cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Micronization and Agglomeration: Understanding the Impact of API Particle Properties on Dissolution and Permeability Using Solid State and Biopharmaceutical “Toolbox”

The study aims to investigate the effect of agglomeration on micronized model active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and to unravel the influence of API agglomerate strength on dissolution and permeation. Model API (micronized and unmicronized) were characterized using X-ray powder diffractometry (XRPD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Raman imaging, optical profilometry, and miniaturized dissolution apparatuses. Two-way ANOVA with replication was used to interpret results with statistical significance. The API used in this study is most stable, non-solvated/non-hydrated, non-ionizable, and neutral in nature and belongs to BCS class III. The morphology of the API was needle or rod shaped, and to achieve desired manufacturability, API was micronized; however, the micronized API showed slower dissolution. Micronization resulted in high surface energy which led to the formation of agglomerates. The most significant conclusion is the integration, as well as implementation, of material science tetrahedron during early stages of formulation development (micronization) which would help to understand raw material variability. This would circumvent the undesired effects of API agglomeration and accelerate the transformation from R&D prototyping to commercialization.
Precision Laser Spectroscopy of Hydrogen

Advances in laser technology and coherent light techniques have opened interesting opportunities for precision spectroscopy of atomic hydrogen and other simple quantum electrodynamic systems. The present state of such experiment will be reviewed, and possible future precision measurements will be discussed.
Long Term Survival after Heart Transplantation is Not Affected by Axillary Intra Aortic Balloon Pump Support as a Bridge to Heart Transplantation

Purpose Axillary intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) has been utilized in selected patients for circulatory support as a bridge to heart transplantation. The purpose of this study is to evaluate if preoperative axillary IABP support has an impact on early and long-term survival in patients undergoing heart transplantation. Methods Between January 2010 and August 2019, 307 consecutive patients underwent heart transplantation in our institution. We divided the cohort into two groups: 144 patients who underwent axillary IABP insertion as a bridge to transplantation (Group A) and 163 patients without an axillary IABP (Group B). The primary outcomes of interest include 30-day mortality and long-term survival. We also investigated if preoperative axillary IABP support was an independent predictor of long-term survival by Cox proportional hazards analysis. Results There were no significant difference in patient characteristics including age, sex and preoperative creatinine. The number of patients who had history of previous cardiac surgery in Group B (115/163, 70.6%) was significantly larger than in Group A (42/144, 29.2%) (p Conclusion Axillary IABP circulatory support as a bridge to heart transplantation would be a reasonable strategy to optimize heart transplant candidates, leading to comparable 30-day mortality and long-term survival to those who without IABP support. Axillary IABP was not an independent predictor of long-term survival.
Functional analysis of the teosinte branched 1 genes in the tetraploid switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) by CRISPR/Cas9-directed mutagenesis

Tillering is an important biomass yield component trait in switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.). Teosinte branched 1 (tb1)/Branched 1 (BRC1) gene is a known regulator for tillering/branching in several plant species; however, its role on tillering in switchgrass remains unknown. Here, we report physiological and molecular characterization of mutants created by CRISPR/Cas9. We successfully obtained non-chimeric Pvtb1a and Pvtb1b mutants from chimeric T0 mutants using nodal culture. The biallelic Pvtb1a-Pvtb1b mutant plants produced significantly more tillers and higher fresh weight biomass than the wild-type plants. The increased tiller production in the mutant plants resulted primarily from hastened outgrowth of lower axillary buds. Increased tillers were also observed in transgene-free T1 monoallelic mutants for either Pvtb1a-Pvtb1b or Pvtb1b gene alone, suggesting Pvtb1 genes act in a dosage-dependent manner. Transcriptome analysis showed 831 genes were differentially expressed in the Pvtb1a-Pvtb1b double knockdown mutant. Gene Ontology analysis revealed downregulation of Pvtb1 genes affected multiple biological processes, including transcription, flower development, cell differentiation, and stress/defense responses in edited plants. This study demonstrates that Pvtb1 genes play a pivotal role in tiller production as a negative regulator in switchgrass and provides opportunities for further research aiming to elucidate the molecular pathway regulating tillering in switchgrass.
Empathy and Moral Development: Development of Empathic Distress

