cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Early Tertiary hiatuses in the north-eastern Indian Ocean

Cores from drill sites in the Indian Ocean have provided evidence of early Oligocene and early Eocene–Palaeocene hiatuses. That allows a determination of the depth of the carbonate compensation level during the Palaeocene. Possible reasons are given for the occurrence of the early Oligocene hiatus, which may be present at all depths and may well be a world wide phenomenon.
Chitosan inhibits premature browning in ground beef.

Abstract Our objective was to evaluate the effect of chitosan on premature browning in refrigerated ground beef patties stored in different packaging systems. Ground beef patties (15% fat) with chitosan (1% w/w) or without chitosan (control) were individually packaged either in vacuum (VP), aerobic packaging (AP), carbon monoxide modified atmosphere packaging (LO-OX; 0.4% CO + 19.6% CO2 + 80% N2), or high-oxygen modified atmosphere packaging (HI-OX; 80% O2 + 20% CO2), and stored for 0, 1, or 3 days at 1 °C. At the conclusion of storage, raw surface redness was evaluated, patties were cooked to internal end-point temperatures of either 66 °C or 71 °C, and internal cooked color was measured. The incorporation of chitosan increased (P
Current status and proposed roles for nitric oxide as a key mediator of the effects of extracellular nucleotides on plant growth.

Recent data indicate that nucleotides are released into the extracellular matrix (ECM) during plant cell growth, and that these extracellular nucleotides induce signaling changes that can, in a dose-dependent manner, increase or decrease the cell growth. After activation of a presumed receptor, the earliest signaling change induced by extracellular nucleotides is an increase in the concentration of cytosolic Ca2+, but rapidly following this change is an increase in the cellular level of nitric oxide (NO). In Arabidopsis, mutants deficient in nitrate reductase activity (nia1nia2) have drastically reduced nitric oxide production and cannot transduce the effects of applied nucleotides into growth changes. Both increased levels of extracellular nucleotides and increased NO production inhibit auxin transport and inhibit growth, and these effects are potentially due to disruption of the localization and/or function of auxin transport facilitators. However, because NO- and auxin-induced signaling pathways can intersect at multiple points, there may be diverse ways by which the induction of NO by eATP could modulate auxin signaling and thus influence growth. This review will discuss these optional mechanisms and suggest possible regulatory routes based on current experimental data and predictive computational analyses.
Space-Bounded Quantum Complexity

This paper investigates the computational power of space-bounded quantum Turing machines. The following facts are proved for space-constructible space bounds s satisfying s(n)=?(logn): 1.Any quantum Turing machine (QTM) running in space s can be simulated by an unbounded error probabilistic Turing machine (PTM) run- ning in space O(s). No assumptions on the probability of error or running time for the QTM are required, although it is assumed that all transition amplitudes of the QTM are rational. 2.Any PTM that runs in space s and halts absolutely (i.e., has finite worst-case running time) can be simulated by a QTM running in space O(s). If the PTM operates with bounded error, then the QTM may be taken to operate with bounded error as well, although the QTM may not halt absolutely in this case. In the case of unbounded error, the QTM may be taken to halt absolutely. We therefore have that unbounded error, space O(s) bounded quantum Turing machines and probabilistic Turing machines are equivalent in power and, furthermore, that any QTM running in space s can be simulated deterministically in NC2(2s)?DSPACE(s2)?DTIME(2O(s)). We also consider quantum analogues of nondeterministic and one-sided error probabilistic space-bounded classes and prove some simple facts regarding these classes.
Phasor FLIM metabolic mapping of stem cells and cancer cells in live tissues

We use the phasor approach to fluorescence lifetime imaging and intrinsic biochemical fluorescence biomarkers in conjunction with image segmentation and the concept of cell phasor for deriving metabolic maps of cells and living tissues in vivo. In issues we identify and separate intrinsic fluorophores such as collagen, retinol, retinoic acid, porphyrin, flavins, free and bound nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH). Metabolic signatures of tissues are obtained by calculating the phasor fingerprint of single cells and by mapping the relative concentration of metabolites. This method detects small changes in metabolic signatures and redox states of cells. Phasor fingerprints of stem cells cluster according to their differentiation state in a living tissue such as the C. elegans germ line and the crypt base of small intestine and colon. Phasor FLIM provides a label-free and fit-free sensitive method to identify metabolic states of cells and to classify stem cells, normal differentiated cells and cancer cells both in vitro and in a live tissue. Our method could identify symmetric and asymmetric divisions, predict cell fate and identify pre-cancer stages in vivo. This method is a promising non-invasive optical tool for monitoring metabolic pathways during differentiation and carcinogenesis, for cell sorting and high throughput screening.
Photophysics of octabutoxy phthalocyaninato-Ni(II) in toluene: ultrafast experiments and DFT/TDDFT studies.

