cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Endoscopic Gastrojejunal Revision (Transoral Outlet Reduction) for Persistent Hypoglycemia After Gastric Bypass

The patient presented with symptomatic postprandial biweekly hypoglycemic seizures. Her hypoglycemic episodes were aggravated by stress and also occurred during sleep. She managed these hypoglycemic episodes with an endocrinologist, trying both nutritional and medical management without successful control of her symptoms. An endoscopic gastrojejunal revision (EGJR) was recommended to provide more restriction and prolong transit time into the Roux limb to decrease the chance of postoperative dumping syndrome and subsequent hypoglycemia. This video is a case study of an EGJR done for persistent postoperative hypoglycemia. The gastroscope was introduced and using Argon Plasma Coagulation at a flow of 8 liters/min and 30 watts; the mucosa around the gastrojejunal stoma was ablated circumferentially. This was done to decrease bleeding from needle placement and to promote adherence of the mucosa after the sutures were placed. The purse-string technique was favored for this procedure due to an inherent reduction in suture tension. Several full-thickness bites were taken to narrow the stoma from 20 to 4 mm in diameter. The patient was discharged home the same day following the procedure. She was placed on a two week liquid bariatric postoperative diet. At two week follow-up, the patient reported normal blood sugars and no hypoglycemic episodes since surgery. At six month follow-up, the patient reported significant improvement in her hypoglycemia symptoms, and no further syncopal episodes or seizures. We believe this case demonstrates that endoscopic gastrojejunal revision (or EGJR) is an effective treatment option for postprandial hypoglycemia following Roux-en-Y gastric bypass.
Knowledge of, and beliefs about, access to screening facilities and cervical cancer screening behaviors among low-income women in New Jersey.

Racial/ethnic disparities in cancer outcomes have been well documented. Access to Pap testing may account for some of the variation in the racial and socioeconomic differences in cervical cancer outcomes. Literature exploring perceived access to care as it relates to women of color and low-income women is lacking. The goal of the study was to evaluate and characterize the relationship between what respondents believe about access to free/low-cost screening facilities and screening behaviors among low-income women in New Jersey. We used multivariate logistic regression to investigate belief about access to affordable screening on cancer screening behaviors using data from a cross-sectional study of low-income women in New Jersey (n = 430). Having had a Pap test in the past 3 years was inversely associated with age (OR 0.94, 95% CI 0.92–0.97) and was positively associated with having had insurance in the previous 2 years (OR 32.48. 95% CI 1.04–5.91), higher perceived risk of cervical cancer (OR 2.59, 95% CI 1.29–5.66), and knowing where to go to get a check-up that includes a cancer test (OR 1.97, 95% CI 1.11–3.49). These results suggest that insurance status continues to be a predictor of screening behavior but also that perceived risk awareness of where to go to get cancer screenings in general may influence the likelihood of utilizing screening, which can be important in developing targeted prevention strategies.
Surgical resection for brain metastases

Brain metastases are the most common intracranial neoplasms in adults, affecting 150,000–200,000 cancer patients per year in the United States [1, 2]. The most common primary sources of brain metastases are lung cancer, breast cancer, and melanoma, with melanoma most predisposed to metastasize to the brain [3]. Brain metastases traditionally result in poor outcomes and, unfortunately, often indicate the terminal stage of systemic cancer. Brain metastases pose a significant public health issue, as over one million people are diagnosed with cancer each year in the USA (www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/understanding/statistics). In addition to the obvious potential functional burden of brain metastasis to patients, the socioeconomic burden is also profound. A number of studies have demonstrated increased health care utilization and costs for patients after a diagnosis of brain metastasis. In a retrospective review of 132 patients with non-small cell lung cancer, prior to brain metastasis diagnosis, patients had a 6-month healthcare cost of $5983, which increased to over $22,000 after the diagnosis of brain metastasis. This same study found that patient resource utility also substantially increased, with a three-fold increase in outpatient visits and a six-fold increase in inpatient admission [4]. Furthermore, patients with brain metastases missed significantly more workdays, resulting in a salary loss of $2853 per patient over a 6-month period. Similarly, in breast cancer, relative to a matched control cohort, patients with brain metastasis had a mean overall healthcare cost of $99,899 over 12 months compared with $47,719 in patients without metastases [5]. Strategies for the management of brain metastases have developed tremendously over the past decade, including the use of immunotherapy [6, 7] and advancements in radiation techniques [8]. Surgical resection remains a cornerstone in the treatment of brain metastasis. This chapter will focus on the role of surgery in the treatment of patients with metastatic brain disease and discuss current perspectives in the surgical management of this complicated issue.
Disrupting pathogenic interactions between α-synuclein, c-Abl, and redox stress

