cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Effects of Heuristic Cues, Motivation, and Ability on Systematic Processing of Information About Breast Cancer Environmental Factors

The heuristic systematic model is used to investigate how ability, motivation, and heuristic message cues predict knowledge scores for individuals receiving messages written for different literacy levels about 3 environmental risk factors for breast cancer. The 3 risk factors were the roles of genetics, progesterone, and ingesting perfluorooctanoic acid in breast cancer risk. In this study, more than 4,000 women participated in an online survey. The results showed support for the hypotheses that ability (measured as education, number of science courses, and confidence in scientific ability) predict knowledge gain and that those individuals who presented with the lower literacy level message had significantly higher knowledge scores across all 3 message topics. There was little support for motivation or heuristic cues as direct predictors of knowledge gain across the 3 message topics, although they served as moderators for the perfluorooctanoic acid topic. The authors provide implications for health communication practitioners.
Some Results on Tight Closure and Completion

Abstract We construct two examples of nonexcellent local Noetherian domains which demonstrate that tight closure and completion do not commute. The first example is a local normal domain A with a height one principal prime ideal P such that (PA)* ≠ P*A. We also construct an example of a complete local normal Gorenstein domain which is not F-regular but is the completion of an F-regular local ring.
Lipidic Cubic Phase Technologies for Membrane Protein Structural Studies

Lipidic cubic phase (LCP) is a membrane-mimetic matrix suitable for stabilization and crystallization of membrane proteins in lipidic environment. LCP technologies, however, have not been fully embraced by the membrane protein structural biology community, primarily because of the difficulties associated with handling viscous materials. Recent developments of pre-crystallization assays and improvements in crystal imaging, successes in obtaining high resolution structures of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), and commercial availability of LCP tools and instruments are beginning to attract structural biologists to integrate LCP technologies in their research. This wider acceptance should translate to an increased number of otherwise difficult-to-crystallize membrane protein structures, shedding light on their functional mechanisms and on structural details of lipid-protein interactions.
Use of conservative condylectomy for treatment of osteochondroma of the mandibular condyle.

Purpose: The aim of the present study was to present a conservative condylectomy technique (condylectomy performed below the condylar head but high in the condylar neck) and articular disc repositioning as the surgical treatment approach for management of osteochondroma of the head of the mandibular condyle. Patients and Methods: Six patients (4 females and 2 males) with an average age of 22.3 years (range, 13 to 32 years) and with an osteochondroma of the mandibular condyle were treated with conservative condylectomy. The remaining condylar neck stump was recontoured, and the articular disc was repositioned and stabilized over the “new” condyle. Any indicated orthognathic surgical procedures were then performed to optimize occlusion, function, and aesthetics. Clinical and radiographic evaluation was performed before surgery (T1), immediately after surgery (T2), and at the longest follow-up (T3). Results: Average follow-up for the patients was 51 months (range, 22 to 108 months). No recurrence of the tumor was encountered in any of the cases. Subjective and objective evaluations of postsurgical temporomandibular joint function and range of mandibular motion were normal. Associated maxillary and/or mandibular orthognathic procedures were found to be stable in the long term. Conclusion: Conservative condylectomy with recontouring of the residual condylar neck to function as a condyle and repositioning of the articular disc is a viable option for treatment of osteochondromas of the mandibular condyle. The use of this method of treatment permits effective removal of the tumor and eliminates the need for autogenous grafts or total joint prostheses for temporomandibular joint reconstruction. © 2002 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons J Oral Maxillofac Surg 60:262-268, 2002
Morphogeographic variation under controlled conditions in five seagrasses, Thalassia testudinum, Halodule wrightii, Syringodium filiforme, Halophila engelmannii, and Zostera marina

Abstract The morphogeographic evidence udner controlled conditions demonstrated variation in leaf width that correlated with the leaf patterns in the indigenous habitats. In Thalassia testudinum Banks ex Konig, Halodule wrightii Aschers., and Syringodium filiforme Kutz., the narrow-leaved variants from shallow bays in the northern Gulf of Mexico continued to produce narrow leaves in laboratory culture. Broader-leaved variants in the same three species that originated from seagrass beds associated with coral reefs in the southern Gulf of Mexico and the Carribbean continued to produce broad leaves. The turbid water and variable salinity and temperature of the shallow northern bays correlate with the presence of narrow-leaved plants, and the clear water and relatively constant salinity and temperature of the southern regions correlate with the broader-leaved populations. Although an ecotypic status for the narrow- and wide-leaved populations was suggested, the selective role of these habitat conditions needs further investigation. Clonal variation in leaf width was demonstrated within Halodule populations under uniform conditions. Plants of Halophila engelmannii Aschers. from deep seagrass beds in the Gulf of Mexico along the western coast of Florida continued to produce narrower leaves than those produced by plants from shallow Texas bays. Three collections of Zostera marina L. from Washington and Alaska produced leaves of significantly different widths under each of three temperature regimes. The experimental evidence suggests that the width of a seagrass leaf is dependent on its immediate environmental surroundings but that the limits of its ecoplasticity vary geographically depending on the genotype.
Effect of angle of attack profiles in flapping foil propulsion

