cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A geographic test of species selection using planktonic foraminifera during the Cretaceous/Paleogene mass extinction

Species selection has received a great deal of theoretical attention but it has rarely been empirically tested. It is important to determine the level of selection that operated during a particular extinction event because it can help distinguish between traits that were actually responsible for extinction and those that were merely correlated with it. Here, we present a test that can help distinguish between organismal and species-level selection, which we demonstrate using the high-resolution fossil record of planktonic foraminifera species recorded in deep-sea sediment cores. Our test examines the fate of survivors and victims during the Cretaceous/Paleogene (K/Pg) mass extinction within single geographic regions, where all individuals experience the same selection pressures. Selection at the organismal level implies that individual members of surviving species are more fit than those of victimized species, and therefore should be more likely to survive in affected areas; conversely, selection at the species level implies individuals will suffer equally within an affected area. We find that survivors of the mass extinction suffered very high extirpation rates in cores where the overall extinction rate was high, indicating that individual members of the surviving species were generally no more fit than individual members of extinct species. Rather, these species were able to survive because they possessed advantageous species-level traits, such as larger geographic ranges and greater abundances than victimized species. This geographic pattern of extirpation suggests that selection operated at the species, rather than organismal, level during the K/Pg mass extinction of planktonic foraminifera.
Fracture Features at Internal Fracture Origins in a Commercial Crystallized Glass

Failures in samples of a commercial crystallized glass subjected to intense pulsed electron-beam irradiation resulted information of numerous full (circular) fracture mirrors. These features, resulting from simultaneous fracture initiation at internal sites, are of sizes corresponding to the range of fracture stresses found in extensive flexure tests, suggesting that the strength of this ceramic may be controlled by intrinsic (volume) defects.
Preforming an electromagnetic pulse in lossy medium

Plane wave propagation of a transient signal in a lossy homogeneous medium is considered. It is shown that it is possible to prescribe a source signal waveform which will produce a Gaussian signal waveform after propagating a specified distance.
Mechanical Determinants of Graft Kinking

Vascular grafts can be twisted inadvertently during implantation. If twisted excessively, they may kink and obstruct flow. In this study, in vitro experiments were performed to identify the mechanical factors that determine graft kinking. These included graft material, graft length, graft diameter, graft wall thickness, perfusion pressure, and flow rate. Six-millimeter-diameter saphenous veins were obtained from humans at autopsy. Six-millimeter standard-wall and 6-mm thin-wall polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) grafts also were obtained. Both fixed-length and stretchable PTFE grafts were examined. Grafts 15, 30, 50, and 70 cm in length were evaluated. Finally, PTFE grafts 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 14 mm in diameter were studied to determine the effect of diameter. The vessels were mounted horizontally in vitro and were perfused with saline at 50, 100, or 150 mmHg pressure at low (49 mL/min), medium (105 mL/min), and high (239 mL/min) flow rates. Each graft was twisted 90°, then subjected to perfusion for 15 sec. Pressure and flow were interrupted, and an additional 90° twist was imposed for another 15 sec. This sequence was repeated until a visible kink developed. We conclude from our results that, when constructing a bypass, particular care should be taken with vein, short grafts, thin-wall grafts, and large-diameter grafts, as these are especially susceptible to kinking.
Recent Trends in Cesarean Birth and Trial of Labor Rates in the United States

A national probability survey was conducted to evaluate changes since 1979 in cesarean delivery and trial of labor rates after a previous cesarean delivery. Questionnaires were mailed to 538 hospitals and 87% responded. In 1979, of women with a prior cesarean birth 2.1% (±0.3%) were given a trial of labor. By 1984, the rate increased fourfold to 8.0% (±0.7%). Trials of labor increased dramatically with the size of the delivery service. The rates ranged from 2% in smaller hospitals to 25% in larger hospitals. More than 50% of the trials of labor were successful. However, the fraction of hospitals with no trials of labor remains high (54%). Cesarean birth rates increased from 14.1% (±0.1%) in 1979 to 19.0% (±0.2) in 1984. Hospitals with fewer births had a larger variation in cesarean birth rates; the fifth and 95th percentiles were 5% and 33%, respectively, for hospitals with fewer than 500 deliveries per year, and 14% and 31% for hospitals with 1000 deliveries or more per year. Fetal distress accounted for a larger proportion of primary cesarean deliveries in 1984 (21%) compared with 1979 (14%). The observed increase in the rate of trial of labor does not seem to be large enough to stem the rising cesarean delivery rate. This survey and other national surveys provide no evidence that the cesarean delivery rates are leveling off or decreasing. ( JAMA 1987;257:494-497)
Security Prognostics: Cyber meets PHM

