cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Systems Modeling to Inform Drug Policy: A Personal Odyssey

Throughout my career, I have tried to discover, document, and disseminate previously unknown empirical regularities that are relevant to the amelioration of some societal problem. This paper recounts three particular discoveries pertaining to drug abuse, drug markets, and prevention policy. The focus is on the underlying thought process and backstory, not on the discovery per se. These are not my three most important findings. Rather, they are selected because they can be explained easily, are interesting in and of themselves, and illustrate principles I offer in the conclusion as my (perhaps biased) self-assessment of keys to success when conducting policy-relevant research.
A nonfunctional requirement tradeoff analysis approach for software product line architecture design

Software product line development paradigm allows the development of intensive products simultaneously. Nonfunctional requirement analysis for the paradigm is a challenge problem, mainly due to the massive products that are involved. Especially in the situation where some products' nonfunctional requirements are not met, how do architects keep the revision, and the impact caused by the revision both minimal? This paper investigates the issue of nonfunctional requirement tradeoff analysis for software product lines at the architecture design stage, and proposes an architectural approach to assist architects in making optimal revision decisions based on nonfunctional tradeoff analysis results. In particular, the nonfunctional requirement supported in the approach at this stage is performance. The little's law has been adopted to support performance analysis for software product line architecture design. A Unified Modeling Language profile is also developed to support performance modeling for software product line architecture design, thus to facilitate architectural performance analysis.
Using unmanned aerial vehicles as relays in wireless balloon networks

Creating wireless backhaul using a network of high altitude balloons is a promising solution for future high speed Internet access. Especially, it appears to be an easy and affordable solution in remote and rural areas thanks to its infrastructureless characteristics. Ease of deployment and affordability of such networks, however, comes at the price of complicated issues introduced by dynamic and complex topology of such networks. In this paper, we address the wireless backhaul reliability problem which arises due to limited control on horizontal mobility of the balloon transceivers. Despite the possibility of moving the balloons vertically, their overall trajectories are greatly dependent on the stratospheric wind which directly affects the availability of the links. In this paper, we show that using a few unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) as relays can drastically improve the reliability of the wireless backhaul networks. We investigate the optimal paths that UAVs must follow to maximize the network reliability.
Unshackling Habeas Review: Chevron Deference and Statutory Interpretation in Immigration Detention Cases

This article questions the application of Chevron deference in federal court habeas review of statutory immigration detention challenges. Since the enactment of a mandatory detention statute for immigrants facing deportation, the Board of Immigration Appeals — an administrative body within the U.S. Department of Justice — has played an increasingly important role in interpreting the scope of detention for thousands of immigrants each year. Federal courts have long served as an important check against executive detention through habeas review and have declined to accommodate other deference norms in the immigration detention context. Federal courts have nonetheless applied Chevron to immigration detention cases without questioning whether such deference to the agency is appropriate. This article argues that federal courts should reject the application of Chevron when exercising habeas review of statutory immigration detention challenges. This article further argues that federal courts, whether or not fettered by Chevron, should apply interpretive norms that properly account for the important physical liberty interest at stake.
Corrosion‐Stress Relaxation Effects on Tensile Properties of an AZ61 Magnesium Alloy

One way to increase gas mileage 50% by 2050, a goal of the U.S. government, is to reduce the weight of the vehicle, using lightweight alloys such as magnesium. AZXX Mg alloys have been investigated for this purpose, but are still highly susceptible to stress corrosion cracking. The presence of pits and hydrogen embrittled sections concentrate the stress, leading to cracking and failure. In order to determine the interaction between tensile properties and corrosion behavior, two saltwater environments were used to examine the effects of chloride ion exposure on the corrosion of an extruded AZ61 alloy held under constant strain (approximately 80% of tensile yield strength) over 60 hours. The effects of constant strain on the surface corrosive behavior and the tensile strength were determined at various intervals. The stress-strain relationship minimally decreased over time for the salt spray environment, while large changes were seen in the stress-strain relationship for the immersion environment. In addition, there was a minimal decrease in stress over 60 hours of the AZ61 alloy in the salt spray environment but a 20% decrease in stress over 60 hours in the immersion environment. The differences between stress-strain relationships were attributed to a decrease in surface area of the samples due to the continuous presence of water for the immersion environment, which resulted in a decrease in the ability to withstand applied stress. The formation of pits due to chloride ions for both environments concentrated the applied stress, leading to a decrease in the elongation to failure for both environments.
Tetanus : Study of 8697 cases*

