cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The direct synthesis of methylchlorosilanes I. Steady-state and transient reaction kinetics

Abstract Reaction kinetics under steady-state and transient conditions were used to study the effects of the catalyst (copper) and promoters (zinc and tin) on the direct reaction of methyl chloride with silicon to produce methylchlorosilanes. Use of infrared spectroscopy allowed rapid analysis of the gas-phase product composition. This allowed the accurate measurement of the apparent activation energy and the apparent reaction order for each product. An improved method for calculating direct reaction rates is also introduced. Addition of Zn as a promoter to Cu did not change the overall reaction rate but increased the selectivity for more methylated silanes. Tin promotion increased the selectivity for more chlorinated silanes, while having little affect on the overall reaction rate. Copromotion with zinc and tin increased the overall reaction rate; however, the selectivity for dimethyldichlorosilane (DMDC) was dependent on the concentration of tin. A trace amount of tin (ca. 0.005-0.01 wt%) produced the highest selectivity for DMDC; however, increasing the amount of tin to 0.2 wt% decreased the selectivity. We propose that the primary role of zinc is to direct the dissociative adsorption of McCl such that the methyl group is attached to the Si and the Cl group is attached to the Zn.
Origin of the Drude peak and of zero sound in probe brane holography

Abstract At zero temperature, the charge current operator appears to be conserved, within linear response, in certain holographic probe brane models of strange metals. At small but finite temperature, we analytically show that the weak non-conservation of this current leads to both a collective “zero sound” mode and a Drude peak in the electrical conductivity. This simultaneously resolves two outstanding puzzles about probe brane theories. The nonlinear dynamics of the current operator itself appears qualitatively different.
Microstructure-sensitive modeling of pitting corrosion: Effect of the crystallographic orientation

Abstract This work presents an innovative framework for the simulation of stable pit growth that accounts for the material microstructure in the computational model to investigate its effect on pit growth behavior. While many microstructural attributes can affect corrosion kinetics, the current work focuses on the effect of the crystallographic plane orientation at the corrosion front by utilizing variations in polarization behavior with orientation in a single phase material. The current modeling results show that crystallographic orientation significantly affects local pit growth rates (even with corrosion potential variations as little as 5–10% across orientations) and the resultant tortuous shapes are similar to pits observed in experimental studies.
Inductance model of decoupling capacitors including the local environment

The key purpose of power distribution networks is to maintain a low impedance power source for integrated circuit(s) for the stable supply voltage. In this paper, using the equivalent series capacitor inductance leads to inaccurate estimates of power bus impedance. A simple modeling approach is presented to estimate the inductance associated with the decoupling capacitors which accounts for the capacitor geometry, for connections to the capacitor, and for the capacitor height above the return plane.
Changing Patient Perceptions of MTM: Determining an Effective Method of Education

Background: Medication Therapy Management (MTM) is a vital resource in reducing medication nonadherence, yet many individuals who are eligible for MTM services are unaware of what MTM is and how to enroll. Little is known about how to best educate patients on MTM services and its benefits. Objective: To determine the difference between in-person education community education versus brochure community education on MTM services on perceptions of and enrollment in MTM services. Methods: A pre-post quasi experimental study, where patients were allocated to receive information about MTM through an educational brochure or an in-person education session and completed survey assessments pre- and post-intervention, was conducted at a federally-qualified health center. Patients who were ages 18 years or older, MTM-eligible, and had received no prior MTM service were eligible to participate. Changes in patient perceptions of and enrollment in MTM from pre- to post-intervention were assessed by survey instruments developed for this study. Results: A total of 35 patients (brochure=25, in-person=10) were recruited for this study. Most participants (94.2%) either reported having never heard of MTM or not being sure if they had heard of MTM. There were no significant between-group differences on pre-survey questions or pre-post within-group changes (p>0.05). There were significant between-group differences on 11 post-assessment questions and MTM enrollment (p<0.05), with the in-person education group showing improved perceptions and greater enrollment. Conclusion: Patients remain largely unaware of MTM services; there is a need for education to increase awareness. Even though educating patients in a face-to-face context had a more positive impact on perceptions of MTM and enrollment in MTM, more research is needed regarding the best educational methods as it was difficult for patients to find time to attend an educational session. Type: Student Project
Persistent sex disparities in implantable cardioverter-defibrillator therapy.

