cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Neighborhood Models of Clonal Growth in the White Clover Trifolium repens

The importance of spatially local conditions in plants and the movement of clones over time are complications that have limited the development of population dynamic models for clonal plant species. We develop a field-calibrated, spatial model of white clover (Trifolium repens) population dynamics. We relate rates of stolon growth and dieback observed in the field to local clover density, and we use field data on the morphology of clover clones to develop a stochastic simulation of how clones spread through space. The size and shape of clover clones varied considerably in the field but still could be depicted accurately by our simulation model. Stolon growth in white clover increased with density at low clover densities and decreased with density at high clover densities. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of positive, density-dependent growth in a clonal plant species. Stolon dieback rates were density-independent. An unstable, lower "equilibrium" point, together with local (as opposed to ...
Integration of multi-terminal DC to DC hub architecture with solid state transformer for renewable energy integration

In this paper an alternate to the DC to DC stage of a single phase solid state transformer is proposed comprising of a Multi limb core (MLC) transformer. Further two important operation conditions of a single phase solid state transformer (SST) with cascaded series connected converter topology is studied: soft startup from auxiliary DC source to avoid any inrush current on the DC capacitors and the control interaction between the cascaded converters under severe voltage sag. The voltage balance in the cascaded structure under extreme voltage sag is the primary concern and a solution is proposed.
Surface Fluorination of Polyimide Thin Films by CF4 + O2 Reactive Ion Beam Etching

Surface fluorination of polyimide thin films during CF 4 + O 2 reactive ion beam etching (RIBE) was investigated. The removal of the fluorinated layer by a subsequent oxygen ion beam etch was also studied. Electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA) and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) detected a fluorinated surface layer on the order of 100 A thick. Fluorine atom concentration in the surface of the film (as measured by RBS) and the etch rate of the film were measured as a function of several experimental parameters: ion energy, ion current density, etch time, and gas composition. The results are compared with theoretical predictions of the total number of fluorine atoms retained in the film after etching.
Encoding categorical and coordinate spatial relations without input-output correlations: New simulation models

Cook (1995) criticized Kosslyn, Chabris, Marsolek & Koenig's (1992) network simulation models of spatial relations encoding in part because the absolute position of a stimulus in the input array was correlated with its spatial relation to a landmark; thus, on at least some trials, the networks did not need to compute spatial relations. The network models reported here include larger input arrays, which allow stimuli to appear in a large range of locations with an equal probability of being above or below a “bar,” thus eliminating the confound present in earlier models. The results confirm the original hypothesis that as the size of the network's receptive fields increases, performance on a coordinate spatial relations task (which requires computing precise, metric distance) will be relatively better than on a categorical spatial relations task (which requires computing above/below relative to a landmark).
Superior vena cava syndrome presenting as bilateral breast enlargement with “peau d’orange” skin changes

A 51 year old female with significant medical history of end stage renal failure presented with bilateral tender breast enlargement, “peau d’orange” skin changes and bilateral axillary lymphadenopathy. The patient was initially diagnosed with mastitis, and underwent a course of antibiotics with minimal improvement. Extensive imaging and repeated biopsies demonstrated benign breast tissue without malignancy. Punch biopsies of breast skin raised a broad differential diagnosis including neoplasm, fibrosing mediastinitis and superior vena cava obstruction. Immediately following the pathology report which included this differential, a superior vena cava (SVC) occlusion with venous stenotic impairment of lateral cephalic outflow was detected. The patient was then treated with resolution of her symptoms. In this case, SVA occlusion was raised based on the patient’s history of chronic renal dialysis requiring multiple catheter placements and by increasing bilateral tender breast enlargement, “peau d’orange” skin changes and histology of lymphedema. We herein describe an unusual case in which the dermatopathologist made the initial awareness of SVA occlusion by seeing lymphangiectasia and stromal edema on a patient with bilateral breast enlargement.
MUTATIONAL ANALYSIS OF THE RECA PROTEIN L1 REGION IDENTIFIES THIS AREA AS A PROBABLE PART OF THE CO-PROTEASE SUBSTRATE BINDING SITE

Summary Previous mutational analysis of the L1 region of the RecA protein suggested that Gly-157 and Glu-158 are ‘hot-spots’ for the occurrence of constitutive LexA co-protease mutants (coprt c ). In the present study, we clearly establish that position 157 is a hot-spot for the occurrence of such mutants, as 12 of 14 and 10 of 14 substitutions result in this phenotype for UmuD and LexA cleavage respectively. The frequency of such mutations at position 158 is somewhat lower, 8 of 13 and 5 of 13 for UmuD and LexA respectively. Comparison of the UmuD vs. LexA co-protease activity for all single mutants with substitutions at positions 154, 155, 156, 157 and 158 (47 in total) reveals that, although there is good agreement among most mutants regarding their ability to cleave both LexA and UmuD, there are two in particular (Glu-154!Asp and Glu-154!Gln) that show a clear preference for cleavage of UmuD. We also show that three secondsite mutations that completely suppress coprt c activity toward LexA have little or no effect on the coprt c activity of the primary mutant toward UmuD. In addition, we observe a high frequency of second-site suppressor mutations, suggesting a functional interaction among side-chains in this region. Together, these results support the idea that the L1 region of RecA makes up part of the co-protease substrate-binding site.
Glycine propionyl-L-carnitine produces enhanced anaerobic work capacity with reduced lactate accumulation in resistance trained males

