cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Network DEA II

The original DEA model by Charnes et al. (Eur. J. Oper. Res. 2:429–444, 1978) is set to analyze production as a black box, i.e., there is no information about the processes inside. Network DEA was proposed for analysis of the contents of the black box. This theory allows the researcher to model processes within the black box by formulating sub-technology DEA models. The interaction of sub-technology DEA models preserves the DEA structure, and the network model can therefore be solved using linear programming. This chapter discusses network DEA models, both static and dynamic. The discussion also explores various useful objective functions that can be applied to the models to find the optimal allocation of resources for processes within the black box that are normally invisible to DEA.
Using Computer Simulations and Culturally Responsive Instruction to Broaden Urban Students’ Participation in STEM

This article describes the findings of a pilot study that used computer simulations to broaden urban children’s opportunities to learn and participate in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Culturally responsive instructional practices were used to engage urban children in mathematical reasoning and science process skills to create computer simulations. In this study, African-American and Latinx students’ self-efficacy in technology and twenty-first-century skills, as well as attitudes toward STEM and STEM careers, were examined using the context of critical race theory. Due to the small sample size, a non-parametric test was performed. The results revealed significant differences from pre-test to post-test on the constructs of twenty-first-century skills, science attitude and engineering careers. The effect sizes were moderate. Qualitative data revealed the instructor engaged in four out of six elements associated with culturally responsive instruction. Future studies should examine how instructors’ use of sociopolitical consciousness and funds of knowledge influences underrepresented students’ interest in and motivation to learn about STEM.
Reinforcement-Learning-Based Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control of Buses in the Lincoln Tunnel Corridor with Time-Varying Topology

The exclusive bus lane (XBL) is one of the most popular bus transit systems in the U.S. The Lincoln Tunnel utilizes an XBL through the tunnel in the AM peak period. This paper proposes a novel data-driven cooperative adaptive cruise control (CACC) algorithm that aims to minimize a cost function for connected and autonomous buses along the XBL. Different from existing model-based CACC algorithms, the proposed approach employs the idea of reinforcement learning, which does not rely on accurate knowledge of bus dynamics. Considering a time-varying topology, where each autonomous vehicle can only receive information from preceding vehicles that are within its communication range, a distributed controller is learned real-time by online headway, velocity, and acceleration data collected from the system trajectories. The convergence of the proposed algorithm and the stability of the closed-loop system are rigorously analyzed. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is demonstrated using a well-calibrated Paramics microscopic traffic simulation model of the XBL corridor. The simulation results show that the travel time in the autonomous version of the XBL are close to the present day travel time even when the bus volume is increased by 30%.
Bundled Payments for Appendectomy: a Model of Financial Implications to Institutions.

Bundled payments are increasingly becoming common in surgery, yet little is known regarding their potential impact on reimbursements for patients presenting with acute appendicitis. This study examines the financial impact of bundled payments for acute appendicitis. This was a retrospective review of all open or laparoscopic appendectomies between July 2014 and June 2017. Patients that were not candidates for surgery were not included in this review. Of the total 741 patients, 42.1% were diagnosed with complicated acute appendicitis. The median length of stay was 1 day (range, 0 to 21 days). The median hospital cost was $4183 (range, $2075 to $71,023). The 90-day readmission rate was 3.2%, with a mean cost of $5025 per readmission (range, $1595 to $10,795). Length of stay, hospital costs, and 90-day readmissions were significantly higher for complicated versus uncomplicated acute appendicitis. In our current fee-for-service model, hospital reimbursements resulted in margins of − 4.0% to 24.6% depending on the severity of disease. If we assume that bundled payments do not reimburse for readmissions, we estimate that our hospital would incur losses of − 5.7% for patients with acute appendicitis with localized peritonitis and − 20.2% for patients with acute appendicitis with generalized peritonitis. As bundled payments become more common, hospitals may incur significant losses for acute appendicitis under a model that does not reflect the heterogeneous nature of patients requiring appendectomies. These losses can range up to − 20.2% for complicated cases. Improving clinical outcomes by reducing readmissions may mitigate some of these anticipated losses.
Morals and Mentors: What the First American Law Schools Can Teach Us About Developing Law Students' Professional Identity

This article examines what the first American law schools can teach current legal educators about how best to develop law students’ professional identity. Drawing upon the seminal reports of Educating Lawyers and Best Practices for Legal Education, the article underscores legal educators’ responsibility to cultivate our students’ professional identity and instill in them the key normative values of the profession. Turning to the lessons we can learn from early American law schools, the article then discusses how legal educators in America, from colonial times through the late nineteenth century, sought to teach aspiring lawyers both legal analysis and the study of — and reflection on — ethical and moral principles underlying the law. The article next considers how a variety of influences led to a de-emphasis on ethical formation in the instruction of law students and to the development of teaching legal analysis as the primary mission of law schools. This part also discusses related changes in the legal profession which accompanied these changes in legal education. The final part explores the elements of early law school education related to values formation, including the role of mentoring, and provides recommendations on how these elements can be integrated into modern law school teaching. The article concludes that law schools today can best marry present and past by employing modern pedagogical practices to re-emphasize the importance of developing “lawyer-statespersons” who exhibit practical wisdom and share a passion for pursuing the common good.
P191 Upstream Partners: Identifying SNAP-Ed Sectoral Collaborations Towards Meaningful Policy, Systems, and Environmental Change

