cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On the Supersymmetry Group of the Classical Bose-Fermi Oscillator

Supermechanics is the classical counterpart of Quantum Field Theories involving Bose and Fermi fields. The most prominent use of supermechanics from a mathematical perspective is the role of the classical free particle Lagrangian in the supersymmetric proofs of various index theorems. There has also been some interest in making the geometric description of supermechanics mathematically rigorous, both from a Lagrangian and Hamiltonian point of view11–13. In this note, we are concerned with the classical one-dimensional supersymmetric harmonic oscillator, or Bose-Fermi oscillator. By “classical”, we mean that we treat it as a supermechanical system, defined on a supersymplectic flat manifold. It is a simple but nontrivial example of a system with supersymmetries, that is, symmetries that mix the fermionic and the bosonic degrees of freedom. It first appeared as one example of a supersymmetric quantum mechanical system in Witten’s ground-breaking 1981 paper and was further investigated in the 1980’s and 1990’s. The infinitesimal supersymmetry transformations of the harmonic oscillator were initially introduced in an ad hoc way. It was later realized that the stabilizer algebra of the dynamics is the orthosymplectic superalgebra osp(2|2). In this note, we use the concept of a momentum map to investigate the supersymmetries of the harmonic oscillator. We show how the ad hoc supersymmetry transformations can be derived in a systematic way. Namely, we construct a Lie superalgebra bf(2|2) whose odd part consists of these transformations and show that bf(2|2) is the intersection of osp(2|2) and the Lie superalgebra of linear supersymplectic transformations. Alternatively, bf(2|2) is the Lie superalgebra of the largest connected subgroup of OSp(2|2) that admits a momentum map. This is essentially parallel to the ungraded case, since the group of canonical transformations admits a momentum map in any dimension. The paper is organized as follows: In the sections II and III, we review some facts about the theory of supermanifolds, in particular super Lie groups and the super version of Lie’s first theorem. In section IV, we give a short description of the Bose-Fermi oscillator and write down a class of supersymmetries, taken from DeWitt’s book. We construct the supersymmetry Lie algebra of these supersymmetries and name it bf(2|2). The corresponding group is BF (2|2). We then give a general definition of the concept of a momentum map in supermechanics, and show that it is preserved under the flow of Hamiltonians that are invariant under the group action. This is a generalization of the variant of Noether’s theorem in ungraded classical Hamiltonian mechanics. In the last section, we show that BF (2|2) has the properties stated above. We also verify that the momentum map is equivariant and read off the conserved quantities.
Directly Deposited Binder-Free Sulfur Electrode Enabled by Air-Controlled Electrospray Process

Lithium–sulfur batteries are one of the most promising energy storage technologies to replace commercial Li-ion batteries due to 5-fold higher theoretical energy density, and lower cost. However, due to certain limitations, the technology is not ready to be deployed. To overcome some of these, scientists have been extensively employing graphene oxide (GO) or graphene material to improve the electrochemical performance. In this work, we present a unique, novel, and facile method to deposit the active materials onto an aluminum current collector by utilizing the van der Waals interaction between graphene oxide and aluminum via an air-controlled electrospray (ACES) process. The role of conventional polymer binder was replaced by graphene, resulting in a binder-free substrate. We demonstrated that the elimination of conventional polymer binder and graphene layers assembled via the ACES method resulted in higher capacity and retention, and offer almost 4 times higher capacity at 2C than the conventional slurry...
Cardiopulmonary Interactions in Adults with Congenital Heart Disease

The population of adults with congenital heart disease (CHD) has increased dramatically over the past few decades, with the number of adults with CHD now surpassing the pediatric population. Adult CHD (ACHD) encompasses a broad range of presentations, with some patients diagnosed for the first time in adulthood. The majority of patients however have undergone a palliative repair during childhood and now are dealing with sequela and/or residual disease years to decades later. All of which may be compounded by acquired cardiovascular disease. In this review, we describe the physiologic underpinnings of the interaction between the respiratory and cardiovascular systems and their clinical impact in ACHD. We will review the physiologic underpinnings of cardiopulmonary interactions and the effects of respiration on cardiovascular function, the impact of respiration on cardiovascular function in adult patients with congenital and acquired heart disease, the effects of respiratory disease on cardiovascular function, and the impact of cardiovascular disease on respiratory function.
Ann Arbor Score Predicts Thrombotic Microangiopathy but Not Graft-Versus-Host Disease in Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplant Recipients

