cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Canonical Equation K 38 for Normalized Spectral Functions of a Pencil of Random Nonsymmetric Matrices. G-Law

It is interesting that, for a pencil of random nonsymmetric matrices, the proof of the convergence of normalized spectral functions is easier as compared to the corresponding proof for the n.s.f. of symmetric random matrices. We have reached such simplification of the proof using the so-called Logarithmic Law. In this chapter, under conditions weaker than those used by the author many years ago, the limit theorem for the n.s.f. of a pencil of nonsymmetric random matrices is proved.
On the design of online production scheduling algorithms

Abstract We discuss a systematic way to design online scheduling algorithms to achieve better closed-loop performance. Specifically, we address short-term scheduling, and focus on determining the horizon length and re-optimization time-step, and explore objective-function modifications and added constraints. First, we show that finding open-loop and closed-loop schedules are two different problems and that there is considerable potential to improve the closed-loop performance, but this task is non-trivial. Second, we outline and quantitatively define three key production system characteristics that are pertinent to the design of online scheduling algorithms: (i) production load; (ii) order-size max-mean relative difference; and (iii) time-constants. Third, we discuss how these affect the choice of the re-optimization time-step and the horizon length. Fourth, we evaluate the role of demand uncertainty and how it can be mitigated through better tuning of the above algorithmic parameters. Finally, we present a framework that summarizes the design procedure for online scheduling algorithms.
Some Puzzles of State Standing

When should states have standing? In recent years, there has been an explosion in literature on that question. Yet, even today, there seem to be as many questions as answers. In this Foreword to the Notre Dame Law Review’s 2019 Federal Courts, Practice, and Procedure Symposium on state standing, I discuss a few such puzzles. First, should states have “special” standing when they sue the federal government — that is, greater access to federal court than private parties? Second, and conversely, should states have at least “equal” access to federal court, or should they face more barriers than private parties? This Foreword introduces readers to these questions, which are at the heart of the literature on state standing.
Reliability of Micro-Alloyed SnAgCu Based Solder Interconnections for Various Harsh Applications

In this study, the reliability of doped solder pastes on 15mm BGA under various accelerated tests was investigated. The primary goal is to compare the solder paste performances under different tests, and ultimately, find a manufacturable solder paste that will demonstrate better reliability under different harsh applications. A total of four tests (thermal cycling, thermal shock, vibration, drop) were conducted on 15mm CABGA208 with three doped solder pastes (Innolot, CycloMax, Ecolloy) and one baseline solder paste SAC305 in order to understand the effect of doped solder paste on conventional packages. Test vehicles were built based on the types of test, and two designs were applied, one for thermal cycling, and another for mechanical cycling. Test vehicles were subjected to the corresponding test conditions with different devices to access the solder paste performances. It was found that Innolot solder paste performed better in thermal cycling, and SAC305 and Ecolloy solder pastes performed better in mechanical cycling.
Intelligent Computing with Photonic Memories

Here we propose and emulate a photonic neural network whose neuron's non-volatile weighting functionality is realized through an engineered hybrid Ge 2 Sb 2 Se 4 Te 1 -silicon Mach Zehnder modulator photonic memory with thermoelectrical programmability. The network can effortlessly perform inference tasks with high accuracy at the speed-of-light.
Infection Prevention Quality Metrics

Healthcare-associated infections cause patient suffering and excess healthcare costs. Infection prevention quality metrics are designed to reduce rates of healthcare-associated infections. Thanks to early pioneers in the field and solidified by evidence, infection prevention has transformed from a movement to a mandate. The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) National Action Plan seeks to improve patient safety and reduce healthcare costs by eliminating healthcare-associated infections. It sets goals for the reduction of central line–associated bloodstream infections, catheter-associated urinary tract infections, specific surgical site infections, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia, and infections caused by Clostridioides difficile. Process and outcome measure data related to infections in acute care are provided to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention via patient safety modules housed within the National Health and Safety Network, which in turn provides facilities, states, regions, and the nation with data intended to identify problem areas and measure the progress of prevention efforts to drive change. In addition to efforts to reduce the incidence of infection, diagnostic stewardship (limiting testing to patients suspected of having true infections) is critical to a successful infection prevention program. Healthcare-associated infection metrics are designed to reflect as accurately as possible the rates of infections acquired by hospitalized patients. Definitions are complex, and the administrative burden is significant. Successful performance improvement requires systems-focused interventions with forced functions.
Differences in joint power distribution in high and low lactate threshold cyclists.

