cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Solid state phase transitions characterized by ESR and XAS

Abstract Measurements of the relaxation time, τ of electron systems to a disturbance, by two different spectroscopic methods are examined in detail, with the purpose to establish how the presence of fluctuations near a solid state phase transition are made evident in insulators, conductors and superconductors. The absolute temperature and the relaxation time determine the thermodynamic stability of the electronic system near a phase transition by the Uncertainty Principle. At a given temperature T, Landau and Lifshitz obtain the stability from the lower limit of the uncertainty in entropy in units of the Boltzmann constant, ΔS/kB >3.82 K ps. Magnetic resonance can measure τ>>10−10 s, when v=9 GHz. X-ray spectroscopy can measure τ 5 keV. The results extract information about phenomena that occur at the phase transition by following the evolution of spectral features versus T and crystal orientation. Electron spin resonance identifies the phase transition by the evolution of doublet, triplet and antiferromagnetic resonance, and energy loss. Analysis of the X-ray absorption near an element edge determines one, the relative valence: V(Cu in chains)−V(Cu in planes) ≈1 in YBa2Cu3O7−δ, two, the appearance of allowed Cu K pre-edge quadrupole transitions at Tc, three, the enhancement of Ba L3,2 edge transitions by an order of magnitude, just above Tc, at a crystal orientation of the c-axis to the X-ray polarization vector of 8 π/18, and four, difference X-ray absorption spectra, relative to the transition temperature, identify the bonds as well as the atoms involved in the transition. The figure abstract shows the changes in electron density obtained by temperature difference X-ray absorption near the Y K-edge in YBa2Cu3O7−δ below Tc.
Age changes in verbal satiation

Age-changes in phenomenal loss of meaning produced by continued repetition of words were studied under two conditions: repetition accompanied by gesture (e.g., tapping while repeating the word TAP); repetition without accompanying gesture. Two hundred and twenty-eight Ss, ranging in age from 8 to 18, were tested. The maximal effect occurred in older Ss where accompaniment of verbal repetition by gesture differentially increased the time and number of responses prior ta loss of meaning.
Postoperative renal failure in thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repair with simple cross-clamp technique and 4°C renal perfusion.

Objective Acute renal failure (ARF) is reported in up to 12% of patients after thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm (TAAA) repair with assisted circulation. ARF increases mortality, reduces quality of life, and increases length of hospital stay. This study analyzes ARF after TAAA repair done without assisted circulation. Methods A retrospective analysis of all patients treated for TAAA from 2000 to 2013 was performed using a concurrently maintained, institutionally approved database. All surgeries used simple cross-clamp technique, with moderate systemic hypothermia (32°-33°C) and renal artery perfusion with 4°C solution. Serum creatinine concentration was measured preoperatively and 1 day, 3 days, 7 days, and 30 days after surgery, and Cockcroft-Gault estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was calculated. Kidney injury was classified by RIFLE (Risk, Injury, Failure, Loss of kidney function, End-stage renal disease) eGFR criteria. Changes in eGFR, kidney injury, ARF, dialysis, length of stay, mortality, and risk factors for ARF were analyzed with SAS-JMP software (SAS Institute, Cary, NC) for univariate analysis and multivariate modeling. Results From 2000 to 2013, 455 patients had TAAA surgery; 116 (25.5%) were acute. Mean preoperative eGFR was 62.3 mL/min. Mean renal ischemia time was 58.9 minutes. Eighteen patients (4%) had ARF; nine (2%) required temporary dialysis, and three (0.66%) required permanent dialysis. In univariate analysis, age, renal ischemia time, acuity, baseline eGFR, previous aortic surgery, surgical blood loss, and return to operating room for bleeding complications were significant for ARF ( P P = .0377), previous aortic surgery ( P = .0167), return to operating room ( P = .0213), and age ( P = .0478) were significant for ARF. Surgical blood loss ( P = .0056) and return to operating room ( P = .0024) were significant for postoperative dialysis in multivariate analysis. Only surgical blood loss was significant for permanent dialysis in a multivariate model ( P = .0331). Conclusions Very low ARF after TAAA repair can be achieved by simple cross-clamp technique with moderate systemic hypothermia and profound renal cooling. Age, preoperative eGFR, previous aortic surgery, return to operating room, and surgical blood loss were significant for ARF. Return to operating room for bleeding and surgical blood loss were significant for dialysis. Baseline eGFR
Improved Fourier terrain correction, Part II

Fourier methods for potential fields have always been developed with the simplification that the calculation surface is a level plane. The Fourier approach can be extended to deal with an uneven observation surface. I consider the case of terrain correction for gravity surveys, in which the attraction of a variable-thickness layer is calculated at points on its upper surface. The main idea is to use a power series in topographic height that is then converted into a series of convolutions. To avoid convergence problems, a cylindrical zone around the observer must be removed from the Fourier treatment and its contribution computed directly. The resultant algorithm is very fast: in an example based on a recent survey, the new method is shown to be more than 300 times faster than a calculation based on summing contributions from a column of material under each topographic grid point.
MHC Class II–Specific T Cells Can Develop in the CD8 Lineage When CD4 Is Absent

