cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Conservative Treatment of Aortic Graft Infection

Conservative, nonresectional management of aortic graft infections is the optimal management for selected patients with aortic graft infections. The best candidates are those patients who have significant comorbidities, or where the existing aortic graft is in a location that precludes excision without causing a high likelihood of morbidity and/or mortality, such as thoracoabdominal and aortic arch grafts. When considering the conservative approach, computed tomographic angiography, supplemented by Indium 111 leukocyte scanning, is the best combination of diagnostic tests. Contraindications to a conservative approach are infected anastomotic aneurysms, graft-enteric fistulas, and suture-line hemorrhage. Needle aspiration of perigraft fluid or phlegmon, under ultrasound or computed tomography guidance, is useful to both culture the infection and provide drainage. A conservative approach should not be considered when the graft infection is due to invasive Gram-negative organisms, such as Pseudomonas or Salmonella species. Once a conservative approach is selected as the best treatment option, drainage of an infected perigraft space is critical to success, and can be performed either percutaneously or with open surgery, whether an endograft or surgically placed graft is in place. If open drainage is required, the perigraft space should be debrided and catheters placed for long-term antibiotic irrigation. With continuous antibiotic irrigation until the cultures are negative, followed by life-long oral antibiotics, there are multiple case reports and small series of long-term survivors. Whether the aortic graft infection is cured or controlled is debated, but outcomes for high-risk patients and those with grafts in critical vascular beds are often superior to a high-risk surgical graft resection.
Time-resolved fluorescence line-narrowing and lifetime studies of gel-derived Eu 2 O 3 -Al 2 O 3 -SiO 2 systems

Time-resolved, fluorescence line narrowing (FLN) spectra and fluorescence lifetimes are used to characterize local structure in Eu 3+ -doped silica gels. Co-doping with Al 3+ is shown to have a significant effect on the local structure of the Eu 3+ ion in the silica matrix. A pulsed dye laser was used to selectively excite subsets of ions contributing to the inhomogeneously broadened 7 F O $ARLR 5 D O transition. Resultant line-narrowed fluorescence spectra and lifetimes are interpreted in terms of site symmetry, energy transfer, Eu 3+ ion clustering, and residual hydroxyl groups.
Constitutional rights to education and their relationship to national policy and school enrolment

Abstract This article assesses the status and evolution of education rights in 191 constitutions and analyzes their relationship to educational policies and enrolment rates. As of 2011, 81% of constitutions protected primary education universally and 53% designated it as free. A minority granted secondary (37%) and higher (35%) education or explicitly protected specific groups. Constitutions adopted after 1990, which belong predominantly to low- and middle-income countries, were more likely to protect education rights. Countries that constitutionally protected free education were more likely to have corresponding national policies. Those that constitutionally guaranteed primary and secondary education had significantly higher net enrolment, independent of GDP and urbanization.
Subleading shape-function effects and the extraction of |Vub|

We derive a class of formulae relating moments of B-->Xu[script-l][overline nu ] to B-->Xsgamma in the shape-function region, where mX^2~mbLambdaQCD. We also derive an analogous class of formulae involving the decay B-->Xs[script-l]+[script-l]-. These results incorporate LambdaQCD/mb power corrections, but are independent of leading and subleading hadronic shape functions. Consequently, they enable one to determine |Vub|/|VtbVts*| to subleading order in a model-independent way.
Structural Characterization of Homoepitaxial Blue GaInN/GaN Light-Emitting Diodes by Transmission Electron Microscopy

We perform a transmission electron microscopy (TEM) characterization of blue light-emitting diode epiwafers grown homoepitaxially on a c-plane GaN substrate and compare with such grown on sapphire. We find a threading dislocation (TD) density as low as 2 × 10 8 cm -2 in homoepitaxial growth, which is 1/30 of that in sapphire-based material. A unique type of inverted pyramid defect with diameter ∼650 nm was observed. It originates from the homo-interface in edge-type TDs. TDs were also found to be generated within the quantum wells without a precursor TD defect. Otherwise, high-resolution TEM suggests extremely homogeneous quantum wells and barriers in terms of composition and well width. Besides plan-view TEM, wet chemical etching on n-type GaN was carried out in hot phosphoric acid to evaluate the TD density more quickly. The two methods prove to be equivalent with respect of determined TD densities.
The Relation of Age of Dam to Observed Fecundity in Domesticated Animals

