cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Intermittent At-Home Suctioning of Esophageal Content for Prevention of Recurrent Aspiration Pneumonia in 4 Dogs with Megaesophagus.

Background Megaesophagus carries a poor to guarded prognosis due to death from aspiration pneumonia. Options for medical management of regurgitation are limited to strategic oral or gastrostomy tube feeding. Objectives To describe the use and efficacy of intermittent esophageal suctioning to prevent regurgitation and associated episodes of aspiration pneumonia in dogs with megaesophagus. Animals Four dogs with acquired idiopathic megaesophagus and recurrent aspiration pneumonia. Methods Retrospective review of medical records of dogs with megaesophagus in which intermittent suctioning of esophageal content was employed for management of recurrent aspiration pneumonia. Results Intermittent suctioning of the esophagus was initiated in 4 dogs after failure of strict gastrostomy tube feeding failed to prevent regurgitation and repeated episodes of aspiration pneumonia. Suctioning was accomplished by esophagostomy tube in 3 dogs and per os in 1 dog. After initiation of esophageal suctioning, dogs survived for a median of 13.5 additional months (range, 10–30 months) during which time 2 dogs had no additional episodes of aspiration pneumonia and 2 dogs had infrequent episodes of pneumonia, but aspiration was suspected to be a contributing factor in their death. Complications included clogging of the esophagostomy tube, esophagostomy site infections, and esophagitis. Conclusions and Clinical Importance Use of intermittent esophageal suctioning in dogs with megaesophagus that continue to regurgitate despite gastrostomy tube feedings can reduce or abolish clinical episodes of aspiration pneumonia.
Brain Imaging and the Privacy of Inner States

Improvements in our ability to identify brain function as it is occurring through brain imaging have brought to the forefront the issue of mental privacy. Several authors have cited potential infringement on privacy as one of the primary ethical issues related to the application of brain imaging technology to clinical, research, and legal contexts. I challenge the argument that the use of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) poses a threat to mental privacy and that this type of privacy requires extra protections. I review all the positions about the nature of mental states that establish a category of mental privacy and conclude that none of those views can support both the claim that there is a category of mental privacy and that this type of privacy can be violated through the use of brain imaging. I further argue that the only position about the nature of mental states that erases the epistemological gap between introspection and third-person access to our inner states is eliminative materialism. Eliminativism, however, does this by denying the categories of folk psychology, including the category of mental privacy. Finally, I argue that because no view about the nature of mental states can support the argument that ‘brain reading’ will result in ‘mindreading,’ fMRI does not pose a threat to mental privacy. I conclude that special protections for mental privacy are not required because informational privacy already protects, at least in principle, the privacy of information about patients and about research participants in whatever way it is obtained.
Business Ethics: A Stakeholder & Issues Management Approach, 6th edition, 2014.

Professor Weiss provides a straight-forward, easy to read book with a practical methodology that combines a stakeholder approach with issues management methods and ethical analysis to examine complex organizational, societal and global issues. The book has been used by companies, graduate and undergraduate classes, and professional associations because of its wide ranging scope, interesting narrative style, and actionable decision steps.
Packet-Switching Applique for Tactical VHF Radios

Packet radio technology is being used to implement a data communication network based on tactical radios because of the advantages that packet radio technology offers in the tactical environment. These include fully distributed control for survivablity, self-initialization and mobility for easy deployment, automatic network management, extended coverage, and interconnection to other packet switching networks. This paper describes the design considerations for tailoring packet radio technology to the low-bandwidth constraints of VHF radios, the network management protocols, and the hardware for implementing the packet-switching applique. The protocols are fully automated and distributed among all the nodes of the network. The protocol suite includes channel access, error control, packet forwarding, and route management. The hardware is built on a VMEBUS system with a single-board computer and a custom radio interface. User terminals attached to the applique are provided with Telnet/TCP/IP or test and control capability. Radio interfaces are provide for SINC-GARS, ARC-186, and VRC-12 radios.
The Lagrange Problem with Nonholonomic Constraints

Abstract The goal of this paper is to state and prove second order necessary and sufficient conditions of the minimum in the Lagrange problem with nonholonomic constraints and then to apply these conditions to solve an extremal problem given by a nonholonomic nilpotent system.
Cascade Kinetics of an Artificial Metabolon by Molecular Dynamics and Kinetic Monte Carlo

Natural enzyme cascades are able to employ electrostatic channeling as an efficient mechanism for shuttling charged intermediates between sequential active sites. Application of channeling mechanisms to artificial cascades has drawn increasing attention for its potential to improve cascade design. We report a quantitative model of a two-step artificial metabolon that accounts for molecular-level complexity. Conversion of glucose to phospho-6-gluconolactone by hexokinase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, covalently conjugated by a cationic oligopeptide bridge, is simulated and validated by comparison to stopped-flow lag time analysis. Specifically, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations enable the calculation of energy-determined surface equilibrium constants and surface diffusivity, and a kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) model integrated all rate constants from MD (e.g., surface diffusion and desorption rate) and experiments (e.g., turnover frequency), to estimate the product evolution on an experimental time ...
The Way Ahead: The Prospects for the Reemergence of Rival Leagues

