cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Calibrating Wrist-Worn Accelerometers for Physical Activity Assessment in Preschoolers: Machine Learning Approaches.

Background Physical activity (PA) level is associated with multiple health benefits during early childhood. However, inconsistency in the methods for quantification of PA levels among preschoolers remains a problem. Objective This study aimed to develop PA intensity cut points for wrist-worn accelerometers by using machine learning (ML) approaches to assess PA in preschoolers. Methods Wrist- and hip-derived acceleration data were collected simultaneously from 34 preschoolers on 3 consecutive preschool days. Two supervised ML models, receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) and ordinal logistic regression (OLR), and one unsupervised ML model, k-means cluster analysis, were applied to establish wrist-worn accelerometer vector magnitude (VM) cut points to classify accelerometer counts into sedentary behavior, light PA (LPA), moderate PA (MPA), and vigorous PA (VPA). Physical activity intensity levels identified by hip-worn accelerometer VM cut points were used as reference to train the supervised ML models. Vector magnitude counts were classified by intensity based on three newly established wrist methods and the hip reference to examine classification accuracy. Daily estimates of PA were compared to the hip-reference criterion. Results In total, 3600 epochs with matched hip- and wrist-worn accelerometer VM counts were analyzed. All ML approaches performed differently on developing PA intensity cut points for wrist-worn accelerometers. Among the three ML models, k-means cluster analysis derived the following cut points: ≤2556 counts per minute (cpm) for sedentary behavior, 2557-7064 cpm for LPA, 7065-14532 cpm for MPA, and ≥14533 cpm for VPA; in addition, k-means cluster analysis had the highest classification accuracy, with more than 70% of the total epochs being classified into the correct PA categories, as examined by the hip reference. Additionally, k-means cut points exhibited the most accurate estimates on sedentary behavior, LPA, and VPA as the hip reference. None of the three wrist methods were able to accurately assess MPA. Conclusions This study demonstrates the potential of ML approaches in establishing cut points for wrist-worn accelerometers to assess PA in preschoolers. However, the findings from this study warrant additional validation studies.
Valence bond order in a honeycomb antiferromagnet coupled to quantum phonons

We use exact quantum Monte Carlo simulations to demonstrate that the N\'eel ground state of an antiferromagnetic SU(2) spin-$\frac{1}{2}$ Heisenberg model on the honeycomb lattice can be destroyed by a coupling to quantum phonons. We find a clear first-order transition to a valence bond solid state with Kekul\'e order instead of a deconfined quantum critical point. However, quantum lattice fluctuations can drive the transition towards weakly first order, revealing a tunability of the transition by the retardation of the interaction. In contrast to the one-dimensional case, our phase diagram in the adiabatic regime is qualitatively different from the frustrated ${J}_{1}\text{\ensuremath{-}}{J}_{2}$ model. Our results suggest that a coupling to bond phonons can induce Kekul\'e order in Dirac systems.
Computational fluid dynamics modeling of methane flame interaction with simulated rock rubble

Many researchers modeling fluid flow and methane gas transport through a longwall-coal-mine gob model the gob as a Darcy-type porous media. However, when studying methane gas explosions near the go...
Development of α,α-Disubstituted Crotylboronate Reagents and Stereoselective Crotylation via Brønsted or Lewis Acid Catalysis.

The development of α,α-disubstituted crotylboronate reagents is reported. Chiral Bronsted acid-catalyzed asymmetric aldehyde addition with the developed E-crotylboron reagent gave (E)-anti-1,2-oxaborinan-3-enes with excellent enantioselectivities and E-selectivities. With BF3·OEt2 catalysis, the stereoselectivity is reversed, and (Z)-δ-boryl-anti-homoallylic alcohols are obtained with excellent Z-selectivities from the same E-crotylboron reagent. The Z-crotylboron reagent also participates in BF3·OEt2-catalyzed crotylation to furnish (Z)-δ-boryl-syn-homoallylic alcohols with good Z-selectivities. DFT computations establish the origins of observed enantio- and stereoselectivities of chiral Bronsted acid-catalyzed asymmetric allylation. Stereochemical models for BF3·OEt2-catalyzed reactions are proposed to rationalize the Z-selective allyl additions. These reactions generate highly valuable homoallylic alcohol products with a stereodefined trisubstituted alkene unit. The synthetic utility is further demonstrated by the total syntheses of salinipyrones A and B.
Functional Integrity of Synapses in the Central Nervous System of Cognitively Intact Individuals with High Alzheimer's Disease Neuropathology Is Associated with Absence of Synaptic Tau Oligomers.

