cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Question–response–evaluation sequences in the home interactions of a bilingual child with autism spectrum disorder

BACKGROUND Prior research has described the prevalence and utility of questions in children's language learning environment. However, there has been little empirical investigation of the interaction sequences that ensue following caregiver questions. Understanding these interactions may be especially important for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), who may have difficulty engaging in reciprocal interactions. Question-response-evaluation sequences (QRE) are a particular type of interaction sequence launched by questions that have been examined primarily in classroom contexts. Less research has been devoted to understanding how caregivers and children with ASD leverage this interactional format in the context of home interactions. AIMS We focus on QRE sequences within interactions between a 5-year-old bilingual child with ASD and his parents. In these sequences, the adult poses known-answer questions, the child responds and the adult evaluates the response. QRE sequences are primarily structured by the questioner (i.e., the parents in our context), and we examine the interactive work done by parents to initiate, maintain and close these sequences. We also examine the child's contributions to these sequences. METHODS & PROCEDURES We applied conversation analysis (CA) to video recordings of home routines, such as play, book-reading and schoolwork. Videos were fully transcribed using CA conventions, and 55 QRE segments were isolated from the data corpus for further analysis. OUTCOMES & RESULTS Q-word questions (i.e., where, what, why, when, how questions) were the most prevalent question format, and repetition of the child's response was the most prevalent form of evaluation. We found that QRE sequences were embedded within a variety of action trajectories that extend beyond pedagogical functions. These included repairing a prior utterance, extending collaborative play routines and engaging in topically connected labelling rituals. CONCLUSIONS & IMPLICATIONS QRE sequences appeared to strike a balance in terms of the level of constraint they placed on the child's contributions to interactions, and the affordances they provide for participating in and progressing through interactions. This study can help clinicians understand the types of interactions that can be pursued with QRE sequences in their work with children with ASD. The findings may also aid intervention researchers' efforts to leverage caregivers' existing strengths for adapting their interactional overtures to maximize children's engagement. Finally, this study provides an illustration of caregiver-child interactions in a population that is currently under-represented in the literature.
Semantic diversity in paired-associate learning: Further evidence for the information accumulation perspective of cognitive aging.

Normal aging is often associated with a performance decline on various cognitive tests, including paired associate learning (PAL), where participants are asked to learn and recall arbitrary word pairs. While many studies have taken this as evidence to support the notion of age-related deficits in cognitive processing, Ramscar, Hendrix, Shaoul, Milin, and Baayen (Topics in Cognitive Science, 6(1), 5–42) and Ramscar, Sun, Hendrix, and Baayen (Psychological Science, 28(8), 1171–1179, 2017) posit that the decline in performance on various cognitive tasks can be explained by the accumulation of linguistic knowledge over time. To demonstrate this, Ramscar et al. (2017) found that older bilingual participants outperformed monolingual counterparts on a verbal PAL task, proposed to be due to bilinguals having accumulated less information about the words used in the study. However, comparing bilinguals to monolinguals introduces confounding factors. For example, bilingual’s better performance may be due to superior executive functioning. To minimize these between-subject confounds, the current study used a within-subject design in order to examine the influence of linguistic experience on paired associate learning in younger and older adults. Linguistic experience was modeled using a semantic diversity measure of word strength (Jones, Johns, & Recchia, 2012). When frequency is controlled for, high semantic diversity words are associated to a greater number of words and have a higher average strength of association. In the current study, PAL performance of older adults was significantly lower for word pairs involving high semantic diversity words, while their performance did not differ for low semantic diversity words, consistent with the information accumulation perspective of aging.
The Internet of Microfluidic Things: Perspectives on System Architecture and Design Challenges: Invited Paper

The integration of microfluidics and biosensor technology is transforming microbiology research by providing new capabilities for clinical diagnostics, cancer research, and pharmacology studies. This integration enables new approaches for biochemistry automation and cyber-physical adaptation. Similarly, recent years have witnessed the rapid growth of the Internet of Things (IoT) paradigm, where different types of real-world elements such as wearable sensors are connected and allowed to autonomously interact with each other. Combining the advances of both cyber-physical microfluidics and IoT domains can generate new opportunities for knowledge fusion by transforming distributed local microfluidic elements into a global network of coordinated microfluidic systems. This paper aims to streamline this transformation and it presents a research vision for enabling the Internet of Microfluidic Things (IoMT). To leverage advances in connected Microfluidic Things, we highlight new perspectives on system architecture, and describe technical challenges related to design automation, temporal flexibility, security, and service assignment. This vision is supported by case studies from cancer research and pharmacology studies to explain the significance of the proposed framework.
Investigating the Circumregion

Often, straightforward notions from one mathematical domain, when altered even slightly, can become rich and rewarding investigations involving numerous additional domains -- particularly when the ...
Abstract 07: Association of Social Network Characteristics With Cardiovascular Health and Coronary Artery Calcium in South Asians: The Mediators of Atherosclerosis in South Asians Living in America (MASALA) Study

