cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Substance abuse patterns reveal contrasting personal traits.

The Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ) responses of 202 male and 95 female substance users taken during 21 months at a public-sector hospital facility were studied. Collectively, inpatients were more impulsive (high P), introverted (low E), and anxious (high N) than same-sexed normals on the main EPQ scales (p less than .001). The alcohol, cocaine, opioid, and polysubstance users and a residual mixed group differed on all EPQ scales (ps less than .05). Cocaine users were the most impulsive, with alcohol and opioid users least so. The polysubstance and residual mixed groups were the most extroverted, with opioid users least. The alcohol and residual mixed groups were the most anxious, and cocaine users least so. Alcohol users earned the highest "lie" (L) scores, with opioid users lowest. When the residual mixed group was excluded from analyses the results were little changed.
Effect of Laundering and Starching on Insulation and Vapor Permeability of Standard Fatigues

An electrically heated copper manikin with a wettable "skin" has been used to assess the effect of laundering and starching on the insulating value and evaporative heat transfer characteristics of a new, unused U. S. Army fatigue uniform. Except for small changes attributable to shrinkage of the clothing items, machine washing with detergents or commercial laundering with soap, followed by medium heavy starching and pressing, had no effect on the insulation value or moisture permeability index of the uniform. The effect of starching and pressing was also studied on volunteer subjects performing a rest-walk-rest routine in a hot humid environment. Based on body heat storage during the period, heat stress was unaffected by starching the uniform. This study, which included three other types of uniforms, also provided evidence that the level of heat stress in a given uniform is directly related with the ratio of the permeability index to the insulating value for the uniform as measured on the "sweating" coppe...
Cotton textile enabled, all-solid-state flexible supercapacitors

A hierarchical NiCo2O4@NiCo2O4 core/shell nanostructure was grown on flexible cotton activated carbon textiles (ACTs) to fabricate NiCo2O4@NiCo2O4/ACT electrodes. After dipping with PVA/KOH polymer gel which served as both the solid state electrolyte and separator, the flexible NiCo2O4@NiCo2O4/ACT hybrid electrode exhibited an exceptional combination of electrochemical and mechanical properties in terms of specific capacitance (1929 F g−1, based on the mass of NiCo2O4), energy density (83.6 Wh kg−1), power density (8.4 kW kg−1), cycling stability, and mechanical robustness (the tensile strength is 6.4 times higher than that of pure ACT). The outstanding electrochemical performance is ascribed to the unique core/shell nanostructure with high active-surface area, morphological stability, and short ion transport path. Such hierarchical core/shell nanostructure of the same material on a cotton-enabled flexible substrate should inspire us to develop flexible solid-state textile energy storage devices for future wearable electronics.
Relationship between Iron and Phosphate in Mammalian Ferritins

The core of mammalian ferritin is known to contain varying amounts of phosphate as well as iron. This study examined the variations in phosphate found in ferritins from horse spleen, rat liver, and bovine liver. The amount of phosphate varied inversely with the amount of iron present in the core. Theoretical extrapolation showed that in the absence of phosphate approximately 4400 atoms of iron could be incorporated into ferritin. Reconstitution of ferritin with iron and ceruloplasmin followed by prolonged incubation with phosphate produced cores similar to native ferritin in terms of iron to phosphate ratios and rates of iron release. However, ferritin reconstituted in the presence of phosphate differed markedly from native ferritins. The data suggest that phosphate is an integral part of mammalian ferritin cores and influences both core formation and the ease by which iron is released from ferritin.
The function of scent marking by males on female urine in pronghorns

La signification adaptative des marques odorantes produites par le mâle de A.a. pour couvrir l'urine femelle est etudiee en observant les harems des mâles, le nombre de femelles par groupe, le nombre des centres mâles presents et leur position vis-a-vis du groupe, les mictions des femelles, les frequences de depot de marquage odorant par les mâles sur les urines femelles
Early Modern State Formation, Patriarchal Families, and Marriage in Absolutist Spain: the Elopement of Manrique De Lara and Luisa De Acuña y Portugal

The intercessory role of churchmen trained in jurisprudence was constitutive of state formation. Using religion and legal prescriptives, bureaucrats advanced the monarchical state into a regulator of disorderly behaviors and patriarchal initiatives about inheritance. This elopement case reveals the improvisational nature of the Castilian legal system that allowed individuals to defend personal preferences and to contest diverse levels of authority, from parental directives to regal decisions. The elopement revealed a tension between the aristocracy and the ecclesiastical government, and it catalyzed several important changes in early modern Spain. As religious experts debated the nature of marriage, their arguments about the consensual basis of the sacrament crystallized canonical ideas that later became inscribed in Tridentine formulations. When the Council of Castile decided to uphold the validity of the elopement, it took the debate out of the family realm and brought it into that of the nation-state.
Combined free and forced convection flow about inclined surfaces in porous media

