cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A comparative study of cellulose derived structured carbons on the electrochemical behavior of lithium metal-based batteries

Abstract Cellulose nanomaterials with different structures (i.e., cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) and cellulose nanocrystals (CNC)) were carbonized to investigate the effect of morphology and crystallinity of cellulose-derived carbon nanomaterials on the overall electrochemical reactions in Li metal-based batteries. Carbonized CNF (c-CNF) and carbonized CNC (c-CNC) were coated separately on either a Cu current collector or a polypropylene (PP) separator for electrochemical tests. The resulting carbon derived from the amorphous region of CNF contributes to increasing the specific capacity of a cell but decreasing the overall electrical conductivity of the electrode. The c-CNF electrode delivered a relatively high capacity of 412 mAh g−1 at a low current density (0.2 A g−1) in comparison with the c-CNC (370 mAh g−1). In contrast, the c-CNC exhibited better rate capability than the c-CNF. When PP separators modified with c-CNF and c-CNC were employed in Li/Cu cells, it has shown remarkable improvements in Coulombic efficiency and cycle stability (over 120 cycles). This effect is ascribed to the substantially decreased local current density and the improved Li-ion storage in additional c-CNF and c-CNC layers. In addition, Li/LiFePO4 full-cell study tested with modified membranes further demonstrated the beneficial effect of cellulose-derived carbon nanomaterials on electrochemical reactions. Throughout this study, we explored the material characteristics of c-CNF and c-CNC, revealing the strong influence of the resulting carbon originated from the amorphous region of CNF on the electrochemical behaviors in Li-ion and Li-metal batteries.
Community of Inquiry in online education: Using student evaluative data for assessment and strategic development

Abstract This study examined the strategic and administrative elements of an online sport management graduate program through the lens of Community of Inquiry (CoI) (Garrison, Anderson, & Archer, 1999). The authors evaluated quantitative and qualitative information from student exit surveys from an online professional graduate degree in sport management using modified CoI principles in order to improve the program's content, structure, and delivery. The quantitative results indicated that students rated the program highly in almost all measured aspects of CoI. The qualitative data revealed that students engage in the three main areas of CoI (i.e., cognitive, social, and teaching presence). Qualitative data support the quantitative results and demonstrate the program operates on CoI principles. Findings inform academic leaders and faculty about CoI elements and the nature of holistic assessment of academic programs.
Celebrity-bashing or #MeToo contribution? New York Times Online readers debate the boundaries of hashtag feminism

In January 2018, a feminist blog, babe, detailed an anonymous woman’s date with comedian Aziz Ansari, ending with her accusation that he had sexually assaulted her by escalating his sexual advances...
Do Well And Do Good: Impact Investing For Endowments

As the calls for responsible investing grow, universities will be asked about their endowments’ investment policies regarding impact investing, wherein endowments seek opportunities that provide investment returns and social impact. A common concern for the investment committees, however, is how to incorporate impact investments without compromising the goal of maximizing asset values and the benefit to its university. This paper offers a way forward. Using standard portfolio optimization models and a broader way to consider return, this paper suggests that an endowment can still meet the goal of maximizing expected value while investing with a purpose. It also offers examples of how to incorporate impact investing opportunities throughout the traditional asset classes in an endowment’s portfolio. The paper also addresses some reasons why endowments have been hesitant to incorporate impact investments. While other papers have addressed aspects of impact investing, this paper seeks to offer an accessible and holistic approach to the topic.
One more time, emphasizing the advantage of simultaneous pancreas and kidney transplantation for patients with type 1 diabetes and end‐stage renal disease

Simultaneous pancreas and kidney (SPK) transplantation is considered the best treatment option for patients with diabetes and end-stage renal disease (ESRD). SPK recipients with a functioning pancreas graft have significantly better kidney graft survival and patient survival compared to those who received a kidney-only transplant or those with a failed pancreas graft. In addition, SPK recipients with isolated pancreas graft failure who undergo pancreas retransplant still have better kidney graft survival.
Data Aggregation without Secure Channel: How to Evaluate a Multivariate Polynomial Securely

Much research has been conducted to securely outsource multiple parties' data aggregation to an untrusted aggregator without disclosing each individual's data, or to enable multiple parties to jointly aggregate their data while preserving privacy. However, those works either assume to have a secure channel or suffer from high complexity. Here we consider how an external aggregator or multiple parties learn some algebraic statistics (e.g., summation, product) over participants' data while any individual's input data is kept secret to others (the aggregator and other participants). We assume channels in our construction are insecure. That is, all channels are subject to eavesdropping attacks, and all the communications throughout the aggregation are open to others. We successfully guarantee data confidentiality under this weak assumption while limiting both the communication and computation complexity to at most linear.
Indirectly predicting the maintenance effort of open-source software: Research Articles

