cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cross‐Cultural Counseling and Psychotherapy: A Historical Perspective, Implications for Research and Training

This article examines the development of cross-cultural and psychotherapy in the United States, and theoretical models and their implications for research and training are reviewed.
Impact of a Residency Interest Group on Students Applying for Residency

Objective. To determine the impact of a faculty-directed, residency interest group on the knowledge, confidence, and preparedness about residency-related topics of third-year (P3) and fourth-year (P4) pharmacy students.Design. Faculty members implemented residency interest group sessions on residency and career preparation for P3 and P4 students. Group meetings consisted of four 2- to 3-hour sessions that covered topics such as residency timeline and resources, letter of intent and CV development, proper interview techniques, and navigating the midyear clinical meeting. Residency directors throughout Mississippi, current pharmacy residents, P3 and P4 students, and other faculty members were invited to attend these sessions.Assessment. Surveys were administered prior to and after completion of the interest group sessions. Students who attended the sessions demonstrated increased knowledge, confidence, and preparedness on residency-related topics. However, non-attendees also demonstrated increased knowledge...
Series solution to the general linear time varying system

The homogeneous solution (i.e., state transition matrix) to the general linear time varying system is shown to be a matrix power series generated by a time-varying matrix-differential operator operating recursively and noncommutatively on the identity matrix. The particular solution is shown to be a similar series generated by the same matrix operator operating recursively and noncommutatively on the time-varying vector-forcing function. The reduction to the time-invariant case is direct.
Hydrography and Circulation of Ice-Marginal Lakes at Bering Glacier, Alaska, U.S.A

ABSTRACT An extensive suite of physical oceanographic, remotely sensed, and water quality measurements, collected from 2001 through 2004 in two ice-marginal lakes at Bering Glacier, Alaska—Berg Lake and Vitus Lake—show that each has a unique circulation controlled by their specific physical forcing within the glacial system. Conductivity profiles from Berg Lake, perched 135 m a.s.l., show no salt in the lake, but the temperature profiles indicate an apparently unstable situation, the 4°C density maximum is located at 10 m depth, not at the bottom of the lake (90 m depth). Subglacial discharge from the Steller Glacier into the bottom of the lake must inject a suspended sediment load sufficient to marginally stabilize the water column throughout the lake. In Vitus Lake, terminus positions derived from satellite imagery show that the glacier terminus rapidly retreated from 1995 to the present resulting in a substantial expansion of the volume of Vitus Lake. Conductivity and temperature profiles from the tida...
Using fluorine nuclear magnetic resonance to probe changes in the structure and dynamics of membrane-active peptides interacting with lipid bilayers.

The antimicrobial peptide MSI-78 serves as a model system for studying interactions of bioactive peptides with membranes. Using a series of MSI-78 peptides that incorporate l-4,4,4-trifluoroethylglycine, a small and sensitive 19F nuclear magnetic resonance probe, we investigated how the local structure and dynamics of the peptide change when it binds to the lipid bilayer. The fluorinated MSI-78 analogues exhibited position-specific changes in 19F chemical shift ranging from 1.28 to −1.35 ppm upon binding to lipid bicelles. The largest upfield shifts are associated with the most hydrophobic positions in the peptide. Changes in solvent isotope effects (H2O/D2O) on 19F chemical shifts were observed for the peptides that are consistent with the MSI-78 solvent-inaccessible hydrophobic core upon binding bicelles. Transverse relaxation measurements of the 19F nucleus, using the Carr–Purcell–Meiboom–Gill pulse sequence, were used to examine changes in the local mobility of MSI-78 that occur upon binding to the li...
Intimacy and angst in the field

This article explores the paradoxes of angst and intimacy in ‘the field.’ One aim of feminist research is to attend to overlooked day-to-day practices through which difference and power work. Yet, this focus on intimate and submerged experience is also risky, potentially asking that people share their most intimate experiences with the researcher. How does such attention to the personal lives of others intersect with ethical demands and postcolonial critiques of representation? A desire to understand the submerged life of the geopolitical in women's day-to-day life in India's Ladakh region has driven my research on the politics of marriage and contraceptive choices. Taken by a feminist approach to the geopolitical, I sought out the ways that intimate life was inflected by territorial struggles, without adequately comprehending either the promise or the risks of making intimacy and the body a subject of research. This work was complicated and enriched by my status as a foreigner married into a local family...
Tyrosol is a quorum-sensing molecule in Candida albicans

The human fungal pathogen Candida albicans shows a significant lag in growth when diluted into fresh minimal medium. This lag is abolished by the addition of conditioned medium from a high-density culture. The active component of conditioned medium is tyrosol, which is released into the medium continuously during growth. Under conditions permissive for germ-tube formation, tyrosol stimulates the formation of these filamentous protrusions. Because germ-tube formation is inhibited by farnesol, another quorum-sensing molecule, this process must be under complex positive and negative control by environmental conditions. The identification of tyrosol as an autoregulatory molecule has important implications on the dynamics of growth and morphogenesis in Candida.
Effects of wounding, inoculum density, and biological control agents on postharvest brown rot of stone fruits

