cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Birth Control Sabotage and Forced Sex: Experiences Reported by Women in Domestic Violence Shelters

Women who experience intimate partner violence often experience birth control sabotage, forced sex, and partner's unwillingness to use condoms. We interviewed 53 women at four domestic violence shelters. Participants reported that their abusive partners frequently refused to use condoms, impeded them from accessing health care, and subjected them to birth control sabotage, infidelity, and forced sex. However, women also reported strategies to counteract these actions, particularly against birth control sabotage and attempts to force them to abort or continue a pregnancy. Domestic violence counselors can focus on these successful strategies to validate coping skills and build self-esteem.
Actin organization, bristle morphology, and viability are affected by actin capping protein mutations in Drosophila

Regulation of actin filament length and orientation is important in many actin-based cellular processes. This regulation is postulated to occur through the action of actin-binding proteins. Many actin-binding proteins that modify actin in vitro have been identified, but in many cases, it is not known if this activity is physiologically relevant. Capping protein (CP) is an actin-binding protein that has been demonstrated to control filament length in vitro by binding to the barbed ends and preventing the addition or loss of actin monomers. To examine the in vivo role of CP, we have performed a molecular and genetic characterization of the beta subunit of capping protein from Drosophila melanogaster. We have identified mutations in the Drosophila beta subunit-these are the first CP mutations in a multicellular organism, and unlike CP mutations in yeast, they are lethal, causing death during the early larval stage. Adult files that are heterozygous for a pair of weak alleles have a defect in bristle morphology that is correlated to disorganized actin bundles in developing bristles. Our data demonstrate that CP has an essential function during development, and further suggest that CP is required to regulate actin assembly during the development of specialized structures that depend on actin for their morphology.
Middle Class African American Mothers’ Depressive Symptoms Mediate Perceived Discrimination and Reported Child Externalizing Behaviors

Racial discrimination is a chronic stressor in the lives of African Americans. Chronic stress can lead to individual mental and physical health problems, which subsequently can have deleterious effects on family life. The current study explored the effects of perceived discrimination on youth outcomes and examined the potential mediating role of maternal depression. Using data from 189 African American mothers with children aged 7–14 years, maternal perceived discrimination accounted for variance in reported child externalizing behaviors over and beyond that attributable to other stressful life events and socio-demographic variables. Also, maternal depressive symptoms mediated the effect of maternal perceived discrimination on child externalizing behaviors. These results are consistent with the view that mothers’ experience of greater discrimination leads to higher maternal depression which, in turn, leads to greater externalizing behavior among their children. The findings support the need for further exploration of macrosystemic effects that can influence African American youth externalizing behaviors. The results are discussed in terms of the need to include consideration of discrimination in preventive interventions aimed at increasing support systems available to African American mothers.
A Phase I Dose-Finding Study Using an Innovative Sequential Biweekly Schedule of Irinotecan Followed 24 Hours Later by Capecitabine

Background: Irinotecan and capecitabine have a broad spectrum of activity in human malignancy and are synergistic in an animal model when irinotecan precedes capecitabine. Patients and Methods: A Phase I design of the combination of irinotecan IV Day 1 with capecitabine on Days 2–8 every 2 weeks was evaluated in 27 adult patients with solid tumors. Two sequential schema were used: Arm A fixed the dose of irinotecan at 100 mg/m2 and escalated capecitabine in cohorts, and arm B fixed the dose of capecitabine at 750 mg/m2 PO BID and escalated the dosage of irinotecan. Results: Neutropenia was dose limiting with nausea and diarrhea as the most common nonhematological toxicities. Significant interpatient variation in toxicity occurred despite uniform dosing. No Grade IV toxicities were encountered. Grade III toxicity occurred in first cycle in 15 percent (3/20) patients in arm A and 29 percent (2/7) of patients in arm B. All toxicities were reversible. Repetitive dosing was feasible with prolonged disease stab...
Some adjusted orthogonal, variance balanced, multidimensional block designs

A multidimensional block design (MBD) is an experimental design with d > 1 blocking criteria geometrically represented as a d-dimensional lattice with treatment varieties assigned to some or all nodes of the lattice. Intrablock analysis of variance tables for some special classes of two- and three-dimensional block designs with some empty nodes are given. Design plans and efficiencies for 31 two-dimensional designs, each universally optimal in defined classes of designs, and 7 three-dimensional designs, each nearly optimal in defined classes of designs, are listed in the appendices. A need for such designs is apparent when the blocking criteria are implemented successively and empty nodes do not represent wasted experimental units.
NMDA channel behavior depends on agonist affinity

