cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of CO2 injection into shale gas reservoirs considering dispersed distribution of kerogen

Abstract Injection of CO2 into shale gas reservoir has gained great interest due to its potential for both enhanced gas recovery and permanent CO2 sequestration. It is revealed that the heterogeneous shale rock is comprised of organic matter (kerogen) and inorganic matter (including clay, quartz, pyrite etc.) and kerogen is a dispersed phase. The distinct physio-chemical properties between organic and inorganic matter that reflect in the matrix permeability, pore size, wettability and gas occurring status, lead to different gas transport and flow performance in porous media. However, most previous studies built up the simulation models by using one continuum in shale matrix without distinguishing organic and inorganic matter, which may lead to inaccurate evaluation of CO2 injection performance. In this work, the shale matrix is subdivided into organic matrix and inorganic matrix with their unique characteristics. The organic matrix is dispersed and embedded in the inorganic matrix. The inorganic matrix is directly connected to the hydraulic/natural fractures that created explicitly by embedded discrete fracture model. Both huff-n-puff and gas flooding schemes in shale gas reservoir are examined. The simulation results indicate that the CO2 storage capacity of shale reservoir is significantly reduced if dispersed distribution of kerogen is considered. Most of injected CO2 enters inorganic pores while limited amount of CO2 can contact the kerogen due to the low flow conductivity between organic and inorganic matrix. The CO2 in inorganic pores will be quickly reproduced without replacing adsorbed methane in kerogen. Sensitivity tests show that total organic carbon and injection rate have trivial effects on the efficiency of CO2 injection while gas diffusion is a key factor for evaluation.
Identifying Guideline-Practice Gaps to Optimize Evaluation and Management for Patients With Syncope

Abstract Syncope is a common and complex symptom that requires efficient evaluation to determine the cause. Recent guidelines focus on high-value testing, but a systematic evaluation of their implementation has not been performed. To this end, we used a mixed-methods approach of surveys, chart reviews, and focus groups to understand current practices relating to the diagnosis and management of patients with syncope and to identify barriers and facilitators to the implementation of guideline-supported recommendations. Surveys were distributed to 1500 providers in the specialties of hospital medicine, cardiology, emergency medicine, and family medicine, and 175 responses were received. Knowledge of class I and III guideline recommendations were assessed with the use of clinical vignettes, which were answered correctly 60%-80% of the time. Chart reviews focused on patient history and testing for syncope. Per the guidelines,
Use of dietary frass from black soldier fly larvae, Hermetia illucens, in hybrid tilapia (Nile x Mozambique, Oreocromis niloticus x O. mozambique) diets improves growth and resistance to bacterial diseases

Abstract Frass, a by-product of the larval meal industry, is heterogeneous and includes larval excrement, exoskeleton sheds and residual feed ingredients along with abundant nutrients, chitin and beneficial microbes. The present study was performed to evaluate the changes in growth, feed utilization, body composition, hematology, serum chemistry, immune responses and disease resistance of hybrid tilapia, Nile x Mozambique (Oreocromis niloticus x O. mozambique) fed diets containing frass from black soldier fly larvae, Hermetia illucens. Five diets containing frass at levels of 0, 5, 10, 20, and 30% as partial replacements of a combination of soybean meal, wheat short and corn meal on an equal protein basis were fed to juvenile hybrid tilapia (2.6 ± 0.035 g) in quadruplicate aquaria to apparent satiation twice a day for the first two weeks and once daily for rest of the feeding trail. Final weight gain was significantly increased in fish fed the diet including the highest level of frass (30%). Fish fed diets containing frass (5% to 30%) had significantly higher protein efficiency than the group fed diet without frass (control diet). Feed intake and feed utilization efficiency were not significantly affected by dietary treatments. Survival during the feeding trail, whole-body composition, hematological parameters, and serum biochemistry were not affected by dietary treatment. Serum complement activity of fish fed 30% dietary frass was significantly higher than that of fish fed other treatments. Fish fed the diets containing frass showed significant dose-dependent trends in survival against both Flavobacterium columnare and Streptococcus iniae challenges. Frass from the larvae of black solder flies fed Distillers’ dried grains with solubles has potential for use as feed ingredient for improving growth of hybrid tilapia. Use of frass in tilapia diets may prove beneficial by improving innate immune components and the resistance of hybrid tilapia against bacterial infection.
HVACLearn: A reinforcement learning based occupant-centric control for thermostat set-points

In this paper, we present a Reinforcement Learning (RL) based Occupant-Centric Controller (OCC) for thermostats, HVACLearn. Monitoring indoor air temperature, occupancy, and thermal vote, the agent learns the unique occupant behavior and indoor environments and calculates adaptive thermostat set-points to balance between occupant comfort and energy efficiency. We simulated HVACLearn performance in a single occupant office with occupant behavior models from the literature (i.e., occupancy and thermal vote). Compared to a reference controller, HVACLearn reduced the number of button presses (too hot) significantly, while consuming same or less cooling energy. For the heating, HVACLearn resulted in almost same number of button presses (too cold) with slightly less heating energy consumption.
The COVID-19 Pandemic and Plastic Surgery: Literature Review, Ethical Analysis, and Proposed Guidelines.

Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), known as the "coronavirus," has spread to over 170 countries. In response, many organizations have spoken out and called for cancellation of all elective surgical procedures. This study aimed to provide clear recommendations for plastic surgeons to follow by addressing the following issues: (1) What defines elective surgery, and where does one draw the line between essential versus nonessential services? (2) How does this differ in the hospital versus private practice setting? (3) If called on to operate on a patient with COVID-19, how do plastic surgeons protect themselves and still provide excellent medical care? Methods A Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses systematic review of the literature on plastic surgery in the setting of a pandemic was performed on March 19, 2020. An ethical analysis was conducted using the four principles of medical ethics. Results The initial search yielded 118 articles. Eighteen articles were relevant and included for analysis. Only one editorial article was published in a plastic surgery journal. Accordingly, no peer-reviewed published COVID-19 guidelines exist for plastic surgery. Given that this pandemic may place health care systems under undue stress with an unpredictable trajectory, it is the responsibility of the plastic surgeon to assess and postpone cases whenever possible to properly contribute to adequate resource allocation and patient safety measures. Conclusions This article fills an important gap in the literature by addressing COVID-19 and providing guidelines for upholding ethics and responsible resource allocation. By upholding these standards, plastic surgeons can do their part to help minimize the spread of this virus.
Note on approximating the Laplace transform of a Gaussian on a complex disk

In this short note we study how well a Gaussian distribution can be approximated by distributions supported on $[-a,a]$. Perhaps, the natural conjecture is that for large $a$ the almost optimal choice is given by truncating the Gaussian to $[-a,a]$. Indeed, such approximation achieves the optimal rate of $e^{-\Theta(a^2)}$ in terms of the $L_\infty$-distance between characteristic functions. However, if we consider the $L_\infty$-distance between Laplace transforms on a complex disk, the optimal rate is $e^{-\Theta(a^2 \log a)}$, while truncation still only attains $e^{-\Theta(a^2)}$. The optimal rate can be attained by the Gauss-Hermite quadrature. As corollary, we also construct a ``super-flat'' Gaussian mixture of $\Theta(a^2)$ components with means in $[-a,a]$ and whose density has all derivatives bounded by $e^{-\Omega(a^2 \log(a))}$ in the $O(1)$-neighborhood of the origin.
Design, construction, and advantages of 100% online laboratories in an upper division undergraduate biology course

For centuries, students have been taught by passively listening to lectures, usually in large groups. In many fields, this type of course delivery is not ideal. In addition, students that have grown up with online access and/or have been forced to take online course during the recent pandemic, are seeking improved online educational experiences. As providers of education, Universities must adapt to this rapidly changing environment. The emergence of exciting, “disruptive” technologies has provided the tools needed for educators to revolutionize the delivery of higher education. The University of Florida, through UF Online, provides students the opportunity to enroll in fully online four-year undergraduate degrees. In this report, we describe the development of fully online laboratories for the upper-division course EvolutionaryDevelopmental Biology, which fulfill the University of Florida’s laboratory requirement. This course is taken by Biology, Zoology, and related majors, including majors in the 100% online Biology degree. The experiments in the virtual laboratories would have been impossible to teach in a residential setting due to time constraints, cost, student safety issues, and regulatory/certification requirements. The ability to perform these experiments online provided University of Florida undergraduates located throughout the world access to unique, one-of-a-kind laboratory experiences. The virtual laboratories allowed students to undertake in-depth exploration and application of course content that is not possible in a residential setting. Completion of the Evolutionary Developmental Biology course provided undergraduate students the opportunity to obtain a science degree without ever visiting the university’s residential campus. During the Fall 2020 term, this course was made available to residential students, thus allowing this cohort of students to continue to make progress, 100% online, towards their undergraduate degree during the COVID19 pandemic.
Critical evaluation of short, long, and hybrid assembly for contextual analysis of antibiotic resistance genes in complex environmental metagenomes

In the fight to limit the global spread of antibiotic resistance, the assembly of environmental metagenomes has the potential to provide rich contextual information (e.g., taxonomic hosts, carriage on mobile genetic elements) about antibiotic resistance genes (ARG) in the environment. However, computational challenges associated with assembly can impact the accuracy of downstream analyses. This work critically evaluates the impact of assembly leveraging short reads, nanopore MinION long-reads, and a combination of the two (hybrid) on ARG contextualization for ten environmental metagenomes using seven prominent assemblers (IDBA-UD, MEGAHIT, Canu, Flye, Opera-MS, metaSpades and HybridSpades). While short-read and hybrid assemblies produced similar patterns of ARG contextualization, raw or assembled long nanopore reads produced distinct patterns. Based on an in-silico spike-in experiment using real and simulated reads, we show that low to intermediate coverage species are more likely to be incorporated into chimeric contigs across all assemblers and sequencing technologies, while more abundant species produce assemblies with a greater frequency of inversions and insertion/deletions (indels). In sum, our analyses support hybrid assembly as a valuable technique for boosting the reliability and accuracy of assembly-based analyses of ARGs and neighboring genes at environmentally-relevant coverages, provided that sufficient short-read sequencing depth is achieved.
Autism risk in neonatal intensive care unit patients associated with novel heart rate patterns.

