cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Successful Community Discharge Following Postacute Rehabilitation for Medicare Beneficiaries: Analysis of a Patient-Centered Quality Measure

Objective To determine the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics as well as health services use associated with successful community discharge. Data Source Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility-Patient Assessment Instrument and Medicare Provider Analysis and Review files. Study Design We retrospectively examined 167,664 Medicare beneficiaries discharged from inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs) in 2013 to determine the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics as well as health services use associated with successful community discharge. Principal Findings In the multivariable model, sociodemographic (younger age, no disability, social support), clinical (higher motor and cognitive functional status at admission), and health services use (fewer acute care days and longer IRF days) variables were associated with successful community discharge. Conclusions Remaining in the community is an important patient-centered outcome that could complement other postacute rehabilitation quality measures.
Prevention of infection in the orthopedic surgery patient

A surgical site infection in an orthopedic surgery is a dreaded and often catastrophic complication. This article provides an overview of the incidence, pathogenesis, financial impact, as well as a discussion of patient and operation-related risk factors for orthopedic surgical site infections. The reader is provided insight into infection control interventions intended to minimize surgical site infections in orthopedic patients. Some of these practices are evidence-based and others exist only because of theoretical benefit.
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Studies on Water and Ice

Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy is, in essence, a semiclassical form of experiment. Thus, the separation of spectral energy levels is in a region such that the frequencies that cause transitions are produced by macroscopic oscillators (radiofrequency transmitters) as phase-coherent trains. Irradiation is achieved by antennas which may be physically arranged so as to cause the sample to be subject to waves with accurately known polarization. The signal-receiving antennas may be arranged so that the NMR signal has a known phase relation to the irradiating waves, and the signal is amplified by standard radiofrequency techniques. The method is semiclassical in so far as the interaction time of the irradiation with the system studied is concerned. For purely classical experiments, such as measurements of viscosity, the experiment is sensitive only on a very long time scale, say greater than 1 min. In purely nonclassical methods such as UV spectroscopy, the time scale is of the order of 10-15 sec. In the case of NMR measurements we are dealing with times ranging from 10-7 sec to very long times.
Bifurcation Theory and Periodic Solutions of Some Autonomous Functional Differential Equations

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the bifurcation theory and periodic solutions of some autonomous functional differential equations. A number of authors have studied nonlinear, autonomous functional differential bifurcation theorem that implies the known existence results for periodic solutions and also new information concerning the structure of the set of periodic solutions, for example, how the period of a periodic solution varies with parameters in the equation. The chapter also reviews study a van der Pol equation with time lag. I If C is a topological space, x 0 ∈ C , W an open neighborhood of x 0 , and f: W — { x 0 } → C a continuous map, then x 0 is an ejective point of ƒ if there exists an open neighborhood U 0 of x 0 such that for every x ɛ U 0 — {x 0 }, there is a positive integer m ( x ) = m such that F m ( x ) is defined and F m ( x ) ∉ U 0 . If C is a topological space, y 0 ɛ C, W an open neighborhood of y 0 , and ƒ : W → C a continuous map, then y 0 is called an attractive point for ƒ if there exists an open neighborhood U 0 of y 0 and for any open neighborhood V of y 0 there exists an integer m ( V ) = m such that f j ( U 0 ) ⊂ W for 0 ≤ j ≤ m and f j ( U 0 ) ⊂ V for j ≥ m .
Tailored Cheap Talk: The Effects of Privacy Policy on Ad Content and Market Outcomes

We analyze persuasion settings in which the seller holds information abosut the customer’s preferences that can be used to tailor communication.
Neurobiology and Clinical Manifestations of Methamphetamine Neurotoxicity.

Here: devastating short- and long-term behavioral and physiological effects of methamphetamine neurotoxicity and the implications for treatment.
Decomposing Quantum Generalized Toffoli with an Arbitrary Number of Ancilla

We present a general decomposition of the Generalized Toffoli, and for completeness, the multi-target gate using an arbitrary number of clean or dirty ancilla. While prior work has shown how to decompose the Generalized Toffoli using 0, 1, or $O(n)$ many clean ancilla and 0, 1, and $n-2$ dirty ancilla, we provide a generalized algorithm to bridge the gap, i.e. this work gives an algorithm to generate a decomposition for any number of clean or dirty ancilla. While it is hard to guarantee optimality, our decompositions guarantee a decrease in circuit depth as the number of ancilla increases.
Teaching medicine through film: Wiseman's medical trilogy revisited.

