cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Lapse, Relapse, and Recovery in Physical Activity Interventions for Latinas: a Survival Analysis.

Physical activity (PA) research extensively focuses on initiation of PA, yet lapse and relapse among PA intervention participants are less well understood, particularly among minority populations such as Latinas in the USA. This study aimed to (1) determine the probability of lapse during two PA interventions for Latinas; (2) assess demographic, psychosocial, and environmental predictors of the amount of time until first lapse; and (3) identify factors predictive of lapse recovery. Data from 176 Latina intervention participants were pooled. Survival functions and Kaplan–Meier curves were used to illustrate probability of lapse. Cox proportional hazard models assessed predictors of time to lapse. Logistic regressions identified predictors of lapse recovery. The probability of lapse after 1 month of starting to exercise was 18%, escalating to 34% after 4 months. Predictors of earlier lapse included various psychosocial constructs (i.e., self-efficacy and various processes of change), but none of the measured environmental factors, and only one demographic factor (≥ 2 children under 18). Increased use of consciousness raising at 2 months was associated with lower likelihood of lapse recovery, yet use of behavioral processes of change at 6 months was associated with higher likelihood of recovery. Lapsing may not be pre-determined by demographic and environmental characteristics. On the other hand, skills that can be learned through interventions, such as skills to improve self-efficacy, seem important in the delay or prevention of lapses. Results pertaining to lapse recovery are less clear.
Dynamics of Multiphase Flows

Understand multiphase flows using multidisciplinary knowledge in physical principles, modelling theories, and engineering practices. This essential text methodically introduces the important concepts, governing mechanisms, and state-of-the-art theories, using numerous real-world applications, examples, and problems. Covers all major types of multiphase flows, including gas-solid, gas-liquid (sprays or bubbling), liquid-solid, and gas-solid-liquid flows. Introduces the volume-time-averaged transport theorems and associated Lagrangian-trajectory modelling and Eulerian-Eulerian multi-fluid modelling. Explains typical computational techniques, measurement methods and four representative subjects of multiphase flow systems. Suitable as a reference for engineering students, researchers, and practitioners, this text explores and applies fundamental theories to the analysis of system performance using a case-based approach.
Perspectives for synthetic curcumins in chemoprevention and treatment of cancer: An update with promising analogues

Curcumin, a pure compound extracted from the flowering plant, turmeric (Curcuma longa. Zingiberaceae), is a common dietary ingredient found in curry powder. It has been studied extensively for its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial and anti-tumour activities. Evidence is accumulating demonstrating its potential in chemoprevention and as an anti-tumour agent for the treatment of cancer. Despite demonstrated safety and tolerability, the clinical application of curcumin is frustrated by its poor solubility, metabolic instability and low oral bioavailability. Consequently researchers have tried novel techniques of formulation and delivery as well as synthesis of analogues with enhanced properties to overcome these barriers. This review presents the synthetic analogues of curcumin that have proven their anticancer potential from different studies. It also highlights studies that combined these analogues with approved chemotherapies and delivered them via novel techniques. Currently, there are no reports of clinical studies on any of the synthetic congeners of curcumin and this presents an opportunity for future research. This review presents the synthetic analogues of curcumin and makes a compelling argument for their potential application in the management of cancerous disease.
Hemophagocytic syndrome with graft-versus-host disease after liver transplantation: The bone marrow as a not so quiet battlefield?

Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) after liver transplantation (LT) is a rare but horrific scenario. While it is far less common than steroid-refractory GVHD (SR-GVHD) seen after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT), GVHD after LT is more ferocious and lethal.
The Effect of the Coronavirus-2019 Pandemic on Pediatric Critical Care Fellowship Training.

Objective: To assess the impact of the coronavirus-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on pediatric critical care medicine (PCCM) fellowship training through a cross-sectional survey of both program directors (PDs) and fellows. Design: Cross-sectional internet-based survey. Setting: Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)-accredited PCCM fellowship programs in the United States. Subjects: PCCM PDs and fellows. Results: A total of 34 PDs and 92 fellows responded to the national survey (rate of 47% and 17%, respectively). The majority (69%) of respondents agreed that medical education has been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. When PDs were surveyed, 91% noted a significant decrease in the patient census since March 2020, with 59% citing a >15% decrease. Further, 65% reported trainees had less procedural experience. All respondents reported that education was at least in part provided through virtual learning platforms, with nearly half having exclusive remote learning without in-person sessions. Fifty percent of PDs and 62% of fellows reported decreased learner engagement during virtual didactics when compared to in-person education. The majority of PDs reported specific decreases in simulation, procedural skills training, and ultrasound training. Few PDs (15%) and fellows (13-16%) reported redeployment to adult patient care, with northeastern programs having the highest rates. In univariate analyses, decreased PDs confidence in trainee procedural skills was associated with reported decreases in number of procedures performed (P = .0006) and number of procedural skills didactic sessions (P = .0245). Change in the unit census was associated with less PDs confidence in fellows' medical knowledge (P = .0004), fellows' management skills (P = .0232), and fellows' procedural skills (P = .0003), with larger decreases in patient census correlating with larger decreases in confidence. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the education and clinical training of PCCM fellows. More knowledge on this topic can assist PDs in curriculum changes for the future to address any gaps in learning that have occurred.
From Austria, Through Aplysia, Toward the Mind

