cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pore model for nanofiltration: History, theoretical framework, key predictions, limitations, and prospects

Abstract This review introduces the development history of the widely used NF model, i.e., the Donnan-Steric Pore Model with Dielectric Exclusion (DSPM-DE), from the emergence of its predecessors to its current form. We present the details of DSPM-DE with assumptions and equations that account for each mechanism. Model inputs and outputs, as well as the key parameters and the experimental procedures for determining these parameters are also explained. Furthermore, the DSPM-DE is applied to investigate NF performance under various conditions. Specifically, the DSPM-DE is employed to provide a mechanistic interpretation of the well-known selectivity-permeability tradeoff that is more typically applied to describe the behavior of non-porous membrane. Based on the simulations using the DSPM-DE, we also discuss strategies on enhancing NF performance via tuning membrane properties. NF membranes with thin active layer and small nanopores that are strongly hydrophilic and charged are beneficial to achieving a high perm-selectivity. Analysis is also performed on the separation of divalent and monovalent cations using DSPM-DE. Finally, we discuss the uncertainties of model parameters and their impacts on the model prediction. We also discuss the validity of fundamental model assumptions and the prospects on potential improvements of NF modeling to enhance the utility in predicting NF performance. Machine learning-based models, once trained with a large set of data, are likely more powerful than DSPE-DE or any physical NF model in future application of performance prediction.
Life-Threatening Hemoptysis in a Pediatric Referral Center.

OBJECTIVES Hemoptysis is uncommon in children, even among the critically ill, with a paucity of epidemiological data to inform clinical decision-making. We describe hemoptysis-associated ICU admissions, including those who were critically ill at hemoptysis onset or who became critically ill as a result of hemoptysis, and identify predictors of mortality. DESIGN Retrospective cohort study. Demographics, hemoptysis location, and management were collected. Pediatric Logistic Organ Dysfunction-2 score within 24 hours of hemoptysis described illness severity. Primary outcome was inhospital mortality. SETTING Quaternary pediatric referral center between July 1, 2010, and June 30, 2017. PATIENTS Medical/surgical (PICU), cardiac ICU, and term neonatal ICU admissions with hemoptysis during or within 24 hours of ICU admission. INTERVENTIONS No intervention. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS There were 326 hemoptysis-associated ICU admissions in 300 patients. Most common diagnoses were cardiac (46%), infection (15%), bronchiectasis (10%), and neoplasm (7%). Demographics, interventions, and outcomes differed by diagnostic category. Overall, 79 patients (26%) died inhospital and 109 (36%) had died during follow-up (survivor mean 2.8 ± 1.9 yr). Neoplasm, bronchiectasis, renal dysfunction, inhospital hemoptysis onset, and higher Pediatric Logistic Organ Dysfunction-2 score were independent risk factors for inhospital mortality (p < 0.02). Pharmacotherapy (32%), blood products (29%), computerized tomography angiography (26%), bronchoscopy (44%), and cardiac catheterization (36%) were common. Targeted surgical interventions were rare. Of survivors, 15% were discharged with new respiratory support. Of the deaths, 93 (85%) occurred within 12 months of admission. For patients surviving 12 months, 5-year survival was 87% (95% CI, 78-92) and mortality risk remained only for those with neoplasm (log-rank p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS We observed high inhospital mortality from hemoptysis-associated ICU admissions. Mortality was independently associated with hemoptysis onset location, underlying diagnosis, and severity of critical illness at event. Additional mortality was observed in the 12-month posthospital discharge. Future directions include further characterization of this vulnerable population and management recommendations for life-threatening pediatric hemoptysis incorporating underlying disease pathophysiology.
One University’s Measured Approach to Student Evaluations

Student evaluations of teaching occur at most universities and colleges in the United States and are used for a variety of purposes including course improvement and as data to evaluate instructors. Increasingly, universities manage the collection of student perception data about courses and teaching with commercially available software. This is a report of the work of one university to review the process of collecting and using student assessment of instruction data and to determine how the data would be used. The work of a task force to examine a process in place for ten years by seeking input from stakeholders, reviewing ten years of collected data, and reviewing the literature is presented in a case study format with task force recommendations and a report on subsequent implementation.
Olfactory navigation in the real world: Simple local search strategies for turbulent environments

Olfaction informs animal navigation for foraging, social interaction, and threat evasion. However, turbulent flow on the spatial scales of most animal navigation leads to intermittent odor information and presents a challenge to simple gradient-ascent navigation. Here we present two strategies for iterative gradient estimation and navigation via olfactory cues in 2D space: tropotaxis, spatial concentration comparison (i.e., instantaneous comparison between lateral olfactory sensors on a navigating animal) and klinotaxis, spatiotemporal concentration comparison (i.e., comparison between two subsequent concentration samples as the animal moves through space). We then construct a hybrid model that uses klinotaxis but utilizes tropotactic information to guide its spatial sampling strategy. We find that for certain body geometries in which bilateral sensors are closely-spaced (e.g., mammalian nares), klinotaxis outperforms tropotaxis; for widely-spaced sensors (e.g., arthropod antennae), tropotaxis outperforms klinotaxis. We find that both navigation strategies perform well on smooth odor gradients and are robust against noisy gradients represented by stochastic odor models and real turbulent flow data. In some parameter regimes, the hybrid model outperforms klinotaxis alone, but not tropotaxis.
Polymer-ceramic composite electrolytes for all-solid-state lithium batteries: Ionic conductivity and chemical interaction enhanced by oxygen vacancy in ceramic nanofibers