Between the late 1960s and early 1980s, Frederick Wiseman filmed hundreds of hours in an emergency department, intensive care unit and asylum. These films recorded events as they happened without rehearsal and narration. Cinema and Medicine meet each other in feature fiction film and in documentary format. Showing films in hospitals is revealing for both the unexpected audience but also the medical establishment. This paper revisits Wiseman’s edited but explicit films and their revelation of the complexity of care in this era in the United States. Although they offer a narrow view of medical institutions and the issue of informed consent later became problematic, the films provide an intriguing glimpse of US healthcare and decision making. These films are largely unknown but would be an invaluable resource in a masterclass on medical ethics in urgent care and end-of-life decisions. Despite their flaws, Wisemans’ medical films have a significant educational value. Each documentary can be used in a masterclass on medical ethics. The films provide ample opportunities to discuss core issues in healthcare, professional interactions, and decision making in critically ill patients.
School-Based Educational Programs to Improve the Knowledge and Outcome in Allergic Conditions

Many children across the United States suffer from asthma and acute asthma exacerbations, especially minority children. School-based asthma programs show promise in improving asthma education and long-term asthma management. These programs have the potential for impacting the lives of asthmatics, especially minority and low-income children, who may be lost to follow-up with their primary care physicians and other providers. Studies have shown that school-based asthma programs are effective in improving health literacy and asthma control in children with asthma.
Recent Advances in Nonprecious Metal Catalysis

Nonprecious metal catalysis is a highly active area of research for both industrial and academic laboratories. New methods that efficiently generate useful functionality in cost-effective, high yie...
Pilot pragmatic randomized trial of mHealth mindfulness-based intervention for advanced cancer patients and their informal caregivers.

Objective Assess the feasibility of conducting a cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT) comparing technology-delivered mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) programs against a waitlist control arm targeting advanced cancer patients and their informal caregivers. Methods Two-arm cluster RCT within Kaiser Permanente Northern California. We recruited patients with metastatic solid malignancies or hematological cancers and their informal caregivers. Intervention-group participants chose to use either a commercially available mindfulness app (10-20 min/day) or a webinar-based mindfulness course for 6 weeks. The waitlist control group received usual care. We assessed feasibility measures and obtained participant-reported data on quality of life (QoL; primary outcome) and distress outcomes (secondary) pre- and postintervention. Results A hundred and three patients (median age 67 years; 70% female; 81% White) and 39 caregivers (median age 66 years; 79% female; 69% White) were enrolled. Nearly all participants chose the mindfulness app over the webinar-based program. Among the participants in the intervention arm who chose the mobile-app program and completed the postintervention (6-week) survey, 21 (68%) patients and 7 (47%) caregivers practiced mindfulness at least 50% of the days during the 6-week study period. Seventy-four percent of intervention participants were "very" or "extremely" satisfied with the mindfulness program. We observed improvements in anxiety, QoL, and mindfulness among patients in the intervention arm compared to those in the control group. Conclusions We demonstrated the feasibility of conducting a cluster RCT of mHealth MBI for advanced cancer patients and their caregivers. Such remote interventions can be helpful particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A survey and analysis of intrusion detection models based on CSE-CIC-IDS2018 Big Data

The exponential growth in computer networks and network applications worldwide has been matched by a surge in cyberattacks. For this reason, datasets such as CSE-CIC-IDS2018 were created to train predictive models on network-based intrusion detection. These datasets are not meant to serve as repositories for signature-based detection systems, but rather to promote research on anomaly-based detection through various machine learning approaches. CSE-CIC-IDS2018 contains about 16,000,000 instances collected over the course of ten days. It is the most recent intrusion detection dataset that is big data, publicly available, and covers a wide range of attack types. This multi-class dataset has a class imbalance, with roughly 17% of the instances comprising attack (anomalous) traffic. Our survey work contributes several key findings. We determined that the best performance scores for each study, where available, were unexpectedly high overall, which may be due to overfitting. We also found that most of the works did not address class imbalance, the effects of which can bias results in a big data study. Lastly, we discovered that information on the data cleaning of CSE-CIC-IDS2018 was inadequate across the board, a finding that may indicate problems with reproducibility of experiments. In our survey, major research gaps have also been identified.
Molecular dynamics simulation on vegetable oil modified model asphalt

