cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Improving Operating Room Efficiency via Reduction and Standardization of Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery Instrumentation

Being the economic powerhouses of most large medical centers, operating rooms (ORs) require the highest levels of teamwork, communication, and efficiency in order to optimize patient safety and reduce hospital waste. A major component of OR waste comes from unused surgical instrumentation; instruments that are frequently prepared for procedures but are never touched by the surgical team still require a full reprocessing cycle at the conclusion of the case. Based on our own previous successes in the perioperative domain, in this work we detail an initiative that reduces surgical instrumentation waste of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) procedures by placing thoracotomy conversion instrumentation in a standby location and designing a specific instrument kit to be used solely for VATS cases. Our estimates suggest that this initiative will reduce at least 91,800 pounds of unnecessary surgical instrumentation from cycling through our ORs and reprocessing department annually, resulting in increased OR team communication without sacrificing the highest standard of patient safety.
A virtual reality application with autistic children

Using the advantages of the sense of presence generated by virtual reality, a system to help children with autism was developed. Two case studies with children showed virtual reality has the potential to provide a safer, customized learning environment for individuals with autism. A model of reality that discusses historical and perceptual rules as well as input stimuli in forming a sense of presence is described.
Receptor Mapping by Histochemistry

The ability to apply receptor binding techniques to the localization of neurotransmitter receptors at the microscopic level has opened new avenues of research into the sites of drug and neurotransmitter action. Originally, localizations of this nature required the availability of irreversibly or nearly irreversibly binding ligands specific for the receptor of interest. The development of new techniques allowing the discrete localization of binding sites for diffusible substances has been a major advance in this field and will undoubtedly prove to be a useful adjunct to future studies involving the analysis of neurotransmitter pathways in the nervous system.
Melting Transitions of DNA-Capped Gold Nanoparticle Assemblies

The recognition capabilities of DNA are remarkable in their specificity. This makes DNA highly suitable as the basis for the creation of self-assembling nanostructures. Understanding the effects of various parameters such as nanoparticle size and DNA sequences provides important information about the phase behavior of DNA-based nanotechnology and DNA-capped colloidal systems. Quantifying the interactions of surface-bound DNA hybridization and their effects on colloidal gold phase transition may help in the development of these DNA-capped nanoparticles into a practical tool for DNA detection and biosensing.
Tumor-Host Interactions at the Metastatic Site: MKK4, Signal Transduction and the Stress Response

The Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinase 4 (MKK4, also referred to as JNKK1, SEK2, or MEK4) has been identified as a metastasis suppressor gene in prostate and ovarian cancer. Metastasis suppressor genes are defined by the ability of their encoded proteins to suppress the development of metastases in vivo without affecting primary tumor growth when transfected into metastatic cell lines. Studies exploring the mechanisms of metastatic colonization and metastasis suppressor genes suggest that the critical events determining metastatic efficiency occur at the secondary site. Furthermore, metastasis suppressor proteins may operate by modulating major signal transduction pathways that regulate important cellular processes such as proliferation, differentiation, dormancy, and apoptosis. These findings have at least two important implications. First, tumor-host interactions at the metastatic site play an important role in the regulation of metastatic growth. Second, developing a comprehensive understanding of the specific biochemical events regulating both metastatic progression and metastatic suppression may ultimately contribute to new diagnostic and therapeutic modalities for advanced cancers.
A republic of petty bureaucrats: Upendra Baxi and the pathologies of civil service jurisprudence

The enactment of the Indian Constitution witnessed an explosion of litigation by civil servants successfully suing the state over questions of appointment, transfers, promotion and benefits. Public service law has generated a voluminous body of jurisprudence and sustained the practice of several lawyers. Upendra Baxi was the first scholar to point out that this jurisprudence poses a fundamental ‘identity crisis’ of the Indian state, where civil servants as allies of their political leaders have no hesitation riding over the rights of citizens but as adversaries come to courts attacking the political leadership for denying them their rights. This paper situates Upendra Baxi’s introduction to Justice Rama Jois’s book on service laws as the basis to understand the pathologies of power within the Indian Republic arguing that civil service litigation demonstrates both the intransigence of postcolonial state power and constructs the autonomy of the judiciary and the legal profession. Civil servants are simultaneously the arm of the state but also provide the labour of the state. To understand Baxi’s intervention, the paper argues, one has to historicize the ‘government job’ in India as a property resource and rethink the bureaucracy as simultaneously embodying the state and being a form of labour for the state.
Study on electrical behaviour of copper and its alloys containing dispersed nanoparticles

