cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Behavior of Silver and Palladium Mixtures during Heating

The behavior of mixtures of silver and palladium during heating in both air and an inert atmosphere was studied using X-ray diffractometry (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dilatometry, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). In situ high-temperature XRD studies on a commercial 20% palladium material with submicrometer-sized particles indicated that an intermetallic phase, most likely Ag 3 Pd, formed in air between 300° and 400°C, the same temperature range where a 13% linear expansion was measured by dilatometry. The DSC data indicated an exothermic peak at 340°C, a temperature where the TGA results indicated that the material had picked up only 0.2% oxygen, compared with the maximum of 1.4% at 525°C. No PdO was detected by XRD at 400°C, which suggests that oxygen was being incorporated in the intermetallic. Microstructural examination using SEM indicated that larger particles, with internal pores, had formed after heating in air to 375°C. When the material was heated in argon for 1 h at 400°C, no intermetallic phase or alloy formed, and minimal expansion occurred. When mixtures of larger silver particles (5-30 μm) with palladium particles (1-3 μm) were heated in air, the maximum amount of expansion that occurred increased from 0% for pure palladium up to a maximum of 18% at 75% silver. This result supports the conclusion that expansion is a result of formation of this new phase, in the presence of oxygen, not of the oxidation of the palladium.
(−)-6′,7′-[11C]Dihydroroten-12α-ol ((−)-[11C]DHROL) for in vivo measurement of mitochondrial Complex I

Deficits in Complex I (NADH-ubiquinone oxidoreductase) of the electron transport chain may play an important role in the inception and progression of neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease. In vivo imaging of Complex I offers a unique method for evaluation of these changes in living human brain. Previous carbon-11 labeled rotenoids showed promising results, but were prepared as mixtures of stereoisomers at the 5'-position. We report here the stereospecific syntheses of (-)-6',7'-[ 11 C]dihydroroten-12α-ol ((-)-[ 11 C]DHROL), a modified rotenoid with in vitro affinity for Complex I. O-[ 11 C]methylation of the appropriate desmethyl precursor provided (-)-[ 11 C]DHROL in an average radiochemical yield, corrected to end of bombardment, of 27% (n = 4) and >99% radiochemical purity. In mice, (-)-[ 11 C]DHROL gave a high and uniform brain uptake similar to that obtained with prior radiolabeled rotenoids. Further in vivo evaluation of (-)-[ 11 C]DHROL in rats with unilateral quinolinic acid-induced striatal lesions showed significant losses of radioligand binding after neurotoxin treatment (lesion/unlesioned ratio of 0.66). As this reduction of in vivo radioligand binding is very similar to that obtained previously with the mixture of [ 11 C]DHROL isomers, the stereochemistry at the 5'-position of [ 11 C]DHROL does not significantly influence the in vivo applications of this radiotracer.
Application of Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy to the characterization of fractionated coal liquids

Abstract Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy offers considerable advantages over conventional dispersive methods for the characterization of highly absorbing materials such as coal. This technique has been applied to the determination of the functional groups present in three solvent-refined-coal samples, all of which were obtained from the same parent coal but under different processing conditions. Both the benzene-soluble and pyridine-soluble portions are subjected to chromatographic fractionation by sequential elution from a silica-gel column using a specific sequence of solvents. The functional groups present in each fraction were identified from their infrared spectrum, using the group-frequency approach.
Analysis of sprocket load distribution

Abstract A study was made to determine the load distribution for an elastic roller chain on an elastic sprocket. The equations developed for the distribution include, as a subset, those for a rigid roller chain on a stationary rigid sprocket. The effect of friction and sprocket rotation on load distribution is discussed. Results are presented for a 20-tooth sprocket with a 180° angle of roller chain wrap, for various tight-to-slack side tension ratios of both driver and driven sprockets, with various spring constant ratios.
Spin Pumping Induced Electric Voltage

Spin pumping in a ferromagnetic (FM) and nonmagnetic (NM) metallic bilayer generates an electric voltage whose origins have been attributed to the inverse spin Hall effect (ISHE) in the NM layer. We show that the electric voltage or current from the spin pumping is not limited to the ISHE of the NM layer; instead, there are two other previously unidentified contributions: one from the interface and the other from the FM layer. By using our newly developed spin pumping formalism, we compute the relative contributions of these three sources of the induced electric voltages. When we apply our results to a NiFe/Pt bilayer, we find the contribution from the strong spin-orbit coupled interface, known as the inverse Edelstein effect (IEE), can be as large as or even larger than that from the NM layer. Our finding indicates that the experimental estimation of the spin Hall angle and spin diffusion length of Pt should include both IEE and ISHE.
Intergenerational Family Communication: Generational Differences in Rural Families

