cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Remarks on multivariate life distributions

Abstract A four-cell model to analyze dependent lifetimes by using the generalized multivariate Gumbel distribution is described.
Triplet exciton diffusion and double photon absorption in tetracene

Delayed fluorescence from tetracene crystal excited at 8600 A is studied. The luminescence decay is interpreted in terms of a model in which singlets are generated by triplet exciton fusion and by double-photon absorption. The double-photon absorption coefficient is estimated to be 5.8 × 10―27 cm s. The triplet exciton diffusion coefficient along the crystal b axis is determined by the spatial intermittency method to be (4 ± 1) × 10―3 cm2/s. The influence of this diffusion coefficient on other processes is discussed. #Es wird die verzogerte Fluoreszenz von Tetrazen-Kristallen untersucht, die bei 8600 A angeregt wurde. Das Abklingen der Lumineszenz wird interpretiert mittels eines Modells, in dem Singuletts durch Triplett-Exzitonen-Fusion und durch Zwei-Photonen-Absorption erzeugt werden. Der Koeffizient der Zwei-Photonen-Absorption wird zu 5.8 × 10―27 cm s abgeschatzt. Der Diffusionskoeffizient der Triplett-Exzitonen entlang der b-Achse wird mittels der raumlichen Intermittenz-Methode zu (4 ± 1) × 10―3 cm2/s bestimmt. Es wird der Einflus dieses Diffusionskoeffizienten auf andere Prozesse diskutiert.
Microstructures at the fracture flank of precipitation hardened Al-1.79 w/o Cu alloys

Abstract The microstructures at the crack flanks of Al-1.79 w/o Cu alloys, which were aged to contain θ′ or θ precipitates, respectively, were studied by transmission electron microscopy. Convergent beam microdiffraction patterns and center dark field images revealed the existence of small, misoriented, and three-dimensionally connected volume elements. The locations of the precipitates at the crack edges suggest that interphase-interface decohesion was not the dominant mode of fracture initiation. It was concluded that dislocation cell walls are the preferred sites for microcrack initiation.
Regulation of α and γ Gene Expression in Cells Infected with Herpes Simplex Viruses

Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) genes form three groups designated as α, β and γ, whose expression is coordinately regulated and sequentially ordered in a cascade fashion (Honess and Roizman, 1974, 1975). A unique feature of α gene expression is that these genes are induced by a protein previously described as virion protein No. 16 (VP16). The unique feature of the highly heterogeneous genes comprising the γ group is that the response elements in some of the genes examined to date appears to be in the 5α transcribed non coding domain. In this report we examine the regulation of α and γ genes of HSV-1.
Geographic and genetic variation in the leaf surface resin components of Mimulus aurantiacus from southern California

Nearly 30% of the dry weight of leaves of the chaparral subshrub Mimulus aurantiacus comprise leaf surface resins. This resin provides some defense against the insect herbivore, Euphydryas chalcedona and may also protect plants from desiccation and UV light injury. The resin is composed of several components and the different components may contribute differentially to the resin's multiple protective roles. The quantities of each of seven resin components from field-grown plants, from six southern California populations of M. aurantiacus spanning a range of water availability and differing in attack by E. chalcedona, and clones from these plants grown in a common garden, were determined. Two predictions were tested: (1) E. chalcedona will attack plant populations with relatively low quantities of total resins and/or concentrations of the ortho dihydroxy resins, and (2) plant populations in drier environments will produce resin that is relatively richer in the methoxylated components than plant populations in more mesic environments. Although resin composition differed genetically among plant populations, the pattern of variation was not as predicted. Insect attack was not associated with lower levels of ortho dihydroxy compounds, and populations with higher proportions of methoxylated flavonoids were not found in the drier sites. The pattern of genetic variation among populations in resin composition therefore was not explained by the differences in chemical structure that were predicted to influence the role of the components as herbivore protectants or antidesiccants.
Preservation of Cardiolipin Content During Aging in Rat Heart Interfibrillar Mitochondria

Aging selectively decreases the rate of oxidative phosphorylation in the interfibrillar population of cardiac mitochondria (IFM) located between the myofibers. In contrast, subsarcolemmal mitochondria (SSM), located below the plasma membrane, remain unaffected. IFM from elderly (24-month-old) Fischer 344 rats have a decreased specific activity of complexes III and IV. Complexes III and IV require an inner mitochondrial membrane lipid environment enriched in the oxidatively sensitive phospholipid cardiolipin for maximal activity. We asked if aging decreases the content or alters the composition of cardiolipin as a potential mechanism of the aging defect in IFM. The content and composition of mitochondrial phospholipids were measured in SSM and IFM from adult and aging rat hearts. Aging did not alter the content of mitochondrial phospholipids, including cardiolipin, in either population of mitochondria. The composition of cardiolipin based on characterization of both acyl group and the individual molecular species of cardiolipin was also unaltered by aging. Lipid-mediated oxidative modification of complex III subunits was not detected, making cardiolipin-derived oxidative damage to complex III unlikely. Thus, alterations in cardiolipin are not the mechanism for the aging defect in IFM in Fischer 344 rats.
Balancing Resource Utilization to Mitigate Power Density in Processor Pipelines

