cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Distortion/Interaction Energy Control of 1,3-Dipolar Cycloaddition Reactivity

Computations of activation barriers and reaction energies for 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions by a high-accuracy quantum mechanical method (CBS-QB3) now reveal previously unrecognized quantitative trends in activation barriers. The distortion/interaction theory explains why (1) there is a monotonic decrease of ∼6 kcal/mol in the barrier height along the series oxides, imine, and ylide, for each class of 1,3-dipoles; (2) the corresponding nitrilium and azomethine betaines have almost identical cycloaddition barrier heights; (3) cycloadditions of a given 1,3-dipole with ethylene and acetylene have the same activation energies, in spite of very different reaction thermodynamics and frontier orbital gaps. There is a linear correlation between distortion energies (ΔEd⧧) and the activation barrier (ΔE⧧ = 0.75ΔEd⧧ − 2.9 kcal/mol) that is general for substituted and unsubstituted 1,3-dipoles in these cycloadditions. The energy to distort the 1,3-dipole to the geometry favorable for interaction with the dipolarophile, ...
The effect of viewing angle on wrist posture estimation from photographic images using novice raters.

Abstract Observational assessment of wrist posture using photographic methods is theoretically affected by camera view angle. A study was conducted to investigate whether wrist flexion/extension and radial/ulnar deviation postures were estimated differently by raters depending on the viewing angle and compared to predictions using a quantitative 2D model of parallax. Novice raters ( n = 26) estimated joint angles from images of wrist postures photographed from ten different viewing angles. Results indicated that ideal views, orthogonal to the plane of motion, produced more accurate estimates of posture compared to non-ideal views. The neutral (0°) posture was estimated the most accurately even at different viewing angles. Raters were more accurate than model predictions. Findings demonstrate a need for more systematic methods for collecting and analyzing photographic data for observational studies of posture. Renewed caution in interpreting existing studies of wrist posture where viewing angle was not controlled is advised.
Revising a Manuscript: Ten Principles to Guide Success for Publication

OBJECTIVE. The process of revising a manuscript and successfully responding to the comments of reviewers and the Editor can be difficult. This article provides some practical steps to guide authors in this task and attain publication of their manuscript.CONCLUSION. Following the principles outlined in this article will enable authors to successfully meet the challenges of manuscript revision and hasten the route to publication.
Dynamics and kinetics of heat transfer at the interface of model diamond [111] nanosurfaces.

A molecular dynamics simulation was performed to study the effect of an applied force on heat transfer at the interface of model diamond {111} nanosurfaces. The force was applied to a small, hot nanosurface at 800, 1000, or 1200 K brought into contact with a larger, colder nanosurface at 300 K. The relaxation of the initial nonequilibrium interfacial force occurs on a subpicosecond time scale, much shorter than that required for heat transfer. Heat transfer occurs with exponential kinetics and a rate constant that increases linearly with the interfacial force according to 7 × 10-4 ps-1/nN. This rate constant only increases by at most 10% as the temperature of the hot surface is increased from 800 to 1200 K. Replacing the interfacial H-atoms on both surfaces by D atoms also has a very small effect on the heat transfer. However, if one nanosurface has H atoms on its interface and the other nanosurface's interface has D atoms, then there is a marked 25% decrease in the rate constant for heat transfer. Increa...
Unburned coal as a source of hydrocarbons in surface sediments

Abstract The isolation and quantification of the various sources of trace levels of hydrocarbons in environmental samples is a difficult analytical task. Based on the hydrocarbon concentrations found in non-polluted surface sediment and an estimate of the amounts of coal particles found in similar areas we conclude that unburned coal can be a significant source of sediment hydrocarbons in the coastal marine environment.
Biological magnetic resonance imaging using laser-polarized 129Xe

As currently implemented, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) relies on the protons of water molecules in tissue to provide the NMR signal. Protons are, however, notoriously difficult to image in some biological environments of interest, notably the lungs and lipid bilayer membranes such as those in the brain. Here we show that 129Xe gas can be used for high-resolution MRI when the nuclear-spin polarization of the atoms is increased by laser optical pumping and spin exchange. This process produces hyperpolarized 129Xe, in which the magnetization is enhanced by a factor of about 10(5). By introducing hyperpolarized 129Xe into mouse lungs we have obtained images of the lung gas space with a speed and a resolution better than those available from proton MRI or emission tomography. As xenon (a safe general anaesthetic) is rapidly and safely transferred from the lungs to blood and thence to other tissues, where it is concentrated in lipid and protein components, images of the circulatory system, the brain and other vital organs can also be obtained. Because the magnetic behaviour of 129Xe is very sensitive to its environment, and is different from that of 1H2O, MRI using hyperpolarized 129Xe should involve distinct and sensitive mechanisms for tissue contrast.
On the Application of Molecular-Dynamics Based Markov State Models to Functional Proteins.

