cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of chronic d-amphetamine treatment on cocaine- and food-maintained responding under a progressive-ratio schedule in rhesus monkeys.

d-Amphetamine is a candidate agonist medication for the treatment of cocaine dependence, and evaluation of d-amphetamine effects on abuse-related effects of cocaine in preclinical assays is warranted. This study was designed to assess the effects of chronic d-amphetamine treatment on cocaine- and food-maintained responding under a progressive-ratio schedule in rhesus monkeys. The effects of schedule manipulations on cocaine and food-maintained responding were also examined for comparison with d-amphetamine effects. Key-press responding under a progressive-ratio schedule resulted in the delivery of cocaine (0.032 mg/kg per injection) or 1 g food pellets. The effect of manipulating cocaine dose (saline, 0.001–0.1 mg/kg per injection) or the number of food pellets delivered (0, 1 and 4 pellets) was determined. Subsequently, three schedule parameters were manipulated: (1) starting ratio value, (2) increments of the ratio progression, and (3) duration of post-reinforcer time-outs when the ratio value was constant. Finally, the effects of 10-day treatment with d-amphetamine (0.01–0.1 mg/kg per hour) were examined. Break points increased as a function of cocaine dose or the number of food pellets, and similar break points were maintained by delivery of 0.032 mg/kg per injection cocaine and 1 food pellet. Manipulation of schedule parameters produced similar effects on responding maintained by cocaine (0.032 mg/kg per injection) or food (1 pellet). In contrast, d-amphetamine produced a dose-dependent decrease in cocaine-maintained responding and had less consistent effects on food-maintained responding. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that chronic treatment with d-amphetamine decreases cocaine self-administration in rhesus monkeys, possibly by attenuating the reinforcing effects of cocaine.
The Natural History of Renal Angiomyolipoma

AbstractOf 35 patients with 48 angiomyolipomas 24 patients were followed clinically to determine the natural history of angiomyolipoma. Average patient age at presentation was 50 years (range 17 to 74) and of the patients 94% were women, 17% had tuberous sclerosis and 25% overall had bilateral disease. The patients could be divided into 2 distinct groups based on tumor size of 4cm. or less and greater than 4cm. Those with tumors less than 4cm. were less likely to be symptomatic (24%) and patients with angiomyolipomas greater than 4cm. were more often symptomatic (52%). No surgery was required for tumors less than 4cm. but for 30% of the tumors greater than 4cm. surgical intervention was necessary.Unlike any previously reported large series this study included radiological and historical followup available for 24 patients with angiomyolipoma with a mean followup time of 4 years (range 0.5 to 14). Moreover, to our knowledge we report for the first time documented growth during the study period of 27% of ang...
Pain and the paintbrush: the life and art of Frida Kahlo.

By witnessing the suffering, grief, and doubt in Frida Kahlo's paintings, we can contemplate the experience of pain from the perspective of the patient.
Sample Preparation Methodology for SIMS Analysis on Polar Pattern Failure

For advanced multilayered complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) devices, high contact resistance on bonding pads is one of the most common issues to cause device failure. The root cause of the high contact resistance is difficult to identify via traditional methods. Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) is effective and efficient approach to detect defects in the suspected layer. In this study, the effective delayer sample preparation processes were investigated for TOF-SIMS failure analysis (FA). The criteria for the device failure were also proposed.
Modeling of Osteoprobe indentation on bone.

Abstract Osteoprobe (ActiveLife, Santa Barbara, CA) is a novel handheld microindentation instrument designed to test bone in vivo by measuring a Bone Material Strength index (BMSi). In this paper, the Osteoprobe indentation on a cortical bone is modeled computationally to gain insights into the physical interpretation of the BMSi output. The analysis is conducted using an axisymmetric finite element model with an isotropic viscoelastic-plastic constitutive law with continuum damage. The computational model is validated by comparing it with experimental data from the literature. Experimental factors (indenter tip radius and friction coefficient between the indenter and the bone) and four mechanical properties of bone (Young's modulus, compressive yield stress, and damage and viscosity constants) are varied to study their influence on the BMSi. We find that varying the friction coefficient can proportionally change the BMSi up to 3%. The indenter tip radius is proportional to the BMSi, with a more pronounced proportional relation when it is greater than 30 µm. Young's modulus has a proportional relation with the BMSi, where decreasing it by 73% reduces the BMSi by 41%. The damage constant has an inversely proportional relation to the BMSi, where increasing it from 0.5 to 0.96 reduces the BMSi by 29%. The compressive yield stress and the viscosity constant have a close proportional relation to the BMSi, where increasing the compressive yield stress from 50 MPa to 200 MPa increases the Osteoprobe BMSi by 21%. In summary, the friction coefficient and the indenter tip radius (when smaller than 30 µm) have a small effect on BMSi. Young's modulus and damage have stronger relations with the BMSi than compressive yield stress and viscosity constant. This fundamental study provides new insights into the BMSi measurement and serves as a basis for further computational and experimental investigations on the Osteoprobe technique. Such research is needed to facilitate the embrace of this technique by the clinical community.
Risk Factors and Associated Complications of Symptomatic Venous Thromboembolism in Patients with Craniotomy for Meningioma.

