cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Quality of Life after Bariatric Surgery: A Population-based Cohort Study

Abstract Background Bariatric surgery leads to profound weight loss, but postoperative complications and psychosocial issues may impact long-term quality of life. The primary aim of this project was to examine whether such patients have better quality of life and self-reported functional status compared with obese adults who do not have bariatric surgery. Methods This population-based study of patients evaluated for Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery involved a survey consisting of baseline and follow-up single-item overall quality-of-life items (Linear Analogue Self-Assessment Questionnaire; LASA), follow-up quality of life (Short-Form-12), and activity (Goldman's Specific Activity Scale). A total of 268 and 273 surveys were mailed, with 148 (55.2%) operative and 88 (32.2%) nonoperative survey responders assessed, respectively. Linear regression was used, adjusting for changes in co-morbidity and functional status, to assess the differences in quality of life and activity level. Individual predictors of higher or better quality-of-life scores also were assessed. Results There were no major differences in baseline characteristics between survey responders and nonresponders. Mean follow-up was 4.0 and 3.8 years in the operative and nonoperative groups, respectively. The change in overall LASA from baseline to follow-up between groups was 3.1±0.4 ( P P P P =.01) at follow-up compared with nonoperative patients. Predictors of a high follow-up LASA ( P Conclusions Profound weight loss after bariatric surgery, seeking treatment for depression, and absence of medical co-morbidities appears to predict better quality of life and self-reported functional status.
Nasal manifestations of Wegener's granulomatosis.

A review of 52 recent cases of Wegener's granulomatosis has clarified the clinical manifestations and has emphasized the otolaryngologist's role in its early diagnosis. All the cases satisfied the currently accepted criteria for the condition: the presence of primary necrotizing vasculitis in a patient with a typical clinical course. Among the 52 patients, 31 patients had nasal lesions. The typical manifestation was persistent nasal obstruction in a middle-aged patient with no history of nasal disorder. In the early stages, intranasal examination may reveal only diffuse nasal mucosal swelling, without tissue destruction. Systemic symptoms are malaise, night sweats, intermittent pyrexia, and migratory arthralgias; an abnormally high sedimentation rate is also frequent. Later, the typical nasal findings are diffuse destruction of the mucosa and foul-smelling crusts. The tissue underlying the crusts is extremely friable. Perforations of the nasal septum are also common. Adequate biopsy of representative tissue is important. The condition is treatable; currently, corticosteroids with or without cyclophosphamide are being used. Of the 52 patients, 31 are alive; 10 are dead, and current information is unavailable on 11 patients. Polymorphic reticulosis (PMR, lethal midline granuloma, or malignant midline reticulosis) was noted in 16 other patients during the same period. Differentiation between PMR and Wegener's granulomatosis is important because, although they can resemble each other clinically, they are morphologically distinct and respond to different forms of therapy (Wegener's granulomatosis to immunosuppressive drugs and PMR to irradiation). The otolaryngologist has an important role in the early diagnosis of Wegener's granulomatosis because of the high incidence of nasal involvement and because of the variations in clinical manifestations, which depend on the stage of the disease.
Automated maintenance of dissolved oxygen concentrations in flow-through aquaria

Abstract An electronically controlled system is described which reduces variation in oxygen concentration and maintains preset levels of oxygen in a flow-through aquarium unit. Oxygen concentration varies minimally over time and among ten replicate aquaria (2.2% for normoxic; 3.5% for nypoxic; 5.7% for low hypoxic). The advantages of this system are that it is simple, the oxygen concentration does not fall below the preset oxygen value, it can be adjusted to allow for different flow-through regimes, and its automatic design allows accurate repeatability.
Lateralized abnormality in the EEG of persistently violent psychiatric inpatients

Twenty-one consecutive right-handed male psychiatric inpatients treated on a unit designed for the management of violent behavior were given computerized EEGs. We recorded their violent behaviors, the number of staff interventions needed to control their behavior, and their medications. The number of instances of violence as well as the number of staff interventions were related to increased delta band activity and to decreased alpha band activity in the temporal and the parietooccipital areas. These relationships were independent of the current medications and of the length of stay on the special unit. Furthermore, our results demonstrate that violence is very significantly related to the hemispheric asymmetry in EEG for the frontotemporal derivations. With increased levels of violence there was a greater level of delta power in the left compared with the right.
Listening to patients' voices: linguistic indicators related to diabetes self-management.

A great deal of research in health care has examined a wide range of variables to better understand the degree to which patients follow the advice of medical professionals in managing their health, known as adherence. This paper explains the development of the linguistic systems to describe and evaluate two psychosocial constructs (i.e. control orientation and agency) that have been found to be related to adherence in previous research for subjects with diabetes (Trento et al. 2007; Wangberg 2007; O’Hea et al. 2009). The present data came from 43 semi-structured in-depth interviews of subjects with Type 2 diabetes. One-on-one interviews with open-ended questions elicited subjects’ ‘stories’ about living with diabetes, and the transcribed interviews were analyzed to develop the linguistic systems of control orientation and agency. The resultant systems were applied to the 43 interviews by raters with high inter-rater reliability. The results showed demarcations of clearly identified codings of patient types. The paper presents the linguistic coding systems developed in the study, the results of their application to the patient interview data, and recommendations for improved communication with patients.
RNA metabolism during puff induction in Drosophila melanogaster.

