cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Smokeless tobacco reduction : Preliminary study of tobacco-free snuff versus no snuff

This preliminary study examined the effects of tobacco-free snuff (intervention, n=52) compared with no snuff (control, n=54) for reducing tobacco use among smokeless tobacco (ST) users not interested in quitting. Both groups received behavioral instructions, and intervention subjects received tobacco-free snuff for 8 weeks. Participants were required to reduce their intake by 50% during the first 4 weeks and by 75% during the subsequent 4 weeks. Follow-up occurred at 12 weeks. Significant reductions were observed from baseline to week 8 (end of treatment) for both treatment groups in the amount of ST use (tins/week and dips/day, p<.001); mean urinary cotinine (p<.001); and mean urinary total NNAL, a carcinogen biomarker (p<.001). At week 8 the intervention resulted in a lower mean total NNAL (p=.048). Compared with the control condition, the intervention resulted in a higher percentage of subjects achieving at least a 50% reduction in cotinine (p=.046) and total NNAL (p=.002) at the end of treatment, more quit attempts (p=.030), and a longer mean duration of abstinence (p=.013) through follow-up. An ST reduction intervention incorporating tobacco-free snuff could potentially reduce risk for ST-related disease beyond that achieved with no snuff by increasing the number of patients who achieve significant reductions in carcinogen exposure and, more important, by facilitating tobacco abstinence by increasing quit attempts and abstinence duration.
Development of Solid-State Drivers for the NIF Plasma Electrode Pockels Cell

Large aperture plasma electrode pockels cells (PEPC) are an enabling technology in the National Ignition Facility (NIF) at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The Pockels cell allows the NIF laser to take advantage of multi-pass amplifier architecture, thus reducing costs and physical size of the facility. Each Pockels cell comprises four 40-cm times 40-cm apertures arranged in a 4times1 array. The combination of the Pockels cell and a thin-film polarizer, configured in a 4times1 array, form an optical switch that is key to achieving multi-pass operation. Solid-state Plasma Pulse Generators (PPGs) and high current high voltage solid-state Switch Pulse Generators (SPGs) have been developed for use in the PEPC. The solid-state plasma pulse generators initiate and maintain plasma within the cells; each pulser is capable of delivering 60 J of energy to each plasma channel. Deployment of the solid-state PPGs has been completed in NIF. The MOSFET-switched SPG is capable of delivering a requisite fast rise time, 17 kV flattop pulse to the cells' nonlinear crystals. A complete software and hardware control system has been developed and is currently being tested for use on the solid-state SPGs. Also a transmission line modeling, development, and testing effort is in process, in support of NIFs' Advanced Radiographic Capabilities (ARC). Work is scheduled for completion by the end of the calendar year.
Levosimendan Improves Left Ventricular Systolic Function and Mechanical Efficiency While Reducing End-Systolic Meridional Wall Stress

Background: Chest radiography is an integral component in the Emergency Department (ED) evaluation of heart failure. Lack of radiographic signs of heart failure can be misleading and may result in misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatment. Methods: ADHERE is a national database composed of retrospectively collected data in subjects with a hospital discharge diagnosis of heart failure. We compared the incidence of ED radiographic findings of heart failure (pulmonary edema and/or vascular congestion CXR POS, lack of both CXR NEG) and their relationship to ED principal admitting diagnosis. The gold standard for radiographic findings of heart failure (CXR POS or CXR NEG) was a staff radiologist’s interpretation. The gold standard for a diagnosis of heart failure was primary hospital discharge diagnosis of heart failure. Confidence intervals for proportions (95% CI) are used to describe the data. There were 4096 patients with indeterminate chest radiographs that were excluded from analysis. Results: There were 73,916 patients with chest radiograph results and an ED principal admitting diagnosis. The mean age of the patients was 72.9 years, 52% were female and 68% were white. There were 13,817 patients with CXR NEG, and 60,099 patients with CXR POS. The proportion of heart failure patients with CXR NEG, i.e. the false negative rate, was 18.7% (18.4–19.0%). ED misdiagnosis of heart failure was more common in patients with CXR NEG (23.9%, 23.1–24.6%) than CXR POS (13.4%, 13.1 13.6%). Conclusion: Approximately 1 out of every 5 patients with heart failure had no signs of congestion on ED chest x-ray (CXR NEG). Patients who lacked signs of congestion on ED chest x-ray (CXR NEG) were more likely to be misdiagnosed in the ED than patients with signs of congestion (CXR POS). Clinicians should consider the unreliability of radiographic signs of congestion when evaluating patients for possible heart failure.
Efficacy of Mechanical Insufflation-Exsufflation in Extubating Unweanable Subjects With Restrictive Pulmonary Disorders

