cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On-line single droplet deposition for MALDI mass spectrometry

A single droplet generator was coupled with a rotating ball inlet matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) time of flight (TOF) mass spectrometer. Single droplets with 100 picoliter volume were ejected by a piezoelectric-actuated droplet generator and deposited onto a matrix-coated rotating stainless steel ball at atmospheric pressure. The single droplet deposit was transported to the vacuum side of the instrument where ionization was accomplished using a UV pulsed laser. Using this on-line interface, it was possible to obtain protonated molecule signal from as little as 10 fmol analyte.
A Hand Surgeon's Further Experience With Thoracic Outlet Compression Syndrome

Because hand surgeons frequently see patients with arm and hand pain, numbness, and tingling, it is important for them to recognize the possibility of the presence of thoracic outlet compression syndrome (TOCS). Approximately 40% to 50% of patients with this condition have associated peripheral nerve compression symptoms. Only about 10% of patients with suspected TOCS might show some objective evidence during physical examination and other examination modalities. For this reason, TOCS is one of the most overlooked, misdiagnosed, and underrated conditions. During the past 20 years (1989-2009) our surgical experience with combined-approach surgery for TOCS, involving transaxillary first rib resection followed by immediate transcervical anterior and middle scalenectomy, has been gratifying. During this period, more than 750 patients had this combined procedure. Between the end of 1989 and 2002 (13 years), 532 patients (many of whom were from out of state) had this kind of intervention. At the end of 2002, we surveyed our patients for the outcome of their surgery. Unfortunately, we were able to locate only 358 patients, and only 102 patients returned a mailed questionnaire. About 95 patients reported improvement of their symptoms. Since the beginning of 2003, more than 230 patients have had the same procedure. It is our impression that the outcome of the surgery in this last group of patients is at least as good as (if not better than) the earlier reported outcome in the first group of patients. The combined surgical approach to TOCS with transaxillary first rib resection and transcervical scalenectomy is the most complete procedure for total decompression of the thoracic outlet, with a much better rate of improvement of symptoms and a lower rate of recurrences. The surgical techniques of these two procedures are described.
Historical dictionary of Portugal

Portugal is a small Western European nation with a large, distinctive past replete with both triumph and tragedy. One of the continent's oldest nation-states, Portugal has frontiers that are essentially unchanged since the late 14th century. The country's unique character and 850-year history as an independent state present several curious paradoxes. As of 1974, when much of the remainder of the Portuguese overseas empire was decolonized, Portuguese society appeared to be the most ethnically homogeneous of the two Iberian states and of much of Europe. This, in spite of the fact that Portuguese society had received during 2,000 years of infusions of other ethnic groups in invasions and immigration: Phoenicians, Greeks, Celts, Romans, Suevi, Visigoths, Muslims (Arab and Berber), Jews, Italians, Flemings, Burgundian French, black Africans, and Asians. Indeed, Portugal has been a crossroads, despite its relative isolation in the western corner of the Iberian Peninsula, between the West and North Africa, Tropical Africa, and Asia and America. Since 1974, Portugal's society has become less homogeneous as there has been significant immigration of former subjects from her erstwhile overseas empire. The third edition of Historical Dictionary of Portugal greatly expands on the second edition through a chronology, an introductory essay, a bibliography, and hundreds of cross-referenced dictionary entries on important persons, places, events, and institutions, as well as on significant political, economic, social, and cultural aspects.
A north Indonesian basin: geo, thermal and hydrocarbon generation histories

Abstract Geohistory, thermal history, oil generation and accumulation have been examined in an Early Pliocene basin which is located offshore north of Indonesia. The basinal sediments are 4500 m thick and were deposited in about 5 million years, leading to development of high excess fluid pressures (up to 170 atm at 2000 m), mainly due to strong undercompaction. The successive deltaic platforms in the basin are controlled by a major growth fault system, which is probably related to a large overpressured shale diapir. A one dimensional study of two wells was undertaken using an inverse non-linear scheme to determine dynamic and thermal parameters and then to reconstruct the geohistories and thermal histories at the well sites. The two thermal histories suggest a major heating event about 4 million years before present, probably tied to revewed volcanism, which boosted the maturation of organic matter so that the development of hydrocarbons was massively enhanced. Without the heating event, hydrocarbon generation would have been very unlikely in such a young basin.
The Generosity of Antebellum Poor Relief

