cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 172: Duration of Heightened Stroke Risk after Acute Myocardial Infarction

Introduction: The duration of heightened stroke risk after acute myocardial infarction (MI) remains uncertain. Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study using inpatient and outpatient clai...
Goodnight's "speculative inquiry" in its intellectual context

(2012). Goodnight's “Speculative Inquiry” in Its Intellectual Context. Argumentation and Advocacy: Vol. 48, Special Issue: Spheres of Argument: 30 Years of Goodnight's Influence. Guest Editor: Robert C. Rowland, pp. 211-215.
Micro-power generation using micro-turbine (moving) and thermophotovoltaic (non-moving) systems:

Combustion-based micro-power generation is a serious candidate for substitution of traditional batteries. As the volume of combustion system decreases to small-scale combustors, ignition and combus...
Pulse Pileup Analysis for a Double-Sided Silicon Strip Detector Using Variable Pulse Shapes

Due to pulse pileup, photon counting detectors (PCDs) suffer from count loss and energy distortion when operating in high count rate environments. In this paper, we studied the pulse pileup of a double-sided silicon strip detector (DSSSD) to evaluate its potential application in a mammography system. We analyzed the pulse pileup using pulses of varied shapes, where the shape of the pulse depends on the location of photon interaction within the detector. To obtain the shaped pulses, first, transient currents for photons interacting at different locations were simulated using a Technology Computer-Aided Design (TCAD) software. Next, the currents were shaped by a CR – RC 2 shaping circuit, calculated using Simulink. After obtaining these pulses, both the different orders of pileup and the energy spectrum were calculated by taking into account the following two factors: 1) spatial distribution of photon interactions within the detector and 2) time interval distribution between successive photons under a given photon flux. We found that for a DSSSD with a thickness of $300~\mu \text{m}$ , a pitch of $25~\mu \text{m}$ , and a strip length of 1 cm, under a bias voltage of 50 V, the variable pulse shape model predicts that the fraction free of pileup can be >90% under a photon flux of 3.75 Mcps/mm2 (million counts per second per square mm). The DSSSD is a promising candidate for digital mammography applications.
Global Space, Time and Speed: T_Visionarium II and Beijing Accelerator

Following on from the previous chapter that explored radical 1990s art works, this chapter considers two digital installations from the new millennium: iCinema's T_Visionarium II (editor note: italicise title) and Marnix de Nijs' Beijing Accelerator (editor note: italicise title). Both works use dynamic technologies to offer more particular understandings of globalisation’s spatial, temporal and kinetic affects. The roles that interactive, haptic and responsive technologies can play in triggering personal and affective responses are examined.
Subordination signals improve the quality of social relationships in Verreaux's Sifaka: Implications for the evolution of power structures and social complexity.

Objectives Unidirectional dominance-related signals can be used to communicate submission (an immediate behavioral response) or subordination (the status of an established relationship). Subordination signals are defined as emitted during peaceful interactions and are hypothesized to be critical for the evolution of social complexity and robust power structures because they reduce uncertainty in social relationships. The chatter vocalization in Verreaux's sifaka (Propithecus verreauxi) is a unidirectional submissive signal. I tested the hypothesis that chatter vocalizations can signal subordination and thereby reduce agonism in a dyad. Materials and methods I examined 780 chatters from 18 dyads collected over 881 observation hours on four groups of sifaka in Kirindy Forest, Madagascar. Results Sifaka emitted 63% of chatters in the peaceful context. Peaceful chatters significantly predicted grooming rate, fighting rate, reconciliation, and proportion of wins in a dyad but did not predict time in proximity. Dyad-type significantly predicted the frequency of peaceful chatters, with intrasexual dyads exhibiting chatters in peaceful contexts more often than intersexual dyads. Discussion Sifaka communicate both submission and subordination with chatter vocalizations. Subordination signaling increased tolerance and affiliation. It reduced conflicts and the probability dominant individuals usurped resources. Moreover, intrasexual power may be more institutionalized than intersexual power in sifaka. The finding of complex and cognitively demanding social communication in a lemur with low levels of cooperation (1) challenges previous assumptions that the evolution of social complexity is dependent on frequent triadic interactions and high levels of cooperation, and (2) highlights the need for taxonomic diversity in studies of social complexity.
Integrated Optimal Control and Explicit Guidance for Quadcopters

This goal of the research study is to create a framework for autonomous control technology for unmanned aerial vehicles with real-time target-relative guidance capabilities. This study and results presented in this paper aims to develop guidance and control functions and their integration for applications. Control functions are developed in the context of the optimal control problem. Optimal control formulation leads to trivial and nontrivial cases for finding state and co-state vectors. Integrated optimal control and explicit guidance are utilized for a quadcopter traveling to a point of interest at an agricultural field. Ardupilot and Mission Planner are the platforms used to provide simulated gyroscope and accelerometer data, which are inputted into a simulation of the integrated control and guidance. The simulation compares classical PID control against optimal control with explicit guidance to show that the quadcopter accurately reaches its desired location at the desired velocities.
Grammatical complexity: ‘What Does It Mean’ and ‘So What’ for L2 writing classrooms?

