cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Adsorption and reaction of nitromethane (CH3NO2) on Pt(111)

Abstract The adsorption of nitromethane (CH3NO2 and CD3NO2) on Pt(111) surfaces has been investigated. Temperature programmed desorption (TPD) mass spectrometry, ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) and high resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (HREELS) were used to probe the adsorption bond strength and bonding geometry of the chemisorbed state, and also thermal decomposition reactions on the Pt(111) surface. Nitromethane is weakly chemisorbed on Pt(111) with an adsorption energy of ca 11 kcal mol−1. Adsorption is mostly (> 75%) reversible, but some nitromethane decomposition on Pt(111) does occur at low coverages. HCN, H2O, NO and CO were the primary gas phase products that were detected in TPD as a result of this decomposition. The principal decomposition pathway is via cleavage of N-O bonds, mostly leaving the C-N bond intact, rather than the isomerization of nitromethane to methyl nitrite (CH3ONO) on the surface. Consistent with the small adsorption energy of molecular nitromethane, UPS and HREELS of the chemisorbed monolayer show only small changes in the electronic structure and vibrational spectra of nitromethane compared to condensed phase results. HREELS data indicate that chemisorbed nitromethane adopts a ‘pseudo-bidentate’ bonding geometry with Cs(yz) symmetry in which the two oxygens are coordinated inequivalently to the surface with the molecular axis tilted within the molecular plane.
Effect of 6-hydroxydopamine lesions on norepinephrine-induced [3H]glycogen hydrolysis in mouse cortical slices

The effects of norepinephrine (NE) on in vitro [3H]glycogenolysis were assessed in slices of cerebral cortex from mice whose cortical noradrenergic innervation had been severely reduced by intracisternal 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) injections. A supersensitive response to NE was observed, as demonstrated by a decrease in the EC50 of the catecholamine in the lesioned mice from 533 +/- 88 nM to 39.3 +/- 7.9 nM. This supersensitive response, observed two weeks after the lesion, was post-synaptic since isoproterenol, a beta-adrenergic agonist not accumulated by pre-synaptic uptake mechanisms, also gave an equally supersensitive response.
Estimation of parameters in thermal-field emission from diamond

This paper reports on the behavior of electron field emission from diamond thin films at elevated temperatures. The study is motivated by the possibility of using these structures in high temperature electronics or direct energy conversion processes. Three diamond samples were tested: nanocrystalline diamond, crowned diamond tips, and peaked diamond tips. All samples displayed moderately efficient field emission characteristics. For each of the samples, the onset of field emission decreased as the sample temperature increased. Temperature effects, interpreted through advanced parameter estimation techniques, were shown to have a small influence on the estimated work function between 300 and 700 K, except for the peaked tip sample, whose estimated work function became very large at the highest temperature. Emission areas were also estimated and revealed similar trends to that of work function.
The influence of carbon dioxide on the growth, pigment, protein, carbohydrate, and mineral status of lettuce

Abstract Lettuce plants (Lactuca sativa L. cv. Grand Rapids) were grown in nutrient solution in controlled environment plant growth chambers to characterize certain qualitative responses to above ambient levels of CO2. Increased plant material produced under high CO2 levels did not differ nutritionally from plants grown under ambient levels. No differences were found in chloroplast pigment content, protein content, or in carbohydrate content on a weight basis. Sequential harvests did reveal, however, that there is a greater accumulation of carbohydrate, under high CO2 conditions, prior to an increased growth rate as the plants reach maturity.
Habitat Selection of the Channel Darter, Percina (Cottogaster) copelandi , a Surrogate for the Imperiled Pearl Darter, Percina aurora

ABSTRACT Percina (Cottogaster) aurora is an imperiled species under consideration for listing by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. To better understand habitat use of P. aurora, we studied a related and more abundant Cottogaster species, Percina copelandi, from the Ouachita River, Arkansas. We used a laboratory stream system to examine mesohabitat selection (pools versus riffles) and microhabitat selection (substratum particle size) of P. copelandi over three temperature regimes (summer, spring, and winter). Percina copelandi selected pool habitats over riffles and selected pools with coarse substrata (e.g., cobble) over fine substrata (e.g., gravel). In riffles, P. copelandi selected large substrata during winter and spring but did not show particle size selection during summer. These data, and various published and unpublished field data for P. aurora, suggest that habitat use of P. aurora is also centered around deep runs and pools, with large substrata likely being more important at low water temper...
Linear combination methods to improve diagnostic/prognostic accuracy on future observations

