cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Liquid Sulfur Impregnation of Microporous Carbon Accelerated by Nanoscale Interfacial Effects

Impregnation of porous carbon matrices with liquid sulfur has been exploited to fabricate composite cathodes for lithium-sulfur batteries, aimed at confining soluble sulfur species near conducting carbon to prevent both loss of active material into the electrolyte and parasitic reactions at the lithium metal anode. Here, through extensive computer simulations, we uncover the strongly favorable interfacial free energy between liquid sulfur and graphitic surfaces that underlies this phenomenon. Previously unexplored curvature-dependent enhancements are shown to favor the filling of smaller pores first and effect a quasi-liquid sulfur phase in microporous domains (diameters <2 nm) that persists ∼30° below the expected freezing point. Evidence of interfacial sulfur on carbon is shown to be a 0.3 eV red shift in the simulated and measured interfacial X-ray absorption spectra. Our results elucidate the critical morphology and thermodynamic properties necessary for future cathode design and highlight the importance of molecular-scale details in defining emergent properties of functional nanoscale interfaces.
Becoming Mexican American : An Empowering Exemplar of Social and Cultural History

I am honored to evaluate George Sanchez’s groundbreaking, meticulously researched monograph Becoming Mexican American : Ethnicity, Culture, and Identity in Chicano Los Angeles, 1900–1945 . No matter how many years pass, I will always consider myself George’s grateful student, just as I will always be a humble student of history. Accordingly, this essay mixes the personal and professional as it illustrates the methodological, theoretical, and historiographical impact of Becoming Mexican American on my own research and on Chicana/Chicano history, as well as the importance of Sanchez’s other scholarship and his mentorship.
Evaluating the dielectric strength of helium-nitrogen gas mixtures by plasma parameter measurements

Plasma diagnostic experiments are used for understanding the dielectric strength of gaseous cooling media. Plasma measurements on helium-nitrogen gas mixtures with varying composition were conducted with a single-tip Langmuir probe. The data from the measurements were used to derive the electron temperature and electron density. The results suggest that the measured electron temperature is suitable for assessing the dielectric strength variation of the gaseous media as a function of gas composition. However, the results also confirmed that the measured electron density is substantially influenced by the effective wall area of the plasma chamber and thus is inappropriate for being used as the indicator of dielectric strength variation.
Contraception for Women with Mental Health Conditions

Mental health disorders, which are among the most prevalent chronic diseases affecting reproductive-aged women worldwide, can have adverse reproductive health consequences, including increased risk of unintended pregnancy. Contraception can play an important role in the health and well-being of women with depression, anxiety, and other serious mental illness. In this chapter, we describe contraceptive considerations for women with mental health conditions. We emphasize the most common mental health conditions, including depression and anxiety (Part I), but also discuss other serious mental illnesses (Part II). We address the potential effects of contraception on mental health and vice versa, contraceptive method effectiveness and adherence concerns, mental health-specific contraceptive method safety and drug considerations, clinically relevant counseling and management strategies, and ethical issues for reproductive autonomy and contraceptive decision-making for women with mental health conditions. Throughout, we note important gaps in scientific knowledge and areas for future research on mental health and contraception. Our goal is to offer a reference for health providers who care for women with mental health conditions wishing to avoid an unintended pregnancy.
A System-in-Package Based Energy Harvesting for IoT Devices with Integrated Voltage Regulators and Embedded Inductors

Integrated energy harvesting and delivery systems are crucial to the development and distribution of IoT devices, where physical dimensions are as important as efficiency. Current harvesting blocks use regulators with on-board inductors/capacitors to interface between the transducers and the load. A System-in-Package (SiP) with Integrated Voltage Regulator (IVR) and on-package passives provides a compact energy harvesting system. This paper demonstrates that, in a SiP based energy harvesting system, co-design of the regulator circuit and the passives depending on the input characteristics of the transducers, the material properties of the passives, and voltage/power demands of the output loads can maximize efficiency for various applications, and extend lifetime of battery-powered and autonomous IoT devices. This paper presents a system design tool that uses a loss model for pulse-frequency modulation (PFM) boost regulators, design of different embedded inductors, and performs co-analysis to estimate optimal efficiency. The simulation result shows potential of 6% improvement in efficiency by co-designing IVR and inductor, compared to optimizing IVR only for a given inductor.
Numerical investigation of ionic conductor liquid charging at low to high voltages

