cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fatigue crack propagation behaviour of unidirectionally solidified gamma/gamma-prime-delta eutectic alloys

Fatigue crack propagation studies were carried out on unidirectionally solidified gamma/gamma-prime-delta (Ni-Nb-Al) alloys over an aluminum content range of 1.5-2.5% by weight. The variation of Al content of as-grown alloys did not significantly affect the crack growth behavior of these eutectic composites. The results indicate that the addition of Al to the eutectic dramatically improved the FCP behavior. The gamma/gamma-prime-delta alloy exhibited crack growth rates for a given stress intensity range that are an order of magnitude lower than those for the gamma-delta alloy. It is suggested that this difference in FCP behavior can be explained on the basis of stacking fault energy considerations. Extensive delaminations at the crack tip were also revealed, which contributed to the superior fatigue response. Delamination was predominantly intergranular in nature.
A Pregnancy Decision-Making Model: Psychological, Relational, and Cultural Factors Affecting Unintended Pregnancy:

Empirical data from the past 50 years have illuminated some of the factors that influence pregnancy decision-making. Yet, formal models of pregnancy decision-making are uncommon and rarely incorpor...
Using l-Carnitine as a Pharmacologic Probe of the Interpatient and Metabolic Variability of Sepsis

Objective The objective of this review is to discuss the therapeutic use and differential treatment response to Levo-carnitine (l-carnitine) treatment in septic shock, and to demonstrate common lessons learned that are important to the advancement of precision medicine approaches to sepsis. We propose that significant interpatient variability in the metabolic response to l-carnitine and clinical outcomes can be used to elucidate the mechanistic underpinnings that contribute to sepsis heterogeneity. Methods A narrative review was conducted that focused on explaining interpatient variability in l-carnitine treatment response. Relevant biological and patient-level characteristics considered include genetic, metabolic, and morphomic phenotypes; potential drug interactions; and pharmacokinetics (PKs). Main results Despite promising results in a phase I study, a recent phase II clinical trial of l-carnitine treatment in septic shock showed a nonsignificant reduction in mortality. However, l-carnitine treatment induces significant interpatient variability in l-carnitine and acylcarnitine concentrations over time. In particular, administration of l-carnitine induces a broad, dynamic range of serum concentrations and measured peak concentrations are associated with mortality. Applied systems pharmacology may explain variability in drug responsiveness by using patient characteristics to identify pretreatment phenotypes most likely to derive benefit from l-carnitine. Moreover, provocation of sepsis metabolism with l-carnitine offers a unique opportunity to identify metabolic response signatures associated with patient outcomes. These approaches can unmask latent metabolic pathways deranged in the sepsis syndrome and offer insight into the pathophysiology, progression, and heterogeneity of the disease. Conclusions The compiled evidence suggests there are several potential explanations for the variability in carnitine concentrations and clinical response to l-carnitine in septic shock. These serve as important confounders that should be considered in interpretation of l-carnitine clinical studies and broadly holds lessons for future clinical trial design in sepsis. Consideration of these factors is needed if precision medicine in sepsis is to be achieved.
Property Taxes During the Pandemic

In this article, the authors propose property tax reforms that would allow local governments to raise property tax revenue while protecting vulnerable taxpayers. They also discuss the legal changes necessary to make local tax policies responsive to local economic conditions, and the administrative and procedural changes that should be made to ensure continued democratic participation in property tax reform during the pandemic.
Cognitive Ability, Personality, and Privilege: A Trait-Complex Approach to Talent Development

Trait complexes of cognitive ability, personality, and privilege can be used to conceptualize potential future roles of gifted adolescent students. The Counseling Laboratory for the Exploration of Optimal States (CLEOS) uses ACT scores; Big Five personality factors; and intersectional measures of gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status used to assess distance from privilege. Combinations of these characteristics can be organized into a “Beehive,” in which professional workers (Worker Bees), nurturing and healing professions (Honeybees), business and political leaders (Strivers), scholars (Foragers), innovators (Drones), and visionaries (Queens) are represented. Combinations of ability and personality suggest the domain of work that may be appropriate and the training needed, while the addition of intersectional privilege suggests the social, cultural, and financial capital that are necessary for the attainment of the highest status within each domain.
Public Service in the Pandemic Era: A COVID Commentary

Abstract This viewpoint reflects on basic aspects of American public health and politics that are making the COVID crisis response less effective than it might be The performance of public service during a crisis depends as much on self-reflectiveness and hope as on the achievement of measurable results Anthony Fauci is offered as an exemplar of authentic public service, understood as ?living within the truth ? This article is protected by copyright All rights reserved
Clinical characteristics and long-term outcomes for patients who undergo cytoreductive surgery for thoracic meningiomas: a retrospective analysis.

