cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reporting weight change: standardized reporting accounting for baseline weight.

Abstract Background Although it is recognized that a standardized approach to reporting weight change is essential to meaningful comparisons among cohorts and across studies, consensus is lacking. This study aimed to propose a method of reporting weight change that would allow meaningful comparisons among studies of patients who underwent bariatric surgery and to demonstrate its utility using an example from the Longitudinal Assessment of Bariatric Surgery (LABS). Methods Relationships among several measures of weight change are described. Results from an observational, longitudinal cohort study of adults undergoing bariatric surgery and from simulation studies are used to illustrate the proposed method. Results Baseline weight is a critical parameter when assessing weight change. Men undergoing a bariatric procedure other than gastric bypass or adjustable band tended to have greater weight loss 12 months after surgery than men undergoing gastric bypass when not accounting for baseline weight, but the opposite was found when results were adjusted for baseline weight. Simulation results show that with relatively modest sample sizes, the adjusted weight loss was significantly different between the 2 groups of men. Conclusion A consistent metric for reporting weight loss after bariatric surgery is essential to interpret outcomes across studies and among subgroups. The baseline weight adjusted percent of weight loss (A%WL) uses a standard population (e.g., the LABS cohort) to account for differences between cohorts with respect to baseline weight, and its use can change the interpretation of results compared with an unadjusted measure.
Uranium–zirconium hydride fuel properties

Abstract Properties of the two-phase hydride U0.3ZrH1.6 pertinent to performance as a nuclear fuel for LWRs are reviewed. Much of the available data come from the Space Nuclear Auxiliary Power (SNAP) program of 4 decades ago and from the more restricted data base prepared for the TRIGA research reactors some 3 decades back. Transport, mechanical, thermal and chemical properties are summarized. A principal difference between oxide and hydride fuels is the high thermal conductivity of the latter. This feature greatly decreases the temperature drop over the fuel during operation, thereby reducing the release of fission gases to the fraction due only to recoil. However, very unusual early swelling due to void formation around the uranium particles has been observed in hydride fuels. Avoidance of this source of swelling limits the maximum fuel temperature to ∼650 °C (the design limit recommended by the fuel developer is 750 °C). To satisfy this temperature limitation, the fuel-cladding gap needs to be bonded with a liquid metal instead of helium. Because the former has a thermal conductivity ∼100 times larger than the latter, there is no restriction on gap thickness as there is in helium-bonded fuel rods. This opens the possibility of initial gap sizes large enough to significantly delay the onset of pellet-cladding mechanical interaction (PCMI). The large fission-product swelling rate of hydride fuel (3× that of oxide fuel) requires an initial radial fuel-cladding gap of ∼300 m if PCMI is to be avoided. The liquid-metal bond permits operation of the fuel at current LWR linear-heat-generation rates without exceeding any design constraint. The behavior of hydrogen in the fuel is the source of phenomena during operation that are absent in oxide fuels. Because of the large heat of transport (thermal diffusivity) of H in ZrHx, redistribution of hydrogen in the temperature gradient in the fuel pellet changes the initial H/Zr ratio of 1.6 to ∼1.45 at the center and ∼1.70 at the periphery. Because the density of the hydride decreases with increasing H/Zr ratio, the result of H redistribution is to subject the interior of the pellet to a tensile stress while the outside of the pellet is placed in compression. The resulting stress at the pellet periphery is sufficient to overcome the tensile stress due to thermal expansion in the temperature gradient and to prevent radial cracking that is a characteristic of oxide fuel. Several mechanisms for reduction of the H/Zr ratio during irradiation are identified. The first is transfer of impurity oxygen in the fuel from Zr to rare-earth oxide fission products. The second is the formation of metal hydrides by these same fission products. The third is by loss to the plenum as H2. The review of the fabrication method for the hydride fuel suggests that its production, even on a large scale, may be significantly higher than the cost of oxide fuel fabrication.
A diverse family of thermostable cytochrome P450s created by recombination of stabilizing fragments.

Thermostable enzymes combine catalytic specificity with the toughness required to withstand industrial reaction conditions. Stabilized enzymes also provide robust starting points for evolutionary improvement of other protein properties3. We recently created a library of at least 2,300 new active chimeras of the biotechnologically important cytochrome P450 enzymes. Here we show that a chimera's thermostability can be predicted from the additive contributions of its sequence fragments. Based on these predictions, we constructed a family of 44 novel thermostable P450s with half-lives of inactivation at 57 °C up to 108 times that of the most stable parent. Although they differ by as many as 99 amino acids from any known P450, the stable sequences are catalytically active. Among the novel functions they exhibit is the ability to produce drug metabolites. This chimeric P450 family provides a unique ensemble for biotechnological applications and for studying sequence-stability-function relationships.
Current-based eccentricity detection for direct-drive wind turbines via synchronous sampling