This book has taken the premise that studying the history of past rival leagues allows one to gain critical insights into the nature of competition and competitiveness in the spectator sport industry; in turn, this allows one to assess whether the current monopoly position of the Big Four will ever be challenged again. In this final chapter, the goal is to identify the unifying themes amongst the specific case studies presented and to begin to build a more general theory as to why established leagues have been able to maintain such absolute dominance.
2.12 – Forgetting

Forgetting occurs when people fail to recover information that has been experienced previously. Most view forgetting as a nuisance, but the process is quite adaptive. This chapter provides a general tutorial on the psychology of forgetting. We focus on its empirical characteristics and proposed theoretical underpinnings, as revealed through studies with healthy human participants. We begin with a discussion of forgetting’s adaptive value, followed by an examination of its functional and mathematical characteristics. Next, we discuss possible causal mechanisms in some detail: Why do we forget? Finally, we reconsider the meaning of forgetting and its proper role in memory theory.
Intraepithelial TCRαβ T Cells in Health and Disease

Abstract Intraepithelial lymphocytes or IEL consist exclusively of T lymphocytes that reside interspersed between epithelial cells in the epithelium of the small and large intestine, the biliary tract, the oral cavity, the lung, the upper respiratory tract and the reproductive tract as well as in the skin. Together, these intraepithelial T cells or Epi-T cells form the biggest population of lymphocytes in the whole body, and they are most numerous within the single layer of epithelial cells that lines the lumen of the intestine. This epithelial barrier forms the main interface between the inner core of the body and the environment and, consequently, it also forms the foremost entry port for pathogens. All Epi-T cells are antigen-experienced T cells, which typically display a cytotoxic functional phenotype. This chapter will focus on the characteristics, development, functional differentiation, and protective and pathogenic roles of various TCRαβ Epi-T cells, mainly of the intestine. The intraepithelial TCRγδ T cells will be discussed in Chapter 37 .
APPROACHES TO THE STUDY OF COMPETITION IN BENTHIC COMMUNITIES IN SOFT SEDIMENTS

A review of methodologies employed by benthic ecologists to investigate the importance of interspecific competition in soft-sediment communities reveals use of “natural experiments” (correlative approaches), manipulative experimentation in the field, and manipulative experimentation in laboratory microcosms. All three approaches have been applied in studying each of the major competitive processes potentially operating in infaunal communities: 1) direct interference competition for space, 2) exploitative competition for food, 3) adult interference with larval settlement, and 4) indirect interference through alteration of the physical environment (“trophic group amensalism”). Soft-bottom systems are usually difficult to manipulate in the field or laboratory because infauna cannot be counted or removed without excavation. Such excavation destroys sedimentary structures and selectively eliminates many delicate taxa, thus limiting any subsequent experiment to an impoverished biota in an unnatural environment. An alternative to excavation is addition of food, potential competitors, or surrogate organisms to undisturbed bottom plots. However, this approach is frequently inapplicable because of high spatial heterogeneity in soft-bottom communities, which makes difficult the initial estimation of infaunal densities in experimental plots and necessitates extreme treatments and/or excessive replication to achieve statistically significant results. Nonetheless, because infaunal animals do not require firm attachment to a substratum, they can be manipulated successfully in a variety of ways. When viewed in the broader context of all past work on community-level effects of competition (“diffuse competition”) in terrestrial and aquatic systems, results of experimental manipulation on suites of benthic infauna suggest that competitive effects may be additive only where a single type of competitive mechanism prevails.
Yeast Spontaneous Mutation Rate and Spectrum Vary with Environment.

Summary Mutation is the ultimate genetic source of evolution and biodiversity, but to what extent the environment impacts mutation rate and spectrum is poorly understood. Past studies discovered mutagenesis induced by antibiotic treatment or starvation, but its relevance and importance to long-term evolution is unclear because these severe stressors typically halt cell growth and/or cause substantial cell deaths. Here, we quantify the mutation rate and spectrum in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by whole-genome sequencing following mutation accumulation in each of seven environments with relatively rapid cell growths and minimal cell deaths. We find the point mutation rate per generation to differ by 3.6-fold among the seven environments, generally increasing in environments with slower cell growths. This trend renders the mutation rate per year more constant than that per generation across environments, which has implications for neutral evolution and the molecular clock. Additionally, we find substantial among-environment variations in mutation spectrum, such as the transition to transversion ratio and AT mutational bias. Other main mutation types, including small insertion or deletion, segmental duplication or deletion, and chromosome gain or loss also tend to occur more frequently in environments where yeast grows more slowly. In contrast to these findings from the nuclear genome, the yeast mitochondrial mutation rate rises with the growth rate, consistent with the metabolic rate hypothesis. Together, these observations indicate that environmental changes, which are ubiquitous in nature, influence not only natural selection, but also the amount and type of mutations available to selection, and suggest that ignoring the latter impact, as is currently practiced, may mislead evolutionary inferences.
Radio Frequency Interference Suppression for HF Surface Wave Radar Using CEMD and Temporal Windowing Methods

