cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Optical Coherence Tomography of Age-related Macular Degeneration and Choroidal Neovascularization

Objective: The authors used optical coherence tomography (OCT), a new technique for cross-sectional imaging of the retina, to morphologically study eyes with nonexudative and exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD). In patients with untreated exudative AMD, OCT was compared with fluorescein angiography in the identification and classification of Choroidal neovascularization (CNV). Methods: Optical coherence tomography imaging is analogous to ultrasound, except that the use of light rather than sound enables higher longitudinal resolution with a noncontact and noninvasive measurement. Optical coherence tomography was performed on 391 patients with the clinical diagnosis of AMD and was compared with conventional clinical examination to establish the cross-sectional morphology of different lesions and to develop a classification scheme for CNV. Optical coherence tomograms and fluorescein angiograms then were reviewed and correlated independently in 90 eyes of 86 patients who had exudative AMD without previous laser treatment. Results: Pigmentary changes, soft drusen, and detachments of the neurosensory retina and retinal pigment epithelium all had distinct presentations on OCT. Subretinal and intraretinal fluid caused changes in retinal thickness or elevation that could be quantified directly from the images. Choroidal neovascularization was evident in the tomograms as a thickening and fragmentation of a reflective layer, which corresponded to the retinal pigment epithelium and choriocapillaris. Changes in the reflection from this layer were observed during the progression of neovascularization, and after laser photocoagulation treatment. Classic CNV consistently presented with well-defined boundaries on OCT, whereas occult CNV had a variable cross-sectional appearance. Conclusions: Optical coherence tomography was useful in quantitatively evaluating subretinal and intraretinal fluid, assessing possible subfoveal involvement of neovascularization, and in monitoring CNV before and after laser photocoagulation. Optical coherence tomography was unable to detect CNV beneath serous pigment epithelial detachments. Optical coherence tomography may have potential in accurately defining the boundaries in a subset of angiographically occult CNV.
Titanium Dioxide in Pyroclastic Layers from Volcanoes in the Cascad Range

Rapid determinations of titanium dioxide have been made by x-ray emission techniques to evaluate the potentiality of using the TiO2 content of samples for checking field correlations and assisting in identification of pyroclastic units from Cascade volcanoes. Preliminary data suggest that the two most wide-spread units have characteristic ranges of TiO2 content and that other, less extensive layers have ranges which, though characteristic, often overlap the ranges of the more widespread layers. Relative to fresh samples,. weathered samples from B and C soil horizons are enriched in TiO2.
Globalization and the Study of International Security

In spite of the plethora of literature on security and globalization, there is relatively little work written by security specialists that interconnects the two. In the case of security studies, th...
Effect of a two-year fluoride decay protection protocol on titanium brackets.

Summary Introduction Fluoride ion can attack titanium, causing its corrosion. Orthodontic patients being high-risk caries developers and in need of fluoride protection, the Center for Disease Control has developed a Fluoride Decay Prevention (FDP) protocol, consisting of a 6-minute tooth-brushing, followed by a 1-minute daily mouthwash, in addition to an in-clinic trimestrial topical fluoride gel application. This study aimed at evaluating gravimetrically, by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and by sliding mechanics analysis, the consequences of FDP at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months on titanium brackets corrosion. Methods One hundred and fifty titanium brackets were randomly divided into five groups of 30. Group 1 was the control group. Groups 2, 3, 4, and 5 each received an equivalent of 6, 12, 18, and 24 months of FDP treatment respectively. All groups were placed in artificial saliva for 2 months and then rinsed. Subsequently, the brackets were dried, for 48 hours, using Silica gel in a desiccator maintained at 37 °C before testing. Results SEM analysis showed that numbers and dimensions of pits gradually increased due to corrosion as we moved from group 1 to group 5. Gravimetrical and sliding mechanics results revealed no statistical difference between groups 2 and 3, and a significant difference between groups 4 and 5 upon comparison with the control group. Conclusion Surface changes due to corrosion were detected at 6 and 12 months of FDP but had no clinical effects. However, the increase in sliding resistance and bracket weight loss became significant at 18 and 24 months of FDP.
Annihilating ideals of standard modules of ${rm sl}(2, Bbb C)sp sim$ and combinatorial identities

Introduction. Algebre de Lie affine sl (2, C) ∼ . Modules de poids maximal. Completion de l'algebre enveloppante universelle. Series de Laurent formelles. Quelques elements de l'ideal annihilant d'un module standard. Un theoreme de densite. Base d'un module standard. Base du sous module maximal d'un module de Verma. Appendie. References
Impact of Medicare's prospective payment system on hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, and home health agencies: how the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 may have altered service patterns for Medicare providers

