cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Oxygen dissolution and surface oxide reconstructions on Nb(100)

Abstract The ever-present native oxide layer on niobium plays a fundamental role in the performance of Nb superconducting radio frequency (SRF) cavities for particle accelerators and light sources. Using Nb(111) and Nb(100) as model systems, oxygen dissolution and surface structural evolution as a function of thermal treatments in ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) were studied using combined Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), providing novel, real space information regarding the complex evolution of the Nb surface oxide. The surface crystallographic orientation was shown to influence oxide surface structure; Nb(111) displayed disordered surface oxide domains while Nb(100) was comprised of well-ordered, (n × 1)-O domains. The temperature-dependent dissolution of the native oxide layer on Nb(100) was characterized to ascertain the energetics for oxygen dissolution, and evolution of the surface oxide superlattice structure following thermal annealing was observed with STM. By understanding the kinetic behavior of oxygen dissolution during thermal annealing and subsequent structural evolution of the Nb(n × 1)-O superlattice on Nb(100), a more thorough understanding of the complex interactions driving chemical composition and cavity surface structure under Nb SRF cavity processing and operating conditions may be understood.
Rotary ultrasonic machining: effects of tool natural frequency on ultrasonic vibration amplitude

Rotary ultrasonic machining (RUM) is a hybrid machining process that combines the material removal mechanisms of grinding and ultrasonic machining. RUM has been applied to hole-making for a wide ra...
A Diagram for Fire: Miracles and Variation in an American Charismatic Movement: by Jon Bialecki, Oakland, CA, University of California Press, 2017, 288 pp., $34.95 (paperback), ISBN 9780520294219

Jon Bialecki’s A Diagram for Fire: Miracles and Variation in an American Charismatic Movement presents a unique study of the Vineyard movement, a group of affiliated churches within contemporary No...
Acute Complications of Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) poses a challenging problem for the general surgeon. Despite advances in medical management, ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease (CD) often present with acute and emergent surgical issues. Surgical intervention is generally reserved for failed medical therapy or complications of the disease. The complications that may require urgent surgical intervention include hemorrhage, acute severe colitis, perforation, obstruction, abscess, and fistula disease. For patients with colonic emergencies, an abdominal colectomy with end ileostomy is recommended. Laparoscopy can be safe and beneficial in IBD patients and should be considered in the emergency setting.
Microsurgery for Male Infertility

Introduction: Microsurgery for male fertility has been performed for decades, with the most common procedures being micro epididymal sperm aspiration (MESA), microdissection testicular sperm extraction (microTESE), varicocelectomy, and vasectomy reversal (VR). These procedures are required in the appropriate management of male fertility. The objective of the current chapter is to review indications, technical steps, outcomes, and the role of these procedures in contemporary practice.
On the design of three-dimensional mechanical metamaterials using load flow visualization

Mechanical metamaterials have generated considerable interest due to their unique attributes such as light weight, high strength, enhanced energy absorption, high impact, and fracture resistance. H...
Continuous Abstraction of Nonlinear Systems using Sum-of-Squares Programming

We present a control design procedure for nonlinear control systems in which we represent a potentially high dimensional system with a low dimensional continuous-state abstraction. The abstraction generates a reference which the original system follows with a low level controller. We propose sum-of-squares programming as a tool to design this controller and to provide an upper bound on the relative error between the system and its abstraction. We compute the low level controller simultaneously with a simulation function that gives the boundedness guarantee for the relative error.
Response to: 'COVID-19 in patients with rheumatic diseases: what is the real mortality risk?' by Marques et al .

We appreciate the comments by Marques et al in response to our manuscript.1 Their description of a cohort of patients with rheumatic disease and COVID-19 is another important contribution to the literature during this quickly evolving pandemic. In this report of 130 patients with rheumatic diseases, the authors estimated a mortality rate of 9.2%, higher than the 4.7% mortality rate reported in the general population in Brazil.1 It is important to note that one must be cautious when comparing these two rates because the composition of these cohorts according to demographics and other confounding features likely differs but was unable to be accounted for in the analysis. However, there were several important features in this cohort which may explain the higher mortality rate including a large comorbidity burden among the deceased, frequent use of glucocorticoids and less frequent use of biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARD).2 The authors hypothesise that factors …
Evolving On-Chip Power Delivery through Particle Swarm Optimization

An evolving on-chip power delivery method is developed for the adaptive voltage assignment of a given voltage domain. The reference voltages of the on-chip voltage regulators (OCVRs) are determined and set through particle swarm optimization (PSO) to negate the effects of transistor aging, process variation, and power supply noise induced variation in the load circuit, OCVRs, and on-chip timing sensors. The on-line learning of the optimum voltages that evolve with time reduces the static voltage guard-band added during the design of the power delivery network for worst case process, temperature, and aging induced timing variation of a digital circuit. Applying the proposed PSO based on-chip power management technique ensures a minimal voltage assignment without incurring any timing violations on the critical paths, which also evolve with time. The run-time adaptive voltage delivery technique is applicable to any processor architecture as demonstrated through simulation of a four core multi-processor implemented in a 7 nm PTM FinFET technology. Results indicate an average reduction of 35% and 38% in, respectively, the dynamic power consumption and transistor aging.
Arterial Mechanics following Living Kidney Donation.

