cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Racial Disparity in Cerebrospinal Fluid Amyloid and Tau Biomarkers and Associated Cutoffs for Mild Cognitive Impairment.

Importance Prior evidence suggests that racial differences exist in tau biomarkers in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer disease (AD). Whether this reported disparity is associated with a differential level of neurodegeneration and disease stage or with underlying mechanisms separate from amyloid or tau is unclear. Objectives To compare cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers in African American and white individuals with normal cognition and MCI, to estimate race-based cutoffs for these biomarkers that maximize diagnostic discrimination between normal cognition and MCI, and to study the association of demographic characteristics, cognitive performance, and common vascular risk factors with these differences. Design, Setting, and Participants This case-control study conducted from March 1, 2016, through January 31, 2019, included participants in the Brain Stress Hypertension and Aging Research Program cohort undergoing baseline assessment. Participants were 50 years or older and recruited from the Atlanta, Georgia, area. Exposures Self-reported race and cognitive status categorized using modified Petersen criteria and clinical consensus diagnosis. Main Outcomes and Measures Levels of β-amyloid 1-42 (Aβ1-42), tau, and phosphorylated tau 181 (pTau181), the ratio of tau or pTau181 to Aβ1-42, and hippocampal volume on magnetic resonance imaging of the brain. Results Data from 362 study participants were analyzed (mean [SD] age, 65.6 [7.9] years), of whom 152 (42.0%) were African American, 230 (63.5%) were women, and 189 (52.2%) had MCI. After adjustment for demographic characteristics and cognitive performance, lower mean (SE) levels were observed in African American vs white individuals with MCI for tau (52.40 [5.90] vs 78.98 [5.02] pg/mL;P = .001) and pTau181 (15.42 [2.06] vs 25.24 [1.75] pg/mL;P = .001) and a lower pTau181 to Aβ1-42 ratio (0.07 [0.02] vs 0.14 [0.01];P = .003). There were no racial differences in the normal cognition group or in hippocampal volumes in the MCI group. Cutoffs for CSF biomarkers were higher for Aβ1-42 in African American relative to white individuals (208 [95% CI, 126-321] vs 197 [95% CI, 183-245] pg/mL) and lower for tau (51 [95% CI, 31-59] vs 59 [95% CI, 56-92] pg/mL) and pTau181 (12 [95% CI, 12-19] vs 20 [95% CI, 12-27] pg/mL) levels. Cutoffs for the pTau181 to Aβ1-42 ratio were 0.05 (95% CI, 0.03-0.12) for African American participants and 0.05 (95% CI, 0.05-0.13) for white participants. Conclusions and Relevance This study found that African American individuals had lower levels of tau-based biomarkers that were not likely explained by the degree of disease stage or neurodegeneration reflected by hippocampal volumes. This study suggests that race is an important factor when interpreting CSF biomarkers, especially in the clinical diagnosis of prodromal AD. It appears that using the pTau181 to Aβ1-42 ratio may ameliorate these differences.
When I Grow Up: Exploring the Link Between Future Expectations and Criminal Trajectories

There are several noteworthy cognitive and identity-based theories of desistance. Yet, there is little understanding about the role of one’s expectations of future events, which are tied to one’s sense of self, as they ultimately inform actions regarding offending. In this study, we test the extent to which optimistic and fatalistic expectations are related to desistance. We rely on negative binomial regression analyses and group-based trajectory modeling of data drawn from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 to determine the relationship between future event expectations and criminal engagement. We assess continued criminal involvement through self-reported arrests and offending variety. We find that future expectations regarding negative events (arrest, victimization, and drunkenness) are associated with future self-reported arrest while future positive expectations (parenthood, education, and employment) are unrelated to future offending behavior. Higher expectations of being arrested and getting drunk in the following year were associated with a greater likelihood of being classified as a persister relative to a nonoffender. We also find that Blacks are more likely to be classified as persisters. Yet, future expectations in late adolescence appear to be poor predictors of whether an individual will desist from offending over the long term. Our results suggest that future fatalistic expectations of a ‘feared self’ are generally associated with short-term offending. Future studies should explore the degree to which expectations and the development of a future self may vary by race and gender and alternative interpretations of the NLSY97 expectation questions.
Dynamic optimization and economic evaluation of flexible heat integration in a hybrid concentrated solar power plant

