cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Personal long-term memory aids

The prevalence and affordability of personal and environmental recording apparatuses are leading to increased documentation of our daily lives. This trend is bound to continue and it follows that academic, industry, and government groups are showing an increased interest in such endeavors for various purposes. In the present case, I assert that such documentation can be used to help remedy common memory problems. Assuming a long-term personal archive exists, when confronted with a memory problem, one faces a new challenge, that of finding relevant memory triggers. This dissertation examines the use of information-retrieval technologies on long-term archives of personal experiences towards remedying certain types of long-tern forgetting. The approach focuses on capturing audio for the content. Research on Spoken Document Retrieval examines the pitfalls of information-retrieval techniques on error-prone speech-recognizer-generated transcripts and these challenges carry over to the present task. However, “memory retrieval” can benefit from the person's familiarity of the recorded data and the context in which it was recorded to help guide their effort. To study this, I constructed memory-retrieval tools designed to leverage a person's familiarity of their past to optimize their search task. To evaluate the utility of these towards solving long-term memory problems, I (1) recorded public events and evaluated witnesses' memory-retrieval approaches using these tools; and (2) conducted a longer-term memory-retrieval study based on recordings of several years of my personal and research-related conversations. Subjects succeeded with memory-retrieval tasks in both studies, typically finding answers within minutes. This is far less time than the alternate of re-listening to hours of recordings. Subjects' memories of the past events, in particular their ability to narrow the window of time in which past events occurred, improved their ability to find answers. In addition to results from the memory-retrieval studies, I present a technique called “speed listening.” By using a transcript (even one with many errors), it allows people to reduce listening time while maintaining comprehension. Finally, I report on my experiences recording events in my life over 2.5 years. (Copies available exclusively from MIT Libraries, Rm. 14-0551, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307. Ph. 617-253-5668; Fax 617-253-1690.)
Culture as Values or Culture in Action? Street Codes and Student Violent Offending

ABSTRACTThe authors draw on two competing cultural perspectives—culture as values and culture in action—to examine the relationship between street codes and the propensity to violently victimize others. Specifically, they explore whether individual-level and school-level street codes, net of one another, are related to 3 types of violence: assault, robbery, and sexual battery. In addition, they consider whether these effects vary according to 3 contextual characteristics: (a) the location of the offending—in school versus out of school, (b) school-level economic disadvantage, and (c) school efficacy. Three-level ordinal logistic regression models are estimated using four waves of survey data from over 3,000 students nested within 103 schools. Results provide evidence that individual-level street codes are related to violent offending in a manner that is, largely speaking, not tied to context. However, there is some evidence that the effects of school-level street codes on offending differ between outside ...
Effectiveness of different antimicrobial washes combined with freezing against Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella Typhimurium, and Listeria monocytogenes inoculated on blueberries.

To ensure the safety of produce, including blueberries, elimination of potential pathogens is critical. This study evaluated the efficacy of antimicrobial washes when coupled with frozen storage against Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella Typhimurium and Listeria monocytogenes on wild blueberries. Inoculated blueberries were sprayed with antimicrobial solutions at different concentrations for various contact times (chlorine dioxide -2.5, 5, 10, and 15 ppm for 10 s, 1, 5, and 10 min; chlorine -100, 150, and 200 ppm for 10s, 1, 5, and 10 min; lactic acid 1 and 2% for 5, 10 and 20 min) and following treatment, stored at -12 °C for 1 week. Compared to antimicrobial washing alone, the additional freezing significantly reduced pathogens (P < 0.05). Concentrations of all three antimicrobials combined with freezing reduced L. monocytogenes to undetectable levels (detection limit < 1 log CFU/g). The greatest reduction of E. coli O157:H7 (4.4 log CFU/g) and Salmonella (5.4 log CFU/g) was achieved by 2% lactic acid or 200 ppm Cl2 followed with frozen storage. These antimicrobials maintained the visual quality of blueberries and did not leave detectable residues. In conclusion, antimicrobial washes, when combined with frozen storage, effectively reduce the risk of pathogen contamination on blueberries.
Animal models for disc degeneration-an update

Intervertebral disc degeneration is considered a major cause of back pain that places a heavy burden on society, both because of its effect on the physiology of individuals and its consequences on the world economy. During the past few decades, research findings in the pre-clinical setting have led to a significant increase in the understanding of intervertebral disc degeneration, although many aspects of the disease remain unclear. The goal of this review is to summarize existing animal models for disc degeneration studies and the difficulties that are associated with the use of such models. A firm understanding of the cellular and molecular events that ensue as a result of injuries, as well as environmental factors, could be instrumental in the development of targeted therapies for the treatment of intervertebral disc degeneration.
Microscope Use and Care

Discuss the history of the microscope Identify the basic parts of the microscope Understand the use of the coarse and fine adjustments Clean the oculars, objectives and stage of the microscope Describe the basic types of microscopes used in the clinical laboratory Demonstrate proper transporting of and storage of the microscope
Political Geography of the South: A Spatial Analysis of the 2008 Presidential Election

