cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Numerical investigation of Crouzeix's conjecture

Abstract Crouzeix's conjecture states that for all polynomials p and matrices A , the inequality ‖ p ( A ) ‖ ≤ 2 ‖ p ‖ W ( A ) holds, where the quantity on the left is the 2-norm of the matrix p ( A ) and the norm on the right is the maximum modulus of the polynomial p on W ( A ) , the field of values of A . We report on some extensive numerical experiments investigating the conjecture via nonsmooth minimization of the Crouzeix ratio f ≡ ‖ p ‖ W ( A ) / ‖ p ( A ) ‖ , using Chebfun to evaluate this quantity accurately and efficiently and the BFGS method to search for its minimal value, which is 0.5 if Crouzeix's conjecture is true. Almost all of our optimization searches deliver final polynomial-matrix pairs that are very close to nonsmooth stationary points of f with stationary value 0.5 (for which W ( A ) is a disk) or smooth stationary points of f with stationary value 1 (for which W ( A ) has a corner). Our observations have led us to some additional conjectures as well as some new theorems. We hope that these give insight into Crouzeix's conjecture, which is strongly supported by our results.
Acute rest does not predict symptom recovery in collegiate student athletes

Objective To assess the effect of acute cognitive and physical activity level and sleep on concussion recovery. Design Prospective. Setting: College sports medicine. Participants: Forty-one college student athletes (51.2% Female; Age: 19.6 + 1.2 years) diagnosed with sports-related concussions. Interventions The independent variables were the participant’s self-reported physical and cognitive activity levels (1–5 based on Majerske) and the number of hours slept the first two days post-concussion. Outcome measures The dependent variables were the number of days until the participant 1) self-report asymptomatic and 2) had full return-to-participation which required achieving baseline values on balance, cognitive, neuropsychological testing and completing a progressive return to activity protocol. The independent variables (activity levels and sleep) were used as predictors of recovery with a linear regression. Main results The participants were asymptomatic 4.7 + 2.8 (95% CI: 3.8–5.5) days and returned-to-participation 13.0 + 4.2 (95% CI: 11.8–14.3) days post-concussion. Participants reported a mean 7.8 + 1.9 hours of sleep per night and low physical (1.4 + 0.7) and cognitive (2.7 + 1.4) activity levels. There were no significant correlations and the overall model did not predict days until asymptomatic (F=1.224, P=0.315) or return-to-participation time (F=0.036, P=0.991). None of the independent variables were significant predictors. Conclusions The activity levels and reported sleep in the first two days post-concussion did not predict recovery time. This finding is consistent with emerging literature suggesting acutely restricting activity may not improve concussion recovery time. Future studies should utilise sleep logs and objectively measure activity levels. Competing interests None.
The risk of reoperative cardiac surgery in radiation-induced valvular disease

Abstract Objective Mediastinal radiation therapy (MRT) increases the risk for adverse outcomes after cardiac surgery and is not incorporated in the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) risk algorithm. We aimed to quantify the surgical risk conferred by MRT in patients undergoing primary and reoperative valvular operations. Methods A retrospective analysis of 261 consecutive patients with prior MRT who underwent valvular operations between January 2002 and May 2015. Short- and long-term outcomes were compared for STS predicted risk of mortality, surgery type, gender, year of surgery, and age-matched patients stratified by reoperative status. Results Mean age was 62.6 ± 12.1 years and 174 (67%) were women. The majority had received MRT for Hodgkin lymphoma (48.2%) and breast cancer (36%). Overall, 214 (82%) were primary and 47 (18%) were reoperative procedures. Reoperation carried a higher operative mortality than primary cases (17% vs 3.7%; P = .003). Compared with the 836 nonradiated matches, operative mortality and observed-to-expected STS mortality ratios were higher in primary (3.8% [1.4] vs 0.8% [0.32]; P = .004) and reoperative (17% [3.35] vs 2.3% [0.45]; P = .001) patients with prior MRT. Cox proportional hazard modeling revealed that in patients with previous MRT, primary (hazard ratio, 2.24; 95% confidence interval, 1.73-2.91) and reoperative status (hazard ratio, 3.19; 95% confidence interval, 1.95-5.21) adversely affected long-term survival compared with nonradiated matches. Conclusions Surgery for radiation-induced valvular heart disease has a higher operative mortality than predicted by STS predicted risk of mortality. Reoperations are associated with increased morbidity and mortality compared with primary cases. Careful patient selection is paramount and expanded indications for transcatheter therapies should be considered, especially in reoperative patients.
USE OF DIRECT ORAL ANTICOAGULANTS IN DIALYSIS PATIENTS WITH ATRIAL FIBRILLATION IN THE UNITED STATES

Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) reduce the thromboembolic risk in general populations with atrial fibrillation (AF), but their safety and effectiveness in dialysis patients is not well known and their use is discouraged due to a lack of empirical data. We identified dialysis patients with non-
Diagnostic Tools for Inborn Errors of Human Immunity (Primary Immunodeficiencies and Immune Dysregulatory Diseases)

