cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Wear of selected materials and composites sliding against MoS2 films

Abstract Improved vacuum deposition methods are now available to produce dense, suitably oriented, durable films of molybdenum disulfide on substrates appropriate for tribological applications. It is of interest to examine materials in sliding contact with such films in order to identify optimum combinations, and to improve further tribological performance of the system. Results of wear and friction measurements are presented on a number of materials including self-lubricating composites sliding against four different types of vacuum-deposited MoS 2 films. The testing program utilized a controlled environment, pin-on-ring tribometer, with load and speed conditions appropriate to a possible application. Differences in wear over four orders of magnitude, and friction up to a factor of seven times, were measured among the materials. One application area of interest for these material combinations would be as ball retainers in rolling element bearings for space satellite systems.
O2 plasma treatment of mesoporous and compact TiO2 photovoltaic films: Revealing and eliminating effects of Si incorporation

Abstract Radio frequency (13.56 MHz) O 2 plasmas were used to modify the surface of mesoporous and compact TiO 2 films. The effects of substrate location in the plasma, applied rf power, and plasma mode (pulsed or continuous wave) were explored. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, contact angle measurements, and scanning electron microscopy were used to characterize changes to the TiO 2 films. For mesoporous materials, O 2 plasma treatment was found to increase oxygen content in the films, but Si content increased with applied rf power as a result of sputtering and redeposition of Si species from the reactor walls. XPS depth profiling using ion sputtering as well as O 2 plasma treatment of dyed materials revealed that Si was deposited throughout the mesoporous network, not as a surface SiO 2 layer. Pulsing the plasma with pulse duty cycles
Diversion and Net Widening: A Cost-Savings Assessment

Among the rationales used in promoting juvenile diversion is cost savings. This rationale is based on the assumption that diversion handling is less expensive than formal justice processing and that diversion reduces the number of cases handled by the formal system. To date, the few available results concerning diversion's cost savings are fragmented and inconclusive. Although diversion handling has been found to be less costly, it has also been shown that diversion increases the overall number of youth subject to court supervision and control. Diversion's capacity to "widen the net " has been ignored in previous cost studies. This article assesses the feasible cost savings associated with statewide imple mentation of diversionary arbitration programs in Florida and includes consideration of the programs' capacities to wide the client net.
An N-aroyltransferase of the BAHD superfamily has broad aroyl CoA specificity in vitro with analogues of N-dearoylpaclitaxel

The native N-debenzoyl-2'-deoxypaclitaxel:N-benzoyltransferase (NDTBT), from Taxus plants, transfers a benzoyl group from the corresponding CoA thioester to the amino group of the beta-phenylalanine side chain of N-debenzoyl-2'-deoxypaclitaxel, which is purportedly on the paclitaxel (Taxol) biosynthetic pathway. To elucidate the substrate specificity of NDTBT overexpressed in Escherichia coli, the purified enzyme was incubated with semisynthetically derived N-debenzoyltaxoid substrates and aroyl CoA donors (benzoyl; ortho-, meta-, and para-substituted benzoyls; various heterole carbonyls; alkanoyls; and butenoyl), which were obtained from commercial sources or synthesized via a mixed anhydride method. Several unnatural N-aroyl-N-debenzoyl-2'-deoxypaclitaxel analogues were biocatalytically assembled with catalytic efficiencies (V(max)/K(M)) ranging between 0.15 and 1.74 nmol.min(-1).mM(-1). In addition, several N-acyl-N-debenzoylpaclitaxel variants were biosynthesized when N-debenzoylpaclitaxel and N-de(tert-butoxycarbonyl)docetaxel (i.e., 10-deacetyl-N-debenzoylpaclitaxel) were used as substrates. The relative velocity (v(rel)) for NDTBT with the latter two N-debenzoyl taxane substrates ranged between approximately 1% and 200% for the array of aroyl CoAs compared to benzoyl CoA. Interestingly, NDTBT transferred hexanoyl, acetyl, and butyryl more rapidly than butenoyl or benzoyl from the CoA donor to taxanes with isoserinoyl side chains, whereas N-debenzoyl-2'-deoxypaclitaxel was more rapidly converted to its N-benzoyl derivative than to its N-alkanoyl or N-butenoyl congeners. Biocatalytic N-acyl transfer of novel acyl groups to the amino functional group of N-debenzoylpaclitaxel and its 2'-deoxy precursor reveal the surprisingly indiscriminate specificity of this transferase. This feature of NDTBT potentially provides a tool for alternative biocatalytic N-aroylation/alkanoylation to construct next generation taxanes or other novel bioactive diterpene compounds.
Hamiltonian SU(N) lattice gauge theories with exact vacuum states in 2+1 dimensions.

