cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparative Resin Kinetics Using in Situ Fluorescence Measurements

The aminolysis of a novel activated ester resin was utilized for kinetic study via continuous in situ fluorescence measurements. A variety of resin compositions (polystyrene, JandaJel, ArgoPore, TentaGel, NovaGel, and PEGA) and solvents (dimethylformamide, acetonitrile, tetrahydrofuran, 1,2-dichlorethane, and toluene) were tested to compare their effects on the reaction rate. A linear relationship between the reaction rate and (solvent polarity × swelling of resin) was elucidated for the aminolysis reaction.
A queueing theoretic approach for performance evaluation of low-power multi-core embedded systems

With Moore's law supplying billions of transistors on-chip, embedded systems are undergoing a transition from single-core to multi-core to exploit this high transistor density for high performance. However, the optimal layout of these multiple cores along with the memory subsystem (caches and main memory) to satisfy power, area, and often stringent real-time constraints is a challenging design endeavor. The short time-to-market constraint of embedded systems exacerbates this design challenge and necessitates the architectural modeling of embedded systems to reduce the time-to-market by expediting target applications to device/architecture mapping. In this paper, we present a queueing theoretic approach for modeling multi-core embedded systems that provides a quick and inexpensive performance evaluation both in terms of time and resources as compared to the development of multi-core simulators and running benchmarks on these simulators. We also calculate chip area and power consumption for different multi-core embedded architectures with a varying number of processor cores and cache configurations to provide a comparative analysis of multicore embedded architectures in terms of performance, area, and power consumption. Our performance and power results indicate that multi-core embedded system architectures that leverage shared last-level caches (LLCs) provide the best LLC performance per watt but may introduce main memory response time and throughput bottlenecks for high cache miss rates, whereas architectures leveraging a hybrid of private and shared LLCs alleviate main memory bottlenecks at the expense of reduced performance per watt.
Can good projects succeed in bad communities

Abstract The lack of “social capital” is frequently given as an explanation for why communities perform poorly. Yet to what extent can project design compensate for these community-specific constraints? I address this question by examining determinants of collective success in a costly problem for developing economies — the upkeep of local public goods. It is often difficult to obtain reliable outcome measures for comparable collective tasks across well-defined communities. In order to address this I conducted detailed surveys of community-maintained infrastructure projects in Northern Pakistan. The findings show that while community-specific constraints do matter, their impact can be mitigated by better project design. Inequality, social fragmentation, and lack of leadership in the community do have adverse consequences but these can be overcome by changes in project complexity, community participation, and return distribution. Moreover, the evidence suggests that better design matters even more for communities with poorer attributes. The use of community fixed effects and instrumental variables offers a significant improvement in empirical identification over previous studies. These results provide evidence that appropriate design can enable projects to succeed even in “bad” communities.
Pcv42: Patients' Willingness to Pay for Pharmacist Managed Warfarin Therapy at Community Pharmacies

OBJECTIVES: This study determined the benefits of pharmacist managed warfarin therapy (PMWT) at community pharmacies by the contingent valuation (CV) method. Benefits of PMWT in clinic have been documented. These are reduction in hospitalizations, emergency room visits and thromboembolic events due to side effects of inappropriate dosing and monitoring. However, these benefits were never measured from patient's perspective using CV method. This study elicited willingness-to-pay (WTP) values for PMWT from community pharmacy patients. METHOD: A self-administered 24 question CV survey was mailed to 2800 patients' homes. These patients were selected from files in community pharmacies or a rural health plan. They were divided into warfarin clinic (ex post) and non-warfarin clinic (ex ante) groups. A payment card method with visual aid charts elicited WTP values in form of out-of-pocket (OOP) expense and additional insurance premium (INS) for PMWT with six probabilities for success (3 probabilities for reduction in hospitalizations & 3 probabilities for reduction in blood clot events). RESULTS: Five hundred and thirty patients (393 usable) responded. Overall mean WTP values for PMWT in the form of OOP or INS were significantly greater than zero. The monthly mean OOP WTP amounts for 28% blood clot event reduction and 26% hospitalization reduction were $17.19 ± 15.57 and $19.26 ± 17.56 respectively. The monthly mean INS WTP for the same probabilities were $11.97 ± 13.66 and $12.66 ± 14.63 respectively. Regression analysis identified that annual household income, selection of health plan with PMWT and attitude towards the health plan's inclusion of PMWT were significant predictors for OOP scheme and only annual household income and selection of health plan with PMWT for INS scheme. CONCLUSION: Patients were able to assign WTP values to different sizes of health gains. Range bias and inconsistency of choice were detected from this sampled population.
Deletions and insertions in the immunity region of coliphage lambda: Revised measurement of the promoter-startpoint distance

