cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Strong anisotropy in strength and toughness in defective hexagonal boron nitride

Using a combination of density functional theory calculations and molecular dynamics simulations we show that the strength and toughness of hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) containing isolated vacancy defects are strongly anisotropic, regardless of the size of the defect core. The degree of anisotropy is preserved for a number of defect structures including monovacancy, tetravacancy, tridecavacancy, triheptacontavacancy, or heptatriacontavacancy defects. The chirality-dependent effects are strongly nonlinear and well characterized by close-form mathematical equations indicating pronounced strength and toughness along the zigzag direction compared to the strength and toughness along the armchair direction. Also, the size dependence of the strength and toughness of the defective lattice shows an inverse relationship with the effective diameter of the defect core. An atomistic analysis of the deformation fields reveals that nonuniformity in bond length, bond strain, and force distribution in the nonlinear regime of mechanical deformation surrounding the defect cores forms the physical basis for the observed anisotropy. The anisotropic character of the lattice is governed primarily by the nearest-neighbor covalent interactions (dominated by the first-nearest neighbors). Consequently, as soon as a set of bonds rupture at the defect core, the entire lattice undergoes catastrophic failure underscoring the brittle nature of the fracture state in hBN. Results also suggest that chirality-dependent elastic effects are dominated by the third-order elastic modulus which stiffens the lattice at higher chiral angles, whereas the second- and fourth-order elastic moduli soften the lattice affecting the strength and toughness of the lattice in an intricate manner.
Association between menopausal symptoms and relationship distress.

Abstract Objective To determine the association between relationship distress and menopausal symptoms. Study design A retrospective analysis was conducted of questionnaires completed by women 40–65 years of age seeking menopause or sexual health consultation between May, 2015 and May, 2017. Main outcome measures Associations between menopausal symptoms assessed using the Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) and relationship distress measured on the Kansas Marital Satisfaction Scale (KMSS) were evaluated with two-sample t-tests. Linear regression was used to assess associations after adjusting for potential confounders. Results The sample of 1884 women averaged 53 years of age (SD = 6.1); most were white (95%), employed (66%), married (90%), and well-educated (≥ college graduate, 64%). Women reporting no relationship distress (KMSS ≥ 17) had less severe menopausal symptoms overall compared with women reporting relationship distress (total MRS score 13.1 vs 16.0, P Conclusions The absence of relationship distress was associated with less severe menopausal symptoms, particularly in the psychological domain, in women presenting to a women’s health clinic. Given the cross = sectional design, the direction of the relationship is unknown.
Patterns and predictors of change in trauma-focused treatments for war-related posttraumatic stress disorder.

OBJECTIVE We evaluated patterns and predictors of change from three efficacy trials of trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral treatments (TF-CBT) among service members (N = 702; mean age = 32.88; 89.4% male; 79.8% non-Hispanic/Latino). Rates of clinically significant change were also compared with other trials. METHOD The trials were conducted in the same setting with identical measures. The primary outcome was symptom severity scores on the PTSD Symptom Scale-Interview Version (PSS-I; Foa, Riggs, Dancu, & Rothbaum, 1993). RESULTS Symptom change was best explained by baseline scores and individual slopes. TF-CBT was not associated with better slope change relative to Present-Centered Therapy, a comparison arm in 2 trials. Lower baseline scores (β = .33, p < .01) and higher ratings of treatment credibility (β = -.22, p < .01) and expectancy for change (β = -.16, p < .01) were associated with greater symptom change. Older service members also responded less well to treatment (β = .09, p < .05). Based on the Jacobson and Truax (1991) metric for clinically significant change, 31% of trial participants either recovered or improved. CONCLUSIONS Clinicians should individually tailor treatment for service members with high baseline symptoms, older patients, and those with low levels of credibility and expectancy for change. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).
OBSERVATIONS OF SOCIAL POLYGYNY, ALLONURSING, EXTRAPAIR COPULATION, AND INBREEDING IN URBAN SAN JOAQUIN KIT FOXES (VULPES MACROTIS MUTICA)

San Joaquin kit foxes (Vulpes macrotis mutica) are typically socially monogamous. During the 2012 breeding season in Bakersfield, California, where food is abundant, population density is high, and dispersal potential is low, we documented two cases of social polygyny. Both groups had two litters; we documented allonursing in one group. In both groups the two mothers were not closely related and the “helper” was not closely related to the other adults. All four reproducing females had at least one pup sired by an extragroup male. One female had three inbred pups that resulted from matings with first-degree relatives. The unique conditions associated with the urban environment may alter kit fox social ecology.
Defying the bulldozers: the practice of historic preservation

How does one actually DO ‘historic preservation’? The following essays and interview provide nuts and bolts responses to that question. Each focuses on the actual challenge of taking care of buildi...
Filler materials to prevent polymer intrusion into mesoporous substrates during thin film formation

