cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Diel changes in water chemistry in an arsenic-rich stream and treatment-pond system.

Abstract Arsenic concentrations are elevated in surface waters of the Warm Springs Ponds Operable Unit (WSPOU), located at the head of the upper Clark Fork River Superfund site, Montana, USA. Arsenic is derived from historical deposition of smelter emissions (Mill and Willow Creeks) and historical mining and milling wastes (Silver Bow Creek). Although long-term monitoring has characterized the general seasonal and flow-related trends in As concentrations in these streams and the pond system used to treat Silver Bow Creek water, little is known about solubility controls and sorption processes that influence diel cycles in As concentrations. Diel (24-h) sampling was conducted in July 2004 and August 2005 at the outlet of the treatment ponds, at two locations along a nearby reconstructed stream channel that diverts tributary water around the ponds, and at Silver Bow Creek 2 km below the ponds. Dissolved As concentration increased up to 51% during the day at most of the stream sites, whereas little or no diel change was displayed at the treatment-pond outlet. The strong cycle in streams is explained by pH- and temperature-dependent sorption of As onto hydrous metal oxides or biofilms on the streambed. Concentrations of dissolved Ca2+ and HCO3− at the stream sites showed a diel temporal pattern opposite to that of As, and geochemical modeling supports the hypothesis that the concentrations of Ca2+ and HCO3− were controlled by precipitation of calcite during the warm afternoon hours when pH rose above 9.0. Nightly increases in dissolved Mn and Fe(II) concentrations were out of phase with concentrations of other divalent cations and are more likely explained by redox phenomena.
Photodissociation of the dimer ions Ar+2, Ne+2, and (CO2)+2

Abstract The tandem quadrupole photodissociation mass spectrometer has been used to study photodissociation reactions of Ar + 2 , Ne + 2 , and (CO 2 ) + 2 . The cross sections for photodissociation of Ar + 2 exhibited a strong dependence on ion source pressure, varying from 2 × 10 −18 cm 2 at 0.1 torr to 6 × 10 −19 cm 2 at 0.5 torr. A large photodissociation cross section (2 × 10 −17 cm 2 for the reaction (CO 2 ) + 2 → CO + 2 + CO 2 was observed at the red end of the visible spectrum (580–620 nm) suggesting that this may be an important reaction in CO 2 rich planetary ionspheres such as that of Mars.
Endocannabinoid-Dependent Modulation of Phasic Dopamine Signaling Encodes External and Internal Reward-Predictive Cues

The mesolimbic dopamine (DA) system plays an integral role in incentive motivation and reward seeking and a growing body of evidence identifies signal transduction at cannabinoid receptors as a critical modulator of this system. Indeed, administration of exogenous cannabinoids results in burst firing of DA neurons of the ventral tegmental area and increases extracellular DA in the nucleus accumbens (NAcc). Implementation of fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV) confirms the ability of cannabinoids to augment DA within the NAcc on a subsecond timescale. The use of FSCV along with newly developed highly selective pharmacological compounds advances our understanding of how cannabinoids influence DA transmission, and highlights a role for endocannabinoid-modulated subsecond DAergic activation in the incentive motivational properties of not only external, but also internal reward-predictive cues. For example, our laboratory has recently demonstrated that in mice responding under a fixed interval (FI) schedule for food reinforcement, fluctuations in NAcc DA signal the principal cue predictive of reinforcer availability – time. That is, as the interval progresses, NAcc DA levels decline leading to accelerated food seeking and the resulting characteristic FI scallop pattern of responding. Importantly, administration of WIN 55,212-2, a synthetic cannabinoid agonist, or JZL184, an indirect cannabinoid agonist, increase DA levels during the interval and disrupt this pattern of responding. Along with a wealth of other reports, these results illustrate the role of cannabinoid receptor activation in the regulation of DA transmission and the control of temporally guided reward seeking. The current review will explore the striatal beat frequency model of interval timing as it pertains cannabinoid signaling and propose a neurocircuitry through which this system modulates interoceptive time cues.
Human Population Genetic Structure and Inference of Group Membership

