cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Liability-Driven Investment with DownsideRisk

The authors develop a liability-driven investment framework that incorporates downside risk penalties for not meeting liabilities. The shortfall between the asset and liabilities can be valued as an option that swaps the value of the endogenously determined optimal portfolio for the value of the liabilities. The optimal portfolio selection exhibits endogenous risk aversion and, as the funding ratio deviates from the fully funded case in both directions, effective risk aversion decreases. When funding is low, the manager swings for the fences to take on risk, betting on the chance that liabilities can be covered. Over-funded plans also can afford to take on more risk, as liabilities are already well covered and so invest aggressively in risky securities.
Multiscale characterization and representation of variability in ceramic matrix composites

Low density, high strength, and high creep and oxidation resistance properties of ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) make them an ideal choice for use in extreme environments in space and military ap...
Making the Case for Patient-Reported Outcome Measures in Big-Data Rehabilitation Research: Implications for Optimizing Patient-Centered Care.

Abstract Advances in data science and timely access to health informatics provide a pathway to integrate patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) into clinical workflows and optimize rehabilitation service delivery. With the shift toward value-based care in the United States health care system, as highlighted by the recent Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services incentive and penalty programs, it is critical for rehabilitation providers to systematically collect and effectively use PROMs to facilitate evaluation of quality and outcomes within and across health systems. This editorial discusses the potential of PROMs to transform clinical practice, provides examples of health systems using PROMs to guide care, and identifies barriers to aggregating data from PROMs to conduct health services research. The article proposes 2 priority areas to help advance rehabilitation health services research: (1) standardization of collecting PROMs data in electronic health records to facilitate comparing health system performance and quality and (2) increased partnerships between rehabilitation providers, researchers, and payors to accelerate health system learning. As health care reform continues to emphasize value-based payment strategies, it is essential for the field of physical medicine and rehabilitation to be at the forefront of demonstrating its value in the care continuum.
Gerrymandering and the 2018 Mid Term Elections; Student Scholars in the Era of the Millennial Activism

Over the course of several years, Political Science majors at NCA&T have worked in opposition to efforts by the NC legislature to divide the 12th Congressional District which represented NCA&T until the November 2016 elections. Students at the largest HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) and the surrounding majority African American East Greensboro community found themselves represented by two Congressional Districts (13th and 6th) dominated by majority White voters.The activism of Political Science majors brought national attention (HBO, The Nation, MSNBC and many other news and information outlets) to the plight of their newly divided campus. This violation of equal rights under the 14th amendment was argued in Common Cause v. Rucho and included testimony drawn from the dilution of NCA&T student and African American voters. A three-judge US District Court panel agreed with Common Cause and the concerns of NCA&T students. The decision was even upheld by the US Supreme Court without comment. This example of student-scholars advances a rich legacy of activism at NCA&T and HBCUs that promotes substantive social change and moves the nation closer to fulfilling its most ideals.
Pregnancy after CMV infection following uterus transplantation: A case report from the Dallas Uterus Transplant Study.

Uterus transplantation is a repeatedly proven treatment for women with absolute uterine-factor infertility, which is the congenital or acquired absence of the uterus, who desire to carry, and ultimately deliver, a child. No stranger to the field of transplant or obstetrics is cytomegalovirus. Cytomegalovirus is both a frequent complication after transplant, presenting as an opportunistic infection, as well as a common congenital disease in the newborn child from pregnancy. To date, there have been no reported cases of pregnancy following uterus transplantation from cytomegalovirus-positive donors into cytomegalovirus-negative recipients. We present a case report describing our experience of a cytomegalovirus-negative recipient, transplanted with a uterus from a cytomegalovirus-positive living donor, and subsequently diagnosed with active cytomegalovirus infection despite prophylactic treatment. She was treated for infection prior to embryo transfer and carried a healthy child to term. This case suggests transplanting a cytomegalovirus-positive uterus into a negative donor is possible to do safely.
Pressure-softening of zone-edge TA phonons and the fourfold to sixfold phase change

The observed tendency in tetrahedral solids for the pressure-induced softening of zone-edge TA phonons to correlate with the threshold pressure ${P}_{T}$ of the fourfold to sixfold phase change is examined for 25 materials. A strong correlation is found for an effective pressure shift obtained by using a simple tight-binding model to exclude the frequency-stiffening non-central-force contribution to the zone-edge TA modes. The correlation is further improved by accounting for the material's shear rigidity. A parameter ${P}_{T}^{\mathrm{correl}}$ is defined that correlates linearly to ${P}_{T}$ with near-unity slope and high quality factor up to the transition of BP at \ensuremath{\sim}1.6 Mbar. The pressure-softening of the zone-edge TA modes is driven by the negative tension produced in the bonds by compression. This tension originates from increased electron-overlap repulsion, which modifies the metallic and ionic character of the bonding, leading eventually to the phase change. This is the underlying mechanism that links the pressure-softening of the zone-edge TA phonons to the phase transition.
The Lipoxygenase Pathway

