cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Advanced Multiparametric Imaging for Response Assessment to Tumor-Treating Fields in Patients with Glioblastoma

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common malignant brain tumor and accounts for 70% of all primary brain tumors in adults. Despite aggressive multimodal therapy including surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, the prognosis remains poor with a median survival of around 2 years. Tumor-treating fields (TTFields) is a new frontier in cancer therapy and has been recently approved for the treatment of GBM. This chapter discusses emerging concepts of brain tumor management, with special emphasis toward novel therapeutic approaches. Recent neuroimaging advances including novel physiologic and metabolic neuroimaging techniques and their role in monitoring treatment-related temporal characteristics and assessing response to this unique treatment modality will also be reviewed.
The Loom Machines of Boott Mill (Lowell): A Composition from the New England Soundscape Project

The author reports on the development of an original piece, Boott Mill (Lowell), in which he takes field recordings of loom machines from the Boott Mill Museum in Lowell, Massachusetts, and uses th...
Time-series learning of latent-space dynamics for reduced-order model closure

Abstract We study the performance of long short-term memory networks (LSTMs) and neural ordinary differential equations (NODEs) in learning latent-space representations of dynamical equations for an advection-dominated problem given by the viscous Burgers equation. Our formulation is devised in a nonintrusive manner with an equation-free evolution of dynamics in a reduced space with the latter being obtained through a proper orthogonal decomposition. In addition, we leverage the sequential nature of learning for both LSTMs and NODEs to demonstrate their capability for closure in systems that are not completely resolved in the reduced space. We assess our hypothesis for two advection-dominated problems given by the viscous Burgers equation. We observe that both LSTMs and NODEs are able to reproduce the effects of the absent scales for our test cases more effectively than does intrusive dynamics evolution through a Galerkin projection. This result empirically suggests that time-series learning techniques implicitly leverage a memory kernel for coarse-grained system closure as is suggested through the Mori–Zwanzig formalism.
An Immersive Gesture-based Drone Command System

One of the primary reasons for difficulties when flying a drone is limited understanding of mapping between the physical movements/orientation of tlie drone and using a remote controller. We describe an immersive gesture-based drone control approach which aims to increase the drone flying accuracy and reduce tlie initial learning curve associated with flying a drone.
Progress in interventional treatment of children with congenital heart disease

The interventional treatment of congenital heart diseases has been developed for more than 50 years since Rashkind et al.performed balloon atrial septostomy in 1966.From the initial catheter examination and palliative operation to the current radical occlusion, stent implantation, valve replacement, etc, interventional catheterization has become one of main means of treating congenital heart disease.The interventional therapy of congenital heart disease in China has made great progress, but there is still a certain gap with developed countries.This article summarizes the progress of interventional treatments in septal defect diseases, aortic artery to pulmonary artery shunt diseases, valvular diseases, and hybrid therapy, in order to provide reference for the interventional treatment of congenital heart disease in China. Key words: Congenital heart disease; Interventional treatment; Child
Purveyors of dreams: labour recruiters in the Pakistan to Saudi Arabia migration corridor

This paper provides an empirical account of how Pakistani labour recruiters, or ‘overseas employment promotors’ (OEPs), manage the needs and expectations of their migrant-clients while contending w...
Decision Making and Kenya’s Foreign Policy Behaviour: The Moi and Kibaki Presidencies in Perspective

Kenya’s foreign policy has overly been characterised by continuity and change, with idiosyncrasies of the president informing most foreign policy decision outcomes. This reality is further reinforced by institutional and structural discrepancies associated with periodic elections, some of which have had significant changes on the presidency as a core institution in Kenya’s foreign policy decision making process. Such was the case in 2002 general elections that witnessed the end of President Moi’s twenty-four-year rule, and ushered in Mwai Kibaki as the third president of Kenya. In an attempt to explore the continuity and change in Kenya’s foreign policy behaviour during the Moi and Kibaki presidencies, this paper adopts decision making theory as a framework of analysis. The actor-specific decision-making theory conceives the individual human decision maker as the focal ontological unit, whose actions whether singly or in groups are responsible for state behaviour. In this paper I argue that, continuity and change exhibited by Kenya’s foreign policy behaviour during the Moi and Kibaki presidencies was informed by individual decision makers, acting singly or in a group, within the constraints of existing institutions of the state, where internal and external influences are channelled through to inform state behaviour.
Perioperative Point-of-Care Ultrasound in Children

Anesthesiologists and other acute care physicians perform and interpret portable ultrasonography—point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS)—at a child’s bedside, in the perioperative period. In addition to the established procedural use for central line and nerve block placement, POCUS is being used to guide critical clinical decisions in real-time. Diagnostic point-of-care applications most relevant to the pediatric anesthesiologist include lung ultrasound for assessment of endotracheal tube size and position, pneumothorax, pleural effusion, pneumonia, and atelectasis; cardiac ultrasound for global cardiac function and hydration status, and gastric ultrasound for aspiration risk stratification. This article reviews and discusses select literature regarding the use of various applications of point-of-care ultrasonography in the perioperative period.
Effects of salt intake on sympathetic neural and pressor responses to cold pressor test in premenopausal women with a history of normal pregnancy.

