cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The role of intermediate layers in thermal transport across GaN/SiC interfaces

Interfaces between solid layers in power electronics contribute significantly to the overall thermal resistance, which is a bottleneck for the further advancement of such devices. In many cases, the acoustic mismatch (i.e., phonon spectra mismatch) prevents the efficient heat transfer from one solid to another (e.g., GaN/SiC interface). In this work, we study the effect of intermediate layers on interfacial thermal transport across GaN/SiC interfaces. A series of intermediate layers with different Debye temperatures are studied using molecular dynamics simulations. We find that the overall thermal conductance does not necessarily increase as expected by the acoustic mismatch, but it depends on the overlap of specific phonon spectral peaks between different layer of materials. It is also found that the match of optical phonon spectral peaks also plays important roles in enhancing thermal transport across interfaces. The limitations of our model are also discussed. The results from this work may provide useful information for the design of high power electronics to improve their thermal management solutions.
AuIII‐Catalyzed Formation of α‐Halomethyl Ketones from Terminal Alkynes

A AuIII-catalyzed synthesis of α-halomethyl ketones from terminal alkynes was developed. This approach features excellent functional group compatibility and good yields for both aromatic and aliphatic terminal alkynes. The resulting α-halomethyl ketones were used to prepare heterocyclic indolizine structures. The plausible mechanism of the one-pot reaction is proposed.
Food security in Africa: a cross-scale, empirical investigation using structural equation modeling

Despite consistent gains in global agricultural productivity in the last 50 years, lack of food security persists in many regions of the world. Addressing this issue is especially pertinent in Africa where 39 of the nearly five dozen nations most at risk of food insecurity are located. We draw from interdisciplinary research to develop an empirical model that outlines the four interconnected aspects of food security—availability, access, utilization and stability. Given the complexity of this issue, we develop a model that considers agricultural, socio-political, and economic factors as drivers of food security and its manifestations, related in a complex system of relations that includes both direct and indirect paths. We use structural equation modeling with latent variables to specify a model that seeks to determine the primary drivers of food security over 55 years in Africa, West Africa as a region, and for a group of 5 West African countries: Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mali, Niger, and Nigeria. Empirical results reveal the critical importance of availability and accessibility for mitigating food insecurity.
H-Ras Isoform Mediates Protection Against Pressure Overload-Induced Cardiac Dysfunction in Part Through Activation of AKT.

Background—In general, Ras proteins are thought to promote cardiac hypertrophy, an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease and heart failure. However, the contribution of different Ras iso...
Age-based normative data for a computerized dynamic posturography system that uses a virtual visual surround environment.

Background: Computerized dynamic posturography (CDP) is the gold standard to differentiate between sensory, motor, and central adaptive impairments to postural control.Objective: To obtain normativ...
Neuronal Encoding in Prefrontal Cortex during Hierarchical Reinforcement Learning

Reinforcement learning models have proven highly effective for understanding learning in both artificial and biological systems. However, these models have difficulty in scaling up to the complexity of real-life environments. One solution is to incorporate the hierarchical structure of behavior. In hierarchical reinforcement learning, primitive actions are chunked together into more temporally abstract actions, called "options," that are reinforced by attaining a subgoal. These subgoals are capable of generating pseudoreward prediction errors, which are distinct from reward prediction errors that are associated with the final goal of the behavior. Studies in humans have shown that pseudoreward prediction errors positively correlate with activation of ACC. To determine how pseudoreward prediction errors are encoded at the single neuron level, we trained two animals to perform a primate version of the task used to generate these errors in humans. We recorded the electrical activity of neurons in ACC during performance of this task, as well as neurons in lateral prefrontal cortex and OFC. We found that the firing rate of a small population of neurons encoded pseudoreward prediction errors, and these neurons were restricted to ACC. Our results provide support for the idea that ACC may play an important role in encoding subgoals and pseudoreward prediction errors to support hierarchical reinforcement learning. One caveat is that neurons encoding pseudoreward prediction errors were relatively few in number, especially in comparison to neurons that encoded information about the main goal of the task.
Chapter 1 – Mathematical Preliminaries

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews a few aspects of commonly used mathematical conventions and facts, but it does not provide a comprehensive study of areas of mathematical physics. In the chapter, the concept of a complete set of functions is developed within the specific context of the Fourier series and transforms. The representations of the Dirac delta can then be written in terms of a basic set of complete functions for the general class of functions under consideration. The chapter defines functionals and discusses a method to formulate functional differentiation. These methods are then used to give a brief review of the action-functional approach to classical mechanics. The chapter then outlines and extends the most important properties of matrices to functions of multiple variables. It also discusses Gaussian integrals and Jacobians, which are of paramount importance to the standard evaluation of the path integral.
ENKEPHALINASE: PRELIMINARY CHARACTERIZATION AND COMPARISON WITH ANGIOTENSIN CONVERTING ENZYME

