cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Analyzing multi-microgrid with stochastic uncertainties including optimal PV allocation

This paper presents the effects of Photovoltaic (PV) location on losses of the distribution system. The optimal location of PV is determined by using Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) implemented in MATLAB-OpenDSS environment. IEEE 34-node test feeder is employed to verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the developed method. Once the optimal location is determined the challenge still remains due to the uncertain behavior of the PV system. This effect along with other stochastic behaviors such as the uncertain output power of loads like Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) due to their stochastic charging and discharging, that of a wind generation unit due to the stochastic wind speed, and that of a solar generating source due to the stochastic illumination intensity, add problems like frequency oscillations in a microgrid. Hence, frequency control of a multi microgrid system is also addressed.
Social saliency prediction

This paper presents a method to predict social saliency, the likelihood of joint attention, given an input image or video by leveraging the social interaction data captured by first person cameras. Inspired by electric dipole moments, we introduce a social formation feature that encodes the geometric relationship between joint attention and its social formation. We learn this feature from the first person social interaction data where we can precisely measure the locations of joint attention and its associated members in 3D. An ensemble classifier is trained to learn the geometric relationship. Using the trained classifier, we predict social saliency in real-world scenes with multiple social groups including scenes from team sports captured in a third person view. Our representation does not require directional measurements such as gaze directions. A geometric analysis of social interactions in terms of the F-formation theory is also presented.
Racism, Nativism, and Exclusion: Public Policy, Immigration, and the Latino Experience in the United States

Abstract While population growth for the Latino population has surged since the middle of this century, people of Spanish origin have been part of the American fabric since the nation's earliest days. Since the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which ended the Mexican-American War in 1848 and ceded most of what is now the American Southwest to the United States, Hispanics in this country (whether born here or outside U.S. borders) have been affected in various ways by the exclusionary and restrictive nature of U.S. immigration laws and policies. Most Latinos are U.S. citizens (62% by birth and an additional 7% by naturalization), but those who are citizens often have family members residing in the U.S. who are not. Recently, anti-immigrant and exclusionary sentiments have surfaced once again, much of which has been focused incorrectly on Latinos. Public policy is a critical matter for minorities, who typically occupy positions toward the bottom of the social hierarchy. In this paper, we examine the impact of s...
Studies of mechanisms of hydrogen recycle using a plasma-wall interaction experiment

Abstract It is shown that for type 304L stainless steel at room temperature and ion energies of 100 eV a large part of the recycling occurs with hydrogen residence times in the wall of about 100 ms. The use of wall temperatures from 80 to 500 K permits differentiation between thermally activated processes and ion bombardment-induced phenomena. For low energy ions (100 eV) onto 300 K stainless steel walls recycling increases to more than 90% in a few tenths of a second at; 3 × 10 16 ions cm −2 s −1 . For ions up to 300eV at this flux there is little energy dependence. Both thermally- and ion-induced processes can be important at room temperature, but under the conditions of this study thermal processes greatly enhance the recycle rates at 300 and 500 K. Preliminary results indicate that recombination of atomic hydrogen to molecular hydrogen can be rate controlling in some practical regimes.
Grain growth and secondary recrystallization in mechanically alloyed NiAl

The ordered B{sub 2} intermetallic NiAl has potential for high temperature structural applications because of its low density, high melting point and high thermal conductivity. However, single phase structures suffer from poor room temperature ductility and low creep strength. Improvements in high temperature strength have been observed in composite or dispersion strengthened NiAl produced by mechanical alloying (MA). The structures developed by the MA process are typically fine grained with a grain size less than 1 {mu}m, and contain a fine distribution of dispersoids in the range 10 to 100 nm. Improvements in the creep resistance of dispersion strengthened Ni-base superalloys are observed to result from increases in grain size and grain aspect ratio. The effect is attributed to a reduction of grain boundary sliding and cavity growth. Consequently the production of a coarse grain structure, in combination with a fine dispersoid morphology represents an attractive design philosophy to improve the creep strength of MA NiAl. However, grain growth and dispersoid coarsening are generally concurrent and thus make normal grain growth treatments unsuitable. Secondary recrystallization (SRx) represents a mechanism that can give a pronounced increase in grain size and, because it develops rapidly, can give coarse grain structures without concurrentmore » dispersoid coarsening. The current work is focused on an exploration of this approach and involves metallographic and microhardness studies of the microstructural changes that accompany isothermal annealing and thermomechanical treatment of MA NiAl.« less
Polarization-dependent picosecond excitonic nonlinearities and the complexities of disorder