BACKGROUND Clinical guidelines recommend cardioverter defibrillator implantation for patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction. Despite this, women and minorities have been less likely to receive implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) therapy than white men. We examined race and sex differences in ICD implantation in a recent cohort. METHODS Using cross-sectional, retrospective analyses, we mined our health system's outpatient electronic medical records to assess age, race, sex, medications, and comorbidities for patients aged ≥18 years with ejection fraction ≤ 35% during 2014. While adjusting for confounding variables such as medications, age, and comorbidities, we conducted a multivariable logistic regression assessing whether racial and sex differences in ICD therapy persist. RESULTS Among 5,156 outpatients with ejection fraction ≤35%, 1,681 (32.6%) patients had an ICD present at the time of their index outpatient visit in 2014. Women were less likely to have an ICD than men (25.0% vs 36.3%, P < 0.01), and black patients were less likely to have an ICD than white patients (28.0% vs 33.2%, P = 0.02). In adjusted multivariable analyses, women were less like to have ICDs (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 0.68, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.58-0.79, P < 0.01) but the race difference dissipated (adjusted OR for black race = 0.86, 95% CI, 0.68-1.08, P = 0.18). CONCLUSIONS In this large, outpatient cohort, we have shown that sex differences in ICD therapy continue to exist, but the difference in ICD prevalence by race was attenuated. Dedicated studies are required to fully understand the causes of persistent sex differences in ICD therapy.
Integrated Programming Environments

FIELD, the Friendly Integrated Environment for Learning and Development, is an integrated programming environment: a collection of tools that communicate and coordinate with each other in order to let the user create, edit, compile, debug, test, and maintain a programming system.
3D/4D Functional Imaging of Tumor-Associated Proteolysis: Impact of Microenvironment

Proteases play causal roles in many aspects of the aggressive phenotype of tumors, yet many of the implicated proteases originate from tumor-associated cells or from responses of tumor cells to interactions with other cells. Therefore, to obtain a comprehensive view of tumor proteases, we need to be able to assess proteolysis in tumors that are interacting with their microenvironment. As this is difficult to do in vivo, we have developed functional live-cell optical imaging assays and 3D and 4D (i.e., 3D over time) coculture models. We present here a description of the probes used to measure proteolysis and protease activities, the methods used for imaging and analysis of proteolysis and the 3D and 4D models used in our laboratory. Of course, all assays have limitations; however, we suggest that the techniques discussed here will, with attention to their limitations, be useful as a screen for drugs to target the invasive phenotype of tumors.
Influence of clostridial vaccines and injection sites on performance, feeding behavior, and lesion size scores of beef steers.

Several clostridial vaccines are currently being used in the beef cattle industry. Of greatest concern is altering the location and route of administration of these vaccines to reduce injection-site lesions while maintaining seroconversion. Two experiments were conducted to determine the effect of clostridial vaccines and injection sites on the performance, feeding behavior, and lesion size scores of beef steers. In Exp. 1, 80 crossbred beef steers (BW 237 +/- 3.2 kg) were allotted randomly into five groups and given 14 d to adapt to the feed and individual feed intake-monitoring devices (Pinpointer devices) before starting the study. Each group was assigned randomly to one of the following vaccination treatments: 1) control (sterile saline water), 2) Alpha-7 Ear (A7E), 3) Alpha-7 Prescapula (A7P), 4) Vision-7 Prescapula (V7P), and 5) Ultrabac-7 Prescapula (U7P). All vaccines were injected s.c. in the ear or prescapular region, and injection sites were palpated on d 0 and 28 (Exp. 1) and on d 63 and 91 (Exp. 2). The protocol for Exp. 2 was exactly the same as for Exp. 1 except treatments included control, A7P, Alpha-CD Ear (ACDE), Alpha-CD Prescapula (ACDP), Fortress-7 Prescapula (F7P), and V7P. Also, control and steers receiving F7P and V7P were revaccinated on d 63 and palpated on d 91. Results of Exp. 1 indicated that the A7E and U7P steers had a feed intake lower (P 0.05) from those of the control steers. The gain:feed ratio of the A7E steers was 41% higher (P 0.05) among all treatment groups. Lesion sizes differed by vaccine and injection site in both experiments. These data suggest that vaccinating beef steers s.c. in the ear produced gain:feed ratios and lesion size scores that were similar to prescapular vaccinations. However, more research is required to determine the immune response of vaccinating cattle in the ear.
Counselors-in-Training Employed as School Counselors: A Qualitative Inquiry

A process called emergency permits allows counselors-in-training to be employed as school counselors throughout the state of Texas. Using a phenomenological approach, authors explored the experienc...
In Situ Analysis and Visualization of Fusion Simulations: Lessons Learned

The trends in high performance computing, where far more data can be computed that can ever be stored, have made in situ techniques an important area of research and development. Simulation campaigns, where domain scientists work with computer scientists to run a simulation and perform in situ analysis and visualization are important, and complex undertakings. In this paper we report our experiences performing in situ analysis and visualization on two campaigns. The two campaigns were related, but had important differences in terms of the codes that were used, the types of analysis and visualization required, and the visualization tools used. Further, we report the lessons learned from each campaign.
Indirect effects in a planktonic disease system

