cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Calcium borohydride for hydrogen storage: catalysis and reversibility.

We demonstrate a new solid-state synthesis route to prepare calcium borohydride, Ca(BH4)2, by reacting a ball-milled mixture of CaB6 and CaH2 in a molar ratio of 1:2 at 700 bar of H2 pressure and 400−440 °C. Moreover, doping with catalysts was found to be crucial to enhance reaction kinetics. Thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry revealed a reversible low-temperature to high-temperature endothermic phase transition at 140 °C and another endothermic phase transition at 350−390 °C associated with hydrogen release upon formation of CaB6 and CaH2, as was evident from X-ray diffraction analysis. Thus, since Ca(BH4)2 here is shown to be prepared from its anticipated decomposition products, the conclusion is that it has potential to be utilized as a reversible hydrogen storage material. The theoretical reversible capacity was 9.6 wt % hydrogen.
A regionalized approach to providing pediatric electrophysiology services

Abstract Pediatric electrophysiology has evolved into a defined subspecialty of pediatric cardiology requiring advanced specialized training. Intracardiac electrophysiology study and catheter ablation requires the expertise of a pediatric electrophysiologist. The limited electrophysiology volume of many pediatric cardiac centers limits the exposure that is available for a full-time pediatric electrophysiologist. Various strategies have been utilized to provide electrophysiology coverage for the medium and small volume centers including the use of internal medicine trained electrophysiologists performing the ablation or guiding pediatric cardiologists. A novel approach to providing pediatric electrophysiology coverage is the regionalized approach in which a number of centers are serviced by an individual pediatric electrophysiologist. This serves to maximize procedural volume and experience for the pediatric electrophysiologist. The approach requires integration and support from the full-time pediatric cardiologists and staff at each center and is enhanced by emerging technologies used for data transfer.
Determinants of participation in cancer support groups: the role of health beliefs.

Background: Although considerable attention has been directed toward cancer support groups, little is known about how often these services are actually used in clinical practice or the factors that influence participation. Purpose: Drawing in part on the Health Belief Model, this study examined group participation and its correlates among 425 patients with diverse malignancies treated at a large academic oncology center. Method: Patients were surveyed regarding utilization rates, health beliefs, and medical and demographic characteristics. Results: Only a small number of patients reported having participated in groups (8.0%). Consistent with the model, in univariate analyses, participation was significantly related to greater perceptions of illness severity (p < .0001), greater perceived benefits (p < .01), fewer perceived barriers (all p < .01), and greater cues for action (i.e., recommendation by family/friends, p < .000001). In multivariate analyses controlling for disease site and other covariates, the strongest predictors included recommendation by family/friends (OR = 5.04; CI = 1.98–12.81), perceived seriousness of the illness (OR = 4.07; CI = 1.42–11.60), and geographical residence (OR = 2.74; CI = 1.09–6.93). Conclusion: Results suggest that participation might be increased by involving the patient’s support network, improving access in underserved rural communities, addressing illness appraisals, and increasing outreach to certain diagnostic groups.
The phase behavior and gel formation of binary mixtures of carbon dioxide and semifluorinated alkanes

Abstract Wikramanayake R., Enick R. and Turberg M., 1991. The phase behavior and gel formation of binary mixtures of carbon dioxide and semifluorinated alkanes. Fluid Phase Equilibria, 70: 107-118.
Big and Little: “Nominal” and relative uses

Many have claimed that children treat relative adjectives “nominally.” Studies have shown that children refuse to relabel objects, use relative terms only when there are extreme differences between objects, and ignore the relative differences of objects within categories. Although none of these reported uses are truly nominal since they imply relativistic judgments, they do suggest limits on children's understanding of relative terms. However, there is little evidence on which, if any, of these uses predominates. In 4 experiments, we examined 2-, 3-, and 4-year-olds' abilities to use big and little. We found that interpretations in accord with the proximate object of comparison dominated the children's uses overall. The “errors” that the youngest children did make primarily reflected an object's position relative to the stimulus array as a whole. The shifting from one standard to another and the magnitude of difference between objects had minor effects on performance. We also found that the positive term, big, was used more flexibly than little. Our overall pattern of results suggests that children's so-called nominal errors reflect the acquisition of the relativistic ways in which the terms are used by adults.
The impact of an evidence-based practice education program on the role of oral care in the prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia

Summary Background Despite strong evidence in the literature on the role of oral care in the prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), nurses continue to view oral care as a comfort measure with low priority and utilise foam swabs rather than toothbrushes. Although an evidence-based oral care protocol existed and best-practice oral care tools were available, the VAP rates had not significantly decreased even though nurses reported providing oral care. Objectives The aim of the study was to determine if an evidence-based practice (EBP) educational programme would improve the quality of oral care delivered to mechanically ventilated patients; thereby, reducing the VAP rate. Results Improvement in oral health was demonstrated by a decrease in median scores on the Oral Assessment Guide (pre (11.0), post (9.0)). A t -test analysis revealed a statistically significant difference ( p =0.0002). The frequency of oral care documentation also improved as demonstrated by a positive shift to the more frequent timeframes. The VAP rates have decreased by 50% following the EBP education intervention. Conclusions The implementation of an EBP educational programme focused on patient outcome rather than a task to be performed improved the quality of oral care delivered by the nursing staff.
Down-regulation of insulin receptors in Propionibacterium acnes-activated macrophages in the mouse

