cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Improving Identification of Food-Insecure Patients in an Outpatient Clinic Setting.

Introduction Food insecurity (FI) is defined as limited or uncertain access to enough nutritious food for all household members to lead an active and healthy life. In 2017, roughly 12% of US households reported FI. FI screening is not standard practice despite FI's association with poor health outcomes. This study compared FI screening strategies in a community-based family medicine residency clinic to determine which strategies identified the largest number of FI patients. Methods We conducted this study using a validated two-question screening tool with high sensitivity and specificity for identifying FI. Three implementation strategies of the screening tool were tested: two clinician-initiated and one staff-initiated. Data measured included opportunities to screen, patients actually screened, and the number of positive (disclosure) responses. Results Clinician-initiated screening rates increased when clinicians followed a standard note template with embedded FI questionnaire vs no template (58.6% vs 7.1%). Despite this improvement, staff-initiated screening returned an even higher screening rate (95.2%). The disclosure of FI determined by staff-initiated screening was also higher (12.2%, similar to previously published data) than clinician-initiated screening (2.3%). Conclusions Staff-initiated screening for FI was the best way of identifying FI patients and yielded results consistent with local and national estimates. Clinicians did not screen patients for FI often enough for this approach to be effective, but embedding FI screening into templated notes improved clinician screening rates. Disclosure of FI when staff conducted screening far exceeded disclosure when screening was initiated by clinicians.
Multi-stability of free spontaneously curved anisotropic strips

Multi-stable structures are objects with more than one stable conformation, exemplified by the simple switch. Continuum versions are often elastic composite plates or shells, such as the common measuring tape or the slap bracelet, both of which exhibit two stable configurations: rolled and unrolled. Here, we consider the energy landscape of a general class of multi-stable anisotropic strips with spontaneous Gaussian curvature. We show that while strips with non-zero Gaussian curvature can be bistable, and strips with positive spontaneous curvature are always bistable, independent of the elastic moduli, strips of spontaneous negative curvature are bistable only in the presence of spontaneous twist and when certain conditions on the relative stiffness of the strip in tension and shear are satisfied. Furthermore, anisotropic strips can become tristable when their bending rigidity is small. Our study complements and extends the theory of multi-stability in anisotropic shells and suggests new design criteria for these structures.
Effects of Rayleigh-Damping Approach on the Elastic and Inelastic Seismic Performance of Fixed- and Flexible-Base Structural Systems

AbstractThe commonly-used viscous damping approach, Rayleigh damping, has been shown to develop excessive damping forces in the nonlinear response history analysis (RHA) of fixed-base structural sy...
Landform evolution of Oudemans crater and its bounding plateau plains on Mars: Geomorphological constraints on the Tharsis ice-cap hypothesis

Abstract In this study we address the question of whether the Tharsis rise that occupies ~25 % of the surface area of Mars was once covered by an ice cap, and the sudden ice-cap melting was responsible for the catastrophic development of the Late Hesperian (3.5-3.6 Ga) circum-Tharsis giant (>1000s km in length) outflow channels. To achieve this goal, we conducted geomorphologic mapping across the Oudemans crater basin (~125 km in diameter) at elevations of ~2.7 km to ~5.0 km and its bounding plateau plains at elevations of ~5.3 km to ~6.7 km in the central Tharsis rise. Our work shows that the Oudemans-impact-induced landforms were superposed by a suite of younger landform assemblages, which consist of horn-like peaks, arete-like ridges, cirque-like depressions, hanging-valley-like features, trim-line-like escarpments, lobate ridges, striated, pitted and hummocky terrains, and features resembling drumlins, crag-and-tails and roches moutonnees. A plateau-plain striated terrain on a hummocky surface exhibits streamlined linear ridges that are 400-2000 m wide and up to ~17 km long. The average length-width ratio (~9), shape, surface texture, and associated washboard landform pattern of the linear morphological features in the striated terrain on Mars are comparable to mega-scale glacial lineations (MSGLs) on Earth. Using well-understood Earth analogues as a guide, we interpret the post-Oudemans-impact landform assemblages to have formed during regional ice-sheet-style glaciation. We further suggest the striated terrain on the plateau plains to have been generated by a fast-moving ice stream in a regional ice sheet that filled 4-km deep Oudemans crater and covered the crater-bounding plateau plains in the central Tharsis rise. The volume of the glacier ice stored in the Oudemans crater basin alone is estimated on the order of ~200,000 km3. The shape of the inferred glacier-induced landforms and their cross-cutting relationships require early northward-flowing northward-advancing glaciation, followed by southward-flowing northward-retreating glaciation. The size-frequency distribution of the craters superposed on top of the interpreted glaciated landforms in the mapped area yields a glaciation age of ca. 3.5 Ga, coeval with the estimated age of the interpreted glacial landforms along the 2000-km long Valles Marineris trough zone east of the study area. The inferred glaciation age is also coeval with the development of the circum-Tharsis outflow channels. Although our work supports the Tharsis ice-cap hypothesis, the full extent of the ice cap within and possibly beyond the Tharsis rise remains unconstrained.
Cross-Platform Classifier of Chemical Stability for Charged Redoxmers

