cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
VERBAL SELF‐REPORTS ABOUT MATCHING TO SAMPLE: EFFECTS OF THE NUMBER OF ELEMENTS IN A COMPOUND SAMPLE STIMULUS

Adults' self-reports about their choices in a delayed matching-to-sample task were studied as a function of the number of elements (one, two, or three) in a compound sample stimulus. Signal-detection analyses were used to examine control of self-reports by the number of sample elements, by the speed and accuracy of choices reported about, and by several events contingent on self-reports. On each matching-to-sample trial, a sample element appeared as one of two comparison stimuli. Choice of the matching element, if made within 500 ms of the onset of the comparison stimuli, produced points worth money or chances in a drawing for money, depending on the subject. After each choice, subjects pressed either a "yes" or "no" button to answer a computer-generated query about whether the choice met the point contingency. The number of sample elements in the matching-to-sample task varied across trials, and events contingent on self-reports varied across experimental conditions. In Experiment 1, the conditions were defined by different combinations of feedback messages and point consequences contingent on self-reports, but self-reports were systematically influenced only by the sample-stimulus manipulation. Self-report errors increased with the number of sample elements. False alarms (inaccurate reports of success) were far more common than misses (inaccurate reports of failure), and false alarms were especially likely after choices that were correct but too slow to meet the point contingency. Sensitivity (A') of self-reports decreases as the number of sample elements increased. In addition, self-reports were more sensitive to choice accuracy than to choice speed. All subjects showed a pronounced bias (B'H) for reporting successful responses, although the bias was reduced as the number of sample elements increased and successful choices became less frequent. Experiment 2 demonstrated that the failure of point contingencies to influence self-reports in the first experiment was not due to a general ineffectiveness of the point consequences. Rates of inaccurate self-reports decreased when they resulted in point losses and increased when they resulted in point gains.
Leveraging an electronic referral system to build a medical neighborhood.

Abstract Background: Electronic referral and consultation systems are gaining popularity, but their contribution to the patient centered medical home–neighborhood framework of coordinated care delivery is not clear. We examined how specialists leverage an electronic referral and consultation system to deliver specialty care, identified determinants of high-quality electronic specialist communication and measured the impact of feedback to specialists on communication quality. Methods: Referral patterns were identified for 19 specialties using eReferral in the San Francisco public health care delivery system. Primary care provider (PCP) ratings of the quality (helpfulness and educational value) of consultative communication were measured. Using logistic regression, we identified determinants of high-quality specialist communication during pre-consultative exchange or virtual co-management. Predictors included: specialty and reviewer type, referral volume, percent of referrals never scheduled and time spent by reviewers on eReferral. A pre–post analysis examined the impact of feedback on communication quality. Results: The percentage of referrals immediately scheduled (27.2–82.8%) and never scheduled (7.7–59.3%) varied by specialty, with medical reviewers (vs. surgical and women׳s health) and physician reviewers (vs. nurse practitioners) scheduling fewer referrals immediately ( p Conclusions: Specialists can use electronic referral and consultation systems to enhance specialty care delivery with consultative communication that is highly rated by PCPs. Implications: These data can inform the structure and functionality of future electronic consultation systems to maximize care coordination. Level of evidence: III.
Waves Initiative Within SEACOOS

This article describes the efforts and progress in the area of surface waves, detailing the development of the in situ measuring stations operating in the SEACOOS region. The development and operation of 2 cabled near-shore directional wave installations are described, with some results on near-shore wave climatology developed from those stations. This is followed by a description of a wave buoy observational activity that included an intercomparison of surface wave parameters measured by the buoy with those measured by an RD Instruments acoustic Doppler current profiler. Lastly, a large section of the article is dedicated to describing research and development activities designed to evaluate the use of HF Radar technology for wave measurements.
Toward reducing embolic complications from endocarditis.

Our understanding of infectious endocarditis (IE) has grown in conjunction with some of the major advances in the history of medicine [(1)][1]. One of the earliest reports of the disease comes from Lazere Riviere, who in 1646 reported on a patient who suffered from progressive shortness of breath
Gene-peptide relationships in the developing rat brain: the response of preproenkephalin rnRNA and [Met5]-enkephalin to acute opioid antagonist (naltrexone) exposure

