cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Analysis of Feasible Tire Force Regions for Optimal Tire Force Allocation with Limited Actuation

Formulations for optimal tire force allocation find a set of tire forces over four wheels that satisfies specific allocation objectives. To actually realize this optimal set of forces on the four tires, the solution of these formulations has to exist within feasible tire force regions of the four wheels for a given actuation layout. If a wheel has steering, driving, and braking actuators, the feasible tire force region can be assumed to be the entire area within the tire's friction capability. If there are any limits on actuation, however, the feasible tire force region is restricted to a certain area. This paper presents how to describe this region mathematically as a constraint of the optimal tire force allocation formulation. With reasonable assumptions, the boundary of the feasible tire force region can be approximated by an ellipse and circle for a wheel with steering and braking actuators. If the optimal tire force allocation formulation is designed as a convex optimization problem, the boundary expressions using the ellipse and circle can be adopted as constraints without loss of the convexity of the allocation formulation. Experimental results show that the optimal tire force allocation formulation with feasible tire force region constraints results in a set of tire forces that can actually be realized by the given actuation layout.
Beyond Neutralizing Antibody Levels: The Epitope Specificity of Antibodies Induced by National Institutes of Health Monovalent Dengue Virus Vaccines.

Background Dengue virus is an emerging mosquito-borne flavivirus responsible for considerable morbidity and mortality worldwide. The Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) has developed live attenuated vaccines to each of the 4 serotypes of dengue virus (DENV1-4). While overall levels of DENV neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) in humans have been correlated with protection, these correlations vary depending on DENV serotype, prevaccination immunostatus, age, and study site. By combining both the level and molecular specificity of nAbs to each serotype, it may be possible to develop more robust correlates that predict long-term outcome. Methods Using depletions and recombinant chimeric epitope transplant DENVs, we evaluate the molecular specificity and mapped specific epitopes and antigenic regions targeted by vaccine-induced nAbs in volunteers who received the NIH monovalent vaccines against each DENV serotype. Results After monovalent vaccination, subjects developed high levels of nAbs that mainly targeted epitopes that are unique (type-specific) to each DENV serotype. The DENV1, 2, and 4 monovalent vaccines induced type-specific nAbs directed to quaternary structure envelope epitopes known to be targets of strongly neutralizing antibodies induced by wild-type DENV infections. Conclusions Our results reported here on the molecular specificity of NIH vaccine-induced antibodies enable new strategies, beyond the absolute levels of nAbs, for determining correlates and mechanisms of protective immunity.
Chronic Kidney Disease: Treatment of Comorbidities I: (Nutrition, Growth, Neurocognitive Function, and Mineral Bone Disease).

This review discusses the complications of nutrition, growth, neurocognitive function, and mineral and bone disorder in pediatric chronic kidney disease. We discuss the most recent evidence-based methods for evaluation and prevention of these complications in addition to treatment strategies to address the complications and mitigate adverse effects. Frequent nutritional assessment is important, particularly for infants and young children. Due to anorexia, oral aversion, and dietary restrictions, weight gain may be difficult to achieve. Adequate nutrition is important for growth. Children with CKD tend to be short, which can impact quality of life and social achievements. Once nutrition is optimized, growth hormone is an effective, but underutilized strategy to improving terminal height. Mineral and bone disorder is a difficult but common complication of CKD which may present with and be driven by abnormalities in calcium, phosphorus, and parathyroid hormone levels. Treatment strategies include dietary phosphorus restriction, phosphorus binders, and inactive vitamin D and active vitamin D sterols. Effective treatment may reduce the risk for bone deformities, growth abnormalities, fractures, cardiovascular disease, and mortality. Children with CKD also suffer from cognitive difficulties. Control of anemia, aggressive childhood nutrition, and decreased exposure to heavy metals (via dialysate and dietary binding agents) has provided substantial improvement to the more profound neurocognitive sequelae observed prior to the 1990s. Current prevention of cognitive sequelae may best be directed at improved blood pressure control and augmented school support. Pediatric CKD has systemic ramifications and can impact all aspects of normal development, including nutrition, growth, bone and mineral metabolism, and neurocognitive function. Regular evaluation for disease complications and prompt treatment can reduce the untoward effects of CKD thereby improving the quality and duration of life.
Current Hualish Structure

