cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
NATO burden-sharing: A comprehensive framework for member evaluation

From almost the inception of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), alliance observers have criticized various members for unequal or delinquent burden-sharing. Though often warranted, thes...
11 – Linear Correlation and Prediction

Publisher Summary This chapter presents linear correlation and prediction. Statistical researchers often use a linear relationship to predict the average numerical value of Y for a given value of X using a straight line called the regression line. If one knows the slope and the y-intercept of that regression line, then one can plug in a value for X and predict the average value for Y. In other words, one predicts the average Y from X.
Updating the global inventory of dune fields on Mars and identification of many small dune fields

Abstract The Mars Global Digital Dune Database (MGD3) archives the location of large dark dunes on Mars, including several morphological, mineralogical, and thermophysical characteristics; it has been widely used by the Mars scientific community as a resource for aeolian studies (Hayward, R. K., Mullins, K. F., Fenton, L. K., Hare, T. M., Titus, T. N., Bourke, M. C., Colaprete, A., and Christensen, P. R. (2007a), Mars Global Digital Dune Database: MC2 - MC29: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2007-1158, doi: https://doi.org/10.3133/20071158 ). This work presents the results of a new global dune field survey using high resolution orbital images of Mars that have been acquired in the years since the MGD3 was first compiled. More than 2000 new dune fields have been identified and mapped, more than doubling the previous number known. The new dune fields are mostly small (
Adherence and acceptability of telehealth appointments for high-risk obstetrical patients during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

Background Telehealth has been successfully implemented for the delivery of obstetrical care. However, little is known regarding the attitudes and acceptability of patients and providers in high-risk obstetrics and whether the implementation of a telehealth model improves access to care in nonrural settings. Objective This study aimed to describe patient and provider attitudes toward telehealth for the delivery of high-risk obstetrical care in a large healthcare system with both urban and suburban settings and to determine whether the implementation of a telehealth model improves patient adherence to scheduled appointments in this patient population. Study Design Two self-administered surveys were designed. The first survey was sent to all high-risk obstetrical patients who received a telehealth visit between March 1, 2020, and May 30, 2020. The second survey was designed for providers who participated in these visits. We also compared the attended, cancelled, and no-show visit rates before (March 1 to May 30, 2019) and after (March 1 to May 30, 2020) the telehealth implementation and telehealth vs in-person visits in 2020. We reviewed scheduled high-risk prenatal care appointments, diabetes mellitus education sessions, and genetic counseling and Maternal-Fetal Medicine consultations. Results A total of 91 patient surveys and 33 provider surveys were analyzed. Overall, 86.9% of patients were satisfied with the care they received and 78.3% would recommend telehealth visits to others. Notably, 87.8% of providers reported having a positive experience using telehealth, and 90.9% believed that telehealth improved patients’ access to care. When comparing patient and provider preference regarding future obstetrical care after experiencing telehealth, 73.8% of patients desired a combination of in-person and telehealth visits during their pregnancy. However, a significantly higher rate of providers preferred in-person than telehealth visits (56% vs 23%, P=.024, respectively). When comparing visits between 2019 and 2020, there was a significantly lower rate of no-show appointments (8.49% vs 4.61%, P Conclusion The implementation of a telehealth model in high-risk obstetrics has the potential to improve access to high-risk obstetrical care, by reducing the rate of missed appointments. Both patients and providers surveyed expressed a high rate of satisfaction with telehealth visits and a desire to integrate telehealth into the traditional model of high-risk obstetrical care.
A Hybrid Gradient Method to Designing Bayesian Experiments for Implicit Models.

Bayesian experimental design (BED) aims at designing an experiment to maximize the information gathering from the collected data. The optimal design is usually achieved by maximizing the mutual information (MI) between the data and the model parameters. When the analytical expression of the MI is unavailable, e.g., having implicit models with intractable data distributions, a neural network-based lower bound of the MI was recently proposed and a gradient ascent method was used to maximize the lower bound. However, the approach in Kleinegesse et al., 2020 requires a pathwise sampling path to compute the gradient of the MI lower bound with respect to the design variables, and such a pathwise sampling path is usually inaccessible for implicit models. In this work, we propose a hybrid gradient approach that leverages recent advances in variational MI estimator and evolution strategies (ES) combined with black-box stochastic gradient ascent (SGA) to maximize the MI lower bound. This allows the design process to be achieved through a unified scalable procedure for implicit models without sampling path gradients. Several experiments demonstrate that our approach significantly improves the scalability of BED for implicit models in high-dimensional design space.
Resource-area-dependence analysis of desert mule deer habitats in the San Andres Mountains, New Mexico, USA

