cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Global interdecadal and century-scale climate oscillations during the past five centuries

THE recognition of natural modes of climate variability is essential for a better understanding of the factors that govern climate change. Recent models suggest that interdecadal (roughly 15–35-year period)1–4 and century-scale (roughly 50–150-year period)5–7 climate variability may be intrinsic to the natural climate system. While there is some evidence for the existence of interdecadal8,9 and century-scale9,10 oscillations in instrumental temperature records, confident detection from these short (100–400-year) records is difficult11,12. Oscillations on the same timescales5,13–17 have also been detected in isolated climate-proxy or historical records over longer durations, but the large-scale spatial structure of the variability has not been investigated systematically. Here we report the multivariate analysis of a globally distributed set of temperature proxy records of several centuries duration. The results of our spatio-temporal analysis strengthen evidence for persistent natural interdecadal and century-scale climate oscillations, and reveal both the spatial patterns and temporal histories of these signals.
Hydraulic permeability of protein layers deposited during ultrafiltration

Abstract Although protein deposition plays an important role in determining the overall performance of ultrafiltration and microfiltration devices, there is little quantitative data on the properties of deposited protein layers formed during ultrafiltration. Experimental data were obtained for the hydraulic permeability of deposited layers of bovine serum albumin (BSA) on polyethersulfone ultrafiltration membranes (molecular weight cut-offs ranging from 30,000 to 1,000,000) and microfiltration membranes (nominal pore diameter of 0.16 μm). The protein deposit was strongly associated with the membrane, and was stable at high stirring speeds and after prolonged exposure to protein-free saline solutions. The hydraulic permeability of the protein deposit decreased with increasing filtration pressure, although the response to pressure variations was slow with a time constant of more than 100 min. This behavior was accurately described using compressible filtration theory, with the response of the layer modeled using a mechanical analog comprised of an elastic component in series with a parallel arrangement of a viscous and elastic component. The permeability of the protein deposit decreased with increasing ionic strength and was maximum at the BSA isoelectric point. These results provide insight into the intermolecular and intramolecular interactions which determine the protein layer permeability, and have important implications for the design and analysis of both ultrafiltration and microfiltration devices.
Mechanical changes after histamine activation of intact single vascular smooth muscle cells.

Although several different models have been proposed to explain force maintenance in vascular smooth muscle, the molecular mechanism responsible for this phase of contraction has yet to be elucidated. To investigate the molecular mechanism for force maintenance, force and stiffness were measured during (1 μMhistamine) activation of single intact arterial smooth muscle cells. After histamine stimulation, the rise in quadrature stiffness preceded force (P< 0.05) and reached a steady state plateau before force (P< 0.05). These data suggest that the number of cycling cross-bridges increases during force activation and then remains constant during force maintenance. In-phase stiffness, on the other hand, continued to increase in amplitude after force had reached a steady state. The increase in the in-phase stiffness during force maintenance suggests that during force maintenance either a population of cross-bridges in an attached nonforce producing state develop or noncross-bridge force bearing structures are formed.
Positive Youth Development Among African American Adolescents: Examining Single Parents as a Factor

Over the past few decades researchers have begun to examine the importance of understanding positive youth development and the many contexts in which youth find themselves. The social contexts in which adolescent development occurs are varied and complex, particularly the development among African American youth. African American youth are faced with a number of challenges including living in single-parent homes, high teen pregnancy rates, and poor neighborhoods, yet many of these youth continue to thrive. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between family structure (single-parenting) and adolescent outcomes such as educational aspirations and sexual activity among African American adolescent youth aged 12–17. Approximately 462 African American youth were surveyed. A number of positive results emerged; for instance, there was a negative correlation between family structure and educational aspirations. The number of parents in the home did not interfere with youth wanting to complete ...
Strain Localization in Combined Axial-Torsional Testing on Kaolin Clay

A series of combined axial-torsional tests were performed to study the 3D mechanical behavior of kaolin clay in an undrained condition. Using the digital image analysis technique, discrete local deformation of the surface of a hollow cylindrical specimen under loading was recorded. A linear interpolation method was used to generate a continuous deformation and strain field of the specimen based on the recorded discrete local deformations. Evolution of shear band was vividly visualized and recorded during the loading process for various inclinations of major principal stress. The theory of strain localization on continuous bifurcation was briefly reviewed and applied to the Mohr-Coulomb model, and a single hardening model incorporating the concept of loading-history-dependent plastic potential was developed by the writers. The largest critical plastic modulus and orientation of the shear bands were predicted by using the theoretical solution. Significant disagreement was observed between the experimental results and theoretical predictions related to the initial occurrence of strain localization and the inclination of fully developed shear bands.
Mutation Analysis of the Entire Replicated Portion of PKD1 Using Genomic DNA Samples

