cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Photo-catalytic degradation of Rhodamine B on C-, S-, N-, and Fe-doped TiO2 under visible-light irradiation

Abstract C-, S-, N-, and Fe-doped TiO 2 photocatalysts were synthesized by a facile sol–gel method. The structure and properties of catalysts were characterized by N 2 desorption–adsorption, X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV–vis spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Results revealed that the surface area of the multi-doped TiO 2 was significantly increased and the crystallite size was smaller than the pure TiO 2 obtained by a similar route. Compared with TiO 2 , the peak position in doped-TiO 2 XRD patterns was slightly shifted, which could be attributed to the distortion by the substitution of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur dopants for some oxygen atoms and Fe 3+ for Ti 4+ in the lattice of TiO 2 . These substitutions were confirmed by XPS. In addition, these dopants were responsible for narrowing the band gap of TiO 2 and shifting its optical response from ultraviolet (UV) to the visible-light region. The photocatalytic reactivities of these multi-doped TiO 2 catalysts were investigated by degrading Rhodamine B (RB) in aqueous solution under visible-light irradiation (λ > 420 nm). It was found out that the reactivity was significantly enhanced and the catalyst doped with nitrogen, carbon, sulfur, and 0.3 wt% iron had the highest photocatalytic activity.
Combustion of n-Butanol, Gasoline, and n-Butanol/Gasoline Mixture Droplets

Fuels derived from biofeedstocks are receiving attention for their potential as additives to conventional petroleum-based transportation fuels. Normal butanol, in particular, can enhance performance compared to ethanol because of its higher energy density. To better understand the combustion dynamics of n-butanol in the context of gasoline, experiments are reported here to examine the isolated droplet combustion characteristics of an 87 octane (ethanol-free) gasoline and a mixture of gasoline (0.9, v/v) and n-butanol (0.l, v/v, B10), along with n-butanol. The experiments are performed in an ambience that minimizes convection and promotes spherical droplet flames. The initial droplet diameters range from 0.52 to 0.63 mm, and the experiments are carried out in room-temperature air at normal atmospheric pressure. Measurements of the evolution of the droplet diameter show that butanol and B10 droplets have burning rates that are almost identical to gasoline, even though other features of the burning process, ...
Early-life risk factors and the development of Alzheimer's disease.

Objective: To investigate the association of early-life factors with AD. Background: The early-life environment and its effect on growth and maturation of children and adolescents are linked to many adult chronic diseases (heart disease, stroke, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus), and these effects are also linked to maternal reproduction. AD may have an early-life link. The areas of the brain that show the earliest signs of AD are the same areas of the brain that take the longest to mature during childhood and adolescence. A poor-quality childhood or adolescent environment could prevent the brain from reaching complete levels of maturation. Lower levels of brain maturation may put people at higher risk for AD. Methods: In a community-based case-control study (393 cases, 377 controls), we investigated the association of early-life factors and AD. Early-life variables include mother’s age at patient’s birth, birth order, number of siblings, and area of residence before age 18 years. Patient education level and apolipoprotein E ( APOE ) genotypes were also included in the analysis. Results: Area of residence before age 18 years and number of siblings are associated with subsequent development of AD. For each additional child in the family the risk of AD increases by 8% (OR = 1.08, 95% CI = 1.01 to 1.15). More controls compared with cases grew up in the suburbs (OR = 0.45, 95% CI = 0.25 to 0.82). APOE e4 and the patient’s education level did not confound or modify the associations. Conclusions: The early-life childhood and adolescent environment is associated with the risk of AD.
Patterns of technology transfer among the Arab Gulf States: opportunities and challenges

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the incentives, options, and obstacles to transfer technology to the Arab Gulf region. , – A validated and reliable instrument was used to gather data from former expatriates who were employed by American-based multinational corporations. , – The results indicate that the Arab Gulf States possess a wide range of resources and incentives offered to investors which contribute to the Gulf's attractiveness. At the same time, however, industrialization efforts, including transfer of technology to the Gulf region, are hampered by lack of industrial management expertise and technical skills among the relatively small national population and by resistance to new forms of technology by local residents. , – Technology transfer cannot be seen as the only resort for attaining growth rates. Education, innovation, and basic science are necessary to achieve economic development. In addition, the Arab Gulf States must address serious demographic challenges. , – This exploratory, empirical investigation provides insight into the opportunities and challenges of technology transfer to the Gulf region. It identifies areas that need further investigation.
Wafer-to-wafer hybrid bonding technology for 3D IC

