cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Functional connectivity structure of cortical calcium dynamics in anesthetized and awake mice

The interplay between hemodynamic-based markers of cortical activity (e.g. fMRI and optical intrinsic signal imaging), which are an indirect and relatively slow report of neural activity, and underlying synaptic electrical and metabolic activity through neurovascular coupling is a topic of ongoing research and debate. As application of resting state functional connectivity measures is extended further into topics such as brain development, aging and disease, the importance of understanding the fundamental physiological basis for functional connectivity will grow. Here we extend functional connectivity analysis from hemodynamic- to calcium-based imaging. Transgenic mice (n = 7) expressing a fluorescent calcium indicator (GCaMP6) driven by the Thy1 promoter in glutamatergic neurons were imaged transcranially in both anesthetized (using ketamine/xylazine) and awake states. Sequential LED illumination (λ = 454, 523, 595, 640nm) enabled concurrent imaging of both GCaMP6 fluorescence emission (corrected for hemoglobin absorption) and hemodynamics. Functional connectivity network maps were constructed for infraslow (0.009-0.08Hz), intermediate (0.08-0.4Hz), and high (0.4-4.0Hz) frequency bands. At infraslow and intermediate frequencies, commonly used in BOLD fMRI and fcOIS studies of functional connectivity and implicated in neurovascular coupling mechanisms, GCaMP6 and HbO2 functional connectivity structures were in high agreement, both qualitatively and also quantitatively through a measure of spatial similarity. The spontaneous dynamics of both contrasts had the highest correlation when the GCaMP6 signal was delayed with a ~0.6-1.5s temporal offset. Within the higher-frequency delta band, sensitive to slow wave sleep oscillations in non-REM sleep and anesthesia, we evaluate the speed with which the connectivity analysis stabilized and found that the functional connectivity maps captured putative network structure within time window lengths as short as 30 seconds. Homotopic GCaMP6 functional connectivity maps at 0.4-4.0Hz in the anesthetized states show a striking correlated and anti-correlated structure along the anterior to posterior axis. This structure is potentially explained in part by observed propagation of delta-band activity from frontal somatomotor regions to visuoparietal areas. During awake imaging, this spatio-temporal quality is altered, and a more complex and detailed functional connectivity structure is observed. The combined calcium/hemoglobin imaging technique described here will enable the dissociation of changes in ionic and hemodynamic functional structure and neurovascular coupling and provide a framework for subsequent studies of neurological disease such as stroke.
How to Undo Janus: A User-Friendly Guide

This short white paper explains how progressive states can undo the disruptive effect of the Supreme Court's decision invalidating public union fair share fees in Janus v. AFSCME, Council 31. Put succinctly, lawmakers can amend state law to permit government employers to reimburse unions for their bargaining-related expenses directly. Such an amendment would be revenue neutral for government employers and unions, and it would result in a net increase in take home pay for public sector workers (on the order of $200 per year for an unmarried worker making $50,000). The paper describes how this approach would work, considers major objections, and proposes model legislation for lawmakers to consider. A more detailed discussion of all of the issues implicated by this proposal can be found in a full-length companion article entitled, Life After Janus. (Version History: This is v2.0 of this white paper, posted on 7/30/18. An earlier version (6/27/18) can be obtained from the author via e-mail).
Right ventricular free wall strain predicts quality of life in repaired tetralogy of Fallot

Methods Fifty-nine patients with rTOF (median age 28 years, range 15-69) underwent cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) from 2008-2009 and completed the Short Form 36 (a validated quality of life assessment). A midventricular short-axis slice was analyzed for left ventricular global circumferential strain (LVGCS) with feature tracking software (TomTec, Unterschleissheim, Germany). A four-chamber slice was analyzed for left ventricular longitudinal strain (LVGLS), and right ventricular longitudinal strain (RVLS), using the three segments of the right ventricular free wall. A subset of 30 patients was re-analyzed for intraobserver and interobserver variability. The physical component summary (PCS) and subscales of physical functioning (PF), role-physical (RP) and general health (GH) were chosen for analysis, and age-adjusted z-score ≤-1 was considered a clinically significant decreased quality of life.
‘Customs in common’: The epistemic world of the commons scholars

Despite the fact that the famous model of natural-resource use espoused by biologist Garrett Hardin, the "tragedy of the commons," has been thoroughly debunked by social scientists of most stripes, the model's assumptions e.g., that selfish individuals using a common pool resource will overconsume to the detriment of all have not only survived but fruitfully multiplied, as if driven by higher laws of natural selection.1 Its seeds have sprouted, for example, in works of natural scientists who apply biology's behavioral laws to complex social realities. It thrives deep in the soul of most commons theorists, even those fervently opposed to Hardin's model, who ply their trade by identifying, protecting, managing, saving, developing, and making efficient commons throughout the world.2 This commons-tragedy discourse has also shaped the thinking on the new "global commons," led by academicians and policymakers striving to direct supranational decisionmaking on the gray areas of global real estate: the earth's ozone, deep seas, "biodiverse" reserves (e.g., the Amazon), the North and South poles, the air waves, and so on. In other words, an old, dubious framework once applied to questions of the local commons (i.e., how to stop self-interested shepherds from destroying community pastures), is now being applied to saving our global commons.
Generalization of BCS Superconductivity to Non-Phonon Mediated Interactions: The Excitonic Interaction