Abstract Perovskite Li3x La2/3−x TiO3 (LLTO) nanofibers have been heat-treated in the hydrogen-containing atmosphere and then incorporated with the poly(vinylidene fluoride)-co-hexafluoropropylene (PVDF-HFP) polymer to form a composite electrolyte. Hydrogen treatment has created oxygen vacancies in the LLTO nanofibers, which has reduced the activation energy of Li ion transport along intra-grains and inter-grains, leading to an improvement in the ion conductivity of LLTO nanofibers. Hydrogen treatment of the LLTO nanofibers has also enhanced the chemical interaction between the LLTO nanofibers and the polymer matrix in the composite electrolyte, and favored the Li ion transport at the nanofiber/polymer interface, improving the ion conductivity of the composite electrolyte to 3.4 × 10−4 S/cm at room temperature. As a result, the Li|composite-electrolyte|Li half-cell exhibits good stability during lithium plating/stripping cycling at room temperature, showing an overpotential of ~91 mV at a constant current density of 0.5 mA/cm2. The full-cell battery with the composite electrolyte, lithium metal anode and lithium iron phosphate cathode shows excellent rate capacity and cycling performance.
Ene reactions of pre-aromatic heterocycles – Oxazoles

Abstract 4-Methylidene substituted oxazolines are shown to be suitable substrates in thermal ene reactions with a variety of common enophiles. These pre-aromatic heterocycles provide access to a variety of adducts in modest to good yields. Interestingly, reaction with nitrosobenzene led to the formation of nitrones rather than the anticipated hydroxyl amine derivatives.
Pearls of Temporal Bone Imaging in Children with Hearing Loss

Hearing loss is one of the most common indications for temporal bone imaging in children. Hearing loss may be congenital or acquired, and it may be conductive, sensorineural, or mixed audiologically. Temporal bone imaging plays an important role in the assessment and management of this condition. An understanding of the embryology of ear structures better enables the radiologist to interpret abnormalities on imaging of the temporal bone. Here, we provide a general review of ear development and a description of known genetic defects that contribute to congenital ear anomalies associated with hearing loss. We provide appropriate imaging techniques for the temporal bone depending on the clinical presentation and a systematic approach to imaging for children with hearing loss. Diagnostic imaging for developmental anomalies of the ear and cholesteatoma will be discussed.
From Compliance to Improvement: How School Leaders Make Sense of Institutional and Technical Demands When Implementing a Continuous Improvement Process:

Purpose: A recurring frustration in educational research is the tendency for school leaders to implement reforms in ways that prioritize compliance over more substantive improvements to practice. D...
Financial Liberalization and Stability in Developing Countries

This paper discusses the recent experience with financial innovation and liberalization in developing countries. It is argued that successful adaptations to innovation and liberalization in industrial countries provide poor guidelines for a successful transition from the financially repressed systems often encountered in many developing countries. The analysis suggests that financial institutions in a developing country must be structured to operate in an inherently more difficult environment. Finally, the paper outlines the types of regulatory and supervisory policies that can help achieve such a structure.
Design and Analysis of Pen Studies in the Animal Sciences

Increasingly, research is being performed in which animals subjected to a common treatment are also housed in a common pen. Issues have been raised regarding the proper planning of experiments and conduct of statistical analyses in these instances. This paper reviews the problems associated with ignoring animal grouping during data analyses, and examples are provided for appropriate methods to use when animals are grouped in pens. Using animals as the error term when treatments are applied to pens can result in biased estimates of treatment effects when pens are of unequal sizes and animals are moved in and out of the pens. It always results in biased probability statements regarding their significance. The pen effect includes systematic effects other than that of the treatment, which is why pens must be replicated and randomized. In essence, pen studies have an implicit split-plot design in which the main plots (pens) receive the treatments of interest, whereas the subplots (cows) receive all the same subplot treatment. Using the subplot error to test main-plot treatment effects creates inflated degrees of freedom and uses the wrong denominator mean square to test the effect; hence, severely biasing the test of significance for the treatment effects and resulting in an invalid causal inference base. The interactions of pens with the fixed-effect elements of the treatment design are the correct error terms for those fixed-effects factors applied to the pens. The same statistical designs used with animals as experimental units can be used with pens. The number of experimental units to achieve a given power can be, and generally is, considerably less with pens because the variance among pens is generally less than the variance of cows within pens. Pens must be replicated, randomized, and included in the statistical model to ensure valid statistical inference.
Professional Counselors' Conceptualizations of the Relationship between Suicide and Self-Injury

