cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Operationalizing the Simple View of Writing with the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test, 3rd Edition

The simple view of writing suggests that written composition results from oral language, transcription (e.g., spelling/handwriting), and self-regulation skills, coordinated within working memory. The model provides a number of implications for the interpretation of psychoeducational achievement batteries. For instance, it hypothesizes that writing skills are only partially related to each other through a hierarchy of levels of language (e.g., subword, word, sentence, discourse levels) and that transcription skills such as spelling mediate the effects of language skills on composition. We evaluated implications of the simple view of writing in the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test, 3rd Edition (WIAT-III). Using structural equation modeling, we established that WIAT-III writing tasks are only partially related to each other within both the battery’s normative sample and an independent sample of students referred for special education. We also described how lower level writing skills mediated the effects of language skills on higher level writing skills. However, these effects varied across normative and referral samples.
An initiative to improve mortality index in gynecologic oncology.

256Background: The mortality index (MI) is a quality metric that measures the ratio of actual mortality to expected mortality among inpatients. Expected mortality is a probability calculation based...
Social capital and periodontal disease in Hispanic/Latino adults in the United States: Results from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos.

Aims To examine the association of social capital with periodontal disease severity. Materials and methods We analysed data obtained from 3,994 men and women aged 18-74 years in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos Sociocultural Ancillary Study (HCHS/SOL SCAS). From 2008 to 2011, dentists assessed periodontitis status with a full-mouth periodontal examination. Periodontitis was classified using standardized case definitions. Multivariable logistic regression estimated odds of moderate-severe periodontitis associated with two measures of social capital: structural support (Social Network Index) and functional support (Interpersonal Support Evaluation List). Results For US-born participants, for each additional person in their social network, the adjusted odds of moderate-severe periodontitis was reduced 17% (OR = 0.83, 95% CI = 0.71, 0.96). However, no association was found between functional support and periodontal disease severity. Conclusions Greater structural social support was associated with a lower prevalence of moderate-severe periodontitis in US-born Hispanics/Latinos. These findings suggest that US-born Hispanics/Latinos with less social support represent a vulnerable segment of the population at high-risk group for periodontal disease.
Deletion of Murine Gammaherpesvirus Gene M2 in AID-Expressing B Cells Impairs Host Colonization and Viral Reactivation

Gammaherpesviruses (GHVs) are DNA tumor viruses that establish life-long, chronic infections in lymphocytes of humans and other mammals. GHV infections are associated with numerous cancers, especially in immune compromised hosts. While it is known that GHVs utilize host germinal center (GC) B cell responses during latency establishment, an understanding of how viral gene products function in specific B cell subsets to regulate this process is incomplete. Using murine gammaherpesvirus 68 (MHV68) as a small-animal model to define mechanisms of GHV pathogenesis in vivo, we generated a virus in which the M2 gene was flanked by loxP sites (M2.loxP), enabling the use of Cre-lox technology to define M2 function in specific cell types in infection and disease. The M2 gene encodes a protein that is highly expressed in GC B cells that promotes plasma cell differentiation and viral reactivation. M2 was efficiently deleted in Cre-expressing cells, and the presence of loxP sites flanking M2 did not alter viral replication or latency in mice that do not express Cre. In contrast, M2.loxP MHV68 exhibited a deficit in latency establishment and reactivation that resembled M2-null virus, following intranasal (IN) infection of mice that express Cre in all B cells (CD19-Cre). Nearly identical phenotypes were observed for M2.loxP MHV68 in mice that express Cre in germinal center (GC) B cells (AID-Cre). However, neither colonization of draining lymph nodes after IN infection nor the spleen after intraperitoneal (IP) infection required M2, although the reactivation defect was retained. Together, these data confirm that M2 function is B cell-specific and demonstrate that M2 primarily functions in AID-expressing cells to facilitate MHV68 dissemination to distal latency reservoirs within the host and reactivation from latency. Our study reveals that a viral latency gene functions within a distinct subset of cells to facilitate host colonization.
A low citric acid trait in cranberry: genetics and molecular mapping of a locus impacting fruit acidity

The fruit of American cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon Ait.) is known for its tart, acidic taste. Although some acidity is required for expressing fruit flavor, the high acidity of cranberry requires considerable amounts of “added-sugars” to make cranberry products palatable. Reducing acidity of cranberry would allow for less sugar to be added to cranberry products. In fruit, total acidity is quantified as titratable acidity (TA) in citric acid equivalents and typically ranges from 2.3 to 2.5% in cranberry. This study characterized the genetics of a low acid trait (TA≈1.5%), due to lower citric acid (~ 2 mg/g fresh weight), identified in an undomesticated cranberry germplasm accession. To determine the inheritance of this trait, this accession was used in a series of crosses. The progeny of these crosses exhibited phenotypic segregation consistent with single-gene Mendelian inheritance, with the low citric acid trait being largely recessive. Bulk segregant analysis using simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers identified two SSR markers within < 1 cM that co-segregated with the low citric acid trait. Genotypic variation indicated that the locus, referred to as CITA, was multi-allelic with a semidominant hierarchy of alleles. Further fine mapping, through genotyping-by-sequencing, identified single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that placed the CITA locus on a distal end of chromosome 1. Competitive allele-specific PCR (KASP) assays generated based on selected SNPs, in combination with the SSR markers identified, will facilitate marker-assisted selection (MAS) for low citric acid phenotypes in cranberry. Utilization of MAS will accelerate the development of reduced acidity cranberry cultivars.
Phonon-Assisted Ballistic Current from First-Principles Calculations

