cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Real-Time, in Vivo Correlation of Molecular Structure with Drug Distribution in the Brain Striatum Following Convection Enhanced Delivery.

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) represents a major obstacle in delivering therapeutics to brain lesions. Convection-enhanced delivery (CED), a method that bypasses the BBB through direct, cannula-mediated drug delivery, is one solution to maintaining increased, effective drug concentration at these lesions. CED was recently proven safe in a phase I clinical trial against diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), a childhood cancer. Unfortunately, the exact relationship between drug size, charge, and pharmacokinetic behavior in the brain parenchyma are difficult to observe in vivo. PET imaging of CED-delivered agents allows us to determine these relationships. In this study, we label different modifications of the PDGFRA inhibitor dasatinib with fluorine-18 or via a nanofiber-zirconium-89 system so that the effect of drug structure on post-CED behavior can accurately be tracked in vivo, via PET. Relatively unchanged bioactivity is confirmed in patient- and animal-model-derived cell lines of DIPG. In naive mice, significant individual variability in CED drug clearance is observed, highlighting a need to accurately understand drug behavior during clinical translation. Generally, the half-life for a drug to clear from a CED site is short for low molecular weight dasatinib analogs that bare different charge; 1-3 (1, 32.2 min (95% CI: 27.7-37.8), 2, 44.8 min (27.3-80.8), and 3, 71.7 min (48.6-127.6) minutes) and is much longer for a dasatinib-nanofiber conjugate, 5, (42.8-57.0 days). Positron emission tomography allows us to accurately measure the effect of drug size and charge in monitoring real-time drug behavior in the brain parenchyma of live specimens.
Single particle adhesion variability in additive manufacturing powders

The adhesion properties of powder particles could profoundly influence the quality of parts made by Additive Manufacturing (AM) processes. Accurate experimental characterization of adhesion and the...
Pirates, Traitors, and Apostates: Renegade identities in early modern English writing

To open the door to her highly engaging, highly readable study of renegade adventurers in English popular literature, Laurie Ellinghausen chooses the perennially fascinating case of John Ward, late...
Recent insights into the naïve state of human pluripotency and its applications.

The past decade has seen significant interest in the isolation of pluripotent stem cells corresponding to various stages of mammalian embryonic development. Two distinct and well-defined pluripotent states can be derived from mouse embryos: "naive" pluripotent cells with properties of pre-implantation epiblast, and "primed" pluripotent cells, resembling post-implantation epiblast. Prompted by the successful interconversion between these two stem cell states in the mouse system, several groups have devised strategies for inducing a naive state of pluripotency in human pluripotent stem cells. Here, we review recent insights into the naive state of human pluripotency, focusing on two methods that confer defining transcriptomic and epigenomic signatures of the pre-implantation embryo. The isolation of naive human pluripotent stem cells offers a window into early developmental mechanisms that cannot be adequately modeled in primed cells, such as X chromosome reactivation, metabolic reprogramming, and the regulation of hominid-specific transposable elements. We outline key unresolved questions regarding naive human pluripotency, including its extrinsic and intrinsic control mechanisms, potential for embryonic and extraembryonic differentiation, and general utility as a model system for human development and disease.
Functional Outcomes, Quantitative Morphometry, and Aesthetic Analysis of Articulated Alar Rim Grafts in Septorhinoplasty.

ImportanceThe design, use, and indications for the articulated alar rim graft (AARG) and the functional and aesthetic improvements that can be achieved have not been fully characterized. ObjectiveT...
Evaluating Animal Well-Being and Temperament on Steak Meat Quality and Taste

ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to compare meat quality and taste profile of steaks from longissimus dorsi with different temperament.Materials and MethodsCalves were processed and scored for docility/temperament in the chute (1-docile, 2-restless, 3-nervous, 4-flighty, 5-aggressive, 6-very aggressive). Groups 5 and 6 were not observed and groups 3 and 4 were combined. Steers were housed with access to pastures then transferred to research feedlots until harvest and processed when back-fat reached a minimum of 1.27 cm. Carcasses were aged for 14 d before the 6th to 12th rib section were removed, frozen, cut into 2.54 cm steaks, and individually packed. For simulated retail display and instrumental color analysis, steaks were thawed overnight at 6°C and placed on polystyrene foam trays with absorbent pads and overwrapped with poly-vinyl chloride film, then placed in a commercial chest type display case at 2°C under deluxe warm white fluorescent lighting. Instrumental color was measured on d 0, 1, 2, 3, 5, and 7 of simulated retail display using a Hunter-Lab MiniScan SE spectrophotometer. Samples were read using illuminant A/10° observer, evaluated for CIE (L*, a*, and b*) color values, reflectance measurements from 400 to 700 nm to estimate oxymyoglobin, and hue angle and saturation index values were calculated. For sensory panel analysis, steaks were thawed overnight at 6°C and cooked on an electric griddle set at 205°C to an internal temperature of 70°C. A 6 member trained panel evaluated steak samples over 4 d under sodium color neutralizing lights for myofibrillar tenderness, connective tissue amount, overall tenderness, juiciness, and beef flavor intensity on an 8-point scale. Color was analyzed as a 3x6 factorial arrangement with docile group, display day, and docility score and display day interaction as the main effects. Sensory panel data was analyzed with docility score group as the main effects with panelist and taste day as random effectsResultsDocile groups affected color with groups 1 and 2 being lighter (L*; P 0.05) between docile groups for redness (a*), saturation index, and oxymyoglobin ratio. Display days affected color with d 0 being redder (a*; P 0.05) in lightness between display days and there was no interaction (P > 0.05) for any of the color attributes measured. For taste panel, docile groups 1 and 2 were more tender (P 0.05) in off-flavor between the docile groups.ConclusionDocility affected lightness, yellowness, and hue angle. Docility also affected taste with the nervous-flighty group having negative impact on taste.
Childhood vitiligo impacts emotional health of parents: a prospective, cross-sectional study of quality of life for primary caregivers

