cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Effect of the Magnitude of the Disordered Phase Temperature Range on the Given Phase Transition in Liquid Crystals

The difference between phases separated by a given phase transition can be characterized by one particular physical property called the order parameter. For example, the order parameter for distinguishing a ferromagnetic phase from a paramagnetic phase is the magnetization. Consequently, the order parameter (ψ) is zero for the disordered phase (T>TC) and nonzero for the ordered phase (T < TC). Here T is the transition temperature. Depending on the way ψ approaches zero at T = TC, we have two types of phase transitions. The one with ψ asymptotically approaching zero as T approach T C − is a continuous transition; otherwise, the transition is a first order one. For a continuous transition, the divergence of the order parameter-order parameter correlation length at T = TC results in anomalous behavior in many physical properties, e.g., heat capacity (C), susceptibility (χ), etc. For example, in the limit where the reduced temperature t = ((T-TC)/TC) approaches zero, the critical exponent γ related to the diverging behavior of the susceptibility (χ) is defined as $$ \gamma \equiv - \mathop{{\lim }}\limits_{{t \to 0}} \,{\text{en}}\,x{\text{/en}}\,{\text{t}} $$ . Consequently, in the temperature range sufficiently close to TC, the susceptibility can be expressed as $$\chi {\text{ = D}}{{{\text{t}}}^{{ - \gamma }}}$$ .
Computer-aided diagnosis of prostate cancer with MRI

Multi-parametric magnetic resonance imaging (mp-MRI) has an increasingly important role in the diagnosis of prostate cancer. Due to the large amount of data and variations in mp-MRI, tumor detection can be affected by multiple factors, such as the observer's clinical experience, image quality, and appearance of the lesions. In order to improve the quantitative assessment of the disease and reduce the reporting time, various computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) systems have been designed to help radiologists identify lesions. This manuscript presents an overview of the literature regarding prostate CAD using mp-MRI, while focusing on the studies of the most recent five years. Current prostate CAD technologies and their utilization are discussed in this review.
Physician referral patterns and racial disparities in total hip replacement: A network analysis approach.

Background Efforts to reduce racial disparities in total hip replacement (THR) have focused mainly on patient behaviors. While these efforts are no doubt important, they ignore the potentially important role of provider- and system-level factors, which may be easier to modify. We aimed to determine whether the patterns of interaction among physicians around THR episodes differ in communities with low versus high concentrations of black residents. Materials and methods We analyzed national Medicare claims from 2008 to 2011, identifying all fee-for-service beneficiaries who underwent THR. Based on physician encounter data, we then mapped the physician referral networks at the hospitals where beneficiaries’ procedures were performed. Next, we measured two structural properties of these networks that could affect care coordination and information sharing: clustering, and the number of external ties. Finally, we estimated multivariate regression models to determine the relationship between the concentration of black residents in the community [as measured by the hospital service area (HSA)] served by a given network and each of these 2 network properties. Results Our sample included 336,506 beneficiaries (mean age 76.3 ± SD), 63.1% of whom were women. HSAs with higher concentrations of black residents tended to be more impoverished than those with lower concentrations. While HSAs with higher concentrations of black residents had, on average, more acute care beds and medical specialists, they had fewer surgeons per capita than those with lower concentrations. After adjusting for these differences, we found that HSAs with higher concentrations of black residents were served by physician referral networks that had significantly higher within-network clustering but fewer external ties. Conclusions We observed differences in the patterns of interaction among physicians around THR episodes in communities with low versus high concentrations of black residents. Studies investigating the impact of these differences on access to quality providers and on THR outcomes are needed.
A Branch-and-Price Approach for Graph Multi-Coloring

We present a branch-and-price framework for solving the graph multi-coloring problem. We propose column generation to implicitly optimize the linear programming relaxation of an independent set formulation (where there is one variable for each independent set in the graph) for graph multi-coloring. This approach, while requiring the solution of a difficult subproblem, is a promising method to obtain good solutions for small to moderate size problems quickly. Some implementation details and initial computational experience are presented.
Biological surfactant production in a biological slurry reactor treating diesel fuel contaminated soil.

A sandy loam with aged diesel fuel contamination was treated for 90 days in an 8-L soil slurry-sequencing batch reactor (SS-SBR). The purpose was to investigate biological surfactant production and its effect on slurry properties and reactor performance. The SS-SBR was operated with a 10-day retention time and a 5-day cycle. Track studies were performed to monitor the fluctuation in slurry properties during a single cycle. Surfactants were produced faster than they were degraded or sorbed during the first 1.5 days of each cycle, resulting in increasing concentrations from less than the critical micelle concentration (CMC) to 60 times the CMC and an increase in aqueous diesel fuel concentration from 0 to 1.2 g/L. Only after the concentration of surfactants and emulsified diesel fuel began to decrease through biodegradation (after 1.5 days) was foaming observed. Foam thickness increased from 0 mm at 1.5 days to 48 mm on day 3, and then decreased to 0 mm again by the end of the cycle. Surfactants were completely degraded by the end of each cycle. Coinciding profiles of foam thickness and emulsification capacity (i.e., ability to emulsify spiked hydrocarbon) indicate that foaming resulted from the temporary accumulation of free surfactant molecules. Biological surfactant production occurred without cell multiplication during the first day, but was later growth associated. The ratio of oxygen to diesel fuel consumed was 1.7, and the microorganism yield on a chemical oxygen demand basis (Y COD ) was 0.43.
Retroviruses of Insects