The bulk photovoltaic effect (BPVE) refers to current generation due to illumination by light in a homogeneous bulk material lacking inversion symmetry. In addition to the intensively studied shift current, the ballistic current, which originates from asymmetric carrier generation due to scattering processes, also constitutes an important contribution to the overall kinetic model of the BPVE. In this Letter, we use a perturbative approach to derive a formula for the ballistic current resulting from the intrinsic electron-phonon scattering in a form amenable to first-principles calculation. We then implement the theory and calculate the ballistic current of the prototypical BPVE material BaTiO_{3} using quantum-mechanical density functional theory. The magnitude of the ballistic current is comparable to that of the shift current, and the total spectrum (shift plus ballistic) agrees well with the experimentally measured photocurrents. Furthermore, we show that the ballistic current is sensitive to structural change, which could benefit future photovoltaic materials design.
Primetime for microglia: When stress and infection collide.

Inflammation during critical windows of development contributes to behavioral affect later in life. In this of Neuron, Cao et al. (2021) demonstrate a novel mechanism through which early life Tlr4-dependent inflammation in microglia permanently alters neuronal function and leaves male mice susceptible to stress-induced depressive-like behaviors.
The Elusive Boundaries of Social Work

Des tentatives successives pour definir le travail social ont permis d'affirmer que le travail social devait et pouvait avoir un domaine defini de maniere precise. L'une des propositions est d'assimiler le travail social aux services sociaux personnels. Or, cet article emet l'hypothese que la specificite du travail social reside justement en l'absence de veritables frontieres de definition. Les implications pour une pratique du travail social sont identifiees, tout particulierement la grande dependance du travail social vis-a-vis de ses controleurs de ressources et du besoin consequent qu'a la formation au travail social de changer ses priorites traditionnelles. Il faut enseigner aux travailleurs sociaux de la sociologie appliquee et des sciences politiques pour qu'ils puissent maitriser davantage les techniques de mobilisation des ressources intra- et interorganisationnelle et non continuer a se concentrer sur les interventions avec les consultants
Possible Future Trends in Relativity

“ … our proposed way is contrary to the advice given by many mathematicians, that one should concentrate in order to be able to achieve something.
Reduction of Collagen Type I in the Ciliary Muscle of Inflamed Monkey Eyes

PURPOSE. To investigate in monkey ciliary muscle the relationship between the extent of anterior segment inflammation and alterations of collagen type I as determined by quantitative imaging densitometry. METHODS. Anterior segment inflammation was induced in one eye of five cynomolgus monkey by cannulation of the anterior chamber, by anterior chamber injection of bovine serum albumin, or by disruption of the iris and anterior lens capsule with a needle. Increases in inflammatory cells were scored in hematoxylin and eosin‐stained sections. Parallel eye sections were immunostained for collagen type I and developed using diaminobenzidine. Optical density (OD) was measured along two line segments overlying the immunostained ciliary muscle using two-dimensional imaging densitometry. To assess antibody labeling of ciliary muscle structures, additional sections were double-immunostained using antibodies to collagen type I and calponin and examined by confocal microscopy. RESULTS. In each of the inflamed eyes, hematoxylin and eosin‐stained sections showed signs of chronic inflammation including lymphocytes and macrophages dispersed among ciliary muscle fibers and in the iris. Double label confocal microscopy showed collagen type I immunoreactivity in the interstitial extracellular matrix between bundles of ciliary smooth muscle fibers. Collagen type I OD scores in each of the inflamed eyes were less by 16% to 55%, compared with the contralateral control eyes. The mean of the OD scores for all inflamed eyes was 39% 6 7% less than the mean of the control eye scores (mean 6 SEM, P , 0.001). Regression analysis showed a close correlation between inflammatory cell scores in the treated eyes and the reduction of OD scores (r 5 0.94, P 5 0.02). CONCLUSIONS. These results indicate that the density of collagen type I in the extracellular matrix (ECM) of monkey ciliary muscle is reduced during anterior segment inflammation and support the view that reduction of ciliary muscle ECM may contribute to increased uveoscleral outflow facility during anterior segment inflammation. (Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 1999;40:2568 ‐2576)
Social Regulation of Gene Expression in the African Cichlid Fish Astatotilapia burtoni

