cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The association between Extraversion and well-being is limited to one facet.

Author(s): Margolis, Seth; Stapley, Ashley L; Lyubomirsky, Sonja | Abstract: ObjectiveMottus argues that effects should not be attributed to traits if they are driven by particular facets or items. We apply this reasoning to investigate the relationship between facets and items of Extraversion and well-being.MethodWe analyzed five cross-sectional datasets (total N = 1,879), with facet- and item-level correlations and SEM.ResultsWe found that the correlation between the energy level facet and well-being was solely responsible for the association between Extraversion and well-being. Neither sociability nor assertiveness were uniquely related to well-being when energy level was included as a predictor. Thus, the correlations between well-being and sociability and between well-being and assertiveness can be almost fully explained by these constructs' relationships with energy level.ConclusionsWe conclude that the link between Extraversion and well-being should be attributed to the energy level facet rather than generalized to the trait level.
Entropy and fuel cells

Abstract This chapter describes application of the thermodynamic principles to fuel cells. The first task is to derive an accurate expression for the theoretical maximum power production of a hydrogen fuel cell. The maximum efficiency is computed for hydrogen-oxygen, hydrogen-air, and methane-air fuel cells. Typical values of open circuit voltage are obtained based on the new formulation. A further task is to rectify some fundamental misperceptions about the ideal performance of fuel cells. An application of the SEG analysis introduced in Chapter 8 will be demonstrated for a hybrid cycle that is a gas turbine engine integrated with a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC). It will be shown that the exhaust gases are the largest source of the efficiency losses, followed by the SOFC.
A Case Report of Acute Heart Failure Due to Infective Aortic Endocarditis Diagnosed by Point-of-care Ultrasound

Author(s): Gallagher, Ryan; Wilson, Michelle; Hite, Pamela; Jackson, Bradley | Abstract: Introduction: Infective endocarditis (IE) is a life-threatening condition with significant morbidity and mortality, and can require surgical repair.Case Report: A 36-year-old man presented to the emergency department for worsening dyspnea and chest pain. Point-of-care echocardiography demonstrated a mobile oscillating mass on the aortic valve with poor approximation of the valve leaflets, suggesting aortic valve insufficiency secondary to IE as the cause of acute heart failure. The patient underwent emergent aortic valve replacement within 24 hours.Discussion: While point-of-care echocardiography has been well documented in identifying tricuspid vegetations, aorticvalve involvement and subsequent heart failure is less well described. Earlier recognition of aortic valve vegetations and insufficiency can expedite surgical intervention, with decreased complication rates linked to earlier antimicrobial therapy.Conclusion: This case report highlights the ability of point-of-care ultrasound to identify aortic vegetations, allowing for the earlier diagnosis and therapy.
Characterizing the response of Acinetobacter baumannii ATCC 17978 to azithromycin in multiple in vitro growth conditions

Multi-drug resistant (MDR) Acinetobacter baumannii is one of the most concerning pathogens in hospital infections. A. baumannii is categorized as an urgent threat by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the highest priority pathogen by the World Health Organization due to its propensity for broad antibiotic resistance and its associated high mortality rates. New treatment options are urgently needed for MDR A. baumannii infections. Our prior studies have demonstrated an unappreciated utility of the macrolide azithromycin (AZM) against MDR A. baumannii in tissue-culture medium. This finding is all the more surprising since AZM has no appreciable activity against A. baumannii in standard bacteriological media. The basis for this media-dependent activity of AZM against A. baumannii is not fully defined. In this study, we utilize a variety of techniques (growth dynamics, bacterial cytological profiling, RNA sequencing, and LC/MS) to profile the response of MDR A. baumannii to AZM in both standard bacteriological and more physiological relevant mammalian tissue-culture medium.
Elevated post-ischemic ubiquitination results from suppression of deubiquitinase activity and not proteasome inhibition

Cerebral ischemia-reperfusion increases intraneuronal levels of ubiquitinated proteins, but the factors driving ubiquitination and whether it results from altered proteostasis remain unclear. To address these questions, we used in vivo and in vitro models of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion, in which hippocampal slices were transiently deprived of oxygen and glucose to simulate ischemia followed by reperfusion, or the middle cerebral artery was temporarily occluded in mice. We found that post-ischemic ubiquitination results from two key steps: restoration of ATP at reperfusion, which allows initiation of protein ubiquitination, and free radical production, which, in the presence of sufficient ATP, increases ubiquitination above pre-ischemic levels. Surprisingly, free radicals did not augment ubiquitination through inhibition of the proteasome as previously believed. Although reduced proteasomal activity was detected after ischemia, this was neither caused by free radicals nor sufficient in magnitude to induce appreciable accumulation of proteasomal target proteins or ubiquitin-proteasome reporters. Instead, we found that ischemia-derived free radicals inhibit deubiquitinases, a class of proteases that cleaves ubiquitin chains from proteins, which was sufficient to elevate ubiquitination after ischemia. Our data provide evidence that free radical-dependent deubiquitinase inactivation rather than proteasomal inhibition drives ubiquitination following ischemia-reperfusion, and as such call for a reevaluation of the mechanisms of post-ischemic ubiquitination, previously attributed to altered proteostasis. Since deubiquitinase inhibition is considered an endogenous neuroprotective mechanism to shield proteins from oxidative damage, modulation of deubiquitinase activity may be of therapeutic value to maintain protein integrity after an ischemic insult.
"This Could Mean Death for My Child": Parent Perspectives on Laws Banning Gender-Affirming Care for Transgender Adolescents.