After more than fifty years since its discovery, the study of the lipoxygenase pathway remains one of the most engaging, yet elusive areas of plant lipid research. Since 1932 when Andre and Hou (1) first reported on the existence of oxidizing enzymes which alter soybean oil, Chemical Abstracts has cited more than 1000 research articles under the subject of plant lipoxygenase. Despite the abundance of research effort on this topic, reviews (2–6) over the decades have been forced to report that the physiological role of lipoxygenase in plants is unknown.
Straddling the Fence between Truth and Pretence: The Role of Law and Preference in Judicial Decision-Making and the Future of Judicial Independence

In this essay, I begin by describing two contrasting models of judicial decision-making. The traditional, law-based model posits that judges, if left to their own devices, will do their best to uphold the rule of law, and to that end, judicial independence is necessary to protect the decisions they make from external interference. The emerging, preference-based model, on the other hand, posits that independent judges exploit their independence by implementing their personal attitudes or values with no particular regard for the rule of law. I will then explain how contemporary debates on such issues as judicial selection, the regulation of judicial speech, the optimal rules for judicial disqualification, and the relationship between judicial independence and accountability generally, are animated by these contrasting models of judicial decision-making. I accept a widely-shared, common-sense view that the dichotomy between law-based and preference-based models is a false one, in that law and preferences both play a role in judicial decision-making. I argue, however, that the legal establishment has been reluctant to depart from the script of the law-based model, for fear that doing so will undermine the primary justification for independence (by conceding that independent judges do more than simply follow the law when they decide cases). I argue that there may be other justifications for judicial independence that ought to hold sway in a world where judicial decision-making involves a complex interplay between law and preference-justifications that liberate judges and lawyers to speak more candidly about the role preferences play in judicial decision-making without conceding the need to curtail judicial autonomy in untoward ways. If we can move toward a broader consensus on what judges do when they decide cases, it may enable more meaningful engagement on such issues as judicial selection, speech, disqualification, independence and accountability.
Fractures in Children

It is well known that fractures in children are rarely associated with nonunions because osteogenesis in this age group is rapid and abundant. It is quite possible, also, that another reason for their rapid repair is the fact that they subject their fractured extremities to functional activities a great deal sooner than do most adults. A child with a fractured femur suspended in Bryan’s traction moves about restlessly within a very short time, undoubtedly using his musculature and creating motion at the fracture site. Abundant periosteal callus readily develops. A youngster with a tibial fracture immobilized in a long-leg “non-weight-bearing cast” rarely remains non-weight bearing. As soon as the acute symptoms subside he begins weight bearing and overcomes the hindrance the cast causes him in carrying out his playful activities.
THE INCIDENCE OF ASYMPTOMATIC BACTERIURIA AND PYURIA IN INFANCY: A STUDY OF 400 INFANTS IN PRIVATE PRACTICE.

Two hundred male and two hundred female infants were surveyed for asymptomatic bacteriuria and pyuria while presenting for routine care in a private pediatric practice. The clean voided specimen was made accessible with the Pediatric Urine Collector at a remarkably low rate of contamination. On the initial screening 2 per cent of the female and no male infants showed bacteriuria. With repeated study of the same infant population the incidence of bacteriuria rose to 4.5 per cent of the female and 0.5 per cent of the male infants. The most reliable single screening procedure was the quantitative colony count, but the value of repeated screening by history, routine urinalysis, as well as by quantitative colony count to exclude urinary infection in the infant was emphasized.
Chimera‐directed Gene Repair

The information gained from the Human Genome Project must be formulated such that the function of newly discovered genes can be elucidated. A tool to aid in defining gene function is targeted gene repair, a technique that may also be valuable in human gene therapy. Keywords: chimera; gene repair; chimeric RNA–DNA oligonucleotide; transfection; RAD51; yeast
The Changing Face of Cataloging Positions at Academic Institutions: What Skill Set is Needed, and How Can Students Prepare?

ABSTRACT Looking at the changes and trends in technical services departments during the last 15-20 years, this paper discusses how cataloging positions have changed since the late 1980s, what skills are required for today's cataloging positions, and what library science students can do to prepare for a successful and fulfilling career in technical services. Although traditional cataloging skills are still needed, today's hires must possess additional skills such as computer skills, communication skills, and management skills as well as traits such as flexibility, a willingness to learn, and a tolerance for change to succeed and flourish in the field.
Performance Guarantees for Information Theoretic Active Inference

In many estimation problems, the measurement process can be actively controlled to alter the information received. The control choices made in turn determine the performance that is possible in the underlying inference task. In this paper, we discuss performance guarantees for heuristic algorithms for adaptive measurement selection in sequential estimation problems, where the inference criterion is mutual information. We also demonstrate the performance of our tighter online computable performance guarantees through computational simulations.
Landscape Pattern Metrics