and Keywords How does an animal's social environment shape its behavior and physiology, and what underlying molecular and genetic mechanisms lead to phenotypic changes? To address this question, the authors used a model system that exhibits socially regulated plastic phenotypes, behavioral complexity, molecular level access, and genomic resources. The African cichlid fish Astatotilapia burtoni , in which male status and reproductive physiology are under social control, has become an important model for studying the mechanisms that regulate complex social behaviors. This chapter reviews what is known about how information from the social environment produces changes in behavior, physiology, and gene expression profiles in the brain and reproductive axis of A. burtoni . Understanding the mechanisms responsible for translating perception of social cues into molecular change in a model vertebrate is important for identifying selective pressures and evolutionary mechanisms that shape the brain and ultimately result in diverse and complex social behaviors. Animals must interact with others and their environment to survive and reproduce. Thus, a fundamental challenge in biology is to understand how animals acquire, evaluate, and then translate information from their environment into adaptive physiological and behavioral changes. Social interactions in particular can profoundly influence an individual's behavior and physiology, which is often mediated by a diverse array of cellular and molecular mechanisms. These links between social information and molecular plasticity ultimately shape the evolution of a species. It is well established that the brain controls the expression of behaviors, but how might an animal's behavior or perception of its social and physical environment sculpt its brain? To address this and related questions requires model systems that allow controlled manipulation of the social environment in naturalistic or seminaturalistic settings. Furthermore, with recent advances in molecular biological techniques, it is also advantageous to conduct studies of social behavior in a model system in which the genome sequence is known. Genomic resources allow investigators to use a combination of approaches, including candidate gene studies and large-scale technologies (e.g., transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, epigenomics), to identify suites of genes that may be associated with particular behavioral patterns, thus providing insight into the molecular basis and evolution of social behaviors.
Determination of Rate Laws

Altering the constraints on a chemical system poses two distinct questions. What is the new equilibrium configuration? How rapidly does the system approach this new state? The first is a problem of applied thermodynamics; the second is the central problem of chemical kinetics.
Structure of Sooting Flames

Studies of the structure of sooting flames have provided valuable information about chemical and physical processes occurring prior to and during soot formation. These studies have included both laminar and turbulent premixed and diffusion flames, thus permitting sooting behavior to be compared and contrasted for various conditions of practical and theoretical interest. The wide range of available information is covered in recent reviews.1–3
Cross-Species Network Analysis Uncovers Conserved Nitrogen-Regulated Network Modules in Rice

In this study, we used a cross-species network approach to uncover nitrogen (N)-regulated network modules conserved across a model and a crop species. By translating gene network knowledge from the data-rich model Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) to a crop, rice (Oryza sativa), we identified evolutionarily conserved N-regulatory modules as targets for translational studies to improve N use efficiency in transgenic plants. To uncover such conserved N-regulatory network modules, we first generated an N-regulatory network based solely on rice transcriptome and gene interaction data. Next, we enhanced the network knowledge in the rice N-regulatory network using transcriptome and gene interaction data from Arabidopsis and new data from Arabidopsis and rice plants exposed to the same N treatment conditions. This cross-species network analysis uncovered a set of N-regulated transcription factors (TFs) predicted to target the same genes and network modules in both species. Supernode analysis of the TFs and their targets in these conserved network modules uncovered genes directly related to N use (e.g. N assimilation) and to other shared biological processes indirectly related to N. This cross-species network approach was validated with members of two TF families in the supernode network, BASIC-LEUCINE ZIPPER TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR1-TGA and HYPERSENSITIVITY TO LOW PI-ELICITED PRIMARY ROOT SHORTENING1 (HRS1)/HRS1 Homolog family, which have recently been experimentally validated to mediate the N response in Arabidopsis.
Construct similarity and maternal warmth

In an investigation of perceived construct similarity and maternal warmth, it was found that mothers who construed themselves as being highly similar to their child manifested more warmth toward that child. Perceived construct similarity was assessed by means of a modified Rep. grid, while warmth was assessed using the Fels Warmth Scale. Social desirability scores of the mothers did not seem to influence the magnitude of this relationship. Because a number of other variables both cognitive and behavioral were included in the study, factor analyses and discriminant function analyses were used to order the data. IQ of the child, contrary to predictions, did not appear to be related to any of the main variables in the study. The relationships among all the variables were discussed along with recommendations for further work in this area.
Brooding behaviour of the prairie skink, Eumeces septentrionalis, and its relationship to the hydric environment of the nest

Test de l'hypothese que la presence d'une femelle reduit la mortalite des œufs de sa couvee. Etude des changements de comportement des femelles couveuses selon les conditions hydriques auxquelles elle est soumise
Social responsibility: U.S. power plants 1985–1998

This study introduces an Environmental Performance Index (EPI) to assess the performance of firms that produce both good and bad outputs. In the one good output one bad output case, the EPI simplifies to the ratio of good–bad output for period t + 1 and period t. After deriving the index, data for U.S. coal-fired power plants from 1985 to 1998 are used to demonstrate insights that the EPI can provide. We find that power plants with units participating in Phase I of the Acid Rain Program experience a dramatic improvement in their EPI during 1994–1995.
MUSIC analysis applied to NMR

