cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Purple Bacterial Genomics

Genomes of several purple bacteria have recently been sequenced and many of these genomes have been fully annotated and are now available on either NCBI or/and other publicly accessible databases. This chapter gives a comparative analysis of three representative genomes, Rhodobacter (Rba.) sphaeroides 2.4.1, Rhodospirillum (Rsp.) rubrum ATCC 11170, and Rhodopseudomonas (Rps.) palustris CGA009. The results reveal that these three genomes possess some remarkable similarities, although these species differ in their genome architectures and the numbers and sizes of plasmids. The genomes of these three species encode two or multiple homologs (orthologs or paralogs) of many protein-coding genes representing a wide variety of metabolic pathways, which substantiate the enormous amount of metabolic versatilities shown by organisms belonging to the α-Proteobacteria. Paralogs are genes related by duplication within a genome, and therefore evolve new functions, even if these are related to the original one. In addition to abundant gene paralogs revealed by their genomes, the above strains of these species displayed different numbers of sigma factors, transcriptional regulators (activators or repressors) and corresponding DNA binding motifs in their respective genomes. The diversity in these regulatory components indicates the use of different regulatory strategies for the genome-wide transcriptional regulation in these organisms. The different numbers of insertion sequences and transposases found among strains of these three species suggests that transposon-induced genomic variants may play a major role in strain differentiation within species.
Strong Limits of Similarities

We prove that a linear map φ from a linear subspace ℜ. of B(H) into B(H) is a strong operator topology limit of similarities if and only if the restriction to the set of finite-rank operators in ℜ. is a strong limit of similarities. Analogous results for skew-compressions (map-pings X → AXB) are obtained, and relations between limits of similarities and skew-compressions are determined.
Frequency Diverse Array Antenna for Tracking Low Earth Orbit Satellite

The frequency diverse array (FDA) antenna can generate very directional beams with high gain that can be steered directly and continuously to track the low earth orbit (LEO) satellite, and produce nulls in directions of interfering signals. This is required to minimize complexity and cost of ground station that rely on reflectors or phased array antennas, while keeping an acceptable link budget. Although the FDA antenna has been growing in use for radar communication systems with the advantage of it is electronically beam steering, it is still not widely used in conjunction with LEO systems and might be a more promising solution. The mathematical model of frequency diverse array antenna for tracking LEO satellite is discussed. Furthermore, the simulation of beamforming based on the presented frequency diverse array mathematical model is achieved to obtain steerable beams for tracking the LEO satellite.
Parallel signatures of selection at genomic islands of divergence and the major histocompatibility complex in ecotypes of sockeye salmon across Alaska.

Understanding the genetic mechanisms that facilitate adaptive radiation is an important component of evolutionary biology. Here, we genotyped 82 neutral SNPs, seven SNPs in islands of divergence identified in a previous study (island SNPs), and a region of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) in 32 populations of sockeye salmon to investigate whether conserved genes and genomic regions are involved in adaptive radiation. Populations representing three ecotypes were sampled from seven drainages with differing habitats and colonization histories spanning a range of 2,000 km. We found strong signatures of parallel selection across drainages at the island SNPs and MHC, suggesting that the same loci undergo divergent selection during adaptive radiation. However, patterns of differentiation at most island SNPs and the MHC were not associated with ecotypes, suggesting that these loci are responding differently to a mosaic of selective pressures. Our study provides some of the first evidence that conserved genomic islands may be involved in adaptive divergence of salmon populations. Additionally, our data provide further support for the hypothesis that sockeye salmon inhabiting rivers unconnected to lakes harbour similar genetic diversity across large distances, are likely the ancestral form of the species, and have repeatedly recolonized lake systems as they have become available after glacial recession. Finally, our results highlight the value and importance of validating outlier loci by screening additional populations and regions, a practice that will hopefully become more common in the future.
Radio ghosts: Phenomenology’s phantoms and digital autism:

Gunther Anders offers one of the first phenomenological analyses of broadcast radio (in 1930) and its transformation of the contemporary experience of music. Anders also develops a reflection on it...
Greedy Algorithm for Routing Power and Source Assignment on a Digital Microgrid

In this paper, we propose the Greedy SmAlleSt-cost Path first (GRASP) algorithm to route power from sources to loads in a digital microgrid (DMG). Routing of power from Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) to loads of a DMG comprises the matching loads to DERs and the selection of the smallest-cost path from a load to its supplying DERs. In such a microgrid, one DER may supply power to one or many loads, and one or many DERs may supply the power requested by a load. We compare GRASP with an optimal method based on integer linear programming. GRASP addresses the NP-completeness of the optimal solution while finding paths with comparable costs. GRASP uses heuristics to select match sources and loads and to select the lowest-cost paths in the DMG. We compare the cost achieved by both methods on different test networks to show the trade-offs between lowering complexity and achieving optimal-cost paths. Our results show that GRASP approaches the costs attained by the optimal solution by small margins.
Development of a QI Program Within a Community Pediatric Emergency Department