Introduction: South Asian Americans (SAs) have disproportionately high burden of poor cardiovascular health (CVH) and CVD, which may be influenced by people within their social network (SN). We exa...
Simon Anholt, The good country equation: how we can repair the world in one generation

University of Colorado – Denver, Denver, CO, USA Francisco Conejo You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar Correspondence to Francisco Conejo. Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Reprints and Permissions Conejo, F. Simon Anholt, The good country equation: how we can repair the world in one generation. Place Brand Public Dipl (2020). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41254-020-00184-1 Download citation Accepted: 10 September 2020 Published: 19 September 2020 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41254-020-00184-1
Materials Design Through Batch Bayesian Optimization with Multisource Information Fusion

Integrated computational materials engineering (ICME) calls for the integration of simulation tools and experiments to accelerate the development of materials. ICME approaches tend to be computationally costly, and recently, Bayesian optimization (BO) has been proposed as a way to make ICME more resource efficient. Conventional BO, however, is sequential (i.e., one-at-a-time) in nature, which makes it very time-consuming when the evaluation of a materials design choice is costly. While conventional high-throughput approaches enable the synthesis and characterization (or simulation) of materials in a parallel manner, they tend to be “open loop” and are unable to provide recommendations of what to try next once the parallel experiment/simulation has been carried out and analyzed. Here, we address this problem by introducing a batch BO framework that enables the exploration of the material’s design space in a parallel fashion. We augment this approach by incorporating information fusion frameworks capable of integrating multiple information sources. Demonstrating the proposed approach in the computational design of dual-phase steel, we show that batch BO can result in a significant reduction in the time and resources needed to carry out the design task. The proposed approach has wider applicability, well beyond the ICME example used to demonstrate it.
Endobronchial Lung Volume Reduction Therapies

A variety of endobronchial lung volume reduction therapies have become available since the advent of lung volume reduction surgery. We provide a review of bronchoscopic lung volume reduction (BLVR) therapies for severe emphysema and discuss a practical approach to the use of endobronchial valves. Reversible and irreversible BLVR modalities have been developed over the past decade with the best evidence for endobronchial valves. Studies have identified the importance of determining which patient population would most benefit from BLVR, specifically those with heterogeneous emphysema and either complete fissures or lack of collateral ventilation. BLVR is a therapeutic modality for patients with symptomatic emphysema despite optimal medical therapy, severe airflow obstruction, hyperinflation, and reduced exercise tolerance. There is strong evidence for modest improvements in exercise tolerance, health status, and lung function at 6–12 months with the use of endobronchial valves.
Large-Scale Focused Helium Ion Beam Lithography

Focused ion beam sources have recently been commercialized and are increasingly utilized for applications in nanotechnology. There is a desire to pattern large designs, millimeter in scale, while still achieving sub-nanometer resolution in the smallest features. However, focused helium ion beams are restricted to fields of view of roughly 100 micrometers. Recently, we have developed an automated process for layout designs with feature sizes from sub-nanometer to millimeter scales, using Raith lithography software in a Zeiss Orion Plus helium ion microscope. The technique relies on stitching writefields together and incorporating automated focusing algorithms in the Raith software. This procedure was demonstrated by scaling and automating the process of producing ion-damaged Josephson junctions in arrays in the high-temperature superconducting material YB $_2$ C $_3$ O $_{7-\delta }$ . We demonstrate that the automated process reduces operator input while maintaining consistency at the smallest resolutions.
Voucher-Based Kidney Donation and Redemption for Future Transplant.

Importance Policy makers, transplant professionals, and patient organizations agree that there is a need to increase the number of kidney transplants by facilitating living donation. Vouchers for future transplant provide a means of overcoming the chronological incompatibility that occurs when the ideal time for living donation differs from the time at which the intended recipient actually needs a transplant. However, uncertainty remains regarding the actual change in the number of living kidney donors associated with voucher programs and the capability of voucher redemptions to produce timely transplants. Objective To examine the consequences of voucher-based kidney donation and the capability of voucher redemptions to provide timely kidney allografts. Design, setting, and participants This multicenter cohort study of 79 transplant centers across the US used data from the National Kidney Registry from January 1, 2014, to January 31, 2021, to identify all family vouchers and patterns in downstream kidney-paired donations. The analysis included living kidney donors and recipients participating in the National Kidney Registry family voucher program. Exposures A voucher was provided to the intended recipient at the time of donation. Vouchers had no cash value and could not be sold, bartered, or transferred to another person. When a voucher was redeemed, a living donation chain was used to return a kidney to the voucher holder. Main outcomes and measures Deidentified demographic and clinical data from each kidney donation were evaluated, including the downstream patterns in kidney-paired donation. Voucher redemptions were separately evaluated and analyzed. Results Between 2014 and 2021, 250 family voucher-based donations were facilitated. Each donation precipitated a transplant chain with a mean (SD) length of 2.3 (1.6) downstream kidney transplants, facilitating 573 total transplants. Of those, 111 transplants (19.4%) were performed in highly sensitized recipients. Among 250 voucher donors, the median age was 46 years (range, 19-78 years), and 157 donors (62.8%) were female, 241 (96.4%) were White, and 104 (41.6%) had blood type O. Over a 7-year period, the waiting time for those in the National Kidney Registry exchange pool decreased by more than 3 months. Six vouchers were redeemed, and 3 of those redemptions were among individuals with blood type O. The time from voucher redemption to kidney transplant ranged from 36 to 155 days. Conclusions and relevance In this study, the family voucher program appeared to mitigate a major disincentive to living kidney donation, namely the reluctance to donate a kidney in the present that could be redeemed in the future if needed. The program facilitated kidney donations that may not otherwise have occurred. All 6 of the redeemed vouchers produced timely kidney transplants, indicating the capability of the voucher program.
Biodegradable polymeric solid implants for ultra-long-acting delivery of single or multiple antiretroviral drugs.