Reported herein is a combination of experimental and DFT/TDDFT theoretical investigations of the ground and excited states of 1,4,8,11,15,18,22,25-Octabutoxyphthalocyaninato-nickel(II), NiPc(BuO) 8 , and the dynamics of its deactivation after excitation into the S 1 (π,π*) state in toluene solution. According to X-ray crystallographic analysis NiPc(BuO) 8 has a highly saddled structure in the solid state. However, DFT studies suggest that in solution the complex is likely to flap from one D 2 d -saddled conformation to the opposite one through a D 4 h -planar structure. The spectral and kinetic changes for the complex in toluene are understood in terms of the 730 nm excitation light generating a primarily excited S 1 (π,π*) state that transforms initially into a vibrationally hot 3 (d z 2,d x 2 - y 2) state. Cooling to the zeroth state is complete after ca. 8 ps. The cold (d,d) state converted to its daughter state, the 3 LMCT (π,d x 2 - y 2), which itself decays to the ground state with a lifetime of 640 ps. The proposed deactivation mechanism applies to the D 2 d -saddled and the D 4 h -planar structure as well. The results presented here for NiPc(BuO) 8 suggest that in nickel phthalocyanines the 1 , 3 LMCT (π,d x 2 - y 2) states may provide effective routes for radiationless deactivation of the 1 , 3 (π,π*) states.
Strategies for Encouraging Active Learning, Interaction, and Academic Integrity in Online Courses

Goal: To provide field-tested recommendations for designing and maintaining online learning environments that encourage active learning, interaction, and academic integrity Courses: Online teaching and learning, distance education, computer-mediated communication, web-based instruction
Genesis of a new NASA InSAR mission concept, and natural hazards applications

The National Research Council's Decadal Survey for Earth Science identified InSAR (Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar) observations among the highest priorities for new NASA Earth missions. A system making observations required by the solid Earth, vegetation, and ice/climate science communities is recommended. In response, analyses are underway to evaluate efficient combinations of science objectives and mission/instrument scenarios. The InSAR component can be satisfied by a new radar instrument concept capitalizing on existing technology and hardware, including a large commercial mesh reflector antenna and transmit/receive modules developed for the UAVSAR airborne radar. This InSAR system satisfies key science objectives and addresses several shortcomings of existing InSAR capable satellites. To reduce temporal decorrelation, L-Band (23 cm) wavelength is used. A 300 km wide-swath scanSAR mode with 8 day repeat enhances study of ice dynamics, pre/post earthquake deformation, volcano monitoring, and other dynamic phenomena. With a minor orbit change, global biomass surveys are possible using multipolarization. Key challenges are involve scheduling to optimize conflicting observational requirements of various science communities served.
Universal properties of the optimized off-resonant intrinsic second hyperpolarizability

We seek to identify universal properties shared by all quantum systems with large intrinsic second hyperpolarizability (γint)—an invariant quantity that removes the effects of simple scaling. A large-γint quantum system is generated by varying the shape of a trial potential until γint is optimized. A variety of starting potentials yield a set of systems with distinctly shaped optimized potentials, but are found to share universal properties that separate into classes determined by the magnitude and sign of γint. However, the fact that the best systems are 0.6 times the fundamental limit suggests that exotic Hamiltonians may be required to reach the upper bound. The observed regularity hints at a deeper relationship between optimized systems that may provide useful insights applicable to designing better materials. Being general, this approach applies to any quantum system, including molecules, nanoparticles, or quantum gases.
Single-Center Experience of Caval Thrombectomy in Patients With Renal Cell Carcinoma With Tumor Thrombus Extension Into the Inferior Vena Cava

The objective of this study is to describe a single-center experience of caval thrombectomy in patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and tumor thrombus extension into the inferior vena cava (IVC). We retrospectively reviewed 23 patients undergoing radical nephrectomy with caval thrombectomy. Follow-up included an office visit and computed tomography scan. Statistical comparisons were made using 2-sample t tests. Patients' ages ranged from 32 to 83 years (mean, 62 years; 18 male, 5 female). Tumor size ranged from 3 to 21 cm (mean, 8.6 cm). Tumor thrombus staging was based on the Nevus classification: level I (2/23), II (6/23), III (13/26), IV (2/23). Tumor thrombi were removed by means of digital extraction (20), Fogarty embolectomy (2), or endarterectomy (1-caval wall invasion). Lateral venorrhaphy was used for IVC repair in all cases. Hepatic mobilization and suprahepatic clamping were necessary in 14 patients. Clamp times were significantly different between the suprahepatic (SH) and infrahepatic (IH) groups (15 vs 9.4 minutes, P < .012). Mean blood loss was also significantly different (3.2 L vs 2 L, P < .045). In the SH group, 2 patients developed postoperative atrial fibrillation and 2 patients died (respiratory failure; missed enterotomy). The IH group had no perioperative morbidity or mortality. Median followup was 15 months (range, 1-54 months). Follow-up imaging was available for 19/23 patients. Ninety-five percent of patients had a patent IVC (18). One SH patient developed an IVC stenosis/thrombosis 12 months postoperatively with successful thrombolysis and stenting. There was a 16% (3/19) recurrence rate in follow-up, with all patients demonstrating renal vascular invasion and high Fuhrman grade upon final pathologic evaluation. Caval thrombectomy can be performed safely during radical nephrectomy for RCC with tumor thrombus extension. The need for suprahepatic clamping is associated with longer clamp times, increased blood loss, and increased morbidity and mortality. Lateral venorrhaphy with primary repair avoids complicated caval reconstructions and results in high patency rates, despite a not insignificant recurrence rate.
Set-membership filtering and a set-membership normalized LMS algorithm with an adaptive step size

