cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Descriptive Catalogue of the Manuscripts of Nicolaus Mercator, F.R.S. (1620-87), in Sheffield University Library

The scientific achievements of Nicolaus Mercator have in recent years A begun to achieve a just measure of attention (1). Little beyond the bare details, however, is known about the life and career of this early Fellow of the Royal Society. Born Nicolaus Kauffman in Holstein, he was known throughout most of his life by the Latinized version of his name. He attended the University of Rostock and seems to have taught for a time at both his alma mater and at the University of Copenhagen. In 1654 he moved to England after his proposal for a revision of the calendar (2) caught the notice of Oliver Cromwell. He left England for France about 1683, having been engaged by Colbert to design the waterworks at Versailles.
Indexing via color histograms

This paper shows color histograms to be stable object representations over change in view, and demonstrates that they can differentiate among a large number of objects. The authors introduce a technique called histogram intersection for efficiently matching model and image histograms. Color can also be used to search for the location of an object. An algorithm called histogram backprojection performs this task efficiently in crowded scenes. >
Circuit Properties of Microwave Dielectric Resonators

The purpose of this paper is to present experimental data on the circuit properties of dielectric resonators which do not have conducting boundaries. The resonators are constructed of single-crystal rutile and strontium titanate, which, as has been shown by several authors, can form resonators of miniatnre size and high unloaded Q. We consider the lowest-order H mode, give measured values of resonant freqnency (for rectangular parallelepipeds), mechanical frequency tuning, control of coupling to microwave circuits, and discuss the measurement of, and typical values of, external Q of resonators mounted in waveguides. We also consider periodic propagating circuits consisting of linear arrays of mutually coupled resonators.
Thermal effects in a coplanar-pumped folded-zigzag slab laser

The properties of a coplanar-pumped folded-slab laser under the influence of thermal lensing have been modeled and measured. It is shown that despite the formation of a strong astigmatic lens within the slab, the results can be used to design resonators capable of good TEM/sub 00/ performance, suitable for a wide variety of applications. Good agreement is found between modeling and measurement of slab and laser parameters. Using a novel technique, the fraction of absorbed pump power converted to heat has been measured under diode-laser pumping.
Acoustic feedback for hyperthermia phased-array applicators: aberration correction, motion compensation and multiple focusing in the presence of tissue inhomogeneities

When used in conjunction with ultrasound phased-array applicators, complex pressure measurements using miniature needle hydrophone arrays will allow optimal focusing through tissue inhomogeneities (aberration correction) and compensation for patient movement in real time. Experimental results using needle hydrophone measurements in a water tank with thick fatty tissue aberrater are presented to provide a proof of concept. The fabrication of silicon-based needle hydrophone arrays which will be used to provide acoustic feedback during hyperthermia treatments has been initiated. >
Why aren't organizations adopting virtual worlds?

The purpose of this study was to understand why organizational adoption of virtual worlds much has been much slower than expected, by empirically identifying factors that influence organizational intent to adopt virtual worlds. To do so, we developed a model of factors that influence organizational adoption of virtual worlds, based on the Technology-Organization-Environment framework. The model was tested using survey data from organizations, as well as secondary data. Interestingly, mimetic pressures and normative pressures exhibit the strongest effects on organizational intent to adopt virtual worlds. Contrary to expectations, none of the technical factors were to be found significant. These findings provide insights into why the organizational adoption rate of virtual worlds is much slower than expected. First, organizations are intended to adopt virtual worlds if other organizations are adopting virtual worlds. However, organizations are not adopting virtual worlds. Second, because respective competitors that have adopted virtual worlds are not benefiting or succeeding, organizations are not induced to adopt. Last, technological factors, such as relative advantage and compatibility, do not currently have a significant impact on an organization's intent to adopt virtual worlds.
Reconfigurable Branch Processing Strategy in Super-scalar Microprocessors

In this paper, we develop a model for measuring branch performance on super-scalar processors. This model takes the form of CP I equations for different branch processing strategies. This model is the basis for a proposed design wherein the branch processing strategy in a processor can be reconfigured for optimal performance over a varying application load. There are nine parameters which are required to describe performance of a given branch processing method -four are dependent primarily on the processor architecture, two depend on the application program, and three depend primarily on the branch instance. The highest performance branch prediction algorithm can be determined by a combination of application profiling and runtime statistic gathering
Eigenvalues Basic to Diffusion in the Part of a Sphere Cut Out by a Cone

Evaluation precise des racines de quelques equations transcendantes associes a la solution analytique de la diffusion thermique transitoire dans un solide constitue par la portion d'une sphere decoupee par un cone
Minimizing the impact of the initial condition on testing for unit roots

The outcome of popular unit root tests depends heavily on the initial condition, i.e. on the difference between the initial observation and the deterministic component. In some applications it is difficult to rule out small or large values of the initial condition a priori, so this dependence can be quite difficult to deal with in practice. We explore a number of methods for constructing unit root tests whose properties are less affected by the initial condition. We show that no nontrivial test can remain completely unaffected, and instead derive an asymptotically efficient unit root test whose power varies relatively little as a function of the initial condition.
International Law and International Relations: Introducing an Interdisciplinary Dialogue

