cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mechanical properties of nanocrystalline materials

The mechanical properties of nanocrystalline materials are reviewed, with emphasis on their constitutive response and on the fundamental physical mechanisms. In a brief introduction, the most important synthesis methods are presented. A number of aspects of mechanical behavior are discussed, including the deviation from the Hall–Petch slope and possible negative slope, the effect of porosity, the difference between tensile and compressive strength, the limited ductility, the tendency for shear localization, the fatigue and creep responses. The strain-rate sensitivity of FCC metals is increased due to the decrease in activation volume in the nanocrystalline regime; for BCC metals this trend is not observed, since the activation volume is already low in the conventional polycrystalline regime. In fatigue, it seems that the S–N curves show improvement due to the increase in strength, whereas the da/dN curve shows increased growth velocity (possibly due to the smoother fracture requiring less energy to propagate). The creep results are conflicting: while some results indicate a decreased creep resistance consistent with the small grain size, other experimental results show that the creep resistance is not negatively affected. Several mechanisms that quantitatively predict the strength of nanocrystalline metals in terms of basic defects (dislocations, stacking faults, etc.) are discussed: break-up of dislocation pile-ups, core-and-mantle, grain-boundary sliding, grain-boundary dislocation emission and annihilation, grain coalescence, and gradient approach. Although this classification is broad, it incorporates the major mechanisms proposed to this date. The increased tendency for twinning, a direct consequence of the increased separation between partial dislocations, is discussed. The fracture of nanocrystalline metals consists of a mixture of ductile dimples and shear regions; the dimple size, while much smaller than that of conventional polycrystalline metals, is several times larger than the grain size. The shear regions are a direct consequence of the increased tendency of the nanocrystalline metals to undergo shear localization. The major computational approaches to the modeling of the mechanical processes in nanocrystalline metals are reviewed with emphasis on molecular dynamics simulations, which are revealing the emission of partial dislocations at grain boundaries and their annihilation after crossing them.
2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene detection using recombinant antibodies

The ability to detect low levels of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) in aqueous samples is important due to the toxicity of both TNT and its breakdown products. We have been characterizing recombinant anti-TNT antibodies isolated from the Griffin library of phage displayed scFvs by selection for binders to the TNT-surrogate 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene (TNB) coupled to the protein bovine serum albumin. Two candidate antibody fragments, TNB1 and TNB2, were isolated and evaluated by ELISA for their ability to bind to TNB coupled to the protein ovalbumin. Competition ELISA was then used to demonstrate antibody fragment binding to TNT in solution and to examine cross-reactivity towards several TNT-related compounds and other explosives. Both recombinant antibody fragments were incorporated into a continuous flow assay for the detection of TNT. TNB2, the best single chain antibody, showed a limit of detection of 1 ng ml−1, comparable to a commercially available anti-TNT antibody in the same assay format.
High-level fusion: Issues in developing a formal theory

Network-centric operations demand an increasingly sophisticated level of interoperation and information fusion for an escalating number and throughput of sensors and human processes. The resulting complexity of the systems being developed to face this environment render lower level fusion techniques alone simply insufficient to ensure interoperability, as they fail to consider subtle, but critical, aspects inherent in knowledge interchange. A fundamental mathematical theory of high-level information fusion is needed to address (1) the representation of semantics and pragmatics, (2) the mathematical framework supporting its algorithmic and computing processes, and (3) scalability of products such as common and user-defined operational pictures. We argue that there is no silver bullet for addressing these elements, and therefore any successful approach to the problem of high-level fusion must be systemic. In this paper, we propose the development of mathematical foundations that systemically address this problem from a decision theoretic perspective, and might seed the development of such fundamental theory. As a case study illustrating these techniques we present our current development of PROGNOS, a HLF system focused on the maritime domain.
Pollen Studies of East Texas Honey

Since the beginning of honey production, certain honey types have been favored because they taste better, are better for cooking or do not rapidly crystallize. Thus, they are preferred over others, are in high demand and are sold at higher prices. The pollen of 37 honey samples from East Texas was examined. Pollen was recovered from the honey by using an alcohol-dilution method. Overall, 431 taxa identified into 61 families, 104 genera and 85 species were found in the samples. The number of taxa per sample varied from 17–52. Half of the samples contained 31–40 taxa, indicating a high diversity in botanical origin. Three taxa were found in >50% of the samples and are the most important: Berchemia scandens, Salix nigra and Toxicodendron radicans. Berchemia scandens was found in 89% of the samples and was a predominant type in three samples and an important secondary type in 14. Both Salix nigra and Toxicodendron radicans pollen occurred in 83% of the samples and neither occurred as a predominant or secondar...
Contrast Enhanced Vessel Imaging using MicroCT