A numerical modeling of electrification and ion transport in ionic conductor liquids (oils) is conducted while allowing for the Frumkin-Butler-Volmer kinetics responsible for the ion transfer at metal electrode surfaces. The numerically predicted near-electrode polarized layer is validated against a boundary layer analytical solution for low voltages also developed in this paper. Another benchmark related to microchannels with dielectric walls with a non-zero ζ-potential is used to validate the implementation of the Coulombic body force responsible for the electro-osmotic flow. Finally, the case of an electrohydrodynamic flow in a microchannel (a model for the flow and charging inside an electrostatic atomizer) with two metal electrodes of opposite polarity attached is considered aiming at the prediction of the resulting net charge at the channel exit. The charging electrodes occupy only a fraction of the channel walls, which are otherwise insulated. It is shown that the considered channel length does not play a role in determining the available net charge achieved at the exit. Indeed, the value of the spray current practically does not vary along the exit section of the channel (behind the electrode part), which means that irrespective of the exit location, the spray current would be the same. Moreover, it is shown that in the present case, the role of the Smoluchowski slip near the electrodes is negligibly small compared to the viscous scraping of the polarized layer under any realistic values of the imposed longitudinal electric field.A numerical modeling of electrification and ion transport in ionic conductor liquids (oils) is conducted while allowing for the Frumkin-Butler-Volmer kinetics responsible for the ion transfer at metal electrode surfaces. The numerically predicted near-electrode polarized layer is validated against a boundary layer analytical solution for low voltages also developed in this paper. Another benchmark related to microchannels with dielectric walls with a non-zero ζ-potential is used to validate the implementation of the Coulombic body force responsible for the electro-osmotic flow. Finally, the case of an electrohydrodynamic flow in a microchannel (a model for the flow and charging inside an electrostatic atomizer) with two metal electrodes of opposite polarity attached is considered aiming at the prediction of the resulting net charge at the channel exit. The charging electrodes occupy only a fraction of the c...
Seismic Performance of Rehabilitated RC Columns Using Material Testing Integrated (MTI) Simulation

There is growing interest in the seismic application of shape memory alloys (SMAs) in concrete structures. However, for the seismic performance of such new class of materials with complex thermomechanical behavior to be fully understood, more advanced simulation tools are required.
Sir Harry Bhadeshia retires after 24 years as an editor of the journal Science and Technology of Welding and Joining

After spending 24 years as a founding editor of the Journal Science and Technology of Welding and Joining (STWJ), Sir Harry Bhadeshia has decided to step down. Having served as founding co-editors ...
Treatment component #3: Time-out

Abstract Effective time-out procedures are described and linked to interruption of coercive cycles and negative punishment behavioral principles. Because time-out is a negative punishment strategy, it should be used relatively sparingly. Start with 1–2 serious misbehaviors. Parents should predetermine a safe, not fun location where they can monitor their child, and inform their child about the procedure before it is actually needed. When misbehavior occurs, the parent should calmly institute the procedure, then monitor but not engage with the child during time-out. Once the child is out of time-out, the parent should give them a second chance to comply and praise compliance or other behaviors as soon as possible. Troubleshooting around common difficulties is conducted. Therapeutic handouts and links to web resources are provided.
Sparse Methods for Efficient Asymptotically Optimal Kinodynamic Planning

This work describes STABLE SPARSE RRT (SST), an algorithm that (a) provably provides asymptotic (near-)optimality for kinodynamic planning without access to a steering function, (b) maintains only a sparse set of samples, (c) converges fast to high-quality paths and (d) achieves competitive running time to RRT, which provides only probabilistic completeness. SST addresses the limitation of RRT \(^*\), which requires a steering function for asymptotic optimality . This issue has motivated recent variations of RRT \(^*\), which either work for a limiting set of systems or exhibit increased computational cost. This paper provides formal arguments for the properties of the proposed algorithm. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first sparse data structure that provides such desirable guarantees for a wide set of systems under a reasonable set of assumptions. Simulations for a variety of benchmarks, including physically simulated ones, confirm the argued properties of the approach.
Association of helmet use with traumatic brain and cervical spine injuries following bicycle crashes

Background: The use of bicycle helmets in preventing traumatic brain injuries (TBI) is frequently cited but data remain inconclusive. Additionally, the effects of helmets on cervical spine injuries...
Modified FWM preservation solution for rat heart in vitro

Objective Optimal heart-preservation solution is an important factor for the survival of patients who is undergoing heart transplantation. A potassium channel opener nicorandil with heart protective effect was added to the FWM preservation solution, which we studied before, for improving the preservation of rat hearts at hypothermic setting in vitro. Methods Male Wistar rats (n=20) were randomly divided into4 groups: control, modified FWM, HTK and K-H group. The hearts of rats, except that in the control group, were preserved simply by immersing for 8 hours at 4℃ in one of three solutions mentioned above. At the end of the immersion, the hearts were immediately reperfused with K-H solution in Langendorff device. Some indices of myocardial function and myocardial enzymes in the coronary effluent were measured. Specimens of the hearts obtained after reperfusion were observed for changes in the ultrastructures of the myocardium to assess the protective effect on the heart. Results The heart function of rats in three experimental groups decreased significantly with various degree, as compared with that in control group. Mean left venticular developed pressure (LVDP)、dp/dtmax、dp/dtmin in the HTK group were lower significantly than that in the modified FWM group(P < 0.01), while HTK group showed significantly highex coronary flow (CF) than modified FWM group (P <0.05) and K-H group(P<0.01). Myocardial enzymes released were decreased remarkably in the modified FWM and HTK groups as compared to those in the K-H group (P <0.01), while CTNI、LDH、 CK,、CK-MB releasod were increased significantly in the HTK group than those in the modified FWM group (P < 0.01). The findings of the myocardial ultrastructures were in favor of modified FWM solution, in which myofibril of the myocar-dium was in good alignment and the endopblasmic reticulum was distended infrequently. Conclusion When hearts were preserved in different kinds of cardioplegic solutions at profound hypothermia in vitro for 8 hours, myocardial fumction will decrease. Modified FWM solution was moderately superior to HTK solution for the preservation of rat hearts at hypothermia in vitro, and would be promising in the clinical apphcation. Key words: Heart; Organ preservation solution; Myocardium
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on radiology physician work RVUs at a large subspecialized radiology practice.