A common source of interference in high-frequency (HF) surface wave (HFSW) radars is radio frequency interference (RFI). Its existence inhibits the detection performance of HFSW radars since its amplitude can mask the sea echoes. On the basis of the analysis of RFI characteristics, a new RFI mitigation algorithm based on inverse temporal windowing and complex empirical mode decomposition (CEMD) is proposed in this letter. In this method, echoes containing RFI are decomposed into a number of intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) via CEMD and then the inverse temporal windowing technique is applied to each IMFs in the time domain. Test results show that the proposed method outperforms the conventional method in simulated and practical conditions and can effectively mitigate RFI without losing sea echoes.
Operational safety via model predictive control: The Torrance refinery accident revisited

Abstract An accidental explosion at the refinery operated by ExxonMobil in Torrance, California occurred in 2015 during operation at the Safe Park mode via the operations and integrity management system (OIMS) is analyzed in this work, and a control-based approach is presented for how the accident could have been potentially avoided. Specifically, this work reproduces and tackles the accident in Torrance, California in 2015 by dynamical modeling of the fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) unit that played a key role during the accident using information extracted from the final investigation report. A model predictive controller with an offset-free mechanism is proposed and is applied to the process under two different scenarios. The first scenario is based directly on the accident in the report in Torrance, California in 2015, while the second scenario is another potentially catastrophic situation that could have occurred. The obtained results in Aspen Plus Dynamics demonstrate that the proposed safety-aware control system is able to avoid the accident under both scenarios.
Comparison of five international indices of adherence to the Mediterranean diet among healthy adults: similarities and differences.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES To compare five indices of adherence to the Mediterranean Diet (MD) among adults living in the Mediterranean region. SUBJECTS/METHODS A total of 100 healthy Lebanese adults aged between 18 and 65 years. Face-to-face interviews to collect sociodemographic and medical information, to take anthropometric measurements, and to fill a validated, culturally adapted, food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). The score for each item was calculated following the recommendations for each corresponding index. The five MD indices were Mediterranean Diet Scale (MDScale), Mediterranean Food Pattern (MFP), MD Score (MDS), Short Mediterranean Diet Questionnaire (SMDQ), and the MedDiet score. RESULTS Significant correlations were detected between items with P-values < 0.001. Minimal agreement was seen between MDScale and MedDiet score and maximal agreement between MDS and MedDiet score. Univariate and multivariate analyses showed that MDS and MedDiet scores had significant correlations with fiber and olive oil intake, main components of the MD. MDScale showed a significant correlation with waist-to-hip ratio and with total energy intake but none of the five indices was correlated to body mass index (BMI). CONCLUSIONS The indices that showed the highest correlation with variables related to the MD are the MDScale and the MedDiet score; therefore, they can be used to assess our future study populations. Based on the current results, more than half of the study population was non-adherent to the MD and adherence to this diet did not appear to protect against being overweight (BMI ≥ 30).
The wider regional benefits of power grids improved resilience through tree-trimming operations evidences from Connecticut, USA

Abstract Tree-trimming operations (TTOs) are expensive, yet popular management practices for increasing power-grid reliability. In this work, we investigate and identify the relationship between TTOs and power outages and quantify the regional economic benefits TTOs provide in the three years following these operations. Our data focus on a portion of Connecticut, for 2009–2015. We find that even a limited application of TTOs reduce outages substantially. We combine this result with an advanced economic model to estimate the benefits to the state. We find that this reduction in outages translates in to considerable savings for the state's economy, justifying expansion of TTOs.
Deaf and hard-of-hearing users' prioritization of genres of online video content requiring accurate captions

Online video is an important information source, yet its pace of growth, including user-submitted content, is so rapid that automatic captioning technologies are needed to make content accessible for people who are Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing (DHH). To support future creation of a research dataset of online videos, we must prioritize which genres of online video content DHH users believe are of greatest importance to be accurately captioned. Our first contribution is to validate that the Best-Worst Scaling (BWS) methodology is able to accurately gather judgments on this topic by conducting an in-person study with 25 DHH users, using a card-sorting methodology to rank the importance for various YouTube genres of online video to be accurately captioned. Our second contribution is to identify video genres of highest captioning importance via an online survey with 151 DHH individuals, and those participants highly ranked: News and Politics, Education, and Technology and Science.
Weight stigma is associated with provider-patient relationship factors and adherence for individuals with hypothyroidism.

