pulse duration of 60 to few femtoseconds, number of coherent photons per pulse from 1013 to 1011, is a landmark event in the development of coherent electromagnetic radiation sources. Until now electrons traversing an undulator magnet in a synchrotron radiation storage ring provided the best X-ray sources. The LCLS has set a new standard, with a peak X-ray brightness higher by ten orders of magnitudes and pulse duration shorter by three orders of magnitudes. LCLS opens a new window in the exploration of matter at the atomic and molecular scales of length and time. Taking a motion picture of chemical processes in a few femtoseconds or less, unraveling the structure and dynamics of complex molecular systems, like proteins, are some of the exciting experiments made possible by LCLS and the other X-ray FELs now being built in Europe and Asia. In this paper, we describe the history of the many theoretical, experimental and technological discoveries and innovations, starting from the 1960s and 1970s, leading to the development of LCLS.
The Effect of In Vitro Passage of Infectious Pancreatic Necrosis Virus (IPNV) on Virulence and Sensitivity of the Virus to Rainbow Trout Serum

Abstract Three infectious pancreatic necrosis virus (IPNV) isolates (A1 serotype, Buhl subtype) were passaged five times in rainbow trout gonad (RTG)-2 cells with either minimum essential medium supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum (MEM-10) or MEM-10 supplemented with 1% rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss serum (MEM−RTS) to determine the effect of passage of the virus on its virulence and sensitivity to RTS. Mortalities in brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis fry were highly variable during viral passages; however, in general, most of the IPNV isolates were virulent under all conditions. The IPNV mortalities ranged between 30% and 89%. Maintenance of virulence during the five passages was dependent on the IPNV isolate and culture conditions. Rainbow trout serum did not always facilitate maintenance of viral virulence during the passages. Isolate mortalities after multiple passages were virulence dependent: the highly virulent isolate showed peak mortality from 4 to 11 d postexposure, while the low-virulen...
An experimental study of Couette instability of stratified fluids

The stability of Couette flow of stratified salt solutions is investigated in an apparatus with both the inner and outer cylinders rotating. The ratio of the radius of the inner cylinder to that of the outer cylinder is 0·2. The flow is visualized by means of shadowgraph and dye-trace methods. Compared with homogeneous fluids, the effect of the stabilizing density gradient is to increase the critical speed of the inner cylinder and to decrease the critical wavelength for a given angular speed of the outer cylinder. When the cylinders are rotating in the same direction, in the critical state, the instabilities appear along the inner cylinder in a spiral wave form which is itself not very stable. With counterrotating cylinders, the instabilities appear as regularly spaced vortices which, for the most part, are neither symmetric Taylor vortices nor simple spirals. In addition, these vortices rotate as a whole at a speed generally smaller than that of the inner cylinder. From shadowgraph observations, stability curves are constructed for three density gradients. The critical wavelength and the rotational periods of the vortices are also determined.
Studies on the lower oxides of titanium

Abstract Pure TiO is face-centered cubic above ~ 950°C. The structure of samples annealed below this temperature is complex, consisting of two or possibly three phases not in equilibrium. Impurities and excess of oxygen stabilize the face-centered cubic form at room temperature. The electrical resistivity of TiO (prepared by melting) is 2.81 × 10 −4 Ω cm at room temperature, and increases with temperature between —162 and 362°C. The thermoelectric e.m.f. of TiO is of the same order of magnitude as that of metals. The measured density is less than the X-ray density, indicating that 14.6 per cent of the lattice positions are unoccupied. The properties of our products suggest that the TiO-phase oxides may be considered solid solutions of oxygen in titanium. X-ray investigations indicate that Ti 3 O 4 probably does not exist. The trigonal unit cell of Ti 2 O 3 between room temperature and 350°C is confirmed. The lattice parameters change rapidly between 160 and 200°C, corresponding to the rapid increase in magnetic susceptibility. Ti 2 O 3 is antiferromagnetic ; χ m = 1.09 × 10 −6 cgs units at 20°C. The thermal activation energy of electrical conduction of Ti 2 O 3 in the room-temperature region is about half of the observed optical activation energy. The material is a p -type semiconductor at room temperature.
Augmented Protein Kinase C-α–Induced Myofilament Protein Phosphorylation Contributes to Myofilament Dysfunction in Experimental Congestive Heart Failure