ABSTRACT The effects of wounding, inoculum density, and three isolates (New, Ta291, and 23-E-6) of Trichoderma spp. and one isolate (BI-54) of Rhodotorula sp. on postharvest brown rot of stone fruits were determined at 20°C and 95% relative humidity (RH). Brown rot was observed frequently on wounded nectarine, peach, and plum fruits inoculated with two spores of Monilinia fructicola per wound, and occasionally on unwounded nectarine and peach fruits inoculated with the same spore load. Brown rot was observed on wounded plums only. A substantial increase in lesion diameter of brown rot was also recorded on wounded nectarines and peaches inoculated with suspensions of ≤20 spores and ≤200 spores per wound, respectively, compared with unwounded fruit. At concentrations of 107 and 108 spores per ml, all Trichoderma isolates substantially reduced brown rot on peaches (63 to 98%) and plums (67 to 100%) when fruits were inoculated with M. fructicola following the application of a biological control agent. Similar...
The Necessity of Environmental Economics

Abstract In the modern age we find ourselves faced with the need to tie economic decision making to environmental considerations. This fact will ultimately impact nearly all facets of our daily economic transactions. The link between environmental and economic decisions is especially acute in industry, banking, farming and government. Each of these institutions is changing, and must continue to change, in response to newly recognized demands of environmental and economic sustainability. We discuss the changes that are occurring in these key institutions, and tie these changes to a broader notion of environmental and economic responsibility.
Graphical analysis of 2-[18F]FA binding to nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in rhesus monkey brain.

External imaging of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) using techniques such as PET would help to clarify the roles of these receptors in the physiology and pathology of brain function. Here we report the results of quantitative PET studies of cerebral nAChRs with 2-( 18 F)fluoro-A-85380 (2-( 18 F)FA) in rhesus mon- keys. Data from dynamic PET scans were analyzed using graphical methods. Binding potential (BP) values of 2.0, 0.4, 0.3, and 0.03 observed in the thalamus (Th), cortex (Cx), striatum (Str), and cerebellum (Cb), respectively, were consistent with the pattern of 42 nAChR distribution in monkey brain. The high value of 2-( 18 F)FA-specific binding in the rhesus monkey Th and low level of that in Cb compared with nonspecific accumulation of radioactivity in these structures allowed use of Cb as a reference region for calculation of BP and volume of distribution of specific binding (VDsb) in Th by graphical methods, both with and without the plasma input function. In contrast, estimation of 2-( 18 F)FA specific binding in low-receptor-density regions such as Cx and Str required assessment of nondisplaceable volume of distribution (VDnd) in a separate study and measurement of nonmetabolized radioligand concentrations in the plasma. For accurate quantitation of 2-( 18 F)FA-specific binding by graphical analysis, PET studies should last up to 7 h due to the slow kinetics of 2-( 18 F)FA brain distribution. Further, to avoid substantial underestimation in measured BP values the doses of administered 2-( 18 F)FA should not exceed 0.1 nmol/kg body weight. The findings suggest that 2-( 18 F)FA is a promising ligand for quantitation of nAChRs in human brain.
Effect of anesthetic doses of γ-hydroxybutyrate on subcortical concentrations of homovanillic acid

Abstract The naturally occurring central nervous system depressant γ-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) and its lactone precursor γ-butyrolactone (GBL) produce a marked increase in brain dopamine. These agents also appear to cause an effective and quite selective block in the utilization of brain dopamine. Thus administration of GBL, or GHB to rats in anesthetic doses blocks the depletion of dopamine induced by α-methyl-p-tyrosine. Shortly after administration of GBL when brain dopamine levels are rapidly increasing the levels of homovanillic acid remain the same or decrease. As the sleep-inducing effects of the drug wane and the dopamine levels begin to fall, a marked increase in the brain level of homovanillic acid is observed. 1,4-Butanediol, an analogue of γ-hydroxybutyrate, which exerts its central nervous system depression as a result of conversion in vivo to γ-hydroxybutyrate also causes a transient increase in brain dopamine and a fall in homovanillic acid. This effect is followed by a marked increase in homovanillic acid as the dopamine levels fall off to predrug conditions. Anesthetic doses of GBL also antagonize the initial increase in HVA normally produced by the neuroleptic drug, chlorpromazine, either at ambient temperature or at 32°C. Administration of a non-‘sleep’-inducing dose of GBL does not significantly alter the endogenous concentration or markedly interfere with the utilization of subcortical dopamine. A non-‘sleep’-inducing dose of GBL also does not block the chlorpromazine induced increase in homovanillic acid. Administration of other central nervous system depressants, such as chloral hydrate in hypnotic doses does not antagonize the chlorpromazine induced increase in homovanillic acid.
Gaussian maps and tensor products of irreducible representations

