cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sol-gel synthesis of protoenstatite and a study of the factors that affect crystallization

Three different magnesium silicate sols were prepared from Mg(OMe)2 and TEOS for which hydrolysis with H2O2 and H2O was under stoichiometric, stoichiometric, or over stoichiometric. Xerogels were prepared from the sols by simple evaporation, spray-drying, or freeze-drying. The freeze-dried precursor formed mostly protoenstatite, a high-temperature polymorph of enstatite (MgSiO3) that is generally not stable at room temperature; the other precursors formed mixtures of protoenstatite and clinoenstatite. The three xerogels and their calcined products were studied with XRD, HTXRD, BET, carbon analysis, TG/DTA and29 Si-NMR. Residual carbon was found to be an important factor in the crystallization, and 29Si-NMR spectroscopy was found to be a better tool than XRD to assess the phase purity of protoenstatite.
Ca v 1.1 in Malignant Hyperthermia

Cav1.1 is the pore-forming subunit of the dihydropyridine-sensitive L-type Ca2+ channel in skeletal muscle. Cav1.1 functions as both a slowly activating, voltage-gated L-type Ca2+ channel and as the voltage sensor that triggers the opening of ryanodine receptor Ca2+ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum during excitation–contraction (EC) coupling. To date, five different point mutations in Cav1.1 (R174W, R1086C, R1086H, R1086S, and T1354S) have been linked to malignant hyperthermia (MH) in humans, a potentially lethal autosomal dominantly inherited pharmacogenetic disorder of skeletal muscle Ca2+ regulation associated with an uncontrolled increase in muscle activity and heat production. Interestingly, functional studies for three of these identified MH mutations in Cav1.1 (R174W, R1086H, and T1354S) indicate that each mutation enhances susceptibility to MH via fundamentally different mechanisms. This chapter describes the dual functionality of Cav1.1 in skeletal muscle as both as Ca2+ channel and voltage sensor for EC coupling, the genetics, and pathophysiology of MH, and the mechanisms by which MH mutations in Cav1.1 alter the Ca2+ channel and voltage sensor functions in a manner that results in an increased susceptibility to MH.
Discrimination in Mortgage Markets

This article provides an overview of the complex links between discrimination and housing finance markets. Discrimination arises in mortgage markets when access to housing finance is denied on the basis of applicants’ racial/ethnic identity, gender, spatial location, or other characteristics. This unequal access initially took the form of the outright denial of mortgage applications; more recently, it has involved “subprime loans” - higher fees and interest rates, shorter maturities, and stricter penalty clauses than are charged to other customers. Legal prohibitions against discrimination in mortgage markets, augmented by laws encouraging lenders’ reinvestment, have existed since the 1960s. Nonetheless, empirical studies have consistently found evidence of higher rates of loan denial and higher rates of loan default and foreclosure for minority borrowers and for minority neighborhoods. This chapter first reviews legal prohibitions against mortgage discrimination, then theoretical models explaining it, and next, empirical evidence attempting to measure it. It concludes by examining the links between predatory lending, subprime mortgages, and discrimination.
Influences observed on incidence and reporting of medication errors in anesthesia

Background Medication errors are a common occurrence during the conduct of anesthesia (one in 113-450 patients). Several factors contribute to medication errors in anesthesia, including experience of the anesthesia provider, severity of comorbidities, and type of procedure. The inexperience of anesthesia providers-in-training also leads to increased error rates. This prospective observational study repeats and extends previous work by Webster et al. and Llewellyn et al. examining the role of comorbidities, type of case, and level of provider experience on the incidence of medication errors.
Messäquivalenz in der kulturvergleichenden Stressforschung: Ansätze zur Konzeptualisierung und Überprüfbarkeit

Soll die Stressbelastung in verschiedenen kulturellen Stichproben gemessen werden, so treten ahnliche Probleme wie bei der klinischen Diagnostik in kulturell heterogenen Patientengruppen auf. Garfield stellte bereits 1984 fest, dass die Validitat von Messungen haufig vernachlassigt wird, da adaquate Kriterien fur einen Kulturvergleich fehlen und keine allgemein akzeptierten Kriterien existieren, anhand derer man die Richtigkeit klinischer Diagnosen evaluieren kann.
Performative Citizenship in the Civil Rights and Immigration Rights Movements

This paper examines the legacy of the Civil Rights Act, by revisiting the social movement that produced it and comparing that movement to a contemporary successor, the movement for immigrant rights. This movement has not simply used the storied tactics of the civil rights movement, it has modified them in ways that render them more performative: undocumented activists implement the familiar tactics in that enact – in daring and surprising ways – the public belonging to which they aspire. This performative dimension would seem to distinguish the immigrant rights movement, at the level of organizational strategy, from its civil rights counterpart, whose participants were constitutionally acknowledged as citizens. However, if we focus instead on the legal consciousness and self-conception of individual activists, we can glimpse greater similarities between participants in the two movements. As the individual narratives elicited by sociologists and historians of the civil rights movement demonstrate, participants in many civil rights campaigns were asserting a citizenship in which they did not feel secure, notwithstanding its formal legal status. In this respect, participants in both movements claimed rights which were emergent or precarious as a means of securing their formal recognition.
Local differentiation in tree growth responses to climate