Abstract Hybridization of concentrated solar power (CSP) plants provides flexibility in operation that can drastically improve the solar-to-electric (STE) efficiency and levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) relative to standalone CSP plants. Flexible heat integration (FHI) is a novel concept where the collection and integration of CSP within a power plant is modified relative to the amount of solar energy available. FHI improves the thermal efficiency of a hybrid solar tower steam Rankine cycle power plant but leads to increased pumping needs due to continuously elevated molten salt flow rates through the collection system, which can negatively impact STE efficiency. The present work is carried out to maximize the STE efficiency of a hybrid CSP plant utilizing FHI by employing a dynamic optimization framework where a genetic algorithm optimizes the operation of the plant over a given solar irradiance profile. The study concerns a plant hypothetically located in Salt Lake City, Utah. The optimization results confirm the accuracy of a predictive heuristic where the preferred operation of the plant can be estimated relative to local peaks in the incident power generated by the heliostat collection field. The optimized FHI operation demonstrates a yearly STE efficiency of 13.8%, whereas the equivalent base-level hybrid and solar-only plants exhibit solar efficiencies of 13.4% and 11.2%, respectively. Economic analysis shows that FHI reduces yearly natural gas costs, leading to a $0.5/MWh reduction in LCOE relative to the base-level hybrid configuration. Overall, the results show that hybrid FHI schemes exhibit economic benefits along with observed thermodynamic improvements.
The role of hydrogen bonding in pseudo-macrocyclic ring formation in 2,6-dimethyl-1,3,5,7-cyclooctatetraene 1,3,5,7-tetracarboxylic acid monohydrate

2,6-Dimethyl-1,3,5,7-cyclooctatetraene-1,3,5,7-tetracarboxylic acid 3, C14H14O9, was prepared by thermolysis of the corresponding semibullvalene and characterized by spectroscopic and single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies. The monohydrate of 3 crystallizes in the tetrahedral space group P-4n2, a = 11.0924(3) A, c = 12.6799(5) A, V = 1560.15(9) A3, Z = 4. The cyclooctatetraene ring adopts a tub-shaped conformation with a crystallograpically imposed twofold rotational symmetry, and is composed of localized C=C double bonds in the 1,3,5, and 7 positions with an average interatomic distance of 1.327 (5) A and C–C single bonds with an average interatomic distance of 1.489(5) A. The average C=C–C angle in the ring is 122.6(3)°. Each symmetry generated eight-membered ring contains four carboxyl groups, two of which are coplanar with the methyl groups across the C=C ring atoms. However, across the C–C bonds the carboxyl groups and the methyl groups show a torsion angle of 64.3(4)°. The presence of a water molecule in the crystal lattice generates a three-dimensional network of close hydrogen bondings between water and the carboxyl groups of multiple rings. This creates a network of orthogonal 10-membered rings between the 8-membered rings. Two given cyclooctatetraene rings are intermolecularly hydrogen bonded not only directly through their carboxyl groups but also via a bridging water molecule. This effect is rare in polycarboxylic acids and their monohydrates which bond only with water or among themselves.
The politics of community: care and agency in people with intellectual disabilities at L’Arche

Theorists of disability have long noted the lack of inclusion of people with disabilities in social and political life due to architectural, transportation, educational, and legal barriers, to name...
Shadow Banks and Optimal Regulation

We develop a new framework to study regulatory policy in the presence of unregulated financial institutions ("shadow banks'') when there are pecuniary externalities. Using sufficient statistics, we show that optimal regulation in the presence of shadow banks is scaled by a "regulatory arbitrage multiplier.'' This multiplier only depends on aggregate shadow banking activity. Our framework provides guidance on how to regulate currently unregulated financial institutions and sectors. To first order, the marginal welfare gain of regulating a shadow bank is large when a notion of its intermediary activity substitution effects across its activities is large. We further characterize optimal activity-based regulation whereby the planner regulates a particular activity across all shadow banks, e.g. a tax on debt. To first order, gains from activity regulation are large when average substitution effects across intermediaries are large for the regulated activity. We show how our results extend to broader classes of non-pecuniary externalities.
Creation, Kingship, and the Defeat of Evil: A Reflection on Psalm 74

Em mitos da criacao do Antigo Oriente Proximo, ocorre-se frequentemente uma batalha divina contra o caos cosmico. A criacao do mundo e o templo da divindade vitoriosa funcionam como sinais da derrota do mal e do estabelecimento da ordem. Essas ideias ajudam a explicar a justaposicao de um lamento sobre a destruicao do templo (Salmo 74:1-11, 18-23), que levou a comunidade a experimentar alienacao divina, e o hino que proclama a vitoria de Yhwh sobre o caos na criacao (Salmo 74:12-17). Uma analise retorica do poema demonstra a centralidade do hino da criacao no Salmo 74:12-17, indicando que a teologia da criacao funciona como uma fonte de esperanca para a comunidade em desespero e para um mundo marcado pelo pecado, sofrimento e mal.
Mergers That Harm Our Health

