cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Recent Research in Autism

Recent research in three areas is reviewed. Advances in diagnosis and classification will likely lead to convergence between the American and international definitions of autism and related disorders, which should facilitate research of these conditions. Studies of psychological process have focused on understanding the nature of social dysfunction in autism. In the area of neurobiologic research, much interest has centered on the possible role of genetic mechanisms in the pathogenesis of autism.
Introduction to Volume II

This book is primarily a survey of aspects of ring theory since the publication of Jacobson’s Colloquium publication [55, 64] and all of Volume II is devoted to ring theory. A few brief indications of the overlap with Jacobson might be helpful. The revised edition [64] of Jacobson [55] contained three appendices, which overlaps with us in the main Goldie-Lesieur-Croisot theorem (Chapter 9), the Faith-Utumi theorem (Chapter 10), the Wedderburn Factor Theorem and the Amitsur theorems on the Jacobson radical of polynomial and group rings (Chapter 26). However, some extensions and applications of the Goldie theorems and the Faith-Utumi theorem given in Chapters 9, 10, 18 and 19 are new with us.
Other Applications of Mellin Transforms

In addition to helping one to evaluate integrals, Mellin transform techniques are useful in many fields. They were used to find the magnetic field of a spherical magnet (Lipinski et al. 1975), for Doppler signal processing (Casasent and Psaltis 1976), in transient propagation (Lee 1987), to analyze mammalian hearin (Altes 1978), for quantum field theory (Cicuti and Montaldi 1975; Birmingham and Sen 1987), for nonlinear systems (Banai 1970), in chaos theory (Bessis et al. 1987), in digital signal processing (Oppenheim and Schafer 1975), in summing series and in probability theory (Andrews and Shivamoggi 1988), and by using the scale-invariant property of Mellin transforms to do optical processing of images (Casasent and Psaltis 1976a, 1976b; Zwicke and Kiss 1983). Some of these applications are considered in this chapter.
Dermoid: Head and Neck

Dermoid cysts are midline lesions felt to be primarily of congenital origin that are found in multiple locations in the head and neck region. They usually present as asymptomatic masses in the first several years of life. Treatment for these benign cysts is surgical excision. Magnetic resonance imaging provides the most preoperative diagnostic information.
CROCHET: Checkpoint and Rollback via Lightweight Heap Traversal on Stock JVMs

Checkpoint/rollback (CR) mechanisms create snapshots of the state of a running application, allowing it to later be restored to that checkpointed snapshot. Support for checkpoint/rollback enables many program analyses and software engineering techniques, including test generation, fault tolerance, and speculative execution. Fully automatic CR support is built into some modern operating systems. However, such systems perform checkpoints at the coarse granularity of whole pages of virtual memory, which imposes relatively high overhead to incrementally capture the changing state of a process, and makes it difficult for applications to checkpoint only some logical portions of their state. CR systems implemented at the application level and with a finer granularity typically require complex developer support to identify: (1) where checkpoints can take place, and (2) which program state needs to be copied. A popular compromise is to implement CR support in managed runtime environments, e.g. the Java Virtual Machine (JVM), but this typically requires specialized, non-standard runtime environments, limiting portability and adoption of this approach. In this paper, we present a novel approach for Checkpoint ROllbaCk via lightweight HEap Traversal (Crochet), which enables fully automatic fine-grained lightweight checkpoints within unmodified commodity JVMs (specifically Oracle's HotSpot and OpenJDK). Leveraging key insights about the internal design common to modern JVMs, Crochet works entirely through bytecode rewriting and standard debug APIs, utilizing special proxy objects to perform a lazy heap traversal that starts at the root references and traverses the heap as objects are accessed, copying or restoring state as needed and removing each proxy immediately after it is used. We evaluated Crochet on the DaCapo benchmark suite, finding it to have very low runtime overhead in steady state (ranging from no overhead to 1.29x slowdown), and that it often outperforms a state-of-the-art system-level checkpoint tool when creating large checkpoints.
A Wavelet Domain Implementation of Sparse Representation Method for Face Recognition

Recently, a new discriminative sparse representation method for robust face recognition via $t_{2}$ regularization (NDSRFR) was published. In this paper, a Wavelet domain (WDNDSRFR) is presented. In particular, the Two-Dimensional Discrete Wavelet Transform implementation is given and shown to considerably reduce the computational complexity and the storage requirements while maintaining the recognition accuracy of the NDSRFR. Extensive simulations were performed on five face databases, namely, ORL, YALE, FERET, Cropped AR, and Georgia Tech and the enhanced properties of the WDNDSRFR are confirmed as shown in the given sample results.
Extensor Tendon Repair Zones 7 and 8

Anatomical structures potentially involved: EPL, EPB, APL, EIP, ECU, ECRB, ECRL, EDC, and EDQM.
Live Demonstration: A Wireless Sensor using a Solar Cell Optical Transceiver

