cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Conduction and breakdown characteristics of thermally evaporated stearic acid films

Thin films of organic fatty acids such as stearic acid (C 17 H 35 COOH), deposited by Langmuir-Blodgett technique have been widely investigated and the progress reviewed (1,2). However, very little is known about the conduction and breakdown characteristics of thin films of stearic acid deposited by thermal evaporation in vacuum. Agarwal and Mitsuhashi (3) have studied the high field conduction characteristics using a planar electrode geometry and Kasilingam et al (4,5) have reported the conduction and breakdown characteristics on sandwich electrode geometry. In these studies (3–5) the film deposition parameters were; pressure in the 10−5 to 10−6 Torr range and film deposition rate of −10A/s. Moreover, no attempt was made to avoid the formation of an Al 2 O 3 film on the lower aluminum electrode prior to the deposition of the stearic acid film. In this paper we have reported breakdown behavior and dielectric nature of stearic acid films deposited at much lower pressure (∼10−8 Torr) and at a much lower film deposition rate). We have also used proper masking and a dual source evaporator to deposit the lower Al electrode and the stearic acid film without disturbing the vacuum so that no oxide layer is formed between the lower electrode and the stearic acid film. Sandwich structures have capacitance/area ranging from 0.027 to 0.033 f/m2, the dielectric constant between 1.45 and 2.04, and DC breakdown field strength ranging from 9.27 × 107 to 7.63 × 108 V/m.
INFLUENCE OF 32 AND 37 C INCUBATION TEMPERATURES ON COUNTS OF COLIFORM BACTERIA OF MILK1

Samples of raw and pasteurized milk were plated in desoxycholate lactose agar and incubated at 32 C ± 1.0 and 37 C ± 1.0 for enumeration of coliform bacteria. The lower temperature produced counts comparable to those at 37 C. Pasteurized samples yielded coliform-type bacteria which had 5 different IMViC test patterns, wheras 6 patterns were found among the isolates from raw milk. The most predominant pattern was − + + + and existed among 33% of the isolates.
Microfluidic and Flow Cytometric Studies Support a Role for Monocytes and Coated Platelets in the Prothrombotic State in Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia (HIT)

Abstract Abstract 539 HIT is an immune thrombocytopenia associated with a high risk of developing thrombosis. A passive immunization murine model of this disorder has provided important insights into the underlying pathogenesis of this disease, but is limited by its inability to study human cells and limited ability to define the contribution of various hematopoeitic and vascular cells to the prothrombotic state. We used a microfluidic system in conjunction with flow cytometry to further our understanding of the prothrombotic nature of HIT. Platelet adhesion and aggregation was studied in whole blood labeled with Calcein AM, perfused through a microfluidic channel (BioFlux 200 system, Fluxion) coated with von Willebrand factor (vWf) at shear stress of 20 dyne/cm2 at 37°C. A 40–60% increase in platelet adhesion (relative area covered by platelets) with up to a 4 fold increase in average aggregate size was seen in the presence of the pathogenic HIT-like monoclonal antibody (moAb) KKO (50 μg/ml) in conjunction with PF4 (10 μg/ml) when compared to control samples with PF4 only or with PF4 plus a non-pathogenic anti-PF4 moAb RTO (p Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Jews and Heretics in Catholic Poland: A Beleaguered Church in the Post-Reformation Era

Jews and Heretics in Catholic Poland takes issue with historians' common contention that the Catholic Church triumphed in Counter-reformation Poland. In fact, the Church's own sources show that the story is far more complex. From the rise of the Reformation and the rapid dissemination of these new ideas through printing, the Catholic Church was overcome with a strong sense of insecurity. The 'infidel Jews, enemies of Christianity' became symbols of the Church's weakness and, simultaneously, instruments of its defence against all of its other adversaries. This process helped form a Polish identity that led, in the case of Jews, to racial anti-Semitism and to the exclusion of Jews from the category of Poles. This book portrays Jews not only as victims of Church persecution but as active participants in Polish society who as allies of the nobles, placed in positions of power, had more influence than has been recognised.
Platelets, Obesity, and the Metabolic Syndrome

Abstract Abstract SCI-34 Cardiovascular disease continues to be the major cause of morbidity and mortality in North America and a growing problem in many other parts of the world. The risk of premature atherosclerosis and cardiovascular events rises with increasing obesity and excess adiposity has been linked to increased all-cause mortality. Current estimates show that one in four ischemic heart disease events are attributable to excess weight. Inflammation of adipose tissue orchestrated by monocyte/macrophage infiltration and overproduction of proinflammatory and proatherogenic cytokines may mediate metabolic dysfunction and vascular disease in human obesity. Importantly, obesity has been associated with increased cardiovascular disease as well as enhanced platelet function and thrombosis. We recently measured expression of 48 genes by high-throughput quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) in over 2250 participants of the Framingham Offspring and Omni minority cohorts (FHS) using RNA from isolated platelets and found that specific inflammatory transcripts including ICAM1, IL1R, IFNG, IL6, COX2, TNF, TLR2, and TLR4 were significantly and positively associated with higher body mass index (BMI) by regression analysis. With the additional measurement of 196 genes, the data has remained extraordinarily consistent. Other cardiovascular risk factors rarely associate with platelet gene expression and BMI remains specifically associated with inflammatory transcripts related to the NFkB-innate immune and inflammatory pathways. These surprising data led to the question: Why would the anucleate platelet have gene expression changes specifically in the setting of increased BMI and can this powerful clinical association be explored using both pre-clinical and clinical studies to find new targets for disease and define new mechanisms for platelet function beyond thrombosis? Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
A novel approach for shared resource allocation with wireless network virtualization