Abstract Purpose As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, efforts by radiology departments to protect patients and healthcare workers and mitigate disease spread have reduced imaging volumes. This study aims to quantify the pandemic's impact on physician productivity across radiology practice areas as measured by physician work Relative Value Units (wRVUs). Materials and methods All signed diagnostic and procedural radiology reports were curated from January 1st to July 1st of 2019 and 2020. Physician work RVUs were assigned to each study type based on the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule. Utilizing divisional assignments, radiologist schedules were mapped to each report to generate a sum of wRVUs credited to that division for each week. Differential impact on divisions were calculated relative to a matched timeframe in 2019 and a same length pre-pandemic time period in 2020. Results All practice areas saw a substantial decrease in wRVUs from the 2020 pre- to intra-pandemic time period with a mean decrease of 51.5% (range 15.4%–76.9%). The largest declines were in Breast imaging, Musculoskeletal, and Neuroradiology, which had decreases of 76.9%, 75.3%, and 67.5%, respectively. The modalities with the greatest percentage decrease were mammography, MRI, and non-PET nuclear medicine. Conclusion All radiology practice areas and modalities experienced a substantial decrease in wRVUs. The greatest decline was in Breast imaging, Neuroradiology, and Musculoskeletal radiology. Understanding the differential impact of the pandemic on practice areas will help radiology departments prepare for the potential depth and duration of the pandemic by better understanding staffing needs and the financial effects.
The roles and regulation of MDM2 and MDMX: it is not just about p53

Most well studied as proteins that restrain the p53 tumor suppressor protein, MDM2 and MDMX have rich lives outside of their relationship to p53. There is much to learn about how these two proteins are regulated and how they can function in cells that lack p53. Regulation of MDM2 and MDMX, which takes place at the level of transcription, post-transcription, and protein modification, can be very intricate and is context-dependent. Equally complex are the myriad roles that these two proteins play in cells that lack wild-type p53; while many of these independent outcomes are consistent with oncogenic transformation, in some settings their functions could also be tumor suppressive. Since numerous small molecules that affect MDM2 and MDMX have been developed for therapeutic outcomes, most if not all designed to prevent their restraint of p53, it will be essential to understand how these diverse molecules might affect the p53-independent activities of MDM2 and MDMX.
Incidence and predictors of persistent pelvic pain following hysterectomy in women with chronic pelvic pain.

Background Chronic pelvic pain is a debilitating problem that afflicts 15% to 20% of women in the United States. Although more than 200,000 hysterectomies are performed annually for the treatment of chronic pelvic pain, previous studies indicate that 1 in 4 women undergo the discomfort and morbidity of hysterectomy without the relief of pain. The factors that predict treatment failure remain poorly characterized. Objective To describe the incidence of persistent pelvic pain 6 months following hysterectomy in women with chronic pelvic pain and determine whether a simple, self-reported measure of central sensitization is associated with a greater risk of persistent pelvic pain following hysterectomy. Study Design We conducted a prospective, observational cohort study of women undergoing hysterectomy at an academic tertiary care center for a benign indication. Patients with preoperative chronic pelvic pain, defined as average pelvic pain ≥3 on a 0 to 10 numeric rating scale for >3 months before hysterectomy, were included in this analysis. The patients completed validated assessments of pain, anxiety, depression, and centralized pain (using the 2011 Fibromyalgia Survey Criteria, 0–31 points) preoperatively and 6 months after hysterectomy. The demographic information, surgical history, intraoperative findings, and surgical pathology were abstracted from the electronic medical records. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify the independent predictors of persistent pelvic pain 6 months following hysterectomy, defined as Results Among 176 participants with pelvic pain before hysterectomy, 126 (71.6%) were retained at 6 months, and 15 (11.9%) reported persistent pelvic pain. There was no difference in age (P=.46), race (P=.55), average pain severity during menses (P=.68), average overall pelvic pain (P=.10), or pain duration (P=.80) in those with and without persistent pelvic pain. Whereas intraoperative findings of endometriosis (P=.05) and uterine fibroids (P=.03) were associated with a higher incidence of persistent pain on univariate analysis, the surgical route (P=.46), pelvic adhesions (0.51), uterine weight (P=.66), and adenomyosis on histopathology (P=.27) were not related to the risk of persistent pain. Higher preoperative centralized pain scores (P=.01) but not depression (P=.64) or anxiety (P=.45) were more common in women with persistent pelvic pain. Multivariate logistic regression adjusting for age, preoperative pain severity, anxiety, depression, and operative findings of endometriosis and fibroids indicated that every 1-point increase in centralized pain before hysterectomy was associated with a 27% increase in the odds of persistent pelvic pain (odds ratio, 1.27; 95% confidence interval, 1.03–1.57) 6 months after surgery. Conclusion Although the majority of women with chronic pelvic pain report considerable improvement in pain following hysterectomy, higher degrees of centralized pain before hysterectomy is a robust predictor of persistent pelvic pain.
Development Starts With Historical Endowments: Industrial Policy and Leadership Are Catalysts:

Ben Armstrong compares the implementation of regional economic development programs in the Pittsburgh and Cleveland metropolitan statistical areas during the 1980s. He argues that their regional ec...
Experimental recreation of 16th century wine: Palynological and enological characteristics

This project recreated 16th century wine following Charles Estienne’s recipe in L’agriculture et Maison Rustique (1570). The primary goal was to better understand enology from this period, through scientific analysis of wine made in a historical manner. The resulting wine had an ABV of 9.74%, 216.7 kcal per 12 fl. oz., and a pH of 3.8, with volatile aromas common in modern young white wine. A secondary goal was to compare pollen profiles from the wine and the vineyard from which the wine was produced. The wine contained Vitis as a major pollen type, unlike sedimentary samples from the vineyard. Together, we conclude that a wine produced in a traditional manner may be enologically compared to modern wines, and that the palynological characteristics will include Vitis but may not reflect vineyard conditions. The implications for the archaeological record as well as our understanding of 16th century European wine traditions are discussed.
Loxl2 is a mediator of cardiac aging in Drosophila melanogaster; genetically examining the role of aging clock genes

Transcriptomic, proteomic, and methylation aging clocks demonstrate that aging has a predictable preset program, while Transcriptome Trajectory Turning Points indicate that the 20 to 40 age range in humans is the likely stage at which the progressive loss of homeostatic control, and in turn aging, begins to have detrimental effects. Turning points in this age range overlapping with human aging clock genes revealed five candidates that we hypothesized could play a role in aging or age-related physiological decline. To examine these gene's effects on lifespan and health-span, we utilized whole body and heart specific gene knockdown of human orthologs in Drosophila melanogaster. Whole body Loxl2, fz3, and Glo1 RNAi positively affected lifespan as did heart-specific Loxl2 knockdown. Loxl2 inhibition concurrently reduced age-related cardiac arrythmia and collagen (Pericardin) fiber width. Loxl2 binds several transcription factors in humans and RT-qPCR confirmed that a conserved transcriptional target CDH1 (Drosophila CadN2), has expression levels which correlate with Loxl2 reduction in Drosophila. These results point to conserved pathways and multiple mechanisms by which inhibition of Loxl2 can be beneficial to heart health and organismal aging.
Modulation of brain aging correlates by long-term alterations of adrenal steroids and neurally-active peptides.

Publisher Summary Many mammalian cell systems deteriorate or cease functioning in vivo before the deterioration is necessitated by intrinsic cellular processes. There are circulating factors in plasma that can modulate the rate of age-dependent cellular deterioration of some systems. Some factor(s) essential to normal function may be lacking in plasma of aging animals or, alternatively, some factor(s) that accelerates age-related deterioration may become more effective in plasma of aged animals. Although the study of the long-term effects of adrenal steroids and neuropeptides is new, increasing evidence indicates that chronic exposure to steroid and peptide hormones can alter adult brain structure and function, or can modify the effects of aging on the brain. There is evidence that at least some of these effects may be receptor-mediated, or mediated by effects of neural activity. However, a substantial amount of additional research is required to elucidate the cellular mechanisms of the hormonal actions on brain structure and function.
Frictional pressure loss of drilling fluids in a fully eccentric annulus

