cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Multidisciplinary coordinated care for Type 2 diabetes: A qualitative analysis of patient perspectives.

Abstract Aims To explore the patient perspective on coordinated multidisciplinary diabetes team care among a socioeconomically diverse group of adults with type 2 diabetes. Methods Qualitative research design using 8 focus groups (n = 53). We randomly sampled primary care patients with type 2 diabetes and conducted focus groups at their primary care clinic. Discussion prompts queried current perceptions of team care. Each focus group was audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, and independently coded by three reviewers. Coding used an iterative process. Thematic saturation was achieved. Data were analyzed using content analysis. Results Most participants believed that coordinated multidisciplinary diabetes team care was a good approach, feeling that diabetes was too complicated for any one care team member to manage. Primary care physicians were seen as too busy to manage diabetes alone, and participants were content to be treated by other care team members, especially if there was a single point of contact and the care was coordinated. Participants suggested that an ideal multidisciplinary approach would additionally include support for exercise and managing socioeconomic challenges, components perceived to be missing from the existing approach to diabetes care. Conclusions Coordinated, multidisciplinary diabetes team care is understood by and acceptable to patients with type 2 diabetes.
The Physical Basis of Neuroimaging Techniques

The physical concepts behind the most important neuroimaging techniques in use today are described, along with the different types of information that can be obtained by different methods. Technical aspects of MR imaging, nuclear imaging (including both single-photon emission computed tomography as well as positron emission tomography), and X-ray imaging methods, as used for the study of brain structure and function, are described. The relative advantages and disadvantages of different types of imaging are evaluated, along with the fundamental and practical limitations that are placed on the quality of images and information provided by each method. Particular attention is paid to the variety of measures of structure, function, and tissue characteristics available from MR imaging, because these are of particular importance in the study of pediatric populations. Finally, some future trends in the relative importance of different methods are estimated.
Lack of Transfer RNA Synthesis in the Pollen Tube of Tradescantia paludosa

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the lack of transfer of RNA synthesis in the pollen tube of Tradescantia Paludosa. When pollen of T. paludosa is grown either in [3H]-uridine or [32P]-labeled growth medium and the cytoplasmic RNA is purified by phenol extraction and analyzed on sucrose density gradients, labeled RNA that peaks between 4 and 8S is obtained. The base composition of pollen tube 4-8S RNA is very high in adenylic acid (A) and is quite different from that expected for tRNA. The chapter describes experiments that were performed to demonstrate whether some of the material sedimenting between 4 and 8S was tRNA that was being masked by other species of RNA of similar size, with a high A content. Most of the labeled material was found to elute at higher concentrations of NaCl than required for tRNA elution. When similarly sedimenting 32P-labeled cytoplasmic RNA was analysed on a MAK column, the radioactivity seemed partly to follow the tRNA absorbance profile, although most of the radioactivity eluted later than the tRNA.
Package cushioning systems

The term packaging cushioning systems covers a wide variety of techniques and materials for protecting goods from the effects of impacts and vibration in transit. They range from the traditional application of straw and woodwool in the packaging of glassware, pottery and ceramics, to the highly sophisticated shock isolation systems, incorporating springs and hydraulic shock absorbers, used in packages for aero-engines and space satellites. Goods can be protected against impact in three ways. 1. By spreading the forces on impact over a large area so that the force per unit area is reduced and no part of the product is subjected to concentrated forces 2. By supporting the product at its stronger points so that the forces on impact are directed to those points and not to the weaker ones 3. By reducing the forces and hence the deceleration on impact by using materials which compress on impact and cushion the product by absorbing the energy of the impact and converting the short duration/high intensity forces to lower intensity/longer duration forces which are less damaging Methods 1 and 2 do not require a compressible material or system to reduce damage to the exterior of a product but will not necessarily prevent internal damage for example in electronic equipment or a complex mechanical assembly. In practice, cushioning systems combine method 3 with load spreading or directing forces through the area of contact and the placing of the system in contact with the goods.
Abstract 4370: Regulation of AGO2-KRAS interaction through epidermal growth factor receptor

