cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Low Recruitment of Native Trees in a Deciduous Forest Associated with Japanese Barberry (Berberis thunbergii) Invasion

Invasive plants may dramatically impact forest ecosystems by establishing dense populations and suppressing the recruitment of native tree species. One invasive shrub currently spreading throughout eastern deciduous forests of North America, Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii DC), may be limiting tree recruitment in stands where it invades. Once established, B. thunbergii becomes densely populated within forest understories and suppresses native plants by competing for limited resources, altering soil conditions, and changing the understory microclimate. To quantify native seedling inhibition caused by B. thunbergii invasion, we conducted an observational study on seedling abundance within forest plots that were either invaded or not invaded by B. thunbergii and used survey data to generate Bayesian models of native seedling densities along gradients of increasing B. thunbergii stem counts and aboveground plant dry mass. Model outputs predicted that B. thunbergii—invaded plots had 82% lower seedling densities compared with uninvaded plots. Native tree seedling densities were very low even in areas with moderate B. thunbergii density, suggesting that reduced tree seedling densities are observed even at low densities of invasion. Our findings indicate that forests invaded with B. thunbergii harbor substantially lower densities of native tree seedlings, with potentially significant long-term consequences for forest ecological integrity, biodiversity, and ecosystem services.
Numerical Thinking in Algorithm Design and Analysis

To me, numerical analysis is one of the most fascinating fields in computing. It is at the intersection of computer science and mathematics; it concerns subjects that can be either continuous or discrete; it involves algorithm design as well as software implementation; and it has success throughout engineering, business, medicine, social sciences, natural sciences, and digital animation fields. Its community has both theorists and practitioners, who often respect and admire each other’s work – in fact, in this area there are many practitioners who are also great theoreticians. Its objectives to solve larger and larger problems have pushed the envelope of computer science, particularly in the advancement of computer architectures, compiler technologies, programming languages, and software tools. Its collaborative culture and genuine need to share data and information among scientists and engineers have led a physicist to make a connection between the hypertext idea and the Internet protocols to create the world wide web. Many pioneers in computing including John von Neumann, Alan Turing, Claude Shannon, Richard Hamming, James Wilkinson, Velvel Kahan, and Gene Golub contributed to this field, not to mention the foot prints left by many great minds before them, e.g., Newton’s method, Lagrange interpolation, Gaussian elimination, Euler’s method, Jacobi iteration, and Chebyshev polynomials.
New Low Expansion Magnetic Materials-A Composite Approach

A composite ceramic is fabricated by mixing and processing two or more phases which are supposed to be thermodynamically compatible with each other and thus controlling or tailoring a desired property in the composite by varying the amount of each component or by modifying the processing technique. The di/multiphasic concept permits the selection of both materials - both in terms of any special property each phase might have and quantity of each phase. While this concept opens the door wide for tailoring a special property, there are several problems that one may encounter - the intimacy of mixing, the strength of the sintered body, the reactivity of the constituents and the interplay of the elastic forces all combine to determine the effectiveness of the composite material.
The Juvenile Record Myth

The proliferation of adult criminal records and their harmful impact on people with convictions has received growing attention from scholars, the media, and legislators from both sides of the political aisle. Much less attention has been given to the far-reaching impact of juvenile delinquency records, partly because many people believe that juvenile records are not public, especially after a juvenile turns eighteen. That common notion is a myth. This Article addresses that myth and adds to both the juvenile justice and collateral consequences literature in four ways. First, The Juvenile Record Myth illuminates the variety of ways states treat juvenile records — revealing that state confidentiality, sealing, and expungement provisions often provide far less protection than those terms suggest. Although juvenile delinquency records are not as publicly accessible as adult records, their impact is felt well beyond a juvenile’s eighteenth birthday. No state completely seals juvenile delinquency records from public view or expunges them. Some states even publish juvenile records online, and almost all permit some degree of public access. Second, this Article provides the first comprehensive analysis of the crucial role of nondisclosure provisions in eliminating the stigma of a juvenile record. Now that colleges, employers, state licensing agencies, and even landlords are increasingly asking about juvenile delinquency charges and adjudications, the confidentiality, sealing, and expungement protections that do exist will be significantly undermined unless states allow juveniles with records not to disclose them. Third, using recent literature on juvenile brain development and the recidivism research of criminologists, The Juvenile Record Myth presents new arguments for why juvenile delinquency records should not follow a juvenile into adulthood — and why the state’s obligation to help rehabilitate juveniles (an obligation typically recognized in a state’s juvenile code) should extend to restricting access to juvenile records. Finally, it argues for a comprehensive and uniform approach to removing the stigma of a juvenile record through a combination of robust confidentiality, expungement, sealing, and nondisclosure statutes to facilitate a juvenile’s reintegration.
Light scattering by pulmonary alveoli and airway surface liquid using a concentric sphere model