Let G be a simply-connected complex simple Lie group, P a parabolic subgroup, L an ample line bundle on G/P. Then Γ(L) is an irreducible G-module, and every such arises in this way. In this paper, we initiate the study the G-filtration of the tensor product Γ(L)⊗Γ(M) by order of vanishing along the diagonal of G/P×G/P. Each subquotient of the filtration is contained in some Γ(L⊗M⊗SiΩ G/P 1 , so these (reducible) G-modules are examined. The first non-trivial piece of the filtration is given by a Gaussian map of [W3]; we conjecture the surjectivity in case L, M are ample, and prove this in a number of cases. One is led immediately to the study of a natural P-filtration of Γ(L) by order of vanishing of hyperplanes at a fixed point of G/P; tensoring this filtration with Γ(M) and inducing up to G gives the diagonal filtration, from which many familiar results are deduced.
Entropy Is the Major Driving Force for Fragmentation of Proteins and Protein−Ligand Complexes in the Gas Phase

This paper presents a critical analysis of Arrhenius parameters for gas-phase fragmentation of proteins and protein−ligand complexes reported in the literature. We demonstrate that there is a surprisingly strong correlation between the Arrhenius activation energy (Ea) and the preexponential factor (A). This correlation becomes extremely important for reactions characterized by very high or very low values of A. This correlation is a direct consequence of the relative change in the spacing between vibrational levels of the reactant and the transition state for reaction. Converting the Arrhenius activation energy into the threshold energy for the reaction using Tolman's theorem reveals the true magnitude of the correlation between molecular complexity and stability. Tolman's correction factor (ΔEcorr) increases linearly with log(A) from 3 kcal/mol for log(A) = 16.2 to 36.4 kcal/mol for log(A) = 39.2. Threshold energies extracted from the Arrhenius activation parameters for 56 different reactions are the sam...
Coupling through move limits in multidisciplinary optimization

Structural optimization has progressed significantly in the past twenty years and is now commonly used in the design of mechanical and aeronautical components. A multitude of optimization programs exist and many have been incorporated in finite element programs and are an integral part of that design tool. Problems consisting of a single discipline such as structural, vibrational, etc., have been dealt with successfully by researchers. Multidisciplinary problems such as the design of an aircraft which involves structural, aerodynamic, control and other disciplines were solved using sequentially generated optimized solutions. These sequentially generated optimized solutions need not necessarily lead to a global optimum solution for a coupled problem, as the interdisciplinary effects play a major role in reaching a globally optimized design.
Linking research and policy to ensure children's environmental health.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) has made protecting children's environmental health its highest priority. Data on how and when children may be at risk are vital for accomplishin...
Levels and intracellular distribution of coenzyme A and pantothenic acid in rat liver and tumors.

SummaryThe intracellular distribution of pantothenic acid and of coenzyme A have been determined in normal rat liver and in azo dye-induced rat liver tumors. These substances were also determined in three kinds of transplantable rat tumors. All of the tumors were very much lower in these components than normal liver. The majority of each factor in the liver was contained in the mitochondria; however, in the liver tumor the supernatant fraction contained the largest amounts. The remaining amounts were distributed between the nuclear and supernatant fractions of the liver and the mitochondrial and nuclear fractions of the liver tumor. The microsomes from each tissue contained only small amounts of the vitamin and coenzyme. The finding that these tumors contain low levels of coenzyme A is in harmony with the observation of Potter and his associates that homogenates of such tumors contain low amounts of the enzymes that oxidize oxalacetic acid.
A statistical, physical-based, micro-mechanical model of hydrogen-induced intergranular fracture in steel

Abstract Intergranular cracking associated with hydrogen embrittlement represents a particularly severe degradation mechanism in metallic structures which can lead to sudden and unexpected catastrophic fractures. As a basis for a strategy for the prognosis of such failures, here we present a comprehensive physical-based statistical micro-mechanical model of such embrittlement which we use to quantitatively predict the degradation in fracture strength of a high-strength steel with increasing hydrogen concentration, with the predictions verified by experiment. The mechanistic role of dissolved hydrogen is identified by the transition to a locally stress-controlled fracture, which is modeled as being initiated by a dislocation pile-up against a grain-boundary carbide which in turn leads to interface decohesion and intergranular fracture. Akin to cleavage fracture in steel, the “strength” of these carbides is modeled using weakest-link statistics. We associate the dominant role of hydrogen with trapping at dislocations; this trapped hydrogen reduces the stress that impedes dislocation motion and also lowers the reversible work of decohesion at the tip of dislocation pile-up at the carbide/matrix interface. Mechanistically, the model advocates the synergistic action of both the hydrogen-enhanced local plasticity and decohesion mechanisms in dictating failure.
Appearance of cholinergic myenteric neurons during enteric nervous system development: Comparison of different ChAT fluorescent mouse reporter lines

