cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Classical charge-transfer and ionization channels for ion collisions with circular Rydberg atoms

Explorations of the classical phase space for ion collisions with circular Rydberg atoms are presented. Intermediate-energy capture and ionization processes are studied through the numerical integration of Newton's equations of motion and through the graphical depiction of the outcomes of large numbers of trajectories. Maps which correlate initial conditions with final outcomes are used to identify zones of parameter space leading to Thomas capture, direct capture, binary-encounter ionization, saddle-point ionization, and ionization by S superpromotion (E. A. Solov'ev, Zh. Eksp. Teor. Fiz. 81, 1681 (1981) [Sov. Phys. JETP 54, 893 (1981)]). Charge-transfer channels in which the electron passes once or three times through the midplane between the nuclei are shown to occur in separate zones of parameter space over the entire range of projectile speeds above the mean velocity of the target electron.
Climatic implications of latest Pleistocene and earliest Holocene mammalian sympatries in eastern Washington state, USA

Abstract For more than fifty years it has been known that mammalian faunas of late-Pleistocene age are taxonomically unique and lack modern analogs. It has long been thought that nonanalog mammalian faunas are limited in North America to areas east of the Rocky Mountains and that late-Pleistocene mammalian faunas in the west were modern in taxonomic composition. A late-Pleistocene fauna from Marmes Rockshelter in southeastern Washington State has no modern analog and defines an area of maximum sympatry that indicates significantly cooler summers than are found in the area today. An earliest Holocene fauna from Marmes Rockshelter defines an area of maximum sympatry, including the site area, but contains a single tentatively identified taxon that may indicate slightly cooler than modern summers.
Peak Bone Mass and Patterns of Change in Total Bone Mineral Density and Bone Mineral Contents From Childhood Into Young Adulthood

The literature has not reached a consensus on the age when peak bone mass is achieved. This study examines growth patterns of total bone mineral content (TBMC) and total bone mineral density (TBMD), peak bone mass, effect of concurrent anthropometry measures, and physical activity on growth patterns in a sample of 312 white males and 343 females aged 8-30 yr. We analyzed data from participants enrolled in Fels Longitudinal Study. Descriptive analysis was used to ascertain characteristics of participants and growth patterns of TBMC and TBMD. Mixed effects models were applied to predict ages at attainment of peak TBMC and TBMD and assess the effects of height, weight, body mass index (BMI), and habitual physical activity on the attainment. Significant differences between sexes were observed for measures of TBMC and TBMD, and differences varied with age. For females, predicted median ages at peak TBMC and TBMD attainments are 21.96 yr (interquartile range [IQR]: 21.81-22.21) and 22.31 yr (IQR: 21.95-22.59), respectively. For males, predicted median ages are 23.34 yr (IQR: 24.34-26.19) and 26.86 yr (IQR: 25.14-27.98) respectively. For females, height, weight, and BMI, but not physical activity, had significant influences on attainment of TBMC and TBMD (p<0.01). For males, weight and BMI, but not height and physical activity, exerted significant influence on attainment of TBMC and TBMD (p<0.01), and also modified correlations between age and peak TBMC and TBMD. Our results suggest that (1) for both sexes, trajectories of TBMC and TBMD follow a curvilinear pattern between ages 8 and 30 yr; (2) predicted ages at peak TBMC and TBMD are from early to late 20s for both white males and females, with females reaching their peaks significantly earlier than males; and (3) concurrent height, weight, and BMI, but not habitual physical activity, exert significant effects on trajectories of TBMC and TBMD.
Food allergy: Mechanisms, diagnosis, and management in children

We eat approximately two to three tons of food in our lifetime, but most people do not have an adverse reaction to foods. Many people believe that they have an allergic reaction to foods; however, the actual incidence confirmed by history and challenges suggests a prevalence rate closer to 2% to 8% in young infants and less than 2% in adults.
Comparison of three methods for calculating the standard deviation of the wind direction

Abstract Three methods to calculate wind direction standard deviation are evaluated. Although eight hours of wind data show no significant differences between the methods, synthetically generated data having standard deviations near the maximum possible show the Yamartino method to perform well. Also, the wind direction for periods such as an hour is shown to be well represented by the arctangent of the mean sines and cosines.
The recovery of iridium from laboratory residues

Abstract A reproducible procedure is given for recovering iridium from laboratory residues containing base metals, silver and strong complexing agents. The residues are ignited, evaporated to dryness several times with concentrated hydrochloric acid, washed with 6 N nitric acid to remove silver and base metals, reignited, and converted to sodium hexachloroiridate(IV) by heating at 625 °C for 2 h with sodium chloride in a stream of chlorine. The cooled melt is dissolved in water, boiled with aqua regia and the iridium precipitated in yields above 80% as ammonium hexachloroiridate(IV) with ammonium chloride solution.
Recharge of a subglacial lake by surface meltwater in northeast Greenland

