cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Determination of indomethacin crystallinity in the presence of excipients using diffuse reflectance near-infrared spectroscopy.

Studies were conducted to investigate the use of near-infrared spectroscopy for determining the crystallinity of indomethacin in multi-component physical mixtures. Three calibration sets of amorphous/crystalline indomethacin physical mixtures were prepared over the composition range of 0–100% crystallinity. Each of the three calibration sets was diluted step-wise with increasing amounts of a single excipient (Avicel, α-lactose monohydrate, or sodium chloride). Near-infrared spectra were obtained after each round of dilutions using diffuse reflectance sampling on samples contained in glass vials. After a second derivative transformation, standard curves were constructed by plotting percent indomethacin crystallinity against the ratio of responses at two wavelengths. At dilution levels up to 75% Avicel or lactose, the calibration models demonstrated high coefficients of determination and low standard errors. Dilution with sodium chloride did not produce comparable results and it was necessary to use partial...
Nitrohydrazines as potential high energy materials: High level calculations

As part of a series of investigations into unusual molecules of potential application to high-energy materials, we performed a series of calculations to determine the optimized structures, vibrational frequencies, and fundamental thermodynamic properties of nitrohydrazine and dinitrohydrazine. G2, G3, and two complete basis set calculations were performed.
Effect of Colloidal Chemistry on the Thermal Conductivity of Nanofluids

Nanofluids have attracted tremendous attention lately due to their promise as high thermal conductivity liquid and also due the inability of researchers all across the world in explaining the enhancement in the thermal conductivity. Various models and physics have been proposed and some of them have been quite successful in explaining the data, however none of the models in the literature take colloidal chemistry into account. Experimental data, however have shown dependence of thermal conductivity on pH and surface chemistry. In this paper we introduce a model which captures all the anomalies reported in the data 1) Effect of pH 2) effect of aging i.e. time 3) maxima in the thermal conductivity with respect to the diameter of the nanoparticles 4) increase and decrease in the ratio of the thermal conductivity of the nanofluids and the base fluids with increasing temperature. The model is based on the combination of aggregation kinetics with the physics of thermal transport.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
Controls on erosional retreat of the uplifted rift flanks at the Gulf of Suez and northern Red Sea

The Gulf of Suez and the Red Sea rigts are currently bordered by large asymmetric uplifts that are undergoing erosion. We find that the amount and timing of erosion vary systematically along the strike of the margin and have been controlled by variations in the perift stratigraphy. The perfit strata are compsoed of cliff-forming Eocene-Cretaceous carbonates overlaying the easily eroded Cretaceous-Cambrian 'Nubian' sandstone. This lithologic succession promotes scarp retreat of the sedimentary section, follwed by dissection of the underlying basement. The perift section thins from over 2000 m at the northern end of the rift to less htan 400 m at its junction with the Red Sea. Thus, at the northern part of the Gulf of Suez, the Nubian sandstone is minimally exposed, and the carbonates form a scarp at the rift border fault. Farther south, undercuttin of hte carbonates by erosion of the sandstion has resulted in scarp retreat. The escarpment cuts diagonally away from the border fault andis over 100 km inland from the border fault at the southernmost Gulf of Suez. The amount of retreat varies inversely with the sediment thickness. Exposure and erosion of basement are initiated by the retreate of the escarpment, and the depth of erosion, as indicated by fission track ages, increases with distance from the escarpment. These observations are explained by a model in which erosion along the Gulf of Suez is initiated as rift flank uplift becomes sufficiently large ot expose the friable sandstones. Undercutting the escarpment and exhumation of basement has been propagating northward and westward for at least 20 m.y. The average rate of scarp retreat has been 6 km/m.y. and the along-strike propagation of the erosion has been 12 km/m.y. The diachronous erosion of the rift flanks at the Gulf of Suez highlights the importance of distinguishing between the timing of uplift and of erosion. Both thermochronometric and stratigraphic data primarily indicate the timing of erosion, which may differ significantly form the timing of the uplift that initiates it. They must be interpreted carefully to avoid erroneous conclusions about rift tectonics.
Drop-Shape Analysis of Receptor−Ligand Binding at the Oil/Water Interface

Drop-shape analysis was used to study the binding of streptavidin to biotin at the interface between water and a pendant chloroform droplet. Polyethylene oxide molecules were synthesized with a hydrophobic tail at one end of the molecule and a hydroxyl or biotin group at the other end. The interfacial tension of the water/chloroform interface was measured before and after addition of these amphiphiles to the chloroform phase and before and after addition of streptavidin to the aqueous phase. The hydroxyl-terminated amphiphiles eliminate nonspecific adsorption of the streptavidin to the interface, while streptavidin binds irreversibly to the biotin-terminated molecules. Molecular interactions within this bound layer were studied by measuring changes in the interfacial pressure as the layer is contracted and expanded by changing the volume of the chloroform droplet. A picture of the interfacial structure was obtained from quantitative comparisons between the experimental results and a molecular theory of protein binding to tethered ligands. These comparisons suggest that protein binding is controlled by the extension of the PEO tethers away from the interface.
Data entry issues in the PACS environment

