cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Adolescent Pregnancies in the United States: How Obstetric and Sociodemographic Factors Influence Risk of Cesarean Delivery.

Objective To determine how an adolescent's risk of cesarean varies by maternal age and race/ethnicity, and evaluate the contribution of obstetric and sociodemographic factors to mode of delivery. Study Design This is a retrospective cohort study of 604,287 births to women aged 13 to 23 years. Regression techniques were used to determine maternal ages at lowest risk of primary cesarean in each major racial/ethnic group before and after adjustment for various cesarean risk factors. Results Adolescent age was associated with lower risk of cesarean compared with young adults (17.2% at age 13 years vs 24.8% at age 23 years, p Conclusion Young maternal age is protective against cesarean delivery in all racial/ethnic groups. Adolescents also experience racial/ethnic disparities in mode of delivery similar to those observed in adults, which were unexplained by either obstetric or sociodemographic factors.
Linear Quadratic Gaussian (LQG) Control of wind turbines

With the increasing deployment of wind energy technologies, innovative modern control theories, which utilize linear time invariant models, are being developed. The potential for the success of utilizing these theories is better with the availability of concepts such as the variable speed wind trubines. Such control theories are not only capable of increasing the energy capture efficiency of the wind turbines, but also reducing the number of measurements needed which in turn reduces the operation and maintenance costs associated with the system. In this paper, the general formulation of the Linear Quadratic Gaussian Control (LQG) along with the design procedures and the assumptions needed will be stated. Then, a numerical model for the Controls Advacned Research Turbine (CART) that was created and field tested by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) will be used to simulate LQG regulator using MATLab script. At the end, the results obtained from the simulation will be presented and the limitations of the LQG controller will be discussed.
Lipid utilization during sustained flight of moths

Tethered moths were flown to exhaustion. In Spodoptera frugiperda flown for at least 16 hr and in Heliothis zea flown for at least 24 hr, the lipid content was considerably reduced. Triglycerides accounted for almost all of this reduction. In general, exhaustion was reached before the depletion of triglycerides. Exhausted moths with a triglyceride content of less than 2 mg also showed a greatly reduced diglyceride level.
TIME-VARYING MACROECONOMIC IMPACTS OF GLOBAL ECONOMIC POLICY UNCERTAINTY TO A SMALL OPEN ECONOMY: EVIDENCE FROM INDONESIA

This paper studies macroeconomic impacts of global economic policy uncertainty shocks to a small open economy. To that end, I use monthly Indonesian data along with a measure of global economic policy uncertainty developed by Baker et al. (2016) and Davis (2016) and estimate a time-varying parameter Bayesian structural VAR with non-recursive identification using framework proposed by Canova and Perez Forero (2015). I find that global economic policy uncertainty shocks lead to a reduction in prices, interest rate, and trade balance in all global events included in the estimation. The impact on output, however, largely varies across events. A surprise movement of global economic policy uncertainty triggers a contraction in output around the 2008 global financial crisis but, following the 2016 US presidential election, output reacts positively to the shock. Despite these notable variations in the responses of output, the proportion of the forecast error variance of output due to the shock is very small and decreases rapidly over time—which indicates that the shock presents an inconsequential effect to output. Nonetheless, the proportion of the forecast error variance of trade balance due to the shock is considerably higher than the forecast error variance of output and inflation. This further suggests that, via international trade, a global economic policy uncertainty shock could still pose harm for Indonesia.
New mesogenic materials bearing 1,2,4-oxadiazole moiety: Synthesis, characterization and investigation their mesomorphic behaviors

ABSTRACTIn this work, two series containing a 1,2,4-oxadiazole ring as a central core were synthesized and characterized by common spectroscopic techniques, including FT-IR, 1H-NMR, and elemental analysis. The first series was 3-(4-alkoxyphenyl)-5-(p-methylphenyl)-1,2,4-oxadiazole (Cn), which consisted of alkoxy group in the terminal arm and a methyl group in the other, while, the oxidation reaction of methyl group in a series (Cn) to the carboxy group was the method used to synthesize the second series in this work, 4-(3-(4-alkoxyphenyl)-1,2,4-oxadiazol-5-yl)benzoic acid (Dn). The mesophase behaviors of these two series were studied by optical polarized microscopy (OPM) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The liquid crystalline investigations of the compounds (Cn and Dn) show that the last six homologeus of the series (Cn), (C6–C11), have a monotropic nematic phase, while only the intermediate compounds in the series (Dn), (D3–D9), displayed monotropic nematic phase, also, the liquid crystalline...
How The "Oldest Old" Experience and Adapt to Vision and Hearing Loss Through the Use of Assistive Technologies