Abstract [Met5]-enkephalin, encoded by the preproenkephalin (PPE) gene, serves as a growth factor during brain development in addition to its role as a neurotransmitter. This study examined the relationship of gene and peptide expression in the developing (postnatal day 6) rat brain by disrupting peptide-receptor interaction with either a brief (4–6 h) or continuous opioid receptor blockade using a single injection of 1 or 50 mg/kg naltrexone (NTX), respectively; such perturbations result in growth inhibition or acceleration, respectively. In the caudate putamen, an area that has completed neurogenesis by postnatal day 6 and has an abundance of PPE mRNA and enkephalins in adulthood, NTX did not influence PPE mRNA in either NTX group, or the enkephalin levels in the 1 mg/kg NTX group. [Met5]-enkephalin values in the neostriatum, however, were 67–183% greater than controls in rats given 50 mg/kg NTX, beginning 5 min after drug injection. In the cerebellum, PPE mRNA expression was depressed from 5 min to 4 h in the 1 mg/kg NTX group, and was normal thereafter; mRNA levels in the 50 mg/kg NTX group were markedly subnormal for 24 h. Enkephalin levels were significantly depressed within 5 min of drug injection and remained so for 4 h in the 1 mg/kg NTX group, but were elevated to approximately 135% of control values at 8, 16, and 24 h. Enkephalin levels were not changed in the cerebellum of the 50 mg/kg NTX group, or in the plasma of either NTX group. These data suggest that a single exposure to NTX can affect transcriptional and translational mechanisms related to PPE mRNA and opioid peptide expression in a rapid and sustained manner, and that this treatment elicits a specific pattern of alterations dependent upon the brain region sampled, drug dosage, and/or the duration of opioid receptor blockade. Additionally, our results indicate that the decreased DNA synthesis in external germinal cells occurring after opioid receptor blockade as recorded earlier may be related to an increase in the potent opioid growth factor, [Met5]-enkephalin.
Solid state thermal polymerization of the heterocyclic HC7N7 acid

The preparation of a new type of thermally stable (up to 385°C) heterocyclic polymer, containing a five-membered fused ring system, is described. The ultraviolet, visible, and infrared spectra indicate that this solid-state polymerization probably proceeds via formation of an azomethine-type intermolecular crosslink, rather than via opening of the C4N4 ring system. The reaction is facilitated by the presence of reactive protons, which act as an efficient catalyst for this nucleophilic addition to the nitrile group. It is suggested that this type of solid-state polymerization may possibly be carried out on a single HC7N7 crystal resulting in a fully ordered macroscopic polymer single crystal.
Corneal bee sting with retained stinger

Bee stings of the cornea are rarely reported, but have the potential for causing serious ophthalmologic injuries. We present a case of corneal bee sting with retained stinger apparatus and associated iritis and discuss the pathologic mechanisms of injury, evaluation, and treatment of these uncommon presentations.
Mantle zone lymphoma with central nervous system involvement

A 68-year-old man with a 7-year history of lymphocytosis and lymphadenopathy is described. Accelerated disease, indicated by bilateral optic nerve and cerebrospinal fluid involvement, prompted thorough histologic and immunologic assessment. Although initially believed to have chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), results showed mantle zone lymphoma (MZL) with central nervous system (CNS) involvement. The authors believe that this represents the first case of MZL with CNS involvement.
A perspective on man-machine communication by speech

A perspective is developed of the requirements for and the design of high-performance speech processing systems. These are viewed as complex systems composed of two hierarchies including a structural hierarchy of various sized units and an additional hierarchy of qualitatively distinct constraint domains. The nature of these constraints and their interaction is characterized, as well as the criteria for choice of units in the structural hierarchy. The unbounded set of surface phenomena that must be related to these units is shown to be represented by a range of patterns based on equivalence classes derived from the functional contrasts that must be maintained by the symbolic unit values. These abstract classes are related to surface correlates by complicated integrative processes, the nature of which has only recently been studied. Finally, the influence of computer science, which can be regarded as the study of complex systems, is described and the requirements for aggressive research facilities needed for further progress are developed.
Approach to large space structure control system design using traditional tools

This paper illustrates how traditional analysis and design tools can be successfully applied, with insights derived from recent research on control-structure interaction, to preliminary control system design for a large space structure such as the Space Station Freedom. The control system regulates attitude during construction, normal on-orbit operation, reboost, and docking using control-moment gyros and thrusters. The tools include finite-element modeling, model reduction based on modal truncation, single-input/single-output Bode plot design, position and rate feedback, roll-off and phase filter, and simulation. The resulting system is characterized by simple architecture and moderate bandwidth. The large configuration changes during the construction period are handled by gain scheduling.
Second-law-based optimization of heat exchanger networks using load curves

Abstract The problem of simultaneously optimizing heat exchangers for a number of hot and cold fluids is approached from the viewpoint of the second law of thermodynamics. If the total duty requirements are fixed, i.e. all inlet and outlet temperatures are established for the fluids, then the resulting entropy production rate is independent of the actual pairings of the fluids. Thus, optimization with respect to size becomes essentially a maximization of the temperature differences between the paired fluids for all of the fluids considered. Next it is shown that the same optimization can be obtained from the load curves where the temperature is plotted against the heat transfer for each of the fluids. If the film coefficient for any of the fluids is significantly different from the others, a simple shifting can be accomplished and a criterion is given to determine if such shifting improves the optimization. The method is extremely simple and can be performed most effectively on graph paper.
Non-Wiener Mean Weight Behavior of LMS Transversal Equalizers With Sinusoidal Interference

