cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Feasibility of using near-field microwave reflectometry for monitoring autogenous crack healing in cementitious materials

Abstract This study demonstrates the feasibility of using the near-field microwave reflectometry technique to nondestructively monitor the evolution of autogenous crack healing of mortar containing high volume of supplementary cementitious materials. Mortar samples were subjected to controlled compressive loading to generate cracks, and subsequently exposed to wetting/drying cycles to initiate the autogenous crack healing process. Test results indicate that cracked mortar samples exhibit higher point-to-point microwave reflection coefficient variations caused by cracking and moisture ingress (i.e., larger coefficient of variation (COV) values of magnitude of reflection coefficient, |Γ|, obtained from microwave reflectometry). When subjected to wetting/drying cycles, samples with higher crack healing capability are found to undergo less variation in microwave reflection coefficient. Based on the results for cracked samples, the COV trends obtained for microwave reflection properties can be divided into three parts as a function of wetting/drying cycles: part (I) corresponding to a significant point-to-point microwave reflection variations resulting from crack formation and moisture ingress after the first wetting/drying cycle; part (II) indicating the onset of the crack healing process identified by the reduction in the COV values; and part (III) representing slow-down of crack healing process for the regions exposed to microwave radiation as indicated by the relatively constant COV values during additional wetting/drying cycles. Such variations in microwave reflection properties can be linked to changes in moisture transport properties and subsequent crack healing process. To corroborate the microwave reflectometry results, concurrent ultrasonic measurements were conducted on the mortar samples during the self-healing process, and a good correlation was observed between the outcomes of these two test methods. The results of material characterization assessments including capillary water absorption, crack healing quantification, as well as X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy of crack healing products were also used to quantify the crack healing evolution for the investigated mortar samples.
Atomic layer deposited TiO 2 ultrathin layer on Ag_ZnO nanorods for stable and efficient photocatalytic degradation of RhB

Highly stable and active TiO2-coated Ag-modified ZnO nanorods supported on stainless steel mesh (xTi@Ag_ZnO-SS) were successfully synthesized in this work. A low-temperature one-pot hydrothermal method was used to grow Ag_ZnO on stainless steel mesh, and subsequently, an atomic layer deposition (ALD) technique was applied to deposit a TiO2 layer on the surface of Ag_ZnO-SS. The addition of Ag-enhanced photoactivity via favored charge carrier transfer and the TiO2 layer improved stability through suppressed corrosion under UV irradiation, which was demonstrated by cycling performance for RhB photodegradation in two aspects: morphology and photoactivity. After 10 cycles (2 h/cycle) RhB degradation tests under UV irradiation, all the TiO2-protected ZnO materials maintained more intact nanorods structure and more than 80% of the initial photoactivity in the 1st cycle, whereas the ZnO materials without TiO2 coating were drastically deconstructed and only had 56% of initial photodegradation ability. Comprehensive study indicated that thicker TiO2 layers resulted in higher stability but lower photoactivity due to the inhibited charge transfer. The developed TiO2@Ag_ZnO nanorods immobilized on stainless steel mesh demonstrated a promising strategy for the design of highly stable and active photocatalysts endowed with great industrial scalability and practicality.
Cyclist: accelerating hardware development

The end of Dennard scaling has led to an increase in demand for energy-efficient custom hardware accelerators, but current hardware design is slow and laborious, partly because each iteration of the compile-run-debug cycle can take hours or even days with existing simulation and emulation platforms. Cyclist is a new emulation platform designed specifically to shorten the total compile-run-debug cycle. The Cyclist toolflow converts a Chisel RTL design to a parallel dataflow graph, which is then mapped to the Cyclist hardware architecture, consisting of a tiled array of custom parallel emulation engines. Cyclist provides cycle-accurate/bit-accurate RTL emulation at speeds approaching FPGA emulation, but with compile time closer to software simulation. Cyclist provides full visibility and debuggability of the hardware design, including moving forwards and backwards in simulation time while searching for trigger events. The snapshot facility used for debugging is also used to provide a “pay-as-you-go” mapping strategy, which allows emulation to begin execution with a low-effort placement, while higher-quality emulation placements are optimized in the background and swapped in to a running emulation. The Cyclist ASIC design requires 0.069mm2 per tile and runs at 2GHz in a 45nm CMOS process. Our evaluation demonstrate that Cyclist outperforms FPGA emulation, VCS, and C+,+, simulation on combined compile and run time for up to a billion cycles for a set of real-world hardware benchmarks.
Edge-enabled Distributed Network Measurement

In the area of network monitoring and measurement a number of good tools are already available. However, most mature tools do not account for changes in network management brought about through Software Defined Networking (SDN). New tools developed to address the SDN paradigm often lack both observation scope and performance scale to support distributed management of accelerated measurement devices, high-throughput network processing, and distributed network function monitoring. In this paper we present an approach to distributed network monitoring and management using an agent-based edge computing framework. In addition, we provide a number of real-world examples where this system has been put into practice.
On the Impact of Unknown Signals on Delay, Doppler, Amplitude, and Phase Parameter Estimation

