cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Frequency distribution of mechanically stable disk packings.

Relative frequencies of mechanically stable (MS) packings of frictionless bidisperse disks are studied numerically in small systems. The packings are created by successively compressing or decompressing a system of soft purely repulsive disks, followed by energy minimization, until only infinitesimal particle overlaps remain. For systems of up to 14 particles, most of the MS packings were generated. We find that the packings are not equally probable as has been assumed in recent thermodynamic descriptions of granular systems. Instead, the frequency distribution, averaged over each packing-fraction interval {delta}{phi}, grows exponentially with increasing {phi}. Moreover, within each packing-fraction interval, MS packings occur with frequencies f{sub k} that differ by many orders of magnitude. Also, key features of the frequency distribution do not change when we significantly alter the packing-generation algorithm; for example, frequent packings remain frequent and rare ones remain rare. These results indicate that the frequency distribution of MS packings is strongly influenced by geometrical properties of the multidimensional configuration space. By adding thermal fluctuations to a set of the MS packings, we were able to examine a number of local features of configuration space near each packing. We measured the time required for a given packing to break to amore » distinct one, which enabled us to estimate the energy barriers that separate one packing from another. We found a gross positive correlation between the packing frequencies and the heights of the lowest energy barriers {epsilon}{sub 0}; however, there is significant scatter in the data. We also examined displacement fluctuations away from the MS packings to assess the size and shape of the local basins near each packing. The displacement modes scale as d{sub i}{approx}{epsilon}{sub 0}{sup {gamma}{sub i}} with {gamma}{sub i} ranging from {approx}0.6 for the largest eigenvalues to 1.0 for the smallest ones. These scalings suggest that the packing frequencies are not determined by the local volume of configuration space near each packing, which would require that the dependence of f{sub k} on {epsilon}{sub 0} is much stronger than the dependence we observe. The scatter in our data implies that in addition to {epsilon}{sub 0} there are also other, as yet undetermined variables that influence the packing probabilities.« less
Patient preferences for stroke rehabilitation

Purpose: Early aggressive rehabilitation therapies maximize functional recovery. We examined patient-reported preferences for their initial rehabilitation therapy setting during their acute stroke ...
Use of an ultrashort-acting beta-receptor blocker (esmolol) in patients with acute myocardial ischemia and relative contraindications to beta-blockade therapy

The hemodynamic responses io esmolol, an ultrashort-acting (t1/3= 9 min) beta1-adrenergic receptor antagonist, were examined in 16 patients with myocardial ischemia and compromised left ventricular function as evidenced by a mean pulmonary capillary wedge pressure of 15 to 25 mm Hg. Esmolol was infused intravenously to a maximal dose of 300 μg/Kg body weight per min for ≤48 h in 16 patients: 9 with acute myocardial infarction, 6 with periinfarction angina and 1 with acute unstable angina. The sinus rate and systolic arterial pressure declined rapidly in all patients from baseline values of 99 ± 12 beats/min and 126 ± 19 mm Hg to 80 ± 14 beats/min (p < 0.05) and 107 ± 20 mm Hg (p ≤0.05) during esmolol treatment. Rate-pressure product decreased by 33% and cardiac index by 14% during esmolol treatment, but pulmonary capillary wedge pressure was not significantly altered by drug infusion (19 ± 3 mm Hg at baseline versus 19 ± 5 during treatment, p = NS). In all patients there was a rapid return toward baseline hemodynamic measurements within 15 min of stopping administration of esmolol, and virtually complete resolution of drug effect was evident within approximately 30 min. During infusion of esmolol, four of nine patients receiving intravenous nitroglycerin required downward adjustment of nitroglycerin infusion rate to maintain systolic blood pressure >90 mm Hg. Four patients required termination of esmolol infusion because of oliguria or hypotension, but all recovered hemodynamic stability within 30 min of termination of the infusion; one patient required a brief infusion of dopamine. These results suggest that, even in the presence of moderate left ventricular dysfunction, esmolol safely and effectively lowers both arterial pressure and heart rate in patients with acute ischemia. The titratability and rapid offset of action of esmolol in such patients may broaden the clinical applicability of the adjunctive cardioprotective effect of beta-receptor blockade in the current era of reperfusion therapy for myocardial infarction.
Effects of genetic and environmental factors on trait network predictions from quantitative trait locus data.

