cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fast (incremental) algorithms for useful classes of simple temporal problems with preferences

In this paper, we will provide a fast polynomialtime algorithm for solving simple temporal problems (STPs) with piecewise linear convex preference functions and a utilitarian objective function. Our algorithm is motivated by the study of the linear programming (LP)-dual of a given mincost circulation problem (MCCP). We will also show how this duality relationship between simple temporal problems with preferences (STPPs) and MCCPs leads to fast incremental algorithms for solving the former. Our algorithms bear important implications in planning, scheduling and execution monitoring scenarios where (partial) plans are subject to repeated changes, and the most preferred solutions to the underlying STPPs have to be computed and updated fast (incrementally).
Nonmicrobicidal Small Molecule Inhibition of Polysaccharide Metabolism in Human Gut Microbes: A Potential Therapeutic Avenue

A new approach for the nonmicrobicidal phenotypic manipulation of prominent gastrointestinal microbes is presented. Low micromolar concentrations of a chemical probe, acarbose, can selectively inhibit the Starch Utilization System and ablate the ability of Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron and B. fragilis strains to metabolize potato starch and pullulan. This strategy has potential therapeutic relevance for the selective modulation of the GI microbiota in a nonmicrobicidal manner.
Do top management performance attribution patterns matter to subsequent organizational outcomes? A two-country study of attribution in economic crisis

Top management plays a central role in interpreting the organization’s performance and communicating to stakeholders. Management’s performance attributions set the tone for accountability and shape organizational climate. However, prior studies of the relationships between attribution patterns and subsequent performance have been limited and reported mixed results. This study extends this literature stream by examining the relationships of four different types of attribution and subsequent performance concurrently and testing them in a two-country sample. We find a significant positive relationship between positive internal attribution and subsequent performance, and reaffirm prior findings on negative external attribution and performance.
Therapeutic jurisprudence's future in health law: Bringing the patient back into the picture.

Abstract More than 25 years ago, Professors David Wexler and Bruce Winick envisioned broad application of therapeutic jurisprudence (TJ), an interdisciplinary theory of law suggesting that legislatures, regulators, and judges consider the extent to which their decisions impact the psychological well-being of those upon whom the law acts. TJ most obviously plays a significant role in mental health and criminal law, where it originated, but Wexler and Winick long ago opined that TJ could be useful in a wide variety of other disciplines as well. Indeed, TJ has expanded exponentially in application over the years. Yet, although Wexler and Winick originally suggested that health law was an “obvious” field in which it could expand, application of TJ in that discipline has been less robust than one might have expected. This article will examine the extent to which TJ has been applied in health law other than mental health law, categorize the areas of health law in which it has been applied, and suggest future paths for expansive application in this most obvious of areas.
"The Marvels of Modern Technology": Constitutional Rights, Technology, and Statutory Interpretation Collide in United States v. Chiaradio

On July 11, 2012, in United States v. Chiaradio, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit held that a defendant possessing child pornography on two networked computers had committed two separate crimes of possession and distribution of child pornography under 18 U.S.C. § 2252(a)(4)(B). The court, however, should have shown restraint in its analysis to avoid creating dangerous precedent. In her concurring opinion, Chief Judge Lynch argued for a narrow holding, emphasizing the statute’s ambiguity as applied to more complex, modern scenarios. The First Circuit’s decision highlights how courts struggle to apply older statutes to rapidly evolving technology. The legislature is in the best position to strike the ideal balance between the constitutional rights of the accused and protecting the public. A deferential judicial opinion by the First Circuit in Chiaradio would have been a powerful message to Congress of the ambiguity of section 2552(a)(4)(B).
Sex and symbol in Andalusian comic poetry

L'A. presente une serie de chansons comiques ecrites entre les annees 1940 et 1990 pour une performance publique lors du carnaval dans une ville agricole de la province sevillane en Andalousie. Leur production est une prerogative masculine. Composees par des hommes « maestros », elles sont chantees par des hommes troubadours. Il s'agit d'un genre specifiquement andalous du burlesque social qui prend la femme comme sujet (epouses, amantes, belles-meres). Le lyrisme utilise l'image erotique, des metaphores sexuelles et des allegories obscenes pour accompagner la prevalence de l'ideologie masculine a propos de la sexualite, des relations homme-femme et des relations domestiques. L'A. conclut avec une breve interpretation du style et du symbolisme du carnavalesque andalous, empruntant le concept de Bakhtin : le « realisme grotesque »
Image-guided Biliary Interventions: How to Recognize, Avoid, or Get Out of Trouble

Percutaneous biliary interventions have a well-established role in the management of hepatobiliary diseases. Good outcomes include recognizing and avoiding complications. This section will cover the "standard" technique of percutaneous biliary drainage, pearls to decrease the risk of problems, and approaches to treat those complications in patients undergoing percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography and percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage.
Insulin therapy in patients with type 2 diabetes and high insulin resistance is associated with increased risk of complications and mortality.

