cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
SYD985, a novel duocarmycin-based HER2-targeting antibody-drug conjugate, shows promising antitumor activity in epithelial ovarian carcinoma with HER2/Neu expression

Abstract Background Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is an aggressive and heterogeneous disease. Methods The cytotoxicity of SYD985 and T-DM1 was evaluated using ten primary EOC cell lines with 0/1+, 2+, and 3+ HER2/neu expression in antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), proliferation, viability and bystander killing experiments. Finally, the in vivo activity of SYD985 and T-DM1 was also studied in ovarian cancer xenografts. Results SYD985 and T-DM1 induced similar ADCC in the presence of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) against EOC cell lines with differential HER2/neu expression. In contrast, SYD985 was 3 to 42 fold more cytotoxic in the absence of PBL when compared to T-DM1 ( p Conclusions SYD985 is a novel ADC with remarkable activity against EOC with strong (3+) as well as moderate to low (i.e., 2+ and 1+) HER2/neu expression. SYD985 is more potent than T-DM1 in comparative experiments and unlike T-DM1, it is active against EOC demonstrating moderate/low or heterogeneous HER2/neu expression.
Reduced-order models for the dynamics of superparamagnetic nanoparticles interacting with cargoes transported by kinesins

Magnetic nanoparticles are widely used for different applications in biological systems. Multiphysics models that capture the dynamics of both magnetic nanoparticles and biological phenomena are computationally expensive. We develop a novel reduced-order model (ROM) for the dynamics of magnetic nanoparticles to study the interaction of superparamagnetic nanoparticles with cellular nanotransport upon delivery of these particles into cells. Superparamagnetic nanoparticles can form chain-like structures in the presence of external magnetic fields. Such chains influence the nanotransport inside cells. We model the viscous and magnetic forces on the nanoparticles, and the formation of aggregates/structures composed of nanoparticles to construct our novel ROM. Further, we model the stochastic nanotransport coupled with the dynamics of the magnetic nanoparticles. We use our novel ROM to characterize the stochastic motion of a kinesin in the presence of magnetic nanoparticles by determining the force acting on cargoes for different aggregate shapes and sizes (without having to solve the full-order dynamics every time). The ROM coupled with kinesin model allows the quantification of the decreases in processivity of kinesin and in its average velocity under external loads caused by chains of superparamagnetic nanoparticles.
Cox regression model with doubly truncated data

Truncation is a well-known phenomenon that may be present in observational studies of time-to-event data. While many methods exist to adjust for either left or right truncation, there are very few methods that adjust for simultaneous left and right truncation, also known as double truncation. We propose a Cox regression model to adjust for this double truncation using a weighted estimating equation approach, where the weights are estimated from the data both parametrically and nonparametrically, and are inversely proportional to the probability that a subject is observed. The resulting weighted estimators of the hazard ratio are consistent. The parametric weighted estimator is asymptotically normal and a consistent estimator of the asymptotic variance is provided. For the nonparametric weighted estimator, we apply the bootstrap technique to estimate the variance and confidence intervals. We demonstrate through extensive simulations that the proposed estimators greatly reduce the bias compared to the unweighted Cox regression estimator which ignores truncation. We illustrate our approach in an analysis of autopsy-confirmed Alzheimer's disease patients to assess the effect of education on survival.
Biosurfactant production from industrial wastes with potential remove of insoluble paint

Abstract Biosurfactants are amphipathic compounds formed by a hydrophilic and hydrophobic component, this characteristic confers to these compounds the possibility of several applications. The aim of this study was to produce biosurfactants from different industrials wastes using Corynebacterium aquaticum and Corynebacterium spp. CCT 1968 and study the application in paint removal. The production of biosurfactants was evaluated through surface tension, emulsifying activity and character ionic. The analyses were carried out at 0, 24, 48 h. The biosurfactants that presented lower surface tension and higher emulsifying activity were applied in insoluble paint. The microorganism Corynebacterium aquaticum showed efficient biosurfactant production when using fish and bagasse residues as carbon source. The surface tension obtained for these treatments was 27.8 and 33.9 mN/m and emulsifying capacity was 87.6 and 61.6%, respectively. The Corynebacterium spp. CCT 1968 produced biosurfactants only in the medium containing fish waste (28.5 mN/m). The biosurfactants produced by both microorganisms showed anionic character. The applied biosurfactants showed potential use in solubilization and paint removal. Therefore, the residues of fish and sugarcane bagasse showed efficient as carbon sources to obtain biosurfactants. In addition, the preliminary paint removal application presented great results that can be explored in the future.
DeepFlow: a deep learning framework for software-defined measurement

