cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Forty-Fifth Thomas Hawksley Lecture: The Transmission and Radiation of Acoustic Waves by Structures:

Of major interest to architects, designers of vehicles, and acousticians is the control of structure-borne sound. Walls and panels are set into vibration by airborne waves or by vibrating mechanisms. The panel so excited will radiate sound and it may carry the vibrations to other panels or bodies.In this lecture, the author will treat the problem of acoustic transmission through walls and panels in the audible frequency range. At low frequencies the panel vibrates as a plate or a stretched membrane. At higher frequencies the panel may behave as a quasiinfinite sheet. Above a particular ‘critical’ frequency, the wavelength of the bending waves in the panel will be longer than the compressional waves in air at the same frequency. The two wavelengths may be brought into coincidence provided the airborne wave impinges on the panel at an angle θ determined bycos θ = ca/ cbwhere c a and cb are the speeds of sound in the air and panel, respectively. At the coincidence angle, an airborne wave striking one side of...
Differential effect of liquidity constraints on firm growth

Abstract Differential quantitative effects of internal finance on growth among firms facing different degrees of financial constraints are found in this paper using an unbalanced panel data on 1122 UK firms listed on the London Stock Exchange. The generalized methods of moments (GMM) estimation results are consistent with financial constraints arising from capital market imperfections and indicate a substantially greater sensitivity of growth to cash flow for firm years facing the most binding financial constraints. Furthermore, these firms can actually expand their size more than the extent of increase in cash flow they may have which supports the leverage effect hypothesis. The estimated impact decreases monotonically thereafter as financial constraints become less binding allowing the firms to finance successively bigger portion of their growth through external financing.
Anticonvulsant Suppression of Postnatal Neurogenesis in Laboratory Animals

The effects of phenobarbital and diazepam on cell proliferation and neurogenesis were studied in newborn rats followed for 6 months, in a study at University of Dresden, Germany; Medical University, Lublin, Poland; University Medicine Berlin, Germany; and Solvay Research Laboratories, Weesp, The Netherlands.
Serotonin receptors in depression: from A to B

The role of serotonin in major depressive disorder (MDD) is the focus of accumulating clinical and preclinical research. The results of these studies reflect the complexity of serotonin signaling through many receptors, in a large number of brain regions, and throughout the lifespan. The role of the serotonin transporter in MDD has been highlighted in gene by environment association studies as well as its role as a critical player in the mechanism of the most effective antidepressant treatments - selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. While the majority of the 15 known receptors for serotonin have been implicated in depression or depressive-like behavior, the serotonin 1A (5-HT 1A) and 1B (5-HT 1B) receptors are among the most studied. Human brain imaging and genetic studies point to the involvement of 5-HT 1A and 5-HT 1B receptors in MDD and the response to antidepressant treatment. In rodents, the availability of tissue-specific and inducible knockout mouse lines has made possible the identification of the involvement of 5-HT 1A and 5-HT 1B receptors throughout development and in a cell-type specific manner. This, and other preclinical pharmacology work, shows that autoreceptor and heteroreceptor populations of these receptors have divergent roles in modulating depression-related behavior as well as responses to antidepressants and also have different functions during early postnatal development compared to during adulthood.
Proceedings of the Third International American Moroccan Agricultural Sciences Conference - AMAS Conference III, December 13-16, 2016, Ouarzazate, Morocco

The International American Moroccan Agricultural Sciences Conference (AMAS Conference; www.amas-conference.org) is an international conference organized by the High Council of Moroccan American Scholars and Academics (HC-MASA; www.hc-masa.org) in collaboration with various universities and research institutes in Morocco. The first edition (AMAS Conference I) was organized on March 18-19, 2013 in Rabat, Morocco; AMAS Conference II was organized on October 18-20, 2014 in Marrakech, Morocco; and AMAS III was organized on December 13-16, 2016 in Ouarzazate, Morocco. The current proceedings summarizes abstracts from 62 oral presentations and 100 posters that were presented during AMAS Conference III.
Silhouetted Stereotypes in the Art of Kara Walker

Kara Walker explores traditional narratives of race and gender power dynamics in her black and white silhouette installations. By presenting most figures in the same black color, racial and individual features are realized through detail. The theme of consumption is prevalent in Walker’s work, such as the consumption of people as products in the slave trade as well as the consumption of breast milk in modern versions of the Madonna lactans. Walker’s work draws on traditional intersections of race, class, and gender dynamics to create an original commentary on the cultural consumption of materials, beings, and art. Despite this commentary, Walker does not offer a clear stance on these issues and leaves the audience without a resolution to her shocking silhouettes.
Real Assets, Collateral and the Limits of Debt Capacity

We develop a model in which better quality firms separate themselves by issuing unsecured debt and committing to maintain a strong balance sheet, something lower quality firms find too costly to do. Lower quality firms, in contrast, pledge real assets in secured debt transactions. However, during turbulent financial periods, pooling occurs in the secured debt market, which raises the average quality of firms in that market. We use the 1998 Russian crisis together with the role played by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac for apartment REITs to highlight the relation between financing outcomes and firm type. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved
Improvement and persistent disparities in completion lymph node dissection: Lessons from the National Cancer Database

