cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Longitudinal Study of Disadvantaged Prekindergarten Children as Young Adults: Achievers and Non-achievers.

Seventeen years after they participated in the Syracuse Prekindergarten Program, the school and life experiences of former three‐ and four‐year‐old disadvantaged children were studied to discern the relationship of these learning experiences to later events in the lives of the children and their parents. From an initial total of 73 designated study children, 20 students (and their parents) were interviewed. Ten students were identified with above average or excellent school achievement and 10 with below average school achievement. No significant IQ differences had been found at the prekindergarten level. Emerging themes from in‐depth, extensive interviews furnished valuable insights on teenage pregnancy, school dropouts, and the strengths of poor families. Qualitative analyses indicated that the Prekindergarten Program gave these students and their families the kind of education and support services they needed at a critical period in their lives. Despite their differing achievements later on, the childre...
The effect of multidisciplinary colorectal center development on short-term hospital readmissions for patients with anorectal malformations or Hirschsprung disease.

Abstract Introduction Hospital readmissions have become a quality metric for both hospital systems and individual surgeons. The medical literature is replete with studies describing readmission rates and factors contributing to readmissions following surgical procedures. Relatively little, however, has been done to define potential solutions to these problems. Over the past decade there has been a movement toward the development of multidisciplinary colorectal centers at high volume children's hospitals. We hypothesized that the development of a colorectal center at our children's hospital decreased readmissions in our colorectal surgery population. Materials and methods A retrospective review was performed including all patients with the diagnosis of anorectal malformation (ARM) or Hirschsprung disease (HD) at our institution between the years of 2005–2017. Patient level outcomes were compared between the cohort treated prior to (2005–2010) and the cohort treated after the development of the colorectal center (2012–2017). Results A total of 354 patients were identified. One hundred seventy-eight patients (113 ARM, 65 HD) were treated prior to and 176 patients (110 ARM, 66 HD) were treated after the development of the colorectal center. Forty-five (25.3%) patients underwent neonatal repair prior to development of the center compared to 15 (8.5%) after. 111 (62.4%) patients underwent colostomy prior to the colorectal center comparted to 95 (54%) after. The rate of readmission within 120 days of discharge in the early group was 63% compared to 52% in those managed in the multidisciplinary colorectal center (p = 0.04). Conversely, the rate of emergency room visits increased from 8.4% to 27.3% (p = 0.01). The decrease in readmission rates was more pronounced in the ARM group, while the HD cohort had similar readmission rates before and after the establishment of the center. Multivariate logistic regression revealed an odds ratio of 0.59 (95% CI 0.37–0.92) for readmission following the development of the multidisciplinary colorectal center. Discussion The development of a multidisciplinary colorectal center at our institution was associated with decreased hospital readmissions, but an increase in emergency department resource utilization. These findings suggest improved efficiency in patient care with the implementation of a multispecialty, patient centered approach while also identifying areas of focus for future quality improvement initiatives. Level of Evidence Level III, retrospective comparative study.
Out-of-pocket spending and financial burden among low income adults after Medicaid expansions in the United States: quasi-experimental difference-in-difference study

Abstract Objective To examine the association between expansion of the Medicaid program under the Affordable Care Act and changes in healthcare spending among low income adults during the first four years of the policy implementation (2014-17). Design Quasi-experimental difference-in-difference analysis to examine out-of-pocket spending and financial burden among low income adults after Medicaid expansions. Setting United States. Participants A nationally representative sample of individuals aged 19-64 years, with family incomes below 138% of the federal poverty level, from the 2010-17 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. Main outcomes and measures Four annual healthcare spending outcomes: out-of-pocket spending; premium contributions; out-of-pocket plus premium spending; and catastrophic financial burden (defined as out-of-pocket plus premium spending exceeding 40% of post-subsistence income). P values were adjusted for multiple comparisons. Results 37 819 adults were included in the study. Healthcare spending did not change in the first two years, but Medicaid expansions were associated with lower out-of-pocket spending (adjusted percentage change −28.0% (95% confidence interval −38.4% to −15.8%); adjusted absolute change −$122 (£93; €110); adjusted P Conclusion Medicaid expansions under the Affordable Care Act were associated with lower out-of-pocket spending and a lower likelihood of catastrophic financial burden for low income adults in the third and fourth years of the act’s implementation. These findings suggest that the act has been successful nationally in improving financial risk protection against medical bills among low income adults.
The Green Bond Premium

Through a matching method, we estimate and analyze the green bond premium, defined as the difference in yield between a green bond and an equivalent synthetic conventional bond. For the sake of accuracy, we focus our analysis on 118 green bonds issued worldwide. The average green bond premium is found to be negative from the green bonds' issuance date to August 31, 2016. The rating is the major driver of the green bond premium: the riskier the bond is, the greater the negative premium will be. The currency of issuance also contributes to the value of green bond premia.
Pedal: An Infrastructure for Automated Feedback Systems