In Search of Memory. The Emergence of a New Science of Mind. By Eric R. Kandel. Norton, New York, 2006. 526 pp. $29.95, C$42, £19.99. ISBN 0-393-05863-8. The Nobel Prize-winning author weaves together his memories and an accessible sketch of our current understanding of the biological basis of thought, learning, and memory.
k-out-of-n Systems

A k-out-of-n system is a system with n components which functions or works if at least k out of the n components work. Parallel and series systems are special cases of a k-out-of-n system. There are many different arrangements of the components in a k-out-of-n system and many assumptions that can be made about the lifetimes of the components. In this chapter, the lifetimes of the components in the system are assumed to be independent and identically distributed. The reliability function of the system is found by calculating the probability that at least k components out of the n components work. The mean time to failure of the system is also found for the case of components with exponential distributions of lifetimes. In addition, the reliability function for a linear and circular consecutive k-out-of-n system is given. Keywords: k-out-of-n system; reliability; exponential distribution; consecutive k-out-of-n system; circular k-out-of-n system; linear k-out-of-n system; binomial distribution
Microarray-based detection and genotyping of viral pathogens

The detection of viral pathogens is of critical importance in biology, medicine, and agriculture. Unfortunately, existing techniques to screen for a broad spectrum of viruses suffer from severe limitations. To facilitate the comprehensive and unbiased analysis of viral prevalence in a given biological setting, we have developed a genomic strategy for highly parallel viral screening. The cornerstone of this approach is a long oligonucleotide (70-mer) DNA microarray capable of simultaneously detecting hundreds of viruses. Using virally infected cell cultures, we were able to efficiently detect and identify many diverse viruses. Related viral serotypes could be distinguished by the unique pattern of hybridization generated by each virus. Furthermore, by selecting microarray elements derived from highly conserved regions within viral families, individual viruses that were not explicitly represented on the microarray were still detected, raising the possibility that this approach could be used for virus discovery. Finally, by using a random PCR amplification strategy in conjunction with the microarray, we were able to detect multiple viruses in human respiratory specimens without the use of sequence-specific or degenerate primers. This method is versatile and greatly expands the spectrum of detectable viruses in a single assay while simultaneously providing the capability to discriminate among viral subtypes.
Astronomical Publishing: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

Just in the last few years scientific publishing has moved rapidly away from the modes that served it well for over two centuries. As “digital natives” take over the field and rapid and open access comes to dominate the way we communicate, both scholarly journals and libraries need to adopt new business models to serve their communities. This is best done by identifying new “added value” such as databases, full text searching, full cross indexing while at the same time retaining the high quality of peer reviewed publication.
Involvement of Eotaxin, Eosinophils, and Pancreatic Predisposition in Development of Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus in the BioBreeding Rat

Allergy and autoimmunity are both examples of deregulated immunity characterized by inflammation and injury of targeted tissues that have until recently been considered disparate disease processes. However, recent findings have implicated mast cells, in coordination with granulocytes and other immune effector cells, in the pathology of these two disorders. The BioBreeding (BB) DRlyp/lyp rat develops an autoimmune insulin-dependent diabetes similar to human type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), whereas the BBDR+/+ rat does not. To better understand immune processes during development of T1DM, gene expression profiling at day (d) 40 (before insulitis) and d65 (before disease onset) was conducted on pancreatic lymph nodes of DRlyp/lyp, DR+/+, and Wistar-Furth (WF) rats. The eosinophil-recruiting chemokine, eotaxin, and the high-affinity IgE receptor (FceRI) were up-regulated >5-fold in d65 DRlyp/lyp vs d65 DR+/+ pancreatic lymph nodes by microarray (p < 0.05) and quantitative RT-PCR studies (p < 0.05). DR+/+, WF, and d40 DRlyp/lyp animals possessed normal pancreatic histology; however, d65 DRlyp/lyp animals possessed eosinophilic insulitis. Therefore, immunohistochemistry for pancreatic eotaxin expression was conducted, revealing positive staining of d65 DRlyp/lyp islets. Islets of d65 DR+/+ rats also stained positively, consistent with underlying diabetic predisposition in the BB lineage, whereas WF islets did not. Other differentially expressed transcripts included those associated with eosinophils, mast cells, and lymphocytes. These data support an important role for these inflammatory mediators in BB rat T1DM and suggest that the lymphopenia due to the Ian5/(lyp) mutation may result in a deregulation of cells involved in insulitis and β cell destruction.
Fuzzy robot controller tuning with biogeography-based optimization

