cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Construction of a composite pressure–temperature path: revealing the synorogenic burial and exhumation history of the Sevier hinterland, USA

Metamorphic pressure–temperature (P–T) paths derived from 16 growth-zoned garnets, nine from this study and seven from a previous study, have been combined to construct a detailed composite path for an area in the hinterland of the Cretaceous to early Tertiary Sevier orogenic belt in southern Idaho and north-west Utah. Samples are from two Proterozoic units in the footwall of the Basin-Elba thrust: the schist of Mahogany Peaks in the central Albion Mountains, Idaho, and the schist of Stevens Spring in the Basin Creek area of the Grouse Creek Mountains, Utah, ∼40 km to the south. The simulated portions of the garnets analysed in this study grew from reactions involving the breakdown of chlorite in the upper greenschist to lower amphibolite facies. Multiple garnets were analysed from three samples. Overlapping segments of P–T paths from different garnets in the same sample correlate with respect to slope and garnet Mn concentration. The composite P–T path documents three episodes of sharply increasing pressures separated by two episodes of pressure decrease, all during progressively increasing temperatures. The path is interpreted to represent alternating episodes of synconvergent thrusting and extensional exhumation in the hinterland of the Sevier orogen. Burial was probably caused by the Basin-Elba fault, the only major thrust exposed in the region. Extensional exhumation may have occurred along the Mahogany Peaks or Emigrant Spring faults, or by extensional reactivation of the Basin-Elba fault. This method of correlating partial P–T paths to reveal a more complete composite path provides a powerful tool in unveiling orogenic histories in metamorphic terranes, where evidence of major structures responsible for burial and exhumation is commonly obscured by later events.
Experimental Study of the Local Response of a Low Swirl Flame to Acoustic Perturbation

A low swirl burner is used to examine thermo-acoustic instability under different perturbation level. For a constant forcing frequency of 125 Hz, a low swirl flame with the velocity of 5 m/s is used to examine the effect of the driving pressure amplitude (0.045–0.649 % of atmospheric pressure) on the global and local flame response. Rayleigh Index is used in current research to show the local and global coupling level between the heat release and the pressure oscillation. The toroidal structures found in the Rayleigh Index map indicate that the coupling strength increases with the perturbation level and then stays stable. At the same time, the coupling location doesn’t change much with the forcing amplitude. In addition, the root mean square of the Rayleigh index (RRMS) exhibits a linear region and a nonlinear region when perturbation magnitude rises. Besides the global response, the local RRMS and locally-weighted RRMS are studied. The contributions of the positive and negative toroidal structures on the global RRMS are similar in current case. Locally phase-averaged OH-PLIF data are used to investigate the local heat release variation trend. Phase analysis shows that the local phase is not sensitive to the perturbation level, which induce that the Rayleigh Index is more dominated by the oscillation magnitude of the heat release.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Privacy-Preserving database systems

Privacy is today an important concern for both users and enterprises. Therefore, intense research is today being carried out on various aspects of privacy-preserving data management systems. In this paper, we focus on database management systems (DBMS) able to enforce privacy promises encoded in privacy languages such as P3P. In particular, in the paper, we first present an overview of the P3P language and outlines some of its critical aspects. We then outline the main requirements for a privacy-preserving DBMS and we discuss solutions related to the management of privacy-related meta-data, focusing on special category of meta-data information, that is, purpose information. Purpose information represents an important component of privacy statements and thus their effective management is crucial. We then discuss current solutions to to fine-grained access control in the context of relational database systems and identify relevant issues.
Adult Learning and University Aviation Education

The current aviation arena involves highly complex, technically sophisticated aircraft operating in an increasingly dynamic flight and navigation environment. In order for commercial aviation students to be prepared for careers as pilots, they must undergo very comprehensive theoretical academic education. This study examines appropriate adult learning principles, learning style theory, and cooperative and collaborative learning techniques, and then suggests an integrated learning model to improve long-term retention and enhance application across a broad spectrum of new situations. An essential component of the integrated model is the use of personal computer based flight simulator programs and computer based learning programs to provide immediate application and hands-on learning. While this model focuses on a teaching strategy for theoretical aviation education, it also can be applied to technical education in any learning environment.
Orientational phases for M 3 C 60

The mechanism of the orientational ordering of ${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ in alkali-metal-doped fullerenes ${\mathit{M}}_{3}$${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ is studied. Since the M-${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ (M=K,Rb) interactions cause the ${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ molecules to assume one of two standard orientations, this model is equivalent to a generalized Ising model on a fcc lattice. The Ising interactions depend on two type of energies: (1) the direct interaction, i.e., the orientationally dependent part of interactions between nearest-neighboring ${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ molecules (each carrying charge -$3e$), and (2) the band energy of the electrons transferred from ${\mathit{M}}^{+}$ ions to the ${\mathrm{C}}_{60}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}3}$ ions. It is shown that the contribution to the pairwise interaction from the direct orientational interaction is ferromagnetic and dominantly nearest neighbor. However, contributions from the band (kinetic) energy of the conduction electrons are found to be antiferromagnetic for first- and third-nearest neighbors, ferromagnetic for second- and fourth-nearest neighbors, and negligible for further neighbors. The total first-neighbor interaction is probably antiferromagnetic. a non-negligible four-spin interaction is also obtained. The implication of these results for the orientational structure is discussed.
Explanatory Mechanisms for Intelligent Tutoring Systems