As I mentioned earlier, empathic distress seems like a simple response: One feels distressed when observing someone in actual distress. When we look at empathic distress in mature observers, however, its complexity is quickly apparent. First, empathic distress in mature observers includes a metacognitive awareness of oneself as responding empathically: One not only feels distressed but knows this feeling is a response to something unfortunate happening to someone else and to what one assumes to be the victim's feeling of pain or discomfort. Mature empathizers have thus passed the developmental milestone of acquiring a cognitive sense of themselves and others as separate physical entities with independent internal states, personal identities, and lives beyond the situation and can therefore distinguish what happens to others from what happens to themselves. Second, mature observers have a sense of how they would feel and a general understanding of how most people would feel in the other's situation. Third, mature observers know that the other's outward behavior (facial expression, posture, voice tone) can reflect how he feels internally but they also know that these outward expressions of feeling can be controlled to some extent and mask the other's internal feeling. Furthermore, all of this knowledge plus any personal information a mature observer has about the victim are likely to be quickly integrated into an explanation of the cause of the victim's plight. In short, for a person to experience mature empathic distress, he must have a clear distinction between what happens too thers and what happens to himself and an understanding of how feelings are expressed and how they are shaped by events.
Intraoperative Neuro-Monitoring During Spondylolisthesis Surgery

The development and maturation of the science and technology behind intraoperative neuro-monitoring (IONM) has been fundamental in the evolution of modern spinal deformity surgery. A number of studies have found that IONM is a highly sensitive and specific tool to recognize electrophysiologic changes at the level of the spinal cord. However, the literature describing the objective surgical outcomes for high-grade spondylolisthesis have a high rate of transient and permanent neuropraxia. The incidence of transient neuropraxia may be as high as 25 % and permanent deficit may be up to 10 % based on surgical technique, severity, and approach. This chapter will review several of the commonly used modalities for IONM and, also, present the authors’ technique for using the multiple IONM modalities including triggered EMG of the nerve root to identify potential nerve root lesions secondary to compression and/or stretch during reduction and stabilization of spondylolisthesis.
Overcoming the limits of theodicy: an interactive reciprocal response to evil

Recent criticisms of theodicies express a conflict between theoretical and practical responses to the existence of evil. Theodicies, and defenses, seek to provide a resolution to the question of why there is evil if there is God. In providing an answer, theodicies offer an explanation for evil that responds to the existence of evil in a theoretical manner. In contrast to those theoretical responses, there have been a number of responses to the existence of evil that have emphasized acting against evil. These practical responses have stressed human actions to lessen the occurrence and impact of evil. Examining the criticisms of theodicies and the responses that have been made to those criticisms opens up the possibility of an interaction between theoretical and practical responses to evil. A survey of the changing understanding of divine omnipotence demonstrates the reciprocal interaction between theoretical and practical responses to evil leading to a more a comprehensive response to the existence of evil and God’s relationship to evil.
Association between pulse wave velocity from velocity-encoded MRI and advanced diastolic function indices assessed by speckle tracking strain analysis in Diabetes Mellitus type 1

Increased pulse wave velocity (PWV), a marker for aortic stiffness, has been linked to worse outcome such as heart failure. This potent marker can be accurately assessed with velocity-encoded MRI according to the transit-time method (Grotenhuis. JMRI 2009). Whether an increase in PWV translates in early diastolic dysfunction in diabetic patients remains unexplored.
Lawful or Fair? How Cops and Laypeople View Good Policing