Recent research has indicated that short term administration of glycine propionyl-L-carnitine (GPLC) significantly elevates levels of nitric oxide metabolites at rest and in response to reactive hyperaemia. However, no scientific evidence exists that suggests such supplementation enhances exercise performance in healthy, trained individuals. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of GPLC on the performance of repeated high intensity stationary cycle sprints with limited recovery periods in resistance trained male subjects. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over design, twenty-four male resistance trained subjects (25.2 ± 3.6 years) participated in two test sessions separated by one week. Testing was performed 90 minutes following oral ingestion of either 4.5 grams GPLC or 4.5 grams cellulose (PL), in randomized order. The exercise testing protocol consisted of five 10-second Wingate cycle sprints separated by 1-minute active recovery periods. Peak (PP) and mean values (MP) of sprint power output and percent decrement of power (DEC) were determined per bout and standardized relative to body masss. Heart rate (HR) and blood lactate (LAC) were measured prior to, during and following the five sprint bouts. Significant main effects (p < 0.001) were observed for sprint bout order in values of PP, MP, DEC, and HR. There were significant main effects detected for condition in PP and MP (p < 0.05), with values across the five sprint bouts 2.6 – 15% greater with GPLC. Significant statistical interactions were detected between bout order and condition for both PP and MP (p < 0.05). There was a significant main effect of condition for LAC, LAC values 15.7% lower 4 min post-exercise with GPLC (p = 0.09) and with GPLC resulting in 16.2% less LAC at 14 min post-exercise (p < 0.05). These findings indicate that short-term oral supplementation of GPLC can enhance peak power production in resistance trained males with significantly less LAC accumulation.
An assessment of the necessity of transfusion during pancreatoduodenectomy.

Introduction Perioperative transfusion of packed red blood cells (PRBC) has been associated with negative side effects. We hypothesized that a majority of transfusions in our series of patients who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) were unnecessary. A retrospective analysis was performed to determine whether transfusions were indicated based on pre-determined criteria, and the impact of perioperative transfusions on postoperative outcomes was assessed. Methods Our prospectively maintained database was queried for patients who underwent PD between 2004 and 2011. 200 patients were divided into Cohort 1 (no transfusion) and Cohort 2 (transfusion). Rates of various graded 90-day postoperative complications were compared. Categorical values were compared according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events. All cases involving intraoperative blood transfusion were reviewed for associated blood loss, intraoperative vital signs, urine output, hemoglobin values, and presence or absence of EKG changes to determine whether the transfusion was indicated based on these criteria. Results There were 164 patients (82%) in Cohort 1 (no transfusion) and 36 patients (18%) in Cohort 2 (transfused). Both groups had similar demographics. Patients in Cohort 2 had lesser median preoperative values of hemoglobin (12.3 vs 13.1, P = .002), a greater incidence of vein resection (33% vs 16%, P = .021), longer operative times (518 vs 440 minutes, P P P = .002). Ninety-day mortality was similar between the 2 groups (3% vs 1%, P = .328). Patients in Cohort 2 (transfused) had increased rates of delayed gastric emptying (36% vs 20%, P = .031), wound infection (28% vs 7%, P = .031), pulmonary complications (6% vs 0%, P = .032), and urinary retention (6% vs 0%, P = .032). A greater incidence of any complication of grade II severity (67% vs 35%, P = .0005) or grade III severity (36% vs 17%, P = .010) was also noted in Cohort 2. Of the 33 intraoperative transfusions, 15 (46%) did not meet any of the predetermined criteria: intraoperative hypotension ( 110 beats per minute), low urine output ( 1,000 mL), EKG changes, and low hemoglobin ( Conclusion Perioperative transfusions among patients with PD were associated with increased rates of various postoperative complications. A substantive portion (∼46%) of perioperative transfusions in this patient population did not meet predetermined criteria, indicating a potential opportunity for improved blood product use. Further prospective studies are required to determine whether the implementation of these criteria may a positive impact on perioperative outcomes.
North Pacific Cloud Feedbacks Inferred from Synoptic-Scale Dynamic and Thermodynamic Relationships

