cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Using distance patron data to improve library services and cross-campus collaboration

This article discusses the data-driven activities of Kansas State University Libraries in response to documented lack of awareness and usage of library resources within our distance community. It presents data from a survey distributed to our distance education students and faculty, and concludes that because distance patrons are largely unaware of library services, targeted promotional efforts must be implemented and systematically reviewed. These efforts, and several new resources, are discussed in detail. While developed and targeted to distance patrons, each initiative also allowed for increased library awareness and usage by an ever-growing on-campus population wishing to utilize library resources remotely.
The implications of female household headship for food consumption and nutritional status in the Dominican Republic

Abstract Female control of household resources is often associated with consumption preferences which favor basic needs and child welfare. Using data from the Dominican Republic, this study tests differences in spending patterns, consumption preferences, and child nutritional (anthropometric) status according to four definitions of female household headship. Female-headed households (FHH) allocate the same amount or less of their budgets to food than male-headed households (MHH), in absolute and proportional terms. FHH consume higher quality, more expensive and protein-dense foods (more animal products; less of beans and rice) than MHH. Average caloric adequacy per adult-equivalent is equal or lower in FHH, but children's anthropometric status is the same or higher; it is significantly higher in low-income FHH, possibly due to intrahousehold allocation of food which favors children.
Three-Dimensional Modeling of Hydraulic Fractures in Layered Media: Part II—Calibrations, Parametric Sensitivity and Field Simulations

A comprehensive finite element model formulation for the simulation of vertical hydraulic fracture propagation in a multi-layered reservoir has been presented in Part I of the companion paper (Advani et al., 1990). This paper presents a numerical calibration of this model by comparing results with selected benchmark cases. Parametric sensitivity investigations are also performed to illustrate the role of different variables on hydraulic fracture configuration evolution in multi-layered formations. In addition, field simulations for a multi-layered reservoir with differential in-situ stress and mechanical property contrasts are conducted to illustrate the scope of the developed model.
Cell-free selection of RNA-binding proteins using in vitro compartmentalization

RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) perform many essential functions in the post-transcriptional control of gene expression. If we were able to engineer RBPs with new specificity, it would also become possible to develop new tools to control and investigate gene expression pathways. Molecular evolution methods such as phage display have been introduced to achieve this goal, but the large interface between these proteins and RNA relative to the size of library that can be constructed limits the efficacy of this method. In order to increase the diversity of libraries used for selection of RBPs, we applied the emulsion-based in vitro compartmentalization (IVC) method to select RBPs with defined specificity. A new approach was developed to link genotype and phenotype by fusing the target RBP to zinc finger proteins (ZFPs) that bind to a cognate DNA sequence inserted upstream of the promoter. The expressed fusion protein (ZFP-RBP) binds to its encoding DNA with high affinity via the ZFP target-binding site. After breaking the emulsion, the RBP can be selected based on its affinity for a biotinylated RNA bait. We demonstrate the effectiveness of this method that should enable the selection of RBPs with new specificity or improved affinity.
Three-dimensional heterogeneous propellant combustion

A numerical framework is described which permits the calculation of the three-dimensional combustion field supported by a heterogeneous propellant, allowing for complete coupling between the condensed-phase physics, the gas-phase physics, and the unsteady uneven, regressing surface. A random-packing algorithm is used to construct models of ammonium perchlorate (AP) in hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene propellants which minic experimental propellants designed by R. Miller, and these are numerically burnt, Mean burning rates are compared with experimental data for four packs, over a pressure range of 7–200 atm. The effect of the local propellant morphology on the local surface regression speed is examined, with particular attention to the behavior in the neighborhood of large AP particles, At first, these burn slowly and protrude significantly above the surrounding surface, but later they are rapidly consumed and the surface flattens. In all cases, mean burning rates can be accurately calculated using an Oseen approximation for the velocity field, rather than solving the Navier-Stokes equations.
Joint transform correlation under varying illumination conditions of the target

The effect of varying the illumination of the input scene on the performance of classical, binary, and fringe-adjusted joint transform correlators (JTCs) has been investigated in this paper. Computer simulation results show that the fringe-adjusted JTC yields superior correlation outputs when compared to the classical and binary JTCs.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Intramolecular Cyclization for Stimuli-Controlled Depolymerization of Polycaprolactone Particles Leading to Disassembly and Payload Release.