Abstract Nanoparticles can be added to metals to tune their properties for numerous applications. Recently extensive research has been conducted to measure the mechanical properties of nanoparticle reinforced metals. However, few theories exist to understand how nanoparticles interact with metals to affect their electrical performance, partly due to the difficulty in producing bulk metal samples, containing dispersed nanoparticles. In this work, copper and copper alloys (Cu, Cu-40 wt% Zn, and Cu-60 wt% Ag) containing dispersed tungsten carbide (WC) nanoparticles of more than 20 vol% were successfully fabricated via solidification processing. The experimental results show that copper and its alloys with an increasing volume fraction of nanoparticles, the electrical conductivity of the samples decays exponentially. Therefore, a theoretical model, compatible with the Nordheim's rule was established to predict the electrical behaviour of metals containing dispersed nanoparticles. This new model on the electrical behaviour of copper nanocomposites is experimentally validated by low-temperature resistivity measurements and electronic heat capacity measurements above Debye temperature.
A Planned and Coordinated Anarchy: The Barricades of 1971 and the “Diliman Commune”

In early February 1971, students at UP Diliman erected barricades, fought off the military, and briefly established the “Diliman Commune.” Using material produced by the “communards” themselves, along with contemporary press reports, I reconstruct the dramatic narrative of the commune and debunk two prominent myths: that it was a spontaneous uprising and that it was an isolated event. The commune was a part of a widely coordinated set of barricades raised by the radical groups Kabataang Makabayan (KM) and Samahan ng Demokratikong Kabataan (SDK) in service, in the final analysis, to the political interests of their ruling class allies in an election year. KEYWORDS: DILIMAN COMMUNE • UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES • ANARCHISM • STALINISM • MARCOS PRESIDENCY
An Actor-Critic Reinforcement Learning Approach for Energy Harvesting Communications Systems

Energy harvesting communications systems are able to provide high quality communications services using green energy sources. This paper presents an autonomous energy harvesting communications system that is able to adapt to any environment, and optimize its behavior with experience to maximize the valuable received data. The considered system is a point-to-point energy harvesting communications system consisting of a source and a destination, and working in an unknown and uncertain environment. The source is an energy harvesting node capable of harvesting solar energy and storing it in a finite capacity battery. Energy can be harvested, stored, and used from continuous ranges of energy values. Channel gains can take any value within a continuous range. Since exact information about future channel gains and harvested energy is unavailable, an architecture based on actor-critic reinforcement learning is proposed to learn a close-to-optimal transmission power allocation policy. The actor uses a stochastic parameterized policy to select actions at states stochastically. The policy is modeled by a normal distribution with a parameterized mean and standard deviation. The actor uses policy gradient to optimize the policyâ€™s parameters. The critic uses a three layer neural network to approximate the action-value function, and to evaluate the optimized policy. Simulation results evaluate the proposed architecture for actor-critic learning, and shows its ability to improve its performance with experience.
Mechanisms and performance of cellulose nanocrystals Pickering emulsion chitosan coatings for reducing ethylene production and physiological disorders in postharvest 'Bartlett' pears (Pyrus communis L.) during cold storage.

Abstract Pickering emulsion coating (CNCP-CH) composed of oleic acid (OA, 1, 2, and 3%, w/w), cellulose nanocrystal (CNC, 0.1, 0.3, and 0.5%, w/w), and 2% chitosan (CH) was optimized for high emulsion stability. It was found that OA concentration played significant role on emulsion stability. Increasing OA from 1 to 3% reduced emulsion stability ~43%, indicated by the thickness of separated cream layer in the emulsion. ‘Bartlett’ pears (Pyrus communis L.) coated by CNCP-CH containing 1% OA showed significantly reduced ethylene production than that coated with 2% and 3% OA at 1-month of accelerated cold storage at 1.7 °C. The superficial scald on pear peels was only observed on fruit coated by CNCP-CH with 3% OA, but not that with 1% or 2% OA. Therefore, CNCP-CH coating with 1% OA, 0.1% CNC, and 2% CH was suggested for delaying ripening and superficial scald of ‘Bartlett’ pears during the long-term cold storage.
A Health Education Intervention to Increase Fiber Intake: A Randomized Clinical Trial

