cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Differences in antimicrobial activity of chlorine against twelve most prevalent poultry-associated Salmonella serotypes.

Chlorine is the most widely used carcass sanitizer in poultry processing in the USA. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of varying concentrations of organic matter on the susceptibility of twelve most prevalent poultry-associated Salmonella serotypes (MPPSTs) to chlorine. To mimic the microenvironment of the water used for immersion chilling, we manipulated organic matter contamination levels in pre-chilled (pH∼6, T∼4 °C) chlorinated (50 ppm) water using varying concentrations (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5%) of chicken-meat-extract (CME) produced from frozen chicken carcasses. This CME-based in vitro model was challenged with ∼1 × 105 CFUs of each MPPST isolate and the bacterial survival was tested at 5, 30, 60 and 90 min post-challenge. In this model, the decimal reduction time (D90-values) of each MPPST was linearly correlated with the concentration of CME. Significant inter-serotype differences in the D90-values were observed. The results show that the pH, concentration of total- and free-chlorine were also linearly correlated with the presence of CME in a concentration-dependent manner. The findings of this study indicate that the serotype and the levels of organic matter contamination significantly influence Salmonella survival and that both variables should be included in models that predict effectiveness of chlorine treatment in immersion chilling.
The role of religious beliefs in ethics committee consultations for conflict over life-sustaining treatment

Previous research has suggested that individuals who identify as being more religious request more aggressive medical treatment at end of life. These requests may generate disagreement over life-sustaining treatment (LST). Outside of anecdotal observation, however, the actual role of religion in conflict over LST has been underexplored. Because ethics committees are often consulted to help mediate these conflicts, the ethics consultation experience provides a unique context in which to investigate this question. The purpose of this paper was to examine the ways religion was present in cases involving conflict around LST. Using medical records from ethics consultation cases for conflict over LST in one large academic medical centre, we found that religion can be central to conflict over LST but was also present in two additional ways through (1) religious coping, including a belief in miracles and support from a higher power, and (2) chaplaincy visits. In-hospital mortality was not different between patients with religiously versus non-religiously centred conflict. In our retrospective cohort study, religion played a variety of roles and did not lead to increased treatment intensity or prolong time to death. Ethics consultants and healthcare professionals involved in these cases should be cognisant of the complex ways that religion can manifest in conflict over LST.
Invasion and succession change the functional traits of serpentine plant communities

Human impacts, such as invasive species introductions and land use changes, have the potential to alter the functional composition and diversity of plant communities. We can make and test clear predictions of how these processes should affect community-level trait values, yet very few studies have done so. We examined how three invasive species and succession from savanna to woodland because of fire suppression may change functional composition and diversity in the State Line serpentine barrens on the Pennsylvania-Maryland border. We characterized native and invasive plants in eight key functional leaf traits and quantified trait overlap between natives and invasives. We compared plots in two successional stages—savannas and woodlands—in functional composition and diversity. The invasive species Elaeagnus umbellata Thunb. and Microstegium vimineum (Trin.) A. Camus had extreme trait values and low overlaps with native species. Invasive species and plant assemblages including invasive species had traits more characteristic of fast growth, competitiveness, and inefficient resource use. Assemblages with invasive plants had higher functional diversity. The conversion of savannas to woodlands also shifted communities toward more fast-growing, competitive, and inefficient traits as well as decreasing functional diversity. Both invasion and succession appear to reduce the distinctive stress tolerance of plant communities on serpentine soils, with the potential for strong ecosystem-level impacts and positive feedbacks.
Minds and meaning in fictional narratives: An evolutionary perspective.

This article presents a theoretical framework for an evolutionary understanding of minds and meaning in fictional narratives. The article aims to demonstrate that meaning in fiction can be incorpor...
Cardiac Bypass Machines

Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) incorporates an extracorporeal circuit to provide support. This produces a motionless, bloodless field to facilitate cardiac surgical procedures. Blood from the right heart is drained passively via cannulation into a reservoir. It is then passed through an oxygenator or gas exchanger, filtered, and then returned to the arterial system. The CPB machine has facilities to warm and cool the blood. Certain other functions like hemofiltration and hemodialysis can also be done while on cardiopulmonary bypass [1].
Sibling Hostility and Externalized Symptoms of Psychological Distress

ABSTRACTSibling verbal and physical abuse has been underrepresented in childhood maltreatment research as a potential contributor to lifetime aggression. This study investigated associations betwee...
Experimental Investigation of Particle Agglomeration Effects on Slurry Settling in Viscous Fluid

