cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Practical Method for Testing Many Moment Inequalities

This paper considers the problem of testing a finite number of moment inequalities. For this problem, Romano et al. (2014) propose a two-step testing procedure. In the first step, the procedure incorporates information about the location of moments using a confidence region. In the second step, the procedure accounts for the use of the confidence region in the first step by adjusting the significance level of the test appropriately. An important feature of the proposed method is that it is “practical” in the sense that it remains computationally feasible even if the number of moments is large. Its justification, however, has so far been limited to settings in which the number of moments is fixed with the sample size. In this paper, we provide weak assumptions under which the same procedure remains valid even in settings in which there are “many” moments in the sense that the number of moments grows rapidly with the sample size. We confirm the practical relevance of our theoretical guarantees in a simulation study. We additionally provide both numerical and theoretical evidence that the procedure compares favorably with the method proposed by Chernozhukov et al. (2019), which has also been shown to be valid in such settings.
Red Blood Cell Transfusion After Stage I Palliation Is Associated With Worse Clinical Outcomes

Background Packed red blood cell transfusion may improve oxygen content in single‐ventricle neonates, but its effect on clinical outcomes after Stage 1 palliation is unknown. Methods and Results Re...
Analysis of the NovoPen® Echo for the delivery of insulin: a comparison of usability, functionality, and preference among pediatric subjects, their parents, and health care professionals.

In the current issue of Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology, Dr. Olsen and colleagues analyzed the attitudes of children, their caregivers, and health care professional towards the usability, functionality, and preference of the NovoPen® Echo (Novo Nordisk Inc., Princeton, NJ). A comparison is made to two other insulin pen devices with half-unit increment capability—the NovoPen Junior and the HumaPen® Luxura® (Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN). Their results support the idea that the NovoPen Echo has the highest overall satisfaction among pen devices capable of delivering half-unit increments, is equally simple to assemble and inject, and has the added benefit of a simple recall memory function. A major concern is their finding that fewer adolescents dialed a dose correctly with NovoPen Echo than with the other two pens tested. Furthermore, the true test in validating their claims of the importance of this device lays in future studies, which should be undertaken to demonstrate that a preferred delivery device actually leads to improved compliance in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes.
The relationship between interprofessional education experience and perceptions, values, and attitudes towards interprofessional collaboration in dietetics practice

Abstract Interprofessional education (IPE) is associated with improved perceptions, values, and attitudes towards interprofessional (IP) collaboration, and therefore benefits patients, practitioners, and the health care system. However, little is known about how IPE translates into practice once students graduate and begin working in the field. This study examined if previous IPE experience impacts practicing Registered Dietitian Nutritionists' confidence to identify IP competencies, value of IP collaboration, attitudes towards teamwork, IP communication, and role clarity. Data were collected via electronic survey and consisted of questions about demographics, workplace characteristics, the impact of IPE, and IP collaboration concepts. The study sample consisted of graduates of a combined dietetic internship and Master's program, half of which participated in IP team seminars (IPTS) at the university. Means among the group without IPTS experience were higher for confidence to identify IPE competencies, value of IP collaboration, IP communication, and role clarity sections. The group with previous undergraduate IPE had higher means for all IP sections, with significantly higher means in the confidence to identify IPE competencies section (p-value = 0.09). A positive significant relationship was found between a physical space for IP collaboration and positive attitudes towards teamwork (p-value = 0.048). Overall, this study found participation in IPTS did not significantly improve perceptions, values, and attitudes towards IP collaboration among practicing dietitians.
Life Domains and Dating Violence Among Latino Youth: A Partial Test of Agnew’s Integrated General Theory:

In 2005, Agnew presented a new theoretical framework for understanding crime and delinquency. To date, this theory has not been thoroughly tested among various populations and types of crime. To ad...
Physical performance measures in older women with urinary incontinence: pelvic floor disorder or geriatric syndrome?

To evaluate physical performance measures of mobility and functional impairments and assess their association with urinary incontinence (UI) severity and impact on quality of life among older women with UI. In a cross-sectional pilot study, 20 women aged ≥ 70 years with UI completed UI questionnaires (Global Impression of Severity, Incontinence Impact Questionnaire [IIQ-7]) and functional status evaluation. Functional status evaluation included the Modified Physical Performance Test (MPPT; range 0–36), Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB; range 0–12), and other physical performance measures (e.g., Timed Up and Go [TUG]). MPPT and SPPB scores 0.05) with UI measures. Mobility and functional impairments are common among older women with UI. Associations between MPPT score and TUG performance with UI impact on quality of life suggest these physical performance measures could be markers of mobility and functional impairments in future research on UI in older women.
Robust Nonblocking State-based Supervisory Control

In this paper, the robust nonblocking supervisory control problem of discrete-event systems is studied. In this framework, the plant model is unknown but is assumed to belong to a finite set of models. The safety requirements are expressed in terms of a set of safe states for each model. A set of necessary and sufficient conditions is obtained for the existence of a solution and an algorithm is developed to calculate the supremal solution within a finite number of iterations. The resulting supervisor will be maximally permissive.
Quantum Physics without the Physics

