cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dielectric properties of silanized-silicon/epoxy nanocomposites

The dielectric properties of silanized-Si/epoxy nanocomposites have been studied. Two types of silanizing agents were employed: (3-Aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (SL1) and 3-(m-Aminophenoxy)propyltrimethoxysilane (SL2). Isothermal dielectric spectra of nanocomposites covering a frequency range from 10-2 to 106 Hz at temperatures from -25 to 75 °C were fitted by Havriliak-Negami (HN) dielectric relaxation functions combined with a power-law conduction term. The presence of β-relaxation caused by polar O-H and N-H groups was observed in both neat epoxy and in the silanized-Si/epoxy nanocomposites. Maxwell-Wagner-Sillars (MWS) interfacial polarization relaxation was also observed in silanized-Si/epoxy nanocomposites, introduced by the emerging interface between silanized-Si nanoparticles and the polymer matrix. Both β and MWS relaxations were observed to follow an Arrhenius law. The activation energy of the β-relaxation did not change significantly for the nanocomposites, compared with the neat epoxy. The activation energy of the MWS-relaxation decreased substantially, on the other hand, due to increasing size of the interfacial area as a consequence of reducing the rate of nanofiller agglomeration by silanization with SL2. Further, two-parameter Weibull distribution analysis was applied to study the dielectric breakdown behavior of the nancomposites. 3-(m-Aminophenoxy)propyltrimethoxysilane (SL2)showed superior performance in preserving the good insulating properties of neat epoxy, exhibiting high dielectric breakdown strength and a narrow distribution of failure points.
Investigation of sinonasal microbiome spatial organization in chronic rhinosinusitis.

Background Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a multifactorial inflammatory airway disorder in which bacteria are implicated in the initiation and/or sustenance of disease in some patients. The sinuses are colonized by bacteria even in health, and the potential for sinus-specific niches harboring unique microbial consortia raises questions for clinical and research investigation. The objective was to determine the degree to which resident upper airways microbiota differ between individuals and anatomic sites, in order to determine the optimal site of microbial sampling for study in CRS. Methods Eight CRS patients undergoing primary surgery were sampled bilaterally at the anterior nares, middle meatus, nasopharynx, maxillary sinus, frontal sinus, and sphenoid sinus for investigation using broad-range bacterial 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) sequencing. Results Between-subject variability in bacterial microbiota was substantially greater than within-subject variability. The middle meatus was fairly representative of the underlying sinuses, although corynebacteria were detected at higher abundances in the middle meatus, relative to the maxillary (p < 0.1), frontal (p < 0.05), or sphenoid (p < 0.1) sinuses. Conclusion Interpersonal variation of the upper airway microbiome greatly outweighs niche-specific differences. The middle meatus is a fair representation of the underlying sinuses and may be considered for use as a simple single site for sampling in longitudinal studies or in subjects who have not undergone sinus surgery.
Migraine and Cerebellar Ataxia

A four year old boy with migraine associated with focal cerebral edema, CSF pleocytosis, and progressive cerebellar ataxia is reported from the Departments of Neurology and Radiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT.
The interaction of climate change and methane hydrates

Gas hydrate, a frozen, naturally-occurring, and highly-concentrated form of methane, sequesters significant carbon in the global system and is stable only over a range of low-temperature and moderate-pressure conditions. Gas hydrate is widespread in the sediments of marine continental margins and permafrost areas, locations where ocean and atmospheric warming may perturb the hydrate stability field and lead to release of the sequestered methane into the overlying sediments and soils. Methane and methane-derived carbon that escape from sediments and soils and reach the atmosphere could exacerbate greenhouse warming. The synergy between warming climate and gas hydrate dissociation feeds a popular perception that global warming could drive catastrophic methane releases from the contemporary gas hydrate reservoir. Appropriate evaluation of the two sides of the climate-methane hydrate synergy requires assessing direct and indirect observational data related to gas hydrate dissociation phenomena and numerical models that track the interaction of gas hydrates/methane with the ocean and/or atmosphere. Methane hydrate is likely undergoing dissociation now on global upper continental slopes and on continental shelves that ring the Arctic Ocean. Many factors—the depth of the gas hydrates in sediments, strong sediment and water column sinks, and the inability of bubbles emitted at the seafloor to deliver methane to the sea-air interface in most cases—mitigate the impact of gas hydrate dissociation on atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations though. There is no conclusive proof that hydrate-derived methane is reaching the atmosphere now, but more observational data and improved numerical models will better characterize the climate-hydrate synergy in the future.
Time’s Arrow in the Evolutionary Development of Bat Flight

Conceptualizing the evolution of flight in mammals is confounded by a lack of empirical evidence. In this chapter, we quantify functional ontogeny to model the evolution of flight in bats to fill in transitional gaps between a hypothetical nonvolant ancestor and volant descendents. Our data thus far indicate that bats evolved flapping flight mechanics directly with no gliding intermediate forms and that bats most likely evolved from a terrestrial, rather than arboreal, ancestor. We predict that future analysis of locomotor ontogeny in contemporary bats will be instrumental in bridging the significant gaps and discontinuities between fossil, molecular, and mechanical evidence thus far used to interpret flight evolution in mammals.
Free transport for interpolated free group factors