A major goal of biomedical research is to develop the capability to provide highly personalized health care. To do so, it is necessary to understand the distribution of interindividual genetic variation at loci underlying physical characteristics, disease susceptibility, and response to treatment. Variation at these loci commonly exhibits geographic structuring and may contribute to phenotypic differences between groups. Thus, in some situations, it may be important to consider these groups separately. Membership in these groups is commonly inferred by use of a proxy such as place-of-origin or ethnic affiliation. These inferences are frequently weakened, however, by use of surrogates, such as skin color, for these proxies, the distribution of which bears little resemblance to the distribution of neutral genetic variation. Consequently, it has become increasingly controversial whether proxies are sufficient and accurate representations of groups inferred from neutral genetic variation. This raises three questions: how many data are required to identify population structure at a meaningful level of resolution, to what level can population structure be resolved, and do some proxies represent population structure accurately? We assayed 100 Alu insertion polymorphisms in a heterogeneous collection of ∼565 individuals, ∼200 of whom were also typed for 60 microsatellites. Stripped of identifying information, correct assignment to the continent of origin (Africa, Asia, or Europe) with a mean accuracy of at least 90% required a minimum of 60 Alu markers or microsatellites and reached 99%–100% when ⩾100 loci were used. Less accurate assignment (87%) to the appropriate genetic cluster was possible for a historically admixed sample from southern India. These results set a minimum for the number of markers that must be tested to make strong inferences about detecting population structure among Old World populations under ideal experimental conditions. We note that, whereas some proxies correspond crudely, if at all, to population structure, the heuristic value of others is much higher. This suggests that a more flexible framework is needed for making inferences about population structure and the utility of proxies.
Anorexic effect of K+ channel blockade in mesenteric arterial smooth muscle and intestinal epithelial cells

Activity of voltage-gated K+ (Kv) channels controls membrane potential (E m). Membrane depolarization due to blockade of K+ channels in mesenteric artery smooth muscle cells (MASMC) should increase...
Increasing feminist visibility in professional communication research

In recent years, feminist scholars have called on professional communication researchers to incorporate insights from feminist theory and gender studies into their research. Although this call has been heeded to some extent, feminist thinking has not had nearly as much impact on professional communication research as it has had on research in other academic disciplines. For example, to date, there is no major publication devoted to researching issues in feminist theory and professional communication, and at major conferences feminist issues are not guaranteed a place on the agenda. This essay joins other scholars' calls for increasing the presence of feminist theory in professional communication research. In particular, I focus on feminist critiques of technology, making a case for the relevance of these critiques to professional communication research. After a brief overview of feminist approaches to technology, I suggest how the insights offered in these critiques might contribute to a feminist theory of technology design. I explore three general principles that would inform such a theory, consider how these principles both complement and challenge current thinking about technology design in the field of professional communication, and I argue that developing such a theory would be one way to increase the visibility of feminist perspectives in professional communication research.
A novel profile-driven technique for simultaneous power and code-size optimization of microcoded IPs

Microcoded customized IPs have significantly better performance, yet larger code size, compared to similarly-sized instruction-based processors. Storing wide microcodes on-chip requires wide memory-blocks that occupy a large area and consume high leakage power. Therefore, addressing the code size of microcoded IPs is very important. In this paper, we introduce compression techniques that along with careful resolution of ldquodonpsilat carerdquo values (denoted by dasiaXpsila) in microcode can address the code size issue. We observed that dasiaXpsila values can be used for improving either dynamic power of IPs or their compression. However, achieving the efficiency of both is challenging. In this paper, we propose a profile-guided dasiaXpsila-resolution technique that can achieve both power and compression efficiency. Using our technique, the code size of microcoded IPs is reduced by 2.7 times, while saving 20% dynamic power, on average.
A Multi-Institutional Study of Student Perceptions of Industrial Engineering

In a previous paper (Trytten et al., 2004), we described students' perceptions of industrial engineering (IE) as a field, but that analysis was based on 26 interviewees from only one institution. In this paper, we expand that set to 117 students at four institutions and 12 faculty. As part of the interview protocol, we asked participants to describe IE as a field and characteristics of effective IEs, as well as to discuss their perception of what non-IEs think of IE. From the initial and expanded data sets, we have identified attributes that students commonly use to describe the field, such as people-oriented and about efficiency. We examined the data for gender and institution differences, finding only one consistent difference: men were more likely than women to mention the status potential afforded by an IE degree. It was striking that so many aspects of IE that are attractive to women are also appealing to men
Analysis of Immunohistochemical Stain Usage in Different Pathology Practice Settings

This study compares the use of immunohistochemistry (IHC) for diagnosing carcinoma in private practice and commercial settings with use in a single academic center. HE the former group used IHC stains in 11% and the latter in 26% of cases (P < .0001). Pathologists from commercial laboratories (12% of referrals) used IHC in 38% of cases, whereas private/hospital-based community laboratories (86% of referrals) used them in 24%. The average number of stains ordered per case was similar among all groups. We suggest that the use of IHC may reflect both the degree of experience of the pathologist and the pathology practice setting. For more than 25 years, immunohistochemistry (IHC) has greatly assisted surgical pathologists in the diagnosis of neoplastic diseases. Currently, IHC has a wide variety of uses, including, but not limited to, confirmation of diagnosis, determination of the primary site of origin for metastatic tumors, classification of neoplasms, use as a prognostic and predictive biomarker, and identification of infectious organisms.
Patient Cost Sharing and Receipt of Erythropoiesis-Stimulating Agents Through Medicare Part D

