cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nuclear structure of calcium isotopes from inelastic α scattering

Angular distributions were measured for elastic and inelastic $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ scattering from $^{40}\mathrm{Ca}$ at 24.0, 28.5, and 31.0 MeV, from $^{41}\mathrm{Ca}$ at 24.0 MeV and from $^{43,44}\mathrm{Ca}$ at 25.5 MeV. Analyses in terms of distorted-wave Born-approximation and coupled-channel theory, employing a vibrational collective model form factor, yield inelastic transition strengths, and many new spin and parity assignments or restrictions for levels in $^{40,41,43,44}\mathrm{Ca}$. The inelastic multipole transition strengths are in excellent agreement with known electromagnetic strengths. Quadrupole strengths are interpreted in terms of the coexistence model. The data imply that the ground-state excited-core admixtures to ${(fp)}^{n}$ spherical configurations are 4% in $^{48}\mathrm{Ca}$, 10% in $^{40,41}\mathrm{Ca}$, 14% in $^{43}\mathrm{Ca}$, and 30% in $^{42,44}\mathrm{Ca}$. The octupole inelastic strength is strong and mainly localized in the lowest ${3}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ state in $^{40}\mathrm{Ca}$, but becomes more fractionated and weaker with addition of neutrons and exhibits in $^{41}\mathrm{Ca}$ characteristic weak-coupling fragmentation of the lowest ${3}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ state in $^{40}\mathrm{Ca}$. These results are consistent with previous observations that the structure of the $^{41}\mathrm{Ca}$ ground state is with high purity a $1{f}_{\frac{7}{2}}$ neutron coupled to the $^{40}\mathrm{Ca}$ ground state.NUCLEAR REACTIONS $^{40}\mathrm{Ca}(\ensuremath{\alpha},\ensuremath{\alpha})$, $E=24.0, 28.5, 31.0$ MeV, $^{41}\mathrm{Ca}(\ensuremath{\alpha},\ensuremath{\alpha})$, $E=24.0$ MeV, $^{43,44}\mathrm{Ca}(\ensuremath{\alpha},\ensuremath{\alpha})$, $E=25.5$ MeV, measured $\ensuremath{\sigma}(\ensuremath{\theta})$, ${E}_{\ensuremath{\alpha}}$; DWBA, coupled-channel analyses, $^{40,41,43,44}\mathrm{Ca}$ deduced levels, $J$, $\ensuremath{\pi}$, $B(IS,l)\ensuremath{\uparrow}$ for $l=2,3,4,5$. Enriched targets. Coexistence model, deduced excited-core admixtures in $^{40,41,42,43,44,48}\mathrm{Ca}$.
The effect of inanition on the inactivation of estrogen by the liver.

It has been established that exogenous estrogens can be inactivated by the animal organism with great facility. Zondek and Sklow (1941) have shown that only 5 per cent of the estrogen administered to rats can be recovered from the animal body three hours after its subcutaneous injection. Heller (1940); Singher et al. (1944) have demonstrated by in vitro studies that the liver is the organ involved in this degradation mechanism. Talbot (1939), Schiller and Pincus (1944) and others have shown an impairment of inactivation in the presence of hepatic parenchymal damage in the rat and Glass, Edmondson and Soil (1940) have demonstrated the same phenomenon in patients with advanced hepatic cirrhosis. Golden and Sevringhaus (1938) implanted ovaries into a site drained by the portal vein and discovered that the rats showed no sign of estrus as determined by vaginal smear. However, if these ovaries were re-implanted into the axilla, estrus re-appeared.
Scanning tunnelling and atomic force microscopy performed with the same probe in one unit

SUMMARY The technique demonstrated here provides features of both scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The metallic probe acts to record current variations and sense forces from the same sample area simultaneously. Thus, separate images may be recorded, in registry. The collected data allows real space correlations between some electrical properties and the geometric structure of a sample surface. The same tip is used since the geometry and condition of the tip can effect the data recordings. Platinum alloys, tungsten and graphite tips have been employed successfully. An AFM lever can respond to surface contact forces, within the elastic limits of the sample, while electric current is sensed by the tip of the lever. The usefulness of this experimental procedure is tested here by an application to semiconducting samples of Ag-doped CdTe in air and in paraffin oil media.
Regge cut as optical potential in high-energy large-angle pp scattering

Abstract It is shown that the fixed Regge-cut amplitude coming from a Mandelstam diagram with one Regge pole and one elementary particle exchange can be identified with the optical potential in high-energy large-angle pp scattering. The argument is based on Rothe's quantitative estimate of the Regge-cut amplitude.
Repeated 7-OH-DPAT treatments: behavioral sensitization, dopamine synthesis and subsequent sensitivity to apomorphine and cocaine.