Time-resolved emission of the hh1 exciton transient four-wave-mixing response in multiple quantum wells shows the unexpected result that the signal emission is either a photon echo or a free polarization decay, depending on the relative polarization of the excitation beams. The energy and temperature dependences of the dephasing rates and the transport and saturation characteristics show that the two excitations are significantly different. Explanations for the disappearance of the echo, which arises due to the presence of disorder, and the origin of the prompt signal are considered.
Attitude Certainty and Conflict Style Divergent Effects of Correctness and Clarity

Little research has examined the properties of people’s attitudes that predict how they will respond to conflict with others whose opinions differ. We propose that one aspect of attitude certainty—attitude correctness, or the perception that one’s attitude is the “right” attitude to have—will predict more competitive conflict styles. This hypothesis was tested across five data sets comprising four studies. In Studies 1a and 1b, perceptions of attitude correctness (but not another form of attitude certainty, attitude clarity) predicted participants’ tendencies to send competitive messages to an ostensible partner who held the opposite opinion. In Studies 2 to 4, manipulations of attitude correctness, but not attitude clarity (Study 3), also increased competitiveness in conflict, and perceived correctness mediated the effect of the correctness manipulation on conflict style (Study 4). The present research has implications for both the predictors of conflict style and the consequences of different forms of a...
Computer Science Citations: An Analysis of Doctoral Candidates' Research

Most academic libraries in North America have collections of dissertations and theses written by students seeking advanced degrees. Universities have taken three different approaches. The first approach is for university libraries to digitize dissertations and theses and make them accessible online. The second is that universities establish electronic dissertations/theses submission systems. The third way involves the physical storage of dissertations and theses. The aim of this study is to examine the citation rate of dissertations in computer science and explore the relationship between citation rate, quality of dissertations, quality of other articles published by the same authors, and quality of the article venue.
CoD -44 3318 - a peculiar luminous F star.

The unnamed variable CoD -44 3318 has been classified F0 Ipe. It is probably one of a rare group of luminous objects related to the T Tauri stars. Key words: T Tauri star
Spillover Effects of the 2008 Financial Crisis in Latin America Stock Markets

This paper examines the transmission of the 2008 US financial crisis to four Latin American stock markets using daily stock returns from 2006 to 2010, analyzing before, during and after the 2008 financial crisis. The empirical evidence presents a financial contagion by showing persistently higher and more volatile pair-wise conditional correlations during the crisis period. This indicates there are structural changes in mean and volatility of the correlation coefficients due to the 2008 financial crisis in Latin American markets. The results here could be useful in international portfolio diversification decision-making in Latin American region. In addition, the predicting the volatility in different markets could be a useful input for reducing financial instability in crisis episodes to policy makers.
Concept mapping in mental health: uses and adaptations

Abstract Concept mapping is a structured method for translating complex qualitative data into a pictorial form that displays the interrelationships among ideas. Over the past ten years, this methodology has been applied to numerous program planning and program evaluation issues in a variety of disciplines. The ability to adapt concept mapping methodology to meet specialized needs and to accommodate external constraints has been demonstrated during this period. This paper describes the use of concept mapping in the field of community mental health. Investigators have used concept mapping for purposes ranging from mental health needs assessment to studying program models and theory. Adaptations to the methodology have been applied to the ways in which the qualitative data are generated, structured, represented, and interpreted. Examples from the mental health literature are presented to illustrate these purposes and adaptations. The contributions and value of concept mapping to the mental health field are discussed.
Consequences of out-migration for land use in rural Ecuador

In rural Ecuador and elsewhere in Latin America, the departure of migrants and the receipt of migrant remittances have led to declining rural populations and increasing cash incomes. It is commonly assumed that these processes will lead to agricultural abandonment and the regrowth of native vegetation, thus undermining traditional livelihoods and providing a boon for biodiversity conservation. However, an increasing number of household-level studies have found mixed and complex effects of out-migration and remittances on agriculture. We advance this literature by using household survey data and satellite imagery from three study areas in rural Ecuador to investigate the effects of migration and remittances on agricultural land use. Multivariate methods are used to disaggregate the effects of migration and remittances, to account for other influences on land use and to correct for the potential endogeneity of migration and remittances. Contrary to common assumptions but consistent with previous studies, we find that migrant departure has a positive effect on agricultural activities that is offset by migrant remittances. These results suggest that rural out-migration alone is not likely to lead to a forest transition in the study areas.
Laser amplifier design

Abstract Often one wants a laser amplifier system to produce an output pulse of a specific form, e.g., time shape, energy, etc. Given any potential amplifier configuration one needs to find the proper input pulse which, when propagated through the amplifier system, results in the desired output pulse. Efficient operation of the amplifier (large energy extraction) usually implies that the response of the laser medium is nonlinear, which makes such a calculation very tedious if attempted on a hit and miss basis. Here we discuss a procedure which enables one to systematically generate the proper input pulse. Once the input is known it is straightforward to determine whether the amplifier configuration is suitable.
Modeling competitive adsorption of chlorinated volatile organic compounds with the Dubinin–Radushkevich equation

