cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Multistimuli-Responsive Foams Using an Anionic Surfactant.

In this work, we report a novel class of a commercially available surfactant which shows a multistimuli-responsive behavior toward foam stability. It comprises three components—a hydrophobe (tristyrylphenol), a temperature-sensitive block (polypropylene oxide, PO), and a pH-sensitive moiety (carboxyl group). The hydrophobicity–hydrophilicity balance of the surfactant can be tuned by changing either the pH or temperature of the system. At or below pH 4, the carboxyl functional group is dominantly protonated, resulting in zero foamability. At higher pH, the surfactant exhibits good foamability and foam stability marked with a fine bubble texture (∼200 μm). Foam destabilization could be achieved rapidly by either lowering the pH or bubbling CO2 gas. At a fixed pH in the presence of salt, increasing the temperature to 65 °C resulted in rapid defoaming because of the increased hydrophobicity of the PO chain. This stimuli-induced stabilization and destabilization of foam were found to be reversible. We envisage...
Slow Reading: Reflections on Jasmine Ulmer’s “Writing Slow Ontology”:

To cite a text is to read it. A citation asserts that I’ve read what I cited. But more importantly, the way we cite indicates the quality of our reading. To have the right to use a text, we must fu...
How Do We Measure Happiness? Evaluating Subjective Well-Being in Public Policy Domains

This work in progress argues for the use of moment-to-moment measures of hedonic benefit, rather than general "life satisfaction," as a normatively attractive goal of public policy.
Decay in time for a one‐dimensional two‐component plasma

The motion of a collisionless plasma is described by the Vlasov–Poisson (VP) system, or in the presence of large velocities, the relativistic VP system. Both systems are considered in one space and one momentum dimension, with two species of oppositely charged particles. A new identity is derived for both systems and is used to study the behavior of solutions for large times. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Selection Effects in the Births of Mutual Funds

Families cater to investor demand in launching funds: new funds disproportionately hold popular stocks. These holdings represent long-lived strategic choices, rather than being merely window-dressing. New funds holding popular stocks at birth underperform. Some of this is because of the documented underperformance of popular stocks. A second component is competitive effects. When funds enter popular strategies, all funds there do poorly. When funds enter unpopular strategies, the negative effects of entry are mitigated. Funds seem to choose which strategies to enter based on two factors: the popularity of those strategies and how well they expect to perform there.
Interaction between moving Abrikosov vortices in type-II superconductors

The self-energy of a moving vortex is shown to decrease with increasing velocity. The interaction energy of two parallel slowly moving vortices differs from the static case by a small term $\ensuremath{\propto}{v}^{2}$; the ``slow'' motion is defined as having the velocity $vl{v}_{c}={c}^{2}/4\ensuremath{\pi}\ensuremath{\sigma}\ensuremath{\lambda}$, where $\ensuremath{\sigma}(T)$ is the conductivity of normal excitations and $\ensuremath{\lambda}(T)$ is London penetration depth. For higher velocities, $vg{v}_{c}(T)$, the interaction energy of two vortices situated along the velocity direction is enhanced and in the perpendicular direction is suppressed compared to the static case.
3D-printed and injection molded polymer matrix composites with 2D layered materials

Two-dimensional layered materials (2DLMs), MoS2 and WS2, and three-dimensional (3D) graphite were infused in thermoplastic polymer matrices comprised of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG). Two processing approaches were examined for creating polymer tensile test specimens using the composites for mechanical testing, which included three-dimensional (3D) printing and injection molding. The ductility generally decreased with the addition of the fillers indicated by an increase in Young’s modulus and a corresponding decrease in yield stress and tensile stress for the 2DLM-polymer composites. The dynamic friction data of the composites were measured in an attempt to exploit the solid phase lubricating properties of graphite and the 2DLM fillers. Graphite proved to lower the dynamic friction in the cases of 3D printed PETG and injection molded ABS, while MoS2 and WS2 were found to reduce friction in 3D printed PETG and ABS. Finally, the thermal conductivities of these polymer matrix composites were measured and compared to the pure polymer matrices. The thermal conductivity increased in both ABS and PETG composites containing graphite, MoS2, and WS2, irrespective of their processing routes. The use of 2DLM-based polymer composites remains an area of interest for a wide range of applications in the future, such as wearable electronics and sensors with low-cost additive manufacturing approaches.
Mothers’ Work Schedule Inflexibility and Children’s Behavior Problems:

Flexibility in work schedules is key to helping parents with young children balance work and caregiving responsibilities. Prior research shows that work schedule inflexibility is associated with gr...
Smoking cessation treatment for individuals with comorbid diabetes and serious mental illness in an integrated health care delivery system

