cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Process based Greenhouse gas inventory of representative flame

To understand the points of leverage for greening electronics industry supply chains this paper undertakes an analysis of two representative flame retardant chemicals that are one component of printed circuit boards. The two chemicals, which are representative of Bromine and Phosphorus based flame retardants, are 9,10-Dihydro-9-oxa-10-phosphaphenanthrene 10-oxide (DOPO) and tetrabromobisphenol-A (TBBPA). The TBBPA requires between 29,900 and 39,200 MJ primary energy MJ/tonne and has between 1,900 and 2400 CO 2 e/tonne emissions, depending on the manufacturing process and the source of bromine. DOPO requires 30,700 to 38,600 MJ/tonne of primary energy to manufacture, and the total emissions of CO 2 are between 2,400 and 2880 kg CO 2 e/tonne depending on the way the Phosphorus manufacturing is allocated over the by-products of this process. The energy use for making DOPO or TBBPA are similar if a mass allocation of energy to products is used in the supply chain. The overall CO 2 emissions of making DOPO are higher than those of TBBPA because of the process emissions from making hydrogen required in the organic component of DOPO.
Growth of Desulfovibrio on the Surface of Agar Media

Growth of Desulfovibrio desulfuricans (API strain) was found to take place in an atmosphere of hydrogen on the agar surface of complex media, including yeast extract (Difco), and Trypticase Soy Agar (BBL) without any added reducing agents. For growth on a 2% yeast extract-agar surface in the absence of hydrogen (nitrogen atmosphere), sodium lactate was required in the medium. Growth on the surface of Trypticase Soy Agar (TSA) under nitrogen took place readily in the absence of an added hydrogen donor. A medium (TSA plus salts) is described based upon the addition of sodium lactate (4 ml per liter), magnesium sulfate (2 g per liter), and ferrous ammonium sulfate (0.05%) to TSA, which appears suitable for the isolation and growth of Desulfovibrio on the surface of agar plates in an atmosphere of hydrogen. Sodium lactate does not appear to be essential in this medium for good growth and sulfate reduction in a hydrogen atmosphere, but is essential in a nitrogen atmosphere. Growth of Desulfovibrio (hydrogen atmosphere) on the agar surface of media commonly used for its cultivation as well as on an inorganic medium containing bicarbonate as a source of carbon is poor and erratic unless inoculated (Desulfovibrio) plates of TSA plus salts are incubated in the same container with plates of these media. This stimulatory effect of incubation with inoculated plates of TSA plus salts medium appears to be due to as yet unidentified volatile material produced by D. desulfuricans when growing on this medium. Another volatile material, or possibly the identical material, appears to act similarly to a hydrogen donor.
A new phase function approximating to Mie scattering for radiative transport equations

A new scattering phase function is presented to approximate the accurate phase function from Mie theory. The new phase function demonstrates much better agreement with Mie theory for biomedical media (with the mean cosine of scattering angles g>0.8) than the Henyey-Greenstein phase function, which has been widely adopted by researchers in the biomedical optics field. Using the new phase function as the integral kernel in the radiative transport equation, an analytical result for the integral term of the equation is obtained for highly aligned beams. This may lead to a semi-analytical solution to the time-dependent radiative transport equation for time-resolved spectroscopy.
Efficient 3D mesh adaptation in diffusion simulation

Summary form only given. Diffusion simulation is an important part in today's TCAD research. While many works have been done on 2D mesh adaptations in diffusion simulation, 3D mesh adaptation remains a challenging area due to the excessive amount of grid points most mesh generation algorithms produce. In this paper, we apply a generalized octree grid generation algorithm for mesh adaptation. It has the advantage of reducing the number of nodes necessary for accurate simulations. New nodes are added efficiently to reflect the changing position of the junctions and old nodes are removed when they no longer have simulation significance.
A Review of “Presidential Prerogative: Imperial Power in an Age of Terrorism”

Michael Genovese, Professor of Political Science and Director of the Institute for Leadership Studies at Loyola Marymount University, has written a constitutional commentary that is very much like ...
A perspective of generative reuse

This paper presents a perspective of generative reuse technologies as they have evolved over the last 15 years or so and a discussion of how generative reuse addresses some key reuse problems. Over that time period, a number of different reuse strategies have been tried ranging from pure component reuse to pure generation. The record of success is mixed and the evidence is sketchy. Nevertheless, the paper will use some known metric evidence plus anecdotal evidence, personal experience, and suggestive evidence to define some of the boundaries of the success envelope. Fundamentally, the paper will make the argument that the first order term in the success equation of reuse is the amount of domaindspecific content and the second order term is the specific technology chosen in which to express that content. The overall payoff of any reuse system correlates well with the amount of content expressed in the domain specific elements. While not a silver bullet, technology is not without its contribution and the degree of payoff for any specific technology is sensitive to many factors. The paper will make the argument that the generative factors predominate over other technology factors. By looking closely at several successful generation systems that are exemplars for classes of related systems, the paper will examine how those classes have solved problems associated with the more convention reuse of concrete components expressed in conventional programming languages. From this analysis, it will distill the key elements of generative success and provide an opinion of approximately where each class of generative system fits in the overall picture. The result is a guide to the generative reuse technologies that appear to work best today.
Cassini risk management during mission operations and data analysis - application & lessons learned

