cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Quality of life metrics in arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy patients: The impact of age, shock and sex

Abstract Background Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) patients face many medical and psychosocial challenges. However, the quality of life (QOL) outcomes of these patients remains largely unexplored. Methods 159 ARVC patients completed a psychosocial survey including the Short Form Health Survey, Florida Shock Anxiety Scale, and Florida Patient Acceptance Survey. These cross-sectional data were used to examine the general and device-specific QOL of these patients compared to normative samples, and to determine the impact of age, shock and sex on these outcome measures. Results ARVC patients reported lower physical and mental QOL compared to a normative U.S sample. Compared to an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) sample, they reported higher mental and physical QOL. Compared to a hypertrophic cardiomyopathy sample, they reported lower physical but higher mental QOL. ARVC patients aged 18–35 reported significantly lower mental QOL than older patients. Male patients with no implantable defibrillator shock history reported significantly higher mental QOL scores than those with shock history. Shock anxiety scores were significantly higher among individuals who had experienced at least one shock. Female ARVC patients reported significantly higher shock anxiety and lower mental QOL compared to male patients. Conclusion ARVC patients report lower mental and physical QOL than a U.S. normative sample, but report mostly superior QOL compared to relevant cardiac samples. Younger ARVC patients, female patients, and those who have experienced at least one device shock are at risk for psychosocial difficulties, including poorer QOL outcomes.
Effects of contact-based mental illness stigma reduction programs: age, gender, and Asian, Latino, and White American differences

Mental illness stigma disproportionately affects help seeking among youth, men, and ethnic minorities. As part of a comprehensive statewide initiative to reduce mental illness stigma and discrimination in California, a broad set of contact-based educational programs were widely disseminated. This study examined whether the effects of contact-based educational programs varied depending on the age, gender, and race-ethnicity of participants. Participants (N = 4122) attended a contact-based educational program that was delivered as part of the statewide initiative to reduce mental illness stigma and discrimination. Self-administered surveys assessing beliefs, attitudes, and intentions toward mental illnesses and treatment were conducted immediately before and after participation in contact-based educational programs. Participant age, gender, and race-ethnicity significantly moderated pre–post changes in mental illness stigma. Although all groups exhibited significant pre–post changes across most of the stigma domains assessed, young adults, females, and Asian and Latino American participants reported larger improvements compared to older adults, males, and Whites, respectively. Findings suggest that contact-based educational programs can achieve immediate reductions in mental illness stigma across a variety of sociodemographic groups and may particularly benefit young adults and racial–ethnic minorities. Further research is needed to assess whether contact-based educational programs can sustain longer-term changes and aid in the reduction of disparities in mental illness stigma and treatment.
Hosting the Summer Olympic Games: Impact on Global Cites and International Business

Given that the primary intent of the modern era Summer Olympic Games is to provide an outstanding forum for international athletic competition, hosting the Games has been an alluring idea for many cities since they began in 1896. From their inception, however, the impact of hosting the Games has extended beyond athletics and in some cases led to results that were quite different from what was initially expected. Here, a political economy perspective is used to explore why the hoped for impact on a city as well as an associated increase in international business, may or may not have materialized.
Dynamic Dielectric Metasurfaces Incorporating Phase-Change Material

We present a highly-reconfigurable metasurface with unprecedented efficiency for spatial and spectral manipulation of optical wavefronts, leveraging control over the overlapped Mie-dipolar-modes of dielectric nanorings and large refractive index tunability granted by GeSbTe phase-change material.
Weak P-Points in N*

N denotes the space of natural numbers (i.e., ω) with the discrete topology. sN is the Cech compactification of N, and N* = sN\N. We often identify the points of sN with the ultrafilters on a?, in which case the points of N* are the non-principal ultrafilters.
Chemotherapy for Glioblastoma: Past, Present, and Future

Glioblastoma is the most malignant glial tumor and one of the most deadly forms of cancer. Despite being much less common than other cancers, glioblastoma exacts a huge toll on patients and their families. Efforts to find a cure for glioblastoma have been prodigious, especially over the past 50 years. Although these efforts have not been rewarded with complete success, important gains have been made towards the understanding and management of glioblastoma. Chemotherapy plays an essential part in the management of glioblastoma. The side effects of chemotherapeutic agents, especially their effects on the bone marrow and gastrointestinal tract, limit escalation of dose and duration of chemotherapy. The different strategies employed to treat glioblastoma have attempted to overcome such challenges. The exciting areas of glioblastoma therapy include strategies to target cancer stem cells, and immune therapies. The management of glioblastoma is poised to enter a new era, one in which medical therapies will be “tailor-made” to the molecular and genetic characteristics of the tumor in each individual case.
Fuzzy Queuing Models