Observations of rapid, persistent elevation gains that occur on the ice surface above a subglacial lake as the lake is refilled with surface meltwater during the summer melt period in Greenland show that surface meltwater may be trapped and stored at the bed of an ice sheet, affecting ice dynamics downstream. The discovery of a 70-metre-deep collapse basin near the summit of the largest and most northerly peripheral ice cap of Greenland, and the use of high-resolution stereo satellite imagery to monitor its evolution, suggests that surface meltwater can be trapped and stored beneath the Greenland ice sheet. Previously meltwater from the surface of the ice sheet had been assumed to drain efficiently through the basal hydrologic system. During the summer melt period, rapid, persistent elevation gains occur on the ice surface above a subglacial lake as the lake is refilled with surface meltwater and stored at least on annual time scales. These findings have potential implications for our understanding of ice sheet temperature and velocity. In a warming climate, surface meltwater production on large ice sheets is expected to increase. If this water is delivered to the ice sheet base it may have important consequences for ice dynamics. For example, basal water distributed in a diffuse network can decrease basal friction1,2 and accelerate ice flow3,4,5,6,7,8, whereas channelized basal water can move quickly to the ice margin, where it can alter fjord circulation and submarine melt rates9,10. Less certain is whether surface meltwater can be trapped and stored in subglacial lakes beneath large ice sheets. Here we show that a subglacial lake in Greenland drained quickly, as seen in the collapse of the ice surface, and then refilled from surface meltwater input. We use digital elevation models from stereo satellite imagery and airborne measurements to resolve elevation changes during the evolution of the surface and basal hydrologic systems at the Flade Isblink ice cap in northeast Greenland. During the autumn of 2011, a collapse basin about 70 metres deep and about 0.4 cubic kilometres in volume formed near the southern summit of the ice cap as a subglacial lake drained into a nearby fjord. Over the next two years, rapid uplift of the floor of the basin (which is approximately 8.4 square kilometres in area) occurred as surface meltwater flowed into crevasses around the basin margin and refilled the subglacial lake. Our observations show that surface meltwater can be trapped and stored at the bed of an ice sheet. Sensible and latent heat released by this trapped meltwater could soften nearby colder basal ice11 and alter downstream ice dynamics12,13. Heat transport associated with meltwater trapped in subglacial lakes should be considered when predicting how ice sheet behaviour will change in a warming climate.
Gain measures of controllability and observability

Gain measures of controllability and observability are introduced. These measures characterize control and observation weaknesses of systems in terms of the relations which describe them. A unifying framework is developed, and several controllability and observability measures are described which are computable in closed form in the case of finite-dimensional linear differential systems. Properties of gain measures are discussed, and comparisons arc made with the results of previous investigations.
Electron-atom source as a primary radiometric standard for the EUV spectral region.

A compact, portable radiometric standard for the EUV wavelength region utilizing single photon counting is described. An energetic beam of electrons is passed through a thin atomic or molecular gas target inducing radiative transitions. The absolute flux of radiation per unit length of beam emitted in a spectral line can be calculated from the current of electrons and the number density of the target gas if the relevant electron-impact photoemission cross section is known at the electron-impact energy used. In typical operating conditions and for a photoemission cross section of 10−22 m2, the emitted flux of photons can be 1010 photons/s/cm of beam length resulting in a count rate of 500 counts/s into an f/6 spectrometer–detector system. Assessment of previously measured electron-impact photoemission cross sections indicates that, once precision benchmark cross-sectional measurements are available, ultimate uncertainties as low as 3% could be obtained for this standard.
THE DEVELOPMENT AND SCOPE OF LIFE INSURANCE ANNUITIES IN THE UNITED STATES

THE ROOT OF THE RECENT development of the annuity business in the United States is the growing recognition of the risk of old-age dependency. Not only has the awareness of this need been growing, but other factors, such as a loosening of family ties and changing attitudes toward family responsibilities, increased complexities of modern industrial life, and the lengthening of the average lifetime of the individual, have combined to magnify the need. In recent years, the writing of hundreds of thousands of annuity contracts and the collection of billions of dollars of annuity premiums have brought about a major change in the life insurance business. This study assembles the facts in this development and analyzes its causes. It should be of particular interest to all who seek for themselves something more than minimum financial security. Although the annuity principle has been applied in various forms and by various organizations, the life insurance companies are the principal private business institutions offering annuity contracts. Accordingly, this study deals only with annuities written by the legal reserve life insurance companies of the United States. Government plans such as the old-age pensions provided under the Social Security Act and the annuity settlements of United States Government and National Service Life Insurance are outside its scope. The assembly and analysis of data are restricted to the American scene and concentrate on the experience of the past thirty years. The study is laid out as follows: The first chapter reviews briefly the history of life insurance up to the early years of the twentieth century, emphasizing the role of the annuity in the evolution of actuarial science and describing some of the economic and social changes in the United States which preceded the recent revival of interest in annuity contracts. This is followed by a broad classification of annuities which separates all life insurance annuities into two categories-regular and optional-and classifies them according to the more important variations in contract provisions.
Neonatally administered tert-octylphenol affects onset of puberty and reproductive development in female rats.

