cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Thiolate-Thione Redox-Active Ligand with a Six-Membered Chelate Ring via Template Condensation and Its Pt(II) Complexes.

A new template condensation reaction has been discovered in a mixture of Pt(II), thiobenzamide, and base. Four complexes of the general form [Pt(ctaPhR)2], R = CH3 (1a), H (1b), F (1c), Cl (1d), cta = condensed thioamide, have been prepared under similar conditions and thoroughly characterized by 1H NMR and UV-vis-NIR spectroscopy, (spectro)electrochemistry, elemental analysis, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The ligand is redox active and can be reduced from the initial monoanion to a dianionic and then trianionic state. Chemical reduction of 1a with [Cp2Co] yielded [Cp2Co]2[Pt(ctaPhCH3)2], [Cp2Co]2[1a], which has been similarly characterized with the addition of EPR spectroscopy and SQUID magnetization. The singly reduced form containing [1a]1-, (nBu4N)[Pt(ctaPhCH3)2], has been generated in situ and characterized by UV-vis and EPR spectroscopies. DFT studies of 1b, [1b]1-, and [1b]2- confirm the location of additional electrons in exclusively ligand-based orbitals. A detailed analysis of this redox-active ligand, with emphasis on the characteristics that favor noninnocent behavior in six-membered chelate rings, is included.
Cancer patients' perceptions regarding the value of the physical examination: a survey study.

BACKGROUND Despite its clinical utility, progressive reliance on technology can lead to devaluing the physical examination in patients with advanced cancer. The primary objective of this study was to determine whether these patients have a positive or negative perception of the physical examination. A secondary objective was to determine whether these perceptions are related to interpersonal/relational values (symbolic) or diagnostic/objective values (pragmatic). METHODS One hundred fifty patients with cancer who were receiving concurrent oncology and palliative care were administered a 26-item survey regarding their overall perception of the physical examination. The primary outcome—patient responses to “In the last 3 months, I believe my experience while being examined has been overall: very negative (a score of −5) to very positive (a score of +5),”—was analyzed using the Sign test. Other items were predefined as either symbolic or pragmatic statements, and patient responses from strongly disagree (a score of 1) to strongly agree (a score of 5) were further analyzed. Multivariable logistic regression was used to test for associations between baseline characteristics and the primary outcome. RESULTS Most patients (83%) indicated that the overall experience of being examined was highly positive (median score, 4; interquartile range [IQR], 2-5; P ≤ .0001). Patients valued both the pragmatic aspects (median score, 5; IQR, 4-5) and symbolic aspects (median score, 4; IQR, 4-5) of the physical examination. Increasing age was independently associated with a more positive perception of the physical examination (odds ratio, 1.07 per year; 95% confidence interval, 1.02-1.12 per year; P = .01). CONCLUSIONS Patients with advanced cancer indicate that the physical examination is a highly positive aspect of their care. These benefits are perceived as having both symbolic and pragmatic value. The physical examination should remain a cornerstone of clinical encounters. Cancer 2014;120:2215–2221. © 2014 American Cancer Society.
Book Review - Islamic Law and Civil Code: The Law of Property in Egypt by Richard A. Debs

A book review of Islamic Law and Civil Code: The Law of Property in Egypt by Richard A. Debs. The book is an extremely careful study of the transition to civil codes in a predominantly Muslim jurisdiction that will be helpful to international, comparative, property and Islamic law scholars for its descriptive legal history and its insights for comparative law.
Salvage Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy for Locally Recurrent Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer after Sublobar Resection and I125 Vicryl Mesh Brachytherapy

Purpose: Locally-recurrent non-small cell lung cancer (LR-NSCLC) remains challenging treat, particularly in patients having received prior radiotherapy. Heterogeneous populations and varied treatment intent in existing literature result in significant limitations in evaluating efficacy of lung re-irradiation. In order to better establish the impact of re-irradiation in patients with LR-NSCLC following high-dose radiotherapy, we report outcomes for patients treated with prior sublobar resection and brachytherapy that subsequently underwent stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT). Methods: A retrospective review of patients initially treated with sublobar resection and I125 vicryl mesh brachytherapy, who later developed LR-NSCLC along the suture line, was performed. Patients received salvage SBRT with curative intent. Dose and fractionation was based on tumor location and size, with a median prescription dose of 48 Gy in 4 fractions (range 20-60 Gy in 1-4 fractions). Results: Thirteen consecutive patients were identified with median follow-up of 2.1 years (range 0.7-5.6 years). Two in-field local failures occurred at 7.5 and 11.1 months, resulting in 2-year local control of 83.9% (95% CI 63.5-100.0%). Two-year disease-free survival and overall survival estimates were 38.5% (95% CI 0.0-65.0%) and 65.8% (95% CI, 38.2-93.4%). Four patients (31%) remained disease-free at last follow-up. All but one patient who experienced disease recurrence developed isolated or synchronous distant metastases. Only one patient (7.7%) developed grade ≥3 toxicity, consisting of grade 3 esophageal stricture following a centrally located recurrence previously treated with radiofrequency ablation. Conclusion: Despite high local radiation doses delivered to lung parenchyma previously with I125 brachytherapy, re-irradiation with SBRT for LR-NSCLC results in excellent local control with limited morbidity, allowing for potential disease cure in a subset of patients.
Content Knowledge, Attitudes, and Self-Efficacy in the Mathematics New York City Teaching Fellows (NYCTF) Program