An accurate maintenance effort model is essential for a successful software maintenance process. Maintenance effort is usually measured in person-hours used to perform a maintenance task. However, maintenance effort data are usually only available for strictly managed software, such as closed-source software. In other software projects that do not have complete maintenance records, especially some open-source software, there are no direct data for maintenance effort, which precludes the establishment of a maintenance effort model. In this paper, we report a series of studies aimed at presenting a method for indirectly predicting the maintenance effort of open-source software. This report covers two parts of our research. First, we examine the maintenance data from NASA SEL closed-source software projects and identify some software measures that can be used to indirectly represent maintenance effort. Second, based on the findings in the first part, we analyze 121 recent versions of Linux, and use linear regression to construct two indirect maintenance effort models for the Linux project. Our study demonstrates the applicability of this approach to indirectly predicting the maintenance effort and improving the software maintenance process. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
User Expectations and Mental Models for Communicating Emotions through Compressive & Warm Affective Garment Actuation

Wearable haptic garments for communicating emotions have great potential in various applications, including supporting social interactions, improving immersive experiences in entertainment, or simply as a research tool. Shape-memory alloys (SMAs) are an emerging and interesting actuation scheme for affective haptic garments since they provide coupled warmth and compressive sensations in a single actuation---potentially acting as a proxy for human touch. However, SMAs are underutilized in current research and there are many unknowns regarding their design/use. The goal of this work is to map the design space for SMA-based garment-mediated emotional communication through warm, compressive actuation (termed 'warm touch'). Two online surveys were deployed to gather user expectations in using varying 'warm touch' parameters (body location, intensity, pattern) to communicate 7 distinct emotions. Further, we also investigated mental models used by participants during the haptic strategy selection process. The findings show 5 major categories of mental models, including representation of body sensations, replication of typical social touch strategies, metaphorical representation of emotions, symbolic representation of physical actions, and mimicry of objects or tasks; the frequency of use of each of these mental frameworks in relation to the selected 'warm touch' parameters in the communication of emotions are presented. These gathered insights can inform more intuitive and consistent haptic garment design approaches for emotional communication.
A 20-year evaluation of successes with biological control of spotted knapweed (Centaurea stoebe) in Colorado

Abstract Spotted knapweed (Centaurea stoebe) is an invasive plant introduced into North America from Europe that has colonized diverse plant communities across the temperate zone of North America. The impacts of classical biological control insects on this plant have been identified as harmful (benefiting the plant), inconsequential, or exhibiting effective controls. Here we present results that measured C. stoebe densities in Colorado subjected to small numbers of insect releases in 2001 and monitored for density effects on the plant from 2007 to 2020. Seed head weevils (Larinus spp), gall flies (Urophora spp) and root weevils (Cyphocleonus achates) were also measured. In one monitoring transect with ample native perennial and introduced grasses, knapweed stem densities declined over a 14-year interval from about 50 stems/m2 to 0/m2. At a second site that was disturbed by flood scour midway through the study, stems declined over a 13 year interval from about 40 stems/m2 to under 20 stems/m2. At a site lacking C. achates, stem densities were measured at 40 stems per m2 in 2020, the same densities reported at other sites in 2008. No statistically detectable directional shifts in growing season precipitation or temperatures have occurred across the 2001–2020 interval, and the strongest relationships among variables measured here were directional declines in stem and rosette densities of the knapweed. Seeds/seed head showed positive relationships with precipitation but negative relationships with seed head Larinus spp densities, which in turn showed no directional trends in abundance. The outcome of biological control releases at these Colorado sites for C. stoebe ranged from excellent to negligible, and our work supports the context specific model of biological control, i.e., biological control in conjunction with plant competition are the essential components for reduction of C. stoebe densities.
A modular low-cost atomic force microscope for precision mechatronics education

Abstract Precision mechatronics and nanotechnology communities can both benefit from a course centered around an Atomic Force Microscope (AFM). Developing an AFM can provide precision mechatronics engineers with a valuable multidisciplinary hands-on training experience. In return, such expertise can be applied to the design and implementation of new precision instruments, which helps nanotechnology researchers make new scientific discoveries. However, existing AFMs are not suitable for mechatronics education due to their different original design intentions. Therefore, we address this challenge by developing an AFM intended for precision mechatronics education. This paper presents the design and implementation of an educational AFM and its corresponding precision mechatronics class. The modular educational AFM is low-cost ( ≤ $ 4,000) and easy to operate. The cost reduction is enabled by new subsystem development of a buzzer-actuated scanner and demodulation electronics designed to interface with a myRIO data acquisition system. Moreover, the use of an active cantilever probe with piezoresistive sensing and thermomechanical actuation significantly reduced experiment setup overhead with improved operational safety. In the end, the developed AFM capabilities are demonstrated with imaging results. The paper also showcases the course design centered around selected subsystems. The new AFM design allows scientific-method-based learning, maximizes utilization of existing resources, and offers potential subsystem upgrades for high-end research applications. The presented instrument and course can help connect members of both the AFM and the mechatronics communities to further develop advanced techniques for new applications.
Sub-100 nm high spatial frequency periodic structures driven by femtosecond laser induced desorption in GaAs