We are currently facing a new wave of healthcare mergers in the United States. More and more health insurers, such as Aetna, have started merging with powerful drug suppliers, such as CVS. What do these companies hope to achieve by merging? They want to increase their access to our health data. They want to know our individual biology, our medical history, our level of well-being; they want to know where we go, what we buy, how much we sleep; if we can resist sugar, junk food or nicotine; if we exercise and how often we exercise. In other words, they aim to shape our digital health ID. Why? On one hand, health insurers aim to reduce their risks and therefore their costs by improving our level of well-being. On the other, health insurers aim to reduce their costs by discriminating against us. Indeed, by allowing health insurers to gain access to consumers’ prescription history and health habits, these data driven mergers can create substantial barriers to entry for high-risk consumers who want to enter the health insurance services market. Can the U.S. antitrust enforcers address the harm that these mergers create? Specifically, reduced access to health insurance services for a specific segment of consumers? And, if so, how? This article identifies three potential ways in which the U.S. antitrust enforcers could address the harms that these mergers impose on high-risk consumers. First, the U.S. antitrust enforcers could contend that the vulnerable, high-risk consumers constitute a separate relevant market. Second, they could argue that the proposed merger’s negative impact on high-risk consumers should weigh more heavily than its positive impact on low-risk consumers, notwithstanding that the net effect of the merger should be assessed. Third, the U.S. antitrust enforcers may argue that these mergers facilitate a health insurer’s efforts to violate the Affordable Care Act and should, therefore, be prohibited. Thus, this article is the first to address the need for the U.S. antitrust enforcers and the courts to confront the harm that these data driven mergers pose to high-risk consumers. If not, they risk applying antitrust law in a way that further exacerbates the existing health disparities in the United States.
Approach to the patient: Early post-renal transplant hyperglycemia.

CONTEXT Though post-transplant diabetes mellitus (PTDM, occurring >45 days after transplantation) and its complications are well-described, early post-renal transplant hyperglycemia (EPTH) (<45 days) similarly puts kidney transplant recipients at risk of infections, re-hospitalizations, graft failure and is not emphasized much in the literature. Proactive screening and management of EPTH is required given these consequences. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION A PubMed search was conducted for "early post-renal transplant hyperglycemia", "immediate post-transplant hyperglycemia", "post-renal transplant diabetes", "renal transplant", "diabetes" and combinations of these terms. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS EPTH is associated with significant complications including acute graft failure, re-hospitalizations, cardiovascular events, PTDM and infections. CONCLUSION Patients with diabetes experience better glycemic control in end-stage renal disease (ESRD), with resurgence of hyperglycemia after kidney transplant. Both patients with and without known diabetes are at risk of EPTH. Risk factors include elevated pre-transplant fasting glucose, diabetes, glucocorticoids, chronic infections, and post-transplant infections. We find that EPTH increases risk of re-hospitalizations from infections (CMV, possibly COVID-19), acute graft rejections, cardiovascular events and PTDM. It is essential, hence, to provide diabetes education to patients prior to discharge. Insulin remains the standard of care while inpatient. Close follow up after discharge is recommended for insulin adjustment. Some agents like dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists have shown promise. The tenuous kidney function in the early period post-transplant and lack of data limits the use of sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors. There is a need for studies assessing non-insulin agents for EPTH to decrease risk of hypoglycemia associated with insulin and long-term complications of EPTH.
Multiplexing implementation of rubbing-induced site-selective growth of MoS2 feature arrays

Two-dimensional layered transition-metal dichalcogenides have drawn enormous interest because of their desired electrical and mechanical properties for making various devices with attractive functions. However, the device fabrication process typically introduces lithography-induced contamination and damage to such fragile and sensitive atomically layered materials. Here, we present a multiplexing lithography process system capable of directly generating few-layer molybdenum disulfide ( MoS2) feature arrays with no need of additional lithographic or etching steps. This process combines a site-selective growth scheme based on mechanically generated triboelectric charge patterns and programmable actuation of rubbing templates bearing 2D feature arrays. To achieve a good processing uniformity, we have systematically investigated the effects of implementation of an air cushion on the rubbing template, various interfacing layers on the rubbing features, as well as mechanical load on rubbing templates and substrates. Using this process, we have demonstrated the growth of “L” shaped few-layer MoS2 arrays on SiO2/Si substrates with a good yield.
The Rayleigh—Faxen—Holtzmark Partial Wave Expansion: Phase Shift Method

We shall now solve the scattering problem, that is, find solutions for the Schrodinger equation [eq. (18) of Chapter 41] in the form of eq. (19) of Chapter 41 for a spherically symmetric V(r) that goes to zero faster than 1/r 2 as r → ∞. [Note: For such a potential, the effective V(r) approaches the pure centrifugal term for sufficiently large r. Also, we exclude for the moment the case of scattering via a Coulomb potential with a V(r) that goes to zero only as 1/r at large r. Our assumed V(r) would be good for the scattering of neutrons from complex nuclei, but the scattering of charged particles from nuclei, e.g., the scattering of protons or alpha particles from nuclei, would require a slightly more complicated treatment.]
Human Milk Leptin, Insulin and N6/N3 Fatty Acids are associated with Early Differences in Gut Microbiome of Infants Born to Normal Weight and Obese Mothers

BACKGROUND: Obese mothers deliver offspring with greater risk of developing childhood obesity and the gut microbiome may be an important factor mediating this relationship during infancy. OBJECTIVE...
Correction for Label Leakage in Fluorimetric Assays of Cell Adhesion