The prospective payment system is one of many changes in reimbursement that has affected the delivery of health care. Originally developed for the payment of inpatient hospital services, it has become a major factor in how all health insurance is reimbursed. The policy implications extend beyond the Medicare program and affect the entire health care delivery system. Initially implemented in 1982 for payments to hospitals, prospective payment system was extended to payments for skilled nursing facility and home health agency services by the Balanced Budget Act of 1997. The intent of the Balanced Budget Act was to bring into balance the federal budget through reductions in spending. The decisions that providers have made to mitigate the impact are a function of ownership type, organizational mission, and current level of Medicare participation. This article summarizes the findings of several initial studies on the Balanced Budget Act's impact and discusses how changes in Medicare reimbursement policy have influenced the delivery of health care for the general public and for Medicare beneficiaries.
Mapping and Comparative Analysis of QTL for Rice Plant Height Based on Different Sample Sizes within a Single Line in RIL Population

To clarify the most appropriate sample size for obtaining phenotypic data for a single line, we investigated the main-effect QTL (M-QTL) of a quantitative trait plant height (ph) in a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population of rice (derived from the cross between Xieqingzao B and Zhonghui 9308) using five individual plants in 2006 and 2009. Twenty-six ph phenotypic datasets from the completely random combinations of 2, 3, 4, and 5 plants in a single line, and five ph phenotypic datasets from five individual plants were used to detect the QTLs. Fifteen M-QTLs were detected by 1 to 31 datasets. Of these, qph7a was detected repeatedly by all the 31 ph datasets in 2006 and explained 11.67% to 23.93% of phenotypic variation; qph3 was detected repeatedly by all the 31 datasets and explained 5.21% to 7.93% and 11.51% to 24.46% of phenotypic variance in 2006 and 2009, respectively. The results indicate that the M-QTL for a quantitative trait could be detected repeatedly by the phenotypic values from 5 individual plants and 26 sets of completely random combinations of phenotypic data within a single line in an RIL population under different environments. The sample size for a single line of the RIL population did not affect the efficiency for identification of stably expressed M-QTLs.
The ethnographic futures research method: An application to Thailand

Abstract Ethnographic Futures Research (EFR) is a method invented in 1976 which futures researchers employing a sociocultural approach can use with a sample of interviewees to elicit their perceptions and preferences among possible and probable alternative futures for their society and culture. EFR is an adaptation of the spirit and method of cultural anthropology and ethnography to the needs and constraints of futures research.
Modifying the buckyball

Structural and electronic properties of carbon clusters, in particular the C60 “buckyball” molecule as well as structurally and chemically modified fullerenes, are calculated using a combination of predictive ab initio techniques and parametrized total energy schemes. These calculations indicate that single- and multi-shell fullerenes are the most stable Cn isomers at T = 0 for n < 20. More open structures are favored by entropy at higher temperatures. Upon interaction with donor elements, C60 molecules form stable M@C60 endohedral complexes; analogous acceptor-based complexes are unstable. Solid C60 reacts with alkali metals and forms a stable intercalation compound which shows superconducting behavior. The relatively high value of the critical temperature for superconductivity can be explained quantitatively within the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer formalism.
Multi-layer sampling in conventional monitoring wells for improved estimation of vertical contaminant distributions and mass

Abstract “Traditional” approaches to sampling groundwater and interpreting monitoring well data often provide misleading pictures of plume shape and location in the subsurface and the true extent of contamination. Groundwater samples acquired using pumps and bailers in conventional monitoring wells yield data which are largely dependent upon the length of the screened interval, the purging and sampling method employed, and the purge volume extracted prior to sample collection. Accurate delineation of plume boundaries and vertical concentration gradients is desirable, to accurately characterize waste sites and optimize remedial strategies. The objective of this study was to compare sampling results using four different sampling approaches and devices. Conventional monitoring wells were sampled with an electric submersible pump using low-flow sampling techniques and with a bailer using “traditional” sampling methods. The same wells were also sampled with a passive multi-layer sampling system (DMLS®, Margan Ltd.). Finally, aqueous concentrations were also determined in the formation adjacent to the monitoring wells studied using a Geoprobe® and short (30 cm) screens. Results indicated that “traditional” sampling methods can provide misleading information regarding contaminant distribution and mass and indeed can miss the presence of contamination altogether.
Mapping the future-merging the old with the new across disciplines.

The human genome is far from random. Much like the master craftsman of fine Persian rugs, nature has injected subtle variants into the genetic sequence, giving uniqueness to every rug and reminding us of the cosmic grand scheme of life. Unraveling the complexities of this system is akin to understanding and fluently speaking an alien language, should extraterrestrials one day land in our backyard. Deciphering this code and finding discernible patterns lies at the heart of cancer informatics. Developing the tools of the modern cancer informatician will encompass merging the ways of the old with the new, integrating ideas and concepts across disciplines, and taking risks to develop cutting-edge techniques and methodology.
Magnetic Anomalies over Oceanic Ridges