The biomechanical differences between cyclists with a high compared with a low blood lactate threshold (HLT; 80% VO2max vs LLT, 70% VO2max) have yet to be completely described. We hypothesize that HLT cyclists reduce the stress placed on the knee extensor muscles by increasing the relative contribution from the hip joint during high-intensity cycling. Sixteen well-trained endurance athletes, with equally high VO2max while cycling and running completed submaximal tests during incremental exercise to identify lactate threshold ( $${\text{LT}}_{{V{\text{O}}_{2} }}$$ ) while running and cycling. Subjects were separated into two groups based on % VO2max at LT during cycling (high; HLT: 80.2 ± 2.1% VO2max; n = 8) and (LLT: 70.3 ± 2.9% VO2max; n = 8; p < 0.01). Absolute and relative joint specific powers were calculated from kinematic and pedal forces using inverse dynamics while cycling at intensities ranging from 60–90% VO2max for between group comparisons. There was no difference between HLT and LLT in $${\text{LT}}_{{V{\text{O}}_{2} }}$$ (p > 0.05) while running. While cycling in LLT, knee joint absolute power increased with work rate (p 0.05). The HLT generated significantly greater relative hip power compared with the LLT group at 90% VO2max (p < 0.05). These data suggest that HLT cyclists exhibit a greater relative hip contribution to power output during cycling at 90% VO2max. These observations support the theory that lactate production during cycling can be reduced by spreading the work rate between various muscle groups.
Progressive involvement of cardiac conduction system in paediatric patients with Kearns-Sayre syndrome: how to predict occurrence of complete heart block and sudden cardiac death?

Aims The aims of this study are to evaluate the progressive involvement of the cardiac conduction system in the Kearn-Sayre syndrome (KSS) and to establish criteria for the prevention of episodes of syncope or sudden cardiac death. Methods and results This is a prospective monocentric study including KSS patients, with diagnosis based on clinical manifestations, muscle biopsy, and genetic tests, before the age of 18. All patients underwent cardiac screening examination with 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG), 24-h Holter monitoring, and pacemaker (PM) interrogation twice a year. Fifteen patients (nine males, mean age 16.6 ± 3.9 years) with a sporadic KSS were recruited. All subjects manifested at least one of the intraventricular conduction defects (IVDs): 1 right bundle branch block (RBBB), 2 left anterior fascicular block (LAFB), 11 a bi-fascicular block (RBBB + LAFB), and 1 left posterior fascicular block. Most children with bi-fascicular block developed LAFB before the RBBB (P = 0.0049). In six patients, IVD degenerated into atrioventricular block (AVB). Endocavitary PM was implanted in 11 patients (6 with AVB and 5 with a bi-fascicular block), while an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator only in one patient with a non-sustained ventricular tachycardia. Four died at mean age of 14.7 ± 2.6 years, but none of them suddenly. Conclusion Even a 'simple' ECG can predict the arrhythmic risk and the occurrence of catastrophic events in young patients with KSS. Left anterior fascicular block precedes RBBB in determining the bi-fascicular block and this can predict an inexorable progression of the conduction defects even in a short time. Pacemaker implantation may be indicated in these patients since the first bi-fascicular block manifestation.
Sex differences in offspring discrimination in the biparental California mouse (Peromyscus californicus)

Costs of parental care can include increased physical, physiological, and behavioral demands and reduced prospects for future reproduction. Therefore, animals may benefit from recognizing and discriminating their own offspring during the period of infant care to ensure that they provide care only to their own young. Differences in offspring discrimination between mothers and fathers may arise due to differences in the amount of parental care they provide. In mammals, mothers bear the costs of gestation and lactation, while fathers do not; therefore, we might expect that in mammal species in which both parents provide parental care, mothers will show greater levels of offspring discrimination than fathers. In the present study, we examined possible sex differences in offspring discrimination in the biparental, monogamous California mouse (Peromyscus californicus) across the lactational period. On postpartum days (PPD) 3, 7, 16, and 28, parents were housed individually in a test cage and presented simultaneously with two wire mesh balls, one containing their own pup and the other containing an unrelated pup. On individual test days, parents behaved similarly toward the two balls. Fathers, but not mothers, showed significant changes in latencies to approach and interact with the non-kin ball across test days, but no clear pattern was observed. Fathers also approached the non-kin ball more frequently than mothers when pups reached weaning age (PPD 28). Thus, fathers may show increased interest in unrelated young as their offspring become independent.
Glucose Patterns in Very Old Adults: A Pilot Study in a Community-Based Population

Context: Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) provides nuanced information on glucose patterns, but data in very old adults are scarce. Objective: To evaluate CGM patterns in very old adults. Design...
Post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC): peripheral, autonomic, and central nervous system features in a child.

