cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The psychological effect of orphanhood in a matured HIV epidemic: an analysis of young people in Mukono, Uganda.

As the HIV pandemic progresses, the number of orphans is expected to rise. Uganda is one of the countries that has been most impacted by the pandemic. A few studies have explored the effects of orphanhood on psychological well-being; however, most of these studies have not explored potential pathways through which orphanhood could affect psychological well-being. Using a school-based sample, this study sought to examine the differences in depressive symptoms and hopelessness between orphans and non-orphans in Mukono District, Uganda. The study also explored the potential mediating role of the family environment. The study included 1500 young people from 10 randomly selected schools in Mukono Town Council. Data on school characteristics also were collected from the head teachers or their designees. Linear regression methods were used for multivariate models. We found that orphanhood was associated with psychological ill health among the males. Male double and male maternal orphans had a significantly higher level of hopelessness than their non-orphaned counterparts. Male double orphans also had more depressive symptoms, but this association was mediated by the family environment. No differences were noted between orphaned and non-orphaned females. The cause and timing of parental death was important only among the males, and loss of a parent to HIV was associated with worse psychological outcomes among the males and not the females. Lower parent/ guardian connectedness, having a chronically ill adult in the household and ill treatment in residence were associated with a higher level of depression, especially among the males. The data show that the effect of orphanhood on psychological outcomes may vary by gender and type of outcome. This study also suggests an attenuated effect of orphanhood on psychological well-being among school-going youth. Programs seeking to improve psychological well-being among youth must pay attention to the family situations of these youth.
Simulated annealing and ant colony optimization algorithms for the dynamic throughput maximization problem

In many industries, inspection data is determined to merely serve for verification and validation purposes. It is rarely used to directly enhance the product quality because of the lack of approaches and difficulties of doing so. Given that a batch of subassembly items have been inspected, it is sometimes more profitable to exploit the data of the measured features of the subassemblies in order to further reduce the variation in the final assemblies so the rolled yield throughput is maximized. This can be achieved by selectively and dynamically assembling the subassemblies so we can maximize the throughput of the final assemblies. In this paper, we introduce and solve the dynamic throughput maximization (DTM) problem. The problem is found to have grown substantially by increasing the size of the assembly (number of subassembly groups and number of items in each group). Therefore, we resort to five algorithms: simple greedy sorting algorithm, two simulated annealing (SA) algorithms and two ant colony optimization (ACO) algorithms. Numerical examples have been solved to compare the performances of the proposed algorithms. We found that our ACO algorithms generally outperform the other algorithms.
Observations on the extrapolation of a band-limited signal problem

In this correspondence, the problem of extrapolating a time-truncated band-limited signal shall be considered with two objectives in mind: 1) to respond to the Sabri and Steenaart [1] correspondence relative to the author's extrapolation method [2], and 2) to comment on the numerical difficulties which individuals have experienced when using various extrapolation procedures. In the discussion that follows, the terminology used in [2] shall be adopted.
Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene alteration in signet ring cell carcinoma of the gastrointestinal tract

Objectives:ALK-EML4 translocation is an established driver aberration in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), with reported predilection for cases with signet ring histology. We assessed the presenc...
Outcomes, health policy, and managed care: relationships between patient-reported outcome measures and clinical measures in outpatients with heart failure.

Background Patient-reported outcomes are increasingly used to assess the efficacy of new treatments. Understanding relationships between these and clinical measures can facilitate their interpretation. We examined associations between patient-reported measures of health-related quality of life and clinical indicators of disease severity in a large, heterogeneous sample of patients with heart failure. Methods Patient-reported measures, including the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ) and the EuroQol Visual Analog Scale (VAS), and clinical measures, including peak Vo 2 , 6-minute walk distance, and New York Heart Association (NYHA) class, were assessed at baseline in 2331 patients with heart failure. We used general linear models to regress patient-reported measures on each clinical measure. Final models included for significant sociodemographic variables and 2-way interactions. Results The KCCQ was correlated with peak Vo 2 ( r = .21) and 6-minute walk distance ( r = .27). The VAS was correlated with peak Vo 2 ( r = .09) and 6-minute walk distance ( r = .11). Using the KCCQ as the response variable, a 1-SD difference in peak Vo 2 (4.7 mL/kg/min) was associated with a 2.86-point difference in the VAS (95% CI, 1.98-3.74) and a 4.75-point difference in the KCCQ (95% CI, 3.78-5.72). A 1-SD difference in 6-minute walk distance (105 m) was associated with a 2.78-point difference in the VAS (95% CI, 1.92-3.64) and a 5.92-point difference in the KCCQ (95% CI, 4.98-6.87); NYHA class III was associated with an 8.26-point lower VAS (95% CI, 6.59-9.93) and a 12.73-point lower KCCQ (95% CI, 10.92-14.53) than NYHA class II. Conclusions These data may inform deliberations about how to best measure benefits of heart failure interventions, and they generally support the practice of considering a 5-point difference on the KCCQ and a 3-point difference on the VAS to be clinically meaningful.
Ziprasidone for the Treatment of Acute Manic or Mixed Episodes Associated with Bipolar Disorder