Abstract The growth of community hospital based pediatric emergency departments has created an opportunity to develop locally formulated quality improvement processes. Inherent challenges, resource and solutions are explored. Building a well-defined QI infrastructure, one that promotes multidisciplinary buy-in and ownership among invested participants, is central to success.
Multiply robust estimation in nonparametric regression with missing data

Nonparametric regression has received considerable attention in biomedical research because it allows for data-driven dependence of the response variable on covariates. In the presence of missing d...
How Much Drool Is Too Much

A 3-year-old boy presented to the emergency department with a chief complaint of "lethargy" and was found to have ptosis with eventual respiratory failure and need for emergent intubation. There is a broad differential for a patient with respiratory failure, and careful physical examination and history are imperative to reduce morbidity and prevent mortality. After further evaluation and workup, the diagnosis is ultimately revealed.
Birth of a Consumer Society in Eighteenth-Century England

By the 1700s, English producers improved manufacturing techniques. Josiah Wedgwood and others learned how to produce greater amounts of goods at diminishing cost. Producers helped inspire not only the desire for but also the ability to purchase luxury items, such as colorful pottery. The ability on the part of the growing middle class to buy consumption goods beyond basic necessities proved controversial. To create affordable products, Wedgwood and his peers needed a disciplined labor force; the transition from independent artisans to regimented labor proved bitter.
Solving inverse problems using conditional invertible neural networks

Abstract Inverse modeling for computing a high-dimensional spatially-varying property field from indirect sparse and noisy observations is a challenging problem. This is due to the complex physical system of interest often expressed in the form of multiscale PDEs, the high-dimensionality of the spatial property of interest, and the incomplete and noisy nature of observations. To address these challenges, we develop a model that maps the given observations to the unknown input field in the form of a surrogate model. This inverse surrogate model will then allow us to estimate the unknown input field for any given sparse and noisy output observations. Here, the inverse mapping is limited to a broad prior distribution of the input field with which the surrogate model is trained. In this work, we construct a two- and three-dimensional inverse surrogate models consisting of an invertible and a conditional neural network trained in an end-to-end fashion with limited training data. The invertible network is developed using a flow-based generative model. The developed inverse surrogate model is then applied for an inversion task of a multiphase flow problem where given the pressure and saturation observations the aim is to recover a high-dimensional non-Gaussian log-permeability field where the two facies consist of heterogeneous log-permeability and varying length-scales. For both the two- and three-dimensional surrogate models, the predicted sample realizations of the non-Gaussian log-permeability field are diverse with the predictive mean being close to the ground truth even when the model is trained with limited data.
BEING CERTAIN VERSUS BEING RIGHT: Citizen Certainty and Accuracy of House Candidates' Ideological Orientations

Research on voting behavior has been reinvigorated by focusing on citizens' certainty of candidates' issue positions and ideological orientations. According to this perspective, citizens are inclined to support candidates whom they are confident possess attributes they deem important. Analysis of citizens' perceptual certainty and perceptual accuracy of 1994, 1996, and 1998 House candidates' ideological orientations reveals that many candidate characteristics (incumbency, fiscal resources) that enhance certainty fail to improve perceptual accuracy. The electoral consequence of this fact is that candidates endowed with these resources benefit from the importance of certainty to citizens without paying the electoral costs of clarifying their issue positions and ideological orientations. Similarly, several characteristics of citizens that lead to certainty reduction—gender and caring about the outcome of the election, for example—fail to improve perceptual accuracy. The implications of the empirical findings for the role of citizens' assessments of certainty in the voting decision for producing an informed electorate are considered here.
Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation for the Aging Female

Discuss issues of musculoskeletal rehabilitation unique to the aging female population. Physiologic and anatomic changes contribute to functional decline, morbidity, and mortality in aging women. As the lifespan increases, the burden of pain-related disability impacts women more commonly than men. Maintaining physical activity plays an important role in reducing the burden of disability. Physical function limitations are potentially modifiable but prevention is preferable. Further research in prevention and management of rehabilitation issues (including sarcopenia, frailty, and bone and joint disease) in aging women is important.
T-duality can fail

We show that T-duality can be broken by non-perturbative effects in string coupling. The T-duality in question is that of the 2-torus when the heterotic string is compactified on K3 × T2. This case is compared carefully to a situation where T-duality appears to work. A holonomy argument is presented to show that T-dualities (and general U-dualities) should only be expected for large amounts of supersymmetry. This breaking of R↔1/R symmetry raises some interesting questions in string theory which we discuss. Finally we discuss how the classical modular group of a 2-torus appears to be broken too.
Portal Vein Thrombosis Following Splenectomy in Children: Is There a Higher Rate When Using Single-Incision Laparoscopy?

BackgroundPortal vein thrombosis can be a life-threatening complication associated with a splenectomy. Laparoscopic splenectomy has been suggested to cause an increased rate of portal vein thrombos...
Source or sink? Quantifying beaver pond influence on non-point source pollutant transport in the Intermountain West.

