cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pharmacotherapies for Adolescent Substance Use Disorders

There is a paucity of research on pharmacotherapies in adolescents with substance use disorders. This paucity is partly because of the fact that most people with substance dependence do not get diagnosed until early adulthood, that is, after 18 years of age. This article reviews pharmacotherapies used for aversion, substitution, anti-craving, and detoxification of alcohol, nicotine, cocaine, and opioids dependence. Adult research is referenced when applicable and generalized to adolescents with caution. Continued evaluation and development of pharmacotherapy for youth in controlled studies are needed to examine medication effectiveness, safety, potential for abuse, compliance, and potential interactions with other medications or substances of abuse.
Accelerations in the Ball Joint

A procedure for calculating relative accelerations in spatial mechanisms is extended to include ball joints. The relationship of the relative velocities in a closed-loop mechanism is differentiated and then manipulated into set of simultaneous linear equations in the unknown relative accelerations. The derivatives of the joint-link modeling matrices, which are required to construct the vector of constants in this set of simultaneous linear equations, are formulated in terms of partial-derivative operator matrices to facilitate automatic differentiation in computer calculations. The joint-link modeling matrices, the relative velocities, and the relative accelerations are written in terms of dual numbers so to provide compact expressions which can be readily coded in object-oriented programming. The relationship of the calculated relative-acceleration components, which are expressed in the same coordinate frame, and the physical relative-acceleration components, which are naturally expressed in different co...
A pressure-induced strength transition in water-saturated geologic materials

Les materiaux geologiques poreux satures d'eau et exposes a des mises en charge par onde de choc devraient effectuer une transition d'un solide de Terzaghi a un materiau beaucoup plus resistant et rigide, lorsque la pression de confinement augmente dans un intervalle d'environ 0.2 GPa a 2 GPa. On peut donc s'attendre a ce que cette transition devienne importante dans des cas tels que la formation de crateres par des explosifs a haute energie ou par des explosions nucleaires qui produisent des chocs dans le sol superieurs a 1 GPa
SU‐E‐T‐42: Changes in Submandibular Gland Volume during Radiotherapy

Purpose: To examine submandibular gland volume changes by CT throughout the course of Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapytreatment for head and neck cancers. Method and Materials:CT images from 15 patients were analyzed to evaluate the change in volume of the left and right submandibular glands over the course of treatment (30–35 fractions). Each patient had received daily CTimaging using a CT‐on‐rails unit. Eleven of these patients had pre‐ and post‐treatment measurements of the stimulated and unstimulated saliva flow. Submandibular gland contours were drawn on the first fraction CT. The contours were then deformably mapped to the weekly CTs using an in‐house deformable registration tool. The volume of each gland was extracted, and changes in volume assessed. The changes in gland volume were compared with saliva flow measurements using using the R2 value from a linear fit. Results: All 15 patients showed decreases in gland volume over the course of treatment. The mean gland volume at the start of treatment was 10.6cc (range: 6.9–16.4cc). The mean volume reduction was 32.8% (range: 10.8 – 46.6%), 3.6cc (1.3 – 5.6cc). There was no clear statistical correlation between gland volume decrease and either stimulated or unstimulated salivary function. Conclusions: This study shows a significant reduction in submandibular gland volume over the course of radiation therapy. A more thorough study should be conducted to try and link gland volume decrease with saliva production.
Critical care and disaster management.

BACKGROUND:: In recent years, there has been a great deal of attention paid to preparing the healthcare system to handle disasters, in particular terrorist events. Most of the attention has focused on the first responders and the initial emergency management. Depending on the nature of the disaster, however, large numbers of patients may be critically ill. DISCUSSION:: In a contagious event, there may be a continuous stream of new patients requiring critical care support, overwhelming our current intensive care unit capacity. Planning needs to start now to develop processes that will enable us to expand our intensive care unit capacity, and likely adapt our standard of care, in the event that a natural or man-made disaster results in two, three, or more times the number of critically ill patients than our system can currently handle. Using the processes and resources we are currently using to improve patient safety can provide a framework for developing the necessary processes. CONCLUSION:: The Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM) can provide valuable expertise and educational programs to facilitate the needed disaster management planning.
The excretion of neutral lipid-soluble reducing substances by infants.