Many temperate tree species have extraordinarily broad distributions along gradients of temperature and precipitation. But it is not clear in most species whether this reflects very broad tolerance of climate conditions, or a high degree of genetic differentiation or phenotypic acclimation in their responses to local climate. Provenance trials and common garden experiments indicate that at least some tree species of the temperate forests of eastern North America show genetic differentiation in growth as a function of climate, although these studies have been largely limited to measurements on growth of seedlings and saplings. To test for evidence of either adaptation or acclimation in adult response to local climatic conditions, we used data from over 23,000 tree cores collected by the U.S. Forest Inventory and Analysis program in the 1980s for 14 tree species distributed in states from Maine to Ohio. We tested a suite of alternate models for interannual variation in radial growth as a function of (1) tree age, (2) size, (3) temperature, and (4) precipitation. The models included climate variables from both the current and previous year. The alternate models allowed us to test whether growth was best predicted from absolute values of the climate variables, or from deviation of current or previous year climate from long-term average at the location of an individual tree core. In all 14 species, models that used deviation from local, long-term mean climate were superior, indicating that all 14 species showed strong adaptation or acclimation to local climate. In most of the species, growth was highest in years that were cooler and wetter than long-term average at a location. The analysis does not allow us to distinguish between genetic differentiation and phenotypic acclimation responses. If the results are genetically based, trees within a given location could be much more sensitive to climate change than indicated by the very broad geographic distributions of these temperate tree species, but if the results are phenotypic, this would represent local acclimation that could help buffer species in the face of climate change.
Being Human in Hard Times

Recent years seem to have been accompanied by great uncertainty and precarity in the United States and around the world: whether political strife within and between nations, volatility of economic ...
Provider group type and Tdap coverage in pregnancy.

Abstract Introduction The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has focused on maternal Tdap immunization as an important means to protect neonates from pertussis infections. There is little published data on provider and/or clinic characteristics as predictors of maternal Tdap uptake. This study examined differences in maternal Tdap coverage in women delivering at a single academic institution, but cared for prenatally in different clinical settings, in 2013, 2014, and 2015. Additionally, the accuracy and utilization of Vermont's immunization information system (IIS) was assessed. Methods This was a retrospective, multiple time-point cross-sectional analysis of annual maternal Tdap coverage in women delivering at a single academic institution in the 3 years following a fundamental change in national maternal Tdap vaccination guidelines. Tdap administration was examined across different obstetric groups using chart review and data from the state's IIS. Results All obstetric care groups except the resident-staffed clinic significantly increased maternal Tdap coverage in 2014, compared to 2013 coverage, with no further increase in 2015. In contrast, there was no increase in maternal Tdap coverage in 2014 in the resident-staffed clinics, but then a statistically significant increase in 2015. Overall Tdap coverage in 2014 was 80.4%, with variation in Tdap coverage between clinics types. In the subset of women who were cared for by the University-based groups, there was significant variation in Tdap coverage between clinics, despite racial homogeneity, which persisted after adjustment for maternal age and insurance type. The state's IIS was found to be highly accurate, using individual chart review as the “gold standard.” Discussion While we demonstrated high maternal Tdap coverage in women delivering at our institution, differences in clinic type and provider training appeared to impact immunization rates, as well as how quickly evolving national recommendations were adopted. Additionally, the fidelity of the state's IIS data was verified.
The Sensitivity of the Critical Resistance Model to Detect Sex-Related Differences in Fatigue During Submaximal Muscular Contractions

Critical resistance (CR) is a fatigue threshold that, theoretically, estimates the highest sustainable resistance for repeated skeletal muscle contractions. Men are typically more susceptible to fatigue than women during sustained muscular contractions. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to compare the CR between men and women to determine the sensitivity of the CR model to detect sex-related differences in fatigue at submaximal intensities. Ten men and 10 women completed one-repetition maximum (1RM) testing for the deadlift and repetitions to failure at 50%, 60%, 70%, and 80% of 1RM for the determination of CR. Repetitions to failure were then performed at the estimated CR. The men had a greater absolute 1RM (168 ± 27 kg vs. 115 ± 11 kg) and CR (62 ± 14 kg vs. 48 ± 6 kg), but a lower relative CR (percent of 1RM; 37 ± 6% vs. 41 ± 2%) and completed fewer repetitions at CR (45 ± 14 repetitions vs. 58 ± 12 repetitions) compared to the women. The CR model was sensitive to detect sex-related differences in fatiguing muscular contractions of the deadlift. In addition, the men were more susceptible to fatigue than the women during performance of submaximal muscular contractions at CR, which may be related to sex-dependent physiological responses during fatiguing muscular contractions.
Halide exchange studies of novel Pd( ii ) NNN-pincer complexes