This study sought to increase understanding of the relationship between suicide and self-injury (SI). Advanced professional counselors were asked to discuss their conceptualizations of the relationship and how SI impacts clinical assessment and intervention. Data were collected via online survey. Analysis was conducted by a research team using qualitative content analysis. Categories identified were (a) the relationship between suicide and SI, (b) the functions of SI, (c) debate about the potential for elevated risk, (d) whether or not suicide risk should be assessed differently with clients who self-injure, (e) how SI may impact treatment planning and goals, (f) how professional counselors intervene with clients who self-injure, and (g) how SI is identified.
Tuberculosis and HIV–Needed: A New Paradigm for the Control and Management of Linked Epidemics

Tuberculosis (TB) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease have been closely entwined since the early years of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. The 2 conditions overlap in their epidemiologic characteristics and clinical manifestations and are both clothed in stigma. They individually carry the risk of creating social, economic, and political instability, which is markedly worsened when they affect a region in concert. The overwhelming burden of disease due to both TB and HIV is borne by resource-limited countries and the hardest hit among these are in sub-Saharan Africa. In sub-Saharan Africa, the HIV epidemic is accelerating what was already a massive TB epidemic, with the incidence rate of TB increasing from 146 per 100,000 in 1990 to 345 per 100,000 in 2003. Each disease contributes to the morbidity and mortality of the other. TB is now the leading cause of death among persons with HIV disease. HIV increases the risk of reactivation of latent TB infection (LTBI) and progression to active TB disease more than any other known risk factor. In some countries, the percentage of patients with active TB who are coinfected with HIV is now greater than 60%. Even with appropriate management of TB, patients with HIV co-infection have increased mortality as a consequence of HIV-related complications. (Published: 25 September 2007) doi:10.1186/1758-2652-9-3-62 Full text: BioMed Central: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1758-2652/content/9/3/62 PubMed Central: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2758896/
A program for faculty peer review of teaching at North Dakota State University

North Dakota State University has recently created the peer review of teaching (PRT) program which seeks to promote student-centered learning through the use of cooperative peer review teams to promote enhanced teaching methods, techniques, and strategies. The PRT project is a faculty-driven initiative intended to offer individual faculty added feedback related to instruction. Faculty members work together to set goals and to interpret student reactions to instruction strategies. The process is intentionally limited to formative assessment, and the peer assessment data is owned by the individual faculty members. Project participants are required to observe the teaching materials and teaching activity of a peer for at least one class per semester, provide meaningful feedback to his or her peer related to his or her syllabus and teaching strategies, and provide a measure of evaluation and assessment related to enhanced student learning. The contents of this paper document: 1) the background and development of the PRT program, 2) the selection and coordination of the peer teams, 3) the development of the peer philosophy and project deliverables, and 4) an evaluation and assessment of the PRT program.
Complexity and Information

Part I. Fundamentals: 1. Introduction 2. Information-based complexity 3. Breaking the curse of dimensionality Part II. Some Interesting Topics: 4. Very high-dimensional integration and mathematical finance 5. Complexity of path integration 6. Are ill-posed problems solvable? 7. Complexity of nonlinear problems 8. What model of computation should be used by scientists? 9. Do impossibility theorems from formal models limit scientific knowledge? 10. Complexity of linear programming 11. Complexity of verification 12. Complexity of implementation testing 13. Noisy information 14. Value of information in computation 15. Assigning values to mathematical hypotheses 16. Open problems 17. A brief history of information-based complexity Part III. References: 18. A guide to the literature Bibliography Subject index Author index.
A Sub-Millimeter Solenoid Device for Trapping Paramagnetic Microbeads

We present the design and preliminary evaluation of a paramagnetic microsphere trapping and separation device consisting of a copper solenoid wrapped around a 1.3 mm diameter glass capillary. The magnetization and subsequent dipole-dipole interaction of paramagnetic spheres under an applied magnetic field results in the formation of bead chains that persist and grow under the applied field, but quickly disperse upon field removal. The chaining of paramagnetic spheres is important to the design of magnetic-based separation devices because the viscous-drag-limited velocities of chains are typically several times larger than that of individual particles. We have performed a set of experiments designed to evaluate the performance of a sub-millimeter solenoid device including measurements of the temperature versus field strength of the device, observations of the controlled chain formation process, and preliminary observations regarding the maximum flow rate over which the bead chains can be held in place by magnetic forces. These results are applicable to the design and characterization of magnetically induced microsphere trapping and separation systems which use pressure driven flow.
Safety of robotic thyroidectomy approaches: meta-analysis and systematic review.

