cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Remote decision support for wheeled mobility and seating devices

Current wheelchair selection and evaluation processes are time-consuming, often requiring cumbersome review and re-review of frequently changing wheelchair products and manufacturers. Telerehabilitation (TR) is an emerging field that complements the current in-person assessment for selecting an appropriate wheeled mobility and seating device in underserved areas. One of TR's core functions is remote wheelchair selection (RWS), which requires detailed information on wheelchair characteristics and specifications, policy knowledge, and patient medical conditions including mobility limitation. Stakeholders currently have limited means to access comprehensive, reliable, monitored, and up-to-date information relative to wheeled mobility and seating devices, including performance, coverage criteria, or research evidence as to their benefits and short-comings. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) implemented significant changes to the Healthcare Common Procedures Coding System (HCPCS) for wheeled mobility devices (WMDs) that includes expansion from 4 to 64 unique codes to identify different types of physical mobility devices (PMDs). This 16-fold increase can make it difficult to fully understand where a given product falls within the new structure. In our work we review the current TR research, wheelchair coverage policy issues, and the modern remote wheelchair selection paradigm. We introduce a framework for a web-based decision support system for remote wheelchair selection. These outcomes improve the wheelchair selection and evaluation processes through the capabilities of remote investigation of in-person assessment process, appropriated wheelchair alternatives, advanced wheelchair query and selection, a reusable wheelchair information repository, and systematic wheelchair evaluation. We also discuss lessons learned from a focus group study regarding the user acceptance of RWS-Advisor and the future direction of research on remote wheelchair selection.
Mating-type suppression of the DNA-repair defect of the yeast rad6 delta mutation requires the activity of genes in the RAD52 epistasis group.

The RAD6 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is required for post-replication repair of UV-damaged DNA, UV mutagenesis, and sporulation. Here, we show that the radiation sensitivity of a MAT a rad6Δ strain can be suppressed by the MATα2 gene carried on a multicopy plasmid. The a1-α2 suppression is specific to the RAD6 pathway, as mutations in genes required for nucleotide excision repair or for recombinational repair do not show such mating-type suppression. The a1-α2 suppression of the rad6Δ mutation requires the activity of the RAD52 group of genes, suggesting that suppression occurs by channelling of post-replication gaps present in the rad6Δ mutant into the RAD52 recombinational repair pathway. The a1-α2 repressor could mediate this suppression via an enhancement in the expression, or the activity, of recombination genes.
The Intercalation Phase Diagram of Mg in V2O5 from First-Principles

We have investigated Mg intercalation into orthorhombic V2O5, one of only three cathodes known to reversibly intercalate Mg ions. By calculating the ground-state MgxV2O5 configurations and by developing a cluster expansion for the configurational disorder in δ-V2O5, a full temperature–composition phase diagram is derived. Our calculations indicate an equilibrium phase-separating behavior between fully demagnesiated α-V2O5 and fully magnesiated δ-V2O5, but also motivate the existence of potentially metastable solid solution transformation paths in both phases. We find significantly better mobility for Mg in the δ polymorph, suggesting that better performance can be achieved by cycling Mg in the δ phase.
On wave energy focusing and conversion in open water

Abstract This paper investigates wave energy conversion in open water where the goal is to utilize the wave-field focusing effect of a stationary disc submerged a short depth beneath the water surface. Dynamic interaction of the disc with additional coupled, submerged inertias is used to minimize its oscillation. The method used to enable and extend this favorable dynamic coupling is discussed here. An oscillating water column in a submerged duct attached under a small circular opening in the disc and driven by the wave-field over the disc is used for wave energy conversion. Non-real-time reactive control of the water column response to enhance energy absorption is examined. Added mass, radiation damping, and exciting force values for the submerged disc are computed, and the focusing effect of a submerged stationary disc is confirmed with numerical calculations of surface elevation over the disc. Calculations of hydrodynamic performance suggest that energy absorption from the oscillating water column is significantly greater under control holding the disc stationary, and can be improved further by applying reactive loads tuned to the optimal susceptance and conductance associated with the oscillating water column. Although the control forces involved in holding the disc stationary may be large at lower wave numbers, the maximum deflection amplitudes of the compensation system are found to be within reasonable limits.
Interdisciplinary Geriatric Primary Care Evaluation and Management: Two-Year Outcomes

