cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Physics of Quantum Crystals

Publisher Summary A quantum crystal is one in which the zero point motion of an atom about its equilibrium position is a large fraction of the near neighbor distance. Both short range correlations and long range correlations (phonons) are of importance and must be treated with care in the description of quantum crystals. Recently, considerable progress has been made along these lines. This chapter discusses this progress. It discusses the gross properties of the rare gas solids (mostly solid helium). Particular attention is given to the interplay of “mass” and “interaction” which leads to an expanded lattice and the large zero point motion. It examines the Hartree approximation to the ground state energy of solid helium in order to illustrate the need for including short range correlations in the description of the system. This chapter describes a number of treatments of the short range correlation problem. The first successful theory of the ground state energy in quantum crystals is due to Nosanow. The “theory of correlated crystals” due to Brueckner and FrohbergZ and the “quasi-crystal approximation” of Maasey and Woo are also discussed in this chapter.
InterVLAN VPNs over a high performance optical testbed

In this paper, we present the Optical Networks Research Laboratory (ONRL) Gigabit Ethernet fiberoptic network test-bed. Using this testbed, we consider two cases of provisioning secure and reliable connections for geographically disperse customer-based VLANs over a publicly shared network: 1) using Stacked VLANs (SVLAN) and 2) using L2-VPNs over IP/MPLS core network. We demonstrate the steps taken to install and configure an operational survivable virtual private network (VPN) service built over the ONRL metro-testbed. Finally, we present results of experiments conducted to study the protection and restoration schemes implemented using the previously mentioned scenarios.
Receipt of influenza and pneumonia vaccinations: the dual disparity of rural minorities

OBJECTIVES: To examine the receipt of age-appropriate influenza and pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccinations (PPV), with particular attention to rural minority persons. DESIGN: Data were drawn from the 2005 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. The dependent variables were self-reported receipt of annual influenza immunizations in adults aged 50 and older (n=177,417) or lifetime pneumococcal immunizations in adults aged 65 and older (n=81,762). The main independent variables were residence and race. MEASUREMENTS: All data are self-reported. Multivariate analysis controlled for selected personal and county-level characteristics. Analyses were conducted in 2009/10. RESULTS: Forty-two percent of adults aged 50 and older reported an influenza vaccination; 31.1% of rural African Americans reported an influenza vaccination, and 64.6% reported a PPV. White and African-American rural residents reported lower vaccination rates. Adjusted analysis indicated an interaction between race and rurality. White rural residents were more likely to be vaccinated than other whites, whereas rural African Americans were less likely to be vaccinated than urban African Americans. CONCLUSION: This study confirms previous findings while finding an interactive effect between rurality and race. The results indicated the importance of provider availability to delivery. Alternative delivery methods may be an effective solution to improve delivery rates.
An Inductive Learning System for Rating Securities

During the last few years, we have developed an expect system, called PORSEL (PORtfolio SELection system), which uses a small set of rules to select stocks. This paper improves the PORSEL by incorporating several new features and interfaces. The new PORSEL now consists of three components: the information center, the fuzzy stock selector, and the portfolio constructor. The purpose of the information center is to provide representation of several technical indicators such as candlestick charts, moving average of closing prices, and price trends. The fuzzy stock selector evaluates the listed stocks and then assigns a composite score for each stock. The portfolio constructor generates the optimal portfolios for the selected stocks. The new PORSEL also includes a user-friendly interface for adding and deleting rules during the run time. The results of simulation show that our new version of PORSEL outperformed the market almost every year during the testing period.
The deep coalescence consensus tree problem is Pareto on clusters

Phylogenetic methods must account for the biological processes that create incongruence between gene trees and the species phylogeny. Deep coalescence, or incomplete lineage sorting creates discord among gene trees at the early stages of species divergence or in cases when the time between speciation events was short and the ancestral population sizes were large. The deep coalescence problem takes a collection of gene trees and seeks the species tree that implies the fewest deep coalescence events, or the smallest deep coalescence reconciliation cost. Although this approach can to be useful for phylogenetics, the consensus properties of this problem are largely uncharacterized, and the accuracy of heuristics is untested. We prove that the deep coalescence consensus tree problem satisfies the highly desirable Pareto property for clusters (clades). That is, in all instances, each cluster that is present in all of the input gene trees, called a consensus cluster, will also be found in every optimal solution. We introduce an efficient algorithm that, given a candidate species tree that does not display the consensus clusters, will modify the candidate tree so that it includes all of the clusters and has a lower (more optimal) deep coalescence cost. Simulation experiments demonstrate the efficacy of this algorithm, but they also indicate that even with large trees, most solutions returned by the recent efficient heuristic display the consensus clusters.
Chapter 3. The Scale of Entrepreneurship in Middle Eastern History: Inhibitive Roles of Islamic Institutions