In this paper we cast a vision for Security Prognostics (SP) for critical systems, promoting the view that security related protections would be well served to integrate fully with Monitoring and Diagnostics (M&D) systems that assess the health of complex assets and systems. To detect complex Cyber threats we propose combining system parameters already in use by M&D systems for Prognostics and Health Monitoring (PHM) with security parameters. Combining system parameters used by M&D to detect non-malicious faults with the system parameters used by security schemes to detect complex Cyber threats will improve: (a) accuracy of PHM (b) security of M&D, and (c) availability and safety of critical systems. We also introduce the notion of Remaining Secure Life (RSL), assessed based on the propagation of “security damage,” to create the prospect for Security Prognostics. RSL will assist in the selection of appropriate response(s), based on breach or compromise to security component's and potential impact on system operation. An example of M&D data is provided which is normally associated with non-malicious faults providing input to detect Malware execution through time series monitoring.
Pinning effect of solute atoms on grain boundary dislocation dissociation

The dissociation of extrinsic grain boundary dislocations (EGBDs) in Al, Al-Mg and Al-Mg-Sn alloys was studied at various temperatures. While EGBDs were commonly observed in low- and high-angle boundaries in the alloy materials deformed to small strains, they could only be seen in low-angle grain boundaries in Al. Annealing of the lightly deformed alloy samples at 100 or 150°C led to the disappearance of the EGBDs with critical disappearance kinetics depending on grain boundary composition. A modified EGBD dissociation mechanism incorporating a solute drag effect has been developed in this work. Predictions based on the model agree reasonably well with the observed thermal behavior of the EGBDs in the three Al alloys.
Mandatory Public Reporting Of Hospital-Acquired Infection Rates: A Report From California

One way to motivate hospitals to improve patient safety is to publicly report their rates of hospital-acquired infections, as California is starting to do this year. We conducted a baseline study o...
Multi-Probe Cryosurgical Configurations Extract Significantly Less Energy per Probe Than Single Probe Configurations: Implications for Clinical Cryosurgery

In the present study, the interaction between different cryoprobes was investigated in multi-probe configurations. Using a careful experimental and computational approach we show here that the ability of a single probe to cool (i.e. the cooling power of a probe governed by convective cooling of the cryogen within the probe) is greatly reduced in a simple dual probe configuration with 1.0–2.0 cm separation of these probes over the single probe case. One approach that shows promise for predicting multi-probe performance is the use of a “weighting factor” that governs this loss of cooling power in a given probe.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Condensation into a high-temperature spin compensated state: αCe☆

Abstract The molar susceptibility of Ce x Th1− x (x = 0.261, and 0.398, and 0.664) exhibits a Curie law behavior above 300°K, decreases with decreasing temperature between 300 and 60°K, and fits A + BT− 1 2 at low temperatures are similar It is suggested that these alloys at low temperatures are similar to αCe and all these systems, including αCe, are in high-temperature spin compensated states.
Real-time full-field photoacoustic imaging using an ultrasonic camera.

A photoacoustic imaging system that incorporates a commercial ultrasonic camera for real-time imaging of two-dimensional (2-D) projection planes in tissue at video rate (30 Hz) is presented. The system uses a Q-switched frequency-doubled Nd:YAG pulsed laser for photoacoustic generation. The ultrasonic camera consists of a 2-D 12×12 mm CCD chip with 120×120 piezoelectric sensing elements used for detecting the photoacoustic pressure distribution radiated from the target. An ultrasonic lens system is placed in front of the chip to collect the incoming photoacoustic waves, providing the ability for focusing and imaging at different depths. Compared with other existing photoacoustic imaging techniques, the camera-based system is attractive because it is relatively inexpensive and compact, and it can be tailored for real-time clinical imaging applications. Experimental results detailing the real-time photoacoustic imaging of rubber strings and buried absorbing targets in chicken breast tissue are presented, and the spatial resolution of the system is quantified.
Amplification of diastereoselectivity by cyclodextrins in the copper-mediated cleavages of methylphosphonamidothioates

Cu-mediated cleavage, coupled with diastereoselective binding and orientational preferences supplied by γ-cyclodextrin, lead to substantial kinetic diastereoselectivity between phosphonamidothioate diastereomers.
Inheritance of partial sterility in progeny of irradiated males of Ephestia cautella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) and its effect on theoretical population suppression.

One-day-old P 1 males of the almond moth, Ephestia cautella (Walker), were irradiated with 5, 10, 15, or 2 krad of gamma radiation and paired with untreated virgin females. Progeny were collected through three generations, and lines were established in theF 1 and F 2 with all possible degrees of inbreeding and outbreeding. Radiation effects were assayed by determining mating success, sterility of pairs, average number of progeny/fertile pair, and sex ratio for pairs with males (U♂ × F 1 ♀ U♂ × F 2 ♀), females, or both sexes (F 1 ♂ × F 1 ♀, F 2 ♂ × F 2 ♀) from each dose. Results showed the greater the initial dose, the greater the reduction in the number of progeny and the greater the male to female ratio. Radiation effects on both F 1 males and F 1 females were greater than effects on the P 1 males, though effects on F 1 males were greater than effects on F 1 females. Except for extinct lines, partial recovery occurred in the F 2 generation though recovery was much greater in F 2 females than in F 2 males. In each generation males were more affected than females from the same breeding line when they were outcrossed with untreated moths. The greater the degree of inbreeding in irradiated lines, the greater the effect on both males and females. Although a high degree of population reduction occurred only in the F 1 generation at a dose of 15 and 20 krad, population models showed inbreeding at the lower doses caused sufficient depression to greatly reduce abundance of a natural population for several generations after a single inundative release of substerilized males.
A beetle-like low-temperature scanning tunneling microscope in ultra-high vacuum