Current fluorescence-based adhesion assays that use a 96-well plate format rely on the assumption that the fluorescent label does not significantly leak from the cells. Thus, we evaluated a calcein-based, in vitro adhesion assay in 96-well plates using five different types of leukocytes (HL60 cells, human neutrophils, rat neutrophils, mouse progenitor T cells and EL4 cells). Each cell type leaked calcein at a different rate, with the highest rates found for rat neutrophils and progenitor T cells, which lost as much as 20%-40% of the label within 90 min, the time required to complete the assay. Thus, we developed a procedure to measure the dye leakage rate during the assay in order to obtain a correction factor, which was then used to calculate the "true" number of adherent cells. Data for the adhesion of FTF1 cells to endothelial monolayers, after correction for calcein leakage, deviated less than 10% of adhesion data obtained with a well-established 51Cr-based assay.
Object, scene and actions: combining multiple features for human action recognition

In many cases, human actions can be identified not only by the singular observation of the human body in motion, but also properties of the surrounding scene and the related objects. In this paper, we look into this problem and propose an approach for human action recognition that integrates multiple feature channels from several entities such as objects, scenes and people. We formulate the problem in a multiple instance learning (MIL) framework, based on multiple feature channels. By using a discriminative approach, we join multiple feature channels embedded to the MIL space. Our experiments over the large YouTube dataset show that scene and object information can be used to complement person features for human action recognition.
Keeping Up with the Words: Expressive Phrase Overlapping in the Late Italian Madrigal

For madrigal composers making every effort to follow the words, the transition from one phrase to the next presented a stumbling block. Transitions in sixteenth-century polyphony typically feature a cadence in the exiting phrase and a new point of imitation in the approaching phrase. These events not only interrupt the rate of motion, but also create a musical space which is expressively neutral. In the borderlands between adjacent phrases, therefore, the music often lags behind the verbal text. The present study calls attention to a special type of phrase overlapping, one which brings extra-musical resonance to the areas between one phrase and the next. In expressive phrase overlapping, one or more entries of a new phrase introduce music-rhetorical devices among the closing gestures of the outgoing phrase. The commentary focusses on four types of expressive phrase overlapping, each involving one type of text-expressive licence: dissonance, false relations, chromatic semitones and dissonant leaps. More broadly, the argument attempts to ground analytical enquiry in questions which reflect the aesthetic concerns of the musical culture that produced and received the late madrigal.
Prevalence of gastric and duodenal ulceration in 691 nonsurviving foals (1995–2006)

Summary Reason for performing study: Gastric ulcer disease is reported to be a significant cause of morbidity in foals, but the prevalence of ulcers in this population has not recently been evaluated. Objectives: To determine the prevalence of gastric and duodenal ulceration in nonsurviving foals, and the association of ulceration with the body system of primary diagnosis. Secondary objectives were to evaluate a potential association between age and ulcer prevalence and to evaluate the use of antacid medication in the neonatal hospital population during the study years. Methods: Necropsy records were searched for all equine accessions from 1995 to 2006. Foals aged from one day to 6 months were included. Year, age, breed, sex, diagnosis and the presence of glandular, nonglandular and/or duodenal ulceration were recorded. Diagnoses were divided into groups based on the body system of primary diagnosis, with multiple diagnoses possible. A computerised database was searched for antacid treatment of all neonatal admissions. Results: The overall prevalence of ulcers was 22%, with nonglandular ulcers predominating. Ulceration was significantly associated with gastrointestinal disease. There was no significant change in ulcer prevalence over time, although there was a significant decrease in the use of antacid medications in the later study years. Neonatal foals (<1 month) had a lower ulcer prevalence than older foals. Conclusions: The prevalence of ulcers in foals, although low, has remained stable over time. Gastric or duodenal ulcers are associated with a primary diagnosis of gastrointestinal disease and are less prevalent in neonates. Potential relevance: The prevalence of ulcers in nonsurviving foals is low. Foals with gastrointestinal disease are more likely to have ulcers than foals with other primary diagnoses, and older foals are more likely to have ulceration than neonates. The prevalence of ulceration did not appear to be related to hospital-wide antacid medication use in neonates.
Framing AIDS Facts

This qualitative study examines the construction and framing of HIV/AIDS education and information targeting Black religious institutions in New York City. Research on the high HIV infections rates within the Black community highlight the slow response Black Church leaders took to the emerging epidemic. This research argues that the lack of a response on the part of most Black Church leaders was not a result of homophobia within these churches, as maintained by previous literature, but that HIV/AIDS information and facts were not framed in an appropriate manner for the Black Church. Findings also emphasized the importance of trust in the development of HIV/AIDS promotion materials targeting the Black Church.
Abstract P1-09-16: Exercise and the influence of endocrine therapy on cardiac and metabolic outcomes in breast cancer survivors

