cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Die rechtliche Ordnung der internationalen Wirtschaftsbeziehungen

Grenzuberschreitende Wirtschaftsbeziehungen sind keine Erfindung der Gegenwart1. Vor allem im Gefolge der ersten industriellen Revolution brachen sich die Gedanken der internationalen Arbeitsteilung und der komparativen Kostenvorteile2 Bahn und ermoglichten einen intensiven wirtschaftlichen Verkehr, an dem nicht zuletzt das neugegrundete Deutsche Reich Anteil hatte3. Dennoch haben die internationalen Wirtschaftsbeziehungen seit dem Ende des Zweiten Weltkrieges eine vollig neue Qualitat gewonnen, die sich anhand folgender Phanomene beschreiben last: einer mittlerweile vier Jahrzehnte andauernden Phase relativen Freihandels (Stichworte: Abbau von Zollschranken, Kontingenten und Devisenbeschrankungen), der Entstehung von Staatengemeinschaften mit dem Ziel regionaler Wirtschaftsintegration vor allem in Europa, aber auch in Asien, Afrika und Lateinamerika, des im Zeichen der Entkolonialisierung und eines zunehmenden entwicklungspolitischen Bewustseins der Industriestaaten stehenden Hinzutretens zahlloser souveraner Lander Afrikas, Asiens und Lateinamerikas4 sowie der Entwicklung vollig neuartiger, leistungsstarker Verkehrs-, Transport- und Kommunikationssysteme.
Relief of Thermal Stresses Through Creep

Equations are developed for analyzing the effects of thermal creep on stress distributions. In formulating these elasto-plastic equations, the tensile test stress-strain creep data are extended, to compound stresses by means of the Mises-Hencky hypothesis. The various equations are manipulated to yield a numerical procedure by means of which the stress and strain components are computed successively at the end of various time intervals. In these calculations it is assumed that the initial creep rates remain constant during each time interval. The resulting equations are applied to the axially symmetric problem or relief of thermal stresses in an infinitely long cylinder which is quickly heated to a parabolic temperature, and maintained at that temperature. End effects are neglected. The calculation is reduced to repeated solutions of a certain second order ordinary differential equation. Curves are plotted showing the gradual relief of the stresses caused by the creep. The methods developed are illustrative of a procedure which may be followed for other stress creep problems. (auth)
Considering future regional air quality impacts of the transportation sector

Abstract Regional air pollution is strongly impacted by transportation emissions. Policy mechanisms to reduce emissions are required to reach environmental quality goals. Projecting the drivers (e.g., technical, economic, societal, regulatory) that will impact future emissions is challenging, and assessing regional air quality (AQ) is complicated by the need for detailed modeling tools and data inputs to simulate chemistry and transport of pollutants. This work assesses the contribution of emissions from transportation sources to ground-level concentrations of ozone and fine particulate matter via two methods. First, impacts are quantified for three U.S. regions including California using output from an economic optimization model to grow a base year emissions inventory to 2055. Second, impacts are considered for California using state-level projections with an updated emissions inventory and modeling suite in 2035. For both, advanced AQ models are used, showing that the impacts of light duty vehicles are moderate, reflecting shifts to more efficient and lower emitting technologies. In contrast, heavy duty vehicles, ships, and off-road equipment are associated with important ozone and PM2.5 burdens. Emissions from petroleum fuel production and distribution activities also have notable impacts on ozone and PM2.5. These transportation sub-sectors should be the focus of future emissions reduction policies.
Work-in-Progress: A Chip-Level Security Framework for Assessing Sensor Data Integrity

The continuously increasing inter-connectivity of sensor nodes that form the basis of the Internet-of-Things results in new avenues of attack exploitable by adversaries to maliciously modify data captured by these nodes. In this work, we present a framework for detecting malicious hardware alterations that attempt to attack state-of-the-art microchips that form these sensor nodes. Specifically, we focus on extremely small Hardware Trojans (HTs) that attempt to modify sensor data right away as the data is received on a state-of-the-art chip fabricated in an untrusted facility. We present a dual-chip approach composed of an untrusted state-of-the-art prover chip and a trusted verifier chip, where the verifier continuously challenges the prover at run-time to ensure correct operation and assess the integrity of the captured data. Our preliminary analysis of the proposed mechanism shows that HT attacks anywhere on the untrusted state-of-the-art chip are detected and flagged preventing maliciously altered data to be transmitted out of the sensor node.
Wheat Responses to Stress and Biotechnological Approaches for Improvement