Owing to recent developments in computational algorithms and architectures, it is now computationally tractable to explore biologically relevant, equilibrium dynamics of realistically sized functional proteins using all-atom molecular dynamics simulations. Molecular dynamics simulations coupled with Markov state models is a nascent but rapidly growing technology that is enabling robust exploration of equilibrium dynamics. The objective of this work is to explore the challenges of coupling molecular dynamics simulations and Markov state models in the study of functional proteins. Using recent studies as a framework, we explore progress in sampling, model building, model selection, and coarse-grained analysis of models. Our goal is to highlight some of the current challenges in applying Markov state models to realistically sized proteins and spur discussion on advances in the field.
Fatigue Testing of 9 m Carbon Fiber Wind Turbine Research Blades

Fatigue testing was conducted on Carbon Experimental and Twist-Bend Experimental (CX-100 and TX-100) 9-m wind turbine research blades. The CX-100 blade was designed to investigate the use of a carbon spar cap to reduce weight and increase stiffness while being incorporated using conventional manufacturing techniques. The TX-100 blade used carbon in the outboard portion of the skin to produce twist-bend coupling to passively alleviate aerodynamic loads. In the fatigue tests, the CX-100 blade was loaded by a single hydraulic cylinder while the TX-100 blade was loaded via a hydraulically-actuated resonant loading system called the Universal Resonant Exciter. The blades were outfitted with approximately 30 strain gages as well as displacement and load sensors. Both blades survived to cycle counts sufficient to demonstrate a 20-year operational life. The CX-100 blade failed at approximately 1.6 million cycles because of a buckle and crack that formed and grew just outboard of max-chord. The TX-100 blade failed because of a crack that grew from the termination point of the spar cap at the midspan of the blade. This paper covers the results of the fatigue tests.
An accelerometer-based earpiece to monitor and quantify physical activity

Background: Physical activity is important in ill-health. Inexpensive, accurate and precise devices could help assess daily activity. We integrated novel activity-sensing technology into an earpiece used with portable music-players and phones; the physical-activity-sensing earpiece (PASE). Here we examined whether the PASE could accurately and precisely detect physical activity and measure its intensity and thence predict energy expenditure. Methods: Experiment 1: 18 subjects wore PASE with different body postures and during graded walking. Energy expenditure was measured using indirect calorimetry. Experiment 2: 8 subjects wore the earpiece and walked a known distance. Experiment 3: 8 subjects wore the earpiece and ‘jogged’ at 3.5mph. Results: The earpiece correctly distinguished lying from sitting/standing and distinguished standing still from walking (76/76 cases). PASE output showed excellent sequential increases with increased in walking velocity and energy expenditure (r2 > .9). The PASE prediction ...
Compatibility of segmented thermoelectric generators

It is well known that power generation efficiency improves when materials with appropriate properties are combined either in a cascaded or segmented fashion across a temperature gradient. Past methods for determining materials used in segmentation were mainly concerned with materials that have the highest figure of merit in the temperature range. However, the example of SiGe segmented with Bi/sub 2/Te/sub 3/ and/or various skutterudites shows a marked decline in device efficiency even though SiGe has the highest figure of merit in the temperature range. The origin of the incompatibility of SiGe with other thermoelectric materials leads to a general definition of compatibility and intrinsic efficiency. The compatibility factor derived as s = ( /spl radic/(1+ZT-1))//spl alpha//sub T/ is a function of only intrinsic material properties and temperature, which is represented by a ratio of current to conduction heat. For maximum efficiency the compatibility factor should not change much with temperature both within a single material, and in the segmented leg as a whole. This leads to a measure of compatibility not only between segments, but also within a segment. General temperature trends show that materials are more self compatible at higher temperatures, and segmentation is more difficult across a larger /spl Delta/T. The compatibility factor can be used as a quantitative guide for deciding whether a material is better suited for segmentation or cascading. Analysis of compatibility factors and intrinsic efficiency for optimal segmentation are discussed, with intent to predict optimal material properties, temperature interfaces, and/or current/heat ratios.
Visual aberrations in a multifocal intraocular lens with injection-related scratches.

We describe the case of a 70-year-old woman who had phacoemulsification and implantation of a single-piece hydrophobic acrylic multifocal intraocular lens (IOL). Following surgery, the patient experienced blurring, positive dysphotopsia, impaired night vision, and glare. After 2 years, optic damage likely related to the IOL injection procedure was noted. The IOL was successfully exchanged. The uncorrected distance visual acuity was 20/20, and the patient reported no further visual aberrations. Gross and microscopic examination revealed large linear scratches on the central part of the optic. Scheimpflug photography with densitometry analysis of the area of the anterior scratches revealed extremely high levels of surface backlight scattering (227 computer-compatible tape units). Modulation transfer function and Badal images of the explanted IOL and of a control IOL did not differ significantly. This report suggests that severe defects/damage such as those described would likely be clinically significant in IOLs with specialized optics and warrant immediate removal/exchange of a damaged multifocal IOL. Financial Disclosure No author has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned.
Microstructure and Growth Model for Rice‐Hull‐Derived SiC Whiskers