Exercise and the Influence of Endocrine Therapy on Cardiac and Metabolic Outcomes in Breast Cancer Survivors Background: Breast cancer survivors (BCS) are at higher risk for decreased cardiovascular fitness and illnesses due to excess weight and sedentary lifestyle. Exercise has been shown to improve fitness, body composition and helps to maintain weight but sparse data exists on the influence of endocrine therapy on these outcomes. Methods : The Yale Fitness Intervention Trial (Yale FIT) was a 12 month RCT comparing aerobic-resistance exercise to home based physical activity. Female cancer survivors who were Results : The majority of the 154 women enrolled were white, married, employed and average age was 52 years. At baseline, mean BMI was 29 (+ 6.8), waist circumference 86.3 (+ 15.3) and subjects reported expending a median of 773 MET minutes per week. A graded exercise stress test was used to measure cardiovascular function. The fitness center group increased time on treadmill (p=0.05) and had improved heart rate recovery (p=0.01) when compared to the home based group. No significant differences were found across time for metabolic outcomes by fitness center or home based group. However, when analyzed by type of endocrine therapy (30% were on an Aromatase Inhibitor (AI), 31% on Tamoxifen (TAM) and 39% were on no endocrine (E) therapy), there was a significant difference in serum insulin and insulin resistance between the fitness center and home based group for women taking TAM at 6 months (p=0.03) and 12 months (p=0.01). Specifically the insulin levels in the fitness center group remained stable while the home based group demonstrated increased serum insulin and insulin resistance. There was a trend for women in the home based groups who gained weight (> 5 lbs) to have higher insulin levels at 12 months (p=0.06). There were no significant changes at 6 or 12 months by group (fitness center or home based), by type of endocrine therapy or by weight change for total lipids, triglycerides, or HDL/LDL. To provide additional insight into the findings, analysis of cytokines and inflammatory markers is in progress. Conclusions : This study confirms the cardiovascular fitness benefits of exercise but the relationship between exercise, endocrine therapy and weight on insulin levels is more complex. Exercise (aerobic-resistance and aerobic) combined with stable weight over 12 months resulted in relatively unchanged insulin levels. In contrast, only aerobic-resistance exercise (fitness center group) appeared to stabilize insulin levels in women who gained weight. Funding : NIH/NCI R01CA122658. Citation Format: M Tish Knobf, Lyndsey Harris, Karl Insogna, Barbara Smith, Sangchoon Jeon. Exercise and the influence of endocrine therapy on cardiac and metabolic outcomes in breast cancer survivors [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirty-Seventh Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2014 Dec 9-13; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(9 Suppl):Abstract nr P1-09-16.
Yield modeling of MCM assembly with flip-chip thermocompression bondings

Flip-chip connections using gold-to-gold, gold-to-aluminum, or gold-to-solder bondings or contacts enhanced by epoxy are low-cost alternatives to soldering. A yield model has been developed for flip-chip, thermocompression bondings. The model predicts the assembly yield as a function of forces and planarities of the end effector, bump height variations, bump geometries, mechanical properties corresponding to different materials and temperatures, and distribution patterns of bumps. The model calculates the deformation of each gold bump under different assembly conditions, and determines if the bonding is good, with a 15 to 45% range, or bad. >
Parameter identification for nonlinear abstract Cauchy problems using quasilinearization

A quasilinearization approach to parameter identification in nonlinear abstract Cauchy problems in which the parameter appears in the nonlinear term, is presented. This approach has two main advantages over the classical one: it is much more intuitive and the derivation of the algorithm is done without need of the sensitivity equations on which classical quasilinearization is based. Sufficient conditions for the convergence of the algorithm are derived in terms of the regularity of the solutions with respect to the parameters. A comparison with the standard approach is presented and an application is included in which the nonphysical parameters in a mathematical model for shape memory alloys are estimated.
Key Considerations for Sensing FeII and FeIII in Aqueous Media

Recently Ghosh et al. reported on the fluorescent response of commercially available N-(2-aminoethyl)naphthalen-1-amine toward FeII, FeIII, and HgII (K. Ghosh, S. Rathi, P. Gupta, P. Vashisth, V. Pruthi, Eur. J. Inorg. Chem. 2015, 311). The authors conclude that metal binding to the diamine chelator leads to chelation-induced quenching; however, the experimental protocols are incompatible with the aqueous chemistry of FeIII, which precludes this interpretation of the data.
Pressureless Sintering of Microscale Silver Paste for 300 °C Applications

High-temperature die attach is necessary to fabricate digital and analog thick film modules for 300 °C applications. Sintered Ag is a promising die attach material, but typically requires pressure during sintering for larger die. Pressureless sintering of a microscale Ag paste has been evaluated with Au and Ag die metallization on Au, Ag, and PdAg thick film metalized substrates. With Au metallization on either the die or the substrate, degradation of shear strength rapidly occurred with aging at 300 °C. Formation of a dense Ag layer and a depletion region near the Au surface was observed with 300 °C aging. This was attributed to the rapid surface diffusion of Ag on Au surfaces at 300 °C. This did not occur with Ag thin film die metallization and Ag and PdAg thick film metallization. After 8000 h at 300 °C, $8 {\rm mm} \times 8$ mm Ag metalized die on Ag thick film substrates could not be sheared at 100 kg of applied force. The same was true for $8 {\rm mm}\times 8$ mm Ag metalized die on PdAg thick film substrates after 2000 h at 300 °C.
Homelessness: Should the United States Do More?

