cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Modal Analysis of a Brake-Ruess Beam and Computational Modeling at the Undergraduate Level

This paper outlines ongoing efforts to develop labs for undergraduate students at New Mexico Tech (NMT) from research projects sponsored by Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) [1, 2] to quantify the low frequency, high displacement damping characteristics of a Brake-Reuss beam.
Some Open Problem Sets for Generalized Blockmodeling

This paper provides an introduction to the blockmodeling problem of how to cluster networks, based solely on the structural information contained in the relational ties, and a brief overview of generalized blockmodeling as an approach for solving this problem. Following a formal statement of the core of generalized blockmodeling, a listing of the advantages of adopting this approach to partitioning networks is provided. These advantages, together with some of the disadvantages of this approach, in its current state, form the basis for proposing some open problem sets for generalized blockmodeling. Providing solutions to these problem sets will transform generalized blockmodeling into an even more powerful approach for clustering networks of relations.
Viruses of Protists

The viruses of protists, mostly of bacteria, will be listed alphabetically, Roman letters being followed by the corresponding Greek letters, followed by arabic numbers, followed by Roman numbers. The letter φ at the beginning of such symbols (presumably standing for phage, and not consistently used for the same phages) will be omitted throughout: thus φ X174 is X 174.
Distributed Coordinated Control for Energy Internet

With the consideration of the large-scale amount and the characteristics of the distributed renewable energy generation, how to achieve the proportional power-sharing among DGs is an important issue to guarantee the stability and safety of the Energy Internet. In this section, a multi-agent system-based distributed coordinated control scheme is studied, and the main content contains: (1) architecture of multiagent system-based distributed coordinated control for energy internet; (2) implementation of distributed coordinated control for energy internet; (3) analysis of circulating current and design of the primary energy agent based on nonlinear model of distributed generator; (4) design of distributed coordinated control strategy based on multi-agent consensus algorithm.
Commodity Reserve Money, Special Drawing Rights, and the Link to Less-Developed Countries

Newly created reserves should be issued by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) against the security of member countries’ currencies. At first, however, these Fund Obligations would be restricted in use and handed over to the International Development Association. The IDA would use them to finance investment projects of developing countries approved by the World Bank's regular screening machinery as technically feasible and economically sound; but giving priority to projects least likely to generate hard-currency earnings and therefore least suitable for financing by loans. Once the developing countries spent the Fund Obligations, they would become unrestricted reserves, as good as gold, spendable and acceptable in all member countries. Tibor Scitovsky (1966) 1
The Relationship Between General Intelligence and Cortical Structure in Healthy Individuals.

Abstract Considerable work in recent years has examined the relationship between cortical thickness (CT) and general intelligence (IQ) in healthy individuals. It is not known whether specific IQ variables (i.e., perceptual reasoning [PIQ], verbal comprehension IQ [VIQ], and full-scale IQ [FSIQ]) are associated with multiple cortical measures (i.e., CT, cortical volume (CV), cortical surface area (CSA) and cortical gyrification (CG)) within the same individuals. Here we examined the association between these neuroimaging metrics and IQ in 56 healthy adults. At a cluster-forming threshold (CFT) of p
The future of research on prejudice, stereotyping, and discrimination.

This Handbook is a comprehensive and scholarly overview of the latest research on prejudice, stereotyping, and discrimination. The Second Edition provides a full update of its highly successful predecessor and features new material on key issues such as political activism, economic polarization, minority stress, same-sex marriage laws, dehumanization, and mental health stigma, in addition to a timely update on how victims respond to discrimination, and additional coverage of gender and race. All chapters are written by eminent researchers who explore topics by presenting an overview of current research and, where appropriate, developing new theory, models, or scales. The volume is clearly structured, with a broad section on cognitive, affective, and neurological processes, and there is inclusion of studies of prejudice based on race, sex, age, sexual orientation, and weight. A concluding section explores the issues involved in reducing prejudice. The Handbook is an essential resource for students, instructors, and researchers in social and personality psychology, and an invaluable reference for academics and professionals in sociology, communication studies, gerontology, nursing, medicine, as well as government and policymakers and social service agencies.
Pelvic Support Osteotomy

Prior to the development of effective total hip arthroplasty, “pelvic support” osteotomies were described as salvage reconstructive procedures for osteoarthritic hips to reduce pain and Trendelenburg limp while preserving hip motion. In addition to modest efficacy at best, iatrogenic shortening and valgus deformity significantly restricted the role of these osteotomies in clinical practice, even before the introduction of total hip arthroplasty. Ilizarov introduced important secondary reconstructive deformity correction and lengthening strategies, using his gradual correction and adaptable circular fixator to improve clinical results over the original procedures. Occasional patients with relatively mobile hips and minimal pain but poor hip function due to septic destruction, irreducible dislocation, or neurogenic functional impairment who are not reasonable candidates for total hip arthroplasty may benefit from pelvic support osteotomy with Ilizarov’s methods of external fixation, gradual deformity correction, and distal reconstruction. We describe here a patient with fixed, neurogenic hip dislocations and symptomatic Trendelenburg gait associated with trisomy 21 (Down syndrome) treated effectively by pelvic support osteotomy and distal deformity reconstruction.
Initiation of new psychotropic prescriptions without a psychiatric diagnosis among US adults: Rates, correlates, and national trends from 2006 to 2015