The purpose of this study was to understand the mathematical content knowledge new teachers have both before and after taking a mathematics methods course in the NYCTF program. Further, the purpose was to understand the attitudes toward mathematics and concepts of self-efficacy that Teaching Fellows had over the course of the semester. The sample included 42 new Teaching Fellows who were given a mathematics content test, attitudes toward mathematics questionnaire, and teaching self-efficacy questionnaire at the beginning and end of the semester. Further, the teachers kept teaching and learning journals. Findings revealed a significant increase in both mathematical content knowledge and positive attitudes toward mathematics. Additionally, Teaching Fellows were found to have positive attitudes and high self-efficacy at the end of the semester, and relationships were found between attitudes and self-efficacy. Finally, Teaching Fellows generally found that classroom management was the biggest issue in their teaching, and that problem solving and numeracy were the most important topics addressed in their learning. Future studies should address self-efficacy differences between preservice and in-service teachers and the effects of alternative certification teacher knowledge, attitudes toward mathematics, and self-efficacy on students in the classroom.
A Parallel Monte Carlo Algorithm for Protein Accessible Surface Area Computation

We present sequential and parallel Monte Carlo algorithms for computing the solvent accessible surface area of protein molecules. The basic idea underlying our algorithms is to generate points uniformly at random on the surface of spheres obtained by increasing the van der Waals’ radii of the atoms with the van der Waals’ radius of the solvent molecule and to test the points for accessibility. We also present an efficient algorithm to compute sphere intersections more efficiently using domain specific knowledge. The expected running time of our sequential algorithm is O(n+s), where n is the number of atoms in the protein and s is the number of points generated. We also provide error bounds as a function of the sample size. Our parallel algorithm can use O(n) processors and provides linear speedup. Computing sphere intersections is common to the various approaches for solving this problem and our algorithm to compute the intersections can be used by them. It takes only O(n) sequential time, which compares favorably with existing algorithms that take O(n 2) worst-case time.
Analysis of the electrical field effects of AC and DC ionization systems for MR head manufacturing

Electrical ionizers are frequently used in manufacturing areas to reduce the charge on nonconductive materials. A variety of ionizers are available on the market to satisfy the needs of manufacturers of static sensitive products. This paper investigates the electrical fields that are generated by steady-state DC and AC ionizing blower systems that are frequently used in disk drive manufacturing processes. An industry standard charged plate monitor, a low capacitance monitor, and discharge currents from a head-gimbal-assembly (HGA) are used to evaluate the ionization systems. Through this research, it was found that the standard CPM frequently used to evaluate ionization systems was inadequate in its response time to see transient fields generated by AC ionizers. In addition, most electrical ionization systems can drift sufficiently from a zero-volt offset to potentially create damage in very sensitive devices such as MR head assemblies.
Influence of Bacterial Infection on Serum Enzymes of White Rats

Infection of white rats with Francisella tularensis (Pasteurella tularensis) and Salmonella typhimurium and exposure to the endotoxin of S. typhimurium stimulated significant increases in various serum enzymes including aldolase, lactate dehydrogenase, phosphohexose isomerase, isocitrate dehydrogenase, and glutamate-oxalacetate transaminase. The rates of changes in enzymatic activity after infection were directly related to the size of infecting dose and to the type of infective agent employed. Tularemic infection stimulated excessive changes in enzyme activity, whereas salmonellosis and endointoxication elicited less pronounced alterations of relatively short duration. Changes observed in serum enzymes after exposure to these agents reflect the severe liver damage and extensive systemic involvement noted in tularemia as opposed to more localized and less intensive tissue damage occurring during salmonellosis and endointoxication.
Enabling the Archival Storage of Signed Documents

Documents in digital formats are increasingly becoming a common form of expression for anything from rants and opinions to transaction records and contracts. Archiving such documents for the long term, particularly when their only form is digital, can be very important. Sadly, the principal digital expression of an author's intent, the digital signature, is not fit for long-term archives of documents; signing keys can expire or become compromised, rendering the documents they signed indistinguishable from illicit forgeries. We propose KASTS, an extension of traditional archival storage systems that enables the long-term storage of signed documents. KASTS combines time stamping of signed documents with storage of past signature verification keys. We argue that such an extended archival storage system is feasible and describe one possible design for it.
Symmetry Breaking and the Control of Harmonics with Strong Short Laser Pulses

Since the beginning of nonlinear optics it has been thought that a system with inversion symmetry cannot radiate even-order harmonics of the incident laser light. The purpose of this paper is to show that this is not always true. In fact, emission of even harmonics from a system with inversion symmetry will be typical for the interaction with intense ultrashort laser pulses.
Uniqueness considerations in autoregressive modeling with third moments

The authors note that Yule-Walker equations for autoregressive (AR) modeling with second-moment (auto-correlation) sequences provide necessary and sufficient conditions for exact matching of the autocorrelation samples of a discrete stationary random process with that of the model. However, when AR modeling is done with linear equations that satisfy the necessary conditions for a match between samples of the third-moment sequence of a process and those of the model, these conditions are not sufficient for exact matching. The authors discuss approaches to fit AR models to the samples of the third-moment sequence of a process such that the corresponding third-moment samples of the model indeed match the given samples. >
Calcium extrusion during aftercontractions in cardiac myocytes: the role of the sodium-calcium exchanger in the generation of the transient inward current.