The 2019 novel coronavirus (2019‐nCoV [COVID-19]) epidemic is caused by the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-nCoV-2 or SARS-CoV-2). There are reviews of the acute neurological illness in adults [1] and children [2]. Recent attention has also been focused on the post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC) by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) through its launch of the Research Opportunity Announcement (ROA) OTA-21–0158, and the formation of the SARS-CoV-2 Recovery Cohort and Investigator Consortium (https://covid19.nih.gov/sites/default/files/2021-02/PASC-ROA-OTA-Recovery-Cohort-Studies.pdf). The NIH operationally defines PASC as the failure to recover from acute COVID-19, or those persistently symptomatic for > 30 days from onset of infection, with any pattern of tissue injury that remains evolving including the nervous system. Online hosted surveys enrolling thousands of subjects employing mobile apps for symptom tracking to obtain real-world data and evidence provide useful information substantiating PASC in adults [3] but exclude subjects < 18 years old. While awaiting prospective NIH-funded research, there is an urgency to understand PASC in children. This paper describes the detailed evaluation and treatment of an adolescent with PASC manifesting progressive post-infectious central, peripheral, and autonomic nervous system (CNS, PNS, and ANS).
Electrical Performance Evolution and Fatigue Mechanisms of Silver-Filled Polymer Ink Under Uniaxial Cyclic Stretch

Flexible hybrid electronics rely upon compliant interconnects in order to maintain performance integrity in cases that require repeated elongation, including repeated stretching. A class of such conductive interconnects are composites of polymer with conductive particles that can be stretched at high strains without circuit failure. However, their fatigue response has so far remained largely unexplored and is essential prior to using in health monitoring applications. In this research, a stretchable silver-filled conductor is evaluated under high-strain cycling. In-situ techniques, including 4-point resistance measurement and laser profilometry, are used to correlate changes in electrical performance to the fatigue response. Surface crack formation is extensive upon stretching during the first loading cycle, forming a heavily interconnected crack network at higher strains that does not immediately result in open circuit failure. Resistance increase with cycling is attributed to a gradual deepening of these cracks until their depths approach the film thickness, eventually leading to electrical failure. Fatigue life, the number of cycles required to reach a predetermined electrical performance limit, is shown to be most influenced by the applied strain amplitude. Using a normalized resistance increase limit of R/R0=500, it is found that 500 μm wide conductive lines endure 23 cycles at 35% strain amplitude, but this becomes over 500 cycles when the amplitude is dropped to 5%. Sensitivity to mean strain, em, is relevant to strain amplitudes below 15%. In this manner, a composite conductor was shown to exhibit crack evolution behavior distinctly different from homogeneous metallic films.
Bacterial cholangitis

The treatment of acute bacterial cholangitis requires broad-spectrum antibiotics to cover against gram-negative aerobic enteric organisms (Escherichia coli, Klebsiella species, and Enterobacter species), gram-positive Enterococcus and anaerobic bacteria (Bacteroides fragilis and Clostridium perfringens). Approximately 20% of patients with acute cholangitis fail to respond to conservative treatment with antibiotic therapy and require urgent biliary decompression, which is the mainstay of therapy. This is best accomplished by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and placement of a nasobiliary drainage tube or a large bore (10 F or larger) indwelling plastic stent. Alternative therapy includes percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage or surgical biliary decompression, but these carry a significantly higher morbidity and mortality. Supportive care includes intravenous fluid hydration to prevent renal failure and close monitoring of vital signs for determination of potential septicemia.
Product Tampering Crime: A Review

Product tampering crime has become more common over the last ten years, with a single documented event often triggering an avalanche of false alarms, copycat cases, tampering threats, and falsified reports of suspected tampering. Cyanide has seen widespread use as the toxic agent in many instances of product tampering, and is potentially the most lethal of all agents used. Ingestion of cyanide through tampered food, drink or drug has resulted in the deaths of at least 14 people in the last ten years. This paper reviews prominent tampering incidents, examines their common features, notes the propensity for copycat cases, and discusses apparent motives for product tampering, threats of tampering and falsified incidents. The identification of three prominent cyanide tampering incidents (two in Seattle, one in Chicago) is discussed, and the importance of requesting appropriate toxicological tests is discussed. Potential motives include terrorism, sabotage, homicide, insurance fraud, malicious mischief, and attention seeking. The limitations of tamper-evident packaging are noted.
Uses and Effects of MySpace among Christian Teens and Young Adult

In 2008, MySpace was one of the world’s top Internet destinations. Behind only Google and Yahoo in Internet traffic in America, it was the most popular social networking site (SNS) with some 300,000 profiles being added daily. Although MySpace would soon be supplanted in the SNS world by the likes of Facebook and Twitter, it still has over 50 million unique users each month and over 300,000 video views monthly. Research performed during the period of its height in popularity is still valuable not only for historical perspective, but also for what it teaches about the habits of SNS users today. This study of the uses and effects of MySpace among Christian teens and young adults (n = 242), computes four composite variables: a Positive Effects Variable (PEV), a Negative Effects Variable (NEV), an Expressing Faith Variable (EFV), and a Friends and Family Variable (FFV), in order to consider interaction effects among various categories such as, age, gender, church attendance frequency, MySpace use experience and frequency, number of MySpace friends, etc. The results provide important insights for those who wish to maintain and promote a group identity through SNS platforms.
Abstract P026: The Association between Alcohol Consumption and Risk of Heart Failure may be Modified by Sex - the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study