Background The Mount Sinai Acute GVHD International Consortium (MAGIC) algorithm uses two biomarkers, ST2 and REG3α, measured on day 7 following allogenic stem cell transplant to predict aGVHD and 6-month NRM. This algorithm defines two risk groups denoted Ann Arbor high risk and low risk. The MAGIC algorithm has not been independently validated in the pediatric allogeneic stem cell transplant population. Transplant associated thrombotic microangiopathy (TA-TMA) is also associated with elevated ST2 levels and previous studies have shown TA-TMA is associated with steroid-resistant aGVHD. Incidence of TA-TMA was not evaluated in the previous adult studies using the 2-biomarker algorithm. Methods Biorepository blood samples were collected from 106 consecutive pediatric patients on day 7 following allogenic stem cell transplant between April 2014 and June 2017. ST2 and REG3α were measured via ELISA. The previously described 2-biomarker algorithm was performed on each patient to determine high-risk versus low-risk score for each patient. Outcomes examined included 6-month NRM, aGVHD and TA-TMA. Results Of the 106 patients, 18 patients were categorized as high risk and 88 low risk based on the 2-biomarker algorithm. Six-month NRM occurred in 5/18 high risk patients and 4/88 low risk patients (Fig. 1A). TA-TMA occurred in 7/18 high risk patients and 13/88 low risk patients (Fig. 1B). The 2-biomarker algorithm was not predictive of aGVHD with 5/18 high risk patients and 32/88 low risk patients having aGVHD (Fig 1C). There was no difference in mean REG3α levels in our patients with and without TA-TMA, aGVHD and 6-month NRM (Table 1). Interpretation The MAGIC algorithm does not predict aGVHD in our pediatric population, but rather TA-TMA and 6-month NRM. The algorithm is driven by ST2 levels as there was no significant difference in REG3α levels by outcome. Pediatric specific biomarker algorithms for prediction of aGVHD will need further delineated through future research. One potential explanation for this difference from adult studies is important differences in the population studied. Our population includes a high number of children with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis leading to pre-existing endothelial injury.
Ohmic compensation in desert soil using a galvanostatic DC bridge

A modified wheatstone bridge circuit has been used with success to compensate ohmic interferences in soil and other high resistivity corrosive solutions during galvanostatic (current controlled) dc measurements. Previous applications of the circuit have been reviewed and details of operation described. The most current use in our laboratories has been a study of corrosion in desert soils at the Nevada Nuclear Test Site (NNTS). A profile of desert soils samples with depth was obtained for electrochemical testing of lead and steel, which are construction materials for low level nuclear waste containers at NNTS. The soils were of naturally high resistivity, requiring compensation of ohmic interferences during electrochemical polarization measurements for corrosion rate (polarization resistance) determinations and cathodic protection requirements. Results are described briefly on effects of sulfate, chloride and carbonate, all of which can be derived from variations of soil composition with depth. Effects of added moisture content on all soil samples are also discussed.
Ideological Primary Competition and Congressional Behavior

Primary challenges on an incumbent’s more extreme flank have become increasingly common in congressional elections. We explore the consequences on the legislative behavior of successful incumbents ...
Identification of the Source(s) of Misinformation Propagation Utilizing Identifying Codes

With billions of users, social networks have become the go to platform for information diffusion for news media outlets. Lately, certain entities (users and/or organizations) have been active in generating misinformation in order to attract users to their respective websites, to generate online advertisement revenues, to increase followers, to create political instability, etc. With the increasing presence of misinformation on social networks, it is becoming increasingly difficult to not only distinguish between information and misinformation, but also, to identify the source(s) of misinformation propagation. This effort reviews my doctoral research on identifying the source(s) of misinformation propagation. Particularly, I utilize the mathematical concept of Identifying Codes to uniquely identify users who become active in propagating misinformation. In this paper, I formally present the computation of the Minimum Identifying Code Set (MICS) as a novel variation of the traditional Graph Coloring problem. Furthermore, I present an Integer Linear Program for the computation of the MICS. I apply the technique on various anonymous Facebook network datasets and show the effectiveness of the approach.
Arranging the Chairs in the Beloved Community: The Politics, Problems, and Prospects of Multi-Racial Congregations in 1 Corinthians and Today:

If racism is America’s original sin, it is also one of America’s most pressing contemporary problems. Indeed, Edwards’ recent research suggests that even intentionally multi-racial congregations of...
Prevalence of unmet palliative care needs in adults with cystic fibrosis.

Abstract Background Physical and emotional burdens impair quality of life (QoL) in many adults with cystic fibrosis (CF). Palliative care (PC) improves QoL in other serious illnesses, yet the full array of palliative needs amenable to PC are unknown in CF. Methods We surveyed 164 adults with CF using the Supportive Care Needs Survey 34 (SCNS-34) to assess unmet PC needs across five domains, the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS) to assess symptom burden, and the Cystic Fibrosis Questionnaire—Revised (CFQ-R) to assess CF-specific QoL. We assessed associations between SCNS-34 domain scores and respondent characteristics, including symptom burden and FEV1. Results Median age was 29 years; 56% of respondents were male. Median FEV1 was 57% predicted. 78% of respondents reported ≥1 unmet PC need; physical and daily living (72%) and psychological (66%) needs were most prevalent. Symptom burden was correlated with all SCNS-34 domains scores, and strongly correlated with the physical (r = 0.79) and psychological (r = 0.72) domain scores. FEV1 was moderately inversely correlated with the physical domain score (r = −0.41). Forty-four of the 45 inverse correlations between SCNS-34 domain scores and CFQ-R domain scores were significant. Patient-reported depressive and anxiety symptoms were significantly associated with higher scores in five and four SCNS-34 domains, respectively. Conclusions Adults with CF have substantial unmet PC needs. Patient-reported symptom burden is more strongly associated with reporting unmet PC needs than FEV1. Routine screening of unmet PC needs, using tools such as the SCNS-34, may enable CF care teams to optimize the provision of primary and specialist PC.
Using 3D body scanning to measure compression variations in a seamless knitted sports bra