Background SNAP-Ed implementers are encouraged to engage in multi-sector partnerships in order to ultimately lead to long-term impacts, addressing factors at upstream levels. Though, SNAP-Ed programs are beginning to document engagement with multi-sector coalitions, little is known about implementers’ current and perceived future partnerships with individual sectors (e.g., transportation, education, health care). Objective To identify sectors with which South Carolina SNAP-Ed (SC SNAP-Ed) program implementers currently engage or plan to engage with in the future. Study Design, Settings, Participants Educators and managers of SC SNAP-Ed Implementing Agencies (IA) (n = 24) participated in qualitative in-depth interviews. Participants rated the amount of support/collaboration they had or expected to have with 16 sectors. Participants then reflected on their responses for each sector. Measurable Outcome/Analysis Participant responses to the level of support/collaboration were tabulated across Implementing Agencies (n = 4) for each sector. Verbatim transcripts were analyzed in Nvivo 11 to identify perspectives surrounding the selection of each sector. Results The most frequently engaged sectors were Education, Faith-based, and Healthcare. The most frequently cited sectors where no support/collaboration occurred were Business, Economic Development, and Transportation. The most commonly identified reasons for this lack of engagement were: the scope/focus of the specific educator or IA, negative perception/lack of experience with the sector, and perceptions that connection with the sector was unallowable under SNAP-Ed guidance. Conclusion The SC SNAP-Ed program currently has support/collaboration with traditional SNAP-Ed sectors. These sectors have been partners primarily in direct nutrition education. Expanding the scope of SNAP-Ed partnerships into other sectors could provide necessary linkages to developing PSE changes that address SNAP-Ed goals at a larger scale. Guidance and training of allowable, effective strategies for collaboration are needed to change implementer perceptions. Funding SNAP-Ed.
The Relationship Between Social Support and Family Relationships Among Low-Income Couples Attending Relationship Education

Results are mixed for relationship education (RE) interventions with low-income couples. For couples who experienced positive changes, it is not clear what aspects of program models contributed to change. Many low-income couples attend government-funded RE with limited access to social and community resources. Program models often provide related resources complimentary to RE skill-building. We examined the relationship between income, social support, and family functioning for low-income, ethnically diverse couples (N = 856) who attended RE, as well as the mediating effects of social support on family functioning outcomes. Analyses included three separate dyadic models that examined associations among constructs at baseline and immediately following the RE intervention. Results demonstrated relationships between participants' reported social support and family functioning such that (a) social support was associated with baseline family functioning for both men and women; (b) men's baseline social support was influenced by women's baseline family functioning; and (c) men's and women's social support change score had a positive influence on their own family functioning change score. However, social support was not a significant mediator of change in family functioning. Implications for RE practice and research are also discussed.
DNA polymerase β gap-filling translesion DNA synthesis

Although the primary function of DNA polymerase (pol) β is associated with gap-filling DNA synthesis as part of the DNA base excision repair pathway, translesion synthesis activity has also been described. To further understand the potential role of pol β-catalyzed translesion DNA synthesis (TLS) and the structure–function relationships of specific residues in pol β, wild-type and selected mutants of pol β were used in TLS assays with DNA substrates containing bulky polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-adducted oligonucleotides. Stereospecific (+) and (−)-anti-trans-(C10S and C10R) benzo[a]pyrene-7,8- dihydrodiol-9-10-epoxide (BPDE) adducts were covalently attached to both the N6-adenine and N2-guanine in the major and minor grooves, respectively. For all substrates tested, the presence of the BPDE adducts greatly decreased the efficiency of nucleotide incorporation opposite the lesion, and the stereochemistry of the adducts also further modulated the efficiency of the insertion step, such that lesions which were oriented in the 3′ direction relative to the approaching polymerase were considerably more blocking than those oriented in the 5′ direction. In the absence of a downstream DNA strand, the extension step beyond the adduct was extremely inefficient, relative to a dinucleotide gap-filling reaction, such that in the presence of the downstream DNA, dinucleotide incorporation was strongly favored. In general, analyses of the TLS activities of four pol β mutants revealed similar overall properties, but wild-type pol β exhibited more than 50-fold greater extension and bypass of the C10S-dA adducts as compared to a low fidelity mutant R283K expected to interact with the templating base. Replication bypass investigations were further extended to include analyses of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase, and these studies revealed patterns of inhibition very similar to that observed for pol β.
Progress towards the Development of a NEAT Vaccine for Anthrax II: Immunogen Specificity and Alum Effectiveness in an Inhalational Model