The RAS gene family is among the most commonly mutated genes within cancer. While much research has elucidated its major functions and downstream pathways, little progress has been made in successfully targeting RAS mutations. We recently identified Argonaute 2 (AGO2) of the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC) as a novel partner of the Switch II domain of KRAS. We have found that stable knockdown of AGO2 in KRAS-dependent cell lines lead to a decrease in KRAS protein expression with a subsequent decrease in cellular proliferation. In addition, we observed a decrease in microRNA unwinding in the presence of mutant KRAS, suggesting this interaction inhibits the endogenous RNAi function of AGO2. Despite this clear connection between KRAS and AGO2 in KRAS mediated oncogenesis, the precise function of this interaction remains unclear in both normal and cancer biology. In order to identify endogenous regulators of AGO2-RAS, we investigated the ability of EGFR signaling to modulate the AGO2-RAS interaction. We established two mouse embryonic fibroblast cell lines (NIH-3T3 and MEF) with complete knockout of AGO2. When compared to normal control cells, we found that knockout of AGO2 resulted in an increase in WT RAS-GTP activation levels, phosphorylation of Y1068-EGFR, and MAPK/ERK and PI3K/AKT signaling. Rescue of AGO2 knockout resulted in a return to normal levels of active RAS-GTP, pEGFR, and downstream signaling. Recent studies have described EGFR phosphorylation of AGO2 under hypoxic cell conditions, resulting in the inhibition of AGO2 association with RISC members. In order to better characterize the relationship between EGFR-AGO2-RAS, we found that overnight serum starvation followed by stimulation with EGF led to a decrease in AGO2-RAS co-IP in WT KRAS cells. Blocking AGO2 phosphorylation with a Y393F mutant of AGO2 prevented AGO2-RAS dissociation following EGFR stimulation. While WT KRAS cell lines displayed regulation of AGO2-RAS via EGFR, the phosphorylation of AGO2Y393 was unable to disrupt the interaction of AGO2 with mutant KRAS following stimulation with EGF. Together these results suggest a unique EGFR-AGO2-RAS signaling axis, and its dysregulation by mutant KRAS could increase oncogenic growth through promotion of AGO2-RAS interaction in cancer. Citation Format: Ronald F. Siebenaler, Sunita Shankar, Jean C. Tien, Vijaya L. Dommeti, Malay Mody, Chandan Kumar-Sinha, Arul M. Chinnaiyan. Regulation of AGO2-KRAS interaction through epidermal growth factor receptor [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4370.
The Common Ground of Meteorology and Hydrology

This article is a brief survey of topics of mutual interest in hydrology and meteorology intended primarily for the members of these two professions whose special interests are somewhat removed from the common ground. The last decade has seen substantial progress in our understanding of the water balance and in our ability to put this knowledge to use. A rapidly expanding world population with a correspondingly rapid increase in water requirements for human, industrial, and agricultural uses during the next few decades will require still further efforts to increase our knowledge and develop solutions to new water problems.
Longer-term Lipid-lowering Drug Use and Risk of Incident and Fatal Prostate Cancer in Black and White Men in the ARIC Study

Lipid-lowering medications, particularly statins, may protect against aggressive prostate cancer. Fatal prostate cancer, the most clinically relevant outcome, remains understudied for this association. We prospectively studied lipid-lowering medication use and both incident and fatal prostate cancer in black and white men in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study. A total of 6,518 men without cancer at visit 2 (1990-1992), the start of the statin era, were followed for prostate cancer incidence and death through 2012. Medication use was collected during study visits and telephone calls at up to nine time points during follow-up. Cox regression was used to estimate HR and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of total (white N = 541, black N = 259) and fatal (white N = 56, black N = 34) prostate cancer overall and by race. Lipid-lowering medication use was modeled as time-dependent current use or duration (never, <10, and ≥10 years). By visit 4 (1996-1998), 21% of white and 11% of black men had used a lipid-lowering medication, mostly statins. There was a suggestion that current users were less likely to die from prostate cancer than nonusers (HR = 0.67, 95% CI = 0.42-1.07) after multivariable adjustment. We observed no statistically significant differences between black and white men. Current use was not associated with incident prostate cancer, although long-term use was statistically significantly inversely associated with incidence (HR = 0.68; 95% CI = 0.50-0.92). Long-term lipid-lowering medication use was associated with lower risk of prostate cancer. Current use was possibly associated with fatal prostate cancer.
A computational study of mental health awareness campaigns on social media

As public discourse continues to progress online, it is important for mental health advocates, public health officials, and other curious parties and stakeholders, ranging from researchers, to those affected by the issue, to be aware of the advancing new mediums in which the public can share content ranging from useful resources and self-help tips to personal struggles with respect to both illness and its stigmatization. A better understanding of this new public discourse on mental health, often framed as social media campaigns, can help perpetuate the allocation of sparse mental health resources, the need for educational awareness, and the usefulness of community, with an opportunity to reach those seeking help at the right moment. The objective of this study was to understand the nature of and engagement around mental health content shared on mental health campaigns, specifically #MyTipsForMentalHealth on Twitter around World Mental Health Awareness Day in 2017. We collected 14,217 Twitter posts from 10,805 unique users between September and October 2017 that contained the hashtag #MyTipsForMentalHealth. With the involvement of domain experts, we hand-labeled 700 posts and categorized them as (a) Fact, (b) Stigmatizing, (c) Inspirational, (d) Medical/Clinical Tip, (e) Resource Related, (f) Lifestyle or Social Tip or Personal View, and (g) Off Topic. After creating a "seed" machine learning classifier, we used both unsupervised and semi supervised methods to classify posts into the various expert identified topical categories. We also performed a content analysis to understand how information on different topics spread through social networks. Our support vector machine classification algorithm achieved a mean cross-validation accuracy of 0.81 and accuracy of 0.64 on unseen data. We found that inspirational Twitter posts were the most spread with a mean of 4.17 retweets, and stigmatizing content was second with a mean of 3.66 retweets. Classification of social media-related mental health interactions offers valuable insights on public sentiment as well as a window into the evolving world of online self-help and the varied resources within. Our results suggest an important role for social media-based peer support to not only guide information seekers to useful content and local resources but also illuminate the socially-insular aspects of stigmatization. However, our results also reflect the challenges of quantifying the heterogeneity of mental health content on social media and the need for novel machine learning methods customized to the challenges of the field.
Making Success: What Does Large-Scale Integration of Making into a Middle and High School Look Like?.