We investigate (2+1)-dimensional Hamiltonian lattice gauge theory using a class of Hamiltonians having exactly known vacuum states. These theories are shown to have a wide range of possible classical continuum limits which differ from that of the standard Kogut-Susskind Hamiltonian. This conclusion is at variance with some previously published results. We examine the quantum continuum behavior of these theories by both analytic and numerical methods including plaquette space integration and standard Monte Carlo techniques. String tension and variational estimates for the {ital J}{sup {ital P}{ital C}}=0{sup ++} glueball spectra are presented for SU(3). We find that in spite of the wide range of classical behavior predicted, these theories correspond to only two distinct quantum systems in the weak coupling limit. One of these quantum limits gives string tensions and glueball states which show scaling in weak coupling which agrees with the perturbative prediction for the (2+1)-dimensional problem.
A Study of the Birth Weight of Calves

The marked variations in the size of calves at birth has attracted the attention of all close observing cattle breeders. Such observations naturally raise questions concerning the extent and cause of such variations, as well as their possible significance from the standpoint of the future welfare of the animal. A limited hanount of data on this subject have been reported by Beach (1), Henry and Morrison (2), and Eckles (3). The new data to be represented were taken under the supervision of the author, and represent those accumulated during a period of twelve years from the dairy herd owned by the University of Missouri. The animals included were all pure bred and registered. The Holsteins and A yrshires represented lines of breeding common in prominent herds and are considered to be entirely typical of the breeds. The Jerseys were of the line of breeding generally known as the American type, although, some of the younger animals represent one-fourth or one-half of the blood of those lines of breeding known as the Island Type. The dairy Shorthorns were registered Shorthorns and represent the extreme dairy type of this breed. The lines of breeding represented, however, are among those used in the very best known herds of this breed. Unfortunately, the Guernsey breed is not represented in this herd and consequently no data are available. For the past twelve years each calf dropped in the Um'versity of Missouri herd has been weighed soon after birth, usually within five hours. The dams have been weighed, under conditions as
Tables of Poisson Sums of Normal Variables

Abstract The cumulative distribution function of the sum of n normal variables is examined where n is Poisson distributed. Some properties of this function are discussed along with some approximations. Tables of the c.d.f. are given for λ = 1/20, 1/15, 1/10, 1/5, 1/4, 1/3, 1/2, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 15, and 20 where λ is the Poisson parameter and the normal distribution has mean zero and unit variance.
Informational masking increases the costs of monitoring multiple channels

This study examined the costs of simultaneously monitoring two frequency regions. Listeners detected low- and high-frequency tones in a 2I4AFC procedure. On every trial, each signal was presented in either the first or second interval independently. Comparison of thresholds in single- and dual-signal conditions provided an estimate of the costs. Thresholds were obtained in quiet, in notched-filtered noise, and in randomized multitone maskers. No cost was found in quiet, whereas large costs were found for the masked conditions, especially for the multitone masker. These results suggest that costs of dividing attention in frequency depend on both signal and nonsignal channels.
Locality-Driven Parallel Static Analysis for Power Delivery Networks

Large VLSI on-chip Power Delivery Networks (PDNs) are challenging to analyze due to the sheer network complexity. In this article, a novel parallel partitioning-based PDN analysis approach is presented. We use the boundary circuit responses of each partition to divide the full grid simulation problem into a set of independent subgrid simulation problems. Instead of solving exact boundary circuit responses, a more efficient scheme is proposed to provide near-exact approximation to the boundary circuit responses by exploiting the spatial locality of the flip-chip-type power grids. This scheme is also used in a block-based iterative error reduction process to achieve fast convergence. Detailed computational cost analysis and performance modeling is carried out to determine the optimal (or near-optimal) number of partitions for parallel implementation. Through the analysis of several large power grids, the proposed approach is shown to have excellent parallel efficiency, fast convergence, and favorable scalability. Our approach can solve a 16-million-node power grid in 18 seconds on an IBM p5-575 processing node with 16 Power5+ processors, which is 18.8X faster than a state-of-the-art direct solver.
Microbore reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic purification of peptides for combined chemical sequencing-laser-desorption mass spectrometric analysis

Abstract An optimized microbore RP-HPLC system (1.0 mm I.D. columns) for the purification of low picomole amounts (
Family structure and children's use of ambulatory physician services.

The purpose of this article is to examine children's use of ambulatory physician services in relation to three dimensions of family life: maternal employment, single-parent versus two-parent households, and the presence of a nuclear or extended family. Data from the National Medical Care Expenditure
π-Bonding contributions in the chemisorption of oxygen onto non-polar compound semiconductor surfaces

Abstract A molecular orbital description for the chemisorption of atomic oxygen onto non-polar surfaces of compound semiconductors shows that π - as well as sp 3 -based σ-bonding interactions are involved. By analogy with the bonding of terminal oxygen atoms in the molecules AsOF 3 , P 4 O 10 and POBr 3 , we conclude that the π -bonding can be described as an overlap between oxygen p-orbitals and unoccupied d-orbitals of the semiconductor surface atom (e.g., the arsenic atom on a (110) surface of GaAs). This shortens the bond-length by approximately 0.2A, and increases the bond-energy by about 13% for GaAs:O, and as much as 26% for GaP:O or InP:O. This type of surface bonding should occur in the III–V phosphides and arsenides, and perhaps for reconstructed Si surfaces, and ionic semiconductors such as ZnS and ZnSe.
Magnesium chloride supported high mileage catalysts for olefin (decene‐l) polymerization XIV. Propagation and chain transfer