As people live longer than ever before, the chances of experiencing age-related sensory losses in vision and hearing are equally unprecedented. Changes in vision and hearing have demonstrated effects on older adults' physical, cognitive, and socioemotional wellbeing, particularly in regards to social isolation. Despite what is already known about the age-related impacts of vision and hearing changes, there is a relative lack of knowledge about repercussions for the "oldest old," those who are ages 85 and older. In this study, a panel of 25 adults ages 85 and older was surveyed and convened for small discussion groups about changes in vision and hearing and ways in which "the oldest old" perceive and utilize technologies that mitigate these changes. Changes in vision appeared to primarily drive independent activities and functional abilities whereas changes in hearing primarily affected ease of interpersonal communication and sense of connection and belonging. To adapt to age-related changes in vision and hearing, our findings suggest that adults ages 85 and older adopt a variety of protective mechanisms, including formal and informal assistance, assistive technologies, and attitudes that ultimately reflect an internal locus of control. Findings suggest a new avenue of research to focus on very old adults as "hackers" and creators of spaces and technologies that serve their evolving sensory needs.
Non-Invasive Electromagnetic Skin Patch Sensor to Measure Intracranial Fluid–Volume Shifts

Elevated intracranial fluid volume can drive intracranial pressure increases, which can potentially result in numerous neurological complications or death. This study’s focus was to develop a passive skin patch sensor for the head that would non-invasively measure cranial fluid volume shifts. The sensor consists of a single baseline component configured into a rectangular planar spiral with a self-resonant frequency response when impinged upon by external radio frequency sweeps. Fluid volume changes (10 mL increments) were detected through cranial bone using the sensor on a dry human skull model. Preliminary human tests utilized two sensors to determine feasibility of detecting fluid volume shifts in the complex environment of the human body. The correlation between fluid volume changes and shifts in the first resonance frequency using the dry human skull was classified as a second order polynomial with R2 = 0.97. During preliminary and secondary human tests, a ≈24 MHz and an average of ≈45.07 MHz shifts in the principal resonant frequency were measured respectively, corresponding to the induced cephalad bio-fluid shifts. This electromagnetic resonant sensor may provide a non-invasive method to monitor shifts in fluid volume and assist with medical scenarios including stroke, cerebral hemorrhage, concussion, or monitoring intracranial pressure.
Socioeconomic status and access to care and the incidence of a heart failure diagnosis in the inpatient and outpatient settings

Abstract Purpose Despite well-documented associations of socioeconomic status with incident heart failure (HF) hospitalization, little information exists on the relationship of socioeconomic status with HF diagnosed in the outpatient (OP) setting. Methods We used Poisson models to examine the association of area-level indicators of educational attainment, poverty, living situation, and density of primary care physicians with incident HF diagnosed in the inpatient (IP) and OP settings among a cohort of Medicare beneficiaries ( n = 109,756; 2001–2013). Results The age-standardized rate of HF incidence was 35.8 (95% confidence interval [CI], 35.1–36.5) and 13.9 (95% CI, 13.5–14.4) cases per 1000 person-years in IP and OP settings, respectively. The incidence rate differences (IRDs) per 1000 person-years in both settings suggested greater incidence of HF in high- compared to low-poverty areas (IP IRD = 4.47 [95% CI, 3.29–5.65], OP IRD = 1.41 [95% CI, 0.61–2.22]) and in low- compared to high-education areas (IP IRD = 3.73 [95% CI, 2.63–4.82], OP IRD = 1.72 [95% CI, 0.97–2.47]). Conclusions Our results highlight the role of area-level social determinants of health in the incidence of HF in both the IP and OP settings. These findings may have implications for HF prevention policies.
Hyperchloremic Metabolic Acidosis: Renal Tubular Acidosis

Renal tubular acidoses (RTAs) are discrete renal tubular disorders that are characterized by the inability to excrete H+ in the urine. As a result, there is a positive H+ balance, causing metabolic acidosis. The net acid excretion (NAE) is decreased, and some of the patients are unable to lower their urine pH <5.5. Despite severe acidosis, the anion gap (AG) remains normal because the decrease in serum [HCO3−] is compensated for by a proportionate increase in serum [Cl−].
Triple quantum cross-polarization NMR of 1H/27Al and 19F/23Na spin systems in solids

Abstract Changes in the triple quantum cross-polarization (TQCP) matching profiles and 27 Al / 23 Na second-order quadrupolar lineshapes, are observed as a function of the I=1/2 rf field strength for both static and MAS conditions. These were interpreted by considering the orientation dependence of the nutation frequency associated with the TQ transition. Only a fraction of the spins in the powder, with specific orientations of the EFG tensor, can match the Hartmann–Hahn condition at the same time, for a fixed I=1/2 rf field strength. Good fits between 19 F → 23 Na experimental and calculated TQCP lineshapes were observed for moderate to high 19 F rf field strengths.
“The Winter Oak”: Inspiring Passion for Teaching

ABSTRACT The purpose of this article is to inspire those who desire to improve their teaching effectiveness. A short story, “The Winter Oak” (Nagibin 1953), provides an organizing framework to arti...
Postmastectomy radiation therapy for triple negative, node-negative breast cancer