Abstract A recent paper showed that the breakthrough curves of volatile organic compound (VOC) mixtures on zeolite replaced the adsorbates in order of decreasing boiling points (PCE>TCE>DCA>DCM) and could be predicted by the boiling point of the compounds (similar to distillation). A previous study by the authors found a similar result on granulated activated carbon (PCE>TCE>CTC>TCA>t-12DCE>CHL>DCE), but used another thermodynamic property, the heat of vaporization to predict the breakthrough order. The authors had used the heat of vaporization in a model, based on the Dubinin–Radushkevich equation, to predict the adsorption of several VOCs onto granulated activated carbon with isotherm data of only one compound. This paper shows that the use of either the heat of vaporization or the boiling point are interchangeable. Both predicted the breakthrough curves of a mixture of adsorbates from granulated activated carbon and either can be used for a competitive adsorption model employing the Dubinin–Radushkevich equation.
The Judgeship of All Citizens: Dworkin’s Protestantism About Law

This article gives an account of what Ronald Dworkin calls ‘the protestant attitude’ towards law. Dworkin’s protestantist claim that the interpretive attitude towards law is to be taken not only by judges, but also by ordinary citizens is explained and defended. The account of Dworkin’s protestantism about law in this article is not based on his more general protestantist view about the interpretation of social practices, but, rather, on the nature of authoritative statements of the law in Dworkin’s theory of law as integrity. Protestantism is thus shown to be an integral part of the theory of law as integrity. It is also argued in this article that protestantism about law can accommodate the idea that legal deliberation is an authoritative and public process while leaving room for a significant role for citizens in the development of law. Indeed, any plausible theory of law should incorporate protestantism.
Endoscopic Treatment of Silent Sinus Syndrome with Dramatic Resolution

Discussion In this article, silent sinus syndrome developed in a young woman followed for chronic sinusitis. Spontaneous enophthalmos developed in the setting of an obstructed sinus outflow tract, and was associated with orbital pressure and pain. The patient was taken to the operating room for FESS. The remarkable component of her post-operative course is the resolution of the bony involution of the posterior wall of the maxillary sinus, which resolved after about six months post-operatively. She was found on postoperative CT scan to have fully restored maxillary sinus architecture. We conclude that the atelectasia of the bony sinus walls resolved spontaneously through aeration from maxillary sinus decompression alone. Specifically, resolution of the posterior maxillary sinus wall inbowing has not been reported. Thus, the osseous changes of SSS can spontaneously resolve after FESS-induced aeration alone and without direct manipulation. These findings call into question the necessity for routine orbital floor recons truction in these patients, which is current standard practice in the setting of enophthalmos. Several authors have indeed noted resolution of the inferior bowing of the orbital floor through FESS alone and without reconstructive manipulation of the orbital floor. Habibi et al reported on a 16 year-old girl with facial asymmetry due to left enophthalmos. 13 CT revealed left maxillary sinus atelectasis with an opacified le ft maxillary antrum. The patient underwent FESS. Six-month and 2-year followups after surgical treatment revealed aeration of the maxillary sinus and resolution of the enophthalmos. Babinski et al also reported 3 cases of SSS whose enophthalmos was completely resolved without orbital floor repair. 14 In this case, the maxillary sinus wall changes resolved after FESS, with notable resolution of the prior inbowing of the posterior sinus wall. It remains to be seen if the patient’s enophthal mos will resolve, and she is being followed clinical for this. She will elect for reconstructive repair if it does not resolve. This case highlights the spontaneous resolution of the bony changes seen in chronic maxillary atelectasis – especially the resolution of the posterior maxillary sinus – through FESS-induced aeration of the sinus alone. This calls into question t he need for reconstructive repair of the orbital floor.
Critical behavior of the electrical resistance of very thin Cr films.

Measurements of the thickness dependence of the electrical resistance of two very thin Cr films deposited at substrate temperatures of 385 and 360 \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C and pressures of ${10}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}7}$ and ${10}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}6}$ Torr are reported. The various conduction mechanisms have been identified and a metal-insulator region spanning about 5.5 nm of thickness has been found. In this region the resistance of both films follows the scaling law R\ensuremath{\propto}(d-${d}_{c}$${)}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}t}$ with t=1.34\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.11 and ${d}_{c}$ equal to 1.64\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.20 and 1.03\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.20 nm.
Optimization of Vapor Induced Puffing in Apple Dehydration