Abstract In this article, we study a form of free transport for the interpolated free group factors, extending the work of Guionnet and Shlyakhtenko for the usual free group factors [11] . Our model for the interpolated free group factors comes from a canonical finite von Neumann algebra M ( Γ , μ ) associated to a finite, connected, weighted graph ( Γ , V , E , μ ) [12] , [13] . With this model, we use an operator-valued version of Voiculescu's free difference quotient introduced in [13] to state a Schwinger–Dyson equation which is valid for the generators of M ( Γ , μ ) . We construct free transport for appropriate perturbations of this equation. Also, M ( Γ , μ ) can be constructed using the machinery of Shlyakhtenko's operator-valued semicircular systems [24] .
Evidence-based practice for equating health status items: sample size and IRT model.

Background In the development of health outcome measures, the pool of candidate items may be divided into multiple forms, thus "spreading" response burden over two or more study samples. Item responses collected using this approach result in two or more forms whose scores are not equivalent. Therefore, the item responses must be equated (adjusted) to a common mathematical metric. Objectives The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of sample size, test size, and selection of item response theory model in equating three forms of a health status measure. Each of the forms was comprised of a set of items unique to it and a set of anchor items common across forms. Research design The study was a secondary data analysis of patients' responses to the developmental item pool for the Health of Seniors Survey. A completely crossed design was used with 25 replications per study cell. Results We found that the quality of equatings was affected greatly by sample size. Its effect was far more substantial than choice of IRT model. Little or no advantage was observed for equatings based on 60 or 72 items versus those based on 48 items. Conclusions We concluded that samples of less than 300 are clearly unacceptable for equating multiple forms. Additional sample size guidelines are offered based on our results.
Enhancing the rate of magnesium oxide carbothermal reduction by catalysis, milling, and vacuum operation

Catalysis, milling, vacuum operation, and their interactions were studied as methods for increasing the rate of carbothermal reduction (CTR) of hard-burned and soft-burned MgO powders. For CTR at 1550 °C and 10 kPa, pellets made with soft-burned MgO reached 90% conversion in 30 min without milling and achieved the same conversion in 5 min with 120 min of milling. Crystallite attrition of soft-burned MgO was not observed, and the increased reactivity was attributed to mixing and aggregate attrition. Catalytic additives improved the reactivity in the CTR of hard-burned MgO but decreased the rate of CTR for soft-burned MgO. Additives were shown to catalyze the gas–solid reaction pathway, and thermogravimetric analysis revealed that the rate of carbon oxidation by CO2 was approximately 2 orders of magnitude higher than that of MgO reduction by CO; thus, the latter reaction was rate-limiting to the gas–solid reaction pathway.
Florid expansile cemento-osseous dysplasia of the jaws: Cone beam computed tomography study and review of the literature

An interesting case of florid expansile cemento-osseous dysplasia (FECOD) of the maxilla and mandible in a 36-year-old female is being presented. The patient presented for consultation for orthognathic surgery and was unaware of these lesions. Upon clinical and radiographic examination, including cone beam computed tomography, massive cemento-osseous lesions in all quadrants were observed. The radiographic appearance of the lesions was consistent with cemento-osseous dysplasia (COD), the key difference being extreme expansion. Expansion, although not a new phenomenon, is present in all quadrants. These radiographic features suggest a variation of florid cemento-osseous dysplasia and is more aptly termed FECOD. This name is proposed for its diagnostic relevance based on the radiographic features. As with similar CODs, unless the lesions are disfiguring, conservative management is the preferred approach. Biopsy was not indicated unless there are additional associated complications. A detailed review of the pertinent literature was undertaken.
Legal Discrimination in the United States based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity

When the U.S. Supreme Court declared that same-sex marriage would be legal throughout the country, that decision did not end the possibility of other types of discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. The U.S. Supreme Court has been very unclear about what standard to use when the courts face claims of discrimination based on these characteristics. In cases decided under the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause, the Court has stated that lower courts should use one of three standards, based on the type of discrimination alleged. These three standards for review are known as rational basis, intermediate review, and strict scrutiny. This article, based on both empirical and normative analysis, will explore the proper legal standard that the Supreme Court should use in these cases. Since several states have begun to enact laws that encourage discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, this article will argue that the Supreme Court should use strict scrutiny in these cases because the LGBT community is clearly a discrete and insular minority subject to targeted discrimination.
A Perspective on the Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) of NO with NH3 by Supported V2O5–WO3/TiO2 Catalysts

The selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NOx with NH3 to harmless N2 and H2O plays a crucial role in reducing highly undesirable NOx acid gas emissions from large utility boilers, industrial boilers, municipal waste plants, and incinerators. The supported V2O5–WO3/TiO2 catalysts have become the most widely used industrial catalysts for these SCR applications since introduction of this technology in the early 1970s. This Perspective examines the current fundamental understanding and recent advances of the supported V2O5–WO3/TiO2 catalyst system: (i) catalyst synthesis, (ii) molecular structures of titania-supported vanadium and tungsten oxide species, (iii) surface acidity, (iv) catalytic active sites, (v) surface reaction intermediates, (vi) reaction mechanism, (vii) rate-determining-step, and (viii) reaction kinetics.
The Adrenergic Inhibitors

Although most of the centrally and peripherally-acting adrenergic inhibitors have been available for several years, they continue to contribute importantly to antihypertensive therapy. There are remarkably few contraindications to their use. They are useful in hypertension of all grades of severity, and are also valuable in complicated forms of hypertension, such as those associated with renal insufficiency, diabetes mellitus, and chronic obstructive lung disease. They can produce some fairly predictable side effects in patients, but generally do not cause significant metabolic changes. These drugs also seem to be tolerated well by physically active patients. They appear to have desirable effects on cardiac structure. In general, the adrenergic inhibitors cause regression of a left ventricular hypertrophy, which may well be a valuable property, especially in older hypertensive patients.
Emission thermophotometry: II. The spectral distribution of emitted light from poly(ethylene oxide)

Abstract The spectral distribution of the light emission of poly(ethylene oxide) was determined at 300±5°C by use of a modified ETP apparatus. In this apparatus a small grating type monochromator, which was mechanically scanned from 400 to 700 nm, was attached to the sample and furnace enclosure. It was found that the broad peak maximum was centered at about 500 nm, in agreement with previous studies using wavelength filters.
Struktur und Aufbau des Krankenhausinformationssystems

Bekanntlich beschrankt sich das Krankenhausinformationssystem in seiner letzten Ausbaustufe nicht nur auf das betriebliche Rechnungswesen und auf die medizinische Basisdokumentation. Es umfast daruber hinaus die Bereiche Diagnostik und Therapie, ferner die Arbeitsgestaltung im Pflege-, Behandlungs- und Versorgungsbereich, vor allem aber die meisten Tatigkeiten der Verwaltung im weitesten Sinne des Wortes. Vorausberechnungen moglicher Storungen der Vitalfunktionen fur Patienten der Intensivpflegeeinheiten, genaue Ermittlung von Laborwerten und Strahlungsdosen, exakte Auswertung der Isotopendiagnostik, gewisse Hilfestellungen bei der Diagnosefindung und bei der Aufstellung von Therapievorschlagen, automatisches Fortschreiben der Krankengeschichten, Moglichkeiten der Essensauswahl unmittelbar vor dem Mittagessen, zentrale Steuerung der Bettenverteilung, Personaleinsatzplanung, Lageruberwachung, kurzfristige und langfristige Planungsrechnung, Investitionsrechnung, alles das ist nur ein kurzgeraffter Uberblick uber alle diejenigen Informationen, die das Gesamtkonzept fur ein Krankenhausinformationssystem einschliesen mus.
Synthesis of and structure–property relationships in zinc complexes of bis‐metaphenylene semiquinone biradical species

The design of novel, functionalized bis-metaphenylene semiquinone (SQ) ligands and their corresponding metal complexes which combine conformational flexibility and electron-withdrawing, electron-donating, and conjugating substituents enable investigation of multiple structure–property relationships. Along these lines, we report the synthesis of three new bis(Zn II (SQ)Tp Cum,Me ) complexes containing the bis-metaphenylene coupling fragment. Using electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, ab initio computations and superconducting quantum interference device magnetometry, we show how spin-density is affected by the bis-metaphenylene system substituents. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Supporting information may be found in the online version of this paper.
Schottky Barriers on Amorphous Si and Their Applications

While amorphous Si films had been produced for several years, it was in the 1960s that significant efforts were undertaken to produce pure a-Si which might be used for thin film devices. Researchers proceeded with diligence, but the norm of the time was that very few transport measurements exhibited consistent results between different samples. Furthermore, even brief exposure to air produced changes which could not be reversed by standard etching procedures. The discovery that changed all this was the method of producing a-Si by rf-plasma decomposition of silane (SiH4) gas.(1) While it was initially thought that the material was pure (i.e., devoid of H), it was later shown that at least 3 at. % and as much as 50 at. % H could be incorporated into the film. It was found that stable and reproducible films could be produced in which the Fermi energy could be shifted by “substitutional” doping. This material thus represented a true semiconductor and has nucleated a whole field of research into its properties and applications.
A survey on social media use and expectations in cancer patients.

e18183Background: Social media encompasses a wide variety of web based and mobile technologies. It has become increasingly popular, allowing for rapid communication and dissemination of information...
Correlates of At-Risk and Problem Gambling Among Veterans in Massachusetts