Male Wistar rats (250–350 g) were injected (SC) daily with the putative selective dopamine D3 receptor agonist, 7-OH-DPAT (0.01, 0.10, or 1.0 g/kg) or vehicle for 10 days. Fifteen minutes after each injection, the rats were tested for locomotor activity in photocell arenas for 20 min or 2 h. In two experiments, following this subchronic treatment, all rats received a challenge injection of apomorphine (1.0 mg/kg, SC), or cocaine (10 mg/kg, IP) on day 11, and were tested for locomotor activity. In a third experiment, dopamine synthesis in striatal and mesolimbic (nucleus accumbens-olfactory turbercle) tissue was assessed following acute or chronic 7-OH-DPAT treatments by measuring the accumulation of dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) after treatment with a DOPA decarboxylase inhibitor. Major findings were as follows: a) acute 7-OH-DPAT treatment produced a dose-dependent decrease in locomotor activity; b) when tested for 2 h, the 1.0 mg/kg dose of 7-OH-DPAT produced a progressively greater increase in activity across the 10 test days (i.e., behavioral sensitization); c) subchronic treatment with 7-OH-DPAT did not result in cross-sensitization to either apomorphine or cocaine; d) acute treatment with the 1.0 mg/kg dose of 7-OH-DPAT significantly decreased dopamine synthesis in both striatal and mesolimbic regions; and e) chronic 7-OH-DPAT treatments did not affect basal dopamine synthesis in either brain region. Although the behavioral effects of 7-OH-DPAT were similar to the reported effects of the D2/D3 dopamine agonist quinpirole, the effects of repeated 7-OH-DPAT treatments differed from those of quinpirole in terms of cross-sensitization and basal dopamine synthesis. These results suggest that locomotor inhibition produced by low doses of 7-OH-DPAT is not related to dopamine autoreceptor stimulation, and the development of behavioral sensitization to high doses of 7-OH-DPAT is not due to the development of dopamine autoreceptor subsensitivity.
Combined heart and kidney transplantation with allografts from the same donor

We present the cases of 3 patients who underwent simultaneous heart and kidney transplantation using allografts from the same donor. This combined approach offers a reasonable option for patients with coexisting end-stage heart and kidney disease. A review of all previously reported cases suggests that survival is similar to that of single-organ transplantation. In addition, there appears to be a low incidence of rejection when multiple allografts from the same donor are used. The heart and kidney can and frequently do reject asynchronously, so rejection monitoring and surveillance should be carried out separately for each transplanted organ.
Solar wind density control of energy transfer to the magnetosphere

[1] It is generally believed that the coupling of energy between the solar wind and the magnetosphere depends almost exclusively on the solar wind speed and magnetic field, with density and temperature playing little or no role. However, recent studies have indicated that under certain conditions, such as the main phase of a storm, density can have a significant role in modulating the transfer of energy to the magnetosphere. In this paper we demonstrate the effect using global MHD simulations of the solar wind-magnetosphere interaction. We also identify the physical mechanism that leads to the density control, namely the modification of the compression ratio of the bow shock, and explain why it is only apparent during periods of strong, southward IMF.
COMPARISON OF THREE CONTROLLED-RELEASE NITROGEN FERTILIZERS IN GREENHOUSE CROP PRODUCTION

Controlled-release nitrogen fertilizers allow growers to reduce nitrogen loss from leaching in comparison to soluble formulations. Plant growth and nitrogen leaching during greenhouse production of Begonia × semperflorens-cultorum Hort. cv. “Brandy” (Begonia), Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ex Klotzch cv. “Freedom Red” (Poinsettia), Ficus benjamina L., and Nephrolepis exaltata (L.) Schott cv. “Bostoniensis” (Boston Fern) were evaluated for eight weeks using three commercial controlled-release nitrogen fertilizers in combination with phosphorus and potassium sources to maintain a 3 : 2:1 NPK ratio. Mini Polymer Coated Urea (MPCU) 41-0-0, Trikote 42-0-0, and Regalite Nitroform (RN) 38-0-0 were incorporated into the substrate at rates of 0.9 kg nitrogen (N) m−3 and 1.5 kg N m−3 prior to potting. Total soluble salts in the leachates reflected the initial leaching of salts from the substrate, some increase or maintenance of salt levels through the third week, and lower levels from the fourth through eighth w...
The posterior cruciate ligament in total knee arthroplasty

The purpose of this study was to answer 2 questions: Does the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) produce femoral rollback in a single-design, cruciate-sparing total knee arthroplasty (TKA)? Does the PCL prevent posterior tibial displacement when it is retained after a single-design, cruciate-sparing TKA? Knee kinematics and limits of motion were measured with the knees in the following states: (1) intact knee, (2) anterior cruciate-deficient knee, (3) PCL-retaining total knee of a single design (TKA), (4) PCL-retaining TKA with PCL cut, and (5) PCL-substituting TKA. Femoral rollback was then calculated from the above data. The results showed that the PCL was able to prevent posterior translation and maintain femoral rollback when it was preserved during TKA. Therefore, the PCL can be functional after TKA, in a single-design, cruciate-sparing TKA. When the PCL was cut, significant changes in knee kinematics were observed.
The Preservice Training and Supervision of Consultants