THE development of chemical methods (1, 2, 3) for the measurement of adrenocortical steroids in urine has made possible the evaluation of the level of excretion of these substances in normal individuals and in relation to diseases known to involve the adrenal cortex. A considerable amount of data is now available concerning the normal level of excretion of adrenocortical steroids by adults. Little has been done toward the determination of their elimination by infants. Knowledge of the excretory level of these compounds during the first few weeks of life may aid in explaining the function of the human fetal adrenal cortex. In order to estimate the level of excretion of adrenocortical steroids in normal infants and in the hope that these data might help toward the evaluation of the function of the fetal cortex, the amount of neutral lipid-soluble reducing substances excreted in the urine of premature and full-term infants was determined during the period when involution of the fetal cortex is known to occur.
Non-AIDS-related lymphomatous meningitis : Combined modality therapy

Twenty-two patients (age range, 38 to 69 years; median, 60 years) with lymphomatous meningitis due to metastatic non-AIDS-related non-Hodgkin9s lymphoma were treated. Cytologic responses were seen in 16 patients (73%) to first-line chemotherapy, 7 patients (58%) to second-line chemotherapy, and 2 patients (40%) to third-line chemotherapy. Median survival was 10 months(range, 3 to 24 months).
Linking Validity and Ethics in Language Testing: Insights from the Hermeneutic Turn in Social Science.

Abstract In this article, we use a dialogue format to explore the possible relevance of ideas in the hermeneutic tradition of social science for examining contemporary issues that lie at the intersection of concerns about validity and ethics in language assessment. Specifically, we focus on language testing as a socio-political-cultural practice and suggest the kind of research that might follow from fully accepting the characterization of language testing as a practice.
Mid‐Season Stalk Breakage in Corn: Hybrid and Environmental Factors

Mid-season corn (Zea mays L.) stalk breakage in south central Nebraska resulted from 100 mph winds on 8 July 1993 and 80 mph winds on 1 July 1994. Corn growth stages at the time of damage ranged from V10 to V14. Observations of field studies were taken to determine: (i) the impact of stalk breakage on grain yields of different hybrids; (ii) yield compensation by remaining plants; and (iii) the influence of soil and cultural factors on susceptibility to wind damage. We recorded stalk breakage on over 100 corn hybrids in evaluation trials at one site in 1993 and at two sites in 1994 to address objective i. Twelve hybrids were chosen at each site and yield components from broken and standing plants were recorded separately to determine whether remaining standing plants compensated for broken plants (objective ii). We also evaluated stalk breakage on a N management study and a site-specific management/ variable rate study to address objective iii. In 1993 stalk breakage ranged from 7 to 88%, and grain yield was reduced 1.5 bu/acre for every 1% increase in stalk breakage. Breakage in 1994 ranged from 1 to 37% at one site and from 5 to 51% at the other site. Grain yield was reduced by 1.5 and 1.8 bu/acre for every 1% increase in stalk breakage, respectively. Remaining plants did not compensate for grain loss from broken plants at any site. Percentage yield loss is directly related to percentage stalk breakage. Stalk breakage increased with increasing N rate but was reduced with sidedress relative to preplant N application and no-till relative to conventional tillage. Stalk breakage in the site-specific management study correlated (positively) with soil organic matter content. Factors that accelerated plant growth early in the growing season increased susceptibility to stalk breakage. Unfortunately, management practices that result in slow early plant growth also limit yield potential. Planting tolerant hybrids is the best way to avoid losses. More information is needed on why individual plants break and why specific hybrids are more prone than others to mid-season stalk breakage.
Targeting the Bone Marrow in Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia

Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia (WM) is a low-grade B-cell lymphoma characterized by widespread involvement of the bone marrow with lymphoplasmacytic cells. In approximately 20% of patients, the malignant clone also involves the lymph nodes and induces hepatosplenomegaly. The mechanisms by which the tumor cells home to the bone marrow and preferentially reside in the marrow niches are not fully elucidated. In this review, we examine the role of the bone marrow microenvironment in the regulation of cell growth, survival and cell dissemination in WM. We also summarize specific regulators of niche-dependent tumor proliferation in WM. These include chemokines, adhesion molecules, Src/PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling, NF-kB activation, and micro-RNA regulation in WM. Targeting these pathways in clinical trials could lead to significant responses in this rare disease.
The state of the human proteome in 2012 as viewed through PeptideAtlas

The Human Proteome Project was launched in September 2010 with the goal of characterizing at least one protein product from each protein-coding gene. Here we assess how much of the proteome has been detected to date via tandem mass spectrometry by analyzing PeptideAtlas, a compendium of human derived LC-MS/MS proteomics data from many laboratories around the world. All data sets are processed with a consistent set of parameters using the Trans-Proteomic Pipeline and subjected to a 1% protein FDR filter before inclusion in PeptideAtlas. Therefore, PeptideAtlas contains only high confidence protein identifications. To increase proteome coverage, we explored new comprehensive public data sources for data likely to add new proteins to the Human PeptideAtlas. We then folded these data into a Human PeptideAtlas 2012 build and mapped it to Swiss-Prot, a protein sequence database curated to contain one entry per human protein coding gene. We find that this latest PeptideAtlas build includes at least one peptide for each of ~12500 Swiss-Prot entries, leaving ~7500 gene products yet to be confidently cataloged. We characterize these "PA-unseen" proteins in terms of tissue localization, transcript abundance, and Gene Ontology enrichment, and propose reasons for their absence from PeptideAtlas and strategies for detecting them in the future.
Changes in binding activity of luteinizing hormone receptors by site directed mutagenesis of potential glycosylation sites.

