cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Non-native gastropods in high elevation horticultural facilities in Hawaii: a threat to native biodiversity

To preserve native floras and faunas of tropical oceanic islands, it is critical to limit the establishment of terrestrial non-native gastropods (i.e. snails, including slugs), particularly those from temperate regions, as they can become abundant in high elevation areas, often the last refuges of native species. In Hawaii, the horticultural trade has been associated with many introductions, but threats posed by nurseries at high elevations have not been assessed. To examine these potential threats, we surveyed gastropods in 21 high elevation (> 500 m) horticultural/agricultural facilities on three Hawaiian Islands (Oahu, Maui and Hawaii) and compared these surveys to 31 previous low elevation nursery surveys (< 500 m) on the same islands. High elevation nurseries harbored distinct non-native gastropod assemblages, which were composed primarily of species from temperate regions. Gastropods from temperate regions had larger elevation ranges in nurseries than those from tropical areas. Our results highlight that nurseries, particularly those at higher elevations, represent key sources for establishment of temperate gastropods, a critical threat to the remaining Hawaiian biodiversity. We also found that high elevation nurseries on Maui and Hawaii supported non-native species not found in Oahu nurseries, indicating that Oahu may not be the only source of introductions into high elevation nurseries. We hope these results will spur active control of non-native gastropods in nurseries, particularly those at higher elevations, to potentially prevent further ecological damage to the already imperiled Hawaiian flora and fauna.
Psychometric Properties of the Altarum Consumer Engagement (ACE) Measure of Activation in Patients with Prediabetes.

Patient activation is associated with better outcomes in chronic conditions. We evaluated the psychometric properties of the 12-item Altarum Consumer Engagement™ Measure (ACE-12) in patients with prediabetes. ACE-12 was administered to patients in the Prediabetes Informed Decisions and Education Study. We conducted an exploratory factor analysis followed by confirmatory factor analytic models. We evaluated item response categories using item characteristic curves. Construct validity was assessed by examining correlations of the ACE-12 scales with education, depressive symptoms, self-rated health, hemoglobin A1c, body mass index, and weight loss. Participants (n = 515) had a median age of 58; 56% were female; 17% Hispanic; 54% were non-White. The scree plot and Tucker and Lewis reliability coefficient (0.95) suggested three factors similar to the original scales. One item loaded on the navigation rather than the informed choice scale. Ordinal alpha coefficients for the original scales were commitment (0.75); informed choice (0.71); and navigation (0.54). ICCs indicated that one or more of the response categories for 5 of the 12 items were never most likely to be selected. Patients with lower education were less activated on the commitment (r = − 0.124, p = 0.004), choice (r = − 0.085, p = 0.009), and overall score (r = − 0.042, p = 0.011). Patients with depressive symptoms had lower commitment (r = − 0.313, p ≤ 0.001) and overall scores (r = − 0.172, p = 0.012). Patients with poorer health scored lower on the Commitment (r = − 0.308, p ≤ 0.001), Navigation (r = − 0.137, p ≤ 0.001), and overall score (r = − 0.279, p ≤ 0.001). The analyses provide some support for the psychometric properties of the ACE-12 in prediabetic patients. Future research evaluating this tool among patients with other chronic conditions are needed to determine whether Q1 (I spend a lot of time learning about health) should remain in the informed choice or be included in the navigation scale. Additional items may be needed to yield acceptable reliability for the navigation scale.
Zero-iodinated contrast retrograde percutaneous coronary interventions of chronic total occlusions using gadolinium and imaging guidance: a case report of a patient with severe anaphylaxis to iodinated contrast.

Background Gadolinium-based contrast agents have been used as an alternative to iodinated contrast agents for simple percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs) in patients with obstructive coronary artery disease. Their use has been limited in complex PCI due to poor image quality with gadolinium contrast. Significant dilution of gadolinium is required in an effort to avoid malignant ventricular arrhythmias. Further, the recommended amount of gadolinium contrast that can be used is very limited. Case summary We describe a case of patient with severe anaphylaxis to iodinated contrast agents despite pre-exposure prophylaxis with steroids and histamine blockers who underwent intravascular imaging-guided PCI of chronic total occlusions (CTOs) of left anterior descending and dominant left circumflex arteries using gadolinium contrast. Discussion In patients with anaphylaxis to iodinated contrast agents (i) complex coronary interventions including CTO PCI can be successfully performed without use of iodinated contrast, and (ii) combination of intravascular ultrasound guidance and gadolinium-based contrast agents can be safely and effectively used to perform complex PCI.
FDI and Economic Growth: The Role of Local Financial Markets*

Abstract In this paper, we examine the various links among foreign direct investment (FDI), financial markets, and economic growth. We explore whether countries with better financial systems can exploit FDI more efficiently. Empirical analysis, using cross-country data between 1975 and 1995, shows that FDI alone plays an ambiguous role in contributing to economic growth. However, countries with well-developed financial markets gain significantly from FDI. The results are robust to different measures of financial market development, the inclusion of other determinants of economic growth, and consideration of endogeneity.
Effect of a carbon nanotube coating on friction and impact performance of Kevlar