The microstructure of silicon carbide whiskers grown from rice hulls has been studied using methods of high-resolution analytical electron microscopy. Small, partially crystalline inclusions (about 10 nm) containing calcium, manganese, and oxygen are concentrated in whisker core regions, while peripheral regions are generally inclusion free. The distinct microphase distribution is evidence of a two-stage growth process in which the core region grows first, followed by normal growth toward whisker sides. Partial dislocations extend radially from the core region to the surface and tend to be paired in V-shaped configurations. Whisker surfaces exhibit microroughness due to a tendency to develop small facets on close-packed planes. The microstructural data obtained from TEM observations are used as a basis for discussion of the mechanisms involved in whisker growth, and a model of the growth process is proposed. The model includes a two-dimensional growth mechanism involving vapor, liquid, and solid phases, although it is significantly different from the classical vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) process of whisker growth.
Fear and the Preparation of School Leaders: The Role of Ambiguity, Anxiety, and Power in Meaning Making

An uncertainty has developed around the “core technology” of preparing educational leaders, making the general public question whether, in particular, university professors know what they are doing...
Filter Based Directory Replication: Algorithms and Performance

Directories have become an important component of the enterprise security and identity management middleware. This paper describes a novel filter based replication model for lightweight directory access protocol (LDAP) directories. Instead of replicating entire subtrees from a directory information tree (DIT), only entries matching a filter specification are replicated. Efficient algorithms for selecting such filters, keeping them synchronized with the master copy and for using them to answer directory queries have been proposed. Advantages of the filter based replication framework over existing subtree based mechanisms have been demonstrated for a real enterprise directory using real workloads
Functional alpha-1B adrenergic receptors on human epicardial coronary artery endothelial cells

Alpha-1-adrenergic receptors (α1-ARs) regulate coronary arterial blood flow by binding catecholamines, norepinephrine (NE), and epinephrine (EPI), causing vasoconstriction when the endothelium is disrupted. Among the three α1-AR subtypes (α1A, α1B, and α1D), the α1D subtype predominates in human epicardial coronary arteries and is functional in human coronary smooth muscle cells (SMCs). However, the presence or function of α1-ARs on human coronary endothelial cells (ECs) is unknown. Here we tested the hypothesis that human epicardial coronary ECs express functional α1-ARs. Cultured human epicardial coronary artery ECs were studied using quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, radioligand binding, immunoblot, and 3H-thymidine incorporation. The α1B-subtype messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) was predominant in cultured human epicardial coronary ECs (90–95% of total α1-AR mRNA), and total α1-AR binding density in ECs was twice that in coronary SMCs. Functionally, NE and EPI through the α1B subtype activated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) in ECs, stimulated phosphorylation of EC endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), and increased deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) synthesis. These results are the first to demonstrate α1-ARs on human coronary ECs and indicate that the α1B subtype is predominant. Our findings provide another potential mechanism for adverse cardiac effects of drug antagonists that nonselectively inhibit all three α1-AR subtypes.
Rapid and accurate inter-robot position determination in robot teams

We describe a rapid and accurate method to measure robot-to-robot separations and headings. The method, which uses narrow bandwidth signals that are well suited for ultrasonic transducers and for dispersive acoustic environments, detects the difference in phase delay of an optical and an ultrasonic signal. A prototype system based on microcontrollers for signal generation and phase delay measurement determined the location of another robot with sub-centimeter accuracy over a 2.5 m range with a 53 ms measurement time. We also describe simple modifications that can be made to increase the range without loss of accuracy and to coordinate measurements among many robots.
School bullying: its nature and ecology

Background: Recent youth suicides only highlight a persistent problem in schools - bullying and sustained peer victimization. Being a target or victim of bullying has long been recognized has having short- and long-term psychological effects on children and adolescents across the world today. School bullying is one of the most significant public health concerns facing children and adolescents. Objective: Involvement in the social phenomena of school bullying is often explained as emerging from a wide range of risk and protective factors within the social-ecology of youth. The social-ecological model posits that bullying behaviors are shaped by various interrelated contexts including individual characteristics, family, peers and the school environment. Methods: Research is reviewed to highlight the correlates of bullying involvement across these context using social-ecological and social-learning frameworks. Meta-analytic studies are reviewed on the short- and long-term impact of bullying involvement and efficacy of bullying prevention programs. Specific recommendations for prevention planning and future research efforts are provided. Conclusions: Bullying is a multi-faceted issue, which is best understood in the larger social context in which it occurs. Individual characteristics of students contribute to bullying involve-ment when students have families that promote violence, teachers that ignore or dismiss bullying, schools that have negative climates and students who socialize with friends who bully. These social contexts need to be targeted in bully prevention programs to reduce bullying and peer victimization in schools. Language: en
Sympathetic Liberalism: Recent Work on Adam Smith