Polymers capable of on-demand, controlled depolymerization are an important tool in a broad variety of applications in science, technology, and industry. We report functionalized poly(caprolactone)s (PCL)s designed to allow on-demand and complete depolymerization through incorporation of pendant protected amino groups that, on deprotection, trigger nucleophilic attack and yield a single cyclic product. Two cleavable protecting groups were used to cap PCL: light sensititve o-nitrobenzyl alcohol (ONB) and tert-butyl carbamate (Boc; for proof of concept). NMR confirmed that PCL-Boc degrades completely into the designed intramolecular cyclization products within a day upon deprotection. TEM visualization of irradiated particles made from PCL-ONB encapsulating iron oxide nanoparticles reveals complete disruption of nanoparticles and release of payload. This work demonstrates that intramolecular cyclization within the polymer backbone is an excellent route to accelerate polymer degradation by backbiting reactio...
SU‐AA‐P‐6B‐02: Process of New Technology Coverage and Current Medical Physics Reimbursement Issues

The process of covering new technologies in medicine is complicated, both from the viewpoint of government agency reimbursement through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and through the private sector carrier reimbursement entities such as Aetna, Blue Cross/Blue Shield and the like. The process is further complicated by coverage differences in the Hospital environment versus coverage in clinics and “stand‐alone” treatment centers. Coverage decisions generally begin with CMS assignment of temporary coverage codes in the Hospital environment for new procedures and technologies. These take the form of the so‐called “G” codes and are put forward for coverage by medical specialty societies when these professional organizations have agreed that the procedure or technology is “ready for prime time.” Coverage decisions include actual dollar amounts for performing the procedure under current CMS rules. The medical specialty society then must submit the procedure to rigorous review for eventual coverage in the clinic or stand‐alone center environment as the “G” code process is a time‐limited coverage process. Most carriers regard the randomized prospective clinical trial for a new procedure as the “gold standard” for coverage decisions. ASTRO and other organizations are lobbying for some surrogate to this process which will allow coverage for an effective procedure in a shorter time frame. Although other private carriers will generally follow CMS' approval process for new technology/procedures, they are not required to do so. In point of fact, private carriers can renege on a previously covered procedure if their medical advisory board decides the procedure will not be a benefit for its insurees. This has happened recently with the denial of coverage for one of the medical physics codes, CPT 77336 by one of the private carriers. Other examples of coverage denials and actions taken by the specialty societies to fight these denials will be presented.
Cytokine regulation of cartilage-derived retinoic acid-sensitive protein (CD-RAP) in primary articular chondrocytes: suppression by IL-1, bfGF, TGFβ and stimulation by IGF-1

Cartilage-derived retinoic acid-sensitive protein (CD-RAP) is a secreted protein identified in our laboratory by RT-PCR and differential display [U.H. Dietz, L.J. Sandell. Cloning of a retinoic acid-sensitive mDNA expressed in cartilage and during chondrogenesis. J. Biol. Chem. 271 (1996) 3311-3316]. It is synthesized by chondrocytes throughout development and down-regulated by retinoic acid in coordination with type II collagen gene expression. To further explore the regulation CD-RAP in primary articular chondrocytes, we examined effects of selected cytokines on CD-RAP gene expression compared to their effects on type II collagen expression. Northern blot analysis showed that expression of CD-RAP mRNA was suppressed by bFGF, IL-1beta and retinoic acid in coordination with type II collagen mRNA. TGF-beta decreased CD-RAP expression while increasing type II collagen mRNA whereas both mRNAs were up-regulated by IGF-1. In chondrocytes dedifferentiated with retinoic acid, IGF-1 induced re-expression of both CD-RAP and type II collagen mRNAs. The mechanism of stimulation of CD-RAP by IGF-1 was further investigated. An mRNA stability assay revealed that IGF-1 had no effect on CD-RAP or type II collagen mRNA half life, suggesting that the enhancement by IGF-1 is due to increased gene transcription. To study the transcriptional mechanism, we used the 5'-flanking region of the CD-RAP gene fused to a promoter-less reporter plasmid encoding luciferase. Deletion analysis of the CD-RAP promoter indicated that an IGF-1-responsive element is present between nucleotides -475 and -458. These data indicate that CD-RAP expression can be regulated by cytokines known to influence chondrocyte metabolism and that IGF-1 up-regulates CD-RAP gene expression through a transcriptional mechanism.
Petroleum Expulsion Part 2. Organic Matter Type and Maturity Effects on Kerogen Swelling by Solvents and Thermodynamic Parameters for Kerogen from Regular Solution Theory

The swelling of kerogen in several well-defined solvents was measured to derive thermodynamic parameters specified by an extended Flory−Rehner and Regular Solution Theory framework. These parameters are needed to assess the importance of the selective solubility of individual petroleum compounds into kerogen as a mechanism for the chemical fractionation that occurs during expulsion. The swelling of kerogen by a set of organic solvents was quantified following exposure to 30, 90, and 150 °C temperatures for 24 h in a closed system. The organic solvents were selected to reflect the prevalent hydrocarbon and heteroatom structures in petroleum. A total of 13 different, well-characterized Type II and Type IIIC kerogens were studied that included a maturity suite for each kerogen type. The swelling results were pooled and analyzed using an analysis of variance (ANOVA) statistical method to determine if swelling differences were related to the temperature, solvent, kerogen type, and level of kerogen maturity. Th...
892 HYPOFERRINEMIA IN THE TOXIC-SHOCK SYNDROME (TSS)