Intraperitoneal administration of Propionibacterium acnes in CD-1 mice was associated with the reduction in number of insulin receptors in peritoneal macrophages (M phi), and with elevated levels of insulin in plasma and the peritoneal cavity. When insulin levels returned to normal, insulin receptors in P. acnes-M phi were still reduced. Insulin appears to contribute significantly to the down-regulation of the M phi-insulin receptors during the early stage of activation. Other biologically active substances released during M phi activation might assume greater influence on insulin resistance in activated M phi at a later stage. The induction of transient hyperinsulinemia in P. acnes-treated mice might be attributed to the effect of concurrently elevated interleukin-1 (IL-1) released in the early course of M phi activation.
Physical characterization of bacteriophage MX4, a generalized transducing phage for Myxococcus xanthus

Abstract A generalized transducing bacteriophage of Myxococcus xanthus has been examined. The phage particle consists of an isometric head and a contractile tail. The genome of the phage is a linear DNA molecule of molecular weight 39 ± 2.1 × 106, which contains the normal DNA bases 70% of which are guanosine + cytosine. No overall heterogeneity of base composition is present. The DNA does not carry easily detectable cohesive ends nor is it cyclically permuted. It does contain a large and somewhat variable terminal redundancy. Heating phage particles in the presence of EDTA causes tail sheath contraction and ejection of DNA, some of which remains attached to the tail. Digestion of tail-bound DNA with restriction enzymes shows that the phage tail can be attached to either end of the DNA. Thus the DNA probably contains recognition sites for the packaging of its DNA at both ends. These results suggest possible mechanisms for the genesis of transducing particles by phage MX4.
Selected Issues in Quality Improvement and Risk Management

Objective: To provide an overview of selected issues in quality improvement and risk management. Data sources: Published articles, books, and standards pertaining to quality improvement and risk management. Conclusion: The changing health care environment has intensified the need for monitoring processes of home care, patient outcomes, and risk management issues. Quality improvement and risk management programs can provide guidelines for the home health staff to impact outcomes of patient care and patient and care-giver satisfaction. Implications for nursing practice: Home health care nurses are involved in the evaluation of systems, processes, and outcomes. Their involvement in identifying problems, providing creative solutions, and successfully implementing systems and processes is essential for quality improvement. They also must be knowledgeable of risk management and be involved in the identification and resolution of potential risks to themselves and their patients.
Observando las finanzas como una red de observaciones: Un comentario a Esposito

El presente ensayo presenta una contribucion a la teoria de la observacion mediante un comentario al articulo de Esposito: “Circularidades economicas y observacion de segundo orden: La realidad de las calificaciones.” La pregunta clave de dicho articulo puede ser resumida de la siguiente manera: ?Como se puede calcular en el tercer grado keynesiano (intentando determinar lo que la opinion promedio considera como la opinion promedio) en condiciones de circularidad diabolica (cuando la incertidumbre sobre el futuro se genera por las tentativas de predecir el futuro)? Esposito responde que las calificaciones constituyen un punto fijo de referencia, no porque sean exactas, sino porque son muy visibles. La segunda mitad del presente articulo es en si misma una observacion de segundo orden. Utiliza otro punto de vista (el de la teoria de la observacion) para reinterpretar mi investigacion etnografica y analitica previa sobre redes en las finanzas.
Effect of pyridoxine and pyridoxal on the in vitro growth of human and murine cancer cells

Abstract Previous work conducted in our laboratories, using a murine model, suggested that the consumption of high levels of vitamin B-6 [pyridoxine (PN)] may suppress tumor development either by immune enhancement or by pyridoxal 5′-phosphate (PLP) growth regulation. To explore this relationship further, we assessed the effects of PN and pyridoxal (PL) on the growth of human (MCF-7, mammary; DU-145, prostate; CAKI-1, renal) and mouse (H238, fibrosarcoma) cancer cell lines. The incubation of cancer cells for 3 (H238) to 20 (MCF-7, DU-145, CAKI-1) days in culture media supplemented with high doses of PN (2.5–5.0 mM) or PL (0.05–5.0 mM) showed significant reductions in proliferation (13% to 100%) as compared to control cultures. PL was more efficacious than PN as a cytotoxin. Cell mortality was observed in a dose-dependent manner, but sensitivity to PN and PL at concentrations approximating physiologic levels (0.005 mM) did not retard growth. Intracellular levels of PL and PLP were significantly elevated in H238 cultures exposed to pharmacologic, but not physiologic concentrations of PN and PL. MCF-7, DU-145, CAKI-1, and H238 cells cultured for 3 h in media supplemented with 0.5 mM PL and labeled with [ 3 H] precursors generally incorporated significantly less leucine, uridine, and thymidine into TCA-precipitable material than did control cultures. In contrast, cells supplemented with 0.005 mM PL showed no inhibition in incorporation. The results indicate that physiological concentrations of PN and PL may not be directly cytotoxic to human or animal cancer cells in vivo .
Morphological and molecular studies on Auriculariopsis albomellea and Phlebia albida and a reassessment of A. ampla