This paper will detail some of the key challenges faced while introducing risk management to the mission operations team.
On a Class of Scheduling Algorithms for Multiprocessors Computing Systems

In this paper we study a class of scheduling algorithms for multiprocessors computing systems which we call level algorithms. These algorithms are simple and easy to implement. They produce optimal schedules in some cases, and produce close-to-optimal schedules in other cases. Sufficient conditions under which schedules produced by the level algorithms will be optimal are obtained. For the sub-optimal schedules, we are able to compare quantitatively their performance against that of an optimal schedule.
Treatment-induced hearing loss and adult social outcomes in survivors of childhood CNS and non-CNS solid tumors: Results from the St. Jude Lifetime Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND Survivors of childhood cancer who are treated with platinum-based chemotherapy and/or cranial radiation are at risk of treatment-induced hearing loss. However, the effects of such hearing loss on adult social attainment have not been well elucidated. METHODS Adult survivors of pediatric central nervous system (CNS) solid tumors (180 survivors) and non-CNS solid tumors (226 survivors) who were treated with potentially ototoxic cancer therapy completed audiologic evaluations and questionnaires assessing their perception of social functioning and social attainment (ie, independent living, marriage, and employment). Audiograms were graded with the Chang ototoxicity grading scale. Analyses were stratified by tumor type (ie, CNS vs non-CNS). Multivariable logistic regression models were conducted with adjustment for age; sex; chronic health conditions; and, for the CNS group, IQ. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were reported. RESULTS Serious hearing loss (that requiring a hearing aid or deafness) was detected in 36% of survivors of CNS tumors and 39% of survivors of non-CNS tumors. Serious hearing loss was associated with an increased risk of perceived negative impact in ≥1 areas of social functioning (survivors of non-CNS tumors: OR, 1.83 [95% CI, 1.00-3.34]). Among survivors of non-CNS tumors, serious hearing loss was associated with 2-fold increased risk of nonindependent living (OR, 2.19; 95% CI, 1.19-4.04) and unemployment or not graduating from high school (OR, 1.85; 95% CI, 1.00-3.34). CONCLUSIONS A substantial proportion of adult survivors of childhood cancer treated with potentially ototoxic therapy have serious hearing loss. Treatment-induced hearing loss was found to be associated with reduced social attainment, both perceived and actual, in this study sample. Cancer 2015. © 2015 American Cancer Society.
La protéine L des Mononegavirales.

Les virus a ARN negatif non segmentes, ou Mononegavirales, representent une grande variete de pathogenes infectant les hommes, les animaux et les plantes. Leur proteine L est une ARN polymerase ARN-dependante necessaire a la replication et la transcription de leur materiel genetique. La limite des techniques pour produire cette proteine sous forme recombinante en faisait la proteine la moins bien caracterisee du complexe replicatif. Cependant, il a recemment ete possible de produire et purifier la proteine L entiere du virus de la stomatite vesiculaire. Les images de microscopie electronique obtenues ont fourni le premier apercu de l’architecture d’une proteine L et des regions structuralement conservees chez les Mononegavirales ont ete localisees. De plus, un nouveau test d’activite in vitro a ete developpe et le mecanisme d’initiation de la synthese d’ARN par L a ete caracterise. Les effets de la phosphoproteine P, son co-facteur principal chez tous les Mononegavirales, ont ete evalues sur son activite polymerase. Ce systeme represente egalement un outil essentiel pour le criblage d’inhibiteurs diriges specifiquement contre l’activite polymerase de ces virus. Ces donnees fournissent des progres majeurs dans la comprehension du fonctionnement de leur machinerie replicative.
Water-to-Air Fractionation of Bacteria.

Differences in the ability of bacterial species to be transported from water to air by bursting bubbles were investigated. Bubbles were generated in suspensions of mixed bacterial cultures, and the concentration was measured for each species in the top jet drop ejected. This concentration divided by the concentration in the bulk menstruum is the concentration factor (CF). Bubbles were generated 2 cm below the liquid surface, and jet drops with diameters from 34 to 136 μm were studied. Serratia marinorubra and Micrococcus euryhalis had CFs which were generally 10 to 100 times greater than those of Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas bathycetes, and spores of Bacillus subtilis. P. bathycetes never had a CF significantly greater than 1 at any drop size, and spores of B. subtilis had a maximum CF of 4. E. coli had a maximum CF of 6 for 1- or 2-day old cultures, but this increased to 80 when a 5-day-old culture was used. This change in the CF with age of the cells indicates that composition of the cell may be a factor influencing its ability to concentrate in jet drops.
Improved Thermoelectric Performance in Cu-Based Ternary Chalcogenides Using S for Se Substitution

Cu-based ternary chalcogenide semiconductors are a promising class of p-type thermoelectric materials. Here we show that S for Se substitution is a promising route for improving the thermoelectric performance of these compounds, in particular for Cu3SbSe4 and Cu2SnSe3. Phonon scattering due to the combined effects of the atomic mass and size difference between S and Se produces a significant reduction in lattice thermal conductivity over a wide temperature range, and limits the phonon mean free path to its minimum possible value at high temperature. The small electronegativity difference between S and Se is ideal for conserving carrier mobility, as demonstrated by the reasonably large hole mobility in the disordered Cu3Sb(Se1−x S x )4 compounds. These effects along with the low-cost, environmentally benign nature of S, make S for Se substitution a simple yet effective method of improving the thermoelectric performance of Cu-based ternary selenides.
Quantum chemical characterization of low-energy states of calicene in the gas phase and in solution.