Decene-l was polymerized with the MgCl2/ethylebenzoate/p-cresol/AIEt3/TiCl4-AlEt3/methyl-p-toluate catalyst at 50° using an A/T ratio of 167 and a range of monomer concentration. The concentration of the two kinds of active sites are [Ti] = 12% and [Ti] = 4% of the total titanium. The rate constants of propagation are 24 M−1 s−1. Chain transfers to AIEt3, monomer, and by β-hydride elimination have rate constant values of 1.7 × 10−3 M−1 s−1, 1.34 × 10−2 M−1 s−1, and 1.7 × 10−2 s−1, respectively. Poly(decene-l) have relatively narrow MW which are unchanged during the course of a polymerization. Therefore, the active site concentrations in the CW catalyst for propylene and decene polymerization are identical and their rate constant values agree within a factor of 2. However, the rate of decene polymerization depends on fractional order of monomer concentration and decreases with the increase of activator concentration. Furthermore, the formation of metal polymer bonds has a rate independent of these concentrations. These kinetic behaviors are a manifestation of absorption processes of these species which are not seen in propylene polymerizations.
Toward an artificial eye

Computer engineering, ophthalmology, and biology are uniting in an effort to bring sight to the blind. The research tracks are now clear, and different types of electronic prostheses should be appearing by the year 2010.
Role of Pulmonary Inflammation in the Pathology of Pneumocystis carinii Pneumonia † 932

Pneumocystis carinii is an opportunistic pulmonary pathogen that infects individuals suffering from a variety of immunodeficiencies. Interestingly, the pathological severity of P. carinii pneumonia(PCP) correlates more closely with pulmonary markers of inflammation than with organism burden. Therefore, physiological studies were undertaken to determine the extent to which the host inflammatory response contributes to lung injury and respiratory impairment during PCP. Scid mice lack functional lymphocytes and are exquisitely sensitive to infection by P. carinii. However, adoptive transfer of spleen cells (reconstitution) from immunocompetent animals to P. carinii-infected scid mice initiates a focal, cytokine-dependent inflammatory response at sites of infection. To determine the effects of the P. carinii-driven inflammatory response on pulmonary function, dynamic compliance and arterial blood gases were measured. Eight-week-old P. carinii-infected scid mice exhibited neither pulmonary inflammation, nor decreased pulmonary compliance or oxygenation as compared to P. carinii-free controls (Compliance = 1.11 ±.080 vs 1.10 ±.091 ml/cmH2O/kg; PaO2 = 88 ± 7.4 vs 97 ± 3.3). However, similarly infected, reconstituted littermates mounted an intense pulmonary inflammatory response and demonstrated significantly decreased pulmonary compliance (0.74 ±.092 mg/cmH2O/kg) and oxygenation(PaO2 = 71 ± 7.4). Furthermore, reconstituted scid mice also showed significant whole body wasting as compared to non-reconstituted littermates (15.7 ± 2.0 vs 19.4 ± 1.6 g body weight). This is likely a consequence of the increased TNF-α production observed in the lungs of infected scid mice after reconstitution. These observations provide direct experimental evidence that the host inflammatory response can impair respiratory function during PCP.
Herpes simplex virus DNA identification from aqueous fluid in Fuchs heterochromic iridocyclitis.

Abstract PURPOSE: To report the presence of herpes simplex virus DNA in the aqueous humor of an eye with Fuchs heterochromic iridocyclitis. METHODS: In an eye with a clinical diagnosis of Fuchs heterochromic iridocyclitis, samples of aqueous humor and anterior capsule of the lens were obtained during cataract surgery. Polymerase chain reaction was performed on the samples to detect the presence of viral DNA including herpes simplex virus, varicella-zoster virus, and cytomegalovirus. Serologic analysis was also performed for antiviral immunoglobulins. RESULTS: Herpes simplex virus DNA was identified in the aqueous humor but not in the anterior capsule. Serum immunoglobulin G was positive for herpes simplex virus, varicella-zoster virus, and cytomegalovirus. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of herpes simplex virus DNA in the aqueous humor of an eye with Fuchs heterochromic iridocyclitis suggests that herpes simplex virus infection may play a role in the pathogenesis of Fuchs heterochromic iridocyclitis.
The (3He, 6He) reaction on 6Li and 7Li

Abstract Energy spectra of 6 He from the reactions 6 Li( 3 He, 6 He)3p and 7 Li( 3 He, 6 He) 4 Li have been measured at 14.1° for a 3 He bombarding energy of 53.2 MeV. No evidence is found either for a T = 3 2 state in the triproton system or for a T = 2 state in 4 Li.
The human photoreceptor rim protein gene (ABCR) : genomic structure and primer set information for mutation analysis