The 1834 English poor-law reform long has been the subject of controversy among economic historians. Comparatively little attention has been devoted to public relief policy in the antebellum United States. Yet early nineteenth-century Americans also debated, investigated, and reformed their poor laws. Since public relief in America was mandated by state poor laws, the debates as well as the reforms spread unevenly from state to state, leaving no single document like the 1834 English poor law. But numerous state reports and poor laws show that similar issues and experiments stretched across the Atlantic.' As in England, legislators, relief officials, and philanthropists in America expressed growing concern about the problem of pauperism over the early decades of the nineteenth century. Both private and public agencies studied the problem, attempting to understand its causes, estimate its effects, and develop appropriate responses. Many concluded that generous relief itself was a major cause of pauperism, and over the period from the 1820s to the 1840s, state after state adopted legislation providing for the establishment of poorhouses and abolishing or at least limiting the provision of outdoor relief 2 New York State, which adopted a law providing for the establishment of county poorhouses in 1824, was a leader in the poorhouse movement. By 1835, all but four counties in New York were operating poorhouses, and almost 40 percent of all relief recipients were sent to a poorhouse. By 1859, that fraction had fallen to only 19 percent, but one should not conclude that the attempt to tighten up on the relief system was only a fleeting phenomenon.3 Evidence presented here on the generosity of relief in New York suggests that the decline of the poorhouse across the late antebellum period did not herald a rise in the willingness of a prospering society to provide generously for the needy. Three measures of generosity are used throughout this study. Real per capita relief spending, the simplest measure of the financial resources devoted to the public relief system, doubled between 1823 and 1859. But trends in per capita relief spending are influenced by trends in both expenditures per recipient and the number of recipients.4
Tryptophan chemical shift in peptides and proteins: A solid state carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic and quantum chemical investigation

We have obtained the carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of a series of tryptophan-containing peptides and model systems, together with their X-ray crystallographic structures, and used quantum chemical methods to predict the (13)C NMR shifts (or shieldings) of all nonprotonated aromatic carbons (C(gamma), C(delta 2) and C(epsilon 2). Overall, there is generally good accord between theory and experiment. The chemical shifts of Trp C(gamma) in several proteins, hen egg white lysozyme, horse myoglobin, horse heart cytochrome c, and four carbonmonoxyhemoglobins, are also well predicted. The overall Trp C(gamma) shift range seen in the peptides and proteins is 11.4 ppm, and individual shifts (or shieldings) are predicted with an rms error of approximately 1.4 ppm (R value = 0.86). Unlike C(alpha) and N(H) chemical shifts, which are primarily a function of the backbone phi,psi torsion angles, the Trp C(gamma) shifts are shown to be correlated with the side-chain torsion angles chi(1) and chi(2) and appear to arise, at least in part, from gamma-gauche interactions with the backbone C' and N(H) atoms. This work helps solve the problem of the chemical shift nonequivalences of nonprotonated aromatic carbons in proteins first identified over 30 years ago and opens up the possibility of using aromatic carbon chemical shift information in structure determination.
Synthesis and invitro bioactivity of C-terminal deleted analogs of human growth hormone-releasing factor

Abstract A series of C-terminal deleted analogs of human growth hormone-releasing factor (hGRF) with either an amidated or a free carboxylic acid C-terminus were synthesized by solid phase methodology. Their capacity to re;ease growth hormone was tested on rat anterior pituitary cells in monolayer culture. A gradual decrease of bioactivity down to 23% relative to hGRF was noted when the C-terminal amino acids were deleted to hGRF(1–34)OH. Further deletions, however, did not decrease the bioactivity because the potencies of the fragments, hGRF(1–31)NH 2 , (1–30)NH 2 and (1–29)NH 2 remained at about 50% of that of hGRF. Continual deletion of residues to hGRF(1–23)NH 2 , (1–22)NH 2 and (1–21)NH 2 still yielded bioactive fragments with full intrinsic activity despite very low potency. Only with the deletion down to hGRF(1–19)NH 2 did the bioactivity completely disappear. Thus, together with the data published in a previous paper (1), the minimal biologically active core of hGRF with full intrinsic activity comprises the fragment (3–21).
Denaturation and accelerated proteolysis of sizeable heme proteins by synthetic metalloporphyrins

A synthetic, copper porphyrin unwinds the α-helical domains of the heme proteins hemoglobin, myoglobin and cytochrome c, thereby catalysing trypsin-mediated proteolysis.
Capabilities and limitations of multi-regime flamelet combustion models

Flamelet combustion models typically assume that burning occurs in either a fully premixed or a fully non-premixed mode. These assumptions tend to limit the applicability of the models to single-regime combustors. Efforts aimed at reducing this limitation have introduced multi-regime approaches that account for different types of mixing and chemistry interactions. In this study a multi-regime model is applied to two laminar n-heptane flames in an effort to characterize the capabilities and limitations of the approach. Both a 2-D laminar triple flame and a 2-D laminar counter-flow diffusion flame are numerically simulated using the multi-regime model. Data for comparison is generated by additionally simulating the flames using finite rate chemistry, a purely premixed flamelet model, and a purely non-premixed flamelet model. Simulations demonstrate that the multi-regime approach functions as desired, and tends to access flamelets from the appropriate regime under both non-premixed and premixed conditions. Some important differences between the flamelet solutions and finite rate solution are observed, however. These differences are caused by the finite rate solution deviating away from the assumed flamelet manifolds, rather than by inadequate regime predictions. In the analyses of these simulations, an emphasis is placed on understanding the formation of the pollutant species NO. It is shown that even when the local combustion regime is correctly predicted, small deviations from an assumed flamelet manifold can lead to changes in the NO production rate. The simulation results confirm that multi-regime flamelet models are applicable to a wide variety of reacting flows, but the results also help to characterize the limitations of these models.
The Magneton and Planck's Constant

