cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Synthesis of dendrimer polyamidoamine and solubility enhancement of drug in its solution

A series of dendrimic polyamidoamine(PAMAM) has been synthesized by divergent with ethylenediamine as core. The dendrimers were characterized with IR, NMR and terminal analysis. The study investigated the effect of pH and concentration of the dendrimers on the solubility enhancement of ibuprofen. The solubility of the hydrophobic drug ibuprofen has been compared in an aqueous solution of PAMAM G3 dendrimer and sodium dodecyl sulphate(SDS). The PAMAM G3 dendrimer solution significantly enhanced the solubility of ibuprofen compared to 20 g/L SDS solution. Its solubilizing mechanism involves an electrostatic interaction between the carboxyl group of the ibuprofen molecule and the amine groups of the dendrimer molecule.
High‐resolution images of tremor migrations beneath the Olympic Peninsula from stacked array of arrays seismic data

Episodic tremor and slip (ETS) in subduction zones is generally interpreted as the manifestation of shear slip near the base of earthquake-generating portion of the plate interface. Here we devise a new method of cross-correlating stacked Array of Arrays seismic data that provides greatly improved tremor locations, a proxy for the underlying slow slip, beneath the Olympic Peninsula. This increased resolution allows us to image many features of tremor that were not visible previously. We resolve the spatial transition between the rupture zones of the inter-ETS and major ETS episodes in 2010, suggesting stress redistribution by the former. Most tremor migrations propagated along the slowly advancing main tremor front during both the inter-ETS and the major ETS episodes, even though the main front of the former deviated strongly from its usual (along-dip) orientation. We find a distinct contrast between along-dip rupture extent of large-scale rapid tremor reversals (RTRs) to the south and that to the north in our study region that anticorrelates with the locations of inter-ETS events. These RTRs originate from the main front, similar to smaller-scale RTRs previously observed at high-resolution, and many start by propagating along the main front. This could be consistent with RTRs being triggered by a cascading failure of brittle asperities. After initiation, the RTRs repeatedly occupy the same source region, and the early repetitions appear not to be tidally driven. Their stress drop may come from continuing fault weakening processes within the tremor zone, or loading by aseismic slip in surrounding regions.
Comment on Fedorko et al. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Does Not Reduce Indications for Amputation in Patients With Diabetes With Nonhealing Ulcers of the Lower Limb: A Prospective, Double-Blind, Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial. Diabetes Care 2016;39:392-399.

I read with interest the trial by Fedorko et al. (1) and have concerns about whether this trial has produced evidence of relevance to patients. The U.S. Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 created the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) to fund and promote research that evaluates questions that matter to patients. Patient-centered outcomes research evaluates questions and outcomes that are meaningful and important to patients and their caregivers …
Curriculum, Contribution, and Community

This chapter discusses how the spaces provided by the migrant children schools have in fact encouraged the formation of group solidarity not only among migrant students, teachers, and their families, but also with active members outside of their communities. The vitalizing communities’ activities have not only challenged the stereotypes of migrant children and their schools, but also provided opportunities for mobilizing people outside of them, and beyond the basic communal networks, to further collaborate with and support the efforts of migrant teachers. Such work has been helpful in establishing the foundation for the development of more collective actions and reorganization of the social dynamics around migrants in the cities of China.
Rent Seeking and Transfers

In general, authors talking about rent seeking have used transfers more or less interchangeably with monopolistic restrictions. To a large extent, both are the result of rent-seeking activity and normally involve very large inefficiencies. A few hackles might be raised, but it should be pointed out that most government transfers are not from the wealthy to the poor but from the poorly politically organized to the well politically organized.
The Curriculum in Praxis: How Purpose of School is Actualized in Vietnam, Mexico, and the USA

What is the purpose of school, and what role does culture play in how purpose is actualized? How this question is approached derives from a culture’s beliefs about life purpose, and those beliefs are nowhere better reflected than in the way a country passes civilization from one generation to the next through its education system. A country’s curriculum reflects how society thinks about what knowledge is of most worth, and its implementation indicates how this question is decided, which, ultimately, reflects cultural, philosophical, and political ideas about life purpose (Huebner, Poetry and power: The politics of curricular development. In: Hillis V (ed) The lure of the transcendent: collected essays by Dwayne E. Huebner. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Mahwah, p 231–240, 1975/1999; Kincheloe, Critical pedagogy, 2nd edn. Peter Lang Publishing, New York, 2008). This chapter explores the role educational experiences in Vietnam, Mexico, and the USA play in how people create life purpose. It examines how each country defines and actualizes purpose of school. The theoretical framework for this study is narrativity, which is based on the idea that people think about their life’s experiences in terms of stories. These stories are synthesized not in chronological order but based on the significance a person assigns to them. The data analysis framework is narrative inquiry, which is situated in the qualitative research paradigm. This methodology allows us to think about social phenomena concretely and in depth (Polkinghorne 1995). Purposeful participant selection was employed to choose two participants from each country (Glesne, Becoming qualitative researchers: an introduction, 4th edn. Pearson, Boston, 2011). Data was collected through interviews, electronic email, and through current documents. The findings point to how curriculum reflects cultural and political beliefs about life purpose, the way in which an economically powerful country like the USA influences these beliefs, and how each country uses its education system as an instrument for further evolving truths. These findings allow educators to think about curriculum and the purpose of school with an epistemological lens that illuminates how educational experiences and the contextual factors in which they occur influence a person’s beliefs about life purpose.
Variable Slip Ratio Rolling Contact Fatigue Tester