The estimation of time delay, Doppler shift, amplitude, and phase is an important fundamental tool in signal processing, which has received extensive study for cases with known transmitted signals, but little study for unknown transmitted signals. We derive the closed-form Cramer–Rao bound (CRB) expressions for joint or separate estimation of time delay, Doppler shift, amplitude, and phase with unknown signals with possibly known structure and possible multiple looks at direct path and reflected path observations. The presented results generalize previous results for known transmitted signals and show how many looks from the direct path and the reflected path we need to derive an accurate estimation of time delay, Doppler shift, amplitude, and phase. The advantages of the known signal format with unknown parameters over totally unknown signals are illustrated. After analysis under a simple white clutter-plus-noise model, extensions to the case with dependent clutter plus noise are discussed. Numerical results show very similar behavior. Numerical calculations of the mean square error from maximum likelihood estimation are provided to support the utility of the unknown signal CRB and the known signal format CRB.
Career Stereotypes and Identities: Implicit Beliefs and Major Choice for College Women and Men in STEM and Female-Dominated Fields

The present study examines the gendered nature of implicitly held beliefs related to STEM careers. It tests predictions from balanced identity theory on the relations between implicit STEM gender stereotypes and implicit STEM identity, as well as predictions from the associative-propositional model related to exposure to counter-stereotypical exemplars in a sample of U.S. college-aged heterosexual romantic couples that varied in whether the woman majored in STEM or in female-dominated majors (FDM). Gender-STEM stereotypes and Self-STEM identification, as measured by Implicit Associations Tasks, were examined in 117 college women majoring in STEM or in FDM and in their romantic partners, some of whom were also majoring in STEM. Women in STEM majors evidenced stronger STEM identities while also demonstrating reduced Gender/STEM stereotypes in comparison to women in FDM and men in STEM. For women, implicit STEM stereotypes predicted implicit STEM identity which in turn predicted majoring in STEM, consistent with predictions from balanced identity theory. There was no support for the hypothesis that men’s exposure to counter-stereotypical women through their romantic relationships influenced their own implicit stereotypes, inconsistent with the associative-propositional model. Women in STEM fields and their romantic partners also evidenced more similar levels of STEM gender stereotypes when compared to the other couples. Dissemination of these results may encourage other STEM-talented women in similar pursuits.
A Framework to Characterize Student Difficulties in Learning Inference from a Simulation-Based Approach.

Although hypothesis testing is ubiquitous in data analysis, research suggests it is commonly misunderstood. Simulation-based inference methods have potential to make student thinking visible, thus providing a valuable lens to analyze developing conceptions about inference. This paper identifies difficulties made visible through simulation-based methods and introduces a framework to characterize the conceptions behind those difficulties. Using the framework, difficulties can be described largely in terms of two challenges. First, students struggle to coordinate the multi-level scheme, which includes the population or true underlying relationship, the distribution of a single sample, and the distribution of statistics collected from multiple samples. Second, students struggle to coordinate two perspectives: the real world where the sample data were collected, and the hypothetical perspective where the null hypothesis is assumed to be true. First published November 2018 at Statistics Education Research Journal Archives
Insights into the Improved Chemical Stability against Water of LiF-Incorporated Layered Oxide Cathodes for Sodium-Ion Batteries

Rechargeable Na-ion batteries are considered to be a promising alternative for grid energy storage applications because of their competitive cost benefits and sustainable resource supply. O3-type-l...
An Investigation of Heartrate Sensing Accuracy by Wrist-Worn Fitness Tracking Devices

Preliminary results of assessing the accuracy of heartrate measurement by four wrist-worn fitness tracking devices (WFT) during waking and stationary biking in five healthy subjects (2F; age 26.4±3.20 years; BMI 24.7±1.92 kg/m2) are reported. The results reveal that the accuracy varies depending on the WFT and exercise mode.
Utility of Diagnostic Tests in Children With Functional Abdominal Pain Disorders

Functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) and functional abdominal pain disorders (FAPDs) are common in pediatric patients. The prevalence of FGIDs using the Rome IV criteria ranges from 21.1% to 25.0% in children. The Rome IV criteria specify that the decision of testing is left to the clinician, giving him or her freedom to decide on the necessary workup. The clinician should consider all of the functional and organic diseases that manifest with chronic abdominal pain, as well as alarm features that should prompt testing. Societal guidelines and reports do not recommend routine evaluations for FAPDs, particularly in the absence of alarm features. Studies have reported variable results upon assessing the diagnostic yields of different tests. Furthermore, these evaluations considerably increase costs for the health care system. This article examines the current evidence on the utility of diagnostic testing in pediatric patients with FAPDs.
Design of flexible piezoelectric gyroscope for structural health monitoring