Bacillus anthracis is the causative agent of anthrax disease, presents with high mortality, and has been at the center of bioweapon efforts. The only currently U.S. FDA-approved vaccine to prevent anthrax in humans is anthrax vaccine adsorbed (AVA), which is protective in several animal models and induces neutralizing antibodies against protective antigen (PA), the cell-binding component of anthrax toxin. However, AVA requires a five-course regimen to induce immunity, along with an annual booster, and is composed of undefined culture supernatants from a PA-secreting strain. In addition, it appears to be ineffective against strains that lack anthrax toxin. Here, we investigated a vaccine formulation consisting of recombinant proteins from a surface-localized heme transport system containing near-iron transporter (NEAT) domains and its efficacy as a vaccine for anthrax disease. The cocktail of five NEAT domains was protective against a lethal challenge of inhaled bacillus spores at 3 and 28 weeks after vaccination. The reduction of the formulation to three NEATs (IsdX1, IsdX2, and Bslk) was as effective as a five-NEAT domain cocktail. The adjuvant alum, approved for use in humans, was as protective as Freund's Adjuvant, and protective vaccination correlated with increased anti-NEAT antibody reactivity and reduced bacterial levels in organs. Finally, the passive transfer of anti-NEAT antisera reduced mortality and disease severity, suggesting the protective component is comprised of antibodies. Collectively, these results provide evidence that a vaccine based upon recombinant NEAT proteins should be considered in the development of a next-generation anthrax vaccine.
Abstract TP289: Diagnostic Evaluation of Patients Admitted to Emergency Department Observation Unit for Suspected TIA

Introduction: Emergency department observation units (ED-OU) allow patients with a suspected transient ischemic attack (TIA) an expedited workup without the need for a prolonged inpatient admission...
Long-standing Persistent Atrial Fibrillation Ablation: the Role of the Inter- and Intra-atrial Bundles

Catheter ablation has become the mainstream treatment of atrial fibrillation, but still remains a challenge in those patient with persistent and long standing persistent atrial fibrillation. In addition of isolation of the pulmonary veins, any other areas that can trigger or perpetuate atrial fibrillation need to be isolated. Current technologies may allow to effectively deliver permanently lasting lesions, and therefore improve clinical outcomes after ablation. The specialized conduction system including the Bachmann and septopulmonary bundles, are important substrate targets for the management of atrial fibrillation. The anatomical location of these fibers, and the corresponding approach for ablation are described in this case.
Symptom experience and self-management for multiple co-occurring symptoms in patients with gastric cancer: A qualitative study.

Abstract Purpose Patients with gastric cancer experience an increased symptom burden with multiple co-occurring symptoms. Knowledge of patients’ symptom experiences and self-management for these symptoms is limited. The purpose of this study was to describe multiple co-occurring symptoms, symptom experiences, and symptom self-management strategies in patients with gastric cancer. Methods A qualitative descriptive approach was used for this study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten American participants (median age 52.5 years, 50% female, 70% African American). Content analysis was used to explore their symptoms, experiences, and self-management strategies. Results Four themes were identified: perceptions of multiple co-occurring symptoms, complex and dynamic nature of symptom experiences, living with multiple co-occurring symptoms, and symptom self-management strategies (i.e., medications for symptoms, information seeking from the clinician team, lifestyle modification, psychosocial and spiritual support). Conclusions Our findings provide new insights into how patients with gastric cancer perceive and interpret their multiple co-occurring symptoms, contribute to our understanding of the role that inter-individual variability might play in symptom experiences, and highlight a range of self-management strategies for managing multiple co-occurring symptoms. Oncology nurses need to assess symptoms on an ongoing basis, educate patients about multiple co-occurring symptoms, and develop and test person-centered self-management interventions for these patients to enhance their symptom relief and quality of life.
Analysis of working memory from EEG signals under different emotional states

Abstract This study analyzes electroencephalography (EEG) measurements during short-term memory retention under different emotional states. A public-domain library with emotion-annotated images (IAPS) was used to stimulate neutral, negative, and positive emotions. The associated EEG data were acquired from twelve volunteers (between 20 and 26 years old; ten males and two females). Each participant was exposed to three sessions back-to-back on the same day. Each session corresponded to the induced emotional states (positive, negative and neutral) and consisted of relaxation, memorization of a list of ten words and ten numbers, watching a set of images to arouse emotion, and recalling the words and numbers memorized earlier. Statistical and spectral features of EEG data were analyzed for two instances: emotion recognition (neutral, negative, and positive) and recall events under the three emotional states. By designing two baseline machine-learning models, support vector machines (SVMs) and K-nearest neighbor (KNN), the significance of the EEG bands and the brain lobes were studied. Experimental results suggest that the short-term (working) memory recalls after exposure to neutral, negative, and positive images (to arouse neutral, negative, and positive emotions) differ from each other significantly (at alpha level 0.001). We have found that each EEG band carries unique information in both emotion and memory recall classification tasks and recommend that the entire EEG signal frequency range must be analyzed in future similar studies. On the other hand, we also have found that each brain region carries similar information as it relates to each task (i.e., memorization, recall), thus only one of the brain regions can be analyzed in future studies in order to avoid complexity and high computation time.
Montaigne’s Pre-And Post-Modern Notion of Subjectivity