Rolling contact fatigue in bearings, gears, and railway tracks is a common problem experienced in many industrial applications. Given the stochastic nature of fatigue failures, design predictions are generally complex and difficult. Thus, engineers rely on extensive testing to establish design baselines and empirical analysis-equations. The objective of the work presented here is to provide detailed information in the design and validation of a variable slip ratio rolling contact fatigue (VSR-RCF) tester. The tester has three major components: (1) a mechanical system, (2) a control system, and (3) a data acquisition system. All the components are designed and intergraded to provide a fairly reasonable testing time and dry to submerged lubrication testing conditions. The major characteristics of the VSR-RCF tester are the variable slip ratio and the ability to accommodate different sizes and types of specimens. A mandrel and live center are used to hold the specimen while two hydraulic rollers apply the load. Failure is detected with an eddy currents crack-detection system. Preliminary tests on a common gear material (AISI 8620 steel) were performed to assess the mechanical limits as well as the control system software performance. Detailed development and validation of the tester are discussed along with servo drives and electronic gear ratios (EGR).
Energy efficient memory technologies

This article aims to discuss several emerging memory technologies from an energy efficiency point of view. Three relatively new non-volatile memory technologies will be reviewed: Phase Change Memory, Resistive Switching Devices and Spin Torque Transfer Random Access Memory (STT-RAM). We will focus on their reading/writing power efficiency, area efficiency or scalability, information retaining efficiency and endurance, as well as their opportunities and limitations. Circuit and system level considerations aiming to reserve power and extend device lifetime will also be discussed.
Conventional-Dose versus High-Dose Chemotherapy for Relapsed Germ Cell Tumors.

The majority of metastatic germ cell tumors (GCTs) are cured with cisplatin-based chemotherapy, but 20–30% of patients will relapse after first-line chemotherapy and require additional salvage strategies. The two major salvage approaches in this scenario are high-dose chemotherapy (HDCT) with autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) or conventional-dose chemotherapy (CDCT). Both CDCT and HDCT have curative potential in the management of relapsed/refractory GCT. However, due to a lack of conclusive randomized trials, it remains unknown whether sequential HDCT or CDCT represents the optimal initial salvage approach, with practice varying between tertiary institutions. This represents the most pressing question remaining for defining GCT treatment standards and optimizing outcomes. The authors review prognostic factors in the initial salvage setting as well as the major studies assessing the efficacy of CDCT, HDCT, or both, describing the strengths and weaknesses that formed the rationale behind the ongoing international phase III “TIGER” trial.
Case 87: Is the IV Infiltrated?

You, as an attending anesthesiologist in a small rural hospital, are called to the ICU at 5:30 a.m. Here you find a 4-year-old child (50 lbs, 4′4″, ASA 2) on full ventilator support. She was an unrestricted passenger involved in a MVA. She was admitted with a Glasgow Coma Scale of 2. On arrival in the emergency room, she was immediately intubated and ventilated. A CT scan shows that she has had an intravascular bleed. The child is heavily sedated with morphine and paralyzed with vecuronium. Her prognosis is guarded.
The Problem of Social Cost: Fifteen Years Later

Publisher Summary Coase's work on social cost has rightly had an enormous impact on work in the profession. Confusion or controversy still shrouds many of the issues raised. This chapter discusses a few important issues raised by Coase. As per the Coase theorem, in a world of perfect competition, perfect information, and zero transactions costs, the allocation of resources will be efficient and invariant with respect to legal rules of liability. Perfect competition is best seen not as an assumption of the theorem but as a result of zero transactions costs. Zero transactions costs are equivalent to a guarantee of an optimal set of institutions. If there is any method at all by which a joint maximization process, for example, perfect competition, could be brought about, it would be discoverable and accessible with zero transactions costs. This view of the Coase theorem draws attention to those elements of transactions costs that produced different types of legal and institutional arrangements. Monopoly may, thus, be seen as a product of defects in the institutional structure arising from transactions costs. Its customers would pay enough to eliminate it but do not because of high transactions costs. With zero transactions costs, bargaining with a monopolist could lead to a Pareto improvement by converting the monopolist into a perfectly discriminating one. More importantly, monopoly would be incompatible with the institutions that would grow out of such a world. In this context, optimal antitrust laws and the like may be seen as the product of a zero transactions cost world.
Response of Kondo Lattice Systems to Pressure