We have compared the kinetic properties of NMDA receptor channels activated by exogenous agonists with those activated synaptically. Short (4 msec) applications of L-glutamate to outside-out patches from hippocampal neurons evoked currents that decayed with a double exponential time course that was controlled by both the unbinding rate of agonist and receptor desensitization. Lower-affinity agonists evoked NMDA receptor-activated currents that had faster rates of decay and recovered from desensitization more quickly, consistent with the idea that agonists which dissociate faster allow the receptor to reach a desensitized state less often. Both synaptic and patch responses could be well fitted with a simple kinetic model comprised of two independent but identical binding sites, one open state, one closed state, and one desensitized state, all doubly liganded. Provided that the agonist has a slow unbinding rate relative to the rates into the open and desensitized states (e.g., L-glutamate), this model predicts a response with two decay phases and can thus account for the synaptic response. Since the unbinding rate is the critical determinant of the time course, different affinity transmitters would affect such properties as excitatory postsynaptic current (EPSC) duration. Of the known endogenous excitatory amino acids, only L-glutamate has an affinity for the NMDA receptor consistent with the time course of the EPSC recorded between hippocampal neurons in culture.
Experimental study of turbulent mixing in a tee mixer using PIV and PLIF

Turbulent scalar mixing in the near field of a tee mixer (transverse jet in a pipe) was studied using particle image velocimetry and planar laser induced fluorescence. Two jet-to-pipe velocity ratios r = 3.06 and r = 5.04 were investigated for a turbulent pipe flow at a Reynolds number of 20,850. Laser measurement techniques are described, typical flow structures in the near field of tee mixer are examined, and turbulence statistics and scalar statistics are calculated. The general behavior of mixing is analyzed from the jet expansion and the concentration decay along the jet centerline, and the flow condition for jet impingement on the pipe wall is estimated. The mixing mechanism in the near field is revealed from the variation of the scalar PDF across the jet. The mixing on the upstream side of the jet is dominated by large-scale structures and on the downstream side by small eddies and turbulent diffusion, where the β-PDF is an excellent approximation.
Interferon beta-1b (Betaseron®/Betaferon®) is well tolerated at a dose of 500 mg: interferon dose escalation assessment of safety (IDEAS):

The approved interferon beta-1b (Betaseron/Betaferon) dose is 250 microg (8 MIU) administered subcutaneously (sc) every other day (eod). Clinical trial data suggest a dose response effect for interferon beta in multiple sclerosis (MS) treatment and a maximum dose has yet to be established. The Interferon Dose Escalation Assessment of Safety (IDEAS) study evaluated the safety and tolerability of interferon beta-1b 500 microg (16 MIU) sc eod with structured dose escalation and adverse event (AE) management in 22 patients (20 interferon beta-1b-treated (SD) and two interferon beta-1b-naive (ND)) with relapsing-remitting (RR) MS, secondary-progressive (SP) MS, or progressive relapsing MS. IDEAS comprised an eight-week dose escalation period and a 12-week maintenance period, with modification as clinically warranted. Autoinjectors were used for all injections > or =0.4 mL. Clinical laboratory values were monitored monthly. Baseline and exit assessments included the MS Functional Composite score, EDSS, and neutralizing antibody MxA assay. AEs were recorded at every injection. Dose escalation ranged from two to 12 weeks. Some 91% of patients (20/22) achieved the 500-microg dose, and of these 90% (18/20) completed the maintenance phase. There were no differences in response between ND and SD patients. Most common AEs were decreased general well-being, insomnia, and injection site reactions (mostly mild). The 500-microg dose of interferon beta-1b was well tolerated in the short-term with escalation and premedication in these patients, most of whom had previously been receiving 250 microg interferon beta-1b.
Turgor and the transport of CO2 and water across the cuticle (epidermis) of leaves

Leaf photosynthesis relies on CO2 diffusing in while water vapour diffuses out. When stomata close, cuticle waxes on the epidermal tissues increasingly affect this diffusion. Also, changes in turgor can shrink or swell a leaf, varying the cuticle size. In this study, the properties of the cuticle were investigated while turgor varied in intact leaves of hypo stomatous grape (Vitis vinifera L.) or amphistomatous sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.). For grape, stomata on the abaxial surface were sealed and high CO2 concentrations outside the leaf were used to maximize diffusion through the adaxial, stoma-free cuticle. For sunflower, stomata were closed in the dark or with abscisic acid to maximize the cuticle contribution to the path. In both species, the internal CO2 concentration was measured directly and continuously while other variables were determined to establish the cuticle properties. The results indicated that stomatal closure diminished the diffusion of both gases in both species, but for CO2 more than for water vapour. Decreasing the turgor diminished the movement of both gases through the cuticle of both species. Because this turgor effect was observed in the adaxial surface of grape, which had no stomata, it could only be attributed to cuticle tightening. Comparing calculated and measured concentrations of CO2 in leaves revealed differences that became large as stomata began to close. These differences in transport, together with turgor effects, suggest calculations of the CO2 concentration inside leaves need to be viewed with caution when stomata begin to close.
Fluorescent spectrum of a single atom in a cavity with injected squeezed vacuum

We consider a two-level atom in an optical cavity driven by a coherent field and coupled to broadband squeezed vacuum. In the bad-cavity limit, the cavity field can be adiabatically eliminated, leaving equations of motion for atomic operators similar to those of free-space resonance fluorescence. We calculate the incoherent spectrum of the fluorescent light field and find that the cavity-enhanced spontaneous emission can be suppressed, and a subnatural linewidth obtained, for the correct choice of the phase of the squeezed input relative to the coherent driving field.
Occurrence of affective disorders compared to other psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome.

