cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Density functional study of onion-skin-like [As@Ni12As20]3− and [Sb@Pd12Sb20]3− cluster ions

Abstract A comprehensive study of the structural and electronic properties of the interesting onion-skin-like [As@Ni 12 As 20 ] 3− cluster ion, characterized by Moses et al. [Science 300 (2003) 778], was carried out using a plane-wave based density functional theory. The calculated interatomic distances agree well with experiment. The highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) for [As@Ni 12 As 20 ] 3− are fivefold-degenerate with h u and h g symmetries, respectively, and its HOMO–LUMO gap is determined to be 0.2 eV lower than that of C 60 . The static dipole polarizability of [As@Ni 12 As 20 ] 3− is two times larger than that of C 60 . The optical gap of [As@Ni 12 As 20 ] 3− is redshifted by 1.4 eV relative to that of C 60 . The possibility of synthesis of [Sb@Pd 12 Sb 20 ] 3− is proposed.
Reducing phase noise by proper sizing of MOSFETs in LC tuned VCOs

This work identifies the relationships between the sizes of the oscillator's core MOSFETs and the phase noise in the 1/f/sup 2/ region. Three packaged 1 GHz VCOs with the same LC tank circuit, but different gate lengths were designed and fabricated in a standard digital 0.6 /spl mu/m CMOS technology. The minimum gate length (L/sub min/) of the core MOSFETs does not result in the minimum phase noise. Instead, the minimum phase noise occurs when the gate length is L/sub opt/, and L/sub opt/ = /spl eta/ /spl middot/ L/sub min/ where /spl eta/ is a parameter that depends upon fabrication process and bias current. From measured results, the phase noise can be further decreased by 2 dBc/Hz at 600 kHz offset from 1 GHz center frequency by using the optimal sizes of the core MOSFETs.
Abdominal Tuberculosis in Patients Infected with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus

We compared the presentation of abdominal tuberculosis in 43 patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and in 35 patients without HIV infection. Fever, weight loss, and extraabdominal lymphadenopathy were more common in HIV-infected patients, whereas ascites and jaundice were more frequent in patients without HIV infection. Intraabdominal lymphadenopathy and visceral lesions, visualized on computed tomography scans, were more common in HIV-infected patients, whereas ascites and omental thickening were more frequent in patients without HIV infection. Aspirates of abdominal lymph nodes were the only samples revealing acid-fast bacilli in eight HIV-infected patients, yielding a rapid diagnosis. Disseminated tuberculosis was present in 93% of the HIV-infected patients, compared with 31% of those without HIV infection; tuberculosis contributed to death in 23% of HIV-infected patients and in 31% of those without HIV infection. We conclude that abdominal tuberculosis in HIV-infected patients is almost invariably a manifestation of disseminated disease and results in significant mortality.
RAFT polymerization and thermal behavior of trimethylphosphonium polystyrenes for anion exchange membranes

Ionomers of trimethyl(4-vinylbenzyl)phosphonium chloride and styrene comonomers were synthesized with between 15 and 98 mol% ionic content. The thermal properties were explored and a significant increase in the glass transition of the high ion content polymers was found, most likely due to ion aggregation into clusters.
Robust parallel design of the subsystems constituting a complex system

The problem of designing complex systems, with performance specifications from multiple disciplines, consisting of several subsystems, and where the subsystems are designed in parallel is addressed. The subsystems interact in the sense that the performance of one subsystem is influenced by the design details of other subsystems. This introduces uncertainty into the design process. A team designing a given subsystem needs design details from other subsystems to evaluate its subsystem performance. If the subsystems are designed in parallel, these design details are generally not readily available. In this paper, we formulate the subsystem design problems using a robust design framework. Nonlinear optimization is used to design subsystems that are robust with respect to the uncertainties arising from designing the subsystems in parallel. In addition to its own uncertain design parameters, the uncertain parameters for a given subsystem include the design variables and outputs from other subsystems that are needed in that subsystem analysis. Accounting for these uncertainties allows the subsystems to be designed in parallel while guaranteeing achievement of system-level performance specifications upon assembly of the subsystems. The proposed robust parallel design (RPD) approach is illustrated using a passive suspension design example for a half-car model.
Observability and state estimation for multiple product control in semiconductor manufacturing

Run-to-run control in semiconductor manufacturing is complicated by the use of multiple processing tools and many different products being made during a given time period. This paper investigates a Kalman filter-based state estimation scheme that views a manufacturing area with all the tools, products, and processes it contains as a single interrelated system. This formulation maximizes the amount of information that is shared across different batches by capturing their common characteristics in shared parameters. The estimation scheme performs state updates correctly even when measurement data is missing or delayed. A set of simulations are used to demonstrate the performance of the algorithm under different operating conditions.
Fluid property investigation by impedance characterization of quartz crystal resonators: Part I: Methodology, crystal screening, and Newtonian fluids