THE relation between the magneton and Planck's constant is even more intimate than Dr. Allen's remarks (NATURE February 5), and his numerical illustration would suggest.
Storsul & Krumsvik - Media innovations: A multidisciplinary study of change

Tanja Storsul & Arne H. Krumsvik (editors) Title: Media innovations: A multidisciplinary study of change Publisher: Nordicomm, 2013 ISBN: 978-91-86523-65-7 282 pages
The Attenuation of Brightness Contrast Caused by Atmospheric Optical Haze

Two physical processes causing the attenuation of brightness contrast of objects by the atmosphere have been isolated. One of these is related to scattering by the particles in the atmosphere and the other is related to convection currents of small local air masses of a variety of optical densities which cross a line of sight during the observation of an object through the atmosphere. These small air masses momentarily deflect the line of sight from the object to its background, thereby changing the apparent contrast of the object viewed. This attenuation process is designated as “optical haze” to distinguish it from reduction in contrast caused by scattering processes. Some authors have referred to this as “shimmer.” In the case of a black object viewed against the horizon as a background, the intensity of optical haze has been found to vary with time throughout the day. This temporal variation of optical haze was found to have at least one minimum during the day, usually after sunrise and before sunset. During the afternoon minimum, the optical haze was found to practically vanish at which time scattering alone was responsible for the atmospheric attenuation of brightness contrast and hence the two attenuation processes could be isolated on days in which the scattering was reasonably constant. On such days, studies of the relative importance of the two physical attenuation processes mentioned have indicated that as much as fifty percent of the atmospheric attenuation of brightness contrast can be attributed to optical haze. This suggests a need for modifying the theoretical treatment of the subject of atmospheric attenuation (to make allowances for optical haze which is ordinarily not considered as a factor).
Impact of the computational method on the geometric and electronic properties of oligo(phenylene vinylene) radical cations

We report on a quantum-chemical study of the electronic and optical properties of unsubstituted oligo(phenylene vinylene) (OPV) radical cations. Our goal is to distinguish the impact of the choice of molecular geometry from the impact of the choice of quantum-chemical method, on the calculated optical transition energies. The geometry modifications upon ionization of the OPV chains are found to depend critically on the theoretical formalism: Hartree-Fock (HF) geometry optimizations lead to self-localization of the charged defects while pure density functional theory (DFT) results in a complete delocalization of the geometric modifications over the whole conjugated backbone. The electronic structure and vertical transition energy associated with the lowest excited state of the radical cations have been calculated at the post-Hartree-Fock level within a configuration interaction (HF-CI) scheme and using the time-dependent DFT (TD-DFT) formalism for different radical cation geometries. Interestingly, the changes in the calculated optical properties obtained when using different geometric structures are less important within a given method than the differences between methods for a given structure. The optical excitation is localized with HF-CI and delocalized with TD-DFT, almost irrespective of the molecular geometry; as a result, HF-CI excitation energies tend to saturate as the chain length increases, in contrast to the results from TD-DFT.
Conditioning of leaf-shape discrimination by chemical cues in the butterfly, Battus philenor

Abstract In a large outdoor screened enclosure, female pipevine swallowtail butterflies ( Battus philenor ) were trained to search selectively for leaves of a shape similar to that of the Aristolochia host species to which they were exposed as adults. Conditioning was reversed by exposure to an alternative host species with a different leaf shape. Results indicated that contact with a host plant without oviposition was sufficient to induce a change in alighting responses to leaves of different shapes. Enclosure assays employing non-host species possessing leaves of different shapes and treated with host extracts demonstrated that females associate the shape of their alighting substrate with host chemicals present on the surface of that substrate. Results suggested that contact with host extracts without oviposition can induce changes in alighting responses to leaves of different shapes. A hypothesis is presented in which the primary host species for which females in an east Texas population learn to search varies seasonally with changes in host leaf chemistry.
Computing Gröbner bases of ideals of few points in high dimensions