The CDP requires desirable elements (ideally, of indigenous origin) to be specified for the four HOPE structural components. Hualish has an enviable trove of elements that can be used to structure its redesign. In this chapter, I provide a brief overview of elements that are considered to represent Hualish cultural heritage, as defined in Chap. 1. This overview is in no way meant to be exhaustive, but rather, to highlight some of the cultural elements that are most likely to be used, and to illustrate in concrete terms what kinds of cultural elements would fit the requirements. These cultural elements will form the building blocks for the four HOPE structural components. Many of these elements contribute to multiple HOPE components; thus, instead of being organized by structural component, they are broadly described here as belief systems, social interaction norms, and rituals. Importantly, their existence does not imply that they have been adopted appropriately and by large number of Hualish members.
The Cost of New Ideas: Idea Generators Become Less Satisfied

Existing research provides extensive advice on how firms can stimulate the generation of ideas, but there is limited research on the potential psychological consequences of idea generation and brai...
The STEM Faculty Instructional Barriers and Identity Survey (FIBIS): development and exploratory results

As institutions and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) departments emphasize faculty use of evidence-based instructional practices (EBIPs), various barriers and faculty perceptions hinder that process. While a large body of literature exists in this area, no survey instrument has been developed to comprehensively and systematically capture all these factors. We developed and piloted a survey instrument, the Faculty Instructional Barriers and Identity Survey (FIBIS), to delineate university STEM faculty perceptions of barriers to using EBIPs and examine the composition and sources of faculty professional identity, use of and dissatisfaction with these practices. Initial pilot study results with a small, targeted sample (n = 69) shows how FIBIS can be used to understand factors that impact instructional practices. For our sample, we found that higher perceived departmental barriers and limited supports correlate with lower work identity. Even at a research university, we do not see a negative correlation between research and teaching identities; STEM faculty can have both, despite hypothesized tensions in the literature. We also found that sense of belonging and faculty community were descriptively higher for underrepresented minority than non-underrepresented minority faculty. As previous work has suggested, use of EBIPs varied by department. Finally, descriptive differences were seen in faculty barriers for those who were and were not satisfied with EBIPs. This suggests another layer to add to models of faculty decision-making regarding the use of EBIPs: dissatisfaction with implementing these practices once they are attempted. Further work is needed to confirm and understand these initial findings. Many of the exploratory findings from our pilot of FIBIS align with previous qualitative work, suggesting that FIBIS is a tool that can capture faculty identity, use of EBIPs, and barriers to instruction. While we do not intend to generalize our claims, the following suggestions for our institution may demonstrate how FIBIS can be used to try and reduce STEM faculty barriers to implementing EBIPs: (1) developing a strong teaching community (especially needed for persistence of faculty from underrepresented minorities), (2) helping faculty connect to the university as a whole, and (3) working with departments to better support implementation of EBIPs. The results presented and implications of these findings demonstrate the potential of FIBIS as a tool for examining factors that influence STEM faculty instructional practice. Future work includes further validating the FIBIS barriers component of the survey so that FIBIS can be used to identify and support change in institutions of higher education.
Structure gauges and laser gauges for the semiconductor Bloch equations in high-order harmonic generation in solids

The semiconductor Bloch equations (SBEs) are routinely used for simulations of strong-field laser-matter interactions in condensed matter. In systems without inversion or time-reversal symmetries, the Berry connections and transition dipole phases (TDPs) must be included in the SBEs, which in turn requires the construction of a smooth and periodic structure gauge for the Bloch states. Here, we illustrate a general approach for such a structure-gauge construction for topologically trivial systems. Furthermore, we investigate the SBEs in the length and velocity gauges and discuss their respective advantages and shortcomings for the high-harmonic generation (HHG) process. We find that in cases where we require dephasing or separation of the currents into interband and intraband contributions, the length-gauge SBEs are computationally more efficient. In calculations without dephasing and where only the total current is needed, the velocity-gauge SBEs are structure-gauge independent and are computationally more efficient. We employ two systems as numerical examples to highlight our findings: a one-dimensional model of ZnO and the two-dimensional monolayer hexagonal boron nitride (hBN). The omittance of Berry connections or TDPs in the SBEs for hBN results in nonphysical HHG spectra. The structure- and laser-gauge considerations in the current work are not restricted to the HHG process and are applicable to all strong-field matter simulations with SBEs.
The Principal Development Pipeline: A Call for Collaboration:

The author identifies 10 phases of the principal development pipeline, some of which are seldom acknowledged and many of which are inadequately addressed. The author argues that various stakeholder...
DYNAMICS OF DIRECTIONAL PLASTICITY IN THE HUMAN VERTICAL VESTIBULO-OCULAR REFLEX