Etude des contributions recentes au probleme Adam Smith qui consiste a reconcilier son ethique sentimentaliste avec son economie egoiste et sa politique libertaire. Examinant les ouvrages de A. Fitzgibbons, C. Griswold et J. Muller, ainsi que la reception du theme rousseauiste et kantien du respect dans la philosophie morale de Smith, l'A. montre que les commentateurs contemporains reperent une ligne coherente entre l'opposition sentimentaliste a Hume et la theorie liberale de la justice chez Smith, aboutissant a la formulation originale d'un liberalisme sympathique qui prend en compte le point de vue individuel dans les jugements rendus par la justice
Restricted Receptor Segregation into Membrane Microdomains Occurs on Human T Cells During Apoptosis Induced by Galectin-1

Galectin-1 induces apoptosis of human thymocytes and activated T cells by an unknown mechanism. Apoptosis is a novel function for a mammalian lectin; moreover, given the ubiquitous distribution of the oligosaccharide ligand recognized by galectin-1, it is not clear how susceptibility to and signaling by galectin-1 is regulated. We have determined that galectin-1 binds to a restricted set of T cell surface glycoproteins, and that only CD45, CD43, and CD7 appear to directly participate in galectin-1-induced apoptosis. To determine whether these specific glycoproteins interact cooperatively or independently to deliver the galectin-1 death signal, we examined the cell surface localization of CD45, CD43, CD7, and CD3 after galectin-1 binding to human T cell lines and human thymocytes. We found that galectin-1 binding resulted in a dramatic redistribution of these glycoproteins into segregated membrane microdomains on the cell surface. CD45 and CD3 colocalized on large islands on apoptotic blebs protruding from the cell surface. These islands also included externalized phosphatidylserine. In addition, the exposure of phosphatidylserine on the surface of galectin-1-treated cells occurred very rapidly. CD7 and CD43 colocalized in small patches away from the membrane blebs, which excluded externalized phosphatidylserine. Receptor segregation was not seen on cells that did not die in response to galectin-1, including mature thymocytes, suggesting that spatial redistribution of receptors into specific microdomains is required for triggering apoptosis.
Assessing the Gender Climate of an Evangelical Student Subculture in the United States.

This study explored the gendered experiences of students belonging to an evangelical Christian religious community on a university campus in the United States. As some religious traditions harbour distinctive views on gender differences and roles, the study focused on community characteristics that pertained to beliefs about gender and the behaviours that emanated from those beliefs. The findings revealed that the community was defined by masculine norms, the endorsement of essential gender differences and separate roles for men and women with respect to leadership, modesty and dating/marriage. Suggestions for improving the conditions for women in religious groups and the broader college campus are discussed.
Balladeering, Minstrelsy, and the Making of British Romantic Poetry

Reviewed Medium: book Authors: Maureen N. McLane Year: 2008 Pages: 314 Publisher: Cambridge University Press ISBN: 9780521895767 (hard cover). Prices: $99.00 USD(hard cover).
Regular affine tilings and regular maps on a flat torus

A regular affine tiling of a flat (locally isometric to a euclidean plane) torus is defined to be the affine image of a tiling of a flat torus with congruent regular p-gons, adjacent ones sharing a side. Only triangular, hexagonal, and quadrangular affine tilings exist. Each tiling is determined up to a shift by its set of rotation numbers and its multiplicity. Criteria are given for two tilings to be affine images of each other. The usual codes are calculated from the rotation numbers and multiplicity. The results are extended to regular toroidal maps.
Bayesian nonparametric approaches for reinforcement learning in partially observable domains

Making intelligent decisions from incomplete information is critical in many applications: for example, medical decisions must often be made based on a few vital signs, without full knowledge of a patient's condition, and speech-based interfaces must infer a user's needs from noisy microphone inputs. What makes these tasks hard is that we do not even have a natural representation with which to model the task; we must learn about the task's properties while simultaneously performing the task. Learning a representation for a task also involves a trade-off between modeling the data that we have seen previously and being able to make predictions about new data streams. In this thesis, we explore one approach for learning representations of stochastic systems using Bayesian nonparametric statistics. Bayesian nonparametric methods allow the sophistication of a representation to scale gracefully with the complexity in the data. We show how the representations learned using Bayesian nonparametric methods result in better performance and interesting learned structure in three contexts related to reinforcement learning in partially-observable domains: learning partially observable Markov Decision processes, taking advantage of expert demonstrations, and learning complex hidden structures such as dynamic Bayesian networks. In each of these contexts, Bayesian nonparametric approach provide advantages in prediction quality and often computation time. (Copies available exclusively from MIT Libraries, Rm. 14-0551, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307. Ph. 617-253-5668; Fax 617-253-1690.)
Student Involvement and Data-Driven Decision Making Developing a New Typology