Biogeography-based optimization (BBO) is an evolutionary algorithm (EA) based upon the models of biogeography, which describe the relationship between habitat suitability and the migration of species across habitats. In this work, we apply BBO to the problem of tuning the fuzzy tracking controller of mobile robots. This is an extension of previous work, in which we used BBO to tune a proportional-derivative (PD) controller for these robots. We show that BBO can successfully tune the shape of membership functions for a fuzzy controller with both simulation and real world experimental results.
The major delayed rectifier in both Drosophila neurons and muscle is encoded by Shab

The delayed rectifier K+ current in Drosophila is similar to the classical delayed rectifier, originally described by Hodgkin and Huxley. Drosophila provides unique tools of mutant analysis to unambiguously determine the genetic identity of this native K+ current. We identified the Shab gene as the exclusive gene underlying delayed rectifier currents in both muscle and neurons. In muscles, a genetic mutation of Shab removes virtually all the whole cell delayed rectifier current (IK), while leaving unaltered the transient A-current encoded by the Shaker gene. In neurons, the Shab mutation also removes the bulk of IK, but leaves unaltered the transient A-current encoded by the Shal gene. Although most of the delayed rectifier current is the product of the Shab gene, the Shaw gene contributes a small "leak" current to most neurons and muscle cells. Thus, in contrast to the A-currents which are encoded by different genes in muscle and neuronal cell bodies (Shaker and Shal, respectively), the predominant IK in both muscle and neurons is encoded by the same gene (Shab). With the genetic identity of IK confirmed, all of the major K+ currents in embryonic Drosophila neurons and muscle are now known.
Effectiveness of best management practices for sediment reduction at operational forest stream crossings

Abstract Temporary skid trail stream crossings have repeatedly been identified as having considerable potential to introduce sediment to streams. Forestry Best Management Practices (BMPs) have proven to be effective for controlling erosion and subsequent sedimentation, yet few studies have quantified sedimentation associated with various levels of BMPs for skidder stream crossings. Three skid trail stream crossing BMP treatments were installed and replicated three times to quantify BMP efficacy for reducing sedimentation. BMP treatments were: (1) slash, (2) mulch and grass seed, and (3) mulch, grass seed, and silt fence. Water samples were collected daily both upstream and downstream from operational skidder stream crossings for one year following timber harvesting and BMP treatment installation. Samples were evaluated for total suspended solids (TSSs). Results indicate that both slash and mulch treatments effectively reduced TSS following harvesting. Slash could be the preferred method of stream crossing closure, due to lower cost, especially if application is incorporated into logging operations. However, if slash was being utilized for biomass and was not available, seed and mulch is a viable option for stream crossing closure. The mulch, seed, and silt fence treatment was the most expensive treatment and led to increased TSS, probably due to silt fence installation disturbances near the streams. Thus, silt fences should not be installed directly adjacent to streambanks, if other alternatives exist.
Universal Concrete, A Typical Aristotelian Duplication of Reality

The German expression "Verdopplung der Wirklichkeit" refers to the difficulty of ovu~L'L in Plato's theory of ideas as criticized by Aristotle.1 Aristotle never gave up Plato's ideas entirely, but only transformed them into immanent forms. So the same difficulty of 4twvu,dcx and, in consequence of it, the duplication are still there in his own philosophy.2 But this duplication is originally Platonic, and not Aristotelian. There is, however, a typically Aristotelian duplication, wlhich causes serious difficulties, yet it escapes the notice of Aristotelian scholars generally. The purpose of this paper is to expose and to discuss this typically Aristotelian duplication.
A purely kinetic justification for application of Ehrenfest theorems to the glass transition

Abstract Approximate applicability of Ehrenfest relations for second order phase transitions to the glass transition is often taken as a reason to consider an “underlying” second order phase transition. The partial applicability of such relations is much better understandable in terms of a purely kinetic theory for the glass transition. The basis is the association of the glass transition with a dynamic percolation (of pair processes, not of particles), reasonable temperature-dependent scaling properties of the entropy and thermal expansion coefficients (compatible with the Lindemann criterion for melting) and the approximate correlation between the glass temperature and the melting temperature (itself related to the Lindemann criterion, the kinetic nature of the glass transition, and the temperature-dependent scaling properties of the entropy, etc.).
Synthesis of tritium-labeled DL-γ-carboxyglutamic acid and its cyclic form 5-oxo-2,4-pyrrolidine dicarboxylic acid

By condensing diethyl ethoxymethylenemalonate with diethyl acetamidomalonate, 5-hydroxy-2,4-dicarbethoxypyrrole was prepared. Hydrogenation over Pt-C to 5-oxo-2,4-dicarbethoxypyrrolidine, followed by alkaline hydrolysis gave γ-carboxyglutamate. Mild alkaline hydrolysis yielded 5-oxo-2,4-pyrrolidine dicarboxylic acid which was isolated as the cyclohexylamine salt. These procedures were applied to prepare tritium-labeled γ-carboxyglutamic acid (4.9 Ci/mmol) and its cyclic form (6.1 ci/mmol).
Phase-shift calculation of electron mobility in n -type silicon at low temperatures

