cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Do return requirements increase international knowledge diffusion? Evidence from the Fulbright program

We ask whether policies designed to encourage return migration of scientists increase knowledge diffusion to and from home countries, as measured by citations to articles in STEM journals. We track the post-PhD careers of 249 Fulbright Fellowship recipients who are required to leave the US after PhD receipt and 249 similar foreign-born “control” scientists not subject to return requirements. We find that articles by Fulbright Fellows from countries with a weak science base are cited more frequently in their home countries than articles by control scientists, and that this is due primarily to the fact that they are more likely to locate in their home country. In addition, all Fulbrights direct their own citations toward home-country articles at a higher rate than controls. Overall, the results suggest that return requirements mainly benefit countries that have weak scientific environments.
A systematic review of microfinance and women’s health literature: Directions for future research

While growing evidence suggests that microfinance is an effective approach for improved women's health, a significant gap remains in our understanding. The objective of this review is to synthesise the findings from published literature focused on microfinance and health issues particularly affecting women, including HIV/AIDS, reproductive health, mental health, and violence. Forty-one articles that examine the impact of microfinance participation on women's health were identified through a systematic search of electronic databases, coded using a structured abstraction form, and synthesised. Review results indicate that the impact of microfinance on women's health is an area in great need of research and publication attention. Varied quality and reporting in the identified articles restricted the ability to draw concrete conclusions regarding the relationship between microfinance participation and women's health, but led to the identification of current gaps in existing published research. Future research should work to address the recommendations provided in order to offer additional evidence to better understand the use of microfinance programming as a structural intervention to improve women's health.
Southwestern Internal Medicine Conference: The Multifacetted Role of Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Inhibitors in Congestive Heart Failure

ABSTRACT The angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors constitute a major breakthrough in the medical management of congestive heart failure. The incidence of side effects with these agents is surprisingly low when they are used in the appropriate dosage. They produce sustained beneficial hemodynamic and symptomatic improvement in most patients with congestive heart failure and may produce greater symptomatic benefit than digoxin when given as second-line therapy to patients with heart failure on diuretics. Their neurohumoral effects generally are advantageous, resulting in normalization of sodium and potassium balance and a reduction in ventricular arrhythmias. The ACE inhibitors may improve survival in patients with congestive heart failure, and recent data suggest that they may prevent or delay the development of left ventricular dilatation and overt heart failure in patients with asymptomatic left ventricular dysfunction
Femtosecond laser studies of condensed-phase dynamics

New experiments with cis-stilbene have shown that hot traits molecules are generated in the photoreaction. An approximate internal temperature for the product molecule of 700 K is somewhat less than expected from the available energy and indicates substantial frictional loss. Geometric features of the reaction coordinate for the cis-to-trans isomerism are deduced from these and transient absorption measurements, and it is proposed that the ethylene carbon atoms move substantially after excitation.
An Investigation of 2'-Deoxycoformycin in the Treatment of Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma

We have investigated the use of 2′-deoxycoformycin (DCF), a potent inhibitor of adenosine deaminase (ADA), in the treatment of 4 patients with advanced mycosis fungoides (MF). Since DCF has demonstrated an adverse effect in vitro and in vivo on the survival of leukemia T-cell lines, it appeared reasonable to examine its effect in patients with advanced cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. A total of 8 courses of DCF were given to the 4 patients. Since this study was part of an ongoing phase I investigation, each patient received a fixed dose (varying from 4 mg/sq m to 10 mg/sq m daily for 3 consecutive days) on a 28-day schedule. One patient had reversible renal insufficiency. Three patients had reversible myelosuppression. Two patients had a complete remission of disease for 7+ and 9+ mo. respectively. Two additional patients had partial remissions for 4 and 9 mo, respectively. We concluded that effective antitumor activity in advanced MF can be achieved with DCF at doses that may not be associated with prohibitive toxicity. We would encourage further investigation of this agent in patients with advanced cutaneous T-cell lymphoma.
Dexterous Manipulation: A Geometric Approach

These notes present in a self-contained manner the basic facts about the theory of dexterous manipulation. In particular, we discuss the models of robot hands and analysis and synthesis of multifingered grasps for objects of arbitrary geometry. The techniques exploit an interesting connection between the problems of dexterous manipulation and some classical results in combinatorial geometry.
Incorporating Functional Annotations for Fine-Mapping Causal Variants in a Bayesian Framework Using Summary Statistics

