cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
What Trans-Inclusive Curriculum Design Offers Title IX Processes

The overwhelming presence and press of institutional racism, trans and queer oppression, as well as homophobia foreclose possibilities for justice in compliance-based Title IX administration and adjudication. As a result, those who have any chance for justice—which is slight in that sexism still structures their realities—are white nontrans women who experience sexual violence by men. Understood through such critical paradigms, it becomes clear Title IX is less about justice—even as narrowly defined—and more about institutional projections of safety and responsibility. What is needed, and what leading scholars on sexual violence in higher education have called for, is power-conscious approaches to sexual violence prevention. In this chapter, we add to and extend these calls. In particular, we use the notion of trickle up education to ask what sort of Title IX processes could be imagined in ways that center those who are most vulnerable. Thus, this chapter invites readers to reorient how we can use trans-centered epistemologies and pedagogies to rethink how we come to understand those notions de jure in Title IX work: “victim,” “survivor,” “crime,” “responsibility,” “safety,” and “justice.”
Do OPEC Members Know Something the Market Doesn't? "Fair Price" Pronouncements and the Market Price of Crude Oil

OPEC producers, individually or collectively, often make statements regarding the “fair price” of crude oil. In some cases, the officials commenting are merely affirming the price prevailing in the crude oil market at the time. In many cases, however, we document that they explicitly disagree with the contemporaneous futures price. A natural question is whether these “fair price” pronouncements contain information not already reflected in market prices. To find the answer, we collect “fair price” statements made between 2000 and 2009 by officials from OPEC or OPEC member countries. Visually, the “fair price” series looks like a sampling discretely drawn (with a lag) from the daily futures market price series. Formally, we use several methodologies to establish that “fair price” pronouncements have little influence on the market price of crude oil and that they supply little or no new news to oil futures market participants.
Vigabatrin 35 years later - from mechanism of action to benefit-risk considerations.

Shields WD, Pellock JM. Vigabatrin 35 years later — from mechanism of action to benefit–risk considerations. Acta Neurol Scand: 2011: 124 (Suppl. 192): 1–4. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.
Relative worth of 233U and 235U in light water reactor fuel cycles

AbstractThe equivalence between 235U and 233U for use in light water reactors has been determined by comparing the performance of the two isotopes over the complete length of the fuel cycle. The method developed in this work has been applied to a uranium cycle as well as to a denatured thorium cycle. A basic price based on the initial substitution method has also been estimated for 233U.
Shaky Foundations: The Politics-Patronage-Social Science Nexus in Cold War America. By Mark Solovey. (New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 2013. Pp. x, 253. $39.95.)

The social sciences grew dramatically during the Cold War. That growth owed much to a new set of research patrons that arose between the 1940s and 1960s. Though intellectual historians have often n...
Investigation of quantized circulation in superfluid 3He-B

We have studied circulation in superfluid 3He-B with a vibrating wire. We find that the circulation quantum equals h/2m 3 to within experimental error at several pressures. We have also measured circulation in rotating superfluid 3He-B, and have observed a precessional motion of a single vortex line. Finally, we have found the unexpected result that circulation around the wire does not affect the pair-breaking critical velocity.
Phase space tomography of relativistic electron beams

Abstract The performance of an FEL depends on the characteristics of the electron beam used to drive it. Heretofore it was not possible to measure the details of the transverse phase space distributions of high-energy electron beams with the precision required to predict FEL performance. Standard techniques for measuring the transverse phase space of relativistic electron beams treat the phase space distributions as ellipses and only measure the sigma matrices that define the ellipses. These techniques give no information about the detailed structure of the phase space distributions. We have developed a new technique to measure transverse phase space that combines quadrupole-scanning techniques with tomographic image reconstruction to measure the actual phase space distributions while making no a priori assumptions about the distributions. This process is capable of reconstructing phase space distributions that are not elliptical. Both computer simulations and experiments verify that phase space tomography makes the detailed measurement of the phase space distributions possible at high energies. Detailed reconstructions of the phase space distribution of a 44 MeV electron beam from the Mark III FEL are presented.
Understanding the new politics of abortion: a framework and agenda for research

A conservative majority on the Supreme Court, recent Supreme Court decisions such as Webster v. Reproductive Health Services and Hodgson v. Minnesota that give states more leeway to set abortion standards, actions by state legislatures and governors to pass new, tougher state antiabortion laws, as well as efforts by the Reagan and Bush administrations to prevent workers at federally funded family planning clinics from discussing with clients the availability of abortion services point to a new political climate surrounding the abortion issue. These recent developments also increase the chances that Roe v. Wade will be overturned in the future. This essay defines the parameters of a "new" politics of abortion, offers a framework for understanding this post-Webster abortion politics, and suggests an agenda for future research. The argument advanced here is that the politics of abortion can best be understood by examining the nature and scope of the conflict over abortion and the institutional context within...
Transfemoral endovascular aortic graft placement

