cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Steric stabilization of inorganic suspensions in carbon dioxide

Abstract Nonionic and ionic surfactants with poly(fluoroacrylate), poly(fluoroether) or poly(dimethyl siloxane) tails stabilize hydrophilic and hydrophobic silica suspensions in carbon dioxide for hours as shown with turbidimetry. For hydrophilic silica, surfactant head groups with carboxylate, carboxylic acid, styrene and ethylene oxide functionalities adsorb to silica, in part due to hydrogen bonding to silanol groups. As density, and thus the solvent quality, are lowered an abrupt ‘critical flocculation density’ is observed for silica stabilized by poly(styrene-b-fluoroacrylate) (Mn values: 4.5 k-b-24.5 k). This loss in steric stabilization is observed just above the cloud-point density of poly(fluoroacrylate) in bulk CO2, due to collapse of the stabilizer chains. In contrast, the loss in stabilization is continuous for perfluoropolyether COO−NH4+ (2500 g/mol) due to its low molecular weight.
Microarray analysis of homocysteine-responsive genes in cardiac neural crest cells in vitro

The amino acid homocysteine increases in the serum when there is insufficient folic acid or vitamin B(12), or with certain mutations in enzymes important in methionine metabolism. Elevated homocysteine is related to increased risk for cardiovascular and other diseases in adults and elevated maternal homocysteine increases the risk for certain congenital defects, especially those that result from abnormal development of the neural crest and neural tube. Experiments with the avian embryo model have shown that elevated homocysteine perturbs neural crest/neural tube migration in vitro and in vivo. Whereas there have been numerous studies of homocysteine-induced changes in gene expression in adult cells, there is no previous report of a homocysteine-responsive transcriptome in the embryonic neural crest. We treated neural crest cells in vitro with exogenous homocysteine in a protocol that induces significant changes in neural crest cell migration. We used microarray analysis and expression profiling to identify 65 transcripts of genes of known function that were altered by homocysteine. The largest set of effected genes (19) included those with a role in cell migration and adhesion. Other major groups were genes involved in metabolism (13); DNA/RNA interaction (11); cell proliferation/apoptosis (10); and transporter/receptor (6). Although the genes identified in this experiment were consistent with prior observations of the effect of homocysteine upon neural crest cell function, none had been identified previously as response to homocysteine in adult cells.
On a lightwave network topology using Kautz digraphs

In this paper, the properties of Kautz digraphs are studied to evaluate their suitability as topology for optical networks. The properties are compared to those of other topologies proposed in the literature and it has been shown these topologies have better performance in terms of queuing delay in a multihop network. For a given degree of each node and a given diameter of the network, a Kautz digraph supports more nodes than other topologies, like shufflenet or that of using a de Bruijn digraph, and seems to be an attractive design for the physical topology as well.
Effect of gender on long-term survival after abdominal aortic aneurysm repair based on results from the Medicare national database

Objectives Historically, women have higher procedurally related mortality rates than men for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair. Although endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) has improved these rates for men and women, effects of gender on long-term survival with different types of AAA repair, such as EVAR vs open aneurysm repair (OAR), need further investigation. To address this issue, we analyzed survival in matched cohorts who received EVAR or OAR for both elective (eAAA) and ruptured AAA (rAAA). Methods Using the Medicare Beneficiary Database (1995-2006), we compiled a cohort of patients who underwent OAR or EVAR for eAAA (n = 322,892) or rAAA (n = 48,865). Men and women were matched by propensity scores, accounting for baseline demographics, comorbid conditions, treating institution, and surgeon experience. Frailty models were used to compare long-term survival of the matched groups. Results Perioperative mortality for eAAAs was significantly lower among EVAR vs OAR recipients for both men (1.84% vs 4.80%) and women (3.19% vs 6.37%, P Conclusions Gender disparity is evident from long-term outcomes after AAA repair. In the case for rAAA, where the long-term outcome for women was significantly worse than for men, the less invasive EVAR treatment did not appear to benefit women to the same extent that it did for men. Although the long-term outcome after open repair for elective AAA was also worse for women, EVAR benefit for women was sustained longer than for men. These associations require further study to isolate specific risk factors that would be potential targets for improving AAA management.
A Practical Way to Select an Optimum Farm Plan Under Risk: Comment

Scott and Baker used Baumol's expected-gain confidence limit criterion to design a framework for the practical implementation of risk programming analysis. They argue, and we agree, that perceptive commercial farmers are capable of processing risky information in terms of their own risk-return preferences. However, we are concerned that the procedures Scott and Baker suggest for evaluating risk results are somewhat obscure and may not lead to the best choice. Accordingly, in this comment we use lexicographic utility analysis to extend their treatment of risky information. In addition we show how Baumol's criterion or stochastic dominance, together with a "safety-first" rule, lead to similar choices from the set of E-V efficient portfolios. Baumol's criterion for reducing the set of efficient portfolios was based on deriving the lower confidence limits (L) for alternative portfolios and is expressed
On a solution of the self-interaction problem in Kohn-Sham density functional theory