Records of 8,697 cases of tetanus seen over a period of 14 years are analysed. Overall mortality was 48.0%. Mortality in neonatal group was 86.38% whereas that in non-neonatal group it was 40.18%. Disease was seen more frequently in male than in female. Mortality in male was lower than in female. Incidence was highest in the first decade of life. Mortality was lowest (about 33%) in first two decades (excluding neonatal group). Mortality in neonatal group was highest (86.38%). Mortality was inversely related to length of incubation period. In cases with incubation period of 7 days or less, mortality was 58.26% in non-neonates and 94.15% in neonates. Mortality was very low (2.14%) in 2,100 cases who did not develop spasms. In cases with spasms mortality was inversely related to the length of period of onset. Temperature of 100 degrees F within first 24 hours of admission was an adverse factor and these cases had higher mortality. Cases were divided into five grades according to the severity. Mortality in each grade was significantly different from that in the other. Mortality was lower in otogenic tetanus while it was higher in post-abortion and post-injection tetanus. Tetanus following penetrating injury carried higher mortality whereas tetanus following abrasions had lower mortality. With head and face as the site of infection, mortality was low while it was high when the site of infection was a trunk. Results were similar with dose of A.T.S. ranging between 5,000 and 60,000 i.u. and tetanus immune globulin, whereas mortality was high with higher and lower dose of A.T.S. or with no A.T.S. Respiratory spasms, respiratory failure, respiratory complications and circulatory failure were the common causes of death.
Identification, characterization, and mapping of the Escherichia coli htrA gene, whose product is essential for bacterial growth only at elevated temperatures.

We identified and cloned an Escherichia coli gene called htrA (high temperature requirement). The htrA gene was originally discovered because mini-Tn10 transposon insertions in it allowed E. coli growth at 30 degrees C but prevented growth at elevated temperatures (above 42 degrees C). The htrA insertion mutants underwent a block in macromolecular synthesis and eventually lysed at the nonpermissive temperature. The htrA gene was located at approximately 3.7 min (between the fhuA and dapD loci) on the genetic map of E. coli and between 180 and 187.5 kilobases on the physical map. It coded for an unstable, 51-kilodalton protein which was processed by removal of an amino-terminal fragment, resulting in a stable, 48-kilodalton protein. Images
A model for predicting the effect of environmental degradation on damage evolution of metal-matrix composites

A life prediction model is being developed by the authors for application to continuous fiber metal-matrix composites (MMCs). The specific systems considered in this study are silicon-carbide fibers imbedded in titanium matrix. Due to multiple nonlinearities, the model utilizes a computationally based framework derived from thermodynamics and continuum mechanics. Matrix inelasticity, damage evolution, and environmental degradation due to oxidation-related effects are also included within the model. To computationally implement the model, the finite element method is used with an evolutionary analysis of a unit cell accomplished via a time-stepping algorithm. Matrix inelasticity is modeled with the Bodner anisotropic hardening viscoplastic model. Damage growth such as fiber-matrix debonding, surface cracking, and matrix cracking is modeled via the inclusion of cohesive zone elements in the unit cell. The locations of these elements are chosen to correspond with experimentally observed damage. As environmental degradation varies in form, depending on the specific system, it is accounted for by including either an outer surface layer that is embrittled due to oxidation or degraded material properties that result from oxygen-induced changes in microstructure. The current paper outlines the formulation utilized by the authors to solve this problem, and recent results are discussed. Specifically, results are given for a four-ply unidirectional composite subjected to monotonic and fatigue loadings. In both cases, environmental degradation influences the initiation and evolution of damage.
Molecular-dynamics simulation of mutual diffusion in nonideal liquid mixtures

The mutual-diffusion coefficients, D 12, of n-hexane, n-heptane, and n-octane in chloroform were modeled using equilibrium molecular-dynamics (MD) simulations of simple Lennard-Jones (LJ) fluids. Pure-component LJ parameters were obtained by comparison of simulations to experimental self-diffusion coefficients. While values of “effective” LJ parameters are not expected to simulate accurately diverse thermophysical properties over a wide range of conditions, it was recently shown that effective parameters obtained from pure self-diffusion coefficients can accurately model mutual diffusion in ideal, liquid mixtures. In this work, similar simulations are used to model diffusion in nonideal mixtures. The same combining rules used in the previous study for the cross-interaction parameters were found to be adequate to represent the composition dependence of D 12. The effect of alkane chain length on D 12 is also correctly predicted by the simulations. A commonly used assumption in empirical correlations of D 12, that its kinetic portion is a simple, compositional average of the intradiffusion coefficients, is inconsistent with the simulation results. In fact, the value of the kinetic portion of D 12 was often outside the range of values bracketed by the two intradiffusion coefficients for the nonideal system modeled here.
Theoretical investigation of magnetic order in RFeAsO (R=Ce,Pr)

Density-functional theory calculations are carried out on $R\text{FeAsO}$, $R=\text{Ce}$ and Pr, the parent compounds of the high-${T}_{c}$ superconductors $R{\text{FeAsO}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\text{F}}_{x}$, in order to determine the magnetic order of the ground state. It is found that the magnetic moments on the Fe sites adopt an antiferromagnetic order, with a stripelike pattern similar to the case of LaFeAsO. Within the generalized gradient approximation along with Coulomb on-site repulsion $(\text{GGA}+U)$, we show that the $R$ magnetic moments also adopt an antiferromagnetic order for which, within the $R\text{O}$ layer, the same spin $R$ sites lie along a zigzag line perpendicular to the Fe spin stripes. While within GGA the $R\text{ }4f$ band crosses the Fermi level, upon inclusion of on-site Coulomb interaction on the $R$ sites the $4f$ band splits and moves away from the Fermi level. If on-site Coulomb interaction is also included on the Fe sites, $R\text{FeAsO}$ is shown to change from a semimetal to a Mott insulator.
Prognostic significance of interictal epileptiform discharges in newly diagnosed seizure disorders