Improved coordination between Part B and D benefits regarding issues of home injection of medications may create incentives that improve patient access and convenience.
Rule schemas and interesting association action rules mining

One of the central problems in knowledge discovery in databases, relies on the very large number of rules that classic rule mining systems extract. This problem is usually solved by means of a post-processing step, that alters the entire volume of extracted rules, in order to output only a few potentially interesting ones. This article presents a new approach that allows the user to explore action rules space locally, without the need to extract and post-process all action rules from a database. This solution is based on rule schemas, a new formalism designed to improve the representation of user beliefs and expectations, and on a novel algorithm for local action rules mining based on schemas.
Working People and Consumption Under Really-Existing Socialism: Perspectives from the German Democratic Republic

This essay aims to describe changes in socioeconomic conditions in the German Democratic Republic (GDR) that resulted, on the one hand, from a transformation of concepts about property and, on the other hand, as a result of the emergence of a consumer society under an avowedly socialist regime. This project turned out to be far more complicated than foreseen, so that this essay should be viewed as a sketch of work in progress. If I merely had subscribed to the canons of conventional communist sociology, such changes as occurred could be traced to the abolition of the old class structures.Kurt Lungwitz, Uber die Klassenstruktur in der DDR. Eine sozialokonomisch-statistische Untersuchung (Berlin, GDR, 1962). However, by the 1970s and 1980s new processes of sociocultural differentiation cast doubt on this analysis even in the GDR.Manfred Lotzsch and Joachim Freitag, “Sozialstruktur und soziale Mobilitat,” in Jahrbuch fur Soziologie und Sozialpolitik (Berlin 1981); and Artur Meier, “Abschied von der sozialistischen Standegesellschaft,” Aus Politik und Zeitgeschichte 16–17 (1990):3–14. Moreover, in recent analyses we are faced with contradictory assessments: Some treat the changing class structure as resulting in homogen-ization, equalization, or leveling; others see it as reproducing old social differences, albeit from a different type of socioeconomic base. Unlike the former bourgeois elite, which was formed in relationship to capital, the new socialist elite or nomenklatura was constituted by its access to political power through which it in turn obtained resources and privileges.
Pulmonary venous stenosis in a premature infant with bronchopulmonary dysplasia: clinical and autopsy findings of these newly associated entities.

ABSTRACT Pulmonary venous stenosis is rare and is most commonly found in association with cardiac malformations. Recent studies have associated pulmonary venous stenosis with prematurity, especially with bronchopulmonary dysplasia, although no such case has been documented at autopsy. We report the case of a 26-week-gestation infant who required ventilation at birth and who, among other complications, developed chronic lung disease of prematurity by the age of 3 months. Imaging showed suprasystemic right-sided pressures and pulmonary venous stenosis. Despite aggressive management of respiratory status and surgical marsupialization of stenoses, the infant expired after 3 weeks. At autopsy, 3 of 4 pulmonary veins showed a fibrous ridge obstructing atrial ostia with otherwise normal anatomy. The lungs showed bronchopulmonary dysplasia, pulmonary hypertensive vascular changes, and features of venous obstruction. Pulmonary venous stenosis and bronchopulmonary dysplasia in premature infants may be pathogenetica...
A fully integrated compact CMOS fractional signal generator for GSM/WCDMA dual-band applications

We present the design, implementation, and measurement of a new compact low power fractional signal generator based on regenerative division and injection locking for GSM/WCDMA dual-band applications. The design generates 2/3 of the input signal frequency, resulting in DC-offset reduction, phase noise improvement, and a reduced tuning range requirement for a VCO in direct conversion architecture. The fractional signal generator is fully integrated with a compact die size of 905/spl times/1012 /spl mu/m/sup 2/ in a 0.18-/spl mu/m standard CMOS process. It generates local oscillation (LO) frequency from 1.53 GHz to 2.19 GHz with a very low DC power consumption of 10 mW covering the GSM/WCDMA dual-band. The measured noise floor of the generator is -100 dBc/Hz at 10 kHz offset frequency. Design considerations for the operating range and noise floor within the loop bandwidth are discussed in detail.
Colonization With Small Conidia Aspergillus Species Is Associated With Bronchiolitis Obliterans Syndrome: A Two‐Center Validation Study

Aspergillus colonization after lung transplantation may increase the risk for bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS), a disease of small airways. We hypothesized that colonization with small conidia Aspergillus species would be associated with a greater risk of BOS, based upon an increased likelihood of deposition in small airways. We studied adult primary lung recipients from two large centers; 298 recipients at University of California, Los Angeles and 482 recipients at Duke University Medical Center. We grouped Aspergillus species by conidia diameter≤3.5 μm. We assessed the relationship of colonization with outcomes in Cox models. Pre-BOS colonization with small conidia Aspergillus species, but not large, was a risk factor for BOS (p=0.002, HR 1.44, 95% CI 1.14-1.82), along with acute rejection, single lung and Pseudomonas. Colonization with small conidia species also associated with risk of death (p=0.03, HR 1.30, 95% CI 1.03-1.64). Although other virulence traits besides conidia size may be important, we have demonstrated in two large independent cohorts that colonization with small conidia Aspergillus species increases the risk of BOS and death. Prospective evaluation of strategies to prevent Aspergillus colonization of small airways is warranted, with the goal of preserving lung allograft function as long as possible.
Outcomes of Adult Patients With Congenital Heart Disease After Heart Transplantation: Impact of Disease Type, Previous Thoracic Surgeries, and Bystander Organ Dysfunction.