Propulsive performance of a harmonically heaving and pitching foil is degraded by a breakdown in the angle of attack profile, at high nondimensional frequencies. We build here upon the method employed by Read et al. (J. Fluid Structure 17 (2003) 163) to invert the key kinematic nonlinearity, and compare directly the performance obtained with four specific angle of attack profiles. These profiles are: (i) that due to simple harmonic motion in both heave and pitch motion, (ii) a square wave, (iii) a symmetric sawtooth wave, and (iv) a cosine function. The cosine angle of attack achieves a significant improvement over the other three cases, in the sense of high thrust values with reasonable efficiency. The highest thrust coefficients, however, are generally found in the sawtooth profile. Flow visualization confirms the partial or complete recovery of a reverse von Karman wake by all three controlled profiles, concurrent with the enhanced force and efficiency at high frequencies.
Listening to Everyone's Voice Enhances Learning (LEVEL)

Participation in elementary school classroom settings is dependent on students' abilities to process questions quickly. Pedagogical studies theorize that some students are able to answer a question before other students are able to process the question, creating a division in classroom participation. This paper presents LEVEL (Listening to Everyone's Voice Enhances Learning), a wireless sensor network application to balance, diversify, and encourage in-class participation. LEVEL offers two operating modes: a centralized interface and a distributed adaptive personal interface. The centralized interface features a traffic light to compel students to wait before responding to a question; we LEVEL the participation in the class by visually informing students when a question can be answered. The distributed interface adaptively sets a participation time delay on a per student basis predicated upon previous participation. LEVEL brings a wireless sensor network application to primary school classrooms. LEVEL connects student learning with technology while providing an enhanced in-class experience for all students.
The lower ionosphere of Titan

Ionization of the atmosphere of Titan by galactic cosmic rays is a very significant process throughout the altitude range from 100 to 400 km. An approximate form of the Boltzmann equation for cosmic-ray transport has been used to obtain local ionization rates. Models of both ion and neutral chemistry have been employed to compute electron and ion density profiles for three different values of the H2/CH4 abundance ratio. The peak electron density is of the order of 1000 per cu cm. The most abundant positive ions are C2/H9(+) and C3H9(+), while the predicted densities of the negative ions H(-) and CH3(-) are very small (less than one ten-thousandth that of the positive ions). It is suggested that inclusion of the ion chemistry is important in the computation of the H and CH3 density profiles in the lower ionosphere.
Release of Cryptosporidium and Giardia from dairy calf manure: impact of solution salinity.

Studies were initiated to determine the release behavior of Cryptosporidium oocysts and Giardia cysts from dairy calf manure to waters of various salinities. Experiments were conducted by sprinkling a particular aqueous solution over a manure disk and collecting the runoff water. Effluent concentrations of manure and (oo)cysts were initially several orders of magnitude below their starting concentration in the manure, after continued application of water the concentrations gradually decreased, and then exhibited persistent concentration tailing. Solution salinity significantly affected the shape and magnitude of the manure and (oo)-cyst concentration curves. Increases in solution salinity tended to decrease the manure and (oo)cyst concentrations at a particular time. This was attributed to a stabilization of manure by compression of the double layer thickness between negatively charged components of the manure phase. Calculated release efficiencies of the (oo)cysts (relative to manure release) also decreased with increasing solution salinity. Experimental observations indicate that only the surface layer of manure was depleted of finer manure materials and (oo)cysts and that the manure will act as a long-term source of contamination. A conceptual model to describe and predict manure and (oo)cyst release rates and cumulative loading for the various solution salinities was proposed and applied to the experimental data. The calibrated model yielded a reasonable description of the experimental results.
Virtual estimates of fastening strength for pedicle screw implantation procedures

