cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Materials science: Self-assembly gets new direction

By controlling the placement of 'sticky' patches on particles, assemblies can be made that mimic atomic bonding in molecules. This greatly expands the range of structures that can be assembled from small components. See Article p.51 Chemists routinely use atoms that can form directional bonds to assemble complex and useful molecular structures. But larger colloidal particles have proved less conducive to rational assembly because they lack specific directional bonds. David Pine and colleagues now report a way around this problem that could lead to the creation of a rich variety of new micro-structured colloidal materials with technologically useful properties. Using microsphere clusters as intermediates, they create colloidal particles with chemically distinct and precisely located 'sticky patches' on the surface — up to 7 per particle — that enable specific and highly directional bonding. Using this system, they assemble 'colloidal molecules' exhibiting a wide range of bonding symmetries.
Contraction stress test by breast stimulation as part of antepartum monitoring.

Non-stress tests (NSTs) and oxytocin challenge tests (OCTs) are widely used in most prenatal units for the assessment and monitoring of patients with high risk pregnancies. The contraction stress test is considered to be one of the best tests for evaluating fetal wellbeing in indicated cases. For this purpose, the OCT is usually used. It is a time-consuming test. An intravenous i.v. and oxytocin are both required, and it is therefore relatively costly. In this study, a non-invasive technique—breast stimulation—was used to induce uterine contractions for the purpose of contraction stress testing. Sixty-six patients were studied, and a total of 95 breast stimulation tests (BSTs) were done. 91 tests were successful contraction stress tests (95.78%). The high success rate, the fact that this is a non-invasive method, its easy application and the fact that this test is less expensive and much less time consuming make it a good test for the assessment of fetuses at risk.
Cognitive complaints in closed-head injury: Relationship to memory test performance and emotional disturbance

Self-appraisal of cognitive difficulties by a sample of 63 male patients with closed-head injury (CHI) was examined in relation to their performance on the Wechsler Memory Scale - Revised (WMS-R; Wechsler, 1987), WAIS-R Digit Span (Wechsler, 1981), and to their scores on MMPI-2 (Butcher, Dahlstrom, Graham, Tellegen, & Kaemmer, 1989) measures of anxiety and depression. In an initial step, the Cognitive Difficulties Scale (CDS; McNair & Kahn, 1983), consisting of 39 self-report items, was factor analyzed using a sample of 255 consecutive neuropsychological referrals with documented brain impairment. Seven orthogonal dimensions emerged: Attention and Concentration, Orientation and Memory, Praxis, Domestic Activities, Facial Recognition, Task Efficiency, and Errand and Name Recall. Within a sample subset consisting of 63 patients with CHI, subjective complaints on the CDS were predictive of WMS-R Logical Memory performance (r = -.51, p < .0005). In contrast, CDS scores were generally poor predictors of Digit Span and Visual Reproduction scores (rs < .31). Cognitive complaints were also associated with emotional distress on the MMPI-2. The CDS appears to be a useful measure of self-appraised cognitive difficulties in patients with CHI, and may assist in the assessment of their self-reflective insight.
The synthesis of 4‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidones and 3‐methyl‐1‐pyrrolidines and their mass spectral study

A number of 1-alkyl-4-methyl-2-pyrrolidones have been prepared from methyl 4-alkylamino-3-methyl butenoates. The corresponding 1-alkyl-3-methyl-pyrrolidines are obtainable by the reduction of the pyrrolidones with lithium aluminum hydride. The mass spectra of pyrrolidones and pyrrolidines have been studied. Three different mechanisms which lead to the base peak have been proposed.
It's so Easy Being Green: Overuse, Underexposure, and the Marine Environmentalist Consensus

This article seeks to understand the rise of marine environmentalism, which extends beyond the groups usually associated with the conservation of species and ecosystems to include commercial interests, military strategists, and neoliberal policymakers. It is proposed that this apparent marine environmentalist consensus has its roots in two aspects of our relationship with the sea. On the one hand, there is an increasing sense that the ocean is being ‘overused’, as marine resources are extracted at ever greater rates and as the ocean becomes increasingly important to contemporary economies. On the other hand, the ocean is suffering from ‘underexposure’, as fewer individuals’ livelihoods involve material interaction with the sea. By adopting a specifically geographical lens that is attuned to the multifaceted nature of the ocean as a space, this article suggests that the confluence of these two factors – overuse and underexposure – informs our present perceptions of and policies toward the marine environment and proposes alternative perspectives for understanding and intervening in the world ocean.
Predictive factors for surgical site infection in general surgery.

