cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Critical Flux Behavior of Ultrathin Membranes in Protein-Rich Solutions

Abstract Critical flux defines the ideal operating conditions in tangential flow filtration (TFF). Below this value a TFF process can, in principle, proceed indefinitely without membrane fouling. The critical flux behavior of ultrathin membranes, which are particularly valuable for small volume processing, has not yet been explored. Here we investigate the critical flux behavior of ultrathin nanoporous silicon nitride (NPN) membranes in concentrated protein solutions using a microfluidic TFF device. We find that NPN (~19% porosity; 60 nm average pore size; 100 nm thick) has the ability to process bovine serum albumin (BSA) solutions as concentrated as 10 mg/mL at 30 μL/min without exceeding a critical flux threshold. At 30 mg/mL and 60 mg/mL, NPN enables 40% and 20% of the supply to be filtered without fouling. In these experiments, NPN membranes achieve critical flux values as high as ~1200 LMH, which is 5x larger than 0.2 μm polyethersulfone (PES) membranes processing 5 mg/mL BSA and an order of magnitude higher than track-etch polymeric membranes (10 μm thick; 80 nm pores) in direct comparisons. The effects of nanoparticle capture on critical flux are also studied here, simulating the capture of small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) in forthcoming diagnostic applications. Our work not only demonstrates the utility of ultrathin membranes for processing concentrated protein solutions, it illustrates the value of applying membrane science principles developed for macroscale systems (e.g. critical flux, TFF) to the micro/nano scale.
Effect of sintering temperature on the chemical bonding, electronic structure and electrical transport properties of β-Ga1.9Fe0.1O3 compounds

Abstract A model system, which is based on iron (Fe) doped gallium oxide (Ga2O3) (Ga1.9Fe0.1O3), has been considered to elucidate the combined effect of transition-metal ion doping and processing temperature on the chemistry, local structure and chemical bonding, and electrical transport properties of a wide band gap oxide (Ga2O3). The Ga1.9Fe0.1O3 compounds were synthesized using standard high-temperature solid state reaction method. The effect of processing conditions in terms of different calcination and sintering environments on the structural and electrical properties of Ga1.9Fe0.1O3 compounds is studied in detail. Structural characterization by Raman spectroscopy revealed that Ga1.9Fe0.1O3 compounds exhibit monoclinic crystal symmetry, which is quite similar to the intrinsic parental crystal structure, though Fe-doping induces lattice strain. Sintering temperature (Tsint) which was varied in the range of 900−1200 °C, has significant impact on the structure, chemical bonding, and electrical properties of Ga1.9Fe0.1O3 compounds. Raman spectroscopic measurements indicate the proper densification of the Ga1.9Fe0.1O3 compounds achieved through complete Fe diffusion into the parent Ga2O3 lattice which is evident at the highest sintering temperature. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy validates the chemical states of the constituent elements in Ga1.9Fe0.1O3 compounds. The electrical properties of Ga1.9Fe0.1O3 fully controlled by Tsint, which governed the grain size and microstructural evolution. The temperature and frequency dependent electrical measurements demonstrated the salient features of the Fe doped Ga2O3 compounds. The activation energy determined from Arrhenius equation is ∼0.5 eV. The results demonstrate that control over structure, morphology, chemistry and electrical properties of the Ga1.9Fe0.1O3 compounds can be achieved by optimizing Tsint.
Correlation of Staphylococcus Epidermidis Phenotype and Its Corneal Virulence.

S. epidermidis is an ocular pathogen and a leading cause of keratitis. It produces hemolysins and at least 3 proteases. The purpose of the present study is to compare the secretion of hemolysins an...
Trichomegaly Associated with Panitumumab.

Trichomegaly Associated with Panitumumab A 53-year-old woman with appendiceal cancer who was receiving treatment with panitumumab was found to have marked eyelash trichomegaly, a side effect of EGF...
Ordinary and Viscosity-damped Magnetohydrodynamic Turbulence

We compare the properties of ordinary strong magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence in a strongly magnetized medium with the recently discovered viscosity-damped regime. We focus on energy spectra, anisotropy, and intermittency. Our most surprising conclusion is that in ordinary strong MHD turbulence, the velocity and magnetic fields show different high-order structure function scalings. Moreover, this scaling depends on whether the intermittency is viewed in a global or local system of reference. This reconciles seemingly contradictory earlier results. On the other hand, the intermittency scaling for viscosity-damped turbulence is very different and difficult to understand in terms of the usual phenomenological models for intermittency in turbulence. Our remaining results are in reasonable agreement with expectations. First, we find that our high-resolution simulations for ordinary MHD turbulence show that the energy spectra are compatible with a Kolmogorov spectrum, while viscosity-damped turbulence shows a shallow k-1 spectrum for the magnetic fluctuations. Second, a new numerical technique confirms that ordinary MHD turbulence exhibits Goldreich-Sridhar type anisotropy, while viscosity-damped MHD turbulence shows extremely anisotropic eddy structures. Finally, we show that many properties of incompressible turbulence for both the ordinary and viscosity-damped regimes carry over to the case of compressible turbulence.
Tamper-evident packaging

Tamper evidence has been defined in the USA as the degree to which tampering is apparent to the observer.
The Effects of Temperature and Host Stage on Development Rate of Parasitoids of Giant Whitefly Aleurodicus dugesii (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae).

