cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Survival and differentiation of cultured retinal progenitors transplanted in the subretinal space of the rat.

We have shown that embryonic retina contains progenitors which display stem cell properties in vitro. These cells are proliferative and in addition to expressing the neuroectodermal marker, nestin, are multipotential. These properties and the fact that the putative stem cells can differentiate as photoreceptors when exposed to conducive environment identify them as a viable transplantation reagents to address degenerative retinal diseases. Here we report the survival and differentiation of cultured retinal progenitors upon subretinal transplantation. The retinal progenitor grafts, either as neural spheres or in the form of dissociated cells, survived without disrupting the morphology and laminar organization of the host retina. They did not form rosettes, the morphological barrier to the reconstruction of the normal anatomy of the retina. In addition, transplanted progenitors expressed photoreceptor-specific markers, suggesting that progenitors have the potential to differentiate as photoreceptors. Our observations suggest that cultured retinal progenitors can be a viable reagents for therapeutic transplantation.
Occupational medicine: Toward a worker/patient empowerment approach to occupational illness

Clinicians practicing occupational medicine are increasingly confronted with patients who have complex illnesses with chronic nonspecific symptoms. Most clinicians use the traditional tools of biom...
Does reception of appropriate shocks from the implantable cardioverter defibrillator affect survival

The implantable cardioverter defibrillator has become an important therapeutic modality for treatment of life-threatening ventricular tachyarrhythmias. Recent reports have suggested that patients who receive appropriate shocks from this device have an inordinately high overall mortality, and questioned the extent of benefit these patients derive from the implant. This report analyzed the survival among 184 patients who received the implantable cardioverter defibrillator to assess survival differences between patients who received appropriate shocks versus those who did not. At a mean follow-up of 24 +/- 18.7 months, 68 patients received an appropriate shock from their device while 116 did not receive an appropriate shock. Overall survival of the entire population was quite similar to those published by others. There was no significant difference between overall survival of patients who received an appropriate shock versus those who did not. However, there was a statistically significant difference in sudden death mortality. The group of patients that received appropriate shocks included all five sudden deaths. This observation suggested that sudden death in this population was likely due to ventricular tachyarrhythmias rather than strictly bradycardia or asystole. The "benefit" of the device to the entire population was also assessed by estimating survival after receipt of the first appropriate shock. Using this approach, an estimated 10% of patients died without receiving an appropriate shock. In other words, ultimately, 90% of patients were expected to benefit from the device. This survival curve, which initiated only after receipt of the first appropriate shock was fairly similar to those estimated from conventional methods. Therefore, survival after receipt of an appropriate shock was comparable to overall survival and there was no significant difference between survival of patients who received appropriate shocks and those who did not.
THE HIGHLY DEUTERATED CHEMISTRY OF THE EARLY UNIVERSE

A comprehensive chemistry of the highly deuterated species D2 ,D + ,D 2H + , and D + in the early universe is presented. Fractional abundances for each are calculated as a function of redshift z in the recombination era. The abundances of the isotopologues are found to display similar behavior. Fractionation enhances the abundances of most of the more highly deuterated species as the redshift decreases due to the closing of some reaction channels as the gas temperature cools. Rate coefficients for the majority of the reactions involving the deuterated species are uncertain resulting in a corresponding uncertainty in their predicted abundances.
Low glycemic index treatment for epilepsy in tuberous sclerosis complex.

Summary Retrospective chart review of 15 patients with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) who initiated the low glycemic index treatment (LGIT) for epilepsy management at Massachusetts General Hospital over a five-year period. Prior to dietary therapy, this cohort (average age: 8.5 years) had tried an average of 5.8 anti-epileptic drugs with incomplete seizure control. At 6 months on the LGIT, 7/15 (47%) patients experienced >50% reduction in seizure frequency.
AN EXTENSION OF PICARD-LINDELOFF THEOREM TO FRACTIONAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS

The method of contraction mapping defined on a complete metric space is used to prove the existence and uniqueness of solutions of the system of differential equations: together with the initial condition y(xo)=yo, where y(α is the Riemann-Liouville derivative of non integer order a of a real valued vector function y(x), under usual continuity and Lipschitz conditions on the function f. The classical Picard-Lindeloff theorem for ordinary differential equations of integer order is a special case of the main result when α = 1. Some examples are given. Finally, consequences for the linear case are obtained.
Modeling of the Annual Cycle of Soil Moisture

