cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Variation and change in Toronto heritage Cantonese: An analysis of two monophthongs across two generations

Abstract This paper presents the first sociophonetic study of Cantonese vowels using sociolinguistic interview data from the Heritage Language Variation and Change in Toronto Corpus. It focuses on four allophones [iː], [ɪk/ɪŋ], [uː], and [ʊk/ʊŋ] of two contrastive vowels /iː/ and /uː/ across two generations of speakers. The F1 and F2 of 30 vowel tokens were analyzed for these four allophones from each of 20 speakers ( N = 600 vowel tokens). Results show inter-generational maintenance of allophonic conditioning for /iː/ and /uː/ as well as an interaction between generation and sex such that second-generation female speakers have the most retracted variants of [ɪk/ɪŋ] and the most fronted variants of [iː]. This paper will discuss three possible explanations based on internal motivation, phonetic assimilation, and phonological influence. This will illustrate the importance of multiple comparisons (including inter-generational, cross-linguistic, and cross-community) in the relatively new field of heritage language phonology research.
Adding to the Perovskite Universe: Inverse-Hybrid Perovskites

Perovskites are a rich family of functional materials with many interesting physical properties. Usually, they contain two cationic species on the A- and B-sites, surrounded by anionic species on the X-site, but compounds are also known that invert the ion types on the respective lattice sites (inverse perovskites). Recently, conventional perovskites with one inorganic cation substituted by an organic molecule were intensively studied due to the promising performance of CH3NH3PbI3 based solar cells. Here, for the first time, we take the concept of inverse perovskites to organic–inorganic hybrid materials, investigating the properties of inverse-hybrid perovskites by first-principles calculations, adding yet another structural variant to the perovskite universe. We present results for various compositions with a wide range of band gaps from metallic systems over small and intermediate band gaps to large band gap semiconductors. Due to the changed location of the organic ion, the inverse structure could ove...
The Finance of American Public Education: Challenges of Equity, Adequacy, and Efficiency

Publisher Summary In the United States, the authority for public elementary and secondary education resides in the states, a reserved power arising from the tenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. State and local policy makers face many challenges as they design school funding systems that provide equitable and adequate educational opportunities to all students and foster an efficient use of educational resources. Changing student demographics and more challenging educational expectations require new approaches to prepare students to be effective citizens and to compete in the global economy. At the same time, a tax-weary public demands that the educators find more efficient and effective ways of spending their education dollars. Unfortunately, there are no easy answers or cheap solutions to these problems. The public and policy makers must come to a legally, morally, and politically defensible consensus about their state's responsibility in education, and then they must develop a fair way of funding that responsibility. Policy makers and educators should also look to the growing body of educational research to inform the design of effective and efficient educational programs and funding structures. The bottom line, however, is that the education of every child in a state is ultimately the responsibility of every citizen of that state. This is the message of school finance court decisions, and perhaps the most difficult lesson for the policy makers and the public to learn and accept.
Truth, Meaning, and the Study of Religion

This paper focuses on two contrasting approaches to the theory of linguistic meaning and asks how they color a range of issues of interest to scholars of religion. The so-called truth-conditional approach makes truth basic. It trades on the thought that we sometimes or perhaps often know what someone has said when we know what it would be for what she has said to be true. The other approach pegs meaning to how expressions and sentences are used in communicative situations. Dummett and Davidson are front and center. Davidson is of course in one sense a champion of truth-conditional semantics, but, over the issues I have in view, his case is instructively mixed. This discussion leads us toward an account of linguistic meaning which elevates over truth a family of concepts associated with use, including verification, justification, and pragmatic success.
THE EFFICACY AND SAFETY OF CANGRELOR FOR PATIENTS UNDERGOING SINGLE VESSEL VERSUS MULTI VESSEL PERCUTANEOUS CORONARY INTERVENTION: INSIGHTS FROM THE CHAMPION PHOENIX TRIAL

The intravenous, rapidly acting P2Y12 inhibitor cangrelor reduces the rate of ischemic events during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with no significant increase in severe bleeding. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of cangrelor in patients treated with single vessel (SV
Changing Tax Policy Impacts on the Risk Level of Viet Nam Wholesale and Retail Firms

Many financial markets including but not limit to, the emerging stock market in Viet Nam, have been affected by the financial crisis 2007-2009. This study analyzes the impacts of tax policy on market risk for the listed firms in the wholesale and retail industry during this period as it becomes necessary. First, by using quantitative and analytical methods to estimate asset and equity beta of total 9 listed companies in Viet Nam wholesale and retail industry with a proper traditional model, we found out that the beta values, in general, for many companies are acceptable. Second, under 3 different scenarios of changing tax rates (20%, 25% and 28%), we recognized that there is not large disperse in equity beta values, estimated at 0,646, 0,653 and 0,657.These values are much lower than those of the listed VN construction firms. Third, by changing tax rates in 3 scenarios (25%, 20% and 28%), we recognized both equity and asset beta mean values have positive relationship with the increasing levels of tax rate. Finally, this paper provides some outcomes that could provide companies and government more evidence in establishing their policies in governance.
Simon Critchley’s Problem of Politics and Hannah Arendt’s Idealism for the USA