Set-membership identification (SMI) theory is extended to the more general problem of linear-in-parameters filtering by defining a set-membership specification, as opposed to a bounded noise assumption. This sets the framework for several important filtering problems that are not modeled by a "true" unknown system with bounded noise, such as adaptive equalization, to exploit the unique advantages of SMI algorithms. A recursive solution for set membership filtering is derived that resembles a variable step size normalized least mean squares (NLMS) algorithm. Interesting properties of the algorithm, such as asymptotic cessation of updates and monotonically non-increasing parameter error, are established. Simulations show significant performance improvement in varied environments with a greatly reduced number of updates.
Finding transition states when second‐order Jahn–Teller instability occurs

When second-order Jahn–Teller couplings become strong along “streambeds” on potential energy surfaces, instability reflected in negative curvature along a symmetry-lowering distortion coordinate can take place. The point where such negative curvature sets in is usually not a transition state because the gradient of the potential is usually large there. In this paper, it is demonstrated how to use the local energy, local gradient, local Hessian, and knowledge of how quickly the curvature for the symmetry-breaking mode evolves along the streambed (i.e., the derivative of this curvature) to predict how far to move in the symmetry-breaking mode in search of the desired transition state. It is shown that the Hessian matrix evaluated at the symmetry-broken geometry suggested by this analysis has only one negative eigenvalue. Because this analysis is based on a local approximation to the potential, its predictions are, of course, approximate. As such, they only “suggest” the proper direction and magnitude that one should “step” to move toward a transition state. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
The excited singlet state absorption spectrum of 1,4-diphenylnaphthalene

Abstract The excited singlet state spectrum of 1,4-diphenylnaphthalene (DPN) has been measured and analyzed in terms of theoretical calculations. The results show that there is significant geometrical rearrangement in DPN upon excitation and that consideration of this change in geometry is important in calculating the excited state spectrum. A new method is also suggested for selecting the configurations to be used in the excited state spectral calculation. Calculations using an expanded set of configurations (S+S*) provide a more consistent analysis of the experimental spectrum than those using only singly excited configurations (S).
A Psychologically-Inspired Agent for Iterative Prisoner's Dilemma

In this paper, a psychologically-inspired model for an Iterative Prisoner’s dilemma (IPD) agent is proposed. This model is inspired by the “psychic apparatus” theory that was developed by Sigmund Freud in 1940. The model captures an agent with a true “character” by concurrently supporting the three constructs of personality: the Super-Ego, which represents the ideal part of the agent that always tries to elicit cooperation from opponents, the Id, which is characterized by its willingness to defect all the time to achieve instant gratification, and the Ego, which is the intelligent, realistic, part of the agent that relies on opponent-modeling techniques to decide on the best next move. These three constructs compete against each other in order to take control of the agent. This model was successfully prototyped and participated in a simulated IPD tournament along with other benchmark strategies. “FREUD”, as the agent is called, achieved outstanding results in this mini-tournament by winning with a good margin. Our model represents a novel abstraction for IPD agent architecture that is potentially applicable to any decision-making task that requires evaluating the benefit of competitive vs. cooperative behavior.
Breast cancer in adolescent females

Reports of breast cancer in adolescent females consist mostly of isolated patients. Because of this, neither the prognosis nor optimal management of the disease in this age group is clear. The authors retrospectively reviewed their 40-year single-institution experience of all patients under 20 years of age who were referred for treatment of newly diagnosed breast cancer. The charts of 16 patients, all females (age range, 13 to 19 years), were reviewed. Four patients found to have cytosarcoma phyllodes and two with tumors metastatic to the breast were excluded from further study. Ten patients had various forms of adenocarcinoma of the breast, including invasive intraductal, invasive lobular, signet ring, and secretory adenocarcinoma. Four had a family history of breast cancer. The average time from onset of symptoms to diagnosis was 3.7 months. Mammography failed to diagnose cancer in any of the four patients tested, including one with an 8-cm mass. Two patients had stage I tumors, four had stage IIA, two had stage IIIA, and two had stage IV. The patients were treated with combinations of surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. One stage I patient (with bilateral breast cancer) died of radiation-induced sarcoma after treatment; the other stage I patient is alive without disease 15 years after treatment. The 5-year survival rate for stage IIA patients was 50%; that for patients with stage IIIA or IV was 0%. Five of the 10 patients presented during the past 10 years. This study constitutes the largest single institution experience with adolescent breast cancer.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Abstract P051: Healthy Lifestyle Factors are Uncommon and Associated with Reduced Risk of Cardiovascular Disease and Mortality in Candidates for Primary Prevention with Statin Therapy