OBJECTIVE Primary spinal meningiomas represent a rare indolent neoplasm usually situated in the intradural-extramedullary compartment. They have a predilection for afflicting the thoracic spine and most frequently present with sensory and/or motor symptoms. Resection is the first-line treatment for symptomatic tumors, whereas other clinical factors will determine the need for adjuvant therapy. In this study, the authors aimed to elucidate clinical presentation, functional outcomes, and long-term outcomes in this population in order to better equip clinicians with the tools to counsel their patients. METHODS This is a retrospective analysis of patients treated at the authors' institution between 1998 and 2018. All patients with thoracic meningiomas who underwent resection and completed at least one follow-up appointment were included. Multiple preoperative clinical variables, hospitalization details, and long-term outcomes were collected for the cohort. RESULTS Forty-six patients who underwent resection for thoracic meningiomas were included. The average age of the cohort was 59 years, and the median follow-up was 53 months. Persistent sensory and motor symptoms were present in 29 patients (63%). Fifteen lesions were ventrally positioned. There were 43 WHO grade I tumors, 2 WHO grade II tumors, and 1 WHO grade III tumor; the grade III tumor was the only case of recurrence. The median length of hospitalization was 4 days. Seventeen patients (37%) were discharged to rehabilitation facilities. Thirty patients (65.2%) experienced resolution or improvement of symptoms, and there were no deaths within 30 days of surgery. Only 1 patient developed painful kyphosis and was managed medically. Ventral tumor position, new postoperative deficits, and length of stay did not correlate with disposition to a facility. Age, ventral position, blood loss, and increasing WHO grade did not correlate with length of stay. CONCLUSIONS Outcomes are overall favorable for patients who undergo resection of thoracic meningiomas. Symptomatic patients often experience improvement, and patients generally do not require significant future operations. Tumors located ventrally, while anatomically challenging, do not necessarily herald a significantly worse prognosis or limit the extent of resection.
Power Flux Density (PFD) Compliance Validation of FCC's Ka-band NGSO Processing Round Participants

In March 2020, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) initiated a processing round for additional applications and petitions for non-geostationary orbit (NGSO) fixed-satellite services (FSS) operations in the 10.7 – 12.7 GHz, 12.75–13.25 GHz, 13.8–14.5 GHz, 17.7–18.6 GHz, 18.8–20.2 GHz, and 27.5–30 GHz bands. As part of the application process, the FCC assesses each system's compliance with the current FCC and International Telecommunications Union (ITU) rules which include, but are not limited to, power flux density (PFD) limits. These specific limits ensure that the power emitted from an FSS system does not cause harmful interference into terrestrial fixed service (FS) systems. This study analyzes the PFD of the ten communication systems (EOS Defense Systems, Kepler Communications, Kuiper, Mangata, New Spectrum Satellite, O3b, OneWeb, SpaceX, Telesat, and Viasat) that participated in the FCC's March 2020 Processing Round, in order to validate the applicant's PFD compliance. The methodology consists of obtaining the relevant data provided in each application, analyzing the anticipated PFD and the specific PFD limits according to Article 21 of the ITU's Radio Regulations, and then comparing the results to the submitted PFD values. Of the ten applications, four of the satellite operators' compliance calculations were verified to within 0.1 dB over all operational angles and two were verified within 0.1 dB for a subset of all operational angles. Of the remaining four applications, discrepancies were identified between the values presented in the applications and the values computed in this work. Discrepancies for two of the systems can be explained by the different operational strategies that the applicants propose to employ. For the remaining three systems, discrepancies seem to stem from the use of parameters that differ from required ITU and/or FCC inputs for PFD assessment. The validation results and discrepancies are discussed in detail with the goal of providing the industry with insight into the potential harmful interference from the proposed new or modified NGSO communications constellations into FS systems and assisting the FCC in evaluating the permissibility of these recent applications.
Chapter 24 Gastrointestinal protein and amino acid metabolism in growing animals1

The tissues of the gastrointestinal tract play a major role in the metabolism of protein and amino acids in growing animals. Intestinal tissue has a high rate of protein metabolism, which is directly linked to the high rates of proliferation, protein secretion, cell death and desquamation of various epithelial and lymphoid cells within the mucosa. Because the small intestine is the first tissue exposed to the diet, it has a key regulatory role in the digestion, absorption, metabolism and availability of dietary protein and amino acids for growth. The major oxidative fuels for the intestine are glutamate, glutamine, aspartate and glucose; however, some essential amino acids are also oxidized, such as lysine, leucine and phenylalanine. Among the essential amino acids, threonine utilization is particularly high, and may be critical for normal intestinal function. Intestinal protein and amino acid metabolism is primarily regulated by the modality (enteral versus parenteral) and quantity of nutrient intake, and to a lesser extent by the composition of nutrients.
Environmental Economics and Policy

1. Visions of the Future. 2. Valuing the Environment: Concepts. 3. Valuing the Environment: Methods. 4. Property Rights, Externalities, and Environmental Problems. 5. Sustainable Development: Defining the Concept. 6. The Population Problem. 7. Natural Resource Economics: An Overview. 8. Energy. 9. Water. 10. Agriculture. 11. Biodiversity I: Forest Habitat. 12. Biodiversity II: Commercially Valuable Species. 13. Environmental Economics: An Overview. 14. Stationary-Source Local Air Pollution. 15. Acid Rain and Atmospheric Modification. 16. Transportation. 17. Water Pollution. 18. Solid Waste and Recycling. 19. Toxic Substances and Hazardous Wastes. 20. Development, Poverty, and the Environment. 21. The Quest for Sustainable Development. 22. Visions of the Future Revisited.
AP-S Turnstile: Nocebo: Reading this column may affect your health