Individuals with vitiligo have an increased risk of depression, anxiety, social isolation and detrimental effects on body image/self-esteem. However, assessments of quality of life (QoL) impact have not focused on caregivers of children with vitiligo. To address this, we determined the QoL impact in parents of children with vitiligo to assess the relationship between QoL parameters and disease duration, location, and severity. We performed a cross-sectional study involving 123 parents of children diagnosed with vitiligo for at least 3 months, and who presented to the pediatric dermatology clinic of a major United States children’s hospital. Parents completed a demographics survey, Quality of Life in a Child’s Chronic Disease Questionnaire (QLCCDQ) and Family Dermatology Life Quality Index (FDLQI) to assess QoL measures. The lower the QLCCDQ score and higher the FLDQI score, the more quality of life is impaired. Subject age ranged from 20 to 57, and 13.9% received mental health intervention. QLCCDQ emotional domain scores were most impaired, and severity and location of disease impacted these scores. FDLQI scores decreased as children age, indicating overall parent wellbeing increased as children age. Childhood vitiligo has great emotional impact on the quality of life of caregivers. Recognizing this will enable dermatologist who primarily care for these patients to incorporate care giver specific interventions during clinical visits. Emotional domain scores for parents of children with vitiligo were the most impaired as much or more than of those seen in parents of children with chronic stable medical disease such as type 1 diabetes and asthma.
Rushing Gunshot Victims to Trauma Care: The Influence of First Responders and the Challenge of the Geography:

Past research exploring correlates to gunshot wound fatality have focused on the distance between the victim/incident location and trauma care facilities. Far less is known regarding the role of fi...
The American College of Surgeons Geriatric Surgery Verification Program and the Practicing Colorectal Surgeon

The population is aging and older adults are increasingly undergoing surgery. Colorectal surgeons need to understand the risks inherent in the care of older adults and identify concrete ways to improve the quality of care for this vulnerable population. Goals for the practicing colorectal surgeon include: 1) introduce the American College of Surgeons' (ACS) Geriatric Surgery Verification (GSV) Program and understand the intersection with colorectal surgery, 2) examine the 30 evidence-based GSV standards and how they can achieve better outcomes after colorectal surgery, and 3) outline the value and benefits for colorectal surgeons of implementing such a program.
Suspicionless Searches: U.S. v. King and the Ninth Circuit’s Dismissal of the Probationer-Parolee Distinction

In U.S. v. King, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit considered whether a suspicionless search of a probationer, conducted pursuant to a condition of his probation, violated the Fourth Amendment. The Ninth Circuit held that the search did not violate the Fourth Amendment because legitimate governmental interests outweighed the probationer’s privacy interest. In conducting the balancing test, however, the court failed to give significance to the distinction between probationers and parolees for Fourth Amendment purposes and used an analysis that overrides any individual privacy interest that a probationer
Mass radius of the proton

The mass radius is a fundamental property of the proton that so far has not been determined from experiment. Here, we show that the mass radius of the proton can be rigorously defined through the form factor of the trace of the energy-momentum tensor (EMT) of QCD in the weak gravitational field approximation, as appropriate for this problem. We then demonstrate that the scale anomaly of QCD enables the extraction of the form factor of the trace of the EMT from the data on threshold photoproduction of $J/\ensuremath{\psi}$ and $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Upsilon}}$ quarkonia, and use the recent GlueX Collaboration data to extract the rms mass radius of the proton ${\mathrm{R}}_{\mathrm{m}}=0.55\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.03\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{fm}$. The extracted mass radius is significantly smaller than the rms charge radius of the proton ${\mathrm{R}}_{\mathrm{c}}=0.8409\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.0004\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{fm}$. We attribute this difference to the interplay of asymptotic freedom and spontaneous breaking of chiral symmetry in QCD, and outline future measurements needed to determine the mass radius more precisely.
Grain sink removal increases stalk juice yield, sugar accumulation, and biomass in sweet sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench]