The region identified as the "South" arguably has been and continues to be the most politically interesting and analyzed region in the United States. Using election results and county maps of the eleven southern states, this study provides a spatial analysis of the counties in this region. Through the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), this study analyzes the 2008 presidential election using counties as the unit of analysis within these states. This exploratory study will provide data as to which candidate won each county as well as a "landslide" county map that denotes counties that supported a candidate by a margin of twenty percent or more. This study will also investigate the difference in county-level voting between the 2004 and 2008 election to see how the preferences of the electorates changed. Finally, a contextual analysis, using data gathered from the United States Census Bureau will identify county population demographics that help explain voting behavior as well as the change in vote between 2004 and 2008.
The Importance of Context: The Ethical Work Climate Construct and Models of Ethical Decision Making -- An Agenda for Research

This paper examines the role which organizational context factors play in individual ethical decision making. Two general propositions are set forth, examining the linkage between ethical work climate and decision making. An agenda for research and the potential implications of the study and practice of managerial ethics are then discussed.
Cellular resistance to DNA Topoisomerase I-targeting drugs

Eukaryotic DNA topoisomerase I (top1) is a nuclear enzyme that releases the torsional stress of DNA resulting from various genetic processes including replication, recombination and transcription. The enzyme catalyzes a concerted chain of reactions, i.e. DNA single-strand break, concomitant covalent binding of the protein to 3’-end of the DNA break, passage of the other strand through the gap and rejoining of the DNA (Wang, 2002).
Five Short-Termism Myths Dispelled

1. Alfred Rappaport 1. is the Leonard Spacek Professor Emeritus at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management in Evanston, IL, and author of Saving Capitalism from Short-Termism: How to Build Long-Term Value and Take Back Our Financial Future. (alrapp{at}san.rr.com) 1
Computational Estimation Skill of Preservice Teachers: Operation Type and Teacher View.

Despite the importance of computational estimation skill for the improvement of number sense, little research exists on preservice teachers’ estimation skills and their view on estimation in the US...
Ischemia-induced lower extremity neurologic impairment after fenestrated endovascular aneurysm repair.

Abstract Objective Placement of large sheaths in the iliac system during fenestrated endovascular aneurysm repair (FEVAR) leads to lower extremity (LE) ischemia that can be associated with serious neurologic complications. We sought to determine the effect of LE ischemic time on neurologic impairment after FEVAR. Methods Consecutive patients who underwent FEVAR at a single institution were analyzed. LE ischemic time was calculated from the time of large sheath (≥18F) insertion to the time of sheath removal from the iliac arteries that led to continuous LE ischemia. The primary outcome was neurologic impairment defined as any new sensory or motor deficit in either LE. Outcomes were analyzed using descriptive statistics and modeled with logistic regression with interaction terms. Each individual LE was used as a unit of analysis. Results We examined 101 patients (202 lower extremities) who underwent FEVAR over a 5-year period. The median LE ischemic time was 2.75 hours (range, 0.8-5.2 hours). Neurologic impairment developed in 18 extremities (9%). Of those, 12 (67%) developed mild sensory loss, 6 (33%) complete sensory loss, 4 (22%) loss of proprioception, and 2 (11%) motor dysfunction. Sensory deficit was permanent in four limbs (2%) and motor dysfunction in one limb (0.5%). In all other cases, the neurologic examination returned to baseline by postoperative day 15. Duration of LE ischemic time (odds ratio, 6.3; 95% confidence interval, 3.1-12.4; P Conclusions LE neurologic impairment after FEVAR is strongly associated with LE ischemic time and CIA occlusive disease to a lumen of 8 mm or less. Our data indicate that, when the LE ischemic time is expected to exceed 2.5 hours (in patients with CIA stenosis) or 3 hours (in patients without CIA stenosis), measures to ensure LE perfusion should be given consideration.
Socioeconomic Status in Pediatric Health Research: A Scoping Review.

Objective To conduct a scoping review of the literature to describe current conceptualization and measurement of socioeconomic status in pediatric health research. Study design Four databases were used to identify relevant studies, followed by selection and data extraction. Inclusion criteria for studies were the following: enrolled subjects Results Our literature search identified 1768 publications and 1627 unique records. After screening for duplication and relevance, 228 studies satisfied the inclusion criteria, with 75% (n = 170) published since 2009. There were 52 unique singular measures and an additional 20 composite measures. Income-related measures were used in 65% of studies (n = 147) and measures of education in 42% (n = 95). The majority of studies using census-derived variables or insurance status were conducted within the previous 10 years. Conclusions Pediatric studies use a variety of SES measures, which limits comparisons between studies. Few studies provide an evidenced-based rationale that connects the SES indicator to the health outcome, but the majority of studies do find a significant impact of SES on outcomes. SES should be comprehensively studied so that meaningful measures can be used to identify specific SES mechanisms that impact child health.
The heterogeneity of prolonged ICU hospitalisations