BACKGROUND Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) patients are at increased risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Autonomic nervous system aberrancy has been described in children with ASD, and we aimed to identify heart rate (HR) patterns in NICU patients associated with eventual ASD diagnosis. METHODS This retrospective cohort study included NICU patients from 2009 to 2016 with archived HR data and follow-up beyond age 3 years. Medical records provided clinical variables and ASD diagnosis. HR data were compared in infants with and without ASD. RESULTS Of the 2371 patients, 88 had ASD, and 689,016 h of data were analyzed. HR skewness (HRskw) was significantly different between ASD and control infants. Preterm infants at early postmenstrual ages (PMAs) had negative HRskw reflecting decelerations, which increased with maturation. From 34 to 42 weeks PMA, positive HRskw toward accelerations was higher in males with ASD. In 931 males with at least 4 days of HR data, overall ASD prevalence was 5%, whereas 11% in the top 5th HRskw percentile had ASD. CONCLUSION High HRskw in NICU males, perhaps representing autonomic imbalance, was associated with increased ASD risk. Further study is needed to determine whether HR analysis identifies highest-risk infants who might benefit from earlier screening and therapies. IMPACT In a large retrospective single-center cohort of NICU patients, we found that high positive skewness of heart rate toward more accelerations was significantly associated with increased risk of eventual autism spectrum disorder diagnosis in male infants but not in females. Existing literature describes differences in heart rate characteristics in children, adolescents, and adults with autism spectrum disorders, but the finding from our study in NICU infants is novel. Heart rate analysis during the NICU stay might identify, among an inherently high-risk population, those infants with especially high risk of ASD who might benefit from earlier screening and therapies.
Social Norms Theory and Measurement in Entertainment-Education: Insights from Case Studies in Four Countries

This chapter starts by defining social norms in entertainment-education (EE) and provides an overview of social norms constructs and theories. The chapter next presents social norms case studies from the authors’ work as EE researchers in four countries. The first case study measures changes in social norms in India as a result of the television program Kyunki…Jeena Issi Ka Naam Hai (Because… That’s What Life Is). The second case study is from Mozambique, where the authors investigated the role of social norms from the Ouro Negro (Black Gold) radio program. The third case study examined social norms from a TV drama in Bangladesh: Icchedana (On the Wings of Wishes). And the final case study is from Zambia, where social norms measurement tools were tested with hopes of scaling across EE programs. The chapter concludes with lessons learned from the authors’ collective experiences studying social norms and EE.
Additive manufacturing of textured ceramics: A review

Additive manufacturing (AM) is a powerful tool for fabricating ceramics with novel and/or improved properties by enabling access to unique part architecture and geometry, and control of pore structure and distribution. In this review we show that layer-wise and direct writing AM processes can be used to fabricate microscopically-textured ceramics with unique crystallographic orientations by combining templated grain growth (TGG) with manipulation of the rheological properties of the feedstock, printhead geometry and printing speed during layer-wise and direct writing AM processes. For TGG the shear gradient, and resultant local torque, during printing aligns anisotropically-shaped template particles which serve as substrates for subsequent oriented grain growth and increase in crystallographic texture in the final part during sintering. We show how the deposition flow field and rheology of AM feedstocks coupled with anisotropic printing nozzles enables enhanced template alignment by impacting the torque gradient during deposition. Prospects for AM of textured ceramics are presented.
Electronic health records as an equity tool for LGBTQIA+ people.

Collection of data on sexual orientation, gender identity and intersex status will help to reduce health disparities that affect people from sexual and gender minority communities.
Resected Lung Cancer Patients Who Would and Would Not Have Met Screening Criteria.

Background Current eligibility criteria for lung cancer screening may underestimate the risk of malignancy for some individuals. We compared the predicted risk of lung cancer among patients who would have met screening criteria to those who would not have despite being at moderate-risk. Methods A retrospective cohort study of resected lung cancer patients was performed. The screen eligible group was based on criteria provided by the United States Preventive Services Task Force; age 55 to 80 and a 30 or greater pack-year smoking history. The screen ineligible group was based on criteria provided by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network for a moderate-risk individual not recommended screening; age greater than 50 years, greater than 20 pack-year smoking history, and no history of asbestos exposure or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. A recently validated risk-prediction model was used to compare the risk of lung cancer across eligibility groups based on measured and imputed patient-level variables. Results Screen ineligible patients (n = 88) had a lower estimated probability of lung cancer than screen eligible patients (n = 419); 1.3% versus 3.1%, p value less than 0.001. However, 20% of screen ineligible patients had a predicted probability of lung cancer greater than or equal to the prevalence of lung cancer (3.7%) among National Lung Screening Trial participants; 17% of screen ineligible patients had a predicted probability of lung cancer greater than or equal to the American Association for Thoracic Surgery threshold (5%) defining high-risk individuals. Conclusions Current eligibility criteria for lung cancer screening underestimate the risk of lung cancer for some individuals who might benefit from lung cancer screening.
Application of a Vacuum Transfer Device for Exchange of Surface Standards

