cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Writing business communications. Are nurse managers prepared

Based on interviews, this study indicates that writing business communications is a key task for nurse managers, affecting their professional success and power. However, most of the nurse managers interviewed felt they needed more education in business communications. Several ways of bringing this training to nursing students and practicing managers are suggested.
Aerial video mosaicking using binary feature tracking

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles are becoming an increasingly attractive platform for many applications, as their cost decreases and their capabilities increase. Creating detailed maps from aerial data requires fast and accurate video mosaicking methods. Traditional mosaicking techniques rely on inter-frame homography estimations that are cascaded through the video sequence. Computationally expensive keypoint matching algorithms are often used to determine the correspondence of keypoints between frames. This paper presents a video mosaicking method that uses an object tracking approach for matching keypoints between frames to improve both efficiency and robustness. The proposed tracking method matches local binary descriptors between frames and leverages the spatial locality of the keypoints to simplify the matching process. Our method is robust to cascaded errors by determining the homography between each frame and the ground plane rather than the prior frame. The frame-to-ground homography is calculated based on the relationship of each point’s image coordinates and its estimated location on the ground plane. Robustness to moving objects is integrated into the homography estimation step through detecting anomalies in the motion of keypoints and eliminating the influence of outliers. The resulting mosaics are of high accuracy and can be computed in real time.
ICT and the Performance of Lebanese Banks: A Panel Data Analysis

This study explores the impact of information and communication technology (ICT) on the performance of 25 Lebanese commercial banks for the period between 2000 and 2014. Unlike previous studies, this study uses a panel data analysis to assess the effect of the number of Internet users and domain registrations in Lebanon on the performance of the banks. Results reveal that there is a positive statistical significant relationship between ICT and the performance of the banks. Moreover, the capital adequacy ratio, the size of the bank, the growth rate of the gross domestic product and the lending interest rates were found to have a positive impact on the performance. We conclude that a higher level of ICT use is an important factor that determines commercial banks’ profitability as it supports the commercial work of the banks and enables them to achieve a better performance.
Dynamic Region-biased Rapidly-exploring Random Trees

Current state-of-the-art motion planners rely on samplingbased planning to explore the problem space for a solution. However, sampling valid configurations in narrow or cluttered workspaces remains a challenge. If a valid path for the robot correlates to a path in the workspace, then the planning process can employ a representation of the workspace that captures its salient topological features. Prior approaches have investigated exploiting geometric decompositions of the workspace to bias sampling; while beneficial in some environments, complex narrow passages remain challenging to navigate.
Ultrafast dynamics of exciton formation and decay in two-dimensional tungsten disulfide (2D-WS2) monolayers

Excitons in two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenide monolayers (2D-TMDs) are of essential importance due to their key involvement in 2D-TMD-based applications. For instance, exciton dissociation and exciton radiative recombination are indispensible processes in photovoltaic and light-emitting devices, respectively. These two processes depend drastically on the photogeneration efficiency and lifetime of excitons. Here, we incorporate femtosecond pump–probe spectroscopy to investigate the ultrafast dynamics of exciton formation and decay in a single crystal of monolayer 2D tungsten disulfide (WS2). Investigation of the formation dynamics of the lowest exciton (XA) indicated that the formation time linearly increases from ∼150 fs upon resonant excitation, to ∼500 fs following excitation that is ∼1.1 eV above the band-gap. This dependence is attributed to the time it takes highly excited electrons in the conduction band (CB) to relax to the CB minimum (CBM) and contribute to the formation of XA. This is confirmed by infrared measurements of electron intraband relaxation dynamics. Furthermore, pump–probe experiments suggested that the XA ground state depletion recovery dynamics depend on the excitation energy as well. The average recovery time increased from ∼10 ps in the case of resonant excitation to ∼50 ps following excitation well above the band-gap. Having the ability to control whether generating short-lived or long-lived electron–hole pairs in 2D-TMD monolayers opens a new horizon for the application of these materials. For instance, long-lived electron–hole pairs are appropriate for photovoltaic devices, but short-lived excitons are more beneficial for lasers with ultrashort pulses.
Prologue: The Strangest Story Ever

Somewhere in Africa, some 6–10 million years ago, during the late Miocene—a period of gradual cooling and drying marked by shrinking forests and expanding grasslands—two small-brained, somewhat bipedal apes, daughters of the same mother, parted ways.
Explanatory Theories of Intimate Partner Homicide Perpetration: A Systematic Review:

Theories play an important role in guiding intimate partner homicide (IPH) prevention research and practice. This study is the first systematic review of theories employed to explain why someone might kill their intimate partner. This review used rigorous methods to locate and synthesize literature that described explanatory theories of IPH perpetration. Using set search terms, we systematically searched 15 databases and repositories for theory-focused documents (i.e., theory papers or analyses) published in English from 2003 to 2018. Eighteen documents met these inclusion criteria and identified 22 individual theories that seek to explain why people might kill their intimate partners. These theories fell within four broader theoretical perspectives: feminist, evolutionary, sociological/criminological, and combined. Key tenets and focal populations of these 22 theories were identified and organized into a compendium of explanatory theories of IPH perpetration. Potential strengths and limitations of each of the four perspectives were described. Review findings underscored the likely importance of addressing gender as well as risk and protective factors at all levels of the social ecological model in efforts to understand IPH perpetration. The review findings highlighted the need for both integrated theories and a broader conceptual organizing framework to guide work aimed at IPH perpetration prevention to leverage the strengths of disparate theoretical perspectives. With the goal of informing future research, a preliminary iteration of such a framework is presented.
Deconstructing bullying roles: A longitudinal latent profile analysis of bullying participant behaviors for students in grades 4 through 12.

Abstract Bullying behavior is understood as a complex social phenomenon that includes many, and sometimes overlapping, bullying participant behaviors. The current study utilized latent profile analysis (LPA) at two time points approximately one year apart and examined what bullying participant behavior groups emerged based on students' reported levels of bullying, assisting, victimization, defending, and outsider behavior. Additionally, longitudinal latent profile analyses (LLPA) were utilized to examine potential changes in groups over time. Results suggested four groups found at two timepoints: (a) Uninvolved-Occasional Defending, with defending at a monthly rate and infrequent engagement in other behaviors; (b) Frequent Defending-Occasional Victimization, with monthly victimization and weekly defending behaviors; (c) Frequent Victimization-Occasional Broad Involvement, with weekly levels of victimization and monthly bullying, defending, and outsider behaviors; and (d) Frequent Broad Involvement, with weekly engagement in all of the bully participant behaviors (i.e., bullying, assisting, victimization, defending, and outsider behavior). The largest proportion of students (more than half) were in the Uninvolved-Occasional Defending group, which was also the most stable group over time. The smallest group (7%) was Frequent Broad Involvement, which was the least stable group over time, with students in this group typically moving to groups with at least occasional broad involvement of bullying participant behaviors. More male students than female students were in both broad involvement groups (i.e., Frequent Victimization-Occasional Broad Involvement; Frequent Broad Involvement) and more female students than male students, as well as more elementary students than secondary students, were in the Frequent Defending-Occasional Victimization group. The current study suggests that researchers should use caution when categorizing or conceptualizing simple bullying participant roles such as bully or victim, or even “bully-victim,” especially if the other bullying participant behaviors are not assessed. Practitioners should develop interventions that capitalize on the high proportions of students engaging in some level of defending and account for the complex social ecology that suggests that students are engaging in complex overlapping patterns of bullying participant behaviors.
Association between sexually selected traits and allelic distance in two unlinked MHC II loci in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

Body size and secondary sexual characteristics are drivers of male reproductive success among polygynous species. A gene complex found to be associated with morphology in several species is the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). However, while several studies have found that greater MHC diversity is associated with larger body size and secondary sexual characteristics, other studies have demonstrated that maximal MHC diversity is not always optimal for the individual’s fitness. This study tested if MHC diversity, measured as pairwise allelic distances at each of two unlinked MHC II loci (exon 2 for the classical antigen-binding protein MHC-DRB and exon 2 for the accessory protein MHC-DOB), was associated with body size (male and female) or antler size in a semi-wild enclosed population of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). After accounting for the effect of age on body and antler size, we used residual analysis to assess whether MHC allelic distances explained any of the remaining variation in body and antler size. While we found no associations between physical characteristics and MHC-DRB, we found that both male body and antler size were associated with MHC-DOB nucleotide allelic distances. Specifically, we found a quadratic relationship between MHC-DOB and male body size, where body size peaked at moderate MHC-DOB nucleotide allelic distance. However, we found a positive linear association between MHC-DOB nucleotide allelic distances and antler size. Neither MHC-DRB nor MHC-DOB influenced female body size, even though the average allelic distances of males and females were not significantly different. Our results suggest that MHC-DOB, or a gene genetically linked to this locus, may influence male morphological characteristics in white-tailed deer.
U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Update and Computed Tomography for Colorectal Cancer Screening Among Privately Insured Population.