There now is evidence that many of the synthetic chemicals released into the environment can impact on the function of the endocrine system of many organisms. One group of chemicals, the alkylphenols, used in paints, pesticides, herbicides, detergents, and plastics, has been found to have the ability to bind estrogen receptors. This estrogenic property makes these compounds potentially hazardous to the developing reproductive system and neuroendocrine brain. In this study we determined the effects of exposure to the environmental toxins 4-nonylphenol (NP) and 4-tert-octylphenol (OP) and to synthetic estrogen diethylstilbesterol (DES) during the early postnatal period (d 0–10) on the development of reproductive function. The day of vaginal opening, ovulation, prepubertal LH levels, LH response to estradiol, estrous cyclicity, and ovarian histology were determined. In the OP- and DES-treated groups, the vaginal opening was observed to have occurred several days prior to that of the control group. The NP-treated group showed vaginal opening at ages similar to those of the control group. Treatment with OP prevented ovulation in a significant number of animals, as well as in all animals treated with DES, whereas the control and NP-treated animals ovulated normally. Animals treated with DES and OP had significantly lower ovarian weights and higher uterine weights than either control animals or NP-treated animals. Higher basal LH levels, as well as the absence of the prepubertal LH surge, were observed in both DES- and OP-treated animals. A significant number of OP-treated animals showed no LH response to the estradiol-17β challenge. NP-treated animals responded positively to the estradiol-17β challenge. Persistent estrus was also apparent in both OP- and DES-treated animals. Upon histological examination, the ovaries in OP-treated animals were found to have a decreased number of corpora lutea and an increased number of preantral and atretic follicles. These data suggest that exposure to OP during the critical period of sexual brain differentiation affects the onset of puberty and reproductive development.
A pregnant mouse model for bovine Tritrichomonas foetus infection.

The economically important effects of Tritrichomonas foetus infection in cattle are abortion and infertility, yet there has not been an animal model to examine the parasite-host interactions during gestation. In this study, 5- and 7- to 8-week-old BALB/cAnNCr, BALB/cJ, and SCID/NCr mice on a BALB/c background were intravaginally infected with T. foetus. All BALB/ cAnNCr and BALB/cJ mice, and 89% of SCID/NCr mice sustained infections for 13 weeks, if inoculated before 5 weeks of age. Infection rates were lower in all mouse strains inoculated at 7 weeks of age, although BALB/cAnNCr mice were significantly more susceptible than BALB/cJ or SCID/ NCr mice. Vaginal bacterial flora did not account for the variation in mouse-strain susceptibility, although coagulase-negative staphylococci in vaginal flora were associated with failure of T. foetus to infect. As with infected cattle, T. foetus-specific vaginal immunoglobulin (Ig) G and IgA antibodies were elevated after infection. The number and viability of day-10 fetuses were reduced in mice infected at 5 weeks of age and bred 12 weeks after infection. Lesions in pregnant and nonpregnant infected mice, including suppurative and eosinophilic vaginitis; cervicitis; endometritis with distension of the uterine lumen; endometrial ulceration; and glandular ectasia, with neutrophils in the glandular lumen and loss of gland epithelium, were similar to those in cattle. The decidua and placenta were multifocally necrotic. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated trichomonads in vaginal folds and uterine glands, and adjacent to fetal tissues. In summary, experimentally infected BALB/cAnNCr mice showed many pathologic similarities to cattle and may serve as a model to study host-trichomonad interactions.
Evaluation of uveal and capsule biocompatibility of a single-piece hydrophobic acrylic intraocular lens with ultraviolet–ozone treatment on the posterior surface

Purpose To evaluate a single-piece hydrophobic acrylic intraocular lens (IOL) with ultraviolet–ozone (UV–O 3 ) treatment on the posterior surface and compare it with an identical untreated IOL in a rabbit model. Setting John A. Moran Eye Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. Design Experimental study. Methods Study IOLs were implanted in the right eyes and control IOLs in the left eyes of 10 New Zealand rabbits. Slitlamp examinations were performed 1 to 6 weeks postoperatively. Neodymium:YAG (Nd:YAG) posterior capsulotomy was performed in both eyes of 5 rabbits after the 4-week slitlamp examination. At 6 weeks, the rabbits were killed humanely and their globes were enucleated. Capsular bag opacification was scored from the posterior aspect (Miyake-Apple view), and the eyes were processed for histopathology. Results At 4 weeks, the mean posterior capsule opacification (PCO) scores were 0.88 ± 0.33 (SD) in the study eyes and 2.55 ± 1.13 in the control eyes ( P =.003, 2-tailed paired t test). Performance of Nd:YAG posterior capsulotomy was similar in both groups. Gross postmortem examination also showed statistically less peripheral PCO in eyes with the study IOLs than in control eyes. There was no difference in histopathologic findings between study eyes and control eyes and no signs of untoward inflammation or toxicity in any eye evaluated. Conclusions Treatment of the posterior surface of a single-piece hydrophobic acrylic IOL with UV–O 3 appears to prevent PCO, likely by increasing adhesion between the posterior capsule and the IOL while retaining uveal biocompatibility. Performance of Nd:YAG posterior capsulotomy was similar between treated IOLs and untreated IOLs. Financial Disclosure No author has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned.
The Russian revolutionary movement and the pogroms of 1881–1882