Abstract We have designed a new beetle-like scanning tunneling microscope (STM) that operates under ultra-high-vacuum (UHV) conditions in the temperature range from 300 K down to 7 K. An external magnetic field of up to 8 Tesla can be applied with a removable superconducting magnet. We describe the UHV system with the STM, the cryostat and the superconducting magnet.
Liposuction-assisted posterior brachioplasty: technical refinements in upper arm contouring.

Background: Brachioplasty has increased 4059 percent from 2000 to 2008 in the United States, with 14,059 upper arm lift procedures performed in 2008. Numerous variations in the evolution of brachioplasty have been described to improve on complications and outcomes. Liposuction-assisted posterior brachioplasty is the next step in the series of refinements in upper arm contouring. Methods: The authors present a series of 21 patients who underwent upper arm contouring with liposuction-assisted posterior brachioplasty, and include an operative video detailing the enhancements. After anatomical analysis of the posterior arm, noting skin and fat redundancy, appropriate patients were selected for this procedure. Operative markings, liposuction technique, and the unique excisional technique are presented with intraoperative video footage. Results: Patients tolerate liposuction-assisted posterior brachioplasty very well, with minimal complications and good results. One post–bariatric surgery patient experienced a small wound dehiscence, and one non–bariatric surgery patient developed a slight hypertrophic scar in one arm. No other complications were noted. No revisions were performed. Conclusions: Liposuction-assisted posterior brachioplasty is an efficient and reproducible procedure in selected patients with generalized inferior arm skin and fat redundancy. It simplifies the markings and resection. It provides a safe procedure by preserving lymphatics, blood loss, and nerves. It produces reliable and predictable results with optimal outcomes. This technique offers another refinement in the evolution of upper arm contouring.
Left Ventricular Retraining and Late Arterial Switch for D-Transposition of the Great Arteries.

Background For many decades, patients with d-transposition of the great arteries underwent an atrial switch procedure. Although many of these patients have continued to do well, a subset experience profound right ventricular failure. Some may be candidates for left ventricular (LV) retraining and late arterial switch. The purpose of this study was to review our experience with LV retraining and late arterial switch. Methods This was a retrospective review of 32 patients with d-transposition. Thirty patients underwent a previous atrial switch and subsequently experienced right ventricular failure, whereas 2 presented late (8 months and 6 years) without previous intervention. The median age at the time of enrollment in this program was 15 years. Seven patients proceeded directly to late arterial switch owing to systemic LV pressures. The remaining 25 underwent a pulmonary artery band for LV retraining. Results Twenty of the 32 (63%) patients enrolled in this program were able to undergo a late arterial switch. There were 2 operative mortalities (10%). Two additional patients survived surgery but died in the early outpatient time period. There has been no late mortality after the arterial switch with a median follow-up of 5 years. Twelve patients underwent one or more pulmonary artery band procedures without evidence of effective LV retraining. There have been 2 early and 3 late (42%) deaths in this subgroup. Conclusions The outcomes after arterial switch are encouraging and suggest that LV retraining and late arterial switch provide a viable option for this complex group of patients.
Effects of nonstatin lipid drug therapy on high-density lipoprotein metabolism

Low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol is an important predictor of risk for coronary artery disease. Although current treatment guidelines for dyslipidemia do not include specific targets for HDL cholesterol, the categorical definition of low HDL cholesterol has been changed from <35 mg/dL to <40 mg/dL. 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl reductase inhibitors (statins) increase HDL cholesterol to a moderate degree. Fibrates also increase HDL cholesterol to a moderate degree and have additive effects with statins. Niacin is the most potent currently available agent for increasing HDL cholesterol, and its effects are also additive to those of statins. Other agents that increase HDL cholesterol include thiazolidinediones, estrogen, and omega-3 fatty acids. The mechanisms by which nonstatin pharmacologic agents increase HDL cholesterol are not completely understood but probably involve multiple mechanisms for each class.
Typicality and reasoning fallacies