Vine and Matthews1 suggest that the pattern of local magnetic anomalies on the flanks of a mid-oceanic ridge is strongly lineated parallel to the ridge, and that these magnetic ‘stripes’ represent strips of material in the upper mantle the directions of permanent magnetization of which are alternately parallel and anti-parallel to the present local geomagnetic field. Vine and Matthews suggest that mantle material cools as it rises convectively under a ridge and then spreads2 horizontally outward. As the material cools through its Curie point it is magnetized parallel to the contemporary local geomagnetic field. Because this field reverses quasi-periodically3,4 with a period 2T, T being of the order of 0.5–1.0 million years, stripes of alternate permanent magnetization are produced the width of which is vT, v being the local horizontal velocity with which material at the surface of the mantle spreads away from the centre of the ridge. The stripes are observed1 to have widths of the order of 20 km. If T is 0.5 million years, v is 4 cm/yr. Convective velocities of this order are also indicated by palaeomagnetic data5.
An investigation of nonlinear xenon oscillation by method of averaging

Abstract A nonlinear analysis of xenon-temperature controlled nuclear reactor dynamics is presented. The set of equations in question belongs to a general class of rate equations with quadratic nonlinearities. Boundedness of the solutions is examined. The mean value of periodic solutions for the flux is shown to be always less than the equilibrium value. The Bogoliubov's method of averaging as extended by Case is applied to obtain approximate solutions. The mechanism of the existence of relaxation oscillations in the linear stability region is analyzed. Computer calculations are performed and found in good agreement with the approximate solutions obtained by means of the method of averaging.
Metal particle modification of composite matrices for customized density applications

A key aspect of composite technology lies in the ability to design a part to a specific strength and thickness. Recently, new applications were identified where it was desirable to vary the density in specific areas of a part. In this work, a model prepreg system was modified with fine metal and thermoplastic particles for specific weight tailoring. These particles were placed on the prepreg surface, forming a partially interlayer modified composite when laid up and cured. Experiments were performed on the specific gravity and fracture toughness of laminates made from the prepregs. The results showed that it is possible to tailor the density of a composite system without changing the manufacturing process or fracture toughness requirements.
Rhythmic Engagement With Music in Early Childhood A Replication and Extension

The purpose of this study was to replicate and extend previous findings on spontaneous movement and rhythmic engagement with music in infancy. Using the identical stimuli and procedures from the original study, I investigated spontaneous rhythmic movements in response to music, infant-directed speech, and contrasting rhythmic patterns in 30 Brazilian infants (ages 5, 11, and 19 months). Findings were consistent with the original study in that more spontaneous rhythmic movements were found in response to music and metrically regular stimuli than to speech. Brazilian babies, however, showed higher means for spontaneous rhythmic movement to music than those reported in the original study. Consistent with the developmental systems approach, these results suggest that culture plays a larger role in spontaneous rhythmic engagement to music and rhythmic entrainment than previously suggested.
Differential effects of nucleus basalis lesions in young adult and aging rats.

To characterize age-related changes in frontal cortical plasticity, we assessed maze learning and frontal cortical pharmacology in young adult, middle-aged, and aged rats. Rats received either ibotenic acid or sham lesions of the nucleus basalis magnocellularis (NBM) and were then trained on a radial maze task. After training, we assessed [ 3 H]desmethylimipramine (DMI), [ 3 H]muscimol, [ 3 H]AMPA, and [ 3 H]QNB binding using quantitative autoradiography. Both middle-aged and aged rats were impaired on the radial maze task. DMI binding was increased in both middle-aged and aged rats, while QNB binding was decreased in aged rats. While lesions impaired maze performance at all ages, middle-aged and aged rats showed more profound lesion-induced deficits. Lesions increased GABA A and AMPA receptor binding in young adult rats only. These lesion-induced changes may reflect a compensatory response that is lost with advancing age. © 1999 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.
Microwave signal generation using self-heterodyning of a fast wavelength switching SG-DBR laser

Microwave signal generation using self-heterodyning of a single wavelength tunable SG-DBR laser is demonstrated. Microwave signals are established by quickly hopping back and forth between two optical wavelengths. These wavelengths are made time coincident through a delay line interferometer. The output of the interferometer is photodetected resulting in a CW microwave signal. This method does not require conventional master-slave laser configurations, external microwave drive sources, or a mode locked laser used to beat dual longitudinal modes. Microwave signals up to 12 GHz have been measured by frequency modulating the phase section of the SG-DBR laser with low frequency RF square wave input currents. Millimeter wave difference frequencies are easily available from the SG-DBR. Temperature robustness of SG-DBR self-heterodyne signals was also investigated. While each laser wavelength by itself changes by 0.12 nm/C (21 GHz/C), the difference frequency temperature coefficient is well less than 30MHz/C typically.
A Generalized Model for Automating Judgmental Decisions

This paper presents a model that develops a concise representation of a decision making task with a fixed number of alternatives. The methodology relies upon a conceptual information processing system analogous to that employed by a novice decision maker during the evolution of his decision paradigms. The model requires only the specification of relevant input stimuli and a sample of stimuli-response relationships in order to develop a representation of the task. The resulting representation is in a form which allows a predicted decision to be made given only the relevant stimuli. A mechanism is presented for efficiently operationalizing the task representation. An empirical study is presented which demonstrates the learning and performance capabilities of the model in the confines of an overdraft processing task.
Retinoids in chemoprevention and differentiation therapy.