Objectives To estimate rates and national trends of initiation of new psychotropic medications without a psychiatric diagnosis and to identify demographic and clinical correlates independently associated with such use among US adults in outpatient settings. Data source Data were gathered from the 2006-2015 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS), a nationally representative sample of office-based U.S. outpatient care. The sample was limited to adults aged 18 or older who received a new psychotropic drug prescription (n = 8618 unweighted). Study design Using a repeated cross-sectional design with survey sampling techniques, we estimated prescription initiation rates and national trends. Multivariable-adjusted logistic regression analysis was used to identify correlates independently associated with initiation of new psychotropic prescriptions without a psychiatric diagnosis. Data collection/extraction methods Data were publicly available, and we extracted them from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Principal findings Altogether, at 60.4% of visits at which a new psychotropic prescription was initiated, no psychiatric diagnosis was recorded for the visit. Overall, the rate increased from 59.1% in 2006-2007 to 67.7% in 2008-2009 and then decreased to 52.0% in 2014-2015. Visits to psychiatrists were associated with very low odds of having no psychiatric diagnosis when compared to primary care visits (OR = 0.02; 95% CI, 0.01-0.04). Visits to non-psychiatric specialists showed 6.90 times greater odds of not having a psychiatric diagnosis when compared to primary care visits (95% CI, 5.38-8.86). Conclusion New psychotropic medications are commonly initiated without any psychiatric diagnosis, especially by non-psychiatrist physicians. Non-psychiatrists should document relevant diagnoses more vigilantly to prevent potentially inappropriate use or misuse.
Preventing Neural Network Model Exfiltration in Machine Learning Hardware Accelerators

Machine learning (ML) models are often trained using private datasets that are very expensive to collect, or highly sensitive, using large amounts of computing power. The models are commonly exposed either through online APIs, or used in hardware devices deployed in the field or given to the end users. This provides an incentive for adversaries to steal these ML models as a proxy for gathering datasets. While API-based model exfiltration has been studied before, the theft and protection of machine learning models on hardware devices have not been explored as of now. In this work, we examine this important aspect of the design and deployment of ML models. We illustrate how an attacker may acquire either the model or the model architecture through memory probing, side-channels, or crafted input attacks, and propose (1) power-efficient obfuscation as an alternative to encryption, and (2) timing side-channel countermeasures.
Technical imprint of polymer nanocomposite comprising graphene quantum dot

This effort presents state-of-the-art review on polymer/graphene quantum dot (GQD) nanocomposite. GQD, zero-dimensional material with one to few layers of graphene (size <20 nm), is becoming multif...
Disseminated Cryptococcus neoformans infection in a left ventricular assist device recipient

A 51-year-old man with a medical history of coronary artery disease and dyslipidaemia presented with acute myocardial infarction resulting in cardiogenic shock, necessitating intra-aortic balloon pump placement and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). His hospital course was complicated by several infectious complications including ECMO circuit Pseudomonas aeruginosa bloodstream infection and presumed infected right atrial thrombus. He subsequently underwent urgent left ventricular assist device placement and had a prolonged hospital stay. On day 100 of admission, he developed acute hypoxic respiratory distress with new pulmonary infiltrates. Sputum cultures grew Cryptococcus neoformans. Blood culture also grew C. neoformans after 96 hours of incubation and cryptococcal serum antigen was elevated at 1:20. Cerebrospinal fluid studies from a lumbar puncture were normal. He was treated with 2 weeks of combination antifungal therapy followed by life-long fluconazole suppression.
Empowering collaborations and creating brave spaces: People of Color in Library and Information Science Summit

The William H. Hannon Library at Loyola Marymount University (LMU) in Los Angeles, California, held the first People of Color in Library and Information Science (POC in LIS) Summit on July 13, 2018. The summit was a collaborative planning effort by LMU librarians to create a productive and brave space for POC, especially women and marginalized identities, working in the information sector. The POC in LIS Summit invited participants to challenge their roles as information workers and acknowledge that dominant narratives may be disrupted.
The Search for Fundamentals and Islamic Fundamentalism