The use of high-throughput genomic techniques to map gene expression quantitative trait loci has spurred the development of path analysis approaches for predicting functional networks linking genes and natural trait variation. The goal of this study was to test whether potentially confounding factors, including effects of common environment and genes not included in path models, affect predictions of cause–effect relationships among traits generated by QTL path analyses. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test simple QTL-trait networks under different regulatory scenarios involving direct and indirect effects. SEM identified the correct models under simple scenarios, but when common-environment effects were simulated in conjunction with direct QTL effects on traits, they were poorly distinguished from indirect effects, leading to false support for indirect models. Application of SEM to loblolly pine QTL data provided support for biologically plausible a priori hypotheses of QTL mechanisms affecting height and diameter growth. However, some biologically implausible models were also well supported. The results emphasize the need to include any available functional information, including predictions for genetic and environmental correlations, to develop plausible models if biologically useful trait network predictions are to be made.
Scale effects and verification of modeling of ship cathodic protection systems

The impressed-current cathodic protection system designed for a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier is evaluated using boundary element techniques. Geometric scaling is introduced by the inclusion of relatively smaller features, such as a bilge keel. The ship is modeled using guidelines developed for a smaller craft. Increases in geometric size result in increases in electrical current demand. Effects of time in service and speed are incorporated by paint damage patterns and use of polarization responses obtained under increased velocity used to simulate ship dynamic conditions. Physical scale modeling of experimental results are used as the basis for evaluation of model accuracy. Detailed comparisons of computational and experimental results show good agreement. As in previous work, model simplification and material characterization accuracy are observed to have a major influence on overall analysis accuracy.
Tail raising by baboon mothers toward immigrant males

Behavioral responses of adult females to recently immigrated adult males were examined in two groups of chacma baboons in the Moremi Wildlife Reserve, Botswana. Mothers carrying infants respond negatively by raising their tails, avoiding, and screaming when in proximity to immigrant males. These responses are not given by mothers when their infants are away from them or by females who do not have infants. Also, the negative responses by mothers carrying infants are given only to immigrant males and not to long-term resident males. These observations are in concordance with the growing evidence of infanticide in savanna baboon societies: mothers would be expected to show negative responses to potentially aggressive males, particularly immigrants. There was evidence to suggest that mothers respond negatively to immigrants only insofar as these males could not have sired their infants. If confirmed by subsequent observations, this result would lend support to the sexual selection model of infanticide.
Oculoauriculovertebral Abnormalities in Children of Diabetic Mothers

Maternal diabetes is known to have teratogenic effects. Malformations including neural tube defects, caudal dysgenesis, vertebral defects, congenital heart defects, femoral hypoplasia, and renal anomalies are described in infants of diabetic mothers. However, craniofacial anomalies have rarely been reported in such infants. Here we document craniofacial anomalies of patients born to diabetic mothers. We describe two patient populations: individuals evaluated through our genetics services for multiple malformations and individuals identified through a database search in our craniofacial clinic. The first group consists of 14 individuals evaluated in our genetics clinics who were born to diabetic mothers and had craniofacial anomalies. The second group consists of seven individuals who were identified from a craniofacial database search of patients with hemifacial microsomia and who were born to diabetic mothers. Thus, both groups were born to diabetic mothers and had hemifacial microsomia (67%), microtia (52%), hearing loss (43%), epibulbar dermoids (24%), and fused cervical vertebrae (24%). Therefore, the teratogenic effects of maternal diabetes probably include such craniofacial malformations as the oculoauriculovertebral/Goldenhar complex. Infants of diabetic mothers should be evaluated for craniofacial anomalies. Conversely, mothers of infants with craniofacial anomalies should be evaluated for diabetes to aid in counseling concerning cause and recurrence risks.
Aerodynamic characteristics of the F/A-18 at large roll angles and high incidence

ciated with the wave rotor were active. The active variables considered were the rotational speed of the wave rotor and the heat added to the wave rotor. Important active constraints included the limits on maximum speeds of the compressors, a 15% surge margin for all compressors, and a maximum wave› rotor exit temperature. The engine thrust was selected as the merit function. The wave› rotor› engine design became a sequence of 47 optimization subproblems, one for each mission point. Only by using the cascade strategy could the problem be solved successfully for the entire e ight envelop. For the mission point dee ned by Mach number = 0.1 and altitude = 5000 ft, the convergence of the two-optimizer cascade strategy is shown in Fig. 3. The e rst optimizer produced an infeasible design at 67,060.87-lb thrust in about e ve design iterations. The second optimizer, starting from the e rst solution with a small perturbation, produced a feasible optimum design with an optimum thrust of 66,901.28 lb. The optimum solutions for the 47 mission points obtained by using the combined tool were normalized with respect to the NEPP results and are shown in Fig. 4. The combined tool produced a higher thrust than the NEPP for mission points 12, 26, and 32. Both NEPP and COMETBOARDS› NEPP produced identical optimum thrust values for a few mission points. The maximum difference in thrust exceeded 5% for several mission points. These differences could be signie cant if the design points with increased thrust were used to size the engine. The combined COMETBOARDS› NEPP tool successfully solved the subsonic wave› rotor› engine design optimization problem.
Maltodextrin-based imaging probes detect bacteria in vivo with high sensitivity and specificity.