The goal of this study was to examine weight stigma experiences during medical visits as related to provider-patient relationship factors and adherence among individuals with hypothyroidism. A tota...
X-ray Optics and Synchrotron Beamlines

Storage rings and their associated insertion devices are wonderful sources of synchrotron radiation, but the X-rays are not useful unless they are brought to bear on a sample in an experiment. This generally involves transporting the X-rays out of the storage ring, selecting a part of the spectrum, and perhaps focusing it on the sample. All of this is the job of a beamline using X-ray optics. At first glance, X-ray beamlines can appear dauntingly complex and very different from UV-visible instruments (Fig. 4.1). However, on closer inspection, one finds mostly the same components as on a desktop grating spectrometer—slits, mirrors, and gratings (or crystals). In this chapter, we will discuss what makes X-ray optics look so different from more familiar components used in UV-visible and IR spectroscopies.
Social isolation and connection in adolescents with cancer and survivors of childhood cancer: A systematic review.

Abstract Introduction Cancer may cause significant disruptions in normal adolescent development particularly in social domains. Both treatment and survivorship pose challenges to fostering social connections. To better understand these challenges, we conducted a systematic literature review of the experience of social isolation and connectedness in adolescents with cancer and adolescent survivors of childhood cancer. Methods A systematic review of the scientific literature was conducted following PRISMA Guidelines. Eligible articles included original peer-reviewed research published in English between January 2000 and April 2020 that reported on social domains of patients and survivors of cancer between the ages of 10–21. Initial database search identified 4606 articles with 43 studies meeting inclusion criteria. Results Results were synthesized into four domains: (1) the prevalence of connectedness/isolation; (2) risk factors associated with social isolation; (3) protective factors against social isolation; (4) the impact of social isolation on psychological health. Overall, adolescent patients and survivors of cancer have satisfactory social connectedness. However, certain subgroups including those with central nervous system tumors are at higher risk of social isolation. Conclusions In general, adolescent cancer patients and survivors report levels of social connectedness consistent with healthy adolescent population norms. The risk and protective factors identified in this review may help serve as important indicators for psychosocial screening and interventions. These findings are particularly relevant in the COVID-19 era as all adolescents face challenges to social connections and psychosocial development.
The Patient with Anxiety Disorders in the Emergency Department

Anxiety is a common presentation in the emergency department, as well as across medical settings. It contributes to the human emotional experience, and its presence is not always detrimental or pathological. When symptoms of anxiety become overwhelming, disruptive, or disabling, they may prompt patients (or others on their behalf) to seek treatment. Approximately one-fifth of patients presenting with mental health concerns to the emergency department are given an anxiety disorder diagnosis. This is not surprising given that anxiety disorders affect up to a quarter of the general population during their lifetime and are even more prevalent in the medically ill.
Aortic Elasticity and Arsenic Exposure: A Step Function rather than a Linear Function.

While the dose-response relationship for the carcinogenic effects of arsenic exposure indicates nonlinearity with increases only above about 150 μg/L arsenic in drinking water, similar analyses of noncarcinogenic effects of arsenic exposure remain to be conducted. We present here an alternative analysis of data on a measure of aortic elasticity, a risk factor for hypertension, and its relationship to urinary arsenic levels. An occupational health study from Ankara, Turkey by Karakulak et al. compared urinary arsenic levels and a measure of aortic elasticity (specifically, aortic strain) in workers with a linear no-threshold model. We have examined these data with three alternative models-a fitted step-function, a stratified, and a weighted linear regression model. Discontinuity within the data revealed two subsets of data, one for workers with urinary arsenic levels ≤ 160 μg/L whose mean aortic strain level was 11.3% and one for workers with arsenic levels > 160 μg/L whose mean aortic stain level was 5.33 % (p < 0.0001). Several alternative models were examined that indicated the best model to be the threshold model with a threshold at a urinary arsenic level of 160 μg/L. Observation of a discontinuity in the data revealed their better fit to a threshold model (at a urinary arsenic level of 160 μg/L) than to a linear-no threshold model. Examinations with alternative models are recommended for studies of arsenic and hypertension and possibly other noncarcinogenic effects.
Should we bother to practice ecological responsibility?: Being a snapshot of the slow but ongoing walk of a human toward more-than-humanness including a review of A Book of Ecological Virtues: Living Well in the Anthropocene.

Are green goals and eco-sensitivity manifestations of delusional human exceptionalism? In this paper I grapple with the question of why/if humans should/must address environmental issues (both local and global) created or exacerbated by human activity. This question can be framed in terms of (a) whether human activity is as natural as that of other organisms and carries with it similar responsibilities, and (b) whether our activity, natural or not, matters in the very long term. It is a consideration of our responsibilities to ourselves, future generations, other organisms, and the earth itself. The recently published A Book of Ecological Virtues: Living Well in the Anthropocene is explored as it challenges the author of this article to confront these issues and their bearing on his and others’ behaviors and actions vis a vis the earth and its inhabitants. (Inuktitut translation generously provided by Brenda Amaklak Putulik)
Potential directions for farm stress research: A systematic review of educational interventions to reduce psychosocial stress among farm and rural populations.