Of two brain enzymes which cleave enkephalin, an endopeptidase (enkephalinase) is apparently specific for the endogenous enkephalinergic system. This enzyme is different from angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE). The insensitivity of enkephalinase to chloride and lack of activity in certain buffers was in contrast to ACE. A powerful nonapeptide inhibitor of ACE was relatively impotent as an enkephalinase inhibitor.
Abstract 4249: Disparities in cancer screening between Latino and non-Latino firefighters: Evidence from the Sylvester Firefighter Cancer Initiative

Firefighters face an increased risk for work-related exposures to hazardous environmental carcinogens during fire incidence response. A growing body of epidemiologic studies suggest that firefighter site-specific cancer incidence and mortality rates are higher when compared to the general US population. As the fastest-growing ethnic subgroup in the US, Latinos have been increasingly represented in the first responder workforce. Latinos relative to non-Latinos vary in cancer-related risk factors including rates of smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity patterns, and rates of cancer morbidity and mortality. Despite these differences in risk factors, there is limited literature on the cancer screening behavior of Latino firefighters who may be at an increased risk for cancer. In the present study, we characterize sociodemographic and work characteristics in addition to cancer screening behaviors between Latino and non-Latino active firefighters. The Annual Cancer Survey (ACS) research project of the Firefighter Cancer Initiative launched with a 127-item comprehensive cancer questionnaire administered online to a non-probabilistic sample of firefighters employed in South Florida. We present ACS data collected during the first 12-months of this cross-sectional, convenience sample. Firefighters were invited and consented by the study team to complete the ACS using a secure iPad device during their regular work shift. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression models were fitted to predict history of cancer screening behaviors. Among the 3,152 study participants, the mean age was 40.4 years (± 9.1 years standard deviation), 34.3% were Latino, 10% female, and had been employed on average 14.0 years (± 8.6) as a firefighter. The number of Latino firefighters who had not seen a doctor in the past 12 months (5.1%) or visited a primary care physician for routine care (25.5%) was significantly more relative to non-Latino Firefighters (4.2% and 19.3%, respectively; both p Citation Format: Alberto J. Caban-Martinez, Natasha Schaefer Solle, Tulay Koru-Sengul, Katerina M. Santiago, Kevin J. Moore, Feng Miao, David J. Lee, Erin N. Kobetz. Disparities in cancer screening between Latino and non-Latino firefighters: Evidence from the Sylvester Firefighter Cancer Initiative [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4249.
Comparing the effects of different cell death programs in tumor progression and immunotherapy

Our conception of programmed cell death has expanded beyond apoptosis to encompass additional forms of cell suicide, including necroptosis and pyroptosis; these cell death modalities are notable for their diverse and emerging roles in engaging the immune system. Concurrently, treatments that activate the immune system to combat cancer have achieved remarkable success in the clinic. These two scientific narratives converge to provide new perspectives on the role of programmed cell death in cancer therapy. This review focuses on our current understanding of the relationship between apoptosis and antitumor immune responses and the emerging evidence that induction of alternate death pathways such as necroptosis could improve therapeutic outcomes.
The use of procalcitonin in the determination of severity of sepsis, patient outcomes and infection characteristics.

Objective The primary objective of this study was to determine the correlation between procalcitonin values and illness severity by evaluating the degree of end organ dysfunction using the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score, length of stay and the severity of sepsis (sepsis alone vs. septic shock), The hypothesis that procalcitonin values would be higher in sicker patients was formulated before data collection began. Secondary outcomes studied in relation to procalcitonin levels included infection characteristics such as the site of infection, microbial agent and dialysis dependent CKD. Design Unblinded retrospective cohort study. September 2014-December 2016. Setting 364 patients with a diagnosis of sepsis or severe sepsis who were admitted to the general medical ward and ICU at Methodist Medical Center and Proctor Hospital in Peoria, Illinois, USA. Results This study demonstrates the following: Weak positive correlation between procalcitonin and SOFA score. Negligible correlation with length of stay. Higher values in patients who died than in patients who survived to discharge (p = 0.058). Sensitivity and specificity of procalcitonin for septic shock was 63 and 65% respectively. Sites typically infected by gram negative bacteria have higher procalcitonin values than sites infected by gram positive bacteria (p = 0.03). Higher procalcitonin in bacteremia than non-bacteremic infections (p = 0.004). Higher procalcitonin in dialysis-dependent CKD patients (p = 0.020). Conclusions Procalcitonin has a higher specificity for bacterial infections than other acute phase reactants. Although initial procalcitonin value may be helpful in the determination of illness severity, it is not always a reliable prognostic indicator and carries little significance as a standalone value. Procalcitonin values may be influenced by preexisting comorbid conditions such as chronic kidney disease, which are associated with higher procalcitonin values at baseline. Procalcitonin can provide invaluable information when viewed as one piece of a clinical puzzle, and is most powerful when the interpreting physician is aware of how values are influenced by the different clinical scenarios presented in this article.
Validation and Psychometric Properties of One School, Many Differences