The aging of our society creates increased opportunity for intergenerational communication between parents and adult children. While many researchers have studied the overall relationships within intergenerational families, few have examined communication within such families. This study explores generational differences in perceptions of communication problems, family communication resources and communication satisfaction in a specific intergenerational family system -the intergenerational farm family. Using repeated measures MANOVA, generational communication differences were examined with a sample of 284 adult family members. The younger generation saw significantly more communication problems in the intergenarational family, viewed fewer family communication resources and had lower family communication satisfaction than the older generation. The discussion highlighted four factors that may account for these generational communication differences.
Fracture mechanisms of the Strombus gigas conch shell: implications for the design of brittle laminates

Flexural strength, crack-density evolution, work of fracture, and critical strain energy release rates were measured for wet and dry specimens of the Strombus gigas conch shell. This shell has a crossed-lamellar microarchitecture, which is layered at five distinct length scales and can be considered a form of ceramic “plywood”. The shell has a particularly high ceramic (mineral) content (99.9 wt%), yet achieves unusually good mechanical performance. Even though the strengths are modest (of the order 100 MPa), the laminated structure has a large strain to fracture, and a correspondingly large work of fracture, up to 13 kJ m−2. The large fracture resistance is correlated to the extensive microcracking that occurs along the numerous interfaces within the shell microstructure. Implications of this impressive work of fracture for design of brittle laminates are considered.
Microbes and Microbial Toxins: Paradigms for Microbial- Mucosal Interactions VIII. Pathological consequences of rotavirus infection and its enterotoxin

Rotaviral infection in neonatal animals and young children leads to acute self-limiting diarrhea, but infected adults are mainly asymptomatic. Recently, significant in-roads have been made into our...
Golf After Total Knee Arthroplasty Do Patients Return to Walking the Course

BackgroundGolf provides an opportunity for relatively low-impact exercise for nearly all age groups and is considered a recommended activity for patients after total knee arthroplasty.HypothesisWe hypothesized that total knee arthroplasty would afford patients increased ability to participate in and enjoy golf, allowing a large percentage of these patients to walk the golf course.Study DesignCase series; Level of evidence, 4.MethodsSurveys were sent to 151 golfers who had undergone primary total knee arthroplasty from 1995 to 2000. The detailed survey included 33 questions specific to the patients’ golf performance, enjoyment of golf, frequency of participation, timing of return to play, presence of pain, use of a cart, and related golf-specific issues.ResultsWe received and evaluated 93 responses (62%). Fifty-seven percent reported they had returned to golf within 6 months after total knee arthroplasty. Eighty-one percent of respondents reported golfing as frequently, or more frequently, than before knee...
DADOS-Prospective: an open source application for Web-based prospective data collection

Randomized, prospective trials involving multi-institutional collaboration have become a central part of clinical and translational research. However, data management and coordination of multi-center studies is a complex process that involves developing systems for data collection and quality control, tracking data queries and resolutions, as well as developing communication procedures. We describe DADOS-Prospective, an open-source Web-based application for collecting and managing prospective data on human subjects for clinical and translational trials. DADOS-Prospective not only permits users to create new clinical research forms (CRF) and supports electronic signatures, but also offers the advantage of containing, in a single environment, raw research data in downloadable spreadsheet format, source documentation and regulatory files stored in PDF format, and audit trails. Feedback from formal and field usability tests was used to guide the design and development of DADOS-Prospective. To date, DADOS-Prospective has been implemented in five prospective clinical studies at our institution. Four of these studies are still in the CRF creation phase and one study has been entirely launched. DADOS-Prospective has significant advantages over existing Web-based data collecting programs. At our institution, it has been demonstrated to be an efficient tool for prospective clinical studies.
Mechanistic Analysis of Iridium Heteroatom C-H Activation: Evidence for an Internal Electrophilic Substitution Mechanism

The mechanism responsible for C−H activation in Ir(acac)_2(OCH_3)(C_6H_6) has been identified and described as an internal electrophilic substitution (IES) mechanism, on the basis of orbital changes and predicted reactivity. In this IES mechanism, the lone pair on a M−X ligand forms an X−H bond, while the orbital making up the M−X bond turns into a coordinating lone pair.
Treatment of Sustained Left Atrial Tachycardia by Ostial Pulmonary Vein Isolation

This report describes two patients with sustained regular left atrial tachycardias originating from multiple pulmonary veins in the absence of clinical evidence of atrial fibrillation. The tachycardias were eliminated by activation map-guided pulmonary vein isolation. Stable sustained regular pulmonary vein tachycardias unassociated with atrial fibrillation are uncommon, and they belong to the spectrum of pulmonary vein arrhythmias that include the more common paroxysmal and unstable tachycardias engendering atrial fibrillation.
Group size structure affects patterns of aggression in larval salamanders