Lack of adherence is a key barrier to a successful human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) treatment and prevention. We report on an ultra-long-acting (ULA) biodegradable polymeric solid implant (PSI) that can accommodate one or more antiretrovirals (e.g., dolutegravir (DTG) and rilpivirine (RPV)) at translatable human doses (65% wt.) in a single implant. PSIs are fabricated using a three-step process: (a) phase inversion of a drug/polymer solution to form an initial in-situ forming solid implant, (b) micronization of dried drug-loaded solid implants, and (c) compression of the micronized drug-loaded solid powder to generate the PSI. DTG and RPV can be pre-combined in a single PLGA-based solution to make dual-drug PSI; or formulated individually in PLGA-based solutions to generate separate micronized powders and form a bilayer dual-drug PSI. Results showed that in a single or bilayer dual-drug PSI, DTG and RPV exhibited physicochemical properties similar to their pure drug analogues. PSIs were well tolerated in vivo and effectively delivered drug(s) over 180 days with concentrations above 4× PA-IC90 after a single subcutaneous administration. While biodegradable and do not require removal, these PSIs can safely be removed to terminate the treatment if required. The versatility of this technology makes it attractive as an ULA drug delivery platform for HIV and various therapeutic applications.
Treatment expectations, alliance, session positivity, and outcome: an investigation of a three-path mediation model.

Objective The aim of this study was to test a 3-path mediation model, in which the effect of treatment expectations on outcome is mediated first by the alliance and then by session positivity. Method Archival process and outcome data were used for this investigation. These data had been collected from 116 clients (70% female, 81% White, mean age = 24.1 years), who sought psychotherapy for a variety of reasons at a university-based clinic. Results Correlation analyses established that clients’ treatment expectations, the therapeutic alliance, session positivity, and outcome were significantly related to each other. A bootstrap (data resampling) procedure was employed to test the hypothesized 3-path mediated effect. The results of this analysis were consistent with the hypothesis that high treatment expectations enhance the therapeutic alliance, which contributes to clients feeling positive at the end of sessions and in turn facilitates improvements in symptoms and functioning. Conclusion The current research is the first to provide evidence for this particular model, and thus helps to shed light on the intricacies and underlying dynamics of psychotherapy.
Community food security: Practice in need of theory?

Practitioners and advocates of community food security (CFS) envision food systems that are decentralized, environmentally-sound over a long time-frame, supportive of collective rather than only individual needs, effective in assuring equitable food access, and created by democratic decision-making. These themes are loosely connected in literature about CFS, with no logical linkages among them. Clear articulation in a theoretical framework is needed for CFS to be effective as a guide for policy and action. CFS theory should delimit the level of analysis (i.e., what are the boundaries of “community”); show how CFS relates to individual, household, and national food security and explain emergent properties, which are important at the community level of analysis; point to the best indicators of CFS or its lack; clarify the determinants of CFS; and clarify the stages of movement toward CFS. This theoretical base would allow researchers to develop valid and reliable measures, and allow practitioners to weigh alternative options to create strategic plans. A theoretical base also would help establish common ground with potential partners by making the connections to anti-hunger work, sustainable agriculture, and community development clear.
6‐Diethylphosphonomethyl‐2,2‐dimethyl‐1,3‐dioxen‐4‐one

6-Diethylphosphonomethyl-2,2-dimethyl-1,3-dioxen-4-one intermediate: 6-Chloromethyl-2,2-dimethyl-1,3-dioxen-4-one. product: 6-diethylphosphonomethyl-2,2-dimethyl-1,3-dioxen-4-one Keywords: halogenation, bromination; halogenation, chlorination; phosphonation; replacement reactions, halogen by phosphonate; assay methods, for butyllithium, with 2,5-dimethoxybenzyl alcohol; diisopropylamine; N,N-dimethylformamide; florisil; lithium diisopropylamide (LDA), preparation of; tetrahydrofuran; methyllithium, ethereal solution of
Sharp interface immersed-boundary/level-set method for wave-body interactions