This paper presents a previously unreported mechanism for the formation of High Spatial Frequency Laser Induced Periodic Surface Structures (HSFL) in GaAs upon irradiation by femtosecond laser pulses (repetition rate = 1 kHz, τ = 150 fs, λ = 390 nm) that is driven by point defect diffusion, desorption of surface atoms, and roughening of the surface. The HSFL have trenches that are 100 nm deep, an average spatial period of 65 nm, and are completely below the original surface. Sub-100 nm periodicity with high depth to period aspect ratio has not been previously observed in GaAs. In the proposed mechanism, laser irradiation generates point defects that diffuse to the surface. Interstitials that reach the surface can be easily desorbed and the remaining vacancies coalesce into vacancy islands. This results in a rough surface, which can excite surface plasmon polaritons. Despite our observations of periodicity corresponding to SPPs, calculations done using the excited dielectric function indicate that SPPs should not be supported. This points to the need to incorporate the cumulative effects of laser irradiation in existing models. This paper also presents evidence that desorption can also occur during HSFL formation in GaAs when irradiated with 780 nm in vacuum. The HSFL have the similar spatial period as GaAs irradiated in air with 780 nm, but completely below the original surface.
Central Venous Catheter Adverse Events Are not Associated with Crowding Indicators.

Objective: Crowding in the emergency department (ED) impacts a number of important quality and safety metrics. We studied ED crowding measures associated with adverse events (AE) resulting from central venous catheters (CVC) inserted in the ED, as well as the relationship between crowding and the frequency of CVC insertions in an ED cohort admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU).Methods: We conducted a retrospective observational study from 2008–2010 in an academic tertiary care center. Participants undergoing CVC in the ED or admitted to an ICU were categorized by quartile based on the following: National Emergency Department Overcrowding Scale (NEDOCS); waiting room patients (WR); ED patients awaiting inpatient beds (boarders); and ED occupancy (EDO). Main outcomes were the occurrence of an AE during CVC insertion in the ED, and deferred procedures assessed by frequency of CVC insertions in ED patients admitted to the ICU.Results: Of 2,284 ED patients who had a CVC inserted, 293 (13%) suffered an AE. There was no association between AEs from ED CVCs and crowding scales when comparing the highest crowding level or quartile to all other quartiles: NEDOCS (dangerous crowding [13.1%] vs other levels [13.0%], P = 0.98); number of WR patients (14.0% vs 12.7%, P = 0.81); EDO (13.0% vs 12.9%, P = 0.99); and number of boarding patients (12.0% vs 13.3%), P = 0.21). In a cohort of ED patients admitted to the ICU, there was no association between CVC placement rates in the ED and crowding scales comparing the highest vs all other quartiles: NEDOCS (dangerous crowding 16% vs all others 16%, P = 0.97); WR patients (16% vs 16%, P = 0.82), EDO (15% vs. 17%, P = 0.15); and number of boarding patients (17% vs 16%, P = 0.08).Conclusion: In a large, academic tertiary-care center, frequency of CVC insertion in the ED and related AEs were not associated with measures of crowding. These findings add to the evidence that the negative effects of crowding, which impact all ED patients and measures of ED performance, are less likely to impair the delivery of prioritized time-critical interventions.
Tensor decomposition of higher-order correlations by nonlinear Hebbian plasticity

Biological synaptic plasticity exhibits nonlinearities that are not accounted for by classic Hebbian learning rules. Here, we introduce a simple family of generalized, nonlinear Hebbian learning rules. We study the computations implemented by their dynamics in the simple setting of a neuron receiving feedforward inputs. We show that these nonlinear Hebbian rules allow a neuron to learn tensor decompositions of its higher-order input correlations. The particular input correlation decomposed, and the form of the decomposition, depend on the location of nonlinearities in the plasticity rule. For simple, biologically motivated parameters, the neuron learns tensor eigenvectors of higher-order input correlations. We prove that each tensor eigenvector is an attractor and determine their basins of attraction. We calculate the volume of those basins, showing that the dominant eigenvector has the largest basin of attraction. We then study arbitrary learning rules, and find that any learning rule that admits a finite Taylor expansion into the neural input and output also has stable equilibria at tensor eigenvectors of its higher-order input correlations. Nonlinearities in synaptic plasticity thus allow a neuron to encode higher-order input correlations in a simple fashion.
Juvenile Dermatomyositis Magnetic Resonance Imaging Score (JIS) does not correlate with criteria for clinically inactive disease: a single-centre retrospective evaluation.

