cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Diversity at the border.

Comprehensive analysis of lung mononuclear phagocytes reveals four subsets with distinct basal transcriptomic and epigenomic landscapes and differing responses to inflammatory stimuli.
Epistasis and physico-chemical constraints contribute to spatial clustering of amino acid substitutions in protein evolution

Abstract The causes of rate variation among sites within proteins are as yet poorly understood. Here, we compare the spatial autocorrelation of non-synonymous substitutions among species within diverse phylogenetic groups: Saccharomyces, Drosophila, Arabidopsis, and primates. Across these taxa, we find that amino acid substitutions exhibit excess clustering that extends over a 20-30 codon length (10-20 Angstrom distance) scale. We show that these substitutions cluster more strongly and exhibit compensatory dynamics within species lineages but exhibit patterns of convergent evolution between lineages. We evaluate a simple model of thermodynamic constraints on protein folding and conclude that it is unable to recapitulate the observed spatial clustering of substitutions. While pairs of substitutions with the strongest epistasis tend to spatially cluster in these simulations, the magnitude and length scale are smaller than that observed in real data. Additionally, we show that the pattern of convergent substitution is also not expected under this model, suggesting it is likely caused by factors other than these simple thermodynamic constraints. Our results support a prevalent role for epistasis and convergent evolution in shaping protein evolution across the tree of life.
Outcomes and Toxicities of Proton and Photon Radiation Therapy for Testicular Seminoma.

Purpose To determine the clinical outcomes and toxicities of proton beam therapy (PBT) versus 3D-conformal photon radiation therapy (XRT) in patients with testicular seminoma. Materials and methods This observational study evaluated consecutive patients with testicular seminoma who were treated with inguinal orchiectomy and radiation therapy at a single, tertiary, high-volume center in 2008-19. Acute toxicity was scored with the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events V 4.0. Organs at risk were contoured retrospectively by 2 investigators. Recurrences and secondary malignancies were based on routine follow-up imaging, either computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging. Results Fifty-five patients were treated with radiation therapy, 11 in the PBT-arm and 44 in the XRT-arm, with a median follow-up interval of 61 months (interquartile range [IQR]: 32-79 months). Acute treatment-related diarrhea, grade 1 to 2, was more common among XRT-treated patients (0% vs 29.5%, P = .039), and dermatitis, grade 1, was more likely among PBT-treated patients (27.3% vs 2.3%, P = .004). Dosimetrically, PBT-treated patients, relative to XRT-treated patients, had lower dose to organs at risk including the kidney, bladder, femoral head, spinal cord, bowel, pancreas, and stomach. The 5-year overall survival rate was 100% and disease-free survival rate was 96.4% for all patients. Two patients, all in the XRT-arm, had disease recurrence: 1 in the pelvis and 1 in the lung. Three patients, all in the XRT-arm, were diagnosed with a secondary malignancy: 1 in-field pancreaticoblastoma, 1 in-field colon adenocarcinoma, and a stage IV T-cell lymphoma. Conclusion Proton beam therapy for testicular seminoma resulted in excellent clinical outcomes and was associated with lower rates of acute diarrhea but higher rates of acute dermatitis. Proton beam therapy resulted in no in-field secondary malignancies and a more favorable dosimetric profile for organs at risk relative to XRT. Reduced dose to organs at risk, such as the kidneys, may result in long-term improvement in function.
Barriers to leisure-time social participation and community integration among Syrian and Iraqi refugees

One important, yet understudied aspect of refugees’ resettlement experience is social participation. How are new social relationships created and maintained during the transition to the United Stat...
A multi-component, community-engaged intervention to reduce cardiovascular disease risk in perimenopausal Latinas: pilot study protocol.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk increases substantially during perimenopause. Latinas have a significantly worse CVD risk factor profile than non-Hispanic White women, potentially due to multiple sociocultural and environmental factors. To date, interdisciplinary interventions have not focused on improving nutrition, physical activity, stress management, and biologic CVD risk in perimenopausal Latinas. The purpose of this study is to examine the feasibility and initial efficacy of a multi-component intervention to reduce CVD risk in perimenopausal Latinas. This is a two-group, repeated measures experimental study. Eighty perimenopausal Latinas (age 40–55 years) from two community groups will be randomized: one group will complete the intervention; the other will be a wait-list control. The intervention consists of 12-weekly sessions (education, physical activity, stress management, coping skills training), followed by 3 months of continued support, and 6 months of skill maintenance on their own. The primary outcomes include arterial stiffness, blood pressure, lipids, and blood glucose. Secondary outcomes are health behaviors (nutrition, physical activity, sleep, coping strategies), self-efficacy, and other biological factors related to CVD risk (adiposity, C-reactive protein, hair cortisol, vasomotor symptoms). We will assess changes in outcomes from Time 1 (baseline) to Time 2 (6 months) and Time 3 (12 months) using general linear mixed models to test the hypotheses. We will also evaluate the feasibility of the intervention by assessing enrollment and retention rates, barriers, and facilitators to enrollment, intervention fidelity, the suitability of study procedures, and participant satisfaction with the intervention and study protocol. We hypothesize the intervention group will decrease biologic CVD risk and improve health behaviors and self-efficacy significantly more than the wait-list control. Results from this study will contribute to knowledge on the feasibility of behavioral interventions, including stress management and coping skills training, which could reduce CVD burden among perimenopausal Latinas. Because Hispanic/Latinos are the largest ethnic minority in the United States (US), progress regarding CVD risk among perimenopausal Latinas may lead to significant improvement in the overall CVD burden in the US. Prospectively registered, NCT04313751 (03/19/2020), Protocol version 1.0
Patient-Reported Financial Burden in Thyroid Cancer