A sharp interface Cartesian grid method for the large-eddy simulation of two-phase turbulent flows interacting with moving bodies is presented. The overall approach uses a sharp interface immersed boundary formulation and a level-set/ghost-fluid method for solid-fluid and fluid-fluid interface treatments, respectively. A four-step fractional-step method is used for velocity-pressure coupling, and a Lagrangian dynamic Smagorinsky subgrid-scale model is adopted for large-eddy simulations. A simple contact angle boundary condition treatment that conforms to the immersed boundary formulation is developed. A variety of test cases of different scales ranging from bubble dynamics, water entry and exit, landslide-generated waves, to ship hydrodynamics are performed for validation. Extensions for high Reynolds number ship flows using wall-layer models are also considered.
Amelioration of Angina Pectoris in Idiopathic Hypertrophic Subaortic Stenosis with Beta-Adrenergic Blockade

Beta-adrenergic receptor blockade has been demonstrated to reduce obstruction of the left ventricular outflow tract in patients with idiopathic hypertrophic subaortic stenosis (IHSS) and has also proved helpful in reducing angina pectoris due to ischemic heart disease. Accordingly, the effects of oral propranolol on the level and duration of exercise required to produce angina in seven patients with IHSS were compared with a placebo. Improvement in exercise performance was observed in six patients taking propranolol orally in doses ranging from 80 mg to 480 mg daily. Clinical improvement was sustained in the four patients given propranolol since discharge from the hospital for periods up to 15 months, and in three it has been possible to obviate corrective operations. The mechanism by which propranolol is efficacious in this disease is probably related to the diminution of myocardial O2 requirements resulting from the reduction of wall tension, velocity of contraction, and heart rate induced by beta-adren...
Total synthesis of d,1-occidentalol by photoannelation

Abstract A nine step synthesis of an intermediate previously used in the synthesis of the sesquiterpene occidentalol is reported which incorporates a 2+2 photocycloaddition reaction as the key carbon carbon bond forming step.
Excited-State Giant Dipole Resonances in ( p , γ ): A New Probe of Single-Particle Strengths

The ($p, \ensuremath{\gamma}$) reaction populating highly excited states in $^{28}\mathrm{Si}$ is shown to be dominated by giant dipole resonances built upon one-particle, one-hole states. Each giant resonance is centered at ${E}_{\ensuremath{\gamma}}\ensuremath{\approx}20$ MeV, with a width which increases with the energy of the one-particle, one-hole state, and with a strength that is simply related to the proton stripping strength to the same final state.
Impact of Laryngeal Paralysis and its Treatment on the Glottic Aperture and Upper Airway Flow Characteristics during Exercise

Abstract Patients with unilateral vocal fold paralysis occasionally report shortness of breath during exercise. This symptom may persist in some patients after medialization thyroplasty. A review of the literature revealed no study that objectively evaluated laryngeal dynamics or airway flow characteristics during exercise after medialization thyroplasty for unilateral laryngeal paralysis. This study evaluates glottic aperture size and configuration as well as upper airway flow characteristics during exercise in 16 subjects. Six patients who underwent medialization thyroplasty for unilateral vocal fold paralysis were compared with 10 healthy control subjects. During a standardized exercise protocol on an incremental ergometer (bicycle type), real-time videolaryngoscopy was obtained and correlated in a synchronized fashion with maximum-effort respiratory efforts at the beginning, midpoint, and end of the exercise period. Direct calculations of glottic size during various phases of the exercise period were performed from digitized images. These data were correlated with inspiratory flow data for each patient. Patients with laryngeal paralysis demonstrated smaller mean glottic areas and lower peak inspiratory flow rates than controls both at rest and during all phases of the exercise period. This study suggests that after treatment of unilateral laryngeal paralysis with medialization thyroplasty, inspiratory flow rate and glottic area are significantly less than in normal controls. (Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 1999;120:819-23.)
Determination of surface area and particle size of synthetic latex by adsorption. III. Latices of high initial soap content

Abstract The soap titration method for determination of particle size and specific surface area of synthetic latices can be applied only to latices the initial soap content of which is less than that required to yield the critical micelle concentration of soap in solution. To handle latices the soap contents of which exceed the cmc, a procedure has been developed involving the titration of the latex with another the surface of which is still unsaturated by soap. The latter latex is used to take up the excess soap and to yield both latices in equilibrium with the cmc of the soap. The end point of the titration can be determined, as before, by conductance. The end points are sharp, and the requisite data obtained permit a ready calculation of the latex particle size for both fatty and rosin soap latices. Further, the results obtained are in excellent agreement with those obtained by soap titration.
Oligohydramnios sequence and renal tubular malformation associated with maternal enalapril use

We present the case of a child who died of pulmonary hypoplasia as a result of the oligohydramnios sequence. The mother was taking enalapril, as well as propranolol and hydrochlorothiazide, for treatment of hypertension associated with systemic lupus erythematosus. Autopsy examination revealed severe renal tubular malformation. Correlation of animal data with previous case reports of neonatal anuria in association with maternal angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors suggests that these agents may have a deleterious effect on fetal renal development and general well-being. (Ann J OBSTET GYNECOL 1990;162: 187-9.)
Holographic data storage using bacteriorhodopsin

Holographic data storage is promising for space applications because the wide spatial distribution of each data bit provides a natural resistance to radiation damage. One potential medium for such a system is bacteriorhodopsin (BR), a photochromic material obtained from the bacterium halobacterium salinarium. A response time on the order of a microsecond, along with its low fatigue and high spatial resolution make BR a promising medium for optical data storage. In this paper, we explore the required exposure and read intensities, along with possible data densities, for D85N/D96N BR.
Many-particle tracking with nanometer resolution in three dimensions by reflection interference contrast microscopy.

