cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ternary complex formation dramatically enhances metal-sorbing vesicle selectivity

Abstract Conventional wisdom derived from experimental and theoretical studies of metal ion transport in liquid membrane systems suggests that the selective behavior of closely-related metal-sorbing vesicles (MSVs) should depend on independent interaction of ions with the membrane-bound carrier and with the encapsulated water soluble chelator. From a theoretical perspective, however, interdependent interactions between carrier, chelator and metal ion in a ternary complex can be designed into MSVs to augment significantly their metal ion selectivity. In this paper, we compare and contrast two transport models so as to elucidate MSV selectivity based on initial metal ion uptake rates from single and multi-component metal ion solutions. Our findings show that metal ion transport mechanisms that allow for interdependent interactions between the carrier and chelator, namely formation of a ternary metal ion–carrier–chelator complex at the inner vesicle wall, can enhance the overall selectivity of MSVs in accordance with a multiplicative, rather than additive, function of equilibrium metal–ligand binding constants. Therefore, design of MSVs that rely on metal ion transport mechanisms involving ternary complex formation may provide for a more economic route to extremely selective systems that employ less extensively tailored and less expensive metal-binding ligands.
Using Information Display Characteristics to Provide Decision Guidance in a Choice Task under Conditions of Strict Uncertainty

This paper investigates the effects of two display characteristics on decisions in a preferential choice task under conditions of strict uncertainty. Participants receiving information in tabular format (n = 83) made fewer compensatory choices, more maximin choices, and selected dominated alternatives more often when outcome distributions were described in terms of a midpoint and variability rather than minimum and maximum values. In contrast, participants given data in a graphical format (n = 80) made more compensatory choices with midpoint‐variability than with min‐max graphs. Participants given information in graphical format selected fewer dominated alternatives than did participants who received the same information in tabular format. These findings have important policy implications. While it may be desirable to use display characteristics to influence employees to make decisions consistent with organizational policies, the desirability of providing such “persuasive” decision guidance is problematic...
Serologic analysis of Ehrlich tumor-cell induced ascites fluid.

SummaryAscites fluid induced in mice by intraperitoneal injection of Ehrlich tumor cells contained specific antibody to S. typhimurium when mice were immunized against this organism. The serum and ascites were identical in their anticomplementary properties and neither contained detectable complement. The serum had normal properdin levels. but the ascites did not contain detectable properdin under the assay conditions employed.
Optimizing epilepsy management:: Seizure control, reduction, tolerability, and co-morbidities

This supplement to Neurology is a result of the distinguished faculty’s belief that the management of epilepsy is an evolving process that needs continual revision. Recent investigations of the predictors of prognosis, complex effects on subjective health status, and pathophysiologic and iatrogenic interactions with cognition and mood in clinical epilepsy offer data that challenge many previous assumptions. Based on his recent landmark studies, Professor Martin Brodie reviews substantial data indicating …
Evidence for dike emplacement beneath Iliamna Volcano, Alaska in 1996

Two earthquake swarms, comprising 88 and 2833 locatable events, occurred beneath Iliamna Volcano, Alaska, in May and August of 1996. Swarm earthquakes ranged in magnitude from −0.9 to 3.3. Increases in SO2 and CO2 emissions detected during the fall of 1996 were coincident with the second swarm. No other physical changes were observed in or around the volcano during this time period. No eruption occurred, and seismicity and measured gas emissions have remained at background levels since mid-1997. Earthquake hypocenters recorded during the swarms form a cluster in a previously aseismic volume of crust located to the south of Iliamna’s summit at a depth of −1 to 4 km below sea level. This cluster is elongated to the NNW–SSE, parallel to the trend of the summit and southern vents at Iliamna and to the regional axis of maximum compressive stress determined through inversion of fault-plane solutions for regional earthquakes. Fault-plane solutions calculated for 24 swarm earthquakes located at the top of the new cluster suggest a heterogeneous stress field acting during the second swarm, characterized by normal faulting and strike-slip faulting with p-axes parallel to the axis of regional maximum compressive stress. The increase in earthquake rates, the appearance of a new seismic volume, and the elevated gas emissions at Iliamna Volcano indicate that new magma intruded beneath the volcano in 1996. The elongation of the 1996–1997 earthquake cluster parallel to the direction of regional maximum compressive stress and the accelerated occurrence of both normal and strike-slip faulting in a small volume of crust at the top of the new seismic volume may be explained by the emplacement and inflation of a subvertical planar dike beneath the summit of Iliamna and its southern satellite vents.
Improving the Long-Term Performance of Elastomeric Seals by Material Behavior Design

