cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ab initio molecular dynamics simulation of supercritical aqueous ionic solutions: Spectral diffusion of water in the vicinity of Br− and I− ions

Abstract Supercritical aqueous ionic solutions containing bromide (Br−) and iodide (I−) ions have been studied using Car-Parrinello molecular dynamics simulation at two different concentrations and at two different densities. The time dependent trajectory has been used for calculating vibrational spectral diffusion, structural properties and, for other dynamical properties such as hydrogen bond dynamics, orientational relaxation and residence dynamics. The vibrational spectral diffusion of fluctuating OD stretch mode inside the solvation shell of the ions and in the bulk has been studied using frequency-frequency time correlation function. Hydrogen bond dynamics, orientational relaxation and residence dynamics of Sc-water have been investigated using population correlation function approach. The water molecules inside the solvation shell of Br− and I− ions are found to show complex molecular dynamics in comparison to the water-water dynamics. The concentration dependent spectral diffusion has been observed and it occurs in multiple time scales in the solvation shell of Br− and I− ions. At supercritical condition, the ion-water hydrogen bond shows faster dynamics with respect to the same at ambient condition and slower dynamics with respect to the water-water hydrogen bond dynamics at supercritical condition.
Questioning, Reinventing, and Appropriating Cultural Heritage: A Comparative Ethnographic Study of Complementary Chinese Language Schools

(2018). Questioning, Reinventing, and Appropriating Cultural Heritage. Amerasia Journal: Vol. 44, No. 3, pp. 1-25.
Interactions Between Turbulence and Interfaces with Surface Tension

Turbulence is a complex, multi-scale fluid process that can be strongly modified by the presence of multiple phases. In this work, we will discuss various aspects of the interaction between turbulence and interfaces with surface tension, as commonly encountered in liquid-gas flows. This study is based on a series of direct numerical simulations of homogeneous and isotropic turbulence in the presence of an initially flat interface that separates two fluids of equal densities and viscosities. This highly simplified flow configuration is selected as it isolates a critical aspect of turbulent liquid-gas flows and allows for deeper analysis. A second order numerical discretization that conserves mass, momentum, and kinetic energy is employed for all simulations. The scales of interface corrugation are presented, identifying the presence of a critical cutoff length scale below which surface tension suppresses interface deformation. Open image in new window
Tests of advanced RF off-axis current drive techniques on DIII-D

The establishment of reactor-relevant radiofrequency heating and current drive techniques is a focus of work on DIII-D in the next five-year period. This paper gives an overview of the planned experimental work in the areas of (1) nearly vertically launched ECCD, (2) ‘helicon’ (whistlers or fast waves in the lower hybrid range of frequencies) current drive, and (3) high-field-side-launch (HFS) lower hybrid (slow wave) current drive. Each of these techniques addresses the need for efficient off-axis current drive for a steady-state tokamak reactor to supplement the bootstrap current and to provide current profile control, and each will be experimentally assessed at a coupled power level of ~1 MW on DIII-D in the next few years.
IMEC’s CATHEDRAL-2nd System

IMEC’s CATHEDRAL-2nd system is one of two successors to the CATHEDRAL-II system. It is designed for the synthesis of medium sample rate digital signal processing (DSP) chips, and it supports more flexibility in EXU composition than CATHEDRAL-II. CATHEDRAL-2nd includes transformations, data path synthesis and scheduling. See also IMEC’s CATHEDRAL-II System and IMEC’s CATHEDRAL-Ill System.
Resting Cardiac Efficiency Affects Survival Following Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement.

Abstract Objective Cardiac power to left ventricular mass (LVM) ratio, also termed cardiac efficiency (CE), reflects the rate of cardiac work delivered to the potential energy stored in LVM. We sought to assess the association between baseline resting CE and survival post transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Methods We retrospectively extracted data of patients who received TAVR in the Mayo Clinic Foundation with follow up data available at 1 year. Cardiac output was measured using Doppler echocardiography at baseline. CE was calculated using the formula, (cardiac output × mean arterial blood pressure)/(451 × LVM × 100) W/100 g. Survival score analysis was performed to identify cut off value for CE to identify the maximum difference in mortality in the study cohort. Patients were subsequently divided into 2 groups CE Results We included 954 patients in the final analysis. CE in group1 vs group 2 was 0.31 ± 0.05 W/100 g vs 0.59 ± 0.18 W/100 g. Patients in group1 were more likely to be male, had a higher prevalence of atrial fibrillation, prior myocardial infarction, mitral and tricuspid regurgitation. They also had a higher STS risk score, NYHA functional class, and lower aortic valve area. The remainder of the baseline characteristics was similar in both groups. A lower CE was associated with higher 1-year mortality following TAVR based on multivariate analysis. (Group1: 22.18% vs Group 2: 9.89%, p Conclusion In our cohort, a low baseline CE (
Eyelid retraction discomfort with cotton-tipped applicator, unimanual and speculum intravitreal injection techniques: Eyelid retraction technique randomized comparison trial (Eyelid RETRACT).