QUE is an exploratory environment for users of rule based intelligent systems. Its original motivation was the question of how to analyze and explain the discrepancies in rule-based intelligent tutoring systems, between "near miss" incorrect responses of a student and the system's knowledge of the "correct" line of reasoning. It is currently under development as a suite of techniques which provide explanation by supporting the exploration of a system's reasoning processes. This paper describes some of the exploratory modes, the underlying mechanisms that support them, and a number of ways in which these modes and mechanisms might be incorporated into intelligent tutoring architectures.
The design of narrowband CMOS RF low-noise amplifiers

General conditions for minimizing the noise figure of any linear two-port are reviewed before considering the specific case of a MOSFET low-noise amplifier (LNA). It is shown that the minimum noise figure cannot be obtained over an arbitrarily large bandwidth with networks of low order. For narrowband operation, however, one may construct simple amplifiers whose noise figure and power gain are close to the theoretical optima allowed within an explicit power constraint, and which simultaneously present a specified impedance to the driving source. The effects of overlap (drain-gate) capacitance, short-channel carrier heating, substrate resistance (“epi noise”), and gate interconnect resistance are also considered. Amplifier noise figures of 1.5dB or better at 10mW are achievable in the 1–2GHz range with 0.5μm technology, and improve with scaling.
InGaAs switch transistors for microwave control applications

InGaAs insulated-gate FETs (IGFETs) with 1.2 /spl mu/m gate lengths have been designed, fabricated and characterized as switch devices for microwave control applications in switched and phase shifter circuits. The devices employed a plasma deposited silicon dioxide gate insulator and had multiple airbridged source regions. The control voltage was applied to the gate through a on chip 5 current k/spl Omega/ mesa resistor to RF isolate the device from the gate supply. The effect of increased gate leakage current on device performance due to the leakage path created by the gate bias resistor is discussed. Three different gate widths of 300 /spl mu/m, 600/spl mu/m and 1200/spl mu/m were investigated to examine the tradeoff between low on state and high off state capacitance. The DC current-voltage (I-V) characteristics as well as small signal scattering parameter (S-parameter) measurement results from 2-20 GHz are presented. The equivalent circuit models of the InGaAs switch FET fitted to the experimentally measured S-parameters are also given. >
GaAsSb-based heterojunction tunnel diodes for tandem solar cell interconnects

We report a new approach to tunnel junctions that employs a pseudomorphic GaAsSb layer to obtain a band alignment at a InGaAs or InAlAs p-n junction favorable for forward bias tunneling. Since the majority of the band offset between GaAsSb and InGaAs or InAlAs is in the valence band, when an GaAsSb layer is placed at an InGaAs or InAlAs p-n junction the tunneling distance is reduced and the tunneling current is increased. For all doping levels studied, the presence of the GaAsSb-layer enhanced the forward tunneling characteristics. In fact, in a InGaAs/GaAsSb tunnel diode with p=1.5/spl times/10/sup 18/ cm/sup -3/ a peak tunneling current sufficient for a 1000 sun InP/InGaAs tandem solar cell interconnect was achieved while a similarly doped all-InGaAs diode was rectifying. This approach affords a new degree of freedom in designing tunnel junctions for tandem solar cell interconnects. Previously only doping levels could be varied to control the tunneling properties. Our approach relaxes the doping requirements by employing a GaAsSb-based heterojunction.
Prevalence and correlates of disordered eating in female figure skaters

Abstract Objectives The purposes of this study were to (a) examine the prevalence of disordered eating among female figure skaters, (b) compare levels of disordered eating between skaters and their same-age peers, (c) compare levels of disordered eating between elite skaters and their sub-elite counterparts, and (d) examine general and sport-related correlates of disordered eating (i.e., four sport-related weight pressures, general and sport-related body dissatisfaction, positive and negative perfectionism, self-esteem, and athletic identity). Design This study employed a cross-sectional design. Methods Participants completed paper–pencil surveys, including measures for disordered eating, four sport-related weight pressures, general and sport-related body dissatisfaction, positive and negative perfectionism, self-esteem, and athletic identity. Participants included 272 female figure skaters ages 12–25 (M = 15.63) across five US states. Results Thirteen percent of participants scored within range of problematic eating attitudes and behaviors but were no more symptomatic than their same-age peers when compared to existing normative data. Levels of disordered eating did not significantly differ between those competing at the elite and sub-elite level. After controlling for body mass index and age, disordered eating was significantly predicted by self-consciousness of weight and appearance, general and sport-related body dissatisfaction, and positive perfectionism. Conclusions Disordered eating occurs in female figure skaters across competitive levels. Concern over weight and appearance, dissatisfaction with one's body in general and in sport, and positive perfectionism may serve as important tools in the prevention and detection of disordered eating in female figure skaters.
Chemical Bonding and Thermodynamics in Superconductivity and Superfluidity