Real landscapes contain complex spatial patterns in the distribution of resources that vary over time; quantifying these patterns and their dynamics is the purview of landscape pattern analysis. Landscape pattern analysis involves quantifying the spatial heterogeneity of point patterns, linear networks, continuous surface patterns, and categorical patch mosaics, and sometimes custom hybridizations of these basic models, although the focus in landscape ecology and of this article has been on patch mosaics. In this context, landscape metrics are algorithms that quantify specific spatial characteristics of patches, classes of patches, or entire landscape mosaics, or of the patch mosaic in the neighborhood of each focal cell. These metrics fall into two categories: those that quantify the composition of the map without reference to spatial attributes (i.e., the variety and abundance of patch types), and those that quantify the spatial configuration of the map (i.e., the spatial character and arrangement, position, or orientation of patches within the class or landscape). Metrics are further categorized as structural metrics that measure physical structure of the mosaic without explicit reference to a particular phenomenon, or functional metrics that require additional parameterization and measure the structure of the mosaic as it relates to a specific organism or ecological process. Not surprisingly, landscape metrics are highly sensitive to landscape definition with respect to the thematic content and resolution, spatial grain and extent, and the landscape boundary. The current use and interpretation of landscape metrics is constrained by the lack of a proper theoretical understanding of metric behavior across a wide range of landscape structure gradients, the lack of a proper spatial and/or temporal reference framework for ecologically interpreting the computed value of each metric, and the challenges of choosing a parsimonious suite of metrics for a particular application given the plethora of existing metrics. Ultimately, the definition of the landscape, the establishment of a meaningful reference framework, and the choice of metrics should be based on some hypothesis about the observed landscape pattern and what processes or constraints might be responsible for that pattern. Fortunately, programs like FRAGSTATS make the calculation of landscape metrics practical and accessible to all landscape ecologists. Keywords: landscape structure; landscape heterogeneity; landscape pattern indices; FRAGSTATS ; spatial pattern
Application of a novel parallel particle swarm optimization to the design of electromagnetic absorbers

We presented the synchronous PSO, which is inherently parallel. The parallelism of the synchronous PSO makes practical the design of complex absorbers on clusters of computers. Nonetheless, it is found that parallel PSO must incorporate a special operator not found in standard PSO to keep the population from converging suboptimally to the boundary. This synchronous PSO was applied to optimize multilayer coatings and polygonal absorbers for wide band frequency and/or wide incident range.
Optical properties of Cr3+ and Nd3+ ions in LaMgAl11O19

It has long been recognized that the performance of flashlamp-pumped Nd3+-doped lasers can be increased if efficient sensitization of the Nd3+ ions by Cr3+ ions can be achieved. The search for such systems has been conducted for over a decade with little success until recently with the discovery of Cr:Nd:GSGG.1,2 However, co-doped GSGG, while an excellent laser for some applications, does not appear promising for laser fusion because of undesirably high values of the stimulated emission cross section and estimated nonlinear refractive index.3
Does a college education reduce depressive symptoms in American young adults

Higher levels of educational attainment are consistently associated with better mental health. Whether this association represents an effect of education on mental health, however, is less clear as omitted variable bias remains a pressing concern with education potentially serving as a proxy for unobserved factors including family background and genetics. To combat this threat and come closer to a causal estimate of the effect of education on depressive symptoms, this study uses data on 231 monozygotic twin pairs from The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health and employs a twin-pair difference-in-difference design to account for both unobserved shared factors between twin pairs (e.g. home, school, and neighborhood environment throughout childhood) and a number of observed non-shared but theoretically relevant factors (e.g. cognitive ability, personality characteristics, adolescent health). We find an inverse association between possessing a college degree and depressive symptoms in both conventional and difference-in-difference models. Results of this study also highlight the potentially overlooked role of personality characteristics in the education and mental health literature.
Description of Problems

Step 1: Problem list. Separate the complaints made initially by the patient from additional problems that are reported subsequently. Also include statement of difficulties the observer can recognize but the patient does not complain of directly, either because of avoidance or lack of knowledge and self-observation. Try to list, as well, the state of these problems after the conclusion of therapy. A descriptive (signs and symptoms) diagnostic formulation may be made here or in the next step.
Interaction of the sub-auroral boundary region with the equatorial dynamo

