cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Behavior Modification Is Associated With Reduced Psychotropic Medication Use in Children With Aggression in Inpatient Treatment: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Objective There are few data to guide management of agitated and aggressive psychiatrically hospitalized children. Available studies do not account for setting, age, sex, diagnosis, admission reason, or clinical intervention. Seclusion, restraint, and physical holds (S/R/H) are usually the only outcome measure. In this study, we examine changes in PRN (pro re nata, or “as needed”) psychotropic medication use to manage severe aggression on a children’s psychiatric inpatient unit, comparing rates before and after a behavior modification program (BMP) was discontinued. Method We compare 661 children (aged 5−12 years) in 5 cohorts over 10 years, 510 (77%) of whom were admitted for aggressive behavior. PRN use per 1,000 patient-days was the primary outcome measure, but S/R/H was also examined. We use the following as predictors: BMP status, full- or half-time child and adolescent psychiatrist (CAP) oversight, diagnosis, age, length of stay, and neuroleptic use. Results Children admitted for aggression had high rates of externalizing disorders (79%), low rates of mood (27%) and anxiety (21%) disorders, and significantly higher rates of PRN and S/R/H (p Conclusion In this sample of young children with primarily externalizing disorders, data support the effectiveness of a BMP in lowering rates of PRN and S/R/H use.
Use of Low-Dose Dopamine in Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction Patients with Right Ventricular Dysfunction

Introduction Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) constitutes half of HF hospitalizations in the U.S. Right ventricular dysfunction (RVD) is associated with high morbidity and mortality in HFpEF and serves as an important therapeutic target. The use of low-dose dopamine (DA) has not shown benefit in the treatment of decompensated HF patients; however, the effect of DA on HFpEF patients with RVD (HFpEF-RVD) is unknown. Methods We analyzed subjects enrolled in the Randomized Evaluation of Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction Patients With Acute Heart Failure and Dopamine trial (ROPA-DOP; NCT01901809) for the presence of RVD and compared clinical outcomes based on treatment assignment to DA. ROPA-DOP was a randomized controlled trial of low-dose DA for the treatment of acute decompensated HFpEF. RVD was defined as at least 1 of the following by echocardiography: tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion Results RVD was present in 29% (24 of 82) of patients enrolled in the ROPA-DOP trial. HFpEF-RVD patients had lower BMI (34 kg/m2 [14.6] v 42 kg/m2 [14.2], p=0.01), higher Cr (1.4 mg/dL [0.6] v 1.15 mg/dL [1], p=0.01), higher admission NT-proBNP (2327 pg/mL [3260] v 1425 pg/mL [2370], p=0.002), and more atrial fibrillation (54% v 29%, p=0.03) compared to HFpEF without RVD. BMI remained inversely associated with HFpEF-RVD after adjustment for age, sex, and race (p=0.02). HFpEF-RVD trended towards increased all-cause 30-D hospital readmission (34.8% v 19%, p=0.12) and worse survival at 1 year (70% v 87.5%, p=0.06). DA had no significant effect on urine output, weight change, or renal function in HFpEF-RVD; however, DA was associated with shorter hospital length of stay (LOS) in HFpEF-RVD in testing for interaction effects between RVD and DA (p=0.01, Figure). Conclusion HFpEF-RVD reflects a sicker subgroup of HFpEF patients. Amongst hospitalized HFpEF, low-dose dopamine was associated with shorter LOS in HFpEF-RVD. Future studies should be performed to find useful therapies in this subgroup of HFpEF.
Evidence for Simultaneous Dearomatization of Two Aromatic Rings Under Mild Conditions in Cu(I)-Catalyzed Direct Asymmetric Dearomatization of Pyridine

Bis(phosphine) copper hydride complexes are uniquely able to catalyze direct dearomatization of unactivated pyridines with carbon nucleophiles, but the mechanistic basis for this result has been un...
Design and spectral analysis of mixed-carrier communication for sixth-generation networks.

The fifth-generation (5G) wireless cellular network is expected to be ready for commercialization within this year. The huge spectrum enabled by the millimetre-wave (mm-Wave) technology is expected...
Preparing Master of Social Work Students for Interprofessional Practice

This study aims to measure growth in interprofessional knowledge, skills, and values in MSW students from three universities who participated in a Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training...
Freedom of speech versus racial justice: Homeplace theory, antiparallelism, and becoming-minor

This article examines the reasons that Whiteness and social justice have adopted conceptions of democracy and freedom that seem to conflict and yet do not directly conflict. The argument starts by ...
Atomic-resolution analytical scanning transmission electron microscopy of topological insulators with a layered tetradymite structure

The recent discovery of topological insulators has uncovered exciting new quantum materials with potential applications in the emergent fields of topological spintronics and topological quantum computation. At the heart of uncovering the new physical properties of these materials is the characterization of their atomic structures, composition, defects, and interfaces. The technique of atomic-resolution analytical scanning transmission electron microscopy has already provided many insights and holds great promise for future discoveries. This perspective discusses advances that have been achieved in the atomic-scale characterization of topological insulators with a layered tetradymite structure, and it proposes future directions to link atomic-scale features to exciting new physical phenomena.
Transportation mode detection using machine learning techniques on mobile phone sensor data