This paper describes Pedal, an innovative approach to the automated creation of feedback given to students in programming classes. Pedal is so named because it supports the PEDAgogical goals of instructors and is an expandable Library of components motivated by these goals. Pedal currently comes with components for type inferencing, flow analysis, pattern matching, and unit testing to provide an instructor with a rich set of resources to use in authoring and prioritizing feedback. The larger vision is the loosely-coupled architecture whose components can be readily expanded or replaced. The Pedal library components are motivated by a study of contemporary automated feedback systems and our own experience. Pedal's components are described and examples are given of Pedal-based feedback from three different introductory classes at two different universities. The integration of Pedal into several programming and autograding environments is briefly described.
Abstract P3-08-10: Characterization of oncotype DX recurrence score and chemotherapy utilization patterns in young women (≤40) with early stage ER+/HER-, lymph node negative breast cancer

Background: Meta-analyses have demonstrated that young women ≤40 (YW) derive the most benefit from chemotherapy (EBCTCG, Lancet. 1998). Oncotype DX was designed to determine the benefit of chemotherapy in women with ER+/HER2-, node-negative (LN-) breast cancer based on recurrence score (RS). TAILORx reported clinically meaningful benefits in freedom-from-distant recurrence in women Methods: Using the National Cancer Data Base (NCDB), we identified individuals age 25) RS. Age categories were classified as ≤40, 41-50, and >50. Chi-square tests or Fisher’s exact tests were used to compare categorical variables. Logistic regression was used to estimate the association of RS score and age group with adjuvant chemotherapy use, after adjustment for known covariates. Kaplan-Meier curves were used to visualize unadjusted overall survival (OS), and Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate adjusted OS. Results: 120,051 women were identified, of whom 4,781 were ≤40 years, 24,846 were 41-50, and 90,424 were >50. By age group, 20% of YW had a high RS compared to 12% of women age 41-50 and 15% of women >50 (p 50 to receive chemotherapy (p Conclusions: High RS is more common in YW (≤40) than those age 41-50 or >50, and is associated with worse OS. YW with an int or low RS are more likely to receive chemotherapy despite unclear benefit. Chemotherapy was omitted in over half of YW with RS of 16-25, highlighting the uncertainty in clinical practice which will remain until further studies inform optimal systemic treatment specific to YW. 1. Sparano, J.A., et al., Clinical and Genomic Risk to Guide the Use of Adjuvant Therapy for Breast Cancer. New England Journal of Medicine, 2019. 380(25): p. 2395-2405. Citation Format: Sarah Sammons, Yi Ren, Jeremy Force, Oluwadamilola M. Fayanju, Laura H. Rosenberger, Jennifer K. Plichta, Gretchen Kimmick, Kelly Westbrook, Susan Dent, Carey Anders, Samantha M. Thomas, Terry Hyslop, E. S. Hwang, P. K. Marcom, Rachel A. Greenup. Characterization of oncotype DX recurrence score and chemotherapy utilization patterns in young women (≤40) with early stage ER+/HER-, lymph node negative breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2019 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2019 Dec 10-14; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P3-08-10.
Person and Place in Preclassic Maya Community Ritual (400 BC - AD 300)

Preclassic Maya centers were vibrant stages of performance where communities gathered to reaffirm and redefine themselves. Ceremonial pyramids and plazas were tangible and powerful receptacles of past and present forms of community identity. Archaeological remains enable us to develop a multi-generational sketch of public ritual life in the Maya lowlands from 400 BC to AD 300. Transformations in public performance and community participation corresponded with a series of modifications to ceremonial precints. Public architecture in many communities became increasingly less accessible to a large audience of observers. The artistic imagery associated with these buildings also changed markedly - initially depicting zoomorphic or masked beings and ultimately culminating in the portraiture of real historic personages. Concomitant with these changes were pronounced innovations in ritual interment as certain community members began to be entombed in and around public architecture. Taken together, these features suggest Preclassic Maya communities altered their ritual practices to accommodate emerging social realities and inchoate political identities.
A behavioral notion of robustness for software systems

Software systems are designed and implemented with assumptions about the environment. However, once the system is deployed, the actual environment may deviate from its expected behavior, possibly undermining desired properties of the system. To enable systematic design of systems that are robust against potential environmental deviations, we propose a rigorous notion of robustness for software systems. In particular, the robustness of a system is defined as the largest set of deviating environmental behaviors under which the system is capable of guaranteeing a desired property. We describe a new set of design analysis problems based on our notion of robustness, and a technique for automatically computing robustness of a system given its behavior description. We demonstrate potential applications of our robustness notion on two case studies involving network protocols and safety-critical interfaces.
Utility of Prophylactic Cranial Irradiation for Extensive-Stage Small-Cell Lung Cancer in the MRI Screening Era.

