cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Relationship between siderophilic-element content and oxidation state of ordinary chondrites

The concentrations of Ni and Ir have been determined by neutron activation in a suite of ordinary chondrites for which accurate ferromagnesian-mineral compositional data were available. Although hiatus between the individual groups exist, the trends within the groups are in keeping with the hypothesis that the ordinary chondrites form a continuous fractionation sequence. A significant negative correlation is observed between the abundance of Ni or Ir and the Fe content of the ferromagnesian minerals in the H and L groups, and for Ir in the LL group, as expected if the metal-silicate fractionation and the variation in oxidation states were produced by the same or related processes. The Ir/Ni ratio decreases by a factor of 1.2 between the H and LL groups. This fractionation must have occurred at an early stage in the condensation phase of the solar nebula.
A New Difference Scheme for Parabolic Problems

This chapter discusses a new difference scheme for parabolic mixed initial-boundary value problems in one space dimension. The scheme has a number of very desirable features. It is simple, easy to program, and efficient. It is unconditionally stable and has second order accuracy with nonuniform nets. Richardson or h → 0 extrapolation is valid and yields two orders of accuracy improvement per extrapolation (with nonuniform nets). It is A-stable as well, that is, if the exact solution decays in time, so does the numerical scheme, with approximately the same rate; the data, coefficients, and solution need only be piecewise smooth and all the above remain valid. The method is also applicable to parabolic systems, to nonlinear parabolic equations, and even to some hyperbolic systems with special properties. The chapter presents the method, indicates the error estimates, h → 0 extrapolation and discusses an efficient algorithm for its application to the problem.
Effect of physical ageing on the performance of dexamethasone loaded PLGA microspheres.

Abstract The phenomenon of physical ageing or structural relaxation and its effect on the performance of dexamethasone loaded poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) microspheres was evaluated. Microspheres were incubated at temperatures (−20 (control), 4 and 25 °C) below their glass transition temperature for 12 months. Physical ageing occurred in microspheres incubated at 25 °C due to structural relaxation of the polymer chains which occurs to achieve a lower equilibrium energy state. Significant physical ageing was not observed in microspheres incubated at 4 °C due to the lower molecular mobility of PLGA. The rate of structural relaxation (at 25 °C) was a function of free volume which decreased with time. The microspheres incubated at 25 °C for 12 months resulted in a slower release profile after day 25 when compared to the control microspheres. This was speculated to be due to a reduction in free volume upon physical ageing which in turn may reduce water absorption and retention of acidic degradation products in the PLGA matrix, hence reducing the degradation rate of PLGA. Therefore, exposure to ambient temperature during storage, shipping or handling may cause physical ageing in PLGA microspheres and hence, their performance may be affected. Storage temperatures of 4 °C or lower may be considered appropriate for PLGA microspheres.
Evolving virtual reality simulation in neurosurgery.

BACKGROUND:Virtual reality (VR) applications promise the safe, efficacious, and valid replication of scenarios encountered in modern neurosurgery, and a number of navigation- or dissection-related and endovascular simulators have been successfully deployed in the last 2 decades. Concurrently, neuros
Fate in the Narrativity and Experience of Selfhood, a Case From Taiwanese Chhiam Divination

In this article, I examine the deployment of poetry in Taiwanese practices of calculating fate. Observing that fate is both a grounding notion to self-representation in narrative and to the recognition of efficacious agents in a social field, I analyze texts and interpretive practices of poetic divination, attending to specific features that give fate its compelling qualities. Most important among these features is the chronotopic character of divination poems, which shape the experience of selfhood in alternation and encounter through time. Investigating how poetic contrast sets (such as those between gathering and dispersal, fate as coterminous with a lifespan and fate as linked to specific opportunities) produce these chronotopes, I ask how the poetics of fate informs the distribution and abeyance of agency in particular situations of crisis. In particular, I focus on crises that lead to divination, emerging as fresh junctures in life historical narratives. Finally, in light of the role of fate in the interpretation of these variously distributed junctures and agents, I suggest that the notion of fate could inform ethnographic work on micropolitics. [divination, poetics, chronotopes, narrativity, agency, life history, Taiwan]
Hands-on labs without computers

Often in teaching an introductory computer science course for non-majors, a primary focus on building programming skills is neither practical nor effective. Many instructors choose a breadth-first approach focusing on building problem solving skills and surveying computer science. This paper argues that conducting hands-on labs where students work together to physically implement algorithms is an effective supplement for programming labs on the computer. We present lab examples and summarize our experiences.
Castration and amphetamine effects on acquisition of a Sidman avoidance task in rats.

