cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Functionalized graphene oxide for the fabrication of paraoxon biosensors.

Abstract There is an increasing need to develop biosensors for the detection of harmful pesticide residues in food and water. Here, we report on a versatile strategy to synthesize functionalized graphene oxide nanomaterials with abundant affinity groups that can capture histidine (His)-tagged acetylcholinesterase (AChE) for the fabrication of paraoxon biosensors. Initially, exfoliated graphene oxide (GO) was functionalized by a diazonium reaction to introduce abundant carboxyl groups. Then, Nα,Nα-bis(carboxymethyl)- l -lysine hydrate (NTA-NH2) and Ni2+ were anchored onto the GO based materials step by step. AChE was immobilized on the functionalized graphene oxide (FGO) through the specific binding between Ni-NTA and His-tag. A low anodic oxidation potential was observed due to an enhanced electrocatalytic activity and a large surface area brought about by the use of FGO. Furthermore, a sensitivity of 2.23 μA mM−1 to the acetylthiocholine chloride (ATChCl) substrate was found for our composite covered electrodes. The electrodes also showed a wide linear response range from 10 μM to 1 mM (R2 = 0.996), with an estimated detection limit of 3 μM based on an S/N = 3. The stable chelation between Ni-NTA and His-tagged AChE endowed our electrodes with great short-term and long-term stability. In addition, a linear correlation was found between paraoxon concentration and the inhibition response of the electrodes to paraoxon, with a detection limit of 6.5 × 10−10 M. This versatile strategy provides a platform to fabricate graphene oxide based nanomaterials for biosensor applications.
Signatures for squarks in the light gaugino scenario.

When the gluino is light and long lived, missing energy is a poor signature for both squarks and gluinos. Instead, squark pair production leads to events with {ge}4 jets. If a chargino can decay to squark and quark, missing energy is also a poor signature for the chargino. Properties of 4-jet events originating from squarks are discussed. ALEPH{close_quote}s preliminary report of an excess of 4-jet events with a peak in total dijet mass of 109 GeV (not confirmed by other experiments) is analyzed in terms of {ital S}{sub {ital qS}}{sup {asterisk}}{sub {ital q}} and chargino pair production. {copyright} {ital 1996 The American Physical Society.}
A microdischarge-based neutron radiation detector utilizing sputtered gadolinium films for neutron conversion

Microfabricated detectors can be used to provide first alert information about the presence of radiation sources. This paper describes a miniature Geiger-Muller microdischarge-based device that can be used to detect neutrons. The detector uses thin film gadolinium (Gd) layers to convert thermal neutrons into fast electrons and gamma rays which are then detected by gas breakdown. The detector electrodes are lithographically micromachined from stainless steel 304, stacked in a cathode-anode-cathode arrangement, separated by spacers, and assembled within a commercial TO-5 package. The detector diameter and height are 9 and 9.6 mm and it weighs 0.97 g. The detector performance is characterized using two sealed isotope sources 252Cf (which is a neutron and gamma emitter) and 137Cs (which is a pure gamma emitter). The detector is tested in an Ar environment at atmospheric pressure and applied bias of 285 V. For a 90 μCi 252Cf neutron source placed at a distance of 10 cm from the detector, total neutron count rate was typically 8.7 counts per minute (cpm) with background radiation of 1.2 cpm.
Human papillomavirus, abstinence, and the other risks

A century after syphilis first appeared in London, William Shakespeare knew the risk of trusting your sexual partner. Neither abstinence nor the marriage bed was a space safe from such diseases. Honesty, as Shakespeare observes in As You Like It, is rarely found in human sexual relations.
Comparing Immigrant Integration in North America and Western Europe: How Much Do the Grand Narratives Tell Us?

In comparing different countries, studies often seek to account for the success of immigrant integration, or lack of it, in a small number of “grand ideas,” such as nationally specific “models” of integration, which attempt to provide overarching explanations for cross-national differences and similarities. This article evaluates five grand ideas in light of our study examining how four European (Britain, France, Germany, and the Netherlands) and two North American (U.S., Canada) countries are meeting the challenges of integrating immigrants and their second-generation children across a variety of domains from the labor market, to the educational system, to the polity. We conclude that while some of the grand ideas help to illuminate patterns of integration in particular domains, none provides a sufficiently encompassing explanation – and each has significant failings. Moreover, none of these ideas highlights all of the features that we argue are critical, although these do not boil down to one “grand narrative.” These features are the characteristics or qualities that immigrants bring with them when they move to Europe or North America; demographic and other social and economic trends there; and, perhaps most important, institutionally rooted social, political, and economic institutions in each receiving society that create barriers as well as bridges to integration and inclusion. Grand narratives loom large in the comparative literature on immigration. In comparing different countries, academic studies often seek to account for the success of immigrant integration, or lack of it, in a small number of “grand ideas,” which attempt to provide all-encompassing explanations for cross-national differences and similarities: macro models of integration,
EVALUATION OF THE PHYSICAL AND SENSORY PROPERTIES OF JERKY PROCESSED FROM BEEF HEART AND TONGUE

Eighteen beef jerky formulations (nine treatments, 3 muscle types X 3 cooking times X 2 replications) were prepared from USDA Good top rounds, hearts, and tongues obtained from a commercial source. Muscles were sliced, cured 3 days and cooked at 64 Cfor 12, 14 and 16 h. All treatments were evaluated for visual, sensory, chemical and cost analysis. Jerky produced from beef heart reduced final cost by 43%; however, visual and flavor properties of beef heart jerky were less desirable than jerky prepared from top round. Tongue jerky products were high in fat, extremely expensive and would be undesirable for today's health-oriented consumer. Top round beef jerky was the most desirable based upon sensory analysis, but heart jerky was highest in protein and lowest in fat. Further work may increase the possibility of reducing jerky costs by improving the color and flavor of beef heart jerky.
Characterization of enterococci populations collected from a subsurface flow constructed wetland.