In this research, the wafer-level metal/adhesive hybrid bonding technology was developed to perform the 3D integration platform. Four kinds of polymer materials, BCB, SU-8, AL-Polymer, and PI, were evaluated as the bonding adhesive for hybrid collocation with metal. After realizing the bonding properties, the qualified ones were patterned on wafers, and sequentially bonded by metal bonding conditions. Two kinds of conditions were simulated, one is Cu-Sn eutectic bonding, and the other is Cu-Cu thermo-compression bonding. The compatibility between each polymer and metal was evaluated, and the application range of each material was established thereof. Furthermore, samples with hybrid scheme were fabricated to perform hybrid bonding and realize the compatibility in whole process. The micro-bump/Cu-pad size less than 20µm and thickness less than 5µm were designed for interconnection. The bonding quality and interface investigation on metal/adhesive were analyzed to make sure the interconnection and micro-gap filling between stacked wafers. The evaluation results of wafer-level hybrid bonding and material candidates will be disclosed in the paper.
Correlation of Permian and Triassic deformations in the western Great Basin and eastern Sierra Nevada: Evidence from the northern Inyo Mountains near Tinemaha Reservoir, east-central California

Geologic relationships exposed near Tinemaha Reservoir southeast of Big Pine, east-central California, provide key chronological and structural constraints for linking Permian and Triassic deformational events recognized in the White and Inyo Mountains in the western Great Basin with those in the eastern Sierra Nevada, particularly the Mount Morrison and Saddlebag Lake pendants. Permian to earliest Triassic deformation in the Tinemaha Reservoir area produced a large north- to northwest-trending, east-vergent, originally recumbent syncline (Mule Spring syncline) cut by an overriding thrust (Strange Hill thrust). We correlate this deformation with a middle Permian to earliest Triassic contractional deformation recognized in the southern Inyo Mountains, and with a major episode of folding and thrust faulting in the eastern Sierra Nevada. After a period of tectonic quiescence and marine sedimentation in the Early Triassic, rocks in the Tinemaha Reservoir area were refolded twice, producing distinctive sets of steeply plunging folds. Similar structures in the Mount Morrison pendant that formed prior to intrusion of a 225 ± 16 Ma dike along the Laurel-Convict fault are correlated with those in the Tinemaha Reservoir area. The timing of these folding events may be similar to that of displacement on the Golconda and/or Lundy Canyon thrusts in the Saddlebag Lake pendant. Close structural and stratigraphic ties suggest that rocks in the northeastern part of the Mount Morrison pendant and Tinemaha Reservoir area, now separated by ∼65 km of dextral displacement along the cryptic Tinemaha fault, originally lay adjacent to one another. This offset postdates Triassic folding and is inferred to predate emplacement of the latest Triassic Wheeler Crest Granodiorite, which crops out across the projected fault trace.
Integrating task and data parallelism

The increased computational power of massively parallel computers and high bandwidth low latency computer networks will make a wide range of previously unpractical problems feasible. This will inevitably result in the need to develop parallel software whose complexity far exceeds that of parallel programs being developed today. These programs will combine task and data parallelism within a single application. In this workshop, we will discuss multi-paradigm parallel programs and programming languages to support their development. We will introduce the parallel programming languages Fortran M and Compositional C++. Fortan M is a small set of extensions to Fortran 77; Compositional C++ is a small set of extensions to C++. We will demonstrate how these languages can be used to develop parallel programs that contain both task and data parallelism and how these languages are well suited to writing reusable parallel program libraries.
LOW BAND-GAP CONJUGATED POLYMERS - POLY (THIENYLENE VINYLENE) AND POLY (SUBSTITUTED THIENYLENE VINYLENES)

Abstract The electrochemical and optical properties of several heteroaromatic vinylene polymers including poly(2,5-thienylene vinylene) (PTV), and derivatives have been determined. These polymers possess the desired properties of processibility, environmental stability, and high conductivity in the doped form. Optical data and cyclic voltammetry show that by suitable substitution these conjugated polymers can have very low band-gaps and ionization potentials. The synthesis, characterization and properties of these polymers will be discussed.
Transmission of Q-switched erbium:YSGG (λ=2.79 μm) and erbium:YAG (λ=2.94 μm) laser radiation through germanium oxide and sapphire optical fibres at high pulse energies

The erbium:YSGG and erbium:YAG lasers are used for tissue ablation in dermatology, dentistry and ophthalmology. The purpose of this study was to compare germanium oxide and sapphire optical fibres for transmission of sufficient Q-switched erbium laser pulse energies for potential use in both soft and hard tissue ablation applications. Fibre transmission studies were conducted with Q-switched (500 ns) Er:YSGG (λ=2.79 μm) and Er:YAG (λ=2.94 μm) laser pulses delivered at 3 Hz through 1-m-long, 450-μm germanium oxide and 425-μm sapphire optical fibres. Transmission of free-running (300 μs) Er:YSGG and Er:YAG laser pulses was also conducted for comparison. Each set of measurements was carried out on seven different sapphire or germanium fibres, and the data were then averaged. Fibre attenuation of Q-switched Er:YSGG laser energy measured 1.3±0.1 dB/m and 1.0±0.2 dB/m for the germanium and sapphire fibres, respectively. Attenuation of Q-switched Er:YAG laser energy measured 0.9±0.3 dB/m and 0.6±0.2 dB/m, respectively. A maximum Q-switched Er:YSGG pulse energy of 42 mJ (26–30 J/cm2) was transmitted through the fibres. However, fibre tip damage was observed at energies exceeding 25 mJ (n=2). Both germanium oxide and sapphire optical fibres transmitted sufficient Q-switched Er:YSGG and Er:YAG laser radiation for use in both soft and hard tissue ablation. This is the first report of germanium and sapphire fibre optic transmission of Q-switched erbium laser energies of 25–42 mJ per pulse.
Not So Hidden: Slavic and East European Collections Ready for Study Through the Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division