Purpose: The aim of this study was to test the discomfort experienced during intravitreal injections with eyelid retraction between an eyelid speculum, cotton-tipped applicator (CTA), and unimanual eyelid retraction techniques. Methods: In total, 99 patients receiving intravitreal bevacizumab were enrolled into this prospective study. Participants were randomized to one of the three methods, given subconjunctival 2% lidocaine and then injected in the superior temporal quadrant. Immediately after the procedure, each patient was given a visual analog scale (VAS) to rate their discomfort. Results: The mean pain scores for eyelid retraction with unimanual, CTA, and speculum groups were 0.788 (standard deviation [SD] 0.70, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.448–1.128), 0.945 (SD 1.28, 95% CI 0.600–1.291), and 1.561 (SD 1.28, 95% CI 1.210–1.912), respectively. A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) test revealed a significant difference between the groups (P = 0.006). Post hoc analysis also revealed a difference in mean pain scores between the speculum and both the CTA and the unimanual methods. Conclusion: Our study shows that the unimanual and CTA methods for eyelid retraction are significantly less painful for patients compared to the speculum method. Patient comfort is of the utmost importance as intravitreal injections are performed millions of times a year with most patients requiring multiple injections.
UV Origin of Discrete Symmetries

We discuss the possible UV origin of discrete symmetries. We review the (i) interpretation of discrete R symmetries as discrete remnants of the Lorentz group; (ii) additional discrete transformations arising in orbifold compactifications, some of which have only been found recently; (iii) the stringy/gauge origin of family symmetries; (iv) \(\mathcal {C}\mathcal {P}\) violation from strings. These notes are based on an invited talk by the author at FHEP 2019 in Hyderabad.
Genomic Modeling as an Approach to Identify Surrogates for Use in Experimental Validation of SARS-CoV-2 and HuNoV Inactivation by UV-C Treatment

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic that continues to pose significant public health concerns. While research to deliver vaccines and antivirals are being pursued, various effective technologies to control its environmental spread are also being targeted. Ultraviolet light (UV-C) technologies are effective against a broad spectrum of microorganisms when used even on large surface areas. In this study, we developed a pyrimidine dinucleotide frequency based genomic model to predict the sensitivity of select enveloped and non-enveloped viruses to UV-C treatments in order to identify potential SARS-CoV-2 and human norovirus surrogates. The results revealed that this model was best fitted using linear regression with r 2 = 0.90. The predicted UV-C sensitivity (D 90 - dose for 90% inactivation) for SARS-CoV-2 and MERS-CoV was found to be 21.5 and 28 J/m2, respectively (with an estimated 18 J/m2 obtained from published experimental data for SARS-CoV-1), suggesting that coronaviruses are highly sensitive to UV-C light compared to other ssRNA viruses used in this modeling study. Murine hepatitis virus (MHV) A59 strain with a D 90 of 21 J/m2 close to that of SARS-CoV-2 was identified as a suitable surrogate to validate SARS-CoV-2 inactivation by UV-C treatment. Furthermore, the non-enveloped human noroviruses (HuNoVs), had predicted D 90 values of 69.1, 89, and 77.6 J/m2 for genogroups GI, GII, and GIV, respectively. Murine norovirus (MNV-1) of GV with a D 90 = 100 J/m2 was identified as a potential conservative surrogate for UV-C inactivation of these HuNoVs. This study provides useful insights for the identification of potential non-pathogenic (to humans) surrogates to understand inactivation kinetics and their use in experimental validation of UV-C disinfection systems. This approach can be used to narrow the number of surrogates used in testing UV-C inactivation of other human and animal ssRNA viral pathogens for experimental validation that can save cost, labor and time.
Modern Internet Search Analytics and Total Joint Arthroplasty: What Are Patients Asking and Reading Online?

Abstract Background Patients considering total joint arthroplasty often search for information online regarding surgery; however, little is known about the specific topics that patients search for and the nature of the information provided. Google compiles frequently asked questions associated with a search term using machine learning and natural language processing. Links to individual websites are provided to answer each question. Analysis of this data may help improve understanding of patient concerns and inform more effective counseling. Methods Search terms were entered into Google for total hip and total knee arthroplasty. Frequently asked questions and associated websites were extracted to a database using customized software. Questions were categorized by topic; websites were categorized by type. JAMA Benchmark Criteria were used to assess website quality. Pearson’s chi-squared and Student’s t-tests were performed as appropriate. Results A total of 620 questions (305 total knee arthroplasties, 315 total hip arthroplasties) were extracted with 602 associated websites. The most popular question topics were Specific Activities (23.5%), Indications/Management (15.6%), and Restrictions (13.4%). Questions related to Pain were more common in the TKA group (23.0% vs 2.5%, P Conclusion The most frequently asked questions on Google related to total joint arthroplasty are related to arthritis management, rehabilitation, and ability to perform specific tasks. A sizable proportion of health information provided originate from non-academic, non-government sources (64.4%), with 17.1% from social media websites.
On crowned anarchy: three hypotheses