The in vivo optical detection of bacterial infections requires highly specific imaging probes with small affinity to mammalian tissue. It is now shown that fluorescent dyes that are conjugated to maltohexaose can be internalized rapidly via the bacteria-specific maltodextrin transport pathway, enabling the in vivo imaging of Escherichia coli down to 105 colony-forming units.
Twelve mortal sins of the turbulence propagation science

In this review paper we discuss a series of typical mistakes and omissions that are made by engineers and scientists involved in the theoretical research and modeling of the optical propagation through atmospheric turbulence. We show how the use of the oversimplified Gaussian spectral model of turbulence delivers the completely erroneous results for the beam wander. We address a series of common omissions related to calculations of the average beam intensity: unnecessary use of the approximations when rigorous result is available, invalid application of the RMS beam size to the turbulence-distorted beams, overlooking the simple theoretical result - average beam intensity is a convolution with the turbulent Point Spread Function (PSF). We discuss the meaning and potential dangers of the use of the quadratic structure function for modeling of the turbulent perturbations. We will also address the issues related to the energy conservation principle and reciprocity that have very important consequences for the turbulence propagation, but are frequently overlooked in the current literature. We discuss a series of misconceptions that very common in of the Scintillation Index (SI) calculations. We will clarify the infamous misunderstanding of the Rytov's approximation: vanishing scintillation at the beam focus, and show the correct weak and strong scintillation solutions for the SI at the beam focus. We discuss the flaws of the Fried model of the short-term PSF, and direct to the more accurate PSF model. We will briefly review the propagation of the polarized optical waves through turbulence and discuss the inadequacy of the recently published calculations of the electromagnetic beams calculations. We discuss some common errors in representation of the calculation results for the non-Kolmogorov turbulence.
Spectroscopy of Comet Hyakutake at 80-700 Å: First Detection of Solar Wind Charge Transfer Emissions

Spectra of comet Hyakutake at 80-700 A observed with a resolving power of 10 reveal for the first time the emission lines of multiple-charged ions that are brought to the comet by the solar wind and excited in charge exchange with cometary neutral species. The most prominent lines are O4+ λ215, C4+ λ249, and He+ λ304. Some other lines, which are of comparable strength, are blended. The results convincingly prove that the charge exchange mechanism is the dominant process in excitation of X-ray and EUV emissions from comets. The He+ line at 304 A is emitted in a similar process by the solar wind α-particles. The quantum yield of charge exchange is ≈4 photons per heavy ion in collisionally thick parts of comae, and the photon luminosity of charge exchange at energy below 100 eV exceeds that above 100 eV by a factor of 2. However, the energetic luminosity below 100 eV is smaller than that above 100 eV by a factor of 2. The O+ lines at 538/539, 617, and 430/442 A are formed by photoionization of atomic oxygen similarly to those in Earth's dayglow. The observed depletion of neon relative to the solar abundance by more than a factor of 2600 confirms the current view that Oort cloud comets formed in the Jupiter-Neptune region of the solar nebula.
Temperature dependence of penetration depth in thin film niobium

A novel technique is presented which should allow precise determination of the temperature dependence of the inductance, and hence of the penetration depth, of superconducting niobium thin-film structures. Four niobium thin-film stripline inductors are arranged in a bridge configuration, and inductance differences are measured using a potentiometric technique with a SQUID (superconducting quantum interference device) as the null detector. Numerical simulations of the stripline inductances are presented which allow the performance of the measurement technique to be evaluated. The prediction of the two-fluid model for the penetration-depth temperature dependence is given for reduced temperatures of 0.3 to 0.9. The experimental apparatus and its resolution and accuracy are discussed. >
Use of the APACHE II scoring system to determine mortality of gynecologic oncology patients in the intensive care unit

Objective To determine if an elevated score on the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) scoring system is associated with mortality of acutely ill gynecologic oncology patients. Methods Gynecologic oncology patients admitted to the surgical intensive care unit (ICU) were identified from the ICU data base. Their admission APACHE II score and type of gynecologic cancer were also extracted from the data base. Charts were reviewed to determine the disease status and reason for admission to the surgical ICU. Patient mortality was correlated with APACHE II scores. Results Forty-five gynecologic oncology patients were admitted to the surgical ICU from June 1988 to January 1992. They had a mean age of 62 years and various cancers: ovarian (24), cervical (16), and endometrial (five). The mean APACHE II score was 12 (range 2–26). Eight of 45 (18%) patients died. There was a significant correlation between APACHE II scores and mortality; patients with an APACHE II score of 20 or greater had a 78% risk of death compared to a 3% risk if the score was less than 20 ( P χ 2 test). Conclusion Elevated APACHE II scores are associated with mortality in acutely ill gynecologic oncology patients.
Communal denning and clan associations in brown hyenas (Hyaena brunnea, Thunberg) of the central Kalahari Desert