Power density is a growing problem in high-performance processors in which small, high-activity resources overheat. Two categories of techniques, temporal and spatial, can address power density in a processor. Temporal solutions slow computation and heating either through frequency and voltage scaling or through stopping computation long enough to allow the processor to cool; both degrade performance. Spatial solutions reduce heat by moving computation from a hot resource to an alternate resource (e.g., a spare ALU) to allow cooling. Spatial solutions are appealing because they have negligible impact on performance, but they require availability of spatial slack in the form of spare or underutilized resource copies. Previous work focusing on spatial slack within a pipeline has proposed adding extra resource copies to the pipeline, which adds substantial complexity because the resources that overheat, issue logic, register files, and ALUs, are the resources in some of the tightest critical paths in the pipeline. Previous work has not considered exploiting the spatial slack already existing within pipeline resource copies. Utilization can be quite asymmetric across resource copies, leaving some copies substantially cooler than others. We observe that asymmetric utilization within copies of three key back-end resources, the issue queue, register files, and ALUs, creates spatial slack opportunities. By balancing asymmetry in their utilization, we can reduce power density. Scheduling policies for these resources were designed for maximum simplicity before power density was a concern; our challenge is to address asymmetric heating while keeping the pipeline simple. Balancing asymmetric utilization reduces the need for other performance-degrading temporal power-density techniques. While our techniques do not obviate temporal techniques in high-resource-utilization applications, we greatly reduce their use, improving overall performance.
National highway traffic safety administration (NHTSA) notes

Abstract [National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: Safe mobility for older people. Ann Emerg Med April 1999;33:469-470.] [Jolly BT: NHTSA Notes commentary: Older drivers: Growth industry for the future. Ann Emerg Med April 1999;33:470.]
Informationally motivated auditor replacement

Abstract This paper studies a firm's decision to replace its auditor when the replacement affects outsiders' perceptions of its financial condition and auditors' attestations. If the auditor and firm possess common information about the firm's financial condition, and this information can be communicated through financial statements, then, quite generally, the auditor is never replaced. If the firm possesses information superior to that of the auditor and financial reports reflect only the auditor's information, then the auditor is more likely to be replaced the more favorable the firm's information and less favorable the auditor's information. Low-balling is explained by its effect on auditors' attest behavior, rather than by the cost differences of initial and repeat engagements.
Rat Aortic MCP-1 and Its Receptor CCR2 Increase With Age and Alter Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Function

Objective— With age, rat arterial walls thicken and vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) exhibit enhanced migration and proliferation. Monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) affects these VSMC properties in vitro. Because arterial angiotensin II, which induces MCP-1 expression, increases with age, we hypothesized that aortic MCP-1 and its receptor CCR2 are also upregulated and affect VSMC properties. Methods and Results— Both MCP-1 and CCR2 mRNAs and proteins increased in old (30-month) versus young (8-month) F344×BN rat aortas in vivo. Cellular MCP-1 and CCR2 staining colocalized with that of α-smooth muscle actin in the thickened aortas of old rats and were expressed by early-passage VSMCs isolated from old aortas, which, relative to young VSMCs, exhibited increased invasion, and the age difference was abolished by vCCI, an inhibitor of CCR2 signaling. MCP-1 treatment of young VSMCs induced migration and increased their ability to invade a synthetic basement membrane. The MCP-1–dependent VSMC invasivene...
A Case of Systemic Lupus Erythematous Associated with Neuromyelitis Optica (Devic's Syndrome)

Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is an idiopathic inflammatory demyelinating disease, characterized by optic neuritis and myelitis. NMO is a very uncommon and serious neurologic manifestation of systemic lupus erythematous (SLE). We report a 28-year-old man with NMO as neuropsychiatric manifestation of SLE. He was diagnosed as lupus nephritis at 16-year-old. He had optic neuritis at three years and seven months ago. Oral prednisolone was tapered off according to the improved eye symptoms. Two months later, he visited rheumatology clinics for urinary disturbance and paresthesia on both feet. A spinal magnetic resonance imaging revealed increased signal intensity in T2-weighted images from second to sixth cervical level and from eleventh to twelfth thoracic level. We diagnosed neuromyelitis optica and treated with intravenous cyclophosphamide therapy monthly for three times. He was discharged without any neurological deficits and has been followed up.
Negotiating the Use of Native Languages in Emerging Pluralistic and Independent Broadcast Systems in Africa

