cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Overview of plasma wave studies using the Basic Plasma Science Facility 1

The Basic Plasma Science Facility (BaPSF) at UCLA is a US national user facility for studies of fundamental processes in magnetized plasmas. The centerpiece of the facility is the Large Plasma Device (LAPD), a 20m long, magnetized linear plasma device 1 . LAPD has been utilized to study a number of fundamental processes, including: collisionless shocks 2 , dispersion and damping of kinetic and inertial Alfven waves 3 , compressional Alfven waves for ion-cyclotron range of frequencies heating 4 , flux ropes and magnetic reconnection 5 , three- wave interactions and parametric instabilities of Alfven waves 6 , 7 , turbulence and transport 8 and interactions of energetic ions and electrons with plasma waves 9 . An overview of research using the facility will be given, followed by a more detailed discussion of recent studies of ion-cyclotron range of frequencies (ICRF) wave excitation. This work is part of an RF Campaign on LAPD, focusing on a number of fundamental issues related to ICRF wave excitation for heating and current drive in laboratory plasmas, in particular for fusion energy research, but with connections to processes in space plasmas. A high-power (~150 kW) RF system and singlestrap antenna have been developed for LAPD, enabling the generation of large amplitude compressional Alfven (or fast) waves.
Preoperative Factors That Predict Recurrence After Repair of Discrete Subaortic Stenosis.

Background Several factors predict reintervention for subaortic stenosis (SubAS): age, preoperative left ventricular outflow tract gradient, distance from the obstructive subaortic ridge to the aortic valve, and peeling of membrane from the aortic/mitral valves. We sought to develop a prediction rule to categorize risk of reintervention for recurrent SubAS and guide follow-up in patients with discrete SubAS. Methods We retrospectively reviewed patients who underwent SubAS resection between 1984 and 2016. Our primary outcome was reintervention for recurrent SubAS after discharge. Kaplan-Meier estimates were used for time-to-event analysis of any reintervention. Multivariable models were used to create a prediction rule. We excluded patients without 3 years of follow-up. Results Of 172 patients, 21 (12.2%) required reintervention. The characteristics predicting reintervention were age younger than 2 years (P Conclusions A prediction rule that incorporates the patient’s age at the index operation, membrane to aortic valve distance, and associated left-sided heart lesions can determine the likelihood of reintervention for recurrent SubAS.
Dynamic linkages between US and Eurodollar interest rates: new evidence from causality in quantiles

Global markets have become more integrated, making co-movements of international interest rates possible. In this paper, we investigate the causal linkage between US and Eurodollar (London) interest rate using the Granger causality test in quantiles. This permits us to examine causality over interest rate distributions not covered by the usual causality test. We therefore test causality in different quantile ranges. A common attribute with previous studies that investigate the causal linkages among interest rates across international money markets is the assumption that the causal relations between international interest rate changes are constant across different interest rate levels. In this study, we allow for asymmetric quantile causal effects. Our empirical results suggest a quantile causal effect between US interest rate and Eurodollar interest rate. US interest rate Granger cause Eurodollar interest rate. The effect is positive at lower quantiles and negative at upper quantiles. On the other hand, Eurodollar interest rate Granger cause US interest rate, but the effect is negative at the lower quantile and positive at the upper quantile. The estimated causality coefficients at both the lower and the higher quantiles are significantly different from the median coefficients.
Closed-End Fund IPOs: Sold, Not Bought

Closed-end fund (CEF) initial public offerings (IPOs) are priced above their net asset value due to the sales load paid to the underwriters. Within five months of the IPO, the CEFs start trading at a discount. By six months post-IPO, the average raw return is âˆ’4.75%, underperforming seasoned funds by 8.52%. We explain how data mistakes in Cherkes et al. (2009 RFS) lead them to find much less underperformance than we document. We propose an agency hypothesis to explain the creation of CEFs despite these negative returns. We posit that full-service brokers/investment advisors create demand for CEF IPOs among their retail clients when the time-varying reputational cost is low. Intensive price support delays and obfuscates the subsequent price decline. In other words, CEF IPOs are sold, not bought.
Relations between parental math beliefs and emergent math skills among preschoolers from low-income households

We examined how parent math attitudes and practices relate to emergent math skills in 72 preschoolers from low-income households. Specifically, we investigated parents’ views about the importance o...
Stock Price Prediction Based on LSTM Neural Network: the Effectiveness of News Sentiment Analysis

This paper retrieves news articles from the New York Times and conducts sentiment analysis for news headline and text body, then combine quantitative sentiment score with stock historical stock basic features together, using LSTM neural network to predict both future stock close price and stock return. The main purpose is to compare the prediction result of model which includes sentiment factors with that only considers historical stock basic features. LSTM neural network shows a good ability in long-term prediction, the experiment is based on LSTM model for three representative large companies in the US. The final results confirm that the prediction accuracy is higher for model that consider sentiment influence from website news article.
American beauty