Despite common interests, the disciplines of international law and international relations were estranged during much of the 20th Century. However, the past two decades have witnessed a wealth of inter-disciplinary scholarship, in which legal scholars have drawn on international relations theories and on qualitative and quantitative methods from political science, and political scientists have attempted to understand the causes and consequences of the legalization of international relations. Yet the interdisciplinary nature of this scholarship, and its fragmentation by issue-areas such as trade, human rights, criminal and humanitarian law, have meant that few scholars have paused to take stock of what we have learned, aggregate empirical findings across disciplines and issue-areas, draw lessons, and chart an agenda for future research. Interdisciplinary Perspectives on International Law and International Relations: The State of the Art seeks to fill this scholarly void. This paper serves as both a stand-alone account of the interdisciplinary dialogue in this area and as an introduction to the authors’ edited volume. The paper provides a brief overview of IL/IR’s emergence as an interdisciplinary field of study, and critically explores the “terms of trade” between the two disciplines found in seminal IL/IR scholarship. We argue that those terms have been largely unidirectional with political science/IR providing much of the theoretical content and (to a lesser extent) epistemological and methodological guidance of IL/IR scholarship, and with IL as a discipline contributing primarily a deep knowledge of legal doctrine, institutional design and processes, and dispute settlement mechanisms. Like virtually all efforts to bridge distinct disciplinary traditions, IL/IR writings have sparked a sustained backlash, particularly among some international lawyers. We examine three sources of these disciplinary tensions: different substantive theories and ideas about the nature and role of theory, different epistemologies, and different conceptions of law associated with the two disciplines. Consideration of the issues that underlie disciplinary tensions sheds light on the promise and the limits of interdisciplinary work, and identifies key issues to be addressed in future research. The final part of this introduction provides a brief overview of the volume’s organization and contents. Interdisciplinary Perspectives on International Law and International Relations: The State of the Art contains sections on: (i) theorizing international law; (ii) the making or designing of international law; (iii) interpretation and adjudication; and (iv) compliance and enforcement.
Evaluation of an on-target sample preparation system for matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry in conjunction with normal-flow peptide high-performance liquid chromatography for peptide mass fingerprint analyses

Large-scale mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomic analyses require high-throughput sample preparation techniques due to the increasing numbers of samples that make up a typical proteomics experiment. Moreover, extensive sample pre-treatment steps are necessary prior to MS acquisition for even the most rapid and robust MS-based proteomics methodology, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) MS followed by peptide mass fingerprinting (PMF) analysis. These include sample purification and fractionation, removal of digestion buffers or solvents, and spotting of sample with matrix onto the MALDI target. These multiple steps of time-consuming sample handling can result in high overall analysis costs and the likelihood of sample contamination and loss. In order to overcome some of these limitations in sample processing, we have investigated the use of a novel, simple, inexpensive 96-well elastomeric array that affixes to a MALDI target to create an on-target 96-well plate that accommodates a high solution volume (ca. 200 microL), thereby enabling the on-target processing of samples for MALDI-TOFMS. We explored several factors that influence MALDI sample preparation: type of matrix, solution volume, solution organic composition, solution drying rates and matrix/analyte co-crystallization methods. We also investigated the use of the 96-well elastomeric device for coupling MALDI-TOFMS analysis directly to high flow rate (1 mL/min) reversed-phase (rp)-HPLC. By developing an optimized, robust sample preparation protocol, we were able to obtain mass spectra with a high signal-to-noise ratio from peptide standards present at the 50-fmol level in large starting volumes of solution. PMF analyses were possible from 1-pmol and 500-fmol protein-digest standards. Coupling the device to high-flow HPLC (750 microL/min) yielded a robust and semi-automated means to obtain enhanced MALDI-TOFMS data at 500 ng of protein digest. These methodologies developed for this simple, on-target, elastomeric device show promise for streamlining the sample preparation process from HPLC to MALDI-MS.
Membrane Topology of Cytochrome P450 2B4 in Langmuir-Blodgett Monolayers