Abstract Plaque-forming λc I − mutants which carry internal deletions in the immunity region, including genes c I and rex , were isolated. Among seven independent isolates, only three demonstrably different deletions were obtained. The largest deletion (KH54 or KH115), which eliminates almost all of the DNA between promoters p L and p R , spans the distance from 74.1 to 78.4 %λ, as measured in relation to the left (0 %λ) and right (100 %λ) termini of the mature λ DNA molecule. There were four representatives of a second (74.7–77.7%λ) and one of a third (75.2–78.1%λ) deletion. In addition, a mutant carrying a 1400-nucleotide pair-long insertion in gene c I was isolated. The c I- rex deletions served as markers for more accurate measurements of the physical positions of the endpoints of several bio insertions, a dy plasmid, and the endonucleolytic cleavage sites for the restriction nucleases by electron micrography of DNA heteroduplexes. This led to a reevaluation of our earlier estimate of the interval length between the p L promoter mutation sex 1 and the s L startpoint for the major leftward operon of λ. In agreement with the independent results of others, we find that the p L to s L distance is within the limits of 24–62 nucleotide pairs ( s L - sex 1) or 11 to 45 nucleotide pairs ( s L - Hin II cut in o L ).
Dissecting microbiological systems using materials science

Materials science offers microbiologists a wide variety of organic and inorganic materials with chemical and physical properties that can be precisely controlled. These materials present new capabilities for isolating, manipulating and studying bacteria and other microorganisms and are poised to transform microbiology. This review summarizes three classes of materials that span a range of length scales (nano, micro and meso) and describes a variety of fundamental questions in microbiology that can be studied by leveraging their properties.
D/H Amide Isotope Effect in Model α-Helical Peptides

The contribution of amide related hydrogen bonds to protein stability has recently been evaluated using the “Cm experiment”, which measures the D/H amide isotope effect in proteins. We show here using isolated α-helical peptides that there is a significant effect of denaturant concentration on the measured D/H isotope effect, and that valid comparison of different proteins requires correcting for differences in denaturant (GdmHCl) concentration. Finally our results suggest that H-bonds in an isolated α-helix may contribute more to helix stability because of less strain compared to those in helical proteins and that the buried helical H-bonds in helical proteins are not necessarily energetically more favorable than solvent exposed H-bonds in isolated helices.
Quantification of Alaska pollock surimi in prepared crabstick by competitive ELISA using a myosin light chain 1 specific peptide

Abstract A competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed for quantification of Alaska pollock (AP) surimi in crabsticks. Identification of fish species is complicated by processing, cooking, and additional ingredients. ELISA is a powerful tool for identification and quantification of fish species. Polyclonal antibodies were raised in rabbits against a 15-amino-acid peptide (Ala–Pro–Lys–Lys–Asp–Val–Lys–Ala–Pro–Ala–Ala–Ala–Ala–Lys–Lys) determined from the myosin light chain 1 (MLC 1) of AP. Immunoblotting showed the anti-pep-AP antibody had no significant cross-reactivity with protein additives. However, cross-reactivity of the MLC 1 from Pacific whiting, and threadfin bream surimi was observed. MLC 1 was purified from AP surimi and used as the coating protein in the competitive ELISA. MLC 1 was serially diluted and had a R 2 of 0.9845 following a logarithmic curve. All estimations of AP surimi were within 9% of the actual value. Inter-assay coefficients of variance ranged from 4.2% to 4.9%.
Statistically inferring protein-protein associations with affinity isolation LC-MS/MS assays.

Affinity isolation of protein complexes followed by protein identification by LC−MS/MS is an increasingly popular approach for mapping protein interactions. However, systematic and random assay errors from multiple sources must be considered to confidently infer authentic protein−protein interactions. To address this issue, we developed a general, robust statistical method for inferring authentic interactions from protein prey-by-bait frequency tables using a binomial-based likelihood ratio test (LRT) coupled with Bayes' Odds estimation. We then applied our LRT-Bayes' algorithm experimentally using data from protein complexes isolated from Rhodopseudomonas palustris. Our algorithm, in conjunction with the experimental protocol, inferred with high confidence authentic interacting proteins from abundant, stable complexes, but few or no authentic interactions for lower-abundance complexes. The algorithm can discriminate against a background of prey proteins that are detected in association with a large numbe...
Predictors of self-protective behaviors in non-sexual violent encounters: the role of victim sex in understanding resistance.

Abstract Self-protective behaviors are actions that victims take in a violent encounter to thwart the attack or avoid/minimize injury. This study examines the predictors of self-protective behaviors in non-sexual assault incidents with a particular focus on how the sex of the victim may moderate these conclusions. Non-sexual assault incidents in the National Crime Victimization Survey were analyzed (n = 16,309) and four categories of self-protective behaviors were regressed on a variety of predictors using multivariate probit models. A variety of pre-assault factors (e.g., demographic characteristics), situational characteristics (e.g., location of assault), and the relationship between the victim and offender are associated with the use of resistance. Situational characteristics emerged as the most consistent and strongest predictors of self-protective behaviors. There was little evidence to suggest that separate models for male and female victims were warranted.
Peripheral and central mechanisms of pain