Abstract Desert mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus eremicus) populations throughout the arid Southwestern USA and Mexico have declined; hence, it is important to identify habitats that provide for their requirements to inform habitat management. We used resource-area-dependence analysis (RADA), which relates home range size to composition of home ranges, to determine habitats most associated with decreasing home range sizes (i.e., increasing quality) for adult male and female mule deer in the San Andres Mountains (SAM) of south-central New Mexico, USA. Pinyon-juniper woodland and oak-mountain mahogany shrubland were the habitats most associated with home range quality for both lactating and dry females, likely because they provided the highest quantity and diversity of browse and the best cover attributes of habitat types in the SAM. Grama grassland was the only habitat associated with male home range size; despite the lack of cover, grama grassland provided more forbs than other habitats in the SAM, and males are less tied to cover than females. Management actions that increase diversity and retard successional status of woodlands and shrublands while retaining cover could increase habitat quality for female mule deer. Actions that favor forbs and increase cover in grasslands would similarly increase habitat quality for males.
Preliminary findings reveal that phthalate exposure is associated with both subjective and objective measures of sleep in a small population of midlife women

Abstract Phthalates are endocrine disrupting chemicals that influence endogenous hormones. Few studies have examined the link between phthalates and menopause. A recent secondary analysis revealed that phthalates were associated with self-reported sleep measures in perimenopausal women. However, the associations between phthalate exposure and additional measures of sleep remain unknown. We recruited a population of 27 midlife women (aged 45-54) to study the relationship between phthalate exposure and both subjective and objective measures of sleep. Preliminary results indicate that women with higher phthalate exposure have reduced sleep quality, more frequent sleep disruptions, and more restless sleep compared to women with lower exposure.
Major Factors in Classical Conditioning of Planarians: Stimulus Waveform and Neural Geometry

The classical conditioning paradigm for planarians of Thompson and McConnell (1955) has been used, with several modifications, for a number of interesting and provocative experiments on the mechanisms of memory storage (McConnell, Jacobson, and Kimble, 1959; Baxter and Kimmel, 1963; Corning and John, 1961; McConnell, 1964; Barnes and Katzung, 1963; and Hartry et al., 1964). In this paradigm the planarian is usually placed in a narrow plastic trough equipped with an electrode at each end and partially filled with water. The water forms a continuous conducting path between the two end electrodes. A trial consists of several seconds of brilliant illumination, constituting the conditioned stimulus, followed by approximately a second of electric shock, the unconditioned stimulus, administered through the water via the end electrodes. The response of the planarian during the lighted period preceding the shock is scored as a conditioned response. A response during the period of shock is scored as an unconditioned response.
Optimization of Multi-agent Motion Programs with Applications to Robotic Marionettes

In this paper, we consider the problem of generating optimized, executable control code from high-level, symbolic specifications. In particular, we construct symbolic control programs using strings from a motion description language with a nominal set of motion parameters, such as temporal duration and energy, embedded within each mode. These parameters are then optimized over, using tools from optimal switch-time control and decentralized optimization of separable network problems. The resulting methodology is applied to the problem of controlling robotic marionettes, and we demonstrate its operation on an example scenario involving symbolic puppet plays defined for multiple puppets.
Feasibility Study for the Upgrade of the Process Waste Treatment System

The following study presents the technical basis for combining the functions of the current Process Waste Treatment Complex--Building 3544 (PWTC-3544) with current operations at the Process Waste Treatment Complex--Building 3608 (PWTC-3608) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Two of the current granular-activated carbon (GAC) columns at PWTC-3608 would be converted to zeolite columns, and PWTC-3608 would be operated such that the process waste stream would flow through the zeolite columns for removal of 137Cs and 90Sr after the process waste stream passes through a clarifier at PWTC-3608. This would modify the current operation: pumping process waste from the clarifier at PWTC-308 to PWTC-3544 for the removal of radiological constituents using ion exchange. PWTC-3544 could then be taken out of operation, which is projected to generate significant cost savings.
Teacher Reflection: Supports, Barriers, and Results.

In the context of contemporary classroom environments, it is crucial that teachers are able to make appropriate decisions. Those teachers who reflect on their practice – particularly while they are teaching (what Donald Schon terms reflection-in-action) – are best able to make these decisions. A number of activities commonly included in teacher education programs facilitate the development of reflective behavior. These include composing journal entries, audio- or videotaping lessons for purpose of analysis, and interacting with supervisors and mentor teachers. There are also many barriers to reflection related to the personal characteristics of the teacher and to faults in the structure of school systems. Of greatest concern, it is unclear whether reflective practices result in better teaching and improved educational outcomes.
Genetic Manipulation of Clostridium difficile

Clostridium difficile is a Gram-positive, spore forming, anaerobic, intestinal bacterium and is the most common cause of antibiotic-associated colitis. For many years this organism was considered genetically intractable, but in the past 10 years, multiple methods have been developed or adapted for genetic manipulation of C. difficile. This unit describes the molecular techniques used for genetic modification of this organism, including methods for gene disruption, complementation, plasmid introduction and integration, and cross-species conjugations.
Properties of purified sporlets produced by spoII mutants of Bacillus subtilis.