At relatively high temperatures a Kondo lattice acts as a collection of non-interacting Kondo impurities having their own characteristic energy scale that is set by local, intrasite coupling of the impurity spin to the spin of conduction electrons. However, at very low temperatures an interaction between periodically placed Kondo impurities leads to band-like behavior of strongly mass-enhanced quasiparticles that may be described in terms of Landau Fermi liquid models.1 The transition between these two extreme regimes of ten results in a maximum in the electrical resistivity or Hall coefficient.2 The mechanism(s) responsible for producing the intersite coupling remains unclear, although both RKKY and quadrupolar exchange have been suggested as possible sources.3−5 Recent neutron scattering experiments on heavy electron Kondo lattice compounds reveal the presence of magnetic interactions at finite q, even in those materials that become superconducting or show no phase transition to very low temperatures.6,7 The apparently inescapable conclusion, then, is that there are at least two competing mechanisms, Kondo (intrasite) and magnetic (intersite), present in Kondo lattice systems. Presumably, it is this competition that leads both to the variety of ground state configurations found in these materials and to low temperature phase coherence in the Kondo scattering,3,5.
DNA methylation in breast cancers: Differences based on estrogen receptor status and recurrence

DNA methylation plays a role in the etiology of primary breast cancers. We analyzed paired primary and second breast tumors to elucidate the role of methylation in recurrence. Methylation profiles from paired primary and second breast tumors of 23 women were assessed using the HumanMethylation450 BeadChip. Twelve women had estrogen receptor positive (ERpos) primary and second tumors, five had estrogen receptor negative (ERneg) primary and second tumors, and six had an ERpos primary tumor but an ERneg second tumor. Stratifying tumors by occurrence revealed that the greater methylation previously associated with ERpos tumors, is more pronounced in primary tumors than in second tumors. Further, ERneg second tumors are more methylated than ERpos second tumors among women who had ERpos primary tumors. Pathway analyses using gene lists generated from comparisons of methylation in ERpos primary tumors from the paired sets with ERpos tumors from six women without recurrences, identified differences between groups based on the ER status of the second tumor. Hypermethylated genes of significantly enriched pathways were differentially associated with survival. DNA methylation profiles of ERpos primary breast tumors support the development and use of tumor methylation profiles for stratifying women with breast cancer both for prognosis and therapy.
Church as Sacrament of Yin-yang Harmony: Toward a More Incisive Participation of Laity and Women in the Church

The author proposes a development of the Federation of Asian Bishops Conference’s theology of church as a sacrament of harmony, drawing in particular from the East Asian concept of yin-yang unity a...
Effects of Short-Term Practice With a Tonic Drone Accompaniment on Middle and High School Violin and Viola Intonation:

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of tonic drone accompaniment on the intonation of violinists and violists. Twenty-eight middle and high school students performed an ascendin...
Variations in Weight Control Behaviors and Body Image Dissatisfaction Among Preadolescents in a Low-Income Community in Fresno, California

Purpose: This study sought to determine whether healthy, overweight, and obese preadolescents living in low-income neighborhoods differ in regards to body image and weight control behaviors. It is critical to identify early precursors to body image issues so that optimal prevention programs can be implemented. Subjects: The sample consisted of 64 preadolescents ages 8 to13 years, including 29 male (45%) and 35 female (55%) fourth, fifth, and sixth graders living in low-income neighborhoods in Fresno, California. Measures: (a) Height and weight were measured to calculate BMI-for-age (kg/m2 ), and (b) the CDC 13- question Body Image Survey was administered. Analysis: ANOVA was used to compare differences in body image and weight control behaviors by weight category (healthy, overweight, obese).Results: The obese group reported more body image dissatisfaction than did the healthy and overweight groups. Obese preadolescents were less happy with their body image and dieted more than healthy weight preadolescents. Overweight preadolescents were more similar in behaviors to healthy weight preadolescents than obese preadolescents. Conclusions: Low self-esteem related to weight may be exacerbated in the adolescent years when new pressures and challenges emerge. Targeting preadolescent overweight and obese individuals with body image issues may be useful in ameliorating some of the problems that are magnified in adolescence, such as dieting and eating disorders.
Transgene Dose- and Age-Dependent Development of Myeloproliferative Neoplasm Phenotypes In JAK2V617F Transgene Mice

