cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mental Health Concerns in Athletes

Elite athletes perform at a very high level and often spend hours and years training, participating in their sport and working with coaches and teammates. In addition to being susceptible to injuries and illness, increasingly important to consider are mental health (MH) concerns in athletes. The most common MH concerns encountered in athletes include anxiety/stress, depression and suicide, overtraining, disordered eating/eating concerns, response to injury, sleeping disorders, Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder ADHD, substance use, and substance abuse. In addition, issues such as sexual misconduct, hazing and bullying, transition from sport, and psychological response to injury are issues that are often unique in the setting of sport. This chapter will briefly review the MH concerns that are commonly encountered in athletes, with a focus on what might be different in their presentation in elite athletes compared to the general population, and how the medical staff can incorporate early detection and management strategies that are important in supporting the health and wellness of elite athletes.
Postnatal glucocorticoid use impacts renal function in VLBW neonates.

Preterm neonates often require glucocorticoids to manage refractory hypotension, prevent, and treat bronchopulmonary dysplasia. We have investigated the effect of cumulative dose and duration of glucocorticoids on blood pressure and renal function in VLBW infants. In this retrospective cohort study, medical records of infants (GA ≤ 35 weeks) born January 2015 to December 2019 were reviewed to extract demographic and clinical characteristics, dose and duration of steroids, blood pressure (BP), and creatinine at the time of discharge from the neonatal intensive care unit. Two hundred and eighty-three neonates with average GA (28 ± 3 weeks) and birthweight (1060±381 g). Twenty-eight percent (33/116) of infants who received postnatal steroids developed hypertension versus 16% (27/167) of controls (OR = 2.0, p = 0.011). There was a correlation between the cumulative dosage of postnatal steroids and systolic BP (R2 = 0.06, p < 0.001). With increasing steroid dose and total steroid days, there was a significant increase in creatinine clearance at the time of discharge (R2 = 0.13, p < 0.001; R2 = 0.13, p < 0.001, respectively). Cumulative dose of postnatal steroids and duration of use is associated with increased systolic BP in premature infants. Postnatal steroids should be used prudently to prevent long-term cardiovascular and renal morbidity.
Generation of α-Boryl Radicals by H. Transfer and their Use in Cycloisomerizations

Carbon-centered radicals can be stabilized by delocalization of their spin density into the vacant p orbital of a boron substituent. α-Vinyl boronates, in particular pinacol (Bpin) derivatives, are excellent hydrogen atom acceptors. Under H2 , in the presence of a cobaloxime catalyst, they generate α-boryl radicals; these species can undergo 5-exo radical cyclizations if appropriate double bond acceptors are present, leading to densely functionalized heterocycles with tertiary substituents on Bpin. The reaction shows good functional group tolerance with wide scope, and the resulting boronate products can be converted into other useful functionalities.
Override the controversy: Analytic thinking predicts endorsement of evolution

Abstract Despite overwhelming scientific consensus, popular opinions regarding evolution are starkly divided. In the USA, for example, nearly one in three adults espouse a literal and recent divine creation account of human origins. Plausibly, resistance to scientific conclusions regarding the origins of species—like much resistance to other scientific conclusions (Bloom & Weisberg, 2007)—gains support from reliably developing intuitions. Intuitions about essentialism, teleology, agency, and order may combine to make creationism potentially more cognitively attractive than evolutionary concepts. However, dual process approaches to cognition recognize that people can often analytically override their intuitions. Two large studies (total N = 1324) found consistent evidence that a tendency to engage analytic thinking predicted endorsement of evolution, even controlling for relevant demographic, attitudinal, and religious variables. Meanwhile, exposure to religion predicted reduced endorsement of evolution. Cognitive style is one factor among many affecting opinions on the origin of species.
Catalytic Reactions of Macrocyclic Nickel(II) Complexes

Certain square planar Ni(II) complexes are active as catalysts for hydrocarbon oxidation reactions including alkene epoxidation, oxidative C=C bond cleavage and hydroxylation. The reactions are highly dependent upon the structure of the ligand encapsulating Ni(II) and upon the terminal oxidant. Mechanistic studies of oxidations using nickel-cyclam 1 and iodosylbenzene provide interesting comparisons with cytochrome P450 model catalysts. Higher turnover rates are observed with nickel-salen 2 as catalyst through the use of hypochlorite under phase transfer conditions. A third series of catalysts is based upon dioxocyclam complexes of Ni(II) 3 which are derived from amino acids. These complexes are effective with OCl− but not with PhIO. 199-1
The Role of Radiocopper in the Diagnosis of Wilson's Disease

In patients with normal serum concentrations of ceruloplasmin, measurement of the incorporation of radiocopper into this protein can aid in the clinically important differentiation of patients with hepatic illnesses that mimic Wilson's disease from patients with this disorder.
Constrained Maximum Likelihood