To assess the type and frequency of data entry errors, we implemented an interface between a radiology information system and a Kodak image-management system. During a patient verification process that included 2,550 cases transmitted from 15 acquisition devices and archived on our system, 195 cases (7.6%) had mismatches that could not be corrected without manual intervention. These included multiple misspellings, errors in the patient identification numbers, and errors due to the incomplete entry of information from the emergency room (trauma cases). Our results clearly demonstrate the need for a comprehensive patient identification and verification function prior to permanent archiving of imaging information.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Benefits and Land Use Change Connected with a Flood Control Project

ABSTRACT: This study examines agricultural land use change in the flood plain of the Iowa River as a result of building the Coralville Dam. Estimates of land use change and the benefits realized from the project are compared to the original project study benefits estimated by the Corps of Engineers. An analysis of the factors affecting land use change is carried out through a regression model to determine those variables that explain observed land use change.
High-Resolution Hybrid Digital-Optical Processor For Transaxial Tomography

A hybrid digital-optical processor for reconstructing a 2-dimensional scalar field from its 1-dimensional projections will be presented. This processor represents a further development in a continuing effort to incorporate and utilize the power of optical data processing in x-ray computed tomography. The processor to be described operates on a data set recorded on x-ray film. The reconstruction of the field from its projection data is obtained via the filtered back-projection algorithm. Specifically, the time consuming operations of filtering and back-projection are done optically. Final addition and subtraction operations are done in digital hardware, with the final image residing in a digital memory. Sophisticated image enhancement operations are then possible with computer back-up. The interface between the optical and digital hardware is simple video. This particular processor has the very attractive feature that full digital resolution can in principle be obtained over any desired area of the reconstructed image so that the final system should be limited by the x-ray detector, in this case film, which inherently has a much greater resolution capability than the discrete detector arrays found in conventional CT scanners.© (1980) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Grain growth of uniform boundaries with scaling

Abstract The equation of continuity for grain growth is derived from a Fokker–Planck formulation; the equation contains no term corresponding to diffusion or random walk of grains along a size axis. It is shown that such a term cannot arise from grain switching events contrary to the assumption of most stochastic theories of grain growth. A development is given of curvature driven grain growth for uniform boundaries utilizing the scaling analysis of Hunderi and Ryum. In two dimensions, the addition of the von Neumann–Mullins relation allows the determination of the reduced grain size (x) distribution function P(x) from the average number of sides s (x) as a function of x and vice versa (given a structural kinetic parameter β). A non-Hillert P(x) is shown to require a non-linear s (x) . It is argued, with Hunderi and Ryum, that P(x) very likely has a cutoff. Three distributions P(x) and their corresponding s (x) are discussed.
Assessing the level of visibility of cultural objects in past landscapes

Visibility is often understood to play a significant role in the placement of cultural objects within past landscapes. In recent years, GIS-based visibility studies have become popular as a method for assessing the role of views to and from sites and features. A significant drawback to these analyses is that they do not take into account how far an object can be clearly seen and recognized. A number of factors influence the visibility of objects, including the limits of human visual acuity, environmental effects such as atmospheric extinction, and the physical properties of object and surroundings. Current approaches that attempt to account for these influences focus on defining visual zones, but are limited because they do not directly address object size. A fuzzy viewshed approach, modified to account for target size, is suggested as a solution for assessing the level of visibility of cultural objects in past landscapes.
Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α agonist fenofibrate regulates IL-12 family cytokine expression in the CNS: relevance to multiple sclerosis

The interleukin-12 (IL-12) family of cytokines which includes IL-12, IL-23, and IL-27 play critical roles in T cell differentiation and are important modulators of multiple sclerosis and experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an animal model of multiple sclerosis. Previously, we demonstrated that peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) -α agonists suppress the development of EAE. The present studies demonstrated that the PPAR-α agonist fenofibrate inhibited the secretion of IL-12p40, IL-12p70 (p35/p40), IL-23 (p19/p40), and IL-27p28 by lipopolysaccharide-stimulated microglia. The cytokines interferon-γ and tumor necrosis factor-α also stimulated IL-12 p40 and IL-27 p28 expression by microglia, which was suppressed by fenofibrate. Furthermore, fenofibrate inhibited microglial expression of CD14 which plays a critical role in TLR signaling, suggesting a mechanism by which this PPAR-α agonist regulates the production of these pro-inflammatory molecules. In addition, fenofibrate suppressed the secretion of IL-12p40, IL-23, and IL-27p28 by lipopolysaccharide-stimulated astrocytes. Importantly, fenofibrate suppression of EAE was associated with decreased expression of IL-12 family cytokine mRNAs as well as mRNAs encoding TLR4, CD14, and MyD88 known to play critical roles in MyD88-dependent TLR signaling. These novel observations suggest that PPAR-α agonists including fenofibrate may modulate the development of EAE, at least in part, by suppressing the production of IL-12 family cytokines and MyD88-dependent signaling.
A TEST OF THE HYPOTHESIS THAT CORRELATIONAL SELECTION GENERATES GENETIC CORRELATIONS