This paper presents fundamental analysis and micromechanical understanding of dense slurry behavior during settling in narrow smooth and rough slots. Particularly, this study seeks to contribute toward better understanding of dynamics of particle–particle and particle–wall interactions in viscous fluids using simple experiments. The findings of this study are applicable in a wide variety of problems, for example sediment transport, flow and transport of slurry in pipes, and industrial applications. However, the results interpretation focuses on better understanding of proppant flow and transport in narrow fractures. A sequence of experiments image frames captured by video camera is analyzed with particle image velocimetry (GeoPIV). The measurements include vertical velocities and displacement vectors of singular and agglomerated particles and larger area of formed slurry. Results present novel insights into the formation and effects of agglomerates on general slurry settling, and are supplemented with a comparison with previously published theoretical and empirical relationships. This work also emphasizes a role of particle–particle interactions in promoting agglomeration in viscous fluid. Particularly, a thin layer of viscous fluid between approaching particles dissipates particle kinetic energy due to lubrication effect. Lubrication effect is more pronounced when particles are constrained between two narrow walls and interact frequently with each other. Fluid tends to flow around agglomerated particles, and agglomerates remain stable for prolonged time periods gravitationally moving downward. The relative amount and size of agglomerated affects general settling of the slurry. It was found that fluid viscosity due to lubrication effect promotes agglomeration, and therefore, the overall slurry settling relatively increases at higher fluid viscosities. The results of the presented work have impact on various industrial and engineering processes, such as proppant flow and transport in hydraulic fractures, sand production in oil reservoirs, piping failure of dams and scour of foundation bridges.
Families as ingroups that provide social resources: Implications for well-being

In six studies, we examined how properties of families as ingroups (i.e., group value, entitativity, and identification) enhance well-being, leveraging the Model of Ingroups as Social Resources (MI...
Compact Nuclear Power Source Critical Experiments and Analysis

Critical experiments have been performed on a mock-up of the compact nuclear power source (CNPS), a small reactor system designed to provide power at sites where fuel costs and logistics make fossil-fuel-powered systems less attractive. Although the program has been canceled, its unique physics characteristics make the CNPS a useful benchmark for medium-enriched uranium-graphite-moderated reactors. The physical design, details of the critical experiments, and the methods and results of the analysis are described. The discrepancies between calculations and experiments are such that, though further modeling work is necessary to delineate the causes, the beginning-of-life performance of the reactor was adequately predicted.
Impacts of the Northwest Forest Plan on forest composition and bird populations

The Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP) initiated one of the most sweeping changes to forest management in the world, affecting 10 million hectares of federal land. The NWFP is a science-based plan incorporating monitoring and adaptive management and provides a unique opportunity to evaluate the influence of policy. We used >25 years of region-wide bird surveys, forest data, and land-ownership maps to test this policy’s effect on biodiversity. Clearcutting decreased rapidly, and we expected populations of older-forest–associated birds to stabilize on federal land, but to continue declining on private industrial lands where clearcutting continued. In contrast, we expected declines in early-seral–associated species on federal land because of reduced anthropogenic disturbance since the NWFP. Bayesian hierarchical models revealed that bird species’ population trends tracked changes in forest composition. However, against our expectations, declines of birds associated with older forests accelerated. These declines are partly explained by losses of older forests due to fire on federal land and continued clearcutting elsewhere. Indeed, the NWFP anticipated that reversing declines of older forests would take time. Overall, the early-seral ecosystem area was stable, but declined in two ecoregions—the Coast Range and Cascades—along with early-seral bird populations. Although the NWFP halted clearcutting on federal land, this has so far been insufficient to reverse declines in older-forest–associated bird populations. These findings underscore the importance of continuing to prioritize older forests under the NWFP and ensuring that the recently proposed creation of early-seral ecosystems does not impede the conservation and development of older-forest structure.
Thulium fiber laser lithotripsy using small, medium, and large muzzle brake fiber optic tips

Previous Thulium fiber laser (TFL) studies using fiber optic muzzle brake tips reported reduced stone retropulsion and distal fiber tip degradation. This study compares muzzle brake tips of various dimensions using the TFL at 1908 and 1940 nm wavelengths in terms of stone phantom retropulsion displacement using a pendulum setup, needle hydrophone pressure transient measurements, and uric acid (UA) stone ablation rates. Low and high TFL pulse energies of 35 and 140 mJ, 500 μs pulse duration, and pulse rates up to 300 Hz were used with 100- and 200-μm-core optical fibers. “Small”, “medium”, and “large” muzzle brake tips dimensions measured 180/340, 360/560, and 550/710 μm inner/outer diameter, respectively, with a porthole positioned 500 μm from distal muzzle brake end. Pendulum displacement measured 50%, 200%, and 50% of bare trunk fibers for small, medium and large muzzle tips, respectively, in optimal configuration. Needle hydrophone pressures measured 300%, 20%, and 50% of bare trunk fiber for small, medium and large muzzle tips, respectively, in optimal configuration. Stone ablation rates at low pulse energy (35 mJ) were maintained for medium muzzle brake tips while small and large muzzle brake tips performed about 10 and 7.5 times worse than bare fibers. At high pulse energy (140 mJ), the large muzzle tip performed similar to a bare 200-μm-core fiber with 100%, 50%, and 100% the displacement, pressure, and ablation rate. These studies show feasibility of modifying muzzle brake tip dimensions to obtain comparative ablation rates and minimal stone retropulsion for lithotripsy.
Immigrant Generation, Stress Exposure, and Substance Abuse among a South Florida Sample of Hispanic Young Adults:

Existing research finds that succeeding immigrant generations are at greater risk for mental health problems as well as higher levels of substance use. Previous studies have attempted to unpack the...
A Telehealth Privacy and Security Self-Assessment Questionnaire for Telehealth Providers: Development and Validation

Background: Telehealth is a great approach for providing high quality health care services to people who cannot easily access these services in person. However, because of frequently reported health data breaches, many people may hesitate to use telehealth-based health care services. It is necessary for telehealth care providers to demonstrate that they have taken sufficient actions to protect their patients’ data security and privacy. The government provided a HIPAA audit protocol that is highly useful for internal security and privacy auditing on health care systems, however, this protocol includes extensive details that are not always specific to telehealth and therefore is difficult to be used by telehealth practitioners.Objective: The goal of this study was to develop and validate a telehealth privacy and security self-assessment questionnaire for telehealth providers. Methods: In our previous work, we performed a systematic review on the security and privacy protection offered in various telehealth systems. The results from this systematic review and the HIPAA audit protocol were used to guide the development of the self-assessment questionnaire. The draft of the questionnaire was created by the research team and distributed to a group of telehealth providers for evaluating the relevance and clarity of each statement in the draft. The questionnaire was adjusted and finalized according to the collected feedback and face-to-face discussions by the research team. A website was created to distribute the questionnaire and manage the answers from study participants. A psychometric analysis was performed to evaluate the reliability of the questionnaire.Results: There were 84 statements in the draft questionnaire. Five telehealth providers provided their feedback to the statements in this draft. They indicated that a number of these statements were either redundant or beyond the capacity of telehealth care practitioners, who typically do not have formal training in information security. They also pointed out that the wording of some statements needed to be adjusted. The final released version of the questionnaire had 49 statements. In total, 31 telehealth providers across the nation participated in the study by answering all the statements in this questionnaire. The psychometric analysis indicated that the reliability of this questionnaire was high. Conclusion: With the availability of this self-assessment questionnaire, telehealth providers can perform a quick self-assessment on their telehealth systems. The assessment results may be used to identify possible vulnerabilities in telehealth systems and practice or demonstrate to patients the sufficient security and privacy protection to patients’ data.
Perturbations Observed in The Orbital Elements of the Spectroscopic Binary 57 Cygni

We present spectroscopy that confirms periodic Doppler-shifts along with photometry that reinforces a lack of eclipsing in the double-lined spectroscopic binary 57 Cygni. Our spectroscopy concentra...
Return to Sport After Proximal Hamstring Tendon Repair: A Systematic Review.

Background:Previous studies have evaluated functional outcomes and return-to-sport rates after proximal hamstring tendon (HT) repair.Purpose:To systematically review the literature in an effort to ...
Using Debate in an Online Asynchronous Social Policy Course.

This paper presents the use of a debate in an online asynchronous social policy course. Debate is frequently used as an instructional strategy in higher education, but little is known about the use of this tool in an online learning environment. Participants (N = 36) completed an online debate assignment and both qualitative (reflection papers) and quantitative (survey) data was gathered to learn about the effectiveness of the assignment, and what students learned, liked, and disliked about the project. A majority of students reported the debate assignment helped them further understand course concepts, understand concepts better than lecture or reading would have, use or improve critical thinking skills, and improve collaboration among students in the course. Key themes from qualitative data are also reported, as well as recommendations for using this assignment in other courses.
Speed and quality goals in procedural skills learning: A randomized experiment.

Purpose: Compare time (speed) and product quality goals in a surgical procedural task.Methods: Secondary school students participating in a medical simulation-based training activity participated i...
Revisiting the Council on Foreign Relations Study Group on International Theory, 1953–54: An Introduction to the Special Section

Across seven months in 1953 and 1954, the prestigious foreign policy think tank the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) brought together a set of prominent scholars and practitioners of internationa...
Clinical Decision Support

The intensive care unit (ICU) is one of the most data-rich, process-intense environments in the modern hospital. Delivering a single process of care to a patient requires interactions between multiple individuals, highly vulnerable patients, and technology. We are at the beginning of an information revolution in healthcare focused initially on establishing the infrastructure required for electronic clinical data management and exchange. This goal will be ultimately be achieved by improved human-computer interfaces, smart clinical decision support systems, and true interoperability and data exchange between silos of care. The aim of this chapter is to discuss on the current status of clinical decision support systems in the acute care setting such as ICU.
Research and Application of New Condensing Extraction Backpressure heating technology of 330 MW unit