In the wheat crop, biotechnological approaches are yielding remarkable results in the area of molecular variability for pathogens, genome mapping and characterization, production of virus-free plants, transgenic plants with improved quality, and stress-tolerant traits plus breeding for elite traits up to micronutrient levels. Tissue culture is the prerequisite approach for almost all of the biotechnological applications. Tissue culture performs an important role in improving wheat for various traits including biotic and abiotic stress resistance. The most widely used approaches of tissue culture reviewed here include in vitro androgenesis, somatic embryogenesis, somaclonal variations, and double haploid production. Among its various applications, tissue culture is now being applied for generating heavy metal-tolerant wheat plants. Genetic engineering is the most promising technique that is currently being applied for resistance against particular fungal diseases and subsequently for increasing crop yield. Among fungal diseases, the main focus has been given to Fusarium head blight and powdery mildew diseases. Many resistant genes harbored in suitable constructs have been successfully integrated into the wheat genome via biolistic or Agrobacterium transformation approaches. Pathogen-derived resistance has also been observed for producing tolerant wheat cultivars against viral diseases. For managing insect/pest resistance in wheat, resistance genes (R-genes) have been identified in resistant varieties and are effectively incorporated into the wheat cultivars through breeding. They are being used in place of conventional and molecular breeding to develop resistant cultivars. The next-generation technology is the foremost technique for identification of not only the target genes but also for the transcription factors or families and miRNA responsible for regulating these genes. Most of the abiotic stress-related transcription factors and genes have been documented, for instance, drought factors and metal toxicity. Here the main focus is on the biotechnological approaches and next-generation sequencing technology used in wheat improvement along with certain factors that affect wheat yield by causing biotic and abiotic stress conditions.
Programs for Single-Parent Children: Principals and Single Parents Disagree:

This article summarizes a study of special school needs of single-parent children in the seventh and eighth grades and the effectiveness of school policies, programs, and practices in responding to...
Outcomes Associated With Unplanned Interstage Cardiac Interventions After Norwood Palliation.

Background Anatomic lesions are a common cause of decompensation during the interstage period after Norwood stage 1 palliation (S1P). This study describes the risk factors for and outcomes after unplanned surgical and catheter-based interstage cardiac interventions. Methods Participants in the National Pediatric Cardiology Quality Improvement Collaborative registry discharged from the hospital after S1P between 2008 and 2016 were studied. Variables at S1P, interstage, and at stage 2 palliation (S2P) hospitalizations were examined. Multivariable logistic regression was used to compare those who had an unplanned interstage intervention to those who did not. Results Of 1994 participants from 60 programs, 343 (17.1%) had at least 1 unplanned interstage intervention. Aortic valve dilation before S1P, longer S1P cardiopulmonary bypass time, pulmonary artery stent placement between S1P and discharge, aortic arch obstruction on the S1P discharge echocardiogram, and lower weight at S1P discharge were independently associated with receiving an unplanned interstage intervention. Interstage mortality between groups was similar at 6%, as was interstage duration. Participants undergoing unplanned interstage interventions were more likely to undergo heart transplant before S2P or deemed to be unsuitable for S2P (7.3% vs 2.7%, P Conclusions Unplanned interstage interventions after S1P did not increase interstage mortality, but participants with an unplanned intervention were less likely to progress to S2P. Residual anatomic lesions are risk factors for unplanned interstage interventions. For those with progressive ventricular dysfunction in the presence of arch obstruction by echocardiogram, aortic arch reintervention is warranted.
Energy-Efficient 360-Degree Video Rendering on FPGA via Algorithm-Architecture Co-Design

360° panoramic video provides an immersive Virtual Reality experience. However, rendering 360° videos consumes excessive energy on client devices. FPGA is an ideal offloading target to improve the energy-efficiency. However, a naive implementation of the processing algorithm would lead to an excessive memory footprint that offsets the energy benefit. In this paper, we propose an algorithm-architecture co-designed system that dramatically reduces the on-chip memory requirement of VR video processing to enable FPGA offloading. Evaluation shows that our system is able to achieve significant energy reduction with no loss of performance compared to today's off-the-shelf VR video rendering system.
How Social Media Influencers Build a Brand Following by Sharing Secrets

We examine how and why bloggers and other influencers might share secrets online. Based on an exploratory survey of bloggers and the literature on secret sharing, we examine the use of secret sharing as a strategy for audience building. Our results suggest that online influencers disclose intimate personal information, and that, for a subset of these people, this means sharing information they considered secret. In contrast to secret sharing in other domains, this secret sharing by influencers does not appear to be particularly emotionally taxing or therapeutic. Rather, online influencers share secrets for strategic reasons in order to build relationships with their audience and their brand following. As such secrets are usually about the self and for the audience’s direct benefit. Future research should look at the consequences of sharing secrets and when this strategy is likely to be effective, as well as how public personas such as bloggers might redefine what they consider secret over time.
Nanocarbon immobilized membranes for generating bacteria and endotoxin free water via membrane distillation