This essay explores the conditions of possibility for the critique of the new illiberalism exemplified by leaders such as Donald Trump and Jacob Zuma. It proposes three hypotheses. The first is tha...
Days of Future Past: comics and history

Comic books are deceivingly complex cultural artifacts. The artform combines narrative and visual art to construct vivid – though often fantastical – realms. At worst, they offer readers a whimsica...
Clinician perspectives on methadone service delivery and the use of telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study

Abstract Objectives During the COVID-19 pandemic, opioid treatment programs (OTPs) in the U.S. were granted new flexibility in methadone dispensing and the use of telemedicine. To explore the impact of the pandemic and accompanying policy changes on service delivery, we asked OTP clinicians about changes in care patterns and perceptions of impacts on access and quality. Methods In May–June 2020, we completed semistructured telephone interviews with 20 OTP clinicians (physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners) from 13 U.S. states. The study recruited participants through Medscape, an online platform where clinicians access clinical content. We used rapid thematic analysis, a qualitative approach, to summarize participants' expressed views related to the research objectives. Results Clinicians identified a range of changes to methadone and ancillary service delivery as a result of COVID-19. Most clinicians reported that OTPs were prescribing more take-home doses of methadone and providing psychosocial services and medication management via telemedicine. Many also reported reducing the frequency of urine toxicology screening and accepting fewer new patients. While some clinicians expressed support for the increased flexibility around dosing and use of telemedicine, others expressed concern about increased risk of medication diversion and overdose. Clinicians reported several advantages and disadvantages of the changes due to the pandemic and that continued reimbursement would be required to maintain telemedicine services. Conclusions The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically altered the delivery of methadone treatment in the U.S. This study's findings suggest that OTPs may have reduced their methadone treatment during the early months of the pandemic and that the flexibilities that policy changes offered may not have resulted in changes in care delivery for all patients. Careful consideration and additional analysis should inform which changes OTPs should maintain long-term.
Home Dialysis: A Majority Chooses It, a Minority Gets It.

Introduction When choosing a modality for outpatient renal replacement therapy, patients and medical providers have 3 options to choose from in-center hemodialysis (HD), home HD (HHD), and peritoneal dialysis (PD). In 2017, just over 10% of incident ESKD patients were on a home dialysis modality. We set out to determine outcomes of dialysis modality education in both pre-dialysis and dialysis patients. Moreover, we examined barriers that preclude patients from choosing home dialysis. Methods This was a single-center, retrospective study looking at patients who were referred to the CKD educator for dialysis modality education between January 1, 2019, and March 31, 2020. Patient demographics, preferred language of communication, stage of renal disease, and reasons for patients' refusal to undertake a home dialysis modality were recorded. Patients' average household income and driving distance to our home dialysis unit were calculated using their home zip code. Results 167 patients were referred for CKD education. Mean age was 60 years, and 59% male, 42% African American, 22% White, 7% Asian, and 28% were Hispanic or Latino. Only 23% of the total cohort chose in-center HD, while 74% chose a home dialysis modality (59% PD and 15% HHD), and the remaining patients remained undecided. 56% of in-center HD patients chose a home dialysis modality. The most commonly cited barriers to home dialysis were lack of a care partner, lack of home space, and patient preference. Limitations Over 90% of our patients reside in NY City where home space is limited. We require in our home HD program that patients have a trained care partner present during their treatments. We cannot assume that all CKD stage-4 patients or higher were either referred for CKD education or followed through on the referral. Conclusions A large discrepancy between informed patients' choices and the reality of the current dialysis landscape. Absence of a care partner, lack of home space, and patients not deemed appropriate surgical candidates were the main driving forces in their not opting for a home modality.
Rangeland Ecosystem Service Markets: Panacea or Wicked Problem?

Rangelands support nearly one-third of Earth’s population and provide a multitude of ecosystem services. Land managers and society face increasing pressures to sustainably intensify rangeland food systems; therefore, the time is ripe for thoughtful approaches to simultaneously produce more food, provide economic opportunities for livestock-dependent communities, and enhance environmental benefits from rangeland ecosystems. Payments for ecosystem services (PES) programs have been put forth as potential mechanisms to maintain the quality and quantity of ecosystem services while enhancing economic viability of livestock operations. Free markets have long been proposed as solutions for mitigating trade-offs from ecosystem services that are not co-produced with livestock production; such markets have failed to emerge at the scale required to address global threats to sustainability. We highlight fundamental obstacles on demand and supply sides that challenge the concept of a market as a panacea; we do so through an interdisciplinary lens of fundamental economic underpinnings overlaid with a social survey of cattle producers’ perspectives. Relevant to the demand side, we discuss the most significant impediments to development and function of non-bundled ecosystem service markets; on the supply side, we provide unique perspectives, using novel interview data from California rangeland cattle producers. Producer interviews highlighted substantial financial challenges threatening the economic sustainability of their operations. Among interviewed producers, 85% identified government regulations as the central threat to their livelihoods. Producers identified opportunities for enhancing enterprise sustainability via improved value and marketing of livestock goods co-produced with ecosystem services, participation in conservation easements, and improved connections with society. Only 11% of producers identified PES programs as future opportunities. When asked about willingness to participate in PES markets, 13% of interviewees indicated they would not, 45% were neutral, and 42% indicated they would consider participating. Interviewees stated trust in the market broker is key and they would be less willing to participate if there was government involvement. Ecosystem service markets – whether voluntary or non-voluntary– are likely not sustainable solutions to the complex social-economic-ecological dilemma ranchers and society face. Sustainability on working rangelands will require partnerships to co-develop strategies to build more equitable food systems and sustain these ecosystems.
Real-Time Investigation of Sn(II) Oxidation in Pb-Free Halide Perovskites by X-ray Absorption and Mössbauer Spectroscopy