Given the shortage of organ availability from deceased donors, 29% of the 23,401 transplanted kidneys in the United States in 2019 came from living donors ( ; accessed July 24, 2020). Although kidney donation is seen as a safe procedure, long-term complications
Leveraging sustainable design practices through supplier involvement in new product development: The role of the suppliers' environmental management capability

Abstract Firms often aim to develop new products in an environmentally sustainable fashion, while at the same time ensuring profitability. While firms may aim to do so themselves through internal sustainable design practices, what has increasingly become prevalent is to leverage the expertise of suppliers in such endeavors. With this framing and by relying on the resource-based view and its extensions reflected in the natural resource-based view of the firm, this study develops a conceptual model theorizing how internal resources in the form of sustainable design practices enable a firm to improve the environmental and economic performance associated with new product development initiatives. Further, we propose that (external) supplier involvement in new product development complements a firm's internal efforts to reap benefits from sustainable design practices, with this complementary effect however being contingent on the suppliers' environmental management capability. The results from testing this model with empirical survey data provide important academic and managerial insights regarding how firms should best manage their efforts to develop environmentally friendly new products through the leveraging of both internal (firm) and external (supplier) resources.
Correlation and Agreement of Yttrium-90 Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography with Ex Vivo Radioembolization Microsphere Deposition in the Rabbit VX2 Liver Tumor Model.

Abstract Purpose To demonstrate a stronger correlation and agreement of yttrium-90 (90Y) positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) measurements with explant liver tumor dosing compared with the standard model (SM) for radioembolization. Materials and Methods Hepatic VX2 tumors were implanted into New Zealand white rabbits, with growth confirmed by 7 T magnetic resonance imaging. Seventeen VX2 rabbits provided 33 analyzed tumors. Treatment volumes were calculated from manually drawn volumes of interest (VOI) with three-dimensional surface renderings. Radioembolization was performed with glass 90Y microspheres. PET/CT imaging was completed with scatter and attenuation correction. Three-dimensional ellipsoid VOI were drawn to encompass tumors on fused images. Tumors and livers were then explanted for inductively coupled plasma (ICP)-optical emission spectroscopy (OES) analysis of microsphere content. 90Y PET/CT and SM measurements were compared with reference standard ICP-OES measurements of tumor dosing with Pearson correlation and Bland-Altman analyses for agreement testing with and without adjustment for tumor necrosis. Results The median infused activity was 33.3 MBq (range, 5.9–152.9). Tumor dose was significantly correlated with 90Y PET/CT measurements (r = 0.903, P Conclusions 90Y PET/CT estimates were strongly correlated and had better agreement with reference measurements of tumor dosing than SM estimates.
Insulin Resistance in a Hospitalized COVID-19 Patient: A Case Review

C.R., a 59-year-old White man presented to the emergency room with fever, cough, shortness of breath, and diaphoresis for 4 days. His medical history was significant for hypertension treated with bisoprolol-hydrochlorothiazide 10 mg/6.25 mg daily and type 2 diabetes treated with metformin 1,000 mg nightly. He reported recent travel to Florida for 1 month before returning to Colorado 1 week before admission. His vital signs on admission (day 1), which took place 7 days after social distancing was instituted statewide, included blood pressure of 135/73 mmHg, pulse of 98 bpm, BMI of 38.46 kg/m2 (weight 126 kg, height 181 cm), oxygen saturation of 65% on room air, 76% on 3 L/min high-flow nasal cannula, and 85% on 15 L/min high-flow nasal cannula. His presenting blood glucose was 324 mg/dL, with an A1C of 9% on admission. C.R. was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) after intubation. On hospital day 3, continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) was initiated because of worsening acute kidney injury (glomerular filtration rate on admission was >60 mL/min/1.73 m2 and decreased to a nadir of 14 mL/min/1.73 m2). He was also placed on veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV ECMO) for worsening hypoxia despite proning, high positive end-expiratory pressure, and 100% fraction of inspired oxygen. C.R. remained on VV ECMO from day 3 to day 11 and on CRRT from day 3 to day 23. He intermittently required pressor therapy after discontinuation of ECMO from day 12 to day 19. In addition, nutritional therapy with enteral nutrition (EN), parenteral nutrition (PN), or a combination was started on day 3. There was an interruption of EN between day 9 and day 10 for ∼24 hours due to high volume residuals. C.R. did not receive corticosteroid therapy during his hospital stay. He was extubated successfully on …
Understanding the importance of sexism in shaping climate denial and policy opposition