ABSTRACTObjective: To investigate the relationship between insulin use and clinical outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes stratified by level of insulin resistance (IR).Methods: Cross sectional...
Toward a Methodology and Framework for Workflow-Driven Team Science

Scientific workflows are powerful tools for the management of scalable experiments, often composed of complex tasks running on distributed resources. Existing cyberinfrastructure provides components that can be utilized within repeatable workflows. However, data and computing advances continuously change the way scientific workflows get developed and executed, pushing the scientific activity to be more data-driven, heterogeneous, and collaborative. Workflow development today depends on the effective collaboration and communication of a cross-disciplinary team, not only with humans but also with analytical systems and infrastructure. This paper presents a collaboration-centered reference architecture to extend workflow systems with dynamic, predictable, and programmable interfaces to systems and infrastructure while bridging the exploratory and scalable activities in the scientific process. We present a conceptual design toward the development of methodologies and services for effective workflow-driven collaborations, namely the PPoDS methodology for collaborative workflow development and the SmartFlows Services for smart execution in a rapidly evolving cyberinfrastructure ecosystem.
The Background and Scope of Polyphosphazenes as Biomedical Materials

Although many traditional organic polymers have been evaluated for uses in biology and medicine, relatively few have proved to be satisfactory for crucial uses such as surgical sutures or mesh, tissue engineering substrates, controlled drug delivery, or soft matter. A reason for this is that most large-volume commercial polymers are optimized for some mechanical engineering purpose, and biomedical compatibility or bioerodibility is not one of the target properties. Thus, biomedical scientists and engineers have been forced to improvise and compromise by using widely available non-biological polymers, mainly because those materials are already available in commercial quantities. Polyphosphazenes offer an opportunity to solve many of these problems. A crucial need exists for new polymers that can be utilized in orthopedics, cardiovascular, dental, neural, or drug delivery applications, yet very few long-existing polymers have properties that are ideal for these medical uses. Our research seeks to design and find methods to synthesize polymeric materials that are specifically designed to solve a range of medical challenges. In our program, we make use of an unusual polymer backbone comprised of alternating phosphorus and nitrogen atoms to which are attached a wide range of organic side groups. This system is unique in the wide range of different property combinations that can be generated, and many of these combinations can be matched precisely to the needs of medical materials.
Urological complications of obesity and diabetes in males and females of three mouse models: temporal manifestations

Diabetic bladder dysfunction is a frequent complication of diabetes. Although many mouse models of diabetes now exist, there has been little systematic effort to characterize them for the timing of...
Neurologic and oncologic features of Erdheim-Chester disease: a 30-patient series.

Background Erdheim-Chester disease (ECD) is a rare histiocytic neoplasm characterized by recurrent alterations in the MAPK (mitogen-activating protein kinase) pathway. The existing literature about the neuro-oncological spectrum of ECD is limited. Methods We present retrospective clinical, radiographic, pathologic, molecular, and treatment data from 30 patients with ECD neurohistiocytic involvement treated at a tertiary center. Results Median age was 52 years (range, 7-77), and 20 (67%) patients were male. Presenting symptoms included ataxia in 19 patients (63%), dysarthria in 14 (47%), diabetes insipidus in 12 (40%), cognitive impairment in 10 (33%), and bulbar affect in 9 (30%). Neurosurgical biopsy specimens in 8 patients demonstrated varied morphologic findings often uncharacteristic of typical ECD lesions. Molecular analysis revealed mutations in BRAF (18 patients), MAP2K1 (5), RAS isoforms (2), and 2 fusions involving BRAF and ALK. Conventional therapies (corticosteroids, immunosuppressants, interferon-alpha [IFN-α], cytotoxic chemotherapy) led to partial radiographic response in 8/40 patients (20%) by MRI with no complete responses, partial metabolic response in 4/16 (25%), and complete metabolic response in 1/16 (6%) by 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-PET scan. In comparison, targeted (kinase inhibitor) therapies yielded partial radiographic response in 10/27 (37%) and complete radiographic response in 14/27 (52%) by MRI, and partial metabolic response in 6/25 (24%) and complete metabolic response in 17/25 (68%) by FDG-PET scan. Conclusions These data highlight underrecognized symptomatology, heterogeneous neuropathology, and robust responses to targeted therapies across the mutational spectrum in ECD patients with neurological involvement, particularly when conventional therapies have failed.
Optimal Patient Enrollment in Sequential Adaptive Clinical Trials with Binary Response