Background. This study compared the efficacy of robotic thyroidectomy via a gasless, axillary approach with conventional cervical and endoscopic techniques by meta-analysis. Methods. Articles were identified from the following keyword searches: robotic/robot-assisted thyroidectomy/thyroid surgery. Outcomes included operative time, hospital stay, complications, and cosmetic satisfaction after surgery. Between-group outcome differences were calculated using random-effects models. Results. In all, 87 publications were identified and 9 studies met inclusion criteria, totaling 2881 patients, 1122 of whom underwent robotic thyroidectomy. Those who underwent robotic surgery reported greater cosmetic satisfaction, with a pooled net mean difference of � 1.35 (95% confidence interval (CI): � 1.69, � 1.09). Robotic approach operative time was longer than that of the conventional approach (95% CI: 29.23, 54.87), with a trend to be shorter than the endoscopic approaches. Robotic surgery had similar risks to open and endoscopic approaches. Conclusions. Our meta-analysis suggests that robotic thyroidectomy is as safe, feasible, and efficacious as conventional cervical and endoscopic thyroidectomy, showing superior cosmetic satisfaction than that of conventional thyroidectomy. V C 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 36: 137-143, 2014
Market Reaction to Limiting Executive Compensation: Evidence from TARP Firms

Using 256 TARP recipients, I find that markets negatively react to the news on limiting executive compensations. Although investors react quite positively for the initial announcement of TARP on October 14, 2008, other announcements regarding compensation regulation including a strict $500,000 salary cap are perceived as bad news in the market. The results are more supportive of the managerial talent hypothesis, which implies that investors are concerned about losing talented executives due to the upper limit of the salary. Splitting the sample by various possible determinants for CARs, I also find that firm size as well as financial performance is an important factor in determining the level of abnormal returns. In conclusion, shareholders of larger and better performing firms are concerned about the potential loss of talent arising from a salary cap.
THE OXYGEN COST OF BREATHING IN THE PREMATURE INFANT

Work of breathing, oxygen cost of breathing, and calculated mechanical efficiency were studied in normal prematures using the plethysmograph method. The results indicate that the oxygen cost of breathing in these subjects averaged 0.9 ml per 500 ml ventilated. Calculated mechanical efficiency averaged 4.1%. These results were compared with those reported for normal adults, and premature infants were shown to have a higher oxygen cost of breathing and a lower mechanical efficiency. The sources of error of the method are discussed and emphasis is given to the fact that the absolute quantitative results may not be exact.
Astrophysics: Cosmic crystals caught in the act

The outburst of a Sun-like star offers a rare opportunity to witness the making of silicate crystals in the star's planet-forming disk, providing key information about the formation of comets and the Solar System.
Sex-specific effects of in utero manipulation of GABAA receptors on pre- and postnatal expression of BDNF in rats

Exposure to diazepam (DZ) during the last week of in utero development in rats induces neurobehavioral effects that do not become apparent in exposed animals until young adult ages. Some of the effects are sex specific. This study evaluated the hypothesis that late gestational exposure to DZ, a positive modulator of GABA(A) receptors, affects the developmental appearance of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), an effect that could be linked to the later consequences of the exposure. Pregnant Long-Evans rats were injected with DZ (2.5 mg/kg) over gestation days 14-20, and their male and female offspring were evaluated for levels of BDNF mRNA and protein in the cerebral cortex and hypothalamus at fetal day 20 and at postnatal ages spanning birth to young adulthood. The effects of the exposure were sex and region specific. At fetal day 20 the expression of BDNF was reduced by about 20% in the hypothalamus of males only. The early exposure affected postnatal expression of BDNF in the hypothalamus only modestly, influencing the age-related profile in both sexes. Postnatal development of BDNF in the cerebral cortex was significantly affected by the in utero exposure in males only with mRNA levels lower in the exposed group and protein levels higher during juvenile ages. At adulthood, both levels were lower in DZ-exposed males. GABA serves a role as a trophic factor during early development, and these results suggest that manipulation of GABA(A) receptors during early development could interact with the developmental action of other trophic factors thereby leading to altered neural organization and later neurobehavioral dysfunction.
Sexual orientation in women with classical or non-classical congenital adrenal hyperplasia as a function of degree of prenatal androgen excess