The potential importance of intrapopulation phenotypic variability to population-level ecology has been demonstrated in both theoretical and field studies. One way to connect individuals to the dynamics of populations they compose is to study behavioral response (an individual-level characteristic) to variability in conspecific phenotypes (a population-level characteristic). We examined effects of variation in size of individuals on patterns of aggression in larval tiger salamanders (Ambystoma tigrmum nebulosum) by observing aggressive behavior in groups of three larvae in a laboratory experiment. We assessed effects of variability in size of conspecdfics independently of mean larval size and larval density. Overall levels of aggression were generally higher in groups in which all individuals were similarly sized than in groups of variably sized individuals. Medium-sized individuals exhibited significantly higher levels of aggression and were attacked significantly more often when in groups consisting only of similarly sized larvae as compared to groups composed of larvae representing a wider range of body sizes. Activity levels of larvae were also generally lower when all individuals were the same size, resulting in a negative correlation between activity and levels of aggression. These results suggest that groups of similarly sized individuals experience a more aggressive social environment than groups of variably sized individuals, and they suggest a promising avenue of research for connecting individual behavioral and physiological responses to size structure (phenotypic variability) with population dynamics.
Fiscal Federalism Amid Institutional Weakness: The Argentine Fiscal Pacts of the 1990s

This article provides a political-economic evaluation of the Argentine federal fiscal system during the 1990s. It describes and analyzes the innovations made to the rules governing the intergovernmental fiscal game, with a focus on the important fiscal landmarks of that decade, namely the fiscal pacts of 1992, 1993, 1999, and 2000. The record shows that many of the reforms to the fiscal regime have involved extensive political horse-trading and have been inefficient from an economic standpoint and that the level of players' compliance with fiscal pact clauses has been low. The main obstacle to crafting a more economically rational federal fiscal system rests on the overall institutional framework within which political exchanges take place. This weak institutional setting provides powerful incentives for players to focus on the short term and aggravates collective action problems by fostering a static and narrow conception of self-interest, divorced from the overall (dynamic) coherence of the fiscal regime. Este articulo ofrece una evaluacion de economia politica del sistema federal fiscal argentino durante la decada de 1990. Describe y analiza las innovaciones realizadas a las reglas que gobernaban el juego fiscal, con un enfoque en los importantes acontecimientos fiscales de la decada de 1990—en particular los pactos fiscales de 1992, 1993, 1999 y 2000. La historia muestra que muchas de las reformas al regimen fiscal han involucrado una extensiva estira y afloja, han sido muy ineficientes desde una perspectiva economica y que el nivel de cumplimento de los involucrados en las clausulas del pacto fiscal ha sido bajo. El principal obstaculo para construir un sistema federal fiscal mas racional economicamente reside en el marco institucional generalizado dentro del cual los intercambios politicos se realizan. Este debil escenario institucional proporciona incentivos poderosos para que los jugadores se enfoquen en el corto plazo y agrava los problemas de accion colectiva al fomentar una idea muy estatica y estrecha de interes propio, divorciada de la coherencia general (dinamica) del regimen fiscal.
On stability in linear feedback circuits

In this paper, the precise relations defining system transfer and stability functions and system phase margin are developed. These functions account for loading at input and output ports of the amplifying block due to the feedback element. They are derived using the analysis methodology of Driving Point Impedance/Signal Flow Graphs (DPI/SFG) recently introduced. With this process, stability relations are obtained from closed loop SPICE simulations removing all questions about opening loops. A summary of the DPI/SFG method is given.
Using digital libraries to build educational communities: the ChemCollective

The ChemCollective is a new project in the targeted research track of the National Science Digital Library (NSDL). The project (http://www chemcollective org) was launched in spring 2004 at the National American Chemical Society (ACS) and National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) meetings. The research goal is to explore the degree to which digital library structures can attract and support a community of educators working towards a common vision of educational reform.
Throughflow centrality is a global indicator of the functional importance of species in ecosystems

Abstract To better understand and manage complex systems like ecosystems it is critical to know the relative contribution of the system components to the system function. Ecologists and social scientists have described a diversity of ways that individuals can be important; This paper makes two key contributions to this research area. First, it shows that throughflow (Tj), the total energy or matter entering or exiting a system component, is a global indicator of the relative contribution of the component to the whole system activity. It is global because it includes the direct and indirect exchanges among community members. Further, throughflow is a special case of Hubbell status or centrality as defined in social science. This recognition effectively joins the concepts, enabling ecologists to use and build on the broader centrality research in network science. Second, I characterize the distribution of throughflow in 45 empirically-based trophic ecosystem models. Consistent with theoretical expectations, this analysis shows that a small fraction of the system components are responsible for the majority of the system activity. In 73% of the ecosystem models, 20% or less of the nodes generate 80% or more of the total system throughflow. Four or fewer nodes are required to account for 50% of the total system activity and are thus defined as community dominants. 121 of the 130 dominant nodes in the 45 ecosystem models could be classified as primary producers, dead organic matter, or bacteria. Thus, throughflow centrality indicates the rank power of the ecosystems components and shows the concentration of power in the primary production and decomposition cycle. Although these results are specific to ecosystems, these techniques build on flow analysis based on economic input–output analysis. Therefore these results should be useful for ecosystem ecology, industrial ecology, the study of urban metabolism, as well as other domains using input–output analysis.
Neuronal activity in the cerebellar interpositus and lateral pontine nuclei during inhibitory classical conditioning of the eyeblink response.