This paper first gives a brief technical summary of the properties of an ultrahigh-vacuum transfer device capable of transferring specimens between two ultrahigh-vacuum (uhv) systems anywhere on earth, maintaining the specimen at uhv at all times. The major objective of this paper is to explore the application of this transfer device for the exchange of surface standards. This includes the scientific objectives to be achieved and the practical problems involved. The authors conclude that transfers between most existing surface analysis instruments should be possible without overwhelming difficulties.
Effects of the 1988 Wildfires on Streams of Yellowstone National Park

We postulate (Minshall et. al. 1989, Minshall and Brock 1991) that the effects of the 1988 fires on stream ecosystems in Yellowstone National Park can be partitioned into (1) immediate effects arising directly from the fire (e.g., increased temperatures, altered water chemistry, abrupt change in food quality) and (2) delayed impacts resulting from the removal and eventual successional replacement of the vegetative cover. Some of these delayed effects are primarily physical disturbances associated with increased runoff. These are likely to exert their maximum impact within the first few years after fire. In addition, longer-term alterations associated with the removal and recovery of riparian and upland terrestrial vegetative cover and consequent alteration of food resources and retention capacity in the stream may be expected (Likens and Bilby 1982, Molles 1982, Minshall et al. 1989).
Hardware-Software Codesign for Dynamically Reconfigurable Architectures

The paper addresses the problem of mapping an application specified as a task graph on a heterogeneous architecture which contains a software processor, a dynamically reconfigurable hardware coprocessor and memory elements. The problem comprises of three sub-problems: partitioning of tasks between hardware and software, assigning tasks mapped on hardware to different temporal segments and scheduling task execution, reconfiguration of hardware, inter-processor and intra-processor communication. We present a heuristic based technique for solving the problem. The effectiveness of the technique is demonstrated by a case study of the JPEG image compression algorithm and experimentation with synthetic graphs.
Congenital diaphragmatic hernia: efficacy of ultrasound examination in its management

To date, uniform standards for congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) management have not existed. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the evolving clinical outcome of the patients with CDH and to present our recent management protocol using echocardiography. Sixty patients treated for CDH at our hospital from 1978 through 2001 were reviewed. Periods of treatments were divided arbitrarily into three periods;1978–1991 (period I, n=26), 1992–1994 (period II, n=6), 1995–2001 (period III, n=28). Immediate repair was performed during period I. We performed preoperative stabilization and delayed repair since the start of period II, and nitric oxide (NO) was introduced in period III. In period III, our management strategy was the use of fentanyl for sedation and analgesia; vasoactive agents such as dopamine, dobutamine, and prostagrandin E1 in selected cases; the use of high-frequency oscillating ventilation (HFOV), inhaled NO; and venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) if indicated. The details of stabilization management and the timing of surgery were determined using echocardiography to evaluate pulmonary hypertension (PH) by measuring dimension and shunt patterns through the ductus arteriosus (DA), right pulmonary artery (rPA) and left pulmonary artery (lPA). Overall, 42 of 60 patients survived (70%). The number of patients surviving in each period was 14 of 26 (54%) in period I, 4 of 6 (67%) in period II, and 24 of 28 (86%) in period III. Seventeen of 28 patients in period III required inhaled NO (group A). Of these 17 patients, 5 required ECMO; of these 5, 3 were long-term survivors. The remaining 11 patients from period III who were managed without NO (group B) survived. In left-sided CDH cases, the dimension of DA at admission in group A (5.07±1.79 mm) was significantly larger than in group B (2.99±1.68 mm) (P<0.01). The dimension of rPA in group A (3.37±0.80 mm) was significantly smaller as compared with group B (4.28±0.72 mm) (P<0.01). Although the dimension of lPA was not significantly different between group A (3.03±0.74 mm) and group B (3.46±0.48 mm), lPA blood flow was noticeably stronger in group B. DA shunt patterns were bi-directional (53%), right-to-left (40%) and left-to-right (7%) in group A, whereas no patients in group B showed a right-to-left shunt pattern. After confirmation of closure of DA or dominant left-to-right shunt, and marked increase of pulmonary arterial blood flow, patients in both group A and B underwent surgery successfully. In four non-survivors, findings of improving PH were not observed. We conclude that echocardiographic examination is useful to manage persistent pulmonary hypertension with recent treatment modalities including NO and HFOV and to determine the proper timing of surgery, which contributes to an improved outcome of CDH.
Growth and properties of oxygen- and ion-doped Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8+δ single crystals