Serum ferrokinetics in the non-bacteremic TSS were examined in 10 female patients (pts) fulfilling the criteria for the Wisconsin case definition. The mean serum iron (Fe) ± SE levels for the first 5 days of hospitalization are shown (N1.=30-180 μg/dl). The levels on day 3 (D3) were significantly greater (P < .001) than those on Dl. Despite a fall in serum total protein (< 5.6 g/dl in 19/20 pts) and albumin (< 3.1 g/dl in 18/20 pts), the total iron binding capacity was within the low normal range (220-480 μg/dl) in 5/5 pts. There was no evidence of pre-existing anemia in any of the pts; MCV=88.9μ3 + 5.0μ3 (n=10). (N1 = 77-87μ3). No significant correlation could be made between the Fe levels and the degree of fever or the total number of WBC, PMN or band cells. The rapid increase in Fe paralleled the return of temperature, WBC and band cell values to normal. Hypoferrinemia, a host response to infection may be due to leukocyte pyrogen induced lactoferrin release from the PMN series cells and increased RES storage of Fe (Weinberg ED, Microbiol Rev 42:45, 1978). The high temperatures and marked increase in cells of the PMN series (90.6%+8.8%; n=10) in TSS may be responsible for the profound hypoferrinemia, which may provide a marker for disease activity.
Telecommuting '96 conference report: April 25–26, 1996; Jacksonville, FL, USA

The term "telecommuting" was first coined by Jack Nilles in 1976, but researcher and practitioner interests in this topic have been inconsistent. In the mid 1980s, considerable telecommuting research was conducted (for example see Olson 1983, DeSanctis 1983) and practitioner interest was high, but by the late eighties and early nineties practitioner interest and research practice waned. If the enthusiasm at Telecommuting '96 is any indication, telecommuting has found renewed popularity. Over 100 practitioners and researchers from 10 different countries converged on Jacksonville, Florida in April to discuss the organizational and technological issues associated with telecommuting adoption and use. Jack Nilles, Tom Davenport and Roy Weber delivered keynote addresses, and the conference sessions included 27 presentations ranging from academic research papers to practitioner panel discussions to best demonstrated practices. The conference proceedings are available on the Web at http://www.cba.uga.edu/tc96/proceedings.html.
Theoretical analysis of the diradical nature of adenosylcobalamin cofactor-tyrosine complex in B12-dependent mutases: Inspiring PCET-driven enzymatic catalysis

Detailed theoretical and X-ray based structural analysis has been carried out in order to unmask the role of the tyrosine residue (Y) in the activation of the Co−C bond in AdoCbl-dependent mutases. In particular, methylmalonyl-CoA mutase (MCM) and glutamate mutase (GLM) enzymes have been studied; in the case of MCM, the significance of the Y89 residue has been analyzed extensively. Three different theoretical platforms encompassing the DFT, CASSCF/QDPT2, and QM/MM frameworks have been employed to elucidate the energetics of the AdoCbl−Y− complex while taking into account a varied degree of structural complexity. The diradical state, [AdoCbl]•−−Y•, has been found to be the lowest electronic state of the AdoCbl−Y− complex, providing strong evidence that electron transfer from the Y89 residue to the cofactor is feasible. Crystallographic analysis of the active sites of MCM and GLM enzymes reveals that substrate binding can play a critical role in displacing the hydroxyl proton of the Y residue (Y89 in the ca...
Near-infrared light heating of a slab by embedded nanoparticles

Exposed to spectral and uniform light, the heating of a one-dimensional, conducting and radiatively participating medium due to embedded absorbing and scattering nanoparticles is solved. Spherical harmonics approximation is used to solve the radiative transfer equation and the finite difference explicit method is used to find the temperature distribution in a generic slab having both boundaries subjected to convection. The host medium is transparent to spectral radiation and the temperature distribution is obtained when the temperature of the irradiated boundary reaches a desired point specified to ensure that any temperature in the medium does not exceed its melting temperature. It is found that the variation of the concentration and configuration of the embedded nanoparticles, particularly gold nanoshells, changes the radiative transfer spectrum, which leads to an alteration in the local heat generation spectrum and the resulting temperature distribution in the medium. It is shown that a gold nanoshell configuration with a great amount of scattering increases the internal diffuse radiation, which creates a more even radiative distribution, while a configuration with a great amount of absorption promotes a high amount of absorption in the entry region and very little in the rear region, leading to the formation of a large temperature gradient between the two boundaries. The present study provides a framework from which the photothermal heating of nanoparticle mixtures in non-transparent host media may be applied.
Risperidone for dementia-related disturbed behavior in nursing home residents: a clinical experience.