Kant’s approach to the nature of artworks suggests that art has a metaphysical dimension that accounts for the two major elements of aesthetic experience. Aesthetic judgements are occasioned by experiences of pleasure and have an objective aspect since they are experiences with which other persons are expected to agree. More recently, Arthur Danto has argued that an artwork must be situated in an artworld. Pragmatists see aesthetic experience instead as integral to experience and requiring no special explanation other than association with consumatory moments of experience.
Chemical composition effect on latent print development using black fingerprint powders

Abstract Fingerprint development has been used to visualize latent prints since the 19th century, and several companies produce a variety of commercially available black fingerprint powders. While the method to develop fingerprints has been refined over the years, the composition of fingerprint powders that are used in print development has not been studied extensively. Six different black fingerprint powders were studied using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), dynamic light scattering (DLS) and zeta potential, attenuated total reflectance infrared spectroscopy (ATR-IR), Raman spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), and solution-phase nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) in addition to a quality study involving certified latent print examiners. When comparing all chemical, physical, and morphological results for the fingerprint powder, this study determined that powders ranked best by latent print examiners are fingerprint powders that mainly contain carbon and oxygen with particle sizes around 50 nm and spherical morphology. Powders with large particle sizes, irregular shape, and elemental compositions consisting of many elements ranked poorly in the quality study performed.
Comparing the extraction performance of cyclodextrin-containing supramolecular deep eutectic solvents versus conventional deep eutectic solvents by headspace single drop microextraction.

A headspace single drop microextraction (HS-SDME) method coupled with high performance liquid chromatography was developed to compare the extraction of eighteen aromatic organic pollutants from aqueous solutions using cyclodextrin-based supramolecular deep eutectic solvents (SUPRADESs) and alkylammonium halide-based conventional deep eutectic solvents (DESs). Different derivatives of beta-cyclodextrin (β-CD) were employed as hydrogen bond acceptors (HBA) in SUPRADESs and the extraction performance investigated. SUPRADES comprised of the 20 wt% native β-CD HBA provided the highest enrichment factors of analytes compared to SUPRADESs comprised of other derivatives of β-CD (random methylated β-cyclodextrin, heptakis(2,3,6-tri-O-methyl)-β-cyclodextrin, and 2-hydroxypropyl β-cyclodextrin). In addition, native β-CD and its derivatives were dissolved in the neat DESs and their effect on the extraction of analytes examined. Dissolution of 20 wt% native β-CD in the choline chloride ([Ch+][Cl-]):2Urea DES resulted in a significant increase in the extraction efficiencies of target analytes compared to the neat [Ch+][Cl-]:2Urea DES. Under optimum conditions, the extraction method required a solvent microdroplet of 6.5 μL, 1000 rpm stir rate, 30% (w/v) salt concentration, and a temperature of 40 °C. The tetrabutylammonium chloride: 2 lactic acid DES resulted in the highest enrichment factors while the [Ch+][Cl-]:2Urea DES had the lowest for most of the analytes among the evaluated solvents. The method provided limits of detection (LODs) down to 35 μg L-1. Furthermore, the developed method was applied for the analysis of spiked tap and lake water, where relative recoveries ranging from 83.7% 119.7% and relative standard deviations lower than 19.2% were achieved.
North Carolina's Employment Record: What Role Did Unemployment Insurance Reform Play?

In 2013, the state of North Carolina reformed its state Unemployment Insurance (UI) program by reducing the maximum number of payment weeks and reducing the maximum weekly insurance payment. This paper investigates two hypotheses associated with such reform. The first hypothesis is a moral-hazard argument: limiting or removing UI payments should boost job search effort by the unemployed and lead to more rapid return to employment. The second hypothesis is a labor-force participation incentive: given the job-search requirement for receiving UI payments, limiting or removing those payments should reduce those actively unemployed and increase those who exit the labor force. I use panel data created from the Current Population Survey to create time-varying transition probabilities between employed, unemployed and non-participating labor status for individuals aged 25-54. I test the difference in these transition probabilities for North Carolina against those for the rest of the US. Using an event study based on the implementation of UI reform in North Carolina, I find no evidence for the moral-hazard hypothesis but strong evidence of exit from the labor force in North Carolina associated with the UI reform. Simulations calibrated to historical North Carolina labor force statistics indicate that 80,000 workers transitioned from unemployment to non-participation at the time of the reform, while employment creation for the unemployed underperformed that in the rest of the US. I also consider the impact of this reform on employer behavior through analysis of job vacancies recorded by Help Wanted Online. The reform coincided with negative growth in help-wanted ads in North Carolina: this performance is a negative outlier in comparisons with the job-creation record in other United States. There is no indication that the reform triggered an increase in job creation.
Gamma-ray compton light source development at LLNL