RNA metabolism of the salivary glands of Drosophila melanogaster was studied for possible changes coinciding with the induction of new puffs by heat treatment.—The rate of 3H-uridine incorporation into RNA is identical at 37° C and at 24° C. It declines with time of incubation, possibly indicating the existence of a class of rapidly turning over RNA.—RNA extracted from glands pulselabelled at either 24° or at 37° C displays similar profiles if subjected to gel electrophoresis. Processing of the 38s ribosomal RNA precursor comes to a halt at 37° between 30 and 60 minutes of incubation, i.e., some time after puff induction is completed. At both temperatures newly synthesized pre-ribosomal RNA accumulates with time of incubation more rapidly than heterodisperse RNA, again suggesting that some heterodisperse RNA is of relatively short life span. After short pulses the portion of heterodisperse RNA is larger in glands kept at 37° C than in glands kept at 24° C. With increasing time this difference disappears.—Some of the pulse-labelled, high molecular weight heterodisperse RNA is rapidly degraded, if RNA synthesis is blocked by actinomycin D. If the chase is performed at 24° C, about 30% of the newly synthesized RNA is degraded within about 15 minutes. At 37° C the beginning of degradation appears delayed for about 30 minutes; subsequently the same percentage of RNA is degraded as at 24° C.—The possibility is considered that the local RNA accumulation visualized by the heat-induced puffs may have resulted from a change in RNA degradation rather than from a local stimulation of RNA synthesis.
Statistical Tolerancing for Combinations of Coaxial Features and Clearance Fits

[This abstract is based on the author's abstract.]A technique for statistically tolerancing the eccentricity of an assembly of coaxial components is proposed. The technique accommodates both a linear combination of variances of coaxial features within c..
The PhD in the US: Criticisms, Facts, and Remedies

Doctoral education in the United States has in recent years received a number of criticisms. In response, several initiatives have been developed to address some of these criticisms. In addition, three major surveys have been undertaken to better understand the process, content, and outcome of doctoral education. This paper explores the criticisms and outlines the initiatives for change. It argues that initiatives for change in doctoral education are important first-step responses to the criticisms; however, they must be accompanied by ongoing research that can provide empirical data on doctoral student experiences, career paths, and on the impacts of the initiatives themselves.
A clinical application of an automated phantom-film QA procedure for validation of IMRT treatment planning and delivery.

Abstract To quantify the correlation between planned and delivered intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) dose distributions, IMRT plans for 37 prostate carcinoma patients were analyzed. IMRT treatment plans were converted into hybrid phantom plans using a commercially available treatment planning system and delivered to a specialized film phantom via a static-tomotherapy technique. The films were analyzed using a commercial film dosimetry system. Hybrid phantom axial dose maps and film images were normalized, registered to one another, and subtracted to calculate the overall relative dose difference throughout the entire film area on a pixel-by-pixel basis. The average percentage of pixels with dose-difference values greater than ± 3% among analyzed hybrid patient plans was 8.6% ± 3%. The average percentage of pixels with dose differences greater than ± 5% was 1.7% ± 1.0%. The number of pixels with more than ± 10% dose differences was negligible. An initial subset of hybrid plans was used to develop a quantitative criterion to verify for positional accuracy based on dosimetric verification of intensity map of IMRT plans for prostate patients in our institution. Plans with less than 5% of the pixels outside the ± 5% dose-difference range were accepted. This method could be implemented for other anatomical sites or treatment planning and delivery systems. © 2003 American Association of Medical Dosimetrists.
Flowers promote aphid suppression in apple orchards

Abstract Predators and parasitoids often benefit from feeding on nectar and/or pollen, such that the addition of flowering plants should bolster natural enemies and improve biological control. Nonetheless, this conceptually-simple approach often fails to reduce pest numbers. We examined whether flowering annual plants drew more natural enemies to apples ( Malus domestica ) in Washington State, USA, and in turn whether this improved suppression of woolly apple aphids ( Eriosoma lanigerum ) on nearby trees. Initial screening of candidate flowers indicated that syrphid flies (Diptera: Syrphidae), thought to be important aphid predators, were particularly attracted to sweet alyssum flowers ( Lobularia maritima ). Therefore, in two subsequent field experiments we compared aphid densities on trees placed adjacent to, or relatively far from, flowering sweet alyssum. The results were striking: after one week aphid densities were significantly lower on trees adjacent to flowers than on those on control plots, and these differences were maintained for several weeks. It was unlikely that aphid decline was primarily due to syrphid predation, because lower aphid densities were observed despite few syrphid larvae being present. Rather, a diverse group of generalist-predator spiders and bugs increased significantly near sweet alyssum plantings, and may have been responsible for much of the aphid suppression that we observed. Immunomarking revealed that natural enemies regularly moved from sweet alyssum to the surrounding orchard. In summary, the floral resources that sweet alyssum plants provided attracted natural enemies and indirectly suppressed densities of woolly apple aphids, suggesting an effective means for apple growers to enhance biological control.
Theory of bistability in nonlinear distributed feedback structures

