cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Between- versus within-family factor analyses of cognitive abilities

Abstract Confirmatory factor analyses of the 15 cognitive abilities tests from the Hawaii Family Study of Cognition were conducted on between-family (BF) means and within-family (WF) differences for 370 AEA (Americans of European ancestry) and 116 AJA (Americans of Japanese ancestry) sibling pairs. Difference chi-square significance tests, goodness-of-fit indices, and congruence coefficients for the estimated loadings on four specific cognitive abilities factors and on the second-order general intelligence factor nearly all indicated that the between-family factor structures were not significantly different from the within-family structures for both AEA and AJA siblings (the AEA and AJA structures were also not significantly different). The similarity of the BF and WF structures suggests that the genetic and environmental influences underlying cognitive abilities are “intrinsic” in nature, that is, not just due to between-family differences in culture, status, values, and fortuitous cross-assortative mating.
Teachers' beliefs about teaching and learning: A constructivist perspective.

Teachers are viewed as important agents of change in the reform effort currently under way in education and thus are expected to play a key role in changing schools and classrooms. Paradoxically, however, teachers are also viewed as major obstacles to change because of their adherence to outmoded forms of instruction that emphasize factual and procedural knowledge at the expense of deeper levels of understanding. New constructivist approaches to teaching and learning, which many reformers advocate, are inconsistent with much of what teachers believe--a problem that may be overcome if teachers are willing to rethink their views on a number of issues. This article seeks to advance this cause by identifying important aspects of current thinking that may get in the way of teachers adopting a constructivist approach to teaching and learning.
Emergencies of the Female Reproductive Tract

Emergencies of the female reproductive tract are common in small animal practice. The veterinarian must be familiar with normal and abnormal reproductive behaviors, as well as medical and surgical options available. Emergencies of the reproductive tract can be life-threatening for both dam and off-spring, requiring rapid diagnosis and assessment as well as aggressive treatment. With effective management, most of these conditions warrant a good prognosis.
Liquid-Mix Synthesis of Oxide Powders and Thin Films Using a Starch-Based Polymer

A commercially available water-soluble starch derivative was used as the sole organic precursor in the Liquid-Mix synthesis of mixed-cation oxide powders and thin films. The acidified polymer (by nitric acid) was able to complex metal ions through the carboxylate ligands. Loosely agglomerated fine powders as well as dense thin films of complex oxides have been prepared using the same type of polymer. Oxide powders of Cr-doped lanthanum aluminate and yttrium aluminum garnet both crystallized in a single step, without forming any intermediate or second phases, when the amorphous resin intermediates were calcined at 650°C and 750°C for 2 hours, respectively. It was demonstrated that nitric acid could effectively reduce the viscosity of the polymer-nitrate solution to make it suitable for spin coating process. Dense thin films of Y(8 mol%)-doped ZrO2 were formed on Si and A12O3 substrates by spin coating the polymeric solution and heating at temperatures below 1000°C.
Characterization of breast cancers with PI3K mutations in an academic practice setting using SNaPshot profiling

Mutations in the PIK3CA gene are common in breast cancer and represent a clinically useful therapeutic target. Several larger, population-based studies have shown a positive prognostic significance associated with these mutations. This study aims to further identify characteristics of patients harboring PIK3CA mutations while evaluating the clinical impact of genomic testing for these mutations. Tumors from 312 patients at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center were analyzed for PIK3CA mutations using a multiplex screening assay (SNaPshot). Mutation rates, receptor status, histopathologic characteristics, and time to recurrence were assessed. The number of patients participating in clinical trials, specifically trials relating to the PIK3CA mutation, was examined. Statistically significant differences between wild-type and mutated tumors were determined using the Wilcoxon, Pearson, and Fischer exact tests. The PIK3CA mutation was found in 25 % of tumors tested. Patients with PIK3CA mutations were significantly more likely to express hormone receptors, be of lower combined histological grade, and have a reduced time to recurrence. Patients found to have a PIK3CA mutation were significantly more likely to enter a PIK3CA-specific clinical trial. In addition to confirming previously established positive prognostic characteristics of tumors harboring PIK3CA mutations, this study demonstrates the feasibility and utility of mutation profiling in a clinical setting. PIK3CA mutation testing impacted treatment and resulted in more patients entering mutation-specific clinical trials.
Shot noise probing of magnetic ordering in zigzag graphene nanoribbons

The nonequilibrium time-dependent fluctuations of charge current have recently emerged as a sensitive experimental tool to probe ballistic transport through evanescent wave functions introduced into clean, wide, and short graphene strips by the attached metallic electrodes. We demonstrate that such ``pseudodiffusive'' shot noise can be substantially modified in zigzag graphene nanoribbon (ZGNR) due to the topology of its edges responsible for localized states that facilitate ferromagnetic ordering along the edge when Coulomb interaction is taken into account. Thus, the shot noise enhancement of unpolarized and even more sensitively of spin-polarized charge currents injected into ZGNR will act as an all-electrical and edge-sensitive probe of such low-dimensional magnetism.
Role of antibiofilm-antimicrobial agents in controlling device-related infections.