Abstract Non-point source (NPS) pollution remains high in many watersheds despite strategies aimed at reducing such pollution. Beaver (Castor canadensis) activity converts lotic systems to semi-lentic by impounding stream flow and trapping sediments, which have a high affinity for NPS pollutants such as nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and heavy metals. This study aimed to identify environmental conditions under which beaver ponds influence the fate and cycling of NPS pollutants. Dissolved and particulate nutrients were sampled upstream and downstream of three headwater beaver ponds differing in age and character through the summer season. Sedimentation rates and sediment concentrations of nutrients and metals were also determined. Results from this study suggest that beaver ponds can attenuate heavy metals at a rate 2 to 4 times greater than a riffle reach (p
Perceptually Discriminating the Highest Priority Alarms Reduces Response Time: A Retrospective Pre-Post Study at Four Hospitals:

ObjectiveReduce nurse response time for emergency and high-priority alarms by increasing discriminability between emergency and all other alarms and suppressing redundant and likely false high-prio...
The “Authentic” Me: New Understandings of Self and the World as a Result of Global Learning Experiences

In this qualitative study, 26 university students reflected on their experiences in domestic or international study away programs. Utilizing a sociocultural developmental framework, we examined perceived changes in identity in relation to salient aspects of the sociocultural context and social interactions during and after study away. Students reported developing an enhanced understanding of who they really are. Their experiences navigating new environments served as a catalyst for personal growth, and, for some, participating in study away ignited new professional pathways and plans. Encountering different perspectives on policies and issues facing the United States (US) afforded opportunities to co-construct new understandings of national identities. Reentry posed particular challenges in communicating with family and friends, and some found it hard to communicate unique personal experiences within an institutional context in which the majority of students study away. The process of reflecting on questions related to identity and reentry in the focus groups was reportedly a unique and valuable intervention. The findings support the need for enhanced opportunities for guided reflection experiences before, during, and after study away.
Convolutional Neural Networks Naively Trained on Radiation Oncology-Specific DATA Outperforms Classical Natural Language Processing Approaches for Automated Identification of Common Toxicity Terms.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S) Electronic medical records (EMR) hold potential for transformative improvements in the quality and efficiency of healthcare delivery. However, the unstructured nature of EMR data often necessitates manual review and is a significant barrier to leveraging it for downstream analysis. Methods to address this challenge include natural language processing (NLP) algorithms such as tokenization, shallow parsing, and boundary/negation detection. Recent radiation oncology (RO) specific attempts to use NLP to structure EMR data have involved identifying common toxicity terms in on-treatment visit (OTV) notes. Classical NLP works well for positive toxicity term identification (i.e., toxicity present) but is suboptimal for negated symptoms (i.e., toxicity absent). Convoluted neural networks (CNN) aid context detection, however, no publicly available RO-specific CNNs which identify toxicity terms exist. We hypothesized that RO-specific CNNs, naively trained on OTV notes, could improve tabulation of positive and negative toxicity information to an accuracy level suitable for automation. MATERIALS/METHODS OTV notes (n = 3789) for prostate cancer (PCa) patients treated at our institution between 2019-2021 were identified and analyzed for inclusion/exclusion/omission of CTCAE toxicity terms. The top 5 terms identified (fatigue, nausea, diarrhea, dysuria, hematuria) were used for further analysis. Each note was manually classified by explicit positive identification, negation, or omission of each toxicity term, and used to train an in-house, toxicity-term-specific CNNs. Algorithms were structured as 3-group multiclass classification problem to distinguish between positive or negative symptom identification and omission of the term. Gold standard accuracy measurements were determined using manual review scores of OTV notes for the presence, absence or omission of toxicity terms in each OTV note. Overall, out of sample accuracy and F1 score were determined using a test/train split of OTV notes. RESULTS The 3-class accuracy of CNNs for the top 5 CTCAE terms present/absent/negated in PCa OTV notes were: fatigue (accuracy = 0.93, F1 = 0.95), diarrhea (accuracy = 0.95, F1 = 0.94), nausea (accuracy = 0.98, F1 = 1.0), dysuria (accuracy = 0.97, F1 = 0.97), hematuria (accuracy = 0.99, F1 = 0.96). CONCLUSION Training naive CNNs with RO-specific training data from OTV notes increased the accuracy of CTCAE toxicity coding. This approach addresses challenges previously encountered using classical NLP from RO EMR data. Therefore, use of CNNs in NLP may reduce barriers to implementation of automated methods to improve data extraction for retrospective and prospective analyses.
Man and machine: Chess achievements and chess thinking