It has long been recognised that, in principle, superconductivity can be induced by mechanisms other than the phonon mechanism. This follows from a simple generalization of the BCS theory, or better the Eliashberg version of that theory, that makes it clear that certain electronic excitations can provide such an attractive interaction. Because of the much higher energies of such excitations, superconductivity at much higher temperatures than those of phonon-mediated superconductors, should be possible. This raises the question whether this mechanism might be responsible for the high-transition temperatures of the recently discovered cuprate superconductors. In considering this question, we discuss the similarities and differences between the phonon mechanism, and such a non-phonon, exciton mechanism, the effects of these upon the superconducting transition temperature, and their effects upon the nature and symmetry of the superconducting state. We discuss the characteristic signature of the non-phonon interaction and review the experimental evidence for and against a possible role such a non-phonon mechanism might play in the superconductivity of the cuprates.
The Compressive Margin of the American Continents

Subduction of oceanic lithosphere under continental crust causes volcanic activity and uplift of compressive continental margins exemplified by the west coast of the American continents. The subsequent erosion of the uplifted continental margins has locally uncovered the plutonic rocks which form the roots of the volcanoes at the surface. Such tectonic processes have occurred throughout the history of the Earth and have produced igneous rocks whose ages range from Archean to Recent. Therefore, the continents have preserved a much more varied and extensive record of igneous activity than the present ocean basins whose ages do not exceed the Mesozoic Era.
Demonstration of Confocal Laser Induced Fluorescence at Long Focal Lengths

We add a collection path obscuration to a confocal telescope and confirm theoretical predictions of significant improvement in the longitudinal spatial localization. The improvements of spatial localization permitted an extension of the confocal telescope's focal length from 150 mm to 500 mm. At this longer focal length, millimeter-scale spatial localization is confirmed by comparing radial profiles of metastable state density obtained via confocal and conventional optical arrangements in a helicon source. The long focal length arrangement enables the measurement of argon neutral velocity distribution functions in the conventionally inaccessible region under a helicon source antenna.
Poor diet quality in pregnancy is associated with increased risk of excess fetal growth: a prospective multi-racial/ethnic cohort study.

BACKGROUND Nutritional perturbations during pregnancy may impact fetal and long-term childhood growth, although there are limited data on overall diet quality. We investigated whether diet quality, measured by the Healthy Eating Index-2010 (HEI-2010), during pregnancy was related to birthweight z-score (BWZ) and the clinically relevant birth outcomes of large- and small-for-gestational age (LGA and SGA). METHODS In a prospective cohort of 2269 multi-racial/ethnic women from the Pregnancy Environment and Lifestyle Study (2014-2017), dietary intake was assessed by a food frequency questionnaire during early pregnancy. Offspring BWZ and LGA or SGA were derived based on gestational age-, sex-, and racial/ethnic-specific birthweight distributions. Multivariable linear and Poisson regression with robust standard errors were used. RESULTS About 80% of women did not achieve good diet quality (HEI-2010 < 80). After adjusting for covariates, infants born to women in the lowest vs highest quartile of HEI-2010 (37.5-64.4 vs 78.7-94.2) had a 0.12 standard-deviation [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.01-0.23, P-for-trend = 0.023] greater BWZ and 1.76-fold (1.08-2.87, P-for-trend = 0.037) increased risk of LGA. No association was observed between HEI-2010 and SGA. Per-5-point substitution of the reversely coded empty calories component score with the whole grains component score in the HEI-2010 was related to a 25% (95% CI 0.66-0.86) lower risk of LGA. CONCLUSIONS Poor diet quality in pregnancy was associated with higher birthweight and increased risk of LGA independent of maternal obesity and other covariates. Substitution of empty calories with whole grains may mitigate the risk of excess fetal growth. Our findings may inform potential prevention strategies and dietary guidelines for pregnant women.
Low-grade albuminuria in pulmonary arterial hypertension

Low-grade albuminuria, determined by the urinary albumin to creatinine ratio, has been linked to systemic vascular dysfunction and is associated with cardiovascular mortality. Pulmonary arterial hy...
Large-Scale Production of 119mTe and 119Sb for Radiopharmaceutical Applications

Radionuclides find widespread use in medical technologies for treating and diagnosing disease. Among successful and emerging radiotherapeutics, 119Sb has unique potential in targeted therapeutic applications for low-energy electron-emitting isotopes. Unfortunately, developing 119Sb-based drugs has been slow in comparison to other radionuclides, primarily due to limited accessibility. Herein is a production method that overcomes this challenge and expands the available time for large-scale distribution and use. Our approach exploits high flux and fluence from high-energy proton sources to produce longer lived 119mTe. This parent isotope slowly decays to 119Sb, which in turn provides access to 119Sb for longer time periods (in comparison to direct 119Sb production routes). We contribute the target design, irradiation conditions, and a rapid procedure for isolating the 119mTe/119Sb pair. To guide process development and to understand why the procedure was successful, we characterized the Te/Sb separation usi...
Evaluation of the Dualistic Model of Passion for Alcohol Consumption among Emerging Adults Engaged in Risky Drinking.