Summary 1.The terms fecundity and fertility (and similarly fecundation and fertilization) have commonly been used interchangeably. 2.Fecundity in the female may be potential (the sum total of ova capable of being produced by the ovary), actual (the ova actually matured and discharged) and observed (the ova of which there is visible evidence, as by the production of eggs or young). The ability to produce offspring is defined by Pearl and Surface as fertility, and in mammals this is the same as observed fecundity. 3.Embryological evidence from a number of forms indicates that, in most if not in all cases, actual fecundity is somewhat greater than the observed. The discrepancy is probably not so great, however, but what the number of offspring produced make a fair measure of fecundity. 4.Observations on multiparous animals (rats) show that the frequency of production of litters increases with the age of the female, at least within limits. This point is not capable of determination in the uniparous domesticated animals, at least on the data available. 5.The evidence also indicates, that in animals in general, there is an increase of litter size with the increasing age of the male. This usually goes to a maximum beyond which there is a decline. In the uniparous forms litter size is more commonly expressed in terms of the relative production of multiple births. to all births. 6.A review of the literature shows more or less fragmentary records on a considerable variety of animals, which all tend to substantiate the above statements. 7.The data on age of dams at time of giving birth to the 747,100 individuals recorded in the American Hereford and Aberdeen-Angus Herdbooks, volumes 1-42 and 1-26 respectively, show that there is at first a relatively rapid increase in fecundity with the advancing age of the female, followed by a more gradual rise, and without indication of a subsequent decline. 8.From the records of age of dam at birth of 1194 lambs in the flock of the University of Wisconsin, a similar curve was obtained, except that in this case it reached its maximum for dams at five years of age, beyond which there was a decided drop. 9.These findings on cattle and sheep coincide with earlier ones on other animals, since all show a general tendency for older females to produce larger litters than younger ones.
Constitutive theories based on the multiplicative decomposition of deformation gradient: Thermoelasticity, elastoplasticity, and biomechanics

Some fundamental issues in the formulation of constitutive theories of material response based on the multiplicative decomposition of the deformation gradient are reviewed, with focus on finite deformation thermoelasticity, elastoplasticity, and biomechanics. The constitutive theory of isotropic thermoelasticity is first considered. The stress response and the entropy expression are derived in the case of quadratic dependence of the elastic strain energy on the finite elastic strain. Basic kinematic and kinetic aspects of the phenomenological and single crystal elastoplasticity within the framework of the multiplicative decomposition are presented. Attention is given to additive decompositions of the stress and strain rates into their elastic and plastic parts. The constitutive analysis of the stress-modulated growth of pseudo-elastic soft tissues is then presented. The elastic and growth parts of the deformation gradient and the rate of deformation tensor are defined and used to construct the corresponding rate-type biomechanic theory. The structure of the evolution equation for growth-induced stretch ratio is discussed. There are 112 references cited in this review article. DOI: 10.1115/1.1591000 The objective of this survey is to give an overview of the application of the multiplicative decomposition of the deformation gradient in constitutive theories of finite deformation thermoelasticity, elastoplasticity, and biomechanics. The multiplicative decomposition of the deformation gradient is based on an intermediate material configuration, which is obtained by a conceptual destressing of the currently deformed material configuration to zero stress. The significance of such configuration for material modeling was pointed out ˙
Is the selection of sex-typical parental roles based on an assessment process? A test in the monogamous convict cichlid fish

In the biparental convict cichlid fish, Archocentrus nigrofasciatum, males and females both spend time defending their territory and their offspring, but the typically larger male parent spends more time defending the territory and the female spends more time with the offspring. Because size correlates with a convict cichlid's ability to win a fight, the larger male parent has a clear advantage in repelling intruders compared with his smaller female mate. We tested the hypothesis that male and female convict cichlids accept their parental roles as a result of their relative sizes, rather than inherent sex differences (e.g. females are more nurturing). We allowed pairs to form in which one member was smaller or larger than the other member, or of the same size (both small = 50–55 mm; both large = 70–75 mm), thus producing four pairing types. During the 5-day stationary larval stage, we subjected each breeding pair each day to a conspecific intruder that was either larger or smaller than one of the parents, or of the same size. Male and female parents adjusted their parental roles based on the size of their mates and/or the size of the intruder. Large parents displayed more defensive behaviour than small parents, regardless of sex. Male parents responded to increased threat (i.e. increasing intruder size) by increasing their defensive behaviour, but only until intruder size matched their own size, after which defensive effort decreased. Large female parents similarly responded to increased threat by increasing their defensive behaviour, but only to support their smaller mates (i.e. they did not independently attack the intruder). Larger females also showed a corresponding reduction in time spent near the offspring. Small males, in contrast, showed only a marginal increase in their time with the offspring. We conclude that the female has a more flexible parental role and, when her relative abilities change, she is more likely to expand her parental roles.
A novel self-healing methodology for RF amplifier circuits based on oscillation principles

This paper proposes a novel self-healing methodology for embedded RF Amplifiers (LNAs) in RF sub-systems. The proposed methodology is based on oscillation principles in which the Device-under-Test (DUT) itself generates the output test signature with the help of additional circuitry. The self-generated test signature from the DUT is analyzed by using on-chip resources for testing the LNA and controlling its calibration knobs to compensate for multi-parameter variations in the LNA manufacturing process. Thus, the proposed methodology enables self-test and self-calibration of RF circuits without the need for external test stimulus. The proposed methodology is demonstrated through simulations as well as measurements performed on a RF LNA.
Joining computing and the arts at a mid-size university