Objectives: To assess the effects of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) on organism viability in planktonic and biofilm phases, biofilm thickness, and extracellular polysaccharide content. Methods: We performed time-kill curves and broth macrodilution assays of bacterial and fungal clinical isolates with varying concentrations of NAC. We also created in vitro bacterial biofilms, incubated them with NAC or control, and then stained with propidium iodide and FITC-labeled concanavalin A. We measured biofilm thickness, number of non-viable cells, and fluorescent intensity as a marker of extracellular matrix via a confocal laser scanning microscope. All experiments were conducted in triplicate. Tested organisms included methicillin-sensitive and -resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA, MRSA), S. epidermidis, vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis (VRE), Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterobacter cloacae, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Candida albicans and C. krusei. Results: NAC 80 mg/ml was uniformly bactericidal (>99.9% reduction) against all tested bacteria with no recoverable organisms after 30 minutes of incubation, but was fungistatic against candida species. Minimum inhibitory and bactericidal concentrations of NAC ranged from 5-10 mg/ml. Biofilm thickness was significantly decreased in NAC-treated biofilms for all organisms except VRE. The number of non-viable cells in NAC-treated Gram-positive biofilms was increased (p<0.05 for MRSA and VRE). NAC-treated Gram-negative biofilms had scant cellularity and lacked complex 3-dimensional structures that were characteristic of controls. Fluorescent intensity was similar in the experimental and control arms. Conclusions: NAC is bactericidal against clinically relevant and drug-resistant bacteria and also leads to biofilm disruption. NAC has the potential for use as a novel agent for prevention or treatment of biofilm-related infections. KE y w ORDS: N-acetylcysteine, Biofilm, Time-kill curves
Modeling full-tensor anisotropy in groundwater flow via an iterative scheme for mixed finite elements

This paper presents an iterative scheme for the efficient simulation of groundwater flow in a two-dimensional, heterogeneous aquifer in which the hydraulic conductivity is anisotropic. The scheme is applicable to matrix equations arising from both mixed finite-element and cell-centered finite-difference approximations to the flow equations, and it extends readily to three space dimensions. The scheme, which generalizes an earlier technique for isotropic aquifer, admits a fast multigrid solver for hydraulic heads. Numerical experiments illustrate both the effectiveness of the scheme and the importance of accurately treating anisotropy: Small changes in the off-diagonal terms in the conductivity tensor cause relatively large changes in both the predicted heads and the Darcy velocities.
Development of caudate neuronal responses to stimulation of the midbrain, thalamus, and cortex in the kitten.

Abstract The ontogeny of the responsiveness of caudate neurons to stimulation of the precruciate cortex, intralaminar thalamus, and ventral midbrain was studied in a series of kittens 1 to 50 days postnatally. Qualitatively, the extracellularly recorded single-neuron responses in the neonate are similar to those observed in the adult. With increasing age stimulation of each site evokes responses in a greater number of caudate neurons with a decreased response latency. The ability to follow repetitive stimulation also increases with age.
Vermont lowering? Raising some questions about /ai/ and /au/ south of the Canadian border

This study comprises an exploration of the speech of 19 Vermonters, aged 9 to 90. Tokens of /ai/ and /au/ were analyzed acoustically. Results reveal that although centralized /au/ and /ai/ were reported to be disappearing by Kurath (1939a; 1939b), they were still present in the oldest of the speakers but were differentially undergoing change. Raised /au/ was used by older men, but had all but disappeared in younger speakers and all of the women in the study except the oldest speaker (age 90). Instead, speakers used a front low onset. /ai/ presented a more complex pattern: centralization occurred in all speakers, but a back, somewhat rounded onset was restricted primarily to older men. In addition, men and older speakers demonstrated centralized onsets in all environments, whereas younger speakers showed more of a “Canadian Raising” pattern. Implications, when results and settlement history of Vermont were examined, included the suggestion that, in Vermont, the raised variants are the older, base forms and that the “Canadian Raising” pattern of younger speakers and women may be the result of an overall leveling from changing socioeconomic conditions in the area.The author gratefully acknowledges the support of the National Science Foundation (NSF # 9975078) for this study. Appreciation is also extended to Rebecca Peabody Amblo, Mieka LeClair, Elisha Huskes, and Danra Kaczinski for assistance with data collection and analysis, and three anonymous reviewers for their very valuable suggestions. Finally, thanks are due to the speakers, who generously shared their voices and stories.
392 THE CIRCULATING LEVELS OF VITAMIN D METABOLITES IN VITAMIN D DEFICIENCY: THE MEANING OF NORMAL CALCITRIOL (l,250H 2 -VITAMIN D) LEVELS

392 THE CIRCULATING LEVELS OF VITAMIN D METABOLITES IN VITAMIN D DEFICIENCY: THE MEANING OF NORMAL CALCITRIOL (l,250H 2 -VITAMIN D) LEVELS
ATRP of Amphiphilic Graft Copolymers Based on PVDF and Their Use as Membrane Additives