Excessive salt intake is considered a risk factor for the development of hypertension. Additionally, aberrant neurocirculatory responses to a cold stimulus are associated with an increased risk of ...
4-Point C2 Fixation for Occipitocervical Fusion: Technical Case Report.

Background Occipitocervical fusion is an important surgical procedure to treat instability of the upper cervical and craniocervical junction. Fixation to the dense cortical bone of the occiput, contemporaneously typically accomplished with a plate and screws, is known to be strong and durable, but there are many competing methods used to secure an adequate number of fixation points of sufficient strength at the cervical end. Extension of hardware to the midcervical region to acquire additional fixation points, however, results in loss of subaxial motion segments and additional potential morbidity. The C2 vertebra is unique in that its morphology and dimensions permit fixation with longer screws than are typically possible to place in the midcervical lateral masses. Translaminar and pars screw techniques, both commonly used to achieve C2 fixation, are not mutually exclusive, as their respective trajectories are considerably different and engage different portions of the bony anatomy. Methods We describe a novel, 4-point C2 fixation technique for OC fusion that may avoid the need to extend fusion to the subaxial spine. Results This technical note illustrates how 4-point C2 fixation can be employed in occiptocervical fusion. Conclusions 4-point fixation of C2 combining translaminar and pars screw placement is technically feasible and may be a suitable strategy to spare subaxial motion segments in OC fusion procedures. Futher investigation may establish its applicability to additional surgical procedures.
Electrical Properties of 6 nm to 19 nm Thick Polyethylene Oxide Capacitors for Ion/Electron Functional Devices

The impedance–frequency and capacitance–voltage characteristics of metal/polyethylene oxide (PEO)/Si (MOS) capacitors at thicknesses relevant to transistor technology are measured with and without CsClO4. Basic understanding of the impedance frequency and voltage characteristics of this MOS system is established in spin-coated films in the thickness range from 6 nm to 19 nm, as determined from capacitance measurements and transmission electron microscopy. Estimates of the dielectric constant, energy band diagram, charge trap density, and conductivity in ultrathin PEO are obtained. Simple equivalent circuits based on resistive and capacitive elements that reflect the physical system are used to model the measured impedance frequency trends and compare films with and without CsClO4 in the polymer matrix. This study reveals the electrical properties of PEO near the limits of thickness scaling, toward memory and neuromorphic device applications.
Otolaryngologist Characteristics and Outlier Use of Balloon Sinuplasty in the Medicare Population.

OBJECTIVE Balloon sinuplasty (BSP) is associated with varied practice patterns. This study sought to identify otolaryngologist characteristics associated with BSP utilization. STUDY DESIGN Retrospective analysis of Medicare claims data and the National Physician Compare database. METHODS Outlier otolaryngologists were compared to non-outliers. Otolaryngologist characteristics included sex, practice size, geographic setting, years of experience, procedure setting, 10 or fewer endoscopic sinus surgeries per year for 3 or more years, and high number of services per unique Medicare beneficiary. Outlier status was defined as performing an annual total of balloon procedures of 2 standard deviations (SDs) above the mean for all otolaryngologists in the same year. RESULTS Between January 2012 and December 2017, 1,408 otolaryngologists performed 101,662 endoscopic sinus surgeries and 97,680 BSP procedures. Sixty-six outlier otolaryngologists (4.7%) accounted for 44.3% of all BSP procedures. Outlier status was associated with practice size of 10 or fewer individual providers (OR, 5.15; 95% CI, 2.73-9.74; P < .001), performance of 10 or fewer total endoscopic sinus surgeries per year for 3 or more years (OR, 3.90; 95% CI, 1.59-9.57; P = .003), and high number of overall services per beneficiary (OR 6.70; 95% CI, 1.19-37.84; P = .031). Provider sex, years of experience, and geographic setting were not associated with outlier status. CONCLUSION Outlier BSP patterns are associated with a few otolaryngologists who are more likely to be identified in small practices and record low numbers of endoscopic surgeries. Although BSP is an appropriate and effective tool, identification of outlier patterns may help to facilitate peer-to-peer counsel. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 3 Laryngoscope, 2021.
U.S. Geological Survey Circum-Arctic Resource Appraisal

The volume of yet-to-find petroleum in the Arctic is one of the greatest remaining uncertainties of future world energy supply. Although most onshore areas have been at least partially explored, the vast continental shelves that cover one third of the Arctic are largely undrilled. Using a probabilistic geology-based methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey has assessed the area north of the Arctic Circle and concluded that about 30% of the world’s undiscovered gas and 13% of the world’s undiscovered oil may be found there, mostly offshore under less than 500m of water. Billion BOE-plus accumulations are predicted at a 50% probability in 11 CARA assessment units in the Barents Sea, East and West Greenland, Canada, and Alaska. Undiscovered natural gas is three times more abundant than oil on a BOE basis and largely concentrated in Russian territory. Oil resources, while critically important to the interests of Arctic nations, are probably not sufficient to shift global patterns of oil production.
An Optimization Approach for Fuzzy Controller Design

