cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Organic Thin‐Film Transistors Fabricated on Resorbable Biomaterial Substrates

Microelectronic systems utilizing organic materials afford many advantages over traditional silicon-based systems. Organic electronic devices have potential manufacturing advantages including solution processing and large scale fabrication with reduced cost. Organic devices can also be easily fabricated on polymeric substrates, which are suitable for a broad range of flexible electronics applications including conformal devices and displays, and would also be potentially suitable for roll-to-roll fabrication strategies. For example, many types of organic devices including transistors, sensors, and photovoltaic cells have been fabricated on both natural and synthetic flexible polymers including poly(ethylene terepthalate),[1-3] poly(imide),[4] poly(ether sulfone),[5] cellulose,[6, 7] and silk fibroin.[8] Various organic polymeric systems composed of biodegradable polymers[9] have demonstrated utility in many applications including temporary medical implants[10, 11] and compostable products.[12] For example, thermoplastic polyesters such as poly(L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) are commonly used biodegradable polymer for drug delivery systems and medical implants while poly(4-hydroxybutyrate) (P4HB) is commonly used as a biodegradable plastic for disposable products.[13] Water soluble polymers such as dextran and poly(vinyl alcohol) have been used for a variety of biomedical applications including tissue engineering scaffolds[14] and environmental applications.[15] Recent progress in the design and synthesis of organic semiconductors have led to the realization of molecules that can operate stably in hydrated or oxidative environments[16] including p-channel materials based on thiophenes[17] or fluorenes,[18] and n-channel materials based on perylene diimides.[19] These concomitant advancements in organic electronics and biodegradable polymers processing suggest that there is the potential for the use of biodegradable polymeric systems for the development of biodegradable electronic devices for potential use in biomedical or environmental applications. Toward this end, we investigated materials and fabrication strategies for the realization of organic thin film transistor using a small molecule semiconductor in combination with a biodegradable polymeric substrate and dielectric. We demonstrate that these devices perform stably after exposure to water and since they consist of nearly entirely biodegradable materials, these devices are resorbable in an in vitro degradation environment.
Phase 1 trial of bortezomib plus R-CHOP in previously untreated patients with aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma

BACKGROUND: Bortezomib has preclinical and clinical in B-cell lymphomas, both alone and in combination with other agents. A phase 1 evaluation was conducted of bortezomib with rituximab plus cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHOP) in patients with untreated diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) or mantle cell lymphoma (MCL). METHODS: Twenty patients (16 with DLBCL and 4 with MCL) with a median age of 66 years (range, 29-84 years) were enrolled. Eleven subjects (55%) had an elevated lactate dehydrogenase level, and 10 patients (50%) had International Prognostic Index scores of 3 to 5. Standard R-CHOP was administered on a 21-day cycle for 6 cycles, with 1 of 3 dose levels of bortezomib (0.7 mg/m2 [n = 4 patients], 1.0 mg/m2 [n = 9 patients], or 1.3 mg/m2 [n = 7 patients]) administered on Days 1 and 4 of each cycle. RESULTS: The maximum tolerated dose of bortezomib with R-CHOP was not reached, and the 1.3-mg/m2 dose level had acceptable tolerability. A dose-limiting toxicity (pulmonary) was only observed in 1 patient receiving 1.0 mg/m2 of bortezomib. Neuropathy occurred in 13 patients (65%), but was mostly grade 1 (45%) and reached grade 3 in only 1 patient (all toxicities were graded using the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, version 3.0). Grade 4 hematologic toxicity occurred in 7 patients (35%). Of 19 evaluable patients, all responded, with 18 (95%) cases of complete response/complete response unconfirmed achieved and 1 (5%) partial response reported. At a median follow-up of 56 months, overall survival at 4 years was 75% and progression-free survival was 58%. CONCLUSIONS: Bortezomib at a dose of 1.3 mg/m2 twice per cycle can be added to R-CHOP chemotherapy with acceptable toxicity. Multi-institutional and cooperative group follow-up studies of this regimen are currently ongoing. Cancer 2010. © 2010 American Cancer Society.
Thoughts and concepts on exploring, visualizing, and measuring distances on networks

The properties of data networks are determined by routing protocols, link delays, traffic demands, and similar system parameters, which are not directly connected to the formal topology of the network's graph. Consequently, two different links, or source-destination (SD) pairs, could appear close in the network's topological layout, and yet be far apart when measured on the "functionality scale" of traffic flow. We present our own ideas regarding distance functions for network objects, the type of data that can be collected to determine such distances, and applications in network visualization, exploration, and monitoring, and in network tomography. This short paper is not intended as a survey of the topic but rather narrowly focuses on our own current thoughts on the topic
PROCEDURAL VERSUS SUBSTANTIVE JUSTICE: RAWLS AND NOZICK