Functional annotations have been shown to improve both the discovery power and fine-mapping accuracy in genome-wide association studies. However, the optimal strategy to incorporate the large number of existing annotations is still not clear. In this study, we propose a Bayesian framework to incorporate functional annotations in a systematic manner. We compute the maximum a posteriori solution and use cross validation to find the optimal penalty parameters. By extending our previous fine-mapping method CAVIARBF into this framework, we require only summary statistics as input. We also derived an exact calculation of Bayes factors using summary statistics for quantitative traits, which is necessary when a large proportion of trait variance is explained by the variants of interest, such as in fine mapping expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL). We compared the proposed method with PAINTOR using different strategies to combine annotations. Simulation results show that the proposed method achieves the best accuracy in identifying causal variants among the different strategies and methods compared. We also find that for annotations with moderate effects from a large annotation pool, screening annotations individually and then combining the top annotations can produce overly optimistic results. We applied these methods on two real data sets: a meta-analysis result of lipid traits and a cis-eQTL study of normal prostate tissues. For the eQTL data, incorporating annotations significantly increased the number of potential causal variants with high probabilities.
Heterotic M-Theory, Warped Geometry and the Cosmological Constant Problem

The first part of this thesis analyzes whether a locally flat background represents a stable vacuum for the proposed heterotic M-theory. A calculation of the leading order supergravity exchange diagrams leads to the conclusion that the locally flat vacuum cannot be stable. Afterwards a comparison with the corresponding weakly coupled heterotic string amplitudes is made. Next, we consider compactifications of heterotic M-theory on a Calabi-Yau threefold, including a non-vanishing G-flux. The ensuing warped-geometry is determined completely and used to show that the variation of the Calabi-Yau volume along the orbifold direction varies quadratically with distance instead linearly as suggested by an earlier first order approximation. In the second part of this thesis we propose a mechanism for obtaining a small cosmological constant. This mechanism consists of the separation of two domain-walls, which together constitute our world, up to a distance 2l ≃ 1/MGUT. The resulting warped-geometry leads to an exponential suppression of the cosmological constant, which thereby can obtain its observed value without introducing a large hierarchy. An embedding of this set-up into IIB string-theory entails an SU(6) Grand Unified Theory with a natural explanation of the Higgs doublet-triplet splitting. Finally, we examine to what extent the string-theory T-duality can influence curvature. To this aim we derive the full transformation of the curvature-tensor under T-duality.
103 : Virulent Francisella tularensis do not induce arginase as a mechanism of virulence

Induction of arginase by intracellular pathogens has been shown to contribute to the ability of bacteria to replicate in the host cell and is considered an important aspect of virulence. However, it is not known if induction of arginase plays a significant role in pathogenesis of the intracellular bacterium Francisella tularensis . We sought to determine if F. tularensis infection resulted in arginase induction, and if this was an important mechanism of virulence for the bacteria. We found that arginase was not induced following F. tularensis subsp. tularensis (SchuS4) or subsp. holarctica (Live Vaccine Strain [LVS]) infection in an in vitro gentamicin protection assay: IL-4 treated cells induced a statistically significant upregulation of arginase, as expected, while F. tularensis infected cells did not. In addition, we infected C57Bl/6 mice intranasally with F. tularensis and determined if arginase was induced in the lungs or bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. We found that arginase was not significantly induced following infection with either strain as compared to uninfected control mice. Finally, we infected Arg1 −/− cells with either SchuS4 or LVS and determined if there was a difference in replication compared to wild-type cells. We found that there was not a statistically significant difference in survival or replication of either strain of bacteria between Arg1 −/− and wild-type cells. Therefore, we conclude that for F. tularensis , arginase induction is not important for virulence.
A One-Sided Miscellany*

Abstract Three boundary control problems are presented, linked only by a common involvement with one-sided control constraints. Exact boundary controllability for the one-dimensional wave equation. Stabilizability of a heat equation. Characterization of minimum norm non-negative boundary controls for exact control of a heat equation
Building upon the Koutecky-Levich Equation for Evaluation of Next-Generation Oxygen Reduction Reaction Catalysts

Abstract The performance of oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts has been substantially improved over the past several decades. These catalysts are evaluated for electrochemical activity in a rotating disk electrode (RDE) assembly using an oxygen saturated liquid electrolyte. Koutecky-Levich (K-L) analysis provides a simple and effective method to extract electrokinetic information by correcting for mass transport effects. We propose extensions to the K-L analysis to address some of the simplifying assumptions made during its derivation. In particular, we demonstrate that decreased concentrations of surface reactants contribute to measured overpotentials in a Nernst fashion, and can lead to an underestimation of catalytic activity. By applying a Nernst overpotential correction in conjunction with K-L analysis, more accurate measurements of the intrinsic reaction kinetics under mass transport limited conditions are possible. As the K-L method assumes a reaction order of unity, we also consider kinetic reaction order deviation from unity due to measurement conditions. We show that examining the dependence of the reaction order on overpotential can provide a straightforward technique to probe blocking effects of surface absorbents. We propose that these extensions to the K-L method can allow for increased versatility of the RDE technique for extracting electrokinetic parameters for ORR catalysts.
Classification of Living Organ Donors