Abstract Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop an endovascular system for transfemoral placement of straight aortic grafts and bifurcated aortoiliac grafts. Methods: Both types of graft consist of barbed, self-expanding stents attached to a woven polyester fabric. Survival studies of straight-graft function were performed in six large mongrel dogs. Digital subtraction fluoroscopic equipment was used to guide insertion and record angiograms at 0, 1, and 3 months. Bifurcated grafts were inserted in an additional eight dogs, four with distal stents and four without. Straight grafts were inserted into six cadaveric aortas (five atherosclerotic and one aneurysmal; age 68.7 + 5.7 years) to assess stent attachment. Results: Angiograms obtained immediately after straight-graft insertion showed placement to be within 4.6 + 1.6 mm of the intended level. Follow-up angiograms at 1 and 3 months showed no migration, no leakage, and patency of all six grafts. After bifurcated graft insertion there were no angiographic signs of perigraft leakage, with or without distal stents. The mean force required to displace straight grafts 10 mm from their original position in cadaveric aortas was 1388 + 127 g . Conclusion: These preliminary results show that straight and bifurcated endovascular grafts can be positioned accurately and securely in the abdominal aorta. (J VASC SURG 1993;18:185-97.)
Investigations of the reactivity of “kick-started” oxetanes in photoinitiated cationic polymerization

The ability of certain alkyl substituted epoxides to accelerate the photoinitiated cationic ring-opening polymerizations of oxetane monomers by substantially reducing or eliminating the induction period altogether has been termed by us “kick-starting.” In this communication, the rates of photopolymerization of several model “kick-started” oxetane systems were quantified and compared with the analogous biscycloaliphatic epoxide monomer, 3,4-epoxycyclohexylmethyl 3′,4′-epoxycyclohexanecarboxylate (ERL). It has been found that the “kick-started” systems undergo photopolymerization at rates that are at least two-fold faster than ERL. These results suggest that “kick-started” oxetanes could replace ERL in many applications in which high speed ultraviolet induced crosslinking photopolymerizations are carried out. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015, 53, 586–593
Exploratory Effects of Social Support, Stress and Locus of Control on the Conflict Tactics of Parents At-Risk for Child Maltreatment

Using a sample of 112 adults, this study examined whether the type or conflict tactics used by a parent toward his/her child was related to locus of control orientation, amount and intensity of daily hassles, and amount and type of social support received. Statistical analyses included the Pearsonian correlation coefficient, the analysis of variance and the t test. The results suggested that social support was most influential on reasoning tactics. Verbal aggression and violence were directly affected by the frequency of hassles. An important finding was the independent effects the frequency and intensity of hassles had on conflict tactics.
Partial reinforcement effects in instrumental escape conditioning

Abstract In Experiment I acquisition and extinction of instrumental escape conditioning with rats (N = 64) were studied as a function of reinforcement magnitude under conditions of partial and continuous reinforcement. In Experiment II the effects of partial and continuous reinforcement were studied in rats (N = 96) during acquisition followed by small, medium, and large reductions in reinforcement magnitude. A water-tank escape apparatus was used with temperature as the relevant variable. It was found that (1) with large reinforcement magnitude a continuously reinforced group was superior in acquisition to one that was partially reinforced; there were no differences with small reinforcement; (2) disruptive effects of a nonreinforced trial (a) appear early in learning, (b) are quite strong after each nonreinforced trial, and (c) persist through several succeeding reinforced trials; (3) major competing behaviors persist throughout acquisition for small reinforcement magnitude regardless of schedule, decline with large reinforcement (more so with continuous than with partial), and return to a high level in extinction for all conditions; (4) the partial reinforcement extinction effect occurs after large reinforcement but not after small, and it appears only with large reductions in reinforcement magnitude which approach extinction conditions. Only the first part of the last finding appears to be consistent with the appetitive conditioning literature.
Time-lapse (4D) effect and reservoir sand production pattern in a mature North Sea field

Sand production is not uncommon in producing fields. Its severity, however, remains a growing concern in many mature fields and deepwater reservoirs often characterized by poor consolidation. Reservoir sand production is sim-ultaneously a source of concern and benefit in conventional and heavy oil production. Porosity increase and changes in local stress magnitude, which often enhance permeability, have been associated with severe sanding. On the other hand, sand production has been linked to a large number of field incidences involving loss of well integrity, casing collapse, and corrosion of downhole systems. It also poses problems for separators and transport facilities. The poorly consolidated Gudao reservoir in Shengli oil field, China, provides a typical example of casing failure, resulting from severe reservoir sanding (Figure 1). Sand-production-induced casing problems can vary from complete shearing to contortion of well casing depending on the severity of the sand flow.
Combined models of ultrasound velocity and attenuation for predicting trabecular bone strength and mineral density.