Microscopic computed tomography (microCT) offers high-resolution volumetric imaging of the anatomy of living small animals. However, the contrast between different soft tissues and body fluids is inherently poor in micro-CT images 1. Under these circumstances, visualization of blood vessels becomes a nearly impossible task. To overcome this and to improve the visualization of blood vessels exogenous contrast agents can be used. Herein, we present a methodology for visualizing the vascular network in a rodent model. By using a long-acting aqueous colloidal polydisperse iodinated blood-pool contrast agent, eXIA 160XL, we optimized image acquisition parameters and volume-rendering techniques for finding blood vessels in live animals. Our findings suggest that, to achieve a superior contrast between bone and soft tissue from vessel, multiple-frames (at least 5-8/ frames per view), and 360-720 views (for a full 360° rotation) acquisitions were mandatory. We have also demonstrated the use of a two-dimensional transfer function (where voxel color and opacity was assigned in proportion to CT value and gradient magnitude), in visualizing the anatomy and highlighting the structure of interest, the blood vessel network. This promising work lays a foundation for the qualitative and quantitative assessment of anti-angiogenesis preclinical studies using transgenic or xenograft tumor-bearing mice.
X-ray emission from starburst nuclei

Correlations entre les observations de la raie Bracketty (en IR) et les donnees de luminosite RX (0.5-3 keV) de certains noyaux a flambees d'etoiles et de noyaux de Seyfert. Quantitativement les modeles exprimant le rayonnement RX en terme d'emission integree d'une population de binaires massives satisfont les resultats obtenus ici
Constitutive Mad1 targeting to kinetochores uncouples checkpoint signalling from chromosome biorientation

Accurate chromosome segregation depends on biorientation, whereby sister chromatids attach to microtubules from opposite spindle poles. The spindle-assembly checkpoint is a surveillance mechanism in eukaryotes that inhibits anaphase until all chromosomes have bioriented. In present models, the recruitment of the spindle-assembly checkpoint protein Mad2, through Mad1, to non-bioriented kinetochores is needed to stop cell-cycle progression. However, it is unknown whether Mad1-Mad2 targeting to kinetochores is sufficient to block anaphase. Furthermore, it is unclear whether regulators of biorientation (for example, Aurora kinases) have checkpoint functions downstream of Mad1-Mad2 recruitment or whether they act upstream to quench the primary error signal. Here, we engineered a Mad1 construct that localizes to bioriented kinetochores. We show that the kinetochore localization of Mad1 is sufficient for a metaphase arrest that depends on Mad1-Mad2 binding. By uncoupling the checkpoint from its primary error signal, we show that Aurora, Mps1 and BubR1 kinases, but not Polo-like kinase, are needed to maintain checkpoint arrest when Mad1 is present on kinetochores. Together, our data suggest a model in which the biorientation errors, which recruit Mad1-Mad2 to kinetochores, may be signalled not only through Mad2 template dynamics, but also through the activity of widely conserved kinases, to ensure the fidelity of cell division.
OPALINE GLAND ULTRASTRUCTURE IN APLYSIA CALIFORNICA (GASTROPODA: ANASPIDEA)

Secretions released from the ink and opaline glands of Aplysia californica protect this shell-less mollusc from predators in several ways; the most recently discovered, phagomimicry, stimulates the feeding behaviours of the predator, distracting it from the sea hare. The structure of the ink gland has been reported, but little is known about the opaline gland. This paper compares the structure of the opaline gland of A. californica with that of its ink gland, as well as two additional vesicle types found in the epidermis. The opaline gland consists of single large cells, the vesicle cells, each with an enlarged nucleus, the maximum size of both exceeding that of respective structures in the ink gland. Opaline vesicles, like ink vesicles, are enclosed by an external layer of muscle. Opaline vesicles, unlike ink vesicles, are not immersed in additional cells, but are free within the haemolymph and are, therefore, the probable site for the synthesis of their protein contents. The necks of individual opaline vesicles are fused into a central canal, but short necks connecting each vesicle to the central canal remain; these are filled with epithelial cells, but lack a muscular release valve like that in the long necks of ink vesicles. Mucous cells contain circular arrays and are structurally distinct from opaline vesicles; mucous cells, though enlarged, are smaller than opaline or ink vesicle cells; they lack an external layer of muscle and a multicellular neck and, therefore, more closely match another vesicle type in the skin of A. californica, the white vesicle, which is involved with excess calcium excretion.
Marital virtues and their relationship to individual functioning, communication, and relationship adjustment