The effects of rearing temperature and host stage parasitized on the development of three parasitoid species; Encarsia noyesi Hayat (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae), Idioporus affinis LaSalle & Polaszek (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae), and Entedononecremnus krauteri Zolnerowich & Rose (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) were investigated. These parasitoids are part of the biological control program for the giant whitefly Aleurodicus dugesii Cockerell (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) in the United States. Temperature and host-dependent development was assessed for each species using the nonlinear Briere-1 model and simple linear regression to obtain critical thermal parameters. All three parasitoids successfully developed at constant temperatures ranging from 15°C to 30°C, which was narrower to their predicted thermal limits due to thermal constraints of A. dugesii. There were significant effects of both temperature and A. dugesii nymphal stage parasitized on immature parasitoid development times. All three parasitoid species' development time decreased as nymphal stage age increased. Thermal tolerance limits and development times varied by parasitoid species. The results of these findings in the context of biological control potential are discussed.
Syndemic Profiles and Sexual Minority Men’s HIV-Risk Behavior: A Latent Class Analysis

Syndemic theory posits that “syndemic conditions” (e.g., alcohol misuse, polydrug use, suicidality) co-occur among sexual minority men and influence HIV-risk behavior, namely HIV acquisition and transmission risk. To examine how four syndemic conditions cluster among sexual minority men and contribute to HIV-risk behavior, we conducted latent class analysis (LCA) to: (1) classify sexual minority men (n = 937) into subgroups based on their probability of experiencing each syndemic condition; (2) examine the demographic (e.g., race/ethnicity) and social status (e.g., level of socioeconomic distress) characteristics of the most optimally fitting four syndemic classes; (3) examine between-group differences in HIV-risk behavior across classes; and (4) use syndemic class membership to predict HIV-risk behavior with sexual minority men reporting no syndemic conditions as the reference group. The four classes were: (1) no syndemic, (2) alcohol misuse and polydrug use syndemic, (3) polydrug use and HIV syndemic, and (4) alcohol misuse. HIV-risk behavior differed across these latent classes. Demographic and social status characteristics predicted class membership, suggesting that syndemic conditions disproportionately co-occur in vulnerable subpopulations of sexual minority men, such as those experiencing high socioeconomic distress. When predicting HIV-risk behavior, men in the polydrug use and HIV syndemic class were more likely (Adjusted Risk Ratio [ARR] = 2.93, 95% CI: 1.05, 8.21) and men in the alcohol misuse class were less likely (ARR = 0.17, 95% CI: 0.07, 0.44) to report HIV-risk behavior than were men in the no syndemic class. LCA represents a promising methodology to inform the development and delivery of tailored interventions targeting distinct combinations of syndemic conditions to reduce sexual minority men’s HIV-risk behavior.
Sweet, sweet language: Prakrit and Maṇipravāḷam in premodern Kerala

This paper studies the connections between Prakrit and early Maṇipravāḷam literature from premodern Kerala. Maṇipravāḷam (literally, ‘gems and corals’) is the emic term for a dominant part of Keral...
Application and generalizability of U-Net segmentation of immune cells in inflamed tissue

Several disease states, including cancer and autoimmunity, are characterized by the infiltration of large populations of immune cells into organ tissue. The degree and composition of these invading cells have been correlated with patient outcomes, suggesting that the intercellular interactions occurring in inflamed tissue play a role in pathology. Immunofluorescence staining paired with confocal microscopy produce detailed visualizations of these interactions. Applying computer vision and machine learning methods to the resulting images allows for robust quantification of immune infiltrates. We are developing an analytical pipeline to assess the immune environments of two distinct disease states: lupus nephritis and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Biopsies of inflamed kidney tissue (lupus) and tumors (TNBC) were stained and imaged for panels of 20 markers using a strip-reprobe technique. This set of markers interrogates populations of T-cells, B-cells, and antigen presenting cells. To detect T cells, we first trained a U-Net to segment CD3+CD4+ T-cells in images of lupus biopsies and achieved an object-level precision of 0.855 and recall of 0.607 on an independent test set. We then evaluated the generalizability of this network to CD3+CD8+ T cells in lupus nephritis and CD3+CD4+ T cells in TNBC, and the extent to which fine-tuning the network improved performance for these cell types. We found that recall increased moderately with finetuning, while precision did not. Further work will focus on developing robust methods of segmenting a larger variety of T cell markers in both tissue contexts with high fidelity.
13623 Daily relationship between social connectedness and health behaviors among dementia family caregivers