Making is a movement present in the United States which fosters creativity and invention through the creation and sharing of products. This case study of one Western Pennsylvania school district’s ...
Major-ion chemistry of compositionally diverse lakes, Western Nebraska, U.S.A.: implications for paleoclimatic interpretations

The western Sand Hills, Nebraska, contains hundreds of compositionally diverse lakes with total dissolved solids ranging from 200 mg l-1 to over 100000 mg l-1 on occasion. This region has a semi-arid, mid-continental climate that is likely to be sensitive to future changes in climate. To interpret the record of Holocene climate in the lake sediments using available paleolimnological techniques, especially proxies for geochemical variations such as diatoms. ostracodes, and authigenic carbonates, requires an understanding of the modern spatial and temporal variability in lake chemistry. This paper provides: (1) a general description of the region and its many lakes; (2) a review of previous investigations related to the origin of these lakes; (3) major-ion data collected in 1992 and 1993 for 27 lakes in Sheridan County, NE; and (4) a discussion of these data in relation to a qualitative conceptual model, implications for lake history, and interpretations of paleoclimatic indicators that employ Mg/Ca ratios. Implications of the data include: (1) compositional differences between lakes are a function of local hydrologic variability, largely the magnitude of the input and output components and the lakes lifetime; (2) the lifetime of a lake is likely related to the complex geomorphic and hydrologic development of the ancestral Blue Creek basin; and (3) solutes in these lakes were not acquired from a high TDS groundwater source. The observed concentrations can be produced by evaporatively concentrating local groundwater. The available Mg and Ca data indicate that for low salinity lakes (e.g., Dillings and Krause lakes) there is a systematic relationship between seasonal increases in Mg/Ca ratios and salinity. Analyses of single ostracodes of the same species could provide a detailed record of seasonal salinity variations, as well as year-to-year hydrologic variability. In the more saline lakes (e.g., Potash, Shriner, Homestead, UNNJ, Wilkinson lakes), the Mg/Ca ratios in authigenic carbonate or ostracodes would be more difficult to interpret. In general, the Mg/Ca ratio decreases with increasing salinity. The dynamics of Ca- and Mg-bearing mineral phases need to be considered for a detailed interpretation of the Mg/Ca ratios in these lakes.
Introduction: Notes for an Audible Geography

This chapter sets up the general line of thought explored throughout the book by calling upon Louis Moreau Gottschalk’s final concerts in Rio de Janeiro in 1869 to ask that we distinguish between sounding and listening. To listen, it argues, is to engage an epistemology of place as a racialized phenomenon traversed with mediatic concerns. It subsequently analyzes a sound installation by the Brazilian artists Otavio Schipper and Sergio Krakowski in order to propose a link between a sensorial economy and a political economy for which the racialized and commodified body serves as an essential feature of its operation.
A Survey of Current Procurement Travel Practices, Accident Frequency, and Perceptions of Safety

In 2018, 81% of the 36, 529 solid organs transplanted in the United States came from deceased donors. These organs were recovered through widespread use of aeromedical and emergency ground transportation systems. Urgently scheduled travel to remote hospitals at night and in varied weather conditions carries risk for the transplant professionals involved. A landmark survey conducted in 2007 demonstrated that 80% of respondents had experienced a "near-miss" event while on a procurement trip, and 15% had been involved in at least 1 accident. One decade later, we sought to revisit the issue of procurement related travel safety. Methods A 32 question survey designed to interrogate travel practice, accident frequency, and perceptions of safety was sent to the American Society of Transplant Surgeons membership. Results Our survey response rate was 20.6%. At least 1 travel accident with bodily injury was reported by 23% of respondents and yet only 7% of respondents reported feeling "unsafe" or "very unsafe" during procurement travel. Sixteen percent of respondents participated in a procurement at a dedicated organ procurement facility, and only 53% of procurement surgeons completed at least 1 deceased donor procurement at their own hospital facility within the preceding 12 months. Conclusions In a field where increasingly aggressive organ utilization is the norm, the efficiency and safety of procurement travel merits ongoing consideration. Addressing these concerns takes on new significance as organ allocation policies change geographic distribution to expand the extent of travel required for surgical teams.
Artificial Neural Networks for Turbulence Correction of Structured Light

Turbulence imposes major limitations to free-space protocols for optical communication and cryptography. Here, we report our progress on the experimental demonstration of turbulence correction of Laguerre-Gauss modes using artificial neural networks.
Spin-valley coupled caloritronics with strained honeycomb lattices