This article describes the Slavic and East European-related collections represented in the Prints & Photographs Online Catalog (PPOC) at the Library of Congress Web site. The descriptions of search strategies and summaries of key collections will help researchers explore both the visual resources available online and the undigitized materials available through the physical reading room in Washington DC Related articles in this issue discuss specific Prints & Photographs Division holdings of Russian satirical and political periodicals, Bulgarian visual resources, and illustrated music cover designs in more depth.
Organic bulk heterojunction solar cells enhanced by spin interaction

Abstract One of the major losses in organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices has been the recombination of polaron pairs (PP) at the donor–acceptor (D–A) domain interfaces that prevent photogeneration of free charges. Here we report our study on a new method, namely doping the device active layer with spin ½ radical galvinoxyl, to suppress PP recombination at the D–A domain interfaces, and thereby improve the OPV solar cell efficiency. We demonstrate that at an optimal doping level of 3 wt.%, the efficiency of a standard regio-regular poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and 1-[3-(methoxycarbonyl)propyl]-1-1-phenyl)[6,6]C 61 (PCBM) solar cell improves by 18%. We found that this enhancement is not due to morphology change upon galvinoxyl doping, but rather is directly related to the spin degree of freedom of the radical, by reducing PP recombination rate at the P3HT/PCBM interfaces via spin flipping interaction. The enhancement is more significant in OPV systems that are PCBM-rich. We also conclude that the existence of D–A interface is crucial for the enhancement to occur. In addition, we also found that the galvinoxyl radical additives improve the efficiency of solar cells based on other D–A blends with of other donor polymers, but only with the acceptor fullerene PCBM. However, we believe this method may work with other D–A blends using other spin ½ radical additives.
Comments on "Is the Frobenius Matrix Norm Induced?" [with reply]

In "Is the Frobenius matrix norm induced?", the authors ask whether the Frobenius and the H/sup 2/ norms are induced. There, they claimed that the Frobenius norm is not induced and, consequently, conjectured that the H/sup 2/ norm may not be induced. In this paper, it is shown that the Frobenius norm is induced on particular matrix spaces. It is then shown that the H/sup 2/ norm is in fact induced on a particular matrix-valued L/sup /spl infin// space. A reply is provided to the comments.
Measuring Carotid Intima-Media Thickness: Simple Protocols Have Advantages

Since 1986, ultrasound-based measurement of the carotid artery wall intima-media complex has evolved from a simple pathologic observation to a tool for evaluating responses to cholesterol-lowering therapies and a clinical adjunct for cardiovascular risk assessment. Many variations of protocols for the measurement of carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT) now exist, from simple protocols that measure only the common carotid artery on one side of the neck to complex ones with a full bilateral study that includes 30 images. It is possible that complex IMT measurement protocols might improve the likelihood of detecting differences between treatment and nontreatment arms of cholesterol-lowering intervention trials. However, there are no firm data to support this view, as shown in the next section. The evidence for complex IMTmeasurement protocols is reviewed in the section that follows.
Bypassing the blood-brain barrier: delivery of therapeutic agents by macrophages

Introduction: Failure to eradicate infiltrating glioma cells using conventional treatment regimens results in tumor recurrence and is responsible for the dismal prognosis of patients with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). This is due to the fact that these migratory cells are protected by the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and the blood brain tumor barrier (BBTB) which prevents the delivery of most anti-cancer agents. We have evaluated the ability of monocytes/macrophages (Mo/Ma) to cross the BBB in rats. This will permit access of anti-cancer agents such as nanoparticles to effectively target the infiltrating tumor cells, and potentially improve the treatment effectiveness for malignant gliomas. Materials and Methods: The infiltration of Mo/Ma into brain tumor spheroids in vitro was determined using fluorescent stained Mo/Ma. Tumors were also established in the brains of inbred rats and ALA-PDT was given 18 days following tumor induction. The degredation of the BBTB and quantification of the number of infiltrating Mo/Ma was examined on histological sections from removed brains. Results & Conclusion: PDT was highly effective in locally opening the BBTB and inducing macrophage migration into the irradiated portions of brain tumors.
Asynchronous programming with Tarragon