The least mean-square (LMS) algorithm is generally expected to operate near the corresponding Wiener filter solution. An important exception occurs when the algorithm is used to adapt a transversal equalizer in the presence of additive narrowband interference. For this application, the steady-state LMS equalizer behavior does not correspond to that of the fixed Wiener equalizer: the mean of its weights is different from the Wiener weights, and its mean-square error performance may be significantly better than the Wiener performance. Assuming a large interference-to-signal ratio (ISR), we present the solution for the mean of the LMS weight vector in steady state, based on the Butterweck expansion of the weight update equation. The analytical results are valid for all (mean-square stable) step-sizes. Simulation results are included to support the analytical results and show that the analytical results predict the simulation results accurately, over a wide range of ISR.
Optimum Pulse Shapes for Pulse-Amplitude Modulation Data Transmission Using Vestigial Sideband Modulation

When designing pulse-amplitude modulation (PAM) systems for use over bandpass channels having restricted bandwidth, one may be led to use single-sideband (SSB) or vestigial sideband (VSB) transmission in order to maximize transmission rate. Carefully shaped pulses must be used to minimize degradation due to intersymbol interference (isi). In this paper VSB pulses are derived that have no inherent isi, and in addition have maximum immunity in a mean-squared-error (MSE) sense to timing and carrier phase errors. The results here generalize on those of Franks who treated the SSB case. The optimum VSB pulses are shown to be identical to those of Franks at the band edges, and to have vestigial roll-off characteristics of a similar discontinuous nature. It is also shown that one may allocate available bandwidth to the vestigial roll-off band band and Nyquist roll-off band in any way desired. The final performance for the optimum pulse depends only on the total bandwidth used. These results are shown to apply as well to a system employing a matched filter. The case of random timing and phase errors is also considered, and optimum pulses are again found. Several mathematical properties of the optimal pulses are given physical justification and geometric insight through error ellipses, and optimal signal shapes are plotted for various cases of special interest.
Linking fish colonization rates and water level change in littoral habitats of a Venezuelan floodplain river

Change in water level during the annual hydrologic cycle of tropical floodplain rivers results in continuous disassembly and reassembly of faunal communities in littoral habitat patches. As such, the rate of water level change should influence colonization rates of vagile organisms among habitat patches. We experimentally tested this hypothesis in a Venezuela floodplain river using artificial rocky patches as sampling units, water level change as the independent variable, and total number of individual fish that colonized a patch as the response variable. Water level significantly affected the total number of individuals that colonized patch habitats, i.e., rapidly receding waters were associated with higher colonization rates. Results suggest that water-level recession directly affects community assembly by influencing the rate at which individuals abandon and colonize local habitat patches.
TURBULENT FLAME DYNAMICS OF HOMOGENEOUS SOLID PROPELLANT IN A ROCKET MOTOR

A comprehensive numerical analysis has been conducted to study the combustion of a double-base homogeneous propellant in a rocket motor. Emphasis was placed on the motor internal flow development and its influence on propellant combustion. The formulation is based on the Favre-averaged, filtered equations for the conservation laws and takes into account finite-rate chemical kinetics and variable thermophysical properties. Turbulence closure is obtained using the large-eddy-simulation technique. The contribution of large energy-carrying structures to mass, momentum, and energy transfer is computed explicitly, and the effect of small scales of turbulence is modeled. The governing equations and associated boundary conditions are solved using a time-accurate, semi-implicit Runge-Kutta scheme coupled with a fourth-order central difference algorithm for spatial discretization. The motor internal flowfield is basically determined by the balance between the inertia force and the pressure gradient arising from the mass injection at the propellant surface. The temporal evolution of the vorticity field shows a laminar upstream region, a transition zone in the midsection of the chamber, and a fully developed turbulent regime further downstream. The turbulent mixing proceeds at a rate faster than chemical reactions, and the flame stretch is strong enough to regard propellant combustion as a well-stirred reactor. The combustion wave in the laminar region exhibits a two-stage structure consisting of a primary flame, a dark zone, and a secondary luminous flame. The enhanced energy and mass transport in the turbulent region partially merges the primary and secondary flames, thereby raising the temperatures in the dark zone. In the present study, the smoother axial velocity gradient and vertical flow convection prevent turbulence from deeply penetrating into the primary flame zone. The turbulence energy spectra indicate dominant harmonics in a frequency range capable of triggering combustion instabilities.
Impact of Microphysics Scheme Complexity on the Propagation of Initial Perturbations

AbstractThe study of evolution characteristics of initial perturbations is an important subject in four-dimensional variational data assimilation (4DVAR) and mesoscale predictability research. This paper evaluates the impact of microphysical scheme complexity on the propagation of the perturbations in initial conditions for warm-season convections over the central United States. The Weather Research and Forecasting Model (WRF), in conjunction with four schemes of the Morrison microphysics parameterization with varying complexity, was used to simulate convective cases using grids nested to 5-km horizontal grid spacing. Results indicate that, on average, the four schemes show similar perturbation evolution in amplitude and spatial pattern during the first 2 h. After that, the simplified schemes introduce significant error in amplitude and spatial pattern. The simplest (liquid only) and most complex schemes show almost the same growth rate of initial perturbations with different amplitudes during 6-h forecas...
Ti diffusion in quartz inclusions: implications for metamorphic time scales