A number of endogenous retroviruses containing apparently complete gag, pol, and env genes have been characterized from insects of the orders Lepidoptera and Diptera. With the advent of insect genome sequencing projects the identification of similar viruses has been expanding rapidly. A particularly striking feature of these viruses is the homology of the predicted env protein to an envelope fusion protein from the Baculoviridae, a family of viruses pathogenic for insects. Evolutionary evidence suggests that the insect retroviruses may have obtained their env gene via a recombination event that occurred when a retrotransposon was integrated into a baculovirus genome. This may have occurred on at least two different occasions leading to two major lineages of insect retroviruses.
Brain Breaks Go To College

As health education specialists, we are called to practice what we promote. American adult physical activity levels are low, and too much time is spent sedentary. New habits can be learned early in...
Effect of carbohydrate ingestion on central fatigue during prolonged running exercise in moderate hypoxia.

Hypoxic exposure influences the origin of exercise-induced fatigue and the rate of fatigue development depending on the severity of hypoxia. Our data suggest that moderate hypoxia increases central...
A Millimeter-Wave Aperture Coupled High-Gain Antenna Array

An aperture coupled high gain micro-strip antenna for V-band is designed in this paper. It consists of two substrates with slot cut in the ground between two substrate and patch at the top and feed line at the bottom of other substrate. Power is coupled from feed line through slotted ground to the patch. Simulation and measurement results shows very good agreement for impedance matching and wide band gain. This antenna gives good matched results for 57 GHz to 64 GHz below −10 dB and gain of maximum 24 to 26 dBi in simulation and 22 to 28 dBi in measurement. Simulated result shows good cross polarization level of more than 35 dB.
The Implications of Pouch Physiology.

Introduction Patients undergoing an IPAA experience a completely different physiology of defecation than when they had a rectum. The new "normal" is poorly appreciated and incompletely understood, and the lack of understanding has implications for pouch function. This technical note lays out the physiology of defecation with an ileal pouch and its implications for patients and surgeons. Technique An intestinal pouch acts as a reservoir because the united antegrade and retrograde peristaltic loops produce no evacuatory pressure. Defecation occurs by gravity. Efficient defecation results in fewer stools, but inefficient defecation may cause stool frequency, incontinence, obstruction, constipation, and pouch inflammation. The technical aspects of pouch construction that impact emptying include a long efferent limb of an S-pouch, any degree of twist in the pouch body, afferent limb syndrome, and anal stenosis. Results Constructing a pouch with no twists and with an open anus, maintaining liquid stool, and encouraging unhurried defecation can improve pouch function. Conclusions Understanding pouch physiology is important in optimizing pouch function and maintaining patient expectations.
Survival of infants with spina bifida and the role of maternal prepregnancy body mass index.

OBJECTIVE To investigate first-year survival of infants born with spina bifida, and examine the association of maternal prepregnancy body mass index (BMI) with infant mortality. METHODS This is a retrospective cohort study of 1,533 liveborn infants with nonsyndromic spina bifida with estimated dates of delivery from 1998 to 2011 whose mothers were eligible for the National Birth Defects Prevention Study (NBDPS). NBDPS data were linked to death records to conduct survival analyses. Kaplan-Meier survival functions estimated mortality risk over the first year of life. Cox proportional hazards models estimated hazard ratios (HRs) for maternal prepregnancy BMI categorized as underweight (<18.5), normal (18.5-24.9), overweight (25-29.9), and obese (≥30). RESULTS Infant mortality risk among infants with spina bifida was (4.4% [3.52, 5.60%]). Infants with multiple co-occurring defects, very preterm delivery, multiple gestation, high-level spina bifida lesions, or non-Hispanic Black mothers had an elevated risk of infant mortality. Maternal prepregnancy underweight and obesity were associated with higher infant mortality (15.7% [7.20, 32.30%] and 5.82% [3.60, 9.35%], respectively). Adjusted HR estimates showed underweight and obese mothers had greater hazard of infant mortality compared to normal weight mothers (HR: 4.5 [1.08, 16.72] and 2.6 [1.36, 8.02], respectively). CONCLUSION The overall risk of infant mortality for infants born with spina bifida was lower than most previously reported estimates. Infants born with spina bifida to mothers who were underweight or obese prepregnancy were at higher risk of infant mortality. This study provides additional evidence of the importance of healthy maternal weight prior to pregnancy.
Evaluation of Cancer Patients With Suspected Pulmonary Embolism: Performance of the American College of Physicians Guideline