Palladium(II) complexes with an NNN type pincer ligand (pip2NNN = 2,6-bis(piperdyl-methyl)pyridine) are synthesized and characterized. Electronic and 1H NMR spectra point to decreasing filled/filled repulsions between the dπ(Pd) orbitals and the halide lone pair orbitals along the Cl < Br < I series. For all complexes, the most downfield α-piperidyl resonance of the pip2NNN ligand is sensitive to changes in the coordinated halide while the meta-pyridyl and benzylic resonances are sensitive to changes in the counter anion. This sensitivity is utilized to study halide association and exchange at the fourth coordination site. Conductivity and 1H NMR spectroscopy confirm the interaction between the exogenous anion (Cl−, Br−, BF4−) and Pd(pip2NNN)X+ (X = Cl, Br).
Microscale pH and Dissolved Oxygen Fluctuations within Mussel Aggregations and Their Implications for Mussel Attachment and Raft Aquaculture

Mussel mariculture uses the natural attachment strategy of marine mussels by allowing them to aggregate on submerged rope lines that are then pulled to the surface and harvested. Mussels attach to ropes using a network of byssal threads, proteinaceous fibers that adhere to surfaces underwater using a powerful biological glue (adhesive plaque). Plaques use the surrounding seawater as a molecular trigger during adhesive curing, a process that requires a pH greater than 7.0 and an abundance of dissolved oxygen to progress. To ascertain whether mussels experience seawater conditions that are potentially harmful to mussel attachment, this study measured the conditions within mussel aggregations at a mussel farm in Washington state and, then, applied those conditions to plaques to determine whether such conditions are sufficient to weaken attachment. Seawater monitoring demonstrated that mussels infrequently experience acidic (pH <5.0) and hypoxic excursions (O2 <2 mg L–1) in the summer, especially near the seafloor. When reproduced in laboratory assays, the most extreme pH excursions observed delayed plaque strengthening when applied early in the plaque-curing process, whereas extreme excursions in hypoxia decreased adhesion strength after the adhesive had fully matured. In either case, adhesion strength was rescued after reimmersion in open-ocean seawater conditions, highlighting the resilience of the mussel holdfast to stresses other than mechanical strain. The window of susceptibility to changes in environmental conditions during and after curing could contribute to fall-off events at mussel farms, especially in the late summer months.
Dietary Approaches to the Management of Autism Spectrum Disorders

This chapter reviews the literature surrounding autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and their relation to gastrointestinal (GI), behavioral, neurological, and immunological functioning. Individuals with ASD often have poor GI health, including bowel motility issues, autoimmune and/or other adverse responses to certain foods, and lack of necessary nutrient absorption. These issues may be caused or exacerbated by restrictive behavioral patterns (e.g., preference for sweet and salty foods and/or refusal of healthy foods). Those individuals with GI issues tend to demonstrate more behavioral deficits (e.g., irritability, agitation, hyperactivity) and also tend to have an imbalance in overall gut microbiome composition, thus corroborating several studies that have implicated brain–gut pathways as potential mediators of behavioral dysfunction.
Truncating BRIP1 mutations are uncommon in 17q-linked hereditary prostate cancer families

3114 In a genome-wide scan (GWS) of 175 multiplex prostate cancer (PCa) families from the University of Michigan Prostate Cancer Genetics Project (PCGP), linkage was observed to markers on chromosome 17q21-24, a region which includes two breast cancer susceptibility genes, BRCA1 and BRIP1. BRIP1 is a Fanconi anemia gene (FANCJ) whose protein binds directly to the BRCT domain of BRCA1 and plays a role in DNA damage repair. Like BRCA1, germline, protein truncating mutations in BRIP1 have been identified in hereditary breast and ovarian cancer families and confer an increased risk of breast cancer to carriers. Here we examine the role of BRIP1 mutations in hereditary PCa. All BRIP1 exons and intron/exon boundaries were directly sequenced in 1 individual from each of 94 PCGP families displaying linkage (non-parametric linkage score > 0) to chromosome 17q. These families had an average of 4.1 confirmed PCa cases per family (range = 2-14), and the mean age of PCa diagnosis of confirmed cases within a pedigree was 63.7 years (range = 45.7-78.3). Thirty-seven of the 94 families contained at least 1 breast cancer (BrCa) case, and 8 families contained at least 1 ovarian cancer case. The individuals sequenced included 88 men with PCa and 6 women with BrCa. No protein truncating mutations were identified in any of the individuals sequenced. However, 24 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) including 7 missense mutations were observed; 3 of these missense mutations were previously unreported in dbSNP, and 2 of the 7 were predicted to be deleterious to the protein by both SIFT and PolyPhen. Overall, no individual was wild type at all 24 SNPs, and 59 individuals had at least one missense mutation. One individual was heterozygous for 3 different missense variants. The data presented here suggest that BRIP1 truncating mutations are not common PCa susceptibility mutations and do not account for the linkage to chromosome 17q observed in the PCGP GWS. Note that these same individuals from the 17q-linked families were previously screened for BRCA1 mutations. Only one BRCA1 truncating mutation was identified, but several missense BRCA1 variants were detected. Additional investigation is underway to determine the significance of the observed BRCA1 and BRIP1 missense mutations in hereditary PCa.
Ruthenium tetroxide catalysed oxidation of coals: The formation of aliphatic and benzene carboxylic acids

