cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Interaction With the Earth and Other Planets: Contribution to Space Weather

When CMEs interact with other bodies in the solar system a number of physical processes take place. At the Earth the magnetosphere can be disrupted leading to what is known as a (geo)magnetic storm, but similar effects are known to take place at other planets as well. In this chapter we introduce the Earth’s magnetosphere and how it is affected by CMEs. We will also discuss the effects of CMEs on other heliospheric bodies such as other planets and comets.
Conditional answers in question-answering systems

In many cases a deductive question-answering system cannot find complete proofs to answer questions requiring deductive support. In some cases information needed to complete proofs is missing from the knowledge base. In other cases processing limits may have been reached before proofs could be completed. Rather than disregarding such partial proofs as most systems do, the DADM system displays them to users and identifies subproblems that remain unresolved. Answers emanating from partial proofs include remaining subproblems as "conditions" which must be true for the answers to be valid.
A Supervised POS Tagger for Written Arabic Social Networking Corpora

This paper presents an implementation of Brill's Transformation-Based Part-of-Speech (POS) tagging algorithm trained on a manually-annotated Twitter-based Egyptian Arabic corpus of 423,691 tokens and 70,163 types. Unlike standard POS morphosyntactic annotation schemes which label each word based on its word-level morphosyntactic features, we use a function-based annotation scheme in which words are labeled based on their grammatical functions rather than their morpho-syntactic structures given that these two do not necessarily map. While a standard morpho-syntactic scheme makes comparisons with other work easier, the function-based scheme is assumed to be more efficient for building higher-up tools such as base-phrase chunkers, dependency parsers and for NLP applications like subjectivity and sentiment analysis. The function-based scheme also gives new insights about linguistic structural realizations specific to Egyptian Arabic which is currently an under-resourced language.
Doxazosin for the treatment of co-occurring PTSD and alcohol use disorder: Design and methodology of a randomized controlled trial in military veterans

Abstract Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol use disorders (AUD) are two of the most common mental health disorders affecting civilians as well as military populations. If left untreated, individuals with co-occurring PTSD/AUD are at increased risk for developing other mental health problems (e.g., depression, anxiety), physical health problems, reduced resiliency and military readiness, and vocational and social impairment. Substantial gaps in the treatment of co-occurring PTSD/AUD exist and there is a critical need to develop more effective pharmacological treatments. The current study addresses this gap in the literature by testing the efficacy and safety of doxazosin, a long-acting and selective alpha-1 adrenergic antagonist, as compared to placebo in reducing PTSD and AUD severity among U.S. military veterans. Noradrenergic dysregulation has been implicated in the development and maintenance of PTSD and AUD, and pilot studies examining doxazosin in PTSD-only or AUD-only samples have shown promise. This is the first study, however, to evaluate doxazosin in a comorbid PTSD/AUD sample. This paper describes the rationale, design and methodology of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of doxazosin (16 mg/day) delivered over 12 weeks among military veterans with current PTSD and AUD. In addition, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is applied at pre- and post-treatment to investigate the underlying pathophysiology of comorbid PTSD/AUD and identify prognostic indicators of treatment outcome. This study is designed to accelerate research on co-occurring PTSD/AUD and provide empirical evidence to inform clinical practice.
Nucleic acid quantification in the field.

A lunchbox-sized device for nucleic acid quantification that can be powered by sunlight, a flame or electricity enables the diagnosis of disease in settings with unreliable power supply.
UBE2N Promotes Melanoma Growth via MEK/FRA1/SOX10 Signaling

UBE2N is a K63-specific ubiquitin conjugase linked to various immune disorders and cancer. Here, we demonstrate that UBE2N and its partners UBE2V1 and UBE2V2 are highly expressed in malignant melanoma. Silencing of UBE2N and its partners significantly decreased melanoma cell proliferation and subcutaneous tumor growth. This was accompanied by increased expression of E-cadherin, p16, and MC1R and decreased expression of melanoma malignancy markers including SOX10, Nestin, and ABCB5. Mass spectrometry-based phosphoproteomic analysis revealed that UBE2N loss resulted in distinct alterations to the signaling landscape: MEK/ERK signaling was impaired, FRA1 and SOX10 gene regulators were downregulated, and p53 and p16 tumor suppressors were upregulated. Similar to inhibition of UBE2N and MEK, silencing FRA1 decreased SOX10 expression and cell proliferation. Conversely, exogenous expression of active FRA1 increased pMEK and SOX10 expression, and restored anchorage-independent cell growth of cells with UBE2N loss. Systemic delivery of NSC697923, a small-molecule inhibitor of UBE2N, significantly decreased melanoma xenograft growth. These data indicate that UBE2N is a novel regulator of the MEK/FRA1/SOX10 signaling cascade and is indispensable for malignant melanoma growth. Our findings establish the basis for targeting UBE2N as a potential treatment strategy for melanoma.Significance: These findings identify ubiquitin conjugase UBE2N and its variant partners as novel regulators of MAPK signaling and potential therapeutic targets in melanoma. Cancer Res; 78(22); 6462-72. ©2018 AACR.
The Eighth ACM SIGSPATIAL International Workshop on Analysis for Big Spatial Data: Chicago, IL, USA - November 5, 2019