Multiple diagnostic tests or biomarkers can be combined to improve diagnostic accuracy. The problem of finding the optimal linear combinations of biomarkers to maximise the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve has been extensively addressed in the literature. The purpose of this article is threefold: (1) to provide an extensive review of the existing methods for biomarker combination; (2) to propose a new combination method, namely, the nonparametric stepwise approach; (3) to use leave-one-pair-out cross-validation method, instead of re-substitution method, which is overoptimistic and hence might lead to wrong conclusion, to empirically evaluate and compare the performance of different linear combination methods in yielding the largest area under receiver operating characteristic curve. A data set of Duchenne muscular dystrophy was analysed to illustrate the applications of the discussed combination methods.
Long range correlations in the stride interval of running

Fluctuations in the stride interval time series of unconstrained walking are not random but exhibit long range correlations that decay as a power law [Hausdorff JM, Peng CK, Ladin Z, Wei JY, Goldberger AL. Is walking a random walk? Evidence for long range correlations in stride interval of human gait. J Appl Physiol 1995;78:349–58]. Here, we examine whether the long range correlations are present in the stride interval time series of running. Recreational female runners ran 8 min trials at their preferred running speed as well as 10% and 20% slower and faster than their preferred speed. Both the average time and the amount of variability of the stride interval decreased with increasing speed. Detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA) showed that there were long range correlations present in the stride interval time series and these correlations followed a quasi U-shaped function, with the minimum at the preferred running speed. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that the preferred running speed, falling as it does between the upper and lower limits of possible running speeds, is the speed at which the most dynamical degrees of freedom are available for adaptive control of locomotion. # 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
A nucleosomal region important for ensuring proper interactions between the transcription elongation factor Spt16 and transcribed genes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The highly conserved FACT (FAcilitates Chromatin Transactions) histone chaperone assists in the transcription elongation process first by facilitating the removal of histones in front of transcribing RNA polymerase II (Pol II) and then by contributing to nucleosome reassembly in the wake of Pol II passage. Whereas it is well established that FACT localizes across actively transcribed genes, the mechanisms that regulate FACT recruitment to and disengagement from chromatin during transcription still remain to be elucidated. Using the Saccharomyces cerevisiae model system, we previously showed that a histone H3 mutant—H3-L61W—greatly perturbs interactions between the yeast FACT (yFACT) complex and chromatin during transcription, resulting in a pronounced shift in yFACT occupancy toward the 3′ ends of transcribed genes. In the present study we report that two histone H4 mutants—H4-R36A and H4-K31E—alter the association pattern of the yFACT subunit Spt16 across transcribed genes in a fashion similar to that seen for H3-L61W. Interestingly, H4-R36, H4-K31, and H3-L61 are in close proximity to each other on the side of the nucleosome. We also provide evidence that the H4-R36A and H3-L61W mutants impair proper Spt16−chromatin interactions by perturbing a common process. Collectively, our results suggest that a nucleosomal region encompassing the H4-R36, H4-K31, and H3-L61 residues plays an important role in ensuring proper association of yFACT across transcribed genes.
A probabilistic meta-predictor for the MHC class II binding peptides

Several computational methods for the prediction of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II binding peptides embodying different strengths and weaknesses have been developed. To provide reliable prediction, it is important to design a system that enables the integration of outcomes from various predictors. The construction of a meta-predictor of this type based on a probabilistic approach is introduced in this paper. The design permits the easy incorporation of results obtained from any number of individual predictors. It is demonstrated that this integrated method outperforms six state-of-the-art individual predictors based on computational studies using MHC class II peptides from 13 HLA alleles and three mouse MHC alleles obtained from the Immune Epitope Database and Analysis Resource. It is concluded that this integrative approach provides a clearly enhanced reliability of prediction. Moreover, this computational framework can be directly extended to MHC class I binding predictions.
Jewish Students and Christian Corpses in Interwar Poland: Playing with the Language of Blood Libel

This article focuses on the antisemitic discourse that surrounded the controversy over the provision of cadavers to medical departments in the Second Polish Republic. In the pages of the student press and at student rallies, activists argued that Jewish medical students should be barred from dissecting Christian corpses. They demanded that Jewish communities provide corpses for dissection on a regular basis as a condition for continued training of Jewish doctors. The discourse surrounding the cadaver affair combined nationalist language with religious vocabulary, suggesting that the affair was motivated as much by religious concerns as by nationalist ones. Drawing on notions of Jewish criminality and arrogance, allegations of a Jewish sense of religious superiority and disregard for Christian values, and fears of Jewish exploitation of Christians to fulfill their own collective needs, the cadaver affair played with concepts reminiscent of blood libel.
Frequency of recommendations for additional imaging in diagnostic ultrasound examinations: Evaluation of radiologist, technologist, and other examination-related factors