Magnetospheric currents that close within the ionosphere create an electric potential at high latitude that drives ion and neutral dynamics in the polar region. During disturbed conditions and major storms, this potential system also interacts with the low-latitude dynamo potential generated within the thermosphere-ionosphere system by solar tides, a phenomenon sometimes known as the “penetration electric field.” The combination of these current systems has a significant effect on the distribution of the F-region ionosphere, primarily caused by changes in vertical ion motion driven by the zonal electric field. These effects can be dramatic in the mid-latitude region, where enhanced electron densities are seldom expected but sometimes observed. Additional complexities in the mid-latitude ionosphere include the generation of sub-auroral polarization streams, and plumes that appear to be related to plasmapause dynamics. However, describing this interaction region with coupled magnetosphere-ionosphere-thermosphere models has been challenging, in part because of the difficulty in combining the electric potential driven by the magnetosphere at high latitude with that generated within the ionosphere at low latitude. Even a completely self-consistent solution needs to make distinctions with regard to the boundary between high and low latitude control, and between open and closed field lines. In a model such as the NCAR Thermosphere-Ionosphere-Electrodynamics General Circulation Model (TIE-GCM), the high-latitude potential is externally specified (either by an empirical model, by a data assimilation procedure, or by a magnetospheric model) while the low-latitude potential is solved self-consistently. This necessitates a merging between the two regimes. Specification of the cross-over latitudes and the width of the merging region has a significant effect on mid-latitude dynamics as well as the response of the equatorial electrojet. In this paper, we will present results from stand-alone and coupled models, demonstrating their ability to reproduce some ionospheric features during storms, but also showing the sensitivity to these boundary decisions, and the challenges for an integrated approach describing the global ionospheric electric field.
Genetics of Glomerular Basement Membrane Disorders

The purpose of this review is to provide current information about glomerular disorders that arise directly from inherited abnormalities in extracellular matrix proteins intrinsic to the glomerular basement membrane (GBM) (Alport syndrome (AS), thin basement membrane nephropathy (TBMN), hereditary angiopathy associated with nephropathy, aneurysms and muscle cramps (HANAC) syndrome and Pierson syndrome), as well as disorders involving genetic defects in cellular proteins that result in structural defects in GBMs (MYH9-related disorders, Nail–Patella syndrome, NPS). All cases of AS and approximately 50% of cases of TBMN arise from mutations affecting a type IV collagen network composed of alpha;3, α4 and α5 type IV collagen chains. The cardinal clinical feature of these disorders is hematuria. HANAC syndrome is caused by mutations that affect type IV collagen networks made up of α1 and α2 type IV collagen chains and also presents with hematuria. In contrast, Pierson syndrome, which results from mutations in the gene encoding β2 laminin, is associated with proteinuria. Key Concepts: Important physiologic qualities of the glomerular capillary wall, such as high water flux and restricted transit of proteins, rely on specific extracellular matrix proteins and their interactions with other proteins and glomerular cells. Alport syndrome and thin basement membrane nephropathy (TBMN), the major genetic disorders of glomerular basement membranes (GBM), arise from abnormalities in a type IV collagen network comprising heterotrimers of α3, α4 and α5 type IV collagen chains. Extrarenal features of Alport syndrome (sensorineural deafness and ocular lesions) result from abnormal type IV collagen composition of cochlear and ocular basement membranes. Other inherited disorders of glomerular basement membranes result from laminin mutations (Pierson syndrome), mutations affected cytoskeletal function (MYH9-related disorders) or dysregulation of the synthesis of extracellular matrix proteins (nail-patella syndrome). Keywords: glomerular basement membrane; type IV collagen; Alport syndrome; thin basement membrane nephropathy; HANAC syndrome; Nail–Patella syndrome; LMX1B; Pierson syndrome; laminin
Exploiting optical interconnects to eliminate serial bottlenecks

Optical interconnects offer interesting new possibilities because of the potential for scalable broadcast. Unfortunately, most current algorithms using broadcast do not scale well because of the rapid increase in message processing resulting from broadcast, and particularly because of potential uneven distribution of the work. We describe a novel design as an example of how an architecture might exploit broadcast capability not so much to speed up easily parallelized code as to minimize the effects of serial bottlenecks. While compatible with compiler-discovered parallel programs, the architecture appears particularly promising for code that exhibits serial bottlenecks. The architecture appears well suited for future directions of semiconductor and optical technologies.
NMR Structural Studies of Interactions of a Small, Nonpeptidyl Tpo Mimic with the Thrombopoietin Receptor Extracellular Juxtamembrane and Transmembrane Domains

Thrombopoietin (Tpo) is a glycoprotein growth factor that supports hematopoietic stem cell survival and expansion and is the principal regulator of megakaryocyte growth and differentiation. Several small, nonpeptidyl molecules have been identified as selective human Tpo receptor (hTpoR) agonists. To understand how the small molecule Tpo mimic SB394725 interacts and activates hTpoR, we performed receptor domain swap and mutagenesis studies. The results suggest that SB394725 interacts specifically with the extracellular juxtamembrane region (JMR) and the transmembrane (TM) domain of hTpoR. Solution and solid-state NMR structural studies using a peptide containing the JMR-TM sequences showed that this region of hTpoR, unexpectedly, consists of two alpha-helices separated by a few nonhelical residues. SB394725 interacts specifically with His-499 in the TM domain and a few distinct residues in the JMR-TM region and affects several specific C-terminal TM domain residues. The unique structural information provided by these studies both sheds light on the distinctive mechanism of action of SB394725 and provides valuable insight into the mechanism of ligand-induced cytokine receptor activation.
The impact of chronic pain on the self-concept.