Since the "Big Data Research and Development Initiative" launched by the White House in 2012, big data has received great attention from industry and federal agencies alike emerging as an important area of research for scientists worldwide. Within the realm of big data, spatial and spatiotemporal data continues to be among the fastest-growing types of data. With advances in remote sensors, sensor networks, and the proliferation of location sensing devices in daily life activities and common business practices, the generation of disparate, dynamic, and geographically distributed spatiotemporal data has exploded in recent years. In addition, significant progress in the ground, air- and space-borne sensor technologies have led to unprecedented access to earth science data for scientists from different disciplines, interested in studying the complementary nature of different parameters. Today, analyzing this data poses a massive challenge to researchers.
Comment on “Should Organic Chemistry Be Taught as Science?”

This is a response to the suggestion that organic chemistry be taught by application of rules as an applied science (Healy, E. F. J. Chem. Educ. 2019, 96 (10), 2069–2071).
Consequences of product inhibition in the quantification of kinetic parameters

Abstract While the potential for product inhibition in catalytic reactions is well known, the impact of neglected inhibition on measured kinetic parameters is often overlooked. The presence of product inhibition, most often caused by the competitive adsorption of products with reactants on catalytic active sites, is difficult to determine a priori for an arbitrary catalytic system. The significance of product inhibition relies on the concentration of the products, their adsorption thermodynamics on catalytically relevant sites, and process parameters such as temperature and pressure. When inhibition is significant, however, apparent activation energies and reaction orders vary from the differential-reactor apparent activation energy by a factor of 1/(1 − δ), where δ is the total inhibition order (e.g., the factor (1 − δ) = 1.6 for a system with product inhibition of −0.6 order). This is illustrated here with the kinetics of NO oxidation over Cu ion clusters (CuxOy) in Cu-SSZ-13, for which the product NO2 inhibits the forward reaction. Furthermore, in the presence of inhibition, when only reactants are fed to a flow reactor or placed in a batch reactor, there is often no practical conversion that is low enough to guarantee differential behavior. Inclusion of products in the feed solves this problem, allowing accurate determination of kinetic parameters such as apparent reaction orders and activation energies. We also demonstrate that evaluation of the necessity of co-feeding products to assure measurement of differential-reactor data in a given catalytic system is straightforward from a plot of the log of the rate (or conversion) versus the log of the space time in a flow reactor or elapsed time in a batch reactor. We encourage inclusion of this test in all kinetic analyses that are reasonably approximated by power law rate expressions.
Menstrual Irregularity, Hormonal Contraceptive Use, and Bone Stress Injuries in Collegiate Female Athletes in the United States.

BACKGROUND Menstrual irregularity (MI) is common in female athletes and is a component of the Female Athlete Triad (Triad). Many athletes with the Triad are started on hormonal contraceptives (HC) for MI, but this interferes with the ability to monitor menstrual cycle regularity and can mask other causes of MI. There are limited studies investigating the relationship between MI, HC use, and injury in female collegiate athletes. OBJECTIVE To examine the prevalence of and relationship between HC use, MI, and bone stress injuries in female collegiate athletes in the United States. DESIGN Cross-sectional study. SETTING Online survey. PARTICIPANTS 1020 U.S. female collegiate athletes (age ≥ 18 years). METHODS OR INTERVENTIONS Assessment of risk factors for menstrual irregularity and bone stress injuries was conducted via a one-time survey. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES HC use, MI, history of stress fractures. RESULTS Current HC use prevalence was 65% (95% confidence interval [CI], 61.9%, 67.8%). Of all athletes, 47% reported past MI. Of the athletes who were not currently using HCs, 32% had current MI. Compared with athletes without past MI, more athletes with past MI reported current HC use (73% vs. 57%) and indicated menstrual cycle consistency as the primary reason for use (24% vs. 4%) (P < .001). Additionally, 25% of athletes reported a history of stress fractures, which was associated with lean/aesthetic sports participation (odds ratio [95% CI]: 1.9 [1.4, 2.5]; P < .001) and less oral contraceptive pill (OCP) use (0.7 [0.5, 1.0]; P = .043). Compared with OCPs, injectable HCs were associated with greater odds of a history of stress fractures (4.5[1.6, 12.3]; P = .004). CONCLUSIONS HC use was prevalent among this cohort of female collegiate athletes, and almost half of the athletes reported past MI. A goal of menstrual cycle regularity was cited by 24% of athletes as a primary reason to use HCs, which shows that more athlete education is needed to avoid masking MI and the Triad with HCs. Further studies elucidating the relationship between HC use, MI, and sports-related injury are warranted.
Natural and anthropogenic sources of habitat variation influence exploration behaviour, stress response, and brain morphology in a coastal fish