The everyday use of means of transportation by millions of people combined with the continuous spreading of smartphones which are now equipped with various sensors, imply the existence of abundance of real-world transportation-related data and make Transportation Mode Detection (TMD) an interesting research field, essential to urban transportation planning, development of context-aware applications and physical and mental health improvement. The main objective of this work is to develop a machine learning methodology for classifying eight different transportation modes, including: still, walk, run, bike, car, bus, train, and subway, using data from smartphones sensors. To this end, publicly available datasets were used. For example, a subset of the original SHL dataset, including data obtained from one participant's smartphone embedded sensors (accelerometer, magnetometer, gyroscope, pressure sensor), being recorded for 68 days. As classifiers, eight Machine Learning algorithms were employed. The classifiers were firstly developed without Dimensionality Reduction (DR) and then with a DR feature extraction algorithm (Principal Component Analysis - PCA) so as to explore the possibility of using lighter models and potentially improve performance. After dimensionality reduction, the algorithms that performed best, accomplished a very good classification result in all classes while training time was significantly reduced.
The contribution of percolation to water balances in water-seeded rice systems

Abstract Rice (Oryza sativa) has one of highest applied water footprints of any crop, due in many cases to high percolation and lateral seepage rates in flooded rice fields. Better understanding the magnitude and variability of these subsurface water flows and their contribution to the rice field water balance is critical for efforts to reduce the water footprint of rice production and to limit the transport of pollutants to surface water and groundwater. Percolation was directly measured in eight direct-seeded California rice fields that ranged from 20 to 61% clay and a complete water balance was developed for three of these fields. For these latter fields, directly measured percolation rates were compared to percolation calculated with Darcy’s law, and combined percolation and lateral seepage calculated as the residual of a water balance was compared to directly measured values. Across eight fields, cumulative percolation over the growing season ranged from 0.04 to 6.95 cm season−1. The mean cumulative percolation for the three water balance fields was 2.1 cm based on direct measurements compared to 3.2 cm based on Darcy’s law calculations. Combined percolation and lateral seepage calculated as the residual term of a water balance for the three fields was 17.1 cm, compared to 4.4 cm based on direct measurements, corresponding to 13.2 % and 3.4 % of water inputs, respectively (inputs were 98–99 % from irrigation). Based on these results, water management strategies that remove floodwater (e.g. alternate wetting and drying) would have limited potential to reduce water inputs in California rice production (0.7–2.7 cm season-1). Furthermore, using the most conservative (largest) estimates for each component of the water balance, we conclude that the average water requirement for California rice fields is approximately 108 cm season-1.
A Modeling Framework for Prognostic Decision Making and its Application to UAV Mission Planning

The goal of prognostic decision making (PDM) is to utilize information on anticipated system health changes in selecting future actions. One of the key challenges in PDM is find- ing a sufficiently expressive yet compact mathematical representation of the system for use with decision optimization algorithms. In this paper we describe a general modeling approach for a class of PDM problems with non-linear system degradation processes and uncertainties in state estimation, action effects, and future operating conditions. The approach is based on continuous Partially Observable Markov Decision Processes (POMDPs) used in conjunction with ’black box’ system simulations. The proposed modeling framework can be cast into simpler representations, depending on which sources of uncertainty are being included. The approach is illustrated with a mission planning case study for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). In the case study a PDM system is tasked with optimizing the vehicle route after an in-flight component fault is detected. A stochastic algorithm (based on particle filtering) is used for decision optimization, with a second, deterministic algorithm providing a performance evaluation baseline. Both algorithms utilize a UAV physics simulator for generating predictions of future vehicle states. Performance benchmarking is done on a set of mission scenarios of increasing complexity.
An Autonomous Environmental Logging Microsystem (ELM) for Harsh Environments

This paper describes the design, implementation, and evaluation of an environmental logging microsystem (ELM) for operation at elevated pressure and in corrosive environments, at temperatures up to 125°C. The ELM units are intended to be deployed in large quantities, allowed to collect data, and then retrieved, interrogated, and re-charged. Powered by a rechargeable battery embedded within the system, each ELM incorporates pressure and temperature sensors, control electronics, optical communication elements, and power management and battery re-charging circuits. The pressure sensor is a customized capacitive transducer chip on a sapphire substrate; details are provided in a companion paper. The electronic components and battery used in ELM are selected on the basis of functionality and form factor; packaged components are selected for ease of assembly and for added protection against the environment. The pressure sensor, electronics and battery are assembled on a flexible circuit board, folded into a stack with dimensions 7.2 mm $\times\,\,6.6$ mm $\times\,\,6.5$ mm, and encapsulated in a steel tube filled with optically transparent silicone caulk. This encapsulation provides mechanical protection against shock and abrasion, as well as chemical protection against high salinity environments, while allowing the ambient pressure and temperature to be transferred to the sensing elements. Results are reported from high-temperature and high-pressure tests reaching 125°C and 7,250 psi in brine and other corrosive environments in laboratory conditions. Field tests that were conducted in a brine well to a maximum depth of 1,235 m are also described. The recorded data were post-processed to interpret the environmental pressure and temperature.
Accurate Available Bandwidth Measurement with Packet Batching Mitigation for High Speed Networks