Directional plasticity of the human vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) was studied in 10 subjects. The adaptation paradigm coupled 0.25 Hz, 19 degrees/s vertical pitch vestibular rotations with 28 degrees/s horizontal optokinetic oscillations. Electro-oculographic recordings in the dark were taken at 0.05, 0.1, 0.25, 0.5, and 1 Hz pitch rotations before and after training and at 15-minute intervals during 0.25 Hz adaptation. Peak head velocity was kept at 19 degrees/sec for frequencies above 0.1 Hz, while constant amplitude was maintained at +/- 24 degrees for 0.05 and 0.1 Hz. In all subjects, directional training produced slow phase horizontal VOR eye movements that were not present during vertical rotations before adaptation. During the 2-hour training period, the cross-axis VOR gain at 0.25 Hz increased up to 0.16. Adaptive VOR gain was highest at the lowest frequency and reached a tuned peak at the 0.25 Hz training frequency. Cross-axis VOR phase remained around 0 degrees at higher frequencies and lagged at lower frequencies. In all subjects, the cross-axis VOR gain was diminished when subjects were exposed to 0.25 Hz pitch rotations paired with a stationary visual field. The dynamics of the vertical VOR remained constant throughout the experiment. These results are further evidence that the frequency response characteristics of adaptive cross-axis VOR gain are similar in humans and cats, while phase behavior is less complex in humans. The high adaptive gain at low frequencies implicates otolith contributions during cross-axis adaptation.
Application of GIS-Based Knowledge-Driven and Data-Driven Methods for Debris-Slide Susceptibility Mapping

Debris-slides are fast-moving landslides that occur in the Appalachian region including the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GRSM). Various knowledge and data-driven approaches using spatial distribution of the past slides and associated factors could be used to estimate the region's debris-slide susceptibility. This study developed two debris-slide susceptibility models for GRSM using knowledge-driven and data-driven methods in GIS. Six debris-slide causing factors (slope curvature, elevation, soil texture, land cover, annual rainfall, and bedrock discontinuity), and 256 known debris-slide locations were used in the analysis. Knowledge-driven weighted overlay and data-driven bivariate frequency ratio analyses were performed. Both models are helpful; however, each come with a set of advantages and disadvantages regarding degree of complexity, time-dependency, and experience of the analyst. The susceptibility maps are useful to the planners, developers, and engineers for maintaining the park's infrastructures and delineating zones for further detailed geo-technical investigation.
Digital Forms, Migrant Forms: Yaa Gyasi's Homegoing and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Americanah

My article argues that even though the novels, Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi and Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, are print texts, they construct their narratives through a reliance on digital modes such as hypertext, networked identities and elliptical sentence structures. Homegoing is constructed as a set of linked stories about characters who are dispersed across the world, and unaware of their blood lineages because of the rupture caused by the slave trade. Reading this novel can be much like scrolling through a hypertext, a genre that N. Katherine Hayles has described as a narrative that promotes “nonlinear, or more accurately, multilinear reading paths.” Hayles believes that it is usually electronic fiction that allows for such transformations within narratives but I argue that Homegoing's self-fashioning as an infinite network rather than a traditional print text illustrates that narrative transformation can also be observed in a print text that has been birthed in a contemporary media ecology. The aesthetics of fragmentation, ellipsis and dispersal express the elusive nature of national belonging and diasporic identity, a theme that is explored in even further detail in Adichie's Americanah wherein protagonist Ifemelu forces a connection between her many split subjectivities through the creation of an alternative self online. As the novel's longstanding relationship with frameworks of nation comes into contact with cyber-utopian, post-national natures of technology and digital media, Americanah becomes a site where networked identity alternatively interrupts, ruptures, and sometimes re-assembles national identity.
A Quantitative Analysis of Processor - Programmable Logic Interface

The addition of programmable logic to RISC machines has the potential of exploiting the inherent parallelism of hardware to speedup an application. In this paper, we study the effect of adding a programmable accelerator to DLX, a RISC prototype. We build this model and parameterize the communication overhead between the processor and programmable unit and logic/routing delays inside the programmable unit. We use simulation to evaluate the performance of this model, parameterized by comm,unication overhead and logic delays, by comparing it with the baseline DLX architecture on some sample problems. Our methodology is useful an studying the relative importance of the parameters and in projecting the performance of the system, if the programmable logic were to be implemented inside the processor.
Software Metrics: A Key to Improved Software Development Management

This paper describes some of the potential for applying software metrics to the management of the software development process. It also considers some of the practical difficulties one typically faces in evolving and validating a software metric. One difficulty is the collection of baseline data in the real world of software production in which controlled experiments typically are not possible. The results of some recent quantitative ‘metrics’ investigations are presented and their practical implications for software estimation and control are cited. These investigations are thought to be representative of the process of evaluating software data not obtained under ‘controlled’ conditions such as is typically the situation in the natural science laboratory.
Blind low-complexity code-timing acquisition for space-time asynchronous DS-CDMA signals