Contemporary Islamic fundamentalism thrust itself upon the attention of the world with the Islamic revolution of 1979 in Iran, which represented the final triumph of the movement I have characterised as “revolutionary traditionalism” (Arjomand 1984). Ever since that time, the impressive presence, throughout the Muslim world, of Islamic fundamentalism on the political scene has been manifest in a variety of events, ranging from the assassination of President Sadat of Egypt in 1981 to the striking successes of the Muslim Brotherhood in the parliamentary election of November 1989 in Jordan and their participation in the Jordanian government from January to June 1991, to the participation of the Islamic fundamentalist parties in the ruling coalition in Pakistan, and finally, to the stunning victory of the Islamic Salvation Front in the Algerian elections in December 1991 that led to the military take-over in Algeria. To understand contemporary Islamic fundamentalism, however, this politicised search for the fundamentals must first be put in the context of the dynamics of Islam as a social force in the broadest historical perspective.
Survival disparity in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (CHD-ALL): Lessons from challenges in Nigeria (NGR).

e17013 Background: Survival disparity in CHD-ALL between developed (DVDC) and developing countries (DVPC) are linked to care assess gap but probably also to geographical variations in disease subty...
What Does It Mean for Psychological Modeling to Be More Robust

Robust modeling in cognitive science is a laudable goal. Unfortunately, we will never know if we are achieving it if we continue to be vague about what it means to be robust. In this commentary, I point to a previously published domain-agnostic definition of robustness, describe mechanisms for robustness derived from a multi-disciplinary literature review, and call for quantitative measures of robustness and of the functions our models and modeling practices are intended to achieve.
How are anticipatory postural adjustments in preparation for voluntary movements affected by PD

Abstract Anticipatory postural adjustments (APAs) prior to step initiation and other voluntary movements are slower and hypometric in Parkinson disease (PD) from early in the disease. APAs are inflexible in PD. For example, people with PD show impaired ability to scale their APAs for step initiation with a wider stance compared to a narrow stance. Also, people with PD show APAs for protective steps, where controls do not use APAs prior to compensatory stepping to external perturbations. Levodopa improves APAs, although not to control values. Both GPi and STN DBS may be detrimental for APAs. Rehabilitation, especially in the form of external cueing or assisted transitions for APAs, may be beneficial, although the best type of rehabilitation for long-term effects is not clear.
FRACTAL DIMENSION ESTIMATION WITH PERSISTENT HOMOLOGY: A COMPARATIVE STUDY.

Abstract We propose that the recently defined persistent homology dimensions are a practical tool for fractal dimension estimation of point samples. We implement an algorithm to estimate the persistent homology dimension, and compare its performance to classical methods to compute the correlation and box-counting dimensions in examples of self-similar fractals, chaotic attractors, and an empirical dataset. The performance of the 0-dimensional persistent homology dimension is comparable to that of the correlation dimension, and better than box-counting.
16 Stress, Coping, and Immune Function†

Stress is a fundamental process, characterizing people's interactions with their environments and responses to challenge. Appraisals of threatening or harmful challenges motivate people to take action to either eliminate these stressors or protect themselves from the stressor's negative impact. These appraisals and coping efforts elicit a series of specific and nonspecific cognitive, behavioral, and physiological responses. Stress responses, in turn, promote adaptation by mobilizing catabolic energies that support coping efforts. One response system that has received considerable attention is the immune system because of its role in the detection and elimination of pathogenic agents and its apparent sensitivity to stress hormones. Repeated or protracted exposures to stress appear to suppress immune system functioning and may contribute to increased vulnerability to infection and disease. Alterations in other stress response pathways appear to provide mechanisms through which many stress-related immune changes occur. By decreasing aspects of cognitive, behavioral, and physiological responding, stress reduction interventions are used to facilitate adaptation and have important implications for decreasing vulnerability to disease processes. Continued characterization of the beneficial as well as harmful effects of stress will improve our ability to identify modifiable risk factors (e.g., lifestyle, appraisal, coping, and social resources) for the negative consequences of stress and to promote adaptation. Keywords: stress; coping; immunity; psychoneuroimmunology; health
Dismantling the Mono-Mainstream Assumption

In this introductory chapter, we explain the meaning behind radicalizing literacies and languaging. Understanding how literacies and languaging are potentially powerful constructs, we use them to engage in research that reveals complex truth(s) with armed love for the end goal of transformative justice. Before doing so, we take a critical look at the current sociopolitical situation along with our unique lived experiences that contribute to our positionalities. Then, we name and confound the mono-mainstream assumption as we describe the mono-to-trans progression, looking at language, literacy, culture, national loyalties, and modes of communication through mono-, bi-, multi-, and trans-lenses. Finally, we describe the need for a paradigmatic shift that honors trans-lenses of literacies and languaging.
Job loss risk, expected mobility, and home ownership