In the USA, a sizable share of the population denies the human causes of climate change and opposes policies to address it. System justification, where individuals fight to protect a socio-economic order, undergirds this opposition. We argue that sexism, representing an investment in gendered hierarchies, contributes to climate change denial and policy opposition. Using nationally representative surveys from 2016 to 2018, we show a consistent relationship between sexism and opposition to climate change beliefs and policies. These results are consistent across measures of both climate change beliefs and support for climate policy. We then show that sexism is correlated with climate denial and opposition to climate policy within a wide variety of subgroups of interest: for both Democrats and Republicans and for groups sorted by ideology, gender, education, and age. We then extend our analysis back in time, looking at data from 2012, finding similar effects prior to the 2016 election. The consistent findings point to the central role that system justifying beliefs about gender play in shaping attitudes about climate change in the USA.
Unconventional Fossil Fuel Reservoirs and Water Resources

Fossil fuels from unconventional reservoirs, such as shale gas, will supply a portion of the world's energy in the coming decades. The costs of using fossil fuels are frequently evaluated by greenhouse gas emissions, but other potential environmental impacts are not always discussed. We review impacts to freshwater resources from the production of shale gas, shale oil, and oil sands in the United States and Canada. Shale gas and shale oil are produced using the water-intensive process of hydraulic fracturing. Research on drinking water contamination from hydraulic fracturing has largely focused on whether methane concentrations in water wells have increased in regions actively producing shale gas. Hydrologic models and isotopic analyses have been employed to determine whether fluids from hydraulic fracturing or formation brines have the potential to contaminate drinking water resources. Oil sands are produced through either surface or in situ mining, both of which require large inputs of water. The production of shale gas/shale oil wells and oil sands results in contaminated wastewater that must be properly treated prior to release into the environment. Following the review, we conclude that science on the sensitivity of freshwater resource unconventional hydrocarbon extraction is still emerging. More research is needed to better inform and evaluate policies aiming to safeguard water resources in regions of fossil fuel production from unconventional reservoirs.
The effect of measurement error on determining the number of clusters in clusteranalysis

Market researchers examining market segmentation and other aggregation issues can use cluster analysis to form segments of consumers or organizations. When the segments are formed using attitude information or even demographic data, the possibility of measurement error exists.
Optically-Induced Bistability in a Nematic Liquid Crystal

The structural testability in an optical field of intensity ~ 200 Watts/cm2 in a nematic liquid crystal is discussed.
Budeanu and fryze: Two frameworks for interpreting power properties of circuits with nonsinusoidal voltages and currents

The development of power theory of circuits with nonsinusoidal voltages and currents was shaped for several decades by two different approaches introduced, separately, by Budeanu and Fryze in the nineteen thirties. This paper investigates these two power theories from the present perspective and up to date comprehension of power phenomena in circuits with distorted voltages and currents. It shows the reasons for which Budeanu's power theory misinterprets power phenomena and why it does not provide fundamentals for the power factor improvement. This paper shows that a number of concepts introduced to power theory by Fryze are still alive and are very important for developing that theory, but it also has a number of serious limitations. Because of that, some issues, important theoretically, and a number of practical problems in systems with distorted waveforms were not solved within Fryze's power theory. This was the reason for further developing the power theory of systems with nonsinusoidal voltages and currents. This process is not completed yet and a lot can be learned from the history of this theory's development.
Acute moderate exercise does not attenuate cardiometabolic function associated with a bout of prolonged sitting

AbstractEpidemiological studies suggest that prolonged sitting increases all-cause mortality; yet, physiological causes underpinning prolonged sitting remain elusive. We evaluated cardiometabolic function during prolonged sitting (5 h) in 10 adults with and without 30 min of moderate exercise leading up to the sitting. Mean arterial blood pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR) and posterior tibial artery blood velocity were measured at baseline and every hour subsequently. Blood glucose was measured at baseline, 3 and 5 h, with consumption of a caloric beverage at 1 h. Seated MAP and HR values were ~17 mmHg (P 0.05). We conclude prolonged sitting may be related to decreased posterior ti...
Etoposide improves survival in high-grade glioma: A meta-analysis