Abstract The biocidal and endotoxin removal capabilities of carbon nanotube and graphene oxide when immobilized on a membrane surfaces are presented for the removal of thermophilic and mesophilic bacteria via direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD). The nanocarbons studied here namely carbon nanotubes (CNTs), carboxylated CNTs (CNT-COOH) and graphene oxide (GO) degraded the bacterial cell integrity and caused cell death. The membranes were characterized via SEM, TGA, AFM and water contact angles. The biocidal actions of CNTs and GO involved a mixture of physical and chemical processes: it is believed that CNTs caused significant structural damage to the cell membrane of the bacterial cells and GO caused ROS-independent oxidative stress leading to cell death. The pure CNTs showed the highest biocidal activity (96.2% for thermophilic and 83.9% for mesophilic cells) followed by CNT-COOH (84.3% for thermophilic and 49.8% for mesophilic cells), GO (81.7% for thermophilic and 47.8% for mesophilic cells) and PTFE (68% for thermophilic and 24.4% for mesophilic cells). While biofilm/bacterial sludge accumulated on the CNT-COOH and GO immobilized membrane surfaces, no biofilm was observed on the CNT membrane. Due to the amphiphilic nature of the endotoxins, surface adsorption via intermolecular interactions led to the removal of endotoxins. Endotoxin removal efficiency was as high as 99.9% for all the membranes. The nanocarbon immobilized membranes are clearly effective in generating ultrapure, medical grade water.
Biological suppression of the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita following winter cover crops in conservation tillage cotton

Abstract Winter cover crops are often planted in temperate and subtropical environments. The residue from these cover crops may enhance suppression of plant-parasitic nematodes by providing alternative food sources for predators and parasites. The primary objective of this study was to determine whether winter cover crops enhance early season suppression of Meloidogyne incognita compared to a weedy fallow. Two secondary objectives were to determine the effect of winter cover crops on free-living nematodes, with an emphasis on carnivorous (Ca; obligate predators) and omnivorous (Om, facultative predators) nematodes, and determine the role of these predators in suppression of M. incognita. Two experiments were conducted over 3 years at different field sites. The experiments consisted of three cover crop treatments replicated four times in a randomized complete block design. The cover crop treatments for the Jones Farm were rye, a rye-crimson clover combination, and fallow. The cover crop treatments for the Belflower Farm were rye, hairy vetch, and fallow. The cover crops were killed and the fields planted with cotton. At the time of planting cotton, soil samples were collected to conduct bioassays to evaluate suppression of M. incognita and abundance of predatory nematodes. One bioassay measured nematode survival after 5 days in natural compared to defaunted soil, and the other bioassay measured differences in nematode reproduction among the cover-crop treatments. The native soil community reduced survival of M. incognita J2 by 55% in 2016 at the Belflower Farm and in all years at the Jones Farm by 60% compared to defaunated soil; however, the cover crop treatments had no effect on the level of suppression. Predatory nematodes may have contributed to reduced survival. Like the survival bioassay, predators were also generally not influenced by cover crop treatment. At the Jones Farm, there was a significant correlation between relative abundance of Om, Ca, and Om + Ca and suppression of J2. Reproduction of M. incognita was suppressed in soil that had been planted to cover crops by 54–66% compared to the weedy fallow at the Belflower but not the Jones Farm. Planting winter cover crops enhanced early season suppression of M. incognita reproduction at the Belflower Farm; however, cover crops had no effect on suppression of J2 survival at the Jones Farm. Enhancement of nematode suppression by cover crops is likely dependent on the organisms involved in suppression.
COVID-19 and Moral Distress/Moral Anguish Therapeutic Support for Healthcare Workers in Acute Care: Our Voice

In the midst of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, acute care healthcare workers (HWs) on the front lines are balancing fear and bravery to prioritize lifesaving efficiency for their patients and themselves. Given the complexity of their work, in particular its constant proximity to patients encountering life-altering events, HWs are at high risk for traumatic, stressful workplace experiences, including the phenomena known in tandem as moral distress/moral anguish (MDA). This chapter offers guidance on therapeutic practice skills needed by social workers (SWs) to help HWs identify and address their experiences of MDA. Case-based vignettes demonstrate how situations encountered within acute care settings challenge personal values and trigger personal memories, heightening the experience of MDA. The vignettes illustrate how two therapeutic approaches can be used to address MDA: reflective cycle (Gibbs, Learning by Doing: A Guide to Teaching and Learning Methods. Further Educational Unit, Oxford Polytechnic, Oxford, 1988) and transformative learning (Mezirow, Fostering Critical Reflection in Adulthood. Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, 1990). Given a medical culture that prioritizes efficiency and often imposes strict time restraints on workers, it is challenging for HWs to reflect on and treat symptoms that indicate MDA. The opportunity for HWs to voice their distress and build self-care strategies represents their path toward healing from the extraordinary pressure and hardship the COVID-19 crisis has brought and toward strengthening their resilience in order to continue their profoundly benevolent work.
HspB4/αA-Crystallin Modulates Neuroinflammation in the Retina via the Stress-Specific Inflammatory Pathways.