The intake level of fiber, a nutrient with a vast number of health benefits, falls behind the recommendations nationwide. The impact of nutrition education on improving daily intake has thus been investigated and shown to be effective in enhancing the intake of specific fiber-rich foods. Not much has been done to probe the effect of education on enhancing fiber intake with emphasis on all sources of dietary fiber. Thus, we conducted a randomized controlled trial to determine if a multi-component intervention—the Full Plate Diet— that places emphasis on fiberrich foods, impacts the dietary fiber intake to a level that exceeds the recommendations of the Institute of Medicine. Thirty-five subjects (7 males and 28 females) were randomly assigned to either the intervention group (n=20), which received the nutrition/health education or to the control group (n=15) which did not receive the education. A collective analysis of the two groups’ dietary intake was divided into three time points; April, May, and June. The recalled intake of dietary fiber and food groups considered to be rich sources of dietary fiber as well as macronutrients were averaged for each of these time points for each treatment group. For the purpose of comparing changes in intake of dietary fiber across the 3 time points and between the intervention and control groups, a linear mixed-model was used. The delta changes between the various time points were computed by subtracting the final time point minus the initial time point. Results showed that fiber intake increased significantly by 9.3 grams from the first time-point (April) to the second time-point (May) (95% CI 2.2, 16.4). The intake of legumes significantly improved by 0.36 (95% CI: 0.01, 0.7) and by 0.65 (95% CI: 0.3, 1.0) servings in the intervention group between baseline and the second and third-time (June) points, respectively, but did not change in the control group. Short-term education with emphasis on fiber intake from various food sources could improve the daily fiber intake. Longer follow-up investigations should also be conducted to assess whether or not health education could significantly improve the level of fiber on a longterm basis.
An H8 Current-Source Inverter using Wide Bandgap Bidirectional Switches

Conventional current-source inverters (CSIs) using reverse-voltage-blocking (RB) switches typically suffer efficiency penalties due to the high forward voltage drop of RB switches. In contrast, monolithic bidirectional (BD) switches have RB capability but with lower conduction loss than RB switches, making them more appealing candidates for CSI switches. This paper describes how implementing BD switches in CSIs creates challenges including more complicated commutation schemes, more gate control signals, and tradeoffs between switching and conduction losses. To address these issues, a new CSI topology (H8-CSI) that is tailored for using wide bandgap (WBG)-based BD switches is proposed. In addition to reducing the CSI’s conduction loss by using BD switches, the H8-CSI achieves both zero-voltage switching and zero-current switching for most of its switches that further reduces the CSI’s loss. Analysis, simulation, and experimental results confirm the advantages of the H8-CSI topology over the conventional CSI topology using either RB or BD switches.
From surface microrelief to big wrinkles in skin: A mechanical in-silico model

Abstract A major concern associated with skin, the largest organ of our body, is how to prevent it from wrinkling and aging. Understanding the mechanics of skin wrinkling can provide useful insight into skin aging prevention. However, despite decades of endeavors the underlying mechanism of skin wrinkling and aging remains poorly understood. This paper explores the effect of geometrical and mechanical properties of skin on its wrinkling via an integrated theoretical and computational analysis. The skin is modeled with a soft structure having different layers with various thicknesses and material properties. Innovatively, the pattern of skin microrelief is generated and mapped on the model to investigate its effect on the formation of primary lines, secondary lines, and big wrinkles of skin. Analytical interpretation provides preliminary insight into the critical compressive strain for the model skin to start wrinkling, while advanced computational models with surface microrelief offer clues for the skin’s post-wrinkling complex morphology. In particular, tissue geometry, material properties, and microrelief pattern are explored as the determinant parameters to control the location, size, and patterns of skin wrinkles. Our findings allude that the characteristics of compression-induced wrinkles are primarily determined by the geometrical and material property of skin layers rather than the genuine skin microrelief. However, microrelief plays a pivotal role in regulating and determining the locations of primary and secondary wrinkle lines. The edges of the microrelief units are favorable paths for evolving primary and secondary lines. Post-wrinkling analysis reveals that in addition to the periodic sinusoidal pattern, several secondary complex patterns such as non-symmetric periodic, period-doubling and self-contacting folds are observed in the compressed model of skin. Results of the study also show that wrinkle patterns highly depend on the thickness and material property of Stratum Corneum (SC), the outermost layer of skin.
Sitting Alone with a Text: Textuality and the Protestant Bias in United States Education

This essay explores how frameworks of education in the United States have been shaped by particularly Protestant ideals—and, especially, how notions concerning individuals and their engagement with texts have had an outsized influence on educational practice. Following an examination of a number of historical issues related to our topic, and in particular Protestantism and the rise of the printing press, I examine the foundations of American education, including Puritan models of schooling as religious instruction. This leads to a discussion of the birth of Pluralism and Fundamentalism in the United States, which in turn leads to some reflections on the current educational milieu in this context, especially as related to religious identity in the classroom and higher education more generally. I suggest that a greater awareness of the cultural values that are embedded in our educational practices is vital if we are going to be responsive to the needs of increasingly diverse student populations.
Individual-Specific Modeling of Rat Optic Nerve Head Biomechanics in Glaucoma.

Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness worldwide and is characterized by the death of retinal ganglion cells (RGC), the cells that send vision information to the brain. Their axons exit the eye at the optic nerve head (ONH), the main site of damage in glaucoma. The importance of biomechanics in glaucoma is indicated by the fact that elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) is a causative risk factor for the disease. However, exactly how biomechanical insult leads to RGC death is not understood. Although rat models are widely used to study glaucoma, their ONH biomechanics have not been characterized in depth. Therefore, we aimed to do so through finite element (FE) modeling. Utilizing our previously described method, we constructed and analyzed ONH models with individual-specific geometry in which the sclera was modeled as a matrix reinforced with collagen fibers. We developed eight sets of scleral material parameters based on results from our previous inverse FE study, and used them to simulate the effects of elevated IOP in eight model variants of each of seven rat ONHs. Within the optic nerve, highest strains were seen inferiorly, a pattern that was consistent across model geometries and model variants. In addition, changing the collagen fiber direction to be circumferential within the peripapillary sclera resulted in more pronounced decreases in strain than changing scleral stiffness. The results from this study can be used to interpret data from rat glaucoma studies to learn more about how biomechanics affects RGC pathogenesis in glaucoma.
Protein Hyperacylation Links Mitochondrial Dysfunction with Nuclear Organization

Cellular metabolism is linked to epigenetics, but the biophysical effects of metabolism on chromatin structure and implications for gene regulation remain largely unknown. Here, using a broken tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle and disrupted electron transport chain (ETC) exemplified by succinate dehydrogenase subunit C (SDHC) deficiency, we investigated the effects of metabolism on chromatin architecture over multiple distance scales [nucleosomes (~102 bp), topologically-associated domains (TADs; ~105 – 106 bp), and chromatin compartments (⁓106 – 108 bp)]. Metabolically-driven hyperacylation of histones led to weakened nucleosome positioning in multiple types of chromatin, and we further demonstrate that lysine acylation directly destabilizes histone octamer-DNA interactions. Hyperacylation of cohesin subunits correlated with decreased mobility on interphase chromatin and increased TAD boundary strength, suggesting that cohesin is metabolically regulated. Erosion of chromatin compartment distinctions reveals metabolic regulation of chromatin liquid-liquid phase separation. The TCA cycle and ETC thus modulate chromatin structure over multiple distance scales.
The Mexican Legal System

This chapter aims to describe the historical and political context of the Mexican legal system, while also presenting the organization of the Mexican state and the competencies of the three powers of government. The first result from the historical contextualization suggests that the defense of sovereignty relies on its colonial past and on the struggle to be as independent as possible from the US. The second result shows how the building of the corporate state under the PRI rule permeated into the Constitution and its numerous reforms. Both results reveal how the historical developments intertwine with the reception of international law. The political stability achieved from the one-party rule also led to a civil-military pact, which crystallized in the prerogatives that the military enjoyed—such as autonomy—while fighting back the armed opposition during the 1970s. In terms of the organization of the Mexican state, federalism and presidentialism also play a role in the issuance of laws and the managing of foreign policy. Lastly, dividing the different competencies between the federal, local and municipal levels raises important elements that must be considered when designing the legal framework to efficiently prosecute and punish core crimes.
Measuring User Experience, Usability and Interactivity of a Personalized Mobile Augmented Reality Training System.

Innovative technology has been an important part of firefighting, as it advances firefighters’ safety and effectiveness. Prior research has examined the implementation of training systems using augmented reality (AR) in other domains, such as welding, aviation, army, and mathematics, offering significant pedagogical affordances. Nevertheless, firefighting training systems using AR are still an under-researched area. The increasing penetration of AR for training is the driving force behind this study, and the scope is to analyze the main aspects affecting the acceptance of AR by firefighters. The current research uses a technology acceptance model, extended by the external constructs of perceived interactivity and personalization, to consider both the system and individual level. The proposed model was evaluated by a sample of 200 users, and the results show that both the external variables of perceived interactivity and perceived personalization are prerequisite factors in extending the TAM model. The findings reveal that the usability is the strongest predictor of firefighters’ behavioral intentions to use the AR system, followed by the ease of use with smaller, yet meaningful, direct and indirect effects on firefighters’ intentions. The identified acceptance factors help AR developers enhance the firefighters’ experience in training operations.
PEDIATRIC ORTHOPAEDIC TRAUMA AND ASSOCIATED INJURIES AT AN INNER-CITY LEVEL 1 TRAUMA CENTER:

Background/Purpose:Pediatric orthopaedic trauma in inner city communities often present with unique and modifiable risk factors. The purpose of this study was to characterize and evaluate the patte...
Protective Factors against Depressive Symptoms in Female American Indian Cancer Survivors: The Role of Physical and Spiritual Well-being and Social Support.