Background Global parameters, such as wound class, the American Society of Anesthesiologists' physical classification score, and prolonged operative time, have been associated with the risk of surgical site infection (SSI). We hypothesized that additional risk factors for SSI would be identified by controlling for these parameters and that deep and organ/space SSI may have different risk factors for occurrence. Methods A retrospective review was performed on general and vascular surgical patients who underwent an operation between June 2000 and June 2006 at a single institution. Patients with SSI were matched with a case-control cohort of patients without infection (no SSI) according to age, sex, ASA score, wound class, and type of operative procedure. Data were analyzed using bivariate and regression analyses. Results Overall, 10,253 general surgical procedures were performed during the 6-year period; 316 patients (3.1%) developed SSI. In all, 300 patients with 251 superficial (83.6%), 22 deep (7.3%), and 27 organ/space (9%) SSIs were matched for comparison. Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified previous operation (odds ratio [OR], 2.4; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.6–3.7), duration of operation ≥75th percentile (OR, 1.8; 95% CI = 1.2–2.8), hypoalbuminemia (OR, 1.8; 95% CI = 1.1–2.8), and a history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (OR, 1.7; 95% CI = 1.0–2.8) as independent risk factors for SSI. Only hypoalbuminemia (OR, 2.9; 95% CI = 1.4–6.3) and a previous operation (OR, 2.0; 95% CI = 1.0–4.4) were significantly associated with deep or organ/space infections. Conclusions These results demonstrate additional factors that increase the risk of developing SSI. Deep and organ/space infections have a different risk profile. This information should guide clinicians in their assessment of SSI risk and should identify targets for intervention to decrease the incidence of SSI.
Quantitative Evaluation of the Antifungal Properties of Cycloheximide

Although the total growth of both zoopathogenic and saprophytic fungi on cycloheximide media was consistently less than that on the control without the antibiotic, a progressive increase in the growth rate of these organisms occurred during exposure to the drug. The extent of this change depended upon the concentration of cycloheximide, the species and strain of the test organism, and the duration of exposure. Significant alterations were also observed in the macroscopic appearance of the colonies. The results of this investigation agree with those of previous studies regarding the value of cycloheximide in selective isolation media, but there were discrepancies with respect to the degree of sensitivity of several of the organisms studied. The increase in the rate of growth on cycloheximide media may indicate an induced adaptation to the drug.
Becoming an Expert: The College Experiences of Welfare-to-Work Participants

Welfare-to-work initiatives drive social service recipients into education and training programs by linking program participation to social service benefits such as cash aid and housing. These programs are bringing greater numbers of single-parent women into community college settings. The author describes a qualitative study of eight female community college students who participated in the Job Opportunity and Basic Skills Program of the Department of Social Services in a southwestern state. The findings indicate that relationships women have with teachers and caseworkers can be distinguished by both growth promoting and hindering characteristics. College personnel validated the women's worth, and exposure to college created a shift in their identities: the women expressed the desire to establish new identities as students and future wage earners rather than as welfare recipients.
X11 in virtual environments

The authors present a brief description of a method for running 2-D text based or graphical applications from within a virtual environment. This is accomplished by a port of the X11 server which renders into a shared memory segment, which is in turn texture mapped onto the surface of an object in a 3-D virtual world. Events that occur in the virtual space can be translated into pseudo mouse or keyboard input events, which are passed to the X server via shared memory queues, fifo's, or network connections. This system allows any X application to be used from within a virtual space, without rewriting any software. Any number of such servers can exist and be manipulated inside of the virtual environment. Use of transparency as a background color allows text windows to float in space or be used as heads-up displays. >
Influence of mouse neural retina on regeneration of chick neural retina from chick embryonic pigmented epithelium.

Influence of Mouse Neural Retina on Regeneration of Chick Neural Retina from Chick Embryonic Pigmented Epithelium
Method for isolation and determination of pyridostigmine and metabolites in urine and blood

A procedure is presented for the unique isolation and determination by liquid chromatography of pyridostigmine and its metabolites in urine and blood. Isolation is accomplished by an extension of paired-ion theory using a reversed-phase chromatographic column. The assay of pyridostigmine is linear in concentrations from 40 to 5000 ng/ml. Separation and quantitation of pyridostigmine and metabolites in urine and blood are rapid. An analysis can be performed in 15 min. The method has been applied to the determination of urinary excretion and plasma levels of pyridostigmine administered intramuscularly in rats and to the isolation of acetylcholine, neostigmine, and edrophonium from aqueous solutions.
Upregulation of a 23 kDa small heat shock protein transcript during pupal diapause in the flesh fly, Sarcophaga crassipalpis

A diapause upregulated cDNA clone was isolated from a cDNA library generated from brain mRNA of diapausing Sarcophaga crassipalpis pupae. The clone hybridized to a 1600 bp transcript on a northern blot. The insert is 823 bp in length, has a tentative open reading frame of 615 bp, and codes for a 23 kDa protein. The clone has a high level of identity at the amino acid level with the four small heat shock proteins of Drosophila melanogaster. Northern analysis revealed no detectable expression of the transcript in diapause- or nondiapause-programmed wandering larvae, and only trace expression in nondiapausing pupae. But, the transcript was highly expressed beginning at the onset of diapause and continuing throughout diapause. Expression promptly decreased when diapause was terminated. In nondiapausing individuals the transcript was highly expressed in response to cold shock or heat shock, but temperature stress did not cause greater expression in diapausing pupae. The results imply that expression of this small heat shock protein, a response elicited by temperature stress in nondiapausing individuals, is a normal component of the diapause syndrome. The upregulation of this gene during diapause suggests that it plays an essential role during this overwintering developmental arrest.
Near-Infrared Molecular Emission from a Gas Fountain