A new class of tunable, monochromatic gamma-ray sources capable of operating at high peak and average brightness is currently being developed at LLNL for nuclear photo-science and applications. These novel systems are based on Compton scattering of laser photons by a high brightness relativistic electron beam produced by an rf photoinjector. Key technologies, basic scaling laws, and recent experimental results are presented, along with an overview of future research and development directions.
Hollywood's chosen people: The jewish experience in American cinema

As studio bosses, directors, and actors, Jews have been heavily involved in film history and vitally involved in all aspects of film production. Yet Jewish characters have been represented onscreen in stereotypical and disturbing ways, while Jews have also helped to produce some of the most troubling stereotypes of people of colour in Hollywood film history. In Hollywood's Chosen People: The Jewish Experience in American Cinema, leading scholars consider the complex relationship between Jews and the film industry, as Jews have helped to construct Hollywood's vision of the American dream and American collective identity and have in turn been shaped by those representations. Editors Daniel Bernardi, Murray Pomerance, and Hava Tirosh-Samuelson introduce the volume with an overview of the history of Jews in American popular culture and the American film industry. Multidisciplinary contributors go on to discuss topics such as early Jewish films and directors, institutionalised anti-Semitism, Jewish identity and gossip culture, and issues of Jewish performance on film. Contributors draw on a diverse sampling of films, from representations of the Holocaust on film to screen comedy; filmmakers and writers, including David Mamet, George Cukor, Sidney Lumet, Edward Sloman, and Steven Spielberg; and stars, like Barbara Streisand, Adam Sandler, and Ben Stiller. The Jewish experience in American cinema reveals much about the degree to which Jews have been integrated into and contribute to the making of American popular film culture. Scholars of Jewish studies, film studies, American history, and American culture as well as anyone interested in film history will find this volume fascinating reading. Contributors: Daniel Bernardi, Vincent Brook, Wheeler Winston Dixon, Lucy Fischer, Lester D. Friedman, Sumiko Higashi, Sarah Kozloff, Peter Kramer, Murray Pomerance, Catherine Portuges, William Rothman, Vivian Sobchack, David Sterritt, Hava Tirosh-Samuelson
Antibodies to small molecules: biological and clinical applications.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the methods of eliciting antibodies, detection of antibodies, determination of specificity of antibodies, and iminunoassay methods. The development of sensitive methods for detecting and quantitating reactions between hapten and antibody and the perfection of techniques for obtaining highly purified preparations of antihapten antibodies have played a significant role in the development of modern immunological concepts. Antihapten antibodies have proved particularly useful in the study of antigenic determinants, structural requirements for immunogenicity, the nature of antigen-antibody reactions, and the chemical, physical, and biological properties of antibody. In recent years, the haptens of biological importance have been studied with increasing frequency, and the chapter discusses the production, detection, characterization, biological properties, and clinical applications of antibodies with specificity for such haptens.
Paleoecological Insights on Fixed Tree Island Development in the Florida Everglades: I. Environmental Controls

Palynological and geochemical analyses of sediment cores collected on two tree islands in the Florida Everglades indicate long-term hydrologic and chemical differences between tree islands and surrounding marshes and sloughs. Gumbo Limbo and Nuthouse tree islands are elongate, teardrop-shaped islands in Water Conservation Area 3B. Prior to tree island formation at both sites, pollen records indicate that sites on modern tree island heads were covered with sawgrass marshes with abundant weedy annuals. Such vegetation is characteristic of moderate water depths and hydroperiods with frequent droughts or disturbances. Contemporaneously deposited sediments on tree island tails indicate progressively deeper water conditions with increasing distance from the head; wetlands surrounding tree islands were covered by sloughs with deep water and long hydroperiods. Tree island formation occurred at about 1200 BC on Gumbo Limbo Island, with mature tree island vegetation established by about 800 AD. On Nuthouse Island, tree island formation occurred around 300 AD, shifting to mature tree island vegetation around 1400 AD. Thus, tree island formation began on these islands between 3.2 Ka and 1.7 Ka. Maturation of tree islands took between 1,000 and 2,000 years, and vegetation on these tree islands has been relatively stable for the last 600–1,200 years. Phosphorus levelson tree island heads have been extremely high (approximately six times greaterthan baseline levels in marshes) throughout the history of the sites, and phosphorus content in tree island tails began increasing when tree island formation occurred. Elevated phosphorus content may reflect the long-termpresence of wading birds at these sites and provide a proxy for reconstructing the historic distribution of wading bird populations.
Adolescents' Perceptions of the Gendered Context of Depression: Tough Boys and Objectified Girls

Gender-specific attributes and socialization influence the development of depression in adolescents, but little research has addressed adolescents' views on this topic. We interviewed 22 adolescents regarding their views on the impact of sex and gender role influence in depression. Male and female participants: (a) described societal expectations and cultural messages, including high and conflicting expectations for girls, and consistent messages of being "macho" and unemotional for boys, as related to adolescent depression; (b) perceived physical changes during puberty as contributors to depression for girls, but not for boys; and (c) associated loneliness and rejection with depression for both boys and girls. We discuss implications for treatment that include directly addressing gender roles with depressed adolescents.
Accelerating the EM algorithm using rescaled block-iterative methods