This paper critically assesses the “procedural” accounts of political justice set forth by John Rawls in A Theory of Justice (1971) and Robert Nozick in Anarchy, State, and Utopia (1974). I argue that the areas of agreement between Rawls and Nozick are more significant than their disagreements. Even though Nozick offers trenchant criticisms of Rawls's argument for economic redistribution (the “difference principle”), Nozick's own economic libertarianism is undermined by his “principle of rectification,” which he offers as a possible ground in practice for the application of something like the difference principle. Both Rawls's and Nozick's accounts of justice fail because of their abstraction from human nature as a ground of right. At the same time the libertarianism on which they agree in the non-economic sphere would deprive a free society of its necessary moral underpinning. Rawls and Nozick err, finally, by demanding that the policies pursued by a just society conform to theoretical formulas concocted by philosophy professors, rather than leaving room (as Lockean liberalism does) for the adjustment of policies to particular circumstances based on statesmen's prudential judgment and the consent of the governed. Particularly troubling from the perspective of a citizen seriously concerned with the advancement of justice and freedom is both thinkers' shrill denunciations of existing liberal societies for failing to conform to their particular strictures.
Finite element modelling of stratified flow in estuaries and reservoirs

SUMMARY Experiences relating to the application of finite element models for laterally averaged stratified flow are discussed and modifications to the basic approach are suggested that alleviate these difficulties. An example problem is used to demonstrate the revised model and to make a preliminary assessment of the hydrostatic pressure assumption when applied to reservoir analysis.
Iron, macronutrients and diatom blooms in the Peru upwelling regime: Brown and blue waters of Peru

Surface water transects and vertical profiles for dissolved iron, macronutrients, chlorophyll a (Chl a), and hydrographic data were obtained in the Peru upwelling regime during August and September 2000. The supply of the micronutrient iron, relative to that of the macronutrients nitrate, phosphate and silicic acid, is shown to play a critical role in allowing extensive diatom blooms to develop in the Peru upwelling system. The extremely high-chlorophyll bbrown waters of PeruQ (with Chl a concentrations between 20 and 45 Ag/l) result from massive diatom blooms with maximal photochemical efficiencies (Fv/Fm N0.6) occurring in the iron-rich upwelling region observed over the broad continental shelf off northern and central Peru. The source of the upwelled water in this region is the nutrient-rich subsurface countercurrent in contact with the organicrich shelf sediments. This subsurface shelf water is suboxic and has extremely high concentrations of dissolved Fe (N50 nM) in the near-bottom waters. In marked contrast, relatively low-chlorophyll bblue watersQ (Chl a b2 Ag/l) with low concentrations of dissolved Fe (b0.1 nM) and high unutilized macronutrient concentrations are observed in the coastal upwelled waters along the southern coast of Peru and in the offshore regions of the Peru Current. Southern Peru is a region without a wide shelf to serve as a source of iron and, as a result, dissolved Fe concentrations in the near-bottom suboxic waters of this region are an order-ofmagnitude lower than observed off northern and central Peru. In addition, the offshore Peru Current is a broad, Fe-limited, highnitrate, lower than expected chlorophyll region extending hundreds of kilometers offshore into the northeast region of the South Pacific subtropical gyre and northwestward into the South Equatorial Pacific. D 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Gough's Cave 1 (Somerset, England): an Assessment of the Sex and Age at Death

The overall impression of the sexually dimorphic characteristics of Gough's Cave 1 is that the remains are those of a male. However, the specimen does present some ‘female’ features in the facial skeleton, the ischiopubic rami and pelvic apertures, combined with relatively small overall size, and an ambiguous greater sciatic notch morphology. Nevertheless, the various features employed for sexual diagnosis of Gough's Cave are predominantly those which indicate or strongly suggest that it is male, but this must be accompanied with the caveat that either this individual falls at the feminine end of the male range of variation or that the patterns of skeletal sexual dimorphism of the population from which it derived were modestly different from those of the mostly European and European-derived reference samples used for this assessment. In contrast to the ambiguities of sex determination for Gough's Cave 1, the various indicators of his age-at-death are highly consistent. All of them agree in placing Gough's Cave 1 between his late second decade and middle third decade. He was unlikely to have been younger than about 18 years, and most likely was not older than about 23 years at death.
Dynamic load sharing with unknown memory demands in clusters

A compute farm is a pool of clustered workstations to provide high performance computing services for CPU-intensive, memory-intensive, and I/O active jobs in a batch mode. Existing load sharing schemes with memory considerations assume jobs' memory demand sizes are known in advance or predictable based on users' hints. This assumption can greatly simplify the designs and implementations of load sharing schemes, but is not desirable in practice. In order to address this concern, we present three new results and contributions in this study. Conducting Linux kernel instrumentation, we have collected different types of workload execution traces to quantitatively characterize job interactions, and modeled page fault behavior as a function of the overloaded memory sizes and the amount of jobs' I/O activities. Based on experimental results and collected dynamic system information, we have built a simulation model which accurately emulates the memory system operations and job migrations with virtual memory considerations. We have proposed a memory-centric load sharing scheme and its variations to effectively process dynamic memory, allocation demands, aiming at minimizing execution time of each individual job by dynamically migrating and remotely submitting jobs to eliminate or reduce page faults and to reduce the queuing time for CPU services. Conducting trace-driven simulations, we have examined these load sharing policies to show their effectiveness.
Parasitized Salamanders are Inferior Competitors for Territories and Food Resources