Background Certain individuals, here referred to as Non-Demented with Alzheimer Neuropathology (NDAN), do not show overt neurodegeneration (N - ) and remain cognitively intact despite the presence of plaques (A+) and tangles (T+) that would normally be consistent with fully symptomatic Alzheimer's disease (AD). Objective The existence of NDAN (A + T +N - ) subjects suggests that the human brain utilizes intrinsic mechanisms that can naturally evade cognitive decline normally associated with the symptomatic stages of AD (A + T +N +). Deciphering the underlying mechanisms would prove relevant to develop complementing therapeutics to prevent progression of AD-related cognitive decline. Methods Previously, we have reported that NDAN present with preserved neurogenesis and synaptic integrity paralleled by absence of amyloid oligomers at synapses. Using postmortem brain samples from age-matched control subjects, demented AD patients and NDAN individuals, we performed immunofluorescence, western blots, micro transplantation of synaptic membranes in Xenopus oocytes followed by twin electrode voltage clamp electrophysiology and fluorescence assisted single synaptosome-long term potentiation studies. Results We report decreased tau oligomers at synapses in the brains of NDAN subjects. Furthermore, using novel approaches we report, for the first time, that such absence of tau oligomers at synapses is associated with synaptic functional integrity in NDAN subjects as compared to demented AD patients. Conclusion Overall, these results give further credence to tau oligomers as primary actors of synaptic destruction underscoring cognitive demise in AD and support their targeting as a viable therapeutic strategy for AD and related tauopathies.
Abstract 259: KChIP2 is a Key Transcriptional Regulator of Cardiac Excitability Under Normal and Pathogenic Conditions

Introduction: Arrhythmogenesis is the primary cause of death in patients with acquired heart disease, and is the consequence of profound dysregulation of both depolarizing and repolarizing currents...
What Is Robotics? Why Do We Need It and How Can We Get It?

Robotics is an emerging synthetic science concerned with programming work. Robot technologies are quickly advancing beyond the insights of the existing science. More secure intellectual foundations...
Machine Design and Precision Current Regulation for the Parallel DPNV Bearingless Motor Winding

The parallel dual-purpose no-voltage (DPNV) winding topology offers appreciable advantages for high speed and significant power bearingless motor designs. Precision current regulation is required to realize the high performance potential of bearingless motors using parallel DPNV windings. The performance of the machine hinges on the ability to decouple the voltage disturbance between the torque and suspension systems at all operating conditions, including high electrical frequencies. Two pathways are investigated to achieve precision actuation: 1) machine design and/or feed-forward control to systematically reduce the voltage disturbance, 2) direct digital design of the current regulator for high-speed operation. Analytical models are constructed which give insight into the root cause of the cross-coupling as a function of the physical winding design. It is shown that all practical machine designs produce some level of voltage disturbance which can be directly eliminated via a feed-forward voltage added to the torque winding current regulator. The state-of-the-art current regulation methods for the parallel DPNV winding are progressed to enable extended operating ranges for the targeted high speed and bandwidth conditions. By codesigning the machine and controls, more optimized designs are possible by trading off torque ripple and force density.
The Research of Autophagy and Anti-Aging

Aging is the accumulative process of degenerative changes and metabolic waste products in vivo and the resulting functional failure of body, which can be classified as individual aging and cell aging, while cell aging is the premise of individual aging. Anti-aging is the research topic drilled all the time, and recently the autophagy is proved as a potent mechanism of resisting cell aging. Current studies have concluded that autophagy as a important physiological process of autologous cellular waste degradation help cells maintain a healthy state, resist oxidative stress by clearing damaged mitochondria and proteins, thereby cell aging is suppressed, otherwise, the inhibition of autophagy induces muscle atrophy, neuromuscular junction degeneration, oxidative stress, mitochondria dysfunction, and precocious aging. And autophagy can be induced by spermidine and overexpression of ATG5 and other autophagy-related factors. In this review, we will summarize some studies about autophagy and aging, which may provide some information for curing diseases during aging.
Towards Understanding the Impact of Real-Time AI-Powered Educational Dashboards (RAED) on Providing Guidance to Instructors

The objectives of this ongoing research are to build Real-Time AI-Powered Educational Dashboard (RAED) as a decision support tool for instructors, and to measure its impact on them while making decisions. Current developments in AI can be combined with the educational dashboards to make them AI-Powered. Thus, AI can help in providing recommendations based on the students' performances. AI-Powered educational dashboards can also assist instructors in tracking real-time student activities. In this ongoing research, our aim is to develop the AI component as well as improve the existing design component of the RAED. Further, we will conduct experiments to study its impact on instructors, and understand how much they trust RAED to guide them while making decisions. This paper elaborates on the ongoing research and future direction.
The Value of Thromboelastography (TEG) in COVID-19 Critical Illness as Illustrated by a Case Series.