Block-iterative methods, in which only part of the data is used at each step, can converge significantly faster than simultaneous methods, such as EMML or SMART, in which all the data is employed at each step. The authors discuss the rescaled block-iterative (RBI) approach to both algorithms. When a nonnegative solution exists, these RBI algorithms converge to a solution for any configuration of subsets. The RBI-EMML reduces to the "ordered subset" method when "subset balance" holds. When there is no nonnegative solution block-iterative methods produce limit cycles, from which an approximate solution can be obtained using a "feedback" approach.
Native Amazonians’ Strategic Urbanization: Shaping Territorial Possibilities through Cities

Resumen Este articulo se basa en fuentes etnograficas dispares con la finalidad de examinar la relacion entre la urbanizacion de la poblacion de la Amazonia y su lucha por los derechos al territorio. En el argumento que esta dinamica contraria a la intuicion, merece una mayor atencion, especialmente porque recientes politicas sobre la urbanizacion indigena ocultan dicha posibilidad. Especificamente muestro como en la Amazonia: (1) las cadenas migratorias que conectan remotas ciudades con las tierras indigenas, a menudo han sido forjadas por los lideres indigenas que viajan a los lugares donde reside el poder del estado, con el fin de demandar sus derechos sobre el territorio; (2) la vida en las ciudades puede servir para politizar a los citadinos indigenas, con consecuencias a largo plazo en sus luchas por el territorio; (3) el movimiento de la poblacion indigena entre las ciudades y sus territorios de origen puede mantener y difundir estos efectos politicos a traves del espacio y del tiempo. Presto atencion a estas dinamicas con el objetivo de cuestionar la posible justificacion de los textos politicos de la desposesion de las tierras indigenas enmarcando la urbanizacion indigena como generica, inevitable y, en ultima instancia, desempoderando las posiciones indigenas sobre el territorio. [Amazonia, migracion, pueblos indigenas, territorializacion, territorio, urbanizacion]
Is the Impact of Cumulative Disadvantage on Sentencing Greater for Black Defendants

Research Summary We examined race-group differences in the effects of how felony defendants are treated at earlier decision points in case processing on case outcomes. Multilevel analyses of 3,459 defendants nested within 123 prosecutors and 34 judges in a large, northern U.S. jurisdiction revealed significant main and interaction effects of a defendant's race on bond amounts, pretrial detention, and nonsuspended prison sentences, but no significant effects on charge reductions and prison sentence length. Evidence of greater "cumulative disadvantages" for Black defendants in general and young Black men in particular was revealed by significant indirect race effects on the odds of pretrial detention via type of attorney, prior imprisonment, and bond amounts, as well as by indirect race effects on prison sentences via pretrial detention and prior imprisonment. Policy Implications The consideration of cumulative disadvantage is important for a more complete understanding of the overincarceration of Blacks in the United States. Toward the end of reducing racial disparities in the distribution of prison sentences, courts might (a) reduce reliance on money bail, (b) consider bail amounts for indigent defendants more carefully, and (c) increase the structure of pretrial decision making to reduce the stronger effects of imprisonment history and type of attorney on the odds of pretrial detention for Black suspects. Language: en
Autonomous diagnostics and prognostics through competitive learning driven HMM-based clustering

A prerequisite to effective wide-spread deployment of condition-based maintenance (CBM) practices is effective diagnostics and prognostics. This paper presents a novel method for employing HMMs for autonomous diagnostics as well as prognostics. The diagnostics module exploits competitive learning to achieve HMM-based clustering. The prognostics module builds upon the diagnostics module to compute joint distributions for health-state transition times. The proposed methods were validated on a physical test bed; a drilling machine.
Ion Channels in the Heart

Optimal cardiac function depends on proper timing of excitation and contraction in various regions of the heart, as well as on appropriate heart rate. This is accomplished via specialized electrical properties of various components of the system, including the sinoatrial node, atria, atrioventricular node, His-Purkinje system, and ventricles. Here we review the major regionally-determined electrical properties of these cardiac regions and present the available data regarding the molecular and ionic bases of regional cardiac function and dysfunction. Understanding these differences is of fundamental importance for the investigation of arrhythmia mechanisms and pharmacotherapy.
Prolonged infection of L cells with vesicular stomatitis virus. Defective interfering forms and temperature-sensitive mutants as factors in the infection.