Abstract We report on a methodology for the treatment of the Coulomb energy and potential in Kohn–Sham density functional theory that is free from self-interaction effects. Specifically, we determine the Coulomb potential given as the functional derivative of the Coulomb energy with respect to the density, where the Coulomb energy is calculated explicitly in terms of the pair density of the Kohn–Sham orbitals. This is accomplished by taking advantage of an orthonormal and complete basis that is an explicit functional of the density that then allows for the functional differentiation of the pair density with respect to the density to be performed explicitly. This approach leads to a new formalism that provides an analytic, closed-form determination of the exchange potential. This method is applied to one-dimensional model systems and to the atoms Helium through Krypton based on an exchange only implementation. Comparison of our total energies (denoted SIF) to those obtained using the usual Hartree–Fock (HF) and optimized effective potential (OEP) methods reveals the hierarchy E HF ≤ E OEP ≤ E SIF that is indicative of the greater variation freedom implicit in the former two methods.
Neighborhood community and quality of life

Metropolitan area residents have increasingly had more opportunities to become personally involved in communities outside of their local neighborhoods. The challenge for community development pract...
Effects of intraventricularly administered monoamines on seizure susceptibility and body temperature in rats.

Abstract Rats injected through permanent intraventricular cannulas with 8 μg of norepinephrine, 32 μg of dopamine or 8 μg of serotonin were tested 5 min later by the measurement of the electroshock seizure threshold and the duration of various components of tonic-clonic seizures induced electrically or with flurothyl. Each of the monoamines decreased the threshold for the minimal seizure and increased the duration of the tonic extension and postictal depression phases of maximal electroshock convulsions. The findings with flurothyl were less consistent among the monoamines, but decreased latencies for the myoclonic jerk and generalized convulsions and prolonged recovery from the seizure were observed. With the doses used all the monoamines produced hypothermia. In animals supplied with sufficient external heat to prevent hypothermia, the decreased electroshock seizure threshold was returned to normal. These findings indicate that the seizure-facilitating effects of intraventricularly administered monoamines are attributable to decreased body temperature.
A nexus model of the temporal–parietal junction

The temporal–parietal junction (TPJ) has been proposed to support either specifically social functions or non-specific processes of cognition such as memory and attention. To account for diverse prior findings, we propose a nexus model for TPJ function: overlap of basic processes produces novel secondary functions at their convergence. We present meta-analytic evidence that is consistent with the anatomical convergence of attention, memory, language, and social processing in the TPJ, leading to a higher-order role in the creation of a social context for behavior. The nexus model accounts for recent examples of TPJ contributions specifically to decision making in a social context and provides a potential reconciliation for competing claims about TPJ function.
Selecting doctoral programs in nursing: resources for students and faculty.

Sixty-nine doctoral programs in nursing are currently offered at 75 universities in the United States. Resources to assist prospective doctoral students in making decisions concerning successfully pursuing doctoral education are collected and organized by a variety of nursing organizations. Nurses in academic settings access these lists and speciality publications through their deans' offices and professional affiliations. Prospective students, on the other hand, are largely employed in clinical settings and are often unaware of the existence of this information, which could assist them in their decisions. The purpose of this article is to provide prospective doctoral students and the faculty that may advise them with a current information to use in selecting a doctoral program in nursing.
Methamphetamine Use Is Independently Associated With Recent Risky Sexual Behaviors and Adolescent Pregnancy

BACKGROUND: Lifetime methamphetamine use among adolescents is estimated to be between 5% and 10%. Youth substance use in general is known to be associated with risky sexual behaviors, but the effect of methamphetamine use on recent risky sexual behaviors and adolescent pregnancy has received little attention. The purpose of this analysis was to evaluate the association between lifetime methamphetamine use and recent (past 3 months) risky sexual behaviors and lifetime adolescent pregnancy, adjusting for other substance use. METHODS: We analyzed data from the 2003 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey, a school-based paper-and-pencil survey that assesses risky health behaviors among a nationally representative sample of 9th- to 12th-grade students. Multivariable logistic regression was used to calculate adjusted odds ratios (AORs) to examine the association between methamphetamine use and being recently sexually active, having 2 or more recent sex partners, and ever being pregnant or getting someone pregnant. RESULTS: Lifetime methamphetamine use was reported by 7.6% of students. After adjustment for demographic covariates and lifetime use of cigarettes, alcohol, marijuana, and other illicit drugs, lifetime methamphetamine use was associated with recent sexual intercourse (AOR = 1.8, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.5-2.3), having 2 or more recent sex partners (AOR = 3.0, 95% CI = 2.2-4.2), and ever being pregnant or getting someone pregnant (AOR = 2.9, 95% CI = 2.1-3.9). CONCLUSIONS: Adolescent methamphetamine use is common and is associated with recent risky sexual behaviors and adolescent pregnancy. Prevention strategies for high school students should integrate education on substance abuse, pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections, and human immunodeficiency virus.
Late outcomes in patients with surgically treated congenital heart disease