Abstract 1980 Myeloproliferative neoplasms ( MPNs) are heterogeneous hematologic disorders represented by three main phenotypes: polycythemia vera (PV), essential thrombocythemia (ET), and primary myelofibrosis (PMF). The major molecular lesion in these diseases is JAK2V617F, which occurs in over 95% patients with PV and in over 50% of patients with ET or PMF. The pathogenic effects of JAK2V617F have been demonstrated by retrovirus-mediated gene transfer, transgenic, and knock-in mouse models, but the precise mode of JAK2V617F action is not clear. Interestingly, in the knock-in model, expression of JAK2V617F causes severe PV-like disease but not ET-like phenotype as seen in patients. To verify the pathogenic role of JAK2V617F, we further characterized the phenotypes of three lines of JAK2V617F transgenic mice generated by using the vav gene promoter which drives expression of transgenes in the hematopoietic system. These mice developed MPN-like phenotypes in a transgene dose- and age-dependent manner. Line A mice have a JAK2V617F gene copy number of 13; they develop MPN phenotype with marked increases in blood counts and enlarged spleens as early as 4–6 weeks after birth. In contrast, lines B and D mice have a transgene copy number of 2 and 1, respectively, and it takes nearly 70 weeks for these mice to show MPN-like phenotypes. The phenotype of line A mice is particularly noteworthy. Essentially all the hemizygous line A mice displayed an ET-like phenotype with marked elevations in platelet counts (usually over 4000×109/L by the age of 15 weeks), but only a slight increase in red cell and white cell counts. In contrast, all the homozygous mice exhibited a clear PV-like phenotype with elevations in all three types of blood cells, although their platelets hardly ever went over 4000×109/L. The hemizygous mice developed myelofibrosis after 30 weeks while the homozygous mice showed the symptom within only 10 weeks. As expected, the increased blood cell counts and formation of myelofibrosis are associated with mobilization of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells to peripheral hematopoietic tissues (blood, spleen, and liver). By conducting stem cell transplant experiments, we further proved that JAK2V617F-induced ET and PV-like phenotypes are transplantable. Our study demonstrates that transgenic expression of JAK2V617F is capable of producing all three phenotypes of MPNs in a transgense dose- and age-dependent manner. Our transgenic mice thus represent an excellent model system to study MPNs. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Adult ambulatory otologic surgery: Unplanned revisits and complications.

Objectives Determine rates and reasons for unplanned revisits after ambulatory otologic surgery. Methods Cross-sectional analysis of State Ambulatory Surgery Databases of California, Florida, Iowa, and New York was performed for years 2010 and 2011. Ambulatory adult otology surgical procedures were linked to ambulatory, emergency, and inpatient databases for revisit encounters occurring within 30 days. The numbers of revisits and associated diagnoses were analyzed. Results A total of 16,709 ambulatory otologic cases were extracted (mean age, 50.3 years; 54.2% female). The most common primary procedures performed were tympanoplasty (n = 7,919), stapedectomy (n = 2504), cochlear implantation (n = 1444), tympanomastoidectomy (n = 713), and mastoidectomy (n = 697). The 30-day revisit rate was 5.2% (n = 875; 95% confidence interval [CI] 4.9%-5.6%). Urinary retention/urinary tract infection (UTI) (n = 93, 10.6%; CI 8.8%-12.9%) was the most common diagnosis at revisit, followed by otalgia (n = 85, 9.7% of revisits; CI: 7.9%-11.9%) and dizziness (n = 80, 9.1%; CI 7.4%-11.2%). Revisits most frequently occurred within the first 10 days postoperatively (47.2% of revisits), and a second revisit occurred 134 times (0.8% of cases). Fewer than 10 cases of facial nerve palsy were diagnosed (CI 0.03%-0.11%). Conclusion With a relatively low unplanned revisit rate, ambulatory otologic surgery demonstrates a favorable safety profile. Common reasons for revisit included pain, urinary retention, and dizziness. Quality improvement measures should be directed at addressing these postoperative issues to minimize rates of complications and unplanned revisits. Level of evidence NA Laryngoscope, 130:1788-1791, 2020.
Using deep learning for a diffusion-based segmentation of the dentate nucleus and its benefits over atlas-based methods

The dentate nucleus (DN) is a gray matter structure deep in the cerebellum involved in motor coordination, sensory input integration, executive planning, language, and visuospatial function. The DN is an emerging biomarker of disease, informing studies that advance pathophysiologic understanding of neurodegenerative and related disorders. The main challenge in defining the DN radiologically is that, like many deep gray matter structures, it has poor contrast in T1-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) images and therefore requires specialized MR acquisitions for visualization. Manual tracing of the DN across multiple acquisitions is resource-intensive and does not scale well to large datasets. We describe a technique that automatically segments the DN using deep learning (DL) on common imaging sequences, such as T1-weighted, T2-weighted, and diffusion MR imaging. We trained a DL algorithm that can automatically delineate the DN and provide an estimate of its volume. The automatic segmentation achieved higher agreement to the manual labels compared to template registration, which is the current common practice in DN segmentation or multiatlas segmentation of manual labels. Across all sequences, the FA maps achieved the highest mean Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) of 0.83 compared to T1 imaging ( DSC = 0.76 ), T2 imaging ( DSC = 0.79 ), or a multisequence approach ( DSC = 0.80 ). A single atlas registration approach using the spatially unbiased atlas template of the cerebellum and brainstem template achieved a DSC of 0.23, and multi-atlas segmentation achieved a DSC of 0.33. Overall, we propose a method of delineating the DN on clinical imaging that can reproduce manual labels with higher accuracy than current atlas-based tools.
What’s in a name? A content analysis of environmental NGOs’ use of “iconic species” in press releases

