cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
New Faces on Television: A 12-Season Replication

B. S. Greenberg and L. Collette (1997) analyzed 26 years of fall preview editions of TV Guide to examine how minorities and women are represented on television's new shows. This study adopts the same methods as that study and extends it for 12 more years, from Fall 1993 through Fall 2004. This study describes how the new faces on television reflect distributions of gender, ethnic minorities, and age groups, and compares its results with the earlier study. The findings indicate that the proportions of women and African Americans increased; other ethnic minorities remain largely ignored; and age distributions of new TV characters are significantly skewed from the general population.
Cross-Validation of Predicted Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised Scores in a Normative Sample of 25- to 34-Year-Old Patients

Abstract Equations for prorating Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised General Memory (GM) and Delayed Recall (DR) index scores ( Woodard and Axelrod, 1995 ) were confirmed in the Mittenberg et al. (1992) normative WMS-R sample of 50 subjects between the ages of 25 and 34, and confirmed in a separate clinical sample of 30 patients with closed head injury who were age, education, and gender matched with 30 subjects from that normative sample. Predicted GM and DR index scores fell within 6 points of the obtained scores for 98% of the Mittenberg et al. (1992) sample and 93% to 100% of the matched head injury and normative samples, despite statistically significant differences between these groups in obtained GM, DR, and percent retention of LM I and II and VR I and II. Six points is well within the standard error of measurement of these index scores. These findings confirm the earlier cross-validation results reported by Axelrod et al. (1996) in a mixed sample of traumatic brain injury and other neurological insult, and suggest that this method of estimating weighted score sums for WMS-R General Memory and Delayed Recall indices may be safely used in normative samples of patients in this age range as well as neurologically compromised patients without significantly impacting index score accuracy. © 1997 National Academy of Neuropsychology. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd
Control-theoretic treatment scheduling for posttraumatic stress disorder

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an acute anxiety disorder that afflicts more than one-fifth of veterans returning from conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. A recent study found that only a fraction of those suffering from PTSD receive adequate care. A model predictive control strategy is presented to optimize psychotherapy treatment for PTSD patients. A mathematical model is developed that captures the dynamic relationship between four psychotherapy interventions and four commonly-employed PTSD assessment scales. The model supports a model predictive control strategy in which psychotherapy treatments are scheduled to achieve a therapeutic objective while weighing exogenous factors such as treatment cost, preference, and tolerability. While this work represents only a preliminary step toward a quantitative tool for clinical use, the simulated treatment results indicate that the proposed model and control approach could provide valuable insight toward designing personalized psychotherapy schedules that increase treatment adherence, lower treatment costs, and provide PTSD patients with more effective care.
Epidemiology of Colonization by Nontypable Haemophilus influenzae in Children: A Longitudinal Study

Eighty-six nasopharyngeal isolates of Haemophilus influenzae were prospectively obtained from three children who attended a day care center from infancy until early childhood (five to seven years). A majority of the strains were nontypable. We analyzed strains by comparing their biotypes and by performing electrophoresis of outer membrane proteins on polyacrylamide gels. Profiles of outer membrane proteins were very heterogeneous and could not be used as the basis for the development of a subtyping scheme. The children characteristically carried a nasopharyngeal strain defined by a unique outer membrane pattern for a period of months, lost it, and then acquired a new strain. We probed the outer membrane proteins of a child's strains by the western blot technique with serum obtained serially from the child. Isolates whose outer membrane proteins appeared identical on stained gels generally had similar antigenic bands on western blots but were occasionally immunologically distinct. Serum immunoglobulins of the IgG class that reacted with the outer membrane proteins did not appear to change greatly over time or to play a role in preventing or terminating colonization. We conclude that nasopharyngeal colonization in children by nontypable H. influenzae is a dynamic process and that factors that cause loss and acquisition of strains remain to be determined.
Explicit and symbolic techniques for fast and scalable points-to analysis

Points-to analysis that scales to large programs is still an open area of research and there are several trade-offs between speed and precision. In this paper, we report advances in achieving extremely fast and scalable analysis for field-sensitive inclusion-based points-to analysis. The first algorithm is based on an explicit representation, sparse bit-vector set representation. The second algorithm is a refinement of the first using symbolic set representations using binary decision diagrams. The first algorithm scales extremely well when compared with the state-of-the-art points-to analysis problems solving the same problem, while the second reduces the memory footprint tremendously, using, on average, 4.6x less memory than the first, and even performs slightly faster points-to set propagation. The techniques that we introduce are a judicious combination of several heuristics involving sparse bit-vector set representations, prioritized processing of worklists for efficient iteration while computing fixed-points, and usage of binary decision diagrams for storing (but not propagating) points-to sets.The implementation of our approaches scales to large real life Java applications. We evaluated our implementation on benchmark applications from two recent releases of DaCapo benchmark suite using a recent version of Java Standard Library (JRE 1.7_03). Using our techniques we can propagate points-to information on all the benchmarks in less than a minute, using at most 2GB of memory for explicit representation and, at most 600MB for symbolic representation. Comparison with the fastest and the most closely related explicit and symbolic approaches reveals that our techniques are more scalable than related explicit approaches, and in terms of time, on average 4x times faster than the current state-of-the-art.
Outcome after prolonged balloon inflations of >20 minutes for initially unsuccessful percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty

Abstract Prolonged balloon inflation with or without autoperfusion techniques is a common initial approach to major dissection or abrupt occlusion after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA). To assess such a strategy in the setting of unsuccessful angioplasty, 40 patients who underwent prolonged balloon inflations of >20 minutes between January and July of 1991 after initially unsuccessful angioplasty were studied. These patients (median age 59 years) underwent PTCA for progressive or unstable angina (16 [40%]), symptomatic or asymptomatic residual stenosis after myocardial infarction (10 [25%]), acute myocardial infarction (3 [8%]), stable angina (3 [8%]), reinfarction (2 [5%]), and other indications (6 [15%]). The significant stenoses were primarily in the proximal and midportions of the right coronary (53%), left anterior descending (30%) and left circumflex (17%) coronary arteries. Before prolonged balloon inflation, the longest single inflation was 11 ± 6 minutes and the total time of all inflations was 17 ± 8 minutes (mean ± standard deviation). Stenosis was reduced from 91 ± 9 to 68 ± 16% before prolonged inflation. After prolonged balloon inflation of 30 ± 9 minutes, the residual stenosis was 47 ± 21% (p = 0.0001 vs value before prolonged inflation). Furthermore, improvements in the appearance of filling defects or dissections, or both, occurred in 19 patients (48%). Procedural success was obtained in 32 of 40 patients (80%). Coronary bypass grafting was performed in 8 patients (20%): 4 after unsuccessful PTCA (3 emergently) and 4 electively after initially successful PTCA. Although 5 patients had creatine kinase-MB elevations >20 IU/liter after the procedure, only 1 sustained a Q-wave myocardial infarction. There were no deaths in the hospital. In summary, prolonged balloon inflations of >20 minutes are successful in 80% of patients in whom initial extensive PTCA attempts were not. Prolonged inflations may thus be desirable before consideration of bypass grafting or stenting.
Deficient Activity of Hepatic Acid Lipase in Cholesterol Ester Storage Disease

Absence of lysosomal acid lipase activity in the liver is described in cholesterol ester storage disease and Wolman's disease. This enzyme deficiency may result in the excess hepatic cholesterol ester found in both conditions. However, clinical, genetic, and histopathologic differences suggest that the two conditions are separate diseases not completely explained by deficient enzyme activity.
Security, Privacy, and Policy Roundup

■ Scientists from the ca’ Foscari University of Venice, the University of Birmingham, Google, and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology designed a cyberattack that took only 13 minutes to steal the keys from RSA’s SecurID 800 token fob. They say their exploit could also compromise additional devices that store RSA keys, including other companies’ tokens and national identification cards. The padding oracle attack repeatedly exploits a weakness in the cryptographic wrapper until contents convert into plaintext.
A Laser Processing Technique for Improving the Wear Resistance of Metals

This paper describes a process whereby the surface of a wide variety of metals and alloys can be impregnated with hard, wear-resisting particles. In experiments to date, particles of TiC or WC have been injected into thin laser melted surface layers of iron, nickel, titanium, aluminum, and copper base alloys. Many other metal/particle combinations appear to be feasible, for the only fundamental limitation on the process evident to date is that the metal must not exhibit an excessive vapor pressure under the conditions of laser melting. Despite the wide range of alloy compositions experimented with, the processing conditions necessary to achieve good volume fractions of carbide are surprisingly constant. This similarity in processing conditions results in part from carrying out the carbide injection under soft vacuum conditions, thus eliminating oxidation problems without introducing problems associated with the use of shielding gases. Work in progress1 has demonstrated that several of the metal/carbide combinations produced to date exhibit good resistance to abrasive wear. It is expected that resistance to most other types of wear will also be good. Preliminary results suggest that in addition to applications involving the production of wear-resisting metal surfaces, the process may be suited to the manufacture of carbide hardened cutting tools. Furthermore, the simplicity of the process recommends it for surface alloying applications.
New candidates for vesicle coat proteins

Proteins exit the trans-Golgi network (TGN) through multiple mechanisms that are poorly understood. New work identifies FAPP1 and FAPP2 as TGN-localized proteins that regulate post-Golgi carrier formation through interactions with phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate (PtdIns(4)P) and ARF1.
Generating labels from clicks

The ranking function used by search engines to order results is learned from labeled training data. Each training point is a (query, URL) pair that is labeled by a human judge who assigns a score of Perfect, Excellent, etc., depending on how well the URL matches the query. In this paper, we study whether clicks can be used to automatically generate good labels. Intuitively, documents that are clicked (resp., skipped) in aggregate can indicate relevance (resp., lack of relevance). We give a novel way of transforming clicks into weighted, directed graphs inspired by eye-tracking studies and then devise an objective function for finding cuts in these graphs that induce a good labeling. In its full generality, the problem is NP-hard, but we show that, in the case of two labels, an optimum labeling can be found in linear time. For the more general case, we propose heuristic solutions. Experiments on real click logs show that click-based labels align with the opinion of a panel of judges, especially as the consensus of the panel grows stronger.
Stress, Spiritual, and Support Coping, and Psychological Well-Being Among Older Adults in Assisted Living