BACKGROUND: The long-term efficacy of interdisciplinary outpatient primary care Geriatric Evaluation and Management (GEM) has not been proven. This article focuses on results obtained during the 2 years of the study. METHODS: In this 2-year randomized clinical trial, at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Memphis, TN, 128 veterans, age 65 years and older, were randomized to outpatient GEM or usual care (UC). Two-year follow-up analyses are based on the 98 surviving individuals. Study outcome measurements included health status, function, and quality of life including affect, cognition, and mortality. RESULTS: At 2 years, there were positive intervention effects for eight of 11 outcome measures, five of which had attained significance at 1 year. GEM subjects, compared with UC subjects, had significantly greater improvement in health perception (P = .001), smaller increases in numbers of clinic visits (P = .019) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) impairments (P = .006), improved social activity (P < .001), greater improvement in Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression (CES-D) scores (P = .003), general well-being (P = .001), life satisfaction (P < .001), and Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE) scores (P = .025). There were no significant treatment effects in activities of daily living (ADL) scores (P = .386), number of hospitalizations (P = .377), or mortality (P = .155). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that a primary care approach that combines an initial interdisciplinary comprehensive assessment with long-term, interdisciplinary outpatient management may improve outcomes for targeted older adults significantly. Findings suggest further that outcomes may continue to improve over time and that the GEM care model provides an effective way to manage health care of older adults. J Am Geriatr Soc 48: 8–13, 2000.
Intergranular pressure dissolution in a Plio-Pleistocene grainstone buried no more than 30 meters: Shoofly oolite, Southwestern Idaho

Intergranular pressure dissolution has occurred in the shallowly buried Plio-Pleistocene Shoofly oolite of the Glenns Ferry Formation in southwestem Idaho. The Shoofly lies at the margin of a lake basin and was buried to depths of 30 m or less beneath lake sediments and gravels derived from nearby volcanic rocks. Flattened, concavo-convex, and sutured contacts between ooids are common and make up over half of all intergranular contacts in the uncemented Shoofly grainstones, whereas such contants are much rarer in uncompacted oolitic grainstones. Sutured contacts make up about 7% of all intergranular contacts in the Shoofly oolite and provide clear evidence of intergranular pressure dissolution.
Dynamic profiling and fuzzy-logic-based optimization of sensor network platforms

The commercialization of sensor-based platforms is facilitating the realization of numerous sensor network applications with diverse application requirements. However, sensor network platforms are becoming increasingly complex to design and optimize due to the multitude of interdependent parameters that must be considered. To further complicate matters, application experts oftentimes are not trained engineers, but rather biologists, teachers, or agriculturists who wish to utilize the sensor-based platforms for various domain-specific tasks. To assist both platform developers and application experts, we present a centralized dynamic profiling and optimization platform for sensor-based systems that enables application experts to rapidly optimize a sensor network for a particular application without requiring extensive knowledge of, and experience with, the underlying physical hardware platform. In this article, we present an optimization framework that allows developers to characterize application requirements through high-level design metrics and fuzzy-logic-based optimization. We further analyze the benefits of utilizing dynamic profiling information to eliminate the guesswork of creating a “good” benchmark, present several reoptimization evaluation algorithms used to detect if re-optimization is necessary, and highlight the benefits of the proposed dynamic optimization framework compared to static optimization alternatives.
Syntactic and pragmatic factors in the morphological reduction of Latin HABEO>Spanish (h)e

L'article passe en revue tous les travaux qui ont tente de trouver une explication du passage de la forme latine habeo a la forme espagnole (h)e puis propose sa propre solution
Conversion of carbon dioxide and methane in biomass synthesis gas for liquid fuels production

Abstract The premise of this research is to find whether methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) produced during biomass gasification can be converted to carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen (H2). Simultaneous steam and dry reforming was conducted by selecting three process parameters (temperature, CO2:CH4, and CH4:steam ratios). Experiments were carried out at three levels of temperature (800 °C, 825 °C and 850 °C), CO2:CH4 ratio (2:1, 1:1 and 1:2), and CH4:steam ratio (1:1, 1:2 and 1:3) at a residence time of 3.5 × 103 gcat min/cc using a custom mixed gas that resembles biomass synthesis gas, over a commercial catalyst. Experiments were conducted using a Box-Behnken approach to evaluate the effect of the process variables. The average CO and CO2 selectivities were 68% and 18%, respectively, while the CH4 and CO2 conversions were about 65% and 48%, respectively. The results showed optimum conditions for maximum CH4 conversion was at 800 °C, CO2:CH4 ratio and CH4:steam ratios of 1:1.
Myth and Mimetic Failure in The Remains of the Day

����� ��� azuo Ishiguro’s novels frequently rely upon a firstperson voice to show how narrative reveals knowledge about its characters through its formal structure. Formalism is the key to The Remains of the Day, and for this reason, Ishiguro’s project is inextricably bound up with that of his protagonist Mr. Stevens. In both novel and protagonist, the problem of presentation and staging becomes the very texture of the emergent object as well as its central motivation for being. The Remains of the Day is constructed as a kind of Russian nesting doll of creative workmanship; there is no ontological basis for the subjects and objects we find within it. That said, I don’t propose to conduct a poststructuralist reading of Remains but rather look to Theodor Adorno’s aesthetic and cultural theory to understand how formal inquiry can produce the grounds for ethical critique within the novel. Contrary to critics like The New Yorker’s Terrence Rafferty who suggests that Ishiguro “spends all his imaginative energies in ‘artifice’ rather than an expression of life” (qtd. in Parkes 72), I believe that it is precisely through the novel’s hermetic formal structure that socially charged—or to use Adorno’s term, “world-historical”—processes complicate its otherwise finely calibrated surface. In particular, Adorno helps us to identify the coextensive relationship between the formal projects of the novel’s author and its protagonist. Adorno’s theory of mimesis helps to show why the novel and Stevens must strive to express a self-contained and formally flawless existence, even as their lapses in this effort
Truthful Mechanisms for Allocating a Single Processor to Sporadic Tasks in Competitive Real-Time Environments