On any given night more 744,000 people are homeless in the United States, approximately 98,000 families. More than 40 percent of those who are homeless have served in the armed services and close to 30 percent are children. While the federal government has implemented various policies and programs designed to address homelessness, aggregate data suggests the number continues to rise. Homelessness, like most adverse social problems can have long-term costs to society. This paper moves forward on the premise that homelessness is a complex and multifaceted social problem and, if left unchecked will have devastating consequences on society at large as well as the fiscal health of the nation. The rationale for this hypothesis is that adverse social conditions, such as homelessness, require government and society to address problems associated with the problem. For example, research suggests there is a correlation between homelessness and poor health, poverty, hunger and a multitude of adverse social problems. All of these problems require government to expend resources. Historically, evaluations of the factors contributing to homelessness have focused on individuals and their inability or unwillingness to embrace main stream values, good work ethics and the adoption of self destructive behavior which leads to poverty and homelessness. This study examines the causes of homelessness in the United States from a social, structural, institutional and systemic perspective. This evaluation focuses on social policy, the structure and philosophy of social programs, unemployment, mental illness, housing shortages and economic conversion as contributing factors to the growing homeless problem. The pressing questions addressed in this evaluation are; should government do more to address homelessness in the United States and, if the homeless population is permitted to grow, relatively unchecked, what are the true costs to society?
Ferromagnetic coupling in d1–d3 linear oxido-bridged heterometallic complexes: ground-state models of metal-to-metal charge transfer excited states

Convenient strategies have been developed to synthesize heterobi/trimetallic oxido complexes containing V(IV)–O–Cr(III), V(IV)–O–Cr(III)–O–Ti(IV) and V(IV)–O–Cr(III)–O–V(IV) cores. These compounds can serve as ground state models for probing the magnetic properties of metal-to-metal charge transfer excited states. Each of these complexes represents the first experimental demonstration of ferromagnetic coupling in a d1–d3 oxido bridged compound, which confirms a long standing theoretical prediction for such a linkage. Structural characterization reveals a similar structure for each of the bi/trimetallic complexes with identical VO bond lengths (∼1.644 A) and a linear V–O–Cr geometry. The Cr–O distances (1.943–1.964 A) are significantly influenced by the ligands in the trans axial positions. Ferromagnetic coupling between the V(IV) and Cr(III) of V–O–Cr is measured by temperature-dependent magnetic susceptibility, showing J = +42.5 to +50.7 cm−1 (H = −2JŜVŜCr). This is further supported by variable temperature X-band EPR. The values of J are found to be consistent with the function J = Aeβr (A = 9.221 × 108 and β = 8.607 A−1), where r is the Cr–O bond distance. We propose a model that links either ferromagnetic or antiferromagentic exchange coupling with long excited state lifetimes in metal-to-metal charge transfer (MMCT) chromophores.
Multi-scale hydrogeologic characterization of a leaky till- mantled fractured bedrock aquifer system

The paper presents hydrogeologic properties for a leaky till–mantled fractured bedrock aquifer system based on geophysical and hydraulic tests performed at a drumlin located in northeastern Massach...
Gap-Junction Suppression of Electrical Activity in Normal and Diabetic Pancreatic Islets

The pancreatic islets of Langerhans are multicellular microorgans which play a central role in maintaining blood glucose homeostasis, through secretion of hormone insulin. Interactions between cells within the islet are critical to enhance and coordinate the β-cell insulin secretion response to glucose. Gap junction channels coordinate membrane potential between β-cells in the islet.This serves to coordinate oscillations in free-calcium activity ([Ca2+]i) and insulin secretion, but also to suppress spontaneous [Ca2+]i elevations under basal glucose.Here we quantify the gap junction suppression of β-cell excitability and describe this with a percolation model of cell-cell coupling. We utilize islets from wild-type mice and 2 transgenic mouse models in which mutations to the KATP channel either increase or decrease excitability in a population of β-cells in the islet. In each set of islets, we quantify the variation of [Ca2+]i and insulin secretion with gap junction coupling, at low glucose and high glucose. In all cases reduced gap junction coupling resulted in elevated [Ca2+]i; with the variation of [Ca2+]i with gap junction conductance showing a similar non-linear relationship which can be described using the percolation model. This variation could also describes insulin release and glucose homeostasis: large elevations in [Ca2+]i predict significant reductions in blood glucose levels. Importantly, in mice expressing KATP channel mutations that reduce insulin secretion and cause severe hyperglycemia and diabetes, a reduction in gap junction coupling elevates insulin release and prevents diabetes.Thus the relationship governing gap junction coupling and the suppression of spontaneous elevations in [Ca2+]i is dependent on the distribution of excitability across β-cells of the islet and the level of coupling between β-cells, and this governs the overall islet response. Utilizing this may be a promising therapeutic treatment for specific monogenic forms of diabetes.
Soil acidification and nitrogen saturation from weathering of ammonium-bearing rock