Abstract Sweet sorghum is cultivated primarily for its sugar-rich stalks. The extent to which stalk sugar accumulation occurs is determined by several factors including the grain sink. A Genetic system exists whereby the grain sink can be eliminated to maximize sugar accumulation in the stalks. Before engaging in the development of such system, establishing the extent to which stalk sugar can be improved by removing the grain sink becomes necessary. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of eliminating the grain sink on biomass and sugar accumulation. The experiment consisted of two factors, genotype and sink load. The genotype factor consisted of 22 sweet sorghum lines of variable sugar content, and the sink factor consisted of no-grain and full-grain set. Treatments were arranged in split plot in a randomized complete block design with genotypes assigned to the main plot and the sink effect to the subplot. The study was conducted in four replications in three environments. The no-grain sink treatment was applied by manually removing the panicles prior to anthesis. Analysis of the data collected from one-meter sections of each plot at physiological maturity showed that the genotype effect was significant (P ≤ 0.01) for all traits. Elimination of the grain sink prior to anthesis significantly increased °Brix, wet and dry biomass, and total sugar by 18, 28, and 43%, respectively. These results justify further development of sorghum varieties without a grain sink to maximize sugar yield for biofuel production.
OPTIMIZING JOINT DEVELOPMENT AT TRANSIT STATIONS

The Detroit Metropolitan Area was used as the experimental site for such feasibility testing. Two priority ranking methodologies were developed based upon provisions of rating and ranking methods. Station development potential was identified by a set of socio-economic and land use indicators, and the viewpoints of local professionals were solicited in assessing the relative importance of the indicators identified. Next, the relative rankings for 37 proposed transit stations on two travel corridors were developed using the indicators and the viewpoints of the local professionals. The study shows that it is possible to prioritize station locations for joint development based upon selected socio-economic and land use indicators. The results also suggest that the station ranks obtained by the two methods are not likely to be affected by input solicited from local professionals. Lastly, the procedures developed are found to be sensitive to selection of the indicators.
IT IS ALL PERSONAL: DEALING WITH THE REVOLVING DOOR IN THE INDIAN HIGH TECH INDUSTRY

High turnover in IT consultancy companies makes it harder to manage IT projects and increases the cost of such projects as clients demand that vendors assign more employees to each project. Current thinking, summarized in Justice Theory and related theories, suggests that labour turnover is a matter of perceived lack of fairness in pay, regulations, how employees are treated, their expectation, satisfaction, shock, and lack of embeddedness. Based on discussions with employees and CIOs and applying ideas drawn from logotherapy, this study suggests that employees are motivated also by their need to achieve meaningfulness in their work, and that this is a facilitated by their being treated as a person rather than as a resource. Survey data from IT personnel in several Indian IT outsourcing vendors support this thesis, showing also the importance of building trust in the process. Implications of the logotherapy aspect are discussed.
Surface array protein of Campylobacter fetus : cloning and gene structure

The high molecular mass (97-149 kDa) surface array proteins (SAP) of Campylobacter fetus are critical to virulence. We created a bank of 160,000 random 1.0-6.5-kilobase (kb) chromosomal DNA fragments of C. fetus strain 84-32 (23D) using lambda gt11. Screening this bank in Escherichia coli Y1090 with antibody raised against purified SAP permitted isolation and purification of a clone with a 4.0-kb insert. Subcloning this insert in the E. coli vector, pUC9, permitted expression of a protein of approximately 100 kDa, not fused with beta-galactoside or inducible by isopropyl-beta-D-thiogalactopyranoside. Digestion with restriction endonucleases, and construction of deletion mutations indicated that the gene extended over 2.8 kb, proceeding toward the start of the beta-galactosidase gene. Taking advantage of a unique PstI site at 1.7 kb, we subcloned PstI-EcoRI fragments in both orientations into M13 vectors, then generated and sequenced 48 deletion mutants. In the 3974-base insert, an open reading frame, beginning at nucleotide 24 and terminating at 2825, was found to encode a 933-amino acid polypeptide having a calculated molecular mass of 96,758 daltons. The first 20 amino acids exactly match those determined from amino-terminal sequencing, indicating that this protein is secreted without a leader sequence. The deduced amino acid composition matches that of the purified SAP. We identified a ribosomal binding site 9 bases upstream, and a putative transcription terminator (delta G = -12.4) 21 bases downstream. There is partial homology of primary and secondary structure with five other bacterial S-layer proteins.
A Bayesian Analysis of Solar Neutrino Data

One of the greatest scientific achievements of this century was the experimental confirmation that the sun is a copious emitter of neutrinos and the consequent confirmation of Sir Arthur Eddington’s hypothesis1 that the sun shines because of the energy released through nuclear reactions that take place in its core. This hypothesis was developed in detail by Hans Bethe and others and their work forms the basis of mathematical models of the sun, called standard solar models 2, that have been developed into accurate descriptions of the sun’s observed characteristics.
Phenotypic assortative mating in segregation analysis