The Paediatric Rheumatology International Trials Organisation (PRINTO) criteria for clinically inactive disease (CID) and their proposal for glucocorticoid tapering do not consider MRI findings, despite the growing use of MRI and development of reliable MRI scoring tools. We aim to evaluate how CID correlates with MRI scores and physician decision making. We retrospectively used the Juvenile Dermatomyositis Imaging Score (JIS) to score MRIs of all children with JDM over a 10-year period. Demographic, diagnosis, treatment and core set measures data were collected. Correlation between CID and JIS was assessed as well as correlation with the physician treatment decision. There were 25 patients with 59 follow-up episodes to analyse correlation between physician treatment decision and JIS; and 50 episodes for the CID category and JIS correlation. JIS was not significantly associated with the CID category but did correlate with the physician decision. No significant association was found between clinical decision and CID category. The JIS area under the ROC curve (AUC) was 0.80 (95% CI 0.62-0.99) with a score ≥ 8 to predict an escalation. JIS sensitivity and specificity were both 78% with accuracy of 78%, compared to only 67%, 46% and 49%, respectively, for the CID criteria. Clinical criteria alone are not sufficient to assess disease activity status. Clinical decision trends correlated to MRI findings but not PRINTO CID criteria. Multi centre prospective studies are needed to replicate our findings and establish how to best use MRI as a biomarker of disease activity.
National Highway Travel Forecasts

This paper is based on the results of a Federal Highway Administration study to reevaluate national highway travel forecasts in light of such factors as declining birth rates, possible saturation of vehicle ownership, and fuel constraints. Results indicate that highway travel is expected to increase at an annual compound rate of 2%/yr - 3%/yr to 1990 as compared to an average annual growth of 4.6% for the last 20 yr. The travel projections are based on anticipated increases in population, licensed drivers, vehicles, and personal income. Even with fairly severe constraints on fuel the travel projections appear reasonable, assuming continued increases in the fuel efficiency of the vehicle fleet using presently available technology. Although this was a national assessment, review and application of these analyses at the state and local level are encouraged.
CENTRALIZED SECURITY PROTOCOL FOR WIRELESS SENSOR NETWORKS

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) is an exciting new technology with applications in military, industry, and healthcare. These applications manage sensitive information in potentially hostile environments. Security is a necessity, but building a WSN protocol is difficult. Nodes are energy and memory constrained devices intended to last months. Attackers are physically able to compromise nodes and attack the network from within. The solution is Centralized Secure Low Energy Adaptive Clustering Hierarchy (CSLEACH). CSLEACH provides security, energy efficiency, and memory efficiency. CSLEACH takes a centralized approach by leveraging the gateways resources to extend the life of a network as well as provide trust management. Using a custom event based simulator, I am able to show CSLEACH's trust protocol is more energy efficient and requires less memory per node than Trust-based LEACH (TLEACH). In terms of security, CSLEACH is able to protect against a wide range of attacks from spoofed messages to compromised node attacks and it provides confidentiality, authentication, integrity and freshness.
An Adenosine Triphosphate-dependent Deoxyribonuclease from Hemophilus influenzae Rd: I. PURIFICATION AND PROPERTIES OF THE ENZYME

A deoxyribonuclease has been purified 2000-fold from Hemophilus influenzae Rd. The enzyme requires ATP and Mg2+ for the degradation of both double- and single-stranded DNA. The hydrolysis of single-stranded DNA proceeds at one-tenth the rate of duplex DNA. The enzyme degrades double-stranded DNA by producing large fragments which are then degraded further to oligonucleotides. It appears to degrade preferentially those molecules to which it has already become attached rather than moving randomly from one molecule to another for each bond scission. The limit product consists of 5′-phosphoryl, 3′-hydroxyl-terminated oligonucleotides, ranging in chain length from 1 to about 12 nucleotides. The average chain length of the limit product is 5.9, and the predominant species in the digest are di- and trinucleotides. The purified enzyme has a molecular weight of approximately 270,000 as determined by sucrose gradient sedimentation. However, ATP-dependent DNase activity has also appeared in a smaller species in some purified enzyme preparations, and two active components have been eluted from DEAE-cellulose and hydroxylapatite columns during the purification.
Interaction of Comets with the Interplanetary Medium

The interaction of the solar wind and solar radiation with a comet, as the comet moves around the sun, is discussed. It is shown that the nature of this interaction is highly variable. It is also shown that the cometary neutrals play a dominant role in standing-off the solar wind, particularly during “quiet” conditions in the solar wind. Consequently the cometary ionosphere is generally highly incompressible, although it can be highly inflated subsequent to its interaction with a high speed solar wind stream.
Conversion of hemicellulose carbohydrates

