cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Efficient Angle Selection for Coherent Plane Wave Compounding

Ultrasound imaging based on multiple steered plane-wave emissions and coherent compounding can achieve very high frame rates, thus enabling the user to obtain valuable information about blood flow or tissue motion characteristics. After emitting a plane wave at some angle, a transducer array records returning echoes that are subsequently processed to form an individual image dataset. Several plane-wave emissions at different angles yield multiple image datasets that can be coherently compounded to improve the final image quality. We propose an efficient method for selecting a reduced subset of plane-wave emission angles, which lowers the data acquisition cost while still producing good-quality images. Our angle-selection scheme relies on a similarity-driven recursive search within the user-specified angular range.
A Multifaceted Research Engagement Program Improved the Academic Productivity of General Surgery Residents

Objective Surgeon-scientists are becoming increasingly scarce, and therefore, engaging residents in research during their training is important. We evaluated whether a multifaceted research engagement program was associated with increased academic productivity of general surgery residents. Design Our research engagement program has 4 pillars: A research requirement, a structured research curriculum, infrastructure to support residents’ research, and an annual resident research day to highlight trainees’ work. We compared the number of manuscripts published per chief resident during the 4 years before and after program implementation in 2013. We performed subgroup analyses to examine productivity of research track residents and clinical track residents. Setting A general surgery residency program in an academic setting. Participants The participants were 57 general surgery residents (23 research track and 34 clinical track) graduating between 2010 and 2017. Results There was a significant increase in overall research productivity, with 28 chief residents publishing an average of 2.3 ± 1.0 manuscripts before and 29 chief residents publishing an average of 8.5 ± 3.2 manuscripts after program implementation (p = 0.01). Research track residents had a nonsignificant increase in publications from an average of 6.3 ± 3.1 before to 15.4 ± 8.9 after the new program (p = 0.10). Clinical track residents had a significant increase in publications from a median of 0.9 (interquartile range: 0.5, 1.0) before to a median of 1.3 (interquartile range: 1.2, 8.6) after the new program (p = 0.03). Conclusions Implementation of a multifaceted research engagement program was associated with a significant increase in manuscripts published by general surgery residents, including clinical track residents. Components of our program may be of use to other programs looking to improve resident research engagement and productivity.
Teaching Microaggressions, Identity, and Social Justice: A Reflective, Experiential and Collaborative Pedagogical Approach

The purpose of social work is actualized through its commitment to diversity and differences in practice, as well as human rights, social, economic, and environmental justice. A review of literature on microaggressions and oppression against marginalized and vulnerable populations suggests important themes that social work instructors need to examine with students. It is unclear to what extent instructors use pedagogical tools to gain knowledge, skills, and critical consciousness to navigate social justice contents and manage difficult conversations with diverse student groups in class settings. Not much attention is paid in social work education on how well instructors are prepared to teach this content in depth and what challenges they face when facilitating highly sensitive and difficult discussions with students. This article described and evaluated five sets of reflective, experiential, and collaborative activities in a social justice course designed to help social work students examine the histories of various identity groups that have experienced discrimination and oppression and increase their self-awareness of both privilege and personal bias in one’s life. These activities include: (1) reflective reading notes; (2) critical reflection paper; (3) brief lecture and experiential class activities and discussion; (4) collaborative group presentations and role-plays; and (5) cultural competency plan. Thirty-two students completed the evaluation surveys to assess their overall feedback about course activities and 36 students completed anonymous online course evaluations to assess their level of attainment in all course competencies. Student feedback collected in course evaluations and surveys, students’ self-assessment of attainment of course competencies, and the instructor’s critical reflection and self-assessment, suggest that teaching social justice using a reflective, experiential, and collaborative pedagogical approach has a promising potential for advancing course objectives. Through these activities, students increased their knowledge on a range of topics such as racism, oppression, microaggression, social identities, intersectionality, privilege, and cultural humility, enhanced their understanding of various forms of prejudice and discrimination, and acquired critical skills and cultural competence that have direct application in social work field.
Comparison of 4-Mercaptobenzoic Acid Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy-Based Methods for pH Determination in Cells:

Measurements of cellular pH are used to infer information such as stage of cell cycle, presence of cancer and other diseases, as well as delivery or effect of a therapeutic drug. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) of nanoparticle-based pH probes have been used to interrogate intracellular pH, with the significant advantage of avoiding photobleaching compared to fluorescent indicators. 4-Mercaptobenzoic acid (MBA) is a commonly used pH-sensitive reporter molecule. Intracellular pH sensing by SERS requires analysis of the observed MBA spectrum and spectral interference can affect the pH determination. Background from common cell containers, imaging too few particles, signal-to-noise ratios, and degradation of reporter molecules are among the factors that may alter appropriate SERS-based pH determination in cells. Here, we have compared common methods of spectral analysis to see how different factors alter the calculated pH in Raman maps of MBA functionalized Au nanostars in SW620 cancer cells. The methods included in our comparison use the relative intensity of the ν(COO-) stretch, chemometric analysis of the ν8a mode, and analyzing the frequency shift of the ν8a mode. These methods show different sensitivity to some of these sources of error in live cell experiments. pH determination based on Raman frequency shift appears to give a more reliable pH determination, though in high signal-to-noise environments, intensity ratios may provide better sensitivity to small changes in pH for cellular imaging.
Acute pulmonary embolism following recent hospitalization or surgery.