According to surveys conducted over the past 10 years, counseling psychologists are increasingly involved in consultation roles. Strangely, the professional counseling psychology literature has virtually ignored the development of consultation skills. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the issues and problems in developing consultation skills and outline a supervisory model that can be employed by practicum and internship supervisors interested in developing consultation skills. The reciprocal relationships model that is presented is rooted in social learning theory. It attempts to explain the relationship among cognitions, behavioral, and environmental variables in the supervisory process. Specific recommendations are made for remedying particular problems that may arise during the course of supervision.
Using Statistical Process Control to Identify Early Growth Failure Among Infants With Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome

Although interventions to improve outcomes for children with congenital heart disease may be designed and tested, the rarity of any one specific defect presents a barrier to using traditional statistical methods to measure the effects of these interventions. The purpose of this report is to describe the innovative statistical approach taken by the Joint Council on Congenital Heart Disease (JCCHD) National Pediatric Cardiology Quality Improvement Collaborative (NPC-QIC) to measure outcomes for infants with hypoplastic left heart syndrome-a relatively rare disease. We report our experience with the application of statistical process control methods to generate measures capable of identifying statistically significant change in the incidence of early growth failure-a clinically important outcome in this relatively small patient population.
Ethical considerations for a child's participation in research.

ISSUES AND PURPOSE To analyze ethical considerations for a child's involvement in research. CONCLUSIONS Pediatric research can proceed only when the welfare of children is protected. Although research with children as research subjects constitutes only a small portion of research efforts, its continual growth requires nurses be aware of the rights of pediatric subjects. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS As nursing research increases in sophistication, the nurse should include an assessment of the informed consent process in the care of the patient, including the child's comprehension, the age and development of the child, and the child's perception of the research.
Targeting cannabinoid receptor‐2 pathway by phenylacetylamide suppresses the proliferation of human myeloma cells through mitotic dysregulation and cytoskeleton disruption

Cannabinoid receptor-2 (CB2) is expressed dominantly in the immune system, especially on plasma cells. Cannabinergic ligands with CB2 selectivity emerge as a class of promising agents to treat CB2-expressing malignancies without psychotropic concerns. In this study, we found that CB2 but not CB1 was highly expressed in human multiple myeloma (MM) and primary CD138+ cells. A novel inverse agonist of CB2, phenylacetylamide but not CB1 inverse agonist SR141716, inhibited the proliferation of human MM cells (IC50 : 0.62 ∼ 2.5 μM) mediated by apoptosis induction, but exhibited minor cytotoxic effects on human normal mononuclear cells. CB2 gene silencing or pharmacological antagonism markedly attenuated phenylacetylamide's anti-MM effects. Phenylacetylamide triggered the expression of C/EBP homologous protein at the early treatment stage, followed by death receptor-5 upregulation, caspase activation, and β-actin/tubulin degradation. Cell cycle related protein cdc25C and mitotic regulator Aurora A kinase were inactivated by phenylacetylamide treatment, leading to an increase in the ratio inactive/active cdc2 kinase. As a result, phosphorylation of CDK substrates was decreased, and the MM cell mitotic division was largely blocked by treatment. Importantly, phenylacetylamide could overcome the chemoresistance of MM cells against dexamethasone or melphalan. Thus, targeting CB2 may represent an attractive approach to treat cancers of immune origin.
Stand dynamics and the evaluation of forest decline

Summary The importance of understanding effects of stand dynamics on growth as they relate to identifying and evaluating forest declines is discussed. Decline diseases and some of their characteristics are reviewed, as are general patterns of normal growth and development of forest trees and stands. The need to develop an expectation of normal growth is discussed and a minimally sufficient set of growth stratifying factors; namely, site quality, stand density and age, is proposed.
Mass spectrometry of 3‐methoxy fatty acid methyl esters

Fatty acids with a hydroxyl moiety at the C-3 position are found widely in bacterial lipids, but only rarely in mammalian lipids. The mass spectra of the methyl ether derivative of these hydroxy acids exhibit an intense ion at m/e 75, rather than the rearrangement ion at m/e 74 more typical of fatty acid methyl esters. The mass spectrometric behavior of several 3-methoxy fatty acid methyl esters were studied, and the origin of the unique ion at m/e 75 was established using 18O and 2H labeled analogs and metastable ion transitions. this ion was shown to arise from the loss of ketene from the 3,4 cleavage ion at m/e 117.
Coordinated media streaming and transcoding in peer-to-peer systems

In this paper we study the problem of multimedia streaming and transcoding in P2P systems. We propose a multimedia streaming architecture in which transcoding services coordinate to transform the streaming data into different formats and adapt to both the QoS requirements of the applications and to the availability of the system resources. Our techniques are entirely distributed, use only local knowledge and scale well with the size of the system. Extensive simulation results validate the performance of our approach.
A Unifying Perspective on the Capacity of Wireless Ad Hoc Networks