The development of new redox flow battery chemistries is hampered by time-consuming organic syntheses and electrochemical characterization of candidate redoxmer molecules. Here, we use Sure Indepen...
Factors Affecting Root Exudation

Publisher Summary The absorption and desorption of substances that are extremely diverse in molecular size and in physicochemical and biological properties occur at the root surface. Substances (other than water) which are released from plant surfaces have been termed as “exudates” by many investigators, regardless of whether their appearance on the surface is the result of passive or active transport. In regions of the plant other than the root, exudation may occur from special structures called “glands,” but in roots no glands have ever been demonstrated. This chapter brings together the body of information pertaining to the quantitative and physiological aspects of root exudation. It points out the ways the development of techniques for axenic culture of whole plants may aid this kind of research. Exudation from roots of organic substances is affected by a variety of factors, including soil water stress, temperature, light intensity, the age and species of plant, mineral nutrition, soil microorganisms, the degree of anaerobiosis, and the foliar application of chemicals. Compounds exuded, such as amino acids and carbohydrates, are involved in the ecological succession of microorganisms colonizing roots and in interactions with adjacent plants. The implications in the control of plant root diseases, in control of weeds, and in mineral nutrition are unknown. The development of new techniques and simplified systems is needed to establish the causes of plant root diseases and effect the relationships and interactions in the soil-microbial-plant root ecosystem.
The judicialization of biopolitics: Claiming the right to pharmaceuticals in Brazilian courts

In Brazil, low- and middle-income patients are not waiting for new medical technologies to trickle down. They are using free legal assistance and a responsive judiciary to access health care, now understood as access to pharmaceuticals. The pharmaceuticalization and judicialization of health reveal an experiential-political-economic field beyond the biopolitics of populations. At stake in this field are the ways in which government (qua drug regulator, purchaser, and distributor) facilitates a more direct relationship, in the form of technology access, between atomized and ambiguous political subjects of rights and the biomedical market. Not fully governed by either state or market, these subjects negotiate the constraints and possibilities of a technological society using jurisprudence. They work through available legal mechanisms and instantiate new social fields to engage and adjudicate their demands, concretizing abstract human rights. In the process, the judiciary is consolidated as a critical site of politics—and of political economy.
Distribution of skeletal metastases in prostatic and lung cancer. Mechanisms of skeletal metastases.

Abstract The distribution of skeletal metastases in prostatic and lung cancer was examined totest the hypothesis that prostatic carcinoma spreads by a unique hematogenous route. Abnormal technetium-99m methylene diphosphonate bone scans were retrospectively reviewed in 71 patients with prostatic carcinoma and 41 patients with lung cancer comparing patterns of osseous involvement. Differences in the distribution of lesions were not significant. It is concluded that prostatic carcinoma does not metastasize to specific skeletal sites by a singular hematogenous pathway.
Trajectory planning for autonomous nonholonomic vehicles for optimal monitoring of spatial phenomena

This paper considers optimal trajectory planning for autonomous nonholonomic vehicles used in investigating environmental phenomena. In particular, we present an algorithm that generates locally optimal trajectories to find the global maximum of the underlying environmental field. Our algorithm uses Gaussian process priors to estimate the unknown field and the notion of expected improvement to develop an objective function for optimal planning. Monte Carlo simulations focusing on two-dimensional spatial fields show the advantage of our algorithm at finding the global maximum over existing methods.
On the copolymer and cross-linking contribution to the glass transition temperature of model networks

The effect of molecular structure on the glass transition temperature of end-linked networks has been studied by examining a series of stoichiometrically imbalanced poly(propylene glycol)-Desmodur RF (PPG-DRF) and poly(isoprene)tristar-hexamethylene diisocyanate (PIP-HDI) networks. A range of different molecular weights of each prepolymer was used. The PPG-DRF system shows a strong influence of the copolymer contribution on Tg. The modified copolymer approach (MCA) gives good theoretical correspondence with the experiments. This approach successfully predicts the Tg behavior of other cross-linked systems with relatively high cross-link densities. Other existing universal theories have been shown not to describe the Tg well for the PPG-DRF system. Correction of the MCA is possible to account for a small plasticizing effect observed for highly stoichiometrically imbalanced samples. The PIB-HDI system shows no strong contribution of the copolymer effect by virtue of its structure. The difference in cross-link density can explain the changes in Tg. The MCA also yields reasonable results. For both systems it is necessary to consider all cross-linkers for the purpose of determining the cross-link density.
Energy efficient cross layer load balancing in tactical multigateway wireless sensor networks