The mobility of electrons in $n$-type silicon has been calculated and compared with the available experimental data for temperatures between 5 and 80 K. Ionized impurity scattering is treated using the partial-wave phase-shift formalism. It is found that since the Born approximation is invalid at low temperatures, use of Brooks-Herring theory introduces serious error in that regime. For relatively pure samples excellent agreement between theory and experiment is observed, while the agreement is not as good for more highly doped samples. Possible reasons for this disagreement are discussed.
Prolonged Effect of Inhaled Glycopyrrolate in Asthma

Glycopyrrolate, a quaternary ammonium anticholinergic compound is a potentially useful bronchodilator. To determine the efficacy, optimal dose, and duration of action of inhaled glycopyrrolate, we gave the drug to 11 asthmatic patients. Each subject received placebo or glycopyrrolate (100, 200, 600, or 1,200 micrograms) by inhalation in a double-blind, randomized, crossover design. Measurements included FEV1, FVC, heart rate, and blood pressure before administration of the drug and periodically for 12 hours. For eight hours following all doses of glycopyrrolate, both FEV1 and FVC (both as percent of predicted) were significantly greater for drug than for placebo. Glycopyrrolate may be a useful long-acting drug for the treatment of asthma.
Nonviolent information transfer from black holes: A field theory parametrization

A candidate parametrization is introduced, in an effective field theory framework, for the quantum information transfer from a black hole that is necessary to restore unitarity. This in particular allows for description of the effects of this information transfer in the black hole atmosphere, for example seen by infalling observers. In the presence of such information transfer, it is shown that infalling observers need not experience untoward violence. Moreover, the presence of general moderate-frequency couplings to field modes with high angular momenta offers a mechanism to enhance information transfer rates, commensurate with the increased energy flux, when a string is introduced to ``mine'' a black hole. Generic such models for nonviolent information transfer predict extra energy flux from a black hole, beyond that of Hawking.
Improved prefix encodings of the natural numbers (Corresp.)

Two classes of encodings of the natural numbers are introduced, all of which are universal asymptotically optimal. The asymptotically best encodings in these classes are determined and are found to improve on previous encoding. The results are related to channel capacity and unbounded searching.
Evaluating the analgesic effect of the perioperative perineural infiltration of bupivacaine and clonidine at the site of injury following lower extremity amputation

Summary Background Pain following amputation surgery represents a significant source of morbidity and may lead to an increased incidence of phantom limb pain. Regional analgesic techniques designed to reduce acute and chronic pain following amputation surgery have yielded conflicting results. Clonidine, an α-2 agonist, may provide for a reduction in acute and chronic pain following nerve injury in the rat model. This study was designed to examine the effect of perineural infiltration of clonidine on acute and chronic pain following lower extremity amputation. Methods Eighty patients undergoing lower extremity amputation received a perineural injection of 10 mL bupivacaine 0.25% and clonidine 100 μg ( n = 40) or 10 mL normal saline ( n = 40) prior to nerve transection. Pain scores and opioid use were recorded for the first 72 h postoperatively. One year after surgery, patients were contacted to determine the incidence of phantom limb and stump pain. Results Patients receiving perineural bupivacaine and clonidine reported lower pain scores and consumed less opioids during the first postoperative day. There were no differences in pain scores or opioid use on postoperative days 2 or 3. There were no differences in the incidence of phantom limb pain (86% versus 82%) or stump pain (34% versus 29%) in the perineural clonidine infiltration group compared to the control group, respectively. Conclusions The perineural infiltration of bupivacaine and clonidine at the site of nerve transection results in a reduction in acute pain but has no effect on the incidence of long-term phantom limb or stump pain following lower extremity amputation.
Structure of Poly (U).poly (A).poly (U).

Abstract The molecular structure of poly (U) • poly (A) • poly (U) has been determined and refined using the continuous x-ray intensity data on layer lines in the diffraction pattern obtained from an oriented fiber of the RNA. The final R-value for the preferred structure is 0.24, far lower than that for the plausible alternatives. The polymer forms an 11-fold right-handed triple-helix of pitch 33.5a and each base triplet is stabilized by Crick-Watson-Hoogsteen hydrogen bonds. The ribose rings in the three strands have C3′-endo, C2′-endo and C2′-endo conformations, respectively. The helix derives additional stability through systematic interchain hydrogen bonds involving ribose hydroxyls and uracil bases. The relatively grooveless cylindrical shape of the triple-helix is consistent with the lack of lateral organization.
The relationship between lower neck shear force and facet joint kinematics during automotive rear impacts