A model of phenotypic assortative mating was developed for application in segregation analysis. The model assumed a constant spouse correlation across the range of a quantitative trait or the liability to a discrete trait. Four traits were analyzed to evaluate: 1) the feasibility of applying likelihood analysis to pedigree data in order to distinguish between assortative mating and shared environmental effects as the source of spouse correlation; and 2) the impact on segregation analysis of the failure to account for either assortative mating or shared environmental effects, as appropriate. Height ratio (the ratio of sitting to standing height) and eye color comprised the traits for which the observed spouse correlation reflected assortative mating; serum cholesterol and peptic ulcers (with genotypes defined by the ABO blood group) comprised the traits for which the observed spouse correlation reflected shared environmental effects. For all four traits the test statistics agreed with the known cause of spouse correlation; however, significance was not attained for height ratio or serum cholesterol. The ability to distinguish between the causes of spouse correlation in pedigree data presumably depends on trait and sample characteristics which remain to be delineated. Despite significant spouse correlation, its omission from the segregation analysis model did not undermine the inference of major locus inheritance for any of the four traits. However, the lack of an impact for these traits does not preclude an impact for other traits of ignoring the appropriate spouse correlation in segregation analysis.
Characterization of the effects of amphotericin B on ion channels in MDCK cells using the patch-clamp technique

Abstract Cultured Madin–Darby Canine Kidney cells were used as a model to study the mechanism of nephrotoxicity of amphotericin B using the patch-clamp technique. At the whole-cell level, amphotericin B altered potassium conductances in two types of these cells categorized on the basis of whole-cell potassium currents. The first cell type, classified as Type I, exhibited no significant whole-cell potassium currents. The second type, Type II, exhibited depolarization-induced outward potassium currents that rundown over time. In both of these subpopulations, exposure to amphotericin B at a concentration of 68 nM for a prolonged period of time (∼30–45 min) led to an increased whole-cell potassium conductance. In Type I cells, it increased by a factor of 16 and in Type II cells, by a factor of 3.5. Furthermore, the potassium currents observed in Type I cells following amphotericin B treatment bore no resemblance to currents through pores formed by amphotericin B in artificial membranes. At the single-channel level, incubation with amphotericin B led to a significantly higher potassium channel activity in both inside-out and outside-out patches. Kinetic studies in inside-out patches revealed that the increases in channel activity were associated with a decrease in the mean closed time and an overall increase in the mean open time. In summary, our data suggest that the direct toxicity of amphotericin B is primarily related to its ability to disturb normal ion channel functioning rather than to formation of pores in cell membranes.
The Yield Curve: A Methodological Review and New Approximations for Estimation

The yield curve is a tool widely used by those who make monetary policy decisions or plan their investments according to valuation, negotiation, or coverage on financial instruments. Because of its importance, our interest is focused on evaluating the performance of a set of econometric models for adjustments in the term structure of interest rates (in the context of the public debt market bond rates in Colombia and United States) and on the possible forms that the yield curves can take. The results reveal the goodness-of-fit of the artificial neural networks (ANN), the Svensson curve, the Nelson-Siegel curve, and local polynomials. Nevertheless, we strongly recommended the use the Svensson curve in the estimation of interest rates, due to the interpretability of its parameters and its superiority over the Nelson-Siegel Curve.
A 512 kbps high capacity packet mode data protocol for the broadband PCS spectrum

The PACS packet channel (PPC) is the wireless packet data service option of the 1900 MHz broadband PCS PACS standard being standardized by T1P1.3. An overview of the protocol definition and some basic simulation performance results are presented.
Mechanical, Failure and Flow Properties of Sands: Micro-mechanical Models

th US Rock Mechanics / Geomechanics Symposium held in Chicago, IL, USA, 24-27 June 2012. This paper was selected for presentation at the symposium by an ARMA Technical Program Committee based on a technical and critical review of the paper by a minimum of two technical reviewers. The material, as presented, does not necessarily reflect any position of ARMA, its officers, or members. Electronic reproduction, distribution, or storage of any part of this paper for commercial purposes without the written consent of ARMA is prohibited. Permission to reproduce in print is restricted to an abstract of not more than 300 words; illustrations may not be copied. The abstract must contain conspicuous acknowledgement of where and by whom the paper was presented. ABSTRACT: There is incomplete understanding of the influence of shear failure observed in field operations in sand formations. This work explains the effect of shear failure on permeability anisotropy and dilation in sands. Three-dimensional discrete element modeling is used to model the behavior of uncemented and weakly cemented sand samples. Mechanical deformation data from experiments conducted on sand samples is used to calibrate the properties of the spherical particles in the simulations. A rolling resistance strategy is applied in the simulations, incorporating the stiffness of the specimens due to particle angularity, aiding in the calibration of the simulated samples against experimental data to derive optimum granular scale elastic and friction properties. A flexible membrane algorithm is applied on the lateral boundary of the simulation samples to implement the effect of a rubber/latex jacket. Simulations are extended to non-cylindrical specimen geometries to simulate field-like anisotropic stress regimes. Pore network fluid flow simulations are conducted before and after mechanical deformation to observe the effect of failure and stress anisotropy on the permeability anisotropy and dilation of the granular specimen. The effect of confining pressure, stress anisotropy, and particle size distribution on failure, permeability and dilation is studied The effect of shear failure on the permeability is confirmed and calculated. The shear failure plane alignment is observed to be parallel to the maximum horizontal stress plane. Flow simulations confirm the increase in permeability due to shear failure and show a significantly greater permeability increase in the maximum horizontal stress direction. Permeability anisotropy is observed and permeability tensors are calculated.
The big problem of the missing cytology slides