Abstract Purpose The use of post-mastectomy radiation therapy (PMRT) for patients with node-negative, triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is controversial. This study of a large, contemporary US database described national practice patterns and addressed the impact of PMRT on survival for patients with node-negative TNBC. Methods The National Cancer Data Base was queried (2004–2014) for women with non-metastatic TNBC with pT1-4N0M0 disease undergoing mastectomy. Use of PMRT was assessed. Multivariable logistic regression ascertained factors associated with PMRT use. The Kaplan–Meier analysis evaluated overall survival (OS) between patients managed with either PMRT or observation following mastectomy when stratifying by pT stage. Cox proportional hazards modeling determined variables associated with OS. Results A total of 14,464 patients met the selection criteria; of these, 1,569 (10.8%) received PMRT, whereas 12,895 (89.2%) did not receive PMRT. Use of PMRT varied significantly with pT stage, with only 5.7% of T1 patients undergoing PMRT, while 51.6% of patients with T3 disease underwent PMRT. Use of PMRT was associated with superior OS for patients with pT3 disease but not for patients with other T stages. Greater age was associated with decreased likelihood of PMRT use, while increased T stage and positive surgical margins were associated with use of PMRT. On multivariate analysis, increased age, T stage, and positive surgical margins were associated with worse OS. Conclusions In the largest study to date evaluating the use of PMRT in patients with node-negative TNBC, the use of PMRT was low in patients with T1 and T2 disease. Additionally, while an OS benefit was observed with the use of PMRT in patients with T3 disease, there was no benefit with the use of PMRT in other T stage groups. Further prospective studies are recommended to further elucidate the benefit on PMRT in patients with node-negative TNBC.
National racial/ethnic and geographic disparities in experiences with health care among adult Medicaid beneficiaries

OBJECTIVES To investigate whether health care experiences of adult Medicaid beneficiaries differ by race/ethnicity and rural/urban status. DATA SOURCES A total of 270 243 respondents to the 2014-2015 Nationwide Adult Medicaid Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Survey. STUDY DESIGN Linear regression was used to estimate case mix adjusted differences in patient experience between racial/ethnic minority and non-Hispanic white Medicaid beneficiaries, and between beneficiaries residing in small urban areas, small towns, and rural areas vs large urban areas. Dependent measures included getting needed care, getting care quickly, doctor communication, and customer service. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Compared with white beneficiaries, American Indian/Alaska Native (AIAN) and Asian/Pacific Islander (API) beneficiaries reported worse experiences, while black beneficiaries reported better experiences. Deficits for AIAN beneficiaries were 6-8 points on a 0-100 scale; deficits for API beneficiaries were 13-22 points (P's < 0.001); advantages for black beneficiaries were 3-5 points (P's < 0.001). Hispanic white differences were mixed. Beneficiaries in small urban areas, small towns, and isolated rural areas reported significantly better experiences (2-3 points) than beneficiaries in large urban areas (P's < 0.05), particularly regarding access to care. Racial/ethnic differences typically did not vary by geography. CONCLUSIONS Improving experiences for racial/ethnic minorities and individuals living in large urban areas should be high priorities for policy makers exploring approaches to improve the value and delivery of care to Medicaid beneficiaries.
The Evolutionary Character of Mathematics.

Historically speaking, there were four steps in the development of today's concept of the derivative, which I list here in chronological order. The derivative was first used; it was then discovered; it was then explored and developed; and it was finally defined. That is, examples of what we now recognize as derivatives first were used on an ad hoc basis in solving particular problems; then the general concept lying behind these uses was identified (as part of the invention of calculus); then many properties of the derivative were explained and developed in applica tions to mathematics and to physics; and finally, a rigor ous definition was given and the concept of derivative was embedded in a rigorous theory.
Assessing temporary foreign worker programs through the prism of Canada’s Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program: can they be reformed or should they be eliminated?

This article assesses Temporary Foreign Worker Programs (TFWPs) through the prism of Canada’s Seasonal Agriculture Worker Program (SAWP), often represented as a model because of the many rights granted workers and the multiple forms of protection put in place to protect those rights. A careful study of the extant anthropological and sociological literatures, including the author’s work, reveal the immense power that growers wield over temporary foreign workers from Mexico and various English-speaking Caribbean nations. Two consequences of this power have been rises in productivity and the expansion of the SAWP, to the point that it dominates key sectors of Canadian agriculture. Workers are either prevented from joining unions or punished, via blacklisting in some cases, for forming local bargaining units. The author suggests that all such programs be dismantled. At the least, the question of the future of TFWPs merits open and frank discussion.
Prescription for Literacy: Patient Education Resources for Drugs, Complementary Medicine, and Vaccinations

AbstractWith vaccine hesitancy and the opioid epidemic both spreading, pharmaceutical information is more important than ever. This article focuses on consumer health resources with a pharmaceutica...
Poster: Urban Traffic Monitoring via Machine Learning