Recent research advances indicate that specialized neural pathways are involved in the encoding of pain sensations and that these pathways are exquisitely sensitive to changes in stimulus features such as intensity, quality, duration and location. Specialized peripheral receptors signal the presence of tissue damage and the information is transmitted to nerve cells in the medullary and spinal dorsal horns. A host of neurochemical mediators are involved in these peripheral and central neural pathways including a number of recently discovered neuropeptides such as enkephalin and dynorphin.
Effects of Dietary Fat and Endurance Exercise on Plasma Cortisol, Prostaglandin E2, Interferon-γ and Lipid Peroxides in Runners

Objective: Exercise and the neuroendocrine and oxidative stress it elicits on immune function is modulated by dietary fat intake. The effects of increasing dietary fat on endurance exercise-induced alterations (80% of VO2max for 2 hours) in the plasma levels of cortisol and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and lipid peroxides were investigated. As higher levels of cortisol, PGE2 and lipid peroxides could be immunosuppressive, the effects of different levels of dietary fat on these measures in runners were determined.Methods: Healthy trained runners (males and females) consumed serially 15% fat diet (of daily energy), 30% fat diet and 40% fat diets for four weeks each. In the last week of each diet period the subjects ran to exhaustion at 80% of their VO2max and blood was drawn pre- and post-run. Cortisol, IFN-γ, PGE2 and lipid peroxides were determined using standard techniques.Results: Pre-exercise levels of plasma cortisol were elevated, IFN-γ was unchanged and PGE2 and lipid peroxides de...
Worldwide practices for pharmacologic therapy in esophageal variceal hemorrhage.

Abstract Objective. Pharmacologic therapy (PT) for patients with esophageal variceal hemorrhage (EVH) may improve outcomes. The aim of this article is to assess the current and potential future use of PT in cirrhotic patients with EVH. Material and methods. We validated a 13-question survey about PT and physician preferences for specific therapies in cirrhotics with EVH; 2349 randomly selected Gastroenterology and Hepatology physicians worldwide were surveyed. The survey addressed institutional location, octreotide or terlipressin use and preference, PT prior to endoscopy, and future plans for terlipressin use, if not already instituted. Results. Of those surveyed, 337 (14%) email addresses were nonfunctioning. Of the remaining 2012 surveyed, 371 (18%) responses were collected. Nearly two-thirds of physicians preferred to use PT prior to endoscopic intervention (p < 0.001). Nearly 70% of respondents only had octreotide available, while 6% had only terlipressin. Of the 24% having both octreotide and terlip...
Effect of sublethal chlorinated discharges on PCB accumulation in transplanted Asiatic clams (Corbicula fluminea)

From 1987–1990, uncontaminated Asiatic clams (Corbicula fluminea) were placed in cages and transplanted into two streams receiving industrial discharges to help identify and quantify polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) contamination to the streams. Clams accumulated substantial PCB residues at most sites monitored, with the exception of the sites closest to chlorinated discharges. Clams placed nearest to the chlorinated stream reaches consistently underestimated PCB contamination, based on the amount of PCBs found in fish and sediment at those sites. In a separate experiment, clams exposed in stream-side tanks to untreated (total residual chlorine ranged from 0.02–0.07 mg−1 L daily) and dechlorinated stream water exhibited differing degrees of valve movement, growth, and PCB accumulation after a four-week exposure to the two treatments. Clams exposed to untreated (chlorinated) stream water closed their shells more often, exhibited less growth, and accumulated substantially lower PCB concentrations than clams exposed to dechlorinated stream water. Clams apparently close their shells to avoid chlorine exposure, thus isolating clam tissues from PCBs found in the stream water and in the clams' food. Because chlorine and PCBs occur together in many industrial discharges, this finding is a significant consideration for monitoring programs that utilize clams to assess PCB bioavailability.
Gastrointestinal manifestations of Henoch-Schoenlein purpura.

A 43-year-old Hispanic male was admitted to the hospital with a 2-week history of epigastric pain, hematochezia, rash, and joint pain in his elbows and knees. The pain was non-radiating, without nausea, vomiting, or exacerbating or alleviating factors. Two weeks prior to the onset of these symptoms he had developed flu-like symptoms that resolved without treatment. His past medical history was significant for hypertension; however, he had no personal or family history of gastrointestinal, hematological, or autoimmune disease. He had been taking hydrochlorothiazide and irbesartan for his hypertension. He did not smoke or drink alcohol. On admission, he was afebrile without any abnormalities in his vital signs or cardiopulmonary examination. Physical examination was notable for palpable petechial and purpuric lesions on his legs, arms, and periumbilical region; epigastric tenderness was elicited upon deep palpation, and his elbows and knees were tender to touch (Fig. 1). Stool occult blood was positive. Laboratory investigations revealed leukocytosis and positive inflammatory markers but without evidence of bacterial, infectious, or autoimmune process. Urine analysis did not reveal hematuria or proteinuria. A skin biopsy was reported as leukocytoclastic vasculitis. Computed tomography, performed at the referring outside hospital, revealed focal thickening of the third and fourth portions of the duodenum and proximal jejunum without signs of intussusception or pancreatic inflammation. An upper endoscopy revealed acute, moderately severe, patchy inflammation, as well as ulcerations and friability of the distal duodenum and jejunum. Duodenal and jejunal biopsies revealed benign small bowel mucosa with acute and chronic inflammation, ulceration and fragments of ulcer bed. Fungal Grocott methenamine silver staining was negative; no granulomas or viral changes were noted. A chest radiograph was normal. Colonoscopy revealed small non-bleeding vasculitic lesions and red erythematous plaques throughout the colon and the terminal ileum (Fig. 2). A small bowel capsule endoscopy, performed to evaluate the extent of gastrointestinal tract involvement, demonstrated scattered areas of erythematous ulcerated mucosa extending from the duodenum to the ileum (Fig. 3). His symptoms began to resolve within 2 days after admission without further treatment. His rash, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and joint pain steadily improved during his hospitalization. At follow-up 2 months later, he remained symptom-free; his urine screen for hematuria remained negative.
SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION AND TEMPORAL CHANGE IN CYTOSOLIC PH AND CA2+ IN RESTING AND ACTIVATED SINGLE HUMAN PLATELETS

