cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Water Purification by Forced-Flow Electrophoresis

The capabilities of an electrophoretic apparatus for water treatment are reported. Forced-flow electrophoresis—a modification of electrodecantation by Bier—provides two potential areas of application: (1) The concentration of micro-organisms or dilute solutions of organic compounds for the purposes of both identification and quantitative analysis, and (2) the removal of colloids and supra-colloids from surface waters. Concentration of dilute samples of bacteriophage T1 and 2, 4-D insecticide demonstrate a possible development as a water quality monitoring technique. Waters of low conductivity containing colloidal material can also be treated directly by electrophoresis for colloid separation. Scale-up beyond laboratory size models is dependent on reducing effects of scale and slime formation, spacer thickness, and sedimentation and clogging; as well as a need for better electrical power efficiency.
Abstract 15673: Structural Remodeling Determinants of Reduced Left Atrial Blood Flow Measured by 4D Flow MRI in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation

Introduction: Thromboembolism in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) is due in part to reduced blood flow in the left atrium (LA). Hypothesis: Using MR-based measures, we tested the hypothesis that AF patients with reduced LA flow are more likely to have a greater amount of structural remodeling characterized by larger LA volume and more LA fibrosis. Methods: MRI data were obtained from 23 AF patients (18 male, 66±11 years old). Nine patients were in sinus rhythm and 14 were in AF at the time of the MRI. MR angiography was used to calculate LA volume. Delayed enhancement images were used to quantify the amount of fibrosis as a percentage of the total surface area of the LA. 4D flow MRI was used to measure the blood flow velocity and stasis (% of LA velocities <0.2 m/s) in the LA. The average of the top 50% of the flow velocities was used as the representative velocity measure. Linear regression was used to test the association between LA hemodynamics, LA volume and LA fibrosis. Results: Compared with p...
Cytologic artifacts and pitfalls of thyroid fine-needle aspiration using ThinPrep: a comparative retrospective review.

BACKGROUND The ThinPrep® Processor has gained popularity as a collection and preparation technique for fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB). Specific cytologic criteria to evaluate ThinPrep preparation (TP) may differ from those of conventional preparation (CP). The authors retrospectively reviewed the quality, cytologic features, and pitfalls of TP versus CP in thyroid FNABs and addressed the cytomorphologic criteria used to evaluate TP specimens. METHODS Thyroid FNABs received between January 1996–July 1999 were identified from the computer files of the Department of Pathology, University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, MI). Histologic correlation and clinical follow-up were reviewed. The cytology slides were reevaluated for cellularity, cellular preservation, artifacts, background material, architectural integrity, cytoplasmic details, and nuclear details by two observers. RESULTS Of the 209 thyroid FNABs performed during the study period, TP and CP prepared 127 and 82 cases respectively. Histologic correlation was available in 68 (33%) cases (32 TP and 36 CP). Overall sensitivity was 80% and specificity was 98%. The sensitivity of CP versus TP was 87% and 70%, respectively. Thyroid FNABs prepared by TP, as compared with CP, were characterized by the following: The TP slide 1) allowed assessment of the overall specimen cellularity but not individual passes of an FNAB, 2) contained only “hard” colloid that appeared dense, markedly fragmented, or in droplets, 3) showed crowded, tight, tissue clusters with loss of cellular preservation, especially in the larger aggregates, 4) demonstrated more cell shrinkage, 5) showed increased disruption of the cytoplasm and numerous naked nuclei, 6) occasionally gave nucleoli a more prominent appearance, and 7) was less likely to show nuclear grooves and “pseudoinclusions” in papillary carcinoma. CONCLUSIONS This study concluded that cytologic features used to evaluate thyroid FNABs prepared by CP may need to be modified when using TP. Awareness of the above-described findings and further studies to evaluate TP are essential to avoid potential diagnostic pitfalls. Cancer (Cancer Cytopathol) 2001;93:179–186. © 2001 American Cancer Society.
Shared autonomy in a robot hand teleoperation system

This paper considers adding autonomy to robot hands used in teleoperation systems. Currently, the finger positions of robot hands in teleoperation systems are controlled via a robot master using a Dataglove or exoskeleton. There are several difficulties with this approach: accurate calibration is hard to achieve; robot hands have different capabilities from human hands; and complex force reflection is difficult. In this paper we propose a model of hand teleoperation in which the input device commands the motions of a grasped object rather than the joint displacements of the fingers. To achieve this goal, the hand requires greater autonomy and the capability to perform high-level functions with minimal external input. Therefore, a set of general, primitive manipulation functions that can be performed automatically is defined. These elementary functions control simple rotations and translations of the grasped objects. They are incorporated into a teleoperation system by using a simple input device as a control signal. Preliminary implementations with a Utah/MIT are discussed. >
Not All Rubrics Are Equal: A Review of Rubrics for Evaluating the Quality of Open Educational Resources.