Specification of membership functions for a fuzzy logic controller has been an important issue in engineering. This paper presents a new procedure for designing a fuzzy controller using a high-dimensional numerical optimization algorithm. In this study, effectiveness of an optimization program for designing a fuzzy controller is determined, and the relationship between membership functions and controller performance is discussed. The proposed method was applied to the blood pressure regulation problem as a case study
Clustered p53 immunostaining: A novel pattern associated with prostate cancer progression

Abnormal p53 protein accumulation is typically defined as present when greater than 5 or 10% of cancer cells stain positively. We present a novel approach whereby immunopositivity is defined when 15 or more cells within a 300 x 400-micrometer(2) field exhibit p53 protein accumulation; a feature that we have called "clustered" staining. We assessed p53 immunostaining of moderately differentiated, clinically localized prostate cancers derived from two patient groups: those without cancer recurrence 5 years after radical prostatectomy, and those in whom cancer had recurred following radical prostatectomy. Clustered p53 immunopositivity was present in 10 (63%) of 16 patients in the recurrent group and in only 7 (21%) of 33 in the nonrecurrent group. Clustered p53 staining was clearly associated with cancer recurrence (P < 0.01). This refinement of a commonly used assay may help define the biological aggressiveness of a cancer.
Computer graphics techniques to represent volcanic hazard and risk

Physical behavior of volcanic eruptions can be numerically simulated to build hazard and risk maps. To fully exploit model results and adequately use them to hazard and risk presentation, computer graphics techniques can be profitably utilized. Computer-built shaded images and satellite scenes are used as background for numerical result representation. Moreover both the cases of static results and time-dependent data have been considered. In the last case, dynamic animation has been adopted to show system evolution. Applications are presented for tephra fallout risk, lava flow hazard and lahar flowing.
Building in reliability (BIR) with critical nodes

Advances in technology have enabled the semiconductor industry to reduce reliability failure rates. However, the cost to continue the past methods of understanding reliability performance of these advanced technologies is increasing rapidly. While it is increasingly difficult to measure the reducing reliability failure rates, the philosophy of continuous improvement can be applied to the determination of reliability by focusing on the various steps in the manufacturing systems used to build the products. Building-in-reliability (BIR) is a philosophy where the inputs to manufacturing process steps affecting reliability are identified, controlled and improved leading to continuous improvement in product reliability. With BIR significant effort is placed on identification of the process steps, or process nodes, that have a significant effect on reliability.
Determination of the Molecular Weight of Animal RNA Viral Genomes by Nuclease Digestions I. Vesicular Stomatitis Virus and Its Defective T Particle

A procedure has been developed for the determination of the weight of animal RNA virus genomes using controlled nuclease digestions and computation of the moles of oligonucleotides obtained from 1 mol of RNA. Using both pancreatic RNase and RNase T(1) to digest viral RNA labeled by (3)H-uridine, (3)H-cytidine, or (3)H-guanosine, the weight of the virion RNA of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) is estimated as 3.82 +/- 0.14 x 10(6) whereas that of the VSV-defective T particle is estimated as 1.23 +/- 0.04 x 10(6).
Seattle's paramedic program: Geographical distribution, response times, and mortality

Abstract Minimization of response time is an explicit goal of most emergency medical service (EMS) systems. Studies of advanced life support systems reaffirm the importance of minimizing the time to definitive care in critical emergencies. However, are there variations in spatial patterns of service in- EMS systems? Do survival rates from emergencies vary geographically? Seattle's Medic-I program and its “tiered” response system, which responds to 20.000 calls annually, are examined within this perspective. Finally, an analysis of the relations between survival and response time suggests that they are minimal in a system where the average response time is less than 3 min.
Microelectrode arrays and ceric ammonium nitrate: a simple strategy for developing new site-selective synthetic methods

Conditions for a site-selective ceric ammonium nitrate oxidation have been developed. The reactions proceed nicely on both 1K- and 12K-microelectrode arrays. The procedure for developing the reactions was very simple and demonstrated that the same reagents used for a solution-phase reaction can be used for a related site-selective reaction on a microelectrode array.
Political Opportunity and Nested Institutions

Scholars use the concept of 'political opportunity structure' to explain how the political context affects the differential development and influence of ostensibly similar movements. Although the concept promises to become an important analytical tool for comparative studies, to date it is underspecified and undertheorized. It also faces new challenges in this era of increased transnational activism and more extensive scholarly recognition of activist ties across borders. In this paper I argue that assessing opportunity by looking exclusively at national political structures neglects the important role that international factors, such as alliances and transnational movements, play in constraining both states and their challengers. I begin by reviewing the literature on opportunity and drawing a synthesis between it and the literature on domestic influences of international politics. I argue that political institutions are nested in a larger international context, and that the tightness or looseness of tha...
17α-Hydroxyprogesterone in Human Plasma