Constrained Maximum Likelihood (CML), developed at Aptech Systems, generates maximum likelihood estimates with general parametric constraints (linear or nonlinear, equality or inequality), using the sequential quadratic programming method. CML computes two classes of confidence intervals, by inversion of the Wald and likelihood ratio statistics, and by simulation. The inversion techniques can produce misleading test sizes, but Monte Carlo evidence suggests this problem can be corrected under certain circumstances.
The Use of a Concurrent Design Methodology to Improve Product Design Understanding

Concu r rent design principles are now widel y u s ed b y a number o f manufacturing industrie s to reduc e l e ad time s b e tween design and manufactur e and to as s ure prod u ct q u ality. These principles ha v e been built into integr a t e d project work at Edge Hill to increa s e s tudents' awareness of ' ho l i s tic ' d es ign methods and to increase their capabiliti es in packaging functional products . T hi s paper di s cu ss e s th e u s e of concurrent engineering in modern manufacturing indu s tr y, o utline s how project s can be used to develop concurrent thinking and discu s s es how s ubject ar e a s s uch as electronics , product d es ign a nd comput e r aided manuf a cture can be effecti v el y integrated us i ng th i s approach. Thre e exa mple s ar e pro v ided which illustrat e the t y pe of proj ect s that ha v e been carried out , the proce s s es used and skills which are d ev eloped through integration.
Developing a Testing Maturity Model for software test process evaluation and improvement

Testing is a critical component of a mature software development process. It is one of the most challenging and costly process activities, and in its fullest definition if provides strong support for the development of high qualify software. Existing maturity models do not adequately address testing issues, nor has the concept of a mature testing process been well defined. We are developing a Testing Maturity Model (TMM) to address these issues. The TMM will contain a set of maturity levels through which an organization can progress towards testing process maturity, a set of recommended practices at each level of maturity that can be put into place, and an assessment model that will allow software development organizations to evaluate and improve their testing processes. In this paper we discuss our approach to TMM development, the major features of the TMM, its ties to the Capability Maturity Model, and our initial plans for a Testers' Tool Workbench that will support testing process maturity growth.
Failure of classical scaling in low-velocity charge transfer from Rydberg atoms

Recently measured cross sections for electron loss and charge transfer from laser-excited Na Rydberg targets are compared with experimental and theoretical cross sections for capture to all states in p+H(1s) collisions at intermediate velocities. For projectile velocities greater than 1.2 times the Bohr velocity of the target initial state the classical n/sup 4/ scaling rule correctly relates ground-state and Rydberg charge-transfer cross sections. However, for projectile velocities between 0.27 and 1.2 times the Bohr velocity a significant departure from n/sup 4/ scaling occurs, and after scaling, the capture cross section from Rydberg targets is up to 4 times greater than that from H(1s). The effect is the same for l -- 0 and for l-mixed Na targets and is evident also in independently obtained data on capture from hydrogen Rydberg atoms. A significant difference between the dynamic response of Rydberg and H(1s) states is discussed, and theoretical investigation is called for.
Green campuses: the road from little victories to systemic transformation

This article contributes to an emerging dialogue about how we can accelerate progress towards institutionalizing a commitment to campus environmental sustainability throughout the university sector. It seeks to utilize progress made to date, in the field of “greening” universities, looking deeply into these experiences, to learn from them and to start revealing how they may inform us to move into the realm of widespread institutional transformation. It presents a range of insights, lessons learned and preferred approaches emerging from seven years of implementing campus environmental programs in universities both in Australia and the USA. Many of these ideas have been further informed during a Churchill Fellowship, spent investigating campus environment initiatives in over 30 universities in Europe and the USA. To assist in giving further weight to the material presented, it draws upon the work of a various authors of organizational change, leadership and management publications. The subject‐matter is wide‐ranging as it is intended as a starting‐point for the reader to pick and choose ideas that may warrant further investigation in their own university context. Even though many of the ideas presented need further exploration and development, in their current state they may prove of some value to the reader as a catalyst for a different level of institutional analysis.
Momentum based traversal of mobility challenges for autonomous ground vehicles

Autonomous ground vehicles operating in the field are likely to be faced with several mobility challenges such as piles of rubble, water crossings, steep hills, mud, and stiff vegetation patches. These scenarios are particularly critical for smaller robots with torque and power limited actuators, which as experimentally shown in this work can easily fail to accomplish their tasks in these environments. This paper motivates and provides a methodology that integrates the robot, actuator and terrain models with an efficient motion planner to exploit the vehicle momentum as a way to successfully traverse these difficult terrains. In particular, experimental results showing the efficacy of the proposed methodology are presented for a vegetation patch and a steep hill. Finally, a discussion of the necessary perception work to fully automate the process is included.
Standardized modular counting electronics