Cytology slides are often unique and irreplaceable. Unlike surgical pathology cases, where additional paraffin sections can be cut, cytology slides often cannot be duplicated because there are only a few direct smears or the diagnostic material is present on a single slide. Cytology slides are often "sent out" to other physicians, laboratories or hospitals, typically so that the pathologist at the institution where the patient will receive treatment can review the slides. Less often, a cytology lab sends out the slides for a second opinion or as part of the discovery process in a lawsuit, where they may or may not be defendants. Rarely, unique and irreplaceable cytology slides are lost. This article presents a hypothetical scenario that is based on reported state appellate court decisions. The article discusses some of the legal issues that will affect the defendant cytologist/cytology lab and the "expert cytologist," and suggests some steps a cytologist/cytology lab can take to minimize the risk of repercussions from a lost unique and irreplaceable cytology slide.
Noninfectious pneumonitis with the use of mTOR inhibitors in breast cancer

The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitor class of drugs represents the newest addition to the armamentarium of therapies for hormonally driven breast cancer. It has recently been shown that the addition of mTOR inhibitor everolimus to aromatase inhibitors in hormone receptor-positive breast cancers improves progression-free survival. However, a clinically significant toxicity associated with this class of drugs is the development of noninfectious pneumonitis (NIP). Although generally mild and manageable, everolimus-induced NIP requires prompt diagnosis and management. This article will provide a brief overview of data relating to dysregulation of the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase/protein kinase B/mTOR pathway in breast cancer; review the literature relating to the efficacy and safety of mTOR inhibitors in breast cancer; and evaluate the incidence, severity, and optimal management of mTOR inhibitor-related NIP in breast cancer.
Dendritic cells in health and disease

Cells with a dendritic morphology that are rich in surface class II histocompatibility antigens (la antigens) but lacking in other lymphocytes or monocyte markers constitute a small (≪ 1%) proportion of circulating mononuclear cells, but in inflammatory joint effusions they comprise up to 7% of the mononuclear population. Their role as accessory cells in normal autologous and allogenic mixed leukocyte reactions is reviewed and the possible contribution of dendritic cells to intra-articular immunologic processes is considered.
The political economy of black male suicides.

In this analysis, a framework for examining the increase in black male suicide rates is presented and tested in a preliminary manner. This framework attempts to eradicate the shortcomings of previous attempts to explain increases in black male suicide rates which have used a purely economic theory to explain suicide, by explicitly modelling the relationship between patterns of economic discrimination against blacks and black male suicides.
Studies on the Regeneration of Protochlorophyllide after Brief Illumination of Etiolated Bean Leaves

The effects of various inhibitors of nucleic acid and protein synthesis on protochlorophyllide synthesis in dark-grown Phaseolus vulgaris var. Red Kidney have been studied. Actinomycin D, chloramphenicol, and puromycin inhibit the regeneration of protochlorophyllide holochrome (detected as a 650 mμ absorption peak) in vivo in darkness after photoconversion of endogenous protochlorophyllide a to chlorophyllide a; this inhibition does not occur in similarly treated leaves supplied with δ-aminolevulinic acid. These data suggest that the regeneration of protochlorophyllide results from the synthesis of RNA and enzymes required for the production of δ-aminolevulinate.
Brain responses to semantic anomally in natural, continuous speech

In the present study, brain responses were recorded during the presentation of naturally spoken sentences. In two separate experiments, the same set of stimulus sentences was presented with subjects either being asked to pay close attention in order to answer content questions following the run ('memory instruction' - MI) or to press one of two buttons to indicate a normal or unusual ending to a sentence ('response instruction' - RI). Brain event-related potentials were not averaged across the exact same acoustic information but across 49 different words spoken in natural, uninterrupted sentences. There was no attempt to standardize the acoustic features of stimulus words by electronic means. Rather than splicing stimulus words (and trigger pulse needed for computer averaging) onto sentence stems, consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) monosyllablic words were selected with voiceless stop consonants in the word initial position. This not only avoids acoustic overlap with the preceding word of the sentence but also allows the point of stimulus word onset to be precisely located. In the MI group, brain responses to the semantically anomalous endings were distinguished by the presence of a late negative wave (N300) followed by a sustained positive wave (P650). Responses to anomally in the RI group data was not consistently differentiated from normal in the 650-1000 ms range. Within conditions, the MI and RI waveforms were differentiated by the presence of an augmented positive-going slow wave in the RI condition which may reflect an augmented CNV release. The feasibility of averaging brain electrical responses across non-isolated words which differed acoustically but were of similar phonemic structure was demonstrated. This paradigm provides a means of studying speech-activated neurolinguistic processes in the stream of speech and may make complex spoken language contexts available for event-related potential investigations of brain and language functions.
Water-rock interactions in fault gouge