The historical record belies the claim that Islam impeded entrepreneurship by inculcating conformism and fatalism. However, the diametrically opposed view that Islamic institutions are necessarily supportive of entrepreneurship flies in the face of the historical transformations associated with economic modernization. Islamic institutions that served innovators well in the medieval global economy became dysfunctional as the world made the transition from personal to impersonal exchange. The key problem is that Islamic law failed to stimulate the development of organizational forms conducive to pooling and managing resources on a large scale.
Cultivated cells from diagnostic amniocentesis in second trimester pregnancies

Four independent fetal urine specimens yielded clonal growth. The mature colonies were similar to certain classes of amniotic fluid cell clones, and to those obtained from fetal kidney. Kidney specific LDH isozyme patterns, however, were not observed in any of these primary clones.
Regional anesthesia for an upper extremity amputation for palliative care in a patient with end-stage osteosarcoma complicated by a large anterior mediastinal mass

Tumor progression during end-of-life care can lead to significant pain, which at times may be refractory to routine analgesic techniques. Although regional anesthesia is commonly used for postoperative pain care, there is limited experience with its use during home hospice care. We present a 24-year-old male with end-stage metastatic osteosarcoma who required anesthetic care for a right-sided above-the-elbow amputation. The anesthetic management was complicated by the presence of a large mediastinal mass, limited pulmonary reserve, and severe chronic pain with a high preoperative opioid requirement. Intraoperative anesthesia and postoperative pain management were provided by regional anesthesia using an interscalene catheter. He was discharged home with the interscalene catheter in place with a continuous local anesthetic infusion that allowed weaning of his chronic opioid medications and the provision of effective pain control. The perioperative applications of regional anesthesia in palliative and home hospice care are discussed.
Abstract 227: Activation of Angiotensin II Type 2 Receptor Suppresses TNFα-induced ICAM-1 via NF-κB: Possible Role of ACE2

Activation of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) is a major factor contributing to the pathophysiology of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Blockade of the RAS with angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) has been a standard treatment for CVD. Activation of angiotensin II type 2 receptor (AT2) and angiotensin I-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) contribute to the cardioprotective effects of ARBs. Both AT2 and ACE2 counteract the vasoconstrictor and pro-inflammatory effects of angiotensin II. However, the possible interaction between AT2 and ACE2 has never been established. Tumor necrosis factor (TNFα) is a cytokine involved in angiotensin II signaling and promotes the inflammatory response via NF-κB. We hypothesized that activation of AT2 increases ACE2, thereby preventing TNFα-stimulated intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) expression via inhibition of NF-κB. Human coronary artery endothelial cells were pretreated with AT2 antagonist PD123319 or ACE2 inhibitor DX-600, and then stimulated with TNFα in the presence...
Who Broke the Bank of England

In the summer of 1992, hedge fund manager George Soros was contemplating the possibility that the European Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM) would break down. Designed to pave the way for a full-scale European Monetary Union, the ERM was a system of fixed exchange rates linking together twelve members of the European Union, including Britain, France, Germany, and Italy. However, the impact of German reunification after 1989 had created significant strains within the system. Moreover, financial deregulation and the growth of cross-border flows of 'hot" money increased the likelihood that a speculative attack on one or more ERM currencies might succeed. Soros had to decide which currencies to bet against. The Italian lira? The British pound? The French franc? Or all three? The result could determine the success or failure of the project for a single European currency.
CD44 Deficiency Contributes to Enhanced Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis: A Role in Immune Cells and Vascular Cells of the Blood–Brain Barrier

Adhesion molecule CD44 is expressed by multiple cell types and is implicated in various cellular and immunological processes. In this study, we examined the effect of global CD44 deficiency on myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein peptide (MOG)-induced experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a murine model of multiple sclerosis. Compared to C57BL/6 wild-type mice, CD44-deficient mice presented with greater disease severity, increased immune cell numbers in the central nervous system, and increased anti-MOG antibody and proinflammatory cytokine production, especially those associated with T helper 17 (Th17) cells. Further, decreased numbers of peripheral CD4+CD25+FoxP3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) were observed in CD44-knockout mice throughout the disease course. CD44-knockout CD4 T cells exhibited reduced transforming growth factor-β receptor type I (TGF-β RI) expression that did not impart a defect in Treg polarization in vitro, but did correlate with enhanced Th17 polarization in vitro. Further, EAE in bone marrow–chimeric animals suggested CD44 expression on both circulating and noncirculating cells limited disease severity. Endothelial expression of CD44 limited T-cell adhesion to and transmigration through murine endothelial monolayers in vitro. Importantly, we also identified increased permeability of the blood–brain barrier in vivo in CD44-deficient mice before and following immunization. These data suggest that CD44 has multiple protective roles in EAE, with effects on cytokine production, T-cell differentiation, T-cell–endothelial cell interactions, and blood–brain barrier integrity.
Evaluation of an Experimental Treatment for Problem Drivers