ABSTRACT Objective Redox stress, c-Abl activation, and α-synuclein aggregates each independently contribute to neurodegeneration in Parkinson’s disease. Interactions between these factors may underlie convergent and feed-forward mechanisms of disease progression. Methods α-synuclein aggregate formation was induced in neuronal cultures and mouse substantia nigra by exposure to pre-formed human α-synuclein fibrils or by AAV-mediated over-expression of α-synuclein. Aggregate formation, c-Abl activation, redox stress, and neurodegeneration were evaluated by immunohistochemistry and Western blots, and mouse motor function was evaluated using the rota-rod and pole tests. To suppress redox stress, cultures and mice were treated with N-acetyl cysteine, a thiol repletion agent that supports neuronal glutathione metabolism. Results In primary neuron cultures, the formation of α-synuclein aggregates led to redox stress and c-Abl activation. Redox stress alone, in the absence of α-synuclein aggregates, was also sufficient to induced c-Abl activation. N-acetyl cysteine suppressed redox stress, and likewise suppressed both c-Abl activation and α-synuclein aggregation. A similar pattern was observed in the two mouse models of Parkinson’s disease. In both models, α-synuclein aggregates in the substantia nigra were accompanied by redox stress, c-Abl activation, dopaminergic neurodegeneration and motor impairment, all of which were attenuated in mice treated with oral N-acetyl cysteine. Interpretation These results indicate that α-synuclein aggregates induce c-Abl activation by a redox stress mechanism. c-Abl in turn promotes α-synuclein aggregation, and this potentially feed-forward process can be blocked by N-acetyl cysteine. The findings thus add mechanistic support for N-acetyl cysteine as a therapeutic for Parkinson’s disease.
Site-Selective and Stereoselective O-Alkylation of Glycosides by Rh(II)-Catalyzed Carbenoid Insertion

Carbohydrates are synthetically challenging molecules with vital biological roles in all living systems. Selective synthesis and functionalization of carbohydrates provide tremendous opportunities to improve our understanding on the biological functions of this fundamentally important class of molecules. However, selective functionalization of seemingly identical hydroxyl groups in carbohydrates remains a long-standing challenge in chemical synthesis. We herein describe a practical and predictable method for the site-selective and stereoselective alkylation of carbohydrate hydroxyl groups via Rh(II)-catalyzed insertion of metal carbenoid intermediates. This represents one of the mildest alkylation methods for the systematic modification of carbohydrates. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations suggest that the site selectivity is determined in the Rh(II)-carbenoid insertion step, which prefers insertion into hydroxyl groups with an adjacent axial substituent. The subsequent intramolecular enolate protonation determines the unexpected high stereoselectivity. The most prevalent trans-1,2-diols in various pyranoses can be systematically and predictably differentiated based on the model derived from DFT calculations. We also demonstrated that the selective O-alkylation method could significantly improve the efficiency and stereoselectivity of glycosylation reactions. The alkyl groups introduced to carbohydrates by OH insertion reaction can serve as functional groups, protecting groups, and directing groups.
Intracranial Leiomyoma Associated with Epstein-Barr Virus: A Cerebellopontine Angle Mass Presenting with Trigeminal Neuralgia.

Background Primary intracranial leiomyoma is a rare smooth muscle tumor often associated with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), with Case Description A 41-year-old male patient had presented with right-sided facial pain in the V1 and V2 dermatomes and previous workup and imaging studies. The patient had undergone treatment of a presumed right-side cerebellopontine angle meningioma as determined by the magnetic resonance imaging characteristics (no biopsy). The patient subsequently underwent right-sided retrosigmoid craniotomy and gross total resection of the tumor. The postoperative period was uneventful with resolution of the trigeminal neuralgia. Histopathologic examination revealed spindle cell neoplasm with histopathologic and immunohistochemical features consistent with leiomyoma. The tumor cells were positive for smooth muscle actin and desmin and were negative for S100, SOX-10, epithelial membrane antigen, glial fibrillary acidic protein, progesterone receptor, CD31, CD34, and E-cadherin. Conclusions Primary intracranial leiomyomas are rare tumors associated with EBV infection that occur in immunocompromised patients. These lesions should be considered in the differential diagnosis for patients with known immunocompromised status (e.g., human immunodeficiency virus), and tissue biopsy should be considered.
Systemic and Adipose Tissue Redox Status in Sprague-Dawley Rats Fed Normal- and High-Fat Diets Supplemented with Lycopene.

Dietary patterns high in fat influence local and systemic oxidative stress through adipose tissue (AT) accrual and increased reactive oxygen species generation. Lycopene, a carotenoid with antioxidant functionality, may mitigate excess oxidative stress, yet the lipophilic nature of this compound may limit its functionality if sequestered by AT. Thus, it is critical to elucidate whether lycopene's efficacy is limited based on adiposity. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of lycopene-supplemented normal- and high-fat diets on systemic and AT redox status. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 18) were fed a 30% normal-fat (NFD) or 60% high-fat (HFD) purified diet supplemented with 100 mg of lycopene/day. Body weight and visceral AT mass, as well as serum and AT lycopene, lipid peroxides, and antioxidant capacity (AC), were assessed after 3, 7, and 10 weeks of supplementation. At week 10, AT mass was significantly higher (P = .028) in the HFD group, yet there were no significant differences in serum or AT lycopene concentrations or lipid peroxides between groups. Additionally, AT in the HFD group exhibited significantly greater lipophilic AC (27.6% higher, P = .031). Results suggest that excess adiposity did not negatively influence circulating lycopene, nor did it limit its antioxidant functionality.
Rule-Based Expression in Copyright Law