Abstract Indirect effects, both density- and trait-mediated, have been known to act in tandem with direct effects in the interactions of numerous species. They have been shown to affect populations embedded in competitive and mutualistic networks alike. In this work, we introduce a four-dimensional system of ordinary differential equations and investigate the interplay between direct density-effects and density- and trait-mediated indirect effects that take place in a yeast parasite–zooplankton host–incompetent competitor system embedded in a food web which also includes resources and predators. Among our main findings is the demonstration that indirect effects cause qualitative and quantitative changes almost indistinguishable from direct effects and the corroboration through our analysis of the fact that the effects of direct and indirect mechanisms cannot be disentangled. Our results underpin the conclusions of past studies calling for comprehensive models that incorporate both direct and indirect effects to better describe field data.
Assessing Smart Glasses-based Foodservice Training: An Embodied Learning Theory Approach

The present study evaluated simulated, hands on foodservice training delivered through smart glasses compared to passive, strictly video-based training. Handwashing performance variables, including frequency and efficacy, were measured along with post-training reactions. Participants in the strictly video-based group (N = 24) were four times more likely to wash hands than the smart glasses group (N = 25), (95% CI: 1.129 - 14.175). This research highlights how simulation training of handwashing with smart glasses can result in poorer learning outcomes compared to traditional training methods, potentially due to the psychological effects of hand cleansing. The observed training outcomes may also show the need to improve smart glasses-based training by finding ways to decrease attention demands and implementing augmented reality intelligence systems that can enforce training outcomes. Future research should utilize longitudinal studies to determine the impact of smart glasses-based training on food safety behavior habit formation. La presente etude a evalue une formation en service alimentaire active et appliquee, livree par l’entremise de lunettes intelligentes, comparativement a une formation passive strictement basee sur la video. Des variables de rendement relatives au lavage des mains ont ete mesurees, y compris la frequence et l’efficacite. Les participants du groupe dont la formation etait strictement basee sur la video (N = 24) etaient quatre fois plus susceptibles de se laver les mains que les participants du groupe aux lunettes intelligentes (N = 25), (95 % IC : 1,129 – 14,175). Les resultats soulignent que la formation par lunettes intelligentes dans laquelle les participants s’exercent a se laver les mains peut entrainer de moins bons resultats d’apprentissage que les methodes de formation traditionnelles. Cela peut etre du a : a) la nature du contenu pedagogique, dans lequel la memoire prospective intervient, comparativement a des etudes prealables avec l’apprentissage incarne et les lunettes intelligentes, qui ont evalue la memoire retrospective et les fonctions motrices, ou b) aux effets psychologiques sur la memoire dont le groupe aux lunettes intelligentes aurait fait l’experience durant la formation. Des etudes futures pourraient explorer l’effet de la formation par simulation a l’aide de lunettes intelligentes sur d’autres tâches de service alimentaire.
Extreme obesity is associated with angulation during inferior vena cava filter placement.

Abstract Background Placement of inferior vena cava (IVC) filters can be complicated by venous injury, filter misplacement, angulation, insertion site injury, and procedure-related death. Currently, no studies exist evaluating the correlation between obesity and adverse outcomes of IVC filters. We aimed to assess the outcomes of IVC filter placement in the obese population using the Vascular Quality Initiative database. Methods The Vascular Quality Initiative registry identified 7258 patients who underwent IVC filter placement from January 2013 to June 2017. Patients were divided into three groups based on their body mass index (BMI): normal/overweight (BMI 40). Periprocedural outcomes were analyzed. Results The mean age was 63.6 ± 16.6 years and 3444 patients (47%) were female. BMI was less than 30 in 4115 (56.7%), 30 to 40 in 2148 (29.6%), and greater than 40 in 995 (13.7%) patients. A complication or IVC filter-related death occurred in 142 patients (2.6%). Adverse events included angulation (1.3%), IVC filter misplacement (0.5%), insertion site injury (0.3%), IVC filter-related death (0.1%), and venous injury (0.06%). In multivariable analysis, increased BMI was found to be associated with angulation (P = .03), but was not associated with IVC filter misplacement (P = .43), or any complication or IVC filter-related death (P = .22). A subgroup analysis of IVC filter placements using only fluoroscopy demonstrated that the risk of angulation was significantly higher in patients with a BMI of greater than 40 compared with a BMI of less than 30 (odds ratio, 2.12; 95% confidence interval, 1.07-4.21; P = .03). There was not enough evidence to conclude that BMI was associated with any other outcome. Conclusions IVC filter insertion has low complication rates. Increased BMI is associated with an increased risk of IVC filter angulation; there is no evidence of association between BMI and other periprocedural complications.
Social dilemmas with manifest and unknown networks

Scholarly consensus that social ties resolve social dilemmas is largely predicated on common knowledge of networks. But what happens when people do not know all relevant social ties? Does network u...
9 – RIGHTS EXERCISING

Publisher Summary This chapter presents impossibility theorem concerning Paretian liberals and just liberals, which was given by Sen. It is partly freedom from suspect simplicity conditions that make these theorems an important focus of interest. The contribution to the discussion of Sen's theorem that promises the best changes in the way of looking at social choice functions is Gibbard's. The first observation Gibbard makes is that Sen's defense of his condition seems to involve a vector structure on the notion of alternative. Gibbard also pointed out that Condition L generates problems even without the weak Pareto condition. Gibbard illustrated that Condition L' is consistent with the standard domain restriction. However, Sen's proof can be adapted to show that any such social choice function must violate the weak Pareto condition.
Brain Lesion Detection Using A Robust Variational Autoencoder and Transfer Learning