Abstract:EEGs performed for new-onset seizures show epileptiform discharge in approximately 18% to 56% of children and 12% to 50% of adults. An EEG after sleep deprivation improves detection of epileptiform abnormalities, showing discharge in 13% to 35% of patients whose standard EEG findings were n
SURFACE CHEMISTRY INDUCED BY HIGH ENERGY RADIATION IN SILICA OF SMALL PARTICLE STRUCTURES

Spectroscopic techniques are used to investigate energy transfer and radiation-induced reactions on the surfaces of particulate silicas. Upon subjection to high energy radiation, hydrogen atoms are produced with significant yields in all silica samples pretreated at 150 °C, for an example, G(H) = 4.2 in silica gel Davisil 60. Subsequent hydrogen addition to aromatic adsorbates such as pyrene, N,N-dimethylaniline, and methyl viologen (MV2+) proceeds on the surface in competition with the hydrogen dimerization, leading to the formation of their H adducts. Hydrogen scavenging studies revealed that such addition reactions are heterogeneous in porous silica gel with contributions from a fast intrapore reaction within several nanoseconds and a much slower diffusion influenced interpore process over many microseconds. The efficient capture of H atoms by pyrene at a small percentage of surface coverage suggests that hydrogen is produced at the specific sites where pyrene adsorbs. Electron scavenging by CHCl3, Cd2...
Quantum coherence of a narrow-band particle interacting with phonons and static disorder

This work deals with the quantum dynamics of a narrow-band particle interacting with phonons and static disorder. The present theory is exact in the limit of small bandwidth compared with the Debye energy, and covers various regimes in the parameter space of temperature and disorder strength. Therefore, the theory provides a unified framework for studying when and how the particle motion changes from coherent bandlike behavior to incoherent hopping as the temperature and/or disorder strength are increased. The theory also includes the double-well problem as a special case, where rather complete description of the particle motion is obtained.
A rigid body model of the dynamic posteroanterior motion response of the human lumbar spine.

Background: Clinicians apply posteroanterior (PA) forces to the spine for both mobility assessment and certain spinal mobilization and manipulation treatments. Commonly applied forces include low-frequency sinusoidal oscillations (<2 Hz) as used in mobilization, single haversine thrusts (<0.5 seconds) as imparted in high-velocity, low-amplitude (HVLA) manipulation, or very rapid impulsive thrusts (<5 ms) such as those delivered in mechanical-force, manually-assisted (MFMA) manipulation. Little is known about the mechanics of these procedures. Reliable methods are sought to obtain an adequate understanding of the force-induced displacement response of the lumbar spine to PA forces. Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the kinematic response of the lumbar spine to static and dynamic PA forces. Design: A 2-dimensional modal analysis was performed to predict the dynamic motion response of the lumbar spine. Methods: A 5-degree-of-freedom, lumped equivalent model was developed to predict the PA motion of the lumbar spine. Lumbar vertebrae were modeled as masses, massless-spring, and dampers, and the resulting equations of motion were solved by using a modal analysis approach. The sensitivity of the model to variations in the spring stiffness and damping coefficients was examined, and the model validity was determined by comparing the results to oscillatory and impulsive force measurements of vertebral motion associated with spine mobilization and 2 forms of spinal manipulation. Results: Model predictions, based on a damping ratio of 0.15 (moderate damping) and PA spring stiffness coefficient ranging from 25 to 60 kN/m, showed good agreement with in vivo human studies. Quasi-static and low-frequency (<2.0 Hz) forces at L3 produced L3 segmental and L3-L4 intersegmental displacements up to 8.1 mm and 3.0 mm, respectively. PA oscillatory motions were over 2.5-fold greater for oscillatory forces applied at the natural frequency. Impulsive forces produced much lower segmental displacements in comparison to static and oscillatory forces. Differences in intersegmental displacements resulting from impulsive, static, and oscillatory forces were much less remarkable. The latter suggests that intersegmental motions produced by spinal manipulation may play a prominent role in eliciting therapeutic responses. Conclusions: The simple analytical model presented in this study can be used to predict the static, cyclic, and impulsive force PA displacement response of the lumbar spine. The model provides data on lumbar segmental and intersegmental motion patterns that are otherwise difficult to obtain experimentally. Modeling of the PA motion response of the lumbar spine to PA forces assists in the understanding the biomechanics of therapeutic PA forces applied to the lumbar spine and may ultimately be used to validate chiropractic technique procedures and minimize risk to patients receiving spinal manipulative therapy. (J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2002;25:485-96)
Non-penetrating deep sclerectomy (NPDS) with or without collagen device (CD) in primary open-angle glaucoma : middle-term retrospective study