In the first of this two-part communication, we present a methodology for the application of thickness shear mode (TSM) quartz crystal resonators (QCR) in fluid property investigation. To this end, we outline a protocol for the preparation of crystal surfaces for fluid contact and establish a methodology for the pre-screening of quartz crystals for application in fluid property investigation. We also present a data fitting algorithm which enables the conversion of raw impedance data into equivalent circuit parameters. Subsequently, we report on our study of a series of Newtonian fluids (2-propanol/water solutions) by frequency response analysis of the fluid-contacted TSM QCR. The results are analyzed in comparison to theoretical predictions presented in an earlier publication. The results show good agreement between the theory and experimentally derived equivalent circuit parameters. The influence of fluid elasticity on the impedance response of liquid-contacted thickness-shear mode (TSM) quartz crystal resonators (QCR) is investigated in the second part. Model predictions are compared to experimental results on a series of a TSM QCR contacted with poly(dimethylsiloxane) fractions. The findings show that with appropriate instrumentation and models to interpret results, TSM QCR can be rapid and effective tools in viscoelastic fluid property investigation.
Design of all-optical switches based on carrier injection in Si/SiO/sub 2/ split-ridge waveguides (SRWs)

All-optical switches based on optical carrier injection in high-index-contrast Si/SiO2 split-ridge-waveguide (SRW) couplers are analyzed. The waveguide devices are suitable for the construction of low-loss optical switch matrices as well as fast optical switching. These devices exhibit robustness against fabrication tolerances, improved heat sinking, good carrier confinement, and high uniformity in transmission over the entire C-band of optical communications, in contrast to comparable devices based on buried or ridge waveguides. Reasonably low electrical switching power of 1-10 mW is predicted for switching frequencies of 1 MHz to 1 GHz. Carrier recombination measurements in thin Si layers passivated with different oxide layers confirm the feasibility of the designed switches and modulators
An Examination of Locus of Control and Sex Role Orientation

Summary The present investigation was designed to examine the effects of locus of control on traditional or liberal sex role orientation. Two hundred twenty male and female college students were administered the Rotter Locus of Control Scale. Ss were then divided into internal and external groups based on their scores. The short form of the Attitude Toward Women Scale (AWS) was administered. It was hypothesized that internal males and external females would obtain significantly more traditional scores on the AWS, since previous research had suggested that these individuals reflect the more stereotyped attitude regarding sex role orientation. A 2 × 2 analysis of variance confirmed the hypothesis with respect to males. Internal males were found to be significantly more traditional than all other groups.
Anatomy of peak current mode control in a monolithic dc/dc converter

Monolithic dc/dc converters provide a small solution size for the power management industry by integrating power switches with pulse width modulation (PWM) controllers. On the other hand, partial or all key control loop design parameters are hidden inside a black box. A practical way to identify the values of those parameters not only provides an effective tool for a system designer to retrieve information from an unknown converter, but also gives an insight of the control loop design of a monolithic dc/dc converter. This paper proposes a procedure of identifying the key parameters in a peak current mode control monolithic converter as well as an insight of debugging a monolithic dc/dc converter.
Targeting ERBB receptors shifts their partners and triggers persistent ERK signaling through a novel ERBB-EFNB1 complex

Most squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck (HNSCC) overexpress ERBB1/EGFR, but EGF receptor (EGFR)-targeted therapies have yielded disappointing clinical results in treatment of this cancer. Here, we describe a novel interaction between EGFR and the ligand EphrinB1 (EFNB1), and we show that EFNB1 phosphorylation and downstream signaling persists in the presence of cetuximab. Mechanistically, cetuximab drives a shift in EGFR dimerization partners within the signaling complex, suggesting that targeted drugs may trigger partner rearrangements that allow persistent pathway activation. EFNB1 attenuation slowed tumor growth and increased survival in a murine model of HNSCC, suggesting a substantial contribution of EFNB1 signaling to HNSCC development. Together, our findings suggest that EFNB1 is part of the EGFR signaling complex and may mediate drug resistance in HNSCC as well as other solid tumors.
Information Technology Adoption by Small Businesses in Minority and Ethnic Communities

Information systems adoption by small businesses often is viewed as a basic building block of economic development. Yet, the components that impact business success and thus economic development are mostly unexplored, especially within the context of minority and ethnic communities, both domestically and internationally. Given that IT adoption in small businesses is very often the domain of the business owner, an investigation of how the attributes of individual business owners and the context in which they are embedded is essential. This paper develops an integrative model of the role that IT adoption plays in business success and the economic development process within minority and ethnic communities. The contribution of this paper lies in providing an integrative model of IT adoption that is relevant to small businesses in minority and ethnic communities and a set of theoretical propositions to facilitate adoption of IT in these communities.
Overview 2010 of ARL Program on Network Science for Human Decision Making.