We employ a concentric sphere Mie scattering model to describe light scattering by pulmonary alveoli and airway surface liquid (ASL). Using this layered sphere model, we compare alveolar scattering at different points along the respiratory cycle and observe the effect of ASL thickness on light scattering in the lung. We have also extrapolated the model to investigate alveolar scattering in various animal models of pulmonary disease. This model of pulmonary light scattering can estimate in vivo optical properties for normal and pathological states, potentially aiding the design of optical systems for diagnosis and investigation of pulmonary pathologies.
Reappraisal of Contemporary Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic Principles for Informing Aminoglycoside Dosing

Therapeutic drug management is regularly performed for aminoglycosides in an effort to maximize their effectiveness and safety. The ratio of maximum plasma drug concentration to minimum inhibitory concentration (Cmax/MIC) has long been regarded as the primary pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) index of clinical efficacy for aminoglycosides due to their concentration-dependent killing. In this review, however, we discuss why the area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC)/MIC ratio may be a more reliable indicator of bacterial killing and clinical efficacy for these agents. The definitive AUC/MIC efficacy targets for aminoglycosides are less clear, unlike those that exist for fluoroquinolones. Evaluation of available literature suggests that an AUC/MIC ratio of 30-50 for aminoglycoside therapy may provide optimal outcomes when targeting non-critically ill immunocompetent patients with low-bacterial burden gram-negative infections such as urinary tract infections or in patients receiving additional gram-negative therapy with good source control. However, an AUC/MIC target of 80-100 may be more prudent when treating patients with aminoglycoside monotherapy or in critically ill patients with high-bacterial burden infections, such as nosocomial pneumonia. Reappraisal of current antimicrobial susceptibility breakpoints for aminoglycosides against gram-negative bacteria may also be necessary to achieve these AUC/MIC targets and ensure that current empiric doses are not grossly suboptimal in critically ill patients. Although it has been historically difficult to calculate AUCs in clinical practice, equation-based and Bayesian approaches now can be used to estimate the AUC in clinical practice, with limited PK sampling. Additional research is needed to better define optimal AUC/MIC targets for efficacy, especially when drugs are used in combination, as well as PK/PD targets associated with suppression of resistance. It is also important to determine if AUC can predict nephrotoxicity of these agents or whether trough concentrations should be used instead.
Small Signal Analysis of a VSC-Based Battery Energy Storage System with V/f Control

This research studies the stability of a grid-connected battery energy storage system (BESS) with a voltage source converter (VSC) and a filter. The VSC is a grid supporting controlled converter, which is enhanced with a primary and secondary frequency/voltage droop controllers, to enable grid connected and islanded mode operation without changing the controller structure. The linearized small signal model of the entire system is derived considering the inner current controller, the outer power loop, the primary and secondary frequency/voltage controllers, the LCL filter, and the phase-locked loop (PLL). The eigen values of the linearized system are obtained using state space modeling. To analyze the effects of certain parameters on the system stability, different case studies are performed.
American Design Diplomacy in South Vietnam: Gender as a Diplomatic Relation, 1956

Este ensayo explora como la dimension de genero contribuyo al trabajo de los medios de comunicacion impresos que transmitian informacion sobre el diseno y los disenadores estadounidenses en dialogo con la artesania vietnamita, y los artesanos refugiados durante la Guerra Fria estadounidense en Vietnam. En gran medida, los estadounidenses que participaron en el programa de ayuda a la artesania del Departamento de Estado en Vietnam del Sur promovieron los beneficios de la ayuda a la artesania, y su apoyo se baso en la politica. Sin embargo, la politica de la diplomacia estadounidense en relacion con Vietnam del Sur se baso en el poder de Estados Unidos. Las fotografias publicadas en revistas de diseno de interiores y artesania estadounidenses ayudaron a convertir a los refugiados en un tema de interes para los lectores estadounidenses. Asimismo, asentaron el estatuto del disenador diplomatico, al que los artesanos refugiados estaban subordinados. Su autoridad en Estados Unidos definida a traves del genero sustento en parte el poder y la agencia que ejercia en Vietnam del Sur y en relacion con este.This essay explores how gender contributed to the work of mass print media relaying information about American design and designers in dialogue with Vietnamese craft and its refugee artisans during the American Cold War in Vietnam. In large measure, Americans participating in State Department’s craft aid program in South Vietnam promoted the benefits of craft assistance, and their support was predicated on politics. However, the politics of American diplomacy concerning South Vietnam meted craft through American power. Photographs published in American magazines for interior design and craft helped shape refugees into subjects of interest for American media readers. Equally, they constituted the status of the designer diplomat to whom refugee artisans were subject. In part, his gendered authority at home in the United States underwrote the power and agency he wielded in and in relation to South Vietnam.
Three Varieties of Growing Block Theory