In a column [1] published some years ago, I mentioned the following interesting case from France: Family members described complaints ranging from a metallic taste in the mouth to nosebleeds, all attributed to a cell phone tower recently installed across from their apartment building. The family even covered the apartment windows with aluminum foil and other ?protective f lters? to ward off the ill effects of the radiation from the tower. For its part, the operator of the cell phone tower (Orange) dryly noted that the electronic bay for the tower had not been installed yet and, therefore, the tower was not even active.
A NEW THEORY OF ELEMENTARY MATTER. PART I. PHILOSOPHICAL APPROACH AND GENERAL IMPLICATIONS.

This is the first of a series of articles that reviews and expands upon a new theory of elementary matter. This paper presents an exposition of the philosophical approach and its general implications. The ensuing explicit form of the mathematical expression of the theory and several applications in the atomic and elementary particle domains will be developed in the succeeding parts of this series.
Infusing Business Finance with Ethical Dilemmas

Wall Street greed and business scandals prompt the criticism that business education lacks a critical ethical component. This paper shares one response to this critique detailing a series of assignments requiring students in a basic business finance class at Regis College to write memos solving ethical dilemmas related to the course content. This paper also reports students’ assessments of the series of assignments
Effect of Thimerosal in Leukemia, in Leukemic Cell Lines, and on Normal Hematopoiesis

Anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG), a horse antiserum to human thymus tissue, has been shown to induce granulocytic differentiation of the HL-60 human leukemia cell line. In this paper we describe the effect of ATG on leukemic blasts and its effect on other human leukemia cell lines in vitro . The in vitro differentiation effect of ATG was observed in blasts from two patients with leukemia and the human leukemia cell line K562. The differentiation effect of ATG was attributable to its preservative, thimerosal, separable from ATG by high pressure liquid chromatography or dialysis. Subsequent studies with thimerosal alone showed it to induce differentiation in leukemic blasts from three patients and the human leukemia cell lines U937, K562, and KG-1. The differentiation effect of thimerosal is blocked by a sulfhydryl-protective agent, dithiothreitol, suggesting that the mechanism of differentiation may be mediated via a sulfhydryl group-dependent process.
Neurotrophin and Neurotrophin Receptors in Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells: Regulation of Expression in Response to Injury

The neurotrophins, a family of related polypeptide growth factors including nerve growth factor (NGF), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and neurotrophin (NT)-3 and NT-4/5 promote the survival and differentiation of distinctive sets of embryonic neurons. Here we define a new functional role for neurotrophins, as autocrine or local paracrine mediators of vascular smooth muscle cell migration. We have identified neurotrophins, and their cognate receptors, the trk tyrosine kinases, in human and rat vascular smooth muscle cells in vivo. In vitro, cultured human smooth muscle cells express BDNF; NT-3; and trk A, B, and C. Similarly, rat smooth muscle cells expressed all three trk receptors as well as all four neurotrophins. Moreover, NGF induces cultured human smooth muscle cell migration at subnanomolar concentrations. In the rat aortic balloon deendothelialization model of vascular injury, the expression of NGF, BNDF, and their receptors trk A and trk B increased dramatically in the area of injury within 3 days and persisted during the formation of the neointima. In human coronary atherosclerotic lesions, BDNF, NT-3, and NT-4/5, and the trk B and trk C receptors could be demonstrated in smooth muscle cells. These findings suggest that neurotrophins play an important role in regulating the response of vascular smooth muscle cells to injury.
Do mergers make (normal) ellipticals

Under the merger hypothesis, elliptical galaxies are built through mergers of gas-rich spirals. However, the relative paucity of HI in most normal ellipticals demands significant processing of atomic gas into other forms if this process is to be viable. Here I present a few qualitative remarks on how the properties of merger-spawned ellipticals might depend on the (evolving) gas content of the progenitor disks, then turn to a more quantitative study of the constraints provided by the nuclear properties of ellipticals and merger remnants.
Virtual Role-Models: Using Virtual Humans to Train Best Communication Practices for Healthcare Teams

Due to logistical scheduling challenges, social training of conflict resolution skills with healthcare professionals is a difficult task. To overcome these challenges, we used virtual humans to fill in as surgical teammates and train conflict resolution skills in a surgical scenario. Surgical technologists were recruited at a United States teaching hospital to interact with a virtual nurse, virtual surgeon, and virtual anesthesiologist in a team training exercise. Leveraging social learning theory, the virtual nurse on the team modeled one of two conflict resolution strategies, either best practices or bad practices, during an important decision moment in the exercise. In a second important decision moment, we assessed if surgical technologists demonstrated the conflict resolution model they observed. We found human participants were successfully able to demonstrate the ideal conflict resolution strategy after observing the virtual nurse model best practices. While we found participants were positively influenced by the best practices model, we also found that conversely, the bad practices model negatively influenced participants’ conflict resolution behavior. If humans can be positively influenced by virtual humans, this form of social training could transform medical team training, empowering more healthcare professionals to speak up, and potentially decreasing the chances of patient morbidity or death in the OR.
Dicarbonyl(cyclopentadienyl)[(dimethylsulfonium)methyl]iron Tetrafluoroborate†