We show that optical bistability can occur in a distributed feedback structure with an intensity‐dependent refractive index. Analytical expressions for the transmissivity are obtained and a comparison with Fabry‐Perot‐type devices is presented.
Upper Level Engineering Design Instruction Using a Product Archaeology Paradigm

Historically, the teaching of design theory in an engineering curriculum was relegated to a senior capstone design experience. Presently, however, engineering design concepts and courses can be found through the entirety of most engineering programs. Educators have recognized that engineering design provides a foundational platform that can be used to develop educational strategies for a wide array of engineering science principles. More recently, educators have found that product archaeology provides an effective platform to develop scalable learning materials, strategies, and educational innovations across these design courses. In this paper, we focus on the upper level design experience and present a set of innovative strategies aimed at teaching design in a global perspective. Moreover, this approach facilitates meeting the challenging requirements of ABET‟s Outcome h. The effectiveness of the strategies is assessed using a benchmark national survey on the Engineer of 2020. Results demonstrate a significant increase in student perception across a number of skill and knowledge areas, which are critical to the next generation of engineers.
Endocannabinoid Receptor Antagonists and Other Emerging Pharmacological Strategies for Weight Reduction

Overweight and obesity are recognised as significant risk factors for coronary heart disease (CHD). Weight reduction leads to reduction in associated CHD risk factors. The discovery that endocannabinoid system is involved in regulation of food intake and other reward behaviours has led to development of cannabinoid receptor antagonists. Recent studies with rimonabant, a cannabinoid type 1 receptor (CB(1)) antagonist, demonstrate clinically significant weight loss as well as reduction in metabolic syndromme burden in obese patients.
The Relation Between Age at Menarche and Age at First Intercourse in Users of Public Health Facilities

Abstract Age at menarche and age at first intercourse obtained from the records of 229 teenage patients and 155 women over age 20 attending health department clinics were examined to determine the relationship of menarche to the onset of sexual activity. Analysis of the data demonstrated that age at menarche is predictive of the age at first intercourse in that it is the lowest age for which prediction is indicated for all age groups. Age at onset of menses did not differ significantly among the age groups or between races although the average age at menarche was earlier for today's teens than for women over 30. Age at first intercourse cannot be predicted by age at menarche; however, among teens, those who mature earlier tended to have intercourse earlier. This observation did not hold for women over 20 even when the data were adjusted for study design bias.
The light clock: Error and implications

The light clock (a photon undergoing successive reflections between two particle mirrors a fixed distance apart) has commonly been used as a theoretical confirmation of the special-relativistic slowing of clock rates. In order to obtain that result one must describe the clock photon in a system moving relatively to the clock. However, contradictory frequency transformations for the photon, as observed from the mirrors, are then predicted by relatively moving observers. A correct and consistent analysis utilizes the Lorentz-invariant relative velocity and distance between the mirrors. An invariant time period is also then involved; a parallel is drawn between it and the invariance of cosmic time for internal processes in distant systems. Considering that space-time and momentum-energy are described by conjugate 4-vectors, it is conjectured that a time transformation occurs only in association with a transformation of energy.
Facilitating the watchstander's voice communications task in future Navy operations

Recent human performance research at the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD) has shown that increasing the number of concurrent voice communications tasks individual Navy watchstanders must handle is an uncompromising empirical barrier to streamlining crew sizes in future shipboard combat information centers. Subsequent work on this problem at the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) has resulted in a serialized communications monitoring prototype (U.S. Patent Application Pub. No. US. 2007/0299657) that uses a patented NRL technology known as “pitch synchronous segmentation” (U.S. Patent 5,933,808) to accelerate buffered human speech up to 100% faster than its normal rate without a meaningful decline in intelligibility. In conjunction with this research effort, a series of ongoing human subjects studies at NRL has shown that rate-accelerated, serialized communications monitoring overwhelmingly improves performance measures of attention, comprehension, and effort in comparison to concurrent listening in the same span of time. This paper provides an overview of NRL's concurrent communications monitoring solution and summarizes the empirical performance questions addressed by, and the outcomes of, the Lab's associated program of listening studies.
Feminism and Medieval Studies: Moving Forward

Jeanne de Constantinople: Comtesse de Flandre et de Hainaut. Somogy Editions d’Art, 2009.Medieval Life: Archaeology and the Life Course. By Roberta Gilchrist. Boydell, 2012.Unmarriages: Women, Men ...
DIFFERENCES AMONG AGE AND SEX GROUPS IN ELECTRODERMAL CONDITIONING