A contemporary and exciting application of Grobner bases is their use in computational biology, particularly in the reverse engineering of gene regulatory networks from experimental data. In this setting, the data are typically limited to tens of points, while the number of genes or variables is potentially in the thousands. As such data sets vastly underdetermine the biological network, many models may fit the same data and reverse engineering programs often require the use of methods for choosing parsimonious models. Grobner bases have recently been employed as a selection tool for polynomial dynamical systems that are characterized by maps in a vector space over a finite field.While there are numerous existing algorithms to compute Grobner bases, to date none has been specifically designed to cope with large numbers of variables and few distinct data points. In this paper, we present an algorithm for computing Grobner bases of zero-dimensional ideals that is optimized for the case when the number m of points is much smaller than the number n of indeterminates. The algorithm identifies those variables that are essential, that is, in the support of the standard monomials associated to a polynomial ideal, and computes the relations in the Grobner basis in terms of these variables. When n is much larger than m, the complexity is dominated by nm3. The algorithm has been implemented and tested in the computer algebra system Macaulay 2. We provide a comparison of its performance to the Buchberger-Moller algorithm, as built into the system.
A surface core-level shift photoemission study of the interaction of oxygen with W{100}

Abstract The interaction of oxygen with W(100) up to a coverage, θ, of ~ 2.2 monolayers has been studied using the surface W4f core-level photoemission shifts recorded using synchrotron radiation at a h ν of 130 eV. Discreet chemical shifts ascribed to W bonded to overlayer oxygen; W in a 2d reconstructed oxide layer (formed by annealing above ~ 700 K); W in a WO 2 -like crystallite state; and W in overlayer oxygen saturated W(110) facets (heating at high coverage) have been observed. Simultaneous Auger and LEED data were used to support the assignments by comparison to the detailed previous work that exists in the literature for this system using LEED, Auger, Δφ, ESD and ISS techniques.
Supervisors and Their Response to Poor Performance: A Study of Disciplinary Decision Making

This study examines how first-level supervisors make disciplinary decisions when faced with a performance problem. Using a policy-capturing design, subjects (supervisors from a nonunion financial services organization) were asked to make disciplinary decisions about cases that varied in terms of six different factors: magnitude of the performance decrement, documented warning, waiver, tenure, past performance, and the manner of the employee. The impact of these factors was examined in order to gain insight into the degree to which key social and institutional norms impact disciplinary decisions and, in turn, generate nascent rights for employees. The findings are suggestive as to the relative importance of these norms within the sample as a whole as well as for individual managers within the sample. The implications for our understanding of the role of nascent rights within disciplinary systems are discussed.
Role of retino-hypothalamic pathways in the entrainment of drinking rhythms.

Abstract The role of retino-hypothalamic pathways in the re-entrainment of drinking rhythms after a 12 hr phase shift in the light-dark cycle was investigated by comparing the rate of re-entrainment of unilaterally blinded (UB) rats, rats with split optic chiasms (OCS) and controls. As reported previously, UB rats required more days to invert drinking rhythms than controls. The number of days required to re-entrain OCS rats fell between controls and UB rats but was not statistically significant from either group. Since OCS rats had the fewest retino-hypothalamic connections, the amount of retinal input to the suprachiasmatic nuclei does not appear to play an important role in the rate of re-entrainment. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that the unequal distribution of retino-hypothalamic fibers in UB rats interferes with the entrainment process. Compared to controls, both UB and OCS rats showed a small but significant post-operative reduction in the nocturnality of drinking.
The curse of oil! Search for a formula for global ethics

PurposeThis paper aims to discuss one of the most critical issues of our time, impediments to global ethics, and seeks to explore the question more intensely for a better outcome.Design/methodology/approachThe Robert J. Rutland Center for Ethics at Clemson University was the venue for an annual four‐day event to reflect and discuss ethics, ethical principles, and the framework for ethical decision making. The theme for 2004's seminar was Ethics in Politics – the 5th Annual Ethics across the Curriculum. Four philosophy professors each presented ethics from a slightly different angle with specific cases provided to better illustrate the points raised. In addition, several cases were assigned to groups while each of the four professors acted as discussion leaders.FindingsThe paper begins with the information provided by the seminar instructors. It is followed by the creeping case – a case that is followed by a series of variations that change it in important ways. Additional suggestions are provided for analysis of the case. Some concluding remarks are provided at the end together with relevant passages from the 9/11 Commission Report.Originality/valueThis paper is the writer's contribution to the seminar in the form of a creeping case on the ethics of oil, weapons, and the Middle East.
Effect of thermal loading on the deformations of the optoelectronic package: a moire interferometry approach