Abstract Standard transistor modules have been developed for a discriminator and a coincidence, anticoincidence circuit. The discriminator is sensitive to 20 ns pulses ranging from − 0.05 V to − 2 V in amplitude, with a gated output of 40 ns duration and a − 4 V amplitude. The coincidence, anticoincidence circuit gives 30 ns coincidence resolution using standard pulses from the discriminator. Both modules have provision for delaying the fast output and a slow output of + 35 V amplitudes and 1 μs duration pulse for scaling.
Contrasting origins of Cenozoic silicic volcanic rocks from the western Cordillera of the United States

Two fundamentally different types of silicic volcanic rocks formed during the Cenozoic of the western Cordillera of the United States. Large volumes of dacite and rhyolite, mostly ignimbrites, erupted in the Oligocene in what is now the Great Basin and contrast with rhyolites erupted along the Snake River Plain during the Late Cenozoic. The Great Basin dacites and rhyolites are generally calc-alkaline, magnesian, oxidized, wet, cool (<850°C), Sr-and Al-rich, and Fe-poor. These silicic rocks are interpreted to have been derived from mafic parent magmas generated by dehydration of oceanic lithosphere and melting in the mantle wedge above a subduction zone. Plagioclase fractionation was minimized by the high water fugacity and oxide precipitation was enhanced by high oxygen fugacity. This resulted in the formation of Si-, Al-, and Sr-rich differentiates with low Fe/Mg ratios, relatively low temperatures, and declining densities. Magma mixing, large proportions of crustal assimilation, and polybaric crystal fractionation were all important processes in gener- ating this Oligocene suite. In contrast, most of the rhyolites of the Snake River Plain are alkaline to calc-alkaline, ferroan, reduced, dry, hot (830-1,050°C), Sr-and Al-poor, and Nb-and Fe-rich. They are part of a distinctly bimodal sequence with tholeiitic basalt. These characteristics were largely imposed by their derivation from parental basalt (with low f H2O and low fO2) which formed by partial melting in or above a mantle plume. The differences in intensive parameters caused early precipitation of plagioclase and retarded crystallization of Fe-Ti oxides. Fractionation led to higher density magmas and mid-crustal entrapment. Renewed intrusion of mafic magma caused partial melting of the intrusive complex. Varying degrees of partial melting, fractionation, and minor assimilation of older crust led to the array of rhyolite compositions. Only very small volumes of distinctive rhyolite were derived by fractional crystallization of Fe-rich intermediate magmas like those of the Craters of the Moon-Cedar Butte trend.
Perceived risk, real risk: social science and the art of probabilistic risk assessment

Risk assessment is commonly seen as the domain of physical and biological sciences, with social scientists focusing instead on risk management and communication. This division is unnecessary, and it may lead to errors in risk assessments. Social science input is needed for more accurate calculations of risk consequences and probabilities and for identifying potential biases created by certain risk assessment procedures, as well as in analyzing and explaining public responses to risk. Findings, moreover, suggest that the dichotomy between "real" and "perceived" risk is less "real" than is often assumed, particularly in cases involving controversial technologies.
Welcoming β-catenin to the gonadotropin-releasing hormone transcriptional network in gonadotropes

GnRH binds its G-coupled protein receptor, GnRHR, on pituitary gonadotropes and stimulates transcription of Cga, Lhb, and Fshb. These three genes encode two heterodimeric glycoprotein hormones, LH and FSH, that act as gonadotropins by regulating gametogenesis and steroidogenesis in both the testes and ovary. GnRH also regulates transcription of Gnrhr. Thus, regulated expression of Cga, Lhb, Fshb, and Gnrhr provides a genomic signature unique to functional gonadotropes. Steadily increasing evidence now indicates that GnRH regulates transcription of its four signature genes indirectly through a hierarchical transcriptional network that includes distinct subclasses of DNA-binding proteins that comprise the immediate early gene (IEG) family. These IEGs, in turn, confer hormonal responsiveness to the four signature genes. Although the IEGs confer responsiveness to GnRH, they cannot act alone. Instead, additional DNA-binding proteins, including the orphan nuclear receptor steroidogenic factor 1, act permissivel...
PROFGEN: a procedure for generating machine independent high-level language profilers

Many of the tools used in software metrics for evaluating the execution characteristics of a program are predicated on specific counting rules for operators and operands [1, 2]. The analyst may use these counting techniques to determine such program attributes as estimation of object code size prior to actual compilation and the relative efficiencies of various language compilers. Operator/operand measures provide useful results for certain analyses, but a deficiency exists in that the data derived from this technique does not directly reflect the program structure afforded by a high-level language such as FORTRAN, Pascal, or Ada. There are many instances where it is desirable to measure the program at the source level where the execution data may be directly associated with specific high level program units such as source statements and blocks.
Journals Focused on a Single Author: Their Importance in Locating Literary Criticism