The total number of living organ donors has decreased over the past 7 years, although they still account for a significant number of kidney transplants. The last decade has seen a shift in the makeup of the living donor pool as the number of related donors has decreased, while the number of unrelated donors has increased. This trend may partly be the result of increased acceptance of altruistic living organ donors by the transplant community and the introduction/growth of kidney paired donation (KPD) programs. Kidneys continue to be the most common organ donated by living donors and accounted for almost one-third of kidneys transplanted in 2011. While living kidney donation continues to be robust, the number of living liver donors has declined by half over the last decade. Although never common, the donation of lung lobes, portions of pancreas, and segments of intestine by living donors has become extremely rare. Two subgroups of living donors that face unique circumstances include individuals attempting to donate to an undocumented recipient and those who are active-duty military personnel. Those attempting to donate to an undocumented recipient often face steep financial barriers, while living donation by active-duty military personnel can have an adverse impact on their continued service. Regardless of their background or circumstances, living organ donors share the common desire to want to help improve another person’s quality of life.
Online Videos, Everyday Pedagogy, and Female Political Agency: "Learning from YouTube" Revisited

This paper examines the political perspective of alternative online videos as a new mode of everyday pedagogy where individuals publish alternative standpoints on a certain social issue and mobilize others. As an exemplar, I argue how YouTube videos on Korea’s candlelight movement in 2008 helped achieve people’s grassroots mobilization efforts for their voluntary, non-violent participation, exhibiting popular, public sentiment against the Korean government’s policy on importing U.S. beef. Examining how female protesters constructed their political agency via online communication, this paper further maintains that videos require rethinking the conventional roles of media spectacles that (re) produces the dominant ideology. Thus, with a critical dimension of the popular online videos, this paper contributes to providing media practitioners as well as media scholars with an innovative perspective on a dialectical relationship between popular culture, media technologies, and sociopolitical mobilization within specific cultural, social, and political contexts.
Fusing Interfaces with Matter, Humans and Machines

Advances in the past century have resulted in unprecedented access to empowering technology, with user interfaces that typically provide clear distinction and separation between environments, technology and people.The progress in recent decades indicates, however, inevitable developments where sensing, display, actuation and computation will seek to integrate more intimately with matter, humans and machines. This talk will explore some of the radical new challenges and opportunities that these advancements imply for next-generation interfaces.
Influence of midwifery presence in United States centers on labor care and outcomes of low‐risk parous women: A Consortium on Safe Labor study

BACKGROUND Sixty percent of United States births are to multiparous women. Hospital-level policies and culture may influence intrapartum care and birth outcomes for this large population, yet have been poorly explored using a large, diverse sample. We sought to use national United States data to analyze the association between midwifery presence in maternity care teams and the birth processes and outcomes of low-risk parous women. METHODS We conducted a retrospective cohort study using Consortium on Safe Labor data from low-risk parous women in either interprofessional care (n = 12 125) or noninterprofessional care centers (n = 8996). Unadjusted, adjusted (age, race, health insurance type), propensity-adjusted, and propensity-matched logistic regression models were used to assess processes and outcomes. RESULTS There was concordance in outcome differences across regression models. With propensity score matching, women at interprofessional centers, compared with women at noninterprofessional centers, were 85% less likely to have labor induced (risk ratio [RR] 0.15; 95% CI 0.14-0.17). The risk for primary cesarean birth among low-risk parous women was 36% lower at interprofessional centers (RR 0.64; 95% CI 00.52-0.79), whereas the likelihood of vaginal birth after cesarean for this population was 31% higher (RR 1.31; 95% CI 1.10-1.56). There were no significant differences in neonatal outcomes. CONCLUSIONS Parous women have significantly higher rates of vaginal birth, including vaginal birth after cesarean, and lower likelihood of labor induction when cared for in centers with midwives. Our findings are consistent with smaller analyses of midwifery practice and support integrated, team-based models of perinatal care to improve maternal outcomes.
Regulation of Inositol Biosynthesis: Balancing Health and Pathophysiology

Inositol is the precursor for all inositol compounds and is essential for viability of eukaryotic cells. Numerous cellular processes and signaling functions are dependent on inositol compounds, and perturbation of their synthesis leads to a wide range of human diseases. Although considerable research has been directed at understanding the function of inositol compounds, especially phosphoinositides and inositol phosphates, a focus on regulatory and homeostatic mechanisms controlling inositol biosynthesis has been largely neglected. Consequently, little is known about how synthesis of inositol is regulated in human cells. Identifying physiological regulators of inositol synthesis and elucidating the molecular mechanisms that regulate inositol synthesis will contribute fundamental insight into cellular processes that are mediated by inositol compounds and will provide a foundation to understand numerous disease processes that result from perturbation of inositol homeostasis. In addition, elucidating the mechanisms of action of inositol-depleting drugs may suggest new strategies for the design of second-generation pharmaceuticals to treat psychiatric disorders and other illnesses.
Depressive Symptoms Among Aging Hispanic Americans: Longitudinal Effects of Positive Spousal Support and Previous Depressive Symptoms:

Objective: We aimed to investigate the longitudinal effects of spousal support on aging Hispanic Americans' depressive symptoms using population-based data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). Method: Using hierarchical multiple regressions, we investigated whether baseline positive spousal support and previous depressive symptoms were significant predictors of depressive symptoms 8 years later in a sample of 264 aging Hispanic Americans. Results: We discovered that previous depressive symptoms, baseline chronic conditions, and positive spousal support were all significant predictors of long-term depressive symptoms. Discussion: Our findings underline the need to address persistent depression and chronic diseases in the aging Hispanic population. We also highlight the potential benefits of empowering spouses as a resource for promoting mental health in this group. These findings are also encouraging for future studies in depression, aging, and comorbidity, especially in the vastly increasing population of aging Hispanic Americans.
Sensitivity of advective contaminant travel time to the soil hydraulic parameters in unsaturated heterogeneous soils

Abstract This study deals with the sensitivity of advective contaminant travel time to soil hydraulic parameters through a heterogeneous soil profile, which is often required in many applications such as designing a monitoring network, developing a remediation strategy for contaminated sites, and determining the associated risks of subsurface contamination. The main objective is to determine relative contributions to the output uncertainty of advective travel time from individual input stochastic hydraulic parameters. A new approach is developed to examine the sensitivity of advective contaminant travel time to saturated hydraulic conductivity and macroscopic capillary drive as a result of infiltration from a wet and contaminated surface source. The approach can be applied to both non-stationary layered formation and stationary soil profile. The results demonstrate that the advective contaminant travel time is sensitive to the layers with small saturated hydraulic conductivity and small macroscopic capillary drive values. Larger uncertainty of saturated hydraulic conductivity and macroscopic capillary drive shifts the sensitive layers to the advective travel time to deeper layers. Correlation range of saturated hydraulic conductivity and macroscopic capillary drive has less significant impact on the sensitivity of advective contaminant travel time than the standard deviation. In the stationary saturated hydraulic conductivity and macroscopic capillary drive profile, although the advective contaminant travel time increase significantly for fine textured soil compared to coarse textured soil, the fractional contribution of spatial locations to the overall uncertainty of total advective travel time is virtually identical for both fine textured and coarse textured soils.
Does Blind Tasting Work? Another Look

A study entitled “Does Blind Tasting Work? Investigating the Impact of Training on Blind Tasting Accuracy and Wine Preference,” published in the Proceedings issues of this journal, analyzed the effects of training on blind wine tasting accuracy (Wang and Presern, 2018). I point out two issues with that study and reanalyze their data. I find that the effects of training on accuracy are small, even without controlling for self-selection bias that may produce upwardly biased estimates. To the extent training works, it does not seem to work well and it may only work as a selection device. (JEL Classifications: C91, D83, L66)
Update on immune‐mediated therapies for myasthenia gravis

With the exception of thymectomy, immune modulatory treatment strategies and clinical trials in myasthenia gravis over the past 50 y were mainly borrowed from experience in other nonneurologic autoimmune disorders. The current experimental therapy paradigm has significantly changed such that treatments directed against the pathological mechanisms specific to myasthenia gravis are being tested, in some cases as the initial disease indication. Key advances have been made in three areas: (i) the expanded role and long-term benefits of thymectomy, (ii) complement inhibition to prevent antibody-mediated postsynaptic membrane damage, and (iii) neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) inhibition as in vivo apheresis, removing pathogenic antibodies. Herein, we discuss these advances and the potential for these newer therapies to significantly influence the current treatment paradigms. While these therapies provide exciting new options with rapid efficacy, there are anticipated challenges to their use, especially in terms of a dramatic increase in cost of care for some patients with myasthenia gravis.
Climate Sensitivity of Peatland Methane Emissions Mediated by Seasonal Hydrologic Dynamics

Peatlands are among the largest natural sources of atmospheric methane (CH4) worldwide. Peatland emissions are projected to increase under climate change, as rising temperatures and shifting precipitation accelerate microbial metabolic pathways favorable for CH4 production. However, how these changing environmental factors will impact peatland emissions over the long term remains unknown. Here, we investigate a novel data set spanning an exceptionally long 11 years to analyze the influence of soil temperature and water table elevation on peatland CH4 emissions. We show that higher water tables dampen the springtime increases in CH4 emissions as well as their subsequent decreases during late summer to fall. These results imply that any hydroclimatological changes in northern peatlands that shift seasonal water availability from winter to summer will increase annual CH4 emissions, even if temperature remains unchanged. Therefore, advancing hydrological understanding in peatland watersheds will be crucial for improving predictions of CH4 emissions.
Interplay of flat electronic bands with Holstein phonons