Background Despite prevalence of high psychosocial stress and suicide among farm and rural populations, few studies exist that measure effectiveness of stress reduction interventions. Purpose To (1) compare studies with educational interventions on psychosocial stress as measured by reliable and valid instruments in farm and rural populations and (2) identify educational strategies utilized among effective interventions. Methods This systematic review was conducted across 4 electronic databases and Google Scholar to identify research that reported outcomes of stress reduction educational interventions among farm and rural populations. Original research articles published in English between January 1980 and October 2020 were included. Literature was excluded that: (1) used cognitive behavioral therapy, (2) reported outcomes of post-traumatic distress disorders, and (3) examined clinical guidelines or policy change. Extracted data included study characteristics, outcomes, and delivery methodology. Findings Title and abstract screening resulted in 256 manuscripts assessed for inclusion criteria. The final selection of 22 studies were categorized into 2 educational intervention delivery methods: home/community setting or virtual. Fourteen out of 22 studies reported significant stress reduction. Virtual interventions had the most promising impact on psychosocial stress with significant reduction reported in 4 of 6 studies; however, mixed results were found among all delivery methods. Conclusions Educational interventions may reduce psychosocial stress among farm and rural populations, though important questions remain. We recommend future research should focus on barriers to participation, development of measurement tools, and consistent outcome measurement.
Methane biosynthesis by Methanosarcina barkeri. Properties of the soluble enzyme system.

Abstract Extracts of Methanosarcina barkeri reduce the following substrates to methane: methanol, the methyl moiety of methylcobalamin, methyltetrahydrofolate, formaldehyde, formate, the carboxyl carbon of pyruvate, and carbon dioxide. Crude extracts utilize either molecular hydrogen or pyruvate as electron donor; in addition ATP and, when pyruvate is electron donor, coenzyme A are required. A role of a vitamin B12 type of compound in all these reductions is suggested by the potent inhibitory effects exerted by intrinsic factor. When substrate levels of B12s are added as a trapping agent, M. barkeri extracts convert methanol to methylcobalamin which accumulates in the reaction mixture. This reaction also is dependent on ATP.
On the impact of disk scrubbing on energy savings

The increasing use of computers for saving valuable data imposes stringent reliability constraints on storage systems. Reliability improvement via use of redundancy is a common practice. As the disk capacity improves, advanced techniques such as disk scrubbing are being employed to proactively fix latent sector errors. These techniques utilize the disk idle time for reliability improvement. However, the idle time is a key to dynamic energy management that detects such idle periods and turns-off the disks to save energy. In this paper, we are concerned with the distribution of the disk idle periods between reliability and energy management tasks. For this purpose, we define a new metric, energy-reliability product (ERP), to capture the effect of one technique on the other. Our initial investigation using trace-driven simulations of typical enterprise applications shows that the ERP is a suitable metric for identifying efficient idle period utilization. Thus, ERP can facilitate development of systems that provide both reliability and energy managements.
Reliability of 1/spl times/5 /spl mu/m/sup 2/ emitter InAlAs/InGaAs HBTs under bias and thermal stress

InAlAs/InGaAs heterojunction bipolar transistors with emitter dimensions of 1/spl times/5 /spl mu/m/sup 2/ were subjected to elevated temperature, bias stress lifetests. The devices were stressed under DC bias at three elevated temperatures to allow the activation energy to be calculated. The devices were different from HBTs previously reported on by HRL in that the emitter width was reduced to 1 /spl mu/m, the collector thickness was decreased from 700 to 200 nm, and the Be doping level was increased to decrease the sheet resistivity. Three separate failure criterion were considered with the most pessimistic predicting a MTTF of 3.6/spl times/10/sup 7/ hours at a junction temperature of 125/spl deg/C.
MyD88 Adaptor-Dependent Microbial Sensing by Regulatory T Cells Promotes Mucosal Tolerance and Enforces Commensalism

Commensal microbiota promote mucosal tolerance in part by engaging regulatory T (Treg) cells via Toll-like receptors (TLRs). We report that Treg-cell-specific deletion of the TLR adaptor MyD88 resulted in deficiency of intestinal Treg cells, a reciprocal increase in T helper 17 (Th17) cells and heightened interleukin-17 (IL-17)-dependent inflammation in experimental colitis. It also precipitated dysbiosis with overgrowth of segmented filamentous bacteria (SFB) and increased microbial loads in deep tissues. The Th17 cell dysregulation and bacterial dysbiosis were linked to impaired anti-microbial intestinal IgA responses, related to defective MyD88 adaptor- and Stat3 transcription factor-dependent T follicular regulatory and helper cell differentiation in the Peyer's patches. These findings establish an essential role for MyD88-dependent microbial sensing by Treg cells in enforcing mucosal tolerance and maintaining commensalism by promoting intestinal Treg cell formation and anti-commensal IgA responses.
Correlation of the transport properties of simple fluids at low temperatures and high pressures based on the generalized Eucken relation and the molecular dynamics of hard sphere fluid