Abstract Background Conflicting data exists regarding the benefit of prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI) in patients with extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC). We sought to retrospectively review outcomes of patients within our network with ES-SCLC treated with and without PCI between 2009 and 2020. Methods Endpoints assessed using the Kaplan-Meier estimator were overall survival (OS), freedom from death with uncontrolled intracranial disease (UI-DFS), brain metastasis-free survival (BMFS), and symptomatic BMFS (SBMFS). Log-rank test was performed for univariate comparison of outcomes, with Cox regression performed for univariate and multivariable analysis of OS and UI-DFS. Results Some 250 patients were determined to be eligible for PCI based on any response to upfront chemotherapy, with 46 patients excluded owing to lack of negative staging brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Brain MRI was performed both at diagnosis and near completion of chemotherapy in 108 patients, with brain metastases identified near completion of chemotherapy in 17 patients (15.7%), excluding them from further analysis. Median OS in remaining eligible 187 patients was 9.0 months, with 2-year Kaplan-Meier estimate of OS of 21.9%. PCI was associated with improved UI-DFS, BMFS, and SBMFS. However, PCI was not associated with improved OS in the entire cohort or the propensity matched cohort. Conclusion Our study suggests screening with MRI following chemotherapy is important because of the identification of unsuspected brain metastases in nearly 16% of patients with response to chemotherapy. PCI is associated with reduction in brain metastases, without a demonstrable impact on OS in the era of MRI screening.
The Effect of Innovation Box Regimes on Investment and Employment Activity

We study whether innovation box tax incentives, which reduce tax rates on innovation-related income, are associated with increased fixed asset investment and employment. Using a stacked cohort difference-in-differences design on an entropy-balanced sample of European multinationals, we find innovation box regimes are associated with higher levels of capital expenditures but lower levels of compensation expense and number of employees relative to companies in countries without such regimes. However, additional tests suggest patent-owning observations in innovation box countries have a more highly-compensated workforce following innovation box implementation. Our study contributes to the literature on, and policy evaluation of, innovation box regimes by examining the extent to which these incentives result in tangible investment and employment and by identifying how different characteristics of innovation box regimes impact these outcomes.
Progress in Stability and Transition Research

This paper provides an overview of the theoretical and computational boundary-layer receptivity, stability, and control research conducted by the author over the past four decades in collaboration with her colleagues and students. The overarching approach has been one of verification and validation, including working closely with experimentalists (both with ground facilities and flight platforms) to achieve closure between theory and experiment. She and her team have worked to identify instability mechanisms in complex three-dimensional (3-D) configurations, create and transfer physics-based models and tools, guidelines, and correlations including for surface features, and formulate effective control strategies.
Clinical indications of computed tomography (CT) of the head in patients with low-energy geriatric hip fractures

Abstract Objective To define the role of head computed tomography (CT) scans in the geriatric population with isolated low-energy femur fractures and describe the pertinent clinical variables which are associated with positive CT findings with the objective to decrease the number of unnecessary CT scans performed. Design Retrospective review. Setting Level I trauma centre. Patients Eleven hundred ninety-two (1192) patients sustaining a femur fracture following a low-energy fall. Main outcome measurement Pertinent clinical variables that were associated with CTs that yielded positive findings. Results Two hundred fifty patients (21%) underwent a head CT scan as part of their evaluation. Of these patients, 83% suffered proximal femur fractures, 11% shaft fractures and 6% distal fractures. The majority of the patients were evaluated by the emergency department (ED) with only 18% (44/250) being evaluated by the trauma team. Average patient age was 83 years (range 65–99 years). One hundred seventy-three patients (69%) were on some form of antiplatelet medication or anticoagulation. Of the 250 patients who underwent head CT scan, 16 (6%) patients had acute findings (haemorrhage – 15, infarct – 1), and none of the patients required neurosurgical intervention. Conclusion None of the patients with a traumatic injury required a neurosurgical invention after sustaining a low energy fall (0/1192). Head CT scans should have a limited role in the work-up of this patient population and should be reserved for patients with a history and physical findings that support head trauma. Level of evidence: Prognostic level III. See instructions for authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Environmental Law and International Trade: Public Morality as a Tool for Advancing Animal Rights

This chapter analyzes the use of public morality as a defense to international obligations. It considers whether and under what circumstances a nation is required to adhere to international agreements when those agreements involve morally questionable practices against animals. A case study of the current World Trade Organization (WTO) complaint by Canada and certain Scandinavian countries against the European Union’s (EU’s) import ban of certain seal products is examined to illustrate this inquiry.
Chapter 22 Pharmacodynamic and Pharmacokinetic Interactions of Psychotropic Drugs with Antiepileptic Drugs

Co‐morbid psychiatric disorders are relatively frequent in patients with epilepsy. The prevalence rates of mood and anxiety disorders, psychotic disorders and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder have been found to be significantly higher in patients with epilepsy than in the general population. While co‐morbid psychiatric disorders have frequently been considered as complications of the seizure disorder, there is an increasing body of literature that points to a complex relationship between psychiatric and seizure disorders. Because of this, it is crucial that clinicians consider the presence of co‐morbid psychiatric disorders when planning the treatment of patients with epilepsy. Having a clear understanding of the pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic interactions between antiepileptic drugs and psychotropic drugs is of the essence to avert unnecessary adverse events and loss of efficacy of psychotropic drugs. This chapter provides a practical review on the use of psychotropic drugs for the treatment of these psychiatric co‐morbidities in patients with epilepsy.
Energy storage sizing for effective primary and secondary control of low-inertia microgrids