Primary productivity depends strongly on seasonal variations of soil moisture and evaporation. It is also known that the amount of soil moisture and its rate of exchange, both indispensable factors of any plant-climate model, are difficult to assess. For example, Lemon et al. (1971) mention specifically that soil moisture variations and evaporation processes are not very successfully simulated by the so-called “SPAM” model with which he describes the “Sun’s Work in a Cornfield.” This steady state model is an example of the microstructure approach with empha sis on the complexities of a specific plant canopy. On the other end of the spectrum are global-scale models as exemplified by Lieth and Box (1972), who simulate world-wide relationships between primary productivity and annual averages of evapotranspiration in the “Thornthwaite Memorial Model.”
Dependence of Semiconductor to Metal Transition of VO2(011)/NiO{100}/MgO{100}/TiN{100}/Si{100} Heterostructures on Thin Film Epitaxy and Nature of Strain

We have studied semiconductor to metal transition (SMT) characteristics of VO2(011) thin films integrated epitaxially with Si(100) through NiO{001}/MgO{001}/TiN{001} buffer layers and correlated with the details of epitaxy and nature of residual stresses and strains across the VO2/NiO interface. Thin film epitaxy at both room and elevated temperatures is studied in detail by electron microscopy and in situ high-temperature X-ray diffraction techniques. The epitaxial relationship across the interface between monoclinic VO2 and NiO is determined to be (011)VO2||{100}NiO and [01¯1]VO2||[001]NiO at room temperature. The epitaxial alignment at the temperature of growth where tetragonal VO2 is stable is determined as: (110)VO2||{100}NiO and [001]VO2||[100]NiO. A cube-on-cube crystallographic alignment is established across the NiO{100}/MgO{100}/TiN{100}/Si{100} interfaces. The misfit strains across the VO2/NiO interface at the growth temperature are calculated and the mechanism of strain relaxation is discussed. The out-of-plane orientation is found to be relaxed in both monoclinic and tetragonal states of VO2. It is shown that a compressive strain of 31.65% along the [001] direction of tetragonal VO2 is fully relaxed via matching of multiple domains. However, a small tensile misfit strain of about 5% along [11¯0] direction cannot relax and remains in the lattice. This tensile residual strain leads to a compressive strain along [001] axis which, in turn, results in an SMT temperature slightly lower than that of freestanding strain-free VO2. SMT characteristics of VO2(011) epilayers are assessed where an amplitude of near five orders of magnitude, and a hysteresis of less than 3.6 °C are obtained. This study introduces VO2/NiO thin film heterostructure integrated with silicon as a promising candidate for multifunctional devices with novel characteristics where a combination of sensing, manipulation, and response functions is needed.
Genetic analysis of resistance to benzimidazoles in Physarum: differential expression of beta-tubulin genes.

Physarum displays two vegetative cell types, uninucleate myxamoebae and multinucleate plasmodia. Mutant myxamoebae of Physarum resistant to the antitubulin drug methylbenzimidazole-2-yl-carbamate (MBC) were isolated. All mutants tested were cross-resistant to other benzimidazoles but not to cycloheximide or emetine. Genetic analysis showed that mutation to MBC resistance can occur at any one of four unlinked loci, benA, benB, benC or benD. MBC resistance of benB and benD mutants was expressed in plasmodia, but benA and benC mutant plasmodia were MBC sensitive, suggesting that benA and benC encode myxamoeba-specific products. Myxamoebae carrying the recessive benD210 mutation express a β-tubulin with noval electrophoretic mobility, in addition to a β-tubulin with wild-type mobility. This and other evidence indicates that benD is a structural gene for β-tubulin, and that at least two β-tubulin genes are expressed in myxamoebae. Comparisons of the β-tubulins of wildtype and benD210 strains by gel electrophoresis revealed that, of the three (or more) β-tubulin genes expressed in Physarum, one, benD, is expressed in both myxamoebae and plasmodia, one is expressed specifically in myxamoebae and one is expressed specifically in plasmodia. However, mutation in only one gene, benD, is sufficient to confer MBC resistance on both myxamoebae and plasmodia.
A deterministic connectionist machine for the traveling salesman problem

A deterministic connectionist machine for solving the traveling salesman problem (TSP) is proposed. The original TSP is reformulated as a penalty problem, i.e., an unconstrained nonlinear programming problem with penalty terms. A deterministic connectionist machine is designed to realize the solution procedure for the penalty problem. The major feature of the machine is that the penalty parameter increases as the states evolve, so the generated tours are always valid. The stability of state trajectories and feasibility of the generated solutions for the proposed connectionist machine are theoretically and practically justified. A simulation algorithm is presented, and numerical simulations results are reported. They show that the motion of the state is always asymptotically stable, the generated tours are always valid and near-optimal if not optimal, and the solution procedure is fairly robust to the selection of the step length, initial state, and initial penalty parameter. >
Biological Activity of the Spinosyns, New Fermentation Derived Insect Control Agents, on Tobacco Budworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Larvae