During physical exercise, compression inside sports bras changes depending on material properties, leading to insufficient breast support. The purpose of this study was to explore how 3D body scann...
Efficacy of health education on treatment of children with atopic dermatitis: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Atopic dermatitis (AD) seriously affects the quality of life of children and their families. This meta-analysis aimed to comprehensively analyze health education on the treatment of children with AD and the quality of life of the patient’s family. A comprehensive search of reference lists in PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Wanfang, CNKI, and VIP databases from inception until April 2018 was performed. The weighted mean difference (WMD) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated. A total of eight randomized controlled trials studies were included in the analysis. The heterogeneity among enrolled studies was statistically significant, and the random effects model was used. The meta-analysis showed that the health education group had significantly lower SCORing Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD) (WMD = 7.57 [95% CI 2.77, 12.36], P = 0.002 at 3 months; WMD = 6.88 [95% CI 2.68, 11.08], P = 0.001 at 6 months; WMD = 8.67 [95% CI 3.67, 13.67], P = 0.0007 at 12 months), objective SCORAD (WMD = 7.60 [95% CI 1.37, 13.83], P = 0.02 at 6 months; WMD = 5.15 [95% CI 1.89, 8.41], P = 0.002 at 12 months), and Infants’ Dermatology Quality of Life Index (WMD = 0.96 [95% CI 0.06, 1.86], P = 0.04 at 3 months, and WMD = 1.50 [95% CI 0.33, 2.67] at 6 months, P = 0.01) scores compared with the non-health education group. Health education could improve the treatment of children with AD and promote disease control.
Extracellular Glutathione Peroxidase GPx3 and Its Role in Cancer

Mammalian cells possess a multifaceted antioxidant enzyme system, which includes superoxide dismutases, catalase, the peroxiredoxin/thioredoxin and the glutathione peroxidase systems. The dichotomous role of reactive oxygen species and antioxidant enzymes in tumorigenesis and cancer progression complicates the use of small molecule antioxidants, pro-oxidants, and targeting of antioxidant enzymes as therapeutic approaches for cancer treatment. It also highlights the need for additional studies to investigate the role and regulation of these antioxidant enzymes in cancer. The focus of this review is on glutathione peroxidase 3 (GPx3), a selenoprotein, and the only extracellular GPx of a family of oxidoreductases that catalyze the detoxification of hydro- and soluble lipid hydroperoxides by reduced glutathione. In addition to summarizing the biochemical function, regulation, and disease associations of GPx3, we specifically discuss the role and regulation of systemic and tumor cell expressed GPx3 in cancer. From this it is evident that GPx3 has a dichotomous role in different tumor types, acting as both a tumor suppressor and pro-survival protein. Further studies are needed to examine how loss or gain of GPx3 specifically affects oxidant scavenging and redox signaling in the extracellular tumor microenvironment, and how GPx3 might be targeted for therapeutic intervention.
Impact of 12 step mutual help groups on drug use disorder patients across six clinical trials

Abstract Background 12 step mutual help groups are widely accessed by people with drug use disorder but infrequently subjected to rigorous evaluation. Pooling randomized trials containing a condition in which mutual help group attendance is actively facilitated presents an opportunity to assess the effectiveness of 12 step groups in large, diverse samples of drug use disorder patients. Methods Data from six federally-funded randomized trials were pooled (n = 1730) and subjected to two-stage instrumental variables modelling, and, fixed and random effects regression models. All trials included a 12 step group facilitation condition and employed the Addiction Severity Index as a core measure. Results The ability of 12 step facilitation to increase mutual help group participation among drug use disorder patients was minimal, limiting ability to employ two-stage instrumental variable models that correct for selection bias. However, traditional fixed and random effect regression models found that greater 12 step mutual help group attendance by drug use disorder patients predicted reduced use of and problems with illicit drugs and also with alcohol. Conclusion Facilitating significant and lasting involvement in 12 step groups may be more challenging for drug use disorder patients than for alcohol use disorder patients, which has important implications for clinical work and for effectiveness evaluations. Though selection bias could explain part of the results of traditional regression models, the finding that participation in 12 step mutual help groups predicts lower illicit drug and alcohol use and problems in a large, diverse, sample of drug use disorder patients is encouraging.
An efficient inducible RPE-Selective cre transgenic mouse line