The ground and excited electronic state properties of calicene (triapentafulvalene or 5-(cycloprop-2-en-1-ylidene)cyclopenta-1,3-diene) have been studied with a variety of density functional models (mPWPW91, PBE, TPSS, TPSh, B3LYP) and post-Hartree−Fock models based on single (MP2 and CCSD(T)) and multideterminantal (CASPT2) reference wave functions. All methods agree well on the properties of ground-state calicene, which is described as a conjugated double bond system with substantial zwitterionic character deriving from a charge-separated mesomer in which the three- and five-membered rings are both aromatic. Although the two rings are joined by a formal double bond, contributions from the aromatic mesomer reduce its bond order substantially. A rotational barrier of 40−41 kcal mol-1 is predicted in the gas phase and solvation effects reduce the barrier to 37 and 33 kcal mol-1 in benzene and water, respectively, because of increased zwitterionic character in the twisted transition-state structure. Multi-s...
Growth and development of lines of Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) divergently selected for body weight at 4 weeks of age.

Abstract 1. 1. Divergent selection for body weight resulted in significant increases and decreases in body weight and the relative weight of the pectoralis major breast muscle in heavy (HW) and light weight (LW) strains of Japanese quail compared with a randombred control strain (R1). 2. 2. The relative weights of the abdominal fat pad and total carcass lipid were increased in the HW strain, particularly in the females. 3. 3. Sexual maturity was similar in HW and R1 hens but was delayed in the LW hens. HW hens laid significantly more double-yolked eggs.
Useful chemical information obtained by use of common counterions as internal calibrants in X-ray photo-electron spectra of inorganic complex ions

Abstract It is shown that the accuracy and precision, and hence the value for bonding-structure studies, in relative binding energy measurements can be enhanced if a common counterion is employed. The differences in chemical shifts between the peaks for the atoms under consideration and for a common counterion in twenty-nine compounds are measured. This technique reduces charging effect errors, which otherwise often occur when non-conducting samples (e.g., salts) are measured relative to a traditional external calibrant. The improvements in accuracy and precision are demonstrated by using the cesium salt of twenty-nine heteropoly and isopoly anions in more than seventy-five different runs. Oxygen 1 s , tungsten 4 d , and molybdenum 3 d binding energies are measured relative to the cesium 3 d ionization potential. In this work the cesium counterion is assumed to be chemically invariant. For the relative binding energies that are studied, no dependence on the charge of the anion is observed. A linear relation seems to exist between the oxygen Is binding energies (measured relative to Cs) and the oxygen-to-tungsten ratio in five isopoly anions. This latter finding may serve as a useful aid in studies related to the synthesis of new compounds.
Penile Prostheses for the Treatment of Impotence

Summary— Eighty-nine patients were treated for impotence with penile prostheses. The Small-Carrion prosthesis was used in 56 patients, the inflatable prosthesis in 27 and Pearman's prosthesis in 6 patients. The overall functional results with the Small-Carrion and inflatable prostheses were comparable.
The South Atlantic Bight Recruitment Experiment: introduction and overview

The South Atlantic Bight Recruitment Experiment (SABRE) brought together a interdisciplinary team of scientists to conduct research to enhance our understanding of the relationship between variation in environmental factors and the variable recruitment of ‘estuarine dependent’ fishes within the SAB. The project sought to develop a new fusion of government and academic scientists, each possessing unique skills, to address the difficult problem of recruitment variability in fishes. This fusion required the development of appropriate and at that time novel management and administrative strategies. SABRE initially focused on recruitment dynamics of Atlantic menhaden, Brevoortia tyrannus, in the South Atlantic Bight, but expanded over time to include several estuarine-dependent species and much of the Middle Atlantic Bight as well. The project was conducted from 1991 to 1997 and resulted in a substantial improvement in our understanding of the life history and ecology of Atlantic menhaden and the potential constraints upon its recruitment. SABRE also contributed to our understanding of the physical oceanography of the western North Atlantic shelf and adjacent coastal inlets and the implications of physical dynamics upon the potential pathways for larval transport.
Maximality and Microphysical Supervenience

A property, F, is maximal iff, roughly, large parts of an F are not themselves Fs. Maximal properties are typically extrinsic, for their instantiation by x depends on what larger things x is part of. This makes trouble for a recent argument against microphysical supervenience by Trenton Merrick's. The argument assumes that consciousness is an intrinsic property, whereas consciousness is in fact maximal and extrinsic.
Head Start Teachers’ Views of Phonological Awareness and Vocabulary Knowledge Instruction