Growing Block (GB) theorists are committed, roughly, to two theses: (1) that past and present events exist and that future events do not, and (2) that the present is dynamic and constantly changing. These two theses support a picture of the universe as growing, gaining in more and more things and events, as these recede into the past; but the two theses do not specify how the growth of the block is to be understood (Q1); what status the past is supposed to have compared to the present (Q2); and what should be taken to be the fundamental constituents of the spatio-temporal reality (Q3). In my paper I argue that getting clearer on these three questions—Q1, Q2, and Q3—will give us very different metaphysical pictures. I distinguish between three variants of the growing block theory: the Fourdimensional Growing Block which goes back to C.D. Broad; the Dead Past Growing Block which is currently defended by Forrest and Forbes; and the Growing Events theory, which draws on some of Whitehead’s ideas on processes. I flesh out each of these variants of the GB view, examine the most urgent challenges to their respective metaphysical pictures, and offer suggestions as to how these challenges can be positively addressed.
A developmental cascade perspective of paediatric obesity: A systematic review of preventive interventions from infancy through late adolescence

The goals of this systematic review were to identify and describe paediatric obesity prevention interventions from infancy to late adolescence and to provide recommendations for future intervention research in light of a recently proposed developmental cascade (DC) model of paediatric obesity. We conducted an electronic search of randomized controlled trials with a minimum 6-month postintervention follow-up published between 1995 and 2019. We included 74 interventions: prenatal/infancy (n = 4), early childhood (n = 11), childhood (n = 38), early to mid-adolescence (n = 18), and late adolescence (n = 3). Infancy and early childhood trials targeted early feeding and positive parenting skills. Half of the childhood and adolescence trials were school based and used universal prevention strategies; those classified as selective or indicated prevention tended to involve the family for more intensive lifestyle modification. Less than 10% of studies followed participants over long periods of time (greater than or equal to 5 years), and only 16% and 31% of studies assessed intervention mediators and moderators, respectively. We recommend that future interventions focus on early prevention, assess long-term intervention effects, use a standardized taxonomy for defining intervention behavioural strategies, assess underlying mechanisms of action and intervention moderators, target parent and family management strategies across development, and increase scientific equity. We also provide specific recommendations regarding intervention targets for each developmental stage.
Timing of puberty in boys and girls: Implications for population health.

Abstract Puberty is marked by substantial increases and emerging sex differences in psychological disorders and risky behaviors. However, few studies have examined these effects beyond adolescence, and the previous literature has been dominated by samples of White girls. The current study examines the broadest known set of health sequelae related to traditional pubertal markers and peer-relative pubertal timing in a representative sample of 14,545 U.S. youth from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health. Maturational timing was assessed by age at menarche for girls and physical development for boys (e.g., facial hair, voice change), and then categorized as early (1 SD below mean), on-time, or late (1 SD above mean) within-sex. Early and late peer-relative timing was assessed by a self-report of looking “much older” or “much younger” than one's peers. We examined psychological (depressive symptoms, antisocial behavior), behavioral (number of sex partners, drug use, physical activity, screen time, sleep hours), and physical health (self-reported health, BMI) outcomes during adolescence and young adulthood in a series of sex-stratified regression analyses using survey weights and a comprehensive set of sociodemographic covariates. Results indicated that, overall, earlier pubertal timing (i.e., maturational timing and peer-relative timing) put both girls and boys at risk during adolescence, while later timing was protective. However, longitudinal models revealed mixed results. For instance, early maturational timing was associated with higher young adult BMI (girls: β = 0.139, p
Unconventional scattering of flexural waves in a tunable parity-time symmetric shunted piezoelectric beam (Conference Presentation)

Inspired by the optical and acoustic non-Hermitian 𝒫𝒯 symmetric system, a 𝒫𝒯 symmetric metamaterial beam for flexural waves is proposed here, based on shunted piezoelectric patches. Positive and negative shunting resistances are the key to constructing the balanced loss and gain components. The associated asymmetric flexural wave scattering, 𝒫𝒯 phase transition and exceptional points are then investigated in both analytical and numerical ways. In addition, properties of exceptional points are tunable in our proposed system, simply owing to the variable shunting parameters. Our design may contribute to asymmetric wave control, enhanced sensing, amplification, and localization of flexural waves.
Direct geometrical measurement of the Hubble constant from galaxy parallax: predictions for LSST/VRO and WFIRST

We investigate the possibility that a statistical detection of the galaxy parallax shifts due to the Earth's motion with respect to the CMB frame (cosmic secular parallax) could be made by the Vera Rubin Observatory or by the WFIRST satellite, and used to measure the Hubble constant. We make mock galaxy surveys which extend to redshift z=0.06 from a large N-body simulation, and include astrometric errors from the LSST and WFIRST science requirements, redshift errors and peculiar velocities. We include spectroscopic redshifts for the brightest galaxies (r < 18) in the fiducial case. We use these catalogues to make measurements of parallax versus redshift, for various assumed survey parameters and analysis techniques. We find that in order to make a competitive measurement it will be necessary to model and correct for the peculiar velocity component of galaxy proper motions. It will also be necessary to push astrometry of extended sources into a new regime, and combine information from the different elements of resolved galaxies. For our fiducial survey parameters, we predict an rms error on the direct geometrical measurement of H0 of 2.8 % for LSST and 0.8 % for WFIRST.
Electronic and School Bullying Victimization by Race/Ethnicity and Sexual Minority Status in a Nationally Representative Adolescent Sample.