This chapter is based on, and expanded from, Chapters 11, 12 and 14 of [4] which is about using fuzzy probabilities and fuzzy sets in web site planning. So the queuing network considered in this chapter is within a web site. For other papers/chapters in books, on this topic of fuzzy queuing theory, we refer the reader to ([2],[3],[6],[7],[10]) and the references in these papers/books. In the next section we discuss the crisp queuing optimization problem and then we fuzzify the optimization problem in the third section. In the fourth section we present our fuzzy Monte Carlo method and how we will generate sequences of random fuzzy vectors. Our fuzzy Monte Carlo solution to the fuzzy queuing optimization problem is the fifth section and the last section has a summary and our conclusions. All the fuzzy numbers used in this chapter, except fuzzy profit starting in Section 16.3, will be non-negative. We will program our fuzzy Monte Carlo method in MATLAB [8]. This chapter is also based on [1].
Robotic-assisted unicompartmental knee replacement offers no early advantage over conventional unicompartmental knee replacement

Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) is effective for treating degenerative joint disease in a single compartment. Robotic-arm-assisted arthroplasty (RAA) has gained popularity and has theoretical benefits of improved outcomes over conventional (CONV) UKA due to the technical precision of bone preparation. This study compares the short-term clinical outcomes, including survivorship and patient-reported functional outcomes, for a series of medial UKAs performed with RAA and CONV. One hundred seventy-six consecutive fixed-bearing medial UKAs were retrospectively identified with a minimum follow-up of 2 years. One hundred and eighteen CONV and 58 RAA were performed. Pre- and post-operative SF12, WOMAC, and KSS Functional Questionnaires were available for all patients. At 2 years, both groups improved in all functional outcomes, with no significant difference between the RAA and CONV cohorts. However, the RAA cohort had a significantly longer operative time (p < 0.001) and a higher early revision rate than the CONV group (7 [12.0%] vs. 7 [6.8%]; p < 0.05). These results demonstrate that at short-term follow-up of 2 years, RAA was not superior to CONV in terms of functional scores and instead was associated with greater operative time and cost and lower survivorship. Therefore, at this time usage of RAA in UKA is not recommended compared to conventional UKA. Longer term studies are necessary to draw conclusions about the overall outcomes of RAA compared to CONV. III.
High-Frequency Dynamic Nuclear Polarization

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) provides unparalleled information on molecular structure and intermolecular interactions with atomic-level resolution, but it nevertheless lacks sensitivity in comparison to other forms of spectroscopy. This problem is more acute in cases where multidimensional spectra are required, such as in protein NMR structural studies and in metabolomic experiments where biomarkers of interest may be present in low concentrations. An approach to addressing the issue of sensitivity is dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) in which NMR signal intensities are enhanced by transferring the large Boltzmann polarization of electrons to nuclear spins via microwave irradiation at the electron Larmor frequency. This article describes some recent technological innovations—in particular, the development of high-frequency gyrotron oscillators and amplifiers and novel polarizing agents—that enable applications of DNP at the 10–20 T fields where contemporary NMR experiments are performed. In addition, we discuss potential and current applications which are wide ranging, and include magic angle spinning (MAS) NMR studies of amyloid fibrils and membrane proteins, and melting and dissolution experiments applicable to solution NMR that could serve as a tool for high throughput small molecule analysis such as metabolic screening. Keywords: sensitivity enhancement; amyloid fibrils; membrane proteins; metabolomics; DNP; gyrotrons
Mass-critical inverse Strichartz theorems for 1d Schrödinger operators

We prove inverse Strichartz theorems at L2 regularity for a family of Schrodinger evolutions in one space dimension. Prior results rely on spacetime Fourier analysis and are limited to the translation-invariant equation i∂tu=−12Δu. Motivated by applications to the mass-critical Schrodinger equation with external potentials (such as the harmonic oscillator), we use a physical space approach.
Absenteeism and the new 10% ruling in Norway: A case study:

This study considers the issue of absenteeism in Norwegian high schools with a particular focus on the new controversial 10% ceiling, which began in August 2016. Data was obtained through documenta...
Yeast Coq9 controls deamination of coenzyme Q intermediates that derive from para-aminobenzoic acid