It is becoming clear that upregulated protein kinase C (PKC) signaling plays a role in reduced ventricular myofilament contractility observed in congestive heart failure. However, data are scant regarding which PKC isozymes are involved. There is evidence that PKC-alpha may be of particular importance. Here, we examined PKC-alpha quantity, activity, and signaling to myofilaments in chronically remodeled myocytes obtained from rats in either early heart failure or end-stage congestive heart failure. Immunoblotting revealed that PKC-alpha expression and activation was unaltered in early heart failure but increased in end-stage congestive heart failure. Left ventricular myocytes were isolated by mechanical homogenization, Triton-skinned, and attached to micropipettes that projected from a force transducer and motor. Myofilament function was characterized by an active force-[Ca(2+)] relation to obtain Ca(2+)-saturated maximal force (F(max)) and myofilament Ca(2+) sensitivity (indexed by EC(50)) before and after incubation with PKC-alpha, protein phosphatase type 1 (PP1), or PP2a. PKC-alpha treatment induced a 30% decline in F(max) and 55% increase in the EC(50) in control cells but had no impact on myofilament function in failing cells. PP1-mediated dephosphorylation increased F(max) (15%) and decreased EC(50) ( approximately 20%) in failing myofilaments but had no effect in control cells. PP2a-dependent dephosphorylation had no effect on myofilament function in either group. Lastly, PP1 dephosphorylation restored myofilament function in control cells hyperphosphorylated with PKC-alpha. Collectively, our results suggest that in end-stage congestive heart failure, the myofilament proteins exist in a hyperphosphorylated state attributable, in part, to increased activity and signaling of PKC-alpha.
Universal Long Duration Tug Concept

Current plans for manned missions to Moon, Mars and beyond involve launching very large and expensive launch vehicles. An alternative is to launch several smaller tugs and have them rendezvous in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). The tugs could dock nose to tail and form a train of stages that can provide the delta V for trips to the Moon, Mars, or other planets and act as a multi-stage launch vehicle that originates from LEO. Such staging can reduce the total mass required to be lifted from the earth's surface and allow international participation, risk sharing, and cost sharing in human space flight missions. The tugs could also be pre-positioned in orbit around other planets and moons and provide the delta V for the trip back to Earth. This paper describes key areas of the proposed Universal Long Duration tug (ULD-Tug) concept.
High Performance Block I/O for Global File System (GFS) with InfiniBand RDMA

State-of-the-art network technology has evolved to 10Gbps. However, TCP?s high processing overhead and redundant data copies remain a major bottleneck for applications to fully benefit from such high speed technology. Remote Direct Memory Access (RDMA), as an emerging communication protocol, provides an opportunity for efficient storage system design by virtue of RDMA?s semantics. Although RDMA based designs have been proposed to improve network file I/O protocols in several previous works, its benefit for cluster file system block I/O is not clear yet. We propose a new technique - "buffer management delegation", which offloads message buffer management to remote communication party. Using this technique, we design our zero copy RDMA based block transfer scheme for GNBD (Global Network Block Device), a block access protocol of Red Hat Global File System, to optimize cluster file system performance over 10Gbps InfiniBand network. We evaluate this new scheme in comparison with our copy based scheme and TCP over the same InfiniBand hardware. The evaluation quantifies the redundant copy impact for both bulk data transfer and file system meta-data operations. The results using open source file system benchmarks and widely used system utilities show that our implementation improves GFS performance by up to 47% compared with copy based scheme, and by up to 136% compared with TCP.
Temporal guided search for elastography motion tracking

By assuming spatial continuity in tissue displacements, guided search and regularization methods in ultrasonic motion tracking have been shown to reduce “peak-hop” tracking errors. These methods can also be applied to temporal displacement continuity. Four algorithms are proposed that exploit either the continuity of tissue velocity over time or the necessary consistency between displacement results from different frame pairings. Preliminary tests on freehand phantom and tissue data show that three of these algorithms consistently reduce peak-hop errors relative to standard block-matching and have comparable performance to a previously published spatial regularization algorithm.
Control of FWM Phase-matching Condition Using the Brillouin Slow Light Effect in Fibers

All-optical control of FWM phase-matching condition is demonstrated using the Brillouin slow light effect in optical fibers. A 20 dB variation on the wavelength conversion efficiency has been obtained.
Leaf productivity along a precipitation gradient in lowland Panama: patterns from leaf to ecosystem