We have developed and characterized a method, based on reflection interference contrast microscopy, to simultaneously determine the three-dimensional positions of multiple particles in a colloidal monolayer. To evaluate this method, the interaction of 6.8 μm (±5%) diameter lipid-derivatized silica microspheres with an underlying planar borosilicate substrate is studied. Measured colloidal height distributions are consistent with expectations for an electrostatically levitated colloidal monolayer. The precision of the method is analyzed using experimental techniques in addition to computational bootstrapping algorithms. In its present implementation, this technique achieves 16 nm lateral and 1 nm vertical precision.
Vendor discounts to libraries in a consortium

Abstract Since 1966 a group of colleges in North Carolina have been annually obtaining an across-the-board discount from book jobbers from firm orders, and in some instances discounts on standing orders. These discounts are offered by the jobbers based on their perception of the market potential of the collective buying power of these institutions. The agreement of the libraries to endorse a jobber or jobbers for a fiscal year is annually reviewed, with primary emphasis in the review process being placed on service and performance of the jobber. This approach achieves more than discount for firm order monographs because it provides an opportunity for several levels of interchange between acquisitions librarians and vendor representatives.
A case‐control study of risk factors in men with chronic pelvic pain syndrome

In the section on the lower urinary tract this month there are several papers of general interest. First, authors from the USA present a case-control study of risk factors in men with chronic pelvic pain syndrome. There are also papers presenting important data on alfuzosin, dutasteride, and tamsulosin versus naftopidil, respectively. In addition, the use of thermo-expandable prostate stents is further explored by authors from the UK and Denmark. Finally, authors from Austria describe the use of a new minimally invasive device in the treatment of incontinence after prostatectomy. OBJECTIVE To compare the demographic, behavioural, clinical and medical history characteristics of men with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) and asymptomatic controls, to identify characteristics that might be associated with this syndrome. PATIENTS AND METHODS Self-administered epidemiological questionnaires were completed by 463 men with CP/CPPS and 121 asymptomatic age-matched controls. We compared the prevalence of possible risk factors between men with CP/CPPS and controls, using generalized Mantel-Haenszel tests, and developed multivariate predictive models using logistic regression methods, adjusting for clustering by clinical centre within both methods. RESULTS Compared to controls, men with CP/CPPS reported a significantly greater lifetime prevalence of nonspecific urethritis (12% vs 4%, P = 0.008), cardiovascular disease (11% vs 2%, P = 0.004), neurological disease (41% vs 14%, P < 0.001), psychiatric conditions (29% vs 11%, P < 0.001), and haematopoietic, lymphatic or infectious disease (41% vs 20%, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION A wide range of self-reported medical conditions was associated with CP/CPPS. Further studies are necessary to determine whether they play a role in the pathogenesis of CP/CPPS.
Zircon growth and recycling during the assembly of large, composite arc plutons

Abstract Concordant U–Pb zircon dates have been interpreted traditionally to date the crystallization ages of plutons because until recently analytical uncertainties have generally been large enough to encompass the anticipated duration of pluton growth. Advances in zircon TIMS analysis and geochronological studies by SIMS on zircon from young volcanic rocks, along with evolving views of the evolution of magmatic systems, makes it necessary to revaluate this interpretation. Assignment of unique pluton crystallization ages based on zircon dating is complicated by the propensity of zircon to survive multiple intrusive events that culminate in a large pluton. Distinctions must be made between true inherited zircon, xenocrystic zircon derived from host rocks during magma ascent and/or emplacement, and multi-stage growth of zircon during waxing and waning of magma reservoirs that solidify to form large plutons. These complications are exemplified by recent high-precision U–Pb zircon age dating from the Cretaceous Tuolumne and Mt. Stuart batholiths, which clearly show that the timeframe of pluton assembly was long (> 5 Ma for Mt. Stuart and > 8 Ma for Tuolumne). Zircon crystals from samples from both batholiths exhibit appreciable concordant age dispersion for zircon (several 10 5 yr up to 2 × 10 6 yr), and assignment of statistically valid rock solidification ages is not possible from these data. Low Zr in the rocks of each batholith indicates that magmas were initially strongly undersaturated in zircon when emplaced and inherited zircon is rare or absent. Recycling of zircon antecrysts during successive magmatic injections is the primary cause of the modest age dispersion of concordant zircon ages, and is compatible with progressive growth of a large, long-lived, crystal mush body. Because eruption of magma requires low to moderate crystal fraction and high temperatures (relative to stored crystal mushes), zircon crystals are more likely to be eradicated during thermal rejuvenation preceding major eruptions.
Three‐dimensional numerical simulation of fluid flow and heat transport within the Barbados Ridge accretionary complex

