cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Antiphospholipid antibody prevalence in patients with IVF failure

Antiphospholipid antibodies (APAs) have been associated with reproductive wastage. The purpose of this study was to establish the prevalence of APAs in women who have had at least 12 embryos transferred during several in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycles without ensuing pregnancy. Sera from 42 women with IVF failure and 42 women who successfully conceived after IVF were tested for the presence of APAs by ELISA. Successful post-IVF pregnancy was determined by obtaining two consecutive rising beta-hCG levels followed by an ultrasound to confirm a viable conceptus. The sera were tested for three isotypes of antibody : IgA, IgG, and IgM against seven phospholipids : cardiolipin (CL), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylinositol (PI), phosphatidic Acid (PA), phosphatidyl-glycerol (PG), phosphatidylcholine (PC), and phosphatidyl-serine (PS). From the IVF failure group, 11/42 (26.2%) were positive for APAs. From the control group, 2/42 (4.8%) were found positive only for IgA against PE. The difference between IVF failure and successful IVF groups was significant (P=0.01). These results suggest that antiphospholipid antibodies should be considered an important marker for increased risk of IVF failure. Patients who are involved with an IVF program should be tested for the presence of APAs prior to initiation of an IVF cycle.
Ultra-smooth metal surfaces generated by pressure-induced surface deformation of thin metal films

We present a mechanical pressing technique for generating ultra-smooth surfaces on thin metal films by flattening the bumps, asperities, rough grains and spikes of a freshly vacuum deposited metal film. The method was implemented by varying the applied pressure from 100 MPa to 600 MPa on an e-beam evaporated silver film of thickness 1000 A deposited on double-polished (100)-oriented silicon surfaces, resulting in a varying degree of film smoothness. The surface morphology of the thin film was studied using atomic force microscopy. Notably, at a pressure of ∼600 MPa an initial silver surface with 13-nm RMS roughness was plastically deformed and transformed to an ultra-flat plane with better than 0.1 nm RMS. Our demonstration with the e-beam evaporated silver thin film exhibits the potential for applications in decreasing the scattering-induced losses in optical metamaterials, plasmonic nanodevices and electrical shorts in molecular-scale electronic devices.
Liver resection for metastatic colorectal cancer in patients with concurrent extrahepatic disease: results in 127 patients treated at a single center.

Surgical resection for patients with hepatic and extrahepatic (EHD) colorectal metastases is controversial. We analyzed our experience with hepatic resection in patients with concomitant EHD. The aims were to characterize survival, recurrence rates, and factors associated with outcome. From 1992 to 2007, 1,369 patients underwent resection of hepatic colorectal metastases, of whom 127 (9%) had concurrent resection of EHD. Survival and recurrence were compared between patients with and without EHD. Survival data were stratified by site of metastatic involvement. Variables potentially associated with survival were analyzed in univariate and multivariate analyses. Median follow-up was 24 months (range 3–152 months). The 3- and 5-year survival for patients with concomitant EHD were 47% and 26%, respectively, compared with 67% and 49%, for those without EHD (P < 0.001). Among the patients with EHD, multivariate analysis identified higher clinical risk score, incomplete resection of all EHD, EHD detected intraoperatively, and having received neoadjuvant chemotherapy to be independently associated with a worse survival. Patients with portal lymph node metastases had worse survival than those with lung or ovarian metastases. Among patients who had a complete resection of all disease, 95% recurred. Concurrent resection of hepatic and EHD in well-selected patients is associated with a possibility of long-term survival. The presence of limited and resectable EHD should not be an absolute contraindication to resection. The site of EHD and the nearly universal recurrence rate must be taken into consideration.
Optical response of deep defects as revealed by transient photocapacitance and photocurrent spectroscopy in CdTe/CdS solar cells

Abstract Transient photocapacitance (TPC) and photocurrent (TPI) spectroscopy were used to characterize defects in CdTe/CdS solar cells. A broad defect band is observed at an optical energy of 1.28 eV above the valence band, and such a defect is not indicated by admittance spectroscopy and drive-level capacitance profiling. Temperature-dependent TPC measurements of the defect band follow a thermal quenching model in which the defect׳s energy, 0.22 eV below the conduction band, is consistent with the optical response. We provide a theoretical basis for the use of a thermal quenching model in TPC.
Histochemistry of the “sexual segment” granules of the male rattlesnake kidney

The histochemistry of the “sexual segment” granules of the kidney of male diamondback rattlesnakes has been studied to define the nature of these andro-genically responsive granules. The kidneys were variously fixed and sections stained with a number of acid dyes, as well as by a variety of carbohydrate, lipid, and protein histochemical methods. The results indicate that “sexual segment” granules bind acid dyes strongly, contain some lipids and neutral glyco- or mucoproteins, much tyrosine and lysine, and some tryptophan and cysteine. A resemblance, concluded to be superficial, is noted between the histochemical properties of zymogen granules and the predominantly proteinaceous “sexual segment” granules.
Subsets of a finite set that intersect each other in at most one element