This paper introduces the retrofit scheme of the New Condensing Extraction Backpressure heating technology, and the technology is recommend for use by comparing and analysing the combined heat and power system based on a 330MW unit retrofit. After improvement, the heating capacity has been Obvious improved, the generation power has been greatly reduced and the capacity of peak load regulation has been significantly improved, which can not only realize the thermoelectric decoupling, but also obtain the remarkable economic benefit.
Evaluating features for network application classification

In this paper, we evaluate the performance of several flow features to classify the network application that produced the flow. Correlating network traffic to network applications can assist with the critical network management tasks of performance assessment and network utilization accounting. Specifically, in this work we evaluate three engineered flow features and three inherent flow features (number of bytes, number of packets, and duration). For engineered features, we evaluate three host communication behavior features proposed by the authors of BLINC. Our experiments uncover the classification power of all combinations of the three engineered features in conjunction with the three inherent features. We utilize supervised machine learning algorithms such as k-nearest neighbors and decision trees. We utilize confidence intervals to uncover statistically significant classification differences among the combinations of flow features.
Managing COVID-19 disease in pediatric patients.

Children are less likely to be infected with SARS-CoV-2 than adults and often have a milder course of COVID-19 disease and a lower case fatality rate. Children account for an estimated 1% to 5% of those diagnosed with COVID-19. Even so, preschool-aged children, infants, and children with underlying health conditions may still be at risk for severe disease and complications. Unique aspects of COVID-19 presentation and disease course in children and possible vertical transmission to newborns from COVID-19-positive mothers are discussed.
Infection Prevention and Control Practices Implemented for Congenital Measles in an Extremely Low Birth Weight Infant

Background: Measles can cause miscarriages and preterm birth in nonimmune pregnant women. During the 2018–2019 measles outbreak in New York, a woman with measles delivered an extremely low birth weight preterm infant at our Women and Children’s Hospital. We describe our measles preparedness strategies and infection prevention and control (IPC) management relevant to congenital measles. Methods: Because of the measles outbreak, in Q4 2018, IPC verified measles immunity in all obstetric and pediatric staff, per state regulations, and recommended determining the measles immune status of all pregnant women. To prevent measles exposure, visitor restrictions for the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) were implemented (May 2019); only 3 visitors were permitted for each infant, including parents. All visitors had to provide written documentation of immunity to measles, regardless of epidemiologic risk factors or receive an MMR vaccine prior to visiting. New York state and New York City health departments performed measles diagnostic testing for maternal and infant specimens. Results: Our hospital was informed of the imminent transfer of a woman in preterm labor with suspected measles. To avoid any exposure, the mother was masked in the ambulance bay and taken by commandeered elevator to the obstetrical operating room suite, which was cleared of other patients. She delivered by C-section and was transferred to an airborne infection isolation (AII) room. The 25-week-gestation infant was transported by isolette to the NICU and was placed on AII. Testing confirmed measles in the mother (measles PCR- and IgM-positive) and congenital measles in the infant (Table 1). The mother was allowed to visit the NICU when her respiratory symptoms and rash resolved, as confirmed by her provider, ~10 days after discharge. The infant never developed a rash, pneumonia, or neurologic findings. AII was discontinued on day of life 61 in consultation with the health departments. The infant was discharged at ~36 weeks gestation. No secondary cases of measles occurred among patients, visitors, or staff. Conclusions: We safely cared for an extremely preterm infant with congenital measles. Laboratory testing suggested prolonged presence of measles virus, but it is unknown how long an infant in the NICU should remain on AII. The current Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists case definition for measles requires the presence of rash. This case provides support to revise this case definition if laboratory findings are consistent with congenital measles. Funding: None Disclosures: None
Designing Interactive Transfer Learning Tools for ML Non-Experts

Interactive machine learning (iML) tools help to make ML accessible to users with limited ML expertise. However, gathering necessary training data and expertise for model-building remains challenging. Transfer learning, a process where learned representations from a model trained on potentially terabytes of data can be transferred to a new, related task, offers the possibility of providing ”building blocks” for non-expert users to quickly and effectively apply ML in their work. However, transfer learning largely remains an expert tool due to its high complexity. In this paper, we design a prototype to understand non-expert user behavior in an interactive environment that supports transfer learning. Our findings reveal a series of data- and perception-driven decision-making strategies non-expert users employ, to (in)effectively transfer elements using their domain expertise. Finally, we synthesize design implications which might inform future interactive transfer learning environments.
Unique Imaging Findings of Neurologic Phantosmia Following Pfizer-BioNtech COVID-19 Vaccination: A Case Report.

