cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comprehensive Thermodynamics of Nickel Hydride Bis(Diphosphine) Complexes: A Predictive Model through Computations

Prediction of thermodynamic quantities such as redox potentials and homolytic and heterolytic metal hydrogen bond energies is critical to the a priori design of molecular catalysts. In this paper we expound upon a density functional theory (DFT)-based isodesmic methodology for the accurate computation of the above quantities across a series of Ni(diphosphine)2 complexes that are potential catalysts for production of H2 from protons and electrons or oxidation of H2 to electrons and protons. Isodesmic schemes give relative free energies between the complex of interest and a reference system. A natural choice is to use as a reference a compound that is similar to the chemical species under study and for which the properties of interest have been measured with accuracy. However, this is not always possible, as in the case of the Ni complexes considered here, where data are experimentally available for only some species. To overcome this difficulty, we employed a theoretical reference compound, Ni(PH3)4, which...
Digital nerve calcification in CREST syndrome

A patient with the CREST variant of scleroderma with painful digital nerve calcification is presented. Surgical removal of the calcification provided pain relief; however, there was no return in sensibility.
Dimerization of Carboxylic Acids and Salts: An IR Study in Perfluoropolyether Media

It was found that perfluoropolyethers (PFPE) with carboxylic acid end groups, PFPE-COOH, and their sodium salts, PFPE-COONa, afford an anhydrous fluid medium in which the direct pair-wise interaction of these end groups may be examined. An IR study (of the carbonyl band) of these materials revealed not only the dimerization of acid units, but also the formation of salt dimers, (salt)2, and mixed dimers, (acid)(salt). The carbonyl spectra of PFPE-acid/salt mixtures exhibit temperature-dependent broadening, shift, and, in some cases, coalescence of the bands which are attributed to the pseudocoalescence phenomenon stemming from the presence of relatively low energy cation exchange passages among the three possible dimers. Examination of the corresponding CH3COOH/CH3COONa system by ab initio calculations (6-31G) yielded the heat of dimerization of ∼20, ∼50, and ∼35 kcal/mol for the acid−acid, the salt−salt, and the acid−salt dimers, respectively. The calculated dimer structures are shown and discussed. The c...
Two-point correlations near the phase transition in a compressible magnet

Leading order in $\ensuremath{\epsilon}(=4\ensuremath{-}d)$ solutions of renormalization-group recursion relations are used to calculate the two-point correlation function in an $n$-component compressible magnet. The effect of finite compressibility on two-point correlations is studied and comparisons with the rigid system are made.
Nursing attrition and the work environment in South African health facilities

A number of media reports appeared on the shortages of professional health workers in the public health sector. Unsatisfactory working conditions in health facilities were mentioned as one of the key aspects responsible for the shortages. Literature indicates that stress caused by unsatisfactory work environments may play a major role in employees' decision to resign their jobs, in spite of enjoying the nature of their work. The aim of this article is to explore the current human resource situation in nursing i.e. to determine if a shortage of nursing skills exists, to establish the challenges that nurses have to face in performing their duties and to establish the potential effect of the work environment on attrition. Currently 155 484 nurses are practicing in South Africa at a rate of 343 nurses per 100 000 of the population, which compares favourably with the World Health Organisation minimum of 200:100 000. The lack of reliable data on the supply of and demand for nurses makes it difficult to determine whether real shortages exist. However the supply of nursing services is influenced by the uneven distribution of skills across regions and the outflow of professional skills. It seems that the existing situation will deteriorate because fewer people are interested in taking up or pursuing nursing as a career in South Africa. At the same time a need for more nurses was identified because of the growth in the population as well as a change in health care needs. Workplace conditions for health workers employed at hospitals and clinics in South Africa were explored as part of a recent national study on the impact of HIV/AIDS on the health sector. Health workers' opinions on aspects such as workload, staff morale and working hours were obtained during personal interviews, which were conducted at 222 health facilities. Nine hundred and twenty four professional nurses, enrolled nurses and nursing assistants, who were mostly employed in the public health sector, participated. A stressful work environment was identified in public hospitals and clinics. An increase in the number of patients visiting these facilities, accompanied by a lack of equipment, unsatisfactory work environment and a shortage of nurses were pointed out. Many patients cannot be accommodated elsewhere because of a lack of finance and alternative health care options. Nurses also indicated that they do not get much support from their employers. The effect of all these factors culminates in a stressed workforce who may be forced to consider alternative career options. This will be to the detriment of health care in the country.
Structural integrity evaluation for corrosion in spherical pressure vessels

Abstract Corrosion is typical of the damage that occurs in ageing pressure vessels and pipelines used in industrial processes as a result of reactive products inside or harsh environmental conditions on the outside. Structural integrity of such components needs to be evaluated periodically to establish the continued suitability of the vessels under operating conditions. The present paper develops a method for Level 2 (as categorized by API 579) fitness-for-service (FFS) evaluation of spherical pressure vessels with localized corrosion. The decay lengths for spherical shells subject to different sizes of corroded areas are calculated based on elastic effects in shells so as to identify the reference volume participating in plastic action. Lower bound “remaining strength factors” of spherical pressure vessels containing corrosion damage are formulated by the application of Mura's variational formulation and the m α -multiplier method. Three alternative design recommendations are given. The effectiveness of the proposed methods is evaluated and demonstrated through illustrative examples and comparison with Level 3 inelastic finite element analyses.
Bacteroides pericardial effusion and cardiac tamponade in a patient with chronic renal failure.