Introduction: Adults with a 10 year predicted atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk ≥7.5% are candidates for statin therapy for primary prevention. Lifestyle interventions may benefit this high risk group. Hypothesis: We estimated the use of healthy lifestyles and their association with ASCVD and mortality risk in adults with a 10 year predicted ASCVD risk ≥7.5%. Methods: The REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke cohort study enrolled adults ≥45 years old from the 48 continental US states and District of Columbia in January 2003 - October 2007 (n=30,239). The final sample was restricted to adults 45 - 79 years old, without ASCVD or diabetes history, low density lipoprotein cholesterol 70 - 189 mg/dL and a 10 year predicted ASCVD risk ≥7.5% (n=5,709). Ideal lifestyle factors, assessed during an in-home physical exam and through surveys, included non-obese waist circumference (<88/<102 cm for women/men), physical activity (PA) ≥4 times per week, nonsmoking, low saturated fat ...
DNA methylation modulates Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium virulence in Caenorhabditis elegans

Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium was previously shown to be virulent in Caenorhabditis elegans. Here we demonstrate that DNA adenine methyltransferase (DAM) modulates Salmonella virulence in the nematode, as it does in mice. After 5 days of continual exposure to bacteria, twice as many worms died when exposed to the wild-type than the dam-mutant strain of Salmonella. Similar trends in virulence were observed when worms were exposed to Salmonella strains for 5 h and transferred to the avirulent Escherichia coli OP50. While a 10-fold attenuation was observed in the absence of DAM, the dam-strain was still able to infect and persist in the host worm. Our results further support the use of C. elegans as an accessible and readily studied animal model of bacterial pathogenesis. However, our results suggest that crucial host responses differ between the murine and nematode models. Additionally, we carried out preliminary liquid culture based experiments with the long term goal of developing high throughput animal based screens of DAM inhibitors.
Learning a Rendezvous Task with Dynamic Joint Action Perception

Groups of reinforcement learning agents interacting in a common environment often fail to learn optimal behaviors. Poor performance is particularly common in environments where agents must coordinate with each other to receive rewards and where failed coordination attempts are penalized. This paper studies the effectiveness of the dynamic joint action perception (DJAP) algorithm on a grid-world rendezvous task with this characteristic. The effects of learning rate, exploration strategy, and training time on algorithm effectiveness are discussed. An analysis of the types of tasks for which DJAP learning is appropriate is also presented.
Ad Hoc Sensor Network Localization using Distributed Kernel Regression Algorithms

In this paper we apply distributed kernel regression methods to perform sensor network localization. This follows up on earlier work where a centralized kernel regression algorithm was considered to perform localization. Here we examine the tradeoffs between using distributed algorithms versus centralized algorithms in terms of communication costs, computational costs, and performance of the estimate. Simulation results demonstrate that distributed methods work well with comparable performance to centralized algorithms with less communication costs.
Using a Concept Maze to Assess Student Understanding of Secondary-Level Content

Curriculum-based measurement is a system for monitoring students' progress and formatively evaluating instruction backed by 25 years of validation research. Most of this research has been conducted in elementary schools. In middle and high school classrooms, where there is an emphasis on mastering content knowledge, elementary-level measurements are not viable. This article describes the development and validation of a curriculum-based measurement using a maze format, in which specific words are eliminated from sentences and students select from several options to fill in each omitted word. Unlike traditional maze tasks in which words are deleted with attention to grammar and syntax, a concept maze is used in which the target words represent key attributes of core concepts from the content domain. Data from a pilot study are presented along with several options for teachers to obtain data that will (a) inform them which students should receive supplemental instruction and (b) identify particular attribute...
AN EVALUATION OF THREE LITTER CONTROL PROCEDURES—TRASH RECEPTACLES, PAID WORKERS, AND THE MARKED ITEM TECHNIQUE

This study assessed the effectiveness of three litter control procedures on the grounds of a residential retardation facility. Fifty-seven areas were divided into five groups according to the amount of litter they contained. Daily litter counts were made in one randomly chosen area for four of the groups and weekly litter counts were made from one randomly chosen area from the fifth group. After the baseline period, trash receptacles were placed a high traffic areas on the grounds of the facility. This was followed by the payment of two resident workers for picking up trash. In the next phase, marked pieces of litter were placed on the grounds, and residents voluntarily collected litter and turned it in at a central location. When a marked piece was turned in, that resident received $1.00 and had his or her picture taken and posted. This phase was followed by a return to the trash receptacles phase and then a return to the marked item phase. The results indicated that the marked item procedure was effective in reducing the amount of litter on the campus grounds, but the use of trash receptacles and the payment of resident workers for picking up litter did not noticeably reduce the amount of litter. The results are discussed in terms of the cost effectiveness of the procedures.
Ethnic variations in parathyroid hormone metabolism in the morbidly obese