Aims: The aim of this study was to identify and characterize the population of Enterococcus sp. in domestic wastewater as it flows through a constructed wetland. Methods and Results: Four hundred and eighty-four Enterococcus isolates were collected from the inlet, various sites within and from the outlet of a plastic lined constructed wetland in College Station, TX. The wetland treated septic tank effluent that passed sequentially through two 1·89 m3 septic tanks and a 1·89 m3 pump tank allowing 48 l doses at a 24 l min−1 rate. The Enterococcus isolates were identified to species using the commercial Biolog system. The 484 Enterococcus isolates were comprised of ten different species, including Enterococcus faecalis (30·6%), Enterococcus pseudoavium (24·0%), Enterococcus casseliflavus (12·8%), Enterococcus faecium (11·2%), Enterococcus mundtii (7·9%), Enterococcus gallinarum (6·2%), Enterococcus dispar (3·7%), Enterococcus hirae (2·1%), Enterococcus durans and Enterococcus flavescens both 0·8%. Of the 88 isolates collected from the inlet, only 9·1% of the isolates were identified as Ent. faecalis and Ent. pseudoavium (36·4%) was identified as the predominant species. Whereas of the 74 isolates collected from the outlet, the predominant species were identified as Ent. faecalis (29·7%). Species identification varied among sites within the wetland, but often Ent. faecalis was the predominant species. Conclusions: Our data suggest that while Ent. faecalis is the predominant species of Enterococcus found in domestic wastewater, the populations may shift during treatment as the wastewater flows through the constructed wetland. Significance and Impact of the Study: We found that shifts in Enterococcus species composition occurred during domestic wastewater treatment. This has implications for the identification of faecal pollution based on the presence of specific bacterial types associated with domestic wastewater.
Release of endogenous catecholamines from isolated rat brain tissue by fenfluramine and N-ethylamphetamine—effects of pargyline

Abstract The influence of the monoamine oxidase inhibitor, pargyline. upon the release of endogenous norepinephrine from chopped rat cerebral cortex and endogenous dopamine from chopped rat corpus striatum by fenfluramine and N -ethylamphetamine was examined. Endogenous norepinephrine and dopamine were measured using an enzymatic-isotopic assay. Both fenfluramine and N -ethylamphetamine released significant amounts of each catecholamine. Fenfluramine-induced catecholamine release was associated with the decrease in the total content (i.e. catecholamine in media + catecholamine in tissue) of both cortical norepinephrine and striatal dopamine; N -elhylamphetamine decreased only total striatal dopamine content. In brain tissue obtained from rats pretreated with pargyline HCl (100 mg/kg, 12 hr prior to sacrifice), total cortical norepinephrine content was approximately twice that in the absence of pargyline: striatal dopamine was unchanged. Pargyline pretreatment also resulted in a marked potentiation of the amounts of both catecholamines released by each drug. and in an antagonism of the above drug-induced reductions in catecholamine content. Additionally, after pargyline pretreatment. N -ethylamphetamine reduced total cortical norepinephrine content. When pargyline (2.56 × 10 −1 M) was added to the media containing chopped cortical tissue from unpretreated animals, control content was slightly increased. Only fenfluramine-induced norepinephrine release was potentiated and the degree of potentiation was less than that observed after pargyline pretreatment. As with pargyline in vivo , pargyline in vitro also resulted in an antagonism of the fenfluramine-induced decrease in total norepinephrine and was associated with an N -ethylamphetamine-induced decrease in norepinephrine content. Since the locomotor stimulant effects of both fenfluramine and N -ethylamphetamine are potentiated after pargyline. the data are consistent with the importance of catecholamines to these effects. The data also suggest that pargyline potentiates the behavioral effects of fenfluramine and N -ethylamphetamine in part by increasing the pool of norepinephrine available for release by these drugs and in part by inhibiting the deamination of the released norepinephrine and dopamine by monoamine oxidase. Decreases in total norepinephrine produced by N -ethylamphetamine may reflect alterations in the formation of O -methylated amines.
Phase-referenced Stellar Interferometry at the Palomar Testbed Interferometer

We discuss implementation and testing of phase referencing at the Palomar Testbed Interferometer. A new instrument configuration provides a coherent integration of 10 or 20 ms on a bright star while stabilizing the fringe phase of a nearby (20'') and faint visual companion, allowing coherent integration times of at least 250 ms. Observations have been made of several visual binaries, including 16 Cyg AB (mK = 4.5 and mK = 4.6) and HD 173648/49 (mK = 4.3 and mK ~ 5) to test the performance of the technique. These measurements also demonstrate that phase-referenced visibility measurements can be calibrated at the level of 3%–7%.
LITTLE CHANNELS, BIG DISEASE: USING MICROFLUIDICS TO INVESTIGATE CANCER METASTASIS