The miniaturization of circuit components introduces the problem of localized heating that can give rise to temperature overshoots and degradation in circuit reliability. While the generated heat can be removed, a profitable spin-off is to transform the heat current into electric power taking advantage of the Seebeck effect. This constitutes the basis for electric-thermal energy conversion. The optimization of Seebeck-based power conversion techniques [1], of late, have received much attention as newer materials, notably graphene, hold promise of better thermoelectric operation demonstrated by a higher thermoelectric figure of merit, $ZT$ , However, the absence of a finite band gap in graphene largely precludes its applicability; this shortcoming is alleviated in other two-dimensional (2D) gapped honeycomb lattices. The laboratory-grown silicene, germanene, and stanene (identified as the X-enes) with a buckled structure and gapped Dirac cones offer a viable alternative. Here, combining first-principles and analytic calculations, we examine a strained ferromagnetic X-ene based caloritronic device wherein a spin and valley resolved current $(I_{\mathrm{t}\mathrm{h}})$ flows on account of a temperature $(T)$ gradient created difference in Fermi distribution $(f)$ at the contacts.
Jesus and the Politics of Mammon: by Hollis Phelps, Eugene, OR, Cascade Books, 2019, ix + 175 pp., $19.20 (paperback), ISBN 9781532664472

If the argument of Jesus and the Politics of Mammon is correct, then Jesus is a revolutionary of a sort few have imagined. Specifically, he is a thinker whose teachings and practices rejected three...
The Nature and Role of Morality in Offending: A Moral Foundations Approach:

Objectives:Criminologists have long viewed morality as a critical element in offending. However, two factors limit the theoretical impact of prior work. First, no overarching framework for describi...
Online learning's big issue

Now is the time for educational technology to shine, but it simply isn't good enough and is unlikely to be so soon, says Justin Reich
Racial Justice and Economic Efficiency Both Require Ending the War on Drugs

The paper by Earp, Lewis, and Hart (2021) offers a strong criticism of the so-called “war on drugs.” The authors very convincingly argue that the war “has worsened many aspects of public health whi...
Comparison of the coagulopathies associated with COVID-19 and sepsis

Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is associated with activation of coagulation that mainly presents as thrombosis. Sepsis is also associated with activation of coagulation that mainly presents as disseminated intravascular coagulation. Many studies have reported increased levels of plasma d-dimer in patients with COVID-19 that is associated with severity, thrombosis, and mortality. Objectives The aim of this study was to compare levels of circulating extracellular vesicle tissue factor (EVTF) activity and active plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) in plasma from patients with COVID-19 or sepsis. Methods We measured levels of d-dimer, EVTF activity, and active PAI-1 in plasma samples from patients with COVID-19 (intensive care unit [ICU], N = 15; and non-ICU, N = 20) and patients with sepsis (N = 35). Results Patients with COVID-19 had significantly higher levels of d-dimer, EVTF activity, and active PAI-1 compared with healthy controls. Patients with sepsis had significantly higher levels of d-dimer and EVTF activity compared with healthy controls. Levels of d-dimer were significantly lower in patients with COVID-19 compared with patients with sepsis. Levels of EVTF activity were significantly higher in ICU patients with COVID-19 compared with patients with sepsis. Levels of active PAI-1 were significantly higher in patients with COVID-19 compared with patients with sepsis. Conclusions High levels of both EVTF activity and active PAI-1 may promote thrombosis in patients with COVID-19 due to simultaneous activation of coagulation and inhibition of fibrinolysis. The high levels of active PAI-1 in patients with COVID-19 may limit plasmin degradation of crosslinked fibrin and the release of d-dimer. This may explain the lower levels of D-dimer in patients with COVID-19 compared with patients with sepsis.
Estimating dose from PET-CT Scans to Fetus in Pregnant Patients Using a MIRD Approach