Wireless virtualization is an emerging approach to enhance the spectrum utilization by sharing wireless resources such as RF spectrum and wireless infrastructures of different networks through slicing. In this paper, we investigate RF spectrum sharing for virtual wireless networks where wireless resources for virtual networks shrink and grow based on their availability and the demands from the users. Traditional wireless network providers divide and reconfigure their RF bands to sublease to mobile virtual network operators based on service level agreements while keeping enough RF bands to their own users. We evaluate the performance of the proposed approach using percentage of RF band subleasing, outage probability and rate as metrics with the help of numerical results obtained from simulations. Note that the wireless resources are wasted if they not leased to virtual wireless network operators when they are not utilized by the owners.
HOW TO WRITE A CONTRACT WITH THE AHP

In this paper, we show how the Analytic Hierarchy Process could be used to develop a legal contract in the process of a negotiation.Â We illustrate the process with a well-known case used routinely in negotiation courses to illustrate that the AHP is particularly well suited for this type of applications where most of the dimensions and criteria are intangibles, and the scales used to measure the gains and costs of parties involved in the negotiation do not always exist.Â https://doi.org/10.13033/ijahp.v9i2.490
Down but Not Out: The Role of Narrative Identity and Resources in Transitioning through Homelessness

This manuscript describes a qualitative evaluation of a particular non-profit organization that helps veterans experiencing homelessness. We propose that individuals experiencing homelessness need to modify their narrative identity (through restorying), and that four resource domains (economic, material, interpersonal and individual) are needed to help individuals experiencing homelessness to re-identify themselves. To this end, the studied non-profit organization provides a good model for providing individualized services that cover the full range of required resources as well as the opportunity to modify individual narratives.
A New Approach to Learning Probability in the First Statistics Course

The probability unit in a first statistics course is difficult to teach because there is not much time, the concepts and mechanics are difficult, and the students do not see the relevance of learni...
The Cartan Calculus

As noted in the previous chapter (Section II-2), the Ricci calculus makes no use of the cotangent space T P * , nor does it identify the basis of covectors in this space. For Cartan this omission is the starting point of his theory, i.e. the basis of T P * is taken to be {dx r } in the coordinate-based representation or more generally {θ a } where, as in I-(3.19), these Pfaffians are linear combinations of the dx r . Moreover, products of such elements are skew-symmetric and involve serious consideration of the exterior product space of T P * with itself; this is a subspace of the tensor product spaces ⊗2T P * , or more generally of ⊗3T P * . Hence, whereas the material in Section I-3 on the abstract notion of a tensor is somewhat of a luxury for the Ricci calculus, it now plays a central role in the Cartan calculus. Consequently, any attempt to understand the Cartan theory must be rooted in terms of an abstract setting. This has seriously impeded the dissemination of it among non-mathematicians and in elementary mathematical texts the theory is usually presented in an unpalatable and abbreviated form which conceals as much as it reveals to the reader. Unfortunately, the same criticism can probably be said of the presentation given in this chapter.
Image Registration Methods

While Chaps. 2– 10 discussed tools used in the design of various components of an image registration system, this chapter discusses methods to design complete image registration systems for various applications. Among the image registration methods discussed are principal-axis, multi-resolution, optimization-based, boundary-based, model-based, and adaptive methods. While evaluation of various components of an image registration system were discussed in Chaps. 2– 10, methods to evaluate full image registration systems are discussed in this chapter.
Is God the Son Begotten in His Divine Nature

The doctrine of the Father’s begetting the Son in his divine nature, despite its credal affirmation, enjoys no clear scriptural support and threatens to introduce an objectionable ontological subordinationism into the doctrine of the Trinity. We should therefore think of Christ’s sonship as a function of his incarnation, even if that role is assumed beginninglessly.
The King-Devick test in an outpatient concussion clinic: Assessing the diagnostic and prognostic value of a vision test in conjunction with exercise testing among acutely concussed adolescents

Abstract Objective This study investigated the diagnostic and prognostic value of the King-Devick (K-D) test in conjunction with treadmill testing in adolescents after sport-related concussion (SRC) in an outpatient concussion management clinic without baseline measures. Design Prospective cohort. Methods The K-D test was administered pre- and post-exercise on a graded treadmill test to acutely concussed (AC, Results Comparison of pre-exercise K-D test times at Visit 1 distinguished MC from AC (46.1 ± 9.2 s vs. 53.7 ± 13.0 s, p = .007). Comparison of pre- and post-exercise K-D test times revealed significant improvements for MC (46.1 ± 9.2 s vs. 43.1 ± 8.5 s, p Conclusion The study supports utility of the K-D test as part of outpatient concussion assessment. Lack of improvement in K-D test performance after an exercise test may be an indicator of delayed recovery from SRC.
Association of natural killer (NK) cell exhaustion with melanoma progression.