BACKGROUND: Subjects who do not pass ventilator weaning parameters but whose ambient air oxyhemoglobin saturation can be normalized by mechanical insufflation-exsufflation (MIE) can be extubated to continuous noninvasive ventilatory support (CNVS) with MIE used to maintain extubation. Our aim was to study MIE-associated changes in breathing tolerance, pulse oximetry, and vital capacity (VC) for consecutive unweanable subjects. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was performed for consecutively referred intubated subjects with single-organ (respiratory muscle) failure. At presentation, CO2 was normalized by adjusting ventilator settings and VC was measured (point 1). Then, MIE was used via the tube up to every h until oximetry remained ≥ 95% on ambient air and VC was remeasured (point 2) immediately before extubation. Subjects who could not meet ventilator weaning criteria and had no ventilator-free breathing ability upon extubation to CNVS were enrolled. Post-extubation, the MIE was used to maintain oximetry ≥ 95% in room air. VC and breathing tolerance were remeasured within 3 weeks (point 3). RESULTS: Ninety-seven of 98 subjects were successfully extubated despite 45 having been CNVS-dependent for 4 months to 18 y before being intubated. Sixty-nine of the 98 were intubated for 24.9 ± 22 (range 1–158) d and failed 0–6 (mean 1.7) extubation attempts before being transferred and successfully extubated in 2.24 ± 1.78 (range CONCLUSIONS: Many unweanable subjects can be extubated to CNVS and MIE. The latter can normalize O2 saturation, increase VC, and facilitate extubation.
A study to assess the value of post-stack seismic amplitude data in forecasting fluid production from a Gulf-of-Mexico reservoir

Abstract This paper describes a study undertaken to appraise the reliability of spatially complex hydrocarbon reservoir models constructed with the use of post-stack seismic amplitude data and well logs. Developments center about the interpretation of data acquired in an active hydrocarbon field in the Gulf of Mexico. The availability of measured time records of fluid production and pressure depletion provides an independent way to quantify the accuracy and reliability of several methods commonly employed to construct static reservoir models. We make use of geostatistical inversion to construct spatial distributions of porosity and permeability that simultaneously honor well logs and post-stack seismic amplitude data. The constructed reservoir models are compared against models constructed with conventional geostatistical procedures that do not make use of seismic amplitude data or else that use a simple statistical correlation between petrophysical properties and seismic-inverted acoustic impedances. We perform multi-phase fluid-flow simulations to assess the consistency of the constructed reservoir models against the measured time record of flow rates of gas/water and shut-in well pressures. For the hydrocarbon field under consideration, the joint stochastic inversion of well logs and post-stack seismic amplitude data yields the closest match to dynamic measurements of fluid production and pressure depletion. We found that the spatial continuity of permeability exhibited the largest influence on the behavior of fluid production and pressure depletion with time. Perturbations to the relationships between porosity, permeability, and acoustic impedance produced significant variations in the simulated time record of fluid production. Finally, we found that the degree of spatial variability of permeability and porosity, and presence of permeability anisotropy were substantially more significant in the prediction of fluid production than variability of relative permeability and capillary pressure.
Simplified Technique for Remote Monitoring of Deflection in Arch Structures

This article describes a simplified technique to measure the vertical deflection of masonry arches in the presence of horizontal movements. One-dimensional laser Doppler vibrometer was utilized to measure the vertical displacement of the arch. A flat steel plate was mounted on the top surface of the arch crown to eliminate the measurement error due to the curvature of the arch. A reflective mirror was employed to guide the emitted laser beam normal to the surface of the steel plate. Vertical displacements recorded by laser Doppler vibrometer were compared to the readings of the mechanical dial gauge.
Industrial experiences with FPGA teaching

If FPGAs have unique characteristics which may provide benefits in those applications which meet specific constraints, why then should employers not be interested in having students understand the details? The reason is that in teaching the details of FPGAs and many other advanced but niche technologies, some of the crucial fundamentals are being squeezed out of core course content. It is this omission of the basics, and the lack of understanding of the whole design picture, which is the key issue facing digital design teaching today.
Spatiotemporal models for the simulation of infrared backgrounds