An ethical politics should answer the question of how to preclude the assimilation of otherness. Hannah Arendt’s faith in the ethical ideals of political community provides a viable response to this problem of politics when a government does not reflect the thinking of the diversity of its governed. Her dramatic voices linking conscience and consciousness continue to resonate in contemporary American political discourse surrounding such issues as homophobia, torture in the war on terror, xenophobia, the moral responsibility of the financial managers of capitalism, and immigration. Her personal odyssey from foreigner to a voiced member of an ethical political community is a model for outsiders. Along the way she cultivates the distinction between private and public, empowers the political pariah, and questions political space. By opposing the status of a pariah excluded from public space, she advocates political friendship built upon the discussion of common stakes. Arendt brings the idealism of Kant into a political application of the ethics promoted by Levinas. Her democratic framework for questioning and discussion makes Kant’s ethics more humane by fostering dialogue with others to promote the civic virtues of forgiveness, compassion, and Gelassenheit (allowing others to be) in an ethics of hospitality within democracy in the USA.
A possible new specimen of Ruhuhuaria reiszi from the Manda Beds (?Middle Triassic) of southern Tanzania and its implications for small sauropsids in the Triassic

During the recovery from the end-Permian extinctions in the Middle Triassic, small reptiles (<50 cm) are exceptionally rare, and this gap in the fossil record inhibits our understanding of small reptile ecology and evolution during such a critical transition in Earth history. Here, we fully describe two fragments of left and right hemimandibles of a small sauropsid (UMZC T1162) that likely belonged to the same individual. The specimen bears anteriorly enlarged dentary teeth and labiolingually expanded crown bases, two character states unique to Ruhuhuaria reiszi (Procolophonoidea: Owenettidae), a taxon recently described from the same locality. From this, we tentatively assign UMZC T1162 to Ruhuhuaria reiszi. Micro-computed tomography (CT) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were employed to fully examine the morphology of the new specimen and illuminate details of the teeth not available in the holotype. The dentition of UMZC T1162 is better preserved than that of the holotype and shows that the more posterior teeth of this animal were chisel-shaped rather than pointed, that at least some of the teeth were transversely expanded at the base, and that tooth implantation is acrodont in the posterior portion and pleurodont in the anterior portion of the dentary. This potential second specimen of Ruhuhuaria reiszi complicates the previously hypothesized relationships of the taxon and further illustrates the difficulties in assigning small sauropsids to various clades in the Triassic Period. If UMZC T1162 does represent another specimen of Ruhuhuaria reiszi, it would show that small Triassic sauropsids had more variation in their tooth implantation and tooth disparity than previously appreciated.
Hello from the Other Side: An Intern's View of the 2017 Great Lakes Resource Sharing Conference

ABSTRACTThis paper provides a synopsis of my experience as an intern at the Great Lakes Resource Sharing Conference that took place in Oakbrook Illinois, June 8-9, 2017. Its aim is to give a first-...
Theory of currents

A modification of the Sugawara model is presented in which all components of the currents have scale dimension three, all requisite Schwinger terms are present in the stress-tensor commutators, and in which the trace of the stress tensor is a sum of terms of fixed scale dimension.
Drug Abuse, Drug Treatment, and Public Policy

This chapter examines research and ongoing discussion in five areas of drug abuse treatment. In keeping with the theme of this book, we focus on psychological topics and analyses of drug abuse treatment and related policy. We discuss (1) contingency management, (2) skill training, (3) the provision of psychological services in methadone treatment, (4) psychological issues involved in different methadone treatment modalities, and (5) psychopharmacology, specifically the psychopharmacological treatment of cocaine abuse.
The Potential Plaintiff

It is well established in American law that a fetus is not a “person” in the constitutional sense.1 Personhood occurs at the moment of live birth.2 Fetuses are not counted as U.S. citizens in the decennial census; there is no income tax exemption for the unborn or the stillborn; states are under no legal obligation to provide welfare funds or food stamps for fetuses (although they may, if they wish, increase the benefits of a pregnant woman).3
A probabilistic approach to polycrystalline plasticity part I: theory

Abstract A set of constitutive equations for polycrystalline plasticity is derived using arguments based directly on the dislocation processes involved. Distributed glide-plane orientations and Burgers-vector directions facilitate handling of the polycrystalline structure, and they yield equations involving probability distributions for variables that are directly related to measurable dislocation quantities. When the motion of the dislocations is isochoric, the tensorial character of the plastic strain rate is shown to be entirely determined by a second-rank symmetric tensor directly related to ordinary elements of crystallographic glide. This same tensor is also shown to determine the resolved shear stress acting on a dislocation in the direction of its Burgers vector, a quantity critical to the determination of the dislocation speed. Evolutionary equations for the dislocation density and the mobile fraction of dislocations are developed to complete the material description. The resulting theory, which allows for the production and interaction of non-uniform dislocation distributions, can model such phenomena as the development of anisotropy with plastic deformation, and material hardening or softening.
Neuropeptide Y Binding Dynamics Quantified with Nanophotonic Resonant Sensors

