cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Insulin-like growth factor I acts as an angiogenic agent in rabbit cornea and retina: comparative studies with basic fibroblast growth factor.

The release of growth factors from ischaemic retina has been hypothesized as the central stimulus for retinal neovascularization in proliferative diabetic retinopathy. Two of the growth factors implicated are insulin-like growth factor-I and basic fibroblast growth factor. We examined the effect of insulin-like growth factor-I on in vivo neovascularization using the established angiogenic model of the rabbit cornea (n=30), and also compared the effects of insulin-like growth factor-I and basic fibroblast growth factor using two new in vivo systems. Either supraphysiologic concentrations of each growth factor (600 μg) were injected intravitreally into pigmented rabbits (n=21) or porous polyfluorotetraethylene chambers filled with an emulsion containing collagen and growth factor (500 ng) were placed on the retina surface (n=8). Our results demonstrate that when insulin-like growth factor-I was implanted together with a slow release carrier into the pocket of the normally avascular cornea, insulin-like growth factor-I (10 μg/pellet) induced angiogenesis in all rabbits. This degree of angiogenesis was comparable to that previously shown for basic fibroblast growth factor. For the intravitreal studies, the fibrotic component was greater in the basic fibroblast growth factor injected eyes, whereas the vascular component was accentuated in the eyes injected with insulin-like growth factor-I. Light and electron microscopy demonstrated areas of vascular proliferation in both groups. Porous polyfluorotetraethylene chamber studies with insulin-like growth factor-I and basic fibroblast growth factor demonstrated vascular proliferation in the vicinity of the chamber similar to the intravitreal injected eyes, but to a lesser degree than the injected eyes. Our experiments overall support the angiogenic potential of both insulin-like growth factor-I and basic fibroblast growth factor and support distinct but complimentary roles for each growth factor in the pathogenesis of proliferative diabetic retinopathy.
Hund's rule, spin blockade, and the Aufbau principle in strongly confined semiconductor quantum dots

The ground-state configuration of a system of N electrons or holes (N = 1⋯8) in strongly confined InAs, InP, and Si quantum dots (diameter ~ 30 A) is calculated using pseudopotential single-particle energies and wave functions as input to the many-body expansion of the total energy. The validity of generally accepted "rules of level occupation" (Hund's rule, Aufbau principle, and single spin-flip rule) is examined. We find that while Hund's rule is generally obeyed, deviations from the Aufbau principle are common when single-particle energy levels are separated by a few meV. We also find a few instances where the single spin-flip rule is violated, leading to "spin blockade" in linear conductance.
Prevalence of colon polyps detected by colonoscopy screening of asymptomatic Hispanic patients

Background Compared with whites, Hispanics have lower incidence of and mortality from colorectal cancer. The purpose of this study was to determine whether asymptomatic Hispanics undergoing colonoscopy screening also have lower age-adjusted incidence of polyps ≥10 mm. Such data could be used to formulate future screening guidelines.
Carbon fiber couch effects on skin dose for volumetric modulated arcs.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the dosimetric effect of carbon fiber couches (CFCs) on delivered skin dose as well as to explore potential venues for its minimization for volumetric modulated arc (VMAT) treatments. Methods: A carbon fiber couch (BrainLab) was incorporated in Pinnacle treatment planning system (TPS) by autocontouring. A retrospective investigation on five lung and five prostate patient plans was performed. Targets and organs at risk (OARs), together with a 0.3 cm thick skin contour interfacing the CFC, were outlined in each plan. For each patient, two VMAT plans were generated: a single arc with 6 MV photon energy and two or three arcs with 18 MV photon energy for the posterior arc(s) and 6 MV energy for the anterior arc (mixed energy plans). Both plans for each patient case were normalized such that 95% of the PTV was covered by the same prescription dose, ranging from 7600 to 7800 cGy. For each patient, the prescription doses were escalated to the maximum allowed by the OAR constraints. CFC bolus effects on skin doses were tallied by the highest dose to 1% of skin volume. Results: With the utilization of higher energy photons for the posterior arcs, the statistically significant differences in skin dose between the two plans were as high as 34% of the prescribed dose, where surface doses changed on average from 3800 to 2940 cGy for 6 MV and mixed energy plans, respectively. In addition, skin doses in excess of 68% and 80% of the prescription doses for mixed and 6 MV energy plans, respectively, were observed in individual cases. Conclusions: The presented findings indicate that mixed energy VMAT plans would result in a substantial skin sparing of more than � 34% compared to VMAT plans with only 6 MV arc(s). Additionally, the high skin doses in some cases (81% of the prescription dose) suggest that in hypofractionated SRS=SRT treatments, the carbon fiber couch effects on skin doses need to be evaluated when arc delivery is considered as a treatment option. V C 2011 American Association of Physicists in Medicine. [DOI: 10.1118/1.3576106]
Choroid plexus tumors in children