This Letter reports a piezoelectric bending sensor configuration based on a complementary design of four identical flexible piezoelectric sensors using both theoretical analysis and experimental demonstration. The active material used here for sensing is a flexible ferroelectret polymer, which possesses a cellular internal structure with distributed trapped charges. The transverse piezoelectric effect is observed by changing the permanent macroscaled dipole moments upon bending. It has been found that the voltage output for the sensor is linearly related to the bending curvature. Angular displacement is determined by monitoring the output of four orthogonal devices on a rod. Different types of surface stress can also be determined by measuring output polarities from an antiparallel electrical connection. The proposed sensor configuration in this work is capable of providing a nondestructive evaluation of structural health by measuring a 2D bending vector.
Pathology of the kidney allograft

The kidney biopsy still represents the best approach to diagnose renal transplant complications. It is considered the gold standard in the diagnosis of rejection and non-rejection complications. Although invasive, it is a safe procedure with a very low complication rate. With adequate sampling, changes related to antibody-mediated rejection (ABMR) and T-cell mediated rejection (TCMR) can be identified. However, the pathologist needs to be aware of the many other complications, not related to rejection, that can affect the allograft function. Examples include viral infections, drug toxicity, systemic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes, and recurrent or de novo glomerulopathy, among others. In this article, we review the recent classification of pathology of the kidney allograft, with reference to recent consensus reached at the most recent Banff renal allograft classification meetings, and also highlight common non-rejection complications of the kidney transplant.
Digital approaches for mental health in the age of covid-19.

Gold’s editorial on psychological first aid interventions recognises the major psychological consequences arising in the covid-19 pandemic.1 In this current climate, mounting effective mental health responses faces challenges, including the widespread reduction of available in-person mental health services and broad limitations in mobility as a result of the public health measures enacted. Covid-19 is occurring in an age of unprecedented adoption of digital technology, creating opportunities for data driven testing and dissemination …
The Potential Mediation of the Effects of Physical Activity on Cognitive Function by the Gut Microbiome

The population of older adults is growing dramatically worldwide. As older adults are at greater risk of developing disorders associated with cognitive dysfunction (i.e., dementia), healthcare costs are expected to double by 2040. Evidence suggests dementia may be slowed or prevented by lifestyle interventions, including physical activity (PA). PA is associated with improved cognitive function and may reduce risk for dementia by mitigating known risk factors (i.e., cardiovascular diseases) and/or by enhancing neurochemical processes. An emerging area of research suggests the gut microbiome may have similar neuroprotective effects. Altering the gut microbiome has been found to target physiological processes associated with dementia risk, and it influences gut-brain-microbiome axis signaling, impacting cognitive functioning. The gut microbiome can be altered by several means (i.e., disease, diet, prebiotics, probiotics), including PA. As PA and the gut microbiome independently influence cognitive function and PA changes the composition of the gut microbiome, cognitive improvement due to PA may be partially mediated by the gut microbiome. The present article provides an overview of the literature regarding the complex associations among PA, cognitive function, and the gut microbiome, as well as their underlying biological mechanisms. A comprehensive, theoretical model integrating evidence for the potential mediation is proposed.
Care Fragmentation and Mortality in Readmission after Surgery for Hepatopancreatobiliary and Gastric Cancer: A Patient-Level and Hospital-Level Analysis of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Administrative Database.

Background Hepatopancreatobiliary (HPB) and gastric oncologic operations are frequently performed at referral centers. Postoperatively, many patients experience care fragmentation, including readmission to “outside hospitals” (OSH), which is associated with increased mortality. Little is known about patient-level and hospital-level variables associated with this mortality difference. Study Design Patients undergoing HPB or gastric oncologic surgery were identified from select states within the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project database (2006–2014). Follow-up was 90 days after discharge. Analyses used Kruskal-Wallis test, Youden index, and multilevel modeling at the hospital level. Results There were 7,536 patients readmitted within 90 days of HPB or gastric oncologic surgery to 636 hospitals; 28% of readmissions (n = 2,123) were to an OSH, where 90-day readmission mortality was significantly higher: 8.0% vs 5.4% (p Conclusions For readmissions after HPB and gastric oncologic surgery, travel distance and timing are major determinants of care fragmentation. However, these variables are not associated with mortality, nor is annual hospital surgical volume after risk-adjustment. This information could be used to determine safe sites of care for readmissions after HPB and gastric surgery. Further analysis is needed to explore the relationship between complications, the site of care, and readmission mortality.
Addressing Psychosocial Topics in Group Well-Child Care: A Multi-Method Study With Immigrant Latino Families.

