cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ion beam mixing of hydrogenated multilayer FeTi and NiTi films

Abstract Multilayer FeTi and NiTi samples were electrolytically charged with hydrogen to a concentration corresponding to TiHx (x = 1.5−2.3) in titanium layers. The samples were then bombarded with xenon ions (Xe2+) at 600 ke V to induce ion beam mixing. Rutherford backscattering and forward recoil spectroscopies were used to probe the changes in the metal and the hydrogen concentrations and profiles respectively. A fluence of 8 × 1015 Xe2+ cm−2 caused mixing of uncharged samples of FeTi and NiTi. In hydrogenated samples, however, the mixing was significantly retarded in the FeTi case, whereas NiTi was still completely mixed. This was found to correlate with the release of hydrogen during ion bombardment. The corresponding final hydrogen concentrations were one-half of the initial concentration in FeTi and one-third in NiTi.
Exploiting autoregressive properties to develop prospective urban arson forecasts by target

Abstract Municipal fire departments responded to approximately 53,000 intentionally-set fires annually from 2003 to 2007, according to National Fire Protection Association figures. A disproportionate amount of these fires occur in spatio-temporal clusters, making them predictable and, perhaps, preventable. The objective of this research is to evaluate how the aggregation of data across space and target types (residential, non-residential, vehicle, outdoor and other) affects daily arson forecast accuracy for several target types of arson, and the ability to leverage information quantifying the autoregressive nature of intentional firesetting. To do this, we estimate, for the city of Detroit, Michigan, competing statistical models that differ in their ability to recognize potential temporal autoregressivity in the daily count of arson fires. Spatial units vary from Census tracts, police precincts, to citywide. We find that (1) the out-of-sample performance of prospective hotspot models for arson cannot usefully exploit the autoregressive properties of arson at fine spatial scales, even though autoregression is significant in-sample, hinting at a possible bias-variance tradeoff; (2) aggregation of arson across reported targets can yield a model that differs from by-target models; (3) spatial aggregation of data tends to increase forecast accuracy of arson due partly to the ability to account for temporally dynamic firesetting; and (4) arson forecast models that recognize temporal autoregression can be used to forecast daily arson fire activity at the Citywide scale in Detroit. These results suggest a tradeoff between the collection of high resolution spatial data and the use of more sophisticated modeling techniques that explicitly account for temporal correlation.
Proteinuria and cardiovascular disease

In the last few decades, clinical and experimental data have established microalbuminuria/proteinuria as an independent risk factor for renal disease and for progression of renal disease in patients with diabetes and in those with essential hypertension. Reduction of proteinuria with the use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors has been shown in clinical trials to delay or stabilize the rate of progression of renal disease. This effect appears to be independent of any effect on blood pressure control. In conjunction with other therapeutic interventions such as dietary modification and control of serum lipids, it appears that for at least a subgroup of patients, it is possible to delay or prevent progression of kidney failure. More recently, evidence has accumulated that establishes microalbuminuria/proteinuria as an independent risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality even in those without other clinical evidence of kidney disease. There is frequently a clustering of risk factors in these individuals that includes insulin resistance, salt-sensitivity, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. The mechanism of this relationship of proteinuria and cardiovascular disease is unclear, but the presence of proteinuria as a marker for cardiovascular disease has important implications for the identification and treatment of individuals at risk.
1H, 15N, and 13C chemical shift assignments of the mosquito odorant binding protein-1 (CquiOBP1) bound to the mosquito oviposition pheromone

An odorant-binding protein from the Southern house mosquito, Culex pipiens quinquefasciatus (Cqui-OBP1) binds to the mosquito oviposition pheromone (MOP), 6-acetoxy-5-hexadecanolide to facilitate the transport of MOP to membrane-bound odorant receptors. We report complete NMR chemical shift assignments of Cqui-OBP1 bound to the MOP pheromone obtained at pH 7.0 and 25°C (BMRB no. 16175).
Thermal Analysis of Spent Pulping Liquor: Activation Energies

Abstract Differential thermal analysis (DTA) and gravimetric thermal analysis (GTA) were evaluated as techniques for determining the activation energy (E) of the pyrolysis of kraft black liquor. Although more time consuming, DTA gave more meaningful values that were independent of the heating rate and of the (usually unknown) order of the reaction. The use of GTA required assumptions concerning order of reaction, but might be useful for rapid screening. The results may be significant for recovery furnace operation, because the higher Ea, the more difficult it is to maintain combustion. Some typical values of E, in cal/mol, (obtained under a nitrogen atmosphere) for the first exothermic reaction (temperature, °C, in brackets) are: kraft black liquor, 19,400 (290–350); glucose, 9,610 (320–450); kraft liquor plus 10% glucose, 11,100 (240–330); kraft lignin, 7,860 (345–420); spruce wood, 38,100 (290–310).
The Tension Between Empathy and Assertiveness

This article explores two central dimensions of negotiation behavior: empathy and assertiveness. Empathy refers to the process by which negotiators demonstrate an understanding of their counterpart. Assertiveness refers to the process by which a negotiator articulates and advocates her interests. Although many people experience empathy to be incompatible with assertion and vice-versa, the authors suggest that the most effective negotiators develop expertise along both dimensions.
On-line tutorials: What kind of inference leads to the most effective learning?