An adaptive near-far-resistant self-synchronizing detector for asynchronous DS-CDMA systems with a J-element antenna array is presented in this paper. The primary requirement is knowledge of the spreading-code sequence of the desired user. A low complexity version of the proposed detector is developed that utilizes the concept of the multistage reduced-rank Wiener filter introduced by Goldstein and Reed (1998). This results in a self-synchronizing detection criterion that requires no inversion or eigen-decomposition of a covariance matrix. It also achieves a rapid adaptive convergence under limited data support. Simulation results show that the proposed detector provides superior performance both as an increasing function of the size of the J-element antenna array and the amount of sample support.
Restructuring regulation of the rail industry for the public interest

Throughout the world, the rail industry historically has been one of the most extensively regulated of all sectors. Price, entry, exit, financial structure, accounting methods, vertical relations, and operating rules have all been subject to some form of government control. The public utility paradigm of government regulation has been applied on the assumption that the economic characteristics of the rail industry preclude competitive organization or the need for market responsiveness. In the past three decades, however, policymakers and economists have become increasingly critical of traditional regulation of the rail industry. It is generally accepted that in markets where rail carriers seek to meet demand, there is often effective competition, and that government restrictions on the structure and conduct of firms in this industry impose considerable costs on society. Misguided regulatory policies have been blamed for the misallocation of freight traffic among competing modes of transport, excess capacity, excessive operating costs, and poor investment decisions. Regulatory controls have also shouldered much of the blame for the poor financial condition of railroads, the deterioration of rail plant, the suppression and delay of cost-reducing innovations, and the mediocre quality of rail service. The authors suggest principles for restructuring railroad regulation - indeed, for restructuring the orientation of railroad entries - for the sake of public interest. Much can be learned, they contend, from applying the principles of industrial organization to analysis of the rail industry. To assess the implications of policies aimed at rate regulation or infrastructure, it is essential to understand the nature of technology, costs, and demand in the rail industry. Government's role in relation to market behavior should be based explicitly on the economic and technological realities of the railroad marketplace. The authors say that restructuring along the lines they suggest - putting more emphasis on marketing effectiveness - will result in a more profitable railway with a better chance of covering its costs for commercial services. Changing the basis for noncommercial services as they suggest will make those services more effective at fulfilling public policy objectives, will eliminate an insuperable drain on revenues that condemns rails to inadequate investment, and will eliminate cross-subsidies that make it difficult for rails to compete against other modes of transport.
Role of Transparent Die Attach Adhesives for Enhancing Lumen Output of Midpower LED Emitters With Standard MESA Structure

The role of die attach adhesives (DAAs) in influencing the lumen output of midpower (30–150-mA input power) blue and white light emitting diodes (LEDs), which currently dominate the LED backlighting and general solid-state lighting, is studied. It is reported for the first time that a replacement of conventional silver-filled epoxy DAA by an optically transparent DAA can lead to a significant enhancement of light output as high as 13% and 21% increase for midpower blue and white LEDs, respectively. The mechanism for the observed enhancement is discussed in this paper.
Ribosomal protein S1 and NusA protein complexed to recombination protein beta of phage lambda.

Abstract The red genes of bacteriophage lambda specify two proteins, exonuclease and beta protein, which are essential for general recombination of lambda in recA cells. Earlier studies suggested that these proteins form an equimolar complex (C. M. Radding, J. Rosenweig, F. Richards, and E. Cassuto, J. Biol. Chem. 246:2510-2512, 1971). A more recent study indicated that beta protein forms a strong complex with an unknown polypeptide of 70 kDa (K. Muniyappa and C. M. Radding, J. Biol. Chem. 261:7472-7478, 1986). In the present study, in addition to the complex of beta and the 70-kDa protein, a new association of beta protein with a 65-kDa protein was observed. N-terminal sequencing identified these proteins as host-encoded ribosomal protein S1 and transcription terminator protein NusA.
Congenital heart disease and scoliosis.

The incidence of scoliosis was 19 per cent in those over fourteen years of age as compared with an incidence of 6 per cent in a control group of 200 patients of a like age. There was a predominance of right thoracic curvatures, but there was no definite pattern which could be attributed to any one kind of heart disease.
A kit for the preparation of basic 99mTc penicillamine for renal scanning.