Ziprasidone, a benzisothiazolyl piperazine-type atypical antipsychotic agent, has a unique receptor-binding profile. A potent antagonist of serotonin 5-HT2A and dopamine D2 receptors, ziprasidone has an affinity for 5-HT2A receptors >10-fold higher than its affinity for D2 receptors. Ziprasidone has been shown to be effective in the treatment of bipolar disorder in patients experiencing manic or mixed episodes. It was significantly more effective than placebo in improving manic symptoms as early as day 2 of treatment in two 3-week placebo-controlled trials as monotherapy. In a 12-week, placebo-controlled trial of patients with acute mania, ziprasidone as monotherapy showed comparable efficacy with, and fewer movement-related adverse events than, haloperidol. It has demonstrated efficacy in two 1-year open-label extension trials, both as monotherapy and in combination with lithium. Ziprasidone has a generally favourable adverse effect profile. In short-term placebo-controlled trials, there were similar discontinuation rates in active treatment and placebo recipients. While twice as many patients treated with ziprasidone compared with placebo discontinued therapy because of adverse events, the number of events was small and adverse effects were generally mild or moderate. The favourable tolerability of ziprasidone has been confirmed in long-term extension studies and its use was not associated with weight gain or dyslipidaemia. Ziprasidone-related movement disorders occurred infrequently.
The relationship between maximum isometric strength and intramuscular circulatory occlusion.

Twenty male college students served as subjects for lhe study which investigated the relationship between maximum isometric strength and the isometric tension necessary to produce total occlusion of intramuscular circulation. Subjects performed a scries of progressively increasing static contractions by squeezing a hand dynamometer and the subsequent blood flow responses were measured. Blood flow was occluded at a mean of 63-5% maximum handgrip strength for the total group tested. To determine whether individuals of different maximum strength occlude at different percentages of their MVC, subjects were divided into high and low strength groups. The high strength group was found to occlude at 51-5% of MVC while the low strength group occluded at 75-5% of MVC. A significant negative correlation (r= -0.58) was found between maximum isometric strength and the per cent of maximum strength necessary to produce intra-muscular occlusion. There was no significant difference between the absolute tension producing o...
In Vitro Adherence Patterns of Shigella Serogroups to Bovine Recto-Anal Junction Squamous Epithelial (RSE) Cells Are Similar to Those of Escherichia coli O157

Abstract The aims of this study were to determine whether Shigella species, which are human gastrointestinal pathogens, can adhere to cattle recto-anal junction squamous epithelial (RSE) cells using a recently standardized in vitro adherence assay, and to compare their adherence patterns with that of Escherichia coli O157. Shigella dysenteriae (serogroup A), S. flexneri (serogroup B), S. boydii (serogroup C), and S. sonnei (serogroup D) were tested in adherence assays using both RSE and HEp-2 cells, in the presence or absence of D+mannose. Escherichia coli O157, which adheres to RSE cells in a Type I fimbriae-independent manner, was used as a positive control. Shigella serogroups A, B, D, but not C adhered to RSE cells with distinct adherence patterns in the presence of D+mannose. No such distinction could be made between the four Shigella serogroups based on the HEp-2 cell adherence patterns. Thus, this study provides evidence that certain Shigella serogroups adhere to RSE cells in a manner that is simil...
A Clinical Description of Extubation Failure in Patients with Primary Brain Injury

Patients with acute brain injury but normal lung function are often intubated for airway protection, but extubation often fails. Currently, no clinical data exist that describe the events leading to extubation failure in this population. We examined the extubation failure rate, reintubation rate, and clinical characteristics of patients whose reason for intubation was a primary neurological injury. We then identified the clinical characteristics of those patients with primary brain injury who were reintubated. We conducted a retrospective review of patients admitted to the neurocritical care unit of a tertiary care hospital from January 2002 to March 2007. Of 1,265 patients who were intubated because of primary neurological injury of brain, spinal cord, or peripheral nerve, 25 (2%) died before extubation and 767 (61%) were successfully extubated. Tracheostomies were placed in 181 (14%) patients, of which, 77 (6.1%) were completed before a trial of extubation and 104 (8.2%) after extubation failure. A total of 129 (10%) patients were reintubated; 77 (6.1%) were reintubated within 72 h, meeting the definition of extubation failure. The other 52 (4.1%) were intubated after 72 h usually in the setting of pneumonia or decreased mental status. Ninety-nine of the patients reintubated had primary brain injury and resulting encephalopathy. All were successfully reintubated. Most patients intubated as a result of a primary brain injury (981) were successfully extubated. The most common clinical scenario leading to reintubation in these encephalopathic patients was respiratory distress associated with altered mental status [59 patients (59%)]. These patients usually had atelectasis and decreased minute ventilation, independent of fever, pneumonia, aspiration, and increased work of breathing [39 patients (39%)]. The extubation failure rate in our neurocritical care unit is low. In patients with encephalopathy and primary brain injury who were reintubated, respiratory distress caused by altered mental status was the most common cause of reintubation. These patients demonstrated signs disrupted ventilation usually with periods of prolonged hypoventilation. Increased work of breathing from lung injury due to pneumonia or aspiration was not the most common cause of reintubation in this population.
A Numerical Model for Muzzle Blast Flow Fields.

