cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Alkynylaluminum Synthesis Catalyzed by a Zwitterionic Neodymium(III) Heterobimetallic Compound

The reaction of H{PhB(OxMe2)2C5H5} (OxMe2 = 4,4-dimethyl-2-oxazoline) with Nd(AlMe4)3 (1) provides Me2Al{(OxMe2)2PhBCp}Nd(AlMe4)2 (2) as a heterobimetallic complex containing inequivalent organoaluminum sites. The piano-stool coordination geometry around Nd includes a rare O-bonded oxazoline, while both oxazolines coordinate to AlMe2 as part of a 6-membered, nonplanar BC2N2Al ring. The zwitterionic κ2-Ph(C5H5)B(OxMe2)2AlMe2 (3), formed by the protolytic reaction of H{PhB(OxMe2)2C5H5} and (AlMe3)2, also provides 2 upon reaction with Nd(AlMe4)3. Compounds 1–3 are precatalysts for the selective metalation of terminal alkynes by trialkylaluminums to yield (alkynyl)dialkylalanes of the type R′C≡C–AlR2, which are valuable as alkynyl transfer reagents. This catalytic reaction provides metalation products exclusively, as compared to the mixture of products from uncatalyzed processes. In addition, heteroleptic heterobimetallic 2 is a superior catalyst to 1 and 3.
The prevalence of plasmid-coded cpe enterotoxin, β2 toxin, tpeL toxin, and tetracycline resistance in Clostridium perfringens strains isolated from different sources.

Abstract Clostridium perfringens, an anaerobic, spore-forming bacterium, causes infections in humans and animals by producing several toxins encoded by genes found either on the chromosomes or on diverse plasmids. The plasmids may code for more than one toxin gene or antimicrobial-resistance gene. In this study, the prevalence of the β2, cpe and tpeL toxin genes and the tetA(P), tetB(P) and tetM tetracycline-resistance genes, in 56 strains of C. perfringens type A isolated from diseased domestic animals and 15 strains isolated from chickens, was compared with that in 74 strains isolated from other sources. The frequency of chromosome-associated cpe enterotoxin genes was higher in strains not isolated from diseased domestic animals; however, plasmid-associated cpe genes were found in strains from some animal sources more than others. Enterotoxin production was detected in some strains that had chromosomal or plasmid cpe genes, but not in all. The percentages of strains carrying β2 toxin genes among chicken, swine, human patient and soil isolates were higher than those among bovine, canine and food isolates. The incidence of the tpeL toxin gene was lower than that of the β2 gene. Phenotypic resistance to tetracycline was found in more than 50% of the porcine, bovine, and canine isolates, which carried a wide range of plasmids of 2–100 kb size, most of which had the tcpH clostridial transfer gene. PCR amplified tetA(P) and tetB(P) genes from most isolates from diseased animals. Some strains that carried
Temporal Evolution of Diffuse Myocardial Fibrosis in Sickle Cell Anemia

Background: We recently demonstrated that diffuse myocardial fibrosis is a common and novel mechanism of heart disease in sickle cell anemia (SCA) that is strongly associated with diastolic dysfunction (Niss et al. Blood 2017). Diffuse myocardial fibrosis can be detected noninvasively by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR).The temporal evolution of diffuse myocardial fibrosis in SCA has not been studied before. Methods: This is an ongoing, prospective, longitudinal study to characterize the cardiomyopathy of SCA (NCT02410811). We used CMR measurements of native T1 and extracellular volume fraction (ECV) to detect and quantify diffuse myocardial fibrosis. ECV was calculated from pre- and post-gadolinium T1 measurements of blood and myocardium. Focal myocardial fibrosis was detected by late gadolinium enhancement (LGE). Diastolic function was assessed by echocardiography. We compared paired CMR studies from study entry and 1-year follow-up. Results: We studied 25 individuals with SCA who were 23±11 years of age (mean±SD). All had markedly increased ECV at baseline compared to controls (0.44±0.08 vs. 0.26±0.02, P Conclusions: Diffuse myocardial fibrosis is a common feature of SCA. Overall, the CMR measurements of diffuse fibrosis, native T1 and ECV, are stable over 1 year in SCA, demonstrating their utility to monitor anti-fibrotic or disease-modifying therapy for the cardiomyopathy of SCA. Individuals with normal heart function at baseline appear to be at risk of progressive myocardial fibrosis. Disclosures Quinn: Global Blood Therapeutics: Research Funding.
Pain Intensity and Pain Interference in Male and Female Iraq/Afghanistan-era Veterans

