cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Crystal field and magnetic structure of UO 2

The properties of UO$_{2}$ result from rich $f$-electron physics, including electronic Coulomb interactions, spin-orbit and crystal field effects, as well as inter-ionic multipolar coupling. We present a comprehensive theoretical study of the electronic structure of UO$_{2}$ using a combined application of self-consistent DFT+$U$ calculations and a model Hamiltonian. The $\Gamma_{5}$ ground state of U$^{4+}$ and the energies of crystal field excitations $\Gamma_{5} \rightarrow \Gamma_{3,4,1}$ are reproduced in very good agreement with experiment. We also investigate competing non-collinear magnetic structures and confirm 3-k as the T=0 K ground state magnetic structure of UO$_2$.
Performance predictions for the Robert Stobie spectrograph near infrared arm on SALT

The Robert Stobie Spectrograph near infrared arm will provide high throughput, low to medium resolution long slit and multi-object spectroscopy with broadband, spectropolarimetric, and Fabry-Perot imaging modes over a 8' diameter field of view. The wavelength range of the instrument is 0.9-1.7 microns, and can be operated simultaneously with the visible arm to extend the short wavelength limit to 0.32 microns. Once fielded, RSS-NIR will be the only facility instrument on an 8-10 meter class telescope with multi-object spectroscopy capability covering this spectral range simultaneously. RSS-NIR is scheduled to be commissioned on the 11-meter Southern African Large Telescope in late 2012. This is an upgrade to the existing visible instrument, with which it shares the slit plane and an ambient temperature collimator. Beyond the collimator, the NIR arm is cooled to -40 °C, with a cryogenic dewar containing the detector, long wavelength blocking filters, and final camera optics. This semi-warm configuration has required extensive upfront analysis of the instrumental thermal background levels, which have been incorporated into the instrument performance simulator. We present the performance predictions for spectroscopic modes of RSS-NIR and preliminary performance estimates and NIR issues still being addressed in the design for Fabry-Perot and polarimetric modes.
Minnesota’s protected waters and wetlands inventory

In 1979, the Minnesota Legislature established an inventory and designation process to identify water basins, watercourses and wetlands subject to state regulation. Hydrologists from the Department of Natural Resources have worked with wildlife and fisheries managers to categorize and quantify waters, which are then identified on county base maps. Wetlands are identified according toCircular 39, Wetlands of the United States criteria. Numerous photos, maps and field survey data were used to compile information. The inventory maps are subjected to a series of public review periods, revisions and a final hearing. The final product is a map for each of the 87 counties in Minnesota, identifying waters protected by a resource permit program. Activities such as excavation, filling, water level controls, bridges, culverts and other developments are regulated through the permitting process. With the completion of the inventory 11,800 water basins, 6,500 watercourses and 10,000 wetlands have been designated as protected waters or wetlands.
Phase Identification and Quantitative Metallographic Procedures for Dental Amalgams

Identification of microstructural phases discussed in the literature was confirmed by microprobe using visual display. Rigorous point counting techniques yield volume proportions of crystalline phases and porosity, but localized composition variations characteristic of condensed amalgams make it seldom worth the effort. Visual comparison with standards is a simple and effective alternative.
A voltammetric study of several oxygen, sulfur and selenium heterocyclic carbonium ions in acetonitrile

Abstract Cyclic voltammetric data are reported on seven new oxygen, sulfur and selenium heterocyclic carbonium ions. Each compound undergoes electrochemical reduction to form a dimer. The reaction mechanisms are discussed. The compounds with selenoethoxy substituents formed heterofulvalenes at room temperature.
Preindustrial land use change caused 0.73°C of global warming

Since the dawn of the Holocene nearly 12,000 years ago, humans have been shaping the Earth's surface and atmosphere. By redistributing soil and nutrients, clearing land, chopping down trees, rerouting rivers, setting fires, and, later, burning fossil fuels, humans have gradually become the dominant driver of change in the Earth's climate.
Preferred Sources of Nutrition Information: Contrasts Between Younger and Older Adults

Preferences for sources of nutrition information are determined by age, social relationships, resource familiarity, and electronic literacy. Young adults (ages 18–25) and older adults (ages 60–103) were surveyed. Young adults took Research Readiness Self-Assessments that measure electronic information literacy. Dietitians were preferred by 34% of younger adults and 15% of older adults. Internet was favored by 22% of young adults, but many had trouble evaluating the quality of nutrition Web sites. Older adults in poor health sought out dietitians, while the remainder preferred other health professionals. The youngest adults and many healthy older adults preferred family and friends.
The Effect of Lake Temperatures and Emissions on Ozone Exposure in the Western Great Lakes Region