Should copyright be extended to a work of authorship that consists of rules for producing another work of authorship, or, conversely, to a work that owes its genesis to the application of such rules? If 'yes' for either, are 'A' and 'B' two separate works, or two dimensions of the same work? In the leading case, Southco, Inc. v. Kanebridge Corp., the plaintiff claimed copyright protection for the individual serial numbers generated by a set of proprietary numbering rules; similar issues, however, are raised by any work whose claim to originality comes from how its literal elements are structured, such as compilations, games, recipes, blueprints, score sheets, taxonomies, price estimates, and computer programs. The more basic problem is the relationship between function and expression in works of authorship generally, and what freely willed self-expression in those works requires. I trace the doctrinal forebears of Southco to the seminal case of Baker v. Selden, and focus on the question of how to evaluate the copyright status of a work of authorship whose rule-basis engenders its textual form in an invariant and predetermined manner.
Empirical Insights into College Students’ Academic Reading Comprehension in the United States

This article reports on a collaborative research project involving faculty in writing studies, communication disorders, and applied linguistics that sought to empirically describe the reading skill...
Comparison between different health state utility instruments in patients with fibromyalgia.

Abstract Background Cost-utility analysis uses utility indexes to assess treatment effects. Some discrepancies between different utility indexes instruments are suggested and need to be identified in health conditions not yet investigated. Objective To compare different utility indexes instruments in Brazilian patients with fibromyalgia and identify variables associated with these instruments. Methods Impact of fibromyalgia (Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire [FIQ]) and utility indexes (Short-Form 6 Dimensions [SF-6D], EuroQol 5 Dimensions [EQ-5D], and EuroQol - Visual Analogue Scale [EQ-VAS]) were assessed in 97 patients with fibromyalgia at baseline, 8-week (after an exercise-based intervention), and 6- and 12-month follow-up. Construct validity and responsiveness of the utility indexes instruments were compared. Multiple regression models were used to verify the variables associated with the utility indexes instruments. Results Construct validity analysis showed that FIQ presented moderate correlation with the SF-6D, the EQ-5D, and the EQ-VAS (r=-0.43, -0.41, -0.30, respectively, all p Conclusion The EQ-5D better assessed the clinical change in patients with fibromyalgia. Furthermore, impact of fibromyalgia, symptom duration, and depression seem to be associated with the utility indexes.
Cholesterol-dependent plasma membrane order (Lo) is critical for antigen-specific clonal expansion of CD4+ T cells

Early "T cell activation" events are initiated within the lipid microenvironment of the plasma membrane. Role of lipid membrane order (Lo) in spatiotemporal signaling through the antigen receptor in T cells is posited but remains unclear. We have examined the role of membrane order (Lo)/disorder (Ld) in antigen specific CD4+ T cell activation and clonal expansion by first creating membrane disorder, and then reconstituting membrane order by inserting cholesterol into the disordered plasma membrane. Significant revival of antigen specific CD4+ T cell proliferative response was observed after reconstituting the disrupted membrane order with cholesterol. These reconstitution experiments illustrate Koch's postulate by demonstrating that cholesterol-dependent membrane order (Lo) is critical for responses generated by CD4+ T cells and point to the importance of membrane order and lipid microenvironment in signaling through T cell membrane antigen receptors.
Metallaphotoredox-enabled deoxygenative arylation of alcohols.

Metal-catalysed cross-couplings are a mainstay of organic synthesis and are widely used for the formation of C-C bonds, particularly in the production of unsaturated scaffolds1. However, alkyl cross-couplings using native sp3-hybridized functional groups such as alcohols remain relatively underdeveloped2. In particular, a robust and general method for the direct deoxygenative coupling of alcohols would have major implications for the field of organic synthesis. A general method for the direct deoxygenative cross-coupling of free alcohols must overcome several challenges, most notably the in situ cleavage of strong C–O bonds3, but would allow access to the vast collection of commercially available, structurally-diverse alcohols as coupling partners4. We report herein a metallaphotoredox-based cross-coupling platform in which free alcohols are activated in situ by N-heterocyclic carbene salts for carbon-carbon bond formation with aryl halide coupling partners. This method is mild, robust, selective, and most importantly, capable of accommodating a wide range of primary, secondary, and tertiary alcohols as well as pharmaceutically-relevant aryl and heteroaryl bromides and chlorides. The power of the transformation has been demonstrated in a number of complex settings, including the late-stage functionalization of Taxol and a modular synthesis of Januvia, an antidiabetic medication. This technology represents a general strategy for the merger of in situ alcohol activation with transition metal catalysis.
Two-Stage Exams Improve Student Learning in an Introductory Geology Course: Logistics, Attendance, and Grades