It is highly desirable for designers of automatic target recognizers (ATRs) to be able to test their algorithms on targets superimposed on a wide variety of background imagery. Background imagery in the infrared spectrum is expensive to gather from real sources, consequently, there is a need for accurate models for producing synthetic IR background imagery. We have developed a model for such imagery that will do the following: Given a real, infrared background image, generate another image, distinctly different from the one given, that has the same general visual characteristics as well as the first and second-order statistics of the original image. The proposed model consists of a finite impulse response (FIR) kernel convolved with an excitation function, and histogram modification applied to the final solution. A procedure for deriving the FIR kernel using a signal enhancement algorithm has been developed, and the histogram modification step is a simple memoryless nonlinear mapping that imposes the first order statistics of the original image onto the synthetic one, thus the overall model is a linear system cascaded with a memoryless nonlinearity. It has been found that the excitation function relates to the placement of features in the image, the FIR kernel controls the sharpness of the edges and the global spectrum of the image, and the histogram controls the basic coloration of the image. A drawback to this method of simulating IR backgrounds is that a database of actual background images must be collected in order to produce accurate FIR and histogram models. If this database must include images of all types of backgrounds obtained at all times of the day and all times of the year, the size of the database would be prohibitive. In this paper we propose improvements to the model described above that enable time-dependent modeling of the IR background. This approach can greatly reduce the number of actual IR backgrounds that are required to produce a sufficiently accurate mathematical model for synthesizing a similar IR background for different times of the day. Original and synthetic IR backgrounds will be presented. Previous research in simulating IR backgrounds was performed by Strenzwilk, et al., Botkin, et al., and Rapp. The most recent work of Strenzwilk, et al. was based on the use of one-dimensional ARMA models for synthesizing the images. Their results were able to retain the global statistical and spectral behavior of the original image, but the synthetic image was not visually very similar to the original. The research presented in this paper is the result of an attempt to improve upon their results, and represents a significant improvement in quality over previously obtained results.
Sensitivity analysis of HIV infection response to treatment

This work focuses on the analysis of HIV infection dynamics during the initial stages of infection when the viral load is low and random fluctuations may have a significant effect on the dynamics of the disease. The ability of deterministic models to accurately describe the expected behavior of such processes is limited. Stochastic simulations, which are not hampered by this limitation, are used to determine the probability of successful infection in an average patient. Specifically, a stochastic model based on Gillespie's algorithm is derived and is employed to determine the sensitivity of HIV infection to different treatment strategies and the effect of latency in treatment initiation on virus clearance probability. The model is subsequently revised to include mutation in the virus genome and the response to treatment is analyzed.
The role of trustworthiness in information service usage: The case of Parry information kiosks, Tamil Nadu, India

This paper uses the study of an information kiosk project in southern India to argue that the provision of information using information and communication technologies (ICTs) does not reduce information asymmetries or bring about economic development in and of itself. The quality of information determines when information services are used and, further, what the consequences of such usage are. The paper examines trustworthiness as one aspect of the quality of information. Using a study of information kiosks in Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu, India, the paper concludes that perceptions of trustworthiness are based not just on the facts and analyses that are said to constitute information, but more on the context within which information is accessed. Especially in the absence of repeated interactions that can establish trust in new forms of information provision, older perceptions of trustworthiness, shaped by existing practices and power structures, determine what constitute dasiatrustworthypsila sources, media and dispensers of information for different sections of a community.
Development Alternatives: Practice, Dilemmas and Theory

This paper argues that much scholarly work on civil society and alternative development has three weaknesses: it understates the diversity among popular organizations and their ideas about development alternatives; it pays insufficient attention to the economic dimensions of alternatives; and it understates the potential importance of the local state. Drawing on experiences from highland Bolivia, we suggest that a closer engagement with the dilemmas encountered in practical attempts to pursue development alternatives can suggest ways forward in each of these areas. Linking scholarly and practical work is thus important for theoretical reasons as well as ones of relevance.
A graph-theoretic heuristic for minimizing total transport cost in facilities layout

Existing graph-theoretic heuristics for block plan design attempt to maximize the sum of the REL chart seores of adjacent pairs of facilities. A new graph-theoretic heuristic is presented which has the aim of minimizing total transport ation cost instead. This has the advantage of giving credit in the objective function to pairs of facilities which are somewhat near but not actually adjacent. Reported computational experience with the method is encouraging.
Dietary patterns and the incidence of hyperglyacemia in China.