Parasites have been shown to impair the behaviour of their hosts, compromising the host's ability to exploit and compete for resources. We conducted two experiments to determine whether infestation with an ectoparasitic mite (Hannemania eltoni) was associated with changes in aggressive and foraging behaviour in the Ozark zigzag salamander, Plethodon angusticlavius. In a first experiment, male salamanders with high parasite loads were less aggressive overall than males with low parasite loads during territorial disputes. In addition, males with high parasite loads were more aggressive toward opponents with high parasite loads (symmetric contests) than toward opponents with low parasite loads (asymmetric contests). In contrast, males with low parasite loads did not adjust their level of aggression according to the parasite load of the opponent. In a second experiment, foraging behaviour of females was tested in response to ‘familiar’ (Drosophila) prey and ‘novel’ (termite) prey. Latency to first capture was significantly longer for parasitized than non-parasitized females when tested with ‘familiar’ prey, but not for ‘novel’ prey. Our results suggest that parasite-mediated effects may have profound influences on individual fitness in nature.
Utility of atrial and ventricular cycle length variability in determining the mechanism of paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia.

were 83%, 100%, 100%, and 95%, respectively. The corresponding values for the change in atrial CL being predicted by the change in the preceding ventricular CL for typical AVNRT or ORT were 85%, 97%, 99%, and 65%, respectively. Conclusion: Tachycardia CL variability ≥15 msec is common in PSVT. A change in atrial CL that predicts the change in subsequent ventricular CL strongly favors AT or atypical AVNRT. A change in atrial CL that is predicted by the change in the preceding ventricular CL favors typical AVNRT or ORT. (J Cardiovasc
Call for Papers---Interfaces Special Issue: Humanitarian Applications: Doing Good with Good OR

Humanitarian applications include research that is primarily directed towards promoting human welfare. For example, humanity’s top 10 problems over the next 50 years have been outlined as the following: energy, water, food, environment, poverty, terrorism, disease, education, democracy, and population. Research directed towards problems in these areas (especially globally or in resource-poor environments) has a great potential for improving social welfare. Likewise, research focused on planning and responding to disasters can have an immediate impact on reducing loss of life, easing suffering, and advancing human dignity, all of which are goals of humanitarian applications. This special issue focuses on humanitarian applications of operations research (OR) and management science (MS) models and methods in practice, or “Doing Good with Good OR.” Examples of research topics include planning and response to largescale disease outbreaks, such as pandemic influenza, improved logistics for reaching earthquake victims, implementation of new energy-market structures to enable greater distribution, solutions for fair and sustainable water allocation, more accurate prediction of hurricane paths and devastation, prevention of terrorist attacks through algorithmic identification of perpetrators, and reduction of poverty through new market mechanisms. Appropriate papers include descriptions of practice and implementation of OR/MS in industry, government, nongovernmental organizations, and education. Successful submissions will document the improved social welfare from their research in this area, with implementation and measurable impact being weighted strongly. A verification letter from the relevant organization that attests to the actual use or impact of the model and the resulting benefits must be submitted with the paper. In some of the research areas above, impact is measured in terms of prevention, such as prevention of loss of life or prevention of disasters in some cases; thus, impact might need to be assessed in nontraditional ways. However, documentation of impact and implementation is still required, even for the social problems being considered. To help prepare your paper, please review the Interfaces Instructions to Authors; click on “Submission Guidelines” at http://www.informs.org/site/ Interfaces/. Papers must be submitted online using Manuscript Central at http://mc.manuscriptcentral. com/inte. All papers will be refereed. The deadline for submission is May 15, 2009.
On The Spectral Correlation Structure of Hyperspectral Imaging Data

Spectral correlation, as quantified by the elements of the covariance matrix, plays a prominent role in the development of optimum statistical algorithms for hyperspectral data exploitation. Indeed, the most useful statistical models for hyperspectral image modeling, namely the multivariate normal distribution and the multivariate t-distribution, are parameterized by the spectral covariance matrix. The inverse of the covariance matrix, however, also has important interpretations. In this paper, we discuss the properties connected with the inverse covariance matrix and we describe their use in hyperspectral data analysis.
Assessing Performance of Cow-Calf Operations Using Epidemiology

This article examines the epidemiologic tools available to the cow-calf beef veterinarian (and cattle producer) to assess the performance of the beef cow herd and to examine ways in which these tools may be used.
My Favorite Assignment: From the ABC 2010 Annual Convention, Chicago, Illinois.