Since the 1990s liberal and democratic reforms in African countries, competitive independent and pluralistic broadcastings, particularly radio, have emerged to provide channel and program diversity for the first time in these emerging democracies. Independent radio has become an entree into civic discourse and socio-political awareness and a force for social and political integration and accountability. However, these positive developments have overshadowed the observation that Africa’s emerging independent radio has become an avenue for corroding their societies’ languages and cultures. While they have been insensitive to native languages, they are successful in domesticating the languages of their former European colonizers. Using the experiences of Ghana’s radio, this article raises important questions about the relationship between Africa’s native languages and the development of a true African broadcasting system. It calls for a re-examination of the belief that the multilingual character of African societies does not serve broadcasting well. It argues that a true African broadcast system that allows for mass participation can develop only if African broadcasters and policy makers address the native language deficiency in broadcasting. Finally, it calls for a deliberate and planned effort to promote the use of African native languages over Euro-imperial languages in broadcasting. Key terms: broadcasting system, european languages, independent radio, privatisation, democratic reforms.
Mental Health and Suicidality Among Racially/Ethnically Diverse Sexual Minority Youths

Objectives. We examined the relationships among sexual minority status, sex, and mental health and suicidality, in a racially/ethnically diverse sample of adolescents.Methods. Using pooled data from 2005 and 2007 Youth Risk Behavior Surveys within 14 jurisdictions, we used hierarchical linear modeling to examine 6 mental health outcomes across 6 racial/ethnic groups, intersecting with sexual minority status and sex. Based on an omnibus measure of sexual minority status, there were 6245 sexual minority adolescents in the current study. The total sample was n = 72 691.Results. Compared with heterosexual peers, sexual minorities reported higher odds of feeling sad; suicidal ideation, planning and attempts; suicide attempt treated by a doctor or nurse, and self-harm. Among sexual minorities, compared with White youths, Asian and Black youths had lower odds of many outcomes, whereas American Native/Pacific Islander, Latino, and Multiracial youths had higher odds.Conclusions. Although in general, sexual minorit...
Analysis of interfacial cracks in a TBC/superalloy system under thermomechanical loading

In thermal barrier coatings (TBC) residual stresses develop during cool down from processing temperature due to the thermal expansion mismatch between the different layers (substrate, bond coat, and TBC). These residual stresses can initiate microcracks at the bond coat/TBC interface and can lead to debonding at the bond coat/TBC interface. The effect of voids or crack-like flaws at the interface can be responsible for initiating debonding and accelerating the oxidation process. Effect of oxide layer growth between bond coat and ceramic layer (TBC) can be modeled as volume increase. In this work the authors represent the change in volume as an induced pressure across the interface. Mixed-mode fracture analysis of a thin circular delamination in an-axisymmetrically multi-layer circular plate is developed. Geometrical nonlinearity is included in the analysis, since they have a large deflection case. The elastic deformation problem of a circular plate subjected to a clamped boundary condition at the edge of the delamination, an out of plane pressure load, and a compressive stress due to thermal mismatch between different layers, was solved numerically using a Rayleigh-Ritz method. The strain energy release rate was evaluated by means of the path-independent M-integral. The numerical results of this problem based onmore » the energy method were verified using finite element method. Both methods correlate well in predicting the energy release rate for Mode I and Mode II, deflection, and postbuckling solutions. The energy release rates G, for both Mode I and Mode II using virtual crack extension method, were evaluated. The specimen was cooled down from processing temperature of 1000 C to 0 C. The variation of the properties as a function of temperature was used for analysis. It was found that the use of temperature dependent properties in contrast to constant properties provides significantly different values of J-integral and G.« less
Wavelength dependence of the E s layer instability, and of coupling to the F layer, in the nonlinear regime

The Es layer instability has been suggested as a participant in the creation of frontal structures observed in both the Es and F layers of the nighttime midlatitude iono- sphere, in spite of the fact that the spatial scales of the frontal structures are very different in the two layers. The linear growth rate of the instability has a maxima in the vicin- ity of the wavelength observed for the Es layer structures (short wavelengths). However, the maxima is non-distinct, and simulations have shown that the instability is extremely nonlinear. Therefore, to understand the wavelength depen- dence of the Es layer instability it is necessary to factor in nonlinear behavior. Simulations have shown that the insta- bility is active at the wavelengths observed in the F layer, and revealed that the Es layer behavior at these long wave- lengths is so nonlinear that the common, highly localized Es layer observation techniques would likely miss the signature, which is highly visible in the F layer. However, there is cur- rently no explanation for why long wavelengths so clearly dominate short (or intermediate) wavelengths in the F layer observations, and this is a weakness in arguments that the Es layer instability participates in the creation of F-region frontal structures. Herein we remove this weakness by show- ing that longer wavelengths grow to larger amplitudes before eventual nonlinear saturation, and couple more effectively to the F-region.
Surface enrichment of proteins at quartz/water interfaces: A neutron reflectivity study

