cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pyrolysis-mass spectrometric investigations of the mechanistic and kinetic aspects of thermal degradation of phenol-formaldehyde polycondensates

Abstract High-molecular-weight phenol-formaldehyde polycondensates, deuterium-labelled at the aromatic or methylene linkages, were subjected to pyrolysis in the direct insertion probe of a mass spectrometer or in separate pulse-mode pyrolysers interfaced to the mass spectrometer or to the gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer. The principal route of the thermal degradation in vacuum and in an inert atmosphere,involving the cleavage of phenol-methylene bonds and subsequent hydrogen abstraction and resulting in the ultimate formation of phenol and methyl-substituted phenols as volatile products, exhibited hydrogen-deuterium scrambling owing to the isomerization of themacroradicals. The degree of scrambling was found to be dependent on the pyrolysis conditions (temperature, rate of temperature rise). At higher temperatures, hydrogen abstraction is kinetically favoured over the scission of benzyl bonds.
Potential Of The Electro-Optics Industry

Electro-optics, in the broad marketing sense, has more recently come to include the systems dealing with optical phenomena any-where in the electromagnetic spectrum. The electro-optics businesses in the United States, Japan and Western Europe have grown rapidly to a $10 billion a year level as of 1972. Current estimates are that the world electro-optics industry will reach a $35-40 billion level by 1980. A great deal of potential of the electro-optics industry relates to the fact that it is a major segment of and interlink with the knowledge industry, and significant in many types of information and communications advances. A great deal of the work in electro-optics involves handling visual information. This places it in an unusual position as regards the coming "video society." In information handling by computer, electro-optics may be used to provide inputs, processing, communications, and printed or visual output. The continual emergence of new technologies produces new opportunities. Examples are: integrated optical circuitry, charge transfer devices, and other optoelectronic components which make possible major new systems for industry, education, consumer, military, and other markets. This paper briefly touches upon the subjects of major economic import currently estimated for the electro-optics industry.© (1973) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Electrical-mechanical coupling effects on the dynamic response of smart composite structures

A smart structural model is developed to analytically determine the response of arbitrary structures with piezoelectric materials and attached electrical circuitry. The equations of motion are formulated using the coupled piezoelectric formulations. However, rather than solving for strain and electric field, the proposed model solves for the strain and electric charge. The equations of motion are simplified for the case of a composite plate structure using a refined higher order laminate theory. Additional degrees of freedom are then added to describe any attached electrical circuitry. A method is also presented for system simplification using the structural mode shapes and natural frequencies. Results are verified using experimental data for passive electrical shunt damping. The developed model results in a general framework that can be useful in solving a wide variety of coupled piezoelectric-mechanical problems addressing issues such as passive electrical damping, self-sensing and electrical power consumption.
A systematic review of sensory-based treatments for children with disabilities

Sensory-based therapies are designed to address sensory processing difficulties by helping to organize and control the regulation of environmental sensory inputs. These treatments are increasingly popular, particularly with children with behavioral and developmental disabilities. However, empirical support for sensory-based treatments is limited. The purpose of this review was to conduct a comprehensive and methodologically sound evaluation of the efficacy of sensory-based treatments for children with disabilities. Methods for this review were registered with PROSPERO (CRD42012003243). Thirty studies involving 856 participants met our inclusion criteria and were included in this review. Considerable heterogeneity was noted across studies in implementation, measurement, and study rigor. The research on sensory-based treatments is limited due to insubstantial treatment outcomes, weak experimental designs, or high risk of bias. Although many people use and advocate for the use of sensory-based treatments and there is a substantial empirical literature on sensory-based treatments for children with disabilities, insufficient evidence exists to support their use.
Coenzyme A and the Malaria Parasite Plasmodium lophurae

The extracellular development of Plasmodium lophurae in vitro was favored by the addition, to the erythrocyte-extract medium, of a coenzyme A (CoA) preparation of about 75% purity. The effect of CoA was the same regardless of the concentration of free pantothenate in the medium, indicating that the parasites require the complete coenzyme rather than its pantothenic acid moiety. Erythrocyte extracts were found to contain enzymes which hydrolyzed added CoA at a rate such that 8 units per ml. of coenzyme was only slightly destroyed after 3 hours’incubation but almost completely destroyed after 18 hours’incubation at 40°C. The CoA content of erythrocytes from chickens or ducks heavily infected with P. lophurae was about twice as high as that of erythrocytes from uninfected birds. The increased CoA was associated with the parasites, an observation suggesting that malaria parasites can accumulate this essential growth factor which they cannot synthesize. The CoA concentration in the livers of infected chickens was approximately 40% lower than that in the livers of control chickens. The livers of ducks on the 6th day of infection had a slightly lower CoA concentration than those of uninfected ducks. This depletion in CoA, together with the depletion in biotin previously demonstrated in P. lophurae infection, may play a role in the pathology of this infection.
Efficient miniature circular polarization analyzer design using hybrid spiral plasmonic lens