1563 Purpose: It is rare that positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET-CT) with an 18F-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose injection (FDG) is used for pregnant patients. However, occasionally it is necessary to perform FDG PET scans in pregnant patients for staging and response evaluation. Data from literature has shown that fetal absorbed dose from FDG administration alone to pregnant patients using a MIRD approach for early, 3,6, and 9 months is 0.81, 0.81, 0.63, 0.63 mGy/mCi, respectively. However, these figures were obtained from geometric anthropomorphic phantoms. Few studies have been conducted to estimate the dose to the fetus in pregnant patients due to lack of data. The aim of this study is to demonstrate the dose to fetus using clinical data from pregnant mothers who underwent PET-CT scans.[1,2,3,4] Methods: There were 14 PET-CT scans of pregnant patients obtained between 2003-2014 who were approximately 3, 6, 9 months pregnant and post-partum. The CT dose was estimated by taking the fraction of the dose along the length of the fetus divided by the dose over the entire length. The patients were scanned with a technique of 130 kVp and 30-50 mA. Each pregnant patient received 3 mCi of FDG. The dose from the PET scan was calculated using a MIRD approach with S-factors from Stabin et al.[5] column 0.5 MeV for F-18 for patients pregnant at 3, 6, 9 months and post-partum. Results: For pregnant patients at 3, 6, 9 months and post-partum the mean PET-CT dose (mGy) to the fetus (and uterus for post-partum) with standard deviation is 1.3 ± 0.049, 0.94 ± 0.062, 0.77 ± 0.082, and 6.60 ± 0.082 mGy, respectively. The covariances are 0.19, 0.41, 0.88 and 0.10 %, respectively. For pregnant patients at 3, 6, 9 months and post-partum the mean effective dose to the fetus (or uterus for post-partum) with standard deviation is 0.016 ± 0.006, 0.021 ± 0.0070, 0.042 ± 0.041, and 0.024 ± 0.010 mSv respectively. The covariances are 0.22, 0.27, 4.01 and 0.40 %, respectively. The average fraction of 18-FDG to total dose for 3, 6, 9 months and post-partum are 0.90 ± 0.035, 0.82 ± 0.052, 0.82 ± 0.095, and 0.97 ± 0.012 mGy, respectively. Conclusions: This study demonstrated using clinical data that fetal radiation doses and risk to fetus are consistent throughout pregnancy, thought there can be considerable intersubject variability. The total absorbed dose is well below the threshold for noncancer health effects throughout pregnancy.
Electrical properties of Barium Strontium Titanate thin films for embedded capacitor applications

This work focuses on the effect of deposition temperature and post deposition annealing (PDA) in different gas ambient on the electrical properties of R.F. sputter deposited ferroelectric Barium Strontium Titanate (Ba0.5Sr0.5TiO3) thin film capacitors. Approximately 2000A of Barium Strontium Titanate (BST) thin film was deposited at different substrate temperatures (400, 450, 500 and 550°C) on cleaned silicon substrates. These BST films were then annealed separately in 100% N 2 , 100% O 2 and 10% O 2 + 90% N 2 at 575°C in the same sputtering system (PVD anneal) as well as in a tube furnace.
Preservation Theorems Without Continuum Hypothesis

Many results concerning the equivalence between a syntactic form of formulas and a model theoretic conditions are proven directly without using any form of a continuum hypothesis. In particular, it is demonstrated that any reduced product sentence is equivalent to a Horn sentence. Moreover, in any first order language without equality one now has that a reduced product sentence is equivalent to a Horn sentence and any sentence is equivalent to a Boolean combination of Horn sentences.
Taking Personality to the Next Level: What Does It Mean to Know a Person?

What does it mean to know a person? In his famous article, McAdams (1995) addresses this question from the perspective of personality psychology and concludes that personality traits are “the psychology of the stranger.” To really know someone, you need to know more than just how they typically think, feel, and behave on average (a common definition of traits). You need to know how their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors change depending on their role and context, why those fluctuations occur (the underlying motives and causes of those patterns), and how they make sense of their own patterns over time (their life narrative). In this essay, we argue that although there has been little empirical work on within-person fluctuations in personality, the time is ripe to examine these patterns. New technology has made it possible to quantify momentary thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, and to track the contextual factors that underlie these fluctuations (i.e., “personality signatures”). By capturing individual differences at this dynamic level, we can gain a better understanding of how people differ from one another. This will also open the door to new research questions, such as investigating the amount of insight people have into their own and others' personality signatures. Keywords: personality; experience sampling method; individual differences; personality traits; ecological
Summary and Synthesis of Geomorphic Studies Conducted During the 1996 Controlled Flood in Grand Canyon

The 1996 controlled flood demonstrated that a discharge of 1274 m 3 /s was sufficient to form or rework alluvial deposits along the Colorado River in Grand Canyon. This flood was moderately large in relation to other floods that have occurred since Glen Canyon Dam was completed in 1963. The flood also provided the opportunity to make measurements of physical processes that occurred. The flood caused widespread deposition of sand to elevations 3-5 m above the stage of the administratively-determined minimum daytime dam release of 227 m 3 /s and caused an increase in the area and volume of the high-elevation parts of sand bars, thereby increasing the number of new campsites. The low-elevation parts of the same eddies were eroded, as were adjacent channel pools. Recently-aggraded debris fans were reworked. Suspended-sediment transport measurements showed that suspended-sand concentrations decreased with time and that transport rates are highest when the channel bed is relatively fine and has a higher proportion of sand. The controlled flood was most effective during the first 4 days when mainstem transport rates and eddy deposition rates were high; debris-fan reworking entirely occurred during the first 4 hrs at one site. Modeling studies strongly indicate that resultant eddy-bar topography depends greatly on the concentration of mainstem suspended sediment and the initial topography of eddies. Large-scale erosion occurred on different days at different sites and had the potential to evacuate large proportions of newly-deposited sand from eddies. The final flood-formed topography of eddy bars was thus highly variable from site to site and from reach to reach.
Testing, Verification, and Validation of Two-Dimensional Solute Transport Models