Neutron reflectivity (NR) was used to study the adsorption of human serum albumin and human fibrinogen on quartz. The proteins were individually and sequentially adsorbed from heavy water and heavy water/methanol mixtures at pH 4 and 7.0. The technique allows for the subnanometer resolution of the adsorbed layer thickness and gross morphology. Under the conditions of our measurements we found that fibrinogen formed a distinct layer that we interpret as a mat of the protein three layers thick whereas albumin formed only diffuse layers. The adsorption pattern of the two proteins changed radically when one protein was adsorbed on top of the other (previously adsorbed). In general our measurements indicate that the adsorbed protein layers on quartz are rather loosely bound and that these layers, incorporating as much as 80% water, extend further into the bulk fluid than might have been expected.
Morphological partitioning of chain ends and methyl branches in melt-crystallized polyethylene by 13C-NMR

The partitioning of methyl and vinyl ends between the crystalline and noncrystalline regions of polyethylene has been investigated using 13C-NMR in the solid state. The polyethylene samples, which were crystallized from the melt, varied in molecular weight, polydispersity, crystallization rate, and comonomer content. For the limited set of samples considered, the ratio of crystal to overall end concentration is independent of those variables. This ratio takes the values of 0.75 and 0.60 for the methyl and vinyl ends, respectively. When the crystalline fraction of these samples is taken into account, 50–75% of the total saturated ends and 42–63% of the total vinyls reside in the crystal. For an ethylene/propylene copolymer, 21–27% of the methyl branches were determined to be in the crystal. This level of incorporation puts methyl branches in a position intermediate between chain ends and ethyl branches.
FRACTAL NATURE OF LIGHT SCATTERING IN TISSUES

Light scattering by a tissue has a wavelength dependence that depends on the size distribution of scatterers in the tissue. By measuring the wavelength dependence of scattering, one can deduce changes in the nanoscale architecture of cells and tissues. This report discusses the connection between nanoscale architecture and measurable light scattering. The significance of this work is to develop label-free optical imaging that describes tissue structure, to complement the absorption, fluorescence, and Raman scattering spectra that describe the chemical constituents of a tissue.
Regulation of endometrial blood flow in ovariectomized rats: assessment of the role of nitric oxide.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of nitric oxide (NO) in the maintenance of basal endometrial blood flow of ovariectomized rats and in the increase of endometrial blood flow after...
Alligation, Forerunner of Linear Programming

IF HERR DOKTOR PROFESSOR GAUSS could read the present-day scientific journals, he would find much evidence that mathematics is, indeed, revered as the queen of science. But he might wonder if we now recognize arithmetic as the queen of mathematics. The modern science of economics, for example, makes much use of matrix inversion, of difference equations, and of other forms of "higher" mathematics. But arithmetic gets little attention.2 A case in point is linear programming. The methods developed by Dantzig3 and others4 are elegant, but they are hard for the ordinary economist to understand. Several authors5 have tried to help him by publishing simplified explanations of these methods. But perhaps there is another alternative. Perhaps the economist will find that simple arithmetic methods will enable him to solve typical linear programming problems. He doesn't necessarily have to be able to manipulate matrices and vectors if he has a good grounding in arithmetic. Unfortunately, though, we are not getting as good training in arithmetic as our parents and grandparents got. Among the many branches of arithmetic formerly taught was "alligation," which is a simple form of linear programming. Regrettably, the subject of alligation seems to have been dropped from the arithmetic books about the turn of the twentieth century.6
Democracy Judgment: David Walker and the Political Power of the Appeal

David Walker’s famous 1829 pamphlet confronts the reader with an immediate puzzle. Consider the title in its entirety: Appeal, In Four Articles; Together with A Preamble, to the Colored Citizens of the World, but in particular, and very expressly, to those of The United States of America. How are we to understand the phrase “citizens” in this title? By the late 1820s we see a diminution or removal of the rights otherwise extended to black men in northern states, calling into question the accuracy of the attribution of “citizens” to “colored” individuals. As suggested by Samuel Johnson’s 1755 A Dictionary of the English Language, although we can find a similar definition in Antiquity, the term citizen refers to “a freeman of a city; not a foreigner; not a slave.” To be a citizen is to enjoy a legal status of duties, rights, and privileges constitutive of belonging to a city and to be taken by that city as having that status. This stands in contrast to persons that are legally outside the community (as in a foreigner) or legally at the will of another (as in a slave). Citizenship, at least as suggested by Johnson’s definition, is dependent on what we might call a recognitive legal relationship. The problem then is for Walker to show that one need not rely on legal recognition to underwrite one’s status as a citizen. How he is able to do this, I argue, is connected to the other important term in the title—the word, “appeal”—and the way it reflects a capacity that Walker’s rhetorical engagement foregrounds. In this chapter, I elucidate the political philosophical work implicit in Walker’s deployment of the term “appeal.” My claim is that appealing to is a bidirectional rhetorical practice that affirms the political standing of the claimant and the one to whom the appeal is directed. The word “appeal” is not idiosyncratic; it captures a way of understanding one’s political status that is not itself dependent on constitutional or legal endorsement. That it is, in an important way, the logic that the American revolutionary generation employed to contest monarchical domination and which black Americans, particularly Walker, used to contest white supremacy. “When people use particular words,” writes legal scholar Mary Bilder, “they choose among different cultural scripts—they select and create meaning” of possibility in which they embed themselves and the recipients of those words.
Synthesis and Electronic Properties of Oxidized Benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′]dithiophenes

Benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′]dithiophenes were oxidized under mild conditions with m-CPBA to yield the corresponding bis-sulfones (or tetraoxides). These sulfones possess red-shifted absorption and emission spectra relative to the parent molecules. Electrochemical analyses reveal that the benzodithiophene molecules are transformed from electron donors to electron acceptors.
The Aldose Reductase Controversy

ext to the debate as to whether chronic hyperglycemia is the primary cause of the late vascular complications of diabetes, the longest running controversy among researchers and clinicians studying this disease is the role of the sorbitol pathway, particularly its initial enzymatic step, the reduction of glucose to sorbitol by aldose reductase in the pathogenesis of these complications. Because the outcome of the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT) (1) appears to have effectively resolved the first issue, the aldose reductase controversy now takes center stage. The sorbitol pathway hypothesis is not the only mechanism for the pathogenesis of the complications of diabetes to have achieved serious consideration. Among others, for example, nonenzymatic glycation of proteins (2) is a plausible, if still largely untested, possibility. But over the more than 30 years since the British biochemist, Ruth vari Heyningen, first demonstrated an excess of sorbitol in the lenses of diabetic rats (3), a substantial accumulation of evidence has supported the sorbitol pathway as the principal actor in at least some of the late complications of diabetes in humans and experimental animals. 'This view is not unchallenged, however. In this discussion, I will summarize some of the evidence supporting the role of aldose reductase in producing several of the late complications of diabetes, but also point out those contradictory findings that render the sorbitol pathway hypothesis controversial.
Web-Based Delivery of Information Technology Courses:

The current American education system is faced with shifting market patterns resulting from rapid changes in the technologies designed to enhance the delivery of education. Today's university is va...
Regulation of neuropeptide expression in the brain by neurotrophins. Potential role in vivo

Neurotrophins, which are structurally related to nerve growth factor, have been shown to promote survival of various neurons. Recently, we found a novel activity of a neurotrophin in the brain: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) enhances expression of various neuropeptides. The neuropeptide differentiation activity was then compared among neurotrophins both in vivo and in vitro. In cultured neocortical neurons, BDNF and neurotrophin-5 (NT-5) remarkably increased levels of neuropeptide Y and somatostatin, and neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) also increased these peptides but required higher concentrations. At elevating substance P, however, NT-3 was as potent as BDNF. In contrast, NGF had negligible or no effect. Neurotrophins administered into neonatal brain exhibited slightly different potencies for increasing these neuropeptides: The most marked increase in neuropeptide Y levels was obtained in the neocortex by NT-5, whereas in the striatum and hippocampus by BDNF, although all three neurotrophins increased somatostatin similarly in all the brain regions examined. Overall spatial patterns of the neuropeptide induction were similar among the neurotrophins. Neurons in adult rat brain can also react with the neurotrophins and alter neuropeptide expression in a slightly different fashion. Excitatory neuronal activity and hormones are known to change expression of neurotrophins. Therefore, neurotrophins, neuronal activity, and hormones influence each other and all regulate neurotransmitter/peptide expression in developing and mature brain. Physiological implication of the neurotransmitter/peptide differentiation activities is also discussed.
Supply Chain Design and Optimization with Applications in Energy Industry

We discuss a few supply chain design concepts and optimization models that have been applied in the energy sector. It is not our intention to provide a comprehensive review of the vast literature. Our goal is to provide the reader with pointers to some interesting and challenging problems, thereby triggering thoughts on the synergies between supply chain optimization and energy sustainability. To this end, we select four supply chain research areas that have seen substantial synergies with energy research. These four areas are: strategic sourcing, inventory management, supply chain competition, and network design. This chapter discusses these areas and related applications in the energy industry.
MR imaging of AIDS myelitis.