Background Cholinergic neurons have been identified with the acetylcholine synthetic enzyme choline acetyltransferase (ChAT). However, ChAT is difficult to localize in newly differentiated peripheral neurons making the study of cholinergic neuronal development problematic. Consequently, researchers have used mouse reporter lines to indicate the presence of ChAT. Methods Our objective was to determine which ChAT reporter line was the most sensitive indicator of ChAT expression. We utilized two different fluorescent ChAT reporter lines (ChAT-GFP and ChAT-Cre;R26R:floxSTOP:tdTomato) together with immunolocalization of ChAT protein (ChAT-IR) to characterize the spatial and temporal expression of ChAT in myenteric neurons throughout enteric nervous system (ENS) development. Key Results ChAT-IR cells were first seen in the intestine at E10.5, even within the migration wavefront of neural precursors. Myenteric neurons within the distal small intestine (dSI) and proximal colon were first labeled by ChAT-IR, then ChAT-GFP, and finally ChAT-Cre tdTomato. The percentage of ChAT-IR neurons is equivalent to adult levels in the dSI by E13.5 and proximal colon by P0. After these stages, the percentages remained relatively constant throughout development despite dramatic changes in neuronal density. Conclusions & Inferences These observations indicate that neurotransmitter expression occurs early and there is only a brief gap between neurogenesis and neurotransmitter expression. Our finding that the proportion of ChAT myenteric neurons reached adult levels during embryonic development suggests that the fate of cholinergic neurons is tightly regulated and that their differentiation might influence further neuronal development. ChAT-GFP is a more accurate indicator of early ENS cholinergic neuronal differentiation than the ChAT-Cre;R26R:floxSTOP:tdTomato reporter mouse.
Resonance between the Wavelength of Planar-Channeled Particles and the Period of Strained-Layer Superlattices

A resonance effect is observed between the wavelength of a planar-channeled ion beam and the layer period of a strained-layer superlattice. Catastrophic dechanneling is observed when the wavelength and layer period are matched. A phase-rotation analysis is developed to calculate the amount of dechanneling and the amount of strain in the superlattice.
A negative-feedback-stabilization system for an all-fiber regenerative amplifier

A negative-feedback system is employed in an all-fiber regenerative amplifier to control the cavity dynamics and stabilize the output pulse energy. The 100-round-trip output level is stabilized to within 7% rms.
Switched-capacitor gain stage with reduced sensitivity to finite amplifier gain and offset voltage

A new switched-capacitor gain stage is presented that exhibits reduced sensitivity to operational amplifier gain and offset voltage. In addition, the design employs fewer switches and capacitors than previous techniques, and is less sensitive to parasitic capacitance effects. It should find wide application in A/D, D/A and other analogue arithmetic building blocks.
Special design of mouthstick device for a patient with upper extremity bilateral amputations.

Summary A patient who lost both arms as the result of an accident was fitted with a special mouthstick. After 6 months, no dental contraindications were noted. The device enabled the patient to perform functional tasks and have a relatively normal life.
Naltrexone fails to suppress spontaneous locomotor activity in hamsters.

Abstract The increased spontaneous locomotor activity (SLMA) of rats exposed to a novel environment is decreased by opiate antagonists. In the present study, naltrexone (1.0–40 mg/kg) failed to reduce the SLMA of hamsters exposed to the novel environment of activity cages. The SLMA of another group of untreated hamsters declined following 4 consecutive exposures to the activity cages. Thus, the novelty-induced increase in hamster SLMA is not sensitive to opiate antagonism. The differential sensitivity of rats and hamsters to opiate effects on activity and feeding may be due to the presence of an opiate-sensitive hibernation system in hamsters.
Coatings derived from novel, soybean oil-based polymers produced using carbocationic polymerization

In this study, a process was developed to obtain vinylether-functional monomers containing fatty acid pendent groups directly from soybean oil (SBO) using base-catalyzed transesterification. In addition, a carbocationic polymerization process was developed for the vinylether monomers, which allowed for high molecular weight polymers to be produced without consuming any of the vinyl groups present in the fatty acid portion of the monomers. Compared to SBO, which possesses on average 4.5 vinyl groups per molecule, the polyvinylethers based on the soybean oil-derived vinylether monomers (polyVESFA) possess tens to thousands of vinyl groups per molecule depending on the polymer molecular weight produced. As a result of this difference, coatings based on polyVESFA were shown to possess much higher crosslink density at a given degree of functional group conversion compared with analogs based on conventional SBO. In addition, the dramatically higher number of functional groups per molecule associated with polyVESFA results in gel-points being reached at much lower functional group conversion, which was shown to dramatically reduce cure-time compared with SBO-based analogs. Based on the results obtained, it appears that these new renewable materials may have tremendous commercial utility in the coatings industry.
Bias and Efficiency in Family-Based Gene-Characterization Studies: Conditional, Prospective, Retrospective, and Joint Likelihoods

Pr (D, GFA) allele frequencies and baseline risks. The parameter estimates based on the retrospective likelihood remain unbiased even when the ascertainment scheme cannot be modeled, as long as ascertainment only depends on families’ phenotypes. Despite the need to estimate additional parameters, the prospective, retrospective, and joint likelihoods can lead to considerable gains in efficiency, relative to the conditional likelihood, when estimating genetic relative risk. This is true if baseline risks and allele frequencies can be assumed to be homogeneous. In the presence of heterogeneity, however, the parameter estimates assuming homogeneity can be seriously biased. We discuss the extent of this problem and present a mixed models approach for providing consistent parameter estimates when baseline risks and allele frequencies are heterogeneous. The efficiency gains of the mixed-model prospective, retrospective, and joint likelihoods relative to the efficiency of conditional likelihood are small in the situations presented here.
A Simple Cell-Based Assay Reveals That Diverse Neuropsychiatric Risk Genes Converge on Primary Cilia