The direct preparation of amphiphilic graft copolymers from commercial poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) using atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) is demonstrated. Here, direct initiation of the secondary fluorinated site of PVDF facilitates grafting of the hydrophilic comonomer. Amphiphilic comb copolymer derivatives of PVDF having poly(methacrylic acid) side chains (PVDF-g-PMAA) and poly(oxyethylene methacrylate) side chains (PVDF-g-POEM) are prepared using this method. Surface segregation of PVDF-g-POEM additives in PVDF is examined as a route to wettable, foul-resistant surfaces on PVDF filtration membranes. Because of surface segregation during the standard immersion precipitation process for membrane fabrication, a PVDF/5 wt % PVDF-g-POEM membrane, having a bulk POEM concentration of 3.4 wt %, exhibits a near-surface POEM concentration of 42 wt % as measured by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). This membrane displays substantial resistance to BSA fouling compared with pure PVDF and wets...
The failure of fresh-water granular ice under multiaxial compressive loading

Abstract The failure of fresh-water granular ice under multiaxial compressive loading was investigated at −10, −20 and −40°C at 10 −3 s −1 , using a true multiaxial servo-hydraulic testing system. The tests were carried out on cubic samples proportionately loaded under different confinement ratios R = σ 3 /σ 1 = σ 2 /σ 1 . Two regimes were revealed at all three temperatures. Under lower confinement the failure stress, σ 1f , increases sharply with R , whereas at higher confinement σ 1f is roughly constant. Both brittle and pseudo-ductile behavior were observed under lower confinement, depending upon the confining stress and the temperature, while the behavior was brittle under higher confinement. An analysis of the brittle to pseudo—ductile transition within the lower confinement regime was performed in terms of the frictional crack sliding/wing-crack mechanism. The high-confinement regime is characterized by intense intergranular damage. The final failure, however, is caused not by the linking of the uniformly distributed microcracking, but by damage localized at the ice/platen interface. The saturation in the failure stress with increasing confinement is attributed to a mechanism specific to the boundary conditions and not to the ice per se .
Family-centered Multidisciplinary Rounds Enhance the Team Approach in Pediatrics

OBJECTIVE. The objective of this study was to determine the impact of family-centered multidisciplinary rounds on an inpatient pediatric ward. We hoped to (1) gain a better understanding of the patient and family experience with family-centered multidisciplinary rounds, (2) measure hospital staff satisfaction with family-centered multidisciplinary rounds compared with conventional rounds, and (3) understand the time commitment for family-centered multidisciplinary rounds and conventional rounds. METHODS. A quasi-experimental design was undertaken during a 2-week period. During the first week, the hospital staff conducted conventional rounds. Families were surveyed daily, and the staff were surveyed at the end of the week regarding their experiences. During the second week, newly admitted patients received family-centered multidisciplinary rounds at the bedside. Again, both families and staff were surveyed. Observers recorded the interactions between families and staff and measured the time required to conduct rounds. RESULTS. A total of 27 patients were admitted during the 2-week study period. No significant differences were found in family satisfaction between conventional rounds and family-centered multidisciplinary rounds. A total of 53 surveys were collected from staff members. The staff reported better understanding of the patients9 medical plans, better ability to help the families, and a greater sense of teamwork with family-centered multidisciplinary rounds compared with conventional rounds. It required an additional 2.7 minutes per patient during rounds for family-centered multidisciplinary rounds. With family-centered multidisciplinary rounds, the family affected the medical decision-making discussion in 90% of cases. CONCLUSIONS. Family-centered multidisciplinary rounds is a method of conducting inpatient hospital rounds that fosters teamwork and empowers hospital staff. The patient and family are engaged in and are the focal point of the rounds. Staff members are able to hear everyone9s perspective and give input. The impact on staff satisfaction and the family9s ability to participate in their care is significant.
Coupling of Pressure-Induced Structural Shifts to Spectral Changes in a Yellow Fluorescent Protein

X-ray diffraction analysis of pressure-induced structural changes in the Aequorea yellow fluorescent protein Citrine reveals the structural basis for the continuous fluorescence peak shift from yellow to green that is observed on pressurization. This fluorescence peak shift is caused by a reorientation of the two elements of the Citrine chromophore. This study describes the structural linkages in Citrine that are responsible for the local reorientation of the chromophore. The deformation of the Citrine chromophore is actuated by the differential motion of two clusters of atoms that compose the β-barrel scaffold of the molecule, resulting in a slight bending of the β-barrel. The high-pressure structures also show a perturbation of the hydrogen bonding network that stabilizes the excited state of the Citrine chromophore. The perturbation of this network is implicated in the reduction of fluorescence intensity of Citrine. The blue-shift of the Citrine fluorescence spectrum resulting from the bending of the β-barrel provides structural insight into the transient blue-shifting of isolated yellow fluorescent protein molecules under ambient conditions and suggests mechanisms to alter the time-dependent behavior of Citrine under ambient conditions.
Transmission of Swine Influenza Virus to Humans after Exposure to Experimentally Infected Pigs