Abstract In human platelets, a rapid rise in cytoplasmic Ca2+ and slower rise in cytoplasmic pH follow stimulation by thrombin. With the Ca2+ probe Fura-2 and the pH probe SNARF-1 for digitized fluorescence microscopy, we studied simultaneously the distribution and changes with time of [pH]i and [Ca2+]i in individual human platelets. In platelets coloaded with both probes, the probes had no detectable fluorescence at each other's excitation wavelength. The monovalent cation ionophore, nigericin (2 μM), produced a homogeneous rise in pH but no change in [Ca2+]. Platelets, in contact with glass, spread and developed an irregular, apparently mutually independent rise in both [Ca2+]and pH. Stimulation of platelets by thrombin 1.0 U/ml elevated [Ca2+]i and produced slow alkalinization without initial acidification. Replacement of extracellular Na+ by choline abolished thrombin-induced alkalinization, but had no effect on thrombin-induced [Ca2+]; elevation. ADP 10 μM caused a rapid rise of [Ca2+]i and transient alkalinization. Most stimulated platelets developed a gradient in pH, that was highest in the center. ADP and thrombin caused oscillation of [Ca2+]; but not of [pH]i. We conclude that alkalinization in stimulated platelets, presumably involving Na+/H+ antiport, is not essential for the rise of [Ca2+]i that may accompany it.
Multilateral alliances and innovation output: The importance of equity and technological scope

Abstract The formation of R&D alliances has become an increasingly popular way to achieve improved innovation outcomes. However, R&D alliances face high failure rates due to the dual nature, cooperation and competition, of what can be a very challenging inter-firm relationship, a problem that is compounded when an alliance involves more than two partners. As such, it is important to understand the mechanisms that encourage cooperation in multilateral alliances to help firms achieve desired innovation outcomes. In this study, we hypothesize two such mechanisms: equity governance structure and multi-technology scope. We test our hypotheses using panel data from the pharmaceutical industry spanning 15 years. Our results support the idea that equity governance and having a multiple technology scope are positively related to innovation outcomes in multilateral alliances.
Analysis of gene expression profiles: class discovery and leaf ordering

We approach the class discovery and leaf ordering problems using spectral graph partitioning methodologies. For class discovery or clustering, we present a min-max cut hierarchical clustering method and show it produces subtypes quite close to human expert labeling on the lymphoma dataset with 6 classes. On optimal leaf ordering for displaying the gene expression data, we present a sequential ordering method that can be computed in O(n2) time which also preserves the cluster structure. We also show that the well known statistic methods such as F-statistic test and the principal component analysis are very useful in gene expression analysis.
Extravascular effects of sclerosants in rabbit skin: a clinical and histologic examination.

. Sclerotherapy refers to the injection of a material for the purpose of obliterating a blood vessel. During this procedure a small quantity of sclerosing solution may be unintentionally injected into the tissues surrounding the vessel, either by missing the vessel or leakage of sclerosant upon withdrawal of the needle. Occasionally, the sclerosant may be intentionally injected into an extravascular site in the hope of reducing telangiec-tatic mats (best described as multiple, grouped, extremely fine telangiectatic vessels). The various sclerosants in use appear to vary in their potential to cause necrosis of perivascular tissues as a complication. This study examines the clinical and histologic effects of the intradermal injection of 0.1 ml of 0.25, 0.5, and 1.0% Aethoxysklerol (AES); 0.5% Sotradecol (SOT); and 23.4% hypertonic saline (HS) in rabbit skin. All three agents produced some clinical necrosis with intradermal injection. AES in all three concentrations produced the least clinical necrosis, no histologic necrosis, and resolved faster than SOT or HS.
A comparison of regular with intermittent bronchodilators in asthma patients on inhaled steroids