An electrothermal fountain is used to heat gas-phase samples in the range of 300 to 400°C in order to observe their near-infrared (NIR) emissions. In conjunction with the fountain, a ⅛-m Ebert monochromator and an uncooled PbS detector are shown to be sufficiently sensitive for recording the NIR fingerprints of CH4, CO2, N2O, and C2H6 At fountain temperatures of approximately 400°C, the molecular emission is confined to the long wavelength NIR region (1600-2500 nm) and yields limits of detection in the range of 4 to 10% v/v (3-10 mg/s). Reproducibilities have relative standard deviations of 3.0%. The calibration curves for the gases examined in this study have small linear dynamic ranges (factors of 2 to 10) and exhibit some degree of upward curvature. Ramifications of the application of NIR molecular emission spectroscopy to the qualitative and quantitative analyses of mixtures are discussed.
Pursuit-Evasion on Trees by Robot Teams

We present graph-clear: a novel pursuit-evasion problem on graphs which models the detection of intruders in complex indoor environments by robot teams. The environment is represented by a graph, and a robot team can execute sweep and block actions on vertices and edges, respectively. A sweep action detects intruders in a vertex and represents the capability of the robot team to detect intruders in the region associated to the vertex. Similarly, a block action prevents intruders from crossing an edge and represents the capability to detect intruders as they move between regions. Both actions may require multiple robots to be executed. A strategy is a sequence of block and sweep actions to detect all intruders. When instances of graph-clear are being solved, the goal is to determine optimal strategies, i.e., strategies that use the least number of robots. We prove that for the general case of graphs, the problem of computation of optimal strategies is NP-hard. Next, for the special case of trees, we provide a polynomial-time algorithm. The algorithm ensures that throughout the execution of the strategy, all cleared vertices form a connected subtree, and we show that it produces optimal strategies.
A bayesian strategy for screening cancer treatments prior to phase ii clinical evaluation

We address the problem of selecting a treatment for phase II evaluation when several candidate treatments emerging from phase I testing are available. A pre-phase II Bayesian selection design which randomizes patients among treatments is proposed. The patient group in the trial has prognosis more favourable than that of phase I patients but less favourable than the target group of the subsequent phase II trial. The patient response rate distribution in each treatment arm is continually updated during the trial for comparison with early termination cutoffs, and the best final treatment must satisfy a minimal posterior efficacy criterion. The primary aim is to replace the usual informal treatment selection process with a fair comparison formally based on a combination of prior opinion and clinical data.
Dual-Mode Resonator and Switchless Reconfigurable Oscillator Based on Piezoelectric AlN MEMS Technology

For the first time, this work demonstrates a switchless dual-frequency (472 MHz and 1.94 GHz) reconfigurable CMOS oscillator using a single piezoelectric AlN microelectromechanical-systems resonator with coexisting S0 and S1 Lamb-wave modes of vibration. High performance (high quality factor Q and electromechanical coupling factor kt2 for a resonator and low phase noise for an oscillator) has been achieved for both the resonator and oscillator in terms of dual-mode operation. In particular, 1.94-GHz operation has the best phase noise performance at 1-MHz offset when compared with all previously reported CMOS oscillators that work at a similar frequency.
Neutrophil Elastase Mediates Pathogenic Effects of Anthrax Lethal Toxin in the Murine Intestinal Tract

Neutrophils isolated from BALB/c or C57BL/6 mice and treated in vitro with anthrax lethal toxin release bioactive neutrophil elastase, a proinflammatory mediator of tissue destruction. Similarly, neutrophils isolated from mice treated with anthrax lethal toxin in vivo and cultured ex vivo release greater amounts of elastase than neutrophils from vehicle-treated controls. Direct measurements from murine intestinal tissue samples demonstrate an anthrax lethal toxin-dependent increase in neutrophil elastase activity in vivo as well. These findings correlate with marked lethal toxin-induced intestinal ulceration and bleeding in neutrophil elastase+/+ animals, but not in neutrophil elastase−/− animals. Moreover, neutrophil elastase−/− mice have a significant survival advantage over neutrophil elastase+/+ animals following exposure to anthrax lethal toxin, thereby establishing a key role for neutrophil elastase in mediating the deleterious effects of anthrax lethal toxin.
Dynamic motion planning of autonomous vehicles

A method for planning the motions of autonomous vehicles moving on general terrains is presented that obtains the geometric path and vehicle speeds that minimize motion time considering vehicle dynamics, terrain topography, obstacles, and surface mobility. The terrain is represented by a smooth cubic B patch, and the geometric path consists of a B spline curve mapped to the surface. The time-optimal motions are computed by first obtaining the best obstacle-free path from all paths represented by a uniform grid. This path is further optimized using a local optimization procedure, using the optimal motion time along the path as the cost function and the control points of a B spline as the optimizing parameters. Examples are presented that demonstrate the method for a simple dynamic model of a vehicle moving on mountainous terrain. >
Assessment of Transmitral Vortex Formation in Patients with Diastolic Dysfunction