Abstract The problem of combined free and forced (mixed) convection about inclined surfaces (or wedges) in a saturated porous medium is analyzed on the basis of boundary-layer approximations. Similarity solutions are obtained for the special case where the free stream velocity and wall temperature distribution of the inclined surface vary according to the same power function of distance. Both aiding and opposing flows are considered. It is found that the parameter governing mixed convection from inclined surfaces in porous media is Gr/Re. Numerical solutions are obtained for mixed convection from an isothermal vertical flat plate as well as an inclined plate with constant heat flux, having an inclined angle of 45°. Temperature and velocity profiles for these two cases at different values of Gr/Re are presented. For aiding flows the heat-transfer rate is shown to be asymptotically approaching the forced or free convection values as the value of Gr/Re approaches the limits of zero and infinity. The criteria for pure and mixed convection from inclined surfaces in porous media are established.
Rotated Versions of the Jablonowski Steady‐State and Baroclinic Wave Test Cases: A Dynamical Core Intercomparison

[1] The Jablonowski test case is widely used for debugging and evaluating the numerical characteristics of global dynamical cores that describe the fluid dynamics component of Atmospheric General Circulation Models. The test is defined in terms of a steady-state solution to the equations of motion and an overlaid perturbation that triggers a baroclinically unstable wave. The steady-state initial conditions are zonally symmetric. Therefore, the test case design has the potential to favor models that are built upon regular latitude-longitude or Gaussian grids. Here we suggest rotating the computational grid so that the balanced flow is no longer aligned with the computational grid latitudes. Ideally the simulations should be invariant under rotation of the computational grid. Note that the test case only requires an adjustment of the Coriolis parameter in the model code. The rotated test case has been exercised by six dynamical cores. In addition, two of the models have been tested with different vertical coordinates resulting in a total of eight model variants. The models are built with different computational grids (regular latitude-longitude, cubed-sphere, icosahedral hexagonal/triangular) and use very different numerical schemes. The test-case is a useful tool for debugging, assessing the degree of anisotropy in the numerical methods and grids, and evaluating the numerical treatment of the pole points since the rotated test case directs the flow directly over the geographical poles. Special treatments such as polar filters are therefore more exposed in this rotated test case.
Surrender after Auschwitz?: Exploring the relation between surrender-and-catch and the Holocaust

I was introduced to the idea of surrender-and-catch in a graduate seminar at Brandeis in 1986. Through the years, I have developed my own understand? ing of this idea by reading and rereading Kurt Wolff s Surrender-and-Catch, by talking and writing about surrender and reading, on occasion, an article or review about surrender. Now I sit at my desk, and I reach for the folder filled with responses to Wolffs idea of surrender-and-catch. The responses are book reviews, articles, and letters written by sociologists, anthropologists, feminists, phenomenologists, philosophers and friends. I take the next few hours of the morning to read some of the articles. By doing so, I hope to deepen my understanding of surrender, to get closer to it. I have just finished reading my fifth article, and I am beginning to feel overwhelmed by the views, reviews and interpretations of the concept of surrender. I feel a distance between myself and what I am trying to under? stand. What I had hoped to be a clarification, has become a distraction. My present understanding of surrender begins to dissipate, unravel. I am sur? prised at the tenuous grip I have on this matter of understanding. I feel like a small bewildered child standing at the edge of a large pond, watching a pre? cious toy boat sail further out of reach. I suddenly realize that the only way I
Impurity distribution and electrical characteristics of boron-doped Si 1−x Ge x /Si p + /N heterojunction diodes produced using pulsed UV-laser-induced epitaxy and Gas-immersion laser doping

A two-step pulsed UV-laser process which independently controls the metallurgical and electrical junction depth of a Si1−x Ge x /Si heterojunction diode has been implemented. Pulsed Laser-Induced Epitaxy (PLIE) combined with Gas-immersion Laser Doping (GILD) are used to fabricate boron-doped heteroepitaxial p +/N Si1−x Ge x /Si layers and diodes. Borontrifluoride is used as the gaseous dopant source in the GILD process step. Boron incorporation and activation are investigated as a function of laser energy fluence and the number of laser pulses using SIMS and Halleffect measurements. The dose of incorporated dopant is on the order of 1013 cm−2 per pulse. The B profiles obtained are flat except for a peak at the interface resulting from segregation effects. The B and Ge distributions are compared with shifts in the turn-on voltage of p +/N Si1−x /Si heterojunction diodes produced by the process. The GILD/PLIE process is spatially selective with the resulting diodes fabricated being quasiplanar. Hole mobilities in the heavily doped Si1−x Ge x films are found to be slightly lower than in comparable Si films.
In vivo assessment of trabecular bone structure using fractal analysis of distal radius radiographs.