Traffic monitoring systems are nowadays operated with traditionally wired systems which need expensive infrastructure. In this work, we propose a traffic monitoring method for urban environments. The proposed method is passive and exploits RF signals sent in a vehicular network. We utilize different machine learning algorithms to make inference on traffic conditions, directly based on signals observed at a receiver. To verify the feasibility of this approach, we created a database using a ray-tracing simulator and a traffic simulator. Our database stores wireless channel realizations under various traffic conditions created by the traffic simulator. The results show that our method is able to distinguish different traffic intensities with accuracy of %93.0. It also estimates the number of vehicles on the road with mean absolute error of 6.83 for the scenarios with the maximum number of vehicles of 92. The proposed method can be used alongside the current traffic monitoring systems to increase the accuracy of the systems.
Residual-Based Surface Segmentation for Monitoring Topographic Variations

Monitoring topographic variations in the engineered surface is crucial for quality engineers since the change in the surface finish is closely related to the performance of products. However, several challenging issues such as the existence of spatial autocorrelation within the surface, and changes of topographic features such as position and shape of peaks and valleys across defect-free surfaces make it difficult to monitor variations in the surface. In addition, existing monitoring approaches fail to detect local changes in the surface. In this article, we present a new approach for monitoring topographic variations in surfaces. We develop a residual-based separation deviation (RBSD) model to effectively identify local surface changes. Residuals are obtained through the fit surface prediction model, which characterizes the generic behavior of defect-free surfaces, and binarized by the RBSD model to distinguish the defective region where residuals are autocorrelated. A spatial randomness-based monitoring statistic is introduced to evaluate binary patterns in order to detect surface anomalies. Numerical simulation and a case study of the coated paper surface monitoring are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Longstanding Lessons of Propriety as a Leader

This chapter presents stories of one academic leader’s lifelong lessons in learning how to lead. Her experiences span 40 years through multiple stations in life from a young female soldier, to a teacher, and then as an academic. Lessons learned include crafting her leadership values of recognizing others’ talents, ensuring inclusivity of all, applying fairness, and offering opportunities for optimizing others’ potential.
Attend Less, Fear More: Elevated Distress to Social Threat in Toddlers With Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Differential emotional reactivity to social and nonsocial stimuli has been hypothesized but rarely examined empirically in ASD despite its potential importance for development of social motivation, cognition, and comorbid psychopathology. This study examined emotional reactivity, regulation, and attention to social and nonsocial threat in toddlers with ASD (n = 42, Mage : 22 months) and typically developing (TD) toddlers (n = 22, Mage : 23 months), and their mutual associations with autism symptom severity. Participants were exposed to social (stranger), nonsocial (mechanical objects), and ambiguous (masks) threats, and their intensity of distress (iDistress), attention to threat (Attention), and presence of emotion regulation (ER) strategies were measured. Autism symptom severity was quantified using the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-2. In response to social threat, toddlers with ASD exhibited elevated iDistress (P < 0.038) but lower Attention (P < 0.002) and a wider variety of ER strategies (P < 0.040) compared to TD controls, though their ER strategies were less likely to be social. However, nonsocial and ambiguous threat elicited lower iDistress in ASD than in TD toddlers (P = 0.012 and P = 0.034, respectively), but comparable Attention and ER strategy use. Autism severity was not associated with iDistress. The study demonstrates elevated emotional salience but diminished attentional salience of social threat in ASD. A failure to attend adequately to social threats may restrict opportunities to appraise their threat value and engender often observed in ASD negative emotional responses to novel social situations. Early atypical emotional reactivity may independently contribute to the shaping of complex autism phenotypes and may be linked with later emerging affective and behavioral symptoms. LAY SUMMARY: Compared to typically developing toddlers, toddlers with ASD show diminished attention yet enhanced distress in response to social threat. Poor attention to potential social threat may limit opportunities to assess its threat value and thus contribute to often observed negative emotional responses to novel social situations. Identifying the precursors of atypical emotional reactivity in infancy and its links with later psychopathology will inform about novel treatment targets and mechanisms of change in the early stages of ASD. Autism Res 2021, 14: 1025-1036. © 2020 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, LLC.
Analytical Elastic Modeling of Rail and Fastener Longitudinal Response

The rail fastening system plays a critical role in maintaining proper railroad track geometry by transferring vertical, lateral, and longitudinal forces from the rails to crossties. Broken spikes i...
Are we listening? Obstetric anesthesiology and the national call for birth justice and accountability: a perspective from the United States.