This preliminary study compared the effectiveness of a new treatment for problem drivers with the National Safety Council's Defensive Driving Course (DDC) and a control group. Hearing officers from four large Florida cities randomly assigned 432 problem drivers, whose licenses had been suspended, to three groups. Safety officers from each of the four locations taught both the experimental course and the DDC. Pretests and posttests on driving knowledge and attitudes were administered to the three groups. Driving record data of the 358 subjects who completed treatment were used to help identify long-term effectiveness of the treatments. Although there was no significant improvements between the groups in driving knowledge or in attitudes after treatment, the experimental group had a greater reduction than the DDC group and a significantly greater reduction than the control group in traffic law violations and collisions during a one year follow-up period. A larger investigation of the effectiveness of the experimental course is recommended.
PUBLISHING ABOUT AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER IN SIX SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY JOURNALS: 2002–2012

Recent years have seen a rise in the number of students identified with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), with increasing estimates of prevalence still emerging from cohorts monitored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, dissemination to a school psychology audience about these students’ needs has been disparate, with publications being idiosyncratic in the extent to which certain areas have received focused and sustained attention and other areas receiving much less attention. A structured review of the literature examined the extent to which research on children and adolescents with ASD was published within school psychology journals from 2002 through 2012. Results indicate that published studies relating to ASD can be grouped in seven categories, with some being deeply investigated, whereas other topics have been minimally discussed within the field. The most surprising of these findings is the relative lack of publication on the development and psychometric properties of assessment tools used to evaluate students with ASD.
Applying constraint propagation technology to an expert system planning Hubble Space Telescope observations

A relatively simple yet powerful way to represent temporal constraints is as suitability functions, which identify intervals during which a constraint allows or precludes a given activity. The authors describe the successful application of this framework to Transformation, an expert system for planning Hubble Space Telescope (HST) observations. TRANS is charged with many tasks requiring constraint checking, including ordering observations, grouping those performed together and determining timing links between them. These tasks have been successfully performed using the Micro-Spike package, which supports the generation, propagation and path consistency of temporal constraints. >
Dimensional diagnosis of depression: adding the dimension of course to severity, and comparison to the DSM.

It has long been debated whether depression is best classified with a categorical or dimensional diagnostic system. There has been surprisingly little discussion, however, of what the contents of a dimensional classification should include, with most studies employing a single dimension based on symptom severity. The present study explored whether a dimension based on prior course of depression increases the validity of a dimensional model based on symptom severity alone and whether the two dimensions combined improve upon the present categorical system (DSM). The sample consisted of 133 patients with a broad spectrum of depressive diagnoses. External validators included family history of mood disorder, assessed using the family history method, and course over a 6-month prospective follow-up period. Prior course contributed significant incremental validity over and above symptom severity in predicting subsequent course and family history of mood disorder. However, the linear combination of symptom severity and prior course provided only a minimal increase in predictive power over and above the DSM diagnoses of major depressive disorder (MDD) and dysthymia.
Complications of Anesthesia for Head-Neck and Reconstructive Surgery

URGERY of the head and neck region involves sharing the airway. There may be an acute sympathetic response caused by airway manipulation or use of epinephrine or cocaine for vasoconstriction. Common causes of dysrhythmia during head and neck surgery include vagal reflexes, carotid sinus stimulation, epinephrine and volatile anesthetics agents interaction, hypoxia, hypercapnia, and inappropriate anesthetic depth] Head and neck surgery may be associated with substantial and rapid blood loss, for example, radical neck dissection for cancer of head and neck, epitaxis ligation, tonsillectomy, glottic tumors.
Diabetes and fragility fractures — A burgeoning epidemic?

Diabetes and osteoporosis are both diseases of epidemic proportions whose incidence is increasing worldwide. The etiology of osteoporosis is multifactorial and may differ for type 1(T1DM) as compared to type 2 (T2DM). Fragility fractures are common to both types of diabetes with hip fractures occurring more frequently in the elderly T2DM population. The use of oral PPAR gamma agonists in the treatment of T2DM has also added to the risk of fracture. This perspective discusses the etiologies and issues relating to the association of diabetes with osteoporosis and fractures and suggests some theories to clarify the underlying pathophysiology. Unfortunately at this time treatment for osteoporosis and fractures remains empirical.
Simulation-based cutting parameter selection for ball end milling