Using Langmuir-Blodgett monolayers of both phosphatidylethanolamines and phosphatidylcholines as membrane mimics, we have examined the topology of cytochrome P450 2B4 anchoring. The interaction of wild-type P450 2B4 with phosphatidylethanolamine monolayers can be characterized as a biphasic reaction, with the initial fast phase explained by the specific insertion of membrane-spanning segments of the protein into the monolayer. Injection of cytochrome b5 (b5) beneath dipalmitoyl-phosphatidylcholine monolayers also resulted in biphasic kinetics. Regardless of the nature of the lipid employed, neither a truncated cytochrome P450 2B4 (P450 2B4 Delta2-27) lacking the amino-terminal hydrophobic residues widely believed to be the major transmembrane segment nor a soluble b5 fragment (Deltab5) lacking its carboxy terminus anchor exhibit the fast-phase behavior characteristic of specific insertion. To further characterize the membrane topology of P450 2B4, its insertion area in DPPE monolayers was measured and analyzed with use of the Gibbs equation for adsorption at an interface. The mean molecular insertion area derived from isotherms of P450 2B4 in a DPPE monolayer at a pressure of 19 mN/m, 680 +/- 95 A2 is large enough to accommodate two to four transmembrane helices. The large insertion area and the fact that the truncated cytochrome retains as much as 30% of its membrane localization when expressed in Escherichia coli (Pernecky, S. J., Larson, J. R., Philpot, R. M., and Coon, M. J. (1993) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 90, 2651-2655) suggest that this cytochrome is not deeply embedded but that other regions, in addition to the amino-terminal 26 residues, may be involved in the interaction of cytochrome P450 with the membrane.
Millennial scale climate variability of the northeast Pacific Ocean and northwest North America based on radiolaria and pollen

Abstract Radiolaria and pollen abundances in marine sediment cores from the northeast Pacific are used to reconstruct oceanographic and continental climate change during the past glacial cycle (0–150 kyr). These data allow direct comparison of the climate response of continental and oceanic systems. Detailed δ 18 O and AMS- 14 C measurements provide a link into global stratigraphic frameworks. Canonical correlation analysis extracts two modes of variation common to both the Radiolaria and pollen records. The first mode of variation correlates an assemblage of Radiolaria associated with coastal upwelling with increased redwood, western hemlock, and alder pollen. This association is consistent with the modern relationship between coastal upwelling, coastal fog and redwood forests. A second canonical mode relates an oceanic fauna now found in highest abundance in the far North Pacific with reduced pine and western hemlock pollen abundance. Comparison of these records to an ice core δ 18 O record suggests that at wavelengths >3000 years, warm events in Greenland are correlated to intervals of increased coastal upwelling off Oregon, decreases in importance of very cold North Pacific fauna (suggesting warming), and increases in pollen associated with wetter coastal environments. Radiolarian based sea-surface temperature estimates suggest that the variability of the northeast Pacific on this time scale is about 2°C. Warming in the coastal regions reflects reduced advection of the California Current, but is moderated by increases in cool coastal upwelling. We infer that the response of the northeast Pacific to millennial scale climate changes is related to changes in atmospheric circulation at mid- to high latitudes. Preliminary analysis suggests that oceanic variability off Oregon at wavelengths 18 O records. This variability is associated with changes in subtropical faunal elements without similar changes in other faunal elements. This finding suggests that, unlike longer-period millennial scale events, the propagation of the shorter wavelength events to the Northeast Pacific is through subtropical or tropical teleconnections.
From Play to Laws: Language in Biology

One perspective on the emergence of the child prodigy is derived from comparing the role of unique forms of abstraction in those disciplines in which the child has been wondrously creative. Music, mathematics, poetry, and computer programming have all witnessed the child as a creative force; biology has not. Perhaps it is the lack of a suitable abstraction, symbols, and rules for their use that hampers both the child prodigy and the expert in their pursuit of understanding living cells. Repurposing existing languages has yet to accelerate that understanding; perhaps it is time to nudge the evolution of language to better serve the description and prediction of the behavior of living systems.
The association of Prototheca spp. with slime flux in Ulmus amencana and other trees

All known species of Prototheca and one new species were isolated from slime flux of woody stems. Fortyfive trees (11 species) harbored Prototheca spp. Monthly quantitative studies of slime flux from 10 trees of Ulmus amencana revealed that 6 harbored a new species, P. ulmea, often in large numbers (1×105 colony forming units ml−1 slime flux). In total, P. ulmea was isolated from 17 elms and one oak from three states in the U.S.A. In spite of this extensive association, no causal relationship has been established.
Echo-MIMO: a Two-Way Channel Training Method for Matched Cooperative Beamforming

A two-way multi-input multi-output (MIMO) channel sounding method for enabling both a transmitter and a receiver to have complete knowledge of the channel between them is presented. The key idea is that a receiver reflects, or "echoes", the received signal back to the transmitter, from which it estimates its own outgoing channel fading coefficients for all transmit/receive pairs of antenna elements. The weighted non-linear least squares problem to jointly estimate the outgoing and incoming channels together is solved for the case of frequency-flat fading. The channel estimates are used to obtain a matched pair of maximum ratio transmission/maximum ratio combining (MRT/MRC) weight vectors for cooperative beamforming. Simulation results are given that show the echo MIMO with MRT/MRC approach can outperform a quantized MRT/MRC codebook method. For fully correlated channels, the echo MIMO MRT/MRC transmission scheme approaches the ideal beamformer which uses perfect channel estimates
ORIGIN OF THE SERPENTINE-ENDEMIC HERB LAYIA DISCOIDEA FROM THE WIDESPREAD L. GLANDULOSA (COMPOSITAE)