Moisture availability has the potential to affect tropical forest productivity at scales ranging from leaf to ecosystem. We compared data for leaf photosynthetic, chemical and structural traits of canopy trees, litterfall production and seasonal availability of soil water at four sites across a precipitation gradient (1,800–3,500 mm year−1) in lowland Panamanian forest to determine how productivity at leaf and ecosystem scales may be related. We found stronger seasonality in soil water potential at drier sites. Values were close to zero at all sites during the wet season and varied between a minimum of −2.5 MPa and −0.3 MPa at the driest and wettest sites, respectively, during the dry season. Leaf photosynthesis and nitrogen concentration decreased with increasing precipitation, whereas leaf thickness increased with increasing precipitation. Leaf toughness and fiber/N ratios increased with increasing precipitation indicating reduced nutritional content and palatability with precipitation. Seasonality of litter production and quality decreased with increasing precipitation, but the amount of litterfall produced was not substantially different among sites. It appears that in Neotropical forest, moisture availability is associated with leaf photosynthetic and defensive traits that influence litterfall timing and quality. Therefore, variation in leaf physiological traits has the potential to influence decomposition and nutrient cycling through effects on litter quality.
Polymer Thin Films on Patterned Si Surfaces

The propagation of roughness from a patterned silicon surface by polymer thin films was measured as a function of film thickness, time, and surface interaction using atomic force microscopy and synchrotron X-ray reflection. In the presence of an interacting surface, the decay length of the surface modulation was much longer than that observed in simple liquids. By measuring the time dependence of the surface corrugation amplitude, we were able to extract a surface diffusion coefficient by applying a modified version of the Mullins theory for surface diffusion in crystalline solids. The measured diffusion coefficients were an order of magnitude smaller than in the bulk, and scaled as 1/M3/2, in agreement with previous SIMS results. The results are interpreted in terms of surface interactions confining polymer chains over distances larger than the radii of gyration.
Biological network design strategies : discovery through dynamic optimization

An important challenge in systems biology is the inherent complexity of biological network models, which complicates the task of relating network structure to function and of understanding the conceptual design principles by which a given network operates. Here we investigate an approach to analyze the relationship between a network structure and its function using the framework of optimization. A common feature found in a variety of biochemical networks involves the opposition of a pair of enzymatic chemical modification reactions such as phosphorylation–dephosphorylation or methylation–demethylation. The modification pair frequently adjusts biochemical properties of its target, such as activating and deactivating function. We applied optimization methodology to study a reversible modification network unit commonly found in signal transduction systems, and we explored the use of this methodology to discover design principles. The results demonstrate that different sets of rate constants used to parameterize the same network topology represent different compromises made in the resulting network operating characteristics. Moreover, the same topology can be used to encode different strategies for achieving performance goals. The ability to adopt multiple strategies may lead to significantly improved performance across a range of conditions through rate modulation or evolutionary processes. The optimization framework explored here is a practical approach to support the discovery of design principles in biological networks.
Imidazoline and α2a-adrenoceptor binding sites in postmenopausal women before and after estrogen replacement therapy

Abstract Background: Platelet α 2A -adrenoceptors (α 2A AR) and imidazoline binding sites (subtype I 1 ) have been proposed as peripheral markers of brain stem receptors that mediate sympathetic outflow and are reported to be elevated in major depression. Methods: In our study, p[ 125 I]-iodoclonidine was used to assess platelet α 2A AR and I 1 binding sites in healthy postmenopausal women ( n = 34) compared with healthy women of reproductive age ( n = 26). Receptor determinations were repeated in 19 postmenopausal women following 59–60 days of estrogen replacement therapy (ERT; 0.1 mg estradiol transdermal patches). Results: I 1 binding sites were twofold higher in platelets of postmenopausal women compared with women of reproduction age but were down-regulated (normalized) after 59–60 days of ERT. All other binding parameters, including platelet α 2A AR density, were not different between groups nor were they changed after ERT. Platelet I 1 densities after 59–60 days of ERT were positively correlated with plasma luteinizing hormone concentrations. Conclusions: It is suggested that increased imidazoline binding sites might be associated with mood and behavioral changes in postmenopausal women.
Administration of sulpiride to anovulatory mares in winter: effects on prolactin and gonadotropin concentrations, ovarian activity, ovulation and hair shedding