Coq9 is a polypeptide subunit in a mitochondrial multi-subunit complex, termed the CoQ-synthome, required for biosynthesis of coenzyme Q (ubiquinone or Q). Deletion of COQ9 results in dissociation of the CoQ-synthome, but over-expression of Coq8 putative kinase stabilizes the CoQ-synthome in the coq9 null mutant and leads to the accumulation of two nitrogen-containing Q intermediates, imino-demethoxy-Q6 (IDMQ6) and 3-hexaprenyl-4-aminophenol (4-AP) when para-aminobenzoic acid (pABA) is provided as a ring precursor. To investigate whether Coq9 is responsible for deamination steps in Q biosynthesis, we utilized the yeast coq5-5 point mutant. The yeast coq5-5 point mutant is defective in the C-methyltransferase step of Q biosynthesis but retains normal steady-state levels of the Coq5 polypeptide. Here, we show that when high amounts of 13C6-pABA are provided, the coq5-5 mutant accumulates both 13C6-imino-demethyl-demethoxy-Q6 (13C6-IDDMQ6) and 13C6-demethyl-demethoxy-Q6 (13C6-DDMQ6). Deletion of COQ9 in the yeast coq5-5 mutant along with Coq8 over-expression and 13C6- pABA labeling leads to the absence of 13C6-DDMQ6, and the nitrogen-containing intermediates 13C6-4-AP and 13C6-IDDMQ6 persist. We describe a coq9 temperature-sensitive mutant and show that at the non-permissive temperature, steady-state polypeptide levels of Coq9-ts19 increased, while Coq4, Coq5, Coq6, and Coq7 decreased. The coq9-ts19 mutant had decreased Q6 content and increased levels of nitrogen-containing intermediates. These findings identify Coq9 as a multi-functional protein that is required for the function of Coq6 and Coq7 hydroxylases, for removal of the nitrogen substituent from pABA-derived Q intermediates, and is an essential component of the CoQ synthome.
Area-Selective Atomic Layer Deposition of Crystalline BaTiO 3

Patterned, crystalline BaTiO3 (BTO) films were formed directly on STO(001) surfaces using atomic layer deposition and restricting Ba and Ti precursor adsorption to STO(001) by passivating regions of the substrate with a polystyrene blocking layer. Patterns were prepared by spin-coating polystyrene onto STO(001), UV-crosslinking the polystyrene, and rinsing away uncrosslinked polystyrene with toluene. Amorphous 9–12 nm thick BTO films were deposited at 225 °C on polystyrene-patterned STO(001) surfaces. These films were crystallized upon annealing at elevated temperatures. Atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and time of flight secondary ion mass spectroscopy were used after growth of BTO and removal of polystyrene resist and reveal BTO features with dimensions similar to the shadow mask. Reflection high-energy electron diffraction and X-ray diffraction show that BTO epitaxially crystallizes to the substrate, forming BTO(001), after annealing under vacuum at ≥770 °C with an oxygen partial ...
Resource Asymmetry, Institutional Heterogeneity & Institutional Distance in the Multi-Party Alliance

Received wisdom suggests that multi-party alliances must contend with a tradeoff regarding heterogeneity amongst its partners. Institutional heterogeneity within an alliance increases transaction c...
Is It Safe? The Need for State Ethical Rules to Keep Pace with Technological Advances

As discussed at the October 5, 2012 Symposium on Federal Rule of Evidence 502,1 the practice of law has changed dramatically in the past decade, due in part to technological advances. With the tremendous amount of electronically stored information, which continues to grow exponentially, attorney duties have become increasingly difficult. Fortunately, the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and the Federal Rules of Evidence have been amended to reflect the sea change in the amount of material in cases. Rules of professional conduct, dictated by each individual state, have not kept pace with this change. Changes need to be made, and the sooner the better.
Alternating Gradient Descent Ascent for Nonconvex Min-Max Problems in Robust Learning and GANs

We study a class of nonconvex-strongly-concave min-max optimization problems. A most commonly used algorithm for such problems in machine learning applications is the class of first-order algorithms where gradient descent and ascent steps are performed simultaneously or alternatively in each step. Despite its great success in practice, its theoretical properties are far from being understood. In fact, not much has been said about its convergence once the convex-concave assumption is absent. This is considerably different from minimization problems where many techniques are available to analyze nonconvex problems. It is not clear that if these techniques can be applied to min-max optimization. Despite the simplicity of this type of first-order methods, its properties are extremely difficult to analyze due to the nonlinear and nonconvex coupling between the maximization and minimization steps.(p)(/p)In this paper, we take a step toward this direction by examining a special class of nonconvex-strongly-concave min-max problems. We show that, with a proper stepsize choice, a simple alternating gradient descent/ascent (AGDA) algorithm would, in fact, converge to a stationary solution with a sublinear rate $\mathcal{O}\left( {1/t} \right)$, where t is the iteration number. We hope our analysis sheds light on future studies on the theoretical properties of relevant machine learning problems.
The Eocene ischyromyid rodent Thisbemys from the Washakie Formation, Wyoming (early Eocene, late Bridgerian) with comments on the systematics of the genus