Objective Patients undergoing surgical resection of meningioma are at increased risk for developing venous thromboembolism (VTE). The aim of this study was to assess occurrence of VTE in patients who underwent surgical resection of meningioma to determine risk factors and associated complications of VTE. Methods The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Project database from 2012 to 2015 was reviewed for patients who had undergone meningioma resection according to primary Current Procedural Terminology codes and International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision. Results The study included 5036 patients with meningioma. Rate of VTE was 3.38%, with pulmonary embolism rate of 1.47% and deep venous thrombosis rate of 2.42%. During the first 30 days after surgery, patients with VTE had a mortality rate of 5.88% compared with 1.15% for patients without VTE. Multivariate binary logistic regression analysis determined 5 risk factors for VTE,: age ≥60 years, American Society of Anesthesiologists classification III, operative time ≥310 minutes, ventilator dependence, and preoperative transfusions. Univariate analysis revealed a number of complications significantly associated with VTE occurrence, including unplanned intubation, ventilator use for >48 hours, stroke, sepsis, septic shock, pneumonia, urinary tract infection, and transfusions. Conclusions Risk factors of VTE and associated complications were identified. Understanding these risk factors provides physicians with further insight in managing this subgroup of patients in a personalized fashion in the perioperative period to minimize the incidence and morbidity of VTE.
A Conceptual Framework and Pilot Study for Examining Telemedicine Satisfaction Research

Stakeholder satisfaction is often considered a key to the success of telemedicine systems. However, it can be difficult to understand and compare satisfaction evaluations because of variations in reporting and study designs. This research will contribute to the knowledge by developing a conceptual framework around key concepts that relate to understanding studies on telemedicine satisfaction. The framework is built based on a developmental review of the telemedicine and telehealth literature obtained from searches of PubMed and Google Scholar. Using a conceptual matrix, researchers have synthesized the results into a framework that includes: satisfaction dimensions, stakeholders, type of care, type of system, context and methodologies. This research expands these concepts by discussing attributes of each and tests the framework by conducting a pilot study that identifies the concepts in primary study sources. The results of the framework and the pilot study are reported.
Estimation of delamination crack depth using passive thermography

Passive thermography is used to monitor small increases in temperature resulting from delamination damage formation in a composite hat-stiffened panel during quasi-static loading. The heating is composed of two heat generation components. The first component is an instantaneous response due to a strain release during quasi-static loading. The second component is mechanical heating, at the interface of failure, due to fracture damage. This second component produces a transient rise in temperature that is a function of the damage depth and thermal diffusivity. The first component defines the thermal start time for the transient response. A one-dimensional thermal model is used to determine the damage depth. The results are compared to ultrasonic and X-ray CT data. The advantages and limitations of the thermal technique for damage depth detection are discussed.
Abstract 2866: Surfaceome profiling in osteosarcoma: Identification of the candidate immunotherapeutic target

Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common primary malignant bone tumor in pediatric patients. Current developments in targeted therapeutic strategies show potential clinical implications in cancer treatments. However, immunotherapies such as antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) or CAR-T cell therapy have not been sufficiently studied in OS because of the lack of tumor-specific target. In this study, we developed a multi-step RNA-seq based pipeline. First, we did RNA sequencing for our OS PDX models and 17 patient-derived OS cell lines. The results are then pooled with the RNQ-seq data from 111 OS patient via the Therapeutically Applicable Research to Generate Effective Treatments project (TARGET). All these tumor data are subsequently compared with normal tissue RNA-sequencing data from NIH Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) database. The significantly differentially expressed genes (log fold change tumor versus normal >1 for each tissue, p Note: This abstract was not presented at the meeting. Citation Format: Yifei Wang, Zhongting Zhang, Sankaranarayanan Kannan, Wendong Zhang, Michael Roth, Jonathan B. Gill, Zhaohui Xu, Xiangjun Tian, Jing Wang, Richard Gorlick. Surfaceome profiling in osteosarcoma: Identification of the candidate immunotherapeutic target [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 2866.
An Examination of Teachers’ Culturally Responsive Teaching Self-Efficacy:

Culturally responsive teaching (CRT) is a set of practices designed to build on students’ cultural and linguistic backgrounds as teaching and learning occur. Although CRT can have positive effects ...
Planning Optimal Library Spaces: Principles, Processes, and Practices: by David R. Moore II and Eric C. Shoaf, Lanham, MD, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2018, 173pp., $85.00 (hardback), ISBN: 978-1-5381-0940-3