Purpose: We have previously demonstrated that HspB4/αA-crystallin, a molecular chaperone, plays an important intrinsic neuroprotective role during diabetes, by its phosphorylation on residue 148. We also reported that HspB4/αA-crystallin is highly expressed by glial cells. There is a growing interest in the potential causative role of low-grade inflammation in diabetic retinopathy pathophysiology and retinal Muller glial cells’ (MGCs’) participation in the inflammatory response. MGCs indeed play a central role in retinal homeostasis via secreting various cytokines and other mediators. Hence, this study was carried out to delineate and understand the regulatory function of HspB4/αA-crystallin in the inflammatory response associated with metabolic stresses. Methods: Primary MGCs were isolated from knockout HspB4/αA-crystallin mice. These primary cells were then transfected with plasmids encoding either wild-type (WT), phosphomimetic (T148D), or non-phosphorylatable mutants (T148A) of HspB4/αA-crystallin. The cells were exposed to multiple metabolic stresses including serum starvation (SS) or high glucose with TNF-alpha (HG + T) before being further evaluated for the expression of inflammatory markers by qPCR. The total protein expression along with subcellular localization of NF-kB and the NLRP3 component was assessed by Western blot. Results: Elevated levels of IL-6, IL-1β, MCP-1, and IL-18 in SS were significantly diminished in MGCs overexpressing WT and further in T148D as compared to EV. The HG + T-induced increase in these inflammatory markers was also dampened by WT and even more significantly by T148D overexpression, whereas T148A was ineffective in either stress. Further analysis revealed that overexpression of WT or the T148D, also led to a significant reduction of Nlrp3, Asc, and caspase-1 transcript expression in serum-deprived MGCs and nearly abolished the NF-kB induction in HG + T diabetes-like stress. This mechanistic effect was further evaluated at the protein level and confirmed the stress-dependent regulation of NLRP3 and NF-kB by αA-crystallin. Conclusions: The data gathered in this study demonstrate the central regulatory role of HspB4/αA-crystallin and its modulation by phosphorylation on T148 in retinal MGCs. For the first time, this study demonstrates that HspB4/αA-crystallin can dampen the stress-induced expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines through the modulation of multiple key inflammatory pathways, therefore, suggesting its potential as a therapeutic target for the modulation of chronic neuroinflammation.
Use of scREAD to explore and analyze single-cell and single-nucleus RNA-seq data for Alzheimer's disease.

Summary Single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) and single-nucleus RNA-sequencing (snRNA-seq) studies have provided remarkable insights into understanding the molecular pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. We recently developed scREAD, a database to provide comprehensive analyses of all the existing AD scRNA-seq and snRNA-seq data from the public domain. Here, we report protocols for using the scREAD web interface and running the backend workflow locally. Our protocols enable custom analyses of AD single-cell and single-nucleus gene expression profiles. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Jiang et al. (2020) .
Species relationships in the extremes and their influence on community stability.

Synchrony among population fluctuations of multiple coexisting species has a major impact on community stability, i.e. on the relative temporal constancy of aggregate properties such as total commu...
A broad-spectrum constitutive modeling technique applied to saline ice

The constitutive behavior of lab-grown saline ice subjected to isothermal, uniaxial tensile loadings is discussed. A rectangular plate specimen of S2 columnar saline ice was subjected to a uniform tensile stress perpendicular to the long axis of the column structure. This loading was selected to represent the stress field which occurs in the plane of natural ice covers under tension. The uniaxial stress state was applied with a recently developed, modified Reversed Direct Stress device. Two successive load histories were applied – creep-recovery cycles and monotonic stress ramps. A broad-spectrum, nonlinear viscoelastic modeling approach is used to develop a constitutive model of the strain response. Each parameter of the model is evaluated from the measured ice response to the creep-recovery loadings. The model provides an accurate representation of the experimental data with a delayed elastic compliance function in time power law form (t n ,n= $$\frac{1}{3}$$ ) and a nonlinear stress exponent (σ q ,q = $$\frac{3}{2}$$ ). Finally, the model is used to predict the strain response of the ice to the monotonic ramp loadings with good results.
The Surface Analysis of Copper Arc Beads—A Critical Review

The chemical composition of arc beads has been purported to reflect the local atmospheric conditions at the precise moment when the arc occurs. It has further been claimed that Auger analyses, taken from beneath the surface contamination layers of an arc bead, can be used to distinguish whether the arcing was the cause of a fire. The hypothesis is that because atmospheric gases are trapped in the arc bead when it solidifies, the concentrations of gases inside the bead will reflect ambient conditions when the arc causes the fire, but rich concentrations of combustion gases when it does not. A review of the literature on the solubility of gases in liquid copper indicates that there is no scientific justification for this hypothesis.
Blood Groups and Transfusion Science

Determination of blood group antigens is an integral part of safe blood transfusion and of the management of pregnancy. The antigens are on the surface of erythrocytes and, thus, can elicit an immune response in a recipient who has a different profile of antigens (only identical twins will have erythrocytes with the same profile). Keywords: blood group antigens and transfusion; ABO and Rh blood groups; RBC alloantibodies; RBC antigens; compatibility testing
Academic Support Experiences and Perceptions of Postsecondary Students with Disabilities: A Public and Private University Comparison.