Abstract In this paper we study de Bruijn-Erdos type theorems that deal with the foundations of finite geometries. The following theorem is one of our main conclusions. Let S1,…, Sn be n subsets of an n-set S. Suppose that |Si| ⩾ 3 (i = 1,…,n) and that |Si ∩ Sj| ⩽ 1 (i ≠ j;i,j = 1,…,n). Suppose further that each Si has nonempty intersection with at least n − 2 of the other subsets. Then the subsets S1,…,Sn of S are one of the following configurations. (1) They are a finite projective plane. (2) They are a symmetric group divisible design and each subset has nonempty intersection with exactly n − 2 of the other subsets. (3) We have n = 9 or n = 10 and in each case there exists a unique configuration that does not satisfy (1) or (2).
Restriction endonuclease analysis of ribosomal DNA from Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The size and the degree of homogeneity of the repetitive units in purified ribosomal DNA (γ DNA) from Saccharomyces cerevisiae have been analyzed by restriction endonuclease digestion and heteroduplex mapping. Digestion of the γ DNA with EcoRI yields seven fragments, digestion with Hind II+III yields five fragments, digestion with Hind III alone yields two fragments, and digestion with Sma I yields one fragment. The sum of the fragment molecular weights after digestion with each of the endonucleases is 5.5–5.6×106. When the DNA strands of the Sma I fragment are dissociated and reannealed, only homoduplexes are formed. We have concluded from these results that the repeating units in yeast ribosomal DNA are 5.6×106 daltons and are homogeneous in size and composition.
Angle-Dependent Photoionization Cross Sections of Cu

It is shown that the positions of the peaks in the angle-resolved photoemission spectra from a Cu(111) surface for $h\ensuremath{\nu}=11.6\ensuremath{-}40.8$ eV are predicted reasonably well by the initial-state band structure and a single-plane-wave final state, but the strengths of the peaks are described by atomiclike dipole selection rules.
Use of ghosts in the description of physical states

An operator approach to the use of Becchi-Rouet-Stora-Tyutin symmetry in the description of physical states is presented. By using the geometric interpretation of ghosts one finds that it is possible to encode topological data into the structure of the state space.
Individual measurements of the emission factor of aerosol black carbon in automobile plumes

As automobiles passed a measuring point, we recorded the concentrations of carbon dioxide and aerosol black carbon (BC) in their dispersing exhaust plumes. After subtraction of background levels, the ratio of the increments of these species allows us to calculate the emission factor of BC per unit mass of fuel from each individual vehicle. These factors spanned a range of greater than two orders of magnitude, representing the emission of from 4 × 10−6 to 10−3 grams of aerosol black carbon per gram of carbon consumed in the fuel. Their distribution showed that 20 percent of the vehicles accounted for 65 percent of the emissions. The real-time measurement methodology allows for a determination of the distribution of emission factors across the actual population of sources. These results are similar to the wide range of carbon monoxide emission factors reported recently.
Non-classical antimetabolites. V. Further factors in the design of exo-alkylating enzyme inhibitors, particularly of lactic dehydrogenase

Glutamic dehydrogenase and lactic dehydrogenase can still be reversibly inhibited by oxanilates and salicylates bearing bulky groups necessary for giving the hypothetically possible exo-alkylating type of irreversible inhibition. In addition, several new types of effective reversible inhibitors have been found such as the quinolone-carboxylic acids, coumarin-3-carboxylic acid, coumarilic acid and 1,3-indanedione.
S-R Similarity: Effect of Location and Predictability of Repeated Units.

Ease of learning a paired-associate list increases with the predictability of an intra-pair repeated unit. In addition, the pattern of errors, (e.g., percentage of omissions), made by S changes as the predictability of the repeated unit changes. Finally, the combination of S and R locations used to repeat the unit has an effect with the combination S1-Ra being less effective than the other combinations in aiding performance.
Approximate solution of the transient free convection laminar boundary layer equations

Es wird eine angenaherte Losung der Gleichungen der laminaren Grenzschicht in freier Konvektionsstromung an einer halbunendlichen senkrechten Platte angegeben. Obwohl bereits Ahnlichkeitsvariablen fur die transiente Stromung dieses Typus angegeben wurden, ist bis heute kein numerisches Ergebnis bekannt. Daher wird im vorliegenden Aufsatz das System der nichtlinearen, gekoppelten partiellen Differentialgleichungen durch Approximation gelost. Durch ein Integrationsverfahren kann das System der Differentialgleichungen mit drei unabhangigen Variablen (zwei Ortskoordinaten und Zeit) auf ein solches mit zwei unabhangigen Variablen zuruckgefuhrt werden. Das so verbleibende Gleichungssystem wird auf zwei verschiedene Arten behandelt. Die eine wird als eine “Methode der Integralrelationen” bezeichnet, die andere als “Linienmethode” (ein Verfahren der Differenzenrechnung). Nach beiden Methoden werden fur verschiedene Prandtl-Zahlen Geschwindigkeits- und Temperaturprofile berechnet und mit experimentellen Ergebnissen verglichen.
Nanorod alumina-supported Ni–Zr–Fe/Al2O3 catalysts for hydrogen production in auto-thermal reforming of ethanol