Abstract During surgery male and female rats were castrated or sham-operated. Following a postoperative recovery period, animals were injected intraperitoneally with saline or amphetamine and were trained on a Sidman avoidance schedule. While no sex differences were observed, castration was found to inhibit acquisition of the avoidance task. Amphetamine injections produced dose-dependent differences in both response and shock rates. Low to moderate amphetamine doses facilitated acquisition, while higher test doses were inhibitory.
Citizenship in the City: Identity, Community, and Rights Among Women Migrants to Istanbul

This study examines citizenship, gender, and urbanism in Istanbul, Turkey. An analysis of four focus group discussions conducted in Istanbul in 1999 focuses on the multiple ways in which migrant women of different ages and backgrounds position themselves in relation to Istanbul's urban community, their own "right to the city" and the informal and formal channels through which claims to urban space and resources are pursued. Situating this study within the historical context of political and ideological currents in Turkey and Istanbul, this paper presents an analysis of focus group texts based on three interlinked points regarding urban identity, belonging and rights. The conclusion of this analysis is that both generational differences and differences in urban identity contribute to the uneven and contingent nature of citizenship in the city as it is enacted through the everyday practices of migrant women in Istanbul.
Characteristics of congregations that might increase their participants’ risk of depression

This research examines some characteristics of congregations that might increase the risk of their participants being depressed. Analysing data from the Portraits of American Life Study Wave 1 (2006), this research found that those affiliated with a congregation that did not meet their spiritual needs had arguments about traditional versus contemporary beliefs, made them feel like outsiders, and had unsatisfactory decision-making processes which were more likely to feel depressed than their counterparts. The findings of this research suggest that to alleviate the problem of depression, individuals need to choose a congregation that meets their spiritual needs and makes them feel accepted, rather than just attending any congregations.
Circulating growth hormone binding proteins

Circulating growth hormone binding proteins (GHBP) were discovered in the mid-1980s in several species, including man (1-3), rabbit (4) and pregnant mouse (5) . The latter had already been well-described as a GH binding factor in 1977 (6), but was not further characterized. Although the possibility of growth hormone (GH) bound to plasma proteins had been considered much earlier (79), and evidence for conversion of GH to high molecular weight forms upon mixing with plasma was occasionally reported (10-13), it was generally assumed that these observations were mere artifacts. Polypeptide hormones were thought to circulate in the free form (see 14 for review). Accordingly, acceptance of the existence of GHBPs was initially slow. In the past 2-3 years, interest in this new field has increased dramatically, and several laboratories around the world are actively engaged in investigations of GHBPs.
Hemodynamic Results of Right Atrial Pacing in 33 Normal Subjects

The effect of increasing heart rate above control sinus rate was studied in 33 normal subjects by right atrial bipolar electrode catheter pacing. At all atrial pacing rates, significant cardiac output increments are noted compared to the outputs during the control sinus rate. Further heart rate elevation produced by electrical pacing fails to elevate cardiac output above the levels noted at the lower atrial pacing rates.
The neutrality of systematic monetary policy in models with a disequilibrium price level

Abstract A condition is offered which is necessary and sufficient for the neutrality of aggregate output and the real rate of interest with respect to systematic monetary policy in a general class of stochastic macroeconomic models with rational expectations, additive disturbances, lagged information and a disequilibrium price sequence.
Surface morphology, structure and magnetic anisotropy in epitaxial Ni films

Abstract Understanding the correlation between film structure and its ferromagnetic properties is very important for applications. To this end, we have investigated epitaxial and smooth Ni films grown on MgO substrates using molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) and dc sputtering. To establish correlation between film morphology and structure with magnetic properties, we have used in situ and ex situ scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) images along with studies on the azimuthal dependence of the magnetization reversal utilizing longitudinal Kerr effect (MOKE). Our MOKE azimuthal studies on annealed MBE-grown (0 0 1) Ni films indicate additional uniaxial anisotropy possibly related to surface nano-patterning, superimposed to the expected four-fold symmetry due to magneto-crystalline anisotropy. This uniaxial anisotropy is absent in non-annealed MBE-grown (0 0 1) Ni films as well as sputtered annealed and non-annealed (0 0 1) Ni films. Conversely, neither annealed MBE-grown nor sputtered (1 1 1) oriented Ni films exhibit surface nano-patterning and their structural and magnetic properties exhibit identical azimuthal dependence.
Polymerization of the Inverted Hexagonal Phase

The hydration of polar natural and synthetic lipids yields a variety of lipid phases including various inverted cubic phases and the inverted hexagonal (HII) phase. The HII phase can be considered as aqueous columns encased with a monolayer of lipids and arranged in a hexagonal pattern. The polar head groups are well-ordered at the water interface, whereas the lipid tails are disordered to fill the volume between the tubes of water. A particularly interesting characteristic of the HII phase is the large temperature effect on the basis vector length d of the hexagonal lattice. Previous studies indicate that polymerization of the lipid region of the HII phase might reduce the sensitivity of the basis vector to temperature. A phosphoethanolamine (PE) was designed and synthesized with dienoyl groups in each lipid tail in an attempt to cross-link the lipids around and along the water core of the HII phase. The synthesis of the the PE was accomplished by acylation of 3-(4-methoxybenzyl)-sn-glycerol with 2,4,13-...
Integration of in Silico and in Vitro Tools for Scaffold Optimization during Drug Discovery: Predicting P-Glycoprotein Efflux