In a non-competitive environment, sporadic real-time task scheduling on a single processor is well understood. In this paper, we consider a competitive environment comprising several real-time tasks vying for execution upon a shared single processor. Each task obtains a value if the processor successfully schedules all its jobs. Our objective is to select a feasible subset of these tasks to maximize the sum of values of selected tasks. We consider both dynamic-priority and static-priority scheduling algorithms. There are algorithms for solving these problems in non-competitive settings. However, we consider these problems in an economic setting in which each task is owned by a selfish agent. Each agent reports the characteristics of her own task to the processor owner. The processor owner uses a mechanism to allocate the processor to a subset of agents and to determine the payment of each agent. Since agents are selfish, they may try to manipulate the mechanism to obtain the processor. We are interested in truthful mechanisms in which it is always in agents’ best interest to report the true characteristics of their tasks. We design exact and approximate truthful mechanisms for this competitive environment and study their performance.
Imaging the Earth's magnetosphere

Abstract The ability to image the Earth's magnetosphere would constitute a major advance in our ability to formulate a comprehensive, time-dependent model of the magnetosphere and of substonn processes. Imaging technology is rapidly developing to the point where useful optical images could be made with sufficient spatial and temporal resolution for viewing substorm processes. We identify resonant scattering solar emissions near 834 A by O + as the most promising means of viewing magnetospheric plasma and tracing processes within the magnetosphere. Simulations of images at 834 A observed from the Moon's orbit, which include detail on the radiation belts and the plasma sheet, are presented and analyzed. They show that changes in the global structure are expected to be visible through changes in the brightness and structure of features which can be identified on the image. The analysis also shows that, given expected performance of detectors and reflectors now under development for use in e.u.v., useful images could be made in 15–30 min with 1000 pixels. This will give time resolution adequate for observation of structures which could change in the period of a typlcal magnetospheric substorm. In addition to the further development of optical devices, high resolution spectra of solar radiation are needed to make more accurate calculations of the scattering due to O + at 834 A.
Partnering to improve undergraduate teaching: NAGT and AGU join forces

To live sustainably on the planet, we must understand its workings, its effect on us, and our effect on it. This requires not only research but also broad education that supports informed personal and political decision making and creates the geoscience workforce of tomorrow. AGU brings together Earth and space scientists not only to support scientific research but also to promote society's use of that science. Currently, AGU's outreach programing is focused on improving members' ability to communicate scientific research results more broadly.
Origin of Impact Strength in Polycarbonate: I. Effect of Crystallization and Residual Solvent

Abstract The high impact strength of glassy polycarbonate has been suggested to be related to an excess free volume, a large low temperature beta transition, or a unique morphology. To determine how crystallization affects free volume, molecular motion and morphology, samples of amorphous and partially crystalline polycarbonate have been studied by means of specific volume and dynamic mechanical measurements, electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction techniques. Previous studies have given conflicting results concerning the effect of crystallization on the low temperature beta transition below Tg . Our results clarify this matter by showing that crystallization and residual solvent give different effects on the beta transition. Crystallization is shown to decrease the intensity of the beta loss peak suggesting that the beta motion occurs in the “non-crystalline” regions of the polymer. Solvent not only decreases the beta peak intensity, but also shifts the peak maximum to lower temperatures and causes an ...
Growth, Nodule Development, and N2-Fixing Ability in Soybean Damaged by an Insect-Fungus-Nematode Pest Complex

Greenhouse studies were done to determine effects of soybean looper, Pseudoplusia Includes (Walker), stem canker fungus, Diaporthe phaseolorum (Cke. and E11.) Sacc.var. caulivora Athow and Caldwell, and soybean cyst nematode, Heterodera glycines Ichinohe (race 3), on growth, nodule development, and N2-fixing ability (measured by acetylene-ethylene assay) of ‘Bragg’ soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merrill. Soybean looper larvae and stem canker fungus reduced soybean growth, nodule development, and N.-fixing ability. Reductions in N2-fixing ability caused by insect-induced defoliation resulted from decreases in number and weight of nodules but not from decreased nodule efficiency (nodule-specific activity), whereas reductions in this parameter in plants with stem cankers resulted from decreases in number, weight, and efficiency of nodules on roots. Soybean cyst nematode (race 3) had little measurable effect on most parameters measured, Effects of insect, fungus, and nematode primarily were additive.
Collaborative Training in Fellowship: Implications for Psychiatric Workforce Development.