ABSTRACT Background The incidence of thyroid cancer is increasing at a rapid rate. Prior studies have demonstrated financial burden and decreased quality of life in patients with thyroid cancer. Here, we characterize patient-reported financial burden in patients with thyroid cancer over a 28y period. Materials and methods Patients who underwent thyroidectomy for thyroid cancer from 1990-2018 completed a phone survey assessing financial burden and its related psychological financial hardship. Descriptive statistics were performed to characterize these outcomes and correlation with sociodemographic data was assessed. Results Respondents (N = 147) were 73% female, 75% white, and had a median follow up of 7 y. The majority had a full-time job (59%) and private insurance (81%) at the time of diagnosis. Overall, 16% of respondents reported financial burden and 50% reported psychological financial hardship. Those reporting financial burden were disproportionately impacted by psychological financial hardship (87% versus 43%, P Conclusions Financial burdens are important outcomes of thyroid cancer which occur even among patients with protective financial factors, suggesting an even greater impact on the general population of patients with thyroid cancer. Further research is needed to explore the intersection of financial burden, cost, and quality of life.
In-Situ Vaccination Using Sting Agonists Combined with Immune-Modulating Antibodies to Treat Lymphoma

Abstract We have developed a therapeutic “in situ vaccination” strategy against lymphomas involving the intratumoral injection of a STING agonist. The advantage of this approach is that it does not require the isolation of tumor specific antigens since the STING agonist will prim the immune system at the tumor site, where it can utilize endogenous tumor antigens. The Stimulator of Interferon Gene (STING) is part of the innate immunity involved in the intracellular pathogen recognition and it was shown to be a player in the spontaneous immune response against immunogenic tumors. Modified cyclic dinucleotides (CDNs), work as agonists for both mouse and human STING variants. These CDNs are able to induce an immune response by activating dendritic cells that then produce cytokines and chemokines including type 1 IFN. Moreover, when injected intratumorally, these CDNs were able to induce a tumor-specific CD8 T cell response in various tumor models. A Phase 1 clinical trial is evaluating the safety and the efficacy of intratumoral injection of CDNs in patients with advanced/metastatic solid tumors or lymphomas [NCT02675439]. We studied the efficacy of this STING agonist for in situ vaccination using a lymphoma tumor model. In this model, A20 lymphoma is injected into two different bilateral subcutaneous sites. The STING agonist is then injected in one tumor site, and then both tumor sites are monitored to assess the local and the systemic effects of the treatment. As a single agent, the STING agonist induced clearance of the treated tumor, and retarded growth of the distant tumor. We assumed that the failure to cure the second tumor was due to the dampening of the immune response by local immunosuppressive mechanisms. Therefore, we investigated the combination of the STING agonist with different immune-modulating agents. Among the molecules that were screened, agonistic antibodies for GITR or CD40 showed the best efficacy when combined with STING in situ vaccination. GITR and CD40 are both part of the Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) receptor superfamily. Although, GITR is expressed on T cells while CD40 is expressed broadly on antigen-presenting cells (APC) including; macrophages, dendritic cells, and B cells. We studied the mechanisms of therapeutic effects of both combinations. Interestingly, we found that the therapeutic activities of both are dependent on the presence of CD8 T cells. Also, in both cases, CD8 T cells from treated animals were able to respond specifically to tumor cells in vitro. Furthermore, we demonstrated that activated T cells were present in the distant non-treated tumor sites. Our results indicate that in situ stimulation of the immune system using STING combined with CD40 or GITR agonistic antibodies is a promising approach for the therapy of lymphoma. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Superior gluteal artery injury risk from third sacral segment transsacral screw insertion.