We present the first unified modeling framework for the computation of the throughput capacity of random wireless ad hoc networks in which information is disseminated by means of unicast routing, multicast routing, broadcasting, or different forms of anycasting. We introduce (n,m, k)-casting as a generalization of all forms of one-to-one, one-to-many and many-to-many information dissemination in wireless networks. In this context, n, m, and k denote the total number of nodes in the network, the number of destinations for each communication group, and the actual number of communication-group members that receive information (i.e., k lesm), respectively. We compute upper and lower bounds for the (n, m, k)- cast throughput capacity in random wireless networks. When m = k = ominus(1), the resulting capacity equals the well-known capacity result for multi-pair unicasting by Gupta and Kumar. We demonstrate that ominus(1/radic(mnlogn)) bits per second constitutes a tight bound for the capacity of multicasting (i.e., m = k < n) when m les ominus (n/(log n)). We show that the multicast capacity of a wireless network equals its capacity for multi-pair unicasting when the number of destinations per multicast source is not a function of n. We also show that the multicast capacity of a random wireless ad hoc network is ominus (1/n), which is the broadcast capacity of the network, when m ges ominus(n/ log n). Furthermore, we show that ominus (radicm/(kradic(n log n))),ominus(1/(k log n)) and ominus(1/n) bits per second constitutes a tight bound for the throughput capacity of multicasting (i.e., k < m < n) when ominus(1) les m les ominus (n/ log n), k les ominus(n / log n) les m les n and ominus (n/ log n) les k les m les n respectively.
Miss-Correlation Folding: Encoding Per-Block Miss Correlations in Compressed DRAM for Data Prefetching

Cache misses frequently exhibit repeated streaming behavior, i.e. a sequence of cache misses has a high tendency of being repeated. Correlation-based prefetchers record the missing streams in a history table for accurate prefetching. Saving a large miss history in off-chip DRAM is a practical implementation, but incurs access latency and consumes memory bandwidth which leads to performance degradation. In this paper, we investigate a new data prefetching mechanism based on per-block miss correlation where a miss is correlated with an earlier miss when the two misses are closely encountered both in time and space. The miss correlations are captured dynamically and saved along with the content of the data block using a simple data compression technique. As a result of this novel combination, our scheme provides unbounded correlation history and its prefetch metadata can be fetched together with demand data without incurring additional latency nor consuming any memory bandwidth. Performance evaluations using data-parallel applications demonstrate that prefetchers based on per-block miss correlations can improve IPC by 42-139% with an average of 88% compared to the IPC without prefetching. In comparison with regular stream prefetcher, sampled temporal streaming prefetcher and spatial-temporal memory streaming prefetcher, up to 115%, 99% and 98% IPC improvement can be obtained with an average about 36%, 26% and 27% respectively.
Factors that Differentially Affect Daytime and Nighttime Sleep in Drosophila melanogaster

Rest in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster has key characteristics of mammalian sleep and is thus considered as a fly version of sleep. Drosophila sleep has been studied extensively, with the aim of gaining fundamental insights into the evolutionarily conserved functions of sleep as well as the mechanisms that regulate it. An interesting question that has not yet been addressed is whether fly sleep can be classified into distinct sleep types, each having particular biological roles—like REM and non-REM sleep in birds and mammals. Typically, Drosophila sleep displays a bimodal pattern, consisting of distinct daytime and nighttime components. Notably, daytime and nighttime sleep differ with respect to a number of qualities, such as sleep bout lengths and arousal thresholds. In this short review, we describe several genetic and environmental factors that differentially affect daytime and nighttime sleep, highlighting the observations suggesting the notion that these temporally distinct components of Drosophila sleep may have unique biological functions and be regulated by different homeostatic regulatory mechanisms.
A unified model of evaluating the performance of route discovery in ad hoc networking

The frequency of route discovery is one of the main performance metrics in the mobile ad hoc networks with source-routing. Conventionally, this metric was derived from the exponential distribution. Although it might be appropriate to the scenarios directed mainly by the light-tailed traffic, the exponential model is inadequate to characterize the paradigms dominated by heavy-tailed traffic. In this paper, we propose a unified model to take both traffic types into account. Our model is based on the compound Weibull distribution, of which the exponential distribution and the Rayleigh distribution are special cases.
A Content Analysis of Evaluation Findings across 20 Gifted Programs: A Clarion Call for Enhanced Gifted Program Development.

This article delineates the results of 7 gifted program evaluation studies conducted in 20 different school districts and places them in the context of major areas for gifted program improvement. T...
Introduction: The Social Science Study of Video Games

This introduction is a short survey of social science literature on video games. It is not meant as a comprehensive review. Instead its goal is to present some of the themes and questions that prompted us to bring the articles in this issue together. The essay begins by outlining some of the recent contributions from the social sciences to video game studies—with a particular emphasis on distinct forms of video game interactivity—and concludes with suggestions for possible future directions for this research.
French for Specific Purposes: The Hawaiian Experience

: Curriculum development in foreign languages for specific purposes in Hawaii, as on the mainland, encounters various difficulties: programmatic priorities, enrollment quotas, administrative requirements and a negative or indifferent public perception. In spite of these obstacles, however, a Buiness French course was initiated at the University of Hawaii a few years ago. Its success, coupled with recognition by state officials and academic administrators, brought about the initiation of similar courses in other languages and the development of French for Travel Industry Management majors. The Hawaiian experience in this area of language education points to the necessity of reevaluating existing curricula, introducing innovative offerings, and instituting frameworks for collaboration between administrators, language departments, and professional schools. It also indicates the need for exploring other areas of application which might broaden the students' competitiveness and employment opportunities not only at the local level, but also in the national and international markets.
Stylistic guidelines for e-mail