Library renovations are often immense and complex projects. Planning Optimal Library Spaces: Principles, Processes, and Practices aims to unpack the logistics and considerations that go into a succ...
Revision Pedicle Screw Strategies

Pedicle screw instrumentation has become the foundation of thoracolumbar fixation techniques. For different reasons, pedicle screw revisions may need to occur. Some of the primary reasons for revision surgery are pseudarthrosis, adjacent segment disease, fractures, and infection. Some surgeons are more comfortable with revision work than others, and usually it is best accomplished at the hands of a skilled spine surgeon. Revision surgeries need to be entered into with a plan A, plan B, plan C, and plan D. Starting a revision surgery with only one plan and no backup options can lead to poor outcomes post-op. Revision surgeries involving pedicle screws can be tedious and difficult. Conversely, when well-planned and well-executed, revision surgery can go as smoothly as a virgin surgery. This chapter will discuss everything from preoperative imaging and identification of hardware to the intraoperative nuances of the surgeries.
Interactive capacitive touch music table with embedded microcontrollers

This paper presents the design and construction of an interactive display that lets users create and modify their own tunes through the use of capacitive touch sensors, multi-color light-emitting diodes, and multiple microcontrollers. This table, called an “interactive music table,” uses capacitive touch sensors on a twelve-by-sixteen matrix. Each of the twelve rows will represent one of twelve different sounds. The user will touch the sensor to activate or deactivate a sound. A “beat bar,” or “counter bar,” similar to the steel comb of a music box that is plucked by pins on a cylinder, will scan the table one column at a time to determine which lights are activated, thus “reading the score.” Using these data, the system determines which sounds to output to the speakers. The Arduino microcontroller as the “conductor” directs or “conducts” the two PJRC Teensy microcontrollers, or “Symphony,” each one controlling six of the twelve programmed sounds, based on the input “score” from the sensors. The Teensys are multi-channel devices, which allow multiple notes to be played simultaneously. The Teensys are connected to amplifier boards which output audio signals to the four built-in speakers.
Pine rosin identified as a toxic cannabis extract adulterant.

Abstract Pine rosin (colophony) has been identified as a potentially new adulterant in cannabis oil. Its inhalation toxicity poses a significant health concern to users. For example, pine rosin fumes are released during soldering, and have been cited as a causative agent of occupational asthma. Symptoms also include desquamation of bronchial epithelium, which has also been observed in e-cigarette or vaping product used-associated lung injury (EVALI) patients. The sample analyzed herein was acquired from a cannabis industry source, also contains medium chain triglycerides and oleamide, the latter of which is a hypnotic that is commonly found in the synthetic marijuana product Spice, or K2. A combination of proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) and high pressure liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESIMS) was used to unambiguously identify major pine rosin ingredients such as abietic and other resin acids. Comparison to commercial samples of pure pine rosin confirmed the assignment.
Cross-Sectional Gender Analysis of US Radiation Oncology Residency Programs in 2019: More Than a Pipeline Issue?

Abstract Purpose The purpose of this study is to assess the current status of gender disparities in academic radiation oncology departments in the United States and the associated factors. Methods and Materials The data were collected from publicly available resources, including websites of individual radiation oncology programs, the Fellowship and Residency Electronic Interactive Database, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, and the Association of American Medical Colleges. We collected data on the gender information of residents in each year (postgraduate years 2-5) and of the faculty (attendings, program director, and chair) during the academic year 2018 to 2019. Spearman’s rho test, Pearson’s chi-squared test, and Fisher exact tests were used for evaluating the correlation among variables using SPSS version 24. Results Women constituted 30.8% of radiation oncology residents in the United States in 2019. Eight programs (12.5%) did not have any female residents in their programs, whereas 6 programs (9%) had women constituting more than half of their resident class. The fraction of female medical students applying to radiation oncology over the last 7 years varied between 27% and 33%. Female attending physicians accounted for 30.5% of all the attending physicians in the academic programs. In the leadership positions of the department, the gender gap was wider where only 19 (20%) and 11 (12%) of programs had female program director or chair, respectively. There was a positive correlation between the number of attending physicians and the number of female residents in programs (P = .01). Conclusions A significant gender disparity continues to exist among the residents and physicians in the academic radiation oncology departments in the US. This disparity is pronounced in the leadership positions. The results of this study could be used as a benchmark to evaluate the progress that has been made by the efforts to improve gender disparities in radiation oncology.
Predicting fueling process on hydrogen refueling stations using multi-task machine learning

Abstract Monitoring hydrogen refueling stations (HRS) ensures the safety of their operations as well as meeting the required performance standard for refueling. Traditionally, table-based or dynamic control of fueling process methods were used to guide the fueling process. We propose to use machine learning methods to predict the main performance target of the fueling process; the state of charge (SOC). Based on initial operating conditions in start-up fueling time, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) is used to predict non-dispensing fueling events, normal, and undershot dispensing events. The computational experiments were conducted on three hydrogen refueling stations with up to two-years of operational data. The classification accuracy reached over 85% on three stations. The SOC in future time steps were predicted using a multi-task regression model. The predicted future SOC within one minute is accurate on two data-rich stations. In both classification and regression tasks, the training models built on data-rich stations greatly improved the performance of a station with much less training data. These results show using machine learning methods on predicting the performance of fueling events is feasible and satisfactory on HRS. To optimize operation strategies, machine learning models can be integrated into the controller of HRS as an alternative way of controlling the fueling process.
High-throughput hydrogen deuterium exchange mass spectrometry (HDX-MS) coupled with subzero-temperature ultrahigh pressure liquid chromatography (UPLC) separation for complex sample analysis.