Theory predicts that correlational selection on two traits will cause the major axis of the bivariate G matrix to orient itself in the same direction as the correlational selection gradient. Two testable predictions follow from this: for a given pair of traits, (1) the sign of correlational selection gradient should be the same as that of the genetic correlation, and (2) the correlational selection gradient should be positively correlated with the value of the genetic correlation. We test this hypothesis with a meta-analysis utilizing empirical estimates of correlational selection gradients and measures of the correlation between the two focal traits. Our results are consistent with both predictions and hence support the underlying hypothesis that correlational selection generates a genetic correlation between the two traits and hence orients the bivariate G matrix.
Adhesion of diamond films on Ti-6Al-4V alloys

Diamond films have been successfully grown on Ti (Al 6%, V 4%) alloy by hot filament chemical vapor deposition (HFCVD). Different gas mixtures of methane to hydrogen and substrate temperatures were used in order to deposit high quality diamond films. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and microhardness measurements have been used to characterize the diamond films. The results indicate that uniform high quality diamond films can be grown on the titanium alloy at a partial pressure of 2660 Pa, ratio of methane to hydrogen of 0.5-1%, filament temperature 2273 K, and substrate temperature 1073 K. The hardness of the Ti alloy is increased 30% by coating with the diamond film. The adhesion measurements indicate that diamond films grown on the Ti alloy have excellent adhesion.
The Hough Transform's Implicit Bayesian Foundation

This paper shows that the basic Hough transform is implicitly a Bayesian process-that it computes an unnormalized posterior distribution over the parameters of a single shape given feature points. The proof motivates a purely Bayesian approach to the problem of finding parameterized shapes in digital images. A proof-of-concept implementation that finds multiple shapes of four parameters is presented. Extensions to the basic model that are made more obvious by the presented reformulation are discussed.
Long-term depression of presynaptic release from the readily releasable vesicle pool induced by NMDA receptor-dependent retrograde nitric oxide.

Postsynaptic alterations are currently believed to be able to fully account for NMDA-receptor-dependent long-term depression (LTD) and long-term potentiation of synaptic strength, although there is also evidence supporting changes in presynaptic release. Using dualphoton laser scan microscopy of N -(3-triethylammoniumpropyl)-4-(4-(dibutylamino)styryl) pyridinium dibromide (FM1-43) to directly visualize presynaptic vesicular release at Schaffer collateral–CA1 excitatory synapses in hippocampal slices, we demonstrate reduced vesicular release associated with LTD. Selective loading, by hypertonic shock, of the readily releasable vesicle pool (RRP) showed that LTD of release is a selective modification of release from the RRP. Presynaptic LTD of RRP release required activation of NMDA receptors, production and extracellular diffusion of the intercellular messenger NO, and activation of cGMP-dependent protein kinase.
Atomic force microscopy-based bioanalysis for the study of disease

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) has emerged as a robust and well-tested method to image and probe living systems. Atomic force microscopy, one of many types of scanning probe microscopies, has proven useful for the investigation of disease states and single cell analysis, as a result of high spatial resolution, sensitivity and diversity of operational modes. In addition, AFM can be easily hybridized with secondary techniques, such as fluorescence microscopy, to provide correlated information related to biological samples. This review aims to describe the operation of AFM related to the study of disease states and single cell analysis, and to serve as an overview of recent advances in this subject area. In addition, force spectroscopy, force mapping and relevant hybrid AFM instrumentation will be discussed.
Methane hydrate in the global organic carbon cycle

The global occurrence of methane hydrate in outer continental margins and in polar regions, and the magnitude of the amount of methane sequestered in methane hydrate suggest that methane hydrate is an important component in the global organic carbon cycle. Various versions of this cycle have emphasized the importance of methane hydrate, and in the latest version the role of methane hydrate is considered to be analogous to the workings of an electrical circuit. In this circuit the methane hydrate is a condenser and the consequences of methane hydrate dissociation are depicted as a resistor and inductor, reflecting temperature change and changes in earth surface history. These consequences may have implications for global change including global climate change.
Effect of calcium antagonism or chelation on rabbit lacrimal gland secretion and membrane potentials