The spin dependence of the focusing behavior of a spiral slot plasmonic lens can be utilized for a miniature circular polarization analyzer. However, the azimuthal polarization component of the incident circular polarization does not contribute to surface plasmon excitation and focusing because it is TE polarized with respect to the spiral slot. In this Letter, a hybrid metallic lens that consists of alternating spiral triangle array and spiral slot is designed to improve the plasmonic coupling efficiency. The spiral triangle array is responsible for coupling the azimuthal polarization component into surface plasmon. Numerical studies show that the field enhancement at the focus and power conversion efficiency can be increased by 39.53% and 94.69% compared to that of pure spiral slot plasmonic lens.
Measuring the impact of patient counseling in the outpatient pharmacy setting: the research design of the Kaiser permanente/USC patient consultation study

Abstract This article describes the research methods used to measure the impact of three alternative models of patient counseling in the outpatient pharmacy setting. The study was conducted in pharmacies operated by the Southern California region Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program. Both random assignment and large-scale geographic area research designs were used. The presentation of the research design includes discussions of data collection and patient sampling methods; the measurement of patient outcomes, including measures of health care costs and utilization, patient functional status, and quality of life. Demographic data are presented for the study population, including an analysis of potential biased selection of patients electing to participate in random assignment. Data are also presented documenting potential selection bias across geographically determined treatment groups in the geographic area design arm. Finally, the article presents the analysis plan for the study and discusses study limitations.
The relationship between dissociation and personality

Abstract The present study investigated the relationship between the five-factor model of personality and dissociation in a large sample of university students. Participants were administered a battery of self-report measures that assessed personality, dissociation and childhood trauma and/or abuse. Significant correlations were found between the dimensions of the five-factor model of personality and dissociation. Cluster analytic techniques were also used to identify personality subtypes among participants scoring above average on the dissociation measure. Three reliable subtypes were identified with one subtype having a profile resembling personality profiles found in samples determined to have psychopathology. Differences among the subtypes were found in the levels of remembered childhood sexual abuse and amnestic dissociative experiences. Possible implications of these results for understanding the relationship between personality, dissociation, and dissociative pathology were discussed.
Microwave induced carboxylation of nanodiamonds

Abstract Microwave-assisted chemical functionalization of detonation nanodiamonds (NDs) is reported for the first time. The diamond core is not a microwave absorber, and consequently NDs required relatively long reaction times. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) confirmed the successful grafting of carboxylic group on the NDs surface while X-ray diffraction (XRD) showed that the NDs core was unaffected by microwave treatment. The carboxylation led to altered colloidal behavior in terms of reduced in agglomeration in both aqueous and polar organic solvents, which was accompanied by increased solubility.
Techno-economic analysis of monosaccharide production via fast pyrolysis of lignocellulose

The economic feasibility of a facility producing monosaccharides, hydrogen and transportation fuels via fast pyrolysis and upgrading pathway was evaluated by modeling a 2000 dry metric ton biomass/day facility using Aspen Plus®. Equipment sizing and cost were based on Aspen Economic Evaluation® software. The results indicate that monosaccharide production capacity could reach 338 metric tons/day. Co-product yields of hydrogen and gasoline were 23.4 and 141 metric tons/day, respectively. The total installed equipment and total capital costs were estimated to be $210 million and $326 million, respectively. A facility internal rate of return (IRR) of 11.4% based on market prices of $3.33/kg hydrogen, $2.92/gal gasoline and diesel, $0.64/kg monosaccharide was calculated. Sensitivity analysis demonstrates that fixed capital cost, feedstock cost, product yields, and product credits have the greatest impacts on facility IRR. Further research is needed to optimize yield of sugar via the proposed process to improve economic feasibility.
A new method for the determination of absolute abundance of diatoms and other silt-sized sedimentary particles

The determination of absolute abundances of diatoms in paleolimnological and paleoceanographic studies is now becoming a routine step in diatom paleoecological investigations. Several distinct methods have been described for establishing absolute diatom abundance. Each of these methods has its own strengths and weaknesses. The most common weakness in diatom preparation methods is the use of aliquot subsampling from an assumed ‘well-mixed’ diatom suspension. Described here is a simple, efficient and inexpensive method that utilizes settling of diatoms through a 10 cm water column, which yields an effectively random distribution, and uses no aliquot subsampling. Only a few milligrams of sample are needed, permitting microstratigraphic analysis of, for example, individual varves. The method is shown to be both reproducible and accurate for sediments ranging in diatom concentration from less than 10 million to more than one billion diatoms per gram. Multiple slides or SEM stubs can be simultaneously prepared. The method works well for the analysis of most silt-sized microfossils or other sedimentary particles.
Modeling the design quality competition for durable products