Abstract Introduction Smoking is a significant modifiable risk factor for mortality for persons with serious mental illness (SMI), who have a life expectancy 15–20 years shorter than the general population. Individuals with SMI and comorbid diabetes who are smokers face an even higher risk of cardiovascular complications and early death. Yet despite high rates of smoking among people with SMI, tobacco cessation interventions have not been broadly offered to this population. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study using electronic health records from 2014 in a large integrated care delivery system to examine whether use of smoking cessation pharmacotherapy among smokers with type 2 diabetes varies by serious mental illness (SMI) diagnosis. We analyzed smoking cessation medication prescription fills among adult smokers with diabetes, comparing those with SMI (N = 634) and without SMI (N = 18,021). Risk ratios were adjusted for age, gender, race, urban area type, and medical facility. Results Of the SMI group, 19.09% filled at least one smoking cessation prescription compared to 9.73% of the non-SMI group (adjusted risk ratio 1.80 [95% CI 1.52–2.13]; p Conclusions These findings offer an example of a delivery system with higher uptake of smoking cessation pharmacotherapy among people with SMI than without SMI, and highlight the opportunity to provide more smoking cessation interventions in mental health care settings.
Assessing and Accelerating Coverage in Deep Reinforcement Learning.

Current deep reinforcement learning (DRL) algorithms utilize randomness in simulation environments to assume complete coverage in the state space. However, particularly in high dimensions, relying on randomness may lead to gaps in coverage of the trained DRL neural network model, which in turn may lead to drastic and often fatal real-world situations. To the best of the author's knowledge, the assessment of coverage for DRL is lacking in current research literature. Therefore, in this paper, a novel measure, Approximate Pseudo-Coverage (APC), is proposed for assessing the coverage in DRL applications. We propose to calculate APC by projecting the high dimensional state space on to a lower dimensional manifold and quantifying the occupied space. Furthermore, we utilize an exploration-exploitation strategy for coverage maximization using Rapidly-Exploring Random Tree (RRT). The efficacy of the assessment and the acceleration of coverage is demonstrated on standard tasks such as Cartpole, highway-env.
Behavior outweighs body size in mediating male reproductive success in a nest-building fish, bluehead chub

In polygamy, individuals interact in a non-random manner to shape reproductive networks. However, relative importance of behavior versus individual physical traits (e.g., body size) in determining access to partners and reproductive success varies by species and is poorly understood in small-bodied aquatic species for which direct observations are challenging in the wild. Here, we coupled automated individual tracking and genetic parentage techniques to characterize reproductive networks and their consequences on reproductive success in bluehead chub (Nocomis leptocephalus), a nest-building stream fish native to the southeastern USA. Fish were marked with 12-mm passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags, and loop-shaped PIT antennas were deployed around 18 nests to monitor behavioral encounters of 311 individuals (34 males and 277 females and immature males) during the spawning season in 2017. After spawning, genetic samples of 326 young-of-the-year fish (i.e., offspring) were collected. The mating system was polygynandrous, and factors affecting access to partners and reproductive success differed between males and females. Male body size did not affect number of encounters with females and reproductive success, instead behavior indexing reproductive effort (number and size of nests occupied) explained variation in reproductive success. On the contrary, body size was a key determinant of female reproductive success. Fecundity (i.e., number of eggs) increased with body size, and higher encounters rates with males did not result in higher reproductive success. In males and females, mating with more partners led to higher reproductive success, which may have contributed to the evolution and maintenance of polygynandry in this species. Is bigger better? This question has been investigated with respect to animal mating behavior and reproductive success, and the answer appears to vary by species. Using an intensive individual-based approach with PIT antenna and molecular markers, we show that behavior outweighed body size in mediating reproductive success of males but not females of a nest-building stream fish. Males increased access to females and ultimately number of offspring by occupying larger and more nests, which are proxies of reproductive effort. In females, body size was more important than behavior in determining reproductive success, and behavior explained much less of variation in reproductive success. Diverse and complex reproductive patterns of males may explain why behavior outweighed body size in mediating reproductive success, a hypothesis that warrants further research across species with a gradient of mating systems and behavioral complexities.
Hepatitis C in the United States: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

Despite not having a vaccine for HCV, the availability of curative direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) led the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in 2017 to conclude that HCV could be eliminated as a public health problem in the United States if considerable will and resources existed to do so 1 HCV INFECTION AND THE INJECTION DRUG USE EPIDEMIC In the current issue of AJPH, Holtzman et al from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention document the changing epidemiology of acute HCV in the United States between 2010 and 2018 (p 949) The fact that injection drug use is now the major driver of HCV transmission in the United States indicates that any program to eliminate or even control HCV in the absence of a vaccine must directly address treatment of substance use disorders Because injection of opioids was found to be the major cause of injection drug use-related acute HCV incidence during that period, specifically addressing the treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD) and integrating infectious disease prevention and treatment services with addiction services are critical to eliminating or controlling HCV infection in the United States Harmreduction services such as syringe service programs have helped to curb the epidemic of not only HCV but also HIV infection 2 Importantly, use of medication to treat OUD (e g , buprenorphine, methadone, extended-release naltrexone) has been shown to reduce transmission of HCV and HIV as well as lead to cure of HCV and increased viral suppression among individuals with HIV infection 36 HCV reinfection is also uncommon among persons who inject drugs on opioid agonist therapy 7 A recent report from the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine that evaluated opportunities to improve OUD and infectious disease services outlined a series of recommendations that undoubtedly could impact the HCV epidemic 8,9 Among them was the elimination of prior authorization policies and removing the X-waiver requirement to prescribe buprenorphine, which would make the effective opioid agonist medications to treat OUD more accessible and available to all who need them
Couples' co-regulation dynamics as a function of perceived partner dyadic coping.