Our purpose in this study was (i) to measure trabecular bone structure using fractal analysis of distal radius radiographs in subjects with and without osteoporotic hip fractures, and (ii) to compare these measures with bone mineral density (BMD) as well as with measures of trabecular bone structure derived from high resolution magnetic resonance (MR) images. Distal radius radiographs were obtained using semi-industrial films (55 kVp, 400 mAs) in 30 postmenopausal patients, who had suffered osteoporotic hip fractures (74.8+/-8.2 years) in the last 24 months and 27 postmenopausal age-matched (74.6+/-6.6 yr) normal volunteers. Radiographs were digitized at 50 microm. A Fourier power spectrum-based fractal dimension (FD) characterizing the trabecular pattern was measured in a region of interest proximal to the joint line. The fractal dimension was calculated over two spatial frequency (f) ranges: FD1 was calculated over 0.5<log(f)<l.0, FD2 over the higher range 1.0<log(f)<1.5. Trabecular BMD in the radius was obtained using peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) (Stratec GmbH, Germany). In addition BMD of the proximal femur was determined using dual x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) (QDR 2000, Hologic, MA). In a subset of patients (16 controls and 18 with hip fractures), high resolution MR imaging of the distal radius (spatial resolution of 156 x 156 x 500 microm) was used to obtain measures analogous to bone histomorphometry. There were significant differences (p<0.05) between the fracture and nonfracture groups in the total femur BMD (13%), trabecular BMD in the distal radius (4%), and the fractal dimension in the radiographs (FD2) (3%). The correlations between FD2 and the total femur BMD as well as trabecular bone BMD in the distal radius were -0.48 (p<0.006) and -0.22 (p<0.33); respectively; FD1 increased with BMD and showed lower correlations. FD2 showed good correlations with App. Tb.N (-0.71) and App. Tb.Sp (0.69) (p<0.01), moderate correlation with App BV/TV (-0.53) (p<0.05), and no significant correlation with App. Tb.Th. The correlations between structural measures and FD1 showed the inverse trend and were typically lower. The odds ratios for a hip fracture were 2.44 for total femur BMD, 1.5 for trabecular BMD (radius), and 1.5 for FD2, respectively. In summary, the fractal measures derived from radiographs of the radius show differences between subjects with and without hip fractures, the predictive power of measures in the distal radius are comparable to radial trabecular BMD but lower than that of total hip BMD.
Employability of Teacher Education Graduates of an Asian Public University

The employability of graduates from an institution is very important to note. It is through education and proper training that one may get a decent job after graduation. This study intends to show the employability of teacher education graduates in an Asian public university. The methodological approach was both quantitative and qualitative. Interviews were semi-structured and used a standard set of questions; however graduates were encouraged and motivated to share stories and explain how and why they had arrived at their conclusions and to describe any relevant experiences in the workplace. The findings reveal that the graduates who specialized in English, Mathematics and Sciences are academically talented and motivated group with considerable aspirations to be the teaching model. The study also highlights that Science majors are the most employable graduates while Mathematics majors able to handle other learning areas such as Computer Education and Economics. Many Mathematics major graduates can diversify further through postgraduate studies, either into research or advanced courses in Mathematics in order to be promoted an also for professional and academic growth. It is therefore concluded that there are three top priorities in the workplace for graduates, these includes: challenging/interesting work, a high salary and professional growth. Keywords - teacher education graduates, Asian public university, employability, workplace
Economic Benefit of Breast-Feeding Infants Enrolled in WIC

Abstract Objectives To determine whether breast-feeding of infants enrolled in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is associated with a reduction in Medicaid expenditures during the first 6 months of life; if so, to determine whether the reduction in Medicaid expenditures represents a positive economic benefit to society when WIC costs for these infants and their mothers are considered. Design Cohorts of exclusively breast-fed and formula-fed infants were tracked for 6 months to compare WIC costs and Medicaid expenditures. Subjects The sample consisted of 406 healthy infants who were breast-fed exclusively for at least 3 months and 470 healthy infants who were formula-fed exclusively. The infants, born between August 1, 1993, and December 31, 1993, were enrolled in WIC and Medicaid. Cost and benefit measures WIC costs included redeemed WIC vouchers for formula and foods for infants and mothers, plus administrative expenses for 6 months, minus manufacturers' rebates for formula. Benefit was determined from Medicaid expenditures for health care initiated in the first 180 days of each infant's life. Statistical and benefit-cost analyses Economic benefit was calculated as net benefit and as benefit-cost ratios. Regression techniques were used to estimate Medicaid expenditures associated with breast-feeding, adjusted for demographic and prenatal care variables. Results Compared with formula-feeding, breast-feeding each infant enrolled in WIC saved $478 in WIC costs and Medicaid expenditures during the first 6 months of the infant's life, or $161 after consideration of the formula manufacturer's rebate. A Medicaid cost saving of $112 per infant was realized by the breast-feeding cohort, and Medicaid pharmacy reimbursement costs for breast-fed infants were significantly lower—half that of formula-fed infants. Applications The promotion of breast-feeding among low-income populations through nutrition programs such as WIC is an effective cost-containment measure. J Am Diet Assoc. 1997;97:379–385 .
Risk factors associated with preterm birth after a prior term delivery