Vapor induced puffing during high temperature fluidized bed (HTFB) dehydration of apple cubes was optimized using response surface methodology (RSM). Osmoblanching in sugar syrup prevented enzymatic browning. Successful puffing was achieved by creating a surface barrier to vapor by dipping the cubes in starch solution and manipulating the temperature and time of exposure in the HTFB. Optimum conditions for minimum bulk density with acceptable levels of nonenzymatic browning included dipping osmoblanched apple cubes in 1% starch solution, followed by HTFB drying 11 min at 157 o C. Product bulk density exhibited a minimum' while nonenzymatic browning values did not display an optimum. Minimum value of bulk density predicted by RSM and browning values were very close to those verified experimentally for product processed under the identified optimum conditions
Multiple causal attributions: An investigation of college students learning a foreign language

Past research has typically examined only single causal attributions for each student’s academic performance; however, it may be the case that students make several unique attributions for a single outcome. Learning a new language has been reported as being a difficult task that may elicit a number of explanations for success and failure. Therefore, the current study examined the multiple causal attributions of 156 North American college students in foreign language classes. Open-ended questions that allowed students to report as many as three different causal ascriptions for both their success and failure in learning a foreign language revealed that students make a wide variety of multiple explanations for their performance. Ratings of these causes indicated that the multiple attributions differed along Weiner’s (Psychological Review, 92, 548–573, 1985) causal dimensions of internal/external, stable/unstable, and personal control/external control within each student. It was also found that the pattern of causal attributions was different between success and failure causes. The importance of considering multiple causal attributions for performance outcomes is discussed.
Modulation of Immune Cell Function Following Fluoxetine Administration in Rats

Fluoxetine (FLX) and other specific serotonin uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) have become the drugs of choice for treating depression. However, only a limited number of studies have addressed the effects of FLX on immune cell function. Our lab has measured the effects of both acute and chronic FLX administration on two functions of cell-mediated immunity, mitogen-induced lymphocyte proliferation (MILP) and natural killer cell cytolytic activity (NKCA). In this article we report that acute FLX administration (10 mg/kg) resulted in a dose- and time-dependent decrease in MILP and NKCA. MILP was more sensitive than NKCA to FLX, requiring lower doses for inhibition; however, the effects were more transient. Following chronic FLX administration, these effects were no longer observed, suggesting that an apparent tolerance to these particular measures of cell-mediated immunity had developed. Finally, a single microinjection of FLX directly into the lateral ventricle produced similar suppressive effects on MILP and NKCA, suggesting that the immunomodulatory mechanism may have a central component.
Science and the Committee Process The Presentation of the Scientific Self

I just love Professor Hilgartner's book. It has been 14 years since I last commented on a book at an Author Meets Critics session at the Society for Social Studies of Science (4S) Annual Meetings. That book was Science in Action at Amsterdam in 1987 (Latour, 1987). You may know that that book never won a book prize. It never won a prize because the 4S had no book prize no Fleck Prize, no Carson Award, no Mullins award. Now we have a lot of stuff, a lot of awards. I'm against awards myself. I'm not in favor of them at all and I'd do away with them if I were the King. But as long as we have to have them, I'd be very happy if this book could win one of them. In a word, Professor Hilgartner's book is great, not just because it is about an interesting subject, but because it reveals and celebrates the development of the field, the maturity of the field it is Latourian, but it is not actor networks. It links up with classical sociology the man himself, the Elvis of sociology, Erving Goffman. And it succeeds in what many have found a very difficult task. Everyone loves to talk about dramaturgy I've given at least one lecture a semester on it for 20 years. But actually executing a dramaturgical analysis is quite difficult. The book combines organizational analysis with discourse analysis impeccably, and throws in new literary forms for good measure. But most important, I think, are the questions that it raises a litany of some of the most significant issues for science studies. We all know that knowledge-claims generated from research studies are important these are High Science. We all know that media science is important press releases, science writing and so forth this is Low Science. But what is extremely significant is this intermediate area 'science advice' the
Fetal anomalies and long-term effects associated with substance abuse in pregnancy: a literature review.

Objectives Substance abuse in pregnancy remains a major public health problem. Fetal teratogenicity results from the effect of these substances during fetal development, particularly when used in combination. This review will focus on and attempt to clarify the existing literature regarding the association of substance abuse on the development of congenital anomalies and the long-term implications in exposed offspring. Methods Systematic review of available English literature using the PubMed database of all peer-reviewed articles on the subject. Results A total of 128 articles were included in this review. Alcohol was the most common substance associated with fetal anomalies, particularly facial dysmorphisms and alterations in the central nervous system development. Adverse maternal environments associated with risky behaviors and lack of adequate prenatal care precludes the timely detection of fetal anomalies, confounding most studies linking causality. In addition, although methodological differences and limited availability of well-designed trials exist, substance abuse in pregnancy has been associated with adverse long-term outcomes in infant growth, behavior, cognition, language and achievement. Conclusion The literature summarized in this review suggests that drug exposure during pregnancy may increase the risk of congenital anomalies and long-term adverse effects in exposed children and adolescents. These conclusions must be tempered by the many confounders associated with drug use. A multidisciplinary approach is paramount for appropriate counseling regarding the known immediate and long-term risks of substance abuse in pregnancy.
Strategic human resource management and supply chain orientation