Choroid plexus tumors represent a well-defined subset of brain tumors that occur mainly in young children. Surgical resection for papilloma is usually curative, although careful surgical planning is required to minimize the potential risks. Although adjunctive therapy for carcinoma includes chemotherapy or radiation, the long-term survival for carcinoma remains poor.
A transformation for estimating the trinomial logit model with grouped data

For logit models where the outcome variables are the proportions of individuals falling into each of three categories, this paper develops a data transformation through which GLS estimates can be obtained by running OLS on the transformed data.
Situation assessment for aggregated vehicle merging at an unknown location

This paper introduces the merge at a point (MAP) algorithm to detect the vehicles convoys whose destination locations are unknown. The algorithm will predict the merged vehicles identification numbers in an iterative manner. We applied this method using the simulated Ground Moving Target Indicator (GMTI) data. The technique is similar to the dead reckoning and Kalman filtering algorithms. This algorithm consists of following procedures: 1) approximates the destination locations for each vehicle using its tracks, 2) validates what vehicles are going to merge at these predicted destination locations using the minimum error solution (MES), and 3) predicts the future destination locations where the vehicles will be merged at for the next iteration. This algorithm will be iteratively processed until predicted destination locations converge. We can use this algorithm to associate the vehicles that will merge to some unknown destination locations. It also has the potential to identify the convoy names and the threats associated with these vehicle groups.
Mr. Shaw and His Critics: Monetary Policy in the Golden Era Reviewed

Introduction, 40. — I. Shaw's policies and the economy (1902–07), 41. — II. Shaw's critics, 47. The Treasury has always been the bloody angle of criticism of an administration.1
Development of structural modeling techniques for evaluating HDPE plastic net pens used in marine aquaculture

Abstract Finite-element modeling (FEM) techniques are developed to determine the structural capabilities of net pen flotation structures made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE). The modeling approach uses shell elements and localized failure criteria to predict critical loading conditions. Finite element modeling simulations were performed using values for the modulus of elasticity for weathered HDPE determined from a series of tensile tests. Poisson's ratio and yield stress used with the approach were obtained from standard manufacturers values. To investigate the method, a series of experiments were performed in the laboratory by testing circular sections of HDPE pipe to localized failure (“kinking”). The same test was replicated with the FEM using localized failure techniques. Laboratory and model results were within 16%. A FEM was then built to represent the complex geometry of a net pen flotation structure deployed at an operational fish farm located in Eastport, ME, USA. Simulations were performed using attachment line tension values measured at the site. The goal was to assess flotation pipe stress levels for typical operational conditions. Simulations were also performed to investigate the maximum capabilities of the net pen structure with different attachment line configurations. Quantifying the operational limits will become more important as these systems are considered for more exposed, energetic environments.
Exclusive diffractive processes in electron-ion collisions

We present a new technique to calculate the cross section for diffractive vector meson production and deeply virtual Compton scattering (DVCS) in electron-ion collisions based on the dipole model. The measurement of these processes can provide valuable information on nonlinear QCD phenomena, such as gluon saturation, and is the the only known way to gain insight into the spatial distribution of gluons in nuclei. We present predictions of differential cross-section distribution $d\ensuremath{\sigma}/d{Q}^{2}$ and $d\ensuremath{\sigma}/dt$ for $J/\ensuremath{\psi}$ and $\ensuremath{\phi}$ meson production for diffractive processes of heavy nuclei, and demonstrate the feasibility of extracting the gluon source distribution of heavy nuclei, $F(b)$, from coherent diffraction. We briefly introduce a new event generator based on our method that can be used for studying exclusive diffractive processes at a future electron-ion collider.
The Gates-MacGinitie Readiness Skills Test and Illinois Test of Psycholinguistic Abilities as Predictors of First-Grade Reading.

Compares the effectiveness of the Gates-MacGinitie Readiness Skills Test (G-M) and Illinois Test of Psycholinguistic Abilities (ITPA) for predicting reading achievement in grade one and studies whether either test differentially predicts reading in an i. t. a. approach Gr a t. o. sight approach. Subjects in grade one were administered the G-M, a measure of intelligence, and the ITPA at the beginning of the school year and the Lee-Clark Reading Tests at the end of the year. Subjects were learning to read in two approaches to reading –i. t. a. and t. o. sight-oriented approach. Relationships between the G-M. IQ, ITPA, and reading were analyzed using Pearson-Product Moment Correlations, Partial Correlations with intelligence controlled, and Stepwise Regression Analyses. The G-M was found to be a better predictor of reading than the ITPA for both i. t. a. and t. o. groups. The relative importance of specific subtests was found to depend on the factors of reading groups and/or sex. Future research may find a combination of available reading readiness tests to be most predictive of reading.
A prototype optical encoder system with nanometer measurement capability

Optical gratings are becoming available with precision down to the 2 nm level, or below. Such gratings can be employed to make highly accurate measuring tools such as optical encoders and coordinate measuring tools which can find numerous applications in precision machining applications and integrated circuit industry such as image placement inspection. Such tools are significantly less expensive than interferometers because of the relaxed mechanical tolerances required on the associated stages. In this paper, a novel prototype optical encoder system is developed for grating-based measurement tools with nanometer accuracy. The location of the grating was determined with an error of 0.09 nm. This is comparable to the accuracy of state-of-the-art interferometers, but at much lower cost.
High-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy of biological tissues using projected magic angle spinning.