Previously it was shown that including smaller inset regions of less stiff material in the larger O-ring section at locations of high stress results in lower strain energy density in the section. This lower energy content is expected to lead to improved long-term seal performance due to less permanent material deformation and so less loss of seal-housing contact pressure. The shape of the inset region, the time-dependent change in material properties, and hence change in seal behavior over time in use were not considered. In this research experimental and numerical simulation studies were conducted to characterize the time-dependent performance of O-ring section designs with small inset regions of different mechanical behaviors than the larger surrounding section. Seal performance in terms of the rate of loss of contact pressure of modified designs and a baseline elastic, oue-material design was calculated in finite element models using experimentally measured time-dependent material behavior. The elastic strain energy fields in O-ring sections were calculated under applied pressure and applied displacement loadings. The highest stress, strain, and strain energy regions in O-rings are near seal-gland surface contacts with significantly lower stress in regions of applied pressure. If the size of the modified region of the seal is comparable to the size of the highest energy density region, the shape of the inset is not a major factor in determining overall seal section behavior. The rate of loss of seal-housing contact pressure over time was less for the modified design O-ring sections compared with the baseline seal design. The time-dependent performance of elastomeric seals can be improved by designing seals based on variation of mechanical behavior of the seal over the seal section. Improvement in retention of sealing contact pressure is expected for seal designs with less stiff material in regions of high strain energy density.
Some Like It Cold

The northern shrimp, Pandalus borealis , makes up ∼70% of the 500,000 tons of cold-water shrimp harvested annually from the world's oceans. Commonly captured in shelf waters deeper than 100 meters, it supports major fisheries throughout the North Atlantic. On page [791][1] of this issue, Koeller et al. ( 1 ) report that the reproductive cycles of most northern shrimp stocks are finely tuned to match the timing of egg hatching with that of the local spring phytoplankton bloom (see the figure). This remarkable degree of local adaptation on a basin scale is achieved by females regulating the initiation date of their temperature-dependent egg incubation period so that eggs hatch on average within a week of the expected spring bloom. Thus, in typical years, eggs hatch at the time of maximum food availability. The potential downside of this reproductive strategy is its sensitivity to climate-associated changes in the ocean environment. [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.1170987
Zener Relaxation in Silver Solid Solutions

Employing a torsion pendulum and elastic-after-effect apparatus, activation energies for Zener relaxation in 10.8 and 18.1 at% In in Ag were found to be 35.1 and 33.4 kcal/mol respectively. These results and the diffusion data of Schoen were used in conjunction with a theory taking into consideration pair dissociation as well as reorientation. Activation energies for atomic reorientation of 34.5 and 31.0 kcal/mol respectively were deduced for these same concentrations. Zener relaxation was also observed in 8.1 at% Sn in Ag and 6.3 at% Sb in Ag for which the activation energies were measured to be 31.5 and 32.5 kcal/mol respectively. Durch Messungen mit einem Torsionspendel und mit Hilfe der elastischen Nachwirkung wurden die Aktivierungsenergien fur die Zener-Relaxation in In–Ag Legierungen zu 35,1 und 33,4 kcal/Mol fur 10,8 bzw. 18,1 at% In in Ag bestimmt. Diese und die Diffusionsergebnisse von Schoen werden mit einer Theorie diskutiert, die eine Umorientierung von Paaren und auch eine Paardissoziation berucksichtigt. Fur die oben angegebenen Konzentrationen werden Aktivierungsenergien fur eine atomare Umordnung von 34,5 bzw. 31.0 kcal/Mol abgeleitet. Eine Zener-Relaxation bei 8,1 und 6,3 at% Sb in Ag mit Aktivierungsenergien von 31,5 bzw. 32,5 kcal/Mol wurde ebenfalls beobachtet.
Video Games as a Means to Reduce Age-Related Cognitive Decline: Attitudes, Compliance, and Effectiveness

Recent research has demonstrated broad benefits of video game play to perceptual and cognitive abilities. These broad improvements suggest that video game-based cognitive interventions may be ideal to combat the many perceptual and cognitive declines associated with advancing age. Furthermore, game interventions have the potential to induce higher rates of intervention compliance compared to other cognitive interventions as they are assumed to be inherently enjoyable and motivating. We explored these issues in an intervention that tested the ability of an action game and a “brain fitness” game to improve a variety of abilities. Cognitive abilities did not significantly improve, suggesting caution when recommending video game interventions as a means to reduce the effects of cognitive aging. However, the game expected to produce the largest benefit based on previous literature (an action game) induced the lowest intervention compliance. We explain this low compliance by participants’ ratings of the action game as less enjoyable and by their prediction that training would have few meaningful benefits. Despite null cognitive results, data provide valuable insights into the types of video games older adults are willing to play and why.
Aggregate Production Functions, Interregional Equilibrium, and the Measurement of Infrastructure Productivity☆

Abstract Recent studies examined the role of public goods in aggregate production functions, with a variety of results. But the relationship between public goods and aggregate output depends on a complex set of price effects which are absent from aggregate production function analyses. These cannot generally uncover the role of public goods in production. Even costless increases in public goods that are productive for individual firms will not always result in higher equilibrium output. Further, increases in public goods that have zero marginal productivities will increase aggregate output under very plausible conditions. A simple example demonstrates the quantitative importance of the results.
Transmission infrared spectroscopy as a probe of Nafion film structure: analysis of spectral regions fundamental to understanding hydration effects.