Adaptive clinical trials for new drugs or treatment options promise significant benefits to both trial sponsors and patients, but complicate resource allocation. We study the patient enrollment and trial termination decision in a Phase 3 group sequential adaptive trial, which allows for early trial termination due to established efficacy or anticipated futility. Our objective is to quantify the impact of interim analyses on key performance metrics, including the new drug’s misclassification risk and time-to-market, and the firm’s profit. To this end, we build a stochastic dynamic programming model that incorporates Bayesian updates on the drug’s efficacy. The patient enrollment decision in this setting is characterized by endogenous uncertainty, and a trade-off between the incentive to establish the drug’s efficacy early on (exploitation), due to a time-decreasing market revenue, and the benefit from collecting information on the drug’s performance (exploration) prior to committing a large amount of resources. We characterize important structural properties of an optimal patient enrollment policy and perform a numerical study utilizing realistic data. Our results suggest that sequential adaptive clinical trials, even with a single interim analysis, outperform their traditional counterparts (i.e., fixed sample size trials) across all metrics, because patient enrollment is re-optimized adaptively, based on updated information on the drug’s efficacy.
Invasive Johnsongrass, a threat to native grasslands and agriculture

Among the weedy plant species, Johnsongrass (Sorghum halepense) is one of the most destructive. Johnsongrass has invaded new habitats beyond its native Eurasian origin by outcompeting native flora and cultivated crops. The Johnsongrass habitat is expanding continuously due to clonal and self-pollinating reproduction strategy, accelerated growth and the progressing climate change. As a result, Johnsongrass has reduced native plant diversity in grasslands and inflicted economic damage to agriculture on every continent. Johnsongrass is a growing threat to crop production, as it serves as a refuge for a variety of agricultural pests and plant viral diseases. Over the past decades, herbicides extensively applied to control Johnsongrass have boosted selection pressure, resulting in the independent evolution of herbicide-resistant ecotypes across multiple locations. The apparent threat to native flora and agriculture caused by the invasive Johnsongrass is a subject to a long and ongoing research. This review provides a historical and research overview on Johnsongrass expansion, its current as well future impact particularly on North American and European grasslands and agriculture.
Culturable Root Endophyte Communities are Shaped by Both Warming and Plant Host Identity in the Rocky Mountains, USA

Abstract Understanding the biogeographic patterns of root-associated fungi and their sensitivity to temperature may improve predictions of future changes in terrestrial biodiversity and associated ecosystem processes, but data are currently limited. Anticipating change will require combining observational data, which predict how climatic factors limit current species distributions, with direct manipulations of climate, which can isolate responses to specific climate variables. Root endophytes are common symbionts of plants, particularly in arctic and alpine environments, yet their responses to climate warming are not resolved. Here, we directly cultured endophytic fungi from roots collected along altitudinal gradients in replicated mountain watersheds and from a 27 y field warming experiment in the Rocky Mountains, USA, to improve understanding of climate impacts on fungal root endophytes. Fungal taxa that were common at high elevations declined most under climate warming, whereas low elevation dominants responded neutrally or increased with experimental warming. Altitudinal gradients in fungal communities were strongly specific to the plant host species. Specifically, Poa species had 25–60% greater fungal isolate abundance and 25–38% greater fungal diversity at high elevations than at low elevation sites. In contrast, Festuca thurberi had 64% lower fungal diversity on roots at high elevation than at low elevation. Our results help to improve understanding of the potential for climate change to alter plant-fungal interactions in mountain ecosystems.
Influence of Process Parameters on Mechanical and Corrosion Behavior of DED-Processed Biomedical Ti-35Nb-7Zr-5Ta Alloy

The laser-engineered net-shaping (LENSTM) process was employed for directed energy deposition (DED) of Ti-35Nb-7Zr-5Ta (wt.%) or TNZT, a low modulus metastable β-Ti alloy for biomedical applications. The laser power was varied in the range of 400–600 W, while keeping all other parameters constant. A change in the overall grain morphology was noted in the sample with an increase in the laser power. The higher laser power samples showed more columnar grains compared to the equiaxed grains observed in the 400-W condition. The DED-processed TNZT alloys exhibited a combination of high tensile yield strength (~ 500 MPa) and ductility (~ 25%). Moreover, the alloys also exhibited excellent corrosion resistance in Ringer’s solution. Overall, the results indicate that the LENS-deposited TNZT alloy could be a promising candidate for biomedical applications.
A Langevinized Ensemble Kalman Filter for Large-Scale Static and Dynamic Learning

The Ensemble Kalman Filter (EnKF) has achieved great successes in data assimilation in atmospheric and oceanic sciences, but its failure in convergence to the right filtering distribution precludes its use for uncertainty quantification. We reformulate the EnKF under the framework of Langevin dynamics, which leads to a new particle filtering algorithm, the so-called Langevinized EnKF. The Langevinized EnKF inherits the forecast-analysis procedure from the EnKF and the use of mini-batch data from the stochastic gradient Langevin-type algorithms, which make it scalable with respect to both the dimension and sample size. We prove that the Langevinized EnKF converges to the right filtering distribution in Wasserstein distance under the big data scenario that the dynamic system consists of a large number of stages and has a large number of samples observed at each stage. We reformulate the Bayesian inverse problem as a dynamic state estimation problem based on the techniques of subsampling and Langevin diffusion process. We illustrate the performance of the Langevinized EnKF using a variety of examples, including the Lorenz-96 model, high-dimensional variable selection, Bayesian deep learning, and Long Short Term Memory (LSTM) network learning with dynamic data.
The role of social anxiety in autism and the broader autism phenotype: Evidence from childhood through adulthood