Tarragon is an actor-based programming model and library for implementing parallel scientific applications requiring fine grain asynchronous communication. Tarragon raises the level of abstraction by encapsulating run-time services that mange the actor semantics. The workload is over-decomposed into many virtual processes called WorkUnits. WorkUnits can become ready for execution after receiving input; scheduling and communication services coordinate WorkUnit execution and management. In order to maintain balanced workloads, Tarragon automatically monitors workload distribution and redistributes as needed. Tarragon is novel in its support for meta data describing run-time virtual process structures used to manage actor semantics. This meta data may be used to guide run time services policies in order to optimize performance. We are currently applying Tarragon to the MCell cell microphysiology simulator and are considering other applications as well, such as sparse matrix linear algebra.
The utility estimate as a communication device: Practical questions and research directions

Rauschenberger and Schmidt (1987) lamented the lack of research attention to the ways in which utility information is presented to organizational decision makers. However, while considerable research has continued to focus on technical issues surrounding utility estimation, few studies have specifically examined the efficacy of the utility estimate as a communication device. The purpose of this article is to set forth an agenda for future research on the communication of the value of human resource activities by showing the relevance of research and theory in communication, presuasion, and decision making.
Thigmomorphogenesis: The response of plant growth and development to mechanical stimulation : With special reference to Bryonia dioica.

When young plants of Hordeum vulgare. Bryonia dioica. Cucumis sativus. Phaseolus vulgaris. Mimosa pudica. and Ricinus communis. were given a gentle mechanical stimulus by rubbing the internodes for about 10 s once or twice daily, elongation was significantly retarded. Plants of Cucurbita pepo Pisum sativum and Triticum aestivum did not exhibit any such response. The initial response to rubbing was very rapid, elongation stopping less than 3 min after application of the stimulus. When the stimulus was discontinued after 7 days, elongation accelerated, reaching a normal or supernormal rate within 3 or 4 days. Mechanical stimulation also affected aspects of growth and development other than stem elongation. In Mimosa pudica, flower bud production was retarded, as was the growth of the tendrils, leaves, and petioles in Bryonia dioica. It is suggested that this response be called thigmomorphogenesis, and that it represents an adaptation designed to protect plants from the stresses produced by high winds and moving animals. Some evidence indicates that thigmomorphogenesis may be mediated by ethylene.
Variance estimation and ranking of target tracking position errors modeled using Gaussian mixture distributions

In this paper, variance estimation and ranking methods are developed for stochastic processes modeled by Gaussian mixture distributions. It is shown that the variance estimate from a Gaussian mixture distribution has the same properties as the variance estimate from a single Gaussian distribution based on a reduced number of samples. Hence, well-known tools for variance estimation and ranking of single Gaussian distributions can be applied to Gaussian mixture distributions. As an application example, we present optimization of sensor processing order in the sequential multi-target multi-sensor joint probabilistic data association (MSJPDA) algorithm.
Phase-only filters with maximally sharp correlation peaks

A performance measure called the peak-to-correlation energy is used to characterize the sharpness of correlation outputs. This measure is then used to determine the phase-only filter with maximally sharp correlation peaks.
Quantitation of supercoiled DNA cleavage in nonradioactive DNA: Application to lonizing radiation and synthetic endonuclease cleavage

Abstract Quantitation of the conversion of nonradioactive supercoiled DNA to its open circular or linear forms on ethidium-stained electrophoretic gels has been difficult because of differential binding of ethidium to supercoiled DNA vs other forms under different conditions and the nonlinear response of photographic film. We have developed methods for adding a linear DNA as an internal fluorescence standard to “normalize” the quantity of DNA loaded into each lane of a gel. Inclusion of a linear normalizing DNA in samples before partitioning for individual supercoil cleavage reactions allows the quantitation of the resultant species, is technically easy, and does not require quantitative application of the sample to the gel. If the presence of a normalizing DNA during supercoil cleavage is undesirable, the addition of a normalizing plasmid to each sample after supercoil cleavage (but before electrophoresis) or the quantitative application of samples containing test DNA alone to the gel gives similar data, but with increased variability. We use the normalizing DNA method in cleavage by a physical agent (ionizing radiation) and in a more complex situation, by a protein-based, light-dependent synthetic endonuclease. We show how the fraction of intact supercoiled DNA can be calculated from measurement of the cleaved and normalizing species only. The method also can be used in reactions involving the depletion of one DNA species, whether supercoiled or not, such as protein-DNA interactions as detected by gel retardation assays.
A protocol conversion software toolkit

This paper describes a “toolkit” (a software function library) for synthesizing conversions between different transport interfaces. The method employed involves classifying these interfaces according to their “transport abstraction type.” Each actual interface is converted to or from a canonical form depending on its type, and the library also contains sufficient “abstraction converters” to convert between all of the canonical forms. The overall conversion is accomplished by combining some number of elementary conversions which execute in series. The paper describes the toolkit, contrasts it with other approaches, and shows how it can be used to solve various problems in protocol conversion and the “migration” of distributed services to new network contexts.
Hedgehog signaling is required at multiple stages of zebrafish tooth development.