Hemicellulose can be converted to a variety of useful products. There are two approaches to hemicellulose bioconversion; hemicellulose can be directly converted, or the hemicellulose-derived carbohydrates can be used as the substrate. The major problem in the bioconversion of hemicellulose carbohydrates is that suitable organisms which convert pentoses efficiently have not been developed. The advantage of bacterial processes is that a diverse range of products can be formed. The advantages of the yeast process is that specific products such as ethanol and polyols can be produced in high yields. The understanding of metabolic pathways and metabolic regulation is important for the improvement of existing microbial strains or the development of new strains. The use of yeasts to produce ethanol from d-xylose through isomerization of d-xylose to d-xylulose and the prospects for future developments in biomass conversion are discussed.
Randomized distributed agreement revisited

The authors present a succint and efficient randomized distributed agreement (DA) protocol for asynchronous networks that works for n > 5t processors, where n is the size of the network. The protocol has low communication complexity (/spl Theta/(log n) message size) and does not require any cryptographic assumption. The protocol belongs to the class of protocols that require a "trusted dealer", who is in charge of a suitable network initialization, and represents an improvement in terms of number of processors to some previous solutions. The authors contrast their approach to the class of protocols that are currently able to perform randomized agreement from scratch, an unlimited number of times, but have a communication cost that might be infeasible in many cases.
Making Sense of Methods and Measurement: Real-World Research

• In this column, we describe a new direction for Making Sense of Methods and Measurements content.
Generalized Critical Loss for Market Definition

This paper generalizes the critical loss concept of Harris and Simons to account for a broader range of possible cost structures. Our analysis presents a specialized market-level equilibrium for a relatively homogeneous good in which the Harris and Simons’ critical loss structure is appropriate for market definition. Then, we broaden the equilibrium and propose a generalized critical loss analysis. Of course, for relatively differentiated goods, market definition analysis would use firm-level modeling and therefore the standard market-level critical loss modeling could be inappropriate.
Expression of neurofilament proteins during retinoic acid-induced differentiation of P19 embryonal carcinoma cells

Abstract Retinoic acid (RA) induces P19 embryonal carcinoma cells to differentiate into neurons with the extension of neuritic processes. We used the P19 cell as a model system to elucidate the regulation of neurofilament (NF) expression. Four mammalian NF proteins, NF-66 (α-internexin), peripherin, NF-L and NF-M, and the neural-specific, growth-associated gene, GAP-43, were studied during the RA treatment of P19 cells in vitro. As controls, untreated P19 cells were maintained in parallel. Indirect immunofluorescent staining showed that in RA-treated, morphologically differentiated P19 cells NF-66 was expressed in neuron-like cells characterized by phase bright cell bodies and long neuritic processes. At various times P19 cells were harvested for protein analysis by immunoblotting with antibodies to individual NF proteins or for total RNA extraction and Northern blotting with cDNA probes for NF-66, -L, -M, peripherin and GAP-43. During induction, both NF-66 and NF-L were expressed but in distinct patterns. NF-66 mRNA and protein were detected after 6 days of induction. In contrast, NF-L rnRNA, but not protein, was expressed in both induced and control cells. Neither NF-M nor peripherin were expressed during induction. During differentiation of P19 cells, NF-66 mRNA levels rose markedly by the 1st day, reached a plateau between the 3rd-5th days and declined by the 7th day. NF-66 protein accumulation lagged slightly, reaching maximum abundance about the 5th day. The kinetics of NF-66 expression were similar to that of GAP-43. However, the pattern of NF-L expression was distinct from that of NF-66. NF-L mRNA, and some protein, was expressed in both RA-treated and control cells within 6 h after plating, but was down-regulated to baseline level thereafter in both populations. Neither NF-M or peripherin expression was detected during the differentiation. In summary, NF-66 was up-regulated most robustly among the four NF proteins during differentiation in P19 cells and was the major NF protein correlated with neurite extension.
Self-neutralizing in situ Acid Catalysts from CO2

Acids are the most common industrial catalysts but have the disadvantage of requiring post-reaction neutralization and salt disposal. We show the catalytic use of self-neutralizing acids. Carbon dioxide interacts with water and amines to form carbonic acid and carbamates. A similar interaction occurs with alcohols to form alkylcarbonic acids. All three solvent systems provide in situ acid formation for catalysis which can be easily neutralized by removal of carbon dioxide. However, water has poor organic solubility and amines form salts so only alkylcarbonic acids combine good organic solubility with simple neutralization via depressurization. The use of in situ acid also completely eliminates the solid salt wastes associated with many acid processes. To elucidate how to implement these systems in place of a standard acid system we compare the reaction rates of several alkylcarbonic acids with diazodiphenylmethane (DDM). We report also the effect of CO2 pressure on reaction rate of DDM as well as measure the dielectric constant of these systems. Finally, a Hammett plot is used to identify the dominant step in alkylcarbonic acid catalysis.
Anterior hip dislocation 5 months after hip arthroscopy.