Perceptions of partners’ dyadic coping (DC) behaviors are associated with lower stress and higher relationship well-being. Albeit well-documented, these associations have predominately relied on cr...
Sex differences in postnatal weight gain trajectories of extremely preterm newborns

Both postnatal growth and sex play a crucial role in long-term outcomes of extremely preterm newborns (EPNs), but the relationship between sex and postnatal growth is not clear. This study aims to assess sex differences in weight trajectories. Weight data in the first 200 days of life from 4327 EPNs were used for generalized additive mixed modeling. We considered gestational age and sex as fixed-effects, and included random intercepts and random slopes for postnatal age. We assessed interactions between fixed-effects and postnatal age. Male EPNs had higher predicted weight trajectories than females. Weight z-score trajectories decreased in both sexes before term-equivalent age comparably, but females showed faster increases afterward. Although weight gain velocity was comparable between both sexes, weight gain velocity in male EPNs was lower compared to the corresponding reference values from the 2013 Fenton growth charts, which explained slower z-score rises. Sex disparity exists in postnatal weight gain trajectories of EPNs after reaching the term-equivalent age.
A single mode of population covariation associates brain networks structure and behavior and predicts individual subjects' age.

Multiple human behaviors improve early in life, peaking in young adulthood, and declining thereafter. Several properties of brain structure and function progress similarly across the lifespan. Cognitive and neuroscience research has approached aging primarily using associations between a few behaviors, brain functions, and structures. Because of this, the multivariate, global factors relating brain and behavior across the lifespan are not well understood. We investigated the global patterns of associations between 334 behavioral and clinical measures and 376 brain structural connections in 594 individuals across the lifespan. A single-axis associated changes in multiple behavioral domains and brain structural connections (r = 0.5808). Individual variability within the single association axis well predicted the age of the subject (r = 0.6275). Representational similarity analysis evidenced global patterns of interactions across multiple brain network systems and behavioral domains. Results show that global processes of human aging can be well captured by a multivariate data fusion approach. Brent McPherson and Franco Pestilli build on a large-scale data set from the Cambridge Centre for Aging Neuroscience to examine multivariate relationships between structural brain networks, behavior, and aging in healthy patients aged 18-88 years. They find that the age of individual subjects is predicted by the association between structural connectivity and behavioral measures. They provide a reproducible data processing pipeline at brainlife.io that can be applied to other datasets.
Optically levitated dark matter sensors

Recent developments in optical trapping techniques in high vacuum allow micron-sized objects to be used as precise acceleration and force sensors with respective sensitivities of 100ng/sqrt(Hz) and 1aN/sqrt(Hz), making these sensors ideal to measure tiny forces and recoils which are the result of interactions with the environment. Due to single-electron control of the electric charge, these sensors can be made electrically neutral. This not only enables better isolation from electromagnetic noise, but also allows the measurement of electric charges on the order of 10^-4e. This levitated object is used in the search of new physics in regions of parameter space inaccessible by other techniques. This talk will discuss such sensor characterization and capabilities as well as recent results of searches for dark matter, millicharged particles bound to matter and projections for a search for short ranged interactions.
Palmar Erythema

Palmar erythema (PE), an often overlooked physical finding, is due to several physiologic or systemic pathologic states. PE can exist as a primary physiologic finding or as a secondary marker of systemic pathology.
Misdemeanor Crime Rates in the First Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Race and Gender in Alachua County, Florida

Declared a national emergency on March 1, 2020, the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) has caused a major change in everyday life and crime statistics across the United States (U.S.). The research in this study aims to assess changes in reported misdemeanor crimes in Alachua County, Florida in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as changes in the rate of misdemeanor crimes committed by certain genders and race demographics. Data was collected from the Alachua County Clerk of Circuit Court’s On-Line Court Records and Document Images Access Page from January 2019 to December 2020. The results of this study were consistent with the researcher’s hypothesis that the number of overall misdemeanor cases filed would substantially increase regardless of race or gender, likely as a result of social disorganization and community unrest. However, the original hypotheses that women and Black people would be seen committing higher rates of misdemeanor crimes in 2020 due to gender inequality and racial biases were rejected, with the data showing no statistical significance in the change in the number of cases filed for these populations. A potential explanatory factor for these findings is an overcommitment of responsibilities put upon women and girls, and a fear of racial prejudice and lack of social unity amongst Black people. These findings are important to highlight latent functions of state ordinances enacted to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, and to spotlight necessary crime control and reduction techniques that must be implemented simultaneously to adapt to the “new normal.”
ENDOR on Hemes and Hemoproteins