In silico tools are regularly utilized for designing and prioritizing compounds to address challenges related to drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics (DMPK) during the process of drug discovery. P-Glycoprotein (P-gp) is a member of the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters with broad substrate specificity that plays a significant role in absorption and distribution of drugs that are P-gp substrates. As a result, screening for P-gp transport has now become routine in the drug discovery process. Typically, bidirectional permeability assays are employed to assess in vitro P-gp efflux. In this article, we use P-gp as an example to illustrate a well-validated methodology to effectively integrate in silico and in vitro tools to identify and resolve key barriers during the early stages of drug discovery. A detailed account of development and application of in silico tools such as simple guidelines based on physicochemical properties and more complex quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR) models is...
Anomerization of glucose 6-phosphate: Catalysis by phosphoglucose isomerase

Abstract The anomerase (1-epimerase) activity of phosphoglucose isomerase ( d -glucose 6-phosphate ketol-isomerase EC 5.3.1.9) has been studied. The pH-Vmax profile, assayed by two different methods, shows a dependence on two ionizable groups in the enzyme with pK values of 7.0 and 9.3 at 0 °C. Additionally, an unusual reversal of the basic leg of the normal profile to yield a large increase in Vmax is observed above pH 9.5. Deuterium solvent isotope effects of V max (H 2 O ) V max (D 2 O ) = 1.39 and 2.07 are observed for isomerase and anomerase activities respectively. An anomerase mechanism similar to noncatalyzed anomerization is postulated with a discussion of the catalytic groups involved.
Effect of surface play on the quality of the hole when drilling multi-directional CFRP composites

The effect of surface ply on the quality of the hole produced when drilling multi-directional carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) composite laminates was investigated. A series of drilling experiments are performed using a carbide drill tool on two multi-directional CFRP composite laminates. The two composite laminates have similar stacking sequence except the surface plies, namely woven fabric and fiberglass scrim. The thrust force and torque was collected during the drilling process. The quality of the drilled hole was examined through surface roughness measurement, fiber pull out, and delamination. Thrust force was found to be higher for the composite laminate with woven fabric surface plies. The exit delamination factor measured from the holes with woven fabric surface plies found to be lower than the holes with fiberglass scrim surface plies.
The critical response nurse role: an innovative solution for providing skilled trauma nurses.

Abstract Critically injured patients benefit from the care of experienced, knowledgeable nurses. The state of Oregon addressed this need by requiring nurses to be a component of the trauma resuscitation team in trauma centers throughout the state. A description of how one level I trauma center created a unique position that would ensure that properly trained nurses were available for trauma patients is presented. The process of developing the position and the progress that the nurses have made is discussed. (Int J Trauma Nurs 2001;7:3-7).
Survey of plant short tandem DNA repeats

Length variations in simple sequence tandem repeats are being given increased attention in plant genetics. Some short tandem repeats (STRs) from a few plant species, mainly those at the dinucleotide level, have been demonstrated to show polymorphisms and Mendelian inheritance. In the study reported here a search for all of the possible STRs ranging from mononucleotide up to tetranucleotide repeats was carried out on EMBL and GenBank DNA sequence databases of 3026 kb nuclear DNA and 1268 kb organelle DNA in 54 and 28 plant species (plus algae), respectively. An extreme rareness of STRs (4 STRs in 1268 kb DNA) was detected in organelle compared with nuclear DNA sequences. In nuclear DNA sequences, (AT)n sequences were the most abundant followed by (A)n · (T)n, (AG)n · (CT)n, (AAT)n · (ATT)n, (AAC)n · (GTT), (AGC)n · (GCT)n, (AAG)n · (CTT)n, (AATT)n · (TTAA)n, (AAAT)n · (ATTT)n and (AC)n · (GT)n sequences. A total of 130 STRs were found, including 49 (AT)n sequences in 31 species, giving an average of 1 STR every 23.3 kb and 1 (AT)n STR every 62 kb. An abundance comparable to that for the dinucleotide repeat was observed for the tri- and tetranucleotide repeats together. On average, there was 1 STR every 64.6 kb DNA in monocotyledons versus 1 every 21.2 kb DNA in dicotyledons. The fraction of STRs that contained G-C basepairs increased as the G+C contents went up from dicotyledons, monocotyledons to algae. While STRs of mono-, di- and tetranucleotide repeats were all located in non coding regions, 57% of the trinucleotide STRs containing G-C basepairs resided in coding regions.
Systems thinking for knowledge