A meteorological-chemical model with a 12-km horizontal grid spacing was used to simulate the evolution of ozone over the western Great Lakes region during a 30-day period in the summer of 1999. Lake temperatures in the model were based on analyses derived from daily satellite measurements. The model performance was evaluated using operational surface and upper-air meteorological measurements and surface chemical measurements. Reasonable agreement between the simulations and observations was obtained. The bias (predicted - observed) over the simulation period was only - 1.3 ppb for the peak ozone mixing ratio during the day and 5.5 ppb for the minimum ozone mixing ratio at night. High ozone production rates were produced over the surface of the lakes as a result of stable atmospheric conditions that trapped ozone precursors within a shallow layer during the day. In one location, an increase of 200 ppb of ozone over a 9-h period was produced by chemical production that was offset by losses of 110 ppb through vertical mixing, horizontal transport, and deposition. The predicted ozone was also sensitive to lake temperatures. A simulation with climatological lake temperatures produced ozone mixing ratios over the lakes and around the lake shores that differed from the simulation with observed lake temperatures by as much as 50 ppb, while the differences over land were usually 10 ppb or less. Through a series of sensitivity studies that varied ozone precursor emissions, it was shown that a reduction of 50% in NOx or volatile organic compounds would lower the 60-ppb ozone exposure by up to 50 h month-1 in the remote forest regions over the northern Great Lakes. The implications of these results on future climate change and air quality in the region are discussed.
Effects of demanding foraging conditions on cache retrieval accuracy in food-caching mountain chickadees (Poecile gambeli)

Birds rely, at least in part, on spatial memory for recovering previously hidden caches but accurate cache recovery may be more critical for birds that forage in harsh conditions where the food supply is limited and unpredictable. Failure to find caches in these conditions may potentially result in death from starvation. In order to test this hypothesis we compared the cache recovery behaviour of 24 wild-caught mountain chickadees (Poecile gambeli), half of which were maintained on a limited and unpredictable food supply while the rest were maintained on an ad libitum food supply for 60 days. We then tested their cache retrieval accuracy by allowing birds from both groups to cache seeds in the experimental room and recover them 5 hours later. Our results showed that birds maintained on a limited and unpredictable food supply made significantly fewer visits to non-cache sites when recovering their caches compared to birds maintained on ad libitum food. We found the same difference in performance in two versions of a one-trial associative learning task in which the birds had to rely on memory to find previously encountered hidden food. In a non-spatial memory version of the task, in which the baited feeder was clearly marked, there were no significant differences between the two groups. We therefore concluded that the two groups differed in their efficiency at cache retrieval. We suggest that this difference is more likely to be attributable to a difference in memory (encoding or recall) than to a difference in their motivation to search for hidden food, although the possibility of some motivational differences still exists. Overall, our results suggest that demanding foraging conditions favour more accurate cache retrieval in food-caching birds.
Vehicular radio frequency interference&#8212;Accomplishment and challenge

Increased usage of the Land Mobile Service, increasing sensitivity of receivers, and greater demands on communication systems are causing attention to be directed toward interference radiated from automotive ignition systems. Although U.S. vehicles are presently designed to limit radiation, lack of uniformity exists between standards in North America and Europe, resulting in duplication of test work. The United States automotive industry is cooperating in the development of a world-wide standard using a unique sampling procedure, and has used new computer techniques to derive a greater amount of information from data available. Revisions now under way in the U.S. industry standard will provide procedures and limits to 1000 MHz, will protect all present TV bands, and will make our standards compatible with Common Market usage. Theoretical studies and testing show that vehicular radiation decreases above 400 MHz and that existing techniques may prove satisfactory. Joint studies of an FCC-industry group are expected to develop additional information.
When Parents Grieve: An Undiagnosable Pain

This article attempts to reflect the highly realistic world that many parents confront after the death of their child. Adjustment is harsh, complex, and long lasting. The factors influencing their situation and counselor responses are explored.
Contrast and covert contrast: The phonetic development of voiceless sibilant fricatives in English and Japanese toddlers.

Abstract This paper examines the acoustic characteristics of voiceless sibilant fricatives in English- and Japanese-speaking adults and the acquisition of contrasts involving these sounds in 2- and 3-year-old children. Both English and Japanese have a two-way contrast between an alveolar fricative (/s/), and a post-alveolar fricative (/ʃ/ in English and /ɕ/ in Japanese). Acoustic analysis of the adult productions revealed cross-linguistic differences in what acoustic parameters were used to differentiate the two fricatives in the two languages and in how well the two fricatives were differentiated by the acoustic parameters that were investigated. For the children's data, the transcription results showed that English-speaking children generally produced the alveolar fricative more accurately than the post-alveolar one, whereas the opposite was true for Japanese-speaking children. In addition, acoustic analysis revealed the presence of covert contrast in the productions of some English-speaking and some Japanese-speaking children. The different development patterns are discussed in terms of the differences in the fine phonetic detail of the contrast in the two languages.
Influence of Compensatory Mechanisms and the Pineal Gland on Dark-induced Gonadal Atrophy in Male Hamsters