Abstract Autism spectrum disorder is characterized by challenges with social interactions, repetitive behaviors, and executive functioning. Autism is also associated with several cooccurring conditions, including social anxiety. In addition to studies of children and adults with autism, several studies have found a positive correlation between levels of autistic behaviors and of social anxiety in the general population, including those along the broader autism phenotype. This chapter reviews research examining how executive function skills vary in children and adults with differing levels of autistic behaviors and social anxiety in clinical populations and in the general population, with a focus on skills related to social cognition. We also discuss treatments that may be beneficial for minimizing the impact of social anxiety in children and adults with autism and for those who report high numbers of autistic behaviors in the general population.
Green water velocity due to breaking wave impingement on a tension leg platform

The present study employed the image-based bubble image velocimetry (BIV) technique to investigate the flow kinematics of a plunging breaking wave impinging on a geometry-simplified, unrestrained tension leg platform (TLP). A high-speed camera was used to record images for the BIV velocity determination for both fluid and structure velocities. The plunging breaker was generated using a wave focusing method, and repeated measurements were acquired to calculate the mean flow and turbulence intensity using ensemble averaging. BIV measurements were performed on two perpendicular planes: side view and top view. The flow measurements were compared with those of a similar experiment on a fixed structure by Ryu et al. (Exp Fluids 43(4):555–567, 2007a). The maximum velocity occurred in the run-up stage with a magnitude reaching 2.8C with C being the phase speed of the breaking wave. The dominant velocities for three distinct phases—impingement, run-up, and overtopping—are very close to those found on the fixed structure. Turbulence intensity was also examined, and the ratio among the three components was quantified. Ryu et al. (Appl Ocean Res 29(3):128–136, 2007b) reported that Ritter’s dam-break flow solution agrees surprisingly well with the measured green water velocity on the fixed structure to a certain degree. The present study followed the same approach and confirmed that Ritter’s solution is also in excellent agreement with the green water velocity on the unrestrained TLP model. Based on the self-similar behavior, the prediction equation proposed by Ryu et al. (2007a) was used to model the green water velocity distribution. The results show that the prediction equation is applicable to not only a fixed structure, but also the unrestrained TLP for green water velocity caused by extreme waves.
Groups of Diffeomorphisms and Fluid Motion: Reprise

Following Ebin and Marsden (Ann Math 92(1):102–163, 1970) we provide a concise proof of the well-posedness of the equations of perfect fluid motion. We use a construction which casts the equations as an ordinary differential equation on a non-linear function space.
Emergent echocardiography and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation: Lifesaving in massive pulmonary embolism

Massive pulmonary embolism is a life-threatening emergency that results in circulatory failure. The main challenges in management are early diagnosis and maintenance of hemodynamic stability. We present a case of a 63-year-old male who was in cardiac arrest. After resuscitation, massive pulmonary embolism was diagnosed with the help of bedside echocardiography and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). We were able to maintain hemodynamic stability and improve hypoxia until the patient underwent embolectomy. This case demonstrates a common presentation of massive pulmonary embolism highlighting the main challenges in its management and the role of echocardiography and ECMO in improving outcomes in such scenarios.
Sensitivity Analysis in Integer Programming

This paper uses an IP duality Theory recently developed by the authors and others to derive sensitivity analysis tests for IP problems. Results are obtained for cost, right hand side and matrix coefficient variation.
The ps/hr gene (B5R open reading frame homolog) of rabbitpox virus controls pock color, is a component of extracellular enveloped virus, and is secreted into the medium.

Abstract Wild-type rabbitpox virus (RPV) produces red hemorrhagic pocks on the chorioallantoic membranes (CAMs) of embryonated chicken eggs. Like the crmA (SPI-2) gene of cowpox virus, disruption of the RPV ps/hr gene results in a mutant which produces white pocks on the CAMs. An examination of the properties of the RPV(ps/hr) mutant in cell culture also reveals a significantly reduced host range, defined as the inability to form plaques, compared with wild-type virus. One of several cell types on which RPV(ps/hr) mutants fail to produce plaques is chicken embryo fibroblasts, cells which have been traditionally used to propagate spontaneously arising white pock mutants isolated from CAMs. The inability of the RPV(ps/hr) mutant to form plaques in chicken embryo fibroblasts correlates with a failure of a low multiplicity of infection to spread to neighboring cells and to form extracellular enveloped virus (EEV), although the formation and yields of infectious intracellular naked virus appear relatively normal. The gene product of the ps/hr gene, initially synthesized as a 45-kDa glycoprotein, is found as a component of EEV, but not intracellular naked virus, and as a smaller, secreted soluble protein of 35 kDa. Production of the secreted 35-kDa protein was found to be independent of any viral morphogenesis, suggesting two distinct pathways for release of the ps/hr gene product from the cell, i.e., as a component of the EEV particle and as a separately secreted glycoprotein.
Obesity increases risk of declining physical activity over time in women: a prospective cohort study