Microgrids are poised to become a major worldwide development in light of the numerous benefits they offer. However, the control and management of such systems require keen attention, as stability issues in microgrids have proven to be an important topic of research. It is a point of emphasis, that microgrids operating as stand-alone systems are particularly unforgiving in the sense that the combined inertia of local synchronous generators may not be significant enough to ensure good stability margins. Therefore, energy storage may be prescribed as a mitigation option for achieving frequency and voltage stability in low-inertia systems. This paper considers the electrical frequency dynamics of low-inertia microgrids as well as the voltage regulation implications of associated power electronic interfaces. A design criterion for sizing energy storage systems (ESS) is provided to ensure that frequency and voltage stability margins are not violated in face of an electrical disturbance.
Role of lysine and -N-trimethyllysine in carnitine biosynthesis. II. Studies in the rat.

Abstract We have previously reported that weanling rats fed a 20% wheat gluten diet, limiting in lysine and containing no detectable carnitine, have significantly lower levels of carnitine in skeletal and heart muscle than rats receiving adequate dietary lysine. Rats on 20% wheat gluten diets were administered appropriate levels of dl-[6-14C]lysine, l-[methyl-3H]methionine, e-N-[methyl-3H]trimethyl-l-lysine, or [carboxy-14C]γ-butyrobetaine. Carnitine was subsequently isolated by ion exchange chromatography from a number of tissues and examined for radioactivity. In most trials about 0.1% of administered dl-[6-14C]lysine or l-[methyl-3H]methionine was incorporated into tissue carnitine. Dietary lysine significantly decreased the utilization of dl-[6-14C]lysine for carnitine synthesis. Radioactivity following administration of dl-[2-14C]lysine was not detected in biosynthesized tissue carnitine. e-N-[methyl-3H]Trimethyl-l-lysine and [carboxy-14C]γ-butyrobetaine were converted in high yield to carnitine, e.g. 23 and 45% of administered dose per 100 g of skeletal muscle. Radioactive carnitine was also detected in the urine in these latter instances. It was shown that e-N-trimethyllysine is converted to γ-butyrobetaine in the rat. These data support the thesis that lysine is a precursor of carnitine in the rat, which together with similar labeling studies in Neurospora suggest the following transformations: lysine → e-N-trimethyllysine → γ-butyrobetaine → carnitine.
Reporting Civil Litigation on Local Television News

What is the nature of the coverage of civil litigation on local television news (the most commonly used news source according to a recent survey)? That is the question considered in this paper. Drawing upon newsclips from 2004 (11 media markets around the U.S.), 2006 (9 media markets in the Midwest), and 2007 (9 media markets in the Midwest), we present a brief, preliminary portrait of litigation as seen on television news. We find (a) torts make up a minority of reports, (b) very few verdicts are reported, (c) dollar figures are mentioned in a small proportion of cases but when mentioned tend to be large, (d) silly cases are reported infrequently, and (e) a notable proportion of news reports involve well-known figures from entertainment, sports, or politics. We conclude with some speculations about the implications of our analysis for debates over civil justice "reform."
Bubbling 1/4 BPS solutions in type IIB and supergravity reductions on Sn×Sn

Abstract We extend the construction of bubbling 1/2 BPS solutions of Lin, Lunin and Maldacena (H. Lin, O. Lunin, J. Maldacena, JHEP 0410 (2004) 025, hep-th/0409174 ) in two directions. First we enquire whether bubbling 1/2 BPS solutions can be constructed in minimal 6d supergravity and second we construct solutions that are 1/4 BPS in type IIB. We find that the S 1 × S 1 bosonic reduction of ( 1 , 0 ) 6d supergravity to 4d gravity coupled to 2 scalars and a gauge field is consistent only provided that the gauge field obeys a constraint ( F ∧ F = 0 ). This is to be contrasted to the case of the S 3 × S 3 bosonic reduction of type IIB supergravity to 4d gravity, 2 scalars and a gauge field, where consistency is achieved without imposing any such constraints. Therefore, in the case of ( 1 , 0 ) 6d supergravity we are able to construct 1/2 BPS solutions, similar to those derived in type IIB, provided that this additional constraint is satisfied. This ultimately prohibits the construction of a family of 1/2 BPS solutions corresponding to a bubbling AdS 3 × S 3 geometry. Returning to type IIB solutions, by turning on an axion–dilaton field we construct a family of bubbling 1/4 BPS solutions. This corresponds to the inclusion of back-reacted D7 branes to the solutions of Lin, Lunin and Maldacena.
Emergency Department Visits and Overdose Deaths From Combined Use of Opioids and Benzodiazepines

Introduction Opioid analgesics and benzodiazepines are the prescription drugs most commonly associated with drug overdose deaths. This study was conducted to assess trends in nonmedical use−related emergency department (ED) visits and drug overdose deaths that involved both opioid analgesics and benzodiazepines in the U.S. from 2004 to 2011. Methods Opioid analgesic and benzodiazepine nonmedical use−related ED visits from the Drug Abuse Warning Network and drug overdose deaths from the National Vital Statistics System were analyzed for 2004−2011 to determine trends and demographic-specific rates. Data were analyzed from March 2014 to June 2014. Results From 2004 to 2011, the rate of nonmedical use–related ED visits involving both opioid analgesics and benzodiazepines increased from 11.0 to 34.2 per 100,000 population ( p- trend p- trend p- trend Conclusions ED visits and drug overdose deaths involving both opioid analgesics and benzodiazepines increased significantly between 2004 and 2011. Interventions to improve the appropriate prescribing and use of these medications are needed.
MR of intraparotid masses.