Abstract Background Accurate risk stratification of pulmonary embolism (PE) can reduce unnecessary imaging. We investigated the extent to which the American College of Physicians (ACP) guideline for evaluation of patients with suspected PE could be applied to cancer patients in the emergency department of a comprehensive cancer center. Materials and Methods Data from cancer patients who underwent CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA) between August 1, 2015, and October 31, 2015, were collected. We assessed each patient’s diagnostic workup for its adherence to the ACP guideline in terms of clinical risk stratification and age-adjusted d -dimer level and the degree to which these factors were associated with PE. Results Of the 380 patients identified, 213 (56%) underwent CTPA indicated per the ACP guideline, and 78 (21%) underwent CTPA not indicated per the guideline. Only one of the patients who underwent nonindicated CTPA had a PE. Fifty-seven patients underwent unnecessary d- dimer evaluation, and 71 patients with negative d -dimer test results underwent nonindicated CTPA. PEs were found in 6 of 108 (6%) low-risk patients, 22 of 219 (10%) intermediate-risk patients, and 13 of 53 (25%) high-risk patients. The ACP guideline had negative predictive value of 99% (95% confidence interval: 93%-100%) and sensitivity of 97% (95% confidence interval: 86%-100%) in predicting PE. Conclusion The ACP guideline has good sensitivity for detecting PE in cancer patients and thus can be applied in this population. Compliance with the ACP guideline when evaluating cancer patients with suspected PE could reduce the use of unnecessary imaging and laboratory studies.
Celebrity: A History of Fame by Susan J. Douglas and Andres McDonnell

Our culture is dominated by celebrities. Everywhere you turn – news media, social media feeds, even the checkout line at the grocery store – images of celebrities return your gaze. Headlines and po...
Distribution-Level Phasor Measurement Units Application to Composite Load Model Validation

This paper presents the results of composite load model validation based on the distribution-level micro- phasor measurement unit (PMU) measurements. The actual micro-PMU measurements from the distribution feeders are collected by Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory (LBNL). The composite load model parameters are initially generated using the load model data tool developed by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). The generated load models are calibrated to match the performances with the micro-PMU measurements using disturbance records “play-in” capabilities available in GE PSLF simulation package. A trial-and-error approach based on engineering judgement is proposed in this paper to benchmark the generated load model parameters and is implemented in the prototype of load model validation tool, which would be a supplement to the load model data tool.
The Role of Relationship Changes in College Students' Heavy Episodic Drinking.

Objective The beginning of college is a period in which increased alcohol use often coincides with greater involvement in romantic relationships. Existing literature yields inconsistent findings regarding the influence of relationship types on drinking behavior, perhaps because these studies have not accounted for recent changes in the way college students engage in dating/sexual relationships. Methods The present study sought to address this issue using a longitudinal study design by examining the effects of both relationship type and sexual activity on heavy episodic drinking (HED) among 1,847 college students over the course of the first 3 semesters of college. Results Results indicated that the effects of relationship type depended on whether an individual was sexually active. Nondating but sexually active students reported rates of HED comparable to students who defined themselves as casual daters. Conversely, nondating students who were not sexually active reported drinking behavior similar to those involved in exclusive relationships. Further, transitions between low- and high-risk relationship/sexual activity types were associated with corresponding changes in HED. Transitioning into a high-risk relationship was associated with significant increases in levels of HED, whereas transitioning into a low-risk relationship was associated with significant decreases in HED. Conclusions Together, results indicate that engaging in nonexclusive dating or casual sexual relationships may play an important role in the development of problematic patterns of alcohol use during the early college years. These findings have potentially important implications both for future research and for prevention and intervention efforts targeting high-risk college drinkers.
Theory of amorphous ices

We derive a phase diagram for amorphous solids and liquid supercooled water and explain why the amorphous solids of water exist in several different forms. Application of large-deviation theory allows us to prepare such phases in computer simulations. Along with nonequilibrium transitions between the ergodic liquid and two distinct amorphous solids, we establish coexistence between these two amorphous solids. The phase diagram we predict includes a nonequilibrium triple point where two amorphous phases and the liquid coexist. Whereas the amorphous solids are long-lived and slowly aging glasses, their melting can lead quickly to the formation of crystalline ice. Further, melting of the higher density amorphous solid at low pressures takes place in steps, transitioning to the lower-density glass before accessing a nonequilibrium liquid from which ice coarsens.
Oxford Textbook of the Psychiatry of Intellectual Disability: edited by Sabayasachi Bhaumik and Regi Alexander, Publisher: Oxford University Press, Great Clarendon Street, Oxford, OX2 6DP, United Kingdom, 2020, 328pp., (Hardback), ISBN-13: 9780198784585

Psychiatric disorders are three times more common in people with an intellectual disability (ID) in comparison to the general population. Still, for a long time the diagnosis and treatment of menta...
Education for Whom? The Writing Is on the Walls.