Here, we would like to present an alternative for this transform, the multiple signal identification and classification method (MUSIC). This is a spectral estimator, like FFT, that has proven to be very useful in molecular dynamics studies (3, 4), and other applications. For certain cases this method has advantages over the FFT
Analysis of the Safety of Bronchoscopy After Recent Acute Myocardial Infarction

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is generally considered to increase the risk of flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopy (FFB). Currently, to our knowledge, no data in the literature support or challenge this concept. We conducted a retrospective chart review for the years 1986 to 1994 of 20 patients (14 men) who underwent 21 FFBs while hospitalized for an AMI. The mean age was 63.8 years (range, 38 to 83 years). Ten patients underwent revascularization procedures (eight coronary artery bypass grafting and two percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty) before FFB. The mean period between the AMI and FFB was 11.7 days (range, 1 to 30 days). Indications for FFB were pulmonary infiltrate (n=10), hemoptysis (n=6), atelectasis (n=4), and to localize a suspected bronchopleural fistula (n=1). Procedures performed included airway examination (21), BAL (12), transbronchial biopsy (2), endobronchial biopsy (3), and endobronchial brushing (4). No procedure was interrupted as a result of an adverse event, and five patients died during the same hospitalization. Four of the deaths occurred 6 to 15 days postprocedure; 1 patient (who had active ischemia at the time of FFB) died 4 h postprocedure. We conclude that FFB is safe in the immediate post-AMI period as long as the patient does not have active ischemia at the time of the procedure.
Comparative Cognitive Task Analysis: The Cognition of Weather Forecasting:

This paper expands on the traditional methodology of Cognitive Task Analysis (Schraagen, Chipman, & Shalin, 2000) (CTA) to disentangle the effects of task, tools, training, teamwork arrangements, and basic human cognition. CTA generalizes from numerous individuals performing the same task set in the same environment with the same toolset. Comparative Cognitive Task Analysis (C2TA) is based on replication, across both different individuals and different environments. We focus on the task of weather forecasting for Naval Air operations. Forecasters at US Navy (USN) and Royal Australian Navy (RAN) Meteorology and Oceanography (METOC) centers were studied as they developed forecasts. Similarities in workflow at both gross and detailed levels are attributable to characteristics of human cognition. Differences in time and frequency of tool usage are attributable to differences in available support. Taken together, these results suggest improvements in decision support systems for more timely weather forecasting...
PET bottle reverse logistics—environmental performance of California’s CRV program

Disposable beverage bottles made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) stand in sharp contrast to many other disposable plastic packaging systems in the US for their high level of post-consumer recovery for recycling. This is due in part to container deposit programs in several US states, such as the California Redemption Value (CRV) program. We investigate the impacts of PET bottle recycling in the CRV program to evaluate its effectiveness at reducing environmental burdens. We develop a life cycle model using standard process LCA techniques. We use the US LCI database to describe the energy production infrastructure and the production of primary materials. We describe the inventory and logistical requirements for materials recovery on the basis of state-maintained statistics and interviews with operators and industry representatives. We report inventory indicators describing energy, freight, and waste disposal requirements. We report several impact indicators based on CML and TRACI-2.0 techniques. We apply system expansion to compare post-consumer activities to produce secondary polymer against equivalent primary production. While bottle collection is distributed across the state, processing is more centralized and occurs primarily near urban centers. The average distance traveled by a bottle from discard to recovery is 145–175 km. Recycling requires 0.45–0.66 MJ of primary energy/L of beverage, versus 3.96 MJ during the pre-consumer phase. Post-consumer environmental impacts are significantly lower than pre-consumer impacts, with the exception of eutrophication. The results are robust to model sensitivity, with allocation of fuel for bottle collection being the most significant parameter. Curbside collection is slightly more energy efficient than consumer drop-off, and is subject to smaller parametric uncertainty. Recycling has the potential for net environmental benefits in five of seven impact categories, the exceptions being smog (marginal benefits) and eutrophication (increased impacts). California’s decentralized program for collecting and processing PET bottles has produced a system which generates a large stream of post-consumer material with minimal environmental impact. The selection of a reclamation locale is the most significant factor influencing post-consumer impacts. If secondary PET displaces primary material, several environmental burdens can be reduced. Our results suggest that deposit programs on disposable packaging are an effective policy mechanism to increase material recovery and reduce environmental burdens. Deposit programs for other packaging systems should be considered.
The Washington metropolitan area

Abstract The Washington metropolitan area is rapidly reaching the point where if can truly be regarded as a ‘world city’: a seat not only of national government but also of national and international corporate headquarters, financial institutions and business services. It has become one of the most prosperous and, in many ways, urbane of US metropolitan areas. At the same time, however, it remains sharply polarized in ethnic, socioeconomic and ecological terms, and its overall development has had to take place within the framework of a uniquely unrepresentative and unresponsive system of government and planning. The city that was founded as a national symbol and a showpiece of planning has become an exemplar of the congested, fragmented and polarized urbanization of advanced capitalism.
Antioxidant supplement use after breast cancer diagnosis and mortality in the Life After Cancer Epidemiology (LACE) cohort.