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a major cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Recent hospitalization or surgery is a leading risk factor for PE, yet there are minimal data examining its effect on treatment and outcomes. We conducted a retrospective review of institutional billing codes for hospitalized patients with acute PE from August 2012 to August 2018. Patients were stratified based on whether they had a recent major medical encounter (MME), defined as surgery or hospitalization within 90 days. Primary outcomes included in-hospital mortality and 30- and 90-day readmission rates. Secondary outcomes included length of stay (LOS), use of advanced therapies, major bleeding, discharge anticoagulation and recurrent venous thromboembolism (VTE) at 90 days. Outcomes were adjusted for confounders using multivariable regression modeling. 2063 patients were hospitalized for an acute PE; 633 (30.7%) had a recent MME. Patients with a recent MME had a higher average Charlson Comorbidity Index (4.6 vs. 4.0, p < 0.01). Both 30- and 90-day readmission rates were higher in patients with a recent MME (21.7% vs. 14.4%; adjusted OR 1.06 [1.00, 1.12], p = 0.037; 30.8% vs 18.7%; adjusted OR 1.11 [1.11, 1.62], p = 0.003, respectively). After adjustment, there were no between-group differences in in-hospital mortality, LOS, use of advanced therapies, major bleeding, or recurrent VTE at 90 days. In-hospital mortality was higher for patients with a recent medical hospitalization compared to those with a recent surgery (10.2% vs. 5.6%, adjusted OR 1.08 [1.01, 1.15] p = 0.032). Despite recent hospitalization and/or surgery and greater number of comorbidities, patients admitted with a PE and recent MME had similar in-hospital outcomes, but experienced higher readmission rates. In-hospital mortality was higher in those with a recent medical compared to surgical encounter. Clinicians should optimize post-discharge transitional care in this subset of patients.
State of the mineralized tissue comprising the femoral ACL enthesis in young women with an ACL failure.

Despite poor graft integration among some patients that undergo an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction, there has been little consideration of the bone quality into which the ACL femoral tunnel is drilled and the graft is placed. Bone mineral density of the knee decreases following ACL injury. However, trabecular and cortical architecture differences between injured and non-injured femoral ACL entheses have not been reported. We hypothesize that injured femoral ACL entheses will show significantly less cortical and trabecular mass compared with non-injured controls. Femoral ACL enthesis explants from 54 female patients (13-25 years) were collected during ACL reconstructive surgery. Control explants (n = 12) were collected from seven donors (18-36 years). Injured (I) femoral explants differed from those of non-injured (NI) controls with significantly less (p ≤ 0.001) cortical volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD) (NI: 736.1-867.6 mg/cm3 ; I: 451.2-891.9 mg/cm3 ), relative bone volume (BV/TV) (NI: 0.674-0.867; I: 0.401-0.792) and porosity (Ct.Po) (NI: 0.133-0.326; I: 0.209-0.600). Injured explants showed significantly less trabecular vBMD (p = 0.013) but not trabecular BV/TV (p = 0.314), thickness (p = 0.412), or separation (p = 0.828). We found significantly less cortical bone within injured femoral entheses compared to NI controls. Lower cortical and trabecular bone mass within patient femoral ACL entheses may help explain poor ACL graft osseointegration outcomes in the young and may be a contributor to the osteolytic phenomenon that often occurs within the graft tunnel following ACL reconstruction.
Food Waste and Its Association with Diet Quality of Foods Purchased in South Florida.

The objective of this study was to explore the associations between food waste and the diet quality of foods purchased and with grocery purchasing behaviors. This was a cross-sectional study among 109 primary household food providers conducting primary shopping. Participants were recruited outside of local grocery stores and were asked to complete a survey assessing amounts of avoidable food waste and grocery purchasing behaviors. The diet quality of the foods purchased was assessed from grocery receipts using the Grocery Purchase Quality Index-2016 (GPQI-2016). Variables were associated using linear regression, analysis of covariance, and point biserial correlations. We found that fresh fruits (63%) and leafy greens (70%) were the foods that were the most wasted. The GPQI-2016 total score was significantly inversely associated with the total amount of food wasted (β = −0.63; 95% CI: −1.14,−0.12) after adjusting for important confounders. The reason “food past the date printed on the package” was directly correlated with food wasted (r = 0.40; p < 0.01) but inversely correlated with GPQI-2016 score (r = −0.21; p = 0.04). Food wasted, but not the GPQI-2016 score, was significantly higher among those who grocery shop 2–4 times per week compared to 1 time every 1–2 weeks (p = 0.02). In conclusion, food waste is inversely associated with diet quality and directly associated with grocery purchasing frequency.
Could cutting costs mean changing minds? Effects of local television news work routines on viewer attention, information-processing, and perceptions of story importance:

Market-driven changes to local television news content can come with consequences to viewers in terms of understanding, remembering and subsequently deliberating about news information. This study ...
Streak artifacts from nonconvex metal objects in X-ray tomography

We study artifacts in the reconstruction of X-ray tomography due to nonlinear effects. For nonconvex metal objects, we analyze the new phenomena of streak artifacts from inflection points on the boundary of metal objects. We characterize the location and strength of all possible artifacts using notions of conormal distributions associated with the proper geometry.
Darker by the day: Daily variability in dark personality traits

Abstract Grounded in Whole Trait Theory (Fleeson & Jayawickreme, 2015), the present study examined the extent to which people report daily variability in dark personality (i.e., narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy). Undergraduate participants (N = 297) completed trait measures as well as 21 daily reports of dark personality. Participants reported substantial within-person variability in narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy. Trait measures of dark personality were found to predict daily measures of dark personality aggregated across a number of days. Additionally, daily reports of dark personality were found to covary with one another, such that higher daily levels of one dark personality facet were associated with higher levels of the other two on the same day. We discuss implications for future research on daily dark personality.
Constructing Expertise: Surmounting Performance Plateaus by Tasks, by Tools, and by Techniques.

Acquiring expertise in a task is often thought of as an automatic process that follows inevitably with practice according to the log-log law (aka: power law) of learning. However, as Ericsson, Chase, and Faloon (1980) showed, this is not true for digit-span experts and, as we show, it is certainly not true for Tetris players at any level of expertise. Although some people may simply "twitch" faster than others, the limit to Tetris expertise is not raw keypress time but the techniques acquired by players that allow them to use the tools provided by the hardware and software to compensate for the game's relentlessly increasing drop speed. Unfortunately, these increases in drop speed between Tetris levels make performance plateaus very short and quickly followed by game death. Hence, a player's success at discovering, exploring, and practicing new techniques for the tasks of board preparation, board maintenance, optimal placement discovery, zoid rotation, lateral movement of zoids, and other tasks important to expertise in Tetris is limited. In this paper, we analyze data collected from 492 Tetris players to reveal the challenges they confronted while constructing expertise via the discovery of new techniques for gameplay at increasingly difficult levels of Tetris.
Investigation of the Mount Scott Granite Drill Core, Wichita Mountains, Oklahoma

A drilling investigation of the epizonal, Cambrian, Mount Scott A-type granite, produced 287 feet of continuous drill core. The drilling project aimed to characterize the contact zone between this unit and one of the underlying host units, the Sandy Creek gabbro. The drill hole location is 5 meters from the contact with the Sandy Creek gabbro, and it was anticipated that the hole would intercept the contact at depth. The drill failed to encounter the Sandy Creek gabbro, nor is there direct evidence of Sandy Creek gabbro in the core. The core is homogenous with respect to primary silicate mineralogy, feldspar chemistry, and mineral texture. Two-feldspar geothermometry on samples from 287, 114, and 17 feet yields temperatures of ∼640 + 50 °C. Samples from 287 feet contain a sodic amphibole not generally seen in the Mount Scott, but common to the younger, nearby Quanah granite.
Competitor and Other "Finite-Pie" Conflicts

Does a lawyer offend ethical prohibitions against representing adverse parties by representing two different clients, in otherwise unrelated matters, if the two clients are business competitors? Lawyers who focus overmuch on long-range practice development, and thus who have much invested in a negative answer, wish the answer were a flat and emphatic “no.” The lawyer codes and the existing, scattered cases have been reluctant to agree quite so wholeheartedly. Indeed, the cases indicate that there may be disabling conflicts in many such representations. Most standard treatises discuss the issue only in a cursory fashion, or not at all. This Article attempts to understand the problem in depth, largely embraces the decisions on point, and offers a broader theoretical basis on which competitor and similar conflicts (here called “finite-pie” conflicts) can more carefully be identified. Competitor and other types of “finitepie” conflicts are but a portion of the larger—and still often murky and unresolved—problem of charting the limits of the concept of “directly adverse” and “impaired representation” conflicts. The present analysis is offered in the hope of advancing that analysis. In a broader view, this effort can be viewed as the first in a multi-step process to better understanding the fundamental nature of client-versus-client conflicts.
G-protein-coupled receptor kinases in inflammation and disease