The capacity to engage in systems thinking is often viewed as being a product of being able to understand complex systems due to one's facility in mastering systems theories, methods, and being able to adeptly reason. Relatively little attention is paid in the systems literature to the processes of learning from experience and creating knowledge as a direct consequence of individuals engaging systems thinking itself over time. In fact, the potential efficacy of systems thinking to improve performance normally seen as only contingent on a priori knowledge, rather than knowledge created via learning from experience. Such newly create knowledge often results from engaging in modeling efforts and systemic forms of inquiry. This article proposes a model for creating new knowledge by coupling systems modeling with a pragmatic approach to knowledge-creation. This approach is based on a foundation of the pragmatic concepts first proposed by the American philosopher/scientist Charles Sanders Peirce over a century ...
DAP in the 'hood: Perceptions of child care practices by African American child care directors caring for children of color

This paper presents a qualitative analysis concerning child care practices by six African American directors of subsidized child care centers located in a low-income, racial ethnic minority area of Los Angeles, California. These programs are traditionally African American programs that experienced an influx of Latino immigrant enrollment. Using the integrative framework for children of color proposed by Garcia Coll et al. [Garcia Coll, C., Crinic, K., Lamberty, G., Wasik, B., Jenkins, R., Garcia Vazquez, H., et al. (1996). An integrative model for the study of developmental competencies in minority children. Child Development, 67, 1891–1914], which places racial ethnicity in the center, we examined how these directors integrated professional standards of practice (developmentally appropriate practice) with community understandings of the role of preschool/child care in this community; the function of social stratification on their articulated practices; and their understanding as to how they include the Latino immigrant families. We discovered patterns that reflect a community-interpreted understanding of developmentally appropriate practice.
A two-step process for thymic regulatory T cell development

Recognition of self-antigens is required for regulatory T (Treg) cells to exert dominant tolerance. However, the mechanism by which self-reactive thymocytes are diverted into the Treg cell subset is unclear. To address this question, we looked for the immediate precursors to Treg cells within Foxp3(-)CD4+CD8(-) thymocytes. By using intrathymic transfer, we found that the CD25hi subset is highly enriched in Treg cell precursors. This was supported by tracking of thymocyte development via analysis of T cell receptor (TCR) repertoires in a TCR-beta transgenic model. These Treg cell precursors exist at a developmental stage where they are poised to express Foxp3 without further TCR engagement, requiring only stimulation by interleukin-2 (IL-2) or IL-15. Thus, we propose that the selection of self-reactive thymocytes into the Treg cell subset occurs via an instructive rather than stochastic-selective model whereby TCR signals result in the expression of proximal IL-2 signaling components facilitating cytokine-mediated induction of Foxp3.
The Changing American College Student: Implications for Educational Policy and Practice.

New students entering higher education institutions in the United States have undergone dramatic changes during the past two decades. This paper summarizes some of the major trends observed in these surveys and discusses possible implications of the findings for educational policy and practice. Each fall since 1966 the Higher Education Research Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles has been conducting a national survey of new college freshmen. A typical survey involves 250,000 students and a nationally representative sample of 550 higher education institutions of all types. Between the late 1960s and the mid-1980s American college students became much more focussed on material goals and less concerned with altruism and social problems. These value changes were accompanied by dramatically increased student interest in business careers and a sharp decline of interest in school teaching, social work, nursing, the clergy, and other service careers. These changes are perhaps best illustrated in the contrasting trends in two values: ‘being very well off financially,’ which doubled in popularity during the period of survey and ‘developing a meaningful philosophy of life’ which was the top student value in the early 1970s but was endorsed by fewer than half as many students by the late 1980s. During just the past two or three years most of these trends seem to have ended or, in certain cases, shown signs of reversing direction. At the same time, there is growing evidence that students are increasingly oriented toward social activism. Protecting the environment appears to be the single greatest concern among American college students at the turn of the decade.
Resonance and symmetry breaking for a nonlinear oscillator

Abstract Analytical conditions for breaking of the resonance curve (amplitude versus frequency) and of the symmetry of a harmonically forced, lightly damped, nonlinear oscillator are developed and applied to a Duffing oscillator to predict results that are confirmed by numerical simulation.
The China connection: challenges and opportunities in linking Asian libraries

Purpose – China's rise as a major player in world affairs has contributed significantly to the global interest in the study of Chinese language, society, and culture. Its emerging importance has also increased the need for China‐related library materials and information provision to China scholars and the general public in recent years. This paper seeks to trace the historical transformation and renewed interest in China studies and the growing demand placed on Asian or East Asian libraries that support China studies in the USA.Design/methodology/approach – The paper is a general review of the issues and challenges facing libraries in the West, which serve Chinese scholars, with the increasing demand for China‐related library materials and information resources, as well as for delivery of such information resources.Findings – The paper identifies the issues and challenges facing libraries in the West that serve China scholars. The importance of collection building in China studies, the role of Chinese stu...
A fuzzy logic system for seizure onset detection in intracranial EEG