This report explains the basic theory and common terminology of quantum physics without assuming any knowledge of physics. It was written by a group of applied mathematicians while they were reading up on the subject. The intended audience consists of applied mathematicians, computer scientists, or anyone else who wants to improve their understanding of quantum physics. We assume that the reader is familiar with fundamental concepts of linear algebra, differential equations, and to some extent the theory of Hilbert spaces. Most of the material can be found in the book by Nielsen and Chuang and in the lecture notes on open quantum systems by Lidar. Another excellent online source of information is Wikipedia, even though most of its articles on quantum physics assume a solid understanding of physics.
Linear and Nonlinear Flutter of Supersonic Panels of Various Shapes

AbstractA fluid-structure model based on nonlinear Mindlin-Reissner plate theory and linearized piston theory is used to study the aeroelastic flutter of panels of arbitrary planforms at supersonic...
Combination ceftaroline and daptomycin salvage therapy for complicated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia compared with standard of care.

ABSTRACT Complicated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infections (MRSA-BSIs), particularly those with delayed culture clearance, are associated with high mortality. Combination therapy with daptomycin and ceftaroline (DAP+CPT) represents a novel therapeutic approach to MRSA-BSI owing to synergistic bactericidal activity. This study aimed to compare DAP+CPT with historical standard of care (SoC) for treatment of complicated MRSA-BSI. This single-centre retrospective cohort study included patients with complicated MRSA-BSI at University of Colorado Hospital. Patients receiving DAP+CPT for ≥48 h between November 2013 and March 2020 or SoC with vancomycin or DAP ± gentamicin and/or rifampicin from November 2011 to December 2013 were compared. The primary outcome was clinical failure defined as a composite of MRSA-related mortality and recurrent infection at 60 days. A total of 60 patients received DAP+CPT (n = 30) or SoC (n = 30). Median age was 56 years and median Pitt bacteremia score was 3. Common infectious sites were endovascular (63%) and musculoskeletal (40%). DAP+CPT was associated with a numerically lower incidence of clinical failure compared with SoC (20% vs. 43%; P = 0.052). Multivariable analysis controlling for immunocompromised status (OR, 6.90, 95% CI 1.08–44.15), Charlson comorbidity index (OR, 1.12, 95% CI 0.90–1.39) and source control (OR, 0.35, 95% CI 0.08–1.46) associated DAP+CPT with 77% lower odds of clinical failure (OR, 0.23, 95% CI 0.06–0.89). In patients with complicated MRSA-BSI with delayed clearance, DAP+CPT trended towards lower rates of clinical failure than SoC and was significantly associated with decreased clinical failure after adjustment for baseline differences.
Tackling Cultural Determinants of Health Through Nutrition Education Among Refugees

Nutrition education provides an avenue to address nutrition behavior change needs and prevents chronic disease in refugee communities. Previous studies have consistently identified cultural uniquen...
The Unequal Availability of Rental Housing Information Across Neighborhoods

As more urban residents find their housing through online search tools, recent research has theorized the potential for online information to transform and equalize the housing search process. Yet, very little is known about what rental housing information is available online. Using a corpus of millions of geocoded Craigslist advertisements for rental housing across the 50 largest metropolitan statistical areas in the United States merged with census tract-level data from the American Community Survey, we identify and describe the types of information commonly included in listings across different types of neighborhoods. We find that in the online housing market, renters are exposed to fundamentally different types of information depending on the ethnoracial and socioeconomic makeup of the neighborhoods where they are searching.
Quantifying Variational Approximation for the Log-Partition Function.

Variational approximation, such as mean-field (MF) and tree-reweighted (TRW), provide a computationally efficient approximation of the log-partition function for a generic graphical model. TRW provably provides an upper bound, but the approximation ratio is generally not quantified. As the primary contribution of this work, we provide an approach to quantify the approximation ratio through the property of the underlying graph structure. Specifically, we argue that (a variant of) TRW produces an estimate that is within factor $\frac{1}{\sqrt{\kappa(G)}}$ of the true log-partition function for any discrete pairwise graphical model over graph $G$, where $\kappa(G) \in (0,1]$ captures how far $G$ is from tree structure with $\kappa(G) = 1$ for trees and $2/N$ for the complete graph over $N$ vertices. As a consequence, the approximation ratio is $1$ for trees, $\sqrt{(d+1)/2}$ for any graph with maximum average degree $d$, and $\stackrel{\beta\to\infty}{\approx} 1+1/(2\beta)$ for graphs with girth (shortest cycle) at least $\beta \log N$. In general, $\kappa(G)$ is the solution of a max-min problem associated with $G$ that can be evaluated in polynomial time for any graph. Using samples from the uniform distribution over the spanning trees of G, we provide a near linear-time variant that achieves an approximation ratio equal to the inverse of square-root of minimal (across edges) effective resistance of the graph. We connect our results to the graph partition-based approximation method and thus provide a unified perspective. Keywords: variational inference, log-partition function, spanning tree polytope, minimum effective resistance, min-max spanning tree, local inference
Developmental Trajectories of Disordered Eating: Genetic and Biological Risk During Puberty