Four groups, Young Males, Young Females, Aged Males and Aged Females, were run in a discrimination conditioning paradigm with a variety of autonomic and central measures. This paper deals primarily with Electro-Dermal Responses. The findings indicate that in all measures the Young Males and Young Females show the best discriminated conditioning, followed by Aged Females and Aged Males. In the GSP there are hints that the negative wave of the response might be related to the orienting phenomena whereas the positive wave is what becomes discriminately conditioned in the experiment. A cognitive questionnaire was accurately answered in the same rank order as the conditioning, that is. Young Males, Young Females, Aged Females and Aged Males.
ARKANSAS CATFISH FARMERS AND MARKETING CONTRACTS: SOME INSIGHTS INTO MOTIVATIONS

Interest in sales contracts in the catfish industry increased in the late 1990s and early 2000s as a result of increased import pressures and lower product prices. The study uses survey data fitted to a probit model to examine the motivations for contracting sales, and whether farm size is an important determinant of sales contracts usage. The article concludes that Arkansas catfish farmers with large acreages and therefore large volumes of production have a high probability of utilizing contracts to handle their sales but not necessarily with privately-owned independent processors. The farmers are not motivated to engage in sales contracts by reduction in income or price risks. They are motivated by production and management issues, which appear consistent with reductions in transactions costs relating to asset specificity and quality measurement as the reason for contracting.
Modified technique for adapting a mandibular angle superior border plate.

The use of a superior border plate for fixation of a fractured mandibular angle is not a new technique. Michelet et al I and Champy et al 2 describe the use of miniplates in the treatment of such mandible fractures. The difficulty with using a superior border plate, however, has been the varying angulation of the external oblique ridge, creating cumbersome access and placement. The following technique describes a modification using a large round bur to create a flat surface on which the plate is then easily adapted and fixated.
Successful Repair of Straddling Atrioventricular Valve by Technique Used for Septation of Urtiventriculair Heart

Abstract Straddling atrioventricular valve (SAW) is a rare anomaly. Only recently have the premortem diagnostic features been elucidated. Repair of the associated ventricular septal defect poses a considerable technical problem. Corrective operations, infrequently reported, have usually involved replacement of the SAW. This report describes the successful management of a patient with a straddling left atrioventricular valve in whom the valve was preserved by a technique previously used for septation of the univentricular heart. This technique offers a useful alternative to valve replacement in the management of patients with SAVV.
Analysis of parenchymal texture properties in breast tomosynthesis images

We have analyzed breast parenchymal texture in tomosynthesis images. Tomosynthesis is a novel x-ray imaging modality in which 3D images of the breast are reconstructed from multiple 2D x-ray source projection images acquired by varying the angle of the x-ray tube. Our ultimate goal is to examine the correlation between tomosynthesis texture descriptors and breast cancer risk. As a first step, we investigated the effect of tomosynthesis acquisition parameters on texture in the source projection images; this avoids the influence of the reconstruction algorithm. We computed statistical texture descriptors which have been shown in the literature to be highly indicative of breast cancer risk. We compared skewness, coarseness, and contrast computed from the central source projection images and the corresponding mammograms. Our analysis showed that differences exist between mammographic and tomosynthetic texture in projection images. Retroareolar ROIs in tomosynthesis images appeared to be less skewed with lower coarseness and higher contrast measures compared to mammograms; however, corresponding texture descriptors for tomosynthesis and mammography are correlated. Examination of the ROIs demonstrates that the texture in tomosynthesis source projections visually differs from the x-ray mammograms. We attribute this observation to acquisition differences, including radiation dose, compression force, and x-ray scatter. As with mammography, tomosynthesis parenchymal texture is related to the Gail-model cancer risk. Although preliminary, we believe that texture analysis of 3D breast tomosynthesis images will ultimately yield more accurate and precise measures of risk.
Linking Changes in Parenting to Parent–Child Relationship Quality and Youth Self‐Control: The Strong African American Families Program

A randomized prevention trial was conducted contrasting families who took part in the Strong African American Families Program (SAAF), a preventive intervention for rural African American mothers and their 11-year-olds, with control families. SAAF is based on a conceptual model positing that changes in intervention-targeted parenting behaviors would enhance responsive-supportive parent–child relationships and youths' self-control, which protect rural African American youths from substance use and early sexual activity. Parenting variables included involvement-vigilance, racial socialization, communication about sex, and clear expectations for alcohol use. Structural equation modeling analyses indicated that intervention-induced changes in parenting were linked with changes in responsive–supportive parent–child relationships and youth self-control.
Information theoretic bounds on mobile source localization in a dense urban environment