Introduction The Affordable Care Act of 2010 mandated private health plans to fully cover the services recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. In June 2016, the Task Force added computed tomography colonography to its list of recommended tests for colorectal cancer screening. This study evaluates the association among the updated recommendation, patient cost-sharing obligations, and the uptake of colorectal cancer screening through computed tomography colonography in the privately insured population. Methods Using individual claims from the 2010–2018 IBM MarketScan Commercial Database, monthly screening computed tomography colonography utilization rates per 100,000 privately insured beneficiaries aged 50–64 years and the monthly proportions of these services delivered by in-network providers for which patients had to bear a portion of the procedure costs were calculated, and an interrupted time series analysis was performed. The study was conducted between January and May 2020. Results Although the proportion of in-network procedures subject to patient cost sharing declined from 38.2% in 2010 to 10.2% in early 2016, the monthly utilization remained nearly constant. The announcement of the updated recommendation was associated with an immediate increase in the monthly screening computed tomography colonography utilization rate from 0.4 to 0.6 procedures per 100,000 individuals but with no change in the proportion of in-network procedures subject to patient cost sharing. Conclusions In an environment of already largely eliminated patient cost sharing, the release of supportive evidence-based recommendations by a recognized credible body was associated with an immediate increase in computed tomography colonography use for colorectal cancer screening in the privately insured population.
Spiritual Needs, Hopes and Resources: A Chaplain’s Mantra

Consider it a chaplain’s mantra: we listen to spiritual needs, hopes and resources. By listening to more than spiritual needs, chaplains hope to escape the problem-solving thinking paradigm in medical health care that sees the patient as a collection of needs and the care provider as a collection of solutions. Chaplains listen for spiritual needs but at the same time look for resources and hopes that can support meaning-making processes in patients. One of the important questions for chaplains is if they meet the spiritual needs of patients and family members. Today we have two forms of research regarding chaplaincy that tries to answer that question: patient satisfaction questionnaires and outcome-oriented research. As cultures and societies are constantly changing, chaplains need to be vigilant for new languages that people use to express spirituality, loss of meaning and spiritual needs. The professionalism of chaplains allows them to teach other health care professionals on addressing spiritual needs. This chapter distinguishes some of the barriers health care professionals feel toward generalist spiritual care and we offer some strategies to counter those barriers.
On the automatic parallelization of subscripted subscript patterns using array property analysis

Parallelizing loops with subscripted subscript patterns at compile-time has long been a challenge for automatic parallelizers. In the class of irregular applications that we have analyzed, the presence of subscripted subscript patterns was one of the primary reasons why a significant number of loops could not be automatically parallelized. Loops with such patterns can be parallelized, if the subscript array or the expression in which the subscript array appears possess certain properties, such as monotonicity. The information required to prove the existence of these properties is often present in the application code itself. This suggests that their automatic detection may be feasible. In this paper, we present an algebra for representing and reasoning about subscript array properties, and we discuss a compile-time algorithm, based on symbolic range aggregation, that can prove monotonicity and parallelize key loops. We show that this algorithm can produce significant performance gains, not only in the parallelized loops, but also in the overall applications.
Missing Participants and Beneficiaries From Private-Sector Pension Plans:

This article examines the problem of missing and nonresponsive participants and beneficiaries from defined-benefit (DB) and especially defined-contribution (DC) pension plans, mainly in the private...
On the Theory of Uniform Satellite Constellation Reconfiguration

This work focuses on the study of the reconfiguration strategies available for uniformly distributed satellite constellations and slotting architectures. Particularly, this manuscript deals with the cases of reducing, maintaining, and also increasing the number of available positions for satellites in the space structure, and takes into account the potential minimum distances between spacecraft in the configuration to assure the safety of the system. To that end, several approaches to solve the reconfiguration problem are presented based on the properties of Flower Constellations, and more particularly, on the properties of uniformity and symmetries present in these uniform distributions.
Research Trends and Problems

Need for optimal decision rules under uncertainty has been increasingly felt in several fields both new and old. Old fields are operations reserach, economics of planning, portfolio models in finance and insurance theory of risk business. New fields include management information systems, team decisions and differential games, market research and systems science. Methods of signal detection, remote sensing and search, optimal reliability analysis in engineering and biomedical systems have components that are common to the theory of optimal decisions under uncertainty.
Gyrokinetic Simulations of Plasma Turbulence on Massively Parallel Computers

With the rapid development of massively parallel computers, the particle-in-cell (PIC) approach to plasma microturbulence in toroidal geometry has become an increasingly important tool. Global, self-consistent simulations with up to 100 millions particles yield valuable insights in the dynamics of the turbulence. The inclusion of the fast-moving electrons in the dynamics represents a major challenge.
Farming systems characterization through cropping patterns: experiences from lowland vegetable production in Indonesia.

This paper aims at translating the farming systems concept & in technical terms in order to improve the communication between social and technical scientists. It illustrates how vegetable growers in Java adjust their cropping patterns to the prevailing natural and socio-economic circumstances. Altitude and distance to big cities are the decisive factors for the location of vegetable production in Java. These factors imply a matrix of ecological and economic zones, resulting in production regions which are contrasting in vegetable crop choice. Within the production regions differences in water availability are decisive for the composition of the cropping pattern. A formal survey in the Brebes’ production region for shallots revealed five distinct cropping patterns which are contrasting in production season. Within these cropping patterns the farmers’ socio-economic positions are still different and depend on land size. This means, that a cropping pattern is characteristic for a farming system so far as a limited range of farm sizes is considered.
Interdisciplinary innovation in international initiatives