AbstractCounselor educators must prepare school counselor trainees to celebrate diversity. Via confirmatory factor analysis and item response theory, this research indicates school counselor multic...
Implementation of a Spacer Grid Rod Thermal-Hydraulic Reconstruction (ROTHCON) Capability into the Thermal-Hydraulic Subchannel Code CTF

AbstractThe Consortium for Advanced Simulation of Light Water Reactors is developing a core simulator capability known as the Virtual Environment for Reactor Applications (VERA) to address nuclear ...
Sources of germplasm for research on mineral nutrition

Phenotypic and genotypic variations have become useful tools in research on mineral nutrition of plants. Landraces, particularly from areas which practice low-input farming, are valuable experimental materials. Likewise, weedy exotic relatives of economic crops are useful, having evolved in low-nutrient environments. Collection, curation and documentation of germplasm have been made by many countries of the world. Publications of the International Board for Plant Genetic Resources, FAO, Rome, Italy are excellent sources of information on germplasm collections. A list of these collections is included here for the convenience of mineral nutrition research scientists.
From discourse to policy: US policy communities’ perceptions of and approaches to climate change and security

ABSTRACTIncreasingly, a diverse set of policy communities, including those with defence, development and environmental mandates, frame climate change as a security threat. Most often this discursiv...
Genetic variation in alcohol dehydrogenase is associated with neurocognition in men with HIV and history of alcohol use disorder: preliminary findings.

The co-occurrence of HIV and alcohol use disorder (AUD) amplifies risk for neural injury and neurocognitive deficits. However, the substantial neurocognitive heterogeneity across HIV+/AUD+ individuals suggests inter-individual differences in vulnerability to the neurotoxicity of comorbid HIV/AUD. Genetic variation in alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), which metabolizes ethanol, may contribute to inter-individual neurocognitive variability. We evaluated associations between five ADH single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and neurocognition in men stratified by HIV and lifetime AUD status. Neurobehavioral assessments were administered to 153 men. Three-way ANOVAs examined the interaction of HIV, AUD, and ADH SNPs on global and domain-specific demographically corrected T scores. Follow-up ANCOVAs adjusted for age, estimated verbal IQ, depression, and remote non-alcohol substance use disorders. HIV/AUD groups differed globally and for verbal fluency, working memory, executive function, and processing speed T scores specifically, with HIV+/AUD+ exhibiting the poorest performance. ADH4 (rs1126671) was associated with large effects on working memory (d = - 1.16, p = .001) and executive function (d = - 0.77, p = .028) selectively in HIV+/AUD+, which remained significant in ANCOVA models. ADH1A (rs3819197) moderated the deleterious effects of HIV+/AUD+ on processing speed such that HIV+/AUD+ related to slower information processing in A allele carriers but not GG homozygotes (ps < 0.03). Preliminary findings suggest genetic variation in the ADH pathway moderates the deleterious neurocognitive effects of comorbid HIV/AUD. Differential metabolism of heavy ethanol exposure may compromise neurocognition under conditions of neurobiological stress, such as in HIV infection. The functional effects on ethanol metabolism of ADH SNPs examined in this study remain poorly understood, warranting further examination of pharmacokinetic mechanisms mediating ADH gene-neurobehavior relationships in HIV.
Motor Evoked Potentials Double Train Stimulation: Optimal Number of Pulses per Train.

PURPOSE In neurophysiologic intraoperative monitoring, double train transcranial electrical stimulation (dt-TES) for motor evoked potentials (MEP) consists of an initial, facilitating train of stimuli followed by a second, testing, train. The optimal number of pulses per train has not been determined. The authors wanted to determine the optimal combination of pulses per train that produced the highest MEP amplitude. METHODS Dt-TES of 4 + 4, 2 + 7, and 7 + 2 pulses were attempted in 20 patients and compared with single train TES of nine pulses. Latencies of the MEP responses were also compared. Additionally, statistical comparisons were made of the differences between the amplitude and latency measurements within the patients. RESULTS The mean age of the patients was 44.3 years (range, 9-84 years). Dt-TES of 2 + 7 pulses resulted in significantly higher mean amplitudes than dt-TES of 4 + 4 and 7 + 2 pulses and single train TES of nine pulses (p < 0.001). The MEP latency with dt-TES of 2 + 7 pulses was longer than the latencies of single train TES of nine pulses and dt-TES of 4 + 4 and 7 + 2 pulses. CONCLUSIONS Asymmetric dt-TES with 2 + 7 pulses improved MEP amplitudes. This type of stimulation may be preferable to single train TES and dt-TES with symmetric pulse trains.
A 3π Search for Planet Nine at 3.4 μm with WISE and NEOWISE