ABSTRACT A shortened approach to the measurement of 17α-hydroxyprogesterone (17-OHP) is described. The extracted plasma sample with 3H indicator is purified by only one paper chromatography. No acetylation step or further chromatography is necessary. Values obtained in males and females are the same as reported by Strott et al. Both LH and FSH increased plasma 17-OHP in men. Measurable, but low, plasma values were observed in prepubertal children. Further evidence for adrenal secretion was provided by values from children and castrates, and by failure to suppress 17-OHP during the follicular phase with estrogen.
Thermal-Fluid Characteristics of an Automotive Radiator Used as the External Heat Exchanger in an Auto Air Conditioning System

The thermal-fluid characteristics of an automotive radiator, used as the external heat exchanger in an auto air conditioning system, are experimentally analyzed and discussed in this article. The radiator in this study is a compact heat exchanger with parallel rectangular minichannels and louvered thin-plate fins. A 50% glycol-water mixture flows through the minichannels with staggered surface enhancements on the walls. On the other side, air flows through the radiator openings with the louvered thin-plate fins sandwiched between the minichannels. Single-phase heat transfer and pressure drop correlations for glycol-water flow within the minichannels and for air flow through the louvered fins are obtained and presented. The Wilson plot technique is applied to find the heat transfer coefficients on both the glycol-water and air sides. The frictional pressure drop for the glycol-water flow within the minichannels is also obtained using the Fanning equation. The uncertainty estimates for both measured and calculated parameters are then presented, and finally the results are plotted, discussed and compared with the relevant previous studies. These results show that the heat transfer rate is increased in the glycol-water side due to the surface enhancements in comparison with smooth rectangular channels. The heat transfer is enhanced on the air side as well, as compared with the flat smooth surfaces, due to the use of louvered fins.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Acquisition of Nutrient Composition Knowledge—A Limited Retention Phenomenon

Abstract LEARNING OUTCOME: Participants will recognize advanced nutrition students exhibit only a small increment in food composition knowledge compared to beginning students. Registered dietitians must acquire and retain information about nutrient composition to effectively and quickly interact with clients regarding nutrient choices. Traditionally, students gained knowledge about nutrient composition through course work and applications such as dietary analyses, menu planning, and label comparisons. The purpose of this study was to determine the differences in ability to recall and manipulate nutrient composition data of beginning and advanced nutrition students at six locations across the country. Students completed a 32 item multiple choice test on vitamin A, folic acid, calcium, and iron. The test was developed in Fall 1996 and administered early in 1997 to 472 students, 393 beginning and 129 advanced. Mean scores at the six institutions ranged from 9 to 11 for beginning students and 14 to 15 for advanced. The mean score for all beginning students was 10 ± 3, or 31 ± 10% (mean ± standard deviation); advanced students scored 14 ± 3 (p
A new perspective on emotions

This paper reviews the recent history of the study of human emotions in psychology and traces the factors that have been responsible for a remarkable increase of interest in emotions, especially in human development. In particular, it traces the rise of the study of emotions as regulators of human behavior. A particularly clear and powerful illustration of the regulatory role of emotional expressions on behavior is the phenomenon of social referencing. This concept deals with the use of emotional information in another's facial, vocal or gestural expression to clarify uncertain situations. Research on social referencing is reviewed, showing the importance of social referencing with infants as young as 8.5 months. The clinical implications of the concept are briefly explored.
Relationships among vegetation, climatic zonation, soil, and bedrock in the central White-Inyo Range, eastern California: A ground-based and remote-sensing study

To assess the effects of regional climate change using remote-sensing methods, we conducted integrated geologic, botanical, and field-radiometer baseline studies on the ground in the central White-Inyo Mountains. Vegetation on contrasting geologic substrates in 58, 50 × 50 m sites was studied annually in early July and in late September 1997–2001. We quantified areal abundances of plant species by using field inventories and ground-based values of the normalized-difference vegetation index (NDVI). Distributions and abundances of species are complex functions of microclimate (elevation, slope, and facing direction), seasonality, soil development, bedrock lithologies, and albedo. X-ray diffraction studies demonstrate that the soils consist chiefly of in situ weathering components such as illite, montmorillonite, chlorite, quartz, carbonates, and feldspars. Soils along higher ridges contain modest amounts of wind-blown grains derived from glaciated granodioritic plutons and volcanic roof pendants of the Sierra Nevada. Light-colored limestone and dolomite support only sparse amounts of Sagebrush at any altitude, whereas this drought-tolerant species is widespread on dark argillite, quartzite, phyllite, and granitic rocks. Grasses grow luxuriantly on dark granite and quartzite, but poorly on carbonate bedrock. Trees are numerous on carbonate rocks, but are uncommon on dark granite and quartzite. Higher-albedo rocks and soils retain moisture better than darker substrates and in general support greater vegetative cover and biomass. These studies provided ground control for hyperspectral data collected by ER-2 aircraft along three Airborne Visible and InfraRed Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) flight lines. Because of the ∼16 m spatial resolution of the remotely sensed data, only plant communities could be mapped from AVIRIS imagery. On the basis of the dominant species, we identified the following communities: Shadscale/desert scrub; Pinyon-Juniper woodlands; Sagebrush meadows; Mountain Mahogany woodlands; Aspen woodlands; Bristlecone Pine–Limber Pine woodlands; and Alpine fell-fields. When judged by correlation with the 50 × 50 m ground-based inventoried sites, botanical community assignments for the June 2000 flight lines achieved an accuracy of 81%; in contrast, October 1996 assignments were only 65% correct, reflecting low sun angle and senesced vegetation.
MNSs and Miltenberger frequencies in 211 Chinese.