Evolutionary ecology aims to better understand how ecologically important traits respond to environmental heterogeneity. Environments vary both naturally and as a result of human activities, and investigations that simultaneously consider how natural and human-induced environmental variation affect diverse trait types grow increasingly important as human activities drive species endangerment. Here, we examined how habitat fragmentation and structural habitat complexity affect disparate trait types in Bahamas mosquitofish Gambusia hubbsi inhabiting tidal creeks. We tested a priori predictions for how these factors might influence exploratory behaviour, stress reactivity and brain anatomy. We examined approximately 350 adult Bahamas mosquitofish from seven tidal-creek populations across Andros Island, The Bahamas that varied in both human-caused fragmentation (three fragmented and four unfragmented) and natural habitat complexity (e.g. fivefold variation in rock habitat). Populations that had experienced severe human-induced fragmentation, and thus restriction of tidal exchange from the ocean, exhibited greater exploration of a novel environment, stronger physiological stress responses to a mildly stressful event and smaller telencephala (relative to body size). These changes matched adaptive predictions based mostly on (a) reduced chronic predation risk and (b) decreased demands for navigating tidally dynamic habitats. Populations from sites with greater structural habitat complexity showed a higher propensity for exploration and a relatively larger optic tectum and cerebellum. These patterns matched adaptive predictions related to increased demands for navigating complex environments. Our findings demonstrate environmental variation, including recent anthropogenic impacts (<50 years), can significantly affect complex, ecologically important traits. Yet trait-specific patterns may not be easily predicted, as we found strong support for only six of 12 predictions. Our results further highlight the utility of simultaneously quantifying multiple environmental factors-for example had we failed to account for habitat complexity, we would not have detected the effects of fragmentation on exploratory behaviours. These responses, and their ecological consequences, may be complex: rapid and adaptive phenotypic responses to anthropogenic impacts can facilitate persistence in human-altered environments, but may come at a cost of population vulnerability if ecological restoration was to occur without consideration of the altered traits.
Lautering and Sparging

The mash has been completed and we’re now ready to separate the sweet wort from the spent grains. This can be done by a number of different processes. The first step in this process involves creating a filter bed made from the grist used during mashing. This is known as lautering. Sparging requires that we filter the liquid away from the spent grains and then wash the grains with hot water to ensure that no fermentable sugars are left behind. In this chapter, we explore the processes of lautering and sparging and dive into the equipment used in these brewing steps.
Lifetime prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder in two American Indian reservation populations.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been found to be more common among American Indian populations than among other Americans. A complex diagnosis, the assessment methods for PTSD have varied across epidemiological studies, especially in terms of the trauma criteria. Here, we examined data from the American Indian Service Utilization, Psychiatric Epidemiology, Risk and Protective Factors Project (AI-SUPERPFP) to estimate the lifetime prevalence of PTSD in two culturally distinct American Indian reservation communities, using two formulas for calculating PTSD prevalence. The AI-SUPERPFP was a cross-sectional probability sample survey conducted between 1997 and 2000. Southwest (n = 1,446) and Northern Plains (n = 1,638) tribal members living on or near their reservations, aged 15–57 years at time of interview, were randomly sampled from tribal rolls. PTSD estimates were derived based on both the single worst and 3 worst traumas. Prevalence estimates varied by ascertainment method: single worst trauma (lifetime: 5.9% to 14.8%) versus 3 worst traumas (lifetime, 8.9% to 19.5%). Use of the 3-worst-event approach increased prevalence by 28.3% over the single-event method. PTSD was prevalent in these tribal communities. These results also serve to underscore the need to better understand the implications for PTSD prevalence with the current focus on a single worst event.
Changing nuclear histone patterns during development. II. Isolation and partial characterization of "decapodine" from sperm cells of the crab Emerita analoga.

Abstract 1. 1. Mature crab sperm nuclei contain no cytochemically definable histones or protamines. 2. 2. Sperm cell cytoplasm includes the capsule, which is rich in acid-extractable basic proteins with a high lysine/arginine ratio, and also polysaccharides. The cytoplasm contains no nucleic acids. 3. 3. Sperm cell cytoplasm also contains the acrosome, which contains polysaccharides and shows a donutlike profile. This acrosome is rich in basic protein with a high arginine/lysine ratio, which is not acid-extractable. 4. 4. Acid extraction of the mature sperm cell results in loss of capsular basic protein stainability. When this extract is analyzed by polyacrylamide electrophoresis, the major protein bands are shown to migrate much like purified calf thymus histone fractions; no protamine fraction is present. 5. 5. These results suggest that the capsule basic proteins represent somatic nuclear histones which have been discarded earlier (presumably during spermiogenesis).
Europa Clipper mission: the habitability of an icy moon