Eating disorders [i.e., anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN)] and disordered eating symptoms (e.g., body dissatisfaction, weight concerns, dieting, binge eating) have traditionally been viewed as developmental clinical conditions. They have a stereotypic adolescent age of onset and rarely begin after mid-adulthood (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). These trajectories of onset/offset have led many researchers to study specific developmental factors and periods that might contribute to developmental patterns of risk. The most frequently studied factor in this regard is puberty. This focus is understandable given the significant psychological, psychosocial, and biological changes of puberty and the fact that most eating disorders do not begin until during/after puberty (American Psychiatric Association, 2000; Bulik, 2002; Favaro, Caregaro, Tenconi, Bosello, & Santonastaso, 2009; Favaro, Ferrara, & Santonastaso, 2003; Klump, 2013).
The last duplex base-pair of the phage λ chromosome: Involvement in packaging, ejection and routing of λ DNA

cosN is the site at which the bacteriophage lambda DNA packaging enzyme, terminase, introduces staggered nicks to generate the cohesive ends of mature lambda chromosomes. Genetic and molecular studies show that cosN is recognized specifically by terminase and that effects of cosN mutations on lambda DNA packaging and cosN cleavage are well correlated. Mutations affecting a particular base-pair of cosN are unusual in being lethal in spite of causing only a moderate defect in cosN cleavage and DNA packaging. The particular base-pair is the rightmost duplex base-pair in mature chromosomes, at position 48,502 in the numbering system of Daniels et al; herein called position - 1. A G.C to T.A transversion mutation at position - 1, called cosN - 1T, reduces the particle yield of lambda fivefold, and the particles formed are not infectious. lambda cosN - 1T particles have wild-type morphology, and contain chromosomes that have normal cohesive ends. The chromosomes of lambda cosN - 1T particles, like the chromosomes of lambda + particles, are associated with the tail. lambda cosN - 1T particles, in spite of being normal structurally, are defective in injection of DNA into a host cell. Only approximately 25% of lambda cosN - 1T particles are able to eject DNA from the capsid in contrast to 100% for lambda +. Furthermore, for the 25% that do eject, there is a further injection defect because the ejected lambda cosN - 1T chromosomes fail to cyclize, in contrast to the efficient cyclization found for wild-type chromosomes following injection. The cosN - 1T mutation has no effect on Ca2+ mediated transformation by lambda DNA, indicating that the effect of the mutation on DNA fate is specific to the process of DNA injection. Models in which specific DNA : protein interactions necessary for DNA injection, and involving the rightmost base-pair of the lambda chromosome, are considered.
Blind timing and channel estimation for UWB multiuser ad hoc access

One of the major challenges at the physical layer of an ultrawideband (UWB) network is the accuracy and speed of the synchronization and channel estimation tasks. Especially in ad hoc multiaccess scenarios, acquiring timing and channel information blindly is instrumental for user separation and bandwidth efficient demodulation. Relying on intermittently transmitted asymmetric pulse-amplitude modulated (PAM) signals, we derive novel blind timing and channel estimators for UWB point-to-point and multiaccess communication links for use in ad hoc networks. Both intersymbol interference (ISI)-free as well as ISI channels are considered. Comparisons are provided and performance of the resultant algorithms is evaluated analytically and with bit-error rate (BER) simulations.
The Innocence Commission : preventing wrongful convictions and restoring the criminal justice system

AcknowledgmentsIntroduction 1 History and Background 2 The Innocence Commission for Virginia 3 The Cases 4 An Unmet Obligation 5 Putting It All Together Appendixes Notes Index About the Author
Transcending Paradox: The Chinese “Middle Way” Perspective

Western thought is noted for its strengths in categorization and analysis; Eastern, or Chinese thought, is noted for its integrative and encompassing nature. This article seeks to bridge the two. Specifically, it aims to enrich Western thinking and the existing body of paradox literature by proposing the idea of paradoxical integration, a concept derived from the Chinese middle way philosophy. Paradoxical integration, the notion that two opposites (such as "self" and "other") may be interdependent in nature and together constitute a totality ("integration"), is introduced as one means of transcending paradox and the conventional Western conceptualization of exclusive opposites. It suggests how we can apply the concept of interdependent opposites in a both/and framework to foster reconciliation of the apparent polarities of such dichotomies as competition and cooperation. The article concludes with a discussion of the broad implications of the concept of paradoxical integration upon both academic research and business practice.
Precision wafer bonding process for future cost-effective 3DICs