ABSTRACT: Olfactory dysfunction related to SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 disease is now well established in the literature. In December 2020, the FDA approved the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines for use in preventing COVID-19 in the United States. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a phantosmia post-Pfizer COVID-19 vaccination, with positive magnetic resonance imaging radiographic findings in a patient with documented absence of infection by SARS-CoV-2 virus or concomitant sinonasal disease.
Williams Syndrome: A Neurogenetic Model of Human Behavior

Williams syndrome (WMS) is a rare neurogenetic disorder, usually caused by a deletion at 7q11.23. Integrating the genetic with the distinctive clinical, cognitive, neurophysiological and neuroanatomical profiles of WMS provides an opportunity to understand the molecular basis of human cognition and behavior. Keywords: Williams syndrome; cognitive phenotype; common deletion; chromosome 7; duplication
Cystathionine Metabolism in Methionine Auxotrophic and Wild-Type Strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The role of cystathionine in methionine biosynthesis in wild-type and auxotrophic strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae was studied. Homocysteine and cysteinerequiring mutants were selected for detailed study. Exogenously supplied cystathionine, although actively transported by all strains tested, could not satisfy the organic sulfur requirements of the mutants. Cell-free extracts of the wild-type, homocysteine, and cysteine auxotrophs were shown to cleave cystathionine. Pyruvic acid and homocysteine were identified as teh products of this cleavage. A mutant containing an enzyme which could cleave cystathionine to homocysteine in cell-free experiments was unable to use cystathionine as a methionine precursor in the intact organisms. The significance of this finding is discussed.
From Stigma to Strategy: Calculated Identity Positioning and Black Women Activists

Black and Brown women engage in struggles for social justice and equal opportunities in urban communities around issues of environmental justice, housing, crime, and education. In previous work, I have taken the position that intersectionality constrains urban women of color in their quest for social justice (Simpson, 2001, 2007). While the evidence for this is convincing, there is also evidence that indicates that stigma is not as disempowering as we may think. I argue in this paper that we can locate agency in women occupying intersectional spaces by their use of a strategy I call calculated identity positioning, a term that defines the ways that women with multiple stigmatized identities increase agency.
Theory versus theory as a test of the effective interaction

Using density dependent interactions of the Skyrme type, we calculate the energies of the giant isoscalar monopole and quadrupole states in T.D.A. and R.P.A. Then we use a collective model involving the Inglis cranking formula. Very close agreement is obtained. The simplicity of using oscillator wave functions with Skyrme forces, especially for constructing the equation of state, is noted. Then the isoscalar effective charges are calculated in the R.P.A. and compared with the Hartree Fock calculations. There are significant differences, and attempts to make the results converge, by making the deformation parameters for the valence nucleon different from those of the core, are discussed. Most of the calculations were done by Michaela Golin.
Risk Factors for Community‐Acquired Pneumonia in Immunocompetent Seniors

OBJECTIVES: To identify risk factors for developing community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in seniors. DESIGN: Nested case-control study. SETTING: Group Health, a health maintenance organization in Washington state. PARTICIPANTS: One thousand one hundred seventy-three immunocompetent seniors with CAP and 2,346 age- and sex-matched controls, sampled during influenza seasons and pre-influenza periods of 2000/01 and 2002/03. CAP cases were presumptively identified according to diagnosis codes assigned to outpatient and inpatient encounters and validated according to review of chest radiograph reports or medical records. MEASUREMENTS: Medical records were used to assess body mass, the presence and severity of cardiopulmonary and other chronic diseases, and the presence of functional or cognitive impairments. Use of prescription medications and inpatient, outpatient, and home medical services were identified from administrative databases. RESULTS: Independent predictors of CAP include the presence and severity of cardiopulmonary disease, low weight and recent weight loss, and poor functional status; 42.0% of pneumonia cases can be attributed to underlying cardiopulmonary disease. CONCLUSION: Seniors with cardiopulmonary disease, poor functional status, low weight, or recent weight loss have a greater risk of developing CAP. Preventative efforts should be targeted toward these individuals.
Fault-tolerant design optimization: application to an autonomous underwater vehicle navigation system

A systematic, quantitative approach to optimizing a fault-tolerant system design is presented. Sensitivity analyses are used to provide: (1) systematic guidance in selecting the design modifications that are the optimization process, (2) optimization process stopping criteria, and (3) robustness measures for the resulting design. The optimization process permits trades among a variety of free parameters such as component quality, redundancy, operational/maintenance policies, and FDIR (fault detection, isolation, and reconfiguration) processes and their associated coverage probabilities. These are evaluated quantitatively to provide system metrics such as reliability, mission success probability, maintenance actions, and various cost measures. The optimization problem is one where the free parameters are adjusted such that a cost function is minimized (or maximized) without violating the given constraints. A systematic application of the evaluation is shown that enables a design to be optimized with respect to an arbitrary cost function, subject to constraints. >
Introduction to Clinical Radiation Biology