Abstract When L y cells were treated with 100 units per milliliter of mouse interferon and then infected with vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) at a multiplicity of 10–60 PFU/cell, a prolonged infection of cultures ensued, lasting in one case longer than 60 days. After four passages in L y cells at high multiplicities of VSV from a prolonged infection, there was no inhibition of virus growth, and virus from the prolonged infection had the same distribution of intracellular and extracellular RNA forms as was found in wild-type virus passed four times in L y cells. Also, the intracellular and extracellular RNA forms of virus taken directly from a prolonged infection of L y cells were indistinguishable from those of the wild-type virus. A morphological examination of VSV from a prolonged infection did not show a significant number of small defective viral forms after four passages in L y cells at a high multiplicity of infection. There was, however, evidence for the emergence of temperature-sensitive mutants of VSV during the course of the prolonged infection. Changing the incubation temperature of the cultures from 37° to 32° resulted in an increase in virus production and virus-induced cytopathology. The virus produced during prolonged infections grew to higher titers at 32° than at 37° and its plaque size at 39° progressively decreased with the length of time that the infection persisted. Furthermore, interferon production also seemed to have a role in the persistence of infections such as the treatment of cultures with rabbit anti-mouse interferon globulin and resulted in a significant rise in virus production and viral cytopathology in the cell cultures.
The 2.1 A structure of a cysteine protease with proline specificity from ginger rhizome, Zingiber officinale.

A cysteine protease from ginger rhizome (GP-II) cleaves peptides and proteins with proline at the P2 position. The unusual specificity for proline makes GP-II an attractive tool for protein sequencing and identification of stably folded domains in proteins. The enzyme is a 221 amino acid glycoprotein possessing two N-linked oligosaccharide chains (8% glycosylated by weight) at Asn99 and Asn156. The availability of the sequence of these glycosyl chains afforded the opportunity to observe their structure and impact on protein conformation. The three-dimensional structure of GP-II has been determined by X-ray crystallography to a resolution of 2.1 A (overall R-factor = 0.214, free R = 0.248). The overall structure of GP-II is similar to that of the homologous cysteine proteases papain, actinidin, and glycyl endopeptidase, folding into two distinct domains of roughly equal size which are divided by a cleft. The observed N-linked glycosyl chains (half the total carbohydrate sequence) participate in both crysta...
Refractory metals: crucial components for light sources

Abstract More than 40 elements of the periodic table are used in the lighting industry as auxiliary materials and as light emitting compounds in the solid as well as in the gaseous state. The so-called ‘refractory metals’ are of crucial importance for all existing types of industrial light sources. They comprise the elements tungsten, molybdenum, niobium, tantalum, rhenium, zirconium and hafnium. Wire and coils made out of potassium-doped non-sag tungsten became an indispensable part of all commercial incandescent lamps. Coils in halogen incandescent lamps represent parts with the highest energy load to a solid-state material in technology. The demands are still rising to increase efficacy and lamp life in many respects. Thoriated tungsten became the preferred material for electrodes in nearly all makes of discharge lamps which contribute immensely to energy saving in lighting. The replacement of thoria in these applications is not a trivial task. Electrical power supply into the silica vessels of halogen incandescent lamps or metal halide discharge lamps would be impossible without molybdenum feather-edged ribbon of some 10 μm in thickness; niobium is used in form of small cups in high-pressure sodium lamps. Tungsten metallurgy initiated a tremendous progress in vacuum technology and powder metallurgy. The introduction of gas-filled lamps made it necessary to develop separation methods to make rare gases available and, by adding halogen compounds to avoid wall blackening, ppm-technologies were first applied for highly reactive gases on industrial scale. In addition, a new understanding about lamp quality requires other features, like surface finish, to be taken into account. It is beyond any doubt that the investigations on refractory metals in the lighting industry will be a pacemaker for other technologies in the future.
Measurements of the 16O(p, 2p)15N angular correlation at 45 MeV

Abstract The angular correlation between protons from the ground state 16 O(p, 2p) 15 N reaction, induced by 45 MeV protons, has been measured for protons emitted with equal energies at symmetric, coplanar angles from 20°-20° to 90°-90°. These data were obtained to provide a test for the various procedures used for distorted-wave analysis of (p, 2p) reactions in an energy region where optical-model distortion effects play a dominant role. Comparison is made to previous measurements of the 14 N(p, 2p) 13 C reaction at 45 MeV. The angular distributions are very similar in shape and differ in magnitude by an amount in agreement with the pertinent spectroscopic factors measured in (d, 3 He) pick-up reactions.
Optical property of Fe/GaAs(0 0 1) hybrid structures grown by molecular beam epitaxy

We report on the epitaxy of Fe thin films on GaAs(0 0 1) using molecular beam epitaxy with two new growth methods which optimize the interface quality for spin injection. These methods make use of low temperature deposition at −150°C and/or of an ultra-thin Al interlayer, respectively. High quality, epitaxial single crystal Fe films have been obtained using these methods. The Fe films have easy axes along [1 1 0] with square hysteresis loops and hard axes along [110]. Photoluminescence of an Al0.3Ga0.7As/GaAs quantum well in close proximity to the Fe film is used to determine the quality of the Fe/GaAs interface.
The effects of communication apprehension on the perception of peers