Debates over curricula can be understood as struggles over the power to define symbolic representations of the world. Although this tension is particularly visible in discourse around textbook adop...
Contextual Framework for Developing Research Competence: Piloting a Validated Classroom Model

The goal of most researchers is to establish competence in one’s profession; however, the degree to which this is measured in a research course is undetermined. The assessment of research competency usually involves the distinct measures of statistical ability, writing ability, and other skills that are quantifiable. Soft skills in research, on the other hand, are less distinguishable. It was the intent of this study to review eight years of data collection in undergraduate and graduate research classes to determine if a set of specific assignments was successful in developing the soft skills of research competence. Through a qualitative assessment, evaluation of visual materials, and assessment of a research instructional video, it was found that, to some extent, isolated and specific whole-part-whole, in-class and in-field assignments for the individual student or students within small groups, might allow students to develop the hard and soft skills necessary to become competent as researchers or their chosen profession.
The Five Stages of the Macromarketing Field of Study: From Raison D’etre to Field of Significant Promise:

This article contributes to the macromarketing field of study by tracing its evolution through five distinct stages. (1) In Era I (1900-1920), macromarketing was the raison d’etre of the marketing ...
Astrocytic Propagation of Tau in the Context of Alzheimer's Disease

More than 6 million Americans are currently living with Alzheimer's disease (AD), and the incidence is growing rapidly with our aging population. Numerous therapeutics have failed to make it to the clinic, potentially due to a focus on presumptive pathogenic proteins instead of cell-type-specific signaling mechanisms. The tau propagation hypothesis that inter-neuronal tau transfer drives AD pathology has recently garnered attention, as accumulation of pathological tau in the brain has high clinical significance in correlating with progression of cognitive AD symptoms. However, studies on tau pathology in AD are classically neuron-centric and have greatly overlooked cell-type specific effects of tau internalization, degradation, and propagation. While the contribution of microglia to tau processing and propagation is beginning to be recognized and understood, astrocytes, glial cells in the brain important for maintaining neuronal metabolic, synaptic, trophic, and immune function which can produce, internalize, degrade, and propagate tau are understudied in their ability to affect AD progression through tau pathology. Here, we showcase evidence for whether tau uptake by astrocytes may be beneficial or detrimental to neuronal health and how astrocytes and their immunometabolic functions may be key targets for future successful AD therapies.
Changing Paradigms and Unmet Needs in Multiple Sclerosis: The Role of Clinical Neurophysiology.

SUMMARY Our increasing understanding of the immunopathogenesis of multiple sclerosis has led to the development of many disease-modifying therapies that have revolutionized the care of patients with relapsing forms of the disease. Our understanding of the pathophysiologic basis of progressive forms of the disease is much more limited but has dramatically changed over the past several decades. We are now on the verge of developing therapies that promote remyelination, reduce axonal loss, and restore axonal function. This progress is challenged by inadequate animal models of progressive disease and incomplete biomarkers of progression. In measuring central nervous system function, evoked potentials may have an advantage over biomarkers, which measure only pathologic change. Monitoring multifocal visual evoked potential amplitude may be one possible means of monitoring disease progression in multiple sclerosis. Additional clinical studies are required to document whether evoked potentials can adequately serve as effective biomarkers of progression.
Worker Earnings, Service Quality, and Firm Profitability: Evidence from Nursing Homes and Minimum Wage Reforms

This paper examines whether higher earnings for frontline workers affect the quality of services consumers receive. I leverage increases in the statutory minimum wage, combined with worker, consumer, and firm outcomes in the nursing home sector. I find that higher minimum wages increase income and retention among low-wage employees while improving consumer outcomes measured by fewer inspection violations; lower rates of adverse, preventable health conditions; and lower resident mortality. Firms maintain profitability by attracting consumers with a greater ability to pay and increasing prices for these individuals.
Atrial Septal Defect Resource Utilization Analysis

Purpose There is wide variation of practice in monitoring secundum atrial septal defects (ASD) by providers. It is generally accepted that ASDs less than 3mm (typically classified as patent foramen ovale (PFO)) close spontaneously by 18 months of age and do not require follow up. Defects greater than 3mm tend to have a more variable course and require additional surveillance. While the majority of ASDs resolve spontaneously or are hemodynamically insignificant, some require closure in the cath lab or OR. The optimal time for ASD closure is between 4-5 years of age. In practice …
Linking Daily Intercultural Communication to Creative Behavior: A Job Demands-Resources Perspective

Although multicultural interactions are purported to offer creative potential, this creativity often goes unrealized. Our research takes a within-person approach to unravel the conundrum of creativ...
Males respond to substrate-borne, not airborne, female chemical cues in the jumping spider, Habronattus pyrrithrix (Araneae: Salticidae)