As of 2013, the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) “NP Fact Sheet,” 2014, reported that the population of nurse practitioners (NPs) in the USA was approximately 189,000; psychiatric NPs represented 3.2 % (just over 6000) of this total [1]. Per the “AANP National NP Sample Survey,” the number of psychiatric NPs increased by roughly 34 % (1548) in the 3-year period starting in 2010 and by around 60 % compared with 2004 [2]. By comparison, the number of medical students entering the first year of general psychiatry residency programs between 2004 and 2012 increased by just 9.4 % from 979 to 1080 and by only 5 total individuals in the 3-year period between 2010 and 2012 [3, 4]. With approximately 450 new psychiatric NP graduates in 2011–2012, they now represent about 30 % of the graduates entering psychiatric practice annually [5]. Given these trends, which suggest that the proportion of the psychiatric workforce represented by NPs’ promises to grow significantly over the next decade, interdisciplinary collaboration within psychiatry demands increased attention and study. Although collaborative relationships between physicians and advanced practice nurses (APNs) are beneficial to patients, providers, and the healthcare system, little information exists on how to formally establish a valuable working relationship [6–10]. The literature-base exploring collaborative relationships between APNs and physicians is small and largely confined to nursing journals. Meanwhile, state-based legislative guidelines provide minimal practical guidance and vary significantly state to state. The lack of a clearly defined collaborative care model has led to confusion and misperceptions about role and scope of practice, particularly regarding APNs, within interdisciplinary teams. Our literature search did not uncover any publications on models of collaborative training for psychiatrists and psychiatric APNs, nor, more broadly, of collaborative training for physicians and APNs of any disciplines. As APNs enter the workforce at an accelerated rate, the need for interdisciplinary education has accelerated as well: quality of care, system costs, and provider satisfaction are likely to improve if future generations of physicians, and APNs are educated and trained collaboratively.
Tracing the evolution of knowledge structures

The goal of the research described here is to understand the evolution of knowledge structures as novices learn to use text editors. Two groups of individuals were trained to use one of two text editing systems: the IBM Displaywriter and UCSD-Pascal. Individuals rated the similarity among pairs of editing commands before and after training. Before training, subjects’ similarity ratings are characterized by heavy reliance on natural language denotations of command names. After training, subjects’ similarity ratings are explainable in terms of a small set of identifiable properties of underlying knowledge structures that are typical of experts’ knowledge about a text editor. These properties reflect functional features of command actions, and the psychological salience of a property for a given individual is related to editing performance.
On-line elemental analysis of coal via high resolution PGNA

Abstract On-line analytical instrumentation for monitoring elements such as S in coal must have short response time and should be reliable, cost effective and require limited maintenance. Requirements such as the above, make it difficult to transplant usual laboratory techniques as on-line equipment in coal-fired plants or coal-processing centers. PGNA has been found to be a useful technique for on-line multi-element analysis.
Reducing Risks for Young Children: Indicators Research Can Guide Disaster Preparedness of the Early Childhood Sector

A major initiative to rebuild child care facilities damaged by Hurricane Katrina of 2005 uncovered significant gaps in disaster preparedness of the early childhood sector. A series of four studies of the disaster risks of the sector found wide variety in specific threats to the sector at the county level and in elements of preparedness in state policies. The studies yielded a set of ten indicators of risk and a model of interagency early childhood disaster preparedness, with periodic indicators research a key feature of the model.
Challenge-response based ACK message authentication

Although ACK (acknowledgement) should be short since it simply notifies a successful receipt, the actual size of ACK packets increases because of a message header or security options. Especially, in wireless sensor networks where efficiency is the highest priority due to the limited sensor resources, the size of ACK may be reduced by omitting some header fields or security options. However, this pursuit of efficiency can cause security vulnerability such as a faked ACK. In turn, the ACK cannot achieve the original purpose, i.e. to provide reliable communication, any more. Therefore, proposed is a novel ACK message authentication method based on a challenge-response authentication, which can achieve efficiency and security at the same time.
Mast cells as a source of multifunctional cytokines

Mast cells have been implicated in the expression of a wide variety of biological responses, including immediate hypersensitivity reactions, host responses to parasites and neoplasms, immunologically non-specific inflammatory and fibrotic conditions, angiogenesis, and tissue remodeling and wound healing. However, the molecular basis for the action of the mast cell in many of these responses is obscure. In this review, John Gordon, Parris Burd and Stephen Galli suggest that the production of a broad panel of multifunctional cytokines may represent an important mechanism by which mast cells influence physiological, immunological and pathological processes.
The angiotensin II-AT1 receptor stimulates reactive oxygen species within the cell nucleus

We and others have reported significant expression of the Ang II Type 1 receptor (AT1R) on renal nuclei; thus, the present study assessed the functional pathways and distribution of the intracellular AT1R on isolated nuclei. Ang II (1 nM) stimulated DCF fluorescence, an intranuclear indicator of reactive oxygen species (ROS), while the AT1R antagonist losartan or the NADPH oxidase (NOX) inhibitor DPI abolished the increase in ROS. Dual labeling of nuclei with antibodies against nucleoporin 62 (Nup62) and AT1R or the NADPH oxidase isoform NOX4 revealed complete overlap of the Nup62 and AT1R (99%) by flow cytometry, while NOX4 was present on 65% of nuclei. Treatment of nuclei with a PKC agonist increased ROS while the PKC inhibitor GF109203X or PI3 kinase inhibitor LY294002 abolished Ang II stimulation of ROS. We conclude that the Ang II-AT1R-PKC axis may directly influence nuclear function within the kidney through a redox sensitive pathway.
Phase separation of ultrathin polymer-blend films on patterned substrates