Existing literature supports the inclusion of students in education reform, documenting benefits for both students and educators. When student voice is not included in reform efforts, these efforts...
Misshapen decreases integrin levels to promote epithelial motility and planar polarity in Drosophila

Complex organ shapes arise from the coordinate actions of individual cells. The Drosophila egg chamber is an organ-like structure that lengthens along its anterior–posterior axis as it grows. This morphogenesis depends on an unusual form of planar polarity in the organ’s outer epithelial layer, the follicle cells. Interestingly, this epithelium also undergoes a directed migration that causes the egg chamber to rotate around its anterior–posterior axis. However, the functional relationship between planar polarity and migration in this tissue is unknown. We have previously reported that mutations in the Misshapen kinase disrupt follicle cell planar polarity. Here we show that Misshapen’s primary role in this system is to promote individual cell motility. Misshapen decreases integrin levels at the basal surface, which may facilitate detachment of each cell’s trailing edge. These data provide mechanistic insight into Misshapen’s conserved role in cell migration and suggest that follicle cell planar polarity may be an emergent property of individual cell migratory behaviors within the epithelium.
A study of sea surface height retrieval using Doppler measurements from numerically simulated low grazing angle backscatter data

A numerical study of the retrieval of sea surface height profiles from low grazing angle Doppler radar measurements is described. Backscattered fields computed using the method-of-moments for one-dimensional ocean-like surface profiles are used to examine properties of Doppler spectra versus range. “Discrete” behaviors observed in the Doppler spectra versus range are found to be related to similar behaviors in orbital velocity statistics obtained directly from the corresponding surface profiles. Differences between Doppler spectra are also observed between VV- and HH-polarizations, with VV-polarization showing smaller Doppler spectral widths in some situations. In order to improve understanding of the accuracies to be expected in surface profile retrievals from Doppler information, estimation errors for the Doppler centroid versus range are studied using a simplified signal model. Comparisons of the results of this signal model with the method-of-moments simulations show that shadowing and multi-path propagation effects cause errors in Doppler centroid estimation beyond those caused by speckle effects alone.
Constructing large S-boxes with area minimized implementations

Block ciphers are essential cryptographic primitives used for encryption in resource constrained hardware systems. Many modern block ciphers are based on the substitution permutation network (SPN) design. The substitution step is commonly the only non-linear transformation in the cipher, and is usually comprised of a permutation which applies an S-box substitution to each element of the cipher state. In hardware, the S-box implementation has a significant impact on the area consumed by the cipher. Consequently, there have been considerable research and engineering efforts to obtain compact circuit implementations of S-boxes for hardware systems. Building on past work, we present a comprehensive methodology for (1) constructing cryptographically strong affine-power S-boxes over Galois fields and (2) minimizing the VLSI technology-independent combinational logic requirements for their circuit implementations. Motivated by the potential need for larger S-boxes with improved cryptographic properties, we use this methodology to construct area minimized circuits for novel 16-bit S-boxes.
WHEN SHAME IS THE QUESTION, HOW DOES THE ATONEMENT ANSWER?

(2002). WHEN SHAME IS THE QUESTION, HOW DOES THE ATONEMENT ANSWER? Journal of Pastoral Theology: Vol. 12, No. 1, pp. 89-113.
Top Management International Orientation and Small Business Exporting Performance: The Moderating Roles of Export Market & Industry Factors

This study examined the relationship between top management team international orientation and small business export performance. Results generally supported the hypotheses that market and industry factors moderate this relationship. Employing a sample of U.S. small business exporters, the study found that top management team international orientation had a greater positive relationship with export performance for firms exporting to countries culturally different and geographically distant from their home country than those exporting to countries culturally similar and geographically proximate to their home countries. In addition, international orientation had a greater positive relationship with export performance for firms competing in multidomestic industries than those competing in global industries.
Sólo importan las palabras

Las noticias en la television no son lo mismo que las noticias en la radio. Obviamente, esto no constituye una revelacion sorprendente. Sin embargo, la mayoria de los investigadores ha tratado las noticias en la television como si las imagenes no existieran y como si solo importasen las palabras.
Renal responses to amino acids in the sheep fetus