(1977). The Russian revolutionary movement and the pogroms of 1881–1882. Soviet Jewish Affairs: Vol. 7, No. 2, pp. 22-39.
HIV and AIDS in Haiti: recent developments.

Both the seroprevalence and epidemiology of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection have demonstrated substantial changes in Haiti since the beginning of the epidemic in the early 1980s. Although seroprevalence rates vary greatly according to the population group tested surveys of healthy urban adults have indicated an increase in HIV infection from about 8% in 1986 to 11% in 1991. The rate in rural areas remains at about 3%. Tuberculosis herpes zoster malignant prurigo and weight loss are the most common signs of HIV infection before the virus progresses to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). The most significant changes in the pattern of HIV transmission in Haiti have been a decline in the proportion of cases among bisexuals/homosexuals (from 50% in 1983 to 1% since 1987) or related to blood transfusion. Also striking has been a change in the geographic distribution of HIV. In 1982 80% of those infected with HIV were from the capital Port-au-Prince 10% were from other major cities and 10% were from other countries. In 1990 only 65% of cases originated from the Port-au-Prince area. Finally there has been a shift in the sex distribution of HIV with women contributing 38% of cases in 1989-90 compared to only 15% in 1979-82. Disturbing are survey findings that HIV-infected women or those with an infected partner continue to have unprotected sexual intercourse and to take no steps to avoid pregnancy. As a result of the growing number of AIDS cases among women children under 14 years of age now comprises 6.6% of all AIDS cases compared to 2.4% in 1988. Development of a form of contraception that is as effective against HIV transmission as the condom yet could be used without the consent of the male partner would be an important advance in AIDS prevention in Haiti.
Impaired lymphocyte proliferative response to mitogen in alcoholic patients. Absence of a relation to liver disease activity

Concanavalin A-induced lymphocyte proliferation was studied in 25 patients with alcoholic hepatitis or compensated alcoholic cirrhosis. Nine alcoholics without evidence of liver disease were also evaluated. A nonlinear correlation equation, which was natural logarithmic, was applied to individual dose-response proliferation curves and permitted comparisons between patient groups and controls. The proliferative response in all patient groups was significantly lower when compared to healthy controls and was independent of the presence or absence of liver disease. This suggests that some changes in immune function observed in alcoholics may be linked to the direct effects of alcohol on the immune system rather than to the associated liver disease.
An Anti-CD2 Monoclonal Antibody That Both Inhibits and Stimulates T Cell Activation Recognizes a Subregion of CD2 Distinct from Known Ligand-Binding Sites

Abstract The T lymphocyte glycoprotein CD2 appears to have an important role in human T cell development and activation. A novel anti-CD2 monoclonal antibody, designated UMCD2, was shown to block E rosetting, and therefore was defined as recognizing the T11 1 ligand-binding epitope. Binding of UMCD2 to T cells and thymocytes was blocked by several, but not all, anti-T11 1 antibodies, suggesting that the T11 1 eptope consists of more than one subepitope. In functional studies, the combination of UMCD2 plus anti-T11 3 was mitogenic for T cells; in some individuals, the level of activation was as high as that seen for the combination of anti-T11 2 plus anti-T11 3 . However, when UMCD2 was added to other stimuli mitogenic for T lymphocytes, such as IL-2 or anti-CD3-Sepharose, it inhibited T cell responses. Although the combination of UMCD2 and anti-T11 3 induced an increase in cytoplasmic free calcium, the inhibitory activities of UMCD2 were not accompanied by effects on calcium fluxes. A panel of previously characterized CD2 mutants was then analyzed for binding of UMCD2 and other anti-CD2 monoclonals. Surprisingly, UMCD2 bound to all mutants tested, although the other anti-CD2 antibodies with specificity for the ligand-binding region of CD2 each failed to bind to one or more mutants. These data suggest that binding of antibody to a particular CD2 epitope can have opposite effects on the state of T cell activation, depending on the costimulus. Moreover, inhibitory effects mediated through CD2 may use a signaling mechanism distinct from that used in CD2 pathway activation. Of particular interest, the portion of the CD2 ligand-binding region recognized by UMCD2 is distinct from areas of the CD2 molecule that have previously been studied.
What happens to the double epiphysis in the hand