Existing quantum Monte Carlo studies have investigated the properties of fermions on a Lieb (${\mathrm{CuO}}_{2}$) lattice interacting with on-site or near-neighbor electron-electron coupling. Attention has focused on the interplay of such interactions with the macroscopic degeneracy of local zero-energy modes, from which Bloch states can be formed to produce a flat band in which energy is independent of momentum. The resulting high density of states, in combination with the Stoner criterion, suggests that there should be pronounced instabilities to ordered phases. Indeed, a theorem by Lieb rigorously establishes the existence of ferrimagnetic order. Here we study the charge density wave phases induced by electron-phonon coupling on the Lieb lattice, as opposed to previous work on electron-electron interactions. Our key result is the demonstration of charge density wave phases at one third and two thirds fillings, characterized by long-range density-density correlations between doubly occupied sites on the minority or majority sublattices, and an accompanying gap. We also compute the transition temperature to the ordered phase as a function of the electron-phonon coupling.
Electroreduction of Benzaldehyde with a Metal–Ligand Bifunctional Hydroxycyclopentadienyl Molybdenum(II) Hydride

An electrocatalytic system for the hydrogenation of benzaldehyde to benzyl alcohol and dibenzyl ether is described. The molybdenum hydride (C5Ph4OH)Mo(CO)3(H) (3) is shown to be the actively hydrog...
The trade-off between pulse duration and power in optical excitation of midbrain dopamine neurons approximates Bloch's law

Abstract Background Optogenetic experiments reveal functional roles of specific neurons. However, such inferences have been restricted by widespread adoption of a fixed set of stimulation parameters. Broader exploration of the parameter space can deepen insight into the mapping between selective neural activity and behavior. In this way, characteristics of the activated neurons, such as temporal integration, can be inferred. Objective To determine whether an equal-energy principle accounts for the interaction of pulse duration and optical power in optogenetic excitation. Methods Six male TH::Cre rats worked for optogenetic (ChannelRhodopsin-2) stimulation of Ventral Tegmental Area dopamine neurons. We used a within-subject design to describe the trade-off between pulse duration and optical power in determining reward seeking. Parameters were customized for each subject on the basis of behavioral effectiveness. Results Within a useful range of powers (~12.6-31.6 mW) the product of optical power and pulse duration required to produce a given level of reward seeking was roughly constant. Such reciprocity is consistent with Bloch’s law, which posits an equal-energy principle of temporal summation over short durations in human vision. The trade-off between pulse duration and power broke down at higher powers. Conclusions Optical power can be substituted for pulse duration to scale the region of neuronal excitation in behavioral optogenetic experiments. Power and duration can be adjusted reciprocally for brief durations and lower powers. The findings demonstrate the utility of within-subject and trade-off designs in optogenetics and of parameter adjustment based on functional endpoints instead of physical properties of the stimulation. Highlights We provide behaviorally derived intensity-duration curves for ChannelRhodopsin-2. Duration trades off almost perfectly with power within useful ranges. This trade-off breaks down at high optical powers. Pulse duration and optical power scale the area of neuronal excitation equivalently. Behaviorally derived trade-offs can reveal optogenetic excitation mechanisms.
Design and Characterization of 3.3 kV-15 kV rated DBC Power Modules for Developmental Testing of WBG devices

An increasing number of power circuit designers are moving into designs at the bare die module-level to achieve greater circuit integration for lower inductance and better thermal management. Similarly, those who will use off-the-self modules are looking deeper inside the power modules to understand, discern, and optimize differences that impact gate driver design, power-loop designs and electro-physical layout between bare die. The ability for designers to have a greater understanding of the die-level module further advances adoption of WBG devices. This paper provides a description of open-source designs, fabrication, and test results for two DBC-based power modules. One is a SOT-227 footprint -based 6.5 kV DBC module, while the other is a 15 kV DBC module. The modules are specifically designed for mounting and testing new WBG power semiconductors under development, and as such, are designed for extreme operations under test. The characterization of the two modules and detailed insight into the ‘why’ in the design decisions provides the working engineer a clear understanding of variances in power module parameters and resulting effects on the module performance. The module designs are scalable, house single and multiple diodes and/or MOSFETs, include built-in current-sense and temperature monitoring, have Kelvin drain-source connections to reduce blanking-time, and utilize techniques to reduce stray inductance and resistance. The full designs are available for anyone’s use at www.go.ncsu.edu/prees_open_source
Label-free ratiometric monitoring of interferon gamma dynamics with spectrally filtered Si photodiode pairs

We report a label-free ratiometric interferon gamma (IFN- γ) sensor based on spectrally filtered Si photodiode (PD) pairs anchored with aptamer probes. Our sensor can rapidly detect two-color fluorescence change resulting from the aptamer-IFN- γ binding events.
The role of bandwidth in setting the breaking slope threshold of deep-water focusing wave packets

We examine the role of wave packet bandwidth in modulating the breaking slope threshold for focusing deep-water surface gravity wave packets. Using a fully nonlinear potential flow solver and laboratory experiments, we show that the slope threshold may be strongly modulated by the wave packet bandwidth. We propose a new breaking threshold parameterization that shows that the slope threshold may be modulated by more than a factor of two by changes in the bandwidth. This has implications for parameterizations of the properties of the breaking induced flow (e.g., the energy dissipation) as they do not currently account for these effects.
Association between interleukin-6 and lower extremity function after hip fracture--the role of muscle mass and strength.