Abstract Vegetable oil is a common waste in the food and hospitality industries. It has been proposed as a modifier for asphalt to improve its performance on road pavement. In order to understand the functional mechanism of vegetable oil modifying the properties of model asphalt mixture, investigating the chemical composition, microstructure and property relationship of vegetable oil modified asphalt mixture in a wide temperature range is important. To understand the mechanism with molecular details, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations have been conducted on major fatty acid components in waste vegetable oil (WVO) (including linoleic acid, oleic acid, palmitic acid) and their mixture with model asphalt at different temperatures. One model WVO ternary mixture was built based on the literature data of the chemical composition of three kinds of fatty acids. Major properties such as density, diffusion coefficient, radial distribution function, thermal conductivity, molecular correlation functions, and viscosity were calculated. It was found that oleic acid, linoleic acid and palmitic acid have similar densities, diffusion activation energies, diffusion coefficient prefactors, and thermal conductivities from the room temperature to the hot-mix asphalt temperature. The bulk viscosities of fatty acids predicted using Green-Kubo method are similar as well, and are close to available literature data. All three kinds of fatty acids and their mixture can mix well with components in model asphalt mixture at different temperatures, and can help components in asphalt to mix more homogeneously. The zero-shear-rate viscosities of fatty acids modified asphalts at 443 K, 400 K, and 358 K were calculated running non-equilibrium MD simulations, while the viscosity at the room temperature was predicted using the Debye-Stoke-Einstein equation based on the correlation function and relaxation time calculation. Based on result in this project, implementing vegetable oil improves the density of model asphalt mixture and the mixing of components in asphalt. It does not change the viscosity of asphalt significantly at high temperature but decreases the viscosity at low temperature. The thermal conductivities of pure fatty acids, model vegetable oil ternary mixture, and model vegetable oil modified asphalt mixtures are very similar and show negligible dependence on temperature. The findings in this project suggest the functional mechanism of vegetable oil on asphalt that implementing vegetable oil can improve the performance of asphalt by facilitating the mixing of components in asphalt mixture and reorientation relaxation of asphalt at low temperatures but not at high temperatures, thus reducing the viscosity of mixture at low temperatures while having negligible effect at high temperatures.
Information asymmetry and self-selection bias in bank loan announcement studies

Abstract Event-study driven research has produced a consensus that loans are unique relative to other financial contracts. But these studies assume that small samples of loan announcements adequately represent the loan population. We find that loan announcements are rare and driven by factors such as information asymmetry and perceived materiality. We show that the sample used by Billett, Flannery, and Garfinkel (1995) fails to represent the loan universe and that significant abnormal announcement returns are confined to their smallest firms. Our sample, which better represents the loan population, produces an abnormal return insignificantly different from zero. The findings suggest that self-selection bias affects extant loan announcement research and do not support the views that loans are a special form of finance or that private and public debt differ in significant ways. Were all loans to be announced, the average abnormal return would likely be insignificant.
Social determinants of atrial fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation affects almost 60 million adults worldwide. Atrial fibrillation is associated with a high risk of cardiovascular morbidity and death as well as with social, psychological and economic burdens on patients and their families. Social determinants - such as race and ethnicity, financial resources, social support, access to health care, rurality and residential environment, local language proficiency and health literacy - have prominent roles in the evaluation, treatment and management of atrial fibrillation. Addressing the social determinants of health provides a crucial opportunity to reduce the substantial clinical and non-clinical complications associated with atrial fibrillation. In this Review, we summarize the contributions of social determinants to the patient experience and outcomes associated with this common condition. We emphasize the relevance of social determinants and their important intersection with atrial fibrillation treatment and outcomes. In closing, we identify gaps in the literature and propose future directions for the investigation of social determinants and atrial fibrillation.
Effect of Low-Angle Grain-Boundary Passivation in Flexible Single-Crystal-Like Thin-Film GaAs Solar Cells

We theoretically and experimentally study the effect of defect-state passivation at low-angle grain boundaries (LA-GBs) on the photovoltaic performance characteristics of flexible single-crystal-like thin-film GaAs SCs. The 2D modeling of the SCs shows that LA-GBs in the single-crystal-like GaAs still limit their performance, especially for open-circuit voltage (V OC ), and effective passivation of the LA-GBs can boost the photo-conversion efficiency remarkably. Two physical hydrogen-based passivation techniques and a chemical sulfide treatment are employed for the passivation of the LA-GBs in the single-crystal-like GaAs. Current-voltage (I-V) and photoluminescence (PL) characterization studies demonstrate that sulfur by trioctylphosphine sulfide (TOP: S) solution passivation treatment can significantly increase PL peak intensity and the performance characteristics of flexible single-crystal-like GaAs SCs. A substantial improvement is achieved with increases of ~20%, ~10%, ~13%, and ~65% for V OC , short-circuit current (J SC ), fill factor (FF), and overall efficiency, respectively.
Metric selection and promotional language in health artificial intelligence