BACKGROUND: There is concern that antioxidant supplement use during chemotherapy and radiation therapy may decrease treatment effects, yet the effects of such supplements on recurrence and survival are largely unknown. METHODS: The authors prospectively examined the associations between antioxidant use after breast cancer (BC) diagnosis and BC outcomes in 2264 women in the Life After Cancer Epidemiology (LACE) cohort. The cohort included women who were diagnosed with early stage, primary BC from 1997 to 2000 who enrolled, on average, 2 years postdiagnosis. Baseline data were collected on antioxidant supplement use since diagnosis and other factors. BC recurrence and mortality were ascertained, and hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using delayed entry Cox proportional hazards models. All tests of statistical significance were 2-sided. RESULTS: Antioxidant supplement use after diagnosis was reported by 81% of women. Among antioxidant users, frequent use of vitamin C and vitamin E was associated with a decreased risk of BC recurrence (vitamin C: HR, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.55-0.97; vitamin E: HR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.54-0.94); and vitamin E use was associated with a decreased risk of all-cause mortality (HR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.58-1.00). Conversely, frequent use of combination carotenoids was associated with increased risk of death from BC (HR, 2.07; 95% CI, 1.21-3.56) and all-cause mortality (HR, 1.75; 95% CI, 1.13-2.71). CONCLUSIONS: Frequent use of vitamin C and vitamin E in the period after BC diagnosis was associated with a decreased likelihood of recurrence, whereas frequent use of combination carotenoids was associated with increased mortality. The effects of antioxidant supplement use after diagnosis likely differ by type of antioxidant. Cancer 2012. © 2011 American Cancer Society.
Training less-experienced faculty improves reliability of skills assessment in cardiac surgery

Objective Previous work has demonstrated high inter-rater reliability in the objective assessment of simulated anastomoses among experienced educators. We evaluated the inter-rater reliability of less-experienced educators and the impact of focused training with a video-embedded coronary anastomosis assessment tool. Methods Nine less-experienced cardiothoracic surgery faculty members from different institutions evaluated 2 videos of simulated coronary anastomoses (1 by a medical student and 1 by a resident) at the Thoracic Surgery Directors Association Boot Camp. They then underwent a 30-minute training session using an assessment tool with embedded videos to anchor rating scores for 10 components of coronary artery anastomosis. Afterward, they evaluated 2 videos of a different student and resident performing the task. Components were scored on a 1 to 5 Likert scale, yielding an average composite score. Inter-rater reliabilities of component and composite scores were assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and overall pass/fail ratings with kappa. Results All components of the assessment tool exhibited improvement in reliability, with 4 (bite, needle holder use, needle angles, and hand mechanics) improving the most from poor (ICC range, 0.09-0.48) to strong (ICC range, 0.80-0.90) agreement. After training, inter-rater reliabilities for composite scores improved from moderate (ICC, 0.76) to strong (ICC, 0.90) agreement, and for overall pass/fail ratings, from poor (kappa = 0.20) to moderate (kappa = 0.78) agreement. Conclusions Focused, video-based anchor training facilitates greater inter-rater reliability in the objective assessment of simulated coronary anastomoses. Among raters with less teaching experience, such training may be needed before objective evaluation of technical skills.
Genetic variation and population subdivision in the cricket frog Acris crepitans

Abstract Genetic variation at 16 enzyme loci was examined for Acris crepitans, from 14 populations collected along an intermittent creek in north-central Texas and seven populations from separate localities in south-central Texas. Regional genetic differentiation was low. Zygotic distributions for the 14 creek populations were significantly heterogeneous, and genic heterogeneity (F ST =0.116) was nearly as high as that for widely separated populations (F ST =0.136). There was no relationship between genetic similarity and proximity of the populations. Gene flow between adjacent populations is minimal, and differentiation appeared to be maintained by a combination of stochastic events and inbreeding.
Test of snow‐sampling tubes of large and small diameter

The preliminary test of snow-sampling equipment discussed in this paper was made in March, 1939, on the Merrimack Flood-Control Survey under the supervision of the Northeastern Forest Experiment Station. The smaller tube consisted of two sections of tubing of the Mount Rose type, with a total length of five feet and an inside diameter a little larger than the cutter. The inside diameter of the cutter was 1.485 inches, making one ounce equivalent to one inch of water. The scales for this tube were of a tubular type, graduated in ounces, but readings could be estimated to one-tenth of an ounce which was equivalent to one-tenth of an inch of water.
Novel silica surface charge density mediated control of the optical properties of embedded optically active materials and its application for fiber optic pH sensing at elevated temperatures