Because surface treatments of high-performance fibers have previously resulted in increased friction and improved impact performance, it was of interest to evaluate the influence of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) on impact performance and contributing constituent properties of Kevlar. Kevlar K129 yarns and fabrics were modified via sonication in a solution of N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP) and MWNTs. This method has the potential to both improve the intrinsic properties of the fibers themselves as well as increase the friction, with very low mass addition. Tensile, static friction, and pull-out tests were performed to compare the properties of MWNT-treated materials to neat. As a result of MWNT augmentation, yarn modulus increased up to 15 %, and static and kinetic friction coefficients increased up to 30 %. Yarn pull-out tests revealed up to a 230 % increase in the forces required to pull-out yarns. To study the effects of MWNT augmentation on dynamic performance, low-velocity impact tests of steel spheres on a single ply of fabric were performed. These experiments demonstrated approximately 50 % increase in ballistic limit for MWNT-treated Kevlar with negligible (0.4–1.4 %) increase in mass. Entanglement among MWNTs along with increased surface roughness and surface area increased the resistance to motion, improving impact performance by increasing the energy required to pull-out yarns from the textile, while inhibiting textile windowing and driving a larger number of yarn failures. The observed changes in fabric response suggest that MWNT treatments have the potential to improve the ballistic limit of fabrics through increased interfilament and interyarn friction without compromising fiber strength or adding significant mass.
When does introducing verifiable communication choices improve welfare

This paper studies when introducing verifiable communication choices between agents in a cheap-talk benchmark setting, with social tie, is beneficial to welfare. In our model agents have two ways to communicate their private information: either through a costly verifiable information (hard) link or through a low-cost cheap talk (soft) link. We identify that the appearance of hard links in the pure cheap talk setting has two opposing effects on welfare: (i) a positive effect stems from the information improvement and (ii) a negative effect arises from crowding out soft communication with costly verifiable communication. Surprisingly, the final welfare outcome of the two opposing forces depends on the cost structure. If only one party bears the cost of a hard link, then the positive (informational) effect always dominates the negative (crowding out) effect, and thus introducing hard links is beneficial to welfare. In contrast, if the cost of a hard link is shared by both parties, then allowing for verifiable communication can be detrimental to welfare. We also derive several testable implications about introducing hard links in corporate governance, and demonstrate the robustness of our findings in face of heterogenous costs, general signal structures, as well as the case where cost is endogenizied via negotiation about how to split the costs.
Medical surgical case work-up

This is a presentation dealing with the decision process “to cut, or not to cut” on several specific cases. Pros and cons of surgery as well as the resulting findings and ultimate outcome are presented in a lively discussion format. Some case reports have been omitted due to lack of space.
Structural Studies of Aldo-Keto Reductase Inhibition

Aldose reductase (ALR2) has long been a target for drug design to combat complications which arise in diabetes (Dvornik et al., 1973). The enzyme’s ability to reduce in an NADPH-dependent manner, glucose in its carbonyl-containing, open chain form to sorbitol has been linked to a number of these complications affecting a number of tissues. A large number of ALR2 inhibitors have been developed (reviewed in Sarges & Oates, 1993) but most have not proven to be clinically effective. These disappointing results may be attributed to the inhibition of other members of the aldo-keto reductase family of proteins. This set of enzymes shares considerable sequence homology and consequently has overlapping substrate and inhibitor specificity.
Solution‐based SERS method to detect dithiocarbamate fungicides in different real‐world matrices

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) has become a valuable tool for the characterization of trace quantities of environmental toxins. Utilizing established wet chemical synthetic protocols, dogbone-shaped colloidal gold nanoparticle substrates with sharp features were prepared with regions that exhibit significant SERS enhancement due to the lightning rod effect. These highly enhancing substrates were utilized for the quantitative determination of two dithiocarbamate fungicides by SERS in several complex matrices such as tap water, apple juice, and vegetable juice. Limits of detection and quantitation are reported and compared with Environmental Protection Agency mandated maximum allowable concentrations in tap water. In the case of tap water, limits of detection of 13.39 ± 3.89 nM for thiram and 1.78 ± 0.20 nM for ferbam was achieved. The sensitivity of the solution-based SERS method decreased with increasing complexity of the matrix in which the limit of detection achieved in apple juice is 47.22 nM for thiram and 11.88 ± 1.38 nM for ferbam and that for vegetable juice is 87.01 ± 2.88 nM for thiram and 36.72 ± 2.90 nM for ferbam. It was found that using the solution-based SERS method results in sensitivities that are greater than that required by Environmental Protection Agency mandated maximum allowable concentrations for complex matrices such as apple and vegetable juice. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Recent Experimental Neutron Resonance Spectroscopy Results as a Test of Statistical Theories of Short and Long Range Order for Level Spacings