Providing fine grained traffic measurement is crucial for many network management tasks such as traffic engineering, anomaly detection, traffic accounting, and load balancing. Software-defined networks can potentially enable fine-grained measurement by providing statistics for each forwarding rule of an OpenFlow-enabled switch. However, providing fine grained traffic measurement in a scalable fashion in hardware switches poses significant challenges due to the limitations in the size of the TCAMs that fit only a relatively small number of rules compared to the number of active flows in the network. In this paper, we present DeepFlow, a framework for scalable software-defined measurement that relies on an efficient mechanism that a) adaptively detect the most active source and destination prefixes in the network, b) collects fine-grained flow-size measurements for the most active prefixes and coarse grained for the less active ones, and c) uses historical measurements in order to train a cloud-based Deep Learning model that can be used to provide short-term predictions whenever exact flow counters cannot be placed at a switch due to its limited resources. Thus the number of fine-grained flows measured can increase significantly without the need to use other flow sampling solutions that loose accuracy. An extensive experimental evaluation using a prototype implementation and real network traces shows that DeepFlow can provide very high accuracy for estimating flow sizes at various aggregation levels.
Acute oral tetrahydrobiopterin administration ameliorates endothelial dysfunction in systemic sclerosis.

Objectives Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a rare, autoimmune disease characterised by endothelial dysfunction, which is associated with peripheral vasculopathy, such as digital ulcers (DU). We sought to determine if acute oral administration of tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4), an essential cofactor for endothelial nitric oxide synthase, would augment endothelial function in patients with SSc. Methods Twelve SSc patients, of whom a majority had a history of DU, were studied 5 hours after oral BH4 administration (10 mg/kg body mass) or placebo on separate days using controlled, counterbalanced, double-blind, crossover experimental design. Results There were no differences in blood markers of oxidative stress and brachial artery blood pressure, diameter, blood velocity, shear rate, or blood flow at rest between placebo and BH4 (p>0.05). Whereas, after a 5 minute suprasystolic forearm cuff occlusion, brachial artery peak reactive hyperemia (placebo: 313±30 vs. BH4: 347±37 ml/min, p 0.05). Conclusions These findings indicate that acute BH4 administration ameliorates endothelial dysfunction in patients with SSc. Given that endothelial dysfunction is known to be associated with DU in SSc patients, this study provides a proof-of-concept for the potential therapeutic benefits of BH4 in the prevention or treatment of DU in this population.
Electrocatalytic Reduction of CO2 to Formate by an Iron Schiff Base Complex

The synthesis, structural characterization, and reactivity of an iron(III) chloride compound of 6,6′-di(3,5-di-tert-butyl-2-hydroxybenzene)-2,2′-bipyridine (Fe(tbudhbpy)Cl), under electrochemically reducing conditions is reported. In the presence of carbon dioxide (CO2) under anhydrous conditions in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), this complex mediates the 2e– reductive disproportionation of two equivalents of CO2 to carbon monoxide (CO) and carbonate (CO32–). Upon addition of phenol (PhOH) as a proton source under CO2 saturation, catalytic current is observed; product analysis from controlled potential electrolysis experiments shows the majority product is formate (68 ± 4% Faradaic efficiency), with H2 as a minor product (30 ± 10% Faradaic efficiency) and minimal CO (1.1 ± 0.3% Faradaic efficiency). On the basis of data obtained from cyclic voltammetry and infrared spectroelectrochemistry (IR-SEC), the release of CO from intermediate Fe carbonyl species is extremely slow and undergoes competitive degradatio...
Long-Term Outcomes After Extracorporeal Life Support for Acute Respiratory Failure.

Objective This study aims to determine the prevalence of functional and psychological impairment in survivors of extracorporeal life support (ECLS) and assess the needs of survivors to guide development of an effective follow-up program. Design This mixed-methods outcomes study used quantitative assessment via standardized instruments (Katz Index of Independence of Activities of Daily Living [Katz ADL], the Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living [Lawton IADL], Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and the Post Traumatic Growth Inventory) and qualitative interview to identify challenges experienced by survivors. Setting A single institutional experience in an academic medical center in the United States. Patients Patient selection targeted patients who underwent veno-venous ECLS for acute respiratory failure between January 1, 2015, and April 1, 2017. Forty-two patients (21 male, 21 female; median age of 49 years; interquartile range 36-57 years) completed the interview a median of 14.6 (interquartile range 7.7-21.1) months after ECLS decannulation. Interventions This was an observational follow-up study for which no intervention was made. Measurements and Main Results The Katz ADL and Lawton IADL revealed high independence and functionality in 62% of patients (26 of 42). Clinically significant anxiety was present in 48% (20 of 42) of patients and depression in 26% (11 of 42). There was a correlation between the number of ADL and IADL deficiencies and depression (rho 0.61, p Conclusions This study demonstrated persistent physical and psychological impairments in survivors of ECLS. Patients consistently expressed a desire to debrief on their hospital course and receive education on possible long-term effects. Study findings suggest that structured follow-up may allow for early identification of psychological and physical impairments to improve outcomes. Future studies should focus on investigating the effect of rehabilitation and follow-up clinics in preventing these issues.
Radioactivity in the Light Ion Fusion Target Development Facility