This paper describes two NSF-funded collaborations among faculty members in the Computer Science, Art, Music, and English departments at a public university in the Northeast USA. Our goal has been to create undergraduate learning opportunities across the university, focusing on connecting computer science to creative and expressive domains. In past publications, we have focused on student learning outcomes. This paper reports on the motivations, opportunities, and challenges for the faculty members involved.
3D geoelectric tomography and archaeological applications

Following a previous paper in which the principles of a 3D ground-surface tomographic processing of self-potential data were established, we extend the method to active source geoelectric surveying. The main purpose of the new tomographic approach is to obtain a physical image reconstruction of the induced electric charges distributed over buried resistivity discontinuities. The information is produced in a probabilistic sense, as the mathematical formulation underlying the method treats only the intrinsic physical nature of the generated electric field underground and the method of its ground-surface detection, independently of the geometry of the unknown structures. In practice, a 3D tomography is realized by cross-correlating a set of distributed electric-field ground-surface data with a scanning function, representing a unit positive point charge located anywhere in the lower half-space. The resolution of the method is tested on the synthetic response of a 3D structural simulation of an archaeological target, consisting of an infinitely resistive prismatic body immersed in a half-space, including surface inhomogeneities and layering. Finally, the field response of a 3D structure consisting of a hypogeal dromos-chamber tomb inside the Sabine Necropolis at Colle del Forno, close to Rome, is presented and discussed.
Patronage in the Pipe Roll of 1130

Unfortunately Orderic's assessment has contributed to misconceptions about the political climate in twelfth-century England. It is a common theme that hostility between the king and the barons was characteristic of English politics until the reign of Henry II, as the work of R. H. C. Davis, H. A. Cronne, and F. M. Stenton testifies.2 Although C. Warren Hollister has done much to dispel this impression by calling attention to royal patronage on behalf of Anglo-Norman magnates, his studies focus on the innermost circle of royal associates and therefore do not reveal the extent of Henry I's patronage.3 How broadly based was royal power, who benefited from royal patronage, and what forms could royal favor assume? This paper will examine these problems by analyzing evidence of royal pardons and benefits contained in the Pipe Roll of 31 Henry I.4 The Pipe Roll of 31 Henry I records the fiscal decisions of the Michaelmas 1130 Exchequer court. It is the only such document that survives from
Urban Planning and State Reform: From Industrial Suburbs to Gated Communities

This article explores how the relationship between the economic activities of urban elites and the national economy explain the historical changes on the land uses of the urban periphery. It traces...
The First Report of the Teleomorph of Colletotrichum acutatum in the United States.

Colletotrichum acutatum J. H. Simmonds is an important pathogen with a worldwide distribution and is involved in diseases and disease complexes of a number of economically important hosts (2). Three taxa, namely C. acutatum, C. gloeosporioides (Penz.) Penz. & Sacc. in Penz. (self-sterile/heterothallic isolates), and Glomerella cingulata (Stoneman) Spaulding & H. Schrenk (self-fertile/homothallic isolates), are involved in bitter rot disease of apple in the southeastern U.S. The three species can be distinguished based on morphological criteria, growth rates, and mtDNA restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) (1,3). In studies of sexual compatibility, isolates of C. acutatum from apple readily produced perithecia in artificial culture on a minimal agar salts medium under continuous light when mated with isolates of C. acutatum that belonged to different vegetative compatibility groups. Sexual recombination between parental isolates was confirmed by examination of the segregation of genetic markers...
Diet of the American Crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) in Marine Environments of Coastal Belize

Abstract We studied diet and size-related dietary patterns among American Crocodiles (Crocodylus acutus) in marine habitats of coastal Belize (1996–1997). Prey items recovered from crocodile (N = 97) stomach contents included insects, mollusks, crustaceans, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. Based on an overlapping group analysis of percent occurrence, we concluded that hatchlings and small juveniles feed largely on insects and crustaceans, larger juveniles broaden their diet to include fish and nonfish vertebrates, subadults consume increasing amounts of crustaceans with lesser amounts of insects and nonfish vertebrates, and adults subsist primarily on marine crustaceans. Dietary diversity was uniformly low across all size classes but greatest among small and large juveniles. Conversely, hatchlings, subadults, and adults had the most specialized (least diverse) diet owing to reliance upon a limited selection of prey, largely insects (hatchlings) or crustaceans (subadults and adults). Dietary...
Assessment of relative phosphorus limitation of Trichodesmium spp. in the North Pacific, North Atlantic, and the north coast of Australia