Abstract The versatility and ease of synthesis of polymers have made membrane separations an attractive option for treatment of complex waters. However, most water-permeable polymers lack tolerance to corrosive environments. In our laboratory, we are developing a new class of composite membranes that incorporate water-permeable molecular sieve particles within an impermeable polymer matrix in a thin film on a porous support membrane. Together these water-selective molecular sieve particles and impermeable polymers potentially enable superior chemical resistance to harsh environments, such as extreme pH or oxidative chemicals, when compared to membranes cast using water-permeable polymers. However, using an impermeable polymer presents a unique challenge in a membrane design; if the impermeable polymer intrudes into the pores of the support material, it will block water transport through the support membrane. In this paper, we report the results of filling the pores of the support material with a liquid that is immiscible with the impermeable polymer casting solution in order to limit polymer intrusion into the support during casting. We developed a model and procedure for selecting liquid filler materials, based on a modified Washburn equation, which can be broadly applied to any solvent-polymer-support combination. Specifically, we report on the balance between the gravitational and capillary forces necessary to select a filler material that limits polymer intrusion into the support.
Preprocedure Application of Machine Learning and Mechanistic Simulations Predicts Likelihood of Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation Recurrence Following Pulmonary Vein Isolation.

Background: Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) is an effective treatment strategy for patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), but many experience AF recurrence and require repeat ablation procedures. T...
Modeling the impact of school reopening on SARS-CoV-2 transmission using contact structure data from Shanghai.

Mathematical modeling studies have suggested that pre-emptive school closures alone have little overall impact on SARS-CoV-2 transmission, but reopening schools in the background of community contact reduction presents a unique scenario that has not been fully assessed. We adapted a previously published model using contact information from Shanghai to model school reopening under various conditions. We investigated different strategies by combining the contact patterns observed between different age groups during both baseline and “lockdown” periods. We also tested the robustness of our strategy to the assumption of lower susceptibility to infection in children under age 15 years. We find that reopening schools for all children would maintain a post-intervention R0 < 1 up to a baseline R0 of approximately 3.3 provided that daily contacts among children 10–19 years are reduced to 33% of baseline. This finding was robust to various estimates of susceptibility to infection in children relative to adults (up to 50%) and to estimates of various levels of concomitant reopening in the rest of the community (up to 40%). However, full school reopening without any degree of contact reduction in the school setting returned R0 virtually back to baseline, highlighting the importance of mitigation measures. These results, based on contact structure data from Shanghai, suggest that schools can reopen with proper precautions during conditions of extreme contact reduction and during conditions of reasonable levels of reopening in the rest of the community.
Sustaining Competitive Advantage Through Good Governance and Fiscal Controls: Risk Determinants in Internal Controls

This study conducts a comprehensive review of the literature published during 1989-2020 to identify the factors that can cause internal control weakness. This review is organized around five main groups, namely: 1) rapid growth and restructuring, 2) financial reporting complexity, 3) auditor tenure, 4) cultural differences, and 5) corporate governance. We perform an integrated literature review approach. Among the several factors found, some factors (the proportion of managerial ownership, Individualism, power distance, financial reporting complexity, rapid growth, and auditor-customer geographic distance) have a positive relationship with internal control weakness while others (the quality of the board of directors and auditing committees, directors’ compensation, and uncertainty avoidance) have a negative relationship. The findings contribute to future research by examining the factors that can cause internal control weakness from different perspectives, which will prove to be useful for investors, auditors, audit committee members, managers, and other stakeholders regarding the prevention of internal controls weaknesses through the application of solid internal controls as well as a path towards the improvement of existing problems of internal control weakness.
Impact of Skid Resistance on Dry and Wet Weather Crashes

AbstractThe safety of a pavement surface can be characterized by properties such as skid resistance and texture. All pavement surfaces should be constructed and maintained such that they meet the f...
Recognizing Discrimination: Lessons from White Plaintiffs

The Supreme Court has developed a robust Equal Protection jurisprudence to recognize the rights of whites complaining of race conscious governmental activity. This was particularly reflected in the Court’s opinion in Parents Involved, where the Roberts Court radically re-positioned the meaning of Brown v. Board of Education. While many have lamented this use of Brown, we have missed the promise of the Roberts Court’s “process-only discrimination” for minority plaintiffs. This Article argues that the Roberts Court has adopted a version of colorblind jurisprudence so unconditional and absolute that it unintentionally, but unmistakably, offers great promise to non-white plaintiffs. By making unlawful any different treatment of an individual by race, whether it has substantive consequences or not, the Roberts Court has expanded what is actionable under the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, even for minority plaintiffs.
Reflective mirror-based line-scan adaptive optics OCT for imaging retinal structure and function.