PURPOSE To determine which MR techniques are best for identifying intraparotid masses and to assess the utility of MR for predicting specific diagnosis. METHODS A retrospective review of 31 intraparotid masses was performed. Lesion conspicuity and signal intensity characteristics were evaluated by objectively measured regions of interest and by subjective visual review. RESULTS The T1-weighted images produced the highest lesion conspicuity in 25 of 31 masses. All the masses were easily detected as hypointense lesions on the T1-weighted scans with good or excellent conspicuity; on the T2-weighted images nine lesions appeared isointense to the normal parotid tissue, including six malignancies. Gadolinium-enhanced images were not helpful for identifying the intraparotid masses. Warthin tumors and malignancies tended to be hypointense or low in conspicuity on T2-weighted images. CONCLUSIONS The T1-weighted images were best for detecting parotid masses. The T2-weighted images may help in limiting a differential diagnosis, but a specific diagnosis cannot be made without biopsy.
Economic Analysis of Clinical Positron Emission Tomography of the Heart with Rubidium-82

This report describes a cost analysis for clinical positron emission tomography (PET) of the heart using generator produced rubidium-82 (/sup 82/Rb). Considered sequentially are the clinical problem, current noninvasive radionuclide methods, positron emission tomograph, and the cost of PET per study. Also analyzed are the costs of PET versus thallium imaging in the management of chest pain, for screening asymptomatic men at high risk for coronary artery disease and for evaluating myocardial viability after myocardial infarction or thrombolytic therapy. Noninvasive assessment of coronary artery stenosis and myocardial ischemia/viability in symptomatic or asymptomatic subjects remains a major medical problem because the sensitivity and specificity of thallium imaging are only 70-85% and 50-70%, respectively, in recent studies. Cardiac positron imaging has an accuracy for noninvasive diagnosis of coronary artery disease in symptomatic or asymptomatic patients with a sensitivity and specificity of 95-98%. It can also be used for assessing physiologic stenosis severity, for imaging myocardial infarction and viability, for assessing effects of interventions such as thrombolysis, percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) or bypass surgery on myocardial perfusion, metabolism or coronary flow reserve, for assessing collateral function noninvasively in man, and for diagnosing cardiomyopathy not due to coronary artery disease. Although the costmore » for cardiac PET with /sup 82/Rb may be modestly higher than for /sup 201/Tl, the greater diagnostic yield of PET results in comparable or lower overall medical management costs than no diagnostic tests/interventions and lower overall costs compared to thallium imaging for evaluating patients with chest pain, asymptomatic high risk males, and patients after acute myocardial infarction/thrombolysis for myocardial viability.« less
Prophylaxis : Headaches That Never Happen

The discovery of preventive drugs for headache involved both serendipity and design. Despite modest efficacy and uncertainty about mechanisms, prophylaxis has transformed the lives of countless headache sufferers in the last 50 years. Realizing its full potential will be the work of the next half-century.
Effects of glucagon and insulin on liver lysosomes

Abstract Recent experimental evidence has been obtained, principally in the laboratory of Glenn Mortimore, that hepatic lysosomes can act as a pool of amino acids during fasting. This pool is generated through autophagy , whereby intracellular proteins are somehow captured by the lysosomes and then rapidly hydrolyzed to free amino acids by the lysosomal proteinases. Two important metabolic fates of these lysosomal digestive products can be: 1) conversion of the glucogenic amino acids into glucose, and 2) conversion of trimethyl-lysine into carnitine. The latter metabolite is required to transfer fatty acids to the mitochondrial site of β-oxidation. Most interesting is the observation that glucagon appears to induce lysosomal autophagy and the resulting degradation of intracellular proteins by decreasing the size of amino acid pools in the perfused liver. This effect of the hormone may be directed at the single amino acid glutamine, since adding it alone to the perfusate can prevent the increase in autophagy caused by glucagon. Insulin also rapidly inactivates hepatic autophagy and its ensuing proteolysis. The t 1 2 for the rate of los of autophagic vocuoles from the insulin-treated liver (or animal) is approximately 8 min. Thus, glucagon and insulin actively control intracellular protein catabolism that takes place within hepatic lysosomes, and this regulation by the two hormones may be one of their major molecular effects on gluconegenesis in the liver.
On the modeling of crush behavior of a closed-cell aluminum foam structure