During 1968 and 1970, we obtained large amounts of high quality neutron resonance spectroscopy data using the Columbia University Nevis Synchrocyclotron. This report emphasizes our experimental results for even-even nuclei having 150 < A < 190. In the oast, attempts to make detailed comparison of experimental resonance energies for nuclei for such “best test” cases as Th232 or U238 with theory gave poor fits for those tests which assumed that a single s level population only was present, and were sensitive to the inclusion of a partial extra p level population. For 150 < A < 190, the s level strength function S0 is sufficiently greater than the p level strength function S1 that all p levels tend to be weaker than all but a very small fraction of the s levels, providing a better separation of the two populations. Our results for Erl66, Erl68, wl82, wl84, Sml52, and Ybl72 were of particularly good quality, and give good agreement with the following statistical tests. Except for Er168, they seem to have only s levels, and for Er168 the p levels can be cleanly separated out on the basis of their strength.
Reliability: The Other Dimension of Quality

During the past twenty years, manufacturing industries, particularly in the United States, have gone through a revolution in the use of statistical methods for product quality. Tools for process mo...
How to Justify Teaching False Science.

We often knowingly teach false science. Such a practice conflicts with a prima facie pedagogical value placed on teaching only what is true. I argue that only a partial dissolution of the conflict is possible: the proper aim of instruction in science is not to provide an armory of facts about what things the world contains, how they interact, and so on, but rather to contribute to an understanding of how science as a human endeavor works and what sorts of facts about the world science aims to provide. Such an aim legislates for an increased prominence of history and philosophy in even secondary science education. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Sci Ed92:526–542, 2008
Does body dissatisfaction predict mental health outcomes in a sample of predominantly Hispanic college students

While body dissatisfaction research has focused primarily with non-Hispanic White populations, it may also adversely affect minority mental health. The purpose of this study is to assess the association between body dissatisfaction and measures of mental health in a predominantly Hispanic college sample. One hundred seventy-four college students at a Hispanic-serving university in the Southwest United States completed self-report measures of life satisfaction, self-esteem, depression, psychological well-being, neuroticism and body image. Males comprised 38.3% of the sample. While the single greatest predictor of mental health was neuroticism (explaining between 22% and 44% of the incremental variance in the outcome measures), the body dissatisfaction by sex interaction explained additional variability in three of the four mental health outcome measures, such that increased body dissatisfaction adversely impacted mental health among women. Increased body dissatisfaction was predictive of poor general psychological well-being for both sexes. Men and individuals with lower body mass indices had better mental health outcomes. While neuroticism was clearly the strongest predictor of mental health, body dissatisfaction was related to poor mental health among women in a predominantly Hispanic sample of college students.
Pulsed electron deposition of fluorine-based precursors for YBa2Cu3O7−x-coated conductors

Pulsed electron deposition (PED), an ablation-based film growth technique similar to pulsed-laser deposition, is a relatively new method for the physical vapour deposition (PVD) of thin films. This paper describes the implementation of PED in a reel-to-reel apparatus for the room-temperature deposition of fluorine-based precursors onto buffered and textured Ni?W tapes (RABiTS). These precursors have been converted into superconducting YBa2Cu3O7?x films with high critical currents. The influence of the PED parameters, the background gas pressure, and the target composition on the resulting material is analysed. Ion-probe measurements are used to monitor the deposition process and aid in the determination of the optimum deposition conditions. Special emphasis is placed on issues related to throughput and reliability. The strengths of the PED approach are discussed together with a careful analysis of the open issues and limiting factors that determine whether this method can be used for the commercial fabrication of coated conductors.
Doped HfO 2 based nanoelectronic memristive devices for self-learning neural circuits and architecture

In this work we introduce a two-terminal memristive device using Mn doped HfO2. The devices can emulate synaptic behavior based on their transient characteristics. These properties can be exploited to show spike-timing based learning in a network of neurons and synapses. We use the device characteristics to simulate a 4×4 crossbar array of synapses and observe the evolution of the weights over time. The effect of device variability on the performance of synaptic weight update has been examined based on different test conditions of initial randomness and variation in percentage change of strength during spike-timing based updates. Some inferences have been drawn regarding the need of additional circuits for improving reliability of the cross-bar arrays. We believe this study is critical in assessing the design constraints and requirements necessary for integrating memristive devices in crossbars for spike based computations.
Regional cerebral energy metabolism in bicuculline induced seizures

In order to assess the early regional changes in energy metabolism in bicuculline induced seizures, mice were injected and sacrificed before the onset of overt seizure activity, and shortly after clonic-tonic seizures began. The energy metabolites glucose, ATP, and phosphocreatine were measured in layers of the motor cortex and the cerebellar vermis. Results showed minimal metabolite changes in the cerebellum, whereas changes in energy metabolism in the motor cortex were largely localized to the layers containing pyramidal cells. These results are in agreement with previous studies showing a relative sparing of the cerebellum, and suggest early cortical changes occur in pyramidal cells.
Landauer's conductance formula and its generalization to finite voltages