Background: This exploratory study examined how perceived physical well-being, spiritual well-being and social support relate to depressive symptoms among American Indian (AI) female cancer survivors. Methods: Cross-sectional data were obtained from 73 AI female cancer survivors between 32 to 77 years of age in the Midwest of the United States. Standardized measures were used to assess for depression (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depressive Symptoms Scale Short Form), spiritual well-being (Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy, Spiritual Well-being Scale), and social support (Medical Outcomes Study of Social Support Questionnaire). A single item measured physical well-being. After univariate and bivariate analyses, hierarchical multiple regression (HMR) was used for modeling. Results: Approximately 47% of the sample scored higher than 10 on the depressive symptoms scale. HMR results indicated that perceived physical well-being, spiritual well-being, and social support were negatively associated with depressive symptoms, accounting for 47% of the variance in the final model (adjust R2 = 0.47). Conclusions: A high percentage of the sample exceeded the cut point for probable depression, highlighting the importance of addressing mental health in the aftermath of cancer treatments for AI women. Results suggest that perceived physical well-being, spiritual well-being, and social support serve as protective factors and possible levers to reduce depression in this population. Interventions designed to bolster existing social support and spirituality could improve the mental health of AI women in the aftermath of cancer treatment. Community-based, culturally appropriate health education programs should be developed to enhance AI women’s physical health.
Investigation on Complementary Medicine Intervention in Breast Cancer Patients with Pain

Aims: The purpose here was to newly investigate a five-weeks complementary medicine intervention, mindfulness-based intervention (MBSR), in breast cancer patients with chronic pain. Pain is the most persistent and incapacitating symptom experienced by cancer patients. Psychological pain inflexibility, pain self-efficacy, and expressive suppression were investigated for the first time in breast cancer patients with cancer-related pain. Study Design: One group pre-post intervention design. Place and Duration of Study: Lubbock, Tx medical center, spring 2010. Methodology: Sample: The sample consisted of 46 participants with 36 women in stage II (78%) and 10 (22%) in stage III with a mean age of 55 years. The MBSR intervention was held in a hospital counseling center for 1.5 hours/week for eight-weeks, with preliminary data collected at five weeks (reported here), at the end of the full program three weeks later, and three months post the 8-week program. Preliminary data here were collected on standardized instruments before (pre) and after (post) the five-week point of the eight-week MBSR program to evaluate intervention effects on the following: Psychological inflexibility in pain, pain self-efficacy, emotional regulation of suppressive expression, and pain intensity. Results: Psychological inflexibility in pain scores prior to the program (M=60.05, SD=14.22) decreased significantly by the end of five-weeks of the program (M=57.68, SD=13.46) (t=3.76, P = 0.01); Pain self-efficacy prior to the program (M=20.61, SD=11.47) increased significantly by the end of the five-week period of the complementary mindfulness intervention (M=22.47, SD=10.63) (t=3.11, P .05). Conclusion: These findings after the complementary mindfulness intervention should be interpreted cautiously, for replication and future research need to be conducted at this time period. The results, however, provide data for women with breast cancer-related pain and the possibility of complementary mind-body interventions.
Autoantibody-targeted treatments for acute exacerbations of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

Background Severe acute exacerbations (AE) of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) are medically untreatable and often fatal within days. Recent evidence suggests autoantibodies may be involved in IPF progression. Autoantibody-mediated lung diseases are typically refractory to glucocorticoids and nonspecific medications, but frequently respond to focused autoantibody reduction treatments. We conducted a pilot trial to test the hypothesis that autoantibody-targeted therapies may also benefit AE-IPF patients. Methods Eleven (11) critically-ill AE-IPF patients with no evidence of conventional autoimmune diseases were treated with therapeutic plasma exchanges (TPE) and rituximab, supplemented in later cases with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG). Plasma anti-epithelial (HEp-2) autoantibodies and matrix metalloproteinase-7 (MMP7) were evaluated by indirect immunofluorescence and ELISA, respectively. Outcomes among the trial subjects were compared to those of 20 historical control AE-IPF patients treated with conventional glucocorticoid therapy prior to this experimental trial. Results Nine (9) trial subjects (82%) had improvements of pulmonary gas exchange after treatment, compared to one (5%) historical control. Two of the three trial subjects who relapsed after only five TPE responded again with additional TPE. The three latest subjects who responded to an augmented regimen of nine TPE plus rituximab plus IVIG have had sustained responses without relapses after 96-to-237 days. Anti-HEp-2 autoantibodies were present in trial subjects prior to therapy, and were reduced by TPE among those who responded to treatment. Conversely, plasma MMP7 levels were not systematically affected by therapy nor correlated with clinical responses. One-year survival of trial subjects was 46+15% vs. 0% among historical controls. No serious adverse events were attributable to the experimental medications. Conclusion This pilot trial indicates specific treatments that reduce autoantibodies might benefit some severely-ill AE-IPF patients. These findings have potential implications regarding mechanisms of IPF progression, and justify considerations for incremental trials of autoantibody-targeted therapies in AE-IPF patients. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01266317
Effectiveness of treatment for drug abuse: An overview of the DARP research program.