The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of diagnostic testing in primary immunodeficiency and immune dysregulatory disorders (PIDDs), particularly focusing on flow cytometry and genetic techniques, utilizing specific examples of PIDDs. Flow cytometry remains a vital tool in the diagnosis and monitoring of immunological diseases. Its utility ranges from cellular analysis and specific protein quantitation to functional assays and signaling pathway analysis. Mass cytometry combines flow cytometry and mass spectrometry to dramatically increase the throughput of multivariate single-cell analysis. Next-generation sequencing in combination with other molecular techniques and processing algorithms has become more widely available and identified the diverse and heterogeneous genetic underpinnings of these disorders. As the spectrum of disease is further clarified by increasing immunological, genetic, and epigenetic knowledge, the careful application of these diagnostic tools and bioinformatics will assist not only in our understanding of these complex disorders, but also enable the implementation of personalized therapeutic approaches for disease management.
Beyond Statins: Emerging Evidence for HDL-Increasing Therapies and Diet in Treating Cardiovascular Disease

Coronary heart disease continues to be the leading cause of death in the United States. Current attempts to treat atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease often involve pharmaceutical and surgical treatments. While these treatments are successful in managing the pain from coronary heart disease, they do little to prevent or stop it. There are a number of clinical strategies that are currently being researched to treat atherosclerosis through HDL-increasing therapies. These clinical studies have shown positive effects through nutritional intervention, exercise, stress reduction, and tobacco and alcohol cessation. These treatment options are explored in greater detail, including their potential to halt and even reverse atherosclerosis. The results from these recent studies and how they relate to the mechanism of reverse cholesterol transport are also critically examined. Reverse cholesterol transport is a multistep process resulting in the net movement of cholesterol from peripheral tissues back to the liver via the plasma. The mechanism of reverse cholesterol transport is also further explored in this review.
A promising approach for assessing aided language comprehension in 5- to 15-year-old students with severe speech and motor impairments1

Q (1) To assess the aided language skills of children with severe speech and motor impairments who use aided forms of augmentative and alternative communication. (2) To compare the children’s perfo...
Carrier Dynamics in SnS 2 Single Crystals and Vertical Nanostructures: Role of Edges

SnS2 is a member of the van der Waals 2D layered materials family. Its moderate bandgap, environmental stability and high carrier mobility makes it attractive for solar energy conversion application. We explore how nanostructuring SnS2 in the form of vertically-aligned nanoflakes to increase the surface area impacts the lifetime and microscopic conductivity of photoinjected carriers compared to the bulk SnS2. Increased surface area and the presence of edges is beneficial to the efficiency of SnS2 photoanode performance but it comes at a cost of increased carrier trapping at surface and edge states.
Influence of Monosodium Glutamate and Its Substitutes on Sensory Characteristics and Consumer Perceptions of Chicken Soup

Soup manufacturers are removing monosodium glutamate (MSG) to meet consumer demand for natural ingredients. This research investigated the influence of MSG and its substitutes (yeast extract: YE; mushroom concentrate: MC; tomato concentrate: TC) on clear chicken soup with 0.4% sodium chloride (salt) by comparing sensory attributes and consumer acceptability among each other, and to a chicken soup sample containing 0.5% salt (Salt 0.5%). The soup with 0.4% salt without enhancers was designated as the control. Corresponding list of ingredients was also presented to consumers to study the effects on consumer expectations about chicken soup products. Our results showed that MSG and its substitutes significantly (P < 0.05) enhanced the sensory properties of chicken soup. These flavor enhancers also achieved statistically same or stronger improvement in overall flavor, meaty flavor, chicken flavor and umami taste when compared to Salt 0.5% sample. Consumers significantly preferred MSG 0.1%, YE 0.025%, and Salt 0.5% samples than others. Compared to MC and TC samples, less consumers perceived MSG and YE samples as “free of artificial” and “natural” with lower consumption interest. Claims about artificial/natural ingredients were attractive selling points for chicken soups, but good sensory appealing was the most important attribute linearly affecting consumer satisfactions.
Effects of Medical Therapy on Mild Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Adult Patients.

Study Objectives:Patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) have been shown to have high levels of inflammatory markers. Anti-inflammatory treatment with montelukast and intranasal steroids have d...
Religious Nationalism and the Secular State

This article is a revision of the previous edition article by T.N. Madan, volume 19, pp. 13123–13127, © 2001, Elsevier Ltd.
Structural attributes influencing unbound tissue distribution.

Abstract Unbound tissue-to-plasma partition coefficients (Kpuu) were determined for 56 structurally diverse compounds in rats following intravenous infusion. Five tissues were included in the study: white adipose, brain, heart, liver, and skeletal muscle. The rank ordering of the median tissue Kpuu values was: liver (4.5) > heart (1.8) > adipose (1.2) > skeletal muscle (0.6) > brain (0.05), with liver being most enriched and brain most impaired. The median Kpuu values of acids and zwitterions were lower than those of bases and neutrals in all tissues but liver. Selective tissue distribution was observed, dependent upon chemotype, which demonstrated the feasibility of targeting or restricting drug exposure in certain tissues through rational design. Physicochemical attributes for Kpuu were identified using recursive partitioning, which further classified compounds with enriched or impaired tissue distribution. The attributes identified provided valuable insight on design principles for asymmetric tissue distribution to improve efficacy or reduce toxicity.
On second-language acquisition of voiced stops