A new wireless communication approach that employs solar cells as receivers and transmitters of information has been recently proposed [1,2]. This approach, which has been dubbed Optical Frequency Identification (OFID) for its analogy with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), exploits the infrared luminescent radiation emitted by high-efficiency solar cells, such as GaAs solar cells, when excited by light (photo-luminescence or PL) or an electrical current (electroluminescence or EL). In OFID, the luminescent emissions of a solar cell are modulated by varying the voltage across the solar cell. Binary On-Off as well as multi-level modulations are possible in this scheme. The solar cell can also be used to receive information encoded optically by virtue of its photo-transduction property. Finally, in an OFID system the solar cell is also used for its intended purpose, which is to harvest radiant optical energy.
Arsenic Contamination of India’s Groundwater: A Review and Critical Analysis

Over the past years, the extent and magnitude of arsenic contamination of India’s groundwater has been growing in enormous proportions. However, there has not been any integrated and holistic approach, or any concrete action taken to combat the issues and threats of arsenic contamination, specifically by the Indian Government. This paper aims to critically analyze the scope of arsenic contamination in India and the efforts taken by the Central Government of India to address this issue. First, this paper will introduce arsenic, examine its transportation and distribution in the environment and the human population, and discuss the impact of arsenic exposure on humans. Second, the paper will discuss the scope of arsenic contamination in India and how it is screened and identified. Third, this paper will critically review the water governance structure of India. Fourth, this paper will discuss the challenges in mitigating and combating arsenic contamination of groundwater in India. Finally, the paper will conclude by providing recommendations for risk-mitigation and local management of groundwater arsenic contamination.
The Biopolitics of Domesticity in Fernando León de Aranoa’s Amador (2010)

The question of immigration in Spanish cinema demands to be analysed within the frame of the global accumulation of capital. Fernando Leon de Aranoa’s Amador (2010), engages directly with the immigrant’s experience in the neo-liberal transformation of work. In this paper, I argue that this transformation is deeply intertwined with the domestic space. In depicting the home as bound by precariousness, Amador portrays work performed by the immigrant subject as a continuation of domesticity inherited from the nineteenth century that promoted the functionality of the public sphere at the expense of the oppression of women in private.
Falling for a Diagnosis: West Nile Myelitis without Encephalitis.

Poliovirus has been eradicated in the US for 40 years. Its sequelae, poliomyelitis, a syndrome characterized by fever, meningitis, and flaccid paralysis, is a rare entity. Other viruses have been implicated in poliomyelitis-like syndromes since the elimination of poliovirus. West Nile virus (WNV), since its westward migration in 1999, has recently been found to be a causative agent of fever, encephalitis, and acute flaccid paralysis. We present the case of a male who presented to the hospital for fever and experienced a subsequent fall, without any symptoms of encephalitis, diagnosed with WNV infection.
Intrinsic and Extrinsic Effects of Microstructure on Properties in Cast Al Alloys.

The metallurgy of cast aluminum alloys has always been considered to be different from that of wrought alloys. Metallurgists have been taught that pores are intrinsic in cast aluminum alloys and that mechanical properties in cast aluminum alloys are controlled by dendrite arm spacing, the presence of Fe-bearing particles, and the size of Si particles in Al–Si alloys, which fracture and debond during deformation, leading to premature failure. Whether these effects are intrinsic or extrinsic, i.e., mere correlations due to the structural quality of castings, is discussed in detail. Ideal properties are discussed, based on findings presented mostly in physics literature. Pores and hot tears in aluminum castings are extrinsic. Moreover, the effect of dendrite arm spacing on elongation, precipitation, and subsequent fracture of β–Al5FeSi platelets, and finally Si particle fracture and debonding are all extrinsic. A fundamental change in how we approach the metallurgy of cast aluminum alloys is necessary.
Linguistic Perspectives in Causation

The relation of causation is a mental construct that must be established by a reasoning individual. The aim of this chapter is to show that this property of causation is reflected in at least some linguistic structures, namely in adjunct causal clauses. Specifically, the behavior of English because-clauses and since-clauses supports the hypothesis that causal clauses introduce a judge argument that is syntactically represented. The main argument – based on data experimentally collected – relies on contrasts in the availability and interpretation of logophoric anaphors in causal clauses.
Scanning Probe Microscopy for Nanolithography

Scanning probe microscopy (SPM) has been used for both fabrication and characterization techniques of nanomaterials, nanostructures, or nanopatterning. There are two fundamental approaches such as scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) that are being used for the scanning probe lithography (SPL) process. In this chapter, we will discuss a recent development of nanolithography based upon new ideas and innovations of scanning probe microscopy and direct-write approach.
The effects of oak ( Quercus ) restoration on forest trajectory and small mammal use in the southern Cumberland Plateau, USA