IT has been postulated that the gonads of male and female hamsters regress to a non-functional state as a normal seasonal response to short days and low temperatures in the autumn and winter1. Under laboratory conditions, the same results follow exposures to short photo-periods1–3. The functional change in the gonads is evidently controlled by the pineal gland, which itself responds to changing light periods, since pinealectomized animals show no regression of gonads when they are exposed to short photoperiods. A variable hypertrophic response of one gonad is a result of excision of the other. There are, therefore, probable hormonal processes which exert effects on the gonads opposite to those exerted by the pineal gland. In the course of our work, there arose a question as to whether the depressant action of the pineal gland could be counteracted by the compensatory process which follows unilateral castration. The following experiments were designed to elicit an answer to this question.
Incremental Volume Reconstruction and Rendering for 3D Ultrasound Imaging

In this paper, we present approaches toward an interactive visualization of a real time input, applied to 3-D visualizations of 2-D ultrasound echography data. The first, 3 degrees-of- freedom (DOF) incremental system visualizes a 3-D volume acquired as a stream of 2-D slices with location and orientation with 3 DOF. As each slice arrives, the system reconstructs a regular 3-D volume and renders it. Rendering is done by an incremental image-order ray- casting algorithm which stores and reuses the results of expensive resampling along the rays for speed. The second is our first experiment toward real-time 6 DOF acquisition and visualization. Two-dimensional slices with 6 DOF are reconstructed off-line, and visualized at an interactive rate using a parallel volume rendering code running on the graphics multicomputer Pixel-Planes 5.© (1992) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Charged-pion correlations caused by chiral relaxation dynamics in high-energy nuclear collisions

For cylindrical systems endowed with a longitudinal Bjorken scaling expansion, the semiclassical linear sigma model is employed to calculate the self-consistent dynamical evolution from the initially hot configuration towards the asymptotic state of freely moving pions. The correlation function for charge-conjugate soft pions with similar rapidities and transverse energies exhibits pronounced azimuthal anticorrelations that may be used to probe the nonequilibrium chiral relaxation dynamics.
Latina Health Activist-Healers Bridging Body and Spirit

Abstract This essay addresses the work of four Latina health activist-healers to show how they challenge the western body/spirit dichotomy from indigenous inspired perspectives that bridge body and spirit, sexuality and spirituality. It discusses some of the ways that Concepcion Saucedo, Luz Alvarez Martinez, Angelina Borbon, and Haydee Rivera Morales forward decolonizing feminist perspectives about sexuality and spirituality through their work as health organization directors, educators, and/or support group leaders. An interview-based analysis, it draws on decolonial feminist methodologies to center these women's voices and interpret their healing work. It concludes with a discussion of the relevance of their health activist-healer work for clinical practice.
Measurements of Flow Modification by Particle Deposition Inside a Packed Bed Using Time-Resolved PIV

In the Advanced Gas Cooled Pebble Bed Reactors for nuclear power generation, the fuel is spherical coated particles. The energy transfer phenomenon requires detailed understanding of the flow and temperature fields around the spherical fuel pebbles. Detailed information of the complex flow structure within the bed is needed. Generally, for computing the flow through a packed bed reactor or column, the porous media approach is usually used with lumped parameters for hydrodynamic calculations and heat transfer. While this approach can be reasonable for calculating integral flow quantities, it may not provide all the detailed information of the heat transfer and complex flow structure within the bed. The present experimental study presents the full velocity field using particle image velocity technique (PTV) in a conjunction with matched refractive index fluid with the pebbles to achieve optical access. Velocity field measurements are presented delineating the complex flow structure.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
The Role of the White Researcher in Black Society: A Futuristic Look

Contemporary researchers hold one of two orientations: a materialistic orientation, represented by behaviorism, which approaches the study of black people with an increasing emphasis on genetic determinants; and a nonmaterialistic orientation, represented by phenomenology, which approaches the study of black people with an increasing emphasis on psychic determinants. The former is concerned with the brain and behavior, the latter with mind and consciousness. Both orientations are similar in their concern with internal as opposed to external determinants, a relatively recent ideological shift in psychological research. The materialistic internal orientation is viewed as a serious danger to black people insofar as it reflects a “bad seed” (or gene) philosophy and is in opposition to the ontological premise of most black thinking, which is nonmaterialistic or spiritual in essence. At best, the future portends a misguided approach to race related social issues; at worst, it portends a search for a “final” (genetic) solution.
Adrenal influence on pituitary secretion of thyrotropin and prolactin in rats.

Basal plasma levels and pituitary content of TSH and PRL were measured in young male rats after bilateral adrenalectomy with and without corticosterone replacement. Adrenal ablation for a period of 4 days resulted in the arrest of body weight gain, a remarkable hemoconcentration, the slight and insignificant increase in plasma TSH and PRL, but no significant changes in the pituitary content of TSH and PRL and the hypothalamic content of catecholamines, as compared with the control animals. Adequate glucocorticoid replacement in adrenalectomized rats, as determined by the plasma level of corticosterone, did not result in a comparable weight gain, as in the control group, but did reduce plasma protein to almost normal levels. The plasma levels of TSH and PRL in the adrenalectomized animals were significantly suppressed, although the pituitary contents of TSH and PRL were not different from the control values. Four days after adrenalectomy, pituitary stimulation tests with TRH, chlorpromazine, and metoclopra...
Nonsusceptibility of primate cells to Taura syndrome virus.