Abstract A 31-year-old woman with chronic renal insufficiency and recurrent pericarditis developed and enlarging cardiac silhouette and physical signs of cardiac tamponade. Cardiac catheterization demonstrated pericardial effusion with hemodynamic evidence of cardiac compression. At pericardial exploration, 1.5 L. of foul-smelling purulent material was removed from a distended pericardial sac. Cultures of both the exudate and pericardium revealed pure growth of Bacteroides fragiles . The patient was subsequently treated with intravenous chloramphenicol and has had an uncomplicated clinical course since that time. This represents the first reported case of cardiac tamponade secondary to culturally proved Bacteroides pericarditis in the setting of chronic renal insufficiency.
Clinical Criteria for the Diagnosis of Alzheimer Disease: Still Good After All These Years

Objective To examine the impact of newer neuropathological techniques on the power of National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke–AD and Related Disorders Association criteria for Alzheimer disease (AD) to detect AD at later postmortem study. Design We examined clinical and postmortem diagnoses of persons evaluated postmortem with thioflavin-S staining for plaques and tangles and immunohistochemical staining techniques for alpha synuclein, uhiquitin, and tau protein. Setting: Alzheimer Disease Center. Participants Clinically evaluated persons for whom tissue diagnosis was available. Results Of 313 evaluees, 166 met criteria for probable AD. An additional 59 subjects had clinical diagnoses that included AD, e.g., possible AD, Lewy body variant of AD, AD and Parkinsonism, and mixed AD and vascular dementia. Of the 166 probable AD cases, 147 of 166 (88.6%) met pathologic criteria for AD. When all five AD groups were combined, 194 of 225 subjects (86.2%) met pathologic criteria for AD. There were five cases diagnosed pathologically as tangle-only dementia, which was considered a variant of AD. A pathologic diagnosis of Lewy body variant of AD was made in 56 (17.9%) of cases, including 44 of 313 (14.1%) cases diagnosed as probable or possible AD. Pure dementia with Lewy bodies was seen in 13 (4.2%). There were 9 (2.9%) cases of mixed AD and vascular dementia, and 37 (11.4%) cases of frontotemporal dementia. Conclusions McKhann et al. criteria for probable and possible AD are valid for AD but do not exclude additional Lewy body pathology.
Entrepreneurial Leadership Among the “Robber Barons”: A Trial Balance

This paper is concerned with the semipiratical entrepreneurs who roamed the United States virtually unchecked before 1903, save for who the opposition of a few publicists and some short-lived vigilante committees. Contemporaries, following Henry Demarest Lloyd and Carl Schurz, likened businessmen of this type to the nobles who infested the Medieval Rhine. The term “robber barons” has stuck to them through the years despite occasional attempts at rehabilitating one or another who stood out above the throng by virtue of his accumulations or philanthropy. Only recently, for example, Howard Mumford Jones distinguished between the “cruelty” and the “culture” of these magnates whose behavior in the commercial-political and the artistic-literary fields he prefers to liken to the “commercial tyrants” of the Renaissance. No one to date, so far as I know, has attempted to distinguish from their strictly buccaneering activities the permanent contributions made by these businessmen as a group to American business practices. Such is the purpose of this paper.
Pathogenesis of enteric diseases.

Abstract The pathogenesis of digestive disease in poultry involves the cellular events and reactions that result in a deviation from normal structure and function. To a degree, the differentiation of disease and normal in commercial poultry also involves an economic perspective. Factors external to the digestive tract may mimic digestive disease, including reductions in the density of various nutrients and feed refusal. Antinutritional factors, such as certain storage polysaccharides and proteins, are inaccessible to endogenous enzymes and are either indigestible or act as blockers of the digestion of other nutrients. Changes in digestive secretions that result in either excess or deficiency also influence digestive structure and function. Infectious agents and toxins that cause degeneration and necrosis are especially injurious because a series of critical repair events must occur in order to regain function. The consequences range from lethal injury of the host animal to diminished performance. The digestive tract has a large component of lymphoid tissue and impairment of the immune system influences the course of protozoan, bacterial and viral enteric diseases.
Stress-Strain Relationships in Yarns Subjected to Rapid Impact Loading: Part X: Stress-Strain Curves Obtained by Impacts with Rifle Bullets