Thinning and prescribed fire are increasingly used to promote oak (Quercus L. spp.) regeneration in forest restoration projects across the eastern United States. In addition to monitoring the response of vegetation to these reductions in basal area, the research and land management community has become focused on the response of wildlife to these treatments. In a landscape in which forest ownership is fragmented and dominated by non-industrial private landowners, predicting the range of wildlife and vegetation response to treatments will be necessary to facilitate adoption of a landscape-scale approach to oak restoration. The goal of this study was to examine the efficacy of restoring privately owned, mixed forest stands that were partially planted in loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) and eastern white pine (Pinus strobus L.) to oak-dominated communities through the use of thinning and prescribed fire. Additionally, the study documented implications of these treatments on small mammal activity in the southern Cumberland Plateau. Following basal area reductions ranging from 30 to 60% and three prescribed fires across three sites, mean oak seedling densities rose from 10 200 ha−1 to 17 900 ha−1. Post-treatment oak seedling densities were related to pre-treatment densities (R2 = 0.55, P 20 cm diameter within 10 m of plot center (R2 = 0.15, P = 0.01). Three years after the last prescribed fire, bat activity (mean passes per night) was significantly higher in the treated stands compared to adjacent undisturbed forest. We did not detect any significant differences in rodent activity between our treated stands and forest controls for two of the three years studied. The results of this study highlighted the within-stand variation that drives post-harvest vegetation trajectories. Three years after the last prescribed fire, bats exhibited higher foraging activity in the treated sites that had lower basal area and very little midstory clutter. Our three-year summer monitoring of rodent activity following the last of the three prescribed fires revealed differences in rodent activity between our treated sites and adjacent forest controls only during 2018 (P = 0.001). These results will assist private landowners in the region as they consider the costs and benefits of oak forest restoration.
Ethylene Glycol Poisoning with a Near-Normal Osmolal Gap: A Diagnostic Challenge.

Ethylene glycol is a colorless, odorless, sweet-tasting liquid commonly found in antifreeze, as well as in industrial agents. It is regarded as one of the toxic alcohols. Ethylene glycol poisoning usually occurs due to ingestion, and its toxicity is mediated by its metabolites, glycolic acid, and oxalate. These metabolites can cause neurological symptoms, gastrointestinal symptoms, and/or renal failure if not diagnosed and treated promptly. The diagnosis can be very challenging as the test used to detect ethylene glycol in the blood may not be readily available or due to an inaccurate history. The treatment of ethylene glycol poisoning consists of supportive care, sodium bicarbonate, and the use of an antidote (ethanol or fomepizole) which inhibits alcohol dehydrogenase and thereby prevents the formation of toxic metabolites. Patients with advanced poisonings may also require dialysis. The diagnosis is usually suggested by a high anion gap metabolic acidosis and an elevated osmolal gap in the setting of a suspected ingestion. Rarely, the osmolal gap may be close to normal which can delay the diagnosis or lead to a misdiagnosis. We report a case of ethylene glycol ingestion with a near-normal osmolal gap.
Investment Opportunities, Market Feedback, and Voluntary Disclosure: Evidence from the Shale Oil Revolution

Recent theories posit that investment opportunities encourage managers to provide voluntary disclosures to elicit informational feedback from stock prices to improve investment decisions, even as doing so encourages informed trading and worsens adverse selection among investors. We test this prediction in a difference-in-differences framework using the shale oil revolution in the early 2010s as an exogenous shock to investment opportunities for oil and gas (“O&G”) firms. During this period, we find that O&G firms increased capex forecasts and decreased earnings forecasts relative to similar, capital-intensive firms outside of the O&G industry and that these effects are concentrated among O&G firms with more informed trading and relatively poorer managerial information. We also find that O&G firms that adjusted their earnings and capex forecasts display both an increase in investment-q sensitivity and a decrease in stock liquidity during the shale oil revolution. Taken together, these results suggest that managers adjust their portfolio of voluntary disclosures to facilitate managerial learning from stock prices in response to investment opportunities, despite worsening adverse selection costs in the process.
Microalgae as feed ingredients: recent developments on their role in immunomodulation and gut microbiota of aquaculture species

Microalgae are rapidly evolving alternative ingredients in food and feed. Desirable nutritional and functional qualities make them high potential sources of feed ingredients. Certain microalgae species are known to accumulate large amounts of protein, containing all essential amino acids while some species contain essential fatty acids and bioactive compounds hence offering several possible health benefits. However, successful inclusion of microalgae-based products in feed requires a clear understanding of physiological responses and microbiota of animals receiving microalgae diets. In this review, key microalgae-based feed ingredients and their effect on gut microbiome and immunomodulatory responses of microalgae fed animals, with a focus on aquatic species will be discussed.
Opioid use during pregnancy: An analysis of comment data from the 2016 Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System survey.