The Army Research Laboratory program on the Network Science of Human Decision Making brings together researchers from a variety of disciplines to work on a complex research problem that defies confinement within any single discipline. Consequently, new and rewarding solutions have been obtained for a problem of importance to society and the Army, that being, the human dimension of complex networks. This program investigates the basic research foundation of a science of networks supporting the linkage between the cognitive and social domains as they relate to human decision making. The research strategy extends recent methods of non-equilibrium statistical physics to non-stationary, renewal stochastic processes characteristic of the interactions among nodes in complex networks. The theoretical analyses of complex networks, although mathematically rigorous, often elude analytic solutions and require simulation and computation to analyze the underlying dynamic process. The information transfer between two complex networks is calculated using the Principle of Complexity Management (PCM) as well as direct numerical calculation of the decision making model (DMM) developed within the project.
Tuning coordination modes of pyridine/thioether Schiff base (NNS) ligands to mononuclear manganese carbonyls

We have investigated the coordination modes of NNS Schiff base, thioether ligands to manganese(I) carbonyls. The ligands contain ortho substituted pyridines (H, CH3, OCH3, fluorophenyl) and varying substituents (H, CH3) at the Schiff base linkage. In general, reaction of [Mn(CO)5Br] with a tridentate NNS ligand in CH2Cl2 affords species in which the thioether-S may be bound or unbound to the manganese center, depending on the steric and electronic substitution in the ligand framework; as a result, the complexes exhibit two or three carbonyl ligands, respectively. Aldehyde-derived ligand frames (R1NHNS) generally afford complexes of type [(RNNS)Mn(CO)3Br] (1CO, 2CO, 3CO; R = H, OCH3, CH3) that exhibit incomplete ligation of the chelate (S not bound) in X-ray structures. In contrast, use of the iminomethyl ligand (NMeNS) affords a complex of formula [(NMeNS)Mn(CO)2Br] (4CO), in which the mixed N/thioether-S stabilizes the {Mn(CO)2}+ fragment. In solid state IR spectra, complexes of type [(RNNS)Mn(CO)3Br] (1CO through 3CO) afford three ν(CO) in the range ∼2060–1865 cm−1; the dicarbonyl complex [(NMeNS)Mn(CO)2Br] (4CO) exhibits two carbonyl stretches in the range ∼1920–1845 cm−1. Prolonged storage of the tricarbonyl [(MeNNS)Mn(CO)3Br] (3CO) in presence of trace dioxygen affords the dibromide species [(MeNNS)Mn(Br)2] (3Br), in which the thioether S reliably binds to the Mn(II) center. Complexes 1CO–3CO exhibit simple, diamagnetic 1H NMR spectra in CD2Cl2. The S-ligated complex 4CO exhibits spectra consistent with a mixture of an S-bound (6-coordinate) and S-unbound (5-coordinate) species as represented by [(NMeNS)Mn(CO)2Br] ↔ [(NMeNS)Mn(CO)2Br]. Lastly, we obtained crystal structures of the S-bound and S-unbound conformers derived from the same ligand – the fluorophenyl derived FPhNNS, namely [(FPhNNS)Mn(CO)3Br] (5CO-a) and [(FPhNNS)Mn(CO)2Br] (5CO-b). This report represents several examples of a thioether-stabilized {Mn(CO)2}+ fragment, a deviation from the usual ‘piano stool’ Mn(I) tricarbonyl motif. We highlight that coordination of these NNS ligands to Mn(I) carbonyls occurs on a soft conformational landscape, and that ligand substituents can be rationally employed to favor the desired coordination mode.
Comparing Parental Distress, Family Functioning, and the Role of Social Support for Caregivers With and Without a Child With Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis

Objective To assess parental distress, family functioning, and social support among parents of children with a lifetime diagnosis of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) and comparison families. Methods Parents of 64 children with JRA (64 mothers, 46 fathers) completed questionnaires and in-home interviews along with 64 matched comparison families. Average time since diagnosis for children with JRA was 70 months. Results Families of children with JRA generally reported levels of parental distress, family functioning, and social support similar to those for comparison families. More mothers of children with JRA exceeded the clinical cutoff on the SCL-90-R than comparison mothers. Although disease characteristics and social support did not distinguish subgroups of parents at greater risk for problems, family supportiveness and conflict were associated with caseness for mothers of children with JRA. Conclusions Families of children with JRA exhibited substantial resilience over the long term. Further multisite study of children recently diagnosed and with more severe forms of JRA is warranted to determine intervention needs, especially for mothers.
Predictors of Graft Patency 3 Years After Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery

Abstract Objectives. The purpose of this analysis was to define the factors that predict 3-year graft patency. Background. The success of coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) is dependent on vein graft patency after the operation. It has been well established by a series of Department of Veterans Affairs Cooperative Trials that aspirin (325 mg daily) improves saphenous vein graft patency early (7 to 10 days) and at 1 year, but not at 3 years after CABG. This analysis, based on one of these trials, defined factors that predict 3-year graft patency. Methods. This analysis consisted of 266 patients, with 656 grafts that were patent 7 to 10 days after the operation, who underwent 3-year catheterization. To determine which patient-specific and/or graft-specific factors, or both, predict graft occlusion, a multivariate logistic regression analysis in terms of latent variables was used. It yielded a model that also took into account possible intraclass correlations. Results. For a vein graft that was patent at 7 to 10 days after the operation, the positive predictors, according to univariate analysis, for that graft being patent at 3 years were cross-clamp time ≤80 min (p 1.5 mm (p = 0.063), serum cholesterol ≤225 mg/dl (p = 0.084) and single versus sequential or Y vein graft (p = 0.060). Factors not predictive of 3-year patency were age, race, smoking history, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, vein source (thigh vs. calf), coronary artery grafted and aspirin treatment. Of all the predictors obtained in the univariate analysis, the only variables that were sufficient to yield a good model within the multivariate analysis were solution temperature (p = 0.004), serum cholesterol (p = 0.024), number of proximal anastomoses (p = 0.032) and recipient artery diameter (p = 0.034). Conclusions. For a patient with patent vein grafts 7 to 10 days after the operation, predictors of 3-year graft patency are more closely related to operative techniques and underlying disease and not to aspirin treatment. (J Am Coll Cardiol 1997;29:1563–8)
Behaviour Associated with Hairless-Black Syndrome of Adult Honeybees

SummaryPatterns of adult honeybee behaviour associated with the disease named hairless-black syndrome are described. Bees that were apparently healthy vigorously chewed with their mandibles at the bodies of diseased bees inside the hive and at the hive entrance, thus rendering them hairless and shiny-black in appearance. Individually marked bees engaging in these chewing attacks sometimes licked the thorax of diseased trembling bees. Bees subjected to chewing attacks usually remained passive, sometimes offering food or stroking their probocis, and rarely tried to escape. Attacking behaviour apparently occupied some bees fully for a part of their lives. The level of attacking behaviour in observation hives was cyclic, with a peak every 4–12 days, and a daily peak between 12.00 h and 16.00 h. The behaviour patterns of attacking and attacked bees differed from those of cleaning and cleaned bees. Attacking behaviour was also unlike that of guard bees attacking robbers; however, it was similar in nearly every ...
Lipid Dynamics in Membranes

The lipid bilayer, both as simply a lipid bilayer and as a bilayer in a biological membrane, has unique properties that are particularly well defined by dynamics measurements. In their active state, bilayers are in the liquid crystal state. Highly asymmetric dynamics are observed in this liquid crystalline state that are best characterized by motional order parameters. The interior of the membrane is disordered, but the region of the membrane near the headgroups is highly ordered. The timescales of the dynamics exhibited by the lipids in the bilayer are independent from the motional order. While this is not necessarily intuitive, it is essential to an adequate understanding of the unique properties of membranes. Membrane components can diffuse laterally in the plane of the membrane. Lipids can exhibit lateral phase separation in the plane of the membrane under narrowly defined conditions, forming large domains with specific composition. Transmembrane movement of lipids (flip-flop) is mostly limited and controlled by membrane proteins. Plasma membranes have an asymmetric lipid composition, which is also seen to a lesser extent in intracellular membranes.
Soil Macroinvertebrate Communities Across a Productivity Gradient in Deciduous Forests of Eastern North America

Abstract Within the temperate, deciduous forests of the eastern US, diverse soil-fauna communities are structured by a combination of environmental gradients and interactions with other biota. The introduction of non-native soil taxa has altered communities and soil processes, and adds another degree of variability to these systems. We sampled soil macroinvertebrate abundance from forested sites in Missouri (MO), Michigan (MI), Massachusetts (MA), and New Hampshire (NH), with the objective of comparing community assemblages and evaluating the role of invasive earthworms along the temperature—productivity gradient represented by the sites. The primary detritivores encountered were earthworms and millipedes. Earthworms were collected only in MO and MI, and at much greater density in MO. Millipedes were found at every site except in MO, and at their highest mean density in NH. Warmer temperatures, higher litter productivity, and low Oa horizon depth (as found in MO) were correlated with high earthworm activi...
Living in a Turbulent World—A New Conceptual Framework for the Interactions of Fish and Eddies

Synopsis The natural habitats of fishes are characterized by movements of water driven by a multitude of physical processes of either natural or human origin. The resultant unsteadiness is exacerbated when flow interacts with surfaces, such as the bottom and banks, and protruding objects, such as corals, boulders, and woody debris. There is growing interest in the impacts on performance and behavior of fishes swimming in ‘‘turbulent flows’’. The ability of fishes to stabilize their postures and their swimming trajectories is thought to be important in determining species’ distributions and densities, and hence the resultant assemblages in various habitats. A theoretical framework is proposed to quantify the interactions of fish and flows. Dimensionless parameters are derived based on a physical description of the flow structures and different regimes are predicted describing fishes’ responses to a wide range of physical perturbations. We found the ratio of eddy size to fish size, the ‘‘momentum ratio’’ (ratio between momentum of the eddy and the momentum of the fish), as well as the time of interaction between eddy and fish to be especially important in determining thresholds for the fish’s posture and trajectory.
Graphene-Wrapped Mesoporous Cobalt Oxide Hollow Spheres Anode for High-Rate and Long-Life Lithium Ion Batteries