The seven Favorite Assignments featured in this article were originally presented at the 2010 ABC Annual Convention, Chicago, Illinois. The reader can consider a variety of learning objectives from team building to persuasion, application of electronic media to face-to-face communication, and much more. Some Favorite Assignments take a full semester to complete; others can be done within a single class. Each assignment reflects the individual author’s passion for active learning that stimulates practical skill-building, judgment, and communication skills.
Risk Assessment and Risk Management of Nanomaterials in the Workplace: Translating Research to Practice

In the last decade since the rise in occupational safety and health (OSH) research focusing on nanomaterials, some progress has been made in generating the health effects and exposure data needed to perform risk assessment and develop risk management guidance. Yet, substantial research gaps remain, as do challenges in the translation of these research findings to OSH guidance and workplace practice. Risk assessment is a process that integrates the hazard, exposure, and dose-response data to characterize risk in a population (e.g. workers), in order to provide health information needed for risk management decision-making. Thus, the research priorities for risk assessment are those studies that will reduce the uncertainty in the key factors that influence the estimates. Current knowledge of OSH in nanotechnology includes the following: (i) nanomaterials can be measured using standard measurement methods (respirable mass or number concentration), (ii) workplace exposures to nanomaterials can be reduced using engineering controls and personal protective equipment, and (iii) current toxicity testing and risk assessment methods are applicable to nanomaterials. Yet, to ensure protection of workers' health, research is still needed to develop (i) sensitive and quantitative measures of workers' exposure to nanomaterials, (ii) validation methods for exposure controls, and (iii) standardized criteria to categorize hazard data, including better prediction of chronic effects. This article provides a state-of-the-art overview on translating current hazard research data and risk assessment methods for nanomaterials to the development and implementation of effective risk management guidance.
Streptococcus pneumoniae: An Update on Resistance Patterns in the United States:

Streptococcus pneumoniae represents an important pathogen in numerous community-acquired respiratory infections. Penicillin resistance to Streptococcus pneumoniae in the United States has approached 35%. Additionally, there has been a significant increase in Streptococcus pneumoniae resistance among many other antimicrobial agents such as cephalosporins, macrolides, trimethoprim–sulfamethoxazole, clindamycin, tetracyclines, and chloramphenicol. Several nationwide surveillance programs have been implemented to quantify the prevalence of Streptococcus pneumoniae resistance in the United States. Overall, beta-lactam, macrolide, trimethoprim–sulfamethoxazole, and tetracycline resistance has increased over the past decade while later generation fluoroquinolones (levofloxacin and moxifloxacin) resistance has remained low. Controlling the spread of resistant pneumococcal isolates and preventing the development of both fluoroquinolone and multidrug resistant isolates will require a multidisciplinary approach invo...
Separation of observations and parameters in nonlinear filtering

Proposes a spectral approach to nonlinear filtering. It is based on the Wiener chaos decomposition on the probability space generated by the observations. This approach gives rise to new numerical schemes for nonlinear filtering. The main feature of these algorithms is that they allow one to separate the computations involving the observations from those dealing with system parameters. >
Prostate specific antigen testing in men older than 75 years in the United States.

Purpose: Although there is general agreement that men older than 75 years are unlikely to benefit from prostate specific antigen testing, patient reported testing rates in these patients exceed 30%. We examined physician reported PSA testing in elderly men, and physician and practice characteristics associated with testing.Materials and Methods: Using the 1999 to 2002 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, a nationally representative sample of outpatient visits to nonfederal office based physicians, we measured rates of prostate specific antigen testing by age group in men without prostate cancer who were 40 years or older and who visited outpatient family medicine, internal medicine or urology clinics.Results: An estimated 42.3 million prostate specific antigen tests were performed from 1999 to 2002, of which 5.91 million (14.0%) were performed in men older than 75 years. The population based testing rate was 6.1% in patients 40 to 49-year-old, 26.0% in patients 50 to 75-year-old and 27.8% in patients ...
To Raise the Golden Anchor? Financial Crises and Uncertainty During the Great Depression

This study examines the interplay between financial crises, uncertainty, and economic growth during the interwar period. Comparing the experiences of ten countries, we provide evidence that reductions in the credibility of a country's commitment to the gold standard generated capital flight and higher interest rate volatility. This volatility, in turn, was inversely correlated with economic growth. These results suggest that financial crises helped propagate the Great Depression, in part, by increasing uncertainty.
Research on Reading a Second Language

The experimental research on reading a second language concerns three questions: 1) Should initial reading be taught in the child's first language or in the second language when the second is the l...
An Interleaved, Interelement Phase-Detecting/Phase-Shifting Retrodirective Antenna Array for Interference Reduction

An interleaved, interelement phase-detecting/phase-shifting retrodirective antenna array for interference reduction is presented. This system uses two independent retrodirective subarrays to form a null in one direction while retrodirecting a beam in another direction, while also eliminating the R4 path loss of previous interleaved architectures. Retrodirectivity as well as null steering is reported at 2.4 GHz.
Pseudonecrophilia Following Spousal Homicide