Background The accessibility of the developing zebrafish pharyngeal dentition makes it an advantageous system in which to study many aspects of tooth development from early initiation to late morphogenesis. In mammals, hedgehog signaling is known to be essential for multiple stages of odontogenesis; however, potential roles for the pathway during initiation of tooth development or in later morphogenesis are incompletely understood.
Statistical characterization and capacity of shallow water acoustic channels

This paper focuses on statistical characterization and capacity evaluation of shallow water acoustic communications channels. Wideband single-carrier and multi-carrier probe signals are employed to measure the time-varying channel response, and to estimate its statistical properties that play an important role in the design of bandwidth-efficient and power-efficient communication systems. To assess the capacity of an underwater acoustic channel, we first assess the probability density functions that model the signal fading. Rician fading is found to provide a good match for the experimental data collected in the Pacific Ocean during the summer 2008 Kauai acoustic communications experiment (KAM'08). This model is used to evaluate the ergodic channel capacity and the related bandwidth efficiency for both single-input single-output (SISO) and multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems.
The origin of the 28- to 29-day recurrent patterns of the solar magnetic field

Numerical simulations of the Sun's mean line-of-sight magnetic field suggest an origin for the 28-to 29-day recurrent patterns of the field and its associated interplanetary phenomena. The patterns are caused by longitudinal fluctuations in the eruption of new magnetic flux, the transport of this flux to mid latitudes by supergranular diffusion and meridional flow, and the slow rotation of the resulting flux distributions at the 28- to 29-day periods characteristic of those latitudes.
Targeting a Common Collaborator in Cancer Development

In this issue of Science Translational Medicine, Wallin et al. have identified a subset of breast and ovarian cancer cell lines that show synergistic response to the combination of doxorubicin and GDC-0941, a class IA phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor. Here, we discuss the potential implications of these data on the clinical development of PI3K pathway inhibitors as cancer therapeutics.
Cohesion of British Parliamentary Parties.

In the perspective of those political scientists who would reform American parties so as to make them more “responsible,” British parties are familiar prototypes. Prominent among the admired qualities is the cohesion displayed in parliamentary voting by the members of each major British party. That this cohesion is greater than that of American legislative parties has been generally observed at least since the work of A. Lawrence Lowell. And it is common enough, though not universal, to regard British parliamentary solidarity as a virtue particularly because it permits a victorious party, after an election, to enact the program behind which a majority of voters have presumably been rallied. Correspondingly, the relatively low cohesion among Republican and among Democratic congressmen is taken as a defect of American politics. The purpose of this article, however, is not primarily to discuss value judgments concerning parliamentary cohesion. Rather it is to examine the nature of that cohesion and the ways in which it is maintained. But regardless of the disputed merits of British practice, it is still reasonable to ask after such an examination whether the cohesion of party members in the House of Commons is the product of devices which the United States could adopt, or whether it is the result of underlying factors alien to the American environment.
Genetic and functional variation in denitrifier populations along a short-term restoration chronosequence.

Complete removal of plants and soil to exposed bedrock, in order to eradicate the Hole-in-the-Donut (HID) region of the Everglades National Park, FL, of exotic invasive plants, presented the opportunity to monitor the redevelopment of soil and the associated microbial communities along a short-term restoration chronosequence. Sampling plots were established for sites restored in 1989, 1997, 2000, 2001, and 2003. The goal of this study was to characterize the activity and diversity of denitrifying bacterial populations in developing HID soils in an effort to understand changes in nitrogen (N) cycling during short-term primary succession. Denitrifying enzyme activity (DEA) was detected in soils from all sites, indicating a potential for N loss via denitrification. However, no correlation between DEA and time since disturbance was observed. Diversity of bacterial denitrifiers in soils was characterized by sequence analysis of nitrite reductase genes (nirK and nirS) in DNA extracts from soils ranging in nitrate concentrations from 1.8 to 7.8 mg kg−1. High levels of diversity were observed in both nirK and nirS clone libraries. Statistical analyses of clone libraries suggest a different response of nirS- and nirK-type denitrifiers to factors associated with soil redevelopment. nirS populations demonstrated a linear pattern of succession, with individual lineages represented at each site, while multiple levels of analysis suggest nirK populations respond in a grouped pattern. These findings suggest that nirK communities are more sensitive than nirS communities to environmental gradients in these soils.
Mixter Lecture: Changing Clinical Practice in Surgery

The purpose of this lecture is to determine how surgical dogmas change. Clearly, change is critical for evolution of surgical technique and concept. The purpose of every academic surgeon, in addition to their teaching and research roles, is to translate basic science principles to clinical care. It is perhaps worthwhile to define dogma as a principle, belief or idea authoritatively considered to be the absolute truth. 1 To illustrate changing dogmas I would like to use the surgical treatment of heart failure as a model.
Does Body Satisfaction Help or Harm Overweight Teens? A 10-Year Longitudinal Study of the Relationship Between Body Satisfaction and Body Mass Index