We reviewed the x-ray films of 399 patients with open epiphyses and carefully examined the records of the 65 cases found to have extra epiphyses. Extra epiphyses did not appear or fuse early. Bone growth did not appear to be affected greatly with a double epiphysis, although fractured bones grew longer. Any long bone in the hand can have an abnormal epiphysis, but the anomaly occurs more often in the index and thumb metacarpals. Double epiphyses are more common among children with other congenital abnormalities. If a double epiphysis is present in a phalanx, some type of syndrome or other anomaly is probably present.
Stress-based sliding mode control of a rotary SMA-actuated manipulator

This paper presents a sliding mode controller that uses a state variable estimator for control of a single degree of freedom rotary manipulator actuated by Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) wire. A model for SMA actuated manipulator is presented. The model includes nonlinear dynamics of the manipulator, a constitutive model of the Shape Memory Alloy, and the electrical and heat transfer behavior of SMA wire. The current experimental setup allows for the measurement of only one state variable which is the angular position of the arm. This estimator predicts the state vector at each time step and corrects its prediction based on the angular position measurements. The transformation temperatures of the SMA wire are stress dependent, adding to complexity of the control of the position of the arm for certain angular positions. To overcome thais problem a sliding mode controller is designed to calculate the desired stress of the wire based on the desired angular position of the arm. The stress of the wire is a better set-point for the controller since the transformation temperatures and hence the Martensite fraction are functions of the wire's stress. A feedback controller maintains this desired stress by regulating the input voltage to the wire. The stabilization and tracking performance of this controller is presented and compared with a PID controller.
Human neutrophil activation and increased adhesion by various resuscitation fluids.

Objective: To determine whether activated neutrophils play a major role in secondary tissue injury after resuscitation in trauma. We hypothesized that human neutrophil activation and adhesion vary, depending on the type and amount of resuscitation fluid used. Setting: University-based research facility. Subjects: Ten healthy adult volunteers. Design: Whole blood from volunteers was serially diluted in polypropylene tubes with various resuscitation fluids. Fluids tested were phosphate-buffered saline, normal saline, lactated Ringer's solution, dextran, hespan, 5% human albumin, 25% human albumin, 3.5% hypertonic saline, and 7.5% hypertonic saline. Neutrophil activation (intracellular oxidative burst activity with dichlorofluorescin diacetate staining) and adhesion (integrin cell surface expression of CD18) were measured with flow cytometry (fluorescence-activated cell sorting). Blood was diluted with hypertonic saline by controlling for sodium content equal to normal saline. Measurements and Main Results: There was a significant dose-related increase in neutrophil oxidative burst activity as the result of dilution followed with crystalloid fluids and artificial colloids (dextran and hespan). The increase was 12-18 × baseline at the 75% dilution. The increase with 5% human albumin was only 2.2 × baseline, and 25% albumin did not demonstrate any increased intracellular activity. A similar significant increase in the neutrophil adhesion expression (CD18) occurred with artificial colloids (p <.05) and, to a lesser extent, with crystalloids, but not with albumin. Hypertonic saline caused a decrease in CD18 cell surface expression. Conclusions: This study suggests that the neutrophil activation and adhesion may vary, depending on the type of resuscitative fluid used. All artificial resuscitative fluids may not be similar or innocuous, as demonstrated by the dose-related increase in neutrophil activation and adhesion.
Empirical Mode Decomposition applied to solar irradiance, global temperature, sunspot number, and CO2 concentration data

Abstract Empirical Mode Decomposition (EMD) is a tool that can decompose and analyze the cyclic components from oscillatory data in the time-domain. When combined with the traditional Hilbert spectral analysis, it is similar to spectral tools such as Fourier analysis, wavelet analysis, and generalized time–frequency analysis. However, the EMD method is specifically designed to analyze nonstationary data from nonlinear processes. Fluctuations of total solar irradiance, global temperature, sunspot number, and CO 2 concentration are decomposed into their periodic components using the EMD method. The cyclic components of the data are analyzed and compared in the time-domain. An 11-year oscillation in global mean temperature is found and compared with the Schwabe cycle from sunspot and total solar irradiance proxy data. Also, the relative radiative forcing from different periodic components of total solar irradiance and CO 2 concentration are empirically estimated.
Restraint status improves the predictive value of motor vehicle crash criteria for pediatric trauma team activation

Most trauma centers incorporate mechanistic criteria (MC) into their algorithm for trauma team activation (TTA). The authors hypothesized that characteristics of the crash are less reliable than restraint status in predicting significant injury and the need for TTA. The authors identified 271 patients (age, <15 years) admitted with a diagnosis of motor vehicle crash. Mechanistic criteria and restraint status of each patient were recorded. Both MC and MC plus restraint status were evaluated as separate measures for appropriately predicting TTA based on treatment outcomes and injury scores. Improper restraint alone predicted a need for TTA with an odds ratios of 2.69 (P = .002). MC plus improper restraint predicted the need for TTA with an odds ratio of 2.52 (P = .002). In contrast, the odds ratio when using MC alone was 1.65 (P = .16). When the 5 MC were evaluated individually as predictive of TTA, ejection, death of occupant, and intrusion more than 18 inches were statistically significant. The authors conclude that improper restraint is an independent predictor of necessitating TTA in this single-institution study.
Contribution of specifiable hydrophobic interactions to chiral recognition