Line-scan OCT incorporated with adaptive optics (AO) offers high resolution, speed, and sensitivity for imaging retinal structure and function in vivo. Here, we introduce its implementation with reflective mirror-based afocal telescopes, optimized for imaging light-induced retinal activity (optoretinography) and weak retinal reflections at the cellular scale. A non-planar optical design was followed based on previous recommendations with key differences specific to a line-scan geometry. The three beam paths fundamental to an OCT system –illumination/sample, detection, and reference– were modeled in Zemax optical design software to yield theoretically diffraction-limited performance over a 2.2 deg. field-of-view and 1.5 D vergence range at the eye’s pupil. The performance for imaging retinal structure was exemplified by cellular-scale visualization of retinal ganglion cells, macrophages, foveal cones, and rods in human observers. The performance for functional imaging was exemplified by resolving the light-evoked optical changes in foveal cone photoreceptors where the spatial resolution was sufficient for cone spectral classification at an eccentricity 0.3 deg. from the foveal center. This enabled the first in vivo demonstration of reduced S-cone (short-wavelength cone) density in the human foveola, thus far observed only in ex vivo histological preparations. Together, the feasibility for high resolution imaging of retinal structure and function demonstrated here holds significant potential for basic science and translational applications.
The Quantum Chemistry of Loosely-Bound Electrons

By some measure, the title of this chapter could have been “The quantum chemistry of weakly-bound anions,” because much of it will focus on how to describe the weak binding of an “extra” electron to a stable, neutral molecule using electronic structure theory. Electron binding energies in such cases may be quite small, typically less than the largest atomic electron affinities (EAs)1 (3.4 eV for F and 3.6 eV for Cl), and even less than 0.1 eV in some cases. Unlike the case where a neutral molecule, M, is ionized, an electron separated from the anion M− does not experience an attractive −1∕r potential at large separations,2,3 but rather only charge–dipole and or higher order charge–multipole interactions. Cases where the electron affinity of M is ≲ 0.5 eV are the signature of a short-range valence potential that is weakly attractive at best, such that electron binding in M− results primarily from long-range electron–molecule, charge–multipole interactions. In such cases, one expects to find an unpaired electron in M− that is radially diffuse, much more so than in F− or Cl−, for example. It is in this sense that the odd electron in M− is “loosely-bound.” Moreover, the preceding discussion assumes that M− is bound at all, but in fact we will also consider cases in which the electron
Securing distributed systems with information flow control

Recent operating systems [12, 21, 26] have shown that decentralized information flow control (DIFC) can secure applications built from mostly untrusted code. This paper extends DIFC to the network. We present DStar, a system that enforces the security requirements of mutually distrustful components through cryptography on the network and local OS protection mechanisms on each host. DStar does not require any fully-trusted processes or machines, and is carefully constructed to avoid covert channels inherent in its interface. We use DStar to build a three-tiered web server that mitigates the effects of untrustworthy applications and compromised machines.
Hepatic Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 3-phosphatase is compartmentalized inside endoplasmic reticulum.

In pursuit of the physiological role of inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate 3-phosphatase, which also attacks inositol pentakisphosphate and inositol hexakisphosphate with much higher affinity (Nogimori, K., Hughes, P.J., Glennon, M.C., Hodgson, M.E., Putney, J.W., Jr., and Shears, S.B. (1991) J. Biol. Chem. 266, 16499-16506), we have studied the subcellular distribution of the enzyme in liver. Initially, we had to overcome the problem that potent endogenous inhibitor(s) compromise the detection of this enzyme in vitro (Hodgson, M.E., and Shears, S.B. (1990) Biochem. J. 267, 831-834). We partially purified these inhibitor(s) by anion-exchange chromatography and gel filtration; inhibitory activity co-eluted with standard inositol hexakisphosphate and was depleted by treatment with phytase. Thus, subcellular fractions were pretreated with phytase before assay of 3-phosphatase activity. Our experiments revealed that the hepatic 3-phosphatase was nearly exclusively restricted to the endoplasmic reticulum, and there was little or no activity in either the cytosol, plasma membranes, mitochondria, or nuclei. Detergent treatment of microsomes indicated that there was 93 +/- 2% latency to mannose-6-phosphatase, an intraorganelle enzyme activity (Vanstapel, F., Pua, K., and Blanckaert, N. (1986) Eur. J. Biochem. 156, 73-77). Similar latencies were found for the hydrolysis of inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate (95 +/- 1%), inositol 1,3,4,5,6-pentakisphosphate (94 +/- 1%), and inositol hexakisphosphate (93 +/- 2%). Treatment of microsomes with either sodium carbonate or phosphatidylcholine-specific phospholipase C, to release luminal contents, led to solubilization of approximately 90% of 3-phosphatase activity. Thus, hepatic 3-phosphatase has a highly restricted access to inositol polyphosphates in vivo that needs to be accounted for in the determination of the physiological role of this enzyme.
Association Between Parenthood and Problem Behavior in a National Sample of Adolescents