Abstract Three quantitative ultrasound parameters and their combinations were examined as possible predictors of the bone mineral density and compressive strength of human cancellous bone. Seventy-three trabecular bone cubes obtained from female cadaveric tibiae were measured by quantitative computed tomography. Measurements of the ultrasound velocity, ultrasound attenuation at 0.5 MHz and broad-band ultrasound attenuation were made in three orthogonal anatomical directions. The specimens were then tested to failure in compression, 38 in the anterior/posterior direction and 35 in the superior/inferior direction. The apparent density of all specimens was also found. Linear regressions showed that bone mineral density and strength were significantly correlated with each ultrasonic parameter in each direction ( P
Optimal operation of GaN thin film epitaxy employing control vector parametrization

An approach that links nonlinear model reduction techniques with control vector parametrization-based schemes is presented, to efficiently solve dynamic constraint optimization problems arising in the context of spatially-distributed processes governed by highly-dissipative nonlinear partial-differential equations (PDEs), utilizing standard nonlinear programming techniques. The method of weighted residuals with empirical eigenfunctions (obtained via Karhunen-Loeve expansion) as basis functions is employed for spatial discretization together with control vector parametrization formulation for temporal discretization. The stimulus for the earlier approach is provided by the presence of low order dominant dynamics in the case of highly dissipative parabolic PDEs. Spatial discretization based on these few dominant modes (which are elegantly captured by empirical eigenfunctions) takes into account the actual spatiotemporal behavior of the PDE which cannot be captured using finite difference or finite element techniques with a small number of discretization points/elements. The proposed approach is used to compute the optimal operating profile of a metallorganic vapor-phase epitaxy process for the production of GaN thin films, with the objective to minimize the spatial nonuniformity of the deposited film across the substrate surface by adequately manipulating the spatiotemporal concentration profiles of Ga and N precursors at the reactor inlet. It is demonstrated that the reduced order optimization problem thus formulated using the proposed approach for nonlinear order reduction results in considerable savings of computational resources and is simultaneously accurate. It is demonstrated that by optimally changing the precursor concentration across the reactor inlet it is possible to reduce the thickness nonuniformity of the deposited film from a nominal 33% to 3.1%. © 2005 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2006
Persistent urinary podocyte loss following preeclampsia may reflect subclinical renal injury

Objective Studies have shown that podocyturia, i.e., urinary loss of viable podocytes (glomerular epithelial cells), is associated with proteinuria in preeclampsia. We postulated that urinary podocyte loss may persist after preeclamptic pregnancies, thus resulting in renal injury. This may lead to future chronic renal injury. In addition, we compared the postpartum levels of the angiogenic factors, which previously have been associated with preeclampsia, between normotensive versus preeclamptic pregnancies.
An Aneurysm Model to Help Predict the Unpredictable.

Aneurysms are like soap bubbles or balloons in that they may burst at any given time. Yet, whereas a child will probably cry as a consequence of losing a balloon, an adult may die in a matter of seconds when an aneurysm bursts. The biggest problem is that most thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAAs) are asymptomatic and are only diagnosed by accident on imaging studies prescribed for entirely different reasons. If left untreated, approximately one-third of patients with a TAA larger than 5 cm in diameter will die within 5 years from a rupture or dissection. The severity of this condition warrants a search for new methods of cost-effective and accurate diagnosis and new therapeutic approaches linked to a better understanding of the mechanisms of this disease. Eckhouse et al. have now described a porcine model that holds the potential to satisfy both needs. To induce TAA formation, the authors combined collagenase 2 digestion of the adventitial layer of the descending thoracic aorta with local delivery of calcium chloride to the extraluminal space. After 3 weeks, the area of the aortic lumen in the treated region doubled compared with that of control animals. All the key architectural, cellular, and molecular components of the aortic wall—meticulously analyzed by means of histological, immunohistochemical, and immunoblotting techniques—closely matched the characteristics of clinical TAA disease. This model may serve to further elucidate the mechanisms mediating aneurysm formation and progression, to reduce the uncertainty revolving around aneurysmal rupture, and to accelerate translation of novel diagnostic and therapeutic alternatives. With additional work in this model, thoracic aortic aneurysms may not need to be compared to bursting balloons or ticking time bombs for much longer. S. R. Eckhouse et al ., Reproducible porcine model of thoracic aortic aneurysm. Circulation 128 , S186–S193 (2013). [[Abstract]][1] [1]: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24030405
Squared cycles in monomial relations algebras

Let \(\mathbb{K}\) be an algebraically closed field. Consider a finite dimensional monomial relations algebra \(\Lambda = {{\mathbb{K}\Gamma } \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {{\mathbb{K}\Gamma } I}} \right. \kern-\nulldelimiterspace} I}\) of finite global dimension, where Γ is a quiver and I an admissible ideal generated by a set of paths from the path algebra \(\mathbb{K}\Gamma \). There are many modules over Λ which may be represented graphically by a tree with respect to a top element, of which the indecomposable projectives are the most natural example. These trees possess branches which correspond to right subpaths of cycles in the quiver. A pattern in the syzygies of a specific factor module of the corresponding indecomposable projective module is found, allowing us to conclude that the square of any cycle must lie in the ideal I.
Sexually dimorphic effects of alcohol exposure in utero on neuroendocrine and immune functions in chronic alcohol-exposed adult rats.