Abstract Despite declining rates of pregnancy-related deaths worldwide, the United States (US) has seen an increase in maternal mortality. It is widely known that this increased risk of mortality impacts unevenly Black people, who are three-fold more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white people. This disparity in maternal mortality and morbidity is not unique to the US; countries like Brazil, the Netherlands, South Africa, and the United Kingdom (UK) report similar racial disparities in peripartum health outcomes. It is thought that many factors contribute to this tragic health inequity, including, but not limited to, structural racism, provider implicit bias, and lack of access to high quality, culturally humble reproductive health care. On July 25, 2020, activists for reproductive justice and birth justice published an open call in the New York Times entitled “How many Black, Brown, and Indigenous people have to die giving birth? National call for birth justice and accountability.” It is a powerful statement that uses an intersectional framework to understand reproductive inequities, while making demands for positive healthcare reforms and radically dreaming of a reality where the struggle for reproductive justice has been actualized. Using personal narrative, this paper reflects on the field of obstetric anesthesiology and how clinicians can make meaningful change to address and eventually help solve this health care inequity.
Tying it All Together: Implications of a Crime Observatory Model in Developing Countries

Although it is clear that many of the challenges being faced by developing countries related to crime and corruption are undoubtedly severe, much has been learned in the fields of criminal justice and criminology that allow us to be secure in the conclusion that they are not insurmountable. However, what can become overwhelming for practitioners or international funders and technical assistance providers is deciding where the best place to start is for the investment of resources. This monograph has argued that it is certainly not simply with the exporting of western “evidence based practices” without first a solid appreciation for the uniqueness of the developing world context.
Tourism and Resilience

In this chapter with provide an overview of the tourism and disaster literature, follow by a discussion of the emergency management with regards to tourism in Florida. We conclude the chapter with an examination of focus group data in relation to tourism and disaster resilience.
Experimental Investigation of Limiting Curves for Current Interruption of Gas Blast Breakers

This contribution reviews recent measurements of initial or thermal recovery speed of gas blast interrupters and addresses thus a problem which is critically important for transmission line circuit breakers (short line fault, itrv).
Achieving End-to-End Throughput Guarantee for Individual TCP Flows in a Differentiated Services Network

The differentiated services (DS) architecture provides Quality of Service (QoS) assurance to different classes of service (CoSs). Our previous research results show that both intradomain and interdomain best-effort traffic can have adverse impact on the interdomain TCP assured-service traffic. With the Measurement-basedconnection-orien ted assured service model we developed in our previous research, we are able to provide end-to-end TCP throughput assurance for each CoS. However, for each TCP session within a CoS, the throughput may not be able to be guaranteed. In this paper, we propose modified marking and dropping policy based on our previous research results. The simulations show that with these techniques, the end-to-end throughput for each individual TCP flow can be significantly improved. It also maintains the high scalability of the DS architecture without requiring the core router to keep flow per-flow state information.
Damage modeling of notched graphite/epoxy sandwich panels in compression

Open-hole honeycomb sandwich panels with woven graphite/epoxy facesheets and Nomex™ cores were tested uniaxially in compression to characterize their damage tolerance. A plain weave T-300 graphite fiber fabric was used for the facesheets in two stacking sequences: [45/02] and [03]. Observations of macroscopic sub-critical damage behavior were different in the two material systems. Linear damage zones (LDZ), consisting of fiber micro-buckles and extensive delamination, were typically observed in the [03] material. The [45/02] material exhibited a delamination/bulge zone (DBZ), which consisted of an out-of-plane curved deformation of the outer 45° ply accompanied by a delamination from the interior 0° plies. Modeling of these apparently distinct failure modes, and comparison to experimental data, revealed that the only mode representative of damage tolerant behavior is linear damage zone formation and propagation for both material systems, and that the delamination/bulge behavior is a secondary phenomenon.
Effects of Value on the Monitoring of Multi-Channel Displays

Performance in keeping track of several channels of information was investigated as a function of payoff ratio, display format, stimulus on-time, load, and channel payoff value in a 4 × 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 mixed design. Each of 32 subjects was instructed to keep track of the status of a six-or ten-channel display. On alternate trials, a subject either was presented with a new piece of information or was interrogated about the present status of a channel. Analysis of the results indicated significant payoff-ratio, format, stimulus on-time, load, and value effects, as well as a significant load × value interaction. Results suggested that the greater the load on the operator and the greater the disparity between high- and low-valued information, the more likely selectivity of information is to occur. In addition, the probability of a correct response was investigated as a function of the time the information had to be retained and of the independent variables. Applications of the results to display monitoring cont...
SPT10 and SPT21 are required for transcription of particular histone genes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Abstract The Saccharomyces cerevisiae genome contains four loci that encode histone proteins. Two of these loci, HTA1-HTB1 and HTA2-HTB2, each encode histones H2A and H2B. The other two loci, HHT1-HHF1 and HHT2-HHF2, each encode histones H3 and H4. Because of their redundancy, deletion of any one histone locus does not cause lethality. Previous experiments demonstrated that mutations at one histone locus, HTA1-HTB1, do cause lethality when in conjunction with mutations in the SPT10 gene. SPT10 has been shown to be required for normal levels of transcription of several genes in S. cerevisiae. Motivated by this double-mutant lethality, we have now investigated the interactions of mutations in SPT10 and in a functionally related gene, SPT21, with mutations at each of the four histone loci. These experiments have demonstrated that both SPT10 and SPT21 are required for transcription at two particular histone loci, HTA2-HTB2 and HHF2-HHT2, but not at the other two histone loci. These results suggest that under some conditions, S. cerevisiae may control the level of histone proteins by differential expression of its histone genes.
Syntheses and evaluation of novel biodegradable amino acid based anhydride polymer resins and composites