High-resolution NMR spectra of materials subject toanisotropic broadening are usually obtained by rotating the sample aboutthe magic angle, which is 54.7 degrees to the static magnetic field. Inprojected Magic Angle Spinning (p-MAS), the sample is spun about twoangles, neither of which is the magic angle. This provides a method ofobtaining isotropic spectra while spinning at shallow angles. The p-MASexperiment may be used in situations where spinning the sample at themagic angle is not possible due to geometric or other constraints,allowing the choice of spinning angle to be determined by factors such asthe shape of the sample, rather than by the spin physics. The applicationof this technique to bovine tissue samples is demonstrated as a proof ofprinciple for future biological or medical applications.
Resolution of a target-tracking optical novelty filter

The resolution of a target-tracking optical novelty filter is discussed in terms of the response time of the nonlinear medium, the speed of the target, and the resolution of the input device. Optical novelty filters using a faster nonlinear medium may have a higher output resolution. This is particularly true in the case of tracking high-speed targets. The potential of implementing high-resolution optical novelty filters using photorefractive GaAs is investigated experimentally.
Classroom Behavioral Styles of Learning Disabled Boys

Observational studies have uniformly failed to find the cluster of symptoms associated with LD. Instead, one or another seems to typify most of the LD children in any context — in this case classroom distractibility. As the authors note, other behavior often associated with LD was found among some of the children — though not enough to distinguish them from normal learners. Such documentation of the heterogeneity of the LD group logically questions the relevance of comparing LD and normal children, and suggests the need for subtypes of LD to be identified, at least for research purposes. — G.M.S.The classroom behavior of 15 learning disabled boys was compared to that of 15 matched normal boys in order to determine differences in behavioral style and to examine the learning disabled children's behavior in different classroom environments. Results indicated that of 12 discrete kinds of classroom behavior only one, distractibility, differentiated the two groups. There was very limited support for the stereot...
Electron Dynamics Associated with Stochastic Magnetic and Ambipolar Electric Fields

A conservative transport operator in ($r$,${v}_{\ensuremath{\parallel}}$,${v}_{\ensuremath{\perp}}$) space and moment equations are derived which describe the combined effects of a stochastic magnetic field and a radial electric field on the electrons. The transport operator is coupled with Fokker-Planck and Ohmic-heating terms to compute the distribution function. A physical picture emerges which emphasizes the possible importance of the ambipolar potential ($\ensuremath{\sim}\frac{{T}_{e}}{e}$) and plasma boundary physics in determining overall plasma confinement.
An overview and review of the differential ability scales: Initial and current research findings

Abstract The Differential Ability Scales (DAS) is one of the latest entries into the field of intelligence tests. Colin Elliot and the other developers of the DAS used the most current statistical procedures in an attempt to create a test that is psychometrically sound. They also sought to design subtests that measure a variety of separate and distinct areas of cognitive functioning. This article provides an overview of the instrument and a review of initial and current research. This research suggests that the developers of the DAS have succeeded in designing an instrument that has strong psychometric properties. There is, however, some concern about whether the subtests can be individually interpreted and about whether the factor structure will stand up to further research and clinical use. The use of current statistical procedures has given the DAS some improvements over other intelligence tests. The use of factor analysis enabled the DAS developers to include in the overall standard score only those subtests with high g loadings. The use of the Rasch model also allowed the DAS developers to incorporate adaptive testing for more efficient assessment. The development of extended norms allows the calculation of overall standard scores as low as 25, lower than other intelligence tests. The DAS appears to have promise as a useful addition to the field of intelligence testing and seems to be worthy of at least trial clinical and research use.
Preferential binding of S-phase proteins to temporally-characteristic units of replication in Physarum polycephalum

Synchronous plasmodia of Physarum polycephalum were pulse-labeled with 3H-thymidine in early or late portions of the S-phase, and the binding capacity of the replicated DNA for isochronous S-phase plasmodial proteins assessed by nitrocellulose filter binding assay. Replication units replicating during the first one-third of the S-phase preferentially bind cytosol proteins present in plasmodia engaged in early S DNA replication, while late S replicating DNA exhibits a corresponding preferential binding of plasmodial proteins present only in late S plasmodia. Temporally-characteristic nascent replication units were isolated by Hydroxylapatite column chromatography and were found to contain binding sites for isochronous proteins.
Solving the Coulomb Schrödinger Equation ind= 2 + 1 via Sinc Collocation