The rapid growth in Internet technologies has led to a proliferation in the number of Open Educational Resources (OER), making the evaluation of OER quality a pressing need. In response, a number of rubrics have been developed to help guide the evaluation of OER quality; these, however, have had little accompanying evaluation of their utility or usability. This article presents a systematic review of 14 existing quality rubrics developed for OER evaluation. These quality rubrics are described and compared in terms of content, development processes, and application contexts, as well as, the kind of support they provide for users. Results from this research reveal a great diversity between these rubrics, providing users with a wide variety of options. Moreover, the widespread lack of rating scales, scoring guides, empirical testing, and iterative revisions for many of these rubrics raises reliability and validity concerns. Finally, rubrics implement varying amounts of user support, affecting their overall usability and educational utility.
Doing Time Together

transnational families play in developing and stabilizing the societies of our less prosperous neighbors both economically as well as socially. As Alejandro Portes (1999) has written, transnationalism is globalization from the bottom up, and the family plays a major role this globalization from below. Beyond dealing with migration exclusively, Dreby offers us a window into the future of the family. As more and more families are started or transported to the United States by immigrants, the foreign-born/native-born mixed family is of increasing significance in U.S. society. Soon to understand the family we will need to consider not only differences in race, class, and culture, but also immigration experience. This work's exploration of transnational family is a great step forward in developing this line of literature of the family and migration. Dreby shows us that while a unique situation, the transnational family operates very much like any other family, but given the conditions of their situation, these families' adaptability challenges and changes social norms and roles not just in the receiving countries of immigrants but also in their sending countries.
Vector-Valued Property Elicitation

The elicitation of a statistic, or property of a distribution, is the task of devising proper scoring rules, equivalently proper losses, which incentivize an agent or algorithm to truthfully estimate the desired property of the underlying probability distribution or data set. Leveraging connections between elicitation and convex analysis, we address the vector-valued property case, which has received little attention in the literature despite its applications to both machine learning and statistics. We first provide a very general characterization of linear and ratio-of-linear properties, the first of which resolves an open problem by unifying and strengthening several previous characterizations in machine learning and statistics. We then ask which vectors of properties admit nonseparable scores, which cannot be expressed as a sum of scores for each coordinate separately, a natural desideratum for machine learning. We show that linear and ratio-of-linear do admit nonseparable scores, and provide evidence for a conjecture that these are the only such properties (up to link functions). Finally, we give a general method for producing identification functions and address an open problem by showing that convex maximal level sets are insufficient for elicitability in general.
Breast and Cervical Cancer Among Lesbians

R esearch to date has not represented the full race, class, age, and cultural diversity of lesbians and other women who partner with women. However, there has been recent suggestion that some populations of lesbians may be at increased risk of developing breast cancer based on a confluence of known or suspected risk factors for the disease. The incidence of cervical cancer among lesbians has not been studied, although risk behaviors have been well documented. Lesbians appear to be less likely to receive routine screening for breast and cervical cancer than recommended by accepted standards of care and may therefore be at risk of increased morbidity and mortality resulting from delayed diagnosis and treatment.
Dynamics of Entertainment and Affect in a Super Bowl Audience: A Multilevel Approach

Entertainment was modeled as a nested temporal process using ecological momentary assessments. In natural viewing conditions, participants watched a Super Bowl game on television and answered a brief questionnaire via the Internet at the beginning of commercial breaks. Multilevel data analytic techniques were employed to analyze the longitudinal data from these assessments. After controlling for individual differences, such as gender, fandom, and team support, affect played a critical role. Average positive affect, averaged over the course of the game, and situational positive affect during specific moments in the game had a significant impact on entertainment, suggesting a baseline level of entertainment that is associated with the ritual of watching the event and added situational entertainment that is tied to the events in the game. Interestingly, situational negative affect was also significant and seemed to work in concert with positive affect.
Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms

The mortality rate after the rupture of an abdominal aortic aneurysm is 80% to 90%; therefore, the main goal of treatment is to prevent rupture. Patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms smaller than 5 cm in diameter should be managed conservatively under close surveillance with either computed tomography or sonography every 3 to 12 months. Patients should be informed that most aneurysms continue to enlarge at an average rate of 2 to 4 mm per year and that there is a 1% to 5% annual risk for sudden rupture. Treatment of the aneurysm is generally recommended if it is larger than 5 cm in diameter, and the only effective treatment is replacement of the aneurysm with a prosthetic graft. This can be performed through a laparotomy or a groin incision using an endovascular graft. Open surgical repair carries a mortality rate of 2% to 8% and requires a hospital stay of 7 to 10 days. Patients receiving endovascular grafts can be discharged within 1 to 3 days. Long-term durability has yet to be proven, however.
Solid electrolyte film humidity sensor

Abstract An impedance-type, solid state thick-film humidity sensor based on a NASICON-type proton conductor, HZr2(PO4)3 has been developed and tested in a wide range of temperature (25–250°C) and relative humidity (2–100%). The film sensor showed enhanced sensitivity compared to the bulk sensor and fast and reproducible response (∼10–15 s), even at ambient temperature. Long-term tests of the film humidity sensors show relatively good agreement with the commercial humidity sensor, OMEGA-RH-20C at room temperature, and excellent agreement with commercial Vaisala-sensor at higher temperatures over several weeks. The sensor signal is dependent on the thickness, as well as on the microstructure of the film.
An algorithm for motion and change detection in image sequences based on chaos and information theory