Quartz inclusions in garnet from samples collected from the staurolite zone in central New England are zoned in cathodoluminescence (CL). The CL intensity is interpreted to be a proxy for Ti concentration and the zoning attributed to Ti diffusion into the quartz grains driven by Ti exchange between quartz and enclosing garnet as a function of changing temperature. The CL zoning has been interpreted using a numerical diffusion model to constrain the time scales over which the diffusion has occurred. Temperature–time histories are sensitive to the presumed peak temperature but not to other model parameters. The total time of the metamorphic heating and cooling cycle from around 450 °C to the peak temperature (550–600 °C) back to 450 °C is surprisingly short and encompasses only 0.2–2 million years for peak temperatures of 600–550 °C. The metamorphism was accompanied by large-scale nappe and dome formation, and it is suggested that this occurred as a consequence of in-sequence thrusting resulting in a mid-crustal ductile duplex structure.
Boundary Condition for Rocket Motor Stability

Recent advances in the understanding of the behavior of acoustic admittance surfaces are applied to the description of the oscillating mass flux from a burning solid propellant. Whereas current mathematical formulations describing the response of a rocket motor cavity to periodic disturbances require a boundary condition describing the mass flux response of the combustion zone at a time-independent boundary, the true interface between the motor cavity and the combustion zone is an oscillating surface where acoustic energy is transmitted as p-v work. Using a surface-orient ed coordinate system, the boundary condition at the unsteady interface is transformed to the steady mathematical boundary for application to the motor stability analysis. The derived boundary condition includes two additional terms involving steady cross-flow coupling and steady flux acceleration that are not present in the usual admittance boundary condition. The growth coefficient for tubular grain motors predicted using this boundary condition differs from standard predictions and is dependent on the steady flow description.
Reliability-aware energy management for hybrid storage systems

Modern disk-based storage systems are not energy proportional, because disks consume almost as much power when idle (but spinning) as they do when actively accessing data. We combine a power-aware, solid-state (flash) cache and a reliability-aware disk spindown mechanism to significantly improve storage energy proportionality without hurting disk reliability, data integrity, or performance. We evaluated the resulting power- and reliability-aware hybrid flash-disk RAID storage array and found that it reduces energy consumption by 85% compared to a similar-cost, similar-performance typical configuration of all SAS drives that are never spun down. Our design also achieves almost 50% energy savings compared to hybrid flash-disk systems tuned for performance or that do not take full advantage of opportunities for safe spindown. Further, unlike most previous work that exploits spindown to save energy, we limit the rate at which disks are spun down to avoid premature mechanical failures, whereas reliability-unaware spindown algorithms can exceed manufacturer waranteed lifetime spindown limits in as little as one year.
Mothers of Invention? Gender, Motherhood, and New Dimensions of Productivity in the Science Profession

Gender and motherhood dynamics feature prominently in research that examines professional workplace inequities. The rise of patenting as an available form of academic productivity presents a fruitful site to revisit these in the science profession and to compare academic and industrial science contexts. I predict patenting involvement across disciplines, sectors, and time. Contrary to findings regarding publishing, academic mothers suffer a motherhood penalty not experienced by childless women or mothers in industry. Controls for past involvement remove the disparity, and a sex gap in industry. Work/family balance, sector-level incentives, and status expectations may explain these results, providing implications for future research on gender, motherhood, and work.
Designing nanostructured Si anodes for high energy lithium ion batteries

Summary High energy lithium ion batteries are in demand for consumer electronics, electric-drive vehicles and grid-scale stationary energy storage. Si is of great interest since it has 10 times higher specific capacity than traditional carbon anodes. However, the poor cyclability due to the large volume change of Si upon insertion and extraction of lithium has been an impediment to its deployment. This review outlines three fundamental materials challenges associated with large volume change, and then shows how nanostructured materials design can successfully address these challenges. There have been three generations of nanostructure design, encompassing solid nanostructures such as nanowires, hollow nanostructures, and clamped hollow structures. The nanoscale design principles developed for Si can also be extended to other battery materials that undergo large volume changes.
galsC: A Language for Event-Driven Embedded Systems