Abstract Cre-mediated modulation of gene function in the murine retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) has been widely used, but current postnatal RPE-selective Cre driver lines suffer from limited recombination efficiency and/or ectopic or mosaic expression. We sought to generate a transgenic mouse line with consistently efficient RPE-selective Cre activity that could be temporally regulated. We used ϕC31 integrase to insert a DNA construct encoding a human BEST1 promoter fragment driving a Cre recombinase estrogen receptor fusion (BEST1-CreERT2) at the Rosa26 locus of C57BL/6J mice. Rosa26BEST1-CreERT2 mice were bred with a tdTomato reporter line and to mice with a Cre-conditional allele of Tfam. 4-hydroxytamoxifen or vehicle was delivered by four consecutive daily intraperitoneal injections. TdTomato was robustly expressed in the RPE of mice of both sexes for inductions beginning at P14 (males 90.7 ± 4.5%, females 84.7 ± 3.2%) and at 7 weeks (males 84.3 ± 7.0%, females 82 ± 3.6%).
Behavior Adaptation for Robot-assisted Neurorehabilitation

11% of adults report experiencing cognitive decline which can impact memory, behavior, and physical abilities. Robots have great potential to support people with cognitive impairments, their caregivers, and clinicians by facilitating treatments such as cognitive neurorehabilitation. Personalizing these treatments to individual preferences and goals is critical to improving engagement and adherence, which helps improve treatment efficacy. In our work, we explore the efficacy of robot-assisted neurorehabilitation and aim to enable robots to adapt their behavior to people with cognitive impairments, a unique population whose preferences and abilities may change dramatically during treatment. Our work aims to enable more engaging and personalized interactions between people and robots, which can profoundly impact robot-assisted treatment, how people receive care, and improve their everyday lives.
HIV infections and nightlight luminosity

Abstract HIV epidemics in developing countries are difficult to measure because the symptoms of HIV infections are non-specific and diagnosis relies on laboratory tests. We find that the nightlight data used in Henderson et al. (2012), originally compiled for estimating GDP growth rates in developing countries, can predict HIV incidence across countries. With economic performance, urbanization, and population density held the same, there remains a significant and robust negative association between nightlight and HIV incidence. In contrast, nightlight shows no association with other common health problems in developing countries. We posit that nightlight reflects the availability of basic public goods that prevent diseases with low infectiousness. We also construct nightlight-augmented HIV incidence for 68 countries with the poorest data quality.
Rhizosphere Microbial Characterization in Petroleum-Contaminated Soil

Contamination of soil with petroleum compounds is of concern worldwide. Although there are a variety of physical and chemical technologies available to remediate petroleum waste sites, biological methods are often used due to lower cost and public acceptance. Growth and enhanced activity of microbial communities in contaminated soil is a key factor for the success of bioremediation. Establishing vegetation in petroleum-contaminated soil may enhance microbial activity and remediation success even further by providing root exudates to the rhizosphere microorganisms. In this study, microorganisms were characterized in petroleum-contaminated soils and sediments quantitatively and qualitatively based on enumeration and metabolic diversity assessments. Contaminated soils and sediments were obtained from a phytoremediation field demonstration project in California. Microbial numbers in the unvegetated soil, based on plate counts and most probable number of hydrocarbon degraders, were significantly lower than the...
First assembly times and equilibration in stochastic coagulation-fragmentation

We develop a fully stochastic theory for coagulation and fragmentation (CF) in a finite system with a maximum cluster size constraint. The process is modeled using a high-dimensional master equation for the probabilities of cluster configurations. For certain realizations of total mass and maximum cluster sizes, we find exact analytical results for the expected equilibrium cluster distributions. If coagulation is fast relative to fragmentation and if the total system mass is indivisible by the mass of the largest allowed cluster, we find a mean cluster-size distribution that is strikingly broader than that predicted by the corresponding mass-action equations. Combinations of total mass and maximum cluster size under which equilibration is accelerated, eluding late-stage coarsening, are also delineated. Finally, we compute the mean time it takes particles to first assemble into a maximum-sized cluster. Through careful state-space enumeration, the scaling of mean assembly times is derived for all combinations of total mass and maximum cluster size. We find that CF accelerates assembly relative to monomer kinetic only in special cases. All of our results hold in the infinite system limit and can be only derived from a high-dimensional discrete stochastic model, highlighting how classical mass-action models of self-assembly can fail.
Porous silicon vapor sensor based on polarization interferometry

We present a new signal transduction mechanism based on the optical form birefringence property of porous silicon, and demonstrate its application to vapor sensing. We demonstrate that polarization interferometry based on the optical anisotropy or form birefringence of porous silicon can be used as a new signal transduction mechanism and illustrates its potential for various chemical and biological sensing applications.
Optimal observer trajectories for bearings only tracking by minimizing the trace of the Cramer-Rao lower bound