Abstract Purpose The purpose of the study was to examine the prevalence of electronic and school bullying victimization in sexual and racial/ethnic minorities in a nationally representative U.S. sample of high school students. Methods Cross-sectional data from the 2015 and 2017 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey (2015, n = 15,624; 2017, n = 14,765) were analyzed using logistic regression. Results Approximately 15% of the sample reported electronic bullying victimization and 20% reported school bullying victimization. Sexual minority youth were significantly more likely to report both types of bullying than their heterosexual peers, whereas black and Latinx students were significantly less likely to report both types. White students who identified as gay/lesbian or bisexual were more likely to report both types of bullying than white, heterosexual youth. Very few changes were observed in electronic or school bullying victimization from 2015 to 2017, although there was a statistically significant decrease in school bullying among white, heterosexual youth. Conclusions A sizeable number of adolescents experience electronic and school bullying. Sexual minority and white adolescents report a higher prevalence of these phenomena. This may have implications for designing bullying prevention strategies that target sexual minority adolescents to reduce their risk for victimization both online and in school.
Network Analysis of the 2016 Presidential Campaign Tweets.

We applied complex network analysis to ~27,000 tweets posted by the 2016 presidential election's principal participants in the USA. We identified the stages of the election campaigns and the recurring topics addressed by the candidates. Finally, we revealed the leader-follower relationships between the candidates. We conclude that Secretary Hillary Clinton's Twitter performance was subordinate to that of Donald Trump, which may have been one factor that led to her electoral defeat.
Machine Learning Algorithms for Improved Thermospheric Density Modeling.

Accurate estimation and prediction of the thermospheric density is crucial for accurate low Earth orbit prediction. Recently, Reduced-Order Models (ROMs) were developed to obtain accurate quasi-physical dynamic models for the thermospheric density. In this paper we explore the use of deep neural networks and autoencoders to improve the reduced-order models. Through the development of deep and convolutional autoencoders, we obtain improved low-dimension representations of a high-dimensional density state. In addition, we improve the prediction accuracy of the ROM using a deep neural network.
Local structure and bonding environment of intermetallic β1 precipitate phase nucleus in binary Mg-Nd

Abstract β 1 is a key strengthening precipitate phase in Mg-Nd-based alloys, because it is know to improve high-temperature creep resistance. Here, using density functional theory-based first principles calculations, we have examined the structure and local environment of β 1 ( a β 1 ~ 7.4 A ) nucleus that forms within hcp-Mg lattice ( a M g ~ 3.2 A and c Mg ~ 5.2 A ). For this purpose, we developed a crystallographically-informed embedded precipitate supercell approach, which allowed us to systematically examine several possible precipitate/matrix configurations, and determine energetically favorable structures. We learn that β 1 will initially form within hcp-Mg as smaller structural templates rather than the larger equilibrium structure. In essence, these templates are the “genetic imprint” of the equilibrium structure that contains only a portion of larger β 1 crystal structure, while retaining the stoichiometry and nominal symmetry of β 1 . Such template-nucleus was stabilized by pockets of stiff covalent-bonded environment in hcp-Mg. Phonon density of states and dispersion wave spectra further corroborated such covalent character, and revealed that the predicted template-nucleus structure and its surroundings were stable at temperatures greater than 0 K. Broadly, our DFT results provide crucial insights into intermetallic phase nucleation, whose lattice parameters differ significantly from the host lattice.
Driving Forces of Protein Diffusion

Diffusivity of a protein (a Brownian particle) is caused by random molecular collisions in the Stokes-Einstein picture. Alternatively, it can be viewed as driven by unbalanced stochastic forces acting from water on the protein. Molecular dynamics simulations of protein mutants carrying different charges are analyzed here in terms of the van der Waals (vdW) and electrostatic forces acting on the protein. They turn out to be remarkably strongly correlated and the total force is largely a compensation between vdW and electrostatic forces. Both vdW and electrostatic forces relax on the same time scale of 5-6 ns separated by 6 orders of magnitude from the relaxation time of the total force. Similar phenomenology applies to the dynamics and statistics of the fluctuating torque responsible for rotational diffusion. Standard linear theories of dielectric friction are grossly inapplicable to translational and rotational diffusion of proteins overestimating friction by many orders of magnitude.
Examining the Validity Argument of A Survey Measuring Elementary Teachers’ Implementation of Standards-Based Mathematics Teaching: An Argument-Based Approach

In this paper the authors review the validity claims of a survey published in 2003, A Survey Measuring Elementary Teachers’ Implementation of Standards-Based Mathematics Teaching. Though the origin...
Circulating MicroRNAs predict glycemic improvement and response to a behavioral intervention.