Abstract Background 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22qDS) is a common genetic disorder with highly variable clinical manifestations that may include depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Studies of psychiatric disorders in youth with 22qDS often had methodological limitations. This study reviewed clinical studies with the currently best available methodology to determine the occurrence of affective disorders compared to other psychiatric disorders in youth with 22qDS. Method A PubMed search was performed to identify psychiatric studies published from 2000 through 2009 of children and adolescents with genetically confirmed 22qDS who underwent systematic psychiatric assessments. Studies that met defined inclusion/exclusion criteria were selected for further analysis. Results Seven studies with a total of 323 children and adolescents with 22qDS (mean age = 10.8 years) met the defined inclusion/exclusion criteria. Depressive disorders, but not bipolar spectrum disorders, were increased compared to community-based rates in youth without 22qDS. Anxiety disorders and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder were the most frequent disorders. Although psychotic-like phenomena and schizotypical traits were reported, only two adolescents ( Limitations Unknown selection and assessment factors may have impacted on occurrence rates. Conclusion The elevated occurrence of depressive, anxiety, and attention disorders in children with 22qDS, compared to community-based rates in children without 22qDS, suggest that psychiatric screening is needed. Longitudinal study is needed to determine if these childhood psychiatric disorders will resolve, continue into adulthood, or develop into more serious psychopathology.
Anthropometric indicators of children's nutrition in two Nigerian communities

On a sample of some 2000 children living in two ecologically different zones (the Wooded and Guinea savanna) in Kwara state, Nigeria, body measurements were taken, to serve as indicators of the state of nutrition. There was more undernutrition in the Guinea savanna than in the Wooded. More males than females were undernourished in the Guinea savanna but not in the Wooded. It is argued that the differences between districts stem from social and cultural variables.
Planning interventions in biological networks

Modeling the dynamics of biological processes has recently become an important research topic in computational biology and systems engineering. One of the most important reasons to model a biological process is to enable high-throughput in-silico experiments that attempt to predict or intervene in the process. These experiments can help accelerate the design of therapies through their rapid and inexpensive replication and alteration. While some techniques exist for reasoning with biological processes, few take advantage of the flexible and scalable algorithms popular in AI research. In reasoning about interventions in biological processes, where scalability is crucial for feasible application, we apply AI planning-based search techniques and demonstrate their advantage over existing enumerative methods. We also present a novel formulation of intervention planning that relies on models that characterize and attempt to change the phenotype of a system. We study three biological systems: the yeast cell cycle, a model of the human aging process, and the Wnt5a network governing the metastasis of melanoma in humans. The contribution of our investigation is in demonstrating that: (i) prior approaches, based on dynamic programming, cannot scale as well as heuristic search, and (ii) the newly found scalability enables us to plan previously unknown sequences of interventions that reveal novel and biologically significant responses in the systems which are consistent with biological knowledge in the literature.
Long-term efficacy and safety of terazosin alone and in combination with other antihypertensive agents.

Abstract This open, multicenter phase III study was designed to assess the efficacy and long-term safety of terazosin (1 to 40 mg/day), alone or in combination with other antihypertensive drugs, in 364 patients with mild to moderate essential hypertension. Compared with baseline values, long-term terazosin monotherapy or combination therapy resulted in consistent decreases in both systolic and diastolic blood pressures, with a mean reduction in supine diastolic pressure of 12 to 14 mm Hg. The numbers of patients with controlled blood pressure at the last evaluable visit of each therapy period were as follows: terazosin alone, 106 of 245 (43%); terazosin with added diuretic, 70 of 112 (63%); diuretic with added terazosin, 47 of 88 (53%); and terazosin plus diuretic with added β-blocker, 22 of 32 (69%). Most adverse events were mild or moderate in severity. Only pain in extremities had a higher incidence during long-term treatment (6%, 181 to 360-day period) than during initial short-term treatment (5%, 1 to 90-day period). Three of six syncopal events occurred during the initial 180 days of treatment; this 0.8% ( 3 364 ) incidence was comparable with that reported previously for short-term studies. Only one case of syncope occurred during terazosin monotherapy. Terazosin was judged to be a safe and effective long-term medication for the treatment of hypertension.
How Cytochrome c Folds, and Why: Submolecular Foldon Units and their Stepwise Sequential Stabilization