Single-unit neuronal activity was recorded from the cerebellar interpositus nucleus and lateral pontine nuclei during conditioned inhibition of the eyeblink response in rats. Conditioned inhibition training sessions included 100 trials/day for 12 days. During each training session, the rats were given 50 presentations of a tone conditioned stimulus (CS) that was paired with a brief periocular shock unconditioned stimulus (US). They were also given 50 presentations of a compound stimulus that included the tone-CS and a light-CS. The compound-CS was not paired with the US. The two types of trials were mixed throughout the session and presented in an irregular sequence. This training procedure resulted in significant inhibition of the eyeblink response during the compound-CS. Neurons in the interpositus and lateral pontine nuclei exhibited significantly less activity during the compound-CS relative to the tone-CS. The suppression of cerebellar and pontine learning-related neuronal activity during the inhibitory CS may be critical for inhibiting the conditioned eyeblink response.
Physiology and metabolism of tissue-engineered skeletal muscle

Skeletal muscle is a major target for tissue engineering, given its relative size in the body, fraction of cardiac output that passes through muscle beds, as well as its key role in energy metabolism and diabetes, and the need for therapies for muscle diseases such as muscular dystrophy and sarcopenia. To date, most studies with tissue-engineered skeletal muscle have utilized murine and rat cell sources. On the other hand, successful engineering of functional human muscle would enable different applications including improved methods for preclinical testing of drugs and therapies. Some of the requirements for engineering functional skeletal muscle include expression of adult forms of muscle proteins, comparable contractile forces to those produced by native muscle, and physiological force-length and force-frequency relations. This review discusses the various strategies and challenges associated with these requirements, specific applications with cultured human myoblasts, and future directions.
On the quality factor of strip and line source antennas and its relationship to superdirectivity ratio

Exact formulas are derived for the quality factor Q of strip and line source antennas. Contrary to popular opinion, none of them is equal to Taylor's superdirectivity ratio \gamma or to \gamma - 1 . But in the case of E -plane strip sources (the complement of the type of strip source treated by Woodward and Lawson) the value of Q is precisely equal to \gamma_{\alpha}^{-1/2}- 1 , where \gamma_{\alpha}^{\beta} is a generalized superdirectivity ratio that reduces to Taylor's \gamma when the edge exponent \alpha and the pattern weighting exponent \beta are both zero. In the case of H -plane strip sources the value of Q is approximately equal to \gamma_{\alpha}^{1/2} - 1 , and for H -plane line sources of vanishing width a it is approximately equal to [(2/\pi) \ln (2.516\lambda/\pi a)]\gamma_{\alpha}^{1} .
The Chronic Care Model and Exercise Discussions during Primary Care Diabetes Encounters

Background: Discussing self-care activities like exercise is challenging with the many competing demands during primary care encounters. Our objective was to study the relationship between the Chronic Care Model (CCM) score in the clinic and time spent by the physicians discussing exercise during encounters with diabetic patients. Methods: Consecutive patients with diabetes across 20 primary care clinics in South Texas were included. Time spent discussing exercise was determined using the Davis Observation Code on audio recordings of the visits. Clinicians completed the Assessment of Chronic Illness Care survey, a validated measure of the extent to which care delivered is consistent with the CCM. Data were analyzed using hierarchical linear models. Results: A total of 162 transcribed recordings were analyzed. Age, the number of problems addressed, stage of change (SOC), and overall length of the visit were associated with time spent discussing exercise. There was a significant relationship between clinic CCM score and time spent by physicians advising about exercise, independent of SOC for exercise (P Conclusions: Discussions of exercise may be 18 to 33 seconds longer in clinics with full implementation of the CCM compared with those with basic implementation. Facilitating more complete CCM implementation in clinics with a basic level of CCM that serve a population of patients who are sedentary may realize the most benefit.
Context-learning based electroencephalogram analysis for epileptic seizure detection

Epileptic seizure is a serious health problem in the world and there is a huge population suffering from it every year. If an algorithm could automatically detect seizures and deliver the patient therapy or notify the hospital, that would be of great assistance. Analyzing the scalp EEG is the most common way to detect the onset of a seizure. In this paper, we proposed the context-learning based EEG analysis for seizure detection (Context-EEG) algorithm. The proposed method aims at extracting both the hidden inherent features within EEG fragments and the temporal features from EEG contexts. First, we segment the EEG signals into EEG fragments of fixed length. Second, we learn the hidden inherent features from each fragment and reduce the dimensionality of the original data. Third, we translate each EEG fragment to an EEG word so that the EEG context can provide us with temporal information. And finally, we concatenate the hidden feature and the temporal feature together to train a binary classifier. The experiment result shows the proposed model is highly effective in detecting seizure.
Interfacial Rheological Properties of Contrast Microbubble Targestar P as a Function of Ambient Pressure