Objective To develop a practical thromboelastograph guided (TEG) anticoagulation protocol to guide the management of COVID-19 critically ill patients. Design An inter disciplinary team reviewed the current literature on hypercoagulability in critically ill COVID-19 patients, clinical management practices and challenges with high rates of thrombotic events despite anticoagulant therapies. Setting The largest tertiary care hospital within the Northwell Health System in New York. Patients COVID-19 invasively mechanically ventilated patients in Medical Intensive Care Unit Settings. Methods TEG was monitored in critically ill COVID-19 patients. Patterns were reviewed to guide the development of a treatment protocol leveraging TEG parameters to select anticoagulant therapy. Three patients are reported to highlight TEG profiles that led to the development of the algorithm. Clinical trajectory and treatment decisions were extracted retrospectively from the Electronic Health Record, with input from the intensivists. Anticoagulant use, laboratory and TEG values, and venous/arterial lower extremity (LE) ultrasound results were recorded. Main results These patients demonstrated hypercoagulable TEG results despite prophylactic or therapeutic dosages of unfractionated heparin or low-molecular-weight heparin (LMHW). TEG surveillance identified functional fibrinogen and maximum amplitude in high-risk patients with hyper inflammatory markers. Anticoagulation assessment, TEG parameters, and LE ultrasound monitoring for venous and arterial thrombus were used to construct an algorithm to guide and escalate anticoagulant therapy. Conclusions TEG provides patient-specific evidence for a hypercoagulable state in patients receiving all types of anticoagulant therapy. The proposed TEG algorithm guides anticoagulation management decisions to maintain or escalate anticoagulant dose and/or change choice of anticoagulant. A TEG algorithm may help negotiate the potential harm/benefit balance of full-dose anticoagulation in critically ill COVID-19 patients, by allowing for a more individualized approach that goes beyond the review of activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) levels.
Modern advances regarding interatrial communication in congenital heart defects

BACKGROUND The interatrial communication, one of the most frequent congenital heart defects, represents an important intracardiac shunt between systemic and pulmonary circulations. Direction and magnitude of the interatrial shunting depends upon several features, including defect size, shape and location, pressure difference between right and left atrium, and difference in right and left ventricular compliance. METHODS In this review article, the presence or absence of interatrial communication, and its role, have been analyzed, as they can have a critical impact on the cardiovascular physiopathology, and the interatrial communication can prove to be either clinically harmful, useful or indispensable. Accordingly, the utility and role of the interatrial communication in modern congenital, pediatric and adult, disease has evolved, with modification of the indications to close, maintain patency, or create an interatrial communication. RESULTS The interatrial communication and shunting can be manipulated to maximize the oxygen delivery to the tissues, accordingly with the underlying congenital heart defect. While not always relevant to patients with bi-ventricular circulations, this becomes extremely important in children and adults with complex congenital heart defects. CONCLUSIONS With improving long-term survival for the vast majority of congenital heart patients, an advanced understanding of the role and utility of the interatrial communication, and of all the possibilities of its manipulation, is essential to improve the patient outcomes.
P31.05: Monochorionic diamniotic twins discordant for idiopathic infantile arterial calcification

Fraser syndrome is a rare congenital autosomal recessive syndrome mainly characterized by cryptophthalmos, syndactyly, laryngeal atresia and urogenital defects. The incidence has been found to be 0.43 per 100,000 live born infants and 11.06 per 100,000 stillbirths. Enlarged hyperechogenic lungs contrasted by oligohydramnios, nonvisualization of the kidneys and laryngeal atresia were sonographic markers leading to the prenatal detection of this syndrome. We report a case of Fraser syndrome diagnosed at 18 weeks of gestational age in a women whose previous child died because of bilateral renal agenesis. Abnormal sonographic findings included bilateral renal agenesis, bilateral hyperechogenic lung tissue, everted diaphragm, a small heart because of compression by the obstructed lungs, minimal fetal ascites, syndactyly of the fingers and oligohydramnios. These findings together with those of the previously affected child led to the diagnosis of Fraser syndrome. The parents were consangineous. Family elected to terminate the pregnancy. Autopsy results confirmed the prenatal diagnosis. Prenatal diagnosis of Fraser syndrome is possible.
Monoclonal antibodies differentiate neurofilament and glial filament proteins in the goldfish visual pathway: probes for monitoring neurite outgrowth from retinal explants

The expression of the neurofilament proteins of the goldfish visual pathway reflects the degeneration and regeneration of the optic nerve after nerve crush. To monitor these processes, monoclonal antibodies (mAb) were generated to the intermediate filament proteins of this pathway. The predominant goldfish visual pathway intermediate filament proteins have a molecular weight of 58K and can be separated into 4 isoelectric variants, 2 of which are neuronal (ON1 and ON2) and 2 of which are non-neuronal (ON3 and ON4). The specificities of the mAbs were characterized biochemically and histologically. Immunoblot analysis demonstrated that 2 of the antibodies reacted specifically with the neurofilament proteins (ON1/ON2) and another antibody reacted specifically with the glial filament proteins (ON3/ON4) and with a 48K optic nerve protein of non-neuronal origin. Chymotrypsin digestion of the ON proteins and immunoblotting of the resulting fragments showed that the anti-ON1/ON2 mAbs were directed toward the variable domains of the filament proteins. In contrast, the anti-ON3/ON4 mAb was directed toward the 40K chymotrypsin-resistant region of the glial filament proteins containing the conserved intermediate filament core. When sections of optic nerve tissue were incubated with anti-ON1/ON2 or anti- ON3/ON4 mAbs, the staining resulted in either axonal or glial patterns, respectively. In retina, after optic nerve crush, anti-ON1/ON2 labeled retinal ganglion cells and Muller fibers. In contrast, prior to optic nerve crush, only Muller fibers were labeled. One of the neuronal- directed mAbs was used to decorate growing neurites from retinal explants; anti-ON1/ON2 reactivity appeared in a time-dependent manner that paralleled the expression of ON1/ON2 in vivo. Thus, the antibodies can differentiate these 2 types of goldfish intermediate filament proteins and can be used to monitor optic nerve regeneration in the goldfish visual pathway both in vivo and in vitro.
Spin-Polarized Hydrogen