Research in science and technology in the 21st century, emerging around the world in both academic and commercial settings, is characterized by the convergence of scientific disciplines and by the involvement of teams of investigators with diverse backgrounds. These developments reflect our increased knowledge about the complexity of nature, and correspondingly, the intellectual excitement that has grown at what were boundaries among disciplines. Over the past decade, deep, disciplinary expertise applied within multidisciplinary collaborations has been conducted on an ever larger scale, which has fostered many frontiers in interdisciplinary science. Scientific research at the interfaces – convergent science – presents significant challenges as well as opportunities: new organizational and technological approaches are necessary to enable the scale and scope of the human enterprise. Examples of the research problems and the requisite intellectual skill sets and research environments have recently been articulated to summarize initial implementations of organizations exemplifying the opportunities of conver-gence and to provide a guide to action (Converging Sciences, 2005). We provide a further perspective on the context in which innovative efforts in converging sciences can successfully proceed; namely, the research will build upon a computing and information technology enabled research environment, that is, upon cyberinfrastructure. We explicate a specific early example of such a model, with novel organizational and technology features, that we hope can serve to inspire international efforts and enable comparable achievements.
Polymeric viologens as electron donors in hydrogen production by intact cells of Clostridium pasteurianum, Desulfovibrio desulfuricans, and Rhodospirillum rubrum

The behaviour of 5 polymeric viologens 2a – e as electron donors in the production of hydrogen by intact cells of Cl. pasteurianum, D. desulfuricans, and R. rubrum was studied. The hydrogen production was followed by gas chromatography and the results indicate that Cl. pasteurianum and D. desulfuricans are much more active than R. rubrum. Polymeric viologens 2a – e show lower initial rates than the low molecular weight viologens 1a and 1b. However, this is independent of the final amount of hydrogen produced, since the polymers are as efficient or more efficient than 1a and 1b. The results are briefly discussed in terms of redox potentials, substituent effects and conformational factors.
Design of a Continuous-Bending-Under-Tension Machine and Initial Experiments on Al-6022-T4

An experimental technique called Continuous-Bending-Under-Tension (CBT) can produce elongations over two times that of a standard tensile test by preventing the necking instability from occurring. This is achieved by superposing plastic bending on tension along the gage length of the material using three rollers. The specimen is kept under tension as the rollers apply the three point bending and cyclically transverse along the gage length. This localizes the plastic deformation by subjecting the specimen to bending-under-tension. Details on the design of the unique CBT machine and some preliminary results for the CBT research being conducted are presented here. These results include CBT tests where the roller depth was varied to demonstrate the increased elongation compared to the traditional tension test, CBT repeatability, and a modified friction test using the CBT machine.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Food Restriction Beneficially Affects Renal Transport and Cortical Membrane Lipid Content in Rats

Food restriction (FR) exerts a variety of beneficial effects and may prolong life in both humans and animals. However, studies of its effects on the cortical brush border membrane (BBM) and basolateral membrane (BLM) lipid concentration, which may be pertinent to renal function, have not been reported in detail. We hypothesized that FR would decrease renal work and lower renal membrane lipid concentration. The changes in lipid concentration would be most dramatic in BBM because this membrane is the entry site for the recovery of filtered ions and nutrients. Young male Fischer 344 x Brown-Norway F1 rats consumed food ad libitum (AL) or were food-restricted (FR, 60% of AL consumption) for 6 wk. AL rats had higher fractional excretions of Na(+), K(+), and Cl(-) than did the FR group (P < 0.001). Renal Na,K-ATPase activity in AL rats was 100% higher than in FR rats (P < 0.001), reflecting greater renal work. The work required for renal proton secretion was lower in FR than in the AL rats. In FR rats, all BBM phospholipid concentrations (phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, and sphingomyelin) were approximately 50% lower than in the AL rats (P < 0.001). In the BLM, food restriction resulted only in lower phosphatidylcholine concentration, while the other phospholipids were unaffected. Plasma and renal membrane (BBM and BLM) cholesterol concentrations were significantly lower in FR than in AL rats. These results show that a nutritionally complete, but energy restricted, diet improves renal function. It also prevents renal membrane lipid deposition and decreases plasma cholesterol. Prolonged food restriction might attenuate the renal injury that occurs in obese humans as a consequence of insulin resistance and atherosclerosis.
Downstream effects of impounding a natural lake: the Snake River downstream from Jackson Lake Dam, Wyoming, USA