R. M. Egdell and K. T. MacLeod. Calcium Extrusion During Aftercontractions in Cardiac Myocytes: The Role of the Sodium-calcium Exchanger in the Generation of the Transient Inward Current. Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology (2000) 32, 85–93. Spontaneous release of calcium from the sarcoplasmic reticulum leads to delayed afterdepolarizations which may represent an arrhythmogenic mechanism in the intact heart. The current underlying delayed afterdepolarizations is the transient inward current, but how this is triggered by a spontaneous rise in cytoplasmic calcium concentration is a matter of debate. We have investigated this by rapid application of caffeine to isolated guinea-pig cardiac myocytes, before and after drive train-induced aftercontractions. Mean (±s.e.m.) sarcoplasmic reticulum content reduced from 85±11 μ mol/l accessible cell volume to 53±9 μ mol/l accessible cell volume (n=11) during the course of the aftercontraction. The charge movement expected to result from extrusion of this calcium via the sodium-calcium exchanger was 70.1±5.4 pC, compared with charge measured during the transient inward current of 70.1±10.8 pC in the same cells (P=0.9969). Rapid inhibition of the sodium-calcium exchanger, by replacement of the superfusate with a sodium and calcium free solution between the end of the drive train and the aftercontraction, completely abolished the transient inward current (from 90.4±10.2 pA inward current to 23.8±14.9 pA outward current,P <0.001). We conclude that the transient inward current in this species is explained entirely by sodium-calcium exchange current without the need to invoke other calcium-activated conductances.
Tapered edge ridge waveguides for integrated optics

We propose a tapered edge ridge (TER) waveguide as a flexible means for interconnecting devices in integrated optics. Since the guiding film itself is in the form of a ridge, the maximum acceptance angle can be very large. The tapered edges of the ridge help to make the scattering losses negligible. Our experiments with a tantulum oxide guide on a 7059 glass substrate show that scattering losses from the tapered edges are small if any. We have coupled light at 20° to waveguide axis with light propagation occurring with no apparent loss from scattering at the edges. We have developed a theory that can be used to compute ray trajectories in the tapered regions and have devised an expression (similar to the critical angle in total specular reflection) for the maximum acceptance angle that happens to be ∼42° for our structure.
Numerical solution of parquet equations for the Anderson impurity model

Abstract A complete numerical solution of the “basic” parquet equations for the Anderson impurity model is obtained and tested for the first time. The static magnetic susceptibility is computed and compared with Bethe Ansatz results, and quantitative agreement is achieved for intermediate coupling strengths. It is demonstrated that a simplified “pseudopotential parquet” approximation yields a two-particle vertex in nearly quantitative agreement with the full solution throughout a wide temperature range.
Wire shaping of RLC interconnects

The optimum wire shape to produce the minimum signal propagation delay across an RLC line is shown to exhibit a general exponential form. The line inductance makes exponential tapering more attractive for RLC lines than for RC lines. For RLC lines, optimum wire tapering achieves a greater reduction in the signal propagation delay as compared to uniform wire sizing. For RLC lines, exponential tapering outperforms uniform repeater insertion. As technology advances, wire tapering becomes more effective than repeater insertion, since a greater reduction in the propagation delay is achieved. Optimum wire tapering achieves a reduction of 36% in the propagation delay in long RLC interconnect as compared to uniform repeater insertion. Wire tapering can reduce both the propagation delay and power dissipation. Optimum tapering for minimum propagation delay reduces the propagation delay by 15% and power dissipation by 16% for an example circuit. The optimum tapering factor to minimize the transient power dissipation of a circuit is described in this paper. An analytic solution to determine the optimum tapering factor that exhibits an error of less than 2% is provided. Wire tapering is also shown to reduce the power dissipation of a circuit by up to 65%. Wire tapering can also improve signal integrity by reducing the inductive noise of the interconnect lines. Wire tapering reduces the effect of impedance mismatch in digital circuits. The difference between the overshoots and undershoots in the signal waveform of an example clock distribution network is decreased by 34% as compared to a uniformly sized network producing the same signal characteristics.
LEM-Dichtungstechnik für Brennstoffzellen