The work of Tversky and Kahneman on intuitive probability judgment leads to the following prediction: The judged probability that an instance belongs to a category is an increasing function of the typicality of the instance in the category. To test this prediction, subjects in Experiment 1 read a description of a person (e.g., "Linda is 31, bright, ... outspoken") followed by a category. Some subjects rated how typical the person was of the category, while others rated the probability that the person belonged to that category. For categories like bank teller and feminist bank teller: (1) subjects rated the person as more typical of the conjunctive category (a conjunction effect); (2) subjects rated it more probable that the person belonged to the conjunctive category (a conjunction fallacy); and (3) the magnitudes of the conjunction effect and fallacy were highly correlated. Experiment 2 documents an inclusion fallacy, wherein subjects judge, for example, "All bank tellers are conservative" to be more probable than "All feminist bank tellers are conservative." In Experiment 3, results parallel to those of Experiment 1 were obtained with respect to the inclusion fallacy.
Epidemic disease caused by Equine herpesvirus-1: recommendations for prevention and control

Of all infectious viral diseases recognized in horses, equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) is one of the most prevalent (Allen et al. 2002). The most devastating manifestations of infection are large-scale outbreaks of abortion, perinatal foal mortality or myeloencephalopathy (Dixon et al. 1978; Hartley and Dixon 1979; Greenwood and Simpson 1980; Mumford et al. 1987; McCartan et al. 1995). Epidemics of the 3 clinical entities may occur separately or concurrently within a horse population, and each has the potential for huge attendant economic and equine welfare consequences. The risk of spread of EHV-1 infection to new horse groups is high, epidemics spread rapidly, and a large number of clinical cases may reasonably be expected. Numerous recent outbreaks of EHV-1 abortigenic or paralytic disease associated with high attack rates have led to requests for specific information about the management of such outbreaks and for suggestions on practical and effective ways to prevent or limit the spread of epidemic EHV-1 infection. This article provides practical recommendations, based on the most current understanding of the epidemiological characteristics of EHV-1, that are intended for use in guiding veterinary and farm management personnel in their attempts to prevent, manage and control epidemic EHV-1 disease.
Political Parties and the Adoption of Candidate Gender Quotas: A Cross-National Analysis

Candidate gender quotas have been an important mechanism in increasing women's numerical representation in the national legislature, yet little empirical research has examined the adoption of quotas cross-nationally. The adoption of quotas is examined systematically across 71 parties in 11 advanced industrial countries from 1975 to 1995 using Event History Analysis, which allows us to explain the dynamic process of the adoption of quotas. The influences that emerge as the most significant are the presence of women within the highest ranks of the party, the adoption of quotas by another party in the system, and the degree of leftist values held by a party.
Analyte selective response in solution-deposited tetrabenzoporphyrin thin-film field-effect transistor sensors

Abstract Organic thin film transistor (OTFT) chemical sensors rely on the specific electronic structure of the organic semiconductor (OSC) film for determining sensor stability and response to analytes. The delocalized electronic structure is influenced not only by the OSC molecular structure, but also the solid state packing and film morphology. Phthalocyanine (H 2 Pc) and tetrabenzoporphyrin (H 2 TBP) have similar molecular structures but different film microstructures when H 2 Pc is vacuum deposited and H 2 TBP is solution deposited. The difference in electronic structures is evidenced by the different mobilities of H 2 TBP and H 2 Pc OTFTs. H 2 Pc has a maximum mobility of 8.6 × 10 −4 cm 2 V −1 s −1 when the substrate is held at 250 °C during deposition and a mobility of 4.8 × 10 −5 cm 2 V −1 s −1 when the substrate is held at 25 °C during deposition. Solution deposited H 2 TBP films have a mobility of 5.3 × 10 −3 cm 2 V −1 s −1 , which is consistent with better long-range order and intermolecular coupling within the H 2 TBP films compared to the H 2 Pc films. Solution deposited H 2 TBP also exhibits a textured film morphology with large grains and an RMS roughness 3–5 times larger than H 2 Pc films with similar thicknesses. Despite these differences, OTFT sensors fabricated from H 2 TBP and H 2 Pc exhibit nearly identical analyte sensitivity and analyte response kinetics. The results suggest that while the interactions between molecules in the solid state determine conductivity, localized interactions between the analyte and the molecular binding site dominate analyte binding and determine sensor response.
Novel rank-constrained maximum capacity MIMO designs under practical per-antenna power constraint

Two novel numerically efficient approaches are proposed for maximum capacity designs in multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems under the practical per-antenna power constraint. One is an explicit solution (ES) when the rank of the channel matrix is equal to the number of transmit antennas. And the other is an efficient iterative approach (EIA). The ES is optimum and the EIA is nearly optimum in the maximum capacity sense. The key advantage of the EIA is that the number of data streams (i.e., the rank of the transmit covariant matrix) can be pre-specified and therefore tradeoffs between multiplexing and diversity gains can be facilitated. Numerical results show that the capacity and MSE performances with the more practical per-antenna power constraint are very similar to those with the less practical total power constraint.
Synergistic Effect of Calcineurin Inhibitors and Fluconazole against Candida albicans Biofilms