Many nursing home residents are candidates for antipsychotic pharmacotherapy for dementia-related behavioral disturbances that include physical agitation and aggression, verbal outbursts, anxiety, and depression. These patients are often resistant to or intolerant of standard neuroleptics and are usually receiving multiple medications for concurrent psychiatric or medical conditions. New medications must be carefully considered because they may interact with concurrent medications or aggravate concurrent medical problems. Low doeses of risperidone may be better tolerated in the elderly because the drug poses little risk of extrapyramidal side effects or blood disorders. One hundred and nine patients with dementia-related behavioral disturbances were studied in 9 nursing homes; most initially received 0.25 to 0.5 mg of risperidone twice daily. Their behavior was recorded for up to 6 months on questionnaires completed by a nursing staff member at each home. Risperidone was well tolerated overall and nursing staff viewed it as helpful in 38 of 100 patients, moderately helpful in 26, slightly helpful in 17, and not helpful in 19.
Frameworks (General Definition)

Frameworks documents, also called curriculum frameworks, provide a broad description of the content and the sequence of learning expected of all students by the time they graduate from high school. Framework development is the first step toward developing clear and high quality standards that all students are expected to achieve.
Host's Dilemma Rethinking EU Banking Regulation in Light of the Global Crisis

One of the main objectives of transnational banking regulation over the past two decades has been the standardization of regulatory practices and the allocation of regulatory powers to minimize the regulatory burden for banks. The resulting division of labor between home and host country regulators strongly favors Home over Host; And the regulatory scope has continued to focus on entities rather than activities. This paper argues that this has created several blind spots in transnational regulation of finance. First, Home is unlikely to monitor and respond to risks that are unique to Host, even though they might emanate from activities of banks that are subject to their consolidated regulatory supervision. Second, Host, may have regulatory supervision over a subsidiary of Home’s parent company, but may rely on Home to exert regulatory controls. Moreover, Host has little regulatory leverage if the parent bank side-steps regulatory restrictions imposed on subsidiaries by engaging in direct lending practices, or by channeling capital through entities that are not subject to similar regulations. Second, the continued focus on entity based regulation ignores the fact that the core function of banks, maturity transformation, is increasingly performed by non-bank institutions that escape the existing transnational regulatory framework. Against this background, this paper proposes effect-based regulation, which gives Host the power to regulate any activity that has a systemic effect on its financial system, irrespective of who undertakes it and where it is carried out. The paper uses the recent example of Central and Eastern Europe during the global financial crisis to illustrate the failure of the existing regime.
Ecological interactions of Pseudacteon parasitoids and Solenopsis ant hosts: environmental correlates of activity and effects on competitive hierarchies

Summary 1. Solenopsis (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) fire ants are host to Pseudacteon (Diptera: Phoridae) parasitoids. The activity of S. geminata (F.) hosts and relative abundance of Pseudacteon phorids, along with five environmental variables, were measured at weekly intervals over an 8-month period at two sites. 2. Pseudacteon relative abundances often varied greatly from week to week, and were only weakly positively correlated with S. geminata activity. 3. A quadratic function of soil temperature was the single best predictor of ant activity at both sites, explaining 32 and 73% of the variation in ant activity. A linear function of soil moisture was the single best predictor of phorid relative abundance at one site (r2 = 0.23) whereas no measured variables were significant predictors of phorid relative abundance at the other site. 4. Interspecific interactions at 600 baits were monitored at a third site to document dominance hierarchies and determine whether the presence of Pseudacteon phorids mediated interspecific interactions in their host, S. geminata. 5. Solenopsis geminata was near the top of dominance hierarchies, which did not diverge greatly from a linear pattern. Three species (S. geminata, S. invicta Buren, and Crematogaster laeviuscula Mayr) won the majority of their interspecific interactions and appear to be co-dominants at this microhabitat-rich site. 6. Overall, the presence of phorids had no significant effect on the outcome of interspecific contests involving S. geminata and all other ant species grouped together. Phorids may have contributed to some of the S. geminata losses against other co-dominant species.
A reliability model for distributed adaptation

End-to-end connectivity is growing increasingly diverse, with orders-of-magnitude differences in characteristics throughout the network. At the same time, most applications assume a level of network characteristics below which they either provide no service, or service at a cost that is higher than the user is willing to pay. Open-architecture networks can help applications degrade gracefully when network conditions are poor by pushing adaptation technology into the network. Unfortunately, since adaptation seeks to change the data stream during transmission, it is incompatible with the traditional model for reliable data streams. A new model of reliability is required to allow general the adaptation of reliable data streams. We propose one possible model that provides reliable delivery of the semantic meaning in the data stream, despite adaptation. We present this model in the context of Conductor, a framework for distributed adaptation. By using a reliability model that is compatible with adaptation, Conductor allows arbitrary distributed components to operate on a data stream without reducing end-to-end reliability. While Conductor is one possible adaptation service, it is also an example of the type of reliability model required in open-architecture networks.
Is 'off-protocol' chemotherapy for androgen-independent carcinoma of prostate warranted?