We recast the expression for tunneling current to show that the energy averaging due to a finite voltage is statistically independent from the energy averaging due to finite temperature. The energy averaging takes the mathematical form of convolutions. Convolving the standard Landauer conductance formula in energy with a voltage windowing function averages the conductance over an energy range equal to the applied voltage, just as the independent convolution with the Fermi-Dirac probability density function averages the conductance over an energy range equal to the temperature. We illustrate the effects of voltage broadening versus ordinary thermal broadening of the conductance using a quasi-one-dimensional ballistic conductor as a model system, as in the recent experiments of van Wees et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 60, 848 (1988)] and Wharam et al. [J. Phys. C 21, L209 (1988)].
Molten salt synthesis and dielectric properties of Pb(Fe12Nb12)O3−Pb(Fe12Ta12)O3 (PFN-PFT) solid solutions

Abstract Solid solutions of PFN ( Pb ( Fe 1 2 Nb 1 2 ) O 3 ) and PFT ( Pb ( Fe 1 2 Ta 1 2 ) O 3 ) were synthesized by a molten salt method in the temperature range 800–900 °C. The temperatures needed to form the pure perovskite phase of PFN were lower than those needed for PFT. However, the powders synthesized at higher temperature (900°C) tended to decompose during sintering at high temperatures. The particle size was not uniform and the average particle size increased with increasing amounts of PFN. The sintered samples exhibited a bi-modal grain distribution. The average grain size was found to increase with increasing Nb concentration and larger particle size of the starting powders. The Curie temperatures Tc of this solid solution system decreased with increasing amounts of PFT. Furthermore the characteristics of relaxor dielectrics became evident as the concentration of PFT increased.
The SuperShrink interview: Active versus passive questioning and student satisfaction

Abstract Many attempts have been made to simulate and study human behavior using computers. SuperShrink , an educational simulation of a clinical interview for undergraduate psychology students, is described and evaluated with special attention to the optimal balance of interview structure and realism created by how students question the simulated patient. An empirical study of three questioning methods is reported. Data from between-group and within-subjects comparisons indicate students prefer typing suggested questions to menu-driven or automatic methods, suggesting the make-believe aspects of a realistic simulation are more important to users than efficiency, once enough structure is provided to keep frustration within comfortable limits. Empirical analysis of student behavior in computer based educational settings is advocated to aid the development of these instructional aids and as convenient laboratories in which to study personality and cognitive topics of interests to psychologists.
Solvent effects on the photophysical properties of dibucaine: a quinoline analogue

— Emission and absorption spectra of neutral, monocation and dication dibucaine were recorded in hydrocarbon and hydroxylic solvents. The spectral analysis indicates that the lowest electronic states of dibucaine originate from the quinoline analogue in the molecule. The fluorescence and phosphorescence emission of neutral dibucaine in all solvents at 77 K are best assigned as resulting from 1n,π* and 3π,π*, respectively, whereas those of both monocation and dication dibucaines are found to have 1π,π* and 3π,π*. The monocation and neutral dibucaines in ethanol solutions were shown to give identical emission spectral properties, indicating that dibucaine-HCl in ethanol is H+ dissociative; this was confirmed by FT-IR studies. The possible explanations for the deprotonation of dibucaine-HCl in ethanol environments are discussed.
Some thermodynamic aspects of the high-temperature transition in doped V2O3

Measurements of the entropy change are reported for the high-temperature metal-insulator (MI) transitions in the (V1−xCrx)2O3 and (V1−xAlx)2O3 systems. It is emphasized that the entropy of the I phase exceeds that of the M phase. Evidence is presented to show that the M and I phases coexist over a narrow temperature range. The transformation is attended by enormous hysteresis effects; these indicate that the lattice plays an important role in the transition. The probable role of Cr3+ and Al3+ as a dopant in the V2O3 lattice is briefly discussed. A phase diagram for the dilute V2O3-Al2O3 alloy system is presented.
Enhanced Akt phosphorylation and myogenic differentiation in PI3K p110β-deficient myoblasts is mediated by PI3K p110α and mTORC2

Phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) is a principal regulator of Akt activation and myogenesis; however, the function of PI3K p110β in these processes is not well defined. To address this, we investigated the role of p110β in Akt activation and skeletal muscle cell differentiation. We found that Akt phosphorylation was enhanced in p110β-deficient myoblasts in response to Insulin-like Growth Factor-I (IGF-I), epidermal growth factor, or p110α overexpression, as compared to p110β-sufficient cells. This effect was associated with increased mammalian target of rapamycin complex 2 activation, even in myoblasts deficient in mSin1 and rictor. Conversely, in response to the G-protein-coupled receptor agonist lysophosphatidic acid, Akt phosphorylation was attenuated in p110β-deficient myoblasts. Loss of p110β also enhanced the expression of myogenic markers at the myoblast stage and during the first 48 h of differentiation. These data demonstrate that reductions in p110β are associated with agonist-specific Akt hypera...
FROM LOCAL TO NATIONAL POLITICAL CULTURES : SOCIAL CAPITAL AND CIVIC ORGANIZATION IN THE GREAT PLAINS