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the middle-term tonometric results of a new filtering procedure, the non-penetrating deep sclerectomy with or without collagen device, in primary open-angle glaucoma. This technic aims to eliminate or minimize the complications of classical trabeculectomy. Method: This procedure was carried out by Koslov and colleagues. This is performed under a limbal-based conjunctival flap and a superfical scleral flap, the ablation of a deep scleral flap taking away the external wall of Schlemm's canal, only living in place the Descemet membrane. One must obtain a visible filtration across the opened Schlemm's canal and Descemet membrane. To improve the aqueous filtration, a cylindric collagen device, made from porcine scleral tissue, biocompatible, known for its high water content, is fixed in the deep scleral bed with a 10/0 nylon suture. This device provides a support for the elimination route of aqueous humor and acts like a sponge, carrying the liquid by capillary action. It is sterilized by irradiation. Full guarantee against viral contamination is provided. This procedure ends in one suture (10/0 nylon) of superficial scleral flap and conjunctival closing suture. When NPDS is performed without CD, a sponge of 5FU is used and the superficial scleral flap is not sutured.
Democratic Representation and the Constituency Paradox

That acts of democratic representation participate in creating the interests for which legislators and other officials purport merely to stand gives rise to the “constituency paradox.” I elucidate this paradox through a critical reading of Hanna Pitkin's The Concept of Representation, together with her classic study of the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein, Wittgenstein and Justice. Pitkin's core insight into democratic representation is that democratic representation is “quasi-performative”: an activity that mobilizes constituencies by the interests it claims in their name. I develop this insight together with its implications for contemporary scholarship on the political effects of economic equality. I conclude by arguing that the fundamental democratic deficiency of the US political system goes much deeper than its disproportionate responsiveness to wealthy interests; it is a matter of system biases that foster the formation and expression of those interests, while mitigating against mobilization by those Americans who want inequality to be reduced.
The Psychosocial Vulnerability Model of Hostility as a Predictor of Coronary Heart Disease in Low-income African Americans

The current study examined social support and stress as mediators of the hostility—coronary heart disease (CHD) relationship as suggested by the psychosocial vulnerability model in a sample of low-income African Americans. Among 95 CHD patients and 30 healthy controls, hostility was negatively correlated with social support, but was not related to minor stress. CHD patients endorsed higher levels of hostility; however, the relationship between hostility and CHD status was diminished once stress and social support were included in the model. This study lends partial support for the psychosocial vulnerability model of hostility in African Americans, but suggests that the relationship between hostility and stress may be impacted by socioeconomic status.
Spatially resolved estimation of ozone-related mortality in the United States under two Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) and their uncertainty.

The spatial pattern of the uncertainty in air pollution-related health impacts due to climate change has rarely been studied due to the lack of high-resolution model simulations, especially under the Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs), the latest greenhouse gas emission pathways. We estimated future tropospheric ozone (O3) and related excess mortality and evaluated the associated uncertainties in the continental United States under RCPs. Based on dynamically downscaled climate model simulations, we calculated changes in O3 level at 12 km resolution between the future (2057 and 2059) and base years (2001–2004) under a low-to-medium emission scenario (RCP4.5) and a fossil fuel intensive emission scenario (RCP8.5). We then estimated the excess mortality attributable to changes in O3. Finally, we analyzed the sensitivity of the excess mortality estimates to the input variables and the uncertainty in the excess mortality estimation using Monte Carlo simulations. O3-related premature deaths in the continental U.S. were estimated to be 1312 deaths/year under RCP8.5 (95 % confidence interval (CI): 427 to 2198) and −2118 deaths/year under RCP4.5 (95 % CI: −3021 to −1216), when allowing for climate change and emissions reduction. The uncertainty of O3-related excess mortality estimates was mainly caused by RCP emissions pathways. Excess mortality estimates attributable to the combined effect of climate and emission changes on O3 as well as the associated uncertainties vary substantially in space and so do the most influential input variables. Spatially resolved data is crucial to develop effective community level mitigation and adaptation policy.
Two tumor suppressive loci on chromosome 10 involved in human glioblastomas

A number of cytogenetic and molecular analyses have revealed very frequent and extensive losses of regions of chromosome 10 in human glioblastomas. Our recent studies have demonstrated that the transfer of a chromosome 10 into human glioblastoma cells resulted in suppression of their transformed and tumorigenic phenotype. To localize the suppressive region further, we isolated and characterized certain hybrid cells that had undergone chromosomal rearrangements to yield hybrid cells retaining only various regions of the inserted chromosome 10. One series of subclones showed the loss of the majority of the long arm of chromosome 10 (10q21-10qter) and regained the ability to grow under anchorage-independent conditions, but the cells still failed to exhibit significant tumorigenicity in nude mice. Another set of subclones exhibited major deletions of large segments of the long arm of chromosome 10 (10q21-q23; 10q26-qter), yet retained certain distal alleles associated with 10q24 to 10q26. These subclones were identical in their biological characteristics to the hybrids containing an intact chromosome 10, exhibiting no growth in soft agarose or in nude mice. These results implicate the presence of two independent phenotypically suppressive regions on chromosome 10 (10pter-q11 and 10q24-q26) that are involved in glioma progression.
Targeted DNA Methylation Analysis by Next-generation Sequencing