Site directed mutagenesis of the rat ovarian luteinizing hormone (LH) receptor cDNA was performed at each of the six potential N-linked glycosylation sites to determine the effect of putative carbohydrate chains on the activity of the membrane receptor. The conversion of Asn173 to Gln resulted in the total loss of hormone binding to the surface of the transfected cell. Mutant receptors synthesized with substitutions at the remaining potential N-linked glycosylation positions of 77, 152, 269, 277 and 291 revealed no significant change in the hormone affinity. However Asn77Gln and Asn152Gln exhibited significant decreases (∼ 80%) in the number of high affinity hormone binding sites. The changes in hormone binding activity upon elimination of the potential glycosylation sites at 77, 152 and 173 indicate the presence of functional carbohydrate chains at these positions in the rat ovarian LHhCG receptor.
Small sample study on estimators of life distributions and of mean survival times using randomly censored data

Whereas large-sample properties of the estimators of survival distributions using censored data have been studied by many authors, exact results for small samples have been difficult to obtain. In this paper we obtain the exact expression for the ath moment (a > 0) of the Bayes estimator of survival distribution using the censored data under proportional hazard model. Using the exact expression we compute the exact mean, variance and MSE of the Bayes estimator. Also two estimators ofthe mean survival time based on the Kaplan-Meier estimator and the Bayes estimator are compared for small samples under proportional hazards.
Single-Cell Copy Number Analysis of Prostate Cancer Cells Captured with Geometrically Enhanced Differential Immunocapture Microdevices

Limited access to tumor tissue makes repeated sampling and real-time tracking of cancer progression infeasible. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) provide the capacity for real-time genetic characterization of a disseminating tumor cell population via a simple blood draw. However, there is no straightforward method to analyze broadscale genetic rearrangements in this heterogeneous cell population at the single cell level. We present a one-step controllable chemical extraction of whole nuclei from prostate cancer cells captured using geometrically enhanced differential immunocapture (GEDI) microdevices. We have successfully used copy number profile analysis to differentiate between two unique cancer cell line populations of metastatic origin (LNCaP and VCaP) and to analyze key mutations important in disease progression.
Dynamics of the clean and hydrogen covered Pd(111) surface

Abstract We report a study of the dynamics of the clean and hydrogen-covered Pd(111) surface using elastic and inelastic scattering of a monoenergetic thermal He beam. We present surface phonon dispersion curves along the direction measured at 140K for saturated H(1 × 1) coverage, and at 320K for ⋍ 10% coverage. We discuss these results in the light of recent evidence that H behaves like a correlated quantum fluid on this surface of Pd and completely delocalizes at medium and low coverages. We present possible explanations and suggest further experiments.
Monitoring Cell Survival After Extraction of a Single Subcellular Organelle Using Optical Trapping and Pulsed‐Nitrogen Laser Ablation¶

This paper characterizes cell viability in three different cell lines—Chinese hamster ovary cells (CHO), neuroblastoma cells fused with glialoma cells (NG108-15) and murine embryonic stem cells (ES-D3)—after N2 laser disruption of the cell membrane and removal, via optical trapping, of a single subcellular organelle. Morphological changes and viability (as determined by live/dead fluorescent stains) of the cell were monitored every half hour over a 4-h period postsurgery. The ability of the cell to survive organelle extraction was found to depend both on the conditions under which surgery was performed and on the cell type. The average viability after surgery for CHO cells was approximately 80%, for NG 108 cells it was approximately 30% and for ES-D3 cells postsurgery viability was approximately 10%. From over 600 surgeries we found the survival of the cell is determined almost exclusively within the first hour postsurgery regardless of cell line. The optimal pulse energy for N2 laser ablation was approximately 0.7 μJ. The N2 pulse produced an approximately 1–3 μm hole in the cell membrane and proved to be the primary source of cell death in those cells that did not survive the procedure.
Forging Alliances to Meet Future Research and Training Needs

There are countless challenges in meeting the future needs of the biomedical research community. In an era of flattened research budgets, the overarching concern has become how more can be done with less. One approach, still novel for the biomedical research community but proven successful for the commercial sector, is the establishment of strategic alliances. Among federal entities, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Office of Research on Minority Health (ORMH) have as their goal the improvement of the health of the nation's minorities through support for alliances between academic research institutions. These partnerships serve to maximize an institution's opportunity for success, especially with regard to research and training. There are many different opportunities for institutions to establish partnerships, especially among minority institutions, and between minority and majority institutions. Features of successful alliances are described, working partnership models identified, and other opportunities explored.
Vectorcardiographic Changes During Intracoronary Injections