Abstract Ruthenium tetroxide was used as a reagent for the oxidation of several different coals. Significant quantities of aliphatic, di-, tri- and tetracarboxylic acids as well as benzene di-, tri-, tetra- and pentacarboxylic acids were produced in these oxidation reactions. More than 100 products have been identified by g.c.-m.s. The yields of three abundant products, butanedioic acid, 1,2-benzenedicarboxylic and 1,2,4,5-benzenetetracarboxylic acid, were determined quantitatively by an isotope dilution technique and the yields of eleven other relatively abundant products were measured semiquantitatively by g.c.-m.s. A striking array of carboxylic acids are formed in this reaction, which selectively preserves the aliphatic portion of the coal. The product distribution depends upon the rank of the coal. Texas lignite, for example, produces the most diverse group of aliphatic acids, but the higher rank bituminous coals also provide significant quantities of these acids. The structural implications of the observations are discussed.
THE TEMPERATURE AND DENSITY STRUCTURE OF THE SOLAR CORONA. I. OBSERVATIONS OF THE QUIET SUN WITH THE EUV IMAGING SPECTROMETER ON HINODE

Measurements of the temperature and density structure of the solar corona provide critical constraints on theories of coronal heating. Unfortunately, the complexity of the solar atmosphere, observational uncertainties, and the limitations of current atomic calculations, particularly those for Fe, all conspire to make this task very difficult. A critical assessment of plasma diagnostics in the corona is essential to making progress on the coronal heating problem. In this paper, we present an analysis of temperature and density measurements above the limb in the quiet corona using new observations from the EUV Imaging Spectrometer (EIS) on Hinode. By comparing the Si and Fe emission observed with EIS we are able to identify emission lines that yield consistent emission measure distributions. With these data we find that the distribution of temperatures in the quiet corona above the limb is strongly peaked near 1 MK, consistent with previous studies. We also find, however, that there is a tail in the emission measure distribution that extends to higher temperatures. EIS density measurements from several density sensitive line ratios are found to be generally consistent with each other and with previous measurements in the quiet corona. Our analysis, however, also indicates that a significant fraction of the weaker emission lines observed in the EIS wavelength ranges cannot be understood with current atomic data.
Strategic Disclosure as an Explanation for Asymmetric Return Volatility

Strategic disclosure, which we define as the reporting of good news and the withholding of bad news, provides an explanation for a well-documented dynamic pattern in returns: The negative relation between return shocks and conditional return volatility. Black (1976) dubbed this relation the "leverage effect." With strategic reporting, positive share price responses in the event of good news result from news arrival. Negative share price responses, in contrast, are more likely due to an inference of bad news, which implies a smaller reduction in residual uncertainty. We document that the leverage effect is stronger in the return series of individual firms that are more likely to disclose strategically as measured by their litigation risk incentives. Patterns in returns/return volatility in market indices also are consistent with strategic disclosure as an explanation. These analyses are an important component of the study because they indicate that strategic disclosure decisions by individual firms are strong enough not only to create patterns in their own stock returns, but also that they may be powerful enough to explain market-wide patterns despite the covariance effects of aggregation of disclosure behavior over multiple firms.
Positional cloning of the JNCL gene, CLN3.

Publisher Summary Juvenile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (CLN3, JNCL, and Batten or Spielmeyer-Vogt-Sjogren disease, MIM304200) is the most common neurodegenerative disorder of childhood. Inheritance of the disease is autosomal recessive. There is no cure for JNCL. Treatment is largely symptomatic. Eiberg first mapped the JNCL locus CLN3 to chromosome 16. It is discovered a previously unreported subunit 9 gene, P3, and demonstrated the mapping of this gene to chromosome 2, also excluding it as the JNCL gene. Refined localization of CLN3 only became possible with the advent of highly polymorphic microsatellite markers. In parallel to efforts to refine the genetic locus of CLN3, a physical map consisting of yeast artificial chromosomes (YACs) and cosmid contigs is generated to span the candidate region. Cosmid clone NL11A, the most likely site of the JNCL gene CLN3, is selected for exon trapping for the isolation of candidate JNCL gene transcripts. The common mutation in JNCL is a 1-kb genomic deletion. The finding of additional mutations of the gene encoding cDNA2-3 in JNCL patients supported the conclusion that this gene is the JNCL gene CLN3. The tissue expression of CLN3 reflects the expression pattern of the other NCL genes so far identified, and offers no clue toward understanding the neuronal specificity of this group of disorders. No homology has been found at either the nucleotide or the protein level with any known gene, indicating that CLN3 encodes a novel protein of unknown function. The chapter discusses the animal models of JNCL. These animal models are critical for studies of the pathogenesis underlying the disease and for the evaluation of therapies.
Resource allocation schemes for target localization in distributed multiple radar architectures