The role of epigenetic processes in the control of gene expression has been known for a number of years. DNA methylation at cytosine residues is of particular interest for epigenetic studies as it has been demonstrated to be both a long lasting and a dynamic regulator of gene expression. Efforts to examine epigenetic changes in health and disease have been hindered by the lack of high-throughput, quantitatively accurate methods. With the advent and popularization of next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies, these tools are now being applied to epigenomics in addition to existing genomic and transcriptomic methodologies. For epigenetic investigations of cytosine methylation where regions of interest, such as specific gene promoters or CpG islands, have been identified and there is a need to examine significant numbers of samples with high quantitative accuracy, we have developed a method called Bisulfite Amplicon Sequencing (BSAS). This method combines bisulfite conversion with targeted amplification of regions of interest, transposome-mediated library construction and benchtop NGS. BSAS offers a rapid and efficient method for analysis of up to 10 kb of targeted regions in up to 96 samples at a time that can be performed by most research groups with basic molecular biology skills. The results provide absolute quantitation of cytosine methylation with base specificity. BSAS can be applied to any genomic region from any DNA source. This method is useful for hypothesis testing studies of target regions of interest as well as confirmation of regions identified in genome-wide methylation analyses such as whole genome bisulfite sequencing, reduced representation bisulfite sequencing, and methylated DNA immunoprecipitation sequencing.
The natural history of anteroposterior laxity and its role in knee osteoarthritis progression

Objective To test the hypotheses that 1) osteoarthritic (OA) knees at more advanced stages have less anteroposterior (AP) laxity compared with OA knees at milder stages, 2) AP laxity decreases over time, and 3) the absence of a decrease in AP laxity is associated with greater progression of medial tibiofemoral OA. Methods The study group comprised 230 patients with knee OA (75% women, mean age 64 years, mean body mass index [BMI] 30 kg/m2). At baseline and 18 months, AP laxity was measured (in millimeters of tibial translation, under AP shear loading), and semiflexed AP knee radiographs (with knee position confirmed by fluoroscopy) were obtained. Osteophytes were graded for each compartment, using a scale of 0–4. Disease progression was measured as the amount of medial joint space loss between baseline and followup, using linear regression with generalized estimating equations. Results At baseline, measurements of AP laxity were lower in knees with a Kellgren/Lawrence (K/L) score of 4 (mean ± SD 5.0 ± 2.1 mm) than in those with a K/L score of 0–1 (mean ± SD 7.1 ± 2.6 mm). There was a weak negative correlation between osteophyte grade and AP laxity. In knees with a K/L score of 0–2, AP laxity was slightly lower at 18 months than at baseline. AP laxity at baseline was not a predictor of progression of OA. Knees without a decrease in AP laxity had a greater loss of medial joint space (0.22 mm greater, after adjusting for age, sex, and BMI) than did knees in which laxity decreased. Conclusion AP laxity at baseline is not predictive of progression of OA. Although knees with a K/L score of 4 had less AP laxity than those with a K/L score of 0–1, most of this difference was attributable to the significant difference in AP laxity between knees with a K/L score of 0–1 and knees with a K/L score of 2 (i.e., definite osteophytes). Knees in which AP laxity decreased had less medial joint space loss than did knees without a decrease in AP laxity. The knee joint may successfully compensate for AP laxity; the absence of such compensation may have a deleterious effect.
Synthesis and characterization of novel fulleropyrrolidine in P3HT blended bulk heterojunction solar cells

Abstract Synthesis of novel fullerene derived electron acceptors and characterization of their organic photovoltaic (OPV) properties is important for advancing fundamental knowledge towards developing next generation organic solar cells. We report the synthesis of a novel fulleropyrrolidine derivative C60-fused N-(3-methoxypropyl)-2-(carboxyethyl)-5-(4-cyanophenyl)fulleropyrrolidine (NCPF) by 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction and characterization of NCPF by 1 H NMR, 13 C NMR, MALDI-TOFMS, FT-IR, UV–Vis and CV. The synthesized NCPF fullerene derivative showed good solubility in common organic solvents such as chlorobenzene and 1,2 dichlorobenzene important for film formation, with optical absorbance and electronic properties comparable to PCBM. Optical micrographs of P3HT:PCBM thin films reveal formation of sparse, phase segregated needle shape PCBM micro-crystalline aggregates after 1 h of annealing at 150 °C whose length follows nucleation and growth kinetics over 24 h. In contrast, the P3HT:NCPF thin films exhibit homogeneity over 24 h, possibly due to weaker interparticle vanderWaals forces and/or stronger interactions with P3HT. This long term morphological stability of P3HT:NCPF is important for extended use in OPV applications. At an order of magnitude smaller scale, AFM of as cast and 10 min annealed at 150 °C P3HT:PCBM and P3HT:NCPF films reveal mostly smooth surfaces, with some NCPF cluster formation. Grazing incidence wide angle X-ray scattering (GIWAXS) measurements of P3HT:NCPF films indicate an increase of P3HT crystallinity with thermal annealing, leading to improvement in device performance. Photovoltaic devices fabricated with the active layer of P3HT:NCPF and P3HT:PCBM sandwiched between ITO/PEDOT:PSS and Al layer showed comparable performance upon short term annealing.
Putative Role of Calpain in the Pathophysiology of Experimental Optic Neuritis