Transition metal oxides, used as LIB anodes, typically experience significant capacity fading at high rates and long cycles due to chemical and mechanical degradations upon cycling. In this work, an effective strategy is implemented to mitigate capacity fading of Co3O4 at high rates by use of hollow and mesoporous Co3O4 spheres and graphene sheets in a core–shell geometry. The core–shell structure exhibits a high reversible capacity of 1076 mAh g–1 at a current density of 0.1 A g–1, and excellent rate performance from 0.1 to 5.0 A g–1. The graphene/Co3O4 nanosphere composite electrode also displays an exceptional cyclic stability with an extraordinarily high reversible capacity over 600 mAh g–1 after 500 cycles at a high current density of 1.0 A g–1 without signs of further degradation. The highly conductive graphene nanosheets wrapping up on surfaces and interfaces of metal oxide nanospheres provide conductive pathways for effective charge transfer. The mesoporous features of graphene and hollow metal ox...
Motivational Mechanisms of Self-Concordance Theory: Goal-Specific Efficacy and Person–Organization Fit

The purpose of this study was to elaborate on two mechanisms of self-concordance theory (SCT; Sheldon and Elliot in Pers Soc Psychol 24(5):546, 1998)—goal-specific efficacy and perceived person–organization (PO) fit—as mediators of the relationships between autonomous and controlled goal motives and goal accomplishment and job satisfaction. Data were from two independently collected samples of administrative employees (N1 = 37, N2 = 102) and their significant others across two points in time. Results indicated that autonomous motives were positively related to goal-specific efficacy and perceived PO fit (Time 1), and showed indirect effects on goal accomplishment and other-rated job satisfaction (Time 2). Controlled motives were negatively related to the same intermediaries and outcomes. Goal motives implicate goal-specific outcomes, and individuals’ overall composition of goal motives—across their goals—shape their goal efficacy and PO fit perceptions. These mechanisms relate to distal outcomes of goal accomplishment and job satisfaction. The research offers theoretical implications for the proximal outcomes of goal motives, but also practical implications for ways in which organizations can improve incumbent PO fit perceptions. Although research has shown that having self-concordant goals is positively associated with individual outcomes, existing research has yet to understand why this is the case. In addition, most studies of SCT apply difference scores to study the construct at the individual-level rather than specifying motives separately and considering a multilevel perspective. Our research offers a novel investigation of the proximal outcomes of SCT and the levels at which they operate.
THE VISIBLE RHETORIC AND COMPOSITION OF INVISIBLE ANTEBELLUM FEMALE SEMINARY STUDENTS: CLAY SEMINARY, LIBERTY, MISSOURI, 1855-1865

Scholars tracing the history of women’s rhetoric and composition in the United States focus on the decades following the Civil War into the first years of the twentieth century (Tibbetts 236), and most hold up elite eastern institutions and educators as the measure of women’s education (Farnham 1). Jane Hunter characterizes postbellum high schools as gateways for girls and young women to participate in formerly prohibited public activities (194), and Carol Mattingly establishes the late 1870s and 1880s as the period in which female students were first permitted to address a mixed audience, read their own compositions in public, or even look directly at the audience (59). Other scholars look further into the past for women’s engagement with public oratory, locating this during the colonial and early national periods. “Conventional wisdom” holds that in these early years “women received no formal elocutionary training because of their exclusion from higher education and the public sphere” (Buchanan 7). In Imagining Rhetoric: Composing Women of the Early United States, Janet Eldred and Peter Mortensen investigate the texts read by women and conclude they offered schoolgirls rhetorical education, even if access to the public platform was restricted. Lindal Buchanan’s recent work, Regendering Delivery: The Fifth Canon and Antebellum Women Rhetors, presents further evidence that reading classes and textbooks of the late-eighteenth and early-nineteenth centuries introduced schoolgirls to “basic principles of elocution as well as models of civic discourse” (11). Although her study focuses on northern schoolgirls, Buchanan’s work is important for scholars studying female rhetoric because it establishes the antebellum period as a time when girls gained the right to read compositions in public (47). Reading on the academic platform did not extend to all students, and often male professors read essays for them, but by the mid-nineteenth century, reading in public was an accepted pedagogical practice (47). However, other forms of oratory, including debate and declamation, were coded as masculine and therefore prohibited to girls (14). Only a few northern schools, such as Mount
Testing the sensory hypothesis of the early left anterior negativity with auditory stimuli