Current-based wind turbine generator (WTG) fault detection techniques have received more and more attention in academia and industry due to their nonintrusive character and economic advantages. This paper presents a novel broadband and highly accurate and efficient synchronous sampling method for eccentricity fault detection of direct-drive WTGs (i.e., no gearbox) only using generator stator current measurements. The proposed method resamples the WTG current measurements in a way such that the variable characteristic frequencies of the excitations generated by a WTG eccentricity fault are converted to constant values. Then, the excitations generated by WTG eccentricity fault can be easily extracted by using a traditional power spectrum density (PSD) method. Experimental results are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method for eccentricity fault detection of a direct-drive WTG operating with variable rotating speeds.
Rotationally resolved spectroscopy of the ν8 band of cis-methyl nitrite☆

Abstract The 770–880 cm −1 region of the methyl nitrite spectrum has been recorded at a resolution of 0.0015 cm −1 in a static cell. Consistent with published determinations of the barrier to internal rotation of the methyl group, bands belonging to the trans isomer are very congested while those belonging to the cis isomer are more tractable. A total of 634 lines have been assigned in the ν 8 vibrational band of the cis isomer. These lines and 32 microwave lines have been globally fit to a Watson-type Hamiltonian with an rms deviation of 0.00044 cm −1 . An additional 150 lines were also assigned but were not included in the fit because they were split by 0.001–0.005 cm −1 , much larger than previously reported torsional or hyperfine splittings.
Toothcomb origins: support for the grooming hypothesis

Debate over the original adaptive significance of the lemuriform toothcomb, whether it was principally a grooming organ or a scraper-feeding tool, currently hinges upon the functional morphology of the lower incisors and canines of lemurs and lorises, and the fossil adapids thought to be their ancestors or structural prototypes. We suggest that the morphology of the upper incisors and the oronasal complex of the latter, given the context of a more general theory of incisor evolution within the primates, exhibits preadaptive conditions foreshadowing the emergence of the toothcomb and also evidence of strepsirhine monophyly. We find in all underived lemuriforms and in most fossil adapids where the elements are known, a striking continuity in upper incisor form, including such derived features as an interincisal diastema, strong central incisor prong, low-crowned morphology and reduced premaxillary size. The pattern suggests a basic strepsirhine reduction in the functional significance of the anterior dentition in feeding and harvesting roles. These features may be related to a novel connection of the rhinarium with the vomeronasal organ via a sulcate pair of labial folds, which serves as a component of a specialized behavioral-physiological complex dealing with olfactory communication. Rather than being the anatomical nucleus of this system, the toothcomb may have been added secondarily in the lemuriform descendants of the preadapted adapids, possibly as a device to stimulate glandular secretion of pheromones by direct pressure, and to simultaneously distribute odorants through the fur.
Genetic variability in the response of normal murine hematopoietic progenitor cells to photochemical purging

Abstract The photosensitizer, Merocyanine 540 (MC540) is currently undergoing phase I/II clinical evaluation as a purging agent for autologous stem cell grafts from patients with AML, ALL, CML, HD, and NHL. The preclinical data that provide the basis for these trials were mostly conducted in or with cells from B6D2F1 and B6AF1 mice. These experiments indicated that combinations of MC540 and light that deplete leukemia cells by 5–8 log deplete granulocyte/macrophage progenitors (CFU-GM) and the radio-protective capacity of bone marrow cells by about 1 log. We have recently shown that hematopoietic cells from 129 mice are substantially less sensitive to MC540-purging than cells from B6D2F1, B6AF1, and C57BL/6 mice. For instance, a combination of MC540 and light that depletes CFU-GM from C57BL/6mice 7.9 fold, depletes CFU-GM from 129 and B6129F1 mice merely 1.4-fold and 2-fold, respectively. This marked difference in photosensitivity cannot be explained by strain-specific differences in the ratio of photosensitive granulocye (CFU-G to photoresistant macrophage (CFU-M) progenitors, as the same rank order of sensitivity is also observed among unipotent CFU-G and CFU-GM as well as among erythroid progenitors from 129, B6129F1, and C57BL/6 mice.Flow cytometric binding studies show increased binding of MC540 to bone marrow cells from C57BL/6 mice, suggesting that the greater photosensitivity of C57BL/6 cells is at least in part attributable to a greater expression of MC540 binding sites in C57BL/6 marrow cells. These findings have obvious implications for the preclinical and clinical evaluation of merocyanines and related purging agents. They also suggest new experimental approches for investigations into the genetic control of photosensitivity.
Runoff of sulfometuron-methyl and cyanazine from small plots : effects of formulation and grass cover

To determine the effects of application rates, grass cover, and formulation type on herbicide losses in runoff, we applied 4.5 kg/ha cyanazine (2-[[4-chloro-6-(ethylamino)-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl)] amino]-2-methylpropanenitrile) with 0.4 kg/ha sulfometuron-methyl (methyl-2[[[[(4,6-dimethyl-2-pyrimidinyl)amino] carbonyl] amino] sulfonyl] benzoate) to 1.2 by 2.4 m plots, using suspension concentrate (SC) and dispersible granule (DG) formulations of cyanazine, and SC and emulsifiable concentrate (EC) formulations of sulfometuron-methyl. (...)
Degradation of Pedogenic Calcretes in West Texas