The aim of this study was to compare the effect of regular versus intermittent (p.r.n.) bronchodilators on bronchial reactivity and asthma control in patients on concomitant inhaled corticosteroids. We studied 12 patients with asthma in a prospective, randomised, single-blind, single-dummy, three-period crossover trial comparing placebo (2 puffs t.d.s.), salbutamol (200μg t.d.s.) and oxitropium bromide (200μg t.d.s.) for 28 days each. Computerised spirometry and bronchial reactivity to histamine were obtained on entry and after each treatment period. Symptom scores, use of rescue bronchodilator and peak expiratory flow rates were recorded daily. There were no significant differences in bronchial hyperreactivity between the salbutamol, oxitropium and placebo treatment periods. There were no significant differences in baseline FEV1, FEF25–75%, symptom scores, use of rescue bronchodilator or morning and evening PEFR between treatment periods. Intermittent beta agonist therapy is as effective as regular therapy in terms of asthma control and bronchial hyperreactivity in patients on concomitant inhaled corticosteroid therapy. Since intermittent therapy achieves similar results with significantly lower beta agonist consumption, the data support current recommendations that beta agonists should be taken on a p.r.n. basis in asthma patients on inhaled steroids.
Advances in deep bed filtration

A review covers macroscopic descriptions of deep bed filters and their analytical solutions; parameter estimation methods; single-media vs. multimedia filters; particle deposition; trajectory calculation of particle deposition rate; some published trajectory calculation results; the contribution of Brownian diffusion to deposition; straining; the effect of surface interaction on deposition; theoretical studies on non-Brownian particles; Brownian diffusion of submicron particles; the effect of particle deposition on filter performance; deposit morphology; quantitative relationships between the extent of deposition and filter bed characteristics; filter design and optimization; pretreatment; the role of flocculants in depth filtration; optimal dosage determination; alum vs. polyelectrolytes; and highlights of Grutsch and Mallatt's study Vertical Bar3Vertical BarChem. Eng. Prog. 7.
Growth and defects of explosives crystals

Large single crystals of PETN, RDX, and TNT can be grown easily from evaporating ethyl acetate solutions. The crystals all share a similar type of defect that may not be commonly recognized. The defect generates conical faces, ideally mosaic crystals, and may account for the “polymorphs” of TNT and detonator grades of PETN. TATB crystals manufactured by the amination of trichlorotrinitrobenzene in dry toluene entrain two forms of ammonium chloride. One of these forms causes “worm holes” in the TATB crystals that may be the reason for its unusually low failure diameter. Strained HMX crystals form mechanical twins that can spontaneously revert back to the untwinned form when the straining force is removed. Large strains or temperatures above 100°C lock in the mechanical twins.
CD4 T-helper cell cytokine phenotypes and antibody response following tetanus toxoid booster immunization

Routine methods for enumerating antigen-specific T-helper cells may not identify low-frequency phenotypes such as Th2 cells. We compared methods of evaluating such responses to identify tetanus toxoid- (TT) specific Th1, Th2, Th17 and IL10(+) cells. Eight healthy subjects were given a TT booster vaccination. Blood was drawn before, 3, 7, 14, and 28days after vaccination and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were cultured for 7days with TT, negative control (diluent), and a positive control (Staphylococcus enterotoxin B [SEB]). Activation markers (CD25 and CD69) were measured after 44h (n=8), cytokines in supernatant after 3 and 7days, and intracellular cytokine staining (ICS) of proliferated cells (identified by dye dilution) after 7days (n=6). Vaccination increased TT-specific expression of CD25 and CD69 on CD3(+)CD4(+) lymphocytes, and TT-specific proliferation at 7, 14 and 28days post vaccination. Vaccination induced TT-specific Th1 (IFN-γ, TNF-α, and IL-2) Th2 (IL-13, IL-5, and IL-4), Th17 (IL-17A) and IL-10(+) cells as measured by ICS. TT-specific Th1 cells were the most abundant (12-15% of all TT-specific CD4(+) T-cells) while IL10(+) (1.8%) Th17 (1.1%) and Th2 cells (0.2-0.6%) were less abundant. TT-specific cytokine concentrations in PBMC supernatants followed the same pattern where a TT-specific IL-9 response was also seen. In conclusion, TT booster vaccination induced a broad T-helper cell response. This method of evaluating cytokine phenotypes may be useful in examining the impact of nutrition and environmental conditions on the plasticity of T-helper cell memory responses.
Real Business Cycle Views of the Great Depression and Recent Events: A Review of Timothy J. Kehoe and Edward C. Prescott's Great Depressions of the Twentieth Century

This book collects essays, most of which were published earlier, into an advertisement for real business cycle (RBC) analysis. Half of the essays discuss the Great Depression; half discuss events of the 1980s and 1990s. They all use the general equilibrium model of economic growth to analyze short-run fluctuations in the rate of economic growth of various countries. I find that the use of closed economy models without frictions is not useful for the analysis of short-run variations in the rate of economic growth. Almost all of these essays end by claiming that variations in the rate of GDP growth were due to changes in the rate of total factor productivity (TFP) growth. They do not provide any explanation for fluctuations in the rate of TFP growth, leaving the reader no closer to understanding these periods of depression and slow growth. I discuss in turn the essays on the Great Depression, the essays on more recent fluctuations, and the definition of "great depressions" used in this volume.
Characterization of composite materials using millimeter-wave techniques