Two people developed symptoms of influenza 36 h after collecting nasal swabs from pigs experimentally infected with A/Sw/IN/1726/88 (Sw/IN). Pharyngeal swabs from these persons tested positive for influenza virus RNA 8 days after infection. Analysis of hemi-nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products indicated that the hemagglutinin (HA) segments of the isolates were genetically related to the HA of Sw/IN. Four influenza A virus isolates (A/WI/4754/94, A/WI/4756/94, A/WI/4758/94, A/WI/4760/94) were recovered from a 39-year-old man and 2 (A/WI/4755/94, A/WI/4757/94) from a 31-year-old woman. The HAs of the isolates were antigenically indistinguishable from the virus used to infect the pigs. Sequence analysis of the HA genes indicated they were 99.7% identical to the HA of the virus used in the experiment. Multisegment reverse transcription-PCR proved that all of the segments originated from Sw/IN, demonstrating that transmission of swine H1N1 viruses to humans occurs directly and readily, despite Animal Biosafety Level 3 containment practices used for these experiments.
Vertical Velocity and Microphysical Distributions Related to Rapid Intensification in a Simulation of Hurricane Dennis (2005)

AbstractA 1-km Weather Research and Forecasting model simulation of Hurricane Dennis was used to identify precursors in vertical velocity and latent heating distributions to rapid intensification (RI). Although the observed structure qualitatively replicated data obtained during P-3 and Earth Resources-2 (ER-2) flights, the simulated reflectivity was overestimated. During the 6 h preceding RI, defined as 0000 UTC 8 July 2005 close to the time of simulated maximum central pressure deepening, the asymmetric convection transformed into an eyewall with the maximum 10-m wind speed increasing by 16 m s−1.Contour by frequency altitude diagrams showed unique changes in the breadth of simulated vertical velocity (w) distributions before and after RI. Outliers of w distributions at 14 km preceded RI onset, whereas the increase in w outliers at 6 km lagged it. Prior to RI there was an increase in the upward flux of hydrometeors between 10 and 15 km, with increased contributions from w > 6 m s−1. Increases in lower-l...
Air-flow navigated crystal growth for TIPS pentacene-based organic thin-film transistors

Abstract 6,13-Bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl)pentacene (TIPS pentacene) is a promising active channel material of organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs) due to its solubility, stability, and high mobility. However, the growth of TIPS pentacene crystals is intrinsically anisotropic and thus leads to significant variation in the performance of OTFTs. In this paper, air flow is utilized to effectively improve the TIPS pentacene crystal orientation and enhance performance consistency in OTFTs, and the resulted films are examined with optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and thin-film transistor measurements. Under air-flow navigation (AFN), TIPS pentacene drop-cast from toluene solution has been observed to form thin films with improved crystal orientation and increased areal coverage on substrates, which subsequently lead to a fourfold increase of average hole mobility and one order of magnitude enhancement in performance consistency defined by the ratio of average mobility to the standard deviation of the field-effect mobilities.
Data Evaluation and Statistical Analysis of Functional Observational Battery Data Using a Linear Models Approach

Statistical analysis of functional observational battery (FOB) data presents special problems in that there are three different types of data collected (continuous, count, and categorical), all of which are measured in a repeated manner across time. Initial measurements are made before any treatment is applied, and proper use of these individual control values must be determined. A coherent structure for the analysis of such data is laid out, and examples of applications are presented. Rationale for the approaches used are described. Behavioral characteristics of the statistical tests are summarized for one FOB experiment to show that the tests indeed perform properly. The availability and ease of use of the SAS statistical software employed, including the key analysis procedures PROC CATMOD and PROC GLM, and of the SASGRAPH graphics procedures and their importance to data evaluation in the FOB are fully described. Cautions about these procedures and further statistical research and development needs are ...
Group Cooperation without Group Selection: Modest Punishment Can Recruit Much Cooperation.

Humans everywhere cooperate in groups to achieve benefits not attainable by individuals. Individual effort is often not automatically tied to a proportionate share of group benefits. This decoupling allows for free-riding, a strategy that (absent countermeasures) outcompetes cooperation. Empirically and formally, punishment potentially solves the evolutionary puzzle of group cooperation. Nevertheless, standard analyses appear to show that punishment alone is insufficient, because second-order free riders (those who cooperate but do not punish) can be shown to outcompete punishers. Consequently, many have concluded that other processes, such as cultural or genetic group selection, are required. Here, we present a series of agent-based simulations that show that group cooperation sustained by punishment easily evolves by individual selection when you introduce into standard models more biologically plausible assumptions about the social ecology and psychology of ancestral humans. We relax three unrealistic assumptions of past models. First, past models assume all punishers must punish every act of free riding in their group. We instead allow punishment to be probabilistic, meaning punishers can evolve to only punish some free riders some of the time. This drastically lowers the cost of punishment as group size increases. Second, most models unrealistically do not allow punishment to recruit labor; punishment merely reduces the punished agent’s fitness. We instead realistically allow punished free riders to cooperate in the future to avoid punishment. Third, past models usually restrict agents to interact in a single group their entire lives. We instead introduce realistic social ecologies in which agents participate in multiple, partially overlapping groups. Because of this, punitive tendencies are more expressed and therefore more exposed to natural selection. These three moves toward greater model realism reveal that punishment and cooperation easily evolve by direct selection—even in sizeable groups.
Modification to the Fontan procedure for the prophylaxis of intra-atrial reentrant tachycardia: short-term results of a prospective randomized blinded trial.