Human genetic studies are beginning to identify a large number of genes linked to neuropsychiatric disorders. It is increasingly evident that different genes contribute to risk for similar syndromes and, conversely, the same genes or even the same alleles cross over traditional diagnostic categories. A current challenge is to understand the cellular biology of identified risk genes. However, most genes associated with complex neuropsychiatric phenotypes are not related through a known biochemical pathway, and many have an entirely unknown cellular function. One possibility is that diverse disease-linked genes converge at a higher-level cellular structure. The synapse is already known to be one such convergence, and emerging evidence suggests the primary cilium as another. Because many genes associated with neuropsychiatric illness are expressed also outside the nervous system, as are cilia, we tested the hypothesis that such genes affect conserved features of the primary cilium. Using RNA interference to test 41 broadly expressed candidate genes associated with schizophrenia, bipolar affective disorder, autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability, we found 20 candidates that reduce ciliation in NIH3T3 cells when knocked down, and three whose manipulation increases cilia length. Three of the candidate genes were previously implicated in cilia formation and, altogether, approximately half of the candidates tested produced a ciliary phenotype. Our results support the hypothesis that primary cilia indeed represent a conserved cellular structure at which the effects of diverse neuropsychiatric risk genes converge. More broadly, they suggest a relatively simple cell-based approach that may be useful for exploring the complex biological underpinnings of neuropsychiatric disease.
Myocardial protection by lidocaine during cardioplegial

This study was undertaken to examine the effects of lidocaine (L) (400 mg/liter) in a normokalemic crystalloid (S) (K+: 5 meq/liter, Na+: 120 meq/liter) and in a hyperkalemic crystalloid cardioplegic solution (K) (K+: 25 meq/liter, Na+: 120 meq/liter) during 90 min of hypothermic (28°C) aortic occlusion followed by 45 min of reperfusion (R). Four groups of dogs were studied: group I (S), n = 6; group 2 (S + L), n = 6; group 3 (K), n = 6; group 4 (K + L), n = 6. Left ventricular (LV) function was defined as percentage changes in center of mass between pre- and postarrest function curves. Regional myocardial flow was measured with 9 μ radioactive microspheres and myocardial metabolism monitored by lactate and oxygen utilization. Ventricular biopsies were obtained for measurement of myocardial ATP, creatine phosphate, and water content. Percent recovery of LV function curves at the end of (R) was 59.2 ± 3.9% in group 1, 85.0 ± 4.3% in group 2, 71.5 ± 4.9% in group 3, and 87.0 ± 4.5 in group 4 (group 1 vs group 2, P < 0.01; group 3 vs group 4, P < 0.05). Metabolic recovery was evaluated at 5, 20, and 45 min of (R). Only group 3 (K) demonstrated persistent lactate production at 5 min of (R) (P < 0.01). The hyperkalemic groups failed to return to control levels of oxygen utilization after 5 min of (R) (group 3, P < 0.05; group 4, P < 0.05). LV endocardial/epicardial myocardial blood flow ratio demonstrated greater increase in hyperkalemic groups (group 3, P < 0.01; group 4, P < 0.01) at 5 min of (R). ATP was significantly decreased in groups 1, 3 and 4, but not in group 2 at the end of ischemia (group 1, P < 0.01; group 3, P < 0.01; group 4, P < 0.05) and after 45 min of (R) (group 1, P < 0.05; group 3, P < 0.01; group 4, P < 0.01). These results demonstrate that lidocaine has a myocardial protective effect which is superior to standard hyperkalemic cardioplegia. Moreover, lidocaine has an additive salutary effect during potassium cardioplegia. Persistent metabolic derangements post reflow in the hyperkalemic groups suggest deleterious effects of hyperkalemia on subendocardial protection.
Al-MFI Nanosheets as Highly Active and Stable Catalysts for the Conversion of Propanal to Hydrocarbons

The conversion of propanal to hydrocarbons is investigated over mesoporous aluminosilicate MFI nanosheets (Al-MFI-ns) of single-unit-cell thickness and conventional aluminum MFI zeolite (Al-MFI) at 673 K and atmospheric pressure. Al-MFI-ns exhibits a fivefold in- crease in stability attributed to the shorter diffusion path lengths and open architecture of the nanosheets, which minimizes pore blocking from fouling. The overall ratio of olefin to aromatic products is similar for Al-MFI-ns and Al-MFI at all conversion levels. However, the product distribution within each group shows that the Al-MFI-ns generate a fivefold increase in selectivity to C6-8 olefins and a twofold increase in selectivity to C9-10 aromatics compared to Al-MFI. The very high selectivity to C9- aromatic trimethylbenzene supports an aromatization mechanism involving sequential aldol condensation and dehydration sequences. The very short diffusion paths in the single-unit-cell thick nanosheets allows for the C9 aromatics to diffuse out of the pores before they can be converted to lighter aromatics or olefins. Al-MFI-ns shows no indication of irreversible deactivation, fully recovering its original activity after regeneration by calcination, and retaining similar deactivation rates and product selectivities as the fresh catalyst. Al-FMI-ns improves the production of aromatics from light oxygenates at mild conditions, a key feature for bio-oil upgrading.
Demographic Analyses of the Effects of Carvedilol vs Metoprolol on Glycemic Control and Insulin Sensitivity in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes and Hypertension in the Glycemic Effects in Diabetes Mellitus: Carvedilol‐Metoprolol Comparison in Hypertensives (GEMINI) Study