Abstract Grammatical complexity is regarded as a crucial feature of L2 writing. The construct has been widely utilized in empirical research to gauge L2 writing quality and development, particularly in English. Nevertheless, a question of paramount importance, i.e., what constitutes complexity, has not yet received adequate attention. Drawing on Bulte and Housen’s (2012) taxonomy of L2 complexity, we conducted a comprehensive and in-depth review of changes in the definition of grammatical complexity over the past two decades. Our finding suggests that grammatical complexity has been theorized from two primary perspectives: an independent perspective that grammatical complexity is static across different contexts and a dependent perspective that grammatical complexity should be investigated in response to specific registers. Also, grammatical complexity has been observed from primarily the clausal level to the clausal, phrasal and morphological levels, echoing Norris and Ortega’s (2009) claim that grammatical complexity should be studied as a multi-dimensional construct. Moreover, we have identified four main parameters used by existing literatures to define grammatical complexity: length, ratio, index and frequency. The change of each parameter is summarized with details in our review. At the end, we also discuss pedagogical implications for L2 writing instruction in the EAP context.
Grain Boundary Engineering for Thermal Conductivity Reduction in Bulk Nanostructured Thermoelectric Materials

Bulk thermoelectric (TE) materials have recently seen significant enhancement in the measured dimensionless figure of merit ZT by nanostructuring the constituent materials. This is usually attributed to phonon scattering at grain boundaries, with increased grain boundary density leading to significant suppression of phonon propagation from one grain to the next while maintaining electron transport. However, to date, the reduction in thermal conductivity has been observed solely at the bulk scale. Controlling and understanding morphology and size distribution of the nanostructured grains remain a challenge. There is general lack of experimental validation of local effects of grain boundary scattering at micro- and nanoscale. This chapter discusses two strategies by which we may tune the grain size and quality of the local domains of Bi2Te3-based materials: shockwave consolidation and AC electric field-assisted sintering technology (FAST) via Gleeble system. These two strategies give a wide range of mean grain boundary size, from less than 100 nm to more than 500 nm. We use a multi-scale approach to measure the thermal conductivity of these samples on macroscopic/bulk scale and mesoscopic/deep submicron scale. To determine thermal conductivity over this wide dimensional scale, we leverage the ultrahigh-resolution capabilities offered by scanning thermal microscopy, the microscale capabilities of frequency-domain thermoreflectance, and the bulk-scale one-dimensional (1D) steady-state method. Despite local variations, the values on average agree well with one another, and added local thermal resolution may offer insight to future efforts to better tune materials for optimal TE performance.
Poisson poisoning as the mechanism of action of the microtubule-targeting agent colchicine

Microtubule-directed anti-cancer drugs, such as paclitaxel, vinblastine, and colchicine, disrupt cell mitosis through suppression of microtubule dynamics ("kinetic stabilization"). However, while the molecular mechanisms of paclitaxel and vinblastine act as pseudo- and true-kinetic stabilizers, respectively, the molecular mechanism of colchicine has remained enigmatic since it requires explanation of both the slow kinetics of the drug and suppression of microtubule dynamics. In this work, we applied an integrated multi-scale modeling-experimental approach to systematically characterize the microtubule targeting agent (MTA) colchicine. We found that colchicine stabilizes microtubule dynamics significantly both in vivo and in vitro in a time and concentration-dependent manner. Molecular modeling results suggest that tubulin9s binding pocket is accessible to the drug for only 15% of the simulation trajectory time in straight and 82% in curved conformation on average, confirming that colchicine mainly binds to free tubulin. Molecular dynamics simulations show that there are conformational changes at longitudinal and lateral residues of GTP-tubulin-colchicine compared to a lattice tubulin structure, explaining why further incorporation of tubulin dimers to a tubulin-colchicine complex at a protofilament tip is unfavorable. Thermokinetic modeling of microtubule assembly shows that colchicine bound at fractions as low as ~0.008 to free tubulin can poison the ends of protofilaments with a Poisson distribution and thus, reduce the microtubule growth rate, while stabilizing the tubulin lateral bond and reducing the microtubule shortening rate, i.e. true kinetic stabilization. This study suggests new strategies for colchicine administration to improve the therapeutic window in the treatment of cancer and inflammatory diseases.
Reflections from a mother scientist.