Background: Understanding factors influencing risky drinking among emerging adults could enhance interventions to reduce adverse outcomes. As a motivational construct, the dualistic model of passio...
Biochemical properties of the GABA/barbiturate/benzodiazepine receptor-chloride ion channel complex.

The inhibitory neurotransmitter γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) acts by increasing chloride permeability in the postsynaptic cell membrane. Chloride ion channels are regulated via GABA binding to its receptor. The cellular response to GABA has been shown to be enhanced by benzodiazepine and barbiturate drugs. This potentiation of GABA-mediated inhibition may explain much of the nervous system depressant action of these clinically important agents.
Introduction to Receptors

Abstract Neurotransmitters affect cells by binding to receptor proteins, inducing conformational changes in the receptors that affect neuronal function either directly, by opening ion channels (ionotropic receptors), or indirectly, by initiating intracellular cascades that can affect neurons in many different ways (metabotropic receptors).
Costing Secure Software Development: A Systematic Mapping Study

Building more secure software is a recent concern for software engineers due to increasing incidences of data breaches and other types of cyber attacks. However, software security, through the introduction of specialized practices in the software development life cycle, leads to an increase in the development cost. Although there are many studies on software cost models, few address the additional costs required to build secure software. We conducted a systematic review in the form of a mapping study to classify and analyze the literature related to the impact of security in software development costs. Our search strategy strove to achieve high completeness by the identification of a quasi-gold-standard set of papers, which we then used to establish a search string and retrieve papers from research databases automatically. The application of inclusion/exclusion criteria resulted in a final set of 54 papers, which were categorized according to the approach to software security cost analysis. Perform Security Review, Apply Threat Modeling, and Perform Security Testing were the three most frequent activities related to cost, and Common Criteria was the most applied standard. We also identified ten approaches to estimating software security costs for development projects; however, their validation remains a challenge, which could be addressed in future studies.
Novel design and diagnostics improvements for increased production capacity and improved reliability at the Los Alamos Isotope Production Facility

Abstract The Isotope Production Facility (IPF) at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is used to produce an array of isotopes for medical, global security, and research applications with an intense beam of protons supplied by the linear accelerator at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE). An Accelerator Improvement Project (AIP) was recently conducted at IPF to improve facility reliability and reduce programmatic risk while increasing general isotope production capacity and flexibility. This was accomplished through the installation of an improved beam window assembly, more robust beam diagnostics, an active and adjustable collimator , and a new beam rastering system. This paper will highlight the four exciting innovations and how they were designed, validated, and installed in parallel as well as the significant operational advantages they provide to IPF. Key experiments and the increased currents achieved in routine production runs demonstrating the enhanced capability from the AIP will be presented. The most notable capability enhancements include irradiations with beam currents ranging from 100 nA experimental runs up to 300 μ A on routine production targets and utilization of a range of cylindrical target diameters.
Atherectomy with balloon angioplasty compared to balloon angioplasty alone for the treatment of chronic limb threatening ischemia: A national surgical quality improvement program database analysis:

ObjectivesTo compare perioperative outcomes related to atherectomy with percutaneous transluminal angioplasty versus percutaneous transluminal angioplasty alone for the treatment of lower extremity...
Knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of nurse practitioners about antibiotic stewardship.

Background Antibiotic stewardship (ABS) is a set of strategies to optimize antimicrobial use while reducing antibiotic resistance, improving patient outcomes, and decreasing unnecessary costs. Nurse practitioners (NPs) play an essential role in health care education and represent a valuable potential resource for ABS efforts. Purpose The purpose of this study was to describe the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of NPs toward ABS. Methods A convenience sample of NPs attending the American Association of Nurse Practitioners annual conference was given a modified descriptive survey. Descriptive statistics were used to assess normality. Results A total of 194 NPs completed the questionnaire (88% female; 70% master's degree). Factors affecting the decisions of antibiotic prescriptions included patient condition (79%) and patient cost (58%). Nurse practitioners based their antibiotic decisions on the antibiogram (63%) in their setting, whereas 56% indicated they start with broad spectrum and tailor antibiotic choices after cultures are received. Nurse practitioners understood that inappropriate antibiotic use causes resistance (97%), harms the patient (97%), and optimum antibiotic use will reduce resistance (94%). Participants also recognized that strong knowledge of antibiotics was important (94%) and felt confident in using antibiotics (86%). However, 94% agreed that antibiotics are overused nationally, and only 62% thought antibiotics were overused in their setting. Implications for practice Nurse practitioners recognize that knowledge about antibiotics is important to their career and would like more education about antibiotics and feedback about their antibiotic choices. Finding effective ways to provide this education could change practice and improve antibiotic use.
Systematic review of depressive, anxiety and post-traumatic stress symptoms among Asian American breast cancer survivors