We solve the light cone Coulomb Shrodinger equation ind= 2+ 1 via Sinc collocation. We get excellent convergence using a generalized Sinc basis set in position space. Since convergence in position space could not be obtained with more common numerical techniques, this result helps us to corroborate the conjecture that the use of a localized (square-integrable) basis set within the context of light cone quantization can yield much better convergence.
Photoacoustic Generation Using Gold Nanostructure Fabricated by Femtosecond Laser

Ultrasound generation through photoacoustic principle is a promising method for novel ultrasonic applications. This paper describes a photoacoustic generation method using gold nanostructure fabricated by a femtosecond laser. A nanopattern was fabricated on a quartz substrate. A gold film with a thickness of 50 nm was thermally deposited on the nanoparttern to form a gold nanostructure. The quartz substrate with the gold nanostructure was excited by a nanosecond laser to generate acoustic signals via photoacoustic principle. A quartz substrate coated with a 50 nm thickness gold layer was excited in the same condition for the comparison purpose. Experiment results showed that acoustic signals with amplitudes of 1.56 kPa at a distance of 1.5 mm away from the substrate were generated under the laser energy density of 0.27 mJ/cm2.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Building an Online Wisdom Community: A Transformational Design Model.

THIS PAPER discusses the development of a new instructional design model based on socioconstructivist learning theories and distance education principles for the design of online wisdom communities and the efficacy of the model drawing on evaluation results from its implementation in Fall 2002. The model, Final Outcome Centered Around Learner (FOCAL), aims to facilitate transformational learning by fostering three dimensions: the development of a Wisdom Community, Knowledge Innovation, Mentoring and Learner Support, in an online learning environment. The theoretical framework for the FOCAL model is grounded in socioconstructivist learning theories that focus on the link between cognitive and social processes in understanding learning.
What is the Optimal Surgical Strategy for Bulbous Urethral Stricture in Boys

Purpose: Optimal management for bulbous urethral stricture in children is poorly defined. We compared our long-term experience with direct vision internal urethrotomy and open repair to define the optimal surgical strategy.Materials and Methods: We reviewed the records of 63 patients who underwent direct vision internal urethrotomy or open repair. A total of 46 patients (73%) were treated with 1 or more urethrotomies. Of the patients 17 (27%) underwent urethroplasty, 13 underwent end-to-end repair and 4 received a patch graft or tube. Eight of 17 cases required urethroplasty only, whereas in 9 combined open repair and urethrotomy were done. Mean patient age was 14.1 years (range 5 months to 21 years). Followup included voiding cystourethrogram, retrograde urethrogram and/or cystoscopy, or flow rate. Mean followup was 30 months for urethrotomy and 16 months for open urethroplasty.Results: When direct vision internal urethrotomy was the initial approach, 1 procedure was successful in 28 of 53 cases (53%). M...
Relationships among selected measures of single-channel cochlear implant performance.

Relationships among a number of pre- and postimplant variables measured in 20 adults implanted with a single-channel cochlear implant were examined through a variety of univariate and multivariate statistical techniques. A large number of variables were analyzed to yield information on the relationships between pre- and postimplant performance, and among a variety of postimplant measures. Variables included: age; etiology and nature of deafness; type of implant worn; pre- and postimplant warble tone and speech detection thresholds; postimplant performance on the Monosyllable-Trochee-Spondee (MTS) and Environmental Sounds tests; postimplant electrical thresholds, uncomfortable loudness levels, and dynamic range; I.Q. scores; and postimplant discourse tracking performance with and without the implant. The difference score on the discourse tracking task, representing the auditory advantage over performance with lipreading alone, related substantively to a combination of variables including type of unit worn (Sigma versus Alpha), nature of deafness (progressive versus sudden), and etiology (meningitis versus nonmeningitis). Additionally, MTS and Environmental Sounds test scores were found to relate to one another and to etiology and nature of deafness.
Experimental evidence for a morphogenetic role in the emergence of primordial germ cells from the endoderm in Rana pipiens