In this Technical Note, we determine the interfacial rheological parameters of the encapsulation of the contrast agent Targestar P using ultrasound attenuation. The characteristic parameters are obtained according to two interfacial rheological models. The properties-surface dilatational elasticity (0.09 ± 0.01 N/m) and surface dilatational viscosity (8 ± 0.1E-9 N·s/m)-are found to be of similar magnitude for both models. Contrast microbubbles experience different ambient pressure in different organs. We also measure these parameters as functions of ambient pressure using attenuation measured at different overpressures (0, 100 and 200 mm Hg). For each value of ambient hydrostatic pressure, we determine the rheological properties, accounting for changes in the size distribution caused by the pressure change. We discuss different models of size distribution change under overpressure: pure adiabatic compression or gas exchange with surrounding medium. The dilatational surface elasticity and viscosity are found to increase with increasing ambient pressure.
A Comparative Rheological Investigation of Natural and Synthetic Cis-1,4 Polyisoprenes and Their Carbon Black Compounds

Abstract A comparative experimental study of the rheological properties of four cis-1,4 polyisoprenes, two naturally occurring and two synthetic, is reported. The two naturally occurring elastomers are from the hevea tree and guayule bush, and the synthetics are produced by alkyl lithium and Ziegler catalysts. Transient and steady state shear viscosity, stress relaxation and elongational stretching experiments were carried out at 100°C. Shear viscosity was measured using creep and constant shear rate modes in a sandwich viscometer as well as with a capillary rheometer. The hevea based elastomer has the highest viscosity and maximum relaxation time. The likeliest reasons for the higher viscosity and memory of the hevea is the presence of large amounts of gel and higher levels of long chain branching than in the other cis-1,4 polyisoprenes. Rheological measurements are also reported for compounds with 0.1 and 0.2 volume loadings of carbon black. Yield values are observed for the 0.2 loading compounds.
Unfolding Dynamic Networks for Visual Exploration

Visualization builds on the human capacity to quickly process parallel visual inputs and to offload cognitive processes. Interactive visualizations can become interfaces between humans, their data, and the phenomena represented by the data. Such interfaces can allow for exploration, enable serendipitous discoveries, and serve as a mental metaphor to help us remember and reason about the data. This article gives a brief overview of the author's dissertation research, which is concerned with creating and evaluating novel interfaces to explore dynamic networks, supporting analysts in formulating hypotheses, and discussing proper analysis methods.
Factors influencing discharge disposition after ankle arthrodesis

Background:Although functional and morbidity outcomes following ankle arthrodesis have been widely studied, patterns of health care resource utilization remain unclear. The purpose of this study was to identify preoperative and postoperative risk factors for nonroutine discharge following ankle arthrodesis. A secondary study aim was to determine risk factors associated with prolonged hospital stay.Methods:Using the National Health Discharge Survey (NHDS) database for the years 2001 through 2007, an estimated 40 941 patients having undergone ankle arthrodesis were identified and separated into those who were discharged to home (routine discharge) and those who were discharged to rehabilitation facilities (nonroutine discharge). Factors influencing discharge disposition and hospital length of stay were determined using multivariable binary logistic regression analysis.Results:Risk factors for nonroutine discharge were increasing age, male sex, diabetes mellitus, atrial fibrillation, more than 1 general or s...
Peak bone mass development of females: can young adult women improve their peak bone mass?

The purpose of this review is to summarize the effects of calcium intake on peak bone mass (PBM) accrual by premenopausal females during their 20s and possibly 30s. Prospective studies are highlighted because of the value of investigating the same subjects for one or more years. Results of cross-sectional studies are also summarized. Findings from both prospective and cross-sectional investigations suggest a positive benefit of adequate or supplemented calcium intakes on bone mineral content (BMC) in females during the third (20s) and fourth (30s) decades of life. PBM of subjects was found to be increased or maintained in comparison to PBM of controls in the five intervention studies that used calcium supplementation or the addition of calcium-rich foods. The results of cross-sectional studies, including a meta-analysis of approximately 20 such studies, also support the benefit to PBM of adequate calcium intakes. In summary, sufficient consumption of calcium during the various stages of the early life cyc...
Amantadine and oseltamivir resistance among influenza A (H1N1) viruses isolated from Ningbo

Objective:To study the incidence of adamantine and oseltamivir resistance among influenza A(HI N1)viruses isolated from Ningbo,and to explore the genetic characteristic of the viruses.Methods:Amplify the nucleotide fragment of M2 and NA gene by RT-PCR for sequencing;resistance was inferred by comparison with published sequences and known resistant mutations.Results:The adamantine resistance rate is 54.5% in 2005,100% in 2006,100% in 2007,81.8% in 2008 and 9% in 2009.No oseltamivir resistant strains were detected from 2005 to 2007,but there was a surprisingly increased resistance rate of 18.1% and 90.9% in 2008 and 2009,respectively.Conclusion:The adamantine resistance rate of influenza A(HI N1) strains in Ningbo shows a downward trend after the first rise,while the oseltamivir resistant rate shows an upward trend.
Unusual manifestations of abdominal aortic aneurysms.

