cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
W-stapled ileal neo-bladder formed entirely with absorbable staples.

AbstractOrthotopic bladder replacement after total cystoprostatectomy for bladder cancer has gained broader use. Continent diversion has historically increased the complexity of the surgical procedure, often discouraging its adoption by many urologists. Absorbable staples on a GIA**PolyGIA, U. S. Surgical Corp., Norwalk, Connecticut. instrument became available in 1992 and have been incorporated into reservoir formation in this preliminary study. A novel W-shaped ileal reservoir entirely fashioned from absorbable staples using the GIA and TA instruments has been developed and used in 15 patients undergoing cystoprostatectomy. The advantages of this technique are its simplicity and the speed with which the reservoir can be fashioned. In the first 15 patients operative time to construct the reservoir ranged from 12 to 21 minutes. Functional aspects of urodynamic studies and continence appear comparable to those of other ileal reservoirs. These preliminary data justify comparative trials on an expanded scale.
Enhancing Mass Lesion of the Sphenoid: Atypical Presentation of Ongoing Pneumatization

Sinus pneumatization is a complex variable process that begins in early life and continues for many years. We present a case of a 6-year-old boy with progressive headaches and neurologic symptoms suggestive of intracranial pathology. The presence of enhancing tissue within the sphenoid sinus created a diagnostic dilemma which leads to a transsphenoidal biopsy. Knowledge of imaging characteristics associated with incomplete pneumatization can help differentiate it from more ominous skull base pathology and prevent unnecessary testing. We describe four-year imaging follow-up in a patient with incomplete pneumatization of the sphenoid sinus presenting as an enhancing mass lesion with subsequent follow-up imaging demonstrating gradual regression and increased aeration of the sphenoid sinus.
Studies in superconductivity at extreme pressures

High pressure studies have played an important role in the field of superconductivity since the first experiments by Sizoo and Onnes in Leiden in 1925. A rapid dependence of the transition temperature on pressure signals that the material is capable of higher values of Tc at ambient pressure. Significant extensions of the pressure range, most recently to pressures above 1 Mbar using the diamond-anvil cell, have resulted in the discovery of many new superconductors. The transition temperature of Y metal has very recently been pushed by 1.15 Mbar pressure to 20 K, a value for an elemental superconductor second only to that of Ca at Mbar pressures. Such enormous pressures are even sufficient to destroy the free-electron character of the conduction electrons in the alkali metals. Selected experiments are discussed which illustrate these features.
Did the 2011 AAP recommendations on youth HIV testing change practice? Trends from a large urban adolescent program.

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to determine whether there is adherence to the October 2011 American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommendations for HIV screening in a large urban adolescent program with availability of a publicly funded program providing free, confidential, sexually transmitted infection (STI) and HIV counseling and testing (then rapid or third generation HIV testing), nested in the same adolescent clinic. METHODS We conducted a retrospective chart review of HIV screening trends among 13- to 24-year-old patients tested for HIV during periods of January 2010 to June 2011 (18 months pre-AAP recommendations period) and July 2011 to December 2012 (18-month period, which included 15 months after the AAP recommendations). RESULTS During the period of January 2010 to June 2011, there were 22 tests/1,000 medical visits (N = 824 of 37,520 medical visits), and during the period of July 2011 to December 2012, there were 27 tests/1,000 medical visits (N = 1,068 of 38,763 medical visits) (p < 0.0001, odds ratio [OR] 1.26). The number of 13- to 18-year-old patients screened in the pre-AAP period was 150, compared to 297 in the second 18-month period (X 2 = 43.3, df = 1, p < 0.0001). A summative risk profile score of 0-9 was created in the form of a continuous variable, with a risk score of 0 for those with no risk factor identified and 1 point for each risk behavior identified. The proportion of HIV test clients with zero-specified risk (a risk score of "0") increased from 2010 to 2012. CONCLUSION Release of the 2011 AAP HIV testing guidelines was associated with a modest increase in HIV screening and a shift toward testing younger people and away from risk-based screening.
Rechargeable Aluminum-Ion Batteries Based on an Open-Tunnel Framework.