This paper on ball end milling presents strategies and algorithms for selecting cutting parameters such as width of cut (WOC), feed rate, and spindle speed. One of the major goals is to minimize the overall machining time, but within the constraints of (1) the cutting tool limitations (such as the CNC machine tool capability and the tool strength) and (2) the design specifications of the part being machined (such as the allowable surface finish, the accuracy of machined dimensions of prismatic pockets, and the faithfulness between the CAD-specified free-form contours and the as-machined free-form contours-usually referred to as allowable form error). This is a multiple-variable and multiple-constraint optimization problem. To solve it, first a process model for ball end milling is developed. Based on this model, the form error can be predicted from cutting parameters with simulation software. Second, the cutting parameter space is explored and analyzed, and some important properties that simplify the searching process are discovered. Based on the simulation software and the properties of the cutting parameter space, a simulation-based cutting parameter selection process is developed that does minimize machining time within given constraints.
ZNF367 Inhibits Cancer Progression and Is Targeted by miR-195

Background Several members of the zinc finger protein family have been recently shown to have a role in cancer initiation and progression. Zinc finger protein 367 (ZNF367) is a member of the zinc finger protein family and is expressed in embryonic or fetal erythroid tissue but is absent in normal adult tissue. Methodology/Principal Findings We show that ZNF367 is overexpressed in adrenocortical carcinoma, malignant pheochromocytoma/paraganglioma and thyroid cancer as compared to normal tissue and benign tumors. Using both functional knockdown and ectopic overexpression in multiple cell lines, we show that ZNF367 inhibits cellular proliferation, invasion, migration, and adhesion to extracellular proteins in vitro and in vivo. Integrated gene and microRNA expression analyses showed an inverse correlation between ZNF367 and miR-195 expression. Luciferase assays demonstrated that miR-195 directly regulates ZNF367 expression and that miR-195 regulates cellular invasion. Moreover, integrin alpha 3 (ITGA3) expression was regulated by ZNF367. Conclusions/Significance Our findings taken together suggest that ZNF367 regulates cancer progression.
Management of severely infected wounds in the equine patient

Wound management in equine patients can be very challenging. Bacterial infection of traumatic wounds or surgical incisions compromises healing and further complicates wound management. This paper focuses on recent advances in the management of severely infected wounds, with particular attention paid to selection of antimicrobial agents and to methods for optimizing delivery and efficacy of antimicrobial drugs at the site of infection.
Reliability of self-reported neighborhood characteristics.

The majority of studies examining the relation between neighborhood environments and health have used census-based indicators to characterize neighborhoods. These studies have shown that neighborhood socieconomic characteristics are associated with a range of health outcomes. Establishing if these associations reflect causal relations requires testing hypotheses regarding how specific features of neighborhoods are related to specific health outcomes. However, there is little information on the reliability of neighborhood measures. The purpose of this study was to estimate the reliability of a questionnaire measuring various self-reported measures of the neighborhood environment of possible relevance to cardiovascular disease. The study consisted of a faceto-face and telephone interview administered twice to 48 participants over a 2-week period. The face-to-face and telephone portions of the interview lasted an average of 5 and 11 minutes, respectively. The questionnaire was piloted among a largely Latino and African American study sample recruited from a public hospital setting in New York City. Scales were used to assess six neighborhood domains: aesthetic quality, walking/ exercise environment, safety from crime, violence, access to healthy foods, and social cohesion. Cronbach’s α’s ranged from. 77 to. 94 for the scales corresponding to these domains, with test-retest correlations ranging from 0.78 to 0.91. In addition neighborhood indices for presence of recreational facilities, quality of recreational facilities, neighborhood participation, and neighborhood problems were examined. Test-retest reliability measures for these indices ranged from 0.73 to 0.91. The results from this study suggested that self-reported neighborhood characteristics can be reliably measured.
Sound Transmission in a Lung Phantom Model

Alterations in the structure and function of the pulmonary system that occur in disease or injury often give rise to measurable changes in lung sound production and transmission. A better understanding of sound transmission and how it is altered by injury and disease might improve interpretation of lung sound measurements, including new lung imaging modalities that are based on an array measurement of the acoustic field on the torso surface via contact sensors or are based on a 3-dimensional measurement of the acoustic field throughout the lungs and torso using magnetic resonance elastography. It is beneficial to develop a computational acoustic model that would accurately simulate generation, transmission and noninvasive measurement of sound and vibration within the pulmonary system and torso caused by both internal and external sources. In the present study, sound transmission in the airway tree and coupling to and transmission through the surrounding lung parenchymal tissue were investigated on a mechanical lung phantom with a built-in bifurcating airway tree through airway insonification. Sound transmission in the airway tree was studied by applying the Horsfield self-consistent model of asymmetric dichotomy for the bronchial tree. The acoustics of the bifurcating airway segments and lung phantom surface motion were measured by microphones and scanning laser Doppler vibrometty respectively. Finite element simulations of sound transmission in the lung phantom were performed. Good agreement was achieved between experiments and finite element simulations. This study validates the computational approach for sound transmission and provides insights for simulations on real lungs.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
A Computational Nondestructive Evaluation Algorithm Combining Self-Evolving Parameterization and Multi-Objective Optimization for Quantitative Damage Characterization