The recent "Planet Nine" hypothesis has led to many observational and archival searches for this giant planet proposed to orbit the Sun at hundreds of astronomical units. While trans-Neptunian object searches are typically conducted in the optical, models suggest Planet Nine could be self-luminous and potentially bright enough at ~3–5 μm to be detected by the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE). We have previously demonstrated a Planet Nine search methodology based on time-resolved WISE coadds, allowing us to detect moving objects much fainter than would be possible using single-frame extractions. In the present work, we extend our 3.4 μm (W1) search to cover more than three-quarters of the sky and incorporate four years of WISE observations spanning a seven-year time period. This represents the deepest and widest-area WISE search for Planet Nine to date. We characterize the spatial variation of our survey's sensitivity and rule out the presence of Planet Nine in the parameter space searched at W1 < 16.7 in high Galactic latitude regions (90% completeness).
Acute Ingestion of Montmorency Tart Cherry Reduces Serum Uric Acid but Has no Impact on High Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein or Oxidative Capacity

Tart cherries are particularly high in anthocyanins and are believed to have many health benefits, including reducing inflammation and oxidative stress. However, comparison between dosages and formulations are lacking. Forty-eight participants were randomly allocated to one of six experimental treatment groups where they ingested tart cherry or placebo in either juice (240 ml per bottle) or powdered capsule form (480 mg per capsule) once or twice daily for 48 h and markers of inflammation (uric acid (UA), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP)) and oxidative capacity (plasma oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC)) were measured. There was a group x time interaction for UA (p = 0.02), which declined up to 24 h post ingestion for a single capsule dose, up to 8 h for a two capsule dose, and up to 2 h for a single juice dose. There was an increase in UA from 8 h until 48 h post ingestion in a single juice dose. Overall, there was an average 8% decrease in UA. There was no significant change over time in hsCRP (p = 0.64) or ORAC (p = 0.42) or between groups in hsCRP (p = 0.47) or ORAC (p = 0.21). Our data indicates tart cherry ingestion can transiently decrease UA and not maintained with continued supplementation. Additionally, there were differences in formulations and doses indicating a single powdered capsule is most effective for lowering UA suggesting capsules may be used by those who do not enjoy the taste of tart cherry juice. This study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov , NCT04497077, 7/29/2020, retrospectively registered.
Sequentially prepared Mo-V-Based SCR catalyst for simultaneous Hg0 oxidation and NO reduction

Abstract Molybdenum (Mo)-vanadium (V)-based selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalyst synthesized by the sequential impregnation of Mo and W followed by V was investigated for simultaneous elemental mercury (Hg0) oxidation and nitrogen oxide (NO) reduction in an existing SCR unit with respect to different TiO2 phases, calcination temperatures, flue gas constituents, gas velocities, and reaction temperatures. Anatase phase TiO2 and the calcination temperatures of 400 and 500 °C resulted in ∼69% Hg0 oxidation at 10 ppmv HCl and 350 °C. The high calcination temperature of 700 °C resulted in TiO2 phase transformation from anatase to rutile and agglomeration. The modified SCR catalyst prepared with the impregnation sequence of Mo and W followed by V using anatase TiO2 and calcination temperature 500 °C showed ∼99% Hg0 oxidation and 87% NO reduction conversions at an NH3/NO molar ratio of 0.9 under 350 °C and 5,000 hr−1 space velocity in typical sub-bituminous and lignite coal simulated flue gases. The effects of these parameters and conditions were further investigated using various characterization techniques including BET, TEM, XRD, NH3 TPD and XAFS.
Use of Declined Donor Hearts: Is Quality Important?

Purpose Donor selection in heart transplant is not standardized. Many donor hearts (DH) are declined due to quality issues such as older age, low left ventricular ejection fraction, left ventricular hypertrophy, diastolic dysfunction, underlying coronary artery disease. Yet, DH declined at one center are subsequently accepted at another center. It is not well known whether DHs declined due to quality and accepted by another program have acceptable post-transplant outcomes. Methods Between 2017 and 2019, we assessed 532 DHs that were allocated to a single center at Cedars-Sinai (CS). We declined 218 offers due to poor quality. We had follow-up with organ procurement organizations and found that 45 of these DHs that we turned down for poor quality were accepted by another program and transplanted. 1-year post-transplant survival of these patients were compared to those patients whose donor was accepted and transplanted at CS (n=314). Results The 45 declined DHs had the following issues: abnormal cardiac studies (n=12), donor cardiac history (n=6), other medical history including cirrhosis or infectious processes (n=6), possible cardiac cause of death (n=3), older age (n=14), estimated prolonged ischemic time (n=1), and other reasons (n=3). Compared to those patients transplanted at CS, there was no difference in 1-year patient or graft survival. The declined donor patients compared to CS patients had similar age and gender but had a longer cold ischemic time and less patients listed as high urgency status (status 1-3) at transplant. (see table). Conclusion DHs declined for quality may be accepted at another program with good post-transplant survival. Contrary to belief, these DHs were mostly not transplanted into high urgency waitlist patients. Donor declines due to quality should be reviewed as they could lead to more lives saved.
Money, Markets, and Monarchies: The Gulf Cooperation Council and the Political Economy of the Contemporary Middle East: By Adam Hanieh Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2018, 314 pp., £74.99 (hardback), £23.99 (paperback), $26.00 (ebook), ISBN 9781108453158