Abstract Background Chronic pain conditions are common among both male and female Iraq/Afghanistan-era veterans and can have substantial negative impacts on quality of life and function. Although in general women tend to report higher levels of pain intensity than men, findings remain mixed on whether gender differences in pain exist in Iraq/Afghanistan-era veterans. Additionally, the relationships between functional impairment, pain intensity, and gender remain unknown. Methods This project examined gender differences in pain intensity and pain interference in 875 male and female Iraq/Afghanistan-era veterans. Nonparametric Wilcoxon rank-tests examined gender differences in pain scores. Multivariable generalized linear regression modeling was used to evaluate the magnitude of pain intensity and interference across levels of chronicity and gender, and to evaluate the role of chronicity in gender effects in measures of pain and function. Results Pain intensity and interference scores were significantly greater among both male and female veterans reporting chronic pain relative to acute pain. Women veterans endorsed higher levels of pain intensity and pain interference compared with men. Results derived from multivariable analyses implicated pain intensity as a factor underlying gender differences in functional impairment among chronic pain sufferers, indicating that gender differences in functional measures were eliminated after controlling statistically for pain intensity. Conclusions Results demonstrate that the effects of functional impairment are impacted by pain intensity, and not by gender.
Assessing the Economic Value of Cancer Prevention

It is critically important to discuss and quantify the economic value of cancer prevention, so that resources can be properly allocated toward its activities. In cancer prevention, there ain’t such thing as a free lunch. Building from four fundamental questions, this chapter provides an overview of how its value can be defined and assessed. Common concepts, such as benefit-risk, cost-effectiveness, budget-impact, and QALY, are explained with examples from the literature.
Fetal Pain: A Review of Available Evidence (P5.6-062)

Objective: To review evidence regarding the presence of fetal pain and its points of contention within the scientific community. Background: The study of fetal pain is fairly new, but has attracted controversy in light of abortion availability and advances in fetal surgery. This has led to disputed claims being presented as scientific fact throughout the public sphere. This project will present the field’s current state through review of available literature. Design/Methods: English-language articles with human subjects focusing on fetal pain, analgesia, and anesthesia were acquired via PubMed and reviewed for additional references. The search was without date limitations and current as of October 21, 2018. Eleven articles were accepted. Results: Within the field, pain is defined as nociception plus the ability to emotionally interpret noxious stimuli as unpleasant, thereby requiring consciousness. Beyond this, disagreement emerges, starting with nociceptive pathways and their required neuroanatomy. While the thalamus and cortical subplate have their proponents, the majority of authors posit the cortex as the final necessary piece, placing the earliest potential for pain sensation at 23–30 weeks gestational age. However, consciousness remains an issue, debate continuing as to whether fetuses are naturally sedated within the womb. This would make perception of pain impossible prior to birth, if not later. In all, the continued discord stems from the difficulty of measuring subjective experience in non-verbal subjects, necessitating indirect methods. All forms so far proposed, such as fetal movements/expressions, physiologic stress response, or EEG monitoring, have faced heavy criticism from one side or the other. Conclusions: The study of fetal pain is complicated by definitional disputes and limitations inherent to its subjects. While general consensus on the need, at least, for intact thalamic nociceptive connections suggests its presence prior to the third trimester is unlikely, widespread debate persists and will require further research into all avenues of this field. Disclosure: Dr. Berns has nothing to disclose. Dr. Saban has nothing to disclose.
Impact of non-equilibrium molecular packings on singlet fission in microcrystals observed using 2D white-light microscopy.

Singlet fission, the process of splitting a singlet exciton into two triplet excitons, has been proposed as a mechanism for improving the efficiency of future photovoltaic devices. In organic semiconductors exhibiting singlet fission, the geometric relationship between molecules plays an important role by setting the intermolecular couplings that determine the system energetics. Here, we spatially image TIPS-pentacene microcrystals using ultrafast two-dimensional white-light microscopy and discover a low-energy singlet state sparsely distributed throughout the microcrystals, with higher concentrations at edges and morphological defects. The spectra of these singlet states are consistent with slip-stacked molecular geometries and increased charge-transfer couplings. The picosecond-timescale kinetics of these low-energy singlet states matches that of the correlated triplet-pair state, which we attribute to singlet/triplet-pair interconversion at these sites. Our observations support the conclusion that small populations of geometries with favourable energetics can play outsized roles in singlet fission processes. Intermolecular coupling plays a critical role in singlet fission. Now, high-resolution 2D white-light spectroscopy has been used to map the presence of non-equilibrium molecular packing in single TIPS-pentacene microcrystals and characterize its effect on the dynamics of singlet fission.
Data mining polycystic ovary morphology in electronic medical record ultrasound reports.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is characterized by hyperandrogenemia, oligo-anovulation, and numerous ovarian cysts. Hospital electronic medical records provide an avenue for investigating polycystic ovary morphology commonly seen in PCOS at a large scale. The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate the performance of two machine learning text algorithms, for classification of polycystic ovary morphology (PCOM) in pelvic ultrasounds. Pelvic ultrasound reports from patients at Boston Medical Center between October 1, 2003 and December 12, 2016 were included for analysis, which resulted in 39,093 ultrasound reports from 25,535 unique women. Following the 2003 Rotterdam Consensus Criteria for polycystic ovary syndrome, 2000 randomly selected ultrasounds were expert labeled for PCOM status as present, absent, or unidentifiable (not able to be determined from text alone). An ovary was marked as having PCOM if there was mention of numerous peripheral follicles or if the volume was greater than 10 ml in the absence of a dominant follicle or other confounding pathology. Half of the labeled data was used to develop and refine the algorithms, and the other half was used as a test set for evaluating its accuracy. On the evaluation set of 1000 random US reports, the accuracy of the classifiers were 97.6% (95% CI: 96.5, 98.5%) and 96.1% (94.7, 97.2%). Both models were more adept at identifying PCOM-absent ultrasounds than either PCOM-unidentifiable or PCOM-present ultrasounds. The two classifiers estimated prevalence of PCOM within the whole set of 39,093 ultrasounds to be 44% PCOM-absent, 32% PCOM-unidentifiable, and 24% PCOM-present. Although accuracy measured on the test set and inter-rater agreement between the two classifiers (Cohen’s Kappa = 0.988) was high, a major limitation of our approach is that it uses the ultrasound report text as a proxy and does not directly count follicles from the ultrasound images themselves.
Group differences between practitioners and novices in hemispheric processing of attention and emotion before and after a session of Falun Gong qigong.