Abstract Purpose This study examines the relationship between body satisfaction of overweight adolescents and 10-year changes in body mass index (BMI). Methods Participants who were overweight as adolescents (n = 496) were drawn from Project Eating and Activity in Teens and Young Adults (Project EAT), a 10-year longitudinal study. Results Among overweight girls, a significant difference in 10-year BMI change across baseline body satisfaction quartiles was observed. Overweight girls with the lowest body satisfaction at baseline had a nearly three unit greater increase in BMI at follow-up, compared with overweight girls in the high body satisfaction quartile; this difference has important clinical significance. Among overweight boys, no significant associations between body satisfaction quartile and change in BMI were not observed. Conclusion Overall, findings indicate that among overweight adolescents, a high level of body satisfaction during adolescence was not harmful, and in fact may be beneficial for girls, in terms of long-term weight management. These findings refute the commonly held notion that overweight young people should be dissatisfied with their bodies to motivate positive change.
On gender in new music interface technology

Gender is a category that is mostly unexplored in the field of new music interface technology. This paper explores some aspects of gender within the field. First, it studies the academic literature of the last five years with regard to the gender of the participants and the gender awareness of its content. Men are found to outnumber women in the field. The inspection of the literature shows a marked absence of documented gender awareness in the field. Then, the paper explores gender in new music interface technology performances of the last five years: two by male and two by female performers. It is discussed how they individually and in their cross-relationship speak to gender constructions. The analysis suggests that female performances seem to speak to gender issues whereas male performances seem to show an absence of gender as category. Finally, a further device is contrasted with these performances. I suggest that this technology is of particular interest for the artistic exploration of gender by making the body the recipient of performance.
Effect of Hydrocortisone Acetate on Dental Caries and Salivary Glands in Adrenalectomized Female Rats

Adrenalectomized rats were given 0.5 mg or 1.0 mg of hydrocortisone acetate once daily for eight weeks. With increased hormonal doses, the dental caries activity and salivary glandular weights proportionally increased and decreased, respectively, as compared with adrenalectomized controls. Adrenalectomized rats had less dental caries than sham-operated rats. Either adrenalectomy or hormonal treatments interfered with the absolute weights, and especially with the histologic integrity of the salivary glands, in comparison with sham-operated rats.
Exporting People and Recruiting Remittances A Development Strategy for El Salvador

This article explores migration as an emerging development strategy embraced by the state in Central America, concentrating on the case of El Salvador. As primary export prices decline, and non-traditional agricultural exports and assembly production fail to fulfill their promise of compensating for reduced export volumes and sales, exporting people has become an increasingly viable strategy to recruit foreign exchange, reduce poverty and inject new capital into the financial sector. The article contributes to the broader analysis of migration by examining the current state-led strategies to enhance and capitalize upon these human and financial flows. Using quantitative and qualitative data from a variety of sources the article concludes that the Salvadoran state and elites that benefit from migration and remittances are seeking to manage and facilitate these flows. Furthermore, these state-led strategies are being actively encouraged by multilateral and bilateral institutions which are keen to incorporate and promote a discourse on migration and development that sees remittances as windfall income without acknowledging the enormous human, social and economic costs of migration.
Deoxycorticosterone and Aldosterone Clearance and Binding in Normal and Hypertensive Man

Deoxycorticosterone (DOC) may play a role in several hypertensive disorders in man, but the dynamics of DOC metabolism are unclear. To characterize DOC binding to plasma proteins and its MCR, 12 patients with essential hypertension and 10 age-matched controls were studied. In control subjects, the DOC MCR was nearly identical to the stimultaneously measured aldosterone MCR (719 +/- 32 vs. 734 +/- 61 liters/m2 x day, respectively), and the MCRs of both steroids were not significantly different in essential hypertension (682 +/- 49 and 672 +/- 50 liters/m2 x day, respectively). Whole blood MCR was also unaltered by hypertension. The DOC whole blood MCRs were 1056 +/- 85 and 1040 +/- 69 liters/m2 x day for control and hypertensive subjects, respectively. The aldosterone whole blood MCRs were 916 +/- 96 and 941 +/- 67 liters/m2 x min. The similarity of the DOC MCR to the aldosterone MCR suggested minimal binding of DOC to high affinity carrier proteins, and this was confirmed by equilibrium dialysis with [3H]DOC at 37 C. In plasma, 6 +/- 1% of DOC is unbound, 84 +/- 3% is bound to albumin, and only 10 +/- 4% is bound to nonalbumin proteins. We conclude that the dynamics of DOC closely resemble those of aldosterone, with minimal plasma binding to specific binding proteins and high MCR that are unaltered in essential hypertension.
Ocean Radiant Heating. Part II: Parameterizing Solar Radiation Transmission through the Upper Ocean