Extant research has documented both individual well-being and couple communication as important predictors of marital adjustment. In the recent years, researchers have looked beyond problem-based predictors, shifting the focus from pathology and communication to include positive actions and ways of being. This study used Fowers’ [(2005) Virtue and psychology: Pursuing excellence in ordinary practices. Washington, DC: APA Press] framework of virtue ethics to test additional potentially important linkages. This framework posits that characteristics, such as compassion and generosity, which are foundational to relationship adjustment. This study examined the direct and indirect links among individual functioning, marital virtues, communication, and marital adjustment. Data were collected from a sample of 422 married and cohabitating individuals using a self-report survey. Individual well-being significantly and consistently predicted virtues, communication, and relationship functioning. Marital virtues and communication were found to mediate the relationship between individual well-being and relationship adjustment. In addition, communication was found to mediate the relationship between marital virtues and relationship adjustment. Findings provide support for the notion that character strengths – enacted as marital virtues – influence communication and relationship adjustment.
Ethical Decision Making: Basic Issues:

Among counselors, ethical dilemmas occur often. Although ethical dilemmas are challenging, they can be solved by implementing a code of ethics and/or an ethical decision-making model. Using case st...
Avoiding Weight Gain in Cardiometabolic Disease: A Systematic Review

Patients with cardiometabolic disease are at higher risk for obesity-related adverse effects. Even without weight loss, weight maintenance may be beneficial. We performed a systematic review to identify the effect of nonweight loss-focused lifestyle interventions in adults with cardiometabolic disease. We searched MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials to identify comparative studies of lifestyle interventions (self-management, diet, exercise, or their combination) without a weight loss focus in adults with or at risk for diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Weight, BMI, and waist circumference at ≥12 months were the primary outcomes. Of 24,870 citations, we included 12 trials (self-management, ; diet, ; exercise, ; combination, ) studying 4,206 participants. Self-management plus physical activity ± diet versus minimal/no intervention avoided meaningful weight (−0.65 to −1.3 kg) and BMI (−0.4 to −0.7 kg/m2) increases. Self-management and/or physical activity prevented meaningful waist circumference increases versus control (−2 to −4 cm). In patients with cardiometabolic disease, self-management plus exercise may prevent weight and BMI increases and self-management and/or exercise may prevent waist circumference increases versus minimal/no intervention. Future studies should confirm these findings and evaluate additional risk factors and clinical outcomes.
“Our Most Important Asset” A Multidisciplinary/Multilevel Review of Human Capital Valuation for Research and Practice

Despite managers’ claims that their organization’s human capital is their “most important asset,” few can confidently state the financial value of that resource or quantify in financial terms how changes in management practices, culture, or workforce composition affect the value of that resource. Scholars of strategic human capital and strategic human resource management face a similar situation, relying more on inferences about human capital resource value than on empirical measures of it. In an effort to explicate the challenges associated with financial valuation so that scholars can begin to move past them, we provide a multidisciplinary review of existing work that has been concerned with the estimation, disclosure, and management of the financial value associated with an organization’s human capital resources. We propose a multilevel organizing framework to facilitate the linkage between the financial valuation issues highlighted in our review and the recent literature on strategic human capital/str...
Integrated network interfaces for high-bandwidth TCP/IP

This paper proposes new network interface controller (NIC) designs that take advantage of integration with the host CPU to provide increased flexibility for operating system kernel-based performance optimization.We believe that this approach is more likely to meet the needs of current and future high-bandwidth TCP/IP networking on end hosts than the current trend of putting more complexity in the NIC, while avoiding the need to modify applications and protocols. This paper presents two such NICs. The first, the simple integrated NIC (SINIC), is a minimally complex design that moves the responsibility for managing the network FIFOs from the NIC to the kernel. Despite this closer interaction between the kernel and the NIC, SINIC provides performance equivalent to a conventional DMA-based NIC without increasing CPU overhead. The second design, V-SINIC, adds virtual per-packet registers to SINIC, enabling parallel packet processing while maintaining a FIFO model. V-SINIC allows the kernel to decouple examining a packet's header from copying its payload to memory. We exploit this capability to implement a true zero-copy receive optimization in the Linux 2.6 kernel, providing bandwidth improvements of over 50% on unmodified sockets-based receive-intensive benchmarks.
Space-Charge Impedance in Photodiodes

High levels of injected space charge can strongly modify both the resistance and the reactance of photodiodes over their operating frequency range, but no substantive consideration of this effect has been published for p-i-n or uni-traveling-carrier (UTC) photodiodes. This letter describes the importance of the effect using a model that assumes a constant electron velocity, and relates published UTC photodiode results to the model. Inclusion of this effect in device design will benefit both linear and nonlinear (e.g., mixing) applications.
On the volatile inventory of Titan from isotopic abundances in nitrogen and methane