Being a parent scientist can feel like a catch-22, feeling guilty for both the time spent away from the children and the time spent away from the bench. Embracing healthy boundaries can be liberating but will only go so far if childcare remains unaffordable.
Sines, Steps and Droplets: Semi-parametric Bayesian Modelling of Arrival Time Series

I describe ongoing work developing Bayesian methods for flexible modelling of arrival-time-series data without binning. The aim is to improve the detection and measurement of X-ray and gamma-ray pulsars and of pulses in gamma-ray bursts. The methods use parametric and semi-parametric Poisson point process models for the event rate, and by design have close connections to conventional frequentist methods that are currently used in time-domain astronomy.
Free Breakfast and Taco Trucks: Case Studies of Food as Rhetorical Homology in Political Discourse

This chapter examines examples from the last half century of food as a rhetorical homology—equating food culture and activism and political discourse. The Black Panther Party’s Free Breakfast for Children Program is compared to the contemporary indigenous group the I-Collective, whose identity and activism feature food-focused content both virtually and in person. The two case studies illuminate the power of food as a broader rhetorical tool brandished today by activists and politicians alike. While food has long been used as a political tool, the Black Panther Party’s Free Breakfast for Children Program is one of the most potent examples of food involving explicit political discourse. Their 1969 national anti-hunger initiative began as a way to make a positive difference in the lives of marginalised children, but also functioned to communicate values, intention, and political ideology, linking discourses and creating what Barry Brummett called a “rhetorical homology”. With the rising influence of social media, and the popularity of food on these platforms we see this happening again in modern discourse. The indigenous activist group I-Collective is a contemporary example of a group using food as political rhetoric in a similarly explicit way as did the Black Panther Party a half century earlier.
Extracorporeal membranous oxygenation (ECMO) in polytrauma: what the radiologist needs to know

The purpose of this article is to review the spectrum of severe traumatic injuries treatable with ECMO and their imaging features, considerations for cannula placement, and complications that may arise in polytraumatized patients on extracorporeal life support. Recent major advances in miniaturization and biocompatibility of ECMO devices have dramatically increased their safety profile and expanded the application of ECMO to patients with severe polytrauma.
Automated analysis of rotating probe multi-frequency eddy current data from steam generator tubes

An algorithm is presented for the automated analysis of rotating probe multifrequency eddy current data obtained from nuclear power plant steam generator tubes (SGT). The algorithm consists of four steps, namely, a preprocessing stage for conditioning the data, a decision tree based feature extraction stage for identifying relevant features for analysis, a neural network based classification stage for identifying signals from various defect types and benign structures, and finally a blind deconvolution based characterization stage for accurately estimating the size and orientation of the detected defects. This algorithm is optimized to maximize the probability of detection (POD), while keeping the number of false alarms (PFA) at a minimum. Initial results presented in this paper look very promising and demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.
The kinetic isotope effect for alkane dehydrocyclization

Abstract The dehydrocyclization of a mixture of n -octane-d 18 and n -octane-d 0 are consistent with a mechanism that includes irreversible adsorption of the n-octane and a rate limiting step that involves a kinetic isotope effect of 3.5 ± 0.4 at 482°C. In a competitive conversion of methylcyclohexane and n -octane, where one reactant is the perdeutero isotopomer, the kinetic isotope effect for n -octane is 3.3 ± 0.6 and is 2.9 ± 0.6 for methylcyclohexane. Thus, for dehydrogenation and dehydrocyclization, irreversible chemisorption involves a kinetic isotope effect that is larger than the one that would be expected based only upon the ground state energy differences in the C-H and C-D bonds of the reactants.
Outfoxed: Pierson v. Post and the Natural Law

Think back to first year property class. You are a bright-eyed 1L, and one of the first cases you read deals with hunting foxes on the beaches of Long Island, New York. The fact pattern seems obscure enough, but Pierson v. Post is the seminal case used to teach generations of law students about the acquisition of property. The interest in Pierson has recently been reinvigorated thanks to the uncovering of the original record of this case. Last year the Law and History Review dedicated an entire issue to this famous foxhunt. The holding in Pierson v. Post has been accepted as gospel for first year law students and property scholars alike - but how did the Court arrive at that conclusion? In 1805, New York did not have any statutory or common law to govern this dispute, so the majority and dissenting opinions turned to the natural law. The Judges relied on the writings of Pufendorf, Grotius, and Barbeyrac. An analysis of the court’s reliance on the natural law writers has been neglected in property scholarship. This article aims to fill that gap. The natural law jurists wrote at great length about how to obtain a property right to a wild animal. This article provides the first thorough digest of these writings, highlights where the jurists agree and disagree with one another, and examines how faithfully the Pierson court construed their writings. Additionally this article shows how the holding exemplifies the common law court’s desire to promote certainty, and shows the congruence between the natural law and economic efficiency. By gaining a more complete understanding of the competing arguments of these jurists, Pierson v. Post is revealed to be a much more sophisticated opinion than we all thought as 1Ls.
Left Ventricular Hypertrophy as a Predictor of White Matter Hyperintensities in Young Stroke Patients (P2.111)