[72120-26-4] C10H13BF4FeO2S (MW 339.93) InChI = 1S/C5H5.C3H8S.2CO.BF4.Fe/c1-2-4-5-3-1;1-4(2)3;2*1-2;2-1(3,4)5;/h1-5H;1H2,2-3H3;;;;/q;+1;;;-1; InChIKey = IUCMQNISYUCLTH-UHFFFAOYSA-N (stable precursor of a cationic carbene, or methylene, complex of iron; reacts directly with alkenes to give cyclopropanes2) Physical Data: mp 129–130 °C; d 1.57 g cm−3. Solubility: insol or slightly sol most solvents at rt; sol very polar solvents such as nitromethane at rt; sol other polar solvents (e.g. dioxane) at reflux. Form Supplied in: yellow–orange powder or crystals. Analysis of Reagent Purity: 1H NMR. Preparative Methods: the preparation of this reagent has gone through several revisions and improvements since its introduction in 1979. The most recently improved preparations3 are satisfactory for large-scale applications and have been adapted for commercial use. In a one-pot operation, the stable, crystalline, dinuclear complex [Cp(CO)2Fe]2 is reductively cleaved with sodium dispersion to generate a THF solution of the highly nucleophilic sodium ferrate, Na[Cp(CO)2Fe]. This species is immediately alkylated with chloromethyl methyl sulfide, and the resulting iron alkyl, Cp(CO)2FeCH2SMe, is subjected to S-alkylation with methyl iodide. Finally, the resulting sulfonium salt, initially produced as an iodide, is subjected to in situ anion exchange and simultaneous crystallization by treatment with hot aqueous NaBF4, followed by cooling to give the reagent as a yellow–orange, or amber-colored, crystalline solid (eq 1) which has been characterized spectroscopically and by single-crystal X-ray diffraction.4 The anion exchange is performed in order to assure that a nonnucleophilic counterion is present during the subsequent cyclopropanation reactions; a nucleophilic anion such as iodide may apparently intercept reactive intermediates on the pathway leading to the desired cyclopropane products. A remarkable property of the reagent is its unusually high stability compared to most other organometallic reagents. This point is especially clear from the fact that it can be recrystallized from hot water exposed to the air. Purification: recrystallization from nitromethane, acetone, or other polar solvents. (1) Handling, Storage, and Precautions: stable indefinitely as a solid, even when exposed to air; slowly decomposes in solution if exposed to air for long periods of time (although reactions with alkenes can be done in the presence of air and even moisture); decomposes upon heating to release dimethyl sulfide (stench). Use in a fume hood.
Invertebrate humoral immunity

Abstract Invertebrates do have the capacity for immune reactions since they often produce macromolecules or develop cell-mediated responses which protect them from foreign material found in the environment. These macromolecules consist of agglutinins, lysins and other killer substances capable of inactivating potentially pathogenic material. Part of the evolutionary success of the four higher invertebrate phyla—the annelids, arthropods, molluscs and echinoderms—was undoubtedly due in part to the development of an effective defense and immune system without which these groups may have become extinct. The molecular characteristics of invertebrate humoral substances suggest that they may serve as receptors for antigen. The presence of such substances among invertebrates extends their ubiquity, thus providing a possible link between the immune systems of invertebrates and vertebrates.
Chronic abdominal pain in children: what to do following the medical evaluation.

Purpose of reviewThe purpose of this article is to provide an empirically informed but clinically oriented review of conventional, alternative, and rehabilitation therapies for chronic or recurrent abdominal pain in children.Recent findingsCognitive–behavioral procedures, including contingency manag
Molecular basis for sequence-specific DNA alkylation by CC-1065

CC-1065 is a potent antitumor antibiotic that binds covalently to N3 of adenine in the minor groove of DNA. The CC-1065 molecule is made up of three repeating pyrroloindole subunits, one of which (the left-hand one or A subunit) contains a reactive cyclopropyl function. The drug reacts with adenines in DNA in a highly sequence-specific manner, overlapping four base pairs to the 5'-side of the covalently modified base. Concomitant with CC-1065 covalent binding to DNA is an asymmetric effect on local DNA structure which extends more than one helix turn to the 5'-side of the covalent binding site. The DNA alkylation, sequence specificity, and biological potency of CC-1065 and a select group of trimeric synthetic analogues were evaluated. The results suggest that (a) noncovalent interactions between this series of compounds and DNA do not lead to the formation of complexes stable enough to be detected by footprinting methods, (b) sequence specificity and alkylation intensity can be modulated by the substituents on the nonreactive middle and right-hand segments, and (c) biological potency correlates well with ability to alkylate DNA. In addition, the extent and the sequence specificity of covalent adduct formation between linear DNA fragments and three analogues comprised of the CC-1065 alkylating subunit linked to zero (analogue A), one (analogue AB), or two (analogue ABC) nonreactive indole subunits were compared.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Radar and Other Observations of Two Vaulted Storms in Northeastern Colorado.