Abstract Most SHRM research has concentrated on single, focal organizations and on activities taking place within the firm. The purpose of this article is to lay a foundation for studying SHRM in the supply chain. We present a framework which identifies factors that influence whether adopting a supply chain orientation (SCO) is effective, and articulates the contingencies that shape SHRM practices needed to achieve and capitalize on SCO. We make several contributions to the strategic human resource management and supply chain literatures. First, we highlight this neglected area of research. Second, we expand the boundary conditions of strategic human resource management and HR systems from a primarily single firm, intra-organizational focus to one which includes both intra- and inter-organizational relationships. Third, we provide a framework for understanding the links between HR systems, SCO, and strategic outcomes. Fourth, we build upon previous theorizing in strategic human resource management and provide a framework for research in the supply chain context. And finally, we offer propositions for future research, along with a decision making model which has implications for both research and management practice.
Building the perfect beast: dreams of a grand unified protocol

From the infinite world of protocol designs-yet-to-be, the paper focuses on an IETF Birds-of-a-Feather proposal for an Application Core (ApplCore) protocol. ApplCore would identify common problems encountered in application-level protocol development and then design one simple core protocol to solve these problems based on the successes and failures of already deployed IETF protocols-in effect, an application-layer TCP.
A high sensitivity multi-spectral three-dimensional fluorescence optical tomography system for small animal imaging

We have designed a three dimensional (3D) fluorescence optical tomography system for small animal imaging based on an innovative system geometry that uses a truncated conical mirror which permits the entire surface of the animal to be viewed simultaneously by a single CCD camera. Compared with traditional approaches that employ a flat mirror, the conical mirror system has approximately 3 times better measurement sensitivity. By utilizing a fast switching filter wheel (switching time < 100 milliseconds), emission data at multiple wavelengths can be efficiently collected. An array of appropriately shaped neutral density filters, mounted on a linear stage, can be used to increase the system measurement dynamic range by 3 orders of magnitude. An x-y galvo mirror scanning system makes it possible to scan a collimated laser beam to any location on the mouse surface. A pattern of structured light incident on the animal surface is used to extract the surface geometry. A finite element based algorithm is applied to model photon propagation in the turbid media and a preconditioned conjugate gradient (PCG) method is used to solve the large linear system matrix. The reconstruction algorithm and the system performance are evaluated by phantom experiments.
Frequency and duration of contacts between free-ranging raccoons: uncovering a hidden social system

Raccoons (Procyon lotor), like most carnivores, are nocturnal and secretive and consequently difficult to observe. We used proximity-detecting collars to determine effects of sex, age, and season on contact rate and duration; document patterns of seasonal contact rates by dyad type and determine whether patterns were random; identify dyads that exhibited contact rates significantly greater than expected and document the persistence of these positive associations across seasons; and document frequency of den sharing as an additional measure of positive associations at an urban study site with a high-density raccoon population. Contact rate and duration were affected by dyad type, season, and their interaction. Male–male (MM) dyads exhibited higher contact values than male–female (MF) or female–female (FF) dyads, and contact parameters were greater during winter and spring than summer and autumn. Contact parameters for MM and FF dyads were not affected by age of dyad members, whereas those of MF dyads were affected by age and its interaction with season. MF dyads with older individuals exhibited greater contact parameters, and this effect was greatest during winter. For all dyad types and seasons, except FF dyads during winter, observed distributions of contact rates differed from expected. Males formed groups, with most positively associated dyads persisting across seasons, and females were associated almost exclusively with members of only 1 male group. Some positively associated MF dyads occurred during autumn and continued through spring. Positively associated FF dyads occurred at a lower rate and were ephemeral, seldom lasting more than 1 season. FF and MF dyads exhibited a greater proportion of low-frequency contacts with conspecifics than expected during all seasons, except winter, which may function to maintain amicable relationships between neighbors or reinforce dominance hierarchies and create a framework for more complex social behaviors. Raccoons appear to live in a fission–fusion society, with many short-term acquaintances and a few long-term associations.
Some Effects of Feedback Error BV Diagnostic Decision Tasks

In this article the author discusses research he conducted that examined decision making behavior. He notes that in the decision making process individuals are often presented with various unreliab...
Sports stress syndromes of the hand and wrist

Many injuries to the hand and wrist may be seen in the practice of sports medicine. Most of these injuries are well known and the details of their diagnosis and treatment are well documented. However, even among this group, certain injuries frequently escape detection or are not monitored carefully enough to detect their frequent residual complications. These injuries are particular sources of problems. Some little known diagnoses are seldom considered, but any diagnosis, even a presumptive one, is better than applying vague, descriptive, but nondefinitive terms to an athlete's injury. Although the ideal treatment is not yet available for any of these injuries, a lack of diagnosis will often mean that treatment is haphazard or nonexistent.
Modeling Focused Ultrasound Exposure for the Optimal Control of Thermal Dose Distribution