Transmission infrared spectroscopy was applied to investigate properties of the perfluorosulfonated polymer Nafion. Measurements were made on thin films formed by casting the polymer from solution onto ZnSe windows. Effects of water vapor permeation were studied. A complex band structure between 1350 and 1100 cm−1 was analyzed qualitatively by fitting the region to Gaussian functions. Features associated with vibrational modes of −CF2 and −SO3− groups were identified and observed to be sensitive to film hydration. The intensities of bands for the −SO3− modes increased with film hydration, while bands assignable to −CF2 modes decreased. The results were applied to interpret infrared difference spectra of Nafion and shed light on the complicated features that appear. Vibrational bands for water were also examined. In partially hydrated films, the stretching mode of the free −OH group for interfacial water present in pores and channels of the polymer and bands for hydrated proton clusters were detected.
The structure of almost-invariant half-spaces for some operators

Abstract Given a Banach space X and an operator T ∈ L ( X ) , an almost-invariant half-space (AIHS) is a closed subspace Y satisfying T Y ⊆ Y + F for some finite-dimensional subspace F and dim ⁡ ( Y ) = dim ⁡ ( X / Y ) = ∞ . In this paper we study the connection between AIHS and noncompactness of some subsets of the unit ball, chains of T -invariant subspaces, and different parts of spectrum of T and T ⁎ . We describe a simple template for such subspaces and show that if T is quasinilpotent or weakly compact then it admits an AIHS Y .
Preservative License Plate De-identification for Privacy Protection

Advances in imaging devices and web technologies have brought dramatic improvements in collecting, storing, and sharing images. The leakage of privacy information in the process becomes an important issue that has started drawing attention from both academia and industry. In this work, we study the problem of privacy preserving with focus on license plate number protecting in imagery. Specifically, we present a novel method for de-identifying license plate images with the least degradation in image visual quality for privacy protection. Unlike previous de-identification methods that pay little attention to the image quality preservation, our method, named inhomogeneous principal component blur (IPCB), adaptively blurs different pixels of a license plate by taking into account the prior distribution of sensitive information. We tested the proposed method on a public dataset in comparison with several popular de-identification methods. The evaluation shows that our method successfully de-identified the privacy information with the least damage of image quality when compared with several other solutions.
Operating and test experience with EBR-II, the IFR prototype

Abstract The Experimental Breeder Reactor number 2 (EBR-II) has operated for 30 years, the longest for any liquid metal cooled reactor (LMR) power plant in the world. Given the scope of what has been developed and demonstrated over those years, it is arguably the most successful test reactor operation ever. Tests have been carried out on virtually every fast reactor fuel type. The reactor itself has been extensively studied. The most dramatic safety tests, conducted on 3 April, 1986, showed that an LMR with metallic fuel could safely accommodate loss of flow or loss of heat-sink without scram. EBR-II operated as the Integral Fast Reactor (IFR) prototype, demonstrating important innovations in safety, plant design, fuel design and actinide recycle. The ability to accommodate anticipated transients without scram passively resulted in significant simplification of the reactor plant, primarily through less reliance on emergency power and not having to require the secondary sodium or steam systems to be safety grade. These features have been quantified in a probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) conducted for EBR-II, demonstrating considerable safety advantages over other reactor concepts. Fundamental to the superior safety and operating characteristics of this reactor is the metallic U-Pu-Zr alloy fuel. Performance of the fuel has been fully proven: achieved burnup levels exceed 20 at.% in the lead test assemblies. A complete set of fuel performance and safety limits has been developed and was carried forward in formal safety documents supporting conversion of the core to IFR fuel. The last major demonstration planned was to assess the performance of recycled actinides in the fuel and to confirm that passive safety characteristics are maintained with recycled actinide fuel in the core.
Heavy ion collisions in AdS5

Abstract We study heavy ion collisions at strong ʼt Hooft coupling using AdS/CFT correspondence. Heavy ion collisions correspond to gravitational shock wave collisions in AdS 5 . We construct the metric in the forward light cone after the collision perturbatively through expansion of Einstein equations in graviton exchanges. We obtain an analytic expression for the metric including all-order graviton exchanges with one shock wave, while keeping the exchanges with another shock wave at the lowest order. We read off the corresponding energy-momentum tensor of the produced medium. Unfortunately this energy-momentum tensor does not correspond to ideal hydrodynamics, indicating that higher order graviton exchanges are needed to construct the full solution of the problem. We also show that shock waves must completely stop almost immediately after the collision in AdS 5 , which, on the field theory side, corresponds to complete nuclear stopping due to strong coupling effects, likely leading to Landau hydrodynamics. Finally, we perform trapped surface analysis of the shock wave collisions demonstrating that a bulk black hole, corresponding to ideal hydrodynamics on the boundary, has to be created in such collisions, thus constructing a proof of thermalization in heavy ion collisions at strong coupling.
Multiplicities for evaporative 4 He emission in heavy ion reactions: Relationships to spin and lifetime expectancy of the composite nucleus