Rechargeable batteries based on an abundant metal such as aluminum with a three-electron transfer per atom are promising for large-scale electrochemical energy storage. Aluminum can be handled in air, thus offering superior safety, easy fabrication, and low cost. However, the development of Al-ion batteries has been challenging due to the difficulties in identifying suitable cathode materials. This study presents the use of a highly open framework Mo2.5 + y VO9 + z as a cathode for Al-ion batteries. The open-tunnel oxide allows a facile diffusion of the guest species and provides sufficient redox centers to help redistribute the charge within the local host lattice during the multivalent-ion insertion, thus leading to good rate capability with a specific capacity among the highest reported in the literature for Al-based batteries. This study also presents the use of Mo2.5 + y VO9 + z as a model host to develop a novel ultrafast technique for chemical insertion of Al ions into host structures. The microwave-assisted method employing diethylene glycol and aluminum diacetate (Al(OH)(C2H3O2)2) can be performed in air in as little as 30 min, which is far superior to the traditional chemical insertion techniques involving moisture-sensitive organometallic reagents. The Al-inserted Al x Mo2.5 + y VO9 + z obtained by the microwave-assisted chemical insertion can be used in Al-based rechargeable batteries.
Structural Control of Kinetics for Macrocycle Threading by Fluorescent Squaraine Dye in Water

While the general concept of steric speed bumps has been demonstrated in rotaxane shuttles and macrocycle threading systems, the sensitivity of speed bump effects has not been evaluated as a function of structural geometry. Values of Ka and kon for macrocycle threading in water are reported for a series of homologous squaraine dyes with different substituents (speed bumps) on the flanking chains and two macrocycles with different cavity sizes. Sensitivity to a steric speed bump effect was found to depend on (a) structural location, being lowest when the speed bump was near the end of a flanking chain, and (b) macrocycle cavity size, which was enhanced when the cavity was constricted. This new insight is broadly applicable to many types of molecular threading systems.
USASBE: United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship 2017

A review of the 2017 annual conference of USASBE: United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship. The nature of the association and its conference are explained, followed by summaries of several programs. The value of this conference to business librarians is discussed.
An Antioxidant Screen Identifies Candidates for Protection of Cochlear Hair Cells from Gentamicin Toxicity.

Reactive oxygen species are important elements in ototoxic damage to hair cells (HCs), appearing early in the damage process. Higher levels of natural antioxidants are positively correlated with resistance to ototoxins and many studies have shown that exogenous antioxidants can protect HCs from damage. While a very wide variety of antioxidants with different characteristics and intracellular targets exist, most ototoxicity studies have focused upon one or a few well-characterized compounds. Relatively little research has attempted to determine the comparative efficacy of large variety of different antioxidants. This has been in part due to the lack of translation between cell culture and in vivo measures of efficacy. To circumvent this limitation, we used an in vitro assay based on micro-explants from the basal and middle turns of the neonatal mouse organ of Corti to screen a commercial redox library of diverse antioxidant compounds for their ability to protect mammalian HCs from a high dose of the ototoxic antibiotic gentamicin. The library included several antioxidants that have previously been studied as potential treatments for HC damage, as well as many antioxidants that have never been applied to ototoxicity. The micro-explants were treated with 200 μM gentamicin alone, gentamicin plus one of three dosages of a redox compound, the highest dosage of compound alone, or were untreated. HC counts were determined before the gentamicin insult and at 1, 2 and 3 days afterward to evaluate the HC survival. From a total of 81 antioxidant compounds, 13 exhibited significant protection of HCs. These included members of a variety of antioxidant classes with several novel antioxidants, not previously tested on HCs, appearing to alleviate the damaging gentamicin effect. Some compounds previously shown to be protective of HCs were correspondingly protective in this in vitro screen, while others were not. Finally, one of the three pro-oxidant compounds included in the library as well as six antioxidants exhibited evidence of toxicity in the absence of gentamicin. The results demonstrate the wide variability in the ability of antioxidants to protect HCs from high-dose gentamicin damage, and identify promising candidate leads for further study as potential drug targets.
Graphene Optical Switch Based on Charge Transfer Plasmons

In the past decade, dynamic, tunable, compact, and fast plasmonic switches with high modulation depth (MD) and low losses have been developed successfully for various practical applications. Here, using a simple plasmonic dimer consisting of a pair of metallic nanodisks bridged to each other with a graphene monolayer, we develop a highly tunable plasmonic switch for telecommunication applications. We have shown that having active control on the photoconductivity of graphene sheet through electrical bias allows for transition of charges across the atomically thin bridge, giving rise to formation of charge transfer plasmon (CTP) modes. Such an interplay between semiconducting and semi-metallic states of the graphene sublayer leads to direct control of the excited CTPs. By tuning the peak of CTP at the global telecommunication band (λ = 1550 nm), we designed an integrated, fast, and functional optoelectronic nanoswitch with high MD up to ≈98% and negligible losses. This study presents a promising approach to design tunable, high-quality, integrated optoelectronic switches for next-generation advanced nanophotonic applications.
Enhanced microchip electrophoresis separations combined with electrochemical detection utilizing a capillary embedded in polystyrene