Measuring the Available Bandwidth (ABW) is an important function for traffic engineering, and in software-defined metro and wide-area network (SD-WAN) applications. Because network speeds are increasing, it is timely to re-visit the effectiveness of ABW measurement again. A significant challenge arises because of Interrupt Coalescence (IC), that network interface drivers use to mitigate the overhead when processing packets at high speed, but introduce packet batching. IC distorts receiver timing and decreases the ABW estimation. This effect is further exacerbated with software-based forwarding platforms that exploit network function virtualization (NFV) and the lower-cost and flexibility that NFV offers, and with the increased use of poll-mode packet processing popularized by the Data Plane Development Kit (DPDK) library.We examine the effectiveness of the ABW estimation with the popular probe rate models (PRM) such as PathChirp and PathCos++, and show that there is a need to improve upon them. We propose a modular packet batching mitigation that can be adopted to improve both the increasing PRM models like PathChirp and decreasing models like PathCos++. Our mitigation techniques improve the accuracy of ABW estimation substantially when packet batching occurs either at the receiver due to IC, DPDK based processing or intermediate NFV-based forwarding nodes. We also show that our technique helps improve estimation significantly in the presence of cross-traffic.
Modulation of PPAR signaling disrupts pancreas development in the zebrafish, Danio rerio.

Peroxisome Proliferator Activated Receptors (PPARs) are transcription factors that regulate processes such as lipid and glucose metabolism. Synthetic PPAR ligands, designed as therapeutics for metabolic disease, provide a tool to assess the relationship between PPAR activity and pancreas development in vivo, an area that remains poorly characterized. Here, we aim to assess the effects of PPAR agonists and antagonists on gene expression, embryonic morphology and pancreas development in transgenic zebrafish embryos. To evaluate developmental perturbations, we assessed gross body and pancreas morphology at 4 days post fertilization (dpf) in response to developmental exposures with PPARα, PPARγ, and PPARβ/δ agonists and antagonists at 0, 0.01, 0.1, 1, and 10 μM concentrations. All ligand exposures, with the exception of the PPARα agonist, resulted in significantly altered fish length and yolk sac area. PPARγ agonist and antagonist had higher incidence of darkened yolk sac and craniofacial deformities, whereas PPARα antagonist had higher incidence of pericardial edema and death. Significantly reduced endocrine pancreas area was observed in both PPARγ ligands and PPARα agonist exposed embryos, some of which also exhibited aberrant endocrine pancreas morphology. Both PPARβ/δ ligands caused reduced exocrine pancreas length and novel aberrant phenotype, and disrupted gene expression of pancreatic targets pdx1, gcga, and try. Lipid staining was performed at 8 dpf and revealed altered lipid accumulation consistent with isoform function. These data indicate chronic exposure to synthetic ligands may induce morphological and pancreatic defects in zebrafish embryos.
Opioid-Related Side Effects and Management

The following areas will be discussed in relation to opioid-related side effects and approaches to their management in the cancer patient:
Counterexamples to Cantor-Schroeder-Bernstein

The Cantor-Schroeder-Bernstein theorem (Can97)(Sch98)(Ber05) states that any two sets that have injections into each other have the same cardinality, i.e. there is a bijection between them. Another way to phrase this is if two sets A;B have monomorphisms from A to B and B to A, then they are isomorphic in the setting of sets. One naturally wonders if this may be extended to other commonly studied systems of sets with structure and functions which preserve that structure. Given two objects with injective structure preserving maps between them are the structures of these objects the same? In other words, would these two objects be isomorphic in their respective setting? We see that in vector spaces, which are determined completely by their bases sets, this is true. However, when the objects are graphs, groups, rings or topological spaces, one may nd counterexamples to such an extension. This is interesting, as it contradicts the naive intuition that two objects which are \subobjects" of each other must be the same. In this paper we provide some of these counterexamples.
9,10‐Diphenylphenanthrene

9,10-diphenylphenanthrene product: 9,10-diphenylphenanthrene Keywords: annulation, carbocyclic-[6]; cyclization, miscellaneous; elimination, miscellaneous
A sample preparation methodology to reduce sample edge unevenness and improve efficiency in delayering the 20-nm node IC chips

With continuous scaling of Complementary Metal Oxide Semicondutor (CMOS) device dimensions, traditional inter-level dielectrics have be replaced by low-k materials, because of the advantages of ultra low-k material such as lower parasitic capacitance, lower cross talk effects, and lower RC delay. The new material in integrated circuits (IC) makes physical failure analysis (PFA) more challenging. This paper presents a sample preparation methodology for reducing the sample deprocess edging effect with an efficient way on delayering the 20-nm node IC chips. We combined several delayering techniques to achieve an excellent flatness surface and improve the time efficiency for PFA on 20nm technology.
Determinants of Trading Profits of Individual Traders: Risk Premia or Information?