Prior research indicates that pre-kindergarten programs have not fully closed the gap between low-income and middle-income children regarding phonological awareness and vocabulary knowledge, two key predictors of later reading success. The current study examined Head Start teachers’ views of and challenges in implementing instruction to improve children’s sound and word skills. Teachers’ descriptions of their instructional strategies emphasized more planning of explicit instruction for phonological awareness than for vocabulary knowledge. Letter knowledge was cited often as a central element of sound and word instruction. Teachers expressed uncertainties about research-based practices in teaching letter-sound associations and novel words to children with limited English language skills. Findings suggest that teachers may benefit from individualized approaches to professional development that emphasize the developmental continuum of phonological awareness and strategies of intentional instruction in vocabulary knowledge. Findings also suggest that the status of vocabulary knowledge needs to be improved in learning standards that currently include few or no indicators related to children’s understanding and use of novel words.
Regeneration of intact spleen in a heterotopic site in splenectomized mice.

Summary. The regeneration of intact spleens implanted in the sacrospinal areas of splenectomized mice was studied by light microscopy. The weight of the implanted tissue was not fully regenerated 50 days after implantation. The pattern of embryonic development of the spleen was investigated and the histologic appearance of the implant 46 days after implantation resembled that of normal spleen. The appearance of primitive myelopoietic stem cells in the early phases of regeneration makes this an attractive model in which to study the biologic effects of tumour viruses.
Physiological Effects of Deep Water Running following a Land-Based Training Program

(1994). Physiological Effects of Deep Water Running following a Land-Based Training Program. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport: Vol. 65, No. 4, pp. 386-389.
Model calculation of NMR satellite data for iron-group atoms in copper

We report model calculations of NMR satellite data for iron-group impurity atoms in Cu which provide a tractable method for relating the experimentally observed Knight shifts to the structure of the magnetic atoms. This model is based on a three-parameter one-electron screened potential with exchange. For Fe, Mn, and Cr impurities we obtain the positions and widths of Anderson-like scattering resonances and find that the numbers of $d$ electrons are nearly integral and indicate $3{d}^{7}$, $3{d}^{5}$, and $3{d}^{4}$ configurational assignments, respectively. The model gives good agreement with near-neighbor Knight shifts, is consistent with bulk susceptibility and high-temperature resistivity, and in most cases agrees with the axial component of the measured anisotropic Knight shifts. We also relate our results to NMR line-broadening data and near-neighbor quadrupole data. The model is formulated to include the case of impurities without a zero-field magnetic moment and is easily extended to account for trends observed as one moves across the entire iron group.
Treatment of schizophrenia: III. A survey of the literature on prefrontal leucotomy

Abstract This report illustrates the practical application of the design-relevance scale 2 in a review of controlled evaluations of the outcome of the prefrontal leucotomy in schizophrenia. In general, those studies that were classified in the higher caliber D-R categories were consistent in indicating positive results from leucotomy, although there were also, at least for some patients, certain negative aspects. Studies with lower D-R ratings reported null or doubtful results of short-term benefit only.
Differences between Peer Victimization in Cyber and Physical Settings and Associated Psychosocial Adjustment in Early Adolescence

The increasing use of cyberspace as a social networking forum creates a new medium for youth to become victims of peer aggression. This study used factor analysis techniques to confirm whether survey questions about frequency of cyber victimization formed a distinct latent construct from questions about relational and overt victimization information in a large (N = 1,665) sample of middle school students. A secondary goal was to relate experiences of cyber victimization to symptoms of depression and social anxiety. Results indicate that cyber victimization is separate latent factor from overt and relational victimization. Experiences of cyber victimization were weakly associated with symptoms of social anxiety, but not depression. These results signify that cyber victimization deserves future empirical and clinical attention. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Solid–liquid–vapor phases of water and water–carbon dioxide mixtures using a simple analytical equation of state

Abstract Recently we have proposed a unified analytical equation of state (EOS) for solid–liquid–vapor phases, and successfully applied the EOS for the solid–liquid–vapor states of pure substances, as well as binary mixtures. The present study is an extension of the earlier EOS work to water and its binary mixtures with carbon dioxide. It is found that the proposed EOS can describe reasonably well the thermodynamic properties of water (having unordinary melting/freezing behaviors) around the triple point, although to set up the EOS parameters requires a special procedure different from the ordinary compounds like CO 2 . A simplified version of EOS for water has also been developed by sacrificing accuracy in some of the water properties, in order to model water-containing mixtures. Using such a simplified EOS of water, we examine the feasibility of phase behavior prediction including the solid (clathrate hydrate) state for binary mixtures of water and CO 2 . All important three-phase (triple-point) equilibrium lines (vapor–liquid–liquid, solid–liquid–liquid, solid–liquid–vapor equilibria) are fairly well predicted, using only the information of vapor–liquid equilibrium data and the quadruple points. Results are still tentative but are encouraging for further improvement. This is a completely new way to model the clathrate-forming system.
Pericardial and myocardial involvement by lymphomas and leukemias. The role of radiotherapy.