Calcretes (petrocalcic horizons) are widespread indurated accumulations of carbonate in arid and semiarid regions of the world. Many studies have detailed the formation of these calcretes; however, litde direct attention has been given to their degradation. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the continuity of calcrete on the Llano Estacado as a step toward understanding processes of calcrete degradation across the region. The Llano Estacado is a tableland spanning eastern New Mexico and West Texas with a well-developed calcrete, known as the "caprock," exposed as an escarpment around most of its perimeter. We excavated several deep pits along a transect between the caprock on the eastern margin of the Llano Estacado and a similar outcrop on a playa slope. We documented degradation features in the calcrete and compared the extent of degradation with a calcrete in a more arid region (Diablo Plateau). Our findings show a lack of continuity of the calcrete on the Llano Estacado even in a relatively short transect (220 m) between the two outcrops. Individual calcrete fragments showed evidence of partial dissolution. These observations were confirmed in road cuts and pits excavated for road material across the area. Geomorphic position and surface slope control water movement across the landscape and apparendy explain both the variation in the presence of degradational features and the distribution of calcrete fragments in the transect. Observations from the more arid Diablo Plateau suggest that calcrete degradation is widespread. The degradation of calcrete on the Llano Estacado makes the caprock unreliable in some areas as a stratigraphic marker in distinguishing the Ogallala and Blackwater Draw Formations.
A Singular Value Decomposition Approach to Information Presentation Format Optimization

Glass cockpits pose a novel problem in Information Presentation Format (IPF) optimization since they invariably carry more formats than they can present any given time. In addition to optimizing individual formats and the static layout of sets of formats for information presentation, designers must now concern themselves with optimizing the overall set of formats from which a subset is drawn for presentation at any given time. Fortunately, quantitative knowledge representations and reasoning techniques, deriving primarily from research in the Pilot's Associate programs, enable the use of sophisticated mathematical analysis techniques for addressing this problem quickly and easily. We present initial work on the use of Singular Value Decomposition techniques for analyzing the “fit” between the information presenting capabilities of a set of IPFs and the information needs of a set of piloting tasks and show how this technique can be used to provide design recommendations for the global set of IPFs available...
A note on probabilities of fuzzy events

Abstract If X is a set of random elements and A is a fuzzy subset of X, a new definition for the probability of A is presented. This definition is compared with Zadeh's definition of using the expected value of A as the probability of A. Various properties of this new definition are presented. Furthermore it is shown that the distinction between these two definitions is based upon the choice of definition for the cardinality of a fuzzy subset.
On Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī's Life and the Patronage He Received

Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī (d. 606/1210) was one of the most important proponents of the rationalist wing of Ashʿarism, which responded to the tradition of falsafa in Islam by rejecting some of its teachings while adopting others. He and other scholars of his time achieved an effective integration of falsafa into Muslim theology. This article looks at his life and focuses in particular on his relationship with political figures who were his patrons and supported the wider distribution of his teachings. In 1912, Ignaz Goldziher suggested that the rationalism represented by Fakhr al-Dīn could flourish only in the eastern Muslim provinces, where the forces of Muslim orthodoxy predominant in Islam’s centre did not reach.This article shows that the most powerful rulers of the pre-Mongol period in the Muslim east, namely the Khwarazmshahs, the Ghurids, and the Ayyubids actively supported the spread of Fakhr al-Dīn’s rationalist theology in their domains. While at war with one another, the Khwarazmshahs and the Ghurids competed to be patrons of Fakhr al-Dīn, built schools for him, and courted him and his teachings. His books were well known in Syria and Egypt, where the Ayyubids commissioned his work. Supporting Fakhr al-Dīn and his teachings was part of a religious policy that aimed at spreading his kind of rationalist Ashʿarism at the expense of its rivals. In Iran, Transoxania, and Afghanistan, where Fakhr al-Dīn was active, these were mostly the Karramis but also Maturidi Hanafis.
X-ray diffraction analysis of an osmium silicide epilayer grown on Si(1 0 0) by molecular beam epitaxy

Abstract Osmium silicide epilayers have been grown by molecular beam epitaxy on (1 0 0)-oriented Si wafers. Multiple-phase (Os2Si3 and OsSi2) and single-phase epilayers are observed, depending on the growth parameters. In this paper we report on a detailed investigation of the structure of a single-phase Os2Si3 epilayer and epilayer/silicon interface using X-ray diffraction, and reflectivity analysis. Optical absorption results will also be presented.
Impact of VOCs on decision making and productivity

Environmental conditions can affect the productivity of workers performing a variety of tasks including manufacturing assembly, data entry and management. These factors might include physical, chemical, biological and social agents, but the relative effect of individual factors is not known. A pilot project was conducted to assess the relationship between productivity and exposure to latex paint in indoor environments. This was achieved by utilizing a sophisticated Strategic Management Simulation (SMS) tool that has been proven to accurately measure decrements and improvements in human effectiveness across a wide range of chemical and environmental exposure scenarios. Prior research with the SMS simulation technique shows considerable differences in human functioning when drug treatments are compared with placebo treatments, when drugs are compared with each other and when dose levels of specific drugs are compared. Among others, the SMS has been used to measure the effects of beta-blockers, caffeine, ant...
Educational activities of the IEEE Orlando Section