To determine mechanisms of myocardial toxicity of radiopaque media and to correlate specifically induced changes in the composition of coronary artery blood with changes in the surface electrocardiogram, simultaneous recordings were made from Frank leads X, Y, and Z during intracoronary injections of radiopaque media and special test solutions. The study group consisted of 19 patients, 29 to 64 years of age, with either abnormal or normal-appearing coronary vessels on cineangiography. Recordings were analyzed with an electronic integrator, an oscilloscope, and directly from photographic tracings. With injections of sodium-containing radiopaque media into the right coronary system, the spatial mean T vector increased in magnitude and deviated to the left and superiorly. With injections into the left coronary system, the T vector increased in magnitude and shifted to the right, downward, and anteriorly. Changes in the QRS complex were less constant but, when present, consisted of slight prolongation of the ...
Joining of simian virus 40 DNA molecules at endonuclease R Eco RI sites by polynucleotide ligase and analysis of the products by agarose gel electrophoresis

Summary DNA molecules cut with endonuclease R Eco RI can be joined at Eco RI cleavage sites by.incubation with polynucleotide ligase. In order to define the optimum conditions for this reaction, linear Simian Virus 40 DNA molecules (SV40(Lal)) produced by endonuciease R Eco RI cleavage of SV40 form I DNA were joined using polynucleotide ligases specified by bacteriophage T4 and Escherichia coli. We have determined that the concentration of the substrate DNA molecules is the most important factor determining the distribution of covalently joined product molecules into a variety of circular and linear monomeric and oligomeric species.
Smoking cigarettes is associated with increased sperm disomy in teenage men.

Abstract Objective: To determine whether moderate cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption in teenage men is associated with increases in disomic sperm and detectable changes in semen quality. Design: Cohort study. Setting: Military recruiting station, Teplice, Czech Republic. Patient(s): Ten current smokers (20 cigarettes per day for at least 2 years, exposure confirmed by urine cotinine) who also consumed alcohol and 15 nonsmokers. All patients were exactly 18 years old, healthy, and of unproven fertility. Main Outcome Measure(s): Sperm aneuploidy by multicolor fluorescence in situ hybridization for chromosomes 8, X, and Y; conventional semen analyses; computer-aided sperm analysis for motility; and sperm chromatin structure analysis. Results: Smokers showed elevated frequencies of sperm aneuploidy (Y disomy, P P P P P P P Conclusion(s): Cigarette smoking among teenagers was associated with increases in disomic sperm and a diminution in specific aspects of semen quality. Such defects may affect male fertility and may increase future chances of fathering offspring with aneuploidy syndromes.
Use of fractional flow reserve in the assessment of chronic mesenteric ischemia

Chronic mesenteric ischemia (CMI) is a rare condition that is usually the result of atherosclerotic obstructive disease affecting the mesenteric arteries. The classic triad of post-prandial pain, food aversion and weight loss is not always present, often leading to low clinical suspicion for CMI and underdiagnosis. Non-invasive evaluation for CMI usually starts with mesenteric arterial duplex scanning, followed by computed tomography angiography, magnetic resonance angiography or conventional angiography, the latter being the gold standard for establishing its diagnosis. However, angiography alone has been demonstrated in coronary and other vascular beds to be inaccurate in predicting the physiologic and hemodynamic significance of a certain subset of atherosclerotic stenoses. We present the case of a patient with risk factors and symptoms suggestive of CMI who underwent angiography. However, angiography was equivocal and invasive physiologic testing was required to confirm the diagnosis and guide revascularization.
Wave propagation and dynamic analysis of smoothly graded heterogeneous continua using graded finite elements

Abstract The dynamic behavior of smoothly graded heterogeneous materials is investigated using the finite element method. The global variation of material properties (e.g., Young’s modulus, Poisson’s ratio and mass density) is treated at the element level using a generalized isoparametric formulation. Three classes of examples are presented to illustrate this approach and to investigate the influence of material inhomogeneity on the characteristics of wave propagation pattern and stress redistribution. First, a cantilever beam example is presented for verification purposes. Emphasis is placed on the comparison of numerical results with analytical ones, as well as modal analysis for beams with different material gradation profiles. Second, wave propagation patterns are explored for a fixed-free slender bar considering homogeneous, bi-material, tri-layered and smoothly graded materials (steel/alumina), which also provide further verification of the numerical procedures. Comparison of stress histories in these samples indicates that the smooth transition of material gradation considerably alleviates the stress discontinuity in the bi-material system (with sharp interface). Third, a three-point-bending epoxy/glass graded beam specimen is investigated for validation purposes. The beam is graded along the height direction. Stress evolution history at a location of interest is analyzed in detail, which not only reveals the dependence of stress evolution on material gradation direction, but also provides information predictive of potential material failure time for graded beams with different material gradation profiles. Jointly, these three classes of examples provide proper verification and validation for the present numerical techniques.
Research in acute decompensated heart failure: challenges and opportunities

Acute heart failure continues to increase in incidence and prevalence, with minimal improvement in mortality. We have access to vast amounts of patient information (both research databases and administrative/clinical records) from which to derive associations and generate hypotheses. However, despite solid groundwork, rationale hypotheses and firm preliminary studies, the heart failure literature has not witnessed substantial successes when it comes to clinical trials. This article discusses recent acute heart failure trials and advances suggestions as to why these trials have not been able to demonstrate significant differences. In the area of registry-based studies, the article discusses potentially useful data management techniques that ameliorate two of the common criticisms of retrospective studies – missing data and the correlation versus causation conundrum.
Comparison of information and variance maximization strategies for characterizing neural feature selectivity.