Background Completion lymph node dissection (CLND) is recommended for melanoma patients with positive sentinel lymph node biopsies (SLNB); however, 50% do not undergo CLND. We sought to determine CLND trends over time, and factors contributing to variability. Methods The NCDB was queried for patients undergoing wide local excision (WLE), with or without SLNB and CLND. Cohorts were created based on demographic/socioeconomic variables and era of treatment (Era 1: 2003-07, Era 2: 2008-12). Univariate and multivariate analyses identified factors associated with performance of or trends in CLND. Results 122 849 underwent WLE with SLNB. Of 24 267 (19.8%) with +SLNB, 13 594 (56.0%) continued to CLND. In multivariate analyses, Medicaid (OR 0.78; P = 0.04) or Medicare (OR 0.79; P < 0.01) in Era 1 and patients without insurance in Era 2 (OR 0.78; P = 0.01) underwent less CLND. In both eras, Blacks (OR 0.45; P < 0.01, OR 0.59; P < 0.01), head/neck lesions (OR 0.72; P < 0.01, OR 0.66; P < 0.01) and lower extremity lesions (OR 0.75; P < 0.01, OR 0.72; P < 0.01) underwent less CLND. However, Blacks experienced greatest increase in CLND usage (+9.2%). Conclusions CLND usage continues to be low and racial/socioeconomic disparities persist. Until the results of MSLT-2 become available, continued focus on understanding poor adherence to, and improving rates of CLND is necessary.
On Davidon's collinear scaling algorithms for optimization

In 1980, Davidon [5] presented a class of algorithms for unconstrained minimization. The algorithms of Davidon are related to quasi-Newton methods, and are based on local collinear scalings and local conic approximations, which extend respectively, local affine scalings and local quadratic approximations used in derivations of quasi-Newton methods. The algorithms of Davidon [5] have not been studied theoretically or computationally. Algorithms based on collinear scalings and conic approximations related to quasi-Newton methods that have been investigated todate are all derived based on an approach that Sorensen [12] presented. In this note, we show that all these algorithms derived using the approach of Sorensen [12] are in fact different from the algorithms that Davidon [5] presented. It then follows that fresh investigations are necessary to assess the usefulness of the algorithms of Davidon [5], and of algorithms based on collinear scalings and conic approximations extending quasi-Newton methods.
An overview of cefotaxime therapy in infections caused by gram-positive pathogens.

Thein vitro activity of cefotaxime and other third-generation cephalosporins against gram-positive pathogens is generally considered to be less than that of earlier cephalosporins, such as cefazolin. A review of pooled pre-release data collected by numerous investigators and supplied by Hoechst-Roussel made it possible to evaluate the clinical and bacteriologic efficacy of cefotaxime in more than 900 infections caused by gram-positive organisms. The most commonly isolated pre-treatment organisms wereStaphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and other streptococcal species. The overall clinical efficacy rate was 95% and the bacteriologic eradication rate was 94.5%. Side-effects were limited to rash in two, diarrhea in one and fever in one. Pain at the administration site was reported by four patients. Comparative studies with cefazolin againstS. aureus showed no statistically significant differences in efficacy. The highest failure rates were seen in enterococcal urinary tract infections, as predicted byin vitro sensitivity tests. Cefotaxime appears to be a safe, effective antibiotic for the therapy of infections caused by gram-positive pathogens.
Mechanical Properties and Anthropometry of the Human Infant Head

The adult head has been studied extensively and computationally modeled for impact, however there have been few studies that attempt to quantify the mechanical properties of the pediatric skull. Likewise, little documentation of pediatric anthropometry exists. We hypothesize that the properties of the human pediatric skull differ from the human adult skull and exhibit viscoelastic structural properties. Quasi-static and dynamic compression tests were performed using the whole head of three human neonate specimens (ages 1 to 11 days old). Whole head compression tests were performed in a MTS servo-hydraulic actuator. Testing was conducted using nondestructive quasi-static, and constant velocity protocols in the anterior-posterior and right-left directions. In addition, the pediatric head specimens were dropped from 15cm and 30cm and impact force-time histories were measured for five different locations: vertex, occiput, forehead, right and left parietal region. The compression stiffness values increased with an increase in velocity but were not significantly different between the anterior-posterior and right-left directions. Peak head acceleration during the head impact tests did not significantly vary between the five different impact locations. A three parameter model that included damping represented the pediatric head impact data more accurately than a simple mass-spring system. The compressive and impact stiffness of the pediatric heads were significantly more compliant than published adult values. Also, infant head dimensions, center of gravity and moment of inertia (Iyy) were determined. The CRABI 6-month dummy impact response was similar to the infant cadaver for impacts to the vertex, occiput, and forehead but dramatically stiffer in lateral impacts. These pediatric head anthropomorphic, compression, and impact data will provide a basis to validate whole head models and compare with ATD performance in similar exposures.
Implementation of normalized retention time (iRT) for bottom-up proteomic analysis of the aminoglycoside phosphotransferase enzyme facilitating method distribution