Native state hydrogen exchange experiments have shown that the cytochrome c (Cyt c) protein consists of five cooperative folding-unfolding units, called foldons. These are named, in the order of increasing unfolding free energy, the nested-Yellow, Red, Yellow, Green, and Blue foldons. Previous results suggest that these units unfold in a stepwise sequential way so that each higher energy partially unfolded form includes all of the previously unfolded lower free energy units. If this is so, then selectively destabilizing any given foldon should equally destabilize each subsequent unfolding step above it in the unfolding ladder but leave the lower ones before it unaffected. To perform this test, we introduced the mutation Glu62Gly, which deletes a salt link in the Yellow unit and destabilizes the protein by 0.8 kcal/mol. Native state hydrogen exchange and other experiments show that the stability of the Yellow unit and the states above it in the free energy ladder are destabilized by about the same amount while the lower lying states are unaffected. These results help to confirm the sequential stepwise nature of the Cyt c unfolding pathway and therefore a similar refolding pathway. The steps in the pathway are dictated by the concerted folding-unfolding property of the individual unit foldons; the order of steps is determined by the sequential stabilization of progressively added foldons in the native context. Much related information for Cyt c strongly conforms with this mechanism. Its generality is supported by available information for other proteins.
Control Systems Analysis of Computer Pointing Devices

A theoretical framework for the ergonomic evaluation of manual pointing devices is discussed. Pursuit tracking is suggested as an alternative to the conventional “target acquisition” approach to evaluating pointer performance. Subjects' ability to control the position of a pointer on a CRT display was evaluated in a series of two-dimensional pursuit tracking tasks in which the frequency of target movement was varied. Performance was compared under identical conditions using a mouse and an isometric joystick. Quality of control was measured by RMS error and stability of the controlled variable. The mouse allowed better control of pointer position. The superiority of the mouse was most evident with low-frequency target movements. The results indicate the importance of evaluating pointing devices under user-friendly conditions.
Rapid Transport of CCL11 across the Blood-Brain Barrier: Regional Variation and Importance of Blood Cells

Increased blood levels of the eotaxin chemokine C-C motif ligand 11 (CCL11) in aging were recently shown to negatively regulate adult hippocampal neurogenesis. How circulating CCL11 could affect the central nervous system (CNS) is not clear, but one possibility is that it can cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Here, we show that CCL11 undergoes bidirectional transport across the BBB. Transport of CCL11 from blood into whole brain (influx) showed biphasic kinetics, with a slow phase preceding a rapid phase of uptake. We found that the slow phase was explained by binding of CCL11 to cellular components in blood, whereas the rapid uptake phase was mediated by direct interactions with the BBB. CCL11, even at high doses, did not cause BBB disruption. All brain regions except striatum showed a delayed rapid-uptake phase. Striatum had only an early rapid-uptake phase, which was the fastest of any brain region. We also observed a slow but saturable transport system for CCL11 from brain to blood. C-C motif ligand 3 (CCR3), an important receptor for CCL11, did not facilitate CCL11 transport across the BBB, although high concentrations of a CCR3 inhibitor increased brain uptake without causing BBB disruption. Our results indicate that CCL11 in the circulation can access many regions of the brain outside of the neurogenic niche via transport across the BBB. This suggests that blood-borne CCL11 may have important physiologic functions in the CNS and implicates the BBB as an important regulator of physiologic versus pathologic effects of this chemokine.
In Situ Studies of the Vibrational and Electronic Properties of Si Nanoparticles

We report onin situ studies of the vibrational properties of ultra-thin Si layers grown by dc magnetron sputtering in ultrahigh vacuum on amorphous MgO and Ag buffer layers. The average thickness of the Si layers ranged from monolayer coverage up to 200 A. The interference enhanced Raman scattering technique has been used to study changes in the phonon spectra of Si nanoparticles during the crystallization process. Marked size-dependencies in the phonon density of states of the Si quantum dots and the relaxation of the k-vector conservation condition with decrease in size of the Si nanoparticles have been detected. Electron energy loss spectra have been collected for amorphous and crystallized Si nanoparticles on SiO2 buffer layers and the difference in the onset of the electronic transitions have been found.
Removing Rents: Why the Legal System is Superior to the Income Tax at Reducing Income Inequality

Reducing income inequality is, in the eyes of many, one of the major political issues of this time. The conventional political approach to reduce income inequality is to raise taxes for the wealthy and redistribute the proceeds to the poor. This approach finds support in the economic literature, which postulates that redistribution through the tax system is more efficient than through the legal system.I argue instead that the legal system is intrinsically superior at reducing income inequality — at least to the extent that inequality is not caused by effort or talent differences but by rents (profits that would not have been earned in a perfectly competitive and transparent economy). The legal system is superior because it can address the specific market failures that make rents possible. This way, it can prevent income inequalities from occurring in the first place — an ex ante approach. The income tax system, by contrast, tries to correct a problem ex post — after it has already occurred.Rents can be seen as implicit commodity taxes, the proceeds of which go to private individuals or companies rather than to the government; just like explicit commodity taxes, they cause labor and price distortion. Legal rules that prevent rents therefore reduce labor and price distortion. Income taxes, by contrast, increase labor distortion and leave the price distortion unaffected. They are less efficient at redistributing income because they are an overly broad instrument, treating income from rents and hard work alike.This finding has major implications. The first is that trade-offs between equity and efficiency should be made in the legal system whenever legal rules generate or reduce rents. The second is that rents (and ‘windfalls’) should be considered as costs, rather than as zero-sum effects, in law and economics models.
Systematic Study of Heavy Oil Emulsion Properties Optimized with a New Chemical Formulation Approach: Particle Size Distribution