From Local to National Political Cultures: Social Capital and Civic Organization in the Great Plains It is exciting to think about Putnam’s concept of social capital in the context of the semi-arid American Great Plains. Will his theorem hold in an environment so different—in every social and physical sense—from that of urban Italy? Putnam ands that people who form voluntary associations based on common activities or concerns experience greater levels of social integration and political involvement. He calls this civic engagement “social capital” because the power of the group transcends potential individual productivity. Beneats of these reciprocal networks include better community institutions; the building of neighborhood trust, resulting in lower crime rates; and political activism to further local needs. In his work on Italy, Putnam focuses on the overtly political ramiacations of social capital. He shows that as regional measures of social capital became stronger in Italy from 1970 to 1989, politicians responded by placing greater emphasis on compromise and efaciency. By pooling resources, citizens were able to alter the prevailing beliefs about government’s role and its relationship to the community, which Putnam terms “political culture.” As a result of the active application of social capital, politicians viewed regional loyalty as more important than party afaliation, and citizen satisfaction as a concrete and achievable goal.
ORGANIZATIONAL GROWTH: BIG IS BEAUTIFUL

Even though corporate expansion does not necessarily improve financial performance, large organizations still enjoy many advantages.
Studies in the semicontinuous liquid microextraction of alkaloids and barbiturates

The recovery of nine barbiturates and thirty-seven basic compounds, most of them alkaloids, by means of a rapid three-phase semicontinuous extraction technique was studied. All barbiturates gave recoveries in excess of 50 per cent. Twenty-eight of the basic substances could be recovered with a yield of better than 50 per cent, and nearly all of them transferred sufficiently to assure detection in the extract. The yields were not satisfactory with six of the basic compounds.
Hydrodynamic Forces on a Marine Riser: A Velocity-Potential Method

A linear equation is mathematically derived for hydrodynamic forces on a marine riser under effects of free surface and floating-vessel motion using a velocitypotential method. It accounts for inertia and wave damping forces, including the force caused by riser motion, and empirically includes the drag force caused by viscosity. The equation, when reduced to a simpler form, is basically identical to the semi-empirical Morison equation for the inertia and drag forces. Theoretical validity of the simpler equation and the Morison equation is discussed. Previously, practical, semi-empirical force equations on the riser have been suggested, ignoring the effects of the free surface and the wave damping. The equations in current practice are compared with the present simpler equation.
Preorganization of iron centers for the activation of molecular dioxygen

Abstract The dinuclear iron(II) complex [Et4N]2[Fe2L(μ-OAc)] (2) reacts with molecular dioxygen in water to generate the tetranuclear iron(III) complex [Ph4P]2[Fe4O2L(H2O)4·22H2O] (3). The process resembles the fundamental process of dioxygen incorporation into transition metal oxides, which are involved in a number of selective catalytic systems. The tetranuclear iron(III) complex, 3, is crystallized from water as a Ph4P salt. Single crystal X-ray analysis of 3 (triclinic, space group P1, a=12.365(8), b=12.783(4), c=17.125(12) A, α=78.45(3), β=72.52(3), γ=68.34(3)°, V=2387(2) A3, R1=7.3%, Z=1, Dcalc=1.484 g/cm3, F(000)=1116 e, where L=2,6-cresolate-N,N,N′,N′-tetramethylene carboxylate) reveals that the iron atoms adopt a six-coordinate octahedral structure, each bound to the two carboxylic oxygens, one nitrogen, one bridging phenolate oxygen, one water molecule, and one bridging μ-oxo group. The two benzene rings along with the immediate substitutent atoms, the four iron(III) centers, the two bridging μ-oxo groups, and two water molecules of the two opposite iron(III) centers adopt a coplanar configuration within a 0.091 A r.m.s. deviation. The separation between the two iron atoms within the heptadentate ligand is 3.670(1) A, across the μ-oxo bridging is 3.448(1) A, and along the diagonal 4.675(2) and 5.371(2) A, respectively. The two Fe–μ-oxo bonds (1.774(3) and 1.781(3) A) within the heptadentate ligand are tilted at each other, giving an O⋯O internuclear distance of 2.814(2) A. This suggests that the complex is formed either through an intermediate dinuclear iron(III) peroxide adduct, which reacts with a second molecule of dinuclear iron(II) complex, or through a molecular pocket of two dinuclear iron(II) molecules formed by the hydrogen-bond framework in water, which subsequently interacts with a molecule of dioxygen to generate 3.
Loss of autoantibody activity by alteration in autoantigen.