1. ACh-induced secretion from the main excretory duct, as well as ACh-induced hyperpolarizations and resting membrane potentials of superficial, probably acinar, cells were recorded from the rabbit lacrimal gland perfused in vivo with either control or test solutions. 2. During perfusion with test solution containing a Ca antagonist, verapamil (10−5 to 10−3 M), or a Ca chelator EGTA (10−4 or 10−3 M), ACh-induced secretion was only 30% of the control value, whereas the magnitude of the ACh-induced hyperpolarization was unchanged. 3. With 10−5 M-verapamil, but not with 10−3 M-verapamil or EGTA-containing solutions, the inhibition of ACh-induced flow was completely reversed either by replacing the test with control solution or by increasing the Ca concentration of the test solution twofold. 4. In addition, EGTA (10−4 M) solution containing the normal extracellular Ca2+ concentration inhibited secretion by 30%. 5. During perfusion with verapamil or EGTA test solutions the mean resting membrane potential of superficial, probably acinar, cells was depolarized by 15%. 6. It is concluded that although extracellular Ca is required for the major portion of ACh-induced secretion, the magnitude of the ACh-induced hyperpolarization of cells, which are most likely acinar, is independent of extracellular Ca.
Representative Bureaucracy: Exploring the Potential for Active Representation in Local Government

The theory of representative bureaucracy suggests that a demographically diverse public sector workforce (passive representation) will lead to policy outcomes that reflect the interests of all groups represented, including historically disadvantaged communities (active representation). Implicit in the passive-active link is the expectation that minority public administrators, in particular, will have similar attitudes to minority citizens on issues of critical import and relevance to those citizens, and those attitudes, in turn, will influence policy decisions. This research examines the attitudes of citizens and administrators on a series of survey items focused on the responsibilities of local government administrators to advocate for the interests of the African-American community. The survey results confirm the hypothesis that African-American citizens and administrators are more likely than white citizens and administrators to support governmental behaviors that specifically target the interests of the African-American community and that African-American citizens and administrators hold markedly different attitudes from white administrators. Most significantly, attitude congruence with the views of African-American citizens by administrators is shown to be a significant predictor of the adoption of an African-American representative administrative role, overwhelming the influence of other variables including race.
Heat Transfer in a Two-Pass Internally Ribbed Turbine Blade Coolant Channel With Cylindrical Vortex Generators

The effect of vortex generators on the mass (heat) transferfrom the ribbed passage of a two-pass turbine blade coolant channel is investigated with the intent of optimizing the vortex generator geometry so that significant enhancements in mass/heat transfer can be achieved. In the experimental configuration considered, ribs are mounted on two opposite walls; all four walls along each pass are active and have mass transfer from their surfaces but the ribs are nonparticipating. Mass transfer measurements, in the form of Sherwood number ratios, are made along the centerline and in selected interrib modules. Results are presented for Reynolds number in the range of 5000 to 40, 000, pitch to rib height ratios of 10.5 and 21, and vortex generator-rib spacing to rib height ratios of 0.55 and 1.5. Centerline and spanwise-averaged Sherwood number ratios are presented along with contours of the Sherwood number ratios. Results indicate that the vortex generators lead to substantial increases in the local mass transfer rates, particularly along the side walls, and modest increases in the average mass transfer rates. The vortex generators have the effect of making the interrib profiles along the ribbed walls more uniform. Along the side walls, vortices that characterize the vortex generator wake are associated with significant mass transfer enhancements. The wake effects and the levels of enhancement decrease somewhat with increasing Reynolds number and decreasing pitch.
Clinical Applications of Reflectance Confocal Microscopy in the Management of Cutaneous Tumors

Reflectance confocal microscopy is a noninvasive tool that allows skin cells and structure to be imaged in real time. The technique has been used to assess benign and malignant lesions and has shown great potential in basic research and clinical dermatology. As might be expected, it also has great potential in longitudinal clinical studies and in the evaluation of dynamic processes such as those that occur after exposure to UV radiation or during the tumor response to noninvasive therapy. This article briefly describes the fundamental aspects and basic principles of reflectance confocal microscopy and discusses its clinical applications essentially in the management of cutaneous tumors. We also consider the limitations of the technique associated with the optical properties of the skin, with instrumentation, and with interpretation of the images.
Factors influencing stereotyped behavior of primates in a zoo

Stereotyped behavior is the uniform repetition of a motor pattern that occurs at a higher frequency than considered typical for a species when observed in a natural environment. Stereotypies may be considered atypical behavior and usually indicate that an animal's psychological welfare is at a suboptimal level. Instantaneous scans at 30-sec intervals during 20-min observation periods were conducted on eight primate species at the St. Louis Zoo to determine frequency of occurrence of stereotyped behavior. Results indicated that many biotic and abiotic factors were related to the frequency of stereotyped behavior by captive primates, although rearing method was more important than present environmental conditions. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Lanthanide versus Actinide Reactivity in the Formation of Sterically Crowded [(C5Me5)3MLn] Nitrile and Isocyanide Complexes