The leading cause of death in human patients with malignant cancer is the dissemination of the primary tumor to secondary sites throughout the body. It is well known that cancers metastasize to certain tissues (e.g. breast cancer typically spreads to the lungs. brain and bone), in a pattern that cannot be explained by blood flow from the primary tumor or simple mechanical arrest. Circulating tumor cells usually arrest in the microvasculature of target tissues. At these sites, they must adhere to the endothelium, survive, proliferate and extravasate in order to form a secondary tumor. In vitro tools that appropriately mimic the microvasculature in which cancer metastasis occurs have been largely unavailable. With the advent of microfluidic and nanotechnology, we can now more accurately model the complexity of the microvascular environment, in terms of representative endothelial cells, geometry, shear stress and exposure to organ-specific environmental cues. This talk will focus on the use of microfluidic devices to explore mechanisms involved in tumor-endothelial cell interactions that govern cancer metastasis to organ specific sites.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
A context tree method for multistage fault detection and isolation with applications to commercial video broadcasting systems

Many systems have distributed functionalities among several autonomous components. Such complex systems can generally be described by finite state machines whose behavior is often non-linear and context-dependent. This paper proposes a generic system model based on context trees to predict system behavior for the purpose of fault detection and isolation in a multistage serial system. The approach starts with learning multistage model structures by capturing the expected statistical distribution of the input/output at different stages. The estimated model is then employed to detect departures by comparing the contexts of the new system output with a set of optimal contexts for each stage using the Kullback–Leibler divergence measure. Problems can then be isolated to the stage that contributes the most to these differences. The methodology is demonstrated by an application in commercial video broadcasting systems.
The effects of a chronic limitation of sleep length.

Fifteen male subjects (Ss) were studied once each week while on a sleep regime of 5 1/2 hrs of sleep a night for 60 days. The electroencephalogram and electro-oculogram were recorded in the laboratory once each week. Performance was measured each week using the Wilkinson Vigilance Task, the Wilkinson Addition Test, and a word memory test, and grip strength was measured using a hand dynomometer. The Zung Depression Scale and the Gough Adjective Check List were used to measure mood. The Ss completed a sleep log on a daily basis. The effect on sleep of the restricted regime was to initially increase the absolute amount of stage 4 sleep. But by the 5th week of the study the stage 4 amount decreased to near baseline levels. The initial effect on REM sleep was to sharply reduce this type of sleep when compared with baseline values. During the course of the experiment there was a REM deprivation of some 25% of baseline values and 30 min in absolute amount. During the course of the experiment the latency to the onset of the first stage 4 and the latency to the first REM period were reduced. Only the Wilkinson Vigilance Task showed a decline in performance associated with continued restricted sleep. The sleep logs revealed that initially the Ss experienced difficulty in arousing from sleep in the morning and felt drowsy during the day, but these effects did not continue throughout the experiment. The mood scales showed no changes associated with continuing to sleep 5 1/5 hrs a night. These findings suggest that a chronic loss of sleep as much as 2 1/2 hours a night is not likely to result in major behavioral consequences.
Contribution of stress to free energy in thin films

Abstract Stress can affect thin films much more strongly than it affects bulk quantities since it can be orders of magnitude larger for thin films (up to 104 kg cm−2). This paper assesses the contribution of stress to free energy, first generally, and then specifically in thin films. The study is intended to be the beginning of a general study of the thermodynamic properties of thin films. Equations for the effective contribution of stress to free energy are set up by modifying Gibb's free-energy equation, and it is shown that phase diagrams for stressed thin films can differ appreciably from those for bulk. By using the directional properties of elastic constants, preferential precipitation for different atomic planes can be predicted. In a thin film, moreover, phases can occur at temperatures lower or higher than those predicted from bulk phase diagrams, which ignore the effect of stress; also solid solubility limits are different.
An analysis of the decarburization and aging processes in 2 1/4 Cr−1 Mo steel

Specimens of 2 1/4 Cr−1 Mo steel that had been decarburized in sodium or aged in an inert atmosphere for 26,500 h at 839 K were metallurgically examined with optical and transmission electron microscopy. The carbide particle density of the decarburized and aged specimens was considerably less after 26,500 h than after 10,000 h, with the density in the aged specimen being considerably greater than that in the decarburized specimen. For the aged specimen, the density decrease was a result of Ostwald ripening, and the total amount of carbide was not noticeably affected. Decarburization, however, resulted in a gradient in carbide density, with the smallest density near the surface. Carbides were electrolytically extracted and identified by X-ray diffraction. From the before-test material, which was in the annealed condition and had a ferrite-pearlite microstructure, 1.4 wt pct carbide was obtained. This sample contained M3C, M23C6, and M6C, with M23C6 constituting the major portion. In the aged specimen, 2.3 wt pct of precipitate was extracted and contained 60 pct M6C, the balance M23C6. The decarburized specimen contained two regions with different carbide contents. The first 20 pct of the 1.6 mm thick (0.063 in.) specimen yielded 1.3 wt pct precipitate, which contained 94 pct M6C, the balance M23C6. The interior of the specimen contained 1.6 wt pct precipitate, 86 pct M6C.
Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase/Akt Signaling Is Neither Required for Hypoxic Stabilization of HIF-1α nor Sufficient for HIF-1-dependent Target Gene Transcription