Abstract A novel synthetic biodegradable oligomer based upon methacrylated aminocaproyl maleamic acid (MACMA), was synthesized and characterized. Injectable and in situ crosslinkable polymer networks were formulated by copolymerization of MACMA with triethyleneglycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA). In addition, composites composed of MACMA, TEGDMA and beta-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) were prepared. The networks and composites were initiated by photo- and redox-polymerization, respectively. The initial compressive (CS) and diametral tensile strengths (DTS) of these materials were determined and used to evaluate the effects of MACMA/TEGDMA ratios on the degradation behavior of the materials. The neat resin networks exhibited initial CS values ranging from 6.7 to 284.2 MPa and the composites demonstrated initial DTS values ranging from 2.8 to 20.8 MPa and CS values ranging from 19.1 to 119.5 MPa. During the course of degradation the polymer neat resins lost 51%, 69% and 61% of their initial CS after 3 weeks for the MACMA/TEGDMA ratios at 25/75, 50/50 and 75/25, respectively. The resin with the MACMA/TEGDMA ratio of 75/25 completely degraded after 6 months. The composite with the MACMA/TEGDMA ratio of 25/75 exhibited a significant increase in CS after an initial decrease for 7 days and then lost 57% of its initial CS after 3 months. The composite composed of poly(MACMA) homopolymer showed a complete degradation after 21 days.
Synthesis of a fragment of bacterial cell wall

Cell wall is indispensable for survival of bacteria. This large molecular “mesh” encases the entire cytoplasm of bacteria, and it is comprised of repeating backbone units of N-acetyl-glucosamine (NAG)-N-acetyl-muramic acid (NAM). A pentapeptide is attached to each of the lactyl units of the N-acetyl-muramic acid. The cell wall has both cross-linked and non-cross-linked components. In the present paper, we have devised a synthetic route for the preparation of a fragment of the cell wall comprised of a tetrasaccharide (NAG-NAM-NAG-NAM), along with the two appended peptides. We also report the syntheses of three glycosyl donors (compounds 5, 7, and 9) and three glycosyl acceptors (compounds 4, 6, and 8) based on the d-glucosamine structure as a building unit. The synthetic strategy that is disclosed is generally useful in construction of other natural products containing the d-glucosamine as a building block.
Reduction of Transformer Exciting Current to Sine-Wave Basis

As a sequel to an earlier investigation and development of a method for the reduction of core-loss measurement to sinewave basis, this paper describes two methods developed for the reduction of exciting current to sine-wave basis. The first method consists of making two measurements at wave shapes as widely different as possible, setting the voltage in each case by means of the flux voltmeter. The current corresponding to sine-wave voltage is obtained by extrapolation from the observed values of currents and form factors. Although the method might be considered to some extent empirical, it is found to yield an accuracy within one per cent even under extremely unfavorable conditions. The second method utilizes as before the flux voltmeter for setting the voltage but uses a ``crest ammeter'' (developed for this purpose) for reading the instantaneous maximum values of the corresponding currents. Measurements are made at 100 per cent, 86.6 per cent and 50 per cent voltages. These data determine the fundamental, third and fifth harmonics of the exciting current corresponding to sine-wave voltage and hence the exciting current itself, because these harmonics are the only important components in determining the effective value of the exciting current. Theory of the crest ammeter is given, and its applicability (in conjunction with the flux voltmeter) to the determination of d-c. saturation curves by means of a-c. tests in magnetic investigations is indicated.
Amyloid Peptide Conformations In Soluble Oligomers

Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) was used to study protein structures within soluble oligomer intermediates of amyloid and non-amyloid aggregates. Three protein aggregation systems were studied using fluorescence donor and acceptor near the N and C terminus:(1) Alzheimer's Aβ1-40 peptide.(2) 20-residue polyglutamine K2Q16K2.(3) 20-residue polyglutamic acid E20. (non-amyloid)The aggregation of each peptide showed different conformational changes: Aβ1-40 partially compacted into a structure consistent with solid-state NMR structures, K2Q16K2 extended to form β-sheets, and E20 compacted heavily into β-hairpins. However, based on donor-acceptor distances, soluble oligomers conformations of all three peptides show a remarkable degree of similarity to their monomeric precursors, albeit with a slightly expanded conformation for Aβ1-40 and E20. These findings support assembly models of small soluble oligomers which largely consist of monomer-like structures, with some increase in α-helical content for Aβ1-40. These donor-acceptor distances are used to directly assess the accuracy of different molecular dynamics force fields in the study of these soluble oligomers.
X-ray microscopy and holography with third-generation sources

free-electron laser SASE-FEL or a transverse optical klystron TOK). This lack of intrinsic coherencecan be seen in the fact that the spectral brightness (photons per second per phase space area perspectral bandwidth) of an undulator increases linearly with the number of periods N, whereas thebrightness of a laser increases exponentially with the number of gain-lengths. Nevertheless, it iswell-known from classical optics that one can obtain suitably coherent radiation from an incoherent
Robust Microarray Meta-Analysis Identifies Differentially Expressed Genes for Clinical Prediction