The replicated portion of PKD1, which comprises nearly 70% of the length of the gene, is predicted to harbor at least 85% of the mutations present in affected autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease type 1 pedigrees. The relative paucity of reported mutations involving this segment is attributable to the significant technical challenges posed by the genomic structure of the gene. Previous genomic DNA-based strategies were unable to evaluate exons 1 and 22 and relied on the use of 10- to 13-kb PCR products. In this report, a set of six novel primer pair combinations, which can be used with previously reported reagents to analyze all of the exons in the replicated region (exons 1 to 34), are described. No product is greater than 5.8 kb in length, and various primer combinations can be used to reduce this length in half. Using this approach, two new pathogenic mutations, four novel disease-associated missense substitutions, and six new normal variants were identified. These new reagents should prove useful to investigators interested in performing DNA testing for this disorder.
Agrin and Synaptic Laminin Are Required to Maintain Adult Neuromuscular Junctions

As synapses form and mature the synaptic partners produce organizing molecules that regulate each other’s differentiation and ensure precise apposition of pre- and post-synaptic specializations. At the skeletal neuromuscular junction (NMJ), these molecules include agrin, a nerve-derived organizer of postsynaptic differentiation, and synaptic laminins, muscle-derived organizers of presynaptic differentiation. Both become concentrated in the synaptic cleft as the NMJ develops and are retained in adulthood. Here, we used mutant mice to ask whether these organizers are also required for synaptic maintenance. Deletion of agrin from a subset of adult motor neurons resulted in the loss of acetylcholine receptors and other components of the postsynaptic apparatus and synaptic cleft. Nerve terminals also atrophied and eventually withdrew from muscle fibers. On the other hand, mice lacking the presynaptic organizer laminin-α4 retained most of the synaptic cleft components but exhibited synaptic alterations reminiscent of those observed in aged animals. Although we detected no marked decrease in laminin or agrin levels at aged NMJs, we observed alterations in the distribution and organization of these synaptic cleft components suggesting that such changes could contribute to age-related synaptic disassembly. Together, these results demonstrate that pre- and post-synaptic organizers actively function to maintain the structure and function of adult NMJs.
Developmental biology of legume nodulation

SUMMARY Many legumes respond to Rhizobium inoculation by developing unique structures known as nodules on their roots. The development of a legume nodule in which rhizobia convert atmospheric N2 into ammonia is a finely tuned process. Gene expression from both partners of the symbiosis must be temporally and spatially coordinated. Exactly how this coordination takes place is an area of intense study. Nodule morphogenesis appears to be elicited by at least two distinct signals: one from Rhizobium, a product of the nod genes (Nod factor), and a second signal, which is generated within plant tissues after treatment with Nod factor. The identity of the second signal is unknown but changes in the balance of endogenous plant hormones or the sensitivity of plant tissues to these hormones are likely to be involved. These hormonal changes may be triggered by endogenous flavonoids produced by the root in response to inoculation with Rhizobium. There is some controversy as to whether the legume nodule is an organ sui generis or a highly derived lateral root. A resolution of this question may become more critical as attempts to induce nodules on non-legume hosts, such as rice or maize, increase in number and scope.
CT of Mullerian adenosarcoma arising in endometriosis

Mullerian adenosarcoma is a rare tumor that usually arises in the uterus. Occasional cases arising in endometrial implants have been reported. We report the computed tomography (CT) findings of histologically proven mullerian adenosarcoma arising in perirectal endometriosis in a 46-year-old woman.
Absorbed dose rate produced by natural uranium as a function of depth in tissue

Slabs of natural and depleted uranium are used routinely to calibrate personal dosimeters and radiation survey instruments for beta radiation. However, little information is available on the absorbed dose rate produced by a uranium slab as a function of depth in matter. In this study, an extrapolation chamber was used to measure the dose rate produced by natural uranium at a variety of depths in a tissue-equivalent material (Mylar). The dose rate decreases from 11,900 mrad h-I at the surface of the uranium to 229mrad h -~ at a depth of 7mg cm -2 and to about 60mrad h -I at a depth of about 250 mg cm- 2.
Disk-like functions

The class s of functions f (z) which are regular and univalent in the open unit disk △ = {z: |z| has been studied intensively for over fifty years. A large and very successful portion of this work has dealt with subclasses of L characterized by some geometric property of f [Δ], the image of Δ under f(z) , which is expressible in analytic terms. The class of starlike functions in L is one of these [3]; f(z) is starlike with respect to the origin if the segment [0, f(z) ] is in f[Δ] for every z in Δ and this condition is equivalent to requiring that have a positive real part in Δ.
State-plane animation of power electronic systems: a tool for understanding feedback control and stability

State-plane animation is discussed as a powerful tool for characterizing feedback control in power electronic systems. The implementation is simple, and the relationship between different types of control schemes and different types of instability can be easily explained in geometric terms. While state-plane animation is primarily restricted to second-order systems, it provides valuable insights into the mathematics of differential geometry for systems of arbitrary dimension. >
Measurement of neutrino-proton and antineutrino-proton elastic scattering