In this paper is described the acquisition of English voiced stops by native speakers of South American Spanish. Spanish is characterized by the use of long lead “voiced” stops, while English uses primarily short-lag “voiced” stops. Although there would seem to be no communicative pressure to do so, over a period of 18 months in the U.S., Spanish ESL students modified their English target voiced stops by reducing the length of voicing lead and adding a significant number of short-lag versions, although only for velar targets. Aerodynamics suggest an explanation for the limitation to the velar point of articulation while the traditional notion of “ease of articulation” may explain the reason for this change.
Loving Nature in João Guimarães Rosa: The Non-human as 'amável'

In the present article, I locate an implicit environmentalism JoaoGuimaraes Rosa’s writing from the 1950s and 1960s. This sensibility is easy tomiss, in part because it transposes political debates on damage inflicted in thename of development and progress onto the affective-ethical plane; however, itdoes so in a way that resists sentimentality or projecting a misplaced innocenceonto the non-human world. Focusing on emotional relationships between humansand non-humans, I read “As margens da alegria” and “Os cimos” as expressingan eco-critical discourse that was already latent in Grande sertao: veredas.Recasting the natural world as a site of both unfathomable otherness and relationsof tenderness, Guimaraes Rosa presents the emotional hold that nature has onhumans and the cost of cleaving oneself from it—a cost that includes diminishingthe human capacity for delight, wonder, and eros.
A phase I trial of the mTOR inhibitor temsirolimus in combination with capecitabine in patients with advanced malignancies

Background Temsirolimus is an mTOR antagonist with proven anticancer efficacy. Preclinical data suggest greater anticancer effect when mTOR inhibitors are combined with cytotoxic chemotherapy. We performed a Phase I assessment of the combination of temsirolimus and capecitabine in patients with advanced solid tumors. Methods Patients were enrolled in an alternating dose escalation of temsirolimus (at 15 or 25 mg IV weekly) and capecitabine (at 750, 1000, and 1250 mg/m2 twice daily) in separate Q2-week and Q3-week cohorts. At the recommended Phase II doses (RP2Ds) of temsirolimus and capecitabine (Q2), seven patients were also treated with oxaliplatin (85 mg/m2 , day 1) to determine triplet combination safety and efficacy. Results Forty-five patients were enrolled and 41 were evaluable for dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs). The most common adverse events (AEs) were mucositis, fatigue, and thrombocytopenia. The most common grade 3/4 AEs were hypophosphatemia and anemia. Five patients had DLTs, including hypophosphatemia, mucositis, and thrombocytopenia. The RP2Ds were temsirolimus 25 mg +capecitabine 1000 mg/m2 (Q2); and temsirolimus 25 mg +capecitabine 750 mg/m2 (Q3). Of the 38 patients evaluable for response, one had a partial response (PR) and 19 had stable disease (SD). The overall disease control rate was 52%. Five of the 20 patients with SD/PR maintained disease control for >6 months. Conclusions The combination of temsirolimus and capecitabine is safe on both a Q2-week and a Q3-week schedule. The combination demonstrated promising evidence of disease control in this highly refractory population and could be considered for testing in disease-specific phase II trials.
Promoting Quality of Life in Advanced Dementia Care: Reading Buddies Program as Service-learning

The Reading Buddies Program was developed as a service-learning component of an Occupational Therapy Practice with Older Adults course as a collaboration between Tufts University and the VA Bedford Health Care System. The purpose of this service-learning program was to challenge graduate students’ implicit biases and improve communication skills when working with older adults with significant cognitive impairments. Through this collaboration, occupational therapy students provided individualized, activity-based care to Veterans with advanced dementia. In this qualitative study, a total of 55 guided reflection papers submitted by students were analyzed using NVivo. Four major themes emerged: “I was a fish out of water,” “I finally took a risk,” “And then I thought, maybe I should give myself a little credit,” and, “I am still experimenting with how I feel,” illustrating student outcomes and perceived benefits of participation in the Reading Buddies Program. Each theme reflected the development of clinical reasoning which was the targeted impact. Outcomes confirm service-learning as an effective tool and suggest further use for academic programs, emphasizing the potential of creative partnerships to meet educational goals while providing valuable programming to vulnerable populations.
Medical Care for Homeless Persons

Hypertension, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, infectious diseases, skin diseases, and osteoarthritis are common illnesses among persons who are homeless. Delivery of high-quality health care to homeless populations often requires an individualized patient-centered approach based on clinical practice guidelines and the patient’s circumstances. In this chapter, common patient scenarios are presented, challenges to care are discussed, and general strategies for health-care professionals are suggested.
Market Structure and Trading Volume

Historically, trading volume reported for NASDAQ stocks has been overstated vis-a-vis New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) stocks, due both to the dealer's participation in trades as a market maker and to interdealer trading. Beginning in 1997, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) changed order handling rules and trade reporting rules, which may have reduced or eliminated the overstatement of NASDAQ trading. We examine trading volumes of firms changing from NASDAQ to the NYSE since 1997 and document that reported trading volume for NASDAQ stocks continues to be overstated. Moreover, the degree of overstatement is much larger for firms with high trading volume.
Effects of alcohol on skeletal muscle contractile performance in male and female mice