In the Glycemic Effects in Diabetes Mellitus: Carvedilol-Metoprolol Comparison in Hypertensives (GEMINI) trial, carvedilol added to angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers had neutral or beneficial effects on glycemic measures compared with metoprolol tartrate. For the 1235 diabetic hypertensive GEMINI patients, the authors assessed treatment differences by race (white/black/other), age (continuous variable), and sex on hemoglobin A1c, insulin resistance (homeostasis model assessment–insulin resistance [HOMA-IR]), and blood pressure. Both treatments significantly reduced blood pressure in all subgroups, but the metabolic effects of carvedilol were more beneficial in subgroups of race and sex. Carvedilol did not affect hemoglobin A1c but improved HOMA-IR results in all subgroups, significantly in males and “other race” subgroups. Metoprolol significantly increased hemoglobin A1c in all subgroups except “other race,” with no effect on HOMA-IR findings. Differences vs metoprolol significantly favored carvedilol for hemoglobin A1c in white and female subgroups and favored carvedilol for HOMA-IR in black, “other race,” and male subgroups. Carvedilol effects were favorable to adjustment of age as a covariate. In hypertensive patients with diabetes, carvedilol may be a more appropriate choice when β-blockade is indicated.
Decision Fusion on Supervised and Unsupervised Classifiers for Hyperspectral Imagery

A decision fusion approach is developed to combine the results from supervised and unsupervised classifiers. The final output takes advantage of the power of a support-vector-machine-based supervised classification in class separation and the capability of an unsupervised classifier, such as K -means clustering, in reducing trivial spectral variation impact in homogeneous regions. This approach can simply adopt the majority voting (MV) rule to achieve the same objective of object-based classification. In this letter, we propose a weighted MV (WMV) rule for decision fusion, where pixels in the same segment contribute differently according to their distance to the spectral centroid. The WMV rule can further improve the performance of the original MV rule. A series of unsupervised classifiers is investigated in the use of decision fusion, and recommendations are provided on the best unsupervised classifiers to be selected.
Lower crustal deformation beneath the central Transverse Ranges, southern California: Results from the Los Angeles Region Seismic Experiment

[1] We present a P wave velocity model derived from active source seismic data collected during the 1994 Los Angeles Region Seismic Experiment. Our model extends previously published upper crustal velocity models to mantle depths. Our model was developed by both ray tracing through a layered model and calculating travel times through a gridded model. It includes an 8-km-thick crustal root centered beneath the surface trace of the San Andreas fault, north of the highest topography in the San Gabriel Mountains. A simple mass balance calculation suggests that ∼36 km of north-south shortening across the San Andreas fault in the central Transverse Ranges could have formed this root. If north-south compression began when the “Big Bend” in the San Andreas fault formed at ∼5 Ma, 36 km of shortening implies a north-south contraction rate of ∼7.1 mm/yr across the central Transverse Ranges. If, instead, north-south compression began when the Transverse Ranges formed at 3.4–3.9 Ma, 36 km of shortening implies a contraction rate of 9.2–10.6 mm/yr. North of the San Andreas fault, the Mojave Desert crust has a low-velocity (6.3 km/s) mid and lower crust and a 28-km-deep Moho. South of the San Andreas fault, beneath the Los Angeles and San Gabriel Valley basins, there is a fast (6.6–6.8 km/s), thick (10–12 km) lower crust with a 27-km-deep Moho. Farther south still, the lower crust of the Continental Borderland is fast (6.6–6.8 km/s) and thin (5 km) with a shallow (22 km deep) Moho.
Acute Traumatic and Sports-Related Osteochondral Injury of the Pediatric Knee

Adolescents are predisposed to osteochondral (OC) injuries in the knee. The medial facet of the patella, the femoral trochlea, and the lateral femoral condyle are the most common sites of injury. Most of these injuries are classically traumatic but noncontact injuries. Surgery is warranted in most cases of OC fracture. Depending on size, condition, and location of the lesion, options include OC fragment reduction and internal fixation or excision and cartilage resurfacing. Understanding of how to diagnose and treat OC fractures will help optimize outcomes.
Survey evidence on employer match rates and employee saving behavior in 401(k) plans

Abstract We examine the relationship between employer match rates in 401 (k) plans and employee saving behavior in these plans. Our analysis is based on a recent survey of 401 (k) plan sponsors. Participation rates are positively related to the match rate. Employee contributions appear to be sensitive to the match rate at low matches, but our sample is too small to identify precisely the effect of higher match rates.
Online service personalization for apparel shopping