Objective Epidemiological studies have examined associations between dietary patterns and the risk of type 2 diabetes. However, information on dietary patterns and the risk of type 2 diabetes in Chinese populations is scarce. The aim of the present study was to identify dietary patterns and examine their association with incident hyperglycaemia in Nanjing, China. Design A community-based prospective cohort study. Dietary assessment was carried out using a validated eighty-seven-item FFQ. Dietary patterns were identified by exploratory factor analysis. Participants were categorized into tertiles of dietary factor score for each dietary pattern. The relationship between dietary patterns and hyperglycaemia risk was analysed using multivariable linear and Cox regression. Setting Seven communities from two urban districts in Nanjing, China. Subjects A total of 2900 of Chinese local residents aged 30 years or above, free of hyperglycaemia and other serious diseases, who participated in the baseline survey from June to September 2007 were followed up 3 years later from June to September 2010 for the development of hyperglycaemia. Fasting blood samples were collected at both baseline and 3-year follow-up surveys. Hyperglycaemia was defined as fasting plasma glucose concentration of ≥6·1 mmol/l or already taking oral hyperglycaemia agents for treatment of type 2 diabetes. Results Five major dietary patterns were identified: (i) the 'condiments' pattern; (ii) the 'animal and plant protein' pattern; (iii) the 'healthy traditional' pattern; (iv) the 'fruits, eggs and juice' pattern; and (v) the 'alcohol, milk and tea' pattern. A total of 2093 (72·2 %) individuals completed the follow-up survey and the 3-year cumulative incidence of hyperglycaemia was 7·5 % (158/2093). A 1-unit increase in the score for the 'healthy traditional' pattern was associated with a decrease of 0·054 mmol/l in fasting plasma glucose (P=0·017), while a 1-unit increase in the 'fruits, eggs and juice' pattern score was associated with an increase of 0·050 mmol/l in fasting plasma glucose (P=0·023) by multivariable linear regression. For men, tertile 3 of the 'fruits, eggs and juice' pattern was associated with an 88 % greater risk (hazard ratio=1·88; 95 % CI 1·04, 3·54) of hyperglycaemia than tertile 1 of this pattern. Being in tertile 3 of the 'alcohol, milk and tea' pattern was associated with a 35 % greater risk (hazard ratio=1·35; 95 % CI 1·04, 2·16) relative to tertile 1 in women, while for the ''healthy traditional' pattern tertile 3 was associated with a 41 % lower risk (hazard ratio=0·59; 95 % CI 0·35, 0·99) compared with tertile 1. The 'condiments' and the 'animal and plant protein' patterns were not independently associated with hyperglycaemia. Conclusions Our findings suggest that modifying dietary patterns could reduce hyperglycaemia incidence in the mainland Chinese adult population.
Interagency Resource Teams: a Model for Collaborative Approaches to Environmental Education

:The Undergraduate Interagency Resource Teams at the White Mountain Research Station of the University of California were created in 1994 to support resource-agency mandates and academic research objectives by providing qualified students who can learn, apply, and improve research and agency monitoring protocols. Drawing from documented elements of other successful internship programs, we identified four basic components that we believe may enhance the potential success of the interns: (1) self-directed learning methodologies, (2) multidisciplinary approaches to science, (3) reflection on and documentation of intern learning, and (4) principles of a positive work environment, including teamwork, conflict resolution, and effective communication. During a 10-week summer session, the Interagency Resource Teams expose approximately 17 students to the professional worlds of natural resource agencies and research scientists. In this environment, we have also observed that the internship program not only exposes students to resource management careers but may also help bridge the gap between resource agency specialists and academic researchers. Resumen: Los grupos de trabajo interagencial de estudiantes de licenciatura de la estacion de investigacion White Mountain de la Universidad de California fueron creados en 1994 para apoyar mandatos de las agencias de recursos y objetivos de investigacion mediante la asignacion de estudiantes calificados que puedan aprender, aplicar y mejorar los protocolos de monitoreo de investigacion/agencia. Concebido a partir de elementos documentados de otros programas exitosos de internado, identificamos cuatro componentes basicos que creemos pueden mejorar el exito potencial de los interinos. Estos incluyen: (1) metodologias de autoaprendizaje, (2) abordaje multidisciplinario de la ciencia, (3) reflexion y documentacion del aprendizaje del internado y (4) los principios de un ambiente de trabajo positivo incluyendo el trabajo en equipo, la resolucion de conflictos y la comunicacion eficiente. Durante una sesion de verano de 10 semanas, los equipos de recursos interagenciales expusieron a aproximadamente 17 estudiantes a los mundos profesionales de las agencias de recursos naturales e investigadores cientificos. En este ambiente, observamos que el programa de internado no solo expone a los estudiantes a las carreras de manejo de recursos, sino que tambien ayuda a superar las brechas entre los especialistas de las agencias de recursos y los investigadores academicos.
Analysis of Rapidly Twisted Hollow Waveguides

The propagation characteristics of twisted hollow waveguides are considered, and various analysis methods are proposed. It is shown that a twisted hollow waveguide can support waves that travel at a speed slower than the speed of light c. These modes are of particular interest, as slow wave structures have many potential applications in accelerators and electron traveling wave tubes. Since there is no exact closed form solution for the electromagnetic fields within a twisted waveguide or cavity, several previously proposed approximate methods are examined. It is found that the existing perturbation theory methods yield adequate results for slowly twisted structures; however, our efforts here are geared toward analyzing rapidly twisted structures using newly developed finite-difference methods. To validate the results of the theory and simulations, rapidly twisted cavity prototypes have been designed, fabricated, and measured. These measurement results are compared to simulated results, and very good agreement has been demonstrated.
Laser Mass Spectrometry of Organophosphorus Pesticides and Related Compounds