We report here new measurements of neutrino-proton and antineutrino-proton elastic scattering, performed in the BNL neutrino beam. We observed a net signal of 212 neutrino events and 110 antineutrino events which lead to determination of the values ${R}_{\ensuremath{\nu}}\ensuremath{\equiv}\frac{\ensuremath{\sigma}({\ensuremath{\nu}}_{\ensuremath{\mu}}+p\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\ensuremath{\nu}}_{\ensuremath{\mu}}+p)}{\ensuremath{\sigma}({\ensuremath{\nu}}_{\ensuremath{\mu}}+n\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\ensuremath{\mu}}^{\ensuremath{-}}+p)}=0.11\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.015$, ${R}_{\overline{\ensuremath{\nu}}}\ensuremath{\equiv}\frac{\ensuremath{\sigma}({\overline{\ensuremath{\nu}}}_{\ensuremath{\mu}}+p\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\overline{\ensuremath{\nu}}}_{\ensuremath{\mu}}+p)}{\ensuremath{\sigma}({\overline{\ensuremath{\nu}}}_{\ensuremath{\mu}}+p\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\ensuremath{\mu}}^{+}+n)}=0.19\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.035$, and ${R}^{\mathrm{NC}}\ensuremath{\equiv}\frac{\ensuremath{\sigma}({\overline{\ensuremath{\nu}}}_{\ensuremath{\mu}}+p\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\overline{\ensuremath{\nu}}}_{\ensuremath{\mu}}+p)}{\ensuremath{\sigma}({\ensuremath{\nu}}_{\ensuremath{\mu}}+p\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\ensuremath{\nu}}_{\ensuremath{\mu}}+p)}=0.41\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.09$ for $0.40l{Q}^{2}l0.90$ ${(\mathrm{G}\mathrm{e}\mathrm{V}/\mathit{c})}^{2}$ where $\ensuremath{-}{Q}^{2}$ is the square of the momentum transfer to the nucleon. The differential cross sections as functions of ${Q}^{2}$, $\frac{d{\ensuremath{\sigma}}^{\ensuremath{\nu}}}{d{Q}^{2}}$ and $\frac{d{\ensuremath{\sigma}}^{\overline{\ensuremath{\nu}}}}{d{Q}^{2}}$, are also determined. Our results are in good agreement with the Weinberg-Salam-Glashow-Iliopoulos-Maiani model of the weak and electromagnetic interactions and yield ${{sin}^{2}\ensuremath{\theta}}_{W}=0.28\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.03$.
Do air traffic flow problems interact? A preliminary analysis

In air traffic control, the traffic flow management (TFM) function seeks to optimize the flow of air traffic. A flow is a movement of air traffic, considered as a rate or a cluster, not as individual aircraft. The National Airspace System (NAS) is a complex, interdependent network of airports, airspace, and aircraft. It is observed that a TFM congestion problem at one place in the NAS has air traffic flow effects elsewhere in the system. It is also observed that TFM congestion problems do not necessarily occur singularly, they are frequently coincident. This work investigates whether multiple, coincident TFM problems interact, i.e., whether unanticipated combination effects arise when multiple problems occur simultaneously. The National Airspace System Performance Analysis Capability (NASPAC) simulation model is used. >
Vortex collapse from the viewpoint of complex-time singularity

Abstract Under certain initial and parametric conditions, point vortices will collide, and we can locate a singularity on the real time axis. If some of the conditions deviate from the collapse conditions, the singularity splits into one or more complex-conjugate pairs. Recently, we proposed a scaling law between the deviation of an initial condition from the collapse condition and the resulting shift in the position of the singularity away from the real axis for a system of point vortices. We verify this scaling law for collisions of three and four point vortices.
Television Viewing and Aggressive Behavior During Adolescence and Adulthood

Television viewing and aggressive behavior were assessed over a 17-year interval in a community sample of 707 individuals. There was a significant association between the amount of time spent watching television during adolescence and early adulthood and the likelihood of subsequent aggressive acts against others. This association remained significant after previous aggressive behavior, childhood neglect, family income, neighborhood violence, parental education, and psychiatric disorders were controlled statistically.
A comparison of job facet satisfaction between paid and unpaid industrial workers.