The mechanism of the separation of PGCs (primordial germ cells) from the endoderm and their displacement to the dorsal root of the mesentery were examined with a light microscope in sections of larvae during normal embryogenesis and heterochronic germ-cell graft larvae of Rana pipiens. PGC separation from the endoderm occurs in two phases. The first involves the penetration of mesoderm cells from the splanchnopleure into the upper portion of the endoderm crest both as individual cells and as a sheet of mesenchyme cells. The PGCs appear to move through the latter toward the tip of the archenteron roof during their initial separation from the endoderm. The germ cells emerge as closely adjacent aggregates of cells accompanied by individual mesoderm cells that adhere to their periphery, prior to the formation of the dorsal mesentery rudiment. The second phase involves the translocation of the germ-cell aggregates from the endoderm proper to the dorsal root of the mesentery. This is accomplished primarily by passive displacement when the rudiment of the dorsal mesentery forms between the recently emerged germ cells and the endoderm proper, and extends ventrally beneath them. Heterochronic germ-cell transplants were made between stage-20 larvae and stage-17 tailbud embryos to determine the dependence of graft germ-cell emergence from the endoderm on morphogenetic processes associated with dorsal mesentery formation at stage 22. The hosts had been previously exposed to UV light (wavelength, 253.7 nm; total dose, 18,000 ergs/mm2), which results in sterile larvae lacking gonocytes, and thus allows the germ cells in heterochronic larvae to be identified as being of graft origin. Normal intraendodermal stage-20 germ cells grafted into stage-17 embryos (normal stage 20 → UV stage 17) remain within the host endoderm at least 4 days before they emerge from it at stage 22, whereas they would normally exit within 2 days if left intact within the donor larvae. Normal stage-17 germ cells transplanted into stage-20 hosts (normal stage 17 → UV stage 20) come out of the endoderm within 2 days after grafting. However, in the latter, few PGCs emerge from the endoderm at the time of dorsal mesentery formation and no additional germ cells come out several days later in development. The results indicate that germ-cell migration is dependent upon morphogenetic events associated with dorsal mesentery formation and that germ cells cannot come out of the endoderm solely on the basis of their apparant migratory properties.
Development of tactile discrimination capacity in Macaca mulatta. I. Normal infants.

Abstract Infant macaques between the ages of 7 and 25 weeks of age were trained on a series of manual tactile discrimination tasks. Tactile discrimination capacity, as measured by the most difficult level of size and texture discrimination tasks mastered, was the same for all ages of infants and did not differ from that of adults. Infants as young as 10 weeks of age were found to have a discrimination capacity similar to that of adult macaques, although an adult level of manual motor control had not been achieved by this early age. During the acquisition of size tasks, older animals made fewer errors than did younger animals, suggesting an improved efficiency in size discrimination capacity over the first 6 months of life. By contrast, the efficiency with which the younger animals mastered texture discrimination was superior to that of the older infants. The possible contributions of sensory experience or manual motor control to the maturation of sensory capacity were examined by applying 16 weeks of sensory restriction in one infant and a unilateral motor cortex lesion in another infant, respectively. Only transient impairment was found in either case suggesting that neither tactile experience nor motor control contribute significantly to the maturation of tactile discrimination capacity in infant macaques.
Relative Motions between Eurasia and North America in Bering Sea Region: ABSTRACT

End_Page 665------------------------------Knowledge of the relative motion of the North American and Eurasian plates during the late Mesozoic and Cenozoic provide insight into the observed timing and style of deformational events in the Bering Sea region. Periods of strong convergence between the North American and Eurasian plates (approximately 70-50 Ma, Maestrichtian to Paleocene) are correlated with compressional deformation between the Chukotsk Peninsula and northern Alaska and the initiation of development and movement along the Denali fault. The convergence also may be the cause of a previously proposed counterclockwise rotation of the Alaska Peninsula. Transform motion between these plates (approximately 50-37 Ma, middle to upper Eocene) correlates with subsidence of the Bering shelf and creation of a series of pull-ap rt basins (Anadyr, Amak, Bristol Bay, Navarin, Pribilof, and St. George) along the Bering margin. Slight compressive convergence from 37 Ma to present may be responsible for the anticlinal deformation of basin-filling sediments in the Anadyr and Khatyrka basins reported by McLean. A correlation between the velocities with which the two plates moved away from each other in the North Atlantic and the geometry of interaction in the Bering Sea region can be seen for most of the Tertiary. End_of_Article - Last_Page 666------------
Automatic routing of integrated circuit connections: a tutorial

An introduction to automatic integrated-circuit routing is presented. Particular attention is given to the types of routing algorithm, global and detailed routing, and improving routing and routability. >
Are State-Ranking Indicators Correlated with State Economic Performance?