Background Acute and chronic alcohol use can cause skeletal muscle myopathy in concert with impairments in skeletal muscle strength, function and fatigue resistance. However, the fundamental contractile deficits induced in the presence of alcohol versus those observed in the recovery period following the clearance of alcohol have not yet been characterized nor is it known whether sex influences these outcomes. Methods Male and female mice received an intraperitoneal injection of either saline (Control) or ethanol (EtOH; 5g/kg body weight). Muscle force, fatigue, fatigue recovery and twitch characteristics of the posterior crural muscle complex were measured in situ 1 hour and 24 hours post alcohol. Results In the presence of alcohol (1-hour post treatment) absolute and normalized force generated at 80-150 Hertz was decreased in male and female mice with concurrent reductions in the rate of force development and increases in ½ relaxation time. When expressed as a percentage of maximum force, both males and females also displayed an alcohol-induced leftward shift in the force frequency curve indicative of a type I contractile phenotype. Alcohol enhanced fatigue in both males and females but had no effect on force recovery. Following clearance of alcohol (24-hour post treatment), contractile function was completely restored in females while alcohol treated males experienced sustained reductions in absolute force and had enhanced fatigue compared with male controls. Conclusions In the presence of alcohol, both males and females exhibited significant declines in muscle force production and enhanced fatigue; however, following complete clearance of the alcohol, females recovered all functional parameters, while males did not.
Non-AIDS Immunologic Diseases

The broad category of noninfectious inflammatory pulmonary diseases encompasses a wide variety of pathologic entities with myriad clinical presentations. This chapter seeks to guide the informed, judicious use of imaging in the initial work-up and subsequent follow-up of patients with these often widely disparate conditions. The topics to be covered in this chapter include sarcoidosis, common variable immunodeficiency, primary immunodeficiencies (X-linked agammaglobulinemia, X-linked immunoproliferative syndrome), low-grade lymphoproliferative disorders (follicular bronchiolitis, lymphoid interstitial pneumonia, Castleman disease, lymphomatoid granulomatosis), and allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis.
VideoGraph: a graphical object-based model for representing and querying video data

Modeling video data poses a great challenge since they do not have as clear an underlying structure as traditional databases do. We propose a graphical object-based model, called VideoGraph, in this paper. This scheme has the following advantages: (1) In addition to semantics of video individual events, we capture their temporal relationships as well. (2) The inter-event relationships allow us to deduce implicit video information. (3) Uncertainty can also be handled by associating the video event with a temporal Boolean-like expression. This also allows us to exploit incomplete information. The above features make VideoGraph very flexible in representing various metadata types extracted from diverse information sources. To facilitate video retrieval, we also introduce a formalism for the query language based on path expressions. Query processing involves only simple traversal of the video graphs.
Reduced 1/f noise in high-mobility BN-graphene-BN heterostructure transistors

Raman spectroscopy was used to determine the number of atomic planes in the exfoliated graphene samples and verify the quality of the selected flakes (see Figure 2 (a)). The optical microscopy images of the exfoliated BN and graphene flakes, and the resulting heterostructure are shown in Figure 2 (b-c). The current-voltage (I–V) characteristics of a representative BN-graphene-BN HFET are shown in Figure 3 (a). Both the effective and field-effect mobility extractions gave consistent results and the room-temperature (RT) mobility was determined to be ∼30,000 cm2/Vs at 7·1011 cm−2. The normalized 1/f noise spectral density of the graphene encapsulated device is presented in Figure 3 (b). We found that the channel-area normalized noise spectral density in BN-graphene-BN HFET is factor of ×5 – ×10 smaller than that in typical reference graphene FETs without channel encapsulation. The observed strong noise reduction can be related to screening of the traps in SiO 2 by the BN barrier. Other possible physical mechanisms and prospects of further noise suppression will be discussed at the presentation.
Electron-bombardment and pyrolysis of meso- and dl-hydrobenzoin cyclic sulfites

Only a minor yield of sulfur dioxide positive ions is eliminated from the meso- and dl-hydrobenzoin cyclic sulfite molecules under electron bombardment. Among the principal fragmentation products for both sulfites are very similar yields of ions with m/e 154 and 126, which contain sulfur most probably attached to a phenyl ring. Positive ions apparently corresponding to those of diphenylacetaldehyde, desoxybenzoin, and stilbene are minor products of the positive-ion fragmentation process of the sulfites. These three compounds along with sulfur dioxide are the products of the pyrolysis of the sulfites at 240-250°. The principal product from the meso-sulfite is desoxybenzoin, and from the dl-sulfite it is diphenylacetaldehyde. Mechanistic details are discussed.
Gas-phase copper and silver complexes with phosphorothioate and phosphorodithioate pesticides investigated using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry.