The authors have reviewed some of the most important and established factors that determine the effectiveness of IR in a wide variety of tumor types and normal tissues: the significance of increasing the dose of radiation, the importance of altered fractionation schemes, such as accelerated fractionation or hyperfractionation, and the need to address tumor hypoxia. Therapeutic gain can only be achieved when the increased tumor toxicity produced by these treatment modifications is balanced against injury to early-responding as well as late-responding normal tissues. In the not too distant future, therapeutic gain may be maximized by individualized therapies that are based on phenotypic and genotypic profiling of tumors and patients. For example, predicting which tumors respond to IR with accelerated tumor cell repopulation will allow us to apply more intense accelerated treatment regimens, while subjecting patients with slowly proliferating tumors to less toxic therapies. Similarly, the combination of radiation therapy with molecularly targeted pharmacologic agents will be a highly individualized treatment approach. However, to some degree, radiation therapy will always have to remain unselective and indiscriminant to inactivate the last surviving dormant and probably drug-resistant tumor clonogen. Although the field of radiation biology is rapidly evolving as a result of advances in molecular biology and genetics and the availability of new technologies, a thorough understanding of the established factors that determine radiation responses will remain an important prerequisite for the successful application of multimodal cancer therapies and molecularly targeted approaches in the future.
Prothoracicotropic hormone-regulated expression of a hsp 70 cognate protein in the insect prothoracic gland.

In Manduca sexta, ecdysteroids coordinate molting and metamorphosis of insects and are produced by the prothoracic glands under the acute control of the brain neuropeptide prothoracicotropic hormone (PTTH). PTTH stimulates rapid ecdysteroidogenesis accompanied by specific increases in the synthesis and accumulation of three proteins, including one with M(r) = 70 kDa. This 70-kDa protein is a constitutively expressed member of the heat shock protein 70 family (hsc 70). Levels of this hsc 70 vary in a prothoracic gland-specific manner during development as does its PTTH-stimulated synthesis when assayed in vitro. The accumulation of hsc 70 may be regulated by abrupt changes in its turnover rate. The PTTH-stimulated increase in hsc 70 synthesis is dependent upon both translational and transcriptional events. Hsc 70 expression in the prothoracic gland may be required for changes in gland growth, e.g., protein content, that underlie alterations in ecdysteroid production.
An optimisation-based model for full-body upright reaching movements.

An optimal simulation 3D model for full-body upright reaching movements was developed using graphic-based modelling tools (SimMechanics) to generate an inverse dynamics model of the skeleton and using parameterisation methods for a sensory motor controller. The adaptive weight coefficient of the cost function based on the final motor task error (i.e. distance between end-effector and target at the end of movement) was used to correct motor task error and physiological measurements (e.g. joint power, centre of mass displacement, etc.). The output of the simulation models using various cost functions were compared to experimental data from 15 healthy participants performing full-body upright reaching movements. The proposed method can reasonably predict full-body voluntary movements in terms of final posture, joint power, and movement of the centre of mass (COM) using simple algebraic calculations of inverse dynamics and forward kinematics instead of the complicated integrals of the forward dynamics. We fou...
Immobilization of cadmium in sediment by treatment with an aluminum salt and freeze—thaw dehydration

Abstract Laboratory-prepared silica suspensions, with a known amount of sorbed cadmium, and a cadmium-contaminated lake sediment were treated with aluminum nitrate at pH 9.5. The aluminum-to-solids ratio was varied from 1.6 to 40 mmol aluminum per gram of dry solids (0.05–0.2 mmol m −2 for the silica suspension). Timed chemical extractions of cadmium were conducted with both 1 M ammonium acetate (NH 4 OAc) at pH 8.0 and dilute HNO 3 at pH 5.0 to determine the extent and the mechanisms of cadmium retention by the Al-treated solids. The results indicate that the amount of cadmium extracted from both silica and sediment can be significantly reduced by Al treatment. The NH 4 OAc-extractable cadmium in the sediment treated with 1.6 mmol aluminum per gram of sediment was 80% less than the extractable cadmium in the untreated sediment. Both enmeshment of contaminated particles in aluminum hydroxide precipitate and enhanced sorption of cadmium on Al-treated silica seem to be important in reducing cadmium mobility. Freeze—thaw treatment of the Al-treated sediment significantly reduced the volume of the settled solids and did not affect the tendency for the treatment to enhance cadmium retention. The sorption of cadmium by silica can be greatly enhanced by the addition of an amount of aluminum that is much less than that required for monolayer coverage of the silica surface.
Lattice thermal conductivity reduction in Bi 2 Te 3 quantum wires with smooth and rough surfaces: A molecular dynamics study