Heme compounds within proteins are crucial in many biological areas; for example, in carrying oxygen (hemoglobin), in storing oxygen (myoglobin), and in transporting electrons (cytochromes). A better knowledge of the electronic structure of the heme and its immediate protein environs should lead to a more complete understanding of how heme functions in its biological roles. The technique of endor allows precise measurement of the hyperfine interaction of paramagnetic heme electrons near the Fe3+ site of heme with many nearby nuclei. The strength of hyperfine interactions gives detailed information on the electronic distribution at heme and its neighbors and thus gives insight into the details of the electronic wave function of heme. Since heme represents the active center of the protein, such detailed information should lead to a more complete, even quantum mechanical, understanding of the relationship between heme’s electronic structure and its function in proteins.
Adverse effects of common medications on male fertility

An increasing number of patients require long-term medication regimens at a young age, but the adverse effects of medications on male reproduction are often inadequately considered, recognized and investigated. Medications can affect male reproduction through central hormonal effects, direct gonadotoxic effects, effects on sperm function or on sexual function. For example, exogenous testosterone inhibits spermatogenesis through central suppression of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal hormonal axis. 5α-reductase inhibitors can impair sexual function, decrease semen volume and negatively affect sperm parameters, depending on dose and treatment duration. α-Blockers might decrease seminal emission and cause retrograde ejaculation, depending on the receptor specificity and dose of the agent. Phosphodiesterase inhibitors seem to have variable effects based on the isoform inhibited and evidence is conflicting. Antihypertensive and psychotropic agents can affect sperm, sexual function and hormonal parameters. For antibiotics, the literature on effects on sperm and sperm function is limited and dated. Many chemotherapeutic agents have a direct gonadotoxic effect, depending on agents used, dosing and number of treatment cycles. Overall, many medications commonly used in urology can have effects on male fertility (mostly reversible) but conclusive evidence in humans is often limited. Men should be counselled appropriately about potential drug-related adverse effects on their fertility.
Big Buildings: How They Challenge Evaluation Thought and Practice

The size distribution of the non-residential building stock in the United States is skewed, with a very large number of small buildings and a small number of very large ones. As figure 1 reveals, just two percent of the nation’s nonresidential buildings account for 32% of the nation’s nonresidential floor area; five percent of the buildings account for 47% of the floor area (U. S. Department of Energy, 1981). This conformation of the nation’s physical inventory of buildings — of which many building professionals and their research cohorts are but dimly aware — will be the primary influence on the evolution of the theory, method, and practice of both “post-construction evaluation” and “post-occupancy evaluation” (PCE/POE), transcending the otherwise useful distinction drawn by Anderson and Butterfield (1980). This influence will be pervasive, affecting what attributes and effects are to be measured, to whom the measurements are to be reported, and how the measurements are to be made. Moreover, many of the building evaluation practices and perspectives employed to date and oriented to custodial environments provide little precedent or preparation for what is now required for evaluating discretionary or entrepreneurial environments. Herein lies the challenge to evaluation thought and practice.
Parallelism versus nondeterminism: on the semantics of abstract state machines

State Machines (ASMs) are a simple but powerful formalism for modeling both hardware and software. Models typically allow an implementation freedom for a range of behavior. ASMs use two concepts to achieve this. Parallel composition abstracts from irrelevant sequentiality. Nondeterministic choice abstracts from irrelevant algorithmic detail. As a thought experiment, we wish to see the consequences of substituting parallel composition by nondeterministic composition. We have found that it provides some alternative benefits, e.g. the complex theory of partial updates wouldn’t be necessary, since successsive updates take care of combining the effect of partial updates. ASMs of different abstraction levels could be reused, since updates on different abstraction levels wouldn’t collide. It would be consistent with the current mechanism for exception handling in Microsoft’s ASM language. Finally, we also show that this change in semantics does not destroy the spirit of ASMs, in fact most ASM models wouldn’t need any change at all. We have not analyzed the consequences of using nondeterminstic composition for the ASM thesis, but for a specification language nondeterminstic composition seems to work fine. For a detailed analysis, see [1].
Calculating Vacuum Energy as a Possible Explanation of the Dark Energy

We carried out a study of the properties of the λφ 4 field solutions. By constructing Gaussian wave packets to calculate the S matrix, we show that the probability of the vacuum unbroken state transfers to the broken state is about 10 −52 . After adding this probability restriction condition as modulation factor in the summation of vacuum energy, we thus get a result that the vacuum energy density is about 10 −47 GeV 4 , which is exact same as the observed dark energy density value, and maybe served as a possible explanation of the dark energy. Also our result shows that the vacuum energy density is proportional to the square of the universe's age, which fits the Dirac large numbers hypothesis.
Primary care clinician adherence to guidelines for the management of chronic musculoskeletal pain: results from the study of the effectiveness of a collaborative approach to pain.