The major activities of the Educational Committee of the IEEE Orlando Section are the technical video library and the participation in the Engineers Week. In this paper the formation and operation of the video library are described in detail. Further, other activities fostering engineering eduction by the section are narrated.
Tumor Necrosis Factor Stimulates Hepatic Lipid Synthesis and Secretion

Previous studies have shown that tumor necrosis factor (TNF) administration acutely increases serum triglyceride levels and stimulates hepatic de novo fatty acid synthesis. We now demonstrate that 60-90 min after TNF administration the incorporation of glycerol into triglycerides in the liver is increased 57% in chow-fed rats. Additionally, the quantity of labeled lipid in serum is increased 96% in the TNF-treated animals. TNF also acutely increases hepatic lipid synthesis and the quantity of labeled lipids in serum in rats fed a high sucrose diet. Moreover, using the Triton WR-1339 method, from 1-2 h after TNF administration there is a 52% increase in total hepatic triglyceride secretion. In contrast, in animals fasted before TNF administration, the characteristic increase in serum triglyceride levels is not observed, and neither the incorporation of glycerol into hepatic lipids nor the quantity of labeled lipids in the circulation are increased. By 17 h after TNF administration the incorporation of glycerol into hepatic lipid and the quantity of labeled lipid in the serum are no longer increased. These results indicate that in addition to TNF acutely stimulating de novo fatty acid synthesis, TNF also acutely stimulates hepatic triglyceride synthesis. The increase in hepatic triglyceride synthesis leads to increased secretion of lipids into the circulation. These observations provide strong support for our hypothesis that a TNF-induced stimulation of hepatic lipid synthesis and secretion contributes to the TNF-induced hyperlipidemia.
Structural effect on colossal magnetoresistivity in manganites: Bond versus band

The atomic structure is an important component in the mechanism of the colossal magnetoresistance (CMR) phenomenon mainly through the ionic size effect. In the current understanding, this factor controls the CMR phenomenon by changing the electron bandwidth, while the estimated changes in the bandwidth appear to be too small to be of significance. By way of the atomic pair distribution function analysis of pulsed neutron diffraction data of model compounds, we suggest that the principal effect of the ionic size is to change the polaron formation energy through the change in the local elastic response.
Paleotransport of lanthanides and strontium recorded in calcite compositions from tuffs at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, USA

Secondary calcite occurs in both saturated and unsaturated hydrologic zones (SZ and UZ, respectively) in the tuffs at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, USA. In the upper UZ, the major constituents of the calcite crystal structure (C, O) have surface origins. At greater depth there is a “barren zone,” straddling the water table, where calcite is rare and mixing of surface and subsurface sources may occur. Deep in the SZ, distinctive Mn calcites reflect deep sources, including Ca released as analcime or albite formed and carbonates derived from underlying Paleozoic rocks. In the UZ and in the barren zone, above the deep Mn calcites, variations in calcite lanthanide chemistry can be used to distinguish rhyolitic from quartz-latitic sources. Lanthanide ratios and Sr contents of calcites record the chemical evolution of waters flowing through the UZ and upper SZ. Variations in calcite chemistry in the UZ and in the barren zone show that (1) Sr, which is readily exchanged with clays or zeolites, is essentially removed from some flowpaths that are in contact with these minerals and (2) traces of Mn oxides found in the tuffs have a significant effect on groundwater chemistry in the UZ and in the barren zone by removing almost all Ce from solution (evidenced by characteristic Ce depletions in calcite throughout this zone). Extreme Ce removal may be a result of Ce oxidation (Ce 3+→ Ce 4+) at the surfaces of some Mn oxides, particularly rancieite. Higher Sr contents and lack of Ce depletions in the deeper Mn calcites reflect different ages, origins, and transport systems. The calcite record of lanthanide and Sr transport in the UZ shows that minor minerals (clays and zeolites) and even trace minerals (Mn oxides) will affect the compositions of groundwaters that flow over distances greater than a few tens of meters.
Sulfur dynamics in mineral horizons of two northern hardwood soils. A column study with 35S

Sulfur dynamics of two Spodosols were ascertained using soil columns constructed from homogenized mineral soil from nothern hardwood ecosystems at the Huntington Forest (HF) in the Adirondack Mountains of New York and Bear Brook Watershed in Maine (BBWM). Columns were leached for 20 weeks with a simulated throughfall solution with35SO42-. Sulfur constituents were similar to those of other Spodosols, with the organic S fractions (C-bonded S and ester sulfate) constituting over 90% of total S. HF soil columns had higher total S (14.9 μmol S g-1) than that for the BBWM soil columns (7.4 μmol g-1) primarily due to higher C-bonded S in the former.
Flame structure of steady and pulsed sooting inverse jet diffusion flames