Introduction: Alcohol is a known cardiac toxin, yet the nature of the association between alcohol consumption and the development of heart failure (HF) in the community, and whether this relationship is different in men and women, is unclear. Therefore we assessed the association between alcohol intake and the development of HF or death in men and women in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study. Methods: We examined 14,993 participants in ARIC without prevalent HF at baseline (1987-89) who were followed through 2009 (median of 20.6 years). Self-reported alcohol consumption was defined as the number of drinks per day (1 drink=14g of alcohol). Using Cox proportional hazards models, we examined the association of alcohol intake with the composite outcome of death or hospitalization for HF, stratified by sex, adjusting for age, diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart disease, body mass index, total cholesterol, physical activity, education level, smoking status, and incident myocardial infarction as a time varying covariate. Results: The risk for HF or death in men was lowest among those who consumed 0-1 drink/day (HR 0.81, 95% CI, 0.72-0.90) compared with those who did not consume alcohol. In contrast, in women the risk associated with consuming 1 or 2 drinks/day was not significantly different from the non-drinkers (0-1 drink HR 1.03, 95% CI 0.89-1.20; 1-2 drinks, HR 1.09, 95% CI 0.81-1.46, P for interaction by sex 0.01). Drinking ≥3 drinks/day increased the risk of HF or death by 40% in men (HR 1.44, 95% CI 1.20-1.72) but more than doubled the risk in women (HR 2.44, 95% CI 1.34-4.47). Conclusion: Consumption of ≥3 alcoholic drinks/day is associated with increased risk for death/HF in both men and women, with a higher risk in women, even adjusting for body size and other covariates. Compared to alcohol abstinence, low alcohol consumption was associated with a lower risk of death/HF in men but not in women. These findings suggest that the toxic and protective effects of alcohol may be different in men and women.
Sequence, molecular properties, and chromosomal mapping of mouse lumican.

PURPOSE. Lumican is a major proteoglycan of vertebrate cornea. This study characterizes mouse lumican, its molecular form, cDNA sequence, and chromosomal localization. METHODS. Lumican sequence was determined from cDNA clones selected from a mouse corneal cDNA expression library using a bovine lumican cDNA probe. Tissue expression and size of lumican mRNA were determined using Northern hybridization. Glycosidase digestion followed by Western blot analysis provided characterization of molecular properties of purified mouse corneal lumican. Chromosomal mapping of the lumican gene (Lcn) used Southern hybridization of a panel of genomic DNAs from an interspecific murine backcross. RESULTS. Mouse lumican is a 338-amino acid protein with high-sequence identity to bovine and chicken lumican proteins. The N-terminus of the lumican protein contains consensus sequences for tyrosine sulfation. A 1.9-kb lumican mRNA is present in cornea and several other tissues. Antibody against bovine lumican reacted with recombinant mouse lumican expressed in Escherichia coli and also detected high molecular weight proteoglycans in extracts of mouse cornea. Keratanase digestion of corneal proteoglycans released lumican protein, demonstrating the presence of sulfated keratan sulfate chains on mouse corneal lumican in vivo. The lumican gene (Lcn) was mapped to the distal region of mouse chromosome 10. The Lcn map site is in the region of a previously identified developmental mutant, eye blebs, affecting corneal morphology. CONCLUSIONS. This study demonstrates sulfated keratan sulfate proteoglycan in mouse cornea and describes the tools (antibodies and cDNA) necessary to investigate the functional role of this important corneal molecule using naturally occurring and induced mutants of the murine lumican gene.
Research into practice: postsecondary success in the Chicago Public Schools.

In this chapter, the authors describe nearly a decade of research examining postsecondary outcomes of students in the Chicago Public Schools conducted by the Consortium on Chicago School Research (CCSR). These analyses include both long-term trends in college going and findings on the dimensions of students’ postsecondary transition experiences that shape those outcomes. The authors describe the evolution of research at CCSR, which emphasizes a specific type of partnership between researchers, district officials, and practitioners that builds the capacity of practitioners and district officials to think critically about big problems and utilize data to inform decision-making and evaluation. In addition to describing these findings, the authors discuss the development and operation of the Network for College Success, a research-based, integrated and intensive support for school improvement to principals, their instructional leadership teams, grade level teams, and counselors. The authors describe how NCS builds the capacity of school leaders to work together and to use data to improve practice in the postsecondary transition. Finally, the authors discuss ongoing challenges and new directions for ongoing and future research.
Keeping relationships positive or doing things right: Bridging women leaders' conflict management strategies in non‐profit organisations in Taiwan and the USA