BackgroundRecent advances in Artificial intelligence (AI) have the potential to substantially improve healthcare across clinical areas. However, there are concerns health AI research may overstate the utility of newly developed systems and that certain metrics for measuring AI system performance may lead to an overly optimistic interpretation of research results. The current study aims to evaluate the relationship between researcher choice of AI performance metric and promotional language use in published abstracts. Methods and findingsThis cross-sectional study evaluated the relationship between promotional language and use of composite performance metrics (AUC or F1). A total of 1200 randomly sampled health AI abstracts drawn from PubMed were evaluated for metric selection and promotional language rates. Promotional language evaluation was accomplished through the development of a customized machine learning system that identifies promotional claims in abstracts describing the results of health AI system development. The language classification system was trained with an annotated dataset of 922 sentences. Collected sentences were annotated by two raters for evidence of promotional language. The annotators achieved 94.5% agreement ({kappa} = 0.825). Several candidate models were evaluated and, the bagged classification and regression tree (CART) achieved the highest performance at Precision = 0.92 and Recall = 0.89. The final model was used to classify individual sentences in a sample of 1200 abstracts, and a quasi-Poisson framework was used to assess the relationship between metric selection and promotional language rates. The results indicate that use of AUC predicts a 12% increase (95% CI: 5-19%, p = 0.00104) in abstract promotional language rates and that use of F1 predicts a 16% increase (95% CI: 4% to 30%, p = 0. 00996). ConclusionsClinical trials evaluating spin, hype, or overstatement have found that the observed magnitude of increase is sufficient to induce misinterpretation of findings in researchers and clinicians. These results suggest that efforts to address hype in health AI need to attend to both underlying research methods and language choice.
A Pilot Study of Hypofractionated Simultaneous Integrated Boost Radiotherapy in Stage 0-IIIB Breast Cancer Patients.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S) In the UK START and Canadian hypofractionated whole breast radiotherapy (RT) trials, few patients were Black, received prior chemotherapy, or had large breast size, all factors associated with RT-induced breast toxicity. The purpose of this prospective trial was to assess the safety and efficacy of delivering 15 fractions of hypofractionated simultaneous integrated boost (SIB) RT to patients under-represented on trials of hypofractionated breast RT and who have characteristics which increase their risk for local recurrence and cutaneous toxicity from breast RT. MATERIALS/METHODS We conducted a prospective, single-arm pilot study to evaluate a once daily 15 fraction SIB RT regimen of 39.9 Gy in 2.66 Gy fractions to the breast/chest wall with or without regional nodal irradiation (RNI) and SIB of 8.1 Gy in 0.54 Gy fractions. Women with Stage 0-IIIB breast cancer who had one or more of the following characteristics were approached for enrollment: 1) prior chemotherapy for breast cancer; 2) > 25 cm breast/chest wall separation; 3) non-White race; 4) ≤ 50 years old; or 5) requiring RNI. Primary endpoint was Grade 3 cutaneous toxicity rate by CTCAE v.5. Among patients who received RNI (n = 30), rates of Grade 3 brachial plexopathy by RTOG criteria and 20% or greater increase in arm lymphedema, were additional primary endpoints. Patients were assessed prior to RT, last day of RT, and 3 weeks, 9 weeks and 1 year post RT. Local regional recurrence free survival (LRFS) was a secondary endpoint. RESULTS Among 74 participants, 57% received prior chemotherapy, 19% had breast/chest wall separation > 25cm, 39% were Black, 36% were ≤ 50 years old, and 41% were prescribed RNI. Median body mass index was 30.0 (range 17.3 - 54.9). Ten patients received post mastectomy RT. One patient developed Grade 3 radiation dermatitis 3 weeks post RT. No other Grade 3 or higher cutaneous toxicities were observed up to 1 year post RT. One patient developed a grade 3 axillary infection 3 weeks post RT, which resolved after intravenous antibiotics. No patients who received RNI developed grade 3 brachial plexopathy or a 20% increase in the ipsilateral arm volume during the study period. With a median follow up of 60 months (range 12-113 months), one in-breast recurrence with simultaneous distant metastases occurred. Two additional patients developed distant metastases alone. The 5-year LRFS and overall survival rates were 98.6% and 98.5%, respectively. CONCLUSION Our results indicate that SIB radiation therapy is well-tolerated with acceptable cutaneous toxicity rates up to 1 year post RT even among patients who are at high risk for RT-induced breast side effects. The high rates of local control and overall survival following SIB treatment are promising and support condensed courses of RT in patients who would typically receive a sequential boost due to higher risk for local recurrence.
Evaluating the Saturated and Unsaturated Hydraulic Conductivity of Soils

A method of calculating the saturated and unsaturated hydraulic conductivities of soils and similar porous materials based on the pore size distribution was shown to predict the experimentally measured values adequately. For coarse-textured soil materials or materials with a relatively narrow range of pore size, only one matching factor is required to calculate the hydraulic conductivity-water content relation accurately enough for many purposes; however, for fine-textured soil materials with a wide range of pore size distribution, two or more matching factors at a water content in the 0.3 to 0.4 bar range may be needed to obtain a useful evaluation for the unsaturated hydraulic conductivity.
Single unit activity of locus coeruleus neurons in the freely moving cat. I. During naturalistic behaviors and in response to simple and complex stimuli.