Academic Support Experiences and Perceptions of Postsecondary Students with Disabilities: A Public and Private University Comparison by Heather Taylor Wizikowski Claremont Graduate University: 2013 Legislation, social awareness, and advancements in medicine and assistive technology have created meaningful postsecondary opportunities for students with disabilities over the past 30 years. Mainstreaming, inclusion, and transition planning in elementary and secondary schools also greatly contributed to the increased achievement of students with disabilities. Today, 15% of students with disabilities attend four-year colleges. Current federal data show 88% of private and 99% of public universities report students with disabilities enrolled at their institutions. Much of the current research focuses on institutional practice and need. There is a gap in the research when looking at student needs and experiences. This quantitative dissertation study analyzed the relationships between student perceptions, self-advocacy awareness and confidence levels, and available disability accommodations at two institutions of higher learning, one public and one private. One hundred and thirteen undergraduate students with disabilities completed an online survey. Thirty-four respondents attend the private university, and 79 respondents attend the public university. Descriptive and associative statistics were analyzed for comparative experiences between the two settings, knowledge and confidence of self-advocacy skills, and relationships between these variables and disclosure patterns.
Acid-catalyzed esterification of lysozyme in methanol. Reactivities of individual carboxyl groups.

Abstract The esterification of lysozyme in methanol/0.1 m HCl was studied by measuring the incorporation of tritiated methoxyl and the sulfanilation of unreacted carboxyl groups. Side reactions were significant only after 9 of 10 groups had reacted. The rate of esterification of each carboxyl group was determined using sulfanilation and peptide analysis. The groups could be arranged in four classes with the following average half-times of esterification: 3 hr (Glu-7, Asp-119); 6.5 hr (Glu-35, Asp-87, Asp-101); 15 hr (Asp-18, Asp -48 Asp -52 , α-COOH); 120 hr (Asp-66). The different rates of esterification in methanol/0.1 m HCl presumably reflect the structure of the protein in the nonaqueous solvent and suggest that the folding of the amino-terminal half of the chain may be similar in acid methanol and water. Asp-66, which is the only ionizable group of lysozyme that is completely buried in the native conformation, methylated 10–40 times more slowly than any other carboxyl. The methylated products showed heterogeneity that increased with the extent of methylation. Considerable secondary structure was retained after exhaustive methylation. Enzymic activity was lost with extent of methylation to a degree greater than could be accounted for considering only the four carboxyl groups that are part of the active site. Methylation affected substrate binding and the associated spectrum change less strongly.
The Power Smith Tube: Joint optimization of power amplifier input power and load impedance for power-added efficiency and adjacent-channel power ratio

A new visualization tool for design is introduced: the Power Smith Tube. It provides aid in designing for optimum power-added efficiency (PAE) while meeting adjacent-channel power ratio (ACPR) requirements. The Power Smith Tube is a three-dimensional cylindrical extension of the Smith Chart with input power as the vertical axis. As such, this Smith Tube allows the visualization of design metrics, such as PAE and ACPR, as a function of both input power and load impedance. Performance of load-pull measurements or simulations at multiple values of input power provides data for the design. Design examples using the Power Smith Tube based on both simulation and measurement data are presented to demonstrate selection of load impedance and input power providing the highest PAE under ACPR constraints.
mRNA structure and function.

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on eukaryotic mRNA and provides information at every level of development. It discusses the general structure of eukaryotic mRNA for the majority of the molecules. It reviews that a number of gaps in the knowledge about the function of mRNA still exist—for example, the mechanism and regulation of mRNA turnover. The chapter attempts to discover and study the nuclear proteins responsible for genetic regulation. In these experiments the investigator unceremoniously yanks the chromatin out of the nucleus, divests it of its protein, puts the protein back again on the DNA, and the resulting mixture is still transcribed by Escherichia coli polymerase in a manner that reflects the cell from which the chromatin came. It reviews that it is through understanding details of mRNA manufacture that eventually understands the regulation of the mRNA. The chapter concludes that the study of eukaryotic mRNA is truly coming of age. The prospects appear bright to truly learn about regulation within the next 10 years.
Cofactors in Biocatalysis

Some enzymes require the participation of chemical compounds called cofactors for biocatalysis. A cofactor is either a simple inorganic metal ion or a complex organic molecule called a coenzyme. Common metal ion cofactors are copper, iron, and zinc. Metal ions aid the enzyme either structurally or catalytically. Coenzymes have physiocochemical properties not found in the enzyme, which are necessary to assist the enzyme to catalyze a reaction. The function of a coenzyme is to accept the transfer of a specific functional group from a substrate in order for the substrate to be converted to the product. After coenzymes participate in a reaction, they may be regenerated back to their original form. Coenzymes are classified according to whether they are self-regenerating, regenerated by oxidation using molecular oxygen, or regenerated using an appropriate substrate other than O2 for regeneration. Furthermore, several coenzymes have been immobilized onto solid supports for economical biocatalysis. Keywords: cofactor; metal ion; coenzyme; enzyme; metalloprotein; metalloenzyme; metal activated enzyme; catalyst; prosthetic group; apoenzyme; holoenzyme; biocatalysis
Role of Radiation Therapy in Management of Ovarian Cancer