This paper presents an empirical study comparing the effectiveness of four different versions of an on-line database tutorial, each of which calls upon the student to perform a different kind of inference. The general-to-specific version presents instructions in the form of general rules, from which the students expected to infer how to apply the rule in the give context. The explanation-to-specific version supplies information about the functional organization of the database program in addition to general rules. The specific-to-specific condition gives an example of the use of a command; the student must infer how to apply the command in a slightly different context. The control version gives explicit instructions. The best performance on a post-test consisting of realistic tasks was obtained from the general-to-specific and explanation-to-specific conditions.
Experimental data on small-plastic deformation waves in annealed aluminum

Abstract Experimental data on the propagation of deformation waves in annealed aluminum tubes and rods in which the maximum axial strain is between 100 μin/m and 3000 μin/in are reported. A large variation in propagation speed is observed between specimens which are thought to be identical. The variation is real and is relatively larger near yielding than it is at higher values of strain. Strain histories from a number of specimens are therefore averaged to provide meaningful data for possible comparison with theoretical results. The standard deviation in the data used to obtain the propagation speed is also included. It is shown that in the averaged history, strains above 500 μin/in propagate at constant speed and therefore are as consistent with a strain-rate independent theory as with any other. In the averaged history strains below 300 μin/in have a speed of propagation which decreases as the wave travels down the bar and therefore indicate an apparent strain-rate effect. This apparent strain-rate effect may either be real or that of a mechanically unstable material. Data which strongly suggests that the unstable material is more generally applicable is presented.
C5a mediates secretion and activation of matrix metalloproteinase 9 from human eosinophils and neutrophils

Matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) is a crucial proteinase, utilized by both eosinophils and neutrophils, that mediates transmigration through extracellular basement membranes. We have found that neutralization of MMP-9 by a monoclonal antibody or a chemical inhibitor blocked C5a dependent chemotaxis of these granulocytes in vitro. The levels of MMP-9 secreted by the action of C5a from eosinophils were about 50-fold lower than those from neutrophils, consistent with results from confocal microscopy, where the density of MMP-9 containing granules was fewer within eosinophils than in neutrophils. Zymography indicated gelatin degrading activity of the molecular size of proMMP-9 in supernatants from eosinophils and neutrophils stimulated by C5a, with no evidence of proteolytic activation. Instead MMP-9 activation appeared oxidative, since inhibition of NADPH oxidase and nitric oxide synthase by DPI or L-NIL abrogated C5a-mediated chemotaxis through basement membranes. In keeping with this mode of activation, C5a, known as an agent of superoxide generation, was also found to induce secretion of nitric oxide from human eosinophils and rat granulocytes and monocytes. In conclusion C5a is an important mediator that brings about secretion and oxidative activation of MMP-9, a requisite protease for transmigration, from both eosinophils and neutrophils.
The electronic absorption spectra of bromomethyldiazirine and chloromethyldiazirine

Abstract Electronic absorption spectra of bromomethyldiazirine and chloromethyldiazirine have been obtained at high resolution. Two electronic systems analogous to n -diazirine are observed. The strong progression is the symmetrical NN stretching frequency at 1412 cm −1 in bromomethyldiazirine and 1454 cm −1 in chloromethyldiazirine.
Time spent moving is related to systolic blood pressure among older women.

Isolated systolic hypertension is present in the majority of older women. Exercise is an attractive antihypertensive lifestyle therapy for older women with isolated systolic hypertension, but the amount of exercise needed to reduce blood pressure (BP) is not clear. Evidence is accumulating that lower levels of physical exertion are associated with decreased BP. The authors sought to determine if BP was related to daily time spent moving. Participants were 109 women (mean ± SD, 75.2±7.2 yr). A majority (63.3%) had hypertension, and 48.6% had isolated systolic hypertension. Systolic BP was lower among women moving ≥5 h/d (142.2±18.7 mm Hg) than those moving <5 h/d (149.8±19.0 mm Hg) (p=0.038). Multiple regression analysis indicated that the potentially strong confounding effects of antihypertensive medication use, adiposity, and age did not eliminate these favorable associations between daily time spent moving and systolic BP. Older women should be encouraged to regularly engage in physical activities typical of everyday life such as walking because of its BP benefits.
Phosphorus-31 magnetic relaxation of inorganic orthophosphate in solution