Background: The purpose of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of topoisomerase inhibitors in the treatment of high-grade gliomas (HGGs). Materials and Methods: Using median overall survival (mOS) and survival gain, we compared the efficacy of chemotherapy drugs in a meta-analysis of 624 HGG studies, including 44,850 patients from studies published between 1976 and 2011. Results: Patient cohorts treated with etoposide had significant improvement in mOS (15.66 months vs. 13.27 months, p=0.026, 49 vs. 795 cohorts) and significant survival gain advantage (p=0.022) over cohorts treated without etoposide. In contrast, patient cohorts treated with irinotecan had significantly worse mOS (10.20 vs. 13.55 months, p=0.008, 35 vs. 810 cohorts) and a disadvantage compared to cohorts treated without irinotecan in survival gain analysis. Conclusion: Results from this analysis suggest that etoposide may improve overall survival for patients with HGG, whereas the use of irinotecan might result in inferior outcomes. High-grade gliomas (HGGs) are the most common and aggressive group of primary central nervous system (CNS) tumors, characterized by diffuse parenchymal infiltration, extensive tumor necrosis, and prominent angiogenesis. Despite improved survival with surgical resection followed by radiation therapy (RT) and temozolomide chemotherapy, survival remains poor with a median overall survival (mOS) of only 14.6 months and a 2-year survival rate of 26% (1). Despite the addition of bevacizumab at onset and at disease recurrence, few treatments extend 6-month progression-free survival (PFS) beyond 21% (2, 3). In the pediatric population, CNS tumors account for 20% of all pediatric cancers and are the leading cause of cancer-related death and morbidity in children. Whereas RT and temozolomide have shown superior outcomes compared to RT-alone in adults, the use of temozolomide in the treatment of children with HGGs has had disappointing results, with mOS no greater than nine months (4, 5) and a 4-year survival of approximately 4% (6). Although FDA-approved therapies have been shown to improve survival, patients ultimately succumb to their disease, and, thus, a need for novel regimens exists. A strong biological plausibility, good bioavailability, and low toxicity make topoisomerase inhibitors promising candidates for investigation in phase I and II trials. This group of antineoplastic agents is cell-cycle-dependent and cycle-phase-specific, and includes irinotecan, topotecan, etoposide, and teniposide. The heterogeneity of HGGs suggests that combination regimens exerting antitumor effects through different targets may be successful in overcoming drug resistance and increasing anti- tumor efficacy. As topoisomerases are involved in DNA repair mechanisms, various combinations with DNA alkylating agents have been tested (7). Several studies have explored the antitumor activity of
The Presence of Cell Phones in Romantic Partner Face-to-Face Interactions: An Expectancy Violation Theory Approach

Cell phones are essential in maintaining ties with romantic partners but they can also detract from quality time we spend with them. The purpose of this study was to examine expectations that romantic partners have of cell phone usage during time spent together and how they manage violations of expectations. Using Expectancy Violation Theory (EVT; Burgoon, 1978) as the analytical framework, in-depth, qualitative analysis of transcripts of focus groups with college students (N = 51) revealed that participants have expectations for undivided attention on formal dates and when spending intimate time together and divided attention when informally “hanging out” with one another. In addition, results identified ways that individuals respond to expectancy violations and manage their expectations with romantic partners.
International economic law in times that are interesting

As the turn of the millennium, John H. Jackson gives some of his thoughts on the "State of International Economic Law". This note overviews the major recent developments, in particular analyzing the financial crisis and the evolving Word Trade Organization with a view to the fundamental and constitutional questions they trigger. It also addresses the challenges of globalization and sets out some perspectives for the future. Copyright 2000 by Oxford University Press.
Structure, Dynamics, and Electronic Spectrum of N,N‘-Diethyl-p-nitroaniline at Water Interfaces. A Molecular Dynamics Study

The adsorption of N,N‘-diethyl-p-nitroaniline (DEPNA)a common chromophore probe of liquid polarityat the water liquid/vapor interface and at the water/1,2-dichloroethane (DCE) interface is studied using molecular dynamics computer simulations. The adsorption energetics, orientation, and reorientation dynamics are examined. The electronic absorption line shapes at the two interfaces, in bulk DCE, and in bulk water are calculated and are found to be in reasonable agreement with experimental results. Including many-body polarizable liquid potentials in the calculations at the water/DCE interface is found to improve the results. The role of surface roughness is examined by repeating the calculations for an artificially smooth water/DCE interface.
Factoring test scores and implications for the method of averages

The general procedure and detailed steps for attaining complete factor analyses of scores are presented. Both orthogonal and oblique factors are considered. It is shown that a single average by conventional procedure gives an incomplete summarization of the data when the rank exceeds one. There should be as many averages as there are common factors.
Interaction of heparin and heparin-derived oligosaccharides with synthetic peptide analogues of the heparin-binding domain of heparin/heparan sulfate-interacting protein

Abstract Background Although protamine is effective as an antidote of heparin, there is a need to replace protamine due to its side effects. HIP peptide has been reported to neutralize the anticoagulant activity of heparin. The interaction of HIP analog peptides with heparin and heparin-derived oligosaccharides is investigated in this paper. Methods Seven analogues of the heparin-binding domain of heparin/heparan sulfate-interacting protein (HIP) were synthesized, and their interaction with heparin was characterized by heparin affinity chromatography, isothermal titration calorimetry, and NMR. Results NMR results indicate the imidazolium groups of the His side chains of histidine-containing Hip analog peptide interact site-specifically with heparin at pH 5.5. Heparin has identical affinities for HIP analog peptides of opposite chirality. Analysis by counterion condensation theory indicates the peptide AC-SRPKAKAKAKAKDQTK-NH2 makes on average ∼ 3 ionic interactions with heparin that result in displacement of ∼ 2 Na+ ions, and ionic interactions account for ∼ 46% of the binding free energy at a Na+ concentration of 0.15 M. Conclusions The affinity of heparin for the peptides is strongly dependent on the nature of the cationic side chains and pH. The thermodynamic parameters measured for the interaction of HIP peptide analogs with heparin are strongly dependent on the peptide sequence and pH. General significance The information obtained in this research will be of use in the design of new agents for neutralization of the anticoagulant activity of heparin. The site-specific binding of protonated histidine side chains to heparin provides a molecular-level explanation for the pH-dependent binding of β-amyloid peptides by heparin and heparan sulfate proteoglycan and may have implications for amyloid formation.
Online evaluation of communication models derived via transfer learning