Multiplicities are compared for4He evaporation in reactions of40Ar and56Fe projectiles (8.5 MeV/u) with withnatAg and238U targets. Coincidence requirements involving fusion-fission and projectile-like fragments have been used to select separate entrance-channel spin zones. Evaporation-like4He emission from the composite nuclei is shown to be large for mean spins ≦100ℏ, and to decrease dramatically with increasing spin. Coincidence measurements between two4He particles have also been studied for40Ar+natAg. This requirement is shown to select reactions that lead to evaporation residues and therefore to a zone of relatively low spin. The shapes of the4He spectra provide an interesting probe of the mechanism and also of the thermodynamic properties of hot nuclei.
Academic Papers: Casual apparel in the workplace

Casual business apparel addresses many issues in the workplace. This phenomenon is having a strong impact on the corporate world, including employee production and motivation. Employees in many organisations are being permitted to wear apparel items that are considered non‐traditional for the business setting. Research conducted about casual dress has focused on what is appropriate, and perceptions of changes in standard measures of productivity. Limited research exists regarding the relationship of casual apparel in the workplace and the more complex measures of employee motivation, specifically perceptions of organisational climate. The purpose of this research was to identify the employee perceptions of organisational climate which occur with the implementation of a casual apparel policy and to examine the relationship between demographic variables and the employee perceptions of organisational climate. The sample was 125 corporate management personnel of a US manufacturer. Results of the analysis of the self‐administered questionnaire indicated that employees with lower incomes believe that wearing casual apparel in the workplace will improve their relationships, especially with their supervisor, as well as their sense of belonging to the organisation. In addition, women felt less comfortable with wearing casual apparel in the workplace than did men. Results of this study indicate that casual apparel in the workplace does relate to organisational factors of psychological climate. Wearing casual apparel in the workplace is perceived to help eliminate boss/employee lines. This finding suggests that employees have the potential to be better team players. As a result, productivity, creative thinking and contributions by employees may also increase. Future research should further examine the effects of casual dress on other motivational factors and measures of productivity as well as gender differences. A pre‐/post‐casual dress implementation study needs to be done in order to measure actual changes in motivation and productivity.
Hydroxyapatite nanopowders: Synthesis, densification and cell–materials interaction

Abstract Hydroxyapatite (HA) nanopowders with different aspect ratios were synthesized using reverse micelle template system. Nanopowders were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), BET specific average surface area analysis and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). It was observed that increase in aqueous to organic ratio (A/O) and pH decreased the aspect ratio of the nanopowders. HA nanopowders with the highest aspect ratio (rod-shaped) of 7.2 ± 3.2 and the lowest aspect ratio (spherical) of 1.3 ± 0.3 were synthesized for processing dense compacts. Effect of powder morphology on densification at 1250 °C was studied with different amount of rod-shaped and spherical nanopowders. It was observed that an increase in high aspect ratio powder content in the compacts decreased sintered density under pressureless sintering condition. Also, due to excessive grain growth, no nanoscale morphology could be retained in the sintered microstructure. Mineralization study in simulated body fluid (SBF) showed formation of apatite layer on the entire surface of both compacts made with spherical and rod-shaped particles. Cytotoxicity result with OPC1 human osteoblast cells showed excellent cell attachment and cell spreading on samples after 5 days in culture.
Al contacts to nanoroughened p-GaN

Nanoroughening of a p-GaN surface using nanoscale Ni islands as an etch mask was utilized to investigate the feasibility for the flip-chip configuration light-emitting diodes (LEDs) using an Al-based reflector. Improved ohmic characteristics were found for the nanoroughened sample. A specific contact resistivity of 8.9x10^-^[email protected]^2 and a reflectance of 82% at 460nm were measured for the nanoroughened Al contact. The Schottky barrier heights were decreased from 0.81eV (I-V) and 0.84eV (Norde) for the Al contact to 0.70eV (I-V) and 0.69eV (Norde) for the nanoroughened Al contact. The barrier height reduction may be attributed to enhanced tunneling and the increased contact area due to the nanoroughening. This work suggests that the ohmic contact characteristics and the light extraction efficiency may be improved further with a well-defined nanopatterned p-GaN layer.
Increased fecundity resulting from semen donor selection based upon in vitro sperm motility