Nanostructured resonant sensors are used to record peptide binding dynamics. We quantify anti-NPY binding to NeutrAvidin and protein G and then NPY binding to anti-NPY. We report resonant wavelength shift of 160 pm for 8 pg/ml NPY with a detection limit of 1 μg/ml.
Forgiveness as Institution: A Merleau-Pontian Account

Recent literature on forgiveness suggests that a successful account of the phenomenon must satisfy at least three conditions: it must be able to explain how forgiveness can be articulate, uncompromising, and elective. These three conditions are not logically inconsistent, but the history of reflection on the ethics of forgiveness nonetheless suggests that they are in tension. Accounts that emphasize articulateness and uncompromisingness tend to suggest an excessively deflationary understanding of electiveness, underestimating the degree to which forgiveness is a gift. Accounts that emphasize electiveness, on the other hand, tend to weaken the safeguards that keep forgiveness distinct from condonation, excuse, or mere servility. I argue in this paper that we can do justice to the three conditions by understanding forgiveness in terms of the concept of institution that Maurice Merleau-Ponty developed in his work from the early- to mid-1950s.
Reducing Microsegregation in Next-Generation High-Strength Low-Alloy Cast Steels

The next generation of high-strength low-alloy (HSLA) cast steels is characterized by high levels of strength, as well as increased levels of ductility and impact toughness. The steels discussed in this paper are 4330, Eglin steel, and AF 9628 steel. Microsegregation of alloying elements within these materials, which is the tendency for a higher concentration of alloys to accumulate between dendrite arms, is commonly realized during the cooling stages of casting and can result in substandard mechanical properties. Since this next generation of HSLA cast steels is being utilized for critical commercial and military applications requiring both high levels of strength and ductility, methods of reducing microsegregation through proper heat treatment must be examined. Current methods of reducing microsegregation after casting primarily rely on vacancy diffusion. This effect is typically accelerated through heat treatments of the cast material. Herein, diffusion models are utilized to create a model capable of predicting microsegregation reduction in these high-strength low-alloy cast steels. This model was used to simulate high-temperature heat treatments in order to determine appropriate process parameters for microsegregation reduction of carbide-forming alloying elements in the next generation of high-strength low-alloy cast steels.
The Effect of Child - Centered Play Therapy on Intrinsic Motivation and Academic Achievement of At-risk Elementary School Students

Academic achievement is an important concern for professionals in schools and for school counselor in particular. In this study of at-risk elementary school students, researchers examined the effec...
Two-level modeling of quarantine

Continuum models of epidemics do not take into account the underlying microscopic network structure of social connections. This drawback becomes extreme during quarantine when most people dramatically decrease their number of social interactions, while others (like cashiers in grocery stores) continue maintaining hundreds of contacts per day. We formulate a two-level model of quarantine. On a microscopic level, we model a single neighborhood assuming a star-network structure. On a mesoscopic level, the neighborhoods are placed on a two-dimensional lattice with nearest-neighbors interactions. The modeling results are compared with the COVID-19 data for several counties in Michigan (USA) and the phase diagram of parameters is identified.
Self Psychology: The Case of Evan

Self-psychology posits that individuals are born with a capacity for development of a cohesive self which, when adequately developed, is able to manage the self-esteem, self-regulation, and interpersonal vicissitudes of life. This self is molded via empathic attunement and mis-attunement by caregivers (selfobjects) in early life and maintains ongoing needs for affirmation and replenishment throughout life. Empathic therapeutic attunement may serve to repair the fractured or underdeveloped self. This chapter explores the use of a self-psychology approach when working with an elementary school student in a public school setting and how empathic understanding was utilized to support development of the selfobject needs for mirroring, merging, and twinship.
Efficient fund of hedge funds construction under downside risk measures

Abstract We consider portfolio allocation in which the underlying investment instruments are hedge funds. We consider a family of utility functions involving the probability of outperforming a benchmark and expected regret relative to another benchmark. Non-normal return vectors with prescribed marginal distributions and correlation structure are modeled and simulated using the normal-to-anything method. A Monte Carlo procedure is used to obtain, and establish the quality of, a solution to the associated portfolio optimization model. Computational results are presented on a problem in which we construct a fund of 13 CSFB/Tremont hedge-fund indices.
Africa’s innovation and creative response to COVID-19

Rather than decimation and devastation, COVID-19 appears to reveal Africa’s innovation and resourcefulness in fighting disease, but this has largely escaped scholarship. Using various search engine...
Model-Driven Geo-Elasticity in Database Clouds

Motivated by the emergence of distributed clouds, we argue for the need for geo-elastic provisioning of application replicas to effectively handle temporal and spatial workload fluctuations seen by such applications. We present DB Scale, a system that tracks geographic variations in the workload to dynamically provision database replicas at different cloud locations across the globe. Our geo-elastic provisioning approach comprises a regression-based model to infer the database query workload from observations of the spatially distributed front-end workload and a two-node open queueing network model to provision databases with both CPU and I/O-intensive query workloads. We implement a prototype of our DB Scale system on Amazon EC2's distributed cloud. Our experiments with our prototype show up to a 66% improvement in response time when compared to local elasticity approaches.
Incitement in the Mosques: Testing the Limits of Free Speech and Religious Liberty