There are many designations people give to species in the context of conservation, some ecological (e.g., umbrella, keystone) and some cultural (e.g., flagship). However, “iconic” is a term with uses in conservation discourse scholars have yet to examine. Environmental nongovernmental organizations (ENGOs) can shape public opinion on conservation issues; hence, understanding their use of the term “iconic species” could help conservation managers assess and respond to stakeholder’s attitudes regarding proposed conservation policies or efforts. This content analysis covered four years’ worth of press releases (n = 203) containing “iconic species” (or an equivalent phrase; e.g., “iconic wildlife”) from six large ENGOs. We examined the species referenced, affiliated terms (including referenced places), press release objectives, and conservation topics. Results indicate that within ENGO communications, the term iconic species is rarely explicitly defined but is generally used to describe species that share taxonomic similarities with the charismatic megafauna of flagship species. However, iconic species appear to represent specific geographic places and are referenced in relation to diverse conservation topics. Thus, iconic species may serve as conduits for communicating regional issues, such as development and species management policies.
Deep Natural Language Processing to Identify Symptom Documentation in Clinical Notes for Patients With Heart Failure Undergoing Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy.

Abstract Context Clinicians lack reliable methods to predict which patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) will benefit from cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). Symptom burden may help to predict response, but this information is buried in free-text clinical notes. Natural language processing (NLP) may identify symptoms recorded in the electronic health record and thereby enable this information to inform clinical decisions about the appropriateness of CRT. Objectives To develop, train, and test a deep NLP model that identifies documented symptoms in patients with CHF receiving CRT. Methods We identified a random sample of clinical notes from a cohort of patients with CHF who later received CRT. Investigators labeled documented symptoms as present, absent, and context dependent (pathologic depending on the clinical situation). The algorithm was trained on 80% and fine-tuned parameters on 10% of the notes. We tested the model on the remaining 10%. We compared the model's performance to investigators' annotations using accuracy, precision (positive predictive value), recall (sensitivity), and F1 score (a combined measure of precision and recall). Results Investigators annotated 154 notes (352,157 words) and identified 1340 present, 1300 absent, and 221 context-dependent symptoms. In the test set of 15 notes (35,467 words), the model's accuracy was 99.4% and recall was 66.8%. Precision was 77.6%, and overall F1 score was 71.8. F1 scores for present (70.8) and absent (74.7) symptoms were higher than that for context-dependent symptoms (48.3). Conclusion A deep NLP algorithm can be trained to capture symptoms in patients with CHF who received CRT with promising precision and recall.
Categorical exploratory data analysis on goodness-of-fit issues.

If the aphorism "All models are wrong"- George Box, continues to be true in data analysis, particularly when analyzing real-world data, then we should annotate this wisdom with visible and explainable data-driven patterns. Such annotations can critically shed invaluable light on validity as well as limitations of statistical modeling as a data analysis approach. In an effort to avoid holding our real data to potentially unattainable or even unrealistic theoretical structures, we propose to utilize the data analysis paradigm called Categorical Exploratory Data Analysis (CEDA). We illustrate the merits of this proposal with two real-world data sets from the perspective of goodness-of-fit. In both data sets, the Normal distribution's bell shape seemingly fits rather well by first glance. We apply CEDA to bring out where and how each data fits or deviates from the model shape via several important distributional aspects. We also demonstrate that CEDA affords a version of tree-based p-value, and compare it with p-values based on traditional statistical approaches. Along our data analysis, we invest computational efforts in making graphic display to illuminate the advantages of using CEDA as one primary way of data analysis in Data Science education.
Proceedings of the 4th ACM Workshop on Security and Artificial Intelligence

It is our great pleasure to welcome you to the 4th ACM Workshop on Artificial Intelligence & Security — AISec’2011. This year’s workshop continues on its original mission of stimulating collaboration and cross-pollination between the Security & Privacy and Artificial Intelligence research communities. We are delighted to once again be co-located with the premier ACM Computer and Communication Security (CCS 2011) conference. The call for papers attracted 18 high quality submissions spanning North & South America, Europe, the Middle East & Asia, and representing both academia and industry. Of these submissions, the Program Committee accepted 7 research papers and 3 position papers, making for a wonderful program that will bring together leading researchers with backgrounds in both Security & Privacy and AI. This year’s ACM AISec will cover such topics as identifying workers hired online for web service abuse, malware and malicious webpage detection, probabilistic attack planning, and intrusion analysis. In addition the program includes an exciting keynote by Prof. Dawn Song of UC Berkeley who is an internationally recognized leader in Security & Privacy research with extensive experience applying state-of-the-art techniques from Machine Learning to exposing vulnerabilities in real-world systems and to developing robust defenses. These proceedings feature an invited paper, Adversarial Machine Learning, following from the AISec’2010 keynote delivered by Prof. J. D. Tygar (UC Berkeley), whose work investigates Machine Learning through the lens of Security & Privacy, an important topic also covered by one of this year’s position papers.
A Practical and Efficient Synthesis of p-Menthane-3,8-diols