Using a unique proprietary data set of trades by all large traders in the crude oil, gasoline, and heating oil futures markets, we explore determinants of their individual trading profits/losses. Consistent with the risk premium hypothesis, hedgers’ mean trading profits are significantly negative while speculator’s trading profits (hedge funds especially) are significantly positive. Moreover, the profits of individual traders (whether speculators or hedgers) are a strong positive function of the extent to which the trader shorts (longs) when likely hedgers in the aggregate are long (short). While some individual traders may have an informational advantage, the trading profits of speculators in general and hedge funds in particular are due to their employing trading strategies which take advantage of the risk premium, i.e., longing (shorting) when hedgers in the aggregate are net short (long). Thus our evidence indicates that speculator profits are primarily due to the liquidity and risk absorption services they provide hedgers. Market makers realize significant losses on their overnight holdings, which is consistent with findings in prior studies for other markets that any information advantages they may possess are short-lived. We also find that (excepting households) speculator profitability is a positive function of the rates at which speculators turn over their portfolios.
Inter- and Intramolecular Interactions of α-Lactalbumin X. EFFECT OF ACYLATION OF TYROSYL AND LYSYL SIDE CHAINS ON MOLECULAR CONFORMATIONS

Abstract Of the 4 tyrosyl residues of bovine α-lactalbumin, 2 were found to be quite reactive with N-acetylimidazole; the third group is less so, and the fourth is only weakly reactive. Acylation of the two most reactive groups results in a reversible increase in the quantum yield of a tryptophan residue or residues which emit maximally at 350 mµ. At relatively high concentrations of reagent, in addition to acylation of tyrosyl residues, six amino groups react giving rise to quenching of the fluorescence of tryptophan emitting maximally below 320 mµ and enhancement of fluorescence from groups which emit maximally at 350 mµ. Thus, acylation of the two tyrosyl groups perturbs tryptophan residues which are freely in contact with the medium, whereas acylation of amino groups, by contrast, appears to involve tryptophan residues which are not freely in contact with the solvent. Changes in circular dichroism were observed on acylation of bovine α-lactalbumin in the 250 to 300 mµ side chain band system, in the 208 mµ band, and in the 212 to 230 mµ region. These circular dichroism changes, which depend in a complex way on the nature of the groups acylated, appear to be due primarily to alteration of the environment of the side chains in the protein. Changes in fluorescence and circular dichroism properties observed on acylation of amino groups were shown to be similar to those observed on acid denaturation. It is likely that those processes, as well as alkaline denaturation, bring about essentially the same local conformational change which gives rise to increased freedom of rotation of tyrosyl and tryptophyl side chains. The pH dependence of the conformational transitions, as well as the chemical reactivity of side chains, suggests that breaking of charge pairs (amino and carboxylic acid groups) may initiate the structural change. Inspection of a recently proposed model for bovine α-lactalbumin indicates the proximity of a number of lysyl, glutamyl, and aspartyl side chains, in accord with the above hypothesis. The model further indicates that Tyr-36 and Trp-118, and Tyr-103 and Trp-104 are sufficiently close, respectively, to explain the changes in fluorescence on acylation of tyrosyl groups. The environments of Trp-60 and perhaps Trp-104, located in a crevice-like region of the molecule, are such that they may be the low wave length emitting groups normalized on acylation of amino groups.
Material Selection for Accident Tolerant Fuel Cladding

Alternative cladding materials to Zr-based alloys are being investigated for accident tolerance, which can be defined as >100X improvement (compared to Zr-based alloys) in oxidation resistance to steam or steam-H2 environments at ≥1473 K (1200 °C) for short times. After reviewing a wide range of candidates, current steam oxidation testing is being conducted on Mo, MAX phases, and FeCrAl alloys. Recently reported low-mass losses for Mo in steam at 1073 K (800 °C) could not be reproduced. Both FeCrAl and MAX phase Ti2AlC form a protective alumina scale in steam. However, commercial Ti2AlC that was not single phase, formed a much thicker oxide at 1473 K (1200 °C) in steam and significant TiO2, and therefore, Ti2AlC may be challenging to form as a cladding or a coating. Alloy development for FeCrAl is seeking to maintain its steam oxidation resistance to 1748 K (1475 °C), while reducing its Cr content to minimize susceptibility to irradiation-assisted α′ formation. The composition effects and critical limits to retaining protective scale formation at >1673 K (1400 °C) are still being evaluated.
Children's knowledge of legal terminology.