Iliosacral (IS) and transsacral (TS) screws are commonly used to stabilize pelvic ring injuries. The course of the superior gluteal artery (SGA) can be close to implant insertion paths. The third sacral segment (S3) has been described as a viable osseous fixation pathway (OFP) but the proximity of the SGA to the S3 screw path is unknown. Fifty uninjured patients with contrasted pelvic computed tomograms (CTA) were identified with an S3 path large enough for a 7.0 mm TS screw. Starting sites for S1 IS or TS, S2 and S3 TS screws were located on the volume rendered lateral CTA image and transferred onto the surface rendered 3D CTA with the SGA clearly visible. The distance from screw start sites to the SGA was measured. A distance less than 3.5 mm was considered likely for injury. The average distances from screw start sites to the SGA were 23.0 ± 7.9 mm for S1 IS screws, 14.3 ± 6.4 mm for S2 TS screws and 25.9 ± 6.5 mm for S3 TS screws. No S1 IS screws, 5 S2 TS screws (10%), and no S3 TS screws were projected to cause injury to the SGA. The osseous start site and soft tissue path for an S3 TS screw is remote from the SGA. The S1 IS and S3 TS pathways are further away from the SGA while the S2 TS pathway is closer and may theoretically pose a higher injury risk in patients with an available S3 OFP.
Motion-robust quantitative multiparametric brain MRI with motion-resolved MR multitasking

Purpose To address head motion in brain MRI with a novel motion-resolved imaging framework, with application to motion-robust quantitative multiparametric mapping. Methods MR multitasking conceptualizes the underlying multiparametric image in the presence of motion as a multidimensional low-rank tensor. By incorporating a motion-state dimension into the parameter dimensions and introducing unsupervised motion-state binning and outlier motion reweighting mechanisms, the brain motion can be readily resolved for motion-robust quantitative imaging. A numerical motion phantom was used to simulate different discrete and periodic motion patterns under various translational and rotational scenarios, as well as investigate the sensitivity to exceptionally small and large displacements. In vivo brain MRI was performed to also evaluate different real discrete and periodic motion patterns. The effectiveness of motion-resolved imaging for simultaneous T1 /T2 /T1 ρ mapping in the brain was investigated. Results For all 14 simulation scenarios of small, intermediate, and large motion displacements, the motion-resolved approach produced T1 /T2 /T1 ρ maps with less absolute difference errors against the ground truth, lower RMSE, and higher structural similarity index measure of T1 /T2 /T1ρ measurements compared to motion removal, and no motion handling. For in vivo experiments, the motion-resolved approach produced T1 /T2 /T1 ρ maps with the best image quality free from motion artifacts under random discrete motion, tremor, periodic shaking, and nodding patterns compared to motion removal and no motion handling. The proposed method also yielded T1 /T2 /T1 ρ measurement distributions closest to the motion-free reference, with minimal measurement bias and variance. Conclusion Motion-resolved quantitative brain imaging is achieved with multitasking, which is generalizable to various head motion patterns without explicit need for registration-based motion correction.
Health Care Personnel (HCP) attitudes about COVID-19 vaccination after emergency use authorization.

Background We previously reported on COVID-19 vaccination intent among HCP before emergency use authorization. We found widespread hesitancy and a substantial proportion of HCP did not intend to vaccinate. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional survey of HCP, including clinical and non-clinical staff, researchers, and trainees between February 21 and March 19, 2021. The survey evaluated vaccine attitudes, beliefs, intent and acceptance. Results Overall, 3,981 (87.7%) of respondents had already received a COVID-19 vaccine or planned to get vaccinated. There were significant differences in vaccine acceptance by gender, age, race, and hospital role. Males (93.7%) were more likely than females (89.8%) to report vaccine acceptance (p 80% vaccine acceptance. Conclusions The majority of HCP were vaccinated, much higher than reporting intent before vaccine was available. However, many HCP-particularly ancillary services-are still hesitant. Feasible and effective interventions to address the hesitant, including individually-tailored education strategies are needed, or vaccine can be mandated.
Real-time frequency-independent single-Lead and single-beat myocardial infarction detection.

Abstract This study proposes a novel real-time frequency-independent myocardial infarction detector for Lead II electrocardiograms. The underlying Deep-LSTM network is trained using the PTB-XL database, the largest to date publicly available electrocardiography dataset, and is tested over the same and the older PTB database. By testing the model over distinct datasets, collected under different conditions and from different patients, a more realistic measure of the performance can be gauged from the deployed system. The detector is trained over 3589 myocardial infarction (MI) patients and 7115 healthy controls (HC) while it is evaluated on 1076 MIs and 1840 HCs. The proposed algorithm, achieved an accuracy of 77.12%, recall/sensitivity of 75.85%, and a specificity of 83.02% over the entire PTB database; 85.07%, 81.54%, 87.31% over the PTB-XL validation set (fold 9), and 84.17%, 78.37%, 87.55% over the PTB-XL test set (fold 10). The model also achieves stable performance metrics over the frequency range of 202 Hz to 2.8 kHz. The processing time is dependent on the sampling frequency, ranging from 130 ms at 202 Hz to 1.8 s at 2.8 kHz. Such outcome is within the time required for real-time processing (less than 300 ms for fast heartbeats), between 202 Hz and 500 Hz making the algorithm practically real-time. Therefore, the proposed MI detector could be readily deployed onto existing wearable and/or portable devices and test instruments; potentially having significant societal and clinical impact in the lives of patients at risk for myocardial infarction.
Realist Evaluation in Practice: Health and Social Work