Abstract Maternal ethanol consumption has deleterious effects on the offspring's neuroendocrine and T-cell-dependent functions. Chronic alcohol consumption in adulthood has also been associated with activated hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) function and immunosuppression which is demonstrable at the T-cell level. Our aim was to establish whether prenatal alcohol exposure alters the neuroendocrine and immune responses to chronic alcohol challenge in adult male and female offspring. Adult male rats placed on a liquid alcohol diet for 5 weeks had significantly decreased thymus weight, hypertrophied adrenals, and elevated plasma ACTH and corticosterone levels. Splenic lymphocyte Concanavalin A (Con A)-stimulated proliferation in the ethanol-treated rats was decreased compared to that in pair-fed controls. Thus, prolonged alcohol exposure activated the HPA axis and suppressed T-cell function. The effects of prenatal alcohol exposure, as a predispositional factor, on the HPA axis and on the T-cell functions of adult chronic alcohol-exposed rats were examined in the offspring of dams fed ethanol (FAE) or an isocaloric liquid (PF) diet during the last 2 weeks of gestation. The adult offspring of both sexes and prenatal treatment groups were then placed on an alcohol-containing liquid diet for 5 weeks. Fetal alcohol exposure decreased anterior pituitary proopiomelanocortin mRNA levels and increased glucocorticoid receptor (GR) mRNA levels in males and decreased GR mRNA levels in females. There were no differences in hypothalamic CRF mRNA and GR mRNA levels between the prenatal treatment groups. There was no significant difference in Con A-stimulated lymphocyte proliferation between FAE and PF males. However, FAE females showed Con A-stimulated lymphocyte proliferation significantly higher than those of all other groups, including pair-fed females. Prostaglandin E 2 (PGE 2 ) suppressed lymphocyte proliferation to a lesser degree in FAE males than in any other group. Furthermore, T-cell response to Con A was enhanced by indomethacin, a prostaglandin biosynthesis inhibitor, in FAE males suggesting that increased prostaglandin synthesis may occur in FAE males after chronic alcohol exposure. Increased levels of endogenous PGE 2 could also be inferred from the enhanced levels of interleukin-2 receptor α (IL-2Rα) mRNA in activated lymphocytes of male but not of female FAE offspring compared to PF. In summary, the results of this study demonstrate that prenatal alcohol exposure leads to a specific HPA-related vulnerability in males to the deleterious effects of ethanol in adulthood. Although prenatal alcohol did not further aggravate the effects of chronic alcohol exposure on lymphocyte proliferation response to Con A in adult male offspring, altered T-cell responses could be unmasked.
The DNA content of sperm and hemocyte nuclei of the silkworm, Bombyx mori L.

To estimate the size of the haploid genome of the silkworm, Bombyx mori (Lepidoptera), amounts of Feulgen-DNA staining in individual nuclei of primary spermatocytes, spermatids, maturing sperm, and larval or pupal hemocytes were determined with an integrating microdensitometer and compared with the Feulgen-DNA levels found for chicken erythrocyte nuclei, or the sperm and erythrocyte nuclei of Xenopus laevis that were included with each Bombyx preparation as empirical reference standards of 2.5, 3.15, and 6.3×10−12 g DNA per cell, respectively. Under these conditions, the haploid male genome of B. mori was estimated as 0.52±0.01 (S.E.)×10−12 g DNA, corresponding to a molecular weight of roughly 3.1×1011 daltons. From similar measurements of Feulgen-stained hemocyte nuclei, approximately 1.0±0.05 (S.E.)×10−12 g DNA was estimated for the diploid or 2C male genome of Bombyx. These values compare favorably with estimates of genome size based upon analysis of the kinetics of reassociation of DNA isolated from B. mori and provide an independent basis for assessing the degree of polyploidy achieved by the giant nuclei in the posterior silk gland prior to its secretion of fibroin at the end of the fifth larval instar.
Structure-activity relationships for six ketolide antibiotics.

Six structurally related 3-keto-substituted macrolide antibiotics (ketolides) were compared for concentration-dependent inhibitory effects on growth rate, viable cell number, and protein synthesis rates in Staphylococcus aureus cells. Inhibitory effects on 50S ribosomal subunit formation were also examined, as this is a second target for these antibiotics. A concentration range of 0.01 to 0.1 μg/ml was tested. An IC50 for inhibition of translation and 50S synthesis was measured for each compound, to relate structural features to inhibitory activity. ABT-773 was the most effective of the six compounds tested with an IC50= 0.035 μg/ml. HMR 3004 was almost as effective with an IC50= 0.05 μg/ml. Two 2-fluoroketolides (HMR 3562 and HMR 3787) were equivalent in their inhibitory activity with an IC50= 0.06 μg/ml. Telithromycin (HMR 3647) had an IC50= 0.08 μg/ml, and HMR 3832 was least effective with an IC50= 0.11 μg/ml. Each antibiotic had an equivalent inhibitory effect on translation and 50S subunit formation. These results indicate specific structural features of these antimicrobial agents, which contribute to defined inhibitory activities against susceptible organisms.
Factors Influencing 30-Day Emergency Visits and Readmissions after Sleeve Gastrectomy: Results from a Community Bariatric Center