Abstract : A numerical model is formulated to describe the details of the flow field produced by the firing of a gun or mortar. Godunov's scheme with an alternating direction implicit (ADI) procedure is employed to discretize and integrate the time-dependent Euler equations. Sample results are given for an M-16 rifle and a 4.2-in. mortar. Numerical results agree reasonably well with the existing experimental data. (Author)
GFT NMR, a new approach to rapidly obtain precise high-dimensional NMR spectral information

Widely used higher-dimensional Fourier transform (FT) NMR spectroscopy suffers from two major drawbacks: (i) The minimal measurement time of an N-dimensional FT NMR experiment, which is constrained by the need to sample N - 1 indirect dimensions, may exceed by far the measurement time required to achieve sufficient signal-to-noise ratios. (ii) The low resolution in the indirect dimensions severely limits the precision of the indirect chemical shift measurements. To relax on constraints arising from these drawbacks, we present here an acquisition scheme which is based on the phase-sensitive joint sampling of the indirect dimensions spanning a subspace of a conventional NMR experiment. This allows one to very rapidly obtain high-dimensional NMR spectral information. Because the phase-sensitive joint sampling yields subspectra containing "chemical shift multiplets", alternative data processing is required for editing the components of the multiplets. The subspectra are linearly combined using a so-called "G-matrix" and subsequently Fourier-transformed. The chemical shifts are multiply encoded in the resonance lines constituting the shift multiplets. This corresponds to performing statistically independent multiple measure- ments, and the chemical shifts can thus be obtained with high precision. To indicate that a combinedG-matrix and FT is employed, we named the new approach "GFT NMR spectroscopy". GFT NMR opens new avenues to establish high-throughput protein structure determination, to investigate systems with a higher degree of chemical shift degeneracy, and to study dynamic phenomena such as slow folding of biological macromolecules in greater detail.
Russellianism and psychological generalizations

L'A. etudie la reponse a l'objection de la substitution faite au russellianisme qui definit l'attribution des attitudes en termes de generalisation psychologique. Examinant le contenu semantique des propositions, ainsi que la metaphysique de la croyance chez Russell, l'A. repond a la version de l'objection de la generalisation chez M. Richard, d'une part, et developpe une semantique de l'objection ceteris paribus qui fait place aux exceptions, d'autre part.
DETERMINANTS OF VE/VCO2 SLOPE IN NORMAL INDIVIDUALS – VENTILATORY EFFICIENCY IS MODIFIABLE WITH ENDURANCE TRAINING

Ventilatory efficiency, as indicated by the increment in minute ventilation (VE) relative to CO2 production (VCO2), reflects right ventricular-pulmonary vascular (RV-PV) function during exercise. In patients with heart failure (HF), a VE/VCO2 slope greater than 34 purports a poor prognosis. Less is
Upstream Extirpation of Four Minnow Species Due to Damming of a Prairie Stream

Abstract A spatially intensive survey in 1989 of 52 sites in the Red River drainage in southwest Oklahoma and surveys in all years from 1978 to 1987 on four sites in the drainage provided evidence that construction of Altus Dam on the North Fork of the Red River caused major changes in fish community structure in the river above the dam. Pre-impoundment data on the fish communities were scanty, but the inferences they allowed were similar to those obtained by comparing fish assemblages in the North Fork above the dam with assemblages elsewhere in the drainage, particularly along Salt Fork, which had similar habitat characteristics. Twenty-five species were collected in the North Fork above Altus Dam, compared to 33 in the Salt Fork and 34 in the North Fork below the dam. The speckled chub Macrhybopsis (formerly Hybopsis) aestivalis and the chub shiner Notropis potteri were absent in the North Fork above Altus Dam but fairly common in similar streams elsewhere in the area. The plains minnow Hybognathus pla...
Indirect measurement of regional axon diameter in excised mouse spinal cord with q-space imaging: simulation and experimental studies.