A high-precision wafer-to-wafer (W2W) bonding system for three-dimensional integrated circuits (3DICs) fabrication adopting a new precision alignment methodology is proposed. In studying W2W device yield, the authors split the stacking W2W yield formula to better understand the systematic versus random components, and propose that miniaturization yield and wafer stacking yield should be considered separately. Experimental results show that the W2W alignment capability is 250 nm or better, with similar overlay accuracy (|mean| + 3σ) for high-throughput Cu-Cu permanent bonding. These capabilities are key enablers for the future of cost-effective 3DIC manufacturing.
PREVALENCE OF GROWTH HORMONE DEFICIENCY IN CHILDREN WITH CLEFT LIP/PALATE (CLP)

The prevalence of growth hormone (GH) deficiency in the general population is about one in 3,000-4,000 or one per cent in children who are below the third percentile for height. Rudman et al reported a prevalence of 32% in short children with CLP (J Pediatrics 93:378, 1978). The criterion used was an average peak concentration of GH. Since this reported prevalence is strikingly high, we examined the records of 373 children who were on the active files of our CLP Clinic. Of these, 40 patients with overt CLP (21 CL&CP, 18 CP, 1 CL) were at or below the 5th percentile for height. In this group of 40, 12 had multiple congenital anomalies or clearly defined syndromes. Fourteen had familial short stature and were growing at a normal rate for height. Of the remaining 14 children (8 boys, 6 girls, mean age 6.2 years) two were lost to follow up and two refused endocrine evaluation. None of the remaining 10 had growth hormone deficiency. Using the standard criteria of impaired growth rate and lack of response to arginine-insulin provocative test (peak less than 5 ng/ml) we were unable to document that a single patient in this group had GH deficiency. Clearly our findings are discordant with those reported by Rudman et al. A possible reason may be that different criteria were used for diagnosing GH deficiency.
Extremely Low Frequency Electric and Magnetic Fields

Extremely low frequency (ELF) electric and magnetic fields (EMFs) are imperceptible and are ubiquitously present in modern societies. Numerous epidemiologic studies have investigated possible health risks from residential and occupational exposure to EMFs. ELF magnetic fields have been classified as a “possible human carcinogen”. This classification was based on epidemiologic evidence showing a consistent association between exposure to ELF magnetic fields and childhood leukemia and on laboratory studies in animals and cells, which do not support an association between exposure to ELF magnetic fields and cancer development. Data for other health outcomes is negative or inconsistent. Several risk characterization attempts have indicated that the public health impact of residential magnetic fields on childhood leukemia is likely to be limited and uncertain. Keywords: ELF; EMF; cancer; leukemia; policy
Controlling panel flutter using adaptive materials

The effectiveness of using adaptive materials to control panel flutter is examined. Adaptive materials are those whose strain or mechanical properties can be controlled by the application of an external stimulus. Two such material types are piezoelectric (ceramics or polymers) and shape memory alloys. These materials experience controllable strain when subjected to applied voltage and heat, respectively. The present study investigates the use of both material types to modify the flutter characteristics of a simply supported panel in supersonic flow. Piezoelectric materials respond quickly to applied voltages and can be used with feedback control for active vibration suppression. The adaptive process of the shape memory alloy used in this study (geometry and stiffness change) is a relatively low frequency phenomenon; therefore, it is considered for passive (on/off) control schemes only. Nondimensional parameters for these adaptive materials are used with linear panel models, yielding results which allow for a better understanding of their capabilities in controlling aeroelastic responses.
Dendritic solidification of alloys in low gravity

The effect of low gravity during solidification on primary and secondary dendrite spacings is investigated. Dendritic spacing data for iron-carbon-type alloys and superalloys which were directionally solidified during aircraft low-g trajectories are examined. The low-g data data are compared with data for metal model materials and binary alloys, and theoretical models to explain the dendritic spacing are considered.
Risk Identification Biases and Their Impact to Space System Development Project Performance

Abstract:Risk identification during the design and development phases of complex systems is commonly implemented, but often fails to result in the identification of events and circumstances that truly challenge project performance. Inefficiencies in cost and schedule estimation are usually held accountable for cost and schedule overruns, but the true root cause is often the realization of programmatic and technical risks. This research explores risk identification trends and biases pervasive during space system development that limit the awareness of such risks. The findings and results provide insight into how future engineering and risk managers can potentially avoid these shortfalls.
High throughput analysis of atmospheric volatile organic compounds by thermal injection - Isothermal gas chromatography - Time-of-flight mass spectrometry