We analyze recently published nitrogen and hydrogen isotopic data to constrain the initial volatile abundances on Saturn’s giant moon Titan. The nitrogen data are interpreted in terms of a model of non-thermal escape processes that lead to enhancement in the heavier isotope. We show that these data do not, in fact, strongly constrain the abundance of nitrogen present in Titan’s early atmosphere, and that a wide range of initial atmospheric masses (all larger than the present value) can yield the measured enhancement. The enrichment in deuterated methane is now much better determined than it was when Pinto et al. (1986. Nature 319, 388–390) first proposed a photochemical mechanism to preferentially retain the deuterium. We develop a simple linear theory to provide a more reliable estimate of the relative dissociation rates of normal and deuterated methane. We utilize the improved data and models to compute initial methane reservoirs consistent with the observed enhancement. The result of this analysis agrees with an independent estimate for the initial methane abundance based solely on the present-day rate of photolysis and an assumption of steady state. This consistency in reservoir size is necessary but not sufficient to infer that methane photolysis has proceeded steadily over the age of the solar system to produce large quantities of less volatile organics. Our analysis indicates an epoch of early atmospheric escape of nitrogen, followed by a later addition of methane by outgassing from the interior. The results also suggest that Titan’s volatile inventory came in part or largely from a circum-Saturnian disk of material more reducing than the surrounding solar nebula. Many of the ambiguities inherent in the present analysis can be resolved through Cassini–Huygens data and a program of laboratory studies on isotopic and molecular exchange processes. The value of, and interest in, the Cassini–Huygens data can be greatly enhanced if such a program were undertaken prior to the prime phase of the mission.
Secretion of the Haemophilus influenzae HMW1 and HMW2 adhesins involves a periplasmic intermediate and requires the HMWB and HMWC proteins

Non-typable Haemophilus influenzae is a common cause of human disease and initiates infection by colonizing the upper respiratory tract. The non-typeable H. influenzae HMW1 and HMW2 non-pilus adhesins mediate attachment to human epithelial cells, an essential step during colonization. In order to facilitate interaction with host cells, HMW1 and HMW2 are localized on the surface of the organism in a process that involves cleavage of a 441-amino-acid N-terminal fragment. In the present study, we investigated the pathway for the secretion of HMW1 and HMW2. Cell fractionation experiments and cryoimmunoelectron microscopy demonstrated that a periplasmic intermediate occurs, suggesting involvement of the Sec machinery. Additional analysis revealed that, ultimately, the proteins are partially released from the surface of the organism. Studies with Escherichia coli harbouring plasmid subclones extended earlier findings and suggested that the secretion of HMW1 requires accessory proteins designated HMW1B and HMW1C, while the secretion of HMW2 requires proteins called HMW2B and HMW2C. Further analysis established that HMW1B/HMW1C and HMW2B/HMW2C are interchangeable, an observation consistent with the high degree of homology between HMW1B and HMW2B and between HMW1C and HMW2C. Additional studies of the hmw1 locus indicated that HMW1B is located in the outer membrane and serves to translocate HMW1 across the outer membrane. In the absence of HMW1B, HMW1 remains unprocessed and is degraded in the periplasmic space, at least in part by the DegP protease. Mutagenesis of an HMW1 N-terminal motif shared with other secreted proteins resulted in diminished processing and extracellular release, suggesting interaction of this motif with the HMW1B protein. Continued investigation of the HMW1 and HMW2 adhesins may provide general insights into protein secretion and bacterial pathogenesis.
Uniform Asymptotic Expansion of the Square-Root Helmholtz Operator and the One-Way Wave Propagator

The Bremmer coupling series solution of the wave equation, in generally inhomogeneous media, requires the introduction of pseudodifferential operators. Such operators appear in the diagonalization process of the acoustic system's matrix of partial differential operators upon extracting a principal direction of (one-way) propagation. In this paper, in three dimensions, uniform asymptotic expansions of the Schwartz kernels of these operators are derived. Also, we derive a uniform asymptotic expansion of the one-way propagator appearing in the series. We focus on designing closed-form representations, valid in the high-frequency limit, taking into account critical scattering-angle phenomena. The latter phenomena are not dealt with in the standard calculus of pseudodifferential operators. Our expansion is not limited by propagation angle. In principle, the uniform asymptotic expansion of a kernel follows by matching its asymptotic behaviors away and near its diagonal.
Service Completion Estimates for Cross‐trained Workforce Schedules under Uncertain Attendance and Demand

Although cross-trained workers offer numerous operational advantages for extended-hour service businesses, they must first be scheduled for duty. The outcome from those decisions, usually made a week or more in advance, varies with realized service demand, worker attendance, and the way available cross-trained workers are deployed once the demands for service are known. By ignoring the joint variability of attendance and demand, we show that existing workforce scheduling models tend to overstate expected schedule performance and systematically undervalue the benefits of cross-training. We propose a two-stage stochastic program for profit-oriented cross-trained workforce scheduling and allocation decisions that is driven by service completion estimates obtained from the convolution of the employee attendance and service demand distributions. Those estimates, reflecting optimal worker allocation decisions over all plausible realizations of attendance and demand, provide the gradient information used to guide workforce scheduling decisions. Comparing the performance of workforce scheduling decisions for hundreds of different hypothetical service environments, we find that solutions based on convolution estimates are more profitable, favor proportionately more cross-trained workers and fewer specialists, and tend to recommend significantly larger (smaller) staffing levels for services under high (low) contribution margins than workforce schedules developed with independent expectations of attendance and demand.
Anterior leaflet augmentation for ischemic mitral regurgitation