Abstract Objectives We evaluated the feasibility, safety, and short-term efficacy of an interventional atrial incision placed at the time of the Fontan operation to reduce the development of intra-atrial reentrant tachycardia. Methods This prospective randomized blinded trial was conducted in patients with congenital heart disease undergoing an initial lateral tunnel Fontan. Intervention patients underwent a lateral tunnel Fontan with an interventional atrial incision/cryoablation from the atriotomy to the right atrioventricular annulus. Controls underwent a standard lateral tunnel Fontan. Safety of the intervention was monitored. Short-term efficacy was determined by comparisons of conduction block across the incision area and spontaneous or inducible atrial arrhythmias. Results There were no significant differences between intervention (n = 21, median 2.4 years, range 0.8-3.9) and controls (n = 21, median 2.7 years, range 1.5-13.9) in age, type of heart disease, surgical parameters, or postoperative outcomes. Safety parameters showed no difference between groups in number or severity of adverse events. Short-term efficacy included evidence of conduction block with a longer conduction time across the incision area in intervention patients (median 97 ms, range 35-160) compared with controls (median 40 ms, range 8-77, P = .0001). No intervention patients had spontaneous or inducible intra-atrial reentrant tachycardia versus 2 controls (0/21 versus 2/21, P = NS). Conclusions An interventional atrial incision to reduce intra-atrial reentrant tachycardia in the Fontan operation was feasible and safe. The intervention changed the atrial substrate as shown by an increase in conduction time. Short-term results showed a low incidence of intra-atrial reentrant tachycardia in all patients. Longer follow-up is necessary to assess clinical efficacy.
Ganymede as the Logos: Traces of a Forgotten Allegorization in Philo?

Philo's attitude to the mythologizing activities of the Greeks is well known. In many passages he contrasts the practices of Greek writers unfavourably with that of Moses. In one passage ( Conf. 2 ff.), for example, he condemns those who see the Tower of Babel story asa reflection of that of Otus and Ephialtes' assault on Olympus; the truth, he asserts, is quite the contrary — the Greeks have borrowed the story from Moses. On the other hand, Philo is himself prepared on occasion to allegorize figures of Greek mythology, though never explicitly on a subject of central doctrinal importance. For instance, he appears to be acquainted with the allegorization of various parts of the Odyssey . In his treatise On Mating with the Preliminary Studies ( Congr. ), he makes use of the allegorization of the Suitors' mating with the handmaidens because they cannot gain Penelope, first employed, it seems, by the Cynic Bion of Borysthenes, but no doubt of wide currency by Philo's time, as a figure of those who cannot attain to Philosophy consoling themselves with ta enkyklia (e.g. Congr. 14–19). Again, the use here and there in his writings of compounds of the verb νήχω , ‘swim’, particularly ⋯νανήχομαι in connection with descriptions of our struggle through the storms and shipwreck of material existence, suggests his acquaintance with the allegorizing of Odysseus' shipwreck off Phaeacia in Odyssey V, where Homer employs this verb repeatedly. Other, more specificallegories include Scylla as ⋯ɸροσύνη a ‘deathless evil’ ( Od. 12. 118), at Det. 178; Odysseus' escape from Charybdis (ibid. 219) at Somn. 2. 70, to symbolize our escape from the cares of mortal existence; and Castor and Pollux ( Od. 11. 303) at Somn. 1.150, as an image of the life of the asketes or prokopton.
Audio-visual human computer interface

Summary form only given. We first give an overview of the human computer intelligent interaction major research theme of the Beckman Institute. Then a number of research projects will be described, including: emotion recognition, shrug detection, hand tracking and gesture recognition, and audio-visual emotive avatars.
Concentration-dependent exchange accelerates turnover of proteins bound to double-stranded DNA

The multistep kinetics through which DNA-binding proteins bind their targets are heavily studied, but relatively little attention has been paid to proteins leaving the double helix. Using single-DNA stretching and fluorescence detection, we find that sequence-neutral DNA-binding proteins Fis, HU and NHP6A readily exchange with themselves and with each other. In experiments focused on the Escherichia coli nucleoid-associated protein Fis, only a small fraction of protein bound to DNA spontaneously dissociates into protein-free solution. However, if Fis is present in solution, we find that a concentration-dependent exchange reaction occurs which turns over the bound protein, with a rate of k(exch) = 6 × 10(4) M(-1)s(-1). The bacterial DNA-binding protein HU and the yeast HMGB protein NHP6A display the same phenomenon of protein in solution accelerating dissociation of previously bound labeled proteins as exchange occurs. Thus, solvated proteins can play a key role in facilitating removal and renewal of proteins bound to the double helix, an effect that likely plays a major role in promoting the turnover of proteins bound to DNA in vivo and, therefore, in controlling the dynamics of gene regulation.
MO‐D‐330A‐04: Exploitation of Data Redundancy in a Reduced Fan‐Beam Scan