The general assumption is that the viral agents that cause disease in penaeid shrimp do not infect vertebrates. Supporting this assumption is the absence of documented cases of any shrimp virus causing disease in any animal species other than crustaceans. In a recent article, Taura syndrome virus (TSV), exclusively a pathogen of penaeid shrimp, was attributed a zoonotic potential because of its reported ability to infect cultured human and monkey cells (1). Aside from the food safety issues raised by this report, we were very interested in confirming those results because of the practical value of this new option for growing TSV in vitro. To date, TSV (or any other of the known viruses of the penaeid shrimp) has not yet been successfully cultured in any invertebrate or vertebrate cell-culture system. Hence, if viable, the use of primate cells for propagation of TSV would prove to be an important advancement in the study of TSV, and perhaps of other crustacean viruses. While the experiment reported in this study did not include all of the cell lines used by Audelo-del-Valle et al. (1), namely human rhabdomyosarcoma (RD), human larynx carcinoma (Hep-2), and Buffalo green monkey kidney (BGMK), the three cell lines that we used are also routinely used for virus isolation and diagnosis of diseases caused by human enteroviruses that belong to the family Picornaviridae (2–7). TSV, is a member of the family Dicistroviridae (closely related to Picornaviridae), genus Cripavirus (8,9). Other than TSV, which only infects penaeid shrimp, members of the genus Cripavirus are known to infect only insects (9). We report the results obtained after performing an experiment to test the hypothesis proposed by Audelo-del-Valle et al. (1).
Antisense oligonucleotides to the integrin receptor subunit alpha5 decrease fibronectin fragment mediated cartilage chondrolysis

Abstract Objective To investigate involvement of the integrin alpha 5 subunit of the classical fibronectin receptor in cartilage chondrolytic activities of fibronectin fragments (Fn-f). Design Bovine chondrocytes and cartilage explants were cultured in the presence of antisense oligonucleotide (ASO), or sense (SO) or scrambled sequence oligonucleotide (SCO) corresponding to the bovine alpha 5 subunit. The effects of the oligonucleotides on mRNA and protein expression of the alpha 5 subunit were analysed by rtPCR and Western blotting, respectively. To test effects on Fn-f activities, three different Fn-f were first added to serum or serum-free cultures, followed by addition of oligonucleotides and the effects on Fn-f mediated proteoglycan (PG) degradation, cartilage PG depletion and PG and general protein synthesis suppression were tested. Results The ASO decreased alpha 5 mRNA and protein expression to 69% and 55%, respectively, in monolayer cultures and decreased protein expression 67% in cartilage explants, while SO and SCO were ineffective. The ASO partially reversed the ability of the Fn-fs to suppress PG and general protein synthesis in cartilage explant and high density chondrocyte cultures. Concentrations of ASO from 1nM to 5μM effectively suppressed Fn-f activities in particular assays and the effects were reversible, while SO and SCO were not significantly effective. ASO also suppressed, in a dose-dependent and reversible fashion, the ability of the Fn-fs to enhance degradation and release of PG from cartilage explants. The ASO were also effective in suppressing the ability of an antibody to the alpha 5 subunit to enhance PG degradation, but were ineffective in blocking endotoxin or IL-1β enhanced degradation. Conclusions These data implicate the alpha 5 integrin subunit in Fn-f mediated activities, consistent with a role for the alpha 5 beta 1 integrin in this pathway. Copyright 2002 OsteoArthritis Research Society International. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved .
The impact of multiple textbook format availability in business education

Purpose – Technology is changing the use of textbooks in higher education. The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of offering multiple textbook formats in the same economics course using textbooks that provided multiple options including new and used printed books, as well as electronic books. Design/methodology/approach – The study is based on a survey conducted in nine sections of introductory economics classes at a public US university. The study took place within the confines of undergraduate courses that offered textbooks with multiple available formats. A survey collected information about the format each student selected, the factors that students considered when choosing the format, and their overall attitudes about their selection at the end of the semester. Demographic information was also recorded. Findings – The paper finds that students selected a variety of textbook options and identified the factors of cost, ease of use, and learning style as most important to their textbook for...
Answer Credibility: A Language Modeling Approach to Answer Validation

Answer Validation is a topic of significant interest within the Question Answering community. In this paper, we propose the use of language modeling methodologies for Answer Validation, using corpus-based methods that do not require the use of external sources. Specifically, we propose a model for Answer Credibility which quantifies the reliability of a source document that contains a candidate answer and the Question's Context Model.
Standard enthalpies of solution and formation at 298.15 K of anhydrous magnesium and calcium nitrates