A tactical wireless sensor network (WSN) is a distributed network that facilitates wireless information gathering within a region of interest. A challenge in the deployment of WSNs is the limited battery power of each sensor node. This has a significant impact on the service life of the network. In order to improve the lifespan of the network, load balancing techniques using efficient routing mechanisms must be employed such that traffic is distributed between sensor nodes and gateway(s). In this paper, we study load balancing from a cross-layer point of view, specifically considering energy efficiency. We investigate the impact of deploying single and multiple gateways on the following established energy aware load balancing routing techniques: direct routing, minimum transmission energy, low energy adaptive cluster head routing, and zone clustering. Based on the node die out statistics observed with these algorithms, we develop a novel, energy efficient zone clustering algorithm called EZone. Via extensive simulations using MATLAB, we analyze the effectiveness of these algorithms on network performance for single and multiple gateway scenarios and show that the EZone algorithm maximizes network lifetime and service area coverage.
Stressors, Types of

Stressors are a wide range of conditions and experiences with the potential to challenge the adaptive capacities of individuals. Stressors represent a distinct part of the stress model and come in a variety of types. As our knowledge of the stress process has increased, and the number of stressors often investigated has grown, the classes of stressors that researchers utilize have grown in number, magnitude, and complexity. The traditional distinction between acute and chronic stressors has developed into a typology that includes daily hassles, traumas, and macro-stressors. We highlight the challenges associated with classifying stressors: most notably, avoiding the pitfalls of confounding stressors and outcomes. Keywords: health psychology; methodology; sociology of health and illness; sociology of mental health; stress
Optical Image Acquisition, Analysis and Processing for Biomedical Applications

Light is a most versatile tool for investigating biological systems and phenomena; the range, non-destructiveness, spatial discrimination and speed of optical imaging are all important for investigating biological structure and function at the cellular, tissue or even whole organism level. In live biological imaging, where the technological requirements are heightened by the challenges posed, other features of light, such as coherence and wave-length, are used to generate the additional contrast and resolution needed. We report here the recent improvements in our ability to image biological specimens optically, focusing on (a) spectral imaging and the related image processing issues, and (b) tomographic three-dimensional fluorescence imaging in vivo.
Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) Intake in Mice Produces Elevated Liver Glutathione and Partially Protects Against Carbon Tetrachloride-Induced Liver Injury

Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) is a organic molecule present in small amounts in a number of foods and sold as a dietary supplement. MSM’s antioxidant actions have been proposed based mostly on indire...
Utility of Routine Exercise Testing to Detect Rate-Related QRS Widening in Patients Without Structural Heart Disease on Class Ic Antiarrhythmic Agents (Flecainide and Propafenone)

Class Ic antiarrhythmic agents are effective in the treatment of various atrial tachyarrhythmias. They are known to cause rate-related QRS widening in the presence of structural heart disease, which can lead to life-threatening arrhythmias. The role of routine exercise electrocardiography in patients without structural heart disease is unknown. All patients initiated on class Ic antiarrhythmic agents and who had exercise electrocardiography performed from June 2009 to June 2013 were included. Symptom-limited treadmill electrocardiography was performed to detect significant QRS widening at peak exercise (defined as an increase of >25% of baseline QRS). Fifty-six patients were included in the study. All patients were screened for structural heart disease before initiation of the medication. Significant QRS widening and atrial tachycardia occurred in a single patient, which terminated with cessation of exercise. This patient had a history of tachycardia-mediated cardiomyopathy with normalization of ejection fraction 3 years before being placed on flecainide. In conclusion, routine exercise testing to detect QRS widening is not warranted in patients with no structural heart disease.
Low-Temperature Formation of Ultra-High-Temperature Transition Metal Carbides from Salt–Polymer Precursors

Refractory transition metal carbides were produced via carbothermal reduction of transition metal halides in a polymer precursor at low temperatures (<1200°C). This approach was used to generate TaC (Tm=3883°C), NbC (Tm=3610°C), and WC (Tm=2870°C) from TaBr5, NbBr5, and WCl4/WCl6, respectively. Solubility of transition metal halides and polymers in the same organic solvents allows for intimate mixing on the molecular level, which reduces the synthesis temperature. Greater than 90% TaC conversion was achieved by exposing a 50:50 weight ratio mixture of TaBr5 and polyimide (or polystyrene) to 1200°C for 1 h. Even at temperatures as low as 1000°C, the major product remains TaC. The ability to process these high-temperature materials so simply, and at relatively low temperatures, makes them accessible for different applications requiring thermal protection such as coatings for metallic components of hypersonic aircraft, rocket engine components, fibers, or refractory containers.
Mumps Class-Specific Immunoglobulins in Radioimmunoassay and Conventional Serology

Antibodies against mumps virus have been studied by using immunoglobulin class-specific indicators labeled with 125I in the radioimmunoassay (RIA) procedure. The immunoglobulins in paired acute and convalescent sera were allowed to react with mumps virus in a solid-phase RIA system. Class-specific immunoglobulin indicators (anti-immunoglobulin M [IgM] and anti-immunoglobulin G [IgG]) labeled with 125I revealed that immunoglobulins of early antisera were preponderantly IgM, whereas immunoglobulins of late antisera were predominantly IgG. These indicators detected antibodies of the early (IgM) and late (IgG) phases of the immune response. These findings are consistent with the classical temporal order of appearance of 19s (IgM) and 7s (IgG) globulins. Specificity of these indicators for reacting with fractionated 7s and 19s globulins is also presented. Mumps virus RIA obtained with anti-IgG correlated well with conventional serological data obtained by neutralization and hemagglutination inhibition, but most strongly with complement-fixation data. In addition, antibody bound by solid phase was capable of distinguishing between related antigens of the myxovirus group.
Ventilator-induced lung injury: in vivo and in vitro mechanisms