Legal authorities and the public live in two separate worlds. One world is suffused with law, and the other world is suffused with people’s lived experiences that support their evaluations of fairness. When legal authorities discuss whether police policies and practices are desirable or not, a framework of the lawfulness of the relevant policies and practices dominates the conversation. Police departments, their policies, as well police officers’ actions are viewed as right or wrong with reference to constitutional standards, as interpreted by prosecutors, judges and other legal actors. In contrast, we argue that the public is generally insensitive to the question of whether police officers are acting consistently with constitutional standards. Instead, the public evaluates the propriety of police actions primarily by assessing whether or not police officers exercise their authority consistent with “procedural fairness.”We rely on the results of an innovative nationwide experimental survey involving respondents from representative American cities in which each respondent completes a questionnaire and then watches and reacts to three videos of police-citizen interaction. We argue that the actual lawfulness of police action has at best a minor influence on public evaluations of appropriate police behavior. Public judgments about whether police officers should be disciplined for misconduct are largely shaped by people’s procedural justice evaluations. The actual lawfulness of police officer conduct has at best a minor influence upon people’s evaluations. We believe that these findings strongly suggest the need for the police to broaden the framework within which they evaluate a variety of types of policing policy – racial profiling; zero tolerance policing; street stops; Mosque surveillance, etc. – to include an understanding of how these policies and practices impact public views about the appropriateness of police conduct. Whether policies comport with constitutional standards alone is an impoverished way to judge the rightfulness of police action. Further, our findings point the way toward creating relationships between the police and the public that first enhance cooperative efforts to maintain social order and second build people’s identification with and commitment to both the communities in which they live and to law and government. That broader framework requires evaluating police policies and practices with reference to public conceptions of procedural justice.
Outcome of patients with rectal adenocarcinoma and localized pelvic non-nodal metastatic foci.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcome of patients with primary rectal adenocarcinoma and soft tissue metastatic foci restricted to the pelvis and to determine whether this entity, which is considered N1 disease in the American Joint Committee on Cancer staging system, behaves like completely replaced nodal disease or the first sign of M1 disease. The clinical course for patients with this finding is not well-described in the literature. METHODS: The authors retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 395 patients with rectal adenocarcinoma who received radiation treatment. Eighteen patients had pelvic soft tissue metastatic foci. Exclusions from this study included 1) cases without metastatic pelvic foci; 2) cases of recurrent cancer; 3) cases with known distant metastatic disease as defined by American Joint Committee on Cancer criteria; and 4) cases with extrapelvic metastatic foci. All patients received adjuvant radiotherapy. Thirteen cases received preoperative radiotherapy. Four cases received postoperative radiotherapy. One case received both preoperative and postoperative radiotherapy. Eight cases received chemotherapy. RESULTS: All eighteen patients had T3 or T4 lesions. Thirteen patients had lymph nodes that contained metastatic disease and would therefore have been scored N1 or N2 even without the pelvic tumor implants. Sixteen of 18 (89 percent) patients died of disease after a survival time of 12 to 37 (mean, 25) months. Only 1 of 18 (6 percent) patients was disease free at five years. The other remaining survivor was undergoing palliative therapy for metastatic disease to the lung. This is significantly worse than our institution's experience with T3,4N+ disease after preoperative radiation (5-year survival, 11vs. 56 percent;P=0.0002, Generalized Wilcoxon of Breslow). There was a high incidence of local (9/18) and distant (14/18) failure. No other factor, including radiation dose, margin status, chemotherapy, T stage, and number of involved nodes or soft tissue implants, correlated independently with outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Pelvic metastatic foci confer a significantly worse prognosis than other T3,4N+ disease. Such cases should be excluded from prospective trials for localized disease. Although this entity probably represents M1 disease for most patients, survival can be long, and aggressive locoregional and systemic treatment is warranted.
Simulation of displacement sensitive non-linear dampers via integral formulation of damping force characterization

An integral formulation approach for the characterization of a displacement sensitive non-linear damping force is proposed. This method is based on the transformation of the displacement sensitivity characteristic of the damper into a velocity sensitivity characteristic, and then using an integral formulation to obtain the damping force over the velocity range. The response characteristics of a single-degree-of-freedom (DOF) isolator with displacement sensitive non-linear damper is obtained using the proposed formulation. A local equivalent linearization technique based on energy similarity, as well as direct integration is used to obtain simulation results. The transmitted force-time history as well as system transmissibility are compared with previous studies employing the traditional non-integral approach for damping force formulation. Simulation results are also compared with available experimental results to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method. It is shown that for displacement dependent dampers, the damper force estimated using an integral formulation is the correct and accurate approach for simulation purposes.
Assessing computer systems against 21 CFR Part 11: developing a checklist

A 21 CFR Part 11 Checklist can satisfy many business, process, and educational needs of companies that use computer systems that must comply with Part 11. This article identifies a strategy for creating your own Part 11 Checklist. Suggestions are presented for: analyzing and sorting the regulations into manageable units; organizing the Checklist; adding supportive information to help users understand and navigate through the Checklist; and including enhancement features such as information mapping and special software. Finally, a sample excerpt from our own Checklist is provided. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Analysis of project scheduling strategies in a client-contractor environment

In this article we consider a cost-minimization model to investigate scheduling strategies for multistaged projects in a client-contractor environment. This type of environment is symptomatic of temporal changes in project definition and scope. At prespecified epochs the client conducts an external evaluation of the project and either accepts or rejects the contractor's current work. The resulting uncertainty from the client's review is modeled via monotonically varying acceptance probabilities. The model is designed primarily to address the interaction between earliest-, intermediate-, and latest-start options and project-crashing stragies for a broad range of penalty costs. Theoretical results are introduced, while numerical examples for both exponentially and polynomially based acceptance probabilities are discussed.
Use of Bifunctional Chelating Agents for Radiolabeling Antibodies

A remarkably large number of metallic ions form “stable” chelate complexes with certain organic molecules (chelators, or ligands). For example, diligent — but probably incomplete — searching of the literature reveals references to the preparation and/or thermodynamic stability constants of the chelates of about 70 different elements with the chelator EDTA (1,2). These elements (Figure 1) have a great range of properties; included are radionuclides suitable for medical diagnosis and therapy, as well as paramagnetic, chemically reactive, or luminescent metals appropriate to other applications. Since many of these elements have only moderate stability as EDTA chelates, there are good reasons to search for new chelators that will permit particular metals to be used in vivo as probes or cell-killing agents.
Automated SNP Genotype Clustering Algorithm to Improve Data Completeness in High-Throughput SNP Genotyping Datasets from Custom Arrays