Abstract We examined the hemispheric effects of Falun Gong qigong (FLG), a movement meditation practice, using a systematic approach to hemispheric function by administering the Emotion Lateralized Attention Network Test (ELANT) to measure the interaction of the Conflict Resolution, Spatial Orienting, and Emotion networks. Measuring both behavior (ELANT, DV = accuracy) and physiology (HF-HRV), we compared experienced FLG practitioners (n = 19) to novices serving as an active control group (n = 16) before and after a 91-min sequence of FLG qigong exercises. We compared practitioners and novices using a hierarchy of intrahemispheric and interhemispheric control relations that can be tested with the ELANT. Practitioners exhibited a prominent short-term effect in which they improved relative to novices on trials requiring complex interhemispheric transfer ( η P 2 = 0.21). Two baseline group differences, suggesting long-term effects of FLG, both involved the left hemisphere. First, practitioners were selectively spared the negative effects of processing positive emotion cues preceding left hemisphere targets ( η P 2 = 0.34). Second, only practitioners showed improved left-hemisphere Conflict Resolution at higher levels of HF-HRV (r2 = 0.40). The data showed that FLG practitioners had increased flexibility in the management of a limited attentional resource pool that is accessible to both hemispheres.
MobilePose: Real-Time Pose Estimation for Unseen Objects with Weak Shape Supervision

In this paper, we address the problem of detecting unseen objects from RGB images and estimating their poses in 3D. We propose two mobile friendly networks: MobilePose-Base and MobilePose-Shape. The former is used when there is only pose supervision, and the latter is for the case when shape supervision is available, even a weak one. We revisit shape features used in previous methods, including segmentation and coordinate map. We explain when and why pixel-level shape supervision can improve pose estimation. Consequently, we add shape prediction as an intermediate layer in the MobilePose-Shape, and let the network learn pose from shape. Our models are trained on mixed real and synthetic data, with weak and noisy shape supervision. They are ultra lightweight that can run in real-time on modern mobile devices (e.g. 36 FPS on Galaxy S20). Comparing with previous single-shot solutions, our method has higher accuracy, while using a significantly smaller model (2~3% in model size or number of parameters).
Comparative effectiveness of revascularization strategies for early coronary artery disease: A multicenter analysis.

Abstract Objectives The goal of this analysis was to examine the comparative effectiveness of coronary artery bypass grafting versus percutaneous coronary intervention among patients aged less than 60 years. Methods We performed a multicenter, retrospective analysis of all cardiac revascularization procedures from 2005 to 2015 among 7 medical centers. Inclusion criteria were age less than 60 years and 70% stenosis or greater in 1 or more major coronary artery distribution. Exclusion criteria were left main 50% or greater, ST-elevation myocardial infarction, emergency status, and prior revascularization procedure. After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, the final study cohort included 1945 patients who underwent cardiac surgery and 2938 patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention. The primary end point was all-cause mortality stratified by revascularization strategy. Secondary end points included stroke, repeat revascularization, and 30-day mortality. We used inverse probability weighting to balance differences among the groups. Results After adjustment, there was no significant difference in 30-day mortality (surgery: 0.8%; percutaneous coronary intervention: 0.7%, P = .86) for patients with multivessel disease. Patients undergoing surgery had a higher risk of stroke (1.3% [n = 25] vs 0.07% [n = 2], P Conclusions Among patients aged less than 60 years with 2-vessel disease that includes the left anterior descending or 3-vessel coronary artery disease, surgery was associated with greater long-term survival and decreased risk of repeat revascularization.
Phase-sensitive amplification via multi-phase-matched four-wave mixing

Phase-sensitive nonlinear gain processes have been implemented as noise-reduced optical amplifiers, which have the potential to achieve signal-to-noise ratios beyond the classical limit. We experimentally demonstrate a novel phase-sensitive four-wave mixing amplification process in a single atomic vapor cell with only two input frequencies and two input vacuum modes. The amount of phase sensitivity depends on the power ratio between the inserted probes as well as on the input frequency of the probes. We find that, for certain phase values, the intensity noise of an output mode is lower than that of its phase-insensitive counterpart.
Humanizing Prison through Social Neuroscience : From the Abolition of Solitary Confinement to the Pursuit of Social Rehabilitation