Objective Our aim in this study was to evaluate the effect of the radiologist, technologist, and other examination-related factors on the frequency of recommendations for additional imaging (RAI) during sonographic (US) interpretation. Methods We retrospectively reviewed 719 US reports from a single academic medical center for the presence of RAI. All studies had been interpreted by one of three abdominal radiologists. Examinations were performed at an outpatient radiology facility with no onsite radiologist (n = 299) or at an inpatient emergency department or hospital-based outpatient setting that had an onsite radiologist (n = 420). Possible associations between the frequency of RAI and the presence of an onsite radiologist, location of the examination, body part or region imaged, patient age, technologist performing the exam, and radiologist reading the exam were evaluated. Results There were significant differences between each pair of radiologists in terms of overall frequency of RAI (p < 0.001) (radiologist 1: 12.0% [22/184]; radiologist 2: 21.6% [78/361]; and radiologist 3: 45.5% [79/174]). In addition, there were statistically significant differences in the frequency of RAI among studies scanned by the 10 different US technologists (13.6%–40.0%, p = 0.03). However, other factors such as patient age, patient sex, US unit, patient location, and radiologist location were not associated with the frequency of RAI (p = 0.15–0.93). Conclusions The individual radiologist and technologist influenced the frequency of RAI for US examinations, whereas other examination-related factors did not. The observed substantial variability in RAI between radiologists and technologists warrants further study, with consideration of strategies to optimize RAI within US reports. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound 43:463–468 2015
Cutting Edge: Inhibitory Effects of CD4 and CD8 on T Cell Activation Induced by High-Affinity Noncognate Ligands

It has been proposed that MHC restriction during thymocyte selection is controlled by coreceptor (CD4 or CD8) sequestration of the signaling molecule Lck. We explored this model as a mechanism for preventing peripheral T cell activation due to non-MHC ligand cross-reactivities of TCRs. TCRs that have a range of affinities for a class I MHC ligand were transduced into a T cell hybridoma in the absence or presence of coreceptors. High and intermediate affinity TCRs ( K D = 17 and 540 nM) did not require CD8 for T cell activity, but CD4 acted as a potent inhibitor of the intermediate affinity TCR. These and other findings support the view that even high-affinity TCR:ligand interactions can be influenced by coreceptor sequestration of Lck. Thus, CD4 and CD8 act as “coreceptor inhibitors” to maintain appropriate TCR-mediated MHC restriction in peripheral T cell activity.
Ebola virus disease and children: what pediatric health care professionals need to know.

The largest outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in history is occurring in West Africa. On August 8, 2014, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared this outbreak to be a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.1 As of October 8, 2014, 8399 EVD cases (including 416 in health care personnel) with 4033 deaths were reported, although reported cases are likely a substantial underestimate of the outbreak magnitude.2 Most EVD cases have been reported in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, with fewer cases in Nigeria and a single case in Senegal. Although the suspected index case for this outbreak is believed to be a 2-year-old child who died in Guinea in December 2013, limited information is available on the impact of this outbreak on children.3 Cases of EVD were also identified in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, but analyses of viruses suggest that the Democratic Republic of the Congo outbreak is not linked to the wider epidemic. As of October 15, 2014, 3 EVD cases, including 2 health care personnel, had been identified in the United States and 5 EVD cases, including 4 health care personnel, were identified in West Africa and medically evacuated to the United States for further care. This situation is rapidly evolving, and new information will be posted to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/index.html) and WHO (http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs103/en/) websites as it becomes available. Our report is intended to complement information on the CDC webpages, with a focus on what pediatric health care professionals need to know.
XPRESS: a cell layout generator with integrated transistor folding

We describe a method for generating area-efficient layouts of complex CMOS cells in the one-dimensional (linear) style. Its key features are the support for unrestricted circuit structures, transistor sizing via a novel folding technique that integrates folding into the synthesis algorithms, and optimal diffusion sharing. The method has been implemented in the XPRESS cell syntheses tool at the Intel Corporation, where it is in active use to lay out datapath cells for microprocessors.
Problems associated with nondestructive evaluation of bridges

The U.S. has 542,000 bridges that consume billions of dollars per year in construction, rehabilitation andmaintenance funds and which are the lifelines of U.S. commerce. The 1992 ISTEA (Intermodal SurfaceTransportation Efficiency Act) mandates the implementation of a quantitative computerized bridgemanagement system by 1996. A prime need of such a system are quantitative bridge inspection methodsto feed accurate reliable condition information to the huge database of bridges. Nondestructive evaluation(NDE) will fill a critical need in the implementation of effective bridge management. However, manyserious barriers exist to the widespread routine application of this technology to bridges. This paperprovides an overview ofthe typical problems associated with applying NDE to bridges.
Use of mean airspace chord length to assess emphysema.

there is currently a great deal of interest in mechanisms underlying COPD. Although COPD is not a term commonly applied to mouse models, in mice there has been an increasing number of studies in recent years on one of the hallmarks of COPD, i.e., emphysema. Emphysema is characterized by destruction
Does Visual Spatial Awareness Require the Visual Awareness of Space