Traditional 2D images provide limited use for accurate planning of spine interventions, mainly due to the complex 3D anatomy of the spine and close proximity of nerve bundles and vascular structures that must be avoided during the procedure. Our previously developed clinician-friendly platform for spine surgery planning takes advantage of 3D pre-operative images, to enable oblique reformatting and 3D rendering of individual or multiple vertebrae, interactive templating, and placement of virtual pedicle implants. Here we extend the capabilities of the planning platform and demonstrate how the virtual templating approach not only assists with the selection of the optimal implant size and trajectory, but can also be augmented to provide surrogate estimates of the fastening strength of the implanted pedicle screws based on implant dimension and bone mineral density of the displaced bone substrate. According to the failure theories, each screw withstands a maximum holding power that is directly proportional to the screw diameter (D), the length of the in-bone segm,ent of the screw (L), and the density (i.e., bone mineral density) of the pedicle body. In this application, voxel intensity is used as a surrogate measure of the bone mineral density (BMD) of the pedicle body segment displaced by the screw. We conducted an initial assessment of the developed platform using retrospective pre- and post-operative clinical 3D CT data from four patients who underwent spine surgery, consisting of a total of 26 pedicle screws implanted in the lumbar spine. The Fastening Strength of the planned implants was directly assessed by estimating the intensity - area product across the pedicle volume displaced by the virtually implanted screw. For post-operative assessment, each vertebra was registered to its homologous counterpart in the pre-operative image using an intensity-based rigid registration followed by manual adjustment. Following registration, the Fastening Strength was computed for each displaced bone segment. According to our preliminary clinical study, a comparison between Fastening Strength, displaced bone volume and mean voxel intensity showed similar results (p < 0.1) between the virtually templated plans and the post-operative outcome following the traditional clinical approach. This study has demonstrated the feasibility of the platform in providing estimates the pedicle screw fastening strength via virtual implantation, given the intrinsic vertebral geometry and bone mineral density, enabling the selection of the optimal implant dimension adn trajectory for improved strength.
Implications of cyclotron features in the X-ray spectrum of Hercules X-1

The X-ray spectra from binary pulsars is investigated through the modification of physical processes due to an intense magnetic field. An effective scattering cross section for line photons and the Coulomb cross section for electron-ion collisions, treating the electrons relativistically, are calculated. The quantization of electron orbits in strong fields are discussed. The absorption cross sections and emission rates for cyclotron photons are calculated. An application of the results to the data from Hercules X-1 is examined.
THE INEFFECTIVENESS OF MECHANICALLY INDUCED VOMITING.

Summary A case of herpes zoster with onset at 30 hours of age in a premature infant is presented. Recovery was uneventful and without apparent sequelae.
One doesn't make out much with furs in Palestine: the migration of Jewish displaced persons, 1945–7

Based on the interviews David Boder conducted with Holocaust survivors in 1946, this article explores the realm of migration choices that were available to Jewish survivors in European Displaced Persons camps. The article argues that, aided by Jewish philanthropic and self-help organisations, many Displaced Persons had already established long-term strategies for their postwar lives by 1946.
An All Silicon Feedhorn-Coupled Focal Plane for Cosmic Microwave Background Polarimetry

Upcoming experiments aim to produce high fidelity polarization maps of the cosmic microwave background. To achieve the required sensitivity, we are developing monolithic, feedhorn-coupled transition edge sensor polarimeter arrays operating at 150 GHz. We describe this focal plane architecture and the current status of this technology, focusing on single-pixel polarimeters being deployed on the Atacama B-mode Search (ABS) and an 84-pixel demonstration feedhorn array backed by four 10-pixel polarimeter arrays. The feedhorn array exhibits symmetric beams, cross-polar response less than -23 dB and excellent uniformity across the array. Monolithic polarimeter arrays, including arrays of silicon feedhorns, will be used in the Atacama Cosmology Telescope Polarimeter (ACTPol) and the South Pole Telescope Polarimeter (SPTpol) and have been proposed for upcoming balloon-borne instruments.
A computer system for analysis and modeling of multiple pathoway enzyme mechanisms.

Abstract Due to the difficulties in deriving and solving nonlinear rate equations, enzyme kineticists often restrict their steady-state initial velocity studies to simple models which yield linear reciprocal equations. However, many enzymatic reactions yield nonlinear equations, especially when wide ranges of substrate concentration are used. Mechanisms which explain such nonlinear data include random binding and multiple site mechanisms. In addition, the rate constants are constrained according to the principle of detailed balance. Since many rate constants could appear in more than one pathway of the complex mechanism, the allowed value of these rate constants are further restricted. In this paper, techniques for deriving rate equations and constraint equations satisfying the principle of detailed balance for complex mechanisms are presented. A method to ensure that the estimated rate constants satisfy all constraint equations throughout the estimation procedure is also discussed. These techniques have been implemented on a digital computer. Rate constant estimation and results of modeling Uricase using this system are presented.
Estimation of stress intensity factor by digital image correlation

Abstract A method of determining stress intensity factors using digital image correlation is presented. The experimental and analytical method is described with results for different specimen geometries given. Effects of using higher order terms in the series expansion are also investigated and presented.
Finite extensional deformation of a rigid plastic arch

Abstract The exact, nonlinear extensional theory of a rigid perfectly plastic arch is used to determine the complete load-deflection behavior of a clamped semicircular arch under the action of a vertical upward point load at the crown. A rate formulation of the problem is discussed. Solution of the rate problem at the yield-point state provides the basis for the construction of exact solutions for thin and for thick arches. Numerical results are presented in graphical form. These results consist of load-deflection curves for three thin arches and one thick arch. The plots together with formulas presented herein show that the slope of the load-deflection curve at the yield-point state is nonzero and positive for upward loading. This result deviates from the zero slope predicted by the usual methods of limit analysis in which geometry changes are neglected.
Evaporation of Nanoparticles Droplets on Nanoporous Superhydrophobic Surfaces