We introduce galsC, a language designed for programming event-driven embedded systems such as sensor networks. galsC implements the TinyGALS (globally asynchronous and locally synchronous) programming model. At the local level, software components are linked via synchronous method calls to form actors. At the global level, actors communicate with each other asynchronously via message passing, which separates the flow of control between actors. A complementary model, called TinyGUYS, is a guarded yet synchronous model designed to allow thread-safe sharing of global state between actors via parameters without explicitly passing messages. The galsC compiler extends the nesC compiler, which allows for better type checking and code generation. Having a well-structured concurrency model at the application level greatly reduces the risk of concurrency errors, such as deadlock and race conditions. The galsC language is implemented on the Berkeley motes and is compatible with the TinyOS/nesC component library. We use a multi-hop wireless sensor network as an example to illustrate the effectiveness of the language.
Mononuclear Complexes of Cr(II) and Fe(II) with Terminal -SH Groups. Synthesis and X-Ray Crystal Structures of trans-M(SH)2(dmpe)2 (M = Cr, Fe; dmpe = 1,2-Bis(Dimethylphosphino)Ethane)

Abstract The reaction of two equivalents of NaSH with MCl2(dmpe)2 (M = Cr, Fe,) at—78°C gives trans-M(SH)2(dmpe)2 (M = Cr, (1), 30%; Fe, (2) 98%). The complexes have been characterized spectroscopically, and the trans geometry has been confirmed by single crystal X-ray diffraction studies. Crystal data (1): C12H34CrP4S2, M= 418.42, monoclinic, P21/n, a = 8.857 (I), b= 12.719 (2), c = 9.648 (I) A, β = 92.14(1)°, U= 1086.2 (5)A, D c = 1.279gcm−3, Z = 2, λ(MoKa) = 0.71073 A, (graphite mono-chromator), μ(MoKa) = 9.80cm−1. Methods: MULTAN, difference Fourier, full-matrix least-squares. Refinement of 1149 reflections (I > 3σ(I)) out of 1901 unique observed reflections (3.0° < 29 < 48.0°) gave R and R w values of 0.092 and 0.096, respectively. Crystal data (2): C12H34FeP4S2, M = 422.28, monoclinic, P21/n, a = 8.834 (2), b = 12.594 (2), c = 9.532 (2) A, β = 90.66 (2)°, U = 1060.3 (5) A3, D c = 1.323 g cm−3, Z = 2, γ(MoKa) = 0.71073 A, (graphite monochromator), μ(MoKa) = 11.87 cm−1. Methods: same as for (1). Refin...
A direct method for sequentially updating linear predictor coefficients for the covariance method

A fixed-memory filter is applied to the covariance solution. Linear predictor coefficients are sequentially updated on a sample-to-sample basis without requiring recalculation of the covariance values or inversion of the covariance matrix.
Intellectual, Academic, and Behavioral Functioning of Students with High-Incidence Disabilities: A Cross-Categorical Meta-Analysis

A meta-analysis of 58 studies was performed in which IQ, academic achievement, and behavior characteristics were examined across students with learning disabilities (LD), mild intellectual disabilities (MID), and emotional/behavioral disabilities (E/BD). The effect sizes between students with LD and MID were the largest in the domains of IQ and academic achievement, and the differences involving pupils with E/BD versus those with LD and MID were largest in the behavior realm. Very little disparity was found when comparing (a) those with LD and students with E/BD on IQ measures, and (b) pupils with LD and those with MID in behavior. Implications for cross-categorical and noncategorical special education are discussed.
Making DNA self-assembly error-proof: attaining small growth error rates through embedded information redundancy

DNA self-assembly is emerging as the most promising technique for nanoscale self-assembly as it uses the simple, yet precise rules of DNA binding to create macroscale assemblies from nanoscale components. However, DNA self-assembly is also highly error-prone and requires the use of error-resilience techniques in order to unlock its potential. In this paper we propose a technique for error-resilience that is based on information redundancy but, in contrast to previous information redundancy schemes, can achieve much higher resilience to growth errors. By expanding the neighborhood from which redundant information is taken, we can extend the distance that errors are propagated and therefore increase the likelihood of the error being reversed. Given a growth error rate of ∈, we show that with a neighborhood of only 2 we can reduce the error rate to ∈3.64 for arbitrary functions (as compared to ∈2.33 previously achieved). Compared with spatial redundancy approaches, our technique allows for higher density nanostructures and has a greatly reduced assembly time.
An efficient computation of transient scattering by a perfectly conducting cylinder

The real axis integration technique is developed to compute the oscillatory infinite spectral integrals occurring in transient scattering by a perfect electrically conducting cylinder excited by a magnetic line source. Davidenko's (1953) method is used to evaluate efficiently the complex azimuthal wavenumbers, namely, the complex zeros of the Hankel function in the order plane. The computed results of the transient Green's function compare very well with those obtained by the wavefront approximation at early time, and by the singularity expansion method at late time. The real axis integration method can be used to compute the transient response for all time. >
East Meets a West-German-Multinational Family Firm During Reunification and Transition: A Personal Voice:

This article is a personal memoir, a tale of East meeting a West-German multinational family firm daring reunification and transition. It is a sharing of experiences from a family-business member who was involved with the purchase of East German enterprises.
Soot Concentration and Velocity Measurement in an Acoustic Burner