Accurate and robust image change detection and motion segmentation has been of substantial interest in the image processing and computer vision communities. To date no single motion detection algorithm has been universally superior while biological vision systems are so adept at it. In this paper, we analyze image sequences using phase plots generated from sequential image frames and demonstrate that the changes in pixel amplitudes due to the motion of objects in an image sequence result in phase space behaviour resembling a chaotic signal. Recent research in neural signals have shown biological neural systems are highly responsive to chaos-like signals resulting from aperiodic forcing functions caused by external stimuli. We then hypothesize an alternative physics-based motion algorithm from the traditional optical flow algorithm. Rather than modeling the motion of objects in an image as a flow of grayscale values as in optical flow, we propose to model moving objects in an image scene as aperiodic forcing functions, impacting the imaging sensor, be it biological or silicon-based. We explore the applicability of some popular measures for detecting chaotic phenomena in the frame-wise phase plots generated from sequential image pairs and demonstrate their effectiveness on detecting motion while robustly ignoring illumination change.
Interaction of Ultrasonic Third Sound with Substrate Surface Defects

A new attenuation mechanism has been identified for third sound propagating in superfluid /sup 4/He films. Attenuated transmissions and phase inverted reflections have been observed to occur for both macroscopic and microscopic surface defects in the substrate used to support superfluid /sup 4/He films. The data were obtained by using sound frequencies in the 20 to 200 kHz range.
Explaining the Actions of the Explainers

Explaining has been seen by many as the paradigm display of rationality on our part, and rationality as our most distinctive attribute. To be an explainer is, along the way, to be one who can generalize, infer, predict, offer justifications, conform to the rules of evidence, and, in order to offer more ambitious explanations, one must be a theorizer, and a theory evaluator. But other things we do are equally complex and equally distinctive. Such capacities as the capacity to compose, perform and interpret music, to stage an opera, to design institutions and conform to their norms, to write comedies and comedies about comedy writing, are not plausibly seen as merely spinoffs from our capacity to become theorizers. The reverse seems a likelier hypothesis, if we feel compelled to reduce some capacities to others. We might well wonder which of the many things done by those capable of offering explanations are the most wonder-provoking, and most interestingly unlike the doings of volcanoes, whirlwinds, minerals, plants, viruses, bacteria, insects, and most animals. Hempel believes that it is our rationality, that property which, among its other workings, enables us to give and improve explanations, and offer theories of explanation as well as theories about other explananda,that entitles our actions to a special explanation schema. I shall discuss his version of this rationality, and try to see how much it does and doesn’t explain about us, according to his version of explanation.
Effect of Acclimation and Heat Stress on Thyroid Hormone Concentration

In three trials, broilers were exposed to either moderate-constant or high-cyclic temperatures for 3 days. Broilers in both treatments were exposed to 41 C and high humidity over a 4- to 6-hr period on the 4th day. Blood samples, collected before and at the end of the heat exposure, were assayed for thyroid hormones. Neither acclimation nor severe heat exposure consistently affected triiodothyronine (T3) or thyroxine (T4) concentration. It appears the mechanism of short-term acclimation involves endocrine or physiological responses other than changes in circulating thyroid hormone concentrations.
Fourth-Order Radiative Corrections to Atomic Energy Levels. II

A rigorous method is described for treating the problem of the hydrogen-like atom in quantum electro-dynamics by the separation of integrals into parts which can be evaluated with relativistic and nonrelativistic approximations. The method is based on that developed by Baranger, Bethe, and Feynman for the second-order problem, and is applied here to the problem of the fourth-order radiative energy level displacement. It is shown that the result inferred by Weneser, Bersohn, and Kroll from the study of fourth-order radiative corrections to elastic scattering by a given external potential is correct to order ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}^{2}{(\ensuremath{\alpha}z)}^{4}m{c}^{2}$ for a hydrogenic atom. It is also shown that the $\ensuremath{\alpha}Z$ corrections to this result can be obtained using this method, just as was done in the second-order problem by Baranger, Bethe, and Feynman.
Phase behavior of colloids in binary liquid mixtures

Partially miscible binary liquids containing silica colloids show equilibrium phase boundaries and critical lines. The phase separation is ternary in nature, and measurements allow construction of the ternary phase prism for colloids dispersed in binary fluid mixtures. Comparison with earlier aggregation studies strongly suggests that the aggregation phenomena observed for colloidal particles in binary liquid mixtures is in fact a true phase separation in the ternary mixture.
Energy-Loss Mechanisms of a Low-Discharge-Voltage Hall Thruster

e = elementary charge, C fi = ionization mass fraction of the propellant Id = discharge current, A Ii = exhausted ion current, A Isp = specific impulse, s j = ion current density, A=m M = spacecraft mass, kg m = mass of a xenon atom/ion, kg _ m = flow rate of propellant as determined by the mass-flow controller, kg=s P = kinetic power delivered to the spacecraft, W Ps = supply output power IdVd, W Q = average charge state of the ionized propellant q = charge number T = thrust, N Ue = ion velocity, m=s 2 Vaccel = acceleration potential for a given ion, V Vd = discharge voltage (anode potential), V = average offaxis ion trajectory angle t = trip time, s V = velocity increment, m=s ion = ion kinetic energy B = beam divergence as an efficiency c = current efficiency E = energy efficiency p = propellant efficiency probe = the product of all probe-measured efficiencies T = thrust efficiency v = voltage utilization efficiency vdf = velocity distribution efficiency = angle from thruster axis ctg = cathode to ground potential, V plasma = plasma to ground potential, V
Further studies on the role of thyrocalcitonin in calcium homeostatis and metabolism