Objective. We assessed primary care clinician-provided guideline-concordant care as documented in patients' medical records, predictors of documented guideline-concordant care, and its association with pain-related functioning. Patients were participants in a randomized trial of collaborative care for chronic musculoskeletal pain. The intervention featured patient and primary care clinician education, symptom monitoring and feedback to clinicians by the intervention team. Methods. To assess concordance with the evidence-based treatment guidelines upon which our intervention was based, we developed an 8-item chart review tool, the Pain Process Checklist (PPC). We then reviewed electronic medical records for 365 veteran patients treated by 42 primary care clinicians over 12 months. Intervention status, demographic, and clinical variables were tested as predictors of PPC scores using generalized estimating equations (GEE). GEE was also used to test whether PPC scores predicted treatment response (≥30% decrease in Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire score). Results. Rates of documented guideline-concordant care varied widely among PPC items, from 94% of patients having pain addressed to 17% of patients on opioids having side effects addressed. Intervention status was unrelated to item scores, and PPC-7 totals did not differ significantly between intervention and treatment-as-usual patients (61.2%, standard error [SE] = 3.3% vs 55.2%, SE = 2.6%, P = 0.15). In a multivariate model, higher PPC-7 scores were associated with receiving a prescription for opioids (odds ratio [OR] = 1.07, P = 0.007) and lower PPC-7 scores with patient age (10-year difference OR = 0.97, P = 0.004). Finally, intervention patients who received quantitative pain and depression assessments were less likely to respond to treatment (assessed vs not: 18% vs 33%, P = 0.008, and 13% vs 28%, P = 0.001, respectively). Conclusions. As measured by medical record review, additional training and clinician feedback did not increase provision of documented guideline-concordant pain care, and adherence to guidelines by primary care clinicians did not improve clinical outcomes for patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain.
Non‐spherical aerosol retrieval method employing light scattering by spheroids

Received 4 December 2001; revised 5 February 2002; accepted 8 February 2002; published 24 May 2002. [1] Numerous studies indicate the need to account for particle non-sphericity in modeling the optical properties of dustlike aerosols. The methods for simulating the scattering of light by various non-spherical shapes have rapidly evolved over the last two decades. However, the majority of aerosol remote-sensing retrievals still rely on the Mie theory because retrievals accounting for particle non-sphericity are not as well defined methodologically and are demanding computationally. We propose a method for the retrieval of the optical properties of non-spherical aerosol based on the model of a shape mixture of randomly oriented polydisperse spheroids. This method is applied to angular and spectral radiation measurements from the Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) in locations influenced by desert dust. Comparisons with Mie-based retrievals show a significant improvement in dust-particle phase functions, size distributions, and refractive indices. INDEX TERMS: 0305 Atmospheric Composition and Structure: Aerosols and particles (0345, 4801); 0933 Exploration Geophysics: Remote sensing; 0994 Exploration Geophysics: Instruments and techniques
Theory of Aeolian Features

The present Chapter (VIII) will deal with the theory of the geomorphological action of wind. This action is caused by the fact that wind is able to pick up and transport loose particles over very large distances.
Studies on the Conformation of Purified Human and Canine γA-Globulins and Equine γT-Globulin by Optical Rotatory Dispersion

Abstract The isolation of immunochemically pure samples of γA myeloma proteins from human and canine sera and of equine γT-globulin antibodies and a γT paraprotein is described. Antigenic and ultracentrifugal analyses of the isolated proteins also are presented. The optical rotatory dispersion curves of the γA- and γT-globulins show minima near 230 and 225 mµ and maxima near 206 mµ. The Cotton effect at 240 mµ characteristic of human and equine γG-globulins could not be detected in either intact γA- or γT-globulins. A rare human γA2 subclass myeloma protein is not distinguishable from γA1-globulins by rotatory dispersion despite considerable differences in structure. Conversion of the dimeric canine γA-globulin to the monomer on mild reduction is not accompanied by any detectable change in conformation. The optical rotatory dispersion curves of F(ab')2 fragments produced by peptic digestion of human γA- and equine γT-globulins show single minima near 225 mµ. The F(ab')2 fragment of γA-globulin shows a Cotton effect at 240 mµ, whereas that of γT-globulin does not. In both fragments the levorotation above 235 mµ is considerably lower than in the parent protein. The results indicate that conformational differences exist between both human γA- and equine γT-globulins and their respective γG-globulins. While the rotatory dispersion spectra of the γA- and γT-globulins show over-all similarities, comparison of their respective peptic fragments suggests that there is some difference in conformation.
Second-Trimester Placental Location and Postpartum Hemorrhage