Abstract Geographic mobility is a key factor affecting the home purchase decision, and a common reason for moving is to find work. Yet, little is known regarding how job loss risk affects home ownership via the mobility channel. Measuring this effect is difficult because job loss risk usually coincides with income and credit shocks. We isolate the mobility channel by studying economics professors on the tenure track. Our analysis uses public records to provide the first quantitative estimates of this effect, and we validate our results with a follow-up survey. A one percentage point increase in expected mobility, identified via variation in tenure risk, reduces the probability of home ownership by up to 1.8 percentage points.
Linguistic Relativity and Cryptographic Translation in Samuel Delany’s Babel-17

The postwar academy was awash with interdisciplinary work in cybernetics, information theory, and cryptography—none of which are specifically linguistic fields. But in Warren Weaver’s revolutionary idea that digital computers could translate texts between human languages, these fields converged in a view of language as simply one form of information, with translation becoming no more complicated than coding and transmission. This unlimited translatability contrasted with the common interpretations of the Sapir–Whorf Hypothesis as a radical relativism that imagined speakers of different languages as trapped in their separate and incommensurable thought worlds—that is, as a theory of untranslatability. This chapter approaches Samuel R. Delany’s Babel-17 (1966) as a perceptive working through of the relationship between the Sapir–Whorf Hypothesis and Weaver’s ideas about language, information, and translation. By entangling these theories in an sf plot, Delany had to attend to aspects of them that were rarely addressed by academic critics working within and talking across scholarly disciplines. The novel’s insights come not only from Delany’s theoretical acumen, but also from his need to think about these theories in terms of character motivation, thematic coherence, and narrative closure.
Deep learning-based algorithm for assessment of knee osteoarthritis severity in radiographs matches performance of radiologists

Abstract A fully-automated deep learning algorithm matched performance of radiologists in assessment of knee osteoarthritis severity in radiographs using the Kellgren-Lawrence grading system. Purpose To develop an automated deep learning-based algorithm that jointly uses Posterior-Anterior (PA) and Lateral (LAT) views of knee radiographs to assess knee osteoarthritis severity according to the Kellgren-Lawrence grading system. Materials and methods We used a dataset of 9739 exams from 2802 patients from Multicenter Osteoarthritis Study (MOST). The dataset was divided into a training set of 2040 patients, a validation set of 259 patients and a test set of 503 patients. A novel deep learning-based method was utilized for assessment of knee OA in two steps: (1) localization of knee joints in the images, (2) classification according to the KL grading system. Our method used both PA and LAT views as the input to the model. The scores generated by the algorithm were compared to the grades provided in the MOST dataset for the entire test set as well as grades provided by 5 radiologists at our institution for a subset of the test set. Results The model obtained a multi-class accuracy of 71.90% on the entire test set when compared to the ratings provided in the MOST dataset. The quadratic weighted Kappa coefficient for this set was 0.9066. The average quadratic weighted Kappa between all pairs of radiologists from our institution who took part in the study was 0.748. The average quadratic-weighted Kappa between the algorithm and the radiologists at our institution was 0.769. Conclusion The proposed model performed demonstrated equivalency of KL classification to MSK radiologists, but clearly superior reproducibility. Our model also agreed with radiologists at our institution to the same extent as the radiologists with each other. The algorithm could be used to provide reproducible assessment of knee osteoarthritis severity.
Infection Prevention and Control in Liberia 5 Years After Ebola: A Case Study.

Background Effective management of health emergencies is an important strategy to improve health worldwide. One way to manage health emergencies is to build and sustain national capacities. The Ebola epidemic of 2014 to 2015 resulted in greater infection prevention and control (IPC) capacity in Liberia, but few studies have investigated if and how that capacity was sustained. The purpose of this study was to examine the maintenance of IPC capacity in Liberia after Ebola. Methods For this case study, data were collected via direct observation of nurse practice, semistructured interviews, and document collection. Data were collected in two counties in Liberia. Data were analyzed using directed content and general thematic analysis using codes generated from the safety capital theoretical framework, which describes an organization's intangible occupational health resources. Findings Thirty-seven nurses from 12 facilities participated. Ebola was a seminal event in the development of safety capital in Liberia, particularly regarding nurse knowledge of IPC and facilities' investments in safety. The safety capital developed during Ebola is still being applied at the individual and organizational levels. Tangible resources, including personal protective equipment, however, have been depleted. Conclusions/application to practice IPC capacity in Liberia had been sustained since Ebola but was threatened by under-investments in physical resources. Donor countries should prioritize sustained support, both financial and technical, in partnership with Liberian leaders. Occupational health nurses participating in disaster response should advocate for long-term investment by donor countries in personal protective equipment, access to water, and clinician training.
Too stringent or too Lenient: Antecedents and consequences of perceived stringency of COVID-19 policies in the United States