The phase separation of ultrathin polymer-blend films of polystyrene and polybutadiene on microcontact printed alkanethiol patterns with hydrophobic and hydrophilic end groups $(\ensuremath{-}{\mathrm{CH}}_{3}$ and -COOH) is investigated by atomic force microscopy. Simulations suggest that the phase-separation morphology can be controlled through patterns that modulate the polymer-surface interaction, and this concept is verified experimentally. Length scale pattern control is found to be limited to a scale on the order of a few micrometers.
Chemical ionization mass spectrometry: Oligomerization reactions in tight ion sources

Association of carbonyl compounds with protons to give cluster ions can be observed in conventional chemical ionization mass spectrometry. The variation of the relative ion currents of proton bound ‘dimers’ formed with acetone and methylethyl ketone have been examined as a function of ion source partial pressures. Multiple ion/molecule reactions with N-methylol derivatives of amides and carbamates and repetitive losses of water give protonated oligomeric species. Ions having m/z values as large as 625 [M6H5H2O]+ have been detected in the chemical ionization spectrum of N-hydroxymethylurethane (M).
Implementing Interventions with Families in Schools to Increase Youth School Engagement: The Family Check-Up Model

This study examined outcomes associated with the Family Check-Up (FCU), an adaptive, tailored, family-centered intervention to enhance positive adjustment of middle school youth and prevent problem behavior. The FCU intervention model was delivered to families in 3 public middle schools. The study sample comprised 377 families, and participants were randomly assigned to receive either the intervention or school as usual. Participation in the intervention was relatively high, with 38% of the families receiving the FCU. Participation in the intervention improved youth self-regulation over the 3 years of the study. Self-regulation skills, defined as effortful control, predicted both decreased depression and increased school engagement in high school, with small to medium effect sizes. The results have implications for the delivery of mental health services in schools that specifically target family involvement and parenting skills.
Responses of the planarian Dugesia dorotocephala to ultraviolet radiation or photosensitized treatments.

— The survival of the planarian Dugesia dorotocephala was measured following treatment with germicidal ultraviolet (UV) radiation, with the DNA photosensitizer 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP) plus near UV radiation, or with the cytoplasm photosensitizer erythrosin plus visible radiation. The typical morphological response of an irradiated animal was lysis, with the head being the most sensitive part. All the survival curves had substantial shoulders. Treatments whose primary target was likely to be DNA (UV irradiation or 8-MOP plus near UV irradiation) resulted in lysis of part of the planarian population which commenced 24 h or more after treatment and continued over several days. The treatment whose primary target was likely to be the membranes of the planarian (erythrosin plus visible irradiation) resulted in lysis mostly during the first few hours after treatment. Thus an easily discerned endpoint, lysis, can be used for D. dorotocephala to evaluate photosensitizing compounds, where the kinetics of lysis may differentiate among compounds whose modes of action are different.
Direct MRI-guided biopsy of the prostate: use of post-biopsy needle track imaging to confirm targeting

Purpose To report the observation that in-plane post-biopsy T2-weighted MRI often demonstrates the needle track as a transient visible linear tissue distortion during direct MRI-guided biopsy.
Formation of partial dislocations during intersection of glide dislocations with frank loops in f.c.c. lattices

Interactions of moving dislocations with Frank loops in quenched or irradiated materials can result in either coalescence or intersection reactions. The latter lead to the formation of partial dislocations associated with the resulting half loops. Alloy stacking fault energy (SFE) and specific deformation conditions are shown to control the reaction of the partial dislocations with the half loops. Based on this analysis, a partial dislocation mechanism is proposed that allows explanation of partial unfaulting, stacking fault extension, and twin formation, previously observed during plastic deformation of irradiated austenitic stainless steel.
Preliminary investigation of an active PLZT lens

The design, analysis and preliminary testing of a prototype Adjustable Focus Optical Correction Lens (AFOCL) is described. The AFOCL is an active optical component composed of solid state lead lanthanum-modified zirconate titanate (PLZT) ferroelectric ceramic with patterned indium tin oxide (ITO) transparent surface electrodes that modulate the refractive index of the PLZT to function as an electro-optic lens. The AFOCL was developed to perform optical re-alignment and wavefront correction to enhance the performance of Ultra-Lightweight Structures and Space Observatories (ULSSO). The AFOCL has potential application as an active optical component within a larger optical system. As such, information from a wavefront sensor would be processed to provide input to the AFOCL to drive the sensed wavefront to the desired shape and location. While offering variable and rapid focussing capability (controlled wavefront manipulation) similar to liquid crystal based spatial light modulators (SLM), the AFOCL offers some potential advantages because it is a solid-state, stationary, low-mass, rugged, and thin optical element that can produce wavefront quality comparable to the solid refractive lens it replaces. The AFOCL acts as a positive or negative lens by producing a parabolic phase-shift in the PLZT material through the application of a controlled voltage potential across the ITO electrodes. To demonstrate the technology, a 4 mm diameter lens was fabricated to produce 5-waves of optical power operating at 2.051 micrometer wavelength. Optical metrology was performed on the device to measure focal length, optical quality, and efficiency for a variety of test configurations. The data was analyzed and compared to theoretical data available from computer-based models of the AFOCL.
Smooth electron density transition from plasmasphere to the subauroral region