In recent years, the number of journals focusing on a single literary figure has increased substantially. No longer are only a few select authors the sole focus of a journal or newsletter. With the proliferation of single‐author periodicals, implications for their use in locating literary criticism increases the importance of identifying such publications and recommending them to users. The importance of the effective use of journals devoted to a single author is highlighted by the fact that many such titles are not indexed in MLA International Bibliography, long deemed the most complete of the traditional sources for locating literary criticism. Perhaps the greatest strength of the relatively recent American Humanities Index lies is its coverage of single‐author titles. Humanities Index and Abstracts for English Studies also provide access to such journals. Arts and Humanities Citation Index does include a number of the titles too, but it is relatively difficult to use because of its subject approach.
Non-WKB evolution of solar wind fluctuations - A turbulence modeling approach

Recent observations indicate systematic changes in the interplanetary inertial range velocity-magnetic field correlation with increasing heliocentric distance. Here, a multiple length scale model for the evolution of the small scale fluctuations due to local nonlinear couplings as well as couplings to large scale gradients is outlined, which is similar to that used in turbulence modeling of inhomogeneous shear flows. A simple special case solution is given, indicating that couplings to large scale flow gradients can cause radial evolution of the type seen in observations. The strongest couplings of this type are linear and do not appear in the usual WKB orderings. The relationship of the present approach to WKB theory is not fully understood at present.
Racing performance following the laryngeal tie-forward procedure: a case-controlled study.

Summary Reasons for performing study: The laryngeal tie-forward procedure (LTFP) is becoming widely used for correction of dorsal displacement of the soft palate (DDSP) despite the absence of an evidence-based assessment of its efficacy. Hypotheses: The LTFP returns racing performance to preoperative baseline levels and to that of matched controls; and post operative laryngohyoid position is associated with post operative performance. Design and population: Case-controlled study of racehorses undergoing a LTFP for dorsal displacement of the soft palate at Cornell University between October 2002 and June 2007. Methods: The presence of at least one post operative start and race earnings ($) were used as outcome variables. Controls were matched by age, breed and sex from the third race prior to surgery. A novel radiographic reference system was used to determine laryngohyoid position pre- and post operatively. Data for definitively and presumptively diagnosed cases were analysed separately. Results: During the study interval, 263 racehorses presented, of which 106 were included in the study; 36 had a definitive diagnosis of DDSP and 70 a presumptive diagnosis. Treated horses were equally likely to race post operatively as controls in the equivalent race. Treated horses had significantly lower earnings in the race before surgery than matched controls. The procedure moved the basihyoid bone dorsally and caudally and the larynx dorsally and rostrally. A more dorsal post operative basihyoid position and more dorsal and less rostral laryngeal position were associated with an increased probability of racing post operatively. Conclusions: Horses undergoing a LTFP are as likely to race post operatively as matched controls. The procedure restores race earnings to preoperative baseline levels and to those of matched controls. Potential relevance: This study provides strong evidence supporting the use of the LTFP in racehorses. Further work is needed to determine the relationship between laryngohyoid conformation and nasopharyngeal stability in horses.
A Hierarchical Context Model for Event Recognition in Surveillance Video

Due to great challenges such as tremendous intra-class variations and low image resolution, context information has been playing a more and more important role for accurate and robust event recognition in surveillance videos. The context information can generally be divided into the feature level context, the semantic level context, and the prior level context. These three levels of context provide crucial bottom-up, middle level, and top down information that can benefit the recognition task itself. Unlike existing researches that generally integrate the context information at one of the three levels, we propose a hierarchical context model that simultaneously exploits contexts at all three levels and systematically incorporate them into event recognition. To tackle the learning and inference challenges brought in by the model hierarchy, we develop complete learning and inference algorithms for the proposed hierarchical context model based on variational Bayes method. Experiments on VIRAT 1.0 and 2.0 Ground Datasets demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed hierarchical context model for improving the event recognition performance even under great challenges like large intra-class variations and low image resolution.
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Investigation of the Metal-to-Semiconductor Transition in Crystalline CdO