Abstract Sixty one volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from a standard gas mixture were separated via isothermal gas chromatography coupled with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC–TOFMS) in a ∼35 s separation time window (∼45 s separation). The VOCs in the standard gas mixture were selected based on the EPA TO-15 methodology. The high throughput separation was achieved with a relatively high total peak capacity ( n c ∼114), by simultaneously minimizing both on-column and off-column peak width broadening. The on-column contributions to peak width broadening were minimized by taking into account and applying GC separation theory for the selection of column dimensions and carrier gas flow rate conditions. Both fast cryogenic focusing and re-injection of compounds (implemented via a commercially available thermal modulator and referred to herein as thermal injection (TI) and fast TOFMS detection (100 scans/s)) were applied to reduce off-column sources of peak width band broadening (sometimes referred to as off-column band broadening). Cryogenic focusing during TI and minimal band broadening-based dilution during separation resulted in preconcentration factors for the detected peaks ranging from 78 (1,4-dichlorobenzene) to 420 (propylene). Since the injected volume for preconcentration was 500 μl, and based on the detected noise levels at selected m / z for each analyte compound, the concentration limit of detection (LOD) ranged from 67 ppbv (parts per billion by volume) for propylene, to 4 ppbv for freon-12. While application of standard VOC analysis conditions leads to separation times typically ranging from ∼30 to 50 min, the isothermal GC–TOFMS method reported herein represents a 40-fold improvement in analysis time while maintaining peak capacity and detection sensitivity that is comparable to traditional GC–MS VOC analysis.
Effects of light therapy on sleep, mood, and temperature in women with nonseasonal major depression

Research has supported the applicability and efficacy of light therapy in the treatment of nonseasonal depression. The investigators examined the effects of light therapy on sleep, core temperature, depressed mood, and perception of fatigue and energy in a sample of pre-menopausal and post-menopausal women diagnosed with nonseasonal, nonbipolar depression. Women were randomly assigned to either light therapy (n = 16) or placebo (n = 13) for a 28-day period. Pre and post measures of sleep and core temperature were collected. In addition, measures of depressed mood, fatigue, and energy were collected throughout the study period. Significant changes in depression and energy were found in the treatment group, but not in the placebo group. There was a significant reduction in the temperature mesor and less wake time during the first third of the sleep period in the treatment group but not in the placebo group. Light therapy yielded significant improvement in depression when compared with placebo intervention and core temperature mesor returned to normal. There was no significant phase shift, perhaps due in part to the absence of any baseline circadian phase disturbances. Relationships between temperature, sleep, depressed mood, fatigue, and energy variables offer potential directions for future research and clinical intervention.
Genetic Analysis of Prostatic Atypical Adenomatous Hyperplasia (Adenosis)

Atypical adenomatous hyperplasia (AAH) of the prostate, a small glandular proliferation, is a putative precursor lesion to prostate cancer, in particular to the subset of well-differentiated carcinomas that arise in the transition zone, the same region where AAH lesions most often occur. Several morphological characteristics of AAH suggest a relationship to cancer; however, no definitive evidence has been reported. In this study, we analyzed DNA from 25 microdissected AAH lesions for allelic imbalance as compared to matched normal DNA, using one marker each from chromosome arms 1q, 6q, 7q, 10q, 13q, 16q, 17p, 17q, and 18q, and 19 markers from chromosome 8p. We observed 12% allelic imbalance, with loss only within chromosome 8p11–12. These results suggest that genetic alterations in transition zone AAH lesions may be infrequent. This genotypic profile of AAH will allow for comparisons with well-differentiated carcinomas in the transition zone of the prostate.
Early clinical manifestations and intellectual outcome in children with symptomatic congenital cytomegalovirus infection.

The Developmental Profile was completed on 32 prospectively followed children with symptomatic congenital cytomegalovirus infection (mean age 6 7/12 years; 78% white, 59% male). The distribution of intelligence and general developmental scores was bimodal; one group had severe deficits (mean IQ 28.8), the other had relatively less severe intellectual sequelae (mean IQ 91.6). Correlation analysis (Pearson r) showed that three variables—microcephaly, neurologic abnormalities, and chorioretinitis—when apparent during the first year of life, were all significantly associated with low intelligence. No correlation was found between IQ and severity of neonatal reticuloendothelial disease or hearing loss. Multiple regression analysis showed that age at testing, chorioretinitis, and neurologic sequelae accounted for 63% of the IQ variance in our sample. We conclude that children with symptomatic congenital cytomegalovirus infection have a greater range of intellectual outcomes than has been previously reported, and that certain early clinical manifestations may be useful in anticipating special needs.
Silicon dioxide as a high temperature stabilizer for silver films

Abstract Silver films cannot at present be used as high temperature reflectors because of severe agglomeration in the presence of oxygen at temperatures in excess of 200 °C. Cr 2 O 3 , Al 2 O 3 , SiO 3 and CrO x were tested for their effectiveness as thin barrier layers, and SiO 2 is the best of those tested. The use of SiO 2 allows the process of hole healing to compete with the normal hole growth process. Hole healing does not last indefinitely but is superseded by a slower rate hole growth process with an activation energy of 49 kcal mol -1 . Because of this last mechanism, stabilized silver is less than 1% transmitting after 50 h at 650 °C in air, whereas bare silver agglomerates to 66% transmittance after only 3 min under the same conditions. Therefore 500 A SiO 2 films can be used as long term stabilizers for silver films in oxygen atmospheres with temperatures of up to 650 °C.
Suppression of retinal neovascularization by erythropoietin siRNA in a mouse model of proliferative retinopathy.