Abstract C3 nephritic factor (C3NeF) is an autoantibody produced by patients with membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN); it is thought to be responsible for the continued breakdown of C3 in these patients. We have studied three patients with MPGN for periods of 7 to 17 years who were noted to develop a normal C3 and factor B level in the face of persistent circulating C3NeF. In addition, C3NeF obtained from other sera were inactive when added to these patients’ sera. When C3NeF was isolated from these patients’ sera, however, it was completely active when added to normal human serum as a source of C3 and factor B. Removal of the C3 and factor B from these patients’ sera by passage over anti-C3 and anti-factor B columns followed by reconstitution with C3 and factor B isolated from normal serum allowed C3NeF to be active in these sera. Replacement of C3 alone did not restore activity to these sera but replacement with factor B alone restored full C3NeF activity. These data suggest some alteration in autoantigen (factor B) as a mechanism for reduction in autoantibody (C3NeF) activity.
Regularized Iterative Stochastic Approximation Methods for Stochastic Variational Inequality Problems

We consider a Cartesian stochastic variational inequality problem with a monotone map. Monotone stochastic variational inequalities arise naturally, for instance, as the equilibrium conditions of monotone stochastic Nash games over continuous strategy sets or multiuser stochastic optimization problems. We introduce two classes of stochastic approximation methods, each of which requires exactly one projection step at every iteration, and provide convergence analysis for each of them. Of these, the first is a stochastic iterative Tikhonov regularization method which necessitates the update of the regularization parameter after every iteration. The second method is a stochastic iterative proximal-point method, where the centering term is updated after every iteration. The Cartesian structure lends itself to constructing distributed multi-agent extensions and conditions are provided for recovering global convergence in limited coordination variants where agents are allowed to choose their steplength sequences, regularization and centering parameters independently, while meeting a suitable coordination requirement. We apply the proposed class of techniques and their limited coordination versions to a stochastic networked rate allocation problem.
Temperature-modulated pressure ulcers : a porcine model

Abstract Objective: A reliable porcine model was developed to facilitate investigations of pressure ulcer formation, healing, and prevention. In the present study, it was specifically used to study the relationship between applied temperature, applied pressure, and time of application in the formation of cutaneous and deep tissue injuries. Design: An apparatus and procedure were created to simultaneously apply 12 metal discs (each with a diameter of 51mm) on the dorsal aspect of the swine, all at an equal pressure of 100mmHg, for a 5-hour period, while servo-controlling disc temperatures at either 25, 35, 40, or 45 degrees C. Results: The severity of the resultant tissue injuries correlated with an increase in applied temperature. No damage was observed in the superficial or deep tissues underlying the sites of the 25°C pressure applicators. In general, only deep tissue damage resulted from the application of a 35°C temperature, whereas the application of higher temperatures caused both cutaneous and subdermal damage (the extent of necrosis being greater at the 45 degrees C sites). There was a high degree of reproducibility of these results among a large population of sites per temperature ( n = 64) and number of animals investigated ( n = 16). Furthermore, subsequent healing (monitored up to 4 weeks) was uniform for the degree of induced damage. Insights into pressure ulcer formation were also sought via systematic examination of histological sides and postmortem visual assessment over the 4-week period. Conclusion: It was concluded that this animal model of temperature-modulated pressure ulcers has the potential for significant use in all major areas of this field, ie, wound formation, healing, and prevention.
Molecular determinants of cardiac KATP channel activation by epoxyeicosatrienoic acids

Abstract We have previously reported that epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs), the cytochrome P450 epoxygenase metabolites of arachidonic acid, are potent stereospecific activators of the cardiac KATP channel. The epoxide group in EET is critical for reducing channel sensitivity to ATP, thereby activating the channel. This study is to identify the molecular sites on the KATP channels for EET-mediated activation. We investigated the effects of EETs on Kir6.2ΔC26 with or without the coexpression of SUR2A and on Kir6.2 mutants of positively charged residues known to affect channel activity coexpressed with SUR2A in HEK293 cells. The ATP IC50 values were significantly increased in Kir6.2 R27A, R50A, K185A, and R201A but not in R16A, K47A, R54A, K67A, R192A, R195A, K207A, K222A, and R314A mutants. Similar to native cardiac KATP channel, 5 μm 11,12-EET increased the ATP IC50 by 9.6-fold in Kir6.2/SUR2A wild type and 8.4-fold in Kir6.2ΔC26. 8,9- and 14,15-EET regioisomers activated the Kir6.2 channel as potently as 11,12-EET. 8,9- and 11,12-EET failed to change the ATP sensitivity of Kir6.2 K185A, R195A, and R201A, whereas their effects were intact in the other mutants. 14,15-EET had a similar effect with K185A and R201A mutants, but instead of R195A, it failed to activate Kir6.2R192A. These results indicate that activation of Kir6.2 by EETs does not require the SUR2A subunit, and the region in the Kir6.2 C terminus from Lys-185 to Arg-201 plays a critical role in EET-mediated Kir6.2 channel activation. Based on computer modeling of the Kir6.2 structure, we infer that the EET-Kir6.2 interaction may allosterically change the ATP binding site on Kir6.2, reducing the channel sensitivity to ATP.
Current conservation and electric multipoles

Abstract New forms of the electric multipole operators are derived. We have uniquely and optimally isolated those components of the nuclear current density which are constrained by current conservation, and replaced them by multipole fields based on the charge density. This generalization of the work of Siegert is shown by means of a sum rule to have a very different structure from conventional forms which were designed to be effective in the long wavelength limit. The new form puts the electric and magnetic multipoles on the same footing: The current ebters only as the magnetization density, μ (x) = x × J(x) 2 .
Class of Hamiltonian-partitionable networks