OBJECTIVES: To examine whether an effect on muscle mass or strength explains the association between interleukin-6 (IL-6) and lower extremity function in the year after hip fracture. DESIGN: Analysis of data from a longitudinal cohort study. SETTING: Two Baltimore-area hospitals. PARTICIPANTS: Community-dwelling women aged 65 and older admitted to one of two hospitals in Baltimore with a new, nonpathological fracture of the proximal femur between 1992 and 1995. MEASUREMENTS: At 2, 6, and 12 months postfracture, serum IL-6, appendicular lean muscle mass (aLM), and grip strength were measured, and the Lower Extremity Gain Scale (LEGS), a summary measure of performance of nine lower extremity tasks was calculated. Generalized estimating equations were used to model the longitudinal relationship between IL-6 tertile and LEGS. Whether muscle mass or strength explained the relationship between IL-6 and LEGS was examined by adding measures of aLM, grip strength, or both into the model. RESULTS: Subjects in the lowest IL-6 group performed better on the LEGS than those in the highest tertile by 4.51 (95% confidence interval (CI)=1.50\u20137.52) points at 12 months postfracture. Adjusting for aLM and grip strength, this difference was 4.28 points (95% CI=1.14\u20137.43) and 3.81 points (95% CI=0.63\u20137.00), respectively. Adjusting for both aLM and grip strength, the mean difference in LEGS score was 3.88 points (95% CI=0.63\u20137.13). CONCLUSION: In older women, after hip fracture, reduced muscle strength, rather than reduced muscle mass, better explains the poorer recovery of lower extremity function observed with higher levels of the inflammatory marker IL-6.
A AB-complex iron meteorite containing low-Ca clinopyroxene

Abstract Northwest Africa 468 (NWA 468) is a new ungrouped, silicate-rich member of the IAB complex of nonmagmatic iron meteorites. The silicates contain relatively coarse (∼300 μm) grains of low-Ca clinopyroxene with polysynthetic twinning and inclined extinction. Low-Ca clinopyroxene is indicative of quenching from high temperatures (either from protoenstatite in a few seconds or high-temperature clinoenstatite in a few hours). It seems likely that NWA 468 formed by impact melting followed by rapid cooling to ≤660°C. After the loss of a metal-sulfide melt from the silicates, sulfide was reintroduced, either from impact-mobilized FeS or as an S 2 vapor that combined with metallic Fe to produce FeS. The O isotopic composition (Δ 17 O = −1.39‰) indicates that the precursor material of NWA 468 was a metal-rich (e.g., CR) carbonaceous chondrite. Lodranites are similar in bulk chemical and O isotopic composition to the silicates in NWA 468; the MAC 88177 lodranite (which also contains low-Ca clinopyroxene) is close in bulk chemical composition. Both NWA 468 and MAC 88177 have relatively low abundances of rare earth and plagiophile elements. Siderophiles in the metal-rich areas of NWA 468 are similar to those in the MAC 88177 whole rock; both samples contain low Ir and relatively high Fe, Cu, and Se. Most unweathered lodranites contain ∼20 to 38 wt.% metallic Fe-Ni. These rocks may have formed in an analogous manner to NWA 468 (i.e., by impact melting of metal-rich carbonaceous chondrite precursors) but with less separation of metal-rich melts from silicates.
Robot skill discovery based on observed data(003) 5335512

In this paper, we present a method for representing and discovering skills by a robot based on observed data. First, the capabilities of a robot to transform a situation from one to another based on available control actions are extracted from the data, and represented in the situation-action space as a feasible situation transition manifold (FSTM). The multi-resolution globally competitive and locally cooperative algorithm is formulated to self-organize the FSTM in terms of an union of hyper-ellipsoidal subregions in various sizes and shapes. An optimal sequence of transitions from the initial to the goal situations is searched for as a skill, under the constraint imposed by the FSTM. The search of an optimal sequence is based on the novel bidirectional dynamic path planning algorithm formulated based on the potential field method. The proposed methodology is applied for the discovery of a nonholonomic motion planning skill of a car-like robot and for a telemanipulation skill.
Temporal properties of intense GPS L1 amplitude scintillations at midlatitudes