Purpose: We aim to devise new weighting schemes to improve the signalto‐noise ratio (SNR) in imagesreconstructed from data acquired in reduced fan‐beam scans by fully utilizing the redundant information. Method and Materials: Recently, we have developed a backprojection‐filtration (BPF) algorithm, which can reconstruct ROI‐images from the transversely truncated data in a reduced‐scan with a scanning angular range less than that in a short‐scan. However, the measured data in a practical reduced scan contain some redundant information. In this work, we devised two weighting schemes to appropriately incorporate the redundant data. Applying the weighting schemes to the BPF algorithm, we derived two new algorithms, derivative of weighted BPF (WD‐BPF) and weighted‐derivative BPF (DW‐BPF) algorithms. Both of these two algorithms can be used to improve the SNR in reconstructed images.Results: The ROI‐images are reconstructed from the truncated projection data in a short‐scan and a reduced‐scan, respectively. For the reduced‐scan, some shading artifacts appear in the imagesreconstructed by use of the WD‐BPF algorithm. This is caused by the numerical error in the derivative of the discontinuous weighting function. In contrast, artifact‐free images can be obtained by use of the DW‐BPF algorithm. For the short‐scan, both algorithms can obtain artifact‐free images, because the weighting function is smooth. The results in the noise study show that imagenoise obtained by use of WD‐BPF and DW‐BPF algorithms are similar within the ROI. Conclusion: We propose two weighting schemes for handling the data redundancy in reduced‐scan fan‐beam CT. Our results demonstrate that the proposed two algorithms can utilize the redundant data to improve the signal‐noise ratio. Moreover, the noise properties of these two algorithms are similar to each other.
Nonincremental Change in An Urban Environment The Case of New York City's Human Resources Administration

Must change in urban politics be incremental, as structuralist analysts have claimed? Welfare policy in New York City under Giuliani suggests not. The city's welfare policy has undergone the following major changes: a sharp reduction in the PA caseloads; creation of the country's largest work experience program; striking organizational restructuring; and the introduction of a new information management system. The key factors that made these dramatic changes possible were New York City's highly competitive political environment in the early 1990s; the development of a popular set of public ideas related to reciprocal obligations; a policy feedback effect of welfare policy of the Dinkins years; and the emergence of Giuliani as a skillful policy entrepreneur. Another crucial factor was the unforeseen effect of the 1989 city charter revision that eliminated the only institution that had historically been a counterbalance to the mayor's power. The result suggests that a nonincrementalist theory of political c...
Physics analyses of an accelerator-driven sub-critical assembly

Abstract Physics analyses have been performed for an accelerator-driven sub-critical assembly as a part of the Argonne National Laboratory activity in preparation for a joint conceptual design with the Kharkov Institute of Physics and Technology (KIPT) of Ukraine. KIPT has a plan to construct an accelerator-driven sub-critical assembly targeted towards the medical isotope production and the support of the Ukraine nuclear industry. The external neutron source is produced either through photonuclear reactions in tungsten or uranium targets, or deuteron reactions in a beryllium target. KIPT intends using the high-enriched uranium (HEU) for the fuel of the sub-critical assembly. The main objective of this paper is to study the possibility of utilizing low-enriched uranium (LEU) fuel instead of HEU fuel without penalizing the sub-critical assembly performance, in particular the neutron flux level. In the course of this activity, several studies have been carried out to investigate the main choices for the system's parameters. The external neutron source has been characterized and a pre-conceptual target design has been developed. Several sub-critical configurations with different fuel enrichments and densities have been considered. Based on our analysis, it was shown that the performance of the LEU fuel is comparable with that of the HEU fuel. The LEU fuel sub-critical assembly with 200-MeV electron energy and 100-kW electron beam power has an average total flux of ∼2.50×10 13 n/s cm 2 in the irradiation channels. The corresponding total facility power is ∼204 kW divided into 91 and 113 kW deposited in the target and sub-critical assemblies, respectively.
Confirmation of spectinomycin in milk using ion-pair solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography-electrospray ion trap mass spectrometry.

Abstract A confirmation procedure is described for residues of spectinomycin in bovine milk. Spectinomycin is extracted from raw milk using ion-pair reversed-phase solid-phase extraction. The extracts are ion-pair chromatographed on a polymeric reversed-phase column and analyzed on a quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometer equipped with an electrospray interface. MS–MS data are acquired in the scan mode of product ions deriving from m / z 333, the protonated molecular ion. The estimated limit of confirmation is between 0.05 and 0.1 μg/ml. The procedure was validated with control milk, fortified milk (0.1–5.0 μg/ml), and milk from cows dosed with spectinomycin.
From Childhood Trauma to Elevated C-Reactive Protein in Adulthood: The Role of Anxiety and Emotional Eating