THE origin of small regions of extremely acidic (pH<4.5) soils in the Klamath mountains of northern California has long been a mystery. These acidic regions are devoid of coniferous vegetation, although surrounded by healthy coniferous forest. Here we show that the extreme soil acidification is caused by nitrogen inputs from ammonium-containing bedrock. Analyses of soil solution composition and bedrock mineralogy reveal that oxidation of ammonium released from the mica schist bedrock generates high levels of nitric acid. The consequent acidity mobilizes potentially toxic levels of aluminium and causes intense leaching of nutrient cations. In the adjacent healthy forest, plant uptake of nitrate attenuates these effects. We suggest that a natural perturbation (for example a small forest fire) caused initial loss of vegetation from the barren regions. We also suggest that subsequent erosion led to serious nutrient depletion of these soils, and that extreme acidification, potentially toxic levels of aqueous aluminium and nutrient deficiencies resulting from cation leaching played a significant role in preventing regrowth. These results show that geological nitrogen, commonly overlooked in biogeochemical cycling but known to be present in appreciable quantities in certain rocks1–8, may represent a large and reactive pool which can have significant ecological effects.
Isotope Effect in Superconducting Lead

The present work is a continuation of earlier measurements of the difference in critical fields of superconducting Pb specimens with various isotopic masses. The isotope samples have been repurified and the low-temperature behavior is now more fully understood. The results near ${T}_{c}$ are consistent with the relation ${T}_{c}=\mathrm{const}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{M}^{p}$, where $M$ is the average isotopic mass, and yield a value $p=\ensuremath{-}0.478\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.014$. The measurements at lower temperatures confirm the similarity principle to within approximately 0.1% and indicate that $\ensuremath{\gamma}$, the coefficient in the normal electronic specific heat, is independent of isotopic mass to a similar accuracy.
Brief Nonlinear stabilization of a thermal convection loop by state feedback

A nonlinear feedback control law that achieves global asymptotic stabilization of a 2D thermal convection loop (widely known for its ''Lorenz system'' approximation) is presented. The loop consists of viscous Newtonian fluid contained in between two concentric cylinders standing in a vertical plane. The lower half of the loop is heated while the upper half is cooled, which makes the no-motion steady state for the uncontrolled case unstable for values of the non-dimensional Rayleigh number R"a>1. The objective is to stabilize that steady state using boundary control of velocity and temperature on the outer cylinder. We discretize the original nonlinear PDE model in space using finite difference method and get a high order system of coupled nonlinear ODEs in 2D. Then, using backstepping design, we transform the original coupled system into two uncoupled systems that are asymptotically stable in l^2-norm with homogeneous Dirichlet boundary conditions. The resulting boundary controls actuate velocity and temperature in the original coordinates. The control design is accompanied by an extensive simulation study which shows that the feedback control law designed on a very coarse grid (using just a few measurements of the flow and temperature fields) can successfully stabilize the actual system for a very wide range of the Rayleigh number.
Automating Production of a New Books List

Our New Title Booklist is a special service provided by the Catalog Department of the Maxwell Library to inform the faculty, students, and staff at Bridgewater State College of the new materials acquired by the library each month (about 1,000 new titles every month). The main entry body of the Booklist is arranged in 32 very broad subject headings (fig. 1), most of which are based on LC Classification Schedules such as EDUCATION and HISTORY. But some headings are actually locations, for example, REFERENCE is used for our REFERENCE collection and CURRICULUM is used for textbooks, instructional aids, and the children's and young adult collections. Within individual subject headings, entries are arranged by call numbers (fig. 2). The cover page is a brief index that leads individual departments to their relevant subject headings (fig. 3).
Diltiazem-induced hyperpigmentation in an African American woman

Americans with a similar clinical presentation and histologic findings on skin biopsy. Lichenoid drug eruptions have been associated with various medications, in particular, gold, antimalarials, and penicillamine. Other inducers of this type of reaction include thiazide diuretics, beta-blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Although other calcium channel blockers have been Diltiazem-induced hyperpigmentation in an African American woman
Mild, moderate, and severe pain in patients recovering from major abdominal surgery.

Pain interferes with various activities, such as coughing, deep breathing, and ambulation, designed to promote recovery and prevent complications after surgery. Determining appropriate cutpoints for mild, moderate, and severe pain is important, because specific interventions may be based on this classification. The purpose of this research was to determine optimal cutpoints for postoperative patients based on their worst and average pain during hospitalization and after discharge to home, and whether the optimal cutpoints distinguished patients with mild, moderate, or severe pain regarding patient outcomes. This secondary analysis consisted of 192 postoperative patients aged ≥60 years. Multivariate analyses of variance were used to stratify the sample into mild, moderate, and severe pain groups using eight cutpoint models for worst and average pain in the last 24 hours. One-way analyses of variance were conducted to determine whether patients experiencing mild, moderate, or severe pain were different in outcome. Optimal cutpoints were similar to those previously reported, with the boundary between mild and moderate pain ranging from 3 to 4 and the boundary between moderate and severe pain ranging from 5 to 7. Worst pain cutpoints were most useful in distinguishing patients regarding fatigue, depression, pain's interference with function, and morphine equivalent administered in the previous 24 hours. A substantial proportion of patients experienced moderate to severe pain. The results suggest a narrow boundary between mild and severe pain that interferes with function. The findings indicate that clinicians should seek to aggressively manage postoperative pain ratings greater than 3.
Earth's Dynamic Systems, 8th Edition