A self-evolving parameterization approach for nondestructive evaluation (NDE) of damage in structural components is presented and numerically evaluated. Focused herein on problems relating to characterizing an unknown quantity of localized changes in properties, the adaptive approach utilizes the substantial solution diversity that is uniquely provided by multi-objective optimization to iteratively build up the parameterization and accurately characterize all localized property changes with the minimum dimensional parameterization. Through simulated test problems based on the characterization of damage within plates, the NDE approach with self-evolving parameterization is shown to provide an accurate and efficient process for the solution of inverse characterization problems.
Sensory Experiences Questionnaire: Discriminating Sensory Features in Young Children with Autism, Developmental Delays, and Typical Development.

Background: This study describes a new caregiver-report assessment, the Sensory Experiences Questionnaire (SEQ), and explicates the nature of sensory patterns of hyper- and hyporesponsiveness, their prevalence, and developmental correlates in autism relative to comparison groups. Method: Caregivers of 258 children in five diagnostic groups (Autism, PDD, DD/MR, Other DD, Typical) ages 5–80 months completed the SEQ. Results: The SEQ's internal consistency was α′ = .80. Prevalence of overall sensory symptoms for the Autism group was 69%. Sensory symptoms were inversely related to mental age. The Autism group had significantly higher symptoms than either the Typical or DD groups and presented with a unique pattern of response to sensory stimuli –hyporesponsiveness in both social and nonsocial contexts. A pattern of hyperresponsiveness was similar in the Autism and DD groups, but significantly greater in both clinical groups than in the Typical group. Conclusion: The SEQ was able to characterize sensory features in young children with autism, and differentiate their sensory patterns from comparison groups. These unique sensory patterns have etiological implications, as well as relevance for assessment and intervention practices.
Effects of tyrosine kinase inhibitor STI571 on human mast cells bearing wild-type or mutated c-kit

Abstract Objective. STI571 is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor which inhibits the kinase activity of kit, the receptor for stem cell factor (SCF). Because activating mutations of c-kit affecting codon 816 are associated with human mast cell neoplasms, we determined whether STI571 exerted a similar cytotoxic effect on neoplastic and normal human mast cells. Methods. We investigated the effect of addition of STI571 in increasing concentrations (0.01 to 10 micromolar) to two HMC-1 human mast cell leukemia cell lines carrying two different activating c-kit mutations in codons 816 or 560, as well as the effect of the drug on short-term bone marrow cultures obtained from patients who carry a mutated codon 816 or wild-type c-kit. Results. STI571 failed to inhibit the growth of HMC-1 560,816 cells bearing a codon 816 mutation but effectively suppressed the proliferation of HMC-1 560 carrying c-kit with the wild-type codon 816. STI571 did not induce preferential killing of neoplastic bone marrow mast cells in short-term cultures from patients bearing a codon 816 c-kit mutation. In contrast, STI571 caused a dramatic reduction in mast cells in patients without codon 816 c-kit mutations. Conclusion. These results suggest that STI571, while effectively killing mast cells with wild-type c-kit, did not show preferential cytotoxicity to neoplastic human mast cells and thus may not be effective in the treatment of human systemic mastocytosis associated with codon 816 c-kit mutations.
Preferential alteration of inducible gene expression in vivo by carcinogens that induce bulky DNA lesions

Our laboratory is interested in whether chemical carcinogen—induced DNA damage is nonrandomly distributed in the genome, i.e., “targeted,” at the level of individual genes. To examine this, we have been investigating whether carcinogen treatment in vivo differentially alters the expression of specific genes. In this study, we examined the effects of four model carcinogens that induce bulky lesions in DNA—benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA), and 2-acetylaminofluorene (AAF)—on the steady-state mRNA expression of several constitutive and drug-inducible genes in vivo. We specifically tested the hypothesis that carcinogen-induced DNA damage is preferentially targeted to inducible genes relative to constitutively expressed genes using the chick embryo as a simple in vivo test system. In summary, the four carcinogens had no effect on the steady-state mRNA expression of constitutively expressed β-actin, transferrin, or albumin genes over a 24-h period after a single dose of each carcinogen. In contrast, each of these same treatments significantly altered the mRNA expression of two glutethimide-inducible genes, ALA synthase and CYP2H1. Both the basal expression of these genes and their drug-inducible expression was altered. B[a]P and AFB1 had similar effects on expression of the two inducible genes and caused similar levels of covalent adducts in total DNA, even though the administered doses differed by 30-fold. B[a]P metabolism, B[a]P binding to DNA, and the basal expression of CYP2H1 were similar in liver and lung. However, B[a]P significantly altered basal CYP2H1 mRNA expression in liver, a tissue in which this gene is highly inducible by glutethimide, and had no effect on basal CYP2H1 mRNA expression in lung, a tissue in which this gene is not drug-inducible. These data support the hypothesis that inducible gene expression is a target for carcinogen-induced DNA damage in vivo. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
INSTITUTIONAL SELECTIVITY AND INSTITUTIONAL EXPENDITURES: Examining Organizational Factors that Contribute to Retention and Graduation