Auriculariopsis (Corticiaceae, Aphyllo- phorales) consists of two species: A. albomellea and A. ampla, the generic type. Auriculariopsis albomellea (= Cytidiella melzeri) is an uncommon wood decay fun- gus known from Europe and the United States. Stud- ies of morphological features and analyses of se- quence from the internal transcribed spacer region and a portion of the small subunit ribosomal RNA gene indicate that A. albomellea is closely related to Phlebia albida. Thus, the new combination P albo- mellea is proposed. Basidioma descriptions and illus- trations of P albida and P. albomellea are included. In addition, morphological studies and sequence anal- yses of the internal transcribed spacer region and a part of the 18S rRNA gene suggest that A. ampla is closely related to Schizophyllum commune. Auricular- iopsis is placed in synonymy under Schizophyllum, and
Stand structure and dynamics of sand pine differ between the Florida panhandle and peninsula

Size and age structures of stand populations of numerous tree species exhibit uneven or reverse J-distributions that can persist after non-catastrophic disturbance, especially windstorms. Among disjunct populations of conspecific trees, alternative distributions are also possible and may be attributed to more localized variation in disturbance. Regional differences in structure and demography among disjunct populations of sand pine (Pinus clausa (Chapm. ex Engelm.) Vasey ex Sarg.) in the Florida panhandle and peninsula may result from variation in hurricane regimes associated with each of these populations. We measured size, age, and growth rates of trees from panhandle and peninsula populations and then compiled size and age class distributions. We also characterized hurricanes in both regions over the past century. Size and age structures of panhandle populations were unevenly distributed and exhibited continuous recruitment; peninsula populations were evenly sized and aged and exhibited only periodic recruitment. Since hurricane regimes were similar between regions, historical fire regimes may have been responsible for regional differences in structure of sand pine populations. We hypothesize that fires were locally nonexistent in coastal panhandle populations, while periodic high intensity fires occurred in peninsula populations over the past century. Such differences in local fire regimes could have resulted in the absence of hurricane effects in the peninsula. Increased intensity of hurricanes in the panhandle and current fire suppression patterns in the peninsula may shift characteristics of sand pine stands in both regions.
Biosensor analysis of dynamics of interleukin 5 receptor subunit βc interaction with IL5:IL5Rα complexes

Abstract To gain insight into IL5 receptor subunit recruitment mechanism, and in particular the experimentally elusive pathway for assembly of signaling subunit βc, we constructed a soluble βc ectodomain (sβc) and developed an optical biosensor assay to measure its binding kinetics. Functionally active sβc was anchored via a C-terminal His tag to immobilized anti-His monoclonal antibodies on the sensor surface. Using this surface, we quantitated for the first time direct binding of sβc to IL5Rα complexed to either wild-type or single-chain IL5. Binding was much weaker if at all with either Rα or IL5 alone. Kinetic evaluation revealed a moderate affinity (0.2– 1 μM ) and relatively fast off rate for the sβc interaction with IL5:Rα complexes. The data support a model in which βc recruitment occurs with preformed IL5:Rα complex. Dissociation kinetics analysis suggests that the IL5–α–βc complex is relatively short-lived. Overall, this study solidifies a model of sequential recruitment of receptor subunits by IL5, provides a novel biosensor binding assay of βc recruitment dynamics, and sets the stage for more advanced characterization of the roles of structural elements within Rα, βc, and cytokines of the IL5/IL3/GM-CSF family in receptor recruitment and activation.
Results from E735 at the tevatron proton-antiproton collider with √s = 1.8 TeV☆

Experiment E735{dagger} searched for evidence of the transition to quark-gluon plasma in p{bar p} collisions at {radical}{bar s} = 1.8 TeV. Using data from a high statistics run in 1988--1989, results are presented on multiplicity distributions, hyperon and phi production, and Bose-Einstein correlations. Some data was also taken at lower collision energies and results will be compared to previous experiments.
Snowball: resampling combined with distance-based regression to discover transcriptional consequences of a driver mutation