Superconductivity and superfluidity are physical states that occur in a variety of chemical and physical systems. These physical states share a common type of real, or virtual, chemical bonding. Each of the systems discussed herein contain at least one real, or effective, coordinate covalent bond. This is formed from an electron pair donor species and an electron pair acceptor species. When the electronegativity difference between the electron pair donor and acceptor species is sufficiently small, the resultant coordinate covalent bond density can be substantial. If delocalized, this bond density can result in a significant increase in the electron pair orbital volume relative to that of the parent species, and an increase in the valence shell orbital entropy. In terms of the normalized Gibbs–Helmholtz equation, this results in a concomitant decrease in free energy of the delocalized electronic system. A decrease in free energy to negative values can support a boson state, and superconductivity. A clear example of these principles is the occurrence of superconductivity in the ceramic material, MgB2. These generalizations apply to superconducting elements, high temperature superconductors, superconducting alloys, and equivalently to superfluid 4He.
Simultaneous photodissociation of hydrogen and dimethylphenylphosphine from OsH4(PMe2Ph)3: production of dimeric and paramagnetic osmium polyhydrides

Chemical trapping with PMe 2 Ph(«P»), PEt 3 , and H 2 (to 60 atm) has been used to prove the concurrent photodissociation of both H 2 and PMe 2 Ph from OsH 4 P 3 in benzene, THF, and ethanol. The final products observed on photolysis of OsH 4 P 3 under vacuum is an equilibrium mixture of Os 2 H 4 P 6 and Os 2 H 4 P 5 . The crystal structure of the former shows it to be comprised of two octahedra sharing an edge, the edge being composed of two bridging hybrides
Low-Coherence Interferometer for Accurate Fiber Length Measurement and Fiber Array Device Fabrication

A low-coherence fiber interferometer for measuring sections of fiber to an accuracy of 50 ?m is presented. We also discuss a simple method to cut fibers to an accuracy of 300 ?m. These techniques allow the realization of partially coherent imaging systems and optical delay line devices for fiber communications.
Acog’s 1999 VBAC guidelines: a survey of western massachusetts obstetric services

Abstract Objective: ACOG Practice Bulletins provide management standards for obstetric and gynecologic services. The recent ACOG guidelines for vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) (Number 5, July 1999) are controversial concerning hospital VBAC policy. We surveyed all western Massachusetts obstetric services regarding their VBAC policy. Methods: A survey regarding procedure rates and VBAC policy was presented to chiefs of western Massachusetts obstetric services and the data summarized. Results: All services completed the survey. Of the approximately 8,000 annual deliveries performed in western Massachusetts, 18.5% are cesarean. From 1994, all services reported a decline in overall cesarean rate and an increase in VBAC rate. All institutions reported an unchanged primary cesarean rate, except for the only level 3 center surveyed, where it rose slightly. Regarding recent ACOG VBAC guidelines, five of six services were aware of the new guidelines. Fifty percent describe “immediately available” as cesarean delivery initiated within 30 minutes and 50% as within 15 minutes. Sixty-seven percent describe “physician availability for cesarean delivery” as anesthesia coverage in-hospital and 33% as anesthesia coverage on labor and delivery. The only service mandating an obstetrician’s attending presence during VBAC trials is the tertiary care center due to residency training. Five of six services have anesthesia availability in hospital, but not specific to labor and delivery. Conclusions: The recent ACOG VBAC guidelines were inconsistently interpreted among the services surveyed. At these institutions, declines in cesarean deliveries are due to the increase in VBAC trials. While failure to incorporate guidelines could increase liability for institutions, strict implementation may discourage VBAC trials and increase cesarean deliveries by as much as 50%. In our opinion, closer review of data regarding VBAC complication rates is necessary to develop workable guidelines applicable to institutions of all levels.
Scalable production of iron oxide nanowhiskers

We reported the scalable production of iron oxide nanowhiskers from 250 mL laboratory scale to 10 L reactor reaction. During the scale-up process, the reaction time was found to be a critical parameter to adjust for the production of iron oxide nanowhiskers with similar quality to that of the laboratory scale. Based on transmission electron microscopy and magnetometry analysis, the size, size distribution, and magnetic properties of the large scale products were comparable to those produced on laboratory scale. Subsequently, these nanowhiskers were transferred from organic solvents to aqueous solution using a 38-liter stainless steel tank. These water soluble nanowhiskers were well dispersed in water and the surface chemistry was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.
Abstract A18: Autophagy as a mechanism implicated in osteosarcoma resistance to gemcitabine.