Purpose Erythropoietin (EPO), an oxygen-regulated hormone stimulating erythrocyte production, was recently found to be critical for retinal angiogenesis. EPO mRNA expression levels in retina are highly elevated during the hypoxia-induced proliferation phase of retinopathy. The authors investigated the inhibition of retinal EPO mRNA expression with RNA interference as a potential strategy to suppress retinal neovascularization and to prevent proliferative retinopathy.
The heat equation with singular coefficients

The small time asymptotics of the kernel ofe−tH is defined and derived for\(H = \frac{{d^2 }}{{dx^2 }} + \frac{\kappa }{{x^2 }}\) on ℝ1. Lemmas on singular asymptotics in the sense of distributions are formulated and used. The results are applied to derive an index formula on ℝ1.
The New Mexico School Nurse and Emergency Medical Services Emergency Preparedness Course: Program Description and Evaluation:

Illness and injuries are common among students and school staff. Therefore, school nurses must be prepared. In this study, a 16-hour scenario-based emergency preparedness course for school nurses was evaluated for its effectiveness. Effectiveness was measured by (a) traditional methods (written exams and confidence surveys) and (b) skills and performance evaluations in simulated emergencies called On-site Mock Emergency Scenarios. School nurses who completed the emergency preparedness course showed significant improvement in knowledge, confidence, and On-site Mock Emergency Scenarios scores that measured each nurse's ability to apply knowledge in simulated emergencies.
A pipelined computer architecture for unified elementary function evaluation

Abstract A pipelined computer architecture for rapid consecutive evaluation of several elementary functions (x/y, √x, sin x, cos, x, ex, ln x, …) using basic CORDIC algorithms is proposed. Continued products iterations of the form (1 + σim 2−k) allow linking n-identical ALU structures to permit n different function evaluations. New algorithms for sin−1, cos−1, cot−1, sinh−1, cosh−1 and xv are developed. Lastly, a new functional efficiency is defined for pipeline architectures which compares favorably to iterative arrays. Index terms—Digital Arithmetic, Pipeline, Unified Elementary Functions, Iterative Algorithms, CORDIC
Extensible Semantics for Representing Electromechanical Assemblies

Many representations exist for describing engineering artifacts. These representations come from a wide variety of work in many research areas with differing backgrounds and purposes. No unified representation has emerged combining aspects of existing schemes with an ability to easily grow and be extended over time. In this work we demonstrate the application of methods from the knowledge representation community to the domain of engineering artifacts, in particular electromechanical assemblies. We use conceptual graphs as a formal, cleanly extensible representation form. Aspects of several existing results are combined to create a unified representation and demonstrate the approach. We also discuss translation of the conceptual graphs to the DARPA Agent Markup Language (DAML) in order to utilize and cooperate with efforts to develop ontologies for this domain.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
On the use of thresholds in damage energy calculations

Abstract It is pointed out that there is an inconsistency in the use of a displacement threshold with the damage energy model that is part of the standard procedure for expressing radiation effects exposures. A simple correction to the model is presented and its consequences are discussed briefly.
Striatal dopamine release is altered by glucose and insulin during push-pull perfusion of the rat's caudate nucleus

Abstract An individual site in the caudate-putamen complex of the unrestrained, fasted rat was tritium-labeled with 1.0 μCi of either3H-DA or 3H-NE. The amine was microinjected in a volume of 0.5 μl through a permanently implanted 20 ga guide cannula. Then 30 min later, a push-pull cannula assembly was lowered through the guide and the labeled site was perfused with an artificial CSF solution at a rate of 25 μl/min. Each perfusion lasted for 5 min with a 10 min interval between successive perfusions. At the mid-point of a sequence of seven perfusions, one of two experimental procedures was introduced: (1) the rat was offered food pellets which were readily consumed; or (2) one of three compounds was added to the CSF perfusate: (a) 55 μg/gml of D-glucose; (b) 4 mU/μl of insulin; or (c) 10 μg/μl of 2-DG. The results showed that the efflux of3H-DA increases as the rat feeds and during the subsequent perfusions. An immediate rise occurs in the output of the amine also when insulin is added to the perfusate; conversely, a slight suppression in 3H output is caused by glucose during its perfusion but a consistent elevation of radioactivity follows thereafter. 2-DG has no effect on the kinetics of catecholamine activity in the caudate-putamen. The patterns of release of 3H-NE are similar to those of 3H-DA under the same experimental conditions; however, the magnitude of the change is substantially attenuated. Although catecholamine activity within the caudate-putamen is usually implicated in motor control, our results support the possibility that dopamine in this structure may play a functional role in the regulation of food intake.
On the Role of Phoresis in Cloud Ice Initiation

Abstract The role of phoresis in enhancing the scavenging of ice contact nuclei and thus the formation of ice in clouds is examined. Our result, which is that its role is very small, is contrary to previously published results.
Vibrational CD studies of the solution conformation of N-urethanyl-L-amino acid derivatives.