The purpose of this research was to create very polydisperse concentrated heavy oil-in-water emulsions by optimizing the co-solvents, surfactants, alkali, and electrolytes in the chemical formulation, with respect to the droplet size distribution. Novel co-solvents that have shown superior performance in chemical formulations used for enhanced oil recovery have been tested. Droplet size distributions that resulted in a lower emulsion viscosity were determined to have a higher mean droplet diameter (d32) and a bimodal droplet size distribution with a diameter ratio (d32,L/d32,S) of > 6 and a volume fraction (φS/(φL + φS)) of 0.2–0.3, where φ is the volume fraction of the dispersed phase and the subscripts L and S correspond to the larger and smaller peaks in the bimodal distribution. We report the effects of various chemical formulations on the droplet size distribution of heavy oil-in-water emulsions with a particular emphasis on d32 and, for the first time, the maximum packing fraction (φm) of oil drople...
RESRAD for Radiological Risk Assessment. Comparison with EPA CERCLA Tools - PRG and DCC Calculators

The purpose of this report is two-fold. First, the risk assessment methodology for both RESRAD and the EPA’s tools is reviewed. This includes a review of the EPA’s justification for 2 using a dose-to-risk conversion factor to reduce the dose-based protective ARAR from 15 to 12 mrem/yr. Second, the models and parameters used in RESRAD and the EPA PRG and DCC Calculators are compared in detail, and the results are summarized and discussed. Although there are suites of software tools in the RESRAD family of codes and the EPA Calculators, the scope of this report is limited to the RESRAD (onsite) code for soil contamination and the EPA’s PRG and DCC Calculators also for soil contamination.
Über die Viskositätseigenschaften von Viskoselösungen

Es wurden Viskositatsmessungen an Viskose von 0,02 bis 12 Proz. durchgefuhrt und Flieskurven fur Losungen von 2 bis 12 Proz. aufgenommen. Dabei wurde Herkunft des Zellstoffs und Dauer der Vorreife der Alkalizellulose variiert. Es ergibt sich, das das viskosimetrische Verhalten der Viskose bis auf kleine Abweichungen im Gebiet starker Verdunnung weitgehend dem der zum Vergleich herangezogenen anderen Zelluloselosungen ahnlich ist. Die Konzentrationskurve fur eine Viskose last sich entsprechend der 8. Potenzformel berechnen. Die weitgehende Ahnlichkeit der Flieskurven der verschiedenen Viskosen erlaubt durchaus die Berechnung von [η] direkt aus einer einzigen Messung von η rel nach der 8. Potenzformel, z. B. durch Kugelfallmessung, insofern der Kugeflallapparat in Poise geeicht ist und die Viskositat der Natronlauge bekannt ist. Dies bedeutet, das man gewunschtenfalls aus den technischen konzentrierten Viskosen die Xanthogenat-Viskositat (d. i. Viskositat einer 1 proz. Viskose) berechnen kann. Ebenso last sich, wenn erwunscht, der Polymerisationsgrad nach Staudinger direkt aus den Kugelfallmessungen bestimmen, wobei nach Staudinger und Daumiller eine Konstante Km=5·10−4 bzw. 2,5·10−4 einzusetzen ist. Ob die Umrechnung in Polymerisationsgraden statt der unmittelbaren Angabe in [η] einen besonderen Wert hat, soll hier nicht weiter diskutiert werden. Es sei bemerkt, das der Wert von [η]≈2 fur Viskose sehr ahnlich den Werten fur andere Spinnlosungen (Kupferoxydammoniak, Cellit, Nitrozellulose) und mastizierten Kautschuk ist, wie aus der Tabelle von Hess und Philippoff zu entnehmen ist.
Cu-Cr Multilayers and Metastable Alloy Films

A notable aspect of the copper-chromium phase diagram is the strong chemical aversion between the two elements. At room temperature, the solubility of chromium in copper is limited to .02%, while that of copper in chromium is believed to be even less [1]. The elements are even immiscible in the liquid state, exhibiting a miscibility gap which persists to an undetermined temperature. Cu-Cr alloys are of technological interest in applications ranging from electrical switches [2] to catalysis [3]. Fabrication of Cu-Cr alloys is hindered, however, by the large positive heat of mixing exhibited by the system. Cu-Cr multilayers are also of technological interest for application as soft x-ray mirrors [4]. Here the limited mutual solubility of the constituents is advantageous since interfacial mixing is reduced. In this study, we show that vapor deposition can be used to achieve complete solubility in the Cu-Cr system. On the other hand we present evidence suggesting that Cu-Cr multilayers possess sharp composition modulations with little interface mixing.
Testing of tactile sensors for space applications

