cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Inclusion of racially and ethnically diverse populations in ASD intervention research

Abstract As the United States becomes increasingly racially/ethnically diverse, the need to understand intervention effectiveness among diverse populations with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) becomes more important. Limited research has investigated the inclusion of diverse populations in ASD intervention research. We conducted a scoping review to investigate the gaps in the ASD intervention research for racially/ethnically diverse populations. The authors examined 79 ASD intervention studies spanning a 17-year-time period to investigate their inclusion of racially/ethnically diverse participants. Across all studies, this information was provided in 21.5 % percent of studies and among 32.8 % of the total participants. Although there was a general trend toward increased inclusion of racially/ethnically diverse participants over time, there remains an underrepresentation of diverse populations within ASD intervention literature.
Spatial inhibition of return is impaired in mild cognitive impairment and mild Alzheimer's disease

ABSTRACT Spatial inhibition of return (IOR) refers to the phenomenon by which individuals are slower to respond to stimuli appearing at a previously cued location compared to un-cued locations. Here we provide evidence supporting that spatial IOR is mildly impaired in individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or mild Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and the impairment is readily detectable using a novel double cue paradigm. Furthermore, reduced spatial IOR in high-risk healthy older individuals is associated with reduced memory and other neurocognitive task performance, suggesting that the novel double cue spatial IOR paradigm may be useful in detecting MCI and early AD. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Novel double cue spatial inhibition of return (IOR) paradigm revealed a robust effect IOR deficits in individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or mild Alzheimer’s disease (AD) Spatial IOR effect correlates with memory performance in healthy older adults at a elevated risk of Alzheimer’s disease (with a family history or APOE e4 allele) The data suggests that double cue spatial IOR may be sensitive to detect early AD pathological changes, which may be linked to disease progress at the posterior brain regions (rather than the medial temporal lobe)
Changes in self-reported health, alcohol consumption, and sleep quality during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States

When the novel coronavirus entered the US in early 2020, the initial response to protect the health-care system capacity, slow transmission, and associated morbidity and mortality has been stay-at-...
Case 22-2021: A 64-Year-Old Woman with Cognitive Impairment, Headache, and Memory Loss.

A Woman with Cognitive Impairment, Headache, and Memory Loss A 64-year-old woman was admitted with a 6-week history of cognitive impairment, headache, and memory loss. She had hyperreflexia and imp...
The Interrelated Impacts of Credit Access, Market Access and Forest Proximity on Livelihood Strategies in Cambodia

Livelihood diversification strategies for households in developing countries are influenced by access to financial credit, to markets and to forests. Understanding their interrelated impacts has important implications for development policy, including for market access, credit provision, and forest conservation. Using a two-round panel survey of 2,417 households in 64 villages in four Provinces in Cambodia and geospatial analysis, we analyze the influence of formal and informal financial credit, market and road access, and forest access on livelihood diversification strategies. Using econometric techniques to control for interrelated effects, we find credit utilization is significant with off-farm business and wage livelihood activities, land transactions, livestock activities, and remittances. Households below the poverty line use credit primarily for consumption and agricultural investments, but above the poverty line for business investment or for buying land, houses, or vehicles. Market access is significant with total income and expenditures, as well as portfolio shifts to off-farm business and wage activities. Forest access contributes significantly to both total income and expenditures in multivariable regressions controlling for credit and market access, and we find evidence that poverty alleviation is maximized when households have both high forest and market access. We do not find that, in aggregate, households near to forests are in a “poverty trap” due to market remoteness, but we do find that they are disadvantaged in pursuing agricultural livelihoods and households with both low forest and market access are poorest. Using the technique of dominance analysis, we find that financial credit contributes more than market or forest access to total income, expenditures, and livestock income. However, market access is more important than credit for off-farm, on-farm and crop incomes. Forest access contributes more to total income than road access when controlling for access to Phnom Penh and is more important than credit for crop livelihoods.
Famine in North Korea : markets, aid, and reform

A famine in the 1990s killed as many as 1 million North Koreans or roughly 5 percent of the population. North Korean claims that the famine was due primarily to natural disasters and external shocks were misleading in important respects: the decline in food production and the deterioration in internal conditions were visible years before the floods of 1995, but the government was culpably slow to take the necessary steps to guarantee adequate food supplies. With plausible policy adjustments—such as maintaining food imports on commercial terms or aggressively seeking multilateral assistance—the government could have avoided the famine. Instead, it blocked humanitarian aid to the hardest hit parts of the country during the peak of the famine and curtailed commercial imports of food once humanitarian assistance began. Coping responses by households during the famine contributed to a bottom-up marketization of the economy, in effect, ratified by the economic policy changes introduced by the North Korean government in 2002. What began as a socialist famine arising out of failed agricultural policies and a misguided emphasis on food self-sufficiency has evolved into a chronic emergency more akin to those observed in market economies. The world community responded to this tragedy with considerable generosity. Yet at virtually every point, the North Korean government placed roadblocks in the way of the donor community, and the relief effort was woefully below international standards in terms of transparency and effectiveness. Up to half of aid deliveries did not reach their intended recipients.
Defining interaction interfaces important for the establishment of cell polarity in Drosophila neuroblasts (948.8)

Asymmetric cell division leads to the differentiation of daughter cells by aligning the mitotic spindle to polarized fate determinant cortical domains during mitosis. In Drosophila neuroblasts, cel...
Characterization of strains containing mutations in the contiguous flaF, flbT, or flbA-flaG transcription unit and identification of a novel fla phenotype in Caulobacter crescentus.