The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the role of autophagy in osteosarcoma (OS) lung metastases resistance to aerosol Gemcitabine (GCB). Despite many advances in chemotherapy and successful control of the primary tumor, osteosarcoma overall survival has remained the same in the last 15 years. Pulmonary metastases remain the main cause of death in patients with OS underscoring the need for new therapeutic strategies. Using a human OS mouse model, we had previously demonstrated that aerosol Gemcitabine (GCB) has a significant therapeutic effect in OS lung metastases. Nevertheless, a subset of cells failss to respond to GCB treatment and persist as small isolated lung metastases in vivo. Resistance to GCB is also evidenced by survival of OS cells after treatment in vitro. Therefore, understanding the underlying mechanism of OS resistance to GCB will allow the implementation of new therapeutic strategies. Autophagy has been suggested as a mechanism induced by a variety tumor cells after chemotherapy treatment. It is a process involved in the degradation of organelles and damaged proteins, providing the cells amino acids to sustain survival under stressful conditions. Recently, it has also been associated with tumor cells resistance to chemotherapy. GCB-induced autophagy in OS primary and metastatic disease has not been studied. Therefore, we characterized the role of autophagy in OS cells after treatment with GCB. We first demonstrated GCB-induced autophagy in LM7 OS cells as indicated by an increase in autophagy markers: microtubule-associated light chain 3 (LC3I/LC3II) conversion, Beclin 1 (BECN1) expression and development of acidic vesicular organelles. GCB also caused a decrease in p62/SQSTM1 and Blc-2 expression, further indicating autophagy induction. Blockage of autophagy with the pharmacologic inhibitor Hydroxychroloquine (HCQ) coupled with GCB treatment decreased cell viability of LM7 OS cells. Furthermore, knockdown of BECN1 in LM7 cells coupled with GCB treatment also decreased cell viability of LM7 OS cells, indicating that autophagy plays an important role in OS cells resistance to GCB treatment. In conclusion, we demonstrated that autophagy is one of the mechanisms implicated in the resistance of OS cells to GCB. Autophagy modulation may shed new light towards metastatic OS therapy, possibly by implementing the use of combination therapy HCQ-aerosol GCB in the adjuvant setting. Current studies are underway to test our hypothesis in vivo and to address these results using other OS cells in vitro. Citation Information: Mol Cancer Ther 2013;12(11 Suppl):A18. Citation Format: Janice M. Santiago-O'Farrill, Mario G. Hollomon, Eugenie S. Kleinerman, Nancy Gordon. Autophagy as a mechanism implicated in osteosarcoma resistance to gemcitabine. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference: Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2013 Oct 19-23; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2013;12(11 Suppl):Abstract nr A18.
The problem of placental permeability for thyrotrophin, propylthiouracil and thyroxine in the guinea pig.

Many investigators have reported that the thyroids are enlarged in offspring from mothers treated with antithyroid agents during pregnancy (mouse—Kaufman, Hurst and Turner, 1948; rat—Hughes, 1944; Goldsmith, Gordon and Charipper, 1945; guinea pig—Albrieux, Estefan and Gonzalez, 1946; Webster and Young, 1948; goat—Schultze and Turner, 1945; man—Davis and Forbes, 1945; Eaton, 1945). This has been taken as evidence for the placental passage of an antithyroid effect The placental passage of the antithyroid effect could occur in one or more of three ways (Goldsmith, Gordon and Charipper, 1945). Thyrotrophin (TSH) from the maternal pituitary might cross the placenta to affect the fetal thyroid. D’Angelo and Gordon (1950) have since shown that administration of propylthiouracil is followed by increased concentration of TSH in the serum. Second, the goitrogen might pass the placenta to inhibit thyroid hormone production in the fetus. This would lead to stimulation of the fetal thyroid by TSH secreted by its own p...
Bacterial growth on stream insects: potential for use in bioassessment

Growth of filamentous bacteria (Sphaerotilus sp., Leptothrix sp.) on aquatic insects was evaluated for its usefulness as a bioindicator of detrimental nutrient levels in streams. Field measurements of insect abundance, nutrient concentrations, and incidence/degree of bacterial growth on insects upstream and downstream of livestock pastures were made in 2 Virginia, USA streams. Laboratory studies were conducted to determine the effect of bacterial growth on insect survival. Elevated concentrations of dissolved nutrients (0.13-0.35 mg/L orthophosphate, 1.29-2.13 mg/L nitrate) downstream of pastures were associated with growth of filamentous bacteria, which colonized the gills and body surface of aquatic insects. Significantly lower densities of insects (up to 66% less) occurred at downstream sites. In laboratory studies, 100% mortality of heavily infested mayflies (>25% of body covered, including gills) occurred within 30 d, whereas >85% of individuals without bacterial growth survived and grew normally. Th...
Criterion of high-codimensional bifurcations with several pairs of purely imaginary eigenvalues

Abstract This paper presents a criterion for high-codimensional bifurcations with several pairs of purely imaginary eigenvalues in terms of the properties of coefficients of characteristic polynomials instead of those of eigenvalues. It uses the Routh-Hurwitz determinants and is convenient in the symbolic analysis of complicated systems.
The use of high-pass amplification for broad-frequency sensorineural hearing loss.