Improvements in mass spectrometry technology to include instrument duty cycle, resolution, and sensitivity suggest mass spectrometry as a highly competitive alternative to conventional microbiological proteomic techniques. Targeted mass spectral analysis, sans prior empirical measurements, has begun to solely use the enormous amount of available genomic information for assay development. An in silico tryptic digestion of a suspected antibiotic-resistant enzyme using only its genomic information for assay development was achieved. Both MRM and full-scan MS2 independent data acquisitions were obtained for an antibiotic-resistance microbe not previously measured using mass spectrometry. In addition, computation methods to determine highest responding peptides in positive ion mode liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) were evaluated. Employment of the relative retention time (iRT) concept using a homemade peptide standard set revealed facile method transfer between two fundamental different mass spectral platforms: an ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography triple quadrupole-mass spectrometer (UHPLC-MS) and nano-liquid chromatography parallel reaction monitoring (nano-LC-PRM) hybrid quadrupole orbitrap Q-exactive mass spectrometer supporting easy dissemination and rapid method implementation between laboratories.
U.S.-Africa trade balance and the J-curve: An asymmetry analysis

ABSTRACTFor the first time in the body of literature, we consider bilateral trade balance models of the US with each of her 20 trading partners from Africa and try to assess the J-curve phenomenon....
Treatment of Myoclonus in Degenerative Disorders

Myoclonus is common in neurodegenerative disorders and may be in small or large amplitude. In dementia with Lewy bodies, it occurs as moderately sized jerks in about 1/3 of cases. The combination of dementia, early parkinsonism, hallucinations, cognitive fluctuations, and myoclonus is strongly suggestive of the dementia with Lewy body diagnosis. The major differential diagnosis is Alzheimer’s disease, although other diagnoses should be considered. The physiology of the myoclonus is cortical. Treatment should be tailored to the patient’s circumstances. Drugs used for cortical myoclonus are the most useful. Monitoring is necessary for therapeutic response and possible limiting side effects.
Global mitigation potential of carbon stored in harvested wood products

Carbon stored in harvested wood products (HWPs) can affect national greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories, in which the production and end use of HWPs play a key role. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) provides guidance on HWP carbon accounting, which is sensitive to future developments of socioeconomic factors including population, income, and trade. We estimated the carbon stored within HWPs from 1961 to 2065 for 180 countries following IPCC carbon-accounting guidelines, consistent with Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAOSTAT) historical data and plausible futures outlined by the shared socioeconomic pathways. We found that the global HWP pool was a net annual sink of 335 Mt of CO2 equivalent (CO2e)⋅y−1 in 2015, offsetting substantial amounts of industrial processes within some countries, and as much as 441 Mt of CO2e⋅y−1 by 2030 under certain socioeconomic developments. Furthermore, there is a considerable sequestration gap (71 Mt of CO2e⋅y−1 of unaccounted carbon storage in 2015 and 120 Mt of CO2e⋅y−1 by 2065) under current IPCC Good Practice Guidance, as traded feedstock is ineligible for national GHG inventories. However, even under favorable socioeconomic conditions, and when accounting for the sequestration gap, carbon stored annually in HWPs is
Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Supplementation as a Potential Protective Factor or Treatment for Neurodegenerative Diseases

Abstract The neuroprotective properties exhibited by omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids may denote potential treatments or protective factors against the neurodegenerative diseases. This review examines the potential treatments or protective factors of omega-3 fatty acids on dementia, Alzheimer’s disease (AD), frontotemporal dementia, multiple sclerosis (MS), Parkinson’s disease (PD), and Huntington’s disease (HD). Studies have produced mixed results on the effectiveness of omega-3 supplementation on the progression of neurodegenerative diseases. Despite the potential for omega-3 fatty acids to function as protective factors against these diseases, thus far, no randomized control trials (RCT) have investigated the influence of omega-3 fatty acids on incident dementia or frontotemporal dementia. Omega-3 s intake has not been found to decrease AD risk, but there may be some protective effect of high levels of fish consumption. Omega-3 supplementation and fish consumption appear to decrease PD incidence, improve depressive symptoms in individuals with PD, and improve quality of life in individuals with MS. Studies on the influence of omega-3 intake on HD have produced mixed results, but ethyl- eicosapentaenoic acid (ethyl-EPA) may have beneficial effects. There is a paucity of RCT investigating the potential benefits of omega-3 fatty acids on neurodegenerative diseases. Further research is needed to determine the effects of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation on individuals with neurodegenerative diseases and their influence on the incidence of neurodegenerative diseases.
Dissipation of radiation energy in concentrated solid-solution alloys: Unique defect properties and microstructural evolution