A lung-protective ventilator strategy significantly reduces mortality in patients with acute lung injury. Substantial progress has been made in understanding how mechanical stress can injure the lung, both in terms of alterations in barrier properties of the pulmonary endothelium and epithelium as well as in stimulating proinflammatory responses of macrophages and neutrophils.
Equipment for cultivation of fastidious micro‐organisms

Equipment has been developed in which fermentation processes for fastidious, pathogenic micro-organisms can be operated on a pilot-plant scale. Experience has shown the need for the development of concepts, techniques, and equipment meeting more stringent requirements than those ordinarily encountered in the fermentation industry. A system has been developed for the preparation of pure cultures which may be used either for the development of processes or in the preparation of substantial quantities of pure cultures. The equipment includes specially designed valves, fermentors, piping arrangement, and requires special methods of operation in order to maintain pure cultures during growth of the organism. The number of cultures of pathogenic, fastidious micro-organisms contaminated in the systems commonly used in industry is materially greater than the number of contaminated cultures produced in the system described.
Postural changes with aging in tetraplegia: Effects on life satisfaction and pain

Abstract Objectives: (1) To measure kyphosis and scoliosis in individuals with tetraplegia; (2) to examine the relation between kyphosis and scoliosis and years since injury; and (3) to determine the association between kyphosis and scoliosis and measures of pain, depression, and life satisfaction. Design: Cross-sectional, case-control study. Setting: University medical center and a free-standing university-affiliated rehabilitation hospital. Participants: (1) Ten individuals with tetraplegia 1 to 3 years postinjury (NT); (2) 10 individuals with tetraplegia 10 to 20 years postinjury (OT); and (3) 10 control individuals (C) matched to the other subjects on the basis of age, height, and weight. Main Outcome Measures: Radiographic measurements of kyphosis and scoliosis taken in a seated position, pain as measured by the short form of the McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ), depression as measured by the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D), and life satisfaction as measured by the Life Satisfaction Index Assessment (LSIA) and the Craig Handicap Assessment and Reporting Technique (CHART). Results: No significant differences were seen between the OT and NT groups with respect to age, height, or weight. In addition, no significant differences were found between the NT and OT groups with respect to measures of kyphosis and scoliosis. Individuals with tetraplegia had significantly higher ( p Conclusion: This study indicates that seated kyphosis and scoliosis develop early in individuals with tetraplegia and may not be progressive. No association was seen between pain and kyphosis or scoliosis in this relatively young sample (mean age of OT and NT combined, 34.8 years). Future research is needed to determine whether pain becomes a problem in individuals with significant kyphosis or scoliosis as they age.
Engineering the surface texture and shape of channels in ceramic substrates

Abstract Ceramic/ceramic joining can transform surface channels on a ceramic subcomponent into an interior channel. Interior channels have a number of potential uses in advanced ceramic applications, including application as conduits of a variety of fluids, such as fuel, medicine, or cooling fluids. For cooling fluids in particular, the surface texture and shape of the channel can greatly affect its heat transfer and fluid flow characteristics. This paper explores means of “engineering” the surface textures and shapes of such channels, including the fabrication of channels with circular and non-circular cross-sections as well as channels with smooth or textured walls (and channels with a combination of smooth and textured regions). The microstructure of the channels is analyzed using laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM). Although LSCM has been used extensively in biological studies, this study is one of the first studies to apply LSCM as a tool to characterize three-dimensional shapes and textures in ceramic materials.
Embracing the cloud for better cyber security

The future of cyber security is inextricably tied to the future of computing. Organizational needs and economic factors will drive computing outcomes. Cyber security researchers and practitioners must recognize the path of computing evolution and position themselves to influence the process to incorporate security as an inherent property.
Active optics and force optimization for the first 8.4-m LBT mirror

We describe the active support system for the 8.4 m LBT primary mirrors and the use of this system to optimize the mirror figure in the lab before installation in the telescope. We figured the mirror, mounted on passive supports, to an accuracy of 18 nm rms surface after subtraction of spherical aberration and several flexible bending modes that would be corrected with the active supports. After installing the mirror on its active supports, we optimized the 160 support forces based on interferometric wavefront measurements and a finite-element model of mirror bending. We verified the accuracy of the model and determined a scale factor-the model is stiffer than the real mirror-by measuring a number of bending modes using forces calculated from the model. We then optimized the forces to obtain an accuracy of 28 nm rms surface. The optimization included correcting 200 nm of spherical aberration (Zernike coefficient of surface error) with a maximum correction force of 26 N.
When collaboration leads to regression-Some negative consequences of socio-cognitive conflict