During the last decade, groundwater pollution has emerged as one of the most important environmental problems of our time. Pollutants originate from many different sources, including agricultural, industrial, and energy production, and the prediction of their movement and fate in groundwater is a major challenge facing groundwater specialists. Solute transport models are designed to meet the challenge by simulating the subsurface migration of a wide variety of soluble pollutants.
The Global Financial Crisis and the Financial Stability Forum: The Awakening and Transformation of an International Body

This Article chronicles the awakening of the Financial Stability Forum (FSF) and its transformation into the Financial Stability Board (FSB). It describes the origins of the FSF and its relatively obscure work prior to the current crisis. It then chronicles the FSF’s significant rise in visibility throughout the crisis via its reports analyzing the crisis and setting forth recommendations relating to reforms of law and regulation of the financial markets. The FSF’s transformation into the FSB has given the FSF a more robust institutional grounding capable of coordinating its work with the IMF. The Article concludes that while the global financial crisis brought the FSF out of obscurity and resulted in its transformation into the FSB, it is still too early to tell whether the FSB will have a significant impact on global governance of international finance, especially with respect to the needs and interests of emerging economies.
Vertical mass- and trace constituent transports in the vicinity of jet streams

Detailed analyses of radiosonde and aircraft data were used to identify regions of stratospheric air incursions into the troposphere and of tropospheric air inflow into the stratosphere. The latter flow phenomenon was associated with a distinct separation between potential vorticity tropopause and stability tropopause. It occurred in the region of confluence between jet branches of different origin and was connected with strong anticyclonic shears which are associated with the presence of a wind maximum above the stability tropopause.
Upper bounds of root discriminant lower bounds

For any rational number t 2T0; 1U, define the logarithmic Martinet function . t/ to be the liminf of the logarithm of the root discriminant of number fields K with r1.K/=TK V QU D t as TK V QU goes to infinity. Under the generalized Riemann hypothesis for Dedekind zeta functions of number fields, we show that. t/ < 14:55 for a dense subset of rational numbers t 2 T0; 1U. We also study unconditional estimates of the growth of root discriminants by studying how the polynomial discriminant behaves under perturbation of coefficients, and by using Pisot numbers.
Microfluidic Sample Preparation for Medical Diagnostics

Fast and reliable diagnoses are invaluable in clinical care. Samples (e.g., blood, urine, and saliva) are collected and analyzed for various biomarkers to quickly and sensitively assess disease progression, monitor response to treatment, and determine a patient's prognosis. Processing conventional samples entails many manual time-consuming steps. Consequently, clinical specimens must be processed by skilled technicians before antigens or nucleic acids are detected, and these are often present at dilute concentrations. Recently, several automated microchip technologies have been developed that potentially offer many advantages over traditional bench-top extraction methods. The smaller length scales and more refined transport mechanisms that characterize these microfluidic devices enable faster and more efficient biomarker enrichment and extraction. Additionally, they can be designed to perform multiple tests or experimental steps on one integrated, automated platform. This review explores the current research on microfluidic methods of sample preparation that are designed to aid diagnosis, and covers a broad spectrum of extraction techniques and designs for various types of samples and analytes.
Saturation of Swelling in Neutron Irradiated Pure Nickel and Its Dependence on Temperature and Starting Dislocation Microstructure

Pure nickel was irradiated in EBR-II without active temperature control to two exposures levels (14 and 31 dpa) at target temperatures of 425, 500, and 600°C in three starting conditions: annealed, 30% cold worked, 30% cold worked and aged at 650°C for 10 hr. The same material conditions were irradiated with active temperature control in FFTF to 33-36 dpa at 430, 520, and 600°C. Post-irradiation density measurements show that in the annealed condition swelling tends to saturate at levels strongly dependent on irradiation temperature. In EBR-II at 600°C, saturation occurs before 12 dpa but swelling is still increasing slowly at 425 and 500°C. The tendency toward saturation of swelling is enhanced by cold working. In addition, the temperature dependence of the saturation level is strongly decreased by cold-working. The maximum swelling under most irradiation conditions is on the order of 8%. In the isothermal FFTF irradiations, the effectiveness of cold working in promotion of swelling is much less pronounced at the higher irradiation temperatures, particular at 600°C. These results are consistent with most evidence from other neutron and charged particle irradiation studies on pure nickel. In comparing the results of these and previous studies, it appears that the saturation is linked to a progressive collapse of the dislocation network when voids begin to dominate the microstructure.
An 8.4 GHz SiGe/Si HBT-based MMIC power amplifier

A single-stage X-band MMIC power amplifier incorporating a SiGe/Si power HBT and lumped passive components is reported. The power HBT is characterized by an f/sub max/ of 67 GHz and a BV/sub CBO/ of more than 24 V. The matching circuits were designed for maximum output power using on-chip spiral inductors and SiO MIM capacitors. Continuous wave measurements were made at 8.4 GHz, under class A operation. The power amplifier demonstrated a linear gain of 8.6 dB, output power at peak efficiency of 22.9 dBm and a saturated output power of 24.8 dBm.
Localization of deformation in rate sensitive porous plastic solids