Nothing typifies modern subjectivity better than Descartes’s argument in the Sixth Meditation that he is not (identical with) his body. I can think of myself as disembodied, Descartes says in essence, so it is certainly possible that I exist apart from my body — it is possible for God to create a disembodied me. But that would be impossible if my body and I were the same thing; therefore, I am not my body — I have a body, I am related to it as to something distinct from me. How this argument fares vis-a-vis Descartes’s own theory of the divine creation of the eternal truths — how, that is, it is legitimate for him to apparently exempt the necessity of identity from the range of that theory, to believe that God would have to be limited at least by that necessity — will be left aside here. What I intend to emphasize instead is the argument’s devastating power, which can be gathered by considering some of its analogues. Suppose then that I am a disembodied soul; am I, in a Lockean perspective, to be identified with what I remember being? No, for surely I can imagine having different memories, or none at all. Can I be identified at least with what I seem to perceive or know at this time — and never mind how delusive that appearance might be? No, because, again, I can think of myself seeming to perceive or know something entirely different. Am I to find myself in what I feel: in my love of certain people, my hate of others, my indifference for yet others, or maybe the peculiar mixture of pleasure and pain that characterizes my present state of mind? Once again, the answer is disappointingly negative: the possibility of disconnecting myself from those emotions and feelings is enough of an Archimedean lever to separate them from my self in actuality. And the same conclusion will be reached if the same question is asked about any of my dispositions or talents: my skill at drawing, say, or my I.Q., or even my most elementary capacity for reasoning — whatever it is that makes me a rational animal.
Trade Concentration and Interstate Conflict

Existing studies of the trade-conflict relationship focus primarily on dyadic trade and its implications for the opportunity cost of conflict. Most states maintain economic relations with numerous partners, yet few studies have examined the effects of extradyadic trade on dyadic conflict. In an influential discussion of economic interdependence, Albert Hirschman ([1945] 1980) draws attention to the importance of both direct trade ties and the extent to which a state’s total trade is monopolized by any one trading partner. Building on this notion, we present and test a theoretical argument about the conflict-reducing implications of third-party trade. The findings provide support for our prediction that greater concentration of trade outside the dyad is associated with a reduced risk of interstate hostility and violent disputes.
The achievable corporate safety program for the forest products industry

Building company-wide safety programs to overcome the challenges of multiple plants, multiple regions, differing standards and differing technologies in the forest products industry.
Nucleoprotein fractions from various embryonic tissues: A comparison of physicochemical characteristics and biological activity in tissue culture☆

Abstract 1. 1. A nucleoprotein fraction (NPF) was isolated by streptomycin precipitation from twelve different chick embryo tissues. 2. 2. Bioassays in tissue culture revealed maximum growth-promoting activity in those NPF's from material containing cartilage. 3. 3. Electrophoretic analyses indicate that the leading peaks of the highly active NPF's are much greater than those of the other NPF's. 4. 4. Ultraviolet analyses of tissue NPF's indicate similar nucleoprotein absorption spectra, while the electrophoretic subfractions of these NPF's exhibit families of curves which are similar and have maxima from 257 mμ to 275 mμ.
Phase I trial of Seneca Valley Virus (NTX-010) in children with relapsed/refractory solid tumors: a report of the Children's Oncology Group.

Background To determine the MTD of Seneca Valley Virus (NTX-010) in children with relapsed/refractory solid tumors. Patients (≥3–≤21 years) with neuroblastoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, or rare tumors with neuroendocrine features were eligible. Procedure Part A (single dose of NTX-010) enrolled 13 patients at three dose levels (1 × 109 viral particles (vp)/kg [n = 6], 1 × 1010 vp/kg [n = 3], 1 × 1011 vp/kg [n = 4]). Diagnoses included neuroblastoma (n = 9), rhabdomyosarcoma (n = 2), carcinoid tumor (n = 1), and adrenocorticocarcinoma (n = 1). Part B added cyclophosphamide (CTX) (oral CTX (25 mg/m2/day) days 1–14 and IV CTX (750 mg/m2) days 8 and 29) to two doses of NTX-010 (1 × 1011 vp/kg, days 8 and 29). Nine patients enrolled to Part B. Diagnoses included neuroblastoma (n = 3), rhabdomyosarcoma (n = 1), Wilms tumor (n = 3), and adrenocorticocarcinoma (n = 2). Results Twelve patients on Part A were evaluable for toxicity. There was a single DLT (grade 3 pain) at dose level 1. Additional grade ≥3 related adverse events (AEs) included leukopenia (n = 1), neutropenia (n = 3), lymphopenia (n = 3), and tumor pain (n = 1). No DLTs occurred on part B. Other grade ≥3 related AEs on Part B included: Leukopenia (n = 3), nausea (n = 1), emesis (n = 1), anemia (n = 1), neutropenia (n = 4), platelets (n = 1), alanine aminotransferase (n = 1), and lymphopenia (n = 2). All patients cleared NTX-010 from blood and stool by 3 weeks with 17/18 patients developing neutralizing antibodies. Conclusion NTX-010 is feasible and tolerable at the dose levels tested in pediatric patients with relapsed/refractory solid tumors either alone or in combination with cyclophosphamide. However, despite the addition of cyclophosphamide, neutralizing antibodies appeared to limit applicability. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2015;62:743–750. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Clean CKM information from