High-throughput SNP genotyping platforms use automated genotype calling algorithms to assign genotypes. While these algorithms work efficiently for individual platforms, they are not compatible with other platforms, and have individual biases that result in missed genotype calls. Here we present data on the use of a second complementary SNP genotype clustering algorithm. The algorithm was originally designed for individual fluorescent SNP genotyping assays, and has been optimized to permit the clustering of large datasets generated from custom-designed Affymetrix SNP panels. In an analysis of data from a 3K array genotyped on 1,560 samples, the additional analysis increased the overall number of genotypes by over 45,000, significantly improving the completeness of the experimental data. This analysis suggests that the use of multiple genotype calling algorithms may be advisable in high-throughput SNP genotyping experiments. The software is written in Perl and is available from the corresponding author.
Self-limiting growth of anatase TiO2: A comparison of two deposition techniques

Abstract Self-limiting deposition of titanium dioxide thin films was accomplished using pulsed plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) and plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) at low temperatures ( T 4 and O 2 . TiCl 4 is shown to be inert with molecular oxygen at process conditions, making it a suitable precursor for these processes. The deposition kinetics were examined as a function of TiCl 4 exposure and substrate temperature. The quality of the anatase films produced by the two techniques was nominally identical. The key distinctions are found in precursor utilization and conformality. Pulsed PECVD requires 20 times less TiCl 4 , while PEALD must be used to uniformly coat complex topographies.
Planting date, irrigation, maturity group, year, and environment effects on Phomopsis longicolla, seed germination, and seed health rating of soybean in the early soybean production system of the midsouthern USA

Abstract Field studies were conducted in 1995–1997 and in 2001 in plots naturally infested with Phomopsis sp. at Stoneville, MS (33°26′N latitude) to determine the effects of irrigation, maturity group (MG), year and date of planting (DOP) on the incidence of Phomopsis longicolla (PL), seed germination, and seed health rating (SHR), a measure of diseased seed and germinated seedlings, in the early soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] production system (ESPS). Except for only an irrigation effect on SHR, there was a significant effect due to year, irrigation, MG, and DOP on the incidence of P. longicolla and seed germination. There was a negative relationship between PL and seed germination in 1995 ( r = - 0.77 , P ⩽ 0.05 ) , 1996 ( r = - 0.97 , P ⩽ 0.05 ) and 2001 ( r = - 0.87 , P ⩽ 0.05 ) . There was also a negative relationship between germination and SHR in 1996 ( r = - 0.98 , P ⩽ 0.05 ) , 1997 ( r = - 0.86 , P ⩽ 0.05 ) , and 2001 ( r = - 0.99 , P ⩽ 0.05 ) , but not in 1995. There was a positive relationship between PL and SHR for 1996 ( r = 0.97 , P ⩽ 0.05 ) , 1997, and 2001 ( r = 0.87 , P ⩽ 0.05 ) . Irrigated treatments in drier years (1995 and 1997) produced a higher level of PL than did nonirrigated treatments, suggesting that soil moisture could have increased the relative humidity in the canopy that provided favorable environment for PL. The incidence of PL was also associated with total rainfall and rainfall frequency for each year. It was higher in 1996 and 2001 than in 1995 and 1997. Germination was increased and PL and SHR were reduced in seed from drier years. The rainfall amount in August of 2001 and 1996 was 220 and 112 mm, and the number of rainy days in the same month was 14 and 11 days, respectively. Early planting of MG IV varieties resulted in higher level of PL and SHR and lower germination. Conducive moisture environment overrode the effects of irrigation. A significant difference between MG IV and V in 2001 was detected in SHR and germination than in PL. This indicates that SHR and germination may be used in concert when evaluating the effect of PL on seed quality. This research highlights the importance and significance of PL and its effect on SHR and seed germination. It also highlights that environmental conditions that are conducive are required to see significant treatment effects.
Simple techniques to detect and identify phentermine adulteration

Phentermine capsules labelled Ionamin were suspected of being counterfeit. Examination of the contents revealed no phentermine, but caffeine and phenylpropanolamine. The usual microcrystalline and spectrodensitometry was used to confirm results of spectrophotometric identity tests.
ION CURRENTS AS INITIATORS OF LIGHT-INDUCED EFFECTS: STUDIES USING PHOTOSENSITIZERS

The effects of reactive oxygen species, especially as generated by photosensitizers and light, may serve as a model for light-induced effects relying on endogenous chromophores. Early events in the series of reactions initiated by these processes are reviewed and representative data on block of ionic currents, membrane permeabilization and increase in intracellular calcium concentration are presented. A general model for the effects of oxidative stress ranging from no effect with mild challenge to necrosis following severe challenge is presented. The results suggest that a 1O2 mechanism could be operative for some forms of low level laser therapy. Energetic considerations suggest that this mechanism is only likely for irradiation wavelengths shorter than 1270 nm.
Radio emission from AM Herculis - The quiescent component and an outburst