ABSTRACT Two-stage exams—where students complete part one of an exam closed book and independently and part two is completed open book and independently (two-stage independent, or TS-I) or collaboratively (two-stage collaborative, or TS-C)—provide a means to include collaborative learning in summative assessments. Collaborative learning has been shown to have positive benefits, including increased student engagement and learning. To try to improve student learning, as measured by improvement in exam scores, two sections of introductory geology were taught using two-stage exams. It was hypothesized that class scores would be higher for semesters using two-stage exams—whether part two was TS-C or TS-I—than for semesters using traditional (T) exams. The median attendance rate was approximately 67% for all testing methods and was significantly greater when exams were TS-C (69%) rather than TS-I (53%). The class score was significantly greater during semesters when exams were TS-C (81%) but was not significant...
An analysis of the potential effects of urbanization on the water quality of the middle fork of Beargrass Creek, Louisville, Kentucky.

This thesis examined whether water quality diminished as a result of increasing pollution downstream along the Middle Fork of Beargrass Creek, Louisville, Kentucky in response to urbanization. Samples of key water quality indicators/pollutants were collected for 12 weeks (November - January) along the Middle Fork of Beargrass Creek at three different stream gauges. A spatial and statistical analysis was performed to verify any significant correlations between the water quality indicators and pollutants, and whether basin wide landcover/sewer outlet numbers led to an increase in these indicators downstream. Following ANOVA and Kruskal-Wallis statistical testing it was established that turbidity significantly increased downstream, while pH increased upstream in response to the changes in landcover along the Middle Fork. Further analysis is still needed to investigate the water quality of the stream across different seasons.
Excuses, Excuses: The Application of Statutes of Repose to Environmentally-Related Injuries

Injuries resulting from environmental conditions created by improvements to real property have always been commonplace. Across jurisdictions, however, there is some evidence to suggest that defendants may be able to escape liability for certain environmentally-related injuries by invoking statutes of repose. Although statutes of repose may protect defendants from prejudice in court and relieve them of past obligations, they may also prevent injured plaintiffs from obtaining redress in court where their injuries were latent or undiscoverable. This Note explores the nature and purpose of statutes of repose, discusses whether they might be used by defendants during environmental litigation by addressing case law and public policy considerations, and offers suggestions for balancing the interests of plaintiffs and defendants to the extent that statutes of repose are applicable to environmental injuries.
Levels of Ca v 1.2 L-Type Ca 2+ Channels Peak in the First Two Weeks in Rat Hippocampus Whereas Ca v 1.3 Channels Steadily Increase through Development

Influx of calcium through voltage-dependent channels regulates processes throughout the nervous system. Specifically, influx through L-type channels plays a variety of roles in early neuronal development and is commonly modulated by G-protein-coupled receptors such as GABAB receptors. Of the four isoforms of L-type channels, only CaV1.2 and CaV1.3 are predominately expressed in the nervous system. Both isoforms are inhibited by the same pharmacological agents, so it has been difficult to determine the role of specific isoforms in physiological processes. In the present study, Western blot analysis and confocal microscopy were utilized to study developmental expression levels and patterns of CaV1.2 and CaV1.3 in the CA1 region of rat hippocampus. Steady-state expression of CaV1.2 predominated during the early neonatal period decreasing by day 12. Steady-state expression of CaV1.3 was low at birth and gradually rose to adult levels by postnatal day 15. In immunohistochemical studies, antibodies against CaV1.2 and CaV1.3 demonstrated the highest intensity of labeling in the proximal dendrites at all ages studied (P1–72). Immunohistochemical studies on one-week-old hippocampi demonstrated significantly more colocalization of GABAB receptors with CaV1.2 than with CaV1.3, suggesting that modulation of L-type calcium current in early development is mediated through CaV1.2 channels.
Optimized temporal monitors for SystemC

SystemC is a modeling language built as an extension of C++. Its growing popularity and the increasing complexity of designs have motivated research efforts aimed at the verification of SystemC models using assertion-based verification (ABV), where the designer asserts properties that capture the design intent in a formal language such as PSL or SVA. The model then can be verified against the properties using runtime or formal verification techniques. In this paper we focus on automated generation of runtime monitors from temporal properties. Our focus is on minimizing runtime overhead, rather than monitor size or monitor-generation time. We identify four issues in monitor generation: state minimization, alphabet representation, alphabet minimization, and monitor encoding. We conduct extensive experimentation on a synthetic workload and identify a configuration that offers the best performance in terms of runtime overhead.
A low-voltage, chemical sensor interface for systems-on-chip: the fully-differential potentiostat

Amperometric chemical sensing systems implemented in deep-submicron processes can meet the dimensional and functional requirements for bio-implantable and remote sensing applications. The low-voltage nature of these processes, however, limits the functionality of the sensor's electronic interface, the potentiostat. A new, fully-differential (FD) potentiostat that mitigates these problems is presented. The FD potentiostat was implemented in TSMC's 0.18 /spl mu/m CMOS process and experimentally verified. The circuit maintains full functionality while operating at half the supply voltage of standard architectures. Analytes of biological and environmental importance are chemically analyzed using the FD potentiostat. Results indicate that the FD potentiostat enables system-on-chip sensor technology which may one day lead to pervasive sensing.
The Atoms of Language