The generation of mature CD4 T cells from CD4+CD8+ precursor thymocytes usually requires corecognition of class II MHC by a TCR and CD4, while the production of mature CD8 T cells requires corecognition of class I MHC by a TCR and CD8. To assess the role of the CD4 coreceptor in development and lineage commitment, we generated CD4-deficient mice expressing a transgenic class II-specific TCR. Surprisingly, in the absence of CD4 a large number of T cells mature, but these cells appear in the CD8 lineage. Thus, when CD4 is present, the majority of immature T cells with this class II-specific TCR choose the CD4 lineage but develop in the CD8 pathway when CD4 is absent. The results indicate that even for TCRs that are not dependent on coreceptor for MHC recognition, the coreceptor can influence the lineage choice. These findings are considered in terms of a quantitative signaling model for CD4/CD8 lineage commitment.
An isoperimetric lemma

Abstract A continuous version of the following problem is solved: Let G be a multipartite graph with a given partition of its vertex set, A 1 ∪ A 2 ∪…∪ A N . Find the maximum possible number of edges in G such that G has no connected component with more than t vertices.
Molecular Systematics of the Calliphoridae (Diptera: Oestroidea): Evidence From One Mitochondrial and Three Nuclear Genes

Approximately 8% of calyptrate species diversity comes from the Calliphoridae, which includes flies of medical, veterinary, and forensic importance. The status of family Calliphoridae has for years been the central systematic problem of the superfamily Oestroidea, and phylogenetic relationships between the key groups of the Calliphoridae are unresolved and controversial. We reconstructed phylogenies of the Calliphoridae within the larger context of the other Oestroidea based on 5,189 bp of combined data from one mitochondrial (cytochrome oxidase subunit one) and three nuclear (carbamoylphosphate synthetase, elongation factor one alpha, and 28S ribosomal RNA) genes using maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian methods. Trees obtained from the different phylogenetic methods were almost identical. Calliphoridae is polyphyletic, with the phylogenetic position of Mesembrinellinae still uncertain but clearly outside the lineage that includes other Calliphoridae and some noncalliphorids, and Polleniinae is the sister group of the family Tachinidae. Strong support for a sister group relationship between Rhiniinae and traditional calliphorid subfamilies conflicts with a recent proposal to give Rhiniinae family status. All calliphorid subfamilies (except Calliphorinae) for which we had more than one species were monophyletic. Melanomyinae was nested within Calliphorinae. Toxotarsinae was more closely related to Calliphorinae rather than, as indicated by morphology, to Chrysomyinae. Efforts to resolve the relationships of the Oestroid families were largely inconclusive, although the monophyly of the superfamily was strongly supported.
Tailoring Morphologies in Polymeric High Internal Phase Emulsions by Selective Solvent Casting

A wide range of different morphologies have been obtained by solvent casting of mixtures of polystyrene (PS) and poly(2-vinylpyridine) homopolymers (PVP) with PS−PVP block copolymer. The curvature of the PS−PVP interface has been investigated as a function of polymer molecular weights, solvent quality, and blend composition. For blends with highly asymmetric composition at equilibrium, simulations based on self-consistent-field theory (SCF) predicted a curvature of the interface toward the minority phase. Casting PS/PVP blends from a common solvent for both PS and PVP resulted in morphologies that were in qualitative agreement with SCF simulations. These morphologies nucleated and grew from an initially fully homogeneous solution. Quite different morphologies resulted when mixtures of separate solutions of PS and PVP in selective solvents were cast, if PS−PVP of the appropriate asymmetry was added to either the PS or PVP solution. Polymeric high internal phase emulsions (polyHIPE) were formed in which the...
Reading and writing the neural code

In this Perspective, the author examines how reading and writing the neural code may be linked. He reviews evidence defining the nature of neural coding of sensory input and asks how these constraints, particularly precise timing, might be critical for approaches that seek to ‘write the neural code’ through the artificial control of microcircuits to activate downstream structures. It has been more than 20 years since Bialek and colleagues published a landmark paper asking a seemingly innocuous question: what can we extract about the outside world from the spiking activity of sensory neurons? Can we read the neural code? Although this seemingly simple question has helped us shed light on the neural code, we still do not understand the anatomical and neurophysiological constraints that enable these codes to propagate across synapses and form the basis for computations that we need to interact with our environment. The sensitivity of neuronal activity to the timing of synaptic inputs naturally suggests that synchrony determines the form of the neural code, and, in turn, regulation of synchrony is a critical element in 'writing' the neural code through the artificial control of microcircuits to activate downstream structures. In this way, reading and writing the neural code are inextricably linked.
Feedback Inquiry: The Effect of Source Attributes and Individual Differences