Until recently it was generally believed that all matter condenses as the temperature is reduced. With the exception of helium the condensed state is ultimately a solid. (Helium forms a liquid at 4.2 K, but resists solidification under its own vapor pressure down to absolute zero.) Now, however, it is known that one substance will remain gaseous at artibrarily low temperatures. As the tern-is reduced it will form a new state of matter, a quantum gas displaying such unique phenomena as Bose Einstein condensation and gaseous superfluidity.
ZnO-Ag sputtering deposition on a-Si solar cells

In order to produce large area amorphous silicon solar cell modules and to simplify the module production process, a continuous ZnO/Ag sputtering deposition process has been applied. The authors found that by means of a continuous ZnO/Ag sputtering deposition method, an adhesive a-Si/electrode contact can be realized. They compared short circuit currents of Al,ZnO/Al and ZnO/Ag back side contact cells and confirmed short circuit current increase by application of ZnO/Ag back side contact. They found that the series resistance is severely depend on the conditions during the first stage of ZnO deposition. They confirmed the reliability of ZnO/Ag structure as the back side contact through high temperature high humidity tests. After 310 hours of an accelerated light induced degradation test, which corresponds to one year light exposure, a 100 cm/sup 2/ integrated a-Si tandem solar cell kept an efficiency higher than 8.5%.
Transport Prices and Costs: The Need to Revisit Donors’ Policies in Transport in Africa

This study is the first comprehensive and empirical effort in the last fifteen years to measure and quantify the determinants of transport costs and prices in Africa. Based on trucking surveys for more than 400 companies in thirteen African countries, it demonstrates that contrary to what most literature has presented, transport costs (cost to transport service providers) are not excessively high in the Sub-Saharan region but transport prices (costs to shippers) are, especially in Central Africa. This is mainly a result of official and unofficial market regulation and structure in trucking services, notably in West and Central Africa. In order to seriously tackle transport-related constraints on corridors in Africa, the donor community should support as a first priority transport market liberalization but also collection of data in the trucking industry and the use of country specific trucking data in the economic analysis and design of road maintenance strategies because, in most cases, investments in roads will probably not lead to decrease of transport costs for end-users of transport services.
[22] Receptor-mediated endocytosis in semiintact cells

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses receptor-mediated endocytosis in semiintact cells. Many biologically important macromolecules are internalized into cells with the complex, multistep process of receptor-mediated endocytosis. Bound ligands and their receptors are first clustered into specialized coated pit regions of the cell surface. Cell surface receptors internalized via coated pits fall into two classes. One class, including, transferrin and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptors, are constitutively localized in coated pits and efficiently internalized at rates independent of bound ligand. In contrast, unoccupied receptors such as epidermal growth factor (EGF) and insulin receptors are internalized at low basal rates. These events not only require the addition of coat constituents but are accompanied by morphological changes in the coat, which progresses from an initially planar structure to a highly curved, invaginated pit. Finally, a membrane fission event occurs and the coat is sealed around the newly budded coated vesicle. Molecular dissection of these biochemically diverse events is facilitated by the use of cell-free assays that allow distinct stages to be assayed independently. In the chapter, the assay described was used to examine receptor-mediated endocytosis in A431 cells. These assays allow independent measurement of coated pit assembly, invagination, and coated vesicle budding.
Alternative splicing produces two transcripts encoding female-biased pheromone subfamily receptors in the navel orangeworm, Amyelois transitella

Insect odorant receptors are key sensors of environmental odors and members of the lepidopteran pheromone receptor subfamily are thought to play important roles in mate finding by recognizing sex pheromones. Much research has been done to identify putative pheromone receptors in lepidopteran males, but little attention has been given to female counterparts. In this study, degenerate oligonucleotide primers designed against a conserved amino acid region in the C-terminus of lepidopteran pheromone receptors were used in 3’ RACE reactions to identify candidate pheromone receptors expressed in the antennae of female navel orangeworm. Two near full-length transcripts of 1469 nt and 1302 nt encoding the complete open reading frames for proteins of 446 and 425 amino acids, respectively, were identified. Based on BLAST homology and phylogenetic analyses, the putative proteins encoded by these transcripts are members of the lepidopteran pheromone receptor subfamily. Characterization of these transcripts indicates that they are alternatively spliced products of a single gene. Tissue expression studies indicate that the transcripts are female-biased with detection mainly in female antennae. To the best of our knowledge, these transcripts represent the first detection of alternatively spliced female-biased members of the lepidopteran pheromone receptor subfamily.
A CRITIQUE OF THE CONCEPT OF GROWING SEASON

(1971). A CRITIQUE OF THE CONCEPT OF GROWING SEASON. The Professional Geographer: Vol. 23, No. 4, pp. 337-340.
Edward H. Angle versus Calvin S. Case: extraction versus nonextraction. Part I. Historical revisionism.