Abstract Q-space imaging (QSI), a diffusion MRI technique, can provide quantitative tissue architecture information at cellular dimensions not amenable by conventional diffusion MRI. By exploiting regularities in molecular diffusion barriers, QSI can estimate the average barrier spacing such as the mean axon diameter in white matter (WM). In this work, we performed ex vivo QSI on cervical spinal cord sections from healthy C57BL/6 mice at 400 MHz using a custom-designed uniaxial 50T/m gradient probe delivering a 0.6 μm displacement resolution capable of measuring axon diameters on the scale of 1 μm. After generating QSI-derived axon diameter maps, diameters were calculated using histology from seven WM tracts (dorsal corticospinal, gracilis, cuneatus, rubrospinal, spinothalamic, reticulospinal, and vestibulospinal tracts) each with different axon diameters. We found QSI-derived diameters from regions drawn in the seven WM tracts (1.1 to 2.1 μm) to be highly correlated ( r 2 = 0.95) with those calculated from histology (0.8 to 1.8 μm). The QSI-derived values overestimated those obtained by histology by approximately 20%, which is likely due to the presence of extra-cellular signal. Finally, simulations on images of synthetic circular axons and axons from histology suggest that QSI-derived diameters are informative despite diameter and axon shape variation and the presence of intra-cellular and extra-cellular signal. QSI may be able to quantify nondestructively changes in WM axon architecture due to pathology or injury at the cellular level.
Conservative surgical management of superficially invasive cutaneous melanoma.

Between 1976 and 1980, 136 patients were evaluated for primary treatment of cutaneous melanoma. Forty-nine lesions were invasive to Clark's Level II (38 patients) or III (II patients) with a thickness of 0.3 to 1.2 mm. Conservative re-excision was advised as definitive therapy for these patients. The margin of resection was defined as the maximum excision that would allow primary closure of the wound. Pathology reports of the re-excised specimens revealed the narrowest margins to be 0.7 to 4 cm. Unexpected residual tumor was present in 2 specimens and melanocytic hyperplasia in 12 specimens. After a follow-up period of 2.5 to 7.0 years, there have been no local recurrences. One patient developed regional lymph node metastases 16 months and, then central nervous system (CNS) metastases 25 months after primary treatment. A second patient died with pulmonary metastases 4.5 years after initial therapy. Melanomas that are not deeply invasive do not require wide excision and skin grafting for local control. Occasionally these thin lesions do produce systemic metastases, emphasizing the need for long-term follow-up of even “low-risk” patients. Cancer53:1256–1259, 1984. Cancer 53:1256-1259, 1984.
Feminist critiques of rationality: Critiques of science or philosophy of science?

Synopsis Three strategies in feminist critiques of rationality are examined: one proceeding via a critique of science, one via a critique of the methods/philosophy of science, one via a critique of the modern bureaucratization/industrialization of science. While each of these moves from an important initial insight about contemporary science, each also has distinctive weaknesses. This paper explores their strengths and problems and their roots in standard philosophical approaches to science. The second half of the paper explores the implications of our alternative approach to the problem of rationality. This approach, which treats the cognitive process of scientific inquiry as social processes, enables us to see how social values and ideology can be expressed in so-called “good science” as well as in methodologically deficient inquiry. It thus provides a basis for thinking about feminism in science that avoids the problems identified in the earlier part of the paper.
Cisplatin-induced apoptosis in auditory cells: role of death receptor and mitochondrial pathways

Cisplatin, a commonly used chemotherapeutic agent, has a major limitation due to its ototoxicity. Previous studies have shown that cisplatin induces apoptosis in auditory sensory cells, but the underlying mechanisms remain to be elucidated. In this study, cisplatin was found to induce apoptosis in a cochlear cell line, in a dose- and duration-dependent manner. Specific caspase assays revealed an early (6 h) but transient increase in caspase 8 activity, and a delayed (12 h) increase in caspase 9 activity. The enhanced caspase 8 activity was preceded by upregulation of p53 expression, and coincided with cleavage of Bid to its truncated form. This was followed temporally by activation and mitochondrial translocation of Bax, induction of mitochondrial permeability transition, release of cytochrome c into the cytosol, activation of caspase 9, and entry into the execution phase of apoptosis. Our results indicate the involvement of both the death receptor mechanisms as well as mitochondrial pathways in cisplatin-induced apoptosis of auditory cells in an in vitro model system.
Defendant's Attractiveness as a Factor in the Outcome of Criminal Trials: An Observational Study1