Trichodesmium spp. is a colonial diazotrophic cyanobacterium that occurs in the oligotrophic tropics and subtropics. Because of its ability to fix atmospheric N2, it is likely to be growth limited by P or Fe, and it has been hypothesized that limitation differs among different ocean basins. Two assays used as indices of P limitation or stress in Trichodesmium spp. are uptake of 33 PO 3{ 4 to determine maximal P uptake (Vmax) and hydrolysis of P from methylumbelliferone phosphate to estimate alkaline phosphatase activity (APA). The kinetics of PO 3{ 4 uptake were determined for Trichodesmium spp. colonies in the North Pacific, North Atlantic, and in waters north of Australia, whereas APA was determined in the North Pacific and North Atlantic. Trichodesmium spp. Vmax was significantly greater (,fourfold or more) in the North Atlantic compared with the North Pacific and waters north of Australia when normalized to both chlorophyll a content and number of trichomes per colony. APA in the North Atlantic was also greater than in the North Pacific. The half-saturation constant for PO 3{ 4 uptake (Ks) was not significantly different among the three locations. These data indicate that Trichodesmium spp. is more strongly P limited in the North Atlantic compared with the North Pacific or waters along the north coast of Australia. We suggest that the Trichodesmium spp. communities in the North Pacific and waters north of Australia are primarily Fe rather than P stressed and that these differences reflect differing relative inputs and availability of two major controlling variables for diazotrophy, P and Fe, in these geographically divergent areas. N2 fixation is now recognized as an important source of new N in the tropical oligotrophic ocean and comparable with the diffusive flux of nitrate from below the photic zone in those systems (Capone et al. 2005). However, where the upward flux of nitrate co-occurs with carbon dioxide (CO2) at Redfield proportions, that nitrate cannot locally support a net flux of CO2 from atmosphere to ocean (Eppley and Peterson 1979; Michaels et al. 2001). Atmospheric input of N or in situ N2 fixation are additions of N without concurrent CO2 and are required to promote positive C sequestration over a nitrate-supported baseline. N2 fixation in the ocean is thus inextricably linked to the C cycle and possibly even climate change (Michaels et al. 2001). Understanding what controls N2 fixation in the open ocean is a vital part of understanding C cycling in the past, present, and future ocean. N has long been considered the primary limiting nutrient throughout the open ocean (Thomas 1966). Diazotrophs avoid this limitation by exploiting the largest N reservoir
Fast, Reversible Lithium Storage with a Sulfur/Long‐Chain‐Polysulfide Redox Couple

The cathodic reactions in Li-S batteries can be divided into two steps. Firstly, elemental sulfur is transformed into long-chain polysulfides (S8 ↔ Li2S4), which are highly soluble in the electrolyte. Next, long-chain polysulfides undergo nucleation reaction and convert into solid-state Li2S2 and Li2S (Li2S4 ↔ Li2S) by slow processes. As a result, the second-step of the electrochemical reaction hinders the high-rate application of Li-S batteries. In this report, the kinetics of the sulfur/long-chain-polysulfide redox couple (theoretical capacity=419 mA h g(-1)) are experimentally demonstrated to be very fast in the Li-S system. A Li-S cell with a blended carbon interlayer retains excellent cycle stability and possesses a high percentage of active material utilization over 250 cycles at high C rates. The meso-/micropores in the interlayer are responsible for accommodating the shuttling polysulfides and offering sufficient electrolyte accessibility. Therefore, utilizing the sulfur/long-chain polysulfide redox couple with an efficient interlayer configuration in Li-S batteries may be a promising choice for high-power applications.
New radionuclides for cardiac imaging.

T WO RADIONUCLIDES, thallium-201 and technetium-99m, have assumed preeminence in cardiovascular nuclear medicine because their photon energies, kinetics, and dosimetry are well-suited to make three major physiologic measurements: perfusion, function, and viability. The photon energies of these nuclides are well matched to the characteristics of the Anger camera, which has optimum efficiency and resolution for energies between 100 and 200 keV. The spatial resolution of the “system” for the average cardiovascular nuclear medicine study (radiopharmaceutical, collimator, camera, and computer) at the depth of the heart is approximately 1 cm full width half maximum (FWHM). Against this background, new radiopharmaceuticals suggested for the evaluation of the heart (Table 1) must offer an improvement in dosimetry and resolution, or provide data on a previously unmeasurable parameter. This review will concentrate on the new radiopharmaceuticals that have met two criteria: (1) experience with the radiopharmaceutical in human subjects, and (2) some likelihood of commercial production of the agent for widespread clinical use. Although equilibrium studies provide high quality data for evaluation of regional and global cardiac function, a high photon flux first pass approach, which could evaluate ventricular function during breathholding (to eliminate respiratory motion), would improve resolution. The ideal first pass radionuclide should have a short physical halflife, have no particulate emissions, produce photons of 100 to 200 keV, and decay to a stable daughter. Such an agent would permit multiple measurements to be performed in each view and would allow repetitive determinations of ventricular function during the action of drugs, exercise, or physiologic maneuvers (Valsalva, etc). The following agents have some of these properties and may supplant Tc-99m as the radionuclide for first pass studies.
Psychological Mechanisms Underlying the Köhler Motivation Gain