From the very first edition, Hamblin and Christiansen's elementary geology text, Earth's Dynamic Systems, has stood above its competitors in the quality of its illustrations— all of them now in color. These are exceptionally well planned to bring out essential points of the text and are models of clarity and artistic design, especially the three-dimensional cutaway diagrams of tectonic and geomorphic features. Many new drawings and photos have been incorporated in this 8th edition, including dramatic pictures of planetary surfaces. Each of the 25 chapters begins with an opening statement that puts the chapter in a larger context and closes with a list of key terms, some thought-provoking review questions, a list of suggested readings in more advanced works, and—a novel and useful feature—a list of Web sites germane to the chapter. An illustrated glossary and a useful index complete the book. Pages feature wake-up questions for the student, such as “How do we know that streams erode the valleys through which they flow?”
Structure of a hydrophobically collapsed intermediate on the conformational folding pathway of ribonuclease A probed by hydrogen-deuterium exchange.

The unfolded state of disulfide-intact bovine pancreatic ribonuclease A is a heterogeneous mixture of unfolded species which have different X-Pro peptide bond conformations. One of these unfolded species, labeled Uvf, has all its X-Pro peptide bonds in the native conformation. Therefore, the refolding of Uvf is a purely conformational folding process which is not complicated by cis-trans X-Pro peptide bond isomerization. There are two identifiable intermediates on the folding pathway of Uvf: one which is a largely unfolded intermediate (IU) and another which is a hydrophobically collapsed intermediate (I phi). An instrument was built, and experiments were designed to study the structure in IU and I phi by hydrogen-deuterium exchange. These experiments are a combination of a double-jump experiment followed by a pulse-labeling experiment. The native protein was first unfolded to populate Uvf to more than 99%, and then Uvf was refolded for a specified period of time. After refolding, hydrogen-deuterium exchange of the backbone amides was initiated for a given time by raising the pH. Subsequently, the exchange was quenched and the protein was allowed to continue to fold to the native state. The extent of exchange was determined quantitatively by two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy. The data indicate that IU has no secondary structure that can protect the backbone amides from exchange under the conditions employed. On the other hand, in I phi, the second helix (residues 24-34) and a large part of the beta-sheet region of the protein are formed, while the rest of the protein molecule remains unstructured. In general, the protection factors in I phi are low, indicating that this intermediate has a dynamic structure. Our observations are consistent with I phi being a molten-globule-like intermediate. The regular structure formed in I phi is much less than that observed in a hydrogen-bonded intermediate (Ii) populated early on the major slow-refolding pathway of the protein [Udgaonkar, J. B., & Baldwin, R. L. (1990) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 87, 8197-8201]; in addition, the structure in I phi has much lower stability than that in Ii. This implies that a slower refolding rate allows for a higher cooperativity between the different structural elements of the protein, resulting in the formation of more stable (native-like) intermediates (as in Ii) during the folding process.
The antipodal layers problem

Abstract For n>2k and n]={1,2,…,n}, let the bipartite graph M n, k have vertices {A ([n]||A|=k or n–k} and edges {(A,B)|A ⊂ B}. It has been conjuctered that M 2k+1,k (the middle two levels of the Boolean lattice I 2k+1 ) is Hamiltonian, and we conjecture the same for arbitrary n. Here we show that the conjecture holds for n bigger than roughly k2, with k large enough. We also define a new product between ranked posets, giving rise to many new representations of M 2k+1,k .
The effect of light intensity on measurement of the relative afferent pupillary defect.

plegic migraine typically follows or accompanies ocular or periocular pain. Furthermore, in patients with migraine the paralysis usually lasts longer than two hours and tends to persist for longer periods after repeated attacks.' Our patients also cannot be categorized as having simple, central (benign) anisocoria. Although this condition is often familial, benign anisocoria decreases in light, and the mydriatic pupil typically shifts from side to side." Finally, our patients do not fit the syndrome of transient unilateral pupillary dilatation without signs of systemic or neurologic disorder. This usually has been reported in young adult women and typically is associated with blurred vision and headaches." Thompson, Zackon, and Czarnecki' reported a subcategory of 26 similar patients without accompanying headache. Unlike our patients, the affected pupils in these patients peaked in one direction, episodes lasted only about one minute, and in no patients was the disorder associated with fatigue. Fatigue can affect pupillary lability." Perhaps in our patients fatigue accentuates an inherent asymmetry in their supranuclear control of pupillary tone. A supranuclear cause is further suggested by intact sympathetic and parasympathetic pathways and the paucity of associated autonomic findings during periods of anisocoria.
Agarose gel optical waveguides with encapsulation of live cells and integrated microfluidics

We demonstrate optical waveguides, with integrated microfluidics, fabricated out of agarose hydrogel and capable of encapsulating live cells, thus allowing for the interaction of the direct optical mode with the biology rather than the weak evanescent field.