In the United States, federal and local governments have attempted to contain the spread of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) by implementing a variety of policies such as stay-at-home orders and mask mandates. Perceptions can influence behaviors; therefore, it is important to understand how people perceive the stringency of COVID-19 policies, what factors shape perceived policy stringency, and whether and how policy perceptions impact the practice of prevention behaviors. With rolling-cross sectional survey data collected in the US from June to October 2020 and other external sources of data, the study examines the impact of objective risk of the pandemic, information seeking, and political ideology at the individual and the state levels on perceived policy stringency, and the impact of perceived policy stringency on prevention behaviors such as mask wearing and social distancing. The findings reveal that objective risk and political ideology are significantly associated with perceived policy stringency. The perceived policy stringency has negative associations with prevention behaviors. The findings provide important implications for the development process of compulsory public health policies during the pandemic.
In the face of self-threat: Why ambivalence heightens people’s willingness to act

Abstract The pursuit of desirable outcomes is often hindered by the threat of failure. While extant research largely characterizes self-threatening outcomes as eliciting an avoidance motivation, the current work demonstrates a novel intervention that can shift people towards an approach motivation: ambivalence towards the outcome. Within professional and personal domains, we show in seven experiments that considering both the pros and cons, rather than just the pros, of a self-threatening outcome encourages people to pursue it. We find that this heightened approach motivation occurs because ambivalence reduces an outcome’s desirability, in turn reducing self-threat, serially mediating the relationship between ambivalence and likelihood of pursuing the outcome. Further, we show that people do not intuit this effect and are likely not taking advantage of it. We conclude by discussing the managerial and theoretical implications of ambivalence in the face of self-threat.
Pragmatism and a “Catholic” Philosophical Anthropology

Catholic identity is often discussed in relation to institutions such as schools and hospitals. Catholic identity can also be investigated in relationship to various disciplines, including philosophy, anthropology, and psychology. This article builds a bridge to neoscholastic thought in articulating a philosophical anthropology which strives to maintain a Catholic identity and focus. The work of Charles Taylor, a leading Catholic philosopher, is presented in an effort to place the existential problem of personal agency within a Catholic framework.
Latitudinal Trends and Drivers in the CO2-Carbonic Acid System of Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument

Emissions of anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) to the atmosphere and the consequent effects of climate change and ocean acidification on coral reef ecosystems have motivated significant interest in describing and understanding the CO2-carbonic acid system of diverse coral reef environments. Although numerous studies have been successful in monitoring reef metabolism both in the field and in the laboratory, physical and biological forcings produce distinct conditions among environments. Due to the geographic isolation and associated difficulties with measuring marine carbon chemistry in waters of the Papa- hanaumokuakea Marine National Monument (PMNM), relatively few studies have described the CO2-carbonic acid system and carbonate saturation state gradients of these waters. Yet, PMNM remains one of the largest conservation areas in the world with extensive and diverse coral reef ecosystems that could offer valuable insight into our current and future under- standing about regional and global impacts of ocean acidification. In order to provide a broad overview of latitudinal trends and features of the marine carbon system in PMNM waters, continuous measurements for surface seawater fugacity of CO2 (fCO2) and pH were col- lected during August 2011 and July 2012 cruises of the NOAA Ship Hi'ialakai .T hese
Systems Analysis of Hormone Action

In this chapter I shall set out the strategies of comprehensive systems analysis of hormone action. The metabolic system will provide the biological test case. To analyze it I shall require certain principles from engineering science, physics, and the philosophy of science that are not part of the common ground shared by biologists. Therefore I have devoted the next three sections of this chapter to presentation of the background principles.
Late Pleistocene-Holocene Paleoceanography and Ventilation of the Gulf of California

Sediment cores collected in 1990 from the Gulf of California have been studied using stable isotope and radiocarbon techniques to reconstruct the climate and ventilation histories since the last glacial maximum. Benthic foraminiferal δ18O from core tops in a water depth range of 145 to 1442 m increases by about 2% with increasing depth. This is consistent with a composite temperature profile constructed from several hydrocasts in the various gulf basins. However, the δ18O water/salinity relationship is not sufficiently linear in gulf locations or in nearby open Pacific Geochemical Ocean Sections Study (GEOSECS) stations to be useful in solving paleotemperature equations. Of the most common benthic foraminifera, only Planulina ariminensis has δ13C that is consistent with the measured δ13C of ΣCO2. Several cores in the depth range 500 to 900 m have the laminated Holocene and Bolling/Allerod sediments, and the nonlaminated glacial age and Younger Dryas sediments that are typical of the gulf and other locations such as Santa Barbara Basin. The best of those, Jumbo Piston Core (JPC) 56 from 818 m water depth on the western margin of Guaymas Basin, was sampled for intensive study. Oxygen isotope ratios in benthic and planktonic foraminifera show little evidence for deglacial temperature oscillations. Carbon isotope ratios are generally lower during warm epochs, but the most striking result is strongly lowered benthic and planktonic δ13C about 9500 years ago. This may reflect water column oxidation of locally released methane. Neither benthic δ13C in depth section nor paired benthic and planktonic 14C data in JPC56 are consistent with increased intermediate water ventilation during the glacial maximum and Younger Dryas. Likewise, 14C data from 5 pairs of foraminifera from the Okhotsk Sea fail to support better ventilation in that basin during the last glacial maximum.
Antimicrobial biocompatible bioscaffolds for orthopaedic implants.