Abstract Laser mass spectra obtained for 20 organophosphorus (OP) compounds were systematically evaluated for groups containing analogous structural features. Variations in fragmentation can be understood based on simple organic reactions. While detailed mechanistic interpretations of the laser mass spectra (LMS) were not possible, the qualitative features in the LMS obtained from five compounds, not in the original set, could be predicted based on the characteristics of the other OP compounds studied. The success of the prediction lends credence to the qualitative models developed for rationalizing the LMS. A specific feature in the LMS of aromatic thionophosphates is a thiono-thiolo rearrangement. Detailed investigation into the phenomena involved comparison of LMS obtained from aromatic thionophosphates with spectra from electron impact, chemical ionization, field desorption, and secondary ion mass spectrometry. These results led to the conclusion that the rearrangement in laser mass spectrometry must ...
Varenicline for Smoking Cessation in Patients With Coronary Heart Disease

Despite the decline in cigarette smoking over the past 40 years, self-reported data from the National Health Interview Survey show that 19.8% (43.4 million) of US adults were still smokers in 2007.1 Attempts to quit during the previous year in the general population decreased from 47% in 1993 to 38.8% in 2007, and only 4% to 7% of smokers trying to quit each year will eventually succeed.1 Article see p 221 Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in Western countries, and cigarette smoking has a clear cause-and-effect relationship with atherosclerotic disease,2,3 with the risk of myocardial infarction (MI) increasing with the number of cigarettes smoked.4 Similarly strong evidence indicates that smoking cessation alone can result in a 36% reduction in the crude relative risk of mortality in smokers who quit versus those who do not.5 The risk decreases rapidly: after only 1 year of cessation, quitters have a lower relative risk (RR=0.63) of death from coronary heart disease (CHD) than do nonquitters, which decreases even further (RR=0.38) after 3 years of cessation.6 Consequently, efforts to find effective treatments to enhance smoking cessation are of great importance. Psychosocial, pharmacological, and combined psychosocial and pharmacological intervention have been studied. Psychosocial interventions, including phone or internet support, behavioral therapy, and self-help programs are effective in promoting abstinence. In a meta-analysis of 19 randomized clinical trials conducted in older men with MI,7 odds ratios (OR) for abstinence at 1 year were 1.65 (CI 1.28, 2.13) for behavioral therapies, 1.58 (1.26,1.98) for telephone support, and 1.47 (1.10,1.97) for self-help. Efficacy was strongly associated with intensity of treatment, and intensive interventions started in the hospital after an acute cardiovascular event can have an even stronger effect,8 with several studies showing 12-month cessation rates of 50% to …
Dependability analysis of distributed computing systems using stochastic Petri nets

Models based on stochastic Petri nets are developed to estimate the reliability/availability of distributed systems. The modeling approach discussed combines stochastic Petri net modeling and previous reliability algorithms so that not only can failures of nodes and links be modeled, but also the effect of global repairs can be considered. The models can be used to derive estimations on the successful execution of one or more programs distributed in the system. In a distributed computing environment successful execution means that all distributed programs can access all the required remote files even in the presence of faults. A global repair model for a small system is considered in detail. A generalization and the results reported for complex systems were obtained by using the Stochastic Petri Net Package (SPNP). >
Function of the major synthetase subdomains of carbamyl-phosphate synthetase.

The amidotransferase domain (GLNase) of mammalian carbamyl-phosphate synthetase II hydrolyzes glutamine and transfers ammonia to the synthetase domain where carbamyl phosphate is formed in a three-step reaction sequence. The synthetase domain consists of two homologous subdomains, CPS.A and CPS.B. Recent studies suggest that CPS.A catalyzes the initial ATP dependent-activation of bicarbonate, whereas CPS.B uses a second ATP to form carbamyl phosphate. To establish the function of these substructural elements, we have cloned and expressed the mammalian protein and its subdomains in Escherichia coli. Recombinant CPSase (GLNase-CPS.A-CPS.B) was found to be fully functional. Two other proteins were made; the first consisted of only GLNase and CPS.A, whereas the second lacked CPS.A and had the GLNase domain fused directly to CPS.B. Remarkably, both proteins catalyzed the entire series of reactions involved in glutamine-dependent carbamyl phosphate synthesis. The stoichiometry, like that of the native enzyme, was 2 mol of ATP utilized per mol of carbamyl phosphate formed. GLN-CPS.B is allosterically regulated, whereas GLN-CPS.A was insensitive to effectors, a result consistent with evidence showing that allosteric effectors bind to CPS.B. These properties are not peculiar to the mammalian protein, because the separately cloned CPS.A subdomain of the E. coli enzyme was also found to catalyze carbamyl phosphate synthesis. Gel filtration chromatography and chemical cross-linking studies showed that these molecules are dimers, a structural organization that may be a prerequisite for the overall reaction. Thus, the homologous CPS.A and CPS.B subdomains are functionally equivalent, although in the native enzyme they may have different functions resulting from their juxtaposition relative to the other components in the complex.
Globalization and Beauty: A Historical and Firm Perspective *