This paper assesses an online method for testing the plausibility of a transferred Gaussian process (GP) communication model in a new environment based on a minimal number of signal measurements. The transferred GP is constructed by combining hyperparameters learned in the original environment with signal measurements collected by an unmanned aircraft (UA) in the new goal environment. The GP's performance and plausibility is evaluated on a separate validation set in a quick and computationally efficient manner using decision-theoretic hypothesis testing and risk minimization.
Change in the Synthesis Rates of Ocular Retinoic Acid and Scleral Glycosaminoglycan during Experimentally Altered Eye Growth in Marmosets

Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine the possibility that all-trans-retinoic acid (RA) in the eye is a signal related to changes in scleral extracellular matrix in a primate model of postnatal eye growth.
An Energy Control and Monitoring System for a Tandem Van De Graaff

We describe a system which makes use of the conventional means of controlling the terminal voltage of an electrostatic accelerator (FN Tandem) by shunt current from corona points. The voltage is sensed with a beam-deflection system or a generating-voltmeter (GVM) signal, or a combination of the two methods. The electronic design differs considerably from previous designs, the emphasis being placed upon functional simplicity, reliability, and ease of operation. The performanance results are indicative of the use of SF6 as a filling gas.
The 5-HT1A Receptor Antagonist p-MPPI Blocks Responses Mediated by Postsynaptic and Presynaptic 5-HT1A Receptors

The present experiments examined the ability of the novel 5-HT1A receptor antagonist to block responses mediated by postsynaptic and presynaptic 5-HT1A receptors in vivo. Pretreatment with p-MPPI reduced or blocked the effect of the 5-HT1A receptor agonist 8-OH-DPAT on two responses mediated by postsynaptic 5-HT1A receptors, reduction of body temperature and the 5-HT behavioral syndrome. Administration of p-MPPI alone did not alter body temperature or produce symptoms of the 5-HT syndrome. Pretreatment with p-MPPI also blocked the ability of 8-OH-DPAT to reduce extracellular 5-HT in the striatum, a response mediated by presynaptic 5-HT1A receptors in the dorsal raphe nucleus, but did not alter striatal 5-HT when administered alone. These results indicate that p-MPPI is an effective 5-HT1A receptor antagonist in vivo with no intrinsic activity. p-MPPI may prove to be a useful pharmacological tool for studying 5-HT1A receptors and their involvement in anxiety and affective disorders.
Effects of salinity fluctuations on the respiration rate of the southern oyster drill Thais haemastoma and the blue crab Callinectes sapidus

Respiration rates of Thais haemastoma and Callinectes sapidus were determined as a function of salinity with a flow-through respirometer at 20°C. Respiration rates were measured at 10, 20 and 30‰ S for acclimated animals. The effects of 10-5-10‰, 20-10-20‰, 30-10-30‰ and 10-30-10‰ S semidiurnal cycles (12 h) of fluctuating salinity on the rate of respiration of the oyster drill were studied. During each cycle, salinity was changed from the acclimation salinity over a 4 h interval, held at that salinity for 2 h, returned to the acclimation salinity over 4 h and held at that salinity for 2 h. The effects of diurnal (24.8 h) salinity cycles on respiration in the oyster drill and blue crab were also studied. Salinity was changed from the acclimation salinity over a 10.4 h interval, held at that salinity for 2 h, then returned to the acclimation salinity over 10.4 h and held at that salinity for 2 h. The respiration rate of 30‰ S acclimated oyster drills (679 μl O2 g dry weight−1 h−1) was significantly higher than for individuals acclimated to 10‰ S (534 μl O2 g dry weight−1 h−1). Blue crab respiration was 170 μl O2 g dry weight−1 h−1 at 30‰ S, and was significantly higher at 10 and 20‰ S than at 30‰ S. With the exception of the 20-10-20‰ S semidiurnal cycle, the respiration rate of oyster drills declined as salinity fluctuated in either direction from the acclimation salinity and increased as ambient salinity returned to the acclimation salinity. Semidiurnal cycles (12 h) of fluctuating salinity produced greater changes in the respiration rate of snails than analogous diurnal cycles (24.8 h). A 10-30-10‰ S pattern of fluctuation caused a greater percentage reduction in the steady state respiration rate of oyster drills than the 30-10-30‰ S pattern. The respiration rate of blue crabs varied inversely with fluctuating salinity. Relatively minor changes occurred in blue crab respiration rate with fluctuating salinity. Blue crab respiration rate characteristically dropped during the initial phase of declining salinity at a rate directly proportional to the rate of salinity decrease, perhaps representing a metabolic adjustment period by the blue crabs. The respiratory response of T. haemastoma to salinity is consistent with its incomplete volume regulation, while the response of C. sapidus is compatible with its ability to regulate extracellular fluid osmotic and ionic composition.
Reproductive toxicity of dimethyl methyl phosphonate (DMMP) in the male Fischer 344 rat