Optimizing late outcomes should be the end result of improvements in medical and surgical care for congenital heart disease (CHD). In addition to mortality, significant morbidities after surgery for CHD need to be considered. These include the need for reintervention, cardiovascular complications, exercise limitations, neurocognitive morbidities, effects on pregnancy, difficulty obtaining insurance, need for chronic medications, and impaired functional status and quality of life. Long-term outcome studies are difficult to perform, and their interpretation is complicated by intervening changes in management. Specific discussion of long-term follow-up of tetralogy of Fallot, D-transposition of the great arteries, and hypoplastic left heart syndrome illustrates the myriad management changes over the last three decades, the challenges in predicting outcomes for recent patients, and the need for ongoing initiation of long-term follow-up studies.
Presence of children and household food expenditures at home and away from home

Households with children spend more on food at home than do households without children. On the other hand, compared with households without children, households with children who are at least 12 years of age are associated with higher expenditures on food away from home expenditures. Households with employed spouses are associated with lower expenditures on food at home. Other determinants of expenditures on food at home are seasonality, house ownership, region, household size, education, age and income. House ownership, region, household size, race, education and income also affect expenditures on food away from home.
Fabrication of magnetic recording heads and dry etching of head materials

The fabrication of magnetic recording heads is briefly described and compared with the fabrication of semiconductor integrated circuits. Relevant dry-etching processes are then reviewed. The processes include broad-beam ion etching, the primary dry-etching method used in recording-head manufacturing, and reactive ion etching, a promising process technique for future recording-head fabrication. For broad-beam ion etching, process issues such as the angular dependence of the etching rate, redeposition, and etching selectivity are discussed. For reactive ion etching, chemical aspects of the etching of nickel-iron, copper, hardbaked resist, aluminum oxide, tantalum, and titanium carbide/aluminum oxide substrate are reviewed, and some relevant examples are discussed. Although still not a mainstream process in the recording-head technology, reactive ion etching is expected to play a more important role in that technology in the future.
Tumor necrosis factor α stimulates mycobactericidal/ mycobacteriostatic activity in human macrophages by a protein kinase C-independent pathway

Abstract Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is a 17-kDa protein produced by endotoxin-stimulated macrophages. We have demonstrated that recombinant human TNF activates human macrophages to kill intracellular bacteria of the Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) in a dose-related manner. TNF also primed macrophages to produce superoxide anion (O − 2 ) following treatment with phorbol esther PMA (0. l μg/ml). To investigate the intracellular pathway involved in the TNF-mediated activation of mycobacteriostatic/mycobactericidal activity in macrophages, we used two different protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitors: H7 (10 −5 –10 −7 M ) and staurosporine (10 −7 –10 −9 M ). Mellitin (1 and 100 m M ) was used as a calmodulin inhibitor. Human peripheral blood-derived macrophages cultured for 7 days were treated with H7, mellitin, or staurosporine for 1 hr prior to incubation with TNF (10 3 U/ml). Twenty-four hours after treatment with TNF the O − 2 release was measured spectrophotometrically following exposure to PMA. Macrophages were infected with MAC and the viable intracellular bacilli were quantitated following 4 days of treatment with TNF. All PKC inhibitors suppressed O − 2 production after incubation with PMA. However, treatment with either PKC or calmodulin inhibitors did not influence the intracellular killing of M. avium by TNF-stimulated macrophages. Exposure of the macrophages to cGMP inhibitor but not to cAMP inhibitor significantly impaired the response to the stimulation with TNF. In contrast, incubation of macrophages with protein kinase A (PKA) had no effect on TNF-mediated mycobacteriostatic/mycobactericidal activity. These results suggest that the TNF-mediated mycobactericidal activity in cultured macrophages probably occurs by a PKC-independent mechanism.
Differential time effect profiles of amlodipine, as compared to valsartan, revealed by ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, self blood pressure measurements and dose omission protocol