A directional solidification method for growing large single crystals in the ${\mathrm{Bi}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Sr}}_{2}$${\mathrm{CaCu}}_{2}$${\mathrm{O}}_{8+\mathrm{\ensuremath{\delta}}}$ system is reported. Ion doping, with replacement of La for Sr and Y for Ca, as well as oxygen doping in these crystals has been explored. Doped and undoped crystals have been characterized using microprobe analysis, x-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, and magnetic and Hall measurements. Ion doping results in little change of the superconducting transition for substitution levels below 20--25%, while beyond this level the Meissner signal broadens and the low-temperature Meissner signal decreases. Microprobe analysis and x-ray diffraction performed on these more highly substituted single crystals provide evidence for inhomogeneity and phase segregation into regions of distinct composition. Annealing unsubstituted crystals in increasing partial pressures of oxygen reversibly depresses the superconducting transition temperature from 90 (as made) to 77 K (oxygen pressure annealed), while the carrier concentrations, as determined from Hall effect measurements, increase from n=3.1(3)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{21}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}3}$ (0.34 holes per Cu site) to 4.6(3)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{21}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}3}$ (0.50 holes per Cu site).No degradation of the Meissner transition or other indications of inhomogeneity or phase segregation with doping are noted, suggesting that oxygen-doped ${\mathrm{Bi}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Sr}}_{2}$${\mathrm{CaCu}}_{2}$${\mathrm{O}}_{8+\mathrm{\ensuremath{\delta}}}$ is a suitable system for pursuing doping studies. The decrease in ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{c}}$ with concentration for 0.34\ensuremath{\le}n\ensuremath{\le}0.50 indicates that a high-carrier-concentration regime exists in which ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{c}}$ decreases with n and suggests that this decrease does not arise from material inhomogeneity or other materials problems. An examination of the variation of ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{c}}$ with the density of states and lattice constants for all of the doped and undoped superconducting samples considered here indicates that changes in ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{c}}$ with doping are primarily affected by changes in the density of states (or carrier concentration) rather than by structural variation induced by the doping.
Steiner tree in planar graphs: an O ( n log n ) approximation scheme with singly-exponential dependence on epsilon

We give an algorithm that, for any e > 0, any undirected planar graph G, and any set S of nodes of G, computes a (1+e)-optimal Steiner tree in G that spans the nodes of S. The algorithm takes time O(2poly(1/e)n log n).
Biochemical and Structural Properties of a Thermostable Mercuric Ion Reductase from Metallosphaera sedula.

Mercuric ion reductase (MerA), a mercury detoxification enzyme, has been tuned by evolution to have high specificity for mercuric ions (Hg2+) and to catalyze their reduction to a more volatile, less toxic elemental form. Here, we present a biochemical and structural characterization of MerA from the thermophilic crenarchaeon Metallosphaera sedula. MerA from M. sedula is a thermostable enzyme, and remains active after extended incubation at 97 °C. At 37 ᵒC, the NADPH oxidation-linked Hg2+ reduction specific activity was found to be 1.9 µmol/min•mg, increasing to 3.1µmol/min•mg at 70 °C. M. sedula MerA crystals were obtained and the structure was solved to 1.6 A, representing the first solved crystal structure of a thermophilic MerA. Comparison of both the crystal structure and amino acid sequence of MerA from M. sedula to mesophillic counterparts provides new insights into the structural determinants that underpin the thermal stability of the enzyme.
Elliptic curve cryptography

Elliptic curve (EC) public key cryptosystems were proposed independently in 1985 by Victor Miller and Neal Koblitz and are gaining favor as an efficient and attractive alternative to the more conventional public key cryptosystems (e.g., RSA) in some applications. The author surveys the mathematical and practical challenges one faces when designing and implementing an EC cryptosystem, with special attention given to the point counting problem.
How to Find Nothing

Hypothesis testing can be misused and misinterpreted in various ways. Limitations in the research design, for example, can make it almost impossible to reject the null hypothesis that a policy has no effect. This article discusses two examples of such experimental designs and analyses, in which, unfortunately, the researchers touted their null results as strong evidence of no effect.
Moral managers and business sanctuaries

Richard Konrad claims that businessmen are guilty of adhering to a vicious form of ethical relativism. In practice, the relativism takes the form of doing an act which ordinarily would be called wrong and then claiming that the act is right or justified because it falls under a special set of codes (business ethics) which preempt ordinary ones. These codes or business ethics establish ‘moral sanctuaries’ for businessmen. Konrad examines three versions of the sanctuary position, argues that they fail, and concludes that the position is untenable. In this article it is claimed that Konrad is in error, that upon closer examination the three versions do provide justification for businessmen claiming relief from moral criticism.
Electrical transitions in metal oxides

A discussion of various electrical and magnetic transitions is provided for the cases of Fe3O4, V3O5, and V2O3. The different mechanisms responsible for these transitions are briefly outlined.
Further comments on "Optimal control of the linear regulator with constant disturbances"