Many institutions of higher education increasingly are concerned with retention and graduation rates. Focusing on private Baccalaureate Liberal and General colleges and universities, the purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between institutional selectivity and institutional expenditures and retention and graduation rates. Framed by Berger’s (2001–2002) view that organizational behavior can impact student departure, this inquiry examined if expenditures for instruction, academic support, student services, facilities, institutional support, and institutional grants (i.e. student financial aid) could predict retention and graduation rates at baccalaureate-granting institutions. Institutional selectivity and institutional expenditures, specifically those that directly contributed to students’ academic integration, were found to contribute significantly to retention and graduation rates. Recommendations are suggested, including using the results to inform resource allocation strategies that can enhance retention and graduation rates.
In-Situ XAFS Investigation of K-Promoted Co Catalysts

Abstract In situ XAFS spectroscopy studies have been conducted at reaction conditions on potassium-promoted cobalt catalysts supported on SiO2 and Al2O3, and on similar samples without potassium. Measurements were conducted at temperature up to 200°C under both reducing (flowing H2) and simulated Fischer-Tropsch (F-T) reaction (flowing CO/H2) conditions. K and Co K-edge XANES spectra indicate that K interacts with both the Co phase and the SiO2 support, and that K promotion inhibits the reduction of the Co/SiO2 catalyst in H2 at 200°C. However, under CO hydrogenation conditions in the presence of water vapor, the differences in degree of reducibility are less since the unpromoted catalyst becomes more oxidized. For the K-promoted Co/Al2O3 catalyst, Co K-edge XANES and EXAFS spectra show that Co is initially present as a mixture of Co3O4 and CoO. Under H2 at 200°C, these oxides are reduced to a mixture of CoO and Co metal. During reaction at 200°C in H2/CO, the Co phases are reconverted to a mixture of Co3O4 and CoO. Without K, the Co in Co/Al2O3 is reduced almost completely to Co metal under H2 at 200°C and remains in that form even during reaction at 200°C in H2/CO. Only a minor trace of CoO is observed.
Nanoscale electro-optic modulators based on graphene-slot waveguides

Research on graphene has revealed its remarkable electro-optic properties, which promise to satisfy the needs of future electro-optic modulators. However, its ultrasmall thickness, compared with operating light wavelength, downplays its role in an optoelectronic device. The key to achieve efficient electro-optic modulation based on graphene is to enhance its interaction with light. To this end, some novel waveguides and platforms will be employed to enhance the interaction. Herein, we present our recent exploration of graphene electro-optic modulators based on graphene sandwiched in dielectric or plasmonic waveguides. With a suitable gate voltage, the dielectric constant of graphene can be tuned to be very small due to the effect of intraband electronic transition, resulting in “graphene-slot waveguides” and greatly enhanced absorption modes. Up to 3 dB modulation depth can be achieved within 800 nm long silicon waveguides, or 120 nm long plasmonic waveguides based on three-dimensional numerical simulations. They have the advantages of nanoscale footprints, small insertion loss, low power consumption, and potentially ultrahigh speed, as well as being CMOS-compatible.
The combustion toxicity controversy

As long as 20 years ago the need was considered to extend codes concerned with flammability and/or flame spread, to include combustion toxicity requirements. Due to the lack of suitable toxicity tests at that time, the added code requirements for combustion toxicity were not enforceable. Vinyl resin manufacturers have been cited as purveyors of hazardous materials which, when burned, generate a noxious toxic hazard due to the fumes they produce in a fire. Overlooked are such factors that commercial vinyl products have inherent low ignition and flame spread rates and only generate potentially toxic gases when quantities of other materials burning around them heat the vinyls to the decomposition point. In 1983 New York State commissioned a study by A. D. Little Inc. to assess the feasability of incorporating combustion toxicity requirements into building material and furnishing codes of New York State. This paper summarizes these findings, including evaluation and analysis of the data generated by the two tests selected as best meeting the seven critical criteria. Due to differnt combustion toxicity rankings provided by the two test methods, controversial and confusing interpretations reign. As a result, the author provides a four step set of recommendations.
Comparative studies on the influence of beta-sitosterol and stigmasterol on model sphingomyelin membranes: a grazing-incidence X-ray diffraction study.