Many philosophers have held that it is not possible to experience a spatial object, property, or relation except against the background of an intact awareness of a space that is somehow ‘absolute’. This paper challenges that claim, by analyzing in detail the case of a brain-damaged subject whose visual experiences seem to have violated this condition: spatial objects and properties were present in his visual experience, but space itself was not. I go on to suggest that phenomenological argumentation can give us a kind of evidence about the nature of the mind even if this evidence is not absolutely incorrigible.
Empowering women: how Mexico's conditional cash transfer programme raised prenatal care quality and birth weight

Data from a controlled randomised trial are used to estimate the effect of Mexico's conditional cash transfer programme, Oportunidades, on birth outcomes, and to examine the pathways by which it works. Birth weights average 127.3 grams higher, and low birth weight incidence is 44.5 per cent lower among beneficiary mothers. Better birth outcomes are explained entirely by better quality prenatal care. Oportunidades affected quality through empowering women with information about adequate healthcare content to expect better care, and with skills and social support to negotiate better care. Efforts to empower the less well-off are necessary for public services to fully benefit the poor.
EFFECTS OF REPRESENTATIVE STATUS AND DECISION STYLE ON COOPERATION IN THE PRISONER'S DILEMMA1

Level of cooperation in the Prisoner's Dilemma (PD) is examined for opponents acting in their own behalf, or as members of a reference group consisting of strangers or friends. This subject classification interacted with trials, representatives of friend groups manifesting a consistently high level of cooperation throughout, and representatives of stranger groups and individuals showing progressive increases from moderate to high levels of cooperation over trials. After 30 trials, subjects were given positive or negative feedback (indicating that they were doing better or worse than their respective reference groups). On subsequent trials, positive feedback yielded no strategy change for the 3 types of subjects. Negative feedback produced strategy changes for individuals and stranger groups, but not for friend groups. A number of personality variables presumed relevant to decision style in the PD were examined. On both orientation to the PD–intention to be cooperative or competitive and expectation of cooperation or competition from one's opponent–and actual level of cooperation and competition in the PD, significant personality effects were obtained. Of particular interest in the latter case is the evidence that the influence of personality is manifested exclusively at the level of the dyad. It is concluded that the impact of personality on the PD can most profitably be studied with a dyadic focus.
Effect of bicarbonate on retinal vasculature and acidosis-induced retinopathy in the neonatal rat

Systemic acidosis induces preretinal neovascularization (NV) analogous to retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in the neonatal rat. Sodium bicarbonate is used in human neonates to treat acidosis. The effects of alkali administration on the developing retinal vasculature and on acidosis-induced retinopathy (AIR) are unknown. We investigated the effect of sodium bicarbonate gavage on the retinal vasculature of normal and acidotic neonatal rats to determine (1) whether bicarbonate treatment is associated with preretinal NV and (2) whether AIR can be prevented with systemic bicarbonate treatment. The extent of acidosis and alkalosis were initially determined from carotid arterial blood samples. In the bicarbonate-alone study, newborn rats were randomized into litters of 25 and received bicarbonate doses of 15 mmol/kg twice daily and 20 mmol/kg once daily from days 2 to 7. Control animals received saline gavage. In the AIR treatment study, acidosis was induced in neonatal rats by intraperitoneal injection of acetazolamide 200 mg/kg from days 2 to 7. Acetazolamide-treated rats received either additional bicarbonate gavage or no additional treatment. Eyes were enucleated on day 13, and the retinal vasculature was assessed for NV using ADPase staining techniques and light microscopy. Systemic alkalosis (peak pH 7.55±0.02; mean ± SD) was confirmed with bicarbonate gavage, and partial reversal of acidosis was confirmed when acetazolamide-treated rats received bicarbonate. Surviving rats receiving bicarbonate 15 mmol/kg twice daily (28% survival) and 20 mmol/kg bicarbonate once daily (45% survival) had an incidence of preretinal NV of 9% and 8%, respectively. No NV was seen in saline-control rats. In the acetazolamide-treated rats, the incidence of preretinal NV in surviving rats was numerically lower in bicarbonate-treated rats than acetazolamide-only controls (8% versus 24%, p=0.065) but with only 19% survival in the bicarbonate-treated rats. In the neonatal rat, alkalosis induced by bicarbonate gavage is associated with a low incidence of mild, preretinal NV similar to ROP. Although treating acidotic rats with bicarbonate may reduce the incidence of preretinal NV, treatment was associated with an unacceptable mortality rate.
Hidden Gems: Creative Artists and Historical Society Libraries and Archives