In a recent correspondence Davison raised some questions regarding the technical accuracy and practical utility of a proposed control scheme. The purpose of this correspondence is to: 1) reply to Davison and 2) attempt to place in clearer perspective the motivation for, and usefulness of, the proposed method. In addition, some new results are described.
Capturing strong reduction in director string calculus

Abstract A modified version of director string calculus (MDSC) is introduced which preserves the applicative structure of the original lambda terms and captures the strong reduction as opposed to weak reduction of the original director string calculus (DSC). Furthermore, MDSC provides an environment which supports the nonatomic nature of the substitution operation and hence can lend itself to parallel and optimal reduction.
Marginal BY Draconis stars

Spectroscopic observations of 52 dK-dM stars, obtained at 640-665 nm (with spectral resolution 70-90 pm) using CCD detectors on the coude-feed telescope at KPNO since 1982, are reported. Data for four stars found to have diluted absorption or weak emission above continuum at H-alpha are presented in tables and spectra and discussed in detail. These objects (Gliese numbers 256, 425A, 900, and 907.1) are shown to be 'marginal' BY Dra stars, single objects of age 2.5-3 Gyr with activity and rotational velocity (3-5 km/s) between those of normal dM stars and those of true BY Dra stars. An explanation based on evolution from the BY Dra stage through marginal BY Dra to inactive dM is proposed.
Fibro-osseous and giant cell lesions, including brown tumor of the mandible, maxilla, and other craniofacial bones

Fibro-osseous, osseous, cartilaginous, and giant cell lesions of the mandible, maxilla, and facial region, including the orbit and paraorbital regions (ie, paranasal sinuses), are uncommon. These lesions may share overlapping clinical, radiologic, and pathologic features, causing potential difficulties in diagnosis [1]. Included within this spectrum are nonneoplastic proliferation and neoplasms. The latter are further separated into benign and malignant categories. The specific entities that are discussed in this article include the following: fibrous dysplasia (FD), ossifying fibroma and its variant, the psammomatoid (juvenile) active ossifying fibroma, osteoma, osteoblastoma, giant cell tumor (GCT), giant cell reparative granuloma (GCRG), and brown tumor. This article presents radiographic criteria that may assist in differentiating these lesions from one another. The value of radiographs in the histopathologic diagnosis of fibro-osseous, osseous, and cartilaginous lesions cannot be overemphasized. Furthermore, the histopathologic diagnosis of such lesions should not be rendered without radiographic correlation [1]. In contrast to similar lesions of long bones, those involving the head, including orbital and paraorbital regions, often undergo curettage, precluding comments about their gross appearance [1]. Benign fibro-osseous lesions Included under the rubric of benign fibro-osseous
Organizing High‐Tech Permatemps in the Pacific Northwest

The growth of high technology in the economy has not translated into high-wage jobs. Surprisingly, a large share of the workers in the high-technology and Internet industry are temporary workers, contracted by agencies to the industry. WashTech is seeking to organize and improve conditions among workers employed at Microsoft and other high-technology companies.
Vitamin D and Metabolic Syndrome Risk Factors: Evidence and Mechanisms

The metabolic syndrome develops in an individual with any three of the following risk factors: obesity, diabetes, inflammation, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and thrombosis. Recent evidence suggests that vitamin D may play a role in the development of some of these risk factors. The metabolic syndrome is more common in western societies than the underdeveloped countries. Individuals in western societies usually consume a high calorie diet that lacks essential nutrients and, by virtue of being located in the northern hemisphere, they have limited sun exposures which restrict their vitamin D synthesis. Moreover, the lifestyle of these societies is considered sedentary. These dietary and environmental factors coupled with the sedentary lifestyle predispose them to metabolic syndrome risk factors. Active research revealed the role of vitamin D in the development of obesity, diabetes, inflammation, and hypertension. On the other hand, limited research has been done on the role of vitamin D in other risk factors such as dyslipidemia and thrombosis. The scientific community proposes to increase the current vitamin D fortification level in foods to reduce the risk factors of the metabolic syndrome.
Susceptibility of red and gray foxes to infection by Ehrlichia chaffeensis.

Red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and gray foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) were evaluated for their susceptibility to experimental infection with Ehrlichia chaffeensis, the causative agent of human monocytotropic ehrlichiosis. Two red foxes and three gray foxes were inoculated intravenously with E. chaffeensis (15B-WTD-GA strain) and were monitored at 7, 14, 21, and 28 days post inoculation (DPI) for evidence of infection using an indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA) assay, light microscopy, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and cell culture methods. One red fox and one gray fox served as negative controls. Red foxes were susceptible to infection based on reisolation of E. chaffeensis from blood at 7 and 14 DPI, seroconversion by 7 DPI, and positive PCR assays on spleen and lymph nodes at 28 DPI. Morulae were not found in circulating leukocytes and clinical signs or lesions of ehrlichiosis were not observed. In contrast, gray foxes were refractory to infection based on negative results on all culture, PCR, serolog...
The Effect of Posture and of Compression of the Neck on Excretion of Electrolytes and Glomerular Filtration: Furthur Studies