This paper uses the beauty industry to explore the impact of globalization over the very long run. When the first wave of modern globalization struck in the nineteenth century, a homo- genization of global beauty ideals began—one which has, to some extent, continued until the present day. This has had enormous societal and cultural consequences, and business enterprises are at the heart of this process. The paper explores how entrepreneurs and firms translated societal values into brands, globalized them, and changed societal perceptions of beauty as a result. It also shows the limitations of the homogenization achieved by firms even at the high point of globalization, before making the case that contemporary globalization is working to facilitate greater diversity in beauty ideals again.
Hydrogen Bonds Dictate the Coordination Geometry of Copper: Characterization of a Square‐Planar Copper(I) Complex

6,6''-Bis(2,4,6-trimethylanilido)terpyridine (H2Tpy(NMes)) was prepared as a rigid, tridentate pincer ligand containing pendent anilines as hydrogen bond donor groups in the secondary coordination sphere. The coordination geometry of (H2 Tpy(NMes))copper(I)-halide (Cl, Br and I) complexes is dictated by the strength of the NH-halide hydrogen bond. The Cu(I)Cl and Cu(II)Cl complexes are nearly isostructural, the former presenting a highly unusual square-planar geometry about Cu(I) . The geometric constraints provided by secondary interactions are reminiscent of blue copper proteins where a constrained geometry, or entatic state, allows for extremely rapid Cu(I)/Cu(II) electron-transfer self-exchange rates. Cu(H2 Tpy(NMes))Cl shows similar fast electron transfer (≈10(5) m(-1) s(-1)) which is the same order of magnitude as biological systems.
The exponential growth curve for the placental isoenzyme of alkaline phosphatase in sera of normal and diabetic pregnancies.

The growth curve of the placental isoenzyme in pregnancy serum fits the exponential function log10y = log10a + xlog10b, which for 160 normal pregnancies yields the equation, log10y = 2.49x – 0.825 where y = placental isoenzyme units and x = fraction of gestation period, and a and b are constants. The length of the lag phase in serum placental isoenzyme is variable, ranging up to 18 weeks, and averaging around 5 to 6 weeks. This interval is influenced by the maternal blood type, being shorter in O-type mothers and longer in A-type mothers. In 53 diabetic mothers, the length of the lag phase in serum placental isoenzyme of alkaline phosphatase appears to peak at about 8 to 10 weeks. The rate of enzyme enrichment of blood subsequently follows a logarithmic course. The explanation for this difference between normal and diabetic pregnancies may reside in the delayed rate of maturation of the chorionic villi of the placenta in the diabetic mother.
The intranuclear origin of the mammalian red blood corpuscles observed in living cultures

The present experiments on the origin of the mammalian (cat) red blood cells were the outgrowth of a study to determine the different stages in the development of the normoblast into a true red corpuscle by means of a living culture of red bone marrow. It was early found that the modern explanation of the formation of the mammalian red blood corpuscle did not agree with the activities observed in the cultures and that instead of witnessing a normoblast re-modeled into a non-nucleated corpuscle by losing its nucleus we saw this same normoblast sending out unnucleated straw-colored bladders from its nucleus, these bladders finally separating off as true red corpuscles. This process was not confined to the normoblast type but was evident in the lymphocyte series of white cells. Moreover our observations show that the normoblast in the mammal (cat) and the red corpuscle in the bird (chick) arise from white cells by an intranuclear activity and at the time when they first emerge from the parent cell they are a...
A model neutron solid with π0 condensate

Abstract We investigate the energy of solid neutron matter configurations in which layers of parallel spin neutrons with spin direction perpendicular to the plane of the layer are stacked such that neutrons in adjacent layers have antiparallel spins. This configuration has a π0 condensate with wavelength of twice the interlayer distance and has the lowest tensor potential energy. The one-pion exchange tensor force is found to be too weak to stabilize the solid. The π0 condensate, however, excites the neutrons to Δ0 (3,3 resonance) states. These excitations can enhance the effective tensor force strength by factors of 3–4. Model calculations which include the N → Δ0 excitations predict a solid phase whose energy becomes lower than that of the liquid at about twice nuclear matter density. The possible effects of this phase transition on neutron star structure are discussed
Reflections on the Share of Inner Teaching Resource in Universities

Along with information technology development in universities,IT has been applied in many teaching activities,but the problem of how to make the best of existing teaching resource and improve the degree of sharing is a great concern for many people.In order to promote the development of inner teaching resource sharing and improve management efficiency,this paper analyzes the main problems in inner resource share in universities,brings forward the strategy and mechanism for resource sharig,and particularly expatiates the key problems in implementing the sharing of inner teaching resources.
Development of modern human subadult age and sex estimation standards using multi-slice computed tomography images from medical examiner's offices