Radioactivity and biological dose calculations have been performed for the target chamber of the Target Development Facility (TDF). Two conventional shield designs are considered. One has the target chamber submerged 3 m from the surface of a borated water pool, the other has the chamber surrounded by approximately 250 cm of concrete. The first wall materials, Al-6061 and 2-1/4 Cr-1 Mo steel and the ion beam targets, one made from BeO/sub 2/ and W and the other from CH/sub 2/ and Au, are investigated. Shielding designs are presented that reduce the dose from each of these choices of shield, first wall and target material to acceptable levels.
Clinical Forms of Aphasia

A survey is given on the history of knowledge of aphasia and on the necessity and possibilities of classification of aphasic disability. Also the association of clinical syndromes of aphasia with particular damage to the brain is outlined.
Involving Patients in Difficult Decisions About Having Surgery

There is increasing involvement of patients participating in difficult decisions related to their health interventions, like whether or not to have surgery. Such patients must be informed about their treatment options and the risks and benefits that go along with each so that they can apply their preferences in making the decision. This process can be problematic in surgical clinics where time with patients is limited. Helping surgeons educate patients and incorporate the patient’s preferences into the treatment choice is a major challenge that requires research and guidance.
Efficacy of liposomal bupivacaine in pediatric patients undergoing spine surgery.

Background Liposomal bupivacaine may be an option for reducing opioid utilization in pediatric scoliosis surgery. The use of liposomal bupivacaine in this patient population has not been previously described. Methods Patients who underwent posterior spinal fusion surgery at our institution from 2011-2016 were identified. We performed a retrospective matched cohort study, matching patients who received intraoperative liposomal bupivacaine by age, gender, and extent of surgery to patients who did not. The primary endpoint was the use of morphine equivalents in the first 72 hours after surgery. Data collection included demographic and surgical data, pain medication utilization, and pain scores. Area under the curve (AUC) for pain scores was calculated. Descriptive statistical methods and univariable analysis were used to compare patients who received liposomal bupivacaine to patients who did not. Results One hundred and forty-one patients met study criteria; 47 patients who received liposomal bupivacaine were matched to 94 control patients who did not receive liposomal bupivacaine. No significant differences were noted in the patient population with the patients requiring a median of 11 segments (range 10-13 segments) fused. Patients received a mean of 56.6 ± 37.4 mg/kg of intravenous acetaminophen, a mean of 3.4 ± 2.1 mg/kg of intravenous ketorolac, and 1.9 ± 0.93 mg/kg of morphine equivalents in the first 72 hours after surgery. On univariable analysis, no differences were noted in intravenous acetaminophen use, pain score AUC, intravenous ketorolac use, or morphine equivalents (2.0 ± 98 vs 1.8 ± 0.82) in patients who did not receive liposomal bupivacaine as compared to those patient who did received liposomal bupivacaine. Conclusion Liposomal bupivacaine was not associated with reductions in postoperative opioid use in pediatric spinal surgery.
A pooled analysis of three studies of nonpharmacological interventions for menopausal hot flashes

AbstractObjective:The aim of the study was to conduct a pooled analysis of three published trials of nonpharmacological interventions for menopausal hot flashes to compare the effectiveness of interventions.Methods:Data from three randomized controlled trials of interventions for hot flashes (two ac
13 Moral Development

This chapter addresses theory and research on the development of morality from early childhood through adolescence. A structural-developmental-relational approach is presented proposing that children construct configurations of thinking about welfare, justice, and rights connected with emotions like affection, sympathy, and empathy. Along with the construction of moral judgments, children form systems of judgments in the domain of social convention, involving uniformities within social systems, and the personal domain, involving understandings of legitimate arenas of choice, freedoms, and autonomy. In this social domain approach, moral, conventional, and personal judgments are distinct from each other and constitute separate developmental pathways. The structural-relational domain approach is compared with other approaches to moral development and associated general psychological assumptions. A critique is offered of past and contemporary views that assume that people's decisions are most frequently nonrational or even irrational and that morality is not based on substantive concepts like welfare and justice. The critique of those approaches is followed by discussion of the relation of morality and culture, taking into account societal contexts and cultural practices in explaining development. Research is presented indicating that cultures need to be characterized as heterogeneous, and that individuals both partake in culture practices and engage in opposition to and resistance of practices entailing inequalities and domination of one group (such as males) over another (such as females). It is proposed that morality is not relative to cultural contexts, but that commonalities across cultures do not reflect absolutism in moral decision making. After considering the research on social domains, processes of decision making are discussed. Social decision making involves coordination, or weighing and balancing of different moral and social goals, or of different and competing moral goals. Processes of coordination are also central to explanations of age-related continuities and discontinuities in moral development. The body of research on distinct social domains, the development of moral judgments, and orientations to cultural practices supports a structural-constructivist and relational theory of moral development. Keywords: coordination; cultural practices; emotions; justice; morality; moral relativism and universality; moral resistance; reasoning; rights; social conventions; social domains; social hierarchy; social inequalities; social opposition; structural-relational systems; welfare
Reorganizing Organizational Politics Research: A Review of the Literature and Identification of Future Research Directions