The results of the treatment evaluation research based on the Drug Abuse Reporting Program (DARP) are summarized and discussed. The DARP is a data system containing almost 44,000 admissions during 1969 to 1973 to 52 treatment programs located throughout the United States and in Puerto Rico. The current report focuses on the findings of a number of interlocking posttreatment follow-up studies based on data for three independent samples representing admissions to this system. These data include a total of 4,627 interviews conducted 5 to 7 years after admission to the DARP, and an average of over 4 years after termination from treatment. The overall findings indicate that treatment in methadone maintenance, therapeutic communities, and outpatient drug-free programs was effective in improving posttreatment performance with respect to drug use, criminality, and productive activities. Significantly poorer outcomes were reported for outpatient detoxification programs and a group of comparison (intake only) clients.
Evolution of hierarchical neural networks for time-dependent cognitive processes: key recognition for musical compositions

This paper presents the results of using the GENDALC GANN system to evolve neural network topologies for music perception. The results obtained are not only better than those for other typically used neural network topologies, but also better than for neural networks that incorporate music theory knowledge. Because the data and task used in these experiments include hierarchical time dependent processing, these results demonstrate GENDALC's ability to evolve good solutions for cognitive tasks, even while using approaches potentially different from those used by humans.
EXTRAORDINARY CLAIMS REQUIRE EXTRAORDINARY EVIDENCE: C.H. PAYNE, H.N. RUSSELL AND STANDARDS OF EVIDENCE IN EARLY QUANTITATIVE STELLAR SPECTROSCOPY

The ionization equilibrium theory of Meghnad Saha was hardly four years old, and still far from general acceptance, when a graduate student at Harvard University, Cecilia H. Payne, applied it to calibrate the Harvard spectral sequence as a temperature sequence. Payne indeed utilized Saha's relation not in its original form, but in its more acceptable form based upon a statistical mechanical re-derivation by E.A. Milne and R.H. Fowler. Her temperature calibration was, therefore, not at issue for her mentors at Harvard, such as Harlow Shapley, and her external reviewer for her Ph.D., Shapley's former teacher, the influential Princeton astronomer, Henry Norris Russell. Other conclusions she drew from her analysis, moreover, went beyond the evidence, they felt, and so she had to moderate her most provocative finding: that hydrogen dominated the atmospheres of the stars. She did so, how- ever, in a manner that was designed to record for posterity that she was the first to make this observation, right or wrong. In so doing, Payne can be credited with profound political acumen, a quality that deserves more attention in the history of twentieth century astronomy.
Multiphonon effects in paraelectric relaxations

Abstract A theory is presented for the temperature dependence of the relaxation rate of paraelectric impurities in alkali-halides. The impurity is regarded as a two-level system coupled linearly to a phonon field. The relaxation rate is evaluated for arbitrary number of phonons, using a Debye spectrum for the lattice. The results agree well with experiments by Kapphan and Luty for relaxation of OH - impurities in RbBr.
The function of peaceful post-conflict contacts among primates

Reconciliation has been the subject of considerable research in the last decade, and researchers have demonstrated that in many species of Old World monkeys and apes former opponents are more likely to engage in friendly interactions in the minutes that follow conflicts than they are at other times.de Waal has suggested that the function of these interactions is to mend relationships that have been damaged by conflict. Although peaceful post-conflict interactions are thought to have long-term effects upon the nature of social relationships, behavioral evidence presently indicates that the effects of these interactions may be limited to the post-conflict period. Theoretical considerations also raise some doubts about whether the relationship-repair hypothesis is cogent. Data that demonstrate that peaceful post-conflict interactions facilitate peaceful interactions and relieve victim's uncertainty and anxiety about whether conflict will be continued suggest that peaceful post-conflict interactions may be a means to reestablish contact with former opponents. Thus, they appear to function as predictive signals that the actor is going to stop fighting and behave peacefully. Such signals may be important in a broad range of social contexts.
On the Performance of ML Channel Estimation for OQPSK in Frequency Non-Selective Fading

The maximum likelihood estimator for a constant channel gain based on offset QPSK (OQPSK) training symbols is derived and analyzed. The estimator is unbiased and only asymptotically efficient. The estimator error variance is a function of the variance of an inphase/quadrature (I/Q) interference term that creates a floor for the estimator error variance. The I/Q interference term is not present in estimators based on QPSK and constitutes the primary difference between the estimators for OQPSK and QPSK. Examples using the non-return to zero (NRZ) and square-root raised cosine (SRRC) pulse shapes demonstrate that for a fixed training sequence length, the performance floor for the estimator error variance is lower (better) with full response pulse shapes (NRZ) than with partial response pulse shapes (SRRC). The criterion for training sequences that minimize the undesired performance floor is also set forth.
Reduction of SO4=Ions in Sulfated Zirconia Catalysts☆