Abstract Hydrogen deuterium exchange coupled with mass spectrometry (HDX-MS) is a powerful technique for the characterization of protein dynamics and protein interactions. Recent technological developments in the HDX-MS field, such as sub-zero LC separations, large-scale data analysis tools, and efficient protein digestion methods, have allowed for the application of HDX-MS to the analysis of multi protein systems in addition to pure protein analysis. Still, high-throughput HDX-MS analysis of complex samples is not widespread because the co-elution of peptides combined with increased peak complexity after labeling makes peak de-convolution extremely difficult. Here, for the first time, we evaluated and optimized long gradient subzero-temperature ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography (UPLC) separation conditions for the HDX-MS analysis of complex protein samples such as E. coli cell lysate digest. Under the optimized conditions, we identified 1419 deuterated peptides from 320 proteins at −10 °C, which is about 3-fold more when compared with a 15-min gradient separation under the same conditions. Interestingly, our results suggested that the peptides eluted late in the gradient are well-protected by peptide-column interactions at −10 °C so that peptides eluted even at the end of the gradient maintain high levels of deuteration. Overall, our study suggests that the optimized, sub-zero, long-gradient UPLC separation is capable of characterizing thousands of peptides in a single HDX-MS analysis with low back-exchange rates. As a result, this technique holds great potential for characterizing complex samples such as cell lysates using HDX-MS.
Dyrk1a Mutations Cause Undergrowth of Cortical Pyramidal Neurons via Dysregulated Growth Factor Signaling.

Abstract Background Mutations in DYRK1A are a cause of microcephaly, autism spectrum disorder, and intellectual disability; however, the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms are not well understood. Methods We generated a conditional mouse model using Emx1-cre, including conditional heterozygous and homozygous knockouts, to investigate the necessity of Dyrk1a in the cortex during development. We used unbiased, high-throughput phosphoproteomics to identify dysregulated signaling mechanisms in the developing Dyrk1a mutant cortex as well as classic genetic modifier approaches and pharmacological therapeutic intervention to rescue microcephaly and neuronal undergrowth caused by Dyrk1a mutations. Results We found that cortical deletion of Dyrk1a in mice causes decreased brain mass and neuronal size, structural hypoconnectivity, and autism-relevant behaviors. Using phosphoproteomic screening, we identified growth-associated signaling cascades dysregulated upon Dyrk1a deletion, including TrkB-BDNF (tyrosine receptor kinase B–brain-derived neurotrophic factor), an important regulator of ERK/MAPK (extracellular signal-regulated kinase/mitogen-activated protein kinase) and mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) signaling. Genetic suppression of Pten or pharmacological treatment with IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor-1), both of which impinge on these signaling cascades, rescued microcephaly and neuronal undergrowth in neonatal mutants. Conclusions Altogether, these findings identify a previously unknown mechanism through which Dyrk1a mutations disrupt growth factor signaling in the developing brain, thus influencing neuronal growth and connectivity. Our results place DYRK1A as a critical regulator of a biological pathway known to be dysregulated in humans with autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability. In addition, these data position Dyrk1a within a larger group of autism spectrum disorder/intellectual disability risk genes that impinge on growth-associated signaling cascades to regulate brain size and connectivity, suggesting a point of convergence for multiple autism etiologies.
Aspirin resistance in infants with shunt-dependent congenital heart disease

INTRODUCTION Patients with cyanotic heart disease are at an increased risk of developing thrombosis. Aspirin has been the mainstay of prophylactic anticoagulation for shunt-dependent patients with several reports of prevalent aspirin resistance, especially in neonates. We investigate the incidence of aspirin resistance and its relationship to thrombotic events and mortality in a cohort of infants with shunt-dependent physiology. METHODS Aspirin resistance was assessed using the VerifyNow™ test on infants with single-ventricle physiology following shunt-dependent palliation operations. In-hospital thrombotic events and mortality data were collected. Statistical analysis was performed to evaluate the effect of aspirin resistance on in-hospital thrombotic events and mortality risk. RESULTS Forty-nine patients were included with 41 of these patients being neonates. Six patients (12%) were aspirin resistant. A birth weight < 2500 grams was a significant factor associated with aspirin resistance (p = 0.04). Following a dose increase or additional dose administration, all patients with initial aspirin resistance had a normal aspirin response. There was no statistically significant difference between aspirin resistance and non-resistance groups with respect to thrombotic events. However, a statistically significant incidence of in-hospital mortality in the presence of thrombotic events was observed amongst aspirin-resistant patients (p = 0.04) in this study. CONCLUSION Low birth weight was associated with a higher incidence of aspirin resistance. Inadequate initial dosing appears to be the primary reason for aspirin resistance. The presence of both thrombotic events and aspirin resistance was associated with significantly higher in-hospital mortality indicating that these patients warrant closer monitoring.
Speeding and Traffic-Related Injuries and Fatalities during the 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic: The Cases of Seattle and New York City