Abstract Detailed radar echo structures and histories of two storms are presented. Both advanced into cloudless skies and had prominent, bounded weak echo regions. The storms had comparable size and intensity, and their environments provided similar amounts of shear and potential instability. One was an organized, multicellular storm, and had detailed photographic coverage from an aircraft. The combination of visual and radar data suggests the possibility of seeding of turrets in the “flanking line” by ice particles falling from the anvil. The other storm was a supercell. It had a rather steady echo configuration with a radar echo vault for about 40 min, and produced an exceptionally heavy hailswath, with hail up to 10 cm deep. However, the heavy hailfall at the ground started before vault formation and ended well before vault dissipation. The hailfall relates best to the onset of the strong updraft that (presumably) produced the vault, but does not relate to the mere fact of the existence of the bounded ...
Stories From the Stacks: Students Lost in the Labyrinth

Research shows that academic libraries can be difficult to navigate and that students are often frustrated with not being able to find the right materials. This current study attempts to identify access barriers in FSU's Strozier Library by assessing the effectiveness of signs and directories, as well as wayfinding patterns of both undergraduate and graduate students. Two different assessments are implemented: a directory survey and a tally of the directional questions received at multiple help desks. Results show that the majority of students prefer to speak with a human being when attempting to locate something in the library; however, the directories are seen as helpful. The results have immediate implications on staffing practices and directory design. Future research is discussed as FSU continues to assess access and wayfinding and the cognitive process of students as they navigate the library building.
PRELIMINARY RESULTS FROM THE UCLA/SLAC ULTRA-HIGH GRADIENT CERENKOV WAKEFIELD ACCELERATOR EXPERIMENT

The first phase of an experiment to study the performance of dielectric Cerenkov wakefield accelerating structures at extremely high gradients in the GV/m range has been completed. This experiment takes advantage of the unique SLAC FFTB electron beam and its demonstrated ultra-short pulse lengths and high currents (e.g., σz = 20 μm at Q = 3 nC). The FFTB electron beam has been successfully focused down and sent through varying lengths of fused silica capillary tubing with two different sizes: ID = 200 μm/OD = 325 μm and ID = 100 μm/OD = 325 μm. The pulse length of the electron beam was varied in the range 20 μm < σz < 100 μm which produced a range of electric fields between 2 and 20 GV/m at the inner surface of the dielectric tubes. We observed a sharp increase in optical emissions from the capillaries in the middle part of this surface field range which we believe indicates the transition between sustainable field levels and breakdown. If this initial interpretation is correct, the surfaced fields that were sustained equate to on axis accelerating field of several GV/m. In future experiments we plan to collect and measure coherent Cerenkov radiation emitted from the capillary tube to gain more information about the strength of the accelerating fields.
Brain-Penetrant Tetrahydronaphthalene Thromboxane A2-Prostanoid (TP) Receptor Antagonists as Prototype Therapeutics for Alzheimer’s Disease

A hallmark pathological feature of the Alzheimer’s disease (AD) brain is the presence of senile plaques, which comprise amyloid β (Aβ) peptides that are derived from the amyloid precursor protein (APP). The plaque-containing AD brain is thought to be under oxidative stress, as evidenced by increased lipid oxidation products that include isoprostane-F2αIII (iPF2αIII). IPF2αIII can bind to and activate the thromboxane A2-prostanoid (TP) receptor, and TP receptor activation causes increased Aβ production through enhancement of APP mRNA stability. Moreover, TP receptor antagonists have been shown to block iPF2αIII-induced increases of Aβ secretion. Thus, the TP receptor may be a potential drug target for AD therapy. However, here we show that existing TP receptor antagonists have poor blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability, likely due to the presence of a carboxylic acid moiety that is believed to be important for receptor interaction, but which may hamper passive diffusion across the BBB. We now report selec...
Modeling joint production of wildlife and timber

Abstract Production of marketed commodities and protection of natural systems often conflict. A focus on only one goal can result in large losses in other goals and may result in inefficient and unsustainable outcomes. In this paper, we develop a method that combines economic and ecological models in a dynamic and spatial analysis to evaluate land use decisions and find cost-effective alternatives for which it is not possible to do better on one objective without harming another objective. The method is demonstrated using timber production and species conservation on a forested landscape over a 100-year planning horizon. Current land use strategies are simulated and compared with cost-effective alternatives. The approach is compared to a static reserve approach, similar to previous studies, and found to produce substantially more efficient management strategies for the case study landscape.
Models of response inhibition in the stop-signal and stop-change paradigms