Combining multiple microarray datasets increases sample size and leads to improved reproducibility in identification of informative genes and subsequent clinical prediction. Although microarrays have increased the rate of genomic data collection, sample size is still a major issue when identifying informative genetic biomarkers. Because of this, feature selection methods often suffer from false discoveries, resulting in poorly performing predictive models. We develop a simple meta-analysis-based feature selection method that captures the knowledge in each individual dataset and combines the results using a simple rank average. In a comprehensive study that measures robustness in terms of clinical application (i.e., breast, renal, and pancreatic cancer), microarray platform heterogeneity, and classifier (i.e., logistic regression, diagonal LDA, and linear SVM), we compare the rank average meta-analysis method to five other meta-analysis methods. Results indicate that rank average meta-analysis consistently performs well compared to five other meta-analysis methods.
Monte Carlo model of the penetration depth for polarization gating spectroscopy: influence of illumination-collection geometry and sample optical properties

Polarization-gating has been widely used to probe superficial tissue structures, but the penetration depth properties of this method have not been completely elucidated. This study employs a polarization-sensitive Monte Carlo method to characterize the penetration depth statistics of polarization-gating. The analysis demonstrates that the penetration depth depends on both the illumination-collection geometry [illumination-collection area (R) and collection angle (θc)] and on the optical properties of the sample, which include the scattering coefficient (μs), absorption coefficient (μa), anisotropy factor (g), and the type of the phase function. We develop a mathematical expression relating the average penetration depth to the illumination-collection beam properties and optical properties of the medium. Finally, we quantify the sensitivity of the average penetration depth to changes in optical properties for different geometries of illumination and collection. The penetration depth model derived in this study can be applied to optimizing application-specific fiber-optic probes to target a sampling depth of interest with minimal sensitivity to the optical properties of the sample.
Supramolecular assembly of cyclodextrin-based nanoparticles on solid surfaces for gene delivery.

In this work, a new approach for surface-mediated gene delivery based on inclusion complex formation between the solid surface and delivery vehicles is presented. β-Cyclodextrin (CD) molecules form high-affinity inclusion complexes with adamantane. This complexation ability was used to specifically immobilize β-CD-modified poly(ethylenimine) (CD-PEI) nanoparticles on adamantane- (AD-) modified self-assembled monolayers. To investigate the nanoparticle/surface interaction, CD-PEI-based and PEI-based nanoparticles were passed through a surface plasmon resonance flow cell containing the monolayers. CD-PEI nanoparticles are specifically immobilized on the chip surface by cyclodextrin−adamantane inclusion complex formation. Minimal nanoparticle adsorption was detected with PEI-based nanoparticles or on control surfaces. Competition studies with free cyclodextrins reveal that the multivalent interactions between CD-PEI nanoparticles and the adamantane-modified surface results in significantly higher binding aff...
Synthesis and Characterization of Palladium and Nickel Complexes with Positively Charged Triphosphine Ligands and Their Use as Electrochemical CO2-Reduction Catalysts

The synthesis and characterization of [M(Bu3P+etpE)Br](BF4)2 (where M = Ni or Pd and Bu3P+etpE = [(Bu3PCH2CH2)P(CH2CH2PEt2)2]+) and [M(etpPBu3+)Br]Br(BF4)4 (where M = Ni or Pd and etpPBu3+ = {PhP[CH2CH2P(CH2CH2PBu3)2]2}4+) are described. The structure of [Ni(etpPBu3+)Br]Br(BF4)4 has been determined by X-ray diffraction. Treatment of [Pd(Bu3P+etpE)Br](BF4)2 with AgBF4 in acetonitrile produced [Pd(Bu3P+etpE)(CH3CN)](BF4)3. The latter compound has also been characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction methods. Electrochemical studies indicate that this compound and its closely related methyl analog, [Pd(Me3P+etpE)(CH3CN)](BF4)3, are catalysts for the electrochemical reduction of CO2 to CO in acidic dimethylformamide solutions. Kinetic and mechanistic studies of this catalytic reaction are reported.
Determinants that govern alternative splicing of parvovirus pre-mRNAs

Abstract Parvoviruses extensively utilize alternative splicing to increase the coding capacity from overlapping reading frames in their compact genomes. Recently, a considerable amount of attention has been paid to characterizing the determinants that govern alternative splicing of pre-mRNAs generated by the parvovirus minute virus of mice (MVM). These studies have revealed that MVM alternative splicing is governed both by factors interacting between introns and by determinants within exons. Comparison with other autonomous parvoviruses with known transcript maps suggest means by which such determinants may function. Parvoviruses have thus become a promising, and in some respects novel, model for understanding the process of alternative splicing and exon definition in mammalian cells.
Comparison of frontal plane trunk kinematics and hip and knee moments during anticipated and unanticipated walking and side step cutting tasks.