Abstract Sixty-four undergraduate students were presented with 32 scenarios and asked to indicate the likelihood that they would ask for feedback in each situation. Source expertise, accessibility, relationship quality, and reward power varied across the scenarios, and all four had significant effects. Except in the case of accessibility, there were systematic differences in effect sizes across participants. For expertise and relationship quality, these differences were related to need for achievement. For reward power, differences were related to performance expectations. The results demonstrate that there are distinct source attributes underlying feedback seekers′ preferences for certain sources over others and that the impact of these attributes varies as a function of performance and individual differences.
Thyroid hormone causes mitogen-activated protein kinase-dependent phosphorylation of the nuclear estrogen receptor

Activated by thyroid hormone, the MAPK (ERK1/2) signaling pathway causes serine phosphorylation by MAPK of several nucleoproteins, including the nuclear thyroid hormone receptor beta1. Because estrogen can activate MAPK and cause MAPK-dependent serine phosphorylation of nuclear estrogen receptor (ER)alpha, we studied whether thyroid hormone also promoted MAPK-mediated ERalpha phosphorylation. Human breast cancer (MCF-7) cells were incubated with physiological concentrations of l-T(4) or 17beta-estradiol (E(2)) for 15 min to 24 h, and nuclear ERalpha and serine-118-phosphorylated ERalpha were identified by Western blotting. Serine-118-phosphorylated ERalpha was recovered at 15 min in nuclei of MCF-7 cells exposed to either T(4) or E(2). The T(4) effect was apparent at 15 min and peaked at 2 h, whereas the E(2) effect was maximal at 4-6 h. T(4)-agarose was as effective as T(4) in causing phosphorylation of ERalpha. T(4) action on ERalpha was inhibited by PD 98059, an inhibitor of ERK1/2 phosphorylation, and by tetraiodothyroacetic acid, a T(4) analog that blocks cell surface-initiated actions of T(4) but is not itself an agonist. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay of nuclear extracts from T(4)-treated and E(2)-treated cells showed similar specific protein-DNA-binding. Indexed by [(3)H]thymidine incorporation and nuclear proliferating cell nuclear antigen, MCF-7 cell proliferation was stimulated by T(4) and T(4)-agarose to an extent comparable with the effect of E(2). This T(4) effect was blocked by either PD 98059 or ICI 182,780, an ER antagonist. Thus, T(4), like E(2), causes phosphorylation by MAPK of nuclear ERalpha at serine-118 in MCF-7 cells and promotes cell proliferation through the ER by a MAPK-dependent pathway.
Ultrasound‐guided tandem placement for low‐dose‐rate brachytherapy in advanced cervical cancer minimizes risk of intraoperative uterine perforation

Objectives Tandem placement as part of low-dose-rate (LDR) brachytherapy boost for cervical cancer may be complicated by uterine perforation. The objective of this study was to describe a 10-year experience of using intraoperative ultrasound guidance in an attempt to minimize the risk of uterine perforation. Methods Operative and inpatient records were reviewed to identify cases in which intraoperative ultrasound guidance was employed in order to assist tandem placement, and to determine whether clinical or radiographic findings subsequently suggested uterine perforation. Demographic factors were collected in order to determine the baseline risk of perforation within this population. Results Between 1998 and 2008, 71 patients underwent 110 ultrasound-guided placements of tandem applicators. The median age was 48 (range, 26–88) years, and 20% were older than 60 years. Disease stage was FIGO IB1 (n = 10), IB2 (n = 13), IIA (n = 4), IIB (n = 19), IIIA (n = 2), IIIB (n = 16), IVA (n = 5) and IVB (n = 2). The median gravidity was 3 (range 1–10) and median parity was 3 (range 0–10). Seven patients had a preimplant history of pelvic infection, four had a history of intrauterine contraceptive device use, and 10 had a prior history of Cesarean section delivery. Only one patient experienced infection that may have been attributable to tandem placement-associated uterine perforation. At median survivor follow-up of 34 months, 19 patients had died. The estimated 3-year disease-free and overall survival rates for the entire population were 60% and 66%, respectively. Conclusions Within the present population, intraoperative ultrasound guidance of tandem placement was associated with no confirmed cases of uterine perforation. Copyright © 2011 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Relation between weather and survival of wild turkey nests

Recruitment can lie highly variable within eastern wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris) populations and appears primarily associated with annual fluctuations in nest survival. Identification of the causes of variation in nest survival could lead to the development of new indices to productivity. We used logistic regression to examine relations between 14 weather variables and daily survival of wild turkey nests (n = 3,332 nest-days from 206 nests) in southcentral New York from 1 May to 9 June 1990-93. Daily nest survival was associated negatively with cumulative departure from normal seasonal rainfall (P = 0.003) and daily precipitation (P = 0.07) and was associated positively with heating degree-days (P = 0.01). Although estimates of daily nest survival predicted by the logistic regression model were not correlated highly with observed estimates (r = 0.31), a strong positive correlation was observed between predicted and observed probabilities of 20-day nest survival (r = 0.93).
In vivo imaging of the interior of Tradescantia zebrina leaves by optical cross-correlation interferometry