Compared self-concepts of three groups, medical patients, chronic low back pain patients and chronic head pain patients (N = 60) to determine (1) whether chronic pain patients have self-perceptions that differ from other medical patients; (2) whether changes in self-perception are limited to phsysical attributes and capacities; and finally (3) whether persons who suffer different types of chronic pain would have differing self-concepts. Significantly lower self-concepts were obtained from groups of head pain and low back pain patients. Self-concept patterns for the two pain groups were quite similar with the exception of two self-concept components that were significantly lower for the head pain group. Differences were explained in terms of loss of many normal functions and disruption of normal life-styles. Implications for treatment of pain patients and for training of health professionals were discussed.
Impact of species identity and phylogenetic relatedness on biologically-mediated plant-soil feedbacks in a low and a high intensity agroecosystem

Plant species-specific effects on soil biota and their impacts on subsequent plant growth, i.e. plant-soil feedbacks (PSFs, henceforth), are major drivers in natural systems but little is known about their role in agroecosystems. We investigated the presence and magnitude of PSFs in two contrasting agricultural settings and tested the importance of species identity and phylogenetic relationships in determining PSFs. We compared PSFs that developed from an intensified agricultural site and a nearby non-cultivated pasture. Four weed and seven crop species were grown in soil inoculated with either biologically active or sterilized soils from each system. Four crop response species were grown to estimate PSFs. PSFs were species-specific. The identity of currently- and previously-planted species and their interactions explained over 80 % of the variation in feedbacks. Biota from the intensified agricultural site produced negative feedbacks in three of the four response species. Phylogenetic relationships partially explained PSFs. PSFs can alter crop growth and may be altered by agricultural practices. The species-specific effect to soil biota should be taken into account when assessing the extent to which crop and weed species could influence subsequent plant growth.
Highly Enantio- and Diastereoselective Mannich Reactions of Glycine Schiff Bases with in situ Generated N-Boc-imines Catalyzed by a Cinchona Alkaloid Thiourea

Highly enantio- and diastereoselective organocatalytic Mannich reactions of glycine Schiff bases with N-Boc-protected imines are described. Imines were generated in situ from bench-stable alpha-amido sulfones. Catalysis mediated by a cinchona alkaloid thiourea provided optically active alpha,beta-diamino acid derivatives with up to 99% ee and near-perfect diastereoselection.
Immunizing Children against the Negative Effects of Reward.

Abstract Two studies were conducted to examine the effect of intrinsic motivation training on children's subsequent motivational orientation and creativity in an expectedreward situation. Past research has demonstrated the overjustification effect: Children who work on an interesting task in order to obtain a reward demonstrate lower subsequent intrinsic motivation than do children not working for a reward. Other studies have shown similar negative effects on creativity. The primary hypothesis of the present research was that the usual overjustification effect would be counteracted by directed discussion sessions focused on intrinsic reasons for working in school and explicitly dealing with ways to cognitively distance oneself from the reward contingency. Both studies provide partial support for this hypothesis. In fact, children receiving the intrinsic motivation training seemed to later treat reward as an actual augmentation of intrinsic motivation. Possible mechanisms for this phenomenon are discussed, including the role of individual difference variables such as self-esteem.
An active and intelligent network management system with ontology-based and multi-agent techniques

This paper presents a system to collect information through the cooperation of intelligent agent software, in addition to providing warnings after analysis to monitor and predict some possible error indications among controlled objects in the network. This technique derived from the ontology combining Ethereal and Cacti, which store the operating information of network management perfectly into the backend database. The system could sketch the four main components of network management systems with the technique of graphic monitoring multi-agent: an Interface Agent, a Proxy Agent, a Monitoring Agent, and a Search Agent. This architecture can effectively enhance and improve the network monitoring performance to be an active and intelligent network management system. It can present related quantification figures of dynamic information through graphic network monitoring system to provide fast, convenient, and profound network solutions to the users. The experimental outcomes proved that the techniques could not only precisely recognize error alarms but also indeed reduce the recovery time to 61% of traditional processing time for network troubleshooting.
The Effects of Adenosine Ligands R-PIA and CPT on Ethanol Withdrawal

Abstract The potential anxiogenic or anxiolytic effects of R (−)- N 6 -(2-phenylisopropyl)adenosine (R-PIA), an adenosine agonist, and 8-cyclopentyl-1,3,dimethylxanthine (CPT), an adenosine antagonist, were tested during chronic exposure to ethanol and to ethanol-induced withdrawal in rats. Effects on anxiety were measured by the elevated plus maze and dark–light box. Ethanol consumption and preference was tested in an additional experiment. In testing of elevated plus maze performance during withdrawal from ethanol, R-PIA produced no change in the anxiety-related behaviors of total arm entries and percent open arm entries, but produced a significant decrease in percent open arm time. CPT produced at least partial recovery from the anxiogenic effects of ethanol withdrawal on all three measures of elevated plus maze performance, although peak effects were seen at the intermediate dose of CPT (0.08 mg/kg) for total arm entries and percent open arm time. CPT also showed anxiolytic effects at low to intermediate doses (0.04, 0.08 mg/kg) in the dark–light box. CPT did not reduce the preference for ethanol over water or the total consumption of ethanol over a range of ethanol doses. In summary, the adenosine agonist, R-PIA, exacerbated the effects of ethanol withdrawal, whereas the adenosine antagonist, CPT, at least partially blocked the anxiogenic effects produced by ethanol withdrawal. These results suggest that adenosine antagonists, at least at some doses, may be useful for ameliorating the anxiogenic effects produced by ethanol withdrawal, although it does not appear useful for reducing consumption.
Modeling of the Two-Phase Closed Thermosyphon