A variety of rankings appear regularly in the popular press. Such rankings purport to indicate livability, economic well-being, crime propensity, obesity, and business climate, to name a few. An investigation was conducted to assess whether state-ranking indicators developed by Forbes would be correlated with overall economic performance. We find that labor and quality of life have relatively high correlation with per capita gross state product; that business costs, the economic climate, and quality of life are well correlated with the unemployment rate; and the negative impact of high business costs on the growth rate of civilian employment is relatively high. The correlation coefficient between business costs and per capita gross state product has an unexpected sign. Growth prospects exhibit little correlation with state overall economic performance. The relatively low correlation coefficient between overall ranking and per capita gross state product or the growth rate of civilian employment suggests that it is not a good predictor for state workforce productivity or employment growth.
Spinning Limits of the Friction Spinning System (DREF-III)

The spinning limit is described as the finest yam count with acceptable qualities such as evenness and strength. Since we need to know about the parameters of the friction spinning system and their...
Control and utilization of ruthenium and rhodium metal complex excited states for photoactivated cancer therapy

The use of visible light to produce highly selective and potent drugs through photodynamic therapy (PDT) holds much potential in the treatment of cancer. PDT agents can be designed to follow an O2-dependent mechanism by producing highly reactive species such as 1O2 and/or an O2 independent mechanism through processes such as excited state electron transfer, covalent binding to DNA or photoinduced drug delivery. Ru(II)-polypyridyl and Rh2(II,II) complexes represent an important class of compounds that can be tailored to exhibit desired photophysical properties and photochemical reactivity by judicious selection of the ligand set. Complexes with relatively long-lived excited states and planar, intercalating ligands localize on the DNA strand and photocleave DNA through 1O2 production or guanine oxidation by the excited state of the chromophore. Photoinduced ligand substitution occurs through the population of triplet metal centered (3MC) excited states and facilitates covalent binding of the metal complex to DNA in a mode similar to cisplatin. Ligand photodissociation also provides a route to selective drug delivery. The ability to construct metal complexes with desired light absorbing and excited state properties by ligand variation enables the design of PDT agents that can potentially provide combination therapy from a single metal complex.
Toxic Metal Concentrations in Mainstream Smoke from Cigarettes Available in the USA

Public health officials and leaders of 168 nations have signaled their concern regarding the health and economic impacts of smoking by becoming signatory parties to the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). One of FCTC's purposes is to help achieve meaningful regulation for tobacco products in order to decrease the exposure to harmful and potentially harmful constituents (HPHCs) delivered to users and those who are exposed to secondhand smoke. Determining baseline delivery ranges for HPHCs in modern commercial tobacco products is crucial information regulators could use to make informed decisions. Establishing mainstream smoke delivery concentration ranges for toxic metals was conducted through analyses of total particulate matter (TPM) collected with smoking machines using standard smoking regimens. We developed a rapid analytical method with microwave digestion of TPM samples obtained with smoking machines using electrostatic precipitation under the ISO and Intense smoking regimens. Digested samples are analyzed for chromium, manganese, cobalt, nickel, arsenic, cadmium and lead using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. This method provides data obtained using the ISO smoking regimen for comparability with previous studies as well as an Intense smoking regimen that represents deliveries that fall within the range of human exposure levels to toxic metals.
A new approach to bipolar LSI:C&#179;L

Low threshold Schottky diodes have been used to realize a single transistor NAND logic cell. By using PNP current source-load devices, a very dense, efficient, and high performance LSI logic has been obtained.
Circuit description of the power systems for pulsed septum magnets at APS

The author describes the design and simulation of power circuits for the four Advanced Photon Source (APS) pulsed septum magnets which will be transformer type or transformer coupled to their switching circuits. Three are for synchrotron injection, extraction, and storage ring injection, operating at a 2 Hz pulse rate; one is for the Positron Accumulator Ring (PAR) operating at a 60 Hz pulse rate for both injection and extraction. The septum current pulse is approximately a half-sine-wave with a base width of approximately 1/3 ms and has a peak current, repeatable within +or-0.05%, in the transformer primary between 3.5 kA and 4.7 kA. The septum magnets have a primary inductance between 16 mu H and 23 mu H. Circuit design considerations of the switching, logic, and simulations are presented. >
Array redundancy for active line arrays

Active imaging arrays are used to image scenes composed of reflectors of transmitted radiation, and in many such applications, line arrays are employed. In this paper, we discuss scanned active line arrays for imaging based on image synthesis. We define the novel concept of array redundancy for active arrays, analogous to the well-known concept of redundancy applied to passive arrays, and we define and give examples of minimum redundancy and reduced redundancy line arrays composed of transmit/receive elements. Such arrays differ from their passive imaging counterparts both in geometry and in element count.
Developing effective online training for TeraGrid users

The purpose of instruction is to build new knowledge and skills in the target audience. Its success is measured by whether the student has been transformed by the new knowledge and skills acquired. In other words, they need to be able to do something they could not do before receiving the instruction. It is not enough to simply convey information on a topic and call it instruction. Information transmittal is not without value but it only teaches about something not how to do it.There are two primary activities in designing successful, or effective, instruction. They are: 1) decide what the learner should be able to do at the end of the instruction and 2) design the instruction so that the learner acquires the knowledge and/or skills to do it. Note that both of these activities are learner-centered and performance-based. They address the key issues of instruction -- 1) the new knowledge the learner needs to build and 2) the skills they need to attain in order to perform the job correctly.This paper provides an overview of a simple instructional design process that subject matter experts can use to write effective instructional materials for online delivery to TeraGrid users. This process is based on instructional design and learning theories but does not require expertise in these areas to be applied successfully. Development of both new instructional materials and retrofit of existing content-rich materials into effective instruction will be covered. Development of a sample course in CI-Tutor (www.citutor.org), one of the TeraGrid's online course delivery environments, will be described to illustrate the key components of the instructional design process.
Salt and water regulation by the leatherback sea turtle Dermochelys coriacea.