ABSTRACT IMPACT: Knowledge of which aspects of social connectedness most strongly associate with caregiver health and health behaviors can inform intervention targets to improve caregiver health OBJECTIVES/GOALS: Stressed dementia caregivers are at risk of poor health. Social connectedness may reduce adverse health effects, yet it is unknown about which aspects relate most strongly to health. This is a barrier to intervention development. Our study identifies aspects of social connectedness most strongly associate with caregivers’ daily health behaviors. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: Data. Enrolled spousal caregivers completed 14 consecutive days of online surveys. Measures. We examined multiple health behaviors each day, which included: 1) number of occurrences of 3 potential binge-eating behaviors (range 0 to 30), 2) whether participants engaged in at least 30 minutes of physical activity, and 3) perceived sleep quality, rated 1 (very bad) to 5 (very good). We also examined a count of health symptoms caregivers experienced (e.g., backache; range: 0 to 7). Measures of social connectedness included: spousal emotional support, perceived spousal appreciation, emotional support from any source, and loneliness. Analysis. We applied bivariate multi-level mixed effects models to examine the association between each aspect of social connectedness and health behaviors day-to-day. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Since November 2020, 5 of N=40 participants were enrolled, of whom 3 had completed all diary surveys. Participants were women ages 59 to 73, and included 4 non-Hispanic white and 1 Hispanic caregivers. Data included 51 days of surveys (93% adherence). No differences in eating behaviors nor physical activity according to social connectedness were found. Emotional support from any source was positively associated with sleep quality (B= 0.20; SE=0.08; p-value 0.015). On days when caregivers indicated their spouse appreciated them ‘A lot’ versus ‘Not at all,’ sleep quality was marginally better (B=0.73, SE=0.42; p-value-0.08). Finally, days when caregivers felt lonely at least ‘Some of the time’ versus ‘Not at all’ were associated with experiencing more adverse health symptoms (B=1.54; SE=0.58; p-value<0.001). DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF FINDINGS: Improved emotional support from any source may support better sleep quality among caregiving spouses, while loneliness appears to contribute to more adverse health symptoms. Findings, if confirmed, can be translated to develop intervention programs that target loneliness and perceived emotional support among caregivers.
Adoption of Organ Preservation and Surgeon Variability for Patients with Rectal Cancer Does Not Correlate with Worse Survival.

Watch-and-wait is variably adopted by surgeons and the impact of this on outcomes is unknown. We compared the disease-free survival and organ preservation rates of locally advanced rectal cancer patients treated by expert colorectal surgeons at a comprehensive cancer center. This study included retrospective data on patients diagnosed with stage II/III rectal adenocarcinoma from January 2013 to June 2017 who initiated neoadjuvant therapy (either with chemoradiation, chemotherapy, or a combination of both) and were treated by an expert colorectal surgeon. Overall, 444 locally advanced rectal cancer patients managed by five surgeons were included. Tumor distance from the anal verge, type of neoadjuvant therapy, and organ preservation rates varied by treating surgeon. There was no difference in disease-free survival after stratifying by the treating surgeon (p = 0.2). On multivariable analysis, neither the type of neoadjuvant therapy nor the treating surgeon was associated with disease-free survival. While neoadjuvant therapy type and organ preservation rates varied among surgeons, there were no meaningful differences in disease-free survival. These data suggest that among expert colorectal surgeons, differing thresholds for selecting patients for watch-and-wait do not affect survival.
Finite line-number equi-spaced resonances based on coupled cavity resonators

We investigate a linear configuration of coupled cavity resonators based on tri-diagonal Kac matrix which enables such cavities to support finite equi-spaced comb of resonances. Such resonator may allow designing cavities which decouple cavity size from comb spacings.
Modeling patent clarity

Abstract This study uses machine learning techniques to model patent claim clarity and analyze how clarity relates to important patent policy objectives. Specifically, machine learning models are trained on a dataset of over 600,000 U.S. patent applications that were (or were not) rejected for indefiniteness, a proxy for claim clarity, using features based on the linguistic attributes of each application. The model is then applied to over 2 million issued patents and their corresponding applications, deriving estimates of the clarity of each patent's claim set at application and issuance. First, the properties of claim clarity and its relationship with the patent examination process are studied. Wordiness and repetitiveness corresponds to reduced clarity, whereas more descriptiveness whereas clearer claims tend to be more descriptive. Clarity also changes during patent examination, indicating that patent office policies may affect claim clarity. Next, the relationship between claim clarity and cumulative innovation is studied. Clear patents are found to receive more citations by applicants of unrelated future patents, a key indicator of cumulative innovation. However, unclear patents tend to receive more examiner citations, particularly in later years, and the technological relevance of examiner citations also tends to decline over time. This raises important questions about the role of late-stage examiner citations in the patent examination process, which are framed for future research. Finally, this study evaluates the impact of the U.S. Supreme Court's Nautilus v. Biosig decision, which sought to improve patent claim clarity. A difference-in-difference analysis of applications examined under the old versus new standard is conducted to evaluate the causal effect of Nautilus on the claims of patents filed under the old standard but examined under the new standard. This reveals a significant improvement in patent claim clarity post-Nautilus.
Labor Supply and Marriage Markets: A Simple Graphic Analysis with Household Public Goods