Abstract Objective Group Well-Child Care (GWCC) has been described as providing an opportunity to enhance well-being for vulnerable families experiencing psychosocial challenges. We sought to explore benefits and challenges to the identification and management of psychosocial concerns in Group Well-Child Care (GWCC) with immigrant Latino families. Methods We conducted a case study of GWCC at an urban academic general pediatric clinic serving predominantly Limited English Proficiency Latino families, combining visit observations, interviews, and surveys with Spanish-speaking mothers participating in GWCC, and interviews with providers delivering GWCC. We used an adapted framework approach to qualitative data analysis. Results A total of 42 mothers and 9 providers participated in the study; a purposefully selected subset of 17 mothers was interviewed, all providers were interviewed. Mothers and providers identified both benefits and drawbacks to the structure and care processes in GWCC. The longer total visit time facilitated screening and education around psychosocial topics such as postpartum depression but made participation challenging for some families. Providers expressed concerns about the effects of shorter one-on-one time on rapport-building; most mothers did not express similar concerns. Mothers valued the opportunity to make social connections and to learn from the lived experiences of their peers. Discussions about psychosocial topics were seen as valuable but required careful navigation in the group setting, especially when fathers were present. Conclusions Participants identified unique benefits and barriers to addressing psychosocial topics in GWCC. Future research should explore the effects of GWCC on psychosocial disclosures and examine ways to enhance benefits while addressing the challenges identified.
Irrigated Needle Ablation Compared to Other Advanced Ablation Techniques for Failed Endocardial Ventricular Arrhythmia Ablation.

Background - Options when endocardial ventricular arrhythmia (VA) ablation fails include epicardial, simultaneous two site unipolar radiofrequency (SURF) and transcoronary ethanol (TCE) ablation. Recently, investigational needle ablation has also been used, but how it compares to other advanced methods is not clear. This study sought to compare outcomes and complications for needle ablation versus other advanced ablation techniques in patients with structural heart disease, VA, and failed endocardial ablation. Methods - We retrospectively reviewed 136 procedures in 119 consecutive patients with structural heart disease (excluding arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy) who failed endocardial ablation and underwent ablation with either an investigational needle catheter (27 gauge, single end hole) or with other advanced techniques including epicardial, SURF or TCE ablation. Results - Of 136 procedures, needle ablation was performed in 58 procedures. In the remaining 78 procedures, 65 were epicardial ablation including 10 with SURF ablation from endocardial and epicardial sites, seven with SURF from both sides of the septum, one SURF and TCE ablation, and five TCE ablation procedures. Acute outcomes, 6-month VA recurrence, and mortality rates were not different between the two groups (49% vs 55%, P=0.54, 45% vs 46%, P=1.00, and 4% vs 3%, P=1.00, respectively). There were 22 major complications observed in 22 procedures with pericardial bleeding occurring less frequently with needle ablation (1.7% vs 12.8%, P=0.02). Conclusions - Ablation with an irrigated needle catheter compares favorably to other advanced ablation techniques.
Hidden Performance: Salary History Bans and Gender Pay Gap

As of 2019, salary history bans have been enacted by 17 states and Puerto Rico with the stated purpose of reducing the gender pay gap. We argue that salary history bans may negatively affect wages as employers lose an informative signal of worker productivity. We empirically evaluate these laws using a large panel dataset of disaggregated wages covering all public sector employees in 36 states and find, on average, salary history bans lead to a 3% decrease in new hire wages. We find no decrease in the gender pay gap in the full sample and a modest 1.5% increase in the relative wages of women, as compared to men, among new hires most likely to have experienced gender discrimination historically.
Insurgent Public Space : Guerrilla Urbanism and the Remaking of Contemporary Cities

1. (Not) Your Everyday Public Space Jeffrey Hou Part 1: Appropriating 2. Dancing in the Streets of Beijing: Improvised Uses within the Urban System Caroline Chen 3. Latino Urbanism in Los Angeles: A Model for Urban Improvisation and Reinvention James Rojas 4. Taking Place: Rebar's Absurd Tactics in Generous Urbanism Blaine Merker for Rebar Part 2: Reclaiming 5. eXperimentcity: Culturing + Publicizing Sustainable Development of Berlin's Freiraume Michael A. LaFond 6. Re-City, Tokyo: Putting "Publicness" into the Urban Building Stocks Shin Aiba and Osamu Nishida 7. Claiming Residual Spaces in the Heterogeneous City Erick Villagomez Part 3: Pluralizing 8. Claiming Latino Space: Building Cultural Capacity in the Public Realm Michael Rios 9. ' Night Market' in Seattle: Community Eventscape and the Remaking of Public Space Jeffrey Hou 10. Making Places of Fusion and Resistance: the Experiences of Immigrant Women in Taiwanese Townships Hung-Ying Chen and Jia-He Lin 11. How Outsiders Find Home in the City: Chung Shan in Taipei Pina Wu Part 4: Transgressing 12. Machizukuri House and Its Expanding Networks: Making New Public Realm in Private Homes Yasuyoshi Hayashi 13. Niwaroju: Private Gardens Serving the Public Realm Isami Kinoshita 14. Farmhouses as Urban/Rural Public Space Sawako Ono, Ryoko Sato, and Mima Nishiyama Part 5: Uncovering 15. Urban Archives: Public Memories of Everyday Places Irina Gendelman, Tom Dobrowolsky, and Giorgia Aiello 16. Funny...It Doesn't Look Like Insurgent Space: the San Francisco Bureau of Urban Secrets and the Practice of History as a Public Art Jeannene Przyblyski 17. Mapping the Space of Desire: Brothel as a City Landmark Yung-Teen Annie Chiu 18. Spatial Limbo: Re-inscribing Landscapes in Temporal Suspension Min Jay Kang Part 6: Contesting 19. Public Space Activism, Toronto and Vancouver: Using the Banner of Public Space to Build Capacity and Activate Change Andrew Pask 20. Urban Agriculture in the Making of Insurgent Spaces in Los Angeles and Seattle Teresa M. Mares and Devon G. Pena 21. When Overwhelming Needs Meets Underwhelming Prospects: Sustaining Community Open Space Activism in East St. Louis Laura Lawson and Janni Sorensen
Some Psychometric Properties of a System to Measure ADHD Among College Students: Factor Pattern, Reliability, and One-Year Predictive Validity