Amlodipine and valsartan are once-daily antihypertensive agents. To date, no comparison between these agents given as monotherapies was reported. This study was aimed to evaluate the therapeutic coverage and safety of amlodipine and valsartan in mild-to-moderate hypertensive patients. Multicenter, double-blind, randomized, comparative study. After a 4-week placebo wash-out period, 246 outpatients with office diastolic blood pressure 95 ≤ DBP ≤110 mmHg and systolic blood pressure (SBP) 135/85 mmHg on 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM), were randomly allocated to once-daily amlodipine 5-10 mg or valsartan 40-80 mg, for 12 weeks. In a subgroup of patients, 48-h ABPM were performed at the end of the treatment period. Dose omission was simulated by a single-blind placebo dosing. The primary efficacy end-point was the 24-h trough office BP after 12 weeks of active therapy. The reductions in 24-h trough BP were more pronounced in amlodipine compared with valsartan group as well in office [SBP: -17.8 ± 10.9 vs. -14.6 ± 11.2, P = 0.025, DBP: -12.7 ± 7.2 vs. -10.9 ± 7.8 mmHg, P = 0.06) as in ambulatory BP (SBP/DBP: -13.0 ± 13.7/-10.8 ± 9.1 vs. -7.2 ± 19.4/ -4.9 ± 13.4 mmHg, P < 0.05). Forty-eight hours after the last active dose, the slope of the morning BP surge (4-9 h) was less steep with amlodipine vs. valsartan [DBP (P < 0.04), SBP (n.s.)]. Ankle edema were more often reported in amlodipine group. These results suggest a superior BP lowering and a longer duration of action with amlodipine compared with valsartan.
Weak solutions of differential equations in Banach spaces

We consider the Cauchy problem x (t) = f (t,x (t)), x (0) = x0 in a nonreflexive Banach space X and for f: T × X → X a weakly continuous vector field. Using a compactness hypothesis involving a weak measure of noncompactness we prove an existence result that generalizes earlier theorems by Chow-Shur, Kato and Cramer-Lakshmikantham-Mitchell.
Testing Properties of Sets of Points in Metric Spaces

Given query access to a set of points in a metric space, we wishto quickly check if it has a specific property. More precisely, wewish to distinguish sets of points that have the property fromthose that need to have at least an efraction ofpoints modified to achieve it. We show one-sided error testers that immediately follow fromknown characterizations of metric spaces. Among other things, wegive testers for tree metrics and ultrametrics which are optimalamong one-sided error testers. Our tester for embeddability intothe line is optimal even among two-sided error testers, and runs insublinear time. We complement our algorithms with several lowerbounds. For instance, we present lower bounds for testingdimensionality reduction in the l1andl∞metrics, which improve upon lower boundsgiven by Krauthgamer and Sasson (SODA 2003). All our lower boundsare constructed by using a generic approach. We also look at the problem from a streaming perspective, andgive a method for converting each of our property testers into astreaming tester.
Automated social coordination of cyber-physical systems with mobile actuator and sensor networks

Using cyber-physical systems to emulate complex social structures is an emerging field, with interesting applications. Such social structures can be used to better understand insect, animal, or even human populations. Additionally, these structures can be used to implement dynamic team work and problem-solving capabilities within autonomous agents. This research explores two separate experiment types in order to implement complex social systems using simple, individual behaviors. First, a situation in which a team of agents works together to locate another agent that is trying to evade capture; second, an agent is presented with a network of mobile defense units that are unaware of its presence- it must intelligently avoid detection and reach its goal using analyzing the distribution of the defense units.
Drought and the water-energy nexus in Texas

Texas experienced the most extreme drought on record in 2011 with up to 100 days of triple digit temperatures resulting in record electricity demand and historically low reservoir levels. We quantified water and electricity demand and supply for each power plant during the drought relative to 2010 (baseline). Drought raised electricity demands/generation by 6%, increasing water demands/consumption for electricity by 9%. Reductions in monitored reservoir storage <50% of capacity in 2011 would suggest drought vulnerability, but data show that the power plants were flexible enough at the plant level to adapt by switching to less water-intensive technologies. Natural gas, now 50% of power generation in Texas, enhances drought resilience by increasing the flexibility of power plant generators, including gas combustion turbines to complement increasing wind generation and combined cycle generators with 30% of cooling water requirements of traditional steam turbine plants. These reductions in water use are projected to continue to 2030 with increased use of natural gas and renewables. Although water use for gas production is controversial, these data show that water saved by using natural gas combined cycle plants relative to coal steam turbine plants is 25‐50 times greater than the amount of water used in hydraulic fracturing to extract the gas.
Cohabiting, Family and Community Stressors, Selection, and Juvenile Delinquency:

Prior research has established that children from traditional, two-parent nuclear families experience a lower risk of delinquency than children raised in alternative family structures. However, many studies have ignored the effect of parental cohabiting on delinquent development. A growing body of research suggests that cohabiting (even among biological parents) may be harmful to children. This study tests the hypothesis that cohabiting is associated with four different types of delinquent behavior. It examines two theoretical models, a family stress model and a community stress/selection model, as possible explanations of ‘‘the cohabiting effect.’’ The analysis reveals that cohabiting is generally associated with increased risk of misbehavior (although the effects do vary somewhat by type of delinquency). Although the theoretical models could not completely explain ‘‘the cohabiting effect,’’ substantial evidence of both mediation and moderation is found. The implications of the findings are discussed.
Oscillating Journal Bearings Under Steady Load: A Numerical Study of Limiting Cases