A case of pseudonecrophilia by a 26-year-old male following the multiple stabbing death of his wife is reported. Intoxicated with alcohol at the time, the man positioned the corpse of his spouse to facilitate vaginal intercourse with her in the lithotomy position while he viewed soft core pornography on television. Clinical interview, a review of history, and psychological testing revealed diagnoses of antisocial personality disorder and major depression (DSM-IV, American Psychiatric Association, 1994). There was no evidence of psychosis, but some indices of mild neuropsychological impairment. The motivations for this rare case of pseudonecrophilia are discussed in relation to extant research, and a cautionary note is offered in assuming sexual causality in the investigation of homicides when there is evidence of sexual arousal or activity by the perpetrator.
HUMAN OPERANT PERFORMANCE: SENSITIVITY AND PSEUDOSENSITIVITY TO CONTINGENCIES

Undergraduates' button presses occasionally produced points exchangeable for money. Left and right buttons were initially correlated with multiple random-ratio (RR) and random-interval (RI) components, respectively. During interruptions of the multiple schedule, students filled out sentence-completion guess sheets describing the schedules, and points were contingent upon the accuracy of guesses. To test for sensitivity to schedule contingencies, schedule components were repeatedly reversed between the two buttons. Pressing rates were consistently higher in ratio than in interval components even when feedback for guesses was discontinued, demonstrating sensitivity to the difference between ratio and interval contingencies. The question was whether this sensitivity was based directly on the contingencies or whether it was rule-governed. For two students, when multiple RR RI schedules were changed to multiple RI RI schedules, rates became low in both components of the multiple RI RI schedule; however, subsequent prevention of point deliveries for the first few responses in any component produced high rates in that component. For a third student, response rates became higher in the RI component that provided the lower rate of reinforcement. In each case, performance was inconsistent with typical effects of the respective schedules with nonhuman organisms; it was therefore plausible to conclude that the apparently contingency-governed performances were instead rule-governed.
Alternative modified infant-feeding practices to prevent postnatal transmission of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 through breast milk: past, present, and future.

Preventing mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) through breastfeeding is important to reduce the number of infected children. Research on making breastfeeding safer is a high priority. The authors reviewed the attempts to develop alternative methods, other than antiretroviral (ARV) therapy of mothers and/or babies, to decontaminate breast milk of infectious HIV-1 (free and associated with lymphocytes). They also review how these methods affect milk constituents, as well as their current and prospective status. A PubMed search for English publications on methods to prevent MTCT through breast milk was completed. Methods that have been tested, other than systemicuse or ARV or immunoprophylaxis, to reduce or prevent MTCT of HIV-1 through breast milk were broadly classified into 5 groups: (1) modified feeding practices, (2) heat treatment of milk, (3) lipolysis, (4) antimicrobial treatment of the breastfeeding mother, and (5) microbicidal treatment of infected mil...
Multiple stresses from a single agent: Diverse responses to the experimental acidification of Little Rock Lake, Wisconsin

A single stress, acidification with sulfuric acid, was applied to Little Rock Lake in a whole-ecosystem manipulation. We documented a wide range of responses to the acidification, including increases in the concentrations of various chemicals, shifts in microbial processes and a major increase in water clarity to UV-B radiation. Each of these changes could in itself be considered as a separate ecosystem stress that is distinct from the intended manipulation. Acidification in Little Rock Lake was accompanied by a number of substantial changes in the occurrence of organisms. A series of detailed investigations indicates that the mechanisms underlying these organismal changes are varied but cannot usually be tied to the direct effects of acidification. Overall, our results demonstrate how multiple stresses can arise from a single agent operating on an ecosystem and suggest that singly operating stresses may actually be quite rare.
Copolymerization characteristics of fumaronitrile

Copolymerization of fumaronitrile (M2) with styrene (M1) gave the following values for characteristic copolymerization constants: r1 = 0.23 ± 0.1; r2 = 0.01 ± 0.01; Q2 = 0.6; e2 = 1.6. With methyl methacrylate (M1) the values were r1 = 3.5 ± 0.5; r2 = 0.01 ± 0.01; Q2 = 0.4; e2 = 2.0.
A look at the emissions of three low-power wireless charging devices

We examined the electromagnetic (EM) emissions of three commercially available systems that charge remote devices by use of inductive wireless power transfer (WPT) in the Low-Frequency (<;300 KHz) range. All devices have passed applicable emissions regulations We measured the temporal and spectral characteristics of the char ging and information exchange between the charger and load. The basic WPT characteristics of each device are examined. We performed a simple interference test between these devices and a 13.56 MHz Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) reader to investigate possible interference potential posed by fundamental power transfer and the data modulation produced by WPT devices Results imply that interference potential of the lower-power, data signals maybe greater than the higher-power WPT transfer signal.
The Effect of Electron-Electron Scattering on the Distribution Function in Semiconductors