A skillful human chessplayer usually achieves the title of chessmaster by the time he is 20 years old, after five or six years of relatively serious devotion to the game. Chronologically at least, computer chess is about as old as the typical new chessmaster; computers first played complete games in 1957 and they have been participants in tournaments with human beings and fellow computers since 1966. Despite much discussion, research, revision, and competition in subsequent years—and despite contrary claims by some computer scientists—the chess programs of 1976 are not much stronger than those of 1966. A human chess enthusiast would have long since abandoned his quest for a master’s or expert’s rating if he had progressed at the snail’s pace displayed by his computer counterparts. Rather than being “barred from competition” in serious tourneys, today’s computer chessplayer would be welcomed as “just another duffer” by most of the competitors.
Immunologic specificity: solutions

This chapter describes the development of the concept of immunologic specificity, to trace the history of one of the most central ideas in immunology. The result is viewed as preliminary and incomplete, and as an invitation to others to add and to amend. By the 1930s, it was known that antibodies are protein in nature, that they belong to the class of proteins termed globulins, and that antibody activity can be found variously in both the euglobulin and pseudoglobulin classes, as defined by solubility in water and ammonium sulfate solutions. The definition of antibody specificity is provided by the studies of Linus Pauling and his scientific descendants. From the earliest days of immunology, it has been an integral part of the received wisdom that antibody is endowed with a fine specificity for its inducing antigen. This view is reinforced by repeated demonstrations of stereochemical molecular complementarity between antigen and antibody and, from outside of immunology, by increasing knowledge of the specificity of enzyme action.
Visualizing Human Migration Trhough Space and Time

Human migration has been an important activity in human societies since antiquity. Since 1890, approximately three percent of the world’s population has lived outside of their country of origin. As globalization intensifies in the modern era, human migration persists even as governments seek to more stringently regulate flows. Understanding this phenomenon, its causes, processes and impacts often starts from measuring and visualizing its spatiotemporal patterns. This study builds a generic online platform for users to interactively visualize human migration through space and time. This entails quickly ingesting human migration data in plain text or tabular format; matching the records with pre-established geographic features such as administrative polygons; symbolizing the migration flow by circular arcs of varying color and weight based on the flow attributes; connecting the centroids of the origin and destination polygons; and allowing the user to select either an origin or a destination feature to display all flows in or out of that feature through time. The method was first developed using ArcGIS Server for world-wide cross-country migration, and later applied to visualizing domestic migration patterns within China between provinces, and between states in the United States, all through multiple years. The technical challenges of this study include simplifying the shapes of features to enhance user interaction, rendering performance and application scalability; enabling the temporal renderers to provide time-based rendering of features and the flow among them; and developing a responsive web design (RWD) application to provide an optimal viewing experience. The platform is available online for the public to use, and the methodology is easily adoptable to visualizing any flow, not only human migration but also the flow of goods, capital, disease, ideology, etc., between multiple origins and destinations across space and time.
Shareholders' Wealth and Organizational Restructuring: Are Real Estate Master Limited Partnerships Different?

Corporate real estate assets have long been thought to be undervalued by firm managers. Finance research has provided evidence that if assets are separated from the firm for financing purposes, revaluation occurs and parent firms experience a positive share price response. This study compares the parent share price reaction when real estate master limited partnerships (MLPs) are created with the parent share price impact when non-real estate MLPs are formed. The study provides evidence that parent firms creating non-real estate MLPs experience a positive, sustained increase in wealth while firms forming real estate MLPs experience no significant wealth impact.
Horizontally Curved Bridges Subject to Moving Loads

The analysis of the dynamic response of single span, horizontally curved bridges subject to moving forcing systems comprised of sprung and unsprung mass components is described. The bridge is considered to be a continuous, elastic system of thin-walled open cross section. An exact solution to the governing partial differential equations is obtained in the form of an infinite series. The solution is programmed on a digital computer, and a comparison is made between the computed and measured response of a laboratory model. The effect of the mass and velocity of the load upon the dynamic displacements and upon bending and twisting moments is analyzed.
Structural Comparison of Firefly Luciferase with the Latent Luciferase CG6178

Firefly luciferase shares high sequence identity to insect fatty acyl-CoA synthetases (ACSLs). These homologous enzymes operate through a similar two-step mechanism. In the first step, the substrat...
On the feasibility of indoor IEEE 802.11ad WLANs

In this work, we argue against the common belief that millimeter-wave (mmwave) technology is not a viable option for building general purpose indoor WLANs due to the high directionality and susceptibility to blockage of 60GHz links. Our initial experiments, with commodity 802.11ad hardware, present a very encouraging picture, as far as range and blockage by commonly found materials in indoor WLAN environments is concerned. We observe that, while a typical indoor environment presents unique challenges in terms of presence of obstacles, it also provides communication opportunities with multiple available paths between the sender and receiver through the abundance of reflective surfaces. Our results clearly indicate that previously reported observations regarding 60GHz links inside datacenters or outdoor picocells do not apply to an indoor WLAN setup and thus motivate further work towards building multi-Gigabit indoor 802.11ad WLANs.
Irrelevance Reasoning in Knowledge Based Systems