The ability to use microchip-based electrophoresis for fast, high-throughput separations provides researchers with a tool for close-to real time analysis of biological systems. While PDMS-based electrophoresis devices are popular, the separation efficiency is often an issue due to the hydrophobic nature of PDMS. In this study, a hybrid microfluidic capillary device was fabricated to utilize the positive features of PDMS along with the electrophoretic performance of fused silica. A capillary loop was embedded in a polystyrene base that can be coupled with PDMS microchannels at minimal dead volume interconnects. A method for cleaning out the capillaries after a wet-polishing step was devised through the use of a 3D printed syringe attachment. By comparing the separation efficiency of fluorescein and CBI-glycine with both a PDMS-based serpentine device and the embedded capillary loop device, it was shown that the embedded capillary loop device maintained higher theoretical plates for both analytes. A Pd decoupler with a carbon or Pt detection electrode were embedded along with the loop allowing integration of the electrophoretic separation with electrochemical detection. A series of catecholamines were separated to show the ability to resolve similar analytes and detect redox active species. The release of dopamine and norepinephrine from PC 12 cells was also analyzed showing the compatibility of these improved microchip separations with high ionic cell buffers associated with cell culture.
Biological Limitations of Dechlorination of cis-Dichloroethene during Transport in Porous Media.

We applied a mathematical model to data from experimental column studies to understand the dynamics of successful and unsuccessful reductive dechlorination of chlorinated ethenes in groundwater under different flow conditions. In laboratory column experiments (reported previously), it was observed that complete dechlorination of cis-dichloroethene to ethene was sustained at high flow velocity (0.51 m/d), but that dechlorination failed at medium or low flow velocity (0.080 or 0.036 m/d). The mathematical model applied here accounts for transport of chlorinated ethenes in flowing groundwater, mass transfer of chlorinated ethenes between mobile groundwater and stationary biofilms, and diffusion and biodegradation within the biofilms. Monod kinetics with competitive inhibition are used to describe biodegradation. Nearly all parameters needed to solve the model are estimated independently from batch and nonreactive transport experiments. Comparing the model predictions to the experimental results permits the e...
Nature of Ferroelectric Behavior in Main-Chain Dipolar Glass Nylons: Cooperative Segmental Motion Induced by High Poling Electric Field

Main-chain dipolar glass polymers such as aromatic nylons are promising for high energy density and low loss dielectric applications because of the limited, noncooperative oscillation of highly dipolar amide groups. However, quenched aromatic nylons have been reported to exhibit significant ferroelectric switching upon high field poling. It is desirable to suppress ferroelectric switching for electric energy storage application, and this requires a fundamental understanding of the nature of ferroelectric behavior in dipolar glass nylons. In this work, a nearly 100% amorphous aromatic nylon, Selar, was used to investigate the origin of ferroelectricity in glassy nylons. Using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, it was found that hydrogen-bonding strength played an important role in the ferroelectric switching of amide dipoles in the loosely packed glassy matrix. When hydrogen bonding was weak such as in the quenched film, significant ferroelectric switching took place. In contrast, quenched and anneal...
Rotavirus Vaccines: Effectiveness, Safety, and Future Directions.

Rotavirus is the leading cause of diarrheal death among children 65% of children had at least one rotavirus diarrhea illness by 5 years of age and rotavirus accounted for > 40% of all-cause diarrhea hospitalizations globally. Two live, oral rotavirus vaccines have been implemented nationally in > 100 countries since 2006 and their use has substantially reduced the burden of severe diarrheal illness in all settings. Vaccine efficacy and effectiveness estimates suggest there is a gradient in vaccine performance between low child-mortality countries (> 90%) and medium and high child-mortality countries (57–75%). Additionally, an increased risk of intussusception (~ 1–6 per 100,000 vaccinated infants) following vaccination has been documented in some countries, but this is outweighed by the large benefits of vaccination. Two additional live, oral rotavirus vaccines were recently licensed and these have improved on some programmatic limitations of earlier vaccines, such as heat stability, cost, and cold-chain footprint. Non-replicating rotavirus vaccines that are parenterally administered are in clinical testing, and these have the potential to reduce the performance differential and safety concerns associated with live oral rotavirus vaccines.
Toward a Neurobiological Basis for Understanding Learning in University Modeling Instruction Physics Courses.