Few studies have examined problem gambling among veterans and, of those studies, there are conflicting conclusions surrounding correlates of problem gambling in veterans. Our study aims to assess problem gambling prevalence among veterans using non-Veterans Affairs data and to evaluate correlates of problem gambling among veterans in a general population sample. We obtained a probability sample of adult Massachusetts residents using address based sampling in 2013–2014. Participants completed a questionnaire on demographics, veteran status, and gambling behaviors and motivations. We identified n = 129 problem gamblers from a sample of n = 9578 participants. Of the problem gamblers who had veteran status information, 20.6% were veterans. Due to sample size limitations, we analyzed veteran problem and at-risk gamblers compared to veteran recreational gamblers. Having friends and family members engaged in gambling and engaging in more gambling formats were significantly, positively associated with veteran problem and at-risk gambler status. Participating in raffles in the past year was associated with lower odds of being a veteran problem and at-risk gambler compared to veteran recreational gamblers (OR 0.31, 95% CI 0.18–0.52). These discriminators of at-risk and problem gambling may be useful in developing clinical treatment approaches for veteran problem gamblers. Future studies should focus on changes in the prevalence of veteran problem gambling and additional correlates that may better capture social support domains and gambling activity among veterans.
Fog collection on a superhydrophilic wire

Fog collection shows great promise as a solution to the water scarcity problem in some arid regions. In addition, it can be applied to saving water required for important industrial system processes, such as recapturing water in cooling towers of thermal power plants. Although a number of studies have been conducted to investigate the principles of fog collection, most of the studies have sought methods to facilitate the transport of the captured liquid on multiple wire systems. However, it is important to study the fundamental correlation between the fog collection rate and the process of fog droplet capture, which has been largely underexplored, in order to understand the full span of the fog collection process and improve its collection efficiency. In this study, we aim to examine the correlation between the measured collection rate and the deposition step of fog collection on a wire, using spontaneous wetting of vertical, superhydrophilic wires that minimize the liquid loss during transport to precisely measure the volume of collected water. Experiments were conducted using the wires with various diameters under different wind speed conditions. The results show that the measured fog collection rate per unit area is linearly proportional to an empirically obtained deposition efficiency of aerosols, a function of the Stokes number. In addition to the controlled liquid transport by the modification of surface wettability, this study provides physical insights for the optimal design of fog collectors from an aerodynamics-centered perspective, benefitting the fight against the global water crisis.
Driving tau into phase-separated liquid droplets

Liquid–liquid phase separation of tau protein has been implicated in normal biological function as well as neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's. However, knowledge about these links is still scant, and the mechanisms driving tau into liquid droplets are poorly understood. A simplified in vitro system that uses unmodified human tau protein now suggests electrostatic interactions provide the basic instructions underlying liquid droplet formation.
Naturally similar: Natural American Spirit and Nat Sherman's new cigarette.

In 2015, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sent warning letters to makers of Natural American Spirit (NAS) and Nat Sherman cigarettes regarding their use of misleading descriptors such as ‘additive-free’ and ‘natural’ on product labels and advertising.1 2 The result was a 2017 agreement to remove the terms ‘additive-free’ and ‘natural’ as claims, while still allowing NAS to retain the word ‘natural’ in its brand name.3 The agreement also allowed the use of the term ‘organic’ and a specific claim: ‘Tobacco Ingredients: Tobacco and Water’—both claims that have been utilised in previous NAS ads. Post-agreement ads for NAS (owned by Reynolds American) now claim its cigarettes are ‘real’, ‘simple’ and ‘different’, and made of only two ingredients: tobacco and water (figure 1). The implied message is clear: these cigarettes are different (from other …
The Story of Act 31: How Native History Came to Wisconsin Classrooms

Review of: "The Story of Act 31: How Native History Came to Wisconsin Classrooms" by JP Leary
Hybrid Wind Energy Solutions Including Energy Storage

The current chapter first examines the electricity production characteristics of autonomous/remote energy consumers with special focus on remote island communities. Accordingly, the wind and the renewable (in general) potentials of these areas are analyzed in order to underline the capability of the former to cover the energy needs of local consumers.
Before the lunch line: Effectiveness of behavioral economic interventions for pre-commitment on elementary school children's food choices

Abstract In this study, we intervened in elementary schools on lunch entree selection using some of the behavioral economic methods shown to be effective in earlier food choice studies. Unlike many earlier behavioral interventions, which were mostly done in controlled environments and smaller cafe type settings for one-off interactions, we conducted our interventions in a real-world environment in twelve elementary schools in one school district in South Carolina over nine school weeks. By increasing salience and prominence of the healthy entree of the day through visual and verbal tools, we nudged students towards selecting healthier options in treatment schools. We estimated the treatment effects using a difference-in-differences setup, comparing changes in the share of students selecting nudged entrees during the treatment period relative to the shares before the treatment period in treatment and comparison schools. Our estimates show that the nudges are effective when present. They increase selection of the healthy option by thirteen to thirty-five percent on the days the entree is treated. Effects disappear when the nudge is removed, however, and there is evidence for reduced effectiveness of nudges in repeat instances. There is no evidence of habit formation.
Hacking the Tax Code