The solution conformations of several N-urethanyl-L-amino acids in 0.2–0.002M chloroform and 0.2M dimethylsulfoxide have been investigated by using vibrational circular dichroism (VCD), ir absorption, and 13C-nmr spectroscopies. Both the N-carbobenzoxy (N-CBZ) and N-t-butoxycarbonyl derivatives of L-alanine, L-proline, L-valine, and L-phenylalanine, and N-CBZ-serine were studied. The 13C-nmr results indicate that the molecules occur predominantly as the cis isomer about the CN peptide bond at room temperature. The interpretation of the strong VCD couplet in the carbonyl-stretching region using the degenerate coupled oscillator model is consistent with the conformational range of ϕ = −60° to −90° and ψ = 30° to 90° for molecules forming acid dimers. Conformations with an intramolecularly hydrogen-bonded C7 ring are also present, which give rise to biased VCD features in the NH-, CH-, and CO-stretching regions that can arise due to vibrationally generated ring currents.
The Japanese corporate network transferred to North America: Implications for North American firms

A significant difference between Japanese and American corporate environments is the existence of extensive networks of intercorporate agreements among firms in Japan. Networks in Japan are the dominant factor in determining how firms transact with other organizations. Given that Japanese networks are taking root in the American business environment, what does this mean for American firms competing and cooperating with Japanese firms? Drawing on a recent study of North American-Japanese joint ventures, this article examines the Japanese network and considers the implications for outsider firms gaining temporary, and perhaps even permanent access to the network through the formation of alliances and joint ventures with Japanese firms. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Spectral function of the 1D Hubbard model

Abstract For the one-dimensional (1D) Hubbard model, we extended the bosonization technique, away from half filling, in such a way that a general formula is obtained for the zero temperature equal-time single-particle Green function with validity over the whole doping range. With our method, we can calculate, for the first time, the one-body Green function and thus, the spectral function in both the Tomonaga-Luttinger and Luther-Emery universality classes. The method also gives a tool to determine the coefficients of the correlation functions which cannot be determined with previously used methods.
Ultrasound absorption in polystyrene solutions near the miscibility coexistence curve and critical point

Abstract Ultrasound absorption is reported for solutions of a monodisperse polystyrene. These solutions were studied above the miscibility coexistence curve, for concentrations near and above the critical value. An excess absorption of the Kawasaki-type multiple relaxation was observed. The absorption exhibited a phase-separation, but not a critical-point, anomaly.
Cation-dependent folding of 3′ cap-independent translation elements facilitates interaction of a 17-nucleotide conserved sequence with eIF4G

The 3'-untranslated regions of many plant viral RNAs contain cap-independent translation elements (CITEs) that drive translation initiation at the 5'-end of the mRNA. The barley yellow dwarf virus-like CITE (BTE) stimulates translation by binding the eIF4G subunit of translation initiation factor eIF4F with high affinity. To understand this interaction, we characterized the dynamic structural properties of the BTE, mapped the eIF4G-binding sites on the BTE and identified a region of eIF4G that is crucial for BTE binding. BTE folding involves cooperative uptake of magnesium ions and is driven primarily by charge neutralization. Footprinting experiments revealed that functional eIF4G fragments protect the highly conserved stem-loop I and a downstream bulge. The BTE forms a functional structure in the absence of protein, and the loop that base pairs the 5'-untranslated region (5'-UTR) remains solvent-accessible at high eIF4G concentrations. The region in eIF4G between the eIF4E-binding site and the MIF4G region is required for BTE binding and translation. The data support the model in which the eIF4F complex binds directly to the BTE which base pairs simultaneously to the 5'-UTR, allowing eIF4F to recruit the 40S ribosomal subunit to the 5'-end.
Bringing back channels up front: towards an active learning environment

In many college classrooms, students are passive spectators and the transmittal model of teaching is prevalent in most classes. In contrast, Vygotsky's social-constructivist view emphasizes the importance of making students become active learners. Many active learning techniques have been developed, primarily focused on making students active participants in various kinds of in class activities like discussion, writing and talking. However, there is evidence that the typical university classroom setting presents some obstacles for realizing maximum effectiveness of class wide discussion. These obstacles include the effects of production blocking, the hierarchical power structures within the classroom and the lack of sense of community. Having realized the great potential of Web 2.0 social software in meeting these challenges, the objective in the proposed research is to build an active learning environment by bring backchannel discussion up front using CMC tools. A design based research method will be used to explore effects of using this tool in classes.
Neuronal injury and expression of 72-kDa heat-shock protein after forebrain ischemia in the rat.