This chapter uses knowledge from social neuroscience to propose a drastic rethinking of the prison system. It aims to utilize this neuroscientific perspective to illustrate why common features of the prison system (i.e., punitiveness, social exclusion, isolation and poor environments) may be extremely damaging for the brain and behavior and can consequently pose a serious risk to an individual’s progress toward positive change and reintegration into the community. Based on a review of this body of neuroscientific studies, the chapter offers several suggestions for embracing this body of knowledge to reform the prison model at both practical and theoretical levels. These suggestions range from transforming the prison environment to abolishing or, at least, radically reforming solitary confinement. Finally, the chapter emphasizes the compatibility of the insights from social neuroscience with the tenets of social rehabilitation.
Sex Disparities in the Management and Outcomes of Cardiogenic Shock Complicating Acute Myocardial Infarction in the Young.

Background: There are limited data on how sex influences the outcomes of acute myocardial infarction-cardiogenic shock (AMI-CS) in young adults. Methods: A retrospective cohort of AMI-CS admissions...
The War for the Common Soldier: How Men Thought, Fought, and Survived in Civil War Armies

Review of: The War for the Common Soldier: How Men Thought, Fought, and Survived in Civil War Armies, by Peter S. Carmichael.
Targeting the renin angiotensin system for the treatment of anxiety and depression

Emotional disorders like anxiety and depression are responsible for considerable morbidity and mortality all over the world. Several antidepressant and anxiolytic medications are available for the treatment of anxiety and depression. However, a significant number of patients either do not respond to these medications or respond inadequately. Hence, there is a need to identify novel targets for the treatment of anxiety and depression. In this review we focus on the renin angiotensin system (RAS) as a potential target for the treatment of these disorders. We review work that has evaluated the effects of various compounds targeting the RAS on anxiety- and depression-like behaviors. Further, we suggest future work that must be carried out to fully exploit the RAS for the treatment of anxiety and depression. The RAS provides an attractive target for both the identification of novel anxiolytic and antidepressant medications and/or for enhancing the efficacy of currently available medications used for the treatment of anxiety and depression.
The Use of Airborne Sensor Systems for Environmental Monitoring

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), operating as an important agency within the United States Department of Commerce, is comitted to provide leadership for the environmental air quality (pollution) program of the nation by supporting detection, measurement, forecast, and control functions of NOAA and other government agencies.
Numerical study of coronal plasma jet formation

A new scenario for solar flare eruption in the coronal holes is analyzed by using MHD stability concepts for a spheromak configuration. The stability properties of a spheromak partially embedded into a conducting surface are studied using three dimensional MHD simulations. In agreement with the analytical theory, a large degree of line-tying stabilizes the spheromak's tilt instability, while the elongation has a destabilizing effect. High-resolution nonlinear simulations also demonstrate current sheet formation at the upper surface of the spheromak, where the tilted magnetic field of the spheromak reconnects with the background magnetic field. The calculated stability threshold and the observed magnetic reconnection support a model of coronal jet eruptions where a dome-like magnetic structure grows through flux emergence on the solar surface, tilts, reconnects, and erupts. Countering the effect from elongation, line-tying strongly stabilizes a spheromak growing from a flux-emergence process, suggesting that to accelerate the onset of eruptive coronal jets, there must be magnetic reconnection at the bottom of the spheromak to detach the structure from the solar surface.
Racial disparities in diabetes care among incident breast, prostate, and colorectal cancer survivors: a SEER Medicare study.

Many cancer survivors with co-morbid diabetes receive less diabetes management than their non-cancer counterparts. We sought to determine if racial/ethnic disparities exist in recommended diabetes care within 12 months of an incident breast, prostate, or colorectal cancer diagnosis. Because co-morbid diabetes decreases long-term survival, identifying predictors of guideline-concordant diabetes care is important. Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results cancer registry linked to Medicare claims, we included beneficiaries aged 67+ years with diabetes and incident, non-metastatic breast, prostate, or colorectal cancer between 2008 and 2013. Primary outcomes were diabetes care services 12 months after diagnosis: (1) HbA1c test, (2) eye exam, and (3) low-density lipoprotein (LDL) test. Using modified Poisson models with robust standard errors, we examined each outcome separately. We included 34,643 Medicare beneficiaries with both diabetes and cancer. Mean age at diagnosis was 76.1 (SD 6.2), 47.2% were women; 35% had breast, 24% colorectal, and 41% prostate cancer. In the 12 months after incident cancer diagnosis, 82.4% received an HbA1c test, 55.3% received an eye exam, 77.8% had an LDL test, and 42.0% received all three tests. Compared to non-Hispanic Whites, Blacks were 3% (95% CI 0.95–0.98) less likely to receive a HbA1c test, 10% (95% CI 0.89–0.92) less likely to receive a LDL test, and 8% (95% 0.89–0.95) less likely to receive an exam eye. Blacks and Hispanics were 16% (95% CI 0.81–0.88) and 7% (0.88–0.98) less likely to receive all three tests, after accounting for confounders. Racial/ethnic differences persisted across cancer types. Blacks and Hispanics with breast, prostate, and colorectal cancer and diabetes received less diabetes care after cancer diagnosis compared to non-Hispanic Whites. Differences were not explained by socio-economic factors or clinical need. Our findings are concerning given the high prevalence of diabetes and poor cancer outcomes among racial/ethnic minorities. The next step in this line of inquiry is to determine why minorities are less likely to receive comprehensive diabetes care in order to develop targeted strategies to increase receipt of appropriate diabetes management for these vulnerable populations.
Bio-inspired design