Sn(II) halide perovskites are a less toxic alternative to Pb-based materials in perovskite solar cells, but oxidation to Sn(IV) introduces additional degradation pathways. Improving stability requi...
Measurement of the autocorrelation factor for common pulses

Summary form only given. For a Gaussian pulse, the SHG autocorrelation factor is 1.414 and for a sech/sup 2/ it is 1.543. For autocorrelation measurements, these values are assumed independent of the actual pulse shape. More rigorous data fitting methods can often offer a better pulse shape, with some chance of ambiguity. To test this assumption, autocorrelation factors were calculated for pulses distorted by linear and higher-order dispersion.
Use of nasopharyngeal culture to determine appropriateness of antibiotic therapy in acute bacterial rhinosinusitis

Background Rhinosinusitis is one of the top 5 diagnoses for which an antibiotic is prescribed, often without a clear bacterial etiology. This study evaluated whether nasopharyngeal culture and gram stain could serve as a surrogate for endoscopically obtained middle meatal cultures in directing appropriate therapy for acute bacterial rhinosinusitis (ABRS). This study also investigated the utility of a rapid sinus test screen in differentiating bacterial from nonbacterial rhinosinusitis. Methods Thirty-one adult patients met inclusion criteria for ABRS. Samples were obtained from both the middle meatus and nasopharynx for Gram stain and culture. Nasal mucous samples were tested with a rapid sinus test strip measuring pH, levels of protein, nitrites, and leukocyte esterase. Results Sixty-one percent (61%) of nasopharyngeal and 48% of middle meatal samples grew pathogenic bacteria. The concordance rate was 84% between the 2 sites (p = 0.0006). The following pathogenic organisms were detected: Moraxella catarrhalis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus. For nasopharyngeal samples, reliance on Gram stain alone exhibited a sensitivity of 31% and specificity of 100% and, similarly, for middle meatus samples, 47% and 93%, respectively. The rapid sinus test revealed a sensitivity of 83% and specificity of 7%. Conclusion Nasopharyngeal and middle meatal cultures exhibited high concordance for pathogenic bacteria. Gram stain exhibited moderate sensitivity and excellent specificity. Nasopharyngeal cultures could provide a viable method, especially in a primary care setting, for determining the appropriateness of antibiotic therapy. The rapid sinus test's lack of specificity precluded its utility in the differentiation between bacterial and nonbacterial rhinosinusitis.
Effect of Fluoride Containning Slag on Oxide Inclusions in Electroslag Ingot

Besides controlling homogeneous composition and compact solidification structure, removal of non-metallic inclusions is an important characteristic for electroslag remelting process. Many factors influence the non-metallic inclusions in steel including gas and inclusions original content in consumable electrode, atmosphere, slag amount and its composition, power input, melting rate, filling ratio and so on. Fluoride containing slag, which influences the non-metallic inclusions to a great extent, has been widely used for electroslag remelting process. The present paper focuses on the effect of fluoride containing slag on the inclusions in electroslag ingot based on the interaction of slag-metal interface. In this work, steel grade MC5 and several slags have been employed for investigating the effect of slag on inclusions. These experiments had been carried out in an electrical resistance furnace under argon atmosphere in order to eliminate the effect of ambient oxygen. Some specimens had been taken at different times for analyzing the content, dimensions, and type of non-metallic inclusions. Quantitative metallographic analysis method has been adopted for observing and examining the inclusions. SEM-EDS analysis has been used to investigate the composition of non-metallic inclusions of specimens at different time for investigating the modification behavior of inclusions. All the results obtained will be comparison to the original state inclusions in steel, which will be in favor of choose of slag for electroslag remelting process.
Automatic attribute discovery and characterization from noisy web data