The spinosyns are a new class of fermentation-derived tetracyclic-macrolide insect control agents that are active against lepidopterous pests such as the tobacco bud worm, Heliothis virescens (F.). Nine spinosyns, 2 pesudoaglycones (each lacking 1 of the sugar moieties), and the aglycone (lacking both sugar moieties) were tested on neonate H. virescens larvae in a drench assay. Spinosyn A, the principle component of spinosad (Tracer Naturalyte Insect Control), was the most active of the spinosyns examined (spinosyn A LC50 = 0.3 ppm) and was as active as cypermethrin (LC50 = 0.26 ppm). Spinosyn A was also tested directly against cypermethrin in a further series of laboratory efficacy assays. Although spinosyn A (LD50 = 1.28,2.25 mg/g) was significantly less active than cypermethrin (LD50 = 0.52 mg/g) in topical bioassays against 3rd-instar H. virescens , the results show spinosyn A to be in the activity range of some pyrethoids and more active than a variety of other insect control agents. Spinosyn A and cypermethrin exhibited a rapid knockdown of 3rd instar H. viescens larvae with T50s (time to 50% knockdown) at 10 mg per larva of 81 min and 25 min, respectively. Spinosyn A was significantly less active than cypermethrin in a dried residue contact bioassay, but equivalent (no significant differences) in activity to cypermethrin in diet/egg and leaf-spray bioassays, and significantly more active than cypermethrin in a leaf-dip bioassay. Thus, spinosyn A demonstrates that natural products can provide efficacy against pest lepidopterous larvae, such as H.. virescens , that is on par with that observed for some of the most active synthetic insect control agents, including many pyrethroids.
Functional assessment in spinal cord injury: a comparison of the Modified Barthel Index and the 'adapted' Functional Independence Measure:

The Modified Barthel Index (MBI) and the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) have been used to provide objective measures of functional status and change of spinal cord injured (SCI) patients. To compare rating scores on the MBI and FIM, the functional abilities of 41 SCI patients were rated by one trained nurse-clinician using both scales at admission to initial rehabilitation (ADM), discharge from rehabilitation (DC) and at follow-up (FU) 12 months after rehabilitation. An 'adapted' FIM score was used, and total MBI and FIM scores were divided into self-care and mobility subscores. Comparisons were made between each MBI score and each FIM score at each point in time (ADM, DC, FU) using simple linear regression, which was also used to compare changes in the MBI and FIM scores from ADM to DC and from DC to FU. Excellent correlations ( p<0.0005) were found between MBI and FIM scores at all points in time and between changes in MBI scores and changes in FIM scores over each time interval.
STK31/TDRD8, a Germ Cell-Specific Factor, Is Dispensable for Reproduction in Mice

Tudor domain containing (Tdrd) proteins that are expressed in germ cells are divided into two groups. One group, consisting of TDRD1, TDRKH, TDRD9 and TDRD12, function in piRNA biogenesis and retrotransposon silencing, while the other group including RNF17/TDRD4 and TDRD5-7 are required for spermiogenesis. These Tdrd proteins play distinct roles during male germ cell development. Here, we report the characterization of STK31/TDRD8 in mice. STK31 contains a tudor domain and a serine/threonine kinase domain. We find that STK31 is a cytoplasmic protein in germ cells. STK31 is expressed in embryonic gonocytes of both sexes and postnatal spermatocytes and round spermatids in males. Disruption of the tudor domain and kinase domain of STK31 respectively does not affect fertility in mice. Our data suggest that the function of STK31 may be redundant with other Tdrd proteins in germ cell development.
The physics of vortex merger and the effects of ambient stable stratification

The merging of a pair of symmetric, horizontally oriented vortices in unstratified and stably stratified viscous fluid is investigated. Two-dimensional numerical simulations are performed for a range of flow conditions. The merging process is resolved into four phases of development and key underlying physics are identified. In particular, the deformation of the vortices, explained in terms of the interaction of vorticity gradient, ∇ω, and rate of strain, S, leads to a tilt in ω contours in the vicinity of the center of rotation (a hyperbolic point). In the diffusive/deformation phase, diffusion of the vortices establishes the interaction between ∇ω and mutually induced S. During the convective/deformation phase, induced flow by filaments and, in stratified flow, baroclinically generated vorticity (BV), advects the vortices thereby modifying S, which, in general, may enhance or hinder the development of the tilt. The tilting and diffusion of w near the center hyperbolic point causes w from the core region to enter the exchange band where it is entrained. In the convective/entrainment phase, the vortex cores are thereby eroded and ultimately entrained into the exchange band, whose induced flow becomes dominant and transforms the flow into a single vortex. The critical aspect ratio, associated with the start of the convective/entrainment phase, is found to be the same for both the unstratified and stratified flows. In the final diffusive/axisymmetrization phase, the flow evolves towards axisymmetry by diffusion. In general, the effects of stratification depend on the ratio of the diffusive time scale (growth of cores) to the turnover time (establishment of BV), i.e. the Reynolds number. A crossover Reynolds number is found, above which convective merging is accelerated with respect to unstratified flow and below which it is delayed.
Hebbian and error-correction learning for complex-valued neurons