Abstract Objectives Numerous U.S. state legislatures have proposed bills to ban gender-affirming medical interventions for minors. Parents and caregivers play a critical role in advocating for and supporting their transgender and gender-diverse youth (TGDY). We aimed to understand parent and caregiver perspectives about this potential legislation and perceived effects on their TGDY’s mental health. Methods We developed and launched a social-media based, anonymous online survey in February 2020 to assess parent and caregiver perspectives on proposed laws to ban gender-affirming medical interventions for minors. Participants were asked to respond to two open-ended questions about these laws; responses were coded to identify key themes. Results We analyzed responses from 273 participants from 43 states. Most identified as white (86.4%) female (90.0%) mothers (93.8%), and 83.6% of their TGDY had received gender-affirming medical interventions before age 18 years. The most salient theme, which appeared in the majority of responses, described parent and caregiver fears that these laws would lead to worsening mental health and suicide for their TGDY. Additional themes included a fear that their TGDY would face increased discrimination, lose access to gender-affirming medical interventions, and lose autonomy over medical decision-making due to government overreach. Conclusions In this convenience sample, parents and caregivers overwhelmingly expressed fear that the proposed legislation will lead to worsening mental health and increased suicidal ideation for their TGDY. They implored lawmakers to hear their stories and to leave critical decisions about gender-affirming medical interventions to families and their medical providers.
The Right Not to be John Garvey: A Review of 'What Are Freedom For?', by John H. Garvey

John Garvey has written an important and extraordinarily thought-provoking book discussing the meaning of constitutionally protected freedoms. Much of what he writes is controversial. More­over, although Garvey deliberately and admirably struggles to make his arguments accessible to readers without legal background, this is not an easy book to understand. Many readers will have to go over chapters more than once, as I did, if they really want to understand what Garvey is saying. The greatest obstacle to learning what this book has to teach, however, is not the effort it takes to understand Garvey's arguments. Rather, it is the unwillingness to confront the values that underlie them. Liberal readers might disagree so strongly with Garvey's basic premises and his conclusions that they might overlook many of the valuable insights the book offers along the way. Thus, for example, while I may disagree with a significant part of Garvey's explanation of the meaning of freedom, I believe he says some very important things about the value of freedom. Recognizing the value of freedom is no trivial matter. Freedoms are not cheap, and society needs continual reminders that they are worth the price that we pay for them. Finally, Garvey's book is a challenge-an invitation to an intellec­tual duel. It is a well-mannered and thoughtful challenge, devoid of rancor and ill-will toward his adversary. But Garvey writes with convic­tion to persuade his audience. Contesting Garvey's ideas on the ter­rain he has chosen is an opportunity to test one's own values and understanding of constitutional rights against an analytically formida­ble alternative. The best part of his book is the effort it takes to ex­plain to yourself why he is wrong.
Register allocation for predicated code

Current compilers for VLIW and superscalar machines increase the instruction level parallelism of an application by merging several basic blocks into an enlarged predicated block, resulting in higher performance code but increased register requirements. We present a framework that computes precisely the interferences among virtual registers in the presence of predicated operations. Graph-coloring biased register allocators can directly use the resulting interference graph. For interval-graph based register allocators, and others, we propose a technique that reduces the register requirements by allowing non-interfering virtual registers that overlap in time to share a common virtual register. Preliminary measurements on a benchmark of loops from the Perfect Club, SPEC-89, and the Livermore Fortran Kernels indicate the effectiveness of this technique.
Worlds Collide: Work, Life, and Social Media