In this paper we model the design quality competition in durable product markets. We use a duopolistic non-cooperative game theoretic framework. Each firm controls the design quality level and the price of its product. The resulting control theoretic model is solved under certain functional assumptions to describe the Nash equilibrium design quality and pricing strategies of the two competitors. We compare open and closed loop design quality and pricing strategies. We use an extensive set of numerical experiments to investigate the effects of various parameters of the model on the optimal policies. We conclude with a brief summary of our results and some useful managerial insights derived from the model.
The Return of the Unnative: The Transnational Politics of Elizabeth Gaskell's North and South

This essay offers a new, transnational reading of Elizabeth Gaskell9s North and South (1854-55), a novel that has traditionally been read in national terms. As a sailor, Frederick Hale belongs to a profession that connects the cotton-producing American South to the cotton-manufacturing British North. This alternate "North and South" resituates Gaskell9s novel in transatlantic terms and offers a new, racialized prism through which to view the novel9s central conflict between master and man. By historicizing Frederick9s narrative within the nineteenth-century transatlantic antislavery movement, I argue that Frederick9s metonymic connection to slavery expresses itself in his narrative9s generic proximity to the American slave narrative. I consider the implications of Frederick9s cosmopolitanism and suggest that it anticipates Gaskell9s agonized feelings about the American Civil War, an internecine conflict that places at its center the problem of slavery.
Immunotherapy of Human Neuroblastoma Using Umbilical Cord Blood-Derived Effector Cells

Tumors of the nervous system, including neuroblastoma and glioblastoma, are difficult to treat with current therapies. Despite the advances in cancer therapeutics, the outcomes in these patients remain poor and, therefore, new modalities are required. Recent literature demonstrates that cytotoxic effector cells can effectively kill tumors of the nervous system. In addition, we have previously shown that umbilical cord blood (UCB) contains precursors of antitumor cytotoxic effector cells. Therefore, to evaluate the antitumor potential of UCB-derived effector cells, studies were designed to compare the in vitro and in vivo antitumor effects of UCB- and peripheral blood (PB)-derived antigen-nonspecific and antigen-specific effector cells against tumors of the nervous system. Mononuclear cells (MNCs) from UCB were used to generate both interleukin-2 (IL-2)-activated killer (LAK) cells and tumor-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs). UCB-derived LAK cells showed a significant in vitro cytotoxicity against IMR-32, SK-NMC, and U-87 human neuroblastoma and glioblastoma, respectively. In addition, the CTLs generated using dendritic cells primed with IMR-32 tumor cell lysate showed a selective cytotoxicity in vitro against IMR-32 cells, but not against U-87 or MDA-231 cells. Furthermore, treatment of SCID mice bearing IMR-32 neuroblastoma with tumor-specific CTLs resulted in a significant (p < 0.01) inhibition of tumor growth and increased overall survival. Thus, these results demonstrate the potential of UCB-derived effector cells against human neuroblastoma and warrant further preclinical studies.
“Speaking of Tomatoes”: Supermarkets, the Senses, and Sexual Fantasy in Modern America

This essay analyzes the efforts of supermarket companies, between the late 1930s and early 19650s, to create a multilayered sensory aesthetic for their stores. Grocery retailers sought to excite suburban shoppers’ five senses to exploit what they saw as a feminine longing for erotic excitement intensified by lives circumscribed by postwar domestic norms of “sexual containment.” The sensorial approach to supermarketing revolved around the suggestion that middle-class women could use grocery shopping to help fill the erotic and sexual voids of their lives. In so doing, supermarket companies reinforced the notion that middle-class women should look to the excitements of the homemaker role itself – in this case, family shopper – and not to challenges to existing gender arrangements for contentment.
Subparticle Ultrafast Spectrum Imaging in 4D Electron Microscopy

Single-particle imaging of structures has become a powerful methodology in nanoscience and molecular and cell biology. We report the development of subparticle imaging with space, time, and energy resolutions of nanometers, femtoseconds, and millielectron volts, respectively. By using scanning electron probes across optically excited nanoparticles and interfaces, we simultaneously constructed energy-time and space-time maps. Spectrum images were then obtained for the nanoscale dielectric fields, with the energy resolution set by the photon rather than the electron, as demonstrated here with two examples (silver nanoparticles and the metallic copper–vacuum interface). This development thus combines the high spatial resolution of electron microscopy with the high energy resolution of optical techniques and ultrafast temporal response, opening the door to various applications in elemental analysis as well as mapping of interfaces and plasmonics.
Neutron detection with single crystal organic scintillators