Objectives This paper aimed to review the experience of psychopathology symptoms (ie, depressive, anxiety and post-traumatic stress) and their social, cognitive and affective correlates among Asian American breast cancer survivors. Studies on psychosocial interventions for reducing psychopathology symptoms were also included in this review. Design A systematic review was conducted. Methods PubMed, PsycINFO and Web of Science were searched from database inception to November 2018. Empirical, peer-reviewed articles on adult women of Asian heritage residing in the USA with breast cancer diagnoses were included in this review. The methodological quality of the included articles was coded. Results The search yielded 16 empirical articles, which were all deemed to be of high methodological quality. Eleven studies utilised a quantitative design, two studies utilised a qualitative design and three studies utilised a mixed-methods design. Thirteen were cross-sectional and three were longitudinal in design. Only two intervention studies were identified. Studies showed that Asian American breast cancer survivors endorsed moderate to high levels of depressive symptoms, anxiety and post-traumatic stress symptoms; those who are more acculturated demonstrated lower levels of depressive and anxiety symptoms. Asian American breast cancer survivors with social constraints were more likely to have intrusive thoughts and, in turn, have high levels of psychopathology symptoms. Intervention studies were limited, but the use of community-based participatory research approaches and cultural adaptations were noted strengths of the studies. Discussion In addition to discussing clinical implications, we highlight limitations of the literature, including a lack of longitudinal studies and the limited use of standardised diagnostic instruments for assessing psychopathology symptoms among this population. Clarifying the prospective relationships between psychopathology symptoms and their social, cognitive and affective correlates will help inform the development of culturally sensitive psychosocial interventions among Asian American breast cancer survivors.
Research Note–The New Frontier of Enhanced Terrorism with the United States In Mind

The coronavirus pandemic presents opportunities for scholars and policymakers to conceptualize and scope out theoretical parameters of a new terrorism type - “enhanced terrorism,” with its potentia...
Open-path dual-comb spectroscopy in the 4.5 to 4.9 pm region for multi-species detection

Open-path dual-comb spectroscopy in the 4.5-4.9 pm region is performed over a 300 m- long link to quantify mixing ratios for CO, CO2, N2O, H2O, and O3.
A 65nm Thermometer-Encoded Time/Charge-Based Compute-in-Memory Neural Network Accelerator at 0.735pJ/MAC and 0.41pJ/Update

This brief presents an in-memory compute macro for neural-network based controllers including inference and in-situ weight updates featuring: (1) in-memory multi-bit matrix and transposed matrix multiplication; (2) thermometer-encoded, pulse-modulated storage element for in-memory weight update; (3) adaptive bit-line analog-to-digital (A/D) conversion for enhanced area/power efficiency. The chip was fabricated in 65nm CMOS technology and measured an energy efficiency of 0.735pJ/multiply-accumulate operation (MAC) and 0.41pJ/weight update.
Whitewashing diverse voices: (de)constructing race and ethnicity in Spanish-language television dubbing:

When television programs are translated for global audiences, languages are changed, but so too are constructions of diverse identities. Characters who are Black, Indigenous, or people of color (BI...
Classical analytical description of negative hydrogen ions

Studies of negative hydrogen ions (NHI), such as, H– and D–, are important from both practical and fundamental points of view. One of the reasons for their practical importance has to do with heati...
The Conservation of Glass

Cleaning is often done to improve the appearance of a glass. However, archaeological glasses should not always be cleaned as this can remove original material. Historic and modern glasses can often be safely cleaned, but must be evaluated individually. Repairing broken glasses is done using synthetic adhesives. Two different adhesives are recommended for the repair of glass: Paraloid B-72 and epoxy resin adhesives. B-72 is an acrylic copolymer and prepared as a resin: solvent solution. Epoxy adhesives are more complex thermosetting resins and require very precise mixing proportions. The advantages of B-72 adhesive include stability, reversibility, fast setting time and low cost. It can also be used as a consolidant for strengthening fragile or deteriorated glass. Epoxy resins are often used on clear, transparent glasses and for large structural repairs. All glasses should be stored in a well-ventilated and climate-controlled environment. The humidity should ideally be between 40 and 50%. Temperature can vary considerably, if it does not change the humidity. Historic and modern glasses can slowly deteriorate from high humidity fluctuations, but most archaeological glasses are less susceptible to this problem.
Global Convergence of Hessenberg Shifted QR I: Dynamics.