Sixteen seasonally anovulatory mares were randomly allotted to two groups and injected daily with either sulpiride (1 mg/kg body weight) or vehicle from 14 January to 14 February. Sulpiride administration increased daily plasma prolactin concentrations (P 0.1). Injection of GnRH and TRH on 15 February showed that the response of plasma prolactin to secretagogue was increased in sulpiride-treated mares (P 0.1) of sulpiride treatment on the response of LH or FSH. Both treatment groups had similar changes in numbers of follicles 10-19 and > or = 20 mm during the experiment (P > 0.1). Similarly, the mean change in maximal follicular size was not affected by treatment (P > 0.9). No mare ovulated during the study, and plasma progesterone concentrations were similar in both groups (P > 0.1), always at levels < 1 ng/ml. Hairshedding increased with time in all mares (P < 0.001) and was increased by sulpiride injections (P = 0.09). It was concluded that sulpiride administration to seasonally anovulatory mares under the conditions of our experiment increased daily plasma prolactin levels but did not stimulate gonadotropin secretion or ovarian activity.
Ozone Sensitivity in Hybrid Poplar Is Correlated with a Lack of Defense-Gene Activation

Ozone is a major gaseous pollutant thought to contribute to forest decline. Although the physiological and morphological responses of forest trees to ozone have been well characterized, little is known about the molecular basis for these responses. Our studies compared the response to ozone of ozone-sensitive and ozone-tolerant clones of hybrid poplar (Populus maximowizii × Populus trichocarpa) at the physiological and molecular levels. Gas-exchange analyses demonstrated clear differences between the ozone-sensitive clone 388 and the ozone-tolerant clone 245. Although ozone induced a decrease in photosynthetic rate and stomatal conductance in both clones, the magnitude of the decrease in stomatal conductance was significantly greater in the ozone-tolerant clone. RNA-blot analysis established that ozone-induced mRNA levels for phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, O-methyltransferase, a pathogenesis-related protein, and a wound-inducible gene were significantly higher in the ozone-tolerant than in the ozone-sensitive plants. Wound- and pathogen-induced levels of these mRNAs were also higher in the ozone-tolerant compared with the ozone-sensitive plants. The different physiological and molecular responses to ozone exposure exhibited by clones 245 and 388 suggest that ozone tolerance involves the activation of salicylic-acid- and jasmonic-acid-mediated signaling pathways, which may be important in triggering defense responses against oxidative stress.
ON THE NATURE OF THE VENUS CLOUDS

A comparison of a wide range of Venus observations with the ultraviolet, visible, and infrared reflection spectra and thermodynamic properties of a variety of candidate materials indicates that the principal constituent of the Venus clouds is partially hydrated FeCl2.
Systemic atrioventricular valve replacement in an infant with corrected transposition of the great arteries.

Abstract A 3-month-old infant with corrected transposition of the great arteries and severe systemic atrioventricular valve regurgitation due to "Ebstein-like anomaly" is reported. Through a right thoracotomy and longitudinal left atrial incision, a 19-mm St. Jude Medical valve was implanted into the annulus without removing the native valve. He is doing well 7 months after operation.
Structure and Distribution of an Unusual Chimeric Genetic Element Encoding Macrolide Resistance in Phylogenetically Diverse Clones of Group A Streptococcus

The resistance of group A Streptococcus (GAS) to macrolide antibiotics is now a worldwide problem. Preliminary sequencing of the genome of an erythromycin-resistant serotype M6 clone that was responsible for a pharyngitis outbreak in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was conducted to determine the structure of the genetic element containing the mefA gene, which encodes a macrolide efflux protein. The mefA gene is associated with a 58.8-kb chimeric genetic element composed of a transposon inserted into a prophage. This element also encodes a putative extracellular protein with a cell-wall anchoring motif (LPKTG) located at the carboxyterminus. The mefA element was present in phylogenetically diverse GAS strains isolated throughout the United States. Culture supernatants, prepared after mitomycin C treatment, of a strain representing the outbreak clone contained mefA element DNA in a DNAse-resistant form. Together, these data provide new information about the molecular genetic basis of macrolide resistance and dissemination in GAS strains.
Electric Propulsion Technology Development for the Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter Project

During 2004 the Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter project, a part of NASA's Project Prometheus, continued efforts to develop electric propulsion technologies. These technologies addressed the challenges of propelling a spacecraft to several moons of Jupiter. Specific challenges include high power, high specific impulse, long lived ion thrusters, high power / high voltage power processors, accurate feed systems and large propellant storage systems. Critical component work included high voltage insulators and isolators as well as ensuring that the thruster materials and components could operate in the substantial Jupiter radiation environment. A review of these developments along with future plans is discussed.
Vaginal cuff thermal injury by mode of colpotomy at total laparoscopic hysterectomy: a randomized clinical trial.