Abstract 1. 1. Net calcium absorption from the gut, S i , can be considered the input that disturbs plasma Ca which in turn is regulated by the net calcium balance of bone, Δ, and urinary calcium excretion, v u . A comparison of the plasma calcium level as a function of S i in thyroidectomized (TX) and control (C) animals, both groups bearing parathyroid autografts and supplied with three levels of calcium intake, the TX animals receiving l -thyroxin, failed to reveal differences in either their capacity for or intensity of plasma calcium regulation. 2. 2. Net calcium balance in bone is the difference between calcium deposition in bone, v 0 + , and removal from bone, v 0 − . Lack of endogenous thyrocalcitonin failed to affect the intensity of v 0 + or v 0 − or the relationships between S i and v 0 + or v 0 − . Hence, thyrocalcitonin has no effect on the relative or absolute importance of v 0 + and v 0 − in regulation. Moreover, there were no differences in bone calcium between C and TX animals. 3. 3. Lack of endogenous thyrocalcitonin also had no effect on urinary calcium excretion nor on the relative importance of the kidney in regulating plasma calcium. Thus the lack of thyrocalcitonin can be seen to have had no steady state effect on the calcium metabolism of the rat and it is unlikely that this hormone plays a steady state role. 4. 4. Similar detailed comparisons of control (C) animals with normal intact (N) rats revealed differences which, though small, were often of greater magnitude than the differences between C and TX animals. The differences between C and N animals were of the type and direction observed in a comparable study of N and parathyroidectomized rats. The differences between C and N animals thus point to the profound steady state role played by parathyroid hormone in the regulation of calcium metabolism and further indicate why the nature of the control exerted by thyrocalcitonin cannot be comparable to that exerted by parathyroid hormone.
Identification of a transient subpial neurogenic zone in the developing dentate gyrus and its regulation by Cxcl12 and reelin signaling

One striking feature of dentate gyrus development, distinct from the other cortical structures, is the relocation of neural precursors from the ventricular zone to the forming dentate pole to produce a lifelong neurogenic subgranular zone (SGZ). In this study, we demonstrate that dentate progenitors first dwell for up to 1 week in a previously unrecognized neurogenic zone intimately associated with the pial meningeal surface lining the outer edge of the forming dentate. This zone also serves as the organizational matrix for the initial formation of the dentate glial scaffolding. Timely clearance of neural precursors from their transient location depends on reelin, whereas initial formation of this transient stem cell niche requires Cxcl12-Cxcr4 signaling. The final settlement of the neural precursors at the subgranular zone relies on a pertussis toxin-sensitive pathway independent of Cxcl12-Cxcr4 signaling. Furthermore, genetic fate-mapping analysis suggests that subpial precursors contribute to the SGZ formation. These results demonstrate that the relocation of neural precursors in the dentate gyrus consists of discrete steps regulated by multiple pathways.
Early warning indicators of desertification: examples of tests in the Chihuahuan Desert

Abstract Perennial grasslands that dominated the south-west United States during the past 10,000 years have been desertified to varying extents. Desertification is a temporal phenomenon, defined in this paper as a change in the scale of the spatial distribution of resources. We report here on several indicators of desertification, using bare patch indices as surrogates for direct measures. A bare patch index based on canopy cover, which is relevant for precipitation and wind-driven erosion, is not equivalent to another bare patch index based on soil surface measurements, which is relevant for overland water flow-driven erosion. Per cent grass cover, per cent long-lived grass cover, per cent cover of vegetative reproducers, and a relative preference index all yielded sensitive indicators of desertification. The usefulness of some indicators, such as organic litter, depends upon recent environmental history. Other indicators, such as per cent cover due to grazing-resistant species, appear not to be sensitive to desertification and need further development. Range site type may also be important in determining indicator responses, where some indicators were sensitive to a range site while others were not. Overall, we have identified several sensitive indicators of desertification based on vegetational characteristics in varied range sites in the northern Chihuahuan Desert.
The chemistry of hematite 001 surfaces