This paper compares several statistical methods for analyzing neural feature selectivity with natural stimuli. Despite the non-Gaussian character of correlations in natural stimuli, several relevant stimulus dimensions can be found by maximizing either information or, as is demonstrated here, variance. In the case of information, the relevance of each dimension is quantified by a Kullback-Leibler divergence between the full input probability distribution and that across inputs associated with positive neural responses, both projected onto that dimension. We demonstrate that least-square matching of the nonlinear prediction based on several dimensions relevant to the recorded spike trains yields an optimization scheme similar to information maximization. The relevant dimensions are found as those that capture the most variance in neural response. The variance along a stimulus dimension is given by a Renyi divergence of order 2 instead of the Kullback-Leibler divergence used for maximizing information. Statistical errors expected for the two schemes are shown to be similar through both analytical and numerical calculations. However, in the asymptotic limit of large spike numbers, maximizing information results in smaller errors than variance optimization. Numerical simulations for model cells with different noise levels show that this trend persists, and possibly increases, when the number of spikes decreases. This makes the problem of finding relevant dimensions one of the examples where information-theoretic approaches are no more data limited than the variance-based measures. Variance and information optimization also outperform methods based on the spike-triggered average for all numbers of spikes and neural noise levels.
Connecticut Birds and Climate Change: Bergmann's Rule in the Fourth Dimension

Abstract Bergmann's Rule notes a correlation between animal size reduction and geographical temperature increase in three dimensions. This study examines bird size change in the context of temperature change in a fourth dimension: time. The body size of six passerine bird species found year-round in Connecticut was measured using museum specimens collected between 1874 and 2009, during which time mean temperature in Connecticut increased by 0.94 °C (SD = 0.71). Mean wing length significantly decreased from a pre-1955 period (1874–1952) to a post-1955 period (1958–2010) for all species combined (P < 0.0025) and for three of the six species (P < 0.025), suggesting that some Connecticut passerines exhibit an evolved size decrease since 1874. This study joins a growing body of research suggesting a causal relationship between climate change and animal morphological change, and it demonstrates the importance of museum specimens in documenting such global trends.
Differential regulation of monocyte/macrophage cytokine production by pressure.

Background: Cytokine production by macrophages is essential for the inflammatory response. Normal human interstitial tissue pressure is 20 to 30 mm Hg, but generally decreases in acute inflammation. Methods: We compared the effect of 20 mm Hg increased pressure (approximating normal interstitial tissue pressure) with that of ambient pressure (resembling pressure in inflamed tissues) on tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-a and interleukin (IL)-1β production by undifferentiated (monocytic) and PMA (phorbol 12-, myristate 13-acetate)-differentiated (macrophage-like) THP-1 cells with or without lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (10 ng/mL). Results: Pressure stimulated spontaneous macrophage TNF-a secretion (30.5 ± 6.3 vs. 49.1 ± 2.8 pg/mL, P <.02), but not monocyte TNF-a secretion. Pressure did not stimulate IL-1β release. As expected, LPS increased basal cytokine release. After LPS stimulation, pressure still tended to stimulate macrophage TNF-a, but inhibited monocyte TNF-a secretion (P <.05). In contrast, pressure inhibited IL-1β release by both LPS-treated monocytes (986 ± 134 vs. 595 ± 226 pg/mL, P <.02) and macrophages (3,112 ± 229 vs. 979 ± 61 pg/mL, P <.01). Conclusions: Extracellular pressure may regulate TNF-a and IL-1β secretion differentially by monocytes and macrophages.
Impact of Baseline Insulin Regimen on Glycemic Response to a Group Medical Clinic Intervention