It is common to use domain specific terminology - attributes - to describe the visual appearance of objects. In order to scale the use of these describable visual attributes to a large number of categories, especially those not well studied by psychologists or linguists, it will be necessary to find alternative techniques for identifying attribute vocabularies and for learning to recognize attributes without hand labeled training data. We demonstrate that it is possible to accomplish both these tasks automatically by mining text and image data sampled from the Internet. The proposed approach also characterizes attributes according to their visual representation: global or local, and type: color, texture, or shape. This work focuses on discovering attributes and their visual appearance, and is as agnostic as possible about the textual description.
Home equity of new legal immigrants in the United States: An evaluation of three key theoretical perspectives

Housing in the U.S. is a substantial expenditure, but possessing equity in a home also represents an important source of wealth. This study employs 2003 data from the New Immigrant Survey to examine the home equity of legal immigrants who have come to the U.S. from around the world. We empirically test the relevance of three key theoretical frameworks for predicting immigrants' home equity and evaluate each framework's ability to account for differences in home equity among origin groups. We find strong support for the assimilation and the segmented assimilation frameworks, and little support for the place stratification perspective, net of other factors. Substantial differences in the home equity between origin groups persist even in the presence of multiple controls, with implications for legal immigrants' current economic position and future well-being in the U.S. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Evaluation of a Wavefront Sensing Concept for a Full Solar Disk Adaptive Optics System

Solar scintillations were investigated as a method of detecting seeing-dependent wavefront curvature variations for solar adaptive optics. The method is applicable to full-disk averaged, adaptive corrections of large-scale near-field seeing distortions. As a test case, seeing measurements were carried out on a single small adaptive mirror, representing one element of what would be a large multielement adaptive array. All observations showed a greater than 5× reduction of seeing distortions as a result of this wavefront correction.
Population growth and global CO2 emissions : a secular perspective

Abstract Considerable scientific effort has been applied to the question of whether worldwide fossil fuel combustion and the resultant emission of CO 2 (as well as emissions of other greenhouse gases) will cause a discernible enhancement of the greenhouse effect in the next century. A more precise understanding of the contribution of human activity to potential global warming ( vis-a-vis natural climatic variability) is of critical policy interest. Surprisingly little research has been devoted to establishing the underlying statistical relationship between human activities and CO 2 emissions. In this paper, we explore the nature of the relationship between global population growth and CO 2 emissions by employing the test of causality developed by Granger on annual data for 1880–1989, as well as more comprehensive error correction and cointegration models. The results suggest a lack of a long-term equilibrium relationship, but imply a short-term dynamic relationship from CO 2 to population growth.
Statistical model of delay spread and coherence bandwidth for wide-band PCS at millimeter-waves in an urban mobile radio environment

A MM wave propagation model, based on multi-ray optical theory and the geometrical theory of diffraction (GTD), is used to statistically study the delay spread and coherence bandwidth (B/sub c/) for wide-band personal communication services (PCS) in urban mobile radio environment. The statistical model results are compared with measurements and they agree that, for outdoors near street level, B/sub c/ is varying over a range of frequencies (14-100 MHz). It is shown that the B/sub c/ distribution depends on antenna heights, street layout, and frequency. The signal level statistics are evaluated which also agree with the measurements that, in general, the statistics are non-Rayleigh distributed.
Randomized allocation with dimension reduction in a bandit problem with covariates

Multi-armed bandit problem is an important optimization game requiring an exploration-exploitation tradeoff to achieve optimal total reward. We consider a setting where the rewards of bandit machines are associated with covariates, and focus on the approach of nonparametric estimation of the reward functions together with a randomized allocation to balance the exploration and exploitation. To overcome the curse of dimensionality in nonparametric learning, we propose using dimension reduction methods such as sliced inverse regression (SIR) and likelihood acquired directions (LAD) to reduce the dimension of the covariates. To simultaneously achieve variable selection and dimension reduction, we use coordinate-independent sparse estimation (CISE) for the dimension reduction step. Not knowing which individual dimension reduction method is the best, we show that adaptively combining these dimension reduction methods works really well.
Copper, iron, and zinc imbalances in severely degenerated brain regions in Alzheimer's disease: possible relation to oxidative stress

Copper (Cu), iron (Fe), and zinc (Zn) levels in five different brain regions (amygdala, hippocampus, inferior parietal lobule, superior and middle temporal gyri, and cerebellum) were determined by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) in samples from Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients and age-matched control subjects. A significant decrease in Cu, and significant increases in Zn and Fe were found in AD hippocampus and amygdala, areas showing severe histopathologic alterations in AD. None of these elements were significantly imbalanced in the cerebellum which is minimally affected in AD.
Household cost effects on purchase timing decisions: do demographics matter?