In this paper, we observe some important aspects of Hebbian and error-correction learning rules for complex-valued neurons. These learning rules, which were previously considered for the multi-valued neuron (MVN) whose inputs and output are located on the unit circle, are generalized for a complex-valued neuron whose inputs and output are arbitrary complex numbers. The Hebbian learning rule is also considered for the MVN with a periodic activation function. It is experimentally shown that Hebbian weights, even if they still cannot implement an input/output mapping to be learned, are better starting weights for the error-correction learning, which converges faster starting from the Hebbian weights rather than from the random ones.
Coterminous locality and coterminous group data prefetching on chip-multiprocessors

Due to shared cache contentions and interconnect delays, data prefetching is more critical in alleviating penalties from increasing memory latencies and demands on chip-multiprocessors (CMPs). Through deep analysis of SPEC2000 applications, we find that a part of the nearby data memory references often exhibit highly-repeated patterns with long, but equal block reuse distance. These references can form a coterminous group (CG). Coterminous locality is introduced as that when a member in a CG is referenced, the remaining members will likely be referenced in the near future. Based on the coterminous locality behavior, we implement a novel CG data prefetcher on CMPs. Performance evaluations show that the proposed prefetcher can accurately cover up to 40-50% of the total misses, and result in 50-60% of potential performance improvement for several selected workload mixes.
Socialist Neighborhoods after Socialism The Past, Present, and Future of Postwar Housing in the Czech Republic

The Czech Republic’s socialist-era neighborhoods are largely intact twenty years after the end of Communist Party rule. These buildings will be rehabilitated, but not replaced, because of financial and logistical constraints. In the context of the country’s accession to the European Union in 2004 and the recent global economic crisis, this essay questions what can and should be done in an effort to make these neighborhoods better places to live in the present and the future. It starts with a brief history of postwar housing construction and socialist-era design methodologies, exploring postwar architectural practice and innovations in construction technology that were connected to the industrialization of housing production. The role of the Baťa Company in the development of panelak technology is described. In the context of post-socialist rehabilitation efforts, the discussion addresses current housing policy including regulated rents and the shift in emphasis from renting to ownership. Government subsid...
Theory Building From Cases: Opportunities And Challenges

This article discusses the research strategy of theory building from cases, particularly multiple cases. Such a strategy involves using one or more cases to create theoretical constructs, propositions, and/or midrange theory from case-based, empirical evidence. Replication logic means that each case serves as a distinct experiment that stands on its own merits as an analytic unit. The frequent use of case studies as a research strategy has given rise to some challenges that can be mitigated by the use of very precise wording and thoughtful research design.
Regulation of in vitro renin secretion by ANG II feedback manipulation in vivo in the ovine fetus

The renin-angiotensin system is critically important to fetal cardiovascular function and organ development. The feedback regulation of renin secretion by ANG II develops early in gestation yet doe...
Timing of hibernation and reproduction in the endangered New Mexico meadow jumping mouse (Zapus hudsonius luteus)

Hibernation is a key life history feature that can impact many other crucial aspects of a species’ biology, such as its survival and reproduction. I examined the timing of hibernation and reproduction in the federally endangered New Mexico meadow jumping mouse (Zapus hudsonius luteus), which occurs across a broad range of latitudes and elevations in the American Southwest. Data from museum specimens and field studies supported predictions for later emergence and shorter active intervals in montane populations relative to low-elevation populations. A low-elevation population located at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge (BANWR) in the Rio Grande valley was most similar to other populations of Z. hudsonius: the first emergence date was in mid-May and there was an active interval of 162 days. In montane populations of Z. h. luteus, the date of first emergence was delayed until mid-June and the active interval was reduced to ca 130 days, similar to some populations of the western jumping mouse (Z. princeps). Last date of immergence into hibernation occurred at about the same time in all populations (mid to late October). Evidence suggests that females may have a single litter per year in montane populations. At BANWR two peaks in reproduction were expected based on similarity of active season to Z. h. preblei, but the population exhibited little detectable above-ground activity in August, which could stem from a failure of the population to produce early litters. Recommendations are made with respect to appropriate timing of surveys for Z. h. luteus.
Interconversion of Plasma Lipoproteins