Recent research suggests that persons with sensorineural hearing impairment should derive extra benefit from amplification that eliminates or greatly reduces low frequencies, i.e. frequencies below 1 500 or 2 000 Hz. Such amplification seems to reduce the detrimental effects of the upward spread of masking on speech intelligibility, especially when listening in noisy environments. Also, current research indicates that extended high-frequency amplification, between 4 000 and 6 500 Hz is especially beneficial for optimal speech intelligibility. 9 patients with a relatively flat, moderate to severe sensorineural hearing loss were evaluated in the clinic and for daily listening situations while wearing conventional broad-frequency hearing aids with an upper range of about 4 500 Hz. They were also evaluated under these same circumstances with a hearing aid that reduces low frequencies and extends the high frequencies to nearly 6 500 Hz. Results indicate that these patients performed better and preferred the he...
Outcomes in bariatric surgery in the older patient population in Texas.

Background The prevalence of morbid obesity is still increasing. Whether the safety of bariatric operations can span over a broad range of age groups is uncertain. This study evaluated the outcomes in gastric bypass operations for morbid obesity in Texas from 1999 to 2005 in persons Methods Patients undergoing gastric bypass operations were identified using the Texas Hospital Inpatient Discharge Public Use Data file. Patient demographics, comorbidities, hospital stay, and mortality rates were compared in patients Results Patients ≥55 y of age accounted for 10.7% (n = 3176) of the 29,731 gastric bypass procedures. The number of patients undergoing gastric bypass operations increased in both age groups. The percentage of patients ≥55 y of age increased from 8.5% in 1999 to 16.3% in 2005. Comparing the older age group with the younger age group, persons ≥55 y were less likely to be female (78.3% versus 86.2%, P Conclusions Bariatric surgery has increased in popularity among younger and older obese patients in Texas. Although morbidity and mortality rates are higher in patients ≥55 y of age, these procedures can be performed safely.
STUDENT PARTICIPATION IN A COLLEGE ORIENTATION COURSE, RETENTION, AND GRADE POINT AVERAGE

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between completion of an orientation by new community students, higher retention, and grade point average (GPA). Retention was measured in terms of total credit hours the student completed, and GPA was the cumulative GPA after 1 year of continuous enrollment or at the time the student withdrew. Subjects consisted of 86 matched pairs from four community colleges. One of the pair was in an orientation course and the other was in the control group. Data indicate that completing an orientation course during the first term of enrollment promotes retention and improves GPA.
Temporal differences in desmin expression between myoblasts from embryonic and adult chicken skeletal muscle

Desmin expression by myoblasts cultured from embryonic and adult chicken breast muscle was examined employing indirect immunofluorescence. The study was performed in conjunction with [3H]thymidine autoradiography and analysis of skeletal myosin expression in order to determine whether the desmin-expressing cells were terminally differentiated. Following 2 h of labeling with [3H]thymidine, 0.55%, 2.60%, and 15.10% of the cells in mass cultures from 10-day-old embryos, 18-day-old embryos and adults, respectively, incorporated [3H]thymidine and were desmin-positive but did not express skeletal-muscle-specific myosin. Using the same approach we determined that 0.07%, 1.25%, and 7.59% of the mononucleated cells in myogenic clones from 10-day-old embryos, 18-day-old embryos and adults, respectively, were desmin-positive, myosin-negative, [3H]thymidine-positive. We suggest that these desmin-positive, myosin-negative myoblasts are proliferating cells, and we conclude that the progeny of adult myoblasts exhibit more desmin-expressing cells of this type than embryonic myoblasts do.
A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF SETAE ON THE PEREIOPODS OF REPRODUCTIVE MALE AND FEMALE ORCONECTES RUSTICUS (DECAPODA: ASTACIDAE)

The pereiopods (walking legs) of crustaceans have been shown to have both mechano- and chemosensory functions including: detecting various odors, mechanical stimuli, as well as being used for grooming of gills and brood care. Using scanning electron microscopy, we examined the pereiopods of reproductive male (form I) and reproductive female (glair) crayfish Orconectes rusticus Girard, 1852 and found that the distal portion (dorsal surface) of the propodus of pereiopods 2 through 5 contain smooth, plumose, serrate and cuspidate setae. Various studies have implicated both smooth and serrate setae as being important for grooming; therefore, we used scanning electron microscopy to examine and compare the distribution of smooth and serrate setae on the pereiopods of reproductive male and female crayfish in order to determine if there were differences between sexes. We found that there were no differences in the number of tufts (pockets) or number of smooth setae on the second and third pereiopods (chelipeds) between male and female crayfish. Further, the second and third pereiopods of both male and female crayfish had significantly more smooth setae than the fourth and fifth pereiopods. When the distribution of serrate setae was compared, we found that reproductive female crayfish possess significantly more serrate setae on their fifth pereiopods than their fourth pereiopods and both pereiopods 4 and 5 of form I male crayfish. Overall, increases in serrate setae on the fifth pereiopods of reproductive female crayfish are significant. We suggest that female crayfish may use serrate setae of the fifth pereiopods extensively for grooming eggs and brood care during reproduction.
A single-arm, investigator-initiated study of the efficacy, safety and tolerability of intravitreal aflibercept injection in subjects with exudative age-related macular degeneration, previously treated with ranibizumab or bevacizumab: 6-month interim analysis