Neue Antriebe wie die Brennstoffzelle und traditionelle wie der Verbrennungsmotor stehen in mancher Hinsicht vor denselben Anforderungen: Beide sollen eine moeglichst hohe Energiedichte aufweisen. Gefordert sind daher kompakte Aggregate mit niedrigem Gewicht und hohem Wirkungsgrad. Leichtbau spielt dabei eine grosse Rolle. Mit der Energiedichte steigt in der Regel jedoch die Belastung der einzelnen Komponenten durch Druck und Temperatur, was Leichtbau zu einer Herausforderung machen kann. Der Beitrag erlaeutert, wie fuer die Brennstoffzellentechnologie die Liquid-Elastomer-Molding-Technik (LEM) neue Moeglichkeiten eroeffnet, da sie minimale Dichtspalthoehen, eine sichere Abdichtung bei minimalen Spannkraeften, Prozesssicherheit und den leichten Zugang zum Zellenstapel verbindet. Fuer die Abdichtung von Brennstoffzellen bieten LEM-Dichtungen damit signifikante, designbasierte Vorteile.
Laparoscopic surgery in children with congenital heart disease.

Abstract Purpose The study aim was to determine outcomes of children with congenital heart disease who underwent laparoscopic procedures. Methods A single-institution, institutional review board–approved, retrospective review was conducted including children younger than 5 years with congenital heart disease who underwent laparoscopic or open abdominal procedures. Patient demographics, operative details, complications, and 30-day mortality were examined. Results Over 10 years, 111 children with congenital heart disease underwent 121 laparoscopic procedures. Median age was 2.5 months, with 87% being infants. Laparoscopic gastrostomy was the most common procedure (101). There was no intraoperative hemodynamic instability, median operative time was 70 minutes, postoperative complications were low (5%), and all children were alive at 30 days. Only 8 patients required conversion from laparoscopic to open, all secondary to technical issues, not hemodynamic instability. There were 42 children with cardiac disease who underwent 45 open procedures during the study period. There were no significant differences between patient demographics, type of procedure, operative time, complications, or 30-day mortality comparing the open and laparoscopic groups. Conclusion In this review, there were no major contraindications to performing laparoscopic procedures in children with congenital heart disease, and we conclude that it is reasonably safe to perform laparoscopic surgery on these children.
Physiological consequences of muscarinic receptor activation

Abstract Recent studies on muscarinic acetylcholine (ACh) receptors have shown that these receptors differ in very important and fundamental ways from the more extensively studied nicotinic ACh receptors. Muscarinic receptors are coupled to several different types of ionic channels in the plasma membrane by a process which probably involves a series of three or more steps. Some of these steps may involve enzymatic processes. In addition to being coupled to conventional drug-activated ionic channels which are not affected by membrane potential, muscarinic receptors are capable of modulating the opening and closing of channels which are gated by changes in transmembrane potential. Activation of muscarinic receptors also produces a variety of metabolic responses in post-synaptic cells that may be important in mediating long-term signalling between neurones and their targets.
Conveying information in the interpreter-mediated medical visit: the case of epistemic brokering.

Abstract Objective This study introduces the concept of epistemic brokering in interpreter-mediated medical visits and illustrates how it can be used to effectively convey information between providers and patients/parents. Methods Conversation analysis is used to analyze 24 pediatric genetics consultations (=17.75 h) involving 16 Spanish-speaking families, their various English-speaking healthcare providers, and four on-staff bilingual interpreters. Results Interpreters-as-epistemic-brokers can aid in the transfer of information between clinicians and patients/parents (i) by (re)designing content to be appropriately fitted to a specific recipient's understanding, and (ii) by monitoring the ongoing medical visit for moments in which one or more interactants may be in a relatively unknowledgeable position and taking steps to secure common ground. Conclusion It is posited that epistemically brokering interaction can serve to promote the development of positive relationships with potentially hard-to-reach patients/parents. Although seemingly minor, these moments in interaction contribute to these individuals’ overall experience with and understanding of the institution of medicine. Future research is needed to identify the particular strategies associated with effective epistemic brokering. Practice implications Interpreters and clinicians should be aware of the role that discursive practices play in conveying information in the medical visit, and reconceptualize interpreters as collaborators in this process.
Investigations of Magnetic Field Disturbances at an Air Force Base Compass Calibration Hardstand

Investigations were conducted to determine the nature and cause of magnetic field disturbances at the calibration hardstand (compass rose) at an air force base. The disturbances have prevented the normal and routine use of the hardstand since its construction in the mid-1950s, with heightened concern over the problem every 10–12 years. The investigations included the characterization of the horizontal, vertical, and temporal variation of the total magnetic field strength both on and off the hardstand. On the hardstand, the field varies by as much as 1,000 nT over 10 m horizontally and by as much as 600 nT over 2.5 m vertically. Also, on the hardstand, the magnetic field varies extremely erratically with time by 50–60 nT over periods of a few seconds. Off the hardstand, the magnetic field is extremely stable, and varies by less than 10 nT over 10 m horizontally, 2.5 m vertically, and over periods of 10–15 min. The magnetic field “stabilizes” at distances less than 10 m horizontally from the edge of the har...
Design of a Compton spectrometer experiment for studying scintillator non-linearity and intrinsic energy resolution