The tax code isn’t software. It doesn’t run on a computer. But it’s still code. It’s a series of algorithms that takes an input— financial information for the year—and produces an output: the amount of tax owed. It’s incredibly complex code; there are a bazillion details and exceptions and special cases. It consists of government laws, rulings from the tax authorities, judicial decisions, and legal opinions. Like computer code, the tax code has bugs. They might be mistakes in how the tax laws were written. They might be mistakes in how the tax code is interpreted, oversights in how parts of the law were conceived, or unintended omissions of some sort or another. They might arise from the exponentially huge number of ways different parts of the tax code interact.
Transition Coverage and Clarity in Self-Insured Corporate Health Insurance Benefit Plans

Purpose: While many health insurance plans now cover at least some gender-affirming care for transgender persons, no study to date has examined contract language about gender-affirming care in self...
Quantitative analysis and virulence phenotypes of atypical enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) acquired from diarrheal stool samples from a Midwest US hospital.

Infectious diarrhea causes approximately 179 million illnesses annually in the US. Multiplex PCR assays for enteric pathogens detect enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) in 12–29% of diarrheal ...
4-free groups and hyperbolic geometry

This is a pre-copy-editing, author-produced PDF of an article accepted for publication in Journal of Topology following peer review. The definitive publisher-authenticated version Culler M, Shalen PB. 4-free groups and hyperbolic geometry. Journal of Topology. 2012;5(1):81-136 doi: 10.1112/jtopol/jtr028. is available online at: http://jtopol.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2012/02/09/jtopol.jtr028.short?rss=1
Autobiography of Stanley I. Sandler.

I review my career from its academic beginning to my recent retirement. I grew up and studied chemical engineering in New York City. My initial failure to understand thermodynamics the way it had b...
Structure-based decoupling of the pro- and anti-inflammatory functions of interleukin-10

Interleukin-10 (IL-10) is an immunoregulatory cytokine with both anti-inflammatory and immunostimulatory properties and is frequently dysregulated in disease. We used a structure-based approach to deconvolute IL-10 pleiotropy by determining the structure of the IL-10 receptor (IL-10R) complex by cryo-electron microscopy at a resolution of 3.5 angstroms. The hexameric structure shows how IL-10 and IL-10Rα form a composite surface to engage the shared signaling receptor IL-10Rβ, enabling the design of partial agonists. IL-10 variants with a range of IL-10Rβ binding strengths uncovered substantial differences in response thresholds across immune cell populations, providing a means of manipulating IL-10 cell type selectivity. Some variants displayed myeloid-biased activity by suppressing macrophage activation without stimulating inflammatory CD8+ T cells, thereby uncoupling the major opposing functions of IL-10. These results provide a mechanistic blueprint for tuning the pleiotropic actions of IL-10.
Neonatal Ebstein anomaly national outcomes from 2000 to 2018 using the National Inpatient Sample.

Background The prevalence, morbidity, and mortality associated with Ebstein anomaly (EA) remains poorly characterized in neonates. EA is a rare form of congenital heart disease (CHD) with significant heterogeneity. Objective To determine the recent, 2000-2018, prevalence, mortality, outcomes, and healthcare utilization of infants admitted at ≤28 days of life with EA in comparison to other critical congenital heart defects (CCHD) in the United States using a national data set. Methods The National Inpatient Sample (NIS) from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) was queried for infants admitted for any reason at ≤28 days of life with a diagnosis of EA between 2000 and 2018 using ICD-9 and 10 codes in the United States. Patient characteristics, morbidity, mortality, and healthcare utilization were evaluated for EA and compared with other CCHD. Results From 2000 to 2018 a total of 68,312,952 neonatal admissions were identified, of them 4,398 neonates with isolated EA were identified, representing 7 per 100,000 neonatal admissions and 2.2% of CCHD admissions (4,398/197,881). The number of new EA cases ranged from 138 to 375 per year. In-hospital mortality was 12.3% and surgical repair occurred in 4.2% for infants with EA. There were 470 deaths without surgical repair which is 86.6% of the mortality. Arrhythmias were diagnosed in 10.6% and ECMO was used for 2.6% of neonates with EA. Conclusion EA is a rare form of CHD. The prevalence has remained stable over the 19 years whereas other congenital heart defects have had an increase. The mortality in neonates with EA was significantly higher than in pooled CCHD; the burden of mortality occurred in the neonates without surgical intervention.
Autonomic arousals contribute to brain fluid pulsations during sleep