When a yarn is struck transversely, a V-shaped wave of transverse motion is caused to spread outwards at a velocity Ū depending upon the impact velocity V. In this research data on Ū vs V for impact velocities between 10 m/sec and 700 m/sec are analyzed to determine stress-strain behavior in high-tenacity nylon and polyester yarns. The data are obtained by shooting rifle bullets at a yarn and recording the resulting configurations by microflash photography. A strain-rate-independent theory for transverse impact behavior is used to calculate stress-strain data.It was found that the time required to break a yarn depended upon the impact velocity. Nylon yarns broke 10 μsec after impact at 650 m/sec with a calculated breaking strain of 10.0% and tenacity of 77 g/tex. At 495 m/sec velocity the yarn broke within 100 μsec at 7.4% strain and 52 g/tex tenacity. The corresponding values in polyester yarn were, for a 10-μsec break, 620 m/sec, 10.5%, and 67 g/tex; for a 100-μsec break, 420 m/sec, 6.5%, and 40 g/tex.
Impact of a productivity-based compensation system on faculty clinical teaching scores, as evaluated by anesthesiology residents.

Abstract Study Objective To determine whether financial incentives given to faculty members for favorable teaching scores improve the quality of clinical education. Design Retrospective analysis. Setting Large U.S. academic anesthesiology department. Study Subjects 61 academic and 72 clinical faculty members. Measurements Since, academic year (AY) 2004, as part of a comprehensive clinical and academic productivity-based compensation system, academic faculty members receiving higher operating room (OR) teaching evaluation scores from the residents have been rewarded financially. Clinical Faculty members also have been rated, but have not received incentives based on scores. Annual averaged OR teaching scores of each faculty member on a 0–9 scale, where 9=best, were gathered anonymously with faculty classification (academic or clinical). Average overall scores and percentage of faculty with each score category (8.51-9.00, 8.01-8.50, 7.00-8.00, or Main Results No significant difference was noted in the average scores between the pre-implementation and post-implementation periods in a paired comparison (academic: 7.83 ± 0.48 vs 7.85 ± 0.50, P = 0.61; clinical: 7.54 ± 0.75 vs 7.66 ± 0.60, P = 0.21). No statistically significant change was noted in the composition of score categories in the academic ( P = 0.63) or clinical faculty ( P = 0.20) members. Overall, the academic faculty received significantly higher scores than the clinical faculty (7.84 ± 0.49 vs 7.60 ± 0.67, P = 0.0003). Conclusions A productivity-based faculty compensation system did not appear to influence faculty OR teaching scores.
THE RISK-BASED VIEW OF TRUST: A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

Trust and risk have often been linked in the literature, but their relationship is far from clear. Trust has been used in three different ways — namely, as a perception (“subjective trust”), as various personal and situational factors that lead to subjective trust (“trust antecedents”), and as the actions resulting from subjective trust (“behavioral trust”). We explain how risk is related to these three conceptions of trust. First, we argue that subjective trust and perceived risk are in fact mirror images of each other. Second, we show how behavioral trust can be viewed as risk taking, so that the causal relationship between subjective trust and behavioral trust is similar to that of perceived risk and risk taking. And third, we discuss the role of personal characteristics (such as risk propensity and trust propensity) in the risk–trust relationship. We also develop a number of propositions based on our risk-based view of trust.
Carbon isotope ratios of organic compound fractions in oceanic suspended particles

[1] To study cycling of organic fractions in the ocean, relative abundances and radio- and stable-carbon isotope measurements of total lipid extract, acid-soluble, and acid-insoluble fractions of suspended particulate organic carbon (POC) were made. Changes in relative abundances occurred mostly in the upper 1000 m of the water column, with a decrease in total lipid extract and the acid-soluble fraction and an increase in the acid-insoluble fraction with increasing depth. We found lower Δ14C values for total lipid extract and the acid-insoluble fraction than for the acid-soluble fraction, which is consistent with the previous suggestion of incorporation of dissolved organic carbon and/or resuspended sediment to POC (Druffel and Williams, 1990; Sherrell et al., 1998). The Δ14C values of these fractions in a given organic carbon pool must be understood in terms of acquisition of 14C-depleted carbon from other carbon pools in addition to aging within the reservoir.
The Effects of Sport Participation on Individuals With Mental Retardation

This study compared individuals with mental retardation participating in either a traditional segregated Special Olympic program or the new Unified Special Olympic program, which is integrated. The dependent variables of the study included self-perceptions of physical ability, social skills, and general self-worth. Actual physical abilities were also compared between the two groups. A control group not participating in sport programs was utilized. Self-perceptions were assessed with a modified version of the Perceived Competence Scale for Children (Harter, 1982). Cardiovascular fitness was estimated with the 1-mi run-walk (AAHPERD, 1984). Sport skills were assessed by use of a standard skills test routinely used for team placement by Special Olympics. Unified athletes demonstrated an increase in social self-perception, which remained unchanged in the traditional athletes. There were no significant increases found in self-perceptions of physical and general self-worth for either the traditional or Unified ...
5-(Fluorodinitromethyl)-2H-tetrazole and its tetrazolates - Preparation and Characterization of New High Energy Compounds†