The present study examined age-related patterns in communicative abilities relevant to providing testimony, specifically, knowledge of legal terms commonly used with children in court. Subjects were 60 public school students comprising 3 groups of 20 each in kindergarten, third, and sixth grades. Grade-related patterns emerged in children's knowledge of legal terms and in their misunderstanding of terms. Results suggest that age-appropriate word choice in the examination of child witnesses may be an important factor in eliciting accurate testimony. Potential mediators of the relation between age and accurate knowledge of legal terminology (i.e., verbal skills, television viewing of court-related programs, direct experience with the legal system) also were explored. Implications for future research, court preparation, and training of legal professionals in age-appropriate examination of children are discussed.
Contributing Cause of Death: Poverty

It began with my fascination for social work research, and I guess when the story is over, it will end with research as well. I am a social work professor who is involved with teaching, research, a...
Pseudo-loss of Fixation in Automated Perimetry

During automated perimetry with the Humphrey Visual Field Analyzer, field examinations are labeled unreliable whenever the reported rate of fixation loss is 20% or more. The reported rate of fixation loss results in part from times when the patient's gaze drifts from the fixation point during the examination, but also in part from technical artifacts such as faulty initial localization of the blind spot or false-positive responses by the patient. It was found that technical artifacts caused nearly half of the instances in which a field examination had a reported fixation loss rate of greater than 20%. It was also found that the perimetrist can prevent the artifacts, with the result that the frequency of field examinations labeled as having excessive fixation loss fell from 26% to 14%.
Mischief, Mystery, And Moments That Matter: Vistas Of Performative Inquiry

Here we challenge the traditional separation of science and art and demonstrate significant ways in which the social sciences can be enriched through performative inquiry. We begin with a brief com...
Equivalence between topmodel and the NRCS curve number method in predicting variable runoff source areas

: An equivalence is proposed between two rainfall-runoff methods with a long history of use in the United States and Europe. In watersheds where variable source areas dominate runoff, the two methods can have comparable probability distribution functions of moisture deficit, and therefore predict similar saturated runoff source areas. A novel approach is introduced to determine the S parameter in the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) method. This approach constrains S by the physical soil and topography characteristics of the catchment and depth to water table. The NRCS curve number method is at the core of many rainfall-runoff models in hydrology. As a simple lumped parameter method, it is often scrutinized because it is not obvious how to derive S from catchment hydromorphological characteristics. The novel approach provides a clear physical meaning for S, allowing better estimation of this parameter in humid shallow water table environments where the variable source area can be the dominant runoff mechanism.
Aging and contribution of MyD88 and TRIF to expression of TLR pathway‐associated genes following stimulation with Porphyromonas gingivalis

Background and Objective Periodontal disease is a highly complex chronic inflammatory disease of the oral cavity. Multiple factors influence periodontal disease, including socio-economic status, genetics and age; however, inflammation elicited by the presence of specific bacteria in the subgingival space is thought to drive the majority of soft- and hard-tissue destruction. Porphyromonas gingivalis is closely associated with periodontal disease. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and their intracellular signaling pathways play roles in the host response to P. gingivalis. The focus of the current study was to use microarray analysis to define the contributions of the TLR adaptor molecules myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88) and Toll/interleukin-1 receptor domain-containing adaptor inducing interferon-beta (TRIF), and aging, on the expression of TLR pathway-associated mRNAs in response to P. gingivalis. Material and Methods Bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMO) from wild-type (Wt), MyD88 knockout (MyD88-KO) and TrifLps2 [i.e. containing a point mutation in the lipopolysaccharide 2 (Lps2) gene rendering the Toll/interleukin (IL)-1 receptor domain-containing adaptor inducing interferon-beta (TRIF) protein nonfunctional] mice, at 2-and 12-mo of age, were cultured with P. gingivalis. Expression of genes in BMO cultured with P. gingivalis was determined in comparison with expression of genes in BMO cultured in medium only. Results Using, as criteria, a twofold increase or decrease in mRNA expression, differential expression of 32 genes was observed when Wt BMO from 2-mo-old mice were cultured with P. gingivalis compared with the medium-only control. When compared with 2-mo-old Wt mice, 21 and 12 genes were differentially expressed (p < 0.05) as a result of the mutations in MyD88 or TRIF, respectively. The expression of five genes was significantly (p < 0.05) reduced in Wt BMO from 12-mo-old mice compared with those from 2-mo-old mice following culture with P. gingivalis. Age also influenced the expression of genes in MyD88-KO and TrifLps2 mice challenged with P. gingivalis. Conclusions Our results indicate that P. gingivalis induces differential expression of TLR pathway-associated genes, and both MyD88 and TRIF play roles in the expression of these genes. Age also played a role in the expression of TLR-associated genes following stimulation of BMO with P. gingivalis.
31P-NMR spectroscopy characterization of polyphosphates in activated sludge exhibiting enhanced phosphorus removal