The VLA has been used to search for radio emission from the AM Her-type binaries VV Pup, EF Eri, PG 1550 + 191, CW 1103 + 354, and AN UMa, at 4.9 GHz. A remarkable 10-min outburst was detected from AM Her at 4.9 GHz, which was about 20 times more intense than the quiescent emission and was essentially 100 percent circularly polarized. It is suggested that the quiescent emission of AM Her can be accounted for by 500-keV electrons trapped in the magnetosphere of the white dwarf, provided that the electron energy spectrum is quite hard and that the spectral hardness or number density of energetic electrons increases with radius, while the outburst is probably due to an electron-cyclotron maser operating near the surface of the red dwarf companion. The implied existence of a 1000-gauss localized magnetic field and a corona on the red dwarf has consequences for mass transfer, field line interactions, and variable activity.
Cannabis use and first manic episode

Abstract Background Cannabis is the most commonly abused drug among patients with bipolar disorder. Available data has shown that the risk of psychotic disorders increases with the frequency and intensity of cannabis abuse. The present purpose was to review relevant studies to investigate whether cannabis use can be linked to the onset of mania in bipolar disorder. Methods Articles published between 1972 and December 2013 were searched on Medline and PsychInfo using the following keywords: first manic episode , or onset mania , or bipolar disorder and cannabis . Relevant papers cited in the references of selected articles were further considered for inclusion into the review. Results Lifetime use of cannabis among bipolar patients appears to be around 70% and approximately 30% of patients with a bipolar disorder present a comorbidity of cannabis abuse or dependence. Cannabis use is associated with younger age at onset of first mania and with more frequent depressive or manic episodes, although the evidence is somewhat inconsistent. Likewise cannabis consumption is related to poorer outcome and an increased risk of rapid cycling or mixed episodes. In contrast, neuro-cognitive functioning seems to be positively affected in patients with psychiatric comorbidity. While cannabis use often precedes first manic episodes, the causal direction remains to be determined. Limitations Variations in definition of cannabis use/dependence. Lack of controlled studies limiting definite conclusions about a putative causal relationship between cannabis and onset of mania. Conclusions Further investigations are needed to clarify the relationships between cannabis use and first manic episode.
The distribution of total carbon content in enstatite chondrites

Abstract Total carbon abundances in thirteen enstatite chondrites range from 0.056 wt% in Khairpur to 0.56 wt% in Kota Kota. The enstatite chondrites cannot be subdivided into two groups on the basis of their carbon contents.
The effect of stannous and sodium fluoride on coronal caries, root caries and bone loss in rice rats.

Sixty rice rats (Oryzomys palustris) were divided by littermate into 3 groups of 20 each. The 3 groups received either SnF2 (1000 parts/106 F), NaF (1000 parts/106) or double-distilled water (control). Test solutions were topically applied to molar teeth, twice daily, for 7 days. All rats were also provided with double-distilled drinking water and diet 2000 ad libitum. Experiments ended after 9 weeks. Alveolar bone loss, root and coronal caries were recorded and scored. SnF2 significantly reduced bone loss (p < 0.05), but NaF did not. Root caries was significantly different in all 3 groups (p < 0.05). SnF2 and NaF both reduced coronal caries significantly (p < 0.05) in comparison to the control. However, the fluoride groups were not significantly different from each other. SnF2 may influence root caries via remineralization and an antimicrobial effect of the stannous ion.
Patient silence is not necessarily client satisfaction: communication problems in home care nursing.

Although we may believe we are inviting client feedback about care, it is clear from a recent study surveying home care providers and older adult care recipients that failures in communication continue to plague us. Inadequate communication can lead to misunderstandings, client and provider dissatis
Divergence in activation by poly I:C of human natural killer and killer cells.