SUMMARY We measured the salt and water balance of hatchling leatherback sea turtles, Dermochelys coriacea , during their first few days of life to investigate how they maintain homeostasis under the osmoregulatory challenge of a highly desiccating terrestrial environment and then a hyperosmotic marine environment. Hatchlings desiccated rapidly when denied access to sea water, with their hematocrit increasing significantly from 30.32±0.54 % to 38.51±1.35 % and plasma Na + concentration increasing significantly from 138.2±3.3 to 166.2±11.2 mmoll -1 in 12 h. When hatchlings were subsequently put into sea water, hematocrit decreased and plasma Na + concentration was unchanged but both were significantly elevated above pretreatment values. In other hatchlings kept in sea water for 48 h, body mass and plasma Na + concentration increased significantly, but hematocrit did not increase. These data show that hatchlings were able to osmoregulate effectively and gain mass by drinking sea water. We stimulated hatchlings to secrete salt from the salt glands by injecting a salt load of 27 mmol kg -1 . The time taken for secretion to begin in newly hatched turtles was longer than that in 4-day-old hatchlings, but the secretory response was identical at 4.15±0.40 and 4.13±0.59 mmol Na + kg -1 h -1 respectively. Adrenaline and methacholine were both potent inhibitors of salt gland secretion in a dose-dependent manner, although methacholine administered simultaneously with a subthreshold salt load elicited a transient secretory response. The results showed that hatchling leatherbacks are able to tolerate significant changes in internal composition and efficiently use their salt glands to establish internal ionic and water balance when in sea water.
Give For-Profit Rural Business Centers a Chance to Diversify Into Service-Led Employment and Village BPOs

There are few examples of village kiosks or telecenters working well in terms of anancial self-sufaciency and economic impact on citizens in rural areas in South Asia. Reaching these twin goals of commercial proatability and economic empowerment is complex in rural settings. Here, it costs more to extend access to public infrastructure (roads, telecom, and power) and to social services (health, education, and government services) for low-density population distributed over sometimes difacult terrain than it does for high-density urban area dwellers. Lower income levels also mean service providers must accept lower average revenue per user. With few exceptions, the vast majority of pilot rural telecenters ananced in the 1990s by bilateral and multilateral donor agencies have not proven sustainable without long-term outside funding (Fillip & Foote, 2007). Despite the Tunis 2005 Commitment (WSIS, 2005) to bridge the digital divide, and despite all the good intentions of international organizations to overcome the digital divide and eliminate such traditional development problems as illiteracy and social inequalities, throughout the Africa and South Asia regions, most telecenters have been relegated to the “dustbin of history,” to borrow from Leon Trotsky. Competing models of telecenters, rural access points, and/or kiosks are already employed in India in states with quite distinct political economies, namely Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, and Karnataka, among others. Recent studies have looked closely at the kiosks currently functioning in the former two states (Kuriyan, Ray & Toyama, 2008; Kuriyan & Ray, 2007). The rural business kiosk project, known as Nemmadi in Karnataka, is worth highlighting for two reasons: (1) it is providing anancially viable rural kiosks that are realizing “development” beneats in terms of delivering government-to-citizen services (G2C) and business-to-citizen services (B2C); and (2) Nemmadi is increasing employability prospects through education and rural Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) services. It is too early for a comprehensive impact analysis of the Nemmadi model, which was introduced in 2004, yet early indications are that this public-private partnership may distinguish itself in bringing network infrastructure, services, and job opportunities to “the bottom of the pyramid.” The Karnataka government facilitates the Nemmadi project as part of a build-own-operate (BOO) model. Nemmadi, meaning “peace of mind” in Kannada language, was coined by the Government of Karnataka. The role of the public sector is limited to providing data and strictly enforcing a competitively bid, consortium-based service level agreement (SLA) that has been established between the state government and the three Indian private sector companies: Comat Technologies, 3i Infotech, and n-Logue
TOWARD A PEDAGOGY GROUNDED IN CHRISTIAN SPIRITUALITY

Church documents, theology, leadership theory, and sociology come together in this article to present a pedagogy for Catholic schools that is deeply rooted in a personal faith and a contemporary understanding of the person. Practical insights into developing a spirituality for teaching are offered.
I-Bug: An intensity-based bug algorithm