Abstract Natural hematite 001 surfaces, exposed by fracturing large specular samples, were characterized using a number of spectroscopic, microscopic, and diffraction methods: X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), Scanning Force Microscopy (SFM), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), and Low-Energy Electron Diffraction (LEED). It was found that the 001 fracture surface represents a terminated growth face, which in all cases is contaminated with adventitious material and/or secondary phases. The contamination is due to air and aqueous solution infiltration along grain boundaries. Exposure experiments, designed to test the stability of hematite surfaces with respect to hydrated phases (particularly goethite), were conducted under N 2 , air, humid air, and deionized water for up to three months. Hematite was found to be relatively inert in these exposure experiments, with the exception of the accumulation of adventitious carbon and oxygen. In no instance was goethite observed to form at the expense of hematite, even on the top few monolayers of the sample.
Cell cycle dependent exposure of a high molecular weight protein on the surface of mouse L cells

Abstract The non-penetrating lactoperoxidase iodination probe has been employed in conjunction with synchronously dividing populations of mouse L cells to identify a high molecular weight protein which is preferentially exposed on the L cell surface during G1 phase of the cell cycle. Progression of cells from G1 to S is accompanied by a marked decrease in the availability of this structure, called band 1, to lactoperoxidase-catalyzed iodination and it remains unavailable until cells re-enter G1. It is suggested that the band 1 polypeptide may be functionally involved in the regulation of L cell growth.
Frankenstein @ Our Library–Monstrous Opportunities for Marketing

Abstract When the Coates Library received notification that the ALA Traveling Exhibition on Frankenstein would be visiting Trinity University, staff reacted with excitement but also with a twinge of fear about all the effort entailed in developing programs and creating a major publicity campaign. This article focuses on the challenges the exhibit presented: who to turn to for help; how to involve members of the campus community; what to use for effective publicity; how to balance education and entertainment in the programs and their advertising; where to seek funds; and how to present three weeks of programming without exhausting the planners or overwhelming potential audiences.
Dynamic Diastereoselectivity during Iron Carbonyl Mediated Spirocyclization Reactions

Dynamic diastereoselectivity during Fe(CO) 3 promoted [6 + 2] ene spirocyclization of 35a and 35b, having a chiral center on the pendent side chain, was investigated and gave rise to products 28a and 28b instead of four possible isomers. From this reaction, two chiral centers are generated, with absolute stereochemistry determined by the double bond geometry and the chiral center already present. 28a/b and the diene product from demetallation of 28a are proposed as potential intermediates for total synthesis of 18-deoxycytochalasin H. Furthermore, a stepwise second cyclization and a tandem double cyclization mediated by the Fe(CO) 3 moiety was investigated.
US CMS Tier-2 Computing

The CMS computing model relies heavily on the use of 'Tier-2' computing centers. At LHC startup, the typical Tier-2 center in the United States will have 1 MSpecInt2K of CPU resources, 200 TB of disk for data storage, and a WAN connection of 10 Gbit/s. These centers will be the primary sites for the production of large-scale simulation samples and for the hosting of experiment data for user analysis ? an interesting mix of experiment-controlled and user-controlled tasks. As a result, there are a wide range of services that must be deployed and commissioned at these centers, which are responsible for tasks such as dataset transfer, management of datasets, hosting of jobs submitted through Grid interfaces, and several varieties of monitoring. We discuss the development of the seven CMS Tier-2 computing centers in the United States, with a focus on recent operational performance and preparations for the start of data-taking in 2008.
Specific anti-tumor immune response with photodynamic therapy mediated by benzoporphyrin derivative and chlorin(e6)

The purpose of this study was to investigate the induction of anti-tumor immunity by photodynamic therapy (PDT). We used EMT-6 mammary sarcoma, a moderately immunogenic tumor, with 10(6) cells injected s.c. in thighs of immunocompetent Balb/c mice. Mice were treated 10 days later when tumors were 6-mm diameter. Two PDT regimens were equally effective in curing tumors: 1-mg/kg of liposomal benzoporphyrin derivative (BPD) followed after 15 min by 150 J/cm 2 690 nm light or 10-mg/kg chlorin(e6) (ce6) followed after 6 hours by 150 J/cm 2 665 nm light. BPD-PDT produced a black eschar 24-48 hours after treatment with no visible tumor, followed by healing of the lesion. By contrast ce6-PDT showed no black eschar, but a slow disappearance of tumor over 5-7 days. When cured mice were rechallenged with 10(6) EMT-6 cells in the opposite thigh, all ce6-PDT cured mice rejected the challenge, but BPD-PDT cured mice grew tumors in a proportion of cases. When mice were cured by amputation of the tumor bearing leg, all mice subsequently grew tumors upon rechallenge. Mice were given two EMT6 tumors (1 in each leg) and the mouse was injected with ce6 or BPD but only one tumor was treated with light. Both tumors (PDT-treated and contralateral) regressed at an equal rate until they became undetectable, but in some mice the untreated tumor recurred. Those mice cured of both tumors rejected a subsequent EMT6 rechallenge. Amputation of the tumor bearing leg did not lead to regression of the contralateral tumor. Mice that rejected an EMT6 rechallenge failed to reject a subsequent cross-challenge with J774 reticulum cell sarcoma (an alternative Balb/c murine tumor). These data show that PDT generates a tumor-specific memory immune response, and in addition an active tumoricidal immune response capable of destroying distant established tumors. We hypothesize that ce6-PDT is more effective than BPD-PDT due to more necrotic rather than apoptotic cell death and/or generation of heat-shock proteins that are known for efficient presentation of tumor antigens via dendritic cells to cytotoxic T-cells. PDT could be used to treat a locally advanced tumor while at the same time destroying distant metastases via an induced immune response.
Chemistry of Some Dihalogallium(III) β-Diketonate Derivatives. Crystal and Molecular Structures of GaCl2(acac), GaCl2(tmhd), and [trans-Ga(acac)2(THF)2+][GaCl4-]