Abstract Nanorod alumina-supported Ni–Zr–Fe/Al 2 O 3 catalysts were prepared by co-impregnation, characterized by TEM, TPR, XRD, XPS, and TPD-pyridine, and tested in auto-thermal reforming of ethanol. The characterization results indicate that, with iron and zirconia promotion, the Ni x Fe 1− x Al 2 O 4 mixture spinel forms, the valence of the surface Ni species is modified, and the acidity decreases. As a result, during a 30-h test over the Ni–Zr–Fe/Al 2 O 3 catalyst, sintering is restrained, and the selectivity to hydrogen remains around 85.79% without obvious loss, while the un-promoted Ni/Al 2 O 3 shows poor stability and selectivity.
A Note on the Stock Market Reaction to Dividend Announcements

In this paper, we examine the stock market reaction to dividend announcements. A sample of dividend increases and decreases is partitioned by payout ratio increases and decreases. Previous research has examined the differential reaction to payout ratio increases and decreases only for dividend increases. In addition to an event study, cross-sectional regressions are estimated using the percent changes in payout ratio and dividend to explain abnormal returns. We conclude that payout ratio changes appear to be only an artifact of an earnings stream that is more variable than the dividend stream, rather than revealing any significant shifts in managerial policy.
Evaluation of a microsensor intracranial pressure transducer

Abstract This report describes the results of a laboratory evaluation of a new device for monitoring intracranial pressure (ICP), consisting of a miniature pressure transducer mounted on a pressure sensing diaphragm. In in vitro tests, 6 microsensor tranducers were monitored for drift at pressures of 10 mmHg and 20 mmHg. The maximal drift of any of the transducers was 1 mmHg over 9 days. In in vivo tests, the ICP measurement obtained with the microsensor tranducer correlated well with pressures recorded from a catheter in the cisternal magna with a Statham transducer over a wide range of ICP values (n = 511, r = 0.998, P
Varicella-zoster virus infection of human mononuclear cells.

Abstract Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) DNA was detected in mononuclear cells (MNC) of 7 humans with acute zoster 1–23 days after the onset of skin lesions. To further study the interaction of VZV with human MNC, cells obtained from seropositive normal donors were infected with VZV and analyzed for the presence of viral DNA and proteins. VZV-DNA was detected in T, B, and OK.M 1 (monocyte-macrophage) positive cells, and virus-specific proteins were demonstrated by indirect immunofluorescence and immunoprecipitation. Hybridization studies revealed that VZV-DNA did not replicate in human MNC.
Invariant multifractal measures in chaotic Hamiltonian systems, and related structures.

The coding of chaotic trajectories in Hamiltonian systems and the stochastic reflection of points on circles introduce examples of a new kind of multifractal measure, whose H\"older \ensuremath{\alpha} ranges all the way from 0 to \ensuremath{\infty}.
Sturgeon viewing as nature tourism: to what extent do participants value their viewing experiences and the resources upon which they depend?

Fish viewing, a relatively new leisure activity, has nature tourism potential. We focused on sturgeon viewing in northeast Wisconsin to understand personal and experience characteristics, economic impacts, and sturgeon population values. The need for economic approaches, as used in this paper, was addressed for creating and supporting fish-viewing opportunities. In the spring of 2002, we intercepted viewers of a sturgeon spawning event, finding that they were similar to other nature tourism participants in terms of personal and experience characteristics. Most resided within 35 miles (56.33 km) of the viewing site and incurred expenditures only for auto fuel and restaurant meals. Viewers demonstrated a strong affinity for protecting the sturgeon population by supporting various management proposals for dealing with overharvest. Willingness-to-pay results help us to understand the use value of sturgeon viewing to participants as well as the underlying value of environmental resources that support viewing. ...
Multichannel seismic evidence for a subcrustal intrusive complex under Oahu and a model for Hawaiian volcanism

Coincident multichannel seismic reflection and refraction data acquired during a wide-aperture two-ship experiment provide evidence for a complex crust-mantle (C-M) transition under Oahu, Hawaii. Several large-aperture common depth point lines and three expanding spread profiles suggest the existence of an anomalously thick (3–6 km) C-M transition zone underneath the volcanic ridge which extends for distances of 100 km to the north and south from the center of Oahu. The anomalous C-M transition may represent a plutonic complex which intruded into the upper mantle and the lower crust in a 200-km-wide area centered at Oahu. The existence of such a large volume of intrusions near the base of the crust implies that the surficial expression of volcanism constitutes only a small fraction of the amount of melt generated at depth under the Hawaiian Islands. This interpretation is in accord with previous petrological models which predict trapping and accumulation of upwelling magma at and below the Moho. We have constructed a model which suggests that the interaction between the upwelling magma and the lithospheric flexural stress field may modulate the characteristic eruption history of Hawaiian volcanoes. In particular, the model for the plane stress field which accompanies the flexure of the oceanic crust around island chains indicates that the stress field under individual volcanoes varies considerably with its position relative to the tip of the chain. As a Hawaiian-sized volcano develops, the magnitude of deviatoric compressive stresses under it is probably sufficient to block the conduits of the upwelling magma within the oceanic crust and to terminate eruptions. Further upwelling magma is predicted by the models to be ponded at the base of the crust. Resumption of posterosional volcanism seems to occur at a constant distance behind the center of active shield volcanism, as the horizontal compressive stresses along the axis of the chain are released. Observed orientations of dikes of this volcanic phase agree with the directions of the maximum calculated stresses. Our model implies that magma upwells over a 300-km-wide zone and that the oceanic plate may not be fractured under the islands.
A method of fabricating highly transparent and conductive interpenetrated carbon nanotube?parylene networks