Measurements were made of the amounts of D,18O, and H2O+ in fault gouge collected over a depth of 400 m in the San Andreas fault of California. The amounts and isotopic compositions of the pore fluids, also analyzed, suggest that formation waters from adjacent Franciscan rocks have migrated into the gouge and mixed with local meteoric water. Thus the gouge is an open system permeable to fluid flow. This permeability has important implications concerning heat flow along the fault zone.
Effectiveness of Comprehensive Professional Development for Teachers of At-Risk Preschoolers

This study compared effectiveness of "business as usual" to that of 4 professional development (PD) programs that targeted teachers of at-risk preschool children. A 2 X 2 design was used to cross mentoring and progress monitoring conditions among the 4 PD programs. Specifically, some teachers received both in-classroom mentoring and detailed, instructionally linked feedback concerning children's progress in language and literacy. Some teachers received no mentoring but did receive the detailed, instructionally linked feedback concerning children's progress. Some teachers received in-classroom mentoring but only limited feedback on children's progress, which was not linked to curricular activities. Finally, some teachers received no mentoring and only limited feedback concerning children's progress. All 4 PD conditions included the same year-long, facilitated online course that emphasized language and literacy instruction, practice of learned material in one's classroom, and participation in online message boards with fellow teachers. Across 4 states, 158 schools (N = 262 classrooms) were randomly assigned to I of the 4 PD conditions or business as usual. The condition that included online coursework combined with mentoring and detailed, instructionally linked feedback yielded the greatest improvements in teaching behavior and children's school readiness
Physical challenges and simulation of micro fluidic transport

This paper reviews numerical simulation methods for liquid and gas micro-flows from a continuum as well as microscopic point of view. The primary concern is implementation of microscale-specific physical models and treatment of the complex geometry. Therefore, we first discuss the physical challenges of microfluidic modeling by describing some micro-scale specific effects. Then, we present challenges of numerical modeling efforts for gas and liquid flows, including the complex geometry and the interdisciplinary simulation requirements of MEMS. This paper is intended to guide the reader to relevant micro fluidics literature rather than giving extensive description of each topic.
On C 2 quintic spline functions over triangulations of Powell-Sabin's type

Abstract Given a triangulation Δ of a polygonal domain, we find a refinemet of Δ of Δ by choosing μ t in a neighborhood of the center of the inscribed circle of each triangle of t ϵ Δ, connecting μ t , to the vertices of the triangle t , and connecting μ t to μ t ′ if t′ ϵ Δ shares an interior edge with t or to the midpoint ν e of any boundary edge e of t . The resulting triangulation is a triangulation of Powell-Sabin's type. We investigate a C 2 quintic spline space S 5 2 (Δ) whose elements are C 3 only at μ t 's. We give a dimension formula for this spline space, show how to construct a locally supported basis, display an interpolation scheme, and prove that this spline space has the full approximation order.
Thermoelectric power generation using doped MWCNTs

Abstract In this paper, the performance of thermoelectric (TE) devices constructed with the TE elements packed with randomly oriented multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) has been presented. B-doped and N-doped MWCNTs were produced using different doping methods and their thermal and thermoelectric properties have been reported. The carrier type and carrier densities of the doped nanotubes were determined using Mott-Schottky analysis. Doping of the MWCNTs resulted in a simultaneous increase in the Seebeck coefficient and a decrease in the thermal conductivity leading to a significant improvement (up to 1900%) of the figure of merit ( ZT ) of the TE device. The effects of changing packing density, diameter, and length of the MWCNT–TE elements on the performance of the device were investigated. It was observed that the power generated by the TE device depended directly on the ZT of the device. A TE module was constructed by connecting several TE cells in series with alternating p-type and n-type MWCNT–TE elements and the scale-up of power generation as the number of TE cells was increased was examined. This study is expected to help researchers to evaluate and improve the performance of CNT-based TE devices over conventional devices.
Formal specification as a design tool

The formulation and analysis of a design specification is almost always of more utility than the verification of the consistency of a program with its specification. Good specification tools can assist in this process, but have generally not been proposed and evaluated in this light. In this paper we outline a specification language combining algebraic axioms and predicate transformers, present part of a non-trivial example (the specification of a high-level interface to a display), and finally discuss the analysis of this specification.
Cross-Cultural Aspects of Anxiety Disorders

A person's cultural background influences the experience and expression of emotions. In reviewing the recent literature on cross-cultural aspects of anxiety disorders, we identified some culturally related ethnopsychology/ethnophysiology factors (the culture's conceptualizations of how the mind and body function) and contextual factors that influence anxiety disorders. Ethnopsychology/ethnophysiology factors include the person's ideas about the mental and bodily processes (and their interaction), whereas contextual factors are associated with the social norms and rules that may contribute to anxiety, including individualism vs. collectivism and self-construals. From the perspective of ethnopsychology/ethnophysiology and contextual factors, we will discuss "khyâl cap" ("wind attacks"), taijin kyofusho, and ataques de nervios, three prominent examples of culture-specific expressions of anxiety disorders that have all been included in the DSM-5 list of cultural concepts of distress.
A design approach based on phase plane analysis: Countercurrent reactor/heat exchanger with parametric sensitivity