Detection of high-energy neutrons in the presence of gamma radiation background utilizes pulse-shape discrimination (PSD) phenomena in organics studied previously only with limited number of materials, mostly liquid scintillators and single crystal stilbene. The current paper presents the results obtained with broader varieties of luminescent organic single crystals. The studies involve experimental tools of crystal growth and material characterization in combination with the advanced computer modeling, with the final goal of better understanding the relevance between the nature of the organic materials and their PSD properties. Special consideration is given to the factors that may diminish or even completely obscure the PSD properties in scintillating crystals. Among such factors are molecular and crystallographic structures that determine exchange coupling and exciton mobility in organic materials and the impurity effect discussed on the examples of trans-stilbene, bibenzyl, 9,10-diphenylanthracene and diphenylacetylene.
Modeling the Calcium and Integrin Binding Protein 2

The inhibition of the first calcium and integrin binding protein, CIB1 has been observed to interfere with signaling in breast-cancer cells by inducing non-apoptotic cancer cell death without harming healthy cells. This has led to a push for creating targeted therapy drugs which inhibit the CIB1 protein. While inhibiting CIB1 kills cancer cells, inhibiting the second protein, CIB2, could lead to hearing loss or deafness. Since CIB2 and CIB1 share similar sequences, I wanted to determine whether CIB2 could be inhibited by the potential targeted therapy drugs used to inhibit CIB1. Since no structure for CIB2 exists, I first created a homology model for the protein by threading the sequence for CIB2 onto the 2LM5 PDB structure of CIB1. This model was relaxed using Discrete Molecular Dynamics and analyzed for stability. Maestro and Peptide Docking simulations were then used to examine the model for druggable sites and association sites. The druggable sites were used for virtual screening with MedusaDock, where the results for CIB2 were to be compared to a previous virtual screening done for CIB1. Any drugs that were found to bind to both proteins would be excluded as targeted therapy candidates. By analyzing the model I was able to determine that CIB2 has one bipartite druggable site and two peptide association sites. Since the peptide association sites and druggable site on CIB2 were different in location and composition to the peptide and druggable site on CIB1, I concluded that the targeted therapy drugs created for CIB1 will have no effect on the functioning of CIB2. In the future, my lab intends to determine which association site on CIB2 corresponds to the actual peptide-binding site, as well as analyze the virtual screening results and experimentally validate the data from our simulations.
E-Learning Environments for Math and Science Teachers

The shortage of mathematics and science teachers, especially in rural areas, makes recruitment and retention an issue. However, online courses can provide professional development for these teachers that counteract the feeling of isolation. This article describes online courses that promote the development of learning communities and enhance the pedagogical content knowledge of participants. An emphasis is placed on the instructions, models, and curricula chosen for these courses.
Multidimensional scaling in Riemann space

Although the first multidimensional (MDS) scaling algorithms developed were metric algorithms (Torgerson, 1958), the development of nonmetric methods (Shepard, 1966) led to a rapia and nearly complete abandonment of the metric procedures in favor of these newer algorithms. Recently, however, there has been a resurgence of interest in metric algorithms, particularly within the field of human communication research, where the use of metric procedures predominates. In order to understand this reversion to what many psychometricians believe to be an outdated technique it is necessary to understand the difficulties and philosophy which led to the increased interest in metric scaling. While there is little doubt that the development of nonmetric multidimensional scaling algorithms represents a great advance in the methods available to the contemporary social scientist, there exist some areas of inquiry in which the metric scaling routines may offer certain advantages. This article discusses one such case, familiar to communication researchers in particular. The reader should understand at the outset that this article is not an argument against the use of nonmetric scaling, but rather a suggestion that, for a specific theory dealing with a specific set of research questions, metric multidimensional scaling, modified in certain important ways, provides useful results obtainable either only with great difficulty or not at all by nonmetric means.
Infarction Patterns in Endocardial Fibroelastosis

Three cases of endocardial fibroelastosis with vectorcardiographic findings suggestive of an anterior myocardial infarct are presented. It had been previously reported that such vectorcardiographic features were diagnostic of anomalous origin of the left coronary artery. We conclude that the two diseases can not be differentiated on the basis of electrocardiography or vectorcardiography alone. Two of the cases presented were in identical twins; serial scalar electrocardiograms and vectorcardiograms were obtained during the development and progression of endocardial fibroelastosis.
Buspirone for Treatment of Marijuana Dependence: A Pilot Study

Marijuana is the most commonly abused illicit drug in the United States today.1 Anxiety may be related to continued marijuana use, as users of marijuana report that its use relieves unpleasant feel...
GroupMorph: a group collaboration mode approach to shared 3D virtual environments for product design

Virtual reality technology is increasingly being applied to globally distributed teams engaged in collaborative product design. Observations of product design teams have suggested at least four distinct modes of collaboration-complementary, competitive, peer-to-peer, and leader-follower. Another insight from observation is that collaboration consists of fluid transitions between these modes in the accomplishment completion of the design task, driven by a flexible process of subgrouping and regrouping which reflects the structure and progress of the task. Yet most collaborative virtual environment systems support only one mode of collaboration-peer-to-peer-and those that do explicitly support multiple modes (or even individual roles) do not allow fluid transitions between them in the context of the same task. In addition, no explicit support is provided to allow subgroups to be formed and dissolved. To address this problem, a collaborative virtual environment (CVE) for product design that supports multiple collaboration modes and fluid transitions is proposed; two metaphors for collaborative product design (collaboration tree and infinitely recursive conference room) are introduced; the use of a collaboration tree interface widget is detailed; and the Simple Shared Virtual Environment (SSVE) toolkit for collaborative virtual environments is described.
Representations for solutions of linear functional differential equations