We report a method of fabrication of free standing and ultra-thin carbon nanotube-parylene-C interpenetrating networks. The network is highly transparent, highly flexible, and more conductive than transparent nanotube/polymer composites. Scanning electron microscope imaging reveals that the interpenetrated networks are dense and pinhole free compared to bare nanotube networks. We found that parylene-C coats along carbon nanotubes and links them together, increasing both the mechanical robustness of the film, and the electrical stability under UV radiation. This method is universal for fabricating interpenetrating networks of other nanoscale materials such as nanowires and nanofibers.
Predicting fracture in cold upset forging by finite element methods

Experiments dealing with the cold upset forging of metals have resulted in the determination of a forming limit in terms of the local compressive and tensile strains. As the specimen is compressed, a plot of the tensile strain versus the compressive strain can be made. Fracture occurs when the strain path intersects the forming limit. Once the fracture locus is defined by experimental methods, it is possible to use the Finite Element Method to determine if some cold forging operation will exhibit a free surface crack during a deformation process. This study demonstrates this procedure by using a simple upset forging of a cylinder that is simulated using ALPID 2.3. The local strains are then calculated by a computer program called STRAIN, which was written for this study. The computer generated curves are then compared to the experimental results and to a formula derived by J.J. Shah and H.A. Kuhn.
Asymmetries in Infants' Attention to the Presence or Absence of Features

Three experiments were performed to test whether infants show a bias for detecting the presence of a feature in a stimulus rather than its absence. In the 1st experiment, 24 16-week-old infants were given 3 paired-comparison problems, each of which included a 25-s familiarization phase followed by 2 test trials. Infants were familiarized to 1 member of a set of capital alphabetical letters (E-F; Q-O; B-R). Then they were given a paired-comparison recognition test under 1 of 2 conditions. In the feature-present condition, the familiar letter (e.g., F) was paired with a novel letter containing the addition of a distinguishing element (e.g., E). In the feature-absent condition, infants were presented with a familiar letter (e.g., E) paired with a novel letter in which 1 element was removed (e.g., F). Infants showed a novelty preference to the letter in which the distinguishing feature was present, but there was no preference for novelty in the feature-absent condition. The 2nd experiment showed that infants' fixation to the letter containing the presence of the feature was not due to a simple preference for the letter with the greater number of elements. Finally, to test whether infants' failure to discriminate the absence was due to insufficient encoding time, 36 infants were tested in a 3rd experiment in which familiarization time was varied. After 20 s of familiarization, no evidence of discrimination was observed in either the feature-present or feature-absent condition. After 30 s, however, infants could discriminate the novel letter in the feature-present condition but not in the feature-absent condition. The significance of these results is discussed in terms of theoretical explanations for the development of the feature-presence bias.
Pharmacy students’ actual and perceived knowledge of issues related to underserved populations across the professional curriculum

Abstract Purpose The purpose of this study was to measure student pharmacists' actual and perceived knowledge of issues related to medically underserved populations. Methods All 430 student pharmacists enrolled in the professional pharmacy program at the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy during the 2011–2012 academic year were eligible to participate. Students took the Underserved Knowledge Assessment, a voluntary survey that included ten demographic questions, 13 items assessing perceived knowledge, and 20 questions assessing actual knowledge. Results The overall response rate was 48% ( N = 208). The majority of students were only somewhat confident in their knowledge of underserved populations (17% very knowledgeable, 65% somewhat knowledgeable, and 18% not at all knowledgeable). The average score on the actual knowledge questions was 53.3%. Scores were higher across the first three years (P1, 53.2%; P2, 55.3%; and P3, 59.2%), but were significantly lower in the fourth year (46.1%; p = 0.001). Scores did not vary significantly by baseline demographic characteristics. Conclusion Fourth-year professional students were less knowledgeable than their third-year counterparts, possibly due to less formal education and exposure to issues related to underserved populations. The gaps found in student pharmacist knowledge may be addressed by creating more continuity regarding this topic across the didactic and experiential learning curriculum.
Principle vs. Pragmatism: Policy Shifts and Political Competition