(1976). The effects of communication apprehension on the perception of peers. Western Speech Communication: Vol. 40, No. 1, pp. 14-21.
Occurrence and Removal of Selected Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products in Three Wastewater-Treatment Plants

Residues of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) have been detected in surface waters. Incomplete removal of these compounds by wastewater-treatment plants (WWTPs) results in their presence in effluents and finally in surface waters. The occurrence and removal of four PPCPs was investigated in three WWTPs in Mississippi, USA, during a period of 1 year. Influent and effluent were sampled from the three WWTPs. Upstream and downstream samples of the WWTPs were also collected. All four PPCPs were detected in all influents where sulfamethoxazole showed the highest concentration levels with a median concentration of 1,640 ng/L, and carbamazepine was detected at the lowest level with a median concentration of 132 ng/L. Different PPCPs were removed to different extents varying from 99 to 100 %. Gemfibrozil showed the highest removal rates (73-100 %), whereas carbamazepine showed the lowest (-99 to -30 %). Secondary activated sludge in oxidation-ditch process showed remarkable PPCP-specific removal rates. Galaxolide was removed more than the other PPCPs, and sulfamethoxazole showed the least removal. Galaxolide was found to be a predominant PPCP in effluent among the PPCPs studied, and it was detected in all downstream (14.1-428.2 ng/L) and upstream (4.1-60.0 ng/L) samples. Sulfamethoxazole was removed more during the summer than the winter season. A clear increase of PPCP concentrations was observed in most downstream samples compared with upstream samples suggesting that discharges from WWTPs are the major source of PPCPs in surface waters.
Multiparameter statistical determination of single fibre interphase properties

Abstract To evaluate the properties of the fibre interphase, statistical analyses are conducted on a previously generated database containing ultrasonic NDE output stresses calculated for various interphase properties. A multivariate correlation technique is used to examine relationships between interphase properties and NDE output stresses. Also, linear and non-linear regression techniques are used to solve the inverse problem of evaluating the interphase properties from the stress database. As an example, the interphase thickness parameter is shown to be predicted through linear and non-linear multiple regression with high accuracy. It is shown that knowledge of other interphase parameters, such as density, can help to improve estimates of interphase thickness. The methods are not specific to the inverse problem under study; on the contrary, they can be applied to the general NDE inverse problem.
Comparison of digital image analysis versus visual assessment to assess survivin expression as an independent predictor of survival for patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

We previously used quantitative digital image analysis to report that high immunohistochemical tumor expression levels of survivin independently predict poor outcome among patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma. However, given the cumbersome and costly nature of digital image analysis, we evaluated simple visual assessment as an alternative to digital image analysis for assessing survivin as a predictor of clear cell renal cell carcinoma patient outcomes. We identified 310 patients treated surgically for unilateral, sporadic, clear cell renal cell carcinoma at our institution between 1990 and 1994. Survivin expression was quantified independently by digital image analysis and visual assessment in paraffin slides using a commercially available antibody. We examined the agreement between the 2 methods using the κ statistic and then used Cox regression to compare the ability of the 2 methods to predict renal cell carcinoma death. The κ statistic comparing high survivin expression determined by digital image analysis versus visual assessment was .68, indicating substantial agreement between the 2 methods. Moreover, even after multivariate adjustment, the association of high survivin expression with risk of renal cell carcinoma death was similar for both visual assessment (risk ratio = 2.01; 95% confidence interval, 1.26-3.22) and digital image analysis (risk ratio = 1.75; 95% confidence interval, 1.10-2.80). Finally, among patients with “moderate risk” (Stage, Size, Grade, and Necrosis scores 3-6) and “high risk” (Stage, Size, Grade, and Necrosis scores 7 or greater) clear cell renal cell carcinoma, high survivin expression determined by visual assessment was significantly associated with poorer survival (P = .006 and P = .017, respectively). Herein, we demonstrate substantial agreement between survivin quantification by digital image analysis and visual assessment. We further confirm that high survivin expression assessed by visual assessment remains an independent predictor of aggressive clear cell renal cell carcinoma behavior. Thus, visual assessment represents an economical, widely available, and reliable method to assess survivin as a predictor of clear cell renal cell carcinoma patient outcomes.
Enhancing your practice through evidence-based decision making: Finding the best clinical evidence

This article is the third of a feature series that focuses on strategies to integrate an evidence-based decision-making (EBDM) approach into your practice or curriculum. The first article provided an overview of EBDM methodology and skills, and the second article introduced PICO, a systematic process for asking clinical questions. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate how to find valid evidence to answer these questions. Knowing which segment of the literature is appropriate for clinical decision making and how to quickly retrieve this information is important to evidence-based practice. Steps involved in structuring and conducting the search will be outlined, along with a discussion of the type of question and type of evidence for which you will be searching. A case scenario will demonstrate the application of the skills involved. Educational tips and learning activities are provided, as are online resources related to searching the literature and levels of evidence.
VISCOSITY OF GLYCEROL AND ITS AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS MEASURED BY A TANK-TUBE VISCOMETER