Objectives The purpose of this study was to assess whether low placentation in the second trimester is an independent risk factor for postpartum hemorrhage. Methods A retrospective cohort study of women undergoing transvaginal sonography between 18 weeks' and 23 weeks 6 days' gestation was conducted. Patients were subdivided into three groups: low-lying placenta (0.1-2.5 cm), marginal previa (touching but not overlapping the os), and complete previa (covering the os). Low placentation was used as a descriptive for all cases (low-lying placenta, marginal previa, and complete previa) in this study. A group of randomly identified control patients with normal placentation was selected for comparison. Results During the period of study, 410 women with low placentation were identified. Compared to controls, patients with second-trimester low placentation had increased rates of postpartum hemorrhage and uterotonic use. These increased risks persisted even among women in whom the low placentation resolved (odds ratio, 2.72; 95% confidence interval, 1.46-5.07; odds ratio, 2.18; 95% confidence interval, 1.24-3.84). Conclusions Women with a second-trimester diagnosis of low placentation are at increased risk of postpartum hemorrhage.
Ultrashort x-ray pulse generation using laser-driven accelerators

bunches are produced through laser triggered injection using the colliding laser pulse scheme. Numericalsimulations of test particles, with prescribed plasma and laser fields, indicate that for a 5 TW laser drivepulse, the wakefield acceleration scheme has the capability to produce relativistic (10's of MeV's) electronbunches over an acceleration length equal to the diffraction distance of the laser beam. The colliding pulseoffers the possibility to produce femtosecond long electron bunches with peak currents on the order of akilo Ampere, fractional energy spread of order a few percent and normalized transverse emittance less than1 mm-mrad using 1 TW injection pulses. An example of the performance of this electron beam source forthe generation of femtosecond X-rays using Bremsstrahlung and laser scattering will be discussed.Keywords: Laser, plasma, acceleration, wakefield, x-ray.
Visualization of coherent structure in scalar fields of unsteady jet flows with interferometric tomography and proper orthogonal decomposition

Proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) is a method of examining spatial coherence in unsteady flow fields from an ensemble of multidimensional measurements. When applied to experimental data, the proper orthogonal decomposition is generally restricted to data sets with low spatial resolution. This is because of the inherent difficulties in generating an ensemble of measurements that contain a large number of data points. In this paper, a system for obtaining a large ensemble of three-dimensional scalar measurements using interferometric tomography is presented. The proper orthogonal decomposition is applied in three spatial dimensions to experimental data of two jet-like flows. The coherent structure present in the near field of a neutrally buoyant, helium–argon jet and the far field of a buoyant helium jet into air is visualized. The POD results of the helium–argon jet clearly reveal the breakdown region of a sequence of vortex rings and a large-scale flapping motion in the jet far field. The POD of the buoyant helium jet shows a number of competing modes with varying degrees of helicity.
Influence of dietary protein on the response of rats receiving toxic levels of warfarin.

Abstract Toxic doses of racemic [ 14 C]warfarin (3-(α-acetonylbenzyl)-4-hydroxycoumarin) were administered (0.8 mg/kg, po) for 5 days to rats fed one of three different purified diets, 25% casein, 8% casein, and casein-free. Four rats from each dietary group were bled at 6, 30, 54, 78, and 102 hr after the initial dose. Rats consuming a casein-free diet maintained higher total plasma warfarin levels than rats fed a 25 or 8% casein diet. Additionally, percentage free warfarin levels of 0% casein rats were greater than those of 25 and 8% groups through the first 78 hr. An increase in percentage unbound drug was therefore most likely associated with a decrease in total plasma clearance. The protein-free rats had a more rapid increase in prothrombin time and lower plasma albumin levels than rats fed either a 25 or 8% casein diet. A significant correlation was found between the percentage free fraction of warfarin and the prothrombin response in each of the three dietary groups. A negative correlation was found between percentage free plasma warfarin and plasma albumin concentration in each of the three dietary groups. A correlation was found between total plasma warfarin and prothrombin time for the rats on the 0% protein diet. It was concluded that the quantity of dietary protein was an important factor in determining the response of rats to toxic levels of warfarin.
Epithelial sheet movement: protein and glycoprotein synthesis.