The limits of steric crowding in organometallic metallocene complexes have been examined by studying the synthesis of [(C(5)Me(5))(3)ML(n)] complexes as a function of metal in which L=Me(3)CCN, Me(3)CNC, and Me(3)SiCN. The bis(tert-butyl nitrile) complexes [(C(5)Me(5))(3)Ln(NCCMe(3))(2)] (Ln=La, 1; Ce, 2; Pr, 3) can be isolated with the largest lanthanide metal ions, La(3+), Ce(3+), and Pr(3+). The Pr(3+) ion also forms an isolable mono-nitrile complex, [(C(5)Me(5))(3)Pr(NCCMe(3))] (4), whereas for Nd(3+) only the mono-adduct [(C(5)Me(5))(3)Nd(NCCMe(3))] (5) was observed. With smaller metal ions, Sm(3+) and Y(3+), insertion of Me(3)CCN into the M--C(C(5)Me(5)) bond was observed to form the cyclopentadiene-substituted ketimide complexes [(C(5)Me(5))(2)Ln{NC(C(5)Me(5))(CMe(3))}(NCCMe(3))] (Ln=Sm, 6; Y, 7). With tert-butyl isocyanide ligands, a bis-isocyanide product can be isolated with lanthanum, [(C(5)Me(5))(3)La(CNCMe(3))(2)] (8), and a mono-isocyanide product with neodymium, [(C(5)Me(5))(3)Nd(CNCMe(3))] (9). Silicon-carbon bond cleavage was observed in reactions between [(C(5)Me(5))(3)Ln] complexes and trimethylsilyl cyanide, Me(3)SiCN, to produce the trimeric cyanide complexes [{(C(5)Me(5))(2)Ln(mu-CN)(NCSiMe(3))}(3)] (Ln=La, 10; Pr, 11). With uranium, a mono-nitrile reaction product, [(C(5)Me(5))(3)U(NCCMe(3))] (12), which is analogous to 5, was obtained from the reaction between [(C(5)Me(5))(3)U] and Me(3)CCN, but [(C(5)Me(5))(3)U] reacts with Me(3)CNC through C--N bond cleavage to form a trimeric cyanide complex, [{(C(5)Me(5))(2)U(mu-CN)(CNCMe(3))}(3)] (13).
Integrating systems engineering and test & evaluation in system of systems development

This paper presents an approach to integrated systems engineering (SE) and test and evaluation (T&E) for SoS based on work underway by the National Defense Industry Association Systems Engineering Division Systems of Systems and Developmental Test and Evaluation Committees [1]. The paper focuses on how to approach T&E for SoS given the challenges of large scale SoS development as a continuous improvement process that provides information on capabilities and limitations for end users and feedback to the SoS and system SE teams toward SoS evolution.
How ‘Islamic’ is Islamic Banking?

Abstract Islamic Banks hold well over US $700 billion in assets and are growing at over 15% p.a. Islamic Banking and Finance (IBF) involves wider ethical and moral issues than simply ‘interest-free’ transactions. Its advocates argue that these make it more economically efficient than conventional banking and promote greater economic equity and justice. To what extent, then, do actual Islamic Banking practices live up to the ideal, and how different are they from conventional banking? A preliminary investigation shows that, three decades after its introduction, there remain substantial divergences between IBF's ideals and its practices, and much of IBF still remains functionally indistinguishable from conventional banking. This runs counter to claims by IBF advocates that it would rapidly differentiate itself from conventional banking. However, despite not providing an alternative to conventional banking and finance, IBF does strengthen a distinctly Islamic identity by providing the appropriate Islamic terminology for de facto conventional financial transactions.
Nurses with Doctoral Degrees: Education and Employment Characteristics

Selected education and employment characteristics of nurses with doctorates were examined. Data were obtained in late 1979 and 1980 about three time periods in the 1,964 respondents' careers: (a) doctoral study, (b) first position, and (c) current position if different from first position. Of the nurses studied, 76% completed doctoral programs in the 1970s. Education was the major field of study most frequently reported, followed by social/behavioral sciences and nursing; federal monies were the major source of financial support. Nurses with doctorates were hired in their first position primarily for teaching in baccalaureate and higher degree programs in nursing with a sizable shift to administrative roles in academia among those reporting current positions different from first positions, Only 6% to 8% of doctorally prepared nurses were hired primarily for the conduct of research in either first or current position.
How phenotype and developmental stage affect the genes we find: GABRA2 and impulsivity

and the association of these measures with a specific gene, GABRA2. Design, Setting, and Participants: Data were analyzed from the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism Phase IV assessment of adolescents and young adults (ages 12‐26; N =2,128). Main Outcome Measures: Alcohol dependence, illicit drug dependence, childhood conduct disorder, and adult antisocial personality disorder symptoms were measured by psychiatric interview; Achenbach youth/adult self-report externalizing scale; Zuckerman Sensation-Seeking scale; Barratt Impulsivity scale; NEO extraversion and consciousness. Results: GABRA2 was associated with subclinical levels of externalizing behavior as measured by the Achenbach in both the adolescent and young adult samples. Contrary to previous associations in adult samples, it was not associated with clinical-level DSM symptom counts of any externalizing disorders in these younger samples. There was also association with sensation-seeking and extraversion, but only in the adolescent sample. There was no association with the Barratt impulsivity scale or conscientiousness. Conclusions: Our results suggest that the pathway by which GABRA2 initially confers risk for eventual alcohol problems begins with a predisposition to sensation-seeking early in adolescence. The findings support the heterogeneous nature of impulsivity and demonstrate that both the measure used to assess a construct of interest and the age of the participants can have profound implications for the detection of genetic associations.
A Prediction Model for Initial Trust Formation in Electronic Commerce