Forensic anthropologists are routinely asked to estimate a biological profile (i.e., age, sex, ancestry and stature) from a set of unidentified remains. In contrast to the abundance of collections and techniques associated with adult skeletons, there is a paucity of modern, documented subadult skeletal material, which limits the creation and validation of appropriate forensic standards. Many are forced to use antiquated methods derived from small sample sizes, which given documented secular changes in the growth and development of children, are not appropriate for application in the medico-legal setting. Therefore, the aim of this project is to use multi-slice computed tomography (MSCT) data from a large, diverse sample of modern subadults to develop new methods to estimate subadult age and sex for practical forensic applications. The research sample will consist of over 1,500 full-body MSCT scans of modern subadult individuals (aged birth to 20 years) obtained from two U.S. medical examiner’s offices. Statistical analysis of epiphyseal union scores, long bone osteometrics, and os coxae landmark data will be used to develop modern subadult age and sex estimation standards. This project will result in a database of information gathered from the MSCT scans, as well as the creation of modern, statistically rigorous standards for skeletal age and sex estimation in subadults. Furthermore, the research and methods developed in this project will be applicable to dry bone specimens, MSCT scans, and radiographic images, thus providing both tools and continued access to data for forensic practitioners in a variety of settings.
Dependence Comparison of Multivariate Extremes via Stochastic Tail Orders

A stochastic tail order is introduced to compare right tails of distributions and related closure properties are established. The stochastic tail order is then used to compare the dependence structure of multivariate extreme value distributions in terms of upper tail behaviors of their underlying samples.
Materials for Use in Bioprinting

The arena of 3D bioprinting is evolving with upgrades in equipment, software for designing structures, and systems. Additive manufacturing 3D bioprinting technology is the mixture of materials, cells, and additives that fall under the broad umbrella of bioinks. They are based on naturally occurring substances that evolve into new biomaterials with the ability to support tissue growth following 3D bioprinting. They support the advancement of new technologies that will rapidly move the field of additive bioprinting into a commonly used technology in the laboratory and in the clinic.
Barriers to Receipt of Services for Young Adults With Autism

OBJECTIVES: In this study, we examine experiences of families of young adults (YAs) on the autism spectrum to better understand dynamics leading to poor YA outcomes. METHODS: Twenty parents of YAs with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who had completed high school in the past 15 years took part in a 90-minute interview. They described their YA’s experiences at the transition from high school and current status with regards to services or postsecondary education. Qualitative interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed, and analyzed by using the constant comparative method associated with a grounded theory approach. RESULTS: Few adults with ASD were receiving autism-specific assistance no matter their level of cognitive functioning. Existing systems, such as service agencies and college disability support offices, had seldom been designed to meet their needs. Some families gave up on services, some used self-directed services they had to manage themselves, and others paid out of pocket for services they could access no other way. Inadequate services often led to YA failure and worsening of symptoms. The majority of families bore the financial and emotional brunt of finding or creating services and community experiences to meet their adult child’s needs. CONCLUSIONS: Parent narratives highlight the difficulties that are faced as families attempt to access appropriate services for YAs on the autism spectrum at all levels of functioning. These insights can help pediatricians understand family concerns and develop anticipatory guidance strategies. More research is needed to identify potential solutions to challenges faced by specific subgroups of YAs with ASD.
Reading Pegmatites: Part 4—What Quartz and Feldspars Say

THIS IS THE FOURTH OF SEVERAL ARTICLES THAT ARE MEANT TO INFORM MINERAL MINERS, COLLECTORS, AND AMATEUR SCIENTISTS ABOUT THE GEOLOGIC ENVIRONMENTS OF THE MINERALS THEY COLLECT(previous three: Londo...
On a Class of Linear Complementarity Problems of Variable Degree

We consider the linear complementarity problem (LCP): Given an n-vector z and an n × n matrix M, find n-vectors × and y such that a) × - My = z b) × ≥ 0, y ≥ 0 c) For each i, either ×1 = 0 or y1 = 0.
Sound Production in Codoma ornata (Girard) (Cyprinidae)

Male Codoma ornata produce sounds associated with aggression and spawning activities during the breeding season. Females do not produce sounds. Males most often produced sounds associated with escalated displays of aggression, courtship and the spawning act. C. ornata spawn in crevices, but previously were reported to spawn as egg-clusterers in cavities. Structurally, sounds are low frequency, vary in duration according to context and are not harmonic. The mechanism of sound production is unknown.
Application of the 187Re-187Os system to black shale geochronometry

The decay of 187Re to 187Os provides a tool for determining depositional ages of black shales. Re and Os concentrations and Os isotopic compositions of whole rock samples of the Bakken Shale, a Mississippian/Devonian boundary black shale, yield a whole rock isochron with an age of 354 ± 49 Ma. This age is in agreement with the accepted age of the Bakken Shale (≈360 Ma). The initial 187Os186Os ratio of the isochron is 6.2 ± 3.3. This value is indistinguishable from the 187Os186Os ratios observed in modern Black Sea sediments. The concentration of common Os in Bakken Shale samples is strongly correlated with total nitrogen, indicating that a large fraction of the Os in these samples is associated with a hydrogenous component, which overwhelms any Os supplied to the sediment in association with detrital material or cosmic dust. The dominance of the hydrogenous component imparts a relatively homogeneous initial 187Os186Os ratio to the sediment at the time of deposition. The degree of scatter about the isochron exceeds the degree of scatter expected from either analytical error or from the estimated degree of initial isotopic heterogeneity. The pattern of scatter is consistent with postdepositional mobilization of Re and/ or Os on a small spatial scale. We suggest that this mobilization may be a consequence of petroleum formation and migration in the Bakken Shale.
Prognosis of breast cancer patients: how to use what?