46,XX individuals with classical congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) due to deficiency of the enzyme, 21-hydroxylase, show variable degrees of masculinization of body and behavior due to excess adrenal androgen production. Increased bisexuality and homosexuality have also been reported. This article provides a review of existing reports of the latter and presents a new study aimed at replicating the previous findings with detailed assessments of sexual orientation on relatively large samples, and at extending the investigation to the mildest form, non-classical (NC) CAH. Also, this is the first study to relate sexual orientation to the specific molecular genotypes of CAH. In the present study, 40 salt-wasters (SW), 21 SV (simple-virilizing), 82 NC, and 24 non-CAH control women (sisters and female cousins of CAH women) were blindly administered the Sexual Behavior Assessment Schedule (SEBAS-A, 1983 ed.; H. F. L. Meyer-Bahlburg & A. A. Ehrhardt, Privately printed). Most women were heterosexual, but the rates of bisexual and homosexual orientation were increased above controls not only in women with classical CAH, but also in NC women, and correlated with the degree of prenatal androgenization. Classifying women by molecular genotypes did not further increase the correlation. Diverse aspects of sexual orientation were highly intercorrelated, and principal components analysis yielded one general factor. Bisexual/homosexual orientation was (modestly) correlated with global measures of masculinization of non-sexual behavior and predicted independently by the degree of both prenatal androgenization and masculinization of childhood behavior. We conclude that the findings support a sexual-differentiation perspective involving prenatal androgens on the development of sexual orientation.
Influence of radiation exposure rate on somatic mutation frequency and loss of reproductive integrity in tradescantia stamen hairs

Abstract Inflorescences of Tradescantia clone 02 (2n = 12), hetero- or hemi-zygous for flower color, were exposed to a series of γ-ray exposures at two different exposure rates, 29.3 R/min and 0.026–0.52 R/min. Pink mutation-response curves, and survival curves based on reproductive integrity, were constructed for each of the exposure rates. Loss of reproductive intergrity was also assessed at high (256 R/min) and low (0.52–4.17 R/min) γ-ray exposure rates in T. blossfeldiana (2n = 72). All observations were made on stamen hairs. The higher exposure rate was 1.3–1.7 times more effective in inducing pink mutations in clone 02. A greater efficiency of the higher exposure rate was also found for both taxa at the loss of reproductive integrity endpoint. The D0 values obtained at the higher exposure rates, 154 R for clone 02 and 720 R for T. blossfeldiana, were significantly lower than the corresponding values of 270 R and 1880 R obtained at the lower exposure rates. These D0's differ by factors of 1.75 and 2.61 for clone 02 and T. blossfeldiana, respectively. D0's for the two taxa were found to be inversely correlated with their interphase chromosome volumes.
Learning to Orchestrate Online Instructional Conversations: A Case of Faculty Development for Foreign Language Educators.

In the past decade, providing language instruction via computer-mediated communication (CMC) has seen tremendous growth throughout the world. With this increase in asynchronous instruction have come questions concerning the role of the instructor as it determines the quality and impact of learning and of what optimal faculty development might consist. This study addresses the question: Can simulated instructional conversations using CMC be used effectively in faculty professional development? An online professional development course for foreign language higher education faculty was designed, implemented, and its processes and outcomes documented and examined. Results indicate that readings, discussions, simulated practice, and reflections concerning engagement in instructional conversations can indeed foment awareness of the anatomy of effective online instructional conversations for foreign and second language instruction.
Acupuncture modulates cortical thickness and functional connectivity in knee osteoarthritis patients

In this study, we investigated cortical thickness and functional connectivity across longitudinal acupuncture treatments in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA). Over a period of four weeks (six treatments), we collected resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans from 30 patients before their first, third and sixth treatments. Clinical outcome showed a significantly greater Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) pain score (improvement) with verum acupuncture compared to the sham acupuncture. Longitudinal cortical thickness analysis showed that the cortical thickness at left posterior medial prefrontal cortex (pMPFC) decreased significantly in the sham group across treatment sessions as compared with verum group. Resting state functional connectivity (rsFC) analysis using the left pMPFC as a seed showed that after longitudinal treatments, the rsFC between the left pMPFC and the rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rACC), medial frontal pole (mFP) and periaquiduct grey (PAG) are significantly greater in the verum acupuncture group as compared with the sham group. Our results suggest that acupuncture may achieve its therapeutic effect on knee OA pain by preventing cortical thinning and decreases in functional connectivity in major pain related areas, therefore modulating pain in the descending pain modulatory pathway.
A Reply to Uttl and Morin’s (2010) Commentary of

Abstract In response to a commentary provided by Uttl and Morin (2010) regarding the recent study by Hughes and Nicholson (2010) , we evaluate their suggestion to modify our study’s design to reduce ceiling effects (similar to that of Rosa, Lassonde, Pinard, Keenan, & Belin, 2008 ). Also, the commentators failed to take into account our data on reaction times (a measure that is arguably less affected by ceiling effects), which help substantiate our conclusions regarding self-face and self-voice recognition. This rejoinder encourages readers to consider the relevance of the ecological validity of Hughes and Nicholson’s findings.
Low self-control and imprudent behavior