Objective Research indicates that risk of obesity increases as physical activity (PA) decreases; however, the reciprocal effect has been rarely studied. The present investigation was conducted to determine the contribution of obesity on objectively measured PA over 20 months. Design and Methods A prospective cohort design with 254 middle-aged women was employed. Body fat percentage (BF%) was measured using Bod Pod, and obesity was defined as BF% ≥32%. PA was assessed objectively using 7-day accelerometry at baseline and ∼20 months later at follow-up. Results Of the 254 subjects, 124 were obese (49%) at baseline. Mean BF% was 32.1 ± 7.8 and average age was 41.7 ± 3.1 years. Mean weekly PA was 2.79 ± 0.85 million activity counts for all participants. Over the 20-month period, PA decreased significantly more in obese women (−8.1% ± 27.1%) than in nonobese women (0.3% ± 31.7%) after adjusting for confounders (F = 5.3, P = 0.022). Moderate plus vigorous PA levels also decreased more in obese women (−28.1 ± 73.6 min/week) than in nonobese women (−5.9 ± 66.8 min/week), after adjusting for covariates (F = 7.84; P = 0.0055). Conclusions It appears that obese women tend to reduce PA over time at a faster rate than nonobese women. Evidently, obesity is a risk factor for decreasing PA over time in middle-aged women.
Expression of a human immunodeficiency virus type 1 long terminal repeat/simian virus 40 early region fusion gene in transgenic mice.

Three lines of transgenic mice carrying the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) long terminal repeat fused to the simian virus 40 early region (HIV-1 Tag) were constructed. Expression of the transgenes was reproducibly observed in the lymphoid tissue and skin of all three transgenic lines studied. Interestingly, cell types other than T cells, i.e., B cells and thymic stromal cells, contributed most of the expression detectable in the lymphoid organs. Each transgenic line also displayed a different but consistent pattern of transgene expression in nonlymphoid organs. These individual patterns probably reflect the effects of particular chromosomal integration sites on transcriptional activity of the HIV-1 promoter.
5.1.1 From Stakeholder Values to Product Requirements

The identification of all stakeholders, as well as their values, has become a basis, often insufficiently achieved, for understanding, prioritizing and realizing requirements for a product. Traditionally, these are gathered from a variety of sources and a widely used method for organizing, evaluating and tracking customer needs translation to design information is Quality Function Deployment (QFD). QFD is commonly understood as a matrix tool for collecting, organizing and prioritizing data for evaluation of requirements and their translation to technical characteristics of a system or product. Since true requirements are derivatives of the values of the many stakeholders associated with complex systems or products, a sequence of identifying stakeholders with their values and prioritization, leading to the development of requirements, provides a logical path to product design characteristics. QFD provides a means that facilitates this. The method described here has further value for data collection, reference and traceability since it is highly adaptable to changes in stakeholders and values
The Distribution of Urban Government Services in Theory and Practice the Case of Recreation in Detroit

Differences in the provision of recreation services are analyzed in terms of neighborhood socioeconomic characteristics which reflect distributive weights, rates of use of services, and costs. Income, race, age, population density, juvenile delinquency rate, and population change are included in multiple regressions to explain service levels. While the study concentrates upon 1968–1969, analysis of earlier periods shows how past changes in neighborhood demographic characteristics have affected the present service distribution. The results indicate that, in contradiction to the pessimistic assertions of several economists, it is feasible to study the distribution of urban government services.
Current variability across the New England continental shelf-break and slope

Abstract The year-long SEEP—I moored array of current meters across the continental shelf-break and slope south of Cape Cod indicates mean alongshore flow to the west across the array during both the winter and summer. The mean flow consists of a surface-intensified jet at the shelf-break, offshore flow across the shelf-break of slightly greater than 1 cm s −1 , and the suggestion of weaker flow over the mid-slope than either seaward or shoreward of this region. There is an onshore increase of kinetic energy at diurnal and semidiurnal frequencies. In the inertial band there exists a winter-to-summer near-surface increase in variability, and a subsurface decrease. In the synoptic band there is a larger response over the shelf to the winter-to-summer decrease in wind stress. The spectra are generally red with enhanced near-bottom energy levels over the slope in summer, indicative of increased topographic Rossby wave activity. Spatially coherent wind-driven motion does not extend seaward of the shelf-slope frontal region. The current response to the alongshore wind is consistent with Ekman dynamics, and more significant during the winter, while during the summer the response is more coherent with the cross-shore wind. There is significant synoptic band coherence between the cross-shore component of the wind stress and the currents throughout the year. Only one (known) warm-core ring intersected the array throughout the year, however heightened and sustained topographic Rossby wave activity was evident in summer. These waves have a period of roughly 16 days, an offshore phase speed of ∼9km day −1 and a coherence scale of ∼160km. There is some evidence of refraction of the wave energy towards the along-isobath direction as the topography shoals, and no evidence of these waves shoreward of the mid-slope region.
Low-Temperature Approach to the Renormalization-Group Study of Critical Phenomena