Correction of linear functional differential equations with time delay showing error due to incorrect interchange of order of integration involving Stieltjes integral
A role for Ubc9 in tumorigenesis

The post-translational modifications ubiquitination and sumoylation have been implicated in regulating many critical cellular pathways. Like ubiquitination, sumoylation is a multistep process involving maturation, activation, conjugation and deconjugation. Ubc9 is a sole E2-conjugating enzyme essential for sumoylation. We have previously shown that alterations of Ubc9 expression affect tumor drug responsiveness. However, it is not clear whether there is any link between sumoylation and tumorigenesis, even though alterations of the ubiquitination pathway can lead to the development of cancer. In this study, we found that Ubc9 expression levels were elevated in ovarian tumors compared to the matched normal ovarian specimens, suggesting that Ubc9 may play a role in tumorigenesis. To test this, we overexpressed a dominant-negative mutant of Ubc9 (Ubc9-DN) and wild-type Ubc9 (Ubc9-WT) in the MCF-7 human breast tumor cells. Inoculating these cells as xenografts in mice revealed that tumors expressing Ubc9-WT grew better than the vector control, while tumors expressing Ubc9-DN exhibited reduced growth. This pattern was also seen in these cells when grown in culture. To better understand the mechanism behind this observation, we profiled gene expressions in these cells by microarray analysis and found alterations in expression of the pro-oncogene bcl-2 in these Ubc9-DN- and Ubc9-WT-expressing cells. Consistent with the bcl-2 results, subsequent studies revealed a higher rate of apoptosis and poor survival for the MCF-7 cells expressing Ubc9-DN, which are associated with downregulation of bcl-2. Together, these results suggest a role for Ubc9 in tumorigenesis at least partially through regulation of bcl-2 expression.
PTHrP overexpression partially inhibits a mechanical strain-induced arthritic phenotype in chondrocytes.

Summary Objective Cell-based tissue engineering strategies are currently in clinical use and continue to be developed at a rapid pace for the repair of cartilage defects. Regardless of the repair methodology, chondrocytes within newly regenerated cartilage remain susceptible to the abnormal inflammatory and mechanical environments that underlie osteoarthritic disease, likely compromising the implant's integration, function, and longevity. The present study investigates the use of parathyroid hormone-related peptide (PTHrP) overexpression for chondroprotection. Design Bovine articular chondrocytes were transfected with human PTHrP (hPTHrP) constructs (1-141 or 1-173) and subjected to injurious cyclic tensile strain (CTS; 0.5Hz and 16% elongation) for 48h. mRNA expression of matrix remodeling, inflammatory signaling, hypertrophic, and apoptotic genes were examined with real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E 2 (PGE 2 ) production were measured using the Griess assay and enzyme immunoassay (EIA), respectively. Results CTS-induced an arthritic phenotype in articular chondrocytes as indicated by increased gene expression of collagenases and aggrecanases and increased production of NO and PGE 2 . Additionally, CTS increased collagen type X (Col10a1) mRNA expression, whereas overexpression of either hPTHrP isoform inhibited CTS-induced Col10a1 gene expression. However, hPTHrP 1-141 augmented CTS-induced NO and PGE 2 production, and neither hPTHrP isoform had any significant effect on apoptotic genes. Conclusions Our results suggest that chondrocytes overexpressing PTHrP resist mechanical strain-induced hypertrophic-like changes. Therapeutic PTHrP gene transfer may be considered for chondroprotection applications in newly regenerated cartilage.
Plumb line and the shape of the earth

The equation for plumb line deviation currently presented in textbooks ignores the effect of earth’s flattening on the direction of true gravitational acceleration and is incorrect by nearly a factor of 2. The correct equation is consistent with the shape and dimensions of the earth with a very high degree of accuracy. The simple treatment of the problem uses Newton’s second law in an inertial reference system and is suitable for introductory physics courses.
Eliminate Reactive Power and Increase System Efficiency of Isolated Bidirectional Dual-Active-Bridge DC–DC Converters Using Novel Dual-Phase-Shift Control