Using optical correlation interferometry, a novel method for plant sciences, we in imaged in vivo the z-direction, perpendicular to the leaf surface, through Tradescantia zebrina leaves. Non-invasively we determined number of major cell layers, followed the time sequence of decrease in cell z-axis after exposure of tissues to high salt, and observed disruption of cells caused by freezing and thawing.
Conductivity of Mono- and Divalent Cations in the Microporous Zincosilicate VPI-9

Impedance spectroscopy is used to investigate the long-range ionic conductivity of the microporous, zincosilicate VPI-9 (Si/Zn = 4.0) (International Zeolite Association framework type VNI) containing the alkali cations Li^+, Na^+, K^+, Rb^+, and Cs^+, and the alkaline earth cations Mg^(2+), Ca^(2+), and Sr^(2+). Monovalent cation-exchanged samples Li- and Na-VPI-9 lose X-ray crystallinity upon vacuum dehydration at 450 °C, whereas K-, Rb-, and Cs-VPI-9 remain crystalline and exhibit conductivities of 1.7 × 10^(−4), 3.5 × 10^(−4), and 4.9 × 10^(−4) S/cm, respectively, at 450 °C and activation energies of 0.72, 0.64, and 0.69 eV, respectively, in the temperature range 150−450 °C. Divalent cation-exchanged sample Mg-VPI-9 also loses X-ray crystallinity, but Ca- and Sr-VPI-9 remain crystalline and exhibit conductivities of 2.3 × 10^(−6) S/cm and 7.7 × 10^(−7) S/cm, respectively, at 450 °C, and activation energies of 0.88 and 0.91 eV, respectively, over the temperature range 150−450 °C. When compared to aluminosilicate zeolite X (Si/Al = 1.25) exchanged with the same cations, all crystalline M-VPI-9 materials have greater conductivities than M-X, with the exception of K-X (1.6 × 10^(−3) S/cm at 450 °C), with the greatest differences arising between the divalent exchanged materials. Dense, crystalline zincosilicate samples with the compositions K_2ZnSi_xO_(2(x+1)) (x = 2−5), Rb_2ZnSi_5O_(12), and Cs_2ZnSi_5O_(12) are also prepared and characterized for comparison with the microporous materials and exhibit much lower conductivities than their microporous counterparts at the same composition.
Autoimmunity and the acquired immune deficiency syndrome.

The acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a consequence of Infection with the human imrnunodeficiency virus (HIV). Patients diagnosed with AIDS exhibit qualitative and quantitative defects in CD4+T lymphocytes, causing impaired cell-mediated immunity and subsequent opportunistic infections (reviewed in [1,2 ] >. Despite the clear-cut immunodeficiency that characterizes the late stage of HIV infection (i.e. AIDS), HIV seropositive (HIV+) individuals frequently exhibit evidence of immunostimulation and, in some instances, autoimmune phenomena.
Dry Matter Intake in Dairy Heifers. 1. Factors Affecting Intake of Heifers under Intensive Management

Abstract Effects of body weight, body weight gain, ration acid detergent fiber, neutral detergent fiber, bulk density, and ambient temperature on intake of dry matter and digestible energy were examined using 118 Holstein heifers weighing 100 to 400kg. Animals grouped according to body weight (100, 200, 300kg) were fed total mixed rations (corn silage, ground hay, high moisture corn, soybean meal) once daily for 28 d. Rations were balanced to mean body weight according to National Research Council recommendations for protein, vitamins, and minerals and to 85, 95, 105, and 115% of recommended total digestible nutrients. Second order polynomial regression of ration fiber content and density explained 20 and 21% of variation in dry matter intake and 46 and 45% of digestible energy intake. Dry matter intake increased linearly with increasing body weight and gain. Dry matter intake correlated −.42, −.42, and .39 with acid detergent fiber, neutral detergent fiber, and bulk density when neutral detergent fiber was greater than 42% of dry matter and .03, −.03, and −.02 when less than 42%. Predictions of dry matter intake should include body weight, gain, and polynomial terms of ration fiber or ration energy to account for changing metabolic systems controlling intake.
The Effect of Sex of Participants on Decision Making in Small Teacher Groups

In order to examine the effect of sex of participants on the decision making in small groups, 240 experienced public high school teachers were separated into groups of four, with two males and two females in each group. Half of the teacher groups worked on the same school faculties, while the others were unacquainted with each other. Half of the groups in each setting completed an educationally-related ranking task, while the other half completed a noneducationally-related ranking task. While no significant differences were found between the number of initial suggestions made by males and females which the group accepted, males made significantly more accepted final arguments for items on the ranking tasks than did females (p < .01). No significant differences were found between groups according to the type of task (educational or noneducational) completed, or familiarity of subjects (same or different school faculties). Results were interpreted in terms of traditional roles and modeling for males and fem...
The role of platelet adhesion receptor GPIbα far exceeds that of its main ligand, von Willebrand factor, in arterial thrombosis