5-(Fluorodinitromethyl)-2H-tetrazole (HFDNTz) has been prepared by the cycloaddition reaction of HN3 with F(NO2)2CCN, which in turn was prepared by aqueous fluorination of sodium dinitrocyanomethanide. HFDNTz was converted into the ammonium, silver and tetraphenylphosphonium 5-(fluorodinitromethyl)tetrazolates. While the reaction of trinitroacetonitrile with HBr, followed by the treatment with NaOH, resulted in the formation of sodium dinitrocyanomethanide, the reaction of trinitroacetonitrile with aqueous ammonia produced ammonium dinitrocyanomethanide. Hydrazinium dinitromethanide was obtained from trinitroacetonitrile and hydrazine hydrate. All compounds were fully characterized by multinuclear NMR spectroscopy, IR spectroscopy and X-ray crystal structure determinations. Initial safety testing (impact and friction sensitivity) and thermal stability measurements (DTA) were also carried out.
Exercise Tolerance and Quality of Life in Elderly Patients with Chronic Atrial Fibrillation

Background: Atrial fibrillation is the most common arrhythmia affecting the elderly. Although the risk of cardioembolic stroke is well defined, the effects of chronic atrial fibrillation on exercise tolerance and quality of life have been less well quantified.Methods: We compared a group of 52 elderly patients with chronic atrial fibrillation to a group of 48 control patients in sinus rhythm. Each patient underwent an interview that incorporated the Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36) to quantify individual perceptions on quality of life. In addition each person underwent physiologic testing that included a Modified Bruce Protocol exercise tolerance test, 24-hour ambulatory monitor test, and an echocardiogram.Results: Both groups were elderly, 77 vs 76 years of age (P=0.35).The two groups had similar ejection fractions, 55.4% vs 58.4% (P=0.10). The atrial fibrillation patients demonstrated a higher level of comorbidity based on the Charlson Comorbidity Index, 2.46 vs 1.57 (P=0.03). On formal exercise test...
On the Impact of Propagation on UWB-Based Communication and Position Location Networks

A collection of slides from the authorpsilas conference presentation is given. The following topics are covered: UWB propagation; path loss; UWB small scale channel; time dispersion; fading of primary path; position location networks; TOA estimation; and NLOS propagation.
Utilizing data grid architecture for the backup and recovery of clinical image data

Grid Computing represents the latest and most exciting technology to evolve from the familiar realm of parallel, peer-to-peer and client-server models. However, there has been limited investigation into the impact of this emerging technology in medical imaging and informatics. In particular, PACS technology, an established clinical image repository system, while having matured significantly during the past ten years, still remains weak in the area of clinical image data backup. Current solutions are expensive or time consuming and the technology is far from foolproof. Many large-scale PACS archive systems still encounter downtime for hours or days, which has the critical effect of crippling daily clinical operations. In this paper, a review of current backup solutions will be presented along with a brief introduction to grid technology. Finally, research and development utilizing the grid architecture for the recovery of clinical image data, in particular, PACS image data, will be presented. The focus of this paper is centered on applying a grid computing architecture to a DICOM environment since DICOM has become the standard for clinical image data and PACS utilizes this standard. A federation of PACS can be created allowing a failed PACS archive to recover its image data from others in the federation in a seamless fashion. The design reflects the five-layer architecture of grid computing: Fabric, Resource, Connectivity, Collective, and Application Layers. The testbed Data Grid is composed of one research laboratory and two clinical sites. The Globus 3.0 Toolkit (Co-developed by the Argonne National Laboratory and Information Sciences Institute, USC) for developing the core and user level middleware is utilized to achieve grid connectivity. The successful implementation and evaluation of utilizing data grid architecture for clinical PACS data backup and recovery will provide an understanding of the methodology for using Data Grid in clinical image data backup for PACS, as well as establishment of benchmarks for performance from future grid technology improvements. In addition, the testbed can serve as a road map for expanded research into large enterprise and federation level data grids to guarantee CA (Continuous Availability, 99.999% up time) in a variety of medical data archiving, retrieval, and distribution scenarios.
Prevalence of Vector-borne Bacterial Pathogens in Riparian Brush Rabbits (Sylvilagus bachmani riparius) and their Ticks