Abstract A number of abortively disporic spoII mutants of Bacillus subtilis released their forespore compartments (termed stage II sporlets) after mother cell lysis during sporulation in nutrient exhaustion or resuspension media. Stage II sporlets were viable and contained levels of ATP and a number of enzymes similar to those in cells 2 to 3 h after sporulation. However, stage II sporlets carried out essentially no macromolecular synthesis, a result suggesting that they were in a quiescent state. The nucleoid of these quiescent stage II sporlets was significantly condensed relative to that in the original vegetative cells, as was previously found to take place 1 to 2 h after initiation of sporulation (B. Setlow, N. Magill, P. Febbroriello, L. Nakhimousky, D. E. Koppel, and P. Setlow, J. Bacteriol. 173:6270-6278, 1991). Stage II sporlets may be a useful model system for analysis of forespore properties early in stage II of sporulation.
Tetrakis­[μ-N,N′-bis(4-chloro­phenyl)­formamidinato-N:N′]­dimolybdenum(II)

The title compound, [Mo2(C13H9Br2N2)4], is a tetra-chelate `paddle wheel' complex of quadruply bonded dimolybdenum(II). The centroid of the Mo—Mo bond is located on an inversion center and the bond length is 2.0869 (19) A.
Mindfulness in Therapy

This chapter provides a definition of mindfulness and an overview of how mindfulness has been used in mindfulness-based and mindfulness-informed therapies. In addition, the psychological and relational benefits of mindfulness are reviewed as well as its relation to positive psychology and family therapy.
Prison Meditation Movements and Mass Incarceration

By some estimates, more than half of inmates held in jails and prisons in the United States have a substance use disorder. Treatments involving the teaching of meditation and other contemplative practices have been developed for a variety of physical and mental disorders, including drug and alcohol addiction. At the same time, an expanding volunteer movement across the country has been bringing meditation and yoga into jails and prisons. This review first examines the experimental research on one such approach-mindfulness meditation as a treatment for drug and alcohol addiction, as well as the research on mindfulness in incarcerated settings. We argue that to make a substantial impact on recidivism, such programs must mirror volunteer programs which emphasize interdependency and non-duality between the "helper" and the "helped," and the building of meditation communities both inside and outside of prison.
Nondestructive damage detection in Euler–Bernoulli beams using nodal curvatures—Part II: Field measurements

SUMMARY The objective of this paper is to evaluate, using field measurements, the performance of the nondestructive evaluation methodology presented in the accompanying paper ‘Nondestructive damage detection in Euler–Bernoulli beams using nodal curvatures – Part I: Theory and numerical verification’. Experimental modal data collected from the Interstate 40 bridge are utilized to accomplish the stated objective. Prior to the replacement of the bridge in 1993, researchers from New Mexico State University and Los Alamos National Laboratory introduced incremental levels of damage on the structure and performed experimental modal analyses at each damage stage. The results of the experiments were utilized to evaluate the performance of five previously published nondestructive damage identification methods. Utilizing the measured modal parameters from the Interstate 40 bridge study, structural damage is localized and quantified with the nondestructive evaluation methodology presented in the accompanying paper. The results of this study indicate that the proposed methodology performed equally as well as the damage index method for damage localization and additionally provided realistic estimates of damage severity. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Measuring pitch and formant frequencies for a speech understanding system

We present new techniques for the measurement of pitch period and formant frequencies. Individual pitch periods are estimated by finding local maxima in the power spectrum averaged over a frequency band that includes a formant. A spectral analysis is then performed for each pitch period over a data interval that is of shorter duration than the estimated pitch period. The pitch synchronous spectral analysis followed by post detection smoothing - preferably carried out over both time and frequency - leads to a spectrogram from which formant trajectories can be estimated by simple algorithms.
Syncytia Formation Induced by Coronavirus Infection Is Associated with Fragmentation and Rearrangement of the Golgi Apparatus

Coronavirus mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) possesses a membrane glycoprotein (M) which is targeted to the Golgi apparatus (GA). We used immunocytochemistry with an organelle-specific antiserum to investigate the morphologic changes of the GA during infection of L2 murine fibroblasts with MHV-A59. Twenty-four hours after infection the GA was fragmented and translocated in the center of syncytia, while the microtubular network was also rearranged displaying radiating elements toward the center of syncytia. Two fusion-defective mutants, which contain an identical amino acid substitution in the cleavage signal sequence of the spike glycoprotein (S), induced fragmentation of the GA. However, the GA migrated only partially to the centers of syncytia during infection with these mutants. Revertant viruses, in which the above mutation was corrected, had fusion properties and GA staining similar to wtMHV-A59. Experiments with brefeldin A (BFA), which induces redistribution of the GA into the rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER), revealed that an intact GA for a period of 4-16 hr postinfection, is required for coronavirus replication and syncytia formation. Thus, during MHV infection, syncytia formation is associated with fragmentation of the GA, followed by a previously undescribed phenomenon of migration of the organelle into the centers of syncytia. The fragmentation of the GA, however, may occur without the formation of syncytia. Therefore, two distinct mechanisms may be responsible for the fragmentation of the GA and its subsequent migration to the center of syncytia.
Large blackouts in North America: Historical trends and policy implications