A primary goal of biomechanical safety research is the definition of localized injury thresholds in terms of quantities that are repeatable and easily measureable during experimentation. Recent biomechanical experimentation using human cadavers has highlighted the role of lower cervical facet joints in the injury mechanism resulting from low-speed automotive rear impacts. The present study was conducted to correlate lower neck forces and moments with facet joint motions during simulated rear impacts in an effort to define facet joint injury tolerance thresholds that can be used to assess automobile safety. Four male and four female intact head-neck complexes were obtained from cadaveric specimens and subjected to simulated automotive rear impacts using a pendulum-minisled device. Cervical spine segmental angulations and localized facet joint kinematics were correlated to shear and axial forces, and bending moments at the cervico-thoracic junction using linear regression. R(2) coefficients indicated that spinal kinematics correlated well with lower neck shear force and bending moment. Correlation slope was steeper in female specimens, indicating greater facet joint motions for a given loading magnitude. This study demonstrated that lower neck loads can be used to predict lower cervical facet joint kinematics during automotive rear impacts. Higher correlation slope in female specimens corresponds to higher injury susceptibility in that population. Although lower neck shear force and bending moment demonstrated adequate correlation with lower cervical facet joint motions, shear force is likely the better predictor due to similarity in the timing of peak magnitudes with regard to maximum facet joint motions.
Real-Time Catheter-Directed MRA With Effective Background Suppression and Persistent Rendering

Purpose To develop an imaging and visualization technique for real-time magnetic resonance angiography (rt-MRA) fully integrated with a real-time interactive imaging environment on a clinical MR scanner.
Time in test cage and behavior after amygdalectomy in infant rhesus monkeys

Abstract Adolescent monkeys that had sustained bilateral amygdalectomy during infancy were observed immediately after transfer to a test cage, and again 24 hr after the move. Operated monkeys changed from one behavior to another more often than controls immediately after transfer to the test cage, but not after 24 hr. After 24 hr operated monkeys spent more time in oral and manual exploration of the cage than did the controls, but there were no significant group differences immediately after transfer. Operated monkeys thus were abnormalboth in frequency of behavioral change and in amount of time spent exploring, but both deficiencies would not have been detected had only one of the above test procedures been used. It is suggested that amount of time spent in the test cage prior to testing may be an important variable in detecting subtle changes in behavior after brain damage.
Low-temperature sintering of a nanosilver paste for attaching large-area power chips

A low-temperature silver sintering technology is emerging as a lead-free die-attach solution for high-reliability packaging of power electronics devices and modules. Sintered chips on substrate are reported to have excellent heat dissipation and capability of working at higher junction temperatures. However, one concerning issue with many of the silver sintering die-attach processes is the requirement of large uniaxial stress or pressure, ranging from 10 MPa to 40 MPa, to lower the sintering temperature to about 250°C. In this paper, we report our findings in the evaluation of a nanosilver paste technology developed to eliminate pressure needed for the silver-sintering die-attach process. The nanosilver paste was analyzed by TGA and DSC to show its weight loss and enthalpy characteristics associated with solvent evaporation, binder burn-out, and densification. A custom optical system was used to measure bond-line shrinkage behavior. A fractional factorial design of experiments was carried out to identify the importance and interaction of various processing parameters, such as pressure, temperature and time, on the bond strength and microstructure of sintered nanosilver joints. Based on the findings, a simple die-attach process, consisting of pressure-drying at 180°C under a few MPa pressure, followed by sintering below 260°C with zero pressure was found to produce strong die bonding with strength in excess of 30 MPa.
Computer graphics presentations and analysis of hydrogen bonds from molecular dynamics simulation

To obtain better insights into the dynamic nature of hydrogen bonding, computer graphics representations were introduced as an aid for the analysis of molecular dynamics trajectories. A schematic representation of hydrogen bonding patterns is generated to reflect the frequency and the type of hydrogen bonding occurring during the simulation period. Various trajectory plots for monitoring geometrical parameters and for analyzing three-center hydrogen bonding were also generated. The methods proposed are applicable to a variety of biopolymers. In this study, hydrogen bonding in the d(G)6.d(C)6 system was examined. For the nucleic acid fragments examined, three-center hydrogen bonds can be classified as in-plane and major or minor groove types. The in-plane three-center hydrogen bond represents a stable state in which both bonds simultaneously satisfy the relaxed hydrogen bonding criteria for a measurable period. On the other hand, groove three-center hydrogen bonds behave as a transient intermediate state in a flip-flop hydrogen bonding system.
Doppler ultrasound in orifice flow. In vitro studies of the relationship between pressure difference and fluid velocity

Abstract The validity of an orifice equation (Torricelli's law) which expresses a simple relationship between the pressure difference across an orifice and the maximum fluid velocity in the orifice was tested in vitro . An aqueous suspension of barium sulfate particles with a polymer added to attain variations in viscosity, was forced through orifices which ranged in diameter from 0.4 to 4.7 mm. The pressure difference across the orifice was determined with a transducer and the maximum fluid velocity in the orifice was determined with Doppler ultrasound. Tests were performed at Reynolds numbers, fluid viscosities, and pressure differences that spanned the following ranges: 400–25000, 1–5 cP, and 3–100 mmHg, respectively. At pressure differences larger than 3 mmHg and fluid viscosity 3 cP (approximate viscosity of in vivo blood), Torricelli's law was demonstrated to be valid for orifice diameters larger than 1.6 mm. The validity of the law was found to be relatively insensitive to variations in orifice length.
Toward a standard nomenclature for calorimetry