This research investigates trust-building strategies that may influence transactions between individuals and unknown Internet firms, focusing on three influential components that mediate the relationship between online shoppers and online vendors. Results indicate significant direct effects for trust in the Internet infrastructure, susceptibility to the social influence of media, and the presence of influential site characteristics on user willingness to provide personal information to unknown Internet firms. This study extends the research on trust in electronic commerce by providing a prediction model that is demonstrated to calculate the probability of user willingness to provide information. The utility of the model for identifying the relative importance of factors and predicting outcomes lends insight into important issues in online trust formation. Knowledge of effective trust-building strategies guide organizations that use the Internet for selling, marketing, or servicing customers to gain maximum benefits from investments in e-commerce applications.
An individual-based growth and competition model for coastal redwood forest restoration

Thinning treatments to accelerate coastal redwood forest stand development are in wide application, but managers have yet to identify prescriptions that might best promote Sequoia sempervirens (Lamb. ex D. Don) Endl. (redwood) growth. The creation of successful thinning prescriptions would be aided by identifying the underlying mechanisms governing how individual tree growth responds to competitive environments in coastal redwood forests. We created a spatially explicit individual-based model of tree competition and growth parameterized using surveys of upland redwood forests at Redwood National Park, California. We modeled competition for overstory trees (stems ≥ 20 cm stem diameter at breast height, 1.37 m (dbh)) as growth reductions arising from sizes, distances, and species identity of competitor trees. Our model explained up to half of the variation in individual tree growth, suggesting that neighborhood crowding is an important determinant of growth in this forest type. We used our model to simulate...
Nonequilibrium Interface Kinetics During Rapid Solidification

The deviations from local equilibrium at a rapidly moving solid-liquid interface are well documented. The fraction of solute atoms in the liquid at the interface that joins the crystal during rapid solidification approaches unity and the interface temperature drops. Experimental and theoretical work on impurity incorporation and interfacial undercooling is reviewed. Past and future experiments to test the theories are discussed.
Evaluation on Implementation Effect of TB Control Program in Yunnan Province from 2002 to 2010

Objective To analyze and evaluate the implementation effect of Yunnan TB Control Program(2002 to 2010),and to provide referential suggestions for the sustainable development of TB control in Yunnan Province. Methods Based on The Implementation Scheme of Final Evaluation for National Tuberculosis Program(NTP)(2001 to 2010),the data about the final evaluation in Yunnan Province were collected and analyzed. Results The reported incidence rate of active pulmonary TB(PTB) declined to 55.6/100,000 in 2010 from 73.12/100,000 in 2005,with the annual average decline of 3.99%.The age of patients suffering from PTB showed an aging tendency.Under strengthening TB detection,171,504 active PTB cases were found in Yunnan Province from 2002 to 2010,including 104,566 sputum smear-positive cases.The high cure rate of smear-positive cases was achieved during the period of 2002-2010,with the total rate of 92.91%.Significant social and economic benefits had been achieved during the 9 years,including 41,729 reduced cases which may be killed by TB,76,303 prevented cases of new TB,the reduced medical expenditure of 51.98 million RMB,and the saved social benefit of 7.197 billion RMB. Conclusions Remarkable effect of the TB Control Program has been achieved in Yunnan Province.But the achievement should be maintained to ensure the sustainable development of TB prevention and treatment and the successful implementation of the Twelfth Five-Year Plan in Yunnan Province.
Ultrasound generation from side wall of optical fibers

Ultrasound technique has been widely applied in various areas such as diagnostic applications, structure health monitoring, etc. Most advanced applications require novel ultrasonic transmitters, where fiber optic technique has been proved to be a great candidate due to its compact dimension, high frequency, and highly harsh environment survivability. Therefore, extensive research has been conducted on developing novel fiber optic ultrasound transmitters for the recent decades. This review paper will briefly review the history of the fiber optic ultrasound generation and then will focus on the ultrasound generation from the side wall of optical fibers. Several applications based on this technique will be discussed and the future of the technology will be previewed.
Epidemiology of mental health conditions in incoming division I collegiate athletes.

ABSTRACTObjectives: The purpose of this study is to examine the epidemiology of mental health conditions in incoming American Division I collegiate athletes.Methods: Pre-participation physical questionnaires from 1118 incoming student athletes at a Division I Institution were collected retrospectively from 2011–2017. Data collected included lifetime history of any mental health condition, musculoskeletal injuries, concussions, and post-concussion depression. History of any mental health condition was evaluated by gender and sport played. It was also evaluated in comparison to musculoskeletal injuries and concussions.Results: The lifetime prevalence of any mental health condition was 14.0% for all athletes, 14.2% for male athletes, and 13.6% for female athletes. Individual sports reported a greater prevalence (17.2%) than did team sports (11.8%) (p = 0.010). The prevalence was also higher in contact sports (16.4%) than in non-contact sports (12.5%), although this difference was not statistically significan...
The Influence of Stressors on the Development of Psychopathology