OBJECTIVE Group medical clinics (GMC) combine medication management and self-management training, and may improve diabetes outcomes. It remains unclear which patients benefit most from GMC. This secondary analysis examined the impact of baseline insulin regimen on GMC response. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We analyzed a trial of 239 veterans with type 2 diabetes randomized to GMC or usual care (UC). We categorized baseline insulin regimen as the following: no insulin; basal insulin only; or complex insulin (basal–prandial or mixed regimens). Using linear mixed models adjusted for clustering within GMC, we evaluated the differential impact of GMC relative to UC on hemoglobin A 1c (HbA 1c ) and self-efficacy among patients on different baseline insulin regimens. RESULTS From linear mixed models, the effect of GMC on HbA 1c differed by baseline insulin regimen versus UC ( P = 0.05); there was no differential effect on self-efficacy ( P = 0.29). Among those using complex insulin regimens at baseline, GMC reduced HbA 1c by study end compared with UC (−1.0%; 95% CI −1.8 to −0.2; P = 0.01). We found no such HbA 1c difference between GMC and UC patients using no insulin ( P = 0.65) or basal insulin only ( P = 0.71). There were no clinically significant differences in hypoglycemia by baseline insulin regimen and intervention group. CONCLUSIONS We found that compared with UC, GMC lowered HbA 1c specifically among patients using complex insulin regimens at study baseline, which may relate to this group’s demanding medication and self-management requirements. Implementing GMC among patients using complex insulin regimens may maximize this care delivery strategy’s potential.
Electrostatics of two-dimensional structures: Exact solutions and approximate methods

We consider a set of electrostatic problems relevant for determining the real-space structure and the ground-state energy of a two-dimensional electron liquid subject to smooth external potentials. Three fundamental geometries are investigated: an elongated metallic island, an antidot, and a constriction. In the first two cases complete closed-form analytical solutions are obtained, despite the absence of rotational or translational symmetries. These solutions govern the shape and size of large quantum dots, and also the size of the depletion regions and the density profiles around isolated antidots. For the constriction, an exact asymptotical formula for boundary shape is derived and arguments are given in favor of its universality. For the cases where the full analytical solution cannot be obtained, an approximate method is proposed as an alternative. Its accuracy is verified against numerical simulations in a periodic (checkerboard) geometry.
Pushed by Angels and Hellbent on Better: Mothers Describe Getting to the Other Side of Family Homelessness

How families overcome homelessness receives much less research attention than risk factors for becoming homeless. Qualitative focus groups with 14 formerly homeless women were held in diverse neighborhoods in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Grounded in an ecological approach and employing a hermeneutic research design, this study includes their perspectives regarding factors that facilitated successful rehousing. The method was also trauma informed, and specific recommendations for research with this population are offered. The results are divided into two sections. The first identifies factors associated with successfully transitioning out of homelessness. These included perceived benefits of overcoming homelessness, connecting to social services, and the seemingly randomness of stabilization. Second, participants’ recommendations for supporting homeless families are offered. These included the removal of common barriers to housing by addressing poor credit and criminal records; reforming payee systems; providing mediated peer-mentoring programs; ensuring equitable access to emergency shelter for women who become homeless but are not in another risk category (e.g., addiction); offering supportive services in community agency settings; and ensuring that schools are better prepared to assist homeless families. These women also expressed a desire to
Modulation of phased-array semiconductor lasers at K-band frequencies

The possibility of phase locking the lateral modes of a multiple-emitter semiconductor-laser phased array by modulating at the beat frequency of the lateral modes is presented. A rate equation model of a twin-emitter array is introduced and used to find the response of the optical output of the array to small sinusoidal modulations of the injection current. In-phase modulation of the emitters is found to be ineffectual, while modulating the emitters 180 degrees out of phase extended the responsivity well beyond the relaxation oscillation frequency to approximately the frequency associated with the rate of photon exchange between the coupled emitters. The rate equations were numerically integrated for several cases of interest to evaluate the stabilizing effect of strong modulation (entrainment). >
Financialisation and capital accumulation in the non-financial corporate sector:A theoretical and empirical investigation on the US economy: 1973–2003

Recent research has explored the growing ‘financialization’ process in the U.S. and other advanced economies. The term is a catch-all phrase used to denote important changes in the structure of non-financial corporations’ balance sheets, including the growth of income from financial subsidiaries and investment as well as growth in the transfer of earnings to financial markets in the forms of interest payments, dividend payments and stock buybacks. This paper seeks to empirically explore the relationship between financialization in the U.S economy and real investment at the firm level. Using data from a sample of non-financial corporations from 1973 to 2003, I find a negative relationship between real investment and financialization. First, increased financial investment and increased financial profit opportunities may have crowded out real investment by changing the incentives of firm managers and directing funds away from real investment. Second, increased payments to the financial markets may have impeded real investment by decreasing available internal funds, shortening the planning horizons of the firm management, and increasing uncertainty. These two channels can help explain the negative relationship I find between investment and financialization.
Proof of the Quasi-Ergodic Hypothesis.