I was a graduate student in the Orthodontic Department of Boston University at the beginning of the 1960s. It was an interesting time for orthodontics as the ideologic extraction / nonextraction battles were mostly over. There were a few, old guard actions to be sure, but the main battles had been won. The "no extractions under any circumstances" Angle forces had been defeated by "extractions when necessary" Case forces on the strength of argument supported by the overwhelming preponderance of countervailing scientific and clinical evidence. The history of this battle, which continues to reverberate to this day, is a fascinating chapter in the history of orthodontics. Moreover, it is also an intriguing window into the minds of intelligent men when ideology replaces rationality, when psychologic makeup stifles and directs discourse, and when men espouse positions and concepts that they do not totally follow. Unfortunately, orthodontics is not the only arena of our civil life where this type of behavior takes place-as that is the nature of our being human. The fact that it did take place in our back yard, so-to-speak, and continues in other orthodontic subjects, should give us pause, and time for reflection and introspection. I will attempt to use an historial mode of development to show some of the bases of the arguments, try to correct sorp.e misunderstandings of people and events, and present material to corroborate certain positions that I am placing before you. As you will see, some of the questions of the era are not answerable, or understandable, up to this time. Perchance this presentation will cause others to search archives not seen or made available to me. Let us go over the documentation I have and be prepared to take issue with any of the assumptions and determinations I make. In an article published in 1907 in Items of Interest, which includes volumes for the years up to 1907, Ottolengui 1 writes about an article contributed on
Role of α2-Adrenoceptors and Glutamate Mechanisms in the External Urethral Sphincter Continence Reflex in Rats

Purpose: We investigated the role of α2-adrenoceptors and glutamate mechanisms in the urethral continence reflex in response to abdominal pressure increases.Materials and Methods: Under urethane anesthesia external urethral sphincter electromyogram activity was evaluated in spinal cord transected (T8–T9) female rats during lower abdominal wall compression before and after intravenous application of test drugs. The effects of the N-methyl-D-aspartate glutamate receptor antagonist MK-801 (Sigma®) or the α2-adrenoceptor agonist medetomidine (Tocris Cookson, Ellisville, Missouri) (each 0.03, 0.3 and 3 mg/kg intravenously) on external urethral sphincter activity were examined. A 0.3 mg/kg intravenous dose of the α2-adrenoceptor antagonist idazoxan (Sigma) was then administered before or after the application of 1 mg/kg MK-801 intravenously. In addition, 0.3 mg/kg idazoxan were administered intravenously following the application of 1 mg/kg of the serotonin/norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor duloxetine (Kemprote...
Some observations and theory on the variation of visual acuity with the orientation of the test object.

The superiority of visual acuity obtained with a grating test object oriented vertically or horizontally over values obtained with oblique orientations is demonstrated for various combinations of pupil diameter and retinal illuminance level. This superiority, which has an average value of 7 percent of the mean threshold angle of resolution for all meridians, increases with pupil diameter but is not affected systematically by illuminance level.The data are discussed with reference to the assumptions that meridional differences in acuity are a result of dioptric or of retinal factors. The systematic effect of pupil diameter points to the dioptric origin of some of the observed meridional differences. The influence of retinal or post-retinal factors as well is suggested by the persistence of the effect at a high illuminance level and with large pupil diameters, a condition where a slight decrease in retinal image contrast is shown not to lower acuity.
Interception of some direct-acting mutagens by ergothioneine.

Ergothioneine, a novel imidazole sulfhydryl/thione compound formed in milli-molar amounts by fungi, is a potentially important defense against electrophiles and free radicals. Protection may well occur both in organisms that synthesize ergothioneine and in animals including man that ingest and store ergothioneine in red blood cells, the liver, seminal fluid, and central nervous system. Ergothioneine blocks the mutagenicity for Salmonella strain TA1950 (hisG46 uvrB) of the nitrosation products of spermidine to an extent that is approximately proportional to the ergothioneine concentration. Ergothioneine also alleviates mutagenicity of cumene and t-butyl hydroperoxides but does not react with N-methyl-N' nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine as does the cysteinyl sulfhydryl compound, glutathione.
The crystal chemistry of whitlockite and merrillite and the dehydrogenation of whitlockite to merrillite