We evaluated the relationship between the induction of the 72-kDa heat-shock protein (hsp 72) and the presence of necrotic neurons in the rat hippocampus, 48 h after an 8-min episode of forebrain ischemia in eight rates. Hsp 72 was detected using the monoclonal antibody C92 on vibratome brain tissue sections. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining on adjacent paraffinembedded sections was used to determine histopathological features. All morphologically intact CA1/2 neurons, 70% of which are destined to become necrotic 7 days after ischemia, exhibited intense hsp 72 staining, while necrotic or damaged neurons were devoid or low in hsp 72. Hsp 72 was also detected in CA3 neurons destined to survive 7 days after ischemia. Blood vessels positive for hsp 72 were detected in focal brain regions, in which severely damaged neurons were either devoid or low in hsp 72 staining. Occasional glial cells expressed hsp 72 in both normal and damaged brain regions. Hsp 72 response to a transient forebrain ischemia seemingly reflects differences in the selective ischemic vulnerability of CA1/2 and CA3 neurons. Further, the presence of hsp 72 within a neuron is likely only a marker of stress and is not necessarily indicative of eventual neuronal survival.
Hardware acceleration vs. algorithmic acceleration: can GPU-based processing beat complexity optimization for CT?

Three-dimensional computed tomography (CT) is a compute-intensive process, due to the large amounts of source and destination data, and this limits the speed at which a reconstruction can be obtained. There are two main approaches to cope with this problem: (i) lowering the overall computational complexity via algorithmic means, and/or (ii) running CT on specialized high-performance hardware. Since the latter requires considerable capital investment into rather inflexible hardware, the former option is all one has typically available in a traditional CPU-based computing environment. However, the emergence of programmable commodity graphics hardware (GPUs) has changed this situation in a decisive way. In this paper, we show that GPUs represent a commodity high-performance parallel architecture that resonates very well with the computational structure and operations inherent to CT. Using formal arguments as well as experiments we demonstrate that GPU-based 'brute-force' CT (i.e., CT at regular complexity) can be significantly faster than CPU-based as well as GPU-based CT with optimal complexity, at least for practical data sizes. Therefore, the answer to the title question: "Can GPU-based processing beat complexity optimization for CT?" is "Absolutely!"
A Matter of Life and Death Effects of Emotional Message Strategies on African American Women’s Attitudes About Preventative Breast Cancer Screenings

A2 × 2 experimental study was conducted to investigate the effect of message strategies on attitudes toward breast cancer prevention. The researcher used a sample of African American women (N = 59)...
Robust scheduling of a two-machine flow shop with uncertain processing times

This paper focuses on manufacturing environments where job processing times are uncertain. In these settings, scheduling decision makers are exposed to the risk that an optimal schedule with respect to a deterministic or stochastic model will perform poorly when evaluated relative to actual processing times. Since the quality of scheduling decisions is frequently judged as if processing times were known a priori, robust scheduling, i.e., determining a schedule whose performance (compared to the associated optimal schedule) is relatively insensitive to the potential realizations of job processing times, provides a reasonable mechanism for hedging against the prevailing processing time uncertainty. In this paper we focus on a two-machine flow shop environment in which the processing times of jobs are uncertain and the performance measure of interest is system makespan. We present a measure of schedule robustness that explicitly considers the risk of poor system performance over all potential realizations of...
Pyrolysis comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography study of petroleum source rock.

Detailed compositional analyses of sedimentary organic matter can provide information on its biotic input, environment of deposition, and level of thermal maturation. Pyrolysis-gas chromatography (py-GC), often coupled with a mass spectrometer (py-GC/MS), is one technique used to provide this information. New developments in comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC×GC or 2D-GC), coupled with pyrolysis (py-GC×GC), offer the prospect of providing more complete and quantitative compositional information of complex organic solids, such as kerogen and coals. This study will describe applications of pyrolysis-GC×GC to the characterization of petroleum source rocks using flame ionization detector (FID) and sulfur chemiluminescence detector (SCD). In the hydrocarbon analysis by FID, paraffins, naphthenes, and aromatics form distinct two-dimensional separated groups. In the analysis with SCD, sulfur-containing compounds can be distinguished as different classes, such as mercaptans, sulfides, thiophenes...
Direct or indirect, that is the question: a re-evaluation of extraversion's influence on self-esteem

The primary goal of this study was to explore the nature of the association between extraversion and self-esteem. In addressing this issue two alternative models were examined: a direct effects model, which suggests that extraversion directly influences self-esteem, and a mediating model, which posits that four variables (optimism, positive affect, negative affect, social support) mediate the relationship between extraversion and self-esteem. A total of 278 participants across two universities were administered a packet of questionnaires that assessed the variables of the study. Results from path analyses indicated that two of the four variables, positive affect and social support, significantly mediated the association between extraversion and self-esteem. Furthermore, in both the positive affect and social support path models, the direct effects of extraversion on self-esteem were small and nonsignificant. In contrast, for the negative affect and optimism path models, the direct effects of extraversion on self-esteem were statistically significant. These findings highlight the complex nature of the association between extraversion and self-esteem. Limitations of the study are considered and implications of the results for future research are discussed.