Europa, the fourth largest moon of Jupiter, is believed to be one of the best places in the solar system to look for extant life beyond Earth. The 2011 Planetary Decadal Survey, Vision and Voyages, states: “Because of this ocean's potential suitability for life, Europa is one of the most important targets in all of planetary science”. Exploring Europa to investigate its habitability is the goal of the proposed Europa Clipper mission. This exploration is intimately tied to understanding the three “ingredients” for life: liquid water, chemistry, and energy. The Europa Clipper mission would investigate these ingredients by comprehensively exploring Europa's ice shell and liquid ocean interface, surface geology and surface composition to glean insight into the inner workings of this fascinating moon. In addition, a lander mission is seen as a possible future step, but current data about the Jovian radiation environment and about potential landing site hazards and potential safe landing zones is insufficient. Therefore an additional goal of the mission would be to characterize the radiation environment near Europa and investigate scientifically compelling sites for hazards, to inform a potential future landed mission. The proposed Europa Clipper mission concept envisions sending a flight system, consisting of a spacecraft equipped with a payload of NASA-selected scientific instruments, to execute numerous flybys of Europa while in Jupiter orbit. A key challenge is that the flight system must survive and operate in the intense Jovian radiation environment, which is especially harsh at Europa. The innovative design of this multiple-flyby tour is an enabling feature of this mission: by minimizing the time spent in the radiation environment the spacecraft complexity and cost has been significantly reduced compared to previous mission concepts. The spacecraft would launch from Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA, on a NASA supplied launch vehicle, no earlier than 2022. The proposed mission would be formulated and implemented by a joint Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) Project team.
Rhetoric and Reality: A Historical Perspective on the SEC's Regulation of Foreign Private Issuers

Rhetoric can drive reform. Watch-words like “mutual recognition” and “global competition” have masked a political economy story which has driven the SEC’s deregulation of foreign private issuers. While the substantive result may have been appropriate, the over-all SEC regulatory process did not produce a nuanced and holistic regulatory product. Instead, this process resulted in one-size fits all regulation for foreign private issuers. Filipino or Chinese issuers listed only in the United States are now regulated in equal measure as a U.K. issuer listed on the London Stock Exchange and New York Stock Exchange. This is despite the differing risk profiles and regulatory posture of these issuers. This essay's historical analysis highlights these issues as well as the difficulty of implementing more rigorous and insulating regulatory techniques such as cost-benefit analysis as rhetoric and the politics of regulation overwhelm such approaches. The relevance of this story is front and center as we face coming SEC regulatory reform in light of the financial crisis under new watch-words such as “investor protection”.
The use of animal models in behavioral pharmacology

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the use of animal models in behavioral pharmacology. Animal models are used throughout the biological sciences to provide complex systems for the study of complex problems. While animal studies are often conducted in lieu of or prior to human studies, in other instances an animal species is the definitive subject of basic research. The process of animal model selection is one of the evaluation and compromise. Mice are inexpensive and easy to maintain, but their usefulness can be limited because of their small size and poor trainability. Dogs are much larger and more trainable, but substantial expenses will likely be incurred for dog purchase and care. The ability of an animal model to meet the scientific criteria needed for successful studies is a crucial factor. Moreover, the use of animals in scientific study should be accompanied by careful planning and a high level of conscientiousness. The chapter highlights that the ethical and legal criteria that must be met prior to conducting research on animals, surpass those placed upon any other use of animals in the society.
Family Therapy and Schizophrenia: A Developing Model for Practice

The use of family therapy in the treatment of schizophrenia has been declining for many years. The focus on psychoeducational models, short-term models, and greater reliance on medications has prevented many family therapists from taking on families with severely mentally ill members. However, family therapists still have a necessary role to play in the long-term adaptation and coping of these families. A new model of family therapy designed for families living with schizophrenia is described in detail. Based on the Narrative and Strengths Perspective approaches, it provides an opportunity for families and family therapists to better collaborate on working through long standing and long term family issues. A case example shows the model in action.
The Regularization of the Divergent Integrals in 2-D Elastostatics

This article considers weakly singular, singular and hypersingular integrals, which arise when the boundary integral equation (BIE) methods are used to solve problems in 2-D elastostatics. For their regularization, an approach based on the theory of distribution and application of the Greenâ€™s theorem has been used. The expressions, which allow an easy calculation of the weakly singular, singular and hypersingular integrals for straight and curved boundary elements, have been constructed.
On a possible role of beta-melanocyte stimulating hormone (beta-MSH) in the central nervous system of the Mammalia: an effect of beta-MSH in the spinal cord of the cat.

Intravenous administration of 0.25-2 μg/kg. body weight of highly purified β-MSH increases for long periods of time the amplitude of evoked monosynaptic potentials in the spinal cord of the cat. This is observed in midcollicular decerebrate or barbiturate anesthetized animals. These observations may be a clue to a possible role of β-MSH in the Mammalia as a neurohumor acting in the central nervous system.
Characteristics of the urban forests in arctic and near-arctic cities