Purpose – The present study aims at contributing to the knowledge of organizational communication and cross‐cultural female leadership by examining conflict management strategies between Taiwanese female presidents and their American counterparts in Rotary Clubs.Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected through field observations and 25 in‐depth interviews with 14 Taiwanese female presidents and 11 American female presidents in Rotary Clubs. Theme analysis of the interpretive method was used in this research.Findings – This study revealed that the female presidents in both cultures applied obliging and integrating strategies to handle management conflicts. Yet, due to the interference of past presidents, the Taiwanese women leaders are more likely to follow the traditional norms whereas women leaders in the United States tend to employ new approaches and adopt new conflict management strategies in different situations.Research limitations/implications – This study has focused on exploring the conf...
Serious game engines: Analysis and applications

Serious games and their applications in industry, businesses and other “serious” areas is a fast growing tendency. A success of serious game or serious gamified application's implementation and use in industry significantly depends on quality of external technical gamification platform to be used, or, serious game engine (SGE). The goals of the current SGE Research Group project at Bradley University (Peoria, IL) include an analysis of 100+ serious games and serious gamified applications in industry, development of a comprehensive SGE Comparative Analysis Framework, and classification of SGE and ranking of quality of SGE features, and generation of a set of recommendations on selection and utilization of SGE. This paper presents the main findings and outcomes of the SGE research project.
A Few Misconceptions about Cultural Evolution

Despite a growing number of social scientists who view the evolution of culture as a Darwinian process, research in the field at large is still rooted in the orthogenetic, progressive models of cultural evolution that were popularized in the nineteenth century and brought back in a new form in the mid-twentieth century. This is unfortunate because it shifts the focus away from the fact that cultural evolution is driven by some exceedingly complicated and highly interesting mechanisms that await further analytical attention. A better understanding of human behaviour, which is at the heart of cultural evolution, depends on a general recognition that genes and culture are not separately evolving entities but rather co-evolving components of the human enterprise.
The H and Z variations along and near the equatorial electrojet in India, Africa and the Pacific

Abstract The monthly mean quiet-day daily ranges of Sq(H) and Sq(Z) at nine observatories in the equatorial electrojet region indicate a seasonal variation, mostly with equinoctial maxima and solstitial minima; these variations exceed those of cos χ, where χ denotes the noon zenith angle of the sun. The Sq(Z) variations near two of these observatories show asymmetry with respect to the centre line of the jet, with large values on the side further from the geographical equator. The electrojet daily Sq ranges vary with the sunspot numbers more than do the daily ranges for some elements at stations in higher latitudes. Comparison of the irregular storm variations at three observatories under the electrojet with those at observatories in similar longitudes, situated outside the electrojet, indicates a daytime enhancement of irregular storm variation in the electrojet region. The enhancement does not continue through the night; this is explained by the night-time depletion of the E-layer ionization in the range of height where the EW electric conductivity, in low latitudes where the dip is small, is most enhanced by day.
Slip Velocity during Wetting of Solids

Abstract A slip velocity at the contact line of a liquid drop on a solid surface originates because of the force induced by the gradient of the chemical potential in the liquid along the solid-liquid interface. Einstein's equation is used to relate the slip velocity and the force. The gradient occurs because (a) the interaction potential at the liquid-solid interface near the contact line due to the neighboring molecules differs from that of a semi-infinite liquid and depends upon the distance from the contact line and (b) the chemical potential is pressure dependent.
μ-Opioid receptor activation enhances DNA synthesis in immature oligodendrocytes

Abstract Opioids disrupt nervous system development by inhibiting the proliferation of neuronal and glial progenitors. These studies explored the hypothesis that μ opioid receptors are expressed by immature oligodendrocytes (OLs) and are functionally related to growth. Antibodies identifying the cloned μ opioid receptor demonstrated that cultured OLs expressed μ opioid receptor immunoreactivity very early during development. Cultures were treated with the selective μ opioid receptor agonist H-Tyr-Pro-Phe (N-Me)- d -Pro-NH2 (PL017; 1 μM), or PL017 (1 μM) plus the antagonist naloxone (3 μM). Opioid-dependent changes in DNA synthesis were assessed by determining the proportion of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU)-labeled O4-immunoreactive OLs. Treatment with PL017 caused a 311% increase in the proportion of O4-immunoreactive OLs incorporating BrdU compared to untreated controls, and these effects were prevented by co-administering naloxone. These preliminary results indicate that (i) immature OLs express μ opioid receptors and that (ii) the activation of this receptor type is functionally coupled to DNA synthesis and the cell division cycle. The expression of opioid receptors by OLs suggests that the endogenous opioid system is widely distributed among glial types.
A new procedure for producing glass bubbling tips

Recently several studies have been reported concerning the transfer of materials from a body of water into the atmosphere by the process of bursting bubbles. Some of the materials that were found to be transferred by this process include phosphates (MacIntyre & Winchester, 1969), nitrogen (Wilson, 1959), bacteria (Blanchard & Syzdek, 1970 and 1972), pollen (Valencia, 1967), certain metals (Ericksson, 19571, and sulfates (Miller, 1973). It will be noted that many of these substances play a role in the atmospheric pollution problem of today. DOI: 10.1111/j.2153-3490.1974.tb01639.x
Synthesis of Multiferroic BiFeO3 Powders by Sol-Gel Auto-Combustion