Direct repair of an abdominal aortic aneurysm is a safe and effective method of management. There are, however, manifestations of these lesions that suggest a complication may have occurred. Recognition of these signs and symptoms should help the surgeon avoid intraoperative misadventures that may be life-threatening.
Discoveries in Superconductivity, Persistent-Switch Magnets, and Magnetic Cooling

A historical review of developments in superconducting magnets begins with Kamerlingh Onnes’ construction of the first one in 1914 and extends to the invention of the superconducting persistent switch reported in 1963. A section on magnetic cooling includes refrigeration by paramagnetic salts and by nuclei in metals, as well as direct nuclear demagnetization in which only the nuclei are cooled.
The Laplace Transform

A second integral transform that plays a prominent role in the solution of differential equations is the Laplace transform. The relationship between the Laplace and Fourier transforms suggests that certain properties of the two transforms are shared. For example, the Laplace transform can be viewed as a method to decompose a function. Also, the Laplace transform of the convolution of two functions is the product of the Laplace transforms. The Laplace transform can be applied to solve both ordinary and partial differential equations. With the Fourier transform, it is the corollary that is useful in solving differential equations. The chapter presents some important results—a theorem and its corollaries—that are used in solving differential equations with the Laplace transform.
Technical Report for Water Circulation Pumping System for Trihalomethanes (THMs)

The TSWWS was added as an active source of supply to the permit (No. 03-10-13P-003) in 2010, but has never been used due to the potential for formation of trihalomethanes (THMs) in the distribution system. THMs are formed as a by-product when chlorine is used to disinfect water for drinking. THMs are a group of chemicals generally referred to as disinfection by-products (DBPs). THMs result from the reaction of chlorine with organic matter that is present in the water. Some of the THMs are volatile and may easily vaporize into the air. This fact forms the basis of the design of the system discussed in this technical report. In addition, the design is based on the results of a study that has shown success using aeration as a means to reduce TTHMs to within allowable concentration levels with turn-over times as long as ten days. The Primary Drinking Water Standards of Regulated Contaminants Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) for TTHMs is 80 parts per billion (ppb). No other changes to the existing drinking water distribution system and chlorination operations are anticipated before switching to the TSWWS as the primary drinking water source. The two groundwater wells (Wells 20 and 18) whichmore » are currently the primary and backup water sources for the system would be maintained for use as backup supply. In the future, one of the wells may be removed from the system. A permit amendment would be filed at that time if this modification was deemed appropriate.« less
Note on a Fourth Order Finite Difference Scheme for the Wave Equation

The linear wave equation is one of the simplest partial differential equations. It has been used as a test equation of hyperbolic systems for different numerical schemes lRichtmyer and Morton (1967)s Euvrard (1994)s and Lax (1990r. In this short note, a Fourth order finite difference scheme for this equation is proposed and studied. Numerical simulations confirm our theoretical analyses of accuracy and stability condition. It will be interesting to extend the scheme to nonlinear hyperbolic systems.
Prioritized multimode precoding for joint minimization of source-channel video distortions

Real-time video streaming over wireless channels suffers from channel-induced distortions due to losses and errors as well as source-induced distortions due to lossy compression. This paper proposes a cross-layer design for quality-driven packet prioritization at the physical layer combined with source and link rate adaptation to jointly minimize the source and channel distortions. With a MIMO physical layer, packet prioritization is achieved by mapping video packets to ordered spatial streams to maximize the throughput weighted by the per-packet loss visibility. The MIMO mode controls the number of priority levels and is dynamically optimized to provide the best tradeoff between high source rate and low channel distortion. Jointly with mode adaptation, source rate adaptation is driven by the client by estimating the end-to-end throughput based on the transmission rate. Results show that the proposed design enables composite video quality gains due to prioritized delivery and rate adaptation.
LA Strain for Categorization of LV Diastolic Dysfunction