This article investigates the electoral effect of party policy shifts. I argue that whether party policy shifts are damaging or rewarding depends on whether the shift occurs in the pragmatic or principled issue domain. On pragmatic issues, voters value “getting things done.” Policy shifts in this domain signal responsiveness to the changing environment and are likely to be rewarded. Principled issues, however, concern core beliefs and values. Any policy shift in this domain is a sign of inconsistency and lack of credibility, which is likely to lead to voter withdrawal. These arguments are supported by evidence from 23 advanced democracies over a period of 40 years.
The discovery of integrated gene networks for autism and related disorders

Despite considerable genetic heterogeneity underlying neurodevelopmental diseases, there is compelling evidence that many disease genes will map to a much smaller number of biological subnetworks. We developed a computational method, termed MAGI (merging affected genes into integrated networks), that simultaneously integrates protein–protein interactions and RNA-seq expression profiles during brain development to discover “modules” enriched for de novo mutations in probands. We applied this method to recent exome sequencing of 1116 patients with autism and intellectual disability, discovering two distinct modules that differ in their properties and associated phenotypes. The first module consists of 80 genes associated with Wnt, Notch, SWI/SNF, and NCOR complexes and shows the highest expression early during embryonic development (8–16 post-conception weeks [pcw]). The second module consists of 24 genes associated with synaptic function, including long-term potentiation and calcium signaling with higher levels of postnatal expression. Patients with de novo mutations in these modules are more significantly intellectually impaired and carry more severe missense mutations when compared to probands with de novo mutations outside of these modules. We used our approach to define subsets of the network associated with higher functioning autism as well as greater severity with respect to IQ. Finally, we applied MAGI independently to epilepsy and schizophrenia exome sequencing cohorts and found significant overlap as well as expansion of these modules, suggesting a core set of integrated neurodevelopmental networks common to seemingly diverse human diseases.
Acetazolamide for pseudotumor cerebri: evidence from the NORDIC trial.

After sulfanilamide was introduced as an antibiotic it was found to inhibit carbonic anhydrase, but too weakly to be a useful diuretic for patients with congestive heart failure.1 In search of a more potent compound, Roblin and Clapp synthetized 20 heterocyclic sulfonamides and discovered C4H6N4O3S2, an agent with 2000 times the inhibitory activity of sulfanilamide.2 Named acetazolamide, it was soon tested for its ability to lower intracranial pressure. Maren and colleagues administered the drug to 20 institutionalized children with hydrocephalus.3 Mean spinal pressure declined from 237 mm H2O at baseline to 128 mm H2O with a low dose (19 mg/kg/d) and 68 mm H2O with a high dose (61 mg/kg/d). Acetazolamide subsequently became accepted as a treatment for patients with high intracranial pressure. However, there has never been a randomized clinical trial to prove that it is effective.4
A discussion of Chaplin & Smith's patent for the cancellation of repetitive vibrations

Considers a method proposed by Chaplin and Smith (1986) for the cancellation of repetitive vibrations. Direct implementation of the concepts of the patent is not straightforward, because of the lack of precise information regarding certain components, and because of the absence of guidelines for the design of a system with satisfactory stability and performance properties. This paper proposes a specific algorithm based on the concepts of the patent and provides an approximate analysis which is found useful to obtain a closed-loop system with predictable dynamic characteristics. Simulations demonstrate the validity of the approximation and the success of the design. A tendency of the algorithm for convergence towards undesirable operating states is identified, and an improved version is derived. The resulting algorithm is compared to another algorithm proposed for the same purposes. While the structure and properties of the schemes are similar, a significant difference is found in the steady-state characteristics of the algorithms. Although the patent concerns the specific problem of repetitive vibrations, the algorithms of the paper are applicable to a broad range of control problems where periodic disturbances of unknown frequency must be rejected.
Attitudes and decision making about neonatal male circumcision in a Hispanic population in New York city

Objective. To understand attitudes and decision making regarding neonatal male circumcision. Methods. Parents (n = 150) with a son 3 years old were interviewed regarding demographics, communication with a medical provider, attitudes, and process by which the neonatal circumcision decision was made. Results. Thirty-three percent of sons were circumcised. In univariate analyses, choosing male circumcision was associated with parents being interviewed in English, the father being circumcised, positive attitudes, being informed of the advantages of circumcision, making a decision before birth, and being offered a choice. In the final model, parents who came from a culture and family that believed in circumcision and who believed that it was not too risky were more likely to circumcise their sons. Conclusions. Decisions regarding circumcision appear to be influenced by values, risk perceptions, and medical providers. Future research should address ways of ensuring that families have the opportunity to make an ...
Development of sensitive skin for a 3D robot arm operating in an uncertain environment

The authors describe an ongoing research project on the development of a sensitive skin and its control scheme for a 3D robot arm. The skin consists of hundreds of active infrared proximity sensors that cover the whole arm. This sensor-based motion planning system senses obstacles by emitting amplitude-modulated infrared light and then sensing the reflected signal. The problem of interpreting data from the sensors is handled by the step planning algorithm, which transforms the sensor data into local tangent normals in the configuration space. Once this information is available, a global path planning algorithm can then be used to move the arm through freespace or to follow the contour of obstacles that are encountered. Details of the skin design are presented, along with the computer hardware and operating logistics and the sensor data interpretation algorithm that connects this subsystem to the global motion planning subsystem. >
Progress in Consolidation of Amorphous Zr-based Powder into Bulk Metallic Glass