Silica and silica incorporated nanocomposite materials have been extensively studied for a wide range of applications. Here we demonstrate an intriguing optical effect of silica that, depending on the solution pH, amplifies or attenuates the optical absorption of a variety of embedded optically active materials with very distinct properties, such as plasmonic Au nanoparticles, non-plasmonic Pt nanoparticles, and the organic dye rhodamine B (not a pH indicator), coated on an optical fiber. Interestingly, the observed optical response to varying pH appears to follow the surface charge density of the silica matrix for all the three different optically active materials. To the best of our knowledge, this optical effect has not been previously reported and it appears universal in that it is likely that any optically active material can be incorporated into the silica matrix to respond to solution pH or surface charge density variations. A direct application of this effect is for optical pH sensing which has very attractive features that can enable minimally invasive, remote, real time and continuous distributed pH monitoring. Particularly, as demonstrated here, using highly stable metal nanoparticles embedded in an inorganic silica matrix can significantly improve the capability of pH sensing in extremely harsh environments which is of increasing importance for applications in unconventional oil and gas resource recovery, carbon sequestration, water quality monitoring, etc. Our approach opens a pathway towards possible future development of robust optical pH sensors for the most demanding environmental conditions. The newly discovered optical effect of silica also offers the potential for control of the optical properties of optically active materials for a range of other potential applications such as electrochromic devices.
Multidentate aryloxide and oxo-aryloxide complexes of antimony: synthesis and structural characterization of [η4-N(o-C6H4O)3]Sb(OSMe2), {{[η3-N(o-C6H4OH)(o-C6H4O)2]Sb}2(µ2-O)}2 and {[η3-PhN(o-C6H4O)2]Sb}4(µ3-O)2

Antimony compounds that feature multidentate aryloxide ligands, namely [η4–N(o-C6H4O)3]Sb(OSMe2), {{[η3-N(o-C6H4OH)(o-C6H4O)2]Sb}2(µ2-O)}2, and {[η3-PhN(o-C6H4O)2]Sb}4(µ3-O)2 have been synthesized from N(o-C6H4OH)3 and PhN(o-C6H4OH)2 and structurally characterized by X-ray diffraction. While [η4-N(o-C6H4O)3]Sb(OSMe2) exists as a discrete mononuclear species, the oxo complexes {{[η3-N(o-C6H4OH)(o-C6H4O)2]Sb}2(µ2-O)}2 and {[η3-PhN(o-C6H4O)2]Sb}4(µ3-O)2 are multinuclear. Specifically, the dinuclear fragment {[η3-N(o-C6H4OH)(o-C6H4O)2]Sb}2(µ2-O)} exists in a dimeric form due to the bridging oxo ligand participating in an intermolecular hydrogen bonding interaction, while the dinuclear fragment {[η3-PhN(o-C6H4O)2]Sb}2(µ-O) exists in a dimeric form due to the bridging oxo ligand serving as a donor to the antimony of a second fragment. The structures of {{[η3-N(o-C6H4OH)(o-C6H4O)2]Sb}2(µ2-O)}2 and {[η3-PhN(o-C6H4O)2]Sb}4(µ3-O)2, therefore, indicate that an oxo ligand bridging two SbIII centers is sufficiently electron rich to serve as both an effective hydrogen bond acceptor and as a ligand for an additional SbIII center.
Effects of orbital degeneracy on the Mott transition in infinite dimensions

We investigate the Mott transition in infinite dimensions in the orbitally degenerate Hubbard model. The qualitative features of the Mott transition found in the one-band model are also present in the orbitally degenerate case. We show that the quantitative aspects of the low-energy behavior near the Mott insulating state with one electron per site are not very sensitive to orbital degeneracy, justifying the quantitative success of the one-band model which had been previously applied to orbitally degenerate systems. We contrast this with quantities that have a sizable dependence on the orbital degeneracy and comment on the role of the intra-atomic exchange {ital J}. {copyright} {ital 1996 The American Physical Society.}
Deuterium channeling study of disorder in Al22+-implanted 6H-SiC

Abstract Single crystal 6H-SiC wafers have been irradiated 60° off normal at 150, 190, 250 and 295 K using 1.1 MeV Al22+ ions over fluences from 0.15 to 2.85 ions/nm2. The accumulation and recovery of disorder on both the Si and C sublattices have been measured simultaneously using in situ 0.94 MeV D+ Rutherford backscattering 28 Si(d,d) 28 Si and nuclear reaction 12 C(d,p) 13 C along the 〈0 0 0 1〉 -axial channeling direction. The behavior of disorder accumulation and recovery on the Si and C sublattices is similar. The data suggest that a dynamic recovery stage occurs between irradiation temperatures of 190 and 250 K. At intermediate doses, isochronal annealing (20 min) results show that significant thermal recovery occurs between 420 and 720 K. Complete recovery is not observed by thermal annealing up to the highest temperature (870 K) used in this study.
Quantifying impervious surface changes using time series planimetric data from 1940 to 2011 in four central Iowa cities, U.S.A