Hormone-refractory prostate cancer (HRPC) is difficult to treat adequately, and current modalities such as second-line hormone therapy provide low response rates and poor palliation. Cytotoxic chemotherapy historically yields objective responses in less than 20% of patients ; however, recent trials using prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and quality-of-life surrogate endpoints have reported response rates up to 60% with minimal toxicity. In view of these recent trials, it is clearly justifiable to treat patients ineligible for protocols with off-protocol agents.
URINARY EXCRETION OF PHENOLIC AND INDOLIC COMPOUNDS, METACATECHOLAMINES, AND VMA BY FULL-TERM AND PREMATURE INFANTS

The 24-hour urinary excretion of phenolic and indolie compounds, metacatechol-amines, and VMA by full-term and premature infants on their first and fifteenth days of life was studied. The presence of metabolites from all three main catabolic pathways of tryptophan was noted in both groups of infants. 3-indole-acetic and 3-indole-propionic acids were present on the first day of life in the urine of full-term infants, but they were absent on the fifteenth day. Twenty phenolic acids were observed in both groups of infants, but their excretion varied a great deal. Homogentisic acid was not excreted on the first day of life of full-term and premature infants, but it was found in the urine of full-term infants on the fifteenth day of life. The variations of excretion of VMA generally followed that of metacatecholamines. The excretion of VMA by the premature infants on their fifteenth day of life is four- to fivefold that of the first day and reaches adult levels, in contrast to the moderate decrease of VMA excretion of the fuil-term infants on the fifteenth day. The degree of maturation of the enzymic systems involved is discussed as a probable cause of these variations.
Specification and analysis of the SNR high-speed transport protocol

The emergence of optical fiber and its correspondingly high data rates have led to the development of much higher speed networks, both locally and over the long haul. These developments led to the design of new transport protocols, which were intended to take advantage of the high-speed networks. A number of these so-called "high-speed transport protocols" have been designed to date. This paper considers one of these, called the SNR protocol, in detail. A formal specification of the protocol is presented, using the protocol model systems of communicating machines, and the protocol is then analyzed through the specification. An implementation of the protocol based on this formal definition has also been made, and used to simulate the protocol, providing further insights into its performance. Based on the combined results of the analysis and the simulated protocol, a high degree of confidence is gained in the correctness of the protocol. The specification is quite detailed, and from it an implementation should be fairly straightforward. The paper also discusses the difficulties encountered during the analysis of such a complex protocol, and suggests some possible solutions to these problems. Finally, as a result of this work, we comment on the strengths and weakness of the SNR protocol as a solution to the high-speed transport protocol problem, and make two simple suggestions for improving it. >
Deleted Viral RNAs and Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus Persistence in vitro

Summary Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) infection of most tissue culture cell lines results in a non-cytopathic persistent infection. Persistent infections in vitro share many characteristics with persistent LCMV infection of mice; both are associated with decreased titres of infectious virus, restricted accumulation of viral glycoproteins at the surface of infected cells and the generation of interfering particles. We have used gel electrophoresis and hybridization techniques to analyse LCMV gene expression during persistent infection of a number of tissue culture cell lines. Our study has demonstrated that, although deleted viral RNAs can be detected during persistent LCMV infection in vitro, there may not be an obligatory association between deleted RNAs and persistence. In addition, we have found that LCMV interfering activity can be produced in the apparent absence of deleted intracellular viral RNAs.
Hemolytic Anemia in a 5-Year-Old Child

1. Dark urine and fever; markedly reduced RBC count, hemoglobin level, and hematocrit; reticulocytosis on hospital day 1 that resolved by hospital day 3 following transfusion of 5 doses of packed RBCs on day 1 (3 doses) and days 2 (1 dose) and 4 (1 dose); markedly elevated ESR, LD, and bilirubin (total, direct, and indirect) levels; a reduced haptoglobin level; a red and hazy urine containing detectable amounts of protein, ketones, urobilinogen, and a large amount of occult blood, along with microscopic findings of a large number of RBCs/hpf; positive antibody findings for Epstein-Barr virus viral capsid antigen IgG antibody (EBV VCA IgG Ab) and EBV nuclear antigen (NA) IgG antibodies; and positive direct antiglobulin test (DAT), using anti-C3 antiserum only, and strongly positive 3cell antibody screen findings at 4°C (Table 1).
Cosmological Consequences of a Rolling Homogeneous Scalar Field