Rim protein (RmP) is an integral membrane glycoprotein localized to the rims of photoreceptor outer-segment discs. It belongs to the ABC transporter superfamily, but its function in the retina has not been determined. The gene for human RmP (ABCR) is affected in several recessively inherited human retinal degenerations, including Stargardt’s macular dystrophy, retinitis pigmentosa, and cone-rod dystrophy. The complete structure of ABCR has not been determined. Here, we report the cloning of the human ABCR gene and present its complete intron-exon structure. The gene contains 50 exons that range in size from 33 to 406 bp. Almost all of the splice junctions follow the AG/GT rule. We have identified the site of transcription initiation by 5′ RACE. The first several hundred bases upstream of the transcription unit are relatively conserved between mouse and human and contain several predicted cis-regulatory elements including a TATA-like box at –27 bp, and two Ret-4-like elements that reportedly confer photoreceptor-specific gene expression. We also present a complete set of tested oligonucleotide primers for the amplification and analysis of exons 1–50 by the polymerase chain reaction. These data should help with the identification of new disease-causing mutations in ABCR.
InSb as a γ-ray detector

Abstract The III-V semiconductor InSb has the potential for being a superior γ-ray detector, with a possible improvement over Ge by the factors: resolution, 2 ×; peak-to-Compton ratio, 12 ×; efficiency (per mole), 9 ×. Recent availability of “intrinsic” InSb, coupled with pulse-height discrimination techniques to overcome geometrical dependence on charge collection, makes it feasible to investigate the practicality of this material for producing detectors. We discuss its advantages and disadvantages.
Malignant transformation of hamster embryo fibroblasts following exposure to ultraviolet-irradiated human cytomegalovirus.

Following exposure to ultraviolet-irradiated cytomegalovirus, clones of noncontact inhibited hamster embryo fibroblasts were isolated. A continuous cell line (Cx-90-3B) was established from one of these clones which proved oncogenic when inoculated into weanling golden Syrian hamsters. Cytomegalovirus antigens could be demonstrated in the cytoplasm and on the surface of Cx-90-3B cells using human convalescent sera. Furthermore, serum from tumor bearing animals was shown to contain antibody to cytomegalovirus specified antigens. These observations are similar to those previously reported for herpes simplex viruses and represent the first demonstration that human cytomegalovirus has transforming potential in mammalian cells.
Dental remains of Equatorius africanus from Kipsaramon, Tugen Hills, Baringo District, Kenya.

Forty-one isolated large hominoid teeth, as well as most of the mandibular and three maxillary teeth associated with a partial skeleton, were recovered from middle Miocene Muruyur sediments near Kipsaramon in the Tugen Hills, Baringo District, Kenya. The isolated teeth were collected as surface finds and the skeleton was excavated in situ at locality BPRP#122 dated between 15.58 Ma and 15.36 Ma. The majority of the teeth recovered at BPRP#122 are referable to a minimum of five individuals of the hominoid Equatorius africanus. Three of the teeth, however, are provisionally assigned to Nyanzapithecus sp. The new hominoids from Kipsaramon add to an increasing inventory of specimens that suggest greater large hominoid taxonomic diversity from the middle Miocene of Kenya than was previously recognized. It is suggested that there are two large-bodied hominoid species present at Mabako, only one of which is assignable to Equatorius.
Input Shaping Design for Multi-Input Flexible Systems

This paper investigates a new design technique of input shaping fiftcrs for multi-input flexible systems using convex optimization synthesis techniques for finite impulse response filters (FIR filters). The objective of the input shaping filter design is to find the minimum length and the minimum number of nonzero impulses of the FIR filter that forces the system to track the reference command without any residual vibration, while satisfying additional performance and control constraints. This multi-objective optimization is solved using a two-step algorithm that sequentially solves two quasi-convex optimization problems. Compared with previously published nonlinear optimization approaches, this new approach does not require a priori knowledge of the forms of input shaping filters and enables much greater flexibility for including additional performance and robustness objectives. Furthermore, this convex-based approach can be applied to multi-input systems. The multiple input shaping filter has been experimentally verified on the Stanford University Two-Link Flexible Manipulator.
Mind the Data Gap: Identifying and Assessing Drivers of Changing Eutrophication Condition

This study identified drivers of change in Barnegat Bay–Little Egg Harbor Estuary, NJ, USA over multiple long-term time periods by developing an assessment tool (an “Eutrophication Index”) capable of handling data gaps and identifying the condition of and relationships between ecosystem pressures, ecosystem state, and biotic responses. The Eutrophication Index integrates 15 indicators in 3 components: (1) water quality, (2) light availability, and (3) seagrass response. Annual quantitative assessments of condition and its consistency for three geographic segments range from 0 (highly degraded) to 100 (excellent condition). Eutrophication Index values significantly declined (p 1,200 and 100 and <250 kg TP km−2 year−1, values similar to responses of seagrass to nutrient loading in many ecosystems. While nutrient loading is initially a critical driver of ecosystem change, other factors, e.g., light availability and drive ecosystem condition, yield nonlinearity. Empirical evidence for switches in the driving factors of ecosystem stress adds complexity to the conceptualization of ecosystem resiliency due to feedback from multiple dynamic, nonlinear stressors.
DIFFERENTIAL EMISSION MEASURE ANALYSIS OF A POLAR CORONAL HOLE DURING THE SOLAR MINIMUM IN 2007