The single unit activity of presumed noradrenergic (NE) neurons in the area of the locus coeruleus (LC) was recorded in freely moving cats. Consistent with previous reports, the activity of LC neurons was found to be state dependent: active waking greater than quiet waking greater than slow wave sleep greater than REM sleep (virtually silent). The activity of these neurons showed no relationship to movement per se. In response to simple sensory stimulation, LC units showed a short latency, short duration excitatory response. In response to a variety of non-noxious naturalistic stimuli, e.g. rats, food and a conspecific, LC unit activity did not increase above an active waking baseline. However, in response to noxious stimuli, e.g. pinches, visual threats, emesis, and forced treadmill running, LC unit activity increased above that during active waking and reached its highest levels. These data, in conjunction with those in the following report, are consistent with a general role for NE-LC neurons in the organism's adaptive response to environmental and physiological challenges.
Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma biopsy: A single institution experience

Tumor biopsy is rarely performed in diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) due to the presumed risk of surgical complications, although data on the surgery related morbidity of DIPG biopsy is sparse. We performed a retrospective review on 22 consecutive cases of DIPG diagnosed from 2002 to 2012 at Children's Hospital of Michigan, 15 of which underwent biopsy. Transient new or worsening neurological deficits were observed in three of 15 cases following surgery. No surgery related mortality or permanent deficit was observed, and the mean overall survival was 10.4 ± 3.8 months. Undergoing biopsy did not adversely affect the outcome. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2015;62:163–165. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Abstract 12423: Trends and Incidence of Stroke After Myocardial Infarction in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease

Background: There is a paucity of information about the incidence and trends of stroke after myocardial infarction (MI) in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Methods: Using the New Jersey statewide MIDAS database, 158,296 patients (pts) with first admission for MI were identified between year 2000 and 2012. Of those, 29,005 pts had CKD and 4390 pts had a stroke. After controlling for demographic variables and comorbidities, predictors of stroke were analyzed using multiple logistic regression. The Cochran-Armitage test was used to assess the trend of strokes over time. Results: During the study period, there were 3370 (2.61%) strokes in the non-CKD pts and 1020 (3.52%) strokes in the CKD-pts ( χ 2 = 72.77, p Multiple logistic regression analysis identified as significant predictors of stroke: age (OR=1.03, 95%CI: 1.02~1.03), female gender (OR=1.28, 95%CI: 1.20~1.36), Black race (OR=1.34, 95%CI: 1.21~1.48), and not having PCI during hospitalization (OR=1.51, 95% CI: 1.37~1.67). The risk of stroke from 2000-2012 decreased in the non-CKD pts (Z= 4.12, p Conclusion: The incidence of stroke after MI is higher in pts with CKD compared to pts with non-CKD, but this difference is eliminated after adjustment for demographics. PCI during hospitalization decreased the risk of stroke in non-CKD pts, however the benefit of PCI was not seen in CKD pts. During the past decade, pts with CKD did not experience any change in the overall risk of stroke after MI.
Hydatigera taeniaeformis: Strobilocerci hooks: III. Molecular weight and N-terminal amino acid determinations☆

Abstract Rostellar hooks of the strobilocerci of Hydatigera taeniaeformis, Batsch, 1786, solubilized by cystine disulfide bond reduction yielded a heterogeneous mixture of proteins with a maximum molecular weight of 8–10,000. N-terminal amino acid analysis of the hook protein molecules revealed the presence of a single N-terminal amino acid, cystine. It is postulated that the rostellar hooks of H. taeniaeformis strobilocerci are polymer-like structures with cystine disulfide linkage of the heterogeneous protein subunits.
Box‐Cox Transformations for Linear Models

The Box–Cox transformation is a potentially powerful technique for extending the applicability of the classical linear model. The procedure is described, and three examples are given to illustrate its power as well as its limitations. Philosophical issues regarding the interpretation of the results have led to some controversy and debate. Keywords: Bayes; homoscedasticity; maximum likelihood; normal distribution
Union Membership and Job-Related Training: Incidence, Transferability, and Efficacy

This study examines the relationship between union membership and (i) the incidence of training, (ii) the degree to which training is transferable to firms other than the one providing the training and (iii) the degree to which workers perceive that training improves job performance. Using data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, I find that union members are more likely to receive employer-sponsored training than their non-union counterparts. I also find that male union members are more likely than non-members to report that training improved job performance. Union membership was not related to transferability of skills between employers.
Synthesis of stereo (R and S) and geometric (E and Z) isomers of [18F]fluoro-β-fluoromethylene-m-tyrosine derivatives: in vivo probes of central dopaminergic function

Abstract Fluorination of pure R and S enantiomers of ( E )-β-fluoromethylene- m -tyrosine [( E )-FMMT] and its racemic geometric isomer, ( Z )-β-fluoromethylene- m -tyrosine [( Z )-FMMT] with [ 18 F]acetyl hypofluorite ([ 18 F]AcOF) gave a mixture of aromatic ring fluorinated products and a pair of diastereomeric products of addition across the exocyclic double bond. Semipreparative high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) enabled a complete separation and isolation of these products, namely, 6-[ 18 F]fluoro, 2-[ 18 F]fluoro, and 2,6-[ 18 F]difluoro ( E )-FMMT and ( Z )-FMMT derivatives. No attempt was made to isolate the individual components of the addition product. Pure racemic 4-[ 18 F]fluoro-( E )-β-fluoromethylene- m -tyrosine was also synthesized from a substituted ( E )-FMMT precursor involving a fluorodestannylation reaction with [ 18 F]F 2 . The availability of stereo ( R and S ) isomers of 6-[ 18 F]fluoro and 2-[ 18 F]fluoro ( E )-FMMT and those of the racemic ( Z )-FMMT along with 4-[ 18 F]fluoro-( E )-β-fluoromethylene- m -tyrosine would now enable a systematic investigation of the central monoamine oxidase/aromatic amino acid decarboxylase enzyme system with positron emission tomography.
Analysis and Modeling of Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle Charging Efficiency