Speeding up inferences made from large knowledge bases is a key to scaling up knowledge based systems. To do so, a system must have the ability to automatically identify and ignore information that is irrelevant to a specific task. This dissertation presents a general framework and specific methods for enabling a system to exploit knowledge about irrelevance. Such knowledge can either be derived automatically by the system, or given by a user. The framework, which identifies several classes of irrelevance, is based on a proof-theoretic analysis of irrelevance. As such, it enables the two key issues of relevance reasoning to be addressed, namely the utility of relevance reasoning and the development of methods for automatically identifying irrelevant parts of a knowledge base. The research develops a general tool, the query-tree, for reasoning about irrelevance. Based on the query-tree, we developed several algorithms for deciding what facts are irrelevant to a goal. These algorithms dramatically speed up inference, especially when the knowledge base includes a large data base of ground facts. The query-tree has been investigated primarily for Horn rule knowledge bases with interpretable constraints (e.g., order and sort constraints), and several more expressive extensions. For certain cases, the algorithms are shown to be complete, in that they detect all the irrelevant facts. An important aspect of the query-tree is that it can be built by examining only a small part of the knowledge base (e.g., only the rules), and therefore, can be built efficiently. The query-tree is also used to derive the consequences of irrelevance knowledge given by a user. We present an empirical analysis of the algorithms when doing backward chaining on Horn rules, showing that in practice, significant savings (often orders of magnitude) are obtained. The dissertation also explores the use of relevance reasoning in the domain of modeling physical devices. It considers the task of automatically creating a model for a given device and given query, by composing model-fragments from a library of models. We describe a novel model-composition algorithm based on irrelevance reasoning that composes a model with appropriate abstractions and perspectives for answering the query.
MMIC and fiber optic delay line hybrid transversal filter

Microwave transversal filters suffer from bandwidth limitations and the inability to provide long time delays due to losses and dispersion in the microstrip delay line. Purely optical transversal filter disadvantages include inaccurate weighting and the inability to provide negative weighting coefficients. Therefore, a novel hybrid transversal filter configuration that utilizes the optical fiber as a delay mechanism, with negligible loss and wide bandwidth, and an existing monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) transversal filter to provide the necessary accurate positive and negative weighting is presented. The noise performance, dispersion due to the delay line, and a comparison of frequency responses of the existing MMIC advanced transversal filter, the hybrid transversal filter and an ideal filter are reported. The optimum hybrid filter configuration is determined from an analysis of various configurations.
3D Surface Reconstruction Using Structured Circular Light Patterns

Reconstructing a 3D surface in ℝ3 from a 2D image in ℝ2 has been a widely studied issue as well as one of the most important problems in image processing. In this paper, we propose a novel approach to reconstructing 3D coordinates of a surface from a 2D image taken by a camera using projected circular light patterns. Known information (i.e. intrinsic and extrinsic parameters of the camera, the structure of the circular patterns, a fixed optical center of the camera and the location of the reference plane of the surface) provides a mathematical model for surface reconstruction. The reconstruction is based on a geometrical relationship between a given pattern projected onto a 3D surface and a pattern captured in a 2D image plane from a viewpoint. This paper chiefly deals with a mathematical proof of concept for the reconstruction problem.
Application and Modification of the Momose-Ohkura Fluorometric Determination of Blood Glucose

Results of the fluorometric determination of normal and abnormal blood glucose by the method of Momose and Ohkura (2) are lower in many instances than those obtained by reduction methods. The sensitivity of the method was greatly increased by readings at an activation of 470 mµ, a previously unreported maximum for the reaction product, in 20% sulfuric acid. A modified method is presented which uses a 1:1000 dilution of 2 µl. of blood. Protein-free supernate equivalent to 0.5 µl. of blood is reacted. Final volume of fluorophore is 10 ml.
Stakeholders' Beliefs About the TOEFL iBT® Test as a Measure of Academic Language Ability

The TOEFL iBT® test presents test takers with tasks meant to simulate the tasks required of students in English-medium universities. Research establishing the validity argument for the test provides evidence for score interpretation and the use of the test for university admissions and placement. Now that the test has been operational for several years, additional evidence is needed to support the validity argument, as well as to identify directions for future research or changes to the test. To address this need, this study examines the extent to which students, instructors, and university administrators understand and agree with the construct of academic language underlying TOEFL iBT tasks.
Structures in the Oxygen-Deficient Fluorite-Related RnO2n-2 Homologous Series: Pr10O18

The crystal structure of the lower-temperature polymorph of the n = 9 member of the homologous series Pr{sub n}O{sub 2n-2}, Pr{sub 9}O{sub 16} ({zeta})m was determined utilizing Rietveld analysis of neutron time-of-flight powder diffraction data.The refined structure (P{bar 1}, a = 6.7396(8) {angstrom}, b = 8.711(1) {angstrom}, c = 6.6726(8) {angstrom}, a = 97.424(1) {angstrom}, {beta} = 99.973(1){degrees}, {gamma} = 75.301(1){degrees}, V = 371.7(1) {angstrom}{sup 3}; Z = 1; R{sub p} = 3.29%, and wR{sub p} = 4.64%) is an agreement with the model proposed on the basis of high-resolution electron microscopy. This structure is a superstructure of fluorite (F). The structural element is a pair of vacant oxygen sites separated by 1/2[111]{sub F} across a metal atom. These units are further apart from each other than those in the more reduced member of the series, Pr{sub 7}O{sub 12}. The existence of a higher-temperature form of Pr{sub 9}O{sub 16} was not confirmed.
New Jersey and Delmarva Barrier Islands