Abstract A Compton spectrometer experiment has been designed and modeled for the purpose of studying the light yield non-linearities and intrinsic energy resolution of scintillation materials that are used to detect gamma rays. This coincidence method is used to create a nearly monoenergetic internal electron source within the scintillator by recording pulses from the primary detector only when a simultaneous pulse is generated by the coincidence detector. Such an electron source is necessary to accurately quantify the electron response of a scintillator, and has been previously identified as a requirement for quantifying scintillator non-linearity and intrinsic energy resolution. The ability to quantify these scintillator characteristics using this technique and the characterization of the Compton spectrometer geometry, including collimation of primary and scattered gamma rays, using Monte Carlo simulation are discussed.
Thermosensitive injectable hyaluronic acid hydrogel for adipose tissue engineering

A series of thermosensitive copolymer hydrogels, aminated hyaluronic acid-g-poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (AHA-g-PNIPAAm), were synthesized by coupling carboxylic end-capped PNIPAAm (PNIPAAm-COOH) to AHA through amide bond linkages. AHA was prepared by grafting adipic dihydrazide to the HA backbone and PNIPAAm-COOH copolymer was synthesized via a facile thermo-radical polymerization technique by polymerization of NIPAAm using 4,4'-azobis(4-cyanovaleric acid) as an initiator, respectively. The structure of AHA and AHA-g-PNIPAAm copolymer was determined by (1)H NMR. Two AHA-g-PNIPAAm copolymers with different weight ratios of PNIPAAm on the applicability of injectable hydrogels were characterized. The lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of AHA-g-PNIPAAm copolymers in PBS were measured as approximately 30 degrees C by rheological analysis, regardless of the grafting degrees. Enzymatic resistance of AHA-g-PNIPAAm hydrogels with 28% and 53% of PNIPAAm in 100U/mL hyaluronidase/PBS at 37 degrees C was 12.3% and 37.6% over 28 days, respectively. Equilibrium swelling ratios of AHA-g-PNIPAAm hydrogels with 28% of PNIPAAm were 21.5, and significantly decreased to 13.3 with 53% of PNIPAAm in PBS at 37 degrees C. Results from SEM observations confirm a porous 3D AHA-g-PNIPAAm hydrogel structure with interconnected pores after freeze-drying and the pore diameter depends on the weight ratios of PNIPAAm. Encapsulation of human adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) within hydrogels showed the AHA-g-PNIPAAm copolymers were noncytotoxic and preserved the viability of the entrapped cells. A preliminary in vivo study demonstrated the usefulness of the AHA-g-PNIPAAm copolymer as an injectable hydrogel for adipose tissue engineering. This newly described thermoresponsive AHA-g-PNIPAAm copolymer demonstrated attractive properties to serve as cell or pharmaceutical delivery vehicles for a variety of tissue engineering applications.
General Model to Represent Multiple Wetland and Lake Stage-Storage Behavior

Quantifying wetland and lake storage is crucial for developing accurate hydrologic models, especially in regional or large watershed applications with potentially hundreds or thousands of wetlands where detailed survey data are unavailable. This paper evaluates an analytical method that uses a volume-depth ( V-h ) power-function model and a single general shape parameter to predict the storage behavior of multiple wetlands and lakes. This study (1) developed a general shape parameter (i.e., general V-h model) that defines the stage-storage relationships of wetlands and lakes from a diverse and extensive development data set; (2) evaluated the errors associated with storage or stage predictions based on the V-h model; and (3) tested the general V-h model performance on an independent validation data set. The study findings were as follows: (1) General wetland and lake shape parameters were shown to approximately represent stage-storage relationships of each wetland and lake group in this study; (2) the div...
Ultrasonic study of the two-step martensitic phase transformation in Ni 2 MnGa

The temperature dependence of the ultrasonic attenuation and velocity was measured in a ${\mathrm{Ni}}_{2}\mathrm{MnGa}$ single crystal in the temperature range from above a weakly first-order intermediate phase transition at ${T}_{I}\ensuremath{\sim}265\mathrm{K}$ down to the martensitic phase-transformation temperature, ${T}_{M}\ensuremath{\sim}220\mathrm{K}.$ The martensitic phase transformation occurs as a two-step process. The behavior of the velocity and attenuation in this premartensitic phase, ${T}_{I}gTg{T}_{M},$ is consistent with neutron-scattering data and shows that the premartensitic phase is a more ordered modulated phase than the parent phase. While precursor effects are observed above ${T}_{I},$ the martensitic phase transformation occurs abruptly. These results are compared with neutron-scattering results, transmission electron microscopy, and previous ultrasonic studies in ${\mathrm{Ni}}_{2}\mathrm{MnGa}$ and martensitic phase transformations in other metals.
Rapid separation and determination of mercury.