Aim To evaluate efficacy and safety of intravitreal aflibercept injection (IAI) in subjects who were previously treated with ranibizumab and/or bevacizumab for active exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Methods Patients (n=26) were enrolled in a 12-month prospective, interventional, single arm, investigator-initiated study with planned 6-month interim analysis. Patients with active exudative AMD, previously treated with ranibizumab and/or bevacizumab, were treated with 2 mg IAI every month for the first 3 months, followed by a fixed dosing schedule of 2 mg IAI every 2 months. The primary study endpoint was the mean absolute change from baseline central subfield thickness (CST) at month 12 as measured by SDOCT. Secondary outcomes included mean change from baseline best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) score, percentage of subjects who gained or lost greater than or equal to 15 letters of vision, percentage of subjects who are 20/40 or better, percentage of subjects who are 20/200 or worse, and the incidence of adverse events (AE) and serious AEs. Results Planned 6-month interim analysis demonstrated a mean decrease in CST of 38.6 µm (p Conclusions IAI-treated eyes demonstrated improved short-term functional and anatomic endpoints in subjects with active exudative AMD switching from previous anti-VEGF treatment when given in a fixed dosing scheme for 6 months. Trial registration number NCT01617148.
Effect of bilateral ibotenic acid lesions in the basolateral amygdala on the sham feeding response to sucrose in the rat

Abstract To investigate the role of the basolateral amygdaloid complex in the sham feeding response to sucrose, rats received bilateral ibotenic acid lesions of the basolateral complex and were equipped for sham feeding with implanted chronic gastric cannulas. Rats were also tested on different days with 2.5%, 5%, 10%, and 40% sucrose. After 17 hours of food deprivation, bilateral, amygdaloid-lesioned rats sham fed significantly less 2.5% sucrose than sham operated (control) rats. After no deprivation, amygdaloid-lesioned rats sham fed significantly less 5% sucrose than control rats. Under both deprivation conditions, however, sham intake was a function of sucrose concentration in both groups of rats and the sham feeding responses of lesioned and control rats to 10% and 40% sucrose were similar. These results demonstrate that cells in the basolateral amygdaloid complex are necessary for the normal sham feeding response to concentrations of sucrose less than 10%, but not for the response to higher concentrations of sucrose.
A neuro‐computational intelligence analysis of the US retailers' efficiency

Purpose – Understanding efficiency levels is crucial for understanding the competitive structure of a market and/or segments of a market. The purpose of this paper is to assess the market performance of the top retailers in the USA using 2007 operating data. It also aims to benchmark the performance of neuro‐intelligence models against traditional statistical techniques.Design/methodology/approach – This paper uses neuro‐intelligence models to classify the relative efficiency of top USA retailers. Accuracy indices derived from the application of a non‐parametric data envelopment analysis approach are used to assess the classification accuracy of the models.Findings – Results indicate that the neuro‐intelligence models are superior to traditional statistical methods. The paper also shows that the neuro‐intelligence models have a great potential for the classification of retailers' relative efficiency due to their robustness and flexibility of modeling algorithms.Originality/value – The paper contributes pr...
Reconstruction of dynamic contrast enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of the breast with temporal constraints

A number of methods using temporal and spatial constraints have been proposed for reconstruction of undersampled dynamic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data. The complex data can be constrained or regularized in a number of different ways, for example, the time derivative of the magnitude and phase image voxels can be constrained separately or jointly. Intuitively, the performance of different regularizations will depend on both the data and the chosen temporal constraints. Here, a complex temporal total variation (TV) constraint was compared to the use of separate real and imaginary constraints, and to a magnitude constraint alone. Projection onto Convex Sets (POCS) with a gradient descent method was used to implement the diverse temporal constraints in reconstructions of DCE MRI data. For breast DCE data, serial POCS with separate real and imaginary TV constraints was found to give relatively poor results while serial/parallel POCS with a complex temporal TV constraint and serial POCS with a magnitude-only temporal TV constraint performed well with an acceleration factor as large as R=6. In the tumor area, the best method was found to be parallel POCS with complex temporal TV constraint. This method resulted in estimates for the pharmacokinetic parameters that were linearly correlated to those estimated from the fully-sampled data, with Ktrans,R=6=0.97 Ktrans,R=1+0.00 with correlation coefficient r=0.98, kep,R=6=0.95 kep,R=1+0.00 (r=0.85). These results suggest that it is possible to acquire highly undersampled breast DCE-MRI data with improved spatial and/or temporal resolution with minimal loss of image quality.
In the eye of the storm: Isaac Seligman and the panic of 1873

This paper focuses on the activities of the Seligman investment banking firm during an intense six-week period following the outbreak of the panic of 1873 in New York City. Because of their conservative business strategies, the partners did not experience any genuinely serious financial stress. The firm's ability to facilitate monetary transatlantic transfers helped to ease credit conditions in the New York and London financial sectors. The text also cites evidence arguing that the US economy experienced a two-year recession rather than a major depression in the 1870s.
High-cost banner blindness: Ads increase perceived workload, hinder visual search, and are forgotten

The seeming contradiction between “banner blindness” and Web users' complaints about distracting advertisements motivates a pair of experiments into the effect of banner ads on visual search. Experiment 1 measures perceived cognitive workload and search times for short words with two banners on the screen. Four kinds of banners were examined: (1) animated commercial, (2) static commercial, (3) cyan with flashing text, and (4) blank. Using NASA's Task Load Index, participants report increased workload under flashing text banners. Experiment 2 investigates search through news headlines at two levels of difficulty: exact matches and matches requiring semantic interpretation. Results show both animated and static commercial banners decrease visual search speeds. Eye tracking data reveal people rarely look directly at banners. A post hoc memory test confirms low banner recall and, surprisingly, that animated banners are more difficult to remember than static look-alikes. Results have implications for cognitive modeling and Web design.
111Indium pentetreotide scan detection of familial paragangliomas.