Interferons consistently enhance spontaneous cellular cytotoxicity (SCC) mediated by natural killer (NK) cells. More controversial is the ability of interferons to enhance antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) mediated by killer (K) cells. Since NK and K cells appear to represent overlapping subpopulations of lymphocytes, the present study was undertaken to examine in greater detail the relationship between NK and K cell functional modulation by the potent interferon inducer, poly I:C. Utilizing peripheral mononuclear cells from a panel of 21 healthy individuals, treatment in vitro with poly I:C resulted in modulation of both SCC and ADCC. SCC was significantly enhanced in 52 of a series of 55 trials (95%), whereas ADCC was significantly enhanced in parallel in only 18 of the trials (33%). Cells which mediated enhanced ADCC were plastic-nonadherent, which is characteristic of K cells. SCC was consistently enhanced in all but two of the 14 individuals who were tested two or more times. By contrast, the ability of poly I:C to enhance ADCC varied between trials in 11 of these individuals. In the other three, ADCC enhancement never occurred. No correlation existed between SCC and ADCC augmentation despite use of the same target cell to assess the two lytic activities in parallel. Poly I:C exclusively enhanced SCC in 36 trials (65%) and exclusively enhanced ADCC in two trials (4%). Discordance between SCC and ADCC enhancement also occurred in three of eight trials (38%) in which lymphocytes were treated directly with interferon a. Results in long-term (18-h) 51Cr-release assays indicated that poly I:C accelerated the kinetics of ADCC without affecting the proportion of target cells lysed by K cells. By contrast, an increased proportion of target cells was killed by poly I:C-stimulated NK cells. These results suggest that the controversy concerning relative interferon effects upon NK and K cells derives from differences both quantitative and qualitative in nature. K cell activity is enhanced but at a relatively low frequency. Enhancement of NK cell activity is selective in the sense that it occurs independently of and with greater frequency than enhancement of K cell activity. Distinct biological mechanisms may, therefore, be involved in regulation and expression of NK and K cell activation by interferons.
Pathways of differentiation of airway epithelial cells.

The question being examined is whether one or more morphologically distinct cell types can be identified in the conducting airways of adult rabbits possessing stem cell functions. The term "stem ce...
Predictors of Sexual Activity in Haitian-American Adolescents

This study examined the impact of individual, peer, family, school, and neighborhood level variables on sexual activity among 276 Haitian-American adolescents. Differences between those who were sexually active and those who were not were analyzed using Chi square and t tests. Significant factors at p ≤ 0.1 were entered into logistic regression for the full group and for girls-only. Half of males and 36.6 % of females were sexually active. The multivariable model revealed that adolescents were more likely to be sexually active if they reported delinquent behaviors; had sexually active friends; and were living with only one parent, friends or relatives. For girls, living with both parents was protective against sexual activity, while substance use and emotional distress were risk factors. No language or acculturation measures were associated with sexual activity. Haitian-American adolescents may benefit from interventions that focus on gender-specific, contextual and cultural factors to prevent early sexual activity.
Human Interindividual Variability in Parameters Related to Health Risks

This paper reviews existing data on the variability in parameters relevant for health risk analyses. We cover both exposure-related parameters and parameters related to individual susceptibility to toxicity. The toxicity/susceptibility data base under construction is part of a longer term research effort to lay the groundwork for quantitative distributional analyses of non-cancer toxic risks. These data are broken down into a variety of parameter types that encompass different portions of the pathway from external exposure to the production of biological responses. The discrete steps in this pathway, as we now conceive them, are: •Contact Rate (Breathing rates per body weight; fish consumption per body weight) •Uptake or Absorption as a Fraction of Intake or Contact Rate •General Systemic Availability Net of First Pass Elimination and Dilution via Distribution Volume (e.g., initial blood concentration per mg/kg of uptake) •Systemic Elimination (half life or clearance) •Active Site Concentration per Systemic Blood or Plasma Concentration •Physiological Parameter Change per Active Site Concentration (expressed as the dose required to make a given percentage change in different people, or the dose required to achieve some proportion of an individual's maximum response to the drug or toxicant) •Functional Reserve Capacity–Change in Baseline Physiological Parameter Needed to Produce a Biological Response or Pass a Criterion of Abnormal Function Comparison of the amounts of variability observed for the different parameter types suggests that appreciable variability is associated with the final step in the process–differences among people in “functional reserve capacity.” This has the implication that relevant information for estimating effective toxic susceptibility distributions may be gleaned by direct studies of the population distributions of key physiological parameters in people that are not exposed to the environmental and occupational toxicants that are thought to perturb those parameters. This is illustrated with some recent observations of the population distributions of Low Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol from the second and third National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys.
Parasitizing landscape for UNESCO World Heritage

Abstract The work of Michel Serres has received recent attention in geographic scholarship, particularly his concept of the parasite. In this article I use this model to investigate an area of geographic study that has remained until now unexamined under this lens: the production of heritage landscapes. Through an engagement with a case from the Valtellina, a valley in the Italian Alps, I demonstrate the logic of the parasite that is evident in the actions of a local nonprofit organization that narratively and materially analyzes (culls), paralyzes (eliminates), and catalyzes (combines) local agricultural terraces in an application to UNESCO’s World Heritage list. I do this by parasitizing the terraces and the application myself as I analyze, paralyze, and catalyze them to render a still partial but fuller representation of the valley’s historic terraced landscapes. Parasites are ambivalent agents, abusive in some ways but useful in others.
Is the Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Rupture Rate Decreasing