9099 Background: Recent success of immunotherapies targeting the exhaustion markers CTLA-4 and PD-1 has inforced the role of CD8+T cell exhaustion in advanced melanoma patients. T cell exhaustion, ...
“That looks like me or something i can do”: Affordances and constraints in the online identity work of US LGBTQ+ millennials

This article examines how search engines and social‐networking sites enable and constrain the identity‐related information practices of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) mille...
Investment Performance Measurement Under Asymptotically Linear Local Risk Tolerance1

Abstract Using forward optimality criteria, we analyze a portfolio choice problem when the local risk tolerance is time dependent and asymptotically linear in wealth. This class corresponds to a dynamic extension of the traditional (static) risk tolerances associated with the power, logarithmic, and exponential utilities. We provide explicit solutions for the optimal investment strategies and wealth processes in an incomplete non-Markovian market with asset prices modeled as Ito processes. The methodology allows for measuring the investment performance in terms of a benchmark and alternative market views.
Morphological Awareness Strategies to Promote Academic Success at Tier 1 Through Interprofessional Collaboration

Purpose Many school-based speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are interested in interprofessional collaborations with teachers to provide classroom-based services but are often unsure how to design...
Precision Medicine: FDA Oncology Perspective

Abstract Precision Medicine seeks to find the right drug for the right patient at the right time. This presentation will discuss some of the opportunities and challenges with realizing the vision of precision oncology, including biomarker development, novel clinical trial designs, and tissue agnostic development.
Feedback on system or operator performance: Which is more useful for the timely detection of changes in reliability, trust calibration and appropriate automation usage?:

Creating safe human-machine systems requires that operators can quickly notice changes in system reliability in the interest of trust calibration and proper automation usage. Operators’ readiness t...
Architectural Enhancements in Intel® Agilex™ FPGAs

This paper describes architectural enhancements in Intel® Agilex™ FPGAs and SoCs. Agilex devices are built on Intel's 10nm process and feature next-generation programmable fabric, tightly coupled with a quad-core ARM processor subsystem, a secure device manager, IO and memory interfaces, and multiple companion transceiver tile choices. The Agilex fabric features multiple logic block enhancements that significantly improve propagation delays and integrate more effectively with the second-generation HyperFlexAgilex™ pipelined routing architecture. Routing connections are re-designed to be point-to-point, dropping intermediate connections featured in prior FPGA generations and replacing them with a wider variety of shorter wire types. Fine-grain programmable clock skew and time-borrowing were introduced throughout the fabric to augment the slack-balancing capabilities of HyperFlex registers. DSP capabilities are also extended to natively support new INT9/BFLOAT16/FP16 formats. Together, along with process and circuit enhancements, these changes support more than 40% performance improvement over the Stratix® 10 family of FPGAs.
Predicting the need for massive transfusion in the prehospital setting.

Massive transfusion (MT) prediction scores allowed for the early identification of patients with massive hemorrhage likely to require large volumes of blood products. Despite their utility, very fe...
Myasthenia Symptom Burden, Fatigue, and Sleep: Are They Related?

Objective Our aim is to explore the relationship between myasthenia gravis (MG)-related symptom burden, sleep quality, and fatigue in a diverse group of self-identified MG patients. Methods Patients provided relevant myasthenia disease data and completed the MG QOL-15, Epworth sleepiness scale, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and fatigue severity score (FSS) online. MG activities of daily living scale (MG-ADL) was completed on a follow-up telephone interview. Results One hundred ninety-six patients completed the online survey and 99 provided MG-ADL data. The mean age was 52 ± 15.34 years, 88 were acetylcholine receptor antibody positive, and 21 were muscle specific kinase positive. The mean MG-ADL was 6.81, indicating a moderate MG disease burden. Forty-seven (24%) reported high Epworth sleepiness scale scores, 152 (77%) reported high Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index scores, and 162 (82%) reported high FSS scores. Correlation analysis correcting for body mass index and sleep apnea revealed a moderate positive correlation between MGQOL-15, MG-ADL, and FSS. Conclusions There is a moderate positive correlation between various MG-specific outcome measures and fatigue severity.
Green Jobs for Returning Citizens: A Solution to the Interwoven Problems of Climate Change and Recidivism

Climate change is dismantling social protections through both direct effects of disasters and theindirect consequences as communities attempt to recover, which often exacerbates trauma andparallel known risk factors for recidivism among returning citizens. As a discipline, social workmust wholly recognize the links between environmental injustice and other primary factors ofinequality such as race and class, which also increases the likelihood of incarceration followedby re-entry into society. Green jobs programs can allow society to address two seeminglydisparate issues: recidivism and climate change, offering practical and mutually beneficialsolutions. By building on the decarceration movement’s efforts and following examples fromLos Angeles and Chicago, the field of social work can continue to advocate for green jobs as anopportunity to lead climate change and recidivism mitigation discourse while simultaneouslyoffering solutions to the most pressing issues of our time. The authors argue that this form ofmultisolving on micro, mezzo, and macro levels is the future of the field.
Assessing genomic diversity, connectivity, and riverscape genetics hypotheses in the endangered Rough Hornsnail, Pleurocera foremani, following habitat disruption.