This study explored the role of stress and coping on the psychological well-being of 316 older adults in assisted living. Hierarchical regression revealed that high stress was significantly associated with high depression and low life satisfaction, while high levels of social support and spiritual coping mechanisms were significantly related to low depression and high life satisfaction. The findings indicated the necessity of appropriate assessment and intervention for older adults with stressful events and psychological distress. However, there is a lack of trained professionals to improve older adults' ability to cope with their problems. Practice and policy implications are discussed.
Translocation of Autophosphorylated Calcium/Calmodulin-dependent Protein Kinase II to the Postsynaptic Density

Calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) undergoes calcium-dependent autophosphorylation, generating a calcium-independent form that may serve as a molecular substrate for memory. Here we show that calcium-independent CaMKII specifically binds to isolated postsynaptic densities (PSDs), leading to enhanced phosphorylation of many PSD proteins including the α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole-propionic acid (AMPA)-type glutamate receptor. Furthermore, binding to PSDs changes CaMKII from a substrate for protein phosphatase 2A to a protein phosphatase 1 substrate. Translocation of CaMKII to PSDs occurs in hippocampal slices following treatments that induce CaMKII autophosphorylation and a form of long term potentiation. Thus, synaptic activation leads to accumulation of autophosphorylated, activated CaMKII in the PSD. This increases substrate phosphorylation and affects regulation of the kinase by protein phosphatases, which may contribute to enhancement of synaptic strength.
Fabrication and mechanical evaluation of anatomically-inspired quasilaminate hydrogel structures with layer-specific formulations.

A major tissue engineering challenge is the creation of multilaminate scaffolds with layer-specific mechanical properties representative of native tissues, such as heart valve leaflets, blood vessels, and cartilage. For this purpose, poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) hydrogels are attractive materials due to their tunable mechanical and biological properties. This study explored the fabrication of trilayer hydrogel quasilaminates. A novel sandwich method was devised to create quasilaminates with layers of varying stiffnesses. The trilayer structure was comprised of two “stiff” outer layers and one “soft” inner layer. Tensile testing of bilayer quasilaminates demonstrated that these scaffolds do not fail at the interface. Flexural testing showed that the bending modulus of acellular quasilaminates fell between the bending moduli of the “stiff” and “soft” hydrogel layers. The bending modulus and swelling of trilayer scaffolds with the same formulations were not significantly different than single layer gels of the same formulation. The encapsulation of cells and the addition of phenol red within the hydrogel layers decreased bending modulus of the trilayer scaffolds. The data presented demonstrates that this fabrication method can make quasilaminates with robust interfaces, integrating layers of different mechanical properties and biofunctionalization, and thus forming the foundation for a multilaminate scaffold that more accurately represents native tissue.
The Effects of Ventricular Pacing on Left Ventricular Geometry, Function, Myocardial Oxygen Consumption, and Efficiency of Contraction in Conscious Dogs

The effects of ventricular pacing on left ventricular (LV) dynamic geometry, function, and myocardial oxygen consumption (MVO2) were measured in 12 conscious dogs using sonomicrometry, micromanometry, ultrasonic flow probes, and oximetry catheters during right atrial (A-) and right ventricular (V-) pacing at 150 beats/min. Systolic function was quantified using slopes (MW) and volume-intercepts (VW) of linear relationships between end-diastolic volume (EDV) and stroke work (SW) for data obtained during vena caval occlusion. V-pacing shifted SW-EDV relationships downward (MW decreased from 97 +/- 21 to 81 +/- 21 Kerg/mL) and to the right (VW increased from 14 +/- 11 to 20 +/- 12 mL) in comparison with A-pacing (P < 0.02). These functional changes correlated with altered contractile geometry manifest as early shortening in the septal free wall relative to anterior-posterior dimension (increased minor axis mid-wall eccentricity at end-diastole and begin-ejection). Steady-state LV power output decreased from 802 +/- 213 mW during A-pacing to 514 +/- 170 mW during V-pacing (P < 0.05), while MVO2 remained relatively unchanged during V-pacing (10 +/- 3 mL O2/min vs 11 +/- 3 mL O2/min during A-pacing, P = NS). As a result, overall LV efficiency decreased from 0.24 +/- 0.08 during A-pacing to 0.16 +/- 0.06 during V-pacing (P < 0.05). These data illustrate the impact of V-pacing on dynamic LV geometry and function, including impaired LV work output at all physiological levels of preload. Most importantly, the relationship between LV work output and MVO2 is depressed during V-pacing, emphasizing the interaction between LV mechanics and pump efficiency in intact subjects. As a result, measures taken to restore normal contractile geometry might improve LV efficiency and performance when V-pacing is necessary.
Embryonic cells depleted of β‐catenin remain competent to differentiate into dorsal mesodermal derivatives