Modeling Instruction (MI) for University Physics is a curricular and pedagogical approach to active learning in introductory physics. A basic tenet of science is that it is a model-driven endeavor that involves building models, then validating, deploying, and ultimately revising them in an iterative fashion. MI was developed to provide students a facsimile in the university classroom of this foundational scientific practice. As a curriculum, MI employs conceptual scientific models as the basis for the course content, and thus learning in a MI classroom involves students appropriating scientific models for their own use. Over the last ten years, substantial evidence has accumulated supporting MI’s efficacy, including gains in conceptual understanding, odds of success, attitudes toward learning, self-efficacy, and social networks centered around physics learning. However, we still do not fully understand the mechanisms of how students learn physics and develop mental models of physical phenomena. Herein, we explore the hypothesis that the MI curriculum and pedagogy promotes student engagement via conceptual model building. This emphasis on conceptual model building, in turn, leads to improved knowledge organization and problem solving abilities that manifest as quantifiable functional brain changes that can be assessed with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). We conducted a neuroeducation study wherein students completed a physics reasoning task while undergoing fMRI scanning before (pre) and after (post) completing a MI introductory physics course. Preliminary results indicated that performance of the physics reasoning task was linked with increased brain activity notably in lateral prefrontal and parietal cortices that previously have been associated with attention, working memory, and problem solving, and are collectively referred to as the central executive network. Critically, assessment of changes in brain activity during the physics reasoning task from pre- versus post-instruction identified increased activity after the course notably in the posterior cingulate cortex (a brain region previously linked with episodic memory and self-referential thought) and in the frontal poles (regions linked with learning). These preliminary outcomes highlight brain regions linked with physics reasoning and, critically, suggest that brain activity during physics reasoning is modifiable by thoughtfully designed curriculum and pedagogy.
Graded Free Resolutions

The study of free resolutions is a core and beautiful area in Commutative Algebra. The idea to associate a free resolution to a finitely generated module was introduced in two famous papers by Hilbert in 1890, 1893. Free resolutions provide a method for describing the structure of modules. There are several challenging and exciting conjectures involving resolutions. A number of open problems on graded syzygies and Hilbert functions are listed in a paper by Peeva and Stillman (2009).
Female Vocal Identity Development: A Phenomenology:

The purpose of our phenomenology was to investigate the lived experiences of emerging female vocal identity development (ages 19–35 years) and how participants’ lived experiences shaped their futur...
Embedded EthiCS: integrating ethics across CS education

A Harvard-based pilot program integrates class sessions on ethical reasoning into courses throughout its computer science curriculum.
Robot-assisted hiatal hernia repair demonstrates favorable short-term outcomes compared to laparoscopic hiatal hernia repair

We postulated that the use of robotics may improve outcomes in hiatal hernia repair. We performed a retrospective analysis of a prospectively collected Society of Thoracic Surgery database at a single institution of patients who underwent elective hiatal hernia repair from 2012 to 2017 using either laparoscopy or the da Vinci Xi robot. We compared patient characteristics and outcomes and then performed univariate and multivariate logistic regression modeling to determine the factors associated with postoperative morbidity. There were 293 consecutive patients who underwent elective hiatal hernia repair using either a laparoscopic (n = 151) or a robotic (n = 142) technique. There were no significant differences in age, gender, BMI, smoking history, presence of comorbidity, or hiatal hernia type. Seventy percent of the cases were a repair of either type III or type IV hiatal hernia. There were significantly higher ASA III and IV (7.9% vs. 4.2%, P = 0.03), higher Toupet fundoplication (83.4% vs. 44.4%, P < 0.001), and lower redo-repair (7.3% vs. 20.4%, P = 0.001) in the laparoscopic group compared to the robotic group. The hospital length of stay was significantly shorter (1.3 ± 1.8 vs. 1.8 ± 1.5 days, P = 0.003) and there were significantly lower rates of complications (6.3 vs. 19.2%, P = 0.001) after robotic compared to laparoscopic hiatal hernia repair. There was no difference in readmission rate and mortality. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that older age and laparoscopic technique were associated with higher complications after surgery. The use of the Da Vinci Xi robot in our institution was associated with improved outcomes compared to laparoscopic hiatal hernia repair despite a higher incidence of re-operative cases in the robotic group. Thus, short-term outcomes of Da Vinci Xi robot-assisted hiatal hernia repair are not inferior to laparoscopic hiatal hernia repair. Further studies are needed to determine if Da Vinci Xi robot provides superior short-term and long-term outcome in treatment of symptomatic hiatal hernia.
Balancing Benefit Distribution for Energy Storage Sharing based on Nash Bargaining Solution

Energy storage is acknowledged to be an essential part of modern energy technologies and smart grids. Energy storage can provide energy arbitrage by charging at off-peak price and discharging at peak price. The energy arbitrage can be further amplified if allowing multiple users to share the energy storage. In order to encourage the users to participate the cooperation for sharing energy storage, we develop a Nash Bargaining model to achieve the efficiency and fairness for the energy storage sharing system. The proposed model can maintain two types of fairness, the fair payoff for exchanging stored energy and the fair distribution of cooperative benefits. The model is formulated as a multiplicative problem with bilinear constraints, and several linearization techniques such as Piecewise McCromick Relaxation are applied to facilitate solving this problem. Experimental results demonstrate that the Nash Bargaining model can simultaneously optimize the energy arbitrage and balance the distribution of the cooperative benefits for energy storage sharing. Also the adopted solution techniques are validated to be able to solve the nonlinear problem efficiently.
Can AI be for Good in the Midst of Cyber Attacks and Privacy Violations?: A Position Paper