The dichlorogallium(III) β-diketonato derivatives GaCl2(bdk) [bdk = acac (2,4-pentanedionato) and tmhd (2,2,6,6-tetramethylheptanedionato)] have been prepared and characterized in hydrocarbon solutions by NMR spectral studies and cryoscopic molecular weight measurements and in the solid state by X-ray structural studies. These compounds, which have chelated β-diketonato ligands and four-coordinate gallium, react with THF to form species of composition GaCl2(bdk)·THF. A single-crystal X-ray diffraction study identified GaCl2(acac)·THF as the ion-pair [trans-Ga(acac)2(THF)2+][GaCl4-]. The gallium atom in the cation is six-coordinate, whereas in the anion it is four-coordinate. Variable-temperature 1H NMR spectral studies in CD2Cl2 solution suggest that multiple processes including (i) a stereochemical rearrangement, (ii) THF exchange, and (iii) equilibria between [Ga(bdk)2(THF)2+][GaCl4-], GaCl2(bdk), and at least one other species such as [Ga(bdk)2(THF)+][GaCl4-] are occurring in solution. In contrast, GaX...
Optimal maximum norm error estimates for some finite element methods for treating the Dirichlet problem

The goal of this paper is to establish optimalL ∞ error estimates for a few different finite element type methods for the Dirichlet problem in a bounded domain. The methods are selected so as to avoid the necessity for imposing boundary conditions on the trial functions, usually difficult in practice. Three specific methods are treated. These are the method of interpolated boundary condition and two methods of Nitsche.
Simple dispersion law for arbitrary sequences of dispersive optics

We give a simple general formula for the total angular dispersion due to multiple arbitrary dispersive elements in a series. It is simply the sum of the individual elements' angular dispersions but with each divided by the total spatial magnification afterward (or, equivalently, multiplied by the total angular magnification afterward).
Novel Functional Polycarbonate by Lipase-Catalyzed Ring-Opening Polymerization of 5-Methyl-5-benzyloxycarbonyl-1,3-dioxan-2-one

Water-soluble polycarbonate having pendent carboxyl groups on the main-chain carbons is reported for the first time. This paper describes synthesis and enzyme-catalyzed ring-opening polymerization of a novel carbonate monomer, 5-methyl-5-benzyloxycarbonyl-1,3-dioxan-2-one (1). Various commercially available lipases were screened for their ability to polymerize 1 in bulk at 80 °C. Monomer conversion and molecular weight of the polymer were significantly influenced by the source of the enzyme. For example, of the seven lipases screened, lipase AK (from Pseudomonas fluorescens) gave the highest monomer conversion (97%) and molecular weight (Mn = 6100). In reactions carried out under identical experimental conditions, no polymerization was observed when thermally deactivated lipase AK was used. Debenzylation of 2 by catalytic hydrogenation led to the corresponding linear polycarbonate, 3, with pendent carboxyl groups. Presence of pendent carboxyl groups is expected to enhance the biodegradability of the polyc...
High-sensitivity gas phase sequence analysis of proteins and peptides on PVDF membranes using short cycle times.

Abstract An optimized sequencer program with a cycle time of 38 min which is specifically tailored for analysis using polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) membranes has been developed. The program was developed using a pulsed liquid-phase instrument which was converted to gas-phase acid delivery. Gas-phase acid delivery minimized sample extraction from PVDF membranes and improved tryptophan yields in at least some cases. Other modifications which contributed to reliable high sensitivity sequencer performance included use of a Blott cartridge, substitution of ethyl acetate:heptane (1:1, v/v) instead of butyl chloride as the extraction solvent, use of a modified 100-μl injection loop with an internal restrictor to reliably inject nearly 90% of the sample, and an HPLC gradient which resolved tryptophan from diphenylurea. These shortened cycle times were achieved at the conventional gas-phase reaction temperature. A slight increase in lag or carryover at prolines was compensated by reduced background from nonspecific acid cleavage which facilitated extended and/or high sensitivity sequencing of large proteins. Reproducible high initial and repetitive cycle yields were obtained with a wide range of experimental peptides which were electroblotted from either 1D or 2D polyacrylamide gels onto high retention PVDF membranes. Initial yields of the majority of the experimental samples analyzed with this program were less than 5 pmol. In addition, most samples with initial yields below 1-2 pmol yielded sufficient sequence information to identify the protein by comparison to protein sequence databases or to design oligonucleotide probes.
The epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) establishes a trafficking vesicle pool responsible for its regulation.

The epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) is the rate-limiting step for sodium reabsorption across tight epithelia. Cyclic-AMP (cAMP) stimulation promotes ENaC trafficking to the apical surface to increase channel number and transcellular Na+ transport. Removal of corticosteroid supplementation in a cultured cortical collecting duct cell line reduced ENaC expression. Concurrently, the number of vesicles trafficked in response to cAMP stimulation, as measured by a change in membrane capacitance, also decreased. Stimulation with aldosterone restored both the basal and cAMP-stimulated ENaC activity and increased the number of exocytosed vesicles. Knocking down ENaC directly decreased both the cAMP-stimulated short-circuit current and capacitance response in the presence of aldosterone. However, constitutive apical recycling of the Immunoglobulin A receptor was unaffected by alterations in ENaC expression or trafficking. Fischer Rat Thyroid cells, transfected with α,β,γ-mENaC had a significantly greater membrane capacitance response to cAMP stimulation compared to non-ENaC controls. Finally, immunofluorescent labeling and quantitation revealed a smaller number of vesicles in cells where ENaC expression was reduced. These findings indicate that ENaC is not a passive passenger in regulated epithelial vesicle trafficking, but plays a role in establishing and maintaining the pool of vesicles that respond to cAMP stimulation.
All the same to me: outcomes of aesthetic labor performed by frontline service providers

Aesthetic labor practices involve strategically controlling human aesthetics in an effort create a predefined physical appearance profile that becomes part of the value proposition. Retail and service management often implements aesthetic labor by trying to create a matching look among all visible service providers. Social comparison theory provides a general theory that helps explain the way consumers may react to more or less similarity in appearance among service providers. Three studies examine aesthetic labor in service settings. Study 1 tests a theoretical structure suggesting a process by which aesthetic labor in the form of a similar appearance among service providers affects outcomes including self-congruence, affect, hedonic value and future patronage intention. Study 2 adds explanatory power to Study 1 by demonstrating the important role played by authentic fit among service providers. Study 3 explores the impact of uniforms as an aesthetic labor tool and suggests that uniforms may not always enhance perceptions that employees belong together. The research overall demonstrates some counter-intuitive findings including the fact that looking alike is only an effective aesthetic labor strategy to the extent that it drives perceptions of genuine belonging.
A revision of Hexastylis of North America

"Heartleaves" is the common name of a group of low, perennial, aromatic, evergreen, herbaceous plants related to wild gingers (Asarum L.) with which they have generally been considered to be congeneric. Because of their distinctness as a group, however, from wild gingers of North America, Rafinesque (1825) segregated these plants from Asarum into a new genus Hexastylis. This segregation was for a considerable time disregarded by American taxonomists, but in 1903 Small adopted Hexastylis for this group of plants in the first edition of his Flora of the southeastern United States. This recognition of Hexastylis as a genus distinct from Asarum has not, however, been followed by some of the other taxonomists, such as Fernald in the 8th edition of Gray's Manual of botany (1950). Up to the present time, 10 species of this group have been described from eastern North America, all restricted to the southeastern United States. The only other region where similar plants occur is in the Orient, and most of these have been placed in the genus Asarum, where they are still retained. Just how and to what extent these Oriental plants show relationship to Hexastylis is somewhat uncertain, since no thorough, comprehensive study of them has been made, as well as no monographic study of the genus Asarum, beyond the extent of such treatments as are found in de Candolle's Prodromus (Duchartre 1864) and Engler and Prantl's Die natYtrlichen Pflanzenfamilien (Schmidt 1935, Solereder 1893). Aside from disagreement as to the generic distinctness of Hexastylis from Asarum, there is considerable diversity in the taxonomic treatments of heartleaves in the various floras of those areas in which they occur. Furthermore, all these treatments are more or less inadequate or even erroneous. This unsatisfactory taxonomic status of the group is largely due to the differences in degree of understanding of certain taxa, differences in emphasis, and lack of appreciation of the relative taxonomic value of certain characters. in general, in attempting to distinguish taxa, within groups, too much emphasis has been placed on some structures which are too variable. This is especially true of leaf-blade form. This varies to such an extent in the population of one taxon-and often as much on one individual plant-that some leaves may have the identical form of those of another taxon. It seems, therefore, unfortunate that form of leaf-blade has been used as much as it has in the naming of species, such as H. arifolia, callifolia, and heterophylla. Actually, the last epithet applies to most of them. Another means of distinguishing certain species has been based too much on the relative sizes of flowers and their parts. These vary to such an extent that size differences are often of limited diagnostic value. On the other hand, certain structures, which seem to be more specific and constant, have apparently been overlooked by American taxonomists. These are: (1) the pattern
Comparison of Neurologic and Radiographic Outcomes with Solitaire versus Merci/Penumbra Systems for Acute Stroke Intervention