Gottfredson and Hirschi'sA General Theory of Crime contends that individual differences in involvement in criminal and analogous behavior are due largely to individual differences in the personality trait they call low self-control. Among the various behaviors considered analogous to crime are imprudent behaviors such as smoking, drinking, and gambling. This research explores the generality of Gottfredson and Hirschi's theory by examining the link between low self-control and these imprudent behaviors. The results are mixed. In support of the theory, the data reveal a modest but significant effect of a scale designed to capture the various components of low self-control on an index of imprudent behavior. A more detailed analysis, however, reveals that some of the components of low self-control, specifically those probably linked to low intelligence, detract from the scale's predictive power. In fact, one of the components, risk-seeking, is more predictive than the more inclusive scale. Furthermore, one of the imprudent acts, smoking, appears to be unaffected by low self-control. These contradictory findings suggest the need for theoretical refinements.
The Standard Chemical-Thermodynamic Properties of Phosphorus and Some of its Key Compounds and Aqueous Species: An Evaluation of Differences between the Previous Recommendations of NBS/NIST and CODATA

The aqueous chemistry of phosphorus is dominated by P(V), which under typical environmental conditions (and depending on pH and concentration) can be present as the orthophosphate species H3PO40(aq),H2PO4−(aq),HPO42−(aq) or PO43−(aq). Many divalent, trivalent and tetravalent metal ions form sparingly soluble orthophosphate phases that, depending on the solution pH and concentrations of phosphate and metal ions, can be solubility limiting phases. Geochemical and chemical engineering modeling of solubilities and speciation require comprehensive thermodynamic databases that include the standard thermodynamic properties for the aqueous species and solid compounds. The most widely used sources for standard thermodynamic properties are the NBS (now NIST) Tables (from 1982 and earlier, with a 1989 erratum) and the final CODATA evaluation (1989). However, a comparison of the reported enthalpies of formation and Gibbs energies of formation for key phosphate compounds and aqueous species, especially H2PO4−(aq) and HPO42−(aq), shows a systematic and nearly constant difference of 6.3 to 6.9 kJ⋅mol−1 per phosphorus atom between these two evaluations. The existing literature contains numerous studies (including major data summaries) that are based on one or the other of these evaluations. In this report we examine and identify the origin of this difference and conclude that the CODATA evaluation is more reliable. Values of the standard entropies of the H2PO4−(aq) and HPO42−(aq) ions at 298.15 K and p ° =1 bar were re-examined in the light of more recent information and data not considered in the CODATA review, and a slightly different value of Smo(H2PO4−, aq, 298.15 K) = (90.6±1.5) J⋅K−1⋅mol−1 was obtained.
Rayleigh-gans-born light scattering by ensembles of randomly oriented anisotropic particles.

A formula for the electromagnetic scattering amplitude is presented. Using the Rayleigh-Gans-Born approximation, we apply it to the calculation of Stokes matrices for ensembles of randomly oriented anisotropic particles. Two types of anisotropy are treated in detail: particles of any shape with a variable scalar refractive index n(r)δij and spherical particles with a constant tensor refractive index nij. For a monodisperse ensemble of the second type, we describe a method of extracting from data a shape parameter γ. One may be able to generalize this method to yield structural information for a wider class of ensembles.
Single site robotic sentinel lymph node biopsy and hysterectomy in endometrial cancer

OBJECTIVE Sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy has been proposed as a safe and less morbid approach to full lymphadenectomy in endometrial cancer (EC) [1,2]. The role of single incision robotic surgery (SIRS) remains unclear in this setting [3,4]. The aim of this video is to demonstrate the feasibility of SLN biopsy utilizing the SIRS platform and near infrared imaging in EC. METHODS The patient was a 67 year old with FIGO grade I endometrial adenocarcinoma. Body mass index was 23.6 kg/m2 and the uterus was 10 cm on bimanual exam. Two milliliters of ICG was diluted to 1.25 mg/mL and was injected into the cervical stroma. The patient underwent pelvic washings, SLN biopsy, and extra fascial hysterectomy utilizing the daVinci Si Surgical System (Intuitive Surgical, Sunnyvale, CA) through a single multichannel port inserted through a 2.5 cm umbilical incision. RESULTS SLNs were mapped bilaterally to the hypogastric lymph node chains.Total operative time was 88 min and estimated blood loss was 50 mL. The patient was discharged home from the recovery room and no postoperative complications were noted. Swapping instruments to keep graspers on the medial aspect of the field improved visualization and minimized instrument clash while utilizing a vertical pexy of the vaginal cuff allowed for a more rapid cuff closure. CONCLUSION SLN biopsy and hysterectomy utilizing the SIRS are feasible and may offer some benefits over traditional robotic surgery. However, patients need to be carefully selected to minimize the risk of requiring complete lymphadenectomy and injury due to poor visualization.
Tracking of space objects using massively parallel processing

The space track catalog of satellites in orbit is generally maintained using analytic methods. New technology developments in the area of parallel processing provide the capability to apply more exact methods to determine and maintain the ephemerides of a larger number of space objects more precisely. Space object tracking accuracy is becoming increasingly important in space programs such as the Space Station, where the collision hazard is critical, and for military application requiring precise positioning of satellites. Affordable massively parallel processing architectures will soon be available to address this problem. We expect that before long the number of processing elements in a single affordable box will approach or exceed the number of satellites in orbit. In this paper we consider algorithms and architectures for processing a large number of space objects in a parallel sense. These improvements will enable the tracking of many small objects with precision and will improve the confidence with which collision hazards can be assessed. In addition, as sensor capabilities are improved through technology upgrades, the accuracy of these computational methods will continue to exceed the precision of the measurements.
Resolution of delayed altered mental status associated with hydrogen peroxide ingestion following hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