Seven patients with cardiac involvement from lymphomas and leukemias who were treated with radiotherapy are presented. Two patients who had pericardial invasion from surrounding mediastinal nodes and whose disease was otherwise confined to the lymphatic system were treated radically. They are alive without evidence of disease at 2 years and one year, respectively. The remaining 5 were treated palliatively. Of these 5, 3 patients had excellent responses. Although significant palliation was not achieved in the other 2 patients because of the widespread nature of their disease, their pericardial effusions were controlled by the radiotherapy. It is felt that radiotherapy can prove valuable in the radical and palliative management of patients with cardiac involvement by lymphomas and leukemias.
Measurement of PCDFs and PCDDs in air samples and lake sediments at several locations in upstate New York

Abstract To study atmospheric deposition, air samples from Niagara Falls and sediment core layers from Green Lake, NY were analyzed for PCDFs and PCDDs. The sediment results indicate that these compounds were present in 1860 and increase rapidly after 1923; however, preliminary data show a decline in PCDF concentrations in 1979–1984, the most recent sample analyzed.
Linguagem: ensinar novas paisagens/novas linguagens

bell hooks relates the oppressions, which are caused by the apology to the standard English, to the uses of the varieties from English language in the USA. The author discusses the place of language in the power relations, specifically in the racial hierarchies, and she proposes the resignification of the linguistic uses aiming at the emancipation of the oppressors.
REM sleep is not committed to memory

We believe that this has been a constructive debate on the topic of memory consolidation and REM sleep. It was a lively and spirited exchange – the essence of science. A number of issues were discussed including: the pedestal technique, stress, and early REMD work in animals; REM windows; the processing of declarative versus procedural memory in REM in humans; a mnemonic function for theta rhythm in waking but not in REM sleep; the lack of cognitive deficits in patients on antidepressant drugs that suppress or eliminate REM sleep; the disposition of conscious (dreams) and nonconscious material of REM sleep; and finally our theory of REM sleep. Although our position was strongly challenged, we still hold that REM sleep serves no role in the processing and consolidation of memory.
Adaptiveness and adaptation

Abstract This essay is structured as follows. First, I describe the adaptationist program, or teleonomy, in biology. Second, I review the methodologies of this program. Third, I discuss the role that the environment of evolutionary adaptedness plays in the adaptationist program. Fourth, I argue that studies of the “adaptiveness” of human behavior have not been conceptually anchored in the adaptationist program. Fifth, I analyze two studies of adaptiveness and show why they neither test nor inspire novel hypotheses about the design of the human brain/mind. Finally, I conclude that the “adaptivist” approach to human behavior does not begin with well formed hypotheses about the design of human brain/mind mechanisms and that it consists of procedures that could not test such hypotheses if they were proposed.
Heterodyne Optical Carrier Suppression for Millimeter-Wave-over-Fiber Systems

Optical carrier suppression (OCS) has been considered one of the most promising modulation schemes used in radio-over-fiber femto-cell systems to generate millimeter-wave (mmwave) in V-band (60 GHz) or E-band (71 to 93 GHz) for its low bandwidth requirement, simplicity, robustness, and optical-to-radio conversion efficiency. A novel mmwave generation scheme based on a superheterodyne OCS structure is introduced to overcome the limitations of the conventional homodyne OCS scheme, including vector-signaling, uplink optical-millimeter conversion, and inter-radio-frequency band interferences. The transmission performance and characteristics of conventional and newly-introduced mmwave generation schemes are investigated thoroughly in this research to fulfill the requirements of various applications.
The isoelectric point of Cypridina luciferase.

Abstract Measurements of the mobility of Cypridina luciferase by means of paper electrophoresis at seven pH values between 2.38 and 6.18 indicate an apparent isoelectric point of 3.28. The reliability of this value is enhanced by the close agreement found between the isoelectric point of bovine plasma albumin determined by paper electrophoresis and that obtained by free electrophoresis, as reported in the literature.
Individual variations in human cone photoreceptor packing density: variations with refractive error.

PURPOSE To measure the variation in human cone photoreceptor packing density across the retina both within an individual and between individuals with different refractive errors.
Demographic Transition: A Forcing Model

Transition Theory provides the theoretical underpinning for many explanations for past population changes and, more importantly, for many population projections. Our paper proves, through the use of symbolic logic, that Transition Theory does not contain principles strong enough to support population projections. Such projections, consequently, must be based upon their author's intuition rather than a reasoned application of Transition Theory. We follow our proofs with a brief discussion of various ways in which the Theory may be modified. Our emphasis is upon and only upon the logical characters of these modifications.
Four-Dimensional Variational Data Assimilation Experiments with a Multilevel Semi-Lagrangian Semi-Implicit General Circulation Model