Abstract Background Adults with congenital heart disease (CHD) are at increased risk for adverse outcomes after heart transplantation (HT). However, small cohorts have constrained the identification of factors associated with poor prognosis. We hypothesized that number of sternotomies and bystander organ dysfunction would be associated with an increased risk for early death after HT. Methods and Results We performed a retrospective observational study of all adult CHD patients who underwent HT at our institution from January 1997 to January 2014. Forty-eight adult CHD patients were followed for a mean of 5 years. Diagnoses included tetralogy of Fallot/pulmonary atresia/double-outlet right ventricle in 15 (31%), D-transposition of the great arteries (TGA) in 10 (21%), tricuspid atresia/double-inlet left ventricle in 9 (19%), ventricular or atrial septal defect in 4 (8%), heterotaxy in 3 (6%), congenitally corrected TGA in 2 (4%), and other diagnoses in 5 (10%). Survival at both 1 and 5 years was 77%. According to multivariate analysis, ≥3 sternotomies (hazard ratio [HR] 8.5; P = .02) and Model for End-Stage Liver Disease Excluding International Normalized Ratio (MELD-XI) score >18 (HR 6.2; P = .01) were significant predictors of mortality. Failed Fontan surgery was not a significant predictor of death ( P = .19). Conclusions In our cohort of adult CHD patients undergoing HT, ≥3 sternotomies and MELD-XI score >18 were significantly associated with death. These findings may be important in patient selection and decision regarding tolerable number of CHD surgeries before considering HT.
SAMBA-Bus: A High Performance Bus Architecture for System-on-Chips

A high performance communication architecture, SAMBA-bus, is proposed in this paper. In SAMBA-bus, multiple compatible bus transactions can be performed simultaneously with only a single bus access grant from the bus arbiter. Experimental results show that, compared with a traditional bus architecture, the SAMBA-bus architecture can have up to 3.5 times improvement in the effective bandwidth, and up to 15 times reduction in the average communication latency. In addition, the performance of SAMBA-bus architecture is affected only slightly by arbitration latency, because bus transactions can be performed without waiting for the bus access grant from the arbiter. This feature is desirable in SoC designs with large numbers of modules and long communication delay between modules and the bus arbiter.
Inter- and intraspecies metabolite exchange promotes virulence of antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Summary Adaptations that enable antimicrobial resistance often pose a fitness cost to the microorganism. Resistant pathogens must therefore overcome such fitness decreases to persist within their hosts. Here we demonstrate that the reduced fitness associated with one resistance-conferring mutation can be offset by community interactions with microorganisms harboring alternative mutations or via interactions with the human microbiota. Mutations that confer antibiotic resistance in the human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus led to decreased fitness, whereas coculture or coinfection of two distinct mutants resulted in collective recovery of fitness comparable to that of wild-type. Such fitness enhancements result from the exchange of metabolites between distinct mutants, leading to enhanced growth, virulence factor production, and pathogenicity. Interspecies fitness enhancements were also identified, as members of the human microbiota can promote growth of antibiotic-resistant S. aureus. Thus, inter- and intraspecies community interactions offset fitness costs and enable S. aureus to develop antibiotic resistance without loss of virulence.
A Useful Secondary Sex Character in Dendroctonus Bark Beetles

The sex of the western pine beetle (Dendroctonus brevicomis Lec.) and the mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus monticolae Hopk.) can be ascertained easily and with 100 percent accuracy by means of a secondary sex character on the seventh abdominal tergite of the male. This character can probably be used with equal accuracy to identify sex in all species of the genus Dendroctonus.The need to distinguish between the sexes of adult bark beetles often arises in studies of biology, behavior, or response. The sexing procedure is laborious when large numbers of beetles are involved and external markings of sex are not known. It is then necessary to dissect each beetle to check the genitalia. Dissection is impossible when iniury to the insect must be avoided.
On scaling laws for production functions

Solutions of functional equations are used in this paper to develop laws for scaling output under proportional changes in input vectors leading to special classes of production functions, which are of significance for the question of returns to scale.
The relationship of job image, performance, and job satisfaction to inactivity-proneness of direct salespeople