Interconversion of a lipoprotein molecule to a lipoprotein molecule of different physical and chemical properties perhaps can be best considered in terms of our current understanding of lipoprotein structure. Thus, normal lipoproteins are generally described as spherical structures with a core of triglycerides and cholesteryl esters stabilized by a surface of specific apoproteins, phospholipids and cholesterol (1, 2). On the surface, the phospholipids and cholesterol form a monolayer in which apoproteins exhibiting amphipathic helical regions are embedded. This overview will consider interconversions which result from significant alterations in molecular size and/or shape due to enzymatically or physico-chemically-induced changes in core and/or surface domains of a lipoprotein molecule. Analytic approaches to the investigation of interconversions include: preparative and analytic ultracentrifugation, electron microscopy, gel chromatography and electrophoresis, and chemical analysis.
Marine Disposal of Radioactive Waste: An Overview with Examples from the Coastal Water Situation

Basic requirements for controlling the introduction of toxic materials to the environment are given. The criteria for satisfactory control are examined in relation to radioactivity. Current radiological protection requirements are noted and commented upon in an environmental context. In particular the requirement to reduce radiation exposure to levels as low as are reasonably achievable is examined and especially the significance of very low doses delivered far into the future. Against this background the control of radioactive discharges to coastal waters, as exemplified by the Sellafield sea discharges, are reviewed. It is concluded that satisfactory radiological control of coastal discharges is attainable both in terms of short and long term consequences and that the increasing emphasis on socio-political aspects of such situations presents a greater potential problem.
What Exactly are Exactions

This brief piece for the publication of the Environmental Law Section of the New York Bar Association discusses the potential implications of Koontz v. St. John's River Water Management District (pending before the U.S. Supreme Court) and its implications for New York law. While all exactions must undergo a Nollan/Dolan level of scrutiny, New York courts have limited the reach of this analysis by narrowly defining what constitutes an exaction. In Smith v. Town of Mendon, the New York Court of Appeals defined exactions strangely. First, it held that conservation restrictions did not qualify as exactions unless they required public access. Second, bound by precedent, the court recognized that in lieu fees are exactions requiring Nollan/Dolan analysis. These holdings seem out of step with Supreme Court jurisprudence and likely to require revisitation after the Court issues its opinion in Koontz. At oral argument, the justices appeared to interpret exactions much more broadly than the New York courts.
Scanning electron-microscopic and magnetic resonance-imaging studies of injuries to the patellofemoral joint after acute transarticular loading

To examine the effects of transarticular loading on articular cartilage and subchondral bone, we used a canine model that we had developed previously, in which a standardized load of approximately 2000 newtons is delivered across the patellofemoral joint. The purpose of the study was to define and describe the initial changes, as seen on histopathological and magnetic resonance-imaging studies, that occur in the early stages after injury to the joint by transarticular loading. Scanning electron microscopy was used to define the extent and characteristics of the fractures produced in the subchondral bone of four patellae that were examined on the day of loading. We found multiple, extensive fractures through the zone of calcified cartilage and the subchondral bone, frequently with step-off displacement, and with little or no change in the gross appearance of the articular cartilage. Specimens from four patellae were examined histologically two weeks after loading, and the observed changes were correlated with those that had been demonstrated by scanning electron microscopy. Fractures through the zone of calcified cartilage and the subchondral bone, with step-off displacement, were prominent. Clefts were present in the surface of the articular cartilage and, in some areas, there was a focal loss of proteoglycan from the extracellular matrix, as indicated by the complete absence of staining with safranin O. Six dogs were examined one year after loading. There was healing of the subchondral fractures and restoration of proteoglycan in the extracellular matrix. However, superficial clefts and fissures were still present in the articular cartilage. Sequential magnetic resonance-imaging studies were also carried out on these six dogs, at two, eight, sixteen, thirty-six, and fifty-two weeks after loading. Two weeks after loading, all knees had soft-tissue swelling, effusion, and a decreased marrow signal in the medullary cavity of the patella. The decreased marrow signal and effusion were still present eight weeks after the impact, and then the findings gradually returned to normal. One year after loading, it was found that the histopathological changes had not been progressive; in fact, they had been ameliorated and, to some extent, reversed by repair processes. The early, severe magnetic resonance-imaging changes had also been reversed, so that this study demonstrated normal findings by one year after loading.
The Associative Property of Attribution Linking

A number of methods have been developed to link single-period arithmetic attribution results, including the Carino logarithmic method, the Frongello methods, the Menchero method and some Ad Hoc methods. We point out an omitted but necessary property, the associative property, which renders the Menchero and the Ad Hoc methods invalid. We present evidence that non-associative methods violate another necessary property which we refer to as "sign preservation." These distinct but related properties provide strong support for the use of the Carino and Frongello methods, which often produce similar results.
Anisotropic Stokes Drag and Dynamic Lift on Spheres Sedimenting in a Nematic Liquid Crystal