Case Report: An 82-year-old women presented with altered mental status, seizure, and apnea after an accidental ingestion of concentrated hydrogen peroxide. Ingestion of concentrated peroxide can result in gas embolism of the cerebral vasculature. After hyperbaric treatment, the patient had prompt and full neurologic recovery. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first reported case of reversal of significant altered mental status associated with hydrogen peroxide ingestion in temporal relation with hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Emergency physicians need to be aware of the dangers of peroxide ingestion and may wish to consider hyperbaric oxygen as a potential additional treatment for severe cases.
Group Decisions in Biodiversity Conservation: Implications from Game Theory

Background Decision analysis and game theory [1], [2] have proved useful tools in various biodiversity conservation planning and modeling contexts [3]–[5]. This paper shows how game theory may be used to inform group decisions in biodiversity conservation scenarios by modeling conflicts between stakeholders to identify Pareto–inefficient Nash equilibria. These are cases in which each agent pursuing individual self–interest leads to a worse outcome for all, relative to other feasible outcomes. Three case studies from biodiversity conservation contexts showing this feature are modeled to demonstrate how game–theoretical representation can inform group decision-making. Methodology and Principal Findings The mathematical theory of games is used to model three biodiversity conservation scenarios with Pareto–inefficient Nash equilibria: (i) a two–agent case involving wild dogs in South Africa; (ii) a three–agent raptor and grouse conservation scenario from the United Kingdom; and (iii) an n–agent fish and coral conservation scenario from the Philippines. In each case there is reason to believe that traditional mechanism–design solutions that appeal to material incentives may be inadequate, and the game–theoretical analysis recommends a resumption of further deliberation between agents and the initiation of trust—and confidence—building measures. Conclusions and Significance Game theory can and should be used as a normative tool in biodiversity conservation contexts: identifying scenarios with Pareto–inefficient Nash equilibria enables constructive action in order to achieve (closer to) optimal conservation outcomes, whether by policy solutions based on mechanism design or otherwise. However, there is mounting evidence [6] that formal mechanism–design solutions may backfire in certain cases. Such scenarios demand a return to group deliberation and the creation of reciprocal relationships of trust.
Plasma triglycerides and type III hyperlipidemia are independently associated with premature familial coronary artery disease

OBJECTIVES This study was designed to explore contributions of plasma total triglycerides (TGs) and type III hyperlipidemia to the risk of premature familial coronary artery disease (CAD). BACKGROUND Although plasma TGs are recognized as a risk factor for CAD, the independence of this association from related risk factors remains controversial. Also, the degree of CAD risk conferred by excess remnants of TG-rich lipoproteins in type III hyperlipidemia remains unclear. METHODS We analyzed lipids by ultracentrifugation in a series of 653 cases with premature familial CAD (myocardial infarction or revascularization by age 55 years in men or age 65 years in women, with similar onset in at least one other first-degree relative) and in 1,029 control subjects. The relationship of CAD risk to various strata of plasma TGs, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and type III hyperlipidemia, and interactions among these variables were examined by multiple logistic regression, adjusting for other CAD risk factors. RESULTS The odds ratio for CAD with elevated plasma TG rose progressively to 11.4 in those with TGs 500 to 799 mg/dl (95% confidence interval 3.4 to 38.0, p < 0.0001) compared with <100 mg/dl, even after correction for HDL cholesterol, other elements of the metabolic syndrome, and other CAD risk factors. Risk of CAD associated with type III hyperlipidemia (found in 3.4% of cases) was also markedly increased independent of other risk factors (odds ratios of 5 to 10 depending on the model, all with p < 0.002). CONCLUSIONS The association between the plasma TG level and premature familial CAD is strong, graded, and independent. Risk of CAD is also strikingly elevated with type III hyperlipidemia.
Modulation of vascular endothelial function by low-density lipoprotein cholesterol with aging: influence of habitual exercise.