Despite fewer cars on roads during the COVID-19 pandemic, deaths associated with motor vehicle collisions in New York City and Seattle remained largely unchanged in 2020. Using police data on weekly counts of collisions, we compared trends in 2020 with those of 2019, while controlling for the reduction of traffic volumes and seasonal weather conditions. Results of difference-in-differences estimation suggest that during the early months of the pandemic, or March-May, the incidence rates of severe or fatal injury crashes related to speeding increased by nearly 8 times in Seattle and more than 4 times in New York City. In the rest of 2020, they were still significantly higher than what would be expected in the absence of the pandemic. This research suggests that in similar situations that depress travel demand (e.g., another pandemic), policymakers should formulate plans to reduce speeding which may prevent an upswing in severe injuries and fatalities.
Incidental white matter hyperintensities on magnetic resonance imaging in hiv-1 infection

Magnetic resonance (MR) scans were performed as part of a prospective neuropsychological study within the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study. Fifty HIV-1-seronegative men, 85 HIV-1-seropositive men without constitutional symptoms, and 14 with symptomatic HIV disease underwent MR imaging using a uniform protocol. Scans were rated by neuroradiologists blinded to all clinical details except age. The majority of MR scans were normal in all of the clinical groups and no covert mass lesions or diffuse white matter abnormalities were identified. Focal hyperintensities in the white matter were observed in 24% of the HIV-1 seronegatives, 26% of HIV-1 asymptomatic seropositives (CDC II/III), and 17% of those with ARC/AIDS. No significant associations were noted between the white matter hyperintensities and HIV-1 serostatus, neurological abnormalities, CD4 count, alcohol or drug use, hypertension, or smoking. In one individual classified with early HIV-1 dementia, MR demonstrated several hyperintensities in the deep parietal white matter, but at autopsy no microscopic abnormalities corresponding to the MR findings were identified. Our studies imply that focal white matter hyperintensities identified on MR are not specific for HIV-1 infection and are probably incidental and of no clinical significance.
Interactions of Waves and River Plume and their Effects on Sediment Transport at River Mouth

Abstract : The report of this objectives is to develop a robust coastal/nearshore modeling system for inlet hydrodynamics, sediment deposition/resuspension, river plume processes and the resulting morphodynamics in a highly dynamic environment dominated by strong tidal flows and waves. 1) To study the interactions of tidal flow, waves and complex bathymetry at New River Inlet, NC using NearCoM-TVD and field data observed during a recent field campaign through close collaboration with other researchers. 2) To study how a spatially/temporally varying bottom friction parameterization due to wave-current interactions, seabed dynamics (bedforms; sheet flows) can affect the hydrodynamics, sediment transport and the resulting morphodynamics of a tidal inlet. 3) To investigate the relationship/correlations between the flow variables computed from the numerical model results and remotely-sensed signatures.
PRESENCE OF PLASMA CELLS AND γ1M-GLOBULIN SYNTHESIS IN A PATIENT WITH THYMIC ALYMPHOPLASIA

A child is described who had thymic alymphoplasia with increased serum concentrations of γ1M-globulins and a deficiency of γ1A- and 7S γ2-globulins; the child was subject to severe infections from 2 weeks of age and succumbed to pneumonia at 11 months of age. Even though the tissues of this patient at necropsy revealed a remarkable paucity of lymphocytes, there were relatively normal numbers of lymphocytes in his peripheral circulation and his bone marrow. Plasma cells were readily demonstrated in the spleen and lymph nodes. The studies suggest that the development of plasma cells and γ1M-globulin synthesis may occur independently of the development of the thymus and the small lymphocytes in man.
On-chip temperature control circuit using common devices

A circuit has been designed to control the temperature of the IC die upon which it resides. No special devices or layers are required. No external circuitry or special heat sinking is used. Equilibrium temperatures from below -40/spl deg/C to above +85/spl deg/C are attainable. Time to equilibrium is on the order of a few seconds. The 400/spl mu/m /spl times/ 500/spl mu/m circuit has been manufactured by the MOSIS service in a TSMC 0.25 micron process and installed in a 40-pin DIP package. Test results reveal temperature regulation within 0.3/spl deg/C for thermal control ranges of 4/spl deg/C to 40/spl deg/C.
The Location, Composition, and Investment Implications of Permanently Reinvested Earnings