Abstract The standard enthalpies of solution at 298.15 K of Mg(NO 3 ) 2 and Ca(NO 3 ) 2 in H 2 O have been determined to be −(90.10 ± 0.30) and −(18.67 ± 0.04) kJ mol −1 . Based on these results and other published calorimetric studies, values of −(791.0 ± 0.7) and −(938.6 ± 1.0) kJ mol −1 , respectively, are recommended for the standard enthalpies of formation, ΔH f o , of Mg(NO 3 ) 2 and Ca(NO 3 ) 2 at 298.15 K.
Learning to commit or avoid the base-rate error

When predicting an event, people neglect overall frequencies (base rates) of various possibilities. We have previously shown that this base-rate occurs not only with word problems, but also in a procedure with repeated trials: a sample cue followed by two choice options, one of which the subject must choose, with feedback regarding the correctness of the choice. Perhaps this base-rate error depends on people's histories of matching physically similar items. In support of this suggestions, we begin by showing that the base-rate error is eliminated with physically unrelated items. We then show that when the relation between items is again arbitrary, but is a relation that subjects already know, the error reappears. Finally we show that teaching subjects new arbitrary relations reintroduces the error in later testing. These experiments demonstrate a fundamental base-rate error dependent on learned relationships without interference from re-existing associations between cues and options, predictions may be made more optimally.
Optimal estimation for continuous state branching processes with discrete sampling

Abstract This paper is concerned with estimation of the drift parameter in a class of continuous state branching processes by use of the estimating function theory (Heyde, 1992, J. Statist. Plann. Inference 33, 121–129). The main interests are to develop a method of estimating the parameter in case when only discrete sampling is available. For this purpose, a discretized quasi-score function is introduced and a discretized optimal estimator derived therefrom is obtained. Largesample properties of the discretized optimal estimator are established. Finally, two examples of continuous state branching processes are given.
The inner-hydrogen migration in free base porphyrin

We present the results of a comprehensive study on the inner-hydrogen migration in free base porphyrin, using density functional theory with the hybrid B3-LYP exchange-correlation functional, and both the 6-31G(d ) and a triple-zeta double-polarization (TZ2P) basis set. The latter computations, involving 726 contracted functions, are the largest calculations on this system to date. Full geometry optimization was carried out for the cis and trans minima, the transition state for trans-cis isomerization, and the symmetric stationary point for the synchronous trans-trans isomerization. All stationary points were characterized by vibrational analysis. Our results strongly support the conclusion, reached by earlier workers, that trans-trans hydrogen transfer occurs in a two-step process via a cis intermediate. With the TZ2P basis and including zero-point effects for the -h 2 isotopomer, the trans-cis barrier height is 13.1 kcal/mol, the cis-trans energy difference is 8.1 kcal/mol and the reverse cis-trans barrier height is 5.0 kcal/mol. The trans-cis barrier height agrees well with the value of Braun et al. (J Am Chem Soc (1996) 118: 7231) obtained from NMR line shapes and a modified Bell tunneling model, but our cis-trans energy difference is higher, and the reverse barrier is lower, than the values of Braun et al. Tunneling precludes the existence of -h 2 cis-porphyrin as an observable species, but the -d 2 and, especially, -t 2 isotopomers might be observable at low temperatures if the reverse barrier is higher than our calculated value. We predict the theoretical vibrational spectrum of cis-porphyrin and suggest that IR active modes at 566 cm−1 and 2333 cm−1 in the -d 2 isotopomer may be used to detect the presence of the cis intermediate.
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxamine) supplementation and complications of diabetes.

Pyridoxine is known to be rapidly taken up by the red blood cells and converted to pyridoxamine and pyridoxal phosphate, which serve as the coenzyme for the transaminases [1,2]. Pyridoxine, pyridoxamine, and pyridoxal phosphate form the vitamin B6 group of compounds and are interconvertible within the cell. Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) is a catalytically inactive form, whereas pyridoxal (aldehyde form) and pyridoxamine (amine form) are catalytically active and are involved in a wide variety of both nonenzymatic and enzymatic reactions [1,2]. The vitamin B6 group of compounds plays a major role in 1-carbon metabolism in the cell; for instance, PP is essential for the biosynthesis of the methyl group of methionine via the condensation of homocyteine and serine by the enzymes cystathionine b-synthase and cystathionine c-lyase [3]. Early studies on development of atherosclerosis in monkeys fed with a vitamin B6-deficient diet led to the idea that vitamin B6 deficiency causes the development of vascular disease [4]. Studies in humans showed that plasma levels of vitamin B6 were lower in subjects who had had myocardial infarction than in controls [5]. The Nurses Health Study, which included more than 80000 women, also suggested a higher incidence of coronary artery disease in patients with lower levels of vitamin B6 intake compared with those with higher intakes [6]. Several other studies also suggest that low blood vitamin B6 concentrations are independently associated with a risk of coronary artery disease [7,8]. Blood vitamin B6 levels are significantly decreased in experimental diabetic animals and diabetic patients [9-21]. Vitamin B6 deficiency in animals is known to reduce pancreatic and circulating insulin levels [22]. Vitamin B6
The Relationship Between Resource and Utilization Factors in an Outpatient Care System