Sterols are essential constituents of membranes, both in the plant world and in human organisms. Therefore, their activity on model lipid systems has systematically been studied. Despite intensive investigations, differences in the effect induced by β-sitosterol (β-sito) and stigmasterol (stigma) (two major phytosterols) are very controversial and still under debate. To compare the influence of these compounds on model membranes, we have performed grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXD) experiments on phytosterol/sphingomyelin (Sph) monolayers. The analysis of the X-ray scattering and the resulting in-plane parameters provided information on the lateral organization of pure lipid films and the mixed systems. The obtained results prove a nonideal mixing between the investigated lipids in the monolayers and the existence of strong interactions between phytosterols and Sph. Both the plant sterols incorporated into sphingolipid film condense the monolayer and order Sph chains. The results of GIXD experimen...
Occupational and Religious Mobility in a Small City

Previous studies have suggested a relationship between occupational and religious mobility, namely, that the later should follow upon the former in order to provide the mobile individual with a mor...
Differences in oxygen consumption and ammonia production among American elvers (Anguilla rostrata)

Abstract Oxygen consumption and ammonia production in elvers of varying growth rates were studied. The allometric equation describing the relationship between oxygen consumption and weight is y =00.638 x0,525, where y is the oxygen consumption (mg/h) and x is the mass (g). The weight specific allometric equation for the relationship between ammonia excretion and weight is y x = 0.0129 x 0,465 . Slow growing elvers were found to have higher respiratory rates (0.737 mg O2 h−1 g−1) than would be expected for their size.
Prediction of the fertiliser needs of sugar‐beet grown on fen peat soils

The fertiliser requirements of sugar-beet grown on fen soils were tested in 52 experiments from 1963 to 1969. In some fields, N.P.K and Na and, especially N and P, greatly increased yields, but the average responses obtained with the four elements were small. To help to predict where and how much fertiliser was needed for sugar-beet, soils were grouped according to soil analysis and classified by loss on ignition. Sugar-beet grown on soils with less than 20 μg/ml P (extracted with sodium bicarbonate) needed 1·20 cwt/acre P2O5, with 21–45 μg/ml P, 0·75 cwt/acre P2O5, and with more than 45 μg/ml P no fertiliser was required. Most soils contained high concentrations of K; with less than 100 μg/ml K (extracted with ammonium nitrate), 2·00 cwt/acre P2O was probably justified; with 100–250 μg/ml, 1·00 cwt/acre K2O was needed. Most of the responses to agricultural salt were by crops on soils with exchangeable sodium concentrations of less than 30 μg/ml Na. Loss on ignition was related to response to N fertiliser; when the loss was 14–25%, N increased yield by 6 cwt/acre sugar and 1·2 cwt/acre N fertiliser was Heeded and when the loss was 26–35%, the yield was increased by 3·5 cwt/acre and 0·6 cwt/acre N was needed. With greater losses there was little response.
A thermally-stable enzyme detection assay that amplifies signal autonomously in water without assistance from biological reagents

This Communication describes a thermally-stable small molecule and a corresponding assay strategy that autonomously amplifies a colorimetric signal when a specific enzyme biomarker is detected.
Hope as a predictor of entering substance abuse treatment.

Identification of characteristics that predict entry into substance abuse treatment programs may facilitate efforts to make effective programs more attractive to people who could benefit from them. We examined dispositional hope as a predictor of entering a voluntary substance abuse treatment program for federal prison inmates. Controlling statistically for demographics, comorbid diagnoses, and drug-use history, increased hope was associated with lower probability of entering treatment. Discussion focused on the possibility that in the context of incarceration and substance abuse, high levels of hope may serve as a marker of excessive self-reliance and underestimation of the need for professional treatment.
Development of a Hyperbaric Blower

The development of a magnetically coupled gas circulator (blower) used in the environmental control loops of the new Canadian Deep Dive Facility is described. The circulator operates at ambient pressures as high as 172 bars (2500 psi) and offers safe, noncontaminating, low noise circulation of chamber gases through the environmental conditioning loops. The approach undertaken was to couple a two-stage centrifugal blower built within a pressure vessel to an external electric motor via a high energy synchronous self-cooled magnetic drive providing a packless coupling through the pressure vessel wall itself.
The FDA's regulation of health economic information.