Wave-dominated and tide-dominated barrier island systems of the middle Atlanic coast occur in distinct positions within coastal compartments. Along the New Jersey and Delmarva Peninsula, the wave-dominated barrier islands occur immediately south of the main interfluve headlands of the respective peninsulas. The tide-dominated barriers occur downdrift, and south of the wave-dominated barriers.
Karl P. Sauvant (ed): Investing in the United States: Is the US Ready for FDI from China?

External—or outbound—foreign direct investment is a touchstone of a nation’s economic development and ascendency. It signifies that the country’s businesses are of sufficient size and sophistication to undertake the often highly risky proposition of setting up shop in a foreign land or significantly investing in, merging with, or purchasing a foreign business. The US has long been the global leader in external FDI and no one expects it to relinquish that position any time soon. But China is a nation fast on the rise in the FDI arena. Over the past decade it has emerged as one of the leading external investors among all emerging markets. As might be expected, Chinese firms predominantly invest in Asia—nearly two/thirds of all Chinese external FDI takes place there. Trailing significantly behind is Latin America (26%). Europe and mineral-rich Africa are a distant third at 3% each. (Chinese investments in the latter only seem larger because they have received disproportionate media coverage and generated some controversy.) At present, Chinese external FDI in the US is small—less than 2% of all Chinese offshore outlays. But, as the editor of this volume, Karl P. Sauvant, points out, such investment is “bound to rise,” owing to the size of the US market and its symbolic importance. The thrust of this book is thus largely anticipatory. As such, it offers a comprehensive overview of the many factors that may prove supportive or inhibitory of Chinese investment in the US. The audience is stated to be two-fold: academics and Chinese firms seeking or contemplating investing in the US. I would add that graduate students in economics and politics would learn a lot as well. Sauvant attributes US concerns about heightened Sino participation in the US economy to the fact that “the great majority of the largest Chinese multinational enterprises consists of state-owned enterprises administered by the central government.” This has led to fears in the US that such firms may enjoy financing Public Organiz Rev (2012) 12:213–215 DOI 10.1007/s11115-011-0171-6
Evaluation of the density of states at a-Si/SiNx/Cr capacitors by means of the quasi-static slow ramp CV-method

Abstract Amorphous silicon MIS capacitors and thin film transistors have been deposited on glass by RF glow discharge. The static capacitance C(V) has been recorded by measuring the displacement current of the capacitor in response to a slow voltage ramp. The technique follows essentially a procedure widely use for the characterization of crystalline MOS devices and first reported by M. Kuhn. The quasi-equilibrium capacitance is correlated to the derivative of space charge vs energy and allows the evaluation of the density of states. For good samples a density of states at midgap of 3.2 * 10 16 cm −3 V −1 has been found. The experimental data obtained have been used to simulate TFT transfer characteristics. The model curves are in good agreement with measured transistor characteristics, suggesting the quasi-static CV method as a sensitive tool for material characterization and quality control.
Distinct genetic control of autoimmune neuropathy and diabetes in the non-obese diabetic background.

The non-obese diabetic (NOD) mouse is susceptible to the development of autoimmune diabetes but also multiple other autoimmune diseases. Over twenty susceptibility loci linked to diabetes have been identified in NOD mice and progress has been made in the definition of candidate genes at many of these loci (termed Idd for insulin-dependent diabetes). The susceptibility to multiple autoimmune diseases in the NOD background is a unique opportunity to examine susceptibility genes that confer a general propensity for autoimmunity versus susceptibility genes that control individual autoimmune diseases. We previously showed that NOD mice deficient for the costimulatory molecule B7-2 (NOD-B7-2KO mice) were protected from diabetes but spontaneously developed an autoimmune peripheral neuropathy. Here, we took advantage of multiple NOD mouse strains congenic for Idd loci to test the role of these Idd loci the development of neuropathy and determine if B6 alleles at Idd loci that are protective for diabetes will also be for neuropathy. Thus, we generated NOD-B7-2KO strains congenic at Idd loci and examined the development of neuritis and clinical neuropathy. We found that the NOD-H-2(g7) MHC region is necessary for development of neuropathy in NOD-B7-2KO mice. In contrast, other Idd loci that significantly protect from diabetes did not affect neuropathy when considered individually. However, we found potent genetic interactions of some Idd loci that provided almost complete protection from neuritis and clinical neuropathy. In addition, defective immunoregulation by Tregs could supersede protection by some, but not other, Idd loci in a tissue-specific manner in a model where neuropathy and diabetes occurred concomitantly. Thus, our study helps identify Idd loci that control tissue-specific disease or confer general susceptibility to autoimmunity, and brings insight to the Treg-dependence of autoimmune processes influenced by given Idd region in the NOD background.
Electron microscopy of diethylstilbestrol induced coronary atherosclerosis of turkeys.