Sometimes group work conditions lead to motivation gains rather than to social loafing. Two theoretical explanations for the Kohler motivation gain effect are identified, one stressing social comparison and a second stressing the indispensability of one's effort to the group. The results of three new experiments are reported. Experiment 1 suggested that both explanations are valid and contribute to the Kohler effect. Prior studies suggested that there might be gender differences in the relative importance of these two explanatory processes. Experiment 2 confirmed this suggestion. In Experiment 3, the gender difference was eliminated by priming women with a goal (viz., competition) presumed to be chronically more important to men. It is argued that the relative importance of these two motivational processes will depend on the immediate and chronic importance attached to more personal (viz., to achieve a favorable social comparison) versus collective (viz., to contribute to one's group) goals.
The Contributions of Aspartyl Residues in the Acetylcholine Receptor γ and δ Subunits to the Binding of Agonists and Competitive Antagonists

The acetylcholine (ACh) receptors in muscle have the composition alpha2betagammadelta and contain two ACh binding sites. One is formed between an alpha subunit and the gamma subunit, and the other is formed between an alpha subunit and the delta subunit. Among the residues in the ACh binding sites are alphaCys-192 and alphaCys-193. The negatively charged deltaAsp-180 is at an appropriate distance from alphaCys-192/193 also to be in the ACh binding site and to interact electrostatically with the positively charged ammonium group common to agonists and competitive antagonists. Mutation to Asn of either deltaAsp-180 or the aligned residue in the gamma subunit, gammaAsp-174, decreased the affinities of three agonists, acetylcholine, tetramethylammonium, and succinyldicholine 170-560-fold. By contrast, these mutations decreased the affinities of three competitive antagonists, (+)-tubocurarine, hexamethonium, and dihydro-beta-erythroidine, only 2-15-fold. Agonists, but not antagonists, promote the transitions of the receptor from the resting state to the higher affinity active and desensitized states, and the greater effects of the mutations of gammaAsp-174 and deltaAsp-180 on the apparent affinities of agonists could reflect the involvement of these residues in the conformational changes of the receptor corresponding to its transitions to higher affinity states. In these transitions, one possibility is that gammaAsp-174 and deltaAsp-180 move closer to bound agonist.
Ichthyoplankton abundance, distribution, and assemblage structure in the Gulf of Alaska during September 2000 and 2001

Autumn ichthyoplankton assemblage structure in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) region has not previously been characterized. Ichthyoplankton data from September 2000 and 2001 survey collections were analyzed to describe assemblages in the western GOA, to examine interannual variation in assemblages, and to relate observations to oceanographic conditions. Taxa with the highest frequency of occurrence (2000/2001) included Osmeridae (94/87%), Hexagrammos lagocephalus (57/45%), Sebastes spp. (35/47%) and Bathymaster spp. (27/57%). Through the use of clustering techniques and ordination, three identifiable larval assemblages common to both years were identified. Slope assemblages appeared well defined in both years, while nearshore and mid-shelf assemblages tended to be more loosely associated and variable between years. Analyses of environmental variables (temperature, salinity, water depth, distance from shore, and water transport) suggest ichthyoplankton assemblage structure is affected primarily by bathymetry and circulation. We demonstrate that early autumn ichthyoplankton assemblage structure in the GOA is fundamentally linked to variations in macro- (slope vs. shelf) and meso-scale topography (on-shelf proximity to land masses), and suggest that these intrinsic associations may be modified by spatial and temporal variations in local hydrographic conditions.
Bioorthogonal Probes for Polo‐like Kinase 1 Imaging and Quantification

A nuclear protein target, polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) was imaged using a biocompatible bioorthogonal ligation between a specific drug and a fluorescent dye in live cells. Colocalization of the dye and the protein target was confirmed by antibody staining and by expressing a GFP construct of PLK1. The two-step PLK1 imaging procedure was used to quantify PLK1 expression levels in cancer cell lines of various tissue origins.
Zoropelecinus zigrasi, a pelecinid wasp in mid-Cretaceous amber from Myanmar (Hymenoptera: Pelecinidae)

The proctotrupoid wasp family Pelecinidae (Proctotrupomorpha: Proctotrupoidea) is recorded in Early Cretaceous amber for the first time, previous amber inclusions being from the Late Cretaceous or Tertiary. Zoropelecinus zigrasi Engel & Grimaldi, new genus and species, is described and figured from an exquisitely preserved female in Albian-Cenomanian amber from Myanmar. The genus is similar to other fossil pelecinids of the genera Pelecinopteron Brues (Paleogene ambers of the Baltic and Siberia) and Henopelecinus Engel & Grimaldi (Turonian amber, New Jersey). Although two subfamilies have at times been recognized (or even as two families) the Iscopininae are clearly paraphyletic with respect to Pelecininae and therefore of no classificatory value and accordingly synonymized herein ( new synonymy ).
Electrospinning core-shell nanofibers for interfacial toughening and self-healing of carbon-fiber/epoxy composites

