cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characteristics of Older Adults Who Were Early Adopters of Medical Cannabis in the Florida Medical Marijuana Use Registry

Use of medical marijuana is increasing in the United States and older adults are the fastest growing user group. There is little information about the characteristics and outcomes related to medical marijuana use. This study is a descriptive analysis of older adults (aged ≥50 years old) who were early adopters of a medical marijuana program in the U.S. state of Florida. Per state legislation, initial and follow-up treatment plans were submitted to the University of Florida College of Pharmacy. Data collection included demographics, clinical history, medical conditions, substance use history, prescription history, and health status. Follow-up treatment plans noted changes in the chief complaint and actions taken since the initial visit. Of the state's 7548 registered users between August 2016 and July 2017, N = 4447 (58.9%) were older adults. Patients utilized cannabidiol (CBD)-only preparations (45%), preparations that had both tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and CBD (33.3%) or were recorded to use both CBD-only and THC + CBD products (21.7%). The chief complaints indicating medical cannabis treatment were musculoskeletal disorders and spasms (48.4%) and chronic pain (45.4%). Among other prescription medications, patients utilized antidepressants (23.8%), anxiolytics and benzodiazepines (23.5%), opioids (28.6%), and cardiovascular agents (27.9%). Among all drug classes with potential sedating effects, 44.8% of the cohort were exposed to at least one. Patients with follow-up visits (27.5%) exhibited marked improvement as assessed by the authorizing physicians. However, the patient registry lacked detailed records and linkable information to other data resources to achieve complete follow up in order to assess safety or efficacy. Future improvements to registries are needed to more adequately capture patient information to fill knowledge gaps related to the safety and effectiveness of medical marijuana, particularly in the older adult population.
An Economic Model for Quantum Key-Recovery Attacks against Ideal Ciphers.

It has been established that quantum algorithms can solve several key cryptographic problems more efficiently than classical computers. As progress continues in the field of quantum computing it is important to understand the risks they pose to deployed cryptographic systems. Here we focus on one of these risks - quantum key-recovery attacks against ideal ciphers. Specifically, we seek to model the risk posed by an economically motivated quantum attacker who will choose to run a quantum key-recovery attack against an ideal cipher if the cost to recover the secret key is less than the value of the information at the time when the key-recovery attack is complete. In our analysis we introduce the concept of a quantum cipher circuit year to measure the cost of a quantum attack. This concept can be used to model the inherent tradeoff between the total time to run a quantum key recovery attack and the total work required to run said attack. Our model incorporates the time value of the encrypted information to predict whether any time/work tradeoff results in a key-recovery attack with positive utility for the attacker. We make these predictions under various projections of advances in quantum computing. We use these predictions to make recommendations for the future use and deployment of symmetric key ciphers to secure information against these quantum key-recovery attacks. We argue that, even with optimistic predictions for advances in quantum computing, 128 bit keys (as used in common cipher implementations like AES-128) provide adequate security against quantum attacks in almost all use cases.
Estimating a Set of Mortality Risk Functions with Multiple Contributing Causes of Death

Background There are few methodologic examples of how multiple causes of death may be summarized in cause-specific mortality analyses to address limitations of attributing death to a single underlying cause. We propose a cause-of-death weighting approach to estimate the set of risk functions of specific causes of mortality using both underlying and contributing cause-of-death information. Methods We constructed weights according to a user-specified function. Using data from four southern US human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) clinics, we constructed a cause of death-weighted Aalen-Johansen estimator of the cumulative incidence function to estimate risks of five specific causes of mortality in the full sample and by injection drug use history. Results Among 7740 HIV-positive patients initiating antiretroviral therapy between 1999 and 2014, the 8-year risk of all-cause mortality was 17.5% [95% confidence interval (CI) = 16.5, 18.4]. The cause of death-weighted risk of HIV-related mortality was 6.7% (95% CI = 6.0, 7.3) and accounted for 39% (95% CI = 35, 42) of total mortality risk. This compared with 10.2% (95% CI = 9.2, 11.2) using only the underlying cause, in which case HIV-related deaths accounted for nearly 60% of total mortality risk. The proportion attributable to cardiovascular disease among those whose HIV risk factor was injection drug use was twice as high using cause-of-death weights compared with only the underlying cause (8%; 95% CI = 5, 11 vs 4%; 95% CI = 1, 6). Conclusion Using cause of death-weighted estimators to incorporate multiple causes of death may yield different conclusions regarding the importance of certain causes of mortality. See video abstract: http://links.lww.com/EDE/B706.
Out-of-pile and postirradiated examination of lanthanide and lanthanide-palladium interactions for metallic fuel