Introduction Contemporary Paradigms in Practice Evaluation The Realist Paradigm in Evaluation Use of Interpretivist Research Methods in Realist Evaluation Quantitative Sub-Group Analysis Evaluation of Family Centres Quantitative Sub-Group Analysis Evaluation of an Adult Rehabilitation Unit Implementing the Realist Effectiveness Cycle Evaluation of NSPCC's Shield Project Conclusion The Development of Realism for Practice
Covariates of sex differences in RIASEC interests and confidence scores

The current study examined the extent to which perceptions of occupations, gender identity, and learning experiences impact the magnitude of observed sex differences on interest and confidence in the People-Things and Data-Ideas dimensions that underlie Holland’s model of vocational interests. Measures of the perceptions of the prestige and sex ratio of occupations, Bem’s (1974) masculinity and femininity constructs, and learning experiences will be used as covariates in a series of multivariate analyses of covariance (MANCOVA) examining sex differences in interests and confidence. Large sex differences were found in interest and confidence along the People-Things dimension, and small sex differences were found in interests and confidence along the Data-Ideas dimension. Sex differences retained a significant impact on interest and confidence in all analyses despite finding many significant covariates. Implications for career counseling and limitations are also discussed.
The Collapse of large extra dimensions

In models of spacetime that are the product of a four-dimensional spacetime with an ``extra'' dimension, there is the possibility that the extra dimension will collapse to zero size, forming a singularity. We ask whether this collapse is likely to destroy the spacetime. We argue, by an appeal to the four-dimensional cosmic censorship conjecture, that---at least in the case when the extra dimension is homogeneous---such a collapse will lead to a singularity hidden within a black string. We also construct explicit initial data for a spacetime in which such a collapse is guaranteed to occur and show how the formation of a naked singularity is likely avoided.
Positivism as Opposed to What? Law and the Moral Idea of Right

I ask what a proper critical target for "legal positivism" might be. I argue that utilitarian moral theory (and more generally fully directive moral theories) are unacknowledged motivations for legal positivism. Contemporary debate about "the nature of law" is, historically speaking, much more of a footnote to utilitarianism than has been recognized.
Dosimetric effects of air pocket sizes in MammoSite® treatment as accelerated partial breast irradiation for early breast cancer

MammoSite Brachytherapy System had been used as one of the Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation (APBI) techniques since 2002. The clinical results from several clinical institutions had shown comparable treatment efficacy, cosmesis, and toxicity, to other APBI techniques. During MammoSite treatment, air cavities had been one of the primary issues causing treatment cancellation or delay. With the tolerance of the air volume less than 10% of the total Planning Target Volume (PTV) been set, there is still no data available to show the actual dose delivered to the breast tissue with the existence of the air pocket. In this paper, Monte Carlo N-Particle version 5 (MCNP5) was used to model a hypothesis MammoSite phantom with different sizes of air pockets, and compared to the calculation results from the treatment planning system (TPS) without heterogeneous corrections. It was found that without heterogeneous corrections, the difference between the TPS and MCNP5 calculations in the air cavity surface doses and PTV point doses can be up to 2.02% and 3.61%, respectively, with the balloon and air pocket size combinations calculated in this paper. Based on the distance from the point of interest to the balloon surface, an approximate dose can be calculated using the linear relationship found in this study. These equations provide a quick and simple way to predict the actual dose delivered to the breast soft tissue located within the PTV. With the equation applied to the dose from the TPS, the dose error caused by the air pocket during MammoSite treatment can be reduced to the minimum.
I/O automaton models and proofs for shared-key communication systems

The combination of two security protocols, a simple shared-key communication protocol and the Diffie-Hellman key distribution protocol, is modeled formally and proved correct. The modeling is based on the I/O automaton model for distributed algorithms, and the proofs are based on invariant assertions, simulation relations, and compositional reasoning. Arguments about the cryptosystems are handled separately from arguments about the protocols.
Mechanisms of action of calcium-mobilizing agonists: some variations on a young theme.

It is now accepted that many hormones and neurotransmitters exert their effects through G protein-mediated activation of a phospholipase C, which breaks down phosphatidylinositol bisphosphate. This releases inositol trisphosphate, which mobilizes intracellular calcium, and diacylglycerol, which, in turn, activates protein kinase C. However, recent evidence indicates that other mechanisms are involved. In some cells, the increases in cytosolic calcium elicited within 1-2 s by high concentrations of agonists or at later times by low, physiological concentrations of agonists occur without any detectable changes in inositol phosphates and calcium mobilization, and result from the opening of plasma membrane channels that are permeable to Ca2+. This response appears to be mediated more directly by G proteins. These findings question the postulated roles of inositol phosphates and calcium mobilization in the stimulation of calcium influx. Measurements of the mass and fatty acid composition of the inositol phosph...
Link Up the Sticks: Access and Barriers to Professional Development for Small and Rural Academic Librarians