Abstract Phylogenetic analyses of nuclear rDNA sequences uphold Gottlieb et al.'s hypothesis that Layia discoidea, a morphologically unusual, serpentine-endemic herb of narrow distribution in central California, “budded off” recently (less than one million years ago) from a nearby lineage of the widespread L. glandulosa, which occurs on sandy soils across much of far western North America. Although L. discoidea and L. glandulosa retain complete interfertility, nuclear rDNA data for the two species are almost free of evolutionary noise, without evidence of gene flow between them; allopatric divergence of L. discoidea cannot be ruled out. Molecular data are consistent with a hypothesis of accelerated morphological evolution of L. discoidea and Gottlieb et al.'s suggestion that the closest relatives of L. discoidea are populations of L. glandulosa with yellow, rather than white, ray corollas, in accord with Clausen, Keck, and Hiesey's evidence of a gene for yellow ray coloration in the rayless L. discoidea.
Changes in mortality related to human immunodeficiency virus infection: Comparative analysis of inpatient deaths in 1995 and in 1999-2000

We conducted a retrospective chart review of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients who died in 1995 and in 1999-2000. We found an increase in the proportion of patients who died from an illness that was not related to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Although there was a decrease in the prevalence of AIDS-defining illnesses, >85% of patients died with CD4 counts of 50% of HIV-infected patients who died were not receiving HAART. AIDS-defining illnesses continue to be a major cause of mortality in the HAART era in populations where access to care and adherence to HAART is limited.
Isometric Time-Tension Relationships as an Index of Myocardial Contractility

The mechanics of isometric contraction in the heart were studied in both isolated papillary muscle and in an innervated, isovolumetric heart in situ. The maximum rate of development of isometric tension (dp/dt) and the integrated isometric tension (IIT), were studied on a beat-to-beat basis. The results indicate: 1) At a given heart rate, both the IIT as well as dp/dt vary directionally as changes in end diastolic volume and fiber length. During isometric contraction, the ratio dp/dt/IIT is independent of changes in fiber length, and remains a constant for any given state of contractility. 2) At a constant heart rate, and at constant volume, cardiac sympathetic nerve stimulation markedly increases dp/dt and IIT. The ratio dp/dt/IIT is elevated to a new constant which is also independent of fiber length. 3) Increasing heart rate increases the ratio dp/dt/IIT. This increase is, however, small compared to the increase in this ratio produced by sympathetic stimulation at the same rate. 4) The effects of heart rate and sympathetic stimulation are additive. 5) Differences have been noted between the manner in which norepinephrine, calcium, and acetyl strophanthidin alter the mechanics of the isovolumetric ventricle. This evaluation of the myocardial contraction is also uninfluenced by the adequacy of ventricular relaxation. 6) Comparison of the isovolumetric ventricle with isolated papillary muscle yielded directly analogous results, indicating that the properties observed were intrinsic to cardiac muscle and are not dependent upon structural arrangements in the intact heart. It is suggested that this ratio dp/dt/IIT is a quantitative measure of the contractility of the myocardium.
Full Wave Modelling of Light Propagation and Reflection

The propagation and reflection of electromagnetic waves in a three-dimensional environment is simulated, and realistic images are produced using the resulting light distributions and reflectance functions. A finite difference time domain method is employed to advance the electric and magnetic fields in a scene. Surfaces containing wavelength scaled structures are created, the interaction of the electromagnetic waves with these nano-structured materials is calculated, and the sub-surface interference and diffraction effects are modelled. The result is a reflectance function with wavelength composition and spatial distribution properties that could not have been predicted using classic computer graphic ray tracing approaches. The techniques are employed to reproduce demonstrations of simple interference and diffraction effects, and to create computer-generated pictures of a Morpho butterfly.
Meteorological Processes Affecting the Evolution of a Wintertime Cold Air Pool in the Columbia Basin

Meteorological mechanisms affecting the evolution of a persistent wintertime cold air pool that began on 2 January and ended on 7 January 1999 in the Columbia basin of eastern Washington were investigated using a mesoscale numerical model together with limited observations. The mechanisms include surface radiative cooling and heating, large-scale subsidence, temperature advection, downslope warming in the lee of a major mountain barrier, and low-level cloudiness. The cold pool began when cold air accumulated over the basin floor on a clear night and was maintained by a strong capping inversion resulting from a rapid increase of air temperatures above the cold pool. This increase of temperatures aloft was produced primarily by downslope warming associated with strong westerly winds descending the lee slopes of the north‐south-oriented Cascade Mountains that form the western boundary of the Columbia basin. While the inversion cap at the top of the cold pool descended with time as the westerly flow intensified, the air temperature inside the cold pool exhibited little variation because of the fog and stratus accompanying the cold pool. Although the low-level clouds reduced the diurnal temperature oscillations inside the pool, their existence was not critical to maintaining the cold pool because surface radiative heating on a midwinter day was insufficient to completely destroy the temperature deficit in the persistent inversion. The presence of low-level clouds becomes much more critical for the maintenance of persistent cold pools in the spring and, perhaps, the fall seasons when insolation is much stronger than in midwinter. The cold pool was destroyed by cold air advection aloft, which weakened and eventually removed the strong inversion cap, and by an unstable boundary layer that grew upward from the heated ground after the dissipation of low-level clouds. Finally, erosion of the cold pool from above by turbulent mixing produced by vertical wind shear at the interface between quiescent air within the pool and stronger winds aloft was found to be insignificant for this case.
The Impact of the Supplemental Instruction Leader on Student Performance in Introductory Accounting.