Background Previous experimental models have related transmitral vortex formation to the longitudinal recoil of left ventricle. However, little is known about the relationships among left ventricular (LV) longitudinal relaxation, transmitral filling patterns, and LV vortex formation in clinical settings. The aim of this study was to compare the vortex formation time index among a heterogeneous group of patients with diastolic dysfunction to understand the relationship between transmitral vortex formation and abnormal diastolic filling patterns. Methods Echocardiographic data from 107 subjects were retrospectively evaluated. The study population was categorized into four groups on the basis of transmitral early and late diastolic Doppler filling patterns as normal ( n = 45), impaired relaxation ( n = 14), pseudonormal ( n = 26), and restrictive ( n = 22). Vortex formation time was computed from the governing equations based on transmitral flow and ejection fraction. Results Differences in vortex formation time index were found to be significant among all the studied groups ( P P P = .68). Conclusions The findings of this study suggest that patients with different patterns of transmitral diastolic filling show significant changes in LV vortex formation time despite the absence of significant differences in mitral annulus recoil during diastole.
Alzheimer’s Disease and Type 2 Diabetes: Multiple Mechanisms Contribute to Interactions

Obesity, metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes (T2D) are related disorders with widespread deleterious effects throughout the body. One important target of damage is the brain. Persons with metabolic disorders are at significantly increased risk for cognitive decline and the development of vascular dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Our review of available evidence from epidemiologic, clinical, and basic research suggests that neural dysfunction from T2D-related disease results from several underlying mechanisms, including metabolic, inflammatory, vascular, and oxidative changes. The relationships between T2D and neural dysfunction are regulated by several modifiers. We emphasize 2 such modifiers, the genetic risk factor apolipoprotein E and an age-related endocrine change, low testosterone. Both factors are independent risk factors for Alzheimer's disease that may also cooperatively regulate pathologic interactions between T2D and dementia. Continued elucidation of the links between metabolic disorders and neural dysfunction promises to foster the development of effective therapeutic strategies.
Organizational Environments and the Emergence of Charter Schools in the United States.

There is a growing abundance of research on outcomes of charter schools for children, teachers, and communities, yet a paucity of research on why and how charter schools form in the first place. Th...
The Great Vessels and Tributaries of the Heart of the Ringed Seal (Phoca hispida)

The ringed seal (Phoca hispida), as well as other seals, exhibit some unique anatomical properties when compared to their terrestrial counterparts. In the ringed seal, the most conspicuous adaptation is the aortic bulb, a large dilatation of the ascending aorta, which is comparable to that found in other seal species and marine mammals. Coronary arteries are similar to those of terrestrial mammals. The branches of the ascending aorta (brachiocephalic trunk, left common carotid artery and left subclavian artery) are similar to those of higher primates and man. The pulmonary trunk originates from the right ventricle near the ventral midline of the thorax. The peculiarities of the venous system are three pulmonary veins, a pericardial venous plexus, a caval sphincter, a hepatic sinus with paired caudal vena cavae and a large extradural venous system. Generally, three pulmonary veins (right, left, middle) empty into the left atrium. The right and left pulmonary veins drain the cranial and middle lung lobes of their respective lung, while the middle pulmonary vein drains both caudal lung lobes and the accessory lobe. The pericardial venous plexus lies on the pericardial pleura on the auricular (ventral) surface the heart. The azygous vein is formed from the union of right and left azygous veins near the 5th thoracic vertebra. The caval sphincter surrounds the caudal vena cava as it passes through the diaphragm. Caudal to the diaphragm, the vena cava is dilated excessively (the hepatic sinus) and near the kidneys it is biphid. Cardiovascular physiological studies have shown some of these anatomical variations, especially of the venous system and the ascending aorta, to be modifications for diving.
The Community Mural and Democratic Art Processes

The author’s 2002 mural project in Saginaw highlights the adaptable, site-specific, educational, and inclusive process of community mural development. His nine-step “tennis game” process maximizes both professionalism and community participation and decisions. The contemporary community mural movement continues public art traditions of the Works Progress Administration in the 1930s and the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act program of the 1970s. Travel in Japan and South Africa prompted the author to question the adaptability of American community art models.
Iterative least square phase-measuring method that tolerates extended finite bandwidth illumination