Retinoids are essential for the maintenance of epithelial differentiation. As such, they play a fundamental role in chemoprevention of epithelial carcinogenesis and in differentiation therapy. Physiological retinoic acid is obtained through two oxidation steps from dietary retinol, i.e. retinol-->retinal-->retinoic acid. The latter retinal-->retinoic acid step is irreversible and eventually marks disposal of this essential nutrient, through cytochrome P450-dependent oxidative steps. Mutant mice deficient in aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) accumulate retinyl palmitate, retinol and retinoic acid. This suggests a direct connection between the AHR and retinoid homeostasis. Retinoids control gene expression through the nuclear retinoic acid receptors (RARs) alpha, beta and gamma and 9-cis-retinoic acid receptors alpha, beta and gamma, which bind with high affinity the natural ligands all-trans-retinoic acid and 9-cis-retinoic acid, respectively. Retinoids are effective chemopreventive agents against skin, head and neck, breast, liver and other forms of cancer. Differentiation therapy of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) is based on the ability of retinoic acid to induce differentiation of leukemic promyelocytes. Patients with relapsed, retinoid-resistant APL are now being treated with arsenic oxide, which results in apoptosis of the leukemic cells. Interestingly, induction of differentiation in promyelocytes and consequent remission of APL following retinoid therapy depends on expression of a chimeric PML-RAR alpha fusion protein resulting from a t(15;17) chromosomal translocation. This protein functions as a dominant negative against the function of both PML and RARs and its overexpression is able to recreate the phenotypes of the disease in transgenic mice. The development of new, more effective and less toxic retinoids, alone or in combination with other drugs, may provide additional avenues for cancer chemoprevention and differentiation therapy.
Improved extremal optimization for the Ising spin glass

A version of the extremal optimization (EO) algorithm introduced by Boettcher and Percus is tested on twoand three-dimensional spin glasses with Gaussian disorder. EO preferentially flips spins that are locally “unfit”; the variant introduced here reduces the probability of flipping previously selected spins. Relative to EO, this adaptive algorithm finds exact ground states with a speedup of order 10 4 s10 2 d for 16 2 - s8 3 -dspin samples. This speedup increases rapidly with system size, making this heuristic a useful tool in the study of materials with quenched disorder.
Green's Operative Hand Surgery. 5th ed.

David P. Green, Robert N. Hotchkiss, William C. Pederson, and Scott W. Wolfe, editors. Philadelphia: Elsevier Churchill Living-stone; 2005. 2313 pages. $399.00. For at least the last fifteen years, Green's Operative Hand Surgery has been the source to which hand surgeons turn for definitive information. It has attracted outstanding contributors whose efforts have resulted in well-written sections that together summarize our current knowledge of the hand. In my opinion, three forces have contributed to the changes that are encompassed in the fifth edition: the growth and wide-spread acceptance of the Internet, the demand for up-to-date information, and the marked increase in the number of hand-surgery textbooks that are currently available. The editors have responded to these forces with a fifth edition that will serve to maintain Green's Operative Hand Surgery as the definitive textbook in its field. In the preface, the authors note that major changes have been made …
Large area imaging detector for long-range, passive detection of fissile material

Recent events highlight the increased risk of a terrorist attack using either a nuclear or a radiological weapon. One of the key needs to counter such a threat is long-range detection of nuclear material. Theoretically, gamma-ray emissions from such material should allow passive detection to distances greater than 100 m. However, detection at this range has long been thought impractical due to spatially fluctuating levels of natural background radiation. These fluctuations are the major source of uncertainty in detection and mean that sensitivity cannot be increased simply by increasing detector size. Recent work has shown that this problem can be overcome through the use of imaging techniques. In this paper we describe the background problems, the advantages of imaging and the construction of a prototype, large-area (0.57 m/sup 2/) gamma-ray imager to detect nuclear materials at distances of /spl sim/ 100 m.
Extending Knowledge Tracing to Allow Partial Credit: Using Continuous versus Binary Nodes

Both Knowledge Tracing and Performance Factors Analysis, are examples of student modeling frameworks commonly used in AIED systems (i.e., Intelligent Tutoring Systems). Both of them use student correctness as a binary input, but student performance on a question might better be represented with a continuous value representing a type of partial credit. Intuitively, a student who has to make more attempts, or has to ask for more hints, deserves a score closer to zero, while students who asks for no hints and just needs to make a second attempt on a question should get a score close to one. In this work, we present a simple change to the Knowledge Tracing model and a simple (non-optimized) method for assigning partial credit. We report our real data experiment result in which we compared the original Knowledge Tracing (OKT) model with this new Knowledge Tracing model that uses partial credit as input (KTPC). The new model outperforms the traditional model reliably. The practical implication of this work is that this new technique can be widely used easily, as it is a small change from the traditional way of fitting KT models.
A neural network model of causality