This paper proposes a novel dual-phase-shift (DPS) control strategy for a dual-active-bridge isolated bidirectional DC-DC converter. The proposed DPS control consists of a phase shift between the primary and secondary voltages of the isolation transformer, and a phase shift between the gate signals of the diagonal switches of each H-bridge. Simulation on a 600-V/5-kW prototype shows that the DPS control has excellent dynamic and static performance compared to the traditional phase-shift control (single phase shift). In this paper, the concept of ldquoreactive powerrdquo is defined, and the corresponding equations are derived for isolated bidirectional DC-DC converters. It is shown that the reactive power in traditional phase-shift control is inherent, and is the main factor contributing to large peak current and large system loss. The DPS control can eliminate reactive power in isolated bidirectional DC-DC converters. In addition, the DPS control can decrease the peak inrush current and steady-state current, improve system efficiency, increase system power capability (by 33%), and minimize the output capacitance as compared to the traditional phase-shift control. The soft-switching range and the influence of short-time-scale factors, such as deadband and system-level safe operation area, are also discussed in detail. Under certain operation conditions, deadband compensation can be implemented easily in the DPS control without a current sensor.
Treatment/Comparative Therapeutics: Cancer of the Larynx and Hypopharynx

This article reviews the management of laryngeal and hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma. Available therapies for early and late stage cancers are discussed, and the literature is reviewed. The indications and outcomes of surgical and nonsurgical modalities are discussed and compared.
Physical interventions in the management of pain in arthritis an overview for research and practice

This paper reviews arthritis-related literature on the effectiveness of a number of physical interventions to reduce pain. Original research reports as well as information from principle texts and review articles of thermal agents, topical applications, phoresis, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, cold laser, and exercise are included. Although the biophysical actions of many physical interventions are partially understood, their effects on pain and function have not been defined clearly. The results of studies of one or a combination of physical interventions were generally inconsistent and reflected a wide variety of research designs and methods. Most physical agents, used alone, had minimal effects on pain. Interventions that combined physical agents and exercise were more successful in attenuating pain and also decreasing impairment. Research and clinical experience have provided insights into appropriate selection of physical intervention and their effectiveness in achieving treatment goals in arthritis care. However, considerable investigation into the mechanisms of action, differential effects of dose, staging and treatment combinations, and the relation of pain, impairment, and function remains to be undertaken.
An analysis of the association between parental acculturation and children's medication use.

OBJECTIVES: We examined how Hispanic children, with stratification according to language to approximate acculturation, differed with respect to sociodemographic characteristics and medication use. We also examined how different factors were associated with the use of different classes of prescription medications. METHODS: We used data from the 2004 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey linked to the National Health Interview Survey. Independent variables were grouped as predisposing characteristics, enabling factors, perceived need, and evaluated need. Multivariate logistic regression was used to assess the impact of independent variables on the outcomes of overall and specific types of medication use. RESULTS: Hispanic, Spanish-interviewed children were less likely to have a usual source of care than were Hispanic, English-interviewed subjects. Both groups had lower odds of using any prescription medication, compared with white children, which was explained largely by having a usual source of care. The lower use of psychiatric medications in the Spanish-interviewed group was not explained by the independent variables, whereas the difference in the use of antibiotics was. CONCLUSIONS: There are differences between Hispanic children according to acculturation, and acculturation affects prescription medication use. These findings may be used to address more specifically the needs of Hispanic children, particularly mental health needs.
State Legislator Gender and Other Characteristics Associated With Sponsorship of Child Health Bills

Objective.—To examine the characteristics of state legislators who introduce child health bills. Methods.—We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of all bills introduced in Colorado, Louisiana, and Michigan during the 1997–1998 legislative session. We identified the topic for each bill while blinded to legislator characteristics. The primary study outcome was whether the bill topic related to child health. We also categorized whether the bill was signed into law. We examined associations between the outcomes and characteristics of the sponsoring legislators (gender, political party, terms served, chairpersonship of committees, legislative chamber, membership in the legislature's Black Caucus). Results.—During 1997 and 1998, legislators in the 3 study states introduced 9833 bills (1234 in Colorado, 4905 in Louisiana, and 3694 in Michigan). Sixty-five bills (0.66%) related to child health issues. Child health bills comprised a significantly higher proportion of all legislation introduced by female legislators compared with male legislators (1.5% vs 0.5%, P Conclusions.—This study offers valuable insights about the different roles of women, Black Caucus members, and committee chairpersons in the state legislative process regarding children's health.
Tribological properties of barium ferrite films

Acoustic emission and friction coefficients have been measured during start-stop and continuous sliding for pure and doped barium ferrite films, without lubrication, and compared with concomitant surface topography and magnetic properties. Barium ferrite films averaging about 100 nm in thickness, were produced on thermally oxidized Si substrates by sputter deposition and then furnace or rapid thermal annealed in order to develop optimum microstructure and magnetic characteristics. Four varieties of (hexagonal) barium ferrite were produced and investigated: pure barium ferrite with longitudinal and perpendicular c-axis orientation, pure barium ferrite with perpendicular orientation with Pt underlayer and doped barium ferrite. Results are compared with data obtained from commercial disks with a carbon overcoat.
Exposure to Violence, Posttraumatic Stress, and Burnout Among Teachers in El Salvador: Testing a Mediational Model