Motivation: Large-scale cancer genomic studies, such as The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), have profiled multidimensional genomic data, including mutation and expression profiles on a variety of cancer cell types, to uncover the molecular mechanism of cancerogenesis. More than a hundred driver mutations have been characterized that confer the advantage of cell growth. However, how driver mutations regulate the transcriptome to affect cellular functions remains largely unexplored. Differential analysis of gene expression relative to a driver mutation on patient samples could provide us with new insights in understanding driver mutation dysregulation in tumor genome and developing personalized treatment strategies. Results: Here, we introduce the Snowball approach as a highly sensitive statistical analysis method to identify transcriptional signatures that are affected by a recurrent driver mutation. Snowball utilizes a resampling-based approach and combines a distance-based regression framework to assign a robust ranking index of genes based on their aggregated association with the presence of the mutation, and further selects the top significant genes for downstream data analyses or experiments. In our application of the Snowball approach to both synthesized and TCGA data, we demonstrated that it outperforms the standard methods and provides more accurate inferences to the functional effects and transcriptional dysregulation of driver mutations. Availability and implementation: R package and source code are available from CRAN at http://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/DESnowball, and also available at http://bioinfo.mc.vanderbilt.edu/DESnowball/. Contact: ude.tlibrednav@oahz.gnimgnohz Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Functional development of the octenol response in Aedes aegypti

Attraction of female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes to 1-octen-3-ol (octenol), CO2, lactic acid or ammonia emitted by vertebrate hosts is not only contingent on the presence of odorants in the environment, but is also influenced by the insect’s physiological state. For anautogenous mosquito species, like Ae. aegypti, newly emerged adult females neither respond to host odors nor engage in blood-feeding; the bases for these behaviors are poorly understood. Here we investigated detection of two components of an attractant blend emitted by vertebrate hosts, octenol and CO2, by female Ae. aegypti mosquitoes using electrophysiological, behavioral, and molecular approaches. An increase in sensitivity of octenol olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) was correlated with an increase in octenol-mediated attractive behavior from day 1 to day 6 post emergence. While the sensitivity of octenol ORNs was maintained through day 10, behavioral responses to octenol decreased as did the ability of females to discriminate between octenol and octenol + CO2. Our results show differing age-related roles for the peripheral receptors for octenol and higher order neural processing in the behavior of female mosquitoes.
Structures and factorizations of paraunitary M band N channel multifilters

A general structure of M band N channel multifilters is presented. The aliasing cancellation condition and perfect reconstruction condition are derived. The structures and properties of multifilters constructed by paraunitary matrices are discussed. Time domain design method using quadratic constraints is proposed. Design example of paraunitary multifilters is presented.
Seismicity, gas emission and deformation from 18 July to 25 September 1995 during the initial phreatic phase of the eruption of Soufrière Hills Volcano, Montserrat

Abstract On 18 July 1995, after more than three years of irregularly increasing seismicity, phreatic explosions opened a new vent on Soufriere Hills Volcano, about 4 km east of the capital city of Plymouth, Montserrat. By early August 1995, the volcano was monitored by a nine-station seismic network, three telemetered electronic tiltmeters, and daily correlation spectroscopy (COSPEC) flights to measure S02 emission rates and to observe vent areas. Seismicity and S02 emission rates implicated magma intrusion as the cause of the seismic unrest. Strong evidence of magma ascent to shallow levels, however, did not appear until late September 1995, when increasing numbers of hybrid events heralded the formation of a small dome and spine. We infer from the data that intrusion of a small volume of magma occurred in July, but stalled on ascent. Degassing of the stalled magma formed a carapace that thickened with time. We suggest that either volatile build-up beneath the degassed carapace, or aseismic intrusion of fresh material, finally forced the stalled magma to the surface in late September 1995. A similar cycle of activity appears to have occurred during the second phreatic phase between late September and mid-November 1995.
Using the structure of overlap between search results to rank retrieval systems without relevance judgments

This paper addresses the problem of how to rank retrieval systems without the need for human relevance judgments, which are very resource intensive to obtain. Using TREC 3, 6, 7 and 8 data, it is shown how the overlap structure between the search results of multiple systems can be used to infer relative performance differences. In particular, the overlap structures for random groupings of five systems are computed, so that each system is selected an equal number of times. It is shown that the average percentage of a system's documents that are only found by it and no other systems is strongly and negatively correlated with its retrieval performance effectiveness, such as its mean average precision or precision at 1000. The presented method uses the degree of consensus or agreement a retrieval system can generate to infer its quality. This paper also addresses the question of how many documents in a ranked list need to be examined to be able to rank the systems. It is shown that the overlap structure of the top 50 documents can be used to rank the systems, often producing the best results. The presented method significantly improves upon previous attempts to rank retrieval systems without the need for human relevance judgments. This ''structure of overlap'' method can be of value to communities that need to identify the best experts or rank them, but do not have the resources to evaluate the experts' recommendations, since it does not require knowledge about the domain being searched or the information being requested.
Demo abstract: AutoPlug — An automotive test-bed for ECU testing, validation and verification