This study obtained construct (factorial) validity, internal consistency reliability, and 1-year criterion coefficients for scores from the College Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) R...
A connectorized single-mode laser module with optical training

The construction of a 1300-nm connectorized single-mode transmitter module is discussed. The compact optical system (total conjugate below 8 mm) is built around a molded aspheric mini-lens designed to have reduced sensitivity to positioning errors. Measurement of the power coupled to a sample of 20 ferruled single-mode fibers yielded a distribution with a standard deviation of 1.1 dB. >
Design of the Milford Road Course

The Milford Road Course is a new 2.9 mi (4.6 km), 20 turn, configurable closed course with 135 ft (41 m) of elevation change, constructed at the General Motors Proving Ground in Milford, Ml, USA. This facility provides a convenient and safe venue for engineers to evaluate vehicle limit performance over extensive combinations of vertical, lateral and longitudinal acceleration at a wide range of speeds. This paper discusses the vehicle dynamics aspects of the facility design, simulation and construction.
A New Dynamic FEM-Based Subdivision Surface Model for Shape Recovery and Tracking in Medical Images

A new dynamic FEM-based subdivision surface model is proposed to reconstruct and track shapes of interest from multi-dimensional medical images. The model is based on the butterfly subdivision scheme, a popular subdivision technique for generating smooth C1 (first derivative continuous) surfaces of arbitrary topology, and is embedded in a physics-based modeling paradigm. This hierarchical model needs very few degrees of freedom (control vertices) to accurately recover and track complex smooth shapes of arbitrary topology. A novel technique for locally parameterizing the smooth surface of arbitrary topology generated by the butterfly scheme is described; physical quantities required to develop the dynamic model are introduced, and the governing dynamic differential equation is derived using Lagrangian mechanics and the finite element method. Our experiments demonstrate the efficacy of the modeling technique for efficient shape recovery and tracking in multi-dimensional medical images.
Taming Concurrency: A Program Verification Perspective

Concurrency, as a basic primitive for software construction, is more relevant today than ever before, primarily due to the multi-core revolution. General-purpose software applications must find ways to exploit concurrency explicitly in order to take advantage of multiple cores. However, experience has shown that explicitly parallel programs are difficult to get right. To deliver compelling software products in the multi-core era, we must improve our ability to reason about concurrency.
Memory complaint is not necessary for diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment and does not predict 10-year trajectories of functional disability, word recall, or short portable mental status questionnaire limitations

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the prevalence and utility of memory complaint in a geographically representative cohort and, in cases with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), to determine whether memory complaint alters 10-year trajectories of disability in activities of daily living (ADLs), Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire (SPMSQ) score, and 20-item word recall. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Washington and Iowa counties, Iowa. PARTICIPANTS: Iowa Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly (N=3,673; aged ≥65; 61.3% female; 99.9% white). MEASUREMENTS: Age, sex, education, SPMSQ score, 20-item word recall, ADL or instrumental ADL disability, and chronic medical conditions. RESULTS: The prevalence of memory complaint was 34%. Although proportionally more cognitively impaired individuals were in the memory complaint group (34% vs 27%), the pattern of subclassification into cognitively intact and MCI Stage 1 and 2 subgroups was similar for people with and without memory complaint. Median SPMSQ score and number of words recalled at baseline were comparable across memory complaint categories in each subgroup. MCI participants without subjective memory complaint constituted a larger proportion of the overall sample than individuals with subjective memory complaint (460 (14%) vs 295 (8.9%)) and of persons objectively classified as having MCI (61% vs 39%). The distribution of individual 10-year change in ADL disability, SPMSQ score, and word recall were similar for those with and without memory complaint across all subgroups of cognitive impairment. CONCLUSION: Memory complaint is not necessary for MCI diagnosis and does not distinguish cases with different progression rates in disability or cognitive impairment. 2006.
Convergence of multiple pelvic organ inputs in the rat rostral medulla