A design approach based on a phase diagram of inlet temperatures is proposed for the countercurrent reactor/heat exchanger for highly exothermic reactions with inherent parametric sensitivities. The phase diagram shows the region of safe operation on a plane of feed and coolant inlet temperatures, free from runaway conditions. The boundaries surrounding the safe operation region are defined by design parameters. Simple procedures applicable to arbitrary expressions of global rate are developed for the phase diagram. The multi-pronged design problem of selecting the design parameters and operating conditions for the maximum possible conversion within the constraints due to the parametric sensitivities is condensed into the represented by a phase diagram and an analysis on the phase plane. A design alternative which eliminates the necessity of the preheater for highly exothermic reactions is discussed and the advantages are quantitatively illustrated to assert that this design should be seriously considered as a viable alternative.
Applications of Highly Sulfated Cyclodextrins for Enantiomeric Separation by Capillary Electrophoresis

Separation of enantiomeric pairs of compounds by capillary electrophoresis (CE) was performed using highly sulfated α-, β- and γ-cyclodextrins (HS-CDs). CE analysis of the HS-CDs using indirect absorbance detection showed that the new class of chiral selectors has substantially higher degrees of sulfation and narrower heterogeneity than those used in previous reports. Elemental analyses showed that the average number of sulfate groups per cyclodextrin was 11, 12, and 13, for HS-α, β and γCD, respectively. Our earlier 13C NMR data of HS-CDs were consistent with the structural assignment of complete sulfation at the C-6 primary hydroxyl groups, greater than 70% sulfation at the C-2 secondary hydroxyls and absence of substitution at the C-3 hydroxyls. CE-based chiral separations were performed using a generalized procedure with phosphate buffer (pH 2.5) containing 5% (w/v) HS-CD in a 50 μm I.D. × 31 cm (total length) fused silica capillary. Quantitation of enantiomeric impurity of less than 1% was demonstrated for pseudoephedrine and phenylpropanolamine. The HS-α, β and γCD complement each other by exhibiting different chiral selectivity. The combination of HS-α, β and γCD resolved more than 140 chiral compounds of neutral, acidic and basic drugs with very different structural features. The HS-CDs were synthesized under conditions of controlled sulfation to produce chiral reagents with consistent composition, making them excellent chiral selectors for capillary electrophoretic analysis of enantiomeric impurities.
Defense of the Least Squares Solution to Peelle’s Pertinent Puzzle

Generalized least squares (GLS) for model parameter estimation has a long and successful history dating to its development by Gauss in 1795. Alternatives can outperform GLS in some settings, and alternatives to GLS are sometimes sought when GLS exhibits curious behavior, such as in Peelle’s Pertinent Puzzle (PPP). PPP was described in 1987 in the context of estimating fundamental parameters that arise in nuclear interaction experiments. In PPP, GLS estimates fell outside the range of the data, eliciting concerns that GLS was somehow flawed. These concerns have led to suggested alternatives to GLS estimators. This paper defends GLS in the PPP context, investigates when PPP can occur, illustrates when PPP can be beneficial for parameter estimation, reviews optimality properties of GLS estimators, and gives an example in which PPP does occur.
On conjugate states of plane strain

Abstract T he dual correspondence between states of plane strain in incompressible elastic solids, which was recently described by h ill (1055), is shown to be a special case of a general dual correspondence between states of plane strain m pairs of incompressible solids such that the relation between the stresses and the strains m one solid has the same mathematical structure as the relation between the strains and the stresses in the other.
New Horizons: The First Reconnaissance Mission to Bodies in the Kuiper Belt

NASA has long been planning a mission of exploration to Pluto-Charon and the Kuiper Belt (e.g., Terrile et al., 1997). In 2001 NASA selected such a mission (NASA, 2001), called New Horizons, for design and development. New Horizons is now funded and planning a launch in January 2006. The mission plans to carry 8 scientific sensors and make flybys of Pluto-Charon and one or more KBOs. Statistical Monte Carlo simulations indicate that New Horizons has sufficient fuel to reach one or more KBOs with diameters exceeding 35 km. If launched as planned in 2006, the mission will use a Jovian gravity assist, arriving at Pluto-Charon in 2015 or 2016; if launched in its backup window in 2007, a Jovian gravity assist is not feasible and arrival will be later — 2019. Below we briefly summarize the New Horizons mission, concentrating on its role in Kuiper Belt exploration.
Pulmonary vascular efflux of norepinephrine in Dahl rats susceptible or resistant to salt-induced hypertension