Abstract Measurements have been made of the longitudinal 31P magnetic relaxation of inorganic orthophosphate in H2O and D2O solutions at 121.5 MHz from 278 to 317 K. The phosphorus spin-lattice relaxation time is temperature dependent and dominated by dipolar and spin-rotation interactions to a different extent in the two solvents. The random reorientation of the orthophosphate molecule is responsible for modulation of both interactions. Relaxation parameters characterizing the molecular dynamics of orthophosphate in solution have been obtained by fitting the experimental data to a theoretical relaxation model. Activation energies characterizing the reorientational motion of the orthophosphate molecule are 12.1±0.8 and 11.1±0.8 kJ/mol in H2O and D2O, respectively.
Treatment of Glenohumeral Subluxation Using Electrothermal Capsulorrhaphy

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to review the results of a relatively homogenous group of patients with glenohumeral subluxation without labral pathology who were treated with an electrothermal capsulorrhaphy procedure. Type of Study: Case series without controls. Methods: From 1997 to 1998, 42 patients underwent electrothermal capsulorrhaphy using a monopolar radiofrequency probe (Oratec Interventions, Menlo Park, CA). Patients with prior capsular repairs, labral pathology that required repair, or capsular avulsion injuries were excluded from the study. Thirty-one patients met the inclusion criteria. Patients had a minimum of 2 years of follow-up (mean, 25 months), and a mean age of 25 years (range, 16 to 38 years). All of the patients had previously failed conservative treatment. There were 25 patients with unidirectional anterior instability, 2 patients with unidirectional inferior instability, 1 patient with unidirectional posterior instability, and 3 patients with multidirectional instability. The patients were assessed using a modified American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score that examined pain (30 points), function (60 points), and patient satisfaction (10 points). In addition, subjective stability was assessed using a 10-point scale. Results: The average modified ASES score increased to 88 points from 56 preoperatively ( P P Conclusions: In carefully selected patients with shoulder instability, including unidirectional anterior instability without associated labral pathology, electrothermal capsulorrhaphy was effective and had few complications. Level of Evidence: Level IV, case series without controls.
Rhyme or reason: RNA-arginine interactions and the genetic code

Theories about the origin of the genetic code require specific recognition between nucleic acids and amino acids at some stage of the code's evolution. A statistical analysis of arginine-binding RNA aptamers now offers the opportunity to test such interactions and provides the strongest support for an intrinsic affinity between any amino acid and its codons.
Social Identification in a Computer-Mediated Group for Women in Science and Engineering

Women often face different issues than men when they pursue careers in science and engineering. This case study of a computer-mediated group dedicated to issues concerning women in science and engineering explored how some women in these fields are using computer-mediated groups as resources for social support, information, role models, and mentors. The findings suggest that online groups can be helpful for promoting professional development and satisfaction and that affiliation with an online group can be especially beneficial when a person's face-to-face social network is unavailable or non-existent. A striking finding was the degree to which lurkers derive social identity benefits.
Effects of the Ventricular Activation Sequence on the JT Interval

In a retrospective and prospective analysis of electrocardiograms, we noted that the JT interval is not independent of the ventricular depolarization pattern, but is paradoxically shorter for wider QRS morphologies. Such an affect on the JT interval must be accounted for if it is to be used as an accurate means of following the duration of ventricular repolarization for clinical purposes, such as guidance of drug administration.
Rehabilitation After Total Shoulder Arthroplasty: Current Concepts

Successful outcome of total shoulder arthroplasty depends on a well-designed and a well-executed physical therapy program. For maximal benefit, the program is usually initiated immediately after surgery and follows a logical pattern of joint mobilization followed by muscle strengthening. The process proceeds through a series of well-defined phases. The patient must see him- or herself as the active agent in the program, a concept that is enhanced by a discussion and demonstration of the therapy goals before surgery. Because of a unique understanding of the therapy requirements, the surgeon should remain intimately involved with the patient and therapist, frequently evaluating progress and outcomes of the exercises. When a well-performed surgical procedure is supplemented with a well-designed and frequently monitored therapy program, an excellent outcome of shoulder replacement should be expected.
Non-Suicidal Self-Injury and Motivational Interviewing: Enhancing Readiness for Change

The authors advance motivational interviewing and the transtheoretical model of change as a conceptual framework for counseling clients who engage in nonsuicidal self-injurious behaviors. The major principles of motivational interviewing are applied in a case study of a client who self-injures. Recommendations are made for mental health counseling practice. Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), or self-injury (SI), is often defined as “a volitional act to harm one’s own body without intention to cause death” (YaryuraTobtas, Nezirogula, & Kaplan, 1995, p. 33). Although the relationship between suicide and SI is complex, the behavior is by definition discrete from suicide; it is an act intended to injure the body without causing death (Simeon & Favazza, 2001; Yaryura-Tobias, Neziroglu, & Kaplan). Examples of SI are selfcutting, self-burning, and deliberate self-hitting—behaviors generally considered intermittent, discrete acts of self-directed self-harm (Simeon & Favazza). It is estimated that 1%–4% of the general population and 21%–66% of clinical samples engage in SI (Darche, 1990; DiClemente, Ponton, & Hartley, 1991); there is evidence that prevalence rates are equally distributed among men and women in community samples (Briere & Gil, 1998). An average of 13% of high school students report having engaged in SI at least once (Ross & Heath, 2002), and one recent study of college students found the lifetime prevalence rate of college students having at least one SI incident was 17% (Whitlock, Eckenrode, & Silverman, 2006), suggesting that a significant number of adolescents and young adults self-injure. SI has attracted considerable attention in recent years, not only in clinical environments but also in a number of recent television episodes, movies, and
Associative Learning in Invertebrates