There has been considerable debate about the utility of prognostic factors for breast cancer; yet, in one way or another they are routinely used by many physicians and patients every day to make a variety of decisions. We concentrate here on three areas in which the decision-making process could be improved by a better understanding of prognostic factors: (a) identification of women who will eventually develop breast cancer, (b) prediction of clinical outcome of patients who have been diagnosed with breast cancer, (c) prediction of benefit from adjuvant therapy for specific breast cancer patients.
Monday, August 23, 2010—West Lafayette, IN

The campus was alive with the activity of approximately 40,000 students starting the fall semester. Parking spots were at a premium; fortunately, Delta had remembered to remove her parking pass from her little compact before it had been towed to the body shop and she now placed the parking decal on the dash of Mona’s crippled Geo.
Numerical analysis of total energy storage of nanofluidized heat transfer fluid in thermocline thermal energy storage system

An important factor to enhance the concentrating solar power plant’s efficiency relies on the thermal energy storage (TES) system. A single-tank thermocline storage in which both, the hot and cold, fluids are contained in the same tank separated by density difference is investigated. In theory, the overall efficiency and storage capacity of a TES system depends on the thermodynamic properties of heat transfer fluid (HTF). In this study, Solar Salt® is used as both the HTF and TES medium. The operating temperatures used in the system analysis range from 300°C to 500°C. The working temperatures will determine the efficiency of storage and the heat storage capacity. To potentially increase the heat capacity and thermal conductivity values, the molten salt has been doped with SiO2, Al2O3, CuO, Ag and ZnO nanoparticles at different concentrations. The variation of the thermodynamic properties of Solar Salt® along with the performance of single-tank TES system were evaluated and compared to obtain the best working composition. The goal of this study is to comprehend and adapt the behavior of the molten salt doped with nanoparticles. In this study, the effective heat capacity, thermal conductivity, density, and viscosity of Nano-fluid are calculated and used in the models to approximate the total energy storage capacity. The models were evaluated by numerical analysis using finite volume computational fluid dynamics software. The numerical results are compared with experimental results in literature.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Extraterrestrial construction materials

Abstract In recognition of the 50th anniversary of the first manned lunar landing, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), together with the European Space Agency (ESA), revealed plans to resume manned exploration missions and to establish permanent human presence in outposts (habitats) on the Moon and Mars by 2040. In order to promote feasible and sustainable space exploration, these habitats are envisioned to be built from lunar and Martian in-situ resources. Our understanding of such indigenous resources, from materials science, construction and structural engineering points of view, is lacking and continues to hinder further development of Earth-independent habitats. In order to bridge this knowledge gap, a comprehensive assessment on the physical features and property characteristics of extraterrestrial construction materials such as those exploited from the Moon and Mars, mined from near-earth objects (NEOs), or cultured through modern technologies is presented herein. This review explores the suitability of construction materials derived from lunar and Martian regolith along with concrete derivatives, space-native metals and composites, as well as advanced and non-traditional materials for interplanetary construction. This review also identifies processing techniques suitable to produce non-terrestrial construction materials in the alien environment of space (i.e. vacuum, low gravity, etc.) and highlights emerging trends and future directions to stimulate further research in this area.
Opportunistic Routing Protocol for Ad-Hoc Networks Using mmWave and Random Beamforming

Self-organized networks (SONs) have been studied for many years, and have attracted many researchers due to their substantial applications. Although their performance in the lower frequency band networks (sub-6 GHz band) has been well studied, there are only sparse studies on SON in higher frequency bands, such as the millimeter wave (mmWave) band ranges between 28 GHz and 300 GHz. mmWave frequencies have attracted much attention recently because of their unique features, and being an important part of the next generation of wireless communications namely (5G). In this paper, we suggest a new routing protocol for mobile ad-hoc networks that use mmWave by utilizing its directional antennas, limited transmission range, and the random beamforming technique. The main goal of the proposed protocol is to increase the network throughput, reduce the delay, and mitigate the effect of the interference of concurrent communicating nodes. Mathematical analysis of the network per hop achievable throughput, expected interference, and average delay per hop has been carried out. Multiple realistic simulations scenarios have been conducted to confirm the analytical results and prove the advantages of the proposed protocol.