Prolonged intensive care unit (ICU) hospitalisations are costly, increasing in prevalence and strain ICU resources.1–4 One-year mortality is high and the recovery for survivors of prolonged ICU hospitalisations is typically long and marked by new morbidities.3 4 Thus, with advances in critical care technology, patients with prolonged ICU hospitalisations, their families and physicians are challenged to make complex, high-stakes decisions without clear guidance about long-term prognosis. Recent work has focused on who these patients are and why they remain in the ICU for prolonged periods of time.5–8 Commonly measured patient characteristics on admission such as age and comorbidities have not consistently been associated with the need for prolonged ICU hospitalisations. (Of note, other premorbid patient characteristics, such as frailty, have not been studied as a risk factor for persistent critical illness.) These findings have challenged preconceived beliefs that prolonged ICU hospitalisations only occur for older patients or those with multiple comorbidities.5 8 Instead, observational data suggest the development of new organ dysfunctions not present on admission contributes to the development of prolonged ICU hospitalisations.6 7 This finding moves our understanding of prolonged ICU hospitalisations beyond the prototype of chronic critical illness—a patient with unresolving respiratory failure—and towards a more complete picture of how prolonged ICU hospitalisations emerge over time in the ICU.3 (figure 1) Figure 1 New framework of prolonged ICU hospitalisations. Hermans et al describe the long-term mortality and morbidity of patients with prolonged ICU hospitalisations who are matched to short-stayers (patients who remained in the ICU for <8 days).9 The authors created three different matched cohorts to evaluate long-term mortality (total and post-28-day 5-year mortality) and morbidity. The authors performed a re-analysis of prospectively collected data of the EPaNIC-trial, which was a randomised control trial conducted in seven …
The Coronavirus: Business Risks, Liabilities, and Force Majeure in the Face of a Global Health Crisis

On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organisation declared the new coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. Alongside quarantines, travel restrictions and bans, businesses have been confronted with limited access to global human capital and unreliable supply chains. Here we examine several ways that the coronavirus epidemic has impacted global business prospects with connections to the PRC. We aim to provide businesses and their legal strategists with ideas to guide effective solutions to risks, liabilities, and disputes caused by a global public health crisis.
Fee-for-service payment is not the (main) problem.

Objective To understand the effect of physician payment incentives on the allocation of health care resources. Data sources/study setting Review and analysis of the literature on physician payment incentives. Study design Analysis of current physician payment incentives and several ways to modify those incentives to encourage increased efficiency. Principal findings Fee-for-service payments can be incorporated into systems that encourage efficient pricing - prices that are close to the provider's marginal cost - by giving consumers information on provider-specific prices and a strong incentive to choose lower cost providers. However, efficient pricing of services ultimately will need to be supplemented by incentives for efficient production of health and functional status. Conclusions The problem with current FFS payment is not paying a fee for each service, per se, but the way in which the fees are determined.
Starting off on the right foot: A 22-year-old woman with leg swelling

A previously healthy 22-year-old woman was in the second trimester of her first pregnancy when she developed new lower extremity edema. Her pregnancy course had been unremarkable, and she was receiving routine obstetric care from her family physician. One week prior to admission she developed progressive swelling in her legs.
A Modified CAIDE Risk Score as a Screening Tool for Cognitive Impairment in Older Adults.

Background Although an efficacious dementia-risk score system, Cardiovascular Risk Factors, Aging, and Dementia (CAIDE) was derived using midlife risk factors in a population with low educational attainment that does not reflect today's US population, and requires laboratory biomarkers, which are not always available. Objective Develop and validate a modified CAIDE (mCAIDE) system and test its ability to predict presence, severity, and etiology of cognitive impairment in older adults. Methods Population consisted of 449 participants in dementia research (N = 230; community sample; 67.9±10.0 years old, 29.6%male, 13.7±4.1 years education) or receiving dementia clinical services (N = 219; clinical sample; 74.3±9.8 years old, 50.2%male, 15.5±2.6 years education). The mCAIDE, which includes self-reported and performance-based rather than blood-derived measures, was developed in the community sample and tested in the independent clinical sample. Validity against Framingham, Hachinski, and CAIDE risk scores was assessed. Results Higher mCAIDE quartiles were associated with lower performance on global and domain-specific cognitive tests. Each one-point increase in mCAIDE increased the odds of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) by up to 65%, those of AD by 69%, and those for non-AD dementia by > 85%, with highest scores in cases with vascular etiologies. Being in the highest mCAIDE risk group improved ability to discriminate dementia from MCI and controls and MCI from controls, with a cut-off of ≥7 points offering the highest sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values. Conclusion mCAIDE is a robust indicator of cognitive impairment in community-dwelling seniors, which can discriminate well between dementia severity including MCI versus controls. The mCAIDE may be a valuable tool for case ascertainment in research studies, helping flag primary care patients for cognitive testing, and identify those in need of lifestyle interventions for symptomatic control.
Multi-mission nuclear electric propulsion stage design.