. In serial MNSs tests on blood samples from 211 Chinese, 10 Mi(a+) were found, 9 of which were shown to belong to Miltenberger cell class III (Mi·III); it was assumed by analogy that this also applies to the tenth. The frequency of Mi·III in this Chinese series is thus 4.7%, almost 500 times higher than in Whites. Seventy persons in the series were tested for the Stones antigen: 2 St(a+) were observed. Attention is drawn to the ‘variant N’ reactions of M Mi·III blood: positive with Vicia graminea extract, weakly positive with rabbit, negative with human anti-N. The reactions can be a source of error in MN tests on Chinese bloods.
Students’ Perception of Interactive Learning Modules

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to examine perceptions of interactive learning modules (ILMs) developed for use in an undergraduate recreation and leisure studies course. Interpretive analysis of qualitative data using a constant comparative method suggested that some characteristics of the ILMs influenced learning. Data clustered into four overarching categories: (a) contextualized information presented in the ILMs, (b) situated activities provided in the ILMs, (c) learner guidance offered in the ILMs, and (d) technical aspects of the ILMs. Findings of this study have implications for improvement and future development of the ILMs. Further research is encouraged to examine the relationship between characteristics of ILMs and achievements of students.
Surface forces and viscosity of water measured between silica sheets

Abstract A method of preparing silica surfaces for use in the Israelachvili surface force apparatus is described. Two silica sheets were immersed in aqueous solutions of NaCl to study both the surface forces between them and the viscosity of the intervening aqueous film. The force shows a short-range hydration repulsion, indicating a modified water structure at the silica interface, but the viscosity does not differ from the value of bulk water.
Load dependent dynamic path selection in multi-radio hybrid wireless mesh networks

Hybrid Wireless Mesh Networks provide improved connectivity and reliability over traditional wireless networks. However due to rapidly changing traffic patterns, such networks are more likely to experience congestion which leads to data loss. Inability to differentiate between congested links and select best possible paths dynamically can be very expensive in a rapidly changing network topology. This paper proposes D-WCETT (Dynamic Weighted Cumulative Expected Transmission Time), an enhanced version of the WCETT routing metric, with focus on forming routes based upon network load information. The proposed routing metric dynamically selects paths with least level of congestion by taking into consideration locally available queue information. We present an evaluation of our implementation via extensive simulations and results indicate that the proposed metric significantly outperforms its predecessor by virtue of its ability to distinguish and dynamically select least congested paths in a multi-radio environment.
Seasonal and Ontogenetic Examination of the Reproductive Biology of Pseudoplusia includens (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Comparison of daily and seasonal values of whole-body lipid, ovarian development, and two mating parameters (percentage of mating and number of spermatophores) were examined in adult soybean loopers, Pseudoplusia includens (Walker). Laboratory moths had a greater percentage of whole-body lipids and numbers of chorionated eggs compared with field-collected 3-d-old moths. Females contained a significantly higher percentage of whole-body lipid than males. Late-season (November) females delayed chorionated egg maturation and had higher nonegg lipids than in summer (July, August, and September) and early fall (October) females. Both sexes contained a greater percentage of whole-body lipids late in the fall compared with early-season moths. There was no shift in the daily percentage of mating or number of matings between seasons. Thus, soybean loopers appear to exhibit some of the physiological characteristics associated with Johnson's oogenesis-flight syndrome proposed for migratory insects.
Increase in carotid body sensitivity during sustained hypoxia.

Ventilation is not constant during steady-state prolonged hypoxia. This raises questions as to the role of the carotid body (CB) in sustained hypoxia. Studies in awake goats using an extracorporeal CB
Gender differences in erotic plasticity: the female sex drive as socially flexible and responsive

Responding to controversies about the balance between nature and culture in determining human sexuality, the author proposes that the female sex drive is more malleable than the male in response to sociocultural and situational factors. A large assortment of evidence supports 3 predictions based on the hypothesis of female erotic plasticity: (a) Individual women will exhibit more variation across time than men in sexual behavior, (b) female sexuality will exhibit larger effects than male in response to most specific sociocultural variables, and (c) sexual attitude-behavior consistency will be lower for women than men. Several possible explanations for female erotic plasticity are reviewed, including adaptation to superior male political and physical power, the centrality of female change (from no to yes) as a prerequisite for intercourse, and the idea that women have a milder sex drive than men.
Contribution of Days Since Bred, Herd Average, and Sample-Day Production to Accuracy in Projecting Lactation Records