Rapid convergence of the shifted QR algorithm on symmetric matrices was shown more than fifty years ago. Since then, despite significant interest and its practical relevance, an understanding of the dynamics of the shifted QR algorithm on general matrices has remained elusive. We give a family of shifting strategies for the Hessenberg shifted QR algorithm with provably rapid global convergence on matrices of bounded nonnormality, quantified in terms of the condition number of the eigenvector matrix. The convergence is linear with a constant rate, and for a well-chosen strategy from this family, the computational cost of each QR step scales nearly logarithmically in the eigenvector condition number. We perform our analysis in exact arithmetic. In the companion paper [Global Convergence of Shifted QR II: Numerical Stability and Deflation], we show that our shifting strategies can be implemented efficiently in finite arithmetic.
A Vertical, Time-Dependent Bio-Optical Model

A vertical, time-dependent bio-optical model was developed to investigate the depth-dependent processes associated with the plankton distributions in the California Coastal Transition Zone (CTZ). The biological components included in the model are silicate, nitrate, ammonia two phytoplankton size fractions, copepods, doliolids, euphausiids, and a detritus pool. The wavelength-dependent attenuation of the subsurface irradiance field caused by seawater, phytoplankton, and dissolved organic matter, is incorporated into this model as a depth-dependent energy flux which balances the phytoplankton energy uptake and the kinetic energy flux (ΔT) into the water. This allows the phytoplankton to modify the vertical temperature structure which, in turn, affects the rate of the biological processes. Vertical velocities (w) along the track of simulated Lagrangian drifters, which were derived from a 3-D primitive equation circulation model simulating the flow observed within the CTZ, are used to parameterize upwelling and downwelling. Parameterization of biological processes, such as light versus photosynthesis and Zooplankton growth and fecundity rates, are based upon data obtained during the CTZ field experiments. Comparison of simulations, which were initialized with measured distributions of phytoplankton, Zooplankton, and nutrients obtained from various regions (inshore, offshore, filament, and non-filament) in the CTZ, provide insight into the role of the biological and physical processes in determining the development of the subsurface chlorophyll maximum and other related features (i.e., regions of high Zooplankton fecundity). Model verification is obtained from comparing the simulations to actual observations obtained by following a Lagrangian drifter in the CTZ during field experiments in 1988. Preliminary results suggest that the bio-optical model adequately simulates the photosynthetic processes which play a role in developing the subsurface chlorophyll maximum in the CTZ.
Acoustic classification of coexisting taxa in a coastal ecosystem

Abstract Classifying coexisting taxa in a coastal ecosystem remains an analytic challenge due to the difficulty in verifying species compositions within backscatter data. Multifrequency measurements (38, 70, 120, 200 kHz) were combined with midwater trawls and zooplankton MultiNet tows in Hood Canal, WA, to classify backscatter dominated by single fish species (Pacific Herring, Pacific Hake) or major zooplankton taxa (euphausiids, copepods). Backscatter was categorized into aggregations, single targets, and layers based on morphology. Aggregations and single targets were identified in raw volume backscattering strength (Sv), while layers were classified using differences in mean volume backscattering strength (ΔMVBSi-j = MVBSi – MVBSj, where i and j denote frequency in kHz). Based on a subset of trawl-validated in situ acoustic measurements, backscatter with −16 dB
Treatment of complicated urinary tract infections with sisomicin

Sisomicin, a new aminoglycoside similar to gentamicin, was administered parenterally to 20 patients who had complicated urinary tract infections. The infecting organisms were Proteus mirabilis, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, or Enterobacter, previously resistant to other antimicrobial medications. A 95 % cure rate was achieved; one patient responded to a second course of sisomicin, and overall there were no untoward side effects. This new antibiotic, which has the same spectrum and toxicity as gentamicin, appears to have greater efficacy.
A Review of “Plans Unraveled: The Foreign Policy of the Carter Administration”

For a man who departed the White House nearly three decades ago, former president Jimmy Carter has remained a remarkably polarizing figure. His supporters tend to view him through the lens of his p...
YANLI: a powerful natural language front-end tool

An important issue in achieving acceptance of computer systems used by the nonprogramming community is the ability to communicate with these systems in natural language. Often, a great deal of time in the design of any such system is devoted to the natural language front end. An obvious way to simplify this task is to provide a portable natural language front-end tool or facility that is sophisticated enough to allow for a reasonable variety of input; allows modification; and, yet, is easy to use. This paper describes such a tool that is based on augmented transition networks (ATNs). It allows for user input to be in sentence or nonsentence form or both, provides a detailed parse tree that the user can access, and also provides the facility to generate responses and save information. The system provides a set of ATNs or allows the user to construct ATNs using system utilities. The system is written in Franz Lisp and was developed on a DEC VAX 11/780 running the ULTRIX-32 operating system.
Sensitivity and specificity of the mini-mental state examination for identifying dementia in the oldest-old: the 90+ study