Millimeter-wave reflection and transmission measurements were performed on various composite materials in order to characterize the changes in the structural and optical properties after being subjected to thermal and mechanical stresses.
High-Quality Manganese-Doped Zinc Sulfide Quantum Rods with Tunable Dual-Color and Multiphoton Emissions

We report a simple, fast and green phosphine-free colloidal chemistry to synthesize high-quality wurtzite-type Mn-doped ZnS quantum rods (QRs) with tunable diameters (1.6−5.6 nm), high aspect ratios (up to 50), variable Mn doping levels (0.18−1.60%), and high quantum yields (up to 45%). The electron paramagnetic resonance spectra with modeling reveal the successful doping of paramagnetic Mn2+ ions in the host ZnS QRs. The Mn-doped ZnS QRs demonstrate tunable dual-color (orange and blue) emissions by tuning the doping levels and UV excitation wavelengths. The orange emission with long decay lifetime (3.3 ms) originates from the doped Mn2+ states, while the blue emission with fast decay lifetime (0.31 ns) is attributed to the QR surface states. The bright two- and three-photon excitation upconversion luminescence from the Mn-doped ZnS QRs have been observed using tunable near-infrared femtosecond laser. Our strategy provides a versatile route to programmably control the optical properties of anisotropic sem...
Pursuing the peak of excellence: Wiki as a knowledge base

The pursuit of excellent communication is a path not easily navigated. Challenges arise at every turn, and the greatest obstacle of all is ensuring availability and accuracy of information. Help Desk representatives are the first point of contact for customers placing technology requests and they must have a broad range of knowledge about services provided by the department. A large amount of time is spent in training staff members to achieve the desired level of expertise. At Valparaiso University these staff members are students, adding to the complexity of information sharing as these staff members are only employed for a few years before graduating and entering "the real world." Having a knowledge base is one way to reduce the amount of time needed to train staff members, as information is easily accessible. The Valparaiso University IT Help Desk has been on an ongoing journey to find a knowledge base and after investigating different solutions we have settled on a wiki. At SIGUCCS'07 we described the process of selecting our solution and our anticipated use of the wiki. By October 2008 we will have had over one year of using the wiki, including populating data, keeping it up-to-date, and training staff on its use. Come and look at the journey we have traveled thus far and explore with us the growing potential of this tool as the map of the terrain grows larger with each passing week.
Defining the effective radius of curvature for a nonideal optical beam

A simple expression is given for evaluating the effective or average radius of curvature R(z) of an arbitrarily wrinkled, distorted, or nondiffraction-limited optical beam. This real-beam radius of curvature obeys the same free-space propagation equation as does the wavefront curvature of an ideal Gaussian beam. Extracting this correctable curvature from the beam at any plane simultaneously collimates the beam, makes that location a waist for the real beam, and minimizes the far-field beam divergence starting from that position. >
Uniform Testicular Maturation Arrest: A Unique Subset of Men With Nonobstructive Azoospermia

Purpose: We evaluated the clinical characteristics of men with uniform testicular maturation arrest and nonobstructive azoospermia or severe oligospermia, including the frequency of genetic defects and outcome of intracytoplasmic sperm injection with or without testicular sperm extraction.Materials and Methods: We identified a group of 32 men with nonobstructive azoospermia or severe oligospermia, uniform maturation arrest (single spermatogenic pattern on biopsy), and normal follicle-stimulating hormone (7.6 IU/l or less). These patients were identified from 150 intracytoplasmic sperm injection candidates with severe oligospermia (less than 10,000/cc) and 600 men with nonobstructive azoospermia undergoing attempted testicular sperm extraction-intracytoplasmic sperm injection between November 1995 and September 2006. These patients were characterized based on the frequency of genetic anomalies (karyotype or Y chromosome microdeletions). Rates of sperm retrieval by testicular sperm extraction, fertilization...
A Dual-MBD VAX 11/780 Data Acquisition Facility

The TUNL VAX 11/780 data acquisition facility has been expanded with the installation of a second MBD. Features of the expanded system are described.
Bringing Patient-Centered Outcomes Research to Life

A substantial gap exists between medical evidence that is known and medical evidence that is put into practice. Although the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has a long history of developing the content of evidence, the agency now pivots to close that gap by focusing on evidence dissemination and implementation. Achieving better health outcomes requires both the generation of new patient-centered outcomes research (PCOR) knowledge and the appropriate and timely implementation of that knowledge into practice. The Affordable Care Act provided funds to support both types of PCOR efforts, with AHRQ building on years of experience to advance research dissemination and implementation. This article describes the work the AHRQ has done, is doing, and will do in the future. To communicate PCOR evidence findings, AHRQ is currently synthesizing research findings into convincing collections of evidence that can be best taken up by clinicians, patients and caregivers, and policymakers. The future direction for AHRQ is to improve the context for evidence and practice improvement, thereby creating an environment receptive to PCOR. Toward this goal, AHRQ is actively engaging partners, such as professional societies and insurers, to make evidence central to decision making. In addition, AHRQ recently launched two programs that seek to both understand and encourage the use of evidence in clinical practice. Throughout these efforts, AHRQ will continually assess needs and adapt initiatives to ensure that PCOR translates into improved patient-centered health outcomes.
Massless monopole clouds and electric–magnetic duality