This paper compares two performance indices for computing optimal observer paths for the bearings-only source localization and tracking problem, for constant velocity sources. Previous work on this problem is based on maximizing the determinant of the Fisher information matrix (FIM) of the estimation problem. This paper considers minimizing the trace of a weighted sum of the Cramer-Rao lower bound (CRLB) of current or future source position errors, and source velocity errors. Quasi-Newton optimization is used to compare optimal observer paths, given three distinct goals: minimizing current position error, velocity error, and future position error. Significant differences in optimal paths are observed, and the CRLB trace is found to yield smaller estimation ambiguity. >
Asparagine deamidation reduces DNA-binding affinity of the Drosophila melanogaster Scr homeodomain

Spontaneous deamidation of asparagine is a non-enzymatic post-translational modification of proteins. Residue Asn 321 is the main site of deamidation of the Drosophila melanogaster Hox transcription factor Sex Combs Reduced (Scr). Formation of iso-aspartate, the major deamidation product, is detected by HNCACB triple-resonance NMR spectroscopy. The rate of deamidation is quantified by fitting the decay of Asn NH2 side-chain signals in a time-series of (15)N-(1)H HSQC NMR spectra. The deamidated form of Scr binds to specific DNA target sequences with reduced affinity as determined by an electrophoretic mobility shift assay.
History of bipolar coagulation

Bipolar coagulation heralded an age of improved hemostasis for microneurosurgery. This, coupled with an improved understanding of microsurgical anatomy, has allowed access to areas of the brain once considered inaccessible. In this review, we trace the history of bipolar coagulation.
Responsiveness to olfactory stimuli presented in sleep.

Whether humans react to olfactory stimuli presented in sleep was assessed. Responses of ten participants (mean age = 22.8 years) were recorded to repeated three-minute periods of either air alone or to a peppermint odor (0.26 mg/liter) during stage 2 sleep. These responses included behavioral (awakening, microswitch closure), autonomic (heart rate, EMG, respiration), and central (EEG) components. An odor delivery system is described comprised of an aquarium pump, Teflon and TYGON tubing, oxygen mask, filtering, and air flow valves. The data indicate that humans react behaviorally, autonomically and centrally to olfactory stimuli presented while sleeping. Although the percentage of overall responsivity to olfactory stimuli was low, significant differences (ANOVA) in responsivity to odor periods vs. nonodor periods were found for microswitch closures, EEG, EMG, and heart rate. For these measures eight or more of the ten participants showed this pattern of differential responsivity during odor and nonodor periods (Sign test = p<0.05). A time-of-night effect was also observed in that responsivity tended to be greatest early in the night. The effect on responsivity of other durations, concentrations, and odors requires additional research.
Effective properties for single size, rigid spherical inclusions in an elastic matrix

The main problem is that of determining the effective moduli for a compressible isotropic elastic medium containing single size, rigid, spherical inclusions at non-dilute concentrations. A solution is synthesized from available rigorous elasticity results that have been found under asymptotic conditions. Preliminary to obtaining this result for the compressible medium case, results are first found for the incompressible case over a range of rigid particle size distributions. All results extend from the dilute condition up through the full packing limit, which depends upon the size distribution.
Gender, a significant factor in the cross talk between genes, environment, and health.

Abstract Background: Although men and women share most genetic information, they have significantly different disease susceptibilities that go well beyond the expected gender-specific diseases. Sex influences the risk of nearly all common diseases that affect both men and women, including atherosclerosis and diabetes and their preceding risk factors (eg, hyperlipidemia, insulin resistance, and obesity). Objective: The goal of this article was to examine the interplay between genes, gender, and disease susceptibility, and assess it in the context of the added complexity of environmental factors (ie, dietary habits, smoking, alcohol consumption) in the modulation of the balance between health and disease. Methods: Original and review articles published by the author were reexamined for evidence of gene-gender interactions. Results: Evidence from some key factors in lipid metabolism (apolipoprotein E [APOE])and obesity (perilipin [PLIN]) indicates that the interplay between genes, gender, and environmental factors modulates disease susceptibility. In the Framingham Heart Study, complex interactions have been shown between a promoter polymorphism at the apolipoprotein A1 gene, gender, and dietary poly-unsaturated fatty acid intake that modulate plasma concentrations of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Likewise, highly and clinically relevant interactions have been observed between the APOE gene common alleles APOE2 , APOE3, and APOE4 , gender, and smoking that determine cardiovascular disease risk. Most interesting is the gender-dependent association between common polymorphisms at the PLIN locus and obesity risk that has been replicated in several populations around the world. Conclusions: These data support the idea that gender-specific differences in morbidity and mortality may be mediated in part by genetic factors and by their differential response to the environment. The new knowledge generated by a more careful and complete elucidation of the complex interactions predisposing to common diseases will result in an increased ability to provide successful personalized behavioral recommendations to prevent chronic disorders.
New horizons in quantum electronics