During the Caulobacter crescentus cell cycle, flagellin synthesis and filament assembly are temporally controlled events which require the products encoded by the contiguous flaF, flbT, and flbA-flaG transcription units (P.V. Schoenlein, L.S. Gallman, and B. Ely, J. Bacteriol. 171:000-000, 1989). To better define the functions of these genes, immunoprecipitation studies, Western blot (immunoblot) analyses, and electron microscopic analyses characterized flagellin synthesis and assembly in mutant and merodiploid strains. Mutations in the flaF or flbA-flaG transcription unit resulted in reduced synthesis of the 25- and 27-kilodalton (kDa) flagellins. In contrast, mutations in flbT resulted in overproduction of these flagellins. The FlbT phenotype is unique, since all other identified C. crescentus fla mutations cause a reduction in the levels of the 25- and 27-kDa flagellins. Furthermore, the flbT mutant showed a chemotaxis deficiency even though it was motile. Thus, the flbT gene product appears to be involved in the regulation of both flagellin synthesis and chemotactic function. Mutations in the flbT and flbA-flaG transcription units also resulted in the production of a 22-kDa flagellin species that is not normally detected in wild-type cells. This flagellin species was not detected in the flbT filaments. Furthermore, the 22-kDa flagellin was no longer detected in flbA pseudorevertants that assembled functional filaments. Thus, the 22-kDa flagellin does not appear to be assembled into filaments. Since many of the flbT filaments are shorter than wild-type filaments, we discuss the possibility that the 22-kDa flagellin species may adversely affect flagellin assembly in this mutant.
Using intensity-modulated radiotherapy to spare the kidney in a patient with seminoma and a solitary kidney: a case report.

AIMS AND BACKGROUND Radiotherapy-related kidney injury is multifactorial and influenced by radiation dose-volume distributions, patient-related factors, and chemotherapy. Traditional radiation parameters for the kidney are based on pre-intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) data and focus on limiting the volume receiving high dose. We report a case of testicular seminoma with paraaortic adenopathy in a patient with a solitary kidney treated with radiotherapy. METHODS A comparison was performed for IMRT and two 3D-conformal techniques. In our case, IMRT reduced the volume of kidney receiving high dose but increased the volume receiving low dose. RESULTS Given the lack of data for suggesting that large renal volumes treated to low doses would cause excess toxicity, the consensus opinion was to proceed with IMRT. The patient tolerated treatment well without evidence of radiotherapy-related kidney injury. CONCLUSIONS As patients are treated with increasingly complex techniques such as IMRT, understanding low dose effects and monitoring low dose parameters may become clinically important.
Information Literacy Instruction: Theory and Practice. 2nd ed. Grassian, Esther S. and Kaplowitz, Joan P

Information literacy has spawned a large literature. This includes the first edition of this book. In that edition, as in this one, Grassian and Kaplowitz have written a comprehensive text that out...
Sixty years after "Isolating Mechanisms, Evolution and Temperature": Muller's legacy.

THE major broad achievements by the luminaries of science often distract from our appreciation of their significant but narrower contributions to allied fields. One example is Linus Pauling's pioneering contributions to the molecular clock ([Zuckerkandel and Pauling 1965][1]); this work is far
A fully planarized, 6H-SiC UMOS insulated-gate bipolar transistor

Silicon carbide is one of the wide bandgap semiconductors that have been projected to have much better performance than silicon for high-voltage power applications. Properties such as high electric breakdown field, high thermal conductivity, large saturated electron drift velocity also makes it a material of choice for high temperature operation. High-temperature environments, such as turbine engines and propulsion systems, require power switches with very low leakage currents in the off-state and low forward drop in the on-state. Previously, a analytical design analysis of 500-3000 V 6H-SiC power UMOSFET has been reported. In this paper, the experimental demonstration of a 6H-SiC UMOS IGBT, which was fabricated using a fully planarized process, is shown for the first time. Its electrical performance over a wide range of temperature (25-300/spl deg/C) is characterized and compared to a 6H-SiC UMOS power FET of the same design and process.
Nuclear Resonance Vibrational Spectroscopy (NRVS)