Organizational politics has been an oft-studied phenomenon for nearly four decades. Prior reviews have described research in this stream as aligning with one of three categories: perceptions of org...
Structural features of alternative lignin monomers associated with improved digestibility of artificially lignified maize cell walls.

Abstract Plant biologists are seeking new approaches for modifying lignin to improve the digestion and utilization of structural polysaccharides in crop cultivars for the production of biofuels, biochemicals, and livestock. To identify promising targets for lignin bioengineering, we artificially lignified maize (Zea mays L.) cell walls with normal monolignols plus 21 structurally diverse alternative monomers to assess their suitability for lignification and for improving fiber digestibility. Lignin formation and structure were assessed by mass balance, Klason lignin, acetyl bromide lignin, gel-state 2D-NMR and thioacidolysis procedures, and digestibility was evaluated with rumen microflora and from glucose production by fungal enzymes following mild acid or base pretreatments. Highly acidic or hydrophilic monomers proved unsuitable for lignin modification because they severely depressed cell wall lignification. By contrast, monomers designed to moderately alter hydrophobicity or introduce cleavable acetal, amide, or ester functionalities into the polymer often readily formed lignin, but most failed to improve digestibility, even after chemical pretreatment. Fortunately, several types of phenylpropanoid derivatives containing multiple ester-linked catechol or pyrogallol units were identified as desirable genetic engineering targets because they readily formed wall-bound polymers and improved digestibility, presumably by blocking cross-linking of lignin to structural polysaccharides and promoting lignin fragmentation during mild acidic and especially alkaline pretreatment.
Association between Dietary Salt Intake and Progression in the Gastric Precancerous Process

Gastric cancer is the third leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide. Studies investigating the effect of salt on gastric cancer have mainly used self-reported measures, which are not as accurate as sodium/creatinine ratios because individuals may not know the amount of salt in their food. Using data from a prospective cohort study, we investigated the effect of salt intake on progression to gastric precancerous lesions. Salt intake was estimated by urinary sodium/creatinine ratios, self-reported frequencies of adding salt to food, and total added table salt. We repeated the analyses among groups with and without Helicobacter pylori infection. We did not observe a positive association between salt intake, measured by urinary sodium/creatinine ratio, and overall progression in the gastric precancerous process (adjusted risk ratio (RR): 0.94; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.76–1.15). We did observe an association between salt intake and increased risk for progression to dysplasia or gastric cancer overall (RR: 1.32; 95% CI: 0.96–1.81), especially among those who continued to have H. pylori infection at the five-month follow-up (adjusted RR: 1.53; 95% CI: 1.12–2.09), and among those who had persistent H. pylori infection over 12 years (adjusted RR: 1.49; 95% CI: 1.09–2.05). Salt intake may increase the risk of gastric dysplasia or gastric cancer in individuals with H. pylori infection.
Immigration Policy and Equity Returns: Evidence from the H-1B Visa Program

I show that firms' access to skilled immigrant labor is an important determinant of the cross-section of equity returns. Using a comprehensive set of data on H-1B visa petitions, I construct an occupation-level measure of labor market competition between skilled immigrant and local workers. I find that stocks of firms in high-competition industries -- those with a high share of labor for which skilled immigrants are close substitutes -- outperform their peers with a low share by 8.8% annually. I show that this premium is explained by firms' differential exposures to priced immigration policy shocks that shift the supply of skilled immigrant labor. Based on evidence from the 2003 H-1B legislative cap reduction as a natural experiment, I show that these shocks differentially impact wages at the occupation-level, leading to an asymmetric effect on firms' cash flows through labor expenditure.
Case report series of a novel application of neostigmine to successfully relieve refractory ileus status post-pediatric orthotopic liver transplantation.