A new method of exploring the contents of the renormalization-group equations for discrete spins is introduced. The equations are expanded in low-temperature series and the truncated series are used to obtain the critical exponents and critical temperature of a system. The method is demonstrated on the planar triangular Ising lattice and the critical parameters are found to be within a few percent of the exactly known values in third nonvanishing order of approximation.
Photocatalytic Hydrogen Generation System Using a Nickel-Thiolate Hexameric Cluster

We report the use of a nickel-thiolate hexameric cluster, Ni6(SC2H4Ph)12, for photocatalytic hydrogen production from water. The nickel cluster was synthesized ex-situ and characterized by various techniques. Single crystal X-ray analysis, 1H NMR, 2D COSY, ESI-MS, UV–visible spectroscopy, and TGA provided insight into the structure and confirmed the purity and stability of the cluster. Cyclic voltammetry helped confirm hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activity of this catalyst. Photoreactions carried out using an iridium photosensitizer, Ir(F-mppy)2(dtbbpy)[PF6], and TEA as the sacrificial reductant revealed the high activity of the Ni6 cluster as a water reducing catalyst. High TONs (3750) and TOFs (970 h–1) were obtained at optimum catalyst concentration (0.025 mM), with low concentrations of catalyst yielding up to 30 000 turnovers. Quenching studies, along with the evidence obtained from the electrochemical analysis, showed that this water reduction system proceeds through a reductive quenching mecha...
RELATIONSHIPS AMONG GENDER, COGNITIVE STYLE, ACADEMIC MAJOR, AND PERFORMANCE ON THE PIAGET WATER-LEVEL TASK

Many researchers have found that more college-age adults than would be expected fail Piaget's water-level task, with women failing more frequently than men. It has been hypothesized that differences in cognitive style may account for performance differences on the water-level task. In the present study, 27 male and 27 female architectural students and 27 male and 27 female liberal-arts students were assessed for their performance on both Piaget's Water-level Task and Witkin's Group Embedded Figures Test. No difference was found in performance of male and female architectural students on either task, but male liberal-arts students scored significantly higher than female liberal-arts students on both measures. A disembedding cognitive style predicted success on the water-level task for the architectural students but not for the liberal arts students.
Terahertz oscillations from molecular liquids in CSRS/CARS spectroscopy with incoherent light

Abstract A new class of detuning oscillations in the terahertz domain is reported in (nanosecond) coherent Raman scattering spectroscopies with incoherent light. Vibrational dephasing rates are precisely measured in neat benzene, benzene-d6 and in their binary mixture where Bohr frequency difference beats are convolved with the detuning oscillations.
Effect of Microstructure on Dynamic Failure Resistance of Titanium Diboride/Alumina Ceramics

The dynamic compressive strength and microscopic failure behavior of TiB2/Al2O3 ceramic composites with a range of microstructural morphologies and size scales are analyzed. A split Hopkinson pressure bar is used to achieve loading rates of the order of 400 s−1. The time-resolved analysis of the mechanical response is conducted with a resolution of 500 ns. The dynamic compressive strengths of the materials are 4.3–5.3 GPa, indicating a dependence of strength on microstructure. Microstructures with finer phases as measured by linear intercept length have higher strength levels. The dynamic strength levels are ∼27% higher than the values of 3–4 GPa measured at quasi-static loading rates for these materials. These strength levels are also higher than the strength levels of monolithic TiB2 and Al2O3 under similar dynamic conditions. A soft recovery mechanism in the experimental configuration allows the specimens to be subjected to loading under a single, well-defined stress pulse. Scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectrometry indicate that failure associated with the Al2O3 phase is transgranular cleavage in all microstructures. On the other hand, failure associated with the TiB2 phase is a combination of transgranular cleavage and intergranular debonding and varies with the microstructures. Quantitative image analysis shows that the measured compressive strength of the materials directly correlates with the fraction of TiB2-rich areas on fracture surfaces. The size distribution of the fragments is quantified using digital image analysis. Comparisons of the measured distributions with the predictions of several theories suggest that the lack of accounting for microstructural characteristics contributes to the inaccuracies of the models.
Turbulence effects on the imaging of an object with a sharp edge: asymptotic technique and aperture-plane statistics