Abstract Rapid expansion of urban areas has been identified as a significant challenge for management of natural systems in and around cities and for their residents. As a starting point, urban expansion must be quantified before it can be associated with other natural or social processes. Although spatial metrics have been used previously to quantify urban expansion, they have only rarely been applied to planimetric data. Using multi-year high-resolution planimetric data, a percent impervious surface-based zoning strategy, and six spatial metrics, we quantified impervious surface (IS) changes in four rapidly growing cities in central Iowa, U.S.A. from 1940 to 2011. We documented increases in IS area over time, primarily due to increases in buildings and parking lot areas in the most recent 20 years. Application of a new spatial metric, percent connected impervious surface area, indicated increasingly connected IS area throughout the period of study. Application of a second new metric, road equivalent width, indicated gradual increases in road width over time. Distinct spatial patterns of change for IS classes occurred in the three different percent IS zones, with roads dominating low percent IS zones, buildings dominating medium percent IS zones, and parking lots dominating high percent IS zones. Use of low impact practices (pervious pavement, bioswales, sand filters) is recommended to minimize impact from expanding and increasingly connected IS areas. Further, land use policies and planning tools could be strategically implemented by targeting specific IS classes that dominate different city zones.
Force–velocity properties of two avian hindlimb muscles

Recent work has provided measurements of power output in avian skeletal muscles during running and flying, but little is known about the contractile properties of avian skeletal muscle. We used an in situ preparation to characterize the force-velocity properties of two hind limb muscles, the lateral gastrocnemius (LG) and peroneus longus (PL), in Wild Turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo). A servomotor measured shortening velocity for at least six different loads over the plateau region of the length-tension curve. The Hill equation was fit to the data to determine maximum shortening velocity and peak instantaneous power. Maximum unloaded shortening velocity was 13.0+/-1.6 L s(-1) for the LG muscle and 14.8+/-1.0 L s(-1) for the PL muscle (mean+/-S.E.M.). These velocities are within the range of values published for reptilian and mammalian muscles. Values recorded for maximum isometric force per cross-sectional area, 271+/-28 kPa for the LG and 257+/-30.5 kPa for the PL, and peak instantaneous power output, 341.7+/-36.4 W kg(-1) for the LG and 319.4+/-42.5 W kg(-1) for the PL, were also within the range of published values for vertebrate muscle. The force-velocity properties of turkey LG and PL muscle do not reveal any extreme differences in the mechanical potential between avian and other vertebrate muscle.
Opitz G/BBB syndrome: Clinical comparisons of families linked to Xp22 and 22Q and a review of the literature

Opitz G/BBB syndrome (OS) was first described in 1969 as two separate disorders, the G syndrome, and the BBB syndrome. Since the time, it has become apparent that the BBB and the G syndromes are in fact a single entity, now named the Opitz G/BBB syndrome. However, our recent molecular genetic mapping studies have shown that OS is an heterogeneous disorder, with loci at Xp22 and 22q. To determine if there are any discernible phenotypic differences between the X-linked and the autosomal dominant forms of OS, we have conducted a clinical study of the families who participated in the linkage analysis. In addition, we compared the clinical findings in the study families with those who have been reported in the literature. We found that anterveted nares and posterior pharyngeal cleft were seen only in X-linked families. However, all other manifestations of OS, such as hypertelorism, swallowing difficulties, hypospadias, and developmental delay, were seen in both groups. Therefore, while OS is heterogenous, significant clinical overlap is present between the two groups, and it is presently impossible to assign a specific phenotype to the X-linked or the autosomal type of OS. Furthermore, we found that for individuals in our study families who carried the OS allele, the incidence of major abnormalities was lower than what is reported in the literature. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The Effect of a Finite Distance Signal Source on a Rectangular Shaped Far Field Steering Applebaum Array

The performance degradation of a rectangular shaped far field steering Applebaum array due to a finite distance signal source is examined. An expression for the output Signal-to-Noise Ratio is obtained in terms of: (1) the distance between the signal and the array center, (2) the input SNR, (3) the element number and locations and (4) the two-dimensional signal direction. The approximate distance at which the output SNR is degraded by 1 dB is then determined.
Why Design for Maintainability

The relationships among down time (a system-maintainability measure), time between failures (a system-reliability measure), equipment availability, number of equipments, number of on-call technicians, and system-readiness reliability are developed under the assumption of constant failure and repair rates. Design trade-off between reliability and maintainability is shown to be feasible with resulting reduction in both design and operating costs. A technique for specifying combined reliability, maintainability, and availability constraints to manufacturers is reported which allows the latter a great deal of design flexibility in meeting operational requirements at least cost. Finally, the need for research to establish the quantitative effects of maintainability-design practice upon down time is explored.
Novel Direction-of-Arrival Estimation Techniques for Periodic-Sense Local Positioning Systems

This paper introduces novel direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimation techniques for periodic sense positioning systems (e.g., pulse radar systems and wireless local positioning systems). Periodic signaling between a tracker (e.g., dynamic base station) and a target (e.g., transceiver) in these systems introduces a nature of cyclostationarity to the received signal at the receiver of the tracker. The cyclostationary nature of the received signal is analyzed theoretically and via simulations in terms of system parameters such as number of targets, average speed of targets, bandwidth, coverage range and HPBW (half power beam width) of the tracker antenna array. Exploiting the introduced cyclostationarity property, novel DOA estimation schemes are proposed to improve DOA estimation performance of the tracker. The performance measure is the DOA estimation mean square error (MSE). Simulations are conducted to study the performance in terms of signal to noise ratio and number of targets. The results confirm the superiority of the proposed approaches.
On the nature of the phenylazo group