Abstract Data are collected and analyzed on the frequency and duration of tasks performed in a Prenatal Clinic. A model is developed which describes in mathematical and statistical terms the operation of the Prenatal Clinic under various allocations of physicians, assistants and examination rooms and for various patient loads. The results of the study provide insight into the sensitivity of clinic performance to changes in resource allocation and provide a proposed method for making resource allocation decisions.
Does back reaction enforce the averaged null energy condition in semiclassical gravity

The expectation value $〈{T}_{\mathrm{ab}}〉$ of the renormalized stress-energy tensor of quantum fields generically violates the classical, local positive energy conditions of general relativity. Nevertheless, it is possible that $〈{T}_{\mathrm{ab}}〉$ may still satisfy some nonlocal positive energy conditions. Most prominent among these nonlocal conditions is the averaged null energy condition (ANEC), which states that $\ensuremath{\int}〈{T}_{\mathrm{ab}}〉{k}^{a}{k}^{b}d\ensuremath{\lambda}g~0$ along any complete null geodesic, where ${k}^{a}$ denotes the geodesic tangent, with affine parameter $\ensuremath{\lambda}$. If the ANEC holds, then traversable wormholes cannot occur. However, although the ANEC holds in Minkowski spacetime, it is known that the ANEC can be violated in curved spacetimes if one is allowed to choose the spacetime and quantum state arbitrarily, without imposition of the semiclassical Einstein equation, ${G}_{\mathrm{ab}}=8\ensuremath{\pi}〈{T}_{\mathrm{ab}}〉$. In this paper, we investigate whether the ANEC holds for self-consistent solutions of the semiclassical Einstein equation. We study a free, linear, massless scalar field with arbitrary curvature coupling in the context of perturbation theory about the flat spacetime/vacuum solution, and we modify the perturbed semiclassical equations by the "reduction of order" procedure to eliminate spurious solutions. We also restrict attention to the limit in which the length scales determined by the state and metric are much larger than the Planck length. At first order in the metric and state perturbations, and for pure states of the scalar field, we find that the ANEC integral vanishes, as it must for any positivity result to hold. For mixed states, the ANEC integral can be negative. However, we prove that if we average the ANEC integral transverse to the geodesic, using a suitable Planck scale smearing function, a strictly positive result is obtained in all cases except for the trivial flat spacetime/vacuum solution. Similar results hold for pure states at second order in perturbation theory, when we additionally specialize to the situation where incoming classical gravitational radiation does not dominate the first-order metric perturbation. These results suggest---in agreement with conclusions drawn by Ford and Roman from entirely independent arguments---that if traversable wormholes do exist as self-consistent solutions of the semiclassical equations, they cannot be macroscopic but must be "Planck scale." In the course of our analysis, we investigate a number of more general issues relevant to doing perturbative expansions of the semiclassical equations off of flat spacetime, including an analysis of the nature of the semiclassical Einstein equation and of prescriptions for extracting physically relevant solutions. A large portion of our paper is devoted to the treatment of these more general issues.
Statistical verification of probabilistic properties with unbounded until

We consider statistical (sampling-based) solution methods for verifying probabilistic properties with unbounded until. Statistical solution methods for probabilistic verification use sample execution trajectories for a system to verify properties with some level of confidence. The main challenge with properties that are expressed using unbounded until is to ensure termination in the face of potentially infinite sample execution trajectories. We describe two alternative solution methods, each one with its own merits. The first method relies on reachability analysis, and is suitable primarily for large Markov chains where reachability analysis can be performed efficiently using symbolic data structures, but for which numerical probability computations are expensive. The second method employs a termination probability and weighted sampling. This method does not rely on any specific structure of the model, but error control is more challenging. We show how the choice of termination probability--when applied to Markov chains--is tied to the subdominant eigenvalue of the transition probability matrix, which relates it to iterative numerical solution techniques for the same problem.
Acetic acid formation in escherichia coli fermentation

Acetic acid formation in Escherichia coli fermentation has been studied in continuous cultures. Experimental results suggest that the limited capacity of the oxidative metabolism (perhaps the limited capacity of TCA cycle) may be responsible for acetic acid formation. At low growth rates, both anabolic and catabolic requirements may be satisfied by the oxidative metabolism. However, at high growth rates these two demands may exceed the capacity of the oxidative metabolism alone. It is proposed that under these circumstances, E. coli reorganizes the oxidative metabolism to first meet the anabolic requisition and then supply the necessary amount of energy using both the remaining capacity of the oxidative metabolism and acetic acid formation metabolism. Escherichia coli selects acetic acid synthesis as the aerobic energy source because it generates the second largest amount of ATP and NADH(2). According to our proposition, acetic acid formation could be reduced by decreasing the anabolic requirement, i.e., reducing glucose uptake, or by increasing the capacity of the oxidative metabolism. These two approaches were experimentally confirmed by observing reduced acetic acid formation by reducing the glucose uptake with a yeast extract addition and enhancing the capacity of oxidative metabolism with a methionine addition.
Teaching Christian Integration in Psychology and Counseling: Current Status and Future Directions