E-mail style has received little attention from corporations and other institutions. The absence of stylistic guidelines may create problems: communicating inappropriately with some audiences, losing sight of the message purpose, or wasting company resources in other ways. To solve such problems, technical communicators can use their unique abilities to promote e-mail formats that consider the strengths and limitations of the medium in addition to the traditional concerns with audience, purpose, and content of messages. >
Model-based estimation of 3D human motion

This paper presents the formulations and techniques that we have developed for the 3D model-based, motion estimation of human movement from multiple cameras. Our method is based on the spatio-temporal analysis of the subject's silhouette and it has the advantage that the subject does not have to wear markers or other devices. We present tracking results from experiments involving the recovery of complex motions in the presence of significant occlusion.
A rising generation of Europeans? Life-cycle and cohort effects on support for ‘Europe’

Despite much research on age and attitudes, it remains unclear whether age reflects accumulated life experience or conditions prevailing during an individual's formative years – that is, a life-cycle effect or a cohort effect. In respect to attitudes towards the European Union (EU), the issue is particularly important. Although many analyses indicate a correlation between age and support, the relationship has not been adequately theorised and extant analyses have generated contradictory results. In this article, theoretical expectations for both life-cycle and cohort effects on support for the EU are developed and tested using a cross random effects model. This not only identifies the nature of an age-support relationship, but also highlights substantial generational differences in attitudes towards European integration and explains the inconsistencies in extant empirical analyses.
Change in Physical Performance Over Time in Older Women The Women's Health and Aging Study

Background. Although lower and upper extremity performance measures are widely used and represent validated physical function measures in older adults, there is limited information regarding the magnitude of changes in these measures over time. This study (i) assesses prospective changes in physical performance measures, (ii) defines a summary score that demonstrates a significant amount of change over time, and (iii) examines rates of decline according to age and baseline performance levels. Methods. Data from the Women’s Health and Aging Study (WHAS) were analyzed to assess change in the one third most disabled older women living in the community. Lower extremity function was assessed using walking speed, balance, and chair stands tests. The putting-on-blouse test, the lock and key test, the Purdue Pegboard test, and grip strength were used to gauge upper extremity function. Continuous and categorical summary performance scores were calculated using continuous and categorical data of lower and upper performance measures. Results. After 3 years, lower extremity performance measures declined by 16%‐27%, while upper extremity performance measures declined less (7%‐24%). For lower extremity function, the continuous summary performance score showed a slightly greater 3-year decline from baseline (decline vs baseline mean: 23%; decline vs SD of the baseline mean: 59%) than the categorical score (22% and 41%, respectively). Older age and intermediate level of baseline performance were associated with the greatest decline, especially for lower extremity function. Conclusions. In moderately to severely disabled women aged 65 or older, lower extremity measures show more change over 3 years than upper extremity measures. Among the lower extremity summary scores, the continuous score changes more over time than the categorical score with respect to the baseline SD . The lower extremity continuous summary performance score may be a useful outcome measure for clinical studies of physical performance in older women.
Role of nitric oxide in surgical flap survival.

N p b i t e p b a m a f d p i he field of plastic surgery has been dealing with the olecular mechanisms affecting flap survival since the dvent of molecular biology. The characterization of he milieu of tissue factor and cell-signaling molecules hat contribute to flap survival or necrosis continues to eceive interest from investigators. In recent years, nitric xide (NO) has received attention as a prospective canidate for manipulation to prevent or counteract the etrimental effects of tissue trauma and ischemia that he flap experiences during these procedures. NO is an mportant biologic signaling molecule and has been roved to be involved in signaling at the neuronal synpse, to function as a host defense effector in the imune system, to be pathologically cytotoxic as a free adical, and to regulate basal vessel tone in the cardioascular system. As such, an overall assessment of NO unction in the skin flap requires attention to its many ffects to properly characterize its influence on flap surival. The field of NO research is continually expanding, nd a discussion of all of its known physiologic effects in he context of tissue ischemia and flap survival is a subtantial task. NO plays a broad role in ischemic injury, nd has been studied extensively in relation to bowel, iver, myocardium, lungs, and CNS, and is often menioned in the context of transplantation surgery. The resent discussion is limited to the most pertinent and ell-developed areas of the field and their relation to laps. Because many tissues react similarly to ischemic nsult, some elements of the discussion concerning vasular effects, free radicals, and inflammation are appliable to injuries of various tissues throughout the body. Since the characterization in 1987 of endotheliumerived relaxing factor as NO, a significant volume of esearch has been published investigating its role in the ascular endothelium and its application to survival of urgical flaps. Ischemia-reperfusion injury has been ad-
Characterization of Wear-Resistant Coatings and Surface Treatments

Three techniques for characterizing wear-resistant coatings and surface treatments are discussed: the button on block galling threshold test, the ASTM B 571 adhesion bend test, and energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS). It is shown that the button on block galling threshold test is an effective method for ranking the galling threshold stresses of wear-resistant coatings and surface treatments. The ASTM B 571 adhesion bend test is demonstrated to be a simple, inexpensive method for qualitatively evaluating the adhesion of wear-resistant coatings and surface treatments. It is also shown that line scans and x-ray dot maps produced by energy-dispersive spectroscopy are useful for characterizing elemental changes on the order of approximately 1 micron and larger in wear-resistant coatings and surface treatments.
College Students' Physical Activity and Health-Related Quality of Life: An Achievement Goal Perspective.