The effort to develop metallic alloys with increased structural strength and improved radiation performance has focused on the incorporation of either solute elements or microstructural inhomogeneities to mitigate damage. The recent discovery and development of single-phase concentrated solid-solution alloys (SP-CSAs) has prompted fundamental questions that challenge established theories and models currently applicable to conventional alloys. The current understanding of electronic and atomic effects, defect evolution, and microstructure progression suggests that radiation energy dissipates in SP-CSAs at different interaction strengths via energy carriers (electrons, phonons, and magnons). Modification of electronic- and atomic-level heterogeneities and tailoring of atomic transport processes can be realized through tuning of the chemical complexity of SP-CSAs by the selection of appropriate elements and their concentrations. Fundamental understanding of controlling energy dissipation via site-to-site chemical complexity reveals new design principles for predictive discovery and guided synthesis of new alloys with targeted functionalities, including radiation tolerance.
Cognitive and functional outcomes in adults with sickle cell disease

Date Presented 04/06/19 Sickle cell disease is a debilitating chronic illness characterized by persistent anemia and increased risk for stroke and cognitive impairment. The current study presents findings on the cognitive and functional task performance deficits of adults with sickle cell disease. An opportunity exists for OTs to improve the long-term outcomes of this population by providing appropriate evaluation and cognitive intervention. Primary Author and Speaker: Taniya Varughese Additional Authors and Speakers: Mallory Varnum, Erica Hull Contributing Authors: Regina Abel, Allison King
P343 Primary outcomes from implementing a behavioral counseling intervention program in four federally qualified health centers

Background The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends behavioral counseling for youth at high-risk for STDs, but little work has explored translation of these guidelines into practice. Here, we evaluated a large-scale implementation of behavioral counseling in federally qualified health centers (FQHCs). Methods Implementation occurred between June 2017 and May 2018 in four FQHCs in Northeastern US. Many patients were below the poverty level (27–65%) or uninsured (13–47%). Training content comprised motivational interviewing skills and techniques for talking to youth about sex and sexual histories, delivered to pilot providers via 15 hours of online and in-person training. We measured the proportion of patients who received (a) a sexual history, (b) behavioral counseling, (c) HPV vaccine and (d) chlamydia screening. We tracked changes in work-flow and implementation and allowed for tailoring of sexual history taking per the needs of FQHCs. Results 39,631 eligible patients (13–24 years old, 71.0% Hispanic, 68.3% white, 24.9% black) were seen during the implementation period, of whom 9,675 (24.4%) saw a pilot provider. Similar proportions in each group completed a sexual history (70.6% vs. 71.4%, p=0.1787). However, higher proportions of patients exposed to the pilot providers received behavioral counseling (67.5% vs. 43.5%, p Conclusion Primary outcomes from this translation study support the conclusion that an intensive, but short, training regimen on behavioral counseling, coupled with a flexible strategy for assessing sexual histories, results in higher rates of behavioral counseling and provision of prevention services as compared to those who did not receive training. Disclosure No significant relationships.
“Unbroken, but Bent”: Gendered Racism in School Leadership

Black women experience the burdens of gendered racism in their roles as school leaders, yet little is known about how these leaders cope with those experiences or how such coping might impact their ability or desire, to persist and thrive in such positions. This phenomenological study examined the experiences of 10 Black female school leaders and how they coped with gendered racism and the costs associated with doing so. Findings show coping occurred through both adaptive and maladaptive strategies, which we label as “more affirming” or “less affirming”, to highlight how both enabled participants to persist in their leadership roles. More affirming (i.e., adaptive) strategies included reliance on faith, social relationships and professional networks, and advocacy roles to confront, manage, and problem solve around their experiences of gendered racism. Less affirming (i.e., maladaptive) strategies included denial or avoidance, buffering and boundary setting, and in a few cases, exit. Further, findings revealed the costs or tolls borne by participants included internalizing gendered racism, doubting leadership skills and competence, anger at having to operate in a gendered racist context, and resignation. By acknowledging and naming the gendered racism Black female school leaders face and the energy required to exert to cope with it, these findings highlight the need to discuss gendered racism in educational leadership and professional development programs. Further, these findings suggest anti-racist practices by White allies, including shifting the burden of gendered racism to them, is critical to the disruption of practices privileging Whiteness in educational leadership.
Recent Advances in Pathophysiology and Management of Transient Tachypnea of Newborn

Transient tachypnea of newborn (TTN) results from failure of the newborn to effectively clear the fetal lung fluid soon after birth. TTN represents the most common etiology of respiratory distress in term gestation newborns and sometimes requires admission to the neonatal intensive care unit. TTN can lead to maternal-infant separation, the need for respiratory support, extended unnecessary exposure to antibiotics and prolonged hospital stays. Recent evidence also suggests that TTN may be associated with wheezing syndromes later in childhood. New imaging modalities such as lung ultrasound can help in the diagnosis of TTN and early management with distending pressure using continuous positive airway pressure may prevent exacerbation of respiratory distress.
Selective disturbance rejection algorithms for mitigating non-common path errors within beam control systems