Semen donors were selected from a population of 100 roosters based upon the extent to which sperm penetrated 6% (wt/vol) Accudenz from an overlay of extended semen. Semen donors categorized by average or high sperm motility (n = 5 per phenotype) were ejaculated weekly, their ejaculates pooled by phenotype, and pooled semen extended. A subsample of each sperm suspension was overlaid on 6% (wt/vol) Accudenz in a cuvette, the cuvette was placed in a 41 C water bath, and the absorbance of the Accudenz layer was measured after a 5-min incubation. The remainder of the sperm suspension was inseminated (n = 55 hens per phenotype). Each hen was inseminated weekly with 50 x 10(6) sperm for 14 wk. The hatchability of eggs laid by hens inseminated with sperm from the high motility phenotype was 10% greater (P or = 0.05) or a motility by dose interaction (P > or = 0.05). A posteriori comparison among means revealed that the maximal fertility obtained with sperm from average roosters was 9% less (P < or = 0.05) than that obtained with only 25% as many sperm from the high motility phenotype. These experiments demonstrated that the fecundity of artificially inseminated hens can be increased when sperm penetration of Accudenz is used as a selection criterion for semen donors.
Epistemological Custard Pies from Functional Brain Imaging

Abstract This paper discusses features of an epistemically valuable form of evidence that raise troubles for received and new epistemological treatments of experimental evidence.
Evidence of association between bipolar disorder and Citron on chromosome 12q24

Correction to: Molecular Psychiatry (2005) 10, 807–809. doi: 10.1038/sj.mp.4001703 Following publication of the above article, the authors identified an algorithmic error in the analysis. Table 1 below reflects a corrected analysis of the data set, and shows a positive association within a haploblock containing SNPs rs278124 and rs278109, in affected offspring.
The Illinois trauma system: Changes in patient survival patterns following vehicular injuries

To assess the impact of the Illinois Trauma Program on Region 5, Southern Illinois, samples of vehicular injuries and deaths were compared for a four-year study period: two years prior to system implementation (FY 1970–1971) and two years after system initiation (FY 1972–1973). Trauma center hospitals exhibited a statistically significant decrease in mortality rate during FY 1972–1973 while other hospitals (those in the region not designated as trauma centers) had no change in mortality rate. Decreases in mortality rates were statistically significant at trauma hospitals for weekends and patients between the ages of 45 and 64. The methodology of conducting such a study as well as the implications of the study are discussed.
Predictors of Breastfeeding in Overweight and Obese Women: Data From Active Mothers Postpartum (AMP)

Excess maternal weight has been negatively associated with breastfeeding. We examined correlates of breastfeeding initiation and intensity in a racially diverse sample of overweight and obese women. This paper presents a secondary analysis of data from 450 women enrolled in a postpartum weight loss intervention (Active Mothers Postpartum [AMP]). Sociodemographic measures and body mass index (BMI), collected at 6 weeks postpartum, were examined for associations with breastfeeding initiation and lactation score (a measure combining duration and exclusivity of breastfeeding until 12 months postpartum). Data were collected September 2004–April 2007. In multivariable analyses, BMI was negatively associated with both initiation of breastfeeding (OR: .96; CI: .92–.99) and lactation score (β −0.22; P = 0.01). Education and infant gestational age were additional correlates of initiation, while race, working full-time, smoking, parity, and gestational age were additional correlates of lactation score. Some racial differences in these correlates were noted, but were not statistically significant. Belief that breastfeeding could aid postpartum weight loss was initially high, but unrelated to breastfeeding initiation or intensity. Maintenance of this belief over time, however, was associated with lower lactation scores. BMI was negatively correlated with breastfeeding initiation and intensity. Among overweight and obese women, unrealistic expectations regarding the effect of breastfeeding on weight loss may negatively impact breastfeeding duration. In general, overweight and obese women may need additional encouragement to initiate breastfeeding and to continue breastfeeding during the infant’s first year.
A Stochastic Assessment of Nuclear Waste Management Practices at the Hanford Site, Washington

Waste management and disposal decisions at the Hanford Site, Washington, depend in part on an understanding of the risks and impacts associated with alternate disposal and remedial actions. A proof-of-principle site-wide assessment of the risks and impacts associated with all wastes that will remain at the Hanford Site following cleanup has been performed for the first time. It simulates contaminant release, migration, and fate from today forward, and, thus, illustrates near-term influences on long-term risk and impact. A stochastic simulation tool capable of addressing 1000 waste discharge and disposal sites and 10 contaminants for a period of 1000 years has been created and applied. Human health and ecological risks as well as impacts to the regional economy and local cultures are estimated. The methodology developed is known as the System Assessment Capability (SAC). It is currently in a Revision 0 state corresponding to a proof-of-principle demonstration. An initial assessment based on the planning baseline of the U.S. Department of Energy (Richland Operations Office and Office of River Protection) has been undertaken. Preliminary results of the assessment indicate variability in predictions is most influence by uncertainty in: - geochemical adsorption (i.e., distribution coefficients) for contaminant release, vadose zone, and groundwater models;more » especially for uranium and iodine which are not greatly adsorbed, - solid waste burial ground inventories of iodine-129, and - liquid discharge site inventories of technetium-99. It is apparent that important variables that govern change in performance measures are a function of space and time. Initially, these results point to the need for related models and data to be examined, and, if necessary, augmented through future laboratory and field studies to better quantify or reduce uncertainty.« less
A Q methodology study of perceptions of poverty among midwestern nursing students