When modeling labor supply economists tend to be committed to the leisure/goods trade-off based on a 1930 model by Lionel Robbins that does not make room for effects of marriage market conditions on labor supply. By introducing Work-In-Household (WiHo) and market prices for such WiHo (as explained in Chap. 2) I obtain a relatively easy time/goods trade-off graph that shares many common features with the Robbins model but also allows for effects of marriage market conditions on time allocation, including labor supply. In contrast with earlier models in this book in which individuals only consumed private goods, this model assumes that there is one public good and no private goods.
Does corticosteroid therapy impact fetal pulmonary artery blood flow in women at risk for preterm birth

Aim: Maternal corticosteroid administration in pregnancy is known to enhance fetal lung maturity in at risk fetuses. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that corticosteroid therapy alters fetal pulmonary blood flow in pregnancies at risk for preterm birth (PTB). Material and methods: We prospectively evaluated main fetal pulmonary artery (MPA) blood flow in pregnant women at risk for PTB and treated with corticosteroids (betamethasone), compared to an uncomplicated cohort without steroid therapy. The Doppler indices of interest included Peak Systolic Velocity (PSV), Resistive Index (RI), Pulsatility Index (PI), Systolic/Diastolic ratio (S/D ratio), Acceleration Time (AT), and Acceleration Time/Ejection Time Ratio (AT/ ET ratio), with the latter serving as the primary outcomes due to its stability irrespective of gestational age. Results: When compared with controls, fetuses treated with corticosteroids demonstrated significantly decreased pulmonary artery acceleration time (median: 28.89 (22.22-51.11) vs. 33.33 (22.20-57.00), p=0.006), while all other indices remained similar. We found no difference in pulmonary blood flow between fetuses who developed respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) and those that did not (31.56 ± 6.842 vs. 32.36 ± 7.265, p= 0.76). Conclusion: Our data demonstrate altered fetal pulmonary blood flow with corticosteroid therapy, possibly due to increased arterial elastance brought on by medication effect, which leads to the decreased acceleration time or possible gestational age affect. Contrary to a recent report, we did not observe any Doppler differences in fetuses with RDS, which underscores the need for further examination of this proposed association.
Photon Activation Analysis for River Sediment Sample Using a 60 MeV Linear Electron Accelerator

The feasibility of photon activation analysis (PAA) for river sediment has been demonstrated using a powerful linear electron accelerator at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. The sample was a standard sediment material (SRM 1646a Estuarine sediment) from NIST. Electron energy at 50 MeV and a tantalum target are used. Gamma-spectroscopy was performed with an HPGe detector. Sensitivities for Ca, Ti, As, Pb, Ce, Ni and Rb were obtained. The sensitivities were 14.7 µg for Ca, 21.5 µg for Ti, 0.9 µg for As, 3.9 µg for Pb, 1.1 µg for Ce, 1.6 µg for Ni and 3.5 µg for Rb. A large amount of Zr was found in SRM 1646a although it is not listed by NIST.
Parallel Computing in Optimization

One of the major developments in computing in recent years has been the introduction of a variety of parallel computers, and the development of algorithms that effectively utilize their capabilities. Very little of this parallel algorithm development, however, has been in numerical optimization. Nevertheless, significant opportunities exist for the utilization of parallelism in optimization, especially on computers that support independent concurrent processes. This paper first gives a very brief survey of parallel architectures and general characteristics of parallel algorithms. Next we indicate what we see as the leading opportunities for the utilization of parallelism in optimization. Then we survey the small amount of existing research in parallel optimization; most of this has been conducted at The Hatfield Polytechnic. Finally we discuss some recently initiated research at the University of Colorado concerned with solving optimization problems by parallel algorithms suitable for implementation on a local area network of computers; we focus on a new parallel algorithm for global optimization.
Light as a Solution to Puzzles AboutLight

Light is puzzling in modern physics–witness wave-particle duality, the two-slit experiment, and the invariant speed of light. These puzzles are not intrinsic to light but arise from overly narrow views of light. Disregarding the expansive, unitary nature of light that informs everyday experience, modern physics treats light as if it were self-bounded and separable. Further, physics assumes that light is not complicit with observations of light, that the two are separable. By likening light to light-illuminated entities, these attitudes set the stage for puzzles. When,however, conceptions of light are aligned with visual experience, those puzzles become occasions of understanding.This is because visual experience already embodies that aspect of light which physics finds so anomalous: nonseparability. Light's interactive vastness shows up wherever light shows up, and because no observer can back away from light or step outside its integrative embrace, different parts of light (photons) cannot be lifted out ofthe observation as distinct – i.e., distinctly-observed – entities.
Sex and hormonal status influence plasma lipid responses to psyllium