Summary The brown hyena clan under study utilizes one major den in which all cubs except the newborn are raised together. All females, including those without cubs, participate in raising the young by bringing food to the den. Females suckle cubs 10 months of age and possibly older and also suckle cubs other than their own. Social greeting, grooming, play, and other interactions are exhibited at the den between sibling and non-sibling cubs, and between cubs, subadults, and adults. The advantages of communal denning in brown hyenas are discussed. Resume Le clan d'hyenes brunes etudie utilise une taniere principale dans laquelle tous les jeunes sont eleves ensemble sauf les nouveaux-nes. Toutes les femelles, y compris celles sans jeunes, participent a l'elevage des jeunes en apportant de la nourriture a la taniere. Les femelles allaitent les jeunes jusqu'a dix mois et peut-etre plus; elles allaitent aussi d'autres jeunes que les leurs. Les salutations sociales, la toilette, le jeu et d'autres interactions sont executees a la taniere entre des jeunes apparentes ou non, et entre jeunes, subadultes et adultes. Les avantages d'une taniere communautaire chez l'hybne brune sont discutes.
Characteristics of future air cargo demand and impact on aircraft development: A report on the Cargo/Logistic Airlift Systems Study (CLASS) project

Current domestic and international air cargo operations are studied and the characteristics of 1990 air cargo demand are postulated from surveys conducted at airports and with shippers, consignees, and freight forwarders as well as air, land, and ocean carriers. Simulation and route optimization programs are exercised to evaluate advanced aircraft concepts. The results show that proposed changes in the infrastructure and improved cargo loading efficiencies are as important enhancing the prospects of air cargo growth as is the advent of advanced freighter aircraft. Potential reductions in aircraft direct operating costs are estimated and related to future total revenue. Service and cost elasticities are established and utilized to estimate future potential tariff reductions that may be realized through direct and indirect operating cost reductions and economies of scale.
Mutual coupling between patch antennas recessed in an elliptic cylinder

Cavity-backed microstrip patch antennas are often used in aircraft applications because of their ability to conform to the vehicle surface. For arrays of patches, it is important to be able to predict the dependence on surface curvature of the coupling between patches. The mutual impedance between two rectangular patch antennas recessed in an elliptic cylinder is computed using a finite element-boundary integral method. Results show that the coupling between the antennas is dependent on the curvature of the cylinder surface. For H-plane coupling, the coupling decreases as the radius of curvature increases. For E-plane coupling, the strongest coupling occurs for a specific curvature.
Assessment of renal ischemia by optical spectroscopy.

There is currently no practical method for analyzing organ warm ischemic damage before transplantation. We employ optical spectroscopic methods to measure differences in warm ischemia time in rat kidneys that have been hypothermically preserved.
Geosmin, an earthy‐smelling substance isolated from actinomycetes

Geosmin, an earthy smelling substance, has been obtained from several actinomycetes in addition to those previously reported. On the basis of the NMR and mass spectra of geosmin and its acid transformation product, argosmin, tentative partial structures have been proposed for both.
Membrane attachment of the replication origins of a multifork (dichotomous) chromosome in Bacillus subtilis.

Association between the membrane and replication origins of the Bacillus subtilis chromosome has been examined during synchronous dichotomous replication where two successive initiations result in four copies of the replication origin and one copy of the terminus per chromosome. The four origins can be distinguished from each other by a combination of density transfer experiments, pulse label at the origin and hybridization with the separated strands of B. subtilis DNA. The data indicate that, when the chromosome contains four replication origins, all four are associated with the membrane.
Inside the Black Box: Prison Visitation, the Costs of Offending, and Inmate Social Capital

The current study investigates how visitation affects inmates’ social capital and whether it influences inmates’ perceptions of costs incurred by their family members and friends as a result of inc...
Compensation of atmospheric CO2 buildup through engineered chemical sinkage

Retrieval of background carbon dioxide into regional chemical extractors would counter anthropogenic inputs in a manner friendly to established industries. We demonstrate via atmospheric transport/scaling calculations that for idealized flat removal units, global coverage could be less than two hundred thousand square kilometers. The disrupted area drops to a small fraction of this with engineering into the vertical to bypass laminarity. Fence structures and artificial roughness elements can both be conceived. Sink thermodynamics are analyzed by taking calcium hydroxide as a sample reactant. Energy costs could be minimized at near the endothermicity of binding reversal. In the calcium case the value is 25 kcal mole−1, as against a fuel carbon content of 150 in the same units. Aqueous kinetics are less than favorable for the hydroxide, but misting could counteract slow liquid phase transfer. Properties of superior scrubbers are outlined.
What else and where else: two worthwhile questions for an information interface

We make a case for widespread support, in interfaces for retrieving and laying out information items, for two simple operations on the items being displayed. The operations are predicated on the fact that the calculations determining how items should be laid out, for example into a ranking, are often highly sensitive to criteria that, for a given application, are somewhat arbitrary. Subtly different criteria can lead to dramatically different results. Our suggestion is to support users in understanding such differences among multiple result displays, with a 'What else?' operation that shows which items appear in a given location in any of those displays, and conversely a 'Where else?' that shows other locations where a given item can appear.
Brain Amyloid Deposition and Longitudinal Cognitive Decline in Nondemented Older Subjects: Results from a Multi-Ethnic Population.