The stop-signal paradigm is very useful for the study of response inhibition. Stop-signal performance is typically described as a race between a go process, triggered by a go stimulus, and a stop process, triggered by the stop signal. Response inhibition depends on the relative finishing time of these two processes. Numerous studies have shown that the independent horse-race model of Logan and Cowan [Logan, G.D., Cowan, W.B., 1984. On the ability to inhibit thought and action: a theory of an act of control. Psychological Review 91, 295-327] accounts for the data very well. In the present article, we review the independent horse-race model and related models, such as the interactive horse-race model [Boucher, L., Palmeri, T.J., Logan, G.D., Schall, J.D., 2007. Inhibitory control in mind and brain: an interactive race model of countermanding saccades. Psychological Review 114, 376-397]. We present evidence that favors the independent horse-race model but also some evidence that challenges the model. We end with a discussion of recent models that elaborate the role of a stop process in inhibiting a response.
Dipole moment of a Pb-O vacancy pair in PbTiO 3

The polarization of a nearest-neighbor (nn) Pb-O vacancy pair $[{(V}_{\mathrm{Pb}}\ensuremath{-}{V}_{\mathrm{O}}{)}_{\mathrm{nn}}]$ in ${\mathrm{PbTiO}}_{3}$ is calculated, using the modern theory of polarization, implemented in the density-functional-theory ultrasoft pseudopotential formalism. The dipole moment per divacancy, ${\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\ensuremath{\mu}}}_{{(V}_{\mathrm{Pb}}\ensuremath{-}{V}_{\mathrm{O}}{)}_{\mathrm{nn}}},$ is about $2.28e{r}_{\mathrm{nn}},$ where ${r}_{\mathrm{nn}}$ is the vector from the ${V}_{\mathrm{Pb}}$ site to the ${V}_{\mathrm{O}}$ site. This value is slightly larger than the value of $2e{r}_{\mathrm{nn}}$ for a purely ionic model of ${\mathrm{PbTiO}}_{3}.$ The dipole moment is about twice as large as typical polarizations per cell in Pb-based ferroelectrics, which indicates that ${V}_{\mathrm{Pb}}$ compensated by ${V}_{\mathrm{O}}$ can be an important source of local polarization and electric fields in Pb-containing perovskites.
Screening for Single Gene Genetic Disease

The screening and directed testing for genetic disease caused by single gene mutations is an expanding part of the overall scheme of prenatal care. In addition to reproductive choice, carrier screening and fetal diagnostic testing afford the important opportunity for preparation of the family and the delivery site for the birth of a fetus with a known genetic disorder. Increasingly the primary care provider in pregnancy bears the burden of engaging patients in discussions regarding available genetic tests appropriate to their family or personal history, their ethnic group, and with every patient for a limited but growing number of diseases. Ethnic-based risk identification and testing has expanded recently with, for example, the addition of familial dysautonomia for patients of Askhenazi ancestry. Widespread, or nearly universal, screening has emerged for cystic fibrosis and new initiatives are gaining momentum for prenatal maternal carrier screening for fragile X syndrome. The fruits of the human genome project will undoubtedly lead to the identification of more genes that underlie human disease. This will expand the menu of possible prenatal testing options and will raise the level of complexity in both counseling, testing logisitics and health care resource allocation.
Plasma free fatty acids and risk of atrial fibrillation (from the Cardiovascular Health Study)

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a highly prevalent cardiac arrhythmia in clinical practice, affecting approximately 2.3 million residents of the United States and 4.5 million residents of the European Union. It is unclear whether plasma free fatty acids (FFAs) influence the risk of AF in older adults. The aim of this study was to prospectively examine the association between plasma FFAs and incident AF in a prospective cohort of 4,175 men and women ≥65 years old from the Cardiovascular Health Study. Plasma concentrations of FFAs were measured 2 times during the 1992 to 1993 examination. Incident AF was ascertained based on study electrocardiographic and hospitalization records during follow-up. We used Cox regression to estimate relative risks of AF. Average age at baseline was 74.6 ± 5.1 years. During a mean follow-up of 10.0 years, 1,041 new cases of AF occurred. Crude incidence rates of AF were 23.7, 23.3, 23.9, and 29.7 cases/1,000 person-years across consecutive quartiles of plasma FFAs. There was a positive association between plasma FFAs and risk of AF. Multivariable adjusted hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) for incident AF were 1.00 (referent), 1.02 (0.85 to 1.21), 1.05 (0.88 to 1.26), and 1.29 (1.08 to 1.55) from the lowest to highest quartiles of FFAs, respectively. In a secondary analysis restricted to the first 5 years of follow-up, this association persisted. In conclusion, our data show an increased risk of AF with higher plasma FFAs in community-dwelling older adults.
Changes in Endplate Thickness and Apparent Density After Disc Herniation

Endplates play a major role in intervertebral disc (IVD) health, but the opposite could also be true with changes in IVD affecting the morphological features of endplates. We here hypothesize that changes in biomechanical environment due to disc herniation will change the thickness and apparent density of the endplates at the index level.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Toward a Framework for Assessing Internet Channels

The emergence of the Internet has forced a large number of firms to introduce Internet-based channels of distribution into existing distribution systems to market their products. In multiple channels context, there has been a call for better performance measures to assess whether channel management is productive. Unfortunately, little academic research has addressed key criteria to apply in determining the marketing channel performance. In order to fill in the literature gap, this research attempts to adopt Analytic Network Process (ANP) to identify and compare the key performance criteria of Internet channels on the basis of Strategic Profit Model (SPM). This study found that Return on Equity and Return on Total Assets are two most important criteria. This research helps managers to know the key criteria of Internet channels performance evaluation, which is much helpful for them to configure their improvement plans as they may not have sufficient resources to deal with all the dimensions at the same time.
Relationship of Herhivore- Imposed Stress to Weeds in Alfalfa