Iterative least square phase-measuring techniques address the phase-shifting interferometry issue of sensitivity to vibrations and scanner nonlinearity. In these techniques the wavefront phase and phase steps are determined simultaneously from a single set of phase-shifted fringe frames where the phase shift does not need to have a nominal value or be a priori precisely known. This method is commonly used in laser interferometers in which the contrast of fringes is constant between frames and across the field. We present step-by-step modifications to the basic iterative least square method. These modifications allow for vibration insensitive measurements in an interferometric system in which fringe contrast varies across a single frame, as well as from frame to frame, due to the limited bandwidth light source and the nonzero numerical aperture of the objective. We demonstrate the efficiency of the new algorithm with experimental data, and we analyze theoretically the degree of contrast variation that this new algorithm can tolerate.
Symmetry Between the Right and Left Eyes of the Normal Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Measured with Optical Coherence Tomography (An AOS Thesis)

Purpose To determine the limits of the normal amount of interocular symmetry in retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness measurements obtained with third-generation time domain optical coherence tomography (OCT3). Methods Both eyes of normal volunteers were scanned using the peripapillary standard and fast RNFL algorithms of OCT3. Results A total of 108 volunteers were included in the analysis. The mean +/- standard deviation (SD) of age of the volunteers was 46.0 +/- 15.0 years (range 20-82). Forty-two participants (39%) were male and 66 (61%) were female. Mean RNFL thickness correlated extremely well, with intraclass correlation coefficients of 0.89 for both algorithms (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.84-0.93). The mean RNFL thickness of the right eye measured 1.3 mum thicker than the left on the standard scan (SD 4.7, 95% CI 0.4-2.2, P = .004) and 1.2 mum on the fast scan (SD 5.2, 95% CI 0.1-2.2, P = .026). The 95% tolerance limits on the difference between the mean RNFL thicknesses of right minus left eye was -10.8 and +8.9 mum with the standard scan algorithm and -10.6 and +11.7 mum with the fast scan algorithm. Conclusions Mean RNFL thickness between the 2 eyes of normal individuals should not differ by more than approximately 9 to 12 mum, depending on which scanning algorithm of OCT3 is used and which eye measures thicker. Differences beyond this level suggest statistically abnormal asymmetry, which may represent early glaucomatous optic neuropathy.
A novel high step-up ratio bi-directional DC-DC converter

High step-up ratio bi-directional DC-DC converter is attractive in energy storage systems for renewable energy generation and in electric vehicle applications. A novel high step-up ratio bi-directional DC-DC converter and its alternative topology which can achieve soft switching in full load range and wide voltage range are proposed. The operation principle of the converter is analyzed in this paper. The modulation strategy and the optimum operation region are presented. A 400kHz 14.4V to 360V prototype was built to verify the analysis and the operation of the proposed converter. Zero voltage switching of all the switches was verified by experimental waveforms. The tested converter efficiency at 450W is 94.1%.
Handwritten Carbon Form Preprocessing Based on Markov Random Field

This paper proposes a statistical approach to degraded handwritten form image preprocessing including binarization and form line removal. The degraded image is modeled by a Markov random field (MRF) where the prior is learnt from a training set of high quality binarized images, and the probabilistic density is learnt on-the-fly from the gray-level histogram of input image. We also modified the MRF model to implement form line removal. Test results of our approach show excellent performance on the data set of handwritten carbon form images.
The road to murder: The enduring criminogenic effects of juvenile confinement among a sample of adult career criminals

In the juvenile justice literature, deep-end interventions such as commitment to a confinement facility are reserved for the most severe delinquents but unfortunately have been shown to have negative consequences. The current study repurposes juvenile confinement within a criminal career context to empirically examine its role in homicide offending based on data from a sample of 445 male, adult habitual criminals. Poisson regression models indicated that juvenile confinement— measured both dimensionally and categorically—predicted murder arrests despite controls for juvenile homicide offending, juvenile violent delinquency, juvenile felony adjudications, juvenile non- compliance violations, juvenile arrest charges, onset, age, three racial/ethnic classifications, career arrests, career violent index arrests, and career property index arrests. Receiver operating character- istics-area under the curve (ROC-AUC) graphs showed that juvenile confinement predicted murder significantly but modestly better than chance although career violent offending was the strongest pre- dictor of murder perpetration.
Building a Virtual Reference Shelf

While many libraries have access to an extensive amount of quality virtual reference titles through platforms such as Gale Virtual Reference, individual titles are often invisible to users. At the University of Montevallo, building a Virtual Reference Shelf (VRS) allowed us to make e-reference titles more accessible for patrons. We constructed our VRS using LibGuides and our existing collections of virtual reference books. This article will discuss various aspects of creating and using the VRS, including designing, marketing, information literacy instruction, assessment, and future directions. The information is based on a presentation at the Mississippi State University eResources & Emerging Technologies Summit on August 2, 2013.
An adaptive multidimensional version of the Kiefer-Wolfowitz stochastic approximation algorithm

We extend the scaled-and-shifted Kiefer-Wolfowitz (SSKW) algorithm developed by Broadie, Cicek, and Zeevi (2009) to multiple dimensions. The salient feature of this algorithm is that it makes adjustments of the tuning parameters that adapt to the underlying problem characteristics. We compare the performance of this algorithm to the traditional Kiefer-Wolfowitz (KW) one and observe significant improvement in the finite-time performance on some stylized test functions and a multidimensional newsvendor problem.
Risk-aware control