Post-operative ileus is common after abdominal surgeries. Children undergoing liver transplant are at increased risk of ileus for various reasons including multiple abdominal procedures and use of narcotic medications. Ileus can lead to abdominal compartment syndrome and compromise the integrity of the liver graft. In some of these patients, ileus is resistant to standard therapies including stool softeners, bowel stimulants, enemas, and even methylnaltrexone. Neostigmine has been shown in pediatric case series to be efficacious in some children for refractory post-operative ileus. We report three children (9 months, 3 years, and 12 years old) who developed refractory ileus after liver transplant, with one of them developing abdominal compartment syndrome, who were treated successfully with continuous infusions of neostigmine. Clinical responses included passage of flatus and stool and improvement in abdominal distension. All patients tolerated the infusion without serious adverse effects such as bradycardia or bronchospasm. Neostigmine was used safely in our patients and may be safe and efficacious for the treatment of refractory ileus in pediatric patients after liver transplantation. Neostigmine should be considered early in the treatment of these patients.
Irrigation with RO concentrate and brackish groundwater impacts pecan tree growth and physiology

Abstract Water scarcity has become a salient problem in southern New Mexico. A combination of drought and a decrease in surface water for irrigation encouraged to search for other sources of water. Desalination of brackish groundwater (BGW) using reverse osmosis (RO) results in a highly salty water or RO concentrate. In this study, impacts of using BGW and RO concentrate for irrigating pecan trees inside a greenhouse were evaluated. The objective was to determine if pecan trees are suitable for irrigation with BGW and RO concentrate, and evaluate the possible effects on pecan growth and physiological parameters. For each of two growing seasons (2017 and 2018), three irrigation treatments of 0.8, 4.0 (BGW), and 8.0 ds/m (RO) were applied every 14 days for 8 months. Four-year-old pecan trees were planted in pots filled with sandy-loam soil. Response variables included plant height and diameter, as well as physiological data including photosynthetic rate, chlorophyll content, transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, stem water potential, and leaf ions concentrations. Net pecan growth was 2.75 cm less in RO concentrate irrigated pots than control by the end of the second season. Plants irrigated with RO had the lowest chlorophyll content (30.75) and the lowest stem water potential (-17.22 bar). Na+ and Cl− concentrations reached 0.056 and 0.027 meq/l in the leaf samples in RO irrigated pecans. All trees survived the first season but only 75 % of the pecan trees irrigated with BGW and 50 % of those irrigated with RO survived the two seasons of the experiment. This suggested that continuous long-term irrigation with BGW and RO concentrate is not suitable in arid areas and new irrigation scheduling protocols are needed for safe reuse of BGW and RO concentrate.
Chiral 3-Acylglutaric Acid Derivatives from Strain-Induced Nucleophilic Retro-Claisen Ring-Opening Reactions.

A nucleophilic retro-Claisen ring-opening of donor–acceptor cyclobutenes, formed with high stereocontrol by [3 + 1]-cycloaddition of TIPS-protected enoldiazoacetates with α-acyl sulfur ylides, has ...
Non-uniform gastric wall kinematics revealed by 4D Cine magnetic resonance imaging in humans.

Background Assessment of gastric function in humans has relied on modalities with varying degrees of invasiveness, which are usually limited to the evaluation of single aspects of gastric function, thus requiring patients to undergo a number of often invasive tests for a full clinical understanding. Therefore, the development of a non-invasive tool able to concurrently assess multiple aspects of gastric function is highly desirable for both research and clinical assessments of gastrointestinal (GI) function. Recently, technological advances in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have provided new tools for dynamic (or "cine") body imaging. Such approaches can be extended to GI applications. Methods In the present work, we propose a non-invasive assessment of gastric function using a four-dimensional (4D, volumetric cine imaging), free-breathing MRI sequence with gadolinium-free contrast enhancement achieved through a food-based meal. In healthy subjects, we successfully estimated multiple parameters describing gastric emptying, motility, and peristalsis propagation patterns. Key results Our data demonstrated non-uniform kinematics of the gastric wall during peristaltic contraction, highlighting the importance of using volumetric data to derive motility measures. Conclusions & inferences MRI has the potential of becoming an important clinical and gastric physiology research tool, providing objective parameters for the evaluation of impaired gastric function.
Extrinsic Incentives, Intrinsic Motivation, and Motivational Crowding-Out in Health Law and Policy

Commentary on carrots and sticks abounds; indeed, all law may be viewed as a system of rewards and penalties. Conventional economic theory would suggest that offering incentives for good behavior is likely to yield more of it, while penalties are likely to deter bad behavior. But behavioral economics scholarship prompts a second look at how incentives and incentive-based policies may have counterintuitive effects. A subset of this work concerns motivational crowding-out: a process by which imposing an extrinsic reward or penalty may reduce individuals’ “intrinsic” motivation for good behavior (Frey and Jegen 2001; Gneezy et al. 2011). Controversial scholarship in this area has raised concerns that echo throughout law, philosophy, and economics. These concerns include not only instrumental worries about efficiency and behavioral impacts of incentives, but also deeper concerns about whether incentives impair autonomy (Grant 2012) or prompt the deterioration of individual or collective morality over time (Bowles 2008; Grant 2012; Sandel 2012; Schwartz and Sharpe 2010). This Chapter sets aside moral concerns to focus on instrumental impacts; that is, whether motivational crowding-out can render an incentive inefficient or detrimental for behavior.
Testing the Threat‐Sensitive Hypothesis with Predator Familiarity and Dietary Specificity