Measurements of the ${\mathrm{Cd}}^{113}$ nuclear-spin-lattice relaxation time (${T}_{1}$) and resonance frequency shift ($K$) were carried out in several samples of polycrystalline $n$-type CdO over the temperature ($T$) range 1.4-300\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K, frequency ($\ensuremath{\nu}$) range 2-10 MHz, and carrier concentration (${N}_{e}$) range 3.3-44\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{18}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$. For ${N}_{e}g{10}^{19}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$, we find that ${T}_{1}\ensuremath{\propto}{{N}_{e}}^{\frac{\ensuremath{-}2}{3}}{T}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ and $K\ensuremath{\propto}{{N}_{e}}^{\frac{1}{3}}$, showing that the nuclei are interacting with degenerate conduction electrons. Furthermore, the Korringa relationship holds and the calculated electron density at a nucleus is almost the same as that in a free atom, indicating that the electrons are in the host-lattice conduction band. The Hall constant is independent of temperature, also suggesting that there is no separate impurity band. Conversely, for ${N}_{e}l{10}^{19}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$ none of the above-mentioned relationships holds and we must invoke a model in which the electrons are concentrated near impurity centers, forming an impurity band, with nuclei near the centers experiencing strong contact interactions while nuclei far from the centers experience only indirect interactions through nuclear-spin diffusion. These two groups of nuclei do not maintain a common spin temperature and thus the recovery of the magnetization is nonexponential. Finally, the concentration ($N$) at which the impurity wave functions no longer form a band is estimated from the Mott criterion to be about 2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{18}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$, slightly below our lowest-concentration sample. Thus, assuming that ${N}_{e}\ensuremath{\simeq}N$, we find that for $Nl2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{18}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$ the impurity wave functions are localized, for $2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{18}lNl{10}^{19}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$ the electrons are free to move in an impurity band, and for $Ng{10}^{19}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$ the Fermi level crosses into the host-lattice conduction band.
Automatic steering of vehicles subject to actuator saturation and delay

In automatic vehicle steering applications the demand is towards developing more efficient and robust lane detection and tracking algorithms for safe lane keeping, merging and changing. The relevant control strategies, however, have to deal with delays which are inevitable obstacles to precise actuation, and there are nonlinearities at the actuators which are critical to address in order to improve the steering performance. We consider a vehicle yaw dynamics model where the actuator saturation constraints and delay are taken into account as practical control challenges. In order to achieve optimal automatic steering we propose a control design which combines delay compensation and anti-windup augmentation schemes addressing time-delay and saturation constraints simultaneously. The performance of our design methodology is evaluated using simulation results.
Failure of embryos from bluetongue infected cattle to transmit virus to susceptible recipients or their offspring

Abstract Sixty heifers were infected with bluetongue virus (BTV) by the bites of the vector and by inoculation with insect origin virus. During the acute and convalescent stages of the infection, embryos were collected nonsurgically from these animals and washed according to the recommendations of the International Embryo Transfer Society (1). No BTV was isolated from 77 of these embryos when they were inoculated onto cell culture and into embryonating chicken eggs. There was no evidence of lateral BTV transmission when 231 of these embryos were transferred into susceptible recipients, nor was there evidence of vertical BTV transmission to the 88 calves resulting from these transfers. Another six donors that were assumed to have recovered from a natural infection of BTV, were added to the study to increase the probability of obtaining embryos from a persistently infected BTV carrier. However, it was determined later that these animals had not been infected with BTV but with the closely-related epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV). Embryos were collected from these donors and washed as above. Neither BTV nor EHDV was isolated from 26 of these embryos by the inoculation of cell culture and embryonating chicken eggs. There was no evidence of lateral BTV or EHDV transmission to recipients of 15 of these embryos or of vertical BTV or EHDV transmission to the resulting 7 calves. However, two recipients of embryos from one of these donors developed antibodies to BTV 6 to 9 months after transfer. Passive antibodies to BTV were also detected in their calves. There is good evidence that these two recipients acquired BTV from natural exposure to infected insect vectors and not from the transferred embryos.
Nucleotide dissociation from NBD1 promotes solute transport by MRP1

MRP1 transports glutathione-S-conjugated solutes in an ATP-dependent manner by utilizing its two NBDs to bind and hydrolyze ATP. We have found that ATP binding to NBD1 plays a regulatory role whereas ATP hydrolysis at NBD2 plays a dominant role in ATP-dependent LTC4 transport. However, whether ATP hydrolysis at NBD1 is required for the transport was not clear. We now report that ATP hydrolysis at NBD1 may not be essential for transport, but that the dissociation of the NBD1-bound nucleotide facilitates ATP-dependent LTC4 transport. These conclusions are supported by the following results. The substitution of the putative catalytic E1455 with a non-acidic residue in NBD2 greatly decreases the ATPase activity of NBD2 and the ATP-dependent LTC4 transport, indicating that E1455 participates in ATP hydrolysis. The mutation of the corresponding D793 residue in NBD1 to a different acidic residue has little effect on ATP-dependent LTC4 transport. The replacement of D793 with a non-acidic residue, such as D793L or D793N, increases the rate of ATP-dependent LTC4 transport. Along with their higher transport activities, their Michaelis constant Kms (ATP) are also higher than that of wild-type. Coincident with their higher Kms (ATP), their Kds derived from ATP binding are also higher than that of wild-type, implying that the rate of dissociation of the bound nucleotide from the mutated NBD1 is faster than that of wild-type. Therefore, regardless of whether the bound ATP at NBD1 is hydrolyzed or not, the release of the bound nucleotide from NBD1 may bring the molecule back to its original conformation and facilitate the protein to start a new cycle of ATP-dependent solute transport.
The performance of a separated crystal X-ray monochromator during wiggler heating — Preliminary results