Abstract During sleep, slow waves of neuro-electrical activity engulf the human brain and aid in the consolidation of memories. Recent research suggests that these slow waves may also promote brain health by facilitating the removal of metabolic waste, possibly by orchestrating the pulsatile flow of cerebro-spinal fluid (CSF) through local neural control over vascular tone. To investigate the role of slow waves in the generation of CSF pulsations, we analyzed functional MRI data obtained across the full sleep-wake cycle and during a respiratory task during wakefulness. This revealed a novel generating mechanism that relies on the autonomic regulation of cerebral vascular tone without requiring slow electrocortical activity or even sleep. Therefore, the role of CSF pulsations in brain waste clearance may, in part, depend on proper autoregulatory control of cerebral blood flow. One-Sentence Summary Autonomic regulation of cerebral vascular tone mediates CSF flow and may contribute to brain waste clearance.
Nonlinear Liapunov Dynamics

The book gives the Liapunov background for the analysis and synthesis (design) of dynamic behaviour of general networks which represent a large class of nonlinear systems, predominantly physical, and in particular mechanical. It is meant to be a self-learning and thought provoking reference text. The introductory chapter refers to the basic concepts of static characteristics and dynamic processes. Subsequent chapters describe various formats of dynamic models and give a reference frame for their behaviour, introduce basic energy relations, fundamental to the dynamic use of the Liapunov method, and describe the method with implementations. The final chapter gives the methods of Liapunov design (synthesis) and control.
Intravital Microscopy in Mammalian Organisms: From Tissue Physiology to Cell Biology

Intravital Microscopy (IVM) has become a fundamental tool to study, in multicellular organisms in situ, the dynamics of several biological processes that cannot be reconstituted in more reductionist model systems (e.g., ex vivo or in vitro culture). The development of a toolbox that includes transgenic and knock-down mouse models, in vivo gene transfection, novel fluorescent probes, improved optics, and new strategies to access and image the tissue of interest has provided new avenues to investigate basic cellular events in the context of organ physiopathology. Here, the most recent applications of IVM will be presented, with the goal of providing a comprehensive overview of this powerful approach.
Decentralized multi-controller stabilizability over communication channels

We study the problem of distributed control over communication channels, where a number of distributed stations stabilize a linear system. We quantify the rate requirements and obtain optimal signaling, coding and control schemes for decentralized stabilizability in such multi-controller systems. We show that in the absence of a centralized decoder at the plant, there is in general a rate-loss in decentralized systems as compared to a centralized system. This result is in contrast with the lack of rate loss in the stabilization of multisensor systems. Furthermore, there is also a rate loss if explicit channels are available between the stations. We obtain the minimum data rates needed in terms of the open-loop system matrix and the connectivity graph of the decentralized system, and obtain the optimal signaling policies. We also present constructions leading to stability. In addition, we show that if there are dedicated channels connecting the controllers, rate requirements become more lenient, and as a result strong connectivity is not required for decentralized stabilizability. We determine the minimum number of such external channels leading to a stable system, in case strong connectivity is absent.
Design and performance of the BOPPS UVVis fine pointing system

In September, 2013 the BRRISON mission suffered an anomaly resulting in a total loss of science data for the duration of flight. The Balloon Observation Platform for Planetary Science (BOPPS) mission is in essence a re-flight of the BRRISON mission. The BOPPS mission was designed to study multiple comets and other planetary bodies as well as demonstrate a fine pointing system. The performance of this fine pointing system (FPS), designed for science pointing on the 50 milliarscecond level, will be discussed along with the mission as a whole. Due to a telescope focusing issue that manifested in flight during the allocated FPS demonstration window, thorough FPS characterization could not be performed. However, a calibration dataset demonstrated stable pointing of 33 and 58 milliarcsecond (mas) RMS in instrument Azimuth and Elevation respectively. This performance is considered marginal given the conservative FPS settings it was acquired with.
A Possible Stellar Interaction with NGC 246

The planetary nebula NGC 246 has a high degree of symmetry about its central star, and can be described most graphically as a filled disk. Direct images of NGC 246 reveal a relatively homogeneous distribution of gases, with an unusual morphological feature that appears to contain less of the nebular material. At the center of this roughly circular feature, in the southeast quadrant of the nebula, there is a star (hereafter referred to as “the program star”). The placement of the program star is very suggestive of a wind blown cavity in the PN. The question of whether this star actually is interacting with the nebula, or merely along the line-of-sight, is addressed here for the first time.
MODELING COUPLED PROCESSES OF MULTIPHASE FLOW AND HEAT TRANSFER IN UNSATURATED FRACTURED ROCK