BACKGROUND Opioid misuse during pregnancy has been associated with adverse infant outcomes including preterm birth, stillbirth, and neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome. The Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) is an on-going state-based surveillance system of maternal behaviors, attitudes, and experiences prior to, during, and after pregnancy. Methods: We analyzed qualitative comments related to opioid use during pregnancy collected in 2016 from an open-ended prompt at the end of the PRAMS survey in 35 states (N = 40,408). Key word searches were conducted on the open-ended responses (n = 9,549) to identify opioid-related content with an automated function using Microsoft Excel. All responses from the initial screening (n = 1,035) were manually reviewed, and 69 responses were confirmed to relate to the respondent's personal experience with opioid use during pregnancy. Content analysis was conducted by 3 independent coders; key themes were compiled, discussed, and finalized by the coding team. Results: Five key themes related to opioid use during pregnancy were identified: (1) gratitude for treatment, recovery, and healthy infants; (2) pregnancy as motivation to seek treatment; (3) difficulty finding prenatal care providers with training in substance use disorders; (4) concern about the effects of treatment on the infant; and (5) experiences of discrimination and stigma in the hospital around the time of delivery. Conclusions: Women may be aware of the potential impact of opioid use during pregnancy on the health of their infants and motivated to seek treatment. Findings may help inform new and ongoing initiatives designed to improve care and reduce stigma for women needing or seeking treatment.
Mitosis: Chromosome Segregation and Stability

Mammalian cells are charged with the task of evenly distributing 46 chromosomes to each of two daughter cells during every mitotic cell cycle. Abnormal function of any one of the numerous genes involved in this process can result in the aberrant transmission of chromosomes from the parental cell to its progeny. Keywords: aneuploidy; centrosome; checkpoint; chromosome; mitosis
The Micro-Macro Connection: Exact Structure and Process

We present an analytic method for determining the model of exact micro- and macrostructures and their set of characterizing microprocesses for a given two-valued social relation in a human group. It is cast in terms which clearly show its applicability to any empirical network representing a relation in a group, human or otherwise, and, in principle, is extendable to networks in which a relation is multi-valued or there is more than one relation. At least for specific cases, such as those discussed in this paper, the method enables us to establish a connection between submodels and the constraining microprocesses which characterize and indirectly generate the micro- and macrostructures in them. A principal result of this method is a clear and exact processual characterization of cliquing and ranking in the macromodel which exactly fits the total empirical sociometric data sets of Davis-Leinhardt and Hallinan. Thus, the method produces a processual solution to some of the substantive structural questions discussed by Homans in The Human Group.
BOOK REVIEW: Mir, S. (2014). Muslim American Women on Campus: Undergraduate Social Life and Identity. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press. 224 pp., ISBN: 978-1-4696-1078-8.

BOOK REVIEW: Mir, S. (2014). Muslim American Women on Campus: Undergraduate Social Life and Identity. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press. 224 pp., ISBN: 978-1-4696-1078-8.
Planning Instruction and Self-Regulation Training: Effects on Writers with Autism Spectrum Disorders

This single-subject study examined the effects of a planning and self-regulation strategy on the story writing ability of young children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Three children with ASD in second and fourth grades were taught a strategy for planning and drafting a story using the self-regulated strategy development (SRSD; Harris & Graham, 1996) approach. After the intervention, all students improved their story writing ability in terms of length, number of story elements, and holistic quality. Evidence of strategy use was also noted in stories written for a noninstructed personal narrative genre. Results suggest that the SRSD approach may be beneficial in improving the writing skills of second- and fourth-grade students with ASD.
Community assembly and shifts in plant trait distributions across an environmental gradient in coastal California

Community assembly processes are thought to shape the mean, spread, and spacing of functional trait values within communities. Two broad categories of assembly processes have been proposed: first, a habitat filter that restricts the range of viable strategies and second, a partitioning of microsites and/or resources that leads to a limit to the similarity of coexisting species. The strength of both processes may be dependent on conditions at a particular site and may change along an abiotic gradient. We sampled environmental variables and plant communities in 44 plots across the varied topography of a coastal California landscape. We characterized 14 leaf, stem, and root traits for 54 woody plant species, including detailed intraspecific data for two traits with the goal of understanding the connection between traits and assembly processes in a variety of environmental conditions. We examined the within-community mean, range, variance, kurtosis, and other measures of spacing of trait values. In this landscape, there was a topographically mediated gradient in water availability. Across this gradient we observed strong shifts in both the plot-level mean trait values and the variation in trait values within communities. Trends in trait means with the environment were due largely to species turnover, with intraspecific shifts playing a smaller role. Traits associated with a vertical partitioning of light showed a greater range and variance on the wet soils, while nitrogen per area, which is associated with water use efficiency, showed a greater spread on the dry soils. We found strong nonrandom patterns in the trait distributions consistent with expectations based on trait-mediated community assembly. There was a significant reduction in the range of six out of 11 leaf and stem functional trait values relative to a null model. For specific leaf area (SLA) we found a significant even spacing of trait values relative to the null model. For seed size we found a more platykurtic distribution than expected. These results suggest that both a habitat filter and a limit to the similarity of coexisting species can simultaneously shape the distribution of traits and the assembly of local plant communities.
Longitudinal rescaling and high-energy effective actions