Jumping spiders are known for complex courtship displays with both visual and vibratory components, but increasing evidence shows they also use chemoreception in intraspecific communication. We conducted two experiments using Habronattus pyrrithrix (Chamberlin, 1924) to assess male response to substrate-borne or airborne chemical cues produced by virgin females. First, we tested the effect of substrate-borne cues by allowing males to inspect two pieces of filter paper that had either been exposed to a female (thus covered in silk and/or excreta) or not (control). Second, we used a Y-tube olfactometer to test male response to female airborne cues versus a no-odor control in the absence of substrate-borne cues. Males responded to substrate-borne cues (spending more time traversing and palpating female-treated filter paper compared with the control) but did not respond to airborne cues alone. Together, these experiments suggest male H. pyrrithrix may use contact chemical cues from female silk to locate or assess females.
Carbon Clusters: Thermochemistry and Electronic Structure at High Temperatures

This paper studies the thermochemistry and electronic structure of small carbon clusters and hydrocarbons which are major constituents of pyrolysis gases released into the boundary layer of ablating heat shields. Our focus lies on clusters of up to four carbon atoms including C3H and C4H. A study of electronically excited states of these molecules computed using the EOM-CCSD method has revealed C4 and C4H to be potential sources of radiation absorption in the boundary layer. We also study the effect of low-lying excited electronic states on the thermodynamics in the high temperature regime and show that neglecting these states records a difference of upto 12% in the computed Cp values. Finally, comparisons of the equilibrium mole fractions obtained using the thermodynamics computed in this paper with the existing state-of-the-art tables used for hypersonic applications (for example JANAF and Gurvich Tables) show an order of magnitude difference in the mixture compositions.
The future of STI screening and treatment for youth: a National Survey of youth perspectives and intentions.

Sexually transmitted infection (STI) rates continue to rise in the U.S., with disproportionately high rates among those aged 15–24 years. Effective programs and policies are necessary to address this growing public health problem. The purpose of this study is to assess the perspectives of a national sample of youth on access to STI care and behaviors regarding STIs. MyVoice, a national text message survey of youth, was used to pose four open-ended questions on STI screening and treatment to 1115 youth aged 14–24 in August 2018. A mixed-methods strategy was employed for the study. Qualitative data was analyzed using a modified grounded theory approach. Summary statistics were calculated for demographic data and prevalence of themes. Of the 800 participants who responded to at least one question (72% response rate), mean age was 19 years (SD = 3.1), 55% identified as female, 61% identified as non-Hispanic white, and 33% qualified for free/reduced lunch. A majority felt it would be easy to get screened (69%) or treated (68%) for an STI. Nearly all respondents (95%) stated they would share an STI diagnosis with their sexual partners. Despite high rates of STIs among youth, most respondents reported that STI screening and treatment is accessible, and they would share an STI diagnosis with their partner.
Perceptual Similarity and Conceptual Structure

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses perceptual similarity and conceptual structure. The relevance of perceptual similarity for conceptual structure stems from the role of real world experience on feature weights. One kind of knowledge that pushes feature weights around and stretches the similarity space is implicit knowledge about relations among perceptual features. Perceptual features do not vary orthogonally in the world. They come in causally related clusters; birds with webbed feet tend to have bills and objects with dog-like feet tend to have dog-like heads. Evidence from laboratory experiments indicates that both adults and older infants are sensitive to such correlations. This empirical evidence indicates that experience with correlations causes increased attention to the combinations of features that enter into correlations. Perceptual and conceptual similarity are not the same things. Conceptual similarity does not reduce to perceptual similarity. The chapter discusses how perceptual and conceptual similarities are different and describes the causal dependencies between the two.
Mediated martyrs of the arab spring: New media, civil religion, and narrative in tunisia and egypt

This article analyzes the emergence of nationalist martyr narratives and their dissemination via new media as forces for social mobilization and political change. Situating them in the religio-historical contexts of North Africa, we trace martyr narratives in Tunisia and Egypt back to pre-Islamic periods and compare them to the contemporary stories of Mohamed Bouazizi and Khaled Saeed. This reveals the impact of new media on the region, evident in “virtual reliquaries,” and the role that martyr narratives play as catalysts in social mobilization. The trajectory of the martyr narrative from the traditional religious context to the state-driven concept of civil religion allows for the political dimension of narratives resident within the religious context to surface in the contemporary discursive moment.
Making High-Flux Membranes with Carbon Nanotubes

Separation of gases and liquids into their constituents is crucial for many industrial processes. Membranes that incorporate nanotubes show promise for high selectivity and throughput.
Securing ePassport system: A proposed Anti-Cloning and Anti-Skimming Protocol