A comprehensive model is developed to predict the steady-state and transient performance of the two-phase closed thermosyphon. One-dimensional governing equations for the liquid and vapor phases are developed using available correlations to specify the shear stress and heat transfer coefficients. Steady-state solutions agree well with thermosyphon flooding data from several sources and with film thickness data obtained in the present investigation. While no data are available with which to compare the transient analysis, the results indicate that, for most systems, the governing time scale for system transients is the film residence time, which is typically much longer than the times required for viscous and thermal diffusion through the film. The proposed model offers a versatile and comprehensive analysis tool which is relatively simple.
Imaging system for three-dimensional mapping of cerebrocortical capillary networks in vivo.

Abstract A personal computer-based image analysis system was developed for the three-dimensional mapping of cerebrocortical capillary networks from intravital video recordings. Capillary circulation in the parietal cortex of anesthetized rats was visualized to 70 μm depth using a closed cranial window preparation and epifluorescent, intensified video microscopy. The circulation was video recorded during slow (0.1 μm/frame) scanning of the focal plane (depth of field = 10 μm) through regions of interest. Capillary networks were traced from still video images of several microscope fields recorded at different X, Y, and Z stage coordinates. The length of vessel segments from five networks ranged between 10 and 178 μm and was best approximated by the Gamma distribution. Vessel diameter (2.5 to 8.7 μm) was best fitted by the lognormal distribution. A specific capillary network contained 51 segments and five anastomosing loops with circumferences between 575 and 1226 μm. Velocity of fluorescently labeled red blood cells ranged from 0.77 to 2.22 mm/sec within the capillary loops. The study demonstrates the feasibility of reconstructing capillary networks from intravital video recordings as deep as 70 μm within the cerebral cortex and finds an anastomosing pattern and heterogeneous red blood cell velocity in the capillary network.
Can maximum comfortable loudness levels in hearing impaired listeners be predicted from ipsilateral acoustic reflex thresholds recorded with high frequency probes

This study was designed to test the effectiveness of the ipsilateral acoustic reflex thresholds measured with low and high frequency probes in predicting the maximum comfortable loudness levels (MaxCLs) in hearing-impaired subjects using recently available sophisticated procedures for acoustic reflex and loudness measures. Loudness growth functions were measured in hearing-impaired subjects at .5, 1 and 2 kHz using a computerized procedure. The maximum level among those sound pressure levels judged as 'comfortable' was designated as the MaxCL. Acoustic reflex thresholds were measured for .5, 1 and 2 kHz activator signals using 226, 678 and 1000 Hz probes. Regression analyses suggested that acoustic reflex thresholds recorded with the 678 and 1000 Hz probes could provide an objective estimate of the MaxCLs for 1 and 2 kHz. Thus, acoustic reflex thresholds may be useful in fitting hearing aids for those subjects in whom reliable measures of MaxCLs cannot be obtained.
Outstanding mechanical properties of monolayer MoS2 and its application in elastic energy storage

The structural and mechanical properties of graphene-like honeycomb monolayer structures of MoS2 (g-MoS2) under various large strains are investigated using density functional theory (DFT). g-MoS2 is mechanically stable and can sustain extra large strains: the ultimate strains are 0.24, 0.37, and 0.26 for armchair, zigzag, and biaxial deformation, respectively. The in-plane stiffness is as high as 120 N m−1 (184 GPa equivalently). The third, fourth, and fifth order elastic constants are indispensable for accurate modeling of the mechanical properties under strains larger than 0.04, 0.07, and 0.13 respectively. The second order elastic constants, including in-plane stiffness, are predicted to monotonically increase with pressure while the Poisson ratio monotonically decreases with increasing pressure. With the prominent mechanical properties including large ultimate strains and in-plane stiffness, g-MoS2 is a promising candidate of elastic energy storage for clean energy. It possesses a theoretical energy storage capacity as high as 8.8 MJ L−1 and 1.7 MJ kg−1, or 476 W h kg−1, larger than a Li-ion battery and is environmentally friendly.
PROTEIN FOLDING AND PROTEIN EVOLUTION : COMMON FOLDING NUCLEUS IN DIFFERENT SUBFAMILIES OF C-TYPE CYTOCHROMES?