In order to investigate whether the nonmonetary aspects of job satisfaction are the same for unpaid workers as for paid workers, job satisfaction as reported by 135 kibbutz members working in industrial firms was compared with that reported by 187 industrial employees from a similar industry in the private sector. The nonpay factors were as clearly discriminated in an unpaid population as in a paid population, and the order of importance of the nonpay factors of job satisfaction was similar for both populations. The results of the Job Description Index for the Israeli sample paralleled those of American samples, and it appears that the test can be used as a valuable tool in Israel. Although the notion of the purely "economic man" has been modified by the human relations movement to include recognition of man's ego, growth, and social needs, it is generally agreed that money plays a major role in determining the worker's job satisfaction. This viewpoint is best summarized by Opsahl and Dunnette (1966), who noted, "Few would disagree that money has been and continues to be the primary means of rewarding and modifying human behavior in industry" (p. 100).
Phylogeny of magpie‐robins and shamas (Aves: Turdidae: Copsychus and Trichixos): implications for island biogeography in Southeast Asia

Aim Magpie-robins and shamas are forest and woodland birds of south Asia. There are two genera: Trichixos for the monotypic T. pyrrhopygus, and Copsychus for other species. Two species are widespread, whereas the others are restricted to specific islands. Endemicity is highest in the Philippines. Using phylogenetic methods, we examined how this group came to its unusual distribution. Location Mainland Asia from India to southern China, and islands from Madagascar to the Philippines. Particular emphasis is placed on the Greater Sundas and Philippines. Methods The phylogeny was estimated from DNA sequences of 14 ingroup taxa representing all nine currently recognized Copsychus and Trichixos species. The entire mitochondrial ND2 gene and portions of nuclear myoglobin intron 2 (Myo2) and transforming growth factor beta 2 intron 5 (TGFb2-5) were sequenced for all but two species. The phylogeny was reconstructed using maximum likelihood and Bayesian methods. The timing of divergence events was estimated using a relaxed molecular clock approach, and ancestral areas were examined using stochastic modelling. Results The group comprises three main clades corresponding to ecological types: Trichixos, a primary-forest specialist; Copsychus magpie-robins, openwoodland and coastal species; and Copsychus shamas, thick-forest species. Trichixos appears to be sister to the magpie-robins, rendering Copsychus polyphyletic. The dating of phylogenetic nodes was too ambiguous to provide substantial insight into specific geographical events responsible for divergence within the group. Some patterns are nevertheless clear. Copsychus shamas reached the Philippines, probably in two separate invasions, and split into endemic species. Copsychus malabaricus and C. saularis expanded widely in the Greater Sundas and mainland Southeast Asia without species-level diversification. Main conclusions Magpie-robins are excellent dispersers and have diversified into distinct species only on isolated oceanic islands. Trichixos, a poor disperser, is restricted to mature forests of the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra and Borneo. Copsychus shamas are intermediate in habitat preference and dispersal capabilities. Their endemism in the Philippines may be attributed to early colonization and specialization to interior forests. In the Greater Sundas, C. malabaricus and C. saularis populations split and came together on Borneo to form two separate subspecies (of each species), which now hybridize.
Erythropoietic Stimulating Agents and Quality of a Patient’s Life: Individualizing Anemia Treatment

Summary Erythropoietic stimulating agents (ESAs) such as erythropoietin have been used for decades to treat the anemia of CKD. Clinical practice guidelines suggest target hemoglobin levels >10 g/dl, and average Hb levels have risen from 9.6 to 12.0 g/dl. Several studies have shown trends for higher mortality and myocardial infarction, higher BP, increased vascular access thrombosis, and strokes in patients treated to target Hb ≥13 g/dl. Patients with profound anemia suffer from symptoms of fatigue, poor energy, weakness, and shortness of breath. Such symptoms reported directly by patients, or patient-reported outcomes (PROs), may be a valuable tool to target ESA treatment in anemic CKD patients. Studies show that improvements in anemia correlate with improvements in these PRO domains in some individuals. We propose that instead of Hb targets for all patients, treatment of anemia should be directed toward improving the areas of patient-perceived quality of life most affected by anemia. PROs can be used by individual patients to prioritize the risks and benefits of ESA treatment. Patients, along with their physicians, can examine Hb level in the context of patients’ perception of their quality of life and use ESAs judiciously to improve these perceptions.
On robust stability and performance with time-varying control

The analysis of time-varying control for robust stabilization and performance improvement is considered. This problem has been investigated in recent years from the point of view of assessing the capabilities of time-varying control to stabilize plants with structured norm bounded perturbations. In this paper, it is shown that time-varying compensation provides no improvement over time-invariant compensation for the stability and performance robustness of discrete-time systems with structured, causal, time-varying, and norm-bounded perturbations, where the norm on the perturbations is the l 2 -induced norm. The results of this paper help in completing the picture for the case of time-varying perturbations.
Isolation of Ribonucleic Acid from Cow Mammary Gland

Abstract There is increasing evidence that various forms of ribonucleic acid (RNA) perform essential roles in the transfer of genetic information and protein synthesis (10). Though there have been some studies on the isolation of and the base composition of RNA from rat mammary gland (2, 9), little attention has been paid to the isolation of RNA from cow mammary gland. Some procedures employed successfully to isolate rat liver RNA were examined for the isolation of RNA from cow mammary gland. Results are presented in this paper. Pieces of cow mammary gland were removed from the udder immediately after slaughter and frozen in dry ice. In most cases, the extraction of RNA was done immediately after sampling. In other cases, the mammary gland was stored at −20C; 20–200-g pieces of the mammary gland were minced by a mechanical chopper or scissors into small pieces before extraction. The following three procedures for the isolation of RNA were examined:
Sublattice Resolution Structural and Chemical Analysis of Individual CdSe Nanocrystals Using Atomic Number Contrast Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy and Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy

Atomic number contrast scanning transmission electron microscopy (Z-STEM), with atomic resolution and sub-nanometer resolution scanning transmission electron microscope electron energy loss spectroscopy (STEM-EELS), was used to study single colloidal CdSe semiconductor nanocrystals embedded in MEH−PPV polymer films.The atomic column-resolved Z-STEM image provides information both on the lateral shape of the nanocrystal, as well as the relative thickness of the individual atom columns from a single image. The three-dimensional shape profile reconstructed from the data matches the predicted model. Furthermore, the sublattice is resolved so the polar surfaces can be uniquely identified. Sub-nanometer resolution EELS measurements on an individual nanocrystal indicate the presence of oxygen. The spatial distribution of the oxygen signal in the EELS measurement suggests a thin oxide layer on the nanocrystal surface.
Spray-On Polyaniline/Poly(acrylic acid) Electrodes with Enhanced Electrochemical Stability.

Polyaniline (PANI)-based electrodes are promising candidates for energy storage, but their cycle life remains poor. Recent work suggests that secondary interactions may enhance polyaniline’s electrochemical stability and cycle life, but evidence to date is not conclusive. Here, we investigate spray-assisted layer-by-layer assemblies containing polyaniline nanofibers (PANI NFs) or conventional PANI and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA), which provides hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interactions. This spray-on approach may be suitable for the deposition of PANI onto a variety of surfaces. The effects of PANI type, PAA pH, and PAA molecular weight on the growth behavior, conductivity, and electrochemical performance are examined. It is shown that LbL films with PANI NFs, higher molecular weight PAA, and lower PAA pH yield the thickest films, whereas the thinnest films come from conventional PANI assembled under similar conditions. Electron microscopy imaging and density measurements show that LbL films containing...
The Relationship Between Food Insecurity and BMI for Preschool Children.

Objectives The literature exploring the relationship between food insecurity and obesity for preschool-aged children is inconclusive and suffers from inconsistent measurement. This paper explores the relationships between concurrent household and child food insecurity and child overweight as well as differences in these relationships by child gender using a sample of 2–5 year old children. Methods Using measured height and weight and responses to the Household Food Security Survey Module collected from a sample of 438 preschool-aged children (mean age 39 months) and their mothers, logistic regression models were fit to estimate the relationship between household and child food insecurity and child BMI. Separate models were fit for girls and boys. Results Twenty-seven percent of children from food insecure households and 25 % of child food insecure children were overweight or obese (BMI ≥ 85 %). There were no statistically significant associations between either household or child food insecurity and BMI for the full sample. For girls, but not boys, household food insecurity was associated with BMI z-scores (β = 0.23, p = 0.01). Conclusions Although food insecurity and overweight were not significantly associated, a noteworthy proportion of food insecure children were overweight or obese. Programs for young children should address food insecurity and obesity simultaneously by ensuring that young children have regular access to nutrient-dense foods.
Innaurato and Pintauro: Two Italian-American Playwrights

Two Italian-American playwrights worthy of critical attention are Albert Innaurato and Joseph Pintauro. In Gemini Innaurato explores the issue of a young man's search for identity; in Benno Blimpie he portrays the isolation of his characters. Joseph Pintauro in Cacciatore examines the themes of separation and rejection in each of three oneact plays about Italian-Americans. Both authors use food metaphors to encode their themes, and the exploration of these themes, though not uncommon to other ethnic and racial groups, is done within an ItalianAmerican idiom.
Plaque formation of poliomyelitis viruses on human amnion cell cultures.

SummaryPlaque formation of all 3 types of poliomyelitis virus has been obtained in monolayer cultures of human aminon cells. The plaque titer obtained on aminon was 3-6 times higher than on monkey kidney cell cultures for strains Mahoney and MEF-1.
Studies Concerning Heteroecious Rusts

The studies reported in this paper were made as opportunities and materials offered during the course of investigations of the leaf rust of the grasses, the results of which have been given elsewhere (1933). A number of the cultures were made possible through the kindness of the late Mr. E. Bethel, to whom the writer is specially indebted for material and clues concerning connections based on his discriminating field observations.
Excitation Functions for the Reactions C 12 ( π ± , π N ) C 11 over the Region of the (3,3) Resonance

The excitation functions for the reactions $^{12}\mathrm{C}({\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}}, \ensuremath{\pi}N)^{11}\mathrm{C}$ have been measured by activation over the energy ranges 50 to 470 MeV for ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}$ and 40 to 550 MeV for ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$. These excitation functions, clearly reflecting the (3,3) pion-nucleon resonance, show an upward energy shift in the resonance peak for ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ and a downward shift for ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}$. The $\frac{{\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}}}{{\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}}}$ ratio at 180 MeV is 1.55 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 0.10.
PLANAR DEFECTS IN ZnO NANOBELTS