The southeastern United States is home to some of the richest biodiversity in the world. Over the last 200 years, however, rapid industrialization and urbanization has threatened many natural areas, including freshwater habitats. River impoundments have also rapidly altered freshwater habitats, often resulting in species extirpation or extinction. The Coosa River in Alabama experienced one of the largest faunal declines in modern history after impoundment, making it an ideal system for studying how invertebrate species are affected by reservoir creation. One such species, the Rough Hornsnail, Pleurocera foremani, is an endangered freshwater snail in the family Pleuroceridae. We sampled all known localities of P. foremani and used 2bRAD-seq to measure genetic diversity. We assessed riverscape genomic patterns across the current range of P. foremani and measured gene flow within and between impoundments. We also investigated the degree to which P. foremani displays an isolation by distance pattern and conforms to broad hypotheses that have been put forth for population genetics of riverine species like the Mighty Headwater Hypothesis that predicts greater genetic diversity in headwater reaches compared to mainstem populations. Like most other freshwater species, a pattern of isolation by distance was observed in P. foremani. We also found that Coosa River dams are a barrier to gene flow, and genetic fragmentation of P. foremani is likely to increase. However, gene flow appeared common within reservoirs and tributaries. Additionally, we found that spatial genetic structure of P. foremani deviates from what is expected under the Mighty Headwaters Hypothesis, adding to a growing body of research suggesting that the majority of genetic diversity in low dispersing gastropods is found in mainstem populations.
05. EMS and the Pediatric Arrest: Are EMTs Getting the Whole Story?

Purpose : Among pediatric patients, cardiopulmonary arrests account for a small, but important, percentage of responses by emergency medical services (EMS). EMS prehospital assessment of medical and traumatic arrests in the pediatric patient were compared with that of the Office of Medical Investigator (OMI) autopsy reports to assess differences and implications for EMS training and prevention in pediatric arrests. Methods : Retrospective review of ambulance run forms from an urban EMS system with OMI autopsy correlation. Patients less than fifteen years of age and younger who were treated by prehospital personnel from November 1, 1990, to October 31, 1991, for a medical or traumatic arrest. Proportions were analyzed using chi-square analysis or Fisher's exact test and agreement was assessed using the Kappa statistic. Results : Ambulance runs were reported for 2,586 pediatric patients. Of these, forty-two (1.6%) suffered arrests, with thirty-two (76%) medical arrests and ten (24%) traumatic arrests. Children one year of age or less accounted for 75% of the medical arrests while children greater that one year of age accounted for 80% of the traumatic arrests ( p = 0.003). Overall mortality was 81%. When EMS prehospital assessment of medical and traumatic arrests were compared with OMI reports, there was good agreement (kappa = 0.70) for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), but poor agreement (kappa = 0.37) for child abuse.
Anticipatory and compensatory postural adjustments in conditions of body asymmetry induced by holding an object

The effect of body asymmetry on anticipatory and compensatory postural adjustments was studied. Ten healthy subjects stood on the force platform and held an object in one hand which induced body asymmetry. Subjects were exposed to external perturbations applied to their shoulders while standing with either normal or narrow base of support. Bilateral electromyographic activity (EMG) of dorsal and ventral trunk and leg muscles and center-of-pressure displacements were recorded. Data was analyzed within the intervals typical for anticipatory (APA) and compensatory postural adjustments. Integrals of EMG activity and co-contraction and reciprocal activation of muscles were calculated and analyzed. Reciprocal activation of muscles on the target side and co-contraction of muscles on the contralateral side were seen when standing in asymmetrical stance and being subjected to external perturbations. Decreased magnitudes of co-contraction and reciprocal activation of muscles were seen in the APA phase while standing asymmetrically with narrow base of support. The findings highlight the importance of investigating the role of body asymmetry in maintaining control of vertical posture. The outcome of the study provides a foundation for future studies focusing on improvement in postural control in individuals with body asymmetry due to unilateral weakness.
Tools for Studying Behavior and Technology in Natural Settings

Three tools for acquiring data about people, their behavior, and their use of technology in natural settings are described: (1) a context-aware experience sampling tool, (2) a ubiquitous sensing system that detects environmental changes, and (3) an image-based experience sampling system. We discuss how these tools provide researchers with a flexible toolkit for collecting data on activity in homes and workplaces, particularly when used in combination. We outline several ongoing studies to illustrate the versatility of these tools. Two of the tools are currently available to other researchers to use.
Medicines and Drugs as Environmental Agents

The sections in this article are: 1 Drugs as Chemicals 2 Mechanisms of Action of Drugs 2.1 Cell Membranes 2.2 Chemical Drug Receptors 2.3 Drug Effects
New General Lower Bounds on the Information Rate of Secret Sharing Schemes