The beam control system of a high energy laser (HEL) application can typically experience error amplification due to disturbance measurements that are associated with the non-common path of the optical train setup. In order to address this error, conventional schemes require offline identification or a calibration process to determine the non-common path error portion of a measured sequence that contains both common and non-common path disturbances. However, not only is it a challenging to model the properties of the non-common path disturbance alone but also a stationary model may not guarantee consistent jitter control performance and repeated calibration may be necessary. The paper first attempts to classify the non-common path error problem into two categories where the designer is only given one measurement or two measurements available for real-time processing. For the latter case, an adaptive correlated pre-filter is introduced here to provide in situ determination of the non-common path disturbance through an adaptive correlation procedure. Contrasting features and advantages of this algorithm will be demonstrated alongside a baseline approach of utilizing notch filters to bypass the non-common portion of the combined sequence.
Lethal Means Counseling, Distribution of Cable Locks, and Safe Firearm Storage Practices Among the Mississippi National Guard: A Factorial Randomized Controlled Trial, 2018-2020.

Objectives. To examine whether lethal means counseling and provision of cable locks prompt safe firearm storage relative to control among firearm-owning members of the Mississippi National Guard.Me...
Fifty years of EPA science for air quality management and control.

Research and development has been a key part of the foundation for improvements in US air quality since the establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 50 years ago. Although the scientific accomplishments and advances over the course of EPA’s history are often overshadowed by policy debates, much of the air pollution science and engineering we now consider to be routine did not exist when EPA was established. Many of the advances in air pollutant measurement, monitoring, modeling, and control were developed by EPA researchers or supported by EPA programs. The technical foundation built during EPA’s early years has since given the Agency the scientific ability to respond quickly and effectively to unexpected and emerging issues. Equally important, EPA also developed approaches to conducting and presenting science in policy settings to ensure that the science was as objective and complete as possible and was communicated effectively. A look back at some of the accomplishments of EPA scientists and engineers provides a reminder that the cumulative effect of continual, incremental advances can result in large and lasting benefits to society.
Materially Just: Virtuous Methodology in Fascist Times:

In this article, I consider how our materialist inquiry might enact a sense of justice and virtue in these fascist times. I do so through the following overarching claim: addressing fascism require...
Non-Motor Symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease: The Neurobiology of Early Psychiatric and Cognitive Dysfunction:

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that has been recognized for over 200 years by its clinically dominant motor system impairment. There are prominent non-motor sy...
Patient satisfaction scores in adults with psoriasis.

Patient satisfaction is associated with improved patient retention and clinical outcomes. Previous studies investigated the impact of disease severity and mental health conditions on patient satisfaction among psoriasis patients. However, associations with healthcare utilization were not studied. Moreover, socio-demographic differences in patient satisfaction among adults with psoriasis are not well-delineated. The objectives of this study were to determine the impact of psoriasis disease on patient satisfaction among US adults and examine associations of satisfaction with healthcare utilization and socio-demographic characteristics. We analyzed the 2000–2016 Medical Expenditure Panel Surveys, representative surveys of US population health status and perceptions. Patient satisfaction was evaluated by the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) survey. Adults with psoriasis were compared to a control group of all adults without current diagnosis of psoriasis. Multivariable linear and logistic regression models were constructed to examine associations of satisfaction among those with psoriasis. Overall, data were analyzed from 1419 adults with psoriasis who completed the entire CAHPS survey. Adults with psoriasis had similar patient satisfaction compared to healthy controls (LS-means: 86.0 vs 85.6, adjusted β [CI 95]: 0.38 [− 0.45, 1.22]). Based on sensitivity analysis, adults with vs without psoriasis had similar rates of high satisfaction in each CAHPS domain: time spent, clear explanations, listening, and respect demonstrated. Among those with psoriasis, high satisfaction was associated with ≥ 1 office visit (adjusted OR [CI 95]: 2.50 [1.63, 3.84]), and consultation with a specialist was associated with increased satisfaction (adjusted β [CI 95]: 1.36 [0.95, 1.77]). Overall satisfaction score among psoriasis adults was associated with increased age and black race, and inversely associated with lower income, public or no insurance, other race or multiracial, and multimorbidity. In conclusion, psoriasis diagnosis was not associated with difference in satisfaction. However, lower-income adults with public or no insurance and multimorbidity had lower satisfaction. Moreover, specialist consultation was associated with higher satisfaction. Multidisciplinary and increased healthcare access are needed to optimize patient satisfaction.
A Digitally Assisted Multiplexed Neural Recording System With Dynamic Electrode Offset Cancellation via an LMS Interference-Canceling Filter