Community violence has reached concerning proportions in El Salvador, possibly affecting all sectors of society. To date, little attention has focused on the effects of violence exposure on educato...
A new approach to reconstruction of central aortic blood pressure using “adaptive” transfer function

This paper presents a new system identification approach to the reconstruction of central aortic blood pressure signal by exploiting a non-invasive peripheral blood pressure measurement. This technique, which is called the “adaptive” transfer function, is able to reconstruct the aortic blood pressure signal by characterizing the aortic-to-peripheral cardiovascular dynamics solely based on the peripheral measurement. In contrast to the previous related efforts, it does not require any a priori knowledge on the empirical and/or population-based relationship, e.g. the predetermined or generalized transfer function, as well as multiple peripheral measurements. The initial proof-of-principle on the efficacy of the adaptive transfer function is demonstrated by the experimental results from human and animal subjects.
Phenotypic characterization of a glucose transporter null mutant in Leishmania mexicana

Glucose is a major source of energy and carbon in promastigotes of Leishmania mexicana, and its uptake is mediated by three glucose transporters whose genes are encoded within a single cluster. A null mutant in which the glucose transporter gene cluster was deleted by homologous gene replacement was generated previously and shown to grow more slowly than wild type promastigotes but not to be viable as amastigotes in primary tissue culture macrophages or in axenic culture. Further phenotypic characterization demonstrates that the null mutant is unable to import glucose, mannose, fructose, or galactose and that each of the three glucose transporter isoforms, LmGT1, LmGT2, and LmGT3, is capable of transporting each of these hexoses. Complementation of the null mutant with each isoform is able to restore growth in each of the four hexoses to wild type levels. Null mutant promastigotes are reduced in size to about 2/3 the volume of wild type parasites. In addition, the null mutants are significantly more sensitive to oxidative stress than their wild type counterparts. These results underscore the importance of glucose transporters in the parasite life cycle and suggest reasons for their non-viability in the disease-causing amastigote stage.
Amygdala central nucleus function is necessary for learning but not expression of conditioned visual orienting

When exposed to pairings of a visual stimulus with food delivery, rats normally acquire both conditioned orienting responses directed toward the visual stimulus and conditioned food-related responses. Consistent with the results of previous lesion studies, reversible inactivation of amygdala central nucleus function before each conditioning session prevented the acquisition of conditioned orienting responses, whereas food-related behaviors were acquired normally. By contrast, neither inactivation nor neurotoxic lesions of central nucleus affected the expression of previously acquired conditioned orienting responses. Thus, the central nucleus is apparently not critical to the maintenance of information required for conditioned orienting, but instead is necessary for memory storage elsewhere. Specialized roles for components of a circuit for conditioned orienting, which includes the central nucleus, the substantia nigra, and dorsolateral striatum, are discussed.
The Barclay Record book and its East Jersey Minutes: An Early Look at Context and Content

This article places the East Jersey Proprietors’ Minutes 1682-84 in their historical context and carefully identifies how they fit into previous known documents from colonial New Jersey. The author also assesses the new information these minutes provide and suggest how it “opens new opportunities for research in early New Jersey history.”
Endoscopic management of a GI perforation.

A 55-year-old woman with a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass presented for ERCP because of a biliary stricture. She previously had undergone an endoscopically created jejunogastric fistula with a lumen-apposing metal stent (LAMS) for ampullary access. The duodenoscope was advanced to the LAMS. Balloon dilation was performed up to 15 mm, but there was resistance to passage of the duodenoscope. After slight forward pressure, the duodenoscope slipped abruptly back, causing a jejunal perforation. This was managed by using 4 steps: (1) Stabilize the patient: The duodenoscope was advanced through the defect into the peritoneal cavity, and the carbon dioxide was suctioned. Antibiotics were administered. (2) Determine the best closure method: Because of the location of the defect, a 14-mm over-the-scope clip (OTSC) (Ovesco; Los Gatos, Calif) was selected. (3) Close the defect: The endoscope loaded with the OTSC was advanced to the defect. Tissue
Technology and Civil Litigation in the United States in the Twenty-First Century

The cost of civil litigation is inevitably a cause of chronic dissatisfaction with any legal system. The concern for costs has perhaps been greatest in the United States for several reasons associated with the distinctive role of civil litigation in the nation’s political system centered in what can be described as the Democratic Courthouse. This paper wonders whether the traditions of the American Democratic Courthouse can withstand the shock of contemporary and forthcoming technologies bearing on the methods and costs of litigation, and raises a few doubts on that.
Rotational analysis of CO2 bands near 4 microm.