Abstract Daily satellite cloud observations and reanalysis dynamical parameters are analyzed to determine how midtropospheric vertical velocity and advection over the sea surface temperature gradient control midlatitude North Pacific cloud properties. Optically thick clouds with high tops are generated by synoptic ascent, but two different cloud regimes occur under synoptic descent. When vertical motion is downward during summer, extensive stratocumulus cloudiness is associated with near-surface northerly wind, while frequent cloudless pixels occur with southerly wind. Examination of ship-reported cloud types indicates that midlatitude stratocumulus breaks up as the boundary layer decouples when it is advected equatorward over warmer water. Cumulus is prevalent under conditions of synoptic descent and cold advection during winter. Poleward advection of subtropical air over colder water causes stratification of the near-surface layer that inhibits upward mixing of moisture and suppresses cloudiness until a...
Short-range and infinite-range bond percolation

A method for generalizing bond-percolation problems to include the possibility of infinite-range (equivalent-neighbor) bonds is presented. On Bravais lattices the crossover from nonclassical to classical (mean-field) percolation criticality in the presence of such bonds is described. The Cayley tree with nearest-neighbor and equivalent-neighbor bonds is solved exactly, and a nonuniversal line of percolation transitions with exponents dependent on nearest-neighbor bond occupation probability is observed. Points of logarithmic and exponential singularity are also encountered, and the behavior is interpreted as dimensional reduction due to the breaking of translational invariance by bonds of Cayley-tree connectivity.
Phase field approach to martensitic phase transformations with large strains and interface stresses

Thermodynamically consistent phase field theory for multivariant martensitic transformations, which includes large strains and interface stresses, is developed. Theory is formulated in a way that some geometrically nonlinear terms do not disappear in the geometrically linear limit, which in particular allowed us to introduce the expression for the interface stresses consistent with the sharp interface approach. Namely, for the propagating nonequilibrium interface, a structural part of the interface Cauchy stresses reduces to a biaxial tension with the magnitude equal to the temperature-dependent interface energy. Additional elastic and viscous contributions to the interface stresses do not require separate constitutive equations and are determined by solution of the coupled system of phase field and mechanics equations. Ginzburg–Landau equations are derived for the evolution of the order parameters and temperature evolution equation. Boundary conditions for the order parameters include variation of the surface energy during phase transformation. Because elastic energy is defined per unit volume of unloaded (intermediate) configuration, additional contributions to the Ginzburg–Landau equations and the expression for entropy appear, which are important even for small strains. A complete system of equations for fifth- and sixth-degree polynomials in terms of the order parameters is presented in the reference and actual configurations. An analytical solution for the propagating interface and critical martensitic nucleus which includes distribution of components of interface stresses has been found for the sixth-degree polynomial. This required resolving a fundamental problem in the interface and surface science: how to define the Gibbsian dividing surface, i.e., the sharp interface equivalent to the finite-width interface. An unexpected, simple solution was found utilizing the principle of static equivalence. In fact, even two equations for determination of the dividing surface follow from the equivalence of the resultant force and zero-moment condition. For the obtained analytical solution for the propagating interface, both conditions determine the same dividing surface, i.e., the theory is noncontradictory. A similar formalism can be developed for the phase field approach to diffusive phase transformations described by the Cahn–Hilliard equation, twinning, dislocations, fracture, and their interaction.
Simulating Drainage from a Flooded Sinkhole

Understanding sinkhole-drainage capacity and functioning is critical to realizing the effects that may be created when direct­ing stormwater drainage into sinkholes. In this paper, the ba­sics of sinkhole drainage are reviewed in terms of point vortex flow created by drainage down a sinkhole swallet. Then, several different, relatively simple sinkhole shapes are presented and mathematical models developed to simulate drainage from in­flowing water. The models emphasize the significance of drain­age rate as a function of sinkhole shape and sinkhole wetted cross-sectional area relative to changes in water level and time. Model simulations provide insights into the sensitivity of sink­holes to inflow rates and water-level changes withtime. Ma­jor findings include insights into the rapidity by whichinflows may increase the water level in a sinkhole and the significance of sinkhole shape and cross-sectional area as it relates to sink­hole drainage rate. The numerical solution is completely gen­eral so it allows for varying inflow rates in any manner desired. Application of the model to real sinkholes should assist in the management of sinkhole-flooding problems.
The Effects of Octanol on the Late Photointermediates of Rhodopsin