Introduction Bariatric surgery has proven safe and effective for long-term weight loss in morbidly obese patients. Readmissions within 30 days of discharge have become an important metric for quality of care. Sleeve gastrectomy is a common bariatric procedure, but data regarding early readmission is sparse. The purpose of this study is to determine what, if any, demographic or technical factors influence returns to the hospital or readmission following sleeve gastrectomy.
Formation and retention of conditioned taste aversions and UCS habituation

In Experiment I rats received 10 consecutive daily injections of either apomorphine hydrochloride or NaCl followed by 4 days of saccharin solution exposure paired with apomorphine or NaCl injections. Relative consumption of saccharin solution and water during conditioning indicated that preconditioning apomorphine UCS habituation retarded acquisition of a conditioned saccharin aversion. In Experiment II rats received 6 days of saccharin solution exposure paired with injections of either apomorphine hydrochloride or NaCl, then 10 daily injections of either apomorphine hydrochloride or NaCl, followed by 4 days of saccharin preference testing (no drug injections). Postconditioning apomorphine UCS habituation did not interfere with retention of saccharin aversion acquired in initial conditioning phase. These results showed that novelty of UCS is crucial in acquisition of but not retention of conditioned taste aversions.
Problematic Internet use and physical health.

Background and aims A considerable body of literature has emerged over the past two decades assessing the relationship between problematic or addictive use of the Internet and various indices of psychological well-being. Conversely, comparatively little research has assessed the relationship between problematic or addictive use of the Internet and one's physical health. Method The current study assesses this relationship using a sample of college students (N = 133) who responded online to two questionnaires: the Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire (PIUQ; Demetrovics, Szeredi&Rozsa, 2008) and the SF-36v2 Health Survey (Ware et al., 2008). Results The findings indicate that problematic Internet use is associated with poorer physical health. These results are consistent with other data that assessed the relationship between these two variables. Furthermore, this relationship supersedes the influence of the number of hours spent online per day. Conclusions The findings are discussed in terms of the limitations of the study design and conclusions that can be drawn from this preliminary empirical effort.
Corrosion product formation sequence on Cu‐rich amalgams in various solutions

A single particle and four blended Cu-rich amalgam systems were immersed in 37 degrees C solutions for 1-20 months in order to determine the characterization and sequence of corrosion product formation. X-ray diffraction and SEM/EDS were used to characterize the products. The same sequence of formation occurred in all systems in Ringer's and 0.1% Ringer's solutions. The times at which each product formed varied with the brand of the amalgam and the concentration of the solution. The initial products were ZnSn(OH)6 in Zn-containing systems and SnO2 in most other systems. Cu2O formed next, followed by CuCl2 X 3Cu(OH)2. Immersion in 1% Na2S yielded only HgS on all brands. A combination of 1% Na2S and Ringer's solution yielded CaSn(OH)6 after 2 months and Cu2O at later periods. Artificial saliva resulted in a retardation of corrosion product formation and only limited amounts of a Sn-rich product could be found after 20 months. Interactions of the various components appear to alter the nature and rate of corrosion product formation on these systems and additional systematic investigations are necessary to understand the influence of these interactions on corrosion.
Simulation-based training in advanced airway skills in an otolaryngology residency program

Objectives/Hypothesis: Life-support training emphasizes the primacy of airway management. Acquiring these skills requires practice and exposure to events. Otolaryngology residents lack standardized training in advanced airway skills. This project aimed to create such a program by using simulation-based methodology evaluated using specific educationally based tools. Study Design: Prospective cohort study. Methods: The program consisted of lectures and simulation-based training sessions designed to impart competency in a set of defined airway skills to otolaryngology residents. Only participating residents who completed the course (n = 12) were evaluated both before and after the course for their fund of knowledge through multiple-choice examinations and for clinical reasoning and technical skills as assessed by a panel of otolaryngologists in simulated difficult airway situations. Self-assessment tools were also incorporated. Results: The average multiple choice score was 12 of 27 (44%) before the course and 15 of 27 (55%) after the completion of the course (P = .001). Faculty assessment yielded a cumulative score of 80% and 91% pre- and postcourse, respectively (P = .002). Although all residents reported prior experience in a critical emergency airway situation, only one reported prior training in advanced airway skills. A significant increase in participants' self-perceived ability to carry out critical airway-related skills was observed. All respondents felt the course was effective. Conclusions: Simulation-based airway training courses can be effectively incorporated into existing educational curricula for otolaryngology residents, and their success can be measured using educationally based tools. With such a course, residents can be expected to demonstrate measurable improvement in clinical knowledge base, technical skills, and self-perceived ability to handle difficult airway situations. Laryngoscope, 2013
A Single Bunch Transfer System for the National Synchrotron Light Source

The accelerator system at the National Synchrotron Light Source consists of an S-band 85 MeV linac and three synchrotron rings. The electron beam from the linac is accelerated by the booster ring to 600 MeV and transferred to one of the two storage rings. The smaller of the two rings operates between 300 and 800 MeV emtting photons in the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV), while the larger storage ring operates up to 2.5 GeV and emits photons in the x-ray spectrum. A system is described for loading the storage rings by filling a single-phase space bunch in the booster ring and transferring it at the end of each booster cycle into a selected bucket in one of the storage rings. By controlling the timing of the transfer on successive transfer cycles, many fill patterns may be obtained.
Use of Magnetic Nanoparticles as Nanosensors to Probe for Molecular Interactions

Biocompatible magnetic nanosensors have been designed to detect molecular interactions in biological media. Upon target binding, these nanosensors cause changes in the spin–spin relaxation times of neighboring water molecules, which can be detected by magnetic resonance (NMR/MRI) techniques. These magnetic nanosensors have been designed to detect specific mRNA, proteins, enzymatic activity, and pathogens (e.g., virus) with sensitivity in the low femtomole range (0.5–30 fmol).
Tissue engineering with stem cells: an innovative technological treatment in pediatrics disorders.