In this paper, two resource allocation schemes for multiple radar systems are proposed. The first approach fully utilizes all available infrastructure in the localization process, i.e., all transmit and receive radars, while minimizing the total transmit energy. The power allocation among the transmit radars is optimized such that a predefined estimation mean-square error (MSE) objective is met, while keeping the transmitted power at each station within an acceptable range. The second scheme minimizes the number of transmit and receive radars employed in the estimation process by effectively choosing a subset of radars such that the required MSE performance threshold is attained. In the latter, the transmit antennas are assumed to fully utilize the admissible power range. The Cramer-Rao bound (CRB), which is known to be asymptotically tight to the maximum likelihood estimator (MLE) MSE at high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), is used as an optimization metric for the estimation MSE. Subset selection is implemented through a heuristic algorithm, offering reduced computational cost compared with an exhaustive search.
Isolation and Characterization of Novel Iron-Oxidizing Bacteria That Grow at Circumneutral pH

A gel-stabilized gradient method that employed opposing gradients of Fe2+ and O2 was used to isolate and characterize two new Fe-oxidizing bacteria from a neutral pH, Fe(2+)-containing groundwater in Michigan. Two separate enrichment cultures were obtained, and in each the cells grew in a distinct, rust-colored band in the gel at the oxic-anoxic interface. The cells were tightly associated with the ferric hydroxides. Repeated serial dilutions of both enrichments resulted in the isolation of two axenic strains, ES-1 and ES-2. The cultures were judged pure based on (i) growth from single colonies in tubes at dilutions of 10(-7) (ES-2) (ES-2) and 10(-8) (ES-1); (ii) uniform cell morphologies, i.e., ES-1 was a motile long thin, bent, or S-shaped rod and ES-2 was a shorter curved rod; and (iii) no growth on a heterotrophic medium. Strain ES-1 grew to a density of 10(8) cells/ml on FeS with a doubling time of 8 h. Strain ES-2 grew to a density of 5 x 10(7) cells/ml with a doubling time of 12.5 h. Both strains also grew on FeCO3. Neither strain grew without Fe2+, nor did they grow with glucose, pyruvate, acetate, Mn, or H2S as an electron donor. Studies with an oxygen microelectrode revealed that both strains grew at the oxic-anoxic interface of the gradients and tracked the O2 minima when subjected to higher O2 concentrations, suggesting they are microaerobes. Phylogenetically the two strains formed a novel lineage within the gamma Proteobacteria. They were very closely related to each other and were equally closely related to PVB OTU 1, a phylotype obtained from an iron-rich hydrothermal vent system at the Loihi Seamount in the Pacific Ocean, and SPB OTU 1, a phylotype obtained from permafrost soil in Siberia. Their closest cultivated relative was Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. In total, this evidence suggests ES-1 and ES-2 are members of a previously untapped group of putatively lithotrophic, unicellular iron-oxidizing bacteria.
Quantized control with applications to mobile vehicles

We develop a theory of stabilizing single-input nonlinear affine systems using quantized feedback. We construct a stabilizing quantizer based on a control Lyapunov function (CLF), and a robustly stabilizing quantizer based on a robust control Lyapunov function (RCLF). We characterize the coarsest quantizer under certain conditions. The special features of several classes of nonlinear affine systems are explored to obtain more specific results. Finally, we apply the proposed quantization scheme to the motion control of certain types of vehicles.
A Distance Scale From The IR Magnitude/HI Velocity Width Relation

A summary is given of recent work using the IR/H I method, arguably the best global distance indicator presently available. Reflex motion toward the microwave dipole anisotropy has been seen relative to a sample of nearby galaxy clusters; this result is contrasted with the somewhat divergent conclusions obtained by Burstein et al. from a similar study of elliptical galaxies. A best guess calibration of the IR/H I zero point continues to lead to a high value for the expansion rate. This finding cannot be explained by appealing to Malmquist bias, as demonstrated by a straightforward linearity test of the velocity-distance relation. However, all current estimates of the Hubble constant are plagued by the large uncertainties to the distances of nearby calibrating galaxies, a problem whose full solution probably must await the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope.
Clinical, Functional, and Radiographic Assessments of the Conventional and Modified Boyd-Anderson Surgical Procedures for Repair of Distal Biceps Tendon Ruptures:

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical, functional, and radiographic outcomes of the conventional and modified Boyd-Anderson procedures for repair of distal biceps tendon ruptures. Thirteen of 18 men who underwent surgical repair for unilateral distal biceps tendon ruptures at one university center participated in the study. In general, follow-up outcomes were favorable with respect to return to premorbid activity levels, patient satisfaction with surgical outcome, and overall clinical results. Elbow flexion, forearm supination, and upper extremity functional concentric peak torque and range of motion results were not significantly different between the surgical and nonsurgical arms when dominance was controlled as a confounding factor. Radiographic findings revealed no clinically remarkable signs of heterotopic ossification or proximal radioulnar synostosis. Results of the study reveal that the conventional and modified Boyd-Anderson procedures are clinically, functionally, and radiographically efficacious for repair of distal biceps tendon ruptures.
The Occurrence and Numerical Solution of Physical and Chemical Systems Having Widely Varying Time Constants