Background: The primary mechanisms by which soluble fiber lowers plasma cholesterol are well known. However, specific effects of fiber on lipoprotein metabolism and how sex and hormonal status influence these effects are not well defined. Objective: The effects of a psyllium supplement in men, premenopausal women, and postmenopausal women were examined to determine the mechanisms by which psyllium lowers plasma LDL-cholesterol concentrations and affects lipoprotein remodeling in the intravascular compartment. Design: We designed a crossover trial in which 24 men, 23 premenopausal women, and 21 postmenopausal women were randomly assigned for 30 d to a fiber supplement (15 g psyllium/d) or a control. Plasma lipids and cholesteryl ester transfer protein and lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase (phosphatidylcholine-sterol O-acyltransferase) activities were measured after each treatment. Results: When compared with the control, psyllium intake lowered plasma LDL-cholesterol concentrations by 7-9% (P < 0.0001) without affecting plasma HDL-cholesterol concentrations. An interactive effect between fiber and sex and hormonal status was observed for plasma triacylglycerol. Psyllium supplementation significantly lowered plasma triacylglycerol concentrations in men by 17% and raised triacylglycerol concentrations in postmenopausal women by 16% (P < 0.01). The dietary treatment did not significantly affect plasma triacylglycerol in premenopausal women. Lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase was unaffected by psyllium intake whereas cholesteryl ester transfer protein activity was 18% lower after psyllium supplementation than after the control treatment (P < 0.0001). Conclusions: This trial showed that the psyllium-induced responses to plasma lipids were associated with sex and hormonal status and that psyllium, through its action in the intestinal lumen, indirectly affected the intravascular processing of lipoproteins.
Inferotemporal units in selective visual attention and short-term memory.

1. This research was designed to further clarify how, in the primate, the neurons of the inferotemporal (IT) cortex support the cognitive functions of visually guided behavior. Specifically, the aim was to determine the role of those neurons in 1) selective attention to behaviorally relevant features of the visual environment and 2) retention of those features in temporary memory. Monkeys were trained in a memory task in which they had to discriminate and retain individual features of compound stimuli, each stimulus consisting of a colored disk with a gray symbol in the middle. A trial began with brief presentation of one such stimulus, the sample for the trial. Depending on the symbol in it, the monkey had to memorize the symbol itself or the background color; after 10-20 s of delay (retention period), two compound stimuli appeared, and the animal had to choose the one with the symbol or with the color of the sample. Thus the test required attention to the symbol, in some trials also to the color, and short-term retention of the distinctive feature for each trial, either a symbol or a color. Single-unit activity was recorded from cortex of the IT convexity, lower and upper banks of the superior temporal sulcus (STS), and from striate cortex (V1). Firing frequency was analyzed during intertrial periods and during the entirety of every trial, except for the (match) choice period. 2. In IT cortex, as in V1, many units responded to the sample stimulus. Some responded indiscriminately to all samples, whereas others responded selectively to one of their features, i.e., to one symbol or to one color. Fifteen percent of the IT units were symbol selective and 21% color selective. These neurons appeared capable of extracting individual features from complex stimuli. Some color cells (color-attentive units) responded significantly more to their preferred color when it was relevant (i.e., had to be retained) than when it was not. 3. The latency of IT-unit response to the sample stimulus was, on the average, relatively short in unselective units (mean 159 ms), longer in symbol units (mean 203 ms), and longest in color-attentive units (mean 270 ms). This order of latencies corresponds to the presumed order of participation of those three types of units in the selective attention to the component features of the sample as required by the task. It suggests intervening steps of serial processing before color information reached color-attentive cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Exfoliated graphite nanoplatelet-filled impact modified polypropylene nanocomposites: influence of particle diameter, filler loading, and coupling agent on the mechanical properties

Exfoliated graphite nanoplatelets (xGnP)-filled impact-modified polypropylene (IMPP) composites were prepared at 2, 4, 6, and 8 wt % xGnP with and without the addition of a coupling agent and manufactured using melt mixing followed by injection molding. The coupling agent used in this study was polypropylene-graft-maleic anhydride (PP-g-MA). The nanoparticles used were xGnP with three different sizes: xGnP5 has an average thickness of 10 nm, and an average platelet diameter of 5 μm, whereas xGnP15 and xGnP25 have the same thickness but average diameters are 15 and 25 μm, respectively. Test results show that nanocomposites with smaller xGnP diameter exhibited better flexural and tensile properties for both neat and compatibilized composites. For composites containing a coupling agent, tensile and flexural modulus and strength increased with the addition of xGnP. In the case of neat composites, both tensile and flexural modulus and strength decreased at higher filler loading levels. Increasing xGnP loading resulted in reduction of elongation at break for both neat and composites containing coupling agent. Explanation of this brittle behavior in a nanoplatelet-filled IMPP is presented using scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy.
Large-order perturbation theory for the electromagnetic current-current correlation function.