The cosmological consequences of a pervasive, rolling, self-interacting, homogeneous scalar field are investigated. A number of models in which the energy density of the scalar field red-shifts in a specific manner are studied. In these models the current epoch is chosen to be scalar-field dominated to agree with dynamical estimates of the density parameter, ${\ensuremath{\Omega}}_{\mathrm{dyn}\mathrm{\ensuremath{\sim}}0.2}$, and zero spatial curvature. The required scalar-field potential is ``nonlinear'' and decreases in magnitude as the value of the scalar field increases. A special solution of the field equations which is an attractive, time-dependent, fixed point is presented. These models are consistent with the classical tests of gravitation theory. The E\"otv\"os-Dicke measurements strongly constrain the coupling of the scalar field to light (nongravitational) fields. Nucleosynthesis proceeds as in the standard hot big-bang model. In linear perturbation theory the behavior of baryonic perturbations, in the baryon-dominated epoch, do not differ significantly from the canonical scenario, while the presence of a substantial amount of homogeneous scalar-field energy density at low red-shifts inhibits the growth of perturbations in the baryonic fluid. The energy density in the scalar field is not appreciably perturbed by nonrelativistic gravitational fields, either in the radiation-dominated, matter-dominated, or scalar-field-dominated epochs. On the basis of this effect, we argue that these models could reconcile the low dynamical estimates of the mean mass density with the negligibly small spatial curvature preferred by inflation.
Crystallite coalescence: A mechanism for intrinsic tensile stresses in thin films

We examined the stress associated with crystallite coalescence during the initial stages of growth in thin polycrystalline films with island growth morphology. As growing crystallites contacted each other at their bases, the side-walls zipped together until a balance was reached between the energy associated with eliminating surface area, creating a grain boundary and straining the film. Our estimate for the resulting strain depends only on interfacial free energies, elastic properties, and grain size and predicts large tensile stresses in agreement with experimental results. We also discuss possible stress relaxation mechanisms that can occur during film growth subsequent to the coalescence event.
Pediatric dermatology workforce shortage: Perspectives from academia

Background The pediatric dermatology workforce has not been systematically evaluated since recent changes in board certification requirements. Objective To quantify and characterize the workforce of academic pediatric dermatologists and examine issues related to training, hiring, and retention. Methods Dermatology chairpersons and residency directors in the United States and Canada completed a 30-question survey. Results Eighty of 132 programs (61%) responded to the survey. More than two thirds of programs (56/80) employed a pediatric dermatologist, and 34 programs were recruiting a pediatric dermatologist. The number of residents that pursue careers in pediatric dermatology is significantly associated with the number of pediatric dermatologists on faculty at their institution. Limitations Self-reported data, which may have been reflected by recall bias, and 61% response rate. Conclusions At a majority of academic centers, the current pool of pediatric dermatology faculty is neither adequate to meet academic nor clinical demands. Methods to increase exposure to pediatric dermatology among medical students and residents must be sought.
A Comparison of Angular Discretization Strategies for Modeling Radiative Transfer in Pool Fire Simulations

Decoupled radiative heat transfer calculations of 30-cm-diameter heptane pool fire are carried out employing the P1, discrete ordinates (DO), and finite-volume (FV) methods. The DO calculations are performed employing three different quadrature schemes (level symmetric hybrid [LSH], spherical surface symmetrical equal dividing angular quadrature [SSD], and TN). By scaling the soot field in the fire, the performances of the various methods are evaluated at different optical thicknesses by employing highly angularly resolved FV calculations (512 directions) as a reference. Twenty-four angular directions in the DO and FV methods are seen to be adequate to accurately predict the distributions of the divergence of the radiative flux within the fire. The corresponding accuracies of the P1 model are seen to decrease with increase in optical thickness. In the regions away from the fire, the P1 model performs poorly in predicting the axial as well as the radial radiative fluxes, whereas the errors associated with ...
Hebbian learning with winner take all for spiking neural networks

Learning methods for spiking neural networks are not as well developed as the traditional rate based networks, which widely use the back-propagation learning algorithm. We propose and implement an efficient Hebbian learning method with homeostasis for a network of spiking neurons. Similar to STDP, timing between spikes is used for synaptic modification. Homeostasis ensures that the synaptic weights are bounded and the learning is stable. The winner take all mechanism is also implemented to promote competitive learning among output neurons. We have implemented this method in a C++ object oriented code (called CSpike). We have tested the code on four images of Gabor filters and found bell-shaped tuning curves using 36 test set images of Gabor filters in different orientations. These bell-shapes curves are similar to those experimentally observed in the V1 and MT/V5 area of the mammalian brain.
Genetic Variability in Growth Response of Chicks to Cold Brooding Temperature

Genetic variability in adaptation to brooding at a reduced temperature was examined by comparing 1 to 14-day body weight gains of progeny from 28 sire families of the Athens-Canadian randombred population brooded at 32.2 C and at 26.7 C. The 1 to 7-day gain of the chicks brooded at 26.7 C was significantly depressed, but 7 to 14-day gain was not significantly depressed by brooding at the reduced temperature. Heritability estimates averaged over the two trials were .31, .23, and .35 for the 1 to 7-, 7 to 14-, and 1 to 14-day weight gains of groups brooded at 32.2 C and .55, .59, and .67 for the gain of groups brooded at 26.7 C. The heritability estimates for the difference in weight gain of families brooded at the two temperatures was .78.
9‐(para‐tert‐Butyl­phenyl)‐9‐fluorenol