Abstract An analytical procedure is described for the separation of mercury(II) by extraction into n-octanol from sulphuric acid solution and then back-extraction as the tetraiodo complex. The mercury is determined by measuring the absorbance of this complex at 322 nm (molar absorptivity 1.95 × 10 3 l.mole −1 .cm −1 ). The procedure is applicable to samples containing copper; the effects of a wide variety of other impurities are tabulated.
Ultrashort pulse generation in solid state lasers

This paper describes recent developments in modelocking techniques for ultrashort pulse generation in solid stat lasers. Studies in Ti:Al2O3 provide a model system for examining different modelocking approaches. Special emphasis is placed on the use of additive pulse modelocking for achieving passive modelocking using a fast saturable absorber-like mechanism. Different models of APM are described and its extensions to other solid state laser materials are discussed.
Shape Differences in the Sacral Alae

The great variability and complexity of sacral morphology has led to some confusion over the separate influences of phylogeny, population differences, and sexual dimorphism. Principal component analysis of Cartesian coordinates taken on the alae of one hundred human sacra reveals that allometric growth accounts for most variation in the extent and orientation of this region (termed basality). Sex differences related to functional contribution of the alae to the pelvic cavity account for the remainder of the variability. The requirement for extrastability in this region to support the large individual may obscure sexual dimorphism in the sacrum. This, in turn, may have influenced past observations on the sex criteria for this bone.
THE DEUTERON MICROBEAM AS A TOOL IN BOTANICAL RESEARCH

Abstract Maize kernels of a genetic stock heterozygous for Yg2/yg2 were irradiated at different dosages and positions with 22·5 meV deuteron beams, 25 μ and 250 μ in width, from a 60-in. cyclotron. The most striking morphological effects in seedlings grown from irradiated embryos were chlorotic marks that appeared in the first four leaves. The location of the area irradiated, as evidence by the position of the radiation mark, was useful in determining radiosensitivity of different regions of the embryo and in comparing relative growth in different regions of the early leaves. The 25 μ, compared to the 250 μ beam, required about twice the radiation dosage to produce the same amount of evident damage based on clarity of radiation marks on the leaves and incapacitation of the stem apex. Radiation of the seed embryo enhanced elongation of the primary root for from two to four days after hydration. This effect was most pronounced when the microbeam passed through the leaves only and was least evident when the embryonic root itself was irradiated. Cytogenetic effects of microbeam radiation were detected by the appearance of yellow-green sectors in the leaves, owing to loss or mutation of the dominant Yg2 allele. Maximum numbers of mutant sectors in seedling leaves were observed when the microbeam was directed toward the basal regions of leaves 1, 2 and 3 in the embryo. The size and position of mutant sectors can be used to study problems of cell lineage and histogenesis.
The geology of the Torlesse Complex along the Wellington area coast, North Island, New Zealand

Abstract The Wellington coast between Paekakariki and Pencarrow Head is underlain mostly by Late Triassic Torlesse Terrane strata (Rakaia Subterrane). The principal rock types are fine‐medium‐grained greywacke and argillite that have been metamorphosed to prehnite‐pumpellyite facies. These strata were deposited by turbidity currents and mass‐flow processes. Diamictites containing greywacke, chert, basalt, and limestone clasts in an argillite matrix are rare and originated as subaqueous debris flows. Lithofacies relationships and sedimentary structures suggest that the sediments were deposited on a series of overlapping fans in a base‐of‐slope slope‐apron environment. Melange zones, consisting of isolated blocks or lenses of greywacke in a sheared argillite matrix, are subparallel to bedding within the turbidites. Individual structures vary from compressional to extensional and brittle to ductile; stratal disruption resulted from bedding‐parallel extension. The melange zones represent decollements and, at ...
Increased pituitary response to somatostatin in aging male rats: relationship to somatostatin receptor number and affinity.

Previous research has established that growth hormone pulse amplitude declines with increasing age. The purpose of this study was to determine whether this decline is associated with (1) increased pit
AnthWest, occurrence records for wool carder bees of the genus Anthidium (Hymenoptera, Megachilidae, Anthidiini) in the Western Hemisphere

This paper describes AnthWest, a large dataset that represents one of the outcomes of a comprehensive, broadly comparative study on the diversity, biology, biogeography, and evolution of Anthidium Fabricius in the Western Hemisphere. In this dataset a total of 22,648 adult occurrence records comprising 9657 unique events are documented for 92 species of Anthidium, including the invasive range of two introduced species from Eurasia, A. oblongatum (Illiger) and A. manicatum (Linnaeus). The geospatial coverage of the dataset extends from northern Canada and Alaska to southern Argentina, and from below sea level in Death Valley, California, USA, to 4700 m a.s.l. in Tucuman, Argentina. The majority of records in the dataset correspond to information recorded from individual specimens examined by the authors during this project and deposited in 60 biodiversity collections located in Africa, Europe, North and South America. A fraction (4.8%) of the occurrence records were taken from the literature, largely California records from a taxonomic treatment with some additional records for the two introduced species. The temporal scale of the dataset represents collection events recorded between 1886 and 2012. The dataset was developed employing SQL server 2008 r2. For each specimen, the following information is generally provided: scientific name including identification qualifier when species status is uncertain (e.g. "Questionable Determination" for 0.4% of the specimens), sex, temporal and geospatial details, coordinates, data collector, host plants, associated organisms, name of identifier, historic identification, historic identifier, taxonomic value (i.e., type specimen, voucher, etc.), and repository. For a small portion of the database records, bees associated with threatened or endangered plants (~ 0.08% of total records) as well as specimens collected as part of unpublished biological inventories (~17%), georeferencing is presented only to nearest degree and the information on floral host, locality, elevation, month, and day has been withheld. This database can potentially be used in species distribution and niche modeling studies, as well as in assessments of pollinator status and pollination services. For native pollinators, this large dataset of occurrence records is the first to be simultaneously developed during a species-level systematic study.
Prognostic Utility of Hypothermic Machine Perfusion in Deceased Donor Renal Transplantation