Membrane suspensions of unperturbed rhodopsin and rhodopsin perturbed with 2.5 mM octanol were photolyzed with 477 nm laser pulses at 20 degrees C and 35 degrees C. Changes in absorbance were monitored at times ranging from 1 microsecond to 80 ms after excitation. The data were analyzed using singular value decomposition, global exponential fitting and kinetic modeling. A recently proposed model involving the photointermediate Meta-I380 (T. E. Thorgeirsson, J. W. Lewis, S. E. Wallace-Williams, and D. S. Kliger, Biochemistry 32, 13861-13872, 1993) fits data for samples with and without octanol. Comparison of the microscopic rates shows this alcohol accelerates the formation of Meta-II via Meta-I380. Activation and equilibrium thermodynamic parameters obtained from Arrhenius plots suggest that octanol reduces the entropy increase in forming both Meta-I380 and Meta-II. It also lowers the enthalpy of Meta-I380 relative to Lumi and of Meta-II relative to Meta-I480. To help determine whether octanol affects the protein directly or indirectly through the lipid bilayer, similar experiments were conducted using rhodopsin solubilized in 0.13% dodecyl maltoside with and without octanol. Spectral shifts in the presence of octanol suggest that a direct protein interaction exists in addition to previously reported effects dependent on membrane free volume.
The war on terror and radiological error

0009-9260/$ – see front matter 2010 The Royal Co doi:10.1016/j.crad.2010.02.009 The conceptof radiological error is unfortunatelya familiar one, but it can be difficult to define exactly what it is that constitutes an error. There are errors of detection that occur becausewemiss things, and there are errors of interpretation that occur because we see things but ignore them or get the diagnosis wrong.1 This classification has the merit of simplicity but it is not quite true. It appears that our eyes and parts of our brain can see things that never quite make it into conscious thought. Eye-tracking studies have demonstrated that radiologists will fix on nodules on a chest radiograph for longer than 200 ms, a clear sign that a lesion has been registered by the brain, without any conscious recognition of the abnormality.2 Spots and misses seem to blur into one. With the dubious benefit of legal hindsight, our radiological mistakes can be further classified in to acceptable or negligent errors, 3 but this does little to clarify the fundamental nature of radiological misses. Despite being unable to clearly define what a radiological error is, we seem to have no problem making a lot of them.4 Error rates have been reported to range from an unsurprising 3–5% in general radiological practice 5–7 to eye-watering figures that range from 30–90% 4,5,8,9 for mammography10 and detection of lung cancers. Of course, in general radiological practice many errors are minor and may have little effect on the outcome for the patient.3,12 Having said that, litigation
THz in biology and medicine: toward quantifying and understanding the interaction of millimeter- and submillimeter-waves with cells and cell processes

As the application and commercial use of millimeter- and submillimeter-wavelength radiation become more widespread, there is a growing need to understand and quantify both the coupling mechanisms and the impact of this long wavelength energy on biological function. Independent of the health impact of high doses of radio frequency (RF) energy on full organisms, which has been extensively investigated, there exists the potential for more subtle effects, which can best be quantified in studies which examine real-time changes in cellular functions as RF energy is applied. In this paper we present the first real time examination of RF induced changes in cellular activity at absorbed power levels well below the existing safe exposure limits. Fluorescence microscopy imaging of immortalized epithelial and neuronal cells in vitro indicate increased cellular membrane permeability and nanoporation after short term exposure to modest levels (10-50 mW/cm2) of RF power at 60 GHz. Sensitive patch clamp measurements on pyramidal neurons in cortical slices of neonatal rats showed a dramatic increase in cellular membrane permeability resulting either in suppression or facilitation of neuronal activity during exposure to sub-μW/cm2 of RF power at 60 GHz. Non-invasive modulation of neuronal activity could prove useful in a variety of health applications from suppression of peripheral neuropathic pain to treatment of central neurological disorders.
Saline infusion sonohysterography in nonpregnant women with previous cesarean delivery: the "niche" in the scar.

Objective To apply an existing diagnostic imaging test (saline infusion sonohysterography) to characterize the "filling defect" of a previous cervical cesarean delivery scar in the nonpregnant uterus. Methods Forty-four patients with histories of cesarean delivery who underwent saline infusion sonohysterography for a variety of gynecologic indications were included. During the procedure, the area below the bladder recess was examined using transvaginal sonography. A filling defect or "niche" was defined as a triangular anechoic structure at the presumed site of a previous cesarean delivery scar. The depth of the niche was measured. Uterine size, the presence of fibroids and polyps, and the number of previous cesarean deliveries were noted. Results All patients had a niche indenting the anterior uterine-cervical wall. The mean +/- SD depth of the niche was 6.17 +/- 3.6 mm. There was no correlation between the number of cesarean deliveries and the depth of the niche. Thirty-six percent of our patients had fibroids, and 18% had endometrial polyps. Conclusion Saline infusion sonohysterography was able to detect filling defects in women who previously had cesarean deliveries. We hope that by focusing our attention on the transvaginal sonographic appearance of the detectable uterine scar (niche) with or without the use of saline infusion sonohysterography in the nonpregnant uterus, it will train our eyes to look for the scar in the pregnant uterus. In addition, our study patients had a high prevalence of abnormal uterine bleeding. The role of the cesarean delivery scar in women with unscheduled bleeding needs to be further evaluated.
Attachment and the Management of Empathic Accuracy in Relationship-Threatening Situations