We present a multistage fuzzy rule-based algorithm for epileptic seizure onset detection. Amplitude, frequency, and entropy-based features were extracted fromintracranial electroencephalogram (iEEG) recordings and considered as the inputs for a fuzzy system. These features extracted from multichannel iEEG signals were combined using fuzzy algorithms both in feature domain and in spatial domain. Fuzzy rules were derived based on experts' knowledge and reasoning. An adaptive fuzzy subsystem was used for combining characteristics features extracted from iEEG. For the spatial combination, three channels from epileptogenic zone and one fromremote zone were considered into another fuzzy subsystem. Finally, a threshold procedure was applied to the fuzzy output derived fromthe final fuzzy subsystem. Themethod was evaluated on iEEG datasets selected from Freiburg Seizure Prediction EEG (FSPEEG) database. A total of 112.45 hours of intracranial EEG recordings was selected from 20 patients having 56 seizures was used for the system performance evaluation. The overall sensitivity of 95.8% with false detection rate of 0.26 per hour and average detection latency of 15.8 seconds was achieved.
Embryonic and adult vasculogenesis.

Two mechanisms account for the formation of blood vessels, vasculogenesis and angiogenesis. Unfortunately, the terms vasculogenesis and angiogenesis literally have the same meaning, i.e., the genesis of blood vessels, and thus do little to distinguish between the two processes. Despite the nomenclature, the two processes are clearly distinct. Vasculogenesis, the de novo formation of blood vessels from mesoderm, is driven by the recruitment of undifferentiated mesodermal cells to the endothelial lineage and the de novo assembly of such cells into blood vessels. Angiogenesis is the generation of new blood vessels from endothelial cells of existing blood vessels, a process driven by endothelial cell proliferation. Recent years have seen dramatic changes in our understanding of the process of vasculogenesis, expanding the scope of its occurrence beyond the earliest stages of development to include involvement in neovascular processes throughout development as well as in the adult. In this review, emphasis is placed on discussion of emerging perspectives on the process of vasculogenesis in both the embryo and the adult.
Therapeutics by Cytotoxic Metabolite Accumulation: Pemetrexed Causes ZMP Accumulation, AMPK Activation, and Mammalian Target of Rapamycin Inhibition

Pemetrexed represents the first antifolate cancer drug to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 20 years; it is currently in widespread use for first line therapy of mesothelioma and non-small cell lung cancer. Pemetrexed has more than one site of action; the primary site is thymidylate synthase. We now report that the secondary target is the downstream folate-dependent enzyme in de novo purine synthesis, aminoimidazolecarboxamide ribonucleotide formyltransferase (AICART). The substrate of the AICART reaction, ZMP, accumulated in intact pemetrexed-inhibited tumor cells, identifying AICART as the step in purine synthesis that becomes rate-limiting after drug treatment. The accumulating ZMP causes an activation of AMP-activated protein kinase with subsequent inhibition of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and hypophosphorylation of the downstream targets of mTOR that control initiation of protein synthesis and cell growth. We suggest that the activity of pemetrexed against human cancers is a reflection of its direct inhibition of folate-dependent target proteins combined with prolonged inhibition of the mTOR pathway secondary to accumulation of ZMP.
Self-modulation effects in quadratically nonlinear materials

Abstract Under appropriate conditions, using the method of multiple scales, it is shown that an electromagnetic wave envelope propagating in a material with quadratic nonlinearity undergoes self-amplitude and phase modulation that is described by a nonlinear Schrodinger equation with cubic nonlinearity; therefore, for example, soliton propagation may be supported in this material through the same nonlinearity that generates χ (2) processes. Physical conditions and numerical examples are given for observing solitons.
Immunotherapy for lymphomas.

A growing list of immunotherapeutic strategies is now being employed to combat lymphoid malignancies. These efforts are warranted given that B-cell lymphomas, particularly those of the common follicular subtype, are among the most “immune-responsive” of all human cancers. Although systemic cytokine therapies for B-cell malignancies have been largely disappointing to date, monoclonal antibody therapies, principally the anti-CD20 antibody rituximab, have already made enormous impact on the treatment algorithm for many B-cell lymphomas. Therapeutic vaccines targeting the tumor-specific immunoglobulin idiotype have demonstrated promising results against lymphomas in phase I/II studies and are currently being evaluated in phase III randomized trials. Additional vaccine therapies being developed include those based on dendritic cells, recombinant idiotype proteins, DNA, heat shock proteins, and gene-modified tumor cells. It is hoped that immunotherapeutic agents, used in tandem or in combination, may someday allow effective treatment of lymphoid malignancies and delay or even replace the need for conventional cytotoxic therapies.Int J Hematol. 2003;77:444-455.
Fetal lamb clearance of morphine as determined by high performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection

Abstract Morphine clearance from plasma was determined during constant r a te d r ug infusion in 10 late gestation fetal lambs. Clearance, 65 ± 6 ml.min 1.kg 1 , was independent of infusion rate. Morphine clearance was a first order process in the dose range studied.
Markov Decision Processes: A Tool for Sequential Decision Making under Uncertainty:

We provide a tutorial on the construction and evaluation of Markov decision processes (MDPs), which are powerful analytical tools used for sequential decision making under uncertainty that have been widely used in many industrial and manufacturing applications but are underutilized in medical decision making (MDM). We demonstrate the use of an MDP to solve as equential clinical treatment problem under uncertainty. Markov decision processes generalize standard Markov models in that a decision process is embedded in the model and multiple decisions are made over time. Furthermore, they have significant advantages over standard decision analysis. We compare MDPs to standard Markov-based simulation models by solving the problem of the optimal timing of living-donor liver transplantation using both methods. Both models result in the same optimal transplantation policy and the same total life expectancies for the same patient and living donor. The computation time for solving the MDP model is significantly smaller than that for solving the Markov model. We briefly describe the growing literature of MDPs applied to medical decisions. Key words: Markov decision processes; decision analysis; Markov processes. (Med Decis Making 2010;30:474–483)
The absorption of bile salt and fatty acid by hamster small intestine.

Abstract 1. 1. Hamster intestinal rings were incubated at 37° in a micellar solution containing 2.4 μmoles of sodium taurodeoxycholate, 0.6 pnole of oleic acid, 0.3 μmole of monoolein, and trace amounts of sodium [carboxy-14C]taurodeoxycholate and [9,10-3H2]oleic acid in Krebs-Ringer phosphate buffer (pH 6.3). Adsorbed radioactivity was removed by thorough rinsing. The tissue was weighed, homogenized and the radioactivity assayed. Lipids were extracted, separated by thin-layer chromatography and the radioactivity in each class was measured. 2. 2. There was no evidence of destruction of the tissue during incubation. Radioactive bile salt was recovered from the tissue and was shown to be localized in the mucosa. 3. 3. In 30-min incubations the jejunal uptake of sodium taurodeoxycholate was 1.71 ± 0.36 μmoles/g tissue; the uptake of oleic acid was exactly the same. At each time during the incubation the ratio of jejunal sodium taurodeoxycholate to oleic acid was 1.0; furthermore, 75% of the absorbed fatty acid was always esterified into higher glycerides. Thus, the ratio of tissue sodium taurodeoxycholate to unesterified fatty acid was 4:1, as in the incubation medium. 4. 4. In the ileum there was greater uptake of sodium taurodeoxycholate and less uptake of oleic acid than in the jejunum. When lipids were omitted from incubation medium, both the jejunum and ileum, especially the latter, absorbed more sodium taurodeoxycholate. 5. 5. The uptake of sodium taurodeoxycholate by the tissue and its stoichiometric relationship to absorbed oleic acid suggests that bile salts function in the transport of lipid across the jejunal microvillus membrane.
Phylogenetic, Molecular, and Biochemical Characterization of Caffeic Acid o-Methyltransferase Gene Family in Brachypodium distachyon

Caffeic acid o-methyltransferase (COMT) is one of the important enzymes controlling lignin monomer production in plant cell wall synthesis. Analysis of the genome sequence of the new grass model Brachypodium distachyon identified four COMT gene homologs, designated as BdCOMT1, BdCOMT2, BdCOMT3, and BdCOMT4. Phylogenetic analysis suggested that they belong to the COMT gene family, whereas syntenic analysis through comparisons with rice and sorghum revealed that BdCOMT4 on Chromosome 3 is the orthologous copy of the COMT genes well characterized in other grass species. The other three COMT genes are unique to Brachypodium since orthologous copies are not found in the collinear regions of rice and sorghum genomes. Expression studies indicated that all four Brachypodium COMT genes are transcribed but with distinct patterns of tissue specificity. Full-length cDNAs were cloned in frame into the pQE-T7 expression vector for the purification of recombinant Brachypodium COMT proteins. Biochemical characterization of enzyme activity and substrate specificity showed that BdCOMT4 has significant effect on a broad range of substrates with the highest preference for caffeic acid. The other three COMTs had low or no effect on these substrates, suggesting that a diversified evolution occurred on these duplicate genes that not only impacted their pattern of expression, but also altered their biochemical properties.
Epimeric 1‐hydroxy‐1‐substituted indolizidines

Epimeric mixtures of 1-hydroxy-1-phenylindolizidines and 1-hydroxy-1-methylindolizidines were obtained from the reaction of 1-ketoindolizidine with the appropriate Grignard reagent. The resulting alcohols were separated by chromatographic and distillation techniques. Infrared data and physical constants were utilized for the elucidation of the structures. Structural assignments of the indolizidinium iodides were made on the basis of nmr data.
Slow-wave power divider

A novel power divider made of a coupled slow-wave microstrip line is proposed and its characteristics discussed. The difference between the attenuation constants for even and odd modes in a coupled slow-wave microstrip line are successfully used to eliminate a resistor.
Major minors only