In times of terror and tension, civil liberties are at their greatest peril. Nowadays, no individual rights are more in jeopardy than the freedoms of speech and religion. This is true particularly for followers of Islam, whose leaders have become increasingly radical in both their preaching and practice. "Kill the Jews!" and "Kill the Americans!" are chants heard regularly in many Middle Eastern mosques, as frightful echoes of the fatwa are issued by today's quintessential terrorist, Osama bin Laden. The incitement continues unabated to this day. In April of 2004, for example, a Muslim preacher at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem referred to Jews as "sons of monkeys and pigs," and as "murderers of prophets." Loudspeakers boomed across the Old City with his message, in which he condemned Jews to total extinction.
Fragmented esophageal smooth muscle contraction segments on high resolution manometry: a marker of esophageal hypomotility.

Background Esophageal peristalsis consists of a chain of contracting striated and smooth muscle segments on high resolution manometry (HRM). We compared smooth muscle contraction segments in symptomatic subjects with reflux disease to healthy controls. Methods High resolution manometry Clouse plots were analyzed in 110 subjects with reflux disease (50 ± 1.4 years, 51.5% women) and 15 controls (27 ± 2.1 years, 60.0% women). Using the 30 mmHg isobaric contour tool, sequences were designated fragmented if either smooth muscle contraction segment was absent or if the two smooth muscle segments were separated by a pressure trough, and failed if both smooth muscle contraction segments were absent. The discriminative value of contraction segment analysis was assessed. Key Results A total of 1115 swallows were analyzed (reflux group: 965, controls: 150). Reflux subjects had lower peak and averaged contraction amplitudes compared with controls (P < 0.0001 for all comparisons). Fragmented sequences followed 18.4% wet swallows in the reflux group, compared with 7.5% in controls (P < 0.0001), and were seen more frequently than failed sequences (7.9% and 2.5%, respectively). Using a threshold of 30% in individual subjects, a composite of failed and/or fragmented sequences was effective in segregating reflux subjects from control subjects (P = 0.04). Conclusions & Inferences Evaluation of smooth muscle contraction segments adds value to HRM analysis. Specifically, fragmented smooth muscle contraction segments may be a marker of esophageal hypomotility.
Hydroxyapatite and carbonated apatite as models for the dissolution behavior of human dental enamel.

It is now well-established that kinetic aspects as well as considerations based solely on solubilities and thermodynamic driving forces should be taken into account while one is attempting to understand the mechanism of dental caries. In the present study, kinetic comparisons of the dissolution of hydroxyapatite, carbonated apatite, and ground human dental enamel have been made in order that the appropriateness of these synthetic phases as enamel dissolution models can be assessed. Specific additives used to form intact surface layers in vitro have also been investigated. An interesting phenomenon related to surface-controlled dissolution has been revealed. During Constant Composition experiments, the dissolution rates for all the systems decrease markedly as the reaction proceeds. Further tests with fresh crystals suggest that micro-impurities, in addition to microstructural changes of the dissolving surfaces, may play a role in the case of hydroxyapatite but do not influence the dissolution of carbonate...
2D TCR-pMHC-CD8 kinetics determines T-cell responses in a self-antigen-specific TCR system

Two-dimensional (2D) kinetic analysis directly measures molecular interactions at cell–cell junctions, thereby incorporating inherent cellular effects. By comparison, three-dimensional (3D) analysis probes the intrinsic physical chemistry of interacting molecules isolated from the cell. To understand how T-cell tumor reactivity relates to 2D and 3D binding parameters and to directly compare them, we performed kinetic analyses of a panel of human T-cell receptors (TCRs) interacting with a melanoma self-antigen peptide (gp100209–217) bound to peptide-major histocompatibility complex in the absence and presence of co-receptor CD8. We found that while 3D parameters are inadequate to predict T-cell function, 2D parameters (that do not correlate with their 3D counterparts) show a far broader dynamic range and significantly improved correlation with T-cell function. Thus, our data support the general notion that 2D parameters of TCR–peptide-major histocompatibility complex–CD8 interactions determine T-cell responsiveness and suggest a potential 2D-based strategy to screen TCRs for tumor immunotherapy.
Pathologic findings from the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast Project protocol B-06. 10-year pathologic and clinical prognostic discriminants