The effect of material rate sensitivity on the localization of deformation in a porous visco-plastic solid is examined under plane strain tension and axisymmetric tension conditions. The plastic flow rule proposed by Gurson [3], modified to account for material rate sensitivity, is adopted to model the plastic softening behavior that arises due to void nucleation and growth. An initial imperfection in the form of a planar band is assumed and a material instability is sought as the deformation proceeds.
Decentralized cooperative manipulation with a swarm of mobile robots: The approach problem

In this paper we consider cooperative manipulation problems where a large group (swarm) of non-articulated mobile robots is trying to cooperatively control the velocity of some larger rigid body by exerting forces around its perimeter. We divide the problem into two phases: (1) approach; and (2) manipulation. This paper presents a novel decentralized solution to the approach phase. An artificial potential field is used to control the motion of the robots such that they establish contact with the object while avoiding collisions with other robots. The resulting grasp locally optimizes the group's ability to resist disturbances. The approach is provably convergent and does not require centralized coordination of the robots. The results are illustrated in simulation.
A comprehensive and individualized treatment approach for children and adolescents with conduct disorders

The more effective treatments that have emerged from research evaluating various treatments for children and adolescents with conduct disorders are cognitive or behavioral in orientation. Unfortunately, there are substantial limitations in the effectiveness of these treatment approaches when used in isolation. In this paper, research on the nature and causes of conduct disorders is reviewed and used as a guide to alternative approaches to treatment that integrate these individual components into a more comprehensive and individualized treatment strategy. Examples and guidelines are provided for clinicians in various settings.
Ayurvedic (science of life) agents induce differentiation in murine neuroblastoma cells in culture.

Many Indian Ayurvedic (science of life) agents have been introduced into the U.S.A. as food supplements. Two of them, Maharishi Amrit Kalash-Ambrosia (MAK-A) and Maharishi Amrit Kalash-Nectar (MAK-N) are under investigation. This study shows that an ethanol extract of MAK-A induced morphological (neurite formation) and biochemical (increase of activity of tyrosine hydroxylase by about 15-fold) differentiation in murine neuroblastoma (NBP2) cells in culture, whereas an aqueous extract of MAK-A increased only the activity of tyrosine hydroxylase but to a much lesser extent. The treatment time of 3 days was needed for the expression of maximum differentiation. Ethanol extracts of MAK-A and aqueous extracts of MAK-A increased the intracellular level of adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) by about 4-fold in 3 days but they did not do so in 15 min. Ethanol extracts of MAK-A also induced neurite formation in neuroblastoma cells grown in serum free medium but the concentration requirement was about a fifth of that needed in serum. The treatment time of 24 hr was sufficient to induce optimal differentiation in neuroblastoma cells grown in serum free medium. The differentiating agents in ethanol-MAK-A were resistant to heat and light and could not be removed by treatment with activated charcoal. Neither ethanol-MAK-N nor aqueous-MAK-N induced differentiation in neuroblastoma cells, suggesting that the differentiating agents were present only in MAK-A.
Multistage vector quantizer design using competitive neural networks

This paper presents a new technique for designing a jointly optimized Multi-stage Vector Quantizer which is also known as the Residual Vector Quantizer (RVQ). In conventional stage-by-stage design procedure, each stage codebook is optimized for that particular stage distortion and does not consider the distortion from the subsequent stages. However, the overall performance can be improved if each stage codebook is optimized by minimizing the distortion from the subsequent stage quantizers as well as the distortion from the previous stage quantizers. This can only be achieved when stage codebooks are jointly designed for each other. In this paper, the proposed codebook design procedure is based on a multi-layer competitive neural network where each layer of this network represents one stage of the RVQ. The weight connecting these layers form the corresponding stage codebooks of the RVQ. The joint design problem of the RVQ's codebooks is formulated as a nonlinearly constrained optimization task which is based on a Lagrangian error function. The proposed procedure seeks a locally optimal solution by iteratively solving these equations for this Lagrangian error function. Simulation results show an improvement in the performance of an RVQ when designed using the proposed joint optimization technique as compared to the stage-by-stage design, where both Generalized Lloyd Algorithm and the Kohonen Learning Algorithm were used to design each stage codebook independently, as well as the conventional joint- optimization technique.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Continuing care retirement communities and efficiency in the financing of long-term care.