Abstract Background Mitral valve repair improves survival and quality of life in patients with ischemic mitral regurgitation (MR). Although many repair methods exist for this condition, the ideal approach remains unknown. The purpose of this study is to describe a simple technique for repair of ischemic MR that addresses the pathophysiology of tethered leaflets and to report its early results. Methods The technique consists of pericardial patch enlargement of the anterior mitral leaflet and placement of a flexible annuloplasty band. Candidates for the repair had ischemic cardiomyopathy and echocardiographic evidence of moderate or severe Carpentier type IIIb MR. Patients were followed with serial echocardiography. Results Between January 2002 and November 2003, 25 adult patients underwent anterior leaflet augmentation for ischemic MR. Mean age was 64.8 ± 10.6 years, and mean left ventricular ejection fraction was 0.36 ± 0.14. Preoperative MR by transesophageal echocardiography was severe in 84% of patients and moderate in 16%. Annuloplasty band sizes were 27 mm to 31 mm (mean, 28.4 ± 1.1 mm). Concomitant coronary artery bypass grafting was performed in all patients. Transesophageal echocardiography immediately after repair revealed MR to be none or trace in 80% of patients and mild in 20%. No intraoperative conversion to valve replacement was performed. In follow-up, 2 patients have experienced moderate MR and are being treated medically, and no patients have mitral stenosis. At 2 years, actuarial freedom from moderate or greater MR is 81%. Conclusions For patients with ischemic MR, anterior leaflet augmentation is a simple and reproducible method of valve repair that addresses the pathophysiology of tethered leaflets. Early results in a small number of patients have been encouraging.
Ethnic identity and personal well-being of people of color: A meta-analysis.

This article summarizes research examining the relationship between the constructs of ethnic identity and personal well-being among people of color in North America. Data from 184 studies analyzed with random effects models yielded an omnibus effect size of r = .17, suggesting a modest relationship between the 2 constructs. The relationship was somewhat stronger among adolescents and young adults than among adults over age 40. No differences were observed across participant race, gender, or socioeconomic status, which findings support the general relevance of ethnic identity across people of color. Studies correlating ethnic identity with self-esteem and positive well-being yielded average effect sizes twice as large as those from studies correlating ethnic identity with personal distress or mental health symptoms. Ethnic identity was thus more strongly related to positive well-being than to compromised well-being. Overall, the corpus of research reviewed consisted of correlational designs; limited scholarship has addressed causal mechanisms, mediating factors, or psychological functions of ethnic identity across different social contexts.
Learning About Governance Through Nonprofit Board Service

Business educators have a responsibility to ensure that future managers, employees, and shareholders are well versed in governance. Governance provides a vital link between organizations and society, allowing people to place their trust in an organization, support its mission, and ensure a continuing flow of resources to accomplish the mission. This article discusses coursework in board governance that combines a 5-month internship on a community nonprofit board with academic class work on governance topics to create a unique learning opportunity. The course combines elements of internship, mentorship, and service learning with more traditional academic activities such as lectures, guest speakers, research, and analysis. Students gain greater awareness of the needs of the broader community and the challenges of serving them. The community gains from a growing pool of people with governance knowledge and skills who understand the value of community service.
The application of a formal model of the human operator into a system which is dynamically changing

The human operator is an extremely difficult element to model in any man-machine interaction due to his or her nondeterministic nature and possibly nonstationary behaviour. A formal model utilizing phase plane portraits which can detect (in probability) when it would be appropriate to remove the human from the loop and automate his or her function is developed. This type of modeling falls within the context of intelligent control or fuzzy control. >
The Drosophila Enhancer of split Gene Complex: Architecture and Coordinate Regulation by Notch, Cohesin, and Polycomb Group Proteins

The cohesin protein complex functionally interacts with Polycomb group (PcG) silencing proteins to control expression of several key developmental genes, such as the Drosophila Enhancer of split gene complex [E(spl)-C]. The E(spl)-C contains 12 genes that inhibit neural development. In a cell line derived from the central nervous system, cohesin and the PRC1 PcG protein complex bind and repress E (spl)-C transcription, but the repression mechanisms are unknown. The genes in the E(spl)-C are directly activated by the Notch receptor. Here we show that depletion of cohesin or PRC1 increases binding of the Notch intracellular fragment to genes in the E(spl)-C, correlating with increased transcription. The increased transcription likely reflects both direct effects of cohesin and PRC1 on RNA polymerase activity at the E(spl)-C, and increased expression of Notch ligands. By chromosome conformation capture we find that the E(spl)-C is organized into a self-interactive architectural domain that is co-extensive with the region that binds cohesin and PcG complexes. The self-interactive architecture is formed independently of cohesin or PcG proteins. We posit that the E(spl)-C architecture dictates where cohesin and PcG complexes bind and act when they are recruited by as yet unidentified factors, thereby controlling the E(spl)-C as a coordinated domain.
X-Linked Hypophosphatemic Rickets Associated With Respiratory Failure