Abstract The recent, synchrotron-based vibrational technique nuclear resonance vibrational spectroscopy (NRVS) is introduced. The method can be used for a number of Mossbauer active isotopes including 57 Fe, which has yielded most of the results to date. The NRVS experiment can be thought of as Mossbauer spectroscopy with vibrational sidebands. Importantly, the NRVS experiment provides the complete set of bands corresponding to modes that involve motion of the iron atom. The method has a selectivity reminiscent of that of resonance Raman spectroscopy, but with the significant advantage that NRVS is not subject to the optical selection rules of Raman or infrared spectroscopy. Indeed, NRVS provides the ultimate limit in selectivity because only the vibrational dynamics of the probe nucleus contribute to the observed signal. All iron–ligand modes will be observed, including many that had not been previously observed. For hemes, these include in-plane iron vibrations that have not yet been reported by resonance Raman studies and the iron–imidazole stretch that has not been identified in six-coordinate porphyrins. Other modes that can be investigated include that of heme doming that is expected to be a low-frequency mode. The experimental setup at a beam line and sample requirements for iron-based derivatives are presented. Both powder and polarized single-crystal measurements can be made. The general features of data extraction and analysis are given. Data for heme and heme proteins are given. Examples of assignment of spectra for nitrosyl and carbonyl derivatives are given. These data demonstrate the importance of peripheral substituents on the vibrational spectrum of heme derivatives. Delocalization of modes appears to be common. Although this technique has only been available for a relatively short time, this early progress report indicates that NRVS has significant potential for probing the dynamics of Fe-containing molecules of biological interest.
SUCCESSFUL THERAPY OF PROLONGED HYPOTENSION WITH AN ADRENERGIC BETA-RECEPTOR BLOCKING AGENT.

Two patients with prolonged hypotension requiring continuous vasopressor therapy are described. In both patients treatment with nethalide, a beta-receptor blocking agent, appeared clinically effective in allowing the withdrawal of metaraminol therapy and the maintenance of normotension. The results in these patients tend to fortify a hypothesis of peripheral adrenergic beta-receptor dominance in patients with prolonged hypotension.
Foliar Fungicides as Protective Seed Piece Treatments for Management of Late Blight of Potatoes

Fungicides receiving Section 18 emergency exemptions for management of the foliar phase of late blight of potato were evaluated as protective treatments for control of tuberborne inoculum of Phytophthora infestans in greenhouse and field studies. Three Section 18 products, Acrobat MZ (dimethomorph + mancozeb), Curzate M-8 (cymoxanil + mancozeb), and Tattoo C (propamocarb hydrochloride + chlorothalonil), when applied to the seed piece prior to inoculation with P. infestans, significantly (P ≤ 0.05) increased sprout emergence, compared with the inoculated water control. Of the three Section 18 products, Curzate M-8 was frequently the most effective. The increase in plant emergence with the protective seed piece treatment was seen with cultivars that differ in susceptibility to late blight, two genotypes (US-8 and US-11) of P. infestans, zoospore and sporangial inocula, and at different inoculation sites on the seed piece. In greenhouse studies, percent emergence with the protective seed piece treatments averaged 74% for cv. White Rose and 44% for cv. Shepody, compared with 9 and 8% for the inoculated water control of the respective cultivars. In field studies, when inoculum was placed either adjacent to or 4 cm away from the sprout, plant emergence of the inoculated water control was 12 and 36%, respectively. Application of the fungicides to the seed piece prior to inoculation increased emergence by an average of 700 and 212% for the respective inoculation sites. There was no evidence for translocation of the fungicides to the emerging foliage in concentrations high enough to prevent foliar infection from airborne inoculum of P. infestans. Control of tuberborne inoculum of P. infestans with appropriate seed piece treatments will result in an increase in plant emergence and improved crop uniformity.
Biosynthesis and Metabolism of Indol-3yl-acetic Acid I. THE NATIVE INDOLES OF BARLEY AND TOMATO SHOOTS

Barley and tomato shoots were examined quantitatively for naturally-occurring indole compounds. Both tissues were found to contain detectable levels of indol-3yl-acetic acid (IAA), indol-3yl-aldehyde, tryptamine, 5-hydroxytryptamine and malonyltryptophan. Tomato shoots also contained small amounts of indol-3yl-lactic acid and tryptophol. These two compounds were absent in barley, but this tissue contained significant quantities of 3-aminomethylindole, 3-methylaminomethylindole, gramme, N-methyltryptamine and 5-hydroxy-N-methyltryptamine. The possible importance of these compounds in the bio synthesis of IAA, or in the formation of alkaloids, is discussed.
Uncertainty Analysis of Ozone Formation and Response to Emission Controls Using Higher-Order Sensitivities