A systematic nomenclature for describing calorimeters is proposed. The instrument name and description must include four parts: the method of heat measurement, a description of the temperature control of the surroundings, a description of the means of initiating the heat effect, and a description of the operation of the calorimeter including data analysis.
Measuring Systemic Polarity

Indicators of the tightness and discreteness of poles in the international system, as well as of the distribution of capabilities and interaction opportunities among poles, are developed. With alliance bonds as the focus, scores for each indicator are presented for each year of the past century and a half, and several prevalent theories linking polarity to war are tested. The amount of major power war begun during five-year periods is found to be unrelated to the tightness of the poles, although increases in tightness are substantially associated with large amounts of war. Bipolar systems are found to experience less war than multipolar systems, with increases in the number of clusters being especially strongly associated with the amount of major power war during subsequent five-year periods. Neither changes in the discreteness nor the distribution of capabilities among the poles has any appreciable effect on the amount of major power war.
A direct solver for variable coefficient elliptic PDEs discretized via a composite spectral collocation method

A numerical method for variable coefficient elliptic problems on two-dimensional domains is presented. The method is based on high-order spectral approximations and is designed for problems with smooth solutions. The resulting system of linear equations is solved using a direct solver with O(N^1^.^5) complexity for the pre-computation and O(NlogN) complexity for the solve. The fact that the solver is direct is a principal feature of the scheme, and makes it particularly well suited to solving problems for which iterative solvers struggle; in particular for problems with highly oscillatory solutions. Numerical examples demonstrate that the scheme is fast and highly accurate. For instance, using a discretization with 12 points per wavelength, a Helmholtz problem on a domain of size 100x100 wavelengths was solved to ten correct digits. The computation was executed on a standard laptop; it involved 1.6M degrees of freedom and required 100 s for the pre-computation, and 0.3 s for the actual solve.
Ethical Concerns and Guidelines in Research in Geriatric Pharmacology and Therapeutics: Individualization, Not Codification

Compared with people of other ages, the elderly are much more heterogeneous in terms of physical and mental status, and they are subject to more day-to-day variability. However, some see the institutionalized elderly as stereotypes, having little autonomy and being easily subjugated such that they will consent to take part in any sort of experiment. Thus, a counter-productive paternalism may lead them to protect elderly patients by making such choices for them. The interests of the incompetent elderly must be scrupulously protected, but competent elderly potential subjects can appropriately be assumed to be responsible and should be accorded the dignity of making their own choices. The consent process should be individualized rather than codified for the elderly, as for potential subjects of other ages.
Diffusionism Reconsidered: Linguistic and Archaeological Evidence for Prehistoric Polynesian Contact with Southern California

While the prevailing theoretical orthodoxy of North American archaeology overwhelmingly discourages consideration of transoceanic cultural diffusion, linguistic and archaeological evidence appear to indicate at least one instance of direct cultural contact between Polynesia and southern California during the prehistoric era. Three words used to refer to boats - including the distinctive sewn-plank canoe used by Chumashan and Gabrielino speakers of the southern California coast - are odd by the phonotactic and morphological standards of their languages and appear to correlate with Proto-Central Eastern Polynesian terms associated with woodworking and canoe construction. Chumashan and Gabrielino speakers seem to have borrowed this complex of words along with the sewn-plank construction technique itself sometime between ca. A.D. 400 and 800, at which time there is also evidence for punctuated adaptive change (e.g., increased exploitation of pelagic fish) and appearance of a Polynesian style two-piece bone fishhook in the Santa Barbara Channel. These developments were coeval with a period of major exploratory seafaring by the Polynesians that resulted in the discovery and settlement of Hawaii - the nearest Polynesian outpost to southern California. Archaeological and ethnographic information from the Pacific indicates that the Polynesians had the capabilities of navigation, boat construction, and sailing, as well as the cultural incentives to complete a one-way passage from Hawaii to the mainland of southern California. These findings suggest that diffusion and other forms of historical contingency still need to be considered in constructions of North American prehistory.
THE RATIO OF LEFT VENTRICULAR END SYSTOLIC VOLUME INDEX AND QRS DURATION IS A POTENT PREDICTOR OF RESPONSE IN PATIENTS WITH A LBBB UNDERGOING CARDIAC RESYNCHRONIZATION THERAPY

CRT benefits those patients with advanced heart failure with LV conduction delay as measured by QRS duration (QRSd). An increase in QRSd, however, may result from a combination of electrical delay and mass effect from LV dilation. This balance may be variable such that patients with a small LV and a
Minimising the number of aircraft for a transportation network