Automated brain lesion detection from multi-spectral MR images can assist clinicians by improving sensitivity as well as specificity. Supervised machine learning methods have been successful in lesion detection. However, these methods usually rely on a large number of manually delineated images for specific imaging protocols and parameters and often do not generalize well to other imaging parameters and demographics. Most recently, unsupervised models such as autoencoders have become attractive for lesion detection since they do not need access to manually delineated lesions. Despite the success of unsupervised models, using pre-trained models on an unseen dataset is still a challenge. This difficulty is because the new dataset may use different imaging parameters, demographics, and different pre-processing techniques. Additionally, using a clinical dataset that has anomalies and outliers can make unsupervised learning challenging since the outliers can unduly affect the performance of the learned models. These two difficulties make unsupervised lesion detection a particularly challenging task. The method proposed in this work addresses these issues using a two-prong strategy: (1) we use a robust variational autoencoder model that is based on robust statistics, specifically the j)-divergence that can be trained with data that has outliers; (2) we use a transfer-learning method for learning models across datasets with different characteristics. Our results on MRI datasets demonstrate that we can improve the accuracy of lesion detection by adapting robust statistical models and transfer learning for a variational autoencoder model.
A Joint Impulse Response Function for Vector Autoregressive Models

We introduce a joint impulse response function (jIRF) that is independent of the order of the variables and allows for simultaneous shocks from multiple variables in the VAR, rather than one at a time as in the generalized IRF. Many applications call for measuring the response due to shocks from several variables at once. The proposed jIRF controls for the cross-correlations of the several simultaneous shocks. As an application of the jIRF, we study the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on Trans-Atlantic volatility transmissions across large financial institutions and show that simply summing the generalized IRFs overestimates volatility transmissions.
Good Decisions or Bad Outcomes? A Model for Group Deliberation on Value-Laden Topics

Agent-based models present an ideal tool for interrogating the dynamics of communication and exchange. Such models allow individual aspects of human interaction to be isolated and controlled in a w...
Best practices for differentiated products demand estimation with PyBLP

Differentiated products demand systems are a workhorse for understanding the price effects of mergers, the value of new goods, and the contribution of products to seller networks. Berry, Levinsohn, and Pakes (1995) provide a flexible random coefficients logit model which accounts for the endogeneity of prices. This article reviews and combines several recent advances related to the estimation of BLP‐type problems and implements an extensible generic interface via the PyBLP package. Monte Carlo experiments and replications suggest different conclusions than the prior literature: multiple local optima appear to be rare in well‐identified problems; good performance is possible even in small samples, particularly when “optimal instruments” are employed along with supply‐side restrictions. If Python is installed on your computer, PyBLP can be installed with the following command: pip install pyblp.Up‐to‐date documentation for the package is available at https://pyblp.readthedocs.io.
Instability and symmetry breaking in binary evaporating thin films over a solid spherical dome

We examine the axisymmetric and non-axisymmetric flows of thin fluid films over a spherical glass dome. A thin film is formed by raising a submerged dome through a silicone oil mixture composed of a volatile, low surface tension species (1 cSt, solvent) and a non-volatile species at a higher surface tension (5 cSt, initial solute volume fraction ) leads to an earlier onset of the instability. The linear stability analysis shows that capillarity and diffusion stabilize the system, while Marangoni driving forces contribute to the growth in the disturbances.
8A.004 MV crash characteristics and medical charges: front-and rear-seated restrained and unrestrained adults

Background There are reports that historically higher mortality observed for front- compared to rear-seated adult motor vehicle (MV) occupants has narrowed. Vast improvements have been made in strengthening laws and restraint use in front-, but not rear-seated MV occupants suggesting there may be value in expanding the science on rear-seat safety. Methods A linked 2016–2017 hospital and MV crash data set, the Crash Outcomes Data Evaluation System (CODES), was used to compare characteristics of front-seated (n=130,761) and rear-seated (n=6,641) adults aged 18 years and older involved in a MV crash in New York State (NYS). A primary enforced seatbelt law was in effect for front-seated, but not rear-seated occupants. Chi Square and linear regression use SAS 9.4. Results Compared to front-seated occupants, those rear-seated were more likely to be unrestrained (21.2% vs. 4.3%, P Conclusions These findings document increased medical charges and support the need to educate consumers and policymakers on the risks associated with adults riding unrestrained in the rear-seat. Learning outcomes Describe crash outcomes and medical charges in front- and rear-seated restrained and unrestrained adult passengers
Serial FNA allows direct sampling of malignant and infiltrating immune cells in patients with B-cell lymphoma receiving immunotherapy.