Abstract It has been known for many years that the B d (t)→D (∗)∓ {π ± ,ρ ± ,a 1 ± } modes may involve observable CP violating effects. This note describes how to determine cleanly the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa (CKM) phase φ=−2β−γ=−π+α−β, even in the presence of possible final state interactions. A discrete ambiguity remains.
Legal Systems as Frameworks for Market Exchanges

Recent changes in the former communist countries have demonstrated the importance of a legal system for economic progress. A legal system defines property rights, allows for exchange of property rights, and protects property rights. Countries with a rule of law and well established property rights are more prosperous and grow more quickly than countries lacking such a system. An important function of the rule of law is to protect property rights from governments. Rules also facilitate private exchange through contract. There are theoretical arguments for the greater efficiency of a common law system than a code system. These have to do with protection of rights from the government and also with mechanisms for efficient evolution of the law, including mechanisms for competition between court systems. Legal systems that provide greater protection from government seem to be more efficient than others. Arbitration is an efficient alternative to state enforced law. Some issues identified here, such as the role of competing courts, are fruitful areas for further research. The evidence here also indicates that countries should adopt a rule of law, protect property rights from government predation, and rely on court competition and evolutionary forces to obtain efficient law. Of course, these suggestions are difficult to implement because they may be opposed by powerful interests.
Extended lowered body temperature increases the effective CS-US interval in conditioned taste aversion for adult rats.

Assuming body temperature correlates with metabolic activities, rate of body temperature recovery was manipulated to assess effects on long-trace conditioning in a conditioned taste-aversion paradigm. Following 10 min. access to a .1% saccharin solution and then 10 min. immersion in 0-0.5 degrees C water, two groups of 16 Wistar-derived, 81-113 day-old, male albino rats received either saline or lithium chloride injections 3 hr. later. These two groups were subdivided on basis of warming rate during the 3-hr. interval. Half of the rats recovered at room temperature (20 degrees to 21 degrees C), and half recovered in an incubator maintained at 30 degrees C. Maintaining a lowered body temperature between the conditioned stimulus and unconditioned stimulus allowed an association to be made at 3 hr., an interval that normally does not support conditioning. In contrast, lowering body temperature and then inducing a fast warming rate did not produce evidence of an aversion. It is suggested that maintaining a low body temperature over the interval between the presentation of the conditioned stimulus and unconditioned stimulus slows a metabolic clock that extends the measured interval at which associations can be made using conditioned taste-aversion procedures.
Synthesis of 2′- and 3′-Ketoadenosines

Abstract Both 2′- and 3′-ketoadenosines were prepared by the Pfitzner-Moffatt oxidation of the respective N 6-(4-monomethoxytrityl)-3′,5′-di-O-(4-monomethoxytrityl)- and N 6-(4-monomethoxytrityl)-2′,5′-di-O-(4-monomethoxytrityl)adenosines, followed by removal of the protective groups under anhydrous acidic conditions in chloroform. The products so obtained were stable at least to short-term storage at -2θ°C. Solution half lives for 2′-ketoadenosine and 3′-keto-adenosine were found to be ca. 11 h and ca. 84 h, respectively at 25 °C and pH 6.86.
Initial Steps in RNA Processing and Ribosome Assembly Occur at Mitochondrial DNA Nucleoids

Summary Mammalian mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) resides in compact nucleoids, where it is replicated and transcribed into long primary transcripts processed to generate rRNAs, tRNAs, and mRNAs encoding 13 proteins. This situation differs from bacteria and eukaryotic nucleoli, which have dedicated rRNA transcription units. The assembly of rRNAs into mitoribosomes has received little study. We show that mitochondrial RNA processing enzymes involved in tRNA excision, ribonuclease P (RNase P) and ELAC2, as well as a subset of nascent mitochondrial ribosomal proteins (MRPs) associate with nucleoids to initiate RNA processing and ribosome assembly. SILAC pulse-chase labeling experiments show that nascent MRPs recruited to the nucleoid fraction were highly labeled after the pulse in a transcription-dependent manner and decreased in labeling intensity during the chase. These results provide insight into the landscape of binding events required for mitochondrial ribosome assembly and firmly establish the mtDNA nucleoid as a control center for mitochondrial biogenesis.
Micro Air Bubble Manipulation by Electrowetting Principle: Transporting, Merging and Eliminating