A generalized correlation is developed for the viscosity and thermal conductivity of isotropic fluids under high pressures (up to 200 MPa) and low temperatures (down to 85 K). Two known observations have been taken into consideration in the development of the correlation. First, the Alder correction factors for the Enskog theory values of transport coefficients obtained from molecular dynamics simulations for hard sphere fluids are incorporated. The inclusion of these corrections in the theory makes it possible to describe correctly the density dependence of the hard sphere viscosity and thermal conductivity at high pressures. The hydrodynamic “cage” effect, which is manifested in the molecular motions of dense fluid systems, is thus correctly accounted for. Second, the generalized Eucken relation, which relates the thermal conductivity to the viscosity, is incorporated. As a consequence, an internally consistent correlation is obtained, which can adequately predict the behavior of the thermal conductivity from given values of viscosity. Tests on simple fluids, such as argon, krypton, etc., show that the correlation is valid within a few percent for the entire fluid range where experimental data are available for comparison, and also along the vapor-liquid saturation line, with the exclusion of the critical region. Furthermore, since the variables appearing in the theory are in reduced form, a corresponding states correlation is established for isotropic fluids.
Reinventing Savings Bonds

Savings bonds have always served multiple objectives: funding the U.S. government, democratizing national financing, and enabling families to save. Increasingly, the authors write, that last goal has been ignored. A series of efficiency measures introduced in 2003 make these bonds less attractive and less accessible to savers. Public policy should go in the opposite direction: U.S. savings bonds should be reinvigorated to help low- and moderate-income (LMI) families build assets. More and more, those families’ saving needs are ignored by private-sector asset managers and marketers. With a few relatively modest changes, Tufano and Schneider explain, the savings bonds program can be reinvented to help those families save, while still increasing the efficiency of the program as a debt management device. Savings bonds provide market-rate returns, with no transaction costs, and are a useful commitment savings device. The authors’ proposed changes include (a) allowing federal taxpayers to purchase bonds with tax refunds; (b) enabling LMI families to redeem their bonds before 12 months; (c) leveraging private-sector organizations to market savings bonds; and (d) contemplating a role for savings bonds in the life cycles of LMI families.
Financing Investment with Long-Term Debt and Uncertainty Shocks

We extend the quantitative corporate finance framework of Hennessy and Whited (2005) by introducing long-term defaultable debt and stochastic volatility. These features lead to significantly lower leverage and higher default probabilities, and a stronger negative correlation of investment with credit spreads, consistent with the data.
Somatosensory Evoked Potentials

Somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs) are electrical potentials generated by various portions of the ascending sensory pathways in response to stimulation of peripheral sensory nerves. SSEPs can be easily elicited and recorded and can be used to examine the functional integrity of somatosensory pathways. This chapter summarizes the methodology for the recording of SSEPs, as well as their role in the evaluation of processes that may affect ascending sensory pathways (e.g., demyelination), and highlights their particular usefulness as an intraoperative tool during spinal cord surgery.
In Vitro Fermentation of Swine Ileal Digesta Containing Oat Bran Dietary Fiber by Rat Cecal Inocula Adapted to the Test Fiber Increases Propionate Production But Fermentation of Wheat Bran Ileal Digesta Does Not Produce More Butyrate

This experiment evaluated three hypotheses: i) production of propionate is increased during fermentation of substrate containing oat bran (OB)(6); ii) production of butyrate is increased during fermentation of substrate containing wheat bran (WB) and iii) results of in vitro fermentations using physiological substrates and inocula agree with in vivo data. Ileal digesta collected from swine fed OB and WB were the substrates. Digesta was fermented for 0-96 h in an anaerobic in vitro system using inocula prepared from ceca of rats fed the same fiber sources. Carbohydrate and short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) contents in the fermentations were measured by gas chromatography. Fermentation of WB digesta did not produce more n-butyrate (P > 0.05) and was significantly slower (P < 0.05) than fermentation of OB digesta. OB digesta fermentation produced a significantly greater (P < 0.05) molar proportion of SCFA as propionate. Bacterial mass increased more and was maintained longer during fermentation of OB digesta than the WB digesta. Our results indicate that dilution of undigested WB fiber and not n-butyrate production is one mechanism by which WB may protect colonic mucosa; propionate production is increased during fermentation of beta-glucan in OB; and an in vitro system using physiological sources of inoculum and substrate containing WB and OB yields results that agree with in vivo findings in humans and rats.
Effect of exercise on upper and lower extremity endothelial function in patients with coronary artery disease