Using molecular dynamics simulations, we have predicted the thermal conductivity of Bi${}_{2}$Te${}_{3}$ nanowires with diameters ranging from 3 to 30 nm with both smooth and rough surfaces. It is found that when the nanowire diameter decreases to the molecular scale (below 10 nm, or the so-called ``quantum wire''), the thermal conductivity shows significant reduction as compared to bulk value. On the other hand, the thermal conductivity for the 30-nm-diam nanowire only shows less than 20% reduction, in agreement with recent experimental data. Also, the thermal conductivity of nanowires shows a weaker temperature dependence than the typical $T$${}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ trend, consistent with experimental observations. This is attributed to the strong boundary scattering of phonons. An analytical model is developed to interpret the molecular dynamics data, and the model suggests that phonon softening in thin nanowires and strong phonon scattering on the rough surface are the two major mechanisms leading to the thermal conductivity reduction. Our results indicate that Bi${}_{2}$Te${}_{3}$ nanowires need to be in the molecular scale (diameter below 10 nm) in order to achieve better $\mathit{ZT}$ than the bulk phase.
Effect of temperature on the fracture of sapphire

Abstract At low temperatures, metastable crack growth dictates the environment free strength of sapphire. Plastic deformation by dislocation motion or twin formation and growth plays no role in the fracture process at temperatures below 400° C. These conclusions are supported both by crack growth studies and critical stress intensity factor measurements on sapphire crystals, and by transmission electron microscopy studies of arrested cracks in sapphire and alumina.
Self-Consistency and Consistency-Based Detection and Diagnosis of Malicious Circuitry

Hardware Trojans (HTs) have become a major concern in the modern integrated circuit (IC) industry, especially with the fast growth in IC outsourcing. HT detection and diagnosis are challenging due to the huge number of gates in modern IC designs and the high cost of testing. We propose a scalable and efficient HT detection and diagnosis scheme based on segmentation and consistency analysis of gate-level properties. In addition, we employ a self-consistency-based approach, where we conduct variable elimination and create subsegments from a fixed set of power measurements of the entire IC to minimize the number of power measurements. We evaluate our HT detection and diagnosis schemes on a set of ISCAS and ITC benchmarks.
Planning and Implementation: A Comparative Perspective on Health Policy

Amidst the political sloganeering about health issues, there is a basic tension between those who plan goals for the health care system and those who try to implement them. This article examines that tension by first discussing the context of planning and its application to health affairs; then discussing the issue of implementation and its problems; and finally applying these to the particular case of health care costs. Among the topics discussed are the functions of planning (technical tool, coordination device, symbolic reassurance); the issues of participation (who gets represented, how, and at what levels of government); and the features of implementation (multiple goals, macro- and micro-arenas, private versus public interests). The current study provisionally concludes that health planning has changed little in the health care system of any country because inadequate attention has been paid to questions of implementation.
Professionalism in early childhood teacher education in an era of elevated standardization and minimalist testing

Abstract This article explores the meaning of professionalism as it relates to early childhood teacher education. The poignant need for such professionalism is timely within the context of contemporary policies that have the potential to de‐skill educational professionalism as well as minimize the breadth and depth of early childhood education. After exploring problems/issues associated with a number of specific policies with such potential, an action plan and strategies for implementing such a plan are proposed. Now that early childhood teacher certification has been receiving increased attention in several states, the author concludes with what she feels is a problem worthy of immediate attention—greater school administrator preparation in early childhood curriculum.
SONET/SDH traffic generation models

In a SONET/SDH transmission environment, switching systems must accommodate a hierarchy of traffic and bandwidth. In the design of SONET/SDH cross-connect switching hardware and switching algorithms, it is necessary to evaluate the switching system performance on this hierarchy through simulations. These simulations require the generation of realistic connection requests so that the switching system performance may be evaluated. Parameters which are required in such a model include the total load on the switching system, the mix of the various traffic types involved in the connection requests, as well as the active and idle times for each of the connections. This paper presents two connection request models that meet these goals in a SONET/SDH environment. Both achieve target values with high accuracy; the second is also capable of representing complex traffic types including bidirectional, multicast and protected connections.
Twinning in zirconium

Abstract Twinning in zirconium may, or may not occur by a dislocation mechanism. Two of the observed twinning modes can be explained by the use of relatively simple dislocation models. For a third mode, however, the model is very complex.
Management of deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism

The management of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) is changing dramatically. The US Food and Drug Administration has approved outpatient treatment of DVT with the low-molecular-weight heparin enoxaparin as a bridge to warfarin. Warfarin use is improved by avoiding loading doses and by recognizing previously unappreciated interactions and potentiation with commonly used medications such as acetaminophen. The importance of isolated calf and upper-extremity venous thromboses has been validated, so that patients with these conditions routinely undergo anticoagulation. Risk stratification for PE is becoming more sophisticated because practitioners now assess right ventricular function (usually by echocardiography) instead of relying solely on systemic arterial blood pressure and heart rate to determine prognosis. Among patients with massive DVT or hemodynamically unstable PE, thrombolysis, thrombectomy, and embolectomy (often performed in an interventional angiography laboratory) are being used with increasing skill and improved outcomes.
Music in Political Advertisements: Music to the Ears or Background Noise? A Study of Music's Influence on Message-relevant Thinking

This experimental study tested the effects of instrumental background music on subjects' opinions of the candidate in a political radio commercial. Democrats hearing a Democratic candidate commercial without music considered it more issue-oriented than those hearing it with music. No significant effects were found in Republicans. Controlling for party affiliation, results showed a significant correlation between subjects' perceiving the spot as issue-oriented and their stated intention to vote for the candidate. Subjects hearing the spot with music were more likely to consider the spot “well done,” but this did not translate into a statistically significant preference for the candidate.
Incidence of anterior ridge deformities in partially edentulous patients

A random sample of 416 diagnostic casts was evaluated to determine the incidence and type of ridge deformities present in anterior ridges of partially edentulous patients. Loss of teeth resulted in 91% (31 of 34) of ridge deformities. The most prevalent defect was the class III or combination labiolingual and apicocoronal type of deformity.
Self-Consistent Perturbation of Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov Equations and Nuclear Rotational Spectra. II

The effect of a single-particle perturbation on the Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov equations is considered. Corrections to the ground-state wave function, density matrix, and pairing tensor are obtained through third order, thus determining the energy through fourth order. The results are applied to rotational spectra of even-even atomic nuclei, in which the nucleons interact via pairing and quadrupole forces, and the single-particle perturbation is the Coriolis force in a rotating frame of reference. The energy levels of the ground-state band are obtained to order ${I}^{2}{(I+1)}^{2}$ in the angular momentum. It is shown that the coefficient of the ${I}^{2}{(I+1)}^{2}$ term contains contributions arising from centrifugal stretching of the self-consistent quadrupole field, and having the expected form of a rotation-vibration interaction. In addition, however, the coefficient contains terms arising from the Coriolis unpairing effect and also terms arising from the influence of the Coriolis force on independent quasiparticle motion. Approximate numerical estimates indicate that the contribution from the Coriolis unpairing is far greater than from the beta vibration-rotation interaction.
Effect of chronic hyperprolactinemia on tuberoinfundibular dopaminergic neurons: histofluorescence in aged and in diethylstilbestrol-treated male rats

Abstract Catecholamine histofluorescence was used to examine morphology of hypothalamic tuberoinfundibular dopaminergic (TIDA) median eminence-afferent neurons (areas A12 and A14) in male Fischer 344 rats bearing prolactin (PRL)-secreting tumors. These tumors were either spontaneous, discovered in rats aged 20–32 months, or were induced by chronic diethylstilbestrol (DES) treatment in younger animals. In the latter,case, histofluorescence was examined in two groups of animals: (1) those which had been treated, beginning at 6 months of age, with 8 weeks of DES, and subsequently had the treatment discontinued for 10 months, but which continued to exhibit hyperprolactinemia; (2) animals treated continuously with DES, for 50 or 70 days. Histofluorescence was induced using either the Falck-Hillarp, aluminum-formaldehyde (‘ALFA’) or the formaldehyde-glutaraldehyde (‘FAGLU’) technique and pituitaries were examined for PRL immunoreactivity, as permitted by the fixation method chosen for histofluorescence. For selected animals, pituitaries were enzymatically dissociated, maintained in primary culture, and were assessed for PRL cell quantification, intracellular PRL content, and in vitro release. Among animals treated chronically with DES, histofluorescence was assessed by the Falck-Hillarp technique, and counts of A12 and A14 perikarya were made in each hypothalamus. Median eminence zona externa fluorescence was diminished in aged rats with normal pituitaries, in aged rats bearing spontaneous tumors, and in rats treated continuously with DES, in comparison with fluorescence in younger rats with normal pituitaries or from which DES treatment had been withdrawn. Perikaryal fluorescence showed typical cell morphology and numbers in aged rats, aged rats bearing spontaneous tumors, and in rats from which DES had been withdrawn. In one animal, treated continuously for 70 days with DES, numbers of A12 and A14 perikarya and terminals, including increased perikaryal and terminal fluorescence intensity. The morphological results support biochemical evidence of PRL stimulation of tuberoinfundibular dopaminergic neurons, and suggest that inhibitory effects of increased PRL secretion on these hypothalamic cells in DES-induced hyperprolactinemia reflect a direct and reversible effect of DES on these neurons.