Abstract Upon reducing sulfated zirconia (SZ) catalysts with hydrogen, roughly 50% of the sulfate groups are reduced to sulfur dioxide which is detected mass spectrometrically; the other 50% are reduced to S=ions that are retained at the surface. The measured ratio H/S of consumed H atoms to S atoms originally present as SO4=ions is thus H/S=5. In the presence of platinum, either deposited on the SZ, or as Pt/NaY in a physical mixture with SZ, or downstream of SZ in a layered bed arrangement, the SO2is reduced further to H2S, which is detected chemically and by MS. In this case H/S=8. The TPR peak position is shifted to lower temperature in PtSZ and in physical mixtures of SZ and Pt/NaY. Reduction of sulfate groups lowers the Bronsted acidity of the catalysts, as indicated by theintensityof the IR bands of adsorbed ammonia. Bronsted acidity is almost totally eliminated by hydrogen reduction at 400°C. The position of the band of ammonia on Lewis sites is not significantly affected by sulfate reduction, but the temperature at which ammonia is desorbed from these sites is lowered. The H2S that is formed in the presence of Pt partially poisons the Pt particles; their catalytic signature in the isotope exchange of cyclopentane with D2indicates that large Pt ensembles are blocked by adsorbed S atoms even after reduction up to 350°C, but that isolated Pt atoms are still acting as active sites. After complete reduction of the SO4=groups, Pt in PtSZ loses its catalytic activity for the isotope exchange reaction.
Characterization of the diversity in bat biosonar beampatterns with spherical harmonics power spectra

The biosonar beampatterns found across different bat species are highly diverse in terms of global and local shape properties such as overall beamwidth or the presence, location, and shape of multiple lobes. It may be hypothesized that some of this variability reflects evolutionary adaptation. To investigate this hypothesis, the present work has searched for patterns in the variability across a set of 283 numerical predictions of emission and reception beampatterns from 88 bat species belonging to four major families (Rhinolophidae, Hipposideridae, Phyllostomidae, Vespertilionidae). This was done using a lossy compression of the beampatterns that utilized real spherical harmonics as basis functions. The resulting vector representations showed differences between the families as well as between emission and reception. These differences existed in the means of the power spectra as well as in their distribution. The distributions were characterized in a low dimensional space found through principal component analysis. The distinctiveness of the beampatterns across the groups was corroborated by pairwise classification experiments that yielded correct classification rates between ~85 and ~98%. Beamwidth was a major factor but not the sole distinguishing feature in these classification experiments. These differences could be seen as an indication of adaptive trends at the beampattern level.
Preliminary model for an early transform history in central Atlantic rifting

Dextral and sinistral shear along an arcuate intracontinental transform system parallel to the present coastlines of eastern North America and western Africa is believed to have played a significant role in the decoupling of continental blocks during the extremely complex tectonic history of central Atlantic rifting. Near-pole small-circle transform systems are developed as wide zones of shear during counterclockwise and clockwise rotations of Africa and South America relative to North America about a pole of rotation in the Sahara. Transform and rifting histories are combined in a model proposed for Atlantic rifting that includes the following phases of rotation interacting with the linear belt of pre-existing Appalachian structural grain: (1) Late Permian to Middle Triassic counterclockwise rotation of Africa with dextral shear localizing an initial thermal arch and early sedimentation in southern Appalachian grabens along a reactivated structural grain; (2) dominant Late Triassic to Early Jurassic extensional reactivation in a northwest-southeast direction, with minor plate separation producing the main phase of graben sedimentation and a major 190 m.y. B.P. basalt sill and flow event; (3) Middle Jurassic clockwise rotation of Africa with sinistral shear resulting in the folding and faulting of graben sediments and the injection of basalt dikes 175 m.y. B.P. along a distinctive fan-shaped distribution of extensional structures; and (4) separation of the North American and African continents parallel to early Atlantic fracture-zone trends with the onset of plate accretion.
The Long Arm of the Law: Bringing International Drug Offenders to Justice in American Courts

The exportation of the US war on drugs to the international arena has relied on the deployment of various strategies designed to reduce the supply of illegal drugs to the American market, and to hold perpetrators in foreign countries accountable. This paper focuses on the use of extradition in facilitating the prosecution of foreign nationals, and, through a case study of Jamaica, examines some of the problems inherent in the process of arresting and transferring drug offenders from countries within Latin America and the Caribbean to “face justice” in American courts.
Enhanced AMLCD and backlight for extended luminance range and sunlight readability