Aerobic exercise training improves endothelial vasomotor function in the coronary circulation of patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), an effect that has been attributed to local repetitive increases in shear stress on the endothelium. To study the effects of exercise on endothelial function in the peripheral circulation, we used vascular ultrasound to examine flow-mediated dilation and nitroglycerin-mediated dilation in the brachial and posterior tibial arteries of 58 subjects with CAD. Studies were performed at baseline and after 10 weeks in 40 subjects (aged 59 ± 10 years) who participated in a supervised cardiac rehabilitation program that predominantly involved moderate intensity leg exercise (three 30-minute sessions/week), and 18 matched patients who did not exercise and maintained a sedentary lifestyle. Exercise was associated with a 29% increase in functional capacity (7.3 ± 2.2 vs 9.4 ± 2.7 METs, p <0.001), and significant improvement in endothelium-dependent, flow-mediated dilation in a conduit artery of the leg, but not the arm. Nitroglycerin-mediated dilation in the upper arm and lower extremity was unaffected. These findings suggest that exercise improves endothelial function in peripheral conduit arteries of patients with CAD and that the beneficial effect may be more marked in the vascular beds of the exercised limbs.
A multi-purpose wafer scanning system for PV inspection

This paper describes a PV wafer scanning system that can perform multiple measurements on one platform. The scanning system consists of two probes (a Kelvin probe and a fiber optic probe), a light source, and a monochromator. The Kelvin probe is used to measure the surface potential at different illumination conditions. Surface uniformity and defects, particularly shunting, can be identified from various types of surface potential maps. A monochromator is incorporated with the Kelvin probe to yield the spectral response of solar cells. The fiber optic probe is used to measure the crystalline orientation - related reflectivity and stress-induced wafer curvature. Applications for the scanning system in PV wafer and cell inspections are discussed.
Basal forebrain and anterior thalamic contributions to acetylcholinesterase activity in granular retrosplenial cortex of rats.

Abstract Histochemical studies demonstrate that granular retrosplenial cortex (cortical areas 29b and c) of the adult rat displays a characteristics laminar pattern of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity. While some AChE-positive axons are found in all cortical layers, most intense staining occurs in two bands that correspond to layers I and III. The present studies were directed toward identifying the neural systems underlying this AChE activity. Unilateral electrolytic or excitatory amino acid induced lesions of the basal forebrain, including the nucleus of the diagonal band, result in reductions of AChE staining throughout ipsilateral granular retrosplenial cortex; particularly noteworthy are the reductions in layer I and the deeper cortical layers. AChE staining remains in superficial layer I and in layer II. Placement of lesions in the anterior thalamus, including all of the anterior dorsal nucleus, results in reduction of AChE histochemical staining in the outer part of layer I and especially in layer III. Staining remains in much of layer I and in the deepest band of layer III. Placement of electrolytic lesions in the hypothalamus or the midbrain tegmentum produce no detectable change in the pattern of AChE in retrosplenial cortex. These results indicate that AChE activity in granular retrosplenial cortex is found primarily within afferent axons from the basal forebrain system and from anterior dorsal thalamus, and these two systems of afferents display distinct laminar patterns of termination.
Determination of Cooling Rates and Carbon Dioxide Uptake in Commercially Processed Shell Eggs Using Cryogenic Carbon Dioxide Gas

The ability to rapidly cool shell eggs to 7°C is important in the prevention of Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) growth. In addition, quality may also be maintained longer from rapid cooling of shell eggs. A commercial cryogenic CO 2 egg cooling unit was designed and installed in a commercial egg processing facility. This unit was installed on a packer head to rapidly cool eggs individually prior to packaging. The objective of this study was to determine cooling rates and CO 2 gas changes that result from rapidly cooling eggs using this commercial cryogenic egg cooling system and subsequent storage for 15 wk. Results indicated that cryogenic CO 2 cooling quickly cooled shell eggs in approximately 45 min, whereas traditional cooling required from 19 to 116 h. CO 2 uptake into the albumen was greater in cryogenically cooled eggs (2.11 mg/g) than in traditionally cooled eggs (1.81 mg/g) immediately after processing. No differences were observed in albumen CO 2 content after 2 wk of storage; at 10 wk statistically greater CO 2 content remained in the cryogenically cooled eggs (1.75 mg/g) compared with the traditionally cooled eggs (1.60 mg/g). These results suggest that a large amount of CO 2 enters the egg during the cryogenic cooling process but is quickly lost during storage. Beyond 10 wk of storage, the albumen CO 2 content in cryogenically cooled eggs was higher than in the traditionally cooled eggs suggesting chemical changes may have occurred in the albumen.
Silicon vidicon spectrometry and its infrared capabilities for solar research