In this paper we demonstrate several series of experiments for the measurement of viscosity of neat glycerol and its aqueous solutions using a tank-tube viscometer. Measuring viscosity of highly viscous liquids with the tank-tube viscometer is easier than other types of viscometers. This inexpensive viscometer continuously generates numerous reproducible viscosity data of highly viscous neat glycerol and its aqueous solutions under given experimental conditions such as a desired temperature and a desired concentration of water in aqueous glycerol solutions. Fabricating the tank-tube viscometer is inexpensive, since this viscometer does not need sophisticated accessories such as a high-pressure liquid pump, a sensitive pressure sensor, and an accurate flow meter. The tank-tube viscometer consists of a large-diameter reservoir and a long, small-diameter, vertical tube. The viscosity equation was developed under the following assumptions. Both the quasi steady state approach and the negligible friction loss ...
Paternal balanced reciprocal translocation t(9;22)(q34.3;q11.2) resulting in an lnfant with features of the 9q subtelomere and the 22q11 deletion syndromes due to 3:1 meiotic segregation and tertiary monosomy

The constitutional chromosomal reciprocal translocation (CRT) involving chromosomes 9 and 22 has been previously published in only five occasions. We report the sixth case of a balanced t(9;22) carrier who came to medical attention following the birth of his child with tertiary monosomy due to 3:1 meiotic segregation. This is only the second occurrence of paternal parent-of-origin to the t(9;22) CRT and is the first report of a t(9;22) undergoing 3:1 disjunction. It is also unique in its constellation of clinical features that overlap with two well-described cytogenetic microdeletion syndromes: the 9q subtelomeric and 22q11.2 deletion syndromes. With its uncommon breakpoint at chromosome 9q34, this case also emphasizes the added importance of array comparative genomic hybridization to analysis of offspring born to CRT carrier parents.
Antigen-processing and presentation pathways select antigenic HIV peptides in the fight against viral evolution.

The evolution of immunodominant epitopes in HIV-1 Gag proteins correlates with quantitative measures of several antigen processing events. Thus, peptides recognized by CD8+ cytolytic T cells are selected by their ability to pass through the antigen processing pathway, as well as by their binding to HLA molecules.
Spectroscopic characterization of Cl-modified Mo/Si:Ti catalysts for oxidative dehydrogenation of propane

In this study, a series of chlorine-modified molybdenum catalysts supported on silica and titania (Si:Ti) mixed oxides were prepared by a modified sol–gel technique. The catalytic performance of the catalysts was tested for the oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) of propane. Catalysts were characterized by in situ or controlled-atmosphere measurements with XPS, LRS, ESR, and DRIFTS techniques to elucidate the adsorption and transformation of propane/propylene and the reduction of surface molybdena species over the Si:Ti support. In addition, isotopic labeling studies have been performed to investigate the oxygen mobility and oxygen exchange characteristics and reaction pathways involving propane ODH. These characterization results are correlated with the catalytic reaction performance to achieve a better understanding of the catalytic behavior of chlorine-modified Mo/Si:Ti catalysts.
Structured computational polymers for safety, security, and rescue robotics

Structured Computational Polymers, or SCP, is a concept of a layered, active material that can perceive its environment and respond to it “intelligently” via its embedded cognitive ability. This material will combine sensing, actuating, and information processing in a distributed fashion by the use of conducting and semiconducting polymer technology. In this paper we report on the progress made towards developing such a multifunctional active material that will be the basis of a soft robot - a robot, made of flexible materials, which can adjust to its changing environment, as it is not bounded by a rigid structure. We demonstrate that a distributed actuation can be achieved via a novel concept called water hammer effect. We also show that the direction of the propulsion due to force impact from the water hammer effect depends upon the shape of the polymer tubing. Furthermore we demonstrate that distributed cognition can be made with a type of organic neuromorphic architecture, termed Synthetic Neural Network (SNN), which is modeled after Artificial Neural Network, and is based on a single-transistor-single-bistable-device-per-input for an individual synthetic neuron design, that approximates the sigmoidal activation function. We show that SNN can be used to accurately predict directional propulsion due to water hammer effect.
The importance of the basolateral/basomedial amygdala for goal-directed maternal responses in postpartum rats