Abstract A kit for preparing basic (pH 8.4) 99mTc-penicillamine complex for renal studies is described. The radiopharmaceutical prepared from the kit localizes in the kidneys, primarily in the renal cortex. Data is presented which demonstrates that the kit method for 99mTc-penicillamine results in biological distribution of the 99mTc-penicillamine complex equivalent to that observed for the older extemporaneous method of preparation. The per cent of injected dose localized in the kidneys of rabbits at one hour is 18.3 ± 3.1%, which compares favorably with other 99mTc-complexes used for renal imaging.
Energy consumption in three rural Kenyan households: A survey

Abstract Woodfuel is an important source of fuel energy in Kenya, constituting about 75% of the total energy consumed. The rural population relies almost entirely on fuelwood which has become increasingly difficult to obtain. In this study a questionnaire was used to establish the form and quantity of fuel used and the types of stoves used in rural households within Nyeri, Wanguru in Embu and Muhoroni in Kisumu. Forty households in Nyeri and 30 in each of the other two areas were randomly selected for the study. The availability of agricultural residues for use as fuel and the possibility of using briquettes for cooking were established. It was found that all the households have a 3-stone cooking stove in which they burn fuelwood or agricultural residues. Cowdung is used in Embu but not in Nyeri and Kisumu. The degree to which the population relies on agricultural residues for fuel varies among the villages. In Nyeri, most of the agricultural residues are either fed to cattle or left in the field. In Embu only a few of the houses use maize cobs and stalks. However, the rural population in Muhoroni rely heavily on sugarcane residues for their cooking fuel. In general, 15–35% of a household's income is spent on fuel though this does not take into account the time spent gathering fuel.
Effects of starvation on sex hormones in the male.

I. INTRODUCTION FOR many years there has been considerable interest in the relation of sex hormones to changes in the skin, sebaceous glands, hair, libido, prostatic fluid, breasts and menstruation. An immense amount of research has been completed relative to sex hormones, but much of this work has been carried out on small animals. The question has frequently arisen: “Would the results have been the same in the human?” Thirty-eight months in Japanese Prisoner of War Camps presented excellent opportunities to observe the clinical effects of starvation on the sex hormones of the human. The observations are set forth in this paper, and are compared to some of the results of experiments which have been carried out on small animals by various investigators. II. CONDITIONS IN JAPANESE PRISON CAMPS During the few months on Bataan and Corregidor, the slim diet of rice and fish had been cut to half-rations, and finally to quarter-rations. Many of the front-line troops went for days without food. When the Fil-Amer...
Amplify-and-Forward Relay Networks Under Received Power Constraint

Relay networks have received considerable attention recently, especially when limited size and power resources impose constraints on the number of antennas at each node. While fixed and mobile relays can cooperate to improve reception at the desired destination, they also contribute to unintended interference for neighboring cells reusing the same frequency. In this paper, we propose and analyze a relay scheme to simultaneously maximize SNR and minimize MSE, for an amplify-and-forward (AF) relay network operating under a receive power constraint guaranteeing that the received signal power is bounded to control interference to neighboring cells. If the intended destination lies at the periphery of the cell, then the proposed scheme guarantees that the total power leaking into neighboring cells is bounded. The optimal relay factors are provided for both correlated and uncorrelated noise at the relays. Simulation results are presented to verify the analysis.
Menopause: Social Construction or Biological Destiny?

Abstract Both midlife women and health care professionals experience confusion about menopause, in large part because the two major explanatory models of menopause, the biomedical and the sociocultural, stand in opposition. Adherence to one or the other model has direct implications for health educators, whose role is limited within a biomedical framework but expanded and more central within a socio-cultural model of menopause. This article presents an overview of both models and discusses various interventions available to health educators seeking to promote a healthy transition to menopause.
Time Domain Characterization and Test of High Speed Signals Using Incoherent Sub-sampling

High speed signal acquisition and characterization contributes a significant amount to the total test cost of the finished product in modern high speed systems. Incoherent under-sampling allows robust and low cost signal acquisition without requiring a prior accurate knowledge of signal period. In this paper we propose a frequency estimation and signal reconstruction technique for incoherently sub-sampled periodic waveforms that is based on a time domain cost function. The method reduces the per iteration cost by a factor of log N compared to frequency domain cost functions. The proposed method estimates the period of a test signal with much fewer samples without degradation of accuracy.
Ordering of risks through loss ratios

Abstract Using a model of financial insurance a stable retention ratio is associated to the underwriting return ratio of an insurable risk. It is the most stable retention ratio needed to cover the risk of an over-loss by self-finance. A recursive algorithm to evaluate it is derived. Two new total ordering relations are defined. The first, return order shows the relation between the stable retention ratios for different risks. It preserves stop-loss order between loss ratios. The mean—variance approximation of the stable retention ratio defines a stability return index , which is shown to induce a total stable return order on risks which preserves stop-loss order between loss ratios with equal mean. The actuarial use of the new concepts is illustrated by some examples.
Sequence of improvement in depressive symptoms across cognitive therapy and pharmacotherapy.