Background. Prognostic pathologic and clinical features for 10-year survival were determined from 22 pathologic and 5 clinical variables encountered in 1090 node-negative and 651 node-positive patients enrolled in NSABP protocol B-06. Methods. All factors were first screened univariately. Those exhibiting P values < 0.01 were entered into multivariate Cox regression models. The model with the best fit consisted of 951 negative-node and 496 node-positive patients. Results. Better survival in node-negative patients was noted for whites rather than blacks, for patients with favorable tumor types (tubular, mucinous, papillary) rather than intermediate (lobular invasive, classical medullary, and not otherwise specified [NOS] combinations) or unfavorable forms (NOS pure and atypical medullary), and for tumors with good rather than poor nuclear grade. Number of nodal metastases, degree of tumor elastosis, and patient age younger than 40 years of age and 65 years of age and older in addition to nuclear grade and race were found significant for node-positive patients. Relative risks for combinations of these prognostic factors were multiplicative. Conclusions. The prognostic factors for node-negative patients were similar to those observed for this cohort at 8 years. Some differences noted between patients of both nodal groups in NSABP B-04 and B-06 may be related to selection requirements in the latter and hence different patient characteristics or more speculatively a change in tumor biology.
A computer aided finite element/experimental analysis of induction heating process of steel

Abstract The characteristics of steels during electroplating or induction heating are very complex. Induction heat-treating of steel has become increasingly important as a means of reducing cost and improving the quality of carbon steel components. The use of high frequency (40 to 200kHz) offers many advantages, but tooling and cycle optimization is complex and time consuming. Approximate analytical methods suitable for low-frequency approximations are not sufficient for the low-frequency domain and the fact that important material properties change drastically with temperature makes more exact analysis methods very difficult to implement. Therefore, a powerful computer aided numerical tool (i.e., finite element analysis) is selected to numerically model an induction heating process. A general-purpose finite element program was employed to simulate and analyze the above problem. The combination of magnetic and thermal routines, within the package, enabled us to complete the task. A coupling method between the two magnetic and thermal routines was also developed and implemented. This was done to incorporate the change in the material properties due to the change in temperature. For the sake of comparison and verification, a high-frequency induction heating experiment was set up and a series of tests was performed. The finite element results were evaluated and compared with the experimental results. The effect of the time duration size (time step) for coupling between the magnetic and thermal analyses was also studied. Particular attention was given to the coupling procedure after the Curie temperature was reached. The skin effect was studied and demonstrated in the numerical model. A discussion of induced power density profile and transient temperature distribution is also presented. The accuracy and efficiency of the numerical models are demonstrated and appreciated. This tool is therefore proposed to be a powerful alternative prior to the actual induction heating process.
The Use of Inter-Sectional Hybrids in Blueberry Breeding

The tetraploid species in Vaccinium section Cyanococcus and tetraploid V. uliginosum in section Vaccinium are autotetraploid. The same is probably true of the tetraploid species in other sections o...
Layer-by-layer films of stimuli-responsive block copolymer micelles

The recently introduced approach of using stimuli-responsive block copolymer micelles (BCMs) as building blocks for layer-by-layer (LbL) assemblies has greatly enhanced the functionality of LbL films. Responsive BCMs supply films with hydrophobic ‘pockets’ that can be ‘opened’ through external triggers. This is enabled by the use of amphiphilic polymers as constituents of micellar cores which undergo dissolution/collapse transitions as a function of environmental stimuli. Whereas the application of these stimuli in solution results in reversible disintegration of stimuli-responsive BCMs to unimers, such disintegration is inhibited within LbL films because of binding of BCM coronal chains with their polymer counterparts. Upon application of environmental stimuli, dissolution/collapse of micellar cores of assembled BCMs results in large-amplitude, reversible swelling/deswelling transitions of the entire film. In addition to the mechanical actuation response, the newly developed BCM-containing films demonstrated efficient control of the uptake and release of small hydrophobic molecules. This approach to constructing responsive assemblies is versatile, can be applied to a wide set of block copolymers with various composition and architecture, and extended to several types of environmental stimuli.
L-Arginine and Superoxide Dismutase Prevent or Reverse Cerebral Hypoperfusion after Fluid-Percussion Traumatic Brain Injury

To determine whether treatment with L-arginine or superoxide dismutase (SOD) would prove effective in reducing cerebral hypoperfusion after traumatic brain injury (TBI), we measured cerebral blood flow (CBF) using laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) in rats treated before or after moderate (2.2 atm) fluid-percussion (FP) TBI. Rats were anesthetized with isoflurane and prepared for midline FP TBI and then for LDF by thinning the calvaria using an air-cooled drill. Rats were then randomly assigned to receive sham injury, sham injury plus L-arginine (100 mg/kg, 5 min after sham TBI), TBI plus 0.9% NaCl, TBI plus L-arginine (100 mg/kg, 5 min post-TBI), TBI plus SOD (24,000 U/kg pre-TBI + 1600 units/kg/min for 15 min after TBI), or TBI plus SOD and L-arginine. A second group of rats received TBI plus saline, L-, or D-arginine (100 mg/kg, 5 min after-TBI). After treatment and TBI or sham injury, CBF was measured continuously using LDF for 2 h and CBF was expressed as a percent of the preinjury baseline for 2 h after TBI. Rats treated with saline or D-arginine exhibited significant reductions in CBF that persisted throughout the monitoring period. Rats treated with L-arginine alone or in combination with SOD exhibited no decreases in CBF after TBI. CBF in the SOD-treated group decreased significantly within 15 min after TBI but returned to baseline levels by 45 min after TBI. These studies indicate that L-arginine but not D-arginine administered after TBI prevents posttraumatic hypoperfusion and that pretreatment with SOD will restore CBF after a brief period of hypoperfusion.
Sequestration of bacteria from whole blood by optimized microfluidic cross-flow filtration for Rapid Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing

A microfluidic device to separate bacteria from blood cells based on size-exclusion through cross-flow channels was designed and performance tested using fluorescently-labeled, heat-killed Escherichia coli spiked into whole blood. The device is easy and cheap to fabricate, and simply and robustly purifies bacteria from large blood cells. Thus the device would be an effective sample-preparation stage within a point-of-care system for rapid testing for antibacterial resistance.
The effect of experimentally increased near-bottom flow on metazoan meiofauna at a deep-sea site, with comparison data on macrofauna

It has been argued that strong near-bottom flows affect macrofauna and meiofauna in the deep sea, but the evidence comes largely from studies that compared sites separated geographically by hundreds to thousands of kilometers and in depth by hundreds of meters. In this paper, the results of the first experimental investigation of the effects of strong near-bottom flow on deep-sea metazoan meiofauna are presented. At a site (32° 27.581′ N, 127° 47.839′ W) at 583 m depth on the Fieberling Guyot summit plain, the submersible Alvin emplaced weirs designed to increase the near-bottom flow locally. After 6.5 weeks, sediments in the weirs and unmanipulated locations in the vicinity were sampled. The abundances of nematodes, harpacticoid copepods, ostracods, and kinorhynchs, considered collectively and as individual taxa, were significantly lower in the weir samples than in the background samples. Parallel responses were observed in total macrofaunal and mollusk abundances. Proportional declines in kinorhynchs and mollusks were observed as well. These results suggest that strong near-bottom flow can reduce the abundance of meiofauna and macrofauna in the deep sea and alter assemblage composition.
A Thinned Block Bootstrap Variance Estimation Procedure for Inhomogeneous Spatial Point Patterns

When modeling inhomogeneous spatial point patterns, it is of interest to fit a parametric model for the first-order intensity function (FOIF) of the process in terms of some measured covariates. Estimates for the regression coefficients, say , can be obtained by maximizing a Poisson maximum likelihood criterion. Little work has been done on the asymptotic distribution of except in some special cases. In this article we show that is asymptotically normal for a general class of mixing processes. To estimate the variance of , we propose a novel thinned block bootstrap procedure that assumes that the point process is second-order reweighted stationary. To apply this procedure, only the FOIF, and not any high-order terms of the process, needs to be estimated. We establish the consistency of the resulting variance estimator, and demonstrate its efficacy through simulations and an application to a real data example.
A Note On Flaw-Induced Integrity Reduction Of Structural Fabric

In this work, a yarn-level computational model is used to predict the stress around flaws of varying shapes and sizes in sheets of structural fabric. The stress concentration is shown to depend solely on the size of the flaw along each of the primary yarn directions. Furthermore, the stresses in the fabric are seen to be very sensitive to the boundary conditions applied to the sheet.
The effect of mica surface “dehydroxylation” on particulate palladium vapor deposits

Abstract Electron energy loss spectroscopy (ELS) and palladium nucleation were used to study the influence of pre-and post-cleavage annealing on some surface properties of muscovite mica. Two ELS features at 28 eV and 16 eV indicate OH molecules on the mica surface and in the near-surface bulk respectively. On post-cleavage heating of the mica to temperatures above 400°C the two surface losses disappear, causing the simultaneous liberation of water, which is explained by a dehydration of the AlO(OH) layer of the mica lattice. The palladium nucleation and growth behavior is strongly influenced by the state of “dehydroxylation” of the mica surface. On “dehydroxylated” mica the particle number density of palladium is increased and the mean particle size decreased owing in principle to stronger interaction between the mica substrate and the palladium deposit.
Reduction of Escherichia coli O157:H7 on beef surfaces using low-voltage direct electric current and the impact on sensory properties

Abstract Low-voltage direct current was applied to beef, inoculated with Escherichia coli O157:H7 on the surface covered with a thin film of 0.15 M NaCl solution. Experiments were conducted with 15, 30, and 45 mA/cm2 currents; 1, 10 and 100 kHz frequencies; 30, 50 and 70% duty cycles, and 2, 8 and 16 min treatment durations. Increase in current intensity, frequency, duty cycle, and treatment duration increased the % reduction of E. coli. A maximum reduction of 98.9% was achieved. Sensory color analysis showed significant differences between treated and untreated beef. The maximum temperature rise of NaCl solution was 31.9 °C.
Multiple classes of stem cells in cutaneous epithelium: a lineage analysis of adult mouse skin