The association between problem behaviors and parental status was studied in a national sample of urban (n = 1263) and rural (n = 388) young women 15 to 17 years of age. When assessed according to age at childbearing, there was a clear association between problem behavior and the birth of a first child prior to age 19 years. The three parental status groups studied appeared ordered in risk, with school-aged mothers having engaged in the most problem behaviors, and followed, in turn, by young adult mothers (ie, those who had a child between 19 and 21 years of age), and then by women who had not had a child by age 21 years. Young urban women who engaged in three or more problem behaviors were more likely than women who claimed no involvement in problem behaviors to subsequently have a child prior to age 19 years. In addition, black adolescents reported fewer problem behaviors than did white adolescents. When individual behaviors were analyzed, school-aged mothers were more likely than either young adult mothers or nonmothers to have reported school suspension, truancy, runaway, smoking marijuana, and fighting. Although similar results were found in both samples, the effects appeared more consistent for young urban women. In future studies, researchers must determine whether adolescent mothers are at risk for parenting difficulties because of their previous involvement in problem behaviors.
Navigating the Rural Terrain: Educators' Visions to Promote Change.

Advocates of rural education emphasize the need to examine supports which may promote rural educators given the challenging contexts of which they face. Teacher visioning has been conceptualized as a navigational tool to help sustain and promote teachers given high-challenging contexts. The current study explored 10 public school teachers from rural areas in the Pacific Northwest, and their visions and challenges to practicing their visions in their respective school environments. Findings suggest that visions were described in three domains: visions of students, visions of self as teacher, and visions of school. Teachers expressed visions of self as 'change agents,' and often expressed a sense of responsibility and vulnerability as they worked to weave knowledge of effective pedagogy, teacher leadership principles, and self-reflection to implement change in their individual schools.
Metabolism of carotenoid pigments in birds.

Carotenoid pigments are an important component in the plumage of birds. The metabolic precursors are dietary in origin but many species have the capacity to chemically modify and selectively deposit the pigments. The ensuing plumage patterns are important in communication and identification. The bright yellows, oranges, and reds are due mostly to xanthophylls; keto and hydroxy carotenes. Some are deposited unmodified (e.g., lutein) whereas others are modified chemically (canthaxanthin, astaxanthin). Early workers concentrated on demonstrating that feather carotenoids were derived from the diet and deposited selectively. Progress in defining and solving biological problems depended on advances in chemical and analytical techniques. Subsequent investigation showed that various plumage colormorphs, seasonal plumage changes or colors in common mutant, were due to relatively simple chemical changes in carotenoids but had profound biological consequences. Equally important was the realization that many of these processes were under genetic control. Validation came from feeding studies of flamingos and finches. Recent studies have employed the plumage carotenoids to test hypotheses of genetic divergence, to relate plumage color to environmental process, and to demonstrate the influence of synthetic changes on color. Understanding the processes has advanced with the introduction of high-resolution separation techniques and the ability to determine both conformation and absolute configuration. The next steps will be in the direction of understanding the enzymatic modification, transport, and tissue selectivity of feather carotenoids.
Treatment of Alcohol-Dependent Outpatients With Acamprosate: A Clinical Review

Acamprosate (calcium acetyl-homotaurine) is a synthetic compound whose chemical structure resembles that of homotaurine, a naturally occurring amino acid. Acamprosate acts centrally and appears to restore the normal activity of glutaminergic neurons, which become hyperexcited as a result of chronic alcohol exposure. Although not yet approved for use in the United States, acamprosate has been available by prescription in France since 1989 and is now available in many other countries throughout the world. This article reviews data from all published double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials of acamprosate among alcohol-dependent outpatients. Overall, patients treated with acamprosate exhibited a significantly greater rate of treatment completion, time to first drink, abstinence rate, and/or cumulative abstinence duration than patients treated with placebo. The drug's reliable effect on prolonging abstinence, in conjunction with an excellent safety profile, suggests that acamprosate may be useful for a broad range of patients with alcohol dependence.
The LabelHash algorithm for substructure matching