Abstract Palladium is being investigated as a fuel additive to bind with and potentially immobilize lanthanide fission products. A primary cause of fuel-cladding chemical interaction (FCCI) is the lanthanide fission products migrating to the fuel periphery and interacting with the cladding. This interaction will lead to wastage of the cladding and eventually to a cladding breach. Palladium has previously been identified as a promising additive used to prevent or decrease FCCI by reacting with the lanthanide fission products. In the current study, an alloy cast from the four highest abundant lanthanides found in irradiated metallic fuel, Nd, Ce, Pr, and La, with and without Pd, has been characterized using neutron diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and electron probe microanalysis. In the lanthanide-Pd intermetallic compounds, all of the constituent compounds, i.e. Nd-Pd, Ce-Pd, La-Pd and Pr-Pd are known. There is very good agreement, both structurally and compositionally, between the out-of-pile lanthanide alloy and lanthanide fission products characterized in irradiated fuels. In both cases, the lanthanide elements form a solid solution in a hexagonal crystal structure. The out-of-pile lanthanide alloy follows Vegard's Law, with the measured and calculated (weighted average of constituents) lattice parameters being within 1% for both the a and c parameters. Pd bonds with the lanthanides (Ln) forming the phases LnPd and Ln7Pd3. The results indicate the properties of lanthanide compounds in irradiated metallic fuel can be reliably simulated in out-of-pile experiments.
Autism Spectrum Disorder and child maltreatment: forensic considerations

Abstract Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by difficulties in communication, social interactions, and behavioral challenges in the form of restricted interests and repetitive behaviors (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). These symptoms and behaviors, while occurring along a wide spectrum and varying in presentation between youth, contribute to a range of impairment in several domains of functioning (e.g., social, occupational). The following chapter will review research suggesting that those diagnosed with ASD may be more vulnerable to experience maltreatment at higher rates and the issues related to accurate tracking of the prevalence of maltreatment, how presentations associated with ASD may complicate investigation and contribute to certain outcomes, and relevant forensic considerations pertaining to both criminal investigation and child protective services involvement.
State Level Poverty Rates, Rurality, Economic Freedom and Labor Market Regulation

Many US local economic development strategies rely on tax and other monetary incentives to attract employers. This study looks at whether other incentives related to “economic freedom” and labor market regulation could also improve local conditions. Two measures developed by Murphy (JRAP, 2020) are used to proxy these incentives. Using 2019 cross sectional state level data, from least squares estimates it appears that such incentives can reduce state level poverty rates. Some policy implications are discussed, including for the recently enacted federal Opportunity Zone policy.
The Evolving Post-PCI Antithrombotic Therapies.

Prolonged dual antiplatelet therapy is the treatment of choice for patients with an acute coronary syndrome who have undergone percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with a drug-eluting stent.1,2...
Case 31: A Seriously Ill Patient

You are working in a Swedish mission hospital in Kerala. This is a farming district in the southern part of India.
Aerodynamic of Nonuniform Flows as Related to an Airfoil Extending Through a Circular Jet

A method has been derived for the determination of the downwash in the field of an airfoil extending through a circular jet. This solution for values of downwash was then employed in lifting surface theory to determine the lift distribution on a wing extending through a circular jet. The basic approach for the downwash solution was to consider the flow resulting from the viscous action of the vortex sheet constituting the jet boundary. The method of solution is essentially based on a division of the flow thus induced by this jet boundary into parts which are even and odd with respect to the direction of flow. The analysis due to the even part alone is similar to previous theories, which in effect disregarded the odd part. Such previous results for the lift distribution based on the even part alone differ considerably from the experimental values. The results based on the total of the even and odd parts show good agreement with the experiments, illustrating the necessity of including the odd part of the flow when the segment of the wing immersed in the jet is of low aspect ratio. The problem has been solved in parametric form, so that the results may be employed to determine the characteristics of any geometry wing-jet combination at any jet velocity ratio.
Producing a One-Way Hash Function from DES

This paper deals with compressing messages via a one-way hash function before creating a digital signature. Three previous suggestions for doing this using DES are shown to be insecure. A fourth suggestion is proposed for further study.
Principles and Patterns of Protein Conformation

The raw materials of protein structure are the detailed geometry and chemistry of the polypeptide and side chains plus the solvent environment. The end result is a complex tapestry of details organized into a biologically meaningful whole: a variation on one of a few harmonious themes of three-dimensional structure. For the purposes of prediction we are not concerned primarily with either of the endpoints of this process but with the logical connection between the two. Therefore, we summarize what is known of that logical connection into a set of guiding principles: hydrophobicity, hydrogen bonding, handedness, history, and the tension between hierarchy and interrelatedness. In addition, we consider particularly relevant features of the starting and ending states. However, one should bear in mind, as cartooned in Fig. 1, that our abilities to follow the protein through this remarkable transition are still rather limited in both the experimental and the theoritical realms.
The ryanodine receptor in cardiac physiology and disease.