The motion of silica spheres with homeotropic anchoring sedimenting within nematic liquid crystal 4-cyano-4′-pentylbiphenyl (5CB) has been studied at low Ericksen number. The magnitude of the spheres’ velocity depends on the angle θ between the far-field nematic director and the gravitational force, indicating an anisotropic Stokes drag. When the director is oriented at an oblique angle to the gravitational force, the velocity also acquires a component normal to the force, demonstrating the existence of a lift force generated by the fluid. The magnitude and direction of the velocity as functions of θ quantitatively obey theoretically predicted forms.
Test of a foraging-bioenergetics model to evaluate growth dynamics of endangered pallid sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus)

Abstract Factors affecting feeding and growth of early life stages of the federally endangered pallid sturgeon ( Scaphirhynchus albus ) are not fully understood, owing to their scarcity in the wild. In this study was we evaluated the performance of a combined foraging-bioenergetics model as a tool for assessing growth of age-0 pallid sturgeon in the Missouri River. In the laboratory, three size classes of sturgeon larvae (18–44 mm; 0.027–0.329 g) were grown for 7 to 14 days under differing temperature (14–24 °C) and prey density (0–9 Chironomidae larvae/d) regimes. After accounting for effects of water temperature and prey density on fish activity, we compared observed final weight, final length, and number of prey consumed to values generated from the foraging-bioenergetics model. When confronted with an independent dataset, the combined model provided reliable estimates (within 13% of observations) of fish growth and prey consumption, underscoring the usefulness of the modeling approach for evaluating growth dynamics of larval fish when empirical data are lacking.
Photopolymerizable Reproduction Systems Chemistry and Applications

AbstractSeveral practical reproduction systems are based on photopolymerization. This review describes the chemistry of photopolymerization including absorption of radiant energy, photogeneration of free radicals, the polymerization reaction, inhibition, and methods of image detection and readout. Sensitometry is presented together with the performance of several commercial photographic applications of photopolymerization.
Developing Eyes to See and Ears to Hear: Ministering to Self-Injurers

ABSTRACT This article contends that the phenomenon of self-injurious behavior is often overlooked or misunderstood by ministers. Considered by some to be an addictive behavior itself, it frequently emerges from and attends other addictions. Like addictive behaviors, self-injury yields spiritual damage that demands thoughtful and creative responses from lay and ordained ministers. Those who engage in self-injurious behavior must first be seen and heard. In addition to psychotherapy, self-injurers have a special need for pastoral care, including spiritual direction and community, worship and liturgy, and healing rituals. Suggestions are made for how ministers can begin to help re-bind what has been rent in self-injurers. Implications for future research and interpretation are noted.
Breaking the World to Make It Whole Again: Attribution in the Construction of Emotion:

In their cognitive theory of emotion, Schachter and Singer proposed that feelings are separable from what they are about. As a test, they induced feelings of arousal by injecting epinephrine and th...
17.7 A packaged 90-to-300GHz transmitter and 115-to-325GHz coherent receiver in CMOS for full-band continuous-wave mm-wave hyperspectral imaging

Millimeter-wave/THz hyperspectral imaging has numerous applications in security, non-destructive evaluation, material characterization, and medical diagnostics [1]. Unlike single-frequency imaging, hyperspectral imaging operates over a wide frequency range and offers spectroscopic information on each imaging pixel. This combines mm-wave/THz high-resolution imaging with spectroscopy and improves detection sensitivity and specificity. In practice, pulse-based imaging supports fast data acquisition, but requires receiver (RX) with real-time wideband sampling (>50GHz). Such instantaneous broadband imaging modality inevitably exhibits severely degraded sensitivity (due to integrated noise) and requires high-end signal sampling, both of which make it very challenging to achieve a low-cost SoC solution. On the other hand, continuous-wave (CW) imaging supports better sensitivity, especially using coherent detection method with a low IF bandwidth [2–5]. Its operation allows for the use of a simplified heterodyne receiver, enabling silicon-based implementations of the entire imaging system. However, there are limited mm-wave/THz integrated electronic systems available that support CW hyperspectral imaging with a large bandwidth (BW), sufficient output power (P out ), and high sensitivity. Some existing CW transmitters (TX) use the harmonics for wideband coverage, which cannot support full-band scanning at any frequency in the band [2]. In this paper, a full-band CW TX/RX chipset is proposed to realize a generic hyperspectral imaging system without knowing the particular band of interest. We therefore optimize its performance to achieve flat TX P out and RX conversion gain (CG) over a broad BW. Our mm-wave/THz hyperspectral imaging system comprises a 90-to-300GHz TX with a ±2dB P out variation using a distributed quadrupler architecture and a 115-to-325GHz 4th-subharmonic coherent RX with −115dBm sensitivity (1kHz RBW) using high-order filter-based matching networks (MNs). The TX and RX chips are flip-chip integrated with wideband vivaldi antennas on low-cost organic LCP (liquid crystal polymer) substrates. This packaged wideband system offers a promising solution for low-cost field-deployable hyperspectral imaging.
Team Composition and the relationship between project role specialization and new product impact