This article examines whether the public image of the selling job as perceived by direct salespeople has an impact on their tendency to remain active or become inactive in that selling job. Relationships among job image, job satisfaction, and job performance are also investigated. Salespeople with more negative perceptions of the public image of their job were found to have lower job satisfaction and to be more prone to inactivity, though the strength of these relationships varies somewhat between high and low performers. Implications are provided for researchers and sales managers.
Unit commitment with transmission security and voltage constraints

In this paper, optimal power flow (with transmission security and voltage constraints) is incorporated in the unit commitment formulation. Using Benders decomposition, the formulation is decomposed into a master problem and a subproblem. The master problem solves unit commitment with prevailing constraints, except transmission security and voltage constraints, by augmented Lagrangian relaxation. The subproblem minimizes violations of transmission security and voltage constraints for a commitment schedule given in the master problem. Since transmission constraints are decoupled from voltage constraints in the subproblem, the subproblem could further be decomposed into two smaller subproblems. The resulting transmission subproblem minimizes transmission flow violations for the worst contingency case by adjusting unit generation and phase shifter controls. The corresponding reactive subproblem minimizes voltage constraints by reactive power generation and tap changing controls. In the case of transmission flow or voltage infeasibility, Benders cuts are produced for unit commitment rescheduling. The iterative process between the master problem and the subproblems provides a minimum production cost solution for generation scheduling while satisfying the constraints. A comprehensive unit commitment software package is developed using Visual C++. A 36-unit system in the IEEE-118 bus network is used to demonstrate the efficiency of the method.
Prevalence and incidence rates of HIV-1 infection in Rwandan students.

A study was conducted between October 1992 and June 1993 to determine the prevalence and incidence of HIV-1 infection and associated risk factors among secondary school and university students in Rwanda. All single students aged 15-35 years from the National University and six secondary schools in Butare were eligible to participate. 1348 of the 1807 students invited to participate agreed to enroll. The proportion of non-participation increased with age with the median age of students in the study being 21 years. 23 of 1345 (1.7%) students were diagnosed as infected with HIV-1. Nine of these HIV-seropositive students denied being sexually active and reported no other HIV risk factor. The level of HIV-1 infection was significantly higher among university students than among secondary school students with HIV-1 seroprevalence increasing from 0.6% among those under age 22 years to 5.0% among those over age 25. Students who had their first sexual intercourse before age 18 years were more likely to be HIV-positive than those who had their first sexual experience at age 18 years or older. Multivariate logistic regression found only age to be independently associated with the prevalence of HIV-1 infection. 6 months after the beginning of the study blood specimens were taken from 1120 seronegative students at baseline to determine HIV incidence. There was an overall incidence density of 0.74 per 100 person-years. However among the 97 female university students aged 20-24 years the incidence density was 6.34 per 100 person-years. The observed HIV-1 seroprevalence rate among the students was far lower than that reported among women attending prenatal clinics in the same area as the study population. Self-selection bias may have affected the study findings.
Development and validation of fuel height models for terrestrial lidar - RxCADRE 2012

Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) was used to collect spatially continuous measurements of fuelbed characteristics across the plots and burn blocks of the 2012 RxCADRE experiments in Florida. Fuelbeds were scanned obliquely from plot/block edges at a height of 20 m above ground. Pre-fire blocks were scanned from six perspectives and four perspectives for post-fire at ~2 cm nominal spot spacing. After processing, fuel height models were developed at one meter spatial resolution in burn blocks and compared with field measurements of height. Spatial bias is also examined. The resultant fuel height data correspond closely with field measurements of height and exhibit low spatial bias. They show that field measurements of fuel height from field plots are not representative of the burn blocks as a whole. A translation of fuel height distributions to specific fuel attributes will be necessary to maximise the utility of the data for fire modelling.
The Effects of Scene Complexity on Judgements of Aimpoint during Final Approach

To study the effect of five levels of scene complexity on performance of a final approach task, ten different animations representing combinations of scene complexity and distance intervals to threshold were modeled. For the experiment task, seven subjects were required to estimate the perceived point of impact as an extrapolation of the final approach path. The results indicated that there was a significant interaction between scene complexity and distance to the actual impact point for both horizontal and vertical components of the judgement task. In addition, increasing the level of terrain complexity lead to better performance in judgements of horizontal displacement, however, the results for vertical displacements were unclear. The relationship between errors and performance for the experiment tasks are discussed.
The effect of thermally induced stresses on electromigration lifetime of near-bamboo interconnects