Abstract This study explores the dynamics of online service personalization in the online apparel retailing context, with regard to customers’ actual online shopping activities. From an empirical study of American Internet shoppers (n=204), three types of widely-used online service personalization, that is (i) offer, (ii) recognition, and (iii) personal advice, were identified. Moreover, grounded by the Theory of Reasoned Action [Fishbein, M., Ajzen, I., 1975. Belief, Attitudes, Intention, Behavior: An Introduction to Theory and Research. Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA], relationships between customers’ online service personalization attitudes and their online shopping activities—regarding apparel items—have been investigated. Findings of this study empirically present the dynamics of online service personalization in the context of online apparel retailing. Also, the results show that customer online shopping experiences may impact on their online service personalization attitudes. Theoretical and managerial implications are also discussed regarding online service management. Based on the results, Internet-based apparel retailers may benefit from developing various types of personalization services by enhancing shopping intentions of their customers, in particular, of those who are loyal to the retailers.
Solution absorption and luminescence studies of tetraphenylboron, -carbon, -silicon, -germanium, -tin, -lead, -phosphorus, -arsenic, and -antimony

Abstract The lowest absorption band of the tetraphenyl compounds resembles that of the lowest absorption band of benzene with the following difference. In benzene the electronic origin is strictly forbidden, and all intensity is associated with a symmetric progression built on one mode of asymmetric vibration. In the tetraphenyl compounds the intensity associated with the asymmetric vibration is relatively unaffected; however, there is increasing intensity associated with the electronic origin and a symmetric progression built on it along the series φ 4 Pb 4 Sn 4 Ge 4 Si 4 C ≲ φ 4 B − 4 Sb + 4 As + 4 P + . For the cations it is the electronic origin and the progression built on it that are the primary source of intensity. This effect is attributed to an inductive perturbation. A similar effect is observed in the fluorescence spectrum. In phosphorescence, the relative enhancement of the electronic origin and the progression built on it is far less marked. The phosphorescence emission of φ4Pb and φ4Sb+ are red shifted from the others by ∼0.5 eV, an effect attributed to formation of a triplet excimer. Increasing spin-orbit coupling in the triplet due to a heavy atom effect can be seen in the decreasing phosphorescence lifetime (range 4 sec to 4 msec) and decreasing ratio of φ f φ p (fluorescence to phosphorescence quantum yields) in the order φ 4 C > φ 4 B > φ 4 Si > φ 4 P + > φ 4 Ge > φ 4 As + > φ 4 Sn In all cases nonexponential decay of phosphorescence is observed.
Effect of antipsychotics on pituitary gland volume in treatment-naïve first-episode schizophrenia: A pilot study

The objective of this study was to examine the effect of antipsychotics on pituitary volume in schizophrenic subjects. Pituitary volumes were measured in 16 patients with schizophrenia at baseline and 12 months after treatment with an antipsychotic medication using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). A group of 12 healthy controls was evaluated at baseline and after 12 months. Pituitary volume significantly increased in the schizophrenic subjects after treatment (12% increase). This appeared to be specific to the prolactin-elevating drugs. In controls, pituitary volume did not change significantly (3% decrease). Pituitary volume may be a useful biomarker for treatments that affect neuroendocrine function.
Interpretation of AMSU microwave measurements for the retrievals of snow water equivalent and snow depth

[1] The objective of this paper is to interpret microwave scattering signatures over snow cover as observed by the Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit (AMSU) for the retrievals of snow water equivalent and snow depth. A case study involving seasonal snow cover over the U.S. Great Plains was analyzed in detail. Area-wide analysis of the relationship between snow depth and the AMSU scattering signatures in the 23–150 GHz window region showed weak correlation, deteriorated by the dependence of these signatures on snow metamorphism. The lower frequency scattering index, computed as the difference in the brightness temperature between 23 and 31 GHz channels, was low and insensitive to fresh snow predominant in December, but increased later in the season, and thus was more sensitive to snow depth for older snow cover. However, this seasonal increase in microwave scattering was observed for every snow depth range, suggesting a strong dependence on snow metamorphism. In contrast, the 89 GHz scattering index responded to relatively shallow snow cover in December, but was less sensitive to snow depth variability later in the season. A snow hydrology model was applied at specific locations to estimate snow water equivalent (other than snow depth) for comparisons with the AMSU measurements. Overall, the lower frequency index was the best predictor of snow water equivalent and snow depth. However, correlation was higher for snow density and snow water equivalent. This was attributed to the response of this scattering index to the grain size evolution with time, which correlated better with the snow density and water equivalent changes in the snow cover than snow depth. Correlation between the snow water equivalent and the lower frequency index for fresh snow cover was significantly improved by switching to the higher frequency index at 89 GHz as predictor when the lower frequency index at 31 GHz was less than the 5 K threshold. Correlation further improved for fresh snow cover associated with a positive 150 GHz scattering index. These results suggest that the utility of AMSU measurements for the retrievals of snow depth and snow water equivalent could be better optimized by proper selection of the scattering thresholds that minimize the variability of important snow parameters such as grain size.
Effects of aging on adrenal function in the human: responsiveness and sensitivity of adrenal androgens and cortisol to adrenocorticotropin in premenopausal and postmenopausal women.