Abstract Holsteinsample-day production records from the North Carolina processing center were used to evaluate several models for accuracy in projecting partial production records to 305 days. Production on the most recent sample day was the best single predictor of production from the end of the partial record to 305 days. Herd average increased accuracy for records of fewer than 125 days. Days since bred improved accuracy for records of more than 55 days. The remaining yield of first lactation was predicted with increased accuracy if the partial record production was used in addition to the other variables starting at 55 days. Three conditions were considered: 1) all information available, 2) days since bred lacking, and 3) days since bred and last sample-day production lacking. An optimum system for each condition was assessed.
Restricted wobble in UGA codon recognition by glycine tRNA suppressors of UGG

Abstract In order to continue studies on the decoding properties in vivo of previously isolated UGG suppressor tRNAs, we devised selections for new mutations at two positions in trpA , the gene for the alpha subunit of tryptophan synthetase in Escherichia coli . The new mutants were used to test the response to them of several classes of UGG suppressors. In the presence of a glyT -derived suppressor of UGA and UGG, we obtained the conversion of trpA (UAA211) to trpA (UGA211) and of trpA (UGU234) to both trpA (UGA234) and trpA (UGG234). The UGA mutants represent the first chainterminating mutants of that type to be verified in the trp operon of E. coli . The auxotrophic nature of trpA (UGG234) provides direct evidence that the presence of tryptophan at position 234 yields an inactive tryptophan synthetase alpha chain. Similarly, the failure of that mutant to be suppressed to prototrophy by UGG suppressors derived from supD supports the conclusion that an alpha chain with serine at position 234 is inactive. Finally, several of the UGG suppressors, derived from two different glycine tRNAs that read both GGA and GGG, fail to respond to UGA at one or both positions, even though they suppress both trpA (UGG211) and trpA (UGG234). Those mutant tRNAs, therefore, in addition to having gained the new coding specificity have at least partially lost the ability to wobble in response to the third position of a codon in certain messenger RNA contexts. These results suggest the involvement of transfer RNA conformation or base modification in the specificity of codon recognition.
Trauma registrar training: integrating registry functions into the trauma program--Part 2.

The University of Pennsylvania Health System Trauma Network views the registry staff as key members of the trauma team and the registry as a vital component to the overall success of our programs. Trauma Registry databases are increasingly complex and require highly skilled and knowledgeable personnel to perform the functions of the job. Although the background and experience level of each registry staff member may differ, this orientation and training process provides a consistent educational experience for all. This guideline ensures that all registry functions are being performed in a standardized and consistent manner. It sets the stage for validation of not only the data, but also an individual's performance relative to abstraction and computer entry. Providing the proper learning environment for registry staff has proven to be most beneficial for our network as we strive to develop and maintain trauma registry databases which have a strong foundation and provide valid, useful and current information. Language: en
TMA-offretite. Relationship between structural and catalytic properties

Abstract Previous studies reported that synthetic TMA-offretite is an open large-pore (12-membered oxygen ring opening) zeolite. Closer reexamination of the odd l lines using high intensity X-ray diffraction and additional catalytic diagnostic studies suggest that some of the open 12-ring channels in the synthetic sample may be blocked randomly by single stacking faults, such that the only other openings are 8-membered oxygen ring openings perpendicular to the large channels. These structural characteristics could explain the observed shape selective catalytic dewaxing activity and the preponderance of straight-chain cracked products.
High Operating Temperature Midwave Infrared InAs/GaSb Superlattice Photodetectors on (111) GaSb Substrates

We report on the detailed radiometric characterization of midwave infrared (MWIR) (100% cutoff wavelength, i.e., λ100%, was 5.6 μm at 295 K) InAs/GaSb type-II strained layer superlattice (T2SL) detectors grown on the GaSb (111) substrate. At 295 K and 4 μm, a dark current density Jd of 0.53 A/cm2 (at -50 mV) and specific detectivity D* = 8.5 × 109 Jones (at 0 V) were demonstrated, which are superior values to the state-of-the-art MWIR T2SL detectors with the same (p-i-n) design grown on conventional GaSb (100) substrates.
Batch injection with potentiometric detection

Abstract The characteristics and advantages of employing ion-selective electrodes (ISEs) as detectors for batch injection (BI) systems are evaluated. Sharp potential response peaks are obtained for the injection of microliter samples onto the nearby ISE surface. Such dynamic measurements performed in batch systems result in high sample throughput and reproducibility, similar to those of established flow-injection operations. For example, pH measurements can be performed at rates of up to 720 samples per hour. There is no observable carry-over (between samples of low and high concentrations) and the precision is typically 1–2% (relative standard deviations). The applicability of BI–ISE system to chloride and fluoride measurements and for assays of real samples is also illustrated. The effects of various experimental variables on the BI potentiometric response are described. Such use of highly specific detectors offers many prospects for future use of BIA systems. The absence of pumps, injection valves and flow cells greatly reduces the instrumentation costs for rapid automated measurements of discrete ions.
Modeling Proton Transfer in Zeolites: Convergence Behavior of Embedded and Constrained Cluster Calculations.