Purpose: The 2 × 2 achievement goal model, including the mastery-approach, mastery-avoidance, performance-approach, and performance-avoidance goal orientations, has recently been used to explain motivational outcomes in physical activity. This study attempted to examine the relationships among 2 × 2 achievement goal orientations, physical activity, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in college students. Method: Participants were 325 students (130 men and 195 women; Mage = 21.4 years) enrolled in physical activity classes at a Southern university. They completed surveys validated in previous research assessing achievement goal orientations, physical activity, and HRQOL. Results: Path analyses revealed a good fit between the model and data (root mean square error of approximation = .06; Comparative Fit Index = .99; Bentler-Bonett Nonnormed Fit Index = .98; Incremental Fit Index = .99), but the model explained small variances in the current study. Mastery-approach and performance-approach goal orient...
Treating Pediatric Brain Tumors by Inhibiting the RAS-ERK Signaling Pathway: A Review.

Many pediatric brain tumors fail standard therapies for a variety of reasons. There is a need for novel targeted therapeutics in treating these tumors. The RAS-RAF-MEK-ERK signaling pathway transmits signals from cell surface receptors leading to cell proliferation and survival. Components of this pathway are often mutated in different cancers. Several activating RAF mutations have been identified as critical drivers of a variety of malignancies including many pediatric brain tumors, specifically BRAF V600E, which is mutated in many melanomas, and specific pediatric brain tumors. Knowledge regarding mutated portions of the ERK signaling pathway has prompted the development of small-molecule inhibitors that target components of this pathway. Most inhibitors have been developed and approved for use in treating metastatic melanoma and some are now being tested in pediatric patients with brain tumors, particularly those harboring the BRAF V600E mutations, with encouraging results. Unfortunately, clinical responses to inhibitors of RAF, MEK and combinations are temporary, with resistance to BRAF inhibitors seen in most patients, on average between 6 and 9 months after initiation of therapy. The combination of RAF and MEK inhibitors may show improved efficacy. Better understanding of the properties of the small-molecule inhibitors, as well as mechanisms of resistance will be essential in further improvement of these agents in treating children with tumors dependent on ERK signaling.
EVIDENCE THAT AN OUTCROSSING POPULATION IS A DERIVED LINEAGE IN A HERMAPHRODITIC FISH (RIVULUS MARMORATUS).

Rivulus marmoratus is the only known vertebrate with obligate, synchronous hermaphroditic fertilization. Males can be experimentally induced in the laboratory and are rare or absent in most populations, but at the isolated Twin Cays, Belize, locality, males are relatively abundant. At this locality, evidence of outcrossing has been documented in this otherwise automictic cloning species. Phylogenetic analysis of restriction sites and sequence characters revealed that all Florida and Belize western Caribbean populations (including Twin Cays) are phyletically indistinguishable yet divergent from eastern populations in Brazil and the Bahamas. Further, these western lineages shared a common ancestor more recently than all other populations. Therefore, the Twin Cays population is not a remnant ancestral outcrossing population. Outcrossing is suspected to have evolved as a phenotypically plastic character, and its expression in R. marmoratus may be dormant unless triggered by some ecological factor that is not well understood.
Analysis on Electromagnetically Coupled Loop Operation of Tie Line Connecting Hubei Power Grid and Henan Power Grid After Building up of Nanyang UHVAC Substation

After the building up and putting into operation of Nanyang ultra high voltage AC(UHVAC) substation,the electromagnetically coupled 1000/500 kV loop operation of the tie line connecting Hubei power grid and Henan power grid appears.In the viewpoint of transmission capability,security level and stability level,short-circuit current level,small signal stability,the operation characteristics of UHVAC electromagnetically coupled loop are overall analyzed,and a prominent problem is pointed out that the large-scale power transfer leads to the overload in transmission line belonging to lower voltage grade.For this reason,the security and stability control measures for the electromagnetically coupled 1000/500 kV loop operation of the tie line are researched,and after the comparisons of various conventional measures as well as the measure to coordinate with automatic generator control(AGC) a control measure,in which the coordinated AGC is comprehensively considered,is proposed.Implementation of the proposed control measure can effectively mitigate the cumbersomeness of security and stability control measure that is necessary to maintain power grid stability and offer a new idea for the secure dispatching of UHVAC power gird.
Surface Plasmon Absorption in Cesium Cluster Ions (Csn +, n=4−21)