Comment on Oh et al, page [1408][1] Is race important after all? In this issue of Blood, Oh and colleagues describe the association between ethnicity and the incidence of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) following HLA-identical sibling bone marrow transplantation. Arelatively uniform group of
Investigating Teachers' Mathematics Teaching Understanding: A Case for Coordinating Perspectives

This paper provides a microanalysis of one Algebra I teacher's instruction to explore the advantages that are afforded us by coordinating two perspectives to document and account for the teacher's mathematical understandings. We use constructs associated with Stein, Grover and Henningsen's domain of mathematical didactics and Realistic Mathematics Education's instructional design theory to infer what the teacher might understand to effectively implement her instructional goals and, more importantly, support student learning. By coordinating these perspectives, we developed a working framework for analyzing the teacher's classroom practice retrospectively. For example, we illustrate how the mathematical possibilities related to one student's question might inform the teacher's decisions as she initiates shifts in students' self-generated models. Additionally, we illustrate how the teacher's decision to capitalize on particular students' models contributes in part to the kinds of mathematical ideas that can be explored and the connections students can make among those ideas. More generally, we explore the utility of coordinating these two perspectives to understand the landscape of ideas that teachers might traverse to align their practices with reform recommendations in the United States.
Ovarian torison: an unusual cause of bilateral pelvic calcifications

Ovarian calcification in children is rare, usually unilateral, and in most cases implies tumor involvement. A case of bilateral ovarian torsion with calcification that might mimic neoplasm is presented along with a literature review.
Modelling and optimal control of a production process

Abstract An industrial production process is modelled as a discrete-time system with a disturbance input due to sales. The state consists of rates of flow of parts or subassemblies at various work stations, backlogs of parts awaiting processing, and the inventory level of the finished product. The control variables are the man-hours scheduled for various work processes. A quadratic performance criterion is minimized so as to keep state and control variables near desired values. Dynamic programming is used and numerical examples are provided.
New species of Capsicum from South America

The genusCapsicum has been variously interpreted. It is suggested that the genus be limited to those species with a pungent, shiny, non-pulpy berry. At the same time, it is necessary to emend the genus description to include campanulate corollas and entire calyx margins. The “ulupicas,”C. eximium, andC. cardenasii, the latter described as new and distinguished by a campanulate corolla, are used as condiments in Bolivia. A new species from Brazil,C. praetermissum, characterized by a rather dense pubescence and bluish corollas, is proposed, andBrachistus pubescens is transferred toCapsicum where it becomesC. galapagense. All four species are diploid (n=12). The results of hybridization of each of these four species with other species are discussed.
Simulation of Microstrip Leaky-Wave Antennas on Inhomogeneous Substrates Using Transverse Resonance and Finite Element Methods

Abstract Microstrip leaky-wave antennas offer the potential for wide-bandwidth, thin-profile apertures, albeit with the potential disadvantage of beam steering with respect to operating frequency. These antennas have been extensively studied in the past; however, previously published results have utilized homogeneous substrates. In this article, a substrate with transverse step inhomogeneous layers is investigated with two methods: the transverse resonance method (TRM) and the finite element-boundary integral (FE-BI) method. In this article, the former is generalized for N-layers and used to determine the leaky-wave mode propagating characteristics. Antennas designed using this approach are then simulated using the finite element method to determine the radiation pattern.
Spatial normalization of the fiber orientation distribution based on high angular resolution diffusion imaging data.

Comparison of high angular resolution diffusion imaging (HARDI) measurements between subjects or between time points for the same subject are facilitated by spatial normalization. In this work, an algorithm is developed to transform the fiber orientation distribution (FOD) function, based on HARDI data, taking into account not only translation, but also rotation, scaling, and shearing effects of the spatial transformation. The algorithm is tested using simulated data, and intra-subject and inter-subject normalization of in vivo human data. All cases demonstrate reliable transformation of the FOD. This technique makes it possible to compare the intra-voxel fiber distribution between subjects, between groups, or between time points for a single subject, which will be helpful in HARDI studies of white matter disease.
Microstructure-sensitive extreme value probabilities for high cycle fatigue of Ni-base superalloy IN100