The serine/threonine kinase Akt/PKB and the oxygen-responsive transcription factor HIF-1 share the ability to induce such processes as angiogenesis, glucose uptake, and glycolysis. Akt activity and HIF-1 are both essential for development and implicated in tumor growth. Upon activation by products of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), Akt phosphorylates downstream targets that stimulate growth and inhibit apoptosis. Previous reports suggest that Akt may achieve its effects on angiogenesis and glucose metabolism by stimulating HIF-1 activity. We report here that, whereas serum stimulation can induce a slight accumulation of HIF-1α protein in a PI3K/Akt pathway-dependent fashion, hypoxia induces much higher levels of HIF-1α protein and HIF-1 DNA binding activity independently of PI3K and mTOR activity. In addition, we find the effects of constitutively active Akt on HIF-1 activity are cell-type specific. High levels of Akt signaling can modestly increase HIF-1α protein, but this increase does not affect HIF-1 target gene expression. Therefore, the PI3K/Akt pathway is not necessary for hypoxic induction of HIF-1 subunits or activity, and constitutively active Akt is not itself sufficient to induce HIF-1 activity.
The Master Settlement Agreement and cigarette tax policy

Abstract The Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) of 1998 between U.S. states and tobacco companies was a significant development in tobacco tax policy both in its scope and magnitude. However, formal investigations of the impacts of this deal are relatively scarce. Using a panel state-level data, this paper examines the impact of the MSA on cigarette tax policy at the state level in a political-economy context. The data cover the 1991–2004 period and include all the payments under the MSA that the states have received through 2004. Our results show that both economic and political factors have important influences on state cigarette taxes. Specifically, state cigarette taxes have gone up with greater MSA payments, for the 46 states that signed the Agreement and with individual income. States also tend to ratchet their taxes up when federal excise taxes go up. In contrast, the political considerations of greater number of smokers and tobacco producers seem to have a moderating effect on taxes. Finally, the considerations of revenue leakages to cross-border sales induce states to keep their tax increases smaller than those of their neighbors. Policy implications are discussed.
Synthesis and Characterization of Lithium, Zirconium, and Hafnium Derivatives of N-Isopropyl-2-(isopropylamino)troponiminate

The reaction of N-isopropyl-2-(isopropylamino)troponimine, [(i-Pr)2ATI]H, with n-BuLi in Et2O−THF gave [(i-Pr)2ATI]Li(THF)2 in excellent yield. The [(i-Pr)2ATI]2ZrCl2 and [(i-Pr)2ATI]2HfCl2 complexes were prepared by treating the respective metal tetrachlorides with 2 equiv of the lithium adduct. These metal complexes were characterized by NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography. X-ray crystallographic data of the lithium, zirconium, and hafnium complexes show monomeric structures in the solid state. The lithium complex has a tetrahedral lithium ion and a slightly twisted C7N2Li framework. The zirconium and hafnium metal centers in [(i-Pr)2ATI]2ZrCl2 and [(i-Pr)2ATI]2HfCl2 show pseudooctahedral geometry with chlorides occupying the cis positions. The dialkyl derivative [(i-Pr)2ATI]2Zr(CH2SiMe3)2 was prepared by treating Zr(CH2SiMe3)4 with 2 equiv of the free ligand [(i-Pr)2ATI]H. Crystal data with Mo Kα (λ = 0.710 73 A) at 193 K: [(i-Pr)2ATI]Li(THF)2, C21H35LiN2O2, a = 9.2318(8) A, b = 14.624(2) A, c ...
A Socio-Historical Portrait of Death Education.

Abstract A historical analysis of the evolution of death education in the classroom over the past 50 years is presented. Scholars, authors, and others who have been influential in the growth of death education as an academic discipline are enumerated. Also discussed are some of the critical issues of the field today and over the next few years.
p-ADIC AND COMBINATORIAL PROPERTIES OF MODULAR FORM COEFFICIENTS

For two particular classes of elliptic curves, we establish congruences relating the coefficients of their corresponding modular forms to combinatorial objects. These congruences resemble a supercongruence for the Apery numbers conjectured by Beukers and proved by Ahlgren and Ono in [1]. We also consider the trace Tr2k(Γ0(N), n) of the Hecke operator Tn acting on the space of cusp forms S2k(Γ0(N)). We show that for (n, N) = 1, these traces interpolate p-adically in the weight aspect.
Glucose-Independent Glutamine Metabolism via TCA Cycling for Proliferation and Survival in B Cells

Because MYC plays a causal role in many human cancers, including those with hypoxic and nutrient-poor tumor microenvironments, we have determined the metabolic responses of a MYC-inducible human Burkitt lymphoma model P493 cell line to aerobic and hypoxic conditions, and to glucose deprivation, using stable isotope-resolved metabolomics. Using [U-(13)C]-glucose as the tracer, both glucose consumption and lactate production were increased by MYC expression and hypoxia. Using [U-(13)C,(15)N]-glutamine as the tracer, glutamine import and metabolism through the TCA cycle persisted under hypoxia, and glutamine contributed significantly to citrate carbons. Under glucose deprivation, glutamine-derived fumarate, malate, and citrate were significantly increased. Their (13)C-labeling patterns demonstrate an alternative energy-generating glutaminolysis pathway involving a glucose-independent TCA cycle. The essential role of glutamine metabolism in cell survival and proliferation under hypoxia and glucose deficiency makes them susceptible to the glutaminase inhibitor BPTES and hence could be targeted for cancer therapy.
Shaping urban transport policies in China: Will copying foreign policies work?