We have performed a differential emission measure (DEM) analysis for a polar coronal hole observed during solar minimum in 2007. Five observations are analyzed spanning the coronal hole from the central meridian to the boundary with the quiet-Sun corona. The observed heights ranged from 1.05 to 1.20 R ☉. The analysis shows that the plasma is not strictly isothermal anywhere, but rather has a high-temperature component that extends up to log T(K) = 6.2-6.3. The size and importance of this component depend on location, and its evolving magnitude with height marks the boundary between the coronal hole and the quiet corona, where it becomes dominant. The DEM of the coronal hole plasma below log T(K) = 6.0 decreases faster with height than that of the high-temperature component. We discuss the possible nature of the high-temperature component. Our results highlight the potential limitations of isothermal analyses. Such methods actually measure a DEM-weighted average temperature and as a result can infer artificial temperature gradients. Assuming the gas is isothermal along the line of sight can also yield incorrect electron densities. By revealing structures along the line of sight, a DEM analysis can also be used to more reliably interpret electron temperature and density measurements.
Channel Estimation and Detection for Single-Carrier and Multi-carrier Systems

In this paper, we develop robust estimation and detection schemes that explicitly account for channel and covariance matrix estimation errors by optimizing the worst-case performance over properly selected bounded uncertainty sets. We show that it is beneficial to refine the channel and covariance matrix estimates over properly chosen bounded uncertainty sets centered on the prior channel and covariance matrix estimates. Numerical results show that an improved performance is achieved by using the proposed robust approaches over the ones that ignore the prior estimation errors.
The Dying Patient and the Double-Bind Hypothesis:

The double-bind hypothesis is applied to the communication patterns surrounding the dying patient. Significant others emit incongruent verbal and nonverbal messages as they attempt to conceal the patient's impending death. Most attempts to conceal are misguided and futile not only because most dying patients suspect and/or want to know the truth, but also because the management of a host of verbal and nonverbal cues is virtually impossible. The potential for psychologically destructive social interactions is documented by drawing parallels with the schizophrenogenic double bind situation. Staff efforts should go into revealing rather than concealing the truth.
Detecting Application Denial-of-Service Attacks: A Group-Testing-Based Approach

Application DoS attack, which aims at disrupting application service rather than depleting the network resource, has emerged as a larger threat to network services, compared to the classic DoS attack. Owing to its high similarity to legitimate traffic and much lower launching overhead than classic DDoS attack, this new assault type cannot be efficiently detected or prevented by existing detection solutions. To identify application DoS attack, we propose a novel group testing (GT)-based approach deployed on back-end servers, which not only offers a theoretical method to obtain short detection delay and low false positive/negative rate, but also provides an underlying framework against general network attacks. More specifically, we first extend classic GT model with size constraints for practice purposes, then redistribute the client service requests to multiple virtual servers embedded within each back-end server machine, according to specific testing matrices. Based on this framework, we propose a two-mode detection mechanism using some dynamic thresholds to efficiently identify the attackers. The focus of this work lies in the detection algorithms proposed and the corresponding theoretical complexity analysis. We also provide preliminary simulation results regarding the efficiency and practicability of this new scheme. Further discussions over implementation issues and performance enhancements are also appended to show its great potentials.
Modeling studies of landfalling atmospheric rivers and orographic precipitation over northern California

This study investigated a slow-moving long-wave trough that brought four Atmospheric Rivers (AR) “episodes” within a week to the U.S. West Coast from 28 November to 3 December 2012, bringing over 500 mm to some coastal locations. The highest 6- and 12-hourly rainfall rates (131 and 195 mm, respectively) over northern California occurred during Episode 2 along the windward slopes of the coastal Santa Lucia Mountains. Surface observations from NOAA’s Hydrometeorological Testbed sites in California, available GPS Radio Occultation (RO) vertical profiles from the Constellation Observing System for Meteorology Ionosphere and Climate (COSMIC) satellite mission were both assimilated into WRF-ARW via eight combinations of observation nudging, grid nudging, and 3DVAR to improve the upstream moisture characteristics and quantitative precipitation forecast (QPF) during this event. Results during the 6-hourly rainfall maximum period in Episode 2 revealed that the models underestimated the observed 6-hourly rainfall rate maximum on the windward slopes of the Santa Lucia mountain range. The grid-nudging experiments smoothed out finer mesoscale details in the inner domain that may affect the final QPFs. Overall, the experiments that did not use grid nudging were more accurate in terms of less mean absolute error. In the time evolution of the accumulated rainfall forecast, the observation nudging experiment that included RAOB and COSMIC GPS RO data demonstrated results with the least error for the north central Coastal Range and the 3DVAR cold-start experiment demonstrated the least error for the windward Sierra Nevada. The experiment that combined 3DVAR cold start, observation nudging, and grid nudging showed the most error in the rainfall forecasts. Results from this study further suggest that including surface observations at frequencies less than 3 h for observation nudging and having cycling intervals less than 3 h for 3DVAR cycling would be more beneficial for short-to-medium range mesoscale QPFs during high-impact AR events over northern California.
Departmental use of perfusion crisis management drills: 2002 survey results.