Hip dislocation subsequent to hip arthroscopy is a rare complication. We report on a case of low-energy anterior hip dislocation that occurred 5 months after hip arthroscopy, a period notably longer than any previously reported event. The patient was a track and field athlete who presented and received treatment for a labral tear and cam lesion. The athlete then dislocated her hip postoperatively during competitive jumping, a motion that requires significant hip flexion and extension. The most likely cause of the anterior dislocation was failure to close the capsule at the completion of surgery, lending credibility to recent trends in the literature suggesting routine capsular closure. We believe that a partial psoas release also contributed to dynamic hip instability because of increased femoral anteversion in this patient. This case suggests that hip capsule closure should be considered at the completion of every procedure and that a psoas release should be avoided in patients with significant anteversion. Furthermore, the biomechanics of competitive jumping may make these athletes more prone to dislocation and require more conservative return-to-sport recommendations.
From fixed-point processors to android: A hybrid course for real-time DSP laboratory

Current trends and popularity in embedded systems present an opportunity to modernize real-time digital signal processing (DSP) education. In this paper, we describe a hybrid real-time DSP laboratory course that starts with a fixed-point DSP processor to teach sample-by-sample processing, and then switches to the Google Nexus 7 tablet for block-based processing. This hybrid approach preserves the principles and components that embody real-time DSP education while spanning the full range of today's embedded signal processing applications.
Developmental delays in offspring of rats undernourished or zinc deprived during lactation

Offspring of rats who were zinc or calorie deprived during lactation were administered a battery of reflex and motor tests from postnatal Day 4 to Day 21. Compared to offspring of ad lib-fed control rats, both zinc deprived and undernourished offspring exhibited developmental delays in reflexes which appeared after the first postnatal week (auditory startle, air righting, and rope descent). As the deficiencies continued the delays appeared to be more pronounced. The zinc deficiency did not add to the deficits associated with calorie restriction alone because there were no significant differences between the zinc deficient and undernourished pups on any of the measures except eye opening. When rehabilitated offspring were tested at 45 and 60 days of age for motor deficits there were no significant impairments resulting from preweaning dietary conditions. However, the growth retardation of zinc deprived and undernourished rats persisted long after dietary rehabilitation was implemented.
Effect of Exchange Rates and Gasoline Prices on US Imports of Japanese Automobiles

We analyze the effects of gasoline prices and exchange rates on Japanese automobile imports to the United States between 1970 and 2004. We test the relationships before, during, and after the Voluntary Restraint Agreement placed on Japanese imports between 1981 and 1988. We also control for general demand for automobiles and domestically manufactured Japanese vehicles. As expected, we found that demand for Japanese imports is positively correlated with the price of gasoline. Before 1988 the demand for Japanese imports contributed to a strengthening of the yen. But after, a positive relationship between the yen-for-dollar exchange rate and imports has prevailed.
Two-feldspar geothermometry, geobarometry in mesozonal granitic intrusions: Three examples from the Piedmont of Georgia

The equilibrium temperatures for coexisting plagioclase and potassium feldspar pairs have been calculated for various textural varieties of feldspar from 3 post-metamorphic granites from the Georgia Piedmont; the Danburg, Siloam, and Stone Mountain plutons. Assuming an intermediate structural state for the feldspars at time of equilibration, crystallization temperatures match those expected from experimental data for quartz monzonite magmas (650 to 780° C). The variations in solidus temperature, recorded in the feldspars, may be used to estimate relative differences in depth of intrusion. Sharp reversals in plagioclase compositional trends may be caused by isothermal decreases in confining pressure associated with upward migration through the crust. In fine grained and slowly cooled intrusions, albite tends to be lost from the alkali feldspar grains, and recrystallizes as separate unzoned grains of oligoclase, thus erasing the previous thermal history. Perthite exsolution and re-equilibration within the alkali feldspar grains appears to continue down to temperatures of 400° C or so, although the zoned plagioclase does not homogenize. The recrystallization associated with changes in structural state may facilitate exsolution within alkali feldspar grains.
Microeconomics of 300-mm process module control

Simple microeconomic models that directly link metrology, yield, and profitability are rare or non-existent. In this work, we validate and apply such a model. Using a small number of input parameters, we explain current yield management practices in 200 mm factories. The model is then used to extrapolate requirements for 300 mm factories, including the impact of simultaneous technology transitions to 130nm lithography and integrated metrology. To support our conclusions, we use examples relevant to factory-wide photo module control.
Modafinil modulation of the default mode network

Rationale The default mode network (DMN) is a functional network which is implicated in a range of cognitive processes. This network is proposed to consist of hubs located in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), posterior cingulate/retrosplenial cortex (PCC/rSpl), and inferior parietal lobule (IPL), with other midline cortical and temporal lobe nodes connected to these hubs. How this network is modulated by neurochemical systems during functional brain activity is not yet understood.
Maximum r.b.e. of fission neutrons for induction of somatic mutations in maize.