Continuous renewal of the epidermis and its appendages throughout life depends on the proliferation of a distinct population of cells called stem cells. We have used in situ retrovirus-mediated gene transfer to genetically mark cutaneous epithelial stem cells of adolescent mice, and have followed the fate of the marked progeny after at least 37 epidermal turnovers and five cycles of depilation-induced hair growth. Histological examination of serial sections of labeled pilosebaceous units demonstrated a complex cell lineage. In most instances, labeled cells were confined to one or more follicular compartments or solely to sebaceous glands. Labeled keratinocytes in interfollicular epidermis were confined to distinct columnar units representing epidermal proliferative units. The contribution of hair follicles to the epidermis was limited to a small rim of epidermis at the margin of the follicle, indicating that long term maintenance of interfollicular epidermis was independent of follicle-derived cells. Our results indicate the presence of multiple stem cells in cutaneous epithelium, some with restricted lineages in the absence of major injury.
Iron-sulfur proteins: Recent developments in the field

Iron-sulfur clusters in proteins are now recognized as among the main types of electron-transferring groups in biological systems, besides heme and flavins. Recent developments have brought forth a better understanding about the ways the protein environment modulates the potential of the cluster by placing the cluster in a more or less hydrophobic surrounding. Refinement in models, extensive studies on the kinetics of electron transfer (e.g. by measurement of the electronic spin lattice relaxation time) and the introduction of novel spectroscopic methods (EXAFS, magnetic CD and others) in the elucidation of structures in various systems are among the main developments. Other advances include EPR studies of the spatial orientation of Fe−S centers in complex membraneous systems (e.g. in mitochondria) and the recent elucidation of the nature of center X in photosystem I by Mossbauer-spectroscopy. Mossbauer studies have also been described on a number of Fe−S proteins (nitrogenase, aconitase, some ferredoxins, etc.) and revealed the existence of novel structures that enlarged the number of known basic units of Fe−S centers. These advances include: 1. the discovery of a novel non-heme Fe-protein (called desulforedoxin) of the rebredoxin type, 2. the elucidation of the nitrogenase Fe−S centers and the nitrogenase cofactor and 3. the discovery of a three-iron cluster in several enzymes and some ferredoxins. The latter 3-Fe cluster seems capable of being converted into a classical 4-Fe cluster under appropriate conditions, a phenomenon that plays a role in activation-deactivation of some enzymes (e.g. aconitase). It is now recognized that some iron-sulfur clusters may be involved in systems devoided of any oxydation-reduction reaction and may act as sensors of the surrounding redox potential, triggering the activation/deactivation of an enzyme (cf. e.g. aconitase).
Transmission Gratings For The Extreme Ultraviolet

A technique has been developed for producing transmission diffraction gratings suitable for use in the extreme ultraviolet. Thin self-supporting films of a transparent material are overlaid with several thousand opaque metallic strips per mm. Gratings with 2100, 2400, and 5675 1/mm have been produced and tested. Representative spectra over the wavelength range from 17.2 to 40.0 nm are given for a grating consisting of a 120 nm thick Al support layer overlaid with 2400, 34 nm thick, Ag strips/mm. The absolute transmittance is ~13% at 30 nm, and the efficiency in the first order is ~16%. The observed resolution of 0.2 nm is acceptable for many of the potential applications. These gratings have several advantages over the two presently available alternatives in the extreme ultraviolet (i.e., reflection gratings used at grazing incidence and free-standing metallic wire transmission gratings). Fabrication is relatively quick, simple, and cheap. The support layer can also serve as a filter and help conduct excessive heat away. Higher line densities and hence higher resolutions are possible, and when used at normal incidence the spectra are aberration free. Suitable materials, component thicknesses, and line densities can be chosen to produce a grating of optimum characteristics for a particular application.
Anxiety and Therapeutic Touch

This four-group, repeated-measures experimental design divided 40 healthy professional caregivers/students into high- and low-anxiety groups and further into "therapeutic touch" and comparison groups. The effectiveness of the use of therapeutic touch in reducing anxiety was evaluated, as were the methodologies used. Three self-report measures of anxiety (Profile of Mood States, Spielberger's State/Trait Anxiety Inventory, and visual analogue scales) were evaluated for equivalence and concurrent validity to determine their potential for use in future studies. The correlations among these instruments were highly significant. The small sample size prevented differences between groups from reaching statistical significance, but the reduction of anxiety in the high-anxiety group was greater for those who had received therapeutic touch than for those who did not. Using variability data, the sample size necessary to find statistically significant differences between those who had therapeutic touch and those who did not was determined.
Establishment of two cell lines from pupal ovaries of the navel orangeworm, Amyelois transitella (Lepidoptera: Pyralida))☆

Two new morphologically distinct cell lines have been established from ovaries of 3-day-old pupae of the navel orangeworm, Amyelois transitella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae). When grown in GTC100 medium, HCRL-ATO10 consists mainly of strongly attached epithelial-like cells with a population doubling time of 34 hr; while HCRL-ATO20 is composed primarily of suspended spheroid cells with a 35-hr population doubling time. Results of isoelectric focusing with phosphoglucomutase and phosphoglucoisomerase distinguish the cell lines from each other and four other lepidopteran lines.
WE‐C‐220‐03: Lessons Learned: Creating a Dedicated Focused Ultrasound Surgery Program