Abstract Advances in additive manufacturing, computational design tools, and digitization techniques are converging in an exciting new era of engineering design, as humanity has never experienced before. Within this convergent domain, Bio-Inspired Design (BID) is a particularly promising area of research since the potential space for establishing structure-function correlation is vast, and the majority of it is untapped. In this chapter, bio-inspired design is first introduced, specifically in the context of the Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF) process. Practical approaches for implementing BID for L-PBF are discussed, followed by a discussion of key general design concepts that can be abstracted for BID. Examples of how BID and L-PBF have been combined are then presented, followed by a consideration of some of the most important design constraints posed by the L-PBF process that the bio-inspired designer needs to be aware of. The chapter concludes with a forward looking discussion of opportunities in this domain.
Comparison of Activity and Participation, and Mental and Physical Functions of Immediate Post-Acute and Distant Post-Acute Adults with Chronic Cardiac Conditions

This study compared activity participation, and mental and physical functions of two different groups of adults with chronic cardiac conditions. Eleven participants were assessed at the immediate p...
Net Geochemical Release of Base Cations From 25 Forested Watersheds in the Catskill Region of New York

Chemical weathering of minerals is the principal mechanism by which base cations (Ca2+, Mg2+, K+, and Na+) are released and acidity is neutralized in soils, bedrock, and drainage waters. Quantifying the release of base cations from watershed soils is therefore crucial for the calculation of “critical loads” of atmospheric acidity to forest ecosystems. We used a mass-balance approach to estimate the rate of release of base cations in 25 headwater catchments in the Catskill region of New York, an area historically subject to high inputs of acid deposition. In 2010–2013, total net base cation release via geochemical processes averaged 1,704 eq ha–1 yr–1 (range: 928–2,622). Calcium accounted for 58% of this total, averaging 498 mol ha–1 yr–1 (range: 209–815). Mass balance estimates of net geochemical release of base cations were most strongly driven by stream export and biomass uptake fluxes, with only minor contributions from precipitation. Documented rates of base cation depletion from soil exchange sites in the region were also small relative to the net geochemical release rates. We observed a significant influence of bedrock type on net base cation release rates (P = 0.002), and a weak but significant negative correlation with watershed elevation (r = −0.51). Relationships with other geographic factors such as aspect and watershed size were not significant. Net base cation release was 4.5 times higher than precipitation inputs of SO42– and NO3–, suggesting that sources of acidity internal to the watershed are now more important drivers of weathering than acid deposition. Our data suggest that release of base cations from most Catskill forest soils is sufficient to neutralize existing inputs of acidity.
Marx's Concept of Truth: A Kantian Interpretation

(1977). Marx's Concept of Truth: A Kantian Interpretation. Canadian Journal of Philosophy: Vol. 7, No. 2, pp. 315-326.
Caught in a Vise: The Challenges Facing Teacher Preparation in an Era of Accountability.

BackgroundDespite polling data that suggests that teachers are well respected by the general public, criticism of teacher preparation by various organizations and interest groups is common, often h...
How Many Timesteps for a Cycle? Analysis of the Wisdom-Holman Algorithm

The Wisdom-Holman algorithm is an effective method for numerically solving nearly integrable systems. It takes into account the exact solution of the integrable part. If the nearly integrable system is the solar system, for example, the Wisdom-Holman algorithm uses the solution consisting of Keplerian orbits obtained when the interplanetary interactions are ignored. The effectiveness of the algorithm lies in its ability to take long timesteps. We use the Duffing oscillator and Kepler's problem with forcing to deduce how long those timesteps can be. For nearly Keplerian orbits, the timesteps must be at least six per orbital period even when the orbital eccentricity is zero. High eccentricity of the Keplerian orbits constrains the algorithm and forces it to take shorter timesteps. The analysis is applied to the solar system and other problems.
Distributed method selection and dispatching of contingent, temporally flexible plans