According to the American Heart Association it is estimated that the United States will spend close to $39 billion in 2010 to treat over five million Americans suffering from heart failure. Patients with heart failure suffer from dyspnea and decreased exercised tolerance and are at increased risk for fatal ventricular arrhythmias. Food and Drug Administration -approved pharmacologic therapies for heart failure include diuretics, inhibitors of the renin–angiotensin system, and β-adrenergic receptor antagonists. Over the past 20 years advances in the field of ryanodine receptor (RyR2)/calcium release channel research have greatly advanced our understanding of cardiac physiology and the pathogenesis of heart failure and arrhythmias. Here we review the key observations, controversies, and discoveries that have led to the development of novel compounds targeting the RyR2/calcium release channel for treating heart failure and for preventing lethal arrhythmias.
Trajectory Guidance Using Periodic Relative Orbital Motion

Relative motion of one satellite about another in circular orbit, where the two objects have the same semimajor axis, is periodic in the linearized approximation. A set of orbital elements, the geometric relative orbital elements, which are an exact geometric analogy to the classical orbital elements, can be defined. The relative orbit is manifestly seen to be an ellipse or circle in apocentral coordinates, analogous to perifocal coordinates in inertial motion and different from the local-vertical local-horizontal Cartesian coordinates customarily used for analysis of relative motion problems. These provide a way to do relative motion trajectory design and guidance that stands in contrast to the use of Cartesian coordinates. Algorithms are presented for computing the delta-v and timing for impulsive maneuvers to change a single element: two that change the plane and one that changes the size of the relative orbit. The change in size is a two-maneuver transfer and uses the solution of the three-point perio...
"What Do You Do All Day?!": Navigating the Challenges of School Leadership as an Early Career Principal.

Multiple and complex issues simultaneously present themselves for the principal’s attention. Learning how to identify, prioritize, synthesize, and act in relation to these issues poses a particular challenge to early career principals. This case study engages aspiring and current school leaders in critical reflection upon leadership opportunities and practices in a simulated setting that elicits challenges commonly experienced by early career principals. Discussion questions integrate educational leadership research specific to the case issues. Activity suggestions focus on use of the case as a collaborative assessment in an educational leadership admissions process, midpoint review, or course; as a self-assessment; and in supervision of principals.
HNRNPA2B1 Is a Mediator of m6A-Dependent Nuclear RNA Processing Events

N(6)-methyladenosine (m(6)A) is the most abundant internal modification of messenger RNA. While the presence of m(6)A on transcripts can impact nuclear RNA fates, a reader of this mark that mediates processing of nuclear transcripts has not been identified. We find that the RNA-binding protein HNRNPA2B1 binds m(6)A-bearing RNAs in vivo and in vitro and its biochemical footprint matches the m(6)A consensus motif. HNRNPA2B1 directly binds a set of nuclear transcripts and elicits similar alternative splicing effects as the m(6)A writer METTL3. Moreover, HNRNPA2B1 binds to m(6)A marks in a subset of primary miRNA transcripts, interacts with the microRNA Microprocessor complex protein DGCR8, and promotes primary miRNA processing. Also, HNRNPA2B1 loss and METTL3 depletion cause similar processing defects for these pri-miRNA precursors. We propose HNRNPA2B1 to be a nuclear reader of the m(6)A mark and to mediate, in part, this mark's effects on primary microRNA processing and alternative splicing. PAPERCLIP.
The chemical industry's impact on the health of its workers.

The chemical industry's vast economic and technologic achievements pervade modern society, and it is not surprising that its operations have caused serious health and environmental problems. Although the extent of these problems is unknown, recognition that 20% or more of established human carcinogens derive from chemical industry activities,1,2 episodes of unintentional but disastrous toxic emissions from manufacturing facil? ities3"5 and other events have focused concern on un? derstanding and minimizing the health and environ? mental impact of the production, storage, use and disposal of chemicals. In this issue, Greenberg et al.6 present the first com? prehensive meta-analysis of data from follow-up studies of mortality and cancer incidence among chemical in? dustry workers in the United States, Canada and West? ern Europe. Their research encompasses 32 years of epidemiologic research. It covers 185 papers published from 1966 through 1997 and includes over one million workers with over 15 million person-years of follow-up. Their results confirm that exposure to carcinogens in the industry has increased workers' risk of certain forms of cancer and indicate that exposures in the industry have not had a discernible adverse effect on other fatal diseases. The approach used by Greenberg et al. to select ap? propriate publications from the pertinent research is reasonable, their evaluation of study quality is laudable, and their analytic procedures are for the most part suitably probing. The results most likely to be controversial are those pertaining to cancer. Greenberg et al. report a meta-standardized mortality ratio (meta-SMR) above 100 for 15 of 22 cancer categories. The increases in observed over expected numbers of deaths are modest, ranging from 2 to 62% for cancers of the larynx, lung, bladder, brain, thyroid, lymphohematopoietic tissue and several other sites. The meaning of these increases is uncertain because of their small size and because of other limitations noted by Greenberg etal., the most problematic of which are exposure diversity, publication and
Sensory holism and functionalism