SummaryThis investigation was conducted to determine the maximum r.b.e. of fission neutrons for the induction of yellow-green sectors in maize. Seeds heterozygous for the yg2 locus were adjusted to 13 per cent water content, irradiated with varying doses of either fission neutrons or 60Co γ-radiation, and soaked for 2 hours in nitrogen-bubbled water at ambient temperature before planting. Frequency of yg2 sectors, as scored in leaves 4 and 5, increased linearly for both radiations. The r.b.e. values were > 1100 at 0·40 sectors per leaf 4 and > 600 at 0·20 sectors per leaf 5; however, at these low frequencies, the standard errors were ∼ 3 times greater than the r.b.e. At 6·0 sectors per leaf 4, the r.b.e. values were 111 ± 9; and at 3·0 sectors per leaf 5, 118 ± 21. As measured by sectors per krad, mutagenic efficiency increased with increased dose of γ-radiation; the opposite was true for fission neutrons. This trend was more evident for leaf 4 than for leaf 5.
An equilibrium method for continuous-flow cell sorting using dielectrophoresis.

Separations represent a fundamental unit operation in biology and biotechnology. Commensurate with their importance is the diversity of methods that have been developed for performing them. One important class of separations are equilibrium gradient methods, wherein a medium with some type of spatial nonuniformity is combined with a force field to focus particles to equilibrium positions related to those particles' intrinsic properties. A second class of techniques that is nonequilibrium exploits labels to sort particles based upon their extrinsic properties. While equilibrium techniques such as iso-electric focusing (IEF) have become instrumental within analytical chemistry and proteomics, cell separations predominantly rely upon the second, label-based class of techniques, exemplified by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) and magnetic-activated cell sorting (MACS). To extend the equilibrium techniques available for separating cells, we demonstrate the first implementation of a new microfluidic e...
Can emergency medical dispatch systems safely reduce first-responder call volume?

Objectives. Emergency medical dispatch (EMD) protocols are intended to match response resources with patient needs. In a small city that previously sent a first-responder basic life support (BLS) engine company lights-and-siren response to every emergency medical services (EMS) call, regardless of nature or severity, an EMD system was implemented in order to reduce the number of such responses. The study objectives were to determine the effects of the EMD system on first-responder call volume andto assess the safety of the system. Methods. This was a prospective, before–after trial. Using computer-assisted dispatch (CAD) records, all EMS calls in the 120 days before implementation of the EMD protocol andthe 120 days after implementation were identified (excluding a one-month wash-in period). In the “after” phase, patient care reports of a random sample of cases in which an ambulance was dispatched with no first responders was manually reviewed to assess whether there might have been any benefit to first-r...
Examination of a new finite element method applied to convection heat transfer

Abstract A new finite element formulation for two-dimensional viscous flow and convection heat transfer is presented. The current method was designed in particular to be competitive with finite difference methods in terms of storage requirements, solution times, and range of applicability. Novel features of the formulation include the use of a streamline upwind approximation for the advection terms and an equal order velocity and pressure approximation. The current paper focuses on the features of the method which allow the formulation to be competitive with available finite difference methods. The method is illustrated by application to two examples including a natural convection example and a forced convection example.
Inferential question answering in a textual data base

A paragraph of expository text is presented in case predicate and semantic network form as an example of a textual data base. An inferential procedure that has been used to answer questions from case predicate structures is outlined. It is argued that case predicates and their corresponding graphic form, semantic networks, are variant notations convenient to represent and compute the logical relations that hold among conceptual elements in English texts.
Measurement of Far-Infrared Laser Frequencies Generated by Optically Pumped N2H4 and N2D4

A three-laser heterodyne system has been used to measure the frequencies of four previously observed far-infrared laser emissions generated by optically pumping either hydrazine (N2H4) or its fully deuterated isotope (N2D4) with a continuous-wave carbon dioxide laser. These newly measured frequencies have fractional uncertainties of ± 2 × 10−7 and correspond to laser wavelengths ranging from 63.9 to 158.4 μm. This work represents the first measurement of a N2D4 laser frequency.
Systematic variation in the temperature dependence of physiological and ecological traits

To understand the effects of temperature on biological systems, we compile, organize, and analyze a database of 1,072 thermal responses for microbes, plants, and animals. The unprecedented diversity of traits (n = 112), species (n = 309), body sizes (15 orders of magnitude), and habitats (all major biomes) in our database allows us to quantify novel features of the temperature response of biological traits. In particular, analysis of the rising component of within-species (intraspecific) responses reveals that 87% are fit well by the Boltzmann–Arrhenius model. The mean activation energy for these rises is 0.66 ± 0.05 eV, similar to the reported across-species (interspecific) value of 0.65 eV. However, systematic variation in the distribution of rise activation energies is evident, including previously unrecognized right skewness around a median of 0.55 eV. This skewness exists across levels of organization, taxa, trophic groups, and habitats, and it is partially explained by prey having increased trait performance at lower temperatures relative to predators, suggesting a thermal version of the life-dinner principle—stronger selection on running for your life than running for your dinner. For unimodal responses, habitat (marine, freshwater, and terrestrial) largely explains the mean temperature at which trait values are optimal but not variation around the mean. The distribution of activation energies for trait falls has a mean of 1.15 ± 0.39 eV (significantly higher than rises) and is also right-skewed. Our results highlight generalities and deviations in the thermal response of biological traits and help to provide a basis to predict better how biological systems, from cells to communities, respond to temperature change.
The Expression of Collagen I and XII mRNAs in Porphyromonas gingivalis-Induced Periodontitis in Rats: The Effect of Doxycycline and Chemically Modified Tetracycline