MR‐guided focused ultrasound surgery (MRgFUS) is an emerging technology with the potential to disrupt traditional treatment techniques across a wide variety of surgical and medical disciplines. Proposed applications for MRgFUS are multiplying quickly and include indications as diverse as tumor ablation, thrombolysis, hemostasis, reversible blood‐brain barrier disruption, targeted drug delivery, gene therapy, and neuromodulation. Interest in MRgFUS is quickly increasing, however the desire to find new potential treatment indications may be outpacing work on developing “best practices” for designing new centers, organizing clinical teams, and defining standards for treatment quality and reporting. The University of Virginia recently started up one of the first programs in the world designed from the ground up specifically for the purpose of MR‐guided focused ultrasound surgery. The lessons learned during this process, both positive and negative, may be valuable to the ongoing discussion of best practices. This lecture will provide an overview of the UVA experience, including center design, construction, and administrative organization, and funding /revenue, and program startup. A particular focus will be on the clinical startup experience, and how this might be improved with a more formal risk‐based process analysis. Learning objectives: 1. To understand the rationale for a stand‐alone FUS center versus a center created out of existing resources in the medical center. 2. To understand the design features of the center, as well as the challenges that had to be overcome in the design and construction of the center. 3. To understand the multidisciplinary organization of the center and how inter‐department conflicts are managed. 4. To understand the expectations vs. reality of the center regarding the distribution of treatment indications, the effort required to start clinical trials, and the ability to collect clinical revenue. 5. To understand the center's experience during clinical startup, and the successes and challenges faced by the center when trying to refine clinical processes and develop standards for quality assurance. Funding Support, Disclosures, and Conflict of Interest: The Focused Ultrasound Center at the University of Virginia has received funding for development and research from the following: The Focused Ultrasound Surgery Foundation, the Commonwealth of Virginia, InSightec Ltd., and the General Electric Co.
Hydrothermal processing of biomass from invasive aquatic plants

Abstract The purpose of this study was to examine the hydrothermal (HT) treatment of three invasive aquatic plants (i.e., Lemna sp., Hydrilla sp., and Eichhornia sp.) with respect to the generation of semi-volatile hydrocarbon product mixtures and biomass volume reduction. Identical HT treatments yielded similar semi-volatile product mixtures for Hydrilla sp. and Eichhornia sp. versus a significantly different mixture for Lemna sp. Pre-treatment (i.e., control) extracts of the plant substrates showed no semi-volatile hydrocarbons. Post-HT treatment product mixtures were comprised of complex mixtures of compounds including branched and unbranched alkanes and alkenes as well as light aromatics including substituted benzenes and phenols. All three plant HT product mixtures were dominated by phenol, C 1 alkyl phenols, and oxygenated cycloalkenes. Lemna sp. products showed much more diverse distributions of C 2 –C 5 alkyl benzenes, alkyl indanes, and alkyl naphthalenes at higher relative levels. Other products from the Lemna sp. HT treatment included C 2 –C 4 phenols, and alkyl indole and indanol compounds. Results of wet chemical analyses showed that a major difference between Lemna sp. and the other two plants was significantly higher extractives levels in the former. It was found that this fraction accounted for much of the complexity in HT product mixture of the Lemna sp. biomass. For all HT treatments the substrate mass was reduced by 95% or more.
Human acid ceramidase gene: novel mutations in Farber disease.

Abstract Farber disease is an autosomal recessive disorder caused by lysosomal acid ceramidase (AC) deficiency. It commonly manifests during the first few months after birth with a unique triad of painful and progressive deformed joints, subcutaneous nodules, and progressive hoarseness. In order to understand the molecular mechanism(s) of pathogenesis of Farber disease, we isolated and characterized a full-length human AC gene, mapped its chromosomal location, determined the tissue-specific expression, and analyzed mutations in Farber disease patients. We also studied the AC-mRNA expression in gastrointestinal tumors and adjoining normal tissues. In addition, we determined the pattern of tissue-specific AC-mRNA expression in the adult mouse and during fetal development. Our results show that human AC gene consists of 14 exons and 13 introns spanning approximately 26.5 kb of genomic DNA. It is mapped to human chromosome 8p22–21.2, a region often disrupted in several cancers. The AC-mRNA is expressed in the mouse fetus from the seventh day of gestation. Interestingly, while the AC-mRNA is expressed in all segments of the normal gastrointestinal tract, none of the gastrointestinal tumor tissues had any AC-mRNA expression. We also uncovered four novel mutations in Farber disease patients that were not previously reported. Taken together, our results not only attest to the physiological importance of AC but also uncover several new mutations in Farber disease that may advance our knowledge towards establishing a genotype–phenotype correlation in this disease.
Evaluation and endoscopic palliation of cholangiocarcinoma. Management of cholangiocarcinoma.

Patients with a cholangiocarcinoma usually develop symptoms of biliary obstruction which dominate the course of their illness. At presentation, the diagnosis may be difficult to establish due to the d