Abstract From June to October 2010, 48 endangered riparian brush rabbits (Sylvilagus bachmani riparius) were trapped at a captive propagation site in central California with the intention of release into re-established habitats. During prerelease examinations, ticks and blood samples were collected for surveillance for Rickettsia spp., Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Borrelia burgdorferi, and Bartonella spp. Ticks were identified, and DNA was extracted for PCR analysis. Serology was performed to detect exposure to Rickettsia spp., B. burgdorferi, and A. phagocytophilum. DNA was extracted from blood samples and analyzed for A. phagocytophilum using PCR assays. Rabbit blood samples were also cultured for Bartonella spp. Haemaphysalis leporispalustris ticks were detected on all rabbits except one. A total of 375 ticks were collected, with 48% of the rabbits (23 rabbits) having a burden ranging from 0 to 5 ticks, 15% (seven rabbits) from 6 to 10 ticks, 25% (12 rabbits) from 11 to 15 ticks, and 12% (six rabbits) wi...
The Last Stop

This issue contains six empirical papers (five articles and a Report from the Field) related to strategies and programs to prevent substance use, violence, sexual risk talking, and sexual assault among adolescents, youth, and emerging adults. Lopez et al. present findings from a study of family, school, and peer factors as they inter-relate to the likelihood of substance use in a sample of Hispanic adolescents in Miami. This research is promising both in terms of the implications for targets of prevention programming and for the application of ecodevelopmental theory, which might guide similar efforts with different cultural groups. Jagers and colleagues build on prior research on the Aban Aya Youth Project by comparing social development classroom curriculum, school/family/community intervention curriculum, and a health enhancement curriculum attention placebo control conditions on changes over time in violent behaviors among participating youth. Using grade 5 pretest and grades 5–8 posttest data, as well as information about youth who joined the study after baseline, to investigate the possibility of differential intervention effects. The authors present promising violence prevention findings, and they also provide important answers to dosage and developmental timing questions with their analyses of these longitudinal data.
Thrombospondin-1 Induction in the Diabetic Myocardium Stabilizes the Cardiac Matrix in Addition to Promoting Vascular Rarefaction Through Angiopoietin-2 Upregulation

Rationale:Diabetes mellitus is associated with cardiac fibrosis. Matricellular proteins are induced in fibrotic conditions and modulate fibrogenic and angiogenic responses by regulating growth factor signaling. Objective:Our aim was to test the hypothesis that the prototypical matricellular protein thrombospondin (TSP)-1, a potent angiostatic molecule and crucial activator of transforming growth factor-β, may play a key role in remodeling of the diabetic heart. Methods and Results:Obese diabetic db/db mice exhibited marked myocardial TSP-1 upregulation in the interstitial and perivascular space. To study the role of TSP-1 in remodeling of the diabetic heart, we generated and characterized db/db TSP-1–/– (dbTSP) mice. TSP-1 disruption did not significantly affect weight gain and metabolic function in db/db animals. When compared with db/db animals, dbTSP mice had increased left ventricular dilation associated with mild nonprogressive systolic dysfunction. Chamber dilation in dbTSP mice was associated with ...
Macromolecular Design, Nucleic Acid Junctions, and Crystal Formation

The simplest form of macromolecular design involves the ligation of nucleic acids. Recent results on the concatenation of nucleic acid junctions show that these molecules can act as fairly rigid macromolecular valence clusters on the nanometer scale. These clusters can be joined to form closed stick figures in which each edge is double helical DNA or RNA and each vertex is a nucleic acid junction. The geometrical criteria for forming discrete-closed and periodic structures from these components are established. The helicity of each edge limits the possible structures that can be formed. The formation of a periodic array from nucleic acid junction building blocks is compared with the crystallization of molecular systems. This comparison leads to a new interpretation of the nature of order in the solid state for molecular crystals. The suggestion is made that the structure of a solid molecular system described by the fewest unique orthogonal (Fourier) components is the one which will be entropically favored, since it contains the least information. This is the crystalline state, with a small number of molecules per asymmetric unit. The free energy from the proposed entropic driving force responsible for this behavior is available, in principle, to correct small deviations from ideality in forming covalent crystals from nucleic acid junction components, as well as in non-bonded molecular systems. Nucleic acid junction periodic arrays provide an appropriate vehicle with which to test this interpretation.
vTurbo: accelerating virtual machine I/O processing using designated turbo-sliced core

In a virtual machine (VM) consolidation environment, it has been observed that CPU sharing among multiple VMs will lead to I/O processing latency because of the CPU access latency experienced by each VM. In this paper, we present vTurbo, a system that accelerates I/O processing for VMs by offloading I/O processing to a designated core. More specifically, the designated core - called turbo core - runs with a much smaller time slice (e.g., 0.1ms) than the cores shared by production VMs. Most of the I/O IRQs for the production VMs will be delegated to the turbo core for more timely processing, hence accelerating the I/O processing for the production VMs. Our experiments show that vTurbo significantly improves the VMs' network and disk I/O throughput, which consequently translates into application-level performance improvement.
Measurement of laser ablation threshold with a high-speed framing camera

A method for measuring laser ablation threshold energy with a high-speed framing camera is presented. To demonstrate the utility of the technique, the threshold energy for pulsed holmium laser ablation of liver was measured. The measured threshold radiant exposure of 30+or-3 J/cm/sup 2/ is in good agreement with values previously determined by alternate techniques. In addition to providing a rapid and reproducible measurement of laser ablation threshold, this technique also provides insight into the physical mechanisms of ablation. >
Linear and nonlinear stability of the Blasius boundary layer