Piagetian scholars have argued that cognitive development is fostered by peer social interaction, brought about by ‘socio-cognitive conflict’ between conserver-non-conserver pairs. The nonconservers often attain conservation after having discussed their different opinions with conserving peers, whereas the conservers do not regress to non conservation. These results are generally taken to indicate the beneficial impact of such peer interaction. In this research, carried out with one sample in the United States and one in the Soviet Union, socio-cognitive conflict was engendered between pairs of 5–7 year-olds who were differentiated by their level of thinking about a mathematical balance beam. Contrary to the results reported by the Piagetians, regression was found to be at least as likely as development. The results are discussed in terms of differences between research in the domain of conservation and research in a related domain in which children's levels of thinking and degree of confidence are not confounded.
Current surgical therapy for mucosal ulcerative colitis.

PURPOSE: There are numerous surgical options for the treatment of mucosal ulcerative colitis. METHODS: This article reviews the currently available options for the treatment of mucosal ulcerative colitis. Separate discussions will explore both the options in the emergency and elective settings. RESULTS: Patients with mucosal ulcerative colitis may undergo surgery either as an emergency or in the elective setting. Emergency surgery is usually performed for one of the life-threatening complications of ulcerative colitis: fulminant colitis, toxic megacolon, or massive hemorrhage. The most commonly performed procedure under these conditions is a subtotal colectomy with end ileostomy. The rectal stump may be handled in a variety of ways. This procedure avoids proctectomy or anastomosis. Thus, patients will still have all necessary anatomic structures to allow for any of the definitive elective procedures. Elective surgery is performed for intractable disease, complications of medical therapy, dysplasia, or, occasionally, extraintestinal manifestations. In the elective setting, a definitive operation can be done to remove most or all of the disease-bearing colorectum and leave the patient with a means to control fecal elimination. Total abdominal colectomy with ileorectal anastomosis leaves the patient with diseased bowel but obviates the need for pelvic dissection. Although total proctocolectomy removes all potentially diseased mucosa, these patients have a permanent ileostomy. The stoma can either be a standard Brooke's ileostomy or a continent Kock pouch. The most common definitive procedure currently performed is the near-total proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis. This option can be completed either with a rectal mucosectomy and handsewn anastomosis or with a double-stapled anastomosis, preserving the anal transition zone. This procedure is successful in eradicating almost all diseased mucosa while allowing the patient per anal defecation. Bowel movement frequency, degree of anal continence, and return to social and professional commitments have met with a great deal of satisfaction in most patients. A newer alternative to this procedure employs laparoscopy to facilitate a smaller incision. A one-stage procedure which omits the protective ileostomy and thus saves the patient one operation has also been used with some success in selected cases. CONCLUSION: There are several surgical options for the treatment of mucosal ulcerative colitis. Each one has a role and should be discussed with the patient.
Celiac crisis in a patient with chronic lymphocytic leukemia and hypogammaglobulinemia

Celiac crisis is an acute, fulminant form of celiac disease manifesting with severe diarrhea, metabolic and electrolyte abnormalities, and weight loss. It is mostly seen in children, and there are very few reports in adults. We present a 67-year-old patient with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) who presented with weight loss of 40 pounds, severe diarrhea, hypoalbuminemia and hypokalemia. The patient was immunosuppressed with hypogammaglobulinemia, which is common in CLL. Thus, the patient had negative serological studies for celiac disease. An endoscopic evaluation and HLA typing supported the diagnosis of celiac disease. Although the differential diagnosis was broad, exclusion of other etiologies for diarrhea, prompt diagnosis of celiac disease and initiation of gluten-free diet resolved the crisis. This is the first such report of a patient presenting with celiac crisis on a background of hypogammaglobulinemia.
Fuzzy analytic hierarchy process based group decision support system to select and evaluate new manufacturing technologies

Manufacturing organizations often make complex decisions in regards to investment in new manufacturing technologies (NMT). These NMT are assessed based on attributes such as flexibility, quality etc., which are hard to quantify. This fact calls upon the need for a structured decision support systems that can adequately represent qualitative and subjective assessments. The gist of this paper is to propose an integrated fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (AHP) based approach to facilitate the selection and evaluation of NMT in the presence of intangible attributes and uncertainty. Three important issues that are pertinent and critical to fuzzy AHP, namely contradiction in user preferences, deriving priorities from inconsistent fuzzy judgment matrices, and group decision-making are addressed in detail. Also, an attempt is made to compare fuzzy preference programming (FPP) and two-stage logarithmic goal programming (TLGP) based fuzzy prioritization methods. Based on the comparative study, it is concluded that FPP is preferred over TLGP to select and evaluate NMT. Numerical examples are provided to illustrate the aforementioned issues.
PAGURUS REDONDOENSIS, A NEW SPECIES OF HERMIT CRAB FROM SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA (ANOMURA: PAGURIDAE)