Abstract The reversed-phase chromatographic behavior of several homologous series of racemic analytes was examined using chiral stationary phases (CSPs) derived from ( R )-N-(2-naphthyl)alanine. For those analytes bearing an alkyl substituent on the stereogenic center, the degree of enantioselectivity is observed to increase as the length of this alkyl substituent is increased. This effect is attributed to a reduction in “wetted surface area” when the methylene chain “connecting arm” of the CSP contacts the alkyl substituent of the most retained analyte enantiomer owing to intercalation of this alkyl group between the strands of bonded phase. In these series, the alkyl substituents of the less retained enantiomers are differently oriented during interaction with the CPS and less effectively contact the bonded phase. Although hydrophobic interactions contribute the retention, they need not always contribute to chiral recognition as shown by other series of anlytes. Cases may eventually be found where lengthening an alkyl substituent decreases enantioselectivity owing to greater hydrophobic interaction between the CSP and the initially eluted enantiomer.
Variation in medical student grading criteria: A survey of clerkships in obstetrics and gynecology

Abstract Objective Our purpose was to assess how obstetrics/gynecology clerkships incorporate methods of student assessment into grades. Study design A survey that included a broad range of assessment methods was distributed to obstetrics/gynecology clerkship directors registered with the Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Respondents were asked to indicate the methods used for assessment and to indicate the weight assigned to these methods in determining a student grade. Results Of the 146 surveys distributed, there were 53 respondents (36.4%). The most common methods of subjective assessment included evaluation of patient presentation skills and performance on ward rounds. The 2 most commonly used objective methods, general assessment of cognitive knowledge and the National Board of Medical Examiners Subject Examination in Obstetrics and Gynecology, generally accounted for 75% of the final grade, although these same 2 components also had the widest range of assigned weights reported. Conclusion Assessment methods and incorporation into a final grade vary widely across obstetrics/gynecology clerkships.
Ligand-receptor interactions

Abstract A simple theoretical approach is outlined for calculating differences in the free energy of binding of related ligand-receptor pairs.
Technical Advice: Phase I and Phase II Control Charts

Question: What do people mean by “Phase I” and “Phase II” control charts? What can we do to ensure that our control limits for our charts are reasonable? (Carmen Tavera, Novi, MI) The distinction b...
Barriers to mental health care for Hispanic Americans: a literature review and discussion.

The Hispanic American population, the second largest and fastest growing minority population in the United States, faces barriers to access to both medical health and mental health care. This paper examines both financial and cultural barriers to utilization of mental health care services; it is a broad review of the literature and is not intended to be comprehensively detailed. The research review suggests that the financial barrier is a major determinant of mental health service access for Hispanic American populations. Also, nonfinancial barriers such as acculturation are examined. A two-part plant is suggested to reduce both financial and nonfinancial barriers. Very little literature on utilization of substance abuse services was found; suggestions for further research are thus proposed.
THE TRAVEL-ACTIVITY PATTERNS OF URBAN RESIDENTS: DIMENSIONS AND RELATIONSHIPS TO SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS

The purpose of this paper is to explore a new approach in investigating the relationships between observed travel behavior and the characteristics of the individual traveler. Most previous studies have addressed the question by first dividing the population on the basis of one or more variables assumed salient and by then comparing the observed behavior patterns of the resultant groups. This study pursues an alternative approach by using disaggregate travel-diary data to generate first a variety of measures of the individual's complex travel-activity pattern in order to establish the dimensions of the observed complex travel patterns and then determining which individual or household characteristics are related to each of these dimensions of travel.
The Co-Occurrence of Alcohol Use and Gambling Activities in First-Year College Students.

Objective: Both alcohol use and gambling are behaviors that can be problematic for many college students; however, it is not clear whether the relationship between the 2 exists for students who have recently entered college. Participants: The sample included 908 first-year college students who were surveyed in fall 2005, approximately 1 month after entering college. Methods: Participants completed Web-based surveys on alcohol use and gambling behaviors. Results: Alcohol use and alcohol-related risks were significantly related to both gambling frequency and peak gambling loss. Conclusions: These findings have implications for researchers and clinicians working in the area of addictive behaviors among college students, suggesting that those presenting with problems in 1 domain may also be at risk for problems in the other.
A channel model of investment decision: An intertemporal planning approach

The paper considers some theoretical implications of the Oslo-Cairo intertemporal planning model (the channel model). A version of the channel model with private and public investment projects is developed. The optimality properties of the model are derived. It is shown that: (i) Pareto solution can be supported by competitive prices and (ii) a ranking criterion can be constructed in the spirit of cost-and-benefit analysis. The results brings the channel model theoretically in line with the classical resource allocation models.
COMMERCIAL AQUACULTURE SYSTEMS FOR CRAWFISH IN THE NORTHEASTERN UNITED STATES