Understanding ozone response to its precursor emissions is crucial for effective air quality management practices. This nonlinear response is usually simulated using chemical transport models, and the modeling results are affected by uncertainties in emissions inputs. In this study, a high ozone episode in the southeastern United States is simulated using the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model. Uncertainties in ozone formation and response to emissions controls due to uncertainties in emission rates are quantified using the Monte Carlo method. Instead of propagating emissions uncertainties through the original CMAQ a reduced form of CMAQ is formulated using directly calculated first- and second-order sensitivities that capture the nonlinear ozone concentration-emission responses. This modification greatly reduces the associated computational cost. Quantified uncertainties in modeled ozone concentrations and responses to various emissions controls are much less than the uncertainties in emissions inputs. Average uncertainties in modeled ozone concentrations for the Atlanta area are less than 10% (as measured by the inferred coefficient of variance [ICOV]) even when emissions uncertainties are assumed to vary between a factor of 1.5 and 2. Uncertainties in the ozone responses generally decrease with increased emission controls. Average uncertainties (ICOV) in emission-normalized ozone responses range from 4 to 22%, with the smaller being associated with controlling of the relatively certain point nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions and the larger resulting from controlling of the less certain mobile NOx emissions. These small uncertainties provide confidence in the model applications, such as in performance evaluation, attainment demonstration, and control strategy development.
Electrophilic Oxidant Produced in the Photodeoxygenation of 1,2-Benzodiphenylene Sulfoxide

We report that the photodeoxygenation of 1,2-benzodiphenylene sulfoxide, 1, generates an intermediate capable of oxidizing the solvent benzene to phenol. The reactivity of the intermediate was probed with various substrates (2-methylbutane, chloride ion, and para-substituted aryl sulfides). The intermediate produced in the sulfoxide photodeoxygenation displays an electrophilic oxidation chemistry. Our data on 1 contrast with the behavior of hydroxyl radical but resemble the chemistry observed for gas-phase atomic oxygen [O((3)P)] and for solution-phase photodeoxygenations of dibenzothiophene sulfoxide, 3, and pyridine N-oxide, 5. Correlations are made between the ionization potential of the acceptor molecules and the logarithm of the relative rate constants in order to advance the idea that the oxidizing agent of the title reaction may be solution-phase O((3)P).
Evidence that mating by the Saccharomyces cerevisiae gpa1Val50 mutant occurs through the default mating pathway and a suggestion of a role for ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis.

Abstract The yeast G alpha subunit, Gpa1p, plays a negative role in the pheromone response pathway. The gpa1Val50 mutant was previously shown to have a growth defect, consistent with the GTPase defect predicted for this mutation, and greatly reduced mating. Various explanations for the mating defect have been proposed. One approach to analyze the gpa1Val50 mating defect involved epistasis analysis. The low mating of the gpa1Val50 mutant was independent of the pheromone receptor; therefore, it results from intracellular activation of the pathway, consistent with a GTPase defect. This result suggests that gpa1Val50 mating occurs through the default rather than the chemotropic pathway involved in pheromone response. We therefore tested the effect of a spa2 mutation on gpa1Val50 mating, because Spa2p has been implicated in the default pathway. The spa2 mutation greatly reduced the mating of the gpa1Val50 mutant, suggesting that gpa1Val50 mating occurs predominantly through the default pathway. In a second approach to investigate the gpa1Val50 phenotypes, suppressors of the gpa1Val50 mating defect were isolated. Two suppressor genes corresponded to SON1/UFD5 and SEN3, which are implicated in ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis. On the basis of these results, we suggest that a positive component of the default mating pathway is subject to ubiquitin-mediated degradation.
Steric Effects in Electron Transfer from Potassium to π-Bonded Oriented Molecules CH3CN, CH3NC, and CCl3CN

Electron transfer from K atoms to oriented CH3CN, CH3NC, and CCl3CN is studied in crossed beams at energies near the threshold for forming an ion pair. For the methyl compounds, the dominant ions are K+ and CN-; the steric asymmetry is very small and energy-independent, characteristic of sideways attack with the electron apparently entering the π*CN antibonding orbital. Migration of the electron to the σ*CC orbital to break the C−C bond is greatly facilitated by interaction with the atomic donor. CH2CN- is formed in collisions preferring CH3-end attack, and the steric asymmetry becomes very large near threshold. CCl3CN mostly forms Cl- in collisions slightly favoring the CCl3 end with a small energy dependence with the electron apparently entering the σ* LUMO. CN- is formed in much smaller yield with a slight preference for the CN end. The parent negative ion CCl3CN- is observed, and a lower limit for its electron affinity is estimated to be 0.3 eV. Fragment ions CCl2CN- and CClCN- are also observed with ...
Preventing the first cesarean delivery: summary of a joint Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, and American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Workshop.