Advance optoelectronic packaging is dependent on the fundamental understanding of the constituent materials behavior during manufacturing and thermal cycling. Such understanding will allow increasing yield and performance of the optoelectronic packages while decreasing their cost. The combination of issues such as dimensional stability, thermal management, electrical connections, and optical access are not yet well understood. Dimensional stability of the generic optoelectronic package was studied by the in-plane moire interferometry. Using digital image analysis enhanced data processing one can get the in-plane displacement resolution of 20 nm. The 1200 l/mm grating was transferred on the test vehicle surface before it was subjected to the thermal cycling. The effect of the temperature cycling on the test vehicle integrity was analyzed by studying the relative deformation of the components. It was found that ten cycles in the range of 0° C - 100° C resulted in permanent strain of 400 μstrains at the corner of the brass post and the quartz plate. Thus, the obtained results suggest that during thermal cycling there was an irreversible deformation or slip at the corner of the brass post on the boundary with the quartz plate. The presented here methodology may be used for analysis of the various adhesives under cyclic thermal loading. The obtained data will be very useful for the design of the optoelectronic package, since it will allow for prediction of the possible misalignment and may be used for the reliability studies of the optoelectronic packages.
Coincident intrasellar persistent trigeminal artery and craniopharyngioma: case report and implications for transsphenoidal surgery

Abstract The persistent trigeminal artery (PTA) is the largest and most commonly occurring type of remnant fetal arteries, typically originating from the posterior bend or lateral wall of the intracavernous carotid artery. There are no published reports of coexisting PTA and midline epithelial tumors. We describe a coincident case of craniopharyngioma associated with an adjacent PTA traversing through the sella turcica, which are both developmental midline skull base anomalies. The caliber and location of the PTA precluded an endoscopic endonasal operation; the tumor was safely resected via a supraorbital keyhole approach. Anatomic implications pertaining to surgical approach and treatment are also discussed. Surgeons performing endonasal skull base operations should be vigilant for the presence of PTAs and related vascular anomalies on MR imaging. Noninvasive vascular imaging can confirm and assist with preoperative planning.
Visual and Visuo-tactile Detection of Dental Caries

The objective of this review is to describe and discuss the content validity of a sample of caries detection criteria reported in the literature between January 1, 1966, and May 1, 2000. Using filters to locate randomized or controlled clinical trials on dental caries, fluorides, sealants, and "restorative" care, I identified a total of 171 documents from MEDLINE and the Cochrane Collaboration's Oral Health Group (CC-OHG) special register. These articles met the following inclusion criteria: (1) Data had been collected from samples of patients or populations; and (2) dental caries was assessed clinically, and criteria were either published or described in the paper. From the selected articles, evidence tables were prepared describing each caries detection criterion. Analysis of the content validity of the criteria systems was based on evaluation of the disease process, exclusion of non-caries lesions, subjectivity, use of explorers, and drying of teeth prior to examination. This review included 29 unique criteria systems. Of those, 13 originated from the UK, 3 from the USA, 4 from Denmark, and others from the World Health Organization (WHO), Sweden, Switzerland, Norway, Netherlands, and Canada. Thirteen of the criteria systems either measured active and inactive early and cavitated lesions or defined separate criteria for smooth and occlusal tooth surfaces. Nine systems measured early as well as cavitated stages of the caries process, and 7 measured cavitation only. Eleven of the criteria systems provided explicit descriptions of the disease process measured or information on how to exclude non-caries from caries lesions. The use of explorers and drying and cleaning of teeth varied widely among the criteria. The majority of the newly developed criteria systems originated from Europe. In conclusion, this review of the content validity of the 29 criteria systems found substantial variability in disease processes measured, inclusion and exclusion criteria, and examination conditions.
Understanding of scratch-induced damage mechanisms in polymers

Abstract Following the ASTM and ISO test standards, a series of scratch tests were carried out on four categories of polymers: I) ductile and strong, II) ductile and weak, III) brittle and weak, and IV) brittle and strong. The scratch damage features were characterized by using a desktop scanner for scratch visibility assessment, and optical and electron microscopes for detailed damage mechanisms investigation. Various scratch damage mechanisms were identified for the different categories of polymers. The effect of testing rate on possible alteration of scratch damage mechanisms was also studied. The stress fields experienced by the polymer during scratch were determined using three-dimensional finite element methods modeling. It is found that both the material characteristics and the complex stress state exerted on the scratched surface are responsible for the various scratch damage mechanisms observed. A generalized scratch damage mechanism map for polymers is presented. The usefulness of the above understanding for designing scratch-resistant polymers is also discussed.
Oral typhoid-paratyphoid vaccine

Summary One hundred and seven university students whose sera did not agglutinate typhoid and paratyphoid A and B antigens and who had not had typhoid-paratyphoid immunization were given oral typhoid-paratyphoid vaccine. Six weeks later, none of them had significant agglutination titers against typhoid or paratyphoid antigens. Such absence of agglutinins does not prove lack of immunity. However, if oral typhoidparatyphoid vaccination results in an appreciable immunity, this has not yet been proved satisfactorily, and until proof is established, oral typhoid-paratyphoid vaccination should not be recommended.
Development of a Tip-Leakage Flow Part 2: Comparison Between the Ducted and Un-ducted Rotor