The atomic arrangements of two natural samples of whitlockite, a synthetic whitlockite specimen, a synthetic whitlockite specimen heated at 500 °C, and a synthetic merrillite specimen (formed through dehydrogenation of synthetic whitlockite by heating at 1050 °C for 24 h) have been determined in space group R3c by X-ray diffraction methods; the high-quality structure refinements yielded R < 0.019. Whitlockite, ideally Ca 18 Mg 2 (PO 4 ) 12 [PO 3 (OH)] 2 and merrillite, ideally Ca 18 Na 2 Mg 2 (PO 4 ) 14 , are similar phases that differ by the lack of hydrogen and the concomitant addition of charge-balancing sodium (or calcium) in merrillite. The atomic arrangements of whitlockite and merrillite contain a structural unit consisting of a [(Mg,Fe)(PO 4 ) 6 ] 16 2 complex anion that forms a "bracelet-and-pinwheel" arrangement. The central octahedral cation and the six coordinating phosphate tetrahedra form a pinwheel, and in whitlockite and merrillite the pinwheels are not polymerized; the structural units are linked by interstitial complexes. In unsubstituted merrillite (assuming no Na or REE substituents for Ca), the interstitial complex has a formula of [Ca 19 (PO 4 ) 2 ] 32+ , and in whitlockite, the terrestrial phase in which hydrogen is accommodated, the interstitial unit has the formula [Ca 18 (PO 3 [OH]) 2 ] 32+ , yielding the charge-balancing relationship [H (whit) ↔ Ca 0.5(merr) ] 2 . Whitlockite and merrillite are perhaps the only phases that form a solid solution with terrestrial and extra-terrestrial end-members that differ by structural adjustments that result from the accommodation of hydrogen in the terrestrial phase. The results of the study also suggest that in terrestrial samples of whitlockite, a merrillite component of the solid solution is common, but that extraterrestrial samples of merrillite are devoid of any whitlockite component.
The role of interparticle contact in conductive properties of random particulate materials

The effective conductivity of material systems consisting of contacting particles is studied computationally using a model of monodisperse circular disks. The electrical or thermal conductivity is computed by modeling the relevant mechanical contact problem followed by a steady-state conduction analysis. The interparticle contact resistance is incorporated via the introduction of gap conductance in the contact pairs. Monte Carlo simulations show that the overall effective conductivity is much lower than that predicted by the model using an overlap assumption, even when the contact resistance is zero. The results also display a nonlinear relationship between the contact resistance and the effective conductivity. Therefore, in practical applications involving particulate inclusions of high density, the interfacial contact must be considered to reliably predict the relevant transport properties. Although the methodology is developed in the context of circular disks, it can be extended to deal with more general situations.
Katalytische asymmetrische Halogenfunktionalisierung von Alkenen – eine kritische Betrachtung

Obwohl die Halogenierung von Alkenen seit Jahrhunderten bekannt ist, wurden enantioselektive Varianten dieser Reaktion erst vor kurzem entwickelt. Die in den vergangenen drei Jahren beschriebenen katalytischen enantioselektiven Varianten von Halogenfunktionalisierungen mit den vier gangigen Halogenen sind wichtige Durchbruche, stellen aber erst die Anfange eines im Entstehen begriffenen Gebiets dar. Dieser Kurzaufsatz bietet eine kritische Betrachtung der Herausforderungen, die mit der Entwicklung allgemein anwendbarer und hoch enantioselektiver Halogenfunktionalisierungen einhergehen. Zudem liegt der Schwerpunkt hier anders als bei fruheren Ubersichten zu diesem Gebiet darauf, die verschiedenen Katalysearten und Strategien zur asymmetrischen Induktion aufzuzeigen.
Comparative pharmacokinetics of perfluorononanoic acid in rat and mouse

Abstract Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) is a fluorinated organic chemical found at low levels in the environment, but is detectable in humans and wildlife. The present study compared the pharmacokinetic properties of PFNA in two laboratory rodent species. Male and female Sprague–Dawley rats were given a single dose of PFNA by oral gavage at 1, 3, or 10 mg/kg, and blood was collected from the tail vein at 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 16, 21, 28, 35, 42 and 50 days after treatment. In addition, livers and kidneys were collected for PFNA analysis at the terminal time point. CD-1 mice were given a single oral dose of PFNA of 1 or 10 mg/kg, and 4 males and 4 females were killed at similar time intervals; trunk blood, liver and kidney were collected. Serum and tissue concentrations of PFNA were determined by LC–MS/MS. Serum elimination of PFNA is by and large linear with exposure doses in the rat; however, like PFOA, a major sex difference in the rate of elimination is observed, with an estimated half-life of 30.6 days for males and 1.4 days for females. PFNA is stored preferentially in the liver but not in the kidneys. In the mouse, the rates of PFNA serum elimination are non-linear with exposure dose and are slightly faster in females than males, with terminal estimated serum half-life of 25.8–68.4 days and 34.3–68.9 days, respectively. PFNA is also stored preferentially in the mouse liver but not in the kidneys. Hepatic uptake appears to be more efficient and storage capacity greater in male mice than in females. These data suggest that (1) PFNA is more persistent in the mouse than in the rat; (2) there is a major sex difference in the serum elimination of PFNA in the rat, but much less so in the mouse; and (3) there is a significantly higher hepatic accumulation of PFNA in male mice than in females.
Controlling coupling between two transmitting antennas for MIMO handset applications