Thermal stresses may affect significantly electromigration induced open failures in near-bamboo interconnect structures ending in W-vias. Based on a physical model, we investigate the thermal stress effects on void nucleation, on early failures due to grain boundary diffusion, and on longer term bulk diffusion dominated failures. It is shown that thermal stress is all important as far as early failures are concerned. In particular, during accelerated tests and service, the early failures, when occur, arise due to stress and current directed grain boundary diffusion along grain clusters. In the accelerated test, bulk diffusion dominated void growth at vias determines the long term failures while during service bulk diffusion contribution is usually negligibly small within time frames of practical interest. Because the dominant failure mechanisms change, the extrapolation from the accelerated tests to the service conditions is not straight-forward.
Analysis and countermeasures of poor taking-medicine compliance in patients with recurring schizophrenia

The author analyzed the causes of schizophrenia recurrence in 60 patients, finding that 75.9% of them (54 cases) had stopped taking medicine or refused without doctor's advice; 14.8% of them taken medicine irregularly and 9.3% suspended medication. The results imply that patient's poor compliance mainly leads to the higher recurrence rate of schizophrenia. Based on them, the author brought forward her advice on the nursing counter-measures.
Effects of a high K+/low Na+ diet on blood pressure in young spontaneously hypertensive rats.

1. Blood pressure was measured after treatment with a high K + , a low Na + and a combined high K + /low Na + diet in young spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). 2. A high K + diet reduced blood pressure by approximately 10 mmHg during the development of hypertension. This decrease was accompanied by a significant increase in water intake and urine volume and a significant decrease in plasma renin activity (PRA). 3. A low Na + diet also decreased blood pressure significantly, but, in contrast to the high K + diet, water intake and urine volume significantly decreased and PRA increased. 4. When both diets were given together, the antihypertensive effects of both were eliminated. Thus while an increase in dietary K + and a decrease in dietary Na + are both effective antihypertensive regimens in SHR, the mechanism of action of each appears to be different and may be antagonistic in these animals.
Gaussian multi-armed bandit problems with multiple objectives

Motivated by the goal of formally integrating human designers into computational systems for engineering design optimization, I study decision making under uncertainty with multiple objectives in the context of the multi-armed bandit problem. A key aspect of multi-objective optimization is the need for scalarization, i.e., a way to combine the various objectives into a single well-defined scalar objective function. I study the case where the multi-objective rewards are Gaussian distributed and the scalarization is linear and develop an algorithm that achieves optimal performance, i.e., converges to selecting the best arm at the highest possible rate.
Stability of flows heated by friction

Abstract Simple flows can be used to measure viscosities. If the viscosity is high enough and depends on temperature, frictional heating presents a technical difficulty. Yet in many viscometric flows formulas predicting the temperature and the velocity distribution are available. The resulting flow may or may not be stable to small perturbations. If it is unstable it will not be seen in an experiment. Our aim is to show that stability depends on how the experiment is controlled, whether by holding a kinematic or a dynamic variable fixed, eg., wall speed or wall stress. In a plane Couette flow, controlled by the wall speed, stability to long wave length perturbations is established for all points of the base curve. In both a rotational Couette flow and a Poiseulle flow stability obtains at least part way along the upper branch.
The temporal stability of the bifactor model of comorbidity: An examination of moderated continuity pathways.

Abstract Background Structural models of psychopathology indicate that common mental disorder comorbidity reflects latent transdiagnostic factors. Multiple studies have replicated transdiagnostic internalizing (mood and anxiety disorders) and externalizing (substance use, antisociality-, and impulsivity-related disorders) factors; other studies support distress and fear sub-factors of internalizing. These factors show a high degree of temporal stability. Recently, a bifactor conceptualization of multivariate comorbidity has emerged, positing the existence of an orthogonal general psychopathology factor that saturates all diagnoses in addition to internalizing/distress/fear and externalizing, although no studies have examined the temporal stability of the factors in this competing model over time among adults. Method In a large, two-wave nationally representative sample ( N =43,093), we investigated the structure of the bifactor model and examined all potential within- and between-factor stability pathways in a structural equation modeling framework. Results In general, within-domain stability (e.g., Wave 1 general factor predicting Wave 2 general factor) was high, while between-domain pathways (e.g., Wave 1 general factor predicting the Wave 2 externalizing factor) did not differ significantly from zero. We then tested possible age and gender moderation of factor stability, finding that the stability for all factors, except fear, significantly differed across demographic sub-groups. However, these differences were not clinically meaningful. Conclusions Results indicated that bifactor model factors show varying degrees of temporal stability, with lowest comorbidity continuity over time reflecting distress stability. Findings are discussed with regard to recent evidence that the general factor may, to some extent, represent the negative emotionality captured by internalizing/distress in correlated two- and three-factor solutions.
Dispersion characteristics of fin lines with photonic substrate

Current and foreseen applications of photonic crystals especially the PBG (Photonic Band Gap) can be divided according to their principle of functioning. In this work an efficient method is presented for the accurate full-wave analyses of the unilateral and bilateral finlines with a 2D PBG material as substrate. To analyze its efficiency, it’s necessary to determine the phase, attenuation and effective dielectric constants. In order to analyze the behavior of the structure with this substrate, the full wave TTL (Transversal Transmission Line) method is used. Numerical results for the attenuation and effective dielectric constant of unilateral and bilateral finline with PBG substrate are presented.
The Framing and Celebration of the American Local Grain Movement