Previous research has rarely considered purchase acceleration as a measure of consumer deal‐proneness. Also recent studies have found that the effect of demographics either on brand choice or purchase timing is marginal. Examines the effects of demographics on household propensity to accelerate. Selects demographic variables are selected based on theoretical arguments and the results show that their effect is significant. The study found the effects of female head employment status to be the most persistent, followed by income and household size effects. Also found demographics were also found to discriminate between deal‐only and price sensitive households, a difference observed in previous studies.
Confinement and the pomeron

The importance of confinement for obtaining a unitary high-energy limit for QCD is discussed. Minijets'' are argued to build up non-unitary behavior{endash}when k{sub T} {gt} {Lambda} is imposed. For minijets to mix with low k{sub T} Pomeron Field Theory describing confinement, and give consistent asymptotic behavior, new quarks'' must enter the theory above the minijet transverse momentum scale. The Critical Pomeron is the resulting high-energy limit. 22 refs.
Influence of anisotropy on thermal boundary conductance at solid interfaces

We investigate the role of anisotropy on interfacial transport across solid interfaces by measuring the thermal boundary conductance from 100 to 500 K across Al/Si and Al/sapphire interfaces with different substrate orientations. The measured thermal boundary conductances show a dependency on substrate crystallographic orientation in the sapphire samples (trigonal conventional cell) but not in the silicon samples (diamond cubic conventional cell). The change in interface conductance in the sapphire samples is ascribed to anisotropy in the Brillouin zone along the principal directions defining the conventional cell. This leads to resultant phonon velocities in the direction of thermal transport that vary nearly 40% based on crystallographic direction.
Superconductivity in layered BiS2-based compounds

Abstract A novel family of superconductors based on BiS2-based superconducting layers were discovered in 2012. In short order, other BiS2-based superconductors with the same or related crystal structures were discovered with superconducting critical temperatures T c of up to 10 K. Many experimental and theoretical studies have been carried out with the goal of establishing the basic properties of these new materials and understanding the underlying mechanism for superconductivity. In this selective review of the literature, we distill the central discoveries from this extensive body of work, and discuss the results from different types of experiments on these materials within the context of theoretical concepts and models.
Model recommendation for action recognition

Simply choosing one model out of a large set of possibilities for a given vision task is a surprisingly difficult problem, especially if there is limited evaluation data with which to distinguish among models, such as when choosing the best “walk” action classifier from a large pool of classifiers tuned for different viewing angles, lighting conditions, and background clutter. In this paper we suggest that this problem of selecting a good model can be recast as a recommendation problem, where the goal is to recommend a good model for a particular task based on how well a limited probe set of models appears to perform. Through this conceptual remapping, we can bring to bear all the collaborative filtering techniques developed for consumer recommender systems (e.g., Netflix, Amazon.com). We test this hypothesis on action recognition, and find that even when every model has been directly rated on a training set, recommendation finds better selections for the corresponding test set than the best performers on the training set.
150. Disruption of the gut microbiome with oral antibiotic reduces core body temperature and disrupts diurnal rhythms of locomotor activity, but not sleep, in rats

The bidirectional communication between the gut microbiota and the brain (i.e. the gut-brain axis) can modulate behavior and neurochemical systems. Recent evidence suggests that the absence of gut microbiota can affect clock genes in peripheral tissues that could influence diurnal rhythms; and serotonin in the brain that can modulate sleep/wake behavior and temperature regulation. Thus, we hypothesized that depletion of the gut microbiota, using oral antibiotics, may disrupt diurnal rhythms, thermoregulation and sleep. Using in vivo biotelemetry, we recorded diurnal rhythms of locomotor activity (LA), core body temperature (CBT), and sleep (%REM, %NREM, %WAKE) in freely moving adult male F344 rats. Rats were given oral antibiotics (4.0 mg/ml streptomycin and 2.0 mg/ml penicillin g) in their drinking water. Total aerobic, anaerobic, Lactobacillus spp. and Bifidobacterium spp. per g of feces was determined using selective culture. After seven days of antibiotic treatment, animals had depleted gut microbiota, reduced overall CBT, and a flattened diurnal rhythm of LA when compared to baseline, while sleep architecture remained unchanged. Interestingly, five days after cessation of antibiotic, only Lactobacillus spp. remained depleted. Reduced CBT and flattened diurnal rhythm of LA also persisted. These results support a link between the gut microbiota, temperature regulation and diurnal physiology. Furthermore, they suggest that disruptions to the gut microbiota, and any resultant physiological consequences, may be long lasting even if antibiotic administration is transient.
Association of physical and behavioral characteristics with menstrual cycle patterns in women age 29-31 years

We examined the association between menstrual cycle characteristics (cycle length, variability, and bleeding length) and physical and behavioral attributes in 766 women age 29-31 years. Menstrual cycle data were prospectively recorded as part of the Menstruation and Reproductive History Study of college women in Minnesota, begun by Alan Treloar in 1934. Data on lifetime height, weight, physical activity, alcohol and caffeine consumption, and smoking history were collected in 1990 using a self-administered questionnaire. Cycle variability, as measured by the standard deviation of the cycle length, was increased, and menstrual cycles > or = 42 days in length were more common among women in the lowest quartile of Quetelet index [odds ratio (OR) for long cycle = 1.6;95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.82-3.0] and among the most physically active (OR = 1.7;95% CI = 0.93-3.1). Long menstrual cycles were less common (OR = 0.40;95% CI = 0.22-0.73) among women who drank alcohol than among nondrinkers. Variable or long menstrual cycles may reflect anovulation and relatively low levels of estrogen exposure. We would expect, based on our data, reduced estrogen exposure among lean women, physically active women, and those who do not consume alcohol. These findings suggest an explanation for the reported associations between these factors and breast cancer risk.
How are the experiences and needs of families of individuals with mental illness reflected in medical education guidelines