Background The authors examined the patterns of improvement in cognitive and vegetative symptoms of major depression in individuals treated with cognitive therapy (CT) or pharmacotherapy (PT).
Structural Modeling of the Human Nav1.7 Sodium Channel Pore

Voltage-gated sodium channels expressed in peripheral sensory neurons, play an important role in pain signaling. The human isoform hNav1.7 is a key target for the development of new analgesics for pain treatment. However, high-resolution structures of mammalian voltage-gated sodium channels that could be useful for rational drug design are not available. X-ray structures of bacterial voltage-gated sodium channels, NavAb and NavRh, have been recently been solved and serve as useful templates for homology modeling of mammalian voltage-gated sodium channels. Notably, both NavAb and NavRh structures show asymmetric dimer-of-dimers configuration of the pore-forming domain. We generated homology/de novo models of the asymmetric Nav1.7 pore-forming domain using a Rosetta-membrane homology modeling method and the NavAb structure (pdb id: 4DXW) as a template. Multiple sequence alignments of the second pore helix region between hNav1.7 and NavAb have been explored and compared with experimental data concerning side-chain orientation and ligand binding. Docking of tetrodotoxin, u-conotoxin-KIIIA, and the local anesthetic lidocaine to the pore-forming domain of hNav1.7 using Rosetta-Dock and molecular dynamics simulations were performed to test the ability of structural models to fit available experimental data. Structural models of the pore-forming domain of hNav1.7 may be useful for design of analgesics targeting human voltage-gated sodium channels.
Treatment of Perianal Fistula and Abscess: Crohn's and Non-Crohn's.

The management of perianal abscesses and fistulas is relatively straightforward in most cases and based on a sound knowledge of the anatomy of the anorectum and adherence to established medical and surgical principles. Asymptomatic fistulas should not be treated, whereas abscesses require surgical drainage under general anesthesia. Fistula treatment includes drainage of any associated sepsis and eradication of the fistula track to prevent recurrence while preserving sphincter integrity. A small percentage of anal abscesses and fistulas are complex and very challenging to manage, particularly in conditions such as rectovaginal fistulas and abscesses and/or fistulas complicating Crohn’s disease. Treatment strategies in these situations rely on an accurate clinical assessment of the degree of rectal inflammation and perianal pathology. Treatment should combine aggressive medical therapy (antibiotics, immunomodulators, and anti-tumor necrosis factor antibody treatment) and minimal surgical interventions. Patients with proctitis have a significantly lower healing rate and a significantly higher complication rate with aggressive surgical interventions.
Supported silver adsorbents for selective removal of sulfur species from hydrocarbon fuels

Abstract Dispersed silver oxides on supports such as TiO2, γ-Al2O3 and SiO2 were observed to be effective desulfurizing agents for refined fuels at ambient conditions. TiO2 was determined to be the most stable support for silver oxide. Ag (4 wt%)/TiO2 demonstrated a saturation sulfur capacity of 6.3 mgS/g for JP5 fuel containing 1172 ppmw sulfur. This high affinity for sulfur translated to one sulfur heterocycle associated with every two surface Ag atoms in the sorbent even in the presence of a 160-fold excess of other aromatics found in the fuel. A unique attribute of these sorbents was that they were thermally regenerable at 450 °C using air as a stripping medium over multiple cycles. Desulfurization characteristics also varied with fuel composition. Variation in desulfurization performance between JP5, JP8 and a light fraction JP5 were established and associated with the differences in sulfur composition of these fuels. The effects of surface area, porosity and crystal structure of the sorbent on sulfur capacity are also presented.
Mandibular prognathism in edentulous patients--a factor of skeletal pattern.

Profile change in edentulous patients is a commonly observed phenomenon. It seems that the profile becomes more concave, either by loss of lip support or increased mandibular prognathism. It has been reported that the dentures migrate forward with time1; therefore, loss of lip support cannot be a significant contributor to the increased convexity of the profile. Changes that take place over a period of time in the mandibular posture have also been reported.2–6 However, those studies did not attempt to relate these changes to individual patients' characteristics. It might be possible that a particular skeletal pattern could affect the mandibular posture. Therefore, this report will deal with the influence of the skeletal pattern on mandibular prognathism as determined from cephalomet-ric films.
The Science of Meditation and the State of Hypnosis

Abstract Two aspects of Buddhist meditation—concentration and mindfulness—are discussed in relationship to hypnosis. Mindfulness training facilitates the investigation of subjective responses to hypnosis. Concentration practice leads to altered states similar to those in hypnosis, both phenomenologically and neurologically. The similarities and differences between hypnosis and meditation are used to shed light on perennial questions: (1) Does hypnosis involve an altered state of consciousness? (2) Does a hypnotic induction increase suggestibility? I conclude that a model for hypnosis should include altered states as well as capacity for imaginative involvement and expectations.
Teen dating violence: the influence of friendships and school context