Disruption of axis specification leads to defects in dorsal tissue patterning and cell movements. Here, we examine how β-catenin coordinately affects gastrulation movements and dorsal mesoderm differentiation. The reduction of β-catenin protein levels by morpholino oligonucleotides complementary to β-catenin mRNA causes a disruption in gastrulation movements. Time-lapse imaging of β-catenin morphants during gastrulation reveals that involution occurs simultaneously around the blastopore in the absence of convergent extension cell movements. Transplantation experiments show that morphant cells grafted from the marginal zone into wild-type hosts differentiate into notochord and muscle. However, wild-type mesoderm cells grafted to the marginal zone of β-catenin morphants do not form dorsal tissues. These data argue that β-catenin is not required for the initial establishment of dorsal mesoderm cell competency, but it is required for the maintenance of that competency. We propose that tissue interactions that occur during convergent extension movements are necessary for maintaining dorsal tissue competency. Developmental Dynamics 236:3007–3019, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The use of a learning community and online evaluation of utilization for spect myocardial perfusion imaging

Resource-sensitive and quality-centered imaging begins with the selection of the appropriate patient and test. Appropriate use criteria have been developed to aid clinicians but are often not available in an easily accessible format. FOCUS (Formation of Optimal Cardiovascular Utilization Strategies), a Web-based community and quality improvement instrument, was developed to increase the feasibility of measuring and improving practice patterns based on the appropriate use criteria. The FOCUS instrument proposed to reduce inappropriate imaging by 15% in 1 year and by 50% within 3 years. Between April 2010 and December 2011, data were voluntarily collected through the FOCUS radionuclide imaging performance improvement module (PIM). Appropriateness rates were compared between phases of the PIM. For the 55 participating sites that had completed the PIM by December 2011, the proportion of inappropriate cases decreased from 10% to 5% (p
Angiographic Evidence of Coronary-Subclavian Steal Syndrome

A 49-year-old man who had undergone coronary artery bypass grafting 16 months earlier presented with complaints of increasing angina pectoris. Initial angiography of the left coronary artery showed that contrast dye went retrograde up the left internal mammary artery (LIMA) and into the subclavian artery (Figure, A). Competitive flow was observed in the chest wall …
CO Hydrogenation to Higher Oxygenates over Promoted Rhodium: Nature of the Metal-Promoter Interaction in Rhmn/NaY

Abstract Unpromoted and manganese-promoted zeolite Y supported rhodium catalysts were tested for CO hydrogenation at 1 MPa and 250°C. The conditions of catalyst preparation by ion exchange, programmed calcination, programmed reduction and neutralization of acid sites were varied systematically in order to compare the promoter effects of different species of manganese. It is found that only MnO particles, and not Mn 2+ ions, promote the Rh-catalyzed formation of the abundant oxygenates ethanol and ethyl acetate. No reduction in Mn 0 or Rh-Mn alloy formation takes place. Temperature-programmed reduction profiles of Mn/NaY and RhMn/NaY show that reduction of MnO 2 to MnO is dramatically enhanced by Rh, indicating that in the reduced catalyst Rh clusters and MnO clusters are in physical contact. Direct interaction between Rh and MnO also follows from EXAFS data which show that the Rh-Rh coordination number is much lower in NaY when MnO particles are present. TPD results indicate that MnO affects the propensity of Rh to chemisorb hydrogen. Tentative reaction mechanisms for CO hydrogenation are considered, consistent with the experimental findings.
United States Geological Survey records of suspended and dissolved matter in surface-waters

Although the widest-known and most conspicuous task of the United States Geological Survey with reference to surface-waters has been the measurement of discharge, attention has always been given to the suspended and dissolved matter carried in them. From 1902 to 1909 the Survey published about 20 reports on the quality of surface-waters. These reports dealt largely with stream-pollution and its prevention, subjects that have not been included in the work of the Geological Survey since the Public Health Service began investigations of them in 1913.
A knowledge-based system for the selection of appropriate work measurement techniques

Abstract As a result of technological advancements and telecommunication innovations the nature of work performed by all classes of workers has undergone drastic changes. This is evidenced by the increased automation of long-run, short-cycled manual work and the increased application of word processors and microcomputers in the office. These changes demand new and more structured approaches to measuring and controlling work. One such approach is the application of a knowledge-based system to select the most appropriate work measurement technique for determining the expected or “standard” task completion time, depending on the nature of the task.
Organization of ventrolateral periolivary cells of the cat superior olive as revealed by PEP-19 immunocytochemistry and Nissl stain.