We determine the effect of electron-electron scattering in semiconductors by solving the Boltzmann equation with an electron-electron collision term that relaxes the distribution to a heated, displaced Maxwellian. The Maxwellian has the same number, average velocity, and average energy as the instantaneous distribution. The effective electron-electron relaxation rate is solved for self-consistently assuming a screened Coulomb interaction. The electron distributions we find are strongly affected by electron-electron scattering, but differ significantly from heated, displaced Maxwellians.
Embryological Development of Primordial Germ-cells in the Mouse: Influence of a New Mutation, Wj

The pleiotropic mutant genes W and W v are alleles of w in the mouse, and produce anaemia, absence of fur pigmentation, and sterility in homozygotes (review by Russell, 1954). Germ-cells of both male and female homozygotes are lacking or drastically reduced in numbers at birth, the genotypes being identifiable through the concurrent anaemia. The developmental basis for this sterility was therefore sought in embryonic life and has been described (Mintz & Russell, 1955, 1957). Recently, a new mutation, W j , with comparable effects in the homozygote, arose at the same locus. Evidence that it is an allele of the W -series, but different from W or W v , will be presented elsewhere (Russell, Lawson, & Schabtach, in preparation ). In the present report, the early abnormalities characterizing W j W j will be traced and compared with those produced by the other mutant alleles, and will be considered in relation to the problems of germ-cell origin and pleiotropism. A preliminary note (Mintz, 1957) has appeared on the study.
A Novel Capacitive Sensing Principle for Microdevices

Conventional capacitive sensing places significant limitations on the sensor design due to the pull-in instability caused by the electrostatic force. The main purpose of this study is to examine a low-cost novel capacitive sensing principle based on electrostatic balance which promises to avoid these design limitations. The approach uses an asymmetric electric field on a structure with fingers that can generate a repulsive force while the gap is low and create an attractive force while the gap is large. The size and thickness of the fingers are also responsible for creating repulsive or attractive forces on the structure. This approach has recently been applied successfully in the design of capacitive actuators to provide a repulsive driving force. A new design principle for capacitive sensing is described that avoids pull-in instability by designing the fingers such that the structure is at the equilibrium.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Solvent- or temperature-controlled diastereoselective aldol reaction of methyl phenylacetate.

Unlike the enolboration–aldolization of methyl propanoate, the choice of either the solvent or temperature determines the diastereoselectivity during the enolboration–aldolization of methyl phenylacetate. In CH2Cl2, the reaction favors the anti-pathway at −78 °C and the syn-pathway at rt. Conversely, the reaction produces the anti-isomer up to rt and the syn-isomer at refluxing temperatures in nonpolar solvents.
A multi-stem feller-buncher cycle-time model for partial harvest of small-diameter wood stands

Due to the increased partial harvest of small-diameter stems and the lack of feller-buncher time-consumption information in Maine, it was necessary to develop new cycle-time equations. Data were collected from seven different sites in Maine with six different operators to capture the variability in site and stand conditions as well as operator experience and proficiency. The results showed that over 55% of the trees harvested were cut in accumulations of two or more trees. Significant variables in the final model included sum of dbh and stem count per accumulation. An approach to simulate a list of accumulations with the required variables is described based on a tree list with dbh classes. Treating the combination of operator, machine, and site conditions as a random effect in a linear mixed-effects model resulted in an adjusted R 2 of 0.40 for fixed and random effects. The combination of operator, machine, and site conditions explained 32% of the variance caused by random effects. The results of this st...
Improvement of chemotherapy safety in leukemic children

The last decade witnessed greatly improved rates of complete remission and event free survival in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia in China. More patients are capable of receiving treatment as the economy prospers. The new challenges now confronted us include standardization of diagnosis and morphology,immunology,cytogenetics and molecular biology(MICM)classification,appropriate treatment intensity based on the risk of patients' relapse,evaluation of response to early treatment especially minimal residual disease(MRD)detection. To improve chemotherapy safety,i.e.,reduction of both treatment-related mortality and rate of relapse simultaneously,as well as to provide patients with long term event-free and high quality survival,establishment and reinforcement of multi-center cooperative research,spreading standardized criteria of diagnosis and classification,appropriate adjustment of treatment intensification are needed to be accomplished.
Relationship between vertical transmission of HCMV infection and HCMV gN genotypes in Qinba mountain areas