Decreased smoking has likely had the most significant impact on reducing the prevalence of AAAs. In a review of public data in England and Wales, Anjum and colleagues illustrated a reduction of AAA rupture from 1997 to2009 across all ages attributed to a concurrent decrease in prevalence of smoking. This trend has also been noted in a meta-analysis from Sweeting and colleagues and attributed to a reduction in the prevalence of smoking since the mid-1970s along with an enhanced awareness of cardiovascular risk factor reduction and selective aneurysm screening. Along with an effort to reduce AAA progression and rupture, tools to predict patient-specific risk of AAA rupture are evolving with refined models that incorporate both aneurysm wall stress and wall strength likely to provide the most promising approach. Although the role of statins, ACE inhibitors, beta-blockers, and aspirin in preventing or slowing aneurysmal rupture remains unresolved, their proven benefit in reducing long-term cardiovascular mortality suggests that these medications should be considered in any patient with a small AAA. Currently, randomized trials do not show any survival benefit for open or endovascular repair for small aneurysms in the range of 4.0 to 5.4 cm. AAA repair, whether through an endovascular or open approach, is not without potential complication. Even at centers of excellence, the 30-day mortality rate for conventional AAA surgery is 3% to 5%, with rates of major morbidityranging from 15% to 40%. The Society for Vascular Surgery guidelines recommends surveillance for patients with a fusiform AAA of 4.0 to 5.4 cm. The risk of AAA rupture appears to be decreasing through heightened public awareness, advanced technology for AAA detection, screening and surveillance, improved understanding of biomechanics and natural progression in AAA rupture, along with the availability of a wide range of medical therapies for risk factor reduction and minimally invasive options for AAA repair.
The Synthesis, X-ray Structure Analysis and Photophysical Characterization of 2-(9-Anthrylmethylideneamino)-5-methylphenol

The Schiff base 2-(9-anthrylmethylideneamino)-5-methylphenol has been prepared in good yield (55%) from commercially available starting materials. The photophysical properties of this compound and its precursor have been determined. The room temperature absorption spectra of both in various solvents exhibited two π → π* transitions that had similar maxima, one that was more intense at approximately 260 nm and a weaker one at approximately 400 nm. Solutions of both compounds in methylcyclohexane and propanenitrile were luminescent at room temperature with maxima in the range 450–500 nm. The emission spectra of both at 77 K in methylcyclohexane solution were similar and exhibited vibrational structure with maxima in the range 460–522 nm. At room temperature and 77 K both compounds had short excited state lifetimes that characterized their emission as fluorescence. The title compound, C22H17NO, crystallized in the triclinic space group $$ P{\bar{\text{1}}} $$ with a = 8.5533 (5) A, b = 14.0926 (10) A, c = 14.9382 (11) A, α = 104.204 (6)°, β = 106.480 (5)°, γ = 105.091 (5)°, V = 1564.9 (2) A3, T = 90 K, D c = 1.322 Mg m−3, Z = 4, R = 0.033. The X-ray structure and photophysical properties of the title compound (1) were determined.
The use of chlordimeform against northern fowl mites on caged laying hens

Trials were conducted to evaluate the efficiency of chlordimeform (N′-(4-chloro-o-tolyl)-(N,N-dimethylformamidine)) in controlling northern fowl mites on commercial caged laying hens. Chlordimeform (0.03% active ingredient (A.I.)) applied as a high pressure spray was as effective (P < 0.05) as stirofos (2-chloro-1-(2,4,5-tri-chlorophenyl) vinyl dimethyl phosphate) (0.5% A.I.) for 63 days post-treatment. Twenty-one days after treatment, chlordimeform (0.06% A.I.) was shown to be more effective (P < 0.05) than stirofos when applied as a low pressure spray.
Distribution of surface coat material on nasal folds of mouse embryos as demonstrated by concanavalin A binding.

3H-concanavalin A and the concanavalin A-horseradish peroxidase staining technique were used to study the distribution of surface coat material on the epithelium of the nasal folds and nasal groove of mouse embryos. In stages shortly before and during epithelial fusion concanavalan A stained or labeled material was present at apical surfaces of epithelial cells of the nasal groove and nasal folds. Silver grains, representing bound 3H-concanavalin A, were counted in defined areas of the nasal groove and presumptive fusion area in both anterior and posterior regions of the nasal folds. For both stages examined there was a significant increase in the amount of 3H-concanavalin A bound by presumptive fusion areas in posterior regions of the nasal folds as compared with anterior regions; i.e., the amount of surface coat was greater in the region just prior to the point of contact between the nasal folds. This finding is consistent with results from investigations of palatal shelf and neural fold fusion which suggest that increased synthesis of surface coat material is associated with adhesion and fusion of epithelial folds and shelves.
Chicken liver fatty acid synthetase dimer: evidence of asymmetrical structure from iodoacetamide inhibition studies.