Approximately 10% of head and neck paragangliomas are familial. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is reported to be the best method for screening these families. 111 Indium pentetreotide (Octreoscan®) scintigraphy has been shown to be a sensitive indicator of neural crest tumors such as paragangliomas. Early diagnosis and treatment of familial paragangliomas (FP) would decrease the morbidity of tumor excision. Patients from two kindred with FP were scanned 24 hours after intravenous injection with approximately 6 millicuries of 111 Indium pentetreotide. The entire body was imaged. Areas of increased uptake were further imaged with MRI. Altogether, five patients had positive 111 Indium pentetreotide scans. Two unsuspected glomus tympanicums and bilateral carotid body tumors were identified. Three people tested had no abnormal uptake. There were no untoward reactions to the nuclide. 111 Indium pentetreotide scanning is a safe, noninvasive method for early diagnosis of FP and is useful in detecting multicentric lesions. Patients suspect for FP are undergoing 111 Indium pentetreotide imaging and followed up with MRI of the involved site if positive.
Effects of doping on carrier confinement in InAs QD solar cells

The confinement depth of bound states in InAs quantum dots was studied as a function of QD doping. k·p simulation predicted a decrease of up to 50 meV in absolute confinement depth as QDs are doped due to local band bending from QD charging. Photoreflectance of solar cells containing QDs doped to several levels was used to determine optical transition energies, necessary to improve the fitting of Gaussian functions against temperature-dependent photoluminescence measurements. Arrhenius analysis was then used to extract activation energies for two QD bound states. Experimental results confirmed the simulated prediction, showing a decrease in activation energy of 40 meV for the QD ground state and 34 meV for the excited state.
Assessing the effectiveness of care for youth with severe emotional disturbances: is there agreement between popular outcome measures?

Limited information exists regarding how some popular measures for assessing the effectiveness of services to children with severe emotional disturbance interrelate when used as part of ongoing outcome accountability systems. This article examines the interrelationships—at intake and over time—between the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), the Youth SelfReport (YSR), the Child and Adolescent Functional Assessment Scale (CAFAS), andDiagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) clinical diagnoses across six California care systems. At intake, there were mild to moderate relationships between the clinical diagnosis, the CAFAS, the CBCL, and the YSR. These relationships were not as strong as those found in other studies conducted in more controlled research environments. There was limited agreement among the CAFAS, the CBCL, and the YSR regarding the outcomes of the youths served. These findings raise questions regarding translating measures from research settings to clinical environments and reconciling differences between outcome measures.
Adenosine A1 receptor regulates osteoclast formation by altering TRAF6/TAK1 signaling

Adenosine is an endogenous nucleoside that modulates many physiological processes through four receptor subtypes (A1, A2a, A2b, A3). Previous work from our laboratory has uncovered a critical role for adenosine A1 receptor (A1 R) in osteoclastogenesis both in vivo and in vitro. Our current work focuses on understanding the details of how A1 R modulates the receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL)-induced signaling in osteoclastogenesis. Osteoclasts were generated from mouse bone marrow precursors in the presence of RANKL and macrophage-colony stimulating factor. A pharmacological antagonist of A1 R (DPCPX) inhibited RANKL-induced osteoclast differentiation, including osteoclast-specific genes (Acp5, MMP9, β 3 Integrin, α v Integrin, and CTSK) and osteoclast-specific transcription factors such as c-fos and nuclear factor of activated T cells cytoplasmic 1 (NFATc1) expression in a dose-dependent manner. DPCPX also inhibited RANKL-induced activation of NF-κB and JNK/c-Jun but had little effect on other mitogen-activated protein kinases (p38 and Erk). Finally, immunoprecipitation analysis showed that blockade of A1R resulted in disruption of the association of tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF6) and transforming growth factor-β-activated kinase 1 (TAK1), a signaling event that is important for activation of NF-κB and JNK, suggesting the participation of adenosine/A1R in early signaling of RANKL. Collectively, these data demonstrated an important role of adenosine, through A1R in RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis.
Current controversies in bone densitometry

In the face of increasing use of all types of bone densitometry in the diagnosis and management of osteoporosis, the limitations of the World Health Organization criteria for the diagnosis of osteoporosis based on bone density measurements have become apparent. Controversy has arisen about whether these criteria should be used for the diagnosis of osteoporosis. Using densitometry to monitor changes in bone density as a measure of therapeutic efficacy has been criticized. It has been suggested that changes in bone density are not surrogates for reduction in fracture risk and that regression to the mean invalidates serial testing. There is both truth and fallacy in these controversies. The resolutions are critical to the role of densitometry in clinical practice.
Spatial analysis of advanced-stage ovarian cancer mortality in California.