"Inspired by the lack of organ transplant donors available, research is underway on developing stem cells for regenerative medicine or tissue engineering." A TWO-YEAR-old girl named Hannah Warren, from Seoul, South Korea was born without a trachea a condition referred to as tracheal agenesis. Dependent upon a ventilator, Hannah spent the first two years of her life in the hospital. Physicians in Seoul determined that standard surgical treatment was not an option for correcting her tracheal defect. Upon further investigation into stem cell research, the medical team located an Italian physician named Dr. Paolo Macchiarini, who was creating tracheas on a scaffold with stem cells for adult patients (Fitzgerald, 2013). In May 2013, with little hope remaining, Hannah’s parents agreed to a new surgical intervention. Hannah received a tracheal transplant; however, the trachea implanted was one created from stem cells taken from her bone marrow. Tracheal agenesis is a very rare condition; only 1 in 50,000 children are born with the disorder (Fitzgerald, 2013). Nonetheless, by employing tissue engineering, a particular stem cell technique similar to the procedure illustrated in Hannah’s case, children with birth defects may have a promising future (Figure 1). The article will explore new technologies in stem cell transplants such as tissue engineering utilized in pediatric patients.
Sulfidation of an Iron–Nickel–Chromium–Cobalt– Phosphorus Alloy in1% H2S–H2 GasMixtures at 400–1000°C

The sulfidation of an Fe-based alloy containing 4.75 wt.% Ni, 0.99 wt.% Co, 0.89 wt.% Cr, and 0.66 wt.% P in 1.1% H2S–H2 gas mixtures was studied at 400–1000°C. Reaction kinetics were determined by monitoring the abundance of S-gas species continuously throughout each experiment. This approach allows for determination of both linear rate constants associated with adsorption and decomposition of S-gas molecules and parabolic rate constants associated with cation diffusion. The activation energy for these processes are 12 ± 4 kJ/mole and 50 ± 12 kJ/mole, respectively. In all experiments, P is excluded from the sulfide phase and precipitates as the mineral schreibersite [(Fe, Ni, Co)3P]. In addition a monosulfide solid solution formed containing variable abundances of Ni, Cr, and Co. Analyses of the compositional profiles allows for the determination of activity coefficients for NiS, CrS, and CoS in FeS as well as the self-diffusivities for Ni, Cr, and Co in the sulfide scale, relative to Fe.
An assay for permeability of the zebrafish embryonic neuroepithelium.

The brain ventricular system is conserved among vertebrates and is composed of a series of interconnected cavities called brain ventricles, which form during the earliest stages of brain development and are maintained throughout the animal's life. The brain ventricular system is found in vertebrates, and the ventricles develop after neural tube formation, when the central lumen fills with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) 1,2. CSF is a protein rich fluid that is essential for normal brain development and function3-6. In zebrafish, brain ventricle inflation begins at approximately 18 hr post fertilization (hpf), after the neural tube is closed. Multiple processes are associated with brain ventricle formation, including formation of a neuroepithelium, tight junction formation that regulates permeability and CSF production. We showed that the Na,K-ATPase is required for brain ventricle inflation, impacting all these processes 7,8, while claudin 5a is necessary for tight junction formation 9. Additionally, we showed that "relaxation" of the embryonic neuroepithelium, via inhibition of myosin, is associated with brain ventricle inflation. To investigate the regulation of permeability during zebrafish brain ventricle inflation, we developed a ventricular dye retention assay. This method uses brain ventricle injection in a living zebrafish embryo, a technique previously developed in our lab10, to fluorescently label the cerebrospinal fluid. Embryos are then imaged over time as the fluorescent dye moves through the brain ventricles and neuroepithelium. The distance the dye front moves away from the basal (non-luminal) side of the neuroepithelium over time is quantified and is a measure of neuroepithelial permeability (Figure 1). We observe that dyes 70 kDa and smaller will move through the neuroepithelium and can be detected outside the embryonic zebrafish brain at 24 hpf (Figure 2). This dye retention assay can be used to analyze neuroepithelial permeability in a variety of different genetic backgrounds, at different times during development, and after environmental perturbations. It may also be useful in examining pathological accumulation of CSF. Overall, this technique allows investigators to analyze the role and regulation of permeability during development and disease.
Differential and stochastic equations in abstract Wiener space

Abstract This paper studies the differential equation ( ∂ ∂t ) u(t, x) = 1 2 trace A(t, x) D 2 u(t, x) A ∗ (t, x) + 〈σ(t, x), Du(t, x)〉 − V(x) u(t, x), u(0, x) = φ(x) in infinite dimensional space. A Kac's type representation of solution in terms of function space integral is proved. Kac's method is modified to work nicely regardless of the dimensionality.
Reoperative laparoscopic pyeloplasty in children: comparison with open surgery.