This study uses permanently reinvested earnings (PRE) reported in U.S. multinational corporations’ (MNCs) financial statements, combined with detailed information on foreign affiliate assets to estimate the location, composition, and investment implications of PRE. Our analyses suggest that PRE designations are driven in part by tax and growth incentives – 24 percent of PRE is located in affiliates residing in tax havens, and 39 percent of PRE is in high-growth affiliates. Furthermore, we find that a significant amount of PRE – 45 percent – is invested in financial assets. Given that a substantial proportion of PRE is in financial assets, we investigate whether PRE affects MNCs’ domestic investment. We find that domestic investment by MNCs with PRE is less responsive to domestic investment opportunities and more sensitive to domestic cash flow, implying that PRE creates internal capital market frictions.
Characterization of Root-Associated Methanotrophs from Three Freshwater Macrophytes: Pontederia cordata, Sparganium eurycarpum, and Sagittaria latifolia

Root-associated methanotrophic bacteria were enriched from three common aquatic macrophytes: Pontederia cordata, Sparganium eurycarpum, and Sagittaria latifolia. At least seven distinct taxa belonging to groups I and II were identified and presumptively assigned to the genera Methylosinus, Methylocystis, Methylomonas, and Methylococcus. Four of these strains appeared to be novel on the basis of partial 16S ribosomal DNA sequence analysis. The root-methanotroph association did not appear to be highly specific, since multiple methanotrophs were isolated from each of the three plant species. Group II methanotrophs were isolated most frequently; though less common, group I isolates accounted for three of the seven distinct methanotrophs. Apparent K(m) values for methane uptake by representative cultures ranged from 3 to >17 muM; for five of the eight cultures examined, apparent K(m) values agreed well with apparent K(m) estimates for plant roots, suggesting that these strains may be representative of those active in situ.
Does folding accommodate Europa's contractional strain? The effect of surface temperature on fold formation in ice lithospheres

[1] On Europa, the mechanism by which contractional strains are accommodated remains a mystery. Subtle folds have been observed in the polar regions, but if folding is a dominant accommodation mechanism, ubiquitous large-amplitude folds might be expected across Europa's surface. Here we use finite element modeling to show that fold growth rates are a strong function of surface temperature: warm temperatures result in lower rates, whereas cold temperatures result in higher rates. Combining diurnally averaged Europan surface temperatures derived from Galileo photopolarimeter-radiometer data and new numerical simulations, we show that forming moderate-amplitude folds requires roughly twice the contraction, or shortening, in Europa's equatorial latitudes relative to polar latitudes. Relatively large contractional strains in Europa's equatorial and midlatitudes can therefore be accommodated primarily through passive shortening without producing obvious folds. Lithospheric folding and/or passive shortening therefore remain plausible mechanisms for strain accommodation on Europa.
Susceptibility of controller computers to environmental disruptions and its effects on system stability

Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) causes controller upsets manifested as control-law computation errors in digital computers or transmission disturbances between sensor and/or actuator lines. Though its effects are likely to be transient, frequent occurrences of these upsets may lead to the loss of system stability. In this paper, we compute the stationary probability of those upsets induced due to EMI by using parameters accounting for EMI behavior and the conditional probabilities of upsets in the presence of EMI. The latter represents susceptibility to EMI depending upon the electrical shielding properties of controllers against various intensities and frequencies of EMI. We use a Markov-chain model to describe burst upsets when EMI is present. We then modify a system dynamic equation by including the stochastic features (occurrences/magnitudes) of these upsets, and examine the condition of system stability for the mean behaviors of the modified equation. The derived information about the required level of the stationary probability of upsets is a key to the design and verification of the integrity of reliable controllers. We also present a simple experiment emulating EMI on data transmission to estimate the necessary parameters and a demonstration example about system stability.
Mechanical Verification of Transactional Memories with Non-transactional Memory Accesses

Transactional memoryis a programming abstraction intended to simplify the synchronization of conflicting memory accesses (by concurrent threads) without the difficulties associated with locks. In a previous work we presented a formal framework for proving that a transactional memory implementation satisfies its specifications and provided with model checking verification of some using small instantiations. This paper extends the previous work to capture non-transactional accesses to memory, which occurs, for example, when using legacy code. We provide a mechanical proof of the soundness of the verification method, as well as a mechanical verification of a version of the popular tcc implementation that includes non-transactional memory accesses. The verification is performed by the deductive temporal checker tlpvs .
Effect of atropine on bile-oleic acid-induced alterations in dog jejunal hemodynamics, oxygenation, and net transmucosal water movement