The late twentieth century featured accelerating global transformations of political economic structures. Such transformations included increasingly financialized, internationalised, and interconne...
Meaning transfer in celebrity endorsement and co-branding: meaning valence, association type, and brand awareness

Building upon the theory of meaning transfer, this study examines how non-evaluative associations, negative (e.g. crazy) and positive (e.g. brave), are transferred from celebrities to brands to inf...
Living Lean: Chloe Manages the Family

This case is part of the "Living Lean" series, which presents accessible, everyday scenarios for a Lean process-improvement journey. In this episode on managing change, a businesswoman and a stay-at-home mom confer on strategies for instituting and evaluating improvements. Excerpt UVA-OM-1465 Rev. Nov. 26, 2013 LIVING LEAN: CHLOE MANAGES THE FAMILY “BUSINESS” Jennifer and Chloe, old friends from college, sat in the Walden-Aster, a five-star dining room. While the two women talked, Guinevere, Chloe's toddler, sat beside them in a high chair and pulled apart a succulent beignet. The women enjoyed she-crab soup as they chatted. Jennifer: So how are things at home? Chloe: Well, it's been a mixed bag. It's a lot of work keeping up with three children while Dylan tries to organize his schedule. We implemented this online scheduling system that we can both look at and post things to. A lot of his work is electronic, so it made sense to try it out. It's hard enough juggling kids of different ages—managing your own life and marriage as well makes it even harder. . . .
A network-based dispatch model for evaluating the spatial and temporal effects of plug-in electric vehicle charging on GHG emissions

Abstract The well-to-wheel emissions associated with plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) depend on the source of electricity and the current non-vehicle demand on the grid, thus must be evaluated via an integrated systems approach. We present a network-based dispatch model for the California electricity grid consisting of interconnected sub-regions to evaluate the impact of growing PEV demand on the existing power grid infrastructure system and energy resources. This model, built on a linear optimization framework, simultaneously considers spatiality and temporal dynamics of energy demand and supply. It was successfully benchmarked against historical data, and used to determine the regional impacts of several PEV charging profiles on the current electricity network. Average electricity carbon intensities for PEV charging range from 244 to 391 gCO2e/kW h and marginal values range from 418 to 499 gCO2e/kW h.
Two Bodies Are Better than One

Recent spacecraft flybys have shown that at least one asteroid has a smaller companion. Ground-based telescopes, the Hubble Space Telescope, radar measurements, and brightness variations are also providing increasing evidence for binaries in our solar system. In his Perspective, Burns explains how these binaries may have formed and discusses the insights into collisions in our solar system gained from their study.
Glucocorticoid Response Element (GRE) Characterization in the Ovineβ1-Adrenergic Receptor (β1AR) Gene Promoter • 291

Glucocorticoid Response Element (GRE) Characterization in the Ovineβ1-Adrenergic Receptor (β1AR) Gene Promoter • 291
Evaluation of Sexual Predators

The chapter begins with an historical review of the development of sexually violent predator (SVP) statutes and the judicial response culminating with the U. S. Supreme Court decision in Kansas v. Hendricks. Specifics of this ruling, established “mental abnormality or personality disorder,” rather than the more familiar mental illness or mental disease, as a constitutionally acceptable basis for civil commitment. However, the Court further indicated that the particular abnormality must impair the individual's behavioral control, making psychodiagnostics in this context challenging. Principles of risk assessment are discussed as they are applied to sexual offenders. Special problems in this arena of risk assessment include the inherent difficulty of establishing a reasonable base rate, the lack of consistent definition of such basic terms as “sexual offense,” and the innate heterogeneity of this population. A number of psychometric and actuarial instruments recently developed to assist in conducting SVP risk assessments are compared. Risk management strategies are then explored, and the efficacy of a variety of approaches is discussed. Although many studies evaluating the effectiveness of sex offender treatment have been published, deficits in research methodology have left us without a definitive answer as to what will reduce recidivism in this population. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the professional and ethical issues confronting the forensic psychologist presenting testimony to the court regarding sexual predators. Keywords: forensic assessment instruments; Kansas v. Hendricks; risk assessment; sex offender recidivism; sex offender treatment; sexual predator
Higher fat mass percent is associated with decreased HIV disease progression in HIV+ adults (628.2)

Background: This longitudinal study examines the relationship between FM%, an indicator for higher caloric intake and markers of disease progression (CD4 cell counts and viral loads). Methods: A secondary analysis was done on data gathered from an observational study on HIV infected patients. FM% was obtained from bio impedance analysis and CD4 cell counts and viral loads were obtained from medical charts. A total of 267 participants were included. Multiple Linear Regressions were used for cross-sectional analysis and Mixed Models were used for overtime analysis. Statistical significance was set at p<0.05. Results: Mean age was 49.41±5.61 years, 62.1% were males and 71% were African Americans. The mean baseline CD4 counts were 516.71± 342.39 cells/mm3 and viral loads were 2.5±1.1 log10 copies/μL. FM% was associated with higher CD4 cell counts (β=-5.39, p=0.019) at baseline and this association strengthened by controlling for age, gender, ART and BMI (β=-5.72, p=0.013). FM% was also associated with higher ...
Implementation of a coherent reverse channel 900 MHz CDMA receiver with reference symbols