Results of a mission engineering analysis of nuclear-thermionic electric propulsion spacecraft for unmanned interplanetary and geocentric missions. Critical technologies assessed are associated with the development of nuclear electric propulsion (NEP), and the impact of its availability on future space programs. Specific areas of investigation include outer planet and comet rendezvous mission analysis, NEP stage design for geocentric and interplanetary missions, and technology requirements for NEP stage development. A multimission NEP stage can be developed to perform both multiple geocentric and interplanetary missions for a 1983 launch. Identified pacing NEP technology requirements are the development of 20,000 full power hour ion thrustors and thermionic reactor and the development of related power conditioning. The resulting NEP stage design provides both inherent reliability and high payload mass capability.
The 114th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons

The 114th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons (ASCRS) took place in Boston, Massachusetts, from May 30 to June 3, 2015. Of the 3029 participants, there were 2080 physicians and healthcare providers including 759 attendees representing 75 countries outside of the USA. In addition to many workshops, symposia, hands-on laboratories and 98 podium/video presentations, there were 413 e-poster presentations (of 954 total abstracts received a record high). The meeting included workshops on how to write examination questions, transanal endoscopic surgery, anal intraepithelial neoplasia and high-resolution anoscopy, laparoscopic colectomy, optimal management of fecal incontinence and robotic colorectal surgery: tips, tricks and simulation. Symposia included laparoscopic and robotic surgery, advanced endoscopy and endoluminal surgery, managing complex surgical patients/complications, the genetics of colorectal cancer and an update on inflammatory bowel disease. There was a special emphasis on rectal cancer, including symposia addressing ‘‘Controversies in rectal cancer management’’ and ‘‘Optimizing outcomes through techniques.’’ Of the named lectureships, the ‘‘Masters in Colorectal Surgery Lectureship’’ (each year, a different senior surgeon who has made a considerable contribution to the specialty and ASCRS is honored) titled ‘‘The value of mentorship’’ was delivered by ASCRS President-Elect Patricia L. Roberts, MD, to honor ASCRS Past-President David J. Schoetz, Jr., MD (both of Lahey Hospital and Medical Center, Burlington, MA). Previous honorees include ASCRS Past-Presidents Eugene P. Salvati, MD (2014), Victor W. Fazio, MD (2013), Herand Abcarian, MD (2012), Philip H. Gordon, MD (2011), and the first recipient Stanley M. Goldberg, MD (2010). Another named lectureship, the Norman D. Nigro, MD Research Lectureship, was delivered by Professor Antonio Lacy, MD, PhD (Barcelona, Spain), on ‘‘The evolution of minimally invasive surgery for colorectal cancer: Past, Present, and Future.’’ A memorial lectureship honoring Fig. 1 Terry C. Hicks, MD (Oschner Clinic, New Orleans, LA), on the right (immediate Past-President ASCRS, 2014–2015) handing over the Presidential Medallion to Charles E. Littlejohn, MD (Stamford, Connecticut), on the left (current ASCRS President, 2015–2016) at the ASCRS Annual Business Meeting on June 3, 2015, in Boston, MA
The boogie verification debugger

The Boogie Verification Debugger (BVD) is a tool that lets users explore the potential program errors reported by a deductive program verifier. The user interface is like that of a dynamic debugger, but the debugging happens statically without executing the program. BVD integrates with the programverification engine Boogie. Just as Boogie supports multiple language front-ends, BVD can work with those front-ends through a plug-in architecture. BVD plugins have been implemented for two state-of-the-art verifiers, VCC and Dafny.
Approximate Quantum Mechanical Methods for Rate Computation in Complex Systems

The last 20 years have seen qualitative leaps in the complexity of chemical reactions that have been studied using theoretical methods. While methodologies for small molecule scattering are still of great importance and under active development [1], two important trends have allowed the theoretical study of the rates of reaction in complex molecules, condensed phase systems, and biological systems. First, there has been the explicit recognition that the type of state to state information obtained by rigorous scattering theory is not only not possible for complex systems, but more importantly, not meaningful. Thus, methodologies have been developed that compute averaged rate data directly from a Hamiltonian. Perhaps the most influential of these approaches has been the correlation function formalisms developed by Bill Miller et al. [2]. While these formal expressions for rate theories are certainly not the only correlation function descriptions of quantum rates [3, 4], these expressions of rates directly in terms of evolution operators, and in their coordinate space representations as Feynman Propagators, have lent themselves beautifully to complex systems because many of the approximation methods that have been devised are for Feynman propagator computation. This fact brings us to the second contributor to the blossoming of these approximate methods, the development of a wide variety of approximate mathematical methods to compute the time evolution of quantum systems. Thus the marriage of these mathematical developments has created the necessary powerful tools needed to probe systems of complexity unimagined just a few decades ago.
The Sialic Acids XV. TRANSFER OF SIALIC ACID TO GLYCOPROTEINS BY A SIALYLTRANSFERASE FROM COLOSTRUM