Crystalline multiferroic BiFeO3 powders were directly synthesized by sol-gel auto-combustion method. The gels, derived from the solutions of 2-methoxyethane, metal nitrate and citric acid, exhibited the self-propagating combustion behaviors at ambient temperature when it is ignited in air. After auto-combustion, the dried gels transformed into crystalline BiFeO3 powders and no further calcination was needed. The nature of auto-combustion was ascribed to heat-induced redox between NH4NO3 and carboxyl group. The TG-DTA was carried out to study the auto-combustion of dried gels. The synthesized powders were characterized by XRD and SEM techniques.
New reactions in clavulanic acid biosynthesis

Abstract Clavulanic acid is only a modestly effective antibiotic against bacterial infections in humans, but a potent inhibitor/inactivator of β-lactamase enzymes that confer bacterial resistance. The biosynthetic pathway to clavulanic acid is considerably more complex than that to the structurally related penicillins and cephalosporins and has revealed several interesting reactions.
ENERGY LEVELS AND CLASSIFIED LINES IN THE FIRST SPECTRUM OF TECHNETIUM (Tc I).

Progress in the classification of Tc i lines is reported. About 2200 of the known Tc i lines between 2154 and 8918 A are now classified as transitions between 108 even and 147 odd energy levels. Tables of levels and classified lines are given.
A multiscale decomposition method for the optimal planning and scheduling of multi-site continuous multiproduct plants

Abstract This paper addresses the solution of simultaneous scheduling and planning problems in a production–distribution network of continuous multiproduct plants that involves different temporal and spatial scales. Production planning results in medium and long-term decisions, whereas production scheduling determines the timing and sequence of operations in the short-term. The production–distribution network is made up of several production sites distributing to different markets. The planning and scheduling model has to include spatial scales that go from a single production unit within a site, to a geographically distributed network. We propose to use two decomposition methods to solve this type of problems. One method corresponds to the extension of the bi-level decomposition of Erdirik-Dogan and Grossmann (2008) to multi-site, multi-market networks. A second method is a novel hybrid decomposition method that combines bi-level and spatial Lagrangean decomposition methods. We present four case studies to study the performance of the full space planning and scheduling model, the bi-level decomposition, and the bi-level Lagrangean method in profit maximization problems. Numerical results indicate that in large-scale problems, decomposition methods outperform the full space solution and that as problem size increases the hybrid decomposition method becomes faster than the bi-level decomposition alone.
Atmospheric Energy Budgets in the Japanese Reanalysis: Evaluation and Variability

The vertically-integrated atmospheric energy and moisture budgets have been computed for all available months for the Japanese reanalysis (1979 to 2004), and results are described in detail for the month of January 1989 and compared with those of other reanalyses. Time series are also presented. The moistening, diabatic heating and total energy forcing of the atmosphere are computed as a residual from the analyses using the moisture, dry energy (dry static energy plus kinetic energy) and total atmospheric (moist static plus kinetic) energy budget equations. These fields are also computed from the model output based on the assimilating model parameterizations. Moreover, some component fields can also be computed from observations to evaluate the results. In particular, when the vertically-integrated forcings computed from the model parameterizations are compared with available observations and the budget-derived values, significant JRA model biases are revealed in radiation and precipitation. The energy and moisture budget-derived quantities are more realistic than the model output and better depict the real atmosphere. However, low frequency decadal variability is spurious and is mainly associated with changes in the observing system. Results also depend on the quality of the analyses which are not constructed to conserve mass, moisture or energy, owing to analysis increments. Although there has been considerable progress in depicting the diabatic components of the atmosphere, some problems remain, and suggestions are made on where research can make further improvements.
mRNAs for activin receptors II and IIB are expressed in mouse oocytes and in the epiblast of pregastrula and gastrula stage mouse embryos.

Abstract Activin is a potent inducer of mesoderm in frog embryos. We showed previously that in the mouse, activin βA is expressed in the uterine decidua near the embryo before and during the first appearance of mesoderm (E4.5–E6.5). Here, using Northern blotting and in situ hybridization, we show that mouse oocytes, E6.5 and E7.5 embryos, and E6.5 and E7.5 decidua contain mRNAs for both activin receptors type II and IIB. The expression of activin receptor type IIB is particularly strong in embryonic ectoderm apparent at E5.5 and continuing through E8.5. These results support the hypothesis that activin derived from the decidua promotes development of mesoderm in the period E5.5–E6.5.
Database system issues in nomadic computing