(2000). Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Efficiency in the Financing of Long-Term Care. Journal of Aging & Social Policy: Vol. 11, No. 2-3, pp. 89-98.
The Teacher Education Challenge in Elite University Settings: Developing Critical Perspectives for Teaching in a Democratic and Multicultural Society

‘Black‐Blacks are less capable. . .because they don't have White values! ‐‐ Comment to a Student Teacher from a Resident Teacher ‘After all, how much diversity can young White student teachers stand?’ ‐‐ Teacher Educator, AACTE, 1988
Spatial Distribution of Earthquake Energy Release in the Central United States from a Global Point of View

Most of the Earth's seismicity is understood in terms of the major elements of plate tectonics (Cox and Hart 1986). Interaction of plates at spreading ridges, transform faults, and subduction zones controls most of the strain accumulation that gives rise to earthquakes (Turcotte and Schubert 1982). The earthquakes themselves are the products of complex physical processes involving friction and fracture mechanics that ultimately result in the release of elastic energy, some of which is released through seismic wave radiation (Kanamori 1977; Rice 1980; Kanamori et al. 1998; McGarr 1999; Abercrombie et al. 2006; Shi et al. 2007). Elastic wave energy is one of the only direct observables of these complex faulting processes that must reflect, at some level, the state of strain and stress drops within the seismogenic lithosphere (Hanks 1977; Kirby 1980; Ben-Zion 2003). In this paper we take this simple idea and assert that the spatial pattern of earthquake energy release can yield useful clues about the state of stress and strength of the lithosphere. We will be looking at seismicity from a very simple and very broad perspective. Our goal is to uncover spatial patterns that seem anomalous with respect to what is known from strain accumulation in plate tectonics and to put the occurrence of intraplate earthquakes into a global context. We assume that radiated earthquake energy is the proxy factor for elastic potential energy in an elastic lithosphere (Kirby 1980; Ben-Zion 2003). In its simplest form it is a mathematical statement of the volume integral of strain times stress and is likely related to the brittle strength of the crust (Turcotte and Schubert 1982). We follow the suggestion that earthquake distribution in North America shows evidence of a seismic belt that encircles the cratonic interior (Wesnousky …
Bidirectional remodeling of β1-integrin adhesions during chemotropic regulation of nerve growth

Background Chemotropic factors in the extracellular microenvironment guide nerve growth by acting on the growth cone located at the tip of extending axons. Growth cone extension requires the coordination of cytoskeleton-dependent membrane protrusion and dynamic adhesion to the extracellular matrix, yet how chemotropic factors regulate these events remains an outstanding question. We demonstrated previously that the inhibitory factor myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG) triggers endocytic removal of the adhesion receptor β1-integrin from the growth cone surface membrane to negatively remodel substrate adhesions during chemorepulsion. Here, we tested how a neurotrophin might affect integrin adhesions.
A triazole-based polymer electrolyte membrane for fuel cells operated in a wide temperature range (25–150 °C) with little humidification

Abstract The development of polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells that can be operated over a wide temperature range without the need for humidification is highly desirable for vehicle applications to overcome the problems associated with CO poisoning and water management. Here we report a novel PEM based on 1 H -1,2,4-triazole grafted polysiloxane doped with phosphoric acid and reinforced with porous expanded-polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) film. Both bulk resistances and interfacial polarization resistances of the fuel cells based on this membrane were determined using impedance spectroscopy. Results indicate that the proton conductivities of the PEM have little dependence on operation temperature while the PEM fuel cells demonstrated good performance under very low humidity in a wide temperature range (from room temperature to more than 100 °C). The triazole-based new PEM may dramatically simplify the fuel-cell systems, offering great potential for mobile applications.
Abstract B11: EGFR polymorphism as a predictor of clinical outcome in advanced lung cancer patients treated with EGFR-TKI

Background: Mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) have been confirmed as predictors of efficacy for EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). We investigated whether polymorphisms of the EGFR gene were associated with clinical outcome in NSCLC patients treated with EGFR-TKI. Methods: A polymorphic dinucleotide repeat (CA simple sequence repeat 1 [CA-SSR1]) in intron one and single nucleotide polymorphisms in the promoter region (SNP -216 GG or GT) were evaluated in 71 NSCLC patients by PCR-RFLP and DNA sequencing. Genetic polymorphisms were correlated with clinical outcomes of EGFR-TKIs. Results: SNP-216G/T polymorphisms were associated with the efficacy of EGFR-TKI. The response rate for the SNP-216G/T was significantly higher than that for the GG (62.5% vs. 27.4%, P=0.044). SNP-216G/T genotype was also associated with longer progression-free survival compared with GG genotype (16.7 months vs. 5.1 months, P=0.005). However, Genotypes for the CA-SSR1 was not associated with the efficacy of EGFR-TKI. Conclusions: SNP-216G/T polymorphism is potential predictor for clinical outcome in NSCLC patients treated with EGFR-TKI.
Cross-Racial Friendships and Social Distance Between Racial Groups on a College Campus

This study examined the effectiveness of curriculum-focused diversity initiatives on a college campus by determining the relationships between GPA, social class, year in school, residential status, racial diversity courses taken, and cross-racial friendships on the level of social distance between Whites-Blacks, Whites-Hispanics, Hispanics-Whites, Hispanics-Blacks, Blacks-Whites, and Blacks-Hispanics. The data suggest that, while the institution does a good job of bringing diverse groups of students to the campus, it does not effectively reduce the level of social distance among many members of the different racial groups on campus. Using the Intergroup Contact Hypothesis, the article concludes by suggesting means by which social distance among racial groups on campus might be decreased.