This chapter provides a brief history of the ways in which researchers have defined, conceptualized, and measured stress and provides recommended definitions and conceptualizations of stress for use in research and practice with children and adolescents. The chapter also reviews evidence that (a) stressors contribute to psychopathology; (b) moderators influence the relation between stressors and psychopathology; (c) mediators explain the relation between stressors and psychopathology; (d) there is specificity in the relations among stressors, moderators, mediators, and psychopathology; and (e) relations among stressors, moderators, mediators, and psychopathology are reciprocal and dynamic. Finally, this chapter highlights methodological problems, particularly with stressor measurement, that have impeded progress in the field and lays out a research agenda for improving the measurement of stress.
Meta-Analysis of High Throughput Oncology Data

Abstract In this chapter, we provide an overview of meta-analysis methods for oncology data with an emphasis on gene expression microarrays. We demonstrate these methods with a case study where we perform a meta-analysis on five publicly available microarray datasets designed to study survival in breast cancer patients. In this case study, we propose a novel metric using gene pathways for stratifying survival in our patient cohorts. We observe that significant genes in the individual studies show little reproducibility across the datasets, while using gene pathways with clinical variables is more reliable across microarray studies. We close with a discussion on extending meta-analyses and the potential for combining meta-analysis with integrative methods.
An XML standard for virtual patients: exchanging case-based simulations in medical education.

Virtual Patients are computer-based simulations of a clinical encounter where the user plays the role of a healthcare provider while receiving in-context instruction. This unique pedagogical approach enables active case-based learning for learners. Academic institutions around the world have developed high-quality virtual patients using many different authoring and playback technologies. However, sustainability and scalability have proved challenging due to the number of cases needed and production costs. In an effort to promote sharing of Virtual Patients and broader adoption into medical education at all levels, MedBiquitous organized an international working group to create an XML-based “MedBiquitous Virtual Patient Standard” (MVP) describing a common structure for virtual patient content and activities. The MVP enables virtual patient exchange across systems, modification, and display within conformant player software.
Microfluidic devices containing thin rock sections for oil recovery studies

While there has been a shift towards renewable energy sources, oil remains an important source of not only energy but also raw materials. Oil recovery is currently an inefficient process with as much as 50% of the original oil remaining in a field. Improvement of oil recovery techniques requires a model system that is both chemically and physically representative to achieve accurate results. Current large laboratory scale systems use large cores drilled from target rock and large, high-pressure systems to recreate oil recovery systems. The cores and associated equipment required to accurately model oil recovery are expensive and time consuming to obtain and operate. As a result, there has been a continual quest to develop alternative solutions that are faster, less complicated, and less expensive while still providing accurate representation of reservoirs. An alternative to large-scale models are optically transparent two or three-dimensional microfluidic devices. Several examples of microfluidic devices used to study oil recovery processes have been published. Unfortunately, most microfluidic devices require complicated fabrication techniques, inaccurately replicate the reservoir rock surface chemistry and geometry, and are made from materials not representative of surfaces found in oil reservoirs. Herein, the Flow On Rock Device is described as an easy to fabricate microfluidic device that acts as a bridge between fully synthetic microfluidics and large laboratory models due to incorporation of reservoir rock samples directly into the microfluidic device. Results of flooding studies are presented on shale and sandstone models as an example of the potential for this system in studying oil recovery.
Cost and Feasibility Study on the Praxair Advanced Boiler for the CO 2 Capture Project's Refinery Scenario

This chapter evaluates a preliminary design and cost estimate for a boiler system that uses Praxair's advanced boiler technology to produce product steam, a system to capture the CO 2 from the boiler exhaust. This investigation is in response to the Carbon Capture Project's (CCP) refinery scenario. A model is developed for an advanced boiler that combusts a gaseous fuel with O 2 , which is supplied from a thermally integrated network of oxygen transport membranes (OTMs). The exhaust from this system being primarily CO 2 and water is then purified and compressed to recover the CO 2 as a product. The OTMs are in the form of tubes arranged perpendicular to the direction of the exhaust gas flow in the furnace. Air circulated inside the membranes provides oxygen for combustion.
A REQUIREMENT FOR CARBOHYDRATE METABOLISM FOR THE STIMULATION OF AMINO ACID INCORPORATION INTO PROTEIN BY INSULIN.