The title compound, C23H22O, is composed of two slightly different molecular conformations in its asymmetric unit, one conformation hydrogen bonded to the other via their OH groups. The two molecular conformers are reproduced by an inversion center and hydrogen bonded through an O—H⋯π(fluorene) bond, thus producing groups of four hydrogen-bonded mol­ecules. The cooled melted crystals failed to recrystallize, but solution NMR showed that no chemical decomposition had occurred during the melting.
Regulation of Cyclic Adenosine 3′,5′-Monophosphate Response Element Binding Protein (CREB) Expression by Sp1 in the Mammalian Testis

In the mammalian testis, the binding of FSH to Sertoli cells activates the cAMP-dependent protein kinase A signaling pathway, resulting in the phosphorylation of the cAMP response element binding protein (CREB). Previous studies have also shown that CREB gene expression is activated by cAMP in Sertoli cells and that 2 cAMP response elements (CREs) that bind CREB and a neighboring Sp1 binding site are required for basal and cAMP-inducible CREB promoter activity. In contrast, CREB expression has been less well characterized in testis germ cells. We demonstrated that CREB and Sp1 are expressed in early germ cells only through the midpachytene stage of spermatogenesis. Furthermore, CREB promoter activity was induced over 70-fold by transient overexpression of Sp1 in SL2 cells, suggesting that Sp1 is an important regulator of CREB expression. Further studies of the CREB promoter revealed an additional regulatory element in the -130 region between the Sp1 and CREB transcription factor binding sites that is necessary for full promoter activity. Proteins expressed in Sertoli cells and germ cells bind specifically to the newly identified regulatory region. These studies suggest that proteins binding to Sp1 motifs and the -130 region are required to activate the CREB promoter.
Data harvesting with mobile elements in wireless sensor networks

In recent studies, using mobile elements (MEs) as mechanical carriers to relay data has been shown to be an effective way of prolonging sensor network life time and relaying information in partitioned networks. As the data generation rates of sensors may vary, some sensors need to be visited more frequently than others. In this paper, a partitioning-based algorithm is presented that schedules the movements of MEs in a sensor network such that there is no data loss due to buffer overflow. Simulation results show that the proposed Partitioning-Based Scheduling (PBS) algorithm performs well in terms of reducing the minimum required ME speed to prevent data loss, providing high predictability in inter-visit durations, and minimizing the data loss rate for the cases when the ME is constrained to move slower than the minimum required ME speed.
Validation and characterization of a human volunteer challenge model for cholera by using frozen bacteria of the new Vibrio cholerae epidemic serotype, O139.

Until recently, all epidemic strains of Vibrio cholerae were of the O1 serotype. Current epidemics have also been caused by a new serotype, Vibrio cholerae O139. Although the pathogenesis and clinical features of O139 cholera are similar to those of O1 cholera, immunity to serotype O1 does not confer immunity to serotype O139. Therefore, prior to beginning vaccine efficacy studies, we sought to validate the use of a large standardized frozen inoculum of virulent V. cholerae O139 4260B for use in a human volunteer challenge model. Healthy volunteers (n = 25) were recruited for an Internal Review Board-approved inpatient dose-escalation challenge. Our goal was to identify a dose at which the cholera attack rate and the geometric mean purge were sufficient for determining vaccine efficacy against moderate and severe disease. At a dose of 105 CFU, 8 of 10 volunteers experienced purging and had a positive stool culture for V. cholerae. However, at this dose, the geometric mean stool volume of 2,175 g was insufficient by study criteria. At a dose of 106 CFU, 14 of 15 volunteers experienced purging, with a geometric mean stool volume of 5,621 g. Disease severity was significantly greater in volunteers with blood group O than those with non-O blood types (10,353 g versus 3,555 g, P < 0.001). Following challenge, all volunteers demonstrated a significant rise in antitoxin antibodies but the serum vibriocidal titer was attenuated compared to that seen after challenge with an O1 strain. This model provides a reproducible illness of sufficient severity for testing the efficacies of new O139 or combined O1-O139 vaccines.
AJIL Review of Mark Drumbl's Atrocity, Punishment, and International Law (2007)

This brief review of Mark Drumbl's recent work, Atrocity, Punishment, and International Law (2007), explains the author's project and how it fits into the contemporary literature on international criminal law. Marked by prodigious research and rigorous interdisciplinary analysis, Drumbl persuasively critiques the predilection for ICL as the default response to mass atrocity; offers cautionary lessons about the limits and dangers of ICL; and provides an original argument for a more pluralistic, cosmopolitan response to mass atrocity that welcomes diverse, in situ justice modalities, subject to prudent qualifications. I think that he tends to be overly optimistic about those modalities and that the indigenous traditions to which he recommends qualified deference will in practice prove more problematic and subject to abuse than he sometimes seems to suppose. Also, reflection on the penological issues raised by ICL in the strict sense will require more precise and methodical analytic distinctions before they can be genuinely helpful to the ICL sentencing process. But above all, I think, Drumbl's work suggests the limits of ex post legal responses to mass atrocity generally rather than of ICL in particular. ICL's principal goal should be to contribute to a normative climate sufficient to compel genuinely effective international legal responses to prevent or forestall mass atrocity - so that retrospective transitional justice of any sort will be understood as the moral failure it so often reflects.
Changes in protein composition of meiotic nodules during mammalian meiosis