Ventrolateral periolivary cell groups, through their descending projections to the cochlear nucleus (CN) and local projections to principal nuclei of the superior olive, may participate in brainstem mechanisms mediating such tasks as signal detection in noisy environments and sound localization. Understanding the function of these cell groups can be improved by increased knowledge of the organization of their synaptic inputs in relation to their cellular characteristics. Immunocytochemistry for PEP-19 (a putative calcium binding protein) reveals four patterns of immunolabeling within the ventrolateral periolivary region. Three of the patterns, which have distinct fiber and punctate labeling characteristics, help to define three subdivisions of the lateral nucleus of the trapezoid body (LNTB). The fourth pattern defines two other nuclei, the anterolateral periolivary nucleus (rostral) and the posterior periolivary nucleus (caudal), which display many immunoreactive cell bodies but little fiber and punctate labeling. One of the subdivisions of the LNTB contains large PEP-19 immunolabeled puncta arranged in pericellular nests. Analysis of Nissl-stained sections reveals a neuronal population that resembles globular cells of the ventral cochlear nucleus (VCN) and which colocalizes with pericellular nests of large immunolabeled puncta. Cell counts reveal that roughly 10,000 neurons constitute the cat ventrolateral periolivary region, 9,000 of which are found in the LNTB. Three-dimensional reconstructions of auditory brainstem nuclei clarify the complex spatial relationships among these structures. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Collecting and organizing systematic sets of protein data

Technologies are now in place to obtain large amounts of data for systems biology approaches. What are the most suitable technologies for fast, accurate and high-throughput data collection? And following data collection, how should these data be analysed and validated?
Wind Uplift Resistance of Artificially and Naturally Aged Asphalt Shingles

AbstractDamage assessment surveys performed following the 2004 and 2008 hurricane seasons indicate that the vulnerability of shingle roofs to wind-induced damage increases with age. This paper presents two interrelated experiments on the wind uplift resistance of asphalt shingle seals. The objective is to identify whether and to what extent aging reduces the wind uplift capacity. In the first experiment, asphalt shingles were artificially aged, and the mechanical uplift resistance was measured at discrete intervals. In the second experiment, mechanical uplift tests were performed in situ on ≥9-year-old shingle roofs installed on four central Florida homes. Results from the first experiment demonstrate that heat exposure can reduce uplift resistance along its sealant strip in some products; however, the excess capacity in the bond may be sufficiently large to prevent the mechanical resistance from dropping below the design requirement. Inclusion of ultraviolet and water in the heat-exposure tests did not a...
ESCA study of the effect of bivalent metal ions on lead ion selective electrode membrane

ESCA studies have been performed to investigate the exchange equilibria which occur between a lead ion selective electrode membrane containing multiple fixed sites due to surface degradation and various bivalent cations. The membranes have been exposed to solutions containing a single bivalent cation and to solutions containing Pb2+ and an equal amount of a second bivalent cation. The changes in surface speciation have been inferred from spectral intensity data. The possibility of obtaining exchange equilibrium constants from ESCA intensity data has been investigated.
Monolithic three-dimensional integration of carbon nanotube FET complementary logic circuits

In this paper, we experimentally demonstrate, for the first time, a scalable integration process for monolithic three-dimensional ICs (3D ICs) using carbon nanotube field-effect transistors (CNFETs). We demonstrate the flexibility of our approach using CNFETs with high ION/IOFF that can be placed on arbitrary layers of monolithic 3D ICs, and connected using conventional vias to build fully-complementary monolithic 3D logic gates and monolithic 3D multi-stage logic circuits. We also demonstrate that such monolithic 3D logic gates can operate correctly over a range of supply voltages from 3V to 0.2V.
Isolation of new promoter-mediated co-suppressed lines in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Four new independent lines that exhibit co-suppression of an introduced cab140::tms2 gene and the native cab140 gene have been isolated in Arabidopsis thaliana. These lines are of particular interest because the homology shared between the introduced and native genes is 1.3 kb of promoter DNA that only contains 14 bp of transcribed region. Most other reported examples of co-suppression involve homologies between transcribed portions of genes. A similar line, lct, had been isolated previously from EMS-mutagenized seeds, and we concluded that this example of co-suppression was probably due to a mutation that mapped at or near the introduced cab140::tms2 gene [Brusslan JA, Karlin-Neumann GA, Huang L, Tobin EM: Plant Cell 5: 667–677 (1993)]. Our observations with these four new lines, however, suggest that an epigenetic event(s) rather than a mutation might be the cause of co-suppression in these and the lct line.
Investigating grounding grid integrity based on the current injection method

The purpose of this research is to develop a test method that is capable of determining the integrity of the grounding grid and clearly indentifying weak points or discontinuities. The concept of the proposed method is to inject the square wave current with high frequency (~500Hz) and high current (~10A maximum) into the grid. The magnetic field produced by the current flowing in the buried conductors can be measured above the grid conductor. A strong signal is indicative of no fault; no signal or very weak signal means the grid wire is damaged. The proposed method is verified using a scaled model of a grounding grid. Also, a current injection generator is built up to provide the required square wave current for the injection. The experiment in the lab showed that the proposed method works well on testing grounding grid integrity.
The effect of local phases of wave function on transmission of a quantum particle through two dimensional clusters