The relationship of selected herbivores and herbivore complexes to the incidence of winter and summer annual weeds associated with alfalfa was evaluated over a 3-yr period. Winter annual weed populations in the first cutting, second production year, were associated with aphid stress imposed during the previous fall and exacerbated by a severe infestation 6–8 wk before harvest. A significant (P < 0.05) interaction between Egyptian alfalfa weevil and aphids affected winter annual weed percentages in the first harvest of the third production year. Summer annual grass populations did not develop until the third year. Egyptian alfalfa weevil had a significant effect on grass percentages in three of the four cuttings in which grasses were present.
Stochastic networks as models of cognition: deriving predictions for resource-constrained mental processing

Abstract One approach to the analysis of task performance is to focus on the identity and arrangement of subtasks. For our purposes, we consider a theory of task performance to consist of: (1) a decomposition of the task into a set of hypothesized subtasks or mental processes; (2) hypothesized structural constraints concerning the order of execution of mental processes (i.e., which of the mental processes must occur sequentially and which can occur concurrently), whether subtasks can be interrupted and resumed, whether potentially concurrent subtasks are prioritized, etc.; and (3) temporal hypotheses concerning the time required to complete each of the subtasks. A large class of such theories can be represented by Order-of-Processing (OP) diagrams. Previous research has indicated how to compute the theoretically expected response-time distribution for OP-representable tasks, provided that processing resources are allocated in such a manner that each subtask undergoing execution progresses at a constant, unit rate. Here, we present results for OP-representable tasks in which processing resources (e.g., attention) can be differentially and dynamically allocated to the execution of mental processes, the exact allocation of resources determining the rate at which each subtask is executed at any given moment.
Limiting performance analysis of large systems using an approximate optimization scheme

Abstract An approximate optimization method is suggested for determining the limiting performance of a large system modeled with finite elements, when portions of the system are not fully prescribed. This optimization procedure involves local approximations of the objective function and constraints. This method may improve the computational efficiency involved in the limiting performance analysis for large nonlinear systems.
Radiation Response of SNOS Nonvolatile Transistors

Data loss and permanent damage resulting from the irradiation of SNOS (polySilicon-Nitride-Oxide-Silicon) nonvolatile memory transistors fabricated with current SNLA EEPROM processing are examined. It is shown that these transistors can retain data for ten years after a 500 krad irradiation, and can be programmed and function properly following a 1300 Mrad irradiation. A new model is presented which yields a simple analytical solution that accurately predicts the radiation induced threshold voltage shifts of SNOS transistors for a wide range of initial threshold voltages and total doses.
Hydrogen defects and optical damage in LiNbO3

The literature pertaining to hydrogen defects dissolved in lithium niobate has been reviewed. Particular attention has been given to the infra-red absorption spectra. The polarization variations of the spectra give indications about the structure of hydrogen defects in lithium niobate. In undoped crystals hydrogen defects sit in the close-packed oxygen plane, adjacent to vacant octahedral sites that result from nonstoichiometry. In magnesium doped crystals the observed threshold effect influences the hydrogen site; at low Mg concentrations there are sufficient vacant octahedral sites, but at high concentrations the hydrogen must sit adjacent to cations and are therefore pushed out of the close-packed oxygen plane. This changes the IR spectra. The hydrogen solution model is discussed with respect to optical damage effects in lithium niobate.
Effects of noncontingent feedback on EMG training, EMG responses, and subjective experience

Various types of noncontingent feedback have been used as control procedures in EMG training; however, their effects on such training have received little attention. Experiment 1 in the present study examined the effects of noncontingent feedback on EMG training, and Experiment 2 assessed the effects of feedback characteristics on EMG responses. In Experiment 1, three noncontingent feedback groups (yoked control, randomly fluctuating tones, and decreasing tones) and one contingent group underwent 20 minutes of training for frontal EMG decreases. Procedures in Experiment 2 were identical to those in Experiment 1 except that subjects were instructed merely to listen to the feedback tones. Results of Experiment 1 indicated that contingent and noncontingent fluctuating feedback groups achieved significantly lower EMG levels than noncontingent decreasing and yoked control groups. In Experiment 2, however, no differences in EMG activity were found among groups. In both experiments, groups did not differ in terms of subjective variables such as frustration, suspiciousness about the tone, or length of time attending to the tone. Results of these two experiments suggest that differences in EMG responses to various types of noncontingent feedback result from interactions between characteristics of the feedback stimulus and instructions to decrease the stimulus.
Improvement of cardiac conduction after hyperventilation in tricyclic antidepressant overdose

AbstractThree patients with severe cardiotoxicity secondary to tricyclic antidepressant (TCA) overdosage were treated with induced mechanical hyperventilation. All three demonstrated marked QRS narrowing, reflecting improved intracardiac conduction, after hyperventilation therapy. Such therapy may help to prevent or abolish ventricular dysrhythmias, often a feature of life-threatening TCA overdoses.
Determinants of intrauterine contraception provision among US family physicians: a national survey of knowledge, attitudes and practice.