additional 24 deaths (2%) during the 2 year follow-up not related to anastomotic leakage; however, only 7 (0.5%) occurred during the immediate postoperative period (2, leak sepsis; 3, pulmonary embolus (PE); 1, respiratory failure; and 1, wound sepsis). By 30 days, 6 more deaths had occurred (3, PE; 3, sudden death syndrome) for a aggregate 30-day mortality rate of 1%. By 90 days, 8 additional deaths (4, PE; 2, SDS; 2, intra-abdominal sepsis) had occurred; there were 5 late deaths ( 90 days). Conclusions: Postoperative mortality was low (0.5%); however, by 90 days, mortality (1.6%) was higher than expected, especially from pulmonary embolus (10/20), suggesting the need to redefine management protocols. PII: S1550-7289(05)00257-1
Populating semantic virtual environments

The capacity for knowledge representation within simulated environments is a growing field of research geared toward the inclusion of detailed descriptors within the environment through which to provide a virtual agent the knowledge necessary to afford decision-making and interaction. One such layer of representation is that concerning the natural-language, or semantic, depiction of the environment and the objects within it. However, even as technology grows more capable of representing such information-rich environments, the process of authoring and injecting this knowledge has largely remained a manual effort. Not only is this effort arduous for the author in both time and energy expenditure required, but the process also lends itself to limiting the ontology of the simulation further constraining the extent to which such knowledge may be used. Here, we offer an affordable method for semi-automating the generation and injection of semantic properties into a virtual environment for the purpose of producing more natural agent-object interaction. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Genome architectures revealed by tethered chromosome conformation capture and population-based modeling

We describe tethered conformation capture (TCC), a method for genome-wide mapping of chromatin interactions. By performing ligations on solid substrates rather than in solution, TCC substantially enhances the signal-to-noise ratio, thereby facilitating a detailed analysis of interactions within and between chromosomes. We identified a group of regions in each chromosome in human cells that account for the majority of interchromosomal interactions. These regions are marked by high transcriptional activity, suggesting that their interactions are mediated by transcriptional machinery. Each of these regions interacts with numerous other such regions throughout the genome in an indiscriminate fashion, partly driven by the accessibility of the partners. As a different combination of interactions is likely present in different cells, we developed a computational method to translate the TCC data into physical chromatin contacts in a population of three-dimensional genome structures. Statistical analysis of the resulting population demonstrates that the indiscriminate properties of interchromosomal interactions are consistent with the well-known architectural features of the human genome.
Simple assay for glycerophospholipid hydrolase activity of postheparin plasma

An assay using radioactive substrates is described that permits rapid determinations of glycerophospholipid-hydrolyzing activity in postheparin plasma or its fractions. Optimal conditions are described for hydrolysis of phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine. A minimum of only 2 mul of normal postheparin plasma is used and no extraction of the reaction products is required before their separation by thin-layer chromatography. We found that after an optimal heparin dose of 60 units/kg body weight the rate of hydrolysis for diacyl glycerophosphocholine and diacyl glycerophosphoethanolamine is 1.16 mumoles/ml per hr and 22.4 mumoles/ml per hr, respectively.
Cancer in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Risk Factors and Prospects for Early Detection

Chronic inflammation or irritation has been considered responsible for the development of various cancers in man, although the etiology and mechanisms associated with the development of the neoplastic state have never been clarified. Examples include achalasia and lye strictures with carcinoma of the esophagus, atrophic gastritis with carcinoma of the stomach, cholelithiasis with cancer of the gallbladder, tobacco and alcohol with cancers of the oral cavity, Clonorchis sinesis infestation with cholangiocarcinoma, Schistosoma haematobium infestation with cancer of the urinary bladder, mucosal ulcerative colitis with carcinoma of the colon, and Crohn’s disease with both carcinoma of the ileum and colon.
Photophysical characterization of anticancer drug valrubicin in rHDL nanoparticles and its use as an imaging agent

Nanoparticles are target-specific drug delivery agents that are increasingly used in cancer therapy to enhance bioavailability and to reduce off target toxicity of anti-cancer agents. Valrubicin is an anti-cancer drug, currently approved only for vesicular bladder cancer treatment because of its poor water solubility. On the other hand, valrubicin carrying reconstituted high density lipoprotein (rHDL) nanoparticles appear ideally suited for extended applications, including systemic cancer chemotherapy. We determined selected fluorescence properties of the free (unencapsulated) drug vs. valrubicin incorporated into rHDL nanoparticles. We have found that upon encapsulation into rHDL nanoparticles the quantum yield of valrubicin fluorescence increased six fold while its fluorescence lifetime increased about 2 fold. Accordingly, these and potassium iodide (KI) quenching data suggest that upon incorporation, valrubicin is localized deep in the interior of the nanoparticle, inside the lipid matrix. Fluorescence anisotropy of the rHDL valrubicin nanoparticles was also found to be high along with extended rotational correlation time. The fluorescence of valrubicin could also be utilized to assess its distribution upon delivery to prostate cancer (PC3) cells. Overall the fluorescence properties of the rHDL: valrubicin complex reveal valuable novel characteristics of this drug delivery vehicle that may be particularly applicable when used in systemic (intravenous) therapy.
Debate Over Patient Privacy Control in Electronic Health Records