In a system with multiple predators, the threat-sensitive predator avoidance hypothesis predicts that prey respond differently to predators relative to the risks each poses (e.g., degree of dietary specialization). Aquatic animals often rely heavily on detecting predators via chemical cues (kairomones) and respond with a suite of behaviors including detection and avoidance. However, little is known about how animals respond to kairomones of specialist versus generalist predators. In laboratory experiments, we compared behavioral responses of a poorly studied aquatic salamander, the greater siren (Siren lacertina), to cues from specialist and generalist predator snakes to evaluate threat-sensitive responses. Sirens exhibited a novel behavior (gill-flushing) most often in the presence of specialist predator cues. Avoidance behavior (reversing direction following cue detection) was higher in response to specialist predator and novel animal control cues and lowest in response to generalist predator cues. An intermediate response to the animal control, an unfamiliar amphibian predator, indicated that sirens respond cautiously to a novel cue. The gradient of observed responses to different snake cues indicates that sirens may be evaluating predation potential of animals based on their foraging specificity and familiarity.
A plane-wave expansion method for analyzing propagation in 3D periodic ceramic structures

The plane-wave expansion method has been the basis for much of the understanding of photonic and electrical behavior in crystals. Two-dimensional periodic structures are commonly used in a number of electromagnetic bandgap (EBG) applications. There has been somewhat less concern, however, with the electromagnetic propagation and bandgap behavior of 3D dielectric structures. Much of this is to due the fact that most 3D periodic dielectric structures cannot be fabricated efficiently, but with developments of ceramic stereolithography, this is beginning to change. The principle concern of this study is to understand electromagnetic propagation behavior in a ceramic cubical lattice. The cubical lattice has several advantages for the design of millimeter-wave components.
Experimental application of an observer-based feedback linearizing controller to an electromagnetic suspension

This paper develops and applies experimentally a stabilizing observer-based feedback linearizing controller for a single-axis electromagnetic suspension. The controller uses only the measured output of the system, and it is continuous, and non-adaptive. Experiments are performed to compare a linear feedback controller and the observer-based feedback linearizing controller. Results obtained demonstrate that the nonlinear controller yields superior performance when compared with the linear feedback controller.
Lexical and Grammatical Associations in Sequential Bilingual Preschoolers

Purpose The authors investigated potential relationships between traditional linguistic domains (words, grammar) in the first (L1) and second (L2) languages of young sequential bilingual preschool children. Method Participants were 19 children, ages 2;11 (years;months) to 5;2 (M = 4;3) who began learning Hmong as the L1 from birth and English as the L2 during early childhood. Measures were the number of different words (NDW) and mean length of utterance (MLU) produced during a story retell task and scores on picture identification, an independent measure of receptive vocabulary. Correlations were conducted to determine relationships among measures. Results In English, there were robust positive relationships between MLU and lexical measures (NDW, Picture Identification). In Hmong, more modest cross-domain associations were evident between lexical measures and MLU. There were positive cross-language links for NDW but more limited cross-domain correspondences between the L1 and the L2. Conclusions In Englis...
Four Ways of Knowing: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Teaching Community-based Design

Design education, especially in an undergraduate course of study, seeks to prepare students for professions and for citizenship in a world they hardly know. The studio typically provides only a surrogate experience in addressing formal and spatial problems, and is limited by time, by its geographic space, and by a dialogue that is more often than not, self-referential. It very rarely engages systemic questions of public policy, or the specific challenges of implementing at full scale ideas that are conceived through representational means. The constrained intellectual context is most poignantly seen in the urban design studios where problems are situated in the real world, and where issues outside the purview of design are found embedded in a place. Form-focused studio exercises that are necessarily a part of beginning architecture education are inadequate for exploring the indeterminacy of urban space and the complexity of human environments. When students enter an urban design studio, especially when they undertake community-based projects, they must take up the mantle of citizenship and engage in an enterprise that is fundamentally relational and grounded in experience. They need more information and more ways of knowing the world than traditionally the design disciplines can offer. This paper presents the outcomes of an experimental neighborhood-based teaching project undertaken as a collaboration among classes in architecture, landscape architecture, urban geography and the fine arts at Temple University. Although initiated through the architecture faculty's desire to enrich its own undergraduate urban design studio, all the collaborators shared our concern about the narrowing effects of disciplinary bracketing on student learning, especially when the goal was to address real world situations. Each discipline brought to the project its particular disciplinary culture -- its language, methodology and areas of concern -- and a shared aspiration to puzzle together these diverse perspectives around questions of making places that are meaningful, humane and sustainable. The struggles and synergies among disciplines were alternatively inspiring, annoying, challenging, rich and imperfect. But intense engagement with a community re-centered the dialogue from inside the academic context to outside, and framed a multidisciplinary way of thought. The community itself proved to be a powerful coalescing agent; the inherent layering of issues in the real-world context made it virtually impossible to remain insensible to interdependencies in life that transcend disciplinary boundaries. Here Richard Sennett's definition of what constitutes a democratic urbanity was applicable. The Greek term for "public”, synkoikismos, means "to bring together in the same place people that need each other but worship different household gods.” (47) This deceptively simple public-making concept became the basis for a process of learning, and a vehicle for working with the larger truths about how cities are formed and experienced.
Domestic and International Equity REIT Joint Ventures: Structuring Corporate Options