Mobile computers and wireless networks are emerging technologies that will soon be available to a wide variety of computer users. Unlike earlier generations of laptop computers, the new generation of mobile computers can be an integrated part of a distributed computing environment, one in which users change physical location frequently. The result is a new computing paradigm, nomadic computing. This paradigm will affect the design of much of our current systems software, including that of database systems.This paper discusses in some detail the impact of nomadic computing on a number of traditional database system concepts. In particular, we point out how the reliance on short-lived batteries changes the cost assumptions underlying query processing. In these systems, power consumption competes with resource utilization in the definition of cost metrics. We also discuss how the likelihood of temporary disconnection forces consideration of alternative transaction processing protocols. The limited screen space of mobile computers along with the advent of pen-based computing provides new opportunities and new constraints on database interfaces and languages. Lastly, we believe that the movement of computers and data among networks potentially belonging to distinct, autonomous organizations creates serious security problems.
Neutron Spectrum from T+t

The energy spectrum of neutrons from the T+$t$ reactions has been measured at 0\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} for a triton energy of 1.48 Mev. The energies of the neutrons extend from 0 to 12 Mev. A peak at the high-energy end at 11.3 Mev is ascribed to the $\mathrm{T}(t, n){\mathrm{He}}^{5}$ reaction. No other peaks are observed within the counting statistics of the experiment.
American Political Humor: Touchables and Taboos

The historical view of political humor in America maintains that the humor adheres to democratic theory and practice, viz., its dimension boundless, its character egalitarian, its substance encompassing and its expression open. In short, the position embraced both by the popular and academic cultures is that the humor is unrestricted and removed from taboos. A perusal of its content, however, suggests the contrary. Political humor reflects the nexus of power relationships and is sharply bounded by an ideology on the one hand and by corporate structure on the other. The primary focus is rather on the political official as the flaw in the system while the system itself and its underlying theory remain unexamined within the culture of humor.
Tracking of overweight status from childhood to young adulthood: the Bogalusa Heart Study

To understand tracking of overweight status from childhood to young adulthood in a biracial sample. A longitudinal sample was created from cross-sectional surveys at two time points, childhood (baseline) and young adulthood (follow-up). Bogalusa Heart Study, Louisiana, United States of America. A total of 841 young adults, 19–35 years (68% Euro-Americans (EA), 32% African-Americans (AA)) were studied. The same subjects had also participated in one of the five cross-sectional surveys at childhood (9–11 years). Body mass index (BMI) was used to determine overweight status as per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention standards. Change in the BMI status from childhood to young adulthood was used to group the participants into the following categories: normal weight to normal weight (NW-NW); normal weight to overweight (NW-OW); overweight to normal weight (OW-NW); and overweight to overweight (OW-OW). Tracking of overweight was defined by (1) correlations between baseline and follow-up BMI, (2) Cohen's kappa concordance test to determine the strength of tracking in BMI quartiles and (3) the percentage of individuals who remained in the same overweight status group from baseline to follow-up. From baseline to follow-up, the percentage of participants who were overweight increased from 24.7 to 57.7%. A total of 35.2% of the children shifted from normal weight in childhood to overweight in young adulthood (P<0.0005). Baseline BMI was positively correlated with follow-up BMI (r=0.66, P<0.0005). A total of 61.9% of the participants in the highest BMI quartile in childhood remained in the highest BMI quartile in young adulthood. The strength of tracking in BMI quartiles was 27% for EA men (P<0.0005), 23% for EA women (P<0.0005), 27% for AA men (P<0.0005) and 35% for AA women (P<0.0005). A total of 53.7% of the EA women remained in the NW-NW category and 31.2% of the AA women remained in the OW-OW category. The percentage tracking (NW-NW and OW-OW) was 72.8% in EA women, 59.6% in AA men, 59.5% in AA women and 48.8% in EA men (P<0.0001). Childhood overweight tracked into young adulthood in this sample and the tracking of NW-NW and OW-OW was the most prominent among the EA women.
Inhibition of Squalene Synthase but Not Squalene Cyclase Prevents Mevalonate-Mediated Suppression of 3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl Coenzyme A Reductase Synthesis at a Posttranscriptional Level