The vortical flow in the tip region of a three-bladed rotor was examined using particle imaging velocimetry (PIV). The vortex forming at the tip of the un-ducted propeller was compared to the tip-leakage vortex of the ducted rotor. The planar flow fields were used to identify regions of concentrated vorticity and determine instantaneous vortex properties, revealing the presence of a primary tip-leakage vortex surrounded by a number of secondary vortices. Comparison between the ducted and un-ducted rotor indicated that the presence of the duct reduced the relative strength of the primary tip vortex, making its strength a smaller fraction of the overall shed circulation near the tip. The weaker tip-leakage vortex then became closer in strength to the other secondary vortices in the tip-flow region. However, for the rotor tip geometry considered here, the radius of the primary vortex core did not vary substantially between the ducted and un-ducted cases. The variability of the flow was larger for the ducted case, in terms of the primary vortex position, its identified circulation, core size, and inferred core pressure. This variability was also observed in the scaled velocity fluctuations near the core of the vortex.
Strain-rate effects on the texture evolution of low-symmetry metals : Modeling and validation using the Taylor cylinder impact test

In this paper, a model for describing the influence of evolving texture on the response of pre-textured metals for dynamic loading conditions is proposed. Yielding is described using a recently developed criterion which captures simultaneously anisotropy and compression-tension asymmetry associated with deformation twinning. The anisotropy coefficients as well as the size of the elastic domain are considered to be functions of the accumulated plastic strain. The specific expressions for the evolution laws are detennined based on experimental data and numerical test results performed with a self-consistent viscoplastic model together with a macroscopic scale interpolation technique. An overstress approach is used to incorporate rate effects in the formulation. Application of the model to the description of the high-strain rate response of low-symmetry (dock-rolled hexagonal-closed-packed zirconium) is presented. The very good agreement between the simulated and experimental post-test geometries of the Taylor impact specimens in terms of major and minor side profiles and impact-interface geometries shows the ability of the model to describe the evolution of anisotropy as a function of the strain rate. shows the ability of the strain rate.
Electrooptic measurement of the volume resistivity of bismuth silicon oxide (Bi12SiO20)

Abstract Single crystals of bismuth silicon oxide (Bi 12 SiO 20 ) and its isomorphs (including, for example, bismuth germanium oxide (Bi 12 GeO 20 )) have been utilized in a wide range of active electrooptic and acoustoopic devices, including the Pockels Readout Optical Modulator (PROM), the PRIZ, the Photorefractive Incoherent-to-Coherent Optical Converter (PICOC), volume holographic storage devices, and surface acoustic wave devices. A key material parameter that influences device performance characteristics is the volume resistivity, which is difficult to measure accurately using standard techniques in refractory oxides like Bi 12 SiO 20 due to its large magnitude (typically 10 13 ω cm). We present here a technique for the measurement of such very high resistivities in electrooptic materials; this method utilizes the electrooptic modulation induced by a voltage placed across the (crystallographically oriented) sample as a probe of temporal voltage transients that are in turn directly related to the sample volume resistivity. In our experiments, a very weak optical probe is frequency modulated, phase detected, and employed at low duty cycle to avoid ambiguities due to photoconductive voltage decay. The technique is described in detail, and experimental results are presented on a number of undoped and doped samples of bismuth silicon oxide grown by the Czochralski technique.
Academic Effects of Concussion in Children and Adolescents

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this work is to study the nature and extent of the adverse academic effects faced by students recovering from concussion. METHOD: A sample of 349 students ages 5 to 18 who sustained a concussion and their parents reported academic concerns and problems (eg, symptoms interfering, diminished academic skills) on a structured school questionnaire within 4 weeks of injury. Postconcussion symptoms were measured as a marker of injury severity. Results were examined based on recovery status (recovered or actively symptomatic) and level of schooling (elementary, middle, and high school). RESULTS: Actively symptomatic students and their parents reported higher levels of concern for the impact of concussion on school performance ( P < .05) and more school-related problems ( P < .001) than recovered peers and their parents. High school students who had not yet recovered reported significantly more adverse academic effects than their younger counterparts ( P < .05). Greater severity of postconcussion symptoms was associated with more school-related problems and worse academic effects, regardless of time since injury ( P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: This study provides initial evidence for a concussion’s impact on academic learning and performance, with more adverse effects reported by students who had not yet recovered from the injury. School-based management with targeted recommendations informed by postinjury symptoms may mitigate adverse academic effects, reduce parent and student concerns for the impact of the injury on learning and scholastic performance, and lower the risk of prolonged recovery for students with active postconcussion symptoms.
Bateman Gradients in Field and Laboratory Studies: A Cautionary Tale'

Abstract Since tools of molecular genetics became readily available, our understanding of bird mating systems has undergone a revolution. The majority of passerine species investigated are socially monogamous, but have been shown to be genetically polygamous. Data sets from natural populations of juncos suggest that multiple mating by females results in a sexual selection gradient as steep for females as for males (a result that does not support Bateman's predictions). However, in males, fitness is enhanced directly through fertilization success with multiple matings; in females fitness benefits may be enhanced immediately through direct access to food, protection against predators, or other resources received from males, or they may be delayed through improvement in offspring quality (e.g., through good genes, or greater genetic compatibility between the female and the extra-pair male). But a steep sexual selection gradient for females can be difficult to interpret. If all females copulate with multiple ...
GPR-Based Fuzzy Model for Bridge Deck Corrosiveness Index