In this article, we review the current status of theory and research on teaching Christian integration in psychology and counseling. Changes in student characteristics, emerging technologies, and p...
V3 Loop-Determined Coreceptor Preference Dictates the Dynamics of CD4+-T-Cell Loss in Simian-Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Macaques

We used experimental infection of rhesus macaques with envelope gp120 V3 loop isogenic simian-human immunodeficiency virus (SHIV) molecular clones to more clearly define the impact of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 coreceptor usage in target cell selectivity and the rates of CD4-T-cell depletion. Functional assays demonstrate that substitution of the V3 loop of the pathogenic CXCR4-tropic (X4) SHIVSF33A2 molecular clone with the corresponding sequences from the CCR5-tropic (R5) SHIVSF162P3 isolate resulted in a switch of coreceptor usage from CXCR4 to CCR5. The resultant R5 clone, designated SHIVSF33A2(V3) ,i s replication competent in vivo, infecting two of two macaques by intravenous inoculation with peak viremia that is comparable to that seen in monkeys infected with X4-SHIVSF33A2. But while primary infection with the X4 clone was accompanied by rapid and significant loss of peripheral and secondary lymphoid CD4 T lymphocytes, infection with R5-SHIVSF33A2(V3) led to only a modest and transient loss. However, substantial depletion
Developmental precursors of romantic relationships: A longitudinal analysis.

Romantic relationships emerge in a context of earlier experiences with caregivers and peers that contribute to variability in adolescents' capacities for intimacy.
Pros and Cons of Douching The Nurse's Role in Counseling

A guide 10 counseling women with regard lo the “dos and dont's” of douching is presented. The emphasis is on safely measures.
When Companies Do Good, Are Their Products Good for You? How Corporate Social Responsibility Creates a Health Halo

Research has demonstrated that consumers frequently engage in inference making when evaluating food products. These inferences can be highly inaccurate, leading to unintended, unhealthy consumer choices. Previous research has examined the role of inference making in consumption settings from either an inter- or intra-attribute perspective. The current research highlights extra-attribute inferences, in which consumers use corporate-level information to make inferences about product-level attributes. Across four studies, the authors demonstrate the existence of a health halo resulting from corporate social responsibility activities. When consumers evaluate food products marketed by firms with strong corporate social responsibility reputations, they underestimate the calorie content. Furthermore, the authors show that this calorie underestimation can lead to overconsumption by consumers.
Matrix concentration of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) is negatively associated with biomechanical properties of human tibial cancellous bone within individual subjects.

Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), abundant in bone matrix, is believed to play an important role during bone development and remodeling. To our knowledge, however, few studies have addressed the relationship between the concentration of IGF-I in bone matrix and the biomechanical properties of bone tissue. In this study, forty-five cylindrical specimens of cancellous bone were harvested from six human tibiae and scanned using microcomputed tomography (μCT). The bone volume fraction (BV/TV) was calculated from three-dimensional (3D) μCT images. Mechanical tests were then performed on a servohydraulic testing system to determine the strength and stiffness of cancellous bone. Following mechanical testing, the concentration of IGF-I in bone matrix was measured by using an enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay (ELISA). Within each subject, the concentration of IGF-I in bone matrix had significant (P < 0.01) negative correlations with the bone volume fraction, strength, and stiffness of cancellous bone. In particular, the anterior quadrant of the proximal tibia was significantly (P < 0.02) greater in IGF-I matrix concentration and marginally significantly lower in strength (P = 0.053) and stiffness (P = 0.059) than the posterior quadrant. The negative correlations between the cancellous bone matrix concentration of IGF-I and cancellous bone biomechanical properties within subjects found in this study may help us understand the variation of the biomechanical properties of cancellous bone in proximal human tibiae.
The Effects of Protein Content of Flour and Emulsifiers on Tanoor Bread Quality

Abstract Emulsifiers (SSL, GMS-90, DATEM, S-570, S-1170, S-1670, P-1670) with three concentrations (0·25%, 0·50%, 0·75%) and three flour types (soft red winter wheat flour with 9·7% protein, hard red winter wheat flour with 11·2% protein, and hard red spring wheat flour with 14·2% protein) were used to evaluate their effects on tanoor bread quality. For baking breads, an air impingement oven was used. The low and high protein flours were not suitable for this bread because breads made from high protein flour had significantly lower scores for crust smoothness, uniformity of thickness and crumb appearance, but higher scores for area index, first-day rolling, first- and second-day tearing. The low protein flours produced breads with light crust colour and significantly lower scores for rolling, and first- and second-day tearing quality characteristics. Rolling and tearing qualities were improved when high concentrations of emulsifiers were used with low protein flour. The results of this study indicate that optimum tanoor bread was produced from moderate protein flour (11·2%). Emulsifiers improved first- and second-day tearing, and first-day rolling ability, but reduced the score for crust smoothness. Sucrose esters P-1670, S-1670 and S-1170 gave breads with higher overall scores compared to the other emulsifiers studied, but with darker crust colours. Shelf life stability indicated that P-1670, S-1670 and S-1170 at 0·50% concentration improved tearing but not rolling ability characteristics after five days storage at room temperature.
Guiding and managing the child dental patient: a fresh look at old pedagogy