We sought to determine the effects of aging on several aspects of adrenal steroidogenesis in the hopes of characterizing the possible causes of adrenal androgen deficiency in elderly women. To this end, we quantified basal morning concentrations of cortisol (F), dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DS), and androstenedione (A4) and then evaluated the effects of overnight dexamethasone (DEX) suppression followed by adrenal responses to graded hourly infusions of ACTH, ranging from 20–1280 ng/1.5 m2·h. Finally, we performed a standard 0.25-mg ACTH bolus stimulation test, with sampling at 1 h thereafter. Basal serum levels of DHEA, DS, and A4 were significantly reduced (∼50% each) in a group of 35 healthy postmenopausal women, 55–68 yr old, compared to those in 30 healthy, regularly menstruating women, 20–25 yr old. Post-DEX levels of these C19 steroids also were significantly lower in the older women than in the younger women; the percent decrease after DEX for A4 was greater in th...
Large‐scale organization of tropical convection in two‐dimensional explicit numerical simulations

The large-scale organization of tropical deep convection is investigated in idealized two-dimensional cloud-resolving simulations. A 20 000 km periodic computational domain allows interactions among moist convection, mesoscale organization, and surface exchange on a wide range of scales. A uniform 10 m s−1 easterly wind and a uniform sea surface temperature of 30°C are assumed. A prescribed temperature tendency mimicking the mean radiative cooling of the tropical troposphere is used in this pilot study. The large-scale organization of convection resembles the observed tropical atmosphere as well as results from some previous numerical studies using parametrized convection. The simulation highlights mesoscale convective systems with horizontal scales of several hundred kilometres moving east to west with speeds similar to the mean flow, and an envelope of convection with a horizontal extent of a few thousand kilometres and propagating west to east. The propagation speed of the large-scale envelope compares well with the phase velocitites of convectively coupled Kelvin waves observed in the equatorial waveguide. Convective momentum transport and the impact of convective systems on temperature and moisture near the surface are key processes responsible for the large-scale organization of convection. These results are discussed in the context of recent observations and numerical studies of convection organization in the tropics.
Arterial Stiffness Is Associated With Regional Ventricular Systolic and Diastolic Dysfunction: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis

Objective— The pathophysiology of left ventricular (LV) dysfunction, particularly in the setting of a preserved ejection fraction (EF), remains unclear. Few studies have investigated the relationsh...
Asymmetric Information, Market Power, and the Underpricing of New Stock Issues in Germany, 1882–1892

Investors in new stock issues in Germany in the 1880s experienced low spreads between the price they paid for stock and the price at which they could sell the stock in the market. Stock issuing companies paid substantial fees to underwriting banks, and these costs increased with the underwriter's market share. Bank's faced lower issuing costs than did nonfinancial firms. These patterns are consistent with a situation in which underwriters exploited their access to better information (agency problems) and had market power, but do not support the supposed lemons problems that motivated the imposition of stringent regulations in 1896.
Trade and the Timing of Elections

Do trade-transmitted international business cycles affect the timing of national elections? This article shows that export expansions do not differ substantively from booms in aggregate output in inviting opportunistic governments to call elections, especially as their terms mature. Further analysis confirms two ancillary implications of this relationship: (a) that clusters of countries tend to hold elections in periods of international economic expansion and (b) that national election cycles, much like business cycles, have become more correlated over time, most prominently in Europe. The findings in this article raise implications for continued economic integration: freer movement of goods, services and capital may imply more correlated business cycles and, by extension, election cycles.
An FPGA-Based Plant-on-Chip Platform for Cyber-Physical System Analysis

Digital control systems are traditionally designed independent of their implementation platform, assuming constant sensor sampling rates and processor response times. Applications are deployed to processors that are shared amongst control and noncontrol tasks, to maximize resource utilization. This potentially overlooks that computing mechanisms meant for improving average CPU usage, such as cache, interrupts, and task management through schedulers, contribute to nondeterministic interference between tasks. This response time jitter can result in reduced system stability, motivating further study by both the controls and computing communities to maximize CPU utilization, while maintaining physical system stability needs. In this letter, we describe an field-programmable gate array (FPGA)-based embedded software platform coupled with a hardware plant emulator (as opposed to purely software-based simulations or hardware-in-the-loop setups) that forms a basis for safe and accurate analysis of cyber-physical systems. We model and analyze an inverted pendulum to demonstrate that our setup can provide a significantly more accurate representation of a real system.
An Infomax Controller for Real Time Detection of Social Contingency

We present a model of behavior according to which organisms react to the environment in a manner that maximizes the information gained about events of interest. We call the approach "Infomax control" for it combines the theory of optimal control with information maximization models of perception. The approach is reactive, not cognitive, in that it is better described as a continuous "dance" of actions and reactions with the world, rather than a turn-taking inferential process like chess-playing. The approach however is intelligent in that it produces behaviors that optimize long-term information gain. We illustrate how Infomax control can be used to understand the detection of social contingency in 10 month old infants. The results suggest that, while lacking language, by this age infants actively "ask questions" to the environment, i.e., schedule their actions in a manner that maximizes the expected information return. A real time Infomax controller was implemented on a humanoid robot to detect people using contingency information. The system worked robustly requiring little bandwidth and computational cost