Creative artists frequently turn to academic or public libraries for research. Rarely do they seem to turn to historical society libraries and archives. This article describes three benefits of using historical society libraries and archives to creative artists: the collections themselves, the different ways artists use the collections, and the staff expertise available at these institutions. It explores why resources at historical society libraries and archives may be underutilized. The role of reference librarians in promoting historical society repositories is discussed, and suggestions for reference providers (at historical societies and other types of institutions) are offered.
A Hidden Markov Model based approach to detect Rogue Access Points

One of the most challenging security concerns for network administrators is the presence of rogue access points. In this paper, we propose a statistical based approach to detect rogue access points using a hidden Markov model applied to passively measure packet-header data collected at a gateway router. Our approach utilizes variations in packet inter-arrival time to differentiate between authorized access points and rouge access points. We designed and developed our hidden Markov model by analyzing denial of service attacks and the traffic characteristics of 802.11 based wireless local area networks. Experimental validations demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach. Our trained Hidden Markov Model can detect the presence of a rogue access point promptly within one second with extreme accuracy (very low false positive and false negative ratios are obtained). The success of our approach lies in the fact that it leverages knowledge about the behaviour of the traffic characteristics of 802.11 based WLANs and properties of denial of service attacks. Our approach is scalable and non-intrusive, requiring little deployment cost and effort, and is easy to manage and maintain.
TQM? Bah...Humbug!

Scrooge would very likely say "bah, humbug" to a Total Quality Management (TQM) improvement program as it would seem to him to be frivolous, superficial, and filled with emotional beliefs. TQM has become a buzzword for an improvement program developed to emulate the successful management practices of Japan and others. Unfortunately, it is often implemented with platitudes and much rhetoric indicating managers and leaders have little in-depth understanding of what is really required to obtain the results desired. Most attempts have failed; where there is success, change is often superficial and improvements "either fortuitous or short-lived" (Garvin, 1993). The question, then, is why these failures and difficulties with such basic and appealing concepts?
Gender differences in cholesterol-lowering medication prescribing in peripheral artery disease.

Among 320 patients with lower extremity peripheral artery disease (PAD) and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) levels > 70 mg/dl, we determined whether male sex, higher education, and greater self-efficacy for willingness to request therapy from one’s physician were associated with increases in LDL-C-lowering medication and achievement of an LDL-C level < 70 mg/dl at 1-year follow-up. Participants were enrolled in a randomized controlled clinical trial to determine whether a telephone counseling intervention can help PAD patients achieve an LDL-C level < 70 mg/ dl, compared to usual care and attention control conditions, respectively. Adjusting for age, race, comorbidities, PAD severity, and other covariates, male sex (odds ratio = 3.33, 95% confidence interval = 1.64 to 6.77, p = 0.001) was associated with a higher likelihood of adding cholesterol-lowering medication during follow-up, but was not associated with achieving an LDL-C < 70 mg/dl (odds ratio = 1.09, 95% confidence interval = 0.55 to 2.18). No associations of education level or self-efficacy with study outcomes were identified. In conclusion, male PAD patients with baseline LDL-C levels ≥ 70 mg/dl were more likely to intensify LDL-C-lowering medication during 1-year follow-up than female PAD patients. Despite greater increases in LDL-C-lowering medication among female PAD patients, there was no difference in the degree of LDL-C lowering during the study between men and women with PAD. Clinical Trial Registration – URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00217919
A 59 kiloDalton outer membrane protein of Salmonella typhimurium protects against oxidative intraleukocytic killing due to human neutrophils.

Summary We have isolated a Salmonella typhimurium (ST) mutant, JKS400, deficient in the production of a surface-exposed outer membrane protein (Omp) and phenotypically hypersensitive to the oxidative antimicrobial mechanism of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs). This Omp migrated at approximately 59 kiloDaltons (kD) in sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). We found with P22 transduction that the capacities to produce the protein and to exert wild-type resistance to oxidative killing were tightly linked. Transduction of JKS400 with a P22(HT)Ht bacteriophage grown on a Tn10 insertion library in LT2 yielded tetracycline-resistant isolates that had been returned to wild-type protein production. Further experiments showed that restoration of protein production was accompanied by restoration of the parental resistance phenotype to killing by PMNs and by restoration to wild-type resistance to H2O2. The map position of the Tn10 was determined to be at 96 minutes in the Salmonella chromosome. This protein appears to behave as a virulence factor, promoting the capacity of Salmonella typhimurium LT2 to survive oxygen-dependent killing mechanisms in neutrophils.
The Case for Forensic Botany

Would you rather solve a forensics puzzle or take a lab practical? An alternative to the traditional lab practical can be used to assess students' skills and knowledge in plant cell biology and anatomy. This forensics project challenges students to analyze evidence from crime scenarios. The instructor supplies the scenarios, evidence collected at the crime scene, and type specimens. The students prepare the evidence and type specimens for analysis by light and polarized light microscopy and then document and report their findings. Students enjoy this project and are able to demonstrate their skills as well as their knowledge.
What, the CWIS is dead?