The constraints imposed by asymptotic freedom and analyticity on the large-order behavior of perturbation theory for the electromagnetic current-current correlation function are examined. By suitably applying the renormalization group, the coefficients of the asymptotic expansion in the deep Euclidean region may be expressed explicitly in terms of the perturbative coefficients of the Minkowski space discontinuity (the {ital R} ratio in {ital e}{sup +}{ital e{minus}} scattering). This relation yields a generic'' prediction for the large-order behavior of the Euclidean perturbation series and suggests the presence of nonperturbative 1/{ital q}{sup 2} correction in the Euclidean correlation function. No such generic'' prediction can be made for the physically measurable {ital R} ratio. A novel functional method is developed to obtain these results.
Correlation of calculated halonium ion structures with product distributions from fluorine substituted terminal alkenes

Calculated equilibrium geometries, bond lengths, and charge densities were performed on halonium ions derived by the addition of halogen electrophiles to fluoro-substituted terminal alkenes. The calculated structures correlate with regiochemical product distributions from ring-opening of halonium ions by anions or by the solvent methanol. Calculated halonium ion structures and the Hammond postulate are utilized to predict the regiochemical product distributions for reactions of halogens with fluoroalkenes that are not investigated experimentally.
Increasing first responder CPR during resuscitation of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest using automated external defibrillators.

Summary Objective Evidence supports that increasing the balance of “hands-on” CPR may improve survival in ventricular fibrillation out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). We assessed whether training and/or AED reconfiguration was associated with an increase in the proportion of time during which CPR was performed between first and second stacks of shocks. Methods The investigation was a cohort study of 291 persons who suffered ventricular fibrillation OHCA and were treated with at least two stacks of AED shocks by emergency medical services (EMS) first-tier responders. In January 2003, first-tier providers were retrained regarding the importance of CPR. In addition, a subset of AEDs was reconfigured to remove continuous fibrillation detection and its associated voice prompts as to be comparable with other AED models. The amount of time spent on CPR was assessed through review of AED electronic and audio recordings to compare the pre-intervention ( n = 241) and post-intervention periods ( n = 50). Results The proportion of time spent performing hands-on CPR between first and second stacks of shocks was 0.40 in the pre-intervention period compared to 0.51 in the post-intervention period ( p = 0.001). The difference was greatest for AEDs where EMS was retrained and the AED reconfigured (0.33 versus 0.50, p = 0.01). No difference in survival was detected between the pre- and post-intervention periods (24.9% versus 28.0%, p = 0.65). Conclusions An intervention consisting of retraining and AED reconfiguration was associated with an increase in the proportion of time spent performing CPR between first and second stacks of shocks by first-tier EMS. Whether this increase improves patient outcomes requires additional study.
Electrical Interference from Thyristor-Controlled DC Propulsion System of a Transit Car

Analysis and measurement of radiated and conducted electromagnetic interferences were performed on a transit car equipped with chopper-controlled dc propulsion system. The measured values of the radiated interference showed significant disagreement with the calculated values. It was determined from the analysis of the measured data that the voltage drop caused by the dc propulsion-current harmonics contributed to the discrepancies. Extensive tests on the ?-mi (1.2-km) long third-rail fed test track at the General Electric plant in Erie, PA, showed that the interference levels generated from the chopper-controlled propulsion equipment are acceptable. However, it is felt that the existing and impending electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) standards are, in some instances, neither technically sound nor realistic. Suggestions are made for the improvements of standards and measurement procedures.
Implementation of Collaborative RF Localization Using a Software-Defined Radio Network

Current U.S. military pursuits, such as the Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS), are based on a software-defined radio (SDR) system. These kinds of systems use the flexibility of software to make old and new radio technology interoperable. Co-existence of different radio technologies has the potential to be a force enabler, but it still falls short, particularly for military operations in which failure to co-exist can cause interference fratricide between allied radios. We designed a collaborative network of cognitive radios derived from flexible, commercially-available SDRs. Using a network of SDRs as an experimental test bed, we implemented a detection and RF characterization algorithm, gathering signal data from multiple spatially diverse points in the network. This provided three main contributions: determining the process for pre-characterizing the SDRs; developing the measurement procedure for effective transmitter detection and estimation; and identifying effective real-world network topologies.
Optical Disk Radiation Hardening Considerations

Optical Disk Memories are assessed in space radiation environments. Total dose and dose rate testing of media including Write Only Read Many (WORM) and Magneto-Optic Erasable technologies is performed and found to be hard to over 1 Mrad(Si). Optics, Optoelectrics and other critical technologies are addressed and hardening considerations presented for total dose, displacement and heavy particle radiation effects.
Irreversible electroporation therapy in the management of locally advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