Accurate determination of sea surface temperature (SST) is critical to the success of coupled ocean‐atmosphere models and the understanding of global climate. To accurately predict SST, both the quantity of solar radiation incident at the sea surface and its divergence, or transmission, within the water column must be known. Net irradiance profiles modeled with a radiative transfer model are used to develop an empirical solar transmission parameterization that depends on upper ocean chlorophyll concentration, cloud amount, and solar zenith angle. These factors explain nearly all of the variations in solar transmission. The parameterization is developed by expressing each of the modeled irradiance profiles as a sum of four exponential terms. The fit parameters are then written as linear combinations of chlorophyll concentration and cloud amount under cloudy skies, and chlorophyll concentration and solar zenith angle during clear-sky periods. Model validation gives a climatological rms error profile that is less tha n4Wm 22 throughout the water column (when normalized to a surface irradiance of 200 W m22). Compared with existing solar transmission parameterizations this is a significant improvement in model skill. The two-equation solar transmission parameterization is incorporated into the TOGA COARE bulk flux model to quantify its effects on SST and subsequent rates of air‐sea heat exchange during a low wind, high insolation period. The improved solar transmission parameterization gives a mean 12 W m22 reduction in the quantity of solar radiation attenuated within the top few meters of the ocean compared with the transmission parameterization originally used. This results in instantaneous differences in SST and the net air‐sea heat flux that often reach 0.28 Ca nd 5Wm 22, respectively.
A ceramic capacitive pressure microsensor with screen-printed diaphragm

In this work, a ceramic capacitive sealed gauge pressure sensor has been designed, fabricated, and fully characterized for harsh environment pressure microsensor applications. Thick film screen printing has been expanded as a method for creating ceramic microstructures. The ceramic pressure microsensor consists of a bottom electrode deposited on a 96% alumina substrate and a top electrode deposited on a ceramic diaphragm. The ceramic cavity and diaphragm were created using a thick film sacrificial layer. Hermeticity of the pressure sensor was characterized to assess the sensor's feasibility for MEMS applications such as harsh environment sealed gauge pressure sensors. The sensor showed excellent hermeticity with a maximum leak rate of 7.0 times 10-10 atm cc/sec He after exposures to temperatures up to 500 degC. The sensor was also fully characterized up to 300 degC in a pressure range of 0 to 50 psi. The average sensitivity over these temperature and pressure ranges was 9.2 fF/psi
High power switch for the SMTF modulator

A compact, water cooled, high power switch for the Superconducting Module Test Facility (SMTF) long-pulse klystron modulator has been constructed and implemented at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL). This solid-state switch is composed of six series devices, each having a rating of 4.5 kV and 2000 Adc. Latest generation, press-pack IGBT modules are utilized to reduce the physical size and complexity of the switch assembly. The new switch and its associated controller provide a high degree of redundancy and fail-safe operation, which meets the modulator requirements. This paper describes the general switch assembly, IGBT protection and control schemes, and test results.
Fungal virulence in a lepidopteran model is an emergent property with deterministic features.

ABSTRACT Virulence has been proposed to be an emergent property, which by definition implies that it is not reducible to its components, but this application of a philosophical concept to the host-microbe interaction has not been experimentally tested. The goals of our study were to analyze the correlation of the phenotype with the ability to cause disease and to determine the dynamics of an experimental cryptococcal infection in Galleria mellonella and Acanthamoeba castellanii. By studying the outcome of infection as host death, we showed that the dynamics of virulence in the G. mellonella/Cryptococcus neoformans interaction follow a predictable pattern. We also found that the experimental temperature and not the presence of virulence factors was a critical parameter defining the pathogenic potential of cryptococcal species. Our results established that cryptococcal species not considered pathogenic could be pathogens given suitable conditions. Our results support the idea that virulence is an emergent property that cannot be easily predicted by a reductionist approach and yet it behaves as a deterministic system in a lepidopteran cryptococcal infection. These findings provide a road map for evaluating whether host-microbe interactions in other systems are chaotic, deterministic, or stochastic, including those with public health importance. IMPORTANCE Virulence is a complex phenotype that cannot be easily studied by analyzing its individual components in isolation. By studying the outcome of infection as the death of the host, we found that a given microbial phenotype does not necessarily correlate with its ability to cause disease and that the presence of so-called virulence factors does not predict pathogenicity, consistent with the notion that virulence is an emergent property. This paper reports that the dynamics of virulence in Galleria mellonella larvae infected with the fungus Cryptococcus neoformans follows a predictable pattern. Establishing that virulence is an emergent property is important because it implies that it is not reducible to its components, and consequently, this phenomenon needs to be studied by a holistic approach.
Necrotizing enterocolitis and the use of loop diuretics in very low birth weight neonates.