Abstract To quantify the effects of interactions between various microstructure attributes on fatigue life in the high cycle fatigue (HCF) regime, we have proposed a new microstructure-sensitive extreme value statistical framework. This framework couples the extreme value distributions of certain fatigue indicator parameters (FIPs) or response functions to the correlated microstructure attributes that exist at the extreme value locations of these FIPs. We demonstrate the application of this statistical framework to investigate the microstructure-sensitive fatigue response of the PM Ni-base superalloy IN100 at 650 °C. To accomplish this task, we construct statistical volume elements (SVEs) used to compute the local response for 200 instantiations of IN100. These SVEs are constructed and simulated via the finite element method with crystal plasticity constitutive relations. The results of the simulations are used to explore extreme value statistics of the FIPs for these microstructures. The extreme value distributions of the Fatemi–Socie FIP are fit with high confidence by the Gumbel distribution and are defined in a representative nature with as few as 25 simulated microstructure instantiations (i.e., SVEs). The extreme value marked correlation functions of the apparent Schmid factor based on the geometry of the slip systems relative to the loading direction indicate that cube slip may be important to fatigue crack formation in this material system. This supports previous experimental observations of fatigue crack formation and microstructurally small fatigue crack growth along cube planes in IN100 in grains that are unfavorably oriented for octahedral slip at elevated temperatures.
On the analytic representation of the Leximin ordering and its application to flexible constraint propagation

We discuss the basic formulation of constraint propagation problems and extend it to the flexible constraint propagation environment where constraints are represented as fuzzy subsets. Some methods for ordering alternative solutions with respect to a collection of flexible constraints are discussed along with their drawbacks. Among the methods introduced is the Leximin method where we note its lack of an analytic formulation. With the aid of the ordered weighted averaging (OWA) operator we suggest an analytic formulation for the Leximin method. Some properties of this formulation are provided. We then describe the application of this new formulation for the Leximin method to situations in which the constraints are describable in a linear fashion. We show how we can use mixed integer programming techniques to find an optimal solution.
Protein design of an HIV-1 entry inhibitor

Human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) membrane fusion is promoted by the formation of a trimer-of-hairpins structure that brings the amino- and carboxyl-terminal regions of the gp41 envelope glycoprotein ectodomain into close proximity. Peptides derived from the carboxyl-terminal region (called C-peptides) potently inhibit HIV-1 entry by binding to the gp41 amino-terminal region. To test the converse of this inhibitory strategy, we designed a small protein, denoted 5-Helix, that binds the C-peptide region of gp41. The 5-Helix protein displays potent (nanomolar) inhibitory activity against diverse HIV-1 variants and may serve as the basis for a new class of antiviral agents. The inhibitory activity of 5-Helix also suggests a strategy for generating an HIV-1 neutralizing antibody response that targets the carboxyl-terminal region of the gp41 ectodomain.
PET Imaging II

In 1973, Godfrey Hounsfield introduced radiographic CT, which truly revolutionized the field of radiology. Later that year, the concept of [F]fluorodeoxyglucose PET (FDG-PET) was born when three investigators from the University of Pennsylvania (Penn)—Martin Reivich, David Kuhl, and myself—discussed the feasibility of labeling deoxyglucose (DG) with a gamma-emitting radionuclide for in vivo imaging of regional brain function in humans. Up until that time, researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Penn had tested the beta-emitting C-DG in rats as a novel radiotracer to image regional cerebral glucose metabolism and, therefore, function in a variety of physiologic and pathologic states. Because C is a beta-emitter and the electrons emitted are stopped internally, a technique called autoradiography was used to map its distribution in the brain and elsewhere in the body. In animal experiments, 40 to 45 minutes following the administration of this radiotracer, slices of the tissue such as the brain are placed on a radiographic film that is exposed to the beta particles emitted by C. The film is then processed to capture the biodistribution of this compound, which reflects regional glucose metabolism with exquisite detail. By the early 1970s, the potential of this preparation as a probe to map regional metabolism and function in humans had become in-
Systematics of the genus Torulopsis: Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectra of the Mannose-Containing Polysaccharides as an Aid in Classification,

The proton magnetic resonance spectra of the mannose-containing polysaccharides of 42Torulopsis species were determined and used as a basis for placing these species in seven groups. Five of the groups consisted of species which formed mannose-containing polysaccharides with spectra whose H-1 regions were like those of the mannans and galactomannans of species ofSaccharomyces, Pichia, Hansenula, Debaryomyces orMetschnikowia. The sixth group consisted ofTorulopsis bombicola, Torulopsis apicola and a number of other yeasts which were mostly sugar- and salt-tolerant. The seventh group consisted of species whose mannose-containing polysaccharides had spectra unlike those in the preceding groups. Some of the spectra had similarities to those of the mannose-containing polysaccharides of a miscellany of yeast species.
On analysing relevance constructively

This paper lays out a program for analysing relevance constructively. It begins with a summary of results concerning the system C of Pottinger [197a] which has entailment, relevant implication, S4 strict implication, and intuitionist implication among its connectives. A full working out of the motivation for C will require formal analysis of informal concepts derived from the usual explanation of the meanings of the constants of intuitionist propositional logic. Formal machinery which should be adequate for the proof theoretic side of the analysis of the nonmodal part of C is described in detail, and the direction in which semantical results are to be sought is indicated.
A Qualitative Study of Punctuality

(1938). A Qualitative Study of Punctuality. The Journal of Social Psychology: Vol. 9, No. 2, pp. 207-217.