GPIbα binding to von Willebrand factor (VWF) exposed at a site of vascular injury is thought to be the first step in the formation of a hemostatic plug. However, our previous studies in VWF-deficient mice demonstrated delayed but not absent arterial thrombus formation, suggesting that, under these conditions, GPIbα may bind other ligands or that a receptor other than GPIbα can mediate platelet adhesion. Here, we studied thrombus formation in transgenic mice expressing GPIbα in which the extracellular domain was replaced by that of the human IL-4 receptor (IL4Rα/GPIbα-tg mice). Platelet adhesion to ferric chloride-treated mesenteric arterioles in IL4Rα/GPIbα-tg mice was virtually absent in contrast to avid adhesion in WT mice. As a consequence, arterial thrombus formation was inhibited completely in the mutant mice. Our studies further show that, when infused into WT recipient mice, IL4Rα/GPIbα-tg platelets or WT platelets lacking the 45-kDa N-terminal domain of GPIbα failed to incorporate into growing arterial thrombi, even if the platelets were activated before infusion. Surprisingly, platelets lacking β3 integrins, which are unable to form thrombi on their own, incorporated efficiently into WT thrombi. Our studies provide in vivo evidence that GPIbα absolutely is required for recruitment of platelets to both exposed subendothelium and thrombi under arterial flow conditions. Thus, GPIbα contributes to arterial thrombosis by important adhesion mechanisms independent of the binding to VWF.
The economic organization of 17th-through mid 19th-century whaling and shipping☆

Abstract The organization of shipping and whaling voyages of the period from approximately 1600 to 1850, is analyzed in the context in which contracting is costly and where participants in the contracting process make rent-generating, transaction-specific investments. The nature of the organization which protected individual property rights on these voyages is shown to change in ways predicted by economic theory, in response to changes in external constraints such as the outbreak of war and to differences in the nature of the voyage, in the present case, whaling verus shipping.
Application of tree-structured regression for regional precipitation prediction using general circulation model output

This study presents a tree-structured regression (TSR) method to relate daily precipita- tion with a variety of free-atmosphere variables. Historical data were used to identify distinct weather patterns associated with differing types of precipitation events. Models were developed using 67% of the data for training and the remaining data for model validation. Seasonal models were built for each of 2 US sites: San Francisco, California, and San Antonio, Texas. The average correlation between observed and simulated daily precipitation data series is 0.75 for the training set and 0.68 for the validation set. Relative humidity was found to be the dominant variable in these TSR models. Out- put from an NCAR CSM (climate system model) transient simulation of climate change were then used to drive the TSR models in the prediction of precipitation characteristics under climate change. A preliminary screening of the GCM output variables for current climate, however, revealed signifi- cant problems for the San Antonio site. Specifically, the CSM missed the annual trends in humidity for the grid cell containing this site. CSM output for the San Francisco site was found to be much more reliable. Therefore, we present future precipitation estimates only for the San Francisco site.
Eggletonite, the Na analogue of ganophyllite

Eggletonite is a new mineral, the Na analogue of ganophyllite. Type material has composition (Na0.82K0.40Ca0.39□0.39)Σ2.00 (Mn6.61Zn0.08Mg0.16Fe0.61Al0.56)Σ8.02 (Si10.33Al1.67)Σ12.00[(O28.92(OH)3.08]Σ32.00 (OH)4.00·10.66H2O. It occurs as prismatic crystals elongated along [100] in miarolitic cavities in nepheline syenite at the Big Rock Quarry, Little Rock, Arkansas. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction data are consistent with space group I2/a or Ia; a = 5.554, b = 13.72, c = 25.00A, β = 93.95° Z = 2; this is equivalent to the substructure of ganophyllite. Physical properties include cleavage: {001} perfect; colour: dark brown; translucent; streak: light brown; hardness (Mohs): 3–4; brittle; observed density 2.76, calculated density 2.76 g/cm3. Optically, eggletonite is biaxial negative, with optical parameters 2V α = 9(3)° r α; α = pale brown to colourless, β ≃ γ = pale yellow brown. Principal lines in the X-ray powder diffraction pattern are (d, I/Io): 12.4, 100; 3.45, 15; 3.13, 30; 2.854, 15; 2.691, 25; 2.600, 20; 2.462, 20; 2.387, 15. The name is in honour of Dr Richard A. Eggleton, Australian National University.
Social-environmental factors among light and heavy cigarette smokers: A controlled comparison with nonsmokers

Support for the importance of psychosocial influences on smoking is limited because the evidence is primarily based on intervention studies which deal with self-selected and thus unrepresentative samples of smokers. There have been few comparisons with nonsmokers on these factors. In this study, we examine the role of psychosocial factors among a representative community sample of smokers and nonsmokers. Heavy smokers were distinguished from nonsmokers by only slightly higher levels of environmental stressors, less supportive social resources, and poorer psychological functioning. Light smokers did not differ from nonsmokers on these factors. Although stressors and resources were correlated with psychological functioning across all respondents, such relationships were not significantly stronger for either heavy or light smokers. These results suggest that psychosocial influences may have differential relevance during the different phases of smoking behavior such as initiation, maintenance, and cessation.
Development of Iron-Doped Silicon Nanoparticles As Bimodal Imaging Agents