Experimental investigations of surface plasmon absorption in cesium cluster ions (Csn + n=4−21) are reported. Photoabsorption in simple metal clusters is believed to be dominated by collective excitation of the delocalized electrons. Our investigations are directed towards obtaining the absorption spectra as a function of cluster size, and for clusters of different metals. The width of the absorption spectrum reflects the damping mechanisms responsible for the decay of the collective excitations. We use a liquid metal ion source (LMIS) for cluster generation. LMIS produces ‘hot’ clusters. Consequently, a substantial thermal broadening of the resonance spectrum is expected. A mass selected pulsed beam of Csn + interacts with a collinear counter-propagating pulsed laser beam. We measure the loss in intensity (photodepletion) of the parent clusters in a time-of-flight mass spectrometer. Photoabsorption cross sections for clusters in the range of 4–9 atoms, at 600 nm, are about 1–3 (A)2/atom. The typical absorption width is found to be larger than 100 nm.
Interlayer functionalization of magadiite with sulfur-containing organosilanes

Abstract Sodium magadiite (Na-MGD), a layered silicate, was synthesized, cation-exchanged with cetyltrimethylammonium (CTA + ), and functionalized with two sulfur-containing organosilanes, bis-(triethoxysilylpropyl) polysulfide (Si69) or 3-mercaptopropyltriethoxysilane (MPTES). 29 Si NMR and XRD showed that the silanes grafted uniformly on the MGD interlayer surfaces. TGA and elemental analysis (EA) results quantified the silane and CTA + content of the products and, with FTIR results, showed that silane grafting displaced CTA + from the MGD interlayer space. Moderate to high levels of Si69 or MPTES grafting led to nearly complete CTA + displacement and decreased interlayer spacing. This rendered the MGD interlayer inaccessible to squalene, a model compound for natural rubber prepolymer. A lower level of Si69 grafting displaced less CTA + , resulting in a slight decrease in MGD interlayer spacing. For this product, XRD shows significant intercalation of squalene into the MGD interlayer space, possibly associated with sulfur-mediated crosslinking with the MGD-grafted silane. This work demonstrates the potential utility of sulfur-functionalized MGD as an active filler for elastomer composite formulations, as well as the use of squalene as a probe of interlayer accessibility of sulfur-functionalized layered clay minerals.
Magnetic Nanoparticle-Based Upregulation of B-Cell Lymphoma 2 Enhances Bone Regeneration

Clinical translation of cell-based strategies for tissue regeneration remains challenging because survival of implanted cells within hostile, hypoxic wound environments is uncertain. Overexpression of B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) has been shown to inhibit apoptosis in implanted cells. The present study describes an "off the shelf" prefabricated scaffold integrated with magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) used to upregulate Bcl-2 expression in implanted adipose-derived stromal cells for bone regeneration. Iron oxide cores were sequentially coated with branched polyethyleneimine, minicircle plasmid encoding green fluorescent protein and Bcl-2, and poly-β-amino ester. Through in vitro assays, increased osteogenic potential and biological resilience were demonstrated in the magnetofected group over control and nucleofected groups. Similarly, our in vivo calvarial defect study showed that magnetofection had an efficiency rate of 30%, which in turn resulted in significantly more healing compared with control group and nucleofected group. Our novel, prefabricated MNP-integrated scaffold allows for in situ postimplant temporospatial control of cell transfection to augment bone regeneration. Stem Cells Translational Medicine 2017;6:151-160.
Self‐Defense and Violence against Women in the United States

Feminist jurisprudence has helped expand “reasonable man” standards of self-defense to account for women's history of discrimination and trauma histories. When using violence in intimate relationships, help-seeking women are more likely to be motivated by self-defense than men. Recently enacted “stand your ground” statutes do not generally benefit women because they would normally not be required to retreat in situations in which they are attacked. Keywords: legal and political debates; violence against women; women's rights
Classification of vessels as arteries verses veins using hybrid features for diagnosis of hypertensive retinopathy

Hypertensive retinopathy is an eye disease which causes to loss of human vision in intensive scenarios. Retinal blood vessels are highly affected by this disease. Ratio between diameters of arterioles and venules is the only measure to detect the abnormalities in vessels. The proposed system identify the symptoms of abnormal vascular structure like arteriolar narrowing. AVR calculation is the main part of the proposed system. Some of the steps in this process are background preprocessing, vessels segmentation, OD segmentation, vessels classification and vessels width calculation which estimates the AVR. This proposed system basically classify the vessels into arteries and veins which is the main part of the AVR measurements. Higher accuracy in vessels classification is observed by using the SVM as classifier. Accurate classification leads to the best grading of different stages of hypertensive retinopathy in fundus images. Three dataset of fundus images are tested by this algorithm which are INSPIRE-AVR, VICAVR and a local dataset. Results obtained after testing are compared with other techniques and shows the improvements.
Prevalence of Anemia Among Children Under 5 Years of Age – Uganda, 2009