Background Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) is used to diagnose malignancies, recurrences, and metastases. The procedure is quick and well tolerated and can be facilitated by ultrasound guidance. Methods This article describes the authors' experience in using serial FNA to harvest cellular material during 4 clinical trials of immunotherapy by in situ vaccination in patients with low-grade lymphoma. Results Two hundred ninety-six FNA samples were collected from 44 patients over a span of approximately 6 weeks for each patient. Samples were sufficient in quantity and quality to be analyzed by flow cytometry and/or single-cell messenger RNA sequencing. FNA samples yielded an average of 12 × 106 cells with a mean cellular viability of 86%. Material collected from the tumor lymph nodes differed significantly in the proportions and phenotypes of cellular populations in comparison with matched peripheral blood samples. A comparison of flow cytometry results obtained by FNA directly from the patient and by FNA performed ex vivo and a dissociation of the same lymph node after surgical excision confirmed that FNA sampling of the patient accurately represented the tumor and the microenvironment. An analysis of the FNA samples from immunotherapy-treated target lymph nodes versus nodes from nontreated tumor sites provided insight into the impact of specific immunotherapy regimens. Conclusions This is the largest study describing the use of serial FNA sampling to harvest cellular material during immunotherapy clinical trials. The success of this technique opens the door for FNA sampling to expand significantly future investigations of the dynamic effects of investigational agents, be they immunotherapies or targeted therapies.
The quantum limit to the black hole mass derived by the quantization of Einstein equation

In this work the author shows that the quantum potential energy of the mass distribution inside a black hole (BH) can hinder its formation below the Planck mass. This result is obtained by introducing the quantum potential interaction into the Einstein equation and deriving the complete set of closed equations of motion that describe the quantum-gravitational dynamics. By using the theoretical outputs the lowest mass value of a central symmetrical Schwarzchild BH is calculated.
Formal Methods for Software Engineers: Tradeoffs in Curriculum Design

While formal methods are becoming increasingly important to software engineering, currently there is little consensus on how they should be taught. In this paper I outline some of the important dimensions of curriculum design for formal methods and illustrate the tradeoffs through a brief examination of four common course formats. I summarize what I have learned from teaching courses in each of these formats and outline an agenda of educational research that will enable us to teach formal methods more effectively.
All Charities are Property-Tax Exempt, But Some are More Exempt than Others

Attention from the media notwithstanding, the nonprofit sector continues to achieve remarkable success in state supreme courts and statehouses in defending property-tax exemptions. But budget pressures remain. While the intermediate use of “payments in lieu of taxes” has not yet become a systematic compromise solution, PILOTs are attracting growing interest from local taxing jurisdictions. This Article highlights three issues – who decides the parameters of exemption, legislatures or courts; what are the specific factors and vulnerable subsectors; and how exemption is granted or withheld in practice – and concludes with several PILOT case studies. The Appendix sets forth a fifty-one-jurisdiction review of state constitutions, statutes, and high-court decisions, and finds that the regimes generally are more similar than not.
Testing gate-to-channel shorts in BiCMOS logic gates

The effects of gate to channel breakdown on the operation of BiCMOS logic gates are described. Both the static and dynamic behaviors of the gates are examined. The results of a SPICE simulation are presented. They show that gate to channel breakdown cannot be modeled by a stuck-at fault. I/sub ddq/ and delay testings are effective in detecting these defects. Test patterns for I/sub ddq/ are given. >
Effect of self-diffraction on erasure dynamics during readout at different wavelengths and geometries in photorefractive materials

Certain memory applications based on photorefractive media require the ability to conveniently fix holograms. An attractive alternative is to sufficiently prolong the readout time. Low photoexcitation at long wavelength augmented by self-diffraction can increase readout time by a few orders of magnitude. The interaction of the writing and readout waves, both of the same wavelength, with the photorefractive space charge field has been investigated theoretically and experimentally. Dynamics of beam coupling and self diffraction, in certain geometries, can lead to an initial increase followed by non-exponential decay of the diffracted signal during readout. Here we study how the difference in gain, lifetime, photoexcitation and absorption at different wavelengths - which require changing incident angles to satisfy the Bragg condition - affect the decay dynamics of photorefractive gratings. >
Activation of α7 acetylcholine receptors augments stimulation-induced hippocampal theta oscillation

In the septohippocampal formation alpha7 nicotinic receptors (alpha7 nAChRs) are predominantly expressed by neurons well positioned to modulate hippocampal theta oscillation, such as GABAergic interneurons in the hippocampus, and by both GABAergic and cholinergic septal neurons. In the present experiments, we evaluated the efficacy of the recently developed selective alpha7 nAChR agonist PNU-282987 on hippocampal theta oscillation in anaesthetized rats. This compound shows high affinity for the rat alpha7 nAChRs (Ki = 26 nM) but a negligible activity at other nAChRs. Systemic administration of PNU-282987 significantly enhanced the power (by 40%) of hippocampal theta oscillation induced by electrical stimulation of the brainstem reticular formation. In contrast, the amnesic and muscarinic receptor antagonist scopolamine significantly decreased the power (by 68%) of the stimulation-induced theta oscillation. Given the connection between hippocampal theta oscillation and cognitive processes, it is proposed that precognitive actions of alpha7 nAChR agonists could be mediated, at least in part, by modulation of hippocampal oscillatory activity.
Effects of friendship on prosocial intentions and behavior.