Objective The objective of this study was to assess the presence of newly acquired preterm birth (PTB) risk factors among primiparous women with no prior history of PTB. Design Case–control study. Setting Deliveries occurring within a large healthcare system from 2002 to 2012. Population Women with their first two consecutive pregnancies carried to ≥200/7 weeks' gestation. Methods Those delivering the first pregnancy at term and the second preterm ≥200/7 and <370/7 weeks (term-preterm cases) were compared with women with a term birth in their first two pregnancies (term-term controls). Social factors with the potential to change between the first and second pregnancies and intrapartum labour characteristics in the first pregnancy were compared between cases and controls. Main outcome measures Risk factors for term-preterm sequence. Results About 38 215 women met inclusion criteria; 1353 (3.8%) were term-preterm cases. Cases and controls were similar with regard to race/ethnicity and maternal age at the time of the first and second deliveries. Cases delivered their second pregnancy approximately 3 weeks earlier (35.7 versus 39.1, P < 0.001). In multivariable models accounting for known PTB risk factors, women with a caesarean delivery in the first pregnancy [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 2.20; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.57–3.08], new tobacco use (aOR = 2.33; 95% CI 1.61–3.38), and an interpregnancy interval <18 months (aOR = 1.37; 95% CI 1.21–1.55) were at increased risk of term–preterm sequence. Conclusion Caesarean delivery in the first pregnancy, new tobacco use, and short interpregnancy interval <18 months are significant risk factors for term-preterm sequence. Women should receive postpartum counselling regarding appropriate interpregnancy interval and cessation of tobacco use. Tweetable abstract Caesarean delivery in the 1st pregnancy is a significant risk factor for preterm birth following a term delivery.
An Object Model of Direction and Its Implications

Direction is an important spatial concept that is used in many fields such as geographic information systems(GIS) and image interpretation. It is also frequently used as a selection condition in spatial queries. Previous work has modeled direction as a relational predicate between spatial objects. Conversely, in this paper, we model direction as a new kind of spatial object using the concepts of vectors, points and angles. The basic approach is to model direction as a unit vector. This novel view of direction has several obvious advantages: Being modeled as a spatial object, a direction object can have its own attributes and operation set. Secondly, new spatial data types such as oriented spatial objects and open spatial objects can be defined at the abstract object level. Finally, the object view of direction makes direction reasoning easy and also reduces the need for a large number of inference rules. These features are important in spatial query processing and optimization. The applicability of the direction model is demonstrated by geographic query examples.
Correlation of coronary with peripheral arterial stenosis

Abstract Although it is known that patients with peripheral arterial disease are at high risk for coronary arterial stenosis, it is not known if, conversely, coronary artery disease correlates with peripheral arterial stenosis. In the Program on Surgical Control of the Hyperlipidemias (POSCH) coronary and aortic-iliac-femoral arteriograms were systematically analyzed. POSCH is a randomised, controlled secondary intervention clinical trial of hyperlipidemic subjects, ages 30–64 years with one myocardial infarction and angiographically demonstrable coronary arterial stenosis. Of the 838 subjects enrolled in the study, 436 had diagnostic visualization of both the coronary and aortic-iliac-femoral systems. The aortic-iliac-femoral arteries were normal in 44% (194436) of the subjects. In contrast, only 9% (37436) of the subjects had less than 50% stenosis of all 3 coronary arteries. However, there was a positive correlation between the severity of the stenosis, if present, in the aortic-iliac-femoral arteries and that in the coronary arteries ( P
The genetics of pain: implications for evaluation and treatment of spinal disease

Abstract Background context Variability in human pain experience appears to be at least partially determined by genetic inheritance. To the extent that awareness of individual pain sensitivity and the tendency to develop chronic pain after injury or surgery would be informative for clinical decision making, development and use of genetic testing for specific pain markers could contribute to improved outcomes in management of spinal disease. Purpose To review important and illustrative results from both classical and modern pain genetics studies and to introduce readers to critical definitions and concepts necessary to interpret the growing body of genetics literature relevant to spinal disease. Study design/setting Literature review and commentary. Methods A review was performed of published English language studies in which genetic techniques were used to analyze the molecular basis of nociceptive signaling or processing with a particular emphasis on studies addressing genetic determinants of interindividual variability in pain sensitivity or predisposition to chronic pain. Results There is compelling evidence indicating that interindividual differences in pain sensitivity and the risk of developing chronic pain syndromes are genetically determined. Despite a growing list of putative “pain genes,” genetic association studies remain plagued with difficulty replicating initial findings in different cohorts. Conclusions Genome-wide association studies are potentially powerful means of identifying clinically relevant genetic markers predicting disease susceptibility, severity, and treatment response. However, accurate results require rigorous study design with use of large homogeneous populations and precise phenotypes.
Right ventricular function in congenital heart defects assessed by regional wall motion.