OBJECTIVE We aimed to whether the abnormally high amyloid-β (Aβ) level in the brain among apparently healthy elders is related with subtle cognitive deficits and/or accelerated cognitive decline. METHODS A total of 116 dementia-free participants (mean age 84.5 years) of the Washington Heights Inwood Columbia Aging Project completed 18F-Florbetaben PET imaging. Positive or negative cerebral Aβ deposition was assessed visually. Quantitative cerebral Aβ burden was calculated as the standardized uptake value ratio in pre-established regions of interest using cerebellar cortex as the reference region. Cognition was determined using a neuropsychological battery and selected tests scores were combined into four composite scores (memory, language, executive/speed, and visuospatial) using exploratory factor analysis. We examined the relationship between cerebral Aβ level and longitudinal cognition change up to 20 years before the PET scan using latent growth curve models, controlling for age, education, ethnicity, and Apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype. RESULTS Positive reading of Aβ was found in 41 of 116 (35%) individuals. Cognitive scores at scan time was not related with Aβ. All cognitive scores declined over time. Aβ positive reading (B = -0.034, p = 0.02) and higher Aβ burden in temporal region (B = -0.080, p = 0.02) were associated with faster decline in executive/speed. Stratified analyses showed that higher Aβ deposition was associated with faster longitudinal declines in mean cognition, language, and executive/speed in African-Americans or in APOE e4 carriers, and with faster memory decline in APOE e4 carriers. The associations remained significant after excluding mild cognitive impairment participants. CONCLUSIONS High Aβ deposition in healthy elders was associated with decline in executive/speed in the decade before neuroimaging, and the association was observed primarily in African-Americans and APOE e4 carriers. Our results suggest that measuring cerebral Aβ may give us important insights into the cognitive profile in the years prior to the scan in cognitively normal elders.
Coping with the "Coffee Crisis" in Central America: The Role of the Nicaraguan Red de Protección Social

This brief summarizes the results of a gender impact evaluation study, entitled Coping with the 'Coffee crisis' in Central America : the role of the Nicaraguan red de proteccion social, began in the year 2000, transfers were provided monthly at Nicaragua. The study observed that the international and local Nicaraguan media have widely reported on the 'coffee crisis' in Latin America and there is substantial evidence that there has been a downturn and that this has been more severe in the coffee-growing regions. Using household panel data from a randomized community-based intervention carried out in both coffee-and non-coffee-growing areas, examine the role of a conditional cash transfer program, the Red de Proteccion Social (RPS), during this downturn. RPS protected households against declines in per capita expenditures and muted additional labor supply for beneficiaries. Treated laborers were more likely to have exited the coffee industry while treated producers were more likely to remain in the coffee industry. Results were not significantly different for men and women. Funding for the study derived from Inter-American Development Bank and Norwegian Fund for Social Innovation.
Partial compilation of strategic knowledge

Many system building efforts in artificial intelligence intentionally begin with expressively rich and flexible declarative structures for the control of problem solving-especially when the best problem solving strategies are not known. However, as experience with a system increases, it sometimes becomes desirable to compile declarative knowledge into procedures for purposes of efficiency. We present a paradigm for compilation which begins with declarative opportunism, moves to a phase of heuristic implementation of a partial plan and finally evolves into a fully elaborated procedure. We use the PROTEAN geometric constraint satisfaction system as an example. Using results from a purely declarative structure, we were able to compile strategic knowledge into a procedure for planning a solution. The problem solving behavior of the new system is reported.
GPI-specific phospholipase D associates with an apoA-I- and apoA-IV-containing complex.

Glycosylphosphatidylinositol-specific phospholi- pase D (GPI-PLD) is abundant in serum and associates with high density lipoproteins (HDL). We have characterized the distribution of GPI-PLD among lipoproteins in human plasma. Apolipoprotein (apo)-specific lipoproteins contain- ing apoB (Lp(B)), apoA-I and A-II (Lp(A-I, A-II)), or apoA-I only (Lp(A-I)) were isolated using dextran sulfate and im- munoaffinity chromatography. In six human plasma sam- ples with HDL cholesterol ranging from 39 to 129 mg/dl, 79 6 14% (mean 6 SD) of the total plasma GPI-PLD activ- ity was associated with Lp(A-I), 9 6 12% with Lp(A-I, A-II), and 1 6 1% with Lp(B); and 11 6 10% was present in plasma devoid of these lipoproteins. Further characteriza- tion of the GPI-PLD-containing lipoproteins by gel-filtration chromatography and nondenaturing polyacrylamide and agarose gel electrophoresis revealed that these apoA-I- containing particles/complexes were small (8 nm) and mi- grated with pre- b particles on agarose electrophoresis. Immunoprecipitation of GPI-PLD with a monoclonal anti- body to GPI-PLD co-precipitated apoA-I and apoA-IV but little or no apoA-II, apoC-II, apoC-III, apoD, or apoE. In vitro, apoA-I but not apoA-IV or bovine serum albumin in- teracted directly with GPI-PLD, but did not stimulate GPI- PLD-mediated cleavage of a cell surface GPI-anchored pro- tein. Thus, the majority of plasma GPI-PLD appears to be specifically associated with a small, discrete, and minor frac- tion of lipoproteins containing apoA-I and apoA-IV. — Deeg, M. A., E. L. Bierman, and M. C. Cheung. GPI-specific phos- pholipase D associates with an apoA-I- and apoA-IV-containing complex. J. Lipid Res. 2001. 42: 442-451.
Hollow aggregations of moon jellyfish (Aurelia spp.)