Abstract A technique has been developed for organ-culturing rat corneas with a standard epithelial wound and then harvesting epithelium migrating over the wound. Using this technique, we found that corneal epithelium migrating in organ culture incorporates leucine and glucosamine in amounts 45.5 and 11.9 times, respectively, greater than that in normal epithelium. Epithelium peripheral to the epithelium migrating over the wound area also has increased levels of incorporation. At wound closure, rates of leucine and glucosamine incorporation decreased to 13.7 and 4.6 times, respectively, that of normal, indicating that as cells make contact, there is a dramatic reduction in synthesis of protein and glycoprotein.
The Hiring Process: Recruitment Methods

The NOS survey data show that U.S. establishments use a variety of methods for publicizing the availability of job opportunities to potential workers. Newspaper advertisements and informal referrals from employees are used most frequently. Referrals are more often used together with other approaches than as a sole recruitment strategy; those establishments that rely exclusively on “network hiring” tend to be small, less formalized, and in the private sector. Organizations display strong proclivities to rely on the same approaches to recruitment for different types of employees, but there are occupationally related variations in recruiting techniques. Professional referrals and advertisements are more typical approaches for high-prestige occupations than for low ones, and some variations in recruitment practices are associated with occupational gender composition.
Minimally Invasive (Sinus Tarsi) Approach for Open Reduction and Internal Fixation of Intra-Articular Calcaneus Fractures in Children: Surgical Technique and Case Report of Two Patients

Calcaneus fractures in children differ from those in adults. Most calcaneus fractures in children can be managed nonoperatively, with good long-term results expected. The width and height of the calcaneus can remodel with time in children. Recently, there has been a trend toward operative treatment of displaced intra-articular fractures of the calcaneus in children to correct the articular deformity. Studies of calcaneal fracture fixation in children used an extended lateral approach, with its possible complications. In the present report, we describe the operative treatment of 2 children (12 and 13 years old), who had a displaced intra-articular fracture of the calcaneus, using a minimally invasive sinus tarsi approach. Adequate reduction was obtained in both cases with no soft tissue complications or implant discomfort. Fixation was obtained using 3.5-mm cortical screws. Anatomic joint alignment was restored. The children were followed up until they had both resumed their full activities with no complications. We recommend this approach for operative treatment of displaced intra-articular fractures of the calcaneus, because it addresses the intra-articular displacement, which is the most important element of the deformity in children.
Location of the rho gene and characterization of lambda ilv-gal derivatives of lambda ilv-rho bacteriophage.

The location of the rho gene and its position relative to the ilv genes of Escherichia coli K-12 was analyzed using genetic criteria, restriction enzyme cleavage, and maxicell analysis. Plasmids were constructed with deletions of the rho gene introduced in vitro, and λ ilv-gal derivatives of λ ilv-rho bacteriophage were isolated by recombination in vivo. A HindIII restriction fragment of 8 kilobases (kb) previously shown to contain at least part of the rho gene (Gray et al. 1981) was cloned into plasmid pMC81. This vector has transcription stop sites that present read-through expression of cloned genes from either direction, and cloning sites upstream of the lacZ gene coding for β-galactosidase. The position of the rho gene and flanking sequences required for its expression were further localized to a region of approximately 2 kb by introducing deletions using restriction enzyme treatment of these plasmids. A promoter in the rho region was found to direct β-galactosidase synthesis in these plasmid derivatives. Derivatives of λ ilv-rho phage were isolated in vivo by pyrophosphate chelation selection for phage with reduced genome size. Restriction enzyme analysis of twelve of these derivatives revealed an unexpected bias towards phage recombinants as opposed to simple internal deletions.
Fatigue in Photomultipliers

The change of gain with time of two types of dynodes used in photomultipliers has been studied at several current levels and under repeated fatigue cycles. The fatigue of the photomultiplier takes place predominantly in the last few dynodes; The magnitudes and time dependence of the fatigue vary with dynode current, temperature, construction, and past history.
Function and survival of dendritic cells depend on endothelin-1 and endothelin receptor autocrine loops

The biologic effects of endothelin-1 (ET-1) are not limited to its potent vasoconstricting activity. The endothelin receptors, ETA and ETB, have differential tissue and functional distributions. Here we showed that dendritic cells (DCs), the major antigen-presenting cells in the adaptive limb of the immune system, produce large amounts of ET-1 and significantly increase the expression of endothelin receptors upon maturation. Selective blockade of the ETA receptor significantly reduced expression of the mature DC marker CD83, decreased the production of the immunostimulatory cytokine interleukin-12, down-regulated DC ability to stimulate T cells, and promoted DC apoptosis. Selective ETB receptor blockade, on the other hand, resulted in increased expression of CD83 and improved DC survival. Therefore, ET-1/ETA/ETB autocrine/paracrine loops on DCs appear to be essential for the normal maturation and function of human DCs, presenting a unique target for immunomodulatory therapies.
The queen recognition pheromone of solenopsis invicta, preparation of (E-6-(1-pentenyl)-2H-pyran-2-one.