[1] The thickness of the Barbados accretionary prism varies along strike. The increased thickness of the prism to the south is believed to affect the transport of heat by fluids, resulting in anomalously high heat flow at the deformation front. We utilized a coupled three-dimensional numerical fluid flow and heat transport model to investigate the effect of variable accretionary prism thickness on fluid flow patterns and heat transport in the decollement zone. The variation in sediment thickness produced along-strike fluid flow in the more permeable decollement. Although surface heat flow is higher for simulations where flow occurs along both the decollement and underthrust sediments, the resultant advective heat transport was not sufficient to appreciably raise steady state surface heat flow at the latitude of the Ocean Drilling Program transect. Simulated temperatures in the decollement were consequently much lower than in situ borehole measurements, suggesting an additional source of warmer fluid. We then investigated the transient hydrologic and thermal response of the system to enhanced fault permeability. Model results provide insight into the degree to which episodic faulting may drive fluid flow and heat transport within subduction complexes. A transient scenario in which decollement permeability was increased two orders of magnitude with fluid flow along both the decollement and underthrust sediments caused the temperature gradient at the location of the drill sites to increase by a factor of two within 7100 years. The results of the three-dimensional numerical simulations indicate that while both along-strike advective heat transport and transient fluid flow events should be considered in the heat flow distribution of the northern Barbados accretionary complex, the effects of episodic fluid flow are more significant.
Hospital characteristics associated with feeding tube placement in nursing home residents with advanced cognitive impairment.

Context Tube-feeding is of questionable benefit for nursing home residents with advanced dementia. Approximately two-thirds of US nursing home residents who are tube fed had their feeding tube inserted during an acute care hospitalization. Objective To identify US hospital characteristics associated with higher rates of feeding tube insertion in nursing home residents with advanced cognitive impairment. Design, Setting, and Patients The sample included nursing home residents aged 66 years or older with advanced cognitive impairment admitted to acute care hospitals between 2000 and 2007. Rate of feeding tube placement was based on a 20% sample of all Medicare Claims files and was assessed in hospitals with at least 30 such admissions during the 8-year period. A multivariable model with the unit of the analysis being the hospital admission identified hospital-level factors independently associated with feeding tube insertion rates, including bed size, ownership, urban location, and medical school affiliation. Measures of each hospital's care practices for all patients with serious chronic illnesses were evaluated, including intensive care unit (ICU) use in the last 6 months of life, the use of hospice services, and the ratio of specialist to primary care physicians. Patient-level characteristics were also considered. Main Outcome Measure Endoscopic or surgical insertion of a gastrostomy tube during a hospitalization. Results In 2797 acute care hospitals with 280 869 admissions among 163 022 nursing home residents with advanced cognitive impairment, the rate of feeding tube insertion varied from 0 to 38.9 per 100 hospitalizations (mean [SD], 6.5 [5.3]; median [interquartile range], 5.3 [2.6-9.3]). The mean rate of feeding tube insertions per 100 admissions was 7.9 in 2000, decreasing to 6.2 in 2007. Higher insertion rates were associated with the following hospital features: for-profit ownership vs government owned (8.5 vs 5.5 insertions per 100 hospitalizations; adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.33; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.21-1.46), larger size (>310 beds vs Conclusion Among nursing home residents with advanced cognitive impairment admitted to acute care hospitals, for-profit ownership, larger hospital size, and greater ICU use was associated with increased rates of feeding tube insertion, even after adjusting for patient-level characteristics.
Simultaneous Evaluation of Cardiorespiratory and Analgesic Effects of Nitrous Oxide-Oxygen Inhalation Analgesia

A study was made to evaluate the cardiorespiratory and analgesic effects of nitrous oxide-oxygen analgesia in ten healthy volunteers who were not undergoing operation. Correlation of findings with those from oxygen inhalation alone showed that physiologic changes during nitrous oxide-oxygen analgesia parallel those of inhalation of 100% oxygen. The safety of nitrous oxide-oxygen inhalation anesthesia, when used for relief of anxiety and tension, was demonstrated.
Pediatric airbag-associated ocular trauma and endothelial cell loss