A large sample (>100 specimens) of the fossil rodent Thisbemys Wood, 1959, from the early Eocene (late Bridgerian; Br3) Washakie Formation of Wyoming is described. Two species are recognized: a new species, T. intermedius n. sp., and Thisbemys cf. T. uintensis (Osborn, 1895). The large sample size of the former has allowed for a detailed study of variation in size and morphology within the species based on tooth-wear. As a result, some systematic changes in the species included in this genus are suggested: (1) T. brevicrista Ostrander, 1986, is limited to the holotype, and all specimens previously referred to T. brevicrista are likely referable to T. plicatus Wood, 1962; (2) statistical analysis supports the separation of T. plicatus from T. corrugatus Wood, 1959, based on its smaller size and less-crenulated cheek teeth, which corroborates their existence at different horizons (T. plicatus earlier Bridgerian [Br2], T. corrugatus late Bridgerian [Br3]); (3) Paramys delicatior Leidy, 1871, is suggested as the senior synonym of T. plicatus Wood, 1962; (4) T. perditus Wood, 1962, is limited to the early Eocene (Washatchian: Wa1-6); and (5) all specimens previously referred to T. nini Wood, 1962, except the holotype, are referred to T. perditus (fide Korth, 1984; contra Anderson, 2015).UUID: http://zoobank.org/59c101e2-cd55-4dce-aeea-3da48c4fbd53
Value-based view of firms enabled by data analytics: aligning suppliers for customer value creation

A value-based view (VBV) of a firm’s supply chain enabled by Data Analytics (DA) is discussed based on two complementary views of customer-centric focus orientation (CCFO) and strategic supplier pa...
A Rock-Hewn Yǝmrǝḥannä Krǝstos? An Investigation into Possible ‘Northern’ Zagwe Churches near ʿAddigrat, Tǝgray

Rulers of the short-lived Zagwe dynasty have long been lauded for their role as builderkings, producing several churches in the Lalibala complex in Lasta in addition to the nearby church of Yǝmrǝḥanna Krǝstos. Despite some textual evidence linking this group to Tǝgray, scholars have not hitherto identified any particularly ‘Zagwe’ buildings therein. This paper proposes that several rock-hewn churches near ʿAddigrat in Tǝgray may be the product of thirteenth-century Zagwe church building. My hypothesis is anchored by my identification of the church of Gwaḥgot Iyasus as a hewn copy of Yǝmrǝḥanna Krǝstos in both form and measurements. This church, which replicates the dimensions of this famous free-standing church almost exactly, also has wood elements within that were seemingly imported from Lasta. Furthermore, I connect the painted decorations to other churches in the cluster: Maryam Qiʿat and even Maryam Qorqor in Garʿalta. By expanding our view of the Zagwe dynasty towards Tǝgray, we may better understand this little-known period of Ethiopian history.
From structure to the dynamic regulation of a molecular switch: A journey over 3 decades.

It is difficult to imagine where the signaling community would be today without the Protein Data Bank. This visionary resource, established in the 1970s, has been an essential partner for sharing information between academics and industry for over 3 decades. We describe here the history of our journey with the protein kinases using cAMP-dependent protein kinase as a prototype. We summarize what we have learned since the first structure, published in 1991, why our journey is still ongoing, and why it has been essential to share our structural information. For regulation of kinase activity, we focus on the cAMP-binding protein kinase regulatory subunits. By exploring full-length macromolecular complexes, we discovered not only allostery but also an essential motif originally attributed to crystal packing. Massive genomic data on disease mutations allows us to now revisit crystal packing as a treasure chest of possible protein:protein interfaces where the biological significance and disease relevance can be validated. It provides a new window into exploring dynamic intrinsically disordered regions that previously were deleted, ignored, or attributed to crystal packing. Merging of crystallography with cryo-electron microscopy, cryo-electron tomography, NMR, and millisecond molecular dynamics simulations is opening a new world for the signaling community where those structure coordinates, deposited in the Protein Data Bank, are just a starting point!
Kurze Beschreibung der wichtigeren Meßgeräte für mechanische Schwingungen

Die Zahl der auf diesem Gebiete bekannt gewordenen Apparate ist verhaltnismasig recht gros, was ganz erklarlich ist, wenn wir daran denken, in welch verschiedenartigen Gebieten der Technik mechanische Schwingungen eine Rolle spielen. Hier soll nur von solchen Mesgeraten die Rede sein, die bereits eine erhebliche Verbreitung erlangt haben oder die ganz besonders zur Messung mechanischer Sehwingungsvorgange geeignet erscheinen.
Subalpine-Montane Grassland

Stands of southwestern Subalpine-Montane Grassland occur as scattered, small to large openings within Spruce-Fir, Mixed Conifer, and Ponderosa Pine Forests. Most stands are dominated by bunchgrasses. Stands are divided into moist and mesic-dry grasslands. Natural disturbances are primarily fire, herbivory, and extreme weather. Historically, moist stands likely burned infrequently and during drought years. Mesic-dry stands likely burned more often, with fire frequency correlated with that of the surrounding forest vegetation and with the dryness of the grassland. The most important anthropogenic disturbance is livestock grazing; others are fire management, modern climate change, invasive species, recreation, and nearby land use. Vegetation dynamics are dominated by three processes: rapid regrowth by resprouting from below-ground structures, succession, and tree encroachment. Where tree encroachment occurs, it appears related to increased precipitation, warmer temperatures, reduced fire, and effects of ungulate herbivory. Specifics of historical conditions are poorly known. Past livestock grazing reduced vegetation cover, altered species composition, and increased invasive plants. Vegetation dynamics are illustrated in a nested, three-tiered set of conceptual models. Key conclusions and challenges for researchers and land managers are summarized.
Time-dependent RF performance degradation modeling of AlGaN/GaN HFETs