The FCC E-911 Phase-2 requirements have motivated increased interest in the challenge of localizing mobile sources in a dense urban environment. E-911 Phase-2 requires wireless carriers to provide the location of a 911 caller with accuracy of 100 meters in 67% of cases and 300 meters in 95% of cases. This paper proposes information theoretic bounds on source localization performance in a dense urban environment based on the distribution of received energy as a function of time and angle of arrival from the multipath propagation. The surveillance area is discretized into a grid of partitions where the partition size can be interpreted as a source localization accuracy. The proposed lower bound provides a limit on the achievable source localization accuracy for a given SNR. The bound is evaluated for several urban propagation scenarios.
Differential release of prostaglandin E-like and F-like substances by endothelial cells cultured from human umbilical arteries and veins

Abstract Endothelial cells, isolated from human umbilical vessels and grown in culture, displayed morphological characteristics similar to those described for endothelial cells in vivo . After 7–10 days in culture, endothelial cells from human umbilical arteries and veins were found to release prostaglandin F-like substances in excess of prostaglandin E-like substances into the media bathing the cells. Quantitative differences in concentration of prostaglandin E-like and F-like substances as well as alterations in the rate of prostaglandin release were determined by the presence of some unidentified component(s) of fetal calf serum. Implications of prostaglandin release by cellular components of human umbilical vessels are discussed.
Adducts formed between deoxyguanosine and cis-Dichlorodiammineplatinum(II): Separation by means of cation-exchange chromatography

Abstract The interaction between deoxyguanosine (dG) and cis -dichlorodiammineplatinum(II) ( cis -Pt) leads to the 2:1 and the 1:1 dG-Pt adducts. These adducts were separated on an Aminex A6 cationexchange column by use ot 0.01 M K 2 CO 3 (pH 11) as an eluent. The stoichiometry of the adducts was determined from the 195m Pt radioactivity and from the absorbance of the guanine chromophore at 280 nm. Time-course studies show that dG reacts initially with cis -Pt to form the 1:1 adduct, which then interacts with a second molecule of dG to form the 2:1 adduct. Acid hydrolysis (100°C in 88% formic acid for 5–15 min) of the 1:1 and 2:1 adducts results in their conversion to two new products, which elute differently from the column but which still contain Pt bound in the same stoichiometric ratio to dG as in the nonhydrolyzed adducts. The hydrolyzed adducts show a negative diphenylamine reaction indicative ot cleavage of the glycosidic bond. It is concluded that mild acid hydrolysis converts the 1:1 and 2:1 dG-Pt adducts into the corresponding guanine-Pt adducts, which are chromatographically distinguishable. This acid hydrolysis-high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) procedure has application to the identification of the Pt adducts formed in DNA.
Nutrition, exercise, and healthy aging

Abstract Advancing age is associated with a remarkable number of changes in body composition, including reduction in lean body mass and increase in body fat, which have been well documented. Decreased lean body mass occurs primarily as a result of losses in skeletal muscle mass. This age-related loss in muscle mass has been termed "sarcopenia". Loss in muscle mass accounts for the age-associated decreases in basal metabolic rate, muscle strength, and activity levels, which, in turn are the cause of the decreased energy requirements of the elderly. In sedentary persons, the main determinant of energy expenditure is fat-free mass, which declines by about 15% between the third and eighth decade of life. It also appears that declining energy needs are not matched by an appropriate decline in energy intake, with the ultimate result being increased body fat content. Increased body fatness and increased abdominal obesity are thought to be directly linked to the greatly increased incidence of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus among the elderly. In this review we will discuss the extent to which regularly performed exercise can affect nutrition needs and functional capacity in the elderly. We will also discuss a variety of concerns when prescribing exercise in the elderly, such as planning for a wide variability in functional status, medical status, and training intensity and duration. Finally, we will attempt to provide some basic guidelines for beginning an exercise program for older men and women and establishing community-based programs.
INVISCID SWIRLING FLOWS AND VORTEX BREAKDOWN

The steady axisymmetric Euler flow of an inviscid incompressible swirling fluid is described exactly by the Squire-Long equation. This equation is studied numerically for the case of diverging flow to investigate the dependence of solutions on upstream, or inlet, and downstream, or outlet, boundary conditions and flow geometry. The work is performed with a view to understanding how the phenomenon of vortex breakdown occurs. It is shown that solutions fail to exist or, alternatively, that the axial flow ceases to be unidirectional, so that breakdown can be inferred, when a parameter measuring the relative magnitude of rotation and axial flow (the Squire number) exceeds critical values depending upon the geometry and inlet profiles. A 'quasi-cylindrical' simplification of the Squire-Long equation is compared with the more complete Euler model and shown to be able to account for most of the latter's behaviour. The relationship is examined between 'failure' of the quasi-cylindrical model and the occurrence of a 'critical' flow state in which disturbances can stand in the flow.
Self-Replenishing, Self-Repairing Solid Lubrication: Modelling and Experimentation