The relative importance of behavior and currents in forming and maintaining jellyfish aggregations is not completely understood; the objective of this work was to determine how the physical properties of the water column were related to the formation of hollow aggregations of moon jellyfish (Aurelia spp.). Hollow aggregations were observed near the surface by airborne lidar in shallow water (
How Schools Learn to Collaborate and Change Their Cultures by Implementing an Autism Model Program in Inclusive Classrooms

This chapter describes how four schools—that participated in an Autism Model Program—learned to implement an innovative research-based educational model for children who have Autism Spectrum Disorders, a growing challenge for schools. Coordinated action was needed within and across classrooms and grade levels to reach school level visions and goals. The chapter sheds light on the critical role of leadership and collaboration in these programs. Participating schools developed the capacity to learn and share knowledge as systems—within schools, across schools involved in the program, and between the schools and a support network. Participation moved the culture of the schools away from isolation and towards collaboration.
Dose-controlled, floating evaporative self-assembly and alignment of semiconducting carbon nanotubes from organic solvents.

Arrays of aligned semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes (s-SWCNTs) with exceptional electronic-type purity were deposited at high deposition velocity of 5 mm min–1 by a novel “dose-controlled, floating evaporative self-assembly” process with excellent control over the placement of stripes and quantity of s-SWCNTs deposited. This approach uses the diffusion of organic solvent on the water–air interface to deposit aligned s-SWCNT (99.9%) tubes on a partially submerged hydrophobic substrate, which is withdrawn vertically from the surface of water. By decoupling the s-SWCNT stripe formation from the evaporation of the bulk solution and by iteratively applying the s-SWCNTs in controlled “doses”, we show through polarized Raman studies that the s-SWCNTs are aligned within ±14°, are packed at a density of ∼50 s-SWCNTs μm–1, and constitute primarily a well-ordered monodispersed layer. The resulting field-effect transistor devices show high performance with a mobility of 38 cm2 V–1 s–1 and on/off ratio of ...
Growth and Structure of Compositionally Modulated Amorphous Superlattices

We review recent measurements of the structure of amorphous solid-solid interfaces using compositionally modulated structures to increase the density of interfaces in thin film materials.
The Preventive and Therapeutic Effects of Oxymatrine on Lung Injury in a Rat Model of Septic Shock

Objective To explore the preventive and therapeutic effects of oxymatrine(OMT)on lung injury in the rat model of septic shock.Methods Fifty-six male SD rats were randomly divided into 7 groups:sham operation group,OMT control group,model(CLP)group,CLP+OMT high,middle-dose group,low-dose group,positive control group.The pulmonary function was evaluated with blood gas,the ratio between wet weight of the lung and dry weight of the lung,PWI and pulmonary moisture capacity,gross changes and pathological changes examined with lightmicroscope in the pulmonary tissue.Results OMT could significantly elevate the content of PaO2,SaO2,significantly decrease the content of PaCO2,HCO-3(P0.05),significantly decrease the ratio between wet weight of the lung and dry weight of the lung,PWI and pulmonary moisture capacity(P0.05),improve the condition of pulmonary hyperemia、edema,infiltrate of heterophil granulocyte and emerge of asphyxial membrane and alleviate the inflammatory reaction.Conclusion OMT could antagonize the lung injury in a rat model of septic shock.
Osteoporosis in patients with rheumatic diseases.

Summary Thus, patients with rheumatoid arthritis appear to be at increased risk of fracture compared with subjects in the general population. Factors intrinsic to the inflammatory process of rheumatoid disease and functional impairment accompanying the disease with its resulting limitation on physical activity both appear to contribute to an excessive decline in bone mineral density in patients compared with controls. The excess risk for fracture may be due to this lower bone mass and also may be due to an increased risk for falling secondary to mobility limitations and lower extremity weakness. The role of treatment with low doses of glucocorticoids in the development of osteoporosis and the resulting increased fracture risk remains an area of controversy with the need for further definitive studies.
Low switching power low-noise wavelength conversion in silicon-on-insulator waveguides