Abstract In turbulent buoyant fire plumes, local inverse diffusion flames of air injected into gaseous fuel or fuel vapors occur, but little is known about the tendency to form soot and produce thermal radiation in these flame structures. To investigate these phenomena, steady and pulsed normal and inverse jet diffusion flames of methane/air and ethylene/air have been stabilized on a slot burner, which has advantages over a coannular flame geometry for performing flame imaging measurements in sooty flames. OH and PAH laser-induced fluorescence (LIF), soot laser-induced incandescence (LII), and soot thermal emission at 850 nm have been measured in the lower flame region of steady and pulsed flames. These measurements reveal that the relative positions of these different structural features are very similar in the normal and inverse steady flames of each fuel. Also, the OH signals are nearly identical in the normal and inverse flames. The inverse flame PAH signals and soot concentrations are somewhat smaller than for the normal flames, and the near-infrared radiation is approximately 25% lower for the inverse flame. When the central slot is pulsed, the primary buoyant vortex roll-up occurs on the fuel-rich side of inverse flames, resulting in strongly enhanced PAH signals and soot concentrations. The near-infrared radiation also increases in the pulsed flames, but not from the soot within the vortex roll-up region. In general, enhancements in peak signals from soot and near-infrared radiation similar to those in pulsed normal diffusion flames are apparent in pulsed inverse diffusion flames. PAH signals are clearly greatest in the pulsed inverse flames.
Stability analysis of social foraging swarms: combined effects of attractant/repellent profiles

In this paper we study the stability of the collective behavior of social foraging swarms, i.e., swarms moving in a profile of nutrient/toxic substances (an attractant/repellent profile) and extend our previous results. In particular, we consider a plane profile and also extend our results for the quadratic, Gaussian, and multi-modal Gaussian profiles. Moreover, we analyze the ultimate behavior of the individuals in the social foraging swarm. The paper closes with new simulation studies that give insights into swarm dynamics.
Decadal to millennial-scale solar forcing of Last Glacial Maximum climate in the Estancia Basin of central New Mexico

Abstract Lacustrine sediments from the Estancia Basin of central New Mexico reveal decadal to millennial oscillations in the volume of Lake Estancia during Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) time. LGM sediments consist of authigenic carbonates, detrital clastics delivered to the lake in stream flow pulses, and evaporites that precipitated in mudflats exposed during lake lowstands and were subsequently blown into the lake. Variations in sediment mineralogy thus reflect changes in hydrologic balance and were quantified using Rietveld analysis of X-ray diffraction traces. Radiocarbon dates on ostracode valve calcite allowed the construction of mineralogical time series for the interval ~ 23,600 to ~ 18,300 ka, which were subjected to spectral analysis using REDFIT (Schulz and Mudelsee, 2002). Dominant periods of ~ 900, ~ 375, and ~ 265 yr are similar to cycles in Holocene 14 C production reported for a variety of tree ring records, suggesting that the Lake Estancia sediments record variations in solar activity during LGM time. A prominent spectral peak with a period of ~ 88 yr appears to reflect the solar Gleissberg cycle and may help, along with the ~ 265 yr cycle, to explain an ongoing mystery about how Lake Estancia was able to undergo abrupt expansions without overflowing its drainage basin.
Plasma Cortisol Transport and Primate Evolution

Primates have diverged into three major evolutionary groups: prosimians, Old World primates, and New World primates; the last group is distinguished by high circulating cortisol concentrations and resistance to the action of glucocorticoids. We have studied a large spectrum of primate species within these groups to characterize the phylogenetic relationships of cortisol-binding globulin (CBG) among them. The CBG in each species was found to be glycosylated, as judged from lectin interactions, and to exhibit an electrophoretic mobility similar to that of human CBG. Although the CBG affinity for cortisol differed among species, the effects of changes in temperature on the CBG affinity were similar. Strikingly, the CBG-binding capacity of plasma in the New World primates was 1/10th to 1/100th those in the Old World primates and prosimians, while the CBG-binding affinity for cortisol was lower. The reduced capacity and affinity of CBG result in a markedly higher fraction of unbound plasma cortisol in the New World primates than in the Old World primates or the prosimian species examined. This evolutionary pattern of CBG may be a compensatory mechanism for the target organ resistance to glucocorticoids that characterizes the New World monkeys.
An Application of Interval Methods to Stock Market Forecasting

Stock market forecasting has been a challenging financial research topic for decades. In the literature, there are numerous results based on point methods. However, poor forecasting quality has been a continuous problem. Motivated by the fact that financial data varies within intervals, we apply interval methods on a well known stock pricing model [3] to predict stock market variability as intervals. Empirical results obtained with a few different approaches in this paper consistently suggest that interval forecasts have better overall quality than traditional point forecasts.
A self-aligned short process for insulated-gate bipolar transistors