It is shown that, if the graph G of a network N is the sum of n Hamiltonian circuits, the product G×G of G with itself is the sum of 2n Hamiltonian circuits. For example, C×C, where C is a circuit, is the sum of two Hamiltonian circuits, and K2n+1×K2n+1, where K2n+1 is the complete graph of order 2n+1, is the sum of 2n such circuits.
Frequency, severity, and physiologic importance of carotid siphon lesions

Atherosclerotic stenosis of the intracranial portion of the internal carotid artery (SIPHON) may be the cause of neurologic symptoms. The frequency and severity of these lesions were studied in 226 vessels subjected to conventional two-plane carotid angiography, and the impact of sequential or tandem lesions on cerebral flow was assessed in the 167 arteries from this group that also underwent Gee oculoplethysmography (OPG-Gee), a commonly accepted indicator of the physiologic importance of internal carotid stenosis. Atherosclerotic involvement of the SIPHON was present in 46% (103/226) of the vessels studied, including six total occlusions, 11 severe stenoses (severe, 80% to 99% area reduction [AR]), 27 moderate stenoses (moderate, 50% to 79% AR), 40 mild stenoses (mild, 10% to 49% AR), and 19 instances of mural disease (MUR). This was compared with a 73% rate (166 of 226) of proximal internal carotid artery (PICA) stenosis in the neck, including six to 43 severe, 29 moderate, 50 mild, and 38 MUR. There was little correlation (r = 0.33) between the degree of angiographic stenosis in the PICA and the SIPHON. All of the totally occluded arteries had a positive OPG-Gee, whereas a positive study was noted in only 6% (7 of 109) of the arteries with less than moderate stenosis in the PICA. Twenty-one vessels had moderate stenosis of the PICA. Eight of these arteries had an associated moderate or severe lesion in the SIPHON, and seven of eight (88%) had a positive OPG-Gee. The remaining 13 of this subset had had a normal or mildly diseased SIPHON, and 12 of 13 (92%) had a normal OPG-Gee.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Gauge interactions and bosonized fermion liquids.

We investigate fermion liquids interacting with longitudinal and transverse abelian gauge fields via bosonization. In two spatial dimensions we obtain the fermion propagator for the specific case of a Coulomb plus Chern-Simons gauge action. We discuss the relevance of this result to the Halperin-Lee-Read theory of the $\nu =1/2$ Landau level and demonstrate how Kohn's theorem is satisfied.
Mathematical modeling of aerosol formation by rapid expansion of supercritical solutions in a converging nozzle

Abstract A mathematical model of nucleation and particle growth during the partial expansion of a dilute supercritical solution in a sub-sonic converging nozzle is presented and solved numerically. The flow is assumed to be steady, one-dimensional and inviscid. The calculations suggest that the partial expansion of supercritical solutions is an effective route to the formation of monodisperse, sub-micron powders. The particle size is a very sensitive function of the temperature at which the solute is dissolved in the supercritical fluid (the extraction temperature), and of the temperature to which the saturated mixture is preheated isobarically prior to expansion (the pre-expansion temperature). Retrograde behavior (a decrease in solubility upon isobaric heating) is a common feature of supercritical solutions. It underlies the three most important trends predicted by the calculations: an increase in particle size upon increasing the pre-expansion temperature; and particle size decrease upon increasing the extraction temperature and pressure.
Process optimization of an auger pyrolyzer with heat carrier using response surface methodology

A 1 kg/h auger reactor utilizing mechanical mixing of steel shot heat carrier was used to pyrolyze red oak wood biomass. Response surface methodology was employed using a circumscribed central composite design of experiments to optimize the system. Factors investigated were: heat carrier inlet temperature and mass flow rate, rotational speed of screws in the reactor, and volumetric flow rate of sweep gas. Conditions for maximum bio-oil and minimum char yields were high flow rate of sweep gas (3.5 standard L/min), high heat carrier temperature (∼600 °C), high auger speeds (63 RPM) and high heat carrier mass flow rates (18 kg/h). Regression models for bio-oil and char yields are described including identification of a novel interaction effect between heat carrier mass flow rate and auger speed. Results suggest that auger reactors, which are rarely described in literature, are well suited for bio-oil production. The reactor achieved liquid yields greater than 73 wt.%.
Stroke literacy in high-risk populations: a call for action.

African Americans and Hispanic Americans may not get optimal care for stroke even though they have a greater stroke risk.1 Some reports have found that minority groups in the United States are less likely to receive thrombolytic therapy (recombinant tissue plasminogen activator [rt-PA]) for their strokes than whites.2 The single largest exclusionary factor for rt-PA is delayed patient arrival time,3 so it is of considerable importance that African Americans and Hispanic Americans have greater out-of-hospital delays for stroke and are less likely to be aware of rt-PA as a potential treatment for their strokes than whites.4,5 Clearly, there is a need to improve stroke prevention and access to acute stroke therapy for high-risk minorities. In this issue of Neurology ®, Willey et al.6 explore stroke literacy, defined as knowledge of stroke risk factors and symptoms, in a multiethnic urban population in Central Harlem. This study demonstrated that Hispanic Americans in this community were less likely to identify several key stroke symptoms compared with whites. Notably, only 15% of Hispanic Americans and 25% of African Americans could identify all 5 …
Two-Phase Hydrodynamic Modeling of Particulate Fluids in Sliding Contacts

Chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) is a manufacturing process that uses controlled wear to planarize dielectric and metallic layers on silicon wafers. The wafer is polished by pressing it against a rotating pad that is flooded with slurry. The slurry itself is a fluid containing abrasive particles. Material removal rate (MRR) results have shown that the distribution of suspended particles in the slurry is significantly related to the wafer surface wear distribution during CMP. In this study, a simple model has been developed and solved as a preliminary step in analyzing the migration of the particles.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
The Deinococcus-Thermus phylum and the effect of rRNA composition on phylogenetic tree construction

Through comparative analysis of 16S ribosomal RNA sequences, it can be shown that two seemingly dissimilar types of eubacteria Deinococcus and the ubiquitous hot spring organism Thermus are distantly but specifically related to one another. This confirms an earlier report based upon 16S rRNA oligonucleotide cataloging studies (Hensel et al., 1986). Their two lineages form a distinctive grouping within the eubacteria that deserved the taxonomic status of a phylum. The (partial) sequence of T. aquaticus rRNA appears relatively close to those of other thermophilic eubacteria. e.g. Thermotoga maritima and Thermomicrobium roseum. However, this closeness does not reflect a true evolutionary closeness; rather it is due to a "thermophilic convergence", the result of unusually high G+C composition in the rRNAs of thermophilic bacteria. Unless such compositional biases are taken into account, the branching order and root of phylogenetic trees can be incorrectly inferred.
Partitioning of rare earth, alkali and alkaline earth elements between phenocrysts and acidic igneous magma

Rare earth, alkali and alkaline earth elements content of phenocrysts and acidic igneous magma
Modeling LED emission intensity using a photon recycling approach

ABSTRACT A numerical model for computing the intensity of spontaneous emission due to radiative recombination insemiconductor layers has been developed and incorporated into a complete numerical device simulation package. Themodel was constructed using an approach commonly employed in describing the effects of photon recycling. Resultsof initial simulation of light-emitting diode structures are presented, and applications of the technique are discussed. 1. INTRODUCTIONNumerical simulation is an invaluable tool for understanding the detailed operation of modern semiconductor devices, and frequently finds use in the determination of performance-limiting parameters. Whenmodeling opticai processes in direct-gap semiconductor devices, it has been shown that it is necessary to include theeffects of self-absorption or "photon recycling"13. This paper describes the development of a numerical model forcomputing the intensity of spontaneous emission in a semiconductor device, including the effects of self-absorptionin a multi-dimensional context. The basic approach is taken from a method commonly employed to compute theeffects of photon recycling4, and provides the emission spectrum as well as the total radiative intensity. Such amodel permits the effects of both different material parameters and device geometries on device efficiency to beinvestigated. The emission model has been incorporated into a complete numerical semiconductor simulationpackage based on the finite-box method. Although the general package is capable of 1-, 2- and 3-dimensional
Theoretical rate constants for the NH3 + NOx → NH2 + HNOx (x = 1, 2) reactions by ab initio MO/VTST calculations

Potential energy surfaces for the reactions of NH3 with NOx (x = 1, 2) have been studied by ab initio molecular orbital Gaussian 1 (G1) and Gaussian 2 (G2) methods. Both reactions have been shown to be endothermic and to proceed by the abstraction of a hydrogen atom from ammonia to produce NH2 and HNOx. The calculated heats of reaction are in close agreement with experimental measurements. Reaction 1, NH3 + NO, does not have a reverse barrier at the G2 level of theory. Reaction 2, NH3 + NO2, can occur by three channels, leading to HNO2 (2a), cis-HONO (2b), and trans-HONO (2c), and each mechanism involves the formation of NH2·HNO2 or NH2·HONO intermediate complexes. Mechanism 2b has been found to be dominant. Theoretical rate constants for (1), (2b), and their reverse reactions have been computed by VTST in conjunction with detailed balancing for the temperature range of 300−5000 K. The following least-squares fitted expressions are recommended for practical applications: k1 = 1.72 × 10-17T1.73 e-28454/T,...
Aggregating performance measures of a multi-echelon supply chain using the analytical network and analytical hierarchy process

Performance measures of a multi-echelon Supply Chain (SC) assist SC Managers in making strategic decisions. The measures associated with an inter-organisational SC are an aggregation of the performance measures of the SC members. However, two types of dependencies exist in a multi-echelon SC: intra- and inter-organisational. The former type accounts for the relationship between various parts or departments of a firm, while the latter accounts for the influence of one organisation upon another. Traditional hierarchical techniques are inaccurate to use as an aggregation method for the performance measures as they do not account for dependency. The level of dependency within and among firms needs to be determined. In this paper, a two-dimensional approach is taken using the analytical hierarchy process with the analytical network process to overcome the deficiency with a hierarchical approach.