Participation in continuing education and professional development are crucial to the practice of librarianship as a thriving profession. However, increasingly tight budgets, stagnant salaries, small staff, and lack of access to current technologies may prevent active academic librarians who work on small and rural campuses from fully participating in professional development. As the duties of the modern librarian continue to evolve, efforts to ensure access to quality ongoing training for 21st-century information professionals from all areas of the North American landscape remain paramount. This study explores how academic librarians in small or rural library environments keep up with modern library practices, network with colleagues, and access formal and informal opportunities for continuing education and professional development. The study also identifies barriers to training opportunities for academic librarians on small or rural campuses and investigates the links between continuing education barriers and professional association membership.
Heterogeneous-Nucleation and Glass-Formation Studies of 56Ga2O3· 44CaO

Glass formation and heterogeneous crystallization are described for the reluctant-glass-forming 56Ga2O3-44CaO eutectic composition. The times and temperatures for nucleation at various cooling rates and experimental conditions were measured and empirical continuous-cooling-crystallization boundaries were constructed for various heterogeneous nucleation processes. A definition for an empirical critical cooling rate to form a glass from reluctant borderline glass formers is proposed, i.e., the cooling rate that results in glass formation in 95 percent of the quenching experiments.
Colortool: An Information Tool for Cross Cultural Design

Color meanings vary dramatically across cultures. Sometimes globally marketed products fail, either commercially or in use, because designers were unaware of culture specific meanings associated with the colors they selected. Designers generally tend to base color decisions on aesthetic reasons, and on anecdotal knowledge of cultures. This is primarily because of the lack of truly useful information tools that can assist them in making informed cross cultural color choices. ColorTool is a computer based tool that designers can use to learn about culture-specific color dialects, to search for colors associated with specified meanings, or to check the cultural appropriateness of aesthetic color choices. This paper describes the development, use, and evaluation of ColorTool. Further, it discusses the potential for network tools that could involve cultural experts and even users in the color selection process.
Strongly linked current flow in polycrystalline forms of the superconductor MgB2.

The discovery of superconductivity at 39 K in magnesium diboride1, MgB2, raises many issues, a critical one being whether this material resembles a high-temperature copper oxide superconductor or a low-temperature metallic superconductor in terms of its behaviour in strong magnetic fields. Although the copper oxides exhibit very high transition temperatures, their in-field performance2 is compromized by their large anisotropy, the result of which is to restrict high bulk current densities to a region much less than the full magnetic-field–temperature (H–T) space over which superconductivity is found. Moreover, the weak coupling across grain boundaries makes transport current densities in untextured polycrystalline samples low and strongly sensitive to magnetic field3,4. Here we report that, despite the multiphase, untextured, microscale, subdivided nature of our MgB2 samples, supercurrents flow throughout the material without exhibiting strong sensitivity to weak magnetic fields3. Our combined magnetization, magneto-optical, microscopy and X-ray investigations show that the supercurrent density is mostly determined by flux pinning, rather than by the grain boundary connectivity. Our results therefore suggest that this new superconductor class is not compromized by weak-link problems, a conclusion of significance for practical applications if higher temperature analogues of this compound can be discovered.
Focal motor seizures induced by alerting stimuli in critically ill patients.

Summary Purpose: We have previously demonstrated that it is common for alerting stimuli to induce electrographic seizures and other periodic or rhythmic patterns in the critically ill; however, only 1 of the first 33 patients we reported with this phenomenon had a detectable clinical correlate. Methods: Review of charts and video EEG findings in critically ill patients in a neurological ICU at a tertiary care medical center in Manhattan. Results: We identified nine patients who had focal motor seizures repeatedly induced by alerting stimuli. All patients were comatose, and 8/9 had nonconvulsive status epilepticus at some point during their acute illness. Imaging abnormalities involved bilateral thalami in three patients, upper brainstem in one, and the perirolandic region in five. Discussion: We hypothesize that in encephalopathic patients, alerting stimuli activate the arousal circuitry, and, when combined with hyperexcitable cortex, result in epileptiform activity or seizures. This activity can be focal or generalized, and is usually nonconvulsive, as is true of seizures in general in the critically ill. However, when the cortex is hyperexcitable in a specific region only, focal EEG findings arise. If the electrographic seizure activity is adequately synchronized and involves motor pathways, this can present as focal motor seizures, as seen in these nine patients. Alerting can induce seizures in encephalopathic/comatose patients. The observation of clear focal clinical seizures removes the last remaining doubt that these stimulus-induced patterns are indeed seizures by any definition, not simply abnormal arousal patterns.
Constraints on granulite genesis from carbon isotope compositions of cordierite and graphite