Many applications of autonomous agents require groups to work in tight coordination. To be dependable, these groups must plan, carry out and adapt their activities in a way that is robust to failure and to uncertainty. Previous work developed contingent, temporally flexible plans. These plans provide robustness to uncertain activity durations, through flexible timing constraints, and robustness to plan failure, through alternate approaches to achieving a task. Robust execution of contingent, temporally flexible plans consists of two phases. First, in the plan extraction phase, the executive chooses between the functionally redundant methods in the plan to select an execution sequence that satisfies the temporal bounds in the plan. Second, in the plan execution phase, the executive dispatches the plan, using the temporal flexibility to schedule activities dynamically. Previous contingent plan execution systems use a centralized architecture in which a single agent conducts planning for the entire group. This can result in a communication bottleneck at the time when plan activities are passed to the other agents for execution, and state information is returned. Likewise, a computation bottleneck may also occur because a single agent conducts all processing. This thesis introduces a robust, distributed executive for temporally flexible plans, called Distributed-Kirk, or D-Kirk. To execute a plan, D-Kirk first distributes the plan between the participating agents, by creating a hierarchical ad-hoc network and by mapping the plan onto this hierarchy. Second, the plan is reformulated using a distributed, parallel algorithm into a form amenable to fast dispatching. Finally, the plan is dispatched in a distributed fashion. We then extend the D-Kirk distributed executive to handle contingent plans. Contingent plans are encoded as Temporal Plan Networks (TPNs), which use a nondeterministic choice operator to compose temporally flexible plan fragments into a nested hierarchy of contingencies. A temporally consistent plan is extracted from the TPN using a distributed, parallel algorithm that exploits the structure of the TPN. At all stages of D-Kirk, the communication load is spread over all agents, thus eliminating the communication bottleneck. In particular, D-Kirk reduces the peak 3 communication complexity of the plan execution phase by a factor of O (
A Microsimulation Model to Assess the Impact of Prevention Efforts to Combat Sex Trafficking out of Five Eastern European States

Former Eastern bloc countries are major sources for sex trafficking. Estimates of the extent of trafficking out of these countries vary widely, and little knowledge exists on the effectiveness of anti-trafficking efforts. The objective of this work was to adapt microsimulation modeling to assess the impact of intervention efforts to combat sex trafficking out of Eastern Europe. We estimated trends of sex trafficking and compared interventions in terms of their reduction in sex trafficking. The overall incidence of sex trafficking out of Eastern Europe is projected to decrease, from about 140,000 women and children in 2007 to about 50,000 in 2017. However, the incidence rate increased in 2009 and 2012, consistent with the global recession. The most effective interventions are economic growth, followed closely by increased access to secondary education and restrictions on migration. Minimal reduction is achieved by raising awareness of the phenomenon and increasing TV usage. Yet, the primary mechanism curre...
Impact of the California Clean Air Act

California, particularly its south coast air basin, has suffered from air pollution since the early 1940s. Initially thought to be due to industrial waste gases, it is now recognized that 65% or more is due to motor vehicle tailpipe emissions. Although progress was made in controlling both industrial and mobile sources on a unit basis, the rapid increase in population (and motor vehicles) and industrial expansion made for an intolerable increase in the total air pollution problem. In 1968, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) was formed, and in 1976, the regional Air Quality Management Districts (AQMD) were formed. In 1988, the California Clean Air Act became law, and delineated responsibilities and authority of the CARB and the AQMD's. Significant progress has been made since, though the effects of a continually increasing population demand much more. The emissions control mandate of the CARB phasing low (LEV), ultra low (ULEV), and zero emissions (ZEV) vehicles into the new car sales picture by 2010 is having a major impact. Petroleum refineries are investing billions of dollars to produce gasoline to meet the LEV and ULEV standards; electric vehicles are being developed by several firms; alternate fuels and propulsion systems (such as the hydrogen fuel cell) are being investigated as possible means of meeting the requirements.
Species diversity in hot spring microbial mats as revealed by both molecular and enrichment culture approaches — relationship between biodiversity and community structure

We have conducted long-term studies of microbial mats of hot springs as model systems for investigating composition and structure of natural microbial communities and as modern analogs of stromatolites (Ward et al. 1984, 1987, 1989b). As recently as the last symposium on microbial mats our knowledge of the biodiversity within these communities was based solely on microbial species cultivated from such mat systems. The view has changed dramatically in the intervening years, because of the application of culture-independent techniques to recover and probe ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs) as biomarkers representing individual mat community members (Ward et al. 1992; Weller et al. 1992 and references cited therein), and more recently because of the renewed attempt to cultivate more relevant species. Here, we summarize what is currently known. The evidence suggests that the molecular methods we are using (Ward et al. 1992) may still not permit a complete understanding of the true complexity of the community. However, the approach does provide insight into understanding the basis behind this large biodiversity and into how more relevant species can be cultivated.
Patterns of host plant utilization and diversification in the brush-footed butterflies