I defend the possibility of a functional account of the intrinsic qualities of sensory experience against the claim that functional characterization can only describe such qualities to the level of isomorphism of relational structures on those qualities. A form sensory holism might be true concerning the phenomenal, and this holism would account for some antifunctionalist intuition evoked by inverted spectrum and absent qualia arguments. Sensory holism is compatible with the correctness of functionalism about the phenomenal.
The KWIC index concept: A retrospective view

This paper defines and describes the KWIC (keyword in context) index concept, providing a history of the concept and of its literature. It discusses variations of the index, such as the Bell Telephone Index, KWOC indexes, and the WADEX. The paper discusses improvements and variations to the KWIC index, such as manipulation of the index line, variations of the code, addition of classification information, combination of author index and title index, and improvements of the type face. It also discusses improvements to the preparation of the KWIC indexes, such as improvement of titles and use of a thesaurus, and discusses improvement of the use of the KWIC index. The paper discusses the usage of the KWIC index and comments on the future of KWIC indexes and of the KWIC concept.
5α-reductase inhibitors in benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer risk reduction

Androgens play an essential role in prostatic development and function, but are also involved in prostate disease pathogenesis. The primary prostatic androgen, dihydrotestosterone (DHT), is synthesized from testosterone by 5α-reductase types 1 and 2. Inhibition of the 5α-reductase isoenzymes therefore has potential therapeutic benefit in prostate disease. The two currently approved 5α-reductase inhibitors (5ARIs), finasteride and dutasteride, have demonstrated long-term efficacy and safety in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia. Finasteride, a type-2 5ARI, has also been studied for its ability to reduce the incidence of biopsy-detectable prostate cancer in the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial. Treatment with dutasteride, a dual 5ARI, has been shown to result in a greater degree and consistency of DHT suppression compared with finasteride. Two large-scale studies of dutasteride are currently investigating the role of near-maximal DHT suppression in the settings of prostate cancer risk reduction and expectant management of localized prostate cancer.
Neural spike renormalization. Part II - Multiversal chaos

Abstract Reported here for the first time is a chaotic infinite-dimensional system which contains infinitely many copies of every deterministic and stochastic dynamical system of all finite dimensions. The system is the renormalizing operator of spike maps that was used in a previous paper to show that the first natural number 1 is a universal constant in the generation of metastable and plastic spike-bursts of a class of circuit models of neurons.
Explaining why this body gives rise to me qua subject instead of someone else: an argument for classical substance dualism

Since something cannot be conscious without being a conscious subject, a complete physicalist explanation of consciousness must resolve an issue first raised by Thomas Nagel, namely to explain why a particular mass of atoms that comprises my body gives rise to me as conscious subject, rather than someone else. In this essay, I describe a thought-experiment that suggests that physicalism lacks the resources to address Nagel's question and seems to pose a counter-example to any form of non-reductive physicalism relying on the mind–body supervenience thesis, which would include William Hasker's emergent dualism. Since the particular thought-experiment does not pose any problems for classical substance dualism (CSD) and since the problem, as I call it, of explaining subjectivity is the central problem of mind, I conclude that CSD is better supported than any form of non-reductive physicalism.
Shell effects at high spin in the γ-continuum from Te evaporation residues

Abstract The continuum γ-ray spectra following 110 Pd ( 12 C , x n γ) Te and 82 Se ( 40 Ar , x n γ) Te reactions at several bombarding energies have been measured. As in earlier studies, the spectra show three main components: (i) discrete transitions in the ground band, (ii) a yrast “bump”, and (iii) a high-energy statistical tail. In addition, there appears to be a minimum in the spectrum before the yrast bump. The existence of this minimum and of the two peaks of discrete γ - ray transitions indicate a non-rotational structure for the nuclei at low spin (≦30) before changing at higher spin to the rotational behavior suggested by the bump itself. Theoretical calculations including shell effects do show this type of behavior.
Flight testing a highly flexible aircraft - Case study on the MIT Light Eagle

This paper describes the techniques developed for a flight test program of a human powered aircraft, the application of these techniques in the winter of 1987/88 and the results of the flight testing. A system of sensors, signal conditioning and data recording equipment was developed and installed in the aircraft. Flight test maneuvers which do not exceed the aircraft's limited capability were developed and refined in an iterative sequence of test flights. The test procedures were adjusted to yield maximum data quality from the point of view of estimating lateral and longitudinal stability derivatives. Structural flexibility and unsteady aerodynamics are modeled in an ad hoc manner, capturing the effects observed during the test flights. A model with flexibility-extended equations of motion is presented. Results of maneuvers that were flown are compared with the predictions of that model and analyzed. Finally the results of the flight test program are examined critically, especially with respect to future applications, and suggestions are made in order to improve maneuvers for parameter estimation of very flexible aircraft.
Hearing loss and hearing aid treatment options.

Hearing loss is a common problem that impacts quality of life for the patient, family members, and caretakers. Unfortunately, hearing loss is often undiagnosed and untreated. This article summarizes symptoms of typical hearing loss associated with aging and simple screening procedures that can be implemented into a primary care practice. In addition, hearing aid treatment options, including monaural or binaural fitting, size and style, and circuitry and feature options, are reviewed.
Interface formation and growth of InSb on Si(100).