Objectives. To develop a simple method to assess right ventricular function by angiography. Background. Conventional methods of evaluating right ventricular function are inaccurate, cumbersome, and expensive. Methods. We analyzed biplane right ventricular angiograms taken in the posterior–anterior and lateral projections using software to measure right ventricular volumes and regional wall motion in 78 patients with normal hearts (n = 29), atrial septal defects (ASD n = 13), pulmonary valve stenosis (PVS n = 21), and postoperative atrial switch patients (n = 15). We also measured the shortening fraction (SF) from the midtricuspid annulus to the septum and correlated various angiographic measurements with the right ventricular (RV) ejection fraction. Results. The volume-overloaded patients (ASD) had larger end diastolic volumes and increased SF compared with normal patients, while the pressure-loaded patients (PVS) had normal volumes and SF. The postoperative atrial switch patients had decreased systolic function and increased end diastolic volume. The SF for all of the patients correlated with the ejection fraction (r= 0.785, P≤ .0001). Conclusions. A simple measurement of the end diastolic and end systolic distance from the midtricuspid annulus to the septum (SF) provides a good index of RV function by angiography and correlates well with RV ejection fraction.
Endothelial differentiation of adipose-derived stem cells: effects of endothelial cell growth supplement and shear force.

Background. Adipose tissue is a readily available source of multipotent adult stem cells for use in tissue engineering/regenerative medicine. Various growth factors have been used to stimulate acquisition of endothelial characteristics by adipose-derived stem cells (ASC). Herein we study the effects of endothelial cell growth supplement (ECGS) and physiological shear force on the differentiation of ASC into endothelial cells. Materials and methods. Human ASC (CD132990 3145) were isolated from periumbilical fat, cultured in ECGS media (for up to 3 wk), and exposed to physiological shear force (12 dynes for up to 8 d) in vitro. Endothelial phenotype was defined by cord formation on Matrigel, acetylated-low density lipoprotein (acLDL) uptake, and expression of nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), von Willebrand factor (vWF), and CD31 (platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule, PECAM). Additionally, cell thrombogenicity was evaluated by seeding canine autologous ASC onto vascular grafts implanted within the canine arterial circulation for 2 wk. Results. We found that undifferentiated ASC did not display any of the noted endothelial characteristics. After culture in ECGS, ASC formed cords in Matrigel but failed to take up acLDL or express the molecular markers. Subsequent exposure to shear resulted in stem cell realignment, acLDL uptake, and expression of CD31; eNOS and vWF expression was still not observed. Grafts seeded with cells grown in ECGS ( shear) remained patent (six of seven) at 2 wk but had a thin coat of fibrin along the luminal surfaces. Conclusions. This study suggests that (1) ECGS and shear promote the expression of several endothelial characteristics in human adipose-derived stem cells, but not eNOS or vWF; (2) their combined effects appear synergistic; and (3) stem cells differentiated in ECGS appear mildly thrombogenic in vitro, possibly related, in part, to insufficient eNOS expression. Thus, while the acquisition of several endothelial characteristics by adult stem cells derived from adipose tissue suggests these cells are a viable source of autologous cells for cardiovascular regeneration, further stimulation/modifications are necessary prior to using them as a true endothelial cell replacement. © 2009
How to fully represent expert information about imprecise properties in a computer system: random sets, fuzzy sets, and beyond: an overview

To help computers make better decisions, it is desirable to describe all our knowledge in computer-understandable terms. This is easy for knowledge described in terms on numerical values: we simply store the corresponding numbers in the computer. This is also easy for knowledge about precise (well-defined) properties which are either true or false for each object: we simply store the corresponding “true” and “false” values in the computer. The challenge is how to store information about imprecise properties. In this paper, we overview different ways to fully store the expert information about imprecise properties. We show that in the simplest case, when the only source of imprecision is disagreement between different experts, a natural way to store all the expert information is to use random sets; we also show how fuzzy sets naturally appear in such random-set representation. We then show how the random-set representation can be extended to the general (“fuzzy”) case when, in addition to disagreements, experts are also unsure whether some objects satisfy certain properties or not.
Applications of Shock-Induced Mixing to Supersonic Combustion

Families of two-dimensional, unsteady shock-induced vortical flows are simulated numerically. The flows consist of one or more regions of light gas, surrounded by heavy gas, being overtaken by a normal shock wave. The interaction of the density gradient at each light/heavy interface with the pressure gradient from the shock wave generates vorticity. This causes the light gas regions to roll up into one or more counter-rotating vortex pairs, which stir and mix the light and heavy gases. The mixing is characterized by an asymptotic stretching rate. The effects of shock strength, light/heavy gas density ratio, and geometry on the mixing are investigated. These two-dimensional, unsteady flows are analogous to three-dimensional, steady flows that may be used in SCRAMJET combustors demanding rapid and efficient mixing of fuel and oxidizer. For such applications, 1) the fuel injectors should be elongated in the direction of the shock; 2) multiple smaller injectors are preferable to a single larger injector; 3) injectors should be arranged in groups of closely spaced pairs, rather than uniformly; and 4) multiple shock waves should be utilized, if possible.
High-Priority Topics for Cancer Quality Measure Development: Results of the 2012 American Society of Clinical Oncology Collaborative Cancer Measure Summit