Herbivorous insects represent one of the most successful animal radiations known. They occupy a wide range of niches, feed on a great variety of plants, and are species rich; yet the factors that influence their diversification are poorly understood. Host breadth is often cited as a major factor influencing diversification, and, according to the Oscillation Hypothesis, shifts from generalist to specialist feeding states increase the diversification rate for a clade. We explored the relationship between host breadth and diversification within the Nymphalidae (Lepidoptera) and explicitly tested predictions of the Oscillation Hypothesis. We found strong evidence of diversification rate heterogeneity, but no difference in host breadth between clades with a higher diversification rate compared to their sisters. We also found some clades exhibited phylogenetic nonindependence in host breadth and these clades had lower host plant turnover than expected by chance, suggesting host breadth is evolutionarily constrained. Finally, we found that transitions among host breadth categories varied, but the likelihood of reductions in host breadth was greater than that of increases. Our results indicate host breadth is decoupled from diversification rate within the Nymphalidae, and that constraints on diet breadth might play an important role in the evolution of herbivorous insects.
A large signal nonlinear MODFET model from small signal S-parameters

A general technique for predicting the MODFET large signal performance has been developed. The technique is based entirely on experimental data (small signal S-parameters at different biased points) and therefore is independent of the structure of the FET. Software requirements include a program to fit an equivalent circuit to S parameter data; a simple least-square polynomial approximation program; and SPICE for nonlinear time-domain simulations. Hardware requirements are basically limited to a network analyzer to carry out the small-signal S parameter measurements. Measurements at 10 GHz confirm the validity of the model. >
Removal of nitrogen by an aquatic plant, Elodea densa, in recirculating Macrobrachium culture systems

Abstract Submerged aquatic plants, Elodea densa, were included in recirculating Macrobrachium rosenbergii culture systems to examine their ability to remove nitrogenous metabolites excreted by the shrimp. Shrimp were placed at two stocking densities in aquaria with new subgravel filters, with and without plants, and water quality (NH4-N, NO2-N, NO3-N and pH) was monitored for 28-day periods during the activation phase of the biological filters. Ammonia and nitrite concentrations were typically an order of magnitude less in systems with Elodea than without when shrimp were stocked at equal densities. Peak ammonia and nitrite concentrations reached 4.0 mg NH4-N/l and 5.7 mg NO2-N/l in systems without plants, but were only 0.2 and 0.4 mg/l, respectively, in systems with plants.
Optimized path planning for electric vehicle routing and charging

We consider the decision problem of an individual EV owner who needs to pick a travel path including its charging locations and associated charge amount under time-varying traffic conditions as well as dynamic location-based electricity pricing. We show that the problem is equivalent to finding the shortest path on an extended transportation graph. In particular, we extend the original transportation graph through the use of virtual links with negative energy requirements to represent charging options available to the user. Using these extended transportation graphs, we then study the collective effects of a large number of EV owners solving the same type of path planning problem under the following control strategies: 1) a social planner decides the optimal route and charge strategy of all EVs; 2) users reach an equilibrium under locationally-variant electricity prices that are constant over time; 3) the transportation and power systems are separately controlled through marginal pricing strategies, not taking into account their mutual effect on one another. We numerically show that this disjoint type of control can lead to instabilities in the grid as well as inefficient system operation.
Pulsed laser evaporation and epitaxy of Cd1−xMnxTe

A high vacuum deposition system with laser induced vapors, pulsed laser evaporation and epitaxy (PLEE), has been applied for the epitaxial growth of Cd1−xMnxTe (0<x⩽0.70). Two lasers were used for simultaneous evaporation of high-purity targets. A XeCl excimer laser, operating at the wavelength of 0.308 μm and triggered at a rate of up to 80 Hz, vaporized Cd1−xMnxTe ta ets. A Nd: YAG laser, which was triggered at a rate between 0.5 and 5 kHz, was used to generate at Cd flux up to 1016 atoms/cm2·s. The layers were grown on the B face of (111)GaAs substrates held at a fixed temperature in the range of 210–310°C. In-situ reflection high-energy electron diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray analysis and low-temperature photoluminescence (PL) revealed that layers of molecular beam epitaxy quality have been routinely grown. A sharp feature (FWHM = 9.5 meV) due to neutral-acceptor bound-exciton recombination is observed at 1.719 eV for a 1.0 μm thick Cd0.921Mn0.079Te layer. We believe that this result represents one of the best Cd1−xMnxTe layers yet grown on GaAs. The origin of a broad band observed near 1.51 eV is discussed. It is argued that this band is due to states related to the presence of Mn in the vicinity of a heavily defective CdMnTe/GaAs interface.
Transport of molybdate in the cyanobacterium Anabaena variabilis ATCC 29413.