The practitioner is usually unaware of the nature of stiff systems and the associated numerical integration difficulties. Even arbitrary application of stiff methods is deemed significant enough in many areas of application to be suitable for publication. On the other hand, typical solution characteristics and the requirements on their elucidation may not be fully appreciated by the numerical analyst.
High efficiency, counter-rotating ring thruster for underwater vehicles

Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution's Engineering Division has developed and patented a high efficiency, counter-rotating ring thruster for underwater vehicles. Described herein are the design, performance and applications of this most unique propulsion device.
The effect of patent foramen ovale closure in patients with platypnea-orthodeoxia syndrome

Author(s): Mojadidi, Mohammad Khalid; Gevorgyan, Rubine; Noureddin, Nabil; Tobis, Jonathan M | Abstract: BackgroundPlatypnea-orthodeoxia syndrome is a rare condition characterized by hypoxemia in the upright position that is improved in the supine position. Although several etiologies of platypnea-orthodeoxia exist, it is frequently associated with right-to-left shunting of blood at the cardiac or pulmonary level, usually via a patent foramen ovale (PFO). The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence of platypnea-orthodeoxia syndrome in a select patient population with right-to-left shunting and to describe the outcomes after PFO closure.MethodsPatients with platypnea-orthodeoxia were prospectively identified from a population of patients who had a PFO and were referred to UCLA from 2001 to 2012. Those patients who elected to have their PFO closed were assessed for the severity of their symptoms and interval SaO2 changes. The changes in SaO2 before and after closure were compared in the supine and upright position. Patients were classified depending on the result of PFO closure as having "improved SaO2 " or "no change."ResultsOf 683 patients with PFO-associated conditions, 17 (2.5%) had platypnea-orthodeoxia and elected to close their PFO. The results in 11 of 17 patients (64.8%) were classified as having "improved SaO2 "; they experienced improvement or complete resolution of their dyspnea and hypoxemia (improved SaO2 from baseline 5.2 ± 4.7% when recumbent and 15.6 ± 3.0% when upright, P = 0.03 and P l 0.0001, respectively). Patients with no change after PFO closure predominantly had a pulmonary etiology for their hypoxia, with elevated mean pulmonary pressures measured before closure (51.4 ±16.8 mmHg, P = 0.06).ConclusionPFO closure may resolve symptomatic postural dyspnea and hypoxemia and is an effective method for treating platypnea-orthodeoxia, but is not effective when the primary etiology of the hypoxemia is due to a pulmonary cause.
A tutorial on structural equation modeling for analysis of overlapping symptoms in co-occurring conditions using MPlus

Structural equation modeling (SEM) is a very general approach to analyzing data in the presence of measurement error and complex causal relationships. In this tutorial, we describe SEM, with special attention to exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and multiple indicator multiple cause modeling. The tutorial is motivated by a problem of symptom overlap routinely faced by clinicians and researchers, in which symptoms or test results are common to two or more co-occurring conditions. As a result of such overlap, diagnoses, treatment decisions, and inferences about the effectiveness of treatments for these conditions can be biased. This problem is further complicated by increasing reliance on patient-reported outcomes, which introduces systematic error based on an individual's interpretation of a test questionnaire. SEM provides flexibility in handling this type of differential item functioning and disentangling the overlap. Scales and scoring approaches can be revised to be free of this overlap, leading to better care. This tutorial uses an example of depression screening in multiple sclerosis patients in which depressive symptoms overlap with other symptoms, such as fatigue, cognitive impairment, and functional impairment. Details of how MPlus (Muthen & Muthen, Los Angeles, CA, USA) software can be used to address the symptom overlap problem, including data requirements, code and output are described in this tutorial. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Ordered TiO2 Nanotube Arrays on Transparent Conductive Oxide for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Synthesizing highly ordered 1-D TiO2 nanostructures directly on transparent conductive oxides (TCO), which is of key interest for fabricating front-side illuminating dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs), has been one of the most challenging nanofabrication tasks. Here, we present a process for synthesizing vertically aligned TiO2 nanotube arrays on TCO through a liquid-phase conversion process using ZnO nanowire arrays as a template. The resulting TiO2 nanotube arrays can be easily integrated with the fabrication process of DSCs and lead to significantly improved photovoltaic performance compared to ZnO nanowire-based DSCs. It is also observed that the lifetime of photogenerated electrons in TiO2 nanotubes is more than an order of magnitude larger than that in sintered TiO2 nanoparticles. This result opens up numerous opportunities to further improve DSCs, for example, by employing solid-state electrolytes and redox mediators with faster kinetics, which otherwise would be challenging or impossible to impleme...
Interface design for a modern software ticketing system