Focuses on Townview Magnet Center which provides students from all ethnic and racial backgrounds academic programs using state‐of‐the‐art technology. Describes the campus‐wide local area network making this possible.
Elastic modulus of single‐walled carbon nanotube/poly(methyl methacrylate) nanocomposites

Dynamic mechanical analysis, nuclear magnetic resonance, and thermogravimetric analysis experiments were performed on pure poly(methyl methacrylate) and on in situ polymerized single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT)/PMMA nanocomposites. The addition of less than 0.1 wt % SWNT to PMMA led to an increase in the low-temperature elastic modulus of approximately 10% beyond that of pure PMMA. The glass-transition temperature and the elastic modulus at higher temperatures of the nanocomposites remained unchanged from those of pure PMMA. These changes were associated with excessive cohesive interactions between the large-surface area nanotubes and PMMA and were not due to changes in the microstructural features of the polymer during synthesis.
INTEGRATING TEXT AND PHONETIC INFORMATION FOR ROBUST STATISTICAL SPEECH TRANSLATION

This paper focuses on the use of both text and phonetic information in a speech translation system in order to make translation results more robust to speech recognition errors. Conventional statistical speech translation formulas are extended to exploit both text-form and phonetic speech recognition results. A novel data-driven word/text tying algorithm is then proposed to group words based on both pronunciation similarity and meaning equivalency. In our speech-to-text translation experiments, significant improvement was achieved by using phonetic information and the proposed word tying algorithm.
Frequency-domain equalization for single carrier MIMO underwater acoustic communications

This paper describes a frequency-domain equalization (FDE) method for single carrier (SC) multiple input multiple output (MIMO) underwater acoustic communications with multiple transducer transmitters and multiple hydrophone receivers. The proposed MIMO SC-FDE method is applied to fixed-to-fixed undersea data collected during the RACE08 ocean experiments in March 2008, where single carrier transmission was employed with phase shift keying (PSK) modulations. The time-varying multipath channels are estimated in the time domain by training symbols at the front of each data block. The average uncoded bit error rate for two-transducer twelve-hydrophone with QPSK modulation is 1.8% for a 1000 meter range system and 1.2% for a 400 meter range system, when the data block length is 1024, which includes 150 training symbols, the channel bandwidth is 3.90625 kHz and the carrier frequency is 11.5 kHz.
Insomnia and its treatment in women with breast cancer

Insomnia is a common complaint in breast cancer patients and has been shown to have a host of psychological and medical correlates and consequences. Typically insomnia is treated pharmacologically, however more recent findings from randomized controlled clinical trials support the use of cognitive behavioral therapies. The aim of this article is to review the empirically supported breast cancer literature on insomnia, briefly present and explain the insomnia treatment options available, and extrapolate research guidelines for future directions in this growing field. Behavioral therapeutic approaches for insomnia seem particularly suitable to use in the breast cancer populations because they have lower risk of interacting with the cancer treatment, do not burden the patients with additional pharmacological treatments, and can target the treatment towards ameliorating specific symptoms, like fatigue, that are characteristic in this population. However, there is a need for replication of efficacy studies of cognitive behavioral treatments for insomnia in breast cancer, as well as studies investigating vulnerability, risk and protective factors that might ultimately lead to insomnia prevention programs for use in this population.
Long-term effects of military service on mental health among veterans of the Vietnam War era.

ABSTRACT Comparing outcomes of veterans who served in Vietnam and those who served elsewhere, we examined treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder, treatment of other mental health conditions, psychiatric treatment location, and six mental health well-being measures. The analytic sample consisted of nationally representative data from the 2001 National Survey of Veterans. Analyses included multivariate logistic regression that controlled for sociodemographic characteristics. Of Vietnam War-era veterans in the National Survey of Veterans (N = 7,914), 3,937 served in Vietnam and 3,977 served elsewhere. These veterans were stratified into <60 years of age (N = 6,141) and ≥60 years of age (N = 1,766). Veterans who served in Vietnam had notably poorer mental health than did those who served elsewhere. There were striking mental health differences between younger and older veterans; younger veterans had substantially worse measures of mental health. These results suggest greater resource needs among younger ...
Inherent and Implied Powers of Arbitrators

The powers of arbitrators are generally based on the provisions of an arbitration clause agreed to by the parties to an arbitration, including any arbitral rules chosen to govern the arbitration. However, because these short clauses cannot set forth every kind of power that an arbitrator may need in the course of an arbitration, he may have to call on inherent or implied powers. This article sets forth a framework for understanding what is meant by inherent powers and implied powers of arbitrators. The distinction is important, but many commentators and courts use the terms interchangeably. Basically implied powers are those that can be implied or discerned from a textual provision, either in the clause adopted by the parties, or in the arbitral rules chosen by the parties, or in the applicable arbitration law. Inherent powers are those that an arbitrator may need to call on when novel situations occur for which there is no specific rule or authority. In all cases, but particularly with respect to inherent powers, an arbitrator must act with caution not to overstep proper authority and thereby endanger the enforcement of an arbitral award.
iMatTOUGH: An open-source Matlab-based graphical user interface for pre- and post-processing of TOUGH2 and iTOUGH2 models