Serious complications during the performance of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) are an infrequent event. However, when potentially fatal technical complications, such as oxygenator or pump failure, do occur, it necessitates a swift and well-co-ordinated response. Periodic performances of drills that simulate various CPB crises are a way to improve individual perfusionist proficiency during disaster situations. The purpose of this study is to determine the utilization of crisis management drills in perfusion departments. Every open-heart program listed by the American Hospital Association in the New England states (Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut) and New York were contacted by telephone. Of the 61 contacted, 59 participated for a response rate of 97%. Demographically, the survey represents 312 perfusionists and 47 227 cases annually. While 97% of the perfusion departments believed that regular practice and performance of crisis management drills would improve individua...
The Earth's hum: the excitation of Earth normal modes by ocean waves

SUMMARY The recent discovery that the seismic normal modes of the Earth are excited to a nearly constant level during seismically quiet days (‘the hum of the Earth’) has lead to much speculation as to what drives the observed background in the absence of large earthquakes. Other authors have shown that the hum cannot be explained by the many small earthquakes occurring each day and have also precluded excitation by ‘slow’ earthquakes as the source. The non-linear interaction of low frequency ocean waves (infragravity waves) generates high phase velocity components that excite the seismic normal modes of the Earth. I show the forcing of the normal modes of the Earth by infragravity waves interacting over the continental shelves and over the deep ocean basins is sufficient to explain the background seismic acceleration spectrum observed during seismically quiet days. Atmospheric turbulence is shown to be a negligible source of the Earth’s hum. Observations suggesting enhanced spectral levels for two seismic modes that couple strongly with atmospheric modes (0S27 and 0S39) have been cited as evidence that the source of the hum lies in the atmosphere. However, the wave interaction mechanism also couples energy into infrasound and thus may explain these observations. A calculation of the coupling between ocean waves and normal modes expected from ocean waves interacting over the shelves reproduces the vertical acceleration spectrum observed at quiet seismic sites from 2 to 40 mHz including the small ‘hump’ between 5 and 15 mHz and the observed rise at higher frequencies. The model diverges above 40 mHz because the ‘single frequency’ microseism peak is generated by a different mechanism. The shape of the hum spectrum is controlled primarily by the elastic properties of the Earth with the attenuation structure controlling mode amplitudes. A second calculation shows the excitation of Earth’s normal modes by infragravity waves interacting over the deep ocean basins can also explain the observed spectrum of the Earth’s hum. Infragravity waves are less energetic and the forcing mechanism weaker over deep water, but the integrative effect of forcing over a large area offsets the weaker forcing per unit area. It is likely that both pelagic and shelf ocean wave sources contribute significantly to the forcing of the Earth’s hum and both coastal and pelagic source regions have been identified using seismic techniques. Infragravity wave spectra in deep water over the Pacific basin vary little, thus explaining the small variation in the hum that is observed. However, time varying source regions are also observed in the hum, and may be best explained by intense near shore sources. The great similarity between the spectra predicted from continental shelf forcing and from forcing over the deep ocean basins precludes discriminating between coastal and pelagic sources based on the shape of the spectrum. A more complete knowledge of the climatology of infragravity waves coupled with better seismic observations are needed to resolve this question.
Transcoding GIF images to JPEG-LS

We investigate transcoding of GIF images to JPEG-LS, the new lossless image compression standard. A straight forward conversion can lead to file sizes that are significantly larger than the size of the corresponding GIF file. We show that suitable reordering of the color table leads to file sizes significantly smaller than those required by the GIF format.
Research Spotlight: The next big thing is actually small.

Recent developments in materials, surface modifications, separation schemes, detection systems and associated instrumentation have allowed significant advances in the performance of lab-on-a-chip devices. These devices, also referred to as micro total analysis systems (µTAS), offer great versatility, high throughput, short analysis time, low cost and, more importantly, performance that is comparable to standard bench-top instrumentation. To date, µTAS have demonstrated advantages in a significant number of fields including biochemical, pharmaceutical, military and environmental. Perhaps most importantly, µTAS represent excellent platforms to introduce students to microfabrication and nanotechnology, bridging chemistry with other fields, such as engineering and biology, enabling the integration of various skills and curricular concepts. Considering the advantages of the technology and the potential impact to society, our research program aims to address the need for simpler, more affordable, faster and por...
Why so few women in STEM: The role of social coping