Crush behavior of a closed-cell aluminum foam is studied analytically and numerically. A new model of a truncated cube, which captures the basic folding mechanism of an array of cells, is developed. The model consists of a system of collapsing cruciform and pyramidal sections. Theoretical analysis is based on energy consideration in conjunction with the minimum principle in plasticity. The assumed kinematic model for the crushing mechanism of the truncated cube cell gives a good agreement with the deformation mechanism obtained from the numerical simulation. Analytical formulation for the crushing resistance of the truncated cube cell is shown to correlate very accurately with the numerical results. Closed form solutions for crushing resistance of closed-cell aluminum foam in terms of relative density are developed. The formulas are compared with the experimental results and give an excellent agreement.
New Terms in the Oxygen Arc Spectrum

Methods have been developed for the powerful excitation of the oxygen arc spectrum in the absence of bands, in large diameter heavy current discharge tubes and in narrow capillary quartz discharge tubes. In both tubes the green auroral line appears strongly. The oxygen arc spectrum has been photographed with these discharge tubes with large dispersion and many new lines have been observed. Fifty new lines have been classified in the oxygen arc spectrum involving six new triplet terms and one new singlet term based on the $2{s}^{2}2{p}^{3}(^{2}D)$ and $2{s}^{2}2{p}^{3}(^{2}P)$ configurations of the ion.
Friction and wear mechanisms in MoS2/Sb2O3/Au nanocomposite coatings

Abstract Fundamental phenomena governing the tribological mechanisms in sputter deposited amorphous MoS 2 /Sb 2 O 3 /Au nanocomposite coatings are reported. In dry environments the nanocomposite has the same low friction coefficient as pure MoS 2 (∼0.007). However, unlike pure MoS 2 coatings, which wear through in air (50% relative humidity), the composite coatings showed minimal wear, with wear factors of ∼1.2–1.4 × 10 −7 mm 3 Nm −1 in both dry nitrogen and air. The coatings exhibited non-Amontonian friction behavior, with the friction coefficient decreasing with increasing Hertzian contact stress. Cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy of wear surfaces revealed that frictional contact resulted in an amorphous to crystalline transformation in MoS 2 with 2H-basal (0 0 0 2) planes aligned parallel to the direction of sliding. In air the wear surface and subsurface regions exhibited islands of Au. The mating transfer films were also comprised of (0 0 0 2)-oriented basal planes of MoS 2 , resulting in predominantly self-mated “basal on basal” interfacial sliding and, thus, low friction and wear.
Student Evaluations of Advising: Moving Beyond the Mean

Student evaluations of advising (SEA) are often limited to student ratings of the faculty member's advising skills. As with teaching evaluations, ratings of SEA may not be the best reflection of the advisor's performance. In this study, the author analyzed SEA to determine the relationship between student characteristics and evaluation items. Results suggest both positive and negative relationships between student characteristics and evaluation items that are traditionally thought to reflect good advising. The author describes an alternate approach to analyzing SEA and offers suggestions for improving SEA.
The Effectiveness of Weight Management Influence Messages in Romantic Relationships

This study assessed the effectiveness of weight management conversations reported by participants (n = 158) using Dillard, Wilson, Tusing, and Kinney's (1997) three influence dimensions: explicitness, dominance, and reasoning. In addition, the study assessed the potential mediating roles of politeness and resistance. Results showed that dominance was related to effectiveness, and that both politeness and resistance mediated this relationship. Reasoning was indirectly related to effectiveness through politeness. Overall, findings suggest that if romantic partners want to influence one another to enact healthy behaviors, they should address face needs, give reasons for their requests, and refrain from being dominating or too forceful.
The biphotonic photolysis of liquid benzene

Abstract Liquid benzene has been photolyzed by an intense 15 nsec pulse of 3471A light from a Q switch ruby laser. The transient absorption spectrum and fluorescence of the excimer of benzene were observed, together with a permanent product. As the yield of the excimer depends on the square of the light intensity. It is suggested that a biphotonic absorption of light-leads to a high energy state of benzene (∼7v) which gives both the permanent product and the excimer.
Botulinum neurotoxin types B and E : purification, limited proteolysis by endoproteinase Glu-C and pepsin, and comparison of their identified cleaved sites relative to the three-dimensional structure of type A neurotoxin

Botulinum neurotoxin (NT) serotypes B and E are approximately 150 kDa proteins. Isolated from the liquid culture of Clostridium botulinum the NT type E is a single chain protein while the NT type B, from the proteolytic strain of the bacteria, is a mixture of dichain (nicked within a disulfide loop located about one-third the way from the N-terminus to the C-terminus) protein and its precursor single-chain protein. Endoproteinase Glu-C (EC 3.4.21.19) and pepsin (EC 3.4.23.1) were used for controlled digestion of NT types B and E; the amino acid residues flanking many of the cleavable peptide bonds were identified and the corresponding proteolytic fragments partially characterized. Chemical identification of 82 and 108 residues of types B and E NT, respectively, revealed that the residue 738 and 1098 in type E NT, identified as Leu and Asn, respectively, differ from those deduced from nucleotide sequences. Several fragments overlapped spanning various segments of the NT's functional domains; they appear to have potential for structure-function studies of the NT. The cleavage sites were compared with the previously determined proteolyzed sites on NT types A and E. The cleavage sites of the NT types A, B and E, all exposed on the protein surface, were scrutinized in the context of the three-dimensional structure of crystallized NT type A [Lacy, D.B., Stevens, R.C., 1999. J. Mol. Biol. 291, 1091-1104]. Detailed procedures for isolation of pure NT types B and E in large quantities (average yield 92 and 62 mg, respectively) suitable for crystallization are reported.
The diachrony of light and auxiliary verbs in Indo-Aryan