To the Editor:I read with interest the recent commentary by Spong et al1 and appreciate their investigation of the causes of the rising rate of cesarean delivery. I was surprised, however, at the assertion that labor induction is contributing to this rise: “The overall likelihood of vaginal delivery
Limits of dark energy measurements from correlations of CMB lensing, the integrated Sachs-Wolfe effect, and galaxy counts

I discuss several issues that arise when trying to constrain the dark energy equation of state using correlations of the integrated Sachs-Wolfe effect with galaxy counts and lensing of the cosmic microwave background. These techniques are complementary to others such as galaxy shear surveys, and can use data that will already be obtained from currently planned observations. In regimes where cosmic variance and shot noise are the dominant sources of error, constraints could be made on the mean equation of state to $\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.33$ and its first derivative to $\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1.0$. Perhaps more interesting is that the determination of dark energy parameters by these types of experiments depends strongly on the presence or absence of perturbations in the dark energy fluid.
2′-Deoxycoformycin: Biosynthesis and Enzymatic Conversion of 8-Keto-Deoxycoformycin to 2′-Deoxycoformycin by Streptomyces Antibioticus

Abstract Studies on t h e biosynthesis o f the N-nucleoside antibiotics have established that the purine and pyrimidine nucleosides/nucleotides serve as the carbon and nitrogen skeleton, whereas with the C-nucleoside antibioticus, the C-N precursor forthe aglycon is either acetate or glutamate. With the pyrrolopyrimidine nucleoside antibiotics (toyocamycin, tubercidin, and sangi vamycin), either two or three carbons of the N-riboside/ribotide of GTP contribute to carbons 5 and 6 of the pyrrolering and the cyano or carboxamide group. With the naturally occurring nucleoside antibiotic containing the 1,3-diazepine seven-membered ring,2′-deoxycoformycin (dCF)(I), the precursor is not immediately obvious.
Palladium-catalyzed hydroesterification of styrene derivatives in the presence of ionic liquids

Abstract The palladium-catalyzed hydroesterification of olefins occurs efficiently in a range of ionic liquid media. Selectivities ranging from 5–7:1 for the linear ester were obtained with styrene in a range of IL solvents. The use of ILs allowed the catalyst to be easily separated from the organic product by either extraction or distillation. The (Ph 3 P) 2 PdCl 2 precatalyst could be recovered unchanged from the ionic liquid phase. The IL/catalyst phase could be recycled five times with an average yield of 68%.
Epiphytic colonization of dry edible bean by bacteria antagonistic to Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and potential for biological control of white mold disease

Abstract Bacteria isolated from blossoms of dry edible bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) were evaluated for their potential as biological control agents against white mold disease of dry bean, caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. Of the 10 isolates from blossoms tested, Erwinia herbicola strain B1 and Bacillus polymyxa strain B8 inhibited mycelial growth of S. sclerotiorum on agar media. When applied to detached blossoms, both strains reduced the germination of ascospores of S. sclerotiorum to approximately 40% compared to 69% in the control and inhibited the growth of germ tubes. In a growth chamber efficacy test, pretreatment of bean blossoms with either bacterial strain prevented the colonization of blossoms by the pathogen and the subsequent development of white mold lesions on the stems. The bacteria were applied to bean foliage in three field experiments to examine their population dynamics in the bean canopy and the ability to control white mold disease. E. herbicola B1 survived on inoculated bean leaves for 4 weeks after a single application at mean population levels exceeding log 4 colony-forming units (CFU) per leaf. Over 70% of the blossoms sampled from B1-treated plants during the same period were colonized by bacteria with the colony morphology of strain B 1, with mean populations exceeding log 4 CFU/blossom. Strain B1 significantly reduced the severity of white mold in one experiment in which it was applied three times and when the disease pressure was relatively low, as evident from the disease severity in the nontreated control (25%). However, B1 had no effect in two experiments in which there was a greater severity of white mold in the controls (>44%) and the bacterium was applied once. As there was little difference between single applications and three weekly applications in populations of B 1-type bacteria detected, efficacy may have been affected to a greater extent by the amounts of white mold disease than by plant colonization by the bacteria. In contrast, B. polymyxa strain B8 survived on leaves and was not detected on treated blossoms 1 week after application. As a consequence, it had no effect on white mold severity in any of the field experiments. Hence, the antagonist strains, while effective in inhibiting pathogen mycelial growth in vitro and colonization of blossoms in growth chamber tests, had limited efficacy in the field, particularly when disease pressure was moderate to high.
Display Proximity in Multicue Information Integration

This study investigates the ability of an individual to integrate probabilistic information from a number of sources, focusing particularly on the extent to which this integration is influenced by display proximity in space, time, and object configuration. In support of the principle of compatibility of proximity, the data indicated that performance was clearly ordered according to the degree of display integrality, those in the more integral rectangle conditions were significantly better at integration than those in the bargraph condition. Proximity of space had little effect upon performance, while proximity in time significantly improved performance in all three format conditions. Speed stress significantly hindered performance in all three format conditions. Finally, memory for isolated, unintegrated attributes of a cue was not harmed by the increasing integrality of the rectangle formats.
The energy analysis of time-dependent numerical wave functions