A multidimensional, mountain-scale, thermal-hydrologic (TH) numerical model is developed for investigating unsaturated flow behavior in response to decay heat from the radioactive waste repository in the Yucca Mountain unsaturated zone, Nevada, USA. The TH model, consisting of both two-dimensional and three-dimensional representations of the unsaturated repository system, is based on the current repository design, drift layout, and thermal loading scenario under estimated current and future climate conditions. More specifically, the TH model implements the current geological framework and hydrogeological conceptual models, and incorporates the most updated, best-estimated input parameters. This mountain-scale TH model simulates the coupled TH processes related to mountain-scale multiphase fluid flow and evaluates the impact of radioactive waste heat release on the natural hydrogeological system, including thermally perturbed liquid saturation, gas- and liquid-phase fluxes, and water and rock temperature elevations, as well as the changes in water flux driven by evaporation/condensation processes and drainage between drifts. For a better description of the ambient geothermal condition of the UZ system, the TH model is first calibrated against measured borehole temperature data. The ambient temperature calibration provides the necessary surface and water table boundary as well as initial conditions. Then, the TH model is used to obtain scientific understanding of TH processes in the Yucca Mountain unsaturated zone under the designed schedule of repository thermal load.
Biological Activity of Phosphate Esters in Mammary Gland Extracts

Summary Glucose-6-phosphate, fructose-6-phosphate, and α -glucose-1-phosphate were phosphorylated by mammary gland homogenates. During the phosphorylation of α -glucose-1-phosphate fructose was formed. These findings present evidence for the presence of the enzymes phosphoglucomutase, phosphohexoisomerase, and phosphohexokinase in the tissue of lactating rat mammary glands. These enzymes are specific for glucose esters and have no activity with galactose esters. Other enzymes are present which induce transphosphorylation in the presence of α -galactose-1-phosphate, β -galactose-1-phosphate, and galactose-6-phosphate. These esters were not converted to glycolytic intermediates or to ketose esters under the conditions studied.
Coefficient of Friction Measurements of Solid Film Lubricants at Cryogenic Temperatures

Experiments were conducted to determine the coefficient of friction of the inorganic solid film lubricant TIOLUBE 1175 (T1175). The experiments were conducted first at room temperature and at atmospheric pressure. The experiments are then conducted in vacuum at room temperature, at liquid nitrogen temperature (LN2), and at liquid helium (LHe) temperatures. The coefficient of friction is measured between two aluminum specimens coated with T1175 (self friction) at normal loads of 30 to 78 MPa, and a surface velocity of .076 to 0.3 m/min. The coefficient of friction between aluminum and aluminum coated with T1175 increases with normal load, and decreases with temperature. The heating energy generated due to friction is also determined. The experimental apparatus is discussed and the test results are presented.
Flexural stresses beneath Hawaii: Implications for the October 15, 2006, earthquakes and magma ascent

[1] On October 15, 2006, two large earthquakes rocked the northwest coast of the island of Hawaii six minutes apart: the Kiholo Bay and Mahukona events, with magnitudes Mw = 6.7 and 6.0, respectively. Their close proximity in space and time suggests a common origin, but sharp contrasts in mechanism and depth present an unusual fault-aftershock relationship. Here I account for the October 15th earthquakes as the divergent outcomes of a single process: downward flexing of the lithosphere in response to loading by Hawaiian volcanoes. Viscoelastic finite element models of lithospheric flexure reveal that a strong stiffness contrast between crustal and mantle materials produces peak upper lithosphere stresses at the top of the stiffer mantle. High compression at the mantle top explains the tendency to trap magmas near the base of the crust: the underplating observed seismically at older Hawaiian volcanoes. These phenomena produce peak stress regions at depths consistent with that of the unexpectedly deep Mahukona event.
Mesoporous silica with Ia3d cubic structure and good thermal stability.

Ia3d cubic mesoporous silica with unusual thermal stability has been synthesized using cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and sugar surfactant dodecyl-β-D-maltoside (DM) as co-templates.
Integrated antennas and quasi-optical device arrays

Integrated antennas have been the focus of increasing research activity, particularly for millimeter-wave power combining and "quasi-optical" arrays. This paper reviews some of the work in integrated antennas for oscillator and amplifier arrays carried out at UCSB. This includes unusual phenomena involving coupled-oscillator systems that have led to novel beam scanning concepts for cost-effective mm-wave radar and imaging systems.
Gas-phase ion chromatography: transition metal state selection and carbon cluster formation.

Gas-phase ion chromatography can separate ions that have the same mass but differ in isomeric structure or electronic configuration. The main features of this technique are briefly outlined, and applications to a series of problems in transition metal chemistry and carbon cluster chemistry are described. Examples in transition metal chemistry include state-selective reactivity, excited state deactivation, and state-selective ligand binding energies. For clusters, ion chromatography was used to determine the structure of pure carbon cluster ions as a function of size from C4 to C84. The results indicate that carbon grows first in linear chains, transforms to monocyclic planar rings at about C10, and forms new families of planar bi-, tri-, and tetracyclic rings at C20, C30, and C40, respectively. Fullerenes, which mysteriously appear at C30 and dominate by C50, are generated by heating the planar ring systems above an isomerization barrier rather than by growth of graphite precursors.
Contrast Enhancement Materials. Effects Of Process Variables On Critical Dimension Control With Altilith Cem-420.