Laser Induced Incandescence (LII) and Particle Vaporization Velocimetry (PVV) were used to measure soot concentration and velocity in an acoustically excited combustion chamber. This acoustic burner provides a controllable environment for the study of soot formation and destruction in an unsteady flow relevant to turbulent combustion. Results are presented for a nonpremixed jet of acetylene in a coflow of air at two fuel flow rates. One condition is a laminar jet; the other corresponds to a transitional case. The acoustic forcing is shown to produce vortices that enhance entrainment and fuel-air mixing. In both jets, the acoustic forcing decreases the total amount of soot in the combustor compared to the corresponding unforced jet. However, the forcing only slightly decreases the upper range of soot concentrations present in the flame. In addition, luminosity measurements show that the average soot temperature is increased when the combustor is acoustically excited.
Fluoropolymer-associated illness.

AbstractContext: Isolated outbreaks of respiratory illness associated with fluoropolymer-containing products, such as waterproofing agents and sealants, have occurred for many years in many different countries. Despite this, an assured mechanism of illness is not defined, representing a barrier to the prevention of future occurrences. Objective: To discuss the epidemiology of the respiratory illness outbreaks, proposed mechanisms of toxicity and clinical outcomes from exposure to these products. Methods: We performed a literature review using OVID Medline (January 1946 through December 2012) and PubMed (January 1950 through December 2012) using the search terms “fluoropolymer”, “fluorochemical”, “leather proofing”, “leather protectant”, “weatherproofing agent”, and “waterproofing agent”. Bibliographies of identified articles were screened for additional relevant studies, including non-indexed reports. Results: Fluoropolymer-associated respiratory illnesses often resemble polymer fume fever: acute respirat...
Use of the Laryngeal Mask Airway in Otologic Surgery

Objective/Hypothesis: The combination of intravenous sedation and local infiltration anesthesia is routinely utilized in otologic surgery. Advantages over general anesthesia with endotracheal intubation include ease and speed of induction and emergence, safety, and decreased postoperative discomfort. Anatomic and physiological patient constraints may preclude the use of intravenous sedation and anesthetists inexperienced in this technique may find it difficult to achieve a consistent level of anesthesia appropriate for major otologic surgery. Administration of anesthesia using the laryngeal mask airway (LMA) has been proposed to offer many of the advantages of intravenous sedation with less risk of oversedation and obstructive apnea. Study Design: A retrospective chart review. Methods: A review of 100 consecutive adult and pediatric patients undergoing major otologic procedures in which the LMA was utilized Results: All laryngeal masks were introduced without a laryngoscope and successful placement was accomplished on the first attempt in 98%. Procedures were performed under spontaneous ventilation and in only one instance was surgery temporarily interrupted because of patient movement. No major complications occurred and no patients required endotracheal intubation. Only three patients complained of mild throat discomfort in the immediate postoperative period. Conclusions: The laryngeal mask airway is a safe and effective means of providing anesthesia during major otologic surgery.
Using Global Initiative for Asthma guidelines to assess asthma severity in populations

The classification of asthmatics into severity categories is a crucial issue for assessing the asthma burden within a community, in which a proportion of patients is currently treated. There is no epidemiological method currently available. The Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) was used to classify 4,362 patients aged 16-45 yrs (49% males, 42% taking inhaled corticosteroids), enrolled by 545 chest specialists in France with short standardized questionnaires including forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) measurements. Two independent GINA classifications were combined, one based only on symptoms and FEVI, and the other based only on current medication, to construct a final "symptom-FEV1 medication" classification. Almost 40% of the patients classed as step 1, 30% of those classed as step 2 and 13% of those classed as step 3 in the initial symptom-FEV1-classification, were allocated to categories of higher severity in the final classification. The approach was validated by showing that the proportions of: 1) patients considered by the physicians as having severe or moderately severe asthma; 2) patients with a history of hospital admission for asthma; and 3) patients with a history of emergency department visits for asthma, increased with severity steps in the final classification, for each step of the two initial independent classifications. The treatment manage plan in the Global Initiative for Asthma was not developed for assessing severity of asthma but rather to describe the recommended therapy for asthma with different severity. This is the first attempt to assess the severity of asthma in a large population of asthmatics mostly taking treatment, based on the Global Initiative for Asthma guidelines. The authors propose this simple and pragmatic procedure for a potential classification which should be put to the test in other studies.
Region, Gender and Interest Group Participation in Ghana: An Analysis

This paper attempts to examine how region influences citizen’s interest in Interest Group (IG) participation in Ghana. The study also examines the role of gender-female and male in Interest Group participation in Ghana. The study employs a sample of 1,200 Ghanaians for analysis from the African led series of the national public attitudes survey on democracy and governance (Afro barometer, Round 4, 2008). The following are the findings of the study: region and interest group participation has a strong relationship; gender in Ghana also plays a strong role in interest group participation in Ghana.
Enhanced thermoelectric transport in modulation-doped GaN/AlGaN core/shell nanowires