This paper examines several alternative strategies for the development of supply and demand (market) for freshwater crawfish produced through aquaculture in the northeastern United States. The potential for four species (Orconectes virilis, O. immunis, Procambarus clarkii and Pacifastacus leniusculus) will be examined in each of the following aquaculture production systems: a) wildstock fishery, b) planting in ponds, c) ponds with supplemental feeding, d) extended season ponds, e) hatchery and grow-out, and f) fully closed systems. Demand for crawfish is examined in three categories: scientific and instructional use, bait for angling, and human food. The food market demand, which will receive the greatest attention, is examined in terms of three potential directions: local specialty markets, mid distance (regional) metropolitan markets, and international markets. The paper summarizes the potential systems, given present and proposed future barriers and opportunities for the development of commercial culture systems.
Topographic Influences on Recirculation in the Deep Western Boundary Current: Results from RAFOS Float Trajectories between the Blake–Bahama Outer Ridge and the San Salvador “Gate”

Abstract Over a period of several years, RAFOS floats were launched into three levels of the deep western boundary current (DWBC) east of the northern Bahamas in order to identify and study any local recirculations that might be present in addition to the thermohaline-driven component of the current. These float trajectories reveal the presence of recirculations that are clearly caused by features of the lateral and bottom topography. In particular, the San Salvador Spur exerts a major influence on the paths of these floats. Although the floats exhibit a complicated set of motions, some order is imposed by relating periods when floats move directly along the boundary versus periods when they leave the launch site “anomalously” (i.e., to the cast or northeast) due to motions of the DWBC core. Comparison to current meter records along 26°30(N near the launch site shows that floats in the latter group were deployed when the DWBC core was located offshore. The “eruption” of floats into the interior recirculat...
A partner-matching framework for social activity communities

A lot of daily activities require more than one person to participate and collaborate with each other; however, for many people, it is not easy to find good partners to engage in activities with one another. With the rapid growth of social network applications, more and more people get used to creating connections with people on the social network. Therefore, designing social network framework for partner-matching is significant in helping people to easily find good partners. In this paper, we proposed a framework which can match partners for an active community. In order to improve the matching performance, all users are divided into groups based on a specific classification tree that is built for a specific activity. The optimization goal of the partner-matching is to maintain as many stable partnerships as possible in the community. To achieve the goal, various factors are considered to design matching functions. The simulation results show that the proposed framework can help most people find stable partners quickly.
Identifying in-set and out-of-set speakers using neighborhood information

We study the problem of identifying in-set and out-of-set speakers. The goal is to identify whether an unknown input speaker belongs to either a group of in-set speakers or an unseen out-of-set group. A state-of-the-art GMM classifier, with universal background model (UBM) and standard likelihood ratio test, is used as our baseline system. We propose an alternative hypothesis testing method that employs neighborhood information with respect to each in-set speaker model in the model space based on the Kullback-Leibier divergence. The Bayes factor is used in the verification stage (accept/reject hypothesis). We evaluate the proposed procedure on a clean CORPUS 1 set, and a noisy CORPUS 2 set which contains session-to-session variability. Experiments show an improvement in equal error rate for the system even when in-set speaker models are acoustically close in the model space, and as the size of the in-set speaker group increases.
Emotional arousal amplifies the effects of biased competition in the brain

The arousal-biased competition model predicts that arousal increases the gain on neural competition between stimuli representations. Thus, the model predicts that arousal simultaneously enhances processing of salient stimuli and impairs processing of relatively less-salient stimuli. We tested this model with a simple dot-probe task. On each trial, participants were simultaneously exposed to one face image as a salient cue stimulus and one place image as a non-salient stimulus. A border around the face cue location further increased its bottom-up saliency. Before these visual stimuli were shown, one of two tones played: one that predicted a shock (increasing arousal) or one that did not. An arousal-by-saliency interaction in category-specific brain regions (fusiform face area for salient faces and parahippocampal place area for non-salient places) indicated that brain activation associated with processing the salient stimulus was enhanced under arousal whereas activation associated with processing the non-salient stimulus was suppressed under arousal. This is the first functional magnetic resonance imaging study to demonstrate that arousal can enhance information processing for prioritized stimuli while simultaneously impairing processing of non-prioritized stimuli. Thus, it goes beyond previous research to show that arousal does not uniformly enhance perceptual processing, but instead does so selectively in ways that optimizes attention to highly salient stimuli.
LOAD TRANSFER CHARACTERISTICS OF ROLLER-COMPACTED CONCRETE PAVEMENT JOINTS AND CRACKS