The purpose of these studies was to determine whether the accumulation of norepinephrine by the pulmonary circulation is altered in the Dahl model of genetic hypertension. Pulmonary norepinephrine accumulation was evaluated by performing a compartmental analysis of the efflux of L-(/sup 3/H)norepinephrine from perfused lungs after inhibition of the norepinephrine-metabolizing enzymes. The lungs were isolated from Dahl salt-hypertension-susceptible (S) and salt-hypertension-resistant (R) rats that had been on a high sodium diet for 3 weeks. In both S and R rats, norepinephrine was accumulated into a single compartment with an efflux half-time of approximately 23 min, in addition to its distribution in the extracellular space. The size of the extracellular space was significantly increased in the S rats, but there was no difference in the size of the compartment of L-(/sup 3/H)norepinephrine efflux between S (6.4 +/- 1.2 ml/g) and R (3.7 +/- 0.7 ml/g) rats. These data indicate that impaired accumulation and efflux of norepinephrine by the lungs does not contribute to the pathogenesis of hypertension in Dahl S rats.
Radiotherapy: IMRT reduces xerostomia and potentially improves QoL.

Xerostomia and reduced quality of life are common occurrences in patients treated with radiation to the salivary gland for head and neck squamous-cell carcinoma. This article discusses outcomes after intensity-modulated radiation therapy and three-dimensional conventional radiotherapy among patients with head and neck squamous-cell carcinoma.
A Pre-Modern Description of Emergence: Albertus Magnus on Human Foetal Development

Abstract Both the theory and the terminology of Albertus Magnus’s philosophical psychology in the thirteenth century bear an extraordinary resemblance to twenty-first century descriptions of emergent systems. In Albert’s description of the temporal drama of human foetal life, the emergent, ‘intellectual’ energies of human psyche or anima or soul cannot be at all predicated on the material or psychic agents that give rise to them. Though standing in a real continuity with those natural, causal agents, human psyche knows itself as existing discontinuously from them and as enacting, in and through the dimension of time, kinds of knowledge and types of experience which display complex potentialities that appear to be irreducible, or, at the least, not fully measurable: in art, in science, and also in cultic action.
Electromagnetic production of quarkonium in Z0 decay.

The decay ${\mathit{Z}}^{0}$\ensuremath{\rightarrow}Q+${\mathit{l}}^{+}$${\mathit{l}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$, where Q is a ${\mathit{J}}^{\mathit{P}\mathit{C}}$=${1}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$ quarkonium state, has a very clean final state which should make it easy to detect. The branching ratio of this mode is greater than ${10}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}6}$ for \ensuremath{\rho}, \ensuremath{\varphi}, and \ensuremath{\psi}, indicating that these processes may be detectable at CERN LEP.
Elective antireflux surgery in the US: an analysis of national trends in utilization and inpatient outcomes from 2005 to 2010

Previous research suggested that antireflux surgery reached its peak volume in the US more than a decade ago. Factors such as changes in population demographics and improvements in surgical outcomes may have reversed this decline. We sought to examine national trends in the management of antireflux surgery patients and identify patient and hospital characteristics associated with postoperative complications. We analyzed data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample to identify adults with gastroesophageal reflux disease or esophagitis who underwent elective antireflux surgery between 2005 and 2010. Patient and hospital characteristics were analyzed. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to identify characteristics associated with an increased risk of postoperative complications following laparoscopic antireflux surgery. The volume of elective antireflux surgery remained relatively stable between 2005 (n = 15,819) and 2010 (n = 18,780). The percentage of patients older than 64 years of age increased from 21.1 % in 2005 to 30.9 % in 2010 (p < 0.01), while the percentage with a Charlson score over 2 more than doubled (1.2–2.7 %; p < 0.01). Inpatient complication rates (6.3 vs. 6.6 %; p = 0.21) and mortality (0.08 vs. 0.21; p = 0.72) were unchanged. On multivariate analysis, patients older than 79 years were three times as likely to develop a complication (odds ratio [OR] 3.1; 95 % CI 2.1–4.5) as were patients with a Charlson score over 2 (OR 3.1; 95 % CI 2.2–4.3). Today’s antireflux surgery patient population is a higher-risk cohort, but complication rates have remained stable and inpatient mortality has declined more than 50 % over the past decade. Given these findings, additional research is needed to understand why antireflux surgery is underutilized, with a decline of more than two-thirds since its peak in 1999.
Wall Deposition of Radon Progeny and Particles in a Spherical Chamber

ABSTRACT In indoor and mining environments, deposition to “plate-out” of radon progeny onto walls occurs simultaneously with the attachment of progeny of airborne particles. Attachment and plate-out processes affect the atmosphere in which radon exposure takes place by reducing concentrations and shifting activity size distributions. Deposition of fine particles on paintings and other art objects is also a concern in museums. Here we describe plate-out measurements of radon progeny and aerosol particles in a spherical chamber under controlled laboratory conditions. The temperature and velocity profiles in still and turbulent air were monitored. A laboratory mixer with variable speeds and speed control was used to increase turbulence in the chamber. During mixing, air velocity was detected when rotational speeds were higher than 500 rpm. Monodisperse silver aerosols and polystyrene latex particles in the size range of 5 nm to 2 μm were used in the deposition study. Nanometer particles between 0.88 to 1.80 ...