Two new techniques for the study of the linear and nonlinear instability in growing boundary layers are presented. The first technique employs partial differential equations of parabolic type exploiting the slow change of the mean flow, disturbance velocity profiles, wavelengths, and growth rates in the streamwise direction. The second technique solves the Navier-Stokes equation for spatially evolving disturbances using buffer zones adjacent to the inflow and outflow boundaries. Results of both techniques are in excellent agreement. The linear and nonlinear development of Tollmien-Schlichting (TS) waves in the Blasius boundary layer is investigated with both techniques and with a local procedure based on a system of ordinary differential equations. The results are compared with previous work and the effects of non-parallelism and nonlinearity are clarified. The effect of nonparallelism is confirmed to be weak and, consequently, not responsible for the discrepancies between measurements and theoretical results for parallel flow.
Coefficient alpha and the internal structure of tests.

A general formula (α) of which a special case is the Kuder-Richardson coefficient of equivalence is shown to be the mean of all split-half coefficients resulting from different splittings of a test. α is therefore an estimate of the correlation between two random samples of items from a universe of items like those in the test. α is found to be an appropriate index of equivalence and, except for very short tests, of the first-factor concentration in the test. Tests divisible into distinct subtests should be so divided before using the formula. The index $$\bar r_{ij} $$ , derived from α, is shown to be an index of inter-item homogeneity. Comparison is made to the Guttman and Loevinger approaches. Parallel split coefficients are shown to be unnecessary for tests of common types. In designing tests, maximum interpretability of scores is obtained by increasing the first-factor concentration in any separately-scored subtest and avoiding substantial group-factor clusters within a subtest. Scalability is not a requisite.
Radiative transition probabilities in the O-like sequence

In the present work a complete set of radiative transition rates is calculated for all for the O-like ions with Z = 11−30. Energy levels, oscillator strengths and A values are computed for all transitions within the n = 2 complex and are compared with previous calculations, where available. Calculations are carried out using the Superstructure code. The present work provides for the first time a self-consistent, complete set of A values necessary for the calculation of line emissivities and synthetic spectra for all the ions considered, filling several gaps in the existing literature. The present data are especially suited for the analysis of spectral lines emitted by the less-abundant elements in the universe, for which few if any data were available in the literature.
LG4–5 domains of laminin‐211 binds α‐Dystroglycan to allow myotube attachment and prevent anoikis

Poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PolyHEMA) prevents cell attachment was used here to study anoikis, the process where cells die when unattached or attached to an inappropriate matrix, in mouse C(2)C(12) myotubes. A method was developed to efficiently embed proteins into PolyHEMA and the effect on cultured myotubes was determined. Myotubes grown on PolyHEMA-coated plates fail to attach to the surface and remain as rounded, suspended cells, undergo dramatic increases in apoptosis and necrosis, and the number of viable cells decreases. Incorporation of merosin (laminin-211) or the short laminin globular (LG4-5) modules of the laminin-alpha2 chain C-terminus (called 2E3) that binds alpha-dystroglycan diminishes both apoptosis and necrosis and increases viability while bovine serum albumin had a much lesser effect, showing the specificity of this effect for these matrix proteins. One sarcolemma receptor for laminin-binding is alpha-dystroglycan. An antibody which binds alpha-dystroglycan but which does not block laminin-binding (VIA4) had little effect on apoptosis or viability on merosin or 2E3 embedded plates while another antibody (IIH6) which specifically blocks binding dramatically decreased viability and increased apoptosis. When merosin or 2E3 are added to culture media rather than embedded on plates these can also increase viability and decrease apoptosis even though the cells remain in suspension, though the effect is not as great as found for the embedded proteins where the cells attach. Thus, we conclude that the binding of a small LG4-5 modules of laminin-211 to alpha-dystroglycan is important in preventing anoikis and that attachment plus binding is necessary for maximal cell survival.
Forum: challenges in STD/AIDS prevention in Portuguese-speaking African countries: contributions from social research and from a gender approach. Postscript.