First paragraphs: In the book The New Bread Basket: How the New Crop of Grain Growers, Plant Breeders, Millers, Maltsters, Bakers, Brewers, and Local Food Activists Are Redefining Our Daily Loaf, Amy Halloran takes readers on an imaginative tour of the revitalization of regional grain economies within and across the United States. The harvesting, processing, preparing, and consuming of grains is at the very root of humankind and the subsequent emergence and evolution of society as we know it today. From chapter to chapter, Halloran illustrates this same capacity of regional grain production and consumption to bring people together and help form and sustain meaningful relationships in the context of contemporary local food movements. Perhaps the most important theme to emerge from Halloran's description of the initiatives and strategies of regional grain entrepreneurs and other leaders of the revitalization movement is the importance of community and cross-functional interconnectedness to the growth and development of local food systems. The chapters that compose the book combine to present compelling evidence that the development of regional grain economies requires the fostering of relationships between actors who bring multiple perspectives and diverse forms of capital to common problems. Halloran demonstrates, for instance, the value of such relationships in the second chapter of the book through a description of the collaborative efforts of a farmer, miller, and baker, as well as additional local food champions, to enable the opening of a community-based mill in upstate New York. In this case, cross-trade collaboration resulted in the development of a mill that processes grains grown on the farm on which it is located, as well as from other farms across the surrounding region. In turn, local bakers are now better able to bake with locally sourced and milled flour, which is also being sold to urban customers through New York City farmers' markets. The ability of diverse stakeholders to connect and collaborate proved vital to the mill's success, as well as the farmers, bakers, and markets located both upstream and down-stream from it. This case clearly illustrates the importance of intimate relationships between local food entrepreneurs and leaders positioned across local food supply chains in overcoming problems of scale in production, crop availability, and reliability, access to markets of adequate size, and other challenges. The value of such cross-system collaboration is consistently shown by many of the other cases presented throughout the book....
On-Board Analysis of Degradation Mechanisms of Lithium-Ion Battery Using Differential Voltage Analysis

Reliability of lithium-ion (Li-ion) rechargeable batteries has been recognized as of high importance from a broad range of stakeholders, including manufacturers of battery-powered devices, regulatory agencies, researchers and the general public. Failures of Li-ion batteries could result in enormous economic losses and catastrophic events. To enable early identification and resolution of reliability issues and proactive prevention of failures, it is important to be able to diagnose, in a quantitative manner, degradation mechanisms of individual battery cells while the cells are in operation. This paper proposes a methodological framework for on-board quantitative analysis of degradation mechanisms of Li-ion battery using differential voltage analysis. In the framework, the task of on-board degradation analysis is decomposed into two phases: 1) offline high precision characterization of half-cell differential voltage (dV/dQ) behavior, which collects high precision voltage (V) and capacity (Q) data from positive and negative electrode half-cells; and 2) online (on-board) quantitative analysis of degradation mechanisms, which adopts recursive Bayesian filtering to online estimate degradation parameters based on measurement of full-cell dV/dQ curve. These degradation parameters quantify the degrees of degradation from the mechanisms. Simulation results obtained from LiCoO2/graphite Li-ion cells verify the effectiveness of the proposed framework in online estimation of the degradation parameters.Copyright © 2016 by ASME
Modeling of a multi-megawatt grid connected PV system with integrated batteries

The multi-megawatt grid connected photovoltaic (PV) system studied in the paper includes parallel arrays and power electronic units, each with their own DC-DC and DC-AC converters. In one configuration, the DC-AC converters of adjacent parallel sections are connected in cascade, in order to effectively operate as a multilevel inverter, thereby reducing the filtering requirements. Grid voltage oriented control is employed for inverters and a battery is incorporated for energy storage and performance improvement. Modeling is performed with the PSCAD/EMTDC software, such that both the power electronics components, controls and subsystem aspects, and the electric grid power system issues, can be studied during steady-state and transient operation. The system simulation is demonstrated on a modified IEEE 14-bus test case.
Asthma in Children from New York City’s Chinatown Post-9/11

Asthma diagnoses in the pediatric population of Manhattan’s Chinatown increased 50% in the year after September 11, 2001. Peak expiratory flow rates were reduced for those previously-diagnosed asthmatics living within 5 miles of Ground Zero, with increased asthma medication use and visits to the pediatrician for asthma. Years later, spirometry values for those alive in the neighborhood on 9/11, those born on 9/11, and those born thereafter are all reduced. The ongoing ambient air pollution with airborne metals suggests a two hit hypothesis with 9/11 plus post-9/11 air pollution, the latter likely related to traffic over the Manhattan Bridge. These studies and those by Trasande suggest a need for long-term monitoring of this vulnerable population.
Influencing organisational culture to improve hospital performance in care of patients with acute myocardial infarction: a mixed-methods intervention study