[1] The first observations of large-amplitude GPS L1 amplitude scintillations in the midlatitude ionosphere were made on 25–26 September 2001. The scintillations, which were intense at times (≥20dB, S4 ≈ 0.8), occurred during the main phase of a moderate geomagnetic storm (Dst = −100 nT) when a storm-enhanced density (SED) event coupled with a broad and structured ionospheric trough occurred over the eastern United States. The preliminary results, using a modified single-frequency GPS receiver and a dual-frequency (L1/L2) GPS receiver and measuring total electron content at Cornell University (53.2°N magnetic latitude), have been published previously. In this effort we examine the scintillation autocorrelation functions using data from the fast sampling (50 Hz) single-frequency GPS receiver. The intention is to derive a measure of the scintillation pattern velocity which can be estimated from the Fresnel radius and the width of the autocorrelation function. We show that a minimum in the autocorrelation function width, corresponding to a maximum in the velocity, is located near the equatorward boundary of a broad trough. We also demonstrate that estimates of the scintillation pattern velocity are consistent with other measures of ionospheric drift in midlatitude storm time convection. In at least two of the GPS signals the inferred velocity has narrow peaks of several hundred meters per second, characteristic of subauroral ionospheric drifts (SAID) and perhaps driven by plasma pressure gradients in the inner magnetosphere. This presentation, along with the paper by Ledvina et al. [2002], strongly demonstrate that the SED and associated SAID can cause debilitating scintillation levels for GPS receivers.
Core Flood Tests of In-Situ CO2 Generation Technology

In-situ CO2 generation technique (ISCGT) is designed to address CO2 flooding method’s shortcomings and makes CO2 flood method economical in the places where CO2 flooding is not feasible. The results of core-flood tests of in-situ CO2 generation technique are presented in this paper. The experiments were conducted to define effect of surfactants on recovery efficiency. The results demonstrated obvious advantages of the foamy system over the brine solution in order to achieve higher sweep efficiency and recovery coefficient.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Lipid mobilization assessment in transition dairy cattle using ultrasound image biomarkers

Excessive lipid mobilization during the transition period of dairy cows predisposes animals to higher disease incidence and reduces lactation performance. Plasma non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) are used as a marker of lipid mobilization intensity to monitor transition cow management and as a disease risk predictor. NEFA evaluation can be complemented by continuous monitoring of adipose tissue depth reductions during the transition period using ultrasound images of the retroperitoneal (RPAT) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (BFAT) depots. These image biomarkers are easily obtainable and their real time nature offers an important advantage that could help improve transition cow health programs. The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of both RPAT and BFAT ultrasound measurements as quantitative image biomarkers and its association with plasma NEFA. A longitudinal cohort study evaluated adipose image biomarkers in 44 Holstein cows in a commercial dairy herd. Ultrasound examination and blood samples collection were performed at 4 (dry) and 2–3 (close-up) weeks before expected calving date, and at 1 (calving) and 4 (lactation) weeks after parturition. Both RPAT and BFAT depth measurements were significantly lower at parturition and at the lactation samples compared to pre-calving measures and were negatively associated with plasma NEFA. Only BFAT predicted minimum concentrations of plasma NEFA before and after calving. The use BFAT as an image biomarker of lipid mobilization and its risk predictive value in other herds with different management styles requires further investigation.
PReMAS: Simulator for Resource Management

This paper reports on PReMAS, a simulator used for research on parallel scheduling, processor allocation, and task mapping for systems with rigid batch jobs scheduled with pure space sharing. PReMAS features an object-oriented design that has proven adaptible for a variety of research foci and is easily extendible to incorporate new resource management algorithms. We are making its code public to save others development time and to promote the reproducibility of resource management research. We discuss PReMAS's design and lessons learned in its development to promote greater discussion of the simulators underlying so much resource management research.
SPINK1 Promoter Variants Are Associated with Prostate Cancer Predisposing Alterations in Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Patients.

Background/Aim Several studies reported that patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) experienced a 10% increased incidence of prostate cancer (PCa) after the first 5 years of diagnosis. We investigated the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the promoter of Serine Protease Inhibitor Kazal Type 1 (SPINK1) and the increased risk of BPH and PCa.
From Racial Discrimination to Substance Use: The Buffering Effects of Racial Socialization

The experience of race-based discrimination may place African American youth at risk for substance use initiation and substance use disorders. This article examines the potential of parental racial socialization-a process by which parents convey messages to their children about race-to protect against the impact of racial discrimination on substance use outcomes. Focusing on stress as a major precipitating factor in substance use, the article postulates several possible mechanisms by which racial socialization might reduce stress and the subsequent risk for substance use. It discusses future research directions with the goal of realizing the promise of racial socialization as a resilience factor in African American and ethnic minority youth mental health.
Alternative source for marine geophysical exploration