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) in identifying dementia in the oldest-old when stratified by age and education.
C 2 , α regularity of flat free boundaries for the thin one-phase problem

Abstract We prove C 2 , α regularity of sufficiently flat free boundaries, for the thin one-phase problem in which the free boundary occurs on a lower dimensional subspace. This problem appears also as a model of a one-phase free boundary problem in the context of the fractional Laplacian ( − Δ ) 1 / 2 .
Second-Order Perturbation Theory with Fractional Charges and Fractional Spins

In this work the behavior of MP2 for fractional occupations is investigated. The consideration of fractional charge behavior gives a simple derivation of an expression for the chemical potential (or the derivative of energy with respect to the number of electrons) of MP2. A generalized optimized effective potential formalism (OEP) has been developed in which the OEP is a nonlocal potential, which can be applied to explicit functionals of the orbitals and eigenvalues and also facilitates the evaluation of the chemical potential. The MP2 derivative improves upon the corresponding Koopmans' theorem in Hartree-Fock theory for the ionization energy and also gives a good estimate of the electron affinity. In strongly correlated systems with degeneracies and fractional spins, MP2 diverges, and another corrected second-order perturbative method ameliorates this failure for the energy but still does not recapture the correct behavior for the energy derivatives that yield the gap. Overall we present a view of wave function based methods and their behavior for fractional charges and spins that offers insight into the application of these methods to challenging chemical problems.
Selective and objective assessment calculation and automation

In this paper, we share our experience in using the Faculty Course Assessment Report (FCAR) process to assess our course and program learning outcomes in preparation for ABET accreditation. We show that the comprehensive and subjective approach in the original FCAR is time-consuming and produces inaccurate and inconsistent results. We describe a selective and objective method that calculates the assessment results quantitatively and a set of spreadsheets that automate the data collection and assessment. Although this method is designed for ABET accreditation of computer science programs, it can be used in accreditations and assessment for all disciplines.
Interfacial stress estimation using least-square extrapolation and local stress smoothing in laminated composites

Abstract This paper applies the finite element least-square extrapolation and smoothing technique to demonstrate its advantages in the evaluation of interfacial stress distributions in composite laminates. The analysis uses the quasi-three-dimensional finite element modeling technique and complete three-dimensional analysis using ABAQUS to investigate the stress distributions in graphite/epoxy laminates. Linear (two points integration) and quadratic (three point integration) least square fits in eight-node quadrilateral and 20-node solid isoparametric elements are demonstrated. The evaluation of transformation matrix from Gaussian stresses to nodal stresses was performed using symbolic mathematics on “Mathematica”. The results show that use of extrapolation and smoothing offer better estimates of stress distributions and the interfacial stresses in composite laminates.
Adsorption of Phospholipids on Pyrite and Their Effect on Surface Oxidation

Pyrite, FeS2, oxidation in nature has severe environmental implications. The adsorption of two-tail phospholipids on polycrystalline pyrite was investigated as a means to suppress the oxidation chemistry. Attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy suggested that the binding of long-chain, two-tail lipids, such as l-α-phosphatidylcholine, hydrogenated (egg, chicken) lipid and 1,2-bis(10,12-tricosadiynoyl)-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine occurred primarily through the phosphate group of the lipid headgroup. The adsorption of this type of lipid on pyrite resulted in a strong suppression of the oxidation of the mineral under oxic conditions down to a pH of 1.0. No such oxidation suppression was experimentally observed when 1,2-dipropionoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, a short-chain, two-tailed lipid, was used to form an adsorbed phase. The difference in the oxidation suppression efficacy suggested that the length of the hydrophobic tail is an important attribute in this regard. Experiment...
Concepts, properties, measurement, and computation of clearance rates of hormones and other substances in biological systems

A unified view of “clearance rates” for hormones and other substances in biological systems is developed and the overall concept is analyzed in the context of practical measurement schemes and the insights such measures can provide about a system. Several important properties and limitations of clearance rates, including plasma and “metabolic” clearance rates, are developed and analyzed. Among several new definitions presented, a new name, weighted-average plasma clearance rate (WAPCR), is suggested for a traditional measure of the plasma (or metabolic) clearance rate, i.e., the “dose divided by integral of the concentration” measure. This is done because the latter quantity represents a “plasma clearance rate” easy to interpret and apply only under special circumstances. It is shown that practical use of this so-called “model-independent” measure to determine the PCR is limited by the dynamical properties of the physiological system and experiment as well as the model chosen to represent it in the calculation. These situations, as well as other experiment design problems, are made explicit and their limitations are analyzed.
Conformational Analysis of Profisetinidin Dimers

Steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence measurements show that profisetinidin dimers with a (4α → 8) interflavan bond exist as two rotamers in an approximately equal proportion. The 2,3-trans profisetinidin dimers with a 4β interflavan bond also exist as two rotamers, however, a higher fraction of one of the two rotamers is present. Molecular modeling with the Sybyl 5.41 force field shows two low energy conformations when rotating 360° around the interflavan bond defined by C3, C4, D8, D7. In fisetinidol-(4β → 8)-epicatechin, there is a high energy barrier at ϕ = 180° due to steric interference of the C-3 hydroxyl with the F-ring pyran oxygen. Lowest energy states are at ϕ = 90° and 240°. The energy barrier at ϕ = 180° is much lower for fisetinidol-(4α0 → 8)-epicatechin than observed in the 4β-linked isomer. A molecular dynamics trajectory was computed using Sybyl 5.41 for fisetinidol-(4β → 8)-epicatechin to study rotation about the interflavan bond. At 500 oK, rotation at the interflavan bond is slow with less than one rotation occurring in 50 ps.
Robust event-based stabilization of periodic orbits for hybrid systems: Application to an underactuated 3D bipedal robot

The first return map or Poincare map can be viewed as a discrete-time dynamical system evolving on a hyper surface that is transversal to a periodic orbit; the hyper surface is called a Poincare section. The Poincare map is a standard tool for assessing the stability of periodic orbits in non-hybrid as well as hybrid systems. In addition, it can be used for stabilization of periodic orbits if the underlying dynamics of the system depends on a set of parameters that can be updated by a feedback law when trajectories cross the Poincare section. This paper addresses an important practical obstacle that arises when designing feedback laws on the basis of the Jacobian linearization of the Poincare map. In almost all practical cases, the Jacobians must be estimated numerically, and when the underlying dynamics presents a wide range of time scales, the numerical approximations of the first partial derivatives are sufficiently inaccurate that controller tuning is very difficult. Here, a robust control formalism is proposed whereby a convex set of approximations to the Jacobian linearization is systematically generated and a stabilizing controller is designed through two appropriate sets of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs). The result is illustrated on a walking gait of a 3D underactuated bipedal robot.
Corneal ulcers in two children wearing paragon corneal refractive therapy lenses.

Objectives.To report the development of corneal ulcers in two children wearing Paragon Corneal Refractive Therapy (CRT) lenses.Methods.Two case reports of children who developed corneal ulcers when fit with Paragon CRT contact lenses, which were worn nightly, are discussed. Each patient presented wi
Controlling emission color through Förster resonance energy transfer in hybrid colloidal particles

Hybrid particles from insoluble luminescent π-conjugated polymers were formed through a miniemulsion approach. The color characteristics of the PL for the particles could be tuned by exploiting the Forster resonance energy transfer between the polymers within a particle, while suppressing energy transfer between particles, and exhibited 1931 CIE x,y-color coordinates that ranged from 0.153, 0.071 to 0.267, 0.559 with corresponding dominant wavelengths of 466 nm to 536 nm with an excitation energy at a wavelength of 389 nm.
Environmental Epigenetics and Phytoestrogen/Phytochemical Exposures

One of the most important environmental factors to promote epigenetic alterations in an individual is nutrition and exposure to plant compounds. Phytoestrogens and other phytochemicals have dramatic effects on cellular signaling events, so have the capacity to dramatically alter developmental and physiological events. Epigenetics provides one of the more critical molecular mechanisms for environmental factors such as phytoestrogens/phytochemicals to influence biology. In the event these epigenetic mechanisms become heritable through epigenetic transgenerational mechanisms the impacts on the health of future generations and areas such as evolutionary biology need to be considered. The current review focuses on available information on the environmental epigenetics of phytoestrogen/phytochemical exposures, with impacts on health, disease and evolutionary biology considered. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled 'Phytoestrogens'.
New Type of Discharge in Neon Tubes

IT was found some years ago by one of us (J. W. R.) that if a condenser of the order of a microfarad capacity was discharged through a tube containing neon at a pressure of about 10 mm. with an adjustable resistance in series, then when the resistance was reduced below a certain value there was a marked change in the character of the discharge, distinguishing clearly the new type of discharge from others obtainable in such tubes.
Minimizing disincentives for collaborative research.

While collaborative research partnerships offer a number of advantages, the disincentives to collaboration which are present in the academic environment can be daunting and can result in failure unless they are explicitly and proactively addressed. Based on successful models of collaboration and a review of the literature, four disincentives to collaboration—increased requirements for time and communication, lack of clarity regarding leadership, need to share resources and revenue, and the problem of partners who do not fulfill their commitments—are discussed and strategies to minimize these disincentives are presented.
Lightweight Transformation and Fact Extraction with the srcML Toolkit