We introduce a method to control mutual coupling and correlation between two transmitting antennas for multi-antenna applications in the handset. The method is based on controlling the forward and the back-scattering currents at the antenna ports taking each antenna's driving point impedance into account. We achieve this using a six-section connection circuit that is placed between the multi-antenna system ports and the rest of the transceivers. The method is presented through application to a printed two-monopole antenna example and is implemented in a number of ways showing the technique's flexibility. An improvement in the mutual coupling ranging between 4–10 dB was achieved. The technique is general and does not require the MIMO problem to be symmetric, i.e., it can be implemented to MIMO systems with different antenna types.
The IGY Three-Frequency Backscatter Sounder

Design criteria and operating characteristics of the IGY Fixed-Frequency Backscatter Sounder are outlined. This three-frequency (12, 18, and 30 mc) rotating-antenna pulse sounder was designed at Stanford University for oblique-incidence ionosphere studies. During the IGY a network of these sounders has been operated at thirteen stations in polar, temperate, and equatorial regions. Data reduction and publication of data summaries have been carried out at Stanford using semiautomatic punch card methods. Preliminary analysis of data has yielded new information on sporadic-E, magnetic field aligned irregularities, large-scale traveling disturbances in the F region, and the effects of ionospheric tilts on long-distance propagation.
Assessing facilitator competence in a comprehensive communication skills training programme

OBJECTIVES Evidence suggests that the most important component of communication skills training (CST) is experiential learning through role-play sessions that rely on facilitators to guide learners. However, there is little published evidence about processes of assessing facilitator competence in CST. This paper reports on the development and application of procedures to assess facilitator competence in a large-scale CST programme. METHODS Thirty-two novice facilitators in a large CST programme were audio-recorded while facilitating small-group CST training sessions in order to explore whether the training they had received had prepared them to competently facilitate. Audio-recordings were assessed using the Comskil facilitator assessment coding system. Facilitators were rated as having achieved basic competence, advanced competence or expert competence. RESULTS Facilitation tasks that were most frequently coded as being used always included inviting the learner to give feedback first and inviting all group members to give feedback. The facilitation task coded least frequently as being used always was involving group members in solving problems. Of the 32 facilitators, 18 reached at least a basic level of competence. Psychosocially trained facilitators and MD facilitators differed in their use of five facilitation tasks. CONCLUSIONS Modest training and minimal practice does not result in complete facilitator competence. Some facilitation skills appear to be more easily acquired than others. These findings highlight which skills should be prioritised in the further training of novice facilitators. A long-term project currently underway will study whether facilitator competence improves with practice and regular feedback.
Stretchability of complex patterns of thin metal conductors on elastomeric skin

We have previously shown that 25nm thick gold stripes on 1mm thick silicone membrane retain electrical conduction when stretched up to 100% along their long dimension. To function as electrical interconnects in conformable integrated circuits, the metallization must be stretchable in arbitrary directions. Therefore we have made and tested the mechanical and electrical properties of complex conductor patterns including X and Y oriented lines and cross junctions. We find that the metal patterns continue to conduct under uniaxial stretching in the X or Y direction and under radial, biaxial stretching.
Near field imaging of a plasmon photonic crystal patterned on the facet of a quantum cascade laser

Planar photonic crystal (PPC) has recently attracted much attention as a promising platform for the realization of compact nanocavity devices. Our proposed photonic crystal (PC) structure consists of a periodic hole array with a point defect at the center. The device has been integrated on the facet of a quantum cascade laser working in the mid-infrared region of optical spectrum. Finite-difference time domain (FDTD) simulations have been performed to optimize the design structure. Simulations showed that with a periodicity of the holes (Λ) between 1.3um and 1.4um, the near field enhancement at the center of the cavity on the same level as the top metal surface can be as high as 10 times the incident electric field. The radius of the hole and center cavity radius are 0.45 and 0.2 times Λ. The structure was simulated at experimentally measured operating wavelength (λ=5.98um) of our device. During fabrication, we used a buffer SiO2 layer thickness of 100nm followed by metal-dielectric-metal structure with layer thicknesses of Au – SiO2 –Au (100/20/ 100 nm). Next, the MDM photonic crystal design was fabricated on the MDM coated facet of the QCL using focused ion beam (FIB) milling. The integrated device has been tested using an apertureless mid-infrared near field scanning optical microscopy (a-NSOM). The measurement set-up is based on an inverted microscope coupled with a commercially available Atomic Forced Microscopy (AFM). Using this technique, we could simultaneously measure the topography and NSOM image of the photonic crystal integrated QCL. It showed that the combination of high quality factor and extremely low mode volume of the PC design can squeeze the optical mode within a nanometric spot size ~ 450nm. The experimental results is a proof of concept, although we believe, further optimization and improvisation with different PC designs can lead squeezing the optical mode into a much smaller volume. Such integrated device are capable of focusing radiant infrared light down to nanometer length scale and strongly enhance the near field intensity which can be extremely useful in molecular sensing.
Safety of “inert” additives or excipients in paediatric medicines