The thermoelectric properties of unintentionally n-doped core GaN/AlGaN core/shell N-face nanowires are reported. We found that the temperature dependence of the electrical conductivity is consistent with thermally activated carriers with two distinctive donor energies. The Seebeck coefficient of GaN/AlGaN nanowires is more than twice as large as that for the GaN nanowires alone. However, an outer layer of GaN deposited onto the GaN/AlGaN core/shell nanowires decreases the Seebeck coefficient at room temperature, while the temperature dependence of the electrical conductivity remains the same. We attribute these observations to the formation of an electron gas channel within the heavily-doped GaN core of the GaN/AlGaN nanowires. The room-temperature thermoelectric power factor for the GaN/AlGaN nanowires can be four times higher than the GaN nanowires. Selective doping in bandgap engineered core/shell nanowires is proposed for enhancing the thermoelectric power.
AUV-derived geographical photomosaics - using multibeam bathymetry to correct image placement

A photomosaicking technique was improved by incorporating data from multibeam bathymetry acquired simultaneously with the seafloor images. AUV navigation logs are used to geographically place the images, as has been previously documented. This revision accounts for navigation offset and drift by using multibeam processing tools to refine image placement. The processed bathymetric grid combined with vehicle logs allow for the scaling of image size and illumination to produce more accurate photomosaics.
Racing with nature: artificial nanomachines that keep running on light, both left and right.

Nature’s molecular motors and nanomachines perform marvelous tasks, especially on the level of single cells. Can artificial ones compete? In this issue, You et al. demonstrate a photon-driven molecular machine where switching the color of the light switches the direction of motion of the molecular motor. While having inferior performance characteristics, this novel motor may become the forerunner of a new generation of sophisticated and practical competitors with Nature’s ancient, but highly important, nanomachines.
Nonlinear Neutron and X-Ray Reflectance for Surface Films

This paper presents an analysis of the relationship between Parratt's recurrence formula and several existing analytical formulations for the neutron and x-ray reflectance of a surface film. In particular, it was shown that the Born approximation and the weighted-superposition approximation (WSA) for the neutron and x-ray reflectance can both be derived directly from Parratt's recurrence formula. It was also shown that the well-known nonlinear differential equation for the reflectance at an arbitrary point inside a film can be obtained from Parratt's recurrence formula and the WSA was an approximate solution to this equation. Finally, the nonlinearity in the WSA was discussed through a comparison between the Born approximation and the WSA. It was pointed out that the exponential factor in the WSA correctly accounted for both the phase shift effect due to the scattering length density of the film and the amplitude attenuation effect due to evanescence.
Surveillance prediction of hemorrhagic fever disease with renal syndrome in Jiuhua Mountain area

Objective To predict hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome in Jiuhua Mountain area.Methods The trap-night method was used to capture small animals,and then obtain animal host species and population density in the areas.The immunological assays were used to detect the hantavirus(HV) antibodies in serum specimen and HV antigens in lung preparation.The index of HV carrier was used for prediction.Results Nine species of small beast were captured in Jiuhua Mountain area,of which HV antigens and HV antibodies were found in lung preparation and serum specimen taken from apodemus agrarius,rattus confucianus,mus musculus,rattus norvegicus and crocidura attenuate.The rate of virus-carrier rats and overall incidence rate for HV infections showed an ascending trend year by year since 2005.The highest rate of virus-carrier rats reached 12.00% in 2009,and the highest overall incidence rate for HV infections was 12.50% in 2010.The index of virus carrier rate was no more than 0.05 since 2005,but the index for indoor rattus norvegicus reached 0.11.Conclusion The increased risk for HV infection in Jiuhua Mountain areas was due to increasing rate of virus-carrier rats and the appearance of crocidura attenuate as a new host.It is necessary to carry out rodent control activities in residential areas to reduce the risk for HV infection.
Value Measurement of Human Resources in My Opinion

As a kind of potential economics capacity lie within human body which can show the essence strength of human , Human resources have their own value while it can create new value. Obtaining or employing human resources should rewards the owners, and the exchange should be based on the basic value of human resources. Measuring of human resources is available not only in theory, but also in practical operation. It's impossible to be accurately thus it can be realized in some extent. It should be decided by the research purposes and needs.
Modelling structural changes of a Cu_(87) cluster on heating and quenching at atomic scale

The structural change of a Cu87 cluster on heating and quenching is investigated by NVT molecular dynamics simulations within the framework of embedded atom method.On the basis of analyses of average energy per atom,pair distribution functions,atom packing,and pair numbers varying with the temperature,it is shown that the temperature greatly affect the atom packing in this cluster.On heating,the atom packing of this cluster presents the changes from HCP,icosahedron,to the disordered packing with increasing the temperature.On quenching,there are some icosahedral and FCC local structures,and a certain numbers of HCP,FCC,and icosahedral structures with decreasing the quenching temperature.At a low quenching temperature,amount of the locally icosahedral structures are observed.
Costo promedio ponderado de capital (CPPC) y deuda con riesgo: una presentación sencilla