Abstract Study Objective To evaluate if the use of Valleylab mode (“V mode”) (Covidien, Mansfield, MA) electrothermal energy for colpotomy during total laparoscopic hysterectomy (LH) results in a smaller margin of thermal injury to the upper vagina compared with traditional cut/coagulate (cut/coag) electrothermal energy. Design Prospective randomized clinical trial (Canadian Task Force classification I). Setting University medical center. Patients A total of 101 subjects who underwent LH between June 2010 and August 2012. Interventions Subjects were randomized to colpotomy by V mode electrothermal energy or cut/coag electrothermal energy. Measurements and Main Results The primary end point was the median depth of thermal injury measured in millimeters. The secondary end points included the proportion of subjects who developed granulation tissue, induration, infection, or dehiscence at the vaginal cuff at 4 weeks, 3 months, or 6 months postoperatively. There was no significant difference in the median depth of thermal injury in the cut/coag and V mode arms (anterior margin: 0.68 mm vs 0.63 mm [p = .94], posterior margin: 0.66 mm vs 0.70 mm [p = .87], respectively). Twenty-seven percent of subjects in each arm developed at least 1 of the clinical end points at 4 weeks, 3 months, or 6 months postoperatively (granulation tissue: 6%–18% vs 8%–21%, induration: 0%–2% vs 4%–5%, infection: 0%–4% vs 0%–10%, dehiscence: 2% vs 0% in the cut/coag and V mode arms, respectively), with no difference between arms (p = 1.0). Conclusion The V mode does not reduce the depth of thermal injury compared with cut/coag electrothermal energy when used for colpotomy incision during total laparoscopic hysterectomy (Clinical Trials.gov ID: NCT02080546).
Non-resistance metric based read scheme for multi-level PCRAM in 25 nm technology

A non-resistance readout scheme for high density multi-level PCRAM is described. Non-resistance read metric with drift resilient nature is enhanced to be suitable for high density memory array with large parasitic time constant. 1G PCM cells in 25nm technology are structured in the form of a single bank of a 16G cell chip with the hierarchical bit-line scheme. Furthermore, 32 instances of 6bit SAR-ADC per bank are built-in with specific logic for adaptive data detection as a sense-amplifier. Experimental results for a bank of 2Gb multi-level density are demonstrated with total read latency of 450ns including word-line settling and the adaptive data detection scheme.
Quasi-Metastable Energy Levels and Applications

The paper summarizes the properties of certain radiating levels of the column I metals. XUV emission studies and an absorption experiment on the 1091 A line of neutral Cs are described. A technique for correlating picosecond, broadband XUV pulses is discussed.
E-Commerce in the Real Estate Brokerage Industry

Executive Summary. This article summarizes the results of a survey of 150 real estate firms designed to examine how they are attempting to adapt to the Internet and to assess their perceptions rega...
Cincinnati Beacon Community Program Highlights Challenges And Opportunities On The Path To Care Transformation

The Cincinnati, Ohio, metropolitan area was one of seventeen US communities to participate in the federal Beacon Community Cooperative Agreement Program to demonstrate how health information technology (IT) could be used to improve health care. Given $13.7 million to spend in thirty-one months, the Cincinnati project involved hundreds of physicians, eighty-seven primary care practices, eighteen major hospital partners, and seven federally qualified health centers and community health centers. The thrust of the program was to build a shared health IT infrastructure to support quality improvement through data exchange, registries, and alerts that notified primary care practices when a patient visited an emergency department or was admitted to a hospital. A special focus of this program was on applying these tools to adult patients with diabetes and pediatric patients with asthma. Despite some setbacks and delays, the basic technology infrastructure was built, the alert system was implemented, nineteen pract...
Serum glutamic oxalacetic transaminase activity: revised manual and automated methods using diazonium dyes.

The diazonium dyes fast ponceau L and fast violet B react with oxalacetate, the product of glutamic oxalacetic transaminase (GOT), to produce colored products with absorbance peaks at 467 and 530 m μ , respectively. These products tend to precipitate, but colloidal and detergent agents solubilize them. Fast ponceau L in solution is unstable to light at room temperature; lactate buffer, 0.1 M, pH 3.0, stabilizes it. Oxalacetate colorimetry with both dyes obeys Beer’s law up to concentrations of 1 μ M per ml. Optimum serum GOT activities occur at L-aspartic acid and α -ketoglutaric acid concentrations of 50 to 90 mmol. per 1. and 16 mmol. per 1., respectively. Substrate serum blanks are minimal if the pH of the color reaction is controlled. Bilirubin and acetoacetate interfere in concentrations of more than 3 mg. per dl. and 5 mg. per dl. of serum, respectively. Fast ponceau L is 25% more sensitive to GOT than fast violet B and its serum–substrate blank is 20% less. The results of the proposed manual and automated methods usually correlate well with those of the kinetic malic dehydrogenase-coupled method of reference.
The "PALS" Prevention Program and Its Long-Term Impact on Student Intentions to Use Alcohol, Tobacco, and Marijuana.