In the broad sense the term ``quantum electronics'' relates to the motion of electrons as governed by quantum mechanical laws, but used more specifically it refers to electronic processes involving transitions between discrete energy levels. The latter category includes the laser, and it is to this development, which is responsible for most of the new horizons in the field, that this article is primarily devoted. Two specific examples are described: a tunable light oscillator and an intense-light-pulse generator. It is pointed out that, despite their promise, the ultimate impact of the laser devices on industrial technology cannot be predicted.
Children's contemporary realistic fiction portraying dyslexic characters: An examination of the issues confronted and the gender of the characters

Abstract Seventy‐seven contemporary realistic fiction children's books portraying a dyslexic character were published in the United States between 1993 and 2003. This study examined the texts to determine what types of issues the reading difficulty posed for the character. Texts were analyzed to determine if there was a relationship between the gender of the character and the types of issues presented.
Jahn-Teller vibranic structure of the R′ center in LiF

Abstract The resolved vibronic spectra associated with the 8328 A zero-phonon transition (A ↔ E) of the R center in LiF exhibit several features characteristic of a dynamic Jahn-Teller effect in the excited state.
A longitudinal study of hymenal development from 3 to 9 years of age

Abstract Purpose: To document hymenal characteristics associated with normal development in girls between 3 and 9 years of age. Study design: The hymens of 93 children without a history of sexual abuse were examined and photographed at 3 and 5 years of age; 80 children were reexamined at 7 and 61 at 9 years of age. Hymenal features recorded included periurethral and vestibular bands, notches, transections, longitudinal intravaginal ridges, external ridges, mounds, and tags. Transhymenal diameters were measured as well as the tissue at 3, 6, and 9 o'clock positions. Changes in hymenal measurements over time were analyzed using the general estimating equation approach to repeated measures. Results: Crescentic configuration became more common as the children aged (P
Mucosal dysplasia in ileal pelvic pouches after restorative proctocolectomy.

Inflammation, villous atrophy, colonic metaplasia, and dysplasia have been observed within the mucosa of ileal pelvic pouches after restorative proctocolectomy. This study was designed to determine the prevalence of mucosal dysplasia in ileal pouch and any associated risk factors. Prospectively registered patients having restorative proctocolectomy were recruited. A cross-sectional study was performed using a questionnaire focusing on disease history, functional results, and pouchitis after surgery. Participants underwent screening endoscopic pouch examination using sigmoidoscopy. Mucosal biopsies were taken from six specific locations in the pouch from proximal ileal-pouch (inflow) to ileoanal anastomosis. All biopsies were performed under strict surveillance protocol regardless of patients’ symptoms. Biopsies were interpreted by two pathologists unaware of each other’s report. A total of 138 patients completed the protocol. Colectomy specimens from restorative proctocolectomy showed chronic ulcerative colitis in 118 (85.6 percent), familial adenomatous polyposis in 10 (7.2 percent), Crohn’s colitis in 2 (1.4 percent), and indeterminate colitis in 8 (5.8 percent) patients. Twenty-two patients (18.3 percent) had dysplasia and eight (6.7 percent) had invasive cancer found in colectomy specimens after restorative proctocolectomy. Median interval between proctocolectomy and pouch biopsy was 5.4 years. Inflammatory changes were present in a majority of specimens, but these did not correlate with clinical history of pouchitis. No villous atrophy was identified. Pouch biopsies from only one patient were indefinite for dysplasia. Subsequent biopsies were negative. Clinical and microscopic evidence of ileal-pouch inflammation is common. Ileal-pouch mucosal dysplasia is uncommon, occurring in only 1 of 138 patients. Villous atrophy and colonic metaplasia were not observed in this series. Routine pouch surveillance with biopsies may not be warranted.
Examining hookah smoking among a cohort of adolescent ever smokers.

Introduction: Evidence suggests that hookah smoking is growing among adolescents, particularly among those with a history of cigarette smoking, and is an emerging public health concern. We examined hookah use and its correlates among a sample of adolescents who have ever smoked and may be considered high risk for hookah use. Methods: We examined differences between hookah users and nonusers among a cohort of 951 adolescents (75.3% of the baseline sample, mean age 17.6 years at 24 months), consisting exclusively of youth who reported ever smoking cigarettes who were participating in a longitudinal study of adolescent smoking predictors and patterns. Ever and 30-day hookah use were assessed at 24 months. Results: Of the 951 participants, 58.5% reported ever use and 30.2% reported smoking hookah at least 1 day in the past 30 days. Multivariate logistic regression analyses found that 30-day hookah use was associated with sex (p < .05); race (p < .001); current cigarette (p < .0001), cigar (p < .01), kretek (p < .05), and alcohol use (p < .01); and attending a hookah bar, lounge, or restaurant (p < .001). Participants who were male, White, and were concurrent users of multiple tobacco products and other substances had increased odds of 30-day hookah use. Conclusions: Prevalence of hookah use is high among youth who have already tried cigarette smoking and is associated with a variety of tobacco and other substance use behaviors. Evidence-based programs may be needed to prevent initiation of or reduce Hookah smoking, as well as address cooccurring problem behaviors, to lessen the health risks associated with use among adolescents.
The effects in rabbits of thyroidectomy and treatment with triiodothyronine on the sensitivity to noradrenaline and the content of noradrenaline in aorta and spleen.