Addressing the high-priority topics identified by this effort will help fill the gaps left by existing cancer quality measures, including care coordination and transitions, quality of life, safety, experience of care, and outcomes.
Investigation of 2.1-μm lasing properties of Ho:Tm:Cr:YAG crystals under flash-lamp pumping at various operating conditions

Flash-lamp-pumped normal-mode and Q-switched 2.1-micron laser operations of Ho:Tm:Cr:YAG crystals have been evaluated under a wide variety of experimental conditions in order to determine an optimum lasing condition and to characterize the laser outputs. Q-switched laser-output energies equal to, or in some cases exceeding the normal-mode laser energies, were obtained in the form of a strong single spike through an optimization of the opening time of a lithium niobate Q switch. The increase of the normal-mode laser slope efficiency was observed with the increase of the Tm concentration from 2.5 to 4.5 at. pct at operating temperatures from 120 K to near room temperature. Laser transitions were observed only at 2.098 and 2.091 microns under various conditions. The 2.091-micron laser transition appeared to be dominant at high-temperature operations with low-reflective-output couplers.
MODEL FOR DETERMINISTIC CHAOS IN PULSAR RADIO SIGNALS AND SEARCH FOR ATTRACTORS IN THE CRAB AND VELA PULSARS

We search for evidence of a chaotic attractor in data from the Vela and Crab pulsars and in a coherent turbulent plasma model for pulsar emission. Both the model and the observational data are tested using the method of time delays to reconstruct an attractor and the method of Grassberger & Procaccia to compute its dimension. The analysis is an attempt to compare theory with observation. The plasma model clearly shows a low-dimensional attractor; this result is confirmed by computing the largest Lyapunov exponent. There is no evidence for chaos in any of the pulsar data. A definitive test will require pulsar data of extremely high time resolution.
The quantity and quality of scientific graphs in pharmaceutical advertisements.

We characterized the quantity and quality of graphs in all pharmaceutical advertisements in the 1999 issues of 10 U.S. medical journals. Four hundred eighty-four unique advertisements (of 3,185 total advertisements) contained 836 glossy and 455 small-print pages. Forty-nine percent of glossy page area was nonscientific figures/images, 0.4% tables, and 1.6% scientific graphs (74 graphs in 64 advertisements). All 74 graphs were univariate displays, 4% were distributions, and 4% contained confidence intervals for summary measures. Extraneous decoration (66%) and redundancy (46%) were common. Fifty-eight percent of graphs presented an outcome relevant to the drug’s indication. Numeric distortion, specifically prohibited by FDA regulations, occurred in 36% of graphs.
Audio and sound archives as a resource for voice science: A preliminary review

Summary Archives of voice recordings could provide a source of information for voice scientists and clinicians interested in voice analysis and in cultural and historical changes of vocal styles and qualities. Large collections of sound recordings exist that could be used as databases for such inquiries, although no comprehensive list of such collections currently exists. A preliminary survey of major collections is presented. Voice scientists and voice archivists have many common areas of interest in the recording, reproduction, copying, and analysis of sound. The Recording and Research Center, as part of its ongoing research in establishment of standards for voice analysis, has begun an archive of laboratory recordings. A protocol for recording trained, normal, abnormal, and neurologically impaired voices is in development. This survey of sound archives will continue as well.
Key Microstructures Controlling the Mechanical Properties of Two-Phase TiAl Alloys with Lamellar Structures

TiAl alloys with the base composition of Ti-47Al-2Cr-2Nb (at.%) were prepared by arc melting and drop casting, followed by hot extrusion above the {alpha}-transus temperature, T{sub {alpha}}. The hot extruded materials were then heat treated above and below T{sub {alpha}} in order to control microstructural features in these lamellar structures. Mechanical properties of these alloys were determined by tensile testing at temperatures to 1000 C. Tensile elongation at room temperature (RT) is strongly dependent on grain size, showing increased ductility with decreasing grain size. Strength at RT and elevated temperatures is sensitive to interlamellar spacing, showing increased strength with decreasing lamellar spacing. Hall-Petch relations hold well for yield strength at RT and elevated temperatures and for tensile elongation at RT. Tensile elongations of about 5% and yield strengths around 900 MPa are achieved by controlling both colony size and interlamellar spacing. Mechanical properties of the TiAl alloys with controlled lamellar structures produced directly by hot extrusion are much superior to those produced by conventional thermomechanical treatments.
Ab initio study of dissolution and precipitation reactions from the edge, kink, and terrace sites of quartz as a function of pH