A rapid-scanning silicon vidicon spectrometer is described; its sensitivity extends from 300 nm to 1080 nm, where even at that wavelength it has enough sensitivity to allow observation under eclipse conditions of a pair of forbidden spectral lines from twelve-times ionized iron that are sensitive indicators of the electron density in the solar corona. Past observational work on these ir lines is reviewed, and our vidicon observations made during the 1973 total solar eclipse are discussed. The vidicon target, the scanning procedure, and the advantages of the spectrometer are described. At the 1973 eclipse, the 1074.7-nm line was detected and an upper limit set for the 1079.8-nm line at a height of 1.4 solar radii. The resultant limit to the ratio of intensities gives electron densities in agreement with those derived from other methods and is consistent with observations made at lower heights; this indicates that the only previous eclipse observation of the ratio at this height was contaminated by scattered light. Our 1973 eclipse observations were limited by the high ambient temperature of the vidicon, by the less-than-optimum match of the focal ratios of the telescope and spectrometer optics, and by problems with the pointing during totality. These difficulties can be overcome, and the silicon vidicon spectrometer will be useful in both eclipse and noneclipse solar observing to map the coronal ir spectrum and also to study the [Fe xiii] ir and interlocking uv lines.
Integrating scheduling and control for economic MPC of buildings with energy storage

In this paper, we discuss Economic Model Predictive Control (E-MPC) in the context of buildings with active energy storage. In particular, we propose a strategy for the optimal control of building Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems with chilled water thermal energy storage (TES). Owing to the multiple time scale dynamic behavior of buildings, coupled with the need to account for potentially extended forecasts of disturbances (e.g., weather, energy prices), the implementation of a centralized E-MPC must consider a relatively long prediction horizon. In turn, this results in computational difficulties that impede on real-time implementation. Computational complexity is further increased by the presence of integer decision variables, related to on/off states and operating modes in the HVAC and TES systems. In response to these challenges, we introduce a novel hierarchical E-MPC framework based on (i) establishing the optimal operation of the TES by solving a dynamic scheduling problem in the slow time scale, and (ii) using a control scheme with a shorter horizon in the fast time scale, which addresses objectives related to maintaining the indoor air temperature within comfort bounds at all times during the day. A simulation case study concerning the operation of a TES system at the University of Texas Thermal Facade Laboratory is presented, showing excellent computational and control performance.
Critical Behavior of Magnets with Dipolar Interactions. III. Antiferromagnets

Exact renormalization group recursion formulas, derived in Paper I for $\ensuremath{\epsilon}=4\ensuremath{-}d$ small, are applied to antiferromagnets. It is shown, that in contrast to the ferromagnetic case, the main parameters characterizing the dipolar interactions become irrelevant for antiferromagnets, so that the critical exponents maintain their short-range values. However, the relative decay of the dipolar parameters is slow (the appropriate exponents being of order ${\ensuremath{\epsilon}}^{2}$), and thus the possibility of observing their existence experimentally is discussed briefly. In addition, the dipolar anisotropies, deriving from the lattice structure, produce weak instabilities which are even harder to detect than in the ferromagnetic case. Ferromagnetic short-range anisotropy is considered briefly. The Appendix contains a calculation of the renormalization group eigenvalues of the operators $\ensuremath{\Sigma}{S}_{\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{R}}}^{4}$ and $\ensuremath{\Sigma}{({S}_{\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{R}}}^{a})}^{4}$. The latter is shown to be relevant.
Characterization of RuO2·xH2O with various water contents

Abstract Hydrous ruthenium oxides (RuO 2 · x H 2 O) with different contents of water ( x ) were prepared by annealing commercial RuO 2 ·2.6H 2 O powders at different temperatures. The morphologies and crystalline structures of RuO 2 · x H 2 O were investigated using transmission electron microscope (TEM) and selected area electron diffraction (SAED) techniques. From the TEM images, it was observed that the particle size of RuO 2 · x H 2 O increased with increasing annealing temperature. From the SAED patterns, it was observed that RuO 2 · x H 2 O powders became an amorphous phase at annealing temperatures 2 · x H 2 O prepared at 116 °C reached its maximum specific capacitance as a result of proton insertion into the bulk of RuO 2 but with smaller Ru–Ru distance in the local structure. The more disordered structure induced by proton insertion was obtained by SAED pattern from a sample annealed at 116 °C. The possible connection between the microstructure and specific capacitance of RuO 2 · x H 2 O is discussed.
A national survey of training in substance use disorders in residency programs.

Objective: To determine the amount of formal training in substance use disorders that occurs in selected residency programs and to identify the perceived barriers to such training. Method: A national survey was conducted of program directors in emergency medicine, family medicine, internal medicine, obstetrics/gynecology, osteopathic medicine, pediatrics and psychiatry. In 1997, program directors were mailed a brief survey to determine the extent to which required training in substance use disorders occurred and the median number of hours devoted to substance use disorders training. Follow-up telephone surveys were conducted with faculty designated in the survey as responsible for substance-related disorders training to determine type of training and barriers to training. Results: Of 1,831 program directors, 1,183 (64.6%) responded to the brief survey. The percentage of programs with required substance use disorders training ranged from 31.8% in pediatrics to 95.0% in psychiatry, with 56.3% for all progra...