While some cases may focus on using social media to advance the interests of a business or brand, this case is best positioned as a springboard for exploring social media as it may coexist with or be embedded in organizational life. The case depicts a challenge for a young direct report, a relatively inexperienced manager, and the manager's supervisor when the direct report reveals a passionate political opinion on Facebook and unwittingly links it to sensitive company information. The case discussion can (1) surface diverse student views on the uses of social media as they relate to work life; (2) encourage analysis of and decision-making in the context of a tricky multilevel managerial situation involving social media use, company nondisclosure policies, and communicating guidelines; and (3) consider how issues raised in the discussion may inform students' own choices as users of social media and as managers of people who use these channels. Larger managerial, organizational, and corporate communication issues that are complicated by employee social media use may arise in this class discussion, including: managing professional boundaries between levels of employees in an organization; the porous boundaries that exist between internal and external communication; and gray areas among private, personal, professional, political, and public speech. Excerpt UVA-BC-0267 Nov. 9, 2018 Worlds Collide: Work, Life, and Social Media Jenny Peters, assistant director of the Schools Assistance Contract at Atek International (Atek), sat at her computer at 8:00 a.m. on a cold Monday morning in February 2017, trying to slow her racing pulse. The prior afternoon, she had checked her Facebook account and discovered one of her direct reports, Richard Harley, had posted some sensitive company information to Facebook over the weekend that his friends, including several people in the company, had seen. Harley had even tagged her in the posts so that they showed up on her Facebook News Feed. She felt awful but didn't know how to respond, or what the consequences would be for herself, Harley, or the company. Peters then logged into her work email and saw a note from her supervisor, Mike Dupree, who said that he had also seen Harley's Facebook posts, and would see her at 10:00 a.m. Monday morning in his office. Peters tried to remain calm, but she had no idea what to do next. Atek International Atek, a government contractor, was cofounded in 1967 by Cal Sullivan, a Korean War veteran, and four former federal government employees. Over time, government contracting became a very lucrative business. By 2017, Atek was publicly traded and boasted 6,000 employees working in over 45 cities around the world and a global headquarters in Northern Virginia. Atek took a broad-brush approach to government support, pursuing contracts in the areas of government, education, energy, health, security, public safety, and social programming. The company provided comprehensive support including program management, business process, data analytics, cybersecurity, strategic planning, marketing strategy, and public relations. . . .
Becoming Untamed Educators

This interactive conceptual essay analyzes Glennon Doyle’s memoir Untamed (2020) to open new possibilities for transformation of the self and consequently as a vehicle to embrace wholehearted livin...
Manipulation under anaesthesia after primary total knee arthroplasty : minimal differences in intravenous sedation alone versus neuraxial anaesthesia.

Aims Manipulation under anaesthesia (MUA) remains an effective intervention to address restricted range of motion (ROM) after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and occurs in 2% to 3% of primary TKAs at...
Re-engineered imaging agent using biomimetic approaches.

Recent progress in biomedical technology, the clinical bioimaging, has a greater impact on the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease, especially by early intervention and precise therapy. Varieties of organic and inorganic materials either in the form of small molecules or nano-sized materials have been engineered as a contrast agent (CA) to enhance image resolution among different tissues for the detection of abnormalities such as cancer and vascular occlusion. Among different innovative imaging agents, contrast agents coupled with biologically derived endogenous platform shows the promising application in the biomedical field, including drug delivery and bioimaging. Strategy using biocomponents such as cells or products of cells as a delivery system predominantly reduces the toxic behavior of its cargo, as these systems reduce non-specific distribution by navigating its cargo toward the targeted location. The hypothesis is that depending on the original biological role of the naive cell, the contrast agents carried by such a system can provide corresponding natural designated behavior. Therefore, by combining properties of conventional synthetic molecules and nanomaterials with endogenous cell body, new solutions in the field of bioimaging to overcome biological barriers have been offered as innovative bioengineering. In this review, we will discuss the engineering of cell and cell-derived components as a delivery system for various contrast agents to achieve clinically relevant contrast for diagnosis and study underlining mechanism of disease progression. This article is categorized under: Nanotechnology Approaches to Biology > Cells at the Nanoscale Diagnostic Tools > In Vivo Nanodiagnostics and Imaging Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Nanomedicine for Oncologic Disease.
Perioperative Nutrition Support for Surgical Patients: Aspects and Commentary

The link between malnutrition and poor surgical outcomes has long been known, but targeted nutritional strategies have not been routinely employed. In this review, we provide our commentary on various strategies including preoperative nutritional assessment, preoperative nutrition support, immunonutrition, and carbohydrate loading. No single strategy has been universally accepted, but innovative best preoperative nutrition practices include some combination of preoperative assessment and nutritional optimization. These strategies should be the subject of future mechanistic and clinical studies.
PreBötzinger complex (preBötC) neurokinin-1 receptor (NK1R) expressing neurons are required for eupnea in adult awake rats.