Human movement differs from robot control because of its flexibility in unknown environments, robustness to perturbation, and tolerance of unknown parameters and unpredictable variability. We propose a new theory, risk-aware control, in which movement is governed by estimates of risk based on uncertainty about the current state and knowledge of the cost of errors. We demonstrate the existence of a feedback control law that implements risk-aware control and show that this control law can be directly implemented by populations of spiking neurons. Simulated examples of risk-aware control for time-varying cost functions as well as learning of unknown dynamics in a stochastic risky environment are provided.
Case study resources for an ethics and computing course

Case studies can be an effective part of an ethics and computing course. However, it is often time-consuming for the instructor to build a list of good case studies. This is especially true if the instructor wants to use real-life incidents for the cases. Even for the instructor who prefers to use "anonymized" or "synthetic" case studies, a compilation of real incidents provides a good starting point for creating realistic cases. This paper provides brief descriptions of real case study incidents which have been classroom-tested in an undergraduate "ethics and computing" course. Special effort is made to include incidents with themes that are sometimes given less coverage relative to, for example, hacking or software piracy.
In vitro evaluation of guanidine analogs as sigma receptor ligands for potential anti-stroke therapeutics.

Currently, the only Food and Drug Administration–approved treatment of acute stroke is recombinant tissue plasminogen activator, which must be administered within 6 hours after stroke onset. The pan-selective σ-receptor agonist N,N′-di-o-tolyl-guanidine (o-DTG) has been shown to reduce infarct volume in rats after middle cerebral artery occlusion, even when administered 24 hours after stroke. DTG derivatives were synthesized to develop novel compounds with greater potency than o-DTG. Fluorometric Ca2+ imaging was used in cultured cortical neurons to screen compounds for their capacity to reduce ischemia- and acidosis-evoked cytosolic Ca2+ overload, which has been linked to stroke-induced neurodegeneration. In both assays, migration of the methyl moiety produced no significant differences, but removal of the group increased potency of the compound for inhibiting acidosis-induced [Ca2+]i elevations. Chloro and bromo substitution of the methyl moiety in the meta and para positions increased potency by ≤160%, but fluoro substitutions had no effect. The most potent DTG derivative tested was N,N′-di-p-bromo-phenyl-guanidine (p-BrDPhG), which had an IC50 of 2.2 µM in the ischemia assay, compared with 74.7 μM for o-DTG. Microglial migration assays also showed that p-BrDPhG is more potent than o-DTG in this marker for microglial activation, which is also linked to neuronal injury after stroke. Radioligand binding studies showed that p-BrDPhG is a pan-selective σ ligand. Experiments using the σ-1 receptor-selective antagonist 1-[2-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)ethyl]-4-methylpiperazine dihydrochloride (BD-1063) demonstrated that p-BrDPhG blocks Ca2+ overload via σ-1 receptor activation. The study identified four compounds that may be more effective than o-DTG for the treatment of ischemic stroke at delayed time points.
Plating of iridium for use as high purity electrodes in the assay of ultrapure copper

Fabrication of high-purity iridium electrodes using electrochemical deposition was performed to produce anodes used to assay ultrapure copper for extremely low uranium and thorium contamination primarily in support of the Majorana collaboration. High-purity iridium was deposited using a low current density under a constant voltage to produce a smooth film over a micron thick. The current efficiency was 23 % using an electrolyte of 40 mM IrCl3·4H2O, and H2SO4 employing polished iridium wires as electrodes at an elevated temperature of 80 °C. The electrodes can be converted to iridium oxide with different oxidation states by heating them in air for various periods.
EXPERIENCES IN GROWTH RETARDATION WITH HEAVY VITALLIUM STAPLES

1. The authors have found epiphysial stapling a satisfactory and helpful procedure for correction of limb length discrepancy and recommend its use as described.2. The use of a spring caliper for absolute radiographic location of the epiphysial plates and the use of two Vitallium staples each side is recommended.3. Suggestions for avoiding injury to the epiphyses are outlined.4. The experience of stapling operations in seventy children is reported. Forty-four of these patients have completed growth.
Reproductive impairments among currently married couples: United States, 1976

Preliminary estimates based on Cycle 2 of the National Survey of Family Growth conducted in 1975 by the National Center for Health Statistics are provided of fecundity impairments or involuntary conditions that make it difficult or impossible to have additional children among currently married couples in the U.S. Fecundity classifications included: 1) contraceptively sterile; 2) noncontraceptively sterile; 3) long interval (3 years without contraception or pregnancy); and 4) subfecund (difficulty in carrying a pregnancy to term). Findings are presented in 4 tables: 1) number of all currently married women 15-44 years of age and percent distribution by fecundity status according to selected characteristics (age; parity; years since wifes 1st marriage; hispanic origin); 2) number of currently married women 15-44 years of age and percent distribution by fecundity status according to selected characteristics; 3) number of currently married black women 15-44 years of age and percent distribution by fecundity status according to selected characteristics; and 4) number and percent of currently married women 15-44 years of age with fecundity impairments who intend to or would like to or have a future baby by fecundity status and parity. Findings indicate that in 1976 about 6.9 million couples or 25% of all married couples with the wife of childbearing age had fecundity impairments with most couples having 1 child or more and not wanting additional children. A significant minority of couples with impaired fecundity--about 2.7 million--wanted to have a baby or another baby with about 848000 of these couples childless and 688000 with only 1 child. In all couples with impaired fecundity who wanted to have a baby made up about 10% of the married couples with the wife of childbearing age.
Left atrial involvement of a right lung tumour.