Purpose: We assessed the feasibility of pediatric redo laparoscopic pyeloplasty in comparison to redo open pyeloplasty for safety, efficacy, operative time, blood loss, postoperative analgesic requirements, length of hospitalization, complications, need for readmission and subsequent procedures.Materials and Methods: We performed a retrospective chart review of consecutive patients undergoing reoperative pyeloplasty between June 2003 and July 2006.Results: A total of 10 patients (11 redo pyeloplasties) were divided into 2 groups, ie those undergoing redo open (4) and laparoscopic (6) pyeloplasty. Groups were similar in age, sex, weight, laterality, and number and type of prior interventions to repair ureteropelvic junction obstruction. Surgical time for redo laparoscopic pyeloplasty was longer than for redo open pyeloplasty (290 vs 203 minutes, p <0.05). Success rate was the same in both groups (80%). The redo laparoscopic pyeloplasty group had a shorter hospital stay (mean 2.5 vs 4.6 days, p <0.05), decr...
Contributions of glutamate receptors to the maintenance of mustard oil-induced hyperalgesia in spinalized rats

N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors, which are widely distributed throughout the central nervous system, appear to play a critical role in several types of plasticity and long-term potentiation. In the pain system, increased sensitivity to somatosensory stimuli, known as hyperalgesia and allodynia, can arise from tissue damage or excessive C-fiber nociceptor activation. Previously, NMDA, non-NMDA ionotropic, and metabotropic glutamate receptors have been proposed to contribute to the sustained hyperalgesia following tissue injury or nociceptor activation. Although non-NMDA receptors appear to mediate both hyperalgesia and normal (nonhyperalgesic) responses and behavior, NMDA receptors have been reported to participate only in hyperalgesic responses. In contrast, other studies have implicated NMDA receptors in both hyperalgesic and normal responses. The aim of this study was to critically compare the effects of the glutamate receptor antagonists ketamine and 2-amino-5-phosphonovaleric acid (APV; NMDA receptor antagonists), 6,7-dinitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (DNQX; non-NMDA ionotropic receptor antagonist), and 2-amino-3-phosphonopropionic acid (AP3; metabotropic receptor antagonist) on intra-articular mustard oil-induced facilitation of flexion withdrawal reflexes in spinalized rats. Our results showed that, as expected from previous studies, ketamine, APV, and DNQX dose-dependently inhibited the flexion withdrawal reflex evoked by C-fiber electrical stimulation of the sciatic nerve. Surprisingly, however, ketamine, APV, and DNQX also inhibited flexion withdrawal reflexes in normal (nonhyperalgesic) rats with similar ED50s. In contrast, AP3 had no effect in either hyperalgesic or normal rats. These results demonstrate that NMDA and non-NMDA ionotropic, but not metabotropic, glutamate receptors contribute without preference to both facilitated and normal flexion withdrawal reflexes evoked by high-intensity electrical stimulation in the spinalized rat. Thus, the apparent preference of NMDA receptors for hyperalgesic states seen in some previous studies on nociception, as well as in other model systems, may have arisen from differences in experimental paradigm, such as the intensity of sensory stimulation or excitability of the spinal cord, coupled with the voltage dependency of the NMDA conductance.
Well-founded and stationary models of logic programs

We investigate the class ofstationary or partial stable models of normal logic programs. This important class of models includes all (total)stable models, and, moreover, thewell-founded model is always its smallest member. Stationary models have several natural fixed-point definitions and can be equivalently obtained as expansions or extensions of suitable autoepistemic or default theories. By taking a particular subclass of this class of models one can obtain different semantics of logic programs, including the stable semantics and the well-founded semantics. Stationary models can be also naturally extended to the class of all disjunctive logic programs. These features of stationary models designate them as an important class of models with applications reaching far beyond the realm of logic programming.
When the Management of Grief Becomes Everyday Life: The Aftermath of Murder

This study examines how others indicate that our emotions violate social norms and how people feel about and respond to those indications. The data come from in-depth interviews with thirty-two people who had recently lost a loved one to murder (“bereaved victims”). Through the symbolic interaction process, bereaved victims came to appreciate the burden their grief imposed on others, and some of them took steps to minimize that burden. Despite their awareness of the burden, however, many of the bereaved expected others to express heartfelt sympathy for their loss. Instead, people offered inappropriate (and even hurtful) responses, including avoiding the topic of their loss, offering unnecessarily dramatic responses to the loss, and telling them to move on. The responses suggest that current feeling rules and emotion norms surrounding grief do not reflect the true extent of bereaved people’s actual experiences, creating awkward situations for potential supporters and the bereaved.
Strict perpendicular orientation of neural crest-derived neurons in vitro is dependent on an extracellular gradient of voltage.