We investigate the relationship between the transport properties ofordered and disordered two dimensional quantum percolation systemsand the spatial variations of the phase of the wave function. Whileoften only the spatial variations of the probability amplitudes arestudied in relation to localization and transport properties, ourstudy illustrates how crucial a role the phase variation plays. Ourinvestigation based on many different energies of the incidentparticle over the entire accessible range suggests that systems withmany neighboring sites with phase differences of ~π turn outto be those with minimal transmission, even if the probabilityamplitudes alone appear to suggest high transmission, whereas thosewith neighboring sites with ~2π, zero or small phasedifferences typically lead to high transmission. By calculatingassociated momentum distribution of the states we have shown that alow(high) transmitting state results from the equal(unequal)contribution from +\(\overrightarrow{k}\) and \(-\overrightarrow{k}\) fouriercomponents. We have alsoexplored the effect of replacing diluted sites in percolation bythose with couplings that are non-zero but smaller than the onebetween undiluted sites (thus introducing finite couplinginhomogeneities instead of infinite barriers), and found that theresulting transmission can be higher or lower compared with the casewith dilution (normal, infinite barriers). Furthermore, it can behigher or lower even compared with the ordered case (uniformcouplings).
A survey of clinician attitudes and self-reported practices regarding end-of-life care in heart failure

Background:As heart failure often follows an unpredictable clinical trajectory, there has been an impetus to promote iterative patient-provider discussions regarding prognosis and preferences for end-of-life care.Aim:To examine clinicians’ practices, expectations, and personal level of confidence in discussing goals of care and providing end-of-life care to their patients with heart failure.Design:Multi-site clinician survey.Setting and Participants:Physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants at Mayo Clinic (Rochester, Minnesota, USA) and its surrounding health system were asked to participate in an electronic survey in October 2013. Tertiary Care Cardiology, Community Cardiology, and Primary Care clinicians were surveyed.Results:A total of 95 clinicians participated (52.5% response rate). Only 12% of clinicians reported having annual end-of-life discussions as advocated by the American Heart Association. In total, 52% of clinicians hesitated to discuss end-of-life care citing provider disco...
The intensity, occurrence, and duration of superplume events and eras over geological time

Abstract We define the characteristics of plume events that can be called superplumes. Using the surface area of the smallest oceanic plateau generated during the Cretaceous superplume era, we define a cutoff surface area for superplume flood basalts of ⩾410,000 km 2 . We show that the maximum widths of feeder dikes of plume lavas are linearly related to the square root of the surface area covered by their flood basalts. From this we derive a cutoff: the widest feeder dikes of a superplume event must be ⩾70±4 m wide. All high Mg rocks as defined by Isley and Abbott [J. Geol. (2001)] are superplume rocks. Layered intrusions formed by superplumes have either high abundances of platinum group elements and/or chromium. We use all of the data from the superplume proxies: flood basalts, dike swarms, high Mg rocks, and layered intrusions to define the duration of superplume eras over Earth history. Over two thirds of the superplume eras last less than 8 million years. We find no significant difference between the average duration of Archean (13±7 Ma) and Phanerozoic (12±3Ma) superplume eras. Finally, we use our data on maximum dike widths and flood basalt surface area to construct estimates of the overall surface area covered by lava during individual superplume events over the last 2.9 Ga. We find that the largest Precambrian superplume events erupted at least 10 times more lava than the largest Phanerozoic superplume event, covering a minimum of 14–18% of the planet. Between 1.7 and 2.9 Ga, there were enough large Precambrian superplume events to completely resurface the planet. We also find evidence for many superplume events earlier than 2.9 Ga, but due to a lack of data on maximum widths of feeder dikes, we cannot estimate the relative sizes of most of these events.
A simple approach to matrix realizations for Littlewood—Richardson sequences

Abstract In this paper we present a simple and explicit construction for matrix realizations of Littlewood-Richardson sequences as defined in MacDonald (I.G. Macdonald, Symmetric Functions and Hall Polynomials, Oxford Univ. Press, London, 1979). A Littlewood-Richardson sequence is a sequence of partitions that determine, among other things, the isomorphism types of a module, submodule, and quotient module over a discrete valuation ring of characteristic zero. A matrix realization provides a method for using a Littlewood-Richardson sequence to build matrices over such rings whose invariant factors are prescribed by these modules. Earlier constructions (O. Azenhas, E. Marques de Sa’, Linear and Multilinear Algebra 27 (1990) 229–242; O. Azenhas, Linear Algebra Appl. 225(1995) 91–116) were based on different definitions for such sequences and utilized conjugate partitions in their constructions. Our results avoid their use of conjugate partitions and are direct and explicit.
Toughness Properties of a Silicon Carbide with an in Situ Induced Heterogeneous Grain Structure