Electrophysiological recordings were used to investigate the degree of pelvic/visceral convergent inputs onto single medullary reticular formation (MRF) neurons. A total of 94 MRF neurons responsive to bilateral electrical stimulation of the pelvic nerve (PN) in 12 urethane-anaesthetized male rats were tested for responses to mechanical stimulation of the urinary bladder, urethra, colon and penis, and electrical stimulation of the dorsal nerve of the penis (DNP) and abdominal branches of the vagus. Responses to distension of the bladder were found for 51% (n = 48) of the MRF neurons tested. Of these 48, 71% responded to urethral infusion, 81% responded to colon distension, 100% responded to penile stimulation (and DNP), and 85% responded to vagal stimulation, with 62% responding to stimulation of all four of these territories. This high degree of visceral convergence (i.e. 62%) in a subset of PN-responsive MRF neurons is significantly greater than for the subset of PN-responsive MRF neurons that did not respond to urinary bladder distension (i.e. out of the 46 remaining neurons, none responded to all four of the other pelvic/visceral stimuli combined). These results suggest that the neurons processing information from the urinary bladder at this level of the neural axis are likely to be important for mediating interactions between different visceral organs for the coordination of multiple pelvic/visceral functions.
The beta subunit of tryptophan synthase. Clarification of the roles of histidine 86, lysine 87, arginine 148, cysteine 170, and cysteine 230.

Abstract Our studies, which are aimed at understanding the catalytic mechanism of the beta subunit of tryptophan synthase from Salmonella typhimurium, use site-directed mutagenesis to clarify the functional roles of several putative active site residues. Although previous chemical modification studies have suggested that histidine 86, arginine 148, and cysteine 230 are essential residues in the beta subunit, our present findings that beta subunits with single amino acid replacements at these positions have partial activity show that these 3 residues are not essential for catalysis or substrate binding. These conclusions are consistent with the recently determined three-dimensional structure of the tryptophan synthase alpha 2 beta 2 complex. Amino acid substitution of lysine 87, which forms a Schiff base with pyridoxal phosphate in the wild type beta subunit, yields an inactive form of the beta subunit which binds alpha subunit, pyridoxal phosphate, and L-serine. We also report a rapid and efficient method for purifying wild type and mutant forms of the alpha 2 beta 2 complex from S. typhimurium from an improved enzyme source. The enzyme, which is produced by a multicopy plasmid encoding the trpA and trpB genes of S. typhimurium expressed in Escherichia coli, is crystallized from crude extracts by the addition of 6% poly(ethylene glycol) 8000 and 5 mM spermine. This new method is also used in the accompanying paper to purify nine alpha 2 beta 2 complexes containing mutant forms of the alpha subunit.
Analysis of the FDTD method via the discrete oscillator

The analysis of the FDTD method is usually performed by assuming an e/sup j/spl omega/t/ time dependence for the field quantities as the response due to a steady-state monochromatic wave excitation. This continuous dependence, when combined with the discrete nature of the Yee grid leads to solution errors and dispersion relations that do not describe accurately the propagation properties in the grid for all frequencies. In this article, the discrete oscillator is introduced and used to study the numerical properties of the FDTD method. Formulas are derived for the propagation characteristics in the one- and two-dimensional cases.
Exclusion of chromosome 1q21-q31 from linkage to three pedigrees affected by the pigment-dispersion syndrome.

The pigment-dispersion syndrome is a form of open-angle glaucoma that usually affects individuals in the first 3 decades of life. In addition to the typical optic-nerve degeneration seen in all types of glaucoma, the pigment-dispersion syndrome is characterized by distinctive clinical features including the deposition of pigment granules from the iris epithelium on a variety of ocular structures including the trabecular meshwork. Frequently this disorder affects young myopic individuals. In the early stages of the disease, affected individuals may have clinical evidence of dispersed pigment without an associated elevation of intraocular pressure and optic-nerve degeneration. However, as the disease process progresses, many affected individuals ({approximately}50%) will develop elevated intraocular pressure and degeneration of the optic nerve, causing a permanent loss of sight. The pigment-dispersion syndrome shares several clinical features with the form of autosomal dominant juvenile open-angle glaucoma that recently has been mapped to the 1q21-q31 region of chromosome 1. Our results indicate that the pigment-dispersion syndrome, a form of glaucoma that may also affect the juvenile population, is genetically unrelated to the autosomal dominant form of juvenile glaucoma caused by a defect in a gene located in the 1q21-q31 region of chromosome 1. 15 refs., 2 figs., 1 tab.
Vertex 3-colorability of claw-free graphs

The 3-COLORABILITY problem is NP-complete in the class of claw-free graphs. In this paper we study the computational complexity of the problem in subclasses of claw-free graphs deﬁned by forbidding ﬁnitely many additional subgraphs (line graphs and claw-free graphs of bounded vertex degree being examples of such classes). We prove a necessary condition for the polynomial-time solvability of the problem in such classes and propose a linear-time solution for an inﬁnitely increasing hierarchy of classes that meet the condition. To develop such a solution for the basis of this hierarchy, we generalize the notion of locally connected graphs that has been recently studied in the context of the 3-COLORABILITY problem. Key words: Vertex 3-colorability; Claw-free graphs; Polynomial-time algorithm
Orientable Hamilton Cycle Embeddings of Complete Tripartite Graphs I: Latin Square Constructions