Abstract We report on the performance of a double crystal monochromator exposed to large heat loads from a 6 pole wiggler magnet running at 15.6 kG peak field and a 5.3 GeV electron beam. This source of synchrotron radiation can produce between 1.8 and 4.5 kW of X-ray power depending on beam conditions. Various single crystals of silicon have been tested in a nondispersive double crystal arrangement over a wide energy range along with several different cooling schemes. We report preliminary measurements of the performance of silicon crystals cooled by ambient helium gas or water cooled through conductive greases or through a 10 μm thick layer of liquid indium and gallium. A side cooled, thick crystal geometry shows good stability for photon energies from 20 to 45 keV. A thin, bottom cooled geometry shows promise at 7.4 keV. We have observed monochromator performance (rocking curve width, shift in edge, X-ray flux output vs electron beam current, harmonic rejection capabilities, etc.) under a variety of heating conditions. We summarize our suggestions for making effective use of monochromators under severe operating conditions.
Predictors of successful arteriovenous fistula maturation.

Abstract Background: Understanding the factors associated with successful arteriovenous fistula (AVF) maturation may provide an opportunity to improve vascular access outcomes. Methods: This prospective cohort study enrolled 348 hemodialysis patients receiving an AVF and followed them until ascertainment of successful AVF maturation. Multivariable logistic regression was used to develop (1) explanatory models of factors associated with AVF success and (2) models for predicting success based on sociodemographic and comorbidity profiles. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to evaluate the discriminative ability of our predictive model. Predictive probabilities of AVF maturation under the assumption of optimal surgical technique defined by explanatory models were calculated. Results: A total of 55.5% of AVFs successfully matured. A history of stroke or transient ischemic attack, increasing age, and dependence on dialysis at the time of access placement were associated with lower probabilities of maturation. Of potentially modifiable variables, maturation was associated with greater intraoperative doses of heparin, use of large-diameter veins, and mean arterial pressure of 85 mm Hg or greater. Using optimal surgical technique, the probability of successful AVF maturation would have been as high as 84%. A predictive logistic regression model had moderate ability to predict AVF maturation under optimal surgical therapy with an area under the ROC curve of 0.69. Conclusion: Surgical technique potentially may be modified to yield a greater probability of successful AVF maturation. Predictive probabilities of successful AVF maturation under optimal surgical technique reinforce the view that functioning AVFs can be achieved in a large proportion of hemodialysis patients, consistent with experience in selected regions of the United States and abroad.
Applications of Dedicated Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy to Nonmetallic Materials

The operating characteristics of a scanning transmission electron microscope are described and discussed with particular emphasis on those operating modes where scientific advantages and/or advantages of convenience can be realized in microstructural analysis. Several examples demonstrating these operating modes are presented.
Electron tunneling rate in quantum dots under a uniform electric field

A stabilization method is used to evaluate the tunneling rate of an electron in isolated quantum dots of conical shape under uniform electric field. A stabilization graph is obtained by plotting the eigenvalues of a single quantum dot embedded in a confining box made of barrier material as functions of the size of the box. The eigenvalues of the system are calculated within the effective mass approximation via the Raleigh-Ritz variational method. The density of states associated with the quasibound state is constructed from the stabilization graph and is shown to have a Lorentzian profile. The width of the Lorentzian profile gives the tunneling rate. We show that the tunneling rate of the quantum dot system is 2--3 times smaller than that of a quantum well system with the same bound-to-continuum transition energy.
An Exploration of Cultural Identity Patterns and the Family Context among Arab Muslim Young Adults in America

While many studies have explored cultural adaptation and development and its correlates among adult Arab immigrants to the United States (U.S.), little empirical work has focused on Arab youth who were raised in the U.S., particularly Arab Muslim young adults. The present study explores cultural identity patterns and the sociodemographic and family contexts of 150 Arab Muslim American young adults ages 18–25 who completed an Internet study. The participants fell into three cultural identity groups: High Bicultural, Moderate Bicultural, and High Arab Cultural. Although all three groups demonstrated positive general family functioning, the Moderate Bicultural group was distinct in that they were less likely to be engaged or married, and they experienced less family support and more family acculturative stressors. The results highlight the importance of the family context in contributing to a stronger sense of cultural identity for young adults who fall at the intersection of Arab and American culture and Mu...
The Courts and Health Policy: Strengths and Limitations

Prologue: The executive and legislative branches of federal and state governments participate visibly in the formation of U.S. health policy. In recent years, however, the health policy debate has expanded to include the nation's courtrooms. While the courts are no stranger to malpractice lawsuits and cases involving humane treatment of patients in state hospitals, recently questions of broader policy have ended up on courtroom dockets. In this paper Gerard Anderson examines four policy areas: review of coverage decisions made by public and private payers; analysis of the adequacy of Medicaid payment rates to hospitals and nursing homes; review of hospital mergers in light of antitrust laws; and examination of the tax-exempt status of nonprofit hospitals. Health policy is not the only area in which courts have assumed an active role; in the past, other social policy issues such as school desegregation, the environment, and prison reform have been debated in and shaped by the nations courts. Critics questi...
Pollination of the southwestern Opuntias