Abstract Coronary atherosclerosis was present at necropsy in all 12 week-old turkeys which had been injected with diethylstilbestrol at weekly intervals for 6 weeks. Lumens of the arteries appeared to contain protein-rich serum, admixed with lipid and mineral. Focal accumulations of the same foreign material were present in the tunicae intima and media. By electron-micro-probe analysis, calcium and phosphorus were identified as constituents of mineral deposits in the vascular lumen and wall. It seemed that foreign material entered the arterial wall by way of enlarged intercellular boundaries between endothelial cells or through an area devoid of endothelial cells. The internal elastic membrane was either missing or widely fenestrated above areas in the wall of the coronary artery which contained large accumulations of foreign material. Endothelial cells apparently responded in three different ways to the injury caused by infiltration of ingredients from the lumen into the vascular wall. The nuclei of injured endothelial cells had vesicular and lobed nuclei; nuclei were pyknotic and there was perinuclear vacuolization; or injured cells had cyst-like protuberances on their luminal surfaces.
Beam scintillations for ground-to-space propagation. Part 2: Gaussian beam scintillation.

On the basis of the analytic techniques presented in the first of these two companion papers [J. Opt. Soc. Am. A27, 2169 (2010)] we present the complete asymptotic analysis of the axial beam scintillation index for coherent Gaussian beams on the ground-to-space propagation paths. The ratio of turbulence layer thickness to overall propagation path length contributes an additional small parameter to the analysis. We show that it is possible to use three dimensionless parameters to describe the problem and that the general arrangement of the asymptotic regions established in our earlier work [Waves Random Media4, 243 (1994)]) is preserved. We find that on a slant propagation path, collimated beams can experience the unusual double-scattering-dominated scintillation found originally for focused beams.
Aldehydes, hydrogen peroxide, and organic radicals as mediators of ozone toxicity.

It is generally agreed that unsaturated fatty acids (UFA) are an important class of target molecule for reaction with ozone when polluted air is inhaled. Most discussions have implicated the UFA in cell membranes, but long lining fluids also contain fatty acids that are from 20 to 40% unsaturated. Since UFA in lung lining fluids exist in a highly aquated environment, ozonation would be expected to produce aldehydes and hydrogen peroxide, rather then the Criegee ozonide. In agreement with this expectation, we find that the ozonations of emulsions of fatty acids containing from one to four double bonds give one mole of H2O2 for each mole of ozone reacted. Ozonation of oleic acid emulsion and dioleoyol phaphatidyl choline gives similar results, with two moles of aldehydes and one mole H2O2 formed per mole of ozone reacted. The net reaction that occurs when ozone reacts with pulmonary lipids is suggested to be giben by equation 1. RCH = CHR′ + H2O ---> RCH = O + R′CH = O + H2O2 From 5 to 10% yields of Criegee ozonides also appear to be formed. In addition, a direct reaction of unknown mechanism occurs between ozone and UFA in homogenous organic solution, in homogenous solutions in water, in aqueous emulsions, and in lipid bilayers to give organic radicals that can be spin trapped. These radicals are suggested to be responsible for initiating lipid peroxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Thus, aldehydes, hydrogen peroxide, and directly produced organic radicals are suggested to be mediators of ozone-induced pathology.
Ionization of Nitric Acid on Ice

The ionization of nitric acid on the surface of crystalline ice was examined from 130 to 150 K using FTIR transmission spectroscopy. A spectral feature of the hydronium ion, H3O+, was monitored as a function of time. The results are best understood when they are separated into (a) low and (b) high nitric acid exposure, depending upon the amount of nitric acid adsorbed on the ice surface. (a) For low nitric acid exposure ((∼2−20) × 1015 molecules/cm2), the absorbance of H3O+ can be fit to a single exponential (i.e., first-order expression). The resulting rate constant, k = (4.9 ± 0.7) × 10-3 s-1, is attributed to the dissolution of the ions in the ice surface layer (i.e., a reactive layer on the ice surface). The thickness of this ice surface layer is estimated to be 10 nm. (b) For high nitric acid exposure ((∼20−200) × 1015 molecules/cm2), the absorbance of H3O+ can be fit to a double exponential expression that is composed of the first-order rate constant above, along with another first-order rate consta...
Spectrophotometric properties of an intermediate in the enzymic hydrolysis of glycyldehydrophenylalanine

Abstract Changes in absorption spectra in the region 275–310 mμ during the enzymic hydrolysis of glycyldehydrophenylalanine confirm the presence of an intermediate. From the time course of the spectra, it was possible to compute rate constants for the formation and disappearance of this intermediate, and subsequently the actual absorption spectrum of this substance. The spectrum and kinetics agree with the assignment of α-aminocinnamic acid as the intermediate.
Health-related quality of life using the SF-36 in patients with bipolar disorder compared with patients with chronic back pain and the general population.