Dimethyl methyl phosphonate (DMMP) has been considered for use by the U.S. Armed Forces as a nerve gas simulant in a variety of experimental situations to simulate the physical properties of nerve gases, but not the neurotoxic properties. Dimethyl methyl phosphonate is also used as a flame retardant for urethane foams and polyester resins. This study was conducted to determine the reproductive toxicity of DMMP after subchronic dosing. DMMP was administered to male Fischer 344 rats by gavage 5 days/week for 90 days at dosages of 0, 250, 500, 1000, and 2000 mg/kg, and all animals survived this dosing schedule. At Day 84, the rats were mated to untreated female Fischer 344 rats. There was a dose-related decrease in sperm count, sperm motility, and the male fertility index. The male fertility index was 70, 75, 60, 40, and 0% in the 0, 250, 500, 1000, and 2000 mg/kg dose groups. DMMP acted as a dominant lethal mutagen as demonstrated by an increase in the number of resorptions with increasing doses of the drug. The percentage of resorptions in the control group was 6.1% and increased to 14.9, 37.8, and 79.1% in the 250, 500, and 1000 mg/kg groups, respectively. The testes of the male rats were examined histologically to determine the relationship between reproductive function and pathologic abnormalities. DMMP altered reproductive function at all dose levels, while histologic abnormalities of the testis were seen only in the high-dose group. Changes in the testes of the high-dose animals were characterized by lack of spermatogenesis or by degeneration, vacuolization, and necrosis of cells in the spermatogenic tubules. Histopathologic abnormalities of the kidney were seen in some animals from each of the dosed groups and microscopic changes of the prostate were seen in some of the high-dose animals.
Correlation of high-pressure phase equilibria in the retrograde region with three common equations of state

Phase equilibria in the retrograde regions were calculated for the methane — n-decane binary system and for a realistic natural-gas system (methane - Kensol-16). Calculations were performed using three equations of state (EOS): Peng-Robinson, Redlich-Kwong-Soave and Perturbed-Hard-Chain; calculations were compared to experiment. Liquid-drop-out curves and pressure-temperature diagrams were calculated between 301 and 369 K and pressures to 90 MPa. The binary system was represented best by the Peng-Robinson EOS. For the natural-gas system, the Perturbed-Hard Chain equation yielded the best results, although all equations of state showed appreciable deviations. Good results could only be obtained when binary coefficients were fitted to the experimental retrograde data. On a calcule l'equilibre de phase dans des regions retrogrades pour le systeme binaire methane — n-decane et pour un systeme au gaz naturel realiste (methane - Kensol-16). Les calculs ont ete effectues au moyen de trois equations d'etat, soit l'equation de Peng-Robinson, de Redlich-Kwong-Soave et de la chaine rigide perturbee; les calculs ont ete compares aux resultats experimentaux. Les courbes de la perte du liquide et les diagrammes des pressions et des temperatures ont ete calcules entre 301 et 369 K et les pressions jusqu'a 90 MPa. Le systeme binaire est mieux represente par l'equation d'etat de Peng-Robinson. Pour le systeme au gaz naturel, l'equation de la chaǐne rigide perturbee donne les meilleurs resultats, bien que toutes les equations d'etat montrent des ecarts appreciables. On a pu obtenir de bons resultats seulement lorsque les coefficients binaires ont ete adaptes aux donnees retrogrades experimentales.
Partitioning the influence of level from rate factors on the performance of children and apes on a cognitive task

Under some circumstances, phylogenetic standing may not be directly related to performance, since the rate factor may limit the expression of the levels variable. In this regard, both level and rate variables were found to influence the expression of cognitive capacity of juvenile chimpanzees and children tested on a Piagetian-type multiple classification task. By analysing changes in selected parameters, it was possible to derive a mathematical model that permitted an assessment of the differential influence of both level and rate factors on performance. A computational formula was derived to denote the relative compression of planar surfaces influenced by rate and levels parameters. The output of the formula, i , is a performance index that varies from a minimum value approaching 0·00 to a maximum value approaching 1·00. Values close to 1·00 indicate that the expression of the levels variable occurs at an accelerated rate, while values that are less than unity may reflect an underestimation of the levels variable. The degree to which the computed performance index underestimates the levels variable can be evaluated by solving the formula for different relative and absolute constants. The conditions illustrating the differential influence of rate and levels factors on performance will be shown mathematically and graphically.
TU‐A‐9A‐04: Development of a Thermally Stable Phantom for Photoacoustic and Magnetic Resonance Temperature Imaging