Planar defects are the most popular and most important defects in nanobelts.In some cases,the presence of planar defects is essential for stabilizing the surfaces that exhibit higher energies and leading the fastest anisotropic growth of the nanobelts along a specific direction.Planar defects can be twins/bicrystals,stacking faults and/or interstitial stacking layer introduced by impurity atoms.In this paper,we review the planar defects observed in ZnO nanobelts by transmission electron microscopy.Two types of twin/bicrystal structures with twining planes as(0113) and(2112) have been identified.The observed basal-plane stacking faults can be classified into type I_1 and I_2.In large sized ZnO nanobelts,the I_1 basal-plane stacking fault can fold from basal plane to(2110) plane to form the prismatic-plane stacking fault.By doping indium ions and with the accumulating of these indium ions in the basal-plane,two types of inversion domain walls or boundaries have been introduced in the ZnO nanobelts.
α_1-acid glycoprotein and C-reactive proteinin patients with coronary heart disease

Objective To observe the change and the clinical significance of plasma α 1-acid glycoprotein(AAG) and C-reactive protein(CRP) levels in different types of coronary heart disease(CHD). Methods AAG and CRP were measured in 28 cases of acute myocardial infarction(AMI), 35 unstable angina pectoris (UAP) , 30 stable angina pectoris(SAP) and 30 controls. Coronary angiography was performed in all the patients,and the severity of coronary stenosis was evaluated by the Gensini score. Results ①AAG and CRP levels were higher in AMI group than those in UAP group, SAP group and controls(P 0.001); The levels of AAG and CRP in UAP group were higher than those in SAP group and controls(P 0.001); There is no difference between the latter two groups(P 0.05).② AAG and CRP levels were significantly correlated with severity of coronary stenosis(Gensini Score)(P 0.001). ③AAG and CRP levels in three branches' and double branches' groups were higher than those of single branch group(P 0.005).Conclusion AAG and CRP levels might be used to identify high-risk patients with CHD and to monitor the change of the disease , and they are related with severity of coronary atherosclerosis.
Recognizing and developing spiritual abilities through real-life problem solving:

In this article, the author describes a different theory of multiple abilities, the Prism Model, developed with Usanee Anuruthwong from Thailand, and further evolved with Belle Wallace from the UK ...
Scenario Analysis of Energy and Water Trade-Offs in the Expansion of a Dual Water System

AbstractUsing treated wastewater effluent (reclaimed water) for beneficial purposes can be a sustainable practice that reduces demand on potable networks. However, implementing reclaimed water networks can have unintended effects, specifically unintended increases in energy consumption. This case study employs multiperiod scenario analysis to examine energy consumption associated with the potable and reclaimed water systems for the Town of Cary, North Carolina. Using hydraulic planning models of both systems provided by the design engineers, the conveyance and additional treatment energy is tabulated. This method considers uncertainty in reclaimed water demand by varying the expected demand for each build out of the reclaimed water network. Differential electricity consumption is calculated as the difference between the electricity consumed to deliver reclaimed water through a secondary network compared to the electricity consumed to deliver the same volume through the potable water network. Demand uncert...
Making English local: Chronotopes in language policy discourse

This study examines the role of chronotopes in a municipal campaign to make English the official language. Drawing on theories of scale, localism, and chronotopes in discourse, this article traces how 30 town residents situated the English language in local and US history through talk and gesture. By evoking two contrasting chronotopes as they created and interpreted the language policy, people positioned monolingualism as a local tradition and multilingualism as a new, outside threat. Yet these chronotopes of local time and distant time were also recursive and fluid in two key ways. First, the US could be aligned with or against the local, which allowed English-only advocates to simultaneously criticize the nation and appeal to an idealized US past. Second, some critics of the policy reconfigured the chronotopes in order to posit multilingualism as the more authentic local tradition. These moves allowed the people involved to support, redefine and resist the English-only movement.
Proving Concurrent Data Structures Linearizable

Linearizability of concurrent data structure implementationsis notoriously hard to prove. Consequently, currentverification techniques can only prove linearizability for certainclasses of data structures. We introduce a generic, sound, andpractical technique to statically check the linearizability of concurrentdata structure implementations. Our technique involvesspecifying the concurrent operations as a list of sub-operationsand passing this specification on to an automated checker thatverifies linearizability using relationships between individual sub-operations. We have proven the soundness of our technique. Ourapproach is expressive: we have successfully verified the linearizabilityof 12 popular concurrent data structure implementationsincluding algorithms that are considered to be challenging toprove linearizable such as elimination back-off stack, lazy linkedlist, and time-stamped stack. Our checker is effective, as it canverify the specifications in less than a second.
Propeller-Shaped Acceptors for High-Performance Non-Fullerene Solar Cells: Importance of the Rigidity of Molecular Geometry