A major scientific breakthrough into the common elements of all languages, which give us a deeper insight than ever before into how the mind works. . Whether all human languages are fundamentally the same or different has been a subject of debate for ages. This problem has deep philosophical implications: If languages are all the same, it implies a fundamental commonality-and thus the mutual intelligibility-of human thought. We are now on the verge of answering this question. Using a twenty-year-old theory proposed by the world's greatest living linguist, Noam Chomsky, researchers have found that the similarities among languages are more profound than the differences. Languages whose grammars seem completely incompatible may in fact be structurally almost identical, except for a difference in one simple rule. The discovery of these rules and how they may vary promises to yield a linguistic equivalent of the Periodic Table of the Elements: a single framework by which we can understand the fundamental structure of all human language. This is a landmark breakthrough, both within linguistics, which will thereby become a full-fledged science for the first time, and in our understanding of the human mind.
A low-profile full-band subarray cavity-backed slot antenna with a compact feed

A cavity-backed four-element slot antenna fed by a compact microstrip line covering the entire X-band (40% bandwidth) is proposed. Such element is envisioned a building block (tile) for design and construction of scalable ultra-wideband antenna arrays. The antenna is composed of a thin cubic cavity of dimensions 1.65λ × 1.65λ × 0.2λ on which four slots are cut out for electromagnetic radiation. The slots are on one of the broad walls to create a fan beam in the boresight. The radiating slots are excited in-phase by a slot etched on the center of the opposite broad wall of the cavity. The cavity-back slots, in essence, as reported in the literatures have narrowband characteristic. A slotted cavity can be modeled as a combination of series and parallel resonators. Excited by the dominant TE 10 mode, the cavity is operated near the series resonance and in turn excites the dominant resonance of the radiating slots. However, the wave is prevented to propagate at other parallel resonance frequencies by using metallic septums at appropriate locations. The passband and the stopband regions are determined by the cavity dimensions and the shape and position of the radiating slots. In the proposed design, the passbands at which the resonances of the cavity occur corresponds to TE 320 and TE 340 modes. To suppress the other unwanted parallel resonances which fall within the desired bandwidth, a set of metallic septums with appropriate shape and orientation are inserted inside the cavity. These septums perturb the fields and current inside the cavity and can be designed to cancel the undesired in-band parallel resonances. By this technique, a bandwidth of 57% is achieved (when the antenna is excited by a waveguide) which exceeds those reported in the literatures for slot antennas so far. To reduce the antenna thickness, the cavity is fed by a microstrip line through a compact transition. The cavity is backed by a double sided etched microstrip layer with a thickness of less than λ/100. An aperture with the same dimension of that of the waveguide feed on the ground plane side of the microstrip layer couples the power from the microstrip feedline into the cavity. Keeping the maximum length of the proposed topology for the microstrip feedline smaller than 0.65λ, a quasi TE 10 field distribution on the input aperture of the cavity is produced. This is accomplished by adjusting the current as well as the position of different branches of the feedlines crossing over the slot aperture. The overall antenna bandwidth when integrated with the microstrip feed section is reduced to about 40% (8–12 GHz). The antenna gain over the entire bandwidth is larger than 11 dB with an efficiency of better than 95%. While this design provides easiness of fabrication, the proposed subarray antenna structure is compatible with RF front-end section of transceivers and can be considered as a suitable candidate as building block of large arrays.
Biological Potency and Uterine Estrogen Receptor Interactions of the Metabolites of the Antiestrogens CI628 and U23,469

Previous studies from this laboratory have revealed that two potent nonsteroidal antiestrogens, CI628 [α-(p-(2-(1-pyrrolidino)ethoxy)phenyl)4-methoxy-α′-nitrostilbene] and U23,469 [cis-(3-(p-(l,2,3,4-tetrahydro-6-methoxy-2-phenyll-naphthyl)phenoxy)1,2-propanediol], are metabolized during their action in vivo to more polar metabolites. We have identified these metabolites as the demethylated forms of the parentantiestrogen and have synthesized them (CI628M and U23.469M). In studies reported here, we compare the potency of the metabolites and parent antiestrogens in terms of their 1) affinity for cytoplasmic estrogen receptor, 2) ability to translocate estrogen receptor to the nuclear fraction in whole uteri in organ culture in vitro and to prevent nuclear uptake of [3H]estradiol, 3) ability to prevent estradiol stimulation of induced protein synthesis in vitro, and 4) ability to inhibit estradiol stimulation of uterine weight gain and peroxidase activity in vivo. The antiestrogens compete with [3H]estradio...
Characterization of fluids via measurement of the rotational dynamics of suspended magnetic microdiscs