High voltage HFETpsilas fabricated from the AlGaN/GaN heterojunction demonstrate excellent RF output power performance. The nitride HFETpsilas produce RF output power greater than an order of magnitude higher than available from GaAs and InP based devices. However, the HFETs demonstrate a reliability problem where the dc current and RF output power continually decrease as a function of time. The reliability problem is shown to be related to the conduction characteristics of the gate electrode and an electron tunneling mechanism where electrons leak from the gate to the surface of the semiconductor. In this work the physics responsible for this behavior are investigated and described. Physics-based models suitable for use in RF circuit harmonic-balance simulators have been developed, with excellent agreement between measured and simulated data.
Execution performance issues in full-text information retrieval

The task of an information retrieval system is to identify documents that will satisfy a user''s information need. Effective fulfillment of this task has long been an active area of research, leading to sophisticated retrieval models for representing information content in documents and queries and measuring similarity between the two. The maturity and proven effectiveness of these systems has resulted in demand for increased capacity, performance, scalability, and functionality, especially as information retrieval is integrated into more traditional database management environments. In this dissertation we explore a number of functionality and performance issues in information retrieval. First, we consider creation and modification of the document collection, concentrating on management of the inverted file index. An inverted file architecture based on a persistent object store is described and experimental results are presented for inverted file creation and modification. Our architecture provides performance that scales well with document collection size and the database features supported by the persistent object store provide many solutions to issues that arise during integration of information retrieval into more general database environments. We then turn to query evaluation speed and introduce a new optimization technique for statistical ranking retrieval systems that support structured queries. Experimental results from a variety of query sets show that execution time can be reduced by more than 50\% with no noticeable impact on retrieval effectiveness, making these more complex retrieval models attractive alternatives for environments that demand high performance.
Neutron-capture resonances for /sup 82/Se

Strong neutron-capture resonances for /sup 82/Se have been found at 3.63, 7.1, and 9.51 keV and weaker ones have been found at 0.58, 1.15, and possibly 13.54 and 16.5 keV. None was found at lower neutron energies; this absence of strong epithermal capture resonances invalidates the hypothesis that the depth dependence of the abundance ratio of /sup 78/Kr to /sup 83/Kr found in meteoritic studies owes its origin to anomalous /sup 83/Kr production by neutron capture on /sup 82/Se. Precise energies have been assigned to neutron-capture resonances up to 40 keV for all the other selenium isotopes as well.
Natural selection, evolvability and bias due to environmental covariance in the field in an annual plant

Estimates of the form and magnitude of natural selection based on phenotypic relationships between traits and fitness measures can be biased when environmental factors influence both relative fitness and phenotypic trait values. I quantified genetic variances and covariances, and estimated linear and quadratic selection coefficients, for seven traits of an annual plant grown in the field. For replicates of 50 paternal half-sib families, coefficients of selection were calculated both for individual phenotypic values of the traits and for half-sib family mean values. The potential for evolutionary response was supported by significant heritability and phenotypic directional selection for several traits but contradicted by the absence of significant genetic variation for fitness estimates and evidence of bias in phenotypic selection coefficients due to environmental covariance for at least two of the traits analysed. Only studies of a much wider range of organisms and traits will reveal the frequency and extent of such bias.
Heritability of Hepatic Fibrosis and Steatosis Based on a Prospective Twin Study

Background & Aims Little is known about the heritability of hepatic fibrosis, and the heritability of hepatic steatosis has not been assessed systematically in adults. We investigated the heritability of hepatic fibrosis and steatosis in a community-dwelling twin cohort. Methods We performed a cross-sectional analysis of a cohort of well-characterized twins residing in Southern California including 60 pairs of twins (42 monozygotic and 18 dizygotic; average age, 45.7 ± 22.1 y; average body mass index, 26.4 ± 5.7 kg/m2). We collected data on medical history, physical examinations, fasting laboratory test results, and liver health; all participants underwent an advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination of the liver from January 2012 through January 2015. Hepatic steatosis was quantified noninvasively by MRI and determined based on the proton-density fat fraction (MRI-PDFF); liver fibrosis was measured based on stiffness measured by magnetic resonance elastography. Results Twenty-six of the 120 subjects (21.7%) had nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (defined as MRI-PDFF ≥ 5% after exclusion of other causes of hepatic steatosis). The presence of hepatic steatosis correlated between monozygotic twins (r2 = 0.70; P Conclusions A study of twins provides evidence that hepatic steatosis and hepatic fibrosis are heritable traits.
Complexes of Alkali Metals and Alkaline-Earth Metals with Carbohydrates