We use two combinatorial techniques to apply a decomposition construction in obtaining general lower bounds on information rate and average information rate of certain general classes of access structures. The first technique uses combinatorial designs (in particular, Steiner systems S(t, k, v)). The second technique uses equitable edge-colourings of bipartite graphs. For uniform access structures of rank t, this second technique improves the best previous general bounds by a factor of t (asymptotically).
Pulse shaper in a loop: demonstration of cascadable all-optical code translation for ultrafast O-CDMA networks

We demonstrate repetitive M-ary spectral phase pulse shaping at 10 GHz by placing a pulse shaper in a closed loop. Our results show the feasibility of cascadable all-optical code translation for ultrafast O-CDMA networks.
Scaling the Patent System

Why do firms in some industries ignore patents when developing new products? This paper posits a simple but novel answer to this long-puzzling question: firms ignore patents because they are unable to discover the patents their activities might infringe. The costs of finding relevant patents, which we call discovery costs, are prohibitively high.Not all industries face high patent discovery costs. Chemical patents are "indexable," meaning that relevant patents can be efficiently retrieved by chemical formula. As a result, discovery costs in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries are low, and inadvertent infringement by firms in these industries is rare. But many other patent categories are not indexable, and in some cases that makes avoiding infringement practically impossible. In software, for example, patent clearance by all firms would require many times more hours of legal research than all patent lawyers in the United States can bill in a year. The result has been an explosion of patent litigation.This paper attacks two core premises of patent law — that parties are always able to respect each other’s patent rights, and that firms should be punished for infringement even if they could not have avoided it. It concludes with several suggestions for how to change the patent system to alleviate the problems created by non-indexable patents.
Massive Sinonasal Polyposis

Aman in his 30s presented to the emergency department with a worsening sinus infection and vision loss. His medical history was significant for previous nasal endoscopy with biopsy of nasal polyps 6 years previously, with a finding of benign nasal polyps by surgical pathology. The patient had then been lost to follow-up. He nowcomplained of nasal drainage, severe headaches, and long-standing visual loss. There had been no acute worsening of headaches or visual loss in the previous months. Physical examination showed severe left proptosis, telecanthus, purulent nasal drainage, and nasal polypsis filling the bilateral nasal cavities. Ophthalmology consultation revealed no evidence of restriction of gaze or papilledema, anda recommendationwasmade for endoscopic sinus surgery to remove the sourceof infection.Computedtomographic imagingrevealedextensivenasalpolyposis,bony remodeling consistent with long-standing inflammation, andmassive erosion of the bilateral skull base andorbits (Figure 1A). Thepatient underwent endoscopic sinus surgery.Nasal polypswerepresent andhada typical appearance superficially (Figure 1B).However, on deeper dissection, theybecame increasingly difficult to removeevenwithpowered instrumentation, and an atypical, fibrotic endoscopic appearance was noted (Figure 1C). Tissue was sent for histologic evaluation. Following this, the dissection was terminated. A B C
An adaptive algorithm for multivariate approximation giving optimal convergence rates

of functions on (some domain in) UP’ which consist of no more than K polynomial pieces each of order n, i.e., of total degree less than it. Approxi- mation from P,,, for N > 1 was studied as early as 1967 by Birman and Solomiak [2]. Improvements of their results were obtained by Brudnyi [3], and much of the work is presented in his survey article [4]. Birman and Solomiak make use of a kind of adaptive partition algorithm involving m-cubes in some of their work, but their results do not contain ours nor ours theirs. Their results go beyond the statement that dist(f, P,,J = O(K-“) for smooth functions. But, their description of certain function classes for which such an optimal rate of approximation is achievable is in terms of certain moduli of smoothness. This description is difficult to apply to a specific function not in P). By contrast, our analysis includes explicitly functions of the form f(x) = g(x) dist(x, S)a,
Pre-professional mandated reporters' understanding of young children's eyewitness testimony: Implications for training

Abstract This study examines the knowledge and understanding of child eyewitness testimony held by 261 graduate and undergraduate students in majors or disciplines that are most commonly associated with careers that will give them mandated reporter status (e.g., Administration of Justice, Special Education). Subjects were asked to rate their beliefs about children's communication, memory, ability to provide accurate descriptions of events and people, interview techniques, and the use of anatomically correct dolls. Results indicated that, overall, the participants' beliefs about interviewing young children and their knowledge of their abilities as witnesses were consistent with the extant scientific literature. However, there was a substantial sub-set of participants who were less accurate in their beliefs and knowledge. Analysis of the relation between educational level and knowledge, showed that educational level per se might be less important than the nature of the educational background itself. The results of this study suggest the need for stronger interdisciplinary curricula regarding children's eyewitness testimony. Training programs for pre-professionals should expand to include communication skills and assessment of maltreatment and associated issues, as well as on-going opportunities to incorporate the material into actual practice with hands-on experiences.
Shock tube technique for testing acoustic materials at very high sound amplitudes

Abstract A new technique to test acoustic materials at very high sound levels is presented. This technique is based on the use of a shock tube, and was applied to acoustic samples having a facing made of perforated plates of different open area ratios. Results of the absorption coefficient at resonance for several values of the open area ratio are presented.
Towards unraveling the human tooth transcriptome: the dentome.