We demonstrate the synthesis of water-soluble allylamine-terminated Fe-doped Si (SixFe) nanoparticles as bimodal agents for optical and magnetic imaging. The preparation involves the synthesis of a single-source iron-containing precursor, Na4Si4 with x% Fe (x = 1, 5, 10), and its subsequent reaction with NH4Br to produce hydrogen-terminated SixFe nanoparticles. The hydrogen-capped nanoparticles are further terminated with allylamine via thermal hydrosilylation. Transmission electron microscopy indicates that the average particle diameter is ∼3.0 ± 1.0 nm. The Si5Fe nanoparticles show strong photoluminescence quantum yield in water (∼10%) with significant T2 contrast (r2/r1 value of 4.31). Electron paramagnetic resonance and Mossbauer spectroscopies indicate that iron in the nanoparticles is in the +3 oxidation state. Analysis of cytotoxicity using the resazurin assay on HepG2 liver cells indicates that the particles have minimal toxicity.
Development of a decision aid to address racial disparities in utilization of knee replacement surgery.

Objective Previous studies suggest that poorer knowledge and expectations about surgical outcomes may be responsible for low rates of total knee replacement (TKR) among African American males. The goal of this study was to pilot test the scope, acceptability, and efficacy of an educational videotape and tailored TKR decision aid designed to reduce disparities in TKR knowledge and expectations. Methods African American and Caucasian male veteran volunteers ages 55–85 years with moderate to severe knee osteoarthritis (OA) were recruited. During group meetings, patients viewed a video about knee OA treatments and were provided a personalized arthritis report that presented predicted patient outcomes should they decide to undergo TKR. Patients completed baseline and postintervention questionnaires that included an adapted Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) instrument to measure post-TKR expectations (0–100 scale with higher scores reflecting poorer outcomes). Results A total of 102 patients (54 African American, 48 Caucasian) completed the baseline survey and 64 patients attended the intervention. There were no significant differences by race between patients completing and those dropping out of the study. At baseline (n = 102), African American patients expressed lower expectations about post-TKR outcomes than did Caucasian patients for both pain (WOMAC score 41 versus 34; P = 0.18) and physical function expectations (WOMAC score 38 versus 30; P = 0.13). Among African Americans who underwent the intervention, expected pain and physical function improved to 31 (P = 0.04 versus baseline) and 30 (P = 0.09 versus baseline), respectively. Caucasian patients' expectations changed little. Conclusion Disparities in baseline knowledge and expectations about TKR may be improved with the combined educational video and tailored decision aid.
The Simultaneous Determination of Spot and Futures Prices in a Simple Model with Production Risk

This paper deals with properties of a rational expectations equilibrium when there is futures trading. A simple two-good model is analyzed, where one of the goods is produced subject to production risk. Although the futures market provides insurance against price risk to producers, it is income risk that concerns them. Whether they hedge in equilibrium is shown to depend on the price and income elasticity of demand for their output as well as on the degree to which consumers—the other party in the futures transaction-—are risk-averse.
Recognition and treatment of neurologic Wilson's disease

As Wilson's disease is both preventable and treatable, the diagnosis must not be missed. Despite this, it is usually misdiagnosed. Misdiagnosis and delay in treatment are clinically relevant because if left untreated, Wilson's disease progresses to hepatic failure or severe neurologic disability, and death. Those adequately treated have a normal life span. Wilson's disease is an autosomal recessive disease caused by mutations in the ATP7B gene. Mutations in ATP7B result in abnormal copper metabolism and subsequent toxic accumulation of copper. The clinical manifestations of neurologic Wilson's disease include variable combinations of dysarthria, dystonia, tremor, parkinsonism, ataxia, and choreoathetosis. Once the possibility of Wilson's disease is considered, diagnosis is straight forward. Currently available treatments, including zinc acetate and trientine, are generally well tolerated and effective.
Mimetic finite difference methods in image processing

We introduce the use of mimetic methods to the imaging community, for the solution of the initial-value problems ubiquitous in the machine vision and image processing and analysis fields. PDE-based image processing and analysis techniques comprise a host of applications such as noise removal and restoration, deblurring and enhancement, segmentation, edge detection, inpainting, registration, motion analysis, etc. Because of their favorable stability and efficiency properties, semi-implicit finite difference and finite element schemes have been the methods of choice (in that order of preference). We propose a new approach for the numerical solution of these problems based on mimetic methods. The mimetic discretization scheme preserves the continuum properties of the mathematical operators often encountered in the image processing and analysis equations. This is the main contributing factor to the improved performance of the mimetic method approach, as compared to both of the aforementioned popular numerical solution techniques. To assess the performance of the proposed approach, we employ the Catte-Lions-Morel-Coll model to restore noisy images, by solving the PDE with the three numerical solution schemes. For all of the benchmark images employed in our experiments, and for every level of noise applied, we observe that the best image restored by using the mimetic method is closer to the noise-free image than the best images restored by the other two methods tested. These results motivate further studies of the application of the mimetic methods to other imaging problems. Mathematical subject classification: Primary: 68U10; Secondary: 65L12.
Lung cancer survival prediction using ensemble data mining on SEER data