In this paper, we experimentally studied the evaporative behavior of the nanofluid droplets (fluid containing metal nanoparticles) on nanoporous superhydrophobic surfaces. Uniformly dispersed in water, gold chloride (AuCl3 ) nanoparticles of varying sizes (10–250 nm) and concentrations (0.001–0.1% wt) were tested as nanofluids. Porous anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) with a pore size of 250 nm was tested as a nanoporous superhydrophobic surface, coated by a self assembled monolayer (SAM). During the evaporation in a room temperature and pressure, the evaporation kinetics (e.g., contact angle, contact diameter, and volume) of the nanofluid droplets was measured over time by using a goniometer. In the beginning, the initial droplet contact angles were significantly affected by the nanoparticle sizes and concentrations such that as the concentration increased, the initial contact angle decreased, which was more pronounced at larger particle sizes. During evaporation, despite the different particle sizes and concentrations, there were two distinct stages shown, especially for the change of contact angles, i.e., gradual decrease in the beginning, followed by rapid decrease in the end. No remarkable wetting transition from de-wetting (Cassie) to wetting (Wenzel) state was shown during the evaporation. Evaporation rate was influenced by nanoparticles such that it was significantly mitigated with the nanofluid droplet of the highest concentration (0.1% wt). The scanning electron microscope (SEM) images show that the ring-like dry-out pattern forms after the evaporation of nanofluids with lower concentrations (0.001%, 0.01% wt), whereas the one with higher concentrations (0.1%wt) forms a uniformly distributed pattern. These results demonstrate that nanoparticle sizes and concentrations make significant effects on interfacial phenomena in droplet evaporation on nanostructured surfaces, which will impact many engineering applications and system designs based on droplets such as microfluidics and heat transfer.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Preparation and Characterization of Hybrid Hydrotalcite-Sulfonated Polyetheretherketone (SPEEK) Cation-Exchange Membranes

Direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) can be operated using liquid methanol directly as a fuel. However, DMFCs face two major technical hurdles, namely, slow anodic methanol oxidation kinetics and methanol crossover across the polymer electrolyte membrane. Commercial membranes, such as Nafion, are expensive and more than 40% of the methanol is often lost through crossover during fuel-cell operation. Therefore, our study’s long-term goal is to develop a new, cost-effective membrane with superior methanol barrier properties, and reasonable proton conductivity. As part of this effort, we have prepared composite membranes by incorporating hydrotalcite (HT) particles into sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (SPEEK). Their properties are strongly dependent on the degree of sulfonation of the polymer matrix, and on the weight fraction of HT particles present in the hybrid membrane. Some of these HT-SPEEK hybrid membranes exhibit good properties, with the addition of the HT filler increasing the proton conductivity,...
Computer simulation of one-dimensional spinodal decomposition

Abstract The one-dimensional non-linear differential equation for spinodal decomposition has been made dimensionless, converted to a difference equation, and evaluated numerically with periodic boundary conditions (which unfortunately limits the generality of the results), by solving simultaneous equations. Two dimensionless parameters and a time constant characterize the growth of composition fluctuation of wavelength, λ, in the unstable region of a regular solution of chemical interaction energy, Ω. One, γ  (− 2Ω + E/ρ) θ , compares the interaction energy, chemical and mechanical, with thermal energy, θ, while the other, ψ  2K θ ρ λ 2 , compares a characteristic gradient energy with thermal energy. A time constant, τ  λ 2 θ M , where M is particle mobility, governs the rate of decomposition. Several examples using a regular solution model for the free energy are discussed which show how the technique can be applied. One reveals that linear approximation of the differential equation gives a good representation of the results. The non-linear terms are necessary for the fluctuations to pass through the spinodal boundary, however. Other examples show how fluctuations can divide into smaller wavelengths or grow to larger wavelengths. The final example shows the decomposition of a composition fluctuation which is off the center of the spinodal region.
Edumetric Validity of the Quarterly Profile Examination

Investigators traditionally have reported the psychometric properties of tests. Less often reported are the edumetric properties of tests used for measurement of within-individual growth. The standard growth expectations for various levels and categories of the Quarterly Profile Examination were reported in this study as an approach to assessing edumetric validity. Although psychometric properties of this test of medical information were previously determined, the present results demonstrated the usefulness of computing standard growth expectations for tests used in the measurement of within-individual growth.
Chemical and ultrastructural analysis of corn cuticular lipids and their effect on feeding by fall armyworm larvae