Abstract Amino acid sequences of seven subfamilies of cytochromes c (mitochondrial cytochromes c, c1; chloroplast cytochromes c6, cf; bacterial cytochromes c2, c550, c551; in total 164 sequences) have been compared. Despite extensive homology within eukaryotic subfamilies, homology between different subfamilies is very weak. Other than the three heme-binding residues (Cys13, Cys14, His18, in numeration of horse cytochrome c) there are only four positions which are conserved in all subfamilies: Gly/Ala6, Phe/Tyr10, Leu/Val/Phe94 and Tyr/Trp/Phe97. In all 17 cytochromes c with known 3D-structures, these residues form a network of conserved contacts (6–94, 6–97, 10–94, 10–97 and 94–97). Especially strong is the contact between aromatic groups in positions 10 and 97, which corresponds to 13 interatomic contacts. As residues 6, 10 and residues 94, 97 are in (i, i + 4) and (i, i + 3) positions in the N and C-terminal helices, respectively, the above mentioned system of conserved contacts consists mainly of contacts between one turn of N-terminal helix and one turn of C-terminal helix. The importance of the contacts between interfaces of these helices has been confirmed by the existence of these contacts in both equilibrium and kinetic molten globule-like folding intermediates, as well as by mutational evidence that these contacts are involved in tight packing between the N and C-helices. Since these four residues are not involved in heme binding and have no other apparent functional role, their conservation in highly diverged cytochromes c suggests that they are of a critical importance for protein folding. The author assumes that they are involved in a common folding nucleus of all subfamilies of c-type cytochromes.
Increased glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) levels in the brains of transgenic mice expressing the bovine growth hormone (bGH) gene

Abstract Transgenic mice, expressing the gene for bovine growth hormone (bGH), exhibit increased body size, reduced reproductive capacity, and high basal levels of several hormones including corticosterone. Their shortened life span may be indicative of accelerated aging. As prominent astrogliosis of the CNS accompanies aging in rodents, bGH transgenic mice were examined for astrogliosis, as quantified by an ELISA for the astrocyte-localized protein, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). Transgenic mice were produced by mating C57BL/6 x C3H F1 hybrid females with male descendants of animals produced by microinjection of fertilized eggs with phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK)/bGH-hybrid gene. Transgenic mice (∼3.5 and ∼12 months of age) weighed significantly more than same age or older (∼20 month) controls. Most of their internal organs, including the heart, kidneys, adrenals, liver, and spleen, were also heavier. In contrast, the thymus was heavier only in the younger transgenic mice. Serum corticosterone was highest in the older transgenic mice. A small but significant increase in whole brain, cortex, and cerebeflar weight, relative to controls and the older transgenic mice, was found in the younger transgenic mice. Control mice exhibited large, significant age-related increases in GFAP. Increases of 35, 70, 68, 89, 79, and 95% for cortex, cerebellum, striatum, hippocampus, midbrain, and brain stem, respectively, were found when comparing the oldest (∼20 months) control mice to the youngest (∼3.5 months). In contrast, in the olfactory bulbs and the hypothalamus there were no age-related changes in the levels of GFAP in control mice. Transgenic mice (∼3.5 months) had significantly elevated GFAP levels relative to the same-age controls in all brain areas examined. In some brain areas, the GFAP levels found in the younger transgenic mice were equivalent to those found in the oldest controls. No differences between controls and transgenics were found in tyrosine hydroxylase protein levels of striatum or hypothalamus. The elevated GFAP levels of transgenic mice may reflect increased neural damage due to accelerated aging processes or damage associated with high circulating levels of bGH or corticosterone. Alternatively, the increased expression of GFAP in the transgenic mice may reflect altered regulation of GFAP rather than an increase signaled by neural damage.
The striped lynx spider, Oxyopes salticus (Araneae: Oxyopidae), in agroecosystems

The striped lynx spider,Oxyopes salticus Hentz, is among the numerically dominant predators in row crops in the United States and is described as a major predator of economically important pests. Because of its potential as a biocontrol agent of numerous pests, a review of the literature was undertaken. Eighty-eight publications are referenced, presenting the available data onO. salticus up to 1984.
Local Structure and Global Patterning of Cu2+ Binding in Fibrillar Amyloid-β [Aβ(1-40)] Protein

The amyloid-β (Aβ) protein forms fibrils and higher-order plaque aggegrates in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) brain. The copper ion, Cu2+, is found at high concentrations in plaques, but its role in AD etiology is unclear. We use high-resolution pulsed electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy to characterize the coordination structure of Cu2+ in the fibrillar form of full-length Aβ(1–40). The results reveal a bis-cis-histidine (His) equatorial Cu2+ coordination geometry and participation of all three N-terminal His residues in Cu2+ binding. A model is proposed in which Cu2+-His6/His13 and Cu2+-His6/His14 sites alternate along the fibril axis on opposite sides of the β-sheet fibril structure. The local intra-β-strand coordination structure is not conducive to Cu2+/Cu+ redox-linked coordination changes, and the global arrangement of Cu sites precludes facile multielectron and bridged-metal site reactivity. This indicates that the fibrillar form of Aβ suppresses Cu redox cycling and reactive oxygen species pro...
A Gårding domain for quantum fields