We have studied the convergence properties of embedded and constrained cluster models of proton transfer in zeolites. We applied density functional theory to describe clusters and ONIOM to perform the embedding. We focused on converging the reaction energy and barrier of the O(1) to O(4) jump in H−Y zeolite as well as vibrational and structural aspects of this jump. We found that using successively larger clusters in vacuo gives convergence of this reaction energy to 14 ± 2 kJ mol-1 and the barrier to 135 ± 5 kJ mol-1 at a cluster size of 5 A, which contains 11 tetrahedral (Si or Al) atoms. We embedded quantum clusters of various sizes in larger clusters with total radii in the range 7−20 A, using the universal force field as the lower level of theory in ONIOM. We found convergence to the same values as the constrained clusters, without the use of reactive force fields or periodic boundary conditions in the embedding procedure. For the reaction energy, embedded cluster calculations required smaller cluste...
Correlation between cAMP, activation of cAMP-dependent protein kinase(s), and rate of glycogenolysis in isolated rat hepatocytes.

Abstract We have studied the correlation between cAMP-dependent protein kinase activation and rates of glycogenolysis in hepatocytes isolated from fed rats. With doses of 20 μM glucagon, the protein kinase was activated to a -cAMP/+cAMP ratio of 0.8 within 10 min and remained activated for up to 2 hours. A dose-response relationship between protein kinase activation and rates of glycogenolysis can be demonstrated to 0–20 μM glucagon. Glycogenolysis was stimulated greater than 2-fold after 2 hours of incubation with the higher doses of glucagon. Protein kinase activity ratios correlated well with the rates of glycogenolysis as the ratios varied from control levels of about 0.25 to the stimulated values of 0.5–0.6. However, as the ratios increased from 0.6 to 0.8, with higher doses of glucagon, there were no corresponding increases in the rates of glycogenolysis. These data may indicate (1) that activation of all of the protein kinase present in the liver cells is not necessary for maximal stimulation of glycogenolysis, or (2) that a specific protein kinase is involved in the intracellular control of glycogen breakdown in isolated rat hepatocytes.
A toolkit for transgenesis at the ROSA26 locus by recombinase-mediated cassette exchange

We describe a toolkit to perform transgenesis at the ROSA26 locus by recombinase-mediated cassette exchange that will eliminate the inherent problem of random insertion via traditional pronuclear injection. A recombination site-tagged embryonic stem (ES) cell line and two cloning vectors were constructed to facilitate the generation of targeted ES cells with the transgene of interest at ROSA26. The experimental procedure is simple and efficient, and can be readily adapted in many laboratories for rapid generation of transgenic mice.
Investigating Dielectrophoretic Signature of Mouse Ovarian Surface Epithelial Cells, Macrophages and Fibroblasts

Epithelial ovarian carcinomas are the fourth leading cause of death in women in the United States among all cancers and the leading cause of death from gynecological malignancies1. The main reason for this high rate of mortality is the inability to properly detect these carcinomas early. Investigations for diagnosing ovarian cancer in early stages have been hindered by two major obstacles: lack of adequate cell models to study different cancer stages and lack of a reliable technique to isolate these cancer cells from peritoneal fluid. In trying to solve the first challenge, Dr. Schmelz and collaborators presented a transformed mouse ovarian surface epithelial (MOSE) cell model by isolating different transitional stages of ovarian cancer as cells progressed from a premalignant nontumorigenic phenotype to a highly aggressive malignant phenotype2, 3. In this model four stages of transformed cells, namely early (MOSE-E), early-intermediate (MOSE-E/I), intermediate (MOSE-I) and late (MOSE-L) cells, were distinguishable3. In the current study, we attempt to solve the second challenge of isolating cancer cells from macrophages and fibroblasts, which are found in the peritoneal fluid. Based on differences in cells’ intrinsic electrical properties, a new cell manipulation technique, contactless dielectrophoresis (cDEP), was implemented.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
An endogenous inhibitor of PAF-induced platelet aggregation, isolated from rat liver, has been identified as free fatty acid

Abstract In an earlier study (Miwa, M., Hill, C., Kumar, R., Sugatani, J., Olson, M.S. and Hanahan, D.J. (1987) J. Biol. Chem. 262, 527–530) an inhibitor of PAF-induced aggregation of platelets was isolated from perfused rat liver. However, its structure was not established at that time. In this current investigation, the nature of this particular inhibitor was determined and found to be a mixture of long-chain unsaturated fatty acids. These acids ranged in chain length from 17 to 22. Individual chain length acids had IC 50 values from 4.5 to 140 /gmM. Saturated fatty acids had no inhibitory properties even at concentrations well above their critical micellar concentrations. Hence, perturbation of membrane structure appears not to be the primary mode of action of these long-chain unsaturated fatty acids. These findings could have interesting connotations as regards modulation of PAF activity.
Kabul cosmopolitan: Geopolitical empire from the planner’s viewpoint