A unique Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drug (ATOD) prevention program called PALS (Prevention through Alternative Learning Styles) was implemented with middle school students with the goal of enhancing student knowledge of the harmful effects of ATOD, promoting the use of refusal skills and reducing intentions to use ATOD in the future. Intentions to use were measured at four points: pre-PALS, post-PALS, and at 1-year and 2-year follow-ups. Student survey responses were then matched and compared across the four time periods. This article reports on the long-term effectiveness of PALS on student intentions to use ATOD in high school. When follow-up surveys of PALS students were compared to students not exposed to PALS (comparison group), the PALS students had significantly lower intentions to use alcohol and tobacco, providing evidence that the PALS intervention did have a long-term impact on intentions to use these substances.
Observations on a Unique Monster Embryo of Wyeomyia Smithii (Coquillett) (Diptera: Culicidae)

This monster was found in 15 out of 1,570 fertile eggs inspected during the colonization of the pitcher plant mosquito. Each consisted only of two apparently complete abdomens fused in the region of the first abdominal segment of each. The “anterior” abdomen was doubled back and occupied the anterior one-third of the egg; the “posterior” abdomen was straight and occupied the posterior two-thirds of the egg. A living embryo exhibiting duplication in the longitudinal axis with complete absence of head and thorax is believed to represent a hitherto unreported type of teratological phenomenon.
Determination of potassium bromate in flour by gradient ion chromatography

Objective To establish gradient ion chromatographic method for determination of potassium bromate in flour.Methods Water samples were used to extract bromate ion,the Ag / H column to remove interfering sample extract chloride ions,ultrafiltration removes water-soluble extract of the sample molecules,measured using gradient method.Results RSD was 3.69%-5.18%,sample recovery was between 6.9% and 97.4%,the detection limit was 0.5 mg/kg,the linear range was 0.05-5.00 μg/ml,correlation coefficient was 0.999 96.Conclusion Gradient method and procedure are established for determination of wheat flour and flour improvers,the method is of high sensitivity,good recovery rate.
Mercury, Venus and Titan

The exploration of space has been at the forefront of scientific thought and discovery for the last half century. Beginning with the first Sputnik satellite in 1957 to the Curiosity landing and the other numerous ongoing missions of today, mankind is setting its sights away from Earth.
Craniospinal irradiation for trilateral retinoblastoma following ocular irradiation

Abstract A case study is presented. Craniospinal radiotherapy and a three-field pineal boost for trilateral retinoblastoma were delivered to a patient previously irradiated for ocular retinoblastoma. The availability of CT-based three-dimensional treatment planning provided the capability of identifying the previously irradiated volume as a three-dimensional anatomic structure and of designing a highly customized set of treatment beams that minimized reirradiation of that volume.
Renal Cell Carcinoma Extending into Inferior Vena Cava

Abstract Of 18 patients with renal cell carcinoma extending into the inferior vena cava 16 underwent radical nephrectomy with either venacavotomy and tumor thrombectomy or vena cavai resection. Of 8 patients with no evidence of metastasis at the time of surgery 4 (50 per cent) are free of cancer for a mean duration of 93 months. Of 8 patients with known preoperative metastasis 7 died with cancer after a mean survival of 12 months. Operative mortality was 6.2 per cent and morbidity was minimal.
Novel methods for SPC defect monitoring: Normalizable diversity sampling: Defect inspection

The key to robust SPC control is the inline signals provided by metrology tools (e.g. CD-SEM, Overlay, film thickness measurement) and defect inspection tools (e.g. Surfscan, Broadband Plasma (BBP), Laser Scanning). Wafer defect inspection tools like Broadband Plasma find anomalies and provide defect coordinates to report their locations. Defects reported by the inspection tools are then sampled, or in other words, a sub-set of those defects are chosen for Scanning Electron Beam (SEM) Review. Classification of the defect type is provided using SEM. Due to SEM review throughput limitations, not every defect reported by inspection can be sampled for review. Therefore, the theoretical ideal sampling technique would generate an accurate representation of the true defect population on a wafer solely based on a limited review sample. The paper discusses the methodology for selecting such a review sample, termed diversity sampling. This scheme samples defects based on properties (location on wafer / die, design location, optical characteristics) instead of sampling solely based on defect location. Compared to random sampling, this technique demonstrates reduced error between the normalized defect density reported and the true defect density actually present on the wafer.
Oscillations of a standing shock wave generated by the Richtmyer-Meshkov instability