Articulo de reflexionEl costo de la deuda rara vez se puede considerar libre de riesgo. Sin embargo, en aras de la simplicidad, en la mayoria de las discusiones sobre el costo promedio de capital (CPPC) se supone que la deuda es libre de riesgo. Como resultado, cuando se calcula el CPPC se utiliza un costo de la deuda, d, mayor que la tasa libre de riesgo, rf .En este trabajo, usando un modelo binomial sencillo, se examina el costo promedio ponderado de capital (CPPC) con deuda bajo y sin impuestos. Los impuestos plantean complicaciones adicionales, lo cual supera el proposito del trabajo. Con deuda bajo riesgo se debe usar la tasa esperada de rentabilidad de la deuda, en lugar de la tasa pactada o contractual para incluirla en el CPPC. Mas aun, se modela el costo esperado de la deuda como una funcion creciente del monto de la deudaClasificacion JEL: D61: Analisis Costo-Beneficio; G31: Presupuestacion de capital; H43: Evaluacion de proyectos
The Argument of Reading

It is almost impossible to find a recent account of English (or English as a school subject) that does not begin with a reference to the problem of the new criticism and its legacy in the American classroom. The new criticism is everywhere, we are told; its hold on practice seems firm in spite of the ways its key texts and key figures have been routed by recent developments in theory and critical practice. Here, for example, is Frank Lentricchia (in “Someone Reading”) on the new criticism: The American New Criticism, the critical movement which made formalism famous in this country, and whose death has been periodically announced ever since the late 1950s, remains in force as the basis (what goes without saying) of undergraduate literary pedagogy, so that, having passed into the realm of common sense, the ideological effect of the New Criticism in the United States is to sustain, under conditions of mass higher education, the romantic cult of genius by dispossessing younger readers of their active participation in the shaping of a culture and a society “of and for the people” — by stripping those readers of their right to think of themselves as culturally central storytellers: an extraordinary irony for a critical method whose initial effect was entirely democratic — to make the reading of classics available to all, even to those of us whose early cultural formation did not equip us to read Shakespeare and Milton, but a predictable irony, in retrospect, when we remember that new critical formalist reading at the same time defined and valued itself as secondary reading of explication. So while the New Criticism taught us to read, it simultaneously taught us how to subordinate our reading powers and humble ourselves before the “creative” authority of superior primary writing. (323–34)
The host RNAs in retroviral particles

As they assemble, retroviruses encapsidate both their genomic RNAs and several types of host RNA. Whereas limited amounts of messenger RNA (mRNA) are detectable within virion populations, the predominant classes of encapsidated host RNAs do not encode proteins, but instead include endogenous retroelements and several classes of non-coding RNA (ncRNA), some of which are packaged in significant molar excess to the viral genome. Surprisingly, although the most abundant host RNAs in retroviruses are also abundant in cells, unusual forms of these RNAs are packaged preferentially, suggesting that these RNAs are recruited early in their biogenesis: before associating with their cognate protein partners, and/or from transient or rare RNA populations. These RNAs’ packaging determinants differ from the viral genome’s, and several of the abundantly packaged host ncRNAs serve cells as the scaffolds of ribonucleoprotein particles. Because virion assembly is equally efficient whether or not genomic RNA is available, yet RNA appears critical to the structural integrity of retroviral particles, it seems possible that the selectively encapsidated host ncRNAs might play roles in assembly. Indeed, some host ncRNAs appear to act during replication, as some transfer RNA (tRNA) species may contribute to nuclear import of human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) reverse transcription complexes, and other tRNA interactions with the viral Gag protein aid correct trafficking to plasma membrane assembly sites. However, despite high conservation of packaging for certain host RNAs, replication roles for most of these selectively encapsidated RNAs—if any—have remained elusive.
Amici Curiae Brief of Law Professors, Belk v. Commissioner, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit

Amici Curiae Brief of five law professors filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in support of affirming of the Tax Court's holding in Belk v. Commissioner, T.C. Memo 2013-154, and Belk v. Commissioner, 140 T.C. 1 (2013). In Belk v. Commissioner, 774 F.3d 221 (4th Cir. 2014), the Fourth Circuit affirmed the Tax Court's holding.
Collusion and distribution of profits under differential information

We examine a Cournot game with differential private information. We study collusion under different information rules, i.e., when firms pool their private information, use their common knowledge information, or decide not to share their private information at all. We put the industry profits under the three different information schemes in a hierarchy. In addition, we look at the incentive compatibility problem and we show that only collusion under common knowledge information is incentive compatible. Finally, we deal with the issue of how the industry profits are distributed among the firms, in a way that asymmetries are captured. We propose the Shapley value as a proper way to distribute the industry profits among the firms. We also point out that the a-core associated with the Cournot game with differential information is non-empty.