Recent work has shown that the visual ELAN is sensitive to morphological and phonological features of words in sentence processing, indicating that a) sensory cortex accesses syntactic information, and b) early parsing is not ‘syntax-only’. The current study examines predictions of this sensory hypothesis in auditory processing using EEG. Ungrammatical filled-gap NPs which contain closed-class functional morphology elicited an early negativity indexing unexpected grammatical category, while those without such morphology elicited an N400 indexing argument structure integration difficulty. These results extend the sensory hypothesis into the auditory domain, and prompt further questions about the role of form in structure-building.
Numerical calculation for ablation of carbon fiber/epoxy resin laminated composites under continuous laser irradiation

The parameterization design language APDL of the engineering software ANSYS was used to compile programs to derive transient temperature distribution and the ablation physical-mathematical model of the composites.The killing element method was used for the interface regressive ablation and thermal conduction coupling calculation,therefore the ablation dimension can be described quantitatively.The phase-change method of ANSYS was used to simulate latent heat by defining the enthalpy of the composite,which changes with temperature.The effects of fiber ablation,resin decomposition,radiation and convection heat loss were taken into consideration,then the temperature distribution and ablation rate of the carbon fiber/epoxy laminated composite under different irradiation time were numerically calculated.The ablation characteristics and mechanism were analyzed,and the calculation results agree well with experimental results,which can provide the basis for failure analysis of the composite and reinforcement technique under laser irradiation.
A 30-Year-Old Patient Who Refuses to Be Drug Tested

A 30-year-old African American man with sickle cell disease (SCD)3 presented with diffuse joint pain, shortness of breath, nonproductive cough, and chest pain. Chest x-ray and computed tomography scan revealed cavitary lesions in the lungs. In addition, transthoracic echocardiogram showed moderate tricuspid value regurgitation and a 3 × 2.8 cm mass at the base of the posterior tricuspid valve consistent with vegetation. Blood cultures were positive for viridans streptococci. The patient was diagnosed with right-sided infective endocarditis and started on intravenous (IV) antibiotics. While hospitalized, the patient was confrontational, left the hospital frequently, and sometimes refused vital sign monitoring. During his stay, 2 subsequent blood cultures were positive for Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans. Given his presentation and history of polysubstance abuse, concern for drug abuse through the IV catheter was raised. The patient refused to submit a urine sample for drug screening; however, blood was drawn with no objections. A serum screen for drugs of abuse was ordered. At our institution, this test requires approval by a laboratory medicine resident and is generally approved only in cases of anuria. On discussing the case with the clinical team, we discovered that the patient had refused urine drug screening and was unaware that serum drug screening was ordered. ### MEDICAL PERSPECTIVE The relationship between pain and substance abuse in patients with SCD is complicated, and providers rate encounters with this group as extremely challenging (1). The rate of substance abuse in patients with SCD is believed to be higher than in the general population. Infective endocarditis is one of the most severe complications of IV drug abuse, causing 5%–20% of IV drug abuse–related admissions and 5%–10% of deaths (2). It is suspected when the right heart valves are infected or sepsis is caused by organisms such as P. aeruginosa or C. albicans …
Expression and Epigenetic Regulation of E-cadherin in Metastatic Gastrointestinal and Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors and Carcinomas

Gastrointestinal (GI) and pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors/carcinomas (NET/C) are a heterogeneous group of tumors, behaving differently depending upon their site of origin. Loss of the cell adhesion factor, E-cadherin (E-cadh), characterizes the transition from benign to invasive cancer cells. We undertook this study to investigate the role of epigenetic regulation of E-cadherin in tumor metastasis. NEC resection specimens from different sites in the GI tract and pancreas with available tissue and clinicopathologic information were selected …
Monitoring a decade of seeing at the NPOI site with quad cell measurements

As a part of regular operations, the Navy Precision Optical Interferometer (NPOI) uses Narrow Angle Trackers (NAT) for atmospheric tip-tilt correction. This correction is done using a quad cell array for each station, and is based on the error signals measured by these arrays. We compiled NPOI NAT jitter information for the period of 2005 to 2014. Here we investigate the correlation of the NAT jitter between different NPOI stations, and determine a correction for shot-noise induced jitter. We present initial results from the correlation between NAT jitter and quasi simultaneous seeing measurements done with the Lowell Observatory 31" telescope, separated by 500 m. We also discuss some limitations of this technique and future improvements.
Sonographic Findings in Necrotizing Fasciitis: Two Ends of the Spectrum

Necrotizing fasciitis is a rare but serious disease, and early diagnosis is essential to reducing its substantial morbidity and mortality. The 2 cases presented show that the key clinical and radiographic features of necrotizing fasciitis exist along a continuum of severity at initial presentation; thus, this diagnosis should not be prematurely ruled out in cases that do not show the dramatic features familiar to most clinicians. Although computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging are considered the most effective imaging modalities, the cases described here illustrate how sonography should be recommended as an initial imaging test to make a rapid diagnosis and initiate therapy.
Multimodal Analgesia Versus Intravenous Patient-Controlled Analgesia for Minimally Invasive Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion Procedures.