Abstract The urban forest of three arctic and near-arctic cities (Murmansk in Russia, Nuuk in Greenland, and Reykjavik in Iceland) were surveyed to determine tree species composition and structure. Interviews with local authorities were conducted to learn about the history of urban tree planting. The urban forests of all three cities were composed of a limited number of trees and tree species due to abiotic constraints of the arctic and near-arctic environment. These limitations include: low temperature, short growing season, high wind velocity and permafrost. A total of 28 species were observed in the three cities. Only three of these ( Alnus incana (L.) Moench, Picea abies (L.) Karst., Betula pubescens Ehrh., and Salix glauca L.) were observed in all three of the cities. Planting designs that created windbreaks for pedestrians were common along streets in Murmansk and Reykjavik. Street trees have not yet been introduced in Nuuk, but trees were found in cemeteries, parks, and on private property. Older portions of cemeteries in all three cities were characterized by trees planted directly on graves. These grave trees were the first trees to be introduced in these cities. Subsequently, ‘trial and error’ was used by local residents to plant trees. Much of these plantings failed. In recent times arboreta were established near all three cities to identify species suited for planting under arctic and near-arctic conditions. Trees identified in these test gardens are now being planted in Murmansk and Reykjavik.
Use of Spleen as an Internal Marker in Whole Body DWIBS Exam in Patients of Multiple Myeloma

Context: To determine mechanisms of IL-6 induced resistance to ABT-737 in multiple myeloma. Results: Bcl-2 family antagonists such as navitoclax (ABT-263) and ABT-199 are not predicted to be efficacious in multiple myeloma based on their inability to disrupt the interaction between Bim and Mcl-1, the predominant anti-apoptotic protein in both normal and malignant plasma cells. However, despite their dependence on Mcl-1, some human myeloma cell lines (HMCL) as well as freshly isolated myeloma patient cells are sensitive to ABT-737 in vitro. Knowing that myeloma normally requires the bone marrow niche for survival, we hypothesized that a stromal derived factor might mediate the resistance to ABT-737 in vivo and identified IL-6 as a key resistance factor. In order to understand the mechanisms of IL-6 mediated resistance to ABT-737, we have focused on the effect of IL-6 on the Bcl-2 family of proteins. In previous work from our lab, the ABT-737 sensitive HMCLs KMS18, MM.1s, and 8226 all showed increased binding of Bim to Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL compared to ABT-737 resistant lines. We therefore examined the effect of IL-6 on the distribution of Bim among Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, and Mcl-1. In KMS18, IL-6 stimulation increases Mcl-1 expression and Bim binding. We also examined Bim for IL-6 induced post-translational modifications that could alter its binding to Bcl-2 proteins. We observed Bim serine 69 phosphorylation within 5minutes of IL-6 stimulation in both KMS18 and MM.1s cells. Phosphorylation was reversible with 10mMof theMEK inhibitorU0126. Interestingly, the MEK inhibitor sensitized both KMS18 andMM.1s to ABT-737 and was able to partially overcome IL-6 induced resistance. Of note, the MEK inhibitor failed to prevent upregulation of Mcl-1 in KMS18, suggesting an alternative pathway mediates this effect. We are currently attempting to develop a flow cytometry based biomarker capable of identifying patients who might be sensitive or resistant to ABT-737.Conclusion: Targeting IL-6 or its downstream pathways may sensitize myeloma to Bcl-2 antagonists such as ABT-199 and navitoclax.
Pathophysiology of ischaemia reperfusion injury: Central role of the neutrophil

Ischaemia is a common clinical event leading to local and remote injury. Evidence indicates that tissue damage is largely caused by activated neutrophils which accumulate when the tissue is reperfused. If the area of ischaemic tissue is large, neutrophils also sequester in the lungs, inducing non-cardiogenic pulmonary oedema. Ischaemia reperfusion injury is initiated by production of reactive oxygen species which initially appear responsible for the generation of chemotactic activity for neutrophils. Later, once adherent to endothelium, neutrophils mediate damage by secretion of additional reactive oxygen species as well as proteolytic enzymes, in particular elastase. Therapeutic options for limiting ischaemia reperfusion injury include inhibition of oxygen radical formation, pharmacological prevention of neutrophil activation and chemotaxis, and also the use of monoclonal antibodies which prevent neutrophil-endothelial adhesion, a prerequisite for injury.
A Study of Postinvestment Monitoring Practices in Life Science Venture Capital Firms

Life science and biomedical technology start ups are a major focus for the establishment of innovation and knowledge-based economies. This article describes themes and practices in the monitoring of private company investments by life science-oriented venture capital firms and the possible relevance to this of project management concepts and techniques. A qualitative approach was adopted, using semistructured interviews with a small number of life science-oriented venture capital firms in the northeastern United States “biotech” corridor. The results are summarized as alternative “rational-explicit” and “complex behavioral” models of monitoring that are described and also compared to process groups found in project management literature.
Unusual ultrastructural variants in the ferret parietal cell.