Summary Objectives Providing patient-centered care involves understanding how social factors, including poverty, affect health outcomes. The purpose of this study was to explore nursing students' beliefs surrounding the poor. Design A Q methodology design was used to discover patterns of perceptions towards those living in poverty. Setting The study took place on two campuses of a large public, university in the Midwestern United States. Participants The purposeful sample of 23 Q participants was drawn from students enrolled in the second, third, and final year of study in a baccalaureate nursing program. Methods Participants rank-ordered their level of agreement with a set of 30 statements regarding poverty. Data were analyzed by a three-step process that included correlating participant profiles, performing factor analysis, and generating factor scores. A factor array and narrative were used to explain the findings. Results Three viewpoints were identified: Judges who tended to feel that poverty was linked to individual behavior; Allies who mostly saw societal reasons for poverty and felt a strong need to assist the poor, and Observers who did not blame individual for their circumstances, but were not as compelled to champion their cause. Conclusions Given these different perspectives, educators may need to use variety of teaching approaches to help students achieve patient-centered care competencies with their poorest patients.
Numerical analysis of domain wall propagation for dense memory arrays

This paper presents numerical analysis of domain wall propagation for dense embedded memory applications. Self-consistent simulation framework based on Four Component Spin Transport Model and Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation is able to capture domain wall motion in terms of critical current density requirement, domain wall velocity, and power dissipation. Effect of patterned notches on memory stability, domain wall velocity and nanostrip resistance are also presented. Finally, the proposed simulation framework is used to investigate performance, scalability and organization of the domain wall motion based memory structure.
Mouse senile amyloidosis in the SAM model

Abstract Senile amyloidosis is a form of amyloidosis in which the incidence and severity of amyloid deposition increases with age, without any apparent predisposing conditions. During Senescence-Accelerated Mouse (SAM) model studies, we observed that severe senile amyloidosis was one of the most characteristic age-associated disorders in some SAM mouse strains. Apolipoprotein A-II (apoA-II), a normal constituent of serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL), is the precursor protein of mouse senile amyloid fibrils (AApoAII). Three apoA-II protein variants (types A, B, and C) with different amino acid substitutions at four positions (5, 20, 26, and 38 amino acids from the N-terminus) are present among inbred strains. Type C apoA-II protein in the SAMP1, SAMP2, SAMP7, SAMP9, SAMP10, and SAMP11 is highly amyloidogenic, while type B apoA-II protein in SAMR1, SAMR4, and SAMP6 is resistant to amyloidosis development. Type A apoA-II protein in SAMP3 and SAMP8 is moderately amyloidogenic. When AApoAII was administered in the diet or by peripheral injection to R1.P1-Apoa2c mice, amyloid deposition was notably accelerated. These observations suggested that AApoAII formation could be greatly accelerated through seeding with pre-formed fibrils in mice and provided evidence for the transmission by amyloid fibrils in mouse senile amyloidosis.
Risk Factors for Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infections in a Pediatric Institution

Purpose: Catheter associated urinary tract infections are an essential measure for health care quality improvement that affects reimbursement through hospital acquired condition reduction programs in adult patients. With the mounting importance of preventing such infections we evaluated risk factors for acquiring catheter associated urinary tract infections in pediatric patients.Materials and Methods: All catheter associated urinary tract infections were identified at 1 pediatric institution from September 2010 to August 2014 from a prospective database maintained by the infection control office. To identify risk factors patients with a catheter associated urinary tract infection were individually matched to control patients with a urinary catheter but without infection by age, gender, date and the hospital location of the infection in 1:2 fashion.Results: A total of 50 patients with catheter associated urinary tract infection were identified and matched to 100 control patients. Compared to controls the p...
A white-box approach to microarray probe response characterization: the BaFL pipeline