High-energy electron diffraction, Auger spectroscopy, photoemission, and x-ray diffraction were used to study the interface and subsequent growth of InSb on vicinal (4{degree} off) and on-axis Si(100). During the initial stages of molecular-beam epitaxy at 410 {degree}C, we examined the In, Sb, and Si core levels as a function of In and Sb coverage and deposition order. Based on these results, a model for interface formation is developed. Thicker coverage results of coevaporated InSb are discussed in light of the interfacial analyses.
Preoperative evaluation for partial laryngectomy

The object of this study was to determine if pulmonary function tests were necessary in the preoperative evaluation of potential candidates for conservation laryngeal procedures. In addition, pulmonary complications from a series of partial laryngectomies were examined and correlated with a previous history of chronic obstructive lung disease. Ninety-four patients with laryngeal tumors amenable to a partial procedure were assessed preoperatively by testing their pulmonary function by stair-climbing; they were considered to possess enough pulmonary function to permit a partial procedure. Pulmonary function tests were obtained in 69 of these patients. Measurements of vital capacity and forced expiratory volume in 1-second were reviewed and correlated with the postoperative development of pulmonary complications to determine if these tests of pulmonary function could reliably predict which patients would be more prone to developing pulmonary complications. The results indicated that pulmonary function tests or a prior history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) could not reliably predict postoperative complications.
Development of a Mobile Preventive Notification System (PreNotiS)

The tasks achievable by mobile handsets continuously exceed our imagination. Statistics show that the mobile phone sales are soaring, rising exponentially year after year with predictions being that they will rise to a billion units in 2009, with a large section of these being smartphones. Mobile service providers, mobile application developers and researchers have been working closely over the past decade to bring about revolutionary and hardware and software advancements in hand-sets such as embedded digital camera, large memory capacity, accelerometer, touch sensitive screens, GPS, WiFi capabilities etc. as well as in the network infrastructure to support these features. Recently we presented a multi-platform, massive data collection system from distributive sources such as cell phone users 1 called PreNotiS. This technology was intended to significantly simplify the response to the events and help e.g. special agencies to gather crucial information in time and respond as quickly as possible to prevent or contain potential emergency situations and act as a massive, centralized evidence collection mechanism that effectively exploits the advancements in mobile application development platforms and the existing network infrastructure to present an easy-touse, fast and effective tool to mobile phone users. We successfully demonstrated the functionality of the client-server application suite to post user information onto the server. This paper presents a new version of the system PreNotiS, with a revised client application and with all new server capabilities. PreNotiS still puts forth the idea of having a fast, efficient client-server based application suite for mobile phones which through a highly simplified user interface will collect security/calamity based information in a structured format from first responders and relay that structured information to a central server where this data is sorted into a database in a predefined manner. This information which includes selections, images and text will be instantly available to authorities and action forces through a secure web portal thus helping them to make decisions in a timely and prompt manner. All the cell phones have self-localizing capability according to FCC E911 2 mandate, thus the communicated information can be further tagged automatically by location and time information at the server making all this information available through the secure web-portal.
Mlle de Chartres at the Jeweller's Shop: Knowledge and Commerce in La Princesse de Clèves

Paul Verlaine's Romances sans paroles (1874) can be described as a bisexual text in its autobiographical origins: most of the poems are inspired by, or depict, either the poet's heterosexual relationship with his wife or his homosexual relationship with poet Arthur Rimbaud. How is this bisexuality inscribed into the text? Is there such a thing as « une ecriture bisexuelle » which not only transcends the biographical and thematic, but also breaks away from traditional sexual binaries? A section in Cixous'La Jeune Nee, entitled « le masculin futur », provides one theoretical starting point. Grammatical forms-pronouns, nominalised verbal forms, gender-revealing adjectives-are some of the many linguistic features wich produce a blurring of gendered identity. Verlaine's bixesual writing reveals an erasure of the traditional masculine markers, both in grammatical forms, and in the way it privileges and valorizes the feminine, submitting the body to sensation and emotion.
Perturbation Boundary Element Method for Heterogeneous Reservoirs: Part 1-Steady-State Flow Problems

A perturbation boundary element method (BEM) for steady-state flow problems in heterogeneous media is developed, and various aspects of the model are tested. The perturbation series obtained by the BEM gives the complete solution for the original governing equation. For highly heterogeneous problems, Pade approximants are effective to accelerate the rate of convergence and to convert a divergent series into a convergent solution. Because the model does not suffer from numerical dispersion and grid orientation effects, it is possible to track streamlines accurately.
The therapeutic dilemma with Canadian native youth in residential care