Abstract Four-dimensional variational data assimilation (VDA) experiments have been carded out using the adiabatic version of the NASA/Goddard Laboratory for Atmospheres semi-Lagrangian semi-implicit (SLSI) multilevel general circulation model. The limited-memory quasi-Newton minimization technique was used to find the minimum of the cost friction. With model-generated observations, different first-guess initial conditions were used to carry out the experiments. The experiments included randomly perturbed initial conditions, as well as different weight matrices in the cost function. The results show that 4D VDA works well with various initial conditions as control variables. Scaling the gradient of the cost function proves to be an effective method of improving the convergence rate of the VDA minimization process. The impacts of the length of the assimilation interval and the time density of the observations on the convergence rate of the minimization have also been investigated. An improved assimilation ...
Synthesis, Optical Spectroscopy and Ultrafast Electron Dynamics of PbS Nanoparticles with Different Surface Capping

Lead sulfide, PbS, nanoparticles have been synthesized using a number of surface capping agents including poly(vinyl-alcohol) (PVA), poly(vinyl-pyrrolidone) PVP, gelatin, DNA, polystyrene (PS), and poly(methyl-methacrylate) (PMMA). The electronic absorption spectra and particle shapes have been found to depend on the capping molecules used. An excitonic feature at 580 nm was observed for capping with PVA and DNA, while no such excitonic feature was observed for PVP, PS or PMMA. A weak excitonic feature was observed for gelatin. The particle shape varied from cubic, needle to spherical as controlled by the capping agents. For the DNA-capped PbS nanocrystals, HRTEM demonstrated the presence of oval crystals with a diameter of 3−8 nm. Powder X-ray diffraction of the PbS-DNA nanocrystals showed the characteristic peaks for PbS at 2.97, 3.43, and 2.10 A. The XRD suggested the size of the nanoparticles to be approximately 4 nm. The dynamics of photoinduced electrons in PbS nanoparticles have been determined usi...
A note on A theoretical mechanism to represent the kinetics of some alkaline phosphatases

If an enzyme acts in a manner somewhat different from that generally considered, it may appear to act as a pair of enzymes. This similarity may remain after various changes in the solution such as activation by magnesium ions. Conditions are given under which this type of activity may be differentiated from that of the enzyme pair. Some alkaline phosphatases exhibit the type of time course of hydrolysis under consideration. Available data do not eliminate the possibility that some alkaline phosphatases act in the manner here suggested.
Applying industrial process improvement techniques to increase efficiency in a surgical practice.

Purpose The goal of this study was to examine how industrial process improvement techniques could help streamline the preoperative workup. Methods Lean process improvement was used to streamline patient workup at an endocrine surgery service at a tertiary medical center utilizing multidisciplinary collaboration. The program consisted of several major changes in how patients are processed in the department. The goal was to shorten the wait time between initial call and consult visit and between consult and surgery. Results We enrolled 1,438 patients enrolled in the program. The wait time from the initial call until consult was reduced from 18.3 ± 0.7 to 15.4 ± 0.9 days. Wait time from consult until operation was reduced from 39.9 ± 1.5 to 33.9 ± 1.3 days for the overall practice and to 15.0 ± 4.8 days for low-risk patients. Patient cancellations were reduced from 27.9 ± 2.4% to 17.3 ± 2.5%. Overall patient flow increased from 30.9 ± 5.1 to 52.4 ± 5.8 consults per month (all P Conclusion Utilizing process improvement methodology, surgery patients can benefit from an improved, streamlined process with significant reduction in wait time from call to initial consult and initial consult to surgery, with reduced cancellations. This generalized process has resulted in increased practice throughput and efficiency and is applicable to any surgery practice.
Big Data and Smart Grid

Big Data brings the challenge for Smart Grid. By using the method of SWOT, the double-edged sword effect of Big Data for the Smart Grid has been analyzed. Big Data provides both opportunities and challenges. The benefits and opportunities are which, Big Data bringing data view, changing thinking methods and tools, expanding the application scene, providing better service to the society, enhancing the value of the opportunity. At the same time, Big Data will lead to the challenges in Smart Grid, for example, because of security challenges of Big Data itself, Big Data more concentrated, cause safety challenges in Smart Grid is more serious; the energy consumption challenges of Big Data; Big Data privacy threat Smart Grid. From the viewpoint of information theory of Shannon, the following conclusions can be reached: the electric power consumption is positively correlated closely with the volume of Big Data; the energy consumption of data grows exponentially.
Optimal logarithmic energy points on the unit sphere

We study minimum energy point charges on the unit sphere S d in R d+1 , d ≥ 3, that interact according to the logarithmic potential log (1/r), where r is the Euclidean distance between points. Such optimal N-point configurations are uniformly distributed as N →∞. We quantify this result by estimating the spherical cap discrepancy of optimal energy configurations. The estimate is of order O (N- 1/(d+2) ). Essential is an improvement of the lower bound of the optimal logarithmic energy which yields the second term (1/d)(log N)/N in the asymptotical expansion of the optimal energy. Previously, this was known for the unit sphere in R 3 only. Furthermore, we present an upper bound for the error of integration for an equally-weighted numerical integration rule Q N with the N nodes forming an optimal logarithmic energy configuration. For polynomials p of degree at most n this bound is Cd(N 1 /d/n) -d/2 ||p||∞ as n/N 1/d → 0. For continuous functions f of S d satisfying a Lipschitz condition with constant C f the bound is (12dC f + C' d ||f||∞)O(N -1/(d+2) ) as N → ∞.
O-GlcNAc Modification Is an Endogenous Inhibitor of the Proteasome