Microarrays depend on appropriate probe design to deliver the promise of accurate genome-wide measurement. Probe design, ideally, produces a unique probe-target match with homogeneous duplex stability over the complete set of probes. Much of microarray pre-processing is concerned with adjusting for non-ideal probes that do not report target concentration accurately. Cross-hybridizing probes (non-unique), probe composition and structure, as well as platform effects such as instrument limitations, have been shown to affect the interpretation of signal. Data cleansing pipelines seldom filter specifically for these constraints, relying instead on general statistical tests to remove the most variable probes from the samples in a study. This adjusts probes contributing to ProbeSet (gene) values in a study-specific manner. We refer to the complete set of factors as biologically applied filter levels (BaFL) and have assembled an analysis pipeline for managing them consistently. The pipeline and associated experiments reported here examine the outcome of comprehensively excluding probes affected by known factors on inter-experiment target behavior consistency. We present here a 'white box' probe filtering and intensity transformation protocol that incorporates currently understood factors affecting probe and target interactions; the method has been tested on data from the Affymetrix human GeneChip HG-U95Av2, using two independent datasets from studies of a complex lung adenocarcinoma phenotype. The protocol incorporates probe-specific effects from SNPs, cross-hybridization and low heteroduplex affinity, as well as effects from scanner sensitivity, sample batches, and includes simple statistical tests for identifying unresolved biological factors leading to sample variability. Subsequent to filtering for these factors, the consistency and reliability of the remaining measurements is shown to be markedly improved. The data cleansing protocol yields reproducible estimates of a given probe or ProbeSet's (gene's) relative expression that translates across datasets, allowing for credible cross-experiment comparisons. We provide supporting evidence for the validity of removing several large classes of probes, and for our approaches for removing outlying samples. The resulting expression profiles demonstrate consistency across the two independent datasets. Finally, we demonstrate that, given an appropriate sampling pool, the method enhances the t-test's statistical power to discriminate significantly different means over sample classes.
Failure of trabecular bone with simulated lytic defects can be predicted non-invasively by structural analysis

Pathologic fracture is a significant risk for patients afflicted with metastatic or benign skeletal tumors. The quandary for physicians who treat these patients is that after making the diagnosis they must try to predict the load bearing capacity of the involved bone and the fracture risk from images seen in radiological examinations. Since bone fails at a relatively constant strain independent of density we demonstrate that using a mechanics of materials approach that the cross-sectional structural properties of the bone most affected by the lytic defect governs the load bearing capacity of the entire bone. Homogeneous cylindrical cores of trabecular bone were harvested from the vertebral bodies of whale spines, and prepared with circular or slotted through-hole defects of varying sizes to simulate lytic skeletal tumors. Each specimen was imaged using quantitative computed tomography (CT), dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to obtain data for calculating cross-sectional structural properties: axial, flexural, and torsional rigidity. The specimens were then divided into groups uniformly distributed with respect to defect sizes and shapes, and subjected to uniaxial tension, four-point bending or torsion until failure. A strong positive relationship was found between measured tensile yield loads, bending, and torsional yield moments vs. axial, flexural and torsional structural rigidities respectively, calculated from QCT, DXA, and MRI data [QCT: tension r2=0.951, bending r2=0.909, torsion r2=0.914 (p<0.001); DXA: tension r2=0.926, bending r2=0.841, torsion r2=0.916 (p<0.001); MRI: tension r2=0.916; bending r2=0.856, torsion r2=0.852 (p<0.001)]. For cylindrical cores of trabecular bone with simulated lytic defects, the load bearing capacity of the entire core was directly proportional to the axial, bending, or torsional rigidity at the weakest cross-section through the core containing the defect. Therefore structural rigidity analysis of cross-sectional geometric data measured non-invasively by QCT, DXA, and MRI of bones containing lytic defects may be used to predict the load bearing capacity of the involved bone and the relative fracture risk in vivo.
CD measurement evaluation on periodic patterns between optic tools and CD-SEM

As feature size is shrinking and MEEF (Mask error enhancement factor) is increasing, CD measurement accuracy is more important, and CD SEM is widely used to replace optic tools because of their resolution. But CD-SEM is not representing the effect of Cr profile or transmittance of light which is transferred to wafer. Recently, new OCD (optic CD) tool which use scatterometry (Spectroscopic Ellipsometry) *1) is introduced to compensate the demerit of SEM of low through-put and reflected surface information of mask. This scatterometry tool can be used only on periodic pattern like DRAM. And this tool must be calibrated on each pattern type and shape. This calibration is the barrier to use this scatterometry method to mask process where all masks are processed one time. In this work, new optical CD measurement method which use conventional optic microscope of transmitted and reflected light with high resolution lens of DUV on periodic patterns is introduced. To enhance the accuracy of measurement, interpolating method and FFT (Fast Fourier Transform) are used. CD measurement results of linearity by optic CD, SE and CD-SEM were compared on several patterns. And CD variations on full field of image were evaluated on L/S patterns and active layer of DRAM.
SANS study of the structure and interaction of L64 triblock copolymer micellar solution in the critical region