Since myelin proteins are degraded in autoimmune demyelinating diseases such as optic neuritis, proteinases are believed to participate in myelinolysis. Calpain (calcium activated neutral proteinase) degrades myelin proteins at physiological pH and is found in glial and inflammatory cells involved in demyelination. To examine the putative role of calpain in myelinolysis, the activity and expression (translational and transcriptional) of this enzyme and endogenous inhibitor, calpastatin were examined in optic nerves of Lewis rats with experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE), an animal model of optic neuritis. Calpain activity was examined via Western blotting by measuring the extent of myelin protein degradation and calpain-specific fodrin proteolysis in optic nerves from controls versus rats with experimental optic neuritis. RT-PCR studies demonstrated no significant change in millicalpain, microcalpain, or calpastatin expression at the mRNA level in optic nerves from animals with experimental optic neuritis compared to controls. However, myelin associated glycoprotein (MAG) levels were decreased by 25.5% while calpain translational expression and calpain-autolyzed fodrin levels were increased by 72.1% and 462.8% respectively, in experimental optic neuritis compared to controls. Translational expression of calpastatin isoforms (80, 68 and 55 KD) was not significantly different in rats with experimental optic neuritis compared to controls. Thus, increased activity and translational expression of calpain in experimental optic neuritis suggests this proteinase may participate in the degradation of myelin and cytoskeletal proteins in demyelinating diseases such as optic neuritis.
Arthroscopic Bankart Repair Versus Nonoperative Treatment for Acute, Initial Anterior Shoulder Dislocations

A prospective study evaluating nonoperative treatment versus arthroscopic Bankart suture repair for acute, initial dislocation of the shoulder was undertaken in young athletes. All patients met the following criteria: 1) sustained an acute first-time traumatic anterior dislocation, 2) no history of impingement or occult subluxation, 3) the dislocation required a manual reduction, and 4) no concomitant neurologic injury. Thirty-six athletes (average age, 20 years) met the criteria for inclusion. Group I patients were immobilized for 1 month followed by rehabilitation; they were allowed full activity at 4 months. Group II patients underwent arthroscopic Bankart repair followed by the same protocol as Group I. Group I consisted of 15 athletes. Twelve patients (80%) developed recurrent instability; 7 of the 12 have required open Bankart repair for recurrent instability. Group II consisted of 21 patients; 18 patients (86%) had no recurrent instability at last followup (average, 32 months; range, 15 to 45) (P = 0.001). One patient in Group II has required a subsequent open Bankart repair to treat symptomatic recurrence (P = 0.005). In this study, arthroscopic Bankart repair significantly reduced the recurrence rate in young athletes who sustained an acute, initial anterior dislocation of the shoulder.
Myelination of rat sciatic nerve: comparison of undernutrition and cholesterol biosynthesis inhibition.

The effects of partial feeding and subsequent free feeding on myelination of rat sciatic nerve were investigated and compared with the effects of daily i.p. administration of AY9944 (trans-1, 4-bis-(2-chlorobenzylaminomethyl)-cyclohexane dihydrochloride), a cholesterol biosynthesis inhibitor. The frequency distributions of myelin sheath thicknesses in electron micrographs of sciatic nerves of experimental and control littermates were compared together with the relationships of axon circumference to myelin sheath thickness. Undernutrition and administration of a hypocholesteremic drug (AY9944) had dissimilar effects on myelinating rat sciatic nerve. Myelination of rat sciatic nerve was retarded more than the circumferential growth of the axon by undernutrition from 4 to 12, 4 to 18, and 12 to 26 days of age. The retardation of myelination caused by undernutrition from 4–12 days of age was still evident at 26 days of age but not at 34 days of age, whereas retardation of myelination after undernutrition from 4 to 18 days of age was still present at 46 days of age. AY9944 had no effect on the frequency distributions of myelin sheath thickness although 22% of Schwann cells in the 11 day old rats injected daily from 2 days of age contained crystalline and lamellar inclusions; and the AY9944 treated rats gained weight less quickly than their littermates. Undernutrition during a critical period in the development of rat peripheral nerve can cause deficits in myelin accumulation not fully accounted for by generalized growth retardation.
Presidents and minority set-aside policies: race, gender and small opportunities

This essay analyzes the impact of presidential leadership on minority set-asides policy. It traces the origins of the policy and shows how presidents have both promoted and reacted to changes in public opinion. It also shows how local politicians use set-asides to facilitate exchanges and cooperation with the business elites. The termination of set-aside policies will lead to a negative effect on government efforts to incorporate minorities into the economic mainstream.
Characterization and reactivity of iron nanoparticles prepared with added Cu, Pd, and Ni