We examine a sample of 185 Joint Ventures parented by publicly-traded Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts 1994–2001. These transactions are found to be motivated by a wide variety of corporate strategies. Shareholder returns for REIT parents are significantly positive, which is consistent with wealth effects previously reported for joint ventures formed by non-REIT real estate firms. In a subsample of joint ventures formed to structure partial dispositions of property, however, abnormal returns are significantly negative, which is consistent with the free cash flow theory of Jensen. REIT joint venture experience in Asia has been neutral for value, but may improve in the future if early ventures have created options for more efficient partnerships later.
Dehydrative fragmentation of 5-hydroxyalkyl-1H-tetrazoles: a mild route to alkylidenecarbenes.

The development of a mild, base-free method for the generation of alkylidenecarbenes is reported. Treatment of 5-hydroxyalkyl-1H-tetrazoles with carbodiimides generates products arising from the 1,2-rearrangement or [1,5]-C–H bond insertion of a putative alkylidenecarbene. Formation of this divalent intermediate is proposed to occur by way of a tetraazafulvene, which undergoes extrusion of 2 mol of dinitrogen. Details of this methodology, its application to the synthesis of combretastatin A-4, and an improved route to 5-hydroxyalkyl-1H-tetrazoles are described.
The Future of Creativity In Advertising

In the rapidly changing marketing environment, more attention is being placed on media than on message factors. Creativity, which has been shown to impact the success of a product seems to be receiving secondary attention from marketers. This research discusses the value of creative advertising, and why marketers may be less focused on message strategies. The study concludes that creativity is not dead, and will continue to remain an important factor in marketing communications into the future.
Magnetic properties of some high spin ferric heme compounds.

Abstract Using a crystal field model, and generalized expressions for magnetic properties, the magnetization, susceptibilities and effective magnetic moments of a series of high spin heme compounds whose zero-field characteristics are known have been calculated as a function of both magnetic field strength and temperature. None of the usual assumptions limiting the applicability of the calculation to high temperatures, small magnetic fields and non-interacting magnetic states have been made. From this study we have determined the conditions under which the magnetic moments of high spin ferric heme compounds are significantly field dependent. We have also explained the observed magnetic saturation of these compounds at high fields. Finally, we have used the results of these calculations to compare with experimental results recently obtained for the variation of magnetization and magnetic moments with field and temperature in five related ferric heme compounds.
Experiments on Bypassing During Gasfloods in Heterogeneous Porous Media

Mass transfer from a bypassed region to a flowing region is a very strong function of the solvent phase behavior. Diffusion, dispersion, and capillarity-driven crossflow can contribute to this mass transfer in addition to pressure- and buoyancy-driven crossflow. The authors experiments indicated that the mass transfer rate increased with enrichment. Liquid phase diffusion played a significant role and capillary pumping did not contribute to mass transfer in the cases studied.
Lead Hazard Surveillance Using an Environmental Reporting Database

Abstract This article describes the use of an environmental reporting database to identify potential lead exposure hazards in companies listing lead in their inventory of reportable chemicals in the workplace. The findings provide insight into the prevalence of underreporting of elevated blood lead levels that occurs in occupational lead surveillance systems which utilize laboratory reporting. We identified over 6000 companies reporting lead on the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection—Right To Know survey and contacted 701 companies believed to have potential for occupational lead exposure. Unidentified cases of employee elevated blood lead levels and subsequent underreporting of these cases by clinical laboratories do not appear to be a significant problem in the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services lead surveillance system among companies self-reporting lead inventories to the state's Department of Environmental Protection. The uses and limitations of environmental databases ...
Obtaining Quantitative Information on the Cell-induced Deformation of Collagen with Digital Holographic Microscopy