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is affecting every aspect of our lives from healthcare to finance to driving to managing the home. Sophisticated machine learning techniques with a focus on deep learning are being applied successfully to detect cancer, to make the best choices for investments, to determine the most suitable routes for driving as well as to efficiently manage the electricity in our homes. We expect AI to have even more influence as advances are made with technology as well as in learning, planning, reasoning and explainable systems. While these advances will greatly advance humanity, organizations such as the United Nations have embarked on initiatives such as "AI for Good" and we can expect to see more emphasis on applying AI for the good of humanity especially in developing countries. However, the question that needs to be answered is Can AI be for Good when when the AI techniques can be attacked and the AI techniques themselves can cause privacy violations? This position paper will provide an overview of this topic with protecting children and children's rights as an example.
Associations between Child and Parent Knowledge of Added Sugar Recommendations and Added Sugar Intake in Multiethnic Elementary-Aged Children

Background A key goal of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2015-2020 is to reduce added sugar intake by increasing public knowledge about added sugars. However, research has not shown if knowledge of added sugar recommendations is associated with intake. Objectives To determine the relation between parent and child knowledge of added sugar recommendations with added sugar intake in primarily low-income and Hispanic third- to fifth-grade students. Methods Analysis examined baseline, cross-sectional data from TX Sprouts, a 1-y cooking, gardening, and nutrition clustered randomized controlled trial. Participants were 685 parent-child dyads from 16 elementary schools in the greater Austin area. Parents and children completed a survey to assess knowledge of added sugar recommendations. Children completed two 24-h dietary recalls to assess average intake of added sugars. Mixed effects linear regression models were used to estimate associations between child and parent knowledge of added sugar recommendations and average total added sugar intake. Results Children who correctly identified the added sugar recommendation consumed lower amounts of added sugar compared with children who did not correctly identify the recommendation (34.8 ± 2.7 compared with 41.0 ± 2.5 g; P = 0.003), after adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics. Parent knowledge of added sugar recommendations was not associated with child intake. Conclusions Child knowledge of added sugar recommendations was associated with lower intake of added sugars. Findings suggest that child nutrition education should focus on increasing knowledge of national recommendations. Future research should investigate a causal relation between added sugar knowledge and intake in elementary-aged children.
Understanding Sponsorship: A Consumer-Centric Model of Sponsorship Effects

A crucial component of many marketing programs, sponsorship has not always received the same research attention as other tactical marketing levers. Although research has been conducted to fill that...
Dementia and epilepsy: Not a one-way street.

It is not news that people with dementia, including Alzheimer disease (AD), the most frequently identified cause of dementia, are at increased risk to develop epilepsy.1 There has been increased interest in this association because of studies demonstrating accumulation of β -amyloid (Aβ) peptide in animal models of AD leading to recurrent seizure activity.2 These seizures, and in turn the physiologic response to seizures, contribute to hippocampal dysfunction and subsequently to the memory impairment seen in these models. It has been suggested that similar mechanisms could be operational in human AD.2 To this end, further exploration of the relationship between epilepsy and dementia is an important next step to understanding these interactions.
Using arrest and prescription data to examine the relationship between intimate partner violence and opioid prescriptions in the United States, 2006-2012.

Abstract Background Research has established a strong and positive correlation between substance use and intimate partner violence due to a complex interplay of individual, situational, and contextual factors. This study seeks to further explore this relationship in the context of the recent opioid crisis in which millions of Americans have been diagnosed with an opioid use disorder. Specifically, we analyze how opioid prescriptions relate to intimate partner violence within and between counties over time throughout the rise of the opioid crisis. Methods This study employs an integrated dataset that merges crime data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, demographic data from the American Community Survey, and prescription opioid pill counts from the Drug Enforcement Administration to study the relationship between opioid pills prescribed per person and levels of intimate partner violence arrests from 2006-2012. Fixed-effects and mixed-effects techniques are both used. Results Increases in opioid pill distribution volume within-counties over time are related to increases in intimate partner violence arrest volume (p ≤ .001). Additionally, counties which have higher amounts of opioid pills in circulation tend to experience higher levels of arrests for intimate partner violence than counties with fewer pills (p ≤ .001). Conclusions Policymakers who are dealing with the effects of the opioid crisis should consider the relationship between opioids and intimate partner violence when attempting to address either of these issues. Based on the results of this study, addressing opioid dependence and mitigating the extent of the crisis may also reduce intimate partner violence.
Egg carton and eggshell: is there a possibility of Salmonella cross-contamination?