Adult animals and humans are known to increase renal blood flow and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in response to an acute protein load or amino acid infusion; however, the ontogeny of this phenomenon is not known. This study was designed to test the hypothesis that, despite normally high baseline amino acid levels in the fetus, increases in plasma amino acids stimulate increases in GFR before birth. Eight chronically instrumented fetal sheep (126 +/- 1 days gestation) were infused with a mixture of amino acids (0.15 and 0.30 mmol . kg-1 . min-1 i.v.). Plasma alpha-amino nitrogen levels increased significantly from 7.1 +/- 0.3 to 13.0 +/- 0.9 and 25.5 +/- 2.1 mg/dl, respectively, in response to the two doses, and GFR increased significantly from 3.2 +/- 0.4 to 4.0 +/- 0.5 and 4.6 +/- 0.5 ml/min, respectively. Arterial pressure did not change. Renal amino acid reabsorption was significantly increased at all time points during the amino acid infusion, reaching a value nearly five times that of control by the last clearance period. Na+ reabsorption was also increased throughout the infusion. Na+, K+, and Cl- excretions increased significantly only at the very last time point. These data indicate that the mechanism or mechanisms responsible for amino acid-induced hyperfiltration are present and functional even before birth in the sheep. Because maternal eating patterns and protein intake are known to change maternal plasma amino acid levels and amino acids are actively transported across the placenta, our findings suggest that both acute and chronic changes in maternal protein intake may alter fetal renal function.
Probing structure and orientation in polymers using synchrotron small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering techniques

Abstract Synchrotron small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS/WAXS) techniques are frequently used to study hierarchical structure and preferred orientation in polymers and biopolymers. In this article, two examples based on materials showing preferred orientation at different length scales are given. In the first example, cellulose fibers/nanofibers were investigated from the perspectives of crystal polymorphism, preferred orientation and nanoscale morphology. In the second example, a time-resolved SAXS/WAXS study was carried out to investigate the melting and recrystallization processes of a pre-stretched random co-polymer, poly(propylene- ran -1-butylene) (PB).
Ocular toxicity of commonly used systemic drugs.

The eye a complex organ with multiple enzyme systems often reflect s untoward side effects of drugs. Retinal edema associated with a visual field defect and blurring of vision has been reported in patients using oral contraceptives. Cataract formation in patients receiving long-term steroid therapy has been reported. Discontinuing the steroid avoids progress of the cataracts. Rise in intraocular pressure and decr eased resistance to infection may also occur with steroid therapy. Topical application of steroid drops or ointment to the eye is dangerous especially when herpes simplex keratitis is present. Ocular problems found with tranquilizers phenothiazide digitalis chloroquine and belladonna alkaloids are also detailed.
P3.103 Sexual Act with Multiple Sex Partners is an Upcoming Threat For Rapid Transmission of HIV Among People Who Inject Drugs (PWID) in Bangladesh

Introduction and Aims The 9th round national sero-surveillance data shows 5.3% HIV prevalence among the PWIDs in Dhaka. Save the Children is committed to prevent HIV in Bangladesh where harm reduction is a major focus. At the beginning the project has conducted a study where one of the main focuses was to investigate the sexual behaviour and practise of the PWIDs. Design and Methods The methodology used for this study was the Rapid Situation and Response Assessment by triangulation of both qualitative and quantitative method by collecting information from primary and secondary source. The data were collected through field observation, 790 one to one in-depth questionnaire, 42 Focus group discussions, 360 Key informant interviews and 14 cases studies. Results Sixty percent (60%) of PWIDs report to have had different sex partners on different occasions and of them 9 persons on average to have sex with. On average 13% of the PWIDs have experience of having sex in the anal route and only 21% of those had used condom. Only 44% PWIDs reported that they had used condom in the last one year and consistent condom use is only 14%. Discussions and Conclusions Emphasizing safe sex behaviour programme with PWIDs is crucial to avert HIV transmission in Bangladesh.
Single-Photon Superconducting Detectors for Practical High-Speed Quantum Cryptography

We have developed an ultrafast superconducting single-photon detector with negligible dark counting rate. The detector is based on an ultrathin, submicron-wide NbN meander-type stripe and can detect individual photons in the visible to near-infrared wavelength range at a rate of at least 10 Gb/s. The above counting rate allows us to implement the NbN device to unconditionally secret quantum key distribution in a practical, high-speed system using real-time Vernam enciphering.
Cornification and Molting in Triturus

ConclusionThe rate of cornification of the superficial epidermis of Triturus is markedly variable and probably independent of thyroid control, but the molting of the cornified layers is dependent on the thyroid. Experiments indicate that a change in cutaneous circulatory conditions is probably an essential factor in the molting mechanism.
The predictive value of high pulmonary artery pressure on the occurrence of heart failure after acute myocardial infarction

Objective The study was conducted to explore the predictive value of high pulmonary artery pressure on the occurrence of heart failure after acute myocardial infarction. Methods 280 patients with acute myocardial infarction were included in this study. Patients with a pulmonary artery systolic pressure(PASP) higher than 35 mmHg as measured by Doppler echocardiography were defined as having a high pulmonary artery pressure. The patients were followed-up for a year until rehospitalized for recurrent heart failure. Results Analysis of the working curve for receiver operating characteristic(ROC) showed that the area under the left ventricular ejection fraction curve was 0.53 and the area under PASP curve was 0.84; the difference was statistically significant. Cox regression analysis indicated that a PASP higher than 35 mmHg represents a risk factor for heart failure in patients with acute myocardial infarction. Conclusion PASP is an important indicator for predicting the occurrence of heart failure in AMI patients.
Starter-making & Brewing Techniques for Yellow Rice Wine in Ancient China