A sediment mass balance constructed for a 16-km reach of the Snake River downstream from Jackson Lake Dam (JLD) indicates that river regulation has reduced the magnitude of sediment mass balance deficit that would naturally exist in the absence of the dam. The sediment budget was constructed from calibrated bed load transport relations, which were used to model sediment flux into and through the study reach. Calibration of the transport relations was based on bed load transport data collected over a wide range of flows on the Snake River and its two major tributaries within the study area in 2006 and 2007. Comparison of actual flows with unregulated flows for the period since 1957 shows that operations of JLD have reduced annual peak flows and increased late summer flows. Painted tracer stones placed at five locations during the 2005 spring flood demonstrate that despite the reduction in flood magnitudes, common floods are capable of mobilizing the bed material. The sediment mass balance demonstrates that more sediment exits the study reach than is being supplied by tributaries. However, the volume of sediment exported using estimated unregulated hydrology indicates that the magnitude of the deficit would be greater in the absence of JLD. Calculations suggest that the Snake River was not in equilibrium before construction of JLD, but was naturally in sediment deficit. The conclusion that impoundment lessened a natural sediment deficit condition rather than causing sediment surplus could not have been predicted in the absence of sediment transport data, and highlights the value of transport data and calculation of sediment mass balance in informing dam operations. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Limited sequence variation in human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 isolates from North American and African patients.

Nucleotide sequences were determined from the env genes of three HTLV-I clones derived from two North American patients and one African patient with adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL region, between env and the 3′LTR, were determined from one of these isolates. These data were compared to sequences derived from HTLV-I isolates of two Japanese ATLL patients, a Japanese patient with HTLV-I-associated myelopathy or tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP) and a Caribbean ATLL patient. Nucleotide sequence variation was found to be <6% in coding and noncoding regions. Predicted amino acid sequences varied between 0.6 and 1.8% in the envelope, 0–3.7% in rex, 0.8–2.5% in the tax gene product, and 3–14.0% in the pX-I open reading frame. Comparisons of the predicted amino acid sequences of the surface envelope protein (SU-gp46) suggest that the variation between isolates of different geographical origins is greater than that between isolates obtained from the same region of the world.
A new method of treating lymph node metastasis in potentially curable carcinoma of the large intestine.

Administration of radioactive colloidal gold and 5-fluorouracil directly into regional lymphatic vessels has been studied in experimental animals and utilized as an adjunct to excisional surgery in patients with carcinoma of the large intestine.
Before and after: terror, extremism and the not-so-new Norway

On 22 July 2011 a white, Norwegian extremist, Anders Behring Breivik, committed the worst attack in Norway's history since World War II claiming 77 lives. The tragic events revealed the fault lines in dominant narratives of Norwegian unity and challenged the country's reputation as a peace-loving nation. In this essay, I argue that this incident exposes the fundamental distortions of European multiculturalism, which cloak the workings of racist ideologies. I consider Denmark–Norway's overlooked colonial history, which I maintain is at odds with dominant narratives of Norway as an international moral leader and reinforces commonly held assumptions that Norwegian nationalism was unaffected by the vast temporal and spatial upheavals of the colonial period. In the present, such amnesia shifts the focus away from the everyday nature of Breivik's identity, and spares Norwegians from the disagreeable task of reckoning with what his identity may reveal about the terms of national belonging.
OBSERVATIONS ON THE CONTINUED USE OF MALE SEX HORMONE OVER LONG PERIODS OF TIME

WE HAVE observed the immediate effects in a number of patients. In the cases of hypogonadism in males, there has been, almost universally, a growth of the penis and scrotum, increase in pubic hair, increase in the number, frequency and degree of penile erections, and increase in libido. These observations have been reported elsewhere and by others. But the questions which have arisen, in the minds of the patients, the patients' family and the physicians have been: (a), what does the future hold; (b), will the same effect continue or decline, or perhaps (c), will the patient ultimately be able to dispense with the therapy, (d), will the immediate dose have to be continued, increased or decreased, (e), will the continued use affect other glands such as the pituitary, and create other problems, (f), what changes can one hope for from long continued use, that may not have been observed over the shorter periods.
Visualizing aerial wildlife movements: Internet sources of Doppler radar for the classroom

Doppler radar imagery is a useful classroom tool for studying the movement and spatio-temporal distribution of animals. In this paper we present a basic introduction to Doppler radar and the base products used to garner biological and geographical data. We draw upon imagery depicting bat and avian movements to illustrate how radar imagery may be beneficially used in the classroom to examine habitat use and species distribution at the landscape scale. Additionally we provide references for data acquisition and real-time animated imagery available on the Internet. We hope the information and imagery provided here will help instructors enrich the classroom experience for their students, while at the same time demonstrating real-world applications for the use of radar imagery in biogeographic studies.
Translucent triboluminescent coatings for particle detection

Triboluminescent phosphors provide a method for converting kinetic signals to optical signals for particle detection. Several methods, including vapor deposition, electron beam, and spray-on were evaluated for depositing a thin translucent coating of ZnS:Mn phosphor material onto transparent substrates. The objective was to be able to optically detect impact events on the back side of the substrate while still retaining some capacity to view distant optical events. During the experiments, optical detectors within a light-tight test chamber were used to measure the optical signals generated by the coatings. The measurements resulted from optical signals that were generated by particle impacts and sample phosphorescence, along with electrical interferences between the particle sources, the ambient background, and the detectors. Signal levels and translucency measurements from various coatings are described, along with lessons learned about the coating processes, the detectors, and the limitations of the measurements.
Toward the concept of integrated security: optimal dispatch under static and dynamic security constraints