TOUGH2 and iTOUGH2 are powerful models that simulate the heat and fluid flows in porous and fracture media, and perform parameter estimation, sensitivity analysis and uncertainty propagation analysis. However, setting up the input files is not only tedious, but error prone, and processing output files is time consuming. In this study, we present an open source Matlab-based tool (iMatTOUGH) that supports the generation of all necessary inputs for both TOUGH2 and iTOUGH2 and visualize their outputs. The tool links the inputs of TOUGH2 and iTOUGH2, making sure the two input files are consistent. It supports the generation of rectangular computational mesh, i.e., it automatically generates the elements and connections as well as their properties as required by TOUGH2. The tool also allows the specification of initial and time-dependent boundary conditions for better subsurface heat and water flow simulations. The effectiveness of the tool is illustrated by an example that uses TOUGH2 and iTOUGH2 to estimate soil hydrological and thermal properties from soil temperature data and simulate the heat and water flows at the Rifle site in Colorado.
DOMA, the Constitution, and the Promotion of Good Public Policy

This symposium article discusses why DOMA section 3 was unconstitutional (including some of the rationales later offered in Windsor) and also discusses the constitutional vulnerability of DOMA, section 2, the full faith and credit provision. In addition, the article discusses some of the ways that both sections of DOMA are contrary to good public policy. Finally, the article concludes by discussing some of the issues that will need to be sorted out even if section 2 is struck down or repealed.
Design Thinking for Non‐Designers: A Guide for Team Training and Implementation

Design thinking provides a tremendously powerful set of tools for designers and non-designers alike. However, non-designers face the difficulty in learning the tools and mindset of design thinking while lacking the long training period that experienced designers undertake as part of their education. To counter this problem, there are three important strategies for training teams of non-designers: 1. Encourage “dual-mode debate” of not only ideas but also processes, 2. Manage design thinking transitions of key mindsets, and 3. Adapt tools under changing team membership. For each of these strategies we provide two points of specific implementation guidance. Our guidance is applicable to those implementing design thinking training programs as well as members of design teams hoping to improve their effectiveness.
Early Studies of Mental Health Delivery Systems

Newly discovered sociological studies of mental health clinics' delivery systems are corroborated in retrospect by the author's current research. New data detail further the empirical, statistical, and systemic features of the delivery system's operations.
Increasing Cross-Linking Efficiency of Methacrylated Chondroitin Sulfate Hydrogels by Copolymerization with Oligo(Ethylene Glycol) Diacrylates

A simple method was developed for increasing the modulus of methacrylated chondroitin sulfate (MCS) hydrogels. Photopolymerized MCS gels are relatively soft with low cross-link density, but copolymerization of MCS with 0.5 to 2.0 wt % oligo(ethylene glycol) diacrylates (OEGDA) increased the moduli over an order of magnitude. The shear modulus of gels was amplified 2–25 times by increasing the methacrylation extent and copolymerizing with higher molar mass OEGDAs (up to 700 Da). In contrast, copolymerizing MCS with oligomers of ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (OEGDMA) reduced the moduli from that of MCS alone. The cross-linking appears to occur primarily by incorporation of methacrylate groups of different MCS molecules into common kinetic chains rather than by linking different kinetic chains together by EG linking chains since monoacrylate monomers enhanced cross-linking nearly as much as the diacrylates. The difference between the copolymerization behaviors of OEGDAs vs analogous OEGDMAs was hypothesized...
Contribution to a conversation about the Supplement 1 to the GUM