The percentage of physicians using an electronic health record (EHR) system has increased substantially in the last year, with encouragement from Medicare and Medicaid incentives included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Half of all office-based physicians use some form of EHR, according to a survey in December by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, although only 10 percent have fully functional EHR systems.
Rationalizing the California Recall

Californians during the gubernatorial recall election of 2003 were constantly reminded how bizarre their politics had become. Discouraging that impression was difficult, with 135 replacement candidates on the ballot to replace Governor Gray Davis, including the lieutenant governor from Davis' party, a porn king, a stripper, a former child actor, and a professional body builder turned Hollywood action hero. Among political scientists attempting to make sense of the process the question was, how might we understand the recall as an institution or process, and to what might we compare it in order to make sense of what was going on? Was it a referendum on Gray Davis, animated by popular discontent about the energy crisis, the state's gargantuan budget deficit, and Davis' own disconnect from the voters? Was it a "Republican power grab" foisted on the people of California by a small band of wealthy malcontents and professional signature gatherers manipulating a directdemocracy provision in California's constitution intent on ex-
The Effect of Lindane-Impregnated Litter on the Performance of Broilers

Abstract POULTRY house litter such as sugarcane bagasse impregnated with lindane, as reported in a previous paper, Floyd and Tower (1956), was shown in a series of tests to be very effective in controlling the chicken body louse [Eomenacanthus stramineus (Nitz.)] of adult birds. Residual activity of the treated litter was shown to last approximately 6 months, after which it rapidly lost its lice killing property. As it is possible and quite likely that insecticide-impregnated litters of various kinds may some day be offered to the poultryman by manufacturers, it was considered highly advisable that such litter should be used in broiler chick tests to determine its effect if any on growth, mortality, feed efficiency and consumer acceptance of the finished product. A review of the literature revealed no research on brooding chicks on litter that had been impregnated with an insecticide. However, several workers have reported on the effects of …
Conséquences du suivi du réseau pour les composants mécaniques de la chaudière

Les variations de puissance des reacteurs PWR (decoulant de l'adaptation aux variations de la consommation du reseau) n'affectent pas de facon sensible le comportement des gros composants du circuit primaire. Pour certains points particuliers, des etudes sont en cours. Dans cet article, les auteurs s'interessent essentiellement a la ligne de commande des reacteurs, laquelle est soumise a une fatigue cyclique et a une usure (au niveau des mecanismes de commande des grappes, des grappes elles-memes et des guides de grappe) qui doivent etre precisement determinees. Les auteurs decrivent les essais effectues dans ce domaine et les modifications de conception des mecanismes et des guides de grappes auxquelles ils ont abouti, tant pour le palier 900 MWe que pour le palier 1 300 MWe.
Integration of Principles of Human Factors into an Undergraduate Computer Technology Curriculum: A Case Study:

undergraduate university curriculums in computer technology are structured to provide students with a maximum exposure to programming languages, data structures, and elements of system design. Current textbooks fail to provide adequate discussions and examples of programs which demonstrate good human factors. The purpose of this study was to determine if concepts and techniques for designing human computer interfaces can be integrated within the existing courses in the undergraduate curriculum in computer technology. A class in applications programming using Pascal was given a long-term assignment to design an interactive program for an untrained user. This assignment was then repeated following exposure to human factors guidelines. The class showed significant improvements in the design of the user interface.
Experimental design of diffusion and desorption of contaminant in heterogeneous media.

Storage of contaminants in low permeability media (LPM) presents a great challenge for prediction of remediation effectiveness and efficiency. The reason lies in the contaminants' complex behaviors within heterogeneous media. Both interparticle and intraparticle diffusion contribute to the difficulty of precise site assessment. Sorption of contaminants – especially within LPM – may sequester the contaminants from active treatment, while desorption over a long period of time leads to contaminant release from storage and consequent re-contamination. Research has been conducted toward better understanding of contaminant diffusion and sorption/desorption processes to better predict contaminant response to site treatment. However, most of the research has been carried out within homogeneous media, while real scenarios in environmental problems feature media whose permeability and other characteristics vary significantly over the treatment volume. Further, few efforts have combined the interparticle/intraparticle diffusion and sorption/desorption processes together. This research aims at a feasible experimental design of diffusion and desorption of contaminant in heterogeneous media to address the gaps in previous research. A 2-D experimental system was designed to evaluate interparticle/intraparticle diffusion processes of trichloroethylene (TCE) in heterogeneous media. The 2-D system was modified to include organic matter in media for simulation of sorption/desorption processes. Results of the research will improve the understanding of how these different transport processes act together within heterogeneous media. Results will also allow for the evaluation of the impact of contaminant mass transport from within low permeability media at a potential treatment site and can support the development of mathematical tools/models combining interparticle/intraparticle and sorption/desorption processes. Such a model will promote more accurate site assessment and provide more confidence in the choice of an effective, economically optimized remediation strategy.
Isolation and Reactivity of Trifluoromethyl Iodonium Salts