[1] Upper hybrid resonance (UHR) noise band and the nonthermal continuum (NTC) radiation were routinely observed by the radio plasma imager (RPI) onboard the IMAGE satellite when it transited the plasmasphere and subauroral regions. The lower cutoff frequencies of the UHR band and the NTC radiation provide an estimate of the electron plasma frequencies along the satellite orbit. A steep electron density gradient, which defines the plasmapause, was commonly observed when IMAGE transited from the plasmasphere to the subauroral region or vice versa. It appears however that, on many occasions, the electron density transition from the plasmasphere to the subauroral region is smooth without a clear signature of the plasmapause. Such smooth transitions can occur at various magnetic local times. The events presented in this study were observed after geomagnetic activities had been quiet for 2 or more days with Kp primarily less than 3. The smooth density transitions from the plasmasphere to the subauroral region may be an observational evidence of the suggested plasmaspheric wind.
A search for superhumps in the cataclysmic variable SW Sextantis

Abstract We present differential photometry of the cataclysmic variable star SW Sextantis. A time series analysis was performed in search of superhumps in the accretion disk of this star, which is the prototype of a class of cataclysmic variables, the SW Sex stars. We find no superhumps, which shows that the presence of superhumps is not a defining feature of the SW Sex stars.
The impact of superior–subordinate relationships on the commitment, job satisfaction, and performance of virtual workers

Abstract While superior–subordinate relationships are expected to have a salient impact on individual work outcomes, the extant research has primarily focused on individuals working in a traditional work mode. Given the increasing popularity of virtual work arrangements, especially among professional-level employees, we examine the extent to which working in a virtual mode moderates the impact of leader–member exchange (LMX) quality on level of commitment, job satisfaction and performance. Based on a survey of 375 professional-level employees who worked to varying degrees virtually, we found that those with high quality relationships, who also worked extensively in this mode, demonstrated the highest levels of commitment, job satisfaction and performance relative to those who worked less extensively in this mode. Whereas those with lower quality relationships, who worked extensively in the virtual mode, demonstrated lower commitment and job satisfaction, but performed somewhat better, than those who worked a limited amount in this mode.
Suprathermal protons in the interplanetary solar wind

Using the Mariner 5 solar wind plasma and magnetic field data, we present observations of field-aligned suprathermal proton velocity distributions having pronounced high-energy shoulders. These observations, similar to the interpenetrating stream observations of Feldman et al. (1974), are clear evidence that such proton distributions are interplanetary rather than bow shock associated phenomena. Large Alfven speed is found to be a requirement for the occurrence of suprathermal proton distribution; further, we find the proportion of particles in the shoulder to be limited by the magnitude of the Alfven speed. It is suggested that this last result could indicate that the proton thermal anisotropy is limited at times by wave-particle interactions
A Quantitative Comparison of the Fill Density of MTA Produced by Two Placement Techniques

This study compared the fill density of mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) produced by hand condensation with that produced by hand condensation with indirect ultrasonic (US) activation. Sixty acrylic blocks with straight or curved canals were instrumented to an apical size 45, and weighed with a digital electronic balance. In 30 randomly chosen specimens, the canal was filled with MTA by hand condensation and weighed. The MTA was removed; the canal was rinsed and dried, and refilled using hand condensation with indirect US activation. In the other 30 specimens, the procedure was carried out identically but in reverse order. The blocks were then reweighed. The weight of the MTA fill produced by the two placement methods in the two canal configurations was analyzed by a two-way ANOVA. Hand condensation with indirect US activation resulted in an MTA fill that was statistically significantly heavier, and thus denser, than that accomplished by hand condensation alone in both curved and straight canals (p < 0.0001).
Synthesis of (3H, 33P)-phosphoramide and -isophosphoramide mustards and metabolites (3H)-chloroethylaziridine and -aziridine for studies of DNA alkylation