This work reviews research on neural mechanisms of two types of associative learning in the marine mollusk Aplysia, classical conditioning of the gill- and siphon-withdrawal reflex and operant conditioning of feeding behavior. Basic classical conditioning is caused in part by activity-dependent facilitation at sensory neuron-motor neuron (SN-MN) synapses and involves a hybrid combination of activity-dependent presynaptic facilitation and Hebbian potentiation, which are coordinated by trans-synaptic signaling. Classical conditioning also shows several higher-order features, which might be explained by the known circuit connections in Aplysia. Operant conditioning is caused in part by a different type of mechanism, an intrinsic increase in excitability of an identified neuron in the central pattern generator (CPG) for feeding. However, for both classical and operant conditioning, adenylyl cyclase is a molecular site of convergence of the two signals that are associated. Learning in other invertebrate preparations also involves many of the same mechanisms, which may contribute to learning in vertebrates as well.
Evolution in spatial predator–prey models and the “prudent predator”: The inadequacy of steady-state organism fitness and the concept of individual and group selection

We review recent research which reveals: (1) how spatially distributed populations avoid overexploiting resources due to the local extinction of over-exploitative variants, and (2) how the conventional understanding of evolutionary processes is violated by spatial populations so that basic concepts, including fitness assignment to individual organisms, are not applicable, and even kin and group selection are unable to describe the mechanism by which exploitative behavior is bounded. To understand these evolutionary processes, a broader view is needed of the properties of multiscale spatiotemporal patterns in organism–environment interactions. We discuss measures that quantify the effects of these interactions on the evolution of a population, including multigenerational fitness and the heritability of the environment. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Complexity, 2008.
RAAM: The Benefits of Robustness in Approximating Aggregated MDPs in Reinforcement Learning

We describe how to use robust Markov decision processes for value function approximation with state aggregation. The robustness serves to reduce the sensitivity to the approximation error of sub-optimal policies in comparison to classical methods such as fitted value iteration. This results in reducing the bounds on the γ-discounted infinite horizon performance loss by a factor of 1/(1-γ) while preserving polynomial-time computational complexity. Our experimental results show that using the robust representation can significantly improve the solution quality with minimal additional computational cost.
A select review reporting the quality of studies measuring endothelial dysfunction in randomised diet intervention trials.

A quality assessment of the primary studies reported in the literature carried out using select dietary ingredients (DI) purported to affect vascular endothelial function was conducted through a systematic PubMed search from January 2000 to August 2012. A total of seventy randomised controlled trials with defined DI (folic acid (fifteen), n-3 fatty acids (twenty), cocoa (fifteen) and isoflavones (twenty)) and standardised measures of vascular endothelial function were evaluated. Jadad scores, quality scoring parameters for DI and flow-mediated dilation (FMD) methodology used were ascertained. A total of 3959 randomised subjects, mean age 51 (se 0·21) years (range 9–79 years), were represented in the dataset. The mean Jadad scores did not differ statistically among the DI studies, with the majority of the studies being of good quality. Higher DI quality scores were achieved by studies using the botanical ingredients cocoa and isoflavones than by those using the nutrient ingredients folic acid and n-3 fatty acids. The mean DI quality scores were 4·13 (se 0·34), 5·20 (se 0·47), 6·13 (se 0·41) and 6·00 (se 0·59) for the folic acid, n-3 fatty acid, cocoa and isoflavone intervention studies, respectively (and significantly different). The mean Corretti FMD scores were 7·27 (se 0·56), 7·46 (se 0·79), 6·29 (se 0·61) and 7·11 (se 0·56) for the folic acid, n-3 fatty acid, cocoa and isoflavone intervention studies, respectively (NS). FMD studies failed to adequately describe the equipment used and more than half failed to provide an adequate description of the procedures used for vascular image acquisition and measurement. DI can be utilised for dietary intervention studies; however, the methodology should be clearly reported using the guidelines for assessment for both DI and FMD.
Sufficient conditions for regularity and strict identifiability in MIMO systems

We consider regularity and identifiability of convolutive multi-input multi-output (MIMO) systems with additive white Gaussian noise, modeling the source and finite impulse response (FIR) channel sequences as deterministic unknowns. In the blind context, the MIMO system is not locally identifiable; hence, its Fisher information matrix (FIM) is not regular. In fact, the dimension of the complex-valued blind FIM null space is at least the number of sources squared. Because the FIM is singular, additional information about the system is required to resolve the degrees of uncertainty and thereby obtain a valid Cramer-Rao bound (CRB); therefore, it is of interest to know under what conditions the blind FIM nullity reaches its lower bound. We develop sufficient conditions for the complex FIM to attain its minimum nullity, refining previous necessary conditions, and extending single-input multi-output (SIMO) results. We show that the sufficient conditions for the complex FIM to have minimum nullity are also equivalent to sufficient conditions for MIMO strict identifiability. These provide sufficient conditions on the richness of the sources, the required diversity, and the source lengths. Under these conditions, additional constraints, such as training, may be employed to yield an identifiable system with no ambiguities remaining.
Lipid Lowering Promotes Accumulation of Mature Smooth Muscle Cells Expressing Smooth Muscle Myosin Heavy Chain Isoforms in Rabbit Atheroma