Abstract A soluble sialyltransferase was partially purified from colostrum (goat, bovine, and human). This enzyme catalyzed the transfer of sialic acid from cytidine monophospho-sialic acid to β-d-galactopyranosides. When N-acetyllactosamine was the acceptor, the products formed by the colostrum transferase contained sialic acid linked only to C-6 of the galactose moiety; with lactose as the acceptor, a small fraction of the sialic acid was linked to C-3 as well. These results distinguish the colostrum enzyme from the previously reported rat mammary gland sialyltransferase, which synthesized only the C-3 isomers of sialyllactose and sialyl-N-acetyllactosamine. In addition, the colostrum enzyme exhibited the following important specificity requirements towards the acceptor: (a) high, rather than low molecular weight substrates were much more effective; (b) the penultimate sugar to which galactose was linked in disaccharides markedly influenced the kinetic parameters (Vmax and Km); and (c) the position of linkage of galactose to the penultimate sugar resulted in 40-fold changes in the rate of the reaction. The most active disaccharide was N-acetyllactosamine (4-O-β-d-galactopyranosyl-N-acetylglucosamine). This disaccharide is a structural component of many glycoproteins, and it is suggested that the colostrum sialyltransferase catalyzes the final step in the synthesis of the serum-type glycoproteins.
A Narrative Community: Voice of Israeli Backpackers

Reviewed Medium: book Authors: Chaim Noy Year: 2006 Pages: 256 Publisher: Wayne State University Press ISBN: 0-8143-3176-9 (soft cover). Prices: $29.95 USD(soft cover).
Environmental justice and international trade law

The aim of this article is to answer the question whether environmental justice could influence the trade-environment debate. It takes a fresh look at this debate from a legal perspective, by comparing the developments and considerations in international law with those of the EU.
Analysis of glomeruli-eluted Gp330 autoantibodies and of Gp330 antigen of Heymann nephritis.

Quantity, charge, IgG isotype, Ag reactivity of glomerular gp330 autoantibodies (gp330Ab), and the charge of the putative Ag, gp330, were studied in active Heymann nephritis. Gp330 was anionic with an isoelectric point of 4.6. Despite variation in C3 glomerular immunofluorescence staining, C5b-9 staining was seen in all rats. Positive correlation was seen between glomerular gp330Ab and abnormal 24-h proteinuria (r = 0.637, p = 0.008), which appeared to require a certain threshold level of gp330Ab. Positive correlation was also seen between serum and glomerular gp330Ab at time of death (r = 0.55, p < 0.05). No differences were seen in charge, IgG isotypes of glomerular gp330Ab, or reactivity to gp330 by Western analysis in rats with or without abnormal proteinuria. Comparison of gp330Ab IgG isotypes in immune sera and glomeruli showed no difference in IgG1 and IgG2a, but IgG2b was significantly lower in glomeruli (p < 0.0001). Conclusions: 1) this is the first documentation that gp330 is highly anionic; 2) regardless of the degree of proteinuria, all immunized rats deposit in their glomeruli a qualitatively similar type of gp330Ab (charge, IgG isotype, complement activation, gp330 reactivity); 3) despite the highly anionic nature of gp330, anionic gp330Ab accumulate in glomeruli; and 4) complement activation appears to occur in every rat with gp330Ab in glomerulus and development of proteinuria is dependent on a certain threshold level of gp330Ab in the glomerulus which, in turn, correlates with the serum level of gp330Ab.
Quantitation of the Nearest-neighbour Effects of Amino Acid Side-Chains that Restrict Conformational Freedom of the Polypeptide Chain using Reversed-Phase Liquid Chromatography of Synthetic Model Peptides with L- and D-amino Acid Substitutions

Side-chain backbone interactions (or "effects") between nearest neighbours may severely restrict the conformations accessible to a polypeptide chain and thus represent the first step in protein folding. We have quantified nearest-neighbour effects (i to i+1) in peptides through reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) of model synthetic peptides, where L- and D-amino acids were substituted at the N-terminal end of the peptide sequence, adjacent to a L-Leu residue. These nearest-neighbour effects (expressed as the difference in retention times of L- and D-peptide diastereomers at pHs 2 and 7) were frequently dramatic, depending on the type of side-chain adjacent to the L-Leu residue, albeit such effects were independent of mobile phase conditions. No nearest-neighbour effects were observed when residue i is adjacent to a Gly residue. Calculation of minimum energy conformations of selected peptides supported the view that, whether a L- or D-amino acid is substituted adjacent to L-Leu, its orientation relative to this bulky Leu side-chain represents the most energetically favourable configuration. We believe that such energetically favourable, and different, configurations of L- and D-peptide diastereomers affect their respective interactions with a hydrophobic stationary phase, which are thus quantified by different RP-HPLC retention times. Side-chain hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity coefficients were generated in the presence of these nearest-neighbour effects and, despite the relative difference in such coefficients generated from peptides substituted with L- or D-amino acids, the relative difference in hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity between different amino acids in the L- or D-series is maintained. Overall, our results demonstrate that such nearest-neighbour effects can clearly restrict conformational space of an amino acid side-chain in a polypeptide chain.
Locality properties of radial basis function expansion coefficients for equispaced interpolation