This note provides a more extensive assessment of bearing performance for steadily loaded oscillating journal bearings using the mobility method of solution. Even with significantly large journal oscillation amplitudes, unexpectedly thin films are predicted for conventional designs as the load number goes to zero. Offset journal bearing arrangements subjected to the same loads and kinematics are shown to provide a substantial improvement in film thickness, particularly at low oscillation amplitudes, compared with the conventional design configuration.
Computers in support of conceptual learning

The Hewlett-Packard Company and the European Community came in support of the project CoLoS (Conceptual Learning of Science) which promised to address the issue raised in the title of this talk: Can the computers really play a role in conveying concepts to the student? It was clear that the computers with their nonjudgmental and inexhaustible patience were highly effective in supporting the development of skills, i.e., the kind of knowledge that is acquired by repetition and practice. But it was questionable whether the computers could support the acquisition of deep understanding which underlies innovative and problem solving activity. The majority of natural phenomena whose conceptual comprehension was sought was recognized to originate in collective behaviour of a multitude of participants such as molecules and atoms and their constituents. Furthermore it became clear that the fundamental principles which govern the mutual interaction of such particles could be directly imposed on them by the use of computers. The resulting displays promised to contain the desired phenomena and at the same time to reveal the underlying mechanisms. The conceptual comprehension would thereby be served in the most direct way.
SeqRate: sequence-based protein folding type classification and rates prediction.

Background: Protein folding rate is an important property of a protein. Predicting protein folding rate is useful for understanding protein folding process and guiding protein design. Most previous methods of predicting protein folding rate require the tertiary structure of a protein as an input. And most methods do not distinguish the different kinetic nature (two-state folding or multi-state folding) of the proteins. Here we developed a method, SeqRate, to predict both protein folding kinetic type (two-state versus multi-state) and real-value folding rate using sequence length, amino acid composition, contact order, contact number, and secondary structure information predicted from only protein sequence with support vector machines. Results: We systematically studied the contributions of individual features to folding rate prediction. On a standard benchmark dataset, the accuracy of folding kinetic type classification is 80%. The Pearson correlation coefficient and the mean absolute difference between predicted and experimental folding rates (sec -1 ) in the base-10 logarithmic scale are 0.81 and 0.79 for two-state protein folders, and 0.80 and 0.68 for three-state protein folders. SeqRate is the first sequence-based method for protein folding type classification and its accuracy of fold rate prediction is improved over previous sequence-based methods. Its performance can be further enhanced with additional information, such as structure-based geometric contacts, as inputs. Conclusions: Both the web server and software of predicting folding rate are publicly available at http://casp.rnet. missouri.edu/fold_rate/index.html.
Children's use of the Yahooligans! Web search engine: I. Cognitive, physical, and affective behaviors on fact-based search tasks

This study reports on the first part of a research project that investigated children’s cognitive, affective, and physical behaviors as they use the Yahooligans! search engine to find information on a specific search task. Twenty-two seventh-grade science children from a middle school located in Knoxville, Tennessee participated in the project. Their cognitive and physical behaviors were captured using Lotus ScreenCam, a Windowsbased software package that captures and replays activities recorded in Web browsers, such as Netscape. Their affective states were captured via a one-on-one exit interview. A new measure called “Web Traversal Measure” was developed to measure children’s “weighted” traversal effectiveness and efficiency scores, as well as their quality moves in Yahooligans! Children’s prior experience in using the Internet/Web and their knowledge of the Yahooligans! interface were gathered via a questionnaire. The findings provided insights into children’s behaviors and success, as their weighted traversal effectiveness and efficiency scores, as well as quality moves. Implications for user training and system design are discussed.
THE NILE PERCH IN LAKE VICTORIA: LOCAL RESPONSES AND ADAPTATIONS

Introduced into Lake Victoria in the 1950s, the Nile perch has gained fame for prompting rapid regional economic growth and for driving scores of endemic fish species into extinction. This study uses oral and archival data to trace the historical development of the Nile perch fishery on Lake Victoria. Particular emphasis is placed on local responses and adaptations to (1) the Nile perch itself; (2) the abrupt integration of the Lake Victoria fishery with the global economy; and (3) the ecological changes that the Nile perch has precipitated. I also attempt to situate Lake Victoria's history in the larger debate about environment and African livelihoods. Because so much of Lake Victoria's species diversity has been lost within one generation – biologist E. O. Wilson (1992) has called this process ‘the most catastrophic extinction episode of recent history’ – the lake is an ideal case study with which to examine ‘local’ perceptions of biodiversity. The data suggest that species diversity is important and highly resolved in the worldviews of Lake Victoria's fishermen; yet, although the will for conservation is present, poverty obstructs its realization. These findings are discussed in relation to other work on indigenous environmental knowledge and ecological ethics. I argue that ‘intrinsic’ valuation of species diversity and ecological processes may be more widespread in rural societies than has traditionally been assumed by natural and social scientists, and that the preponderance of social studies highlighting oppositions between Western science and ethno-science, and between conservation concerns and local livelihoods, may have blinded us to synergies between them. More effort is needed to understand fully the nuances in these complex local ecological worldviews, perhaps via ‘social histories of extinction’ that explore the local consequences of species loss.
Association between Stenotrophomonas maltophilia and lung function in cystic fibrosis