BERNDT, THOMAS J. Effects of Friendship on Prosocial Intentions and Behavior. CHILD DEVELOPMENT, 1981, 52, 636-643. On the basis of their responses to a sociometric measure, kindergarten, second-, and fourth-grade children were paired either with a close friend or with an acquaintance (a classmate that they neither strongly liked nor strongly disliked). In a separate interview children were asked how they intended to behave toward their partner in specific situations where they could share with or help their partner. For each situation, children also were asked what they thought they should do, what their partner expected them to do, and what they really wanted to do. Girls said they would share and help a friend more than an acquaintance; boys said they would treat friends and acquaintances similarly. For both friends and acquaintances, what children said they would do was highly correlated with what they said they should do and wanted to do, but uncorrelated with what they believed their partner expected them to do. In another session the pairs of friends and acquaintances were observed as they performed 2 tasks. On each task, sharing with or helping the partner was likely to result in fewer rewards for a child. No effects of friendship were found for the task that involved helping. Sex differences were found for the task that involved sharing a crayon. Evidence from several measures indicated that boys behaved less prosocially toward friends than toward acquaintances. Friend-acquaintance differences were not significant for girls. The results were explained in terms of boys' competition with friends.
Abciximab administration and outcome after intracoronary stent implantation

Abstract Although adjunctive abciximab therapy improves outcome after angioplasty or atherectomy, there are few data demonstrating its benefit for intracoronary stent implantation. We characterized patients receiving abciximab for stent placement in our practice and determined the impact of abciximab on outcome. Abciximab was introduced to our practice in April 1995 for percutaneous revascularization. Demographic, clinical, and angiographic variables that were independently associated with the use of abciximab for stent placement through 1996 (abciximab era) were examined. We then examined among all patients receiving stents from 1992 through 1996 (preabciximab and abciximab eras) whether the use of abciximab was independently associated with improved outcome (death, nonfatal Q-wave myocardial infarction, coronary bypass surgery, or target vessel percutaneous revascularization) in the hospital and at 30 days. The 30-day event rate was 7% for those who did or did not receive abciximab. The following characteristics were independently associated with the use of abciximab for stent placement in the abciximab era: thrombus before stent placement (chi-square 50.5), ≥2 stents implanted (chi-square 10.8), stent in venous graft (chi-square 7.4), calcific lesion (chi-square 5.8), and hypertension (chi-square 5.5). Among all patients receiving stents in the preabciximab and abciximab eras (n = 1,859), the presence of these characteristics was independently associated with worse outcome. Abciximab, however, did not improve outcome in the hospital (odds ratio [95% confidence interval] = 0.96 [0.58 to 1.58]) or at 30 days (0.87 [0.53 to 1.41]), even after adjusting for these characteristics. Abciximab for stent placement was used in high-risk patients in our practice but was not associated with improved outcome.
Training Parents of Children with Intellectual Disabilities: Trends, Issues, and Future Directions

This review summarizes selected studies involving education and training programs designed to improve parents’ ability to provide research-based support and intervention for their children with intellectual disabilities. First, we highlight stressors and obstacles associated with parenting a child with intellectual disability and note the relative paucity of existing research in light of the increased risk of stress, anxiety, and depression reported for this population. Next, we provide a description of recent trends and issues and attempt to elucidate gaps in the existing literature that warrant additional research effort. Ultimately, this paper highlights the growing need for interventions that include both behavioral and psychosocial components to better address needs in families of children with intellectual disability. Specifically, we conclude that there exists a need for future research on culturally sensitive parent training as well as on potentially efficient group-based parent education programs for families of children with moderate to profound intellectual disability.
The changing definition of CLL.

In this issue of Blood, Shanafelt and colleagues provide a clearly written, analytical critique of the ALC in the diagnosis of CLL in daily practice and the role of prognostic factors.
Spatial and semantic dimensions of landscape heterogeneity