Normal respiratory rhythm in mammals is hypothesized to be generated by NK1R neurons in the preBotC. Ablation of these neurons in adult rats was predicted to severely perturb normal breathing rhythm. We directly injected substance P conjugated saporin (SP-SAP) into the preBotC to selectively kill NK1R neurons [1]. Four to five days postinjection in rats with greater than 75% bilateral loss of preBotC NK1R neurons, spontaneous breathing rhythm transformed from normal, ie, eupnea, to ataxia, with greatly reduced ventilation and consequent disturbances in blood gases and pH. Hypoxic or hyperoxic challenges produced prolonged, often fatal, apnea. PreBotC NK1R neurons are therefore necessary for generation of the eupneic breathing rhythm.
The Place of Fault in a Modern Divorce Law

This article considers whether divorce courts should consider marital fault when adjudicating alimony claims or allocating marital property. It finds that approximately half the states follow no-fault principles in awarding alimony; considerably more than half do so in allocating marital property. The reason is that the potentially valid functions of a fault principle are better served by the tort and criminal law, and attempting to serve them through a fault rule risks serious distortions in the resolution of the dissolution action. One possible function of a fault rule, punishment of bad conduct, is generally disavowed even by fault states. It is better left to the criminal law, which is designed to serve it, and in doing so appropriately reaches a much narrower range of marital misconduct than do the marital-misconduct rules of fault states. The second possible function, compensation for the non-financial losses imposed by the other spouse's battery or emotional abuse, is better left to tort law. With the general demise of interspousal immunity, tort remedies for spousal violence are readily available. It will be the unusual case in which the fairness of the result will be improved by a judicial inquiry into the relative virtue of the parties' intimate conduct. In some cases, the result will become less fair. And the rules that invite such misconduct claims will surely increase the cost and degrade the process in many other cases, even those in which the claim is ultimately cast aside. Fault makes the outcome of litigation less predictable, and gives parties an incentive to raise claims of misconduct as leverage in the negotiation process.
Uncertainty in hydrologic modelling for estimating hydrologic response due to climate change (Santiam River, Oregon)

This paper explores the predicted hydrologic responses associated with the compounded error of cascading global circulation model (GCM) uncertainty through hydrologic model uncertainty due to climate change. A coupled groundwater and surface water flow model (GSFLOW) was used within the differential evolution adaptive metropolis (DREAM) uncertainty approach and combined with eight GCMs to investigate uncertainties in hydrologic predictions for three subbasins of varying hydrogeology within the Santiam River basin in Oregon, USA. Predictions of future hydrology in the Santiam River include increases in runoff in the fall and winter months and decreases in runoff for the spring and summer months. One-year peak flows were predicted to increase whereas 100-year peak flows were predicted to slightly decrease. The predicted 10-year 7-day low flow decreased in two subbasins with little groundwater influences but increased in another subbasin with substantial groundwater influences. Uncertainty in GCMs represented the majority of uncertainty in the analysis, accounting for an average deviation from the median of 66%. The uncertainty associated with use of GSFLOW produced only an 8% increase in the overall uncertainty of predicted responses compared to GCM uncertainty. This analysis demonstrates the value and limitations of cascading uncertainty from GCM use through uncertainty in the hydrologic model, offers insight into the interpretation and use of uncertainty estimates in water resources analysis, and illustrates the need for a fully nonstationary approach with respect to calibrating hydrologic models and transferring parameters across basins and time for climate change analyses. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
CYTOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF ANTIMICROBIAL ANTIBIOSIS I. Cytological Changes Associated with the Exposure of Escherichia coli to Colistin Sulfate

Abstract Chapman, George B. (Cornell University Medical College, New York, N.Y.). Cytological aspects of antimicrobial antibiosis. I. Cytological changes associated with the exposure of Escherichia coli to colistin sulfate. J. Bacteriol. 84:169–179. 1962—Broth cultures of Escherichia coli were exposed to different concentrations of the antibiotic colistin sulfate for various lengths of time. Control (untreated) and treated cells were fixed, dehydrated, and embedded in methacrylate or Epon. Ultrathin sections were examined in an RCA EMU2-D electron microscope. Two conspicuous cytological changes were noted. First, the nuclear material disappeared from its normal sites and was no longer demonstrable. Second, the cytoplasm lost its granularity and became homogeneous. Cells which showed these changes were nonviable.
Pronuclear membrane alterations during approximation of pronuclei and initiation of cleavage in the rabbit.

As the male and female pronuclei of flushed rabbit tubal ova approach each other, numerous projections appear on the proximal surfaces, resulting in a severely irregular appearance. Each pronuclear envelope consists of 2 parallel membranes separated by a distance of 40-60 nm; annular ‘pores’ are conspicuous in regions of pronuclear approximation. Stacks of smooth-surfaced membranes form parallel annulate lamellae in the cytoplasm adjacent to the pronuclei. When the 2 pronuclei come to lie in direct apposition, the adjacent envelopes are flattened against one another, crowding out intervening cytoplasm and producing an arrangement of equidistant membranes. Interspersed between segments of apposing membranes are small ‘cytoplasmic islets’. At several points along the approximating surfaces internuclear channels form between adjacent projections. This results in partial pronuclear union, but not complete fusion. After disruption of the pronuclei and the appearance of chromosomal aggregates in the centre of the egg, segments of pronuclear membranes are still visible in the cytoplasm. The membrane fragments are associated with collections of smooth vesicles, the latter increasing greatly in number during cleavage.
On-Line Safety Monitoring of a Large High Pressure High Temperature Autoclave