The current studies tested how attachment orientations are related to empathic accuracy (i.e., the accuracy with which one infers a partner’s private thoughts and feelings) during attachment-relevant discussions. In Study 1, married couples were videotaped discussing a severe or a less severe relationship issue that involved intimacy or jealousy. In Study 2, dating couples were videotaped trying to resolve a relationship conflict. Consistent with the revised empathic accuracy model, highly avoidant individuals were less empathically accurate in both studies. Relative to less anxious persons, highly anxious individuals were more empathically accurate when discussing intimacy issues that posed a potential threat to their relationship (in Study 1) and when they were rated as more distressed when discussing a relationship conflict (in Study 2). The findings are discussed in terms of how highly anxious and highly avoidant people differentially manage empathic accuracy to regulate negative affect and facilitate...
Structure and form: Strengthening selling documents

Using both logical and rhetorical techniques, as well as page layout, a technical writer-editor can communicate an idea to an array of audiences without sacrificing the integrity of the science. As government and industrial budgets continue to decrease, marketing documents will play an increasingly important role in obtaining funding. Audiences will have to be convinced that only one proposal out of many is worth funding.
I Did It Because I Never Stopped Loving You The Effects of Media Portrayals of Persistent Pursuit on Beliefs About Stalking

This experiment examines the effects of media portrayals of persistent pursuit on beliefs about stalking. Exposure to a film that depicted persistent pursuit as scary led participants to endorse fewer stalking-supportive beliefs. Although exposure to a film that depicted persistent pursuit as romantic did not lead to greater endorsement of stalking-supportive beliefs for all participants, it did have this effect among those higher in perceived realism or transportation. Possible mediators of the relation between media exposure and beliefs about stalking are also explored. Results indicate that media portrayals of gendered aggression can have prosocial effects, and that the romanticized pursuit behaviors commonly featured in the media as a part of normative courtship can lead to an increase in stalking-supportive beliefs. This latter finding may have implications for the legal support female stalking victims are able to access.
Presence with Scenario-Based High Fidelity Human Patient Simulation

The aim of this grounded theory study was to explain the nature of presence among nursing students participating in scenario-based high fidelity human patient simulation. Data were derived from observations and interviews with 145 participants. Among participants, presence was found to be a multidimensional, dynamic interaction characterized by a centricity between the simulation and the natural environment. Presence, the core concept from the explanatory model that emerged from this study, is delineated in this article. Presence centricity in simulation may impact the learning experience and outcomes. These study results may support development of the educational science related to clinical simulation.
Sensing the Environment

Organisms at all levels of complexity are constantly subject to variations in factors impinging on them from the external environment. It is obviously in the interest of the organism to match as closely as possible its activity to these variations. Any mismatch can be remedied by the organism according to one of three general strategies (Fig. 1), namely, (1) modification of the environment, (2) modification of the organism itself, or (3) migration to a more favorable environment.
Host Preferences and Habitat Associations of Some Florida Grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Acrididae)

Host-plant preferences were assessed by field measurement of grasshopper abundance in relation to measurements of floral community and by laboratory host-plant preferences. Correlations between grasshoppers and plants (biomass and percentage cover) were based on data gathered at 29 study sites in five distinct Florida habitats (including disturbed, freshwater marsh, high pine, oak hammock, and swamp). Relationships among plants in these habitats and 10 abundant grasshopper species were examined to clarify differences in grasshopper assemblages among habitats. The grasshoppers studied were Aptenopedes sphenarioides Scudder, Chortophaga australior (Rehn and Hebard), Eritettix obscurus (Scudder), Melanoplus bispinosus Scudder, Melanoplus querneus Rehn and Hebard, Paroxya clavuliger (Serville), Schistocerca americana (Drury), Schistocerca ceratiola Hubbell and Walker, and Spharagemon crepitans (Saussure). In addition to correlations among individual plants and the abundance of grasshoppers, multiple regression analysis was used to assess how groups of plants were related to grasshopper abundance. These analyses identified grasshopper-plant associations, but some plants were found to be host plants, whereas others were indicators of preferred habitats (indicator plants). Host-plant preferences were determined in the laboratory using five plant-choice tests to help distinguish between host and indicator plants. The 10 grasshopper species examined for laboratory host-plant preferences were the same species scrutinized in the field study. In almost every case, grasshoppers showed specific plant preferences, and the preference studies successfully distinguished between host plants and indicator species. Similar results were obtained whether biomass or percent cover measurements were used to assess the floral community, although percent cover is much easier and faster to determine.
Numerical databases for chemists: present and future