The diastereomeric repellents of p-menthane-3,8-diol were produced from citronellal by treatment with 0.25% sulfuric acid at 50 °C for 11 h to give 97.9% conversion and 92.3% selectivity and citronellal acetal by-products with only 2.7%. The crude products were crystallized from n-heptane at −50 °C for 20 h to give p-menthane-3,8-diols in 80% yield and high purity. The stereochemistry of the citronellal acetal by-products was determined by 2D NMR and NOE.
Nonlinear Inversion from Nonlinear Filters for Ocean Acoustics

Abstract : The long term goals of this research are to develop practical and efficient algorithms for application the nonlinear inversion problems encountered in ocean acoustics. Such algorithms would be used for estimating or accounting for the effects of the environment on acoustic propagation, detection and tracking in shallow water. The specific objectives of this research are adapt a specific nonlinear filter, known as a Daum filter, for acoustic inversion of shallow water environmental properties, and to assess the performance of this nonlinear filter relative to local linear inversion on the one hand and global methods, e.g. Monte Carl methods on the other hand.
Examination of a parent-assisted, friendship-building program for adolescents with ADHD

Objective: Youth with ADHD experience significant impairment in peer functioning. Based on recommendations from the literature, the current pilot study examined the effectiveness of a parent-assisted, friendship-building program at establishing mutual friendships and improving peer relationships in adolescents with ADHD. Method: Participants included 20 adolescents with ADHD (ages 11-16 years) and their parent(s). Families completed the Program for the Evaluation and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS). Measures of friendship quality, social knowledge, social self-efficacy, get-togethers, and peer conflict were completed at baseline and post-treatment. At post-treatment, participants also reported on the initiation of a new friendship. Results: Baseline to post-treatment differences were examined using paired-samples t tests. The majority of participants reported the initiation of a new friendship at post-treatment. Adolescents also demonstrated significantly improved social knowledge and increased ge...
Interamerican Society of Psychology

The Interamerican Society of Psychology (www.sipysch.org), known by its acronym in Spanish, SIP, for Sociedad Interamericana de Psicologia, is a nonprofit, scientific, and professional organization, serving psychologists in the Americas and beyond. SIP's purposes are twofold: to foster scientific and professional collaboration among persons concerned with psychology and related fields while promoting an understanding and appreciation of cultural similarities and differences in the Americas; and to aid in the development of psychology as a science and as a profession in all of the countries of the Americas. SIP was founded on December 17, 1951, by a group of behavioral scientists who met in Mexico City while attending the meeting of the World Federation of Mental Health. Keywords: cross-cultural; Spanish; Portuguese; international organizations; professional organizations
Can Scientific Writing Be Creative

In this essay, I will look at the relationship between Creativity and Spirituality in the field of writing in general, and in scientific writing in particular. A few issues such as why we write and different kinds of writing will also be briefly discussed. In general, creativity is related to a special way of SEEING, or insight, as mentioned in many spiritual traditions. Therefore, with regard to Creativity as the term is used in this essay, a certain level of spirituality is implicitly assumed.
Insurance Rating Games: Strikes, Spares, and Bags

Carefully designed classroom activities and games can be used to increase student engagement, motivation, and learning. This article describes two games that have been used with students of risk management and insurance to help highlight the intricacies of insurance pricing. These two games, bowling insurance and bags insurance, help students experience the challenging nature of premium determination in risk transfer contracts and also connect the various actions taken by insurers during the insurance transaction.
Testing sample stability using four storage methods and the macroalgae Ulva and Gracilaria

Concern over the relative importance of different sample preparation and storage techniques frequently used in stable isotope analysis of particulate nitrogen (δ15N) and carbon (δ13C) prompted an experiment to determine how important such factors were to measured values in marine organisms. We stored the marine macroalgae Ulva and Gracilaria in four different ways and analyzed replicates every three months over the course of a year to assess treatment effects on stability. Treatments consisted of algae dried at 65°C, ground to a powder, and stored in a desiccator until analysis; algae left in a drying oven or in a freezer and processed (dried and ground) just prior to analysis, as well as some dried, ground samples kept out in the lab and reanalyzed quarterly for 12 months. Concurrently, to assess the ecological range in isotope values over the course of a year, samples were freshly collected from the same location and analyzed along with the other treatments at each time step. Neither storage technique nor time had an impact on either δ15N or δ13C values or the %N and %C of the algae tissues. There were clear and consistent differences between species and some large seasonal differences in the freshly collected samples. The interspecies differences and seasonal ranges of values underscore the stability associated with method and duration of sample storage.
Mirrors & Windows : Philip Pullman's Garden of Eden