Abstract No analytical method is yet known which can solve the optimal power flow problem, off-line or on-line, when it is constrained by both static and dynamic security. The concepts introduced in this paper can, however, contribute substantially toward obtaining on-line solutions of the problem. Key ideas behind the concept of an integrated security constrained optimal dispatch (ISCOD) are presented. Its purpose is to calculate the power outputs of generators and the voltage magnitudes of buses so that the cost of power generation is minimized and both static and dynamic security of the system are maintained. While analytical tools for steady-state security constrained dispatch are available, those for dynamic security constrained optimization are not well defined. In addition to this, on-line implementation of either function presents an entirely new gamut of problems. ISCOD combines the diagnostic and descision-making capabilities of a knowledge based system (KBS) and the massive parallelisms and learning features of an artificial neural network (ANN) along with conventional power network solution methodologies to provide real-time optimization and control. The real-time functions that are required in ISCOD are: (i) contingency selection and ranking for steady-state security, (ii) fast static security assessment, (iii) contingency selection and ranking for transient stability and subsequent dynamic stability assessment, and (iv) control measures for preventing security violations.
Decreased water and increased sodium losses in infants with hyaline membrane disease.

The intake and urine output of water, sodium and potassium were evaluated during the first four days of life in infants with hyaline membrane disease (HMD) and compared with controls. Infants with HMD had similar urine output despite reduced fluid intake. Insensible water loss was decreased in HMD. Compared with intake, losses of sodium and potassium were excessive In both groups, but significantly more so in those with HMD. The cause of increased natriuresis in HMD is not known.
The Diabetes Patient Portal: Patient Perspectives on Structure and Delivery

In Brief This article describes the recent development of a diabetes-specific patient portal that is linked to an existing electronic medical record system. The portal was designed to provide patients with a secure means of electronic access to preventive health care reminders, information concerning their medications and health histories, educational materials, and self-management resources concerning diabetes-related risks. The authors briefly describe their work on the portal to date and discuss future directions for their research.
Time-dependent Rayleigh-Bénard convection and instrumental attenuation

Abstract We present new thermal data on time-dependent convection in a cylindrically confined layer of helium with aspect ratio Γ =7.87 (Γ≡layer radius/layer height). Experimental data and an analysis of attenuation effects indicate broadband spectral features obtained by a global probe tend to be independent of Γ for Γ≳5.
Enhancement of photocatalytic activity of titanium(IV) oxide with molybdenum(VI) oxide

The addition of MoO[sub 3] to TiO[sub 2] enhanced its photocatalytic properties by 100%. This may be related to an increase in the rate of transfer of electrons from the TiO[sub 2] to the outer system, via the formation of a reduced molybdenum species. Samples of MoO[sub 3]/TiO[sub 2] mixed oxide powders were prepared by two methods: (1) the incipient wetness impregnation of ammonium paramolybdate onto TiO[sub 2] (P25), followed by a heat treatment, and (2) the ultrasonic nebulization and flame hydrolysis of a mixed ethanol solution of molybdenyl acetylacetonate and dipropoxy-titanium-bis(acetylacetonate). The photocatalytic activities of TiO[sub 2] based catalysts were evaluated by the degradation of 1,4-dichlorobenzene (DCB). TiO[sub 2] has promising applications in the treatment of both waste and drinking water.
Coherent regeneration in hydrogen from 3 to 10 GeV/c

Abstract We have studied the proper time distribution of coherent π+π− decays from a 3 – 10 GeV/c KLo beam incident on a one meter liquid hydrogen target using a wire spark chamber spectrometer in the 30 neutral beam at SLAC. We find ∣(ƒ(0) − ƒ (0))/k∣ = 0.43 ± 0.11 mb , φ(ƒ(0) − ƒ (0)) = -101 0 ± 42 0 .
Isotopic Constitution of Platinum and Rhodium

THE analysis of the platinum ions from a high-frequency spark1, using a new spectrograph, shows that this element consists of five isotopes with masses 192, 194, 195, 196, 198. The middle three form a triplet of almost equal strength, while the heaviest is decidedly weaker and the lightest very faint.
Asymmetric Quantile Persistence and Predictability: The Case of U.S. Inflation