Objective To assess the distribution of human cytomegalovirus(HCMV) glycoprotein N(gN) genotypes in the maternal and infant HCMV infected population in Qinba mountain areas of Shaanxi Province,and to explore the possible relationship between genotypes and clinical outcome of intrauterine HCMV infection.Methods Serum HCMV-IgM and HCMV-IgG levels were detected by ELISA in 434 pregnant women to determine HCMV infection in pregnant women in Qinba mountain areas.HCMV gN was detected by PCR in the 434 pairs of mother and infant,and gN genotypes were analyzed by restriction fragment length polymorphism(RFLP) analysis.Results ① HCMV-IgM positive rate in sera was 8.06%(35/434) in the pregnant women,and 3.92%(17/434) in the neonates.In the 35 pregnant women with positive HCMV-IgM,11 were confirmed infected with HCMV in their children urine.The rate of transplacental transmission of HCMV was 31.43 %(11/35).② Of the 42 cases 40 were grouped into the gN genotype 4,including 8 symptomatic infected infants and 8 asymptomatic infants and their mothers;1 infant with pathological jaundice and his mother were grouped into the gN genotype 3.③ There was no correlation between genotypes and the symptoms and prognosis of neonatal infection.Conclusion HCMV gN genotype 4 is a major genotype in maternal and infant infections in Qinba mountain areas of Shaanxi Province;gN3 and gN4 may cause mother-to-infant transmission.
Intensifying internal monitored control in college Insuring quality of teaching and education

With the arrival of popularity in higher education, its quality has been taken into account.In orde to construct internal monitored control system and to ensure education quality in colleges and universities, It is important to set up popularified education puality outlook, whole staff participation and whole process monitored control consciousness,to establish corresponding management regulation and mechnism,to analyse factors influencing the quality of teaching and talent cultivation,and to make monitored control effectively.
Sarcoma of the Bladder and Prostate

AbstractA retrospective analysis of 30 patients with primary sarcoma of the bladder and prostate is presented. Prognosis seems to be better in adults irrespective of the type of treatment. The survival rate is poor for children with sarcoma of the prostate. Two children were cured of sarcoma of the bladder by a radical operation. Sarcomas of the bladder and prostate are more common in adults more than 50 years old. The type of treatment and the results are reviewed. The place of multimodal treatment in the management of these sarcomas is discussed.
Summary of the 12th International Phytotechnology Conference: Phytotechnologies for Sustainable Development, Manhattan, Kansas, September 27-30, 2015.

The 12th International Phytotechnology Conference in Manhattan, Kansas, September 27–30, 2015, was attended by 219 people from more than 25 countries. More than 50 attended from Kansas State Univer...
CCD Photometry in the Core of the Fornax Dwarf Galaxy

The present study is concerned with the examination of properties of stars in the core of the Fornax dwarf spheroidal galaxy. Previous studies have shown that Fornax has a very diverse stellar population. Four of the globular clusters associated with Fornax were found to have metallicities significantly lower than the mean metallicity of the field population of the galaxy (Buonanno et al. 1985); these clusters point out an older, metal-poor population. Also, there are a number of luminous carbon stars, which are indicative of a much younger population (see Mould and Aaronson 1986). Studies of the field population of Fornax (Demers, Kunkel, and Hardy, 1979; Buonanno et al., 1985) have shown a dispersion in metallicity. We have measured a large sample of giant branch stars, enabling a good determination of mean properties of the Fornax stellar population, as well as allowing a comparison of stars as a function of distance from the center of Fornax.
Provider and patient perspectives on opioids and alternative treatments for managing chronic pain: a qualitative study

Abstract Background Current literature describes the limits and pitfalls of using opioid pharmacotherapy for chronic pain and the importance of identifying alternatives. The objective of this study was to identify the practical issues patients and providers face when accessing alternatives to opioids, and how multiple parties view these issues. Methods Qualitative data were gathered to evaluate the outcomes of acupuncture and chiropractic (A/C) services for chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP) using structured interview guides among patients with CMP ( n = 90) and primary care providers (PCPs) ( n = 25) purposively sampled from a managed care health care system as well as from contracted community A/C providers ( n = 14). Focus groups and interviews were conducted patients with CMP with varying histories of A/C use. Plan PCPs and contracted A/C providers took part in individual interviews. All participants were asked about their experiences managing chronic pain and experience with and/or attitudes about A/C treatment. Audio recordings were transcribed and thematically coded. A summarized version of the focus group/interview guides is included in the Additional file 1 . Results We identified four themes around opioid use: (1) attitudes toward use of opioids to manage chronic pain; (2) the limited alternative options for chronic pain management; (3) the potential of A/C care as a tool to help manage pain; and (4) the complex system around chronic pain management. Despite widespread dissatisfaction with opioid medications for pain management, many practical barriers challenged access to other options. Most of the participants’ perceived A/C care as helpful for short term pain relief. We identified that problems with timing, expectations, and plan coverage limited A/C care potential for pain relief treatment. Conclusions These results suggest that education about realistic expectations for chronic pain management and therapy options, as well as making A/C care more easily accessible, might lead to more satisfaction for patients and providers, and provide important input to policy makers. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01345409 , date of registration 28/4/2011
Chinese and world cultural models of developmental hierarchy

Prior research on cultural models of developmental hierarchy finds broad cross-national agreement among publics about the rank ordering of societies on perceived level of development, based on an omnibus measure of development. In this research, I use a multidimensional index of world hierarchy derived from subjective evaluations of a large number of national attributes to explore dimensionality in Chinese perceptions of global hierarchy. Statistical analysis show that the data exhibit over time stability and strong association with objective measures of development and with alternate subjective measures of world hierarchy. Irrespective of the national attributes evaluated, Chinese respondents produced a very similar rank-ordering of countries on each of six different indexes. The Chinese model of world hierarchy shows broad overlap with the global hierarchy produced by raters from 19 other surveyed publics. Notable differences between Chinese and world cultural models of hierarchy include especially nega...
Quantifying protein (dis)order.