Society's approach to children during the past half-century has changed dramatically, and a transformation of medical and hospital pediatric care has followed. Dentistry has been slower to incorporate sound, child-friendly approaches to care. Nonetheless, much has changed in dental practice pertaining to children. The regular involvement of parents in the surgical/therapeutic suite is one such change. Expanded communication to ensure informed consent for treatment as well as consent for type of management approach to children is the standard of care. Since sedation policies are becoming more complex, enhancing the skills of all dentists and staff members in the best methods of nonpharmacological child management will be essential in the next decades. Biobehavioral methods will gain prominence, along with better communication skills of the dental team. These changes will occur only if more time and resources are positioned to teach dental students, dentists, and staff the necessary skills. Emphasis must be placed on early, timely intervention; parental involvement; effective communication; cultural competence; and the "medical/dental home" concept as methods to reduce negative dental attitudes and behaviors of children.
The evolution of grid-generated turbulence in a stably stratified fluid

The spatial decay and structural evolution of grid-generated turbulence under the effect of buoyancy was studied in a ten-layer, salt-stratified water channel. The various density gradients were chosen such that the initial overturning turbulent scale was slightly smaller than any of the respective buoyancy scales. The observed general evolution of the flow from homogeneous turbulence to a composite of fossil turbulence or quasi-two-dimensional turbulence and internal wavefield is in good agreement with the predictions of Gibson (1980) and the lengthscale model of Stillinger, Helland & Van Atta (1983). The effect of the initial size of the turbulent lengthscale compared with the buoyancy scale on the decay and evolution of the turbulence is investigated and the observed influence on the rate of decay of both longitudinal and vertical velocity fluctuations pointed out by Van Atta, Helland & Itsweire (1984) is shown to be related to the magnitude of the initial internal wavefield at the grid. An attempt is made to remove the wave-component kinetic energy from the vertical-velocity-fluctuation data of Stillinger, Helland & Van Atta (1983) in order to obtain the true decay of the turbulent fluctuations. The evolution of the resulting fluctuations is similar to that of the present large-grid data and several towed-grid experiments. The rate of destruction of the density fluctuations (active-scalar dissipation rate) is estimated from the evolution equation for the potential energy, and the deduced Cox numbers are compared with those obtained from oceanic microstructure measurements. The classical Kolmogorov and Batchelor scalings appear to collapse the velocity and density spectra better than the buoyancy scaling proposed by Gargett, Osborn & Nasmyth (1984). The rise of the velocity spectra at low wavenumbers found by Stillinger, Helland & Van Atta (1983) is shown to be related to internal waves.
Relapsing fever group Borrelia in Southern California rodents.

ABSTRACT Wild rodent reservoir host species were surveyed prospectively for infection with Borrelia hermsii, the causative agent of tick-borne relapsing fever in the western United States. Trapping occurred during the summer of 2009–2012 at field sites surrounding Big Bear Lake, CA, a region where human infection has been reported for many years. Using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), we tested 207 rodents from 11 species and found chipmunks (Tamias spp.) and a woodrat (Neotoma macrotis) infected. Chipmunks represented the majority of captures at these sites. Sixteen of the 207 (7.7%; CI = 4.6–12.4) animals were qPCR-positive for Borrelia spp. associated with relapsing fever, and of those, we obtained bacterial DNA sequences from eight. The phylogram made from these sequences depict a clear association with B. hermsii genomic group I. In addition, we identified an infection with Borrelia coriaceae in a Tamias merriami, a potentially nonpathogenic member of the tick-borne relapsing fever grou...
Prototypes, location, and associative networks (PLAN): Towards a unified theory of cognitive mapping

An integrated representation of large-scale space, or cognitive map, called PLAN, is presented that attempts to address a broader spectrum of issues than has been previously attempted in a single model. Rather than examining woyfinding OS ct process separate from the rest of cognition, one of the fundamental goals of this work is to examine how the wayfinding process is integrated into general cognition. One result of this approach is that the model is “heads-up,” or scene-based, because it takes advantage of the properties of the human visual system and, particularly, the visual system’s split into two pathways. The emphasis on the human location or “where” system is new to cognitive mapping and is part of an attempt to synthesize prototype theory, associative networks and location together in a connectionist system. Not all of PLAN is new, however. Many of its parts have anologues in one or another preexisting theory. What makes PLAN unique is integrating the various components into a coherent whole, and the capacity of this resulting system to speak to o wide range of constraints. Our approach emphasizes adaptiveness: thus, our focus on such issues as ease of use and efficiency of learning. The result is a model that has a stronger relationship both to the environment, and to the ways thot humans interact with it, compared with previous models. The resulting model is examined in some detail and compared to other systems.