The purpose of this paper is to examine the conceptual framework and subsequent treatment strategies that seem to inadvertently create a psychological dichotomization in Canadian Indian young people who are placed in mainstream residential care facilities. Based on a non-Native value system, conventional treatment approaches attempt to alter the young person's attitude and behavior to an acceptable standard defined by the dominant society. Unfortunately, these efforts often result in the opposite effect. This paper will draw upon distinctions that exist between Native and non-Native cultures, while integrating Freud's position regarding the conflict of realities and ego-splitting. Finally, implications of providing mainstream residential services to the Native population will be addressed.
Large sample inference based on multiple observations from nonlinear autoregressive processes

Abstract A test of homogeneity is derived for testing the quality of the parameters in several independent nonlinear autoregressive processes. Also, the joint limit distribution of the least squares estimators of the parameters based on multiple observations from a threshold autoregressive process is derived when the number of replications of the realization increases and the number of time points remains fixed. The case when the number of time points increases is also considered.
High Rate Deposition of High Quality ZnO:Al by Filtered Cathodic Arc

High quality ZnO:Al (AZO) thin films were prepared on glass substrates by direct current filtered cathodic arc deposition. Substrate temperature was varied from room temperature to 425oC, and samples were grown with and without the assistance of low power oxygen plasma (75W). For each growth condition, at least 3 samples were grown to give a statistical look at the effect of the growth environment on the film properties and to explore the reproducibility of the technique. Growth rate was in the 100-400 nm/min range but was apparently random and could not be easily traced to the growth conditions explored. For optimized growth conditions, 300-600 nm AZO films had resistivities of 3-6 x 10-4 ?Omega cm, carrier concentrations in the range of 2-4 x 1020 cm3, Hall mobility as high as 55 cm2/Vs, and optical transmittance greater than 90percent. These films are also highly oriented with the c-axis perpendicular to the substrate and a surface roughness of 2-4 nm.
Developmental expression of glucose and triose phosphate isomerase genes in teleost fishes (brachydanio).

The ontogeny of glucosephosphate isomerase (GPI; E.C. 5.3.1.9) and triosephosphate isomerase (TPI; E.C. 5.3.1.1) isozymes in Brachydanio rerio, (zebra danio), B. albolineatus (pearl danio) and hybrids formed by their reciprocal crosses were examined by electrophoretic and spectrophotometric methods. The two species showed virtually identical adult, tissue-specific distributions and developmental progressions for both GPI and TPI isozymes. The Gpi-A and Tpi-B loci were expressed in all tissues studied. The Gpi-B locus was predominantly expressed in skeletal muscle and the Tpi-A locus in eye, brain and ovary. The GPI-A2, TPI-A2, TPI-AB and TPI-B2 isozymes were continuously expressed from fertilization through 5 days postfertilization. The GPI-B2 isozyme initially appeared at 35 hours postfertilization, temporally correlating with the early differentiation of trunk somite myoblasts. Spectrophotometric analysis of total GPI showed fluctuations in activity through 48 hours, followed by a steady increase through 4 days postfertilization. Total TPI showed increased activity by the end of gastrulation and a sharp rise in activity beginning at 25 hours postfertilization. Embryos of reciprocal hybrids between B. rerio and B. albolineatus showed that isozymes derived from the activation of the paternal Tpi-B, Gpi-A and Tpi-A alleles were initially detected at 20, 25, and 48 hours following fertilization, respectively. The maternal and paternal isozymes of the Gpi-B locus were synchronously expressed at 35 hours postfertilization. The pattern of GPI-B2 expression in hybrids followed a pattern similar to that in intraspecific crosses. Exposure of B. rerio embryos to pulses of actinomycin D at various stages prior to 35 hours postfertilization showed that messenger RNA encoding the GPI-B2 isozyme was first transcribed over a 14-hour interval initiated during mid-gastrulation. Translation of the GPI-B2 message occurred during a 13-hour period immediately preceding the embryonic expression of the GPI-B2 isozyme. Our studies with Brachydanio indicate that several gene loci are activated at gastrulation and transcribe messenger RNA molecules coding for histospecific isozymes associated with later stages of organogenesis.
Determination of the nontraditional lay-up influence and loading configuration on fatigue damage development under bearing/bypass loading conditions using radiography

This article presents the effects of several variables on the damage progression within a mechanically fastened graphite/epoxy composite joint. The variables included the composite lay-up, loading configuration (single shear vs. double shear), R-value, stress level, and damage mechanisms observed in each specimen. In situ X-ray of the individual laminates recorded the extent of damage, mostly longitudinal splitting and bearing delamination, as a function of the cycle count. The following lay-ups were investigated: [04/45/03/90/0]s, [45/90/−45/02/45/02/−45/0]s, [±5/65/(±5)2/−65/±5]s, and [±5/65/(±5)2/−65/5/65]s. All of these lay-ups are considered to be ‘hard’ lay-ups, much stiffer in the 0° direction than in the 90° direction. The stress levels at which detectable damage develops was determined. The researchers chose to apply 50,000 cycles at each stress level. Once damage was detected, the stress level was typically raised to 17.25 MPa (2.5 ksi). Another 50,000 cycles was then applied until the bolt hole...
Knowledge and success from ability