Several pellet-on disk and pad-on disk tribometer tests were conducted to study the lubrication characteristics of third-body particles of MoS2 powder. The tests consisted of simultaneous pellet-on disk and pad-on disk sliding contacts. Results from the tests show the self-repairing, self-replenishing, oil-free lubrication mechanism of MoS2 . A theoretical control-volume fractional coverage model was developed to predict (1) the friction coefficient at the pad/disk interface and (2) the wear factor for the lubricated pellet/disk sliding contact. The fractional coverage varies with time and quantifies the amount of third body film covering the disk asperities. Results from the model capture the tribological behavior of the experimental sliding contacts reasonably well.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Science Speaks: AGU's New Way to Share Science and Its Value

On the count of three, as the camera shutter clicked, Julia Galkiewicz jumped up, her expression gleeful as she gripped a whiteboard. Emblazoned on it was a message: “This is what a scientist looks like.”
Simultaneously Improving Electrical Conductivity and Thermopower of Polyaniline Composites by Utilizing Carbon Nanotubes as High Mobility Conduits

Electrical conductivity and thermopower of isotropic materials typically have inversely proportional correlation because both are strongly affected in the opposite way by the electronic carrier concentration. This behavior has been one of the major hurdles in developing high-performance thermoelectrics whose figure-of-merit enhances with large thermopower and high electrical conductivity. Here we report a promising method of simultaneously improving both properties with polyaniline (PANI) composites filled by carbon nanotubes (CNTs). With addition of double-wall CNTs (DWCNTs), the electronic mobility of PANI doped with camphorsulfonic acid (PANI-CSA) was raised from ∼0.15 to ∼7.3 cm2/(V s) (∼50 time improvement) while the carrier concentration was decreased from ∼2.1 × 1021 to ∼5.6 × 1020 cm–3 (∼4 time reduction). The larger increase of mobility increased electrical conductivity despite the carrier concentration reduction that enlarges thermopower. The improvement in the carrier mobility could be attribut...
The Impact of HIV Infection on Society's Perception of Clinical Trials

All international codes of research ethics and virtually all national legislation and regulation in the field of research involving human subjects project an attitude of protectionism. Written with the aim of avoiding a repetition of atrocities like those committed by the Nazi physician-researchers, calamities like the thalidomide experience, or ethical violations like those of the Tuskegee syphilis study, their dominant concerns are the protection of individuals from injury and from exploitation. In recent years, however, society's perception of clinical research has shifted dramatically. Now, largely as a consequence of the efforts of the AIDS activists, clinical research is widely perceived as benign and beneficial. Although this shift in attitude has resulted in some important improvements in research policies and practices, this new perception is just as wrong-headed as was the earlier excessive protectionism. It is necessary to maintain a balanced perspective; our policies should encourage the conduct of ethical research while maintaining the vigilance necessary to safeguard the rights and welfare of the subjects.
The systems NaClCrCl3 and KClCrCl3

Abstract Phase diagrams of the NaClCrCl 3 and KClCrCl 3 systems show the congruently melting compounds: Na 3 CrCl 6 , K 3 CrCl 6 , and K 3 Cr 2 Cl 9 . Room temperature X-ray patterns of K 3 Cr 2 Cl 9 show this compound to be isomorphous with the previously known Cs 3 Cr 2 Cl 9 .
Automatic hardware synthesis

The complexity of the circuit that can fit on an integrated circuit (IC) chip has reached the level of a million transistors with the advent of Very-large-Scale Integration (VLSI). Several automatic synthesis systems have evolved that "aid" the human designer in managing this complexity. This paper surveys such efforts. The synthesis is viewed as the process of transforming a high-level design specification into a lower level design specification that includes more structural details, leading to the physical design of the IC. The characteristics of ten automatic synthesis systems are summarized.
Transverse loading effects on embedded Bragg fiber system

Optical fibers imprinted with a Bragg grating, a periodic change in the refractive index of the core of the fiber, can be used as strain gages in structural health monitoring. It is well known that fiber Bragg grating (FBG) structures can be applied as optical strain gages with very high sensitivity and reasonable accuracy. This application has been confirmed through numerous publications on the effect of axial loads on FBG structures. The FBG structure can easily be calibrated as an axial strain sensor. There are currently some trial applications ofthese optical strain gauges in bridge construction. However, using these FBG structures as embedded sensors has raised questions about sensor accuracy and measurements because of the Poisson's effect and/or application under multi-axial stress states. Therefore, the objective of this research was to study the effect of transverse loads on FBG structures for a better understanding of the interaction of the structure and the embedded Bragg fiber sensor output.
Bilophococcus magnetotacticus gen. nov. sp. nov., a motile, magnetic coccus

The morphological, biochemical, and magnetotactic properties of a single magnetic bacterium are reported. Although this bacterium has not been cultured axenically, the unusual magnetotactic behavior has allowed the collection of cell material of sufficient quantity and purity to allow characterization. The results indicate that this organism represents a new genus of colorless, sulfur-depositing bacteria, albeit of uncertain affiliation. The name proposed for this new genus/species,Bilophococcus magnetotacticus, reflects the most distinctive traits of morphology, motility, and magnetic mineral formation. Classification is based on type descriptive material.
Supporting Healthful Eating Through Retail Environmental Change: Communities Putting Prevention to Work