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether left ventricular hypertrophy(LVH) is associated with white matter hyperintensities (WMH) in young adults with stroke independent of history of hypertension(HTN). BACKGROUND: We recently reported a high prevalence of WMH in a population of young adults with stroke. WMH is a radiographic marker of cerebral small vessel disease occurring most notably from hypertensive vasculopathy. LVH is a consequence of chronic HTN. Accordingly, it may be a better predictor of cerebral small vessel disease than a known history of HTN, which is likely underestimated due to 24h blood pressure variability. DESIGN/METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed data of 146 patients aged 18-49 years admitted consecutively to Boston Medical Center between 01/2006-02/2010 with a new diagnosis of ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke. Patients with interpretable T2/FLAIR sequences on MRI and echocardiograms on admission were eligible (n=107). WMH was graded according to the Age-Related White Matter Changes Scale. LVH was defined as any degree of LVH per transthoracic-echocardiogram. We compared the association of LVH with moderate-severe WMH in both univariate and multivariate analyses to none-mild WMH. RESULTS: Moderate-severe WMH was present in 27% of patients (mean age 41 years). LVH was present in 30%. Nine percent of the population had LVH without history of HTN. Patients with moderate-severe WMH were more likely to be hypertensive (40% vs. 12%,p=0.001), and to have LVH (44% vs. 20%,p=0.01). In multivariate analysis adjusted for age and known history of HTN, both history of HTN (OR 3.75 [95% CI, 1.31-10.7]) and LVH (OR 2.62 [95% CI, 1.01-6.74]) were independently associated with presence of moderate-severe WMH. CONCLUSIONS: A large proportion of WMH in our cohort is hypertensive. Our preliminary data suggest that LVH may aid in determining the pathophysiology underlying WMH in young adults with stroke, independent from HTN. Further analyses are needed to confirm our findings. Study Supported by: None Disclosure: Dr. Catanese has nothing to disclose. Dr. Shoamanesh has nothing to disclose. Dr. Lau has nothing to disclose. Dr. Romero has nothing to disclose. Dr. Babikian has nothing to disclose. Dr. Kase has nothing to disclose. Dr. Pikula has nothing to disclose.
Radio Jets as a Probe of the Cooling Flow Environment

We discuss the use of radio jets as a probe of the structure of cooling flows on length scales inaccessible to the currently available X-ray data. The radio structure of one such cooling flow galaxy, IC 1101, suggests a shock disruption of a supersonic beam. This type of radio structure is also found associated with other cooling flow galaxies. The shock disruption is discussed in terms of an interaction of the beam with the cooling flow environment. The current sophistication of these disruption mechanisms and of the radio observations does not compel one to favor one mechanism over another. Each mechanism, however, may be useful in studying the central regions of cooling flows.
Systemic Gastro-intestinal Infections: A Clinical Overview

Publisher Summary Some enteric pathogens not only colonize the intestinal tract, but also invade through the mucosa to reach the systemic circulation. Possibly the most successful of these systemic invaders is Salmonella enteritidis serovar typhimurium, because it is not only one of the most common Salmonella species to cause diarrhoea but it is also an occasional cause of an invasive and systemic clinical illness indistinguishable from typhoid fever due to Salmonella typhi. Many of the serovars are highly host-adapted, that is they normally colonize only humans or a limited range of animals from which humans may be infected. Such host-adapted Salmonella often cause distinctive syndromes. Pathogens that invade the intestinal epithelium, lamina propria and beyond typically result in bacteraemia that can lead to focal infections in various sites in the body. The intestinal symptoms range from watery diarrhoea to bloody diarrhoea to dysentery. The clinical diagnosis depends on the finding of inflammatory cells and blood in the stool, along with a compatible clinical presentation, but because a number of different organisms may cause similar manifestations, confirmation of the aetiological diagnosis requires that the causative organism is isolated from blood or stool by culture. Certain Salmonella can cause typhoid fever, a prolonged septic illness associated with marked wasting of body stores.
Elementary and composite particles in field theory-II

The formal meaning of composite particles and fields is studied in the context of field theor. A composite field can be given a well-defined meaning but this need not be the case for particles. The connection between fields, particles, compositeness and the vanishing of the renormalization constants is illustrated by means of a modified form of the Zachariasen model which has a pole in its vertex function. It is shown that the vanishing of the particle's renormalization constants has nothing to do with the particle being composite. In fact, it is sometimes superfluous to speak of the particle as being composite. Compositeness is only well defined for the fields. The fields can be made composite by the vanishing of the quantitieszij which are the generalized wave function renormalization constants of the fields. The vanishing of the vertex renormalization constant has nothing to do with compositeness in this model.
Amygdala subnuclei connectivity in response to violence reveals unique influences of individual differences in psychopathic traits in a nonforensic sample.