G-protein-coupled receptor kinases (GRKs) are serine/threonine protein kinases originally discovered for their role in G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) phosphorylation. Recent studies have demonstrated a much broader function for this kinase family including phosphorylation of cytosolic substrates involved in cell signaling pathways stimulated by GPCRs, as well as by non-GPCRs. In addition, GRKs modulate signaling via phosphorylation-independent functions. Because of these various biochemical functions, GRKs have been shown to affect critical physiological and pathophysiological processes, and thus are considered as drug targets in diseases such as heart failure. Role of GRKs in inflammation and inflammatory diseases is an evolving area of research and several studies including work from our lab in the recent years have demonstrated critical role of GRKs in the immune system. In this review, we discuss the classical and the newly emerging functions of GRKs in the immune system and their role in inflammation and disease processes.
Morbidity and mortality of hepatectomy for benign liver tumors.

Abstract Background This study compared the morbidity and mortality following hepatectomy for benign liver tumors and hepatic metastases. Methods This retrospective cohort study compared patients who underwent hepatectomy for benign liver tumors and metastases reported to National Surgical Quality Improvement Program between 2005 and 2011. Results A total of 5,542 patients underwent hepatectomy: 1,164 (21%) for benign and 4,378 (79%) for metastatic diseases. Patients with benign tumors were younger, predominantly female, and were less likely to have preoperative comorbidities (all P P ≥ .05). Thirty-day mortality was .9% among patients with benign tumors and 1.4% among patients with metastases ( P = .128). After adjusting for significant effects of age and major complications (both P ≤ .007), benign vs malignant diagnosis and extent of hepatectomy was not associated with 30-day survival (both P ≥ .083). Conclusions Despite patients with benign disease being younger and healthier, risks of major complications are similar after hepatectomy for benign and metastatic disease. Hepatectomy should be offered selectively for patients with benign liver tumors.
Dissipativity, L/sub 2/-gain and H/sub /spl infin// control for discrete-time nonlinear systems

This paper summarizes some results on the problem of disturbance attenuation and H/sub /spl infin// control via state and full information feedback, with internal stability, for discrete-time nonlinear systems. A substantial difficulty that V(A(x)+B(x)u+E(x)w) (resp. V(f(x,u,w))) is no longer quadratic in u and w, arising in the case of discrete-time nonlinear systems, has been overcome in the paper.
Automatically extracting and comparing lexicalized grammars for different languages

In this paper, we present a quantitative comparison between the syntactic structures of three languages: English, Chinese and Korean. This is made possible by first extracting Lexicalized Tree Adjoining Grammars from annotated corpora for each language and then performing the comparison on the extracted grammars. We found that the majority of the core grammar structures for these three languages are easily inter-mappable.
Ugo Fano’s Scientific Accomplishments

Doing science is great fun because it is a delight to discover something new and true. It is equally a delight to become acquainted with other good scientists, to learn from their work, and to share ideas and thoughts with them. It is even ecstatic to interact with an exceptionally strong scientist such as Fano.
Scale Invariance of Liquid Water Distributions in Marine Stratocumulus. Part I: Spectral Properties and Stationarity Issues

Abstract This study investigates the internal structure of marine stratocumulus (Sc) using the spatial fluctuations of liquid water content (LWC) measured along horizontal flights off the coast of southern California during the First ISCCP Regional Experiment (FIRE) in summer of 1987. The results of FIRE 87 data analyses are compared to similar ones for marine Sc probed during the Atlantic Stratocumulus Transition Experiment (ASTEX) in summer 1992 near the Azores. In this first of two parts, the authors use spectral analysis to determine the main scale-invariant regimes, defined by the ranges of scales where wavenumber spectra follow power laws; from there, they discuss stationary issues. Although crucial for obtaining meaningful spatial statistics (e.g., in climate diagnostics), the importance of establishing stationarity—statistical invariance under translation—is often overlooked. The sequel uses multifractal analysis techniques and addresses intermittency issues. By improving our understanding of both...
p-Steinberg Characters of Finite Simple Groups

Abstract Let G be a finite group and p a prime divisor of | G |. A p -Steinberg character of G is an irreducible character χ of G such that χ( x ) = ± | C G ( x )| p for every p ′-element x ∈ G . A conjecture of W. Feit states that if a finite simple group G has a p -Steinberg character then G is a finite simple group of Lie type in characteristic p . In this paper we prove this conjecture, using the classification of finite simple groups.
A case information management system for clinical trials.