1. The purpose of this note is to prove and to generalize the quasi-ergodic hypothesis of classical Hamiltonian dynamics1 (or “ergodic hypothesis,” as we shall say for brevity) with the aid of the reduction, recently discovered by Koopman,2 of Hamiltonian systems to Hilbert space, and with the use of certain methods of ours closely connected with recent investigations of our own of the algebra of linear transformations in this space.3 A precise statement of our results appears on page 79. We shall employ the notation of Koopman’s paper, with which we assume the reader to be familiar. The Hamiltonian system of k degrees of freedom corresponding with the Hamiltonian function H ( q 1, …, q k , p 1, …, p k ) defines a steady incompressible flow P → P t = S t P in the space Φ of the variables ( q 1, …, q k , p 1, …, p k ) or “phase-space,” and a corresponding steady conservative flow of positive density ρ in any invariant sub-space Ω ⊂ Φ (Ω being, e.g., the set of points in Φ of equal energy). The Hilbert space ℌ consists of the class of measurable functions f ( P ) having the finite Lebesgue integral ∫ Ω | f | 2 ρ d ω , the “inner product”4 of any two of them ( f , g ) and “length” ‖ f ‖ being defined by the equations ( f , g ) = ∫ Ω f g ¯ ρ d ω ; ‖ f ‖ = ( f , f ) . (1) The transformation U t is defined as follows: U t f ( P ) = f ( S t P ) = f ( P t ) ; (2)obviously it has the …
Mersilene Ribbon Closure of the Median Sternotomy: An Improvement Over Wire Closure

With the increased utilization of median sternotomy in thoracic surgery, some difficulties have arisen with closure of the sternum. This article presents a simple, easy-to-perform method of sternal closure utilizing reinforcement of the sternal halves with a material that is less likely to cut through the sternum and that is readily available.
Symmetry as a Basis for Morphological Analysis and Generation of NASA-Type Cubic Deployables

This project has its origins in the symmetry and topology transformation studies done by Haresh Lalvani (Refs. 1 and 2) in the mid-1970’s, and in the analysis and modeling of several of NASA’s deployable truss structures by Alan Britt in 1997 in our Morphology Studio. In late 1997 we undertook to define a morphological method of generating deployable structures, based on crystallographic symmetry. Having modeled and developed variants for three NASA structures, the PACTRUSS (Figure 1), the X-BEAM (Figure 2), and the STAC-BEAM (Figure 3), we found it convenient to use these and similar structures as the modeling medium to test the process (Ref. 3).
Designing software for unfamiliar domains

In recent years, software has become indispensable in complex domains such as science, engineering, biomedicine, and finance. Unfortunately, software developers and user researchers, who are usually experts in programming and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) methods, respectively, often find that the insight needed to design for complex domains only comes with years of domain experience. How can everyone on a software design team acquire just enough knowledge to design effective software, especially user interfaces, without having to become domain experts? We are performing a series of studies to investigate this question, with the ultimate goal of designing tools to help software teams better capture, manage and explore domain knowledge.
On the controllability of hybrid control systems

It is shown how existing discrete event system (DES) methods can be used to design controllers for hybrid control systems. Specifically, the authors concentrate on the notions of controllability and of the supremal controllable sublanguage, developed by Ramadge and Wonham (1989), and extend those notions to analyze hybrid control control systems using models developed by the authors. Using this notion of controllability, the authors are able to extend DES controller design methods and to design controllers for hybrid control systems. >
The Complexity of the Affordance–Ability Relationship When Second-Grade Children Interact with Mathematics Virtual Manipulative Apps

The purpose of this study was to explore relationships between app affordances and user abilities in second graders’ interactions with mathematics virtual manipulative touchscreen tablet apps. The research questions focused on varying manifestations of affordance–ability relationships during children’s interactions with mathematics virtual manipulative touchscreen tablet apps. Researchers qualitatively analyzed video recordings and ethograms from clinical interviews of 33 second-grade children. Each 45-min clinical interview involved one child interacting with two sequences of mathematics virtual manipulative touchscreen tablet apps: one sequence focusing on place value concepts and the other sequence focusing on skip counting concepts. Results provided evidence of Moyer-Packenham and Westenskow’s (Int J Virtual Pers Learn Environ 4(3):35–50, 2013) five affordance categories of virtual manipulatives. Approach to and degree of affordance access varied depending on a child’s corresponding ability, and some children modified their affordance access as their ability changed. Results also indicated that outcomes of accessing an affordance also related to a child’s ability. Context also influenced affordance access. These results imply that affordance–ability relationships are multifaceted. Overall, these results imply that is important to consider affordance–ability relationships in relation to mathematics education technology.
The Microsoft Case