Calcineurin is a Ca2+-calmodulin-activated serine/threonine-specific protein phosphatase that governs multiple aspects of fungal physiology, including cation homeostasis, morphogenesis, antifungal drug susceptibility, and virulence. Growth of Candida albicans planktonic cells is sensitive to the calcineurin inhibitors FK506 and cyclosporine A (CsA) in combination with the azole antifungal fluconazole. This drug synergism is attributable to two effects: first, calcineurin inhibitors render fluconazole fungicidal rather than simply fungistatic, and second, membrane perturbation by azole inhibition of ergosterol biosynthesis increases intracellular calcineurin inhibitor concentrations. C. albicans cells in biofilms are up to 1,000-fold more resistant to fluconazole than planktonic cells. In both in vitro experiments and in an in vivo rat catheter model, C. albicans cells in biofilms were resistant to individually delivered fluconazole or calcineurin inhibitors but exquisitely sensitive to the combination of FK506-fluconazole or CsA-fluconazole. C. albicans strains lacking FKBP12 or expressing a dominant FK506-resistant calcineurin mutant subunit (Cnb1-1) formed biofilms that were resistant to FK506-fluconazole but susceptible to CsA-fluconazole, demonstrating that drug synergism is mediated via direct calcineurin inhibition. These findings reveal that calcineurin contributes to fluconazole resistance of biofilms and provide evidence that synergistic drug combinations may prove efficacious as novel therapeutic interventions to treat or prevent biofilms.
Reliability and Validity of Retrospective Behavioral Self-Report By Narcotics Addicts

Issues related to the reliability and validity of self-reported behavior within a deviant population are examined using data obtained from narcotics addicts in two face-to-face interviews conducted 10 years apart. The same measures of behavioral self-report for an overlapping period of 4-5 years were collected at each interview and were analyzed within a test-retest design. Agreement between measures obtained at the two recall points was reasonably good except for low-frequency behaviors and for measures of income and monetary costs. The correlation coefficients of the intervariable relationships measured at each interview increased as the constituent item reliabilities increased. Urinalyses conducted at each interview generally validated recent self-reported narcotics use.
VARIATM—A FORTRAN program for objective analysis of pseudostress wind fields using large-scale conjugate-gradient minimization

Abstract A FORTRAN computer program is presented and documented which implements a new approach to objective analysis of pseudostress data over the Indian Ocean. (A pseudostress vector is defined as the wind components multiplied by the wind magnitude.) This method is a direct large-scale minimization approach of a cost functional expressed as a weighted sum of lack of fit to data as well as constraints on proximity to original observations and climatology, on a smoothing parameter and on kinematic equivalence to climatological patterns. Each of the constraints was weighted by selected coefficients controlling how closely the minimizing analysis fits each type of data or constraint. The functional operates on 7330 variables (i.e. two wind components at each grid location) and was minimized using a highly efficient memoryless quasi-Newton-like conjugate-gradient method. Use of an independent subjective analysis of the same data provide for a direct quantitative comparison and confirm the adequacy of the objective analysis. This scheme now has been adopted operationally to generate monthly average pseudostress wind values on a 1°-grid over the Indian Ocean.
Review of physical mechanism and computational models [outdoor sound propagation]

Propagation of noise in the atmosphere is governed by a number of interacting physical mechanisms including geometrical spreading, molecular absorption, reflection from a porous ground, curved ray paths due to refraction, diffraction by ground topography and scattering by turbulence. Accurate predictions of noise levels from a distant source must somehow account for all of these phenomena simultaneously. Although this goal is still beyond current capabilities, developments in computational tools for predicting sound propagation through the atmosphere have increased dramatically during recent years. The computational techniques now include analytical solutions for selected atmospheric profiles, ray tracing techniques which include interaction with the ground and meteorological conditions, and more sophisticated numerical solutions to the full wave equation; the fast field program (FFP) and the parabolic equation (PE). All noise prediction models include the attenuation due to geometrical spreading and, if required, molecular absorption. Where the empirical based models differ from computational models is in the incorporation of the other attenuation mechanisms. The empirical models tend to rely on general tendencies found in experimental databases. They often work well as long the specific situation of interest falls within the bounds of the databases. Computational models on the other hand rely on our mathematical ability to describe real-life situations. The paper summarizes their limitations, their advantages, and shows a benchmark comparison of predictions
Tri-Mode Independent-Gate FinFETs for Dynamic Voltage/Frequency Scalable 6T SRAMs