Four years of experience with on-line monitoring of a large autoclave used primarily for forming bonds and material densification is reported. The purpose of this work is to confirm that no flaws are growing in the autoclave during operation. Failure of this device during operation could endanger personnel and would damage property. Its loss would seriously curtail several ongoing research efforts. The vessel is monitored with a commercial minicomputerized flaw location system. Four 4-sensor arrays are attached to the exterior of the device to receive acoustic emission signals. Computed locations are stored on cassette tape and selected portions can be displayed on a cathode ray screen. It is shown that although the minicomputer is implemented with two dimensional location software, the information can be reprocessed in a central computer to produce locations in three dimensions. Long term storage of data, data display, noise analysis, calibration, and computerized location error analysis is discussed. No degradation by flaw growth has been detected in the device to date. This is the expected result, since it has an estimated 30-y life.
Examining the association between late‐life depressive symptoms, cognitive function, and brain volumes in the context of cognitive reserve

Objective The present study aimed to investigate whether cognitive reserve moderated the association between depressive symptoms and cognition, as well as brain volumes in a sample of older adults. Methods Non-demented participants (n = 3484) were selected from the Washington Heights/Hamilton Heights Inwood Columbia Aging Project (Northern Manhattan). A subsample of these participants without dementia (n = 703), who had brain imaging data, was also selected for a separate analysis. Depressive symptomatology was assessed with the 10-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Reading level and years of education were used as measures of cognitive reserve. Four distinct cognitive composite scores were calculated: executive function, memory, visual–spatial, and language. Results Multiple regression analysis revealed interaction effects between both measures of cognitive reserve and depressive symptoms on all the cognitive outcome measures except for visual–spatial ability. Those with greater reserve showed greater cognitive decrements than those with lower levels of reserve as depressive symptoms increased. A borderline interaction effect was revealed between reading level and depressive symptoms on total brain volumes. Those with lower reading scores showed greater volume loss as depressive symptoms increased than those with higher reading scores. Conclusions Our findings indicate that the association between late-life depressive symptoms and core aspects of cognition varies depending on one's level of cognitive reserve. Those that had greater levels of education and/or reading ability showed a greater decrease in memory, executive, and language performances as depressive symptoms increased than those with lower years of education and reading ability. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Dynamical properties of a hole in a Heisenberg antiferromagnet

The t-J model in the large-t/J and low-doping limit is approximated by an effective Hamiltonian that treats spin degrees of freedom within the linear-spin-wave approximation and the hole-hopping term with a hole-spin interaction vertex that is linear in the spin-wave operators. The Dyson's equation for the single-hole Green's function is solved numerically on finite- but sufficiently large-size square lattices. Our calculation is based on an approximate equation for the hole motion that has been obtained using a self-consistent perturbation approach where crossing diagrams are neglected. We have studied the contribution of vertex corrections and found that the leading two-loop crossing diagram is exactly zero. Thus, the leading nonzero contribution to the proper self-energy from crossing diagrams is a three-loop correction. In two dimensions, it is possible to solve Dyson's equation numerically including these three-loop corrections. The results demonstrate that the contribution of such vertex corrections is indeed small. Our solution for the hole spectral function, obtained by neglecting such small contributions from vertex corrections, shows that most features describing the hole motion are in close agreement with the results of the exact diagonalization on the ${4}^{2}$ lattice in the region of J/t\ensuremath{\le}0.2. The results obtained on sufficiently large-size lattices suggest that certain important features of the spectral function remain while others change due to finite-size effects. In particular, we find well-defined peaks above the lowest-energy peak that survive in the thermodynamic limit. We analyze these higher-energy peaks of the spectral functions and find that they can be understood as ``string'' excitations, which are created by the hole moving in a nearly linear potential.
Recombinant protein production in an Escherichia coli reduced genome strain

Recently, efforts have been made to improve the properties of Escherichia coli as a recombinant host by 'genomic surgery'-deleting large segments of the E. coli K12 MG1655 genome without scars. These excised segments included K-islands, which contain a high proportion of transposons, insertion sequences, cryptic phage, damaged, and unknown-function genes. The resulting multiple-deletion strain, designated E. coli MDS40, has a 14% (about 700 genes) smaller genome than the parent strain, E. coli MG1655. The multiple-deletion and parent E. coli strains were cultured in fed-batch fermenters to high cell densities on minimal medium to simulate industrial conditions for evaluating growth and recombinant protein production characteristics. Recombinant protein production and by-product levels were quantified at different controlled growth rates. These results indicate that the multiple-deletion strain's growth behavior and recombinant protein productivity closely matched the parent stain. Thus, the multiple-deletion strain E. coli MDS40 provides a suitable foundation for further genomic reduction.
Fault location observability analysis and optimal meter placement based on voltage measurements