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' design procedure for roller-compacted concrete (RCC) pavements assumes that no load transfer is achieved at RCC joints or cracks. This is in contrast to the Corps of Engineers' rigid pavement design procedure for airfields, parking areas, and open storage areas, where a 25 percent load transfer is assumed for all joints and cracks. The no-load-transfer assumption for RCC pavements is conservative and is based upon limited data that indicated that RCC pavement joints did not achieve a 25 percent load transfer. The purpose of this study was to identify common types of RCC pavement joints and cracks, to determine the load transfer characteristics of these joint and crack types at 12 RCC pavement test sites using the falling weight deflectome-ter and to indicate the effect of incorporating these load transfer characteristics within the corps' RCC pavement design procedure. Thirteen RCC pavement joint and crack types were identified. The mean load transfer achieved at these jo...
Models of cooperativity in protein folding

What is the basis for the two-state cooperativity of protein folding? Since the 1950s, three main models have been put forward. 1. In \`helix-coil' theory, cooperativity is due to local interactions among near neighbours in the sequence. Helix-coil cooperativity is probably not the principal basis for the folding of globular proteins because it is not two-state, the forces are weak, it does not account for sheet proteins, and there is no evidence that helix formation precedes the formation of a hydrophobic core in the folding pathways. 2. In the \`sidechain packing' model, cooperativity is attributed to the jigsaw-puzzle-like complementary fits of sidechains. This too is probably not the basis of folding cooperativity because exact models and experiments on homopolymers with sidechains give no evidence that sidechain freezing is two-state, sidechain complementarities in proteins are only weak trends, and the molten globule model predicted by this model is far more native-like than experiments indicate. 3. In the `hydrophobic core collapse' model, cooperativity is due to the assembly of non-polar residues into a good core. Exact model studies show that this model gives two-state behaviour for some sequences of hydrophobic and polar monomers. It is based on strong forces. There is considerable experimental evidence for the kinetics this model predicts: the development of hydrophobic clusters and cores is concurrent with secondary structure formation. It predicts compact denatured states with sizes and degrees of disorder that are in reasonable agreement with experiments.
Cardiac resynchronization in patients with congestive heart failure and chronic atrial fibrillation ☆: Effect of upgrading to biventricular pacing after chronic right ventricular pacing

Many patients with severe congestive heart failure (CHF) develop chronic atrial fibrillation (AF). The onset of AF eliminates regular atrioventricular (AV) transport, worsening cardiac performance in these patients with ventricular dysfunction. Radiofrequency ablation of the AV junction and right
Optical Properties of Colloidal MoS2

We report measurements and analysis of the optical transmission spectra of colloidal 2H-M0S2. prepared by ultrasonic shattering of synthetic crystals in N-Methyl Formamide. We used a combination of TEM, X-ray diffraction and dynamic light scattering to characterize particle shape and size. For a typical sample, the particles are platelets which have an average thickness of 50 A and a diameter of 500 A. Particle dielectric functions, deduced from both dilute colloids and thin films prepared by flocculaUon, differ significantly from bulk values. Calculations show that the average extinction coefficient is affected by particle aspect ratio, but this can not explain all the features of the data. Specifically, we observe a suppression of the absorbance peaks in the band edge exciton region between 1.7 and 2.1 eV, and increased absorbance below 1.7 eV. We suggest that the particles do not possess bulk-like dielectric properties and that tins is due to defects.
Dynamic analysis of a 6 DOF CKCM robot end-effector for dual-arm telerobot systems

A dynamical analysis is performed for a six DOF robot end-effector built to study telerobotic service and maintenance of NASA hardwares in space. The design of the end-effector is based on the concept of closed-kinematic chain mechanism capable of performing precise motion in a small workspace. After presenting a closed-form solution for the inverse kinematic problem, the Lagrangian approach is used to derive a set of equations of motion for the end-effector where the generalized coordinates are selected to be the Cartesian coordinates. A computer simulation study shows that the centrifugal and Coriolis terms can be neglected for slow motion.
High intravenous phenytoin dosage requirement in a newborn infant

A term neonate was being treated with intravenous phenytoin. To maintain a serum level above 10 μg per milliliter and abolish seizure activity, it was necessary to carry out repeated serum concentration measurements, administer several loading doses, and administer an unusually large maintenance dose (25 mg per kilogram per day), divided into a short dosing interval (6 hours). Declining serum levels from postnatal days 8 to 13 on a constant dose of 9 mg per kilogram per day suggested that the rate of phenytoin metabolism was gradually increasing; rapid elimination was documented on day 18 by a half-life measurement of 8.8 hours from three samples. The changing pharmacokinetics were attributed to maturation of oxidative metabolism of phenytoin, concurrent phenobarbital administration, or both. The need for additional loading doses and maintenance dose increases must be guided by serum concentration measurements to obtain maximum benefit with minimal risk of toxicity.
Fiber-taper coupling to Whispering-Gallery modes of a droplet resonator embedded in a liquid medium

For the first time we demonstrate efficient coupling to the Whispering Gallery modes of a droplet resonator embedded in liquid medium. The droplet is trapped using novel techniques and fiber-taper is used for optical coupling.