In this study, the fundamental concept of mineral surface roughness and the role it plays on the dissolution and precipitation processes using ab initio density functional theory calculations, have been investigated. To understand the topological contribution to the dissolution and precipitation rates of quartz, a systematic study was designed to determine the reaction mechanisms and barrier heights of the forward reaction of hydrolysis of–Si(OH)3 group from underlying edge, kink, and terrace sites. The edge and kink sites are topological features on mineral surfaces that are bound to the bulk with fewer Si–O–Si bridge bonds than a terrace site, a factor that can be significant in the dissolution process. In this work, the local arrangement of atoms on the underlying sites is included by systematically increasing the Si–O–Si bridging to represent the edge, kink, and terrace sites under ambient conditions in the neutral, deprotonated, and protonated states. Nine reaction profiles were studied using the M05...
Chemical mapping of anxiety in the brain of healthy humans: an in vivo 1H-MRS study on the effects of sex, age, and brain region.

We recently presented results in an in vivo study of human brain chemistry in ‘physiologic’ anxiety, i.e., the anxiety of normal everyday life. Normal subjects with high anxiety demonstrated increased concentration of chemicals in orbital frontal cortex (OFC) as compared to lower anxiety. In a separate study of aging we demonstrated a decrease of total chemical concentration in OFC of middle-aged subjects, as compared with younger age. This brain region also showed gender dependence; men demonstrating decreased chemical concentration compared to women. We hypothesized that these sex- and age-dependent differences in OFC chemistry changes are a result of anxiety effects on this brain region. In the present study we examined these sex- and age-differential regional brain chemistry changes (as identified by localized in vivo proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy [1H-MRS]) in relation to the state-trait-anxiety (as measured by the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory) in 35 healthy subjects. The concentrations for all nine chemicals of 1H-MRS spectra were measured relative to creatine across multiple brain regions, including OFC in the left hemisphere. Analysis of variance showed anxiety-specific effects on chemical concentration changes in OFC, which were different for both sexes and age groups. Male subjects showed larger effect of anxiety on OFC chemistry as compared to females when the same sex high-anxiety subjects were compared to lower anxiety. Similarly, middle-aged subjects showed larger effect of anxiety on OFC chemistry as compared to younger age when the same age subjects with high anxiety were compared to lower anxiety. Largest effect of anxiety on OFC chemistry was due to changes of N-Acetyl aspartate. The results indicate that the state-trait anxiety has sex- and age-differential patterns on OFC chemistry in healthy humans, providing new information about the neurobiological roots of anxiety. Hum. Brain Mapping 11:261–272, 2000. © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Teaching Writing in Clinical, Lawyering, and Legal Writing Courses: Negotiating Professional and Personal Voice

This article addresses the challenge facing law students to preserve some sense of individual voice and ownership of their writing as they enter a professional discourse community and negotiate its formal structures and idioms. It conceives of this challenge as equally a project for clinical, lawyering, and legal writing teachers. Each of these teaching communities plays a role in acculturating law students to the conventions of practice-based writing and identifies strategies to help them develop confidence in their capacity as communicators. The question of student voice is particularly a consideration for clinical teachers who supervise student work in live-client settings and continually must balance the need to ensure that a student's work product meets the standard of competent representation against the educational imperative of preserving the student's individual voice and sense of personal efficacy. Informed by these considerations, the article proposes pedagogic approaches that can help emergent lawyers undertake the delicate negotiation between professional and personal voice, and argues that there is a good reason for clinical simulation-based, and legal writing pedagogies to be in conversation on the questions of cultivating individuality and bolstering confidence in student writers.
Research Gaps in Practice Guidelines for Acute Postoperative Pain Management in Adults: Findings From a Review of the Evidence for an American Pain Society Clinical Practice Guideline

Abstract Acute postoperative pain is a common clinical condition that, when poorly controlled, can result in a number of significant negative consequences. The American Pain Society commissioned an evidence-based guideline on the management of postoperative pain to promote evidence-based, safe, and effective perioperative pain management. An interdisciplinary panel developed 31 key questions and inclusion criteria to guide the evidence review. Investigators reviewed 6556 abstracts from multiple electronic databases up to November 2012, an updated evidence review to October 2014, and key references suggested by expert reviewers. More than 800 primary studies not included in a systematic review and 107 systematic reviews were included. Despite a large body of evidence, a number of critical research gaps were identified where only low-quality or insufficient evidence was found to help guide clinical practice recommendations. This report identifies evidence gaps including optimal methods and timing of perioperative patient education, nonpharmacological modalities, combinations of analgesic techniques, monitoring of patient response to treatment, techniques for neuraxial and regional analgesia, and organizational care delivery models. Recommendations to help guide the design of future perioperative studies are offered. Perspective Acute postoperative pain is a common clinical condition requiring an evidence-based, planned, and multimodal approach. Despite the plethora of published evidence, much of it is weak and key questions remain unanswered. Researchers are encouraged to work together to produce strong evidence to help guide clinical decisions in perioperative pain management.
Multisite, multimodal neuroimaging of chronic urological pelvic pain: Methodology of the MAPP Research Network