The ubiquitin proteasome system classically selects its substrates for degradation by tagging them with ubiquitin. Here, we describe another means of controlling proteasome function in a global manner. The 26S proteasome can be inhibited by modification with the enzyme, O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT). This reversible modification of the proteasome inhibits the proteolysis of the transcription factor Sp1 and a hydrophobic peptide through inhibition of the ATPase activity of 26S proteasomes. The Rpt2 ATPase in the mammalian proteasome 19S cap is modified by O-GlcNAc in vitro and in vivo and as its modification increases, proteasome function decreases. This mechanism may couple proteasomes to the general metabolic state of the cell. The O-GlcNAc modification of proteasomes may allow the organism to respond to its metabolic needs by controlling the availability of amino acids and regulatory proteins.
New High Nuclearity Platinum−Ruthenium Carbonyl Cluster Complexes Containing a Phenylacetylene Ligand: Structures and Properties

Reaction of the mixed-metal carbonyl cluster complex Ru 5 (CO) 1 5 (C)[Pt(PBu t 3 )], 3, with PhC 2 H yielded the new compound PtRu 5 (CO) 1 3 (PBu t 3 )(μ 5 -C)(μ 3 -PhC 2 H), 4, in 41% yield. Two new bimetallic cluster complexes,Pt 2 Ru 5 (CO) 1 3 (PBu t 3 ) 2 (μ 5 -C)(μ 3 -PhC 2 H), 5, and Pt 3 Ru 5 (CO) 1 3 -(PBut 3 ) 3 (μ 5 -C)(μ 3 -PhC 2 H), 6, were subsequently obtained in 44% and 40% yield, respectively, from the reaction of 4 with an excess of Pt(PBu t 3 ) 2 . All products were characterized crystallographically by single-crystal X-ray diffraction techniques. The structure of 4 consists of a square-pyramidal cluster of five ruthenium atoms with a Pt(PBu t 3 ) group capping one of the Ru 3 triangles. A PhC 2 H ligand bridges one of the PtRu 2 triangles. Compounds 5 and 6 are similar to 4 but have in addition one and two Pt(PBu t 3 ) groups bridging one and two edges of the Ru 5 square-pyramidal portion of the cluster. Compound 6 was shown to be dynamically active on the 3 1 P NMR time scale by a process that involves an interchange of two of its inequivalent Pt(PBu t 3 ) groups.
Arthroscopic Optical Coherence Tomography in Diagnosis of Early Arthritis

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a progressive, debilitating disease that is increasing in prevalence. The pathogenesis of OA is likely multifactorial but ultimately leads to progressive breakdown of collagen matrix and loss of chondrocytes. Current clinical modalities employed to evaluate cartilage health and diagnose osteoarthritis in orthopaedic surgery include, radiography, MRI, and arthroscopy. While these assessment methods can show cartilage fissuring and loss, they are limited in ability to diagnose cartilage injury and degeneration prior breakdown of the articular surface. An improved clinical ability to detect subsurface cartilage pathology is important for development and testing of chondroprotective and chondrorestorative treatments because the pathological changes following surface breakdown are generally considered to be irreversible. Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), is a novel, non-destructive imaging technology capable of near-real time cross-sectional images of articular cartilage at high resolutions comparable to low power histology. This review discusses a series of bench to bedside studies supporting the potential use of OCT for enhanced clinical diagnosis and staging of early cartilage injury and degeneration. OCT was also found to be useful as a translations research tool to assist in clinical evaluation of novel quantitative MRI technologies for non-invasive evaluation of articular cartilage.
Assessment of regional cytochrome P450 activities in rat liver slices using resorufin substrates and fluorescence confocal laser cytometry.

Characterizing constitutive activities and inducibility of various cytochrome P450 isozymes is important for elucidating species and individual differences in susceptibility to many toxicants. Alth...
Human granulocytes and granulocytes from other species demonstrate differences in chemotactic responsiveness to oxidized N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine.

Abstract 1. 1. Oxidation of the methionine of N -formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine to the sulfoxide or sulfone derivative results in the loss of the peptide's chemotactic activity for human granuloctyes. 2. 2. The oxidized peptides are chemotactic for human monocytes; however, 10- to 100-fold higher concentrations are required for optimal monocyte chemotaxis. 3. 3. Mouse, guinea pig and rabbit granulocytes, and the WBC264-9 human-mouse hybrid cell line migrated to the oxidized peptides and required 10- to 1000-fold higher concentrations of the oxidized peptides to elicit optimal chemotactic responses. 4. 4. Human granulocytes appear to be unique in their lack of responsiveness to oxidized derivatives.
Character correspondences in solvable groups