In this case report, we describe the MR appearance of the initial spinal cord lesion and the subsequently demonstrated resolution of the lesion. We have found MR a sensitive and valuable tool in the assessment of spinal cord disease in a patient with AIDS
Shortcomings of Grant Applications to the Handicapped Children Research Program

The purpose of this report is to help prospective applicants present the best possible applications for grant support under Public Law 88–164, as amended by Public Law 89–105. In order to do this, a study was made of all applications submitted to but not funded by the Handicapped Children and Youth Grant-in-Aid Program. Twenty-four shortcomings were found to occur repeatedly. A number of suggestions are presented to help applicants avoid these problems.
Socioscientific and epistemic dimensions of support for science: associations with science education and religiosity

ABSTRACTThis study investigated deference to scientific authority [Brossard, D., & Nisbet, M. C. (2007). Deference to scientific authority among a low information public: Understanding U.S. opinion on agricultural biotechnology. International Journal of Public Opinion Research, 19, 24–52] as it relates to support for science across eight sociocultural domains: the economy, the environment, epistemology, science education for all, public health, race and gender, public policy, and science and religion [Cobern, W. W., & Loving, C. C. (2002). Investigation of preservice elementary teachers’ thinking about science. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 39, 1016–1031]. Results revealed that both increased deference to scientific authority and increased support for science were associated with greater science education and lower religious attendance and revealed two underlying dimensions: an epistemic dimension, combining the deference, epistemology, and science and religion scales, and differing based on re...
Linear Second Order ODEs

This chapter shows how to solve linear second order ODE models. Each such model has an associated characteristic equation whose roots are important and occur as two distinct roots, two equal roots and complex conjugate paired roots. Each case has a different solution technique and all are discussed along with examples.
Univariate Random Variables

In Chapter 1 we saw that the first step in the study of a random phenomenon is the construction of a probability model: that is, its sample space, the set of events, and the probability function. In several applications we are not only interested in the probabilities of events, but also in specific numerical values associated with the outcomes.
Diphosphine-Protected Au22 Nanoclusters on Oxide Supports Are Active for Gas-Phase Catalysis without Ligand Removal.

Investigation of atomically precise Au nanoclusters provides a route to understand the roles of coordination, size, and ligand effects on Au catalysis. Herein, we explored the catalytic behavior of a newly synthesized Au22(L8)6 nanocluster (L = 1,8-bis(diphenylphosphino) octane) with in situ uncoordinated Au sites supported on TiO2, CeO2, and Al2O3. Stability of the supported Au22 nanoclusters was probed structurally by in situ extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) and high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM), and their ability to adsorb and oxidize CO was investigated by IR absorption spectroscopy and a temperature-programmed flow reaction. Low-temperature CO oxidation activity was observed for the supported pristine Au22(L8)6 nanoclusters without ligand removal. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations confirmed that the eight uncoordinated Au sites in the intact Au22(L8)6 nanoclusters can chemisorb both CO and O2. Use of isotopically labeled O2...
Mental health indicators fifty years later: A population-based study of men with histories of child sexual abuse

Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is a widely acknowledged trauma that affects a substantial number of boys/men and has the potential to undermine mental health across the lifespan. Despite the topic's importance, few studies have examined the long-term effects of CSA on mental health in middle and late life for men. Most empirical studies on the effects of CSA have been conducted with women, non-probability samples, and samples of young or emerging adults with inadequate control variables. Based on complex trauma theory, the current study investigated: a) the effect of CSA on mental health outcomes (depressive symptoms, somatic symptom severity, hostility) in late life for men, and b) the moderating effects of childhood adversities and masculine norms in the relationship between CSA and the three mental health outcomes. Using a population-based sample from the 2004-2005 Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, multivariate analyses found that CSA was positively related to both depressive and somatic symptoms and increased the likelihood of hostility for men who reported a history of CSA. Both childhood adversities and masculine norms were positively related to the three outcomes for the entire sample. Among CSA survivors, childhood adversities exerted a moderating effect in terms of depressive symptoms. Mental health practitioners should include CSA and childhood adversities in assessment and treatment with men. To more fully understand the effects of CSA, future studies are needed that use longitudinal designs, compare male and female survivors, and examine protective mechanisms such as social support.
Theoretical and experimental investigation of tapered microstrip antennas for wireless communications

This paper describes a theoretical analysis and an experimental investigation of the properties of tapered microstrip patch antennas. The investigated structural parameters are mainly the patch length, the varied patch width, and the feed-point position. The theoretical analysis was performed using the transmission line and resonant cavity methods adapted for the tapered antenna structure. The work is developed for conducting patches with and without slots. Several prototypes were built and measured. An increment in the antenna bandwidth is observed for tapered microstrip antennas without slots. The introduction of a conducting patch slot gives the antenna a multiband performance. The proposed microstrip antenna is suitable for applications in wireless communications.
Outcomes following sclerotherapy for mucosal rectal prolapse with oily phenol injection: single-centre review