MicroRNAs may be important regulators of risk for type 2 diabetes. The purpose of this longitudinal observational study was to assess whether circulating microRNAs predicted improvements in fasting blood glucose, a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes, over 12 months. The study included participants (n = 82) from a previously completed trial that tested the effect of restorative yoga on individuals with prediabetes. Circulating microRNAs were measured using a flow cytometry miRNA assay. Linear models were used to determine the optimal sets of microRNA predictors overall and by intervention group. Subsets of microRNAs were significant predictors of final fasting blood glucose after 12-months (R2 = 0.754, p < 0.001) and changes in fasting blood glucose over 12-months (R2 = 0.731, p < 0.001). Three microRNAs (let-7c, miR-363, miR-374b) were significant for the control group only, however there was no significant interaction by intervention group. Circulating microRNAs are significant predictors of fasting blood glucose in individuals with prediabetes. Among the identified microRNAs, several have previously been associated with risk for type 2 diabetes. This is one of the first studies to use a longitudinal design to assess whether microRNAs predict changes in fasting blood glucose over time. Further exploration of the function of the microRNAs included in these models may provide new insights about the complex etiology of type 2 diabetes and responses to behavioral risk reduction interventions. This study was a secondary analysis of a previously completed clinical trial that is registered at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT01024816) on December 3, 2009.
Purinergic neurotransmission in the gustatory system

Taste buds consist of specialized epithelial cells which detect particular tastants and synapse onto the afferent taste nerve innervating the endorgan. The nature of the neurotransmitter released by taste cells onto the nerve fiber was enigmatic early in this century although neurotransmitters for other sensory receptor cell types, e.g. hair cells, photoreceptors, was known for at least a decade. A 1999 paper by Burnstock and co-workers (Bo et al., 1999) showing the presence of P2X receptors on the afferent nerves served as a springboard for research that ultimately led to the discovery of ATP as the crucial neurotransmitter in the taste system (Finger et al., 2005). Subsequent work showed that a subpopulation of taste cells utilize a unique release channel, CALHM1/3, to release ATP in a voltage-dependent manner. Despite these advances, several aspects of purinergic transmission in this system remain to be elucidated.
Low Self-Control and Perceptions of Procedural Justice Among Urban-Born Youth: The Moderating Role of Officer Intrusiveness:

The current study examines whether the link between low self-control and perceptions of procedural justice among urban-born youth is contingent on acts of officer intrusiveness. Data come from the ...
Animal models of extracranial pediatric solid tumors

Animal models, including xenografts, models of metastatic invasion, syngeneic models and transgenic models, are important tools for basic research in solid pediatric tumors, while humanized animal models are useful for novel immunotherapeutical approaches. Optical and molecular imaging techniques are used for in vivo imaging and may be used in conjunction with alternative treatment approaches, including photodynamic therapy. The aim of this review is to highlight the various animal models that may be used for basic research in pediatric solid tumors.
Erectile impotence: complication of external sphincterotomy.

Abstract At the Jackson Memorial and the Miami Veterans Administration Hospitals, external sphincterotomy is the preferred surgical procedure for treating unsatisfactory voiding or vesicoureteral reflux among cord-injured patients. Eight of 25 patients returning questionnaires relating external sphincterotomy and penile erections admitted to severe impotence postoperatively. A review of the literature failed to uncover a precedent for this finding. Local factors secondary to use of the cutting loop and electrocoagulation appeared to be the most likely causative factors.
GRANULOMATOUS HEPATITIS ASSOCIATED WITH ACUTE CYTOMEGALOVIRUS INFECTION

Abstract Abnormal liver-function tests are characteristic of acquired cytomegalovirus (C.M.V.) infection. Previous descriptions of liver-biopsy specimens in published reports on C.M.V. mononucleosis have not described hepatic granulomas. A previously healthy young adult who had well-defined granulomas in a liver-biopsy specimen obtained during acute C.M.V. infection is reported. The diagnosis was confirmed by isolation of the virus as well as increases in complement fixation and IgM and IgG indirect fluorescent-antibody titres. Most other known causes of hepatic granulomas were excluded. Acquired C.M.V. should be included in the differential of granulomatous hepatitis.
Heightened risk of fire deaths among older African Americans and Native Americans.