Insulin has been shown to enhance the incorporation of labeled amino acids into the protein of the isolated rat diaphragm and other tissues (1, 2). The insulin stimulation is not exerted through an effect of the hormone on the transport of external amino acids to intracellular sites of protein synthesis.’ The dependency of this insulin action upon the nutritional status of the animal and a requirement for glucose under certain circumstances have been reported by Krahl and Wool (3-6). These results could not be confirmed by Manchester and Young (7, 8). The attenuation of amino acid incorporation produced by deprivation of food could be relieved not only by glucose and mannose, but also by several monosaccharides which are poorly metabolized (9, 10). A possible relation between glucose metabolism and amino acid incorporation was also suggested by the fact that 2-deoxyn-glucose, a glucose analogue and inhibitor of glycolysis, inhibited amino acid incorporation into rat diaphragm protein (9, 11). The present report concerns the effect of various sugars and other substances on the inhibition of incorporation of L( +)leucine-14C into protein caused by 2-deoxy-n-glucose.
Optimizing exchange transfusion for patients with severe Babesia divergens babesiosis: Therapeutically-Rational Exchange (T-REX) of M antigen-negative and/or S antigen-negative red blood cells should be evaluated now

Abstract Babesia divergens is an intraerythrocytic parasite, which is the major cause of babesiosis in Europe. For years, clinicians have been publishing stunning case reports that describe how some – but not all – conventional red blood cell (RBC) exchange transfusions have saved the lives of severely ill babesiosis patients. Due to markedly different patient outcomes, clinicians agree that new treatments and additional studies are needed. Here we argue that we should evaluate “therapeutically-rational exchange” (T-REX) in which the RBCs used to replace Babesia-parasitized RBCs are special disease-resistant RBC genetic variants (instead of the nondescript, “standard issue” RBCs used in conventional exchanges). T-REX seems prudent because with conventional exchange only some units of “standard issue” RBCs may be disease-resistant, while other units may not protect or may even promote disease. The random selection of RBCs for conventional RBC exchange may explain why clinical outcomes can vary dramatically. Fortunately, researchers have found that M antigen-negative (M−) and S antigen-negative (S−) RBCs resist invasion by B. divergens. Thus, we recommend evaluating T-REX of RBC variants that are B. divergens invasion-resistant: RBCs that are (1) M−, (2) S−, or (3) both M− and S−. By using only Babesia-resistant RBCs, T-REX eliminates the risk of unintentionally infusing Babesia-susceptible RBCs that might increase the severity of babesiosis. Because the T-REX variation of the conventional RBC exchange procedure is feasible, safe, and biologically plausible, we feel T-REX of Babesia-resistant RBCs should now be evaluated.
The Use of Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy in Neuroergonomics

Abstract Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is a wearable and portable brain-monitoring technology that tracks and monitors the cortical hemodynamic response using near-infrared light sources and detectors placed over the scalp. fNIRS measures the changes of cortical deoxygenated and oxygenated hemoglobin concentrations noninvasively and safely in ecologically valid settings. As such, fNIRS is an ideal tool for a diverse range of neuroergonomic applications that involve monitoring human brain activity in relation to behavioral performance in natural environments and everyday conditions. This rapidly evolving neuroimaging technology allows the design of miniaturized, battery-operated, wireless sensors that can be used to measure brain activity in ambulatory and field settings. This chapter discusses fNIRS principles and highlights various emerging application areas, such as the assessment of specialized operators performing standardized and complex cognitive tasks and the development of expertise during complex task practice.
catena-Poly[[[(acetato-κ2O,O′)aqua­cadmium(II)]-μ-l-threoninato-κ3N,O:O′] monohydrate]

The title compound, {[Cd(C2H3O2)(C4H8NO3)(H2O)]·H2O}n, was synthesized from the reaction between l-threonine and cadmium acetate dihydrate. The complex consists of the CdII metal ion bonded to bidentate threonine and acetate anions, and one water mol­ecule. The carboxyl­ate group of l-threonine bridges two metal cations related by the crystallographic screw axis parallel to [010], to form a one-dimensional polymeric structure in the crystal. The asymmetric unit is completed by one lattice water mol­ecule, which is involved in hydrogen bonds.
Beyond Individual-Level Theorizing in Social Norms Research: How Collective Norms and Media Access Affect Adolescents' Use of Contraception.

PURPOSE The role of mass media in promoting social norms surrounding contraceptive use among adolescents in developing countries has not received much attention. Hence, program planners have little guidance on how to design media messages that take advantage of existing social norms in promoting contraceptive use. METHODS We analyzed data from the Demographic and Health Surveys in Ethiopia and Tanzania, restricting our sample to 15- to 24 year-old adolescents (N = 6,230 and N = 5,138, respectively). We proposed and tested the hypotheses that collective norms around contraception use would be associated with individual contraception use in that area and that this relationship would be stronger when media use is low, than when media use is high. Logistic regressions were run to predict individual-level contraception use from collective norms for contraception use, media use, and their interaction, controlling for age, urban versus rural location, marital status, wealth, and education, taking into account intraclass correlations within clusters. RESULTS Collective norms were associated with individual contraception use in both samples. Media use attenuated the association between collective norms and contraception use in Ethiopia but not in Tanzania. (β = -.22, p = < .01 in Ethiopia and β = -.08, p = .10 in Tanzania). CONCLUSIONS Mass media can serve as external agents of change to attenuate the impact of collective norms on individual behavior. A deeper examination of how and why media use attenuates the relationship between collective norms and individual contraception use in some subpopulations more than others is warranted.