Abstract The effects of intraluminal bile-oleic acid on jejunal blood flow, oxygen uptake, net transmucosal fluid flux, and mucosal infrastructure were studied in isolated autoperfused jejunal segments before and after cholinergic blockage with atropine. Bile-oleic acid increased jejunal blood flow (40%), decreased oxygen extraction (24%), and increased oxygen uptake (15%). Cholinergic blockade did not abolish the bile-oleic acid-induced changes in these parameters. Bile-oleic acid induced net fluid secretion or significantly depressed absorption. Cholinergic blockade reversed net volume secretion to absorption or attenuated the depression of absorption produced by bile-oleic acid. Ultrastructural analyses of tissue samples taken during bile-oleic acid-induced secretion indicate major structural damage to the mucosal membrane which was not affected by cholingergic blockade. The physiologic and ultrastructural data acquired in this study suggest that: (a) the effects of bile-oleic acid on net transmucosal water movement are reversed by cholinergic blockade and (b) the hyperemia, increased oxygen consumption, and morphologic alterations induced by bile-oleic acid are not affected by cholinergic blockade. The results of this study may have important implications in steatorrheal diseases in that, atropine may alleviate the diarrhea induced by the presence of excess lipid in chyme without compromising the intestinal hyperemia and enhanced oxygen delivery required to meet the increased metabolic demands during nutrient absorption.
A possible role of acid mucopolysaccharides in the urine concentrating process

Par l'adsorption de plus d'eau que de corps dissous, les acides mucopolysaccharides (MPS-s) de la medulla interne du rein peuvent participer a l'elaboration d'urine concentree. Ce nouveau mecanisme hypothetique laisse supposer que le MPS est le produit d'une synthese cellulaire et qu'il prend l'eau d'adsorption au moment de la secretion. Ensuite, le MPS quitte le rein par les voies veineuses et lymphatiques et enfin se detruit dans un autre organe.
FT‐IR analysis of aldrich humic acid in water using cylindrical internal reflectance∗

Abstract Recent development of the Cylindrical Internal Reflectance (CIR) sample cell has made infrared analysis of solutes in highly infrared‐absorbing solvents such as water possible. Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR) has been combined with a CIR sample cell to determine the spectra of Aldrich humic acid in water at concentrations as low as 0.5 g L‐1. Spectral scans from 670 to .4000 cm‐1indicate that the region of greatest resolution for observing characteristic humic acid absorbance bands occurs from 1000 to 2000 cm‐1. Comparison of CIR spectra with Nujol mull and KBr spectra demonstrated a near total elimination of absorbance peaks from 1000 to 1200 cm‐1in the nonaqueous preparations. Solution phase parameters were altered to illustrate that the spectra of Aldrich humic acid in water varied with humic acid concentration, ionic strength, and pH. The ability to determine infrared spectra of humic materials in their native wet state will prove advantageous in determining humic material int...
Engine Design Experiences and Development of Critical Components

The paper provides a review of a number of engines for which the author had some personal design and/or development involvement and responsibility. Details are given of methods of construction and technical performance which illustrate progress in engine design over the last forty years, and the contribution made in development by engine component specialists.Predictive techniques and uses of specialized rig tests used in piston assembly development are described, which reduce development costs and time, and improve engine reliability. Quality control techniques are briefly compared and the need is shown for a greater degree of ‘in-process’ control, to be developed in the next decade, to obtain improved quality levels with no concurrent cost increase.It is suggested that the main prime movers in use during the first two decades of the next century will still be recognizable as reciprocating engines, but that efficiencies will be improved by reduced friction and by a more efficient response to engine load ...
In-use testing of extemporaneously prepared suspensions of second generation non-nucleoside reversed transcriptase inhibitors in support of Phase I clinical studies

DPC 961 and 963 are two of a series of prospective second generation non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) being considered for the treatment of HIV infections. The 'powder in a bottle' approach was used for drug administration for Phase I clinical studies. This new approach consists of compounding the active drug as a suspension or solution at the clinical site immediately before dosing. Prior to clinical use, studies were conducted to determine the compatibility of the drugs with the suspending agent, the recovery of the drugs using the administration procedure and the dissolution profile of the suspensions. The stability of the DPC 961 and 963 in the dosing formulation was followed over a 24-h period using a stability indicating HPLC method. In addition, the dissolution profiles of the suspensions were established for future comparison with solid dosage forms. Although the two drugs have very similar chemical structures, they clearly exhibited different behaviors in liquid/liquid extraction and dissolution experiments. These differences could be related to the physical characteristics of the powders, such as particle size and surface area. The results of the in-use testing of the suspension showed adequate recovery of the drugs from the bottle at two drug levels. The stability of DPC 961 and 963 in the suspending agent was sufficient for constitution and administration of the suspensions at the clinical site.
Superhydrophobic microtextured polycarbonate surfaces