An n-channel vertical insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) process which implements a self-aligned p/sup +/ short inside the DMOS diffusion windows is proposed and demonstrated experimentally. The salient feature of the new process is the placement of a poly-Si plug to define the diffusion window of the p/sup +/ short. Similar forward conduction characteristics and tradeoffs with turn-off time were obtained for these self-aligned short IGBTs when compared to conventional IGBTs with non-self-aligned shorts. With a resistive load and no external gate resistor, dynamic latching current was seen to increase with increasing p/sup +/ diffusion depth and electron irradiation dosage, as well as with larger p/sup +/ diffusion windows. >
Demonstration of photoluminescence in nonanodized silicon

The formation of photoluminescent porous Si in an etchant solution made from the HF‐HNO3‐CH3COOH system is reported. The porous Si is characterized on the basis of its photoluminescence (PL) spectra and the degradation of the PL during exposure to laser irradiation. The surface topography as characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM) reveals features on the order of 400–600 A. The effect of annealing the porous Si in vacuum on the PL intensity is described and correlated to the breakdown of Si—H bonds on the porous Si surface.
Analysis of the Primary Containment Response using a Hydrodynamic-elastic-plastic Computer Code

Abstract The dynamic response of the primary reactor containment system to a hypothetical core disruptive accident (HCDA) is determined from the basic equations of mass, momentum, and energy, and the equations of state of the medium. These equations are first expressed in material coordinates and then set into finite difference form solved numerically on the computer using a hydrodynamic-elastic-plastic computer code, REXCO-HEP developed at ANL. Propagation of pressure waves, loads imposed on different parts of the reactor components, and the resulting deformations are determined at every time step throughout the sequence of the calculation. As a sample calculation, the code was applied to analyze the response of the FFTF reactor to a 150 MWsec HCDA. The mathematical model is described in detail, particularly in the areas of modeling reactor internals and extending the time range to cover the entire excursion phenomenon. Finally, the results obtained from the computer analysis are discussed in detail.
Octreotide for chylous effusions in congenital diaphragmatic hernia

Background/Purpose Chylothorax is a frequent complication in congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) infants and is associated with significant morbidity. The optimal treatment strategy remains unclear. We hypothesize that octreotide decreases chylous effusions in infants with CDH.
Drilling Surgeons: The Social Lessons of Embodied Surgical Learning

Surgical training has traditionally involved a lengthy apprenticeship to a series of master surgeons, who teach medical students and residents the techniques of surgery while allowing them to work ...
The fat acids of American tall oil

The composition of the fat acids of six samples of American tall oil has been determined. They are all quite similar in fat acid composition. The average values were: linoleic acid 48%; oleic acid 45%; saturated acids 7%. There is present approximately 11% of conjugated linoleic acid, probably formed by the action of alkali and heat during the cooking of the pulp from which the tall oil was formed. Detailed fractional distillation of a sample of the methyl esters of the fat acids showed that the saturated acids are mostly palmitic, that there may be about 1% of palmitoleic, and that the conjugated linoleic acid present can be separated and concentrated by fractional distillation.
Initial survey of slow potential changes obtained under resting conditions and incident to convulsive therapy.

Abstract By use of a balancing potentiometer and periodically short-circuiting the leads to an 8 channel electroencephalograh slow voltage changes were recorded under a variety of conditions: 1. 1. Using non-polarizable electrodes forty scalp recordings were done on subjects with and without disordered EEGs. The range of resting potential obtained between scalp and ear and scalp and chest was 1–34 mV., the scalp being either positive or negative with respect to the indifferent lead. The scalp polarity remained the same in successive observations made on the same patient. In view of obvious complicating factors these stated values of resting potential can only serve as a baseline for other observations in which sudden changes were measured. 2. 2. Thirty-two observations by scalp recording were made on 20 neuropsychiatric patients during convulsive therapy. With electric and Metrazol shock there was an immediate change in DC potential of 4 to 12 mV. which did not attain its maximum amplitude for 1 2 to 2 min. after the stimulus was given. With insulin there was a sustained alteration of 10 to 12 mV. in potential which persited during the period of coma. Polarity in all these observations varied from case to case. 3. 3. Written on the major change described above were lesser oscillations having a frequency in waves per minute and amplitude in the microvolt range. 4. 4. In the 2 most reliable of 5 measurements made upon the human brain exposed at operation there was a transcortical difference of potential of 5 to 7 mV., and slow voltage changes measurable in waves per minute were evident. 5. 5. In four unanesthetized monkeys studied during electric, Metrazol and insulin shock the results obtained using scalp electrodes were verified by direct transcortical recording from implanted electrodes.
T cell–mediated suppression of angiogenesis results in tumor protective immunity

Antiangiogenic intervention is known to inhibit tumor growth and dissemination by attacking the tumor's vascular supply. Here, we report that this was achieved for the first time using an oral DNA minigene vaccine against murine vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (FLK-1), a self-antigen overexpressed on proliferating endothelial cells in the tumor vasculature. Moreover, we identified the first H-2Db–restricted epitope, FLK400 (VILT-NPISM), specifically recognized by cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs). Such CTLs were capable of killing FLK-1+ endothelial cells, resulting in suppression of angiogenesis and long-lived tumor protection. The specificity of this immune response was indicated because the DNA vaccine encoding the entire FLK-1 gene also induced a FLK400-specific CTL response. This minigene vaccine strategy provides a more flexible alternative to whole-gene vaccination and facilitates in-depth mechanism studies to tailor DNA vaccines for optimal T-cell activation and tumor protection.
Using Logistic Regression to make County‐level Estimates of the Medically Uninsured in North Carolina