Many types of radial basis functions (RBFs) are global in terms of having large magnitude across the entire domain. Yet, in contrast, e.g. with expansions in orthogonal polynomials, RBF expansions exhibit a strong property of locality with regard to their coefficients. That is, changing a single data value mainly affects the coefficients of the RBFs which are centred in the immediate vicinity of that data location. This locality feature can be advantageous in the development of fast and well-conditioned iterative RBF algorithms. With this motivation, we employ here both analytical and numerical techniques to derive the decay rates of the expansion coefficients for cardinal data, in both 1D and 2D. Furthermore, we explore how these rates vary in the interesting high-accuracy limit of increasingly flat RBFs.
3D finite element analysis of indentation recovery due to the shape memory effect

The potential use of Shape Memory Alloys (SMAs) as micro-actuators promotes study of the behaviors of these materials at small length scales. The recovery of micro-indentations due to the shape memory effect has recently become an area of particular interest. Experimental observation indicates promising microactuation ability in SMAs subject to indentation. In order to better understand the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon, 3- D Finite Element Analysis incorporating a new SMA transformation-plastic yield constitutive model is used to simulate a unique experimental indentation procedure. This process involves the indentation of an SMA material and the planarization of the material surface to remove all visible traces of the indent region; upon subsequent heating, a protrusion (exdent) is created in the indented zone. Key results of an analysis that simulates this experimental procedure are discussed, along with possibilities for future work.
Dexamethasone induces a transient relative cardiomegaly in neonatal rats

ABSTRACT: Effects of s.c. administration of dexamathasone (1–25 μg/rat pup/d) during the first 5 d postpartum on survival rates, body weight, heart weight, heart-to-body weight ratios, and heart dimensions were determined. Dexamethasone decreased survival, body weight, and heart weight, but increased heart-to-body weight ratios and myocardial percentage of dry weight (0.44 to 0.52–1.06 and 20 to 23%, respectively; p < 0.05) by 7 d postpartum. By 21 d postpartum, differences in absolute body weight and heart weight between control and experimental animals were reduced; however, myocardial percentage of dry weight and heart-to-body weight ratios were indistinguishable. Microscopic analysis of 7-d-old hearts disclosed that interventricular septum, left ventricular free wall thicknesses, and left ventricle chamber diameter were reduced (0.93 to 0.76–0.85 mm, 1.19–1.34 to 0.92–1.07 mm, and 1.35–1.40 to 0.89–1.23 mm, respectively; p < 0.05), whereas right ventricular free wall thickness was unaffected and right ventricle chamber diameter was increased (0.29–0.31 to 0.42–0.46 mm) by dexamethasone. Thus, dexamethasone reduced survival and retarded growth of neonatal rats. Retardation of heart growth was less severe, producing a transient relative cardiomegaly characterized by 1) increased myocardial percentage of dry weight, 2) increased left ventricular free wall-to-chamber ratio, and 3) retention of absolute right ventricular free wall thickness. This relative cardiomegaly appeared to be resolved by 21 d postpartum, as reflected in myocardial percentage of dry weight and heart-to-body weight ratios. These data suggest that this system might be a useful model for elucidating cellular and molecular mechanisms through which ventricular hypertrophy might arise in infants receiving dexamethasone therapy for bronchopulmonary dysplasia.
The Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 public law 96-480

The Stevenson Technology Innovation Act of 1980 has passed Congress and has been signed by the President. The legislation accomplishes two main functions. The first part establishes an Office of Industrial Technology in the Department of Commerce which will oversee the establishment of a wide variety of university-affiliated centers. The Centers will: 1) Perform research supportive of technological and industrial innovation including cooperative industry-university basic and applied research; 2) provide assistance to individuals and small businesses in the generation, evaluation and development of technological ideas supportive of industrial innovation and new business ventures; 3) provide technical assistance and advisory services to industry, particularly small businesses; and 4) provide curriculum development, training, and instruction in invention, entrepreneurship, and industrial innovation. The second part of the Act is concerned with the utilization of Federal Technology. Some of the provisions are: 1) Each Federal Laboratory shall establish an Office of Research and Technology Applications; 2) each Federal laboratory having a total annual budget exceeding $20,000,000 shall provide at least one professional individual full-time as staff for its Office of Research and Technology Application; and 3) after September 30, 1981 each Federal agency shall make available not less than 0.5 percent of the agency's research and development budget to support the technology transfer function of the Office of Research and Technology Applications. The legislation also establishes a Center for the Utilization of Federal Technology in the Department of Commerce to serve as a central clearinghouse for the collection, dissemination, and transfer of information on Federally owned or originated technology having potential application to State and local government and to private industry.
Polarographic behaviour of metal chelates of o,o'-dihydroxyazo dyes