Abstract It is common practice when drilling oil and gas wells to assume that the drillstring is placed concentrically in the annular space with either the open hole or previous casing strings in order to predict annular frictional pressure losses. The assumption of such a concentric annulus is, however, a considerable simplification that may not properly reflect the majority of drilling applications in the field. In fact, with an increasing number of deviated/horizontal and extended reach wells being drilled, a fully eccentric annulus is actually present in a large section of the wellbore. In this study, we apply experimental, analytical, and numerical approaches to investigate the impact of drillpipe eccentricity on the annular pressure loss while circulating non-Newtonian drilling fluids. The length of the experimental section of a flow loop was 27.74 m (91′) and it consisted of 0.0245 m (1″) steel drillpipe and 0.0571 m (2.25″) acrylic casing with the inner diameter of 0.0508 m (2″). Drillpipe was placed at the bottom of the casing, thereby simulating a fully eccentric annulus. Four Yield Power Law (YPL) drilling fluids were tested in this flow loop. Annular pressure loss for a wide range of laminar flow rates was recorded for each fluid. A numerical model based on a finite difference approach was developed to estimate the annular pressure loss. Subsequently, the experimental data was compared with the proposed model and also with several other widely used analytical and numerical approaches previously reported in the literature. The obtained results show that in the laminar flow regime, the annular frictional pressure loss in a fully eccentric annulus is considerably less than a concentric annulus, on occasions by less than 50%. In general, all the applied models under-estimated the effect of eccentricity on pressure loss. However, the novel proposed model showed the least discrepancy with the experimental data. Furthermore, it was found that the difference between the estimated and experimental results increases with increasing fluid yield stress. This suggests that models and/or correlations that are developed to correct for the eccentricity effect for fluids with negligible yield stress (for instance Power Law fluids) are not suitable to estimate the pressure loss for YPL fluids with elevated yield stress.
Strengthening protections for human subjects: proposed restrictions on the publication of transplant research involving prisoners.

Publication is one of the primary rewards in the academic research community and is the first step in the dissemination of a new discovery that could lead to recognition and opportunity. Because of this, the publication of research can serve as a tacit endorsement of the methodology behind the science. This becomes a problem when vulnerable populations that are incapable of giving legitimate informed consent, such as prisoners, are used in research. The problem is especially critical in the field of transplant research, in which unverified consent can enable research that exploits the vulnerabilities of prisoners, especially those awaiting execution. Because the doctrine of informed consent is central to the protection of vulnerable populations, we have performed a historical analysis of the standards of informed consent in codes of international human subject protections to form the foundation for our limit and ban recommendations: (1) limit the publication of transplant research involving prisoners in general and (2) ban the publication of transplant research involving executed prisoners in particular. Liver Transpl 19:362–368, 2013. © 2013 AASLD.
Comparison of model averaging techniques: Assessing growth determinants

SUMMARY This paper investigates the replicability of three important studies on growth theory uncertainty that employed Bayesian model averaging tools. We compare these results with estimates obtained using alternative, recently developed model averaging techniques. Overall, we successfully replicate all three studies, find that the sign and magnitude of these new estimates are reasonably close to those produced via traditional Bayesian methods and deploy a novel strategy to implement one of the new averaging estimators. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Neuropeptide Y1Receptor NPY1R : Discovery of Naturally Occurring Human Genetic Variants Governing Gene Expression In Cella as Well as Pleiotropic Effects on Autonomic Activity and Blood Pressure In Vivo

Objectives We asked whether naturally occurring genetic variation at the human NPY1Rlocus alters autonomic traits that might predispose individuals to cardiovascular disease. Background Neuropeptide Y (NPY) interacts with the Y1receptor, NPY1R, to control adrenergic activity and blood pressure (BP). Methods We searched for polymorphism at NPY1Rby systematic resequencing in ethnically diverse people. There were 376 twins/siblings who were evaluated for heritable autonomic traits: baroreflex function and pressor response to environmental stress. Results The common NPY1Rvariant A+1050G in the 3′-untranslated region (3′-UTR) predicted baroreceptor slope (p = 0.014–0.047) and BP change to cold stress (p = 0.0091–0.016), with minor allele homozygotes displaying blunted slope and exaggerated pressor response. In 936 individuals with the most extreme BPs in the population, not only 3′-UTR A+1050G (p = 1.2 × 10−4) but also promoter A-585T (p = 0.001) affected both systolic BP and diastolic BP, in interactive fashion (p = 0.007), with combined homozygotes showing the highest diastolic BP (>20 mm Hg). The 3′-UTR variant +1050G decreased expression of a transfected luciferase reporter/NPY1R3′-UTR plasmid; promoter variant A-585 also decreased expression of an NPY1Rpromoter/luciferase reporter. Thus, alleles that increased BP in vivo (3′-UTR +1050G, promoter A-585) also decreased NPY1R expression in cella. Computational alignment showed that A+1050G disrupted a microRNA motif. Conclusions Our results indicate that naturally occurring genetic variation at the NPY1Rlocus has implications for heritable autonomic control of the circulation, and ultimately, for systemic hypertension. The findings suggest novel pathophysiological links between the NPY1Rlocus, autonomic activity, and blood pressure, and suggest new strategies to approach the mechanism, diagnosis, and treatment of systemic hypertension.
Advances in the Neurobiological Basis of Inhalant Abuse