Principles of holography are applied to study the dynamics of cells and their extracellular matrix with digital hologram microscopy (DHM). The goal of this study is to measure the deformation of collagen matrix induced by cell migration. DHM has appeared as a unique tool to study the displacement at the nano-scale by resolving differences in refractive index. DHM is capable of conducting quantitative size and depth measurements in 3-D. A digital holographic microscope, in transmission, is designed and built to record two-dimensional holograms on a CMOS camera. The digitally recorded holograms are computationally reconstructed using the angular spectrum method (ASM) providing a better signal to noise ratio in comparison with the traditional Fresnel approximation method. The ASM method also outputs the phase image that is used to perform quantitative phase-contrast analysis. The phase images represent the optical pathlength disturbance caused by the sample. These images are unwrapped by applying the Flynn's algorithm to account for the 2π ambiguity. The importance of conducting quantitative phase analysis rises up when one needs to reveal the optical thickness profile of a transparent specimen with sub-wavelength accuracy. Quantitative phase information concerning cell morphology and volume along with those of the extracellular matrix could be obtained with digital holographic microscopy images. One of the advantages of DHM is that, this method is completely non-invasive and there is no need to dissect the sample or to stain it. Also the numerical reconstruction of different object planes from a single hologram enables one to focus on various planes of the image without any mechanical or optical components. This work is funded by NIH grant number 447904-23909.
Acute toxicity of selected hydrazines to the common guppy

Abstract Hydrazine, unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine (UDMH), Aerozine-50 and monomethylhydrazine were evaluated, respectively, in three or four static bioassays each using hard and soft water. Hydrazine was the most toxic compound and UDMH the least toxic to common guppies. Hydrazine was significantly more toxic in soft water than hard water, whereas UDMH was the opposite. The results of bioassays in which survival times of fish pre-exposed to these compounds were compared to those previously unexposed, along with other observations, indicate that the toxic effects of the hydrazines are cumulative. The effects of chemical differences in these compounds, of water quality characteristics and of other factors on acute toxicity are discussed.
Realization of sub 1 V polymeric EO modulators through systematic definition of material structure/function relationships

Quantum mechanics and new statistical mechanical methods have been employed to optimize macroscopic electro-optic activity for organic chromophore-containing polymeric materials. In particular, statistical mechanical (equilibrium and kinetic Monte Carlo) methods that explicitly take into account many-body, spatially-anisotropic, intermolecular interactions are necessary to understand the variation of macroscopic electro-optic activity with chromophore number density, shape, dipole moment, polarizability, and polymer dielectric constant. With guidance from theory, materials have been prepared that exhibit electro-optic coefficients of greater than 100 pm/V. Halfwave voltages of less than one volt have been realized for devices fabricated from these materials. Low halfwave voltage, ultrahigh bandwidth, and ease of incorporation into sophisticated 3-D circuits are some of the demonstrated advantages of polymeric electro-optic devices; however, for such devices to be commercially viable they must exhibit exceptional stability in harsh environments (high temperature and optical power exposure). Lattice hardening (intermolecular cross-linking) plays a critical role in defining chemical, photochemical, and thermal stability. Optical insertion loss is another issue that requires attention to both material design and device structure. Techniques for reducing insertion loss are cited. New material performance capabilities have led to new device concepts and demonstrations; several examples are given.
Ahmed glaucoma valve implants in the pediatric population: the use of magnetic resonance imaging findings for surgical approach to reoperation.

Purpose: To describe and to evaluate a novel application of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in determining the Ahmed glaucoma valve (AGV) function after implantation. Methods: Retrospective interventional case series of all surgical glaucoma patients in one practice were identified and orbital MRI series were performed. Orbital MRI findings were evaluated in all children who had undergone Ahmed glaucoma valve insertion. Results: A total of six patients were identified, ranging in age from 1 to 14 years. Mean follow-up time ranged from 1 to 3 years from the time of first tube insertion. Gadolinium enhancement MRIs showed an enhanced large cystic cavity over the plate in five patients, indicating partial to complete patency of the outflow of the tube. One MRI failed to show an enlarged enhanced bleb over the plate region, indicating potential obstruction of outflow. Surgical irrigation of the tube displayed obstruction. Ahmed tube exchange was performed. Enhanced cystic bleb showed compression of the extraocular muscles in four patients. These patients exhibited mild to moderate restrictive strabismus. No lenticular opacification was noted in the four phakic patients. Conclusions: Early and late AGV failure and subsequent intraocular pressure rise are of great concern after pediatric glaucoma shunt surgery. Orbital MRI series should be considered in the cases of possible AGV drainage failure. In cases of reoperation, orbital MRI findings could be of great clinical value to evaluate for functional patency as well as for the EOM surgical intervention approach. To avoid unnecessary surgical exploration/explantation, orbital MRIs with gadolinium-dye enhancement should be considered in evaluating postshunt glaucoma surgical patients.