Abstract Pulsatile pump perfusion of kidney transplants is known to decrease delayed graft function (DGF) and improve 1 year graft survival when compared to static cold preservation. Kidneys with better flow and resistance parameters on perfusion are likely to have a better post transplant function. These parameters are commonly used to evaluate kidneys being considered for transplantation. This study assesses the time frame for a kidney within which it reaches optimal perfusion parameters. All kidneys pumped between 5/2006 and 9/2009 on a Lifeport© kidney transporter at our local organ procurement agency were studied. 190 kidneys were evaluated and then divided into two groups based on whether terminal flows increased or declined after prolonged perfusion. All kidneys were assessed for changes in flow (F), resistance (R) and temperature at 15 minute intervals. Discards, DGF and one year graft survival were noted. The Student paired t test and Chi-square analysis were used to compare data. A multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to study independent predictors of DGF on pump perfusion. Results For all kidneys, the mean initial flow was 59 ± 35 mL/min which improved to an average flow of 128 ± 38 mL/min with continued perfusion. The maximal flow and terminal flows were 148 ± 51 and 135 ± 38 mL/min respectively. The flows at 2, 4, and 6 hours was 125 ± 41, 128 ± 42 and 130 ± 39 mL/min respectively. Kidneys that improved on continued perfusion had a significantly lower discard rate (20 vs 34% p P P = .94). Resistance at 2, 4, and 6 hours was predictive of DGF, as was donor anoxia and cerebrovascular accident (CVA) as the cause of death. Conclusions Kidneys on pulsatile pump perfusion tend to show improved flows and decreased resistance over time. The average flow for a kidney is reached by 2 hours. Those kidneys that start with lower flow rates that improve after 2 hours with continued perfusion are less likely to be discarded but are still associated with a greater incidence of delayed graft function. Resistance at 2 hours predicts DGF while initial resistance predicts one year graft survival.
A Two-Electron Example of Ferromagnetism

We examine the problem of two holes in an otherwise filled band, or two electrons in an empty band, by the method of configuration interaction, using Wannier functions, asking which state lies lower, the triplet or singlet. If the triplet lies lower, it would indicate that the spins set themselves parallel, favoring ferromagnetism. We find that if the band is nondegenerate, the singlet will always lie lower, so that ferromagnetism requires a degenerate band, such as the fivefold degenerate $d$ band. With a degenerate band ferromagnetism can arise under some circumstances, provided the band is not too broad. The cause of the ferromagnetism is an intra-atomic exchange effect, causing the two electrons or holes to prefer to align themselves with parallel spin when they happen to lie on the same atom. The model leads to a treatment of correlation, showing that with increasing interatomic distance the likelihood of finding the two electrons or holes on the same atom decreases, vanishing at infinite internuclear distance. The ferromagnetic interaction depends both on an intra-atomic exchange integral, which persists to infinite distance, and the probability of finding the electrons or holes on the same atom, which vanishes in the limit.
The electroretinogram of adult rats following a period of postnatal undernutrition and prolonged nutritional rehabilitation.

Abstract The electroretinogram (ERG) was used as a tool to estimate the recovery of physiological properties of the adult rat retina resulting from a period of postnatal undernutrition followed by prolonged nutritional rehabilitation. We obtained a characteristic ERG including negative (A) and positive (B) waves. Significant reductions in the response amplitude of the A and B wave were observed. The ratio of the first and second responses to paired photic stimuli (neuronal recovery) was essentially the same in the control and experimental animals. These results indicate that the processes controlling the ERG peak amplitude were permanently affected by a period of postnatal undernourishment, while the functional elements responsible for 1) ERG peak latency and 2) the neuronal recovery were either unaffected by postnatal nutritional deprivation or recovered during subsequent rehabilitation.
Is There a Child Labor Trap? Intergenerational Persistence of Child Labor in Brazil*

This article examines the intergenerational persistence of child labor empirically by looking at household survey data from Brazil. Previous empirical work on child labor has focused primarily on isolating the determinants of child labor using survey data. We take a different approach by asking “Does the child labor status of parents affect the child labor incidence of their children?” We look at this question in two ways. Our working assumption is that financial need creates this generational link but we also ask if there exists an intergenerational link over and above that which is transmitted through the production of income (perhaps through norms). We find strong evidence that this link exists and that it appears to persist even when income is held constant. Moreover we find that children who did not work as child laborers command higher salaries later in life which suggests that the potential human capital gains through apprenticeship as children are outweighed by the human capital gains children receive through schooling. (excerpt)
Timing of breeding in Ochrotomys nuttalli and Peromyscus leucopus is related to a latitudinal isotherm