For the first time we report a series of micro air bubble manipulations (transporting, merging and eliminating of air bubbles) in two-dimensional microchannels filled with a water solution. Air bubbles (∼1.2 mm3 in volume) are driven by electrowetting-on-dielectric (EWOD) principle. By sequentially energizing an array of electrodes covered with dielectric layers, micro air bubbles can be transported along a programmed path, merged into a single larger one, and eliminated out of a bulk water solution. These three fundamental micro bubble operations demonstrated will facilitate efficient micro bubble handling essentially required in micro gas analysis systems.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Mouse Oocyte Microinjection, Maturation and Ploidy Assessment

Mistakes in chromosome segregation lead to aneuploid cells. In somatic cells, aneuploidy is associated with cancer but in gametes, aneuploidy leads to infertility, miscarriages or developmental disorders like Down syndrome. Haploid gametes form through species-specific developmental programs that are coupled to meiosis. The first meiotic division (MI) is unique to meiosis because sister chromatids remain attached while homologous chromosomes are segregated. For reasons not fully understood, this reductional division is prone to errors and is more commonly the source of aneuploidy than errors in meiosis II (MII) or than errors in male meiosis 1,2. In mammals, oocytes arrest at prophase of MI with a large, intact germinal vesicle (GV; nucleus) and only resume meiosis when they receive ovulatory cues. Once meiosis resumes, oocytes complete MI and undergo an asymmetric cell division, arresting again at metaphase of MII. Eggs will not complete MII until they are fertilized by sperm. Oocytes also can undergo meiotic maturation using established in vitro culture conditions 3. Because generation of transgenic and gene-targeted mouse mutants is costly and can take long periods of time, manipulation of female gametes in vitro is a more economical and time-saving strategy. Here, we describe methods to isolate prophase-arrested oocytes from mice and for microinjection. Any material of choice may be introduced into the oocyte, but because meiotically-competent oocytes are transcriptionally silent 4,5 cRNA, and not DNA, must be injected for ectopic expression studies. To assess ploidy, we describe our conditions for in vitro maturation of oocytes to MII eggs. Historically, chromosome-spreading techniques are used for counting chromosome number 6. This method is technically challenging and is limited to only identifying hyperploidies. Here, we describe a method to determine hypo-and hyperploidies using intact eggs 7-8. This method uses monastrol, a kinesin-5 inhibitor, that collapses the bipolar spindle into a monopolar spindle 9 thus separating chromosomes such that individual kinetochores can readily be detected and counted by using an anti-CREST autoimmune serum. Because this method is performed in intact eggs, chromosomes are not lost due to operator error.
Fukushima Daiichi - 2011 : Nuclear disaster : Lessons learned : Where we stand in India

The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster was an energy accident at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant, initiated in greatest part by the tsunami portion of the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami on 11 March 2011. The damage caused by the tsunami produced equipment failures, and without this equipment a Loss of Coolant Accident followed with nuclear meltdowns and releases of radioactive materials beginning on March 12. It is the largest nuclear disaster since the Chernobyl disaster of 1986 and the second disaster (along with Chernobyl) to measure Level 7 on the International Nuclear Event Scale (INES), releasing an estimated 10-30% of the radiation of the Chernobyl accident. This event, in the long-term could have a tremendous impact on the health of the population, environmental impact, food and water, and long-term health issues. Assessment of lessons learned and reviewing it in the context of Indian nuclear safety measures and the way forward. The health impact assessment (HIA) of the nuclear disaster in relation to humans, food, water, and environment is also reviewed. Several Reports from various agencies, like International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Japanese Government Report, World Health Organization (WHO), and others, from 2008 onwards data were retrieved and studied, following which a synopsis was drawn. Several lessons learned from the disaster management of the event were drawn. The Indian nuclear safety and liability scenario was also studied in the same context. The current status of the Indian Nuclear Programme, and the Nuclear Liability Act Section 17 was reviewed. The HIA of the disaster, which includes the general population, environment, aquatic life, food, and water was also reviewed. The international domain shows several lacunae in the safety measures. The most important basic principle in securing nuclear safety is defense in depth. A gap analysis for all the aspects of Fukushima disaster was done pertaining to the design, emergency preparedness. The Indian nuclear safety measures in various plants have been found to be reasonable but need to be upgraded. HIA needs to be in place and risk mitigation measures need to be assessed There are several lessons learned in the field of health and safety. There is a need for more closer and constant correspondence between the end-user country and operators around the world to ensure higher safety standards. Also damage control measures for HIA need to be reviewed. In nutshell Fukushima Daiichi 2011 was an eye opener for the entire world in the area of nuclear safety and nuclear disaster management.
A Method for Developing Tailormade Semantic Differentials for Specific Marketing Content Areas