Observers rated the physical attractiveness of 74 defendants in criminal court, covering a broad range of offenses. Seventy-three usable cases were obtained. For 67 defendants (excluding those who had drawn “flat sentences” of 99–199 years), attractiveness was predictive of both minimum and maximum sentences (p <.001)-the more attractive the defendant, the less severe the sentence imposed. No significant relationship was found between attractiveness and conviction/acquittal, although seriousness of the crime was found to correlate negatively with attractiveness (p <.01)). Race of the defendant showed a systematic relationship to punishment, with nonwhites drawing consistently more severe sentences than whites; a multiple regression analysis using attractiveness, race, and seriousness of crime as predictors of punishment yielded results which implied that this finding was largely due to a confounding of race and seriousness of the crime.
Will the use of interesting examples as a teaching tool help improve the performance of college students on science tests

ABSTRACT In this study, we tested the hypothesis that students in a college chemistry course would learn the material better if the lesson contained examples that they had judged to be interesting. Subjects received a two-page lesson followed by a test. We expected the treatment group (“interesting lesson”) to perform better on the posttest than the control group (“textbook lesson”). Results of the pilot study indicated no main effects for gender or type of instruction and no interaction of gender and type of instruction. After observing a ceiling effect in the pilot study, the handouts were modified to give a longer lesson and a more difficult test for the actual experiment. Results of the actual experiment indicated main effects for gender (with males scoring higher) and type of instruction. This second effect was opposite that predicted. There was a significant interaction effect, with the performance of females being more positively influenced by textbook instruction than the performance of males.
Fiscal faux pas?: An analysis of the revenue implications of trade liberalization

Abstract This paper examines the argument that trade liberalization depresses tax revenue/GDP ratios in developing countries. This occurs because the structural characteristics associated with developing countries limit their ability to make the transition from trade to domestic taxes. Using a panel of 80 developing and industrialized countries over 1970–98, the econometric analysis carried out employs a fixed-effects regression framework to examine the evidence. The results indicate that low-income and upper middle-income countries have experienced declining tax revenues as a result of falling income and trade tax revenues and that structural characteristics have been significant in explaining the decline.
Rationale for Combination Therapies for Choroidal Neovascularization

Purpose To provide a conceptual framework for the development and use of combination therapies for choroidal neovascularization secondary to age-related macular degeneration. Design Literature review, integration of data, and creation of hypothesis. Methods An assessment of angiogenesis, cancer therapy, and inflammation was performed as they may pertain to choroidal neovascularization. A conceptual framework was created in which therapies for choroidal neovascularization could be evaluated alone or in combination. Results Angiogenesis occurs because cells produce angiogenic stimuli to encourage blood vessels to develop. This growth of vessels involves an orchestrated interaction among many mediators offering opportunity to modulate or inhibit the entire process. A two-component model for choroidal neovascularization is proposed. The vascular component of choroidal neovascularization is comprised of vascular endothelial cells, endothelial cell precursors, and pericytes. The extravascular component, which by histopathology appears to be both the source of angiogenic stimuli and often the largest component volumetrically, is comprised of inflammatory, glial and retinal pigment epithelial cells, and fibroblasts. Tissue damage can be caused by either component. Each component can be targeted through as variety of monotherapies. Combination therapies offer the possibility of attacking one component in more than one way or by attacking both components simultaneously. Conclusions The two-component model of choroidal neovascularization can be used to evaluate the mechanism of action and possible interactions of these agents in a conceptual framework. Extension of these ideas can help guide development of new treatment agents and approaches.
The Conundrum of Verification and Validation of Social Science-based Models

In systems engineering, the definitions of “verification” and “validation” are settled; consistent with the US Department of Defense’s (Department of Defense, [1]) definitions; and distinct from one another. This distinction blurs in the V&V of social science-based models. Unlike physics-based models, the theoretical underpinnings of social science models are not readily verified through observation of real-world events or empirical testing. Hence, they are often contested. When experts do not agree on what the right thing to do is, determining that the model is built right (verification) and that the right thing has been built (validation) cannot be separated (Verification as a form of validation: deepening theory to broaden application of dod protocols to the social sciences, [2]). This paper updates an earlier one (The conundrum of verification and validation of social science-based models, [3]), that reviewed the literature on V&V of models and outlined future directions, and describes the experiences LANL researchers have had with the V&V of extensible logic models (https://www.orau.gov/dhssummit/2009/presentations/march18/plenary/shevitz_mar18.pdf, [4]) used to evaluate the efficacy of various technologies in countering national security threats.
Digital desire in the daydream machine

This article analyzes the sociality of illegal file sharing as one domain of teletechnology, using poststructural theory to conceptualize the file-sharing setting. It reveals the assumptions about ...
Treatment of urban stormwater for dissolved pollutants: A comparative study of natural organic filter media