This paper proposes, analyzes, and demonstrates a method to characterize fluids by monitoring the rotational dynamics of 2.5-μm-diameter magnetic microdiscs in suspension via optical interrogation. The free-floating discs function like synchronized micro-shutters when actuated by an external magnetic field. Their motion is monitored via light transmission in response to a rotating magnetic field. The disc rotation is found, both theoretically and experimentally, to depend on the amplitude and the rotation frequency of the applied magnetic field with a high sensitivity to fluid viscosity changes from 1 to 2 mPa s, independent of the disc concentration in the solution from 20 to 120 M/ml. Consequently, the discs can function as microsensors via simple optical measurements.
Epidemic analysis of the second-order transition in the Ziff-Gulari-Barshad surface-reaction model

We study the dynamic behavior of the Ziff-Gulari-Barshad irreversible surface-reaction model around its kinetic second-order phase transition, using both epidemic and poisoning-time analyses. We find that the critical point is given by ${p}_{1}=0.3873682\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.0000015$, which is lower than the previously determined value. We also obtain precise values of the dynamical critical exponents $z, \ensuremath{\delta}$, and $\ensuremath{\eta}$, which provide further numerical evidence that this transition is in the same universality class as directed percolation.
Dioxin in Vietnam: fighting a legacy of war

Singapore was the site of an East-West convergence over the week of 27 November-1 December 2000. At the behest of their respective governments, scientists from the United States and Vietnam came together for what promises to be the first of many meetings. Their mission: to explore the possibility of launching a joint research program to study the human and environmental health effects resulting from spraying Agent Orange and other herbicides during the Vietnam War.
Brief screening for psychological and substance abuse disorders in veterans with long-term spinal cord injury

Objective: To determine rates of positive screens for psychological and substance use disorders in persons with long-term spinal cord injury (SCI). Study Design: A naturalistic cohort design wherein consecutive admissions during an 8-month period completed the screening battery. Setting: Veterans Affairs SCI Center. Participants: One hundred fifteen men, 2 women, mean age 57.4 years, injured an average of 20 years, readmitted for various reasons. Main Outcome Measures: The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and screening items for depression and anxiety disorders. Results: Rates of positive screens ranged from 6.2% for alcohol problems to over 40% for anxiety disorders. Positive screens for depression and anxiety correlated positively with the number of recent hospital admissions. Conclusions: Systematic brief screening for psychological and substance abuse disorders in this population revealed rates of positive screens at least equal to those in other medical patient populations.
Computation of the Aerodynamic Characteristics of a Subsonic Transport

An advanced low-order panel method, VSAERO, has been applied to a full-configuration transport aircraft. Wing pressure distributions, as well as lift, drag, and pitching moment coefficients, calculated for the full configuration are compared with experimental data. In addition, the effect of selected vehicle components on aircraft forces and moments was investigated. The results for the complete configuration were compared with those from several partial model configurations. It is shown that the wing-surface pressure distributions and pitching moment coefficient are predicted well by VSAERO. The lift coefficient is consistently overpredicted by the code, as expected for inviscid calculations
By-Elections in Japan

By-elections have received relatively scarce scholarly attention, and common features identified by existing works largely derive from studies of Western countries with relatively stable patterns of party competition. The following pages contribute to the literature by examining by-elections in the Japanese House of Representatives since electoral reform in 1994. Changing patterns of party competition adds interest to observing by-elections taking place in the context of an evolving two-party system. The paper discusses how results from Japanese by-elections conform to, or deviate from, expectations based on findings from previous studies, in terms of the frequency and direction of seat changes, the turnout rates, the presence of minor party and independent candidates and the timing of by-elections during the legislative period. It then tests the impact of these factors, along with government approval ratings and macroeconomic indicators, on governing party performance in by-elections. The number of candidates, cabinet support and prefecture-level unemployment rates are found to exert a significant influence. Separate analysis is also carried out for by-elections characterized by head-to-head contests between the two major parties.
Systematic environmental, direct, and service sire effects on conception rate in artificially inseminated Holstein cows.

Abstract Result of insemination was verified for 329,314 artificial inseminations by 882 service sires to 97,245 Holstein cows in 1,075 herds between May 1970 and December 1983. Estimates of systematic environmental and genetic components of cow and service sire components of conception rate were obtained preliminary to development of a fertility monitoring system. Conception rate was 2.9% higher in stanchion than loose housed herds and 2.3% higher in grade than registered cows. Fall months were superior to winter months, the greatest difference being 6.1% between October and January. Conception rate increased with herd milk production, decreased with both increased cow age, and increased herd size in mature and old cows. Regions and inseminators within regions were highly variable. Conception may be influenced by semen price; however, week day of insemination and duration of semen storage had no effect. Conception rate decreased for semen by bulls 8 yr and older, was lowest for semen harvested in June, but no season of collection effect was detected. No genetic trends for cow and service sire conception rate were found; heritability and repeatability were .08 and .06, respectively. Genetic correlations between cow and service sire conception rate and these components with first lactation production and semen output measures were all near zero. Therefore, the relationship between sire fertility and daughter fertility is near zero.
Vapor-deposited superconducting lanthanum sulfide films