Abstract Using data from the North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC) for 1984–2006, we find several trends. We find that the frequency of large blackouts in the United States has not decreased over time, that there is a statistically significant increase in blackout frequency during peak hours of the day and during late summer and mid-winter months (although non-storm-related risk is nearly constant through the year) and that there is strong statistical support for the previously observed power-law statistical relationship between blackout size and frequency. We do not find that blackout sizes and blackout durations are significantly correlated. These trends hold even after controlling for increasing demand and population and after eliminating small events, for which the data may be skewed by spotty reporting. Trends in blackout occurrences, such as those observed in the North American data, have important implications for those who make investment and policy decisions in the electricity industry. We provide a number of examples that illustrate how these trends can inform benefit-cost analysis calculations. Also, following procedures used in natural disaster planning we use the observed statistical trends to calculate the size of the 100-year blackout, which for North America is 186,000 MW.
Internal Premature Browning in Cooked Ground Beef Patties from High-Oxygen Modified-Atmosphere Packaging

ABSTRACT: This study examined the effects of location within a package and display time on the incidence of premature browning in patties made from ground beef packaged in a high-oxygen modified atmosphere (80% oxygen and 20% carbon dioxide) or in vacuum for up to 14 d. On days 3, 5, 8, 10, 12, and 14 of display, patties were formed from both top and bottom portions of tissue exposed to high-oxygen. These patties contained predominantly oxymyoglobin and metmyoglobin at the time of formation and cooking. As display progressed, the percentage of oxymyoglobin decreased (P < 0.05) and metmyoglobin increased (P < 0.05) in the patties for both locations, whereas the percentage of deoxymyoglobin remained stable at less than 2%. Samples that were vacuum-packaged contained predominantly deoxymyoglobin. Patties from high-oxygen packages cooked to a temperature of 71.1 °C were prematurely brown (P < 0.05) compared with vacuum-packaged samples. Patties containing predominantly deoxymyoglobin remained pinker than patties cooked directly from high-oxygen packages (lower visual color score, higher a* value; P < 0.05) on the interior after cooking. Data in this study clearly demonstrate that, regardless of time in display, nearly 100% of patties formed from high-oxygen-packaged ground beef would be prematurely brown when cooked and could pose a food safety problem if not cooked to an endpoint temperature ensuring safety.
Design and Synthesis of Flagged Binary Adders with Constant Addition

Multi-operand addition is utilized in various applications like, multiplication, convolution and several image processing algorithms such as filtering. Various adder architectures have been proposed to accomplish the addition of more than two operands, consuming minimum delay and area. Recently, a new technique called flagged prefix addition has been proposed that utilizes prefix tree adders to perform increment and decrement operations by generating flag bits. An extension to this adder has also been proposed enhancing the functionality of the same to allow the addition of any arbitrary number, thereby accomplishing multi-operand addition. This paper extends the idea of generating the flag bits to the carry-skip and the carry-select adders. A thorough evaluation has been performed to analyze the performance of the carry-select, carry-skip, and the prefix tree architectures incorporating the new design in terms of power, area, and delay.
The ultrastructure of the developing leg ofDrosophila melanogaster.

The ultrastructure of the imaginal discs ofDrosophila melanogaster was compared with that of other chitogenous tissues with different developmental capacities, namely, embryonic, larval, pupal and adult epidermis. Attention was paid to features which might be correlated with specific morphogenetic activities. Previous morphological studies of imaginal discs of Diptera were analyzed in detail and a somewhat revised view of imaginal disc structure emerged. The results reveal that the imaginal discs ofD. melanogaster consist of three types of cells: cells of the single layered disc epithelium, adepithelial cells and nerves. Four types of specialized junctions connect the cells of the disc epithelium: zonulae adhaerens, septate desmosomes, gap junctions and cytoplasmic bridges. The junctions are discussed in relation to their possible roles in adhesion and intercellular communication. It was concluded that gap junctions may be a more likely site for the intercellular communication involved in pattern formation than septate desmosomes. Evidence is presented that adepithelial cells are the precursors of imaginal muscles and that some cell lines (atelotypic) are in fact lines of adepithelial cells which can differentiate into muscle.Specific imaginal discs can be easily recognized by their overall morphology, i.e. patterns of folds. However, no ultrastructural features were found which we could correlate with the state of determination of the cells. Most differences in the ultrastructure of different discs at several developmental stages were attributable to different phases of cuticle secretion. The cells of the imaginal disc epithelium are packed with ribosomes but very little rough ER. The amount of rough ER increases rapidly at puparium formation. Cuticulin is recognizable 4-6 hours after puparium formation. Six hours after puparium formation, the cells of the disc epithelium are secreting the epicuticle of the pupa. As the imaginal disc of a leg everts from a folded sac to the tubular pupal leg, the cells of the disc epithelium change from tall columnar to cuboidal. A loss of microtubules in the long axis of the columnar cells accompanies this change. Prepupal morphogenesis of the leg appears to be caused by the change in cell shape. Evidence is presented which is incompatible with previous explanations of the mechanism of eversion of imaginal discs.There is some turnover of the cells of the disc epithelium as evidenced by autophagy and the occasional heterophagy of a dead neighbor. However this does not appear to be an important factor in the morphogenesis of discs. Plant peroxidase which was used as a tracer of proteins in the blood was taken up from the hemolymph by the disc epithelium. Imaginal disc cells contain many lipid droplets which coalesce and are replaced by glycogen during the prepupal period.
Transdetermination: Drosophila imaginal disc cells exhibit stem cell-like potency