Nationally, nearly 1.5 million patients in the USA suffer from ailments requiring bone grafts and hip and other joint replacements. Infections following internal fixation in orthopaedic trauma can cause osteomyelitis in 22–66% of cases and, if uncontrolled, the mortality rate can be as high as 2%. We characterize a procedure for the synthesis of antimicrobial and biocompatible poly-l-lactic acid (PLLA) and poly-ethyleneglycol (PEG) bioscaffolds designed to degrade and absorb at a controlled rate. The bioscaffold architecture aims to provide a suitable substrate for the controlled release of silver nanoparticles (SNPs) to reduce bacterial growth and to aid the proliferation of human adipose-derived stem cells (hASCs) for tissue-engineering applications. The fabricated bioscaffolds were characterized by scanning transmission microscope (SEM) and it showed that the addition of tncreasing concentrations of SNPs results in the formation of dendritic porous channels perpendicular to the axis of precipitation. The antimicrobial properties of these porous bioscaffolds were tested according to a modified ISO 22196 standard across varying concentrations of biomass-mediated SNPs to determine an efficacious antimicrobial concentration. The bioscaffolds reduced the Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli viable colony-forming units by 98.85% and 99.9%, respectively, at an antimicrobial SNPs concentration of 2000 ppm. Human ASCs were seeded on bioscaffolds and cultured in vitro for 20 days to study the effect of SNPs concentration on the viability of cells. SEM analysis and the metabolic activity-based fluorescent dye, AlamarBlue®, demonstrated the growth of cells on the efficacious antimicrobial bioscaffolds. The biocompatibility of in vitro leached silver, quantified by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES), proved non-cytotoxic when tested against hASCs, as evaluated by MTT assay. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
An integrated first-year engineering curriculum

During the 1996-97 academic year, freshman and sophomore curriculum teams from the College of Engineering and Science at Louisiana Tech (USA) began developing new curricula and educational strategies to better meet the needs of their graduates. Specific goals were to improve students' abilities in the eleven skills areas listed in ABET's Criteria 2000, to better prepare students for subsequent engineering classes and professional careers, and to improve retention.
Simulation of the IAEA’s Fourth Standard Problem Exercise Small-Break Loss-of-Coolant Accident Using RELAP5/MOD3.1

A small-break loss-of-coolant accident experiment conducted at the PMK-2 integral test facility in Hungary is analyzed using the RELAP5/MOD3.1 thermal-hydraulic code. The experiment simulated a 7.4% break in the cold leg of a VVER-440/213-type nuclear power plant as part of the International Atomic Energy Agency`s Fourth Standard Problem Exercise (SPE-4). Blind calculations of the exercise are presented, and the timing of various events throughout the transient is discussed. A posttest analysis is performed in which the sensitivity of the calculated results is investigated. The code RELAP5 predicts most of the transient events well, although a few problems are noted, particularly the failure of RELAP5 to predict dryout in the core even through the collapsed liquid level fell below the top of the heated portion. A discrepancy between the predicted primary mass inventory distribution and the experimental data is identified. Finally, the primary and secondary pressures calculated by RELAP5 fell too rapidly during the latter part of the transient, resulting in rather large errors in the predicted timing of some pressure-actuated events.
Pampa Grande and the Mochica Culture

Pampa Grande and the Mochica Culture, Izumi Shimada. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1994. xv. 323 pp. 58 b/w photographs, 112 line drawings, 12 maps, 14 tables, notes, bibliography, index. $60.00 (cloth).
A broadband receiver architecture for wireless communication systems

This paper describes a novel broadband receiver architecture for wireless communication systems. The mixing unit configuration is based on two 90/spl deg/ single balanced mixers, associated in anti-phase, to obtain wide-bandwidth differential IF signals. For single-ended analog front-end receivers, the terminals of each of the mixing units are connected, producing a single RF and LO signals. This is as opposed to polarimetric systems, where one LO and two RF signals are present. The broadband nature of the differential IF signals suggests that the proposed topology eliminates the need of either passive baluns, active baluns, or single to differential buffer amplifiers needed to produce 0/spl deg/ and 180/spl deg/ phase-shifted signals.
Why environmental scientists are becoming Bayesians