This descriptive study explored the extent that medical education curriculum guidelines contained content about the experiences and needs of family members of people with serious mental illness. Key family-focused-literature themes about the experiences and needs of families of individuals with mental illness were drawn from a review of over 6,000 sources in the mental health practice literature that were identified within a systematic search and thematic development process. The study identified the extent and nature of family-focused key literature themes as reflected in medical education curriculum guidelines for psychiatry and primary care practice specialties of family practice, internal medicine and pediatrics. An iterative process was used to retrieve and analyze text data drawn from the curriculum guidelines of national accrediting organizations for undergraduate, graduate, and continuing medical education. The key family-focused themes, as drawn from the mental health practice research literature, were: mental illness stigma; family caregiver burden; information exchange and referral; family stress, coping, and adaptation; family support; crisis response; and family psychoeducation. Two of these seven themes appeared in medical education curriculum guidelines: information exchange and caregiver burden. The most frequently appearing family-focused key literature theme was information exchange. Psychiatry and undergraduate medical education reflected the most family content. It appears that medical education curriculum guidelines have insufficient content about families of people with mental illness. The educational experiences of psychiatrists and primary care physicians may not adequately prepare them for working with family members of their patients. It is recommended that medical education curriculum guidelines incorporate information about family stigma; family/caregiver burden; information exchange; family stress, coping, and adaptation; family support; crisis response; and multiple family group psychoeducation.
Higher-order free vibrations of sandwich beams with a locally damaged core

The dynamical equations describing the free vibration of sandwich beams with a locally damaged core are derived using the higher-order theory approach. The nonlinear acceleration fields in the core are accounted for in the derivations, which is essential for the vibration analysis of the locally damaged sandwich beams. A local damage in the core, arbitrarily located along the length of the sandwich beam, is assumed to preclude the transition of stresses through the core between the undamaged parts of the beam. The damage is assumed to exist before the vibration starts and not to grow during oscillations. The numerical analysis based on the derived equations has been verified with the aid of the commercial finite element software ABAQUS. The numerical simulations reveal that a small local damage causes significant changes in the natural frequencies and corresponding vibration modes of the sandwich beams. An important practical consequence of the present work is that the vibration measurements can be successfully used as a nondestructive damage tool to assess local damages in sandwich beams.
Optical absorption, photoconductivity, and photoluminescence of glow-discharge amorphous Si 1-x Ge x alloys

Results on the optical absorption, photoluminescence, and photoconductivity spectra and on electrical-transport data of amorphous ${\mathrm{Si}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Ge}}_{x}$:H alloys prepared from the plasma decomposition of silane and germane are presented. An attempt is made to find a self-consistent interpretation of the data in terms of changes in the optical energy gap and in the gap-state densities with mixtures of different ratios of Si${\mathrm{H}}_{4}$ to Ge${\mathrm{H}}_{4}$. It is found that the photoconductivity and the photoluminescence intensity are much higher than would be expected from the previously deduced values of the ratio of Si\char22{}H to Ge\char22{}H bonds from infrared absorption spectra. The principal conclusion of our results is that the changes in the intrinsic properties of a random tetrahedrally coordinated alloy as a function of alloy composition $x$ are often masked by the extrinsic effects of changes with $x$ in H content, defect density, and microstructure; the latter changes depend sensitively on the preparation method.
Nanostructures: the manifold faces of DNA.

When it comes to making shapes out of DNA, the material is there, and its properties are understood. What was missing was a convincing, universal design scheme to allow our capabilities to unfold to the full.
TRANSAMINASE ACTIVITY OF DIAPHORASE, PHOSPHORYLASE A AND SEVERAL DEHYDROGENASES.

Abstract In the course of a study of the γ-aminobutyrate-α-ketoglutarate transaminase of mouse brain it was found that purification of the enzyme also resulted in the concomitant extensive purification of a component with lactic dehydrogenase activity. These findings, to be reported in detail elsewhere, suggested the possibility that also in some other instances transaminase and dehydrogenase and possibly other activities might be associated with the same or closely associated proteins. The present report shows that diaphorase, phosphorylase, a, and several crystalline dehydrogenases, d, indeed, catalyze transamination reactions and that several other types of crystalline or highly purified enzymes and proteins do not.
Focused memory search in fact retrieval