Sorption capacities were evaluated for the dissolved stormwater (SW) pollutants onto two tree mulches and jute fiber. SW spiked with predetermined concentrations of copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd), hexavalent chromium (Cr +6), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), and benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), naphthalene (NP), fluoranthene (FA), 1,3-dichlorobenzene (DCB), and butylbenzylphthalate (BBP) were used in this study. Each medium removed close to 100 percent of all the pollutants at the concentrations studied. Sorption capacities (μg/g) of the three organic media were in the order of jute > hardwood mulch > softwood mulch, and on a mole basis, both the heavy metals and the toxic organics were sorbed by the three media in an identical sequence: Cr +6 > Cu, Zn > Cd > Pb; and NP > DCB > FA > B[a]P > BBP. Sorption capacities of the hardwood wood mulch and jute fiber for the pollutants were correlated with distinctive physical properties of the pollutants. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
MAGNETIC HELICITY IN THE DISSIPATION RANGE OF STRONG IMBALANCED TURBULENCE

Hybrid numerical simulations of freely decaying two-dimensional turbulence are presented. The background magnetic field is perpendicular to the simulation plane, which eliminates linear kinetic Alfven waves from the system. The net magnetic helicity of the initial fluctuations at large scales is zero. The turbulence is set to be imbalanced in the sense that the net cross-helicity is not zero. As the turbulence evolves, it develops nonzero magnetic helicity at smaller scales, in the proton kinetic range. In the quasi-steady state of evolution, the magnetic helicity spectrum has a peak consistent with the solar wind observations. The peak position depends on the plasma beta and correlates with a sharp decline of the cross-helicity spectrum.
Transitory Control of Dynamic Stall on a Pitching Airfoil

Transitory attachment of the flow over a stalled, 2-D airfoil is investigated in wind tunnel experiments using pulsed actuation. Actuation is provided by a spanwise array of momentary, combustion-based actuator jets having a characteristic time scale O[1 ms] that is an order of magnitude shorter than the convective time scale of the flow. It is shown that a single actuation pulse results in transitory flow attachment that is manifested by rapid increase in the global circulation and aerodynamic forces and persists for about ten convective time scales before the flow becomes fully stalled again. Large-scale changes in vorticity accumulation that are associated with repetitive, burst-modulated actuation pulses are exploited for significant extension of the streamwise domain and duration of the attached flow with a corresponding increase in circulation. The effects of the transitory actuation are further amplified when the airfoil is mounted on a dynamic 2DOF (pitch and plunge) traversing mechanism and the actuation is tested with pitch oscillations beyond the stall limit. In this configuration, the actuation is nominally two-dimensional within a spanwise domain measuring 0.21S that is bounded by end fences. It is shown that pulse actuation significantly increases the lift not only at post-stall but also at angles of attack that are below stall (ostensibly by trapping vorticity over the entire oscillation cycle).
Luminescence quenching in PbS nanoparticles

Abstract PbS and ZnS- and Pb(OH) 2 -capped PbS nanoparticles produced in inverted micelles luminesce extremely weakly. Removal of water present during synthesis results in a significant increase in the luminescence quantum yield of the nanoparticles. Water addition to the dried nanoparticles induces efficient luminescence quenching for both uncapped and capped particles. H 2 O and D 2 O quench the luminescence of the dried particles with similar efficiencies. We propose a quenching model where water penetrates into the nanoparticle crystal lattice.
Static high pressure studies on Nd and Sc

Abstract We have investigated the crystal structural transformations in neodymium and scandium up to 4.0 GPa pressure and at room temperature, in a diamond-anvil high pressure apparatus. Nd has a double hexagonal-close packed (dhcp) structure at ambient pressure and temperature. Then it transforms to a face-centered cubic (fcc) structure at 3.8 GPa, which further transforms to a triple hexagonal-close packed structure (thcp) at about 18.0 GPa. In scandium we observed only one transformation from the hexagonal-close packed (hcp) structure at room temperature to a tetragonal structure. This transformation occurs between 19.0 and 23.2 GPa pressure.
Sleep, Performance, and Memory in Flies

Drosophila has proven to be a powerful model to identify genes and circuits that impact sleep. While the majority of studies have primarily been interested in identifying manipulations that alter sleep time, a growing body of work has begun to focus on how changing sleep influences functional outcomes such as cognitive performance, structural plasticity, and metabolism to name a few. Evaluating sleep time provides an appropriate entry point into elucidating sleep function. However, it is not possible to fully understand how a manipulation has impacted sleep regulation without first establishing how it has affected the animals’ well-being. Synaptic plasticity and memory are important functional outcomes that can be used to asses an animal’s status. In this manuscript, we review recent advances in studies examining sleep, memory, and performance. We conclude that as Drosophila sleep researchers expand their analysis beyond sleep time, the opportunities to discover the function of sleep will be enhanced.
Influence of chain lengths of liquid crystals on cholic acid detection