Based on 2007 data, the average energy consumption of an American household could increase by 23% with the addition of one Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV); this “sticker-shock” may impact the adoption of all PHEVs due to the unanticipated cost and time associated with vehicle charging. Furthermore, very few automotive standard work practices could identify and quantify this effect on the end consumer. To alleviate consumer reservations, vehicle plug-in charging must be designed to maximize the percentage of grid energy supplied to the battery and reduce the extra cost and time required to charge. Maximum efficiency can only be obtained through a systematic view of the charging process. Thus, the approach reviewed in this report considers not only the charger and EVSE (Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment) but also the RESS (Rechargeable Energy Storage System), the thermal management system, and the vehicle control modules. This report will outline a progression in charger system modeling techniques in the early vehicle development process and compare the results to empirical data. The goal of the report is to demonstrate the merit of including charging modeling as a portion of PHEV standard development work and stimulate discussion on systematic charging efficiency.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
On the packing and filling of functional space in eastern North American tree assemblages

A fundamental question in ecology is how are species added to the phenotypic or functional trait space when one moves from a species poor to species rich assemblage. Specifically, the functional volume of an assemblage can expand and/or be packed more tightly to accommodate an increasing number of species. Quantifying the packing and filling of trait space therefore provides critical information regarding the generation of species richness gradients, but it is also informative for our understanding of community assembly as the functional volume is expected to be constrained by abiotic factors while the degree of the packing of the volume should be limited by biotic interactions. In this investigation we quantify the packing and filling of trait volumes in tree assemblages in eastern North America. We demonstrate that both the functional volume and the degree of packing both increase with increasing species richness. However, the increase in the functional volume is less than expected suggesting that the overall functional space is constrained. We then show that null models that incorporate a functional volume constraint uncover a greater degree of separation in trait space than expected suggesting the importance of biotic interactions within an abiotically defined functional volume.
Peer Interaction in Science Concept Development and Problem Solving

Cooperative learning is commonly advocated as an effective instructional strategy in classrooms. Years of research support this recommendation. Recently, however, cognitive researchers and theorists suggest that peer group work may possibly enhance concept development and problem solving. The effectiveness of group work, including peer tutoring, cooperative learning, and peer collaboration, may be explained using several theoretical perspectives. Piaget theorized that the importance of peers comes from their ability to share ideas and initiate the equilibration process in individuals. Vygotsky argued that learning takes place in social contexts only to be internalized at a later time. He proposed a “zone of proximal development” to describe the difference between a student's ability to solve a problem alone and with the help of a more knowledgeable person. Researchers focusing on both theoretical positions argue that results support both theories. Additionally, researchers suggest that peer collaboration may enhance concept development and problem solving ability. Recommendations are made for incorporating effective peer learning strategies into instruction.
Molecular beam epitaxial growth and characteristics of ultra-low threshold 1.45 μm metamorphic InAs quantum dot lasers on GaAs

Abstract We report the molecular beam epitaxial growth and characteristics of 1.45 μm metamorphic InAs quantum dot lasers grown on GaAs. By detailed investigation of the growth kinetics of the metamorphic quantum dot heterostructures, we have achieved high-quality 1.45 μm metamorphic quantum dot layers that exhibit intense and narrow photoluminescence linewidths (∼30 meV) at room temperature. Utilizing the techniques of p-doping and tunnel injection, we have also realized high-performance 1.45 μm lasers that exhibit ultra-low threshold current density (⩽70 A/cm 2 ), very high temperature stability ( T 0 =556 K) in the temperature range of 263–305 K, and large frequency response ( f −3dB =8 GHz).
Efficiency of a Re-Formed Oil Against Citrus Red Mite Eggs and California Red Scale

Various considerations of a potential commercial source of plant spray oils of a new hydrocarbon type given the designation “re-formed” made it interesting to investigate its efficiency against citrus red mite eggs, Panonychus citri (McGregor), and California red scale, Aonidiella aurantii (Maskell). LD95 values were calculated from laboratory dosage-mortality spray trial data by a computer using the maximum likelihood solution of probit analysis. This was done for fractions of re-formed oil and for those of a highly paraffinic oil refined by processes based on solvent extraction with exhaustive acid finishing treatment. The critical molecular size of the 2 oils for California red scale appears to occur in the same area of distillation; slightly better efficiency of the re-formed oil is indicated by lower LD95 values. Against citrus red mite eggs LD95 values are distinctly lower for the re-formed oil than for the paraffinic for 50% distillation temperatures above 650°F at 760 mm; below this to 620°F the LD95 is lower for the paraffinic than for the re-formed. This phenomenon appears to be associated with a difference in the percent paraffinicity of the re-formed fraction 1 in comparison with the others. These comparisons of efficiency are made for applications utilizing an emulsifier soluble in the oil; with its use a decrease in the critical molecular size of the highly paraffinic oil against citrus red mite eggs was found in comparison to previous results obtained with blood albumin spreader. Careful and intensive studies of properties of selected fractions of the 2 oils by currently available analytical procedures did not disclose any differences of sufficient magnitude to account for the differences in efficiency.
Optimal pulse width modulation for sinusoidal fringe generation with projector defocusing: reply to comment