Heterocyst-forming filamentous cyanobacteria, such asAnahaena variabilis ATCC 29413, require molybdenum as a component of two essential cofactors for the enzymes nitrate reductase and nitrogenase.A. variabilis efficiently transported99Mo (molybdate) at concentrations less than 10−9 M. Competition experiments with other oxyanions suggested that the molybdate-transport system ofA. variabilis also transported tungstate but not vanadate or sulfate. Although tungstate was probably transported, tungsten did not function in place of molybdenum in the Mo-nitrogenase. Transport of99Mo required prior starvation of the cells for molybdate, suggesting that the Mo-transport system was repressed by molybdate. Starvation, which required several generations of growth for depletion of molybdate, was enhanced by growth under conditions that required synthesis of nitrate reductase or nitrogenase. These data provide evidence for a molybdate storage system inA. variabilis. NtcA, a regulatory protein that is essential for synthesis of nitrate reductase and nitrogenase, was not required for transport of molybdate. The closely related strainAnabaena sp. PCC 7120 transported99Mo in a very similar way toA. variabilis.
Diet, Serum Cholesterol and Coronary Artery Disease

Diet, particularly the ingestion of cholesterol and fats, has been considered as causally related to the increasing incidence of coronary heart disease and atherosclerosis. This communication presents evidence which is not consonant with this viewpoint. The evidence presented here is based upon dietary and serum cholesterol studies of 97 males who had experienced coronary heart disease prior to the age of 40 and, for purposes of comparison, 146 healthy, nonhospitalized males. The evidence shows clearly that (a) there is virtually no correlation between ingested cholesterol and the level of cholesterol in the serum, and (b) there is virtually no difference, on the average, in the amount of cholesterol ingested by patients of the coronary disease group and the individuals of the control group. A discussion of the "dietary theory" of atherosclerosis is included in this presentation.
Effect of Processing and Storage on Antioxidant Capacity of Honey

ABSTRACT: The impact of heat and filtration on the antioxidant capacity of clover and buckwheat honey during storage was analyzed. Processing clover honey did not significantly impact antioxidant capacity (determined by oxygen radical absorbance capacity [ORAC] assay); processing lowered the antioxidant capacity of buckwheat honey (33.4%). The antioxidant capacity of honeys was reduced after 6 mo of storage with no impact of storage temperature or container type detected at the end point of the storage period. Processed and raw clover honey antioxidant capacity decreased about 30%. Processed buckwheat honey decreased 24% in antioxidant capacity, whereas raw buckwheat honey decreased 49%. Antioxidant capacity of processed and raw honeys was similar after storage. Phenolic profiles, peroxide accumulation, 5-(hydroxymethyl)-2-furaldehyde (HMF), gluconic acid, and total phenolics were also analyzed. The impact of storage on antioxidant components of processed and raw honey was complex.
The Role of Stimulus Variation in Learning to Name Stimulus Classes and their Individual Cases.

(1969). The Role of Stimulus Variation in Learning to Name Stimulus Classes and their Individual Cases. The Journal of General Psychology: Vol. 80, No. 1, pp. 47-55.
Myoglobin models and steric origins of the discrimination between O 2 and CO

Synthetic models of the myoglobin active site have provided much insight into factors that affect CO and O2 binding in the proteins. "Capped" and "pocket" metal porphyrin systems have been developed to probe how steric factors affect ligand binding and ultimately to elucidate important aspects of the mechanism of CO discrimination in the proteins. These model porphyrins are among the most thoroughly characterized systems to date. From the twenty-one known crystal structures, analysis of the types of distortion that occur upon ligand binding under the cap, including porphyrin doming and ruffling, lateral and horizontal movement of the cap, and bending and tilting of the Fe–C–O bond, provides an indication of how steric interactions will affect structure in Hb and Mb. The model porphyrin systems discussed range from those that discriminate against O2 binding compared to biological systems to those with similar CO and O2 binding strength to myoglobin, and also to those that bind both O2 and CO very weakly or not at all. The primary type of distortion observed upon CO binding is vertical or lateral movement of the cap and some ruffling of the porphyrin plane. Minimal bending or tilting of the M–C–O bond is observed, suggesting that the Fe–C–O bending that has been found from crystal structures of the hemoproteins is unlikely.
Global-operator perturbation theory for a self-interacting boson system

We consider a single-mode self-interacting boson system with an arbitrary interaction. The Van Vleck-Primas operator perturbation theory can be used to obtain the perturbative solutions to any desired order in closed form. In contrast to ordinary perturbation theory, which deals with each state individually, the present method is global and treats all the states in the spectrum collectively. The solution process involves the systematic application of four basic rules.
Employer-sponsored health insurance coverage continues to decline in a new decade

Most Americans, particularly those under age 65, rely on health insurance offered through the workplace. Given continuing high unemployment, it comes as no surprise that the share of Americans under age 65 covered by employer-sponsored health insurance (ESI) eroded for the 11th year in a row in 2011, falling from 58.6 percent in 2010 to 58.3 percent. The situation started deteriorating long before the Great Recession: the share of Americans under age 65 covered by ESI eroded every year from 2000 to 2011, decreasing by a total of 10.9 percentage points. As many as 29 million more people under age 65 would have had ESI in 2011 if the coverage rate had remained at the 2000 level. The decline in ESI coverage has been accompanied by an overall decline in health insurance coverage. The number of uninsured non-elderly Americans was 47.9 million in 2011--11.7 million higher than in 2000. Increasing public insurance coverage, particularly among children, is the only reason the uninsured rate did not rise one-for-one with losses in ESI. In addition, key components in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act took effect in 2010, shielding young adults from further coverage losses.