There is an increasing number of proteins with known structure but unknown function. Determining their function would have a significant impact on understanding diseases and designing new therapeutics. However, experimental protein function determination is expensive and very time-consuming. Computational methods can facilitate function determination by identifying proteins that have high structural and chemical similarity. We present LabelHash, a novel algorithm for matching substructural motifs to large collections of protein structures. The algorithm consists of two phases. In the first phase the proteins are preprocessed in a fashion that allows for instant lookup of partial matches to any motif. In the second phase, partial matches for a given motif are expanded to complete matches. The general applicability of the algorithm is demonstrated with three different case studies. First, we show that we can accurately identify members of the enolase superfamily with a single motif. Next, we demonstrate how LabelHash can complement SOIPPA, an algorithm for motif identification and pairwise substructure alignment. Finally, a large collection of Catalytic Site Atlas motifs is used to benchmark the performance of the algorithm. LabelHash runs very efficiently in parallel; matching a motif against all proteins in the 95% sequence identity filtered non-redundant Protein Data Bank typically takes no more than a few minutes. The LabelHash algorithm is available through a web server and as a suite of standalone programs at http://labelhash.kavrakilab.org . The output of the LabelHash algorithm can be further analyzed with Chimera through a plugin that we developed for this purpose. LabelHash is an efficient, versatile algorithm for large-scale substructure matching. When LabelHash is running in parallel, motifs can typically be matched against the entire PDB on the order of minutes. The algorithm is able to identify functional homologs beyond the twilight zone of sequence identity and even beyond fold similarity. The three case studies presented in this paper illustrate the versatility of the algorithm.
Industrialization and wage inequality in nineteenth-century urban America

What happened to wage inequality during American industrialization? The paper uses old and new data to address this question. The old data are in the form of pay ratios, while the new capture changes in the overall wage distribution, rather than in just the relative pay of workers at the top and bottom. Using payroll information from the Aldrich report for establishments in construction, railroads and manufacturing, we calculate Theil indices for all production workers. These two data sets provide complementary information but suggest a common conclusion – namely that American wage inequality did not rise perceptibly over the nineteenth century. {Copyright 2000 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved}.
Duality theory for thermodynamic bottlenecks in bioreaction pathways

Abstract The thermodynamic evaluation of reaction feasibility, based on the standard Gibbs energies of reaction, faces difficulties when, instead of isolated reactions, we are examining whole pathways. For pathways, we seek not only to decide whether they are feasible but also to pinpoint the pathway segment that causes thermodynamic difficulties. The obstructing pathway-segment may either be a single reaction (localized bottleneck) or a sequence of reactions (distributed bottleneck) which cannot take place simultaneously. We present a duality theory that converts the primal problem of selecting concentrations of species to make a pathway feasible to its dual problem of selecting linear combinations of reactions that make the pathway infeasible . The dual problem leads to an algorithm that can determine the thermodynamic feasibility of any chemical reaction system. The method involves the analysis of individual reactions and the selective construction of larger subpathways; it uncovers localized and distributed thermodynamic bottlenecks of a pathway. The method is applicable to reaction systems of any origin or topology, provided that concentrations of species are restricted to positive intervals.
Ultrastructural evaluation of multiple pass low energy versus single pass high energy radio-frequency treatment.

Background and Objective The radio-frequency (RF) device is a system capable of volumetric heating of the mid to deep dermis and selective heating of the fibrous septa strands and fascia layer. Clinically, these effects promote dermal collagen production, and tightening of these deep subcutaneous structures. A new technique of using multiple low energy passes has been described which results in lower patient discomfort and fewer side effects. This technique has also been anecdotally described as giving more reproducible and reliable clinical results of tissue tightening and contouring. This study will compare ultrastructural changes in collagen between a single pass high energy versus up to five passes of a multiple pass lower energy treatment. Study Design/Materials and Methods Three subjects were consented and treated in the preauricular region with the RF device using single or multiple passes (three or five) in the same 1.5 cm2 treatment area with a slight delay between passes to allow tissue cooling. Biopsies from each treatment region and a control biopsy were taken immediately, 24 hours or 6 months post treatment for electron microscopic examination of the 0–1 mm and 1–2 mm levels. Sections of tissue 1 mm×1 mm×80 nm were examined with an RCA EMU-4 Transmission Electron Microscope. Twenty sections from 6 blocks from each 1 mm depth were examined by 2 blinded observers. The morphology and degree of collagen change in relation to area examined was compared to the control tissue, and estimated using a quantitative scale. Results Ultrastructural examination of tissue showed that an increased amount of collagen fibril changes with increasing passes at energies of 97 J (three passes) and 122 J (five passes), respectively. The changes seen after five multiple passes were similar to those detected after much more painful single pass high-energy treatments. Conclusions This ultrastructural study shows changes in collagen fibril morphology with an increased effect demonstrated at greater depths of the skin with multiple low-fluence passes and at lesser depths with single pass higher fluence settings. Findings suggest that similar collagen fibril alteration can occur with multiple pass low-energy treatments and single pulse high-energy treatments. The lower fluence multiple pass approach is associated with less patient discomfort, less side effects, and more consistent clinical results. Lasers Surg. Med. 38:150–154, 2006. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Collapse of the random-phase approximation: Examples and counter-examples from the shell model