This study examines the historical development of light verbs in Indo-Aryan. I investigate the origins of the modern Indo-Aryan compound verb construction, and compare this construction with other light verb constructions in Indo-Aryan. Examination of the antecedents of the Indo-Aryan compound verb construction alongside other Indo-Aryan light verb constructions, combined with analysis of lexical and morphosyntactic differences between the compound verb systems of two Indo-Aryan languages (Hindi and Nepali), demonstrate that light verbs are not a stable or unchanging part of grammar, but rather undergo a variety of changes, including reanalysis as tense/aspect auxiliaries.
47. In vitro assessment of apoptosis and necrosis following cold storage in Human Corneal Endothelial Cells

Corneal endothelial cells serve as a limiting factor in the ability to preserve whole cornea for proper utilization, such as transplantation. Previous reports have demonstrated the importance of proper endothelial maintenance during preservation for improved corneal function. As such, analyses into the modes of cell death will allow for future in-depth investigations of the complex stresses and resultant changes cells experience during the entirety of the preservation process. To this end initial studies focused on assessing the extent of cellular demise via apoptosis and necrosis following cold exposure. We hypothesized that apoptosis would play a significant role in preservation-induced delayed cell death associated with exposure to hypothermic conditions. Human Corneal Endothelial Cells (HCECs) were stored for 18 h to 8 days at 6 °C in complete media, HBSS, ViaSpan and OptiSol. Viability was assessed 0, 24 and 48 h post-storage using the metabolic indicator alamarBlue™ and flow cytometry (ViaCount Assay). Apoptotic and necrotic involvement was assessed via flow cytometry and fluorescent microscopy using the Vybrant ® apoptosis assay at 1, 4, 8 and 24 h post-storage. Mitochondrial potential was assessed via flow cytometry using the fluorescent dye JC-1. Western Blots were performed to evaluate alterations in apoptotic proteins including caspases, PARP, Bid, and the Bcl-2 family proteins. In addition to these analyses, the targeted inhibition of caspases using specific caspase inhibitors (8, 9 and pan) was conducted to evaluate their overall effects on cell tolerance to cold stress. Analysis of the sample sub-populations revealed that a peak in apoptosis was seen 4–8 h after 1 day of hypothermic storage, approaching 10% under certain conditions. This analysis revealed that the necrotic population continues to increase in all conditions tested, peaking at 24 h post-storage. Viability analysis demonstrated a significant impact by caspase inhibition on cell survival. Cells stored for 4 days in ViaSpan with and without a pan-caspase inhibitor revealed that while immediately post-thaw a similar level of viability remained between the two conditions (∼65%), analysis at 24 h post-storage revealed a ∼ 30% improvement in cell retention post cold exposure. Samples stored in ViaSpan without inhibitor decreased to around 40–45% survival while the incorporation of a pan-caspase blocked delayed-onset cell death allowing cells to remain around 70% viable. Western blot analysis revealed a correlation between decreased viability and increased protein changes associated with apoptotic activation (i.e. cleavage of caspases, Bid, and PARP). These data are important because they are the first step in a more complete understanding of cold induced stress pathway activation.
Ventilatory and Metabolic Effects of Glucose Infusions

It has been demonstrated that total parenteral nutrition (TPN) results in increased O2 consumption (o2), CO, production (co2) and minute ventilation (). TPN consists of a mixture of glucose and amino acids. The individual role of each of these nutrients in mediating these changes has not been well established. To examine the effects of the individual nutrients, continuous infusions of glucose in hypo- and hypercaloric amounts were given to four normal volunteer subjects and four acutely ill patients for a six-day period, with three days on each dietary intake. After each three-day period, gas exchange, o2, co2, and ventilatory variables (E), tidal volume (VT), frequency (f), mean inspiratory flow (VT/TI), inspiratory time (TI) and expiratory time (TE) were measured. With the high carbohydrate diet, CO2 production increased 18 percent (p>.05) and 7 percent (p>.05) in the normal subjects and the patients, respectively. o2 did not change, while the RQ rose. VE rose in parallel with co2, with no significant change in ventilatory sensitivity to CO2. In light of previous observations, these results suggest that during administration of TPN, the protein component plays a major role in the observed ventilatory changes: a) by bringing about a rise in o2, which acts to magnify the effect of an increased RQ on co2, and b) by increasing ventilatory sensitivity to CO2.
Analysis of data-leak hardware Trojans in AES cryptographic circuits

This study examines the impact of 18 hardware Trojans inserted into an AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) cryptographic circuit in terms of area, leakage power, and dynamic power. These Trojans were supplied from the Trust-HUB repository. This study was performed by first synthesizing the designs to 90-nm and 45-nm standard cell libraries. Then, those designs were compared to the Trojan-free circuit synthesized to the corresponding technology. All of these Trojans had very small footprints on the design in terms of area and power. Furthermore, despite all of the Trojans leaking the key in some way, the measured footprints fell over a wide range.
An Analysis of Incident/Accident Reports from the Texas Secondary School Science Safety Survey, 2001