Abstract We discuss the Montonen–Olive electric–magnetic duality for the BPS massless monopole clouds in N = 4 supersymmetric Yang–Mills theory with non-Abelian unbroken gauge symmetries. We argue that these low energy non-Abelian clouds can be identified as the duals of the infrared bremsstrahlung radiation of the non-Abelian massless particles. After we break the N = 4 supersymmetry to N = 1 by adding a superpotential, or to N = 0 by further adding soft breaking terms, these non-Abelian clouds will generally condense and screen the non-Abelian charges of the massive monopole probes. The effective mass of these dual non-Abelian states is likely to persist as we lower the energy to the QCD scale, if all the non-Abelian Higgs particles are massive. This can be regarded as a manifestation of the non-Abelian dual Meissner effect above the QCD scale, and we expect it to continuously connect with the confinement as we lower the supersymmetry breaking scale to the QCD scale.
Cytoplasmic and nuclear estradiol-17β binding in male and female rat brain: Regional distribution, temporal aspects and metabolism

A study was conducted in which we simultaneously measured absolute levels of cell nuclear estradiol-17 beta (E2) retention and cytosol E2 saturation binding capacities in various neural tissues from adult gonadectomized-adrenalectomized (GX-ADX) male and female rats, at various times after a saturating dose of [3H]E2. The results indicate that, with minor exceptions, the basic properties of E2 metabolism and E2 retention kinetics in target brain tissues and corresponding cell nuclear and cytosol fractions are quite similar in GX-ADX male and female rats. The results do not, however, rule out the possibility of subtle sex differences in estrogen binding in at least some brain regions which were studied. The present demonstration of E2 binding in various regions of the male brain is consistent with a physiological role of estrogen in the male; however, the similarities in these E2 binding parameters between the sexes unfortunately shed little light on the marked neuroendocrine sex differences which have been documented. At times of maximal nuclear E2 retention (2 h post-injection), pituitary cytosol was markedly depleted of E2 binding sites, while cytosols obtained from the preoptic area, hypothalamus and amygdala were only moderately depleted. These observations suggest that within the brain the relationship between cytoplasmic and cell nuclear estrogen binding may be different from that observed in non-neural tissues. In all tissues, E2 cytosol binding was replenished to normal levels 24 h after [3H]E2 administration.
Affectionate Behavior in Adult Platonic Friendships Interpreting and Evaluating Expectancy Violations

Affection is a central component of communicative processes in close personal relationships. Despite its importance, however, individuals expressing affection can incur a number of interpersonal risks, especially in nonromantic relationships where opportunities for misattribution on the part of the recipient may be high. Therefore, it is important to understand individuals' expect at ions for the kind and intensity of affectionate behavior they anticipate in their personal relationships. Although extant research has identified a number of influences on expectancies for affection, this study extends existing knowledge by examining how individuals react to expectancy-violating changes in affectionate behavior. An experiment involving 40 pairs of adult platonic friends revealed that unexpected changes in affectionate involvement produce changes in cognitive assessments and behavioral reactions on the part of the recipient, and that violative situations are differentially valenced according to the direction of change in affectionate involvement. These findings are interpreted as support for the tenets of expectancy violations theory.
Development of the polar vortex in the 1999–2000 Arctic winter stratosphere

The 1999–2000 Arctic stratospheric vortex was unusually cold, especially in the early winter lower stratosphere, with a larger area near polar stratospheric cloud formation temperatures in Dec and Jan, and much lower temperatures averaged over Nov–Jan, than any previously observed Arctic winter. In Nov and early Dec, there was a double jet in the upper stratosphere, with the anticyclone cutoff in a region of cyclonic material. By late Dec, there was a discontinuous vortex, large in the upper stratosphere, small in the lower stratosphere; evolving to a strong, continuous, relatively upright vortex by mid-Jan. This vortex evolution in 1999–2000 is typical of that in other cold early winters. Despite unusually low temperatures, the lower stratospheric vortex developed more slowly than in previous unusually cold early winters, and was weaker than average until late Dec.
Detecting impacts of sand grains with a microphone system in field conditions

Abstract This paper describes the “miniphone,” an instrument to measure aeolian saltation. This instrument is a modified electret microphone that detects the impacts of individual grains. The unidirectional miniphone is inexpensive (approximately US$10), small, and poses minimal disruption to the wind field. It can be sampled at rates up to 44,100 Hz using commonly available sound card technology or it can be interfaced with a data acquisition system. Data from deployments on beaches on Marco Island, FL, USA and near Shoalhaven Heads, NSW, Australia using sample rates of 44,100 Hz and 6000 Hz, are presented. An algorithm for identifying discrete impacts of grains is described. The number of saltation impacts was not reduced when sub-sampling a record from 44,100 Hz to 6000 Hz. The most immediate use for the miniphone is for short-term deployments to detect unsteadiness in the saltation field.
Development of a Dynamic Knee Actuator for a KAFO Using Superelastic Alloys