The aim of this paper is to investigate the evidence and implications of time-variation and asymmetry in the persistence of U.S. inflation. We evaluate these features by comparing the out-of-sample forecast performance of two specifications, a Quantile Auto-Regressive (QAR) model and a parametric Auto-Regressive (AR) model in which the volatility of the errors depends on the level of inflation. The results of the comparison show that the parametric quantile forecasts are at least as accurate as the semi-parametric QAR model, in particular for the core inflation measures. This leads us to conclude that the persistence of core inflation can be considered constant and high, but declined for the headline inflation measures. In addition, we find that the recent findings of asymmetric persistence of inflation shocks can be mostly attributed to the positive relation between inflation level and its volatility.
The Evolution of Zinjanthropus boisei

Many people assume that OH 5, the type specimen of Paranthropus boisei, collected in 1959, was the first evidence of that taxon to be found, but OH 3, recovered in 1955, predated the discovery of OH 5 by four years. Thus, Paranthropus boisei recently celebrated the equivalent of its fiftieth birthday. This review marks that milestone by examining the way our understanding of this taxon has changed during its fifty, or so, year history.
Influence of HLB Values of Surfactants on Ephedrine Release from Emulsified Liquid Systems

This study treated primarily the release characteristics of ephedrine from liquid emulsion systems as they were affected by the hydrophilic–lipophilic nature of the emulsifier present. Polysorbate 60 and sorbitan monostearate were varied by weight percent to produce emulsifiers having different hydrophilic–lipophilic balance (HLB) values. The experiments utilized a dialysis technique and consisted of seven controls plus the study of the emulsified systems throughout an HLB range of 4.7–14.9. The data indicated that the HLB value of the surfactants affected the release rate of ephedrine from an emulsified system, with the largest release rates occurring in the upper HLB range. The release of ephedrine from the oil phase was shown to be the rate-limiting step in its release from the emulsion. Surfactants did not impair the release of ephedrine from an oil system (control), whereas an inhibitory effect was noted in the water system (control). The data also indicated than an interfacial barrier was present in the emulsion and that ephedrine was released at two different rates from each of the various systems; the initial rate was greater than the second.
Similarities between green criminology and green science: Toward a typology of green criminology

Green criminology can be described as the study of environmental harm, crime, victimization, law, regulation, and justice. In this essay, we note that the development of green criminology has been ...
Rates of molecular vaporization of organic plasticizers

The kinetics of the molecular vaporization process of 21 plasticizers were investigated in detail. By both isothermal and nonisothermal kinetic methods, it was evident that 11 were quite pure single compounds, while 10 were clearly mixtures of compounds. For the single component species internal energies for vaporization and rates of volatilization are listed. The internal energies of vaporization are about one-half or less of values one can estimate from the additive factor method of Small. Thus, solubility parameters based on our experimental values are low by about 30 percent. From this and previous work on linear alkanes, it is concluded that in the molecular vaporization process, the large organic molecules studied evaporate approximately as spheres and hence low values for the energy of vaporization are obtained. Consequently, the difference between our experimental energy and that estimated from solubility parameters is the energy for extending the molecule in a vacuum environment.
WE-E-224-03: Preparing for the ABR Radiological Physics Oral Board Exam

Preparing for Part III (Oral Exam) of the ABR Therapy Physics boards is more than just studying as much material as possible. There will always be material that is missed and gaps in one's knowledge. Therefore, in order to fill those gaps, it is crucial to understand how the parts of the material relate to each other and to the clinical experience. Part III presents its own challenges compared to the written exams. It requires not only knowledge of and experience with clinical procedures, but also the ability to explain orally how they are performed and what they mean. One must be able to easily and confidently respond to oral questions about all aspects of working in the clinic and clearly explain why those clinical methods and procedures are performed that way. This talk is not a comprehensive review of all required study material. Instead, it focuses on the required experiences, skill sets, and study methods that are needed to pass Part III of the board exam. Educational Objectives: 1. Generate a list of clinical experiences needed for the exam 2. Understand how the study material and clinical experiences relate to each other 3. Learn how to effectively prepare for an oral style exam
Some remarks on excluded volume and on intrinsic viscosity plots

A simple (2, 2) Pade approximant based on the first three terms in the asymptotic cluster series for the expansion factor α2(z) is shown to give fairly good values over the entire positive range of the interaction parameter z. In a separate discussion it is shown by a specific example that extrapolations of viscosity data in good solvents and based on excluded-volume relations for flexible chains must be used only with great caution.
Crystal Structure of BamD. An Essential Component of the β-Barrel Assembly Machinery of Gram Negative Bacteria