The sensitivity of spiral strips of aorta and strips of isolated spleen to sympathomimetic amines and nicotine has been studied in the thyroidectomised rabbit and in rabbits treated with triiodothyronine. Aortic strips from hyperthyroid rabbits were less sensitive to noradrenaline and less able to contract than those from normal rabbits; they also usually failed to respond initially to nicotine or tyramine although the nicotine response could be restored by exposure of the tissues to noradrenaline. Strips from hypothyroid rabbits were slightly less sensitive to low doses of noradrenaline than the normal although their maximal responses to high doses was greater. The dose-response curves for noradrenaline of spleen capsules from hyperthyroid and hypothryoid rabbits were more shallow than the normal. While spleen capsules from both experimental groups responded to nicotine with tachyphylaxis, they failed to respond to tyramine. Exposure of the capsules to noradrenaline temporarily restored the nicotine response. The noradrenaline content of aorta and spleen from hyperthyroid and hypothyroid rabbits was determined and in each case was found to be reduced to about 50 per cent of normal. These observations indicate that not all sympathetically innervated tissues of the hyperthyroid rabbit develop an increased sensitivity to sympathomimetic amines. Changes in tissue noradrenaline levels during periods of altered thyroid activity do not explain the altered sensitivity of the aorta and spleen to noradrenaline.
The Use of Computers in Occupational Therapy at the Rehabilitation Unit, Odstock Hospital: A Review

This article describes the use of computers as a treatment tool in occupational therapy. The computers are based in light and heavy occupational therapy workshops in a regional rehabilitation unit. The advantages and disadvantages of the computers, used with patients between 16 and 65 years of age with a wide variety of conditions, are discussed.
Modeling TOC Breakthrough in Granular Activated Carbon Adsorbers

Linear regression techniques were used to develop practical models to predict total organic carbon (TOC) breakthrough in bituminous granular activated carbon (GAC) adsorbers. Models were developed for two field-scale GAC sizes ( 8×30 and 12×40 mesh ) and two empty bed contact times (EBCTs) (10 and 20 min). Model input parameters include two water quality variables, influent TOC concentration ( TOC0 ) and pH, that impact performance. The dependent variables for the models were normalized breakthrough time, throughput in bed volumes, to six fractional ( TOC/ TOC0 =0.2 , 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, and 0.7) and three mass ( TOC=1.0 , 1.5, and 2.0 mg/L) effluent concentrations. Model development was performed using small-scale breakthrough data from 35 different source waters; external model validation was performed with small-scale breakthrough data from 14 source waters; a sensitivity analysis was performed to ensure that the models effectively capture expected breakthrough trend; and a scalability test was perform...
Effects of Synthetic Amphiphilic alpha-Helical Peptides on the Electrochemical and Structural Properties of Supported Hybrid Bilayers on Gold

Amphiphilic α-helices were formed from designed synthetic peptides comprising alanine, phenylalanine, and lysine residues. The insertion of the α-helical peptides into hybrid bilayers assembled on gold was studied by a variety of methods to assess the resulting structural characteristics, such as electrical resistance and molecular orientation. Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of dodecanethiol (DDT); octadecanethiol (ODT); and 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphothioethanol (DPPTE) were formed on gold substrates with and without incorporated peptide. Supported hybrid bilayers and multilayers of 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC) were formed on SAMs by the “paint-freeze” method of bilayer formation. Modeling of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy data using equivalent electrochemical circuits revealed that the addition of peptide decreased dramatically the resistive element of the bilayer films while maintaining the value of the capacitive element, indicating successful incorporation of ...
Variational data assimilation in the tropics using precipitation data part I: Column model

Abstract A global primitive equation model is used to examine the performance of four-dimensional variational data assimilation (4D-VAR) with moist processes and to assess the impact of assimilating precipitation data in the Tropics. Several types of discontinuity in the parameterization schemes of moist processes are removed. In the assimilation experiments, truth and observations are provided by the full-physics model, while the assimilation model and the corresponding adjoint model include moist processes, horizontal diffusion, and simplified surface friction only. An idealized observation network that is sparse in the Tropics and the Southern Hemisphere is used. It is demonstrated that the addition of a penalty term for suppressing gravity wave noise increases the efficiency of 4D-VAR with moist processes by avoiding locally large gradients in the cost function during the minimization process. It is found that 4D-VAR with moist processes included yields a much better analysis in the Tropics despite a ...
Optical precursors and Beer’s law violations; non-exponential propagation losses in water.