Carbon dioxide is a common constituent in the channels of high-grade metamorphic cordierites1–6 Here we show that analysis of the stable isotopes of carbon in cordierite (crd) or graphite (gr) can provide a means to discriminate between two controversial models of granulite formation: (1) large-scale CO2 infiltration7, or (2) magmatic processes8–11, which might result in fluid-absent metamorphism. The fractionation of carbon isotopes between cor-dierites and graphites in high-grade rocks approximates the predic-ted equilibrium value. This suggests that cordierites can preserve peak metamorphic carbon isotope and channel gas compositions. Isotopically light carbon values in many granulite-facies cordierites (δ13Ccrd< −15) and graphites severely restrict theories of massive CO2 infiltration (δ13Cfluid≳−7). CO2rock ratios from a number of granulite terranes are estimated to be ≲0.01 by weight (∼0.016 on a molar oxygen basis), unless the rocks contain sub-stantial additional carbon. These data emphasize the importance of local fluid buffering in the granulite facies, consistent with dehydration by partial melts.
On the solution of transient free-surface flow problems in porous media by the finite element method

Abstract A numerical procedure is presented to deal with solution of transient free-surface flows in porous media. The governing boundary-value problem for the piezometric potential is solved by the finite element method. The initial-value problem which describes the transient motion of the free-surface is solved by the method of quasi-linearization. The numerical scheme has been applied to isotropic and anisotropic earth dam problem and also to a ditch drainage problem. Excellent agreements have been reached when compared with known solutions. This computational procedure is shown to be stable and suitable for this class of problems with the aid of a digital computer.
A discourse analysis technique for charting the flow of micro‐information behavior

Purpose – The purpose of this research is to describe a discourse analysis technique which can be used to analyze text or speech that is produced by people when discussing their information practices.Design/methodology/approach – The method involves coding the phrases and sentences of this interpretive discourse into the three domains of behavior investigated in psychology and education, namely, the affective domain of evaluating and intending, the cognitive domain of appraising and planning, and the sensorimotor domain of noticing, perceiving, and executing or acting.Findings – Samples of discourse from independent published sources were categorized and coded. In every case people's self‐descriptions of their information practices are shown to contain references to their activities in these three domains. A model is presented to depict how information behavior can be represented as a continuous processing flow of satisficing and optimizing behavior. These mental behavioral procedures are practiced by ind...
Diaminobipyridine-TDI polyureas: synthesis, metal complexes, and catalytic activity

In this article we report the synthesis of a polyurea containing the chelating ligand bipyridine and concentrate on some of the catalytic properties of its palladium complexes.
Efficient Synthesis of Water-Soluble Calixarenes Using Click Chemistry

Several water-soluble calix[4]arenes were synthesized via Huisgen 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition between azides and alkynes. Cationic, anionic, and nonionic calixarenes were prepared from a common azidocalixarene intermediate. Azidocalixarenes performed better than alkynylcalixarenes as precursors. The aggregation behavior of the water-soluble calixarenes was studied by 1H NMR spectroscopy.
Characterization of the metabolic syndrome by apolipoproteins in the Oklahoma Cherokee.

Native Americans are susceptible to type 2 diabetes and associated cardiovascular risk that precedes the diabetes. Nondiabetic Cherokee adolescents and young adults were studied for association of apolipoproteins A-I, B, and C-III with the metabolic syndrome, homeostasis model assessment–insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and body mass index. Apolipoproteins, lipids, selected ratios, and HOMA-IR changed adversely according to the number of metabolic syndrome criteria present (P<.001 for trend). Logistic regression showed heparin-precipitated apolipoprotein C-III, apolipoprotein C-III bound to apolipoprotein B–containing lipoproteins, to be a significant predictor of the metabolic syndrome in the adolescents and adults, and it appears to be more strongly associated than apolipoprotein B: apolipoprotein A-I. Regression modeling with components of the syndrome as the dependent variables showed that they were all significantly associated with heparin-precipitated apolipoprotein C-III except for fasting blood glucose. The Cherokee have a high prevalence of the metabolic syndrome, which is associated with atherosclerotic lipoprotein particles containing apolipoprotein C-III and B.
Medieval Security in the Modern State

Abstract. The size of the private security industry has increased substantially in recent decades. While previous research has focused on the industry's growth trajectory, less emphasis has been placed on explaining the nature and diversity of private security services. This article investigates the possibility of studying private security with the feudal model. Feudalism is introduced as an ideal type and the paper explains why it is necessary for understanding the independent control of violent force—termed here as ‘private coercion’—in contemporary society. The feudal model provides a unique historical lens through which to re-examine previous studies on this subject. In many ways, private coercion is incongruent with the traditional vision of liberal, capitalist society. The feudal model reveals these inconsistencies as it identifies private coercion as a means of creating wealth that violates the state's monopoly on violence, challenges the public sphere of governance and redefines the boundaries bet...
Individuality, Pluralism, and the Phylogenetic Species Concept