Prior research has examined parental and peer influences on teen dating violence (TDV), but fewer studies have explored the role of broader social contexts. Using data from the Toledo Adolescent Relationships Study (TARS), the present research examines the effect of variations in school context on teen dating violence perpetration, while taking into account parental, peer, and demographic factors. Drawing on interview data from 955 adolescents across 32 different schools, results indicate that net of parents' and friends' use of violence, the normative climate of schools, specifically school-level teen dating violence, is a significant predictor of respondents' own violence perpetration. School-level dating norms (non-exclusivity in relationships) also contribute indirectly to the odds of experiencing TDV. However, a more general measure of school-level violence toward friends is not strongly related to variations in TDV, suggesting the need to focus on domain-specific influences. Implications for theories emphasizing social learning processes and for TDV prevention efforts are discussed.
Lunar Pickup Ions Observed by ARTEMIS: Spatial and Temporal Distribution and Constraints on Species and Source Locations

ARTEMIS observes pickup ions around the Moon, at distances of up to 20,000 km from the surface. The observed ions form a plume with a narrow spatial and angular extent, generally seen in a single energy/angle bin of the ESA instrument. Though ARTEMIS has no mass resolution capability, we can utilize the analytically describable characteristics of pickup ion trajectories to constrain the possible ion masses that can reach the spacecraft at the observation location in the correct energy/angle bin. We find that most of the observations are consistent with a mass range of approx. 20-45 amu, with a smaller fraction consistent with higher masses, and very few consistent with masses below 15 amu. With the assumption that the highest fluxes of pickup ions come from near the surface, the observations favor mass ranges of approx. 20-24 and approx. 36-40 amu. Although many of the observations have properties consistent with a surface or near-surface release of ions, some do not, suggesting that at least some of the observed ions have an exospheric source. Of all the proposed sources for ions and neutrals about the Moon, the pickup ion flux measured by ARTEMIS correlates best with the solar wind proton flux, indicating that sputtering plays a key role in either directly producing ions from the surface, or producing neutrals that subsequently become ionized.
The Origins of Life: What One Needs to Know

Many solar systems in the universe may be expected to contain rocky planets that have accreted organic compounds. These compounds are likely to be universally found. In addition, the chemistry of sulfur, phosphorus, and iron is likely to dominate energy transductions and monomer activation, leading to the eventual emergence of polymers. Proteins and polynucleotides provide living matter with function, structure, and information. The conceptual puzzle regarding their emergence is discussed. The fitness of various elements to serve various roles is analyzed from the viewpoint of electron orbitals. Elements with d orbitals are of central importance.
Band offset energies in zirconium silicate Si alloys

Abstract Transition metal silicates, (ZrO 2 ) x (SiO 2 ) 1− x , with dielectric constants, k >10 have been proposed as alternative dielectrics for advanced Si devices. Studies by X-ray absorption, X-ray photoelectron and Auger electron spectroscopy are combined to identify the compositional variation of the valence and conduction band offset energies with respect to Si in Zr silicate alloys. The minimum conduction band offset energy, associated with localized Zr 4d ∗ -states, is ∼1.4 eV, and is independent of alloy composition, while valence band offsets decrease monotonically with increasing ZrO 2 content. Differences between the coupling of tunneling electrons to localized Zr 4d ∗ and extended Si 3s ∗ states, characterized by respective tunneling masses of ∼0.5 m o and ∼0.2 m o , combine to contribute to a minimum in the direct tunneling current in the mid-silicate-alloy composition range, x ∼0.4–0.6.
Polarization-Modulated Differential-Interference Contrast Microscopy with a Variable Retarder

A liquid-crystal variable retarder inserted into a differential-interference contrast video microscope switches image highlights into shadows and vice versa in alternate frames. Synchronous computation and display of the difference between alternate frames yield a stream of images with doubled contrast and reduced fixed-position noise because of the automatic background subtraction. The measured signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) peaks when the modulation +/- Gamma of the retarder equals the phase shift delta of the sample. A Jones calculus model of the central ray in the polarization-modulated differential-interference contrast microscope yields SNR = (sin Gamma sin delta)/((1 - cos Gamma cos delta)N), where N is the rms time-dependent photon noise. This expression fits the experiments closely for 1.8 degrees < or = Gamma < or = 115 degrees.
Polymer matrix influence on the kinetics of some fundamental inorganic colloidal reactions

Among the most useful methods for the preparation of pure metal powders is the thermolysis of metal carbonyl complexes in hydrocarbon solutions. Zero-valent cobalt particles are obtained by the dec...
Grafts are Unnecessary for Proximal Bulbar Reconstruction