The field of chemistry has been in the forefront in applying computer technology to the storage and retrieval of technical information. While the reasons probably include some sociological and economic factors, the need of chemists to deal with some ten million unique compounds has been the most important driving force. Long before the advent of computers, the chemical community had to learn to systematize the means of designating these compounds, which form the framework on which the science is based. Computers became available at the same time that the expanding research effort throughout the world produced a rapid increase in the rate at which new compounds were being synthesized and characterized. It was a natural step to grasp this new technology as a means of coping with the vast growth in chemical information.
The Theory of Quantized Fields. V

The Dirac field, as perturbed by a time-dependent external electromagnetic field that reduces to zero on the boundary surfaces, is the object of discussion. Apart from the modification of the Green's function, the transformation function differs in form that of the field-free case only by the occurrence of a field-dependent numerical factor, which is expressed as an infinite determinant. It is shown that, for the class of fields characterized by finite space-time integrated energy densities, a modification of this determinant is an integral function of the parameter measuring the strength of the field and can therefore be expressed as a power series with an infinite radius of convergence. The Green's function is derived therefrom as the ratio of two such power series. The transformation function is used as a generating function for the elements of the occupation number labelled scattering matrix $S$ and, in particular, we derive formulas for the probabilities of creating $n$ pairs, for a system initially in the vacuum state. The general matrix element of $S$ is presented, in terms of the classification that employs a time-reversed description for the negative frequency modes, with the aid of a related matrix $\ensuremath{\Sigma}$, which can be viewed as describing the development of the system in proper time. The latter is characterized as indefinite unitary, in contrast with the unitary property of $S$, which is verified directly. Two appendices are devoted to determinantal properties.
Female workplace homicides: an integrative research review.

1. Between 1980 and 1985, murder on the job was the leading cause of fatal injuries for women compared to being the third leading cause for men. The annual female homicide rate per 100,000 women ranged from 0.05 to 0.7. 2. Risk factors that were identified included age 65 and over, black, and work involving the exchange of money. The primary cause of death was gunshot wounds. 3. Suggested prevention strategies were environmental controls, training, policy, and research. 4. Occupational health nurses need to recognize homicide as an occupational hazard, determine high risk employees and situations, and implement programs to reduce violence related stress. Language: en
Development and preliminary validation of an interactive remote physical therapy system

In this paper, we present an interactive physical therapy system (IPTS) for remote quantitative assessment of clients in the home. The system consists of two different interactive interfaces connected through a network, for a real-time low latency video conference using audio, video, skeletal, and depth data streams from a Microsoft Kinect. To test the potential of IPTS, experiments were conducted with 5 independent living senior subjects in Kansas City, MO. Also, experiments were conducted in the lab to validate the real-time biomechanical measures calculated using the skeletal data from the Microsoft Xbox 360 Kinect and Microsoft Xbox One Kinect, with ground truth data from a Vicon motion capture system. Good agreements were found in the validation tests. The results show potential capabilities of the IPTS system to provide remote physical therapy to clients, especially older adults, who may find it difficult to visit the clinic.
Search and Rescue using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

This paper presents the work being done at Cal Poly Pomona on using UAVs for search and rescue missions. A Sig Kadet Senior UAV airplane has been equipped with an autopilot for autonomous waypoint operation and a camera for target identification. OpenCV software was used for image processing, segmentation, and for identifying objects of interest. In order to provide targeted aerial assistance, an autonomous payload delivery algorithm was developed. A flight management computer and drop mechanism has been integrated into the UAV. A payload delivery algorithm was programmed onto the flight management computer and linked to the drop mechanism. The flight management computer received telemetry from the autopilot as inputs to the payload drop algorithm to determine the position of the target relative to the aircraft. The algorithm calculates the release point before triggering a payload release.
Negotiating Love and Work: A Critical Ethnography of a Gay Porn Star

This ethnography offers a glimpse into one person’s pornographic film career, thus rendering visible a frequently invisible sub-textual accounting of the adult film industry. And in so doing, I offer some critiques about how popular constructions of what “love” and affection mean are always tentatively related to our relationship with and exposure to pornography. This research thus argues that our popular understanding of sexual desire, lust, and love are in constant states of flux as sex is commodified and sold to us in a proliferating daily diet within a media-saturated culture. And few if any of us, are immune to its effects, but this proves especially true for those of us whose economic livelihoods are implicated in that complex, cultural gastronomy.
Diagnosis and Management of Insomnia

The symptom of insomnia concerns not only psychiatrists, but other physicians as well. Most cases of insomnia resolve with the passage of time or when the underlying medical or psychiatric condition is treated. For situational insomnias or psychophysiologic insomnias, consider nonpharmacologic interventions before prescribing a sedative-hypnotic. When a sedative-hypnotic is indicated, the BZs are the drugs of choice because of their better margin of safety and lower potential for abuse. In most cases, limit the use of a sedative-hypnotic to several days to a few weeks.
Vesicoureteral Reflux in Boys