The concept of individuality as applied to species, an important advance in the philosophy of evolutionary biology, is nevertheless in need of refinement. Four important subparts of this concept must be recognized: spatial boundaries, temporal boundaries, integration, and cohesion. Not all species necessarily meet all of these. Two very different types of “pluralism” have been advocated with respect to species, only one of which is satisfactory. An often unrecognized distinction between “grouping” and “ranking” components of any species concept is necessary. A phylogenetic species concept is advocated that uses a (monistic) grouping criterion of monophyly in a cladistic sense, and a (pluralistic) ranking criterion based on those causal processes that are most important in producing and maintaining lineages in a particular case. Such causal processes can include actual interbreeding, selective constraints, and developmental canalization. The widespread use of the “biological species concept” is flawed for two reasons: because of a failure to distinguish grouping from ranking criteria and because of an unwarranted emphasis on the importance of interbreeding as a universal causal factor controlling evolutionary diversification. The potential to interbreed is not in itself a process; it is instead a result of a diversity of processes which result in shared selective environments and common developmental programs. These types of processes act in both sexual and asexual organisms, thus the phylogenetic species concept can reflect an underlying unity that the biological species concept can not.
Strain-specific facilitation of dopamine efflux by Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol in the nucleus accumbens of rat: An in vivo microdialysis study

Abstract This study tests the hypothesis that Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinolΔ9-THC) has a strain-specific facilitatory effect on dopamine (DA) efflux in rat nucleus accumbens, a crucial forebrain convergence of reward-relevant DA neural fibers that has been implicated as a focal brain locus mediating the euphorigenic properties of drugs of abuse. The dependent variable is presynaptic DA efflux measured by in vivo microdialysis in the nucleus accumbens. The independent variables are: (1) intraperitoneal injections of Δ9-THC at 0.0 (vehicle), 0.5 and 1.0 mg/kg; (2) Sprague-Dawley vs Lewis strain rat. Results show that Δ9-THC produces a dose-dependent, strain-specific enhancement of basal DA efflux in Lewis strain rats. These results suggest that genetic variation influences drug abuse vulnerability.
Personality Traits in the DSM–5

Recent advances in personality research coupled with a broad acknowledgment of the limitations of the representation of personality pathology in the third and fourth editions of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III and DSM-IV) have positioned personality science to influence the shape of personality assessment in the fifth edition (DSM-5). Representing normative personality with well-validated traits that are broad, normally distributed, theoretically integrative, and distinct from personality disorder constructs would take optimal advantage of this opportunity. The assessment of normative traits would also link a large body of personality research with the practice of clinical diagnosis and would encourage clinicians to consider every patient's personality regardless of his or her diagnosis. Furthermore, conceptualizing personality traits and disorders separately would promote more careful clinical consideration of the functional severity and specific symptom constellations among personality disorders. Based on these considerations I argue that Five-factor model personality traits should be assessed separately from personality disorders in the DSM-5.
Aerodynamics inside a rapid compression machine

The aerodynamics inside a rapid compression machine after the end of compression is investigated using planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) of acetone. To study the effect of reaction chamber configuration on the resulting aerodynamics and temperature field, experiments are conducted and compared using a creviced piston and a flat piston under varying conditions. Results show that the flat piston design leads to significant mixing of the cold vortex with the hot core region, which causes alternate hot and cold regions inside the combustion chamber. At higher pressures, the effect of the vortex is reduced. The creviced piston head configuration is demonstrated to result in drastic reduction of the effect of the vortex. Experimental conditions are also simulated using the Star-CD computational fluid dynamics package. Computed results closely match with experimental observation. Numerical results indicate that with a flat piston design, gas velocity after compression is very high and the core region shrinks quickly due to rapid entrainment of cold gases. Whereas, for a creviced piston head design, gas velocity after compression is significantly lower and the core region remains unaffected for a long duration. As a consequence, for the flat piston, adiabatic core assumption can significantly overpredict the maximum temperature after the end of compression. For the creviced piston, the adiabatic core assumption is found to be valid even up to 100 ms after compression. This work therefore experimentally and numerically substantiates the importance of piston head design for achieving a homogeneous core region inside a rapid compression machine.
A Checklist for Starting and Operating a Digital Reference Desk

Summary This article explores digital reference and offers practical advice to those interested in implementing a digital reference desk in their library. Digital/chat/online reference services are defined and practical guidelines on staffing, selecting and troubleshooting hardware and software, training, and marketing are offered for those establishing such a service.
The Canonization of German-language Digital Literature