We found that there were some inaccurate comments in the Comment by Ayubi and Ferrari [Opt. Lett.36, xxxx (2011)OPLEDP0146-9592] on our optimal pulse width modulation Letter [Opt. Lett.35, 4121 (2010)OPLEDP0146-959210.1364/OL.35.004121]. This Letter is to clarify some of the technical misunderstandings.
Effects of carbaryl (SEVIN) on the state I zoeae of the red-jointed fiddler crab,Uca minax (LeConte)

Shortly after spawning, zoeae of the red-jointed fiddler crab,Uca minax, were exposed to 1.0, 0.5 and 0.1 mg l−1 of the insecticide carbaryl. Exposed zoeae were observed for fatalities, changes in phototaxis, and altered swimming behavior. Fifty per cent mortalities in these concentrations occurred after 12.5, 14.5 and 25 h, respectively. Zoeae displayed a rapid loss of positive phototaxis, which occurred after 2, 4 and 16 h, respectively. Abnormal swimming behavior was observed in all exposed groups, with total cessation of swimming activity occurring in 6 hours in groups I and II and 16 hours in group III.
Mercury ores from the New Idria Mining District, California: geochemical and stable isotope studies

Abstract The mercury ores of the New Idria Mining District are composed of metacinnabar and cinnabar with minor amounts of stibnite and iron disulfides. Metacinnabar from the main ore zone at the New Idria Mine contains Fe as a major impurity (0.96 to 2.80 wt.%), whereas that from the CO veins contains both Se (0.30 to 6.15 wt.%) and Fe (0.13 to 1.18 wt.%) in solid solution. The impurity content varies within the same specimen and within individual crystals as well and demonstrates lack of chemical equilibrium. Impurities tend to concentrate at the interfaces between metacinnabar and cinnabar in partly transformed crystals, thus increasing the barrier to nucleation of cinnabar and retarding or prohibiting any further transition of metacinnabar. Most of the pyrite and marcasite crystallized earlier than cinnabar and in rare cases contain nuclei of framboidal pyrite. Pyrite and marcasite crystallized as discrete phases and the latter does not show evidence of transition to pyrite. Dolomite shows normal marine carbonate δ 18 O (24.6 to 29.7‰) and δ 13 C (−1.7 to 2.5‰) values. Quartz displays δ 18 O ranging from 18.5 to 21.5‰, distinctly lower than the associated dolomites, suggesting that the two minerals may have formed at two different stages. The range of δ 34 S values for metacinnabar (0.0 to 3.2‰) overlaps with that of cinnabar (1.3 to 4.4‰). The δ 34 S for pyrite ranges from 3.1 to 13.0‰; pyrite with framboidal nuclei shows the highest δ 34 S values. The sulfur isotope data also suggest the lack of isotopic equilibrium. The source of C in the ore-forming fluids was marine carbonates leached from the Franciscan sediments. The source of S is uncertain because of lack of knowledge of the isotopic composition of total sulfur. It is likely that mixed sources of sulfur leached from sulfides in the host rocks and magmatic sulfur are involved.
Energy harvesting and wireless energy transmission for embedded sensor nodes

In this paper, we present experimental investigations using energy harvesting and wireless energy transmission to operate embedded structural health monitoring sensor nodes. The goal of this study is to develop sensing systems that can be permanently embedded within a host structure without the need for an on-board power source. With this approach the required energy will be harvested from the ambient environment, or periodically delivered by a RF energy source to supplement conventional harvesting approaches. This approach combines several transducer types to harvest energy from multiple sources, providing a more robust solution that does not rely on a single energy source. Both piezoelectric and thermoelectric transducers are considered as energy harvesters to extract the ambient energy commonly available on civil structures such as bridges. Methods of increasing the efficiency, energy storage medium, target applications and the integrated use of energy harvesting sources with wireless energy transmission will be discussed.
Textbooks at the Crossroads: Scientific and Philosophical Textbooks in 18th Century Greek Education