Controversy has developed over the role of external x-ray therapy for the management of patients with common epithelial ovarian cancer. Although it is accepted that external x-ray therapy has a place in the treatment of the gonadal stromal tumors and germ cell tumors exclusive of the extraembryonal tumors, its role in the therapy of the common epithelial ovarian cancers has diminished in prominence. There are several reasons: (1) A study carried out at the M.D. Anderson Hospital compared melphalan (Alkeran) to radiation therapy as postoperative therapy. The radiation therapy was associated with more serious toxicity and a greater economic cost to the patient but did not improve the surgical rate; therefore chemotherapy was selected as the treatment of choice. (2) The response of the common epithelial ovarian cancer and its type of superficial spread over the liver and diaphragm interfered with optimal treatment.
Unusual Presentation of Acute Carbon Monoxide Poisoning (P6.024)

INTRODUCTION We report the unusual MRI finding of isolated bilateral thalamic infarcts in an elderly male with acute Carbon monoxide (CO) intoxication. CASE REPORT A 77 year old male was admitted to our institution with sudden loss of consciousness while working in a poorly ventilated room. On neurological examination, he was found to be unresponsive with sluggishly reactive pupils, withdrawing to painful stimuli with no focal abnormalities. EKG, cardiac enzymes and an emergent CT of the brain were normal. Diagnosis of encephalopathy secondary to CO poisoning was made. The patient was intubated, maintained on 100% oxygen and was transferred to ICU. MRI revealed acute infarcts exclusively involving bilateral medial nuclei of thalamus. Basal ganglia, periventricular white matter and hippocampus were unaffected. Brain MRA and other stroke work-up including TTE, Holter monitoring and carotid duplex were unremarkable. Patient was started on Aspirin, statin and was closely monitored. On repeat exam, he had bilateral vertical gaze palsy and was spontaneously moving all four extremities. EEG performed the next day showed moderately severe encephalopathy without evidence of focal slowing or epileptiform activity. He was discharged to rehabilitation facility a week later with residual vertical gaze palsy and moderate gait dysfunction. Patient was readmitted a week later following apparent recovery with delayed neurological deterioration. MRI demonstrated evolving bilateral thalamic infarcts with no acute abnormalities. DISCUSSION CO poisoning is the leading cause of poisoning death in US. MRI abnormalities in acute cases include Globus pallidus lesions, white matter changes and usually spare hypothalamus, thalamus and brain stem. High-flow 100% oxygen should be administered immediately, while hyperbaric oxygen therapy is reserved for severe poisonings. CONCLUSION CO poisoning should be included in the differential diagnosis of patients found to have isolated bilateral thalamic involvement. MR imaging undertaken in acute setting aids in management and prognosis. Follow-up is required to assess for the development of Delayed Neuropsychiatric Syndrome, which can cause changes in personality, memory and gait. Disclosure: Dr. Bains has nothing to disclose. Dr. Reid has nothing to disclose. Dr. Huang has nothing to disclose.
Oocyte nuclear DNA content and GC proportion in rotifers of the anciently asexual Class Bdelloidea

The approximately 360 species of the Class Bdelloidea (Phylum Rotifera) constitute the largest, most diverse and oldest eukaryotic group for which obligate asexuality has morphological, cytological and molecular support. DNA sequence studies indicate that the class constitutes a single clonal lineage, 50-100 million years old. Here we report cytofluorometric measurements of oocyte nuclear DNA content and GC proportion for six bdelloid species, representing the three major families of Bdelloidea. We find wide differences between species in nuclear DNA content (0.5-2.4 pg) and proportion of GC (37-57%). The proportion of GC in the nuclear DNA of all six species is greater than that in their coding regions examined to date, and tends to be greater in species with greater nuclear DNA content. Interspecific differences in nuclear DNA content do not correlate with chromosome numbers, which range from 10 to 13, and are therefore not due to differences in ploidy. In addition, since bdelloids seemingly lack functional reverse transcriptase genes, the observed interspecific differences in nuclear DNA content and GC proportion do not appear to have resulted from retrotransposon activity. The values of oocyte nuclear DNA content obtained by cytofluorometric measurement are close to the values of total genome size we previously obtained from measurements of DNA hybridization intensity, indicating that bdelloid genomes do not undergo significant somatic chromatin diminution and, unlike the genomes of sexually reproducing diploids or polyploids, do not consist of two or more nearly identical haplotypes.
Language and the Boundaries of Research: Media Monitoring Technologies in International Media Research

This article argues that data-driven research in global media has not kept up with the inherent interest in internationalization due to a number of factors, including access to global media and the...
Two-Year Follow-Up After Catheter-Based Radiotherapy to Inhibit Coronary Restenosis