We analyze the lung cancer data available from the SEER program with the aim of developing accurate survival prediction models for lung cancer. Carefully designed preprocessing steps resulted in removal/modification/splitting of several attributes, and 2 of the 11 derived attributes were found to have significant predictive power. Several supervised classification methods were used on the preprocessed data along with various data mining optimizations and validations. In our experiments, ensemble voting of five decision tree based classifiers and meta-classifiers was found to result in the best prediction performance in terms of accuracy and area under the ROC curve. We have developed an on-line lung cancer outcome calculator for estimating the risk of mortality after 6 months, 9 months, 1 year, 2 year and 5 years of diagnosis, for which a smaller non-redundant subset of 13 attributes was carefully selected using attribute selection techniques, while trying to retain the predictive power of the original set of attributes. Further, ensemble voting models were also created for predicting conditional survival outcome for lung cancer estimating risk of mortality after 5 years of diagnosis, given that the patient has already survived for a period of time, and included in the calculator. The on-line lung cancer outcome calculator developed as a result of this study is available at http://info.eecs.northwestern.edu:8080/LungCancerOutcomeCalculator/.
A circular dichroism study of poly dG, poly dC, and poly dG:dC.

We have measured the ultraviolet circular dichroism spectra of oligo d(pG)5, poly dN AcG, poly dI, poly dC, two samples of poly dG, and four samples containing double-stranded poly dG:dC. We find that oligo d(pG)5 and poly dG exist in self-complexed forms as well as in single-stranded forms. Unlike the self-complexed form of poly dG, the single-stranded form of poly dG can hydrogen-bond with single-stranded poly dC. We present spectral data for double-stranded poly dG:dC, which can be used to help characterize poly dG:dC preparations and which provide a basis for resolving discrepancies among other reported poly dG:dC spectra.
Predictive combinations of monitor alarms preceding in-hospital code blue events

Graphical abstractDisplay Omitted Highlights? A novel concept - SuperAlarm proposed as a technique to alleviate alarm fatigue. ? SuperAlarm is a set of predictive combinations of monitor alarms. ? An alarm-mining algorithm proposed to find SuperAlarm set predictive of code blue. ? Repetition rate of alarms in a given time period is considered in the algorithm. ? Cross-validation and test is done on alarm data from 223 code blue and 1768 control patients. Bedside monitors are ubiquitous in acute care units of modern healthcare enterprises. However, they have been criticized for generating an excessive number of false positive alarms causing alarm fatigue among care givers and potentially compromising patient safety. We hypothesize that combinations of regular monitor alarms denoted as SuperAlarm set may be more indicative of ongoing patient deteriorations and hence predictive of in-hospital code blue events. The present work develops and assesses an alarm mining approach based on finding frequent combinations of single alarms that are also specific to code blue events to compose a SuperAlarm set. We use 4-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) to investigate the influence of four algorithm parameters on the performance of the data mining approach. The results are obtained from millions of monitor alarms from a cohort of 223 adult code blue and 1768 control patients using a multiple 10-fold cross-validation experiment setup. Using the optimal setting of parameters determined in the cross-validation experiment, final SuperAlarm sets are mined from the training data and used on an independent test data set to simulate running a SuperAlarm set against live regular monitor alarms. The ANOVA shows that the content of a SuperAlarm set is influenced by a subset of key algorithm parameters. Simulation of the extracted SuperAlarm set shows that it can predict code blue events one hour ahead with sensitivity between 66.7% and 90.9% while producing false SuperAlarms for control patients that account for between 2.2% and 11.2% of regular monitor alarms depending on user-supplied acceptable false positive rate. We conclude that even though the present work is still preliminary due to the usage of a moderately-sized database to test our hypothesis it represents an effort to develop algorithms to alleviate the alarm fatigue issue in a unique way.
Measuring the effects of display hardware on video motion

A series of measurement techniques (including measurement of the image on the display) are employed to determine the severity of motion errors, in order to gauge their effects on subjective evaluation of image quality and interpretability, and to identify and eliminate sources of motion errors. High performance display systems are increasingly being used for playback of moving imagery, making the accurate depiction of motion more important than ever. Higher definition formats drive systems harder, and source image motion can result in gross motion errors in the image seen on the display. Contributing factors can be choice of content, compression and transmission, graphics engine, and physical display device. Such motion errors can significantly impact perceived motion imagery quality and the perceived quality of the content, the server, and the display device. The NIST Motion Image Quality project is concerned with: (1) perceived image quality, and (2) motion image interpretability. The project uses both subjective analysis and quantitative measures of image characteristics. In the course of producing and collecting video content for subjective analysis, the project has encountered combinations of source and display system that produce severe motion artifacts that clearly affect image quality, and appear to impact interpretability as well. The apparent severity of the effects varies somewhat by the display technology used (DMD, LCD, CRT), which may indicate differences in the ways the display systems react to incoming signals.
The science of shrinking human heads: tribal warfare and revenge among the South American Jivaro-Shuar