A 27-yr-old man with a history of a non-seminomatous germ cell tumour and orchiectomy with adjuvant chemotherapy presented to our institution with a giant right lung tumour that extended through the right superior pulmonary vein (RSPV) into the left ventricle (Figure 1A). Biopsy of the lung mass revealed a metastatic germ cell tumour, and the patient underwent urgent chemotherapy with excellent response. A residual 5.3 cm 9 4.9 cm 9 4.9 cm tumour remained centred in the right middle lobe with extension from the RSPV into the left atrium (LA) (Figure 1B). Once maximal cytoreduction and normalization of tumour markers were achieved, the patient was brought to the operating room for right upper and middle lobe bilobectomy as well as resection of the LA tumour. Intraoperative two-dimensional (2D) and threedimensional (3D) transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) showed a 1.6 cm 9 1.8 cm non-mobile mass in the LA (Figure 1C). The surgeon attempted retraction and manipulation of the tumour; however, TEE showed that the mass remained immobile and too large for excision from the pulmonary vein side without opening the LA. Therefore, cardiopulmonary bypass was initiated, and the patient underwent resection of the intra-atrial portion of the tumour and removal of the entire mass en bloc with the right upper and middle lobe. A variety of imaging modalities are available to aid in the characterization of intracardiac masses and in planning surgical resection. Transesophageal echocardiography is the intraoperative modality of choice, with both 2D and 3D TEE providing excellent information on tumour size, location, morphology, and any attachment sites. These modalities also allow for dynamic assessment of the consequences of intracardiac masses on heart function and hemodynamics. This case stresses the vital role of intraoperative TEE as an indispensable tool for managing intracardiac masses and for guiding surgical decision making.
The Influence of Bulk and Interface Gap States on the Performance of Amorphous Silicon Thin Film Transistors

Amorphous silicon thin film transistors with on/off ratios >108 and on currents >100 μA for supply voltages <30 V have been manufactured. The transistors are of the structure glass/Cr/SiNx/intrinsic a-Si/n+a-Si/Al. The field effect electron mobility is typically 0.24 cm2 /Vs. Evaluation of quasistatic CV measurements yields a gap state density of 3.2*1016 cm−3eV−1 at midgap. A one-dimensional model calculation describing the influence of bulk and interface gap states and various other material and geometry parameters on transistor performance is outlined. Calculated data include space charge density, spatial distribution of band bending, band bending vs gate source voltage, static capacitance, and channel conductance. A fit calculation for the experimental sub pinch-off transfer characteristic of a thin film transistor is presented.
Seasonal Reproduction and Parasitism of a Leafminer Phytomyza nigra

Phytomyza nigra Meigen, a leafminer, is a polyphagous feeder on various grasses grown for seed. The reproductive season begins in Oct. and ends in June. Reproduction increased when adults were exposed in the laboratory to cool temperature (15°C) and short days (10 h light, 14 h dark); reproduction was reduced but did not cease when adults were exposed to cool temperatures and long days (16 h light, 8 h dark). Warm temperature (21°C) and long days drastically reduced reproduction of F1 adults and completely inhibited reproduction of F2 progeny. Temperature was clearly the dominant factor that influenced reproduction. Parasitism of the natural field population was less than 15% during autumn and winter but increased to 77% in Apr.
It takes a whole nation ... to create a health care system.

The biggest failure we face today is that we argue about the effects of poverty and the benefits of welfare rather than about how to sustain a reasonably cohesive and integrated community that optimizes human development for everybody. Yet that is exactly what must happen if we are to integrate our recreational, educational, health care, and health promotion systems and employment policies to create a healthier population. Care of the sick and the elderly is not a primary wealth- (or health-) producing social function; it is a derivative activity. If a society overinvests in it, it may underinvest in the real economy ... which then will not create the jobs, stability, and wealth that support the health of the population. This is not the kind of problem that the health care system alone, or any one sector of society, can actually tackle on its own. The challenge is to create real partnerships with all sectors: employers, labor leaders, educators, police, and governmental groups.
Notes on the History of the Uses of Analyticity in Operator Theory