To review the outcomes of injection sclerotherapy with oily phenol for mucosal rectal prolapse. Retrospective case note review of all children who underwent sclerotherapy with oily phenol injection as primary surgical intervention for mucosal rectal prolapse, from January 2007 to December 2015. A total of 31 patients were identified. Mean age at presentation was 4.8 years (range 5 months–12 years). 23 patients with mucosal rectal prolapse underwent injection sclerotherapy with oily phenol as primary procedure. Patients with full-thickness rectal prolapse (n = 6) and 2 with mucosal prolapse who had Thiersch stitch were excluded from the study. The cause for mucosal rectal prolapse was considered to be due to constipation (n = 15), idiopathic (n = 7), spina bifida (n = 1). Follow-up was for minimum 6 months (median = 4 years; range 6 months–17 years). Recurrence following injection sclerotherapy with oily phenol requiring further procedures was 30.4% (7/23). Injection sclerotherapy with oily phenol is a safe, effective and minimally invasive primary treatment option for mucosal rectal prolapse not responding to conservative management. In case of recurrence, a cautious re-examination under anaesthesia should be undertaken to exclude a missed full-thickness rectal prolapse before reinjecting.
Shapes of cyclic pursuit and their evolution

We study the geometry of a 2-dimensional cyclic pursuit problem where n identical mobile agents modeled as unicycles are driven by a distributed control law. The agent i pursuits the agent i + 1 modulo n with the same constant forward speed. We propose, for the first time, a stable relative (1 : n)-periodic trajectory (RPT) for the polygonal chain formed by the system with a sufficiently large n. Unlike regular polygon, the polygonal chain evolves into the shape of figure-eight while the system follows this RPT. The shape of the figure-eight can be approximated by closed Euler elastica. We show several geometrical and dynamical properties of this polygonal chain such as curve length and configuration precession. In addition, it reveals that the rotation number of an unbroken polygonal chain is a geometric invariant when it converges to a stable formation.
Subspace clustering via new low-rank model with discrete group structure constraint

We propose a new subspace clustering model to segment data which is drawn from multiple linear or affine subspaces. Unlike the well-known sparse subspace clustering (SSC) and low-rank representation (LRR) which transfer the subspace clustering problem into two steps' algorithm including building the affinity matrix and spectral clustering, our proposed model directly learns the different subspaces' indicator so that low-rank based different groups are obtained clearly. To better approximate the low-rank constraint, we suggest to use Schatten p-norm to relax the rank constraint instead of using trace norm. We tactically avoid the integer programming problem imposed by group indicator constraint to let our algorithm more efficient and scalable. Furthermore, we extend our discussion to the general case in which subspaces don't pass the original point. The new algorithm's convergence is given, and both synthetic and real world datasets demonstrate our proposed model's effectiveness.
Experience-based learning on determining the frictional coefficients of thermoset polymers incorporated with silicon carbide whiskers and chopped carbon fibers at different temperatures

High temperature applications of materials have been increasing for various industrial applications, such as automobile brakes, clutches and thrust pads. The big portion of these materials are made out of the polymeric materials with various reinforcements. In the present study, high temperature polymeric materials were incorporated with SiC whiskers and chopped carbon fibers at 0, 5, 10 and 20wt.% and molded into desired size and shape prior to the curing process. These inclusions were selected because of their high mechanical strengths and thermal conductivity values to easily dissipate the frictional heat energy and sustain more external loads. The method of testing involves a metal ramp with an adjustable incline to find the coefficients of static and kinetic frictions by recording time and the angle of movement at various temperatures (e.g., -10°C and 50°C). The test results indicated that increasing the inclusions made drastic improvements on the coefficients of static and kinetic frictions. The undergraduate students were involved in the project and observed all the details of the process during the laboratory studies, as well as data collection, analysis and presentation. This study will be useful for the future trainings of the undergraduate engineering students on the composite, automobile and other manufacturing industries.
Circulating Cellular Adhesion Molecules and Cognitive Function: The Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults Study.

Objective: Higher circulating concentrations of Cellular Adhesion Molecules (CAMs) can be used as markers of endothelial dysfunction. Given that the brain is highly vascularized, we assessed whether endothelial function is associated with cognitive performance. Method: Within the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults Study (CARDIA), excluding N=54 with stroke before year 25, we studied CAMs among N=2,690 black and white men and women in CARDIA year 7 (1992-93, ages 25-37) and N= 2,848 in CARDIA year 15 (2000-01, ages 33-45). We included subjects with levels of circulating soluble CAMs measured in year 7 or 15 and cognitive function testing in year 25 (2010-11, ages 43-55). Using multiple regression analysis, we evaluated the association between CAMs and year 25 cognitive test scores: Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT, memory), Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST, speed of processing), and the Stroop Test (executive function). Result: All CAM concentrations were greater in year 15 vs. year 7. Adjusting for age, race, sex, education, smoking, alcohol, diet, physical activity, participants in the 4th vs. the 1st quartile of CARDIA year 7 of circulating intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) scored worse on RAVLT, DSST, and Stroop test (p≤ 0.05) in CARDIA year 25. Other CAMs showed little association with cognitive test scores. Findings were similar for ICAM-1 assessed at year 15. Adjustment for possibly mediating physical factors attenuated the findings. Conclusion: Higher circulating ICAM-1 at average ages 32 and 40 was associated with lower cognitive skills at average age 50. The study is consistent with the hypothesis that endothelial dysfunction is associated with worse short term memory, speed of processing, and executive function.
Reverse Termination Fees in M&A