Abstract Background Poor contraception adherence contributes to unintended pregnancy. Intrauterine contraception (IUC) is user-independent thus adherence is not an issue, yet few US women use IUC. We compared family physicians (FPs) who do and do not insert IUC in order to ascertain determinants of inserting IUC. Study design We surveyed 3500 US FPs. The primary outcome variable was whether a physician inserts IUC in their current clinical practice. We also sought to describe their clinical practice with IUC insertions. Results FPs who insert IUC had better knowledge about IUC (adjusted OR 1.85, 95% CI 1.32–2.60), more comfort discussing IUC (adjusted OR 2.35, 95% CI 1.30–4.27), and were more likely to believe their patients are receptive to discussing IUC (adjusted OR 2.96, 95% CI 2.03–4.32). The more IUC inserted during residency, the more likely to insert currently (adjusted OR 1.44, 95% CI 1.12–1.84). Only 24% of respondents inserted IUC in the prior 12 months. Conclusions US FPs have training and knowledge gaps, as well as attitudes, that result in missed opportunities to discuss and provide IUC for all eligible patients.
On the block norm-P property

A real n×n matrix M is said to be a P-matrix if all its principal minors are positive. In a recent paper Chua and Yi [2] described this property in terms of norm: There exists a γ>0 such that for all nonnegative diagonal matrices D and vectors x, ‖Mx+Dx‖≥γ‖x‖. In this paper, we introduce a block version of this property for a linear transformation defined on a product of normed or inner product spaces. In addition to relating this to (real) positive stability and positive principal minor properties, we study the invariance of this property by principal subtransformations and Schur complements. We also specialize this property to Z-transformations and to Euclidean Jordan algebras.
The receding contact angle

Abstract Receding as well as advancing water contact angles have been measured on glass surfaces treated with dichlorodimethysilane and with chlorotrimethysilane. The experimental data support the theory of contact-angle hysteresis on heterogeneous surfaces as proposed by Dettre and Johnson. Among the surfaces prepared here, the Me2SiCl2-treated one is unique in showing zero hysteresis, a result attributable to homogeneous coverage and structure. The Me3SiCl-treated surface appears to possess both micro- and macroheterogeneity. In these systems, the advancing angle is believed to approximate closely the equilibrium contact angle.
John Dury’s Reformed Librarie-Keeper: Information and its Intellectual Contexts in Seventeenth-Century England

Reading John Dury’s Reformed Librarie-Keeper (1650) against the background of ideas on the advancement of universal learning expounded by Samuel Hartlib and his associates, this article suggests that Dury’s ideal library and librarian can be understood in the context of visions for public ‘agencies’ of learning emanating from the Hartlib circle, notably the idea of an Office of Address. The reading of Dury’s first library-keeper letter in its contemporary intellectual context indicates that Dury’s tract may gain in meaning when seen as a contribution to the history of information — specifically, to the programme of empirical data collection and dissemination championed by Bacon. In turn, Dury’s second library-keeper letter, in which Baconian ideas on the advancement of learning join with the Comenian millennial idea, commands attention as a characteristic expression of the context within which the ideas on information collection and dissemination in the first library-keeper letter could take root.
Anti-metastatic activity of hapten-modified autologous tumor cell vaccine in an animal tumor model.

We used mice from which the primary 410.4 mammary carcinoma had been surgically excised to assess the anti-metastatic activity of low-dose cyclophosphamide (CY) followed by vaccination with dinitrophenyl (DNP)-modified, irradiated, autologous tumor cells (ATC) admixed with bacille Calmette–Guerin (BCG). Our studies revealed that CY treatment of mice followed by vaccination with DNP-modified. irradiated, ATC admixed with BCG improved the relapse-free survival compared to the survival of mice receiving either CY followed by vaccination with unmodified, irradiated, ATC admixed with BCG, or saline (control group). In addition, our studies demonstrated the importance of CY administration in eliciting the therapeutic effect of DNP-modified ATC vaccine against metastatic disease. The therapeutic effect of CY followed by DNP-modified ATC vaccine was abrogated by depletion of CD4+ or CD8+ T-cells, illustrating the importance of both T-cell subsets for the anti-metastatic effect of this therapeutic protocol. In addition, neutralizing anti-IFN-γ monoclonal antibody (mAb), or neutralizing anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) mAb reduced the relapse-free survival of mice treated with CY followed by DNP-modified ATC vaccine, indicating the importance of both cytokines for the realization of the anti-metastatic effect of this therapeutic protocol. Since the therapeutic protocol used in our studies was similar to that employed by Berd et al. as postsurgical adjuvant therapy in cancer patients and yielded a comparable anti-metastatic effect, the information obtained from the current studies with our clinically relevant experimental tumor model is expected to shed light on the mechanism(s) by which the anti-metastatic effect of this post-surgical adjuvant therapy is realized in cancer patients.