Abstract After decades of rapid economic growth, Chinese cities now face serious urban transport challenges, such as congestion, air pollution, energy shortage, and global climate change. Efficient and equitable urban transport policies are essential to China’s sustainable development, in which urbanization plays a critical role. Can Chinese cities solve these challenges by copying or modeling the policies of other nations? This paper argues that understanding the unique contexts of Chinese cities is necessary for predicting whether policies implemented elsewhere will perform well in China. The study explores four examples of hotly contested urban transport policies. The previous experience of each policy is compared with its likely efficiency and distributional consequences in China. Specific attention is paid to how the policy context – the spatial and institutional characteristics of the Chinese cities – can affect the adoption of foreign urban transport policies in China. Suggestions regarding the four policies are proposed to policy makers, followed by conclusions and discussions.
TH-E-214-05: Magnetic Nanoparticle Biomarkers in Thermal Therapy and Screening

Magnetic nanoparticles have many diagnostic and therapeutic applications. We have developed methods of interrogating the microscopic environment surrounding magnetic nanoparticles that can be used in vivo. This set of methods is termed magnetic spectroscopy of nanoparticleBrownian motion (MSB) and is capable of evaluating any physical effect that affects the Brownian motion of the nanoparticles; e.g., temperature, viscosity, and chemical binding. MSB is capable of human use throughout the body. Two applications where these methods show significant promise are in planning nanoparticlecancer therapy and ovarian cancer screening. Cancer therapy using magnetic nanoparticles activated with an alternating magnetic field preferentially kills cancercells both in vitro and in vivo. In vitro experiments have shown that the microscopic proximity of the nanoparticle to the targeted cells is of central importance when activating the nanoparticles, that is, nanoparticles that are in vesicles are more cytotoxic than those in the media surrounding the cells. Therefore, it is important to understand where the nanoparticles are before magnetic field activation. We have applied MSB to directly measure the nanoparticle microscopic state. Specifically, the progression of nanoparticle endocytosis can be monitored rapidly and non‐invasively. Once the nanoparticles are in intracellular vesicles, they are more effective cytotoxic agents when activated with an external magnetic field. Ovarian cancer screening is another application of magnetic nanoparticles that shows significant promise. Ovarian cancer has a high cure rate if found early but a very poor survival rate if found at an advanced state. Unfortunately ovarian cancer is rarely found early so an effective early detection method would save many lives. Dendrites or phagocytes quickly phagocytose magnetic nanoparticles injected into the peritoneal cavity. Cytokine signaling draws phagocytes to malignancies and they bring the endocytosed magnetic nanoparticles with them. MSB methods have been used to detect the resulting collection of magnetic nanoparticles. The result is immunologic nanoparticle targeting. Magnetic detection of the nanoparticles in a unique genetic mouse model for ovarian cancer has shown the method can identify microscopic ovarian malignancies.
DECISIVE TESTS OF HIGH-ENERGY MODELS.

Regge-pole and strong-absorption (diffractive) models are based upon fundamentally different physical postulates. Although both reproduce available $\frac{d\ensuremath{\sigma}}{\mathrm{dt}}$ and polarization data, profound differences are evident in basic amplitude structure. We show that measurements of the spin-rotation parameters $R$ and $A$, for any high-energy exchange process, will determine structure of amplitudes and thus provide unambiguous tests of essential assumptions in the models. We examine explicitly the experimentally feasible reactions $\ensuremath{\pi}N\ensuremath{\rightarrow}K(\ensuremath{\Lambda},\ensuremath{\Sigma})$, $\overline{K}N\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\pi}(\ensuremath{\Lambda},\ensuremath{\Sigma})$, and $\ensuremath{\gamma}p\ensuremath{\rightarrow}K(\ensuremath{\Lambda},\ensuremath{\Sigma})$, as well as multiparticle processes.
The mediating effect of sleep quality on the relationship between PTSD and physical activity.