AbstractGround-penetrating radar (GPR) is a rapid technology for evaluating condition of concrete bridge decks subject to rebar corrosion. In this paper, based on a threshold model recently proposed in the literature, a bridge deck corrosiveness index (BDCI), is developed to have an idea where a bridge deck is during its continuous service life and to suggest corresponding maintenance activity. Based on fuzzy set theory, expert opinions were used to calibrate fuzzy membership function for each condition category found by GPR. Then, for a particular bridge deck, area percentages of all condition categories would be utilized to aggregate these functions into a BDCI using weighted fuzzy union (WFU) operation. The benefit of the developed system is twofold. First, it is based on GPR, a more accurate inspection technology. Second, it employs the knowledge provided by bridge community, and, in the meantime, has the capability to deal with fuzzy information associated with expert responses. Using an automated so...
A ferroelectric capacitor macromodel and parameterization algorithm for SPICE simulation

A compact equivalent circuit model, or macromodel, is presented which reproduces both the DC charge storage and transient switching current responses of a ferroelectric capacitor. The macromodel circuit element values are rigorously linked to physical quantities which are readily characterized with simple electrical measurements. A software package is described which both parameterizes and optimizes the model to measured data and outputs a SPICE input file. Together, the macromodel and parameterization software form a complete linkage between material characterization and circuit design which is largely transparent to the design engineer. Optimization results lend insight into the underlying theory of ferroelectric switching and the sources of nonideal charge storage. SPICE simulations demonstrate the utility of the macromodel for VLSI circuit simulation. >
Inspiration-induced vascular responses in finger dorsum skin.

Abstract A rapid and deep inspiration triggers a sympathetically mediated transient vasoconstriction of skin arterioles (inspiratory gasp vascular response, IGVR). Because the IGVR has been most often measured and studied in skin that is rich in arteriovenous anastomoses (AVAs), such as the palmar aspect of the distal phalanx or plantar aspect of the toes, there is little information on its features in skin areas not dominated by thermoregulatory AVAs. Thus, the dependence of the magnitude of the IGVR on AVAs is unclear. We reasoned that if responses in a region of low AVA density, such as the finger dorsum distal phalanx, were comparable to those in AVA-rich skin, this would clarify the issue. Further, it might then be possible to use such areas to provide a useful complementary target for future study of sympathetically induced vasoconstriction. To test this, we determined the features of the finger dorsum IGVR in 28 healthy volunteers (age 19–57 years, 14 males) in whom distal phalanx skin blood perfusion (SBF) was monitored by laser–Doppler during 21 sequential IGVRs, each separated by 2 min. IGVR was quantified as the minimum SBF during each IGVR, expressed as a percentage of each immediately preceding 2-min SBF average. Results (mean ± SD) revealed an overall IGVR of 72.2 ± 16.7%, which is very near that reported from studies on the AVA-rich palmar finger pad. We therefore conclude that the IGVR does not depend on the presence of AVAs and that the dorsal distal phalanx is a viable alternative for the study of sympathetically related neurovascular responses.
Deduction of emissions of source gases using an objective inversion algorithm and a chemical transport model

An inversion algorithm, constructed to deduce the emissions of a source gas required to produce a specified surface concentration, is applied to the observed surface concentrations of CFC 11, methylchloroform, and methane, using a two-dimensional chemical transport model. The information utilized for this deduction process is limited to the measured atmospheric concentration of the source gas, including the associated standard deviations of these measurements. In this way the amount of objective information available in these measurements is assessed. The algorithm is shown to be capable of producing a latitudinal emissions distribution as well as the error bounds on the deduced emission distribution. The 'ill posed' nature of this inverse problem is discussed as well as the implications this has on the spatial and temporal resolution at which emissions can be resolved. Finally, a methane emission distribution is deduced which has the expected seasonal variations and consistent with results from other, more subjective, deduction studies.
Double-chamber microbial fuel cell with a non-platinum-group metal Fe-N-C cathode catalyst.