The goal of the study was to characterize the transcriptome profiles of human ameloblasts and odontoblasts, evaluate molecular pathways and advance our knowledge of the human “dentome”. Laser capture microdissection was used to isolate odontoblasts and ameloblasts from human tooth buds (15-20week gestational age) from 4 fetuses. RNA was examined using Agilent 41k whole genome arrays at 2 different stages of enamel formation, presecretory and secretory. Probe detection was considered against the array negative control to control for background noise. Differential expression was examined using Significance Analysis of Microarrays (SAM) 4.0 between different cell types and developmental stages with a false discovery rate of 20%. Pathway analysis was conducted using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis software. We found that during primary tooth formation, odontoblasts expressed 14,802 genes, presecretory ameloblasts 15,179 genes and secretory ameloblasts 14,526 genes. Genes known to be active during tooth development for each cell type (eg COL1A1, AMELX) were shown to be expressed by our approach. Exploring further into the list of differentially expressed genes between the motile odontoblasts and non-motile presecretory ameloblasts we found several genes of interest that could be involved in cell movement (FN1, LUM, ASTN1). Furthermore, our analysis indicated that the Phospholipase C and ERK5 pathways, that are important for cell movement, were activated in the motile odontoblasts. In addition our pathway analysis identified WNT3A and TGFB1 as important upstream contributors. Recent studies implicate these genes in the development of Schimke immuno-osseous dysplasia. The utility of laser capture microdissection can be a valuable tool in the examination of specific tissues or cell populations present in human tooth buds. Advancing our knowledge of the human dentome and related molecular pathways provides new insights into the complex mechanisms regulating odontogenesis and biomineralization. This knowledge could prove useful in future studies of odontogenic related pathologies.
A bimillennial-length tree-ring reconstruction of precipitation for the Tavaputs Plateau, Northeastern Utah

Abstract Despite the extensive network of moisture-sensitive tree-ring chronologies in western North America, relatively few are long enough to document climatic variability before and during the Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA) ca. AD 800-1300. We developed a 2300-yr tree-ring chronology extending to 323 BC utilizing live and remnant Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) from the Tavaputs Plateau in northeastern Utah. A resulting regression model accounts for 70% of the variance of precipitation for the AD 1918–2005 calibration period. Extreme wet and dry periods without modern analogues were identified in the reconstruction. The MCA is marked by several prolonged droughts, especially prominent in the mid AD 1100s and late 1200s, and a lack of wet or dry single-year extremes. The frequency of extended droughts is not markedly different, however, than before or after the MCA. A drought in the early AD 500s surpasses in magnitude any other drought during the last 1800 yr. A set of four long high-resolution records suggests this drought decreased in severity toward the south in the western United States. The spatial pattern is consistent with the western dipole of moisture anomaly driven by El Nino and is also similar to the spatial footprint of the AD 1930s “Dust Bowl” drought.
Comment on ‘the dynamics of job separation: The case of federal employees’

SUMMARY This paper recasts the model presented in 'The Dynamics of Job Separation: The Case of Federal Employees', as an optimal stopping problem. It shows that the individuals represented by the model are assumed to behave suboptimally and illustrates several policy analysis problems introduced by assuming such behaviour.
Pressure-volume-temperature behavior of γ-Fe2SiO4 (spinel) based on static compression measurements at 400° C

Thirteen energy-dispersive x-ray diffraction spectra for γ-Fe2SiO4 (spinel) collected in situ at 400° C and pressures to 24 GPa constitute the basis for an elevated-temperature static compression isotherm for this important high-pressure phase. A Murnaghan regression of these molar volume measurements yields 177.3 (±17.4) GPa and 5.4(±2.5) for the 400° C, room pressure values of the isothermal bulk modulus (K P 0) and its first pressure derivative (K′ P 0), respectively. When compared to the room-Tdeterminations of K P 0 available in the literature, our 400° C K P 0 yields -4.1 (±6.2)×10-2 GPa/degree for the average value of (∂K/∂T) P 0 over the temperature interval 25° C<T<400° C. A five-parameter V(P, T) equation for γ-Fe2SiO4 based on simultaneous regression of our data combined with the elevated P-Tdata of Yagi et al. (1987) and the extrapolated thermal expansion values from Suzuki et al. (1979) yields isochores which have very little curvature [(∂2 T/∂P 2) v ≅0], in marked contrast to the isochores for fayalite (Plymate and Stout 1990) which exhibit pronounced negative curvature [(∂T/∂P 2) v <0]. Along the fayalite/γ-Fe2SiO4 reaction boundary ΔVRvaries from a minimum of approximately 8.3% at approximately 450° C to approximately 8.9% at 1200° C. Extrapolation of the fayalite and γ-Fe2SiO4 V(P, T) relationships to the temperature and pressure of the 400 km discontinuity suggests a ΔV R of approximately 8.4% at that depth, approximately 10% less than the 9.3% ΔV R at ambient conditions.
Hydration of the halide ions in certain organic solvents

Abstract The amount of water co-extracted by the halide anions into several solvents has been determined. The order was always Cl− > Br− > I−, and at high organic-phase salt concentrations, the hydration numbers increased with increasing concentration, apparently paralleling the formation of ion pairs and higher ion aggregates. In nitrobenzene the lower, limiting values are 3·3, 1·8, and 1·0 moles of water per anion for Cl−, Br−, and I−, respectively. With dichloroethane as solvent, and more particularly with chloroform, solvation of the anion by the (weakly) acid proton of the diluent replaces part of the hydration, and the hydration number observed decreases markedly. For a number of reasons, the hydration numbers observed are lower limits to the first-shell hydration or coordination number of the anion.
Repair endonuclease-sensitive sites in daughter DNA of ultraviolet-irradiated human cells.