Atypical amygdala function and connectivity have reliably been associated with psychopathy. However, the amygdala is not a unitary structure. To examine how psychopathic traits in a nonforensic sample are linked to amygdala response to violence, this study used probabilistic tractography to classify amygdala subnuclei based on anatomical projections to and from amygdala subnuclei in a group of 43 male participants. The segmentation identified the basolateral complex (BLA; lateral, basal, and accessory basal subnuclei) and the central subnucleus (CE), which were used as seeds in a functional connectivity analysis to identify differences in neuronal coupling specific to observed violence. While a full amygdala seed showed significant connectivity only to right middle occipital gyrus, subnuclei seeds revealed unique connectivity patterns. BLA showed enhanced coupling with anterior cingulate and prefrontal regions, while CE showed increased connectivity with the brainstem, but reduced connectivity with superior parietal and precentral gyrus. Further, psychopathic personality factors were related to specific patterns of connectivity. Fearless Dominance scores on the psychopathic personality inventory predicted increased coupling between the BLA seed and sensory integration cortices, and increased connectivity between the CE seed and posterior insula. Conversely, Self-Centered Impulsivity scores were negatively correlated with coupling between BLA and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, and Coldheartedness scores predicted increased functional connectivity between BLA and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex. Taken together, these findings demonstrate how subnuclei segmentations reveal important functional connectivity differences that are otherwise inaccessible. Such an approach yields a better understanding of amygdala dysfunction in psychopathy. Hum Brain Mapp, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Language: en
Increasing the work requirements lowers the threshold of naloxone for reducing self-stimulation in the midbrain of rats

Abstract Rats were trained to lever-press for intracranial self-stimulation (ICSS) with electrodes in the midbrain central gray area. The effects of naloxone (0.1–30.0 mg/kg, SC) on a continous reinforcement (CRF) schedule were determined. Rats were then re-trained on higher fixed-ratio (FR) schedules, and naloxone was re-tested at FR: 5, 10, 15 and 20. Only moderate reductions in lever-pressing rates were obtained at the highest dose of naloxone under CRF and FR: 5 schedules. In contrast, pronounced, dose-dependent reductions in ICSS rates occured at FR: 10, 15 and 20. The time-course for this reduction at FR: 20 was consistent with an opiate-antagonistic action of naloxone. The modest decrease in locomotor activity produced by naloxone in a matched group of control rats was not sufficient to account for the effects on ICSS. The threshold of naloxone for reducing the rate of ICSS lever-pressing was lowered by increasing the effort and/or time requirement for each reinforcement.
Effects of Topically Applied Ocular Decongestant and Antihistamine

In two independent studies including 25 subjects each, naphazoline caused significant whitening (but did not prevent itching) in the histamine-induced red, itchy eye. Antazoline inhibited itching (but not redness) to a significant degree in the same model. The combination of naphazoline and antazoline produced significant whitening and inhibition of itching in all eyes challenged by histamine. The combination of the two drugs was more effective than either component alone in preventing redness. The antihistamine and combination of antihistamine/vasoconstrictor were equally effective in arresting itching.
First-arrival traveltime sound speed inversion with a priori information

Purpose: A first-arrival travel-time sound speed algorithm presented byTarantola [Inverse Problem Theory and Methods for Model Parameter Estimation (SIAM, Philadelphia, PA, 2005)] is adapted to the medical ultrasonics setting. Through specification of a covariance matrix for the object model, the algorithm allows for natural inclusion of physical a priori information of the object. The algorithm's ability to accurately and robustly reconstruct a complex sound speed distribution is demonstrated on simulation and experimental data using a limited aperture. Methods: The algorithm is first demonstrated generally in simulation with a numerical breast phantom imaged in different geometries. As this work is motivated by the authors' limited aperture dual sided ultrasound breast imaging system, experimental data are acquired with a Verasonics system with dual, 128 element, linear L7-4 arrays. The transducers are automatically calibrated for usage in the eikonal forward model.A priori information such as knowledge of correlated regions within the object is obtained via segmentation of B-mode images generated from synthetic aperture imaging. Results: As one illustration of the algorithm's facility for inclusion ofa priori information, physically grounded regularization is demonstrated in simulation. The algorithm's practicality is then demonstrated through experimental realization in limited aperture cases. Reconstructions of sound speed distributions of various complexity are improved through inclusion of a priori information. The sound speed maps are generally reconstructed with accuracy within a few m/s. Conclusions: This paper demonstrates the ability to form sound speed images using two opposed commercial linear arrays to mimic ultrasound image acquisition in the compressed mammographic geometry. The ability to create reasonably good speed of sound images in the compressed mammographic geometry allows images to be readily coregistered to tomosynthesis image volumes for breast cancer detection and characterization studies.
Overcoming psychological obstacles to optimal online search performance

Successful online searching is more than simply a matter of mastering search technique. Emotions, attitudes and environmental factors like stress also play a crucial role in determining whether an online search will be successful or not. Focuses on the important relationship between emotion and cognition, how they affect each other, and what the implications are for online searchers. Investigates how affect and mood influence key cognitive functions and can pose psychological hurdles related to motivation, arousal, attention, concentration, self‐confidence, and self‐efficacy, all of which can be significant factors in determining the effectiveness of a search. Viewing searching behavior as a form of mental and physical performance similar to that of an athlete or performing artist, draws on the growing body of psychological research on performance which suggests that having the proper mindset can make an important difference in whether a searcher is successful.
Extent of hedging in the US lodging industry