The cuticular lipid composition of lower and upper leaves of five genotypes of field-grown corn,Zea mays L., was determined by combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Surface lipids of the upper leaves had a higher proportion ofn-alkanes (45–52%) than the lower leaves, while the lower leaves had higher percentages of fatty alcohols (12–18%) than the upper leaves. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the upper leaves of two corn genotypes, MpSWCB-4 and Cacahuacintle X's, had a smooth amorphous appearance, while the lower leaves had a dense array of wax crystals.Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) larvae weighed more and developed more rapidly when they were reared on diet containing corn foliage from which the cuticular lipids had been removed than when they were fed untreated foliage. However, growth was not inhibited when larvae were fed diet containing the cuticular lipid extracts or individual cuticular lipid components.
Developing a Web-Based System for Large-Scale Environmental Hydraulics Problems with Application to Oil Spill Modeling

Oil spill models are used for decision making during emergencies, contingency planning, and risk assessment. Many of these oil spill models are desktop based. A typical desktop model system is served by an input and output interface to communicate with the user. In a desktop model system, all components reside in the user’s computer. The development of a Web-based model system (Web-CDOG) for large-scale environmental hydraulics problems with an application to oil spill modeling is presented in this paper. The Web-CDOG provides a number of advantages and features that are not available through a desktop system. It helps users to access the model, improves user-developer communication, gives the user access to distributed data, restricts some user access to data (e.g., direct transfer of data from third party sites to the model system without allowing user access), classifies users with different levels of accessibility, and allows multiple users to access the same data. Other examples where a similar Web-b...
The effect of participating in a trauma- and stressful event-focused study.

Objective Researchers have increasingly examined whether participants who have experienced a traumatic event should be considered vulnerable research populations. Studies have typically asked participants in trauma-focused research whether they were upset by the study or perceived any benefit from it. The current study extends such research by measuring mood and exploring potential moderators of the impact of study participation. Method Participants were 107 women who experienced a traumatic or stressful event and completed an event-focused research protocol. Negative affect was measured, using the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, at the time of the study and 1 week later. Results Participants reported significantly lower levels of negative affect in the week after the study than before it. Decreases in negative affect were greatest for those with highest levels of depression at the time of interview. Conclusions Participation in a trauma- or stressful-event-focused study is not harmful and may even be beneficial, especially among depressed participants.
Differences in short-term complications between spinal and general anesthesia for primary total knee arthroplasty.

Background: Spinal anesthesia has been associated with lower postoperative rates of deep-vein thrombosis, a shorter operative time, and less blood loss when compared with general anesthesia. The purpose of the present study was to identify differences in thirty-day perioperative morbidity and mortality between anesthesia choices among patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty. Methods: The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) database was searched to identify patients who underwent primary total knee arthroplasty between 2005 and 2010. Complications that occurred within thirty days after the procedure in patients who had been managed with either general or spinal anesthesia were identified. Patient characteristics, thirty-day complication rates, and mortality were compared. Multivariate logistic regression identified predictors of thirty-day morbidity, and stratified propensity scores were used to adjust for selection bias. Results: The database search identified 14,052 cases of primary total knee arthroplasty; 6030 (42.9%) were performed with the patient under spinal anesthesia and 8022 (57.1%) were performed with the patient under general anesthesia. The spinal anesthesia group had a lower unadjusted frequency of superficial wound infections (0.68% versus 0.92%; p = 0.0003), blood transfusions (5.02% versus 6.07%; p = 0.0086), and overall complications (10.72% versus 12.34%; p = 0.0032). The length of surgery (ninety-six versus 100 minutes; p < 0.0001) and the length of hospital stay (3.45 versus 3.77 days; p < 0.0001) were shorter in the spinal anesthesia group. After adjustment for potential confounders, the overall likelihood of complications was significantly higher in association with general anesthesia (odds ratio, 1.129; 95% confidence interval, 1.004 to 1.269). Patients with the highest number of preoperative comorbidities, as defined by propensity score-matched quintiles, demonstrated a significant difference between the groups with regard to the short-term complication rate (11.63% versus 15.28%; p = 0.0152). Age, female sex, black race, elevated creatinine, American Society of Anesthesiologists class, operative time, and anesthetic choice were all independent risk factors of short-term complication after total knee arthroplasty. Conclusions: Patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty who were managed with general anesthesia had a small but significant increase in the risk of complications as compared with patients who were managed with spinal anesthesia; the difference was greatest for patients with multiple comorbidities. Surgeons who perform knee arthroplasty may consider spinal anesthesia for patients with comorbidities. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Methyl tert-Butyl Ether Occurrence and Related Factors in Public and Private Wells in Southeast New Hampshire