In an earlier paper the authors constructed a hamilton cycle embedding of in a nonorientable surface for all and then used these embeddings to determine the genus of some large families of graphs. In this two-part series, we extend those results to orientable surfaces for all . In part I, we explore a connection between orthogonal latin squares and embeddings. A product construction is presented for building pairs of orthogonal latin squares such that one member of the pair has a certain hamiltonian property. These hamiltonian squares are then used to construct embeddings of the complete tripartite graph on an orientable surface such that the boundary of every face is a hamilton cycle. This construction works for all such that and for every prime p. Moreover, it is shown that the latin square construction utilized to get hamilton cycle embeddings of can also be used to obtain triangulations of . Part II of this series covers the case for every prime p and applies these embeddings to obtain some genus results.
Radioimmunoassay for Dexamethasone in Plasma

We describe a radioimmunoassay for detection of dexamethasone in plasma. Antibodies to dexamethasone hemisuccinate coupled to bovine serum albumin were obtained in rabbits and used for binding of the synthetic steroid. Concentrations of dexamethasone between 0.5 and 40 µg/liter of plasma can be measured with this procedure.
The array decomposition-fast multipole method [antenna arrays]

An innovative approach is presented for analyzing finite arrays of regularly spaced elements. Our approach is based on coupling an array decomposition technique with a multipole expansion for interacting distant elements. This hybrid technique results in Toeplitz storage for both near-zone matrices and far-zone translation operators, with FFT acceleration for the far-zone element interactions. The matrix storage is of the same order as a single array element, regardless of array size, hence removing the matrix storage bottleneck for large arrays. The total storage requirements of this method are only O(N), where N is the length of the solution vector. Hence, fast and rigorous analysis of very large finite arrays can be accomplished with limited resources.
Leukocyte Profiles for Western Fence Lizards, Sceloporus occidentalis, Naturally Infected by the Malaria Parasite Plasmodium mexicanum

Abstract: Plasmodium mexicanum is a malaria parasite that naturally infects the western fence lizard, Sceloporus occidentalis, in northern California. We set out to determine whether lizards naturally infected with this malaria parasite have different leukocyte profiles, indicating an immune response to infection. We used 29 naturally infected western fence lizards paired with uninfected lizards based on sex, snout-to-vent length, tail status, and the presence–absence of ectoparasites such as ticks and mites, as well as the presence–absence of another hemoparasite, Schellackia occidentalis. Complete white blood cell (WBC) counts were conducted on blood smears stained with Giemsa, and the proportion of granulocytes per microliter of blood was estimated using the Avian Leukopet method. The abundance of each WBC class (lymphocytes, monocytes, heterophils, eosinophils, and basophils) in infected and uninfected lizards was compared to determine whether leukocyte densities varied with infection status. We found...
Adaptation of lactose maldigesters to continued milk intakes.

Twenty-five lactose-maldigesting and lactose-intolerant African Americans, ranging in age from 13 to 39 y, were given gradually increasing amounts of lactose in milk over a period of time until the maximum lactose dose tolerated was determined. Seventeen (77%) of the 22 subjects who completed the study tolerated > or = 12 g lactose and 5 (23%) tolerated or = 12 g lactose in milk (the equivalent of 8 oz of full-lactose milk) with minimal or no discomfort if milk is ingested in gradually increasing amounts. The mechanism of adaptation is assumed to be an increased tolerance to colonic lactose-fermentation products.
City CarShare: Longer-Term Travel Demand and Car Ownership Impacts

Four years after the introduction of City CarShare in the San Francisco, Bay area in California, 29% of carshare members had gotten rid of one or more cars, and 4.8% of members' trips and 5.4% of their vehicle miles traveled were in carshare vehicles. Matched-pair comparisons with a statistical control group suggest that, over time, members have reduced total vehicular travel. However, most declines occurred during the first 1 to 2 years of the program; 3 to 4 years after City CarShare's inauguration, earlier declines had leveled off. Because many carshare vehicles are small and fuel-efficient but can carry several people, the trend in per capita gasoline consumption also is downward. Mindful of the cumulative costs of driving, carshare members appear to have become more judicious and selective when deciding whether to drive, take public transit, walk, bike, or even forgo a trip. Coupled with reduced personal car ownership, these factors have given rise to a resourceful form of automobility in the San Fra...
The Role of the DSM-5 Personality Trait Model in Moving Toward a Quantitative and Empirically Based Approach to Classifying Personality and Psychopathology

The fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) represents a watershed moment in the history of official psychopathology classification systems because it is the first DSM to feature an empirically based model of maladaptive personality traits. Attributes of patients with personality disorders were discussed by the DSM-5 Personality and Personality Disorders Work Group and then operationalized and refined in the course of an empirical project that eventuated in the construction of the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 (PID-5). We review research to date on the DSM-5 trait model, with a primary aim of discussing how this kind of research could serve to better tether the DSM to data as it continues to evolve. For example, studies to date suggest that the DSM-5 trait model provides reasonable coverage of personality pathology but also suggest areas for continued refinement. This kind of research provides a way of evolving psychopathology classification on the basis of res...
A comparison of volatility and bid–ask spread for NASDAQ and NYSE after decimalization

We compare volatility and transaction costs for National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (NASDAQ) and New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) firms after decimalization. Using the data of May 2001, our study includes several large samples are matched based on key determinants of volatility and transaction costs. Our findings suggest that volatility on NASDAQ is much higher than on NYSE even after the recent market reforms and decimalization. Transaction costs measured by quoted and effective spreads remain significantly higher on NASDAQ than on NYSE, and these differences cannot be attributed to the differences in the characteristics of the stocks traded in the two markets. In addition, the frequency of small (large) trades inside the quotes is significantly greater (lower) on NYSE than on NASDAQ.
Relation of size of litter to AP lactogen content of nursing rabbits.

SummaryThe lactogen content of the AP was quantitatively determined in 21 lactating rabbits killed on the 20th day postpartum, No significant difference was found in hormone content between the 11 does which were permitted to keep their entire litters of 5 to 11 young, and the 10 does whose litters were uniformly reduced to 2 on the 5th day postpartum.
An UV photoemission study of NO and CO adsorption on Pt (100) and Ru (101̄0) surfaces

Abstract The adsorption of NO, CO and to some extent of O2 on Pt (100) and Ru (1010) surfaces was investigated by Auger electron and UV photoemission spectroscopy (UPS) at substrate temperatures below 100°C. Spectra were obtained with He I and He II resonance lines at photon energies of 21.2 eV and 40.8 eV, respectively. The adsorption of CO on Pt and Ru was found to be non-dissociative as concluded from UPS data. The UPS spectra exhibited two major emission peaks at initial state energies of −8.8 eV and −11.4 eV for Pt (100) and −7.4 eV and −10.6 eV for Ru (1010). These peaks were tentatively identified as arising from σ and π levels of molecular CO whereby the σ2p (5σ) and the π2p (1π) levels most likely overlap due to a chemical shift of the σ2p level of about 3 eV for both Pt and Ru. In the case of NO adsorption the behavior for Pt and Ru is different. While for NO on Pt a UPS spectrum characteristic of molecular NO was identifiable, the spectrum for NO on Ru clearly indicated dissociation of NO into atomic N and O, at least for NO exposures below 1.5 × 10−6 torr sec. Since N2 could be flashed off selectively from this dissociated NO layer it was possible to measure UPS spectra for adsorbed atomic N and O on Ru. These spectra exhibit striking features such as a large peak at −0.5 eV and a general lack of negative ΔN(E) regions, as well as 2p molecular orbital type peaks near −6.2 eV below the Fermi level. For high NO exposures the UPS spectrum showed evidence for molecular NO in addition to the dissociated species. The significance of the NO adsorption behavior on Pt and Ru with regard to the NO reduction reaction on these catalysts is briefly discussed.
Risk communication formats for low probability events: an exploratory study of patient preferences

Clear communication about the possible outcomes of proposed medical interventions is an integral part of medical care. Despite its importance, there have been few studies comparing different formats for presenting probabilistic information to patients, especially when small probabilities are involved. The purpose of this study was to explore the potential usefulness of several new small-risk graphic communication formats. Information about the likelihoods of cancer and cancer prevention associated with two hypothetical cancer screening programs were used to create an augmented bar chart, an augmented grouped icon display, a flow chart, and three paired combinations of these formats. In the study scenario, the baseline risk of cancer was 53 per 1,000 (5.3%). The risk associated with cancer screening option A was 38 per 1,000 (3.8%) and the risk associated with screening option B was 29 per 1,000 (2.9%). Both the augmented bar chart and the augmented grouped icon display contained magnified views of the differences in cancer risk and cancer prevention associated with the screening programs. A convenience sample of 29 subjects (mean age 56.4 years; 76% men) used the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to indicate their relative preferences for the six formats using 15 sequential paired comparisons. The most preferred format was the combined augmented bar chart + flow diagram (mean preference score 0.43) followed by the combined augmented icon + augmented bar chart format (mean preference score 0.22). The overall differences among the six formats were statistically significant: Kruskal-Wallis Chi Square = 141.4, p < 0.0001. The three combined formats all had statistically significant higher preferences scores than the single format displays (p < 0.05). These findings suggest that patients may prefer combined, rather than single, graphic risk presentation formats and that augmented bar charts and icon displays may be useful for conveying comparative information about small risks to clinical decision makers. Further research to confirm and extend these findings is warranted.