The condensing component of chicken liver fatty acid synthetase is inhibited by a sulfhydryl reagent, iodoacetamide, with a second-order rate constant of 0.23 M−1 sec−1 at pH 7.0 and 0δ. Complete inactivation requires the modification of approximately 8-SH groups per dimer of the enzyme. Quantitation of the extent of inactivation in the presence of i mM acetyl CoA (which completely protects the enzyme against inactivation) and in its absence shows that complete inactivation results from the binding of approximately 1.1 tool of carboxamidomethyl residues per dimer. These data are consistent with the proposed functional asymmetry of the enzyme.
Combining generational and conservative garbage collection: framework and implementations

Two key ideas in garbage collection are generational collection and conservative pointer-finding. Generational collection and conservative pointer-finding are hard to use together, because generational collection is usually expressed in terms of copying objects, while conservative pointer-finding precludes copying. We present a new framework for defining garbage collectors. When applied to generational collection, it generalizes the notion of younger/older to a partial order. It can describe traditional generational and conservative techniques, and lends itself to combining different techniques in novel ways. We study in particular two new garbage collectors inspired by this framework. Both these collectors use conservative pointer-finding. The first one is based on a rewrite of an existing trace-and-sweep collector to use one level of generation. The second one has a single parameter, which controls how objects are partitioned into generations: the value of this parameter can be changed dynamically with no overhead. We have implemented both collectors and present measurements of their performance in practice.
Directional correlations of γ-rays in 143Pr

Abstract Directional correlation measurements have been made for γ-transitions in 143 Pr following the decay of 33.0 h 143 Ce using two Ge(Li) detectors. Correlation coefficients are reported for twelve cascades, of which coefficients for five cascades are previously unreported. Deduced are mixing ratios for thirteen transitions and spins and parities for the following levels: 57 ( 5 2 + ), 351 ( 3 2 + ), 490 ( 5 2 + ), 722 ( 3 2 + ), 739 ( 1 2 − ), 938 ( 3 2 + ), and 1160 ( 3 2 + ) keV .
Trading off Supply Chain Risk and Efficiency through Supply Chain Design

Abstract The configuration of complex systems to improve their efficiency (reward), risk, or a combination of both performance measures has long been a goal of systems engineering. This research focuses on designing supply chain systems where a large number of discrete configurations exist. The uncertainty of the future is modeled as a set of scenarios. The risk of the system is modeled as the standard deviation of the profits of the various scenarios, while the efficiency or reward of the system is computed as the expected value of the scenario profits. A configuration for which no other configuration exists that has both higher reward and lower risk is said to be Pareto-optimal. An optimizing algorithm that efficiently identifies all Pareto-optimal configurations of a supply chain is presented. A common risk mitigation strategy for supply chains is to increase the overall capacity of the supply chain by either constructing more facilities or by increasing the capacity of individual facilities. We then show through a numerical example, that this strategy does not always have the desired effect of reducing the risk. This observation is a new and counterintuitive managerial insight.
Inequivalent layers in the phenomenology of high Tc superconductors

Abstract We present a phenomenological model describing the high Tc superconductors. The model accounts for the observed positive curvature in the temperature dependence of the H⊥c2, in terms of a proximity effect between the superconducting and insulating layers forming the unit cell of various copper oxides.
Bag of Lines (BoL) for Improved Aerial Scene Representation

Feature representation is a key step in automated visual content interpretation. In this letter, we present a robust feature representation technique, referred to as bag of lines (BoL), for high-resolution aerial scenes. The proposed technique involves extracting and compactly representing low-level line primitives from the scene. The compact scene representation is generated by counting the different types of lines representing various linear structures in the scene. Through extensive experiments, we show that the proposed scene representation is invariant to scale changes and scene conditions and can discriminate urban scene categories accurately. We compare the BoL representation with the popular scale invariant feature transform (SIFT) and Gabor wavelets for their classification and clustering performance on an aerial scene database consisting of images acquired by sensors with different spatial resolutions. The proposed BoL representation outperforms the SIFT- and Gabor-based representations.
A Derivation of Bending Free Toroidal Shell Shapes for Tokamak Fusion Reactors

This paper describes an extension of mathematical solutions to bending free shapes of toroidal pressure vessels. Previous work on this subject derived a pure tension shape of a toroidal membrane which was subjected to a uniform internal pressure. This research was directed toward the finding of a pure tension shape of a toroidal membrane which is subjected to a pressure inversely proportional to the square of the toroidal radius. Such a relationship is possible when electromechanical forces are considered. This family of shapes, which are nearly circular for aspect ratios greater than 2.5, is derived by solving the equilibrium, constitutive, and kinematic relationships for a uniform toroidal shell using the linear membrane theory. Serious consideration should be given to these toroidal shapes, as they provide alternative methods of design for tokamak fusion reactors.