We have devised and implemented a computer-based case information management system which allows the storage, maintenance and analysis of data from any clinical trial. Before the clinical trial begins, the medical and paramedical staff devise and structure a list ot questions which are answerable by (a) a series of up to 10 multiple choices; (b) a date; (c) a number; (d) a phrase or brief sentence. These questions are allotted to forms designed to make the collection of data as efficient as possible; for example, much of a patient's history can be collected by a form which the patient fills out himself. The system is sufficiently simple so that, after a few hours' training, inexperienced students are able to enter all data into the computer. The analysis programs allow one to cross-correlate data from the first three types of questions automatically, and to obtain printouts of histograms and scattergrams correlating the appropriate types of data. These features make this approach cost effective because relatively little time of the medical and paramedical staff is required to organise and implement a clinical trial and because data entry can be performed by previously untrained personnel.
Theoretical analysis of 2,6-dialkyl-substituted aniline trimers

Abstract DFT calculations on emeraldine trimers are used to clarify the conformation and electronic effects of 2,6-dialkyl-substitution. Such calculations are compared to results of UV–Vis spectroscopy. An intriguing diminishment of band gap on interconversion from the syn to the anti form is discovered.
Moderate peripheral neuropathy impairs weight transfer and unipedal balance in the elderly.

Abstract Objective: To quantitatively assess the performance of elderly with and without moderate, electrodiagnostically confirmed peripheral neuropathy (PN) on tasks of weight shifting and maintenance of unipedal balance. Patients and Methods: A case control study with PN subjects selected from a computerized data bank of all patients who had undergone electrodiagnostic studies at a university-based referral center. Control subjects of similar age and same gender were selected from the same source. Clinical examination included neurological and gross motor components. Quantitative evaluation included testing while the subjects stood with a force plate under each foot. Center of reaction (CR) excursions and ground reaction forces were quantified in: (1) six trials as subjects transferred their weight from bipedal stance to unipedal stance, on command, and attempted to maintain it for at least 3 seconds; and (2) in two additional trials in which subjects held unipedal stance for as long as possible. Results: No subjects in either group had difficulty with level gait, a 180-degree turn, or required examiner assistance during an eyes-closed Romberg test. Biomechanical testing revealed that although the PN group used the same time to transfer their weight onto one foot as the C group, they achieved a significantly (1) lower rate of success in reliably maintaining 3 seconds of unipedal stance (.12 vs .58, p = .021), and (2) shorter mean maximum unipedal stance time (3.8 vs 32.3sec, p Conclusions: The demonstrated impairment in reliability of unipedal stance in elderly with PN likely contributes to their known high rate of falls. Furthermore, unipedal stance testing serves to sharpen the physical examination by verifying the functional significance of impaired distal sensation—a common finding in the elderly.
Immuno-intervention for the induction of transplantation tolerance through mixed chimerism

The induction of transplantation tolerance could liberate organ transplant recipients from the complications of life-long chronic immunosuppression. The original description of tolerance induction through mixed hematopoietic chimerism in mice utilized lethal whole body irradiation as the preparative regimen for achieving mixed chimerism. While such a regimen might be acceptable for treatment of patients with malignancies, which might also respond to the therapeutic effects of radiation, its toxicity would be unacceptable for patients in need only of an organ transplant. Graft-vs.-host disease, which is frequently a complication of mismatched bone marrow transplantation, would likewise be unacceptable for ordinary clinical transplantation. Therefore, as we have extended the use of this modality for tolerance induction from mice to large animal models, we have attempted to design preparative regimens that avoid both of these complications. In this article, we review our studies of mixed chimerism in mice, miniature swine and monkeys, as well as the results of our recent clinical studies that have extended this treatment modality to a series of kidney transplant patients who have been successfully weaned from all immunosuppression while maintaining stable renal function for up to 8 years.
The Effect of Limiting Aerodynamic and Structural Coupling in Models of Mistuned Bladed Disk Vibration

A model has been developed for studying the effect of mistuning on bladed disk vibration which has the unique feature that the extent of aerodynamic and structural interaction which it simulates can be readily varied from full coupling of all blades on the disk to coupling of each blade with only its nearest neighbors. Simulations utilizing the resulting algorithm show that limited coupling models may be used to predict the statistical distribution of blade amplitudes that characterizes the mistuning effect, which in turn determines stage durability. This approach is used to study the effect of changing various system parameters on amplitude scatter. Gas density, the number of blades on the disk, disk stiffness, and the engine order of the excitation are considered. The results are used to draw some conclusions about how to improve laboratory tests and component design.
Photoactivatable Neuropeptides for Spatiotemporally Precise Delivery of Opioids in Neural Tissue

Neuropeptides activate G protein-coupled receptors to acutely modulate cellular excitability and synaptic transmission. However, due to the lack of reagents for precise delivery of peptides within dense brain tissue, the spatiotemporal scale over which neuropeptides act is unknown. To achieve rapid and spatially delimited delivery of neuropeptides in mammalian brain tissue, we developed photoactivatable analogs of two opioids: [Leu⁵]-enkephalin (LE) and the 8 amino acid form of Dynorphin A (Dyn-8). These peptides are functionally inactive prior to photolysis, and exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light causes clean release of LE and Dyn-8. Recordings from acute slices of rat locus coeruleus (LC) demonstrated that photorelease of LE activates mu opioid receptor-coupled K+ channels with kinetics that approach the limits imposed by G protein-mediated signaling. Temporally precise and spatially delimited photorelease revealed the kinetics and ionic nature of the mu opioid response and the mechanisms that determine the spatial profile of enkephalinergic volume transmission in LC.
Problem #2 - the Y2n functions