Study design Retrospective analysis. Objective To compare postoperative narcotic consumption and pain scores between multimodal analgesia (MMA) and patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) following minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MIS TLIF). Summary of background data A multimodal analgesic approach to pain management may lead to decreased pain and narcotic consumption after orthopedic procedures. Additional evidence is, however, required to determine how MMA compares to intravenous PCA after MIS TLIF. Methods Patients undergoing 1-level MIS TLIF followed by either MMA or PCA at our institution were compared in terms of inpatient pain scores, narcotic consumption, hospital length of stay, rates of surgical complications, rates of inpatient nausea/vomiting, rates of postoperative urinary retention, and rates of narcotic consumption during the months after discharge. Results A total of 139 patients met inclusion criteria. Of these, 39 (28.1%) received MMA and 100 (71.9%) received PCA. Demographic and comorbidity characteristics did not differ between cohorts. Compared with patients receiving PCA, patients receiving MMA had a lower rate of inpatient narcotic consumption (2.8 ± 1.9 vs. 5.3 ± 4.4 oral morphine equivalents/hour, P 0.05 for each). There was no difference in the rate of postoperative urinary retention (P > 0.05). Similarly, there were no differences in narcotic consumption at 6 or 12 weeks postoperatively (P > 0.05 for each). Conclusion These findings suggest that MMA results in reduced inpatient hospital narcotic consumption compared with PCA after MIS TLIF. The decrease in narcotic consumption may contribute to the observed decrease in the rate of inpatient nausea/vomiting and shorter hospital length of stay. Importantly, MMA and PCA resulted in similar analgesia for patients during the inpatient stay. Level of evidence 4.
Association of Perioperative Statin Use With Mortality and Morbidity After Major Noncardiac Surgery.

Importance The efficacy of statins in reducing perioperative cardiovascular and other organ system complications in patients undergoing noncardiac surgery remains controversial. Owing to a paucity of randomized clinical trials, analyses of large databases may facilitate informed hypothesis generation and more efficient trial design. Objective To evaluate associations of early perioperative statin use with outcomes in a national cohort of veterans undergoing noncardiac surgery. Design, Setting, and Participants This retrospective, observational cohort analysis included 180 478 veterans undergoing elective or emergent noncardiac surgery (including vascular, general, neurosurgery, orthopedic, thoracic, urologic, and otolaryngologic) who were admitted within 7 days of surgery and sampled by the Veterans Affairs Surgical Quality Improvement Program (VASQIP). Patients were admitted to Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals and underwent 30-day postoperative follow-up. Data were collected from October 1, 2005, to September 30, 2010, and analyzed from November 28, 2013, to October 31, 2016. Exposure Statin use on the day of or the day after surgery. Main Outcomes and Measures All-cause 30-day mortality (primary outcome) and standardized 30-day cardiovascular and noncardiovascular outcomes captured by VASQIP. Use of statins and other perioperative cardiovascular medications was ascertained from the Veterans Affairs Pharmacy Benefits Management research database. Results A total of 180 478 eligible patients (95.6% men and 4.4% women; mean [SD] age, 63.8 [11.6] years) underwent analysis, and 96 486 were included in the propensity score–matched cohort (96.3% men; 3.7% women; mean [SD] age, 65.9 [10.6] years). At the time of hospital admission, 37.8% of patients had an active outpatient prescription for a statin, of whom 80.8% were prescribed simvastatin and 59.5% used moderate-intensity dosing. Exposure to a statin on the day of or the day after surgery based on an inpatient prescription was noted in 31.5% of the cohort. Among 48 243 propensity score–matched pairs of early perioperative statin-exposed and nonexposed patients, 30-day all-cause mortality was significantly reduced in exposed patients (relative risk, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.75-0.89; P P Conclusions and Relevance Early perioperative exposure to a statin was associated with a significant reduction in all-cause perioperative mortality and several cardiovascular and noncardiovascular complications. However, the potential for selection biases in these results must be considered.
PROPOSING A NEW CONSTRUCT: ACADEMIC CULTURAL DIVERSITY IN STUDYING ABROAD