Previous comparative studies on patterns of reproduction in small-mammal species focus primarily on latitudinal differences in average litter size. Few studies compare reproductive patterns among northern and southern populations at the landscape scale. Our study compares differences in seasonal patterns of reproduction in northern and southern populations of the golden mouse, Ochrotomys nuttalli, and the white-footed mouse, Peromyscus leucopus. These are remarkably similar species with regard to bioenergetics, body mass, feeding behavior, home-range size, natural history, nest-site preference, and periods of activity. Both species also exhibit very similar intraspecific seasonal patterns of reproduction across their respective geographic ranges. We found that O. nuttalli and P. leucopus switch from a summer breeding season, extending from late spring through early autumn in the north to a winter breeding season extending from late autumn through early spring in the south, near the isotherm where mean annual temperature is 15.6°C (60°F), or approximately 35° N latitude. This latitudinal isotherm provides a geographic benchmark to address future changes in patterns of reproduction attributed to climate change. Findings also suggest that length of the breeding season and patterns of reproduction between species partially explain why P. leucopus is typically more abundant than O. nuttalli in similar habitat types.
Development of a High Performance Passive Vapor-Feed DMFC Fed with Neat Methanol

A passive vapor-feed direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC), which has a membrane vaporizer and a hydrophobic vapor transport layer (VTL), was investigated experimentally to improve its performance when highly concentrated or neat methanol was directly used. DMFCs with different structure parameters, such as the VTL thickness, open area ratio of the vaporizer, and thickness of the water management layer, were tested using different methanol concentrations varying from 6 M to neat methanol. The results showed that the performance of the passive vapor-feed DMFC mainly depended on the trade-off between the methanol vapor supply to the anode and methanol crossover through the membrane. Thickening the VTL, or decreasing the open area ratio of the vaporizer, effectively decreased the transport rate of methanol vapor to the anode, leading to an increase in the concentration of the optimum feeding methanol. The hydrophobic water management layer in the cathode was also useful in lowering the methanol crossover and increasing the membrane hydration level. Through optimizing the structure parameters, a passive vapor-feed DMFC fed with neat methanol, which showed a peak power density of 34 mW cm ―2 and a high fuel efficiency of 62% at room temperature, was developed.
Variation in membrane structure as revealed by negative staining technique.

Abstract A study has been made of the structure of membrane material from various fractions of cellular homogenates. By the use of the negative staining technique several types of membrane structure have been observed. The variation occurs in both internal structure and in the surface features of the different membrane types. The structures observed are characteristic of different membrane fractions and are reproducible under the conditions described. We propose that the structures observed in response to the negative staining technique represent characteristic structural or chemical properties of each type of membrane and are therefore a clue to significant differences in the natural membrane structures, although the structures observed may not exist in the same configuration within the cell.
Reaction of acetonitrile with the silicon(0 0 1) surface: A combined XPS and FTIR study

Abstract The adsorption of acetonitrile on the Si(0 0 1) surface has been investigated using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). XPS and FTIR spectra indicate that adsorbed acetonitrile forms two correlated binding configurations, a C N species with a strong FTIR absorption at 1540 cm −1 and a C C N (ketenimine) species that has a very strong FTIR absorption at 1952 cm −1 . The C C N FTIR peak at 1952 cm −1 shows a striking polarization dependence, with the infrared transition dipole almost entirely in the plane of the sample and parallel to the Si Si dimer axis. Our data suggests that the primary C C N structure results from cleavage of two C–H bonds, forming a structure in which the N and terminal C atom are both linked to the surface. Temperature-dependent experiments help to elucidate the complicated reaction mechanism for acetonitrile adsorbing onto the Si(0 0 1) surface. Dosing at higher temperature increases the amount of C C N relative to C N species while heating leads to direct transformation of the C N to the C C N species. Our results indicate that previous studies, which considered only products formed by cleavage of a single C–H bond, have misidentified the primary ketenimine product. A reinterpretation of the earlier results, combined with data presented here, sheds new light onto the products and mechanism of interaction of acetonitrile with Si(0 0 1).
An Evaluation of Gender Differences in Self-Reported Internalizing Symptoms of Elementary-Age Children

Gender differences in self-reported internalizing symptoms of children in grades 3-6 were investigated. Using the Internalizing Symptoms Scale for Children (ISSC), and normative data from a large, nationwide sample, self-reported internalizing symptom scores of boys (n = 876) were compared to those of girls (n = 840). Total internalizing scores of girls were significantly (p < .001) larger than those of boys, indicating a higher degree of self-reported internalizing symptoms. The average scores of the girls were approximately one third of a standard deviation higher than the average scores of the boys. Using a discriminant function analysis, the ISSC item scores were found to be reasonably effective in classifying subjects by gender. Seven critical self-report items that contributed the most to the separation of subjects by gender were identified. Implications of this study for psychoeducational assessment practice, early identification of internalizing problems, and subsequent intervention efforts are di...