Drosophila imaginal discs, the primordia of the adult fly appendages, are an excellent system for studying developmental plasticity. Cells in the imaginal discs are determined for their disc-specific fate (wingness, legness) during embryogenesis. Disc cells maintain their determination during larval development, a time of extensive growth and proliferation. Only when prompted to regenerate do disc cells exhibit lability in their determined identity. Regeneration in the disc is mediated by a localized region of cell division, known as the regeneration blastema. Most regenerating disc cells strictly adhere to their disc-specific identity; some cells however, switch fate in a phenomenon known as transdetermination. Similar regeneration and transdetermination events can be induced in situ by misexpression of the signaling molecule wingless. Recent studies indicate that the plasticity of disc cells during regeneration is associated with high morphogen activity and the reorganization of chromatin structure. Here we provide both a historical perspective of imaginal disc transdetermination, as well as discuss recent findings on how imaginal disc cells acquire developmental plasticity and multipotency. We also highlight how an understanding of imaginal disc transdetermination can enhance an understanding of developmental potency exhibited by stem cells.
Performance analysis of CNC interpolators for time-dependent feedrates along PH curves

Abstract Virtually any desired time variation V(t) of the feedrate along a curved path can be realized by real-time CNC interpolator algorithms for the Pythagorean-hodograph (PH) curves: the only stipulation is that V(t) should admit a closed-form indefinite integral F(t) . Different feedrate variations V(t) can be accommodated with minimal modifications to the core algorithm by employing a modular function call to define F(t) . Such time-dependent feedrate capability is invaluable in high-speed machining applications, where it can ensure smooth acceleration and deceleration control of a CNC machine under extreme torque or power demands on the axis drives. Empirical results from implementations of these time-dependent feedrate interpolators on an open-architecture 3-axis mill are presented, highlighting their exceptional performance and versatility. These results also furnish a compelling illustration of a basic defect of “traditional” (piecewise-linear/circular) G code path descriptions—namely, the fundamental conflict between geometrical path accuracy (which entails use of many short G code segments) and the accurate and smooth maintenance of rapid commanded feedrates.
Efficient customer selection for sustainable demand response in smart grids

Regulating the power consumption to avoid peaks in demand is a common practice. Demand Response(DR) is being used by utility providers to minimize costs or ensure system reliability. Although it has been used extensively there is a shortage of solutions dealing with dynamic DR. Past attempts focus on minimizing the load demand without considering the sustainability of the reduced energy. In this paper an efficient algorithm is presented which solves the problem of dynamic DR scheduling. Data from the USC campus micro grid were used to evaluate the efficiency as well as the robustness of the proposed solution. The targeted energy reduction is achieved with a maximum average approximation error of r? 0.7%. Sustainability of the reduced energy is achieved with respect to the optimal available solution providing a maximum average error less than 0.6%. It is also shown that a solution is provided with a low computational cost fulfilling the requirements of dynamic DR.
Something Old, Something New: Evidence of Self-Accommodation to Gendered Social Change

Two studies examined how individuals adapt the self to social trends—in particular, when the social roles of the gender ingroup change, do people readily leave behind traditional roles in favor of nontraditional roles? We hypothesized that self-relevant cognitions and behaviors would accommodate to societal change, and we found that this accommodation took the shape of greater acceptance of nontraditional roles alongside continued acceptance of traditional roles. Experiment 1 included 112 undergraduates from the Midwestern U.S. who learned about social change or social stability by reading articles ostensibly published in a newspaper. Individuals who learned about social change for their gender ingroup, relative to those learning about social stability, projected greater personal success in careers, particularly for gender-nontraditional careers. Experiment 2 examined behavioral responses to social change in a sample of 198 female undergraduates from the Midwestern U.S. Participants learned about social change or social stability and then chose to view either a website focused on physical appearance (i.e., traditional choice) or leadership (i.e., nontraditional choice). Behavioral responses to social change reflected accommodation to the anticipated social structure: Individuals who learned about social change chose to view information about nontraditional rather than traditional roles. These studies provide initial experimental evidence investigating how individuals adapt the self to the social structure.
Impact of Maternal Activity Restriction for Preterm Labour on the Expectant Father