OBJECTIVE: We examined disparities in burn and fire injuries by age and race/ ethnicity to identify disparities during the life course. METHODS: Burn and fire mortality rates were disaggregated by five-year age groups, gender, and race/ethnicity from 1999 to 2004. RESULTS: Compared with non-Hispanic white people, Native American and African American people older than 55 years of age experienced a higher risk of death from fires and burns. The rate ratio of burn/fire deaths for African Americans compared with white people was 3.14 (95% confidence interval CI. 2.98, 3.31) for those aged 55 years and older. The corresponding rate ratio for Native Americans compared with white people was 1.93 (95% CI 1.49, 2.46) for those aged 55 years and older. CONCLUSION: The especially heightened risk among minority seniors could reflect living arrangements that place them at higher risk. Heightened fire risks for minority seniors require broad attention and the development of effective interventions. Language: en
Semiclassical relativistic strings in AdS5×S5 and long scalar operators in N=4 SYM theory

Abstract We review recent progress in quantitative checking of AdS/CFT duality in the sector of ‘semiclassical’ string states dual to ‘long’ scalar N = 4 super Yang–Mills operators. In particular, we describe the effective action approach, in which the same sigma model type action describing coherent states is shown to emerge from the AdS 5 × S 5 string action and from an integrable spin chain Hamiltonian representing the SYM dilatation operator. To cite this article: A.A. Tseytlin, C. R. Physique 5 (2004).
Economic Analysis of Regionalized Neonatal Care for Very Low-Birth-Weight Infants in the State of Rhode Island

Cost-benefit analysis was utilized to evaluate the economic outcome of regionalized neonatal care in the state of Rhode Island, with specific reference to newborns weighing less than 1,500 g at birth. Two time periods consisting of two calendar years each, were analyzed: 1974 to 1975 (initiation of perinatal regionalization) and 1979 to 1980 (regionalization established). The neonatal mortality for infants weighing between 501 and 1,500 g decreased significantly between the two time periods. Neurodevelopmental morbidity was unchanged. The costs per survivor (hospital charges plus estimated costs of long-term care of handicapped survivors) were consistent over the time periods studied. The estimated benefits per survivor increased between the time periods, although this increase was not statistically significant. Benefits outweighed costs in both study periods. When one compares the economic data of 1974 to 1975 with that of 1979 to 1980, the increase in the absolute number of normal survivors since the establishment of regionalized neonatal care has resulted in benefits surpassing costs by $2 million (a greater than twofold increase). Regionalized neonatal care in the state of Rhode Island has had a positive economic outcome.
Design for reliability, testability and manufacturability of memory chips

The number of transistors on integrated-circuit chips is growing exponentially. This makes it increasingly difficult to satisfy the continuing demand for ever higher reliability of chips. The tools available to the chip architects and circuit designers for solving this predicament are discussed. The solutions include correct circuit placement and chip segmentation; logic and timing interlocks; low internal chip noise; optimized performance; circuits designed for ease of testability and for detectability of all defects; reduced sensitivity to manufacturing defects with relaxed layouts; wear-out mechanisms minimized by design; and low power consumption for reduced operating junction temperatures. These solutions and the design practices described have been implemented on 16-Mb and 18-Mb DRAM (dynamic random access memory) chips, each having more than 20 million transistors. >
Acetylcholine and choline dynamics provide early and late markers of traumatic brain injury

Abstract We assessed acetylcholine (ACh) and choline (Ch) dynamics 2.5 h, 1, 4 and 14 days after cerebral cortex impact injury or craniotomy only in adult male Sprague-Dawley rats. Cortical endogenous ACh (D0ACh), endogenous free Ch (D0Ch), deuterium-labeled Ch (D4Ch), and ACh synthesized from D4Ch (D4ACh) were measured by gas-chromatography mass-spectrometry after intravenous injection of D4Ch followed in 1 min by microwave fixation of the brain. D0Ch increased in and around the impact up to 700% of control within 1 day after trauma. Smaller D0Ch increases were found in the cortex contralateral to the impact and in both hemispheres after craniotomy only. D4Ch contents increased to 200% in the impact and surrounding regions 4–14 days post-trauma, with lower increases 2.5 h post-trauma. D0ACh decreased at all times post-trauma in the impact center, and initially in the periphery and adjacent regions with a recovery at 14 days. Similar D0ACh decreases, although of lesser extent and magnitude were present in the craniotomy only group. D4ACh showed a peak at one day post-trauma in all regions studied in the impact and craniotomy groups. In conclusion, D0Ch tissue level was an early marker of trauma, while 14 days after trauma Ch uptake from blood was enhanced in and around the traumatized cortex. Craniotomy by itself induced a generalized increase in ACh turnover 1 day after this minimal trauma. Choline acetyltransferase activity was reduced in the impact center region but not affected in the adjacent and contralateral regions or by craniotomy.
A non-dialyzable inhibitor of proteolytic activity in soluble extracts of Escherichia coli.