SUMMARY Producers and consumers associated with small scale backyard egg production tend to reuse egg cartons. Egg cartons are also reused for arts and craft projects, gardening, and organization units for small items. The reuse of egg cartons is primarily driven by economic or ecological reasons. The ability of zoonotic bacteria, such as Salmonella Enteritidis (SE), to survive on the eggshell surface and a variety of food packaging materials makes the reuse of egg carton risky. This study was aimed at determining the scope of cross-contamination of SE between eggshell and different egg carton types using 2 experiments. Unwashed eggs from end-of-lay white Leghorn hens were used in the experiments. Two different SE strains were used with 3 independent tubes of inocula from each strain as replicates. In Experiment 1, 216 eggs from each SE strain (72/replicate) were inoculated with 10 μL of SE inoculum (~ 9.95 log cfu/mL), allowed to dry in room temperature, and placed in nonadjacent wells of noninoculated plastic, polystyrene foam, and pulp egg cartons. Egg cartons of each type were then stored either at refrigeration (4°C) or room temperature (25°C). After 24 h eggs were discarded and the carton-wells were swabbed for SE recovery. In Experiment 2, wells of egg cartons were inoculated with SE and uninoculated eggs were placed in them and stored similar to Experiment 1. A total of 216 wells within the egg cartons were inoculated for each SE strain (72/replicate). Eggshell samples were collected for SE recovery. Only 3 samples were detected positive for SE in Experiment 1 and no effect of carton type, SE strain, or incubation temperature was observed. In Experiment 2, 8 eggshell samples were SE positive – 6 from polystyrene foam and 2 from plastic carton. Statistical difference was observed for pulp versus polystyrene foam only (P
Fatigue Tolerance of Aged Asphalt Binders Modified with Softeners

Fatigue cracking caused by repeated heavy traffic loading is a critical distress in asphalt concrete pavements and is significantly affected by the selected binder. In recent years, the growing use...
The Role of the Retinal Degeneration B Protein in the Drosophila Visual System

The Drosophila melanogaster visual system has been extensively studied using molecular, genetic and biochemical approaches. These analyses have uncovered several key components that are required for phototransduction. At least four different rhodopsin molecules are utilized to absorb light [1]. The rhodopsins have different spectral sensitivities and are expressed in mutually exclusive photoreceptor cells of the larval photoorgan, the adult ocelli, and the compound eye. The ninaE gene encodes the opsin that is expressed in photoreceptors R1-6 in the compound eye [2, 3]. The Drosophila phototransduction cascade has an absolute requirement for the norpA + gene [1,4, 5], which encodes a phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C-β (PLC) protein [6, 7]. A retinal-specific heterotrimeric G-protein links the photoactivated metarhodopsin and the norpA-encoded PLC. The G protein’s alpha subunit (DGqα), which is a member of the Gqa subfamily, is encoded by the dgq gene [8]. Biochemical and genetic data demonstrate that the DGqa protein responds to light-activated metarhodopsin and in turn, stimulates the norpA -encoded PLC [9]. A mutation in the retinal-specific Gβ subunit, gbe, produces an abnormal electrophysiological response to light [10]. The maC-encoded, retinal-specific protein kinase C [11] is thought to be stimulated by diacyl glycerol, which is generated from the PLC-mediated hydrolysis of PIP2. Even though this inaC-encoded protein kinase C is activated by the products of PLC hydrolysis, it is not required for activation of the light channels. Rather, this protein kinase C plays a role in the deactivation of the light-response [11, 12, 13, 14, 15]. While the ligands of the invertebrate light-activated channels are not known, it appears that the transient receptor potential (trp) gene encodes one type of these channels [16, 17, 18].
The utilization of forward osmosis for coal tailings dewatering

Abstract The feasibility of dewatering coal tailings slurry by forward osmosis (FO) membrane process was investigated in this research. A prototype cell was designed and used for the dewatering tests. A cellulosic FO membrane (Hydration Technology Innovations, LLC, Albany, OR) was used for the dewatering studies due to its high fouling resistance. Representative samples of coal tailings slurry were collected from the thickener outflow at American Coal Company (Galatia, Illinois). Characterization studies were conducted to obtain particle size distribution (PSD), total dissolved solids (TDS) and the solids content of the slurry. The impact of the slurry properties such as solids weight percent, osmotic pressure, and particle size on the dewatering rates was determined. Furthermore, the impact of slurry conditioning by the addition of flocculant and gypsum on the rate and extent of dewatering was also investigated. Dewatering to a total solids content of more than seventy weight percent from an initial solids content of approximately thirty percent was achieved in all cases. The dewatering rate and extent were found to be a function of particle size, particle shape, TDS content, and mixing. The membrane material was shown to withstand repeated use over a period of thirty trials without deterioration of performance. The results obtained from this research suggest that osmotic dewatering of coal refuse slurry is feasible.
Erythropoietin Effects on Fetal Mouse Erythroid Cells II. NUCLEIC ACID SYNTHESIS AND THE ERYTHROPOIETIN-SENSITIVE CELL