The association of a secondary metal with iron particles affects redox reactivity in engineered remediation systems. However, the structural characteristics of the metal additives and mechanism responsible for changes in reactivity have not been fully elucidated. Here, we synthesized iron nanoparticles with Cu, Pd, and Ni content ranging from 0-2 mol % via a solution deposition process (SDP), hydrogen reduction process (HRP), or hydrogen reduction of ferrihydrite coprecipitated with the metal cations (HRCO). Results from solid-state characterization show that the synthesis methods produced similar iron core/magnetite shell particles but produced substantial differences in terms of the distribution of the metal additives. In SDP, the metal additives were heterogeneously distributed on the surface of the particles. The metal additives were clearly discernible in TEM images as spherical nanoparticles (5-20 nm) on the HRP and HRCO particles. Because the metals were integral to the synthesis process, we hypothesize that the metal additive is present as solute within the iron core of the HRCO particles. Kinetic batch experiments of carbon tetrachloride (CT) degradation were performed to quantitatively compare the redox reactivity of the particles. Overall, metal additives resulted in enhanced pseudo-first-order rate constants of CT degradation (k(O,CT)) compared to that of the iron nanoparticles. For the bimetallic iron nanoparticles prepared by SDP and HRP, k(O,CT) increased with the concentration of metal additives. The values of chloroform yield (Y(CF)) were independent of the identity and amount of metal additives. However, both k(O,CT) and Y(CF) of the HRCO iron particles were significantly increased. Results suggest that it is the distribution of the metal additives that most strongly impacts reactivity and product distribution. For example, for materials with ca. 0.9 mol % Ni, reactivity and Y(CF) varied substantially (HRCO > SDP > HRP), and HRCO-NiFe resulted in the lowest final chloroform concentration because chloroform was rapidly dechlorinated. In addition, sequential spike experiments for long-term reactivity demonstrated that the presence of the metal additives facilitated reduction by enabling greater utilization of Fe(0).
On the thermodynamics of elastic-plastic materials with temperature-dependent moduli and yield stresses

The subject of this article is the thermodynamics of perfect elastic-plastic materials undergoing unidimensional, but not necessarily isothermal, deformations. The first and second laws of thermodynamics are employed in a form in which only the following quantities appear: the temperature θ, the elastic strain λ e, the plastic strain λ p, the elastic modulus μ(gq), the yield strain α(gq), the heat capacity κ θ(λe, λ p,θ), the latent elastic heat Λ e(λe, λ p, θ), and the latent plastic heat Λ p(λe, λ p, θ). Relations among the response functions μ, α, κ θ, Λ e, and Λ p are derived, and it is shown that a set of these relations gives a necessary and sufficient condition for compliance with the laws of thermodynamics. Some observations are made about the existence and uniqueness of energy and entropy as functions of state.
Low-Frequency Compensation of Video-Frequency Amplifiers

The low-frequency response of a conventional multistage plate-compensated video amplifier is analyzed in terms of the distortion of a square wave as measured by a rounding of the wave form. Design criteria are derived to give control of the amount of rounding in the initial design of the amplifier. Amplifier compensation effected by inclusion of a discrete impedance in the screen-grid circuit is discussed, and design formulae are derived. Comparisons of this type of compensation with that where compensation is effected exclusively in the plate circuit are made. The comparisons show that it is difficult to make a strong case favoring the adoption of screen compensation, except when direct coupling is utilized.
Identification of an Mr 77,000 - 80,000 product of in vitro translation of rat liver mRNA using antibody to glycogen synthase.

Abstract Rabbit antibody to rat liver glycogen synthase has been used to identify a product of Mr 77,000 – 80,000 from in vitro translation of rat liver mRNA. A comparison of various protease inhibitors on the relative molecular weight of rat liver glycogen synthase suggest that higher molecular weight enzyme forms could arise from incomplete hydrolysis of glycogen before enzyme isolation and enzyme subunit Mr determinations.
A dietary approach to prevent hypertension: a review of the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) Study

Background: Populations eating mainly vegetarian diets have lower blood pressure levels than those eating omnivorous diets. Epidemiologic findings suggest that eating fruits and vegetables lowers blood pressure. Hypothesis: Two hypotheses were tested: (1) that high intake of fruits and vegetables lowers blood pressure, and (2) that an overall dietary pattern (known as the DASH diet, or DASH combination diet) that is high in fruits, vegetables, nuts, and low-fat dairy products, emphasizes fish and chicken rather than red meat, and is low in saturated fat, cholesterol, sugar, and refined carbohydrate lowers blood pressure. Methods: Participants were 459 adults with untreated systolic blood pressure < 160 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure 80–95 mmHg. After a 3-week run-in on a control diet typical of Americans, they were randomized to 8 weeks receiving either the control diet, or a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, or the DASH diet. The participants were given all of their foods to eat, and body weight and sodium intake were held constant. Blood pressure was measured at the clinic and by 24-h ambulatory monitoring. Results: The DASH diet lowered systolic blood pressure significantly in the total group by 5.5/3.0 mmHg, in African Americans by 6.9/3.7 mmHg, in Caucasians by 3.3/2.4 mmHg, in hypertensives by 11.6/5.3 mmHg, and in nonhypertensives by 3.5/2.2 mmHg. The fruits and vegetables diet also reduced blood pressure in the same subgroups, but to a lesser extent. The DASH diet lowered blood pressure similarly throughout the day and night. Conclusions: The DASH diet may offer an alternative to drug therapy in hypertensives and, as a population approach, may prevent hypertension, particularly in African Americans.
Mechanical Performance of Pumice-reinforced Epoxy Composites:

Currently, most cellular solid sandwich panel cores require multiple advanced manufacturing procedures that drive increasing costs for applications. Pumice is a naturally occurring cellular solid that exhibits a microstructure very similar to advanced ceramic foams. This work presents a manufacturing process for producing composite panels of pumice stones and epoxy binder. The cost and weight efficient structure is evaluated through mechanical testing and investigated for possible energy absorption applications. Mechanical performance as a function of relative density is presented and compared to currently available core materials, and scaling laws developed.
Bioavailable Testosterone Should be Used for the Determination of Androgen Levels in Infertile Men

Purpose: We determined the relationship between total testosterone and bioavailable testosterone in men presenting with infertility. In addition, the effects of body mass index and age on testosterone levels were examined. To determine if total testosterone measurements are an accurate reflection of tissue available testosterone in infertile men, levels of total testosterone were compared to bioavailable testosterone levels.Materials and Methods: Males presenting with infertility were studied. A total of 73 patients underwent complete history and physical examination. Serum levels of total testosterone and bioavailable testosterone were measured as a morning sample in all patients. Patients were classified as having low, normal or high levels of total or bioavailable testosterone. To determine the effect of obesity, patient weight was converted to body mass index for analysis.Results: Of 73 patients evaluated 34 (47%) had low total testosterone levels while only 19 (26%) had low bioavailable testosterone ...
Audiences' reactions to self-enhancing, self-denigrating, and accurate self-presentations

Abstract Subjects in three experiments evaluated hypothetical actors whose claims about either an upcoming or past performance and whose performances were system-atically varied from very positive to very negative. Positive, self-enhancing claims were effective in generating favorable evaluations when either the claim was congruent with the performance or the subjects were unaware of how the actor performed. In general, accurate self-presentations were most favorably evaluated, especially when the claim occurred after the performance. The two exceptions to the preference for accurate self-presenters occurred when (a) the actor modestly underestimated a clearly superior prior performance by claiming to have done “only” well or all right, in which case he/she was evaluated more favorably than an accurate but seemingly boastful actor who claimed to have done extremely well, and (b) the actor self-deprecatingly predicted an inferior performance, in which case he/she was disliked even when accurate. Disclaimers about the importance of the performance (e.t., “I did well, but it's no big deal”) were seen as boastful rather than modest and decreased evaluations. The results mirror many of the tactics used by actor-subjects in past experiments, suggesting that people generally vary their self-presentations in optimal fashion to create the most favorable possible impression on the audience.
Capture of Neutrons by Atoms in a Crystal

The precise determination of the properties of nuclear resonance levels from the capture of slow neutrons is made difficult by the fact that most of the substances used for absorbers and detectors are in the solid state, so that the calculations of Bethe and Placzek for the influence of the Doppler effect are inapplicable, since these were based on the assumption of a perfect gas. In this paper, their calculations are generalized to include the effect of the lattice binding. Under the assumption that the crystal may be treated as a Debye continuum, it is shown that for sufficiently weak lattice binding, the absorption curve has the same form as it would in a gas, not at the temperature $T$ of the crystal, however, but at a temperature which corresponds to the average energy per vibrational degree of freedom of the lattice (including zero-point energy). In cases of somewhat stronger lattice binding, the line form is found to be more complicated, and may even have a fine structure. Plots are given of the absorption line in several typical cases. An approximate formula for the cross section for self-indication is also derived.
Add-Back Therapy: Extending Safety and Efficacy of GnRH Analogues in the Gynecologic Patient

GnRH analogues have been demonstrated to be effective medical therapy for symptomatic endometriosis. The use of these agents has been limited to 6 months due to hypoestrogenic side effects. A variety of steroidal and nonsteroidal add-back regimens have been used in an effort to eliminate such side effects while maintaining efficacy in order to enhance compliance, safety and duration such side effects while maintaining efficacy in order to enhance compliance, safety and duration of administration of these agents. Only 3 regimens have been shown to be efficacious in prolonging analogue use beyond 6 months by reducing vasomotor symptoms as well as preventing significant bone mineral density loss. These include daily norethindrone acetate 5 mg alone or in conjunction with conjugated equine estrogens 0.625 mg daily, as well as norethindrone 2.5 mg daily in conjunction with an organic bisphosphonate. With further investigation, such regimens may allow safe prolongation of GnRH analogue use without sacrificing efficacy in those endometriosis patients with severe pelvic pain.