Abstract A case is presented of a transportation problem involving eight locations. Known for each location is the quantity of goods to be shipped by air to the other seven locations and the travel time between locations. The transport can be directly to each destination or via other locations. The capacity of the aircraft is specified. The transportation has to be completed between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. This problem was solved in three stages. First a lower bound for the number of aircraft was determined. Secondly a network was established by mixed integer programming which minimizes the total travel time to transport all the goods to their respective destinations without violating the capacity constraints. Thirdly, the individual aircraft were assigned to part of the network in such a way that the total travel time per aircraft is within the specified time period.
Ultrashort SiGe Heterojunction Bipolar Transistor-Based High-Speed Optical Modulator

A graded base SiGe HBT optical modulator has high-speed, high optical modulation efficiency, small footprint. In this paper, we present our work in the design and modeling of an HBT optical modulator, its driver circuit and fabrication and integration. A high-efficient HBT electro-optical (EO) modulator with π phase-shift length of 22.6 μm is investigated. The speed of this modulator is calculated to be 30 Gb/s. To verify the functionality of HBT structure as an EO modulator, an 80 Gb/s serializer and driver with an HBT modulator is fabricated by the IBM 8HP BiCMOS process, which has much higher speed but lower modulation efficiency.
Evidence for De Novo Synthesis of Isocitratase and Malate Synthesis in Germinating Peanut Cotyledons

Evidence for de novo synthesis of isocitratase and malate synthetase in cotyledons of germinating peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) was obtained by the density labeling method. When dry peanut cotyledons were cultured in H(2) (18)O, a 2.4% increase in the buoyant density of malate synthetase in a cesium chloride gradient was observed. In 100% D(2)O the buoyant density shift was 5.5% for isocitratase and 3.5% for malate synthetase in comparison to the water controls. These data suggest that isocitratase and malate synthetase do not pre-exist in some inactive form in the cotyledons, but are completely synthesized after onset of germination from a pool of amino acids which do not derive directly from hydrolysis of storage proteins.
Non-Gaussianity and Large Scale Structure in a two-field Inflationary model

Single-field inflationary models predict nearly Gaussian initial conditions, and hence a detection of non-Gaussianity would be a signature of the more complex inflationary scenarios. In this paper we study the effect on the cosmic microwave background and on large-scale structure from primordial non-Gaussianity in a two-field inflationary model in which both the inflaton and curvaton contribute to the density perturbations. We show that in addition to the previously described enhancement of the galaxy bias on large scales, this setup results in large-scale stochasticity. We provide joint constraints on the local non-Gaussianity parameter f(over-tilde)_(NL) and the ratio ξ of the amplitude of primordial perturbations due to the inflaton and curvaton using WMAP and Sloan Digital Sky Survey data.
Understanding protein unfolding from molecular simulations

Experimental biophysical techniques can probe the native, transition, intermediate, and denatured states of proteins. The characterization of these states and the conversion between states provide us with information about folding, dynamics, misfolding, and the origin of mechanical strength in response to force. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are a complementary theoretical technique that provides atomic detail to the experimental measurements particularly through careful benchmarking and validation against experiment. Furthermore, MD simulations often correctly predict the outcome of experiments and provide new and interesting avenues of investigation. Our understanding of protein unfolding is being pushed forward by the symbiosis of experimental and theoretical methods. Here, we review investigations of several protein systems and highlight the close interplay between experiment and simulation in providing an atomic resolution view of protein unfolding, which provide us with the general principles for folding and the origin of mechanical strength. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Agricultural production and wetland habitat quality in a coastal prairie ecosystem: simulated effects of alternative resource policies on land-use decisions

We describe an integrated systems model of the coastal prairie ecosystem in Texas, USA to simulate the effect of alternative federal resource policy scenarios (crop subsidies) for rice (Oryza sativa) on land-use decisions of farmers and the subsequent impact on lesser snow goose (Anser caerulescens caerulescens) habitat. We evaluate the ability of the model to predict shifts in land use, agricultural production, economic viability of farms, and the resulting wetland habitat quality for geese, in view of the uncertainty concerning representation of farmers' land-use decision making processes (management styles). We then simulate shifts in land use, rice and cattle production, farm profitability, and level of wetland habitat use by geese that might result from three alternative federal resource policy scenarios and three alternative farmers' management styles. We found changes in land-use allocation, rice and cattle production, and farm profitability resulting from the policy scenarios affected habitat use by geese. Policy financial incentives, market price for rice, level of rice production, and farm size were important factors that affected wetland habitat use by geese. The management styles of farmers affected the quality of wetland habitat when policy scenarios required rice to be grown with conventional production methods. In this case, farmers, particularly those who were concerned about maintaining farming as a way of life, continued rice production and maintained wetland habitat for geese even when crop subsidies decreased over time. The public benefited from the decision making of these farmers because the important indirect use value (wildlife habitat and water quality) and existence value (biodiversity and cultural history) of rice agriculture was maintained as an agroecosystem.
The development of a multi-target compiler-writing system for flight software development