This paper presents an overview of pollination systems inOpuntia sens. lat. in the southwestern United States. The floral syndrome of large, colorful, bowl-shaped, diurnal flowers is present in all of the prickly-pear species and most of the cholla (Cylindropuntia) species in this area. Pollination by medium-sized and large bees is established for some of the species with this floral syndrome and is predicted for the others. The same floral syndrome is widespread inOpuntia in other geographical areas.—Deviations from this floral syndrome occur in certain species of southwestern chollas, one of which has nocturnal disc-shaped flowers, and in several tropical American species groups or segregate genera with red hummingbird flowers. But such cases are relatively infrequent. Divergence between species with respect to floral syndrome and pollination system is not a common feature in the evolutionary pattern ofOpuntia.
A multilevel approach to predicting community addiction treatment attitudes about contingency management

Adoption of contingency management (CM) by the addiction treatment community is limited to date despite much evidence for its efficacy. This study examined systemic and idiographic staff predictors of CM adoption attitudes via archival data collected from treatment organizations affiliated with the National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network. Multilevel modeling analyses evaluated potential predictors from organizational, treatment unit, and workforce surveys. Among these were individual and shared perceptions of staff concerning aspects of their clinic culture and climate. Modeling analyses identified three systemic predictors (clinic provision of opiate agonist services, national accreditation, and lesser shared perception of workplace stress) and five idiographic predictors (staff with a graduate degree, longer service tenure, managerial position, e-communication facility, and openness to change in clinical procedures). Findings are discussed as they relate to extant literature on CM attitudes and established implementation science constructs, and their practical implications are discussed.
Relation between available boron and boron extracted from soils by hot water or phosphoric acid 1

Abstract A measure of biologically available B (BAB) was obtained by assaying the amount of B removed from a small volume of soil by sunflowers grown until they displayed B deficiency symptoms. Four different mineral soils and one organic soil which had been treated in the field with variable lime and B applications 2 years prior to sampling were compared. The amount of B extracted with hot water from soils before cropping was well correlated with BAB. The B extracted by the more intensive hot water extraction methods was closely related to the absolute level of BAB. Digestion of soils with concentrated H3PO4 resulted in the dissolution of larger amounts of B than that extracted with hot water. The proportion of H3PO4 soluble B that was measured as BAB was quite variable. Thus H3PO4 was a less suitable extractant than hot water for assaying the amount of soil B available to plants during a short growing period. In no case was the difference between the B extracted from soils before and after cropping as l...
Precise determination of the shape of the twice forbidden beta spectrum of 137Cs

Abstract The shape of the twice forbidden beta spectrum in the decay of 137Cs was measured in a magnetic spectrometer. By employing an energy sensitive semiconductor detector at the focus, it was possible to demand that the recorded particles have the correct energy signature corresponding to the momentum setting of the magnetic field. An extremely high degree of discrimination was thus provided against detection of scattered electrons from the intense, low-energy inner group and the internal conversion lines. The shape of the outer group could be fitted with S∝q2+λ2p2 with λ2=0.004±0.002 or with S =L0q2+9λ2L1 with λ2=0.005±0.002. The endpoint and intensity of the outer group are 1.176±0.001 MeV, 6.0±0.5%. The end-point and intensity of the inner group are 0.514±0.001 MeV, 94.0±0.5%. The K-internal conversion coefficient is αK = 0.101±0.007.
Progesterone's 5α-reduced metabolite, 3α,5α-THP, mediates lateral displacement of hamsters

Abstract 5α-pregnan-3α-ol-20-one (3α,5α-THP), progesterone (P4)'s 5α-reduced, 3α-hydroxysteroid oxidoreduced product, facilitates lordosis of rodents in part via agonist-like actions at GABAA/benzodiazepine receptor complexes in the ventral tegmental area (VTA). Whether 3α,5α-THP influences another reproductively-relevant behavior, lateral displacement, of hamsters was investigated. Lateral displacement is the movement that female hamsters make with their perineum towards male-like tactile stimulation. This behavior facilitates, and is essential for, successful mating. Hamsters in behavioral estrus had greater lateral displacement responses when endogenous progestin levels were elevated compared to when progestin levels were lower. Administration of P4, a prohormone for 3α,5α-THP, dose-dependently (500 > 200 > 100, 50, or 0 μg) enhanced lateral displacement of ovariectomized hamsters that had been primed with SC estradiol benzoate (5 or 10 μg). Inhibiting P4's metabolism to 3α,5α-THP by co-administering finasteride, a 5α-reductase inhibitor, or indomethacin, a 3α-hydroxysteroid oxidoreductase inhibitor, either systemically or to the VTA, significantly decreased lateral displacement and midbrain progestin levels of naturally receptive or hormone-primed hamsters compared to controls. These data suggest that lateral displacement is progestin-sensitive and requires the formation of 3α,5α-THP in the midbrain VTA.
Does dietary folic acid supplementation in mouse NTD models affect neural tube development or gamete preference at fertilization