There are many radio access standards contending for attention in the world-wide cellular marketplace. Practical estimator methods and sequences are introduced for the reference symbol based DS-CDMA radio (denoted "RC"). It is a physical layer scheme involving insertion of a known training sequence into the coded, interleaved bit stream for an IS-95-like CDMA reverse channel. This paper presents the principle estimators needed for implementation of an RC receiver, and frame error rate (FER) results for a flat fading channel. The frame error rate or Eb/No required for a 1% FER is given for both idealized and realistic conditions concerning time varying carrier frequency offset and delay slew of the received timing. A comparison to IS-95 shows a 2 dB improvement.
Synchronizing theta oscillations with direct-current stimulation strengthens adaptive control in the human brain

Executive control and flexible adjustment of behavior following errors are essential to adaptive functioning. Loss of adaptive control may be a biomarker of a wide range of neuropsychiatric disorders, particularly in the schizophrenia spectrum. Here, we provide support for the view that oscillatory activity in the frontal cortex underlies adaptive adjustments in cognitive processing following errors. Compared with healthy subjects, patients with schizophrenia exhibited low frequency oscillations with abnormal temporal structure and an absence of synchrony over medial-frontal and lateral-prefrontal cortex following errors. To demonstrate that these abnormal oscillations were the origin of the impaired adaptive control in patients with schizophrenia, we applied noninvasive dc electrical stimulation over the medial-frontal cortex. This noninvasive stimulation descrambled the phase of the low-frequency neural oscillations that synchronize activity across cortical regions. Following stimulation, the behavioral index of adaptive control was improved such that patients were indistinguishable from healthy control subjects. These results provide unique causal evidence for theories of executive control and cortical dysconnectivity in schizophrenia.
Cigarette smoking and risk of pancreatic cancer: a clinic-based case-control study in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Abstract Purpose Cigarette smoking is an established risk factor for pancreatic cancer (PC). We examined the association between cigarette smoking and PC in a San Francisco Bay Area clinic-based, case-control study. Methods A total of 536 cases and sex and age frequency-matched controls (n = 869) were recruited predominately from the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) medical clinics between 2006 and 2011. Participants were interviewed in-person using structured questionnaires. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) were computed. Results Forty-eight percent of cases and controls reported never having smoked cigarettes; 39% of cases and 40% of controls were former smokers; 13% of cases and 12% of controls were current smokers. No association was found for either former (OR = 0.85, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.66–1.1) or current cigarette smoking (men: OR = 1.0, 95% CI = 0.60–1.7; women: OR = 1.2, 95% CI = 0.73–2.1). No dose-response relationships were detected with number of cigarettes/day, smoking intensity, duration, or years since last smoked. Comparisons with a 1995–1999 population-based UCSF study demonstrated a significantly increased proportion of never smokers in this study (P Conclusions This study revealed no significant associations between cigarette smoking and PC in the San Francisco Bay Area during 2006–2011. Data suggest a reduction in the duration of smoking within the referral population.
Organizational Control Tops Priority List

In a survey at an NASSP convention respondents indicated that secondary school administrators are more interested in achieving organizational goals than they are in welfare issues. The authors review the findings in this article.
DNA capillary electrophoresis in entangled dynamic polymers of surfactant molecules.

Aqueous solutions of monomeric nonionic surfactants, n-alkyl polyoxyethylene ethers (C16E6, C16E8, C14E6), can be used as sieving matrixes for the separation of DNA fragments by capillary electrophoresis. Unlike ordinary polymer solutions, these surfactant solutions behave as dynamic polymers. By combining the “reversible gel” theory of DNA electrophoresis and the static and dynamic properties of wormlike surfactant micelles, a model is developed for describing the migration behavior of DNA molecules in these solutions. According to the model, the separation limit can be extended at low surfactant concentrations. Surfactant solutions as a separation medium provide many advantages over ordinary polymers, such as ease of preparation, solution homogeneity, stable structure, low viscosity, and self-coating property for reducing electroosmotic flow. More importantly, the properties of wormlike micelles (micelle size, entanglement concentration) can be adjusted by simply changing the monomer concentration, dena...
A NEW DISLOCATION-LIKE MODEL FOR IMPERFECT INTERFACES AND THEIR EFFECT ON LOAD TRANSFER

A dislocation-like model is proposed to describe the boundary conditions of an imperfect interface. In this new model, a thin layer of interphase material is introduced near the interface. In the limit of vanishing layer thickness, the interfacial tractions become continuous, but the displacements on either side of the interphase layer become discontinuous. The jump in the displacement at the interface is described by Somigliana dislocations. The variable discontinuity of displacement across the interface is assumed to be linearly proportional to the displacement at the interface of the constituent where the elastic singularity is. The result of applying this model is equivalent to introducing two effective interfacial moduli of rigidity. Using this model, the effect of imperfect interfaces on load transfer is studied. The Green's function is obtained for two semi-infinite solids with a planar interface. The elastic fields due to defects such as inclusions and dislocations are also given.
Book review: Machine Vision: Algorithms,Architectures, and Systems. Edited by Herbert Freeman (Academic Press)