Folding and insertion of integral β-barrel proteins in the outer membrane (OM) is an essential process for Gram-negative bacteria that requires the β-barrel assembly machinery (BAM). Efficient OM protein (OMP) folding and insertion appears to require a consensus C-terminal signal in OMPs characterized by terminal F or W residues. The BAM complex is embedded in the OM and, in Escherichia coli, consists of the β-barrel BamA and four lipoproteins BamBCDE. BamA and BamD are broadly distributed across all species of Gram-negative bacteria, whereas the other components are present in only a subset of species. BamA and BamD are also essential for viability, suggesting that these two proteins constitute the functional core of the bacterial BAM complex. Here, we present the crystal structure of BamD from the thermophilic bacteria Rhodothermus marinus refined to 2.15 A resolution. The protein contains five tetratricopeptide repeats (TPRs) organized into two offset tandems, each capped by a terminal helix. The N-terminal domain contains three TPRs and displays remarkable structural similarity with proteins that recognize targeting signals in extended conformations. The C-terminal domain harbors the remaining two TPRs and previously described mutations that impair binding to other BAM components map to this domain. Therefore, the structure suggests a model where the C-terminal domain provides a scaffold for interaction with BAM components, while the N-terminal domain participates in interaction with the substrates, either recognizing the C-terminal consensus sequence or binding unfolded OMP intermediates.
Finding narrow passages with probabilistic roadmaps: the small step retraction method

The efficiency of probabilistic roadmap (PRM) planners drops dramatically in spaces with narrow passages. This paper presents a new method - small-step retraction - that helps PRM planners find paths through such passages. The method consists of slightly fattening the robot's free space, constructing a roadmap in the fattened free space, and repairing colliding portions of this roadmap by retracting them out of collision. The fattened free space is not explicitly computed. Instead, the robot links and/or obstacles are thinned around their medial axis. A robot configuration lies in fattened free space if the thinned objects do not collide at this configuration. Two repair strategies are used. The "optimist" strategy waits until a complete path has been found in fattened free space before repairing it. The "pessimist" strategy repairs the roadmap as it is being built. The former is faster, but the latter is more reliable. A simple combination yields an integrated planner that is both fast and reliable.
Three new dicarboxylatodirhenium(III) compounds and their structures: a structure type not previously seen

Abstract Three new structures of compounds containing the Re2(O2CR)2X4 unit are reported and two are shown to contain features rarely or not previously observed. Reaction of trimeric ReCl3 and PhCOONa in THF under reflux conditions for 24 h gave dark-green orthorhombic crystals of the THF solvate cis-Re2(O2CPh)2Cl4(THF)2·THF (1). The crystals belong to the space group Pbcm with unit cell dimensions a = 8.867(2), b = 19.851(4), c = 18.022(4) A, V = 3172(2) A3, and Dcalc = 2.037 g/cm3 for Z = 4. The structure was refined to R = 0.037 and Rw = 0.046 for 1825 reflections having I>3σ(I). Reaction of [(n-C4H9)4N]2Re2Cl8 and NaF in acetonitrile under reflux conditions for 4 days followed by work-up in acetone gave blue, monoclinic crystals of cis-[(n-C4H9)4N][Re2(O2CCH3)Cl5]· (CH3)2CO (2).The crystals belong to the space group P21/n with unit cell dimensions a = 11.283(4), b = 13.577(5), c = 21.835(10) A, V = 3345(4) A3, and Dcalc = 1.923 g/cm3 for Z = 4. The structure was refined to R = 0.056 and Rw = 0.066 for 2443 reflections having I>3σ(I). Compound 3, [ReCl2(dpcp)2][Re2(O2CPh)2Cl6]·CHCl3 contains the first example of an axially coordinated species with a transoid arrangement of the carboxylate ligands. 3 crystallizes in space group P 1 with a = 13.372(4), b = 14.067(6), c = 10.899(7) A, α = 99.694(5)°, β = 103.030(5)°, γ = 84.501(3)°, V = 1966(3) A3, Z = 1. The structure was refined to R = 0.067 and Rw = 0.082 for 2648 reflections with I>3σ(I).
Sequential roles of BMP-4, VEGF and FGF-2 in generation of CD34+ vascular progenitor cells from human embryonic stem cells under animal product-free condition

Sequential roles of BMP-4, VEGF and FGF-2 in generation of CD34+ vascular progenitor cells from human embryonic stem cells under animal product-free condition
HYPERSENSITIVENESS TO SOLUBLE SPECIFIC SUBSTANCES FROM YEAST-LIKE FUNGI II. EYE HYPERSENSITIVITY

The anterior chamber of the rabbit eye was sensitized by the local injection of heat-killed Monilia psilosis. Subsequent intravenous injection of a polysaccharide fraction prepared from the same organism elicited a reaction in the sensitized eye in five of twelve rabbits.
De Novo Asymmetric Synthesis of Fridamycin E

A de novo asymmetric synthesis of (R)- and (S)-fridamycin E has been achieved. The entirely linear route required only nine steps from commercially available starting materials (16% overall yield). Key transformations included a Claisen rearrangement, a Sharpless dihydroxylation and a cobalt-catalyzed epoxide carbonylation to give a β-lactone intermediate. Antibacterial activities were determined for both enantiomers using two strains of E. coli, with the natural (R)-enantiomer showing significant inhibition against a Gram-(+)-like imp strain (MIC = 8 μM).