Various transmission line fault location algorithms have been proposed in the past depending on measurements available. These methods evince that if a sufficient number of meters are placed in a power network to record the fault measurements, then the fault location can be reliably estimated. A relevant question to ask may be: how many meters are sufficient in order to derive a reliable and unique fault location estimate for a given network? This paper addresses this question by defining and performing the fault location observability analysis. An optimal meter placement scheme is proposed for determining the optimal locations to place meters so as to make the system observable while minimizing the required number of meters to reduce costs. The proposed method is especially useful for power networks where digital relays have not yet been widely adopted and measuring devices such as digital fault recorders are deployed for monitoring purposes. A sample power network has been employed to illustrate the proposed method.
Thermal fracture resistance of a functionally graded coating with periodic edge cracks

Abstract This work investigates the thermal fracture resistance of a functionally graded coating with an array of periodic edge cracks. The integral equation method is used to analyze the thermal stress intensity factors (TSIFs) at the crack tips and the critical thermal shocks that cause crack initiation. The effects of crack density (crack spacing) and thermal property gradients on the critical thermal shocks and TSIFs are examined using an Al 2 O 3 /Si 3 N 4 graded coating on a Si 3 N 4 substrate. Numerical results show that for a given crack density, the graded Al 2 O 3 /Si 3 N 4 coating exhibits higher critical thermal shocks than the homogeneous Al 2 O 3 coating, and hence higher thermal fracture resistance. For a given material gradation profile, a higher crack density (smaller crack spacing) enhances the critical thermal shock significantly.
Motor performance of tongue with a computer-integrated system under different levels of background physical exertion

The purpose of this study was to compare the motor performance of tongue, using Tongue Drive System, to hand operation for relatively complex tasks under different levels of background physical exertion. Thirteen young able-bodied adults performed tasks that tested the accuracy and variability in tracking a sinusoidal waveform, and the performance in playing two video games that require accurate and rapid movements with cognitive processing using tongue and hand under two levels of background physical exertion. Results show additional background physical activity did not influence rapid and accurate displacement motor performance, but compromised the slow waveform tracking and shooting performances in both hand and tongue. Slow waveform tracking performance by the tongue was compromised with an additional motor or cognitive task, but with an additional motor task only for the hand.
Pauli channels exhibit a transition effect in memory estimation above a parametric threshold

The classical communication capacities of quantum Pauli channels with memory are known to exhibit a transition effect. We revisit this phenomenon from the standpoint of the functionally analogous task of Pauli channel memory identification. We treat the complete class of Pauli channels with memory and determine the maximum quantum Fisher information achievable both with pure separable channel probe states and with maximally entangled bipartite probe states. A comparison of these Fisher informations reveals four distinct classes of Pauli channels and shows that only those channels that exceed a certain parametric threshold exhibit a transition effect. For those Pauli channels that exhibit this effect, the memory threshold at which it occurs has a simple analytic expression.
Anderson localization in correlated fermionic mixtures

A mixture of two fermionic species with different masses is studied in an optical lattice. The heavy fermions are subject only to thermal fluctuations, the light fermions also to quantum fluctuations. We derive the Ising-like distribution for the heavy atoms and study the localization properties of the light fermions numerically by a transfer-matrix method. In a two-dimensional system one-parameter scaling of the localization length is found with a transition from delocalized states at low temperatures to localized states at high temperature. The critical exponent of the localization length is ν≈0.88.
Pharmacological sedation for cranial computed tomography in children after minor blunt head trauma.

ObjectiveChildren evaluated in emergency departments for blunt head trauma (BHT) frequently undergo computed tomography (CT), with some requiring pharmacological sedation. Cranial CT sedation complications are understudied. The objective of this study was to document the frequency, type, and complic
Bounds for the Appell Function F2

Abstract The exact matrix elements for certain second order radiation processes in hydrogenic atoms can all be expressed in terms of a certain generalized hypergeometric function of two variables. In this paper we obtain bounds for this function as the two variables tend to the singular point z = 1 from the upper half plane. The bounds are shown to he uniform in the hypergeometric parameters in the ranges of interest, and may he used to bound the exact matrix elements in both the non-relativistic and relativistic cases.
EVA copolymer matrix for intra-oral delivery of antimicrobial and antiviral agents.