Purpose: Photoacoustic-ultrasonic (PAUS) imaging, which utilizes an ultrasound transducer to provide co-registered photoacoustic and pulse-echo ultrasound images, is capable of measuring temperature non-invasively while simultaneously providing anatomical images. The sub-millimeter resolution and centimeter-order penetration depths achievable with PAUS imaging have the potential to deliver active monitoring of both a targeted tumor microenvironment and nearby healthy tissue during thermal ablation. These characteristics make PAUS imaging a promising new technique for guidance and monitoring during photothermal ablations of solid tumors. In order to assess the potential clinical role of PAUS imaging, the technique was validated against the clinically accepted magnetic resonance thermal imaging approach (MRTI). Methods: To facilitate co-registration between modalities, the phantom had inclusions of gold nanoshells encapsulating super-paramagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) particles, where gold enhances the PA signal and SPIOs provide negative contrast on MRI. Several phantom designs were assessed for resilience to heating. PA images were acquired on a Vevo LAZR (FUJIFILM VisualSonics Inc., Toronto, Ontario) PAultrasound small-animal imaging system (21MHz) operating at 710nm. MRTI experiments were performed using a 6-channel flex coil (GE Healthcare, Waukesha, WI) on a 3T MRI scanner (Discovery MR750, GE Healthcare, Waukesha, WI) using a fast multi gradient echo acquisition (16 echoes, 128×128 acquisition matrix, 25.6×25.6cm field of view, 3mm slice thickness, 60ms TR, 20° flip angle, 2.9ms minimum TE and 1.6ms echo spacing). The accuracy and spatio-temporal resolution of PA thermography was cross-validated with both MRTI and a fluoroptic temperature sensor (LumaSense Technologies, Santa Clara, CA) in the custom-designed phantom. Results: A thermally stable, dual-modality phantom was created for cross-validation of photoacoustic thermography and MRTI. Axial and lateral resolutions of PA images were sub-millimeter with a temporal resolution of 0.2s, which will accommodate precise real-time guidance and monitoring. Conclusion: These results indicate that a PA thermography technique offers tremendous promise for real-time thermal monitoring of ablative therapy. Funding support provided by Cancer Prevention Research Institute of Texas and Julia Jones Matthews family. No disclosures or conflicts of interest.
Measuring Berry curvature with quantum Monte Carlo

The Berry curvature and its descendant, the Berry phase, play an important role in quantum mechanics. They can be used to understand the Aharonov-Bohm effect, define topological Chern numbers, and generally to investigate the geometric properties of a quantum ground state manifold. While Berry curvature has been well studied in the regimes of few-body physics and noninteracting particles, its use in the regime of strong interactions is hindered by the lack of numerical methods to solve for it. In this paper I fill this gap by implementing a quantum Monte Carlo method to solve for the Berry curvature, based on interpreting Berry curvature as a leading correction to imaginary time ramps. I demonstrate my algorithm using the transverse-field Ising model in one and two dimensions, the latter of which is nonintegrable. Despite the fact that the Berry curvature gives information about the phase of the wave function, I show that the algorithm has no sign or phase problem for standard sign-problem-free Hamiltonians. My algorithm scales similarly to conventional methods as a function of system size and energy gap, and therefore should prove a valuable tool in investigating the quantum geometry of many-body systems.
Lineaments and Coastal Geomorphic Patterns in the Alaskan Arctic

Two major sets of lineaments were identified on the Alaskan North Slope by inspection of map contour patterns and surficial geomorphic trends. Primary and secondary lineaments, with 40° and 300° azimuths, respectively, have a pronounced effect on the coastal configuration. The Chukchi Sea coast is parallel to the primary lineament and the Beaufort Sea coast is parallel to the secondary lineament. Both coasts have major offsets at intersections of lineaments. At a higher resolution, coastal segments were more nearly straight where they aligned parallel to the major lineaments and highly irregular where they aligned oblique to lineaments. Statistically, the effect was highly significant. The orientation of tundra points and many barrier islands is parallel to the lineaments. Along coastal provinces, parallel to the lineaments, the barrier islands tend to be straight and continuous, whereas provinces orthogonal to the lineaments are arcuate, discontinuous, and offset along intersections with individual lineaments.
Pharmacologic and pharmacokinetic profile of mibefradil, a T- and L-type calcium channel antagonist

Mibefradil is a recently introduced calcium antagonist that, as a tetralol derivative, is chemically distinct from previous calcium antagonists. This article will review pertinent results from in vitro, animal, and clinical investigations to report the pharmacologic properties that distinguish mibefradil from all of the calcium channel antagonists in use today, all of which operate on the "L-type" calcium channel. Mibefradil's pharmacokinetic profile indicates it can be used as a once-daily oral treatment for hypertension and chronic stable angina pectoris.
The Effect of Government Contracting on Nonprofit Human Service Organizations: Impacts of an Evolving Relationship

Governments contract with human service nonprofits to provide services in complex environments (Frahm & Martin, 2009). This article builds on the robust literature of public contracting for human services, but considers the effect of contracting on the contractor rather than the government. Using the National Survey of Nonprofit Government Contracting and Grants, conducted during the financial recession, we consider how contracting practices are harming trust. We find that human service nonprofits are more likely to cut salaries and jobs due to having government contracts, leading one to question whether the partnership mode of contracting will remain effective.
A model for the telephone transmission of six-channel electroencephalograms.