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses presentation on the complexes of metal salts that will be largely restricted to salts having univalent anions. Complexes containing nonmetallic cations, such as quaternary ammonium ions, are mentioned only when such information is believed relevant to the discussion of the complexes of alkali metals and alkaline-earth metals. The terms “adduct” and “addition compound” are synonymous and describe those complexes that consist of carbohydrate and metal salt (or base) bound together by ion–dipole forces of attraction. Differences in electrophoretic mobility of carbohydrates in the presence of a salt can be used to separate mixtures on a small scale and assists in identifying a carbohydrate. The ability of metal salts to complex selectively with polyhydroxy compounds are the basis of certain separations of carbohydrates by column chromatography. The effect of dietary atom, especially sugars and amino acids, on the gastrointestinal absorption of calcium and other alkaline-earth metals is well documented.
Higher Brain Functions

Higher brain functions are the operations of the brain that stand at the pinnacle of evolution and are largely unique to humans. Verbal communication, the ability to “think in the future,” and the capacity to hold multiple tracks of complex information “on-line” at the same time, are examples of higher mental functions that are subserved by various structures in the brain. The higher-order capacities of the human brain can be captured under the terms “cognition” and “behavior.” Cognition is composed of intellectual function, memory, speech and language, complex perception, orientation, attention, judgment, planning, and decision-making. Behavior is the manifestation of these cognitive functions. Behavior is guided by another facet of higher brain function—namely, personality, which describes the psychological make-up, traits, and response styles that typify a person’s behaviors across a range of situations and circumstances.
Reconciling Oil Palm Expansion and Climate Change Mitigation in Kalimantan, Indonesia

Our society faces the pressing challenge of increasing agricultural production while minimizing negative consequences on ecosystems and the global climate. Indonesia, which has pledged to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from deforestation while doubling production of several major agricultural commodities, exemplifies this challenge. Here we focus on palm oil, the world’s most abundant vegetable oil and a commodity that has contributed significantly to Indonesia’s economy. Most oil palm expansion in the country has occurred at the expense of forests, resulting in significant GHG emissions. We examine the extent to which land management policies can resolve the apparently conflicting goals of oil palm expansion and GHG mitigation in Kalimantan, a major oil palm growing region of Indonesia. Using a logistic regression model to predict the locations of new oil palm between 2010 and 2020 we evaluate the impacts of six alternative policy scenarios on future emissions. We estimate net emissions of 128.4–211.4 MtCO2 yr-1 under business as usual expansion of oil palm plantations. The impact of diverting new plantations to low carbon stock land depends on the design of the policy. We estimate that emissions can be reduced by 9-10% by extending the current moratorium on new concessions in primary forests and peat lands, 35% by limiting expansion on all peat and forestlands, 46% by limiting expansion to areas with moderate carbon stocks, and 55–60% by limiting expansion to areas with low carbon stocks. Our results suggest that these policies would reduce oil palm profits only moderately but would vary greatly in terms of cost-effectiveness of emissions reductions. We conclude that a carefully designed and implemented oil palm expansion plan can contribute significantly towards Indonesia’s national emissions mitigation goal, while allowing oil palm area to double.
Constitutional Environmental Rights Worldwide

This chapter addresses the worldwide phenomenon of constitutional environmental rights. Roughly five dozen countries have constitutional provisions that form individualized rights to a healthy, adequate, or quality environment. Domestic courts and international tribunals are enforcing constitutionally enshrined environmental rights with growing frequency by recognizing basic human rights to clean water, clean air, and environmental opportunity. This chapter explains how courts worldwide have viewed constitutionally enshrined environmental rights and why these rights have faced such resistance by the bench and bar. It concludes by summarizing features that influence litigation strategies for practitioners.
Symbolic sensitivity analysis of digital filter structures using MATLAB

This paper presents a computer-based method for computing algebraically the pole sensitivities of various second-order digital filter sections. The sensitivity matrix of the pole displacement is derived in a symbolic form using MATLAB. From the sensitivity matrix the variations of pole radius and angle are derived as a function of changes of the parameters of the denominator polynomial and the filter coefficients.
Pethidine‐associated seizure in a healthy adolescent receiving pethidine for postoperative pain control

A healthy 17-year-old male received standard intermittent doses of pethidine via a patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) pump for management of postoperative pain control. Twenty-three h postoperatively he developed a brief self-limited seizure. Both plasma pethidine and norpethidine were elevated in the range associated with clinical manifestations of central nervous system excitation. No other risk factors for CNS toxicity were identified. This method allowed frequent self-dosing of pethidine at short time intervals and rapid accumulation of pethidine and norpethidine. The routine use of pethidine via PCA even for a brief postoperative analgesia should be reconsidered.
Nylon 6 nanocomposites: the effect of matrix molecular weight