Fundamental physics issues associated with low frequency sources, particularly when they are operated near the water surface, and why it is so difficult to achieve even a small fraction of the power that an air gun produces with electroacoustic other marine vibroseis technologies, are discussed. The power level achieved at 5m depth is about the same as in the free field at 25Hz, but at lower frequency it is attenuated and at higher frequencies it is boosted by the surface reflection. Studies were conducted to find that low frequency projectors just either produce large displacements or have large radiating areas, or both. The operating frequency of a transducer greatly affects the transducer size and effectiveness. To reduce the operating frequency, transducer is made less stiff. In air backed transducers, such as flex-tensionals, the operating frequency is lowered by reducing the mechanical stiffness of the flexing member.
Benzophenone UV-Photoinitiators Used in Food Packaging: Potential for Human Exposure and Health Risk Considerations

Chemicals that are used in ultraviolet (UV) print inks include benzophenone-based UV-photoinitiators used in printing the surface of food packaging, especially printed cartonboard. Since these inks are not used up in the printing process, these photoinitiators are available to migrate from the printed surface through porous cartonboard and secondary packaging to food and beverages. The UV-photoinitiators benzophenone (BP) and 4-methylbenzophenone (4-MBP) have been detected in paperboard packaging of a wide variety of foods, and migration studies and analysis of packaged foods indicate they can migrate from the packaging to foods and beverages. BP also has been detected in recycled paper fibers and recycled plastics, and can migrate from packaging both under room temperature and frozen storage conditions even when the food is not in direct contact with the packaging. There is limited information on the toxicology of these chemicals and their metabolism in animals or humans. While neither BP nor 4-MBP appears to be genotoxic, BP administration in rodent cancer bioassays indicates it is a possible human carcinogen. A metabolite of BP, 4-hydroxybenzophenone (4-OH BP), is estrogenic, but the estrogenicity of 4-MBP has not been evaluated. Both BP and 4-MBP have been detected in foods above regulatory specific migration limits and have been the subject of food recalls in Europe. Further research is needed on levels of UV-photoinitiators in food packaging in the global food supply and effective secondary packaging to prevent migration to foodstuffs. More extensive toxicological studies are needed on this class of chemicals to better determine potential risks to human populations.
Nonlinearly Related Measurement Scales

(1960). Nonlinearly Related Measurement Scales. The Journal of Psychology: Vol. 50, No. 2, pp. 399-402.
Spreading characteristics of thin liquid films of perfluoropolyalkylethers on solid surfaces. Effects of chain-end functionality and humidity

Spreading characteristics of thin liquid films of perfluoropolyalkyl ethers (PFPE) on silica surfaces and thermally bonded PFPE surfaces have been measured by scanning microellipsometer as function of molecular weight, chain-end functionality, and humidity. The effects of molecular weight are much smaller than those of chain-end functionality. Changes in spreading profiles with time show that interactions of chain-end groups with solid surfaces have dramatic effects on the structure and mobility of thin polymer films on solid surfaces. Wetting autophobicity is clearly manifested by PFPEs with functional chain-end groups on silica surfaces.
Statistical Distribution of Failure Stress Values from Superpave® Direct Tension Test

A statistically robust method was developed using the Weibull distribution to identify and eliminate outliers from the failure stress determinations. The method is applicable to any failure stress data set that follows the Weibull distribution; however, in this application, it was developed for the AASHTO standard test method for conducting the direct tension test (DTT). A large number of stress-at-failure measurements with the DTT were made in the course of instructing users of this device. These data, all for the same asphalt, provided the means for studying the nature of the distribution of the breaking strength of these asphalt specimens. The training database contains more than 900 data points. The current AASHTO practice of eliminating the lowest two stress values was found to be reasonable. However, it is an arbitrary method that may lead to problems in the future. On the basis of the results of this study, the procedure is recommended for use and implementation in the next AASHTO version of the DT...
High-resolution amplitude and phase gratings in atom optics

An atom-field geometry is chosen in which an atomic beam traverses a field interaction zone consisting of three fields, one having frequency $\Omega =c/\lambda $ propagating in the $\hat{z}$ direction and the other two having frequencies $\Omega +\delta_{1}$ and $\Omega +\delta_{2}$ propagating in the -$\hat{z}$ direction. For $n_{1}\delta_{1}+n_{2}\delta_{2}=0$ and $|\delta_{1}| T,|\delta_{2}| T\gg 1$, where $n_{1}$ and $n_{2}$ are positive integers and $T$ is the pulse duration in the atomic rest frame, the atom-field interaction results in the creation of atom amplitude and phase gratings having period $% \lambda /[2(n_{1}+n_{2})]$. In this manner, one can use optical fields having wavelength $\lambda $ to produce atom gratings having periodicity much less than $\lambda $.
Backgrounds in H → WW(*) → ℓνℓν with ATLAS

We present techniques used to estimate the backgrounds in the search for the Standard Model Higgs boson in the H → WW (*) → lνlν decay channel with the ATLAS experiment at the LHC. The dataset corresponds to 13 fb−1 of integrated luminosity taken at a center of mass energy of 8 TeV. Only the final states with an electron, muon, and zero or one jet are presented here.