This paper introduces a sensor-based planning algorithm that uses less sensing information than any others within the family of bug algorithms. The robot is unable to access precise information regarding position coordinates, angular coordinates, time, or odometry, but is nevertheless able to navigate itself to a goal among unknown piecewise-analytic obstacles in the plane. The only sensor providing real values is an intensity sensor, which measures the signal strength emanating from the goal. The signal intensity function may or may not be symmetric; the main requirement is that the level sets are concentric images of simple closed curves, i.e. topological circles. Convergence analysis and distance bounds are established for the presented approach.
The role of planning in Grid computing

Grid computing gives users access to widely distributed networks of computing resources to solve large-scale tasks such as scientific computation. These tasks are defined as standalone components that can be combined to process the data in various ways. We have implemented a planning system to generate task workflows for the Grid automatically, allowing the user to specify the desired data products in simple terms. The planner uses heuristic control rules and searches a number of alternative complete plans in order to find a high-quality solution. We describe an implemented test case in gravitational wave interferometry and show how the planner is integrated in the Grid environment. We discuss promising future directions of this work. We believe AI planning will play a crucial role in developing complex application workflows for the Grid.
Circulating Biomarkers and Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Incidence: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study

Background The pathogenesis of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is complex. Cross-sectional studies have connected circulating biomarkers with AAA, but prospective evidence is limited. Methods and results In the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study cohort, we measured multiple blood biomarkers of inflammation, hemostasis, thrombin generation, cardiac dysfunction, and vascular stiffness and identified incident AAAs during follow-up using hospital discharge codes. Six biomarkers (white blood cell count, fibrinogen, D-dimer, troponin T, N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein) were strongly associated positively with AAA incidence. Compared with having none of these 6 biomarkers in the highest quartile, the hazard ratios of AAA for those with 1, 2, 3, or 4 to 6 biomarkers in the highest quartile were 2.2, 3.3, 4.0, and 9.9, respectively (P for trend Conclusions This prospective study found that higher concentrations of 6 biomarkers were associated with increased risk of AAA. The more markers that fell into the highest quartile, the higher the AAA risk was. Multiple positive biomarkers identify a subgroup of patients at high risk of AAA.
Automated Modeling and Simulation Using the Bond Graph Method for the Aerospace Industry

Bond graph modeling was originally developed in the late 1950s by the late Prof. Henry M. Paynter of M.I.T. Prof. Paynter acted well before his time as the main advantage of his creation, other than the modeling insight that it provides and the ability of effectively dealing with Mechatronics, came into fruition only with the recent advent of modern computer technology and the tools derived as a result of it, including symbolic manipulation, MATLAB, and SIMULINK and the Computer Aided Modeling Program (CAMPG). Thus, only recently have these tools been available allowing one to fully utilize the advantages that the bond graph method has to offer. The purpose of this paper is to help fill the knowledge void concerning its use of bond graphs in the aerospace industry. The paper first presents simple examples to serve as a tutorial on bond graphs for those not familiar with the technique. The reader is given the basic understanding needed to appreciate the applications that follow. After that, several aerospace applications are developed such as modeling of an arresting system for aircraft carrier landings, suspension models used for landing gears and multibody dynamics. The paper presents also an update on NASA's progress in modeling the International Space Station (ISS) using bond graph techniques, and an advanced actuation system utilizing shape memory alloys. The later covers the Mechatronics advantages of the bond graph method, applications that simultaneously involves mechanical, hydraulic, thermal, and electrical subsystem modeling.
Prospective evaluation of outcomes among geriatric chest pain patients in an ED observation unit

Abstract Objective Because of concerns of high admission rates and adverse events in geriatric patients, hospitals may exclude this group from emergency department observation unit (EDOU) chest pain protocols. We sought to evaluate characteristics and outcomes of geriatric chest pain patients treated in an EDOU. Methods We performed a prospective, observational study of chest pain patients admitted to our EDOU over a 36-month period. We recorded baseline demographics and risk factors as well as outcomes related to the EDOU stay. We performed 30-day follow-up using telephone contact and review of the electronic medical record. Results Over the 36-month study period, 1276 chest pain patients agreed to participate in the study. Two hundred seventy-six patients (21.6%) were 65 years and older. Geriatric patients in the EDOU were more likely to report a history of coronary artery disease than nongeriatric patients (27.1% vs 11.6%, P P =.09). Inpatient admission rates were significantly higher for geriatric patients (15.6% vs 9.7%, P =.006). Similarly, geriatric patients had higher rates of cardiac catheterization than did nongeriatric patients (13.4% vs 7.9%, P =.005). Conclusion Geriatric patients with chest pain may represent a higher-risk group for evaluation in the EDOU. In our experience, however, these patients were safely evaluated in the EDOU setting and their inpatient admission rate fell within generally accepted guidelines.