Often, policy analysts are asked to produce data for which there are no universally accepted methods. Policymakers and legislators are continually searching for accurate estimates of the magnitude of the problem with which to inform their debate, but often need the estimates within a short period of time—too short to allow large, population-based sample surveys. This means that such estimates must be produced from data that may lack the specificity sought by policymakers and legislators, using techniques not perfectly suited for the analysis. The recent focus on health care financing policies has created a situation where estimates of the number of medically uninsured persons are key to decision-making about coverage policies. This article describes the use of the 1992 Current Population Survey and logistic regression analysis to explain the determinants of women of childbearing age in North Carolina without medical insurance, and to develop county-level estimates of their population. This is an example of using logistic regression as a fool for prediction and projection of data crucial to the policymaking process as well as adapting a method normally used in the academic environment to the policy world.
Ensuring correct rollback recovery in distributed shared memory systems

Distributed shared memory (DSM) implemented on a cluster of workstations is an increasingly attractive platform for executing parallel scientific applications. Checkpointing and rollback techniques can be used in such a system to allow the computation to progress in spite of the temporary failure of one or more processing nodes. This paper presents the design of an independent checkpointing method for DSM that takes advantage of DSM's specific properties to reduce error-free and rollback overhead. The scheme reduces the dependencies that need to be considered for correct rollback to those resulting from transfers of pages. Furthermore, in-transit messages can be recovered without the use of logging. We extend the scheme to a DSM implementation using lazy release consistency, where the frequency of dependencies is further reduced.
Serotonin and the neurobiology of depression. Effects of tryptophan depletion in drug-free depressed patients.

Objective: To investigate the effects of tryptophan depletion in untreated depressed patients. Rapid dietary depletion of the precursor of serotonin synthesis, tryptophan, causes a transient return of depression in 67% of patients who have had a therapeutic antidepressant response. Method: Forty-three untreated depressed patients underwent tryptophan depletion in a double-blind, placebocontrolled cross-over study. After testing, they received open sequential antidepressant treatment. Results: Mood did not change when tryptophan was depleted but did change on the day after the depletion test. Relative to the control test, 37% of the patients had 10-point or greaterdecreasein Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (Ham-D) score, while 23% had a 10-point or greaterincreasein Ham-D score on the day after the tryptophan depletion test. Change in mood was correlated to treatment response after testing. Patients whose condition worsened proved to be highly refractory to treatment while those who showed improvment were more likely to respond. Conclusions: That tryptophan depletion did not rapidly worsen depression argues that serotonin function is not linearly related to the level of depression and if reduced serotonin function does cause depression, then it is either as predisposing factor or due to a postsynaptic deficit in the utilization of serotonin.
A numerical approach to 3-D inverse scattering problems

Abstract A new approach to the numerical solution of the 3-D inverse scattering problems is given.
Prescription drug monitoring and drug overdose mortality

Abuse of prescription drugs, particularly opioid analgesics, has become a major source of injury mortality and morbidity in the United States. To prevent the diversion and misuse of controlled substances, many states have implemented prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs). This study assessed the impact of state PDMPs on drug overdose mortality. We analyzed demographic and drug overdose mortality data for state-quarters with and without PDMPs in 50 states and the District of Columbia during 1999–2008, and estimated adjusted risk ratios (aRRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of drug overdose mortality associated with the implementation of state PDMPs through multivariable negative bionomial regression modeling. During the study period, annual national death rates from drug overdose increased by 96%, from 5.7 deaths per 100,000 population in 1999 to 11.2 in 2008. The impact of PDMPs on drug overdose mortality varied greatly across states, ranging from a 35% decrease in Michigan (aRR = 0.65; 95% CI = 0.54–0.77) to a more than 3-fold increase in Nevada (aRR = 3.37; 95% CI = 2.48–4.59). Overall, implementation of PDMPs was associated with an 11% increase in drug overdose mortality (aRR = 1.11; 95% CI = 1.02–1.21). Implementation of PDMPs did not reduce drug overdose mortality in most states through 2008. Program enhancement that facilitates the access and use of prescription drug monitoring data systems by healthcare practitioners is needed.
Expression of vesicular glutamate transporter 1 in the mouse retina reveals temporal ordering in development of rod vs. cone and ON vs. OFF circuits.