Smooth muscle cells (SMCs) in the atherosclerotic intima characteristically differ from those in the arterial media, for example, by reduced expression of SMC differentiation/maturation markers such as smooth muscle myosin heavy chain isoforms (SM1 and SM2). This study tested the hypothesis that lipid lowering promotes maturation of intimal SMCs in 33 rabbits subjected to balloon injury and cholesterol feeding (0.3%) for 4 months (Baseline group, n=15); some of which then were switched to a low-cholesterol diet for 8 months (Low group at 8 months, n=3) or 16 months (Low group at 16 months, n=10). The remaining rabbits continued to consume a high-cholesterol diet for 16 months (High group, n=5). We monitored SMC phenotype by expression of immunoreactive alpha-smooth muscle actin, SM1, and SM2. alpha-Actin is an early marker, and SM1 and SM2 are late markers for SMC differentiation/maturation. Only fully differentiated or mature SMCs express SM2. Data are reported as the percentage of the alpha-actin-positive intimal area occupied by smooth muscle myosin-positive SMCs determined by color image analysis of immunostained sections. Levels of SM1 and SM2, highly expressed by SMCs in the normal aortic media (n=5) decreased in the aortic intima of the Baseline and High groups, indicating a less mature phenotype. In contrast, SM1 and SM2 increased in the Low (16 months) group, indicating that intimal SMCs exhibit a more mature phenotype after lipid lowering. Electron microscopy also showed the presence of mature intimal SMCs with abundant myofilaments. Furthermore, lipid lowering reduced levels of platelet-derived growth factor-B in the arterial intima, a factor known to suppress smooth muscle myosin expression. These data demonstrate that lipid lowering favors accumulation of mature SMCs in the atherosclerotic intima in association with reduced levels of platelet-derived growth factor-B expression. Intimal SMCs in the Low group also displayed reduced expression of matrix metalloproteinases-3 and -9 compared with the Baseline and High groups. These findings shed new light on the effects of lipid lowering at the level of the vascular wall, which may influence the biology of the atheroma.
Electron Spin Polarization by Intramolecular Triplet Quenching of a Nitroxyl Radical Labeled Thioxanthonedioxide

Time-resolved electron spin resonance (TR-EPR) has been used to investigate the chemically induced dynamic electron polarization (CIDEP) generated by the interaction between a stable free radical (TEMPO) and the triplet states of thioxanthonedioxide derivatives. The intensity of CIDEP for intermolecular triplet quenching (thioxanthonedioxide methylester triplets with TEMPO) and intramolecular triplet quenching were compared using a covalently linked TEMPO−thioxanthonedioxide molecule. It is shown that at equivalent concentrations of TEMPO, the CIDEP is much larger in the case of intramolecular triplet quenching than for intermolecular quenching. The CIDEP intensity for intermolecular triplet quenching is limited to a maximum TEMPO concentration of ∼4 mM (at which point spin−spin interactions become dominant) and reaches only 1/8 of the intensity for intramolecular quenching. Laser flash photolysis experiments at room temperature showed that the intramolecular triplet quenching is fast (τt < 20 ns). This q...
Gas sensing using carbon nanotube-based resonator

We present the design and development of a highly sensitive and fast response microwave resonant sensor for monitoring the presence of gases present in the environment. The sensor consists of a circular disk electromagnetic resonant circuit coated with multi/single-walled carbon nanotubes that are highly sensitive to adsorbed gas molecules. Trace amounts (ppb) of gases or organic solvent vapors (polar or non-polar) can be detected with high selectivity and sensitivity. The enhanced sensing properties result from a change in the effective dielectric properties of the resonator when exposed to different gas environments. In general, the resonant frequency shifts scale accordingly with the dielectric constants of the gases under test and the recovery and response times are <10 minutes. Importantly, our sensing platform does not require functionalized carbon nanotubes to enhance specificity, or wire connection to the nanotubes, making it attractive for remote sensor technology.
Importance Placed on Physical Attractiveness and Advertisement-Inspired Social Comparison Behavior Among Japanese Female and Male Teenagers

The primary objective of this study was to examine advertisement-inspired social comparison behavior among Japanese female and male teenagers. It was found that both females and males compared themselves with models in advertisements, although females engaged in the behavior more than males. Significant associations were also found between ad-inspired comparison behavior and the importance placed on physical attractiveness in social roles as well as the acceptance of artificial means of enhancing appearance. Public self-consciousness was the primary psychological construct found to be driving ad-inspired social comparison behavior.
A formative assessment of students’ algebraic variable misconceptions