Organoclay nanocomposites based on three different molecular weight grades of nylon 6 were prepared by melt processing using a twin screw extruder. Mechanical properties, transmission electron microscopy, wide-angle X-ray diffraction, and rheological measurements were used to characterize the three types of composites. Tensile modulus and yield strength were found to increase with increasing concentration of clay, while elongation at break decreased. Izod impact strength was relatively independent of clay content for the higher molecular weight composites, but slightly decreased with increasing clay content for the lowest molecular weight polyamide. In general, nanocomposites based on the higher molecular weight polyamides yielded superior composite properties, having higher degrees of clay exfoliation, higher stiffness and yield strength values, and marginal loss of ductility as compared to nanocomposites based on the low molecular weight polyamide. Differences in properties between the three types of composites were attributed to differences in melt rheology. Capillary and dynamic parallel plate data revealed sizeable differences in the levels of shear stress between each nanocomposites system. A mechanism for exfoliation during melt mixing is outlined.
On equationally compact semigroups

We prove in this note that not every equationally compact semigroup is a retract of a compact topological semigroup, thus answering Problem 4.8 of [10], and we restate a general open problem for the special case of
Nonparametric lag selection for nonlinear additive autoregressive models

Abstract The lag selection procedure based on the final prediction error (FPE) is investigated when the additive structure is a priori known in the nonparametric autoregression. The consistency of the lag selection is proved, followed by the finite sample simulation results.
Connecting Organizational Environments With the Instructional Technology Practices of Community College Faculty

The ongoing integration of instructional technology within community colleges has occurred for a variety of reasons. First, community colleges have implemented technology-based models to make operations more efficient and cost-effective. Second, instructional technology has been used to expand student markets through alternative course-delivery methods that reach those students unable to attend traditional campus courses because of geographical locations and constraints related to rigid work and family schedules. Third, community college courses are regularly updated to increase enrollment capacities and in many cases to better align content with today's high-tech economy. In this study, the authors use Karl Weick's conceptualization of loosely coupled organizations to explore the organizational environments of three community colleges in relation to the emphasis each institution places on the use of instructional technologies.
Genetic relationships among the torrent suckers, genus Thoburnia☆

Population samples of the three species of the tetraploid catostomid genus Thoburnia were electrophoretically studied to detect isozyme variability resolving the products of 54 alleles encoded by 34 presumptive loci. Species of Thoburnia express only about one-third of their loci in duplicate suggesting a high level of evolutionary advancement within the Catostomidae. Thoburnia hamiltoni and T. rhothoeca are phenetically close compared to T. atripinne. Cladistic analyses of the genetic data reveal that T. rhothoeca exhibits a relatively high degree of plesiomorphy while T. hamiltoni and T. atripinne represent extremes of separate lineages. A phylogenetic treatment of the genetic data yields a hypothetical phylogeny congruent with that based on morphological criteria.
The impact of primary care: a focused review.

Primary care serves as the cornerstone in a strong healthcare system. However, it has long been overlooked in the United States (USA), and an imbalance between specialty and primary care exists. The objective of this focused review paper is to identify research evidence on the value of primary care both in the USA and internationally, focusing on the importance of effective primary care services in delivering quality healthcare, improving health outcomes, and reducing disparities. Literature searches were performed in PubMed as well as “snowballing” based on the bibliographies of the retrieved articles. The areas reviewed included primary care definitions, primary care measurement, primary care practice, primary care and health, primary care and quality, primary care and cost, primary care and equity, primary care and health centers, and primary care and healthcare reform. In both developed and developing countries, primary care has been demonstrated to be associated with enhanced access to healthcare services, better health outcomes, and a decrease in hospitalization and use of emergency department visits. Primary care can also help counteract the negative impact of poor economic conditions on health.
Covariation of amino acid positions in HIV-1 protease.

We have examined patterns of sequence variability for evidence of linked sequence changes in HIV-1 subtype B protease using translated sequences from protease inhibitor (PI) treated and untreated subjects downloaded from the Stanford HIV RT and Protease Sequence Database (http://hivdb.stanford.edu). The final data set size was 648 sequences from untreated subjects (notx) and 531 for PI-treated subjects (tx). Each subject was uniquely represented by a single sequence. Mutual information was calculated for all pairwise comparisons of positions with nonconsensus amino acids in at least 5% of sequences; significance of pairwise association was assessed using permutation tests. In addition pairs of positions were assessed for linkage by comparing the observed occurrences of amino acid combinations to expected values. The mutual information statistic indicated linkage between nine pairs of sites in the untreated data set (10:93, 12:19, 35:38, 37:41, 62:71, 63:64, 71:77, 71:93, 77:93). Strong statistical support for linkage in the treated data set was seen for 32 pairs, eight involving position 10:7 involving position 71, with the rest being 12:19, 15:77, 20:36, 30:88, 35:36, 35:37, 36:62, 36:77, 46:82, 46:84, 48:54, 48:82, 54:82, 63:64, 63:90, 73:90, 77:93, and 84:90. Most associations were positive, although negative associations were seen for five pairs of interactions. Structural proximity suggests that numerous pairs may interact within a local environment. These interactions include two distinct clusters around 36/77 and 71/93. While some of these interactions may reflect fortuitous linkage in heavily treated subjects with many resistance mutations, others will likely represent important cooperative interactions that are amenable to experimental validation.
Second-order coupled perturbed hartree—fock equations for closed-shell and open-shell self-consistent-field wavefunctions