This article uses cosmopolitanism as a theoretical lens to explore both the urbanism and the ethics of planning in Kabul. The Cosmopolis arguments of Sandercock is synthesized with the political ar...
EVALUATION OF CORTISOL SECRETION WITH THE INSULIN TOLERANCE TEST IN SHORT NORMAL CHILDREN

The insulin tolerance test (ITT) is a classic method to assess the secretion of growth hormone (GH) and Cortisol. The objective of this study was to determine the dynamics of Cortisol secretion after hypoglycemia in 31 normal children (F=9, M=22) with short stature, normal growth velocity and normal GH response to ITT and/or clonidine. Mean chronological age was 12.4 ± 2.7 years. Glucose, Cortisol and GH during ITT (0.1 lU/kg i.v.) were measured at - 20, 0, 30, 60 and 90 minutes. All the patients developed significant hypoglycemia with a decrease in blood glucose from 79.8 ± 8.9 to 34.1 ± 9.8 mg/dl. We found a significant inverse correlation between basal Cortisol and peak increment of Cortisol, (r=-0.79, p<0.0001). Patients were divided into two groups according to the level of basal normal Cortisol for age and sex. Group A (n=13): basal Cortisol levels within the normal range; Group B (n=18): basal Cortisol above 2 SD from the normal mean levels. In group A we found a significant increment in Cortisol during the ITT (ANOVA, p<0.0001), while group B did not show a significant increment in Cortisol during the test in spite of having similar hypoglycemia as Group A (ANOVA). There were no differences in peak GH during the test between the groups. In summary, we found that the basal level of Cortisol influences significantly its increment during ITT, the greater the basal levels, the lower the increment. We believe that this finding, as well as the documentation of the degree of hypoglycemia, is important to interpret the results of an insulin tolerance test.
Decolonizing Academia: Intersectionality, Participation, and Accountability in Family Therapy and Counseling

In this paper we offer a framework for supporting decolonizing practices in family therapy and counseling that reflect values of human diversity, collaboration and participation, distributive justice, and self-determination. To this end, we propose a vision of social justice involving at least three foundational elements of professional development and organizational leadership: intersectionality, participation, and accountability. We include case examples throughout to illustrate our points and offer practical suggestions for decolonizing praxis in the academy. We conclude by revealing dilemmas we have encountered as a result of these efforts.
Tortoise remains from a later stone age rock shelter in the upper Karoo, South Africa

Abstract The upper Karoo of central South Africa is a semi-desert region supporting several species of chelonia, and cultural deposits in local rock shelters also yield abundant tortoise bones. In the Late Holocene fill of Haaskraal rock shelter, remains of at least four kinds of tortoise and a terrapin have been identified. However, there is an anomalous absence of the giant adult form of Geochelone pardalis , which is highly visible in the modern fauna. Frequencies of the two dominant species Homopus femoralis and H. boulengeri do not vary during the two millennia of accumulation, in spite of the major changes in veld cover reported in local pollen and micromammal records. Instead, changes in tortoise size and skeletal composition reflect increasing admixture of remains derived from non-human predators, as occupation by humans dwindled during historical times. Comparisons with other rock shelter samples are needed, but investigations of tortoise remains from modern raptor nests and killing grounds are also an urgent priority.
Fundus Flavimaculatus with Cystoid Macular Changes and Abnormal Stiles-Crawford Effect

A 13-year-old boy with fundus flavimaculatus had a macular disease consisting of many transparent cystoid spaces which were not hyperfluorescent on fluorescein angiography. The Stiles-Crawford effect was abnormal, suggesting that the cystoid changes in the maculas created a disorientation of the patient's foveal retinal photoreceptors.
Random-illuminating Compressed-sensing Photoacoustic Imaging

This paper reports a new method to address the artifacts in existing limited-view photoacoustic imaging techniques. The method employs random optical illuminations and compressed sensing to obtain artifacts-free images from only two view angles.
Effect of high-density lipoproteins with varying ratios of apolipoprotein A-I to apolipoprotein A-II on steroidogenesis by cultured rat ovary granulosa cells

Abstract Plasma high-density lipoproteins (HDL) can provide rat ovary steroidogenic tissue with cholesterol for steroid hormone production, but the mechanism of cholesterol transfer is unknown. To test the importance of apolipoprotein A-I (the major HDL apolipoprotein) in HDL-cell interactions, we examined the ability of canine-human HDL hybrids containing various proportions of canine apolipoprotein A-I and human apolipoprotein A-II to stimulate steroidogenesis by cultured rat ovary granulosa cells. We observed that as the apolipoprotein A-I to apolipoprotein A-II ratio decreased, the ability of the hybrid particles to stimulate granulosa cell progestin (progesterone and 20α-dihydroprogesterone) production diminished. However, apolipoprotein A-I was not necessary for cholesterol transfer, since hybrids with less than 5% of their total apolipoprotein mass as apolipoprotein A-I stimulated progestin production 30% as effectively as canine HDL, which contained essentially only apolipoprotein A-I. These data indicate that the delivery of cholesterol from HDL into the rat ovary cell for steroidogenesis is not strictly dependent on the presence of a specific HDL apolipoprotein.