Compression of the neck of the sitting subject caused increase in urinary sodium output without change in glomerular filtration (creatinine clearance) or apparent cardiac output (electrokymograph). The possible existence of an intracranial mechanism sensitive to alterations in volume of extracellular fluid and regulating the volume of extracellular fluid is suggested.
The 3-Connected Graphs with Exactly Three Non-Essential Edges

An edge e of a simple 3-connected graph G is essential if neither the deletion G\e nor the contraction G/e is both simple and 3-connected. Tutte’s Wheels Theorem proves that the only simple 3-connected graphs with no non-essential edges are the wheels. In earlier work, as a corollary of a matroid result, the authors determined all simple3-connected graphs with at most two non-essential edges. This paper specifies all such graphs with exactly three non-essential edges. As a consequence, with the exception of the members of 10 classes of graphs, all 3-connected graphs have at least four non-essential edges.
An empirical investigation of young children’s awareness and usage of intentionality in criminal situations.

For an alleged criminal to be found guilty, the prosecution must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the accused both committed the criminal act (actus reus) and intended to commit that act (mens rea). When the "evil" intent is not present the law does not seek to punish the individual, at least criminally, for most crimes. The criterion of intentionality is also applied to juveniles in most criminal situations but not nearly in so consistent a fashion. For example, the historical common law rule was that there was an irrebuttable presumption that children under the age of 7 were incapable of entertaining the requisite criminal intent, that for children between the ages of 7 and 14 there was a rebuttable presumption of no intentionality, and children 14 and over were treated as adults. A review of the law in all 50 states reveals that this basic position, namely, exculpating some and increasing the prosecutor's burden of proof for others, still exists in various forms today in most jurisdictions. For example, in 42 states and the District of Columbia there is statutory or case law that speaks to this issue.' This law can be
Nanoscale ablation through optically trapped microspheres

The ability to directly create patterns with size scales below 100 nm is important for many applications where the production or repair of high resolution and density features is needed. Laser-based direct-write methods have the benefit of being able to quickly and easily modify and create structures on existing devices, but ablation can negatively impact the overall technique. In this paper we show that self-positioning of near-field objectives through the optical trap assisted nanopatterning (OTAN) method allows for ablation without harming the objective elements. Small microbeads are positioned in close proximity to a substrate where ablation is initiated. Upon ablation, these beads are temporarily displaced from the trap but rapidly return to the initial position. We analyze the range of fluence values for which this process occurs and find that there exists a critical threshold beyond which the beads are permanently ejected.
Impact of environmental exposures on asthma control in pregnancy

JUDETTE LOUIS, NICHD MFMU Network, Bethesda, Maryland OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of avoidance of environmental exposures on asthma control and treatment in pregnancy. STUDY DESIGN: This is a secondary analysis of a multicenter; prospective, observational cohort study conducted over 4 years at 16 academic hospital centers. The NAEPP classification was used to stratify patients by asthma severity. Environmental exposures included household smoking, pets, and use of a mattress cover. Indices of asthma control included percentage of symptomatic days and nights, activity restriction, and sleep disturbance. Indices of treatment included number of unscheduled visits, hospital admissions, asthma exacerbations, and use of steroids. Data were analyzed by chi-square, Wilcoxon rank sum and Cochran-Armitage trend test where appropriate. P!0.05 was significant. RESULTS: There were 1,812 asthmatics, 50% (906), were mild, 47% (851) were moderate and 3% (55) were severe asthmatics. Severe asthmatics that could identify 1 or R 2 asthma triggers had a lower rate of symptomatic days compared to those who did not know their triggers. (22.9% and 26.6% vs. 48.6%, p = 0.04) They also had less nights of sleep disturbance (7.3% and 19.2% vs. 28.8%, p = 0.02), were less likely to have an unscheduled visit (21.4% and 0.0% vs. 36.4%, p = 0.03 for trend) and less likely to have an asthma exacerbation during pregnancy (50% and 50% vs. 81.8%, p = 0.02 for trend). This association was not evident for mild and moderate asthmatics. In mild and moderate asthmatics, use of a mattress cover was associated with a decrease in sleep disturbance and fur bearing pets were associated with an increase in symptomatic days. Among mild and moderate asthmatics, avoidance of environmental exposures was not associated with any treatment indices. CONCLUSION: Avoidance of asthma triggers may improve daily symptoms and need for treatment for severe asthmatics. The findings are not as consistent for mild and moderate asthmatics.
The role of ambiguity tolerance in career decision making

Abstract The role of ambiguity tolerance in career decision making was examined in a sample of college students (n = 275). Three hypotheses were proposed regarding the direct prediction of ambiguity tolerance on career indecision, the indirect prediction of ambiguity tolerance on career indecision through environmental and self explorations, and the moderation effect of ambiguity tolerance on the link of environmental and self explorations with career indecision. Results supported the significance of ambiguity tolerance with respect to career indecision, finding that it directly predicted general indecisiveness, dysfunctional beliefs, lack of information, and inconsistent information, and moderated the prediction of environmental exploration on inconsistent information. The implications of this study are discussed and suggestions for future research are provided.
Teacher Development in a Global Profession: An Autoethnography