Background: Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (SM) is a Gram-negative non-fermenting bacteria cultured from the sputum of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). To date, no information is available regarding the effect of this organism on lung function in CF. Methods: A cohort study was conducted to assess the effect of SM on lung function among CF patients aged ⩾6 years in the CF Foundation National Patient Registry from 1994 to 1999. Repeated measures regression was used to assess the association between SM and lung function. Results: The cohort consisted of 20 755 patients with median age at entry of 13.8 years and median follow up time of 3.8 years; 2739 patients (13%) were positive at least once for SM and 18 016 (87%) were never positive. After adjusting for sex, height and age, patients with SM had a mean forced expiratory volume in 1 second which was 0.09 l less (95% CI 0.05 to 0.14) than those without SM. The mean rate of decline associated with SM positivity was 0.025 l/year (95% CI 0.012 to 0.037) but, after adjusting for confounders (sex, height, weight, intravenous antibiotic courses, hospital admissions, pancreatic insufficiency, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Burkholderia cepacia status), the mean rate of decline decreased to 0.008 l/year (−0.008, 95% CI −0.019 to 0.003). Conclusions: Although CF patients with SM have worse lung function at the time of positivity, no association was found between SM and increased rate of decline after controlling for confounders.
Evaluating the Acceptance of Wetland Easement Conservation Offers

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wetland easement offers to North Dakota landowners from 1989 to 1998 had a 56% acceptance rate. Logit regression indicates that payment values, farm program certainty, participation history, and the quantity of deep wetlands all positively influenced acceptance. Payments were not sensitive to the use of published county land value data in lieu of appraisals. To increase acceptances, more transparency regarding easement offers and the updating of chart values accounting for the impact of easements on land values are suggested. These case study lessons have implications for other conservation easement programs that rely on private landowner participation.
Site-Specific Activities Useful for Conserving Biodiversity

There are many site-specific activities that can be conducted to conserve biodiversity in the Eastern Arc forests. I will limit my discussion, however, to activities that fall broadly divided into two categories: first, activities that identify, monitor, and enhance biodiversity; and secondly, activities that reduce human pressures on forests and forest resources.
The perceived effectiveness of total quality management as a tool for quality improvement in emergency medicine.

Objectives: To describe the perceived ef- fectiveness of using the Total Quality Management (TQM) approach to quality improvement in both ac- ademic and nonacademic EDs, and to discuss some important barriers to effectiveness of TQM programs. Method: A mail survey of 100 EDs was conducted with telephone follow-up. Hospitals were randomly selected from three subgroups: university teaching hospitals, nonuniversity teaching hospitals, and pri- vate nonteaching hospitals. ED physician directors or nonphysician administrators with knowledge of de- partmental quality improvement initiatives were sur- veyed. Results: The overall response rate was 60%. Of the respondents, 54 (90.0%) used TQM techniques as part of their quality improvement initiatives. TQM techniques were used more frequently and for a longer duration in academic programs. ED staff par- ticipation in TQM projects was relatively low; less than 25% in the majority (79.6%) of all EDs. TQM initiatives were ranked least effective in university settings, of which 11 of 13 (84.6%) rated their TQM programs as ineffective or having no effect. More ma- ture programs (>5 years old) had a significantly higher ranking for effectiveness than those programs less than 2 years old. Conclusions: Total Quality Management is being utilized in a large number of EDs. TQM initiative is perceived as having little or no positive effect. This is particularly the case in ac- ademic EDs. Key words: Total Quality Management; Continuous Quality Improvement; quality assurance; emergency departments; academic emergency de- partments. ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE 1999; 6:811-816
Making moral decisions: comparing two theories.

The birth of a child is a moment in time that parents cannot forget. The child may be born on his or her due date, a couple of days later, or even weeks early. Prior to this date, many decisions involving tests must be made. One test reveals whether a woman is pregnant, another test reports the gender of the child, and yet another test can determine whether the child will be born with a chromosomal abnormality, such as Down syndrome. Having or not having these tests is a parent’s right, and learning the results of these tests causes a person to make decisions that may have ethical implications. Learning the gender of the child may assist in deciding on a color to paint the nursery, but learning that the child will be born with Down syndrome requires those involved in the pregnancy to make other decisions. In this paper I focus on the decision-making process from two distinct theories of moral development: the ethics of justice and care that were originally hypothesized from a gender perspective (Flanagan & Jackson, 1992; Nunner-Winkler, 1992). Kohlberg’s (1976) theory, the ethic of justice, is comprised of stages of moral development. These stages were developed from the results of a study in which 84 men were interviewed. The interview consisted of a hypothetical moral dilemma. The participants were asked whether the person did the right thing in the situation. From these men’s responses, stages of moral development were identified. The underlying theme of the stages is laws and rules. Gilligan challenged this theory and criticized its stages because they were developed from a sample of males only. Gilligan (1977) published a study where 24 pregnant women who were considering whether or not to terminate their pregnancies were interviewed. From these women’s responses, another theory, the ethic of care, and its stages was developed. The underlying theme of these stages is relationships. The stages from both theories are compared in Table 1. Deciding to have a prenatal screening test to
Experiments on the wall-pressure history in shock-reflexion processes.