Preclinical studies indicate that focused ultrasound at exposure conditions close to the threshold for thermal damage can increase drug delivery at the focal region. Although these results are promising, the optimal control of temperature still remains a challenge. To address this issue, computer-simulated ultrasound treatments have been performed. When the treatments are delivered without taking into account the cooling effect exerted by the blood flow, the resulting thermal dose is highly variable with regions of thermal damage, regions of underdosage close to the vessels, and areas in between these two extremes. When the power deposition is adjusted so that the peak thermal dose remains close to the threshold for thermal damage, the thermal dose is more uniformly distributed but under-dosage is still visible around the thermally significant vessels. The results of these simulations suggest that, for focused ultrasound, as for other delivery methods, the only way to control temperature is to adjust the average energy deposition to compensate for the presence of thermally significant vessels in the target area. By doing this, we have shown that it is possible to reduce the temperature heterogeneity observed in focused ultrasound thermal treatments.
Efficient I/O and storage of adaptive-resolution data

We present an efficient, flexible, adaptive-resolution I/O framework that is suitable for both uniform and Adaptive Mesh Refinement (AMR) simulations. In an AMR setting, current solutions typically represent each resolution level as an independent grid which often results in inefficient storage and performance. Our technique coalesces domain data into a unified, multiresolution representation with fast, spatially aggregated I/O. Furthermore, our framework easily extends to importance-driven storage of uniform grids, for example, by storing regions of interest at full resolution and nonessential regions at lower resolution for visualization or analysis. Our framework, which is an extension of the PIDX framework, achieves state of the art disk usage and I/O performance regardless of resolution of the data, regions of interest, and the number of processes that generated the data. We demonstrate the scalability and efficiency of our framework using the Uintah and S3D large-scale combustion codes on the Mira and Edison supercomputers.
Acid/base and hydrogen bonding effects on the proton-coupled electron transfer of quinones and hydroquinones in acetonitrile: Mechanistic investigation by voltammetry, 1H NMR and computation

Abstract This report seeks to address the role of hydrogen bonding with Bronsted acids and bases in proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) as it pertains to concerted or stepwise pathways of quinone (Q) and hydroquinone (QH2) electrochemistry. This study was performed using a series of techniques that included cyclic voltammetry (CV), digital simulations, computational chemistry and 1H NMR. Hydrogen bonding was inferred by a decrease in diffusion coefficient (D) values measured using a pulsed gradient echo- (PGE-) 1H NMR technique. Changes of 40.8% and 37.9% in D values were only noted after the addition of two equivalents of acetate to 1,4-hydroquinone (1,4-QH2) and catechol (1,2-QH2), respectively. In contrast, the D values for the addition of selected amines (pyridine, N,N-diisopropylethylamine and triethylamine) changed only 3.2% on average. Quantum mechanical calculations were conducted to determine the pKa of all quinoid species to serve as a starting point for the determination of equilibrium constants in voltammetric simulations. Simulations indicate that 1,4-benzoquinone undergoes stepwise electron–proton transfer upon addition of acetic acid, N-ethyldiisopropylammonium perchlorate and pyridinium nitrate and were simulated without the presence of hydrogen bonds. The QH2 compounds show stepwise proton–electron transfers after addition of the both the conjugate amines and acetate.
Outcomes and utilization of kidneys from deceased donors with acute kidney injury.

Utilization and long-term outcomes of kidneys from donors with elevated terminal serum creatinine (sCr) levels have not been reported. Using data from the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients from 1995 to 2007, recipient outcomes of kidneys from adult donors were evaluated stratified by standard criteria (SCD; n = 82 262) and expanded criteria (ECD; n = 16 978) donor type and by sCr 2.0 mg/dL. Discard rates for SCDs were ascertained. The relative risk of graft loss was similar for recipients of SCD kidneys with sCr of 1.6-2.0 and >2.0 mg/dL, compared to 2.0 mg/dL (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 7.04, 95% confidence interval [CI] 6.5-7.6) and 1.6-2.0 mg/dL (AOR 2.7; CI 2.5-2.9) relative to sCr </=1.5 mg/dL. Among potential SCDs, elevated terminal creatinine is a strong independent risk factor for kidney discard; yet, when kidney transplantation is performed elevated donor terminal creatinine is not a risk factor for graft loss. Further research is needed to identify safe practices for the optimal utilization of SCD kidneys from donors with acute kidney injury.
Regulatory objectives and enforcement behavior