A wide variety of systems designed to assist the user in the task of writing compilers has been developed. A survey of these systems reveals that none is entirely appropriate to the purposes of the MUST project, which involves the compilation of one or at most a small set of higher-order languages to a wide variety of target machines offering little or no software support. This requirement dictates that any compiler writing system employed must provide maximal support in the areas of semantics specification and code generation, the areas in which existing compiler writing systems as well as theoretical underpinnings are weakest. This paper describes an ongoing research and development effort to create a compiler writing system which will overcome these difficulties, thus providing a software system which makes possible the fast, trouble-free creation of reliable compilers for a wide variety of target computers.
Vessel Buybacks in Fisheries: The Role of Auction and Financing Structures

Vessel buyback programs intended to address overcapacity and excess capitalization in fisheries can lead to dramatically different levels of decapitalization depending on program structure and availability of vessel-specific information. This paper develops a simple theoretical model of self-financing vessel buybacks to examine equilibrium outcomes using sequential versus take-it-or-leave-it auctions, and financing schemes which allocate costs either homogeneously or according to rents captured through the buyback. This model demonstrates that programs which spread costs evenly among remaining vessels limit the possible extent of buybacks, as do programs which buy vessels one at a time in sequence rather than all at once. In addition to the theoretical modeling, a stylized case study inspired by the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Fishery is also provided. This analysis suggests that a wide range of auction structures could roughly half the size of the existing fleet, and starkly demonstrates how information poor settings can entirely derail a buyback.
Realization of population inversion under nonadiabatic conditions induced by the coupling between vibrational modes via Raman fields

We study the effects of coupling between molecular vibrational modes attendant the excitation of Raman transitions. Raman active vibrational modes are described by two two-level systems (TLSs) with nondegenerate ground states. The population inversion is investigated under the condition of zero relative phase between initially populated states. We use two ultrafast laser pulses for the pump and the Stokes fields that have chirps the same in the magnitude and opposite in the sign. Within this model, the coupling induces nonadiabatic effects leading to a diverse population distribution. By introducing the time delay between the Stokes and the pump pulse, we realized a complete population transfer in both coupled TLSs. We demonstrated the population inversion in a more generic case of the averaged initial relative phase. V C 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Optimal Exchange Rate Policy Under Unknown Pass-through and Learning With Applications to Korea

The purpose of this analysis is to explore optimal monetary and exchange rate policy in continuous time when there is uncertainty in the exchange rate pass-through mechanism. Selecting official reserves as an operating target, optimal feedback control rules are derived using MATLAB Simulink under a stochastic linear-quadratic Gaussian specification with a Kalman observer approach to learning the differing pass-through expectations. The model is estimated using discrete time Korean data, which is transformed into the continuous time model where simulations are applied to the Korean economy.
The effect of exogenous ethylene and methyl jasmonate on pal activity, phenolic profiles and antioxidant capacity of carrots (Daucus carota) under different wounding intensities

Abstract In this study it was shown that wounding in combination with hormone stresses synergistically enhanced the accumulation of bioactive phenolic compounds in carrot tissue. Whole carrots and carrots cut in slices, pie-cuts and shreds were exposed to 250 μL/L methyl jasmonate and 1000 μL/L ethylene treatments. Results indicated that hormone stress-induced phenolic compounds and phenylalanine ammonia lyase enzyme activity were dependent upon wounding intensity. The synthesized phenolics correlated to an increase in antioxidant capacity (AOX). In addition, both stresses affected the phenolic profiles. The different proportions of chlorogenic acid, dicaffeoylquinic acid and ferulic acid, for each stress and combinations, influenced the specific AOX of the phenolic profiles (the effectiveness of the phenolic compounds to neutralize free radicals). The bitter compound isocoumarin was mostly affected by the ethylene treatment compared to methyl jasmonate or wounding alone. Exposure to combined abiotic stresses could provide more AOX to regular diets and be a less expensive alternative to genetic modifications and breeding programs.
Illusory spirals and loops in crystal growth

The theory of dislocation-controlled crystal growth identifies a continuous spiral step with an emergent lattice displacement on a crystal surface; a mechanistic corollary is that closely spaced, oppositely winding spirals merge to form concentric loops. In situ atomic force microscopy of step propagation on pathological l-cystine crystals did indeed show spirals and islands with step heights of one lattice displacement. We show by analysis of the rates of growth of smaller steps only one molecule high that the major morphological spirals and loops are actually consequences of the bunching of the smaller steps. The morphology of the bunched steps actually inverts the predictions of the theory: Spirals arise from pairs of dislocations, loops from single dislocations. Only through numerical simulation of the growth is it revealed how normal growth of anisotropic layers of molecules within the highly symmetrical crystals can conspire to create features in apparent violation of the classic theory.