Abstract Background Airbag-associated ocular trauma among the adult population has been widely reported, but reports of these injuries in children are sparse. Laboratory experiments suggest that airbag-associated ocular trauma may cause endothelial cell loss, but reports of in vivo human endothelial cell counts are anecdotal. Methods A retrospective chart review was performed of all patients with airbag-associated ocular trauma at a pediatric hospital from 1995 to 2001. From 2001 to 2002, endothelial cell counts were obtained from 9 eyes of airbag-associated ocular trauma subjects and 22 eyes of control subjects. Results Sixteen patients were identified; all had periocular abrasions, edema, and/or ecchymosis. Other ocular injuries included corneal abrasions (n = 9 or 56%), corneal edema (n = 8 or 50%), hyphema (n = 7 or 44%), lens opacities (n = 5 or 31%), and macular scars (n = 2 or 12%). Three eyes of three patients required intraocular surgery. Unilateral visual loss (hand-motions, 20/100) occurred in two patients. A decrease in mean endothelial cell count of 547 cell/mm 2 ( P = .01) was found in the airbag-associated ocular trauma group eyes when compared with control group eyes. Conclusions The present study includes the largest reported case series of pediatric airbag-associated ocular trauma. Airbag-associated ocular trauma may necessitate intraocular surgery, may result in permanent visual loss, and may cause endothelial cell loss in pediatric patients.
Calculations of Surface Thermal-Expansion

Using a method previously described, we have calculated the coefficients of thermal expansion for the first two interplanar spacings near the (111) and (100) surfaces of Ar, Kr, and Xe. The bulk thermal expansion, which is obtained as a by-product in the calculation, is found to be in good agreement with experimental measurements at all temperatures up to the melting point (largely because of a cancellation of errors at higher temperatures). This fact provides some confidence in the method and in the results for the surface thermal expansion. At high temperatures, the results for the surface thermal expansion are in agreement with the prediction of an approximate model which we gave earlier, $\frac{{\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{\mathrm{surface}}}{{\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{\mathrm{bulk}}}\ensuremath{\approx}(\frac{3}{4})\frac{{〈u_{z}^{}{}_{}{}^{2}〉}_{\mathrm{surface}}}{{〈u_{z}^{}{}_{}{}^{2}〉}_{\mathrm{bulk}}}$. At low temperatures, $\frac{{\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{\mathrm{surface}}}{{\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{\mathrm{bulk}}}$ passes through a rather high peak [with a value of greater than 6 for the (100) surface] because of dispersion of the surface modes. We are not able to give a conclusive explanation of the large apparent discrepancy between our calculations and the experimental observations of Ignatiev and Rhodin, which if taken at face value indicate that $\frac{{\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{\mathrm{surface}}}{{\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{\mathrm{bulk}}}$ is greater than twice our result of about 1.9 for the (111) surface of Xe between 55 and 75 \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K. However, it is possible that factors other than thermal expansion influence the shifts in the Bragg peaks which are observed experimentally, as has been found to be the case in other attempts to measure surface thermal expansion. A nonkinematical calculation of temperature effects in low-energy-electron diffraction from Xe(111) would be of interest in this regard, and also in regard to apparent discrepancies between theoretical and experimental "effective Debye temperatures" at the lowest energies. Experimental observation of the strong peak in $\frac{{\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{\mathrm{surface}}}{{\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{\mathrm{bulk}}}$ would also be of interest; this peak occurs at roughly 6% of the bulk Debye temperature and should therefore be observable in metals or other materials at cryogenic temperatures.
The Contemporary Fire Regime of the Central Appalachian Mountains and its Relation to Climate

This paper uses records of wildland fire to investigate the contemporary fire regime on federal lands in the central Appalachian Mountains of Virginia and West Virginia. During the study period (1970-2003), 1557 anthropogenic fires and 344 natural fires occurred on these lands. Most were small, low-intensity burns. However, fires of moderate to high intensity also occurred, and because of their larger sizes they were responsible for most of the area burned. Fire size also differed between natural and anthro- pogenic fires (median size 1.2 ha vs. 0.4 ha). A few of the anthropogenic fires were quite large, however (up to 6484 ha), whereas the largest natural fire measured only 1188 ha. Anthropogenic fires burned more area than natural fires and consequently they had a shorter fire cycle (1196 years for anthropogenic fires, 6138 years for natural fires). These fire cycles appear to be much longer than in the past, prior to fire suppression. Nonethe- less, despite suppression efforts, a substantial amount of fire activity occurred during the study period when conditions were sufficiently dry. The dry conditions of spring and fall were especially favorable for burning. Moreover, on an interannual level, drought had a strong influence on the amount of fire activity. (Key words: anthropogenic fire, fire cycle, forest disturbance, lightning, natural fire, Virginia, West Virginia, wildland fire.)
Replication of a DNA Microarray

A mechanical method for efficient replication of DNA microarrays is described. The approach consists of three steps. First, a master DNA microarray consisting of single-stranded DNA elements is exposed to a solution containing the biotin-functionalized complement of each array element. Following hybridization, a replica surface modified with streptavidin is brought into contact with the master. This results in linking of the biotin-functionalized complement with the replica surface. Next, the replica is separated from the master, and the complementary strands are transferred to the replica surface. The resulting complementary DNA microarray contains position-coded sequences that mirror the information contained on the master DNA microarray. Multiple replicas can be prepared from a single master, the replicas efficiently hybridize only their complement, and DNA not labeled with biotin is not transferred to the replica surface.
A volume-of-fluid interface reconstruction algorithm that is second-order accurate in the max norm