This paper addresses the challenge of measuring spatial heterogeneity in categorical map data. Spatial heterogeneity is a complex notion that involves both spatial variability and attribute variability, and metrics to capture this are a product of their developers’ simplifying assumptions about both spatial and attribute dimensions. We argue that the predominantly binary treatment of categorical data is frequently an unnecessary oversimplification that can be replaced by ordered measures based on semantic similarity evaluations. We develop a typology of autocorrelation metrics for categorical data that identifies a critical gap: existing measures are limited in their ability to capture variability of both spatial and attribute dimensions simultaneously. We demonstrate an approach to formally characterize the semantic similarity between pairs of categorical data classes as a continuous numeric variable. A series of experiments on synthetic and actual land cover data contrasts the information content provided by metrics representative of all portions of the typology: the recently proposed semantic variogram, the indicator variogram, the contagion index, and the edge contrast index. Experimental results suggest that the typology captures essential qualities of metric information richness. Among our findings is that the commonly used contagion index is directly correlated with Moran’s I for 2-class maps but it fails to distinguish between negatively and positively autocorrelated patterns. We identify the semantic variogram as the only metric that can simultaneously detect both spatial and semantic attribute aspects of categorical autocorrelation. The semantic variogram is also relatively robust to attribute scale changes and therefore less sensitive to class aggregation than the other metrics.
Using Videotape Technology: Innovations in Behavioral Research

A review of the present and potential uses of videotape technology in behavioral research is provided. Emphasis is placed on research methodology and the value of incorporating videotape in current research practices. Additionally, the investigators examine several recent and on-going research projects that apply this instrument technology. The application areas discussed include the use of videotape in behavior observation studies, in modeling research, and in perceptual/attribution investigations. The paper concludes with an analysis of advantages as well as limitations of this unique research tool.
InfoMagnets: Making Sense of Corpus Data

We introduce a new interactive corpus exploration tool called InfoMagnets. InfoMagnets aims at making exploratory corpus analysis accessible to researchers who are not experts in text mining. As evidence of its usefulness and usability, it has been used successfully in a research context to uncover relationships between language and behavioral patterns in two distinct domains: tutorial dialogue (Kumar et al., submitted) and on-line communities (Arguello et al., 2006). As an educational tool, it has been used as part of a unit on protocol analysis in an Educational Research Methods course.
Exposure of the House Fly to Selection by Bacillus thuringiensis

The purpose of this investigation was to ascertain if the house fly, Musca domestica L., would develop resistance to infection by repeated exposure to Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner over a series of generations. Hall and Arakawa (1959) found that 187.5×108 spores in 40 grams of media killed 84% of the house fly larvae exposed. Figueiredo et al. (1960), using spore concentrations of 0.0625% to 0.5% in water, killed 89% to 100% of the house fly larvae exposed. No attempt was made to select for resistance in either study.
Costimulatory molecule OX40L is critical for both Th1 and Th2 responses in allergic inflammation

T cell activation and cytokine secretion are important mediators of inflammation in allergic asthma. The costimulatory pathway CD28/CD80/CD86 has been shown to play an important role in T cellactivation in allergic asthma, but less is known about the effect of other costimulatory molecules in allergy. The costimulatory molecule OX40 ligand (OX40L), a member of the tumor necrosis factorsuperfamily, has been shown to be important in T cell priming and cytokine production. We investigated the role of OX40L in a murine model of allergic inflammation using OX40L–/– mice. In this model, following OVA sensitization and challenge, mice develop features of allergic inflammation including elevated levels of total serum IgE, pulmonary eosinophils, cytokines, and pulmonary inflammation. In the absence of OX40L, total serum IgE, pulmonary eosinophils, cytokines, and pulmonary inflammation were all significantly reduced compared to wild-type controls. Levels of eotaxin mRNA, an eosinophil-specific chemoattractant, were also markedly reduced, paralleling the significant reduction in pulmonary eosinophils. Levels of allergen-induced Th1 as well as Th2 cytokines were also significantly reduced. Together, the data support a critical role for OX40L signals in allergic responses.
Modeling of Osmotic Injury in Bovine Sperm During Desiccation

Although desiccation preservation offers promise as an alternative method for the preservation of mammalian cells, there has been limited success in achieving survival at very low water content [1]. Osmotic injury is one of the major damage factors during cellular dehydration. During the drying process, cells experience increased extracellular hypertonic environment as a result of evaporation of water. This factor coupled with the limited permeability of cell membranes leads to irreversible cellular damage. In the current study, we have studied the effect of hypertonic osmolality and exposure time on bovine sperm motility. The goal was to develop a theoretical osmotic damage model to predict motility loss during dehydration. Modeling was performed by using a first order rate equation. Motility data from the hypertonic exposure experiments were used to determine the first order reaction parameters and the cumulative osmotic damage (COD), which provided a measure of the extent of osmotic damage. The parameters were then used to predict motility of natural convection desiccation process. Experimental drying data was compared to the predicted data to determine the extent of osmotic damage.© 2010 ASME
Fluctuations, stratification and stability in a liquid fluidized bed at low Reynolds number

The sedimentation dynamics of extremely low polydispersity, non-colloidal, particles are studied in a liquid fluidized bed at low Reynolds number, Re much less than 1. When fluidized, the system reaches a steady state, defined where the local average volume fraction does not vary in time. In steady state, the velocity fluctuations and the particle concentrations are found to strongly depend on height. Using our results, we test a recently developed stability model for steady state sedimentation. The model describes the data well, and shows that in steady state there is a balancing of particle fluxes due to the fluctuations and the concentration gradient. Some results are also presented for the dependence of the concentration gradient in fluidized beds on particle size; the gradients become smaller as the particles become larger and fewer in number.
Molecular Imaging of Cerebrovascular Lesions