Abstract Films of lanthanum sulfide were prepared by vapor deposition of the separate constituents onto heated sapphire substrates. The technique can be used to produce films over the entire range of composition from La 2 S 3 , which is an insulator, to La 3 S 4 which is a metal and a superconductor. This family of materials shows promise for use in three-terminal superconducting devices based on the metal field effect.
Finding a common path: Predicting gene function using inferred evolutionary trees

Reporting in Cell, Li and colleagues (2014) describe an innovative method to functionally classify genes using evolutionary information. This approach demonstrates broad utility for eukaryotic gene annotation and suggests an intriguing new decomposition of pathways and complexes into evolutionarily conserved modules.
Water Resistance of Poly(Imide-Siloxane) Adhesives: Diffusion Coefficients by Gravimetric Sorption

Abstract Diffusion coefficients of water vapor in a polyimide homopolymer and poly(imide-siloxane) multi-block copolymers of different siloxane concentration were determined from gravimetric sorption experiments. Diffusion coefficients were of the order of magnitude of 10−8 cm2/sec. Higher levels of siloxane incorporation caused a definite increase in the diffusion coefficient, indicating a decreased resistance to water ingression. The increase in diffusion was found to be influenced by siloxane block length and was interpreted in terms of free volume and morphology. The diffusion coefficient of the 10-weight-percent PDMS copolymer, however, was found to be the same within error as that of the polyimide. This and a previous surface study suggested that an increased surface water resistance may be achieved at low siloxane concentrations without greatly increasing the bulk diffusive properties to undesirable levels.
Sedimentary and Structural Setting, Kuroko Ore Formation, Hokuroku District, Japan: ABSTRACT

The Kuroko massive sulfides are thought to have formed on the sea bottom during middle Miocene time. The deposits are interstratified with a highly variable sequence of volcaniclastic and detrital sediments, some of the latter bearing foraminifera. Our studies of the paleontological and sedimentological characteristics of the sediments place the following constraints on models of the sedimentologic-tectonic setting before, during, and after ore genesis. (1) Contrary to previously accepted ideas, ore genesis in the Hokuroku district (a 30 by 30 km area) was not contemporaneous and may have spanned as much as 6 million years as is suggested by the planktonic foraminifera. (2) Most previous ideas embodied a shallow-sea origin for the ores, but benthic foraminifera indicate t at the ores formed at great depths (about 3,500 m). (3) The district subsided from subaerial to deep submarine during the early Miocene, when the late Paleozoic metamorphic basement was lowered along high angle faults. Rapid subsidence is suggested by thick-bedded, poorly sorted sedimentary breccias and sandstones on the downfaulted blocks. (4) Middle Miocene detrital turbidite muds are common in the district, and a mixing ratio of benthic foraminifera from different depths is used to determine turbidite source areas. (5) Further high angle faulting during the middle Miocene produced a large scale submarine topography which limited the distribution of the muddy turbidites. These fault-generated submarine highs are relatively free from turbidite influence and contain most of the ores. End_of_Article - Last_Page 575------------
Bullying and peer victimization: Position paper of the Society for Adolescent Medicine

The scientific literature on aggressive peer relations akes use of several different terms, including bullying, arassment and victimization. Although there may be subtle ifferences between these terms, they are all used to refer to ehavior that is 1) aggressive or intended to harm; 2) carried ut repeatedly and over time; and 3) occurs in an interperonal relationship where a power imbalance exists [1]. A istinction is also made between direct and indirect behavors. Direct bullying includes physical and verbal attacks or ggression (kicking, pushing, name-calling) while indirect ullying involves behaviors such as ignoring and gossiping hich often rely on a third party [2]. Indirect bullying is also eferred to as relational bullying, in that it is “aggression irected at damaging a social relationship” [3]. Throughout his paper, we will use the term “bullying” to refer to ehaviors meeting the three criteria above, and “victim” or victimization” to refer to the person or the experience of eing bullied.
Magic kisses and mispredictions: A review of Daniel Gilbert's (2006) Stumbling on happiness

People tend to underestimate their ability to feel good when bad things happen to them, and underestimate the speed with which they will make their recovery. These tendencies have been documented in recent research on affective forecasting and are recounted in an excellent and engaging new book.
A large area, gas scintillation proportional counter

Abstract An improved, large-area (285 cm2), gas scintillation proportional counter with a measured overall energy resolution of 9.3% (fwhm) at 5.9 keV has been built. The rise-time resolution, 11.6% (fwhm) at 5.9 keV, of this counter is sufficiently well defined to allow the use of pulse-shape discrimination to reject 86% of the non-X-ray events in a space environment, while accepting 80% of the true X-ray events. This counter thus represents a significant advancement over conventional gas proportional counters and should prove extremely useful for X-ray astronomy.
Microbubble Drag Reduction in Rough Walled Turbulent Boundary Layers