AbstractThe natural history of vesicoureteral reflux in children is well documented. In most series girls comprise the majority of the children followed. We reviewed the presentation and course of 86 boys with primary vesicoureteral reflux to define the nature of reflux in that selected population.Of the boys 25 per cent presented when they were less than 3 months old and the youngest tended to have the most severe reflux. Presentation was usually with urinary tract infection but 14 per cent had dysfunctional voiding symptoms without urinary tract infection. Based upon their presentation and initial evaluation the patients were allocated to 1 of 3 treatment protocols: observation, chemoprophylaxis or surgery. No renal parenchymal loss was detected in the boys on observation. Surgical therapy was free of serious complications. Over-all, this modified approach to the management of reflux in boys is acceptable although further followup will be required to confirm these initial conclusions. (J. Urol, part 2, ...
The method of finite spheres in three-dimensional linear static analysis

The method of finite spheres is developed for the analysis of 3D static linear elasticity problems.A piecewise Gauss-Legendre quadrature rule for 3D integration domains is proposed.The method is implemented in the user routine of the commercial finite element program ADINA.The reliability and efficiency of the method are compared to the standard FEM. The objective of this paper is to assess the reliability and effectiveness of the method of finite spheres, a truly meshless overlapping finite element method, for the solution of practical three-dimensional linear elasticity problems. Advantages include simplified discretization and the elimination of element distortion. The method is implemented in the ADINA finite element program through a user-supplied element subroutine. The solutions of three increasingly complex three-dimensional problems are studied (1) to establish the reliability of the method for practical linear elasticity problems and (2) to assess the effectiveness of the method as compared to the standard finite element method. The solutions indicate that the method of finite spheres is between one and two orders of magnitude more expensive in computational time than the standard finite element method. This is still a promising result since there are significant time savings for the method of finite spheres during the pre-processing phase, particularly in the discretization of complicated three-dimensional geometries and because the overlapping sphere elements can be directly coupled to traditional finite elements.
Does Exercise Improve Cognitive Performance? A Conservative Message from Lord's Paradox

Although extant meta-analyses support the notion that exercise results in cognitive performance enhancement, methodology shortcomings are noted among primary evidence. The present study examined relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published in the past 20 years (1996-2015) for methodological concerns arise from Lord’s paradox. Our analysis revealed that RCTs supporting the positive effect of exercise on cognition are likely to include Type I Error(s). This result can be attributed to the use of gain score analysis on pretest-posttest data as well as the presence of control group superiority over the exercise group on baseline cognitive measures. To improve accuracy of causal inferences in this area, analysis of covariance on pretest-posttest data is recommended under the assumption of group equivalence. Important experimental procedures are discussed to maintain group equivalence.
Optical Rotatory Dispersion of Chlorophyll-Containing Particles from Green Plants and Photosynthetic Bacteria

Publisher Summary This chapter presents the optical rotatory dispersion (ORD) of chlorophyll-containing particles from green plants and photosynthetic bacteria. The ORD spectra of chlorophylls a and b in diethyl ether in the visible and near-ultraviolet regions were first measured using a sensitive spectropolarimeter. ORD spectra of chloroplast-lamellae fragments, which represent chlorophyll bound to the lipoprotein in the native state, were reported. The ORD spectrum of the chlorophyll-lipoprotein shows considerably more complexity and intensity than that of free chlorophylls (a + b) at the same concentration in an organic solvent. Cotton effects corresponding to almost all the absorption bands of Chl a and Chl b are retained in the lipoprotein complex. Heating a chloroplast preparation presumably causes denaturation of enzyme proteins and disruption of the organizational relationship between the pigment and the lipoprotein. Structural changes of this sort are not readily revealed by absorption spectra. ORD spectra of the chlorophyll-containing particles from several photosynthetic bacteria were also reported. Cotton effects associated with the carotenoids can be clearly seen, as, unlike in chloroplasts, the absorption regions of Bchl and the carotenoids are well separated. The enhancement of the intrinsic Cotton effects of the chlorophylls and carotenoids that are complexed with the lipoprotein suggests a strong interaction either between the pigment molecules themselves or between the pigment molecules and the attached lipoprotein macro-molecules. A more definite theoretical interpretation of the relationship between the electronic transition of the bound pigment moieties and the observed Cotton effects still remains to be worked out.
Differential sensitivities of bone marrow, spleen and thymus to genotoxicity induced by environmentally relevant concentrations of arsenite.