WE have used cells that were derived from individuals with xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) and are defective in excision repair1 to demonstrate the appearance of ultraviolet lesions in the DNA made after ultraviolet irradiation. Normal human and XP cells were irradiated and labelled with either 3H-thymidine or 32PO4 for 6–8 h, the label was removed, and the cells were further incubated for 18 h to allow for DNA chain elongation and joining of the short DNA segments synthesised after irradiation. The cells were then osmotically shocked, treated with a repair endonuclease contained in Micrococcus luteus extract for 5 min at 37° C and pH 8.0, and sedimented in 5–20% alkaline sucrose gradients. The enzymatic assay2 and the sedimentation procedure3 have been described elsewhere. Figure 1 shows that daughter DNA from irradiated and non-irradiated normal human cells contains no repair endonuclease-sensitive sites. This is expected because normal human cells excise and repair most of the pyrimidine dinners formed after ultraviolet irradiation4. Figure 2 shows that DNA synthesised by irradiated XP cells does contain repair endonuclease-sensitive sites, although the number appears to be small. Under our experimental conditions there is approximately one sensitive site for every fifteen to thirty-five dimers in the parental DNA5.
Herbal Supplement Use and Blood Lead Levels of United States Adults

Some herbal supplements may contain lead. To examine whether use of specific herbal dietary supplements during the last 30 days is associated with blood lead levels in US men and women. Cross-sectional analysis. NHANES participants from 1999–2004, a representative sample of the civilian non-institutionalized US population. Lead was measured in blood. Associations between lead and self-reported supplement use were estimated using multivariable regression weighted to account for NHANES sampling. Herbal supplements investigated were those previously reported to contain high heavy metal content: Ayurvedic or traditional Chinese medicine herbs, echinacea, ginkgo, ginseng, St. John’s wort, and “other” herbs (specifically, kava, valerian, black cohosh, bee pollen, and nettle). Among 6,712 women ≥20 years, those using herbal supplements had lead levels that were 10% higher than non-users (95% CI 3%–17%, p = 0.005). Women using Ayurvedic or traditional Chinese medicine herbs, St. John’s wort, and “other” herbs had lead levels 24% (95% CI 5%–45%, p = 0.01), 23% (95% CI 4%–46%), p = 0.02), and 21% (95% CI 2%–44%, p = 0.03) higher, respectively, than non-users. No significant associations were observed between herb use and lead levels among men (n = 6,095). Among reproductive-aged women (16–45 years), herbal supplement users had lead levels 20% higher than non-users (95% CI 5%–34%, p = 0.008). In contrast, garlic and other dietary supplements were not associated with higher lead levels. Use of specific herbal supplements is associated with higher blood lead levels among women. Our data suggest testing guidelines for herbal supplements and regulations limiting lead in supplements are needed.
Lending in the Modern Era: Does Racial Composition of Neighborhoods Matter When Individuals Seek Home Financing? A Pilot Study in New England:

This article explores the relationship between racial composition of neighborhoods and approval and origination of mortgages. It measures independent neighborhood effects, above and beyond applican...
Cooperative Learning and Student Motivation.

Abstract We examined the effects of cooperative group learning on students′ motivation and achievement in Algebra II. Sixty-two students were randomly assigned to either a cooperative learning or traditional lecture group. Students took pretests and post-tests which assessed efficacy, intrinsic valuing, and goal orientation. Algebra achievement was assessed at the same time using a teacher-made exam. Students in the cooperative classroom exhibited significantly greater gains than the control group in algebra achievement, efficacy, intrinsic valuing of algebra, and learning goal orientation. The implications of these findings for motivational theory and cooperative group structures are discussed.
Effect of reaction time on the formation of disinfection byproducts

Abstract The effect of reaction time on the trihalomethane and nonpurgeable total organic halide formation potentials was determined by chlorinating water samples from the Mississippi, Missouri, and Ohio Rivers. Samples were collected for three seasons at 12 locations on the Mississippi from Minneapolis, Minnesota, to New Orleans, Louisiana, and on the Missouri and Ohio 1.6 kilometers above their confluences with the Mississippi. Both types of compounds formed rapidly during the initial stages of the reaction-time period, with formation rates decreasing with time. The ratio of the nonpurgeable total organic-halide and trihalomethane concentrations decreased with time, with the nonpurgeable total organic-halide compounds forming faster during the first stages of the time period and the trihalomethane compounds forming faster during the latter stages of the time period. Variation with distance along the Mississippi River of the formation rates approximately paralleled the variation of the dissolved organic carbon concentration, indicating that the rates of formation, as well as the concentrations of the compounds formed, depended on the dissolved organic carbon concentration.
Model Predictive Control for a Multicompartment Respiratory System