We develop a model for exponential decay of broadband pulses, and examine its implications for experiments on optical precursors. One of the signature features of Brillouin precursors is attenuation with a less rapid decay than that predicted by Beer’s Law. Depending on the pulse parameters and the model that is adopted for the dielectric properties of the medium, the limiting z-dependence of the loss has been described as z-1/2, z-1/3, exponential, or, in more detailed descriptions, some combination of the above. Experimental results in the search for precursors are examined in light of the different models, and a stringent test for sub-exponential decay is applied to data on propagation of 500 femtosecond pulses through 1–5 meters of water.
Effects of landscape‐scale forest change on the range contraction of ruffed grouse in New York State, USA

In New York State, USA, the abundance of ruffed grouse (Bonasa umbellus) has declined >75% since the 1960s. We hypothesized that range contraction of grouse in New York State was associated with broad-scale spatial patterns relating to forest maturation and that these patterns would be evident at the landscape scale. We evaluated data available from New York Breeding Bird Atlases conducted in the early 1980s and again in the early 2000s, which included surveys of >5,000, 25-km2 sample blocks across a landscape of 125,384 km2. We related detection and non-detection of grouse within Breeding Bird Atlas blocks to forest amount, landscape configuration, and presence of neighboring grouse populations via autologistic regression. Loss of early successional forest was inversely related to the continued persistence of grouse (R2 = 0.61). Models showed that ruffed grouse were no longer detected in marginal areas of their distribution, blocks with low amounts of forest, and blocks with landscape configurations potentially advantageous to nest predators. We conclude that declines in both habitat quality and quantity have contributed to range contraction within New York State and that the factors affecting grouse populations have acted at broader spatial scales than are typically considered in habitat evaluation. Our work demonstrates that large landscape-scale data sets are valuable in assessing changes in distribution and abundance of wildlife populations. Landscape analyses at large geographic scales (>100,000 km2) are of particular importance to managers because they represent ways of quantifying the influence of economic incentives and land-use policy on habitats across large regions. © The Wildlife Society, 2012
Validation of the Social Exercise and Anxiety Measure (SEAM): Assessing fears, avoidance, and importance of social exercise.

In two studies (N = 416; N = 118) examining responses from undergraduates, we developed the Social Exercise and Anxiety Measure (SEAM) and tested its factorial, convergent, and divergent validity. Our results demonstrate that the SEAM exhibits an excellent three factor structure consisting of the following subscales: Social Exercise Self-efficacy, Gym Avoidance, and Exercise Importance. In both studies, Social Exercise Self-efficacy correlated negatively, and Gym Avoidance correlated positively with social interaction anxiety, fear of scrutiny, and fear of negative evaluation. Exercise Importance correlated positively with frequency of exercise and frequency of public exercise. Implications for the mental and physical health of individuals with high levels of social anxiety are discussed.
A phenomenological model of coastal bermudagrass production

Abstract A phenomenological model was developed to describe yield distribution over the season and seasonal yield as related to irrigation, nitrogen level and harvest interval. A Gaussian environmental function and a quadratic intrinsic growth function were combined to form a differential equation for overall growth rate as a function of time. Integration produced an analytical function which described dry matter as a function of time between harvests and of yield at each harvest. The model contained four parameters which were evaluated for a field study. The model predicted a Gaussian yield distribution and linear dependence of seasonal yield on harvest interval, both in agreement with field data. Dependence of parameters on irrigation, nitrogen and harvest interval was discussed.
Planetary science: Mission to Earth's core — a modest proposal

Not science fiction, but a technically feasible plan to probe our planet's inner workings. Planetary missions have enhanced our understanding of the Solar System and how planets work, but no comparable exploratory effort has been directed towards the Earth’s interior, where equally fascinating scientific issues are waiting to be investigated. Here I propose a scheme for a mission to the Earth’s core, in which a small communication probe would be conveyed in a huge volume of liquid-iron alloy migrating down to the core along a crack that is propagating under the action of gravity. The grapefruit-sized probe would transmit its findings back to the surface using high-frequency seismic waves sensed by a ground-coupled wave detector. The probe should take about a week to reach the core, and the minimum mass of molten iron required would be 10^8–10^(10) kg — or roughly between an hour and a week of Earth’s total iron-foundry production.
When does selling make you wiser? Impact of licensing on Chinese firms’ patenting propensity

With the rising trend of open innovation, firms routinely engage in licensing out their technologies. However, little research has examined how licensing-out impacts a firm’s subsequent ability to innovate. We argue that firms develop superior intellectual property management capabilities as a function of their licensing-out activities. We further argue that firms that participate in technology market through both licensing-in as well as licensing-out develop superior licensing and knowledge assimilation capabilities, which help them improve their patenting performance. We test our hypotheses using a longitudinal survey data of Chinese firms and find broad support of our hypotheses. We further discuss the implications of our theory and managerial practice.
Which skin infections are transmitted between athletes

Myriad dermatoses can affect athletes. One of the most common cutaneous manifestations of athletic activity are skin infections caused by bacteria,1,2,3,4 viruses,1,2,4,5,6,7,8 and fungi.1,2,4,9,10,11 Many infections are contagious and may have serious ramifications for team practices and competitions. Knowledge of these infections facilitates implementation of rapid treatment and preventive measures to ensure the least disruption in daily team activities.