The srcML toolkit for lightweight transformation and fact-extraction of source code is described. srcML is an XML format for C/C++/Java source code. The open source toolkit that includes the source-to-srcML and srcML-to-source translators for round-trip reverse engineering is freely available. The direct use of XPath and XSLT is supported, an archive format for large projects is included, and a rich set of input and output formats through a command-line interface is available. Applying transformations and formulating queries using srcML is very convenient. Application use-cases of transformations and fact-extraction are shown and demonstrated to be practical and scalable.
Modeling and Prediction of the Flow, Pressure, and Holding Force Generated by a Bernoulli Handling Device

This paper presents the modeling and prediction of the air flow, pressure, and holding (or lifting) force produced by a noncontact Bernoulli gripper, which is essentially a radial air flow nozzle used to handle small and large rigid and nonrigid materials. Previous studies have demonstrated the turbulent behavior of the flow and the presence of a flow separation region at the nozzle of the gripper. Here, a Reynolds stress model has been implemented in a finite volume based segregated Reynolds-averaged Navier―Stokes solver. Compressible air is modeled to capture the effect of the high flow velocities generated by the nozzle. In addition an experimental setup is designed to validate the model. Experimental results of air pressure and lifting force agree favorably with those predicted by the model. This model could be used to understand the influence of handling variables such as the stand-off distance and air flow rate on the suction pressure distribution and lifting force acting on the handled object.
Orthotopic liver transplantation for ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency with hyperammonemic encephalopathy

Ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC) deficiency is an X chromosome-linked disorder causing hyperammonemic encephalopathy with a very poor prognosis. We describe here two patients with OTC deficiency, one a late-onset female patient (case 1) and the other a neonatal-onset male patient (case 2), who were successfully treated with orthotopic liver transplantation (OLTx). The OTC activity in the excised liver was 10% and 0% of control, respectively. Hyperammonemic encephalopathy was controlled with medical therapy in case 1 until the age of 5 years, but the complicated course in case 2 in which hyperammonemia required peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis in the neonatal period necessitated OLTx with a reduced-size liver at the age of 80 days. Both patients had restoration of serum ammonia level to normal in 2 and 3 days after liver replacement, and both patients have normal neurological and developmental status after 2 and 0.5 years of postoperative follow-up. These cases illustrate not only the metabolic cure of this disorder, but also the need to preserve neurological integrity by aggressive medical management of the hyperammonemia preoperatively and early surgical intervention when indicated, even if this is required very early in life.
Distal forearm regional block anesthesia for carpal tunnel release

A technique of nerve block in the distal forearm is described for use in carpal tunnel release operations. In 70 operations, the extremities of 52 patients have been successfully anesthetized in this manner without complication. This simple anesthetic technique is recommended for use by the hand surgeon.
Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope: Mission overview

The new Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST) is scheduled for launch in the middle of 2008. It contains the high energy gamma-ray telescope Large Area Telescope (LAT) which covers the energy range from 20 MeV to >300 GeV and the GLAST Burst Monitor (GMB), covering 8 keV-30 MeV energy range. The GLAST science objectives include understanding the mechanism of charged particle acceleration in active galactic nuclei, pulsars and supernova remnants, determining the nature of the still-unidentified EGRET sources, detailed study of gamma-ray diffuse emission, high-energy emission from gamma-ray bursts and transient sources, and probing dark matter. A brief overview of the mission is given.
Actin‐associated cell‐surface glycoprotein from ascites cell microvilli: A disulfide‐linked multimer

Isolated microvilli of the MAT-C1 subline of the 13762 rat mammary adenocarcinoma contain a transmembrane complex composed of a cell surface, cytoskeleton-associated glycoprotein (CAG), actin, and a 58,000-dalton polypeptide (58K). The behavior of CAG has been studied by differential centrifugation and velocity sedimentation gradient centrifugation of detergent extracts of microvilli. CAG can be pelleted along with a fraction of the microvillar actin even in the presence of ionic detergents and under microfilament-depolymerizing conditions. By velocity sedimentation analysis CAG in Triton/PBS extracts sediments as a large, heterogeneous species (sedimentation coefficient greater than 25S). In Sarkosyl and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) the size and heterogeneity are somewhat reduced. In SDS CAG sediments as a 20S species in the absence of mercaptoethanol and as a 5S species in the presence of mercaptoethanol. These results indicate that CAG is a disulfide-linked multimer in the microvillus membrane. We suggest that the stable multimeric structure of CAG permits it to act as the membrane association site for several microfilaments and plays an important role in the formation and stabilization of the microvillus structure.
Conceptions of Work: The View From Urban Youth.

This study sought to examine how poor and working-class urban adolescents conceive of work as well as the work-related messages they receive from their families. Data were collected to understand how 9th-grade urban students perceive work using an exploratory and qualitative research methodology. Although the data suggested that urban youths’ conceptions of work were complex and varied, the conceptual array of urban youths’ perceptions of work suggested that work does not generally represent a means of self-concept expression or the expression of one’s interest in the world of work. Specifically, urban youth tended to define work in terms of external outcomes (e.g., money), which was also a common theme among the messages they received about work from their families.