Abstract Abstract 4262 Anemia in children under 5 years of age, defined by the World Health Organization as a hemoglobin (hb) level The 2009 Uganda Malaria Indicator Survey (UMIS) is a nationally representative household survey which collects demographic data and measurements of hemoglobin and testing for malaria in addition to coverage estimates of malaria prevention and control activities. Hemoglobin measurements were collected via the HemoCue®, a point of use test. Malaria was detected both by peripheral blood smear and via the rapid diagnostic test, Paracheck-Pf®, which detects the presence of histidine rich protein 2 (HRP2). For this analysis, we utilized the results of the rapid diagnostic test, which is characterized by high sensitivity but lower specificity as the tests detect HRP2 which persists in the bloodstream after clearance of the parasite. The UMIS collected data on household assets. Using principal component analysis, a wealth index was created and households were stratified into wealth quintiles. We analyzed data on hemoglobin levels (adjusted for altitude) among children under 5 years. We assessed various risk factors and performed both univariate and bivariate analyses. Those variable which were significantly associated with anemia (p The UMIS utilized a two-stage sample design; 4,421 households were randomly selected (response rate 97.5%) from 170 clusters. Half (51%) of the sampled children were female and over 80% were between 12 and 59 months. Of the 4,065 children under 5 in the sample, hemoglobin measurements were obtained on 3,878 children (95%). Of these, 61% of children While the prevalence of anemia has decreased in Uganda since the most recent national household survey in 2006, the burden of anemia remains unacceptably high. In this analysis, the detection of malaria via Paracheck-Pf® was significantly associated with anemia. Clearly, malaria prevention and effective treatment measures have expanded and as such have reduced the prevalence of malaria during this interim. While these control efforts are likely responsible for the observed downward trend in anemia prevalence, such public health endeavors are unlikely to be sufficient to reduce the burden of anemia. Although the UMIS did not collect data on nutritional deficiencies, previous studies have documented the high percentage of anemia attributed to iron deficiency globally. Therefore, prevention of anemia via iron supplementation and antihelmintics, in conjunction with malaria prevention and treatment strategies, will likely be necessary to halt the global toll of anemia. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Intrathecal Morphine in Spine Surgery: A Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

STUDY DESIGN Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of intrathecal morphine (ITM) in reducing postoperative pain and opioid analgesic consumption following spine surgery. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA The use of ITM following adult spine surgery is of particular interest because of the ease of access to the thecal sac and the potential to provide adequate analgesia at low doses. However, previous studies of ITM have been limited by small sample sizes and conflicting results. METHODS A comprehensive search of PubMed, Web of Science, Clinicaltrials.gov, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials for prospective RCTs was performed by two independent reviewers. Postoperative opioid consumption, pain scores, and complications were documented from the identified studies. Standard mean differences (SMDs) were applied to continuous outcomes and odds ratios were determined for dichotomous outcomes. RESULTS Eight RCTs involving 393 subjects met inclusion criteria and were included in this meta-analysis. Patients receiving ITM (ITM group) as an adjunct to postoperative opioid analgesic were compared to patients receiving postoperative opioids only (control group). Postoperative morphine equivalent consumption was significantly lower during the first 24 hours postoperative in the ITM group (P < 0.001). Pain scores were similarly lower in the first 24 hours following spine surgery in those who received ITM (P < 0.001). In patients administered ITM, a greater percentage experienced pruritus (P < 0.001). Respiratory depression was solely encountered in the ITM group (P = 0.25). There were no significant differences between the ITM and control groups in terms of sedation (P = 0.18), nausea (P = 0.67), vomiting (P = 0.62), or length of stay (P = 0.13). CONCLUSION In patients undergoing spine surgery, use of ITM significantly reduced opioid analgesic consumption and Visual Analogue Schores pain scores compared to controls within the first 24 hours postoperatively. High-quality, follow-up RCTs with large sample sizes are recommended to determine the potential of supplementary ITM in spine surgery and complete the side effects profile. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 1.
The Relation between Excess Audit Fees and Credit Ratings

Credit rating agencies and auditors are complementary certification agents subject to a conflict of interest inherent in their compensation structure. We examine client firm credit ratings to test alternative hypotheses of abnormal audit fees. We predict and find both cross-sectional and time series variation in our results. Excess audit fees are associated with less favorable credit ratings, but only among speculative grade issuers. Among firms certified investment grade, we find evidence of economic bonding: excess fees are associated with more favorable ratings. As predicted by economic theory, economic bonding effects obtain during economic expansions when the probability of consequence is low. During economic contractions – when audit failure and ratings inflation are more likely consequential – certification agents protect their reputation value. Overall, our results suggest that excess compensation paid to one certifying agent might be useful to learn about the actions of the other.
A Comparative Evaluation of Numerical Models for Cryocooler Regenerators

Various models for predicting the flow and heat transfer in a porous cryocooler regenerator have been proposed in the literature. One such model utilizes a semi-implicit set of equations after making some simplifying assumptions, resulting in a momentum equation that is decoupled from the energy and continuity equations. This work addresses concerns with a semi-implicit model based on scale analysis. An important result is that the pressure gradient term in the energy equation, which has been neglected in the semi-implicit model, is leading order.