Equal channel angular extrusion (ECAE) is used to consolidate amorphous Vitreloy 106a (Zr 58.5 Nb 2.8 Cu 15.6 Ni 12.8 Al 10.3 ) powder into bulk metallic glass. Consolidations are performed on gas atomized powder containing 1280 ppmw oxygen encapsulated in copper cans and 780 ppmw oxygen powder encapsulated in nickel cans in a 90° die-angle tool at temperatures above the glass transition temperature (T g ) but below the rapid crystallization temperature (T x ), in the supercooled liquid region (ΔT). Results show that V106a is successfully consolidated to nominal full density after one extrusion pass. Good particle-to-particle bonding and significant particle deformation are observed in the consolidated alloy. A lower oxygen content is beneficial due to the larger undercooled region and the additional time for processing. The low oxygen content material shows little change in thermal stability after being consolidated when compared to the original powder but fine interparticle cracks are observed in some of the consolidates. ECAE appears to be a viable method for consolidating amorphous metal powders into bulk amorphous metal.
Polysome-bound endonuclease PMR1 is targeted to stress granules via stress-specific binding to TIA-1.

The generalized process of mRNA decay involves deadenylation followed by release from translating polysomes, decapping, and exonuclease decay of the mRNA body. In contrast the mRNA endonuclease PMR1 forms a selective complex with its translating substrate mRNA, where it initiates decay by cleaving within the mRNA body. In stressed cells the phosphorylation of the subunit of eukaryotic initiation factor 2 causes translating mRNAs to accumulate with stalled 48S subunits in large subcellular structures termed stress granules (SGs), wherein mRNAs undergo sorting for reinitiation, storage, or decay. Given the unique relationship between translation and PMR1-mediated mRNA decay, we examined the impact of stress-induced dissociation of polysomes on this process. Arsenite stress disrupts the polysome binding of PMR1 and its substrate mRNA but has no impact on the critical tyrosine phosphorylation of PMR1, its association with substrate mRNA, or its association with the functional 680-kDa mRNP complex in which it normally resides on polysomes. We show that arsenite stress drives PMR1 into an RNase-resistant complex with TIA-1, and we identify a distinct domain in the N terminus of PMR1 that facilitates its interaction with TIA-1. Finally, we show that arsenite promotes the delayed association of PMR1 with SGs under conditions which cause tristetraprolin and butyrate response factor 1, proteins that facilitate exonucleolytic mRNA, to exit SGs. Translation and mRNA decay are intimately linked processes, and the identification of cytoplasmic foci containing enzymes involved in mRNA decay in yeast (29) suggested that a dynamic process partitions these two key steps in posttranscriptional control into distinct physical complexes. These cytoplasmic foci, termed “processing bodies” (P-bodies) (PBs), were originally thought to function only as sites of mRNA
Torture and the Fifth Amendment Torture, the Global War on Terror, and Constitutional Values

Over the past several years, military and intelligence personnel of the United States have tortured captives, gained information from others' torture of captives, or sent captives to be tortured. Even aside from statutory law and international treaties and conventions to which the United States is party, prohibition of torture by agents of the state is implicit in the very fabric of U.S. political society as embodied in the Constitution, especially the Fifth Amendment. The rights guaranteed under the Fifth Amendment derive from English common law, with its long and venerable history. Furthermore, common-law rights and protections permeate all of Anglo-American law. The Fifth Amendment plays a central role in these legal safeguards. Historical and analytic accounts of both the Fifth Amendment and torture may shed light on recent revelations of the use of torture.
Public Reason and Abortion Revisited

For better or for worse, abortion has become a touchstone for the so-called “culture wars” between liberals and secularists on one side, and conservatives and religious believers on the other. Few issues have been more divisive or passion-inducing, whether in the law courts, legislatures, or popular culture. This is perhaps nowhere more evident than in the United States, where the abortion controversy has continued virtually unabated since 1973, when the Supreme Court recognized a constitutional right to abortion. One need not embrace any particular view of abortion to recognize that this issue has the potential to divide society into conflicting factions and corrode citizens’ capacity for mutual cooperation and trust, as accusations, resentment, and frustration accumulate in the face of what would appear to be insurmountable moral and philosophical differences. In this essay, I investigate whether an ideal of public reason might have something constructive to say about the abortion controversy. I argue for two principal claims: first, that the highly influential Rawlsian ideal, with its focus on epistemic constraints and contractual virtues such as toleration and fairness, can neither settle the abortion dispute, nor significantly mitigate the social and political dangers associated with it. Second, I argue that the Rawlsian ideal should be supplanted by a virtue-ethical ideal, which relaxes Rawls’s epistemic constraints and draws on a richer canon of virtue. The virtue-ethical ideal of public reason, though unable to decide policy outcomes directly, may have the potential to mitigate some of the political distrust and conflict that divides prochoice and prolife citizens, and to facilitate cooperation and trust in less contested political domains.
Monitoring data-structure evolution in distributed message-passing programs