ABSTRACT Pagurusredondoensis, new species, is the only known member of the provenzanoi group of the genus Pagurus in California. This small hermit crab occurs along the mainland of southern California and Santa Catalina Island. It is particularly common in shallow subtidal areas of King Harbor, Redondo Beach.
On the separability of the North Atlantic oscillation and Arctic oscillation

We address the issue of whether the Arctic (AO), and North Atlantic oscillations (NAO) are inseparable, forming an annular mode in the Northern Hemisphere atmospheric circulation. This annular mode is the leading empirical orthogonal function of hemispheric sea level pressure (SLP) data, explaining the largest amount of its variability. We examine whether the NAO and AO are inseparable spatial modes of the atmospheric circulation using rotated principal component analysis (RPCA), a methodology that identifies simple and unique patterns of spatial dataset variability. RPCA of the spring, summer, and autumn SLP fields from 1946–1998 reveal NAO and AO-like patterns, occurring as separate regional teleconnections forming the first and second principal components respectively. The RPCA-based NAO dipole pattern is like that observed in many prior studies, while the AO-like pattern exhibits high SLP variability over the Kara and Laptev seas. During winter however, and in annual analyses, a distinct AO-like pattern is not obtained and the two patterns may be inseparable using commonly accepted RPCA methods. The RPCA-based AO-like mode is significantly linked to north-central Siberian seasonal air temperatures and to the prevailing direction of motion of the underlying Arctic Ocean in summer, suggesting that the non-winter AO-like pattern, as a stand alone teleconnection separate from the NAO, contributes significantly to high-latitude climate and ocean variability. The winter NAO/AO inseparability is discussed as a possible effect of a shared winter storm track between the northeastern Atlantic and the Arctic.
Frequency-domain Integral Equations in Linear Electrodynamics

A general formulation is presented for integral equations in the most general linear media, for which only the free-space Green's function is needed. The frequency-domain integral equations thus obtained contain all previously derived integral equations as particular cases. The derivation is based on the equivalency between a macroscopic and a microscopic formulation of Maxwell's equations. Possible extensions to time-domain electromagnetic fields, that take into account the dispersive properties of the media, are discussed.
Cyclotantalation of 2,6-diphenylphenoxide; x-ray crystal structure of Ta(OC6H3PhC6H4)(OAr-2,6Ph2)2Me

Abstract Treatment of the mixed chloro, aryloxide compounds Ta(OAr-2,6Ph2)2C13 and Ta(OAr-2,6Ph2)3Cl2(OAr-2,6Ph2 = 2,6-diphenylphenoxide) with LiCH3 or Mg(CH2C6H4-4Me)2(CH2Ph-4Me = 4-methylbenzyl) allows isolation of the corresponding alkyls Ta(OAr-2,6Ph2)2R3 (1) and Ta(OAr-2,6Ph2)3R2 (2) (a, R = CH3; b, R = CH2Ph-4Me). Thermolysis of these compounds either in the melt (1) or toluene solution (2) results in the loss of one equivalent of methane or para-xylene and the formation of a series of monocyclometallated compounds (3) and (4). A solid state structural study of Ta(OC6H3Ph C6H4)(OAr-2,6Ph2)2Me (4a) using X-ray diffraction techniques confirms the presence of the six-membered metallacycle formed by cyclometallation of the 2,6-diphenylphenoxide ligand. Spectroscopically, the new Ta—C(ipso) carbon atom is clearly visible at δ-200 ppm in the 13C NMR spectra of (3) and (4). Attempts to thermally induce a second ring closure proved difficult, with considerable decomposition taking place. However, reduction of Ta(OAr-2,6Ph2)3Cl2 with Na/Hg (2 equiv) generates the bis-metallated compound Ta(OC6H3PhC6H4)2(OAr-2,6Ph2) (5) in good yield. The cyclometallation of 2,6-diphenyl-phenoxide ligands by tantalum has thus been achieved both by the use of alkyl leaving groups attached to Ta(V) metal centres as well as by intramolecular oxidative-addition of the aromatic CH bond to Ta(III).
Retention anomaly in ternary solvent systems in reversed-phase liquid chromatography

Abstract In ternary mobile phase reversed-phase liquid chromatography anomalous lags and even maxima in retention are observed as mobile phase composition is varied, e.g., as acetonitrile replaces methanol in water—methanol—acetonitrile mixtures. A number of colligative properties have been determined for such mixtures in an attempt to give physical meaning to the anomaly. The association model of Scott is extended to ternary systems and it is found that there is a close correlation between ‘free water’ concentration and retention, density, surface and interfacial tension.
“Reconociendo los brutos la generosidad de sus amos”: El vestido en el auto general de la fe de 1659

Abstract This article studies wardrobe as an element that was part of the Mise en scene of the auto general de fe in New Spain in 1659, description of which we learn in the Relacion written by Rodrigo Ruiz de Cepeda Martinez, a civil servant of the Tribunal de Santo Oficio de la Inquisicion. In the New Spain society of the seventeenth century wardrobe had two meanings: on one hand, it established both a position and status among a privileged social group, namely as a symbol of power within the courtesan society; another meaning was that of an indicator of the continent's historical transformation as an emerging sign of the constitutive and productive forms of americanidad (American identity).
Reflections on lidocaine for spinal anesthesia