This special issue of the Journal of Drug and Alcohol Research contains a series of papers originally presented at the 4th Meeting of the International Drug Abuse Research Society (IDARS) held in Mexico City April 15–19, 2013. Over 100 specialists from 15 different countries attended this conference, organized to promote research and collaboration of scientists around the world in the area of substances of abuse and addiction. The 2013 program covered relevant neuropharmacological, neurobehavioral, and neurochemical findings pertaining to the effects of commonly abused drugs in twelve plenary symposia and two poster sessions.
Neural, mechanical, and geometric factors subserving arm posture in humans

When the hand is displaced from an equilibrium posture by an external disturbance, a force is generated to restore the original position. We developed a new experimental method to measure and represent the field of elastic forces associated with posture of the hand in the horizontal plane. While subjects maintained a given posture, small displacements of the hand along different directions were delivered by torque motors. The hand was held in the displaced positions and, at that time, we measured the corresponding restoring forces before the onset of any voluntary reaction. The stiffness in the vicinity of the hand equilibrium position was estimated by analyzing the force and displacement vectors. We chose to represent the stiffness both numerically, as a matrix, and graphically, as an ellipse characterized by three parameters: magnitude (the area), shape (the ratio of axis) and orientation (direction of the major axis). The latter representation captures the main geometrical features of the elastic force field associated with posture. We also evaluated the conservative and nonconservative components of this elastic force field. We found that the former were much larger than the latter and concluded that the behavior of the neuromuscular system of the multiarticular arm is predominantly spring-like. Our data indicated that the shape and orientation of the stiffness were invariant over subjects and over time. We also investigated the ability of our subjects to produce voluntary and adaptive changes in the stiffness. Our findings indicated that, when a disturbance acting along a fixed and predictable direction was imposed, the magnitude of the stiffness was increased but only minor changes in shape and orientation occurred. Taken together, all of these experiments represent a step toward the understanding of the interactions between geometrical and neural factors involved in maintaining hand posture and its interactions with the environment.
Conversion of pyruvate to acetoin helps to maintain pH homeostasis in Lactobacillus plantarum

Pyruvate is the substrate for diacetyl and acetoin synthesis by lactobacilli. Exogenous pyruvate stimulates acetoin production when glucose is present as an energy source. In Lactobacillus plantarum ATCC 8014, the energy derived from glucose via glycolysis generated a constant proton motive force of about -120 mV. At a low external pH, energized cells rapidly transported and accumulated pyruvate but did not do so when they were deenergized by nigericin. When large amounts of pyruvate were transported and subsequently accumulated internally, the cotransported protons rapidly lowered the internal pH. The conversion of pyruvate to acetoin instead of acidic end products contributed to the maintenance of pH homeostasis. This is the first report showing that the conversion of pyruvate to acetoin serves as a mechanism of pH homeostasis.
Bistability of CCN concentrations and thermodynamics in the cloud-topped boundary layer

RECENT discussions of the effect of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) in controlling the albedo of marine stratus cloud and hence global climate1–3have raised questions concerning the factors that control CCN populations and how (or whether) such factors should be included in climate models4. The observed near-constancy5 of CCN concentrations in remote marine air is remarkable in view of the wide variety of possible conditions, the range over which they might be expected to vary, and the considerable difference between marine and continental CCN concentrations. Here we explain this relative lack of variability, thought to be due to a balance of source and sink processes6,7, in a simple model of the marine cloud-topped boundary layer. Solutions to this model give two stable CCN concentration regimes—one corresponding to the low concentration observed over the ocean, the other corresponding to the higher concentration observed over land—each dominated by a different sink mechanism. The two regimes have very different optical properties, and thus may be of climatic significance.
Authors' Reply: Faculty Values

Authors' Reply: Dialogue on values and professionalism in academic medicine is always welcome, and we thank Drs. Poses and Smith, as well as JGIM for this opportunity. The purpose of our hypothesis-generating research study and the article1 was to document deeply held values of faculty in the context of understanding the culture of academic medicine2. We reported that many faculty are distressed in perceiving that behaviors they witness, and that are rewarded in academic medicine organizations, are not always congruent with their own values. In response to Drs. Poses’ and Smith’s letter, we definitely did not mean to suggest that faculty should become congruent with their leaders when they (leaders) are out of alignment with the mission of academic medical centers to provide excellence in patient care, education, and research, as well as access to all — including underserved vulnerable populations. The questionable behaviors that some faculty described betray the public trust and the lofty intentions of the great academic medical institutions in this country as expressed in their mission statements. In fact, we checked the mission statements of the index medical schools and were reassured by the similarity of faculty values and the mission statements.
Electronic structure of Bi-Ca-Sr-Cu-O superconductors studied by photoelectron spectroscopy

Photoelectron spectroscopy has been used to study the electronic structure of the newly discovered Bi-Ca-Sr-Cu-O superconductors. A clear Fermi edge is observed showing a metallic behavior. The oxygen $1s$ core level shows only one peak, in contrast to previous results on $\mathrm{Y}{\mathrm{Ba}}_{2}{\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}{\mathrm{O}}_{7\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\delta}}$. We suggest that the Fermi edge observed is mainly due to electrons derived from Bi-O $p$ bands.
Energetics of the low-lying isomers of HCCO