The effect of several key process variables on the litho-graphic performance of Altilith CEM-420 was investigated. Linewidth control in the resist image was measured by etching the substrate and electrically probing the resulting polysilicon lines with a Prometrix LithoMap LM20 system. Scanning electron microscopy was also used for some of the linewidth measurements over topography. The CEM-420 process was most effective when used in conjunction with an optimized photoresist process. We investigated lowering the resist softbake temperature and/or increasing the developer concentration. In each case the CEM-420 process performed better with the original processing conditions. Increasing the thickness of the CEM-420 layer improved linewidth control whether expressed as the change in critical dimension with change in exposure dose or as the ability to image different feature sizes at a given exposure dose. CEM-420 dramatically improved linewidth control over topography. Exposure times increased by a factor of between two and three with CEM-420. The effect of increasing exposure time on wafer throughput was miffimal. CEM-420 provided improved resolution with sodium, potassium, and metal-ion-free developers. Proximity effects were reduced with CEM-420. Modeling studies agreed with the exper-imental results showing increased exposure latitude for small feature sizes, improved resist profiles, and a reduction in the effect of standing waves.
New Ranked Set Sampling for One‐Parameter Family of Distributions

BHOJ (1997c) proposed a new ranked set sampling (NRSS) procedure for a specific two-parameter family of distributions when the sample size is even. This NRSS procedure can be applied to one-parameter family of distributions when the sample size is even. However, this procedure cannot be used if the sample size is odd. Therefore, in this paper, we propose a modified version of the NRSS procedure which can be used for one-parameter distributions when the sample size is odd. Simple estimator for the parameter based on proposed NRSS is derived. The relative precisions of this estimator are higher than those of other estimators which are based on other ranked set sampling procedures and the best linear unbiased estimator using all order statistics.
The Aerobic Oxidative Cleavage of Lignin to Produce Hydroxyaromatic Benzaldehydes and Carboxylic Acids via Metal/Bromide Catalysts in Acetic Acid/Water Mixtures

Roughly 30% of all woody plants is composed of lignin. Five different lignin samples from wood and bagasse, were oxidized in air with a cobalt/ manganese/zirconium/bromide (Co/Mn/Zr/Br) catalyst in acetic acid as a function of time, temperature, pressure, and lignin and catalyst concentrations. 18 products were identified via gas chromatographymass spectrometry (GC/MS). The most valuable products from lignin were 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde (vanillin), 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzoic acid (vanillic acid), 4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxybenzaldehyde (syringaldehyde) and 4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxybenzoic acid (syringic acid). 10.9wt% of the lignin was converted to the aromatic products. By the use of model compounds we demonstrate that 1) the presence of the phenolic functionality on an aromatic ring does inhibit the rate of reaction but that the alkyl group on the ring still does oxidize to the carboxylic acid, 2) that the masking of phenol by acetylation occurs at a reasonable rate in acetic acid, 3) that the alkyl group of the masked phenol does very readily oxidize, 4) that an acetic anhydride/acetic acid mixture is a good oxidation solvent and 5) that a two-step acetylation/oxidation to the carboxylic acid is feasible.
Comprehensive Two-Dimensional Gas Chromatography via Differential Flow Modulation

A novel comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatograph has been developed that utilizes differential flow modulation. This technique uses a 6-port valve to collect effluent from a primary column and periodically inject the effluent into a secondary column. The flow in the secondary column is kept 20 times larger than the flow in the primary column so the contents of the sample loop can be flushed into the secondary column in 5% of the collection time. Peaks widths at half-maximum of approximately 0.06 s are generated for a 1.0 Hz secondary injection frequency. Sensitivity is not compromised, as 80% of the sample passes through both columns and reaches the detector. This simple yet effective technique has been used to analyze mixtures of alkanes, alkenes, aldehydes, alcohols, aromatics, esters, and ketones with high speed and high resolution.
Massive Hemorrhage From a Lumbar Artery Following Percutaneous Renal Biopsy

We report a case of severe lumbar artery bleeding following percutaneous renal biopsy. A 68-year-old man with a history of rheumatoid arthritis, gold therapy, and Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia underwent a percutaneous renal biopsy to evaluate nephrotic syndrome and renal insufficiency. Following the procedure, he developed signs of severe hemorrhage. A selective renal angiogram revealed an intrarenal bleeding site that was occluded by selective embolization. The patient failed to stabilize however, and repeat angiography was performed two days later. A lumbar artery was identified as a second bleeding site, and was also occluded by selective embolization. The bleeding was controlled, but the patient developed serious complications and died five days later.
Performance evaluation of cluster-based hyperspectral target detection algorithms

Detection of targets in background clutter using hyperspectral imaging sensors, is a problem of great practical interest [1]. This paper addresses some practical problems related to the adaptive estimation of clutter models and their effects on the performance of matched-signature detection algorithms. More specifically, we compare clutter estimation algorithms using spatially-local adaptation or spectral clustering to deal with the nonstationarity of hyperspectral backgrounds.