This article presents a low-power (LP) area-efficient implantable neural recording system that supports high-density neural implant (HDNI) applications. The system uses a time-division multiple access method to record from 16-neural electrodes simultaneously. A least mean squares (LMSs) algorithm is used to cancel the slowly varying electrode offsets from all channels simultaneously by using a single-tap digital adaptive filter (AF). The presented technique is fabricated in 65-nm CMOS technology and achieves a per-channel area of 0.00248 mm²; 68% of which is digital circuitry (and is thus scalable with technology). The overall system consumes 3.38 μW per channel while achieving 2.6 μV ${_{{rms}}}$ of input referred noise (IRN) in 10 kHz of bandwidth. The proposed system has a noise efficiency factor (NEF) of 1.83 and is fully integrated on-chip.
Crack-healing in spinel (MgAl2O4) ceramic

Abstract This paper reports the crack-healing behavior in spinel ceramic. Spinel nanopowder was synthesized via mechanical activation with subsequent annealing of magnesium carbonate and aluminum hydroxide. The produced nanopowder was uniaxially pressed and then sintered at 1200 °C for 1 h. Initial cracks were produced on the surface of the sintered bodies by Vickers indenter to investigate the healing behavior of spinel after various heat treatment regimes. It was found that cracks can be healed completely after annealing the specimens at 1600 °C for 100 h. Those specimens sintered at lower temperatures and/or sintered for less times showed partial healing. The results demonstrated that sintering process and abnormal grain growth are responsible for crack-healing in spinel. Also the healing efficiency was expressed as the strength recovery of the pre-cracked samples after healing procedures and was evaluated by diametral tensile strength (DTS) test or indirect tensile test (ITT). It was found that the strength recovery of those samples heat treated at 1600 °C for 100 h was about 91%, which suggests high healing efficiency.
Islam and Business Ethics

Islam, the third and last of the Abrahamic religions to emerge, literally means “submission to God's will.” It was proclaimed by Muhammad (born 570 CE), the Prophet of Islam and the founder of Islamic public order, in the seventh century CE in Mecca, Arabia. Mecca was the most important trading center of western and central Arabia. Meccans played a dominant role in the creation of a culture that developed and nurtured a socioeconomic system based on Islamic justice. Islam required a good public order in which spiritual interests were organically related to individual material well-being. Hence, the law of the marketplace was given almost equal weight with the regulations connected with acts of worship in the mosque. The market mechanism is an integral part of the Islamic economic system because the institution of private property depends on it for its operation. It also provides for consumers to express their desires for the production of goods of their liking by their willingness to pay the price. But the profit motive that is essential for the operation of free enterprise, if not controlled, could also become a tool of greed and violate the Islamic goals of social and economic justice and equitable distribution of income and wealth. For perspective, the article addresses the market economy and contractual relations, citing historical aspects, concerns, and several principles; Sharia and the emergence of principles from cases; market ethics and the charging of interest (riba); and contemporary attitudes toward interest (riba). Keywords: market mechanism; private property; profit motive; free enterprise; market economy; communitarian ethic; principle of non-maleficence; principle of public interest; freedom of enterprise; Sharia; riba
Subregionalization of Low-Frequency Summer Drought Variability in the Southeastern United States

Freshwater resources are particularly limited in the Southeastern United States. In recent years, severe summer droughts have placed substantial strain on municipal and industrial water resources, emphasizing the need for further research on the causes of long-term moisture deficits. Previous research has identified a Southeast drought region and specific low-frequency ocean-atmosphere influences on drought. In this article, we identify three distinct subregions of low-frequency summer drought variability in the Southeastern United States using principal components analysis. Multidecadal drought variability is most pronounced in the Southeastern Atlantic Coastal States (SEACS) subregion. The SEACS drought variability is significantly associated with ocean-atmosphere variability in the Atlantic and Pacific basins. The significance of ocean-atmosphere influences on drought in the Southeast is spatially confined within only the SEACS subregion. The Eastern Gulf States (EGS) subregion exhibits a long-term inc...
Isolation and Characterization of Ceramide Trihexosidases (Form A) from Human Plasma