Abstract The analytic evaluation of second and higher derivatives of the total electronic energy for molecular systems requires a knowledge of the form of the second-order coupled perturbed Hartree—Fock (CPHF) equations. These equations are presented. In some cases it will be necessary to solve them, and practical procedures for their solution are outlined. Applications of these equations to simple chemical systems have already been reported.
Curriculum and evaluation results of a third-year medical student longitudinal pathway on underserved care.

Background: There is a need to train compassionate and competent physicians to care for the growing underserved population in this country. Description : The authors developed the third-year Longitudinal Ambulatory Care Experience (LACE) Underserved Care pathway at Baylor College of Medicine in 2003 to help interested students prepare to be clinicians who care for the underserved. The pathway curriculum included seminar/journal clubs on relevant underserved care topics, clinical time with an underserved care preceptor, visits to community organizations, an assignment to help an uninsured patient obtain health care funding, and a group project. The authors report on the student evaluations of the first 4 years of the pathway, 2003 to 2007. The Institutional Review Board of Baylor College of Medicine granted this educational study exempt status. Evaluation : Students highly rated each pathway component in enhancing their knowledge, skills and attitudes. For 2005 to 2007, students rated most knowledge, skill...
Extension of the dragging model to include elastic point defect-dislocation interactions

Abstract An extension of the Simpson-Sosin defect dragging model to include elastic interactions between point defects and dislocations is presented here. This model, which is compared with internal friction experiments using 99.999% pure Cu, aids in the explanation of: (i) data taken from a sample in which residual damage remain from a previous irradiation, (ii) the proportionality of the decrement (δ) and the modulus defect (M) after anneals in the 750°C to 800°C range, and (iii) the strain-dependence of the calculated value of the number of defects on an average dislocation line—determined for a fixed amount of damage inflicted for irradiation temperatures ranging from 100°K to 330°K. The model fails to correctly predict the frequency dependence of δ and M in the 100 Hz to 2200 Hz range. Use of the model must be made with the restriction that the “effective” dislocation damping term (B)is frequently dependent.
Frequency characterization of the discrete cosine transform

Two types of frequency characterization of the discrete cosine transform (DCT) have been analyzed in detail. One is performed in the natural spatial frequency domain and the other in the eigenspace of the firstorder Markov stationary random process. In the past the direct conversion from Fourier transform toDCT has been very difficult. It requires either doubling of the input data or reshuf fling the input data sequency. In this paper we have derived a unitary transform that allows one to directly convert a Fourier transform of natural sequence input into a DCT. Furthermore though it is known that the DCT asymptotically approaches the KarhunenLoeve transform (KLT) of the firstorder Markov stationary random process no exact relationship between these two transforms has been given. This paper derives the exact relation and exhibits the frequency characteristics of a DCT. Applications to image data compression and enhancement are also included.
Simple and Nearly Simple Deep Matrix Algebras

Deep matrix algebras were originally created by Cuntz (Comm. Math. Phys. 57:173–185, 1977) and McCrimmon (2006). Further study of the associative case was done by the author in Kennedy (2004) and Kennedy (Algebr. Represent. Theory 9:525–537, 2006). In this paper, the associative algebra \({\mathcal{DM}}(X,{\mathbb{K}})\) based on a set X over a field \({\mathbb{K}}\) and various of its subalgebras are studied for the purpose of determining the structure of the associated Lie algebra \({\mathfrak{gld}}(X,{\mathbb{K}})\) and its subalgebras. Several key examples of deep matrix Lie algebras are constructed. These are shown to be either simple or nearly simple depending on the cardinality of the set X. Cartan subalgebras are constructed and two of the key Lie algebras are then decomposed with respect to the adjoint action of these subalgebras. In the process, an infinite dimensional analogue to \(\mathfrak{sl}_2({\mathbb{K}})\) is naturally realized as a key subalgebra in deep matrix Lie algebras.
Product Loss Minimization of an Integrated Cryogenic Separation System

The integrated cold box and demethanizer system as one of the most critical production sections in an ethylene plant couples multistage refrigeration and cryogenic separation to extract hydrogen and methane from the cracked gas feed. Ethylene and the heavier components are liquefied for recovery in the downstream process. During separation, ethylene contained in the methane and hydrogen streams is accounted as the product loss which in reality is significant. To reduce the ethylene loss with energy consumption consideration, a systematic methodology has been developed to optimize the process operation of the integrated cold box and demethanizer system. It covers rigorous simulation model development and validation, sensitivity analysis, operational optimization, and result analysis. The optimization results demonstrate the significant economic benefits of the proposed methodology.