We demonstrate low-noise low-power four-wave mixing Bragg scattering in a silicon-on-insulator platform as a possible controlled all-optical switch. Efficiency and quantum noise measurements are performed to verify the viability of the device.
The official history of the Joint Intelligence Committee volume I: from the approach of the Second World War to the Suez Crisis by Michael S. Goodman, Abingdon, Routledge, 2015, 492 pp., £29.99 (paperback), ISBN 9781138925007

This book provides the Joint Intelligence Committee’s (JIC) official history compiled from memoirs, interviews, meeting minutes, de-classified assessments and classified intelligence products draft...
Milestones in Supercritical Fluid Chromatography: A Historical View of the Modernization and Development of Supercritical Fluid Chromatography

Abstract Supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) has a long history in the field of separation science. Some users have considered this technique to be superior to other forms of chromatography such as gas and liquid chromatography while others have found SFC to be lacking in terms of reproducibility, sensitivity, and general predictability of retention behavior. Numerous historical events and scientific milestones pertaining to SFC have fueled both the positive and negative perceptions of the technique. This chapter will highlight pinnacle milestones that tell the story of SFC and demonstrate how the technique grew from being a controversial topic to a well-understood science.
Associations between Timing of Palliative Care Consults and Family Evaluation of Care for Veterans Who Die in a Hospice/Palliative Care Unit.

Abstract Background: Palliative care consultations (PCC) improve end-of-life (EOL) care, although they may occur too late in an illness to effect the best outcomes. Evidence about the optimal timing of PCC is limited. Objective: To examine the associations between PCC timing and bereaved families' evaluation of care. Methods: A retrospective, cross-sectional analysis of data collected between October 2011 and September 2014 was conducted with 5,592 patients who died in a Veterans Affairs inpatient hospice/palliative care unit. The independent measure was the date of first documented PCC within 180 days of death. Outcomes came from the validated Bereaved Family Survey (BFS) and included one global and three subscale scores characterizing EOL care in the last month of life. Results: After adjustment for patient and facility characteristics, family members of veterans whose first PCC occurred 91–180 days before death were more likely to rate overall care as “excellent” compared with those whose PCC occurred ...
Mass screening for colorectal cancer is not recommended

Source Citation Solomon MJ, McLeod RS, Canadian Task Force on the Periodic Health Examination. Periodic health examination, 1994 update: 2. Screening strategies for colorectal cancer. Can Med Assoc...
Mary Astell’s theory of spiritual friendship

ABSTRACTMary Astell’s theory of friendship has been interpreted either as a version of Aristotelian virtue friendship, or as aligned with a Christian and Platonist tradition. In this paper, I argue that Astell’s theory of friendship is determinedly anti-Aristotelian; it is a theory of spiritual friendship offered as an alternative to Aristotelian virtue friendship. By grounding her conception of friendship in a Christian–Platonist metaphysics, I show that Astell rejects the Aristotelian criteria of reciprocity and partiality as essential features of the friendship bond and that she develops a theory of friendship that is neither reciprocal nor partial. Further, I argue that Astell’s theory of friendship advances her feminist aims by providing a justification for female–female spiritual bonds in contradistinction to female–male marriage bonds. Astell argues that the female–female bond of spiritual friendship is sanctioned by God, and is, therefore, a divinely authorized alternative to the male–female bond ...
Toward a generation free of tuberculosis: TB disease and infection in individuals of college age in the United States.

Objectives: To assess the magnitude of active TB disease and latent TB infection (LTBI) in young adults of college age. Participants: Individuals who were aged 18–24 years in 2011 were used as a pr...
Eating and being French in Old Mines, Missouri

The legacy of French Creole culture in Missouri is particularly remarkable in the community of Old Mines, located in the North Eastern section of the Ozark Mountains. More isolated than the larger ...
Skin glands of an aquatic salamander vary in size and distribution and release antimicrobial secretions effective against chytrid fungal pathogens

Amphibian skin is unique among vertebrate classes, containing a large number of multicellular exocrine glands that vary among species and have diverse functions. The secretions of skin glands contain a rich array of bioactive compounds including antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). Such compounds are important for amphibian innate immune responses and may protect some species from chytridiomycosis, a lethal skin disease caused by the fungal pathogens Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) and Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal). While the bioactivity of skin secretions against Bd has been assessed for many amphibian taxa, similar studies are lacking for Bsal, a chytrid fungus that is especially pathogenic for salamanders. We studied the skin glands and their potential functions in an aquatic salamander, the three-toed amphiuma (Amphiuma tridactylum). Skin secretions of captive adult salamanders were analyzed by RP-HPLC and tested against the growth of Bd and Bsal using in vitro assays. We found that compounds within collected skin secretions were similar between male and female salamanders and inhibited the growth of Bd and Bsal. Thus, skin secretions that protect against Bd may also provide protection against Bsal. Histological examination of the skin glands of preserved salamanders revealed the presence of enlarged granular glands concentrated within caudal body regions. A site of potential gland specialization was identified at the tail base and may indicate specialized granular glands related to courtship and communication.
The power of positive emotions: It’s a matter of life or death—Subjective well-being and longevity over 28 years in a general population.