Even though there is gradual increase in their participation, women are still underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. In the 21st century where global economy and national security needs STEM expertise more than ever, the field is not benefiting from the talent of half of the population in the world; women. While many factors are suggested to be potential barriers for women's participation in STEM fields, this paper considers the chilly climate of STEM fields and presents the role of social coping for the success of undergraduate women in STEM educational environment. The findings show that undergraduate women reported greater use of social coping than did men. It is also found that social coping is a better predictor of commitment for women than it is for men. This has implication for the male-dominated, highly impersonal and individualistic culture of STEM fields. Therefore, STEM fields should consider this in creating more collaborative and comfortable environment for women to better participate, retain and succeed in these fields.
Natural Antimicrobials ε-Poly-l-lysine and Nisin A for Control of Oral Microflora

The present study aims to examine the efficacy of the natural antimicrobial e-poly-l-lysine against Streptococcus mutans and against total aerobic oral microflora, alone and in combination with the natural antimicrobial peptide nisin. In in vitro studies, natural antimicrobials nisin A and e-poly-l-lysine synergized in their action against S. mutans, leading to the microorganism’s full inhibition, while having a less inhibitory effect on total aerobic oral microbiota.
Short-term weight loss with diet and physical activity in young adults: The IDEA study

Background Few studies have examined the effect of a behavioral weight loss intervention (BWLI) on young adults (age = 18 to 35 years).
The end of red rubber: a reassessment

The African rubber boom, which lasted from 1890 to 1913, had a significant economic and political impact on many parts of Africa. While the broad outlines of the boom were determined by the world market, the numerous local and regional variations were influenced more by the depletion of the rubber supplies. The factors that influenced the depletion varied according to whether the region in question was a free trade area or a concession area.The end of the notorious concession companies in the Congo Independent State has generally been attributed to the efforts of English and Belgian reformers. Recent research on Abir, a major Congo concession company, has revealed that attempts at reform were ineffective, and that exhaustion of the of the rubber supplies had caused the rubber system in the Abir concession to break down by 1906, when serious debate on the Congo question was just beginning in Europe.The article shows how the Abir system, which was designed to constantly increase production, led to depletion of the rubber resources. When the depleted areas merged, the territory passed into a period of crisis during which Abir lost control and production plummeted. Production figures for other Congo concession companies suggest that events in their territories followed a similar pattern.
Enantioselective Total Synthesis and Studies into the Configurational Stability of Bismurrayaquinone A

Lost in rotation: the concise strategy of the first enantioselective total synthesis of bismurrayaquinone A utilized traceless stereochemical exchange to form an enantioenriched biphenyl core that was elaborated in a bidirectional manner to the natural product. Observed racemization on an unsuccessful initial route prompted studies into the configurational stability of bismurrayaquinone A and related biquinones.
Event driven timeline displays: beyond message lists in human-intelligent system interaction

One aspect of human-intelligent system cooperation is the set of mechanisms that help the human track the intelligent system's assessment, recommendations, or actions with regard to the monitored process. The deficiencies of message lists for this purpose are outlined, and alternatives are discussed. The first step is to recognize that message lists are just one instance of temporally organized displays of information. A generic timeline display for event-driven applications such as human-intelligent system interaction in fault management is presented. In this domain, the cognitive task is to track and understand the sequence of events following a fault. This includes automatic and manual activities to ensure safety and intelligent system situation assessments, diagnoses, and recommended corrective actions in relation to the events in the monitored process. >
Intraspecific brood parasitism as a conditional reproductive tactic in the treehopper Publilia concava

In species exhibiting egg guarding as well as communal egg laying, females may adopt the strategy of laying eggs in the nests of conspecifics and leaving without providing care (termed intraspecific brood parasitism). This study is the first to describe such a behavior in the insect Publilia concava (Hemiptera: Membracidae) through field studies that followed 849 marked females across 1,828 brood associations. While brood parasitism increased the total number of eggs in a host brood, it did not reduce the overall hatching success of host broods. Solitary females exhibited a range of guarding durations while parasitic females rarely remained to guard eggs. Females exhibiting the parasitic tactic increased their lifetime number of clutches without decreasing the number of solitary clutches that they were able to initiate. Estimates of egg number for these individual broods revealed that females adopting the parasitic tactic (in addition to solitary breeding) had higher lifetime fecundity relative to females that did not parasitize. In females that exhibited both tactics (solitary and parasitic), the parasitic tactic yielded a higher rate of oviposition. The major component of oviposition rate was the time to find hosts and this time decreased with increasing host availability across 222 replicate groups. Females exhibited a shift toward the parasitic tactic when host broods were more abundant (i.e. in larger groups and later in the season). However, the time to find hosts increased as the frequency of the parasitic tactic increased, suggesting that this tactic may be maintained through negative frequency dependence. The results of this study suggest that brood parasitism may be the preferred tactic, as part of a conditional strategy, when hosts are readily available with solitary breeding being the preferred tactic when hosts are in short supply.
Chromatin and Transcription in Yeast