Careful selection of a Mach number in a shock tube can produce a standing reflected shock wave. Its perturbed density/pressure discontinuities vary with time but otherwise are fixed in space, greatly facilitating their measurement.
A novel low power phase change memory using inter-granular switching

We propose and demonstrate a new low power phase change memory using a novel 3D network of crystallites with phase change confined to only at grain intersections. Contrary to conventional phase change memories, for which an entire volume of chalcogenide glass is amorphized or crystallized for high or low resistance, we propose a multi-grained structure where we only induce phase change in the inter-grain regions. This not only drastically reduces the phase change volume but also improves the thermal efficiency of the cell. 3D simulation is used to understand the local heating effect. To create the multi-grained structure we have carefully studied the Ge/Sb/Te composition, the doping material and concentration and PVD deposition conditions. Consequently, the switching current can be reduced to 20uA. Furthermore, localizing the heating also reduces thermal disturbance to neighboring cells thus provides excellent pitch scalability.
Chemical and Biological Processes: The Need for Mixing

Except for spontaneous reactions such as radioactive decay, chemical transformations often require that two or more substances be brought together for the transformation to occur. Examples of particular interest in groundwater are oxidations of inorganic or organic species, which require the presence of some oxidant, such as diatomic oxygen (O2), nitrate, sulfate, or ferric iron (Fe(III)). In biological reactions, three entities generally are required, the compound being oxidized (electron donor), the oxidant (electron acceptor), and the microorganism carrying out the transformation. At times, the required entities are already present together, and then transformation occurs based simply on normal reaction kinetics. However, this is often not the case in groundwater remediation, and then the missing reactants must be supplied through some means and mixed with the substance or substances targeted for removal. The speed of the reaction is then likely to be governed primarily by the rate at which the required substances can be brought together. Natural attenuation for transformation of materials may require mixing brought about by the diffusion of oxygen into an aquifer from the vadose zone above, or from an adjacent groundwater flow stream. The process of adding and mixing needed substances for desired transformation is one of the most challenging and costly aspects of in situ remediation of contaminated groundwater and soil. This is a much more difficult process than with an aboveground reactor because of complex and often undefined hydrogeology and the general uncertainty of the exact location of the contaminants.
The role of prosody and voice quality in indirect storytelling speech: A cross-narrator perspective in four European languages

A cross-narrator study confirms previous results obtained from a Spanish narrator.Subtle variations between storytelling expressive categories are observed again.A strong relationship regarding use of expressiveness per utterance is obtained.Both VoQ and prosody show equal importance discriminating expressive categories.Similar acoustic patterns are observed across narrators beyond personal styles. During the last decades, the majority of works devoted on expressive speech acoustic analysis have focused on emotions, although there is a growing interest in other speaking styles such as storytelling. In this work, we analyze indirect storytelling speech extracted from audiobooks corpora. Specifically, we study to what extent the results obtained in a previous work centered on a Spanish narrator are generalizable to other narrators telling the same story in English, French, and German. We analyze the indirect speech of a story oriented to a young audience in terms of prosody and voice quality through statistical and discriminant analyses, after classifying the sentences of the story in several expressive categories: neutral, descriptive, post-character, suspense, negative/passive, negative/active, positive/passive, and positive/active. The results confirm the existence of the storytelling categories already observed in the tales Spanish version across the considered narrators, besides establishing a set of acoustic parameters that are useful to discriminate them. Moreover, a strong relationship is observed in the selection of the expressive category per utterance across the narrators. The analyses also show that both prosody and voice quality contribute significantly to the discrimination among storytelling expressive categories, being conveyed with similar acoustic patterns across narrators in the considered four European languages.
Survey of health care worker knowledge about childhood tuberculosis in high-burden centers in Botswana.