A knee-ankle-foot orthosis (KAFO), which covers the knee, ankle and foot, can mitigate abnormal walking pattern caused by weak quadriceps. Several types of KAFOs are currently available in the market: passive KAFOs, stance-control KAFOs and dynamic KAFOs. In passive KAFOs, the knee joint keeps being locked during standing and walking, and can be unlocked manually to allow free rotation for sitting. Stance-control KAFOs (SCKAFOs) allow free knee motion during swing phase when the braced leg is unloaded. Dynamic KAFOs are able to reproduce normal walking ability throughout whole gait cycle. This research is directed at using superelastic alloys to develop a dynamic knee actuator that can be mounted on a traditional passive KAFO. The actuator stiffness can match that of a normal knee joint during the walking gait cycle. This proposed knee actuator utilizes a storing-releasing energy method to apply functional compensation to the knee joint, controlling the knee joint during both stance and swing phases. Fundamentally, the knee actuator is composed of two distinct parts which are connected with the thigh and shank segments, respectively. There are two superelastic actuators that are housed within these two parts and activated independently. Each actuator is developed by combining a superelastic rod and a rotary spring in series. When neither actuator is engaged, the knee joint is allowed to rotate freely. The stance actuator works only in the stance phase and the swing actuator is active for the swing phase. The conceptual design of the knee actuator is verified using numerical simulation and a prototype is developed through additive manufacturing for confirming the concept.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Barotropic and Baroclinic Annular Variability in the Southern Hemisphere

AbstractThe leading patterns of large-scale climate variability in the Southern Hemisphere are examined in the context of extratropical kinetic energy. It is argued that variability in the Southern Hemisphere extratropical flow can be viewed in the context of two distinct and largely independent structures, both of which exhibit a high degree of annularity: 1) a barotropic structure that dominates the variance in the zonal-mean kinetic energy and 2) a baroclinic structure that dominates the variance in the eddy kinetic energy. The former structure corresponds to the southern annular mode (SAM) and has been extensively examined in the literature. The latter structure emerges as the leading principal component time series of eddy kinetic energy and has received seemingly little attention in previous work.The two structures play very different roles in cycling energy through the extratropical troposphere. The SAM is associated primarily with variability in the meridional propagation of wave activity, has a s...
Parental Alcoholism and Family Functioning: Effects on Differentiation Levels of Young Adults

This study investigated the impact of parental alcoholism and various indices of family functioning on differentiation levels of young adults. A total of 813 college students completed the Differentiation of Self Inventory (DSI; Skowron & Friedlander, 1998), the Self-Report Family Inventory Version II (SFI; Beavers & Hampson, 1990), and questions related to experiences in their families of origin. Analyses indicated that parental alcoholism and levels of functioning, as well as certain experiences within alcoholic families, are significantly predictive of differentiation levels of adult children. Clinical implications of the findings are discussed.
Pharmacological Specialization of Learned Auditory Responses in the Inferior Colliculus of the Barn Owl

Neural tuning for interaural time difference (ITD) in the optic tectum of the owl is calibrated by experience-dependent plasticity occurring in the external nucleus of the inferior colliculus (ICX). When juvenile owls are subjected to a sustained lateral displacement of the visual field by wearing prismatic spectacles, the ITD tuning of ICX neurons becomes systematically altered; ICX neurons acquire novel auditory responses, termed “learned responses,” to ITD values outside their normal, pre-existing tuning range. In this study, we compared the glutamatergic pharmacology of learned responses with that of normal responses expressed by the same ICX neurons. Measurements were made in the ICX using iontophoretic application of glutamate receptor antagonists. We found that in early stages of ITD tuning adjustment, soon after learned responses had been induced by experience-dependent processes, the NMDA receptor antagonistd,l-2-amino-5-phosphonopentanoic acid (AP-5) preferentially blocked the expression of learned responses of many ICX neurons compared with that of normal responses of the same neurons. In contrast, the non-NMDA receptor antagonist 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (CNQX) blocked learned and normal responses equally. After long periods of prism experience, preferential blockade of learned responses by AP-5 was no longer observed. These results indicate that NMDA receptors play a preferential role in the expression of learned responses soon after these responses have been induced by experience-dependent processes, whereas later in development or with additional prism experience (we cannot distinguish which), the differential NMDA receptor-mediated component of these responses disappears. This pharmacological progression resembles the changes that occur during maturation of glutamatergic synaptic currents during early development.
A flexible hardware-oriented fast algorithm for motion estimation

This paper discusses the design of a fast algorithm for motion estimation with emphasis on hardware cost considerations, real-time application, network adaptation, and flexibility. To achieve the best trade-off among hardware cost, computational complexity, and distortion performance, we propose a multi-stage pixel-subsampling motion estimation algorithm. The algorithm has a lower hardware cost than Liu's subsampling algorithm and the three-step hierarchical search algorithm (3SHS) in terms of data flow control, I/O bandwidth, and regularity. Its computational complexity is close to that of 3SHS and its distortion performance, which is better than that of Liu's algorithm and 3SHS, is close to that of full search.