China is one of the earliest countries which could produce wine.Starter-making and wine-making in China has thousand years of history.In this paper,the development process of starter-making and wine-making techniques in China was elaborated.(Tran.by YUE Yang)
CA-125 secretion by luteal phase endometrium in vitro

The source of CA-125 in normal women and the mechanisms which control CA-125 production remain to be defined. This study was initiated to examine the pattern of secretion of CA-125 from luteal phase endometrium. Endometrial samples were obtained during the early luteal phase (histological days 16-18) and late luteal phase (histological days 25-27) from ovulatory women with a laparoscopically normal pelvis. The tissue was maintained in explant culture using Trowell's T-8 medium with either no additions (NA), progesterone (P), oestradiol (E2), or E2 + P. The concentration of CA-125 in spent media from the second day in culture was determined by immunoradiometric assay. In early luteal endometrium, the concentration of CA-125 in spent media from the NA treated wells was significantly higher than when the endometrium was exposed to either P or E2 + P. Similar differences were noted between treatments for the late luteal endometrium. Within each treatment, there was a higher concentration of CA-125 in the spent media from the late versus the early luteal endometrium. We conclude that the endometrium is a potential source of serum CA-125 and that endometrial CA-125 is suppressed by P in both the early and the late luteal phase. Further, there appears to be an increase in endometrial CA-125 secretion from the early to the late luteal phase.
Anastomosis of the vas deferens after purposeful division for sterility.

A technique for reanastomosis of the vas deferens is presented. A survey by mail of urologists revealed 420 operations 160 of which were successful. The success of the operation depends on the freedom of the tissues from previous inflammation. Many of the failures were probably due to irreparable occulsion of the vas at a point away from the divided ends. The operation was successful in 1 patient who had been vasectomized 18 years previously. The operative technique for re-union of the vas is described.
Gender Development, Theories of

Given the ubiquitous influence of gender in a person's life, a number of theories have been developed to explain gender development. These theories can be generally divided into three families: biological, socialization, and cognitive. According to biological theories, psychological and behavioral gender differences are due to the biological differences between males and females. Within this family of approaches, researchers have focused on historical explanations (such as evolutionary processes) and proximal explanations (such as genes and sex hormones). Socialization theories of gender development view gender differences as a byproduct of the differential treatment girls and boys receive from the people in their lives and the pervasive gender stereotyped messages that children are exposed to in their environment. Cognitive theories of gender development view children as active constructors of knowledge who seek, interpret, and act on information in an effort to match their behavior to their understanding of gender. Keywords: biological determinism; gender; gender development; gender socialization; theory
Network classification using adjacency matrix embeddings and deep learning

We study a natural problem: Given a small piece of a large parent network, is it possible to identify the parent network? We approach this problem from two perspectives. First, using several “sophisticated” or “classical” network features that have been developed over decades of social network study. These features measure aggregate properties of the network and have been found to take on distinctive values for different types of network, at the large scale. By using these classical features within a standard machine learning framework, we show that one can identify large parent networks from small (even 8-node) subgraphs. Second, we present a novel adjacency matrix embedding technique which converts the small piece of the network into an image and, within a deep learning framework, we are able to obtain prediction accuracies upward of 80%, which is comparable to or slightly better than the performance from classical features. Our approach provides a new tool for topology-based prediction which may be of interest in other network settings. Our approach is plug and play, and can be used by non-domain experts. It is an appealing alternative to the often arduous task of creating domain specific features using domain expertise.
Prospective Risk Factors for Intense Grief in Family Members of Veterans Who Died of Terminal Illness

Many bereavement researchers focus on predicting and preventing complicated grief, a psychologically crippling, sometimes life-threatening response to loss that persists for lengthy periods, often ...
For Gluttons, Not Housewives: Japan’s First Gourmet Magazine, Kuidōraku

Restaurant reviews specialize in providing information about dining out locally, and they can also contribute to national discussions about culinary identity. Five years after the launch of the first Michelin Guide in France in 1900, the earliest regular restaurant reviews started appearing in print in Japan; these too, sought to place dining out in a larger national – if not international – context. More than simply offering reports on where to go and what to eat, the magazine that printed Japan’s first restaurant reviews framed the ephemeral and personal experience of dining out as part of a national debate about the definition of good food. The first popular monthly about Japanese cuisine, Culinary Magazine (May 1905 to August 1907), valued restaurant meals much more than home cooking. Culinary Magazine, it will be argued, can be faulted for taking the losing side in a public debate it had initiated over whether restaurant cuisine was better than home cooking, but ultimately, that discussion is one that cannot be resolved and endures to this day in Japan where government ministries still proclaim the virtues of the housewife preparing washoku and gourmands continually pursue ever more refined versions of Japanese cuisine in Michelin-starred restaurants.
Pretherapy neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio and platelet to lymphocyte ratio do not predict survival in resectable pancreatic cancer.