Several studies of fact retrieval have shown that the more facts a person learns about a concept, the longer it takes him or her to retrieve any of these facts. This result has been interpreted to mean that retrieval of a fact about a concept involves a search of all facts stored in memory with that concept. In the present study, it is suggested that retrieval involves not an unfocused search of all facts stored with a concept, but rather a focused memory search that examines relevant stored facts and ignores irrelevant information. This argument is supported by three experiments in which subjects first learned simple facts (e.g., “The banker likes horses”) and then made speeded true-false decisions for test probes le.g., “The banker likes elephants”). Specifically, results suggest that facts stored with a concept may be organized into subsets. For example, a person’s knowledge about Richard Nixon might be organized into subsets concerning Nixon’s resignation, his trips to China, his family, and so on. The data further suggest that a person attempting to retrieve a fact about a concept (e.g., the name of Nixon’s wife) may simply decide which subset is most likely to contain the desired fact (e.g., the subset concerning Nixon’s family) and search that subset. If the sought-for fact is found in this subset, the search process terminates. If, however, the desired information is not located, other subsets of facts may be searched before the retrieval attempt is given up. The notion that memory search focuses on relevant stored facts and ignores irrelevant information may help to explain why experts (i.e., people who know a large number of facts about a topic) do not experience great difficulty in retrieving facts in their areas of expertise.
495 GROWTH HORMONE NEUROSECRETORY DYSFUNCTION (GHND) IN THE SPECTRUM OF ENDOCRINE ABNORMALITIES IN CHILDREN WITH EMPTY SELLS

495 GROWTH HORMONE NEUROSECRETORY DYSFUNCTION (GHND) IN THE SPECTRUM OF ENDOCRINE ABNORMALITIES IN CHILDREN WITH EMPTY SELLS
Developing the selection and valuation capabilities through learning: The case of corporate venture capital

Abstract The objective of this paper is to examine the impacts of experience intensity, experience diversity and acquisitive experience on the development of selection and valuation capabilities that help the parent (investor) company generate higher short-term financial returns and improve long-term strategic performance. Based on our analysis of 2110 cases of CVC investments in the VenureXpert data base, we find that industry diversity of a CVC program's experience is positively related to its selection of portfolio companies with relatively high financial potential. The CVC program's experience intensity, stage diversity of its experience, and syndication improve its selection of portfolio companies with greater strategic potential. In addition, stage diversity may enhance valuation capability. We also find that experience accumulation is more effective when a CVC program invests in a portfolio company in the later stage rather than in the early stage.
Co‐expression of elastin and collagen leads to highly compliant engineered blood vessels

Elastin synthesis and physiologic compliance are significant challenges in blood vessel tissue engineering. Here, we report that a biocompatible elastomeric scaffold can support the co-expression of elastin and collagen, which likely yielded the physiologic compliance in the constructs. A biodegradable elastomer, poly(glycerol sebacate), was fabricated into highly porous tubular scaffolds. Primary baboon arterial smooth muscle cells (SMCs) were seeded in the lumen of the scaffolds followed by a 1-week culture under gentle perfusion. Circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) isolated from baboon peripheral blood was seeded directly on the smooth muscle layer in the lumen on day 8. The constructs were perfused using a pulsatile flow system for another 2 weeks before characterization. In another set of experiments, the SMCs were cultured for 7 weeks and were co-cultured for 1 week with the EPCs. Constructs obtained using either set of culture conditions contained elastin and collagen: Masson's trichrome stain showed a circumferential collagen band in the constructs, and elastin was evident from its characteristic autofluorescence, Verhoff's stain, and amino acid analysis of insoluble remnants after hot alkali digestion. All constructs had a confluent cellular lumen with cells well-dispersed throughout the scaffolds. At physiologic pressures, the compliance of the 8-week construct was comparable to human arteries as observed in pressure-diameter testing. Combination of elastomeric scaffolds, co-culture of EPC and SMC, and mechanical conditioning appears to encourage the expression of a more natural extracellular matrix and lead to physiologically-relevant compliance; both are major challenges in blood vessel tissue engineering.
Protein adsorption and transport in agarose and dextran-grafted agarose media for ion exchange chromatography

This work examines the relationship between the physical properties of agarose and dextran-grafted agarose cation exchangers and protein adsorption equilibrium and rates. Four different sulfopropyl (SP) matrices were synthesized using a neutral agarose base material--two based on a short ligand chemistry and two obtained by grafting 10 and 40kDa dextran polymers. The pore accessibility, determined by inverse size exclusion chromatography (iSEC) with dextran probes, decreases dramatically as a result of the combined effects of crosslinking, dextran grafting, and the introduction of ionic ligands, with pore radii decreasing from 19nm for the base matrix to 6.1nm for the 40kDa dextran-grafted SP-matrix. In spite of this reduction, while the adsorption isotherms were similar, protein uptake rates were greatly increased with the dextran-grafted SP-matrices, compared to SP-matrices based on the short ligand chemistry. The effective pore diffusivities were 4-10 times higher than free solution diffusivity for the dextran-grafted matrices, indicating that the charged dextran grafts result in enhanced protein mass transfer rates.