This paper argues that knowledge is an instance of a more general and familiar normative kind—that of success through ability (or success through excellence, or success through virtue). This thesis is developed in the context of three themes prominent in the recent literature: that knowledge attributions are somehow context sensitive; that knowledge is intimately related to practical reasoning; and that one purpose of the concept of knowledge is to flag good sources of information. Wedding these themes to the proposed account helps to explain a wide range of standard Gettier problems. It also helps to explain barn facade cases, which require a different kind of treatment.
Platinabenzenes: Synthesis, Properties, and Reactivity Studies of a Rare Class of Metalla-aromatics†

Lithium−halogen exchange of (Z)-1,2-diphenyl-3-(2-iodoethenyl)cyclopropene (1) and subsequent addition to (η4-1,5-cod)PtCl2 yields the platinabenzene (η5-C5H3Ph2)[PtC5H3Ph2] (7), in which the metallacyclic ring and C5H3Ph2 (Cp′) unit are both derived from the cyclopropene skeleton. Starting instead with (η5-C5Me5)Pt(CO)I, treatment with three nucleophilic (Z)-3-(2-lithiovinyl)cyclopropenes provides platinabenzenes (η5-C5Me5)[PtC5H3PhR] (R = Ph (8), t-Bu (9), Me (10)) in low to modest yield. All platinabenzenes have been fully characterized by NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography. Intermediate σ-vinyl complexes (η5-C5Me5)Pt(σ-C5H3PhR) (R = Ph (14), t-Bu (15)) are also isolated from the reaction mixtures and convert cleanly to the corresponding platinabenzenes in near quantitative yield. Reactivity studies of (η5-C5Me5)[PtC5H3Ph2] with a variety of reagents/conditions are also reported.
Rho mesons in the Skyrme model

In this article it is shown that the \ensuremath{\rho} meson can be included in the Skyrme model in a simple, chirally invariant way. Solutions are obtained for the static soliton and time-dependent spinning soliton configurations of the coupled \ensuremath{\rho} and pion fields. Expressions are derived for the vector and axial-vector currents, and predictions are obtained for static properties of the proton and neutron. These predictions are a few percent better than the corresponding predictions of the massive-pion Skyrme model.
Klinefelter's syndrome.

A 29 year old man presented to primary care with anxiety and depression that had worsened since childhood. Further questioning revealed a history of poor school performance, poor body image, and poor self esteem. On physical examination, the patient’s height was 189 cm and he had narrow shoulders, wide hips, sparse facial hair (which he shaved once every two months), and small, firm testicles. He was found to have elevated luteinising hormone and follicular stimulating hormone concentrations, low serum concentrations of testosterone, absent sperm on semen analysis, and a karyotype of 47,XXY. Klinefelter’s syndrome is the clinical result of an additional X chromosome in males (47,XXY), although other chromosome abnormalities (such as 46,XY/47,XXY mosaicism; 48,XXXY; 49,XXXXY) account for 10-20% of cases.1 2 Classic clinical findings include infertility, small testes, hypergonadotropic hypogonadism (elevated luteinising hormone and follicular stimulating hormone concentrations with low or low to normal testosterone concentrations), decreased facial and body hair, gynecomastia, tall stature with eunuchoid features, and psychosocial morbidity.1 3 #### How common is Klinefelter’s syndrome?
Evaluation of pediatric nephrolithiasis

Nephrolithiasis in the pediatric population is an important cause of morbidity worldwide. Presenting signs and symptoms are often considerably different from those in adults. Vague abdominal pain, hematuria, and urinary tract infection are more common in children than the classic colicky flank pain. Imaging of suspected cases should be undertaken with careful consideration of diagnostic accuracy and the potentially harmful effects of ionizing radiation. Because children with nephrolithiasis have a high chance of recurrent stone formation, a thorough risk assessment and metabolic evaluation should be performed. This review discusses the presentation, acute evaluation and risk assessment of nephrolithiasis in the pediatric population.
Root phenotypic characterization of lesquerella genetic resources

Abstract Root systems are crucial for optimizing plant growth and productivity. There has been a push to better understand root morphological and architectural traits and their plasticity because these traits determine the capacity of plants to effectively acquire available water and soil nutrients in the soil profile. In this study, two sets of germplasm materials were used to investigate the root system of the new oilseed crop Physaria fendleri (syn. Lesquerella fendleri ) and gather preliminary information on available variability in root traits of the taxa and determine their response to temperature previously found optimal for above ground biomass development in the field. One experiment consisted of eighteen Physaria accessions grown in germination pouches for 21 days under two temperature treatments (21/13 °C and at 30/21 °C) then screened for nine root system parameters. Substantial variation in root length was found within the taxon. Apical root length was plastic in response to temperature with plants growing longer apical root zones when grown at a higher temperature and no difference in other root variables associated with temperature. The second experiment consisted of three accessions of P. fendleri and two of its sister genus Paysonia grown for 60 days in the greenhouse. Root trait analyses indicated that total root length, root length density, specific surface area and diameter differed between the two genera. Two accessions of P. fendleri , WCL-LO4 and PI 596456, were represented in both laboratory and greenhouse experiments. PI 596456 exhibited greater root:shoot ratio and root mass ratio than WCL-LO4 in both growth environments. This root trait screening in P. fendleri and Paysonia provided initial information in lesquerella as basis for future genetic and/or physiological studies relating to its root system.
Landscape fragmentation and dispersal in a model of riparian forest dynamics