In this brief, we develop a model predictive controller for a multicompartment respiratory system. Specifically, for a given periodic reference volume pattern, we design a tracking controller using a framework that merges repetitive control and model predictive control. In particular, the periodic multicompartment model is transformed into a lifted run-to-run invariant model, and a model predictive controller with nonnegative control input constraints is designed. The proposed tracking control framework is applied to a two-compartment lung mechanics model to demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed approach.
Evaporation of strange matter (and similar condensed phases) at high temperatures

Strange matter is a form of quark matter that has been conjectured to be stable at zero temperature. If heated to a temperature Tgreater than or equal to2 MeV, a strange-matter lump evaporates nucleons from its surface. We show that at higher temperatures (Tgreater than or equal to20 MeV), strange matter boils, with bubbles of hadronic gas forming and growing throughout the interior. Strange matter, or any other phase which resembles strange matter, could not have survived this process in the early Universe.
Murine aspartoacylase: cloning, expression and comparison with the human enzyme.

Abstract Canavan disease is caused by mutations in aspartoacylase, the enzyme that degrades N-acetylaspartate (NAA) into acetate and aspartate. Murine aspartoacylase (mASPA) was cloned using sequence information from mouse expressed sequence tags homologous to the human cDNA. The open reading frame was cloned into a thioredoxin fusion vector, overexpressed in bacteria, and the protein was purified using affinity chromatography to near homogeneity. Recombinant human ASPA (hASPA) was prepared by a similar method. Both recombinant enzymes were highly specific to NAA, with about 10% of the NAA activity toward N-acetylasparagine. More interestingly, the product of N-acetylasparagine was aspartate but not asparagine, indicating that ASPA catalyzed deacetylation as well as hydrolysis of the β acid amide. Our success in preparing the recombinant ASPA in high purity should permit multiple lines of investigations to understand the pathogenic mechanisms of Canavan disease and the functional roles of NAA.
Child Mortality and Reproductive Patterns in Bolivia, 1993-1998

El objetivo del presente estudio es examinar el efecto de factores reproductivos y demograficos sobre la sobrevivencia infantil en Bolivia, uno de los paises mas pobres de America Latina. Modelamos los efectos conjuntos que tienen la edad de la madre, paridad, intervalos entre nacimientos, duracion de la lactancia y uso de contracepcion moderna en la mortalidad de la ninez. Los datos utilizados provienen de la Encuesta de Demografia y Salud (ENDES), llevada a cabo en Bolivia durante 1998. Los resultados obtenidos apoyan la evidencia encontrada en otros estudios similares: la lactancia y el intervalo entre nacimientos son los patrones reproductivos mas importantes que afectan a los riesgos de mortalidad en la ninez, y sus efectos son fuertes y consistentes aun despues de considerar variables socioeconomicas en los modelos: intervalos anteriores entre nacimientos cortos y duraciones de lactancia cortas aumentan los riesgos de muerte en los primeros dos anos de vida.
SYNTHESIS AND STRUCTURE OF C2-SYMMETRIC, DOUBLY BRIDGED BIS(INDENYL)TITANIUM AND -ZIRCONIUM DICHLORIDES

The synthesis of the new C2h-symmetric doubly bridged 1,2‘-(ethane-1,2-diyl)-2,1‘-(ethane-1,2-diyl)bis(indene) ligand 9 from 1,5-dimethyl-1,5-cyclooctadiene via a selenium-catalyzed oxidation reaction and a double Nazarov π-cyclization reaction is reported. Only one bridged C2-symmetric metallocene diastereomer was formed in the metalation of 9 because the geometry of the double bridge precluded formation of a meso isomer. The C2-symmetric [1,2‘-(ethane-1,2-diyl)-2,1‘-(ethane-1,2-diyl)bis(indenyl)]titanium and -zirconium dichlorides 10 and 11 were prepared in good (63 and 67%) yields, with no evidence of oligomeric metallocene products. The solid-state structure of 11 was determined by X-ray crystallography. The related bis(indene) 19, containing a bicyclo[3.3.1]nonane bridging moiety, was synthesized from Meerwein's diketone but could not be efficiently metalated.
HOW DO FLIGHT CREWS DETECT AND PREVENT ERRORS? FINDINGS FROM A FLIGHT SIMULATION STUDY

In order for a team to maintain safety in a high-risk engineered environment, its members must monitor each other's behavior, as well as the situation. The advantage of a team structure is that members can support each other, catching errors and preventing problems from developing into serious situations. In its analysis of aviation accidents in which crew behavior played a role, the National Transportation Safety Board (1994) observed that most of those accidents involved “monitoring and challenging” errors. After an error occurred, the crew either failed to detect it or to communicate effectively in order to ameliorate the outcome.This paper describes a simulator study that examined two factors thought to affect monitoring and challenging: (a) level of physical risk in a developing situation and (b) degree of face threat involved in a challenge. Events were scripted to present errors committed by a confederate pilot (high face threat) or problems developing outside the flight deck (low face threat). Vid...