The strategic incorporation of the trifluoromethyl (CF3) functionality within therapeutic or agrochemical agents is a proven strategy for altering their associated physicochemical properties (e.g., metabolic stability, lipophilicity, and bioavailability). Electrophilic trifluoromethylation has emerged as an important methodology for installing the CF3 moiety onto an array of molecular architectures, and, in particular, CF3 λ3-iodanes have garnered significant interest because of their unique reactivity and ease of handling. Trifluoromethylations mediated by these hypervalent iodine reagents often require activation through an exogenous Lewis or Bronsted acid; thus, putative intermediates invoked in these transformations are cationic CF3 iodoniums. These iodoniums have, thus far, eluded isolation and investigation of their innate reactivity (which has encouraged speculation that such species cannot be accessed). A more complete understanding of the mechanistic relevance of CF3 iodoniums is paramount for th...
An Effective Strategy for Reliably Isolating Heritable and Cas9-Free Arabidopsis Mutants Generated by CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Genome Editing

Mutations generated by CRISPR/Cas9 in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) are often somatic and are rarely heritable. Isolation of mutations in Cas9-free Arabidopsis plants can ensure the stable transmission of the identified mutations to next generations, but the process is laborious and inefficient. Here, we present a simple visual screen for Cas9-free T2 seeds, allowing us to quickly obtain Cas9-free Arabidopsis mutants in the T2 generation. To demonstrate this in principle, we targeted two sites in the AUXIN-BINDING PROTEIN1 (ABP1) gene, whose function as a membrane-associated auxin receptor has been challenged recently. We obtained many T1 plants with detectable mutations near the target sites, but only a small fraction of T1 plants yielded Cas9-free abp1 mutations in the T2 generation. Moreover, the mutations did not segregate in Mendelian fashion in the T2 generation. However, mutations identified in the Cas9-free T2 plants were stably transmitted to the T3 generation following Mendelian genetics. To further simplify the screening procedure, we simultaneously targeted two sites in ABP1 to generate large deletions, which can be easily identified by PCR. We successfully generated two abp1 alleles that contained 1,141- and 711-bp deletions in the ABP1 gene. All of the Cas9-free abp1 alleles we generated were stable and heritable. The method described here allows for effectively isolating Cas9-free heritable CRISPR mutants in Arabidopsis.
The Role of the Epididymis in Testicular Descent

In 54 patients with 70 undescended testes hospitalized for orchiopexy epididymal anatomy was examined intraoperatively. Of the testes 66 per cent had abnormal epididymides, which suggests a possibly significant role for the epididymis in the process of testicular descent.
Neurofunctional Differences Among Youth With and at Varying Risk for Developing Mania.

Objective To examine prefrontal and amygdala activation during emotional processing in youth with or at varying risk for developing mania to identify candidate central prodromal risk biomarkers. Method Four groups of medication-free adolescents (10–20 years old) participated: adolescents with first-episode bipolar I disorder (BP-I; n = 32), adolescents with a parent with bipolar disorder and a depressive disorder (at-risk depressed [ARD]; n = 32), healthy adolescents with a parent with bipolar disorder (at-risk healthy [ARH]; n = 32), and healthy adolescents with no personal or family history of psychiatric illness (healthy comparison [HC]; n = 32). Participants underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging while performing a continuous performance task with emotional and neutral distracters. Region-of-interest analyses were performed for the bilateral amygdala and for subregions of the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate cortex. Results Overall, no group differences in bilateral amygdala and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (Brodmann area [BA] 45/47) activation during emotional or neutral stimuli were observed. The BP-I group exhibited lower right pregenual anterior cingulate cortex activation compared with the HC group, and activation in the left BA 44 was greater in the ARH and ARD groups compared with the HC group. BP-I and ARD groups exhibited blunted activation in the right BA 10 compared with the ARH group. Conclusion During emotional processing, amygdala and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (BA 45/47) activation does not differ in youth with or at increasing risk for BP-I. However, blunted pregenual anterior cingulate cortex activation in first-episode mania could represent an illness biomarker, and greater prefrontal BA 10 and BA 44 activations in at-risk youth could represent a biomarker of risk or resilience warranting additional investigation in prospective longitudinal studies.
Small Antennas Remote Impedance Measurement Using Electrostatic Discharge