Abstract A new method for extracting energy-resolved quantities from a wave function calculated on a numerical grid is presented. The method is fast, flexible and is easily applied in multiple dimensions. A number of its features are illustrated via a calculation of the short-pulse laser ionization spectrum of hydrogen. This spectrum exhibits many narrow resonances, ranging over eight orders of magnitude in the continuum, as well as significant bound-state populations and so forms a rigorous test of the method.
MDCT artifact related to the intra-scan gravitational flow of opacified luminal fluid (the “Dense Waterfall” sign)

Purpose To describe and characterize a distinctive MDCT artifact related to intra-scan transit of contrast-enhanced luminal fluid, which we term the “dense waterfall”.
On the breakup and coalescence of continents

Reconstructions of the past positions of the continents indicate that at least twice a supercontinent has formed and subsequently split and dispersed as smaller continents. This has led to speculation about the existence of a periodic cycle of supercontinent coalescence and breakup, for which various mechanisms involving mantle dynamics have been proposed. In this paper we investigate the plate-tectonic system by means of a simple kinematic model to determine to what extent its behavior results from geometric or kinematic factors as opposed to dynamic processes. Results from computer simulations show that the overall behavior of the system is determined by the dimensionless parameter T = Ωτ, where Ω is the mean relative angular speed of the continents and τ is the mean time interval between plumes. The results for T = 0.10 are in good agreement with observations and indicate that a supercontinent is unlikely to form at current plate speeds in the presence of steady-state plume fluxes; evidence of supercontinents therefore implies that plume fluxes and plate speeds have varied through time.
Stochastic simulations of ocean waves: An uncertainty quantification study

The primary objective of this study is to introduce a stochastic framework based on generalized polynomial chaos (gPC) for uncertainty quantification in numerical ocean wave simulations. The techniques we present can be easily extended to other numerical ocean simulation applications. We perform stochastic simulations using a relatively new numerical method to simulate the HISWA (Hindcasting Shallow Water Waves) laboratory experiment for directional near-shore wave propagation and induced currents in a shallow-water wave basin. We solve the phased-averaged equation with hybrid discretization based on discontinuous Galerkin projections, spectral elements, and Fourier expansions. We first validate the deterministic solver by comparing our simulation results against the HISWA experimental data as well as against the numerical model SWAN (Simulating Waves Nearshore). We then perform sensitivity analysis to assess the effects of the parametrized source terms, current field, and boundary conditions. We employ an efficient sparse-grid stochastic collocation method that can treat many uncertain parameters simultaneously. We find that the depth-induced wave-breaking coefficient is the most important parameter compared to other tunable parameters in the source terms. The current field is modeled as random process with large variation but it does not seem to have a significant effect. Uncertainty in the source terms does not influence significantly the region before the submerged breaker whereas uncertainty in the incoming boundary conditions does. Considering simultaneously the uncertainties from the source terms and boundary conditions, we obtain numerical error bars that contain almost all experimental data, hence identifying the proper range of parameters in the action balance equation.
Leukemic cell resistance: targeting needed beyond MDR-1

Multiple risk factors exist for prognosis and response to therapy in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). These features include patient's age, performance status, presenting leukocyte count, marrow cytogenetics, blastic morphology (dysplasia), immunophenotype and oncoprotein (proapoptotic and
Reserve selection as a maximal covering location problem

Many alternative approaches have been proposed for setting conservation priorities from a database of species (or communities) by site. We present a model based on the premise that reserve selection or site prioritization can be structured as a classic covering problem commonly used in many location problems. Specifically, we utilize a form of the maximal covering location model to identify sets of sites which represent the maximum possible representation of specific species. An example application is given for vertebrate data of Southwestern California, which is then compared to an iterative solution process used in previous studies. It is shown that the maximal covering model can quickly meet or exceed iterative models in terms of the coverage objective and automatically satisfies a complementarity objective. Refinements to the basic model are also proposed to address additional objectives such as irreplaceability and flexibility.
Anonymous green painting: an artifact of resistance as danger and hope in an early childhood educational setting

A “child’s painting” is narrated as a contextualized artifact, situated in a school, a curriculum, and a society. It is a study of this object and the meanings that can be made by examining it in context, using an “ethic of resistance” and an analysis of curriculum spaces. This contextualization is designed to contribute to the continuing conversation about “go[ing] beyond all kinds of binary thinking”. The binary of interest here is that which positions “adults” and “children” within the constructs of power and powerlessness in educational settings.
Differential spinal projections of subregions in the forelimb area of the motor cortex in the cat