Wall-pressure histories of plane shock wave reflexion from cold end wall, noting vibrationally relaxing gas and shock front profile
On equilibrium refinements in supermodular games

We show that supermodular games satisfying sequential better-reply security possess a pure strategy perfect equilibrium and a strategically stable set of pure strategy equilibria. We illustrate that in continuous supermodular games, perfect equilibria may contain weakly dominated actions. Moreover, in discontinuous supermodular games satisfying sequential better-reply security, perfect equilibria may involve play of actions in the interior of the set of weakly dominated actions. We show that supermodular games satisfying sequential better-reply security possess pure strategy perfect equilibria outside the interior of the set of weakly dominated action profiles.
Potential uses of noncognitive measurement in education.

The potential educational import of noncognitive personal characteristics is examined with particular reference to problems in their measurement. Several noncognitive variables are discussed in terms of their distinctive features and educational relevance, including experiential background factors, affects, attitudes, interests, motives, curiosity, temperament, social sensitivity, coping strategies, cognitive styles, creativity, and values. Their different roles in various educational functions are briefly examined, especially in improving access and educational opportunity, setting objectives and standards, guidance, selection, placement, instruction and learning, and evaluation. Finally, attention is drawn to some dangers and difficulties in using noncognitive measures in educational practice and to the need for safeguards against misuse.
Influence of a Wide Range of Calcium Intakes on Tissue Distribution of Macroelements and Microelements in Dairy Calves

Sixteen intact male Holstein calves averaging 86 kg and 63 d of age were assigned randomly to four treatment groups. The four treatment diets contained .17, .67, 1.31, and 2.35% Ca on an as-fed basis. The resulting Ca:P ratios with P held constant at about .34% were .47:1, 1.92:1, 3.83:1, and 7.20:1. Calves were fed diets at 3% of their body weights for 4 wk. Magnesium in the bone ash and serum was lowered by the 2.35% Ca treatment. Serum inorganic P was also reduced by the highest Ca diet during the last 2 wk of the experiment. Liver had the highest concentration of Zn in calves fed .67% Ca, and the muscle from calves fed 1.31% Ca diet had the lowest amount of Zn. Copper was reduced in pancreas for 1.31% Ca diet, but Ca was highest in the muscle and heart at the .67% Ca treatment. Weight gains and feed efficiencies were not affected by Ca. Fecal pH was different among treatments and increased as Ca intake increased. Young growing dairy calves can adapt to a wide range of Ca intakes and Ca:P ratios and maintain a moderate growth rate for 4 wk. It appears that excessive dietary Ca may affect concentrations of Zn, Fe, Cu, and Mn in some body tissues, but the magnitude of the effect is relatively small.
Numerical Simulation of the Red Sea Outflow Using HYCOM and Comparison with REDSOX Observations

Abstract The outflow of warm, salty, and dense water from the Red Sea into the western Gulf of Aden is numerically simulated using the Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM). The pathways of the modeled overflow, temperature, salinity, velocity profiles from stations and across sections, and transport estimates are compared to those observed during the 2001 Red Sea Outflow Experiment. As in nature, the simulated outflow is funneled into two narrow channels along the seafloor. The results from the three-dimensional simulations show a favorable agreement with the observed temperature and salinity profiles along the channels. The volume transport of the modeled overflow increases with the increasing distance from the southern exit of the Bab el Mandeb Strait due to entrainment of ambient fluid, such that the modeled transport shows a reasonable agreement with that estimated from the observations. The initial propagation speed of the outflow is found to be smaller than the estimated interfacial wave speed. The...
Chemically Exfoliated MoS2 as Near-Infrared Photothermal Agents

The near-infrared (NIR) window refers to a range of wavelengths (700–1300 nm) in which biological tissues are highly transparent.[1] Consequently, biological imaging and therapy modalities employ light at these wavelengths for the monitoring[1] and triggering[2] of biological events in vitro and in vivo. For instance, photothermal ablation takes advantage of NIR absorbing materials for transducing light into heat.[2] The resultant thermal energy can be used for a number of applications, such as tissue ablation and drug release. Despite the intense interest in NIR photothermal agents, their development has suffered from considerable challenges. In particular, few nanomaterials display the requisite absorption profiles required for NIR photothermal transduction.
What Makes for Powerful Classrooms, and How Can We Support Teachers in Creating Them? A Story of Research and Practice, Productively Intertwined:

This article, and my career as an educational researcher, are grounded in two fundamental assumptions: (1) that research and practice can and should live in productive synergy, with each enhancing the other; and (2) that research focused on teaching and learning in a particular discipline can, if carefully framed, yield insights that have implications across a broad spectrum of disciplines. This article begins by describing in brief two bodies of work that exemplify these two fundamental assumptions. I then elaborate on a third example, the development of a new set of tools for understanding and supporting powerful mathematics classroom instruction—and by extension, powerful instruction across a wide range of disciplines.
The Science of Computing: Concepts and Current Technologies

In this paper, we describe a new computer science course, CSC115, that fulfills a general education scientific analysis requirement at the College of Staten Island of CUNY. This course is an introduction to fundamental scientific concepts in computers and technology, including information representation, development and application of algorithms, network and communication principles, and critical evaluation of technology tools. The course introduces students to the application of science in technology using scientific methods and practices in a laboratory environment. We present our motivation for creating the course, the course creation process, course goals, curriculum and assessment.
Shear Velocity Structure of Abyssal Plain Sediments in Cascadia

The sediments that form the upper layer of the oceanic crust vary significantly in thickness. As the crust ages, it accumulates more and more sediment, and when it is near a continental shelf, it can receive large deposits of continental sediment deposited by turbidity currents forming abyssal plains. Because of their soft, unconsolidated nature, the uppermost sediments tend to have very low shear velocities. These low velocities create significant delays in the arrival times of seismic waves moving through them, and these delay times can provide a significant source of error for body‐wave tomography. For surface‐wave tomography, these soft sediments can also provide a source of error by disproportionately slowing short‐period waves in a layer too thin to independently resolve. Correcting for sediments can significantly improve both body‐ and surface‐wave tomography. A deployment of ocean‐bottom seismometer (OBS) stations around the Juan de Fuca plate, the Cascadia Initiative is being deployed in four phases (Fig. 1; Toomey et al. , 2014). Year one focused on the northern portion of Juan de Fuca plate, and year two focused on the southern portion of the Juan de Fuca plate, including Gorda. Year two was coupled with the Blanco experiment, an independent National Science Foundation‐funded experiment, five stations of which have generously been made available to us by principal investigator John Nabelek. Year‐three stations largely reoccupied year‐one sites. Year‐four stations are currently deployed and their data are not yet available for analysis. Figure 1. A contour map of delay times. For each station identified as sitting on topography rising above the abyssal plains, the delay time was set at zero, and tie points with zero delay times were placed along the ridges. The triangles represent stations where we measured a sediment thickness, squares represent nonabyssal plain stations where we could not measure a sediment thickness, and …
Crystal Structures of Mycobacterium tuberculosis CysQ, with Substrate and Products Bound.

In many organisms, 3′-phosphoadenosine 5′-phosphate (PAP) is a product of two reactions in the sulfur activation pathway. The sulfurylation of biomolecules, catalyzed by sulfotransferases, uses 3′-phosphoadenosine 5′-phosphosulfate (PAPS) as a sulfate donor, producing the sulfated biomolecule and PAP product. Additionally, the first step in sulfate reduction for many bacteria and fungi reduces the sulfate moiety of PAPS, producing PAP and sulfite, which is subsequently reduced to sulfide. PAP is removed by the phosphatase activity of CysQ, a 3′,5′-bisphosphate nucleotidase, yielding AMP and phosphate. Because excess PAP alters the equilibrium of the sulfur pathway and inhibits sulfotransferases, PAP concentrations can affect the levels of sulfur-containing metabolites. Therefore, CysQ, a divalent cation metal-dependent phosphatase, is a major regulator of this pathway. CysQ (Rv2131c) from Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) was successfully expressed, purified, and crystallized in a variety of ligand-bound s...
Molecular Cloning, Expression and Characterization of Recombinant Antibody Against Mycotoxins

Bacteriophage expression systems offer promise for the development of novel antibody reagents applicable to the detection of microbial agents and their toxins in foods. Recombinant single chain variable region fragments (scFv) specific to either fumonisin B1 (FB1) or zearalenone were displayed on the surface of recombinant phage, or as soluble protein after infection of E. coli HB2151. Compared to polyclonal or monoclonal antibodies for FB1, the recombinant anti-FB1 scFv proteins were 10 to 100 times less sensitive in a competitive indirect enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (CI-ELISA). High affinity anti-zearalenone scFv phage were enriched through affinity selection in microtiter wells coated with zearalenone-ovalbumin conjugate. Sensitivity of the anti-zearalenone scFv phage displayed protein or soluble protein was similar to the parent monoclonal antibody (IC50 of 14 ng/ml vs 17 ng/ml), but exhibited higher cross reactivity with zearalenone analogs. Affinity selection via a competitive elution was necessary for the isolation of the variable regions of anti-zearalenone scFv with the desired affinity.