More healthful eating patterns can help people achieve recommended nutrient intakes, control calorie intake, and reduce the risk of some of the leading causes of chronic illness and death in the United States such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and certain types of cancer (1). Making more healthful choices easily accessible may help people start and maintain more healthful eating patterns (2,3). Although research and programs dedicated to improving access to more healthful food choices are under way (4), there is little empirical evidence to identify what aspects of the retail environment require intervention to improve access (5). It is unclear whether efforts should focus on improving proximity to stores, improving the selection of healthful options within stores with limited stock, making more healthful items more affordable, improving the quality of goods within stores, introducing more healthful options to an area via other retail models like farmers markets, or some combination of the above. One recent initiative that may elucidate what aspects of the environments to change to improve the diet and health of community members is Communities Putting Prevention to Work (CPPW). During the 2-year funding period beginning in 2010, 39 of the 50 CPPW communities committed to enhancing access to healthful food and evaluating the effect of this increased access on behavior (6). CPPW presented an opportunity to evaluate changes to the environment that may support people in making more healthful dietary choices.
A study of multiscalar mixing

A model for passive mixing of multiple scalars in homogeneous turbulence is developed. This model is based on the time‐evolving mapping closure methodology. Calculations from the model are compared against heat conduction simulations (HCS) data. The agreement is excellent at the early stages of mixing and at the later stages it is fair.
Effect of Eliminating Priority Points for HLA-B Matching on Racial Disparities in Kidney Transplant Rates

Background African Americans have lower rates of obtaining a deceased donor kidney transplant (DDKT) compared with their white counterparts. One proposed mechanism is differential HLA distributions between African Americans and whites. In May 2003, the United Network for Organ Sharing/Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network changed kidney allocation policy to eliminate priority based on HLA-B matching in an effort to address this disparity. The objective of this study was to quantify the effect of the change in policy regarding priority points for HLA-B matching. Study Design Observational cohort study. Setting & Participants A cohort of 178,902 patients registered for a DDKT between January 2000 and August 2009. Factors African Americans versus whites before and after the policy change. Cox models were adjusted for age, sex, diabetes, dialysis type, insurance status, education, panel-reactive antibody level, and blood type. Outcomes Adjusted relative rates (aRRs) of deceased donor kidney transplant for African Americans compared with whites. Measurements Time from initial active wait listing to DDKT, censored for living donor kidney transplant and death. Results Before the policy change, African Americans had 37% lower rates of DDKT (aRR, 0.63; 95% CI, 0.60-0.65; P P P Limitations As an observational study, findings could have been affected by residual confounding or other changes in practice patterns. Conclusions Racial disparity in rates of DDKT was decreased by the HLA-B policy change, but parity was not achieved. There are unaddressed factors in kidney allocation that lead to continued disparity on the kidney transplant waiting list.
Multilevel Mediation Modeling in Group-Based Intervention Studies

This article proposes and evaluates a method to test for mediation in multilevel data sets formed when an intervention administered to intact groups is designed to produce change in individual mediator and outcome variables. Simulated data of this form were used to compare ordinary least squares (OLS) and two multilevel estimators of the mediated effect. OLS and multilevel standard error approximations were also evaluated and recommendations given for optimal estimator choice. These methods were applied to data from an existing substance use intervention to show the impact multilevel mediation modeling can have on the conclusions drawn from real-world evaluation studies.
Review: Formulae for absorption spectroscopy related to idealised cases

Over the years, a wide variety of formulae have been developed to describe absorption and scatter of light from particles with idealised characteristics. Many of these have been found to be very useful in spectroscopy. The solutions that are mathematically exact are generally limited to light that is travelling in one direction (as in the Bouguer–Lambert law) or two directions (as in the Kubelka–Munk equation). Many of the equations are well known in a form quite different from that presented by those who developed them. The most successful of these mathematical treatments have tended to be presented in terms of absorption by, and scatter from, layers of material. In order to be applicable to real samples, the layer should be representative of the sample. These formulae allow one to predict or model the remission, transmission and/or absorption for a sample, given scattering and absorption coefficients that accurately represent the sample. The inverse problem—using spectral data to calculate absorption co...
Mechanism of Wild Oat (Avena fatua L.) Resistance to Imazamethabenz-Methyl