Monitoring the evolution of data structures in parallel and distributed programs, is critical for debugging its semantics and performance. However, the current state-of-art in tracking and presenting data-structure information on parallel and distributed environments is cumbersome and does not scale. We present a methodology and tool that automatically tracks memory bindings (not the actual contents) of dynamic data-structures of message-passing C programs, and inter-processor data-structure movement, using PVM on distributed environments. With the help of a number of examples we show that in addition to determining the impact of memory allocation overheads on program performance, graphical views can help in debugging many memory access errors. Traditional debuggers in distributed environments rely on existing sequential debuggers on each machine and simply provide an interface for querying and controlling each processor's debugging session. However, to quickly locate the processor and to explain reasons for the error, we resort to run-time checking and trace based visualizations of memory access behavior across all processors. In an effort to reduce trace file size, only updates of pointer values and memory management functions are captured.
NO inhibits signal transduction pathway for ATP release from erythrocytes via its action on heterotrimeric G protein Gi.

The release of ATP from erythrocytes involves a signal transduction pathway of which cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator, PKA, adenylyl cyclase, and the heterotrimeric G proteins Gs...
Demonstration of a microwave spectrum analyzer based on time domain processing of ultrafast pulses

We perform microwave spectrum analysis by dispersing ultrashort pulses to several nanoseconds in duration. Modulating with an arbitrary microwave signal and correlating with a reference provides an output trace containing a discrete version of the microwave spectrum.
2-(2′-Pyridyl)pyrroles: Part I. Structure and energetics of pyridylpyrroles, their dimers, complexes and excited states

Structural and energetic evaluations of substituted 2-(2′-pyridyl)pyrroles were performed through a combination of computational and experimental methods. In conjunction with experimental absorbance and fluorescence studies, the data were analyzed with respect to hydrogen bonding ability, complex formation with alcohols, dimerization, excited state behavior, and potential for proton transfer. Experimental and theoretical evidence show the importance of the pyrrole substituent groups in both structural and spectral properties of the molecules and their complexes. Low temperature NMR experiments and full solution phase DFT optimizations support the formation of a cyclically bridged alcohol complex for the 3,5-dimethyl-2-(2′-pyridyl)pyrrole species with a nearly coplanar ring system, whereas the full DFT optimization of the 3,5-di-tert-butyl-2-(2′-pyridyl)pyrrole:methanol complex shows a break in the planarity of the ring system.
ASSESSING COMPETENCIES IN COUPLES AND FAMILY THERAPY ⁄ COUNSELING: A CALL TO THE PROFESSION

Psychometrically sound measures of family therapy competencies are necessary to assess the effectiveness of training on student performance. This article critiques the self-report and observer rating measures developed to date to assess the clinical skills of trainees in the individual and in the family therapy fields. Suggestions are made to foster future instrument development specifically designed for the field of couples and family therapy/counseling.
Simultaneous quantitative assessment of myocardial perfusion and function using analysis of color-encoded contrast-enhanced images

We hypothesized that analysis of color-encoded, contrast-enhanced, power modulation images could allow simultaneous quantification of myocardial perfusion and regional LV wall motion. We studied 12 anesthetized pigs at baseline, during acute ischemia and subsequent reperfusion, as well as 8 patients post acute myocardial infarction. Color kinesis was used to color-encode endocardial motion during real-time perfusion imaging with high-energy ultrasound pulses. Wall motion was assessed by calculating regional fractional area changes. Translation-free perfusion analysis was performed in automatically identified myocardial regions of interest. Steady-state intensity and initial rate of contrast replenishment were calculated. In all animals, ischemia caused reversible changes in the images and the calculated perfusion and function indices. A significant decrease in pixel intensity (14%) and contrast replenishment rate (66%) in LAD-related segments coincided with a decrease in fractional area change (34%). In patients, respective perfusion and function indices were 61%, 51% and 58% lower in segments where perfusion defects and/or regional wall motion abnormalities were noted in grey-scale images. Color-encoded, contrast-enhanced power modulation allows simultaneous real-time quantification of myocardial perfusion and regional LV function.
Summarizing a time-sensitive control-flow checking monitoring for multitask systems-on-chip

This paper summarizes a new approach based on a watchdog infrastructure intellectual property (I-IP) core to detect control-flow faults that affect CPU execution time. More precisely, this approach aims at detecting those faults that change the expected CPU instruction sequence and that as consequence, change also (by increasing or reducing) the expected CPU time allocated for the execution of the monitored task. The underlined advantage of this approach is the ability of detecting faults in multitask systems-on-chips (SoCs) running under the control of a real-time (preemptive) operating system. In this multi-task scenario, the I-IP can perform fault detection in a time-shared basis. Practical experiments have been carried out and results are discussed
Religious coping in the nursing home: a biopsychosocial model.