Objective To describe the impact on expectant fathers of their partners' activity restricted pregnancies. Design Qualitative. Setting Private physician practices and two teaching hospitals in a large southern city. Participants Self‐selected sample of 15 fathers recruited within 2 weeks of initiation of their partners' activity restriction for high‐risk pregnancy (phase I) and 15 fathers recruited 1–2 years after a previous experience with their partners' activity‐restricted pregnancies (phase 2). Data Collection In phase 1, two semistructured interviews during the period of activity restriction and one interview after the birth. In phase 2, one semistructured, focus group interview. Results Fathers reported high levels of worrying immediately after diagnosis of their partners' preterm labor and initiation of activity restriction. Later, fathers also reported distress related to responsibility for child care, household management, and maintaining a supportive environment for their partners. Fathers reported few sources of personal support and little or no contact with health professionals during their partners' activity restriction. Conclusions Activity restriction during pregnancy may have a significant psychological impact on expectant fathers. High levels of emotional distress may result in family disruption. Systematic nursing assessment and intervention may prevent or ameliorate distress.
Effect of Biologic Agents on Non-PASI Outcomes in Moderate-to-Severe Plaque Psoriasis: Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses

Introduction The objective of this review was to conduct a systematic review with meta-analysis and Bayesian mixed treatment comparisons (MTC) evaluating the impact of biologics on non-Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) health outcomes in patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis.
Epoxy resins. I. The stability of the epoxy–trimethoxyboroxine system

The useful life of a material depends on its environmental exposure. The diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) cured with trimethoxyboroxine (TMB) was evaluated under various aging conditions. For isothermal aging, the main factor controlling weight loss appeared to be related to the diffusion of the degradation products (Eact = 22.1 kcal/mole). Chemical decomposition kinetic parameters were obtained using vacuum thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) on powder samples. The thermal decomposition activation energy and the reaction order of cured DGEBA were 37.5 kcal/mole and 1.05, respectively. The hydrolytic aging of this material was also kinetically analyzed, and it was concluded that the weight change was controlled by both water diffusion into the sample and diffusion of hydrolysis products from the sample. During hydrolytic aging below the glass transition temperature, the specimens gained weight up to 0.05 g based on 1-g unaged cured resin and then leveled off. At higher temperatures, the specimens initially gained weight and then began to lose weight, reaching a constant weight gain. The activation energies for water diffusion into the cured resin are 19.5 kcal/mole at temperatures above Tg and 21.5 kcal/mole at temperatures below Tg. The main hydrolysis product was boric acid from reaction of the boroxine ring with water. The time-temperature superposition principle was used for the weight loss study on isothermal and isothermal hydrolytic aging. The scale factor in this approach was found to be the ratio of the diffusion coefficient at the temperature of interest to that at a reference temperature.
An Example of the Effect of Irreversible Microscopic Dynamics on the Macroscopic Behavior of a Large System

The original Kac ring model is examined for the situation in which some of the scatterers are non-time-reversal invariant. It is shown that the system tends to absolute equilibrium (no fluctuations) even in the limit of very small density of these anomalous scatterers.
An esr study of radical intermediates formed by γ - radiolysis of tripalmitin and dipalmitoyl phosphatidylethanolamine

Radicals resulting from the 7-radiolysis at 77 K of neat tripalmitin and neat dipalmitoyl phosphatidylethanolamine were investigated by electron spin resonance spectroscopy (ESR). Analyses of the spectra of these complex lipids were aided by ESR studies of their components phosphorylethanolamine, palmitic acid and hexa-decane. Concentrations of various radicals were followed as a func-tion of temperature after γ-irradiation at 77 K. Both tripalmitin and dipalmitoyl phosphatidylethanolamine show anion radicals formed by electron addition to the ester groups Open image in new window and aliphatic side-chain radicals (-CH2-CH-CH2-) which are thought to be the result of deprotonation of the original positive hole. Computer analyses of the spectra as the temperature increases show loss of the anion radicals with an increase in a new radical produced by the abstrac-tion of a hydrogen atom from the α carbon on an acyl side chain. In the case of dipalmitoyl phosphatidylethanolamine, a radical of the phosphorylethanolamine portion of the molecule is detected as an intermediate. Mechanisms for the formation and decay of the free radical intermediates are discussed.
Synthesis and Structural Investigation of Tungsten Imido Amidinate and Guanidinate Complexes