Homologous chromosome synapsis and meiotic recombination are facilitated by several meiosis-specific structures: the synaptonemal complex (SC), and two types of meiotic nodules: (1) early meiotic nodules (MNs), also called zygotene nodules or early recombination nodules, and (2) late recombination nodules (RNs). The former are thought to be nucleoprotein complexes involved in the check for homology preceding, or accompanying synapsis, while the latter have been shown to be involved in reciprocal recombination. We have examined by immunocytochemistry the meiotic localization of a series of proteins at sites along the asynapsed axial elements prior to homologous synapsis and at sites along the SCs following synapsis. Several of the proteins examined have been implicated in repair/recombination and include RAD51, a mammalian homolog of the Escherichia coli RecA protein; Replication Protein-A (RPA), a single-strand DNA binding protein; and MLH1, a mismatch repair protein which is a homolog of the E. coli MutL protein. In addition two proteins were examined that have been implicated in meiotic checkpoints: ATM, the protein mutated in the human disease Ataxia Telangiectasia, and ATR, another member of the same family of PIK kinases. We present evidence that these proteins are all components of meiotic nodules and document changes in protein composition of these structures during zygonema and pachynema of meiotic prophase in mouse spermatocytes. These studies support the supposition that a subset of MNs are converted into RNs. However, our data also demonstrate changes in protein composition within the context of early MNs, suggesting a differentiation of these nodules during the process of synapsis. The same changes in protein composition occurred on both the normal X axis, which has no homologous pairing partner in spermatocytes, and on the axes of aberrant chromosomes that nonhomologously synapse during synaptic adjustment. These findings suggest that DNA sequences associated with MNs still must undergo an obligatory processing, even in the absence of interactions between homologous chromosomes.
Some Physical and Physiological Factors Affecting Poultry Bruises

Abstract BRUISED tissue is condemned by the Federal Poultry Inspectors and hence must be excised resulting in lower yield and reduced return. Ringrose (1953) and Kaiser and Smith (1958) reported that bruising is one of the major causes of downgrading of broilers. Hamdy et al. (1961) found that 90% of these bruises were inflicted between zero and 13 hours before slaughtering the birds indicating that most of these damaged areas are contused during catching, loading, unloading and hanging on the processing lines. It has been estimated that the loss and damage to the commercial broiler industry, due to bruising, may exceed two million dollars annually in the State of Georgia alone, yet limited reports are available concerning the morphological, pathological and biochemical changes occurring in poultry bruises. Hamdy et al. (1957c) observed that the time required for the gross changes to occur in livestock bruises was subject to variation and that…
Photoluminescence and Structure of Chemically Etched Si

We demonstrate for the first time that chemical etching of Si in HF-HNO3-based solution without applying bias can produce a room temperature photoluminescent porous Si layer. Scanning electron microscope studies reveal a surface morphology similar to that of the conventionally anodized porous Si. The formation mechanism of the chemically etched (CE) film can be explained by a local anodization concept. X-ray diffraction studies on the luminescent CE porous Si show a broad amorphous peak.
Hydrothermal Transformations in Candidate Overpack Materials and their Effects on Cesium and Strontium Sorption

Clay minerals such as montmorillonites and vermiculites, and zeolites that are candidate overpack materials, such as clinoptilolite, chabazite, phillipsite, mordenite, and erionite were treated und...
Treatment of Menstrual-Related Migraine

A review and meta-analysis of therapy trials for menstrual-related migraine headache (MRM) and evidence-based recommendations for acute and short-term preventive treatment are reported from Toronto Western Hospital, ON, Canada.
Efficient Anonymous Message Submission

In online surveys, many people are reluctant to provide true answers due to privacy concerns. Thus, anonymity is important for online message collection. Existing solutions let each member blindly shuffle the submitted messages by using an IND-CCA2 secure cryptosystem. In the end, the message sender's identities are protected since no one knows the message submission order. These approaches cannot efficiently handle groups of large size. In this paper, we propose an efficient anonymous message submission protocol aimed at a practical group size. Our protocol is based on a secret sharing scheme and a symmetric key cryptosystem. We propose a novel method to aggregate members’ messages into a message vector such that a group member knows only his own position in the submission sequence. The protocol is accountable for capturing malicious members breaking the protocol execution. We provide a theoretical proof showing that our protocol is anonymous under malicious attacks. We also discuss our simulation results to demonstrate the efficiency of our protocol.