This paper proposes a model for commonsense causal reasoning, based on the basic idea of neural networks. After an analysis of the advantages and limitations of existing accounts of causality, a fuzzy logic based formalism FEL is proposed that takes into account the inexactness and the cumulative evidentiality of commonsense causal reasoning, overcoming the limitations of existing accounts. Analyses concerning how FEL handles various aspects of commonsense causal reasoning are performed, in an abstract way. FEL can be implemented (naturally) in a neural (connectionist) network. This work also serves to link rule-based reasoning with neural network models, in that a rule-encoding scheme (FEL) is equated directly to a neural network model. >
UAV Task Assignment with Timing Constraints via Mixed-Integer Linear Programming

Abstract : The optimal timing of air-to-ground tasks is undertaken. Specifically, a scenario where multiple air vehicles are required to prosecute geographically dispersed targets is considered. The vehicles must perform multiple tasks on each target. The targets must be found, classified, attacked, and verified as destroyed. The optimal performance of these tasks requires cooperation amongst the vehicles such that critical timing constraints are satisfied. In this paper, an optimal task assignment and timing algorithm is developed, using a mixed integer linear program, or MILP, formulation. MILP can be used to assign all tasks to the vehicles in an optimal manner, including variable arrival times, for groups of air vehicles with coupled tasks involving timing and task order constraints. When the air vehicles have sufficient endurance, the existence of a solution is guaranteed.
Outage capacity of the broadcast channel in the low power regime

We consider outage capacity in the broadcast channel when the base-station has none or little channel knowledge. We find the minimum energy per bit needed to achieve a certain outage probability and the corresponding wideband slope.
Depth-Resolved Cathodoluminescence Spectroscopy Characterization of RF Stressed AlGaN/GaN High Electron Mobility Transistors

AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors with 0.125 μm gate length were rf stressed at 10 GHz. Depth resolved cathodoluminescence (CL) was employed to investigate the role of defects in devices that exhibited typical mean time to failure (MTTF) compared to those that suffered from infant mortality. The CL spectra exhibited both laterally and vertically localized defect emission within the channel of devices that failed early, indicating the presence of an increased concentration of VGa-based defects within the device. Additionally, residual compressive stress was observed in all devices after electrical stress.
Regional Analysis of Rainfall-Induced Landslides. The Case of Camaldoli Hill, Naples: Test Case Nr.1- October 2004; Test Case Nr.2- September, 2005

This report contains the results of some regional numerical analyses aimed to simulate two rainfall-induced landslides events, recorded on October 13th, 2004 and on September 17th, 2005, which involved the shallow pyroclastic deposits of the south-eastern side of a hill, known as Camaldoli hill, set inside the western sector the urban district of Naples.The analyses have been performed thanks to the deterministic approach used by the Transient Rainfall Infiltration and Grid-based Regional Slope-stability (TRIGRS) program (Baum et al., 2002), a GIS-based code which allows to assess, over broad areas, the timing and the location of shallow landslides caused by rainfall events. Particular attention has been dedicated to the influence of the input parameters on the results furnished by the code in response to the rainfall events.
Urologic Aspects of Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma can present initially as urologic disease. The 15 reported cases in the literature are analyzed and 5 cases, featuring ureteral obstruction, renal artery compression, abdominal bruit, positive urinary cytology, varicocele, renal mass and hematuria as the initial presentation of this disease, are added. The diagnosis and management are reviewed.
Restriction Site Polymorphism (RFLP) Detected with pG3PD and Taq 1

Blood banks have been performing genetic testing since the discovery of the ABO blood groups by Landsteiner in 1900. Today blood banks routinely test for a number of clinically relevant blood groups and some also determine HLA phenotypes for tissue transplantation purposes. In addition, some blood banks perform genetic testing to evaluate cases of disputed parentage. Genetic markers that are analyzed in paternity cases include blood group and HLA antigens determined by standard serological methods and red cell enzymes and serum proteins analyzed by electrophoretic methods. Each of the testing methods is distinct and requires a different expertise.
FDR and the London Economic Conference: The Impact of Personality onDecision Making

In May of 1933 Franklin Roosevelt extolled the virtues of an international remedy to the economic problems facing the world by pledging U.S. participation in the London Economic Conference. Two months later, FDR changed his mind. It will be argued that the failure of the London Economic Conference (LEC) and FDR’s subsequent decisions in monetary policy were due to changes in his ideas as well as the influence of domestic interests. Even though the intrusion of domestic concerns helped seal the fate of the LEC, both the use of public opinion and ideas reflected Roosevelt’s propensity to “divert the flow of political sentiment to his own uses” [1].
Thermal Stability of a-C:F,H Films Deposited by Electron Cyclotron Resonance Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition

Amorphous carbon films grown with fluorohydrocarbons can be grown to have dielectric constant values around 2.0. The behavior of these films when subjected to thermal excursion is studied. We have investigated material deposited in an ECR plasma, and find that the F:H ratio of the gas mixture is a good guide to material properties. Films deposited at 5°C were placed in a vacuum chamber at 400°C as long as 60 minutes. The film thickness, dielectric constant, and infrared absorption spectrum change with the F:H ratio of the incoming gas and thermal cycling. It was found that the dielectric constant and loss tangent decrease upon heating and that there is an apparent increase in C=C groups. As expected, as the F:H ratio increases, the dielectric constant and thermal stability decrease. Good thermal stability is shown for F:H ratios of 1.5, which result in films with a dielectric constant of ≈2.4 after heating.
Temperature Dependent Quasi-Periodic Facetting of AlAs Grown by MBE on (100) GaAs Substrates

High temperature (≥ 650°C) MBE growth of A;As and AlAs/GaAs superlattices on (100) GaAs is shown to lead to quasi-periodic facetting. We demonstrate that the facetting is only due to the AlAs layers, and growth of GaAs on top of the facets replanarizes the surface. We show that the roughness between the AlAs and GaAs layers increases with increasing number of periods in the superlattice. The roughness increases to form distinct facets, which rapidly grow at the expense of the (100) surface. Within a few periods of the initial facet formation, the (100) surface has disappeared and only the facet planes are visible in cross-sectional transmission electron micrographs. At this point, the reflection high-energy electron diffraction pattern is spotty, and the specular spot is a distinct chevron. We also show that the facetting becomes more pronounced as the substrate temperature is increased from 620°C to 710°C. Atomic force micrographs show that the valleys enclosed by the facets can be several microns long, but they may also be only several nanometers long, depending on the growth conditions.
DNS for ring - Like vortices formation and roles in positive spikes formation

A high order direct numerical simulation (DNS) of flow transition over a flat plate at a free stream Mach number 0.5 has been carried out. Formation and development of 3-D perturbations, typically shown as Λ -vortices, hairpin vortices and ring-like vortices were observed. Numerical results show that there is a strong downward motion excited by every ring-like vortex at two sides of the structure centerline. Such downward motions lead to formation of intensive high speed streaks associated with positive spikes observed by experiment in near wall region. Superimposition of two downward motions induced by the first and second ring – like vortices results in maximum streamwise velocity disturbance.
Predicting Chain Dimensions of Semiflexible Polymers from Dihedral Potentials

We develop a numerical and an analytical approach to estimate the persistence length lp and mean-square end-to-end distance ⟨R2⟩ of complex semiflexible polymers. Numerically, lp and ⟨R2⟩ are determined by averaging a large set of single chain conformations with the correct dihedral angle distributions p(ϕi). Analytically, lp and ⟨R2⟩ are extracted from the tangent–tangent correlation function. We apply both approaches to two semiflexible conjugated polymers, poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and poly((9,9-dioctylfluorene)-2,7-diyl-alt-[4,7-bis(thiophen-5-yl)-2,1,3-benzothiadiazole]-2′,2″-diyl) (PFTBT). Results obtained via the two methods agree for polymers with any degree of polymerization N. Our methods can be applied to any semiflexible polymers with any number of distinct moieties.
No Money, Mo’ Problems: Researching Federal and State Budgets

This short piece discusses basic techniques for tracking and researching the federal and Kentucky budget processes. The first part highlights the institutions one should research to learn about the federal budget, including Congress, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). This is followed a discussion of useful sources of state budget data in Kentucky, especially the General Assembly’s Legislative Research Commission (LRC) and the Governor’s Office of the State Budget Director (OSBD).
Countermeasures for the Development of Agro-product Geographic Indications Industry

Agro-product Geographic Indications Industry may improve agricultural recourses protection effectively,increase farmer’s income,enhance international competitive power and realize agricultural product standardization.Registration of protection of geograph-ical indications of agricultural products in China started late.There are a number of development constraints compared with the other foreign countries that Geographic Indications Industry developed earlier.This article analyzed these constraints and the means of geo-graphical indications of agricultural products industry development,and the corresponding countermeasures were put forward.
Prosocial Conformity: Prosocial Norms Generalize Across Behavior and Empathy

Generosity is contagious: People imitate others' prosocial behaviors. However, research on such prosocial conformity focuses on cases in which people merely reproduce others' positive actions. Hence, we know little about the breadth of prosocial conformity. Can prosocial conformity cross behavior types or even jump from behavior to affect? Five studies address these questions. In Studies 1 to 3, participants decided how much to donate to charities before learning that others donated generously or stingily. Participants who observed generous donations donated more than those who observed stingy donations (Studies 1 and 2). Crucially, this generalized across behaviors: Participants who observed generous donations later wrote more supportive notes to another participant (Study 3). In Studies 4 and 5, participants observed empathic or non-empathic group responses to vignettes. Group empathy ratings not only shifted participants' own empathic feelings (Study 4), but they also influenced participants' donations to a homeless shelter (Study 5). These findings reveal the remarkable breadth of prosocial conformity.
Lack of Gender-Related Differences in Childhood-Onset Schizophrenia