We report a 5-year-old girl who presented to our emergency room with respiratory arrest and limb deformities and was subsequently diagnosed with X-linked hypophosphatemic rickets. On normalization of the serum phosphorus concentration, her respiratory distress resolved, illustrating that untreated X-linked hypophosphatemic rickets can lead to life-threatening respiratory distress.
The Genus Piper (Piperaceae) in Honduras

ABSTRACT In preparation for a detailed account of the genus Piper L. in Honduras, a nomenclator is provided that includes the name, reference citation, and type information for species accepted. A total of 45 taxa are currently recognized, with over 100 names (species level and below) listed in synonymy, 58 of which are new. Lectotypification is provided for the following taxa for which types were not designated at the time of publication: Piper cobanense Trelease, P. cyclophyllum Trelease, P. gracillimum Trelease, P. perinaequilongum Trelease, P. telanum Trelease, P. triumphale Trelease, P. wilsonii Trelease, and P. yzabalanum C. DC. var. pubinerve Trelease.
Grandparents Raising Grandchildren in a US-Mexico Border Community

When parents are unwilling or unable to care for their children, more often than not, grandparents step up to assume this task. Although insights into the multifaceted and unique needs of custodial grandparents are emerging, there is little research on how these changes in living circumstances impact the lives of custodial grandparents and the grandchildren in their care. In this exploratory study, the authors examined the circumstances under which grandparents in a border community assumed custodial care of their grandchildren and the factors that contributed to their decision. Through semi-structured interviews with six grandparents and five grandchildren, they also explored how grandparents and grandchildren coped with transition, how grandparents understood and found meaning in their role as caregivers of their grandchildren, how grandchildren viewed their grandparents in their new role, and how their lives and relationships had changed.
A critical analysis of rejection in vascularized composite allotransplantation: Clinical, cellular and molecular aspects, current challenges, and novel concepts

Advances in microsurgical techniques and immunomodulatory protocols have contributed to the expansion of vascularized composite allotransplantation (VCA) with very encouraging immunological, functional, and cosmetic results. Rejection remains however a major hurdle that portends serious threats to recipients. Rejection features in VCA have been described in a number of studies, and an international consensus on the classification of rejection was established. Unfortunately, current available diagnostic methods carry many shortcomings that, in certain cases, pose a great diagnostic challenge to physicians especially in borderline rejection cases. In this review, we revisit the features of acute skin rejection in hand and face transplantation at the clinical, cellular, and molecular levels. The multiple challenges in diagnosing rejection and in defining chronic and antibody-mediated rejection in VCA are then presented, and we finish by analyzing current research directions and novel concepts aiming at improving available diagnostic measures.
Runtime concepts for the C++ standard template library

A key benefit of generic programming is its support for producing modules with clean separation. In particular, generic algorithms are written to work with a wide variety of unmodified types. The Runtime concept idiom extends this support by allowing unmodified concrete types to behave in a runtime polymorphic manner. In this paper, we describe one implementation of the runtime concept idiom, in the domain of the C++ standard template library (STL). We describe and measure the performance of runtime-polymorphic analogs of several STL algorithms. We augment the runtime concept idiom by employing a dispatch mechanism that considers both type and concept information to maximize performance when selecting algorithm implementations. We use our implementation to demonstrate the effects of different compile-time vs. run-time algorithm selection choices, and we indicate where improved language and compiler support would be useful.
Deconstructing communication: Derrida and the (im)possibility of communication∗

(1988). Deconstructing communication: Derrida and the (im)possibility of communication∗. History of European Ideas: Vol. 9, No. 5, pp. 553-568.
Urban development and the culture of masked balls in nineteenth-century Paris

This article links the nature of commercial masked balls in Paris in the 1830s and 1840s to urban development during these decades. The raucous and often destructive character of the balls, which united elites and popular classes under the mask's anonymity, coincided with a society undergoing social and political upheaval. The dress and conduct of revellers were expressions of their ambitions, fears and resentments. Changes in the urban landscape of the 1820s and 1830s – in particular, the construction of the grands boulevards and alignment of theatres sponsoring masked balls along this axis – sharpened potential conflict at such events by placing them in one of the most socially charged corridors of the city.
Characterization of Uterine pH During the Estrous Cycle of the Mare