Abstract Gaining an accurate understanding of variables is one challenge many students face when learning algebra. Prior research has shown that a significant number of students hold misconceptions about variables and that misconceptions impede learning. Yet, teachers do not have access to diagnostic tools that can help them determine the misconceptions about variables that their students harbor. Therefore, a formative assessment for variable misconceptions was created and administered to 437 middle- and high-school students. Analyses from the test scores were found to exhibit strong reliability, predictive validity, and construct validity in addition to important developmental trends. Both teachers and researchers can use the test to identify students who hold misconceptions about variables.
Uncertainty in the Specification of Surface Characteristics, Part ii: Hierarchy of Interaction-Explicit Statistical Analysis

The uncertainty in the specification of surface characteristics in soil-vegetation- atmosphere-transfer (SVAT) schemes within planetary boundary-layer (PBL) or mesoscale models is addressed. The hypothesis to be tested is whether the errors in the specification of the individual parameters are accumulative or whether they tend to balance each other in the overall sense for the system. A hierarchy of statistical applications is developed: classical one-at-a-time (OAT) approach, level 1; linear analysis of variance (ANOVA), level 1.5; fractional factorial (FF), or level 2; two-factor interaction (TFI) technique, or level 2.5; and a non-linear response surface methodology (RSM), or level 3. Using the First ISLSCP Field Experiment (FIFE) observations for June 6, 1987 as the initial condition for a SVAT scheme dynamically coupled to a PBL model, the interactions between uncertainty errors are analyzed. A secondary objective addresses the temporal changes in the uncertainty pattern using data for morning, afternoon, and evening conditions. It is found that the outcome from the level 1 OAT-like studies can be considered as the limiting uncertainty values for the majority of mesoscale cases. From the higher-level analyses, it is concluded that for most of the moderate surface scenarios, the effective uncertainty from the individual parameters is balanced and thus lowered. However, for the extreme cases, such as near wilting or saturation soil moisture, the uncertainties add up synergistically and these effects can be even greater than those from the outcomes of the OAT-like studies. Thus, parameter uncertainty cannot be simply related to its deviation alone, but is also dependent on other parameter settings. Also, from the temporal changes in the interaction pattern studies, it is found that, for the morning case soil texture is the important parameter, for afternoon vegetation parameters are crucial, while for the evening case soil moisture is capable of propagating maximum uncertainty in the SVAT processes. Finally, a generic hypothesis is presented that an appropriate question for analysis has to be rephrased from the previous 'which parameters are significant?’ to 'what scenarios make a particular parameter significant?’
Global Adaptive Lyapunov-Based Control of a Robot and Mass-Spring System Undergoing An Impact Collision

The control of dynamic systems that undergo an impact collision is both theoretically challenging and of practical importance. An appeal of studying systems that undergo an impact is that short-duration effects such as high stresses, rapid dissipation of energy, and fast acceleration and deceleration may be achieved from low-energy sources. However, colliding systems present a difficult control challenge because the equations of motion are different when the system status changes suddenly from a non-contact state to a contact state. In this paper an adaptive nonlinear controller is designed to regulate the states of two dynamic systems that collide. The academic example of a planar robot colliding with an unactuated spring-mass system is used to represent a broader class of such systems. The control objective is defined as the desire to command a robot to collide with an unactuated system and regulate the spring-mass to a desired compressed state while compensating for the unknown constant system parameters. Lyapunov-based methods are used to develop a continuous adaptive controller that yields global asymptotic regulation of the spring-mass and robot links. It is interesting to note that one controller is responsible for achieving the control objective when the robot is in free motion (i.e., decoupled from the mass-spring system), when the systems collide, and when the system dynamics are coupled.
Maximizing life’s potentials in AIDS: A psychopharmacologic update

Abstract Psychiatric factors play a major role in the AIDS pandemic. They have an impact on transmission, morbidity, coping, adherence, and quality of life and of death. Substance-related disorders are associated with HIV transmission through needle sharing, sexual transmission, exchange of sex for drugs, and perinatal transmission. Persons with AIDS have a high prevalence of substance-related disorders, mood disorders, dementia, mania, and delirium. Persons with AIDS require complex medications, including combination antiretroviral therapy and prophylaxis and treatment for opportunistic infections and cancers. Recognition and treatment of distressing symptoms can maximize life’s potentials and enhance adherence with risk prevention and with care. We describe an integrated approach to the use of psychotropic medications in the care of persons with AIDS. With the new antiretroviral therapies available, psychotropic medications can be helpful in alleviating distressing symptoms, promoting less risk taking, and adhering to complex medical care. The intricacies and complexities of new medical and psychopharmacological issues are delineated in order to enable caregivers help persons with AIDS to maximize life’s potentials.
Marital status and satisfaction five years following a randomized clinical trial comparing traditional versus integrative behavioral couple therapy.