This study explores the association between a supplemental instruction (SI) program and student performance in an introductory accounting course. SI is a proactive academic support program that is aimed at improving student learning in traditionally “high-risk” college courses by integrating learning and critical thinking strategies with technical course content. This paper examines and describes the classical SI model as it has been applied in both non-business and business disciplines. We then extend the work of Etter, Burmeister, and Elder (2000) and Jones and Fields (2001) which examine the effectiveness of the SI model in introductory accounting by providing empirical tests after controlling for differences in SI group leaders. The SI leader’s duty is to provide structure to the collaborative learning environment and to integrate study skills and learning strategies with course content. However, empirical analysis incorporating controls for differences in SI leaders is lacking. Results, based on both nonparametric chi-square analysis and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) indicate that SI is an effective program that increases academic performance as measured by total points earned in the course. Further, results suggest that the SI program remains effective across multiple SI leaders.
Mutational analysis of the alpha subunit of the human interleukin-3 receptor.

The alpha subunit of the human interleukin-3 receptor (IL-3R alpha) is a 70-kD glycoprotein member of the hematopoietin receptor superfamily. This protein associates with a beta subunit common to the receptors for IL-5 and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) to form a high-affinity receptor for IL-3. To identify regions of IL-3R alpha critical for ligand binding and receptor function, cDNAs encoding mutant receptors were generated and expressed in COS cells along with the beta subunit. Mutant receptors lacking almost the entire cytoplasmic domain of IL-3R alpha [IL-3R alpha(CD)] or carrying a substitution of trp for leu in the membrane proximal leu-ser-x-trp-ser (LSXWS) box bound 125I-IL-3 with nearly the same affinity as wild-type IL-3R alpha. In contrast, a mutant lacking the entire “LSXWS” motif failed to bind 125I-IL-3 with high affinity despite showing surface expression. In addition, hybrid receptors composed of the first 104 amino acids (aa) of IL-3R alpha joined to aa 118 through 400 of the alpha subunit of the GM-CSF receptor (GM-R alpha) [IL-3R alpha/GM-R alpha] or the first 118 aa of GM-R alpha joined to aa 104 through 378 of IL-3R alpha [GM-R alpha/IL-3R alpha] failed to bind 125I-IL-3 in the presence of the beta subunit. A third hybrid receptor composed of the first 281 residues of IL-3R alpha fused to residues 306 through 379 of GM-R alpha [IL-3R alpha/GM-R alpha-DS] also failed to bind 125I-IL-3 in the presence of the beta subunit but, in contrast to the IL-3R alpha/GM- R alpha hybrid, demonstrated weak surface expression. Mutant receptors lacking the N-terminal 30 aa and the N-terminal 9 aa also did not bind 125I-IL-3 with high affinity, although both were expressed on the cell surface. These data suggest that although the cytoplasmic domain and the leucine residue of the “LSXWS” box are not critical for ligand binding or beta-subunit association, the “LSXWS” motif and amino-terminal sequences are important for these functions.
Experimental Immunosuppressive Agents

Today, many new small and large molecular weight molecules are being developed for use as immunosuppressive agents. As the understanding of mechanisms of immune function improves, immunosuppressive drug discovery and development is able to more specifically target activation pathways that predominate in immune rather than nonimmune cells, thus decreasing nonspecific toxicity.
REUSABLE SOLID ROCKET MOTOR NOZZLE JOINT-4 TEST CORRELATED GAS DYNAMIC-THERMAL ANALYSIS

This study provides for development and test verification of a gas dynamic-thermal model used for prediction of joint heating environments, structural temperatures and seal erosions in the Space Shuttle Reusable Solid Rocket Motor (RSRM) Nozzle Joint-4. The heating environments are a result of rapid ‘pressurization .of the joint free volume assuming a leak path has occurred in the filler material used for assembly gap close out. Combustion gasses flow along the leak path from nozzle environment to joint O-ring gland resulting in local heating to the metal housing and erosion of seal materials. Analysis of this condition was based ‘on usage of the NASA Joint Pressurization Routine (JPR) for environment determination and the Systems Improved Numerical Differencing Analyzer (SINDA) for structural temperature prediction. Model generated temperatures, pressures and seal erosions are compared to hot fire test data for several different leak Pati situations. Investigated in the hot fire test program were nozzle joint-4 O-ring erosion sensitivities to leak path width in both open and confined joint geometries. Model predictions were in generally good agreement with the test data for the confined leak path cases. Worst case flight predictions are provided using the test-calibrated model. Analysis issues are discussed based on model calibration procedures.
Stoichiometric and Catalytic Reactions of Thermally Stable Nickel(0) NHC Complexes