Abstract Erythropoietin stimulates the rate of RNA synthesis by fetal mouse liver erythroid cell cultures. This effect is demonstrable prior to hormone-mediated effects on DNA synthesis. Inhibition of DNA synthesis does not block erythropoietin-induced stimulation of RNA formation. Radioautographic studies have demonstrated that erythropoietin selectively stimulates the rate of RNA synthesis in the most immature erythroid cells in the culture. The hormone does not affect RNA synthesis in more mature erythroid cells nor in nonerythroid cells. Taken with previously published data, the hypothesis is developed that erythropoietin directly stimulates the proliferation and the differentiation of a specific cell which is already partially differentiated, i.e. uniquely responsive to the hormone and programmed to differentiate into hemoglobin-synthesizing cells.
Coupling of the Radiation Field to the Electron-Atom Collision System

Some general aspects of the coupling of the radiation field to the electron-atom collision system are noted. The case of electron bremsstrahlung in the atomic potential is studied in some detail. Positron bremsstrahlung and the influence of a high temperature high density environment are also discussed.
Approximate models of rotating beams

The authors consider some discrete, low-dimensional models of freely rotating and driven beams. They consider models representing both the inextensible and the extensible case. Stability of the rotational motion of these models is analyzed by the energy-Casimir method, and comparison with the behavior of full infinite-dimensional models is made. A discussion is also presented of the Poisson structure of these models. >
Microscopic haematuria at time of diagnosis is associated with lower disease stage in patients with newly diagnosed bladder cancer

Objectives To determine whether the severity of haematuria (microscopic or gross) at diagnosis influences the disease stage at presentation in patients diagnosed with bladder cancer. Patients and Methods We conducted a multi-institutional observational cohort study of patients who were newly diagnosed with bladder cancer between August 1999 and May 2012. We reviewed the degree of haematuria, demographic information, clinical and social history, imaging, and pathology. The association of haematuria severity with incident tumour stage and grade was evaluated using logistic regression. Results Patients diagnosed with bladder cancer presented with gross haematuria (GH; 1 083, 78.3%), microscopic haematuria (MH; 189, 13.7%) or without haematuria (112, 8.1%). High-grade disease was found in 64% and 57.1% of patients presenting with GH and MH, respectively, and severity of haematuria was not associated with higher grade disease. Stage of disease at diagnosis for patients presenting with MH was Ta/carcinoma in situ (CIS) in 68.8%, T1 in 19.6%, and ≥T2 in 11.6%. Stage of disease at diagnosis for patients presenting with GH was Ta/CIS in 55.9%, T1 in 19.6%, and ≥T2 in 17.9%. On multivariate analyses, GH was independently associated with ≥T2 disease at diagnosis (odds ratio 1.69, 95% confidence interval 1.05–2.71, P = 0.03). Conclusions Among patients with newly diagnosed bladder cancer, presentation with GH is associated with a more advanced pathological stage. Earlier detection of disease, before development of GH, could influence survival in patients with bladder cancer. Type of haematuria at presentation does not impact grade of disease.
The Cherokee Conundrum: California Courts and the Indian Child Welfare Act

This article was prepared for presentation at the American Indian Identity Conference held at Michigan State University, October 16-17, 2008. After classifying a year of Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) cases in state courts, it became apparent that California had both the highest number of ICWA cases and that most of these cases were because of noncompliance with the notice provision of ICWA. In addition, it became clear that the majority of California cases involved parents claiming Cherokee affiliation. This article concludes there could be many reasons for this, including an informal exercise of the Existing Indian Family doctrine at the social worker level.
Adolescent identity development and distress in a clinical sample.

Objective The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships of identity development and identity distress to psychological adjustment within adolescents affected by psychological problems. Method Participants included 88 adolescents (43.2% female) ranging from 11 to 20 years of age who were receiving services from a community mental health center. Results A high proportion of the participants (22.7%) met the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fourth Edition Text Revision criteria for Identity Problem. Regression analyses found psychopathology symptom score was associated with identity distress, identity exploration, and identity commitment, while identity distress was only related to psychopathology symptom score and not the other two identity variables. Conclusions Adolescents with a clinical diagnosis may report significant levels of identity distress. Given that the relationship between psychopathology and identity distress may be reciprocal, assessing for identity issues might be prudent when conducting clinical diagnostic interviews and useful in treatment planning.
NIH symposium series: ingestive mechanisms in obesity, substance abuse and mental disorders.