provided that d(X) #0. Heref and g are members of the function class C[[a, b]. The function d(X) is an entire analytic function of the complex parameter X and D(s, t; X), which is a continuous function of (s, t), is also an entire analytic function of X. The display of analyticity in the solution of the Fredholm equation of the second kind is an early signal of the important role which analyticity was destined to play in spectral theory. Anticipations of spectral theory itself can be traced at least as far back as 1836, which was the date of publication of the work of Sturm [38], [39] and Liouville [28], [29] on second-order ordinary differential equations and the associated eigenvalue and expansion theorems. In 1904 Hilbert [20] showed how to transform a differential boundary value problem into a problem of solving an integral equation. Moreover, the Green's function of the differential problem turned out, under certain conditions, to be a kernel of Hilbert-Schmidt type, from which followed a great many things of interest. The utility of analytic functions and the calculus of residues in connection with expansions in series of special functions has been known since the work of Cauchy. In 1894 Poincare [34] dealt with the problem of the vibrating membrane and related the eigenvalues and eigenfunction expansions to the meromorphic character of the Green's function's dependence on the parameter. In 1908 Birkhoff made explicit the use of the meromorphic behavior of the Green's
Abnormalities in Glucose and Insulin in HIV Disease

Significant abnormalities in glucose homeostasis are recognized among HIV-infected patients. Almost half of HIV-infected patients with evidence of fat redistribution demonstrate impaired glucose tolerance (35%) or diabetes mellitus (8%) based on standard glucose tolerance testing (1). Fasting hyperinsulinemia (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) and decreased glucose disposal on euglycemic, hyperinsulinemic clamp (7) suggest that patients with HIV lipodystrophy are insulin resistant. The mechanisms of insulin resistance in this population remain unknown, but may relate to direct effects of anti-retro viral agents on glucose transport. Protease inhibitors have been shown to decrease GLUT-4 mediated glucose transport in vitro (8) and also to decrease glucose disposal in vivo in non HIV-infected patients (9). Recent evidence suggests that changes in fat distribution per se also contribute to hyperinsulinemia in such patients (1). In this regard, both increased visceral adiposity, as well as reduced subcutaneous fat, may contribute significantly to insulin resistance. The long-term effects of insulin resistance in HIV lipodystrophy remains unclear, but dyslipidemia, increased waist circumference and insulin resistance may together contribute to increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in this population. In addition, patients with HIV lipodystrophy demonstrate increased markers of impaired fibrinolysis (10), which may also contribute to increased CVD risk. The novel use of insulin sensitizing agents may improve insulin resistance and reduce CVD risk in HIV-infected patients with fat redistribution (11).
RYR1 Mutations, Exertional Myalgia and Rhabdomyolysis

Investigators at Guy’s & St Thomas’ Hospital, London, UK, and other centers sequenced RYR1 in 39 unrelated families with rhabdomyolysis and/or exertional myalgia and identified 9 heterozygous RYR1 mutations in 14 families, 5 of them previously associated with malignant hyperthermia (MH).
Paternal depression during pregnancy and postpartum: An international Delphi study.

Abstract Background Fathers are at risk for depression during a mother's gestation and postpartum. Assessment, detection, and treatment are hampered by the lack of consensus on this issue. The purpose of this study was to reach expert consensus through the Delphi method on the defining factors of depression in peripartum fathers. Methods Purposive sampling resulted in the surveying of 14 international expert panelists. The study used a modified Delphi approach in which experts participated in two rounds of open-ended and scale questionnaires, followed by two rounds of opportunities to adjust their responses and/or comment on evolving data until consensus was achieved. Results Experts responded to 10 questions on terminology, diagnostics, symptomology, risk/protective factors, biological factors, assessment tools/protocol, cost implications, and key stakeholders. Of these 10 questions presented for discussion, the analysis resulted in 197 coded themes. Consensus was met for 119 of the 197 coded responses (60.41%). Limitations Diversity of opinion within this Delphi Study was excluded for the sake of consensus. Regression to the mean may have occurred after continuous surveying and when evolving results were shared with panelists. Critics of Delphi methodologies have pointed to the issue of small expert samples typically used and the subjectivity of “expert.” Conclusion Consensus identified diagnostic criteria and symptomology that differentiates the paternal experience of peripartum depression. Experts indicated the importance of a father's social context, biological risk factors, limitations of current assessment tools, key stakeholders, and potential financial costs. Stakeholders on this issue would benefit from translating consensus into assessment and treatment.
Genetic patient evaluation.

A step-by-step approach to the diagnosis of genetic disorders and birth defects is presented, including specific outlines for evaluation of patients with malformations or shortness of stature and of incest cases.
Isozyme allele frequency changes during corn germplasm regeneration

iv INTRODUCTION 1 LITERATURE REVIEW 2 MATERIALS AND METHODS 27 Materials 27 Electrophoresis 28 Statistical Analysis 32 RESULTS 34 DISCUSSION 52 BIBLIOGRAPHY 58 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 64 APPENDIX 65 Statistical Analysis 66 Analysis of Variance Tables 69
Effects of HIV on Cognitive and Motor Development

The cognitive and motor development of 126 infants born to nondrug-using.HIV-seropositive Haitian women, assessed at 3-month intervals from birth to 24 months, is reported from the University of Miami School of Medicine, FL.