Although there are many organic reactions that are catalyzed by either Ni0 or Pd0 complexes, in comparison with the case for Pd0 there has been significantly less work studying coordinatively unsaturated Ni0 complexes. Here, we develop a simple synthetic route for preparing a number of thermally stable NHC-supported Ni0 hexadiene complexes in good yield. We examine the stoichiometric reactivity of one of these species and demonstrate that the coordinated hexadiene moiety is labile and can be replaced with a variety of different ligands, including CO, phosphines, isonitriles, and olefins. In addition, we show that the Ni0 hexadiene complexes are relatively rare examples of homogeneous first-row transition-metal catalysts for the hydrogenation of olefins.
Evolution: On the Origin of Symmetry, Synapsis, and Species

As two species diverge from one another, they become increasingly isolated by reproductive incompatibilities. New findings, however, undermine this evolutionary orthodoxy, showing that the first identified mammal speciation gene causes only transient incompatibility between diverging species.
Asthma control and need for future asthma controller therapy among inner-city Hispanic asthmatic children engaged in a pediatric asthma disease management program (the Breathmobile program, Mobile Asthma Care for Kids Network).

AbstractObjective: To determine whether significant numbers of asthmatic children with initially rated intermittent asthma later suffer poor asthma control and require the addition of controller medications. Methods: Inner-city Hispanic children were followed prospectively in an asthma-specific disease management system (Breathmobile) for a period of 2 years. Clinical asthma symptoms, morbidity treatment, and demographic data were collected at each visit. Treatment was based upon National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Expert Panel Report 3 asthma guidelines. Primary outcome was percentage of patients with intermittent asthma who had not well or poorly controlled asthma during subsequent visits and required controller agents. Secondary outcomes were factors associated with the maintenance of asthma control. Results: About 30.9% of the patients with initial rating of intermittent asthma had not well controlled and poorly controlled asthma during subsequent visits and required the addition of cont...
Wellbeing, Selfhood and Subjectivity

Complementary and alternative medicines have been conceptualized as solutions to medical complaints, as forms of health maintenance, as well as ‘treats’ for the mind and the body (Thomas et al. 2001a; Bishop et al. 2008). The stories of clients and practitioners, however, reveal an even more complex picture about complementary and alternative health practices and about the kind of health these practices are used to produce. Rather than physiological health only, the rise of holistic health practices is intertwined with a broad notion of wellbeing; it is wellbeing rather than mere health that matters to many clients (Sointu 2006a). This chapter outlines and analyses ideas of wellbeing as they echo through the stories of clients and practitioners.
An Evaluation of Children’s Advertisements Based on Children’s Cognitive Abilities

AbstractThis content analysis compares and contrasts children’s cognitive development with how advertisers present their information to children. Basic fmdings include that advertisers appear to be...
Traversing Biosynthetic Carbocation Landscapes in the Total Synthesis of Andrastin and Terretonin Meroterpenes.

Meroterpenes derived from dimethylorsellinic acid (DMOA) and farnesyl pyrophosphate have attracted much biosynthetic attention, yet only recently have synthetic solutions to any family members appeared. A key point of divergence in DMOA-derived meroterpene biosynthesis is the protoaustinoid A carbocation, which can be diverted to either the berkeleyone, andrastin, or terretonin structural classes by cyclase-controlled rearrangement pathways. Shown herein is that the protoaustinoid bicyclo[3.3.1]nonane nucleus can be reverted to either andrastin or terretonin ring systems under abiotic reaction conditions. The first total syntheses of members of these natural product families are reported as their racemates.
Families of distributions arising from the quantile of generalized lambda distribution

In this paper, the class of T-R {generalized lambda} families of distributions based on the quantile of generalized lambda distribution has been proposed using the T-R{Y} framework. In the development of the T-R{Y} framework, the support of Y and T must be the same. It is typical that the random variable Y has one type of support and T is restricted to the same support. Taking Y to be a generalized lambda random variable leads to three different types of supports, thus, making the choice of the generator T to be much more broad and flexible. This is interesting and unique. By allowing T with different supports makes the T-R{generalized lambda} a desirable method for generating new versatile and broad families of generalized distributions for any given random variable R. Some general properties of these families of distributions are studied. Four members of the T-R{generalized lambda} families of distributions are derived. The shapes of these distributions can be symmetric, skewed to the left, skewed to the right, or bimodal. Two real life data sets are applied to illustrate the flexibility of the distributions.
Multiple chemical sensitivity: a review of the theoretical and research literature.

Multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) is a term used to describe a disorder characterized by a vast array of somatic, cognitive, and affective symptoms, the cause of which is attributed to exposure to extremely low levels of a variety of chemicals. Upon examination of the patient with a diagnosis of MCS, objective physical findings and consistent laboratory abnormalities are typically nonexistent. The concept of MCS has ignited considerable controversy in the fields of toxicology, immunology, allergy, psychology, and neuropsychology. Central to the controversy is the disagreement over the extent to which the manifestation of MCS is mediated by psychological factors. Because of the large number of neuropsychological symptoms associated with a diagnosis of MCS, neuropsychologists are increasingly receiving referrals for the assessment of these patients. It is important, therefore, that neuropsychologists become aware of the variety of clinical issues that must be taken into account when assessing an individual with a diagnosis of MCS. The theoretical and research literature on individuals with a diagnosis of MCS is reviewed here.
Impact of Pear Thrips Damage on Sugar Maple Physiology: A Whole-Tree Experiment

Pear thrips, Taeniothrips inconsequens, were placed in cylindrical, fine-mesh nets enclosing whole tree crowns to examine the effect of pear thrips feeding damage on sugar maple leaf physiology. Leaf area in the infested trees was reduced by approximately 20% relative to undamaged control trees. Damage caused a consistent reduction in leaf photosynthetic rates by 4 to 20% although the difference in photosynthesis between control and damaged trees was statistically significant (P < 0.05) for only one of three sampling dates. Feeding damage reduced stomatal conductance to water vapor. There were no effects of pear thrips feeding damage on leaf water use efficiency or leaf conductances to water vapor in the dark, indicating that the pear thrips feeding on sugar maple leaves does not lead to uncontrolled water loss as previously hypothesized. There is a high potential for reductions in tree carbon status as a result of reductions in leaf area and leaf photosynthetic rate as a result of early-season pear thrips feeding damage. The long-term implications of such reductions for tree health are unknown.
A Subtree-Partitioning Algorithm for Inducing Parallelism in Network Simplex Dual Updates

This paper reports on the development of a very efficient method for partitioning the network simplex basis subtree in which dual values must be updated during a pivot. The partitioning procedure may be concurrently executed by multiple processes. The resulting rapid decomposition of the subtree allows an arbitrary number of processes to be utilized in the actual dual update. This approach alleviates a primary limitation of the most efficient parallel network simplex implementation published to date. The new code performs at least as well as the previous implementation on medium-scale problems and reduces average solution time by over 34% on large-scale problems.
Thinking Outside the Box: The National Context for Educational Preparation and Adaptation among Chinese and Korean International Students:

Despite growing scholarly interest in international education, few studies have examined how the broader historic, structural, and cultural contexts of sending nations inform the global perspective...
A Phenomenological Study on the Experience of Syrian Asylum-Seekers and Refugees in the United States

Violence in Syria has displaced an unprecedented number of people from their homes. While couple/family therapy (C/MFT) scholars have explored migration experiences, particularly among refugees, there is still limited research using a bioecological framework. This exploratory study examined the experiences of Syrian asylum-seekers and refugees living in the United States using a qualitative phenomenological approach. Twelve Syrians (n = 8 men, n = 4 women) between 20 and 52 years of age (M = 35.8, SD = 10.7) were interviewed about their experiences across three stages of resettlement: (1) pre-resettlement, (2) resettlement/migration, and (3) post-resettlement. Findings suggest that the effects of conflict-induced displacement and resettlement permeate across multiple ecologies. These range from the individual and his or her interpersonal relationships to their larger community and society. C/MFTs should account for contextual factors while becoming familiar with the sociopolitical impact of displacement and resettlement in their clinical work with this population.
Dual-organ transplantation in older recipients: outcomes after heart-kidney transplant versus isolated heart transplant in patients aged ≥65 years.

Objectives Combined heart-kidney transplantation has successful outcomes. With an increasing number of patients with end-stage heart disease, there is a high incidence of significant renal insufficiency that may necessitate combined heart-kidney transplant. Outcomes for heart-kidney transplant recipients aged ≥65 years are not well described. Methods Between 2010 and 2015, 163 recipients ≥65 years of age were transplanted in a single centre: 12 heart-kidney and 151 isolated heart transplants. Outcomes assessed were estimated glomerular filtration rate at 1, 6 and 12 months after transplant, the need for dialysis, 1-year survival, 1-year freedom from rejection, 1-year freedom from cardiac allograft vasculopathy and 1-year freedom from non-fatal major adverse cardiac events. Results Recipient ages were 67.8 ± 1.6 and 69.0 ± 2.8 years for heart-kidney transplant and isolated heart transplant, and pretransplant estimated glomerular filtration rates were 26.6 ± 9.4 vs 55.2 ± 18.9, respectively. At 1 month (66.3 ± 31.4 vs 67.2 ± 28.0, P = 0.92), 6 months (68.1 ± 21.3 vs 60.5 ± 19.6, P = 0.20) and 12 months (58.6 ± 21.5 vs 52.4 ± 18.5, P = 0.27) post-transplant, estimated glomerular filtration rate was similar for heart-kidney transplant versus isolated heart transplant. There was a trend towards reduced 1-year freedom from temporary dialysis after heart-kidney transplant relative to isolated heart transplant (75.0% vs 90.4%, P = 0.06) without a difference in 1-year freedom from chronic dialysis (100% vs 95.2%, P = 0.46). There were no differences in 1-year survival, 1-year freedom from any treated rejection, acute cellular rejection, antibody-mediated rejection, cardiac allograft vasculopathy and non-fatal major adverse cardiac events. Conclusions For patients ≥65 years old, heart-kidney transplant can achieve outcomes on par with heart transplant alone.
Real-Time Bi-Directional 16-QAM Coherent Communication over 80km, Scalable up to 27.6Tbps