A model of the neural regulation of maternal behavior in rats proposes that the basolateral amygdala (BLA) provides pup-related sensory inputs to the nucleus accumbens-ventral pallidum (NA-VP) circuit and that medial preoptic area activation of the mesolimbic dopamine system potentiates the ability of BLA neurons to stimulate goal-directed maternal responses, such as pup retrieval behavior. Previous research using electrical lesions has provided some direct support for the importance of BLA. In the current study, we examined the effects of temporary inactivation of neurons within BLA and the adjoining basomedial nucleus of the amygdala (BMA) on maternal behavior in postpartum rats. For an anatomical control, muscimol was injected into the medial amygdala (MeA). Since research has shown that MeA plays an inhibitory role in maternal behavior, it was predicted that muscimol injections restricted to that site would not disrupt maternal behavior. The results showed that muscimol injections into BLA/BMA, at dosage levels between 100 and 200 ng/side, produced major deficits in retrieval behavior and minor deficits in nursing behavior. In contrast, muscimol injections into MeA left maternal behavior relatively unaffected. These results show that neuron-specific inactivation of BLA/BMA causes severe deficits in what can be considered a goal-directed and appetitive maternal response, pup retrieval, while leaving the consummatory aspect of maternal behavior, nursing, relatively unaffected. Since oxytocin is important for maternal behavior, and since both BMA and MeA neurons contain OT-binding sites, perhaps OT stimulates BMA output and suppresses MeA output to influence aspects of maternal behavior.
Tracing the execution of C++ programs

One of the difficulties faced by instructors of introductory courses in computer science is explaining the intricacies of recursion. This article describes a method devised by the author that enables students to follow and understand the step-by-step execution of many basic programs, including recursive programs.
An open economy model of the effects of unilateral environmental policy by a large developing country

Abstract In this paper, we pose the following question. Why is it that despite the universal recognition of the need for global environmental protection, developing countries have been lax in instituting stringent environmental regulations? Addressing this question from an economic standpoint, we show that there are plausible theoretical circumstances in which a large developing country can be worse off if it chooses to implement environmental policy in an uncoordinated fashion. The empirical dimension of this question is stressed and the key parameters – such as elasticities and marginal propensities to consume – which are germane to any policy discussion regarding this issue are identified. Second, we study – once again from the perspective of a large developing country – the possibility of using the domestic tax structure optimally to attain environmental policy objectives in a second-best environment. This scenario involves taxing pollution indirectly, by using product taxes. Finally, keeping the empirical dimension of the question in mind, we show how to compute optimal externality correcting taxes. These taxes are primarily a function of different kinds of elasticities.
Age dependent α-tocopherol concentrations in leaves of soybean and pinto beans

Abstract The concentrations of α-tocopherol in foliage samples of soybeans ( Glycine max ) and pinto beans ( Phaseolus vulgaris ) were investigated. In both species, the α-tocopherol concentrations increased with age. Four-week-old soybeans had α-tocopherol concentrations of 135.1, 64.2 and 48.9 μg g −1 dry wt in unifoliates, first trifoliates and second trifoliates, respectively, while four-week-old pinto beans had α-tocopherol concentrations of 288.7, 123.3 and 40.6 μg g −1 dry wt in unifoliates, first trifoliates and second trifoliates. These results strengthen the hypothesis that increasing levels of α-tocopherol may act as an indicator of biological age in various plant species.
Philosophical aspects of the ‘AAA Statement on “Race”’

I apply philosophical analysis to the ‘AAA Statement on “Race”’ (American Anthropological Association, 1998) and the commentary on its earlier draft published in the Anthropology Newsletter(1997). ...
Decreasing procedural pain over time of left prefrontal rtms for depression: Initial results from the open-label phase of a multisite trial (OPT-TMS)

Background There is much interest in whether daily left prefrontal repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) over several weeks may become a clinically useful antidepressant treatment. Although rTMS appears largely safe, many patients report that this procedure is somewhat painful, which may restrict its ultimate appeal and use. We analyzed interim results from the open-label phase of a multisite randomized trial of rTMS as a treatment for depression to investigate whether the procedural pain of left prefrontal rTMS changes over time. Methods Patients with unipolar depression who had failed to respond during at least 3 weeks of the sham-controlled double-masked rTMS were then offered 3 more weeks (15 sessions) of open-label rTMS. Retrospective pain ratings and state emotional factors from 20 subjects were assessed with the use of visual analog scales (VAS) recorded on computers before and after each treatment (289 sessions). Results Over the 15 treatment sessions, subjective reports of the painfulness of rTMS decreased 48% from baseline. This reduction, although greatest in the first few days, continued steadily (average 2.11 points per session) over the 3 weeks of treatment. The analysis found a significant effect for rTMS-session (P Conclusions The procedural pain of left, prefrontal rTMS decreases over time, apparently independently of other emotional changes. Because rTMS scalp pain may decline over time, physicians and patients may decide to continue treatment despite initial discomfort. These observational data can be better tested once the data from the blinded phase of the trial becomes available.
iPads, Mobile Technologies, and Communication Applications: A Survey of Family Wants, Needs, and Preferences

Families of children with communication disabilities were surveyed to explore wants and preferences relative to mobile media technology, including iPads, as a form of augmentative and alternative c...