BIC = Bayesian Information Criteria; BMI = body mass index; CFI = comparative fit index; CRP = C-reactive protein; CT = childhood trauma; CTQ = Childhood Trauma Questionnaire; GAD = generalized anxiety disorder; HPA = hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal; IL-6 = interleukin 6; MASQ = Mood and Anxiety Symptom Questionnaire; MGA = multiple group analysis; MIDUS = Midlife in the United States; PSS = Perceived Stress Scale; PTSD = posttraumatic stress disorder; SAS = Social Anxiety Scale.
Handedness and the risk of tardive dyskinesia

Previous results from five cross-sectional studies are conflicting about the relationship between hand preference and tardive dyskinesia (TD): two report a greater TD prevalence in left handers, and three report a greater prevalence in right handers. To help resolve these inconsistencies, the handedness-TD association was assessed in the Yale TD Study, a large prospective cohort investigation of outpatients maintained with neuroleptics. A consistent monotonic association was observed between the handedness score and TD incidence (p = 0.009). The estimated rate ratio, comparing left and mixed handers with pure right handers, adjusted for confounders, was 0.25 (95% confidence interval = 0.09, 0.70). The handedness effect (higher TD rate in right handers) was stronger for subjects with fewer negative symptoms, and it was stronger for men than for women. Although the specific biological mechanisms are unclear, these findings may reflect cerebral laterality in the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders, possibly in combination with asymmetrical action of neuroleptic exposure.
Fluctuations and the ionization potential in dense plasmas

Abstract A semi-analytic model is developed to estimate continuum lowering in dense plasmas including fluctuations. The model is applied to aluminum and compared with recent experiments at the Linac Coherent Light Source [O. Ciricosta et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 109 (2012) 065002] that reported the ionization potential depression of K-shell electrons in solid density aluminum at temperatures up to 180 eV. The analysis suggests fluctuations, which are neglected in most continuum lowering models but are essential to describe energy absorption by a system, are sufficiently large to impact the interpretation of the experimental results.
Pain experience related to self-injury in eating disorder patients

A reduced pain sensitivity has been found in eating disorder (ED) patients. These patients often show various types of self-injurious behaviors (SIB) which some experience as painful, while others report analgesia during episodes of SIB. How can we explain these differences? We studied female ED patients (N=185) of whom 84 had admitted some form of SIB in their recent history. The presence/absence of pain report during SIB was not significantly related to the type of ED. The longer the history of SIB, the less pain was reported. Ratings of dissociation and traumatic experiences were higher in patients who did not experience pain while injuring themselves. We discuss several biopsychosocial explanations for these findings with suggestions for future research.
Role of charged defects on organic solar cell performance: Prospect of heterojunction-free device design

Heterojunction-free organic photovoltaic (HJ-free OPV) devices promise to double the efficiency of bulk heterojunction cells, mainly by improving the open circuit voltage. Unfortunately, photocurrent of HJ-free OPV cell is poor, which is generally attributed to incomplete exciton dissociation. In this paper, we show that it is the defect induced electric field screening, not exciton dissociation, which lowers charge collection and degrades the photocurrent. The hypothesis is confirmed by careful device simulation and impedance spectroscopy. The defect-limited theory of photocurrent consistently interprets the voltage dependent quantum efficiency and intensity dependent power conversion efficiency widely observed for HJ-free OPVs. This work suggests bright prospect of HJ-free OPV design, provided the material defects are minimized.
New methodology for thoroughly characterizing the performance of advanced reticle inspection platforms

For years equipment suppliers have opened their doors to evaluations by potential customers. Unfortunately, the only feedback a supplier received concerning its performance was a purchase order (or the lack of one). Neither was there any benchmarking against other suppliers' results to identify niche areas or spark necessary tool improvement programs. The result was an industry where new tool development projects ran the risk of being dictated by conjecture and assumption rather than a more empirical approach. This paper presents a method by which reticle inspection tools can be characterized more comprehensively. While grounded in common sense, some of the techniques used were considered quite unorthodox. By consulting the equipment supplier as to which test vehicles might best demonstrate its tool capability or might expose a weakness in the competitor's tool, topics that the customer might not otherwise have thought of were covered in the evaluation. Securing permission to feed back comprehensive results to all suppliers also guaranteed future focus on critical issues and limited development activities to only those deemed value-added by the customer. In addition, specific test battery topics were derived from consultations with semiconductor customers. The intent was to understand which reticle patterns and defect types were critical to the end user. The expected outcome after this type of evaluation is a quantified performance benchmark which facilitates industry-wide reticle inspection capability improvement over a shorter period of time.
Pi- and sigma- Coordinated Al in AlC2- and AlCSi-. A Combined Photoelectron Spectroscopy and ab Initio Study

Vibrationally resolved photoelectron spectroscopy is combined with ab initio calculations to investigate the structure and chemical bonding in AlC2 - and AlCSi - . AlC2 - was found to have a C2V structure whereas AlCSi - was found to be almost linear, thus establishing ﷿-coordination of Al in AlC2 - and U-coordination in AlCSi - . The adiabatic electron affinities of AlC 2 and AlCSi were measured to be 2.65(3) and 2.50(6) eV, respectively. The calculated vertical (2.87 eV) and adiabatic (2.60 eV) electron detachment energies for AlC 2 - agree well with the 2.73(0.03) and 2.65(0.03) eV experimental values, respectively. The calculated (2.86 eV) and experimental (2.64 ( 0.04 eV) vertical detachment energies for AlCSi - were also in good agreement. The calculated vibrational frequency for AlC2 and vertical detachment energies for other higher energy features in both AlC2 - and AlCSi - were also in good agreement with the experimental measurements. The combined experimental and theoretical effort allows us to elucidate the structures of AlC 2 - and AlCSi - and the nature of their chemical bonding.
A low-cost and low-power digital audio processor