Objective: To examine psychosocial and physical health correlates of religious coping in medically ill chronically institutionalized older adults. Religious coping is defined as the extent to which persons use religious beliefs and practices to help them to cope. Method: This is a cross-sectional cohort study conducted in a 120 bed VA-affiliated and a 125 bed university-affiliated community-based nursing home in Durham, North Carolina. Participants were 115 chronic care nursing home residents; mean age of the sample was seventy-nine years, 44 percent were women, and 17 percent were African Americans. Subjects were enrolled for a one-month period during which comprehensive psychosocial and health assessments were performed, including evaluation of cognitive function (Mini-Mental State Exam), physical function (Barthel index), severity of medical comorbidity (Cumulative Illness Rating Scale), self-reported physical pain (vertical verbal descriptor scale), depressive symptoms (Geriatric Depression Scale), social support (social network), and religious coping (Religious Coping Index). Results: Over 43 percent of the sample scored in the depressed range of the Geriatric Depression Scale. Almost 60 percent reported they used religion at least to a large extent when coping with their problems; 34 percent said that it was the most important factor that enabled them to cope. Patients who used religion to cope had greater social support (p = .01), more severe medical illness (p = .04), and better cognitive functioning (p = .02). Conclusions: Religious beliefs and practices are frequently used by chronically institutionalized older adults to help them to cope. Religious coping is associated with more severe medical illness, higher social support, and better cognitive functioning.
Three-dimensional magnetotelluric inversion using conjugate gradients

SUMMARY We have developed an inversion procedure that uses conjugate gradient relaxation methods. Although one can generalize the method to all inverse problems, we demonstrate its use to invert magnetotelluric data for 3-D earth models. This procedure allows us to bypass the actual computation of the sensitivity matrix A or the inversion of the ATA term. In fact, with the relaxation approach, one only needs to compute the effect of the sensitivity matrix or its transpose multiplying an arbitrary vector. We show that each of these requires one forward problem with a distributed set of sources either in the volume (for A multiplying a vector) or on the surface (for AT multiplying a vector). This significantly reduces the computational requirements needed to do a 3-D inversion. For this paper, we have simplified the boundary conditions by assuming the model is repeated in the horizontal directions, but this is not a necessary constraint of the method. The algorithm reduces data errors to the 2 per cent level for noise-free synthetic 3-D magnetotelluric data.
Performance of Error-Correcting Codes

Binary decoding of relatively short codes corrupted by Gaussian noise or pulse interference has been considered in applications for which the minimum useful information block length is unity, equal to the information bit capacity of a code, or equal to an integral multiple of the information capacity of a code. The following results pertain to applications which are further characterized by the performance criterion of minimizing error rate and transmitter power, with only minor restrictions on transmission bandwidth and none on channel efficiency (no credit given for error detection): [1] The word error probability for any group error-correcting code is never exceeded by its corresponding bit error probability (for either Gaussian noise or pulse interference). [2] Relatively short codes (10 to 50 information bits) of moderate redundancy (40 to 50 per cent) are available which can reduce bit error rates by factors of 10 to 400, or equivalently, permit 1 to 3 db reductions in transmitter power, when the coded system bit error rate is 10-6(Gaussian noise). [3] These same codes can alternatively reduce word error rates by factors of 10 to 104, or equivalently, permit reductions of 1.5 to 3.7 db in transmitter power, for average word error rates corresponding to values of the quantity E/N_{o} (signal energy per information bit/Gaussian noise power density) in the neighborhood of 8 db for the coded systems. [4] Under worst-case pulse interference, these codes permit 4 to 7 db reductions in transmitter power for average word error rates less than 20 per cent. (Considerably greater improvements result for the pulse interference expected.) [5] All of these codes are easily encoded and decoded.
Genetics of Cytochromes C 2 and BC 1 Complex of Photosynthetic Bacteria

Photosynthetic bacteria are endowed with a multitude of b- and c-type cytochromes that are important components of cellular energy transduction pathways operational during the metabolism of various substances1. They are often soluble and located in the periplasmic space, or are integral membrane proteins spanning the lipid bilayer. Soluble species may also associate, under certain conditions, with various membrane-embedded complexes. The presence or absence of a given set of cytochromes, as well as their relative amounts, although barely studied in many instances, appear well regulated. Different growth conditions induce, or preclude, the synthesis of various cytochromes in function of the cellular needs2. Expectedly, the metabolic pathways and the components involved are complex and numerous, but their knowledge is essential for a complete understanding of the biology of the cell. In the past, biochemical studies of cytochromes have been extremely fruitful, allowing the determination of their structural and functional properties1,2. In more recent years, these studies have also been complemented by molecular biological approaches directed at the analysis of the corresponding DNA structures which contain the information responsible for their structure and their regulated synthesis.
Pulling the Wool Under Your Eyes: Preserving the Collection and the Spirit of a Century-Old Wool Lab and Library at the University of Wyoming

Sheep and wool have long been integral to the agrarian heritage of Western states and still play a vital role in the region's agricultural economy. From 1907–2012, Wyoming's sole university support...