Under a longitudinal rescaling of coordinates ${x}^{0,3}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\lambda}{x}^{0,3}$, $\ensuremath{\lambda}\ensuremath{\ll}1$, the classical QCD action simplifies dramatically. This is the high-energy limit, as $\ensuremath{\lambda}\ensuremath{\sim}{s}^{\ensuremath{-}1/2}$, where $s$ is the center-of-mass energy squared of a hadronic collision. We find the quantum corrections to the rescaled action at one loop, in particular, finding the anomalous powers of $\ensuremath{\lambda}$ in this action, with $\ensuremath{\lambda}l1$. The method is an integration over high-momentum components of the gauge field. This is a Wilsonian renormalization procedure, and counterterms are needed to make the sharp-momentum cutoff gauge invariant. Our result for the quantum action is found, assuming $|\mathrm{ln}﻿\ensuremath{\lambda}|\ensuremath{\ll}1$, which is essential for the validity of perturbation theory. If $\ensuremath{\lambda}$ is sufficiently small (so that $|\mathrm{ln}﻿\ensuremath{\lambda}|\ensuremath{\gg}1$), then the perturbative renormalization group breaks down. This is due to uncontrollable fluctuations of the longitudinal chromomagnetic field.
Dynamic interactive buckling of ring stiffened composite shells

The dynamic instability associated with the interactive buckling of ring stiffened composite shells under hydrostatic pressure is investigated. An optimally designed shell has its static local and overall buckling pressures close to one another. The shell response is then governed by the nonlinear interaction between the modes, which makes the shell very imperfection sensitive. A shell structure, such as a submarine vessel, can undergo suddenly applied overpressure or successive shocks. In the presence of imperfections, the dynamic instability will be triggered which would lead to a reduction of the load carrying capacity of the shell from that associated with quasistatic loading. Further, the large-amplitude vibrations that occur prior to reaching the dynamic limiting pressure can precipitate some form of material failure. The dynamic interactive buckling analysis developed in this study is a combination of the amplitude modulation technique and the asymptotic procedure. The nonlinear differential equations of motion for the structure so developed are solved by the Newmark method for time step integration along with Newton-Raphson iterations. Significant reductions in the load carrying capacity of the shells are observed as a combined result of the dynamic application of the load and the modal interaction. Damping was found to be of marginal influence in enhancing the dynamic limit load. Interlaminar stresses accompanying the dynamic response are monitored, and these reach significant values prior to the onset of dynamic instability.
An application of a test for allocative efficiency in the local public sector

Abstract This paper extends a test developed by Brueckner (1982) for Pareto-efficiency in the allocation of local public goods. The test is based on the result that property values are maximized when public goods are provided efficiently. By using cross-section data, the test is designed to locate local government expenditures on a total property value hypersurface and hence deduced if local public goods are provided in a Pareto-efficient manner. This paper attemps to generalize the test by using local spending data aggregated up to the country level. A country-level test is widely applicable and it accounts for public good spillover effects between jurisdictions. The empirical results suggest that local officials may not account for the presence of spillovers, leading to underprovision of certain public goods. The empirical results also suggest that smaller, more numerous local governments positively influence property values, other things equal.
Flow and Heat Transfer Predictions for Film Cooling

: Film cooling flows are characterized by a row of jets injected at an angle from the blade surface or endwalls into the heated crossflow. The resulting flowfield is quite complex, and accurate predictions of the flow and heat transfer have been difficult to obtain, particularly in the near field of the injected jet. The flowfield is characterized by a spectrum of vortical structures including the dominant kidney vortex, the horse-shoe vortex, the wake vortices and the shear layer vortices. These anisotropic and unsteady structures are not well represented by empirical or ad-hoc turbulence models, and lead to inaccurate predictions in the near field of the jet. In this paper, a variety of modeling approaches have been reviewed, and the limitations of these approaches are identified. Recent emergence of Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) and Large Eddy Simulation (LES) tools allow the resolution of the coherent structure dynamics, and it is shown in this paper, that such approaches provide improved predictions over that obtained with turbulence models.
Chromosomal variation in pocket gophers (Geomys) detected by sequential G-, R-, and C-band analyses

The chromosomes of six taxa, representing five species ofGeomys (G. attwateri, G. breviceps, G. personatus, G. texensis, G. bursarius) were analysed for variation in G-band, R-band, sequential R-/DAPI-AMD, and sequential R-/C-band patterns. Eleven chromosomes had structural rearrangements resulting from deletion/addition events. Fission/fusion rearrangements occurred in two chromosomes, and a pericentric inversion was confirmed in only one chromosome. Eighteen of 34 autosomes had constitutive heterochromatin, with variation in its presence or absence, position, and quantity. The heterochromatic differences were seen both among species and between two subspecies ofG. personatus. Chromomycin A3 fluorescent staining identified G-C rich regions in 31 of the autosomes, with 29 showing variation in their presence or absence, position, and quantity, and identified a high degree of cryptic variation. The X chromosome was highly variable, with differences attributable to structural rearrangements and variation in chromomycin bright-staining regions.
Standards for the Development and Use of Tests: The Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing

Summary: This paper discusses the changes in the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing between the 1985 and 1999 versions, along with the developments in testing that brought about th...
Hydrogen-Helium Isotope Elastic Scattering Processes at Intermediate Energies

Differential cross sections for the elastic scattering of various hydrogen and helium isotopes have been measured using accelerated particles from the Los Alamos 42-inch cyclotron. The scattering of protons and deuterons from deuterons, tritons, and helium-three particles has been studied over an energy range of 5 to 14 Mev. The elastic scattering of \ensuremath{\sim}10-Mev polarized protons has also been studied. In all cases nuclear emulsions were used as detectors.Proton-deuteron elastic scattering has been measured at 5.6 and 7.85 Mev. A comparison is made to results at nearby energies of both $p\ensuremath{-}D$ and $n\ensuremath{-}D$ scattering and to theoretical predictions. The scattering of 10-Mev polarized protons from deuterons has been measured and provides support for calculations using central force approximations.Measurements of $p\ensuremath{-}T$ and $p$-${\mathrm{He}}^{3}$ elastic scattering at 6.5 and 8.34 Mev give angular distributions which are quite similar to those for $p\ensuremath{-}D$ and $p$-${\mathrm{He}}^{4}$. An encouraging agreement is found with resonating-group calculations with central-force approximations of the Serber type.Deuteron-deuteron scattering has been measured at 6.0, 8.2, 12.1, and 13.8 Mev. A preliminary theoretical treatment indicates that the process is predominantly hard-sphere scattering with no strong level splitting.Deuteron-triton and deuteron-helium three scattering has been measured over the energy range of 5 to 14 Mev. The results for the two processes are almost indistinguishable at the present level of accuracy.
Pharmacogenetics of antihypertensive treatment

Hypertension is a common disorder associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Unfortunately, in the United States, only about one third of those who are aware of their hypertensive status successfully control their blood pressure. One reason for this is the variable and unpredictable response individuals have to pharmacologic treatment. Clinicians often resort to a trial-and-error approach to match patients with effective drug treatment. It is the goal of hypertension pharmacogenetics to apply knowledge of genetic predictors of treatment response to drugs that lower blood pressure and to translate this knowledge into clinical practice. To date, more than 30 studies have investigated associations between specific genetic polymorphisms and response to particular antihypertensive drugs. Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors have been most frequently studied, followed by diuretics, beta-blockers, angiotensin II blockers, adrenergic alpha-agonists, and calcium channel blockers. Renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system genes have been the most widely studied, with the angiotensin-converting enzyme I/D variant being typed in about one third of all hypertension pharmacogenetic studies to date. In a number of cases, significant and potentially promising associations between genes and drug treatments have been reported. However, taken in sum, the literature suggests that the path from gene-drug-outcome association studies to clinically useful knowledge may be neither short nor direct. In the future, carefully designed studies must acknowledge that hypertension is caused by multiple genes and environmental factors that act in concert. These considerations, along with a better understanding of the complexities of the biology of hypertension, open the next set of opportunities for hypertension pharmacogenetics research. Drug Dev. Res. 62:191–199, 2004. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Growth of Ti and TiSi2 films on Si(111) by low energy Ti+ beam deposition

Abstract The deposition of titanium and titanium disilicide thin films on Si(111) by low-energy (10–500 eV) Ti + beams in the temperature range 25–700°C has been investigated by in-situ Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED) as well as ex-situ depth profile X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and transmission electron diffraction (TED). Small XPS chemical shifts in the Si 2p and Ti 2p peaks and changes in the AES line shapes originating from elemental silicon and titanium and the titanium disilicide compound have been resolved. The XPS shifts were used for resolution of the silicide layer in the depth profiles. This interfacial silicide layer is formed even at 25°C, and its characteristics are dependent on both Ti + energy and Si temperature. The RHEED and TED results confirm the growth of a polycrystalline Ti film for T ≤500°C, the C49–TiSi 2 phase for T ∼600°C, the C54–TiSi 2 phase for T ∼700°C or above, and the existence of synergistic effects between the substrate temperature and Ti + kinetic energy on the crystalline quality of the films. The AFM images exhibit a broad range of morphologies as a function of growth conditions. The effects of energetic ions and temperature in Ti and TiSi 2 film deposition are discussed accordingly.
Outcomes for endocarditis surgery in North America: a simplified risk scoring system.