The band constants of CO2 bands near 2600 per cm have been estimated by the nonlinear least squares method and spectral curve fitting. The synthetic spectra calculated from these constants predict experimental values accurately and give very similar values for the line positions (to within 0.003 per cm for all but the weakest lines).
The Circadian Clock in the Mammalian Kidney

Healthy circadian rhythms are important for maintaining overall health. Several core clock genes, including Bmal1, Per, CLOCK, and Cry encode transcription factors that regulate gene expression in the kidney and in nearly all other organs and cell types. Modulation of clock genes can cause major physiological effects. Loss of any of the core clock genes in mice results in significant changes in blood pressure, indicating that the molecular clock is critical for regulation of blood pressure. The kidney regulates electrolyte and volume balance and is thus an important regulator of blood pressure. Several lines of evidence suggest a role for the kidney clock in blood pressure regulation.
Query Steering for Interactive Data Exploration

± ABSTRACT Traditional DBSMs are suited for applications in which the structure, meaning and contents of the database, as well as the questions to be asked are already well understood. There is, however, a class of applications that we will collectively refer to as Interactive Data Exploration (IDE) applications, in which this is not the case. IDE is a key ingredient of a diverse set of discovery-oriented applications we are dealing with, including ones from scientific computing, financial analysis, evidence-based medicine, and genomics. The need for effective IDE will only increase as data are being collected at an unprecedented rate. IDE is fundamentally a multi-step, non-linear process with imprecise end-goals. For example, data-driven scientific discovery through IDE often requires non-expert users to iteratively interact with the system to make sense of and to identify interesting patterns and relationships in large, amorphous data sets. To make the most of the increasingly available complex and big data sets, users would need an "expert assistant" who would be able to effectively and efficiently guide them through the data space. Having a human assistant is not only expensive but also unrealistic. Thus, it is essential that we automate this task. We propose database systems be augmented with an automated "database navigator" (DBNav) service that assists as a "tour guide" to facilitate IDE. Just like a car navigation system that offers advice on the routes to be taken and display points of interest, DBNav would similarly steer the user towards interesting "trajectories" through the data, while highlighting relevant features. Like any good tour guide, DBNav should consider many kinds of information; in particular, it should be sensitive to a user's goals and interests, as well as common navigation patterns that applications exhibit. We sketch a general data navigation framework and discuss some specific components and approaches that we believe belong to any such system.
Retrospective comparison of three doses of metronomic chlorambucil for tolerability and efficacy in dogs with spontaneous cancer.

The study hypothesis is that higher doses of metronomic (low-dose) chlorambucil will improve outcome without significantly worsening adverse events (AE). Retrospectively, 88 dogs were screened to assess for tolerability and response to chlorambucil utilizing retrospective and prospective data sets, comparing metronomic oral daily doses 4, 6 and 8 mg m2 . There were 78 and 70 dogs in the tolerability and efficacy portions, respectively. The severity of gastrointestinal (GI) AE was significantly worse, and time to development of GI events was significantly shorter at 6 mg m2 than at 4 mg m2 (both P < 0.001). Chlorambucil was discontinued earlier in the dogs treated at the 6 mg m2 doses than in the dogs treated at 4 mg m2 (P = 0.015). Thrombocytopenia occurred significantly earlier at 8 mg m2 than at 4 mg m2 (P = 0.017). Higher doses of metronomic (low-dose) chlorambucil did not provide improved responses and were associated with more AE.
Detached eddy simulation of wind flow around trestle bridge deck

Wind flow around the trestle bridge deck was simulated by the detached eddy simulation(DES) method to analyze the influence of the headroom on it.Integrated with wavelet power spectrum analysis method,the influence degree of the headroom to the law of the coefficient of the tri-component force was studied and compared with the affection of the wave.The results show that the drag coefficient changes remarkably as the headroom changes,and at the same time,the lift coefficient and the torque coefficient change indistinctively,while all these are neglectable compared with the influence of the wave.
Production Cluster and Fluctuation Situation of Actinidia chinensis in Hunan and Its Industry Developing Strategies

The paper identifies the regional distribution of the Actinidia chinensis production in Hunan during 2002~ 2011 by employing planting areas as the indicator,and studies the Actinidia chinensis production cluster and fluctuation situation in the main production regions in recent 10 years. The results show that the concentration degree of planting areas in the main production regions in Hunan during 2002 ~2011 is 89.29% and the fluctuation index of the whole province is 29.76. The fluctuation index of Fengfang county is 57.42% lower than that of the whole province and thus it is considered as a stable region;Longhui,Suining,Jishou and Yongshun county(city)belong to relatively stable regions; Liuyang,Guiyang,Shuangpai,Xupu,Tongdao,Xinhua,Huayuan,Baojing and Longshan county(city) are undulate regions. Meanwhile,the study conducts the SWOT analysis of the main production regions for Actinidia chinensis in Hunan and puts forward four strategies to promote the industrial upgrading in the main production regions,including industrial cluster,innovating the league,multiple marketing strategies and building famous brands.