There is a need to integrate tactile sensing into robotic manipulators performing tasks in space environments, including those used to repair satellites. Integration can be achieved by embedding specialized tactile sensors. Reliable and consistent signal interpretation can be obtained by ensuring that sensors with a suitable sensing mechanism are selected based on operational demands, and that materials used within the sensors do not change structurally under vacuum and expected applied pressures, and between temperatures of -80°C to +120°C. The sensors must be able to withstand space environmental conditions and remain adequately sensitive throughout their operating life. Additionally, it is necessary to integrate the sensors into the target system with minimum disturbance while remaining responsive to applied loads. Previous work has been completed to characterize sensors within the selected temperature and pressure ranges. The current work builds on this investigation by embedding these sensors in different geometries and testing the response measured among varying configurations. Embedding material selection was aided by using a dynamic mechanical analyzer (DMA) to determine stress/strain behavior for adhesives and compliant layers used to keep the sensors in place and distribute stresses evenly. Electromechanical characterization of the embedded sensor packages was conducted by using the DMA in tandem with an inductance-capacitance-resistance (LCR) meter. Methods for embedding the sensor packages were developed with the aid of finite element analysis and physical testing to account for specific geometrical constraints. Embedded sensor prototypes were tested within representative models of potential embedding locations to compare final embedded sensor performance.
Nonlinear Dynamic System Identification Based on Procedure Neural Networks

Procedure neural networks' application in system identification was researched in this paper.Aiming at the disadvantages of traditional neural networks making the model and algorithm complicated when it solves the problems of system process inputs and the dependence of time order,a process neural networks model with time-varying inputs and outputs used to system identification model was presented,and the learning algorithm based on function base expanded integrated with grads descending was given.The validity of the model and algorithm was proved by the system of oil fields well group injecting and exploiting.Furthermore,the procedure neural networks' applicability in solving system process inputs of nonlinear dynamic system identification was proved.
X86-based System Virtual Machine Development and Application

This article introduces the current status of X86 architecture based paravirtualization technology and full-virtualization technology,especially for hardware assistant virtualization technology,proposes two systemic virtual machines,Denali and XEN,which support the paravirtualization technology.Then it discusses the development of full-virtualization technology.In the meantime,it presents the solution scheme that supports these two technologies,and focuses on the trends of development of virtualization technology and its usage model.
Basic fuchsin as a nuclear stain for fungi.

Negative or weak Feulgen reactions have been obtained in many plant organisms. The three procedures for staining with basic fuchsin presented in this paper were developed in consequence of failure to obtain adequate Feulgen reactions in cytologic studies on certain fungi pathogenic for man, and because of the difficulty encountered in obtaining iron alum hematoxylin preparations which do not have a murky aspect. Clear and beautiful preparations can be obtained by the following technics, which appear to hold tremendous promise for studies of nuclear phenomena in the fungi. Ohlmacher (1895) was the first and, we believe, the only author to use formaldehyde as a mordant for basic fuchsin staining. He applied his methods to bacteria and tissues. The studies of DeLamater and Ulrich extend, but only partially confirm, the initial observations of Ohlmacher.
Reducing neuropsychiatric symptoms in persons with dementia and associated burden in family caregivers using tailored activities: Design and methods of a randomized clinical trial

Among over 5million people in the USA with dementia, neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) are almost universal, occurring across disease etiology and stage. If untreated, NPS can lead to significant morbidity and mortality including increased cost, distress, depression, and faster disease progression, as well as heightened burden on families. With few pharmacological solutions, identifying nonpharmacologic strategies is critical. We describe a randomized clinical trial, the Dementia Behavior Study, to test the efficacy of an activity program to reduce significant existing NPS and associated caregiver burden at 3 and 6months compared to a control group intervention. Occupational therapists deliver 8 in-home sessions over 3months to assess capabilities and interests of persons with dementia, home environments, and caregiver knowledge, and readiness from which activities are developed and families trained in their use. Families learn to modify activities for future declines and use strategies to address care challenges. The comparison group controls for time and attention and involves 8 in-home sessions delivered by health educators who provide dementia education, home safety recommendations, and advanced care planning. We are randomizing 250 racially diverse families (person with dementia and primary caregiver dyads) recruited from community-based social services, conferences and media announcements. The primary outcome is change in agitation/aggression at 3 and 6months. Secondary outcomes assess quality of life of persons with dementia, other behaviors, burden and confidence of caregivers, and cost and cost effectiveness. If benefits are supported, this activity intervention will provide a clinically meaningful approach to prevent, reduce, and manage NPS.
Scheduled persistence for medium access control in sensor networks