A recent contribution to this journal describes a particular situation of uncertainty assessment where probabilistically symmetric coverage intervals, produced in accordance with the Supplement 1 to the GUM, cover the measurand with frequency much smaller than their nominal coverage probability, in a long sequence of simulated repetitions of the measurement process and corresponding uncertainty assessment, in each of which the value of the measurand is assumed known.These findings motivate our contribution to the ongoing, accelerating discussion of that Supplement, which began years before its publication, and has only gained momentum with the recent release of its final form.We begin by suggesting that the coverage intervals whose frequentist performance has been found to be poor, indeed are coverage intervals for a quantity different from the measurand that is the focus of attention, and we offer a fresh viewpoint wherefrom to appreciate the situation.Next, we point out that the Monte Carlo method for uncertainty propagation that is the core contribution of Supplement 1 is valid under very general conditions, indeed much more general than the conditions Supplement 1 lists as sufficient for its valid application.To produce a coverage interval according to the Supplement 1 involves two steps: generating a sample of values of the measurand via a Monte Carlo procedure and then summarizing this sample into a coverage interval. Although the Supplement favours probabilistically symmetric intervals, it also states explicitly that other prescriptions are tenable. With this in mind, finally we explain that the choice of summarization can be interpreted as reflecting a priori beliefs about the measurand.In the particular case under consideration in the motivating contribution, where the measurand is known to be non-negative, the choice of either a probabilistically symmetric interval or an interval whose left endpoint is 0 would correspond to two quite different prior beliefs. Considering this lesson, we suggest that, in all cases, the best course of action is to adopt a Bayesian approach that naturally reveals all participating assumptions and beliefs openly, and makes all of them accessible to examination and criticism, as befits every scientific procedure.
Effects of diesel particle filter retrofits and accelerated fleet turnover on drayage truck emissions at the Port of Oakland.

Heavy-duty diesel drayage trucks have a disproportionate impact on the air quality of communities surrounding major freight-handling facilities. In an attempt to mitigate this impact, the state of California has mandated new emission control requirements for drayage trucks accessing ports and rail yards in the state beginning in 2010. This control rule prompted an accelerated diesel particle filter (DPF) retrofit and truck replacement program at the Port of Oakland. The impact of this program was evaluated by measuring emission factor distributions for diesel trucks operating at the Port of Oakland prior to and following the implementation of the emission control rule. Emission factors for black carbon (BC) and oxides of nitrogen (NOx) were quantified in terms of grams of pollutant emitted per kilogram of fuel burned using a carbon balance method. Concentrations of these species along with carbon dioxide were measured in the exhaust plumes of individual diesel trucks as they drove by en route to the Port....
For Carlos Castillo-Chavez.

This volume, a tribute to the life and work of Carlos Castillo-Chavez on the occasion of his sixtieth birthday, stands for something greater than what can be presented in its pages. It is the man himself, who remains far above the words. The works collected here by people who know and admire Carlos are an attempt to convey some of his remarkable contributions and achievements. I first met Carlos in 2005 as part of a visit he made to the National Science Foundation. Carlos had established a tremendous reputation by that time, and as a young program officer I was extremely pleased to have the opportunity to make small talk with him. He spoke about his students with an unmistakable passion and earnestness, and I wondered if this might be the key ingredient to his success in mentoring young scientists. In the years that followed I was able to see that Carlos channels his vitality into a remarkable capacity for work. The emails he sent to me over the years typically arrived at some odd hour of the night, perhaps suggesting a follow-up phone call for early the next morning. I'd call Carlos upon my arrival in the office and find him fully energized with the work of the new day. The breadth of Carlos' impact is evident in the number of research and education communities that have honored and supported his work. At the National Science Foundation this includes programs spanning three Directorates: Mathematical and Physical Sciences, Biological Sciences, and Education and Human Resources. My interactions with Carlos came primarily in connection with his exceptional research programs for undergraduate and graduate students. His success in recruiting and mentoring underrepresented minorities in the mathematical sciences is almost without peer. The founding of the Mathematical and Theoretical Biology Institute in 1996 and its subsequent development are rightly celebrated as landmarks in STEM education. What is remarkable is that this lifetime of work is just a fraction of what Carlos has accomplished! His greatness lies in taking up the challenges that matter most. His most outstanding research contributions are grounded in stopping the spread of infectious diseases. His unparalleled mentoring of minority students is a reflection of his deep belief in the abundance of scientific talent. Carlos, we in the mathematical sciences community offer you our deepest gratitude. Your legacy as a researcher and educator is already secure and it continues to grow. The immortality of your impact is assured by the timelessness of your research, and through the many alumni of your programs who are now making important contributions of their own. Best wishes for many more years of success!
General techniques in abdominal laparoscopic surgery

Laparoscopic surgery promises to be a major revolution in the field of general surgery. It is now realized that the pain and other inflammatory mediators resulting from a large abdominal incision, rather than the intra-abdominal dissection, are the major determinants of speed of perioperative recuperation. The advantages of minimally invasive surgery are well known in other surgical disciplines such as gynaecology and orthopaedics, and general surgeons have been relatively slow in adopting this technology. Several years ago, laparoscopic cholecystectomy was considered to be a clinical curiosity and its acceptance by the surgical community was delayed, in part because of its radical departure from standard surgical practice and in part because it was developed outside major academic centres. A variety of complex general surgical procedures, including colonic resection, gastric resection, Nissen fundoplication, adrenalectomy and even Whipple procedures have now been successfully performed laparoscopically, and it is felt by many in the field that in the future the majority of cases will be performed laparoscopically, including operations such as hepatic resection and vascular anastomoses.