Abstract Anterograde transport of wheat germ agglutinin conjugated to horseradish peroxidase (WGA-HRP) was used to examine the topography of projections from the forelimb area of motor cortex to the cervical spinal cord in the cat. Tracer was injected in sites in the rostrolateral (RL-MCx) and caudolateral (CL-MCx) subregions concerned with the distal forelimb. Whereas both subregions projected throughout the cervical cord, with the greatest density of label present in the cervical enlargement, the dorso-ventral distributions were different for the two injection sites. Injections in RL-MCx produced labeling in the lateral portions of laminae VI, VII, and VIII in the upper cervical segments. This corresponds to the locations of propriospinal neurons that project to forelimb motor nuclei used in reaching [Exp. Brain Res., 42 (1981) 299–318]. In the cervical enlargement, labeling was present in laminae V, VI, VII, and part of VIII. At all levels examined, the density of labeling was greatest in the intermediate zone. After CL-MCx injection, labeling was concentrated in the dorsal horn both in the upper cervical segments and in the cervical enlargement. These findings suggest that the two motor cortical subregions project to different propriospinal and interneuronal systems in the cervical cord and support the idea that the two subregions play different roles in controlling forelimb movements.
Validated LC-MS/MS method for simultaneous determination of SIM and its acid form in human plasma and cell lysate: Pharmacokinetic application.

Abstract Simvastatin (SIM) is a 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitor widely used in hyperlipidemia therapy. SIM has recently been studied for its anticancer activity at doses higher than those used for the hyperlipidemia therapy. This prompted us to study the pharmacokinetics of high-dose SIM in cancer patients. For this purpose, an LC–MS/MS method was developed to measure SIM and its acid form (SIMA) in plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) obtained from patients. Chromatographic analyte separation was carried out on a reverse-phase column using 75:25 (% v/v) acetonitrile:ammonium acetate (0.1 M, pH 5.0) mobile phase. Detection was performed on a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer, equipped with a turbo ion spray source and operated in positive ionization mode. The assay was linear over a range 2.5–500 ng/mL for SIM and 5–500 ng/mL for SIMA in plasma and 2.5–250 ng/mL for SIM and 5–250 ng/mL for SIMA in cell lysate. Recovery was >58% for SIM and >75% for SIMA in both plasma and cell lysate. SIM and SIMA were stable in plasma, cell lysate and the reconstitution solution. This method was successfully applied for the determination of SIM and SIMA in plasma and PBMCs samples collected in the pharmacokinetic study of high-dose SIM in cancer patients.
A survey and critical review of flexibility measures in manufacturing systems

Abstract Flexibility of manufacturing systems is currently under intensive study, and the need for objective measurement of this important characteristic is widely expressed. Measurement of manufacturing flexibility is being increasingly discussed in the literature on manufacturing systems. This paper surveys the literature dealing with quantification of certain types of flexibility, analyses the proposed measures, and presents critical views. Approaches to developing flexibility measures are compiled and classified. Discussion on the suitability of specific measures is provided. Requirements of flexibility measures and recommendations for future research in this area are also provided.
Calculating the costs of undergraduate medical education in radiology

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES The current stringent financial constraints mandate that radiology departments carefully assess the costs involved in undergraduate medical education. We performed a cost-accounting analysis of the radiology department's participation in an introductory clinical medicine course, which could serve as a methodologic model for realistic cost assessment of any new or existing course. MATERIALS AND METHODS Each day of the 5-week radiology portion of the second-year course consists of 1 hour of lecture and 5 hours of small-group discussions regarding chest, abdominal, and skeletal radiology; neuroradiology; and nuclear medicine. Marginal cost is defined as the additional real cost involved in creating or conducting a course. Opportunity costs represent alternative use of instructional resources. RESULTS The marginal cost (additional real cost) of providing the course for the first time was $37,475. Subsequent offerings of the course will cost approximately $24,375. CONCLUSION Resources expended for any instructional purpose must be weighed in terms of marginal and opportunity costs. It is mandatory that adequate cost analysis for undergraduate education in radiology be developed so that sound choices can be made regarding resource consumption.
Cornea and lens oxygen consumption in rabbit and trout: a comparative study.

Abstract The oxygen consumption and Q 10 values of rabbit and trout cornea and lens were measured with an oxygen electrode and the Yellow Springs Biological Oxygen Monitor. These in vitro studies have shown that rabbits weighing 3·6 kg have an average corneal thickness of 0·46 mm and their corneal oxygen consumption at 37°C is significantly lower than corneas from rabbits weighing 1 and 2·2 kg, which have thinner corneas averaging 0·36 and 0·41 mm respectively, and with an increased proportion of epithelial and stroma cells. Corneal oxygen consumption measured for trout cornea at 14·5°C was similar to rabbit corneal oxygen consumption at 37°C. Calculated corneal Q 10 values were 1·96 and 1·45 for rabbit and trout respectively. The trout lens oxygen consumption at 14·5°C was three-fold higher than the rabbit lens at 37°C with the calculated Q 10 value for lenses of 1·26 and 1·56 respectively for rabbit and trout.
Relations between Partially Conserved Axial-Vector Current, Axial-Vector Charge Commutation Relations, and Conspiracy Theory