The tungsten imido guanidinate and amidinate complexes W(NR)Cl3[R‘NC(NMe2)NR‘] and W(NR)Cl3[R‘NC(Me)NR‘] (R = Ph, iPr, Cy; R‘ = iPr, tBu, TMS) were synthesized by reacting the corresponding imido complex W(NR)Cl4(OEt2) with the appropriate lithium amidinate or guanidinate. Crystallographic structure determination of W(NiPr)Cl3[iPrNC(NMe2)NiPr] and W(NiPr)Cl3[iPrNC(Me)NiPr] allows comparison of structural features between the guanidinate and amidinate ligand in the presence of an identical ancillary ligand set.
The electronic structure of anodized and etched aluminum alloy surfaces

Abstract Specimens of 6061 and 5052 aluminum alloys which had been anodized and etched by several commonly used procedures were examined by means of bias-reference X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The spectra were compared with those obtained from single crystals of pure aluminum oxides. The chemical shifts observed from the A12p surface oxide lines were interpreted as differences in the Fermi energy levels relative to those in the bulk oxide crystals, and the Fermi energy levels of the surface oxides were thus determined. Using an earlier experimental correlation obtained for values of the point of zero charge (pzc) with Fermi energy levels in aluminum oxide powders, a value of the pzc of the surface oxide was then determined. The surface exhibited the maximum alkalinity, pzc = 8.9, after a caustic etch, and the maximum acidity, pzc = 3.6, after a phosphoric acid anodizing treatment. The significance of these pzc values in the adhesive bonding of aluminum alloys is discussed.
Matthew's birth story. An early milepost in the history of Jewish marriage law

The New Testament's initial narrative, the Matthean birth story, though immensely well-known, can still provide some surprises. One of its novel elements is its presumption that Joseph requires a divorce in order to sever his betrothal to Mary, pregnant with another's child. That betrothal constitutes a marriage and requires a get to terminate is a commonplace in the law of the Mishna, but appears nowhere in the laws of the written Torah: Matthew, though notoriously anti-Pharisee, is promoting the Pharisaic interpretation of marriage law, and is probably the earliest source available to us for this interpretation. This brief essay suggests some of the new ways that an examination of its contribution to the history of Jewish law provides, to look at this familiar passage.
The potentiation of peripheral nerve sheaths in regeneration and repair

Traumatic injury to the nervous system often results in life changing loss of neurological function. Spontaneous neural regeneration occurs rarely and the outcome of therapeutic intervention is most often unacceptable. An intensive effort is underway to improve methods and technologies for nervous system repair. To date, the most success has been attained in the outcomes of peripheral nerve restoration. The importance of the peripheral nerve sheaths in successful nerve regeneration has been long recognized. In particular, Schwann cells and their basal laminae play a central role in axon development, maintenance, physiology, and response to injury. The endoneurial basal lamina is rich in components that promote axonal growth. It is now evident that the bioactivities of these components are counterbalanced by various factors that impede axonal growth. The growth-promoting potential of peripheral nerve is realized in the degenerative processes that occur distal to a lesion. This potentiation involves precise spatiotemporal alterations in the balance of antagonistic regulators of axonal growth. Experimental alteration of nerve sheath composition can also potentiate nerve and improve key features of nerve regeneration. For instance, enzymatic degradation of inhibitory chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan mimics endogenous processes that potentiate degenerated nerve and improves the outcome of direct nerve repair and grafting in animal models. This review provides a perspective of the essential role that peripheral nerve sheaths play in regulating axonal regeneration and focuses on discoveries leading to the inception and development of novel therapies for nerve repair.
Tactile Sensory Substitution Studies

Abstract: Forty years ago a project to explore late brain plasticity was initiated that was to lead into a broad area of sensory substitution studies. The questions at that time were: Can a person who has never seen learn to see as an adult? Is the brain sufficiently plastic to develop an entirely new sensory system? The short answer to both questions is yes, first clearly demonstrated in 1969 (Bach-y-Rita et al., 1969). To reach that conclusion, it was first necessary to find a way to get visual information to the brain. That took many years and is still the most challenging aspect of the research and the development of practical sensory substitution and augmentation systems. The sensor array is not a problem: a TV camera for blind persons; an accelerometer for persons with vestibular loss; a microphone for deaf persons. These are common and fully developed devices. The problem is the brain-machine interface (BMI). In this short report, only two substitution systems are discussed, vision and vestibular substitution.
The use of pre-hospital mild hypothermia after resuscitation from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

Abstract Hypothermia has emerged as a potent neuroprotective modality following resuscitation from cardiac arrest. Although delayed hospital cooling has been demonstrated to improve outcome after cardiac arrest, in-field cooling begun immediately following the return of spontaneous circulation may be more beneficial. Cooling in the field following resuscitation, however, presents new challenges, in that the cooling method has to be portable, safe, and effective. Rapid infusion of intravenous fluid at 4°C, the use of a cooling helmet, and cooling plates have all been proposed as methods for field cooling, and are all in various stages of clinical and animal testing. Whether field cooling will improve survival and neurologic outcome remains an important unanswered clinical question.
Analysis of bacterial surface interactions using microfluidic systems.