On decrit deux rares variations structurelles: cristalloides cytoplasmiques intracellulaires et mitochondries geantes, observees dans les cellules marginals de la muqueuse gastrique du furet. Les cristalloides cytoplasmiques sont probablement en rapport avec la degeneration mitochondrielle, et les mitochondries geantes sont un caractere aberrant.
An Interlaboratory Comparison for Total Mercury and Methylmercury in Water at Environmentally Relevant Concentrations

We have conducted an interlaboratory comparison study for total mercury and methylmercury analysis in natural (unspiked) water samples annually for the past 4 years. The samples were primarily freshwater, with the exception of one coastal seawater sample in 2014. The study provided participants with an opportunity to assess the quality of their measurements and the intercomparability of their data with their peers. Data on analytical methods used were collected and used to determine whether any methods yield biased results and should be discontinued. The majority of participants received performance scores of 3 or higher, indicating satisfactory performance and results close to the consensus means. However, the coefficients of variation between labs were greater than 20 % in most cases, which may not be sufficiently precise for multilaboratory environmental research, where the processes being studied may vary by 20 % or less. Total mercury analysis methods that do not use gold amalgamation were shown to be underperforming relative to those that do. No significant correlation was observed between sample storage time or temperature and total mercury recovery. Methylmercury analysis methods that do not use distillation performed poorly relative to those that use distillation.
Optical matrix–matrix multiplication method demonstrated by the use of a multifocus hololens

A method of optical matrix-matrix multiplication is presented. The feasibility of the method is also experimentally demonstrated by the use of a dichromated-gelatin multifocus holographic lens (hololens). With the specific values of matrices chosen, the average percentage error between the theoretical and experimental data of the elements of the output matrix of the multiplication of some specific pairs of 3 x 3 matrices is 0.4 percent, which corresponds to an 8-bit accuracy.
A mail survey of United States hematologists and oncologists:: A comparison of business reply versus stamped return envelopes

Mailed surveys are a popular means of obtaining data on large populations. In July 1999 a mail survey was conducted among 3000 randomly selected members of the American Society of Hematology to assess their approach to diagnosis and treatment of polycythemia vera. Because the researchers and the study population are members of the same professional organization with a vested interest in the results, we anticipated that the advantages of return stamped postage seen in previous studies would be less significant. The response rate for stamped return envelopes was 38% versus 32% for business reply envelopes. This statistically significant difference (P = .0005) of six percentage points is comparable to previous research. Excluding labor, the total cost per returned survey was $2.62 for business reply envelopes versus $1.82 for stamped return envelopes. We conclude that stamped return envelopes are a more effective and cost-efficient means of procuring data from physician specialists.
Calculation of He II flow in tubes

The flow of superfluid helium through a tube with different temperatures at the ends differs considerably from that of a Newtonian fluid. The strong dependence of the thermodynamic properties on temperature, the internal convection mechanism and the structure of superfluid turbulence causes unusual flows. The equations for the flow of He II are integrated using a new one-dimensional, steady state model to study the flow in a tube. A wide range of driving conditions is studied. The temperature and pressure profiles along the tube fall into four classes. A dimensionless parameter called σ is defined which determines the progression through the four classes of behavior. The deviation of the flow from Newtonian is measured by σ. Significant maxima of the temperature and pressure can occur between the ends of the tube for large values of σ. The shapes of the profiles and the mass flux depend primarily on σ, the geometry and the boundary conditions. Formulas are presented which relate the variables of interest to the boundary conditions. These formulas result from averaging the equations of motion along the tube. A general and unified approach, based on σ, is presented for analyzing experimental data and designing new experiments. It is shown that the common practice of neglecting the pressure term in the energy equation results in poor prediction for many situations. The occurrence of large maxima of pressure and temperature imply that the interpretation of some of the experimental data of the literature should be reconsidered.
John Caffey Award. Determination of functional residual capacity from digital radiographs of the normal neonatal chest: studies in a rabbit model.

Spirometric measurement of lung volume in an infant or uncooperative child is often a difficult and time-consuming procedure. Previous investigators have successfully estimated total lung capacity in adults and older children by using chest radiography. The purpose of this study was to assess the accuracy of functional residual capacity (FRC) determination from chest radiographs in an animal model of the normal neonatal chest. FRC was determined with the helium dilution (HeD) method in 13 anesthetized, intubated, and paralyzed rabbits (weight range, 1.5-3.9 kg). FRC was then estimated from digital frontal and lateral chest radiographs. The radiographic estimate was made by applying measurements taken from the radiographic film pair to a geometric model of the chest. The best-fit model assumed an elliptical cross section for the intrathoracic cavity, heart, paraspinal structures, and diaphragm in the axial plane. Linear regression on independently determined HeD and radiographically determined FRC yielded ...
Simulation and modeling of high-energy laser systems

Since the beginning of High Energy Laser systems, simulations have been used to predict performance, do parameter trades, and assist in troubleshooting. Today, simulations benefit from higher speed computers with more memory, but they are also being asked to do more. New types of HEL devices are being proposed, more hardware details are being incorporated, beam control systems are becoming more complex, innovative new systems are being designed to work under conditions of strong turbulence, and more types of targets are being considered. There are three types of physics level codes: resonator, beam control, and lethality. All three are slow running and require a high level of expertise to use. Scaling law codes are much easier to use and much faster running. These codes are based on analytical predictions and anchored to the wave optics simulations and to experiments. Scaling law codes can quickly predict performance, weight, and volume for various scenarios and conditions. Now that HEL systems are closer to reality, there is more interest in incorporating the scaling law codes into engagement codes, which predict overall system effectiveness in battle situations.
Conformational analysis of an optically active bilirubin dimethyl ester and bis-N,N-dimethyl amide by circular dichroism, NMR and molecular dynamics