The role of Mrs Coulter in Pullman's Dark Materials trilogy raises the question of the appropriate readership of the stories.
Plasma membrane association of three classes of bacterial toxins is mediated by a basic-hydrophobic motif

Summary Plasma membrane targeting is essential for the proper function of many bacterial toxins. A conserved fourhelical bundle membrane localization domain (4HBM) was recently identified within three diverse families of toxins: clostridial glucosylating toxins, MARTX toxins and Pasteurella multocida-like toxins. When expressed in tissue culture cells or in yeast, GFP fusions to at least one 4HBM from each toxin family show significant peripheral membrane localization but with differing profiles. Both in vivo expression and in vitro binding studies reveal that the ability of these domains to localize to the plasma membrane and bind negatively charged phospholipids requires a basic-hydrophobic motif formed by the L1 and L3 loops. The different binding capacity of each 4HBM is defined by the hydrophobicity of an exposed residue within the motif. This study establishes that bacterial effectors utilize a normal host cell mechanism to locate the plasma membrane where they can then access their intracellular targets.
Chitosan Sponges to Locally Deliver Amikacin and Vancomycin: A Pilot In Vitro Evaluation

Background Open orthopaedic wounds are ideal sites for infection. Preventing infection in these wounds is critical for reducing patient morbidity and mortality, controlling antimicrobial resistance and lowering the cost of treatment. Localized drug delivery has the potential to overcome the challenges associated with traditional systemic dosing. A degradable, biocompatible polymer sponge (chitosan) that can be loaded with clinician-selected antibiotics at the point of care would provide the patient and clinician with a desirable, adjunctive preventive modality.
Dynamics of voltage instability and collapse

Abstract This paper presents a dynamic voltage stability analysis of the effects of time-varying loads. The stability of a power system is shown to be dependent not only on maximum loading levels, but also on the transition of the system from one loading level to another. The inclusion of dynamic loads based on aggregate induction motors is shown to aggravate the stability of the system during transition.
X-ray dynamical diffraction from multilayer Laue lenses with rough interfaces

A modeling approach for x-ray dynamical diffraction from multilayer Laue lenses (MLLs) with rough interfaces is developed. Although still based on the principle of the distorted-wave Born approximation (DWBA), this model is formulated from the perspective of the physical scattering process, very different from the conventional DWBA formalism. Using this model, one can study x-ray scattering from rough interfaces in the regime of Fresnel diffraction and in the case of absorptive samples, for example, x-ray dynamical diffraction from MLLs with rough interfaces, which is hard to handle in the framework of the conventional DWBA. Theoretical simulations for various MLLs with rough interfaces are conducted. It is found that interfacial roughness results in a decrease in the local diffraction intensity, where the attenuation factor is a function of the root-mean-square (rms) roughness versus the local zone width ratio. This study shows that if all zones possess an identical rms roughness value that is less than half of the outmost MLL zone width, the focal broadening effect due to roughness is almost unnoticeable, provided that the mean position of the interface does not deviate from the required zone plate law. A further study shows that uncorrelated interfacial roughness can be treated themore » same as interfacial diffusion, in which case a roughness factor similar to the ''Debye-Waller factor'' can be used, and the pseudo-Fourier coefficients of the susceptibility function for an MLL [H. F. Yan et al., Phys. Rev. B 76, 115438 (2007)] have to be multiplied by this factor.« less
Presenting problems and assigned diagnoses among young Latino children with disruptive behavior

It is unclear whether the behaviors that alert families to the need for services are those that classify children for the diagnoses they receive. This study describes the behaviors that Latina mothers from Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic report to have induced them to seek services for their young children. Both qualitative and quantitative analyses were used. Results indicated that mothers most frequently cited behaviors that fell in the categories of Hyperactivity, Aggression/Temper Tantrums, and School Complaints as reasons for help seeking. Whereas aggression and self-injurious acts were most alarming to mothers, School Complaints appeared to be a strong motivator for help seeking. Children whose mothers cited school behavior as a reason for help seeking had significantly poorer global functioning and presented significantly higher care giving demands than peers. In addition, their mothers reported significantly more disciplinary laxity than the mothers of peers without School Complaints. Maternal narratives of children's behaviors moderately concurred with assigned diagnoses. Mothers overlooked inattentive behaviors in children with ADHD and reported much more aggression and oppositionality than might be expected from the number of diagnoses of ODD that were assigned.
Favin, a crystalline lectin from Vicia faba.