Machine vision has been a productive area of research in artificial intelligence and has had some success in industrial applications, but the machine vision community is dissatisfied with the rate of progress with which computerized vision systems have been utilized in industry as well as in society at large. In order to better define the issues and explore future directions, the Center for Computer Aids for Industrial Productivity (CAIP) at Rutgers University organized a workshop in April, 1987 for machine visionists in both academia and industry. From this workshop, Herbert Freeman, the director of CAIP, has compiled a selection of papers and notes from panels and forums into a coherent presentation of the workshop. This collection gives the reader both the academic and the industrial perspective on the state-of-the-art and the immediate future of machine vision.
The Urey prize lecture: Volatile processes in the outer Solar System

Abstract The outer Solar System is dominated by the giant planets, but contains also a handful of lunar-sized bodies with surfaces and atmospheres composed of material more volatile than water ice. The best studied of these bodies, Titan, has a surface hidden from view but which may be dominated by a massive ocean of liquid hydrocarbons and nitrogen. The progressive destruction of methane over time by photolysis drives a series of chemical changes in the ocean and atmosphere; some of the evidence for such changes may be detectable in data from Cassini. Much less is known of volatile processes on Triton and Pluto/Charon, but enough can be inferred that a cosmochemistry of the outer Solar System can begin to be assembled. Titan's density and composition are strong indicators of formation in a high pressure disk around Saturn. Pluto/Charon's bulk density and new inferences on the atmospheric composition support an origin in the solar nebula. Triton may be an intriguing hybrid case whose study will really begin in August 1989. Critical to an understanding of outer Solar System chemistry and its relationship to the primordial solar nebula are the composition of comets and molecular abundances on grains in giant molecular clouds. The spacecraft and novel ground-based observations of Halley and other recent comets have provided critical new data, but the level of detail required by most solar nebula models (akin to that derived from meteorites) must await CRAF and sample return missions at the turn of the new millenium.
Chronocoulometric studies of irreversibly reduced adsorbales

Abstract Double potential step chronocoulometry allows the determination of adsorbates through an in-situ estimate of the double layer charge from the reverse pulse response in cases where the electrode process is irreversible and the product of reduction adsorbs. The double layer estimates obtained from the reverse pulse agree well with values obtained from single pulse chronocoulometry and related drop extrusion experiments confirm the feasibility of the correction. The simplicity of the technique allows qualitative research on the nature of adsorption. For quantitative purposes, the technique is free of interference from IR drop, and therefore it can be used to determine concentrations of adsorbates in highly resistive media. Finally, chronocoulometric measurements can be used to estimate values of kinetic parameters for reduction of adsorbates. The model reaction is the reduction of midazolam, a 1,4-benzodiazepine. Midazolam displays polenlial-dependent adsorption, The product of reduction remains adsorbed at potentials where it is formed, and The reactant and product both desorb at positive potentials.
The supergroup manifold formulation of the Wess-Zumino multiplet revisited: The supercurrent and the supergravity auxiliary fields

Abstract In this paper we provide a consistent first-order group-manifold formulation of the Wess-Zumino system. It is shownhow the well-known auxiliary fields of the ( 1 2 , 0, 0) system arise by supplementing Bianchi identities with the “second-order constraints”; that is, those equations allowing the transition from the first order to the second order of the theory. When the ( 1 2 , 0, 0) multiplet is coupled to N = 1 supergravity and the torsion “second-order constraint” is implemented, we get a non-minimal set of auxiliary fields (scalar, pseudoscalar axial vector and a spinor). We argue this to be the fundamental set of auxiliary fields. The so-called “minimal set” is not coordinate invariant and can be recovered only by adding a non-geometrical constraint.
Japan's Post-Graduate Labor Market, 1960-1990, A Historical Analysis

The three decades from 1960 to 1990 saw significant changes occur in the Japanese labor market, particularly the segment comprised of new school graduates. Several writers have examined the effects on this market that were brought about by shortages of new graduate labor.1 This deficit began to manifest itself after the mid-1960s, continued in severity right through the 1970s despite the two oil crises, and lasted until about 1990, by which time the financial bubble of the late 1980s had burst. However, their work seems to have focused upon all new school graduates (i.e., junior and senior high school, junior and technical college, and university graduates). Indeed, this article shows that, when a close examination is made of the cohort specifically comprised of university graduates, it is doubtful that there was a genuine shortage of new workers until quite recently. In fact, it was the general demand for better-educated labor market entrants in the 1960s that spawned the dramatic increases in the number...
Development of an animal model for assessment of the hemostatic efficacy of fibrin sealant in vascular surgery.