Abstract This report summarizes the background and specific objectives for a symposium on the neurobiology of nonhomeostatic eating and drug abuse that was held at the 2004 Annual Meeting of the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior (SSIB). The symposium was the first of a series funded by a conference grant from four institutes of the National Institutes of Health. The encompassing goal of the series is to analyze the roles for the biological mechanisms of ingestion in obesity, eating disorders and other theoretically related areas including addiction, depression and schizophrenia. The symptoms and treatments of these diverse pathologies routinely involve aberrations in the mechanisms regulating eating and body weight. The presentations and discussion from this symposium (1) identified changes in neurotransmitter dynamics and gene expression in brain “reward circuits” accompanying learning of behaviors to obtain palatable foods or drugs of abuse; (2) analyzed behavioral findings in animals and humans, and neuroimaging data in humans, supporting treatment with GABA B agonists to reduce craving for drugs of abuse and possibly for highly rewarding foods; and (3) used neuroimaging data in humans to establish novel serotonergic targets for normalizing reward processes and impulse control in anorexia nervosa and bulimia. Overall, the symposium clearly revealed our rapidly broadening understanding of the alterations in the brain at the molecular, cellular and systems levels that are associated with craving and nonhomeostatic consumption of food and drugs of abuse. This knowledge gained largely in animal models translates to novel and better strategies for treating human patients.
Histone methylation at H3K9: Evidence for a restrictive epigenome in schizophrenia

Abstract Objective Epigenetic changes are stable and long-lasting chromatin modifications that regulate genomewide and local gene activity. The addition of two methyl groups to the 9th lysine of histone 3 (H3K9me2) by histone methyltransferases (HMT) leads to a restrictive chromatin state, and thus reduced levels of gene transcription. Given the numerous reports of transcriptional down-regulation of candidate genes in schizophrenia, we tested the hypothesis that this illness can be characterized by a restrictive epigenome. Methods We obtained parietal cortical samples from the Stanley Foundation Neuropathology Consortium and lymphocyte samples from the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). In both tissues we measured mRNA expression of HMTs GLP, SETDB1 and G9a via real-time RT-PCR and H3K9me2 levels via western blot. Clinical rating scales were obtained from the UIC cohort. Results A diagnosis of schizophrenia is a significant predictor for increased GLP, SETDB1 mRNA expression and H3K9me2 levels in both postmortem brain and lymphocyte samples. G9a mRNA is significantly increased in the UIC lymphocyte samples as well. Increased HMT mRNA expression is associated with worsening of specific symptoms, longer durations of illness and a family history of schizophrenia. Conclusions These data support the hypothesis of a restrictive epigenome in schizophrenia, and may associate with symptoms that are notoriously treatment resistant. The histone methyltransferases measured here are potential future therapeutic targets for small molecule pharmacology, and better patient prognosis.
Hard or Soft Pegs? Choice of Exchange Rate Regime and Trade in Africa

Summary This paper revisits the link between fixed exchange rate regimes and trade in the context of Africa’s exchange rate arrangements, differentiating the effects of hard pegs (currency unions) from conventional soft pegs. Using a novel dataset of exchange rate regime classification, the paper augments the gravity model of bilateral trade flows with measures of currency unions and conventional pegged arrangements, and benchmarks Africa’s experience against the rest of the world. We find that in both samples, currency unions and pegs increase trade vis-a-vis more flexible exchange rate arrangements through channels in addition to reduced exchange rate volatility; however the effect is almost twice as large for Africa. In addition, the trade-generating effect of pegs is at least as large for Africa as that of currency unions, suggesting that pegs could present a viable option—perhaps an alternative to currency unions—to promote trade in the region.
Constrained Interaction and Coordination in Proximity-Limited Multiagent Systems

In this paper, we consider the problem of controlling the interactions of a group of mobile agents, subject to a set of topological constraints. Assuming proximity-limited interagent communication, we leverage mobility, unlike prior work, to enable adjacent agents to interact discriminatively, i.e., to actively retain or reject communication links on the basis of constraint satisfaction. Specifically, we propose a distributed scheme that consists of hybrid controllers with discrete switching for link discrimination, coupled with attractive and repulsive potentials fields for mobility control, where constraint violation predicates form the basis for discernment. We analyze the application of constrained interaction to two canonical coordination objectives, i.e., aggregation and dispersion, with maximum and minimum node degree constraints, respectively. For each task, we propose predicates and control potentials, and examine the dynamical properties of the resulting hybrid systems. Simulation results demonstrate the correctness of our proposed methods and the ability of our framework to generate topology-aware coordinated behavior.
Complexes of calcium and magnesium with oxytetracycline.

SummaryCalcium and magnesium binding by oxytetracycline, observed spectropho-tometrically, occurs in a step-wise fashion. A variant of Job's principle applies to these reactions. The log Kca2OTC was found to be 3.0 and the log KCa2OTC 2.0. The log KMgOTC equaled 3.6; while log KMg2OTC was 2.4. Still higher metal to ligand complexes may exist, but the 1:1 and 2:1 oxytetracycline complexes are postulated to be the chief molecular species occurring in vivo.