Reduction of diethyliminodiacetate with [ 3 H]-LiAlH 4 and then reaction with SOCl 2 gave bis(2-chloro-2-[ 3 H] ethyl)amine hydrochloride. This compound, together with [ 33 P]-phosphorus oxychloride, provided for the synthesis of [ 3 H, 33 P]-phosphoramide mustard (as its cyclohexylammonium salt) in three steps over 2 days. Similarly, 2-[ 3 H]-ethanolamine was reacted with SOCl 2 to give 2-chloro-2-[ 3 H]-ethylamine hydrochloride which, along with [ 33 P]-POCl 3 , was used to synthesize [ 3 H, 33 P]-isophosphoramide mustard in two steps over 1 day. 1 H NMR studies were carried out to determine optimal times for in situ formation and storage of chloroethylaziridine and aziridine. A solution of 10 mM bis(2-chloroethyl)amine hydrochloride in 0.1M phosphate/D 2 O, pD 7.9 at 37°C for 3h gave chloroethylaziridine without contamination by starting material or hydrolysis products. For aziridine, the disappearance of 0.2 M 2-chloroethylamine hydrochloride in 2 M NaOD/D 2 O at pD 14, 37°C, gave κ = 0.00455 min -1 (R 2 = 1.000) and τ 1/2 = 2.55 h; no hydrolysis product was observed over the course of the NMR experiment (4 h). It was concluded that ∼ 13 h (5 half-lives) of reaction time would yield a solution of aziridine which was relatively free of contaminants. Using these reaction conditions, 3 H-labeled chloroethylamines were used to synthesize 1-(2-chloro-2-[ 3 H]-ethyl)-2-[ 3 H]-aziridine and 2-[ 3 H]-aziridine in situ.
On the meaning and estimation of plasmid transfer rates for surface-associated and well-mixed bacterial populations.

Conjugative plasmid transfer is key to the ability of bacteria to rapidly adapt to new environments, but there is no agreement on a single quantitative measure of the rate of plasmid transfer. Some studies derive estimates of transfer rates from mass-action differential equation models of plasmid population biology. The often-used ‘endpoint method’ is such an example. Others report measures of plasmid transfer efficiency that simply represent ratios of plasmid-bearing and plasmid-free cell densities and do not correspond to parameters in any mathematical model. Unfortunately, these quantities do not measure the same thing – sometimes differing by orders of magnitude – and their use is often clouded by a lack of specificity. Moreover, they do not distinguish between bulk transfer rates that are only relevant in well-mixed populations and the ‘intrinsic’ rates between individual cells. This leads to problems for surface-associated populations, which are not well-mixed but spatially structured. We used simulations of a spatially explicit mathematical model to evaluate the effectiveness of these various plasmid transfer efficiency measures when they are applied to surface-associated populations. The simulation results, supported by some experimental findings, showed that these measures can be affected by initial cell densities, donor-to-recipient ratios and initial cell cluster size, and are therefore flawed as universal measures of plasmid transfer efficiency. The simulations also allowed us to formulate some guiding principles on when these estimates are appropriate for spatially structured populations and how to interpret the results. While we focus on plasmid transfer, the general lessons of this study should apply to any measures of horizontal spread (e.g., infection rates in epidemiology) that are based on simple mass-action models (e.g., SIR models in epidemiology) but applied to spatial settings.
14. Arthur H. Miller. 1974. “Political Issues and Trust in Government: 1964–1970.” American Political Science Review 68 (September): 951–72. Cited 340 times

The importance of citizen trust in government derives from its role in democratic theory. Presumably, the decisions of trusted authorities and institutions are more likely to be accepted as legitimate and worthy of support than are those of distrusted leaders and institutions.
Cationized Ferritin as a Stain for Electron Microscopic Observation of Bacterial Ultrastructure

The electron microscope has proven very effective for visualization of various morphological features of bacteria. Cationized ferritin (CF) is a stain commonly used to increase the electron microscopic resolution of bacterial cells, thereby enabling detailed analysis of their morphological and structural features. CF has been useful for microscopic examination of the bacterial capsule, cell wall, S-layer, and various unique morphological structures. In addition, as a cation, CF binds only to negatively charged molecules. Thus, CF has been used to identify sites of anionic charge on the bacterial cell surface, which has led to insights concerning the formation and turnover of bacterial peptidoglycan and the S-layer proteins. As a cation, however, CF may also interact with certain cellular components, causing erroneous interpretation of microscopic results. This review provides a discussion of both the strengths and weaknesses of CF when used as a stain for electron microscopy.
Institutional guidelines for the care of the patient with a ventricular-assist device requiring non-cardiac surgery

Patients requiring support for end-stage heart failure with long-term ventricular assist devices (VADs) are increasingly in need of non-cardiac surgery. There is little literature regarding the peri-operative management of these complex and sick patients with regards to facilitating multi-disciplinary communication to insure good outcomes. We present the results of our institutional task force that was convened to develop policies and procedure for the peri-operative management of patients with VADs requiring non-cardiac surgery. Keywords: ventricular assist devices, non-cardiac surgery, policy and guidelines (Published: 24 March 2011) Citation: Mechanical Circulatory Support 2011, 2: 5978 - DOI: 10.3402/mcs.v2i0.5978
Thermally activated sulfurization of In-Cu bilayers for CuInS 2 solar cells