Purpose. Sustained hemostatic function of fibrin sealant (FS) is crucial when it is used in cardiovascular surgery. The purpose of this study was to develop a model that can determine the long-term hemostatic efficacy of tissue sealants in a vascular surgery. Methods. To determine the ability of the model to detect differences in FS performance, various concentrations of FS were prepared and tested. Tensile strength of FS clots was determined in vitro using a tensiometer. Laparotomy was performed on 49 anesthetized rabbits, and a segment of the aorta was occluded, transected, and then sutured in an end-to-end fashion with four or eight interrupted 9-O sutures. The four-suture repair was covered with FS or placebo, and blood flow restored. Spilled blood was absorbed with gauze and weighed to estimate blood loss. Four weeks after surgery the animals were euthanized and the vessels recovered for histology. Results. Average tensile strength of FS clots at 120, 90, and 60 mg/ml topical fibrinogen complex (TFC) concentration was 0.42 ± 0.07 N, with no significant difference among them. The lowest TFC concentration, 30 mg/ml, produced weaker clots than either 120 or 90 mg/ml (P < 0.05). All rabbits with four-suture anastomoses that were treated with placebo bled to death after the vessel was unclamped (n = 6). Treatment of suture line with standard FS concentration (120 mg/ml TFC, n = 8) sealed the anastomosis and prevented blood loss. Hemostasis was sustained for 4 weeks, allowing vascular healing. All rabbits with the eight-suture anastomosis survived the operation but lost 42 ± 9.2 ml blood (n = 5). Hemostatic efficacy of FS was unchanged when TFC was diluted to 90 mg/ml (n = 6) but further dilution to 60 mg/ml with water (n = 8) produced significantly less effective clots, with an average blood loss of 5.5 ± 7.6 ml (P < 0.05) and two fatal clot failures postoperatively. When FS was diluted to 60 mg/ml TFC with a buffer, it maintained its hemostatic strength (n = 6). Further TFC dilution to 30 mg/ml led to consistent bleeding with an average blood loss of 35.3 ± 10.3 ml (P < 0.001, n = 6). Conclusions. The four-suture anastomosis of rabbit aorta offers a consistent and reliable method for evaluating the short- and long-term hemostatic efficacy of FS products. This model is not only able to determine the functional differences in various concentrations of FS, but it is also sensitive to detect the subtle changes in FS preparation (e.g., medium composition) that is not detected by in vitro testing.
Outdoor algal mass cultures—II. Photosynthetic yield limitations☆

The photosynthetic conversion of sunlight energy into algal biomass in large-scale outdoor cultures is controlled by the availability of sunlight, the photosynthetic machinery of algae, nutrients, temperature and the design characteristics of the culture system. For the situation in which light is made the growth rate limiting factor, there is an upper limit in the light conversion efficiency of a large-scale culture, which translates to a maximum potential yield of 30—40g dry wt m2 day1 under ideal sunlight conditions. In practice, the best yield data for outdoor cultures in various locations in the world has been 30–40g dry wt m−2 day−1 for short periods and considerably less for longer durations. The development of large-scale mass cultures involves many considerations, but the two major design parameters for optimizing yields at a particular time of year are the flow rate through the culture and the depth.
Hospital Construction and Infection Control: Does Everyone Measure Up?

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Healthcare associated infections (HAI) related to construction projects are well documented. In June of 2004, a patient was diagnosed with a HAI aspergillus infection. This patient was housed on a nursing unit adjacent to a renovation project. While aspergillus levels are highest in late summer and early fall, the cause of this patient's infection could not be definitively determined. Infection Control Policies and Procedures are in place and were followed for this project. A review of current practices and evaluation of compliance with these policies was conducted to ensure that this facility does everything necessary to protect patients from exposure to airborne fungi and molds that may be generated or present during construction activities. METHODS: A Failure Mode Effects Analysis (FMEA) team was formed to evaluate current practice and compliance with policies. The team members represented Infection Control, Environmental Health and Safety, Design and Construction, Facilities Engineering, Nursing and Patient Safety and Quality. Hospital policies and procedures were compared to CDC environmental guidelines and process maps were created to identify the failure modes. The undesirable variations in the process were rated based on severity of risk. The team then identified corrective and preventive actions. Finally, the team took on the task of redesigning the underlying systems or the process itself to eliminate barriers to compliance. The process was revamped and the new processes were tested and evaluated. The new strategies were implemented and the results monitored. RESULTS: The Infection Control Risk Assessment (ICRA) was changed to make it easier to use. The process of contractor evaluation was changed. All departments involved in the construction and renovation process were included in the evaluation. Work permits were designed to ensure that smaller projects were included in the ICRA process. An educational program, including in-house contractors, was started. Since the implementation of the new form, and the educational sessions there has been a 283% increase in ICRA submissions. CONCLUSIONS: A multi-disciplinary team evaluating process and practice is beneficial in determining and eliminating barriers. In order for proper practice to be followed, all involved must be aware of process. The process cannot be too difficult, which creates barriers and sets process up to fail.