We demonstrate real-time implementation of bidirectional 16-QAM coherent communication between two service aggregation nodes, over 80km SMF link, capable of scaling to a record 27.6Tbps bi-directional capacity.
Where is Happiness? The Question was Answered Two Millennia Ago

“Where is happiness?” For years this was my driving question, and it proved a persistent one — not because it was stubborn, but because I was. I insisted on looking in all the wrong places. I looked in so-called accomplishments — law school, publishing, test scores. I looked in others — friends, girlfriends, family. I looked in objects — video games, books, movies. At my lowest points, I looked in the easy lull of alcohol or other ersatz vices. And yet, this thing — “happiness” — never lingered. Every now and then I’d grab hold of it, yet like a hand-caught fish it would promptly squirm away. Because (and here’s a cliche that’s easy to recall yet difficult to live) happiness is not outside. Happiness is inside. As the Stoics — members of a philosophical movement founded by a Phoenician merchant and explicated in ancient Greece and Rome — knew, happiness lies in the one thing none of us ever lose: The ability to choose how we respond to any given situation. For it is not things that trouble us, but our interpretations of those things.
Towards Differentiable Resampling

Resampling is a key component of sample-based recursive state estimation in particle filters. Recent work explores differentiable particle filters for end-to-end learning. However, resampling remains a challenge in these works, as it is inherently non-differentiable. We address this challenge by replacing traditional resampling with a learned neural network resampler. We present a novel network architecture, the particle transformer, and train it for particle resampling using a likelihood-based loss function over sets of particles. Incorporated into a differentiable particle filter, our model can be end-to-end optimized jointly with the other particle filter components via gradient descent. Our results show that our learned resampler outperforms traditional resampling techniques on synthetic data and in a simulated robot localization task.
Computer-aided electrochemical process design: simulation and economic analysis of an electrocatalytic soybean oil hydrogenation plant

The process flowsheet for a soybean oil electrohydrogenation plant has been devised and heat and mass balance calculations on unit operations equipment were performed using a commercially available process simulation software package (PRO/II from Simulation Sciences, Inc.). The design and anticipated performance (current efficiency and power requirements) of the electrochemical flow cells were based on a laboratory-scale radial-flow-through Raney nickel powder electrocatalytic hydrogenation reactor. A semiempirical porous electrode model, that reproduced laboratory-scale reactor data, was incorporated into the PRO/II software as a unit operations subroutine module. Operation of a 3.0×106kgy−1 electrochemical plant was simulated on a computer for different soybean oil/electrolyte feeds and reactor current densities. Based on the PRO/II results, an economic analysis of the process, including capital, installation and operating costs of all equipment was carried out. The lowest total production cost for a brush hydrogenation oil product (20% reduction in the number of double bonds) was obtained at a current density of 15mAcm−2 and a feed composition of 10wt:vol% soybean oil in solvent/supporting electrolyte (US0.13kg−1 for an assumed five year straight line depreciation of capital equipment). This cost was higher than that for a comparable-size chemical catalytic soybean oil hydrogenation plant (US0.019kg−1). When the cost of the soybean oil starting material (US0.68kg−1) was factored into the economic analysis, the production plus raw material cost of the electrocatalytic process was only 16% greater than that for the chemical catalytic plant. The production cost for the electrosynthesized hydro-oil product may be tolerable because the oil has a high nutritional value (a lower trans isomers content) which may command a higher selling price.
Computational causal discovery for post-traumatic stress in police officers.

This article reports on a study aimed to elucidate the complex etiology of post-traumatic stress (PTS) in a longitudinal cohort of police officers, by applying rigorous computational causal discovery (CCD) methods with observational data. An existing observational data set was used, which comprised a sample of 207 police officers who were recruited upon entry to police academy training. Participants were evaluated on a comprehensive set of clinical, self-report, genetic, neuroendocrine and physiological measures at baseline during academy training and then were re-evaluated at 12 months after training was completed. A data-processing pipeline—the Protocol for Computational Causal Discovery in Psychiatry (PCCDP)—was applied to this data set to determine a causal model for PTS severity. A causal model of 146 variables and 345 bivariate relations was discovered. This model revealed 5 direct causes and 83 causal pathways (of four steps or less) to PTS at 12 months of police service. Direct causes included single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for the Histidine Decarboxylase (HDC) and Mineralocorticoid Receptor (MR) genes, acoustic startle in the context of low perceived threat during training, peritraumatic distress to incident exposure during first year of service, and general symptom severity during training at 1 year of service. The application of CCD methods can determine variables and pathways related to the complex etiology of PTS in a cohort of police officers. This knowledge may inform new approaches to treatment and prevention of critical incident related PTS.