In this paper, we present tri-mode independent-gate (IG) FinFETs for dynamic voltage/frequency scalable 6T SRAMs. The proposed design exploits the fact that the spacer patterning technology, used for FinFET fabrication, offers the same device footprint for two- and one-fin transistors. The access transistor is designed for operation in three on-state modes achieving simultaneous increase in the read stability and write-ability and enabling appropriate tradeoffs between read stability and access time depending on the frequency requirements. The proposed design achieves 40%-48% higher weak-write test voltage and 2%-34% lower cell write time across a range of voltages compared with a conventional FinFET-based 6T SRAM under iso-leakage. During the read operation at high workload conditions (VDD = 0.7 V), 8% improvement in read static noise margin (SNM) is achieved with only 7% access time penalty. During the read operation at low workload conditions, 54%-75% improvement in the read SNM enables low voltage operation under process variations. The proposed IG FinFET SRAM achieves 125-136 mV lower VMIN across different global process corners at the cost of 15-mV higher retention VMIN. Iso-leakage comparison of the proposed technique with the previously proposed IG FinFET 6T SRAM is also performed. An increase in the cell area by 35% is observed compared to the minimum-sized conventional FinFET SRAM. However, there is no cell area penalty compared to the previously proposed IG FinFET SRAM.
Affective forecasting and the Big Five

Recent studies on affective forecasting clarify that the emotional reactions people anticipate often differ markedly from those they actually experience in response to affective stimuli and events. However, core personality differences in affective forecasting have received limited attention, despite their potential relevance to choice behavior. In the present study, 226 college undergraduates rated their anticipated and experienced reactions to the emotionally-evocative event of Valentine’s Day and completed a measure of the Big Five personality traits – neuroticism, extraversion, openness to experience, agreeableness, and conscientiousness – and their facet scales. Neuroticism and extraversion were associated with baseline mood, experienced emotional reactions, and anticipated emotional reactions. The present findings hold implications for the study of individual differences in affective forecasting, personality theory, and interventions research.
The Origin of the Quadrivium

We saw that the interpretation of the Timaeus became combined with the problem of the division of mathematics. The meaning and importance of this latter division is well known the quadriparted mathematics is the quadrivium. It is surprising to see how closely the quadr. ivium is connected with the interpretation of the Timaeus. It is particularly amazing to see that the inclusion of astronomy in the quadrivium made possible the equation soul = mathematicals so as to include the principle of motion in mathematicals. How, we may ask, was this combination brought about? We may also ask: what is the origin of the quadrivium idea?
Minimum resolution specification of intraocular lens implants using the modulation transfer function

We investigated the use of modulation transfer function (MTF) measurements to provide a standard test of minimum optical quality of intraocular lenses. We used a water cell with plane entrance and exit windows. This geometry is independent of lens material but relatively simple to implement. We investigated the choice of aperture stop, and 3.0 mm was deemed a suitable choice of stop diameter. Minimum acceptable performance must be specified if this technique is to be adopted as a standard method. The MTF of an ideal lens defocused 1/2 wave is suggested as a possible reference. Strehl ratios, although desirable because they can be measured directly without determining MTF's, were found to be unsuitable. These ratios tend to emphasize the high-frequency response, and the observed ratios are typically too low to provide assurance that the low-frequency response is as high as desired. MTF integrals or contrast at spatial frequencies of particular interest were found to be useful benchmarks of acceptable optical quality.
Robust, parameter insensitive position sensorless field orientation control of the induction machine

A physical approach is employed to estimate the rotor flux for a position sensorless induction machine drive system. This approach is based on the fundamental operating characteristics of the induction machine. The estimator structure calculates the rotor flux accurately at low speeds, and is largely insensitive to parameter variations. System structure, theoretical analysis, simulation, and laboratory results are presented. >
Circuit Double Cover of Graphs: Girth, embedding, small cover

Girth The girth of a smallest counterexample to the circuit double cover was first studied by Goddyn [82], in which, a lower bound 7 of girth was found. Later, this bound was improved as follows: at least 8 by McGuinness [179], and at least 9 by Goddyn [83] (a girth bound of 10 was also announced in [83]). The following theorem, proved with a computer aided search, remains the best bound up to today. Theorem 9.1.1 (Huck [115]) The girth of a smallest counterexample to the circuit double cover conjecture is at least 12. It was conjectured in [132] that cyclically 4-edge-connected snarks may have bounded girths. If this conjecture were true, then the circuit double cover conjecture would be followed immediately by Theorem 9.1.1 (or an earlier result in [82] for girth 7). But this is not the case: in [146], Kochol gave a construction of cyclically 5-edge-connected snarks of arbitrarily large girths. However, Theorem 9.1.1 (or its earlier results) remains useful in the studies of some families of embedded graphs with small genus since the girth of such graphs is bounded (see Section 9.2). Small genus embedding The circuit double cover conjecture is trivial if a bridgeless graph is planar: the collection of face boundaries is a double cover. How about graphs embeddable on surfaces other than a sphere? Although it is known that every bridgeless graph has a 2-cell embedding on some surface, it is not guaranteed that face boundaries are circuits (see Section 1.4).
Categorizing the Mental