Greek society of the eighteenth century did not have the institutional or theoretical background for the development of an original interest in scientific pursuits. The contact with the new scientific ideas aimed basically at the assimilation of these ideas in the body of the existing contemplative philosophy and the context where such undertaking took place was exclusively education. At the same time, education was the field where the political and ideological pursuits of various social groups intersected. A quasi modernistic profile of the educational activity was especially favored by a new generation of scholars who wished to assert their distinctive intellectual physiognomy, as well as by the emergent group of merchants who strove to establish their distinctive cultural and political authority. As a result, the new interest in the sciences reflects the confluence of the aims of these two social groups. The study of scientific textbooks, which were produced under these circumstances, depicts the consequences of this confluence and brings to light some important aspects of the social and intellectual environment within which the contact of Greek intellectual life with modern sciences occurred.
Tracking with distributed sets of proximity sensors using geometric invariants

We propose a new approach to forming an estimate of a target track in a distributed sensor system using very limited sensor information. This approach uses a central fusion system that collects only the peak energy information from each sensor and assumes that the energy attenuates as a power law in range from the source. A geometrical invariance property of the proximity of the distributed sensors relative to a target track is used to generate potential target track paths. Numerical simulation examples are presented to illustrate the practicality of the technique.
NL-based query refinement and contextualized code search results: A user study

As software systems continue to grow and evolve, locating code for software maintenance tasks becomes increasingly difficult. Source code search tools match a developer's keyword-style or natural language query with comments and identifiers in the source code to identify relevant methods that may need to be changed or understood to complete the maintenance task. In this search process, the developer faces a number of challenges: (1) formulating a query, (2) determining if the results are relevant, and (3) if the results are not relevant, reformulating the query. In this paper, we present a NL-based results view for searching source code for maintenance that helps address these challenges by integrating multiple feedback mechanisms into the search results view: prevalence of the query words in the result set, results grouped by NL-based information, as a result list, and suggested alternative query words. Our search technique is implemented as an Eclipse plug-in, CONQUER, and has been empirically validated by 18 Java developers. Our results show that users prefer CONQUER over a state of the art search technique, requesting customization of the interface in future query reformulation techniques.
Impact of NICU design on environmental noise

For neonates requiring intensive care, the optimal sound environment is uncertain. Minimal disruptions from medical staff create quieter environments for sleep, but limit language exposure necessary for proper language development. There are two models of neonatal intensive care units (NICUs): open-bay, in which 6-to-10 infants are cared for in a single large room; and single-room, in which neonates are housed in private, individual hospital rooms. We compared the acoustic environments in the two NICU models. We extracted the audio tracks from video-electroencephalography (EEG) monitoring studies from neonates in an open-bay NICU and compared the acoustic environment to that recorded from neonates in a new single-room NICU. From each NICU, 18 term infants were studied (total N=36; mean gestational age 39.3±1.9 weeks). Neither z-scores of the sound level variance (0.088±0.03 vs. 0.083±0.03, p=0.7), nor percent time with peak sound variance (above 2 standard deviations; 3.6% vs. 3.8%, p=0.6) were different. However, time below 0.05 standard deviations was higher in the single-room NICU (76% vs. 70%, p=0.02). We provide objective evidence that single-room NICUs have equal sound peaks and overall noise level variability compared with open-bay units, but the former may offer significantly more time at lower noise levels.
Binding of zinc to alpha-2-macroglobulin and its role in enzyme binding activity.

Abstract Physicochemical studies performed on alpha-2-macroglobulin were correlated with the biological activities of this protein. Equilibrium dialysis of the binding of 65Zn by alpha-2-macroglobulin at pH 7.9 showed heterogeneous binding which could be attributed to two classes of binding sites. The site of greatest affinity for zinc had an apparent stoichiometry (n1 in gatoms/mol of alpha-2-macroglobulin monomer) of 12 and an apparent association constant (K1) of 3.06·107. The second binding site had an n2 of 60 and K2 of 1.32·105. The trypsin binding activity of alpha-2-macroglobulin did not depend on the presence of zinc in this protein since all but traces of this metal could be removed by EDTA without loss of trypsin binding activity. Saturation of site 1 with zinc did not affect the trypsin binding activity of alpha-2-macroglobulin, but binding of the metal by site 2 progressively decreased the trypsin binding activity by causing an irriversable association of the alpha-2-macroglobulin molecules. Removal of excess zinc from alpha-2-macroglobulin did not restore its trypsin binding activity. Our results also indicate that the high zinc content of alpha-2-macroglobulin (320–770 μg/g protein) reported in the literature is an artifact and that native alpha-2-macroglobulin contains approximately 150–180 μg Zn/g protein.
Theophylline glyceryl guaiacolate (Quibron) in bronchial asthma.

Theophylline glyceryl guaiacolate (Quibron) was administered to 50 patients with bronchial asthma, the large majority of whom were under observation for weeks to months. The compound was taken orally as needed in daily doses of 10 ml. to 45 ml. or more. Theophylline glyceryl guaiacolate is an effective oral bronchodilator agent applicable to mild or severe cases of asthma. The only unpleasant side effect noted was nausea; this was minimal and posed no problem.