The present study is an attempt to introduce, define and explore a new construct called Academic Cultural Diversity (ACD) through narrative-interviewing the first year International Students (FIS) as well as the lecturers’ of the University of Pecs, Hungary (UP). Up to 2015, according to the monthly newsletter published by UP, 2,500 international students came to peruse their academic career at this university. This figure was impressive enough to encourage me to explore if the diversity of their academic cultural background boost or hinder them reaching their study abroad expectations. A close look at their exam results in the first year indicates that a large proportion of them get extremely low score and fail the exams several times over their first study abroad academic year. As an example, on the basis of the evidence currently available, 68 out of 79 (86%) FIS majoring in Pharmacy at the UP who took the exam course “Analytical chemistry” in 2016, failed and had to re-take the course in the next semester. To address the mentioned problem, the present study is an attempt (i) to explore the most common and crucial ACD faced by FIS at the UP from students’ perspective (ii) from their lecturers’ perspective (iii) to see how similar or different they view the notion “low academic performance” of FIS (iv) to introduce and define ACD as a new construct in the field based on the available literature and the findings of the current study. Thirty international students from 30 countries and five university lecturers at the UP participated in this study to uncover the key factors of the low academic performance of FIS. A narrative interviewing as a means of data collection was administered to elicit data from both students and their lecturers with regards to their present and past experiences for further analysis and comparison. The results are significant in three respects: (i) ACD is an absolute context-specific notion which can boost or hinder FIS academic performance across contexts (ii) Lecturers and FIS are different in their opinion in a way that some of their different beliefs diverge dramatically, and often do. Article visualizations:
An Ellipsoidal Mirror Analyzer for the Study of Photon Stimulated Desorption

Recent efforts in our laboratory to understand the mechanisms involved in stimulated desorption have forced a re-evaluation of the factors that influence surface stability under ionizing radiation. Our experimental results in desorption from different surfaces of TiO2 [1] have shown that the local surface atomic arrangements can be as important in determining ion desorption probability as the electronic excitations. Likewise, our studies of desorption from MgO [2] have shown that in this highly ionic compound with a large Madelung potential at an O2− site, desorption of O+ does not readily occur when the Mg 1s core level is excited. The Knotek-Feibelman model [3] predicts a large ion signal in this system. It appears that the geometry, lattice dynamics, and excited state lifetime have large effects on the ion desorption probability [2, 4]. To expand our efforts in futher elucidating the role of geometry and lattice dynamics in ion desorption, it is important for us to be able to measure the angular distribution of ions leaving the surface under photon bombardment, and at the same time determine their kinetic energy and mass. In addition, since ion signals often are weak, we also require an analyzer that collects over a large solid angle.
Long-Acting Opioids

Long-acting opioids, like morphine, have a prolonged duration of action compared to fentanyl. This is not because of greater receptor affinity, but because of lesser lipid solubility and prolonged duration at receptor sites.
Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson and the Opening of the American West. By Stephen Ambrose

University of New Orleans professor Stephen Ambrose, noted Nixon and Eisenhower historian, examines the Lewis and Clark expedition in his latest book. This volume is plagued by a series of factual errors, assumptions, and speculations--especially in the introductory and concluding chapters.
Measure-adaptive state-space construction

Abstract Measure-adaptive state-space construction is the process of exploiting symmetry in high-level model and performance measure specifications to automatically construct reduced state-space Markov models that support the evaluation of the performance measure. This paper describes a new reward variable specification technique, which combined with recently developed state-space construction techniques will allow us to build tools capable of measure-adaptive state-space construction. That is, these tools will automatically adapt the size of the state space to constraints derived from the system model and the user-specified reward variables. The work described in this paper extends previous work in two directions. First, standard reward variable definitions are extended to allow symmetry in the reward variable to be identified and exploited. Then, symmetric reward variables are further extended to include the set of path-based reward variables described in earlier work. In addition to the theory, several examples are introduced to demonstrate these new techniques.
An Explorative Study of Lemur Fitness in Relation to Litter Size, or "A Lack Thereof"

The purpose of this research was to examine the effectiveness of Lackâ€™s optimal clutch model in the prediction of optimal litter size across 14 species within superfamily Lemuroidea. All raw data were obtained from the Duke Lemur Centerâ€™s (DLC) Life History and Weight data tables, which contained information for individuals from 27 species from suborder Strepsirrhini. Members of family Lorisidae and Galagidae , along with hybrids from genus Eulemur and Varecia were removed from calculations, along with any species for which data was collected on less than ten individuals. 690 individuals across the 14 species included in the study had usable data on weight and life history, and a total of 1899 individuals had usable life history data. Body weight and survival to adulthood were used as the primary fitness indicators within the study. In examining the relationship between litter size and adult body weight, it was found that Lackâ€™s model was inappropriate as a stand-alone indicator of lifetime fitness. Instead, a variety of correlations between individual and community life-history variables were shown to affect fitness. These varied based on success rates of each sex below, at, and above species specific mean litter sizes, as well as differing by variation in size and coloration by sex. Due to the limited nature of the study, the lack of comparisons to wild populations, and the small number of individuals included in the study, additional research is needed to confirm and further-examine the significance of the results found in the current study.
Ribonucleases as Models for Understanding Protein Folding

This is a summary of the background, and some of the experimental research in my laboratory, on the physical chemical properties of proteins. The experimental studies were carried out to obtain information about the three-dimensional structure and folding/unfolding pathways of bovine pancreatic ribonuclease A and three of its structural homologs, ribonuclease B, frog onconase, and bovine angiogenin.