Economic models of enforcing environmental law have incorporated varying assumptions about regulatory objectives. This paper examines the consequences of different attitudes toward the benefits and costs of pollution control on the part of regulators who have limited powers and resources. We find that greater weight given to compliance costs relative to the social damages of the polluting activity will bring outcomes closer to the optimum when the regulator is strong, but may move outcome further from the social optimum when regulatory powers are weak. When negotiated noncompliance is an option, greater consideration of compliance costs will tend to produce better results.
Conductance changes induced by DL-homocysteic acid and N-methyl-DL-aspartic acid in hippocampal neurons

Abstract Iontophoretic application of DL -homocysteic acid or N-methyl- DL -aspartic acid to the dendrites of hippocampal neurons maintained in vitro caused membrane depolarizations that were associated with increases as well as decreases in input resistance. Increases in resistance were most prominent when low doses of agonists were applied. Both types of conductance change persisted after bath application of tetrodotoxin and manganese.
Antigen processing of myelin basic protein is required prior to recognition by T cells inducing EAE.

Abstract The processing and presentation of whole myelin basic protein (MBP) and a 12 amino acid encephalitogenic peptide were investigated using MBP-immune and peptide-immune murine T cell lines. Myelin basic protein is the major component of central nervous system (CNS) white matter capable of inciting an autoimmune response which leads to the disease, experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE), in a number of animal species. MBP-immune T cell lines caused a form of adoptively transferred EAE when injected into naive, syngeneic recipients. It has been found that both whole MBP and peptide required processing in order to induce proliferation of the T cell lines. The proliferative response was greatest when MBP was processed under conditions in which proteolysis was prevented. The demonstration that activation of encephalitogenic MBP immune T cells requires a processed form of MBP may have relevance to the human inflammatory CNS demyelinating condition, multiple sclerosis, for which EAE is the prime animal model.
Target-derived BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) is essential for the survival of developing neurons in the isthmo-optic nucleus.

Neurons in the peripheral nervous system depend on single neurotrophic factors, whereas those in the brain are thought to utilize many different trophic factors. This study examined whether some neurons in the brain critically depend on a single trophic factor during development. Neurons in the isthmo-optic nucleus (ION) of chick embryos respond to exogenous brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Relatively high concentrations of endogenous BDNF were present in the ION of 14-18-day-old chick embryos. ION target cells in the retina were immunolabeled for BDNF but showed surprisingly low levels of BDNF mRNA. These data suggest that ION target cells derive some BDNF from other retinal sources. No BDNF mRNA was detected in the ION itself. ION neurons had a very efficient retrograde transport system for BDNF and exogenous BDNF arrived in the ION intact. When the ION was deprived of endogenous trkB ligands by injection of trkB fusion proteins in the eye, cell death of ION neurons was enhanced, and this effect was mimicked by BDNF-specific blocking antibodies in the eye. TrkB fusion proteins in the retina induced cell death of ION neurons prior to visible effects on ION target cells in the retina. Immunolabel for endogenous BDNF was sparse in pyknotic ION neurons, suggesting that ION neurons with low BDNF content were eliminated by apoptosis. These data show that BDNF is an essential target-derived trophic factor for developing ION neurons and thereby validate the neurotrophic hypothesis for at least one neuronal population in the brain.
Unique structures in the insect granular hemocytes.

The ultrastructural studies of the cockroach nymph granular hemocytes show structures in the cytoplasm that have never been described. Some of the inclusions have structural characteristics suggestive of melanosomes and premelanosomes, plastids, and microbodies. It is particularly interesting that some granules contain microtubules (250 A in diameter) which display central elements. The central elements are approximately 50 A in diameter and reveal 8 spokes radiating from them. In addition the granular hemocytes show marginal bundles of microtubules which are always in close proximity to the cell membrane. These tubules lack the 50 A central elements. The findings are discussed in terms of previous known functions and histochemistry of insect hemocytes.
Optimizing antihypertensive treatment in clinical practice.

Abstract Hypertension affects approximately 50 million individuals in the United States (US) and approximately 1 billion individuals worldwide. Blood pressure (BP) reduction significantly lowers the risk of cardiovascular (CV) disease—the most common cause of death in the US—yet only approximately one third of Americans with hypertension have their disease controlled to the minimum recommended level of 20/10 mm Hg above goal BP. A valuable class of drug in the management of hypertension, β-blockers (βB) play an important role—whether as initial agents or as add-on therapy. They are especially useful in hypertensive patients with certain comorbidities such as diabetes or heart failure, in patients post–myocardial infarction, or in those generally at high risk for coronary disease. This article explores the cardioprotective role of how βB may be used to optimize antihypertensive treatment.
Letter to the editors regarding comments by Ghirardello et al. on the rasburicase article