Abstract Previously, we found that mevalonate-derived products together with an oxysterol regulated reductase synthesis at a posttranscriptional level. To determine which products were responsible for this regulation, either the squalene synthase inhibitor zaragozic acid A or the squalene cyclase inhibitor 4,4,10-β-trimethyl- trans -decal-3β-ol (TMD) was added to lovastatin-treated Syrian hamster cells in conjunction with mevalonate. Mevalonate alone decreased reductase synthesis 50% compared with lovastatin-treated cells. In contrast, when both zaragozic acid A and mevalonate were added to lovastatin-treated cells, there was no change in reductase synthesis. With either treatment, reductase mRNA levels did not change compared with lovastatin-treated cells. When both 25-hydroxycholesterol and mevalonate were added to lovastatin-treated cells, reductase synthesis and mRNA levels were decreased 95 and 50%, respectively. The 10-fold difference between changes in reductase synthesis and mRNA levels under these conditions reflects a specific effect of mevalonate-derived isoprenoids on reductase synthesis at the translational level. In contrast, coincubation of cells with mevalonate plus 25-hydroxycholesterol in the presence of zaragozic acid decreased reductase synthesis and mRNA levels 60 and 50%, respectively, compared with lovastatin-treated cells. Moreover, degradation of reductase was increased approximately 7-fold in cells treated with mevalonate alone but only 3-fold in cells treated with mevalonate and zaragozic acid A. These results indicate that isoprenoid products between mevalonate and squalene affect reductase at a posttranslational level by increasing degradation but do not regulate reductase synthesis at a posttranscriptional level. In contrast, when both TMD and mevalonate were added to lovastatin-treated cells, reductase synthesis was decreased approximately 50% with no corresponding decrease in reductase mRNA levels, similar to mevalonate only. Reductase degradation was increased approximately 7-fold under these conditions. Cellular incubation in TMD, mevalonate, and 25-hydroxycholesterol decreased reductase synthesis and mRNA levels 95 and 50%, respectively. From these results we concluded that mevalonate-derived nonsterols synthesized between squalene and lanosterol decrease reductase synthesis at a translational level—either alone or in combination with 25-hydroxycholesterol—and also increase reductase degradation.
Optimal wind power penetration in the real-time energy market operation

This paper proposes a model to minimize the real-time operational cost of traditional generation in a power system with the optimal penetration of wind power. The model takes into account the security and operating constraints of the power system, such as the power flow and balance constrains, reserve requirements, system capacity limits, and wind power uncertainties. A probabilistic distribution function is used to characterize the wind speed and consequently the wind power distribution based on wind turbine power curves. The model is evaluated in IEEE New England 39-bus test system for several case studies. Results are provided to analyze the impact of wind power penetration on the operational costs of traditional generators in the system.
Characterization of pulmonary nodules on computer tomography (CT) scans: the effect of additive white noise on features selection and classification performance

The goal of this project is to use computer analysis to classify small lung nodules, identified on CT, into likely benign and likely malignant categories. We compared discrete wavelet transforms (DWT) based features and a modification of classical features used and reported by others. To determine the best combination of features for classification, several intensities of white noise were added to the original images to determine the effect of such noise on classification accuracy. Two different approaches were used to determine the effect of noise: in the first method the best features for classification of nodules on the original image were retained as noise was added. In the second approach, we recalculated the results to reselect the best classification features for each particular level of added noise. The CT images are from the National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) of the National Cancer Institute (NCI). For this study, nodules were extracted in window frames of three sizes. Malignant nodules were cytologically or histogically diagnosed, while benign had two-year follow-up. A linear discriminant analysis with Fisher criterion (FLDA) approach was used for feature selection and classification, and decision matrix for matched sample to compare the classification accuracy. The initial features mode revealed sensitivity to both the amount of noise and the size of window frame. The recalculated feature mode proved more robust to noise with no change in terms of classification accuracy. This indicates that the best features for computer classification of lung nodules will differ with noise, and, therefore, with exposure.
The organization of successful diabetes management in primary care

The following article represents a personal view on the crucially important factors necessary for successful diabetes management in primary care. It stresses the flexibility of approach and the ongoing dynamic aspects of care, emphasizing the importance of team effort, recognizing the person with diabetes as an integral member of the team.
Bimolecular Homolytic Substitution (SH2) Reactions with Hydrogen Atoms. Time-Resolved Electron Spin Resonance Detection in the Pulse Radiolysis of α-(Methylthio)acetamide

Pulse radiolysis of aqueous solutions of alpha-(methylthio)acetamide produced unexpectedly large quantities of acetamide radicals that were identified by time-resolved electron spin resonance (TRESR) spectroscopy. The pH dependence of the TRESR-measured radical yields, results from selective scavenging reactions, and density functional theory predictions of the reaction thermochemistry prove that bimolecular homolytic substitution, S(H)2, of the acetamide radical fragment by a H atom is the most likely formation pathway.
Sources of experimental variation in calibration curves for enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays are usually performed by running standard and unknown concentrations together on the same microtiter plate, because the standard curve is known to vary considerably from one assay to the next. Here we examine experimentally the sources and nature of this variation, and discuss the possibility of reducing the cost of the assay by using a batch of plates, only one of which is used to generate the calibration curve. We present a method for doing this, and test it empirically.
Induction of Curiosity via Rhetorical Questions and its Effect on the Learning of Factual Materials.

Summary. Lectures were delivered in two versions: one containing rhetorical question-and-answer sequences and the other with identical content but without the questions. The presence of rhetorical questions significantly enhanced the learning and recall of the facts presented in the lectures when artificially high levels of attention were counteracted by distraction or by the prior induction of boredom.