For sensor networks, throughput may not be the most important metric to optimize in medium access control. For many applications, periodic reports are desirable suggesting the need for a time division (TDMA) access scheme. However for many reasons, including nonuniformity of deployment and the large number of sensor nodes anticipated, TDMA is impractical. We explore scheduled persistence for medium access control in sensor networks. A continuum of approaches from simple randomized-persistent schedules at one extreme to topology-transparent schedules based on Steiner systems at the other are considered. We investigate the probability of obtaining a collision-free slot before a specified time (number of slots) and show that while the expected throughput of these approaches is the same, their variance is strikingly different. The schemes are also remarkably robust to high density. Furthermore, when schedules are chosen at random for each frame, scheduled persistence offers an interesting alternative for medium access control in sensor networks.
NOVEL ORAL ANTICOAGULANT DISCONTINUATION BEFORE ATRIAL FIBRILLATION ABLATION AND EXCESSIVE HEPARIN REQUIREMENTS

Background: An activated clotting time (ACT) >300 seconds is the goal when anticoagulating patients with heparin during transseptal atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation procedures. Heparin dose requirements for patients who discontinue a novel oral anticoagulant (NOAC) days before ablation remain
Game theoretical analysis of coexistence in MIMO-empowered Cognitive Radio Networks

In Cognitive Radio Networks (CRNs), the spectrum underlay approach enables primary and secondary networks to transmit simultaneously, as long as the interference from the secondary network to the primary network is below certain threshold. As the recent advancement of the underlay approach, the transparent coexistence exploiting MIMO interference cancellation was proposed. Previous works assume that the secondary networks will completely follow the spectrum access rules by restricting their interference towards the primary network. However, this assumption might be invalid in practice due to the selfish nature of CRN users. In this work, we study the multi-hop MIMO-empowered secondary network's incentives of following or violating this rule through compliantly canceling or non-compliantly ignoring its interferences towards the primary network. Specifically, we model the coexistence between the primary and secondary networks as a Stackelberg game. The equilibriums reveal the secondary network's non-compliant incentives. These insights help in developing the methodology to deal with such type of selfish secondary networks.
Evaluating hydrological processes in the Community Atmosphere Model Version 5 (CAM5) using stable isotope ratios of water

Water isotope-enabled climate and earth system models are able to directly simulate paleoclimate proxy records to aid in climate reconstruction. A less used major advantage is that water isotopologues provide an independent constraint on many atmospheric and hydrologic processes, allowing the model to be developed and tuned in a more physically accurate way. This paper describes the new isotope-enabled CAM5 model, including its isotopic physics routines, and its ability to simulate the modern distribution of water isotopologues in vapor and precipitation. It is found that the model has a negative isotopic bias in precipitation. This bias is partially attributed to model overestimates of deep convection, particularly over the midlatitude oceans during winter. This was determined by examining isotope ratios both in precipitation and vapor, instead of precipitation alone. This enhanced convective activity depletes the isotopic water vapor in the lower troposphere, where the majority of poleward moisture transport occurs, resulting in the insufficient transport of water isotopologue mass poleward and landward. This analysis also demonstrates that large-scale dynamical or moisture source changes can impact isotopologue values as much as local shifts in temperature or precipitation amount. The diagnosis of limitations in the large-scale transport characteristics has major implications if one is using isotope-enabled climate models to examine paleoclimate proxy records, as well as the modern global hydroclimate.
Perspectives on Plasmas in Contact with Liquids for Chemical Processing and Materials Synthesis

Plasmas and gas discharges in contact with liquids have played an important role in the history of chemical processing and scientific inquiry, leading to the discoveries of elements such as argon and compounds such as ozone. Recently-developed atmospheric-pressure plasma sources have renewed the study of plasma–liquid systems with applications in chemical processing, materials synthesis, and chemical analysis. In many cases, these approaches utilize glow discharge electrolysis configurations where a DC plasma replaces one of the metal electrodes in a standard electrolytic cell. These configurations have been used to great effect for the synthesis of various nanomaterials and more recently, in the processing of carbon dioxide. In this work, we overview recent developments using plasmas as electrodes in electrolytic cells for chemical processing, drawing parallels to conventional electrochemistry and electrocatalysis. In particular, we highlight recent studies on the fundamental chemical processes at the plasma–liquid interface, including new interfacial measurement techniques used to probe charge transfer. We conclude with an overview of opportunities for these configurations in the future and highlight the need for further fundamental study.
Are Response Rates to Organizational Climate Surveys Influenced by Informing Respondents about the Sampling Strategy

First administered in 2002, the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS) is an annual, Web-based organizational climate survey of U.S. federal government employees. In recent years, numerous external stakeholders have urged the FEVS administration team at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management to consider changing its sampling policy to one of a perennial census of the FEVSeligible workforce. Among the most frequently cited reasons is a belief that offering all employees the opportunity to participate could boost response rates. A corollary of this belief is that an agency currently sampling its FEVS-eligible workforce is somehow achieving a lower response rate than it otherwise could be. In this paper, we report results from an email contact wording experiment systematically manipulating whether employees were made aware of the underlying sampling strategy. We find emphasizing a census has no effect, but emphasizing the employee was part of a random sample produces a slight increase in response rates.
Trophic structure of mesopelagic fishes in the Gulf of Mexico revealed by gut content and stable isotope analyses