Toughness characteristics of a heterogeneous silicon carbide with a coarsened and elongated grain structure and an intergranular second phase are evaluated relative to a homogeneous, fine-grain control using indentation–strength data. The heterogeneous material exhibits a distinctive flaw tolerance, indicative of a pronounced toughness curve. Quantitative evaluation of the data reveals an enhanced toughness in the long-crack region, with the implication of degraded toughness in the short-crack region. The enhanced long-crack toughness is identified with crack-interface bridging. The degraded short-crack toughness is attributed to weakened grain or interface boundaries and to internal residual stresses from thermal expansion mismatch. A profound manifestation of the toughness-curve behavior is a transition in the nature of mechanical damage in Hertzian contacts, from classical single-crack cone fracture in the homogeneous control to distributed subsurface damage in the heterogeneous material.
Mechanical Ventilation Strategies in Massive Chest Trauma

Patients in extremis because of trauma-related massive chest injury require expedient evaluation and prompt intervention. The initial pathophysiology relates to the significant intrapulmonary shunting caused by disruption of pulmonary capillaries and extravasation into the alveolar spaces. Disproportionate or unilateral lung involvement needs measures more technical than general supportive care. Independent lung ventilation (mostly with unilateral lung involvement) and other strategies like inhaled nitric oxide, prone positioning, partial liquid ventilation, and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) have had good results. Intensivists confronted with this clinical subset may consider using these strategies as alternative/adjunctive options for optimizing respiratory and hemodynamic status in the supportive management of trauma-related acute lung injury (ALI) and adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).
A comparison of microbially and chemically reducible iron in three soils

Microbially reducible iron (water-soluble plus exchangeable forms) in three soils represented about 20% of the chemically reducible iron. The amount of iron reduced by microorganisms increased for about ten days to two weeks following flooding and thereafter remained constant. A similar trend was observed for the release of added Fe-59 in the soils following flooding, except that the reduction of labelled iron began earlier. In the more weathered soil, a higher proportion of the total iron was reduced by citrate-dithionite than in the relatively unweathered alluvial soils. Of labelled iron added, sequential reduction showed approximately 70% in the three soils was microbially reducible, an additional 20% was reduced by citrate-dithionite, and 10% of the labelled iron had moved into the residual form.
Interaction of tetrahydropapaveroline with inhibition of dopa-decarboxylase by Ro 4-4602 in brain: effects on alcohol drinking in the rat.

Abstract The effects of the l-aromatic amino acid decarboxylase inhibitor, Ro 4-4602 (benserazide), was determined on alcohol drinking induced in the rat by tetrahydropapaveroline (THP) injected by the intracerebroventricular (ICV) route. After ICV guide cannulae were implanted stereotaxically in 19 Sprague-Dawley rats, an artificial CSF solution containing 5.0 ng/μg THP was infused twice daily for 3 days in a volume of 5.0 μl. Following a standard self-selection procedure, concentrations of alcohol which ranged from 3–30% were presented to the rats. A single maximally preferred solution, which in these rats ranged from 9–12% alcohol, was then offered in the presence of water. After a 4-day pretest in which alcohol intakes had stabilized, either 50 or 100 μg Ro 4-4602 plus THP were infused ICV to the animal during a 3-day period. Both doses of Ro 4-4602 significantly antagonized the g amount and proportional intakes of alcohol, but the higher dose was nearly twice as potent as the lower. During the 4-day postdrug test period, alcohol drinking continued to be suppressed. When THP was infused ICV over a 3-day period following the injections of Ro 4-4602, the predrug alcohol intake was partially reinstated, suggesting that this TIQ, when delivered directly into the brain, partly reversed the potent central action of Ro 4-4602. These results show that interference with the functional activity of central catecholamine pathways in the rat, by means of the inhibition of dopamine synthesis, serves to modify markedly the mechanisms underlying alcohol drinking in this species. That the intrinsic aldehyde dehydrogenase inhibitory property of Ro 4-4602 may also play an important role in the antagonism of drinking is likewise a distinct possibility.
Soybean Cultivar Response to Tillage Systems and Planting Date

(...) A 3-yr field study was conducted to compare soybean cultivar responses to various tillage systems at various planting dates. Six soybean cultivars were planted on three dates each year (average planting dates were: 7 May, 29 May, and 15 June) with two tillage systems: three passes with a tandem disk in the spring (TD) or notill (NT) (...)
Spectrally resolved neurophotonics: a case report of hemodynamics and vascular components in the mammalian brain

We developed a spectral technique that is independent of the light transport modality (diffusive or nondiffusive) to separate optical changes in scattering and absorption in the cat's brain due to the hemodynamic signal following visual stimulation. We observe changes in oxyhemoglobin and deoxyhemoglobin concentration signals during visual stimulation reminiscent of the functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) blood oxygenation level dependence (BOLD) effect. Repeated measurements at different locations show that the observed changes are local rather than global. We also determine that there is an apparent large decrease in the water concentration and scattering coefficient during stimulation. We model the apparent change in water concentration on the separation of the optical signal from two tissue compartments. One opaque compartment is featureless (black), due to relatively large blood vessels. The other compartment is the rest of the tissue. When blood flow increases due to stimulation, the opaque compartment increases in volume, resulting in an overall decrease of tissue transmission. This increase in baseline absorption changes the apparent relative proportion of all tissue components. However, due to physiological effects, the deoxyhemoglobin is exchanged with oxyhemoglobin resulting in an overall increase in the oxyhemoglobin signal, which is the only component that shows an apparent increase during stimulation.
Syntheses of nanophase-segregated poly(vinyl acetate)-poly(dimethylsiloxane) and poly(vinyl acetate)-poly(styrene) graft copolymers