The conventional techniques to measure the input impedance of an antenna are based on comparing the reflected signal to the incident signal at the antenna port at a given frequency. A network analyzer connected to the antenna under test through a feeding cable is the most common impedance measurement setup. The induced current on the outer surface of the feeding cable in the electrically small antenna (ESA) case, however, significantly interferes with this process. Therefore, the traditional methods to measure the input impedance such as using a network analyzer may not be suitable for an ESA. A remote impedance measurement technique based on the impulse responses of an ESA terminated to three standard loads, short/open/matched load, is introduced. Two different types of antennas are designed and simulated using a full-wave simulator and then the impulse responses are computed using a transient simulator software. Thereafter, two different circuit models are introduced and the parameters of these models are computed using three impulse responses. The input impedance of both antennas are computed directly from the full-wave simulations as well as the remote measurement technique and the results are compared. Finally, both antennas are prototyped, measured, and the input impedances of the antennas are compared for the direct measurement using a network analyzer and the proposed technique. The presented results confirm the accuracy of the proposed method.
Conclusions: Moving Beyond the Enduring Dichotomies in ELT

In the previous chapters, I have analyzed the practices and policies of English language-teaching and learning as they are reworked in the CSU context. In so doing, many of the classroom examples and participant narratives illustrated the ways teachers, students, and administrators in China were seeking to use and control English as a symbol and signification of modernity and progress. I started the book with chapters that discussed the history of English in China and how the PRC has used English in its education policy as a means to meet the needs of the state and further its goals in terms of the “four modernizations” in agriculture, industry, national defense, and science and technology (Mao and Min, 2004). In many ways, the chapters have attempted to examine not simply how Western or state conceptions of modernity have been applied or resisted; rather, I have looked for instances in which a dialogue about teaching or a classroom practice has revealed how progress, modernity, and internationalization is being constructed and framed both in relation to East–West oppositions and outside of them. As Ong (2005) has noted in other writings on Chinese culture, I have looked into the “everyday practices of having a modern Chinese subjectivity” (p. 27), and analyzed how, in those practices, English learning and teaching have come to signify divergent aspects of having an international perspective and identity in China for different participants both local and foreign—from my student Guy, to myself, to Vice-Chancellor Tsing, to the Chinese MOE.
Common Molecular Mechanisms Regulating Fetal Bone Formation and Adult Fracture Repair

Skeletal formation involves synchronized integration of genetic programs governing the specification, proliferation,differentiation,and programmed death of cells,remodeling of the extracellular matrix, and vasculogenesis. These same cellular and extracellular events occur during adult bone repair,leading us and others to propose that the molecular machinery responsible for fetal skeletogenesis also plays a role in the process of skeletal repair (1, 2, 3, 4, 5). The goal of this review is to highlight recent advances in understanding molecular and cellular mechanisms regulating fetal skeletal development and adult fracture repair. We are optimistic that these advances will ultimately facilitate the manipulation of molecular programs in order to prevent bone disease and treat traumatic injury.
Standards for flat panel display systems

There are several important international standards in development that have implications for Flat Panel Display Technology. There are ergonomic standards directed toward the display work place and the flat panel standards directed toward the technical interface between suppliers of flat panel subassemblies and manufacturers of systems that employ flat panels as a principal or ancillary electro-optical device. The trend in the ergonomic case is to standardize the work place. Therefore, the standards are developed with a view to homologate the union of the environment, the equipment, the application and the end user. Since, to date, more than 10 CRT displays are in the office work place for every flat panel, it is natural that the body of ergonomic data upon which these standards are based anticipate the use of the CRT. Since no up-to-date standards for measurement and description of flat panel displays exist, a work station developer cannot rely on specification sheets from different flat panel manufacturers for decision making data. The industry has still not come to view itself as required to provide a valuable convenience over CRT (portability or unique space utilization) while imposing as few compromises in function as possible. This paper will discuss those elements of emerging international standards which are key, and outlining the implications for various technologies. The implications will be projected into the future to address: “What has to change for flat panels to compete in the 90s?”.
COMUNICADO DEL OSPDH A RAÍZ DE LOS ACONTECIMIENTOS DEL 1 DE OCTUBRE

L’Observatori del Sistema Penal i els Drets Humans de la Universitat de Barcelona (OSPDH), vol expressar el seu mes ABSOLUT REBUIG a la VIOLENCIA INSTITUCIONAL duta a terme per l’Estat espanyol contra la ciutadania de Catalunya el passat 1 d’octubre, amb les violentes actuacions de la Guardia Civil i la Policia Nacional , que van vulnerar els drets humans mes fonamentals. Davant d’aquests gravissims esdeveniments, informem que, des del mateix dia 1 a la nit, l’OSPDH va posar en marxa el seu instrument SIRECOVI Sistema de Registre i Comunicacio de Violencia Institucional ( https://sirecovi.ub.edu ). A dia d’avui, han contactat amb el SIRECOVI mes de 120 persones, havent tramitat, a titol individual, prop de 40 comunicacions. El SIRECOVI, seguint el seu procediment habitual, posara en coneixement dels organismes internacionals tots aquests casos de violencia institucional contrastats i realitzara una cartografia dels fets esdevinguts que podra ser consultada per internet. Per contactar amb nosaltres: alertasirecovi@ub.edu .