Let G be a finite solvable group, p be some prime, let P be a Sylow p-subgroup of G, and let N be its normalizer in G. It is known that the number of irreducible characters of G of degree prime to p equals the number of irreducible characters of N of degree prime to p. Let F be any field of characteristic zero such that, if [G:N] is even, then F contains Qp∩Q(ζ2∞), the intersection of the field of p-adic numbers with the field of rational numbers extended by all roots of unity whose order is a power to two. In this paper, we show that there exists a bijection from the set of all irreducible characters of G of degree prime to p to the set of all the irreducible characters of degree prime to p of N such that it preserves ± the degrees modulo p, all the field of values over F, and the Schur index over every field containing F.
Catecholamine-secreting paraganglioma of the interatrial septum

A 29-year-old woman was found to have clinical and biochemical evidence of a functioning paraganglioma (pheochromocytoma) five years after the onset of symptoms. Despite extensive investigation of known potential sites of paragangliomas (including laparatomy), the suspected tumor eluded localization. Adrenergic blocking agents controlled her blood pressure but did not affect the other manifestations of catecholamine excess. Ischemic perforation of the colon and refractory gram-negative sepsis resulted in death. At autopsy, a large paraganglioma was found within the heart; the unique tumor location was an important factor in the fatal clinical course.
Increasing the Effectiveness of Student Evaluation of Instructor Data through a Factor Score Comparative Report

Effective student evaluation of instructor instruments must provide norm, or comparative, data to aid interpretation. This note highlights an innovative factor score comparative report. Rather than merely reporting comparative data on individual questions items, the innovative report provides comparative percentile data on the six factors underlying our thirty-three item questionnaire. The faculty indicated overwhelming support for the new report. The note also briefly mentions three other activities that are essential for student evaluation of instructor data to improve teacher effectiveness. Our goal is to stimulate other colleges to adopt the innovative norming practice once they have validated their local evaluation instruments. College-wide improvement of teaching will occur through such do-it-yourself efforts and only decision science faculty are technically qualified to lead such efforts.
Mathematical modeling of damage in unidirectional composites

Extending the work of Goree and Gross (1979), solutions are given for a two-dimensional region of unidirectional fibers embedded in an elastic matrix whose initial flaw may take the form of a transverse notch, a rectangular cutout, or a circular hole. Subsequent flaw-induced damage is generated by remote stresses acting parallel to the fibers. For the case of such ductile matrix composites as boron/aluminum, present results indicate that both longitudinal matrix yielding and transverse notch extension must be included in order for the model to agree with experimental results. Little difference is found for the three types of initial damage considered. In all cases, the presence of additional damage changes the nature of stress distribution through the unbroken fibers.
Sex differences in the nature, realism, and correlates of body image

The present study examined sex differences in the nature and realism of body-image satisfaction, and the extent to which sex and sex role ideology moderated the relationships of body image to other indices of self-esteem and well-being. Accordingly, scales assessing body cathexis, self-esteem, depression proneness, and sex role ideology, as well as a questionnaire assessing perceptions of weight and dieting activities, were completed by 135 college women and 129 college men. As expected, women indicated significantly greater dissatisfaction with their bodies than did men. Women were likely to perceive themselves as overweight or slightly overweight, regardless of their actual weight, and most wanted to lose weight. Men who were dissatisfied tended to perceive themselves as underweight and wanted to gain rather than to lose weight. For both sexes, less positive attitudes to ward one's body were related to lower levels of self-esteem, although the relationship was significantly stronger for women than for men. The relationship between body attitudes and self-esteem was of approximately equal magnitude among traditional vs feminist women. For both sexes, more negative attitudes towards one's body were related to greater proneness to depression. Implications for further research are discussed.
Strategic Management & Business Policy: A Methodological Approach

This article presents a review of the book “Strategic Management and Business Policy: A Methodological Approach,” by Alan J. Rowe, Richard O. Mason and Karl Dickel.
Possibility of Vortex-Antivortex Pair Dissociation in Two-Dimensional Superconductors

The possible existence of a Kosterlitz-Thouless vortex-antivortex dissociation transition in thin superconducting films is discussed. It is found that in practice the situation should be closely analogous to that predicted for superfluid-helium films. A simple relationship is found between the Kosterlitz-Thouless transition temperature and the sheet resistance. This relationship is compared with the observed broadening of the resistive transition of superconducting films with high sheet resistance.
A Survey of Extratropical Cyclone Characteristics during GALE

Abstract For the population Of cyclones that formed over North America and the adjacent Atlantic Ocean during the Genesis of Atlantic Lows Experiment (GALE; 13 January-16 March 1986), a variety of interrelationships between various cyclone characteristics are considered. Previous cyclone climatologies are extended by requiring no minimum cyclone amplitude. Particular attention is paid to the horizontal size distribution of the cyclones. It is found that 1) most cyclones are subsynoptic in scale, with only the deepest cyclones having a size consistent with classical baroclinic-instability theory; 2) almost all small-scale cyclones have a total life span of less than 48 h; 3) the pressure gradient within small-scale cyclones tends to be weaker than that within large-scale cyclones; 4) Atlantic cyclones deepen much more rapidly than cyclones over the continent but for many cyclones, deepening rate is an unsuitable measure of intensification; and 5) the geographical distribution of cyclogenesis during GALE is...