Purpose: We compared our experience with the reconstruction of proximal vs distal bulbar stricture to assess the role of excision and primary anastomosis vs graft procedures at each site.Materials and Methods: We reviewed all urethroplasties done by a single surgeon during a 2-year period. Data analyzed included patient history and demographics, operative details, stricture length and site, and clinical outcome. The proximal bulbar urethra was defined as the segment within 5 cm of the membranous urethra and the distal bulb was defined as the adjoining segment extending to the penoscrotal junction. Cases involving the pendulous or posterior urethra were excluded from study.Results: Of 210 urethroplasties from 2007 to 2009, 112 were done for bulbar strictures, including 72 (64%) for proximal bulbar strictures. All 72 cases were treated with excision and primary anastomosis. Median stricture length was 2 cm (range 1 to 5), although 31 of 72 strictures (43%) were of intermediate length (2.5 to 5 cm). Recurren...
In Situ Oxygen -Atom Erosion Study of Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxane-Siloxane Copolymer

The surface of a polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane-siloxane copolymer  lm has been characterized in situ by using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy before and after exposure to incremental  uences of oxygen atoms produced by a hyperthermal oxygen atom source. The data indicate that the atomic oxygen initially attacks the cyclohexyl groups that surround the polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane cage, resulting in the formation and desorption of CO2 from the surface. The carbon concentration in the near-surface region is reduced from 65.0 at% for the as-entered surface to 16.3 at% following 63 h of O-atom exposure at a  ux of 2 £ £ 1013 O atoms/cm2 s. The oxygen and silicon concentrations are increased with incremental exposures to the O-atom  ux, but the rates of increase slow with increased exposure. The oxygen concentration increases from 18.5 at% for the as-entered sample to 55.7 at% following the 63-h exposure, and the silicon concentration increases from 16.6 to 28.0 at%. The data reveal the formation of a silica layer on the surface, which serves as a protective barrier preventing further degradation of the underlying polymer with increased exposure to the O-atom  ux.
Coalescing and noncoalescing stochastic flows in R1

Abstract We study homogeneous stochastic flows, families X st , 0 ⩽ s ⩽ t R 1 into itself, with the composition property X tu ∘ X st = X su , s ⩽ t ⩽ u , and with independent ‘increments’. Depending on the differentiability at 0 of the covariance function of the field of small displacements, the mapping X st , s and t fixed, may be smooth or may be a step function mapping R 1 into a countable set of points with no limit points. (The latter kind of situation has occurred in related work of R. Arratia.) It is not known whether other behavior is possible. Some results in the countable-range case are deduced from duality results obtained for the smooth case. The case of double exponential correlation leads to a moving point process with certain spatial Markovian properties.
Temporomandibular Joint Arthrocentesis: Outcomes Under Intravenous Sedation Versus General Anesthesia

Purpose Although arthrocentesis of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) has been shown to be an effective, minimally invasive surgical procedure, there is a paucity of literature that has examined its effectiveness under intravenous (IV) sedation compared with general anesthesia (GA) with a secure airway. Patients and Methods A retrospective analysis of patients with TMJ arthrocentesis was performed. Patients were divided into 2 groups based on type of anesthesia (sedation vs general) and location of surgery (office vs hospital). Visual analog scales were used to assess TMJ pain, headaches, jaw function, diet, and disability. Objective examinations were performed for maximum interincisal opening, lateral excursions, and TMJ sounds. Results Statistical improvements were seen for TMJ pain, headaches, dietary restrictions, jaw function, and disability. Patients reported an 80% satisfaction rate for surgery under IV sedation compared with a 95% satisfaction rate of patients who had surgery under GA. Conclusions Arthrocentesis is effective for treatment of TMJ pain and acute closed-lock conditions irrespective of Wilkes classification (grades I to III). Ninety-five percent of patients reported immediate resolution or decrease of pain within the first postoperative week. Although the procedure is effective when performed under IV sedation in an office setup, superior clinical outcomes were noticed when the procedure was performed with a secure airway under GA.
Lessons Learned From Research About Informal Reading Inventories: Keys to Data-Driven Instructional Recommendations

This study examined how effectively candidates in an MSEd in literacy education with a focus on reading program used the results from the Basic Reading Inventory to develop key instructional recommendations. The results indicated that, overall, candidates made about two thirds of the key recommendations suggested by an expert in the area of reading and reading assessment. Candidates needed to increase the specificity of strategies related to the recommendations and to decrease the number of low-priority recommendations. This article delineates suggestions regarding how teacher educators can help their candidates improve the quality and specificity of recommendations.