The concentration level of bile acids is a useful indicator for the diagnosis of liver diseases since individual suffering from liver diseases often has a sharp increase in bile acid concentration. Here we present a sensor platform based on the anchoring transition of nematic liquid crystal (LC), 4’, 4-alkylcyanobiphenyls (nCB, n=5-8), at the surfactant-laden LC/aqueous interfaces for the detection of cholic acid (CA) in aqueous solution. In the sensor platform, the competitive adsorption of CA at the surfactant-laden LC/aqueous interface triggers a homeotropic-to-planar anchoring transition of the LC at the interface. We find the detection limit, which is the minimum concentration of CA required to trigger the LC transition, increases with the increase of the chain length of nCB.
The 12th International Workshop on Desorption Induced by Electronic Transitions (DIET XII) (Pine Mountain, Georgia, USA, 19-23 April 2009).

The 12th International Workshop on Desorption Induced by Electronic Transitions (DIET XII) took place from 19–23 April 2009 in Pine Mountain, Georgia, USA. This was the 12th conference in a strong and vibrant series, which dates back to the early 1980s. DIET XII continued the tradition of exceptional interdisciplinary science and focused on the study of desorption and dynamics induced by electronic excitations of surfaces and interfaces. The format involved invited lectures, contributed talks and a poster session on the most recent developments and advances in this area of surface physics. The Workshop International Steering Committee and attendees wish to dedicate DIET XII to the memory of the late Professor Theodore (Ted) Madey. Ted was one of the main pioneers of this field and was one of the primary individuals working to keep this area of science exciting and adventurous. His overall contributions to surface science were countless and his contributions to the DIET field and community were enormous. He is missed and remembered by many friends and colleagues throughout the world. The papers collected in this issue cover many of the highlights of DIET XII. Topics include ultrafast electron transfer at surfaces and interfaces, quantum and spatially resolved mapping of surface dynamics and desorption, photon-, electron- and ion-beam induced processes at complex interfaces, the role of non-thermal desorption in astrochemistry and astrophysics and laser-/ion-based methods of examining soft matter and biological media. Although the workshop attracted many scientists active in the general area of non-thermal surface processes, DIET XII also attracted many younger scientists (i.e., postdoctoral fellows, advanced graduate students, and a select number of advanced undergraduate students). This field has had an impact in a number of areas including nanoscience, device physics, astrophysics, and now biophysics. We believe that this special issue of Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter will help foster further progress in the study of DIET processes. Since the field remains vibrant and exciting, the workshop series will continue with DIET XIII. Professor Richard Palmer (University of Birmingham, UK) will chair DIET XIII in the UK in early summer 2012. We gratefully acknowledge financial support from SPECS, HIDEN Analytical, BRUKER, The United States National Science Foundation, Georgia Institute of Technology and The State University of New Jersey, Rutgers.
Parapneumonic pleural effusion and empyema in children. Review of a 19-year experience, 1962-1980

Between 1962 and 1980, 50 children admitted to Strong Memorial Hospital had a pleural effusion or an empyema associated with pneumonia. Such parapneumonic effusion and empyema accounted for 52 per cent of cases of pleural effusion and empyema of all etiologies admitted during those years. Review of cases of parapneumonic effusion and empyema suggested that clinical manifestations, laboratory, and roentgenographic findings did not separate these two groups of patients before thoracentesis was performed. Specific organisms were identified in 29 per cent of cases with parapneumonic effusion and 62 per cent with parapneumonic empyema. Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Streptococcus pyogenes were responsible for 35, 30, and 20 per cent of cases, respectively. Parapneumonic effusions were treated without closed-chest tube drainage in 76 per cent of the cases, while closed-chest drainage was necessary in virtually all cases of children with empyema.
Early formal verification of conditional coverage points to identify intrinsically hard-to-verify logic

Design verification of complex digital circuits typically starts only after the register-transfer level (RTL) description is complete. This frequently makes verification more difficult than necessary because logic that is intrinsically hard to verify, such as memories, counters and deep first-in, first-out (FIFO) structures, becomes immutable in the design. This paper proposes a new approach that exploits formal verification of conditional coverage points with the goal of early identification of hard-to-verify logic. We use the difficulty of formal verification problems as an early estimator of the verification complexity of a design. While traditional verification methods consider conditional coverage only in the design verification phase, we describe an approach that uses conditional coverage at a much earlier stage---the design phase, during which changes to the RTL code are still possible. The method is illustrated using real examples from the verification of an ASIC designed for a specialized supercomputer.
Lethal and sublethal effects of ammonia to juvenile Lampsilis mussels (Unionidae) in sediment and water-only exposures.