The occurrence of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) in water from public wells in New Hampshire has increased steadily over the past several years. Using a laboratory reporting level of 0.2 μg/L, 40% of samples from public wells and 21% from private wells in southeast New Hampshire have measurable concentrations of MTBE. The rate of occurrence of MTBE varied significantly for public wells by establishment type; for example, 63% of public wells serving residential properties have MTBE concentrations above 0.2 μg/L, whereas lower rates were found for schools (21%). MTBE concentrations correlate strongly with urban factors, such as population density. Surprisingly, MTBE was correlated positively with well depth for public supply wells. Well depth is inversely related to yield in New Hampshire bedrock wells, which may mean that there is less opportunity for dilution of MTBE captured by deep wells. Another possibility is that the source(s) of water to low-yield wells may be dominated by leakage from potentially c...
Characterization of the Viscoelastic Behavior of Carbon Fiber Composites used in Deployable Rigidizable Structures

** †† Isogrid booms are constructed from composite tows, which are characterized by their low mass, high strength , and stiffness. The tows ar e composed of a shape memory polymer (SMP) thermoset matrix resin and a graphite fiber reinforcement. The viscoelastic behavior of an individual tow affects the behavior of isogrid booms during packaging and deployment. This study investigated the viscoe lastic behavior of two sets of tow samples (TP284 and TP407) . The tow samples were subjected to two folding conditions: low temperature -high speed and high temperature -low speed. The low temperature used was 30 o C below the glass transition temperature ( T g) whereas the high temperature used was 30 o C above T g. The samples were then unfolded at temperatures higher than the highest folding temperature. Both sets of tow samples exhibited a tighter folding (smaller folded angles) under high temperature, low speed condition. Upon reheating at temperatures above the highest folding temperature, the TP284 samples under both folding conditions and the TP40 7 samples under low temperature -high speed unfolded close to the pre -folded angles within 2 minutes . The T P407 s amples subjected to high temperature -low speed condition required 10 minutes to unf old and the unfolded angles were not close to the pre -folded state. The results indicate that both tow samples have unrecovered deformation . Therefore it is importan t to control the rate of folding during packaging of isogrid booms .
The Use of Fraction of Exhaled Nitric Oxide in Pulmonary Practice

The measurement of the fractional concentration of exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) is a convenient, noninvasive, point-of-service office test for airway inflammation. The first half of this practice management review presents the methodological, interpretative, and clinical applications of FeNO. The second half discusses practical management issues, including current and future technology, equipment specifications, US Food and Drug Administration regulations, cost, current procedural terminology coding, and reimbursement. The measurement of FeNO is helpful in the diagnosis of asthma. It is predictive of a response to inhaled corticosteroids (ICSs). Monitoring FeNO is useful in maintaining asthma control by allowing the assessment of adherence to medication and dose titration of ICSs. An elevated level of FeNO is predictive of asthma relapse following corticosteroid withdrawal especially in children. The advances in technology, ease of use, and clinical utility will lead to greater availability, acceptance, and routine application in the care of asthma.
On the Optimal Allocation of Power Between Shareholders and Managers

This paper formally investigates the optimal allocation of power for shareholders recognizing that they may be heterogeneous, and that agency problems exist with managers. In the model I treat shareholders as economic actors who choose decision rules (or the degree of shareholder power) under a veil of ignorance with the goal of maximizing their utility. Managers choose their consumption of private benefits based on the power allocation chosen by shareholders. I demonstrate that heterogeneous shareholders face a trade-off in deciding on the allocation of shareholder power. In the event they are in favor of an investment, shareholders would like to minimize their ability to veto a project. In the event they are against an investment, shareholders would like to maximize their veto power. The optimal voting rule balances these two considerations. Unhappy shareholders who can easily sell their shares do not face this trade-off, in which case they will grant more power to managers. I also demonstrate that in all circumstances shareholders will allocate more power to themselves as a way of controlling managerial agency costs.
Pharmacokinetic evaluation of olopatadine for the treatment of allergic rhinitis and conjunctivitis.

Introduction: Olopatadine hydrochloride is an antihistamine and mast cell stabilizer available in three forms, including oral, intranasal and ocular preparations. Most of the practical applications focus on the use of olopatadine for the treatment of allergic rhinitis and conjunctivitis via intranasal and ocular routes. Areas covered: This article was formed from a comprehensive literature search with information taken from meta-analyses, systematic reviews, treatment guidelines and clinical studies on children and adults. Articles that have been selected evaluate the use of intranasal and ocular antihistamines and their role in allergic rhinitis and conjunctivitis. Expert opinion: Olopatadine is significantly more effective than placebos in alleviating the symptoms of allergic rhinitis and conjunctivitis. Olopatadine is a viable alternative and addition to the mainstay therapy of these conditions with intranasal steroids and oral antihistamines. The compliance of the patients would be improved if a once-...
Mapping of a Domain Required for Protein-Protein Interactions and Inhibitory Activity of a Helicobacter pylori Dominant-Negative VacA Mutant Protein