The authors suggest the need for more thorough testing of tailormade semantic differential instruments before they are used in specific marketing content areas. The results of this study provide ev...
Knowing Practice: The Clinical Encounter of Chinese Medicine

Knowing Practice: The Clinical Encounter of Chinese Medicine. JUDITH FARQUHAR. Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1994. xii. 260 pp., notes, illustrations, bibliography, index.
What Am I?: Descartes and the Mind-Body Problem

The separation of mind and body, first expressed by Rene Descartes, is a classic philosophical paradox. How are mind and body distinct yet integrated within a human being? Distinguished philosopher Joseph Almog argues, in this short and accessible book, that Descartes managed to resolve this dilemma by treating the trio of mind, body, and being as separate yet fundamentally interdependent.
Women's Communication with Intimates and Acquaintances:

This study rated the communication behaviours, verbal and non-verbal, of women who discussed topics of low intimacy with a same-sex other (either an intimate friend or an acquaintance) and with an opposite-sex other (either an intimate friend or an acquaintance). Results indicated that there were interactions of gender of target person with degree of acquaintance. In discussions with both same-and opposite-sex acquaintances, the female participants seemed to take responsibility for keeping the conversation going; however, their verbal behaviours differed depending upon the gender of the target person. Opposite-sex interactions produced more questions from the women while same-sex interactions produced more subtle verbal behaviours such as active listening responses. Opposite-sex intimates were responded to more warmly and openly than were same-sex intimates, probably due in part to the greater closeness reported with the opposite-sex intimate than with the same-sex intimate. Results were discussed in term...
Global Fields of Soil Moisture and Land Surface Evapotranspiration Derived from Observed Precipitation and Surface Air Temperature.

The global fields of normal monthly soil moisture and land surface evapotranspiration are derived with a simple water budget model that has precipitation and potential evapotranspiration as inputs. The precipitation is observed and the potential evapotranspiration is derived from the observed surface air temperature with the empirical regression equation of Thornthwaite (1954). It is shown that at locations where the net surface radiation flux has been measured, the potential evapotranspiration given by the Thornthwaite equation is in good agreement with those obtained with the radiation-based formulations of Priestley and Taylor (1972), Penman (1948), and Budyko (1956-1974), and this provides the justification for the use of the Thornthwaite equation. After deriving the global fields of soil moisture and evapotranspiration, the assumption is made that the potential evapotranspiration given by the Thornthwaite equation and by the Priestley-Taylor equation will everywhere be about the same; the inverse of the Priestley-Taylor equation is used to obtain the normal monthly global fields of net surface radiation flux minus ground heat storage. This and the derived evapotranspiration are then used in the equation for energy conservation at the surface of the earth to obtain the global fields of normal monthly sensible heat flux from the land surface to the atmosphere.
Direct electrochemical detection of purine- and pyrimidine-based nucleotides with sinusoidal voltammetry.

Sinusoidal voltammetry was employed to detect both purine- and pyrimidine-based nucleic acids. Adenine and cytosine, representing these two classes of nucleic acids, could be measured with submicromolar detection limits at a copper electrode under these conditions, where the sensitivity for adenine was much higher than that for cytosine. Detection limits for purine-containing nucleotides [e.g., adenosine 5‘-monophosphate (AMP), adenosine 5‘-diphosphate (ADP), and adenosine 5‘-triphosphate (ATP)] were on the order of 70−200 nM using this method. These detection limits are achieved for native nucleotides and are over 2 orders of magnitude lower than those found with UV absorbance detection. Submicromolar detection limits were also obtained for pyrimidine-based nucleotides, which could also be detected with high sensitivity due to the presence of a sugar backbone that is electroactive at the copper surface. This detector is not fouled by the nucleotides and may be used for the sensitive detection of analytes...
Role of O3 and OH· Radicals in Ozonated Aqueous Solution for the Photoresist Removal of Semiconductor Fabrication

The role of direct oxidation by aqueous O3 and advanced oxidation by OH· in the removal of photoresist was studied by chemical kinetic simulation and experiments of O3 reactivity and decomposition in homogeneous aqueous solutions. O3 is the main species responsible for the removal of conventional photoresist in the ozonated water cleaning process, and the timing of initiator addition to ozonated water is important to maintain high O3 concentration. Simulation using t-butanol implies that maintenance of a high OH· concentration is required to remove highly implanted photoresists that O3 itself cannot easily remove.
Cities in the Desert: The Egyptian New‐Town Program

Abstract Faced with the unrelenting growth of the primate city, Cairo, the government of Egypt has implemented new town policies to redistribute the nation's population away from the fertile Nile Delta region to new desert cities. This paper examines these policies while attempting to determine the success of the new cities in achieving their goals. The development of economic activity and permanent populations were the major criteria used to evaluate the progress of three of the new desert cities. While the cities were able, by offering low site costs and tax incentives, to draw business, they were incapable of attracting significant resident populations. A severe lack of basic amenities and social services, corn bined with the strong pull of Cairo, were found to be major barriers to population redistribution. Moreover, the level of economic growth, measured in terms of manufacturing/industrial plants, was discovered to be closely related to the distance of the city from Cairo. In the closest, most econo...
Protein consumption and hepatic encephalopathy in alcoholic hepatitis. VA Cooperative Study Group #275.