This paper describes issues in the design of IT-centric trouble-ticketing applications. Two prototypes are presented. The first introduces a user-centric, web accessible thick client interface that seamlessly integrates features most commercial companies offer only as bolt-on, value-added additions. The second prototype is an HTML-designed, calendar-centric ticketing application that provides unique affordances to helpdesk technicians. Expert evaluations show both models are superior to current systems. Implementation issues are discussed.
Electron correlations at metallic densities

Abstract This paper presents an extension of the theory of Singwi et al . of the electron liquid. The structure factor, the dielectric functions and the effective potential can be determined in a self-consistent manner, and the compressibility inconsistencies of the earlier theory are removed. The implications of these results for calculations of metallic properties are mentioned.
A model for the phase transition from ice VII to ice VIII: rigorous results

Abstract A statistical mechanical model for the phase transition from disordered ice VII to ordered ice VIII is introduced. The model includes steric repulsions between neighboring atoms on different hydrogen-bonded structures. These repulsions can be reduced by small displacements of neighboring molecules, hydrogen-bond distortion energies being associated with such displacements. A phase transition is proved to occur as the temperature is lowered, and molecules in the low temperature phase are shown to be ordered in the same way as in ice VIII.
Alternating verbal fluency performance following bilateral subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation for Parkinson's disease.

Background and purpose Despite common occurrences of verbal fluency declines following bilateral subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation (STN-DBS) for the treatment of Parkinson's disease (PD), alternating fluency measures using cued and uncued paradigms have not been evaluated. Methods Twenty-three STN-DBS patients were compared with 20 non-surgical PD patients on a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment, including cued and uncued intradimensional (phonemic/phonemic and semantic/semantic) and extradimensional (phonemic/semantic) alternating fluency measures at baseline and 6-month follow-up. Results STN-DBS patients demonstrated a greater decline on the cued phonemic/phonemic fluency and the uncued phonemic/semantic fluency tasks compared to the PD patients. For STN-DBS patients, verbal learning and information processing speed accounted for a significant proportion of the variance in declines in alternating phonemic/phonemic and phonemic/semantic fluency scores, respectively, whilst only naming was related to uncued phonemic/semantic performance for the PD patients. Both groups were aided by cueing for the extradimensional task at baseline and follow-up, and the PD patients were also aided by cueing for the phonemic/phonemic task on follow-up. Conclusions These findings suggest that changes in alternating fluency are not related to disease progression alone as STN-DBS patients demonstrated greater declines over time than the PD patients, and this change was related to declines in information processing speed.
Improving the Performance of MALDI-TOF in Oligonucleotide Analysis Using a New SDIFA Technology

A new technology termed SDIFA is developed to improve the mass resolution of linear matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry in oligonucleotide analysis. Unlike the currently used delayed extraction method, SDIFA allows electrical isolation of the sample holder from ion extraction/acceleration and selectively samples part of the desorbed ions, thereby reducing the initial velocity distribution and improving resolution. In addition, a method was introduced to improve the space focusing of TOF. Isotope-limited mass resolution was obtained for oligonucleotides of up to 62 mer, and the true instrumental resolution reaches to 1800 at 19.2 kDa. It was also demonstrated that excellent resolution was obtained across a large mass range using a single setting of acquisition parameters. This feature allows unambiguous identification of multiple A/T heterozygote samples in a mass range of 5200−7800 Da. Moreover, compared with DE, the performance of SDIFA was more stable, reproducib...
Male social status, physiology, and ability to block pregnancies in female house mice (Mus musculus)

1. Dominant and subordinate male house mice (Mus musculus) were examined for differences in ability to induce a pregnancy block (Bruce effect) in recently inseminated female conspecifics. 2. A male became behaviorally dominant or subordinate by one or two daily 15-min agonistic encounters with one other male for 5 months. Social status was monitored by the outcome of daily fighting, urine-marking patterns, and the ability of the animals' urine to increase uterine weights in prepubertal females. Clear differences were found in all these parameters during the experiments. When killed, dominant males had larger testes, preputials, and seminal vesicles. Adrenal glands were significantly heavier in subordinates. 3. Subordinates blocked pregnancies as effectively as both dominants and control males with no previous agonistic social experience.
HYPOTHETICALITY AND THE OTHER OBSERVER IN A PERSPECTIVE TASK

Summary. An analysis of the ramifications of using a doll as the other observer in a coordination of perspectives task is presented. The use of a doll was questioned due to its inanimacy as well as its hypotheticality as an observer. Children aged between 6 and 12 years were tested using a normal observer, a blindfolded observer, and a doll as the other observer. The lowest overall, as well as egocentric error, rates were noted in the normal observer condition with the remaining two conditions yielding similar trends. It was concluded that performance in a perspective task is diminished when the other observer is a hypothetical one.
A Perilous Paradox: The Contraceptive Behavior of College Students.