Sirs, We appreciate the comments by Ghirardello et al. [1] concerning their experience with rasburicase in neonates with hyperuricemia and acute kidney injury (AKI). They reference their unpublished data and assert that the concomitant improvements in urinary output and serum creatinine observed in our study with the lowering of uric acid were likely the result of volume reconstitution, not a therapeutic effect of rasburicase [2]. Several tumor lysis syndrome studies demonstrating the utility of rasburicase in the absence of volume reconstitution have demonstrated significant improvement of serum creatinine with uric acid [3–5]. We cannot definitively state that rasburicase improved the renal function in our hyperuricemic infants with AKI. When these findings are taken together, the report by Ghirardello et al. contrasting published studies demonstrating a potential renal benefit of treatment with rasburicase identifies the need for a prospective study targeting uric acid reduction to prove or disprove its benefit to the infant with AKI. References
Infants' intensity discrimination: Spectral profiles☆

Seven-month-old infants' detection of a change in the spectral shape of an auditory stimulus, a task termed profile analysis, was assessed. Such changes are usually described as changes in the quality or timbre of a sound, and it has been suggested that listeners discriminate the quality of vowels and musical instruments by analyzing spectral shapes. In a visually reinforced operant head-turn procedure, infants first learned to discriminate two harmonic complexes that contained the same frequencies. Variations in the relative intensities of those frequencies distinguished the two stimuli: The intensity of successive harmonics either increased (rising spectrum) or decreased (falling spectrum). These sounds were then presented at randomly varying sound pressure levels. This roving stimulus level minimized the usefulness of intensity cues at specific frequencies and forced infants to attend to the entire spectral profile. Although infants' performance on the profile analysis task deteriorated relative to that on the discrimination task, they successfully grouped the stimuli in accordance with their spectral profiles. These results provide evidence that infants, like adults, can perform a profile analysis task but that it is more difficult than a simple discrimination task.
The Association Between Mental Health and Cognitive Screening Scores in Older Veterans

Objectives To examine overall cognitive screening results and the relationship between cognitive screen score and sociodemographic characteristics, reason for referral, and clinical outcomes of older veterans referred by primary care for a behavioral health assessment. Design Cross-sectional, naturalistic study. Setting Primary care clinics affiliated with two VA Medical Centers. Participants The sample included 4,325 older veterans referred to the Behavioral Health Laboratory who completed an initial mental health/substance abuse assessment. Veterans were categorized into the following three groups on the basis of cognitive status: within normal limits, possible cognitive impairment, and possible dementia. Measurements Sociodemographic and clinical data on reason for referral, cognitive functioning (i.e., Blessed Orientation-Memory-Concentration test), and behavioral health assessment outcomes were extracted from patients' medical records. Data were analyzed using multiple linear and logistic regressions. Results Results of cognitive screenings indicated that the majority of the sample was within normal limits (62.5%), with 25.8%, 8.1%, and 3.6% of patients evidencing possible cognitive impairment, possible dementia, and Blessed Orientation-Memory-Concentration scores of 17 or more, respectively. With regard to reason for referral, patients with greater cognitive impairment were more likely to be identified by the antidepressant case finder than patients with less impairment. Increased age, non-white ethnicity, self-perceived inadequate finances, major depressive disorder, and symptoms of psychosis were associated with greater cognitive impairment. Conclusions Findings highlight the importance of evaluating cognitive status in older adults who are referred for a behavioral health assessment and/or receive a new mental health/substance abuse diagnosis. Doing so has the potential to improve recognition and treatment of cognitive impairment and dementia, thereby improving quality of care for many older adults.
High throughput screening of heterologous P450 whole cell activity

Cytochrome P450s are a superfamily of monooxygenases that catalyze numerous stereo- and regio-specific oxygenation reactions that are potentially valuable biotransformations. In particular, plant P450s typically have higher substrate specificity than mammalian P450s. Since most eukaryotic P450s are membrane-bound proteins, require the cofactor NAD(P)H and cytochrome P450 reductase (CPR), a whole-cell system is preferred for application in biosynthesis. Cinnamate 4-hydroxylase (C4H) is a P450 monooxygenase from the phenylpropanoid pathway, which catalyzes the hydroxylation of cinnamic acid with high specificity. In this study, recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae co-expressing C4H and CPR from Arabidopsis thaliana was selected as a system to develop an optimal medium for the heterologous expression of plant P450s. A high throughput screening (HTS) method based on the natural substrate was developed to examine factors important for whole cell C4H activity, which included the ratio of inducer (galactose) to glucose and concentration of casein hydrolysate. A single-stage procedure that combined cell growth and induction was optimized through factorial design to simplify cell culture and enzyme expression.
The Folly of Teaching-Hospital Mergers

Teaching hospitals from Boston to San Francisco are merging and transforming themselves into so-called integrated health care systems. Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women's Hospita...