Firms in high technology creative industries have to leverage specialized knowledge from diverse areas to build novel new products that have a significant impact on the industry. Often such special...
Adaptation of a Marine Echo-Sounder to Support UST Remediation Activities at Hanford Nuclear Reservation

A tremendous challenge exists in the remediation of some 200 underground storage tanks (USTs) in the DOE complex, which are currently used to store millions of gallons of high level nuclear waste. Hanford Nuclear Reservation, in eastern Washington state, houses 177 of these tanks and is the site of initial remediation development work [1]. The wastes consist of mixed solids, often in multiple layers formed at different times from different waste streams, in contact with concentrated salt solutions. The long term disposal of these wastes is a goal of considerable importance to the public, especially since some of the waste is stored in single shelled tanks (SSTs), a number of which are assumed to be leaking. Meeting this challenge will require the completion of three subtasks: make operational a long term geologic repostory for glass logs formed from vitrified waste, develop a process which can be approved in the U.S. for performing the vitrification, safely transfer the wastes between tanks as needed to prepare for long term storage.
Does the use of pre-calculated uncertainty values change the conclusions of comparative life cycle assessments? - An empirical analysis.

In life cycle assessment (LCA), performing Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) using fully dependent sampling typically involves repeated inversion of a technology matrix for a sufficiently large number of times. As the dimension of technology matrices for life cycle inventory (LCI) databases grows, MCS using fully dependent sampling is becoming a computational challenge. In our previous work, we pre-calculated the distribution functions of the entire LCI flows in the ecoinvent ver. 3.1 database to help reduce the computation time of running fully dependent sampling by individual LCA practitioners. However, it remains as a question whether the additional errors due to the use of pre-calculated uncertainty values are large enough to alter the conclusion of a comparative study, and, if so, what is the odds of such cases. In this study, we empirically tested the probability of altering the conclusion of a comparative LCA due to the use of pre-calculated uncertainty values. We sampled 10,000 random pairs of elementary flows of ecoinvent LCIs (ai and bi) and ran MCSs (1) using pre-calculated uncertainty values and (2) using fully dependent sampling. We analyzed the distribution of the differences between ai and bi (i.e., ai-bi) of each run, and quantified the probability of reversing (e.g., ai > bi became ai bi became ai ≈ bi). In order to better replicate the situation under a comparative LCA setting, we also sampled 10,000 random pairs of elementary flows from the processes that produce electricity, and repeated the same procedure. The results show that no LCIs derived using pre-calculated uncertainty values constitute large enough differences from those using fully dependent sampling to reverse the conclusion. However, in 5.3% of the cases, the conclusion from one approach is moderated under the other approach or vice versa. When elementary flow pairs are sampled only from the electricity-producing processes, the probability of moderating the conclusions increases to 10.5%, while that of reversing the conclusions remains nil. As the number of unit processes in LCI databases increases, running full MCSs in a PC-environment will continue to be a challenge, which may lead some LCA practitioners to avoid uncertainty analysis altogether. Our results indicate that pre-calculated distributions for LCIs can be used as a proxy for comparative LCA studies in the absence of adequate computational resources for full MCS. Depending on the goal and scope of the study, LCA practitioners should consider using pre-calculated distributions if the benefits of doing so outweighs the associated risks of altering the conclusion.
Process Emissions and Their Control—Part II

Publisher Summary Soil preparation operations, such as agricultural tilling, are a major source of fugitive particulate emissions. In an emissions inventory in 1976, agricultural tilling was found to be the third largest open source of particulate emissions in the United States. Pesticides include inorganic, synthetic organic, and non-synthetic organic insecticides and herbicides that are applied either in pure form or as part of a formulated product. Traditionally, heavy oils and solids were burned in open smudge pots to provide the heat necessary to prevent frost formation on the surface of fruit, ornamental, and foliage trees. However, this practice is no longer used. Today, fuel oil is burned in orchard heaters in many areas of the United States to provide frost protection. Emissions from harvesting consist of particulate matter composed of plant material, soil, and, often, trace levels of pesticides and other agriculturally applied chemicals. Three activities in this industry contribute significantly to air pollution: (1) wood pulping, (2) veneer drying and sanding, and (3) slash burning. Exciting new process developments are taking place in wood pulping, the most innovative being the application of biotechnology and chemi-mechanical techniques to pulping.
Chemical Dissolution Drilling of Barre Granite Using a Sodium Hydroxide Enhanced Supercritical Water Jet