This article reports a novel hybrid multiscale carbon-fiber/epoxy composite reinforced with self-healing core-shell nanofib- ers at interfaces. The ultrathin self-healing fibers were fabricated by means of coelectrospinning, in which liquid dicyclopentadiene (DCPD) as the healing agent was enwrapped into polyacrylonitrile (PAN) to form core-shell DCPD/PAN nanofibers. These core-shell nanofibers were incorporated at interfaces of neighboring carbon-fiber fabrics prior to resin infusion and formed into ultrathin self- healing interlayers after resin infusion and curing. The core-shell DCPD/PAN fibers are expected to function to self-repair the interfa- cial damages in composite laminates, e.g., delamination. Wet layup, followed by vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) technique, was used to process the proof-of-concept hybrid multiscale self-healing composite. Three-point bending test was utilized to evaluate the self-healing effect of the core-shell nanofibers on the flexural stiffness of the composite laminate after predamage fail- ure. Experimental results indicate that the flexural stiffness of such novel self-healing composite after predamage failure can be com- pletely recovered by the self-healing nanofiber interlayers. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) was utilized for fractographical analy- sis of the failed samples. SEM micrographs clearly evidenced the release of healing agent at laminate interfaces and the toughening and self-healing mechanisms of the core-shell nanofibers. This study expects a family of novel high-strength, lightweight structural polymer composites with self-healing function for potential use in aerospace and aeronautical structures, sports utilities, etc. V C 2012
Sex Differences on a Conjunctive Task Mixed-Doubles Tennis Teams

Mixed-doubles tennis teams were examined in seven tournaments to determine the relative contributions of the ability of the male partner and that of the female partner. Regression analysis indicated that for these conjunctive task groups the ability of the female player accounted for significantly more variance in team success than did the ability of the male partner. Separate analyses of the seven tournaments showed a similar pattern in all but one tournament.
Enabling OS research by inferring interactions in the black-box GPU stack

General-purpose GPUs now account for substantial computing power on many platforms, but the management of GPU resources--cycles, memory, bandwidth-- is frequently hidden in black-box libraries, drivers, and devices, outside the control of mainstream OS kernels. We believe that this situation is untenable, and that vendors will eventually expose sufficient information about cross-black-box interactions to enable whole-system resource management. In the meantime, we want to enable research into what that management should look like. We systematize, in this paper, a methodology to uncover the interactions within black-box GPU stacks. The product of this methodology is a state machine that captures interactions as transitions among semantically meaningful states. The uncovered semantics can be of significant help in understanding and tuning application performance. More importantly, they allow the OS kernel to intercept--and act upon--the initiation and completion of arbitrary GPU requests, affording it full control over scheduling and other resource management. While insufficiently robust for production use, our tools open whole new fields of exploration to researchers outside the GPU vendor labs.
Temporal phase discrimination depends critically on separation.

Abstract Temporal phase discrimination was measured as a function of spatial separation of the stimulus components. In contrast to many previous studies, phase discrimination thresholds were measured directly, rather than inferred from the ability to discriminate synchronous from antiphase stimuli, or from segregation or shape tasks. For abutting bars, relative phase thresholds were closely proportional to temporal frequency. The proportionality corresponded to a threshold temporal offset of 2.5–9.5 ms, across subjects. Introduction of a small gap (0.125° or greater) led to a dramatic (3- to 7-fold) increase in thresholds for temporal phase discrimination, and thresholds were no longer proportional to temporal frequency. Insertion of a third bar filling the gap resulted in a recovery of the low thresholds, provided that its modulation was consistent with apparent motion across the three bars. Below 8 Hz, phase discrimination thresholds across three bars were equivalent to thresholds for two abutting bars. Above 8 Hz, phase discrimination thresholds for the three bar combination were lower than thresholds for two adjacent bars, implying that phase information was integrated across all three bars. Phase discrimination thresholds do not appear to reflect the properties of a single mechanism. Especially at high temporal frequencies, low thresholds for phase discrimination are closely tied to the presence of apparent motion. Temporal phase discrimination is markedly impaired by a small separation of stimulus components. Moreover, the inability to detect phase differences across gaps corresponds to the loss of phase-dependence of vernier acuity thresholds across gaps.
Beyond Topicality: A Two Stage View of Relevance and the Retrieval Process.