Modern microbiological research has increasingly focused on the interactions between bacterial cells and the surfaces that they inhabit. To this end, microfluidic devices have played a large role i...
Regulation of pyruvate kinase from Thiobacillus neapolitanus

Abstract The effects on pyruvate kinase activity of 23 metabolites and EDTA were studied in extracts of the chemoautotroph Thiobacillus neapolitanus. AMP and four derivatives of the reductive pentose phosphate cycle (ribose-5-phosphate, ribulose-5-phosphate, fructose-6-phosphate, and glucose-6-phosphate) were effective activators at 0.5 m m . ATP and three derivatives of the tricarboxylic acid cycle (fumarate, oxoglutarate, and succinate) were effective inhibitors at 2.5 m m . Fructose-1,6-diphosphate and cyclic-3′,5′-AMP had no effect on pyruvate kinase activity. Metabolite effects depended on the phosphoenolpyruvate concentration, but were relatively independent of the ADP concentration. Hyperbolic velocity versus concentration data were obtained with ADP as the variable substrate while sigmoid velocity versus concentration data were obtained with phosphoenolpyruvate as the variable substrate. Fumarate (1.0 m m ) increased the sigmoidicity, while ribose-5-phosphate (0.5 m m ) converted the kinetics to hyperbolic. The level of phosphoenolpyruvate resulting in half-maximal activity was 0.5 m m . This was altered to 0.1 m m in the presence of ribose-5-phosphate (0.5 m m ) or to 0.75 m m in the presence of fumarate (1.0 m m ). The fumarate concentration resulting in half the maximal effect was 1.5 m m while that for ribose-5-phosphate was 0.05 m m . It is apparent that pyruvate kinase in this autotroph is a metabolic control point intricately connected with other regulatory circuits.
Maximal intersecting families

Abstract We study maximum cardinality families of pairwise intersecting subsets of an n -set. We give some general results on the collection of all such families for a fixed set and introduce a useful operation of switching which allows us to transform any one such family to another. We use this operation to determine all possibilities for n = 6, and to answer two open questions on families which are regular (as hypergraphs). Although there are no regular maximal intersecting families for n = 2, 4, 8 there are for all larger powers of two. We also determine sharp bounds for the largest size of a regular maximal intersecting family with a member of size a .
An association between preoperative anemia and decreased survival in early-stage non–small-cell lung cancer patients treated with surgery alone

Purpose: Surgical resection is the mainstay of therapy for patients presenting with Stage I and II non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Despite optimal staging and surgery, these patients are still at significant risk for failure. The purpose of this study is to report a retrospective analysis of the outcome of patients treated with surgery alone, as well as to analyze prognostic factors associated with survival. Materials and Methods: From May 2000 to November 2002, there was a total of 125 patients who were treated with surgery for NSCLC at University of Maryland Medical Center. Of these, 82 Stage I and II patients who received surgery alone as the definitive therapy were identified. The median age of the entire cohort was 68 years (range, 43–88 years). There were 48 males and 34 females. Sixty-three patients (76.8%) nderwent lobectomies whereas 19 patients (23.2%) underwent nonlobectomy (wedge resection or segmentectomy) procedures. Patients who received neoadjuvant or adjuvant radiation therapy or chemotherapy were excluded from the study. Factors included in univariate and multivariate analyses were age, sex, tumor histology, pathologic stage, p53 status, preoperative hemoglobin (Hgb), and type of surgery performed. Endpoints of the study were relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS). Results: Median follow-up was 20.8 months (range, 0.4–43.2 months). For the entire cohort, the 2-year RFS was 66.0% and 2-year OS was 76.3%. Median survival for the entire cohort has not been achieved. In univariate analysis, the only factor that achieved statistical significance was preoperative Hgb level. Patients who had preoperative Hgb p = 0.043) and OS (median OS: 27 months vs. 42.5 months, p = 0.011). For Stage I patients ( n = 72), the 2-year RFS and OS were 66.4% and 77.1%, respectively. In the subgroup of stage IA patients ( n = 37), there was a trend toward decreased overall survival in the anemic patients (2-year OS of 65.6% vs. 90.9%, p = 0.07). For Stage II patients ( n = 10), the 2-year RFS and OS were 60.0% and 66.7%. In the Cox multivariate regression analysis, the only factor that achieved statistical significance was preoperative Hgb, with patients with Hgb p = 0.020) and OS (RR 2.9, p = 0.026). There was a trend toward worse RFS ( p = 0.056) and OS ( p = 0.068) in p53-negative patients ( n = 39). Stage, histologic type, type of surgery performed, age, and sex did not affect outcome. Conclusions: In our cohort of mostly Stage I NSCLC patients treated with surgery only, preoperative Hgb