34.1%, 30.3%, 33.9%, and 38.8% for 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009, respectively. The percentage breeding a large book was 26.9%, 29.5%, 29.4%, and 22.4% for 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009, respectively. Lastly, the percentage breeding a very large book was 7.9%, 9.2%, 8%, and 6.8% for 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009,
Monochromatic 6.151-keV Radiographs of a Highly Unstable Inertial Confinement Fusion Capsule Implosion

Monochromatic 6.151-keV radiographs of a highly unstable inertial confinement fusion capsule are shown. The capsule was driven by a 70-eV peak radiation temperature and exhibits numerous small-scale features down to the resolution of the backlighting diagnostic (about 15 μm ). The capsule experiment was done using the double-ended Z -pinch-driven hohlraum on the Sandia Z facility.
Automatic Query Formulations in Information Retrieval

Modern information retrieval systems are designed to supply relevant information in response to requests received from the user population. In most retrieval environments the search requests consist of keywords, or index terms, interrelated by appropriate Boolean operators. Since it is difficult for untrained users to generate effective Boolean search requests, trained search intermediaries are normally used to translate original statements of user need into useful Boolean search formulations. Methods are introduced in this study which reduce the role of the search intermediaries by making it possible to generate Boolean search formulations completely automatically from natural language statements provided by the system patrons. Frequency considerations are used automatically to generate appropriate term combinations as well as Boolean connectives relating the terms. Methods are covered to produce automatic query formulations both in a standard Boolean logic system, as well as in an extended Boolean system in which the strict interpretation of the connectives is relaxed. Experimental results are supplied to evaluate the effectiveness of the automatic query formulation process in practice.
Preanalytical Factors That Influence the Abbott TDx Fetal Lung Maturity II Assay

Background: The TDx Fetal Lung Maturity II (FLM II) assay uses amniotic fluid to assess lung maturity of the unborn infant. We investigated common preanalytical factors that influence FLM results, including centrifugation, sample storage, and contamination by whole blood. Methods: We tested 18 specimens after centrifugation and after resuspension by vortex-mixing. We also analyzed 23 specimens stored at −20 °C for up to 448 days and then thawed (duplicate measurements), 20 specimens stored at 4 °C, and 24 specimens stored at room temperature. In addition, we evaluated the effects of whole blood diluted into 19 different specimens. Results: Centrifugation significantly decreased FLM II results from baseline ( P <0.0001), and resuspension returned results to baseline values ( P = 0.286). Storage at −20 °C produced highly variable results that demonstrated a nonsignificant negative trend associated with storage time. Specimens were stable for 24 h when stored at 4 °C and 16 h at room temperature. Blood contamination produced significantly positive differences in results only in specimens with baseline values ≤39 mg/g with a 5.8 mg/g increase in FLM II for every 0.1 × 1012/L increase in the erythrocyte count (slope = 58.4). Conclusions: Resuspension of centrifuged specimens produces clinically valid FLM II results. Results from specimens stored at −20 °C can be highly variable and decrease over time. Results from specimens stored at 4 °C and at room temperature are stable for 24 and 16 h, respectively. Blood contamination up to 0.03 × 1012 erythrocytes/L is acceptable for FLM II analysis.
A background calibration technique for multibit delta-sigma modulators

To achieve high resolution in current IC fabrication processes, multibit delta-sigma modulators incorporate either dynamic element matching (DEM) or calibration techniques to overcome the mismatch of the feedback DAC elements. This paper presents a new background calibration technique for multibit delta-sigma modulators. The proposed technique works by modulating each DAC element in turn with an out-of-band digital sequence and digitally measuring the magnitude of the resulting spectral components. The output of the modulator is then digitally corrected using the results of the calibration measurement. Because the calibration tones are added out of band, the system operates without interrupting the normal ADC function of the modulator.
Individual variation in spatial memory performance in wild mountain chickadees from different elevations

For food-caching animals inhabiting environments with strong seasonal variation, harsh winter conditions may limit access to naturally available food and favour the evolution of enhanced spatial memory. Spatial memory enables animals to remember the locations of food caches for overwinter survival, therefore animals in harsher conditions may benefit more from more accurate spatial memory than conspecifics living under relatively mild conditions. Despite numerous laboratory studies lending indirect support to the hypothesis that a harsh environment favours the evolution of spatial memory, there is no direct evidence showing fitness consequences of variation in spatial memory. As a step towards evaluating this hypothesis in natural populations, we established spatial arrays of programmable bird feeders equipped with radio frequency identification technology (RFID) to test for individual variation in spatial memory in food-caching mountain chickadees, Poecile gambeli, at two elevations differing in winter climate severity. Individuals could only access food at a single rewarding feeder within an array of eight, and each individual had to learn the location of their unique rewarding feeder. Birds at higher elevations visited the arrays significantly more frequently than birds at lower elevations, suggesting more intense food caching. They also performed better at locating their rewarding feeder than birds from lower elevations. Individuals showing better performance participated in more overall trials, suggesting a link between food-caching propensity and memory performance, but higher overall levels of activity within each array yielded less accurate memory performance. Finally, rotating the arrays showed that birds relied specifically on spatial memory in order to locate their rewarding feeder. To our knowledge, this is the first explicit test of spatial memory performance in food-caching birds under natural conditions. Our results corroborate earlier laboratory-based work showing large individual variation in spatial memory performance and lay the groundwork for future investigation into the fitness consequences of individual variation and the evolution of spatial memory.
Using Online Video to Announce a Restatement: Influences on Investor Trust and Investment Decisions*