With the recent rejection of the last holdout state's objections to the federal settlement in Microsoft IV, the last shoe appears to have dropped in this mammoth litigation. After all the dust had settled, Microsoft had essentially written its own remedy, albeit under considerable pressure. This piece reviews the lessons, both legal and strategic, that can be learned from the case. The piece begins with a discussion of the two main antitrust claims against Microsoft: (1) monopolization by extending its operating-system monopoly, and (2) tying its Internet browser to its monopoly O/S platform. The piece explores why the D.C. Circuit affirmed liability on the first and reversed a finding of liability on the second, as well as on a related attempt claim. It then provides a detailed critique of the D.C. Circuit's analysis and the government's handling of the case. The piece criticizes the D.C. Circuit's reversal of liability for attempting to monopolize and for tying on two grounds. First, it finds little precedent in law, and little reason in economics, for the court's ipse dixit that attempt and tying claims invariably require proof of barriers to entry in the defined market - far less structural barriers of the kind the court apparently had in mind. Second, the piece finds the court guilty of something approaching willful blindness in failing to notice that virtually all the conduct the court itself discussed under the heading of monopolization of the O/S market in fact created substantial barriers to entry into the browser market. Finally, the piece reviews the court's extraordinary dictum to the effect that the computer software industry is somehow different for antitrust purposes and finds it inconsistent with voluminous Supreme Court precedent and economically irrational. The piece then examines the government's litigation strategy of putting virtually all its eggs in one basket: the theory that Microsoft extended its O/S monopoly by removing the threat to that monopoly posed by browsers as middleware. It shows how reliance on that convoluted theory virtually precluded any substantial remedy by making it impossible to demonstrate a causal relationship between remedy and wrong. Finally, the piece discusses the government's failure to prove a relevant market for the tying claim, thereby not only abandoning a claim in which causation should have been easier to prove, but also inviting a disastrous holding that encourages monopolists of dominant software platforms to gobble up add-ons, too. The piece concludes with a suggestion for litigation strategy keeping the remedy in mind and a nod to the European Union for picking up the ball dropped by U.S. antitrust authorities.
Determinants and Costs of Medicare Post-Acute Care Provided by SNFs and HHAs

Provisions in the 1997 Balanced Budget Act affecting Medicare skilled nursing facility (SNF) and home health agency (HHA) services heighten the importance of knowing more about beneficiary, market, and policy factors that impact use of post-acute care and the costs of such services. This study used data from the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey and other sources to address these issues. Findings shed light on responses that need to be monitored in light of the recently mandated policies and other SNF and HHA options that are being considered. (Inquiry 1998 Spring; 35(1): 49-61).
SEXUAL SELECTION AND SURVIVAL SELECTION ON WING COLORATION AND BODY SIZE IN THE RUBYSPOT DAMSELFLY HETAERINA AMERICANA.

I review methodological problems that can lead to false evidence for selection on secondary sexual char- acters and present a study of selection in rubyspot damselflies (Hetaerina americana) that avoids these pitfalls. Male rubyspots have a large red spot on each wing that grows to a terminal size after sexual maturity. Selection gradient analyses revealed evidence for positive sexual and survival selection on both terminal wing spot size and body size. Phenotype manipulations confirmed that wing spot size was subject to direct sexual selection, but showed that the positive slope of survival on wing spot size was an indirect effect of selection on unmeasured traits. This study provides the strongest evidence yet for sexual selection on coloration in Odonata, but also provides clear examples of why phenotypic selection statistics must be calculated and interpreted cautiously.
Mechanism for Higher Iron Grade of Reverse Flotation Tailings of Anshan-Type Hematite Ore

For the high iron grade in tailings of Anshan-type hematite reverse flotation process,chemical element composition,phase composition,particle size distribution and mineral dissociation degree of samples collected from reverse flotation process were carried out by means of X-ray diffraction analysis,chemical element analysis,granularity analysis and scanning electron microscope. The results show that some highly dissociated superfine iron minerals exist in scavenging tailings,which adsorb on some coarse gangue minerals to form "carrier flotation"and entered into tailings along with the carrier,and cause the higher iron grade of tailings.
Evaluating the Characteristics of Social Vulnerability to Wildfire: Demographics, Perceptions, and Parcel Characteristics

A large body of research focuses on identifying patterns of human populations most at risk from hazards and the factors that help explain performance of mitigations that can help reduce that risk. One common concept in such studies is social vulnerability-human populations' potential exposure to, sensitivity from and ability to reduce negative impacts from a hazard. While there is growing interest in social vulnerability for wildfire, few studies have critically evaluated the characteristics that scholars often indicate influence social vulnerability to that hazard. This research utilizes surveys, wildfire simulations, and GIS data to test the relationships between select demographic, perceptual and parcel characteristics of property owners against empirically simulated metrics for wildfire exposure or wildfire-related damages and their performance of mitigation actions. Our results from Flathead County, MT, USA, suggest that parcel characteristics such as property value, building value, and the year structures were built explaining a significant amount of the variance in elements of social vulnerability. Demographic characteristics commonly used in social vulnerability analysis did not have significant relationships with measures of wildfire exposure or vulnerability. Part-time or full-time residency, age, perceived property risk, and year of development were among the few significant determinants of residents' performance of fuel reduction mitigations, although the significance of these factors varied across the levels of fuel reduction performed by homeowners. We use these and other results to argue for a renewed focus on the finer-scale characteristics that expose some populations to wildfire risk more than others.