Many branches of mathematical physics use equations of the form[EQUATION]where λ is a small quantity, and the primes denote differentiation with respect to x. In the absence of a general solution, one tries to write f(x) as an expansion in powers of λ. More neatly, if[EQUATION]is tried, to fit the structure of (1), then the work reduces to the derivation of a series expansion for q(x). The solution is [1][EQUATION]where N signifies the order of approximation to which one wishes to go, and Y2n represents the member of order λ2n of a family of functions obtained by substitution of (3) into (1) and (2). The problem is to compute Y2n for as many values of n as possible.
Second thoughts on EMU

Abstract Conventional wisdom holds that EMU is economically beneficial and that it must be achieved by a gradual transition. This paper challenges both these assumptions. The benefits are supposed to arise from a tradeoff of macro economic flexibility for microeconomic efficiency, but both these concepts are very hard to quantify, Further, if it is beneficial to form EMU, nothing is gained by delaying it.
Disproportionation and other transformations of N2O at high pressures and temperatures to lower energy, denser phases

When β-nitrous oxide (Cmca N2O) is laser heated to between 2000 and 3400 K at high pressures (10−55 GPa), it disproportionates into an ionic form of dimeric nitrogen dioxide (NO+NO3-) and nitrogen. Raman spectra of the quenched products suggest that the ionic phase is stable to 55 GPa at ambient temperature but, upon subsequent heating at pressures below 30 GPa, further dissociates into nitrogen, oxygen, and other nitrogen−oxygen compounds. X-ray diffraction patterns of the ionic phase indicate that it has an orthorhombic structure (Z = 4, ρo = 2.69 g/cm3), similar to the aragonite phase of calcium carbonate. The results suggest that the primary driver for ionization is densification at high pressures, whereas dissociation between 10 and 30 GPa results from the combined effects of densification and entropy increases.
Hypersensitivity to ionizing radiation in cultured cells from Down syndrome patients.

Down syndrome is caused by trisomy of chromosome 21 and is comprised of a constellation of abnormalities including neuropathological features that closely resemble those characterizing the neurodegeneration of Alzheimer disease. Because cultured cell lines from patients with Alzheimer disease and other neurodegenerations have a hypersensitivity to the lethal effects of DNA-damaging agents, we studied the response of Down syndrome lymphoblastoid lines to the lethal effects of ionizing and ultraviolet radiation. Lines from the four Down syndrome patients were more sensitive to X-rays than lines from 28 normal donors (P = 10−4), while survival of the Down syndrome lines after ultraviolet irradiation was not significantly different from normal. This hypersensitivity to X-rays, which may reflect defective repair of X-ray-induced DNA damage, represents the first abnormality common to cultured cells from both Down syndrome and Alzheimer disease patients.
Risk factors for anterior capsule contraction syndrome with polypropylene or poly(methyl methacrylate) haptics.

Abstract Purpose To determine the effect of haptic composition on the development of anterior capsule contraction syndrome (CCS) requiring neodymium:YAG anterior capsulotomy. Setting Ophthalmology practice in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA. Methods This retrospective study covered a 30 month period during which 1 surgeon discontinued implanting AMO® SI-30NB intraocular lenses (IOLs) with polypropylene haptics (n = 216) in favor of SI-40NB IOLs with poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) haptics (n = 127). The transition was motivated by the suspicion that the PMMA haptics would maintain the capsulorhexis opening better and reduce the need for an anterior capsulotomy. Results Three eyes with SI-30NB IOLs (1.4%) required anterior capsulotomies; 2 eyes had preoperative pseudoexfoliation syndrome and required the capsulotomy within 3 months of surgery. Three eyes with SI-40NB IOLs (2.4%) required anterior capsulotomies within 4 months; 2 eyes had preoperative pseudoexfoliation syndrome and 1 had traumatic zonular weakness. The incidence of anterior capsulotomy did not differ significantly between the 2 IOL populations ( P > .5), although preoperative pseudoexfoliation syndrome was a significant risk factor in both groups ( P Conclusions The polypropylene haptics of the SI-30NB IOL and the PMMA haptics of the SI-40NB IOL did not differ significantly in their ability to prevent CCS requiring anterior capsulotomy. Regardless of IOL haptic composition, eyes with preoperative zonular weakness associated with pseudoexfoliation syndrome or ocular trauma can develop CCS within 3 months of surgery and should, therefore, be followed closely in the early postoperative weeks to minimize the sequelae of anterior capsule fibrosis.
Designing Games for Sport Education: Curricular Models