The Adler self-consistency condition is shown to be true without reference to currents, provided that the pion trajectory is a member of a conspiracy with $|M|\ensuremath{\geqq}1$. It is then shown from the Adler self-consistency condition that the antisymmetric part of the amplitude for forward scattering of low-energy low-mass pions off any target is equal to a universal constant multiplied by the isotopic spin of the target. Thus all restrictions which current algebra imposes on hadron scattering amplitudes can be derived from conspiracy theory; production amplitudes are not examined here. We next investigate the question whether a system which contains massless pions satisfying the Adler self-consistency condition possesses a conserved axial-vector current. Assuming that the usual Omnes-type equation can be solved, we find that it does. Finally, the commutation relations between total axial-vector charges are shown to follow from the conservation equation under very general assumptions.
A Micro-Insulation Concept for MEMS Applications

Small scale, thermally driven power sources will require appropriate insulation to achieve sufficiently high thermal conversion efficiencies. This paper presents a micro-insulation design, which was developed for a thermionic microbattery, which converts the decay heat from radioactive isotopes directly to electricity using a vacuum thermionic diode. The insulation concept, which is suitable for any small scale application, separates two planar surfaces with thin, semicircular posts, thus reducing conduction heat transfer and increasing the relative radiation heat transfer. In this case, the surfaces are silicon wafers and the columns are SU-8, a photoresist material. The experimental results indicate that this design is adequate for a practical power source concept, and they are supported by a numerical model for the effective thermal conductivity of the structure. The results show that a typical design of 20 columns/cm 2 with a 200 μm diameter and a 10 μm wall thickness has an apparent thermal conductivity on the order of 10 -4 W/m K at a pressure of 1 Pa. System models of a thermionic power source indicate that this is sufficiently low to provide practical efficiency.
Quantitative Analysis of Cellular Traction Generation and Actomyosin Dynamics in a 3D Fibrin Matrix

Substantial progress has been made in characterizing the mechanisms of tension sensing, adhesion, and traction in cells migrating on two-dimensional (2D), rigid surfaces. However, there are inherent differences in cellular architecture, signaling, and behavior when cells are embedded in the soft and confined environment of the extracellular matrix. Here we present a quantitative analysis of the dynamics of canonical actomyosin cytoskeletal proteins in primary dermal fibroblasts (HFFs) grown in a three-dimensional (3D) fibrin matrix, and correlate these dynamics to protrusion formation and traction generation during migration through the fibrin network. We observe that fibroblasts adopt an elongated cell morphology with adhesive protrusions that cyclically strain the surrounding fibrin matrix. We use GFP-tagged myosin regulatory light chain (MRLC1) and time-lapse confocal imaging to track myosin dynamics as cells explore the fibrin matrix. We observe highly dynamic alterations in MRLC1 localization coupled to both the extension and retraction of cellular protrusions. During protrusion extension, fibrin strain is often oriented bidirectionally several microns behind the protrusion tip and is transmitted via paxillin-dependent adhesions. ROCK inhibition by Y-27632 causes fibroblasts to develop extended protrusions despite a pronounced reduction in matrix deformation and adhesion maturation as judged by a dramatic reduction in matrix-associated paxillin plaques. Ongoing work characterizes the contribution of cytoskeletal contractility in regulating protrusion and adhesion dynamics.
Results of industrial field testing of plasma-treated targets

Industrial interactions have demonstrated that the appeal of Plasma Source Ion Implantation (PSII) as a surface modification technique stems from several reasons including: its non-line-of-sight nature, low processing temperatures, retention of dimensional integrity and surface finish, and environmental cleanliness. However for many high stress or high temperature industrial applications, the implanted layer may be too thin to provide sustained wear resistance. In some instances this problem may be overcome by depositing overlay coatings with a degree of mixing at the interface that provides enhanced adhesion. Industrial field testing activities have demonstrated that in identifying appropriate applications for PSII, factors such as damage mechanisms, stresses, temperatures, part chemistry, operating environmental conditions, part cost vs desired improvement factor, and the viability of other surface modification processes, should be taken into account. With these issues in mind, we will present the results of industrial field testing of PSII treated parts along with our understanding of surface microstructural changes that play a role in the performance of PSII treated parts.
Basic digit sets for radix representation of the integers

Let Z denote the set of integers. A digit set D ⊂ Z is basic for base β ∊ Z if the set of polynomials {d m βm + d m−1 + … + d 1 β+d 0 | d I ∊ D} contains a unique representation for every n e Z. We give necessary and sufficient conditions for D to be basic for β. We exhibit efficient procedures for verifying that D is basic for β, and for computing the representation of any n e Z when a representation exists. There exist D, & with D basic for β where max {|d| | d ∊ D} > |β|, and more generally, an infinite class of basic digit sets is shown to exist for every base β with |β| ≥ 3. The natural extension to infinite precision radix representation using basic digit sets is considered and a summary of results is presented.