Restatements are economically significant events that damage investor trust in a firm’s financial reporting. We conduct an experiment to investigate how using online video to announce a restatement interacts with the level of responsibility a manager assumes for the restatement to influence investors’ perceptions of management’s trustworthiness and post-restatement investment decisions. We examine the use of online video for restatement disclosure due to video’s recent, explosive growth as a corporate communication tool. Our results reveal that when the CEO’s firm is the only firm restating, participants viewing the restatement announcement online via video make larger investments in the firm and are more confident in the firm’s future ability to meet analysts’ expectations than are participants who view the restatement announcement online via text. However, we do not observe this effect when the CEO’s firm and its industry peers are restating. Our results also reveal that participants’ perceptions of management’s trustworthiness mediate the influences of disclosure venue and assumed responsibility on post-restatement investment decisions. These findings are important given the dramatic increase in the number of restatements over time, the resultant deterioration of investor trust, and the Security and Exchange Commission’s recent emphasis on transitioning from traditional, paper-based to new, Internet-based disclosure venues.
Social fmri: measuring and designing social mechanisms using mobile phones

A key challenge of data-driven social science is the gathering of high quality multi-dimensional datasets. A second challenge relates to the design and execution of social experiments in the real world that are as reliable as those within a controlled laboratory, yet yield more practical results. We introduce the Social Functional Mechanism-design and Relationship Imaging, or "Social fMRI" - an approach that enhances existing computational social science methodologies by bridging rich data collection strategies with experimental interventions. In this thesis, we demonstrate the value of the Social fMRI approach in our Friends and Family study. We transformed a young-family residential community into a living laboratory for 15 months, through a very fine-grained and longitudinal data collection process combined with targeted experimental interventions. Through the derived dataset of unprecedented quality, the Social fMRI approach allows us to gain insights into intricate social mechanisms and interpersonal relationships within the community in ways not previously possible. This thesis delivers the following contributions: (1) A methodology combining a rich-data experimental approach together with carefully designed interventions, (2) a system supporting the methodology - implemented, field-tested, and released to the world as an open-source framework with a growing community of users, (3) a dataset collected using the system, comprising what is, to date, the richest real-world dataset of its genre, (4) a very large set of experimental findings that contribute to our understanding of important research questions in computational social science in addition to demonstrating the methodology's potential. Among the results described in this thesis are the design and evaluation of a novel mechanism for social support in a health-related context, the observation that the diffusion of mobile applications relies more on the face-to-face interaction ties than on self-perceived friendship ties, and a gained understanding of the evolution of modeling and prediction processes over time and varying sample sizes. (Copies available exclusively from MIT Libraries, Rm. 14-0551, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307. Ph. 617-253-5668; Fax 617-253-1690.)
Mitochondrial respiration after sepsis and prolonged hypoxia

Recently, marked oxygen dependence of respiration by isolated mitochondria after exposure to prolonged hypoxia has been described. Because mitochondrial oxygen-dependent respiration could significa...
129Xe Nmr As A Probe Of Microporous Materials

It is shown that the interpretation of 129 Xe chemical shift measurements in microporous solids is not simple, and that considerable caution must be used both in the measurement and interpretation of results, especially for large pore systems. Nevertheless, useful information can be obtained on the phase diagram of xenon in pore systems, and on transport within the solid and between the solid and the gas phase.
Ancestry Estimation in Forensic Anthropology: Geometric Morphometric versus Standard and Nonstandard Interlandmark Distances

Standard cranial measurements are commonly used for ancestry estimation; however, 3D digitizers have made cranial landmark data collection and geometric morphometric (GM) analyses more popular within forensic anthropology. Yet there has been little focus on which data type works best. The goal of the present research is to test the discrimination ability of standard and nonstandard craniometric measurements and data derived from GM analysis. A total of 31 cranial landmarks were used to generate 465 interlandmark distances, including a subset of 20 commonly used measurements, and to generate principal component scores from procrustes coordinates. All were subjected to discriminant function analysis to ascertain which type of data performed best for ancestry estimation of American Black and White and Hispanic males and females. The nonstandard interlandmark distances generated the highest classification rates for females (90.5%) and males (88.2%). Using nonstandard interlandmark distances over more commonly used measurements leads to better ancestry estimates for our current population structure.