This paper was presented in September 1997 during a Round Table Discussion on lidocaine toxicity, held at the Nobel Forum, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden. The occasion was in honor of Professor emeritus Torsten Gordh, who in August 1997 celebrated his 90th birthday. Torsten Gordh, also present at the Round Table Discussion, was the first anesthesiologist who used lidocaine clinically. Today, when some clinical problems with the intrathecal use of lidocaine are discussed, we are indeed fortunate to have Torsten Gordh still most vital and active in our midst.
Forecasting Earthquakes: The RELM Test

Earthquakes don't have precursors that can be reliably used for earthquake prediction. However, distributions of earthquakes (seismicity) can be used to forecast an earthquake hazard. These distributions in space, time, and magnitude can be studied in a variety of ways. The Regional Earthquake Likelihood Models (RELM) test compares the different approaches.
Religious Diversity in a “Christian Nation”: The Effects of Theological Exclusivity and Interreligious Contact on the Acceptance of Religious Diversity

Using data from the nationally representative Religion and Diversity Survey, Americans’ responses to religious diversity are examined at the national and community levels. While an overwhelming majority of Americans agree that religious diversity has been good for the nation, support for the inclusion of non-Christians in community life is mixed. Theological exclusivism is consistently and strongly associated with negative attitudes toward religious diversity and less willingness to include Muslims and Hindus in community life. Belief that the United States is a Christian nation is associated with a positive view of religious diversity but decreased willingness to include Muslims in community life. Prior contact with Muslims, Buddhists, and Hindus is predictive of more positive views of religious diversity; contact with Muslims is associated with greater tolerance for a mosque in one's community.
Derivatization, Separation and Determination of Steroids and Triterpenoids by Reverse‐Phase HPLC and UV Detection

The steroids were derivatised with aroyl chloride to yield the corresponding benzoates. Among them, their 4-methoxybenzoates were obtained in greatest yield and were analyzed by HPLC with the smallest detection limit (10 ng) by means of a UV detector (254 nm). This method of derivatization can be applied for analysis of steroids and triterpenoids from crude products with the HPLC technique.
Renal function during viomycin administration to dogs.

SummaryDaily doses of 15-60 mg/kg of Viomycin administered for a period of 6 months did not appear to produce any evidence of renal toxicity as estimated by renal function studies (clearances). There were no serious alterations of the concentrations of serum sodium and potassium. These data suggest that the renal toxicity and altered electrolyte metabolism associated with Viomycin therapy may not be as serious as the earlier observations indicated. Therefore, we believe that further use of Viomycin with careful observations for signs of renal toxicity is indicated, particularly in patients unresponsive to the other more effective therapeutic approaches.
The neural correlates of correctly rejecting lures during memory retrieval: the role of item relatedness

Successful memory retrieval is predicated not only on recognizing old information, but also on correctly rejecting new information (lures) in order to avoid false memories. Correctly rejecting lures is more difficult when they are perceptually or semantically related to information presented at study as compared to when lures are distinct from previously studied information. This behavioral difference suggests that the cognitive and neural basis of correct rejections differs with respect to the relatedness between lures and studied items. The present study sought to identify neural activity that aids in suppressing false memories by examining the network of brain regions underlying correct rejection of related and unrelated lures. Results showed neural overlap in the right hippocampus and anterior parahippocampal gyrus associated with both related and unrelated correct rejections, indicating that some neural regions support correctly rejecting lures regardless of their semantic/perceptual characteristics. Direct comparisons between related and unrelated correct rejections showed that unrelated correct rejections were associated with greater activity in bilateral middle and inferior temporal cortices, regions that have been associated with categorical processing and semantic labels. Related correct rejections showed greater activation in visual and lateral prefrontal cortices, which have been associated with perceptual processing and retrieval monitoring. Thus, while related and unrelated correct rejections show some common neural correlates, related correct rejections are driven by greater perceptual processing whereas unrelated correct rejections show greater reliance on salient categorical cues to support quick and accurate memory decisions.
RAPD markers as predictors of infectious hypodermal and hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHHNV) resistance in shrimp (Litopenaeus stylirostris).

Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) fingerprints of two shrimp populations (Litopenaeus stylirostris) were compared to find genetic marker(s) that may be associated with infectious hypodermal and hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHHNV) resistance or susceptibility. Of the 100 10-mer random primers and 100 intersimple-sequence repeat (ISSR) primers screened, five provided markers specific to the Super Shrimp population and three provided markers specific to the wild caught population. The two populations were further characterized for relative viral load (reported as cycle threshold, CT) using real-time quantitative PCR with primers specific to the IHHNV genome. The β-actin gene was amplified to serve as a control for normalization of the IHHNV viral load. The mean viral load was significantly lower (CT = 34.58; equivalent to 3.3 × 101 copies of IHHNV genome/ng DNA) in Super Shrimp than in the wild caught population (CT = 23.49; equivalent to 4.2 × 104 copies/ng DNA; P < 0.001; CT values are inversely rel...
Kick it up a notch: Notch signaling and kidney fibrosis

Notch is a critical regulator of kidney development, but the pathway is mostly silenced once kidney maturation is achieved. Recent reports demonstrated increased expression of Notch receptors and ligands both in acute and chronic kidney injury. In vivo studies indicated that Notch activation might contribute to regeneration after acute kidney injury; on the other hand, sustained Notch expression is causally associated with interstitial fibrosis and glomerulosclerosis. This review will summarize the current knowledge on the role of the Notch signaling with special focus on kidney fibrosis.
Transient shear flow behavior of concentrated long glass fiber suspensions in a sliding plate rheometer

Abstract In order to eventually predict the behavior of long fiber suspensions in complex flows commonly found in processing operations, it is necessary to understand their rheology and its connection to the evolution of fiber orientation and configuration in well defined flows. In this paper we report the transient behavior at the startup of shear flow of a polymer melt containing long glass fibers with a length (L) >1 mm, using a sliding plate rheometer (SPR). The operation of the SPR was confirmed by comparing the transient shear viscosity (η+) for a polymer melt and a melt containing short glass fibers (L
Donut: Measuring Optical Aberrations from a Single Extrafocal Image

ABSTRACT We propose a practical method to calculate Zernike aberrations from analysis of a single long‐exposure defocused stellar image. It consists of fitting the aberration coefficients and the seeing blur directly to a realistic image binned into detector pixels. This “Donut” method is different from curvature sensing in that it does not make the usual approximation of linearity. We calculate the sensitivity of this technique to detector and photon noise and determine optimal parameters for some representative cases. Aliasing of high‐order unmodeled aberrations is evaluated and shown to be similar to a low‐order Shack‐Hartmann sensor. The method has been tested with real data from the SOAR and Blanco 4 m telescopes.
Distribution and dispersion in the Euler-Lagrange random walk

In a new kind of random walk, displaying both Lagrangian and Eulerian statistical properties1), calculations were made previously of the Eulerian and Lagrangian velocity auto-correlations. Now the characteristic function of particle displacement has been calculated, and possible continuum limit forms for the probability density equation have been deduced. One of these turns out to be the telegraph equation, given by Goldstein2) as the limit of a different kind of random walk. For this case the auto-correlation functions have been determined.
On economically tracking a variable environment

Abstract This paper presents a simple model of how an animal should best use experience to track a changing environment. The model supposes that the environment switches between good and bad states according to a first-order Markov chain. The optimal sampling behavior is characterized in terms of the stability of runs (the probability that the environment will stay in the same state from one time to the next) and the relative costs of two kinds of errors: sampling and overrun errors. This model suggests further experimental and theoretical problems.
A non-steady-state compartmental model of global-scale mercury biogeochemistry with interhemispheric atmospheric gradients

A box model of mercury (Hg) cycling between the atmosphere and ocean is described and used to estimate Hg fluxes on a global scale (The Global/Regional Interhemispheric Mercury Model, GRIMM). Unlike previous simulations of this system, few assumptions are made concerning the rate of prominent marine biogeochemical processes affecting Hg (e.g., evasion, particle scavenging, and deep ocean burial). Instead, consistency with two observed atmospheric distributions was required: the interhemispheric gradient in total atmospheric Hg and the value for changes in the deposition of Hg from the atmosphere since industrialization observed in both hemispheres. Sensitivity analyses underscore the importance to modeling of the atmospheric lifetime of Hg, the magnitude of the interhemispheric gradient, the historical changes in Hg concentrations of various reservoirs, and vertical exchange between the surface ocean and the permanent thermocline. Results of the model indicate: lower evasional fluxes of Hg from the global ocean than previous estimates; a prominent role for particle scavenging as a removal mechanism from the surface ocean; a modest influence of dry processes (dust and gas) on Hg removal from the atmosphere; and an estimate of natural land-based sources of Hg to the atmosphere that is no more than about half that of anthropogenic sources.
Convective Structures in a Cold Air Outbreak over Lake Michigan during Lake-ICE

Abstract The Lake-Induced Convection Experiment provided special field data during a westerly flow cold air outbreak (CAO) on 13 January 1998, which has afforded the opportunity to examine in detail an evolving convective boundary layer. Vertical cross sections prepared from these data, extending from upstream over Wisconsin out across Lake Michigan, show the modifying effects of land–water contrast on boundary layer mixing, entrainment, heating, and moisture flux. Through this analysis, an interesting case of lake-effect airmass modification was discovered. The data show atypical differing heights in vertical mixing of heat and moisture, as well as offshore downwelling and subsidence effects in the atmosphere. Analysis shows evidence of a new observational feature, the moisture internal boundary layer (MIBL) that accords well with the often recognized thermal internal boundary layer (TIBL). The “interfacial” layer over the lake is also found to be unusually thick and moist, due in part to the upstream co...