Abstract In this work 31P-NMR spectroscopy is employed to investigate the characteristics of polyphosphates found in activated sludge exhibiting enhanced phosphorus removal. Sonication and EDTA treatment of this sludge indicated that part of the polyphosphates accumulated are located outside the cytoplasmic membrane and are complexed with metal cations. These polyphosphates along with polyphosphatases are bound to the cell wall and/or the cytoplasmic membrane. Definitive evidence is presented which indicates that polyphosphate degradation is controlled by these immobilized polyphosphatases. Hypochlorite treatment of poly-P activated sludge produced two well resolved peaks in the polyphosphate region. No definitive explanation for the split signal can be provided. However, it is possible that it is a result of cell-bound polyphosphates located both in the periplasmic space and in the cytoplasm. Results from this study also suggest that a portion of the inorganic phosphate released through enzymatic degradation of the polyphosphate may be involved in the transport of readily degradable organic material across the cytoplasmic membrane. It may be this pool which provides phosphorus for the synthesis of biochemical compounds such as nucleic acids.
Glacioeustasy, meteoric diagenesis, and the carbon cycle during the Middle Carboniferous

Middle Carboniferous carbonates in the western U.S. have undergone Pleistocene Bahamas-style meteoric diagenesis that may be associated with expanding late Paleozoic ice sheets. Fourteen stratigraphic sections from carbonate platforms illustrate the regional distribution and variable intensity of physical and chemical diagenesis just below the Middle Carboniferous unconformity. These sections contain top-negative carbon isotope excursions that terminate in regional exposure surfaces that are associated with some combination of karst towers, desiccation cracks, fabric destructive recrystallization, or extensive root systems. The timing of the diagenesis is synchronous with similarly scaled top-negative carbon isotope excursions observed by others in England, Kazakhstan, and China. The mass flux of negative carbon required to generate similar isotopic profiles across the areal extent of Middle Carboniferous platform carbonates is a significant component of the global carbon cycle. We present a simple carbon box model to illustrate that the δ13C of dissolved inorganic carbon in the ocean could be elevated by ∼1.4 ‰ as isotopically light carbon from the weathering of terrestrial organic matter reacts with exposed platforms before reaching the ocean and atmosphere. These results represent an improvement on global biogeochemical models that have struggled to provide a congruent solution to the high δ13C of the late Paleozoic icehouse.
Effects of swine husbandry on the incidence of congenital malformations: a matched-paired study.

Abstract One hundred case-control herds were evaluated to determine the possible association between congenital malformations and husbandry practices in two subpopulations of Missouri swine. The etiology of the malformations in these populations was thought to be primarily environmental. General geographic environment and herd size, two variables considered to be related to both the exposure (husbandry practices) and disease (congenital malformations), were used in matching the case-control herds. A total of 32 swine husbandry variables including breeding practices, feeding practices, use of drugs, and water source were evaluated. Only five of the variables were significant ( P = 0.10). This, however, is not considered unusual when 32 variables are tested, even if the null hypothesis is true. Therefore, in the future, environmental studies of swine birth defects may be confined to factors in the natural environment rather than the man-made environment (husbandry).
Synthesis, Characterization, Photophysics and Photochemistry of Pyrylogen Electron Transfer Sensitizers

A series of new dicationic sensitizers that are hybrids of pyrylium salts and viologens has been synthesized. The electrochemical and photophysical properties of these "pyrylogen" sensitizers are reported in sufficient detail to allow rationale design of new photoinduced electron transfer reactions. The range of their reduction potentials (+0.37-+0.05V vs SCE) coupled with their range of singlet (48-63 kcal mol(-1)) and triplet (48-57kcalmol(-1)) energies demonstrate that they are potent oxidizing agents in both their singlet and triplet excited states, thermodynamically capable of oxidizing substrates with oxidation potentials as high as 3.1eV. The pyrylogens are synthesized in three steps from readily available starting materials in modest overall 11.4-22.3% yields. These sensitizers have the added advantages that: (1) their radical cations do not react on the CV timescale with oxygen bypassing the need to run reactions under nitrogen or argon and (2) have long wavelength absorptions between 413 and 523nm well out of the range where competitive absorbance by most substrates would cause a problem. These new sensitizers do react with water requiring special precautions to operate in a dry reaction environment.
EXPRESSIVISM, SUPERVENIENCE AND LOGIC

Expressivist analyses of evaluative discourse characterize unembedded moral claims as functioning primarily to express non-cognitive attitudes. The most thorny problem for this project has been explaining the logical relations between such evaluative judgements and other judgements expressed using evaluative terms in unasserted contexts, such as when moral judgements are embedded in conditionals. One strategy for solving the problem derives logical relations among moral judgements from relations of 'consistency' and 'inconsistency' which hold between the attitudes they express. This approach has been accused of conflating inconsistency with mere pragmatic incoherence. In reaction to such criticisms several recent theorists have attempted to use alternative resources. The most sophisticated noncognitivists have postulated secondary descriptive meanings dependent on moral judgement's primary expressive meanings. Recent independent suggestions by Frank Jackson and Stephen Barker attempt to solve the embedding problem by utilizing such descriptive components of moral utterances. Unfortunately, this strategy fails to handle a certain sort of example using just the descriptive resources available to noncognitivists. It must rule valid arguments invalid in virtue of equivocation in the secondary descriptive meanings. The present paper explains the problem and suggests a moral for expressivist theories.
Passive online wireless LAN health monitoring from a single measurement point