© 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim. Non-Pt-group metal (non-PGM) materials based on transition metal-nitrogen-carbon (M-N-C) and derived from iron salt and aminoantipyrine (Fe-AAPyr) of mebendazole (Fe-MBZ) were studied for the first time as cathode catalysts in double-chamber microbial fuel cells (DCMFCs). The pH value of the cathode chamber was varied from 6 to 11 to elucidate the activity of those catalysts in acidic to basic conditions. The Fe-AAPyr- and Fe-MBZ-based cathodes were compared to a Pt-based cathode used as a baseline. Pt cathodes performed better at pH 6-7.5 and had similar performances at pH 9 and a substantially lower performance at pH 11 at which Fe-AAPyr and Fe-MBZ demonstrated their best electrocatalytic activity. The power density achieved with Pt constantly decreased from 94-99 μW cm-2 at pH 6 to 55-57 μW cm-2 at pH 11. In contrast, the power densities of DCMFs using Fe-AAPyr and Fe-MBZ were 61-68 μW cm-2 at pH 6, decreased to 51-58 μW cm-2 at pH 7.5, increased to 65-75 μW cm-2 at pH 9, and the highest power density was achieved at pH 11 (68-80 μW cm-2). Non-PGM cathode catalysts can be manufactured at the fraction of the cost of the Pt-based ones. The higher performance and lower cost indicates that non-PGM catalysts may be a viable materials choice in large-scale microbial fuel cells.
Correlates of interspecific synchrony and interannual variation in seed production by deciduous trees

Eastern deciduous forests are populated with avariety of hardwood species, with composition at large scales determined by a complex interplay of temperature, moisture, and disturbance. An understanding of seed production is important in the context of forest regeneration and wildlife management. We analyzed time series data obtained from the literature to investigate (1) the effects of life-history characteristics on interannual covariation in seed production; (2) the environmental drivers of interannual variation in seed production; (3) the effects of spatial relations on seed production. Life-history attributes accounted for between 9% and 29% of annual covariation in interspecific seed production. Phylogenetic similarity was an important determinant of covariation in seed production across species groups. Similarity in geographic range had a positive effect on covariation among oak species, but a negative effect on covariation among non-oak species. Weather accounted for 18.1% of thevariation in seed production for oaks of the Lobatae section and 12.2% of the variation in seed production for oaks of the Quercus section. Climate was only significant for oaks of the Quercus section, with climate variables accounting for 14% of the variation in seed production. For two species, red and white oak, therewas a significant east‐west gradient in acorn production, possibly indicating the presence of a precipitation gradient. These results provide a comprehensive overview of seed production across eastern North America through time. # 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Measurement of the radiated electric fields from electrostatic discharge

A system to measure the time and frequency domain characteristics of transient electric fields with risetimes on the order of a nanosecond is described. The response of the system using two broadband electric field sensors (a truncated transverse-electromagnetic horn and a hemispherical antenna) is compared using three different electrostatic discharge sources (a human body through a metallic screwdriver, a finger, and an electrostatic discharge tester). Time-domain electrostatic-discharge radiated electric field (R=1.0 m) waveforms were measured using a broadband (750-MHz) single-shot measurement system in a laboratory with a 6-ns time window. Time to frequency conversion using the fast Fourier transform permitted frequency-domain characteristics to be determined. Since the time-domain waveforms are quite complex. it is difficult to make comparisons in the time domain. Frequency-domain characteristics were therefore examined. The voltage output from both antennas was shown to be quite different below 80 MHz, and somewhat similar above 80 MHz. >
Do rare variant genotypes predict common variant genotypes

The synthetic association hypothesis proposes that common genetic variants detectable in genome-wide association studies may reflect the net phenotypic effect of multiple rare polymorphisms distributed broadly within the focal gene rather than, as often assumed, the effect of common functional variants in high linkage disequilibrium with the focal marker. In a recent study, Dickson and colleagues demonstrated synthetic association in simulations and in two well-characterized, highly polymorphic human disease genes. The converse of this hypothesis is that rare variant genotypes must be correlated with common variant genotypes often enough to make the phenomenon of synthetic association possible. Here we used the exome genotype data provided for Genetic Analysis Workshop 17 to ask how often, how well, and under what conditions rare variant genotypes predict the genotypes of common variants within the same gene. We found nominal evidence of correlation between rare and common variants in 21-30% of cases examined for unrelated individuals; this rate increased to 38-44% for related individuals, underscoring the segregation that underlies synthetic association.
Wound botulism in California, 1951-1998: recent epidemic in heroin injectors

California has reported most of the world's wound botulism (WB) cases and nearly three-fourths of the cases reported in the United States. We reviewed the clinical, epidemiologic, and laboratory features of WB. From the first case in 1951, through 1998, a total of 127 cases were identified-93 in the last 5 years. The dramatic increase has been due to an epidemic (of WB) in people who inject black tar heroin. Whereas early cases of WB occurred after gross trauma, all but 1 of the last 102 cases occurred in drug users, primarily those who inject drugs subcutaneously ("skin poppers"). Cases are occurring disproportionately in Hispanics and women. Misdiagnosis and diagnostic delays of up to 64 days have occurred. This unprecedented, ongoing epidemic is now being reported in other states. We discuss the clinical and laboratory features that distinguish botulism from conditions that can mimic it, the relative yield of various diagnostic laboratory tests for botulism, and its treatment.