Abstract Topicality is an operationally necessary but insufficient condition for requestor judged relevance. Documents are independent of one another as to any judgement of their topicality but not independent as to any judgement of their relevance which is a function of their informativeness to a requestor. Recall depends solely upon topicality but precision depends upon informativeness as well. A retrieval system which aspires to the retrieval of relevant documents should have a second stage which will order the topical set in a manner so as to provide maximum informativeness to the requestor. Should a system be concerned only with topicality then a two stage system which generates a high recall set and discards imprecise documents by measuring their distance from a seed document can be iterated to provide topicality feedback without user input.
Modeling Response Time In Digital Human Communication

Our daily lives increasingly involve interactions with other individuals via different communication channels, such as email, text messaging, and social media. In this paper we focus on the problem of modeling and predicting how long it takes an individual to respond to an incoming communication event, such as receiving an email or a text. In particular, we explore the effect on response times of an individual’s temporal pattern of activity, such as circadian and weekly patterns which are typically present in individual data. A probabilistic time-warping approach is used, considering linear time to be a transformation of “effective time,” where the transformation is a function of an individual’s activity rate. We apply this transformation of time to two different types of temporal event models, the first for modeling response times directly, and the second for modeling event times via a Hawkes process. We apply our approach to two different sets of real-world email histories. The experimental results clearly indicate that the transformation-based approach produces systematically better models and predictions compared to simpler methods that ignore circadian and weekly patterns. Current technology allows us to collect large quantities of time-stamped individual-level event data characterizing our “digital behavior” in contexts such as texting, email activity, microblogging, social media interactions, and more — and the volume and variety of this type of data is continually increasing. The resulting time-series of events are rich in behavioral information about our daily lives. Tools for obtaining and visualizing such information are becoming increasingly popular, such as the ability to download your entire email history for mail applications such as Gmail, and various software packages for tracking personal fitness using data from devices such as Fitbit. This paper is focused on modeling the temporal aspects of how an individual (also referred to as the “ego”) responds to others, given a sequence of timestamped events (e.g. communication messages via email or text). What can we learn from the way we respond to others? Are there systematic Currently employed at Google. The research described in this paper was conducted while the author was a graduate student at UC Irvine.
Unzipping the Patagonian Andes—Long-lived influence of rifting history on foreland basin evolution

The Andean Cordillera is widely considered to be one of the type examples of a convergent margin setting. In the southernmost Andes, however, rifting and volcanism predated mid-Cretaceous breakup of Gondwana and formation of the South Atlantic Ocean by up to 40 m.y. and culminated in the opening of the Rocas Verdes backarc basin east of the Mesozoic Patagonian Batholith. We present new U-Pb geochronology from the Austral sector (49°S–50°S) that indicates rift volcanism occurred between 154 and 147 Ma near the northern terminus of the basin. Available data and observations from the southern Rocas Verdes Basin indicate larger-magnitude and longer-duration extension compared to the northern basin region. The Rocas Verdes Basin underwent progressive northward propagation and opening and was later backfilled concomitantly with the opening of the southern Atlantic Ocean by north-to-south deposition within a retroarc foreland setting. The influence of the inherited tectonic fabric of the Rocas Verdes backarc basin on the subsequent foreland basin explains many unique characteristics of the Patagonian Andes, such as a protracted deep basin that formed atop the previously rifted and weakened crust. Moreover, the early rift history helps account for intraplate deformation of southernmost South America during the opening of the South Atlantic Ocean.
Positron-Molecule Collisions: Elastic, Inelastic and Differential Cross Section Calculations

There are a whole variety of simple diatomic (H2, D2, N2, O2, CO) to polyatomic (CO2, CH4, N2O, NH3, H2O, SiH4) molecules 2for which positron (e+) scattering has been investigated in the laboratory (see a recent review by Charlton and references therein). Here we are concerned only with the non-linear systems mainly the e+ collisions with CH4, SiH4, NH3 and H2O molecules. For CH4, there are quite a few experimental studies2 – 6 for the total (σt) cross sections, while for the other three gases only the measurements Sueoka and Mori7 – 9 are available for comparison with theoretical results.
Genomic signatures of domestication on neurogenetic genes in Drosophila melanogaster

Domesticated animals quickly evolve docile and submissive behaviors after isolation from their wild conspecifics. Model organisms reared for prolonged periods in the laboratory also exhibit similar shifts towards these domesticated behaviors. Yet whether this divergence is due to inadvertent selection in the lab or the fixation of deleterious mutations remains unknown. Here, we compare the genomes of lab-reared and wild-caught Drosophila melanogaster to understand the genetic basis of these recently endowed behaviors common to laboratory models. From reassembled genomes of common lab strains, we identify unique, derived variants not present in global populations (lab-specific SNPs). Decreased selective constraints across low frequency SNPs (unique to one or two lab strains) are different from patterns found in the wild and more similar to neutral expectations, suggesting an overall accumulation of deleterious mutations. However, high-frequency lab SNPs found in most or all lab strains reveal an enrichment of X-linked loci and neuro-sensory genes across large extended haplotypes. Among shared polymorphisms, we also find highly differentiated SNPs, in which the derived allele is higher in frequency in the wild (Fst*wild>lab), enriched for similar neurogenetic ontologies, indicative of relaxed selection on more active wild alleles in the lab. Among random mutations that continuously accumulate in the laboratory, we detect common adaptive signatures in domesticated lab strains of fruit flies. Our results demonstrate that lab animals can quickly evolve domesticated behaviors via unconscious selection by humans early on a broad pool of disproportionately large neurogenetic targets followed by the fixation of accumulated deleterious mutations on functionally similar targets.
Using Weights in the Analysis of the KFS Data: KFS Professional Development Workshops