Pluronic L64 triblock copolymer is soluble in water at room temperature up to more than 30 wt%, forming disordered spherical micellar phase above the cmc-cmt line. We investigate the structure and interaction between these micelles at temperature approaching the cloud point curve at approximate 57°C along isoconcentration lines. An extensive light scattering intensity measurement indicates that the critical concentration is about 5wt%. We use a previously developed cap-and-gown model for calculating the micellar structure factor and a sticky hard sphere model for the intermicellar structure factor. SANS intensity distribution is fitted with four parameters: the aggregation number of micelle N, the hydrophobic core radius a, the overall hard sphere volume fraction Φ, and the stickiness between micelles l/τ. The model is found to describe all SANS data satisfactorily in absolute scale. As one approaches the cloud point curve at constant weight fraction, the aggregation number increases, the micellar core becomes dryer, and the stickiness parameter increases. In particular, at weight fraction of 5%, the stickiness parameter approaches the critical value 10.2 at T=330.9 K. We thus conclude that there is a critical demixing point in this micellar solution where micelles interact strongly with each other by a short range temperature dependent attraction.
Approaches to Problems of Gene Regulation and Cell Type Determination in Amphibians

SYNOPSIS. In order to understand development it is necessary to elucidate the mechanisms behind both gene regulation and cell type determination. I have approached these problems in three ways utilizing the amphibian system. The first involves the injection of somatic cell nuclei into oocytes. The oocytes are used as a coupled transcripuonal-translational system to detect the translational products of the injected nuclei. In this way it becomes possible to examine the regulation of genes coding for ubiquitous or housekeeping functions as well as those coding for differentiated functions. The results indicate that in the case of the proteins examined, the oocyte cytoplasm appears to be able to regulate the synthetic activity of the transferred nuclei so as to conform to its own synthetic output. A second approach involves the examination of the expression of various classes of genes in interspecific amphibian hybrids. These studies show that there appears to be preferential expression of the maternal allele of a differentiated product, alcohol dehydrogenase, while the maternal and paternal alleles of ubiquitous products such as lactate dehydrogenase and superoxide dismutase are expressed simultaneously. These results suggest that there may be differences in the regulation of various classes of genes. The third approach involves the injection of bacterial plasmids containing eukaryotic genes into amphibian oocytes. A plasmid, pSp2, containing sea urchin histone genes HI, H2b, and H4 was injected into the germinal vesicle of Xenopus laevis oocytes. The genes coding for sea urchin histones HI and H2b were expressed. The applicability of this system to problems of gene regulation and cell type determination is discussed.
Band Structure, Physical Properties, and Stability of TiO by the Augmented-Plane-Wave Virtual-Crystal Approximation

The augmented-plane-wave virtual-crystal approximation is used to compute band structures and densities of states of the titanium monoxide system as a function of vacancy concentration and composition. TiO is a nonstoichiometric, cubic refractory compound with a 15% intrinsic vacancy concentration on both sublattices. The effective-mass approximation and an experimental value for the electron relaxation time are used to estimate several transport properties. The theoretical values are compared with experiment and used to examine the validity of our one-electron, muffin-tin-potential model of a nonstoichiometric compound. As it stands, this model does not treat the potential between the muffin-tin spheres accurately. It gives a physically valid description for most transport properties, but not for cohesion. Nonetheless, if the conduction-band edge does not vary appreciably with composition or total vacancy concentration, the average electronic energy is a minimum at the observed vacancy concentration.
Kinetic analysis of the fate of nitric oxide synthesized by macrophages in vitro.

Abstract To investigate the fate of nitric oxide (NO) synthesized by activated macrophages, the concentrations of NO and its principal reaction products, nitrite (NO2) and nitrate (NO3), were measured as a function of time in suspension cultures of RAW264.7 macrophages attached to microcarrier beads. Synthesis of NO became evident 2-5 h after stimulation of the cells, and steady concentrations of NO were achieved after about 9 h. The appearance of NO in the extracellular fluid coincided with the appearance of NO2 and NO3, which were formed thereafter at approximately equal and constant rates. Using a kinetic model based on rate constants measured previously in cell-free systems, only half of the NO2 formed could be accounted for by the reaction of NO with O2. It is known that NO reacts with superoxide (O2) to give peroxynitrite and that NO also reacts with peroxynitrite to yield NO2, so that the latter reaction may explain the “excess” NO2 formation. Adding superoxide dismutase to the medium markedly reduced the ratio of NO3 to NO2, consistent with the hypothesis that NO3 in the medium results primarily from the extracellular reaction of NO with O2. The addition of morpholine, a model amine, resulted in formation of N-nitrosomorpholine, concurrent with the other products. Measured rates of nitrosomorpholine formation were 6-fold lower than predictions based on kinetics in simple solutions, suggesting that in the cell culture system there were additional reactions that lowered the concentration of nitrous anhydride, the principal nitrosating agent formed from NO and O2.