High level ab initio coupled cluster (CC) and equation-of-motion (EOM) CC methods have been used to characterize the lowest doublet state of the ketenyl radical (HCCO) and its four low-lying isomers: the quartet trans- and cis-states of ketenyl, the hydroxyethynyl radical, and the oxiryl radical. These four isomers are found to be minima and to lie between 50 and 70 kcal/mol higher in energy than the ketenyl radical.
Virtual generators: Simplified online power system representations for wide-area damping control

This paper introduces a new concept called a Virtual Generator (VG). VGs are simplified representations of groups of coherent synchronous generators in a power system. They resemble commonly used power system dynamic equivalents obtained via generator aggregation techniques. Traditionally power system dynamic equivalents are developed offline, fixed, and used to replace large portions of the system that are considered external to the portion of the system being analyzed in detail. In contrast, VGs are calculated online, are not limited to representing external areas of the system being analyzed/controlled, and do not replace any portion of the power system. Instead, they allow wide-area damping controllers (WADCs) to exploit the realization that a group of coherent synchronous generators in a power system can be controlled as a single generating unit for achieving wide-area damping control objectives. The implementation of VGs is made possible by the availability of Wide-Area Measurements (WAMs) from Phasor Measurement Units (PMUs). To the authors' knowledge, this is the first time that the use of power system equivalencing techniques has been extended to real-time WADC. Simulation studies carried out on the 68-bus New England/New York power system demonstrate that intelligent controllers developed using VGs can significantly improve the stability of a power system by effectively damping low-frequency interarea oscillations.
Chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans in the developing central nervous system. I. cellular sites of synthesis of neurocan and phosphacan.

We have used in situ hybridization histochemistry to examine the cellular sites of synthesis of two major nervous tissue proteoglycans, neurocan and phosphacan, in embryonic and postnatal rat brain and spinal cord. Both proteoglycans were detected only in nervous tissue. Neurocan mRNA was evident in neurons, including cerebellar granule cells and Purkinje cells, and in neurons of the hippocampal formation and cerebellar nuclei. In contrast, phosphacan message was detected only in astroglia, such as the Golgi epithelial cells of the cerebellum. At embryonic day 13-16, phosphacan mRNA is largely confined to areas of active cell proliferation (e.g., the ventricular zone of the ganglionic eminence and septal area of the brain and the ependymal layer surrounding the central canal of the spinal cord) as well as being present in the roof plate. The distribution of neurocan message is more widespread, extending to the cortex, hippocampal formation, caudate putamen, and basal telencephalic neuroepithelium, and neurocan mRNA is present in both the ependymal and mantle layers of the spinal cord but not in the roof plate. The presence of neurocan mRNA in areas where the proteoglycan is not expressed suggests that the short open reading frame in the 5'-leader of neurocan may function as a cis-acting regulatory signal for the modulation of neurocan expression in the developing central nervous system.
Thinking outside the box: power management at the system level & beyond

Architects and circuit designers have made enormous strides in managing the energy efficiency and peak power demands of processors and other silicon systems. Sophisticated power management features and modes are now myriad across system components, from DRAM to processors to disks. And yet, despite these advances, typical data centers today suffer embarrassing energy inefficiencies: it is not unusual for less than 20% of a data center's multi-megawatt total power draw to flow to computer systems actively performing useful work. These inefficiencies lead to worldwide energy waste measured in billions of dollars and tens of millions of metric tons of CO2.Our collective narrow view "inside the box" fails to capture opportunities for energy, power, and thermal management that cut across system components or extend beyond the server to the data center's physical infrastructure. In this talk, I first discuss the massive power wasted due to idleness—systems that are powered on, but not performing useful work—and survey techniques to reduce this waste. I then give examples of opportunities for computer system designers to impact power management of physical infrastructure like power delivery and cooling systems. I close with a call-to-arms for our community to create and disseminate the modeling tools, benchmarks, and characterizations of real-world systems that are needed to make rapid progress on system- and data-center-level power management.
Effects of the opiate antagonist naloxone upon hypothalamically elicited affective defense behavior in the cat

The opiate antagonist naloxone hydrochloride was employed in order to determine whether endogenous opioids play a role in the control of affective defense behavior elicited from the medial hypothalamus in the cat. The effects of naloxone upon quiet biting attack behavior elicited from the lateral hypothalamus were also assessed. A comparison of the differences in response latencies or thresholds before and after naloxone (i.p.) administration was made. Naloxone (1, 4 and 10 mg/kg) was found to significantly facilitate affective defense behavior in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The duration of facilitation ranged from 30 min after a 1 mg/kg injection to 180 min after a 10 mg/kg injection. The data also suggest that the effects of naloxone upon affective defense behavior are opposite to those seen with quiet biting attack. In two animals, quiet biting attack behavior was suppressed for 30 min following a 10 mg/kg injection of naloxone. Naloxone was also administered to cats in which hypothalamic stimulation elicited predatory responses coupled with components of affective defense behavior. In these cases, naloxone was ineffective in altering latencies for this 'mixed' response. These findings suggest that the opiate peptide system selectively inhibits affective defense behavior elicited from the medial hypothalamus of the cat.
Methodological Considerations for Studying Diabetes: Understandings and Actions in Chennai, India