The statistical properties of a wave emitted by an incoherent source with a sharp edge embedded in a turbulent medium are examined by use of the path-integral formulation for weak- and strong-scintillation conditions. The asymptotic analysis of the problem is discussed in detail, and the energy conservation principle for instantaneous field realization is derived from the path-integral formulation. It is shown that the wave from the model infinite incoherent source with a sharp edge reveals no amplitude fluctuations but only phase fluctuations for an arbitrary turbulence level.
Equilibrium configurations of commensurate adsorbed monolayers: Argon on graphite☆

Abstract The equilibrium orientations and lattice constants of monolayer argon adsorbed on graphite are calculated for commensurate lattice structures. A procedure to calculate the monolayer-substrate interaction energy is developed. The equilibrium configuration at a given temperature is determined by minimizing the free energy of the monolayer-substrate system, which is calculated in the quasi-harmonic approximation. The relationship between the orientation of the monolayer relative to the substrate and the monolayer lattice constant for commensurate lattices is found to follow quite closely the relationship determined for incommensurate phases and is in agreement with recent LEED data for argon adsorbed on graphite.
Unsaturated Phospholipid Acyl Chains Are Required To Constitute Membrane Binding Sites for Factor VIII

Membranes containing phosphatidyl-L-serine (PS) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) greatly enhance the function of the enzymatic cofactor factor VIII. The mechanisms of enhanced function involve condensation of enzyme (factor IXa), activated cofactor (factor VIIIa), and substrate (factor X) at a common location and, most dramatically, activation of the assembled enzyme-cofactor complex. We asked whether unsaturated phospholipid (PL) acyl chains are necessary to constitute factor VIII binding sites or to activate the factor VIIIa-factor IXa complex. We found that membranes composed of saturated, dimyristoyl phospholipids had 20-fold fewer factor VIII binding sites and that these sites supported less than 5% normal activity of the factor VIIIa-factor IXa complex. Thrombin-activated factor VIII bound to a similar number of membrane sites, and thrombin activation did not reduce the affinity for saturated membranes more than 2-fold so that the loss of functional activity is due to a requirement of the factor VIIIa-factor IXa complex for unsaturated acyl chains that exceeds the requirement for factor VIII binding alone. Replacement of dimyristoyl-PS, -PE, or -PC individually with the corresponding unsaturated phospholipid restored 75%, 60%, and 15%, respectively, of factor VIII binding sites but less than 10% of factor VIIIa-factor IXa activating activity. Lyso-PS did not support binding of factor VIII or function of the factor VIIIa-factor IXa complex even when PE and phosphatidylcholine contained unsaturated acyl chains. We conclude that the sn-2 acyl chain of PS and unsaturated phospholipid acyl chains are chemical requirements for constitution of fully functional factor VIII binding sites on phospholipid membranes.
Prognostic significance of abdominal wall involvement in carcinoma of cecum

A review of 327 cases of cecal cancer seen at Memorial Hospital from 1949-1969 revealed 10 patients with tumor involvement of the anterior abdominal wall who were treated surgically. Eight patients were over 60 years of age, and 3 were over 80 years. There was only one postoperative death. Surgical treatment in this patient was delayed for one year as the tumor was treated initially by radiation therapy. Fistula formation only occurred when the integrity of the abdominal wall parietes had been violated by previous surgery. One patient developed local recurrence in the abdominal wall. All patients had right hemicolectomy and resection of a segment of the anterior abdominal wall en bloc. Seven patients are still living; 5 patients survived over 5 years. Analysis of these cases revealed that involvement of the anterior abdominal wall by colonic cancer does not adversely influence prognosis providing that surgical eradication of all gross disease is performed.
Stability of model predictive control with time-varying weights

In this paper, we show that the stability of constrained Model Predictive Control (MPC) systems can be guaranteed by using time-varying weights. It unifies two popular MPC algorithms with guaranteed stability - Infinite Horizon MPC and MPC with End Constraint. Use of time-varying weights may also be useful in analyzing stability properties of MPC for linear time-varying systems as well as uncertain linear systems.
Hard driven but not dishonest: Cheating and the Type A personality

Two hundred twenty college students volunteered to complete questionnaires to measure Type A behavior, academic dishonesty, and classroom orientation. The present data replicated and extended a previous report (Weiss, Gilbert, Giordano, & Davis, 1993) by showing that learning orientation, lower levels of academic dishonesty, and Type A characteristics were positively related. Conversely, grade orientation, Type B characteristics, and higher levels of academic dishonesty were positively related.
Spinning cellular flames

The problem of a flame stabilized by a line source of fuel of strength 2πκ is solved numerically for values of the Lewis number L < 1. In this parameter regime analytical studies as well as previous numerical studies have found stationary solutions corresponding to both axisymmetric and cellular flames. For sufficiently small values of L, we have computed time periodic pulsating cellular solutions in the form of travelling waves.
Response of superior vena cava syndrome to radiation therapy

The treatment of a superior vena caval obstruction associated with a mediastinal mass is a true radiotherapeutic emergency. The heralding signs and symptoms and the morbidity of the syndrome justify beginning therapy before a pathologic diagnosis is established. In a series of 19 patients with superior vena cava syndrome, there was an excellent response to an initial high-dose course of irradiation, consisting of 400 rads midplane for 3 days, then reduced to conventional daily fractionation. It is concluded that rapid high-dose irradiation in the treatment of a superior vena cava syndrome is safe and effective.
Inhibition of the dorsal column nuclei.