Abstract Imazamethabenz-methyl, an acetolactate synthase inhibitor, is used to control wild oat and blackgrass in wheat. Its selectivity is due to differential rates of metabolism to the biologically active imazamethabenz acid from the parent ester in wheat and susceptible species. Imazamethabenz-methyl is a mixture of meta - and para -isomers (2:3), with the meta -isomer being more phytotoxic to wild oat than the para -isomer. Several studies were conducted to characterize the physiological mechanism of resistance in a wild oat biotype resistant to imazamethabenz-methyl. Dose responses in greenhouse experiments indicated an ED 50 of 0.5 kg ai/ha for the susceptible wild oat biotype and 4.0 kg/ha for the resistant biotype. Acetolactate synthase enzyme extracts from the susceptible wild oat, resistant wild oat, and wheat were equally sensitive to imazamethabenz acid, with I 50 values of 2.3 × 10 −7 M, 2.5 × 10 −7 M, and 3.3 × 10 −7 M, respectively. The meta -isomer was absorbed better than the para -isomer in both resistant and susceptible biotypes, and there were only minor differences in absorption patterns of the same isomer between biotypes. Increased translocation of [ 14 C] imazamethabenz was also observed in the susceptible biotype compared to the resistant biotype. Finally, more meta -isomer was metabolized to the acid form to a greater extent in the susceptible than in the resistant biotype. Apparently, the primary mechanism of resistance to imazamethabenz-methyl in wild oat is due to reduced metabolism of imazamethabenz-methyl to the biologically active imazamethabenz acid and is not due to an altered target site.
Seeding clouds with trust anchors

Customers with security-critical data processing needs are beginning to push back strongly against using cloud computing. Cloud vendors run their computations upon cloud provided VM systems, but customers are worried such host systems may not be able to protect themselves from attack, ensure isolation of customer processing, or load customer processing correctly. To provide assurance of data processing protection in clouds to customers, we advocate methods to improve cloud transparency using hardware-based attestation mechanisms. We find that the centralized management of cloud data centers is ideal for attestation frameworks, enabling the development of a practical approach for customers to trust in the cloud platform. Specifically, we propose a cloud verifier service that generates integrity proofs for customers to verify the integrity and access control enforcement abilities of the cloud platform that protect the integrity of customer's application VMs in IaaS clouds. While a cloud-wide verifier service could present a significant system bottleneck, we demonstrate that aggregating proofs enables significant overhead reductions. As a result, transparency of data security protection can be verified at cloud-scale.
Changing Students' Relationships to Knowledge in a Theme-Study Classroom

Abstract This article reports the conclusions from a year-long experience as a teacher-researcher, in which the author created a theme-study classroom, and reviews the resulting relationships to knowledge that students appeared to form. Theme study, as defined by this study, involved students using the process of inquiry to understand powerful, crosscutting ideas that speak to the students' larger world. Student research became a venue for this inquiry in the classroom, while the author continued to struggle to balance belief structures with the multiple dilemmas of classroom life. The stance of the students toward knowledge in the classroom became a primary concern, as three approaches to knowledge are defined. A stable/passive relationship to knowledge means that students may actively interpret knowledge, but do not criticize it. An inquisitory/active approach involves students in questioning and translating knowledge in the pursuit of expertise. Communal approaches to knowledge involve redefining the p...
Image Chain Modeling and Applications

Modeling the imaging chain of digital cameras is necessary to relate the camera design parameters to the resulting image quality. Applications include designing cameras to meet image quality requirements as well as identifying fake images.
Complex segregation analysis of Carabelli's trait in a Melanesian population.

A complex segregation analysis was performed on Carabelli's trait on the upper first molar utilizing 358 nuclear families from the Solomon Islands of Bougainville and Malaita. Simultaneous estiamtion of three sources of variation by the method of maximum likelihood demonstrates a significant effect of shared sibling environment which accounts for over 19% of the variance in liability for the trait. In addition, a statistically significant major gene influence is discussed and suggestions for quantifying individual liability levels for this and other dental traits are outlined.
Congressional Theatre: Dramatizing McCarthyism on Stage, Film, and Television

Acknowledgments Introduction Part I. The Committee and the Culture: 1. The stage is set 2. The social drama 3. Dramatizing directly Part II. Making Analogies: 4. Witch hunt 5. Inquisition 6. Informers 7. Forensics Conclusion Notes Screen credits Television and radio credits Index.
Reorientation of hydrometeors in aircraft accelerated flow

Abstract The drag force, instantaneous canting angle and response characteristics are discussed for large hydrometeors in horizontally accelerated airflow. Comparisons of calculated canting angles are made with data from an aircraft precipitation spectrometer (Bringi) by assuming an airflow disturbance based on probe geometry. It is concluded that the accelerated airflow is the likely cause of an intrinsic canting angle for raindrops of about 15° but that the force is too weak to appreciably affect the axis ratio. No intrinsic canting was found for graupel.
Salute to an Economist in Faculty Governance

Praises the contribution of John Elliott in the development of academic governance at the University of Southern California: twice elected president of the Faculty Senate, he led its most influential committees and was concerned with faculty rights and responsibilities, promotion and tenure policy, academic freedom, faculty participation in university decision making, and the creation of a faculty handbook defining faculty citizenship in terms consonant with AAUP standards.