Efforts to improve agricultural productivity have led to a growing dependency on organophosphorus pesticides. Phosphorothioate and phosphorodithioate pesticides are organophosphorus pesticide subclasses with widespread application for the control of insects feeding on vegetables and fruits. However, even low doses of these pesticides can cause neurological problems in humans; thus, their determination and monitoring in agricultural foodstuffs is important for human health. Phosphorothioate and phosphorodithioate pesticides may be poorly ionized during electrospray, adversely affecting limits of detection. These pesticides can form complexes with Cu2+ and Ag+, however, potentially improving ionization. In the present work, we used electrospray ionization/mass spectrometry (ESI/MS) to study fenitrothion, parathion, diazinon, and malathion coordination complexes with silver and copper ions. Stable 1 : 1 and 1 : 2 metal/pesticide complexes were detected. Mass spectra acquired from pesticide solutions containing Ag+ or Cu2+ showed a significant increase in signal-to-background ratio over those acquired from solutions containing only the pesticides, with Ag+ improving detection more effectively than Cu2+. Addition of Ag+ to a pesticide solution improved the limit of detection by ten times. The relative affinity of each pesticide for Ag+ was related to complex stability, following the order diazinon > malathion > fenitrothion > parathion. The formation of Ag+–pesticide complexes can significantly improve the detection of phosphorothioate and phosphorodithioate pesticides using ESI/MS. The technique could potentially be used in reactive desorption electrospray ionization/mass spectrometry to detect phosphorothioate and phosphorodithioate pesticides on fruit and vegetable skins. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Human Capital as a Transmission Mechanism of the Resource Curse

This study examines the relationship between natural resources abundance, human capital, andeconomic growth. It first seeks to confirm or refute the presence of the “resource curse” utilizing the most current data for developing countries. I hypothesize that a negative correlation currently exists between natural resources and economic growth in developing countries. This study then analyzes the relationship between human capital and resource abundance. I hypothesize that a negative correlation exists between human capital and resource abundance. This article is available in The Park Place Economist: http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/parkplace/vol12/iss1/17
Generalized chopper stabilization

The concept of traditional chopper-stabilized amplifiers is extended to linear dynamical and certain types of nonlinear circuits. Simulation results are given to confirm the theory.
Indicators of marginal biotin deficiency and repletion in humans: validation of 3-hydroxyisovaleric acid excretion and a leucine challenge

Background The results of clinical studies have provided evidence that marginal biotin deficiency is more common than was previously thought. A previous study of 10 subjects showed that the urinary excretion of biotin and 3-hydroxyisovaleric acid (3HIA) are early and sensitive indicators of marginal biotin deficiency.
Membrane folate-binding proteins are responsible for folate-protein conjugate endocytosis into cultured cells

Folate-protein conjugates have been shown to bind to and enter HeLa and KB cells by receptor-mediated endocytosis [Leamon and Low (1991) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 88, 5572-5576]. Although these cells contain a membrane folate-binding protein (FBP) involved in the uptake of free folate, no studies have been conducted to evaluate whether the folate-protein conjugates enter cells via the same protein. To address this issue, HeLa cell monolayers were treated with folate-labelled 125I-RNAase under various conditions characteristic of FBP-mediated folate uptake. Folate-labelled 125I-RNAase was found to bind to cells with high affinity (Kd = 24 nM), and like the free vitamin, its binding could be competitively blocked by excess free folate. Furthermore, binding could be reversed by either washing the cells with acid/saline, pH 3.0, or by treating the cells with phosphatidyl-inositol-specific phospholipase C, an enzyme known to release FBP from cell surfaces. Because cells pretreated with anti-FBP serum were unable to bind folate conjugates, and since the same antiserum identified a single 65 kDa band reminiscent of FBPs found in many other tissues, we conclude that a classical FBP is responsible for the uptake of folate-protein conjugates by receptor-bearing cells.
Multiresolutional intelligent controller for baby robot

This paper presents an algorithm of unsupervised learning for applications in robotics. Minimum initial knowledge is presumed ("bootstrap knowledge"). The learning system uses the newly arrived information to extract rules of motion and construct the world representation. The concept of recursive generalization is explored as the main tool of rule extraction and knowledge organization. The experiment in learning is described based upon simulation of a 2D and a 3D mobile system.
A Survey of Econometric Models of Office Markets

The construction of a disastrous oversupply of office space in the late 1980s created a strong need for better methods for analyzing and forecasting office markets. This article examines the econom...
Probing the Hydration of the Minor Groove of A·T Synthetic DNA Polymers by Volume and Heat Changes

The minor-groove ligand netropsin provides a sensitive probe of the hydration difference between poly(dA).poly(dT) and poly[d(AT)].poly[d(AT)]. We have measured the volume change delta V accompanying binding of netropsin to these polymers, using an improved magnetic suspension densimeter. For poly(dA).poly(dT) we find delta V = +97 mL/mol of bound netropsin at pH 7.0 and 10 mM sodium phosphate buffer. For poly[d(AT)].poly[d(AT)] we find delta V = -16 mL/mol of bound netropsin. This striking differential effect suggests that the poly(dA).poly(dT) duplex compresses more water (or is more extensively hydrated). From our enthalpy and entropy results we estimate the approximately 10 water molecules, immobilized in the minor groove of this system, are displaced by each netropsin bound. The volume increase, however, is substantially larger than can be explained by a simple melting of these immobilized water molecules in the minor groove. A decompression of at least 40 water molecules must attend the complexation to the poly(dA).poly(dT) duplex. This suggests that the conformation change attending the binding of the drug to this polymer duplex causes a further dehydration, whereas no such change in dehydration and configuration for the heteropolymer system is indicated.
Attributes of highly effective criminal defense negotiators