Despite the fact that RFID based ePassport (a.k.a biometric passport) has increased the efficiency of passport systems, it has created many new threats concerning personal data protection. Cryptographic tools are used to counter these threats but vulnerabilities are discovered in the implementation of these tools. For instance, Basic Access Control (BAC) is used to thwart data skimming from the ePassport to an illegitimate reader. Study reveals that the BAC keys suffer from very low practical entropy, therefore BAC cannot be considered as an effective tool against skimming attacks. Moreover, Active Authentication (AA), a measure against chip cloning, can be bypassed by amending the EF.COM file of the passport chip. In this paper, an Anti-Cloning and Anti-Skimming Protocol (ACASP) is proposed that provides a counter solution to the aforementioned vulnerabilities. It takes advantage of publicprivate key pair stored in the chip and optional data storage capacity in Machine Readable Zone (MRZ) of the passport. It increases BAC keys entropy from 30–40 bits to 56 bits and provides an entirely different approach to avoid chip cloning. ACASP can be implemented without any change in hardware of reader and tag. It also requires no change in Logical Data Structure (LDS) of the RFID chip. However, application software of reader and tag needs to be modified as required.
Data path testing using time-shared resource boundary scan

A time-shared resource organization is established for boundary scan registers. Modules under test share the scan latches in the boundary scan which results in a reduction in test serialization and enhances the process of fault location. >
Sport Commitment, Participation Frequency and Purchase Intention Segmentation based on Age, Gender, Income and Skill Level with US Tennis Participants

Abstract The purpose of this study was to examine how demographic market segments differ based on three constructs: commitment to the sport, participation frequency and purchase intention. Data were gathered via a web-based questionnaire from community tennis association members (N=537). Significant differences were found with sport commitment based on age; participation frequency significantly differed based on ability level; purchase intention significantly differed based on income and ability level. Theoretical implications are discussed and practical implications are forwarded.
Transplantation in miniature swine: analysis of graft-infiltrating lymphocytes provides evidence for local suppression.

Abstract Previous studies from this laboratory have demonstrated that swine tolerant of class I disparate renal allografts show peripheral antidonor cellular reactivity which can be augmented by skin grafting. To assess the possibility of local suppression, cell-mediated lymphocytotoxicity of graft-infiltrating lymphocytes was compared to that of peripheral blood lymphocytes from three tolerant and four acutely rejecting recipients of class I—disparate renal allografts. Mixed lymphocyte cultures using peripheral blood lymphocytes or graft-infiltrating lymphocytes and an equal number of irradiated peripheral blood lymphocyte stimulators were incubated for 6 days and tested in a 6-hr 51Cr release assay. Graft-infiltrating lymphocytes from rejecting animals had potent anti-donor cell-mediated lymphocytotoxic activity with or without in vitro stimulation. Anti-third-party reactivity was seen with appropriate stimulation, suggesting heterogeneity of graft-infiltrating lymphocyte cultures. Peripheral blood lymphocytes from rejectors generated donor-specific cell-mediated lymphocytotoxicity. Graft-infiltrating lymphocytes from tolerant animals generated no antidonor cell-mediated lymphocytotoxicity with or without in vitro stimulation, but generated an anti-third-party response. Peripheral blood lymphocytes from tolerant animals displayed both antidonor and anti-third-party reactivity with appropriate in vitro stimulation. These data support the hypothesis that local suppression may contribute significantly to maintenance of tolerance to class I disparate renal allografts in miniature swine.
Electrical resistivity and magneto-resistance of very dilute Cu-Cr alloys

Abstract Measurements of the electrical resistivity from 1.5–80 K and the longitudinal magnetoresistivity from 0–95 kOe at 1.9, 4.2 and 25 K for every dilute Cr in Cu alloys are reported.
Effect of Norepinephrine on Insulin, Glucagon, and Somatostatin Secretion in Isolated Perifused Rat Islets

The rate of insulin, glucagon, and somatostatin secretion was measured from isolated rat islets maintained in a perifusion system. The effect of norepinephrine (NE) was simultaneously determined on the release rate of all three hormones. Norepinephrine was employed at an acute dose of 10 micrometers and in graded doses from 1 nM to 10 micrometers in the presence of high (22 mM) and low (1.4 mM) glucose conditions, insulin secretion was maximally inhibited at 10 micrometers NE concentration and was significantly depressed at 100 mM NE concentration. Under both high and low glucose conditions, glucagon release was maximally stimulated at 10 micrometers NE concentration and was significantly elevated at 10 nM NE concentration. Under high and low glucose conditions, somatostatin release was inhibited by 10 micrometers NE concentration and was significantly depressed at 100 nM NE concentration. During the initial maximal stimulation of glucagon, NE inhibition of somatostatin and insulin was prevented, possibly by the high level of glucagon released. A paracrine effect of glucagon on beta and delta cells is proposed.
Antioxidant signaling in skeletal muscle: a brief review.