A common view in the philosophy of mind and philosophy of psychology is that there is an ideally correct way of categorizing the structures and operations of the mind, and that the goal of neuroscience and psychology is to find this correct categorizational scheme. Categories which cannot find a place within this correct framework ought to be eliminated from scientific practice. In this paper, I argue that this general idea runs counter to productive scientific practices. Such a view ignores the plurality of aims and goals that neuroscientists and psychologists have in studying mental phenomena, and the necessity of employing distinct classificatory frameworks to achieve them.
Biochemical Diversity of Ponderosa Pine and Predation by Bark Beetles (Coleoptera: Scolytidae)

To determine if mountain pine beetle, Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins, influences patterns of biochemical diversity in ponderosa pine, Pinus ponderosa Laws., monoterpene composition of xylem resin of trees that survived an infestation was compared with a random sample of living trees adjacent to the infestation. No significant differences were detected in means or variances between the two groups of trees. A comparison of these populations to populations of ponderosa pine with a history of western pine beetle, D. brevicomis LeConte, infestation revealed large differences in biochemical diversity between the two geographic areas. Association of geographic differences in biochemical diversity with insect species exhibiting different feeding habits suggests possible causal relationships between these two patterns.
A Simple Device to Aid Time-Lapse Studies with Insects

Basic research with insects often requires the examination of specimens at fixed periods in relation to a known starting point. For example, such work might be concerned with egg development, enzyme activity, or the multiplication of a pathogen in its host. Accumulating the required data can be quite wearing when the time schedule is strict over an extended period; the investigator may have to visit the laboratory at unusual hours of the night or at other inconvenient times.
IK1-enhanced human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes: an improved cardiomyocyte model to investigate inherited arrhythmia syndromes

Currently available induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (iPS-CMs) do not ideally model cellular mechanisms of human arrhythmic disease due to lack of a mature action potential (AP) phenotype. In this study, we create and characterize iPS-CMs with an electrically mature AP induced by potassium inward rectifier (IK1) enhancement. The advantages of IK1-enhanced iPS-CMs include the absence of spontaneous beating, stable resting membrane potentials at approximately -80 mV and capability for electrical pacing. Compared with unenhanced, IK1-enhanced iPS-CMs calcium transient amplitudes were larger (P < 0.05) with a typical staircase pattern. IK1-enhanced iPS-CMs demonstrated a twofold increase in cell size and membrane capacitance and increased DNA synthesis compared with control iPS-CMs (P < 0.05). Furthermore, IK1-enhanced iPS-CMs expressing the F97C-CAV3 long QT9 mutation compared with wild-type CAV3 demonstrated an increase in AP duration and late sodium current. IK1-enhanced iPS-CMs represent a more mature cardiomyocyte model to study arrhythmia mechanisms.
Covisualization of Methylcytosine, Global DNA, and Protein Biomarkers for In Situ 3D DNA Methylation Phenotyping of Stem Cells

DNA methylation and histone modifications are key regulatory mechanisms in cellular differentiation, and are skewed in complex diseases. Therefore, analyzing the higher nuclear organization of methylated DNA in conjunction with relevant cellular components, such as protein biomarkers, may well add cell-by-cell-specific spatial and temporal information to quantitative molecular data for the discovery of stem cell differentiation-related signaling networks and their exploitation in the therapeutic reprogramming of cells. The in situ fluorescent covisualization of methylated DNA (methylated CG dinucleotides = MeC), global DNA (gDNA), and proteins has been challenging, as the immunofluorescence detection of MeC sites requires thorough denaturing of double-stranded DNA for antigen (methylated carbon-5 of cytosine) retrieval. The protocol we present overcomes this obstacle through optimization of cell membrane permeabilization, acid treatment, and intermediate fixation steps to preserve immunostaining of biomarkers and delineate MeC and gDNA, while conserving the captured three-dimensional (3D) structure of the cells; making it suitable for high-resolution confocal microscopy, 3D visualization, and topological analyses of fixed cultured cells as well as fresh and frozen tissue sections.
Intestinal obstruction in pregnancy: a case of small bowel volvulus and review of the literature.

Presented at the Annual Scientific Meeting and Postgraduate Course Program, Southeastern Surgical Congress, Lake Buena Vista, FL, February 18–21, 2006.
Use of Failure Mode and Effects Analysis to Improve Emergency Department Handoff Processes.

Purpose/objectives The purpose of this article is to describe a quality improvement process using failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) to evaluate systems handoff communication processes, improve emergency department (ED) throughput and reduce crowding through development of a standardized handoff, and, ultimately, improve patient safety. Background Risk of patient harm through ineffective communication during handoff transitions is a major reason for breakdown of systems. Complexities of ED processes put patient safety at risk. Rationale An increased incidence of submitted patient safety event reports for handoff communication failures between the ED and inpatient units solidified a decision to implement the use of FMEA to identify handoff failures to mitigate patient harm through redesign. Description The clinical nurse specialist implemented an FMEA. Handoff failure themes were created from deidentified retrospective reviews. Weekly meetings were held over a 3-month period to identify failure modes and determine cause and effect on the process. A functional block diagram process map tool was used to illustrate handoff processes. An FMEA grid was used to list failure modes and assign a risk priority number to quantify results. Outcomes Multiple areas with actionable failures were identified. A majority of causes for high-priority failure modes were specific to communications. Conclusion Findings demonstrate the complexity of transition and handoff processes. The FMEA served to identify and evaluate risk of handoff failures and provide a framework for process improvement. Implications A focus on mentoring nurses to quality handoff processes so that it becomes habitual practice is crucial to safe patient transitions. Standardizing content and hardwiring within the system are best practice. The clinical nurse specialist is prepared to provide strong leadership to drive and implement system-wide quality projects.
Prevention of Incontinence-Associated Skin Damage in Nursing Homes: Disparities and Predictors.