Study Objectives:Physical inactivity is linked to health outcomes such as obesity, diabetes, and psychiatric disorders. Sleep disturbance has been linked to the same adverse outcomes. We examine th...
Counting subsets of contingency tables

We describe multistage Markov chain Monte Carlo (MSMCMC) procedures which, in addition to estimating the total number of contingency tables with given positive row and column sums, estimate the number, $$Q$$ Q , and the proportion, $$P$$ P , of those tables that satisfy an additional, possibly, nonlinear constraint. Three Options, A, B, and C, are studied. Options A and B exploit locally optimal statistical properties whereas judicious assignment of a particular parameter of Option C allows estimation with approximately minimal standard error. Ten examples of varying dimensions and total entries illustrate and compare the procedures, where $$Q$$ Q and $$P$$ P denote the number and proportion of chi-squared statistics less than a given value. For both small and large dimensional tables, the comparisons favor Options A and B for moderate $$P$$ P and Option C for small $$P$$ P . Additional comparison with sequential importance sampling estimates favors the latter for small dimensional tables and moderate $$P$$ P but favors Option C for large dimensional tables for both small and moderate $$P$$ P . The proposed options extend an earlier MSMCMC technique for estimating total count and, in principle, can be further extended to incorporate additional constraints.
ON THE LAGRANGE MULTIPLIER TEST FOR AUTOREGRESSIVE MOVING-AVERAGE MODELS

. This paper examines the score or Lagrange multiplier statistic for testing the adequacy of a fitted autoregressive moving-average model and gives a simple closed-form expression for this test statistic. Some singularities arising as the order of the alternative model is increased are examined.
Function-Level Processor (FLP): A High Performance, Minimal Bandwidth, Low Power Architecture for Market-Oriented MPSoCs

This letter introduces function-level processors (FLPs) to fill the flexibility/efficiency gap between instruction-level processors (ILPs) and hardware accelerators (HWACCs). Compared to an ILP, an FLP has a coarser programmability at function-level constructed out of configurable function blocks (FBs) implementing market-oriented functions. FBs are connected via a MUX-based programmable interconnect, tuned for envisioned application flows, for realizing flexible macro pipelines. We demonstrate FLP benefits with an industry example of the pipeline-vision processor (PVP). Mapping six embedded vision applications, the PVP offers up to 22.4 GOPs/s with average power of 120 mW; consuming 17x and 6x less power than compared ILP and ${\rm ILP} + {\rm HWACCs}$ approaches.
Plasma angiopoietin-2 levels increase in children following cardiopulmonary bypass

The aim was to investigate the effects of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) on plasma levels of the vascular growth factors, angiopoietin (angpt)-1, angpt-2, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). The design was a prospective, clinical investigation. The setting was a 12-bed pediatric cardiac intensive care unit of a tertiary children’s medical center. The patients were 48 children (median age, 5 months) undergoing surgical correction or palliation of congenital heart disease who were prospectively enrolled following informed consent. There were no interventions in this study. Plasma samples were obtained at baseline and at 0, 6, and 24 h following CPB. Angpt-1, angpt-2, and VEGF levels were measured via commercial ELISA. Angpt-2 levels increased by 6 h (0.95, IQR 0.43–2.08 ng mL−1 vs. 4.62, IQR 1.16–6.93 ng mL−1, P < 0.05) and remained significantly elevated at 24 h after CPB (1.85, IQR 0.70–2.76 ng mL−1; P < 0.05). Angpt-1 levels remained unchanged immediately after CPB, but were significantly decreased at 24 h after CPB (0.64, IQR 0.40–1.62 ng mL−1 vs. 1.99, IQR 1.23–2.63 ng mL−1, P < 0.05). Angpt-2 levels correlated significantly with cardiac intensive care unit (CICU) length of stay (LOS) and were an independent predictor for CICU LOS on subsequent multivariate analysis. Angpt-2 appears to be an important biomarker of adverse outcome following CPB in children.
Thermal stability of a Cu/Ta multilayer : An intriguing interfacial reaction

Abstract When a Cu/Ta multilayer is formed by sputtering, it is found that the Cu has the equilibrium f.c.c. structure whereas the Ta is in a metastable tetragonal ( β -Ta) form. The transformation of the latter into the stable b.c.c. phase ( α -Ta), in the presence of Cu, is the subject of the present study. We observed that for a Ta film alone without Cu, the phase transformation starts at about 800°C. In a Cu/ β -Ta multilayer, we found from X-ray diffraction analysis that a large amount of β -Ta already transformed into b.c.c.-Ta upon annealing at 700°C, which is much lower than the transformation temperature of Ta by itself. Our transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis furthermore reveals that during annealing at around 600°C, small α -Ta grains nucleate at the Cu/ β -Ta interface and grow into Cu. Annealing at 800°C results in a complete transformation of the multilayer into the agglomeration of separate Cu and α -Ta grains. Also, we observed that an amorphous layer about 2 nm thick forms upon annealing at 500°C in the Cu/ β -Ta system, which has a slightly positive heat of mixing. In energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analysis, the Cu/ β -Ta interface of as-deposited samples is found to be chemically discrete, while the Cu/ β -Ta interface of a 600°C annealed sample shows extensive interdiffusion and the amorphous layer formed at the interface is found to be a mixed layer of Cu and Ta. Upon annealing at a higher temperature (800°C), no amorphous layer appears and the interface is found to be chemically abrupt. We conclude that the microstructural change of the multilayer is the process of the Ta phase transformation and this occurs through the interaction with Cu. We, furthermore, discuss the amorphization in the Cu–Ta system based on a calculated free energy diagram.
Near ultraviolet inactivation studies on Escherichia coli tryptophanase and tryptophan synthetase.