The Helicobacter pylori VacA toxin is an 88-kDa secreted protein that causes multiple alterations in mammalian cells and is considered an important virulence factor in the pathogenesis of peptic ulcer disease and gastric cancer. We have shown previously that a VacA mutant protein lacking amino acids 6 to 27 (Δ6-27p88 VacA) is able to inhibit many activities of wild-type VacA in a dominant-negative manner. Analysis of a panel of C-terminally truncated Δ6-27p88 VacA proteins indicated that a fragment containing amino acids 1 to 478 (Δ6-27p48) exhibited a dominant-negative phenotype similar to that of the full-length Δ6-27p88 VacA protein. In contrast, a shorter VacA fragment lacking amino acids 6 to 27 (Δ6-27p33) did not exhibit detectable inhibitory activity. The Δ6-27p48 protein physically interacted with wild-type p88 VacA, whereas the Δ6-27p33 protein did not. Mutational analysis indicated that amino acids 351 to 360 are required for VacA protein-protein interactions and for dominant-negative inhibitory activity. The C-terminal portion (p55 domain) of wild-type p88 VacA could complement either Δ6-27p33 or Δ(6-27/351-360)p48, reconstituting dominant-negative inhibitory activity. Collectively, our data provide strong evidence that the inhibitory properties of dominant-negative VacA mutant proteins are dependent on interactions between the mutant VacA proteins and wild-type VacA, and they allow mapping of a domain involved in the formation of oligomeric VacA complexes.
Current and future directions in the treatment of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck: multidisciplinary symposium on head and neck cancer.

The treatment of head and neck cancer continues to represent a major challenge. Patients are typically treated with chemotherapy, radiation and surgery. Multiple resources are needed to allow patients to go through the treatment, and recovery can take months and often years. Those resources include, nutritionists, speech and swallow therapists, social workers, psychiatrists and dentists. It is of paramount importance that these patients have access to a multi-disciplinary clinic that can best manage the problems that will invariably arise when treatment is started. These include mucositis, pain, xerostomia, swallowing dysfunction, depression, loss of work and severe deconditioning. Recent advances in the treatment of head and neck cancer have resulted in an improvement in survival. These advances have included the use of newer chemotherapeutic agents, better radiation planning and delivery and better surgical techniques. This report highlights some of the data presented in the first multidisciplinary symp...
Disease severity and yield of pure‐line wheat cultivars and mixtures in the presence of eyespot, yellow rust, and their combination

Five winter wheat cultivars, six two-component cultivar mixtures, and one four-way mixture were grown in the presence of yellow rust, eyespot, both diseases, and neither disease for three seasons. On average, mixtures reduced the severity of yellow rust relative to their component pure stands by 53%. The four-component mixture provided better yellow rust control than did the two-way mixtures. Eyespot severity was reduced through mixing only in the absence of yellow rust and by only three of the seven mixtures (mean reduction = 13%). Yellow rust was 13% less severe in the presence of eyespot, and eyespot was 10% more severe in the presence of yellow rust. Averaged over all years, the mixtures increased yield relative to the pure stands by 6·2, 1·7, 7·1, and 1·3% in the presence of yellow rust, eyespot, both diseases, and neither disease, respectively. Two mixtures provided significant yield increases over the means of their component pure stands (7% and 9%) in the presence of eyespot even though one of them did not significantly reduce eyespot severity. Accounting for all disease treatments and years, four mixtures provided distinctly higher yield increases than the other three. In mixtures containing a resistant cultivar and a cultivar susceptible to eyespot, yield loss by the susceptible cultivar was not compensated for by increased yield of the resistant cultivar. The mixtures showed improved yield stability relative to the pure stands, with the four-component mixture being particularly stable.
Is In-Vitro Fertilization for Older Women Ethical? a personal perspective:

Fertility treatments raise a range of social and ethical issues regarding self-identity for family, sexual intimacy, and the interests and welfare of potential children. Eggs and sperm are combined to produce fertilized eggs. These eggs are then implanted as embryos and grow into viable fetuses, which are carried by the original mother or a surrogate mother. This artificial form of conception can challenge religious values and family structures. In-vitro fertilization (IVF) can be considered either as a medical miracle or playing with divinity. What obligation do medical professionals have to infertile women and to what extent? The bioethical dilemma of IVF use encompasses different moral issues for all involved in the process. Ethical issues address respect for personal autonomy, access and care, and the duty of the health care provider to be compassionate to persons whose actions and moral values may be different from their own. Health care providers need to impart empathy, understanding and sensitivity towards this unique type of patient population. The conflict for those treating patients who are trying to conceive by IVF includes respect for personal autonomy, nonmaleficence, justice, utility and the ethics of care. As a registered nurse in a postpartum hospital unit, I have seen antepartum and postpartum women involved with this new technology. I have worked with mothers and their partners as they experience different levels of anxiety and hope for the future. There is an underlying psychosocial connection with patients who undergo IVF treatments. The purpose of this article is to explore the ethical use of IVF on older women. Is this type of biotechnolgy being applied for the right reasons and for the best patient population?
FLT3 Mutations: Biology and Treatment