Objective We sought to determine the impact of geographic location on advanced-stage ovarian cancer mortality in relation to adherence to National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) treatment guidelines and hospital case volume. Study Design This was a retrospective observational cohort study of patients diagnosed with stage IIIC/IV epithelial ovarian cancer (Jan. 1, 1996, through Dec. 31, 2006) identified from the California Cancer Registry. Generalized additive models were created to assess the effect of spatial distributions of geographic location, demographic characteristics, disease-related variables, adherence to NCCN guidelines, and hospital case volume, with simultaneous smoothing of geographic location and adjustment for confounding variables. Results A total of 11,765 patients were identified. Twelve of the 378 hospitals (3.2%) were high-volume hospitals (HVH) (≥20 cases/y) and cared for 2112 patients (17.9%). For all patients, the median distance to an HVH was 22.7 km/14.1 miles and 80% were located within 79.6 km/49.5 miles of an HVH. Overall, 45.4% of patients were treated according to NCCN guidelines. The global test for location revealed that geographic position within the state was significantly correlated with ovarian cancer mortality after adjusting for other variables ( P Conclusion Geographic location is a significant predictor of advanced-stage ovarian cancer mortality and the effect is primarily related to the likelihood of receiving NCCN guideline adherent care and treatment at an HVH.
Increasing the Quantity and Quality of Metals Recovered at Waste-to-Energy Facilities

The Integrated Waste Services Association (IWSA) compiles annual data of metal recovery by U.S. waste-to-energy (WTE) facilities. The 2004 IWSA survey showed that the U.S. WTEs processed 28.8 million short tons of municipal solid wastes (MSW) and recovered a total of approximately 706,000 tons of ferrous metal scrap, i.e. 2.45% of the MSW stream. The 2001 U.S.E.P.A. report on the characterization of the U.S. wastes reported that MSW contained 7.9% metals. However, some of this metal is collected separately at the household level and a small amount is non-ferrous metal. If it is assumed that the waste stream that is “disposed” in WTE facilities contains on the average 5% of ferrous metals, the ferrous input to all U.S. WTEs is estimated at approximately 1.44 million tons. On this basis, close to 0.7 million tons of metal are not recovered in WTEs. On the same basis, the ferrous metal lost in MSW that is landfilled (247 million tons in the U.S.) is estimated to be about 12 million tons per year. The non-recovered metal at WTEs entails both environmental and economic penalties. Therefore, an industry-university collaborative study is addressed to examining a) current metal recovery before and after combustion; b) potential for increasing metal value by physical processing of the metals recovered, either at WTEs or at a regional facility to be supplied by several WTEs; c) sampling and characterization procedures used in the WTE industry; and d) potential for physical and chemical characterization of different grades of WTE metal scrap. This paper focuses on the first two subjects — the current state of WTE metal recovery and the potential for increasing metal recovery. This work in progress is published in the NAWTEC 14 Proceedings with the objective of stimulating discussion and obtaining useful input from industry and academia concerned with the conservation of non-renewable resources.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
Stereoselective metabolism of 7-methylbenz[a]anthracene: absolute configuration of five dihydrodiol metabolites and the effect of dihydrodiol conformation on circular dichroism spectra.

Abstract 7-Methylbenz[a]anthracene (7-MBA) was metabolized stereoselectively by rat liver microsomes to form five optically active dihydrodiols as the predominant metabolites. The dihydrodiols were purified by a combination of reversed-phase and normal-phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). By comparison of their circular dichroism (CD) spectra with the corresponding benz[a]anthracene (BA) dihydrodiols of known absolute stereochemistry, the major dihydrodiol enantiomers of 7-MBA have been determined to have 1R,2R-, 3R,4R- and 10R,11R- absolute configurations, respectively. Due to their quasi-diaxial conformations, the absolute configuration of trans-5,6- and trans-8,9-dihydrodiols, the two most abundant metabolites of 7-MBA, could not be determined by simple comparisons of their circular dichroism spectra with those of the quasidiequatorial BA 5R,6R- and 8R,9R-dihydrodiols. The major enantiomers of the quasi-diaxial trans-5,6- and trans-8,9-dihydrodiol metabolites of 7-MBA were determined by comparison to the CD spectrum of 7-bromo-BA 5R,6R-dihydrodiol and by the exciton chirality method to have R,R absolute stereochemistry. This study also revealed that the circular dichroism Cotton effects of an enantiomeric dihydrodiol of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons can be drastically altered if the conformation (quasi-diaxial vs. quasi-diequatorial) of the dihydrodiol is changed.
Decrease in Threshold without Depolarization in Cyanide-Treated Muscle

When smooth muscle of Mytilus is treated with relatively weak solutions of sodium cyanide, a transitory hyperpolarization or no change in polarization precedes final depolarization. Thresholds for thermal, chemical, and electrical stimulation are all decreased during this period. Strength-duration curves indicate a reversible decrease in threshold of about 50 percent during this period.