Forum: challenges in STD/AIDS prevention in Portuguese-speaking African countries: contributions from social research and from a gender approach. PostscriptForum: desaﬁ os da prevencao das DST/AIDS em paises africanos de lingua oﬁ cial portuguesa: contribuicoes da pesquisa social e do recorte de genero. Posfacio
Electrical, Optical, and Structural Properties of SnO2: F Films as a Function of Fluoride Precursor Concentration and Temperature†

Atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition (APCVD) employing the precursor system of tin tetrachloride, ethyl formate, and 2,2,2-trifluoroethyl trifluoroacetate vapors that were transported to hot glass substrates to deposit fluorine doped tin dioxide thin films. The system is optimized with respect to the substrate deposition temperature and to the amount of fluoride added to the precursor stream and the resultant structural, electrical and optical properties compared. Increasing the substrate temperature from 360 °C to 610 °C resulted in an approximately linear increase in thickness of the tin dioxide films. However, the resistivity decreased from 1.8 × 10–2 Ω·cm at 360 °C to a minimum of 5.9 × 10–4 Ω·cm at 560 °C and increased to 9.4 × 10–4 Ω·cm at 610 °C. While maintaining a substrate temperature of 560 °C different amounts of fluorine precursor was introduced into the carrier stream, from 0 mL·h–1 to 5 mL·h–1, resulting in a decrease in resistivity (ρ) from 5.3 × 10–2 Ω·cm at 0 mL·h–1 to a minimum of 5.9 × 10–4 Ω·cm at 2 mL·h–1 and then increased to 1.0 × 10–3 Ω·cm at 5 mL·h–1. As the amount of fluoride is increased a concommittent increase in carrier concentration results until the point of overdoping the film produces an increase in scattering sites that increases resistivity. Best films were deposited at 560 °C and when the fluoride precursor flow rate was 2 mL·h–1.
What is Originalism

Three kinds of originalist families exist: old-school (framer-intent), neo-originalism and apologetic historicism. Of these three, neo-originalism has had the most recent activity. It has spawned three approaches or "schools of thought:" past reasonable-person meaning; widely-expected case results; and content-criterial hermeneutics. One school of thought that is often mistakenly identified as neo-originalist is something called semantic-gist (which opposes polysemous interpretations). This school is not "originalist" at all. Moreover, the basic difference between old-school and new originalism (all versions) boils down to this: one exalts an historic institutional-procedure (the intention of law makers), while the other exalts an historic cultural framework. This difference is a lot like the one between political science and sociology. The paper proses that we re-name these approaches: (a) institutional-process originalism ("framer intent"); and (b) cultural originalism. Finally, because neo-originalism uses past culture as its ultimate unit of analysis, it cannot survive as a viable philosophy of law. Law can never be the obedience to a past cultural orientation.
Roth at Fifty: Reconsidering the Common Law Antecedents of American Obscenity Law

Jurisprudential regimes in American obscenity law can be traced directly back through initial 19th century state court decisions in the United States to the English common law ruling in Regina v. Hicklin (1868), in which the basic elements of legal moralism and moralistic paternalism were established in the doctrinal gravitation from ecclesiastical and common law applications of criminal libel to statutory interpretation of obscene libel under the Obscene Publications Act of 1857. While the Hicklin decision is singly renowned for enunciating the first legal definition of obscenity, it must also be recognized for framing the public rationale for the regulation of obscenity, opening up the broader discussion of the circumstances of intent and effect under which expression or behavior considered objectionable could/should be regulated, and laying the foundation for statutory efforts to enact such regulation. Careful scrutiny of the legal antecedents of Hicklin and the politico- cultural context of in which it formed legal doctrine reveals the fundamental elements of current American obscenity debate, including controversial and still evolving areas of First Amendment jurisprudence such as art censorship and child pornography.
Keeping It Implicit: A Defense of Foucault's Archaeology of Knowledge

This paper defends Michel Foucault's notion of archaeology of knowledge against the influential and putatively devastating criticism by Dreyfus and Rabinow that Foucault's archaeological project is based on an incoherent conception of the rules of the discursive practices it purports to study. I argue first that Foucault's considered view of these rules as simultaneously implicit and historically efficacious corresponds to a general requirement for the normative structure of a discursive practice. Then I argue that Foucault is entitled to that view despite the charges to the contrary by Dreyfus and Rabinow. I also explain in detail how the argument by Dreyfus and Rabinow arises from a misunderstanding of Foucault's archaeological project as transcendental inquiry, while archaeology of knowledge is, in fact, a diagnostic project. The result is a novel understanding of the notion of archaeology of knowledge that enables a reassessment of Foucault's philosophical work in connection with current debates regarding the relationship between reflection and practice in the structure of thought.
Design and performance characterization of a hand orthosis prototype to aid activities of daily living in a post-stroke population

This paper presents the design of a hand orthosis prototype intended to assist persons with hand paresis, as a result of stroke, perform activities of daily living. Among its attributes, the orthosis is characterized by a low mass and small profile, while still offering the power assistance of a robotic exoskeleton. Experimental characterization of the orthosis is presented, including its mass, envelope dimensions, motion bandwidth, and joint torque characteristics.
Assessment of micro-mechanical variations in experimental arteriovenous fistulae using atomic force microscopy