Understanding the mechanisms by which chromatin structure controls eukaryotic transcription has been an intense area of investigation for the past 25 years. Many of the key discoveries that created the foundation for this field came from studies of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, including the discovery of the role of chromatin in transcriptional silencing, as well as the discovery of chromatin-remodeling factors and histone modification activities. Since that time, studies in yeast have continued to contribute in leading ways. This review article summarizes the large body of yeast studies in this field.
Print-Speech Convergence Predicts Future Reading Outcomes in Early Readers

Becoming a skilled reader requires building a functional neurocircuitry for printed-language processing that integrates with spoken-language-processing networks. In this longitudinal study, functional MRI (fMRI) was used to examine convergent activation for printed and spoken language (print-speech coactivation) in selected regions implicated in printed-language processing (the reading network). We found that print-speech coactivation across the left-hemisphere reading network in beginning readers predicted reading achievement 2 years later beyond the effects of brain activity for either modality alone; moreover, coactivation effects accounted for variance in later reading after controlling for initial reading performance. Within the reading network, effects of coactivation were significant in bilateral inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and left inferior parietal cortex and fusiform gyrus. The contribution of left and right IFG differed, with more coactivation in left IFG predicting better achievement but more coactivation in right IFG predicting poorer achievement. Findings point to the centrality of print-speech convergence in building an efficient reading circuitry in children.
Single-Blind, Randomized, Controlled Clinical Trial of Exercise in Ambulatory Spinal Muscular Atrophy: Why are the Results Negative?

Background The benefits of exercise on long-term health and well-being are well established. The possible benefits of exercise in Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) have not been explored in a controlled clinical trial format. Objective To assess the effects of exercise on measures of function, strength, and exercise capacity in ambulatory SMA patients. Methods Fourteen participants, ages 10-48 years, were randomized to control and exercise cohorts after a 1 month lead-in period. The exercise group received 6 months of intervention. Thereafter, both groups received the intervention for the remaining 12 months. Participants were monitored for a total of 19 months. Exercise included individualized home-based cycling and strengthening. The primary outcome measure was distance walked during the six-minute walk test (6MWT). Secondary outcomes included strength, function, exercise capacity, quality of life and fatigue. Results Twelve participants completed the first 7 months of the study, and 9 completed all 19 months. At baseline, the groups were similar on all clinical variables. There were no group changes at any time point in the 6MWT, fatigue, or function. Percent-predicted VO2 max improved 4.9% in all participants in 6 months (p = 0.036) (n = 10). Conclusion Daily exercise is safe in ambulatory SMA and should be encouraged. We did not uncover any deleterious effects on strength, function, or fatigue. Our study documented a reduction in oxidative capacity and a blunted conditioning response to exercise possibly representing an important insight into underlying pathophysiological mechanisms. These findings also may be linked causally to mitochondrial depletion in SMA and warrant further study.
Asset Exchange with Search Frictions and Costly Information Acquisition

This paper characterizes conditions under which centralized and decentralized markets (CM/DM) co-exist for asset trading. The asset payoff and trading motive are seller's private information. CM is immune to search frictions, but suffers from adverse selection. DM with bilateral trading may emerge since buyers acquire costly information on asset payoff, and offer a trading menu different from that by uninformed buyers. As matching efficiency in DM increases and the information cost decreases, more trade migrates from CM with adverse selection to DM with search frictions. We use the model to address the heterogeneous welfare effect of a government asset purchase program.
Stimulant Pharmacotherapy for Adults with ADHD

This chapter is a review of stimulant treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults, drawing on the clinical literature, emerging guidelines on the topic, and clinical experience. The chapter includes a practical approach to initiating therapy and recommendations on monitoring for effectiveness and for adverse effects. Special emphasis is given to the cardiovascular impact of stimulants and related clinical recommendations.
The Pediatric Infectious Diseases Developmental Screening Test 2.0

Wholesale revision of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Developmental Screening Test (PIDDST) was imperative, given the sea change that has occurred in academic medicine and subspecialty practice in the last two decades. The PIDDST 2.0 tracks expected milestones along the continuum from fellow to full professor in today's complex health care environment. Effective use of this instrument in training programs and pediatric departments could help shape the future of the field.
Evaluation of a non-linear turbulence model using mixed volume unstructured grids

The performance of a newly-developed, non-linear K—e turbulence model is evaluated using a three-dimensional mixed volume unstructured Navier-Stokes solver. This non-linear turbulence model is aimed at improving the accuracy of turbulent swirling and/or rotating flow calculations. A turbulent rotating pipe now, a confined swirling coaxial jet flow, and a non-swirling backward facing step flow were computed for model evaluation. The step flow was also used for studying unstructured grid sensitivity issues. For the rotating pipe flow, a significant improvement was made with this non-linear turbulence model in predicting the fully developed swirling velocity profiles compared to the standard K — e model. For confined swirling coaxial jet flow, the non-linear model gives better flow features at the downstream of the recirculation zone. The grid sensitivity study for the step flow shows that both quadrilateral and triangular meshes can predict reasonably good results if the grid resolution is carefully arranged near the high gradient region.