This experimental study focused on evaluating the technical feasibility of chemically enhancing rock comminution during supercritical hydrothermal jet drilling by increasing pH with additives. Comminution of the crystalline rock samples occurred under supercritical conditions at temperatures and pressures ranging from 535–580 °C and 22.5–27 MPa, respectively, using hydrothermal jets with sodium hydroxide concentrations ranging from 0.0725 to 0.345 mol/kg. Impinging hydrothermal jets induced thermal spallation and rock removal from 21 Barre granite specimens examined. These experimental conditions replicate those that would be encountered in drilling water-filled wells at depths greater than ~ 2300 m. The combination of accelerated mineral dissolution due to the presence of hydroxide ions, high solution temperature increasing reaction rates, and thermal stresses resulted in rates of rock removal up to 5.16 g in 10 min at 410 °C and 0.345 mol/kg NaOH. Comparison with published empirical quartz dissolution rates at high pH suggests granite mass removal primarily resulted from weakening of the rock matrix as a result of the accelerated dissolution of quartz minerals. Experimentally determined heat flux and surface temperature measurements indicated that the rock comminution occurred below the empirically determined minimum levels for the onset of continuous thermal spallation resulting from impinging low-density flame jets or high energy laser heating.
Lagrange Multipliers and Rayleigh Quotient Iteration in Constrained Type Equations

We generalize the Rayleigh quotient iteration to a class of functions called vector Lagrangians. The convergence theorem we obtained generalizes classical and nonlinear Rayleigh quotient iterations, as well as iterations for tensor eigenpairs and constrained optimization. In the latter case, our generalized Rayleigh quotient is an estimate of the Lagrange multiplier. We discuss two methods of solving the updating equation associated with the iteration. One method leads to a generalization of Riemannian Newton method for embedded manifolds in a Euclidean space while the other leads to a generalization of the classical Rayleigh quotient formula. Applying to tensor eigenpairs, we obtain both an improvements over the state-of-the-art algorithm, and a new quadratically convergent algorithm to compute all complex eigenpairs of sizes typical in applications. We also obtain a Rayleigh-Chebyshev iteration with cubic convergence rate, and give a clear criterion for RQI to have cubic convergence rate, giving a common framework for existing algorithms.
Impact of Chlorine and Chloramine on the Detection and Quantification of Legionella pneumophila and Mycobacterium Species

ABSTRACT Potable water can be a source of transmission for legionellosis and nontuberculous mycobacterium (NTM) infections and diseases. Legionellosis is caused largely by Legionella pneumophila, specifically serogroup 1 (Sg1). Mycobacterium avium, Mycobacterium intracellulare, and Mycobacterium abscessus are three leading species associated with pulmonary NTM disease. The estimated rates of these diseases are increasing in the United States, and the cost of treatment is high. Therefore, a national assessment of water disinfection efficacy for these pathogens was needed. The disinfectant type and total chlorine residual (TClR) were investigated to understand their influence on the detection and concentrations of the five pathogens in potable water. Samples (n = 358) were collected from point-of-use taps (cold or hot) from locations across the United States served by public water utilities that disinfected with chlorine or chloramine. The bacteria were detected and quantified using specific primer and probe quantitative-PCR (qPCR) methods. The total chlorine residual was measured spectrophotometrically. Chlorine was the more potent disinfectant for controlling the three mycobacterial species. Chloramine was effective at controlling L. pneumophila and Sg1. Plotting the TClR associated with positive microbial detection showed that an upward TClR adjustment could reduce the bacterial count in chlorinated water but was not as effective for chloramine. Each species of bacteria responded differently to the disinfection type, concentration, and temperature. There was no unifying condition among the water characteristics studied that achieved microbial control for all. This information will help guide disinfectant decisions aimed at reducing occurrences of these pathogens at consumer taps and as related to the disinfectant type and TClR. IMPORTANCE The primary purpose of tap water disinfection is to control the presence of microbes. This study evaluated the role of disinfectant choice on the presence at the tap of L. pneumophila, its Sg1 serogroup, and three species of mycobacteria in tap water samples collected at points of human exposure at locations across the United States. The study demonstrates that microbial survival varies based on the microbial species, disinfectant, and TClR.
Fast Algorithms for Converting an FMM-Based Representation of Electrically Large Integral Operators to a Minimal-Rank ℋ 2 -Matrix

In this paper, we develop fast algorithms to convert an FMM-based representation to a new ℋ2-matrix whose rank is minimized based on accuracy. We then apply these algorithms to solve electrically large surface electric field integral equations for scattering analysis. The resultant new ℋ2-matrix is found to have a much reduced rank without sacrificing prescribed accuracy.
Anisotropic Slab Scattering: A High Frequency Solution

In this paper a heuristic uniform theory of diffraction (UTD) corner and wedge diffraction coefficient for predicting electromagnetic scattering by a thin lossless anisotropic slab is presented. An approach based on modifying UTD corner and wedge diffraction formulations for a half-plane with the reflection and transmission coefficients of an anisotropic media is proposed. Numerical results for various scattering problems showing excellent agreement with reference solutions are provided.