Objective: This study longitudinally examined Subjective Well-Being (SWB) and its components, namely, Positive Feelings (PF, including global life satisfaction [GLS]), domain life satisfaction [DLS], and positive affect [PA]) as well as Negative Feelings (NF) as predictors of longevity in a general population. Design: Data from the Alameda County Study over 28 years (1965–1993, N 6856) were analyzed with multivariate Cox Proportional Hazard Models. Main Outcome Measures: Longevity, evaluated by risks of all-cause, natural-cause, and unnatural-cause mortality. Results: After demographic and baseline health covariates were controlled, SWB, PF, GLS, and DLS significantly predicted lowered risks of all-cause and natural-cause mortality (Relative Risk per unit predictor increase [RR] ranged .904–.989, p values ranged .000–.05). SWB, PF, and GLS also significantly predicted lowered risk of unnatural-cause mortality (RR ranged .862–.961, p values ranged .014–.05). These associations seemed partially or completely mediated by social networks. The associations were also found separately in younger (55 in age) and/or older (55) subsamples, and were especially salient in the healthy subsample. However, NF showed no associations with the mortality outcomes. Conclusion: SWB and its various positive components, but not NF, significantly predict longevity in the general population.
Hydrophobic Tags for Highly Efficient Light-Activated Protein Release

We have previously described the photoactivated depot (PAD) approach for the light-stimulated release of therapeutic proteins such as insulin. The aim of this method is to release insulin from a shallow dermal depot in response to blood glucose information, using transcutaneous irradiation. Our first approach utilized a photocleavable group that linked insulin to an insoluble but injectable polymer bead. The bead conferred insolubility, ensuring that the injected material stayed at the site of injection, until light cleaved the link, and allowed insulin to be absorbed systemically. While this proved to be effective, the use of a polymer to ensure insolubility introduces two major design problems: (1) low concentration of insulin, as a majority of the material is composed of polymer, and (2) upon release of the insulin, the polymer has to be cleared from the system. To address these two problems, in this work, we have pursued "hydrophobic tags", photocleavable small nonpolar molecules that confer insolubility to the modified insulin prior to irradiation without the bulk or need for biodegradation required of polymers. We developed a combined solid- and solution-phase synthetic approach that allowed us to incorporate a range of small nonpolar moieties, including peptides, into the final depot materials. The resulting materials are >90% w/w insulin and have sharply decreased solubilities relative to unmodified insulin (≤1000 × lower). We demonstrated that they can be milled into low micron-sized particles that can be readily injected through a 31G needle. These suspensions can be prepared at an effective concentration of 20 mM insulin, a concentration at which 120 μL contains 7 days of insulin for a typical adult. Finally, upon photolysis, the insoluble particles release soluble, native insulin in a predictable fashion. These combined properties make these new modified insulins nearly ideal as candidates for PAD materials.
Preparing Science Teachers to Teach with Technology: Exploring a K-16 Networked Learning Community Approach

This exploratory study examines the impact of a professional development program where a K-16 networked learning community approach was implemented to provide training and support for technology integration in science education. The study presents findings from a three-year project with five cohort groups that included 17 student teachers, 17 cooperating teachers, 5 university-level faculty, and 3 student teaching supervisors. Data were collected from pre and post surveys, journal entries, participant observations, and electronic portfolios. Findings indicate that over the course of the program the project participants significantly increased their confidence and competence to integrate technology into the teaching and learning process. Technologyintegrated lessons developed by the project participants included the use of a variety of advanced technology tools to facilitate learning in science. Using collaborative partnerships helped many teachers to use technology with their students and increased their motivation and enthusiasm towards technology based training. The study demonstrates that an approach to professional development that encourages networking, mutual learning, and sharing of strategies and resources among science educators is an effective strategy to improve technology integration in science education.
Longitudinal predictions using regression-corrected grouping to reduce regression to the mean

Long-term implications from quantitative education data can be inferred using short-term data through regression-corrected grouping.
The Five Laws of OER: Observations from Ranganathan

Siyali Ramamrita Ranganathan’s Five Laws of Library Science (1931) has long served as a philosophy for the practice of librarianship. The original five laws remain relevant almost ninety years after they were originally proposed (Ranganathan, 1931). As new modes of information and access, as well as resources and technology, have come into existence, these laws have remained flexible and open to adaptation. However, extant library literature has not yet situated Ranganathan’s Laws within the context of open educational resources (OER). As freely accessible teaching and learning resources, OER reflect the core values of Ranganathan’s Laws; further, viewing OER through Ranganathan’s lens offers new opportunities for librarians to situate their OER work within one of the discipline’s most foundational philosophies. The following sections introduce Ranganathan’s Five Laws and their recent adaptations and provide a new interpretation of these laws within the context of OER. The implications for situating OER within Ranganathan’s Five Laws are also shared.