Abstract Recordings of electrical changes were made in the dorsal column nuclei in decerebrated cats, in some of which the pericruciate, coronal, and anterior ectosylvian gyri, or parts thereof, were chronically ablated. Single weak test volleys from skin and peripheral nerve or dorsal columns of cord evoked responses slightly above threshold. These were conditioned from either contralateral bulbar pyramid or reticular formation by repetitive volleys. Inhibition of the nuclei of the dorsal columns is obtainable from the contralateral and to a slight extent from the ipsilateral pyramid and from the reticular formation both crossed and uncrossed. The cortical area which yields pyramidal inhibition comprises the pericruciate, coronal, and anterior ectosylvian gyri. The pyramid inhibition is not mediated via the reticular formation above the level of the dorsal column nuclei. It requires at least five volleys and increases in effectiveness up to twenty volleys. It is relatively weak and is easily overcome by large test volleys. It may last for over 200 msec and to a slight degree for several seconds. It is virtually eliminated by small doses of sodium pentobarbital which may reveal a previously hidden facilitation. We regard it as direct inhibition and not as a result of refractoriness.
If Mobile Learning and Support are Wonderful, Why aren't They Everywhere?

Although we hear many expressions of enthusiasm for mobile learning and support, there isn't a lot of documented activity, not yet. This article describes possibilities and focuses on figuring out why it is not yet happening. What gets in the way of the use of mobile devices for learning, support, and community?
Fluorine-labeling as a diagnostic for thiol-ligand and gold nanocluster self-assembly

An omega-fluorine-labeled oxyethylene thiol ligand, F(CH2CH2O)2CH2CH2SH, was synthesized, characterized and incorporated into mixed self-assembled monolayers with CH3(OCH2CH2)3SH onto a planar gold substrate and onto 2 nm gold nanoclusters. The fluorine-labeled nanocluster was self-assembled onto gold substrates using alkane dithiol (HS(CH2)nSH; n = 5, 8, 11) and oxyethylene dithiol (HS(CH2CH2O)nCH2CH2SH; n = 1, 2, 3) linking agents with equivalent chain lengths for comparative purposes. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was used to track the fluorine-label in the self-assembly operations and to evaluate the effectiveness of the dithiols. For adequate XPS sensitivity at least 10% of the monolayer-forming molecules should be functionalized with this fluorine-label. In the comparative self-assembly of the fluorine-labeled gold nanoclusters in chloroform solution, the alkane dithiols were observed to be the more effective linking agents. This effectiveness correlates with the XPS analysis of alkane dithiols self-assembling onto the gold substrates with a higher packing density and with a larger fraction of molecules having one thiol group as opposed to two bonded to the gold surface. The oxyethylene dithiols self-assemble with a smaller packing density and a smaller fraction of molecules with an unbonded thiol group available for self-assembly.
Optimizing clinical site selection

The choice of sites for planned clinical trials is a decision which often involves the greatest degree of uncertainty. The purpose of this paper is to present guidelines and available resources to aid in the evaluation of sites before a study is initiated, while the study is ongoing, and after a study is completed. The types of sites, components, and strategies for investigational techniques are explored. The advantages of using experienced versus novice investigators are compared using data from a multisite clinical trial.
A lazy, lightweight algorithm for generating very large navigable terrains

A virtual, interactive 3-D environment is exemplified by the so-called "first person shooter" (FPS) genre found in many video games. One of the limiting factors in the creation of a 3-D interactive environment is content production. A key component of the content produced is the virtual terrain upon which the interactive participants (or avatars) navigate. Typically, terrains are constructed by overlaying a texture map (called a height map) upon a patch of polygons and have each of the height map's colors or shades get mapped to a polygon's elevation. A terrain's size is typically limited by the size of the patch of polygons the height map is placed upon. Once an avatar's position has exceeded the dimensions of the terrain, further movement might not be allowed within the terrain. It is therefore beneficial to have available a very large terrain. A lazy, lightweight algorithm is presented. It is based upon using a just-in-time method of updating a set of available height maps for the automatic production of very large 3-D terrains. This just-in-time update algorithm requires only 0.47 second of landscape-generation and landscape-update time and provides a smooth 44 frames-per-second display using modern hardware. These performance numbers ensure that the user is kept unaware of the update procedure and is thus provided with a seamless depiction of a very large terrain. Furthermore, the algorithm presented only requires a small amount of on-device memory and thus can make it useful for small Internet-connected computing devices.