Although researchers using a complex sample survey data need not understand the in-depth details of the process generating the survey weights, questions about why, when, and how to use weighting and which statistical packages to use are the most common during data analysis. Unfortunately, relatively little practical information is available about why, when, and how to use weights, which makes weighting a challenging subject in the analysis of the KFS data. As noted by Kish (1992), one cannot find textbooks or references that provide a reasonable and comprehensive explanation of the use of weights in complex sample data. Although the theory of design-based inference from probability sample design has been under development for the last hundred years and is still an evolving field, the question to weight or not to weight in driving statistical models is an ongoing debate; however, the consensus among design-based analysts is that using weights in the statistical analysis of complex sample survey is never a wrong thing to do. This paper is aimed at clarifying the complex design of the KFS, thereby providing a simple guide to weighting and introducing the statistical procedures by the major statistical packages that are designed for analyzing data derived from a complex sample survey.
Location and Temperature Effects on Soft Scald in 'Honeycrisp∑ Apples

The effects of growing and storage locations and storage temperature on soft scald incidence of 'Honeycrisp∑ apples were ex am ined. In 1999 and 2000, fruits were produced at five different locations, harvested at two different times, and stored at two or five dif fer ent storage locations. In 1999, fruits were stored at 0 or 2 °C. Soft scald was only observed in fruits from one growing location and primarily at 0 °C. More soft scald was observed from the second harvest than from the first. Scalded fruits were preclimacteric as determined by ethylene pro duc tion rate, whereas fruits from the other locations were postclimacteric. In 2000, fruits from four of the growing locations de vel oped soft scald, and soft scald incidence was not related to ethylene production rate. Scalded fruits had higher concentrations of phos pho rus, boron, and magnesium, and low er con cen tra tions of manganese than unaffected fruit. Development of soft scald was not re lat ed to fruit ethylene pro duc tion rates, was dependent on growing location, increased with later har vest, and may be re lat ed to fruit el e men tal content.
Frailty and one-year mortality in major intra-abdominal operations

Abstract Background Frailty is an objective measurement capable of preoperatively identifying patients with increased risk of 30-d morbidity and mortality, though less is known about its utility beyond that timeframe. We hypothesized that preoperative frailty is associated with an increased risk of 1-y mortality in patients undergoing major intra-abdominal surgery. Materials and methods Demographics, laboratory values, and traditional surgical risk assessments (American Society of Anesthesiologists scale, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status, Charlson Comorbidity Index) were collected prospectively. Preoperative frailty was evaluated using Fried criteria. Postoperative complications were defined by Clavien–Dindo Classification. One-year mortality data were gathered from phone calls, medical records, and the National Death Index. Results This study included 189 patients with a mean age of 62 years. Of the total, 59.8% were male and 71.4% were Caucasian. At enrollment, 139 (73.5%) patients were considered “not frail”, whereas 50 (26.5%) were considered “intermediately frail” or “frail”. A total of 73 (38.6%) patients experienced a 30-d postoperative complication. At 1 y, 15 (7.9%) patients had died, 5 (3.6%) not frail and 10 (20.0%) intermediately frail/frail patients. Postoperative mortality occurred 100 d in 3, 4, and 8 patients, respectively. Malignant neoplasm was documented as the underlying cause of death in 12 patients. All 30-d mortalities occurred in frail patients who had a postoperative complication. Conclusions Frailty status is predictive of 1-y postoperative mortality. The Fried Frailty Criteria has the potential to more accurately evaluate surgical patients' mortality risk beyond the immediate postoperative period, particularly when considered collectively with traditional surgical risk assessment tools.
Interrelationships between selected meteorologic phenomena and immature stages of Culex pipiens quinquefasciatus Say: study of an isolated population.

In this study the population dynamics of Culex pipiens quinquefasciatus were followed throughout each season over the course of a year. Of significance was the establishment of mean low temperature as the best correlating weather factor to egg production and the determination of the developmental time throughout the year under field conditions. Natural mortality of an artificially created tank population was also significant; 55% was the lowest mortality rate experienced; this was 10 to 25% greater than that recorded for a cohort population. Duration of egg-to-emergence time throughout the year was established; the shortest mean time for any cohort was 10.8 days (September) and the maximum was 46.8 days (January). A seasonal shift in sex ratio was observed; an increase in the female to male ratio begins in November and persists until summer.