Abstract A major role of the criminal defense attorney is that of professional plea bargainer. What attributes do those defenders who excel at plea bargaining tend to possess? Chief district attorneys throughout a wide region of the country were asked to think of a local defense attorney who was exceptionally effective at negotiating plea bargains in nonroutine cases. With this defender in mind, they filled out a questionnaire about his/her negotiating style, legal skills, and personality traits as contrasted with those of most other attorneys in their jurisdiction. The data revealed that most of these stellar defense negotiators used a cooperative negotiation style. Though most were extroverts, a sizeable minority were introverts. Virtually, all of them were in strong control of their emotions and this trait (emotional stability) proved to be the most important characteristic of all.
Managing an assemble-to-order system with after sales market for components

Abstract In this paper, we consider an assemble-to-order manufacturing system producing a single end product, assembled from n components, and serving an after sales market for individual components. Components are produced in a make-to-stock fashion, one unit at a time, on independent production facilities. Production times are exponentially distributed with finite production rates. The components are stocked ahead of demand and therefore incur a holding cost rate per unit. Demand for the end product as well as for the individual components occurs continuously over time according to independent Poisson streams. In order to characterize the optimal production and inventory rationing policies, we formulate such a problem using a Markov decision process framework. In particular, we show that the optimal component production policy is a state-dependent base-stock policy. We also show that the optimal component inventory rationing policy is a rationing policy with state-dependent rationing levels. Recognizing that such a policy is generally not only difficult to obtain numerically but also is difficult to implement in practice, we propose three heuristic policies that are easier to implement in practice. We show that two of these heuristics are highly efficient compared to the optimal policy. In particular, we show that one of the two heuristics strikes a balance between high efficiency and computational effort and thus can be used as an effective substitute of the optimal policy.
Unilateral masticatory muscle hypertrophy with mandibular ramus hyperostosis

Abstract Acquired masseteric muscle hypertrophy is a benign diagnosis that is often made clinically as a result of consultation for facial asymmetry. However, there may need to investigate for existing salivary gland pathology when history is not compelling for known causes not compelling for known causes of unilateral masticatory muscle hypertrophy. Differentiation of masticatory muscle hypertrophy from congenital hemifacial hypertrophy, partial hemifacial hypertrophy, vascular malformations and neoplastic lesions is important because of the unique treatment approaches. We present case of acquired unilateral masticatory muscle hypertrophy with enlargement of the mandible. The complementary role of different imaging options, utility of muscle biopsy in narrowing the differential diagnosis and avoiding misdiagnosis are discussed.
Solute sources and water mixing in a flashy mountainous stream (Pahsimeroi River, U.S. Rocky Mountains): Implications on chemical weathering rate and groundwater-surface water interaction

Abstract Identifying solute sources and mixing processes between various water types is challenging in geologically diverse, fractured rock settings, where various minerals contribute to solute loads and mixing between groundwater and surface water can occur at difficult-to-delineate point locations. In such regions, chemical indicators that allow constraining characteristic mineral fingerprints of drainage lithology or aquifer end-members are critical. This study assesses solute sources and water mixing in the Pahsimeroi River, a small stream with highly variable discharge draining two heavily deformed mountain ranges of the U.S. Rocky Mountains. Solute inputs to the main stream were estimated using an end-member mixing model with 87 Sr/ 86 Sr and Na/Sr ratios as tracers considering that these depict the compositional variability pertaining to the various carbonate and silicate lithologies of the basin. Our results show that the mean solute input from carbonate-dominated terrains decreases from 95.9% in the headwaters to about 36.4% in the lowlands while the corresponding inputs from volcanic and metamorphic sources increase from 3.63% to 51.0% and 0.45% to 12.6%, respectively. Data further indicate highly variable chemical weathering rates with highest values observed in the steeper uplands. Calculated CO 2 consumption rates (mean value: 0.14 Mmol km − 2 a − 1 ) are lower than the reported continental average (0.21 Mmol km − 2 a − 1 ) possibly due to lower than average streamflow at the time of sampling and significant input of carbonate solute-enriched baseflow in the downstream sections where the basin shallows and decreases in width. The herein delineated gaining stream segments are consistent with those deduced from downstream seepage runs which suggests that groundwater sustains perennial flow in the agriculturally developed lowlands.
Experimental Study of the Transient Underexpanded Jet Generated by Electrothermal Capillary Plasma

An investigation has been conducted of the characteristics of a highly underexpanded pulsed plasma jet originating from a 3.1-kJ electrothermal capillary discharge. Excitation temperatures and electron number densities were derived from spatially and temporally resolved emission spectra, and the flowfield was visualized using laser schlieren imaging. The emission measurements were made at several locations along the jet axis and at several times during the course of the discharge, to investigate the development of the jet temperature and electron density fields. In general, it is found that the temperature and electron density axial profiles are similar when the axial location is normalized by the distance from the jet exit to the Mach disk. For most of the discharge, the excitation temperatures upstream of the Mach disk are about 1 eV (12,000 K), but increase to 1.7 eV (20,000 K) just downstream of the Mach disk. Similarly, the electron number densities are of order 10 1 7 and 10 1 8 cm - 3 , for locations upstream and downstream of the Mach disk, respectively. Analysis of the trajectory of the blast wave shows that it is best modeled by accounting for continuous, rather than instantaneous, deposition of energy at a point.
Teaching and Learning in Small Groups: An Analysis of Trainer Interventions.