Racial/ethnic disparities in preventing health problems have been reported in nursing homes. Incontinence is common among nursing home residents and can result in inflammatory-type skin damage, referred to as incontinence-associated skin damage (IASD). Little is known about the prevention of IASD and whether there are racial/ethnic disparities in its prevention. This study assessed the proportion of older nursing home residents receiving IASD prevention after developing incontinence after admission ( n = 10,713) and whether there were racial/ethnic disparities in IASD prevention. Predictors of preventing IASD were also examined. Four national data sets provided potential predictors at multiple levels. Disparities were analyzed using the Peters-Belson method; predictors of preventing IASD were assessed using hierarchical logistic regression. Prevention of IASD was received by 0.12 of residents and no racial/ethnic disparities were found. Predictors of preventing IASD were primarily resident-level factors including limitations in activities of daily living, poor nutrition, and more oxygenation problems.
The Role of Thromboelastography in Pediatric Patients with Sinusoidal Obstructive Syndrome Receiving Defibrotide

Abstract Sinusoidal obstructive syndrome (SOS) is a potentially fatal form of hepatic injury after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Patients can develop liver dysfunction, portal hypertension, ascites, coagulopathies, and multisystem organ failure. The mortality rate of severe SOS has been reported as high as 98% by day 100 after transplantation. Defibrotide, which is now approved for the treatment of SOS, has significantly decreased mortality. Defibrotide is a polynucleotide with profibrinolytic, anti-ischemic, and anti-inflammatory activity. These properties can increase the risk of life-threatening bleeding in this patient population. Previous protocols have suggested maintaining international normalized ratio ≤ 1.5, platelets > 30 k/uL, and fibrinogen ≥ 150 mg/dL to minimize this risk of bleeding. However, this can be challenging in fluid-sensitive patients with SOS. Thromboelastography (TEG) is a functional assay that evaluates the balance of procoagulant and anticoagulant proteins. In this series, TEG was used to guide defibrotide therapy as well as blood product transfusions in SOS patients with abnormal coagulation studies. Each patient recovered from SOS and had no bleeding complications. A randomized clinical trial is the next step in supporting the use of TEG in SOS patients with abnormal coagulation studies receiving defibrotide therapy.
Analysis of Discussion Board Interaction in an Online Peer-Mentoring Site

This study uses Critical Discourse Analysis and Social Network Analysis to examine an online peer mentoring site created to unite first-year and third-year preservice teachers enrolled in an undergraduate teacher education program. The peer mentoring site was developed to provide both first-year preservice teachers and more experienced peers the opportunity to discuss, share, and learn both from and with one another. The study demonstrated that the online peer mentoring site supported valuable interactions and professional communications among first-year and third-year students. In particular, the preservice teachers engaged with one another to share their experiences and learning as they prepared to be teachers. This study has implications for the field of undergraduate education in its demonstration that an online peer mentoring site can allow for the cultivation of learning, ideas and knowledge exchange, and support of students learning in informal environments. This research also has implications for future research to determine how different populations of students use an online peer mentoring site to interact with their peers and the outcomes that emerge. Such data could inform future development of peer mentoring sites and similar learning spaces.
nROAR: Near Real-Time Opportunistic Spectrum Access and Management in Cloud-Based Database-Driven Cognitive Radio Networks

Cognitive radio network with spectrum sensing to find idle channels and access them opportunistically is regarded as an emerging technology to deal with spectrum scarcity caused by exclusive licensing to primary systems. Simulation-based studies loose practical relevance due to assumptions and usage of simple models for defining transmission regions, multi-path propagation, and traffic intensity. In this paper, we present an experimental study for near real-time spectrum sensing and opportunistic spectrum access in database-driven cognitive radio networks (nROAR) using national instrument USRP devices in wide-band regime. We present numerical results for evaluating spectrum sensing using adaptive threshold-based joint energy and bandwidth detection. Furthermore, we evaluate the dynamic spectrum access using database-driven quorum-based rendezvous for opportunistic access for admitted unlicensed secondary users in diverse wireless bands. The proposed nROAR architecture addresses challenges related to providing spectrum access which require fast processing of a large number of spectrum-sensing measurements across diverse wireless bands, geography, and time.