This study investigated safety in Texas secondary school science laboratory, classroom, and field settings. The Texas Education Agency (TEA) drew a random representative sample consisting of 199 secondary public schools in Texas. Eighty-one teachers completed Incident/Accident Reports. The reports were optional, anonymous, and open-ended; thus, they are unique in capturing the strengths and weaknesses of safety practices in school science settings as perceived by the teachers. Pertinent findings include: a) incidents and accidents (mishaps) increased from 8% to 62% as the class enrollment increased from 24 students (p 60 ft2 per student to 1200 ft2 to <800 ft2 (p < 0.05) d) 35% of teachers did not have adequate safety training within the last year, and e) 69% of teachers had a written safety policy. The findings of this study can be used to develop science classroom, lab, and field safety guidelines on a classroom, school, district, state, and a national level.
Contractile properties of rat fast-twitch skeletal muscle during reinnervation - Effects of testosterone and castration

The peroneal nerve of subject rats were crushed 1 cm from the muscle in order to examine the isometric contractile properties of skeletal muscle in the recovery sequency during reinnervation of normal, castrated, and testosterone-treated rats. The particular muscle studied was the extensor digitorum longus, with functional reinnervation first observed 8-9 days after nerve crush. No evidence was found that either castration or testosterone injections altered the process of reinnervation after the nerve crush, with the conclusion being valid at the 0.05 p level. The most reliable index of reinnervation was found to be the twitch:tetanus ratio, a factor of use in future studies of the reinnervation of skeletal muscle.
Osteoblast ablation burns out functional stem cells.

In this issue of Blood , Bowers et al report that osteoblasts maintain a subset of quiescent stem cells and that osteoblast ablation converts bone marrow into a proliferation-promoting environment for both normal and malignant stem cells. 1
IC technology and ASIC design for the Cray J90 supercomputer

The decision to use ASIC technology over a full- or semi-custom approach in the design of a computer system is influenced by many factors, and has a significant impact on the design methodology as well as on the completion schedule of the product. The Cray Research J90™ line of 100-MHz supercomputer systems is an example of a system whose performance, cost, and schedule needs drove the designers to an ASIC solution. The J90 comprises varying numbers of ten unique ASICs, each designed in a 0.5-µm CMOS technology. The largest of the ASICs contains more than 500,000 equivalent two-way NAND CMOS gates. The design cycle, including integrated circuit and first-level packaging technology selection, took just over two years from concept to production. This paper presents a brief history of the Cray ELS (Entry-Level Systems) division and discusses some of the decision processes and trade-offs made during the design of the J90 system, including the decision to use ASIC technology, and its effect on the overall design methodology and CAD flow. The design methodology, which utilized a ground-rule-based HDL/synthesis approach, and the physical design of the chips, which made use of industry-standard and vendor-proprietary tools, are discussed. Finally, conclusions as to the applicability and the success of utilizing an “off-the-shelf” ASIC technology are drawn.
Effects of reaction mixture and other components on the determination of the equilibrium and rate constants of the hydration reactions of anthocyanins

Abstract The equilibrium and rate constants of the hydration and deprotonation reactions of anthocyanins show how their color intensity changes with pH. In the cases of several anthocyanins, the constants for each obtained by several methods are different. In an effort to resolve these discrepancies, we have examined the effects of several components of the pH-jump experiments on the values of the constants. Storage of the buffers to be used in pH-jump experiments in Pyrex or borosilicate glass bottles results in increasing Al3+ concentration in the buffers over several weeks. When these buffers are used, the anthocyanins with two OH groups on the B ring complex with the Al3+ which leads to major changes in their spectra, in the equilibrium position, and in the apparent first-order rate constant. Thus, constants determined on the same anthocyanin using the same buffers stored in glass bottles may be different at different times. During the reduction of the experimental data to the rate and equilibrium constants, two divergences from the expected behavior were found. In the calculation Ka + Kh for the anthocyanin acylated with 4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxycinnamic acid (6-O-(4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxycinnamoyl)-β- d -glucopyranosyl-(1 → 6)-[β- d -xylopyranosyl-(1 → 2)]-β- d -galactopyranosyl-(1 → O3)-cyanidin), the plotted points appear to fit two straight lines, intersecting at an equilibrium pH near pH 4. In the calculation which leads to the individual constants of both anthocyanins examined here, the points below an equilibrium pH of pH 4 curve upward from the line that describes the points from an equilibrium pH above 4. Differences in the composition of solutions used in pH-jump experiments examined here, include (1) the addition of phosphate to the acetate buffer, (2) the presence of 0.5 M NaCl, and (3) the solution of the anthocyanin in either 0.1 N HCl or 0.1 N HOAc. These changes gave differences that were statistically significant in some of the constants for each of the two anthocyanins examined. The constants were both qualitatively and quantitatively different.