Objective Gender differences, including younger age of onset and greater premorbid deficits in men, have been reported in adult-onset schizophrenia. This study comprehensively evaluated gender differences in childhood-onset schizophrenia (COS), a rare variant of the disorder. Method Demographic, premorbid, clinical, familial, and cognitive characteristics, presence of chromosomal abnormalities, and brain magnetic resonance imaging cortical volumes were evaluated in 133 patients with COS. Cortical analyses included age- and gender-matched healthy volunteers (n = 124). Results Males with COS (n = 72) had a slightly but significantly younger age of onset than females with COS (mean age 9.51 ± 2.28 versus 10.29 ± 1.63 years, t 131 = 2.21, p = .03), higher verbal IQ scores (83.00 ± 15.97 versus 75.58 ± 15.10, t 89 = 2.24, p = .03), and higher rates of comorbid pervasive developmental disorder (28.17% versus 6.90%, χ 2 1 = 9.54, p 2 1 = 5.40, p = .02). There were no significant gender differences across other demographic, IQ, or clinical measurements, frequency of chromosomal abnormalities, family clinical measurements, premorbid functioning, or in gender-by-disorder interactions for magnetic resonance imaging brain measurements. Conclusion The present comprehensive examination found few remarkable gender differences in COS. Although less striking than that seen in adult-onset schizophrenia, males with COS had a younger age of onset. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and pervasive developmental disorder rates were high in COS overall, suggesting greater neurodevelopmental vulnerability in COS. However, the gender ratios of these comorbidities in COS mirror those of the general populations, indicating that these gender differences might be unrelated to COS.
A Survey of Knowledge about Autism among Experts and Caregivers

Research on autism has historically been plagued by use of inconsistent criteria in defining autistic populations and has consequently often yielded conflicting or ambiguous results. However, a num...
Latin American Philosophers: Some Recent Challenges to Their Intellectual Character

For Latin American philosophers, the quality of their own philosophy is a recurrent issue. Why hasn’t it produced any internationally recognized figure, tradition, or movement? Why is it mostly unknown inside and outside Latin America? Although skeptical answers to these questions are not new, they have recently shifted to some critical-thinking competences and dispositions deemed necessary for successful philosophical theorizing. Latin American philosophers are said to lack, for example, originality in problem-solving, problem-making, argumentation, and to some extent, interpretation. Or does the problem arise from their vices of “arrogant reasoning?” On my view, all of these answers are incomplete, and some even self-defeating. Yet they cast some light on complex, critical-thinking virtues and vices that play a significant role in philosophical thinking.
Hydrothermal Fluxes in the Ocean

I never saw the use of the sea. Many a sad heart it has caused, and many a sick stomach has it occasioned
Progression to Advanced Scores on the Hoehn and Yahr Scale in Parkinson Disease Is Not Explained by Degree of Dopaminergic Denervation (P06.084)

OBJECTIVE: To determine if progression on the Hoehn and Yahr scale in Parkinson disease is explained by rate of change in nigrostriatal dopaminergic denervation. BACKGROUND: Disability with decline of functional mobility and loss of independent function starts to occur between Hoehn and Yahr (HY) stages 2 to 3 in Parkinson disease (PD). Therefore, the transition to Hoehn and Yahr stage 3 marks a pivotal milestone in PD, heralding significant disability. Although progression of disease in PD has been attributed to progressive loss of nigrostriatal nerve terminals, balance and gait related symptoms become less dopamine responsive with advancing disease. DESIGN/METHODS: We performed a longitudinal dopaminergic neuroimaging study on 20 subjects with PD. All subjects had Hoehn and Yahr scores of less than 2.5 at enrollment and underwent a detailed clinical exam as well as [11C]dihydrotetrabenazine (DTBZ) positron emission tomography (PET) at baseline and at 4 year follow-up to assess the proportion of subjects who converted to balance-disabled PD, defined as HY stages ≥3. RESULTS: Nine subjects (45%) converted to HY stage 3 or greater at follow-up and 11 subjects remained at HY 2.5 or lower. Converters tended to be older than non-converters (Z=2.02, p =0.022) and showed a more rapid rate of change in Hoehn and Yahr scoring (Z=3.69, p =0.0002) at follow-up. There were no differences between converters and non-converters in duration of disease (Z= 0.30, p = 0.76) or rate of change in nigrostriatal dopaminergic denervation (Z=0.99, p=0.32) as assessed by striatal DTBZ DVR. CONCLUSIONS: Conversion to balance-disabled PD (HY stages ≥3) cannot be explained by more prominent loss of dopaminergic nerve terminals per se and may reflect extranigral pathology. Supported by: Department of Veterans Affairs. Disclosure: Dr. Kotagal has received research support from National Institutes of Health T32 training grant (NS007222) and the American Academy of Neurology Clinical Research Training Fellowship. Dr. Muller has nothing to disclose. Dr. Bohnen has nothing to disclose.
Information Technology Issues