— –The response of two pyridoxal-phosphate-requiring enzymes of E. coli, tryptophanase and tryptophan synthetase, to near UV light (320–400 nm) has been studied. Tryptophanase is inactivated both in vivo and in vitro, but tryptophan synthetase is resistant to near UV under both conditions. This shows that near UV inactivation is not general for pyridoxal-phosphate-requiring enzymes. Substrate protection against light inactivation is demonstrated for tryptophanase. It is furthermore shown that pyridoxal phosphate is required for inactivation of this enzyme. However, the action spectrum for this inactivation does not coincide with the absorption spectrum of tryptophanase or of pyridoxal phosphate.
Effects of Grading Standards Information, Assigned Grade, and Grade Discrepancies on Students' Evaluations

The present study investigated the influence of information on grading standards and assigned grades on expected grades and students' ratings of instruction. Introductory psychology students (n = 117) first viewed a videotaped lecture and completed an examination over the content. Using a 3 × 3 factorial design, students were randomly assigned to one of three conditions of information on instructors' grading (hard, fair, easy) and, based on their examination scores, to one of three conditions of assigned grades (A, B, C). The students were then asked to indicate their expected grades and complete teacher-rating forms. Students who were assigned higher grades rated the instructor higher on three of the four factors than students who were assigned lower grades. Students in the easy grading information condition rated the instructor's grading standards as being more fair. Finally, students who received higher grades than expected rated the instructor more favorably than students who received lower grades tha...
The Association of Glucose Variability and Home Discharge Among Survivors of Critical Illness Managed With a Computerized Decision-Support Tool for Glycemic Control.

In–intensive care unit (ICU) glucose variability (GV) is associated with increased mortality. However, the impact of GV on hospital survivors’ morbidity and associated changes in destination at time of hospital discharge are unknown. We studied a retrospective patient cohort in a medical/surgical ICU, requiring insulin infusion, using computer-guided insulin dosing software. Standard deviation (GluSD) and coefficient of variation (GluCV) were used as GV measures. We examined rates of home discharge (H) in the whole cohort and selected subgroups across GV quartiles, between patients with and without H, determinants of H, and determinants of GV and its association with patients’ ICU length of stay (LOS). A total of 351 patients met study criteria. The association of GV and H varied among examined subgroups. H increased with GV quartile (GluSD; P = .004). GV was higher in patients with H than non-H (GluSD 36.1 vs 30.0 mg/dl, respectively; P = .002). Increased GV was not a predictor of reduced H on multivariate analysis. GV was inversely associated with patients’ ICU LOS in all examined subgroups. Increased number of hypoglycemic events and time to attain target glycemia were independent predictors of reduced H. GV was not associated with adverse impact on H in the present cohort, and its prognostic impact should be considered in the context of ICU LOS of examined patient populations. Further studies are needed to examine the morbidity effects of GV and other glycemia-related measures among hospital survivors of critical illness across varying ICU populations, glycemic control approaches, and glycemic targets.
L-filter design using the gradient search algorithm

The application of the gradient search algorithm for adaptive determination of the optimal L-filter coefficients is discussed. Specifically, the case of symmetric noise densities is investigated with respect to the convergence properties of LMS algorithm. Analytical results are presented and supported by simulation experiments for appropriate signal models.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The interaction between dislocations and intergranular cracks

The elastic interactions of dislocations and intergranular cracks in isotropic materials have been studied. In the first part of the paper, a model based on the Rice–Thomson theory is established under which the conditions for dislocation emission and crack propagation can be described in terms of an emission surface, cleavage surface, and loading line in the local k-space associated with a mixed mode intergranular crack. For a given crack, the local k-field changes with the emission of dislocations from the crack tip, which alters the balance of cleavage and emission. In the second part, we present experimental results of in situ TEM observations of intergranular cracks in molybdenum. Alternating brittle crack propagation and dislocation emission is observed. The number of emitted dislocations corresponding to each crack propagation is in good agreement with the calculated values.
Measurements of Self-Excited Rotor-Blade Vibrations Using Optical Displacements

The characteristics of optical displacement spectra and their role of monitoring rotor blade vibrations are discussed. During the operation of a turbofan engine at part speed, near stall, and elevated inlet pressure and temperature, several vibratory instabilities were excited simultaneously on the first fan rotor. The torsional and bending contributions to the main flutter mode were resolved by using casing-mounted optical displacement sensors. Other instabilities in the blade deflection spectra were identified. Previously announced in STAR as N83-14523
A comparative study of YBa2Cu3O7 microwave hairpin filters vs. aluminum microwave hairpin filters

Abstract We have fabricated microstrip hairpin bandpass filters using YBa2Cu3O7 and aluminum on LaAlO3. The insertion loss and bandwidth difference between the two identical (except for their conductor) devices has been used to estimate the unloaded Q of the aluminum resonators. The estimated unloaded Q of the aluminum resonators was 28. This is used to discuss why aluminum filters and resonators fabricated on silicon have not exhibited a response when YBa2Cu3O7 resonators and filters fabricated on identical silicon substrates have shown results consistent with the loss tangent of the silicon substrate.
High frequency dynamic nuclear polarization in solids and liquids: Why two electrons are better than one