Objective Operation for infective endocarditis is associated with the highest mortality of any valve disease, with overall rates of in-hospital mortality exceeding 20%. The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Adult Cardiac Surgery Database was examined to develop a simple risk scoring system and identify areas for quality improvement. Methods From 2002 through 2008, 19,543 operations were performed for infective endocarditis. Logistic regression analysis related baseline characteristics to both operative mortality and a composite of mortality and major morbidity within 30 days. Points were assigned to each risk factor, and estimated risk was obtained by averaging events for all patients having the same number of points. Results Overall unadjusted mortality was 8.2%, and complications occurred in 53%. Significant preoperative risk factors for mortality (associated points) were as follows: emergency, salvage status, or cardiogenic shock (17), preoperative hemodialysis, renal failure, or creatinine level less than 2.0 (12), preoperative inotropic or balloon pump support (10), active (vs treated) endocarditis (10), multiple valve involvement (9), insulin-dependent diabetes (8), arrhythmia (8), previous cardiac surgery (7), urgent status without cardiogenic shock (6), non–insulin-dependent diabetes (6), hypertension (5), and chronic lung disease (5), with a C statistic of 0.7578 (all P P = .0023). Conclusions Operative mortality for surgically treated infective endocarditis is substantially lower than reported in-hospital mortality rates for infective endocarditis. The described risk scoring system will inform clinical decision-making in these complex patients.
Analysis of the temporal changes in the avidity of primary IgM and IgG antibody at the cellular level.

Abstract The avidity of primary IgM and IgG anti-bovine serum albumin antibody was measured at the cellular level. The avidity of IgG antibody secreted by plaqueforming cells increased with time as evidenced by the fact that progressively less bovine serum albumin was required to inhibit 50% of the plaque-forming cells. Analysis of various avidity subpopulations of IgG plaque-forming cells, furthermore, demonstrated that there was a temporal attrition of low avidity IgG plaque-forming cells resulting in the dominance of high avidity IgG plaque-forming cells. Thus, maturation of IgG antibody was occurring during the primary antibody response to bovine serum albumin. Similar analyses of the IgM antibody secreted by plaqueforming cells indicated that the avidity remained constant throughout the response with the exception of a marked increase on Day 8. Heterogeneity of the various avidity subpopulations of IgM plaque-forming cells was a hallmark of the response indicating that maturation is not a major feature of the IgM response.
Self‐awareness and leisure experience

Abstract In recent years, conceptualizations of leisure have focused on a “leisure experience”; characterized by intense involvement in ongoing activity. Some researchers have suggested that self‐attention or self‐awareness may detract from that involvement and thus inhibit or restrict leisure. The disruptive influence of self‐awareness is also addressed in social psychological theories (Duval and Wicklund 1972, Mead 1934), which suggest that self‐awareness coincides with judgmental self‐evaluation. The relevance of self‐evaluation to leisure has been shown in a study by Shaw (1985), but the overall relevance of self‐awareness (or loss of self‐awareness) to leisure is not well understood. In order to examine the relationship between leisure and self‐awareness, an experience sampling study was undertaken. Eighteen individuals completed 695 questionnaires describing situations from their normal daily routines. Analysis indicated that levels of self‐awareness were not markedly different in leisure and nonlei...
Ice Gouge Reliability of Offshore Arctic Pipelines

Offshore arctic pipelines must be designed with adequate reliability against damage or rupture due to the effects of ice features that gouge the seafloor. A common design approach is to bury the pipeline sufficiently deep to avoid contact by a gouging ice keel of a target rare return interval. The effects of sub-gouge soil displacements on pipe stress or strain are also assessed. It is implicitly assumed, in this traditional approach, that ice keels have infinite strength and momentum, so that gouge depths are not limited by ice keel failure and direct contact of ice on pipe results in rupture. However, many first-year ice features may not be strong enough to gouge the soil to the extreme gouge depths. Considering the high cost of incremental pipeline burial depth, it may be desirable to account for limits imposed on extreme gouge depth by soil resistance. Introducing these limits, however, gives rise to additional uncertainty and requires the development of a reliability framework to assess the consequences of direct ice contact on the buried pipe. This paper presents a methodology for evaluating the probability of ice gouging non-performance of a pipeline while explicitly accounting for the ability of the seabed soil to limit ice gouge depth based on the relative strength of soil and ice keel. Non-performance is defined either as ice contact on the pipe or exceedence of some level of acceptable pipe strain when contacted by ice. A three-step approach is followed through the use of nonlinear finite element analysis to estimate pipeline capacity, the statistical characterization of demand from ice gouging events, and the development of a reliability framework combining demand and capacity. Parameters governing the capacity of the pipeline are identified, the sensitivity of the pipeline reliability to various parameters is investigated, and the impact of allowing ice contact on pipeline reliability is presented. Relative merits and risks of allowing ice contact are discussed in the context of pipeline reliability. The presented results and discussions are believed to be of significant help in the development of burial depth criteria for future offshore arctic pipelines, and certainly in the reassessment of existing ones.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Sensitivity analysis for Szegő polynomials