Abstract Objectives This study sought to observe the relationship between left atrial (LA) strain and left ventricular diastolic function and determine whether LA strain could be used to detect diastolic dysfunction (DD) and classify its degree when present. Background The assessment of diastolic function is complex and multiparametric because most conventional parameters do not follow the progression of DD. Strain imaging is an emerging index of LA function, with recent data demonstrating that LA strain is diminished in diastolic heart failure. However, LA strain is not part of the standard assessment of diastolic function. We hypothesized that LA strain decreases with worsening DD in a stepwise fashion and could thus be useful in evaluating DD. Methods We performed a retrospective derivation and validation cohort study to derive and test LA strain thresholds for DD grades (0 to 3) in patients with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (N = 229). Two-dimensional speckle tracking was used to measure peak LA strain, which was applied as a single parameter to classify DD. American Society of Echocardiography guidelines were used as the reference standard. Results In the derivation cohort (n = 90), peak LA strain was significantly different between DD groups, with gradual decreases seen with worsening DD. Receiver-operating characteristic analysis resulted in 3 distinct LA strain thresholds for categorization of DD grades, with good to excellent diagnostic utility (area under the curve: 0.86 to 0.91). In an independent validation group (n = 139) with a spectrum of diastolic function, 11 patients (8%) had indeterminate DD grades using standard criteria, whereas LA strain was measured in all patients and its cutoffs resulted in diagnostic accuracy up to 95%. Conclusions LA strain measurements are feasible and allow accurate categorization of DD, because unlike the traditional parameters, it changes progressively with severity of DD. LA strain may become a useful tool for diastolic assessment in future clinical practice.
Inter-temporal incentives in security information sharing agreements

Sharing of security information among organizations has often been proposed as a method for improving the state of cyber-security for all. However, such disclosure entails costs for the reporting entity, including a drop in market value, loss of customer confidence, and bureaucratic burdens. By adopting a game-theoretic approach for understanding firms' incentives, we first show that in one shot interactions, disclosure costs act as disincentives for sharing, leading to no information sharing at equilibrium. We then consider a repeated game formulation that enables the use of inter-temporal incentives (i.e., the conditioning of future decisions on the history of past interactions) to support firms' cooperation on information sharing. We show that the nature of the monitoring available to firms greatly affects the possibility of sustaining nearly efficient outcomes through repeated interactions. Specifically, we first illustrate the limitations arising when firms' have independent and imperfect private monitoring technologies. We then consider the role of a public monitoring/assessment system, and show that despite using the same imperfect technology as the individual firms, the monitor can facilitate cooperation among participants. Our results therefore illustrate the impact of a public rating/reputation system on the viability of security information sharing agreements.
Principles of Intra-Arterial Therapies

Embolization represents selective intra-arterial delivery of micron-sized embolic particles that can be combined with radioisotopes or chemotherapeutic agents for the treatment of primary or metastatic hepatic malignancies. Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) combines embolic particles with cytotoxic agents to treat a variety of hepatic lesions.
The Manager's Self Assessments of Managerial Roles: Small vs. Large Firms:

This study systematically assessed the various roles essential to managers in small vs. large firms. A sample of 352 managers from both large and small organizations in a variety of industries were...
Ab initio calculations of ideal strength and lattice instability in W-Ta and W-Re alloys

An important theoretical criterion to evaluate the ductility of metals with a body-centered cubic (bcc) lattice is the mechanical failure mode of their perfect crystals under tension along $\ensuremath{\langle}100\ensuremath{\rangle}$ directions. When the tensile stress reaches the ideal tensile strength, the pure W crystal fails by a cleavage fracture along the ${100}$ plane so that it is intrinsically brittle. To discover the strategy to improve its ductility, we performed density functional theory and density functional perturbation theory calculations to study the ideal tensile strength and the lattice instability under $\ensuremath{\langle}100\ensuremath{\rangle}$ tension for both W-Ta and W-Re alloys. Anisotropic linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM) theory and Rice's criterion were also applied to analyze the mechanical instability at the crack tip under $\ensuremath{\langle}100\ensuremath{\rangle}$ tension based on the competition between cleavage propagation and dislocation emission. The results show that the intrinsic ductility can be achieved in both W-Ta and W-Re, however, by different mechanisms. Even though W-Ta alloys with low Ta concentrations are still intrinsically brittle, the intrinsic ductility of W-Ta alloys with high Ta concentrations is promoted by elastic shear instability before the cleavage failure. The intrinsic ductility of W-Re alloys is produced by unstable transverse phonon waves before the cleavage failure, and the corresponding phonon mode is related to the generation of $\frac{1}{2}\ensuremath{\langle}111\ensuremath{\rangle}{\overline{2}11}$ dislocation in bcc crystals. The ideal tensile calculations, phonon analyses, and anisotropic LEFM examinations are mutually consistent in the evaluation of intrinsic ductility. These results bring us physical insights on the ductility-brittle mechanisms of W alloys under extreme stress conditions.
NSF Noyce Recruitment and Mentorship

This research discusses the detailed experiences of recruitment and training of Noyce interns to become qualified STEM teachers. In this paper, both successful experiences and challenges in the first 4 years of a NSF Noyce project are discussed with the three-tier model. In addition, this model has proven to be effective by using two types of evidences. First, the survey data collected from over 25 STEM teacher candidates is described. Secondly, the actual interview data and student feedback are reported.
The Inadvertent Discovery of Human Fetal Cell Microchimerism.