In his paper, "The Canonization of German-language Digital Literature," Florian Hartling discusses "Net Literature," a relatively young phenomenon, that has its roots in experimental visual and concrete poetry and hypertext. With the use of new media technology, this new genre of literature has acquired much interest and is now considered to be one of the most important influences in contemporary art. Not only does Net Literature connect sound, video, and animation with interactivity and allows new forms of artistic expression, it also impacts significantly on the traditional functions of the literary system. Hartling suggests that, in relation to Net Literature, the notion of the "death of the author" gives birth to the "writing reader." Hartling presents the results of his study where he applies the concept of "canon" to German-language Net Literature and where he attempts to find out whether, in this new form of literature, a "canon" has already been formed. Based on Karl Erik Rosengren's framework of "mention technique," a sample of German-language reviews of Net Literature was analyzed. The study intends to test the applicability of Rosengren's method to the analysis of Net Literature, that is, whether it is valid to use a method that was originally developed for the empirical study of the traditional literary canon for the study of an emergent Net Literature. Florian Hartling, "The Canonization of German-language Digital Literature" page 2 of 11 CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture 7.4 (2005):
Crosslinked synthetic polypeptides. II. Evaluation of the internal structure of intramolecularly crosslinked polymers by polarization of fluorescence measurements

The introduction of intramolecular amide bonds into synthetic polypeptides produces molecules with organized spatial structure which are good models for the tertiary structure of proteins. Polarization of fluorescence measurements were used to study the internal structure and the overall rigidity of the intramolecularly crosslinked polypeptides. The graph of [(1/p) + (1/3)] against T/η changes from a straight line to a continuous curve: the temperature at which this change occurs and the slope of the straight line segment measure the stability of the internal structure of the molecule. The introduction of one to six crosslinks produces an organized internal structure that becomes more stable as the number of crosslinks increases. In contrast to the fluorescence measurements, the intrinsic viscosities, reflecting the overall hydrodynamic domain of the molecules, change (decrease) to the same extent whether one, four, or six intramolecular crosslinks are present. The overall rigidity of the polymers can be assessed by the rotational relaxation time ρh and the polarization at 10°C. p10. Both of these criteria show that the presence of six crosslinks significantly increases the rigidity, but one or four does not. The various hydrodynamic measurements may be fitted into a hierarchy of discrimination: intrinsic viscosity, sedimentation, and diffusion for size and shape; rotational relaxation time and polarization of fluorescence at a given temperature for overall molecular rigidity; and transition temperature and rate at which it is attained for internal molecular detail.
Initialization Issues of the Caputo Fractional Derivative

The importance of proper initialization in taking into account the history of a system whose time evolution is governed by a differential equation of fractional order, has been established by Lorenzo and Hartley, who also gave the method of properly incorporating the effect of the past (history) by means of an initialization function for the Riemann-Liouville and the Grunwald formulations of fractional calculus. The present work addresses this issue for the Caputo fractional derivative and cautions that the commonly held belief that the Caputo formulation of fractional derivatives properly accounts for the initialization effects is not generally true when applied to the solution of fractional differential equations.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Physicochemical characterization and water vapor sorption of organic solution advanced spray-dried inhalable trehalose microparticles and nanoparticles for targeted dry powder pulmonary inhalation delivery.

Novel advanced spray-dried inhalable trehalose microparticulate/nanoparticulate powders with low water content were successfully produced by organic solution advanced spray drying from dilute solution under various spray-drying conditions. Laser diffraction was used to determine the volumetric particle size and size distribution. Particle morphology and surface morphology was imaged and examined by scanning electron microscopy. Hot-stage microscopy was used to visualize the presence/absence of birefringency before and following particle engineering design pharmaceutical processing, as well as phase transition behavior upon heating. Water content in the solid state was quantified by Karl Fisher (KF) coulometric titration. Solid-state phase transitions and degree of molecular order were examined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and powder X-ray diffraction, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy showed a correlation between particle morphology, surface morphology, and spray drying pump rate. All advanced spray-dried microparticulate/nanoparticulate trehalose powders were in the respirable size range and exhibited a unimodal distribution. All spray-dried powders had very low water content, as quantified by KF. The absence of crystallinity in spray-dried particles was reflected in the powder X-ray diffractograms and confirmed by thermal analysis. DSC thermal analysis indicated that the novel advanced spray-dried inhalable trehalose microparticles and nanoparticles exhibited a clear glass transition (Tg). This is consistent with the formation of the amorphous glassy state. Spray-dried amorphous glassy trehalose inhalable microparticles and nanoparticles exhibited vapor-induced (lyotropic) phase transitions with varying levels of relative humidity as measured by gravimetric vapor sorption at 25°C and 37°C.
Collision Orbits in the Anisotropic Kepler Problem

The anisotropic Kepler problem is a one-parameter family of classical mechanical systems with two degrees of freedom. When the parameter # = 1, we have the well known Kepler or central force problem. As # increases beyond 1, we introduce more and more anisotropy into the Kepler problem. As we show below, this changes the orbit structure of the system dramatically. When p = 1, the system is completely integrable and the orbit structure is well understood. With the exception of certain collision orbits, all orbits are closed and lie on two dimensional tori in the case of negative total energy. For p > 1, we keep the same potential energy, but make the kinetic energy anisotropic, i.e. the kinetic energy becomes