Abstract Three Hammett substituent constants for the p -phenylazo group were determined. The ionization of p -phenylazobenzoic acid in 50% ethanol gives a σ p value of 0·26. The NBS bromination of p -phenylazotoluene vs toluene in benzene at 80° gives a σ + value of −0·15. The NBS bromination of 4-phenylazo-3-cyanotoluene vs m -tolunitrile in benzene at 80° give a σ . value of 0·28. It is concluded that the phenylazo group is a −I substituent and either a +M or −M substituent depending on the reaction being studied. This makes the phenylazo group an activator in nucleophilic, electrophilic and free radical reactions.
Influence of ozone on RNA and protein content of lemna minor L.

The amount of RNA and protein in Lemna minor L. plants decreased after exposure to ozone, as compared with control plants receiving no ozone treatment. Differences in RNA and protein content between control and ozone-treated Lemna plants were detectable immediately following ozone treatments and remained throughout the 24 h sampling time.
Effects of stochastic parametrizations in the Lorenz '96 system

Stochastic parametrization of the effects of unresolved variables is studied in the context of the Lorenz '96 system. These parametrizations are found to produce clear improvements in correspondence between the model and ‘true’ climatologies; they similarly provide clear improvements in all ensemble forecast verification measures investigated, including accuracy of ensemble means and ensemble probability estimation, and including measures operating on both scalar (each resolved forecast variable evaluated individually) and vector (all forecast variables evaluated simultaneously) predictands. Scalar accuracy measures for non-ensemble (i.e. single integration) forecasts are, however, degraded. The results depend very strongly on both the amplitude (standard deviation) and time-scale of the stochastic forcing, but only weakly on its spatial scale. In general there seems not to be a single clear optimum combination of time-scale and amplitude, but rather there exists a range of combinations producing similar results. Copyright © 2005 Royal Meteorological Society.
The challenge of erectile dysfunction in the man with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome

Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS), also known as NIH category III prostatitis, is common and has significant impact on quality of life through pain and lower urinary tract symptoms. A high proportion of men with CP/CPPS suffer from some form of sexual dysfunction including erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation, and painful ejaculation. While well described, the pathophysiology of these sexual symptoms has not been well studied. This review will focus on what we know regarding the incidence and potential mechanisms for sexual dysfunction in CP/CPPS and discuss diagnostic and therapeutic options.
A generalization of the Hirschhorn—Farkas—Kra septagonal numbers identity

Abstract We provide elementary proofs of the Farkas–Kra septagonal numbers identity and some k th-order generalizations.
Mitochondrial respiration and ATP production are significantly impaired in striatal cells expressing mutant huntingtin.

There is significant evidence that energy production impairment and mitochondrial dysfunction play a role in the pathogenesis of Huntington disease. Nonetheless, the specific mitochondrial defects due to the presence of mutant huntingtin have not been fully elucidated. To determine the effects of mutant huntingtin on mitochondrial energy production, a thorough analysis of respiration, ATP production, and functioning of the respiratory complexes was carried out in clonal striatal cells established from HdhQ7 (wild-type) and HdhQ111 (mutant huntingtin knock-in) mouse embryos. Mitochondrial respiration and ATP production were significantly reduced in the mutant striatal cells compared with the wild-type cells when either glutamate/malate or succinate was used as the substrate. However, mitochondrial respiration was similar in the two cell lines when the artificial electron donor TMPD/ascorbate, which feeds into complex IV, was used as the substrate. The attenuation of mitochondrial respiration and ATP production when either glutamate/malate or succinate was used as the substrate was not due to impairment of the respiratory complexes, because their activities were equivalent in both cell lines. Intriguingly, in the striatum of presymptomatic and pathological grade 1 Huntington disease cases there is also no impairment of mitochondrial complexes I–IV (Guidetti, P., Charles, V., Chen, E. Y., Reddy, P. H., Kordower, J. H., Whetsell, W. O., Jr., Schwarcz, R., and Tagle, D. A. (2001) Exp. Neurol. 169, 340–350). To our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive analysis of the effects of physiological levels of mutant huntingtin on mitochondrial respiratory function within an appropriate cellular context. These findings demonstrate that the presence of mutant huntingtin impairs mitochondrial ATP production through one or more mechanisms that do not directly affect the function of the respiration complexes.
The Evidence on Product-Market Diversifying Acquisitions and Joint Ventures by U.S. Banks

We examine the acquisition and joint venture strategies of U.S. banks from 1980 to 1998 to diversify into non-banking sectors. We find that the market responds favorably to both types of expansions, with the gains being shared between acquiring banks and their targets and venture banks and their non-bank partners, respectively. Acquisitions expose acquiring banks to significant increases in nonsystematic, market, and total risk, while joint ventures result in significant decreases in the nonsystematic and total risk measures for participating banks. Our results suggest that product-market expansions, in general, provide U.S. banks with value-enhancing opportunities, and that joint ventures may improve both the return and risk characteristics of the partner banks.