Featured Article: Bianchi DW, Zickwolf GK, Weil GJ, Sylvester S, DeMaria MA. Male fetal progenitor cells persist in maternal blood for as long as 27 years postpartum. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 1996;93:705–8.2 “The data are the data” is a phrase often used in our laboratory. Our job as scientists is to interpret the data. In 1994, however, we were very unhappy with the data. As part of a comprehensive evaluation of monoclonal antibodies used to flow sort fetal cells from the blood of pregnant women, we found recurring evidence of circulating male cluster differentiation antigen (CD) 34+ cells when the fetus was female. At the time, the PCR technique was still relatively new; our initial interpretation of the data was that there was probable contamination of the laboratory or reagents with Y-chromosomal DNA. Knowing that fetal leukocytes had been shown to persist for up to a year in the blood of women who had given birth to a male infant (1), we hypothesized that the Y-chromosomal DNA could have originated from fetal hematopoietic stem cells from a prior pregnancy. To test this hypothesis, we recruited 8 women who were not currently pregnant, but had between 1 and 10 …
Recent Progress in Snow and Ice Research

A review of snow and ice research in 1987-1990 is presented, focusing on the effects of layers in seasonal snow covers, ice mechanics on fresh water and sea ice, and remote sensig of polar ice sheets. These topics provide useful examples of general needs in snow and ice research applicable to most areas, such as better representation in models of detailed processes, controlled laboratory experiments to quantify processes, and field studies to provide the appropriate context for interpretation of processes from remote sensing.
Detection of lung transplant rejection in a rat model using hyperpolarized [1-13 C] pyruvate-based metabolic imaging.

The current standard for noninvasive imaging of acute rejection consists of X-ray/CT, which derive their contrast from changes in ventilation, inflammation and edema, as well as remodeling during rejection. We propose the use of hyperpolarized [1-13 C] pyruvate MRI-which provides real-time metabolic assessment of tissue-as an early biomarker for tissue rejection. In this preliminary study, we used μCT-derived parameters and HP 13 C MR-derived biomarkers to predict rejection in an orthotopic left lung transplant model in both allogeneic and syngeneic rats. On day 3, the normalized lung density-a parameter that accounts for both lung volume (mL) and density (HU)-was -0.335 (CI: -0.598, -0.073) and - 0.473 (CI: -0.726, -0.220) for the allograft and isograft, respectively (not significant, 0.40). The lactate-to-pyruvate ratios-derived from the HP 13 C MRI-for the allograft and isograft were 0.200 (CI: 0.161, 0.240) and 0.114 (CI: 0.074, 0.153), respectively (significant, 0.020). Both techniques showed tissue rejection on day 7. A separate sub-study revealed CD8+ cells as the primary source of the lactate-to-pyruvate signal. Our study suggests that hyperpolarized (HP) [1-13 C] pyruvate MRI is a promising early biomarker for tissue rejection that provides metabolic assessment in real time based on changes in cellularity and metabolism of lung tissue and the infiltrating inflammatory cells, and may be able to predict tissue rejection earlier than X-ray/CT.
Odds of Acute Kidney Injury in Patients Receiving Dipeptidyl Peptidase 4 Inhibitors: A National Cohort Study Within the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Preclinical and clinical data of dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP-4) inhibitors have demonstrated discordant data regarding acute kidney injury (AKI). Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the association between DPP-4 use and AKI. This cohort study utilized data from the Department of Veterans Affairs evaluating patients diagnosed with type 2 (T2) diabetes with a DPP-4 inhibitor and compared with nondiabetic and diabetic patients. The primary end point is the development of AKI, and statistical analyses were performed to examine the association. DPP-4 use is associated with a lower odds of AKI compared with diabetics (adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 0.39; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.32-0.48) and nondiabetics (OR = 0.64; 95% CI = 0.52-0.79). DPP-4 use in patients with T2 diabetes mellitus is associated with lower odds of AKI within 120 days compared with nondiabetic and diabetic controls when adjusting for study covariates.
Local consolidative therapy in metastatic non-small cell lung cancer.

The existence of an oligometastatic cancer state has been supported by theoretical considerations (1) and clinical observations (2) for several decades. Defining oligometastatic disease is challenging. A relevant (though vague) description might be “that some patients so affected should be amenable to a curative therapeutic strategy” (2).
Instruction Recall Under Stress

Exams, presentations, and deadlines are all classroom activities that can cause extreme stress in some students. This stress can make the simplest recall difficult and some students panic. Can reducing the number of instructions help ease the stress of students?