Abstract The title compound, I , prepared in five steps via four known α-pyrones, is responsible, in part, for “queen recognition” by red imported fire ant workers. IR, NMR and MS data are presented.
Noise Modeling and Characterization of Piezoresistive Transducers

This paper presents detailed results on noise modeling and experimental characterization applicable to piezoresistive MEMS transducers using a piezoresistive MEMS microphone as an example. To accurately model the lower limit of the dynamic range of piezoresistive MEMS transducers, a detailed noise equivalent circuit, piezoresistor noise model, and experimental noise measurements are needed. From the sensitivity and the total root-mean-square output noise, the minimum detectable signal (MDS) may be computed. Key experimental results include comparison of the DC bridge and AC bridge noise measurement techniques and use of the AC measurement technique when the piezoresistive transducer output noise is less than the low frequency DC setup noise.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
Image Segmentation and Feature Extraction

An overview of present computer techniques of partitioning continuous-tone images into meaningful segments and of characterizing these segments by sets of "features" is presented. Segmentation often consists of two methods:boundary detection and texture analysis. Both of these are discussed. The design of the segmenter and feature extractor are intimately related to the design of the rest of the image analysis system?particularly the preprocessor and the classifier. Toward aiding this design, a few guidelines and illustrative examples are included.
Assessment of Two Neglected Effects in the Analysis of an Oil Pumping Ring Seal

Many factors have been found to affect the performance of a pumping ring seal. In this paper, two effects (elevated reservoir temperature and rod deformation), both heretofore neglected, are assessed through the use of a thermoelastohydrodynamic numerical model of the pumping ring. Elevated reservoir temperatures are found to result in an increase in the amount of lubricant pumped while deformation of the translating rod is shown to cause a reduction in the lubricant pumped.
Canonical formulation of the biochemical cell cycle and its statistical prediction of cellular parameters

Abstract Cell proliferation is analyzed by means of the transition probability between biochemical events in the subphases of the cell cycle. The initial distribution of the cell population, whether synchronized or random, can influence the early proliferation rate of the cells. The generalized growth rate is a linear combination of many modes of cell cycle which are defined by an eigenvalue system. With the inclusion of nonproliferating phases, the stationary state, where the total number of proliferating cells remains constant but the total cell number increases, is solved for under a constraint on the transition matrix. The steady state where all subphase populations grow in a definite ratio is largely determined by the eigenvector of the highest eigenvalue of the transition matrix. A statistical estimation of biological parameters associated with the cell cycle, such as DNA content, cell size, or total proteins, is made using a combination of the eigenvectors of the transition matrix and the distribution of the observable. This analysis considers the effects of nonproliferating phases in the estimation of biological parameters and various experimental conditions. A canonical formulation is established for nonconservative open systems which have nonhermitian transition matrices and nonconservative cell numbers.
Modulation of endotoxin-induced endothelial activity by microtubule depolymerization.

Background: Endotoxin not only activates the Toll-mediated signaling pathway within endothelial cells that leads to neutrophil migration but also causes the polymerization of microtubules. The potential role of this polymerization event, however, is unknown. Methods: Human umbilical vein endothelial cells stimulated with endotoxin were pretreated with or without the microtubule depolymerizing agent colchicine. Toll-mediated signaling events and protein production were in turn investigated by Western blot, gel shift, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Finally, neutrophil adhesion was assayed fluorometrically under the various conditions. Results: Endotoxin led to activation of the various Toll-mediated pathways, production of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 and interleukin-8, and subsequent neutrophil adhesion. Pretreatment with colchicine led to selective inhibition of anti-dual phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase-1/2, anti-dual phosphorylated c-jun N-terminal kinase, and adaptor protein-1; selective enhancement of p38; and no effect on nuclear factor-κB. This selective modulation of intracellular signaling resulted in attenuated intercellular adhesion molecule-1, interleukin-8 and prostaglandin E 2 production, but enhanced cyclooxygenase-2 expression. As a result, microtubule disruption led to a significant reduction in neutrophil adhesion. Conclusion: Microtubule formation is essential to optimal endotoxin-induced intracellular signaling through anti-dual phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase-1/2, anti-dual phosphorylated c-jun N-terminal kinase, and adaptor protein-1. Failure of these signaling events is associated with a marked reduction in the formation of a proadhesive phenotype that may prove to be beneficial in modulating neutrophil recruitment during sepsis.
103Pd loaded cartridge air kerma strength verification

Abstract Using radioactive 125 I or 103 Pd seeds in large number to treat prostate cancer has become popular. This procedure’s popularity translates to increased physicist and dosimetrist workloads with regard to performing source strength assays. In addition, radiation exposure to the physicists’ and dosimetrists’ hands as a result of source handling has increased significantly. As a result of these increases, a method of source calibration using applicator cartridges was developed to allow safe handling of sources and expedited source assays. The method uses a holder which allows a cartridge loaded with five to fifteen seeds to be placed in a standard well ionization chamber. Ionization readings are converted to air kerma source strengths which are compared with the manufacturer’s stated activity. Excellent agreement between individual seed air kerma strength as well as comparison with the vendor’s air kerma strength statement proves the validity of this assay technique. Absorption/geometry correction factors were experimentally derived during the development of this method. These factors allow accurate determination of air kerma source strength from a shipment of Iodine or Palladium seeds.