Abstract This study investigates the extent of hedging in a sample of lodging firms over a five-year period from 2000–2004. The findings document that lodging firms predominantly use interest rate swaps and options to manage interest rate risk exposure. Lodging firms primarily use these instruments as cash flow hedges of their long-term debt liability. The findings indicate that the hedging decision should be modeled separately using a two-step model. The results are robust to alternative specifications and provide evidence to show financial leverage, floating rate debt, information asymmetry, firm size, cash flow volatility and diversification, to be significantly related to the amount of hedging.
Single-emitter quantum electrodynamics in a one-dimensional dielectric continuum far beyond the diffraction limit

We demonstrate a single emitter all-dielectric QED system that concentrates light at nanometer scale. The emitter exhibits a record high 31-fold emission enhancement with strongly suppressed blinking. 80% of emission couples into a waveguide mode.
Electronic band structure in a periodic magnetic field.

We analyze the energy band structure of a two-dimensional electron gas in a periodic magnetic field of a longitudinal antiferromagnet by considering a simple exactly solvable model. Two types of states appear: with a finite and infinitesimal longitudinal mobility. Both types of states are present at a generic Fermi surface. The system exhibits a transition to an insulating regime with respect to the longitudinal current, if the electron density is sufficiently low. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.
Phase changes of poly(alkoxyphosphazenes), and their behavior in the presence of oligoisobutylene

A series of closely related polyphosphazenes with propoxy, pentoxy, hexoxy, octoxy, isostearyloxy, and 2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethoxy (MEE) side groups, together with cosubstituent species with both the alkoxy and MEE side chains, were studied for their morphology and miscibility with oligoisobutylene (OIB). All the pure polymers except one had a single glass transition temperature. The exception was the species with both isostearyloxy and MEE side groups, which underwent two low-temperature second-order transitions, even though 31P NMR spectra indicated the absence of a block-type structure. For the single-substituent macromolecules, the solubility at 80°C in OIB increased as the length of the unbranched alkoxy side groups rose from propoxy to octoxy (from 1 to 11 wt/wt%). However, the polymer with two isostearyloxy side chains per repeat unit had a low solubility in OIB (3 wt/wt%), and the species with the two MEE side groups on every repeat unit was totally insoluble. When both alkoxy and MEE side groups were present, the solubility in OIB was also low (0–3%), except for the species with both isostearyloxy and MEE side groups, which was soluble in OIB at a level of 21 wt/wt% at 80°C, and showed Tg evidence of polymer/oligomer miscibility even at −80°C. Explanations are suggested for the unusual behavior of this polymer. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2011. © 2011 Society of Plastics Engineers
A cross-sectional descriptive study of mentoring relationships formed by medical students.

To describe medical students' mentoring relationships and determine characteristics associated with having mentors, 232/302 (77%) of third- and fourth-year medical students at the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF) were surveyed. Twenty-six percent of third-year and 45% of fourth-year students had mentors. Most met their mentors during inpatient clerkships (28%), research (19%), or sought them on the basis of similar interests (23%). On multivariate analysis, students who performed research prior to (odds ratio [OR], 4.8; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.4 to 16.7; P = .01) or during medical school (OR, 2.4; 95% CI, 1.1 to 5.6; P = .03) and students satisfied with advising from all sources at UCSF (OR, 1.8; 95% CI, 1.4 to 2.4; P < .001) were more likely to have mentors.
Smooth surface, low electron concentration, and high mobility ZnO films on c-plane sapphire

Abstract ZnO thin films were grown on c -plane sapphire substrate using plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy. The thickness of MgO buffer layers was optimized for structural and electrical properties of the epi-ZnO films. It is found that with MgO buffer growth time of 60 s, the epi-ZnO film exhibited narrow X-ray diffraction peak as well as low surface roughness. In the meantime, the electron concentration reached a minimum of 2.03×10 16 /cm 3 and high mobility of 169.4 cm 2 /V S. These results demonstrate a route to grow good crystals together with excellent mobility and low residual electron concentration, which can ultimately satisfy the requirement for acceptor doping as well as device engineering.
Effects of delay of reinforcement on probability learning by aphasic subjects.

Nine aphasic and nine nonaphasic subjects participated in a probability learning problem in which they attempted to track changing reinforcement ratios on two manipulanda. During portions of the pr...
Index of openness: measurement and analysis

Abstract This paper looks at the changes that have occurred globally over the past 30 years in the world’s countries using the Index of Openness, a mathematical equation that relates a country’s exports and imports to its Gross Domestic Product and Gross National Product. The purpose of this study is to determine which of certain selected regional blocs have increased their openness to trade. The article is broken down into four sections. The first section discusses the theory of Index of Openness and gives an overview of how it has been used historically. The second section briefly touches on the methodology of this Index and the variations of it. The third section highlights the results of this study and analyzes where the changes have occurred. The final section concludes with a summary of the credibility and usefulness of the Index of Openness.
Recovery of the whooping crane Grus americana

Abstract Officially listed as ‘endangered’, the whooping crane Grus americana currently receives strong legal protection under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. To remove it from endangered status, the official Whooping Crane Recovery Plan requires 40 nesting pairs in the main population which migrates from Wood Buffalo National Park, NWT, Canada to the Aransas National Wildlife refuge on the Texas gulf coast. Two demographic models of the migratory population indicate that this criterion for recovery is likely to be met within the next decade.
Seven Lessons for Helping Children Make the Most of Their Abilities.