Background Locally advanced pancreatic cancer patients have limited options for disease control. Local ablation technologies based on thermal damage have been used but are associated with major complications in this region of the pancreas. Irreversible electroporation (IRE) is a nonthermal ablation technology that we have shown is safe near vital vascular and ductal structures. The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of IRE as a therapy in the treatment of locally advanced pancreatic cancer. Study Design We performed a prospective multi-institutional pilot evaluation of patients undergoing IRE for locally advanced pancreatic cancer from December 2009 to March 2011. These patients were evaluated for 90-day morbidity, mortality, and local disease control. Results Twenty-seven patients (13 women and 14 men) underwent IRE, with median age of 61 years (range 45 to 80 years). Eight patients underwent margin accentuation with IRE in combination with left-sided resection (n = 4) or pancreatic head resection (n = 4). Nineteen patients had in situ IRE. All patients underwent successful IRE, with intraoperative imaging confirming effective delivery of therapy. All 27 patients demonstrated nonclinically relevant elevation of their amylase and lipase, which peaked at 48 hours and returned to normal at 72 hour postprocedure. There has been one 90-day mortality. No patient has shown evidence of clinical pancreatitis or fistula formation. After all patients have completed 90-day follow-up, there has been 100% ablation success. Conclusions IRE ablation of locally advanced pancreatic cancer tumors is a safe and feasible primary local treatment in unresectable, locally advanced disease. Confirming these early results must occur in a planned phase II investigational device exemption (IDE) study to be initiated in 2012.
Biomechanical assessment of quiet standing and changes associated with aging

The kinematics of standing balance were analyzed in 24 normal subjects, aged 21 to 78 years, to examine differences attributable to age, visual input, and sex. Movements of individual body segments, displacement of the center of gravity (COG), and position of the center of pressure (COP) were measured, and total path length and variability about the mean position were derived from the resulting values. Aging was associated with an increase in variability of the COG, head, and hip, but not in path length. The changes, which may be clinically interpreted as excess postural sway, do not show stability deficits as a consequence of aging. On the contrary, older subjects seem to adopt a postural control strategy that achieves comparable stability during quiet standing. Eye closure increased the anterior-posterior COP path length without corresponding changes in the COG, indicating an increase in small accelerations without associated instability. There was more medial-lateral movement in women than in men. Quantitative electromyographic measures showed that, in general, quiet standing requires very little muscular activity. We conclude that the task of quiet standing produces no evidence of postural instability concurrent with aging. The altered postural control strategy may be less effective when balance is suddenly or severely compromised.
SPC05-1: Coded Modulation for ISI Channels with LDPC Codes

We propose a simple PAM-based coded modulation scheme that combines low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes and classical maximum-distance separable (MDS) codes. To approach the capacity of an ISI-constrained channel, the code is employed in conjunction with spectral shaping, Tomlinson-Harashima preceding and decision- feedback equalization (DFE). The scheme performs within 2-2.5 dB of un-shaped channel capacity (the sphere-bound) at a BER of 10 -12, even with regular LDPC codes of modest block lengths (1000-2000 bits). For further improvement, we consider signal sets on dense multi-dimensional lattices. With codes over the well-known Schlafli, Gosset, Barnes-Wall, and Leech lattices, the constructions reduce the gap to the sphere-bound. We consider the practical application of the proposed schemes to 10G- base-T, an emerging Ethernet standard over twisted-pairs at 10 Gbit/sec. A simple 1-dimensional scheme improves upon recent proposals by 0.5 dB at a BER of 10 -11, using a (3,6)-regular code of 2000 bits.
Oxygen-Induced Dissociation of Cu Islands Supported on TiO2(110)

Scanning tunneling microscopy studies of Cu islands grown on TiO2(110) demonstrate that these islands disappear from the STM images after exposure to oxygen gas (60−2000 Langmuir). Based on X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy experiments, the disappearance of the Cu islands cannot be explained by the loss of Cu from the surface or by a dramatic change in the electronic properties of the islands. The adsorption of oxygen appears to weaken the Cu−Cu bond, allowing two-dimensional (2D) islands to form on the surface at the expense of the existing three-dimensional (3D) islands. Thermodynamically, the conversion of 3D to 2D islands is favored by the lower surface free energy of the oxidized Cu compared to that of copper itself. This effect has also been observed for Ni islands, but the rate of island disappearance is slower even though Ni is more easily oxidized than Cu.
High-frequency gas discharge noise

Abstract By representing the bulk plasma of a gas discharge by a distributed R-G-C line, the frequency dependence of the impedances proposed by Hanson and Van der Ziel in their equivalent circuit for noise in gas discharges can be explained. This distributed line also explains quite well the behavior of the noise temperature at high frequencies under various probe bias conditions. All apparent high frequency noise sources can be explained on the basis of this representation.
Effects of Social Psychological Phenomena on School Psychologists' Ethical Decision-Making: A Preliminary Empirical Analysis.

This preliminary, exploratory study examines the impact of select social psychological phenomena on school-based ethical decision-making of school psychologists. Responses to vignettes and hypothetical statements reflecting several social psychological phenomena were collected from 106 practicing school psychologists. Participants were asked to respond by indicating the degree to which their actions in such a scenario would be influenced by the particular phenomenon being represented. Results indicate that some of these social psychological influences are present in the daily work of the school psychologist.
Individual and group effects of 10 mg diazepam on drivers' ability, confidence and willingness to act in a gap-judging task.