We report extraordinary perpendicular orientations of neurons dependent on the presence of an external direct current (DC) voltage gradient. We chose chick dorsal root and postganglionic sympathetic neurons to evaluate. These were cultured in observation chambers in which the cells were separated from electrode products or substrate effects and maintained at 35°C. Both types of neurons showed a rapid restructuring of their anatomy. Typically, neurites that were not perpendicular to the voltage gradient were quickly resorbed into the cell body within a few minutes. Over 3–6 hr, significant new neurite growth occurred and was patterned perpendicular to the DC electrical field (Ef). This preferred asymmetry was dependent on the Ef, as was the initial retrograde degeneration of fibers. At 400–500 mV/mm, over 90% of the cells in culture assumed this orientation. Removal of the DC Ef led to a loss of the preferred orientation, with further random growth within the chambers. This is the first report of such responses in dorsal root ganglion neurons. We also used sympathetic neurons as a meaningful comparison to analyze whether there were any qualitative or quantitative differences between these two cell types of neural crest origin. We discuss the means by which these orientations were achieved. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Synchrotron emission, pair production and annihilation in strongly magnetized relativistic plasmas

Des expressions analytiques pour les taux spectraux de l'emission synchrotron par les electrons, la production et l'annihilation de paires sont etablies dans le regime faiblement relativiste pour des plasmas plonges dans des champs magnetiques de grandeurs approchant la valeur quantique critique B=4.41×10 13 G. Les taux sont evalues pour des distributions de paires monoenergetiques, thermiques et en loi de puissance et sont compares avec des resultats quantiques ultrarelativistes existants et a des travaux anterieurs dans le regime classique faiblement relativiste
Targeted multiplex next‐generation sequencing: advances in techniques of mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequencing for population genomics

Next-generation sequencing (NGS) is emerging as an efficient and cost-effective tool in population genomic analyses of nonmodel organisms, allowing simultaneous resequencing of many regions of multi-genomic DNA from multiplexed samples. Here, we detail our synthesis of protocols for targeted resequencing of mitochondrial and nuclear loci by generating indexed genomic libraries for multiplexing up to 100 individuals in a single sequencing pool, and then enriching the pooled library using custom DNA capture arrays. Our use of DNA sequence from one species to capture and enrich the sequencing libraries of another species (i.e. cross-species DNA capture) indicates that efficient enrichment occurs when sequences are up to about 12% divergent, allowing us to take advantage of genomic information in one species to sequence orthologous regions in related species. In addition to a complete mitochondrial genome on each array, we have included between 43 and 118 nuclear loci for low-coverage sequencing of between 18 kb and 87 kb of DNA sequence per individual for single nucleotide polymorphisms discovery from 50 to 100 individuals in a single sequencing lane. Using this method, we have generated a total of over 500 whole mitochondrial genomes from seven cetacean species and green sea turtles. The greater variation detected in mitogenomes relative to short mtDNA sequences is helping to resolve genetic structure ranging from geographic to species-level differences. These NGS and analysis techniques have allowed for simultaneous population genomic studies of mtDNA and nDNA with greater genomic coverage and phylogeographic resolution than has previously been possible in marine mammals and turtles.
Regulation of PDGF-B in Endothelial Cells Exposed to Cyclic Strain

The present study was designed to examine the regulation by cyclic strain of endothelial cell (EC) platelet-derived growth factor-B chain (PDGF-B) expression. We demonstrate in this study that bovine aortic ECs subjected to 10% (but not 6%) average strain resulted in a 2.6-fold increase in PDGF-B steady state mRNA and immunoreactive protein. Nuclear runoff transcription assays confirmed the induction of PDGF-B transcripts. To address the regulation of PDGF-B gene expression by cyclic strain, we transfected bovine aortic ECs with a construct containing 450 bp of human PDGF-B promoter sequence coupled to chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT), and found that subjecting these cells to 10% average strain resulted in a twofold increase in CAT activity by 4 hours. Analysis of nested 5' deletions of the promoter transfected into ECs demonstrated a 55% drop-off in activity between position -313 and -153, with no induction of activity with the - 101-bp minimal promoter. Since a shear stress response element (SSRE) is located at position -125, we tested the hypothesis that the SSRE site was necessary and/or sufficient for induction of PDGF-B activity with strain. Electromobility shift assays revealed that nuclear proteins from ECs exposed to strain for short intervals (30 minutes) bound to the PDGF-B SSRE. However, transfection of ECs with hybrid promoter constructs containing the SV40 sequence promoter downstream of the SSRE or the -153 PDGF-B promoter sequence bearing a mutation in the SSRE demonstrated that the SSRE was not necessary for inducible reporter gene expression in ECs exposed to cyclic strain.
Acanthamoeba griffini, a New Species of Marine Amoeba

SYNOPSIS. Acanthamoeba griffini n. sp. was collected from Long Island Sound near New London, Conn. Experimental cultivation studies on agar media supplemented with Aerobacter aerogenes showed that A. griffini grew and encysted on seawater agar media ranging up to 35‰ salinity and on distilled water agar media. Cysts varied from stellate to spherical and smooth depending on the salinity of the liquid component of the medium.