This paper describes the synthesis and application of βTPB6 and βTPB6-C as electron acceptors for organic solar cells. Compound βTPB6 contains four covalently bonded PDIs with a BDT-Th core at the β-position. The free rotation of PDIs renders βTPB6 with varying molecular geometries. The cyclization of βTPB6 yields βTPB6-C with high rigidity of the molecular geometry and enlarged conjugated skeleton. The inverted solar cells based on βTPB6-C and PTB7-Th as the donor polymer exhibited the highest efficiency of 7.69% with Voc of 0.92 V, Jsc of 14.9 mAcm–2, and FF of 0.56, which is 31% higher than that for βTPB6 based devices. The larger fraction of βTPB6-C and PTB7-Th than that of βTPB6:PTB7-Th in a blend film takes a face-on orientation packing pattern for π-systems that benefits the charge transport and hence higher PCE value than that for βTPB6:PTB7-Th. It was also found that a proper DIO:DPE additive further enhances this trend, which results in an increase of the PCE value for βTPB6-C:PTB7-Th while decr...
Rear seat belt usage models using FARS and field data

Little research has been performed to evaluate the factors that impact seat belt usage for rear seat occupants. Because of the difficulties to collect rear seat belt data in the field, most researches have to rely on crash data, however, has its limit. Seat belt usage passengers not seriously hurt in a crash would typically not be recorded in the police officer filling report. In this study, Rear seat belt models using logistic regression analysis were performed using both FARS data and observational data. The resulting models were then analyzed to determine differences between using crash data and field data in identifying factors associated with the seat belt usage of rear seat occupants. The research showed both similar and differing results between the models produced using FARS data and field data. All the models using the FARS data showed a strong correlation between the back seat passenger’s seat belt usage and the driver’s seat belt usage. The research shows there are differences obtained in the factors that influence seat belt usage using field data and FARS data. The research demonstrates that care must be taken in the use of this data with regard to safety research looking at passenger restraint.
The Fundamental Group

Elementary analytic geometry provides a good example of the applications of formal algebraic techniques to the study of geometric concepts. A similar situation exists in algebraic topology, where one associates algebraic structures with the purely topological, or geometric, configurations. The two basic geometric entities of topology are topological spaces and continuous functions mapping one space into another. The algebra involved, in contrast to that of ordinary analytic geometry, is what is frequently called modern algebra. To the spaces and continuous maps between them are made to correspond groups and group homomorphisms. The analogy with analytic geometry, however, breaks down in one essential feature. Whereas the coordinate algebra of analytic geometry completely reflects the geometry, the algebra of topology is only a partial characterization of the topology. This means that a typical theorem of algebraic topology will read: If topological spaces X and Y are homeomorphic, then such and such algebraic conditions are satisfied. The converse proposition, however, will generally be false. Thus, if the algebraic conditions are not satisfied, we know that X and Y are topologically distinct. If, on the other hand, they are fulfilled, we usually can conclude nothing. The bridge from topology to algebra is almost always a one-way road; but even with that one can do a lot.
Effect of random vertical orientation for mobile users in visible light communication

The reliability of visible light communication (VLC) channels highly depends on the availability and alignment of line of sight links. In this paper, we study the effect of random receiver orientation for mobile users over VLC downlink channels, which affects the existence and the quality of line of sight links. Based on the statistics of vertical receiver orientation and user mobility, we develop an analytical framework to characterize the statistical distribution of VLC downlink channels, which is then utilized to obtain the outage probability and the bit error rate. Extensive Monte Carlo simulations show a perfect match between the analytical and the simulation data in terms of both the statistical channel distribution and the resulting bit error rate.
Ethics and digital government

After considering the high costs to digital government of inadequate ethical choices, the role of ethics in government generally is reviewed. While codes of ethics may not go far toward resolving ethical challenges, they provide bases for ethical discourses and embody key ethical principles. Selected principles from the Code of Ethics of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) are applied to contemporary ethical issues in the context of digital government. In the rapidly evolving environments of digital technology, it is impossible to anticipate the leading-edge ethical issues. However, there are solid ethical or moral imperatives to use these principles for resolution of the issues.
Resizable, Scalable, Concurrent Hash Tables

We present algorithms for shrinking and expanding a hash table while allowing concurrent, wait-free, linearly scalable lookups. These resize algorithms allow the hash table to maintain constant-time performance as the number of entries grows, and reclaim memory as the number of entries decreases, without delaying or disrupting readers. We implemented our algorithms in the Linux kernel, to test their performance and scalability. Benchmarks show lookup scalability improved 125x over readerwriter locking, and 56% over the current state-of-the-art for Linux, with no performance degradation for lookups during a resize. To achieve this performance, this hash table implementation uses a new concurrent programming methodology known as relativistic programming. In particular, we make use of an existing synchronization primitive which waits for all current readers to finish, with little to no reader overhead; careful use of this primitive allows ordering of updates without read-side synchronization or memory barriers.
A New Metric for Parental Selection in Plant Breeding