Advances in computational statistics provide a general framework for the high-dimensional models typically needed for ecological inference and prediction. Hierarchical Bayes (HB) represents a modelling structure with capacity to exploit diverse sources of information, to accommodate influences that are unknown (or unknowable), and to draw inference on large numbers of latent variables and parameters that describe complex relationships. Here I summarize the structure of HB and provide examples for common spatiotemporal problems. The flexible framework means that parameters, variables and latent variables can represent broader classes of model elements than are treated in traditional models. Inference and prediction depend on two types of stochasticity, including (1) uncertainty, which describes our knowledge of fixed quantities, it applies to all ‘unobservables’ (latent variables and parameters), and it declines asymptotically with sample size, and (2) variability, which applies to fluctuations that are not explained by deterministic processes and does not decline asymptotically with sample size. Examples demonstrate how different sources of stochasticity impact inference and prediction and how allowance for stochastic influences can guide research.
Whole-body and adipose tissue glucose metabolism in response to short-term fasting in lean and obese women.

BACKGROUND Alterations in glucose metabolism during early fasting may be an important trigger of the hormonal and metabolic responses to fasting. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to determine whether glucose metabolism in response to brief starvation differs in lean and abdominally obese women. DESIGN We evaluated whole-body glucose metabolism by use of stable-isotope tracer methods and glucose uptake in subcutaneous abdominal adipose tissue by use of arteriovenous balance in 7 lean [58 +/- 2 kg; body mass index (BMI; in kg/m(2)): 21 +/- 5] and 6 abdominally obese (96 +/- 2 kg; BMI: 36 +/- 1) women after 14 and 22 h of fasting. RESULTS Between 14 and 22 h of fasting, whole-body glucose production and disposal declined in both groups (P < 0.05), but the reduction was 50% greater in lean than in obese women (P < 0.05). The decline in glucose uptake at 22 h of fasting was also lower in obese (0.11 +/- 0.04 micromol*100 g(-1) x min(-1)) than in lean (0.26 +/- 0.03 micromol x 100 g(-1) x min(-1)) women (P < 0.05). Decreases in plasma insulin and leptin concentrations between 14 and 22 h of fasting were also lower in obese than in lean women (insulin: 20 +/- 3% and 32 +/- 5%; leptin: 18 +/- 3% and 37 +/- 6%; both P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS The normal decline in glucose production and uptake that occurs during early fasting is blunted in women with abdominal obesity. These alterations in glucose metabolism are associated with a blunted decline in circulating concentrations of both insulin and leptin, which may explain some of the differences in the metabolic response to fasting observed between lean and abdominally obese persons.
Crosslinking of isocyanate functional acrylic latex with telechelic polybutadiene. III. Application of a diffusion model

The diffusion and reaction of amino-telechelic polybutadiene (PBD-NH2) in poly(styrene/n-butyl acrylate/TMI®) (PSBT) was studied. A monodisperse poly(St/BA/TMI) seed latex was prepared by semicontinuous emulsion polymerization. Two core/shell latices were also prepared semicontinuously, using the seed latex as the core and poly(St/BA) as the shell. These monodisperse latices were mixed with equivalent amounts of the telechelic PBD-NH2 artificial latex before casting into films. The consumption of the TMI in these films was monitored by FTIR as a function of time and the NH2/TMI ratio. The results showed that without the PSB shell, the PSBT particles (80 nm radius) could be penetrated by the PBD-NH2 completely. A 24 nm PSB shell was found to act effectively as a barrier to preventing the penetration of the PBD-NH2 inside the particles. This was consistent with previous TEM results, indicating that the crosslinking between the isocyanate in the PSBT particles and the amine in the PBD-NH2 particles provided the driving force for the chain diffusion. A diffusion model was established for the PSBT/PBD-NH2 system. Assuming steady-state diffusion, the effective diffusion coefficients were calculated based on the experimental data. This lead to the estimation of the surface coverage of the PBD-NH2 on the PSBT particles in the latex films. A film formation and crosslinking mechanism was proposed for the PSBT/PBD-NH2 latex blend system. In the absence of crosslinking reactions, the two incompatible polymers tended to completely phase separate during the film formation. However, with the crosslinking reactions, the PBD-NH2 will be bound to the PSBT particle surfaces, forming a PSBT-PBD copolymer interphase. This interphase facilitates the diffusion of the PBD-NH2 into the PSBT particles. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 69: 985–993, 1998
Bringing strong authentication and transaction security to the realm of mobile devices

Widespread usage of mobile devices in conjunction with malicious software attacks calls for the development of mobile-device-oriented mechanisms aiming to provide strong authentication and transaction security. This paper considers the eBanking application scenario and argues that the concept of using a trusted companion device can be ported to the mobile realm. Trusted companion devices involve established and proven techniques in the PC (personal computer) environment to secure transactions. Various options for the communication between mobile and companion devices are discussed and evaluated in terms of technical feasibility, usability, and cost. Accordingly, audio communication across the 3.5-mm audio jack--also known as tip-ring-ring-sleeve, or TRRS connector,--is determined to be quite appropriate. We present a proof-of-concept companion device implementing binary frequency shift keying across this interface. Results from a field study performed with the proof-of-concept device further confirm the feasibility of the proposed solution.
New Applications & Recent Research