Nous avons observe l'inhibition de l'activite tryptique et chymotryptique par extraits d'Escherichia coli. L'inhibition n'est pas detruit par chauffage et par dialyse.
Perylene complexes with p-dichlorobenzene and related species: comparison of rotational coherence data with structure calculations

Abstract Rotational coherence experiments have been carried out on complexes of perylene with p-dichlorobenzene (DCB), p-difluorobenzene (DFB) and hexafluorobenzene, largely to seek an explanation for the unusually small complexation shifts of the first two. All three complexes were found to have overlapped, parallel ring structures, similar to that of perylene/benzene. Moreover, in structures corresponding to the electronic ground state, the halogen-halogen axes of DFB and DCB were found to be aligned perpendicular to the perylene long axis.
Tuning the Palladium-Silicon Bond: Bond Analysis of Bisphosphine Silyl Palladium Hydrides

Density functional calculations (PW91) have been carried out for 33 complexes of the type (dhpe)M(H)Si(R1)(R2)(R3) (dhpe = 1,2-bis(dihydrophosphino)ethane; M = Pd, Pt; R = H, Me, Ph, F, Cl). Bond snapping energies for the M−Si bond have been obtained, and the variation of silyl substitutents R allows one to tune the M−Si bond strength over a range of about 60 kJ/mol. On the basis of the results obtained from a Hirshfeld charge analysis, the Pd−Si bond is characterized by a sizable amount of charge transfer from the transition-metal fragment to the main-group ligand. This is reflected in the optimized Pd−Si bond length, which correlates well with the amount of charge transferred. Experimentally observed trends for the relative stability of bisphosphine silyl palladium hydrides can be successfully reproduced using a simplified approximation based on reaction energies derived from bond snapping energies. On average, the Pt−Si bond is stronger than the Pd−Si bond by 26 kJ/mol. The enhanced platinum bond stren...
Using linear-parameter-varying methods for the design of switching piezoceramic actuators in flexible structures

A control scheme which attempts to address the performance improvement of a system subject to spatiotemporally varying disturbances is proposed within the context of vibration suppression in flexible structures. This is achieved by switching to different actuators at different time intervals. Specifically, the flexible structure under study is assumed to have multiple piezoceramic actuators available with only one being active over a time interval of fixed length while the remaining ones remain dormant. By viewing the system as a Linear Parameter Varying one, a global controller is found that is a stabilizing one for all combinations of active/dormant actuators. The computation of the parameter varying compensator employs convex optimization methods and via LMIs, the desired controller having a certain performance level is found. This actuator switching mimics the case of a moving actuator capable of residing in predetermined positions within the spatial domain of the flexible structure. In the proposed algorithm, a control logic is incorporated that only selects the next actuator to be activated from the set of the remaining actuators using a performance-based measure. Numerical studies for a flexible beam are presented to support the analytical findings of this work.
Assessing ambiguity at the family-nurse boundary interface in pediatric health crisis.

This article discusses the conceptualization and measurement of family–nurse relationships in pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) from the perspective of family systems and boundaries. The 14 items for the Family–Nurse Boundary Ambiguity Scale for PICU (FNBAS-PICU) were developed from a qualitative study. Nurse panels established face and content validity. Parents (156) from four PICUs participated in reliability estimates (Cronbach's alpha = .81) and validity testing with measures of illness uncertainty and role alteration stress. Principal components analysis confirmed the conceptual intent of the FNBAS-PICU.
Contribution of Pion Production by Primary Cosmic-Ray Nucleons to the Interstellar Electron-Positron Flux

The secondary electron-positron component of high-energy cosmic radiation is calculated. Using the Feynman scaling law for the inclusive pion distribution function, it is shown that the secondary positron-electron component will have the same power law as the primary electron component if the proton and electron injection spectra are the same. Numerical estimates are made using an appropriate fit of the pion single-particle distribution function to accelerator data. The ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{0}\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray component is also discussed.
Immunoreactivity of neurosecretory granules in the brain-retrocerebral complex of Manduca sexta to heterologous antibodies against Bombyx prothoracicotropic hormone and bombyxin

Summary A monoclonal antibody against a synthetic pentadecapeptide corresponding to the N-terminal end of Bombyx-prothoracicotropic hormone (PTTH: 1–15) and a monoclonal antibody against a synthetic decapeptide corresponding to the N-terminal portion of the A-chain of bombyxin-1, bombyxin (1–10), were used as parallel probes to localize both molecules at the cellular and subcellular levels in the brain-retrocerebral complex of Manduca sexta. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that molecules immunochemically similar to Bombyx-PTTH were localized in the cytoplasm of two pairs of dorso-lateral neurosecretory cells (L-NSC III) and could be traced along their axons to the corpora cardiaca (CC) and corpora allata (CA), whereas bombyxin-like material was absent from these cells and was detected only in the cytoplasm of four pairs of median neurosecretory cells (M-NSCs). Immunocytochemical labelling at the ultrastructural level using the PTTH antibody showed high specificity with the 5 nm immunogold particles ...
Geo2 concentration dependence of nonlinear refractive index coefficients of silica‐based optical fibers