Objective: To follow distressed married couples for 5 years after their participation in a randomized clinical trial. Method: A total of 134 chronically and seriously distressed married couples were randomly assigned to approximately 8 months of either traditional behavioral couple therapy (TBCT; Jacobson & Margolin, 1979) or integrative behavioral couple therapy (IBCT; Jacobson & Christensen, 1998). Marital status and satisfaction were assessed approximately every 3 months during treatment and every 6 months for 5 years after treatment. Results: Pre- to posttreatment effect sizes on marital satisfaction were d 0.90 for IBCT and d 0.71 for TBCT, which were not significantly different. However, data through 2-year follow-ups revealed statistically significant superiority of IBCT over TBCT in relationship satisfaction, but subsequent data showed increasing similarity and nonsignificant differences in outcome. At 5-year follow-up for marital satisfaction relative to pretreatment, effect sizes were d 1.03 for IBCT and d 0.92 for TBCT; 50.0% of IBCT couples and 45.9% of TBCT couples showed clinically significant improvement. Relationship status, obtained on all 134 couples, revealed that 25.7% of IBCT couples and 27.9% of TBCT couples were separated or divorced. These follow-up data compared favorably to other, long-term results of couple therapy. Conclusion: TBCT and IBCT both produced substantial effect sizes in even seriously and chronically distressed couples. IBCT produced significantly but not dramatically superior outcomes through the first 2 years after treatment termination but without further intervention; outcomes for the 2 treatments converged over longer follow-up periods.
Estimation and Application of a Growth and Yield Model for Uneven-Aged Mixed Conifer Stands in California

SUMMARY A growth model for uneven-aged mixed-conifer stands in California was developed with data from 205 permanent plots. The model predicts the number of softwood and hardwood trees in nineteen diameter classes, based on equations for diameter growth rates, mortality and recruitment. The model gave unbiased predictions of the expected number of trees by diameter class and species group over eight to twelve years, on 28 validation plots that were not used in model estimation. The results of predictions of undisturbed growth over more than a century were consistent with previous knowledge about succession and productivity in this forest type. The growth model, embedded in the CalPro simulator, was applied to project the effects of managing stands to maintain the current average stand state over the observed plots, with cutting cycles of ten or twenty years. The results suggested that uneven-aged management could match the productivity of even-aged systems. The ten-year cutting cycle led to higher productivity, higher present value of harvests, higher tree species diversity but lower tree size diversity than the twenty-year cycle.
Sensory detection of glutaraldehyde in drinking water-emergence of sensitivity and specific anosmia.

A study of 30 young adults (15 males, 15 females), screened to have normal olfaction, measured detection of the flavor of glutaraldehyde, a biocide that could occur in disinfected potable water. Over the range of interest, up to 100 p.p.m., flavor derived from olfactory stimulation. Higher concentrations would cause oral irritation. Fourteen subjects failed to detect the glutaraldehyde in the first of four sessions of testing. Eight of the 14 (seven males, one female) continued to exhibit the anosmia throughout testing. The other six (one male, five females) began to detect the material in session two and exhibited increasing sensitivity over sessions two to four. Their average sensitivity never reached that of the 16 subjects who evinced no anosmia and who also improved their performance over sessions. The combined group of 22 could detect 17 p.p.m. Less thorough testing would have yielded much higher values. Specific anosmia for this dialdehyde has precedence in anosmia for various monoaldehydes, most notably isobutyraldehyde. The positive influence of experience with a material on detection has been found previously, most intriguingly by Wysocki and colleagues, who showed that experience could differentially induce sensitivity to the odorant androstenone and suggested that the phenomenon might occur for other compounds. Glutaraldehyde appears to be one, perhaps of many.
Pricing and Allocation for Quality-Differentiated Online Services

We explore the problem of pricing and allocation of unique, one-time digital products in the form of data streams. We look at the short-term problem where the firm has a capacitated shared resource and multiple products or service levels. We formulate the allocatively efficient Generalized Vickrey Auction (GVA) for our setting and point out the computational challenges in determining the individual discriminatory transfer payments. We propose an alternative uniform-price, computationally efficient, revenue-maximizing knapsack formulation called the Multiple Vickrey Auction (MVA). While not incentive compatible, the MVA mechanism achieves bounded posterior regret and can be solved in real time. It has the added benefit of realizing imputed commodity prices for the various services, a feature lacking in the discriminatory GVA approach. For service providers that are concerned about the incentive compatibility but want imputed service prices, we suggest a maximal MVA (mMVA) uniform-pricing scheme that trades off revenue maximization for allocative efficiency. For sake of completeness we discuss the properties of a first-price pay-your-bid scheme. While NP-hard and not incentive compatible, this formulation has the perceived benefit of cognitive simplicity on the parts of sellers and bidders.
Sickle Cell Disease and Stroke: Diagnosis and Management