Plant breeding is the art of genetic improvement through creation and selection for novel characteristics in plants. Parental selection provides the raw materials for creating each new generation of genetic improvements. Ultimately, the probability of successfully meeting the breeding objectives depends on selection of parents for intermating. With the application of operations research, we developed a new metric, parental breeding value (PBV), based on application of conditional probability distribution to help to solve the parental selection problem to accelerate the process of plant breeding and save resources at the same time. The water pipe model is provided in the thesis to calculate PBV efficiently. Also, we discuss the potential of Markov Decision Processes to address the challenge. For small scale cases, the MDP based approach will lead to a precise result with better performance. However, when dealing with large scale problem, it will suffer calculation complexity and can hardly be applied to realistic problems. In order to fix this, we try simulations based on PBV which can overcome the limitation of the MDP approach. From the results of simulations, the PBV metric is demonstrated to shorten the plant breeding process and decrease the resources costs. We can conclude that the PBV will contribute to deriving better strategies for realistic plant breeding objectives.
Integrity checking in cryptographic file systems with constant trusted storage

In this paper we propose two new constructions for protecting the integrity of files in cryptographic file systems. Our constructions are designed to exploit two characteristics of many file-system workloads, namely low entropy of file contents and high sequentiality of file block writes. At the same time, our approaches maintain the best features of the most commonly used algorithm today (Merkle trees), including defense against replay of stale (previously overwritten) blocks and a small, constant amount of trusted storage per file. Via implementations in the EncFS cryptographic file system, we evaluate the performance and storage requirements of our new constructions compared to those of Merkle trees. We conclude with guidelines for choosing the best integrity algorithm depending on typical application workload.
Teaching RSA: What Happens When One of Your Primes Isn't?

Once you introduce RSA and probabilistic primality testing to your cryptography class, one of your brighter students will ask "What happens if the test is wrong?" It turns out the answer can vary from "You'll find out immediately" to "It makes no difference" to "It depends". We explain the mathematics that determine where the answer lies, and illustrate with examples suitable for use in the undergraduate classroom. We conclude by showing how to construct a key pair that produces correct RSA results from composite numbers p and q, and thus whose composite nature is not detectable through RSA encryption and decryption alone.
Considerations for Ethnically Diverse Clients

More than one-third of the population of the United States consists of ethnic minorities, and ethnic minorities will become the majority of the population between the years 2030 and 2050 (Sue & Sue, 1999) . The field of planned brief therapy also is growing impressively, and currently consists of more than 150 books and edited paper collections in the English language, about 2000 journal articles, and at least three journals (Bloom, 1997) . Remarkably little attention has been devoted to considering ethnic minority clients in the brief therapy literature, however. Within the area of behavior therapy, for instance, which is perhaps more likely than the other major areas of therapy to operate briefly, Iwamasa (1997) laments that “over the past several decades, only 1.31% of the articles published in three leading behavioral jourmals, Behavioral Assessment, Behavior Modification , and Behavior Therapy , focused on ethnic minority groups” (p. 347).
Social Justice, Character Education, and Sport: A Position Statement

In this article, we suggest that character education in sport contexts can promote social justice. After defining key terms, we suggest that rethinking competition and the nature of team relationsh...
Pharmacological exposures may precipitate craniosynostosis through targeted stem cell depletion.

Abstract The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Birth Defects Study suggests that environmental exposures including maternal thyroid diseases, maternal nicotine use, and use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) may exacerbate incidence and or severity of craniofacial abnormalities including craniosynostosis. Premature fusion of a suture(s) of the skull defines the birth defect craniosynostosis which occurs in 1:1800-2500 births. A proposed mechanism of craniosynostosis is the disruption of proliferation and differentiation of cells in the perisutural area. Here, we hypothesize that pharmacological exposures including excess thyroid hormone, nicotine, and SSRIs lead to an alteration of stem cells within the sutures resulting in premature fusion. In utero exposure to nicotine and citalopram (SSRI) increased the risk of premature suture fusion in a wild-type murine model. Gli1+ stem cells were reduced, stem cell populations were depleted, and homeostasis of the suture mesenchyme was altered with exposure. Thus, although these pharmacological exposures can deplete calvarial stem cell populations leading to craniosynostosis, depletion of stem cells is not a unifying mechanism for pharmacological exposure associated craniosynostosis.
Technologies for rooftop and building-integrated CPV

Recent developments in microtracking concentrating photovoltaics will be presented, including a proof-of-concept system that achieves 30% efficiency in full-day outdoor testing and a skylight adaptation that harvests direct, but transmits diffuse sunlight for building-integrated applications.