Szegő polynomials are orthogonal with respect to an inner product on the unit circle. Numerical methods for weighted least-squares approximation by trigonometric polynomials conveniently can be derived and expressed with the aid of Szegő polynomials. This paper discusses the conditioning of several mappings involving Szegő polynomials and, thereby, sheds light on the sensitivity of some approximation problems involving trigonometric polynomials.
Exploration of a Performance Test for Emulsion Treated Asphalt Surfaces

Asphalt emulsions are a key material used for pavement preservation. Over time, asphalt concrete pavements become oxidized, which can lead to cracking and other surface deterioration. The addition of pavement maintenance treatments, such as scrub seals, chip seals, or fog seals, can rejuvenate the pavement surface as the asphalt emulsion penetrates the oxidized layer of pavement. However, most existing test methods for asphalt emulsions are empirical in nature and do not directly address field performance. With the aim of improving material characterization and testing so as to better capture field properties, this research explored using a bending beam rheometer (BBR) to measure the stiffness and rate of change of the stiffness (or m-value) of asphalt concrete mixture beams treated with asphalt emulsions. There were three components of this study. First, procedures for fabricating BBR beams from field asphalt concrete samples were developed, as the top portion of pavement is often brittle after field aging and oxidation. It was determined that beams could be successfully fabricated with reasonable geometric variability. Second, asphalt concrete BBR specimens compacted and fabricated in the laboratory were sawn and tested, with and without asphalt emulsion, to determine whether the addition of emulsion could be detected. Third, the same emulsion applied to the laboratory fabricated specimens was applied to field mixes to determine the influence of asphalt emulsion on candidate materials for pavement preservation. Overall, beam fabrication was repeatable, and coefficient of variation values for test results were lower for the laboratory compacted plant mix (10 % to 25 %) than for the field mixtures (9 % to 57 %). Emulsion addition increased the m-value and decreased the stiffness of all pavements, which indicates rejuvenation of the asphalt concrete. BBR mixture beams appear to be able to capture the effect of adding emulsion to both lab produced and field specimens, but more types of emulsions, a more comprehensive conditioning regime, and more asphalt concrete mixtures should be examined in order to determine the effectiveness of the measured performance properties of asphalt concrete with the addition of asphalt emulsion.
On nonparametric maximum likelihood estimation of a distribution uniformly stochastically smaller than a standard

Abstract The class of distributions F which are uniformly stochastically smaller than a known standard G arises naturally when life testing experiments are conducted in an environment more severe or stressful than the environment in which the system has been pretested. The problem of estimating a distribution in this class via nonparametric maximum likelihood is considered. Under the assumption that the standard lifetime distribution G is continuous and strictly increasing, the NPMLE of F is derived in closed form, and its inconsistency is demonstrated.
DNA extraction protocols cause differences in 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing efficiency but not in community profile composition or structure

The recent development of methods applying next-generation sequencing to microbial community characterization has led to the proliferation of these studies in a wide variety of sample types. Yet, variation in the physical properties of environmental samples demands that optimal DNA extraction techniques be explored for each new environment. The microbiota associated with many species of insects offer an extraction challenge as they are frequently surrounded by an armored exoskeleton, inhibiting disruption of the tissues within. In this study, we examine the efficacy of several commonly used protocols for extracting bacterial DNA from ants. While bacterial community composition recovered using Illumina 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing was not detectably biased by any method, the quantity of bacterial DNA varied drastically, reducing the number of samples that could be amplified and sequenced. These results indicate that the concentration necessary for dependable sequencing is around 10,000 copies of target DNA per microliter. Exoskeletal pulverization and tissue digestion increased the reliability of extractions, suggesting that these steps should be included in any study of insect-associated microorganisms that relies on obtaining microbial DNA from intact body segments. Although laboratory and analysis techniques should be standardized across diverse sample types as much as possible, minimal modifications such as these will increase the number of environments in which bacterial communities can be successfully studied.
Multipath-rejecting GPS antennas

Multipath interference limits the speed and accuracy of determining position by differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) techniques. A geodetic surveyor for example, requires multipath interference rejection of about 36+20log/sub 10/sin/spl epsiv/ dB, where /spl epsiv/ is the elevation angle of the satellite being observed. Signal processing in a GPS receiver cannot satisfy this requirement. A receiving antenna is required that can sufficiently reject signals arriving from below the horizon. Available antennas have inadequate rejection, and brute-force methods of improving them, e.g., by enlarging their ground-planes, are impractical. A compact, ground-planeless, dual-band GPS antenna with improved multipath rejection has been designed and field-tested. This antenna resembles a vertical post rather than a horizontal platter; within its 0.1-m diameter, 0.4-m tall randome is a vertical array of turnstile elements. In field tests, a three-element array antenna rejected multipath better than a 0.5-m diameter ground-plane antenna by an average of 5 dB. A five-element array antenna appears superior to a 0.9-m diameter ground-plane antenna.