Abstract It is known in humans and mouse models, that drinking water exposures to arsenite (As +3 ) leads to immunotoxicity. Previously, our group showed that certain types of immune cells are extremely sensitive to arsenic induced genotoxicity. In order to see if cells from different immune organs have differential sensitivities to As +3 , and if the sensitivities correlate with the intracellular concentrations of arsenic species, male C57BL/6J mice were dosed with 0, 100 and 500 ppb As +3 via drinking water for 30 d. Oxidation State Specific Hydride Generation- Cryotrapping- Inductively Coupled Plasma- Mass Spectrometry (HG- CT- ICP- MS) was applied to analyze the intracellular arsenic species and concentrations in bone marrow, spleen and thymus cells isolated from the exposed mice. A dose-dependent increase in intracellular monomethylarsonous acid (MMA +3 ) was observed in both bone marrow and thymus cells, but not spleen cells. The total arsenic and MMA +3 levels were correlated with an increase in DNA damage in bone marrow and thymus cells. An in vitro treatment of 5, 50 and 500 nM As +3 and MMA +3 revealed that bone marrow cells are most sensitive to As +3 treatment, and MMA +3 is more genotoxic than As +3 . These results suggest that the differential sensitivities of the three immune organs to As +3 exposure are due to the different intracellular arsenic species and concentrations, and that MMA +3 may play a critical role in immunotoxicity.
Prognosis of Myasthenia Gravis

The prognosis of myasthenia gravis (MG) was assessed retrospectively using life table analysis in 844 patients followed up for a mean period of 5 years in 3 neurological centers in Milan, Rome and Pavia, Italy.
A pre-treatment planning strategy for high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) treatments

Most operational protocols for HIFU procedures do not incorporate a pre-treatment planning stage comparable to the rigorous pre-treatment planning that is mandated for other modalities of radiation therapy. Ongoing studies investigating pre-treatment strategies that would improve the efficiency and effectiveness of HIFU treatments are complex in nature. Most are based on the incorporation of predictive phase-aberration corrections of propagation-path-specific phase changes. We have shown that the substantially simpler method of optimizing HIFU source placement in relation to layered tissue structures can have a significant effect on focal integrity, and that MRI scans and a wave-vector time-domain linear propagation model can potentially be used to plan for optimized source orientation. Five ex vivo bovine tissue specimens with heterogeneous tissue structures were each mounted in rigid frames with acoustic windows for HIFU transmission. A spherically-focused HIFU source (F0 = 1.502 MHz, D = 100 mm, Rc = 100 mm) was positioned to transmit though each specimen at pre-selected orientations, and the transmitted ultrasound pressure fields were scanned for a series of orientations, followed by a series of MRI scans. Ultrasound transmission simulations were performed and compared with experimental results. Analyses performed on the acoustic field scans to quantify the level of focal distortion [distortion index (DI) = 1- (the ratio between the acoustic energy within a focal zone and the total acoustic energy within the measured area] demonstrated that over the 5 specimens, at least an average of 7.3% (range 5.6% to 12.3%, SD = 2.8%) improvement in DI could be expected by source placement optimization. The accurate simulation of ultrasound propagation through heterogeneous tissue layers using MRI data was also achieved.
A Quasiclassical Trajectory Study of Product Rotational, Angular, and Projection Distributions in the OH + H2 → H2O + H Reaction

The reaction \(OH(X^{2}\prod )+H_{2}(X^{1\sum_{g}^{+}})\rightarrow H_{2}O(X^{1}A_{1})+H(^{2}S)\) is of significant importance in chemical kinetics, particularly with respect to combustion processes involving hydrogen and hydrogen containing fuels. In recent years, a number of experimental studies of its kinetics have been made, including studies of reagent vibrational excitation effects,2 isotope effects,3 and thermal reaction rates.4
An analysis of questionnaires and performance measures for a simulation-based kinesic cue detection task

The attraction of Simulation-Based Training for unmanned Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance tasks has sparked testing for instructional strategies in a kinesic cue detection task. Early evidence of training effectiveness for this task is manifested by performance and self-report measures. The wealth of surveys collected include aspects of users' technology acceptance, immersion, intrinsic motivation, stress, workload, and demographics. This paper reviews these detection task measures in light of an instructional strategy, Kim's Game. A cross-scale analysis of the provided measures indicates strong correlations between several subscales. An investigation of potential predictors of performance indicates weekly computer use is statistically significant in predicting a user's Posttest Median Response Time for behavior cue detection. Recommendations for future initiatives include adding feedback, questioning concern for increasing immersion, and comparing results to other instructional strategies.
Insomnia and sleep medications

Insomnia is a highly prevalent sleep disorder. Efficacious pharmacological intervention can improve sleep by decreasing sleep onset, improving sleep maintenance, increasing sleep duration and sleep efficiency. Sedative hypnotics used to treat insomnia include benzodiazepine, nonbenzodiazepine and melatonin receptor agonist. The data supporting the effectiveness of over-the-counter sleep aids, herbal supplements and sedating antidepressants as insomnia treatments is limited and inconsistent. In no circumstances, alcohol is advised as a sleep aid. The appropriate choice of insomnia treatment must consider symptoms, harmful side effects, tolerance and dependence.