We compared the sensitivity of two juvenile unionid mussels (Lampsilis cardium and Lampsilis higginsii) to ammonia in 96-h water-only and sediment tests by use of mortality and growth measurements. Twenty mussels were placed in chambers buried 2.5 cm into reference sediments to approximate pore-water exposure (sediment tests) or elevated above the bottom of the experimental units (water-only tests). In the sediment tests, a pH gradient existed between the overlying water (mean 8.0), sediment–water interface (mean 7.7), and 2.5 cm depth (mean 7.4). We assumed that mussels were exposed to ammonia in pore water and report effect concentrations in pore water, but if they were exposed to the higher pH water, more of the ammonia would be in the toxic un-ionized (NH3) form. The only differences in toxicity and growth between mussel species occurred in some of the water-only tests. In sediment tests, median lethal concentrations (LC50s) ranged from 124 to 125 μg NH3-N/L. In water-only tests, LC50s ranged from 157 to 372 μg NH3-N/L. In sediment tests, median effective concentrations (EC50s based on growth) ranged from 30 to 32 μg NH3-N/L. Juvenile mussels in the water-only tests grew poorly and did not exhibit a dose–response relation. These data demonstrate that growth is a sensitive and valuable endpoint for studies on ammonia toxicity with juvenile freshwater mussels and that growth should be measured via sediment tests.
Dynamics of Acculturation, Enculturation, and Ethnic Identity: Influence of Psychocultural Constructs on Conscientiousness and Expectations of Higher Education among Latinos.

This study investigated the influence of psychocultural variables (e.g., acculturation, enculturation, ethnic identity) and personality characteristics in relation to educational expectations among 345 Latino middle school students in the U.S. Results from a path model indicate that 24.4 % of the variance of educational expectations was accounted for by all predictor variables included in the model. Age, acculturation, and conscientiousness had statistically significant direct effects on educational expectations. Findings also show that elements of ethnic identity and conscientiousness mediated the association from acculturation and enculturation to educational expectations. Implications of the findings for counselors are addressed.
Examining Communication Media Selection and Information Processing in Software Development Traceability: An Empirical Investigation

Traceability - the ability of developers to describe and follow the life of an artifact throughout the software development life cycle - is an important process that facilitates acquisition and use of process knowledge. While there has been extensive research focusing on the development of traceability solutions, there is a paucity of research that characterizes the tasks that need to be performed in implementing and using traceability. This research addresses this gap by conceptualizing traceability practice in software development as comprising information processing and communication among developers involved in the process. Accordingly, we present the results of two complementary studies focusing on these two aspects of traceability. Based on Study 1, we develop a process model for information processing in traceability. Through Study 2, we identify important contingency factors that impact the mode of communication among developers and customers. We argue that choice of communication media should be dictated by matching particular media characteristics such as synchronicity, reprocessability, and channel capacity to the situation at hand rather than by using aggregated measures such as media richness or social presence. We integrate the findings from our two studies into a process model that prescribes guidelines for traceability practice in software development. Our prescriptions also help traceability tool developers in delivering traceability support that facilitates appropriate information processing and communication capabilities, taking various project characteristics into consideration.
Positive interactions in plant communities and the individualistic-continuum concept

The individualistic nature of communities is held as a fundamental ecological tenet by many ecologists. The empirical rationale for the individualistic hypothesis is largely based on gradient analyses in which plant species are almost always found to be arranged independently of one another in “continua” along environmental gradients. However, continua are correlative patterns and do not identify the processes that determine them, and so they do not necessarily preclude the possibility of interdependent interactions within plant communities. For example, the common occurrence of positive interactions suggests that plant species may not always be distributed independently of each other. If the distributions and abundances of species are enhanced by the presence of other species, their organization is not merely a coincidence of similar adaptation to the abiotic environment. Interpretations of gradient analyses also appear to assume that interactions among species should be similar at all points along environmental axes, and that groups of species should be associated at all points on a gradient if interdependence is to be accepted. However, virtually all types of ecological interactions have been shown to vary with changes in the abiotic environment, and a number of field experiments indicate that positive effects become stronger as abiotic stress increases. Furthermore, interactions among plants have been shown to shift from competition to facilitation along environmental continua. Thus, significant interdependence may occur even when species do not fully overlap in distribution. Higher-order, indirect interactions between animals and plants, and among plants, also suggest that interdependence within communities occurs. Eliminating a species involved in an indirect interaction may not necessarily mean that its beneficiary will be eliminated from a community, but the prospect that the distribution and abundance of any species in a plant community may be positively affected by the effects that other species have on their competitors suggests that communities are organized by much more than “the fluctuating and fortuitous immigration of plants and an equally fluctuating and variable environment” as stated by Henry Gleason. The ubiquity of direct and indirect positive interactions within plant communities provides a strong argument that communities are more interdependent than current theories allow.