Abstract Background: The purpose of this study was to assess and compare the health-related quality of life of patients with bipolar disorder and chronic back pain and, in turn, to compare these results with those previously generated for the general population. Methods: Subjects were patients with bipolar disorder (n=44), a comparison group of chronic back pain patients (n=30), and a population-based control sample (n=2,474). Health-related quality of life was assessed using the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36), a self-administered questionnaire in which lower scores are indicative of greater impairment. Results: Patients with bipolar disorder had lower mean scores than the general population on all scales except Physical Functioning. Bipolar patients had significantly higher scores than chronic back pain patients in the categories of Physical Functioning, Role Limitations – Physical, Bodily Pain, and Social Function. There were no significant differences between bipolar disorder and chronic back pain groups in the Mental Health and Role Limitations – Emotional categories. Limitations: The results of the study are limited by the relatively small sample sizes of the bipolar and back pain patient groups. Conclusions: Patients with bipolar disorder had substantial impairment in health-related quality of life in comparison with the general population. Bipolar patients were less compromised in areas of physical and social functioning than chronic back pain patients but had similar impairment in mental health.
Visual field preservation after multisession cyberknife radiosurgery for perioptic lesions.

OBJECTIVE The restricted radiation tolerance of the anterior visual pathways represents a unique challenge for ablating adjacent lesions with single-session radiosurgery. Although preliminary studies have recently demonstrated that multisession radiosurgery for selected perioptic tumors is both safe and effective, the number of patients in these clinical series was modest and the length of follow-up limited. The current retrospective study is intended to help address these shortcomings. METHODS Forty-nine consecutive patients with meningioma (n = 27), pituitary adenoma (n = 19), craniopharyngioma (n = 2), or mixed germ cell tumor (n = 1) situated within 2 mm of a "short segment" of the optic apparatus underwent multisession image-guided radiosurgery at Stanford University Medical Center. Thirty-nine of these patients had previous subtotal surgical resection, and six had previously been treated with conventional fractionated radiotherapy (6). CyberKnife radiosurgery was delivered in two to five sessions to an average tumor volume of 7.7 cm3 and a cumulative average marginal dose of 20.3 Gy. Formal visual testing and clinical examinations were performed before treatment and at follow-up intervals beginning at 6 months. RESULTS After a mean visual field follow-up of 49 months (range, 6-96 mo), vision was unchanged postradiosurgery in 38 patients, improved in eight (16%), and worse in three (6%). In each instance, visual deterioration was accompanied by tumor progression that ultimately resulted in patient death. However, one of these patients, who had a multiply recurrent adrenocorticotropic hormone-secreting pituitary adenoma, initially experienced early visual loss without significant tumor progression after both a previous course of radiotherapy and three separate sessions of radiosurgery. After a mean magnetic resonance imaging follow-up period of 46 months, tumor volume was stable or smaller in all other cases. Two patients died of unrelated nonbrain causes. CONCLUSION Multisession radiosurgery resulted in high rates of tumor control and preservation of visual function in this group of perioptic tumors. Ninety-four percent of patients retained or improved preradiosurgical vision. This intermediate-term experience reinforces the findings from earlier studies that suggested that multisession radiosurgery can be a safe and effective alternative to either surgery or fractionated radiotherapy for selected lesions immediately adjacent to short segments of the optic apparatus.
A source function method for generation of waves on currents in Boussinesq models

Abstract A source function method for the generation of waves internal to Boussinesq model grid boundaries (Wei G, Kirby JT, Sinha A. Generation of waves in Boussinesq models using a source function method. Coastal Engng 1999;36:271–299) is generalized to account for the presence of a strong current, for application to wave-current interaction problems. The method is also modified to eliminate waves propagating backwards from the source region. The resulting modification greatly reduces the extent of sponge layers or other absorbing layers needed on the upwave open boundary in Boussinesq model applications to coastal regions, where shoreline reflection is weak.
Spectra of Two Electron Systems

Following the method of G\"uttinger and Pauli four angular momentum vectors are treated in matrix mechanics. Analytic formulas are obtained for the matrix components of the spin-orbit interaction of two electrons in $\mathrm{LS}$ coupling. Since the electrostatic energy in $\mathrm{LS}$ coupling is a diagonal matrix whose elements may be calculated by Slater's method, this gives the complete energy matrix. Then for any two electron configuration one easily obtains the secular equations whose roots give the energy levels in intermediate coupling. In this manner the secular equations are worked out for the configurations ${p}^{2}$, $p\ifmmode\cdot\else\textperiodcentered\fi{}p$, ${d}^{2}$, $d\ifmmode\cdot\else\textperiodcentered\fi{}d$, and $d\ifmmode\cdot\else\textperiodcentered\fi{}p$.