Experiments were conducted in the 12-inch diameter tunnel at ARL/PSU using the tunnel wall boundary layer facility to determine the influence of surface roughness on microbubble drag reduction. To accomplish this, carbon dioxide was injected through a slot at rates of 0.001 m3 /s to 0.011 m3 /s, and the resulting skin friction drag measured on a 317.5 mm long by 152.4 mm span balance. In addition to the hydrodynamically smooth balance plate, additional plates were covered with roughly 75, 150 and 300 micron grit. Over the speed range tested of 7.6, 10.7 and 13.7 m/s, the roughness ranged from smooth to fully rough. Not only was microbubble drag reduction achieved over the rough surfaces, but the percentage drag reduction at a given gas flow rate was larger for larger roughness. A new scaling parameter that collapses all of the data is also introduced.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
High-power FEL based on seeded single-pass amplifier using prebunched electron beams

Summary form only given. A high-power, mirrorless free-electron laser (FEL) approach based on seeded single-pass amplifier with a prebunched high brightness electron beam as a high-gain medium is presented. This approach depends on a high-current density produced by compressing the electron bunch containing a few nanocoulombs to a few picoseconds. The high-brightness beam can be focused to a small spot, resulting in a very high current density.
An Examination of Social Typologies in Autism

A system proposed by Wing and coworkers for subtyping autistic individuals on the basis of social interaction is examined in 78 autistic, 39 atypical, and 32 nonautistic, developmentally disordered individuals. Clinical ratings and questionnaire data based on the proposed subtypology were employed. Clinicians were able to reliably group both autistic and nonautistic cases into the three subtypes; these subtypes were strongly related to IQ. Issues relating to the validity and utility of this subtypology are discussed.
Design of broad-band PMD compensation filters

We describe a new design approach for broad-band polarization-mode dispersion (PMD) compensation filters. An efficient algorithm for minimization of the maximum differential group delay within a given frequency band is described.
Cichlid-catfish mutualistic defense of young in Lake Malawi, Africa

Bagrid catfish and cichlid parents engage in a mutualistic defense of their young from predators. Over 50% of the catfish broods observed contained cichlid young, primarily of three species: Crytocara pleurostigmoides, C. pictus and Rhamphocromis sp. Three catfish broods, monitored for over 50 days, had a survivorship rate 6 times greater during periods when cichlids were present than when cichlids were absent. During two and a half h of observations of catfish broods without cichlids, I observed 23 strikes by predators on catfish young. However, when cichlids were present no foraging attacks were observed upon the catfish, but 32 occurred against cichlids in two and a half hours of observations. When the catfish parents were experimently removed the cichlid young were consumed first then the catfish young. When cichlids were present the catfish young survived over 80% longer than those in broods without cichlids. It is concluded that the parental catfish increase the survival of their own young be allowing cichlids into the brood. Because of an asymmetry of costs between the two species, cichlid mothers are more likely to abandon these interspecific broods than are the catfish.
General convergence results for stochastic approximations via weak convergence theory

Abstract The paper treats general convergence conditions for a class of algorithms for finding the minima of a function f(x) when f(x) is of unknown (or partly unknown) form, and when only noise corrupted observations can be taken. Such problems occur frequently in adaptive processes, and in many applications to statistics and estimation. The algorithms are of the stochastic approximation type. Several forms are dealt with—for estimation in either discrete or continuous time, with and without side constraints, and with or without periodic search renewal. The algorithms can be considered as sequential Monte Carlo methods for systems optimization. The innovations partly concern the method of proof. However, an interesting “constrained” and “renewed” algorithm is also considered. By using ideas from the theory of weak convergence of probability measures, we can get relatively short proofs, under much weaker conditions than heretofore required. For example, the noise can be correlated, and there are fewer restrictions on the step size. Furthermore, the nature of the method permits generalizations to more abstract cases (which occur for example, if we are optimizing a distributed parameter system). The results can be extended in many directions and variations of the technique can be used to get bounds on rates of convergence. Special forms of the method can be applied to many well-known “adaptive” procedures.
Stem Cell Review Series: Regulating highly potent stem cells in aging: environmental influences on plasticity

Significant advances in the past decade have revealed that a large number of highly plastic stem cells are maintained in humans through adulthood and are present even in older adults. These findings are notable in light of the reduced capacity for repair and regeneration in older tissues. The apparent dichotomy can be reconciled through an appreciation of the age-associated changes in the microenvironmental pathways that govern adult stem cell plasticity and differentiation patterns. Specifically, the recent identification of the age-related loss of the local platelet-derived growth factor signals that promote the induction of cardiac myocytes from Oct-3/4+ bone marrow stem cells, rather than impairment in the stem cells themselves, provides a template for understanding and targeting the environmental pathways underlying the regenerative capacity of older tissues and organs. It is projected that this paradigm extends to the overall regulation of adult stem cell biology, shifting the balance from tissue generation during development and maturation to the prevention of untoward stem cell differentiation with aging.