PURPOSE This study presents a method to quantify micro-stiffness variations in experimental arteriovenous fistulae (AVF). METHODS AVF created by anastomosing the superficial epigastric vein to the femoral artery in Sprague-Dawley rats were allowed to remodel for 21 days before being harvested and preserved in culture medium. A custom atomic force microscope was used to measure microvascular stiffness (Young's modulus) in three areas of the AVF: the inflow artery, the juxta-anastomotic area, and the outflow vein. Morphometric measurements and collagen and elastin contents were also determined. RESULTS Atomic force microscopy indentation revealed an increased stiffness in the juxta-anastomotic area of the AVF compared to the outflow vein and inflow artery. The juxta-anastomotic area was also significantly stiffer than the contralateral vein. The lack of elasticity (higher Young's modulus) of the juxta-anastomotic region was associated with a thicker vascular wall that was rich in collagen but poor in elastin. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates for the first time the feasibility of using atomic force microscopy to measure local stiffness variations in experimental AVF. This technique could be instrumental in advancing our understanding of how micro-spatial organization of the AVF wall determines the overall biomechanical performance of this type of vascular access.
English and the Knowledge Economy: A Critical Analysis

This article focuses on knowledge economy discourse and considers the appeal of this discourse to English educators. Knowledge economy discourse is defined as a mode of thought and expression that assumes a broad-based economy driven by innovation will soon emerge in the USA. This discourse, it is argued, offers English teachers solutions to some of the problems they face in an age of testing and economic turmoil. Specifically, the discourse offers ways of imagining and justifying lessons that reject standardisation in favour of innovation and inquiry. Because the economy anticipated in the discourse is unlikely to arrive, however, teachers might abandon knowledge economy discourse in favour of discourses that offer more practical and more effective ways of addressing socio-economic contradictions.
Interface Stability During Solid Phase Epitaxy Of Strained Ge x S 1- x Films on Si (100)

Strained solid phase epitaxial (SPE) regrowth of amorphous GexSi1−x on Si(100) substrates was studied using time-resolved reflectivity (TRR). Films of CVD-grown Ge0.13Si0.87 on Si were amorphized by Si ion implantation, and subsequently regrown at temperatures between 550°C and 610°C. Information on regrowth dynamics and interface roughness evolution was obtained by accurately modeling the complicated TRR data for GexSi1−x regrowth using a moving, statistically roughening interface. The SPE regrowth rate slowed as the interface crossed into the GexSi1−x layer and the originally planar interface roughened, as confirmed by transmission electron microscopy. A minimum in the regrowth velocity was observed after regrowing approximately 60 nm into the GexSi1−x layer; the SPE rate subsequently increased to a final, thickness-dependent velocity that was still below that for pure Si. Upon entering the GexSi1−x layer, the interface roughened quickly to a 15–20 nm amplitude, increasing only slightly more during the remainder of regrowth. The degree of roughening and velocity reduction was found to be dependent on the anneal temperature. In contrast, samples with low Ge concentrations (< 3 at. %) prepared by ion implantation exhibited minimal interface roughening and essentially identical SPE velocities as pure Si.
Family Friendly STEM: Perspectives on Recruiting and Retaining Women in STEM Fields

The under-representation of women in STEM has received considerable research attention as scholars attempt to uncover predictors of girls’ and women’s choice of STEM careers. Our work suggests that congruity between one’s family goals and the perception that STEM careers afford those goals may be important in increasing girls’ and women’s interest and motivation toward STEM. In this paper, we discuss women’s family goals as a factor that affects career choice and the perception that STEM fields may not be compatible with caring for one’s family. We then present studies that have aimed to increase the congruity between these constructs, and suggest ways that STEM careers can be perceived as “family-friendly” and ultimately change in themselves to become “family-friendly.”
A Review of Studies on Tense and Aspect in Second Language Acquisition

During the past three decades,researchers have extensively studied the acquisition of temporality in second language acquisition.This paper introduced the main methods and findings of research in this field.It concluded that research on second language acquisition of temporality provided opportunities to examine the development of interlanguage and related explanatory theories while giving directions to L2 teaching and learning of temporality.Further research was recommended on exploring the influence of L1 transfer,the acquisition of imperfective and theoretical explanations with different types of languages.
@IKnowTheseWords: A Twitterbot Textual Performance

Twitterbots automate the process of tweeting. They proliferate the social network with messages crafted for hash tags, themes, or replies. @IKnowTheseWords is a bot that I created to assist me in automatically archiving my wordhord from the “OED Word of the Day” database as an online Twitter performance. As such, the bot is a helper-agent that serves words to my Twitter timeline, one day at a time. Consequently, it is essential that I talk back to the bot, letting it know (and anyone else who views these tweets and replies) which words should be included in my personal archive. This process will take years as the bot and I perform the tasks: Tweeting a word from the OED, sorting each word, and capturing those words that are part of my current vocabulary using a Twitter archiving Google spreadsheet. With two “I”s involved in the process of knowing—or not—these words, @IKnowTheseWords speaks predictably and intelligently as a bot and randomly, with culturally specific musings as the “I” who replies to each tweet. In this case study I arrive at a philosophical understanding of how the project made a theoretical pivot as a result of its current processing and performance with emerging media tools.