Abstract Graft copolymers with poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc) backbones and poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) or poly(styrene) (PS) branches have been synthesized and their bulk nanophase-separation behaviors characterized. The PDMS and PS branches were prepared by anionic polymerization of hexamethylcyclotrisiloxane (D3) and styrene, respectively, followed by termination with chlorodimethylvinylsilane. Radical copolymerization of vinyl acetate with the vinyl terminus of these macromonomers yielded the PVAc-g-PDMS (1) and PVAc-g-PS (2a–d) graft copolymers. The branch repeat units of the copolymers were varied between 19 and 41 mol%. The graft copolymers were predicted to be moderately to strongly nanophase-segregated systems at room temperature by estimating the Flory–Huggins interaction parameters (χ) for the polymer segments. Thermal analyses revealed two glass transition temperatures for the PVAc and PDMS or PS polymer segments of the annealed samples, indicating that the polymer segments were locally phase-separated in the bulk phase. Transmission electron micrographs confirmed the presence of nanophase-separated PDMS- or PS-rich domains imbedded in a PVAc matrix.
Mercaptoacetate-induced feeding is impaired by central nucleus of the amygdala lesions.

Systemic administration of mercaptoacetate (MA) blocks beta oxidation of fatty acids and stimulates food intake. The present experiment examined MA-induced feeding in rats with bilateral lesions of the central nucleus of the amygdala (CNA) and sham-operated controls. Food intake was measured for 6 h immediately following IP injection of 400, 600, or 800 μmol/kg of MA or saline. Feeding was also measured in these rats in response to 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2DG) (100, 200, and 300 mg/kg, SC), a glucose analogue that competitively inhibits glucose utilization. We found that CNA lesions blocked feeding in response to all three doses of MA. Feeding in response to 2DG was significantly reduced, but not abolished, by the lesion. These findings suggest that the CNA is a crucial component of the neural pathway for feeding in response to MA and may also participate in 2DG-induced feeding.
Factors that influence the outcome of zone I and zone II flexor tendon repairs in children.

Purpose To evaluate the factors that influenced the clinical results of zone I and II flexor tendon repairs in children at a single institution. Methods Forty-one fingers (35 patients) in patients ages 2 to 14 years with zone I or II flexor tendon injuries were identified. There was a zone I tendon injury in 16 fingers and a zone II tendon injury in 25 fingers. Concomitant injuries to the digital nerves were seen in 18 fingers. Primary repair was performed within 1 week in 35 fingers and delayed repair (2–9 wk) was performed in 6 fingers. After surgery 22 fingers (21 patients) were treated with early controlled mobilization and 19 fingers (14 patients) were treated with plaster immobilization. Results All patients were available for evaluation at a mean follow-up period of 42 months. Patients were subdivided into 2 age groups: (1) 0 to 7 years and (2) 8 to 15 years. Digital performance was evaluated by determining the percentage return of normal finger function according to a total active motion formula. Functional evaluation of all digits in both groups showed excellent or good results. Zone I repairs had better results than zone II repairs and isolated tendon repairs had better results than those with associated nerve repairs. The age of the patients nor postoperative protocol did not influence the final digital motion. Conclusions A good outcome can be expected after repair of zone I or II flexor tendon injuries in children. Type of study/level of evidence Prognostic III.
EXISTENCE THEORY FOR STOCHASTIC OPTIMAL CONTROL SYSTEMS

The aim of the present paper is to present certain existence theorems for stochastic control systems whose state variables, χ(t;ω), are continuous functions from the set R+ = {t;t ≥ 0} into the space L2(Ω, A, μ). That is, for each t R+, χ(t;ω) is a vector‐valued random variable whose second absolute moment exists. U = μ(t), the admissible controls, are taken as measurable functions of t only. It is assumed that the initial time is fixed but allow the terminal time tf(ω) to vary with ω∈Ω. The usual space constraints and boundary conditions are also allowed to vary with ω∈Ω. The cost functional is taken to be a continuous functional over a suitable class of continuous functions.
Comparison of sandbathing and grooming in two species of kangaroo rat.

Abstract Sandbathing and grooming behaviours of two species of kangaroo rat ( Dipodomys merriami and D. microps ) were compared after zero and three days of sand deprivation. Results showed that D. merriami sandbathed and groomed at higher frequencies and over a longer time period than D. microps . Comparison of hair lipids revealed that D. merriami produced more oils. The data support the hypothesis that lipids in the hair are removed by sandbathing and suggest that D. merriami requires more pelage maintenance than D. microps . Three hypotheses about the function of lipids in the pelage of kangaroo rats are discussed.