Both adult and pediatric patients with sickle cell disease face a higher risk of stroke than the general population. Given the different underlying pathophysiology predisposing these patients to stroke, providers should be aware of differences in guidelines for stroke management. This paper reviews diagnostic considerations and recommendations during the evaluation and acute management of patients with sickle cell disease presenting with stroke, focusing on recent updates in the literature. Given the high recurrence rate of stroke in these patients, secondary prevention and curative measures will also be reviewed.
Defect Reduction in Remote Plasma Deposited Silicon Nitride by Post-Deposition Rapid Thermal Annealing

This paper describes a novel synthesis route for producing defect-free siliclon nitride films that are demonstrated to provide state of the art electrical performance in MOS devices with stacked oxidenitride gate dielectrics in both nmos and pmos devices. High concentrations of bonded hydrogen are introduced into the as-deposited nitride films during a 300°C remote plasma-enhanced deposition, and then the majority of this hydrogen is evolved during a 30 second rapid thermal anneal (RTA) at 900°C. The nitride formed in this way is effectively “defect-free” and qualitatively different from nitride films formed by conventional chemical vapor deposition processes.
Beta 1 integrin expression: a marker of lymphatic metastases in cutaneous malignant melanoma.

BACKGROUND: Experimental evidence suggests that integrins are key regulators of the development of melanoma metastases, influencing both the likelihood and site of metastases. Whereas effective treatment of cutaneous melanoma remains surgical, elective lymph node dissection (ELND) is controversial. The present study was designed to investigate the relationship between integrin expression by a given primary melanoma and occult regional lymph node metastases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We studied beta 1 integrin expression, by quantitative immunohistochemistry using an image analyzer, in the primary melanomas of 90 ELND patients. RESULTS: beta 1 integrin was expressed in > or = 10% of the primary tumor in 92% of cases eith lymph node involvement versus 9% of node negative cases (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Our data demonstrate that quantitative immunohistochemistry for beta 1 integrin expression in primary melanomas can identify patients likely to have occult lymph node metastases. This suggests that beta 1 integrins play a role in the lymphatic dissemination of cutaneous melanoma.
Contextual-Aware Hybrid Recommender System for Mixed Cold-Start Problems in Privacy Protection

With the rapid growth of web services, more and more users elect to hide their information settings. While this practice protects users' privacy, it also creates highly sparse dataset, which in turn causes cold start problems in Recommender Systems (RS) and leads to poor prediction results. Contextual-aware recommender system (CARS) has been recognized as an efficient solution to address either a new user or a new item cold start scenario. It outperforms traditional collaborative filtering recommender systems. Most existing CARS solutions however have not provided efficient solutions for mixed cold start scenarios, in which two or more cold start problems co-exist. In this work, we introduce a Weighted Switching Hybrid Context-Aware (W-SHCA) Recommender System. It is based on two algorithms: Content-based CAMF-CC (Context-Aware Matrix Factorization) and Demographics-based CAMF-CC, and utilizes their weighted sum to perform the prediction when a mixed cold start problem is detected. We exploit the W-SHCA model in three recommendation applications: places of interest (STS), music (Music), and movie (CoMoDa). We illustrate some significant performance differences among these three datasets under various mixed cold start situations, and deduced a stable weight selection pattern for W-SHCA associating with dataset characteristics. We believe that this work is a pioneer in dealing with mixed cold-start problems, and would provide a vital reference point for their future research.
Environmental History of the High Plains: An interview with Mark Fiege

Environmental History of the High Plains: An interview with Mark Fiege DOI:10.2458/azu_rangelands_v31i4_srm4
A Comparison to Other Deviant Groups

This chapter examines sexually harmful youth in comparison to other delinquent youth, and attempts to understand the similarities and differences. A closer look into special populations of sexually harmful youth, such as young children, females, intellectually disabled and offense specific youth are explored, as well as racial differences and considerations. Lastly, school psychologists will learn about the child and family risk factors associated with sexually harmful youth, as well as offenders risk for recidivism.
The Importance of Psychological Science in a Voter’s Ability to Cast a Vote:

Ensuring the integrity of elections is one of the most important elements in maintaining democracy. While it is commonly believed that threats to election integrity are primarily due to security is...
Dynamic Self-assembling Petaflop Scale Clusters

High Performance Computing (HPC) has been studied and used in the scientific community for decades. The Message Passing Interface was first introduced in 1992. Similarly, commercial businesses have been relying on High Throughput Computing (HTC) for the past two decades. Mapreduce platforms became popular with the advent of Very Large Databases (VLDBs) and Big Data. We are now seeing the convergence between HPC and HTC to provide faster and cheaper parallel computation. The emergence of MPI as a scalable and viable parallel platform along with the acceptance of Mapreduce to tackle large data sets now opens the door to a host of new applications particularly in biomedical, public health, scientific, and health informatics research. This convergence is making it possible to have every device be a parallel node. In this paper we explore this convergence and a method for creating dynamic self-assembling clusters using commodity hardware and mobile devices.
Later School Start Times: What Informs Parent Support or Opposition?

Study Objectives:To investigate parental knowledge about adolescent sleep needs, and other beliefs that may inform their support for or objection to later school start times.Methods:In 2014, we con...