In 2010, over 20.3 million vehicles were recalled. Software issues related to automotive controls such as to cruise control, anti-lock braking system, traction control and stability control, account for an increasingly large percentage of the overall vehicles recalled. We have developed AutoPlug, an automotive Electronic Controller Unit (ECU) test-bed to diagnose, test, validate and verify controls software. AutoPlug consists of multiple ECUs interconnected by a CAN bus, a race car driving simulator which behaves as the plant model and a vehicle safety and performance monitor in Matlab. As the ECUs drive the simulated vehicle, the physics-based simulation provides feedback to the controllers in terms of acceleration, yaw, friction and vehicle stability. This closed-loop platform is then used to evaluate multiple vehicle control software modules such as traction, stability and cruise control. With this test-bed we are aim to develop ECU software diagnosis and testing to evaluate the effect on the stability and performance of the vehicle. Code updates can be executed via a smart phone so drivers may remotely “patch” their vehicle. We will demonstrate a functioning closed-loop automotive test-bed to show the capabilities and challenges of remote code updates for vehicle recalls management.
Ocean data assimilation guidance using uncertainty forecasts

This paper discusses preliminary tests on using predicted forecast errors to estimate the impact of observations in correcting the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) tide resolving, high resolution regional version of the Navy Coastal Ocean Model (RNCOM) assimilating local observations processed through the NRL Coupled Ocean Data Assimilation (NCODA) system. Since there will always be a shortfall of data to constraint all sources of uncertainty there is an obvious advantage to optimally guide observations to reduce model errors that could be producing the most negative impacts. The importance of this topic has been further heightened in oceanic applications by the advent of Underwater Automated Vehicles (UAVs) that can bring persistent observations but need to be told where to go and when, following regular schedules. This works tests a technique named the Ensemble Transform Kalman Filter (ETKF) that can be used to automate such adaptive sampling guidance and has been successfully applied for atmospheric modeling optimization. The ETKF uses an ensemble of state-fields from a certain initialization time and rapid low rank solutions of the Kalman filter equations to estimate integrated predicted error reduction for selected target ensemble variables, or combinations of variables, over areas and forecast ranges of interest. The error estimates are produced through independent RNCOM runs using perturbed forcing and initial conditions constrained at each analysis time by new estimates of the analysis errors as provided by NCODA, using a technique named Ensemble Transform (ET). The skills of these systems in tracking the RNCOM forecast errors and predicting the reduction in forecast error from a set o possible observations were tested using local profile measurements off the East Philippines. Results show areas of larger uncertainty close to the major spatial gradients as one could anticipate and a good accuracy of error estimates with an high spread-skill (i.e. ensemble estimates had the ability to correctly separate the small ensemble spread well correlated with the smaller observed errors from the larger ensemble spread well correlated with the larger observed errors). This consistency is a necessary condition to allow the ETKF to accurately predict the impact of the observations in reducing model errors. These ETKF skills were then tested by comparing the vertically averaged predicted temperature corrections based on the local measurements with the vertically averaged magnitude of the observed changes between two consecutive forecasts (before and after assimilating the data). Results showed the system had skills to accurately predict RNCOM errors and the impact of observation networks in reducing the error of model state-variables.
GENERAL-PURPOSE METHODOLOGY FOR ESTIMATING LINK TRAVEL TIME WITH MULTIPLE-POINT DETECTION OF TRAFFIC

A methodology was developed to find appropriate travel times for highway links using data from point detectors that could be at various points within the link or could even be outside the link. The travel times were found using a definition that the appropriate value is the one experienced by a virtual vehicle reaching the midpoint of the link at the midpoint of the time step. A simple iterative scheme was proposed to find the travel time profiles. The accuracy of the scheme depends on whether aggregated detector data or individual vehicle spot speeds are used. Comparison of estimated travel times with actual experienced travel times of all vehicles in a microscopic simulation showed the technique to give very good results, comparable with having a high number of probe vehicles reporting travel times.
Size-dependent molecule-like to plasmonic transition in water-soluble glutathione stabilized gold nanomolecules

A size-dependent transition from molecule-like to plasmonic behaviour is demonstrated in the case of water soluble Au:SG nanomolecules. This was achieved using PAGE separation of smaller and larger nanomolecules, resulting in an unprecedented 26 bands, in a wide-range from 10's to 1000's of Au-atoms. PAGE separation of larger plasmonic nanomolecules is demonstrated for the first time. High resolution ESI-MS, with isotopic resolution, of smaller nanoparticles is reported, including the first time report of Au43(SG)26. This report will aid in the fundamental understanding of size-dependent properties of nanomolecules. The synthetic procedure employs a green approach with non-toxic chemicals and processes. The water solubility, non-toxicity and biocompatibility will lead to applications in biomedicine.
Dimensionality Reduction Using the Sparse Linear Model

We propose an approach for linear unsupervised dimensionality reduction, based on the sparse linear model that has been used to probabilistically interpret sparse coding. We formulate an optimization problem for learning a linear projection from the original signal domain to a lower-dimensional one in a way that approximately preserves, in expectation, pairwise inner products in the sparse domain. We derive solutions to the problem, present nonlinear extensions, and discuss relations to compressed sensing. Our experiments using facial images, texture patches, and images of object categories suggest that the approach can improve our ability to recover meaningful structure in many classes of signals.
The Endothelial Protein C Receptor in Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells For Good or Bad