Mesopelagic fishes represent an important component of the marine food web due to their global distributions, high abundances and ability to transport organic material throughout a large part of the water column. This study combined stable isotope (SIAs) and gut content analyses (GCAs) to characterize the trophic structure of mesopelagic fishes in the North-Central Gulf of Mexico. Additionally, this study examined whether mesopelagic fishes utilized chemosynthetic energy from cold seeps. Specimens were collected (9–25 August 2007) over three deep (>1,000 m) cold seeps at discrete depths (surface to 1,503 m) over the diurnal cycle. GCA classified 31 species (five families) of mesopelagic fishes into five feeding guilds: piscivores, large crustacean consumers, copepod consumers, generalists and mixed zooplanktivores. However, these guilds were less clearly defined based on stable isotope mixing model (MixSIAR) results, suggesting diets may be more mixed over longer time periods (weeks–months) and across co-occurring species. Copepods were likely important for the majority of mesopelagic fishes, consistent with GCA (this study) and previous literature. MixSIAR results also identified non-crustacean prey items, including salps and pteropods, as potentially important prey items for mesopelagic fishes, including those fishes not analysed in GCA (Sternoptyx spp. and Melamphaidae). Salps and other soft-bodied species are often missed in GCAs. Mesopelagic fishes had δ13C results consistent with particulate organic matter serving as the baseline organic carbon source, fueling up to three trophic levels. Fishes that undergo diel vertical migration were depleted in 15N relative to weak migrators, consistent with depth-specific isotope trends in sources and consumers, and assimilation of 15N-depleted organic matter in surface waters. Linear correlations between fish size and δ15N values suggested ontogenetic changes in fish diets for several species. While there was no direct measure of mesopelagic fishes assimilating chemosynthetic material, detection of infrequent consumption of this food resource may be hindered by the assimilation of isotopically enriched photosynthetic organic matter. By utilizing multiple dietary metrics (e.g. GCA, δ13C, δ15N, MixSIAR), this study better defined the trophic structure of mesopelagic fishes and allowed for insights on feeding, ultimately providing useful baseline information from which to track mesopelagic trophodynamics over time and space.
Fabrication and thermophysical property characterization of UN/U3Si2 composite fuel forms

Abstract High uranium density composite fuels composed of UN and U3Si2 have been fabricated using a liquid phase sintering route at temperatures between 1873 K and 1973 K and spanning compositions of 10 vol% to 40 vol% U3Si2. Microstructural analysis and phase characterization revealed the formation of an U-Si-N phase of unknown structure. Microcracking was observed in the U-Si portion of the composite microstructure that likely originates from the mismatched coefficient of thermal expansion between the UN and U3Si2 leading to stresses on heating and cooling of the composite. Thermal expansion coefficient, thermal diffusivity, and thermal conductivity were characterized for each of the compositions as a function of temperature to 1673 K. Hysteresis is observed in the thermal diffusivity for the 20 vol% through 40 vol% specimens between room temperature and 1273 K, which is attributed to the microcracking in the U-Si phase. Thermal conductivity of the composites was modeled using the MOOSE framework based on the collected microstructure data. The impact of irradiation on thermal conductivity was also simulated for this class of composite materials.
Electron Probe Microanalysis of Zincbearing Hexagonal Ferrites

The electron probe is shown to be an effective tool for the analysis of the series of ferrimagnetic oxides referred to as the hexagonal ferrites. This series of compounds, containing barium, Fe3+, and a divalent metal cation, is formed by an ordered stacking of basic structural units in varying ratios. The ideal, complex stoichiometry of these polytype-like mixed-layer structures can be computed from X-ray unit cell data; the various structures and their predicted stoichiometry are reviewed. Results of electron probe analysis of zinc-bearing single-crystal hexagonal ferrites are compared with theoretical values, the various correction procedures applied to the probe data are presented, and the limitations of the method in the analysis of hexagonal ferrites are discussed. The information obtained from this study has laid the groundwork for the determination of chemistry in substituted members of the hexagonal ferrite group, and will contribute significantly to the interpretation of the magnetic properties exhibited by these compounds.
CHAPTER 8 – Classifications

This chapter focuses on the classifications of polysaccharides that are broadly divided into two main groups: ionic and nonionic. Polysaccharides are systematically classified according to origin, isolation method, function, texture, thermoreversibility, and gelling time. The chemical classification of polysaccharides is the least ambiguous system of grouping these macromolecules. Polysaccharides of different origins can have similar structures as discovered in lemon and apple pectin or polysaccharides of the same origin can have different structures, for example, the concentration of pyruvate and acetyl substituents in xanthan, depending on incubation conditions. A table is presented that illustrates the properties and uses of polysaccharides in food. Starch belongs to a group of nonreducing glucose polysaccharides. and native starch is deposited in granules in plant tissues and is constructed of amylase and amylopectin bonding in the primary structure. Starch is considered to be a neutral molecule, but potato starch has a low degree of phosphation and is thereby endowed with weak polyelectrolytic character.