As cockpit lighting systems have evolved which implement active matrix liquid crystal displays (AMLCD) into military aircraft, it has become obvious that an extremely large dimming range is necessary to accommodate low level night operation and high ambient sunlight conditions. This range may be as large a 0.03 FtL to 200 FtL (6667:1) over the display field of view. This is a much larger range than previously exhibited by typical hot cathode fluorescent lamps. Additionally, performance enhancements are necessary to achieve the high contrast required for sunlight operation in a military environment. These are also complicated by the requirements to start rapidly and operate reliably in environments of -54 degree(s)C to +71 degree(s)C. A significant research and development program has been dedicated to advance the backlight and display technology to achieve the desired performance. This paper will present the results of this effort. It includes data from the benchmarked start through several breadboarded backlight and display enhancements.
Natural Product-like Combinatorial Libraries Based on Privileged Structures. 3. The “Libraries from Libraries” Principle for Diversity Enhancement of Benzopyran Libraries

As described in the preceding two papers, our interest in the construction of natural and natural product-like libraries for chemical biology studies led to the development of a new solid-phase cycloloading strategy for the construction of substituted benzopyrans. Herein, we report a parallel solution-phase method that facilitates the enhancement of both the size and diversity of these non-oligomeric benzopyran libraries using the “libraries from libraries” principle. We examine the rationale behind the use of this tandem strategy to construct discrete small molecule libraries, and describe the development of a polymer-assisted solution-phase (PASP) methodology necessary to effect the required transformations. Once developed, this chemistry is applied to two demonstration libraries.
Fibrin glue v sutured bolster: lessons learned during 100 laparoscopic partial nephrectomies.

ABSTRACTPurpose: Laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (LPN) is performed with marked technical variations. We defined the limits of sutureless LPN and determined which closure technique is best in a pa...
Local application of rhTGF-β2 modulates dynamic gene expression in a rat implant model

Various anabolic agents, including transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-h), have been shown to enhance intramembranous bone regeneration and strengthen the mechanical connection between implant and host skeleton, a prerequisite for clinical success with orthopedic and dental implants. Mechanisms underlying these observations at the level of the gene have received little attention. A rat model was used to examine levels of gene transcription for 21 bosteogenicQ genes by real-time polymerase chain reaction at days 1, 3, 5, 7, 10, 14, and 28 in a control group and a group in which the implant was treated with 1 Ag recombinant human TGF-h 2( n = 42, equally divided among the 2 groups and 7 time points). Genes were chosen to represent three functional categories: (1) growth factors, their receptors and antagonists; (2) bone differentiation markers; and (3) inflammation markers. Examination of the transcription profiles showed that nine genes had upregulated or down-regulated expression levels without a change in timing and 12 genes had accelerated or delayed expression profiles with or without a concomitant change in maximal or minimal expression. The earliest changes (days 1–3) involved accelerated expression profiles for IGF-1R and VEGF and up-regulation of TGF-h2, ThRI, BMP-2, BMP-7, and Cbfa1. Furthermore, principal components analyses showed that some subsets of genes were co-expressed in both groups, although the temporal relationship of these subsets was altered following growth factor treatment. Thus, in addition to changes in individual transcription profiles, the regulatory connections between sets of co-expressed genes may also be affected by exogenously delivered anabolic agents during bone regeneration.
Annealing effects on the photoluminescence yield of Gd2O3:Eu nanoparticles produced by solution combustion synthesis

Abstract Post-synthesis annealing is commonly required to achieve intense luminescence from nanoparticles synthesized by means of the solution combustion synthesis (SCS) method. We carried out investigation to gain insight on the underpinning mechanisms related to this enhancement. Gd2O3:Eu nanoparticles were prepared by SCS and characterized in their structure, crystallinity, crystallite size, photoluminescence (PL) and PL lifetime. After synthesis, samples were calcined at 500 °C for 4 h to eliminate organic residues, and annealed in air at 1000 °C for up to 180 min. The fast increase of PL intensity in the first ∼15 min of annealing is understood by the decrease of the probability of non-radiative recombination through the elimination of quenching defects. This is in agreement with increasing crystallinity, as determined by the absolute intensity of the (222) and (440) diffraction peaks as a function of annealing time. The systematic measurements of crystallinity, crystallite size, PL intensity and lifetime as a function of annealing time carried out in this work supports the assignment of a major role to crystallization and the elimination of structural disorder on PL yield of SCS-prepared materials.
Relative Velocity Measurements of Electrons and gamma Rays at 15-GeV

Measurements were made to detect differences in the velocity of propagation of $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ rays and electrons in the energy range 15-20 GeV, by using a time-of-flight technique with 1-psec sensitivity and a flight path of \ensuremath{\sim} 1 km. A relative velocity difference larger than $1\ensuremath{-}{\ensuremath{\beta}}_{e}$ (\ensuremath{\sim} 5\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{} ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}10}$) would imply a breakdown of special relativity. No significant difference in the velocities of light and electrons was observed to within \ensuremath{\sim} 2 parts in ${10}^{7}$.