The Multidisciplinary Approach to the Study of Chronic Pelvic Pain (MAPP) Research Network is an ongoing multi-center collaborative research group established to conduct integrated studies in participants with urologic chronic pelvic pain syndrome (UCPPS). The goal of these investigations is to provide new insights into the etiology, natural history, clinical, demographic and behavioral characteristics, search for new and evaluate candidate biomarkers, systematically test for contributions of infectious agents to symptoms, and conduct animal studies to understand underlying mechanisms for UCPPS. Study participants were enrolled in a one-year observational study and evaluated through a multisite, collaborative neuroimaging study to evaluate the association between UCPPS and brain structure and function. 3D T1-weighted structural images, resting-state fMRI, and high angular resolution diffusion MRI were acquired in five participating MAPP Network sites using 8 separate MRI hardware and software configurations. We describe the neuroimaging methods and procedures used to scan participants, the challenges encountered in obtaining data from multiple sites with different equipment/software, and our efforts to minimize site-to-site variation.
Is the blood-brain barrier relevant in metastatic germ cell tumors?

15618 Background: Metastatic germ cell tumors (GCT) are highly curable. Central Nervous System (CNS) recurrence can terminate a complete remission in other chemosensitive tumors such as small cell ...
Design Optimization for Biological Filter Models

Four different models are used: the Eckenfelder, the Galler-Gotaas, the National Research Council (NRC), and the Upper Mississippi and Great Lakes Board. Filter depth has the greatest influence on the most economical design with the Galler-Gotaas model, some influence in the Eckenfelder and the NRC models, and no influence in the Upper Mississippi and Great Lakes model. The most economical design is achieved when the depth is maximum to permit adequate filter ventilation, after which recirculation is economical up to about four recirculations. The radius of the filter must then be increased to provide greater volume to achieve the required BOD removal. Design curves are shown for the four models. Because more variables are included in the Galler-Gotaas model, it appears to provide the best fit to treatment observations for different types of wastes. If pumping to the filters is necessary regardless of the filter depth, deeper filters with forced ventilation are more economical than shallower filters.
Speech Auditory Alerts Promote Memory for Alerted Events in a Video-Simulated Self-Driving Car Ride:

Objective:Auditory displays could be essential to helping drivers maintain situation awareness in autonomous vehicles, but to date, few or no studies have examined the effectiveness of different ty...
Kinematic Variation and Modeling for Design in Ornithoptic Flight

During soaring forward flight, larger birds such as raptors generate most of their lift in a manner consistent with the lift generated by fixed-wing aircraft. However, in flapping flight there is an additional flow field that must be superimposed to account for thrust generated. The aerodynamic forces can be analyzed using conventional strip theory techniques and integrated across the wingspan and over the entire flapping cycle. Oscillating wing pitch causes the lift vector to contribute to forward thrust and effects useful angles of attack. This paper seeks to predict which kinematic parameters of flapping flight will allow for sustained forward flight. Using a mathematical model for flapping flight and a genetic algorithm, kinematic parameters are selected that provide sufficient lift and thrust while attenuating aerodynamic power consumption. The results show that separate degrees of freedom are necessary for twisting and heaving motions to yield acceptable flight conditions.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Recombinant DNA: an infectious disease perspective.

The title of this meeting implies areas of common ground among the participants which formed the basis of our discussions. First, is that there are potential risks associated with recombinant DNA experimentation. The level of risk and its application to specific experiments remain highly controversial, but all prudent scientists would recognize that certain experiments cannot be exonerated of unexpected, and even serious, misadventures. The second area of commonality is that such risks can be assessed, measured, quantitated, and subjected to the same scientific scrutiny that characterizes the nature of the research endeavor itself.
Materials in Sports a New Concept for the Teaching of Materials Science and Engineering

Most sports equipment in common use today represents highly developed engineering structures. Many of the equipment items have evolved empirically, but nonetheless can be used to illustrate basic principles of materials engineering, applied mechanics and kinetics. Using the most common items of sports equipment (footballs, tennis racquets, vaulting poles, etc.), a new course has been developed which introduces first year science and engineering students to materials science and engineering, as well as basic engineering, using a medium they can relate to personally—sports. Emphasis is placed upon the factors which make the equipment functional. These factors include both the basic materials from which the equipment is made and its fundamental design. Detailed treatment is given to the origin of the various species of materials. The processing used to produce the full spectrum of properties required of the various equipment items and the important structure-property relations in the equipment’s use are presented. “Hands-on” experiments, guest lectures by world authorities in several fields of sporting activities and equipment use demonstrations compliment the lecture-recitations of the course.
Focal Cortical Dysplasia and Hot Water Epilepsy

A 4-year-old girl with complex partial seizures triggered by bathing in hot water and found to have a left parietal focal cortical dysplasia on MRI is reported from the University of Siena, Italy.