We describe seven essential lessons for anyone involved in teaching or research on education. These lessons emerged from our research on developing thinking skills in children and adults. The lessons focus on helping children develop self‐confidence and a belief in self‐efficacy, teaching children to ask good questions, helping children discover their true motivations, encouraging children to take intellectual risks, teaching children to take responsibility for themselves, showing children the value of delaying gratification and encouraging children to put themselves in another's place. We discuss the insights of each lesson through examples from our own and others’ work, and review the recommendations of each lesson for educators and researchers.
The Future Productive Capacity of U.S. Agriculture: Economic, Technological, Resource, and Institutional Determinants

During the late 1970s it appeared that U.S. agriculture might not develop the capacity to meet the domestic and foreign demands then in prospect. Domestic demands rose at a steady pace during the decade while exports burgeoned at 8% per year. Projections of those trends led onlookers to conclude that the pace was unsustainable and that food prices could increase dramatically. Then export demand slackened. The value of exports fell 21% during 1981-82; about half was the result of reduced shipments and the remainder the result of lower prices received. The concern about agricultural capacity turned from how to deal with prospective shortages to how to deal with the accumulating surpluses. During such turbulent times, it is difficult to focus on long-run trends.
El Chichón data

The March–April 1982 eruptions of El Chichon have produced the largest atmospheric impact of any eruption since at least Krakatau in 1883. The main geological variable that is responsible is the abnormally high S content of the erupted magma. The ultimate souce of this sulfur is still unresolved. Some highlights of the scientific papers dealing with the eruptions and presented at the AGU Fall Meeting in San Francisco, December 10–11, are discussed below. (The abstracts are in Eos, November 9, 1982, pp 897–898, 900–902, and 1126–1127.)
Highly Efficient Protein Misfolding Cyclic Amplification

Protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA) provides faithful replication of mammalian prions in vitro and has numerous applications in prion research. However, the low efficiency of conversion of PrPC into PrPSc in PMCA limits the applicability of PMCA for many uses including structural studies of infectious prions. It also implies that only a small sub-fraction of PrPC may be available for conversion. Here we show that the yield, rate, and robustness of prion conversion and the sensitivity of prion detection are significantly improved by a simple modification of the PMCA format. Conducting PMCA reactions in the presence of Teflon beads (PMCAb) increased the conversion of PrPC into PrPSc from ∼10% to up to 100%. In PMCAb, a single 24-hour round consistently amplified PrPSc by 600-700-fold. Furthermore, the sensitivity of prion detection in one round (24 hours) increased by 2-3 orders of magnitude. Using serial PMCAb, a 1012-fold dilution of scrapie brain material could be amplified to the level detectible by Western blotting in 3 rounds (72 hours). The improvements in amplification efficiency were observed for the commonly used hamster 263K strain and for the synthetic strain SSLOW that otherwise amplifies poorly in PMCA. The increase in the amplification efficiency did not come at the expense of prion replication specificity. The current study demonstrates that poor conversion efficiencies observed previously have not been due to the scarcity of a sub-fraction of PrPC susceptible to conversion nor due to limited concentrations of essential cellular cofactors required for conversion. The new PMCAb format offers immediate practical benefits and opens new avenues for developing fast ultrasensitive assays and for producing abundant quantities of PrPSc in vitro.
Effects of graded muscle contractions on spinal cord substance P release, arterial blood pressure, and heart rate.

The release of substance P (SP)-like immunoreactivity (SP-LI) in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord and the cardiovascular changes to both high-tension (HT) and low-tension (LT) contractions were determined using alpha-chloralose-anesthetized cats. Over a 10-minute period, seven contractions (HT or LT) were induced. Each contraction was 20 seconds in duration and was followed by an 80-second quiescent period. The tension-time index (TTI) for the HT contractions was 2751 +/- 348 kg.s (mean +/- SD), which was greater than the TTI of 813 +/- 167 kg.s for the LT contractions. The HT contractions caused a greater release of SP-LI than the LT contractions: SP-LI increased from 0.18 +/- 0.02 to 0.32 +/- 0.03 fmol/100 microL and from 0.18 +/- 0.02 to 0.25 +/- 0.04 fmol/100 microL for the two types of contractions, respectively. Concomitant with this greater SP-LI release, HT contractions caused larger increases in mean arterial pressure (34 +/- 16 versus 11 +/- 4 mm Hg) and heart rate (18 +/- 7 versus 8 +/- 4 beats per minute) than did the LT contractions. These changes in SP-LI, mean arterial pressure, and heart rate were virtually abolished when the contractions were repeated after sectioning the L-5-S-2 dorsal and ventral roots or when the electrical stimulation of the ventral roots was repeated after muscle paralysis with gallamine triethiodide. These results demonstrate that contraction-evoked SP-LI release in the dorsal horn is related to the developed tension. Furthermore, these data provide additional support for the hypothesis that the release of SP from the central terminations of muscle afferents plays a role in mediating the cardiovascular responses to static contraction of skeletal muscle.
Ion trap collisional activation of c and z* ions formed via gas-phase ion/ion electron-transfer dissociation.