Abstract The dimethyl ester and bis-N,N-dimethylamide of an optically active analog of bilirubin (sS,s′S-dimethylmesobilirubin-XIIIα) is stabilized in a ridge-tile conformation by intramolecular hydrogen bonding, as detected by 1H-NMR and CD spectroscopy. The ridge-tile shape is most evident in nonpolar solvents, where very strong exciton coupling CD is evident: e.g., in benzene, Δϵmax412 −199, Δϵmax372+87 for the dimethyl ester and Δϵmax421-165, Δϵmax384+46 for the bis-N,N-dimethylamide.
Limited Information Bayesian Model Averaging for Dynamic Panels with Short Time Periods

Bayesian Model Averaging (BMA) provides a coherent mechanism to address the problem of model uncertainty. In this paper we extend the BMA framework to panel data models where the lagged dependent variable as well as endogenous variables appear as regressors. We propose a Limited Information Bayesian Model Averaging (LIBMA) methodology and then test it using simulated data. Simulation results suggest that asymptotically our methodology performs well both in Bayesian model selection and averaging. In particular, LIBMA recovers the data generating process very well, with high posterior inclusion probabilities for all the relevant regressors, and parameter estimates very close to the true values. These findings suggest that our methodology is well suited for inference in dynamic panel data models with short time periods in the presence of endogenous regressors under model uncertainty.
Substituent effects in five oxo-centered trinuclear rhodium(III) clusters

We here report the rates of water substitution by methanol-d4 for four new oxo-centered trinuclear rhodium(III) clusters with different carboxylate-bridging ligands, [Rh3(μ3-O)(μ-O2CR)6(OH2)3]+ (R = CH2CH3, CH2CH2Cl, CH2Cl, and CHCl2), and [Rh3(μ3-O)(μ-O2CCH3)6(OH2)3]+. By varying the R group alkyl chain, water substitution rates were found to span almost 3 orders of magnitude (k298K = 1.2 × 10-2−2.3 × 10-5 s-1) and reflect the following trend R = CH2CH3 > CH3 > CH2CH2Cl > CH2Cl > CHCl2. Activation parameters for substitution point toward a dissociative activation pathway (ΔH⧧ = 99−115 kJ mol-1; ΔS⧧ = 48−52 J mol-1 K-1), indicating that there is little association with the incoming methanol molecule during the formation of the transition-state complex. Because the mechanism for substitution in all five trimers has a considerable dissociative character, substitution rates are likely very similar to water exchange rates. These data suggest that the kinetic reactivity of the ligated waters is heavily influen...
Electrochemical changes in media due to microbial

Abstract Microbial metabolism affected the electrical impedance parameters of a two terminal-measuring cell-containing growth media. The relationship between microbial growth and relative changes in both The capacitive and resistive parts of impedance was examined. Both components of impedance were shown to be indicative of bacterial growth. In low conductivity media the change in the conductance of the media (Gsol) clearly correlated to bacterial growth. In more conductive media the relative changes in Gsol were smaller, and in these media measurements of the changes of polarization capacitance (Cpol) were useful for monitoring bacterial growth. Yeast growth in two media resulted in large changes in Cpol (20–100%) while the changes in Gsol were very small (1–4%). This result indicated that, for some combinations of microorganisms and media, measuring Cpol might be preferable over Gsol for the detection of microbial growth. Microbial metabolism resulted in a change of 2–2.5 units in pH. This pH change resulted in a 40% change in Cpol but less than a 14% change in Gsol.
Advanced imaging of hidden damage under aircraft coatings

The external coating systems of nearly all military aircraft are stripped to bare metal during programmed depot maintenance cycles. This paint stripping process has become cost prohibitive in recent years, and is expected to continue to be a major and escalating problem for the sustainment of an aging Air Force fleet. Although a number of competing factors come into play, the key reason behind current paint stripping practices is centered on requirements for visual inspection of the aircraft structure to determine if corrosion and/or fatigue damage is present. In recent years, a number of advancements have been made in the area of nondestructive evaluation (NDE) that provide new inspection capabilities for aircraft skins without the requirement for protective coating removal. In this effort, several advanced imaging methods are evaluated for hidden damage detection and quantification through typical aircraft coating systems. A number of measurement examples are provided for engineered and realistic aircraft reference standards with variations in coating type, coating thickness, hidden damage type, and component complexity being considered. A comparison of measurement sensitivity, resolution, area coverage, ease-of-use, quantitative assessment, data processing requirements, and inspection speed are also made. It is anticipated that the use of one or more of these advanced NDE methods for thru-paint inspections will provide an enabling capability for long-life coating systems and condition based maintenance practices resulting in significant reductions in hazardous waste generation, dramatic cost savings, and enhanced readiness levels for a wide variety of Air Force systems.
Anomalous specific heat of Nb3Sn in the liquid helium region