The nonlinear refractive index coefficient n2 dependence on the GeO2 concentration in optical fibers is quantitatively shown for SiO2 core fibers and GeO2-SiO2 core/SiO2 clad fibers with Δ = 0.35–2.2% using an XPM measurement method where the phase change in the fiber of a probe signal caused by a pump signal is found from the delay self-heterodyne spectrum. The GeO2 concentration distribution which determines the n2 distribution in the fiber is not uniform, and the measured n2 is the average of the product of the local n2 and the fourth power of the electric field in the fiber. In this work, this relationship of the measured n2, the cross sectional distribution of n2, and the electric field distribution in the fiber is used to define an effective GeO2 concentration, ηeff. This effective GeO2 concentration level is used to evaluate n2. The measured n2 increases proportionally to ηeff by the relationship n2[x 10–20 m2/W] = 0.0552°eff[mol%] + 2.44. Furthermore, the measured n2 in the fiber agrees well with the n2 of bulk glass obtained a semiempirically for the nonlinear refractive index coefficient derived from linear refractive index data.
Prognostic significance of keratinization in squamous cell cancer of uterine cervix: a population based study

To determine the influence of keratinization on prognosis in squamous cell cancer (SCC) of the uterine cervix. Patients with keratinized squamous cell carcinoma (KSCC) and non-keratinized squamous cell carcinoma (NKSCC) of the cervix were identified from the Limited Use SEER database from 1988 to 2004. A subgroup of patients who did not have radiation or surgery formed the basis to study the natural history of the disease. Data were analyzed using Pearson Chi-square, Student’s T tests. Kaplan–Meier and Cox Regression Proportional Hazards survival analysis was conducted in SPSS and SEER-Stat software. The KSCC group had 3,102 and the NKSCC had 3,751 patients with mean age being 51 and 49 years, respectively (P = 0.001). In general, patients with KSCC were more likely to have advanced stage (FIGO III and IV) disease while patients with NKSCC were more likely to have poorly differentiated neoplasms (P 0.05). Overall, the 5-year survival in KSCC was 63.4% as compared to 65.3% in the NKSCC group (P = 0.04). Patients treated by surgery had no difference in survival; however, patients treated by radiation had a median survival in KSCC of 33 months (n = 928, 95% CI 27.7–38.3) as compared to 38 months (n = 1,140, 95% CI 32.1–43.8) in NKSCC (P = 0.03). A total of 165 KSCC and 147 NKSCC patients did not receive treatment. Within this subgroup, the median survival was 10 months (95% CI 5.93–14.07) as compared to 28 months (95% CI 17.9–38.0; P = 0.001) respectively for the two cohorts. In multivariate analysis stage, treatment status, nodal metastasis and keratinization were independent predictors of survival (P < 0.05). This is the largest study reporting on the prognostic importance of keratinization in SCC. KSCC may be less radiosensitive and associated with shorter overall survival. Also, in the natural history of the SCC, keratinization signifies striking reduction in survival.
Obstructive sleep apnea and postoperative analgesia--a potentially dangerous combination.

Obstructive sleep apnea, and its numerous variants, introduces extremely serious problems for patients undergoing surgical procedures. As anesthesiologists, we are well aware of the difficulties in establishing a secure airway in these patients. Much has also been written about the preoperative evaluation and intraoperative management of obese patients whether or not they carry the formal diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea. However, their postanesthetic management is of increasing concern to me and an important reason why the article, “Obstructive sleep apnea in the adult obese patient: implications for airway management,” by Jonathan Benumof published in this issue, is of great interest. In the last few years, expectations that postoperative pain relief will not only be offered, but will be successful, have dramatically increased. Deciding to extubate during or immediately after emergence from anesthesia leaves an unsecured airway in the patient who, then, must have his/her postoperative pain managed. Thus, an increasing number of patients with obstructive sleep apnea receive postoperative opioids, sedatives, and tranquilizers which reduce their defenses against airway obstruction, potentially leading to their rapid demise. Anecdotal reports indicate a serious hazard already exists. For example: A 42-yr-old obese male with diagnosed severe sleep apnea underwent ear surgery. Because of anticipated difficult airway secondary to sleep apnea, the anesthesiologist appropriately intubated him awake under fiberoptic laryngoscopy. At the end of the case, the patient was extubated after becoming fully awake. The anesthesiologist even used the precaution of placing a tube changer in case reintubation was necessary. He received very small amounts of fentanyl during the procedure and was given three 40 mg doses of naloxone to facilitate awakening. One hour later, the patient was transferred to his room from the PACU, doing well, but complaining of pain. He was given morphine sulfate, 4 mg, IM. Over the next two hours, he was noted to be sleeping and then unresponsive. The surgical resident was contacted and ordered that vital signs be rechecked in one half hour and naloxone be made available at the bedside, but he did not evaluate the patient personally. No additional oxygen was ordered, nor was oxygen saturation monitoring requested. Thirty minutes later, the patient was found in cardiac arrest. Because the anesthesiologist who responded to the arrest knew the patient would be impossible to intubate, he asked the surgeon