The Hartree-Fock approximation to the many-fermion problem can break exact symmetries, and in some cases by changing a parameter in the interaction one can drive the Hartree-Fock minimum from a symmetry-breaking state to a symmetry-conserving state (also referred to as a ``phase transition'' in the literature). The order of the transition is important when one applies the random-phase approximation (RPA) to the of the Hartree-Fock wave function: if first order, RPA is stable through the transition, but if second-order, then the RPA amplitudes become large and lead to unphysical results. The latter is known as ``collapse'' of the RPA. While the difference between first- and second-order transitions in the RPA was first pointed out by Thouless, we present for the first time nontrivial examples of both first- and second-order transitions in a uniform model, the interacting shell-model, where we can compare to exact numerical results.
Selective transport of animal parts by ancient hunters : A new statistical method and an application to the Emeryville Shellmound fauna

When deciding which parts of a prey animal to transport home, hunters may be more or less selective. In our vocabulary, unselective hunters are those who usually bring home most of the carcass; selective hunters are those who usually abandon all but the choicest (and/or lightest) parts. This paper uses the abcml statistical method to develop a means of estimating transport selectivity from the frequencies of skeletal parts in a faunal assemblage. It then applies the method to artiodactyl data from the Emeryville Shellmound in order to test the local depression and distant patch use hypothesis. This hypothesis predicts that selectivity should decline during the early part of the Emeryville sequence and rise during the later part. The initial analysis did reveal such a pattern, but this pattern disappeared when samples were pooled in order to produce acceptably narrow confidence intervals. Although this result weakens the hypothesis, it does not firmly refute it, because the model fits the data imperfectly in the critical middle portion of the sequence. Abcml also provides estimates of the intensity of attrition, which indicate that attrition was most severe in early strata and least severe in later ones. Substantial attrition (50% of bones surviving) is indicated even from samples that show no indication of attrition using conventional methods. These conclusions are based on assumptions about the processes of transport and attrition that are more reliable in qualitative outline than in quantitative detail. Consequently, the paper's qualitative conclusions are more trustworthy than its quantitative estimates.
A Meta-Analysis of Performance under Thermal Stress

The goal of this work was to perform a quantitative review of temperature effects on human performance, with the aim of advancing both theory and practice. Meta-analytic methods were applied to the available literature on thermal stress and performance. Two-hundred-ninety-one references were collected resulting in forty-nine publications that met selection criteria. These studies provided 528 effect sizes. Analyses revealed an overall detrimental effect of temperature on performance. Effect-size for heat was comparable to that for cold temperatures. Temperature effects were task dependent, that is cognitive performance was least affected by thermal stress, while both psychomotor and perceptual task performance were degraded to a greater degree. Other moderating variables were identified and observed to influence the effect of thermal stress. Although the results clearly indicate more empirical research is necessary to achieve more accurate estimates, the current study provides initial effect-size estimate...
Investigation of gas particle flow in an erosion wind tunnel

Abstract Trajectories of small particles approaching the test specimen in an erosion tunnel are analytically determined. The two-dimensional equations of motion are solved for a spherical particle under the sole influence of aerodynamic drag. The two-dimensional gradients of gas properties in the flow field are determined by a numerical solution of the equations describing a compressible inviscid fluid. At one inlet condition, the trajectories are computed for coal ash particles of various sizes approaching test specimens at several orientations. Trends are identified in the approaching characteristics that may be related to the observed erosion. The results indicate that, for ash particles with diameters less than 10 μm, significant numbers are deflected away from the specimen. These particles would otherwise impact with the specimen if they had more inertia to resist the turning effect of the flow field. Ash particles with diameters less than 30 μm which do impact with the specimen do so over a wide range of incident angles quite different from the angle between the specimen surface and the tunnel axis and at lower velocities than those at the test section inlet. The importance of fluid mechanics in erosion studies is presented in this paper.
Polythiol-functionalized alumina membranes for mercury capture

Various materials (particles, resins, etc.) for Hg 2+ sorption from aqueous streams have been reported in literature. Conventional sorbents are relatively inefficient because only a fraction of the immobilized ligands are accessible for metal complexation. Thus, our approach was to use open structures (0.2 m pore size alumina microfiltration membranes), immobilized with various ligands containing single or multiple thiol functional groups. Alumina has good chemical and thermal stability and abundant surface hydroxyl groups, necessary for chemical modification. Convective flow was used for all functionalization steps and Hg 2+ sorption studies. Only 3-mercaptopropyl trimethoxy silane has been immobilized by direct silylation; the other ligands (cystine, cysteine, polycysteine, polyglutamic acid) required intermediate steps. Thus, via silylation with 3-glycidoxypropyl trimethoxy silane the membrane surface was functionalized with epoxy groups, which then reacted with the terminal amine group of each of the 4 ligands mentioned previously. In the case of polyglutamic acid, the carboxylic acid groups were activated with dihexylcarbodiimide and further reacted with cysteine, making it possible to synthesize a polythiol containing 240 repeat units. Hg 2+ sorption studies on single thiol-functionalized membranes were used to analyze the interaction between Hg 2+ and various functional groups. In addition, it was determined that Hg 2+ bound to weak sites (disulfide, carboxylic acid) can be quantitatively removed by washing the membrane with water at pH = 3, making it possible to quantify the amount bound to the active sites (thiol). Polythiol-functionalized membranes showed high sorption capacities, high site accessibility, and fast sorption rates. © 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Copper retention in intestinal mucosal cells of young men at normal and high copper intakes