Over the last few years we have developed two gyrotron microwave sources that operate at frequencies of 140 GHz (lambda = 2.14 mm) and 250 GHz (tildelambda = 1.2 mm), and a third that is under development at ~460 GHz (lambda = 0.65 mm) that permit DNP enhanced NMR (DNP/NMR) experiments in magnetic fields of 5-16.4 T (1H NMR frequencies of 211, 380, and 700 MHz, respectively). We review the instrumentation (low temperature MAS probes, microwave transmission lines, and gyrotron sources) used for these experiments. In addition, we discuss two mechanisms that are currently used for DNP experiments in insulating solids at high fields-the solid effect and thermal mixing/cross effect-and the paramagnetic polarizing agents appropriate for each. These include a new class of biradicals that enable increased enhancements at reduced concentrations of the paramagnetic center. In addition, we discuss applications of DNP/NMR that illustrate its utility in enhancing signal-to-noise in MAS NMR spectra of a variety of biological systems including bacteriorhodopsin and its photocycle intermediates and amyloid fibrils whose structures are of considerable scientific interest. In particular we review results that illustrate enhancements that are routinely available and range from 40-340 depending on experimental variables such as temperature, magnetic field, microwave B1, polarizing agent, etc. Finally, we describe extensions of these experiments that permit observation of 13C liquid state spectra where we have observed enhancements of 140-400 in small molecules and a protein.
Multifrequency studies of bright radio supernova remnants. 2: W49B

We report radio observations of the supernova remnant W49B using the Very Large Array (VLA) of the NRAO at 90, 20, and 6 cm. This work continues the study of the properties of young, bright supernova remnants (SNRs) begun with 3C 391 (Moffett & Reynolds 1994). Here we present high-resolution images of total intensity, polarization, and spectral index of W49B. In large-scale morphology it is basically a box-shaped remnant expanding into an apparently inhomogeneous medium, but we also find small-scale structures, arcs and filaments, which lie interior to the outer shell in projection. The actual spatial position of the filaments is unknown, though we suspect that they are in the remnant interior rather than on the front or back face of the blast wave. In addition, their distribution in two dimensions suggests the projection of a helical structure. The shell edge, sharply rising in brightness for at least 3/4 of its circumference, still remains unresolved at our highest resolution (4 sec). This for our assumed distance of 8 kpc, the width of the region in which the emission appears is less than 0.16 pc, indicating short mean free paths for shock-accelerated electrons and high levels of MHD turbulence presumably causing the scattering. We find no polarized flux at 90 or 20 cm, with 3 sigma upper limits in polarized intensity of 36 mJy at 90 cm (45 sec resolution) and 7.2 mJy at 20 cm (5 sec resolution), or 22 micro-Jy/sq arcsec and 370 micro-jy/sq arcsec, respectively, for any emission extended on those scales. Polarized flux is present at 6 cm, but at a very low mean polarized fraction (total polarized flux divided by total flux) of 0.44% +/- 0.06%, which, as for 3C 391, is much lower than typical for bright SNRs at this frequency. The morphology in polarized intensity is poorly correlated with that in total intensity. We see excursions in the polarized fraction up to at least 10% in a few locations, but even where polarization is seen, typical levels are a few percent. Tangled or disordered magnetic fields in the emitting region of the radio shell may be responsible for depolarizing the radio synchrotron radiation, but some form of internal Faraday depolarization may also occur. We estimate the foreground Faraday rotation measure to be about -450 rad/sq m, similar to that found for 3C 391, which is also the Galactic plane and just about as distant. Spectral index images created from the total intensity images show that the spectral index across W49B is constant to within about Delta alpha approximately 0.1 in bright regions. This result weakly supports a common origin of the radio-emitting electrons, as in the blast wave, rather than in inhomogeneous turbulent regions of differing properties due to the stochastic (second-order Fermi) acceleration process. Variations at the level of Delta alpha approximately 0.1 are seen, but their significance is doubtful. New observations at 90 cm, using experimental three-dimensional imaging technology, may improve on this limit.
4 Breaking Down Binaries: Gender, Art, and Tools in Ancient Costa Rica

Giant metate-like stone sculptures, found in all regions of Costa Rica, though in various forms, continue to fascinate researchers. Archaeologists contrast these sculptures with other, more utilitarian metates in order to determine their purpose and meaning. They create two groups—metates used by women for grinding subsistence foods and elaborate metates used by men for ritual purposes. This chapter challenges the binaries of tool/art, utilitarian/elaborate, and female/male that essentialize gender and homogenize historical variability. Figurine and burial data demonstrate women's connection to elaborate metates and ritual. In addition, ceramic figurines depict flexibility in gender roles at least within the stratum of ancient Costa Rican society that they depicted. This instance of stereotyped gender attribution and the absence of attention to the possible dynamism of women's lives shows the importance of a feminist approach to archaeology and the need to draw on multiple lines of evidence to answer archaeological questions.
Everyday Forgetting: Data from a Diary Study

50 subjects were asked to keep a diary of instances in which they realized they had forgotten something. The 750 forgettings recorded were grouped on the basis of nominal similarity, with 64% of them falling into one of 24 categories. The major categories included forgetting to comply with requests, failures of habitual actions, absentmindedness, and forgetting to bring something. Most failures involved the forgetting to perform a future action (i.e., forgetting to do something) as opposed to forgetting facts, names, or other information once known. These results suggest that the failure to retrieve the intention to do something at the appropriate time is the source of many forgettings, and this finding may have implications for the construction of memory inventories.