Glutamatergic transmission is crucial to the segregation of ON and OFF pathways in the developing retina. The temporal sequence of maturation of vesicular glutamatergic transmission in rod and cone photoreceptor and ON and OFF bipolar cell terminals is currently unknown. Vesicular glutamate transporters (VGLUTs) that load glutamate into synaptic vesicles are necessary for vesicular glutamatergic transmission. To understand better the formation and maturation of glutamatergic transmission in the rod vs. cone and ON vs. OFF pathways of the retina, we examined the developmental expression of VGLUT1 and VGLUT2 immunocytochemically in the mouse retina. Photoreceptor and bipolar cell terminals showed only VGLUT1-immunoreactivity (-IR); no VGLUT2-IR was present in any synapses of the developing or adult retina. VGLUT1-IR was first detected in cone photoreceptor terminals at postnatal day 2 (P2), several days before initiation of ribbon synapse formation at P4-P5. Rod terminals showed VGLUT1-IR by P8, when they invade the outer plexiform layer (OPL) and initiate synaptogenesis. Developing OFF bipolar cell terminals showed VGLUT1-IR around P8, 2-3 days after bipolar terminals were first identified in the inner plexiform layer (IPL) by labeling for the photoreceptor and bipolar cell terminal marker, synaptic vesicle protein 2B. Although terminals of ON bipolar cells were present in the IPL by P6-P8, most did not show VGLUT1-IR until P8-P10 and increased dramatically from P12. These data suggest a hierarchical development of glutamatergic transmission in which cone circuits form prior to rod circuits in both the OPL and IPL, and OFF circuits form prior to ON circuits in the IPL.
Building Identity and Community Through Research

A field’s identity and sustainability depend on its research as well as on programs, practice, and infrastructure. Research and practice have a reciprocal relationship, with practice identifying re...
Instrument Choice When Regulators and Firms Bargain

Abstract We compare outcomes with an emissions tax and an emissions standard when a firm and regulator engage in cooperative bargaining over the stringency of the regulation. Bargaining is motivated by giving the firm a choice of abatement technologies. If the firm's preferred technology differs from the regulator's, the first-best outcome is not an equilibrium of the traditional noncooperative game in which the regulator is a Stackelberg leader. The regulator may therefore choose to offer the firm a more lenient regulation if it agrees to switch technologies. We find that the resulting bargaining outcomes differ for a tax and a standard even though information is symmetric, and we identify conditions under which each instrument yields lower social costs.
Resistance exercise training increases mixed muscle protein synthesis rate in frail women and men >/=76 yr old.

Muscle atrophy (sarcopenia) in the elderly is associated with a reduced rate of muscle protein synthesis. The purpose of this study was to determine if weight-lifting exercise increases the rate of...
Dentists' Perceptions of Barriers to Providing Dental Care to Pregnant Women

Abstract Purpose The purpose of the study was to understand US dentists' attitudes, knowledge, and practices regarding dental care for pregnant women and to determine the impact of recent papers on oral health and pregnancy and guidelines disseminated widely. Methods In 2006 and 2007, the investigators conducted a mailed survey of all 1,604 general dentists in Oregon; 55.2% responded). Structural equation modeling was used to estimate associations between dentists' attitudes toward providing care to pregnant women, dentists' knowledge about the safety of dental procedures, and dentists' current practice patterns. Results Dentist's perceived barriers have the strongest direct effect on current practice and might be the most important factor deterring dentists from providing care to pregnant patients. Five attitudes (perceived barriers) were associated with providing less dental services: time, economic, skills, dental staff resistance, and peer pressure. The final model shows a good fit with a chi-square of 38.286 ( p = .12; n = 772; df = 52) and a Bentler-Bonett normed fit index of .98 and a comparative fit index of .993. The root mean square error of approximation is .02. Conclusion Findings suggest that attitudes are significant determinants of accurate knowledge and current practice. Multidimensional approaches are needed to increase access to dental care and protect the oral health of women during pregnancy. Despite current clinical recommendations to deliver all necessary care to pregnant patients during the first, second, and third trimesters, dentists' knowledge of the appropriateness of procedures continues to lag the state of the art in dental science.
Scientific model-building as search in matrix spaces

Many reported discovery systems build discrete models of hidden structure, properties, or processes in the diverse fields of biology, chemistry, and physics. We show that the search spaces underlying many well-known systems are remarkably similar when re-interpreted as search in matrix spaces. A small number of matrix types are used to represent the input data and output models. Most of the constraints can be represented as matrix constraints; most notably, conservation laws and their analogues can be represented as matrix equations. Typically, one or more matrix dimensions grow as these systems consider more complex models after simpler models fail, and we introduce a notation to express this. The novel framework of matrix-space search serves to unify previous systems and suggests how at least two of them can be integrated. Our analysis constitutes an advance toward a generalized account of model-building in science.
Beyond Breadth-Speed-Test: Toward Deeper Knowing and Engagement in an Advanced Placement Course

We report a mixed-methods design experiment that aims to achieve deeper learning in a breadth-oriented, college-preparatory course—AP U.S. Government and Politics. The study was conducted with 289 students in 12 classrooms across four schools and in an “excellence for all” context of expanding enrollments in AP courses. Contributions include its investigation of a model of deeper learning, development of a test to assess it, and fusion of project-based learning with a traditional curriculum. Findings suggest that a course of quasi-repetitive projects can lead to higher scores on the AP test but a floor effect on the assessment of deeper learning. Implications are drawn for assessing deeper learning and helping students adapt to shifts in the grammar of schooling.