Abstract Background Frontal plane trunk and lower extremity adjustments during unanticipated tasks are hypothesized to influence hip and knee neuromuscular control, and therefore, contribute to anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury risk. The aims of this study were to examine frontal plane trunk/hip kinematics and hip and knee moments (measures of neuromuscular control) during unanticipated straight and side step cut tasks. Methods Kinematic and kinetic variables were collected while subjects performed two anticipated tasks, including walking straight (ST) and side step cutting (SS), and two unanticipated tasks (STU and SSU). Foot placement, thorax–pelvis–hip kinematic variables and hip and knee moments were calculated over the first 30% of stance. Findings Hip abduction angles and knee moments were significantly affected by task and anticipation. Hip abduction angles decreased, by 4.0–7.6°, when comparing the SSU task to the ST, STU and SS tasks. The hip abduction angles were associated with foot placement and lateral trunk orientation. Interpretation Hip abduction angles and foot placement, not lateral trunk flexion influence trunk orientation. Anticipation influences hip and knee neuromuscular control and therefore may guide the development of ACL prevention strategies.
Superconductivity of Th Cr alloys: Pressure measurements to 20 kbar

Chromium (partially filled 3d shell) as an impurity depresses the superconducting transition temperature T/sub c/ of Th significantly faster than any of the rare earths (4f) or even U (5f). It is speculated that ThCr is a Kondo system. Measurements of T/sub c/ on ThCr alloys under hydrostatic pressures up to 20 kbar show the rate of depression through a maximum.
Circulating DNA as a Possible Factor in Oncogenesis

Infectious DNA from the tumor-inducing polyoma virus and pneumococcal-transforming DNA can be recovered from the blood of mice in biologically active form after intraperitoneal injection. Polyoma DNA appeared to undergo less inactivation than did transforming DNA. In light of these observations, the metastatic spread of cancer may possibly be favored by circulation of tumorigenic DNA in the blood stream.
Who is educating today's accountants? Some observations

Abstract The accounting profession has been characterized as one in which a lack of congruence exists among its practitioner, research, and education functions. This paper presents evidence that, especially among junior accounting faculty, accounting researchers and educators may be isolated from the realities of accounting practice, and from contact with users of accounting data.
The size-wise nucleus: nuclear volume control in eukaryotes

Eukaryotic cells have an “awareness” of their volume and organellar volumes, and maintain a nuclear size that is proportional to the total cell size. New studies in budding and fission yeast have examined the relationship between cell and nuclear volumes. It was found that the size of the nucleus remains proportional to cell size in a wide range of genetic backgrounds and growth conditions that alter cell volume and DNA content. Moreover, in multinucleated fission yeast cells, Neumann and Nurse (see p. 593 of this issue) found that the sizes of individual nuclei are controlled by the relative amount of cytoplasm surrounding each nucleus. These results highlight a role of the cytoplasm in nuclear size control.
Ultra‐High Optical Absorption Efficiency from the Ultraviolet to the Infrared Using Multi‐Walled Carbon Nanotube Ensembles

The optical absorption efficiencies of vertically aligned multi-walled (MW)-carbon nanotube (CNT) ensembles are characterized in the 350-7000 nm wavelength range where CNT site densities > 1 × 10(11) /cm(2) are achieved directly on metallic substrates. The site density directly impacts the optical absorption characteristics, and while high-density arrays of CNTs on electrically insulating and non-metallic substrates have been commonly reported, achieving high site-densities on metals has been challenging and remains an area of active research. These absorber ensembles are ultra-thin (<10 μm) and yet they still exhibit a reflectance as low as ∼0.02%, which is 100 times lower than the reference; these characteristics make them potentially attractive for high-sensitivity and high-speed thermal detectors. In addition, the use of a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition process for the synthesis of the absorbers increases the portfolio of materials that can be integrated with such absorbers due to the potential for reduced synthesis temperatures. The remarkable ruggedness of the absorbers is also demonstrated as they are exposed to high temperatures in an oxidizing ambient environment, making them well-suited for extreme thermal environments encountered in the field, potentially for solar cell applications. Finally, a phenomenological model enables the determinatiom of the extinction coefficients in these nanostructures and the results compare well with experiment.
Clinical trial of etoposide and cisplatin as salvage therapy in advanced ovarian carcinoma

The combination of etoposide and cis-platinum was evaluated in the treatment of advanced ovarian cancer. Of 13 treated patients, 4 demonstrated complete clinical responses and 3 demonstrated partial clinical responses. The mean progression free interval was 14 months+ for the complete responders and 8.3+ months for the partial responders. The 100 mg/m2 dose of etoposide appears to be critical in attaining response. This etoposide and cisplatinum combination appears to be effective as a salvage regimen in ovarian carcinoma.