Background Hospital organisational culture affects patient outcomes including mortality rates for patients with acute myocardial infarction; however, little is known about whether and how culture can be positively influenced. Methods This is a 2-year, mixed-methods interventional study in 10 US hospitals to foster improvements in five domains of organisational culture: (1) learning environment, (2) senior management support, (3) psychological safety, (4) commitment to the organisation and (5) time for improvement. Outcomes were change in culture, uptake of five strategies associated with lower risk-standardised mortality rates (RSMR) and RSMR. Measures included a validated survey at baseline and at 12 and 24 months (n=223; average response rate 88%); in-depth interviews (n=393 interviews with 197 staff); and RSMR data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Results We observed significant changes (p Conclusions Investing in strategies to foster an organisational culture that supports high performance may help hospitals in their efforts to improve clinical outcomes.
Synthesis and thermal transport of eco-friendly Fe-Si-Ge alloys with eutectic/eutectoid microstructure

Abstract The β-FeSi2/Si semiconducting nanocomposite is a promising thermoelectric system with eco-friendly materials. We show that small quantities of Ge can enhance the thermoelectric properties and widen the design space, if Ge content and spatial disposition can be controlled. We investigated the use of solidification combined with solid-state transformations to reduce the thermal conductivity via hierarchical modification of microstructure. Solidification of Fe28Si68Ge4 alloys leads to eutectic lamellar microstructure comprised of hyperstoichiometric α-FeSi2+δ phase and diamond cubic Si1-xGex. The eutectic lengthscales can be varied over two orders of magnitude depending on solidification rate. Subsequent aging of the eutectic produces eutectoid decomposition, α-FeSi2 → β-FeSi2 + Si1-yGey, where the additional diamond cubic product is interleaved with the eutectic lamellae. By controlling both the frequency of β-FeSi2/diamond cubic heterointerfaces, as well as the degree of Ge segregation into the eutectoid microconstituent, the thermal conductivity of the composite was varied from 22.8 W m−1 K−1 down to 8.3 W m−1 K−1. We analyze the thermal conductivity in terms of a series thermal resistance model, including thermal boundary conductances at the heterointerfaces, and show that the thermal boundary conductance is reduced by at least an order of magnitude when the diamond cubic microconstituent is enriched from 0 to 30 at% Ge. Avenues for additional microstructural improvements towards thermoelectric applications are discussed.
Hair Cells: Sensory Transduction

The organs of the vertebrate inner ear respond to a variety of mechanical stimuli: semicircular canals are sensitive to angular velocity, the saccule and utricle respond to linear acceleration (including gravity), and the cochlea is sensitive to airborne vibration, or sound. The ontogenically related lateral line organs, spaced along the sides of aquatic vertebrates, sense water movement. All of these organs have a common receptor cell type, the hair cell, so named for the bundle of enlarged microvilli protruding from cell’s apical surface. In different organs, specialized accessory structures serve to collect, filter, and then deliver different physical stimuli to the hair bundles. The proximal stimulus for all hair cells is deflection of the mechanosensitive hair bundle. Hair cells then convert mechanical information contained within the temporal pattern of hair bundle deflections into electrical signals, which they transmit to the brain for interpretation.
On the Regularity of the Harmonic Green Potential in Nonsmooth Domains

at least if f is well behaved. The mapping properties of Π are well understood. Essentially, this is a smoothing operator of order two on the scale of L-based Sobolev spaces H and this readily translates into mapping properties for the solution operator f → u = Πf of the partial differential equation (PDE) in question. Next, take the case when the Poisson problem is considered in a bounded domain Ω ⊂ R. This time, boundary conditions must be imposed and we consider the homogeneous Dirichlet boundary condition in which scenario the PDE reads Δu = f in Ω, Tru = 0 on ∂Ω, (15.4)
The Global Burden of Child Maltreatment

Identify types of child maltreatment and discuss the scope of the problem from a global perspective. Discuss the challenges of establishing a universally acceptable operational definition of child maltreatment. Analyze risk factors for child maltreatment, including those that relate to the child, parents, family, and society. Evaluate measures for prevention of child maltreatment at the individual child level, parent– child relationship level, community and societal levels.
Cocaine: 1884–1974

Cocaine, because of its unique properties as a local anesthetic, is still widely used in medicine some one hundred years after its introduction to Europe as a panacea. Karl Koller’s discovery of the local anesthetic action of cocaine defined its legitimate medical usage. Today, cocaine is a drug of abuse that has dramatically increased in popularity. It is reported to produce an intense euphoria 3–5 minutes after intranasal application and thereby has gained the reputation of being the “champagne of drugs.”