Twenty-five years ago, Chothia predicted that the structural domains of all proteins can be classified into about 1000 folds ( 1 ). Later studies refined this number; however, scientists also found that some proteins or parts of proteins never assume a specific fold. These regions are called intrinsically unstructured or disordered ( 2 ). Oncogenes such as p53 or breast cancer 1 ( BRCA1 ) contain long disordered stretches, and aggregation of the disordered α-synuclein is thought to underlie Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases ( 3 , 4 ). On page 812 of this issue, Leuenberger et al. ( 5 ) map the thermodynamic stabilities of more than 8000 proteins across four organisms, providing insights not only into the evolution of protein structure and expression in cells but also into possible molecular causes and consequences of human disease.
Synthesis of 1-(2-{2-[4-Fluoro-2-(4-[18F]fluorobenzoyl)phenyl]vinyloxy}ethyl)nipecotic Acid for PET imaging of GAT-1

1047 Objectives Availability of a positron emission tomography (PET) radioligand for the GABA transporter type 1 ( GAT-1) may facilitate the pre-synaptic imaging of GABA-ergic neurons. Changes in GABA-ergic neurotransmission are associated with a number of neurological (e.g. epilepsy) and psychiatric (e.g. schizophrenia, depression, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and anxiety) conditions. The objective of this work was to synthesize a GAT-1 selective PET radioligand based on a series of fluorinated unsymmetrical benzophenone-substituted nipecotic acid derivatives that have been recently described in the literature (Quandt G, et al. (2013) Bioorg Med Chem, 21, 3363). Methods The initial target molecule chosen for radiolabeling was 1-(2-{2-[4-fluoro-2-(4-fluorobenzoyl)phenyl]-vinyloxy}ethyl)nipecotic acid, which had demonstrated in vitro inhibition of GABA uptake similar to tiagabine (FDA approved high-affinity GAT-1 inhibitor) (Quandt G, et al., 2013). As precursor the ethyl ester of the chloro-substituted analog (1-(2-{2-[4-fluoro-2-(4-chloro-benzoyl)phenyl]vinyloxy}ethyl)nipecotic acid) was prepared. That precursor was then treated with [18F]KF/K2.2.2 in DMF at 130 °C for 30 minutes, and the intermediate fluorine-18 labeled ester hydrolyzed to the acid with sodium hydroxide. Results The [18F]fluorination was performed in a TRACERlab FXFN synthesis system. 1-(2-{2-[4-Fluoro-2-(4-[18F]fluorobenzoyl)phenyl]vinyloxy}ethyl)nipecotic acid was prepared in 13% radiochemical conversion from the chloro precursor. Conclusions This work demonstrates the successful synthesis of a novel nipecotic acid derivative as a potential PET radioligand for the GABA transporter GAT-1. This radioligand and related nipecotic acid derivatives may facilitate in vitro and in vivo studies to better understand the changes to GABA-ergic neurotransmission in diseases and support the development of new treatments and therapeutics. Acknowledgements: Research was supported by NIH grant R21NS086758.
Does the Variability of Other Comprehensive Income (OCI) Play a Role in the Determination of Cost of Debt, Capital Structure and Credit Ratings?

We examine the usefulness of other comprehensive income (OCI) to debt investors in nonfinancial companies. Motivated by Merton’s (1974) real options framework, we construct a measure of incremental OCI volatility, designed to capture the effect of OCI on overall firm asset volatility, which is a primary driver of credit risk in Merton’s (1974) model. We find that the volatility of incremental OCI influences the likelihood of default, credit ratings, and the cost of debt. Overall, our evidence suggests that creditors use information from OCI in their assessment of firm credit risk and in pricing debt contracts.
Why IS: Understanding Undergraduate Students' Intentions to Choose an Information Systems Major.

The continuing losses in Information Systems (IS) enrollments over the last few years have generated a widespread concern in the IS community. Despite many speculations about what led to the downturn and what should be done to reverse it, there has been surprisingly little research that systematically investigates this issue. This paper reports a study that applied the theory of reasoned action (TRA) to understanding undergraduate students’ intentions to choose an IS major. Factors that could influence students’ choices are identified from previous research and categorized according to the TRA theoretical framework. In addition, the study explored how gender affected students’ intentions. Survey data were collected to test the research model. The results identified genuine interests in the IS field, job availability, the difficulty of the IS curriculum, and opinions from family and professors as important factors that affect students’ intentions to choose an IS major. They also suggested that female students were discouraged socially from majoring in IS. On the basis of the findings, this paper offers several recommendations on how to improve recruiting efforts to increase IS enrollments.