The nature of complexes between various o,o'-dihydroxyazo dyes and metal ions, and their applications in polarographic chemical analysis, are described and discussed.
Refining Reputation to Truly Select High-QoS Servers in Peer-to-Peer Networks

Peer-to-peer networks (P2Ps) use reputation systems to provide incentives for nodes to offer high quality of service (QoS) and thwart the intentions of dishonest or selfish nodes. Existing reputation systems have two problems. First, they directly regard node reputation as trust. Rather, reputation represents the opinions formed by others about a node's QoS behavior, while trust represents a node's honesty and willingness to cooperate. In addition to trust, factors such as node capacity and lifetime also influence reputation. Due to these factors' heterogeneity and variance over time, reputation cannot directly reflect a node's trust or current QoS. Second, existing reputation systems guide a node to select the server with the highest reputation, which may not actually select the highest QoS server and would overload the highest reputed nodes. This work aims to accurately reflect node trust and provide guidance for high-QoS server selection. Through experimental study, we find that node trust, available capacity, and lifetime positively affect node reputation. Based on this observation, we first propose a manual trust model and an automatic trust model that remove the influence of additional factors on reputation to truly reflect node trust. We then propose a high-QoS server selection algorithm that separately considers node trust, current available capacity, and lifetime. Extensive simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the trust models in accurate node trust reflection compared with an existing reputation system. Moreover, the server selection algorithm dramatically increases the success rate of service requests and avoids overloading nodes.
Diameter variability in loblolly pine plantations

Diameter variability in loblolly pine plantations was investigated using a dataset of 2502 thinned and unthinned plot measurements covering the entire native loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) range. The proposed model for estimating standard deviation of diameter (STD) uses commonly available stand variables (average diameter, number of trees, age). The variability of STD among physiographic regions is explained by plot elevation. The proposed model explains 91% of the variation in STD. An independent dataset (with 10 measurements of 45 plots) was used to evaluate the model.
Decomposition of methyl methionine sulfonium salts by a bacterial enzyme.

Summary 1. A soil microorganism which can utilize methyl methionine sulfonium salts as the sole source of C, N and S has been isolated by enrichment culture. An enzyme has been partially purified from sonic extracts of the bacterium which degrades methyl methionine sulfonium to dimethyl sulfide and homoserine. 2. The pH optimum for the breakdown is 7.8. The enzyme is specific for the L -form of the methionine derivative. The Km for the L -form is 1.5·10−3 M. The D -form does not inhibit the reaction. The addition of pyridoxal 5′-phosphate does not stimulate the reaction. Hydroxylamine, NaCN, isonicotinic acid hydrazide, and p-hydroxymercuribenzoate do not inhibit the enzyme. Dimethylacetothetin, dimethyl-β-propiothetin and methionine sulfoxide are not substrates, however, (−)S-adenosyl- L -methionine is degraded by the enzyme preparation.
Oligomerization of uridine phosphorimidazolides on montmorillonite: a model for the prebiotic synthesis of RNA on minerals

The 5'-phosphorimidazolide of uridine reacts on Na(+)-montmorillonite 22A in aqueous solution to give oligomers as long as 7 mers. The maximum chain length increases to 9 mers and the overall oligomer yield increases when 9:1 ImpU, A5' ppA mixtures react under the same conditions. The oligomer yield and maximum chain length decreases with the structure of the added pyrophosphate in the order A5' ppA > A5' ppU > U5' ppU. Structure analysis of individual oligomer fractions was performed by selective enzymatic hydrolyses followed by HPLC analysis of the products. The regioselectivity for 3',5'-bond formation is 80-90% in the 9:1 ImpU, A5' ppA reaction, a percentage comparable to that observed in the 9:1 ImpA, A5' ppA reaction. Oligomerization of ImpU is inhibited by addition of dA5' ppdA, and MeppA. No oligomers containing A5' ppU were products of the 9:1 ImpU,A5' ppA reaction, a finding consistent with the simple addition of the ImpU to the A5' ppA and not the rearrangement of an ImpU-A5' ppA adduct. Concentrations of lysine or arginine which were close to that of the ImpU did not inhibit oligomer formation. Treatment of Na(+)-montmorillonite with 1 M arginine yielded arginine-montmorillonite, an amino acid-mineral adduct which did not catalyze ImpU oligomerization. Neither the 4-9 mers formed in the 9:1 ImpU, A5' ppA reaction nor the 4-9 mers formed by the base hydrolysis of poly(U) served as templates for the formation of oligo(A)s.
Resolving a Conflict Between APA Learning Goals and APA Ethical Principles

Although American Psychological Association (APA) Ethical Standards make it clear that instructors cannot require students to disclose personal information in class-related activities, an APA learning goal for undergraduate psychology students is that they reflect on their experiences to develop insight into their behavior and mental processes. Thus, there is a conflict between APA learning goals and APA ethical principles. To increase awareness of this conflict and generate a discussion of ways to resolve it, I present one method of resolving it by having students convert papers that involve self-reflection into anonymous, unreadable papers before submitting them.
Mechanical Characterization of Polyelectrolyte Multilayers Using Quasi-Static Nanoindentation