Background —Although early trials indicate the treatment of restenosis with radiation therapy is safe and effective, the long-term impact of this new technology has been questioned. The possibility of late untoward consequences, such as aneurysm formation, perforation, and accelerated vascular disease, is of significant concern. Furthermore, it is not known whether the beneficial effects of radiation therapy will be durable or whether radiation will only delay restenosis. Methods and Results —A double-blind, randomized trial was undertaken to compare 192Ir with placebo sources in patients with previous restenosis after coronary angioplasty. Patients were randomly assigned to receive a 0.76-mm (0.03-in) ribbon containing sealed sources of either 192Ir or placebo. All patients underwent repeat coronary angiography at 6 months. All living patients were contacted 24 months after their index study procedure. Patients were assessed with respect to the need for target-lesion revascularization or nontarget-lesion revascularization, occurrence of myocardial infarction, or death. Over a 9-month period, 55 patients were enrolled; 26 were randomized to 192Ir and 29 to placebo. Follow-up was obtained in 100% of living patients at a minimum of 24 months. Target-lesion revascularization was significantly lower in the 192Ir group (15.4% versus 44.8%; P <0.01). Nontarget-lesion revascularization was similar in 192Ir and placebo patients (19.2% versus 20.7%; P =NS). There were 2 deaths in each group. The composite end point of death, myocardial infarction, or target-lesion revascularization was significantly lower in 192Ir-treated versus placebo-treated patients (23.1% versus 51.7%; P =0.03). No patient in the 192Ir group sustained a target-lesion revascularization later than 10 months. Conclusions —At 2-year clinical follow-up, treatment with 192Ir demonstrates significant clinical benefit. Although further follow-up (including late angiography) will be necessary, no clinical events have occurred to date in the 192Ir group to suggest major untoward effects of vascular radiotherapy. At the intermediate follow-up time point, vascular radiotherapy continues to be a promising new treatment for restenosis.
Influence of gender on Tourette syndrome beyond adolescence

Although boys are disproportionately affected by tics in Tourette syndrome (TS), this gender bias is attenuated in adulthood and a recent study has suggested that women may experience greater functional interference from tics than men. The authors assessed the gender distribution of adults in a tertiary University-based TS clinic population and the relative influence of gender and other variables on adult tic severity (YGTSS score) and psychosocial functioning (GAF score). We also determined retrospectively the influence of gender on change in global tic severity and overall TS impairment (YGTSS) since adolescence. Females were over-represented in relation to previously published epidemiologic surveys of both TS children and adults. Female gender was associated with a greater likelihood of tic worsening as opposed to tic improvement in adulthood; a greater likelihood of expansion as opposed to contraction of motor tic distribution; and with increased current motor tic severity and tic-related impairment. However, gender explained only a small percentage of the variance of the YGTSS global severity score and none of the variance of the GAF scale score. Psychosocial functioning was influenced most strongly by tic severity but also by a variety of comorbid neuropsychiatric disorders.
DECOMPOSING TRENDS IN INCOME VOLATILITY: THE “WILD RIDE” AT THE TOP AND BOTTOM

We use 2-year panels from the Current Population Survey to provide a detailed accounting of family income volatility from 1980 to 2009. Volatility doubled overall, and the increase was most pronounced among the top 1% of the income distribution, but in any given year the level of volatility among the bottom 10% exceeds that of the top. The increased volatility comes from higher instability of head and spouse earnings, other nonlabor income, and from reduced covariance between these income sources with the tax system. This suggests that current tax policy is less effective in mitigating income shocks than previous decades. (JEL J31, I30)
The synthesis of trisaccharide antigenic determinants for the branch points in natural dextrans and their protein conjugates

Abstract Three O -allyl-di- O -benzyl-6- O -( N -phenylcarbamoyl)-1- O -tosyl- d -glucopyranose derivatives were coupled with 2-[4-( p -toluenesulfonamido)phenyl]ethanol to give the corresponding α- d -glucopyranosides. Decarbanilation and deallylation gave the corresponding 2,3-, 2,4-, and 3,4-di- O -benzyl-α- d -glucopyranosides. Reaction of the diols with two equivalents of 2,3,4-tri- O -benzyl-6- O -( N -phenylcarbamoyl)-1- O -tosyl- d -glucopyranose gave the branched trisacchalides having an α- d -glucopyranosyl group at O-6 and one at either O-2, O-3, or O-4. The oligosaccharides were deblocked with sodium in liquid ammonia to give the 2-(4-aminophenyl)ethyl α- d -glucoside, which were converted into the isothiocyanate derivatives with thiophosgene. The functionalized oligosaccharides were coupled to bovine serum albumin to give protein conjugates.
Measurement and Use of Reflectance Function Based on the Discrete-Ordinates Method

An experimental scatterometer based on the angular discretization of the discrete-ordinates or S N method was constructed to account for the directional property of reflectance of metallic foils and their interaction with a high-temperature insulating material. Solution of the radiative heat-transfer equation is given in terms of the S 4 approximation taking into consideration a linear-anisotropic scattering function for the scattering characteristics of the fiber and including the directional properties of the foils as part of the boundary condition limits. Special treatment in the S N method is required when dealing with directionally incident radiation in order to simulate the experimental conditions
AN INDEX OF ASSOCIATION FOR TWO-GROUP COVARIANCE PROBLEMS