Abstract The specific heat of Nb 3 Sn has been found to contain a linear term over the range of reduced temperatures 16 T c / T > 3.6, amounting to about 4% of the normal state electronic specific heat.
30 pJ/b, 67 Mbps, Centimeter-to-Meter Range Data Telemetry With an IR-UWB Wireless Link

This paper reports an energy-efficient, impulse radio ultra wideband (IR-UWB) wireless link operating in 3–5 GHz for data telemetry over centimeter-to-meter range distances at rates extended to tens of Mbps. The link comprises an all-digital, integrated transmitter (TX) fabricated in 90 nm 1P/9M CMOS that incorporates a waveform-synthesis pulse generator and a timing generator for on-off-keying (OOK) pulse modulation and phase scrambling. The link also incorporates an energy-detection receiver (RX) realized with commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components that performs radio-frequency (RF) filtering, amplification, logarithmic power detection for data demodulation and automatic level control for robust operation in the presence of distance variations. Employing a miniaturized, UWB, chip antenna for the TX and RX, wireless transmission of pseudo-random binary sequence (PRBS) data at rates up to 50 Mbps over 10 cm–1 m is shown. Further, employing a high-gain horn antenna for the RX, wireless transmission of PRBS data at rates up to 67 Mbps over 50 cm–4 m is shown with a TX energy consumption of 30 pJ/b (i.e., power consumption of 2 mW) from 1.2 V. The measured bit error rate (BER) in both cases is ${ . Results from wireless recording of the background current of a carbon-fiber microelectrode (CFM) in one fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV) scan using the IR-UWB link are also included, exhibiting excellent match with those obtained from a conventional frequency-shift-keyed (FSK) link at ${\sim}433$ MHz.
Validity of CO2-rebreathing cardiac output during rest and exercise in young adults.

BEEKMAN, ROBERT H., VICTOR KATCH, CHARLES MARKS, and ALBERT P. ROCCHINI. Validity of CO2-rebreathing cardiac output during rest and exercise in young adults. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., Vol. 16, No. 3, pp. 306–310, 1984. To validate the CO2-rebreathing method (Defare's method) for estimating cardiac output in children and young adults, measurements were compared to thermodilution (TDCO) cardiac output in 16 subjects (age 7–19 yr) with congenital heart disease. Data were collected at rest (N=11) and during 4-min stages of supine bicycle exercise (N=13). Estimated arterial-venous (JOURNAL/mespex/beta/00005768-198406000-00019/ENTITY_OV0413/v/2017-05-02T160503Z/r/image-png-a)CO2 content differences related linearly to the measured CO2 content differences (Y=0.29X + 2.47, r=0.65, P<0.001). With this (JOURNAL/mespex/beta/00005768-198406000-00019/ENTITY_OV0413/v/2017-05-02T160503Z/r/image-png-a)CO2 difference correction for all patients (N=16), the correlation between CO2-rebreathing cardiac output and the TDCO was r=0.87 (SEE= · 1.8 1·min-1). The correlation was higher for exercise (r=0.81) than for rest (r=0.65). We conclude that the CO2-rebreathing method, with a (JOURNAL/mespex/beta/00005768-198406000-00019/ENTITY_OV0413/v/2017-05-02T160503Z/r/image-png-a)CO2 content difference adjustment, is a simple, noninvasive technique providing estimates of cardiac output in children and young adults with congenital heart disease. Individual estimates should be treated with caution, especially when used for clinical evaluations.
When does the public's issue agenda affect the media's issue agenda (and vice-versa)? Developing a framework for media-public influence

Objective. The agenda-setting literature has demonstrated the media's ability to set the issue agenda for the public. One byproduct of this work is that researchers have produced some evidence suggesting that the audience will, on occasion, set the issue agenda for the media. Given disparate sets of findings, researchers do not have a framework to better understand on which issues the media will set the agenda for the public and on which issues the public will set the agenda for the media. It is the goal of this article to provide empirical support for a framework suggesting that the events comprising issue areas predetermine the direction of influence between the media's and the public's issue agendas. Methods. I construct a historical data set comprised of 35,000 stories from the nightly network news and responses to Gallup's Most Important Problem question. I look for evidence of causal influence between news issue content and public issue concerns using Granger analysis and vector autoregression. Results. Issue areas comprised of spectacular events, such as defense, will be reported by the media and subsequently affect the salience the audience assigns to those issues. In issues not normally comprised of spectacular and singular events, such as energy and environment, public issue concerns appear to drive issue coverage in the news. Issues such as transportation and education, which comprise few spectacular events and little public concern, will receive sparse coverage in the media. Conclusion. The findings provide support for a framework based on events; the types of events that typically comprise issue areas will affect the likelihood of those issues coming on the news agenda. This then affects the direction of influence between the public and the media. The framework supported here allows for the integration of the media effects and media content literatures. This has implications for understanding how the news agenda is constructed and how the commercial media meets democratic ideals.