Abstract Currently, college students live in a social environment where contraceptive technology is highly effective, contraceptive information and methods are widely available, and premarital sexual activity is generally condoned. Paradoxically, data indicate that these students are poor contraceptive users, and that pregnancy and abortion rates among college students are surprisingly high. Since these social conditions should result in adequate contraceptive usage, other less obvious and overtly less rational factors must be influencing the behavior of this population. The objectives of this article are to a) describe more fully the paradoxical nature of the problem of contraceptive use among college students, in part by a review of the research on collegiate contraceptive and sexual behavior; b) examine theories which have been offered to explain contraceptive behavior in college populations; and c) discuss implications of existing data and theories for the contraceptive education of young adults. This...
Comparisons between 23Na and 27Al nuclear spin relaxations and electrical conductivity relaxation in Na β-alumina

Abstract Recently several groups have found pronounced differences between mobile ion nuclear spin relaxation (NSR) and electrical conductivity relaxation (ECR) in a number of superionic glasses, and the absence of such pronounced differences if the nuclear spin probed is not that of a mobile ion but one that is tied down to the glassy matrix. By now it is well known that Na β-Al 2 O 3 though not a superionic glass behaves in many ways like one. Measurements on the 23 Na and 27 Al nuclear relaxation times in Na β-Al 2 O 3 are compared with electrical conductivity relaxation to show that there is a pronounced difference between 23 Na NSR and ECR and a lack of it between 27 Al NSR and ECR. Thus, these newly discovered properties of superionic glasses carry over to Na β-Al 2 O 3 . Like in superionic glasses, all aspects of NSR and ECR experimental data of Na β-Al 2 O 3 have been explained by the coupling model.
Nonlinear soil response as a natural passive isolation mechanism—the 1994 Northridge, California, earthquake

Abstract The spatial relationship between areas with severely damaged (red-tagged) buildings and areas with large strains in the soil (indicated by reported breaks in the water distribution system), observed during the 1994 Northridge earthquake, is analysed. It is shown that these areas can be separated almost everywhere. Minimal overlapping is observed only in the regions with very large amplitudes of shaking (peak ground velocity exceeding about 150 cm s −1 ). One explanation for this remarkable separation is that the buildings on ‘soft’ soils, which experienced nonlinear strain levels, were damaged to a lesser degree, possibly because the soil absorbed a significant portion of the incident seismic wave energy. As a result, the total number of severely damaged (red-tagged) buildings in San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles and Santa Monica may have been reduced by a factor of two or more. This interpretation is consistent with the recorded peak accelerations of strong motion in the same area. It is concluded that significant reduction in the potential damage to wood frame single family dwellings may be expected in areas where the soil experiences ‘large’ strains (beyond the linear range) during strong earthquake shaking, but not significant differential motions, settlement or lateral spreading, near the surface.
On almost monotonic real functions

Abstract The notion of regular subrings of a differential ring is defined. We prove that, for some element y of the ring satisfying certain conditions, the extension R 0 [ y ] of a regular subring R 0 is also a regular subring. As an application, we give some results concerning almost monotonic real functions.
The effect of proteolytic enzymes and hyaluronidase on the intracellular beta- and gamma-metachromatic granules and the matrix of rat epiphyseal cartilage.

The effects of trypsin, chymotrypsin, papain, pronase, cartilage protease and hyaluronidase on the staining of fresh epiphyseal cartilage in 0.01% toluidine blue at pH 4 was studied. Treatment with these enzymes resulted in a loss of the β- and γ-metachromatic granules in the cells, and an intensification of the staining in the matrix of the lower hypertrophic zone. Treatment with collagenase also resulted in a loss of the β- and γ-metachromatic granules, but did not appreciably intensify the staining of the matrix. Carboxypeptidase A, ribonuclease and bovine serum albumin, globulins, and globin had little or no effect.
Fragmentation of stretched spin strength in N=Z sd-shell nuclei

Calculations have been performed to explore the effect of configuration mixing in a large basis on the fragmentation of ``stretched'' M6 strength in the sd-shell nuclei $^{20}\mathrm{Ne}$, $^{24}\mathrm{Mg}$, $^{28}\mathrm{Si}$, $^{32}\mathrm{S}$, and $^{36}\mathrm{Ar}$. This work elaborates on results for $^{28}\mathrm{Si}$ given previously, extends those calculations to neighboring N=Z nuclei with the same basis restriction (one particle in the 1${\mathit{f}}_{7/2}$ orbit and up to four particles in the 1${\mathit{d}}_{3/2}$ orbit) used in that earlier paper, and examines all self-conjugate sd-shell nuclei in a basis with one particle in the 1${\mathit{f}}_{7/2}$ orbit and unrestricted occupancy of the sd-shell orbits. It is found that configuration mixing in a large basis reproduces interesting features of the spectrum for $^{28}\mathrm{Si}$ and $^{32}\mathrm{S}$ and gives an improved description of other properties of the observed ${6}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$ states, but fails to describe the observed spectrum in $^{24}\mathrm{Mg}$. Emphasis is placed on the location of additional observable fragments of the M6 response.