This article presents a conceptual modelfor assessing trainer interventions. Among the interventions made by trainers in two self-study groups, those judged as having contributed most to what group members learned were analyzed, yielding an 18-cluster system for categorizing trainers' teaching acts. These clusters were grouped into several conceptual dimensions: Authority, Responsibility, and Power; Anxiety and Resistance; Personal and Interpersonal Issues; and Trainer as Teacher. All trainer interventions made in these two groups were recoded according to the 18-cluster system, and subsequent analyses examined trainer-member agreement, contributions to learning by cluster and dimension, and the impact of the intervention's level of complexity. The results show that group members learn best when provided with a theoretical framework and concepts to make meaning of their experiences in the group and when they are taught how to use their inner lives to provide information about that experience.
Prediction of Single Phase Heat and Momentum Transport in a Spiraling Radial Inflow Microchannel Heat Sink

This paper presents a model for analysis of heat and momentum transport in a novel spiraling radial inflow heat sink. The design provides uniform heat removal at high heat flux rates making this design attractive for electronics cooling applications or for heat removal from concentrating solar photovoltaic systems. The design consists of swirling flow in a microchannel between two concentric disk surfaces with flow accelerating inwards and then exiting at the center. The geometry of the flow path can further be varied to increase heat transfer and allow for greater surface temperature control. The governing flow and energy equations are solved using the integral method to achieve solutions for both the constant wall heat flux and constant wall temperature conditions. The model is used to explore the parametric effects of inlet flow and passage geometry, including constant and varying channel sizes. Case studies are examined for liquid water as the working fluid rejecting heat fluxes up to 100 W/cm2 while keeping surfaces below 80 °C.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Price behavior in China's wheat futures market

Abstract Wheat futures prices have been playing an active role in China's agricultural price system since the contract's debut at the China Zhengzhou Commodity Exchange (CZCE). This paper analyzes CZCE wheat futures prices from 2000 to 2002 quantitatively. Results show the prices have unit root and time-varying variances. Alternative ARCH, GARCH, and ARMA models are fitted to the data resulting in the selection of AR(1), ARCH(2), and GARCH(1,1) models. Comparisons of these three models indicate that ARCH/GARCH describes the prices better than ARMA model, and GARCH further improves upon ARCH. Out-of-sample prediction performance also confirms this result.
MULTISTAGE HYBRID FLOWSHOP SCHEDULING WITH IDENTICAL JOBS AND UNIFORM PARALLEL MACHINES

SUMMARY The single-stage scheduling problem to minimize the makespan of identical jobs with general release times on uniform parallel machines is known to be solvable in polynomial time using the latest start time (LST) rule to determine the optimal schedule. In this paper, we first show that the two-stage problem is NP-hard using a known result that the three-stage problem with equal job release times is NP-hard. The rest of the paper consists of two parts. In the first paper, we compare the extension of the LST rule to the general multistage problem with other heuristics. We compare the heuristics based on the theoretically determined worst-case absolute error bound and on the experimentally determined average deviation from a developed lower bound. The analysis shows that in the presence of many stages, the LST rule does not perform as well as the other heuristics even though they are suboptimal for the single-stage problem. In the second part of this paper, we present a (2#e)-approximation algorithm for the multi-stage problem. Copyright ( 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Fine structure in H II regions - Synthesis observations at 11 and 3.7 centimeters.

New high-resolution observations of several H II regions are reported. Improved values for the physical parameters describing the structure are deduced from their continuum spectra. The results are compared with estimates obtained by other means. The data are found to agree surprisingly well with the results of Andrews et al. (1971). The relation between the structure and the parent H II region is also investigated.
Fabrication of flexible nanostructured silver-polymer films for sensors and bio-warfare or bacterial treatment and conducting gold-silver-polymer film for flexible electronics

Flexible nanostructured and conducting metal-polymer films have been found promising applications in pharmaceuticals and flexible electronics. These could be used as anti-bacterial agent, bio-warfare treatment, or as sensors for environmental monitoring and protection. However, mechanical strength and metal-polymer adhesion are crucial issues for practical applications of such films. Another issue associated with synthesis of such polymers is the necessity of a simple, convenient and cost-effective method. This work focused on the above issues and reports the synthesis of nanostructured Ag-polymer films (brown, blue and golden colored) and conductive Au-Ag-polymer film with a good combination of flexibility, mechanical strength and metal-polymer adhesion. The films were synthesized by simple and cost-effective routes. Ag-polymer films were prepared by one-step method through studying the effect of metal concentration and curing process. Conductive film was obtained by gold plating on the selected Ag-polymer film. SEM and EDS clearly indicated the existence of metal particles on the metal-polymer films.
The Mass of Positive Ions in a Glow Discharge