Wireless LANs that are deployed in corporations and university campuses can contain a large number of access points and wireless hosts. In this paper, we develop a scalable approach that relies on measurements collected by a single monitor for WLAN health monitoring. We propose two metrics, local RTT and local loss rate, that indicate whether a wireless host experiences performance degradations inside a WLAN, and both can be obtained from measurements at the single monitor. Preliminary evaluation through data collected by a monitor at a university gateway router demonstrates the effectiveness of these two metrics.
A comparison of traditional and hybrid radiation detector dead-time models and detector behavior

Abstract High intensity radiation measurements are confounded by detector dead-time and pulse pile-up problems. A computational method was used to compare the traditional dead-time models with recently proposed hybrid dead-time models. A computational algorithm based on a decay source method was used to study the behavior of various dead-time models. Validation of the code was performed for the hybrid models by confirming that the predictions lie between the two ideal dead-time models; the paralyzing and the non-paralyzing model. It was interesting to note that two seemingly similar hybrid dead-time models produced significantly different results. Lee and Gardner's model based on two dead-times and Patil and Usman paralysis factor based model are inherently different in their logic as well as results. For Lee and Gardner's model altering the orders of dead-times produced significantly different response. These hybrid models should be studied further to investigate both the dependence and the variation of model parameters on detector design and operating conditions. It is well accepted that one dead-time does not apply to all detectors and even for the same detector applicability of the same model under all operating condition is questionable. Therefore, dead-time model should be chosen carefully for the specific detector, operating conditions and radiation to be measured to correctly represent the physical measurement phenomenon.
Superexchange electron-transfer reactions in a three-component system. The spin-boson model for photosynthesis

Abstract The rate expression for the superexchange reaction in a three-component system, involving a donor, a bridging intermediate and a distant acceptor, is derived using the spin-boson model for the primary electron transfer in a photosynthetic reaction center. In this model, a vector spin for SU(3) group with S =1 is assumed instead of a spinor of SU(2) with S = 1 2 . The derivation has taken into consideration the quantum tunneling effects due to high-frequency intramolecular nuclear motion.
Stakeholder preferences for best management practices for non-point source pollution and stormwater control

Abstract Typically, communities implement some subset of best management practices (BMP) to control their stormwater flows and NPS. Phase II of the U.S. Clean Water Act (CWA) requires public input, education, and participation, among other things, as part of watershed management planning processes for addressing nonpoint source pollution. It has been recognized that integrating stakeholders’ input and values into decision-making processes often results in good public policies adequately supported by the public. Choice experiment survey approaches are well suited as a means for increasing public participation in watershed decisions and for evaluating the relative attractiveness of alternative BMP for stormwater management and non-point source pollution control. Therefore we designed and implemented a choice experiment survey to learn about public preferences for alternative best management practices (BMP) for stormwater water management, identify BMP combinations likely to be supported by local stakeholders, and to increase public participation in watershed management decision making. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of choice experiments for evaluating preferences for alternative BMP for watershed management. Furthermore, the results reveal that stakeholders clearly prefer some BMP to others and that the extent of each BMP's application in a watershed plan matters to stakeholders.
Gastrointestinal response in rats to vibration and restraint.

Abstract The gastrointestinal response of rats to vibration at 15 Hz, 2.5 g acceleration was compared with those of control and restraint stressed rats. In restrained rats, gastric emptying was delayed, there was evidence that the rate of propulsion of a test meal through the ileocaecal valve was decreased, and in vitro intestinal glucose transport was altered as indicated by increased serosal/mucosal concentration ratios. Although the values for these responses were not statistically different from control levels, similar trends toward delayed gastric emptying and altered transport of glucose were recorded in vibrated rats. It was concluded that the vibration regime utilized represented a moderate stress in terms of gastrointestinal response.
Saturation transfer EPR

from the cyclotron at Berkeley, California. This was a considerable advance since the Cavendish cyclotron was severely overloaded in producing 35S and required weeks of repair after each run! We had some difficulty in persuading H.M. Customs and Excise to release the American material from the docks at Liverpool, and it was not until we told them that it had no commercial value, and would have no value to us either if they held on to it much longer, that they eventually released it. Before we left Cambridge in 1946 we were receiving material from America a million times as active as that with which we had started, and by the time supplies became available from Amersham we were throwing away in our wastes material we would have been happy to have ten years earlier. They were indeed happy days learning to work with these new but temperamental instruments. We nearly had heart failure one day when a bluebottle fell into the incineration mixture in a crucial experiment, until we realised that whatever the unknown sulphur content of a bluebottle might be, the fact that its 35S.conten t was zero made its presence largely irrelevant! GORDON E. FRANCIS Department of Biochemistry, Medical College of St. Bartholomew's Hospital, London, U.K.
Neopentane cracking catalyzed by iron- and manganese-promoted sulfated zirconia