Abstract Background Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a gastrointestinal disease of premature, very low birth weight neonates resulting in sepsis and death. Loop diuretics are widely used in neonates as a treatment for pulmonary fluid retention. An association between diuretic use and NEC has not been explored. Methods The medical records of all neonates admitted to Duke Children's Hospital between 2007 and 2012 with a birth weight ≤1,500 grams were reviewed. Results Using multivariable logistic regression analysis, we found that loop diuretic administration was not a risk factor for the development of NEC. On subanalysis, 75% of medical NEC infants had prior exposure to loop diuretics, compared with 100% of surgical NEC infants ( P = .004). Conclusions Loop diuretics do not increase the risk of development of NEC in very low birth weight neonates. However, on diagnosis of NEC, administration of loop diuretics may be associated with the progression of NEC severity from medical NEC to surgical NEC.
Classification Accuracy of Mixed Format Tests: A Bi-Factor Item Response Theory Approach.

Mixed format tests (e.g., a test consisting of multiple-choice [MC] items and constructed response [CR] items) have become increasingly popular. However, the latent structure of item pools consisting of the two formats is still equivocal. Moreover, the implications of this latent structure are unclear: For example, do constructed response items tap reasoning skills that cannot be assessed with multiple choice items? This study explored the dimensionality of mixed format tests by applying bi-factor models to ten tests of various subjects from the College Board’s Advanced Placement (AP) Program and compared the accuracy of scores based on the bi-factor analysis with scores derived from a unidimensional analysis. More importantly, this study focused on a practical and important question––classification accuracy of the overall grade on a mixed format test. Our findings revealed that the degree of multidimensionality resulting from the mixed item format varied from subject to subject, depending on the disattenuated correlation between scores from MC and CR subtests. Moreover, remarkably small decrements in classification accuracy were found for the unidimensional analysis when the disattenuated correlations exceeded .90.
Effect of Fluctuating Salinity on Potential Denitrification in Coastal Wetland Soil and Sediments

The coastal wetlands of southern Louisiana provide an ideal environment for removing nitrate (NO₃⁻) from the Mississippi River before discharge into the Gulf of Mexico where it can contribute to hypoxia. However, denitrification, the primary mechanism of excess N removal, may be sensitive to the fluctuating salinities that characterize coastal wetlands. Salinity can shift from salt to fresh during river inflows, or from fresh to salt during storm surge events. This study investigated the impact of shifting salinity on potential denitrification rates in marsh soils and bayou sediments from the fresh and salt marshes of Brenton Sound estuary. Potential denitrification rates were quantified using bottle incubations for both short-term (2 d), and longer-term (11 d) studies. Fresh marsh sites had higher denitrification enzyme activity (DEA), but all soils and sediments achieved high denitrification when exposed to ideal conditions. Pulses of freshwater (0 ppt) in salt marsh soils decreased potential denitrification rates by 98% for an 11-d study, indicating the rapid opening of a freshwater diversion could significantly reduce that ability of coastal wetlands to provide significant nutrient-removal before discharge to the coastal ocean. Pulses of intermediate salinity (15 ppt) water stimulated denitrification rates in the fresh marsh soil by 75%, while full salinity seawater (35 ppt) suppressed potential denitrification by 73% for 11 d. This research demonstrates the sensitivity of the denitrifying microbial consortia to rapid shifts in salinity and this information can be used to guide water managers on maximizing NO₃⁻ removal in Mississippi River surface water diversions.
The Validity of Occupational Data for Immigrants An Empirical Investigation

The validity of the primary source of data on the occupations of immigrants to the United States (Immigration and Naturalization Service reports) has been severely criticized. In fact, the “substantive meaningfulness” of results based on this data has been questioned. In this article we empirically investigate the nomological validity of these occupational data using a time series analysis. We find, at least on an aggregate level, that the results provide fairly strong support for the validity of these data as a measure of the distribution of those in blue-collar and white-collar occupations for the major regions from which people immigrate to the United States.
A Survey on Birth Defects Among 36586 Perinatal Infants in Yiling District,Yichang

Objective:To survey the incidence and related factors of birth defects among perinatal infants in Yiling District of Yichang,Hubei province.Methods:Data of birth defects among perinatal infants in health care organizations of Yiling District from 2005 to 2013were collected according to the monitoring projects National Birth Defects Monitoring Requirements and Maternal Mortality,Mortality and Birth Defects of Children under 5Reporting System in Hubei Province.Incidence,types of birth defects and prenatal related factors were analyzed.Results:The incidence of birth defects among 36 586 perinatal infants during 9years was 9.43‰(345cases),and there was an upward trend from 2007 to 2011,then downward in 2012.The perinatal birth defects stood on the first 5rank of incidence list followed by congenital heart disease,multi-finger,cleft lip and palate,hydrocephalus,and clubfoot.The male birth defects were more frequent seen than female(P=0.049).The incidence of birth defects of perinatal infants whose mother from rural areas was higher than those whose mother from city(P0.001).37.39%cases were confirmed in prenatal diagnosis.Illness of mother during early pregnancy,exposure to chemical substances and abnormal reproductive history might be associated with birth defects.Conclusion:Strengthening health education,genetic counseling,pre-pregnancy eugenic examination,pregnancy andprenatal care,and guiding high-risk and rural pregnant women to prenatal screening and diagnosis,are critical and effective measures to reduce the incidence of birth defects in our region.