Abstract Three hundred and fifty 6-channel electroencephalograms have been successfully transmitted over conventional telephone lines from a distant community. The transmission scheme and the ability to use the communications channel as both a voice and data link has proved to be extremely valuable. Financial feasibility is dependent on the number of channels transmitted, the number of records obtained and the distance between the two laboratories. Developments are under way to reduce the cost by improved technology in the transmission scheme.
Knowledge and self-management behaviors of patients with recently detected atrial fibrillation.

Background More than 2.3 million people in the United States have atrial fibrillation (AF), yet little is known regarding patients’ knowledge of AF self-management or adherence to recommended self-management behaviors. Purpose We describe the self-management knowledge and behaviors of patients with recently detected AF and identify demographic characteristics associated with differences in knowledge scores. Method Two weeks after hospitalization, subjects (N = 100) were interviewed by telephone to assess knowledge and self-management behaviors. Results Knowledge deficits related to AF symptoms, purpose of medication, risk for stroke, warning signs of stroke, and complications of warfarin were found. Knowledge deficits were greater in older subjects and in subjects with less formal education. Despite knowledge deficits, there was high adherence to taking medication and anticoagulation monitoring. Conclusion At 2 weeks after discharge, self-management education provided during hospitalization did not appear to be retained. Knowledge deficits did not seem to deter report of behaviors such as taking medication and anticoagulation monitoring. Implications The projected expansion of this population with its anticipated effects on health and health care resources warrants further study aimed at developing effective approaches for providing self-management education to patients with AF.
A neural activity interpretation of luminance effects on infant pattern preferences

Abstract Visual pattern preferences were established for 9- and 13-week-old infants (N = 96) using stimuli varying in contour density presented either at a low, moderate, or high luminance level. Age differences in the maximally preferred patterns across stimuli and luminance levels indicated that luminance interacts with contour density in determining stimulus preference functions for a given age. A neural activation model based on synchronous neural activity was advanced to describe these results.
Characterization of an alpha-bungarotoxin binding component from Drosophila melanogaster.

— We describe an α-bungarotoxin binding component from Dromphila melanoyaster that has the properties expected of an acetylcholine receptor. Toxin binding to a paniculate form of this component has been shown to be proportional to amount of extract, to be saturable and to be destroyed by heat. Localization studies using 125I-α-bungarotoxin binding to frozen sections has shown toxin binding to be restricted to synaptic areas of the Drosophila CNS. We have also shown that this toxinbinding component can be treated with Triton X-100 without significantly altering its toxin-binding and pharmacological specificity. The ability of preincubation with cholinergic ligands to block labeled α-bungarotoxin binding to both particulate and detergent treated extracts has been studied. The nicotinic agents nicotine, d-tubocurarine, and acetylcholine are the most effective blocking agents. All of the muscarinic agents tested and the nicotinic agent decamethonium were less effective than acetylcholine in preventing α-bungarotoxin binding.
Wing and body motion during flight initiation in Drosophila revealed by automated visual tracking

The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster is a widely used model organism in studies of genetics, developmental biology and biomechanics. One limitation for exploiting Drosophila as a model system for behavioral neurobiology is that measuring body kinematics during behavior is labor intensive and subjective. In order to quantify flight kinematics during different types of maneuvers, we have developed a visual tracking system that estimates the posture of the fly from multiple calibrated cameras. An accurate geometric fly model is designed using unit quaternions to capture complex body and wing rotations, which are automatically fitted to the images in each time frame. Our approach works across a range of flight behaviors, while also being robust to common environmental clutter. The tracking system is used in this paper to compare wing and body motion during both voluntary and escape take-offs. Using our automated algorithms, we are able to measure stroke amplitude, geometric angle of attack and other parameters important to a mechanistic understanding of flapping flight. When compared with manual tracking methods, the algorithm estimates body position within 4.4±1.3% of the body length, while body orientation is measured within 6.5±1.9 deg. (roll), 3.2±1.3 deg. (pitch) and 3.4±1.6 deg. (yaw) on average across six videos. Similarly, stroke amplitude and deviation are estimated within 3.3 deg. and 2.1 deg., while angle of attack is typically measured within 8.8 deg. comparing against a human digitizer. Using our automated tracker, we analyzed a total of eight voluntary and two escape take-offs. These sequences show that Drosophila melanogaster do not utilize clap and fling during take-off and are able to modify their wing kinematics from one wingstroke to the next. Our approach should enable biomechanists and ethologists to process much larger datasets than possible at present and, therefore, accelerate insight into the mechanisms of free-flight maneuvers of flying insects.