Abstract A procedure is presented for the purification from human plasma of two homogeneous and non-interconvertible forms of ceramide trihexosidase, designated Form A-1 and Form A-2. These enzymes exhibit the same electrophoretic characteristics on isoelectric focusing and 1% sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. They have molecular weights of about 95,000, as determined by sucrose density gradient centrifugation and gel filtration, and consist of subunits with molecular weights of about 22,000. They are similar in heat stability, although Form A-2 retains 25% of its activity after boiling for 30 min, whereas Form A-1 is completely inactivated under the same conditions. Form A-1 is soluble in butanol and retains enzymatic activity in the organic solvent; Form A-2 retains enzymatic activity in 20% butanol but is not partitioned into the upper phase in a butanol-water system. Neither enzyme has any demonstrable activity with p-nitrophenyl-α-galactoside. The kinetic characteristics of Form A-1 ceramide trihexosidase can be summarized as follows. (a) In the absence of sodium taurocholate and sodium chloride, the enzyme has sigmoidal kinetics, whereas the kinetics are hyperbolic in the presence of 0.03 m sodium taurocholate and 0.15 m sodium chloride, with half-maximal velocity at a substrate concentration of 4.5 x 10-4 m. (b) In the presence of optimal sodium taurocholate and sodium chloride, the enzyme is competitively inhibited by digalactosylceramide and the trisaccharide derived from the lipid substrate. (c) In the absence of sodium taurocholate and sodium chloride, digalactosyl ceramide is an activator at low substrate concentrations and an inhibitor at high substrate concentrations. (d) The enzyme is not inhibited by lactosylceramide, galactose, myo-inositol, p-nitrophenyl-α-galactoside, or 4-methylumbelliferyl-α-galactoside. (e) The enzyme becomes inactive when concentrated above 1.68 x 10-7 m in an incubation. The kinetic characteristics of Form A-2 ceramide trihexosidase are as follows. (a) In the absence of sodium taurocholate and sodium chloride, the enzyme exhibits sigmoidal kinetics, whereas the kinetics are hyperbolic in the presence of 0.04 m sodium taurocholate and 0.15 m sodium chloride, with half-maximal velocity at a substrate concentration of 5 x 10-4 m. (b) The enzyme is inhibited by the products of the reaction, galactose and lactosylceramide. (c) The enzyme is competitively inhibited by myo-inositol, digalactosylceramide, and the trisaccharide derived from the lipid substrate. (d) The enzyme is not inhibited by p-nitrophenyl-α-galactoside or 4-methylumbelliferyl-α-galactoside under the conditions of the experiment. (e) The enzyme becomes inactive when concentrated.
Small Ramsey Numbers

We present data which, to the best of our knowledge, includes all known nontrivial values and bounds for specific graph, hypergraph and multicolor Ramsey numbers, where the avoided graphs are complete or complete without one edge. Many results pertaining to other more studied cases are also presented. We give references to all cited bounds and values, as well as to previous similar compilations. We do not attempt complete coverage of asymptotic behavior of Ramsey numbers, but concentrate on their specific values.
Visualizing class structure in data using mutual information

We study linear dimension reducing transforms using maximum mutual information between transformed data and class labels as the criterion to learn the transforms. Renyi quadratic entropy provides a differentiable and computationally feasible criterion on which gradient ascent algorithms can be based without the limitations of methods using only second order statistics, such as PCA or LDA. Application to class structure visualization in exploratory data analysis is presented.
The complete genome sequence of Moorella thermoacetica (f. Clostridium thermoaceticum).

Summary This paper describes the genome sequence of M. thermoacetica (f. Clostridium thermoaceticum), which is the model acetogenic bacterium that has been widely used for elucidating the WoodLjungdahl pathway of CO and CO2 fixation. This pathway, which is also known as the reductive acetyl-CoA pathway, allows acetogenic (often called homoacetogenic) bacteria to convert glucose stoichiometrically into three mol of acetate and to grow autotrophically using H2 and CO as electron donors and CO2 as an electron acceptor. Methanogenic archaea use this pathway in reverse to grow by converting acetate into methane and CO2. Acetogenic bacteria also couple the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway to a variety of other pathways to allow the metabolism of a wide variety of carbon sources and electron donors (sugars, carboxylic acids, alcohols, and aromatic compounds) and electron acceptors (CO2, nitrate, nitrite, thiosulfate, dimethylsulfoxide, and aromatic carboxyl groups). The genome consists of a single circular 2628784 bp chromosome encoding 2615 open reading frames, which includes 2523 predicted protein-encoding genes. Of these, 1834 genes (70.13%) have been assigned tentative functions, 665 (25.43%) matched genes of unknown function, and the remaining 24 (0.92%) had no database match. Two thousand three hundred eighty-four (91.17%) of the ORFs in the M. thermoacetica genome can be grouped in ortholog clusters. This first genome sequence of an acetogenic bacterium provides important information related to how acetogens engage their extreme metabolic diversity by switching among different carbon substrates and electron donors/acceptors and how they conserve energy by anaerobic respiration. Our genome analysis indicates that the key genetic trait for homoacetogenesis is the core acs gene cluster of the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway.
The role of clinical parapapillary atrophy evaluation in the diagnosis of open angle glaucoma.

Purpose: To determine if clinical evaluation of parapapillary atrophy (PPA) significantly improves the ability to distinguish open-angle glaucoma (OAG) patients from glaucoma suspects.
Role of Magnesium and Calcium in Alcohol‐Induced Hypertension and Strokes as Probed by In Vivo Television Microscopy, Digital Image Microscopy, Optical Spectroscopy, 31P‐NMR, Spectroscopy and a Unique Magnesium Ion‐Selective Electrode