Abstract A lectin from the fava bean (Vicia faba) has been purified and crystallized in a form suitable for high-resolution crystallographic structure analysis. This protein binds glucose- and mannose-like saccharides, and it is mitogenic for lymphocytes. The fava lectin crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group. P212121 with unit cell dimensions a = 90.0, b = 89.3, and c = 67.4 A . The mass of protein in the asymmetric unit is 53,000 daltons, corresponding to the molecular weight of the protein in solution.
Theoretical Study on Gold-Coated Iron Oxide Nanostructure: Magnetism and Bioselectivity for Amino Acids

A fundamental understanding of the recent experiments of magnetic separation of amino acids using gold/ iron oxide composite nanoparticles is provided for the first time by theoretically studying the interaction of gold-coated iron oxide cluster with sulfur-containing amino acids: cysteine, methionine, and taurine. We find, in agreement with experiments, that the interaction of cysteine is stronger than methionine, the interaction energies being 0.738 and 0.712 eV respectively. These energies are intermediate between van der Waals and covalent bonding and are ideal for effective binding and release in magnetic separation. On the other hand, we find that taurine, which is also a sulfur-containing amino acid, cannot bind to gold-coated iron oxide cluster. This selectivity can be used for the separation of taurine from the other two sulfur-containing amino acids. The present study provides insight on the mechanisms responsible for functionalizing iron oxide nanoparticles and may have far-reaching implications in biomedical research.
Neighborhood Effects on Health: Exploring the Links and Assessing the Evidence

This article explores the possible causal pathways through which neighborhoods might affect health and then reviews the existing evidence. Although methodological issues make the literature inconclusive, the authors offer a provisional hypothesis for how neighborhoods shape health outcomes. They hypothesize that neighborhoods may primarily influence health in two ways: first, through relatively short-term influences on behaviors, attitudes, and health-care utilization, thereby affecting health conditions that are most immediately responsive to such influences; and second, through a longer-term process of “weathering,” whereby the accumulated stress, lower environmental quality, and limited resources of poorer communities, experienced over many years, erodes the health of residents in ways that make them more vulnerable to mortality from any given disease. Finally, drawing on the more extensive research that has been done exploring the effects of neighborhoods on education and employment, the authors suggest several directions for future research.
Molecular characterization of a thrombospondin-related anonymous protein homologue in Neospora caninum.

Abstract Thrombospondin-related anonymous protein (TRAP) family members participate in attachment and invasion of host cells by apicomplexan parasites. A TRAP homologue in Neospora caninum strain Nc-1 (NcMIC2) was cloned, sequenced and found to be 61% identical (75% similar) at the amino acid level to Toxoplasma gondii MIC2 (TgMIC2). Similar to TgMIC2, the predicted amino acid sequence of NcMIC2 contains one integrin-like domain (I or A domain), five thrombospondin (TSP) repeats, a putative transmembrane spanning region and intracellular C-terminus, and was localized to micronemes by cryo-immunoelectron microscopy. The secretion of NcMIC2 was temperature dependent and was induced at or above 25°C. The secreted form of NcMIC2 released into the medium was found to be proteolytically processed such that it lacked the C-terminal domain. Secretion of NcMIC2 was regulated by calcium, since several agents which raise intracellular calcium levels were shown to promote NcMIC2 secretion and chelation of [Ca2+]i abrogated release. As a member of the growing family of apicomplexan TRAP proteins, NcMIC2 may play an important role in attachment and invasion by N. caninum into host cells.
Mechanical behavior and microstructure of a thermally stable bulk nanostructured Al alloy

A commercial aluminum alloy, 5083, was processed using a cryomilling synthesis approach to produce powders with a nanostructured grain size. The powders were subsequently degassed, hot isostatically pressed, and extruded. The grain size at each processing step was measured utilizing both X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The mechanical properties of the n-5083 extruded material were determined utilizing ASTM E8-93, Standard Test Methods for Tension Testing of Metallic Materials. This processing technique was found to produce a thermally stable nanostructured aluminum alloy which maintained an average grain size of 30 to 35 nm through several processing steps up to 0.61 T mp . The thermal stability was attributed to Zener pinning of the grain boundaries by AIN and Al2O3 particles and solute drag of numerous atomic species. The nanostructured 5083 was found to have a 30 pct increase in yield strength and ultimate strength over the strongest commercially available form of 5083, with no corresponding decrease in elongation. The enhanced ductility is attributed to the presence of a few large, single-crystal aluminum grains acting as crack-blunting objects.
Genetic differentiation between baboon subspecies: Relevance for biomedical research.

The use of common names which may encompass a number of subspecies or species is pervasive in the biomedical literature. Failure to identify the complete taxonomic classification of research subjects presents a source of error for scientists attempting to evaluate results or to repeat experiments. This paper examines the problem in a common animal model, the baboon. Analyses of the genetic distances among five baboon subspecies (Papio hamadryas anubis, P.h. cynocephalus, P.h. papio, P.h. ursinus, and P.h. hamadryas) based on blood marker information from nine polymorphic protein loci (ADA, APRT, C3, CA1, CA2, GPI, MPI, PEPB, and PGD) available for baboons resident at the Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research are presented. Statistical tests on the distances showed that significant genetic differences exist among the subspecies. A comparison of P.h. anubis and P.h. cynocephalus revealed that these two subspecies also differ significantly for biomedically relevant lipoprotein cholesterol levels, as can be predicted from the genetic distances. The results emphasize the pitfalls of using different types of baboons interchangeably in experimental protocols.