Cohen ( 1965 ) , Joe and Anderson ( 1969), and others have warned against the overinterpretation of sratistically significant group differences based on large samples. They have provided indices of strength of association to be reported by researchers along with inferential statistics. The purpose of the present paper is to suggest such an index of association for covariance problems dealing with two groups. A situation where covariance analysis is frequently used involves comparison of an experimental group with a control group on a pretest and a posttest of a given measure, the pretest being used as the covariable. The two groups can also involve trai: variables, e.g., male vs female, senior vs freshman, Roman Catholic vs Protestant, and white-collar worker vs blue-collar worker. W e shall use X o to represent the posttest variable and XI, the pretest variable. Now let X 2 be a dichotomous variable that assumes the value of unity if the subject is a member of the experimental group and zero if he is a member of the control group. The aim is to select some index that will represent the association of this dichotomous variable with the posttest, but with the pretest partialled out. The quantity, %? rolrl?, seems to accomplish this aim because the term ro? represents the association of the dichotomous and posttest variables and the product of sol and 712 involves an adjustment based on the relationship of the pretest to the other two variables. I t turns out that this quantity, 702 T01712, is the numerator of at least four correlational-type indices: (1) partial correlation, ( 2 ) part correlation, ( 3 ) semipartial correlation (Baggnley, 1969), and (4 ) the standard partial regression coefficient (often called a "beta weight"). Since ro2 and r12 each involve one dichotomous variable, we can use the point-biserial formula,
Managing multiple construction robots with a computer

Abstract The Construction Robotic Equipment Management System (CREMS) prototype presented in this paper has been applied to the evaluation of performance of ten diverse construction robots. individual task characteristics along with the robot physical parameters have been analyzed in arriving at appropriate effectiveness and productivity parameters. The wall inspection, clean room inspection and concrete placement tasks were analyzed using a uniform analysis procedure. The number of erected units has been the primary focus of beam and column erection evaluation. Consistency and relative density were considered as parameters associated with productivity of a robotic excavation control system. Underground utilities encountered during excavation imposed limits on the speed of progress and interruptions along the delivery path of concrete distribution. These are regarded as major project-specific constraints for these tasks. An example application of CREMS to robotic excavation has been provided.
Traumatic intraventricular hemorrhage treated with intraventricular recombinant-tissue plasminogen activator: technical case report.

OBJECTIVE AND IMPORTANCE: Traumatic intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) can result in association with acute obstructive hydrocephalus, repetitive malfunction of external ventricular drains (EVDs), and uncontrollable increased intracranial pressure. We report a case showing the safe and effective use of intraventricular recombinant-tissue plasminogen activator in a child with severe brain injury and acute hydrocephalus from IVH. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: A 15-year-old male patient presented to us after a motor vehicle accident with bilateral extensor posturing, intracerebral and IVH, and acute obstructive hydrocephalus. INTERVENTION: A right EVD was placed and functioned only transiently. A left EVD was placed and functioned only transiently. Because of the inability to maintain ventricular drainage, rising intracranial pressure, and worsening clinical status, 5 mg of recombinant-tissue plasminogen activator was injected through each EVD. Excellent EVD function was obtained quickly, with control of intracranial pressure and improvement in clinical status and without hemorrhagic complication. CONCLUSION: With obstructive hydrocephalus secondary to acute traumatic IVH that cannot be controlled with EVD because of recurrent obstruction from intraventricular blood, intraventricular recombinant-tissue plasminogen activator can be effective and safe, despite preexisting multiple hemorrhagic intracranial injuries.
The Resilience Scale: Psychometric Properties and Clinical Applicability in Older Adults

Resilience is described as the ability to achieve, retain, or regain a level of physical or emotional health after illness or loss. The Resilience Scale was specifically developed to measure personality characteristics of resilience in older adults. The purposes of this article are to provide additional support for the psychometric properties of the Resilience Scale and to consider the clinical applicability of this tool. Data from two independent samples of older adults were used. Most of the participants were Caucasian women, between 80 and 90 years of age, widowed, single, or divorced, and they had on average approximately three comorbid medical problems. Psychometric testing included confirmatory factor analysis, Rasch analysis, and test criterion relationships for validity testing, and internal consistency and estimates of R 2 for reliability testing. Although there was some support for the reliability and validity of the 25-item Resilience Scale, there was a poor fit of Items 3–6, 9, 11, 20, and 22 in the 25-item measure. Overall, participants in both samples scored high in resilience, and item mapping indicated that additional items are needed on the measure to differentiate those who are particularly resilient. Although revisions are recommended, use of the Resilience Scale can help identify older adults low in resilience and expose these individuals to interventions to improve resilience and facilitate successful aging.
An Energy Management System for a community energy storage system

This paper considers the operational issues related to community level micro-grids which uses PV systems as the main local power generation. To facilitate the operation of such systems, the paper investigates the use of local storage, and proposes an Energy Management System (EMS) for this purpose. The paper shows that the proposed EMS can address the main operational issues, such as reducing energy consumption during peak loading conditions and limiting excess reverse power flow back to the utility.