Cracking of neopentane was catalyzed by a sulfated oxide of zirconium promoted with iron and manganese. Reaction at 300–450°C, atmospheric pressure, and neopentane partial pressures of 0.00025–0.005 bar gave methane as the principal product, along with C2 and C3 hydrocarbons, butenes, and coke. The order of reaction in neopentane was determined to be 1, consistent with a monomolecular reaction mechanism and with the formation of methane andt-butyl cations; the latter was presumably converted into several products, including only little isobutylene. At 450°C and a neopentane partial pressure of 0.005 bar, the rate of cracking at 5 min onstream was 5×10−8 mol/(g of catalyst s). Under the same conditions, the rates observed for unpromoted sulfated zirconia and USY zeolite were 3×10−8 and 6×10−9 mol/ (g of catalyst s), respectively. The observation that the promoted sulfated zirconia is not much more active than the other catalysts is contrasted to published results showing that the former catalyst is more than two orders of magnitude more active than the others forn-butane isomerization at temperatures <100°C. The results raise a question about whether the superacidity attributed to sulfated zirconia as a low-temperature butane isomerization catalyst pertains at the high temperatures of cracking.
Hardware-in-the-loop radar waveform optimization using radiated emissions

A truly holistic approach to electromagnetic compatibility should include waveform design and diversity, especially when considering high-power radar systems. One current challenge is producing a radar waveform that is physically realizable and that is optimized for a radar's actual hardware, including the chosen antennas. This work explores the optimization of physical radar radiated electromagnetic emissions based on the continuous phase modulation (CPM) implementation of polyphase codes along with a greedy search for the code search strategy. Multiple metrics for designing the waveform such as the peak sidelobe level (PSL), and integrated sidelobe level (ISL), were used during the optimization process. The optimization of the radar's waveform includes the effects of the entire transmit chain, including the antenna by measuring the actual electromagnetically radiated emissions of the radar.
Performance of OFDM-CDMA System with Papr Reduction in Nonlinear Rayleigh Fading Channel

This paper studies an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) - code division multiple access (CDMA) system in the frequency-selective Rayleigh fading channel with the nonlinear distortion caused by high power amplifier (HPA). The bit error rate (BER) has been derived which agrees well with the simulation results. Next, we present a new technique to reduce the large instantaneous envelope variations of the OFDM-CDMA signals. This approach is a simple input-power management processing with just minimal extra bandwidth for side information. It is based on the recursive-least-squares (RLS) algorithm to minimize the mean squared error of input instantaneous power and the average input power to HPA, which is shown to suppress the peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) significantly and improve the system performance as a result. Finally, from the spectral behavior investigation, the present power management is shown to yield a significant adjacent channel power ratio (ACPR) reduction.
Speed, Sex, Gay Men, and HIV: Ecological and Community Perspectives

Fifteen years into the HIV/AIDS epidemic, a great deal is now known about the different populations impacted by the disease, including those affected directly or indirectly by drug use. Anthropology has played a critical role in assisting with this task by identifying hidden populations, developing new methodological approaches, and targeting outreach efforts. In spite of this considerable body of ethnographic knowledge, men who have sex with other men (i.e., MSM, or gay and bisexual men) who use drugs have not received the same research attention as other drug users, despite the fact that they represent nearly one-fifth of AIDS cases in the U.S. with injection drug histories. In response to the alarming increase in HIV seroprevalence among this population, this ethnographic project provides preliminary data about those who are at dual risk for HIV through both homosexual behavior and injection drug use.
Friction Measurements of Ultra-Thin Carbon Overcoats in Air

The friction force as a function of humidity was measured between thin carbon films coated onto mica surfaces. The friction force was found to be proportional to the area of contact. The shear stress at 0 percent, 33 percent, and 100 percent relative humidity was measured to be 26 MPa±5 MPa, 12 MPa±2 MPa, and 5 MPa±0.5 MPa, respectively, and was independent of the applied pressure for pressures less than 20 MPa. Water acts as a lubricant decreasing the friction between the carbon surfaces. The shear stress at 0 percent relative humidity corresponds to the shear stress of a solid paraffin film, and suggests that the shear may be dominated by a thin organic film adsorbed from air, at least at the pressures less than 20 MPa and a velocity of 1 μm/s. At 100 percent relative humidity, the shear stress for carbon coated surfaces was about double that for mica surfaces, indicating a stronger influence of the water for the more hydrophilic mica surface than the more hydrophobic carbon surface. The friction between one uncoated mica and one carbon coated mica surface resulted in immediate damage and generation of wear debris.