To the Editor: We read with great interest the recent article by Bretschneider et al,1 who studied the protease activated receptor (PAR)-1-dependent protein C signaling in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). These data add another piece of evidence to the emerging concept that the endothelial protein C receptor (EPCR) exerts pleiotropic cellular effects. Previous studies from several laboratories have concluded that EPCR ligation with activated protein C (APC) can lead to the proteolytic cleavage of PAR-1 on the surface of endothelial cells (ECs), leading …
Variability in Childhood Development

The goal of this special issue of PTJ was to gather together a set of articles focusing on several aspects of intra-individual variability during infancy and childhood. Intra-individual variability can be defined as differences in motor development or performance within individuals and between repeated measurements. The term “fluctuations” is reserved for differences among consecutive points in a variable trajectory, whereas “stability indicates the counterpart of (or the lack of) variability.”1 One of the reasons why variability in childhood development is receiving attention lies in the introduction of new theoretical viewpoints, namely dynamic systems theory and Neuronal Group Selection Theory. Thelen and Smith2 were among the first to apply the dynamic systems approach to childhood development. The dynamic approach turns variability within and between individuals into an essential element in the developmental process. Variability is considered to be the harbinger of …
Closely Spaced Roots and Defectiveness in Second-Order Systems

When two closely spaced eigenvalues merge the associated eigenvectors can either (1) form a subspace where every vector in the span is an eigenvector or (2) coalesce into a single eigenvector. In the second alternative the repeated eigenvalue is associated with a bifurcation point in the eigenvector space and the system is said to be defective. In defective systems a set of coordinates that uncouple the dynamics does not exist and the closest thing possible is the basis of eigenvectors and generalized eigenvectors (sometimes called power vectors) that lead to the Jordan form. Although true defectiveness does not occur in practice, because eigenvalues are never exactly repeated, one anticipates that the features associated with defective conditions will have a bearing on the behavior of systems that are perturbed versions of defective ones. In viscously damped second order systems with symmetric matrices the potential for defectiveness is determined by the structure of the damping. This paper focuses on identification of conditions connecting the damping matrix with defectiveness. A numerical example of a two degree-of-freedom system that varies from being classically damped, to nonclassical, to defective, depending on the position of a dashpot, is used to illustrate the features of the eigensolution as defectiveness is approached.
Network Representation of the Integrating Sphere

The interreflected-flux distribution in an integrating sphere equipped with apertures for the introduction, reflection and absorption of radiant flux may be represented by a network. Sphere apertures of finite size, nonblack apertures and sphere ports defined by plane surfaces are represented in the network as resistance elements. For the case of black entrance and exit ports, an expression for the flux incident on the exit port is computed by circuit analysis and is identical to the expression derived by Jacques and Kuppenheim using the integral equation technique. A solution of the network representing a sphere with a nonblack exit port of various relative sizes is presented as obtained using a network analyzer.
The embeddedness of transnational corporations in Chinese cities: Strategic coupling in global production networks?

The embeddedness of transnational corporations (TNCs) in metropolitan economies has become a central issue in the research on globalization and local development. This paper attempts to enhance understanding of FDI embeddedness by assessing TNCs’ backward and technological linkages with domestic firms. Through a case study of the information and communication technology (ICT) industry in Suzhou, a frontier globalizing city in the Yangtze River Delta in China, it was found that strategic coupling between TNCs and domestic Chinese firms rarely exists and global production networks (GPN) have not brought substantial benefits to the development of domestic firms in the region. Regression analysis further reveals that TNCs’ backward and technological linkages with domestic firms are highly selective and contingent upon market potential in the host region, TNCs’ research and development (R&D) orientation and to a lesser extent subsidiary autonomy. It is also found that the booming and sizable domestic market and the development of domestic firms have potential to pave the way for upgrading. These findings suggest that there is a need to develop a broader conceptualization of the upgrading pathways of local firms beyond the notion of strategic coupling in the GPN perspective.
Semantically-guided clustering of text documents via frequent subgraphs discovery

In this paper we introduce and analyze two improvements to GDClust [1], a system for document clustering based on the co-occurrence of frequent subgraphs. GDClust (Graph-Based Document Clustering) works with frequent senses derived from the constraints provided by the natural language rather than working with the co-occurrences of frequent keywords commonly used in the vector space model (VSM) of document clustering. Text documents are transformed to hierarchical document-graphs, and an efficient graph-mining technique is used to find frequent subgraphs. Discovered frequent subgraphs are then utilized to generate accurate sense-based document clusters. In this paper, we introduce two novel mechanisms called the Subgraph-Extension Generator (SEG) and the Maximum Subgraph-Extension Generator (MaxSEG) which directly utilize constraints from the natural language to reduce the number of candidates and the overhead imposed by our first implementation of GDClust.
Achievement Place An Evaluative Review