Polyelectrolyte multilayer (PEM) films comprised of the weak polyelectrolyte pair poly(allylamine hydrochloride)/poly(acrylic acid) were characterized in nanoindentation tests near 295 K. Film thickness in ambient air ranged from 80 to 6000 nm, and indentation depth varied from a few nanometers to 3000 nm for the thickest films tested. Elastic modulus and hardness of the films were independent of the contact depth over a range of penetration where artifacts arising from the free surface and the underlying glass substrate were insignificant. Moduli of the dry films were in the range of 10 GPa while the same films immersed in water showed modulus values about 2 orders of magnitude lower. Properties of the dry films were dependent on the selected assembly pH conditions but were insensitive to post-assembly cross-linking; both the modulus and the hardness of the hydrated films were affected significantly by the introduction of covalent cross-links into the PEM structure.
Effect of water on the surface oxidation of an Al-Pd-Mn quasicrystal

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy is used to determine the effect of water on the oxidation of a quasicrystalline alloy at room temperature. We use a singlegrain sample, oriented with the fivefold a...
The relationship between warfarin, aspirin, and clopidogrel continuation in the peri-procedural period and the incidence of hematoma formation after device implantation.

Background: Many patients requiring permanent pacemaker (PPM) or implantable cardiac defibrillator (ICD) placement are anticoagulated with warfarin, aspirin (ASA), and clopidogrel for a number of thromboembolic risk indications. The present review sought to evaluate the relationship between continuation of these medications in the peri-procedural period and the incidence of hematoma formation after implantation. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed consecutive patients undergoing PPM and ICD implantation at our hospital from January 2007–2009. All patients on warfarin, aspirin, and clopidogrel were maintained on these medications peri-operatively. We collected data on the use of warfarin at implantation, INR prior to device implantation, use of dual-antiplatelet therapy (DAPT), such as concomitant aspirin and clopidogrel and subsequent formation of hematoma in the peri-procedure period. Results: PPM and ICD implantations were performed in 194 men and six women. The mean age was 73 years old. Fifty eight patients were taking warfarin with an average international normalized ratio of 1.9 ± 0.6; 112 were on ASA, 23 on clopidogrel, and 20 of them on DAPT. Only five patients were on DAPT and warfarin combined at the time of device implantation. Hematomas formed in a total of seven patients (3.5%), five of whom were on DAPT consisting of ASA and clopidogrel (P < 0.0001) while only two of them were on warfarin (P = 0.67). Pocket revision for hematoma evacuation was needed in four patients (2%), three of whom were on DAPT and only one on warfarin. Conclusion: This study suggests that hematoma formation after PPM or ICD implantation is rare, even among those who are anticoagulated. There were more patients with hematoma on DAPT than warfarin therapy and half of these patients with this complication needed pocket revision for evacuation. (PACE 2010; 385–388)
Long-term evaluation of the calibration of YES UVB-1 broadband radiometers of the Central UV Calibration Facility (1994-2005) and the suite of UV radiometers in the USDA UV Monitoring Network

The U.S. Central UV Calibration Facility (CUCF) at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of the Earth Systems Laboratory calibrates Yankee Environmental System (YES) UVB-1 broadband radiometers for the USDA UV Monitoring Program. The CUCF has three reference YES UVB-1 broadband radiometers that operate in the field at the CUCF's Table Mountain Test Facility (TMTF). These three reference broadband radiometers are run simultaneously against a reference U111 Spectroradiometer developed by Atmospheric Science Research Center (ASRC) at SUNY. The temporal stability will be shown of the erythema calibration factors of the CUCF reference YES UVB-1 radiometers under clear skies from 1994 until 2005. The USDA UV Monitoring Program has 51 UV broadband radiometers that are characterized and calibrated approximately once every 1-2 years by the CUCF starting in 1997. The average annual changes in the calibration are given for the 51 USDA YES UVB broadband radiometers.
Substance Use Motives in People With Severe Mental Illness: Comparisons Among Four Diagnostic Groups

Research has consistently shown that alcohol consumption motivated by a desire to alleviate negative emotional states predicts alcohol use and relapse among clients with cooccurring psychiatric disorders. However, studies examining the role of drinking motives in people with severe mental illness are few. This study of 283 community mental health clients (43.8% men, 55.1% women), assigned a primary Axis I diagnosis of schizophrenia (28.3%), schizoaffective (23.3%), major depression (31.1%), or bipolar I disorder (17.3%), tested the hypothesis that clients with a diagnosis of mood disorder would report greater substance use, would indicate more problems associated with substance use, and would be more likely to use substances to cope with negative emotions than would clients with schizophrenia. In addition, coping motives would account for more variance in substance use and related problems than would convivial drinking when controlling for age, gender, and Axis I diagnosis. Results largely supported these...