It has been suggested that an increasing number of people drive after taking diazepam, and while the clinical use of anxiolytics is expected to improve the patients' everyday level of performance, experimental studies of the effects of diazepam on driving have variously indicated performance decrements, no effects, or performance increments. Possible reasons for this inconsistency are variation between and within subjects, and differential effects of the drug on the various components of task performance. These factors were investigated by an experiment designed to compare the effects of a single 10 mg oral dose of diazepam between and within groups and between and within individuals, and to examine effects of the drug on separate behavioural components of a driving task. Twenty drivers took part in the study, which assessed their ability, their degree of confidence in their ability, and their willingness to drive through various sizes of gap. The drivers were divided into two groups of ten, and were tested individually on each of 2 days. Group 1's treatment was placebo-diazepam, and group 2's was placebo-placebo. When analysed by group, the results showed a significant increase (P<0.01) in group 2's willingness, and significant decrease (P<0.001) in group 1's willingness to attempt gaps, which suggests greater caution under diazepam treatment. There was no change in either group's confidence, but group 1 showed a significant increase (P<0.05) in their ability variance. When analysed by individual, a wide variety of significant changes (P<0.05 or better) were found in ability and confidence for group 1 individuals, some changing for better, and some for worse, under diazepam treatment. No significant changes in ability or confidence were found for group 2 individuals. All group 1 individuals were less willing to attempt gaps under diazepam treatment, while all group 2 individuals were more willing to attempt gaps under continued placebo treatment. The validity of these findings is discussed, in terms of real-life driver behaviour, and it is concluded that there may be a wide inter-individual variation in the effects of diazepam not necessarily apparent in grouped data, and that diazepam may have differential effects on the decision-making and perceptual-motor components of driver behaviour in a gap-judging task.
Suffering as esthetic and ethic among Pashtun women

Abstract Along the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan, in the Pashtun society, pain and suffering are an emic criterion of honor among women. This aesthetic ethic is expressed outwardly in statements and narratives by women in everyday life, but especially when their sons or husbands die, get ill or are the victims of accidents. On these occasions, related and non-related women are under obligation to visit the mother (or wife) and bring condolence. The woman entertains her female guests with a performed detailed narrative account of the event, in which she portrays herself as the devastated woman. Aesthetics and ethics are here combined, as the audience judges a ‘beautiful story’ by the amount of suffering the woman performer expresses having endured. Mothers must suffer over their sons in order to gain status and recognition, and a wounded or dead son presents an ideal occasion for a mother to attain this recognition by way of a narrative of the event, which acts as a vehicle through which she can publicly display her actions for the benefit of the community. The same image of the devoted, self-sacrificing woman can be observed throughout popular culture, (e.g. films, chapbook romances, songs, folk poetry), which is created and performed by men. This paper examines this ‘tragic aesthetic’ more closely, comparing one woman's personal narrative performed for visitors on the occasion of her son's shooting, 2 with a chapbook romance which is very popular among Pashtuns because it is considered to illustrate a woman's ideal behavior within the code of honor. 3 In effect, her honor here results in her self-effacement and death. I compare women as bearers of folklore (the personal narrative) with women in folklore (the popular romance written by a male poet), and conclude by raising questions as to the identity and image of women as painted in each case.
Freshwater mussel (Mollusca: Bivalvia: Unionoida) richness and endemism in the ecoregions of Africa and Madagascar based on comprehensive museum sampling

The objective of this study was to assess freshwater mussel (Mollusca: Bivalvia: Unionoida) species distributions among the freshwater ecoregions of Africa and Madagascar to discover areas of high richness and endemism. These are among the top criteria for identifying biodiversity hotspots and establishing conservation priorities. Distributions were determined from museum specimens in 17 collections. In total, 5,612 records for 87 unionoid species could each be assigned to one of 90 freshwater ecoregions. The majority of species (55%) are known from only one (34 spp.) or two (14) ecoregions. Only three are known from more than 20 ecoregions: Etheria elliptica (38 ecoregions), Chambardia wahlbergi (25), and Mutela rostrata (21). The most species-rich ecoregions are Lake Victoria Basin (17 spp.), Upper Nile (16), Upper Congo (14), Senegal–Gambia (13), and Sudanic Congo–Oubangi (13). Those with the most endemic species are Lake Tanganyika (8 spp.), Lake Victoria Basin (6), Bangweulu–Mweru (4), and Lake Malawi (3). Twenty-five ecoregions have no known freshwater mussels. These patterns are significantly correlated with fish and general freshwater mollusk richness. Unionoid richness also varies significantly among major habitat types. These patterns are relevant to biogeography and conservation and indicate areas in need of further research. We argue that freshwater mussels are valuable as focal species for conservation assessments, and they themselves merit management consideration for their ecosystem functions and distributions in imperiled habitats. It is recommended that field surveys be conducted to determine the current status of species in all areas of Africa and Madagascar.