Abstract Although several computer simulation models of forest tree growth have been developed at the stand level, they do not address the impact of mainland landscape structure and forest fragmentation on the forest dynamics of spatially extensive areas. To model forest dynamics at the landscape level, a model must explicity consider the dispersibility of tree species within the landscape. A computer simulation model, seedflo , is constructed which models tree species dispersal based on empirical evidence. The analyses test the hypothesis that a model with seed dispersal differs in its projections from a model that assumes ubiquitous dispersal. For species in a riparian corridor, seedflo projects lower diversity in more fragmented landscapes and increases the abundance of those species with higher dispersal probabilities, especially bird-dispersed species, and toward species with average dispersal abilities which normally compete with species with low dispersal probabilities. The effects of considering landscape fragmentation and dispersal are amplified when environmental stress, in this case flooding, is increased. The results conform to theoretical expectations and indicate that seed dispersal should be incorporated in landscape simulation models.
What were they thinking? The Federal Reserve in the run-up to the 2008 financial crisis

ABSTRACTThe Federal Reserve (the Fed) is responsible for monitoring, analyzing and ultimately stabilizing US financial markets. It also has unrivalled access to economic data, high-level connections to financial institutions, and a large staff of professionally trained economists. Why then was it apparently unconcerned by the financial developments that are now widely recognized to have caused the 2008 financial crisis? Using a wide range of Fed documents from the pre-crisis period, particularly the transcripts of meetings of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), this paper shows that Fed policymakers and staff were aware of relevant developments in financial markets, but paid infrequent attention to them and disregarded significant systemic threats. Drawing on literatures in economics, political science and sociology, the paper then demonstrates that the Fed's intellectual paradigm in the years before the crisis focused on ‘post hoc interventionism’ – the institution's ability to limit the fallout sh...
THYROID METABOLISM IN CHILDREN AND ADULTS USING VERY SMALL (NANOCURIE) DOSES OF IODINE125 AND IODINE131

Abstract—In addition to its medical importance, I131 is of interest because it is produced in large amounts in nuclear explosions and can deposit in the human thyroid via the food chain. Thyroid radio-iodine content is detectable by current human counting systems if over 50 pc. These facts, plus the need for uptake data on children, have prompted our investigation of a technique for measuring thyroid metabolism using doses of about 10 nc. An 8 × 4-in. NaI (Tl) spectrometer is used. Correction for thyroid depth in neck tissue is made using a mixture of 8-day I131 and 60-day I125; the ratio of the 27-keV X-radiation to the 364-keV γ-radiation detected by the afystal is a function of thyroid depth. Results on six normal adults show uptake at 7 days ranges from 15 to 29 per cent and on eight normal children from 9.5 to 27 per cent. Biological half-times are similar (roughly 100 days) at this writing.
Environmental sampling of lead near a battery reprocessing factory

Exposed workers in lead smelting plants and lead storage battery factories have reported illnesses related to inhalation of lead oxide fumes. The residential community of La Gloria, a town of about 15,000 people located approximately 13 km southwest of Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico was an area where residents were concerned about possible health effects and environmental contamination from lead due to the proximity of battery factory that used lead oxide in the battery grid separation procedure. This study was undertaken to investigate the lead levels in the soil, plant and water collected in various areas around this battery reprocessing plant.
Increased respiratory drive and limited adaptation to loaded breathing in bronchopulmonary dysplasia.

ABSTRACT: Ventilatory parameters and respiratory drive with and without an added acute resistive load were assessed in 11 healthy preterm infants and 11 infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). Lung mechanics (breathing frequency, tidal volume, minute ventilation, compliance, and resistance) were determined with esophageal manometry and pneumotachography. Respiratory drive was assessed by determining the airway pressure measured 100 ms after the onset of an inspiratory effort against an occlusion. Infants were studied at baseline and with an external inspiratory resistive load of 213.7 cm H2O/L/s. Infants with BPD had similar breathing frequency, tidal volume, and minute ventilation, lower compliance, and greater resistance and airway pressure at 100 ms than healthy preterm infants at rest. With loading, healthy preterm infants demonstrated increased airway pressure at 100 ms, whereas infants with BPD showed no change. Although the healthy preterm infants had decreased minute ventilation and tidal volume with loading, decreases in ventilation were greater in the infants with BPD. These data demonstrate that infants with BPD have responded to a chronic intrinsic load with increased drive. However, this may result in decreased ventilatory reserve and hence, a limited ability to adapt to acute pulmonary loads.