Tissue remodeling is a dynamic state in which a balance is achieved between the proteolytic breakdown and synthesis of the extracellular matrix. Type I collagen is a major component of the gingival connective tissue (GCT) and the periodontal ligament (PDL) throughout development, while type XII collagen has been found in the mature forms of these tissues. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of periodontitis on the expression of type I and XII collagen and subsequently to investigate the effects of doxycycline (DOXY) and chemically modified non-antimicrobial tetracycline (CMT-1) on the expression of these molecules in this model. Adult barrier-raised male Sprague-Dawley rats were inoculated with Porphyromonas gingivalis obtained from humans to create the experimental periodontitis. The animals with the P. gingivalis-induced periodontitis were then split into the following groups: Group A served as infected untreated controls (PGI group); group B was treated with doxycycline (DOXY group); and group C was treated with chemically modified tetracycline-1 (CMT-1 group). Group D contained uninfected animals that served as uninfected controls (NIC group). The expression of type I and XII collagen mRNAs was examined by in situ hybridization in each group, with the co-expression of these molecules representing mature and functional gingival connective tissue. In the NIC group, cells hybridized with digoxygenine-labeled cDNA probes encoding rat alpha2(I) or alpha1(XII) collagens were found distributed uniformly throughout the periodontal connective tissue. The PGI group showed little hybridization in the areas of infection, while both the DOXY and CMT-1 groups showed co-expression of the alpha2(I) and alpha1(XII) probes in the GCT and coronal part of the PDL. This study demonstrates that doxycycline and CMT-1 moderate or reduce the inhibitory effects of periodontal infection on the expression of type I and type XII collagen mRNAs. These results suggest that doxycycline and a form of non-antimicrobial tetracycline, chemically modified tetracycline-1, can reduce periodontal destruction by reversing the inhibitory effect of periodontal infection on collagen synthesis.
Competing causes of death in patients with oropharyngeal cancer treated with radiotherapy

Radiation with or without chemotherapy is considered the mainstay of treatment for the majority of patients with oropharyngeal cancer. The goal of this study was to analyze competing causes of mortality in patients with oropharyngeal cancer with long-term follow-up. We queried the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database and identified 3728 patients with oropharyngeal cancer treated between 1988 and 2001 with definitive radiotherapy. We analyzed predictors of overall survival and risks of mortality from index oropharyngeal cancer, second primary cancer, cardiovascular disease and other causes using a cumulative incidence analysis and Cox multivariate analysis. With a median follow-up of 6.8 years, the 5- and 10-year overall survival was 37 and 22%, respectively. At 5 years, the risk of mortality from primary oropharyngeal cancer was 35%. Between years 3 and 10, 69% of mortalities were attributed to causes other than the index cancer. Despite advances in the non-surgical treatment of oropharyngeal cancer, patients remain at significant risk of cancer- and non-cancer-related mortality.
APPROXIMATIONS FOR VISCOSITY SOLUTIONS OF HAMILTON-JACOBI EQUATIONS WITH LOCALLY VARYING TIME AND SPACE GRIDS ∗

A new monotone finite difference scheme is introduced that approximates viscosity solutions of first-order nonlinear Hamilton--Jacobi equations. The main feature of the scheme is that it allows for locally varying time and space grids, making it ideal for use with adaptive algorithms. Explicit a priori error estimates are given to establish convergence. Numerical examples, including adaptive mesh refinement examples, demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed scheme.
A Multiphasic Personality Schedule (Minnesota) : I. Construction of the Schedule

(1940). A Multiphasic Personality Schedule (Minnesota) : I. Construction of the Schedule. The Journal of Psychology: Vol. 10, No. 2, pp. 249-254.
Two‐Dimensional Crystals from Reduced Symmetry Analogues of Trimesic Acid

The two-dimensional assembly of multicarboxylated arenes is explored at the liquid-graphite interface using scanning tunneling microscopy. Symmetry variations were introduced via phenylene spacer addition and the influence of these perturbations on the formation of hydrogen-bonded motifs from an alkanoic acid solvent is observed. This work demonstrates the importance of symmetry in 2D crystal formation and draws possible links of this behavior to prediction of coordination modes in three-dimensional coordination polymers.