In this ethnographic self-reconstruction, the author represents the ways in which he negotiated the differing teaching practices and professional cultures of the periphery and the center in an effort to develop a strategic professional identity. He brings out the importance of using multiple identities critically for voice in the wider professional discourses and practices. As global English acquires local identities, and diverse professional communities develop their own socially situated pedagogical practices, it is becoming important to chart a constructive relationship between these communities in TESOL. Through his journey of professionalization, the author explores the framework of relationships that would enable an effective negotiation of practices and discourses between the different professional communities and facilitate more constructive teacher identities.
Segmentation and Tagging of Oracle Inscriptions Based on Lucene and Dictionary

Segmentation and Part of Speech tagging of Oracle inscriptions are the premise and foundation for establishment of Oracle Corpus and computer-aided Oracle textual research and explication. As for segmentation of Oracle inscriptions, this paper proposes a positive match cut algorithm, which adopts language analyzer based on Lucene and supplemented with Oracle Dictionary. Then the segmented words by the algorithm are tagged. Experiments show that the correct rate is more than 90%.
A structural comparison of the A and B subunits of Griffonia simplicifolia I isolectins

A structural comparison between the A and B subunits of the five tetrameric Grz$bnia simpli&folia I isolectins (A,, AsB, A,B,, ABB, B4) was undertaken to determine the extent of homology between the subunits. The first 25 N-terminal amino acids of both A and B subunits were determined following the enzymatic removal of N-terminal pyroglutamate blocking groups with pyroglutamate aminopeptidase. Although 21 amino acids were common to both subunits, there were four unique amino acids in the Nterminal sequence of A and B. Residues 8,9,17, and 19 were asparagine, leucine, lysine, and asparagine in subunit A and threonine, phenylalanine, glutamic acid, and serine in subunit B. The last six C-terminal amino acids, released by digestion with carboxypeptidase Y, were the same for both subunits: Arg-(Phe, Val)-Leu-Thr-Ser-COOH. Subunit B, which contains one methionyl residue, was cleaved by cyanogen bromide into two fragments, a large (il& = 31,000) and a small (i& = 2700) polypeptide. Failure of the small fragment to undergo manual Edman degradation indicated an N-terminal blocking group, presumably pyroglutamate. Both subunits were digested with trypsin and the tryptic peptides were analyzed using reverse-phase HPLC. Tryptic glycopeptides were identified by labeling the carbohydrate moiety of the A and B subunit using sodium [“HI borohydride. Cysteine-containing tryptic peptides were similarly identified by using [l-‘4C]iodoacetamide. Approximately 30% of the tryptic peptides were common to both subunits. Thus, although the N- and C-terminal regions of A and B are similar, the subunits each possess unique sequences.
Using the M/G/∞ queueing model to predict inpatient family medicine service census and resident workload.

The number and timing of unplanned admissions to inpatient teaching services vary. Recent changes to resident duty hours make it essential to maximize learning experiences and balance workload on these services. Queueing theory provides a mechanism for understanding and planning for the variations in admissions and daily census. Daily admissions, length of stay, and daily census were modeled for a teaching inpatient family medicine service over 46 months using an M/G/∞ queueing model. Q–Q plots and a Kolmogorov–Smirnov test were used to check the fit of actual data to the model. Admissions and daily census followed a Poisson distribution (λ = 3.28 and λ = 8.28, respectively), while length-of-stay followed a lognormal distribution (µ = 0.49, σ2 = 0.83). The M/G/∞ queueing model proved useful for predicting overflow admission frequency, defining expected resident workload in terms of patient-days, and determining hospital unit size requirements.
Growth, Mortality, and Yield-per-Recruit Models for Speckled Hind and Snowy Grouper from the United States South Atlantic Bight

Abstract Opaque rings on cross-sectioned otoliths from speckled hind Epinephelus drummondhayi and snowy grouper E. niveatus, taken off North Carolina and South Carolina, were determined to be annuli. Annulus formation occurred primarily between April and June for speckled hind, and from May through July for snowy grouper. The length-weight relationship for speckled hind was W = 1.1 × 10−8L3.073 and for the snowy grouper was W = 7.0 × 10−8L2.755, where W = weight in kilograms and L = total length in millimeters. Back-calculated mean lengths (mm) of speckled hind from ages 1 to 15 were 186, 317, 408, 475, 528, 572, 613, 645, 678, 709, 739, 774, 804, 839, and 861. For snowy grouper ages 1 to 17, they were 210, 328, 403, 462, 514, 562, 605, 647, 686, 721, 762, 798, 832, 874, 900, 924, and 958. The maximum age of both species was at least 25 years. The von Bertalanffy growth equations for speckled hind and snowy grouper (t = age in years) are Lt = 967{1 - exp[-0.13(t + 1.01)]} and Lt = 1,255{1 - exp[-0.074(t +...