A series of c- and z•-type product ions formed via gas-phase electron-transfer ion/ion reactions between protonated polypeptides with azobenzene radical anions are subjected to ion trap collision activation in a linear ion trap. Fragment ions including a-, b-, y-type and ammonia-loss ions are typically observed in collision induced dissociation (CID) of c ions, showing almost identical CID patterns as those of the C-terminal amidated peptides consisting of the same sequences. Collisional activation of z• species mainly gives rise to side-chain losses and peptide backbone cleavages resulting in a-, b-, c-, x-, y-, and z-type ions. Most of the fragmentation pathways of z• species upon ion trap CID can be accounted for by radical driven processes. The side-chain losses from z• species are different from the small losses observed from the charge-reduced peptide molecular species in electron-transfer dissociation (ETD), which indicates rearrangement of the radical species. Characteristic side-chain losses are ...
Modeling the impact of breast-feeding by HIV-infected women on child survival.

This study models the survival outcomes of children born to HIV-infected (human immunodeficiency virus) women who are breast-fed, bottle-fed, and wet-nursed. It is estimated that, given the relative risk of alternatives to maternal milk in developing countries, the probability of HIV transmission via breast milk would need to be at least .12 in a community with an under five child mortality rate from non-HIV causes of 100/1000 live births and at least .27 in a community with a rate of 200/1000 before alternative feeding practices should be recommended even to the known HIV-infected mother who has an available feeding alternative with a relative risk of 2:1. While such a low relative risk may be achievable with wet nursing, most studies report a relative risk of at least 3:1 for bottle feeding. A sensitivity analysis is conducted around the relative risk of child mortality from non-HIV causes associated with different feeding practices. While the critical transmission rate does not vary significantly with a rate of false positives as high as 20 percent on the HIV screening test, the critical transmission rate is very sensitive to the availability of HIV screening. In communities where the HIV prevalence rate among mothers reaches 40 percent, breast-feeding should still be recommended in the absence of HIV screening unless HIV transmission via breast milk surpasses 30 percent.
Selective Manipulation of Overlapping Quantum Modes

We show that spatiotemporally overlapping quantum photonic signals in orthogonal time-frequency modes can be discriminated via quantum frequency conversion during a single passage through a waveguide.
Dynamics of a Wellness Program: A Conservation of Resources Perspective

We leverage conservation of resources theory to explain possible dynamics through which a holistic wellness program results in positive longer-term outcomes. Specifically, we hypothesize that welln...
Stability of inventory dynamics in supply chains with three delays

Abstract Distinctive delays accounting for lead time in manufacturing, transportation of products and decision-making are considered in a single link supply chain that is modeled by continuous-time differential equations via system thinking. As seen in the literature, behavior of inventory variations in the presence of delays can become undesirably oscillatory. The novelty of this work is the analytical characterization of these oscillations with respect to two intrinsic parameters of the supply chain and the three delays considered separately. Particularly, inventory dynamics is characterized on the so-called stability maps drawn in the space of three delays, displaying which combinations of each delay lead to (un)desirable inventory behavior. Arising from the characterization is also a novel ordering policy design with which the inventory variations can be rendered insensitive to detrimental effects of delays. Case studies are provided along with managerial interpretations.
On Truth and Meaning: Language, Logic and the Grounds of Belief. By Christopher Norris

(2009). On Truth and Meaning: Language, Logic and the Grounds of Belief. By Christopher Norris. Journal of Critical Realism: Vol. 8, No. 3, pp. 374-377.
Individual A-Scan Signal Normalization Between Two Spectral Domain Optical Coherence Tomography Devices

Purpose. We developed a method to normalize optical coherence tomography (OCT) signal profiles from two spectral-domain (SD) OCT devices so that the comparability between devices increases.
Programming environments for pre-college instruction (Special Session)

This session features two presentations and demonstrations of computer software/hardware systems for teaching problem solving techniques and programming concepts. Several computers will be available for hands-on demonstration at the conclusion of the session.
On the Optimum Stabilization of a Satellite

The problem of stabilizing a tumbling satellite prior to attitude control is discussed. The method of Hamilton-Jacobi theory is used to derive an explicit closed-loop control law for the problem.