Biocompatible ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA) was utilized to study the release of an antiviral drug (acyclovir (ACY)) and an antimicrobial drug (doxycycline hyclate (DOH)). Release of both drugs from EVA was measured individually and in combination. The effect of drug combination of DOH and ACY is presented. Additionally, the release rate of DOH after coating of the matrix with a different copolymer, in drug-loading with increasing loads of DOH, and with increases in temperature are also presented. The drugs incorporated in EVA films were prepared from the dry sheet obtained by solvent evaporation of polymer casting solutions with drugs. Drug release from the films was examined for about 12 days in distilled water at 37 °C. Changes in optical density were followed spectrophotometrically. The combination of ACY and DOH resulted in an increased release of ACY by about three times (P < 0.001) while DOH showed a decrease in rate of about two times compared to the individual release rates (P = 0.008). Increases in drug levels of DOH resulted in increases in drug release rates (P = 0.001). The release rate of DOH increased with temperature (P = .001; 27, 32, 37 and 42 °C were studied) and the energy of activation (ΔE ≠ = 56.69 kJ/mol) was calculated using the Arrhenius equation for the diffusion of DOH molecules. Thus, the release rates of drugs were influenced by many factors: drug combination, coating the device, drug-loading, and temperature variation. Therefore it is proposed that controlling these variables should make it possible to obtain therapeutic levels of drugs released from drug loaded polymer, which may be beneficial in treating oral infections.
Phosphatidylserine and Factor VA Regulate Factor Xa Structure

Human factor Xa (FXa), and its cofactor (FVa), play a key role in blood coagulation by activating prothrombin to thrombin. Phosphatidylserine (PS), exposed on activated platelet membranes, allosterically promotes prothrombin activation by FXa. To gain insight into the structural basis of this allosteric regulation, we used fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) to monitor changes in FXa length in response 1] to soluble PS (dicaproyl-phospahtidylserine; C6PS), 2] to PS membranes, and 3] to FVa in the presence of C6PS and membranes. We incorporated a FRET pair with donor (fluorescein) at the active site and acceptor (Alexa fluor 555) near but not in the membrane. Results demonstrate that FXa structure changes in response to binding of C6PS to two sites, a regulatory site (R) at the N-terminus (previously identified as involving the Gla and EGFn domains) and a presumptive protein-recognition site in the catalytic domain (P). Binding of C6PS to the regulatory site increased the inter-probe distance by ∼ 3 A, while saturation of both sites further increased the distance by ∼ 10 A. FXa binding to a membrane produced a smaller length increase (∼1.6 A), indicating that FXa has somewhat different structures on a membrane and when bound to C6PS in solution. However, when both FVa2 and either C6PS or PS-containing membranes bound to FXa, the overall changes in length were comparable (∼ 5.8 A), indicating that C6PS and PS-containing membranes in conjunction with FVa2 have comparable regulatory effects on FXa. We conclude that reported functional regulation of FXa by C6PS or membranes in conjunction with FVa2 correlates with structural regulation demonstrated here. Results further demonstrate the potential usefulness of FRET in analyzing structure-function relationships in FXa and in the FXa.FVa2 complex. Supported by NIH grants HL72827 to BRL and HL43106 to WHK.
Further inquiry into negotiations of separation‐individuation conflicts: A boy and a girl respond to fluctuations in mother's emotional availability

(1994). Further inquiry into negotiations of separation‐individuation conflicts: A boy and a girl respond to fluctuations in mother's emotional availability. Psychoanalytic Inquiry: Vol. 14, Separation‐Individuation Theory Revisited, pp. 83-110.
INTERFERENCE BETWEEN INDIVIDUALS IN PURE AND MIXED CULTURES OF STEPHANOMERIA MALHEURENSIS AND ITS PROGENITOR

The diploid annual plants Stephanomeria exigua ssp. coronaria and S. malheurensis are related as progenitor and derivative. Stephanomeria malheurensis is known only from a single locality in eastern Oregon where it grows alongside (cohabits) its parent. Although the species are morphologically similar, they can be distinguished under uniform garden conditions by differences in root/shoot ratio, duration of rosette growth, branch structure and number of flower heads, seed weight, and other characters. The species were grown in pure and mixed cultures at several densities in two experiments to test the hypothesis that the distinctive phenotype of S. malheurensis could have evolved to reduce competition with its parent. The experiment revealed that the expression of the S. malheurensis pheniotype did not change when it was grown alone or in mixed cultures with ssp. coronaria. Stephanomeria malheurensis neither gained nor lost an advantage. Since the measured characters related directly to fitness components, this suggests that the phenotype of the derivative probably did not evolve as a result of character displacement brought about by interference with ssp. coronaria. The consequence of sympatry between a newly arisen species and its parent appears to depend on the nature of the environment at the time of its origin. In an open habitat such as the Oregon locality of S. malheurensis, competition with the progenitor need not be a primary factor influencing the evolution of a
Increased abundance of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in soil coincides with the reproductive stages of maize