Abstract Generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is a ubiquitous biological phenomenon in eukaryotic cell life. During the past two decades, much attention has been paid to the detrimental effects of ROS such as oxidative stress, pathogenesis and aging. However, there is now increasing evidence and recognition that ROS are not merely damaging agents inflicting random destruction to the cell structure and function, but useful signaling molecules to regulate growth, differentiation, proliferation, and apoptosis, at least within the physiological concentration. In skeletal muscle contractile activity has been shown to upregulate antioxidant defense systems and ROS has been postulated to be essential in this adaptation. Available research data suggest that nuclear factor (NF)κB and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) play a critical role in the relay of oxidative stress signals to gene expression apparatus in the myocytes under a variety of physiological and pathological conditions. This mini-review will discuss the main mechanisms and gene targets for these antioxidant signaling pathways during exercise, inflammation and aging.
Tests of hypotheses about regression parameters when using a robust estimator

The paper proposes a method for testing hypotheses about the slope parame¬ters in the usual linear regression model when using a robust estimator. The goal is to have the probability of at least one type I error equal to α. The emphasis is on d = 2 predictors and α = .05. The method is based in part on a reformulation of the percentile bootstrap. Simulations indicate that the method generally improves upon two other methods recently studied. More¬over, among the robust estimators considered here, all indications are that there is a practical advantage to using a recently proposed extension of the Theil-Sen estimator.
Mechanism of pyroxene and amphibole weathering-I. Experimental studies of iron-free minerals

Abstract The short term (2–40 days) dissolution of enstatite, diopside, and tremolite in aqueous solution at low temperatures (20–60°C) and pH 1–6 has been studied in the laboratory by means of chemical analyses of reacting solutions for Ca2+, Mg2+, and Si(OH)4 and by the use of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) for detecting changes in surface chemistry of the minerals. All three minerals were found to release silica at a constant rate (linear kinetics) providing that ultrafine particles, produced by grinding, were removed initially by HF treatment. All three also underwent incongruent dissolution with preferential release of Ca and/or Mg relative to Si from their outermost surfaces. The preferential release of Ca, but not Mg for diopside at pH 6 was found by both XPS and solution chemistry verifying the theoretical prediction of greater mobility of cations located in M2 structural sites. Loss mainly from M2 sites also explains the degree of preferential loss of Mg from enstatite at pH 6; similar structural arguments apply to the loss of Ca and Mg from the surface of tremolite. In the case of diopside and tremolite initial incongruency was followed by essentially congruent cation-plus-silica dissolution indicating rapid formation of a constant-thickness, cation-depleted surface layer. Cation depletion at elevated temperature and low pH (~ 1) for enstatite and diopside was much greater than at low temperature and neutral pH, and continued reaction resulted in the formation of a surface precipitate of pure silica as indicated by solubility calculations, XPS analyses, and scanning electron microscopy. From XPS results at pH 6, model calculations indicate a cation-depleted altered surface layer of only a few atoms thickness in all three minerals. Also, lack of shifts in XPS peak energies for Si, Ca, and Mg, along with undersaturation of solutions with respect to all known Mg and Ca silicate minerals, suggest that cation depletion results from the substitution of hydrogen ion for Ca2+ and/or Mg2+ in a modified silicate structure and not from the precipitation of a new, radically different surface phase. These results, combined with findings of high activation energies for dissolution, a non-linear dependence on aH+ for silica release from enstatite and diopside, and the occurrence of etch pitting, all point to surface chemical reaction and not bulk diffusion (either in solution or through altered surface layers) as the rate controlling mechanism of iron-free pyroxene and amphibole dissolution at earth surface temperatures.
Detection of polyphase pulse compression waveforms using the radon-ambiguity transform

The recently developed Radon-ambiguity transform (RAT) detects unknown linear frequency modulated (LFM) signals by computing line integrals through the origin of the signal's ambiguity function (AF) magnitude. It is shown that this method also detects the step LFM and frequency-derived polyphase pulse compression waveforms with varying performance degradation. Simulations are provided to estimate the detection loss relative to the LFM.
Proton Transfer Reactions Linked to Rhodopsin Activation

Purified bovine rhodopsin solubilized in dodecyl maltoside was photolyzed at 20 °C with 477 nm light, and difference spectra were collected at time delays ranging from 10 μs to 10 ms after photolysis. Bromocresol purple was added to the samples to detect pH changes in the aqueous environment due to changes in the protonation state of rhodopsin. The data were analyzed using singular value decomposition and global exponential fitting, which revealed three exponential processes indicating the presence of at least four intermediates. Spectral changes of the indicator dye were separated from those of rhodopsin, and proton release and uptake rates were analyzed within the framework of rhodopsin photoreaction kinetics. Proton release occurred during Lumi decay to Meta-I380 followed by uptake upon Meta-I380 decay and by a more significant proton uptake with the time course of Meta-I480 decay. On the basis of the estimated number of protons released and taken up in each step of the rhodopsin photoreaction, we conc...
Obstructive Sleep Apnea-Hypopnea Syndrome

Obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) is characterized by repetitive episodes of airflow reduction (hypopnea) or cessation (apnea) due to upper airway collapse during sleep. Increasing recognition and a greater understanding of the scope of this condition have substantially affected the practices of many clinicians. This review provides practical information for physicians assessing patients with OSAHS. It discusses complications, clinical recognition, the polysomnographic report, and treatment of OSAHS, including strategies for troubleshooting problems associated with continuous positive airway pressure therapy.
An essay on the interactions between climate and society

There has been increasing concern about the lack of involvement by social scientists and humanists in a global change program, although many social scientists are already directly involved in various aspects of research on environmental change, and their research interests are clearly central to a global change research agenda. Based on a historical review, the role of social science disciplines as well as social science institutes in an emerging multidecadal global change program is discussed. Both “plan of action” and “plan of inaction” are suggested to avoid potential pitfalls due to the rush development of a social science program into the existing global climate change problem.
Addition of ammonia and/or oxygen to an ionic liquid for delignification of miscanthus.

Abstract Ammonia and/or oxygen were used to enhance the delignification of miscanthus dissolved in 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate at 140 °C. After dissolution of the gas at 9 bar, water was added as antisolvent to regenerate the dissolved biomass. In a next step, an acetone/water mixture was used to remove carbohydrate-free lignin from the regenerated biomass. The lignin content in the final product was around 10%, much lower than the ca. 23% lignin content of the raw dry miscanthus. This lignin reduction is achieved without diminution of cellulose or of total carbohydrates recovered, relative to the recovery achieved with the ionic liquid pretreatment in contact with air or nitrogen.
Localized Responses to Unsustainable Growth

As another IPCC report about the causes and effects of climate change is under consideration by decision-makers everywhere, many question the scale of action best able to bolster resilience in the face of environmental crises and the always contested tragedy of the commons. How can individuals and societies live well under the constraints of a anite environment? This question points to the entanglement between local and global dynamics, endogenous and exogenous factors, and the intensiacation of multi-scale experiments in how to interpret and implement the slogan “think globally, act locally.” Three recent books attempt to provide responses in this debate. In The Localization Reader: Adapting to the Coming Downshift, editors Raymond De Young and Thomas Princen gather a collection of interdisciplinary historic and contemporary texts to advocate for the downscaling of human activities and the necessity of preparing for the consequences of downscaling through “positive localization.” Also focused on the local, Robert Scruton, in How to Think Seriously About the Planet: The Case for an Environmental Conservatism, puts forward a conservative response to environmental problems, rooted in territorial attachment and homescape. Finally, in Citizen Participation in Global Environmental Governance, Mikko Rask, Richard Worthington, and Minna Lammi contribute detailed accounts of a speciac case of place-based citizen mobilization with regard to inouencing environmental global policy-making, the 2009 World Wide Views on Global Warming (WWViews). All three books ascertain the root of the environmental crisis, propose solutions, and address challenges that may arise.
Detection of ultrawideband pulses in atmospheric turbulence and Gaussian noise

Scintillation of electromagnetic energy traversing the atmosphere is caused by refractive index inhomogeneities in the transmission path that cause phase shifts, giving rise to selective reinforcement or degradation of the energy across the beam. It is the object of this paper to determine the detection probability and false alarm rate for pulses of electromagnetic energy of varying width in the presence of atmospheric turbulence and Gaussian noise.
A tool for multiple sequence alignment

Multiple sequence alignment can be a useful technique for studying molecular evolution and analyzing sequence-structure relationships. Until recently, it has been impractical to apply dynamic programming, the most widely accepted method for producing pairwise alignments, to comparisons of more than three sequences. We describe the design and application of a tool for multiple alignment of amino acid sequences that implements a new algorithm that greatly reduces the computational demands of dynamic programming. This tool is able to align in reasonable time as many as eight sequences the length of an average protein.
Development and Testing of a Low-Cost Rapid-Cycle Hot Embossing System for Manufacturing Microscale Parts

Hot embossing is an effective technology for replicating micro-scale features in polymeric materials, but large-scale adoption of this method is hindered by high capital costs and longer cycle times relative to other technologies. This paper details a hot embossing machine design strategy motivated by maximum production speed with minimal capital cost. Innovative design aspects include the choice of new ceramic substrate heaters for electrical heating, design of a moveable heat sink to minimize heat load during the heating cycle, and the careful design of the thermal elements to minimize the heating and cooling cycle times. The hot embossing equipment fabricated from this design has a capital cost estimated to be an order of magnitude less than currently available options. The minimum cycle time is two minutes, and microstructures are replicated within a maximum area of 25mm by 75mm. The hot embossing machine has been tested to characterize the process variability. Runs of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) parts manufactured using this equipment are measured to have submicron variation under a variety of processing conditions.Copyright © 2009 by ASME