Reverse termination fees (RTFs) are required payments by bidders when they “walk away” from a merger or acquisition, and vary significantly in size and design. In a large sample of manually collected U.S. deal contracts involving publicly traded bidders and targets, we examine the relationship between announcement returns and different types of RTFs, including those with features theorized by others to reflect inefficient design, and also RTFs that we theorize may send a negative value signal from managers seeking to “eat” rather than “be eaten” in consolidating industries. We find inefficient RTFs correlate with lower bidder returns, even in a subsample where disclosure of RTF terms lags deal announcements by more than two days. We also find inclusion of certain RTFs in consolidating industries reveals private information to the market, resulting in negative abnormal returns. Our results are robust to alternative event windows and control groups, and carry over to combined bidder and target abnormal returns, inconsistent with inefficient RTFs reflecting transfers from buyers to targets. Finally, we find an insignificant relationship between the probability of deal completion and inefficient RTFs, and a negative significant relationship between the probability of deal completion and negative signal RTFs, consistent with the fact that deals with such RTFs are adopted in consolidating industries where both deal competition and antitrust issues are higher than in other deal settings.
Healing bone lesion defects using injectable CaSO4 /CaPO4 -TCP bone graft substitute compared to cancellous allograft bone chips in a canine model.

CaSO4 /CaPO4 -TCP bone graft substitute has been shown to be effective for treatment of bone lesion defects, but its mechanical, histological, and radiographic characteristics have not been studied in direct comparison with a conventional treatment such as cancellous allograft bone. Thirteen canines had a critical-size axial defect created bilaterally into the proximal humerus. CaSO4 /CaPO4 -TCP bone graft substitute (PRO-DENSE™, Wright Medical Technology) was injected into the defect in one humerus, and an equal volume of freeze-dried cancellous allograft bone chips was placed in the contralateral defect. The area fraction of new bone, residual graft, and fibrous tissue and the compressive strength and elastic modulus of bone within the defects were determined after 6, 13, or 26 weeks and correlated with radiographic changes. The data were analyzed using Friedman and Mann-Whitney tests. There was more bone in defects treated with the CaSO4 /CaPO4 -TCP bone graft substitute compared to defects treated with cancellous bone allograft at all three time points, and the difference at 13 weeks was significant (p = 0.025). The new bone was significantly stronger and stiffer in defects treated with the CaSO4 /CaPO4 -TCP bone graft substitute compared to defects treated with cancellous bone allograft at 13 (p = 0.046) and 26 weeks (p = 0.025). At 26 weeks, all defects treated with CaSO4 /CaPO4 -TCP bone graft substitute demonstrated complete healing with new bone, whereas healing was incomplete in all defects treated with cancellous allograft chips. The CaSO4 /CaPO4 -TCP bone graft substitute could provide faster and significantly stronger healing of bone lesions compared to the conventional treatment using freeze-dried cancellous allograft bone. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 107B: 408-414, 2019.
Reproductive Health and Medication Concerns for Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Thematic and Quantitative Analysis Using Social Listening.

Background: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) affects many individuals of reproductive age. Most IBD medications are safe to use during pregnancy and breastfeeding; however, observational studies find that women with IBD have higher rates of voluntary childlessness due to fears about medication use during pregnancy. Understanding why and how individuals with IBD make decisions about medication adherence during important reproductive periods can help clinicians address patient fears about medication use. Objective: The objective of this study was to gain a more thorough understanding of how individuals taking IBD medications during key reproductive periods make decisions about their medication use. Methods: We collected posts from 3000 social media sites posted over a 3-year period and analyzed the posts using qualitative descriptive content analysis. The first level of analysis, open coding, identified individual concepts present in the social media posts. We subsequently created a codebook from significant or frequently occurring codes in the data. After creating the codebook, we reviewed the data and coded using our focused codes. We organized the focused codes into larger thematic categories. Results: We identified 7 main themes in 1818 social media posts. Individuals used social media to (1) seek advice about medication use related to reproductive health (13.92%, 252/1818); (2) express beliefs about the safety of IBD therapies (7.43%, 135/1818); (3) discuss personal experiences with medication use (16.72%, 304/1818); (4) articulate fears and anxieties about the safety of IBD therapies (11.55%, 210/1818); (5) discuss physician-patient relationships (3.14%, 57/1818); (6) address concerns around conception, infertility, and IBD medications (17.38%, 316/1818); and (7) talk about IBD symptoms during and after pregnancy and breastfeeding periods (11.33%, 206/1818). Conclusions: Beliefs around medication safety play an important role in whether individuals with IBD decide to take medications during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Having a better understanding about why patients stop or refuse to take certain medications during key reproductive periods may allow clinicians to address specific beliefs and attitudes during office visits. [J Med Internet Res 2018;20(6):e206]