Abstract Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are recognized for their positive effects on plant growth, playing an important role in plant P nutrition. We used C16:1cis11 and C18:1cis11 fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) biomarkers to monitor the dynamics of AM fungi during the reproductive stages of maize (Zea mays L.) grown at high yield in Nebraska, USA. Two fields with four different levels of P availability were sampled throughout the reproductive stages. Chambers, made of PVC enclosed mesh fabric to allow passage of roots and hyphae ( + R ) or hyphae alone ( - R ) and amended with either KH2PO4 ( + P ) or distilled water ( - P ) , were installed in the field at tasselling and removed after three, six and nine weeks. Our objectives were (i) to provide evidence for C allocation to AM fungi during the reproductive stages of high productivity maize and (ii) to link AM fungal growth dynamics with changes in soil P availability. We observed that initial AM FAME concentration was lower at sites with a high availability of P. During the reproductive growth of maize, AM biomarkers increased inside the chambers and were consistent with the biomarker increase observed in adjacent field soil. This confirms that there is C allocation from the plant to the symbiont during the reproductive stages of maize. We also observed a reduction in available P in + R and - R chambers. This observation implies that hyphae were as efficient as roots and hyphae in reducing the P concentration in chambers. These results demonstrate that AM fungi are active during the reproductive growth stages of maize and may benefit high productivity maize crops by facilitating P uptake.
Crystal structure of r(GUGUGUA)dC with tandem G·U/U·G wobble pairs with strand slippage

To better understand the frequent occurrence of adjacent wobble pairs in ribosomal RNAs we have determined the crystal structure of the RNA duplex, r(GUGUGUA)dC with the 3'-terminal deoxy C residue. Two different crystal forms of the duplex were obtained and both belong to the rhombohedral space group, R3. Crystal form I has hexagonal unit cell dimensions, a = b = 40.82 A and c = 66.09 A and diffracts to 1.58 A resolution, while crystal form II has a = b = 47.11 A and c = 59.86 A, diffracting only to 2.50 A resolution. Both structures were solved by the molecular replacement method using different starting models. In spite of the large differences in the cell dimensions the overall structures in both crystals are similar. Instead of the expected blunt-end duplex with four consecutive G x U pairs, the slippage of the strands resulted in two different tandem G x U/U x G wobble pairs involving two of the central and two of the 5' overhang bases, still yielding a total of four wobble pairs. These tandem wobble pairs are flanked by two Watson-Crick pairs. The A-type duplexes stack in the familiar head-to-tail fashion forming a pseudocontinuous helix. The wobble pairs of the present motif II (G x U/U x G) structure stack with a low twist angle of 25.3 degrees in contrast to that of motif I (U x G/G x U), 38.1 degrees. The four wobble pairs are characteristically heavily hydrated in both the grooves accounting for their stability.
Modified Projective Synchronization of Oscillating Circuit with Random Parameter

The modified projective synchronization problem is concerned in a non-autonomous oscillating circuit with random parameter. At first, the oscillating circuit is transformed into its equivalent deterministic nonlinear one by the Chebyshev polynomial approximation. Suitable controllers and adaptive laws of parameters are given to make the two systems achieve synchronization. Numerical results show the effectiveness of this method.
Physician assessment of ulcerative colitis activity correlates poorly with endoscopic disease activity.

Background: Subjective physician assessment is the cornerstone of routine ulcerative colitis (UC) management. Endoscopic and histologic assessment of UC provides objective measures of inflammatory disease activity. The level of agreement between physician impression of UC activity and endoscopic disease activity has not been evaluated. The aim was to assess the level of agreement between physician's clinical impression of UC disease activity and endoscopic and histologic findings of inflammation. Methods: Using the Medical Archival Retrieval System at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, we reviewed clinical information on all UC patients between 1995 and 2008 who had clinic visits recorded prior to colonoscopy. Clinical UC disease activity was defined by the physician's clinical impression and the endoscopic and histologic activity by colonoscopy with biopsy. The level of agreement between colonoscopy assessment of UC with histologic and clinical assessment was determined by sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and the kappa coefficient. Results: There were 369 UC patients who had a clinic visit proximate to a colonoscopy. The mean age of patients was 46 ± 16 years (50% female). The performance of clinical impression in recognizing disease activity, as determined by endoscopy, was relatively poor: sensitivity = 56.0%, predictive value negative = 56.8%, kappa coefficient = 0.35. In contrast, the performance of histological evaluation in recognizing disease activity was markedly better: sensitivity = 93.5%, predictive value negative = 89.1%, kappa coefficient = 0.70. Conclusions: The physician's clinical impression of UC activity shows poor agreement with endoscopy and histology, with over one-third of patients with chronic inflammation underrecognized by clinical impression. The consequences of underestimated UC activity by clinical assessment may include undertreatment of active disease and uncontrolled chronic inflammation. (Inflamm Bowel Dis 2011;)