Most, if not all, medicines contain both the pharmacologically active and inactive ingredients. The therapeutically inactive components of a medicine are considered excipients. The excipients demonstrate many critical functions including: being diluents, wetting agents, solvents, fillers, binders, emulsifiers, absorption enhancers, sustained release matrices, preservatives, sweeteners, and stabilising, colouring or flavouring agents.1 These excipients serve an important purpose of converting a medicinal compound to an elegant pharmaceutical product with improved delivery for clinical use. It is generally assumed that because the excipients are inert and pharmacologically inactive, they are safe in patients. This assumption, however, may not always be accurate. A recent study by Whittaker et al 2 in this journal documented exposure to over 20 excipients including ethanol, propylene glycol and sorbitol in 36 preterm infants. Further, some infants were exposed to amounts higher than those recommended for adults per kilogramme of body weight. This was not surprising that the infants received these excipients since without excipients they would have been deprived of essential medicines. The question is: are patients at risk of developing undesirable health effects and adverse outcomes from excipients? As the authors stated, this question could not be answered in their study as the clinical effects of excipients were not studied in infants. A policy statement by the American Academy of Pediatrics on inactive ingredients in pharmaceutical products raised questions about the safety of excipients including antioxidants, propylene glycol, sorbitol, lactose, artificial sweeteners, benzyl alcohol, benzalkonium chloride, and colouring agents. The evidence came largely from small uncontrolled and observational studies or case reports. A mandatory labelling of inactive …
Iteration schemes for improved convergence in boundary element reanalysis

Abstract For large changes in design, the simple iteration scheme for reanalysis with the boundary element method shows a poor convergence. A variety of techniques to improve the convergence of these iterations are presented. The effect of modified Aitken's acceleration process on the simple iterations for reanalysis is determined. These developments are applied for the reanalysis of both the structural response and design sensitivities. The number of arithmetic operations required for each of the iteration schemes considered are given to compare the relative efficiencies of these schemes. While all the schemes for improving convergence of the reanalysis procedure demonstrate advantageous results, no single method is seen to be clearly superior to the rest for boundary element reanalysis. The advantages of the proposed procedure are demonstrated by numerical examples.
Autonomic Resilient Cloud Management (ARCM) Design and Evaluation

Cloud Computing is emerging as a new paradigm that aims delivering computing as a utility. For the cloud computing paradigm to be fully adopted and effectively used, it is critical that the security mechanisms are robust and resilient to faults and attacks. Securing cloud systems is extremely complex due to the many interdependent tasks such as application layer firewalls, alert monitoring and analysis, source code analysis, and user identity management. It is strongly believed that we cannot build cloud services that are immune to attacks. Resiliency to attacks is becoming an important approach to address cyber-attacks and mitigate their impacts. Resiliency for mission critical systems is demanded higher. In this paper, we present a methodology to develop an Autonomic Resilient Cloud Management (ARCM) based on moving target defense, cloud service Behavior Obfuscation (BO), and autonomic computing. By continuously and randomly changing the cloud execution environments and platform types, it will be difficult especially for insider attackers to figure out the current execution environment and their existing vulnerabilities, thus allowing the system to evade attacks. We show how to apply the ARCM to one class of applications, Map/Reduce, and evaluate its performance and overhead.
Prediction, supported by data, of a qualitative breaking of SU3 for baryon resonance decay rates☆

Abstract In the light of recently reported difficulties met by SU3 in comparing with experimental decay rates of baryon resonances, we present an alternative scheme which provides a simple understanding of yet unexplained features of baryon resonance data, and which implies a qualitative breaking of SU3 for baryon resonance decay rates.
Fluorescence of Solutions Bombarded with High Energy Radiation (Energy Transport in Liquids)

In organic solutions containing fluorescent molecules a considerable part of the high energy radiation absorbed in the bulk material is transformed into light emitted by the fluorescent molecules. There is a transfer of excitation energy from the bulk material to these molecules which reaches its maximum at concentrations of approximately 1 g/l and higher. Experiments with mixed solvents are described where relatively small concentrations (several mole percent) especially of naphthalene and $o$-diphenylbenzene act in some way as a second solvent. The excitation energy can be localized by investigating the fluorescence of these mixed solvents when different fluorescent solutes are added. It is found that the energy migrates from the original solvent to the second solvent and then to the fluorescent molecule. This intermediate energy transfer can change the light emission curve completely. From this change the dependence of the light emission on internal and self-quenching could be determined. Besides this internal energy transfer, an energy transfer via radiation occurs which is described in detail by studying the absorption of the fluorescent light inside the solution by adding small amounts of a second solute of the order of 0.1 g/l. Such small amounts change the light intensity considerably and shift the spectrum to the spectrum of the second solute. Photographs and data of the spectral distribution of such solutions are presented, which show that such drifts already occur with very small amounts of the second solute.
The Existence of a Superconducting State in Semiconductors

It is suggested, on the basis of theoretical calculations, that it should be possible to find superconducting semiconductors. It is noted that many- valley semiconductors having high carrier concentrations afford the most promising group for testing. Theoretical results are predicted for Ge-Si. (T.F.H.)