The role of intestinal cells in copper homeostasis and storage has not been studied. Homeostasis is regulated by absorption, excretion, and storage. Copper is excreted via the bile, and it has been assumed that the increased excretion into the gastrointestinal tract when diets are high in copper was due to biliary copper. It seemed possible that some of the absorbed copper is sequestered in the intestinal cells. To test this hypothesis we measured the copper content of mucosal epithelial cells isolated from stool samples of 8 young men when consuming their usual diets and after 129 days of supplementation with 7 mg/day copper. The mean copper content of the cells, expressed as mg copper per gram of cell protein, was 0.78 versus 1.65 mg/g (SEM 0.19) (P < 0.02) when the usual and copper-supplemented diets, respectively, were consumed. In contrast to the copper content of plasma and urine, copper in intestinal cells increased significantly when intake was high. It is likely that copper was sequestered by these cells following absorption and did not get into systemic circulation. Thus, the amount of endogenous copper in stools is probably a combination of biliary copper excretion and copper sequestered in exfoliated intestinal epithelial cells. This suggests that retention of copper by the intestinal cells increases when dietary copper is high and plays a role in copper homeostasis. J. Trace Elem. Exp. Med. 16:105–108, 2003. Published 2003 Wiley–Liss, Inc.
Effect of Water Vapor on the Operation and Stability of Tris(2,2‘-bipyridine)ruthenium(II)-Based Light-Emitting Electrochemical Cells

Light-emitting electrochemical cells (LECs) based on Ru(bpy)3(ClO4)2 are thin-film solid-state devices that typically operate at low applied voltages and show relatively high efficiencies. They suffer, however, from poor operating lifetimes. A proposed source of lifetime degradation is water in the film. Previous studies have revealed a marked difference in operation performance between cells fabricated and tested inside a drybox and those made and tested under ambient conditions. This study further characterized the effect of water vapor on device operation. The role of water as solvent within the thin-film devices was found to increase the current and the initial light output, but at the expense of more rapid decay in light generation.
ProSem: scalable wide-area publish/subscribe

We demonstrate ProSem, a scalable wide-area publish/subscribe system that supports complex, stateful subscriptions as well as simple ones. One unique feature of ProSem is its cost-based joint optimization of both subscription processing and notification dissemination. ProSem uses novel reformulation techniques to expose new alternatives for processing and disseminating data using standard stateless content-driven network components.
Morphologic observations in a case of lethal variant (type I) metatropic dysplasia with atypical features: morphology of lethal metatropic dysplasia.

Metatropic dysplasia accounts for approximately 5\% of cases recorded by the International Skeletal Dysplasia Registry, with a single recorded lethal case. Four forms of the disease are currently recognized: type I, lethal autosomal recessive form; type II, nonlethal autosomal recessive form with survival to childhood; type III, autosomal dominant form with typical features, and type IV, a mild form with uncertain inheritance. The literature contains few well-documented reports of the histopathologic findings in metatropic dysplasia. In this report, we present the radiologic and histopathologic features in a case of type I metatropic dysplasia, with the unusual features of a persistent tail, unique lung dysmorphology, and thyroidal agenesis.
Vitamin D in patients with renal failure: A summary of observational mortality studies and steps moving forward

Although approximately half of patients undergoing hemodialysis receive activated forms of Vitamin D, the primary reason to initiate this therapy has rested solely on the management of secondary hyperparathyroidism. Secondary hyperparathyroidism is likely one of several consequences of Vitamin D deficiency, and only now have other consequences of Vitamin D deficiency emerged. Although previously viewed as a contributor to hypercalcemia and hyperphosphatemia, recent studies suggest Vitamin D may improve cardiovascular structure and function, improve vascular compliance, and reduce pro-inflammatory cytokines, all of which may contribute to the improved survival observed in retrospective studies examining the outcome of patients treated with activated Vitamin D compared to those who were not. The current review examines two recent large-scale studies of hemodialysis patients: one that demonstrated a survival advantage of paricalcitol over calcitriol, and a second that demonstrated a significant survival advantage of any intravenous Vitamin D formulation versus none. In both studies, the findings were independent of mineral and parathyroid hormone levels, suggesting "non-traditional" actions of Vitamin D contributed to the observed survival advantage. Potential steps moving forward in light of these observational studies are subsequently discussed.
Fluorescence Spectroscopy of Neoplastic and Non-Neoplastic Tissues