THE PRACTICE OF "head-shrinking" has been the proper domain not of Africa but rather of the denizens of South America. Specifically, in the post-Columbian period, it has been most famously the practice of a tribe of indigenous people commonly called the Jivaro or Jivaro-Shuar. The evidence suggests that the Jivaro-Shuar are merely the last group to retain a custom widespread in northwestern South America. In both ceramic and textile art of the pre-Columbian residents of Peru, the motif of trophy heads smaller than normal life-size heads commonly recurs; the motif is seen even in surviving carvings in stone and shell. Moreover, although not true shrunken heads, trophy heads found in late pre-Columbian and even post-Columbian graves of the region demonstrate techniques of display very similar to those used by the Jivaro-Shuar, at least some of which are best understood in the context of head-shrinking. Regardless, the Jivaro-Shuar and their practices provide an illustrative counterexample to popular myth regarding the culture and science of the shrinking of human heads.
Deterministic Relative Attitude Determination of Three-Vehicle Formations

DOI: 10.2514/1.42849 This paper proves that deterministic relative attitude determination is possible for a formation of three vehicles. The results provide an assessment of the accuracy of the deterministic attitude solutions, given statistical properties oftheassumednoisymeasurements.Eachvehicleisassumedtobeequippedwithsensorstoprovideline-of-sight,and possibly range, measurements between them. Three vehicles are chosen because this is the minimum number required to determine all attitudes given minimal measurement information. Three cases are studied. The first determines the absolute (inertial) attitude of a vehicle knowing the absolute positions of the other two. The second assumes parallel beams between each vehicle to determine relative attitudes, and the third assumes nonparallel beams for relative attitude determination, which requires range information to find deterministic solutions. Covariance analyses are provided to gain insight on the stochastic properties of the attitude errors and the observability for all three cases.
Nonlinear system identification using diagonal recurrent neural networks

The recurrent neural network is proposed for system identification of nonlinear dynamic systems. When the system identification is coupled with control problems, the real-time feature is very important, and a neuro-identifier must be designed so that it will converge and the training time will not be too long. The neural network should also be simple and implemented easily. A novel neuro-identifier, the diagonal recurrent neural network (DRNN), that fulfils these requirements is proposed. A generalized algorithm, dynamic backpropagation, is developed to train the DRNN. The DRNN was used to identify nonlinear systems, and simulation showed promising results. >
Non-Traditional Aromatic Topologies and Biomimetic Assembly Motifs as Components of Functional Pi-Conjugated Oligomers

This article will highlight our recent work using conjugated oligomers as precursors to electroactive polymer films and self-assembling nanomaterials. One area of investigation has focused on nonbenzenoid aromaticity in the context of charge delocalization in conjugated polymers. In these studies, polymerizable pi-conjugated units were coupled onto unusual aromatic cores such as methano[10]annulene. This article will also show how biologically-inspired assembly of molecularly well-defined oligopeptides that flank pi-conjugated oligomers has resulted in the aqueous construction of 1-dimensional nanomaterials that encourage electronic delocalization among the pi-electron systems.
When it comes to inbreeding: slower is better.

The extent to which genetic diversity is lost from inbred populations is important for conservation biology, evolutionary ecology, and plant and animal breeding. This importance stems from the fact that the amount of genetic diversity a population has is expected to correlate with evolutionary potential. A population’s ability to avert extinction during rapidly changing environmental conditions, or the magnitude of response to selection on a trait, depend on the ability of the genome to maintain potentially adaptive genetic variation in the face of random genetic drift. Although a few previous studies have demonstrated that the rate of inbreeding affects the amount of genetic diversity maintained, the elegant work of Demontis et al., in this issue, clearly demonstrates that slow inbreeding maintains more genetic diversity than fast inbreeding and that the primary mechanism could be balancing selection. In their study, populations that took 19 generations, rather than one generation, to reach the same level of inbreeding maintained 10% higher levels of allelic richness and 25% higher levels of heterozygosity. The use of specifically chosen molecular markers not expected to be neutral makes this study especially noteworthy, as the study provides evidence concerning the mechanisms underlying the maintenance of genetic diversity in the face of inbreeding.
The analysis of morphological errors in a case of acquired dyslexia

The linguistic analysis of words provides a rich array of formal and functional characteristics that would appear to be at least potentially relevant to an understanding of language processing.1 However, while the description and explanation of numerous phenomena from the domain of grammatical competence rely importantly on these concepts, there has been little progress in demonstrating their relevance to the explanation of linguistic performance. The crux of the problem is that, if we wish to construct a psychologically valid model of lexical processing, theoretically minimal, linguistic solutions cannot be given precedence over the actual mechanisms that subjects employ. The question of whether a morphologically complex word will be generated by a rule-like mechanism or will simply be listed in the lexicon, for example, must be given the same answer by the linguist and the psychologist at some level of description.2 In this paper we will consider some of the issues that are Special to the study of processing mechanisms, and we will examine how they bear on demonstrations of the effects of word structure on lexical processing. In particular, we will focus on the analysis of lexical mechanisms as revealed by neurolinguistic data.