Sulfur vapor or H 2 S is often used for the fabrication of CuInS 2 thin film solar cells by sulfurizing Cu/In bimetallic layers at elevated temperature over 400 °C. In order to promote low temperature sulfurization and/or faster sulfurization, sulfur vapor was thermally activated before it reaches Cu/In metallic precursor layers for the formation of CuInS 2 thin films. The thermal activation of sulfur at over 600 °C dissociates high molecular weight sulfur molecules primarily comprised of S8 into smaller size molecules. Thermodynamic calculation predicted more spontaneous sulfurization process with S 2 molecules. However, experimental results indicated that more complex phase transformation process was occurring with the thermally activated sulfur molecules. While In-rich Cu/In bimetallic precursor layers only experienced minor compositional change in Cu/In ratio after sulfurization, Cu-rich films have lost significant amount of In resulting increased Cu/In ratio after sulfurization process. The compositional change of the Cu-rich bilayers was sensitive to the temperature at which sulfur molecules were activated (dissociated). In general, more indium loss was observed with a higher activation temperature. The Cu/In ratio was reduced down slightly below 1.0 by KCN etching of the sulfurized CuInS 2 films indicating the existence of CuS phase and also indium binary phase, both observed in XRD patterns.
Passive bistatic radar enhancement devices

The usual enhancement devices are constructed to give a maximum monostatic echo area. This is achieved by setting up a uniform phase distribution in the effective aperture of the device independent of the angle of incidence. Bistatic echo-area enhancement may be achieved by altering this phase distribution. Gable phase distribution is considered for the rectangular aperture and is applied to the case of the triple-bounce corner reflector. Both linear radial and quadratic radial phase distributions are treated for circular apertures and applied to the Luneberg reflector and those spherical devices described by Kay.It is shown that the echo pattern may be approximated as an exponentially decaying function of the bistatic angle θ, i.e. e−γθ. In each case the parameter γ is related to some physical parameter of the device by a design process. The validity of this design process has been verified for a triangular triple-bounce corner reflector and a Luneberg reflector.
Relationship between circadian blood pressure variation and circadian protein excretion in CKD.

Circadian blood pressure changes are blunted in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Proteinuria is the most important correlate of hypertension in CKD. However, little is known about the in...
Ex Vivo Expansion of CD4 Lymphocytes from Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1-Infected Persons in the Presence of Combination Antiretroviral Agents

Expansion of CD4 lymphocytes from human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-infected persons ex vivo has been limited by enhanced virus replication and cell death. The successful expansion of functional CD4 lymphocytes from HIV-1-infected persons has now been accomplished using a bispecific monoclonal antibody to CD3 and CD8 in combination with three antiretroviral agents. CD4 lymphocytes were polyclonally expanded by a factor of 10 3 -10 7 during 4-8 weeks in culture. Supernatants from most cultures were persistently HIV-1 p24 antigen-negative by day 14 and remained negative despite removal of antiretroviral agents at day 28. In such cultures, HIV-1 could not be recovered by cocultivation, and amounts of HIV-1 DNA declined or remained stable at low levels, eventually becoming undetectable in 2 cases. This approach establishes the feasibility of CD4 lymphocyte expansion in persons with HIV disease and may be useful for immune-based or gene therapies.
Birds, Carnage, Salvation: An Interview with George Klauba

Klauba’s bungalow in the North Park section of Chicago is a twenty-five minute ride from O’Hare Airport. George and his wife Judith greet me at the door. They are a well-matched couple, tall, amiable, and responsive. They have been jointly interested in Melville since their marriage at the Seaman’s Bethel in New Bedford in 2006. Before lunch, George gave me a tour. We lingered in the living room maybe longer than he planned, for I could not take my eyes off a brand-new painting, Ahab Dismasted (fig. 2). This image was taking George’s adventure with the novel in a new direction, although he was not yet sure quite where or why. Ahab is standing full-length, alone, against the dark brown inner wall of the ship. He is tall and gaunt, bending down, about to attach his whalebone leg to the stump of his living leg. The gap between the two leg shapes holds your attention, until your eyes rise. There, around the shoulders, are the transparent
ENRICH Marital Satisfaction Scale: A brief research and clinical tool.

This article presents reliability and validity data for the 15-item ENRICH (evaluation and nurturing relationship issues, communication and happiness) Marital Satisfaction (EMS) Scale. The scale was found to be reliable and to have strong correlations with other measures of marital satisfaction and moderate relationships with measures of family satisfaction and consideration of divorce. The EMS Scale offers an important alternative to researchers who require a brief but, nevertheless, valid and reliable measure of marital quality. It provides a means to obtain both dyadic and individual satisfaction scores. Ten of the scale’s items survey 10 domains of marital quality. The other 5 items compose a marital conventionalization scale to correct for the tendency to endorse unrealistically positive descriptions of the marriage. National norms based on 2,112 couples are presented for the EMS Scale.
Intracellular Ca2+ regulating proteins in vascular smooth muscle cells are altered with type 1 diabetes due to the direct effects of hyperglycemia

Background Diminished calcium (Ca2+) transients in response to physiological agonists have been reported in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) from diabetic animals. However, the mechanism responsible was unclear.