Abstract A novel approach for fabrication of superhydrophobic polycarbonate (PC) surfaces has been developed based on purely physical process. Unlike the classical routes, which heavily rely on the surface chemical modification, the present route involves fabrication of microtextured Si master using high power pulsed laser and subsequent thermal replication of microtexture onto PC surface. The water droplet beads up on the microtextured PC in a Cassie–Baxter state exhibiting superhydrophobic nature of the surface. Average height of the micro-pillars formed on replicated PC surfaces played a crucial role in governing the superhydrophobic properties of the resulting microtextured surfaces. The water contact angle could be tailored over a wide range, from 82° for smooth PC surface to 155°, with an increase in average height of the micro-pillars from 1.34 μm to 6.68 μm. The infrared (IR) spectroscopy analysis revealed that the PC surface does not undergo any chemical change during thermal replication and further implied that the resulting superhydrophobic behavior was solely due to the physical modification of the surface. Moreover, the microtextured PC has been shown to be a perfect master for replication of microtexture onto other type of polymers such as polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) in bulk and in thin film forms. Given the facile nature of the present technique and ease of fabrication, we believe that the present route is quite promising for large-scale production of PC based superhydrophobic surfaces. These surfaces find several potential applications such as anti-corrosive, anti-icing and self-cleaning surfaces, coatings inside of water pipes for frictionless flow and so on.
Beyond the disability: recognizing mental health issues among persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) have at least the same prevalence of mental health disorders as the general population and may have increased susceptibility to some types of mental health disorders. Nevertheless, individuals with I/DD are often underserved. An understanding of the basic issues in the mental health care of individuals with I/DD is important in providing quality nursing care. Awareness of barriers to good mental health care and the prevailing paradigms in diagnoses and treatment are important for nurses in delivering care. Good physical and mental health assessments are important for nurses in delivering care as is an awareness of some of the particular risk factors for individuals with I/DD. Part of quality mental health care for individuals with I/DD includes development of interdisciplinary, community, and family based plans and evaluations. Nurses, who are in the front lines of health care, are in key positions to positively affect the mental health care of individuals with I/DD.
Incorporation of Molecular Oxygen in Bacterial Cells Utilizing Hydrocarbons for Growth

THE methane-utilizing bacterium Pseudomonas methanica oxidizes ethane to ethanol, acetaldehyde and acetic acid; propane to n-propanol, propionic acid and acetone; and n- butane to n-butanol, n-butyric acid and 2-butanone1. The formation of homologous oxygenated products made possible a study of the mechanism of the bacterial oxidation. Ethylene could not be detected as an intermediate during the conversion of ethane, nor was ethylene converted to the same products as ethane. Mass spectrometric analysis of the acetic acid and the acetaldehyde produced from deuteroethane (ethane-D6) eliminated the possibility that ethane was dehydrogenated to ethylene at a stage in the oxidation1.
An interpretation of the bril scale of subjective brightness.

The bril scale, obtained from extensive experimental data by Hanes, represents an attempt to establish a subjective scale of brightness by the determination of particular luminances which produce specific ratios of brightness. This scale, like other scales obtained from fractionation data, necessarily assumes a one-to-one correspondence between intensity of stimulus and magnitude of response—an assumption in conflict with known facts regarding adaptation.It is shown that the reformulation of the Fechner law proposed several years ago, aided by results obtained from rating-scale techniques, can predict quantitatively all of the data used for the construction of the bril scale. Since this theoretical treatment takes explicit account of adaptation, it follows that each of the ratios determined by fractionation techniques has meaning by itself, but that the combination of these ratios into a scale of wide range is not justified. The fallacy involved in such combination is the assumption that a given stimulus is psychologically equivalent to itself when it is presented under different conditions, and, therefore, under different states of adaptation.
Transient Osteoporosis of Hip in Pregnancy

Abstract Transient osteoporosis in pregnancy is a relatively rare disorder characterized by disabling pain in the hip without prior trauma and by striking radiographic evidence of osteopenia that is limited to the hip. Clinical and radiographic findings regress spontaneously within months after pregnancy and without late sequelae. In this study, we report on a case of a 28-yr-old Caucasian woman who suffered from transient osteoporosis during pregnancy. Nine months later, the patient was asymptomatic and there was resolution of the bone marrow edema pattern seen on the initial magnetic resonance imaging scan of her hip. Follow-up bone densitometry at 1 yr revealed a dramatic increase (12.3%) in bone mineral density of the symptomatic hip. We review the literature and discuss possible mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of transient osteoporosis in pregnancy.
Some effects of congenital spasticity on fundamental frequency.

5 normal speakers and 5 speakers with congenital upper motor-neuron damage repeatedly spoke a three-word sentence stressing the first, second, or third words. Fundamental frequency was measured for each word and over each sentence. Analysis showed that the spastics' mean fundamental frequency was significantly higher than the normals', regardless of utterance. Also, spastics were more restricted in their prosodic maneuvering above this average fundamental frequency. Despite this finding, the spastics were capable of producing consistent stress patterns with normal variability.