In all representations of the canonical commutation relations, there is a common, invariant domain of essential self-adjointness for quantum fields and conjugate momenta.
Collection strategies for quantifying protist assemblages in temperate headwater streams

The determinination of an adequate collection protocol for protists is critical in the examination of their distribution and composition in temperate headwater streams. The objective of this study was to test which sampling design/sample gear combination would yield a cost-effective, site-representative protist assemblage. Defining parameters included greatest taxa richness, abundance, morphological diversity, taxa overlap, and cell-size diversity. Two sample designs (i.e., transect and mesohabitat design) and two sample gears (i.e., benthic grab sample, and a colonizing device [polyurethane foam unit, PFU]) were tested in three 100-m reaches representing the predominant environmental conditions (i.e., fragmented woodlots and agriculture) in the study area. A two-way ANOVA was used to evaluate abundance taxa richness and abundance of the protist assemblage (fixed effects) across the three reaches (random effects). The mesohabitat sampling design had the highest mean in both taxa richness (n = 72, P = 0.0012) and abundance (n = 72, P = 0.0004). The highest mean was reported with the benthic grab sampler (39.89 ± 1.1) in the abundance count only (n = 72, P < 0.0001). There was no difference in the design and gear interaction. Morphological diversity, cell-size diversity and percent taxa overlap between sampling design/sample gear combinations also were examined. A higher taxa overlap of the top 10% most abundant taxa was observed with the benthic grab sampler (43–100%) versus the PFU (25–69%); however, the greatest morphological and cell-size diversity was produced by the transect design/PFU combination. We conclude a “hybrid” of the two sample designs will account for “patchy” distributional patterns of protists and use of the PFU, because of the highest yield in morphological and cell-size diversity, will provide the most cost-effective, site-representative protist assemblage in temperate headwater streams.
Temperature dependence of the enthalpy of formation of metal hydrides characterized by an excess volume

Abstract A universal framework to calculate the temperature dependence of the excess enthalpy present in regions characterized by an excess volume is calculated for metals and metal hydrides. At high temperatures, the different contributions from the pressure–volume, heat capacity, entropy and work associated with the thermal expansion are studied separately and their magnitudes and signs are compared. It is found that the pressure–volume contribution opposes and dominates the other three contributions at both high temperature and excess volume, and it is thus found that this contribution becomes the leading temperature dependent contribution to the enthalpy of a material. The conditions under which a temperature change will reduce the enthalpy of formation of metal hydrides are also given and the Mg/MgH 2 system is studied as an example. Excluding the heat capacity contribution, an increase in temperature tends to offset the effect of the excess volume on the enthalpy of formation. It is also demonstrated that the impact of temperature will be more favorable to a reduction of the enthalpy of formation if a large fraction of the metal hydride is in a state of small excess volume compared to a small fraction of the hydride in a state of high excess volume.
The role of home blood pressure measurement in managing hypertension: an evidence-based review.

The role of home blood pressure measurement in managing hypertension: an evidence-based review
Erratum to: Duplicate Submission and Dual Publication: What Is So Wrong With Them?

The online version of the original article can be found under doi:10.1007/s11999-013-2916-8.
Endothelial cell seeding after carotid endarterectomy in a canine model reduces platelet uptake.

Post-endarterectomy platelet deposition may play an important role not only in vessel wall healing, but also in the development of progressive stenosis. Using a canine model, we investigated the effect of endothelial cell seeding on platelet deposition on endarterectomised arteries. Thirteen dogs underwent bilateral carotid intimectomy (5 cm long) and one side was seeded with an average of 2 × 10 6 viable freshly harvested endothelial cells. Blood flow was restored 20 min after seeding. On the contralateral side, a sham-seeding was performed. Deposition of 111 indium-labelled autologous platelets was studied with sequential gamma camera images 3–5h, 1, 2, 3, 4 days and 4 weeks after surgery. Platelet uptake was statistically reduced on the seeded side. Animals were killed at 4 weeks (nine dogs) and 5 weeks (four dogs) after surgery. Seven arteries for each group were found to be occluded. We conclude that endothelial cell seeding on endarterectomised arteries is feasible and reduces platelet uptake. Improvement in the efficiency of seeding and reduction of endothelial cell loss might permit clinical application of this technique.
Post-merger systems integration: the impact on IS capabilities

Mergers and acquisitions may disrupt the operations of the organizations involved. Major issues include the need to integrate personnel, business processes, information systems, and diverse information technologies across the merging organizations. However, if carefully planned and properly managed, the merger/acquisition and the resulting integration process can become an opportunity to strengthen the capabilities of the combined organization and place it in a better competitive position. This paper uses the results of a field survey to examine the effects of post-merger systems integration on information systems area capabilities. Factors influencing the success of the systems integration are identified.