It is not known why alcohol ingestion poses a risk for development of hypertension, stroke and sudden death. Of all drugs, which result in body depletion of magnesium (Mg), alcohol is now known to be the most notorious cause of Mg-wasting. Recent data obtained through the use of biophysical (and noninvasive) technology suggest that alcohol may induce hypertension, stroke, and sudden death via its effects on intracellular free Mg2+ ([Mg2+]i), which in turn alter cellular and subcellular bioenergetics and promote calcium ion (Ca2+) overload. Evidence is reviewed that demonstrates that the dietary intake of Mg modulates the hypertensive actions of alcohol. Experiments with intact rats indicates that chronic ethanol ingestion results in both structural and hemodynamic alterations in the microcirculation, which, in themselves, could account for increased vascular resistance. Chronic ethanol increases the reactivity of intact microvessels to vasoconstrictors and results in decreased reactivity to vasodilators. Chronic ethanol ingestion clearly results in vascular smooth muscle cells that exhibit a progressive increase in exchangeable and cellular Ca2+ concomitant with a progressive reduction in Mg content. Use of 31P-NMR spectroscopy coupled with optical-backscatter reflectance spectroscopy revealed that acute ethanol administration to rats results in dose-dependent deficits in phosphocreatine (PCr), the [PCr]/[ATP] ratio, intracellular pH (pHi), oxyhemoglobin, and the mitochondrial level of oxidized cytochrome oxidase aa3 concomitant with a rise in brain-blood volume and inorganic phosphate. Temporal studies performed in vivo, on the intact brain, indicate that [Mg2+]i is depleted before any of the bioenergetic changes. Pretreatment of animals with Mg2+ prevents ethanol from inducing stroke and prevents all of the adverse bioenergetic changes from taking place. Use of quantitative digital imaging microscopy, and mag-fura-2, on single-cultured canine cerebral vascular smooth muscle, human endothelial, and rat astrocyte cells reveals that alcohol induces rapid concentration-dependent depletion of [Mg2+]i. These cellular deficits in [Mg2+]i seem to precipitate cellular and subcellular disturbances in cytoplasmic and mitochondrial bioenergetic pathways leading to Ca2+ overload and ischemia. A role for ethanol-induced alterations in [Mg2+]i should also be considered in the well-known behavioral actions of alcohol.
Enhancing segregation studies using GIS

Urban geography and urban studies employ a very rich set of analytical tools to analyze a variety of urban issues and problems. At the same time, GIS possess very powerful spatial tools and provide a very flexible environment for spatial analysis. In this paper, we demonstrate that urban segregation studies can benefit tremendously from GIS technology. Several analytical tools for segregation are incorporated into GIS. Exploratory methods for segregation studies in GIS are introduced. The approach to integrate urban analysis tools with GIS introduced here can also be adopted to address other types of urban issues and problems.
Problems of hardware and software in chemical information systems

Abstract Three key problems are identified (independent of computer hardware) that must be solved before economically viable chemical information systems can be achieved. Solutions exist for all three problems. One solution, a high-speed data-management system, is discussed here in some detail. Examples are given for its use in chemistry and electrical engineering.
Local geometry of orbits for an ordinary classical lie supergroup

In this paper we identify a real reductive dual pair of Roger Howe with an Ordinary Classical Lie supergroup. In these terms we describe the semisimple orbits of the dual pair in the symplectic space, a slice through a semisimple element of the symplectic space, an analog of a Cartan subalgebra, the corresponding Weyl group and the corresponding Weyl integration formula.
First fossil tick (Acari: Ixodidae) in New World amber

ABSTRACT A male tick in the genus Amblyomma (Acari: Ixodidae) was found in amber from the Dominican Republic. This is the first report of a fossil tick in amber from the New World; it is also the first fossil member of the genus discovered worldwide. Its relationship to the known species of Amblyomma from the Western Hemisphere is discussed briefly.
Deriving collinear scaling algorithms as extension of quasi-Newton methods and the local convergence of DFP-and BFGS-related collinear scaling algorithms

This paper is concerned with collinear scaling algorithms for unconstrained minimization where the underlying local approximants are forced to interpolate the objective function value and gradient at only the two most recent iterates. By suitably modifying the procedure of Sorensen (1980) for deriving such algorithms, we show that two members of the algorithm class derived related to the DFP and BFGS methods respectively are locally and q-superlinearly convergent. This local analysis as well as the results they yield exhibit the same sort of "duality" exhibited by those of Broyden, Dennis and More (1973) and Dennis and More (1974) for the DFP and BFGS methods. The results in this paper also imply the local and q-superlinear convergence of collinear scaling algorithms of Sorensen (1982, pp. 154---156) related to the DFP and BFGS methods.
A Low-Cost Hands-On Laboratory to Introduce Lithography Concepts

A lithography lab course has been developed that is applicable to students from the middle-school level up to college students. It can also be inserted into electronics technology or similar courses in two- and four-year colleges, or used to demonstrate applications of polymers in chemistry classes. Some of these techniques would enable research projects that involve photolithography for those who lack access to a research lab. The major contribution of this course is the innovative methodology, which allows students to have a hands-on experience of lithography without using expensive equipment typically found only in a clean room. Optical lithography, microcontact printing, and embossing can be performed using basic equipment. The appendix of this paper provides a comprehensive list of this equipment. The photolithography results are comparable to those obtained with standard research tools.