Digital audio signal processing has become increasingly popular in multimedia systems, largely thanks to the advent of general digital signal processor (DSP) chips and high-precision oversampling A/D and D/A converters. For portable and home entertainment audio systems, however the general-DSP-chip-based solution might be too costly and consume too much power. Then a low-cost and low power solution for this purpose should be sought. By carefully examining digital audio processing applications, the authors believe that there exist two possible approaches that can reduce the chip area and power consumption: one is the simplification of the audio processor structure, and the other is to reduce the chip supply voltage. This paper presents a low-power and low-cost two-channel (stereo) digital audio processor that exploits these two approaches.
Flow Visualization and the Three-Dimensional Flow in an Axial-Flow Pump

Surface flow visualization on an axial-flow pump results in patterns of the skin-friction lines on various surfaces and these patterns provide important insight into the topology of the three-dimensional flowfield. In particular, critical points and lines within the patterns give characteristics of three-dimensi onal separation and the formation of vortical structures. Here, oil-paint tests show the topology for the formation of horseshoe vortices, the structure of three-dimensional corner separation, the initial development of a rotor tip leakage vortex, and the development of other important secondary flows. Surface flow visualization can also provide information concerning boundary-layer transition. In summary, the surface flow visualization experiment presented in this article allows one to give a fairly detailed description of the complex flow within an axial-flow pump.
Computational intelligence for control of wind turbine generators

This paper summarizes past and ongoing research in the area of the application of computational intelligence (CI) for control of wind turbine generators (WTGs). Several intelligent design approaches and control strategies, including optimal design of WTG controllers using particle swarm optimization (PSO) and mean-variance optimization (MVO) algorithms and adaptive critic design-based coordinated optimal adaptive control for wind plants and shunt FACTS devices, are presented for dynamic performance and fault ride-through enhancement of WTGs and the associated power grid. The effectiveness of these intelligent design approaches and control strategies are demonstrated by nonreal- and real-time simulations in PSCAD/EMTDC and RSCAD/RTDS, respectively.
The Safety of Lacosamide for Treatment of Seizures and Seizure Prophylaxis in Adult Hospitalized Patients

Background: Lacosamide (LCM) is a newer antiepileptic drug (AED) with favorable properties for hospitalized patients including intravenous formulation, minimal hepatic metabolism, and no adverse respiratory effects. We sought to determine the safety profile of LCM in hospitalized patients. Methods: We performed a retrospective medical record review of patients who received LCM between July 1, 2009, and January 31, 2010, at Mayo Clinic Hospital. Data included demographics, LCM dosing, concomitant AED therapy, documented seizure activity, hemodynamic variables, electrocardiogram (ECG), and laboratory data. Adverse drug reaction and drug–drug interactions were reviewed. Results: Thirty-two patients were identified. No major hypotension or serious cardiac arrhythmias occurred. Heart rate increased, however, in seizure group compared with the prophylaxis group 2 hours postdrug infusion (median heart rate = 86 vs 164). The ECGs demonstrated a mean PR interval prolongation of about 6 milliseconds (ms) after LCM initiation (mean PR 185.5 ms, compared with baseline ECG mean of 179.3 ms). Laboratory data revealed no clinically significant changes 24 hours after LCM initiation. Three patients developed adverse events (9.4%): One with altered mental state and exceptionally prolonged ECG PR interval (212 vs 178 ms baseline); One with unexplained thrombocytopenia; and a third patient with dizziness, all of which resolved after drug discontinuation. Conclusion: The LCM demonstrated ECG PR prolongation as previously reported without systemic hypotension, with no discernable drug–drug interactions in hospitalized patients. About 9% of patients had transient adverse drug reactions after LCM, namely alteration in mental state, unexplained thrombocytopenia, and dizziness, which stopped after discontinuation of the drug.
Experimental Behavior of Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) Sheets Attached to Concrete Surfaces Using CFRP Anchors

Fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composite sheets have gained popularity as a viable strengthening technique for existing reinforced concrete structures. The efficiency of the strengthening system largely depends on adequate bond between FRP sheets and the concrete substrate. In recent years, techniques to anchor FRP sheets have been proposed in applications that have limited distance to develop FRP sheet strength. One promising technique consists of fabricating and bonding FRP anchors during the FRP sheet saturation and embedding them into predrilled holes in the concrete substrate. This paper presents experimental results highlighting the complex behavior between FRP sheets and anchors. The primary failure modes that the sheet-anchor system can experience are identified. The experiments identify the main variables that influence the FRP anchor-sheet system behavior. This research contributes to the needed experimental database that will aid in future development of design recommendations of this anchorage system.