Digital communication and storage are fundamental technologies for cEEG monitoring. Without them, the field would not exist. These technologies continue to improve, increasing in speed and capacity the rate of “Moore’s Law” – doubling approximately every 18 months. Despite periodic proclamations that this trend will not continue forever, in fact, it has remained more or less intact since Moore’s initial observation in 1965 [1]. A basic understanding is useful, therefore, not only for managing and troubleshooting current cEEG monitoring systems but also as a framework for anticipating future innovation.
Questimator: generating knowledge assessments for arbitrary topics

Formative assessments allow learners to quickly identify knowledge gaps. In traditional educational settings, expert instructors can create assessments, but in informal learning environment, it is difficult for novice learners to self assess because they don't know what they don't know. This paper introduces Questimator, an automated system that generates multiple-choice assessment questions for any topic contained within Wikipedia. Given a topic, Questimator traverses the Wikipedia graph to find and rank related topics, and uses article text to form questions, answers and distractor options. In a study with 833 participants from Mechanical Turk, we found that participants' scores on Questimator-generated quizzes correlated well with their scores on existing online quizzes on topics ranging from philosophy to economics. Also Questimator generates questions with comparable discriminatory power as existing online quizzes. Our results suggest Questimator may be useful for assessing learning in topics for which there is not an existing quiz.
Chapter 28 – Clinical Biochemistry in Toxicology

Publisher Summary The availability of accurate historical information, including a list of the animal species affected, clinical signs, toxins suspected, potential route of exposure, vehicle, relative amount, and timing of exposure, is often a limiting factor in the diagnosis of toxic disease. This information permits the diagnostician to make a rational selection of samples and tests to be performed by considering the known target organs of the toxins suspected. Unfortunately, this information is often unavailable during the initial stages of intoxication. In the absence of such detailed history, the identification of target organs using clinical biochemistry may be helpful in the retrospective creation of a list of potential toxins. There are species differences in the most useful biochemical markers of organ-specific cellular injury and in the susceptibility to various toxins. For this reason, this chapter is organized on an organ system and species basis.
Covalent growth factor tethering to direct neural stem cell differentiation and self-organization

Abstract Tethered growth factors offer exciting new possibilities for guiding stem cell behavior. However, many of the current methods present substantial drawbacks which can limit their application and confound results. In this work, we developed a new method for the site-specific covalent immobilization of azide-tagged growth factors and investigated its utility in a model system for guiding neural stem cell (NSC) behavior. An engineered interferon- γ (IFN- γ ) fusion protein was tagged with an N-terminal azide group, and immobilized to two different dibenzocyclooctyne-functionalized biomimetic polysaccharides (chitosan and hyaluronan). We successfully immobilized azide-tagged IFN- γ under a wide variety of reaction conditions, both in solution and to bulk hydrogels. To understand the interplay between surface chemistry and protein immobilization, we cultured primary rat NSCs on both materials and showed pronounced biological effects. Expectedly, immobilized IFN- γ increased neuronal differentiation on both materials. Expression of other lineage markers varied depending on the material, suggesting that the interplay of surface chemistry and protein immobilization plays a large role in nuanced cell behavior. We also investigated the bioactivity of immobilized IFN- γ in a 3D environment in vivo and found that it sparked the robust formation of neural tube-like structures from encapsulated NSCs. These findings support a wide range of potential uses for this approach and provide further evidence that adult NSCs are capable of self-organization when exposed to the proper microenvironment. Statement of Significance For stem cells to be used effectively in regenerative medicine applications, they must be provided with the appropriate cues and microenvironment so that they integrate with existing tissue. This study explores a new method for guiding stem cell behavior: covalent growth factor tethering. We found that adding an N-terminal azide-tag to interferon-γ enabled stable and robust Cu-free ‘click’ immobilization under a variety of physiologic conditions. We showed that the tagged growth factors retained their bioactivity when immobilized and were able to guide neural stem cell lineage commitment in vitro. We also showed self-organization and neurulation from neural stem cells in vivo. This approach will provide another tool for the orchestration of the complex signaling events required to guide stem cell integration.
Industrial Investments in Energy Efficiency: A Good Idea?

Industrial investment in energy efficiency could harm adopting plant's long term performance. Although total energy spending decreases, energy cost per output increases 20% after investment, along with 8% productivity decline. These are the main conclusions we reach by conducting the first large-scale study on cogeneration technology adoption – a prominent form of energy-saving investments – in the U.S. manufacturing sector, using a sample that runs from 1982 to 2010 and drawing on multiple data sources from the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Our baseline results using difference-in-difference and a series of event studies are robust across specifications, with nonparametric matching, and IV strategies.