In an article recently published in this journal the author proved there exists a two-dimensional, volume-of-fluid interface reconstruction method that is second-order accurate in the max norm. However, that article did not include an example of such an algorithm. This article contains a description of a two-dimensional, volume-of-fluid interface reconstruction method that is second-order accurate in the max norm, provided the curve that one is reconstructing is two times continuously differentiable and the length of the sides of the square grid cells is less than a constant divided by the maximum of the absolute value of the curvature of the interface. A computation made with this algorithm is presented that demonstrates the convergence rate is second-order, as expected.
What Is, Is Not: Dante in Tomás Eloy Martínez's Purgatorio

Tomas Eloy Martinez's last novel, Purgatorio, is a meditation on the effects of violence and repression under 1970s Argentine dictatorial regimes. Like its antecedent, El Infierno (1981) by Carlos Martinez Moreno, Tomas Eloy Martinez's work draws on the Divine Comedy through creative distortion, an approach to Dante as old as Esteban Echeverria's foundational Argentine poem La cautiva (1832). El Infierno and Purgatorio complement each other, yet Tomas Eloy Martinez draws on Dante's Purgatorio in specific ways to craft a notion of ‘purgatory’ better suited than Dante's to address the loss and longing of a fractured generation.
Inhibition of catalytic oxidation of carbon/carbon composites by boron-doping

The inhibition effect of high temperature boron-doping on the catalytic oxidation of carbon/carbon composites was investigated. Boron-doping at 2500 °C was found to improve the oxidation resistance of catalyst-loaded composites. Evident inhibition mechanisms include the reduction of active site number by increasing the crystallite size and the site blockage by formed boron oxide. Boron-doping at less than 1.0 wt.% was found to almost completely suppress the catalytic effect of calcium acetate after a slight carbon conversion. This inhibition effect was much less significant in the case of potassium-catalyzed oxidation where only a slight inhibition effect was observed. This is believed to be the essential result of the unique properties of potassium catalyst. Due to its wetting ability and mobility, potassium catalyst could form and maintain good interfacial contact with any exposed carbon surface regions.
Peripheral neuropathy in the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome

The histopathological and immunopathological features of peripheral neuropathy were investigated in 21 patients with the acquired immunopathological syndrome (AIDS) or AIDS-related complex (ARC). Clinical syndromes observed in the 11 (52%) symptomatic patients included distal symmetrical polyneuropathy (DSPN) and chronic inflammatory demyelinative polyneuropathy (CIDP). Specimens from 19 of 20 patients (95%), both symptomatic and asymptomatic, had histopathological evidence of moderate or severe demyelination (79%), axonal degeneration (36%), and mononuclear cell inflammation (37%). Nerves from patients with CIDP and DSPN showed similar degrees of demyelination and axonal degeneration, but inflammation was more intense in CIDP. Immunohistochemical staining identified the majority of inflammatory cells as T lymphocytes or macrophages, with a predominance of CD8+ cytotoxic/suppressor cells. Diffuse immunostaining for human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DR was present on endothelial cells, mononuclear inflammatory cells, and Schwann cells, and variable patchy immunostaining for HLA-DR was present on nerve fibers. Control nerve specimens showed staining for HLA-DR limited to endothelial, and a few mononuclear cells. The patterns of immunostaining were similar for AIDS and ARC patients. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) was cultured from peripheral nerve in 3 patients, but HIV antigen was not detected by immunohistochemical staining of 8 specimens. The findings implicate HIV infection in nerve, with T cell- and macrophage-mediated tissue destruction as the pathogenetic mechanism of the AIDS/ARC neuropathy.
Preheat by Fast Electrons in Laser-Fusion Experiments

Neon-filled glass spherical shell targets were irradiated by a four-beam laser system of incident power 0.6-0.8 TW. By measuring $K\ensuremath{\alpha}$ x-ray lines of neon and silicon we are able to determine the number of fast (nonthermal) electrons and their preheating effect. Correlation is made with fast ion measurements.
Source Scaling Properties from Finite-Fault-Rupture Models

Finite-source images of earthquake rupture show that fault slip is spatially variable at all resolvable scales. In this study we develop scaling laws that account for this variability by measuring effective fault dimensions derived from the autocorrelation of the slip function for 31 published slip models of 18 earthquakes, 8 strike-slip events, and 10 dip-slip (reverse, normal, or oblique) events. We find that dip-slip events show self-similar scaling, but that scale invariance appears to break down for large strike-slip events for which slip increases with increasing fault length despite the saturation of rupture width. Combining our data with measurements from other studies, we find evidence for a nonlinear relationship between average displacement and fault length, in which displacement increases with fault length at a decreasing rate for large strike-slip events. This observation is inconsistent with pure width or length scaling for simple constant stress-drop models, but suggests that the finite seismogenic width of the fault zone exerts a strong influence on the displacement for very large strike-slip earthquakes.