Patients with alcoholic hepatitis frequently have moderate or severe malnutrition. Dietary protein intake may be restricted in these patients because of concurrent hepatic encephalopathy. To further evaluate the relationship between dietary protein intake and hepatic encephalopathy in alcoholic hepatitis, we evaluated prospectively gathered data from a study of 136 placebo-treated patients with moderate or severe alcoholic hepatitis conducted at eight Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Centers.Physical examination, laboratory tests, and grade of hepatic encephalopathy were recorded at entry and every seventh day for the first 28 days of study. Average daily protein intake was calculated from dietary evaluation obtained by a registered dietitian at entry and again three times a week.Sixty-three percent of patients had hepatic encephalopathy at entry. Hepatic encephalopathy decreased over time. Time dependent regression analysis found low protein intake, along with high blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and hig...
Effect of solvent on the characteristics of pentamidine loaded microcapsule.

Biodegradable microcapsules of pentamidine/poly(L-lactide-co-D,L-lactide) were prepared by solvent evaporation technique using a mixture of organic solvents. The control batch of microcapsules was prepared using dichloromethane. The effect of solvent on the characteristics of pentamidine loaded microcapsules was examined by substituting up to 30% of dichloromethane with acetone, methanol, DMSO, ethyl acetate, and ethanol, respectively. No significant change in the surface morphology was observed when dichloromethane was substituted with 20% or less amount of other solvents. These microcapsules were all porous and spherical. However, the use of 30% DMSO or ethanol, along with dichloromethane, resulted in a mixture of elongated and spherical microcapsules. The efficiency of encapsulation of these two batches was also significantly higher than the other batches of microcapsules. The average particle size of the microcapsules prepared with 30% DMSO (165 μm) was significantly higher than the other batches ( < ...
Orbital, Epidural and Brain Abscess. Autopsy and Microscopic Studies

This is the report of a case which illustrates the danger which may attend acute disease first manifested by ocular symptoms. It was a mixed streptococcus and staphyloccocus infection apparently starting with coryza.
Preparation of Ultrapure Bovine and Human Hemoglobin by Anion Exchange Chromatography

Bovine and human hemoglobin (Hb) form the basis for many different types of Hb-based O(2) carriers (HBOCs) ranging from chemically modified Hbs to particle encapsulated Hbs. Hence, the development of a facile purification method for preparing ultrapure Hb is essential for the reliable synthesis and formulation of HBOCs. In this work, we describe a simple process for purifying ultrapure solutions of bovine and human Hb. Bovine and human red blood cells (RBCs) were lyzed, and Hb was purified from the cell lysate by anion exchange chromatography. The initial purity of Hb fractions was analyzed by SDS-PAGE. Pure Hb fractions (corresponding to a single band on the SDS-PAGE gel) were pooled together and the overall purity and identity assessed by LC-MS. LC-MS analysis yielded two peaks corresponding to the calculated theoretical molecular weight of the alpha and beta chains of Hb. The activity of HPLC pure Hb was assessed by measuring its oxygen affinity, cooperativity and methemoglobin level. These measures of activity were comparable to values in the literature. Taken together, our results demonstrate that ultrapure Hb (electrophoresis and HPLC pure) can be easily prepared via anion exchange chromatography. In general, this method can be more broadly applied to purify hemoglobin from any source of RBC. This work is significant, since it outlines a simple method for generating ultrapure Hb for synthesis and/or formulation of HBOCs.
A sex difference in the salience of cues for inductive inference

In a recent study by Gelman & Markman (1986), boys and girls were found to show different patterns of inductive inference. Children were asked to infer whether an object (e.g. a shark) would be more likely to share a property with a dissimilar-looking object from the same category (e.g. a tropical fish), or with a similar-looking object from a different category (e.g. a dolphin). Boys made more category-based inferences than predicted by chance for objects from biological categories like fish, but not for non-biological objects such as gold. Girls showed the reverse pattern, making more category-based inferences than predicted by chance for non-biological objects, but not for biological items. The present study tested the possibility that the sex difference was due to the way the properties were described rather than the biological-non-biological difference in the items. In the Gelman & Markman study, the properties of biological items were presented as actions or states, while the non-biological properties were presented as the consequences to the object due to an outside agent. The results of the present research indicated that the content of the items (biological versus non-biological) is irrelevant; sex differences in patterns of correct inference are a function of the way items are described (actions/states versus consequences). Boys made significantly more correct inferences than chance for items whose properties were described as actions or states, while girls made significantly more correct inferences than chance for items whose properties were described as consequences. Thus, it appears that boys tend to use an object's actions as a basis for inference, while girls tend to use the consequences for an object when categorizing the object and making inferences about it.