ABSTRACT: Section 114 of the Food and Drug Administration Modernization Act of 1997 was intended to increase the flow of health economic information from pharmaceutical manufacturers to managed care decisionmakers. But the legislation raises a host of complex questions and has provoked diverse opinions from inside and outside the pharmaceutical industry. Moreover, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has yet to issue interpretative guidance on the subject. The challenge in implementing Section 114 lies in developing a policy that improves health economic information exchange while protecting consumers from misleading claims and preserving incentives for manufacturers to conduct rigorous studies.
The Relationship Between Gender Role Conflict and Condom Use Among Black MSM

Gender role conflict may influence condom use among black MSM. We examined relationships between the Gender Role Conflict Scale (GRCS), social/demographic variables and condom use among 456 black MSM. Higher total GRCS scores did not predict unprotected insertive anal intercourse (UIAI) or unprotected receptive anal intercourse (URAI) with men, but were associated with unprotected vaginal or anal intercourse (UVI/UAI) with women among bisexually active participants (n = 69). Higher perceived HIV risk reduced the likelihood of both UIAI and URAI with men. Internet recruitment venues, sexual discrimination experiences, higher numbers of sex partners and UVI/UAI with women all increased the likelihood of UIAI with men, while education (college/technical school or college degree) was associated with URAI with men. Future sexual health interventions for black MSM should emphasize broader social/demographic and alternative gender role variables with male sexual partners, while traditional GRCS variables may prove useful among those with female sexual partners.
Physical properties of some organophosphazene copolymers. II. Thermoelasticity andin situ reinforcement of the cross-linked networks

Aryloxy phosphazene copolymers with phenoxy andp-ethyl phenoxy substituents were cross-linked into elastomeric networks and studied with regard to their stress-strain and thermoelastic (force-temperature) behavior. The thermoelastic results showed that the energetic contribution to the elastic force was negative, indicating that the unperturbed dimensions of the polymer chains decrease with increases in temperature.In situ precipitation of silica into the elastomers by hydrolysis of an absorbed alkoxysilane was found to give excellent network reinforcement.
WE‐A‐301‐01: Characterization of an Adaptive Statistical Iterative Reconstruction (ASiRTM) Algorithm in CT: A Pediatric Perspective

Purpose: This study sought to characterize the effect on image quality and the potential for dose reduction in computed tomography(CT) scanning with an adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction (ASiR™) technique. Methods: The study consisted of (1) characterizing image quality metrics established by the American College of Radiology (ACR) CT accreditation program as a function of ASiR™; (2) calculating the noise power spectrum (NPS) to assess the effect of ASiR™ on noise quality and texture in the reconstructed images; (3) establishing theoretical and practical maximum dose reduction limits with ASiR™ reconstruction for a pediatric population ranging from 1 year old through adolescence. Results: ASiR™ was shown to have no deleterious effects on image quality as assessed by ACR criteria. The assessment of low contrast resolution was found to improve due to reductions of noise magnitude in the reconstructed images. The NPS was calculated for (0–100)% ASiR™ reconstruction. The 0% ASiR™ NPS was centered at 3.2 lp cm‐1 and the 100% ASiR™ spectrum was shown to have shifted to 1.6 lp cm‐1 with a 50% diminished noise power spectral peak. As the noise spectrum shifted towards lower frequencies, the noise texture took on a coarser graininess. When compared with 0% ASiR™, lower frequency reconstructed images (50%, and 100%) ASiR™ demonstrated increased object boundary blurring of (0.3 and 0.5) mm, respectively. For the entire pediatric population, a maximum dose reduction of (50–55)% was demonstrated at (60–70)% ASiR™, but with low contrast boundary blurring of ∼0.4 mm; however, 40% ASiR™ had dose reductions between (20–31)% with a blurring of ∼0.1 mm. Conclusions: All image quality tests were found to meet ACR criteria. A dose reductions of (20–31)% can be achieved for pediatric populations with no change in image quality, little impact on low contrast object boundary blurring, or change in noise texture quality.
A pilot randomized trial of a cognitive reappraisal obesity prevention program.

Background/Objectives Evaluate a selective obesity prevention program promoting use of cognitive reappraisals to reduce reward region response and increase inhibitory region response to high-fat/high-sugar foods and reduce intake of fat and sugar to prevent blunted reward region response to intake of such foods.
Effectiveness of Explicit Phonological-Awareness Instruction for At-Risk English Learners.

This article examines the effects of intensive phonological-awareness (PA) instruction for kindergarten English learners. One intact kindergarten class was provided 300 minutes of intensive instruction in PA. Results indicate that students who received intervention made significant growth in word reading when compared to a cohort of kindergarten students who received general kindergarten instruction. The article also discusses ability-group differences in performance among high-, middle-, and low-performing students and the implications of these findings for instructional practice.
Theory of Heavy Flavor in the Quark-Gluon Plasma

Abstract Heavy-quark interactions in the Quark-Gluon Plasma are analyzed in terms of a selfconsistent Brueckner scheme using a thermodynamic T -matrix based on a potential model. The interrelations between quarkonium correlators, spectral functions and zero-modes, and open heavy-flavor transport and susceptibilities are elaborated. Independent constraints from thermal lattice QCD can be used to improve predictions for heavy-quark phenomenology in heavy-ion collisions.