Preliminary results are presented here in an attempt to determine directly the mass of gas ions in air, ${\mathrm{N}}_{2}$, ${\mathrm{O}}_{2}$, and S${\mathrm{O}}_{2}$. The ions were formed in a glow discharge, allowed to drift at low velocity through a distance of 2.5 cm, and passed as a molecular beam through a slit 0.01 mm by 5.0 mm where the mass spectrum was analyzed with a positive ray analysis apparatus of the Dempster type. The pressure in the discharge and drift spaces was maintained at 0.1 to 0.5 mm of mercury. The following ions appeared in relatively large quantities: ${\mathrm{N}}^{+}$, $\mathrm{N}_{3}^{}{}_{}{}^{+}{}_{2}{}^{}{}_{}{}^{}$, ${\mathrm{O}}^{+}$, $\mathrm{N}_{2}^{}{}_{}{}^{+}$, $\mathrm{O}_{2}^{}{}_{}{}^{+}$, $\mathrm{O}_{3}^{}{}_{}{}^{+}$, S$\mathrm{O}_{2}^{}{}_{}{}^{+}$, and ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$S$\mathrm{O}_{3}^{}{}_{}{}^{+}$. In addition a smear of heavier ions appeared in smaller numbers, though the intensity was greater in air than in the pure gases and, in air, became relatively larger at high pressures. Peaks corresponding to molecular weights of 56-64, 76, 80, 96, 108, 138, 140, 168 and 200 were the most prominent indicating the presence of such ions as 2$\mathrm{N}_{2}^{}{}_{}{}^{+}$, ${\mathrm{N}}_{2}$$\mathrm{O}_{2}^{}{}_{}{}^{+}$, 2$\mathrm{O}_{2}^{}{}_{}{}^{+}$, ${\mathrm{N}}_{2}$$\mathrm{O}_{3}^{}{}_{}{}^{+}$ and heavier combinations. $\mathrm{N}_{3}^{}{}_{}{}^{+}$ and $\mathrm{O}_{3}^{}{}_{}{}^{+}$ ions apparently play an important role in gas ion phenomena though the $\mathrm{N}_{3}^{}{}_{}{}^{+}$ is relatively unstable since it breaks up in the magnetic field into $\mathrm{N}_{2}^{}{}_{}{}^{+}$ + N. In view of the results it seems likely that air ions aged over a considerable period of time are of a complex and heterogeneous nature, due probably to the formation of nitric oxides, while the ions in pure gases remain monatomic, diatomic and triatomic except for attachment to impurities.
Increased volume reduction of late left-atrial emptying for patients with pseudonormal mitral inflow: an analysis for differentiation between normal and pseudonormal mitral inflow.

This study was designed to define the role of left atrial (LA) wall motion during left ventricular (LV) diastolic phase for patients with pseudonormal mitral inflow. We perform the M-mode of posterior aortic, indicating LA, wall motion, and Doppler echocardiography following cardiac catheterization among 71 patients with a ratio of early (E) to late mitral flow (A) >1. The amplitude of total LA wall motion (TM), early LA rapid emptying (EM), and late LA emptying (AM) during the LV diastolic phase were all derived from M-mode analysis. Study patients were classified into two distinct groups according to the LV end-diastolic pressure (EDP): patients with a LVEDP value or = 15 mmHg (n = 35, pseudonormal group). Values of AM (4.7 +/- 1.2 vs 5.5 +/- 1.2 mm) and AM/TM (0.43 +/- 0.07 vs 0.55 +/- 0.08) for the normal and pseudonormal groups, respectively, were significantly higher for the pseudonormal group, whereas EM (6.6 +/- 1.8 vs 4.8 +/- 1.4 mm), TM (11 +/- 3 vs 10 +/- 2 mm), EM/AM (1.41 +/- 0.46 vs 0.91 +/- 0.28), EM/TM (0.58 +/- 0.10 vs 0.48 +/- 0.07) were significantly higher for the normal group. Among these parameters, AM/TM correlated best with the time constant of LV isovolumic relaxation (r = 0.77, P 0.5 as an indicator of LV diastolic function abnormality, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive values, and negative predictive values for the detection of pseudonormalization were 85%, 94%, 94%, and 87%, respectively. These findings suggest that the increased volume reduction of late LA emptying (AM/TM) during LV diastolic phase assessed by M-mode echocardiography is useful for evaluating pseudonormal mitral inflow.
The Use of Objects' Faces in Interpreting Line Drawings

The two parts, which this paper is composed of, deal each with scene interpretation via gaining understanding of the faces of the objects in the scene. The first part extends the set of rules defined in a previous work regarding the assembling of all lines belonging to the same face. The set of rules, originally defined for curved object, can be extended if we confine ourselves to polyhedra. In the second part, a new concept is defined and developed, which leads to a new way of looking at polyhedral line drawings. It puts under the same roof almost all consistency checks known for polyhedra, in a natural and simple way. Geometric inconsistencies as well as interpretations inconsistencies are treated uniformly and in a straightforward manner. Through this concept a way is suggested for acquiring some understanding of back faces, and for suggesting plausible interpretation for them. The generality of this concept is demonstrated through the fact that previously known catalogs of labeled junctions can be derived directly from this concept.