Background Quantifying health care workers' (HCWs') knowledge about tuberculosis (TB) informs educational interventions. We assessed HCWs' knowledge about childhood TB in Botswana. Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted with HCWs at 46 sites around Botswana using a piloted instrument. Transcripts were double-coded using a coding schema. Discrepancies were resolved by consensus and a systematic thematic analysis was performed. Results The sites (42 clinics and 4 hospitals) were urban (n = 9, 20%), semi-urban (n = 10, 22%) and rural (n = 27, 58%). HCWs included nurses (n = 42, 89%) and nurse assistants (n = 4, 11%). Sixteen (56%) HCWs were the TB focal persons for their site. Themes did not vary by type of site, HCW or TB focal person. Although the level of knowledge about secondary prevention using isoniazid prophylaxis therapy was fair, implementation was poor and contact tracing was not being performed. Barriers to TB diagnosis included poor knowledge about TB in the community, minimal diagnostics at site of care and not receiving test results. However, most HCWs reported that treatment initiation and the calculation of appropriate dosages were easy once the diagnosis had been made. Conclusions In Botswana, HCWs' levels of knowledge about childhood TB varied greatly. The areas of TB diagnosis, screening and prophylaxis in children need additional attention in TB training courses; however, increased knowledge alone would not overcome all the barriers identified by the HCWs.
Estimation of Wind Energy Potential and Prediction of Wind Power

Abstract With the rapid increase of penetration of the wind-based resources for generating electricity, the assessment of wind potential is becoming a vital aspect more than ever. For tapping the potential for a particular wind site, in addition to precisely assessing the wind potential, the accurate forecasting of the wind speed and wind power for the different time horizons is also an important aspect. In this chapter, we discuss various aspects associated with wind power assessment. Additionally, we discuss the scale of the analysis, and the methods that have been utilized. A comprehensive view is conducted for that purpose.
Risky Business: Engaging the Public in Policy Discourse on Sea-Level Rise and Inundation

This study makes use of two methods for increasing public engagement in complex policy decisions. Specifically, it explores how 1) deliberative community events and 2) geospatial data visualization simulations influence public policy preferences toward sea-level rise and coastal inundation policy. Deliberative community events are a survey technique that brings a representative sample of a community together in one location to learn about a current pressing issue (e.g., sea-level rise and coastal inundation). Subjects engage in a deliberative process that includes questioning a panel of experts and discussing policy solutions to sea-level rise in small groups of fellow participants. The data visualization simulation of the study builds on existing sea‐level rise impact data and allows subjects to project sea-level rise and inundation data into the future and to apply the data to their local area of interest. The study makes use of a pre-test (survey of a random sample or residents of Anne Arundel County, MD) and a post-test (survey of participants in deliberative community event). The study’s key findings are that deliberative community events significantly impact participant knowledge and participant risk perception. Moreover, risk perceptions at the county level are associated with political affiliation, ideology and cultural worldviews, while risk proximity is correlated with risk perceptions at the neighborhood and personal property level.
Extradural clinoidectomy for resection of clinoidal meningioma

Extradural anterior clinoidectomy is a versatile technique to increase exposure of the sellar and parasellar region. It is of particular use in the resection of clinoidal meningiomas, as sphenoidal and clinoidal hyperostosis can cause compression of the optic nerve. Extradural clinoidectomy follows a series of steps, consisting of (1) unroofing of the superior orbital fissure, (2) unroofing of the optic canal, (3) removal of the optic strut, and (4) removal of the anterior clinoid process. The authors show these steps in detail, as well as their application to the resection of a large clinoidal meningioma. The video can be found here: https://youtu.be/O1Fcef29ETg .
Socioecological Factors Related to Hazardous Alcohol use among Female Sex Workers in Lilongwe, Malawi: A Mixed Methods Study.

ABSTRACTBackground: Alcohol use is pervasive among female sex workers (FSW) placing them at increased risk of violence and sexual risk behaviors. FSW often live and work where alcohol is highly normative. Objective: To understand the socioecological influences on hazardous alcohol use among FSW in Malawi. Methods: In 2014, 200 FSW identified through venue-based sampling in Lilongwe, Malawi, completed a quantitative behavioral survey, with a sub-sample participating in qualitative interviews. Multivariable log-binomial regression was used to identify associations between hazardous alcohol use (AUDIT score ≥ 7) and time in sex work, clients per week, unprotected sex, alcohol use with clients, and living environment. Qualitative interviews enhanced findings from quantitative data and identify emergent themes around socioecological influences on alcohol use. Results: Over 50% reported hazardous alcohol use and lived in an alcohol-serving venue. Hazardous alcohol use was associated with sex work duration of ≥2...