(2005). Designing Games for Sport Education: Curricular Models. Strategies: Vol. 18, No. 4, pp. 25-27.
REVIEWS OF ACOUSTICAL PATENTS

The purpose of these acoustical patent reviews is to provide enough information for a Journal reader to decide whether to seek more information from the patent itself. Any opinions expressed here are those of the reviewers as individuals and are not legal opinions. Printed copies of United States Patents may be ordered at $3.00 each from the Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks, Washington, DC 20231. Patents are available via the Internet at http://www.uspto.gov.
Heteronuclear zero-field NMR of liquid crystals

Heteronuclear spin systems in solids have previously been studied by zero-field NMR (I, 2). Inequivalent nuclear spins (e.g., 13C-lH) behave identically to homo- nuclear spins (e.g., ‘H-‘H) except that they can be independently manipulated in high and zero fields (2, 3). In combination with anisotropic liquid crystal solvents, such spin systems often produce interesting and unexpected features in the zero-field NMR spectra. This paper presents the simplest case of an I-S (I = ‘H, S = 13C) spin pair in nematic and smectic liquid crystalline phases, the latter displaying the effects of small asymmetries. A comparison between the high- and zero-field NMR Hamiltonians illustrates a few of the relevant features of heteronuclear spin systems in zero field. For a 13C-‘H pair, the high-field NMR Hamiltonian in a uniaxial phase may be written as %+ffF = -4, - W& - 9(2I&)(3
Sen's theorem for hierarchies

Sen's theorem, which highlights the conflict between the Pareto condition and individual rights, is a fundamental result in the area of social choice. In this paper, we give an analog of Sen's theorem for consensus functions on hierarchies by showing that in almost all cases it is not possible to find a ternary Pareto consensus function where two distinct algorithms will have the same decisive impact on the consensus output.
Automated tract extraction via atlas based Adaptive Clustering

Advancements in imaging protocols such as the high angular resolution diffusion-weighted imaging (HARDI) and in tractography techniques are expected to cause an increase in the tract-based analyses. Statistical analyses over white matter tracts can contribute greatly towards understanding structural mechanisms of the brain since tracts are representative of connectivity pathways. The main challenge with tract-based studies is the extraction of the tracts of interest in a consistent and comparable manner over a large group of individuals without drawing the inclusion and exclusion regions of interest. In this work, we design a framework for automated extraction of white matter tracts. The framework introduces three main components, namely a connectivity based fiber representation, a fiber bundle atlas, and a clustering approach called Adaptive Clustering. The fiber representation relies on the connectivity signatures of fibers to establish an easy correspondence between different subjects. A group-wise clustering of these fibers that are represented by the connectivity signatures is then used to generate a fiber bundle atlas. Finally, Adaptive Clustering incorporates the previously generated clustering atlas as a prior, to cluster the fibers of a new subject automatically. Experiments on the HARDI scans of healthy individuals acquired repeatedly, demonstrate the applicability, reliability and the repeatability of our approach in extracting white matter tracts. By alleviating the seed region selection and the inclusion/exclusion ROI drawing requirements that are usually handled by trained radiologists, the proposed framework expands the range of possible clinical applications and establishes the ability to perform tract-based analyses with large samples.
An electrophoretic procedure for detecting proteins that bind actin monomers

The electrophoretic mobility of fluorescently labeled G-actin in polyacrylamide gels under nondenaturing conditions is altered by the formation of complexes with actin-binding proteins. This effect offers a convenient method for detecting and quantitating such proteins in tissue fractions and for monitoring their purification. When followed by second-dimension electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate, the method also gives the apparent molecular weights of the actin-binding components and the stoichiometry of the complexes. The method has also been used to identify actin-binding fragments in digests of actin-binding proteins, to investigate the formation of multicomponent complexes, and to determine the calcium-sensitivity of complexes.
Cold air as a bronchial provocation technique. Reproducibility and comparison with histamine and methacholine inhalation.

Bronchial provocation testing with cold air was carried out on 36 asthmatic and 13 normal subjects in order to assess the reproducibility and clinical relevance of the technique as a test of airways reactivity. Sixteen subjects underwent repeat testing after an interval of two to three weeks. Using a least squares linear regression analysis, the technique was highly reproducible, with a correlation of r = 0.93 (p 35 ) than did those who had no exercise-induced asthma (33.9 L min -1 vs 45.8 L min -1 ; p 35 of 62.6 L min -1 , significantly higher than those requiring inhaled therapy (44.9 L min -1 ; p 35 (23.6 L min -1 ; p 35 to cold air and to histamine (r = 0.92; p 35 to cold air and to methacholine (r = 0.86; p
Inhibition of RNA polymerase activity by arginine-rich histones.