Inflammation is a key component in the pathogenesis of cerebrovascular lesions. Two agents have emerged as promising possibilities for imaging cerebrovascular lesions. These agents are ferumoxytol and myeloperoxidase (MPO)-specific paramagnetic magnetic resonance (MR) contrast agent. Ferumoxytol is an iron oxide nanoparticle coated by a carbohydrate shell that is used in MRI studies as an inflammatory marker as it is cleared by macrophages. Ferumoxytol-enhanced MRI allows noninvasive assessment of the inflammatory status of cerebral aneurysms and arteriovenous malformations and, possibly, may differentiate “unstable” lesions that require early intervention from “stable” lesions that can be safely observed. Several pilot studies have also suggested that MPO-specific paramagnetic MR contrast agent, di-5-hydroxytryptamide of gadopentetate dimeglumine, may allow imaging of inflammation in the wall of saccular aneurysms in animal models. However, studies in human subjects have yet to be performed. In this paper, we review current data regarding ferumoxytol-enhanced MRI and MPO-specific paramagnetic MR contrast agent and discuss current and future applications.
Gravitational Collapse of Colloidal Gels

We present a unified framework for understanding the compaction of colloidal gels under their own weight. The dynamics of the collapse are determined by the value of the gravitational stress sigma(g), as compared to the yield stress sigma(Y) of the network. For sigma(g) sigma(Y), the network eventually yields, leading to rapid settling. In both cases, the rate of collapse is backflow limited, while its overall magnitude is determined by a balance between gravitational stress and network elastic stress.
Collision-Free Formation Control with Decentralized Connectivity Preservation for Nonholonomic-Wheeled Mobile Robots

The preservation of connectivity in mobile robot networks is critical to the success of most existing algorithms designed to achieve various goals. The most basic method to preserve connectivity is to have each agent preserve its set of neighbors for all time. More advanced methods preserve a (minimum) spanning tree in the network. Other methods are based on increasing the algebraic graph connectivity, which is given by the second smallest eigenvalue $\lambda_{2}({\cal L})$ of the graph Laplacian ${\cal L} $ that represents the network. These methods typically result in a monotonic increase in connectivity until the network is completely connected. In previous work by the authors, a continuous feedback control method had been proposed which allows the connectivity to decrease, that is, edges in the network may be broken. This method requires agents to have knowledge of the entire network. In this paper, we modify the controller to use only local information. The connectivity controller is based on maximization of $\lambda_{2}({\cal L} ) $ and artificial potential functions and can be used in conjunction with artificial potential-based formation controllers. The controllers are extended for implementation on nonholonomic-wheeled mobile robots, and the performance is demonstrated in an experiment on a team of wheeled mobile robots.
Fumonisins: Abiogenic Conversions of an Environmental Tumor Promoter and Common Food Contaminant

Fumonisins are a series of sphingosine‐analog mycotoxins produced by Fusarium verticillioides, a ubiquitous contaminant of stored corn (maize) world‐wide. Extensive alterations in the structures of fumonisins are possible without complete loss of in vitro toxicity. Numerous laboratories have reported that fumonisin B1 (FB1) levels in corn‐derived foods are reduced during roasting and frying. We have conducted radiotracer studies to determine the fate of tritium‐labeled FB1 added in laboratory models of corn flake manufacture (roasting), and tortilla chip manufacture (frying). These studies have confirmed that most, but not all, FB1 is converted to other substances during cooking. Under roasting conditions the major conversion pathway resulted in radiolabeled FB1 becoming covalently bound to proteins. Several lines of evidence supported a proposed role for FB1‐anhydride, an intermediate formed by loss of water from a FB1 side chain, which enabled the toxin to bind covalently to proteins by reacting with am...
Hypereosinophilic Syndrome and Restrictive Cardiomyopathy Due to Apical Thrombi

A 57-year-old woman had a history of idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome (previously treated with hydroxyurea) and recent progression to myelodysplastic syndrome. She presented with 6 months of fatigue, 2 months of progressive dyspnea on exertion and orthopnea, a 10-pound weight gain, and increased abdominal girth. On admission, she appeared chronically ill and had tachycardia, jugular venous distention to the angle of the jaw, bilateral basilar rales, an S3 gallop, and trace peripheral edema. An ECG revealed …
Temporal modulation sensitivity of macaque monkeys

Abstract Temporal modulation sensitivity functions were measured at three adaptation levels for four macaque and two human observers. The high luminance modulation transfer functions peaked at 10–20 Hz for all subjects, and showed attenuated sensitivity at higher and lower frequencies. Functions measured at lower luminances peaked at lower frequencies and showed a reduced low frequency attenuation. A decrease in the area of the flickering stimulus reduced the modulation sensitivity of both species at middle and high flicker frequencies.