In recent years there has been a move away from the traditional institutionalization of deviant members of society and a step toward community-based treatment models. The present paper summarizes a...
Dynamical Products of Experts for Modeling Financial Time Series

Predicting the "Value at Risk" of a portfolio of stocks is of great significance in quantitative finance. We introduce a new class models, "dynamical products of experts" that treats the latent process over volatilities as an inverse Gamma process. We show that our multivariate volatility models significantly outperform all related Garch and stochastic volatility models which are in popular use in the quantitative finance community.
The role of mobile genetic elements in evolutionary longevity of heritable endobacteria

ABSTRACTThe movement of mobile genetic elements (MGEs), including bacteriophages, insertion sequence (IS) elements, and integrative and conjugative elements (ICEs) can have profound effects on bacterial evolution by introducing novel genes, or disrupting the existing ones. Obligate endobacteria are a distinctive group of bacteria that reside within the intracellular compartments of their eukaryotic hosts. Many obligate endobacteria are reproductively dependent on their hosts. Vertical transmission, in addition to degenerative genome contraction and loss of MGEs, makes heritable endobacteria vulnerable to Muller's ratchet, a process that jeopardizes evolutionary longevity of small populations. Mycoplasma-related endobacteria (MRE) are ancient heritable endosymbionts of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Their genomes harbour numerous MGEs. To explore the significance of MGEs in the evolution of MRE and other obligate endobacteria, we analyze the impact of transmission mode, recombination, and evolutionary age o...
Helping Adolescents Cope with the Mental Illness of a Parent Through Bibliotherapy

This paper highlights some of the needs of adolescents who have parents with a mental illness and examines the usage of bibliotherapy as a treatment modality. Eleven young adult fiction books are examined and considered for use as a bibliotherapeutic tool among the adolescent audience whose parent suffers from a mental illness.
Improving Sustainable Development Outcomes through Best Management Practices

Over the last several decades the world has undergone several economic, political, environmental, and cultural changes. Society is faced with countless challenges that surround sustainable development. Progress has been made with respect to world poverty, technological development, and environmental awareness. Nonetheless, we have an opportunity to improve the leadership, planning, implementation, and monitoring of sustainable development projects. Notwithstanding having better technology and increased access to more data and information, we are still not able to optimize sustainable development decisions. This paper addresses a few critical aspects of strategic management and some resulting challenges faced by policy makers, managers, and implementers of sustainable development projects who come from the private sector, public sector and NGOs. The paper offers some managerial recommendations on how to enhance the leadership, planning, implementation, and monitoring of sustainable development projects.
Using Coupled EWMA Control Charts for Monitoring Processes with Linear Trends

Abstract The equations governing the construction of control charts for monitoring both the mean and the process variability of a process whose quality characteristic is subjected to a linear trend are presented. The Holt model for forecasting linear trends and a simple exponentially weighted moving average for monitoring process variability are combined to form a coupled system of nonlinear difference equations. The moments of the stationary solutions which lead to the computation of the control limits are presented. A table containing control chart constants is given for both consecutive and nonconsecutive observations of the process.
TiO2 nanofiltration membranes prepared by molecular layer deposition for water purification

Methods are provided for preparing TiO2 nanofiltration membranes for water purification are provided. The method can include supplying a titanium precursor gas into a reaction chamber, where the titanium precursor gas reacts with a base support of an anodic aluminum oxide, and the base support of an anodic aluminum oxide has a surface defining a plurality of pores therein. The reaction chamber can then be evacuated to remove any unreacted titanium precursor gas, and an alkoxide precursor gas can be supplied into a reaction chamber such that the alkoxide precursor gas reacts to with the titanium on the base support to form a hybrid titanium alkoxide. Thereafter, the base support cab be heated to remove the organic component to leave titanium oxide on the surface of the base support.
Sub-10 nm copper chromium oxide nanocrystals as a solution processed p-type hole transport layer for organic photovoltaics

We report the synthesis of CuCrO2 nanocrystals, a p-type transparent conducting oxide, and their application as an efficient hole transport layer (HTL) for organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices. A nanometer-sized mixture of Cu and Cr oxide/hydroxide is synthesized using microwave-assisted heating. With a 550 °C post-annealing treatment in N2, <10 nm CuCrO2 nanocrystals are successfully synthesized. XRD, XPS, EDAX, PESA, UV-vis spectrometry, and Kelvin probe technique are applied to confirm the delafossite phase, optical transmission, and p-type characteristics. Methanol is found to be a good solvent to disperse these nanocrystals for forming a smooth and transparent film. In comparison with the previously reported CuGaO2 HTL, the reduced film roughness enables the CuCrO2 HTL to produce highly efficient thin active layer OPV devices. UV-ozone treatment on the CuCrO2 HTL is found to increase the fill factor. Drift-diffusion modeling, energy level measurements, and XPS results reveal that the device improvement is not due to the reduced injection barrier, but due to an improved CuCrO2 conductivity arising from the formation of Cu2+ species.
The Morphology of Leptodiscus Terrestris, and the Function of Setae in Spore Dispersal