Astronomers started out using the naked eye some 10,000 years ago, advanced to telescopes in the time of Galileo, and began serious observations in the infrared band of the electromagnetic spectrum only a generation ago. The computer-controlled infrared telescope of the University of Wyoming, located atop Jelm Mountain, was at the time of its installation (November 1977) the largest instrument specifically designed to operate in the 1- to 1000-micron (10,000-angstrom to 1-millimeter) wavelength range.
Evaluation of binning strategies for tissue classification in computed tomography images

Binning strategies have been used in much research work for image compression, feature extraction, classification, segmentation and other tasks, but rarely is there any rigorous investigation into which binning strategy is the best. Binning becomes a "hidden parameter" of the research method. This work rigorously investigates the results of three different binning strategies, linear binning, clipped binning, and nonlinear binning, for co-occurrence texture-based classification of the backbone, liver, heart, renal, and splenic parenchyma in high-resolution DICOM Computed Tomography (CT) images of the human chest and abdomen. Linear binning divides the gray-level range of [0..4095] into k1 equally sized bins, while clipped binning allocates one large bin for low intensity gray-levels [0..855] (air), one for higher intensities [1368..4095] (bone), and k2 equally sized bins for the soft tissues between [856..1368]. Nonlinear binning divides the gray-level range of [0..4095] into k3 bins of different sizes. These bins are further used to calculate the co-occurrence statistical model and its ten Haralick descriptors for texture quantification of gray-level images. The results of the texture quantification using each one of the three strategies and for different values of k1, k2 and k3 are evaluated with respect to their discrimination power using a decision tree classification algorithm and four classification performance metrics (sensitivity, specificity, precision and accuracy). Our preliminary results obtained on 1368 segmented DICOM images show that the optimal number of gray-levels is equal to 128 for linear binning, 512 for clipped binning, , and 256 for non-linear binning. Furthermore, when comparing the results of the three approaches, the nonlinear binning approach shows significant improvement for heart and spleen.
Mixed-bed ion-exchange columns for protein high-performance liquid chromatography

Abstract Protein retention is investigated on high-perforance liquid chromatography columns packed with mixtures of ion exchangers. Retention factors are measured at both low and high salt concentrations in the eluent and their dependence on the bed composition is found to be linear in some cases, but non-linear in others. The physical basis for the observed non-linear retention behavior has not been established and an empirical mixing rule is employed to express the dependence of protein retention on bed composition. Protein separations are carried out on the mixed-bed columns by using gradient elution with increasing salt concentration and the process is modelled mathematically. The retention times predicted by computer calculations correspond closely to the experimental findings. Optimal selection of the mixed-bed composition and the gradient steepness for the separation of four proteins is illustrated by using the window diagram technique. Although the experimental results presented here deal with electrostatic interaction chromatography of proteins only the applicability of mixed sorbents is expected to extend to all branches of liquid chromatography. It is anticipated that mixed-sorbent columns will find extensive use in the large-scale purification of biological compounds and in routine analysis.
Predictability of Top of Descent Location for Operational Idle-Thrust Descents

To enable arriving aircraft to fly optimized descents computed by the flight management system (FMS) in congested airspace, ground automation must accurately predict descent trajectories. To support development of the trajectory predictor and its uncertainty models, commercial flights executed idle-thrust descents at a specified descent speed, and the recorded data included the specified descent speed profile, aircraft weight, and the winds entered into the FMS as well as the radar data. The FMS computed the intended descent path assuming idle thrust after top of descent (TOD), and the controllers and pilots then endeavored to allow the FMS to fly the descent to the meter fix with minimal human intervention. The horizontal flight path, cruise and meter fix altitudes, and actual TOD location were extracted from the radar data. Using approximately 70 descents each in Boeing 757 and Airbus 319/320 aircraft, multiple regression estimated TOD location as a linear function of the available predictive factors. The cruise and meter fix altitudes, descent speed, and wind clearly improve goodness of fit. The aircraft weight improves fit for the Airbus descents but not for the B757. Except for a few statistical outliers, the residuals have absolute value less than 5 nmi. Thus, these predictive factors adequately explain the TOD location, which indicates the data do not include excessive noise.
Epidermal growth factor enhancement of skin tumor induction in mice

Subcutaneous injection of epidermal growth factor 1. significantly shortened the latency period for the appearance of methylcholanthrene induced skin tumors and 2. increased the average number of papillomas elicited per mouse in both the Swiss Webster and C3HeB/FeJ strains.