Im Komplex mit der DNS-Matrize zeigt die lysinreiche Fraktion F1 eine doppelt so grosse Hemmung der RNS-Synthese in vitro als das argininreiche Histon F3. Demgegenuber erwies sich das argininreiche Histon F3, mit RNS-Polymerase komplexiert, wirksamer als das lysinreiche Histon F1, das heisst, dass die Inhibition mit dem argininreichen Histon F3 funffache Steigerung und damit doppelte Wirksamkeit gegenuber F1 ergibt.
The storage of complex sentences

The recognition of complex sentences at two retention intervals was examined using sentences which varied simultaneously in three ways, being either active or passive, of low or high Yngve depth, and predictable or unpredictable. In general, unpredictable sentences were recollected better than predictable ones, low Yngve depth sentences were remembered better than high Yngve depth ones, and whether or not a sentence was active or passive was immaterial to its retention. Implications of the findings for theories of memory for sentences are discussed.
Detection of photogenic epilepsy in man by summation of evoked scalp potentials

Abstract Summated light evoked scalp potentials in man were obtained simultaneously with ink-writer records, and “light sensitive” subjects were compared to controls. One hundred flash stimuli responses per record were averaged from the parietal and occipital regions. The results, displayed with a CAT 400C, showed marked differences between the subjects and controls. At the low frequencies of 1 and 3 f/sec used, no observable ink-writer abnormalities or seizures are generally produced. The controls' summated response wave trains had a maximum response peak at about 80 msec after the stimulus and oscillations of decreasing amplitude after this first maximum; those of the sensitive subjects had larger amplitude, more regular periodicity, and the peak amplitudes increased with time. Such characteristic patterns (that in practice can only be observed with relative ease by automatic summating methods) correspond to the known aberrant cerebral excitability and promise to aid in its detection and diagnosis.
A cellular automata model of the percolation process.

A cellular automata model of a dynamic system has been created which predicts the concentration of onset and 50% probability of a spanning cluster existing which coincides with the percolation phenomenon. The valences of the cells at each concentration were monitored revealing patterns of diversity influenced by the joining and breaking rules of the simulation. The diversity of these cell valence types was quantified using the Shannon information content. The Shannon index curve versus the concentration of cells coincided almost exactly with the curve reflecting the fraction of the divalent cells at the same concentration. The simulation offers a useful solution to the difficult analysis of mobile or dynamic percolation characteristics.
Brief report: Outbreak of severe aggression in captive Macaca mulatta

An outbreak of severe aggression occurred among females in a rhesus macaque breeding group at the California Primate Research Center four years after the group was established. During the breeding season in which this occurred, the incidence of injured females in other breeding groups at the Primate Center was significantly higher than in the previous year. This breeding season was the first in which a large number of females reached sexual maturity. The group in which the most severe aggression occurred contained the largest number and proportion of maturing females. Evidence suggests that the simultaneous maturation of a large cohort of adolescent females may be associated with increased levels of aggression, and that this aggression may be intensified by certain aspects of captivity.
Forecasting river runoff through Support Vector Machines

How “wet” or “dry” a year is predicted to be has many impacts. Public utilities need to determine what percentage of their electric energy generation will be hydro power. Good water years enable the utilities to use more hydro power and, consequently, save oil. Conversely, in a dry year, the utilities must depend more on steam generation and therefore use more oil, coal, and atomic fuel. Agricultural interests use the information to determine crop planting patterns, ground water pumping needs, and irrigation schedules. Operators of flood control projects determine how much water can safely be stored in a reservoir while reserving space for predicted inflows. Municipalities use the information to evaluate their water supply and determine whether (in a dry year) water rationing may be needed. Currently a combination of linear regression equations and human judgment is used for producing these forecasts. In this paper, we describe a Support Vector Machine based method for river runoff forecasting. Our method uses Smola/Scholkopf's Sequential Minimal Optimization algorithm for training a Support Vector Machine with a RBF kernel. The experimental results on predicting the full natural flow of the American River at the Folsom Dam measurement station in California indicates that our method outperforms the current forecasting practices.
Green growth machines, LEED ratings and value free development: the case of the Philadelphia property tax abatement

In this paper we examine an attempt in Philadelphia in 2009 to alter a popular and longstanding city property tax abatement program by connecting it to LEED building standards. We argue that the attempt to change the property tax abatement was an attempt by an insurgent growth coalition – what we call a ‘green growth machine' – to capture a greater proportion of the returns from land investment from the city's traditional growth machine. LEED was an important tool in the green growth machine's strategy, because the rating system has become a means by which growth machines have established green building as a component of the ideology of value free development. The attempt to alter the property tax abatement limited the extent to which LEED could be used as a tool in the construction of an ideology of value free development, which suggests both the limits to the power of that ideology, and how components of that ideology might be used to challenge a traditional growth machine.