Leptodiscus terrestris Gerd. is a common parasite of several forage legumes (5). The fruiting body of this fungus was originally described as a superficial, radiate stroma one cell layer thick, and it was considered to most nearly resemble an acervulus (4). A more detailed study has been made on the fruiting structure in an effort to determine its affinity, and the origin and development of conidia have been more thoroughly investigated. The conidia of L. terrestris have a relatively long filamentous seta at each end. A study was made to determine the position of the setae relative to the spores when the spores are contained in the spore head, and to determine if the setae function in spore dispersal. Setulate conidia are produced by many fungi; however, there are few reports in which a function has been attributed to them. Atanasoff (2) found that the bristles borne on the conidia of Dilophospora alopecuri (Fr.) Fr. became attached to the body of a nematode and that the nematode transported the spores to the growing point of cereals. Cunnell (3) found that the setae of Robillarda phragmitis were folded back against the side of the spore and that they became extended when the spore was released. He suggested that the appendages might function as a flotation device.
Avermectin B1a: Effects on the Ovaries of Red Imported Fire Ant Queens (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Avermectin B1a causes irreversible cell and tissue damage to the ovaries of queens of the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta . The damage is characterized by hypertrophy of the squamous epithelium that sheaths the ovarioles and pycnosis of the nurse cell nuclei, and results in complete sterility or reduction in the numbers and size of eggs laid.
Cirugía oncológica pélvica en pacientes de edad avanzada

Se revisaron los casos de ochenta y nueve pacientes de mas de 75 anos que fueron sometidas a cirugia mayor debido a diferentes lesiones malignas ginecologicas. El reciente uso rutinario de cuidados intensivos perioperatorios disminuyo la mortalidad hospitalaria de un 8.9% a un 3.2% y contribuyo a la disminucion y a la anticipacion de complicaciones cardiorespiratorias trans y postoperatorias. A partir de 1980 la disponibilidad de enfermeras visitantes disminuyo la permanencia hospitalaria promedio de 30.2 a 24.4 dias en pacientes que fueron sometidas a vulvectomia radical. No hubo mortalidad en 11 pacientes que fueron subsecuentemente sometidas a reexploracion debido a recurrencia o nueva enfermedad quirurgica. Cincuenta y dos de las 89 pacientes sobrevivieron mas de 3 anos sin que presentasen impedimentos o limitaciones como resultado de las operaciones. En pacientes de mas de 75 anos, la cirugia mayor electiva debida a lesiones malignas ginecologicas puede efectuarse sin riesgo, especialmente cuando la paciente es evaluada y supervisada por miembros de una unidad de cuidados intensivos quirurgicos.
Precocity in a tiny titanosaur from the Cretaceous of Madagascar

Sauropod dinosaurs exhibit the largest ontogenetic size range among terrestrial vertebrates, but a dearth of very young individuals has hindered understanding of the beginning of their growth trajectory. A new specimen of Rapetosaurus krausei sheds light on early life in the smallest stage of one of the largest dinosaurs. Bones record rapid growth rates and hatching lines, indicating that this individual weighed ~3.4 kilograms at hatching. Just several weeks later, when it likely succumbed to starvation in a drought-stressed ecosystem, it had reached a mass of ~40 kilograms and was ~35 centimeters tall at the hip. Unexpectedly, Rapetosaurus limb bones grew isometrically throughout their development. Cortical remodeling, limb isometry, and thin calcified hypertrophic metaphyseal cartilages indicate an active, precocial growth strategy.
Automatic and Efficient Data Host-Device Communication for Many-Core Coprocessors

Orchestrating data transfers between CPU and a coprocessor manually is cumbersome, particularly for multi-dimensional arrays and other data structures with multi-level pointers common in scientific computations. This paper describes a system that includes both compile-time and runtime solutions for this problem, with the overarching goal of improving programmer productivity while maintaining performance. We find that the standard linearization method performs poorly for non-uniform dimensions on the coprocessor due to redundant data transfers and suppression of important compiler optimizations such as vectorization. The key contribution of this paper is a novel approach for heap linearization that avoids modifying memory accesses to enable vectorization, referred to as partial linearization with pointer reset. We implement partial linearization with pointer reset as the compile time solution, whereas runtime solution is implemented as an enhancement to MYO library. We evaluate our approach with respect to multiple C benchmarks. Experimental results demonstrate that our best compile-time solution can perform 2.5x-5x faster than original runtime solution, and the CPU-MIC code with it can achieve 1.5x-2.5x speedup over the 16-thread CPU version.
Combination and Conspiracy: A Legal History of Trade Unionism, 1721-1906

Combination - 1721-1799 conspiracy - criminal law combination - 1799-1824 combination - 1824-1859 conspiracy - restraint of trade master and servant the law of srikes - 1859-1871 after 1871 - employers and workmen.