As per the World Health Organization's global noncommunicable disease (NCD) strategy, data on health perceptions and behaviours are critical to designing and tailoring interventions to slow rising NCD prevalence and the toll on public health and economic well-being. Intervention planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation require understanding the relevant public's sense of personal risk, prevention awareness, and willingness to undertake preventative measures, as well as structural barriers impeding engagement in healthy behaviours, seeking treatment, and managing illness. This article details the design features and challenges of a study focused on the aforementioned features in Chennai, India. These features and challenges have relevance across Asia. As such, communication and collaboration between Asian researchers and program planners can enrich results for all involved. Establishing such a forum should be high on Asia's global health agenda.
Social Support and Survival in Young Women with Breast Carcinoma

Purpose—While previous evidence has shown increased likelihood for survival in cancer patients who have social support, little is known about changes in social support during illness and their impact on survival. This study examines the relationship between social support and survival among women diagnosed with breast carcinoma, specifically assessing the effect of network size and changes in social contact post-diagnosis. Methods—A population-based sample of 584 women was followed for up to 12.5 years (median follow-up =10.3 years). The mean age at diagnosis was 44 years, 81% were married, and 29% were racial/ethnic minorities. Cox regression analysis was used to estimate survival as a function of social support (changes in social contact and the size of social support), disease severity, treatment, health status, and socio-demographic factors. Results—Fifty-four-percent of the women had local and 44% had regional stage disease. About 53% underwent mastectomy, 68% received chemotherapy, and 55% had radiation. Regression results showed that disease stage, estrogen receptor status, and mastectomy were associated with greater risk of dying. Although network size was not related to survival, increased contact with friends/family post-diagnosis was associated with lower risk of death, with a hazard ratio of 0.31 (95% CI, 0.17-0.57). Conclusion—Findings from this study have identified an important aspect of a woman’s social network that impacts survival. An increase in the amount of social contact, representing greater social support, may increase the likelihood of the women’s survival by enhancing their coping skills, providing emotional support, and expanding opportunities for information-sharing.
The finite basis theorem for relatively normal lattices

This study has as its primary objective to provide an in depth analysis of the structure of relatively normal lattices. A featured result is a purely lattice-theoretic generalization of Conrad'sFinite Basis Theorem for lattice-ordered groups.
The genetic relationships between the kringle domains of human plasminogen, prothrombin, tissue plasminogen activator, urokinase, and coagulation factor XII.

A computer-based statistical evaluation of the optimal alignments of the kringle domains of human plasminogen, human prothrombin, human tissue plasminogen activator, human urokinase, and human coagulation Factor XIIa, as well as the putative kringle of human haptoglobin, has been performed. A variety of different alignments has been examined and scores calculated in terms of the number of standard deviations (SD) of a given match from randomness. With the exception of human haptoglobin, it was found that very high alignment scores (8.9–23.0 SD from randomness) were obtained between each of the kringles, with the kringle 1 and kringle 5 regions of human plasminogen displaying the highest similarity, and the S kringle of human prothrombin and the human Factor XII kringle showing the least similarity. The relationships obtained were employed to construct an evolutionary tree for the kringles. The predicted alignments have also allowed nucleotide mutations in these regions to be evaluated more accurately. For those regions for which nucleotide sequences are known, we have employed the maximal alignments from the protein sequences to assess nucleotide sequence similarities. It was found that a range of approximately 40–55% of the nucleotide bases were placed at identical positions in the kringles, with the highest number found in the alignment of the two kringles of human tissue plasminogen activator and the lowest number in the alignment of the S kringle of prothrombin with the second kringle of tissue plasminogen activator. From both protein and nucleotide alignments, we conclude that haptoglobin is not statistically homologous to any other kringle.
An investigation into the structure of genomes within an evolution that uses embryogenesis

Evolutionary algorithms that use embryogenesis in the creation of individuals have several desirable qualities. Such algorithms are able to create complex, modular designs which can scale well to large problems. However, the inner workings of developmental algorithms have not been investigated as thoroughly as their direct-encoding counterparts. More precisely, it would be beneficial to look at how the rules used during embryogenesis evolve alongside the phenotypes they produced. This paper reports on such an investigation into the evolution of a rule set for the growth of an artificial neural network, and identifies several aspects that are desirable for the genomes of a developmental evolutionary algorithm.