FLT3 is a receptor tyrosine kinase with important roles in hematopoietic stem/progenitor cell survival and proliferation. It is mutated in about 1/3 of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients, either by internal tandem duplications (ITD) of the juxtamembrane domain or by point mutations usually involving the kinase domain (KD). Both types of mutation constitutively activate FLT3. Many studies have shown that AML patients with FLT3/ITD mutations have poor cure rates due to relapse. This has led to the development of a number of small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) with activity against FLT3. Many of these are still in preclinical development, but several have entered clinical phase I and II trials as monotherapy in patients with relapsed AML. Patients with FLT3 mutations in these trials have shown clinical responses, most often a clearing of peripheral blasts, but rarely major reductions of bone marrow blasts. Several studies have shown that FLT3 was successfully inhibited in most patients. However, complete remissions have rarely been achieved in these trials. The difference in responses of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients to BCR-ABL inhibitors compared to FLT3 mutant AML patients to FLT3 inhibitors may be reflective of treating a single gene disease in CML versus multiply altered gene disease in AML. This has led to clinical testing of FLT3 TKI in combination with conventional chemotherapy, with trial designs based on preclinical testing showing synergistic effects between these agents in inducing cytotoxic responses. Several combination trials are ongoing or planned in both relapsed and newly diagnosed FLT3-mutant AML patients.
Ablation of Nkx2-5 at mid-embryonic stage results in premature lethality and cardiac malformation.

Aims Human congenital heart disease linked to mutations in the homeobox transcription factor, NKX2-5, is characterized by cardiac anomalies, including atrial and ventricular septal defects as well as conduction and occasional defects in contractility. In the mouse, homozygous germline deletion of Nkx2-5 gene results in death around E10.5. It is, however, not established whether Nkx2-5 is necessary for cardiac development beyond this embryonic stage. Because human NKX2-5 mutations are related to septum secundum type atrial septal defects (ASD), we hypothesized that Nkx2-5 deficiency during the processes of septum secundum formation may cause cardiac anomalies; thus, we analysed mice with tamoxifen-inducible Nkx2-5 ablation beginning at E12.5 when the septum secundum starts to develop. Methods and results Using tamoxifen-inducible Nkx2-5 gene-targeted mice, this study demonstrates that Nkx2-5 ablation beginning at E12.5 results in embryonic death by E17.5. Analysis of mutant embryos at E16.5 shows arrhythmias, contraction defects, and cardiac malformations, including ASD. Quantitative measurements using serial section histology and three-dimensional reconstruction demonstrate growth retardation of the septum secundum and enlarged foramen ovale in Nkx2-5-ablated embryos. Functional cardiac defects may be attributed to abnormal expression of transcripts critical for conduction and contraction, including cardiac voltage-gated Na+ channel pore-forming α-subunit (Nav1.5-α), gap junction protein connexin40, cardiac myosin light chain kinase, and sarcolipin within 4 days after tamoxifen injection. Conclusion Nkx2-5 is necessary for survival after the mid-embryonic stage for cardiac function and formation by regulating the expression of its downstream target genes.
Analytic modeling of transit-time device drift regions with field-dependent transport coefficients

Abstract An iterative procedure for obtaining two-carrier d.c. solutions in regions of rapidly varying carrier concentration is presented. The procedure uses an analytic solution for the carrier concentrations in a region of linear spatial electric field variation. Field-dependent diffusion and field-dependent velocities are assumed. A single-carrier small-signal model for a drift region with a spatially varying field and field-dependent transport properties is presented. When applied to a BARITT device, results consistent with published experimental data are obtained. The importance of momentum relaxation effects in Si BARITT drift regions is discussed.
Prospective randomized trial comparing shock wave lithotripsy and ureteroscopy for management of distal ureteral calculi

Purpose: We compared the efficacy of shock wave lithotripsy and ureteroscopy for treatment of distal ureteral calculi.Materials and Methods: A total of 64 patients with solitary, radiopaque distal ureteral calculi 15 mm. or less in largest diameter were randomized to treatment with shock wave lithotripsy (32) using an HM3 lithotriptor (Dornier MedTech, Kennesaw, Georgia) or ureteroscopy (32). Patient and stone characteristics, treatment parameters, clinical outcomes, patient satisfaction and cost were assessed for each group.Results: The 2 groups were comparable in regard to patient age, sex, body mass index, stone size, degree of hydronephrosis and time to treatment. Procedural and operating room times were statistically significantly shorter for the shock wave lithotripsy compared to the ureteroscopy group (34 and 72 versus 65 and 97 minutes, respectively). In addition, 94% of patients who underwent shock wave lithotripsy versus 75% who underwent ureteroscopy were discharged home the day of procedure. A...