Neural tube defects (NTDs) are the second most common birth defect in humans. Dietary folic acid (FA) supplementation effectively and safely reduces the incidence of these often debilitating congenital anomalies. FA plays an established role in folate and homocysteine metabolism, but the means by which it suppresses occurrence of NTDs is not understood. In addition, many cases remain resistant to the beneficial effects of folic acid supplementation. To better understand the molecular, biochemical and developmental mechanisms by which FA exerts its effect on NTDs, characterized mouse models are needed that have a defined genetic basis and known response to dietary supplementation. We examined the effect of FA supplementation, at 5-fold the level in the control diet, on the NTD and vertebral phenotypes in Apob tm1Unc and Vangl2 Lp mice, hereafter referred to as Apob and Lp respectively. The FA supplemented diet did not reduce the incidence or severity of NTDs in Apob or Lp mutant homozygotes or the loop-tail phenotype in Lp mutant heterozygotes, suggesting that mice with these mutant alleles are resistant to FA supplementation. Folic acid supplementation also did not affect the rate of resorptions or the size of litters, but instead skewed the embryonic genotype distribution in favor of wild-type alleles. Similar genotypic biases have been reported for several NTD models, but were interpreted as diet-induced increases in the incidence and severity of NTDs that led to increased embryonic lethality. Absence of differences in resorption rates and litter sizes argue against induced embryonic lethality. We suggest an alternative interpretation, namely that FA supplementation led to strongly skewed allelic inheritance, perhaps from disturbances in polyamine metabolism that biases fertilization in favor of wild-type gametes.
Comprehension of Verbal Terms for Emotions in Normal, Autistic, and Schizophrenic Children

The abilities of autistic and schizophrenic children to recognize the meanings of concrete nouns, nonemotional (neutral) adjectives, and emotional adjectives were compared to a normal control (NC) group using a picture‐matching task. Autistic children performed significantly worse than chronological‐age‐matched normal and schizophrenic children on emotional adjectives but did not differ in their abilities to recognize the meanings of nouns and neutral adjectives. Schizophrenic children did not differ from normal children in any of the three tasks. When matched on mental age, autistic and normal groups did not differ significantly. In a descriptive analysis of definitions, verbal responses from autistic children were found to be more like those of younger normal children. Considered together, these results suggest that abnormal performance on adjectives can be attributed to language delay rather than to specific autistic features. When parents, autism experts, and speech/language pathologists evaluated def...
Sequence similarity of a hornet (D. maculata) venom allergen phospholipase A1 with mammalian lipases

We have determined the sequence of a venom allergen phospholipase A1 from white-faced hornet (Dolichovespula maculata) by cDNA and protein sequencings. This protein of 300 amino acid residues (Dol m I) has no sequence similarity with other known phospholipases. But it has sequence similarity with mammalian lipases; about 40% identity in overlaps of 123 residues. Tests suggest that hornet phospholipase has weak lipase activity. Hornet venom has 3 major allergens, and another hornet allergen antigen 5 (Dot m V) was previously found to have sequence similarity with a mammalian testis protein and a plant leaf protein.
Cerium(IV), Neptunium(IV), and Plutonium(IV) 1,2-Phenylenediphosphonates: Correlations and Differences between Early Transuranium Elements and Their Proposed Surrogates

The in situ hydrothermal reduction of Np(VI) to Np(IV) and Pu(VI) to Pu(IV) in the presence of 1,2-phenylenediphosphonic acid (PhP2) results in the crystallization of Np[C6H4(PO3H)2]2·2H2O (NpPhP2) and Pu[C6H4(PO3H)(PO3H2)][C6H4(PO3H)(PO3)]·2H2O (PuPhP2), respectively. Similar reactions have been explored with Ce(IV) resulting in the isolation of the Ce(IV) phenylenediphosphonate Ce[C6H4(PO3H)(PO3H2)][C6H4(PO3H)(PO3)]·2H2O (CePhP2). Single crystal diffraction studies reveal that although all these three compounds all crystallize in the triclinic space group P1, only PuPhP2 and CePhP2 are isotypic, whereas NpPhP2 adopts a distinct structure. In the cerium and plutonium compounds edge-sharing dimers of MO8 polyhedra are bridged by the diphosphonate ligand to create one-dimensional chains. NpPhP2 also forms chains. However, the NpO8 units are monomeric. The protonation of the ligands is also different in the two structure types. Furthermore, the NpO8 polyhedra are best described as square antiprisms (D4d), ...