Fast and non-invasive, diagnostic techniques based on fluorescence spectroscopy have the potential to link the biochemical and morphologic properties of tissues to individual patient care. One of the most widely explored applications of fluorescence spectroscopy is the detection of endoscopically invisible, early neoplastic growth in epithelial tissue sites. Currently, there are no effective diagnostic techniques for these early tissue transformations. If fluorescence spectroscopy can be applied successfully as a diagnostic technique in this clinical context, it may increase the potential for curative treatment, and thus, reduce complications and health care costs. Steady-state, fluorescence measurements from small tissue regions as well as relatively large tissue fields have been performed. To a much lesser extent, time-resolved, fluorescence measurements have also been explored for tissue characterization. Furthermore, sources of both intrinsic (endogenous fluorophores) and extrinsic fluorescence (exogenous fluorophores) have been considered. The goal of the current report is to provide a comprehensive review on steady-state and time-resolved, fluorescence measurements of neoplastic and non-neoplastic, biologic systems of varying degrees of complexity. First, the principles and methodology of fluorescence spectroscopy are discussed. Next, the endogenous fluorescence properties of cells, frozen tissue sections and excised and intact bulk tissues are presented; fluorescence measurements from both animal and human tissue models are discussed. This is concluded with future perspectives.
Cognitive and Neurologic Predictors of Functional Impairment in Vascular Dementia

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study is to investigate associations between executive dysfunction, neuroimaging findings, and functional impairment in patients with vascular dementia (VaD). METHODS Twenty-nine VaD patients completed the Dementia Rating Scale and underwent MRI scanning to generate quantitative ratings of subcortical hyperintensities (SH) and cortical volume. Patients' caregivers completed items from the Lawton and Brody Activities of Daily Living Questionnaire, designed to measure instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs). The authors hypothesized that performance on the Initiation/Perseveration (IP) subscale, a measure of executive abilities, and SH would significantly predict levels of IADLs. RESULTS A hierarchical multiple-regression analysis revealed that IP and SH accounted for 42% of the variance in IADLs; IP alone accounted for 28%, and SH accounted for 14% beyond the contribution made by IP. CONCLUSION Findings indicate that specific cognitive and neuropathological factors are associated with functional impairment in VaD.
Forecasting hourly electricity prices using ARMAX–GARCH models: An application to MISO hubs

Abstract The recent deregulation of the electricity industry and reliance on competitive wholesale markets has generated significant volatility in wholesale electricity prices. Given the importance of short-term price forecasts in this new environment, this paper estimates and evaluates the forecasting performance of four ARMAX–GARCH models for five MISO pricing hubs (Cinergy, First Energy, Illinois, Michigan, and Minnesota) using hourly data from June 1, 2006 to October 6, 2007. Our empirical results reveal three important patterns: (a) electricity price volatility is regional and the optimum volatility model depends in part on the hub location, the forecast horizon, and regulated versus unregulated status of the market; (b) the APARCH model performs well in hubs in deregulated states; and (c) volatility dynamics in regulated states are better captured by a simple GARCH model and thus are less complex.
Heterotopic sternum transplant in rats: A new model of a vascularized bone marrow transplantation

We introduced the heterotopic vascularized sternum transplant as a more simple and pure alternative to allogeneic hind limb transplantation for the study of bone marrow transplantation. We report the clinical and histopathological manifestations after transplantation of syngeneic and allogeneic sternal grafts with and without immunossupression with FK-506. Syngeneic grafts maintained normal histology, whereas allografts showed rejection, which was prevented by FK-506. FK-506-treated allografts developed chimerism that was present throughout the observation period. Transplantation of the sternum may be a valuable model to study vascularized bone marrow transplantation and its effects on repopulation of bone marrow of the host, chimerism, and tolerance. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc. MICROSURGERY 19:330–334 1999
SPIN-TWO MASSLESS-PARTICLE RADIATION AS A GRAVITATIONAL EFFECT.

The theory for a spin-two massless-particle field interacting with sources is developed, in parallel with Maxwell's theory for photons interacting with charges. In the spin-two case there are two fields Eij and Bij which are symmetric traceless tensors of opposite parity. Whereas a Maxwell source must be a conserved current, the spin-two source is built up in a certain way from a conserved stress-energy-momentum tensor. Polarization effects of the radiation are much the same as for electromagnetic fields; there are plane polarized, circularly polarized, and intermediate cases possible. It is suggested that a nonrelativistic test object detects the radiation through the effect of the Eij field on the object's quadrupole and octupole moments.
A Further Assessment of Predictors of the Child's Behavior in Dental Treatment

The child's disruptiveness during dental treatment was related modestly to his age as well as his state, trait, and dental anxiety. In three samples comprising 132 experienced and 49 inexperienced pedodontic patients, the child's behavior during treatment could not be predicted from any aspect of maternal anxiety -- trait, state, or dental. Previous conceptions of maternal influence on the child's dental anxiety should be re-evaluated.