Background and Purpose. The Solitaire Flow Restoration was approved by the FDA in 2012 for mechanical thrombolysis of proximal occlusion of intracranial arteries. To compare the Solitaire FR device and the Merci/Penumbra (previously FDA approved) systems in terms of safety, clinical outcomes, and efficacy including radiographic brain parenchymal salvage. Methods. Thirty-one consecutive patients treated with the Solitaire and 20 patients with comparable baseline characteristics treated with Merci or Penumbra systems were included in the study. Primary outcome measures included recanalization rate and modified Rankin Scale score at followup. Secondary outcomes included length of procedure, incidence of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage, 90-day mortality, and radiographic analysis of percentage area salvage. Results. Compared with the Merci/Penumbra group, the Solitaire group showed a statistically significant improvement in favorable outcomes (mRS ≤ 2) (69% versus 35%, ) and symptomatic ICH rate (0 versus 15%, ) with a trend towards higher recanalization rates (93.5% versus 75%, ) and shorter length of procedure (58.5 min versus 70.8 min, ). Radiographic comparison also showed a significantly larger area of salvage in the Solitaire group (81.9% versus 71.9%, ). Conclusion. Our study suggests that the Solitaire system allows faster, safer, and more efficient thrombectomy than Merci or Penumbra systems.
Cyberbullying, Depression, and Problem Alcohol Use in Female College Students: A Multisite Study

Cyberbullying and its effects have been studied largely in middle and high school students, but less is known about cyberbullying in college students. This cross-sectional study investigated the relationship between involvement in cyberbullying and depression or problem alcohol use among college females. Two hundred and sixty-five female students from four colleges completed online surveys assessing involvement in cyberbullying behaviors. Participants also completed the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) to assess depressive symptoms and the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) to assess problem drinking. Logistic regression tested associations between involvement in cyberbullying and either depression or problem drinking. Results indicated that 27% of participants had experienced cyberbullying in college; 17.4% of all participants met the criteria for depression (PHQ-9 score ≥10), and 37.5% met the criteria for problem drinking (AUDIT score ≥8). Participants with any involvement in cyberbullying had increased odds of depression. Those involved in cyberbullying as bullies had increased odds of both depression and problem alcohol use. Bully/victims had increased odds of depression. The four most common cyberbullying behaviors were also associated with increased odds for depression, with the highest odds among those who had experienced unwanted sexual advances online or via text message. Findings indicate that future longitudinal study of cyberbullying and its effects into late adolescence and young adulthood could contribute to the prevention of associated comorbidities in this population.
Measurement of prompt-muon production in nucleon-nucleus collisions

We have measured the production cross section for prompt muons relative to pions, produced in nucleon-nucleus interactions at incident energies from 30 to 300 GeV and for muon transverse momenta from 1 to 2.3 GeV/c. Upper limits on the production and leptonic decay of heavy particles are presented.
In-Situ Monitoring of Phase Transformations During Welding of Steels Using Synchrotron-Based X-Ray Diffraction Techniques

Understanding the evolution of microstructure in welds is an important goal of welding research because of the strong correlation between weld microstructure and weld properties. To achieve this goal it is important to develop a quantitative measure of phase transformations encountered during welding in order to ultimately develop methods for predicting weld microstructures from the characteristics of the welding process. To aid in this effort, synchrotron radiation methods have been developed at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory for direct observations of microstructure evolution during welding. Using intense, highly collimated synchrotron radiation, the atomic structure of the weld heat affected and fusion zones can be probed in real time. Two synchrotron-based techniques have been developed for these investigations, known as spatially resolved (SRXRD) and time resolved (TRXRD) x-ray diffraction, and these techniques have been used to investigate welding induced phase transformations in titanium alloys, low alloy steels, and stainless steel alloys. This paper will provide a brief overview of the application of these methods to understand microstructural evolution during the welding of low carbon (AISI 1005) and medium carbon (AISI 1045) steels, where the different levels of carbon influence the starting microstructures and the evolution of microstructures during welding.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Wind-induced interannual variability of sea level slope, along-shelf flow, and surface salinity on the Northwest Atlantic shelf

In this study, we examine the importance of regional wind forcing in modulating advective processes and hydrographic properties along the Northwest Atlantic shelf, with a focus on the Nova Scotian Shelf (NSS)-Gulf of Maine (GoM) region. Long-term observational data of alongshore wind stress, sea level slope, and along-shelf flow are analyzed to quantify the relationship between wind forcing and hydrodynamic responses on interannual time scales. Additionally, a simplified momentum balance model is used to examine the underlying mechanisms. Our results show significant correlation among the observed interannual variability of sea level slope, along-shelf flow, and alongshore wind stress in the NSS-GoM region. A mechanism is suggested to elucidate the role of wind in modulating the sea level slope and along-shelf flow: stronger southwesterly (northeastward) winds tend to weaken the prevailing southwestward flow over the shelf, building sea level in the upstream Newfoundland Shelf region, whereas weaker southwesterly winds allow stronger southwestward flow to develop, raising sea level in the GoM region. The wind-induced flow variability can influence the transport of low-salinity water from the Gulf of St. Lawrence to the GoM, explaining interannual variations in surface salinity distributions within the region. Hence, our results offer a viable mechanism, besides the freshening of remote upstream sources, to explain interannual patterns of freshening in the GoM.