Abstract Background Pretherapy serum neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) have both been identified as prognostic in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). The aim of this study was to identify the prognostic implication of pretherapy NLR and PLR in patients with resectable PDAC. Methods Data were collected retrospectively on patients operated at our institution between 2004 and 2014. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to investigate the relationship between clinical and pathological parameters, NLR and PLR to overall survival (OS). Survival data were analyzed using the Kaplan–Meier method. Results 217 patients were analyzed with a median overall survival (OS) of 17.5 months. Factors identified as being predictive of OS by univariate analysis included age, receipt of adjuvant therapy, margin positivity, pathologic angiolymphatic invasion, T-stage, and N-stage (P Discussion Pretherapy NLR and PLR do not predict survival in patients who underwent pancreatectomy for PDAC at our institution.
Beyond the arithmetic constraint: depth-optimal mapping of logic chains in reconfigurable fabrics

Look-up table based FPGAs have migrated from a niche technology for design prototyping to a valuable end-product component and, in some cases, a replacement for general purpose processors and ASICs alike. One way architects have bridged the performance gap between FPGAs and ASICs is through the inclusion of specialized components such as multipliers, RAM modules, and microcontrollers. Another dedicated structure that has become standard in reconfigurable fabrics is the arithmetic carry chain. Currently, it is only used to map arithmetic operations as identified by HDL macros. For non-arithmetic operations, it is an idle but potentially powerful resource. Obstacles to using the carry chain for generic logic operations include lack of architectural and computer-aided design support. Current carry-select architectures facilitate carry chain reuse, although they do so only for (K-1)-input operations. Additionally, hardware description language (HDL) macros are the only recourse for a designer wishing to map generic logic chains in a carry-select architecture. A novel architecture that allows the full K-input operational capacity of the carry chain to be harnessed is presented as a solution to current architectural limitations. It is shown to have negligible impact on logic element area and delay. Using only two additional 2:1 pass transistor multiplexers, it enables the transmission of a K-input operation to the carry chain and general routing simultaneously. To successfully identify logic chains in an arbitrary Boolean network, ChainMap is presented as a novel technology mapping algorithm. ChainMap creates delay-optimal generic logic chains in polynomial time without HDL macros. It maps both arithmetic and non-arithmetic logic chains whenever depth increasing nodes, which increase logic depth but not routing depth, are encountered. Use of the chain is not reserved for arithmetic, but rather any set of gates exhibiting similar characteristics. By using the carry chain as a generic, near zero-delay adjacent cell interconnection structure a potential average optimal speedup of 1.4x is revealed. Post place and route experiments indicate that ChainMap solutions perform similarly to HDL chains when cluster resources are abundant and significantly better in cluster-constrained arrays.
Defending the Masses: A Progressive Lawyer’s Battles for Free Speech

In the 1980s and 1990s, a handful of legal historians overturned the conventional scholarly wisdom that nothing much happened in the development of the First Amendment between 1800 and the US Supre...
Spiperone: Tritium labelling at high specific activity.

Abstract An efficient method is described to tritiate spiperone at high specific activity.
Where is the fruit? Multidimensional inequalities in food retail environments around public elementary schools

BACKGROUND The increasing number of convenience and small food stores may be contributing to the rising childhood obesity rate in the United States; however, the literature assessing food environments surrounding elementary schools in this country is relatively limited. This study determines (a) whether the food environments around public elementary schools is of significantly lower quality than those of other areas in the United States and (b) how the quality of the school food environment is associated with local socio-economic factors and geographical components. METHODS Data for 52,375 public elementary schools as well as 96,652 convenience stores, 65,044 small food stores, and 44,383 supermarkets/grocery stores were obtained from the National Center of Education Statistics and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. A two-sample t test was applied to compare the food environment within 0.5-mile buffer around schools and that in the remaining area of each county. A binomial regression model was constructed to examine the impact of socio-economic and geographical factors on unequal food environments. RESULTS The food environment within 0.5 mile around schools is of significantly poorer quality than that of the rest of the test area (p < .001). The quality of the food environment around schools is highly associated with such socio-economic factors as median household income (OR = 1.000, p < .01) and percentage of minority population (OR = 0.989, p < .01). Quality also varies geographically, with poorer quality in the Midwest (OR = 0.722, p < .05) and northeast (OR = 0.328, p < .001) than in the south and west and lower quality in metro counties (OR = 0.627, p < .01) than in rural and nonmetro counties. CONCLUSION Our findings stress the importance of awareness for improving food retail environments around elementary schools for the benefit of our children.