Adult aging is associated with a marked increase in the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD).1 This is thought to be attributable, in part, to the development of vascular endothelial dysfunction, as indicated by a reduction in endothelium- dependent dilation (EDD).2,3 As such, identifying the mechanisms that contribute to decreases in EDD with aging has important clinical implications for the prevention of age-associated CVD. Plasma low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is a major risk factor for CVD.4,5 Patients with hypercholesterolemia (i.e., LDL-C >160 mg/dl) demonstrate impaired EDD,6 and reducing LDL-C with lipid-lowering agents improves EDD in these patients.7,8 However, it is unknown whether LDL-C within the clinically “normal” range (i.e., LDL-C <160 mg/dl) modulates EDD in healthy older adults. If LDL-C influences EDD in older adults, two related issues would seem important to address. One would be to determine whether this association also is observed in young adults. It is possible that older age somehow renders individuals more susceptible to the potentially adverse effects of LDL-C on the vascular endothelium. Another would be to determine whether lifestyle or other factors might protect against the negative influence of LDL-C in older adults. In this context, habitual aerobic exercise can exert a favorable effect on vascular endothelial function in older adults9–14 and, thus, could provide a protective effect against LDL-C. Accordingly, the goal of the present study was to gain insight into these issues. We first tested the hypothesis that conduit artery EDD, measured by brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD), but not endothelium-independent dilation (glyceryl trinitrate (GTN)-induced dilation), is influenced by differences in LDL-C within the normal range in older nonexercising adults. To do so, we compared groups of healthy older nonexercising men with optimal/near optimal LDL-C (<130 mg/dl) or borderline high LDL-C (130–159 mg/dl) based on National Cholesterol Education Program/Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP/ATP III) classification15 that were carefully matched for other conventional CVD risk factors. We then tested the hypothesis that young age would have a protective effect as shown by similar EDD in groups of healthy young nonexercising men with either optimal/near optimal or borderline high LDL-C. Finally, we tested the hypothesis that habitual exercise protects EDD from the adverse effects of LDL-C in older adults, as indicated by no difference in EDD between groups of older healthy men with optimal/near optimal or borderline high LDL-C who regularly performed aerobic exercise.
On a density functional theory of van der Waals forces

Abstract We use the density functional theory to investigate the ground state energy of a pair of interacting electronic systems at large distances from one another. We prove that a simple mean field approximation to the electron density is sufficient to determine the O (1/ R 3 ) and O (1/ R 6 ) behavior of the ground state energy.
Some optimal policies for management of wildlife

Abstract Using a linear programming model, we present some numerical results on optimal policies for management of wildlife populations. The results suggest that simultaneous harvest and addition to the herd is not generally economical. In this paper, we develop a model to control harvested wildlife populations. Some numerical results on optimal policies for control are presented. These results suggest that simultaneous harvesting and addition to the herd may be less preferred than either a harvest or addition policy alone.
On the Origin of Thymic Lymphocytes

In the leopard frog ( Rana pipiens ), thymic lymphocytes do not originate from blood-borne stem cells that migrate into the thymus anlage; rather they arise in situ from elements in the thymic rudiment itself. After thymic differentiation, the lymphocytes (or their descendants) leave the thymus and extensively seed the peripheral lymphoid organs. Indeed, virtually all the lymphocytes in the spleen, kidney, and bone marrow are ontogenically derived from thymic cells. In postmetamorphic life, the thymus represents an organ in which lymphopoiesis is genuinely self-sustaining. Throughout the juvenile life of the frog, there is no indication of an inward afferent stream of cells entering the intact thymus.
Synthesis and electrochemistry of cis-dioxomolybdenum(VI) complexes with tridentate Schiff base ligands containing O, N and S donor atoms

Abstract The synthesis and characterization of a number of cis -dioxomolybdenum(VI) coordination complexes involving tridentate (ONS) ligands is described. The Schiff base ligands were obtained by condensation of 5-substituted salicylaldehydes with o -aminobenzenethiol or 2-aminoethanethiol. The chemical properties of these molybdenum complexes are compared with those having tridentate ligands with the ONO donor atom set. Cyclic voltammetry was used to obtain cathodic reduction potentials ( E p c ) for the irreversible reduction of the Mo(VI) complexes. Although the reductions are irreversible, trends are observed in E p c both within each series and when different series are compared. Cathodic reduction potentials for the four series examined span the range from −1.53 to −1.05 V versus NHE. There are three ligand features whose effect systematically alters the Mo(VI) cathodic reduction potentials. These include (1) the X-substituent on the salicylaldehyde portion of each ligand; (2) the degree of ligand delocalization; and (3) the substitution of a sulphur donor atom for an oxygen donor atom. Each of these effects is considered separately with regard to the Mo(VI) cathodic reduction potentials and then their cumulative effect is described.
Synthetic Cash Flow Model with Singularity Functions. I: Theory for Periodic Phenomena and Time Value of Money

AbstractPrecisely and efficiently calculating balances of cash flows is crucial for successful engineering economics analysis within construction project management. However, such balance calculation is challenged by mercurial conditions; e.g., individual cash flows may occur periodically, profit markups may be distributed evenly or unevenly, and the balance must consider the time value of money. These intricate phenomena can be modeled with singularity functions. Singularity functions perform customized case distinctions, which yield enormous modeling flexibility. Contributions to the body of knowledge are threefold: A new signal function is introduced to express the periodicity of incremental payments and compound interest in detail for both integer and noninteger periods. Outflows and inflows both explicitly consider the time value of money for accurate direct calculation of variable balances, which can identify breakeven points. All formulas are validated with worked examples. Future research can exte...