cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Long-Term Assessment of Macular Atrophy in Patients with Age-Related Macular Degeneration Receiving Anti–Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor

Purpose Although intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) injection has become the mainstay treatment for neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD), emerging studies suggest that anti-VEGF may be correlated with the development of macular atrophy (MA) in chronic therapy. The purpose of the current study is to determine the prevalence and progression of MA in nAMD treated with chronic anti-VEGF in a routine clinical practice. Design Retrospective cohort. Participants Patients with nAMD who were previously treatment-naive and treated with anti-VEGF at the Cole Eye Institute for at least 4 years. Methods This is chart review on anti-VEGF treated patients with nAMD with baseline and yearly follow-up spectral domain-OCT for at least 4 years. Retinal pigment epithelium subillumination analysis was used to automate identification of atrophy. Segmentation errors were manually corrected by 4 expert raters using a standardized grading protocol to quantify MA size. Patient baseline characteristics and treatment course were analyzed to identify predictive factors for the development of MA. Main Outcome Measures MA growth rate and prevalence in cohorts with and without baseline atrophy. Results A total of 79 eyes from 66 patients (79.8±7.4 years, 63% were female) with nAMD and 4 years of follow-up with anti-VEGF injections were identified. The mean baseline visual acuity was 0.48±0.25 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (20/60 Snellen equivalent), and the mean final visual acuity was 0.48±0.49 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (20/44 Snellen equivalent, P = 0.23). The average number of injections was 19.8±9.8. MA was observed in 12.7% of eyes at baseline with an average annual growth rate of 0.7±0.5 mm2. In eyes without baseline MA, atrophy developed in 53.6% eyes by year 4 with a growth rate of 0.2±0.4 mm2 per year. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that the progression of MA was positively correlated with age (R = 0.02, P = 0.009). Conclusions More than half of patients with nAMD treated with anti-VEGF injections for 4 years developed new MA. Atrophy progression was most strongly correlated with age, which suggests that baseline disease characteristics may be more predictive of MA progression than cumulative anti-VEGF treatment.
SpEED-IoT: Spectrum aware energy efficient routing for device-to-device IoT communication

Abstract In order to meet the growing demands for high-throughput, cost-effective, and energy efficient solution for the emerging device-to-device (D2D) based Internet of Things (IoT) communication, Dynamic Spectrum Access (DSA) and sharing based protocols have been proposed. However, due to the temporal and spatial transience of spectrum utilization by licensed incumbents, optimal spectrum resource management becomes critical for: (a) effective D2D communication without disrupting the licensed incumbents, and (b) sustained operation in a multi-hop mesh environment due to the inherent energy constraint of IoT devices. In this paper, we propose SpEED-IoT: Sp ectrum aware E nergy- E fficient multi-hop multi-channel routing scheme for D 2D communication in IoT mesh network. We assume the knowledge of a radio environment map (REM) obtained through dedicated spectrum sensors that capture the spatio-temporal spectrum usage. We exploit such REMs to propose a multi-hop routing scheme that finds the: (a) best route, (b) best available channels at each hop along the route, and (c) optimal transmission power for each hop. SpEED-IoT also employs an evolutionary game theoretic route allocation model to sustain parallel D2D communication. SpEED-IoT ensures: (i) licensed incumbent protection, (ii) IoT device energy preservation, (iii) effective end-to-end data rate optimization, and (iv) fast convergence and fair route assignment among interfering D2D communications. Through simulation-driven GENI-based IoT testbed, we evaluate SpEED-IoT’s performance in terms of: (a) ensuring connectivity and reachability among the IoT devices under varying spectrum usage conditions, (b) data rate optimization of the assigned routes and the overall IoT network, (c) effectiveness in licensed incumbent protection, and (d) degree of fairness while assigning routes to multiple interfering devices.
The Identification and Potential Sources of Nitrated Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons (Nitro-PAH) in Diesel Particulate Extracts

HPLC procedures have been used to fractionate a diesel particulate extract into two non-polar, five moderately-polar and one polar chemical fraction. The moderately-polar fractions accounted for approximately 10% of the total extract mass and more than 60% of the total recovered extract Ames Salmonella TA98 mutagenicity. Approximately 200 nitro-PAH species were found to be present in the moderately-polar fractions as determined using GC2/nitrogen selective detection (ND) and GC2/MS procedures. Absolute isomer identification for approximately 25 of these compounds have been made by using GC retention times and low and high resolution mass spectra of synthesized standards as criteria. The chemistry of nitro-PAH formation and loss during combustion, in the tailpipe and during sampling is described.
Nonlinear Model Predictive Control of A Styrene Polymerization Reactor

In this paper we apply a multivariable nonlinear quadratic dynamic matrix control (NL-QDMC) strategy to the control of a styrene polymerization reactor. NL-QDMC is an extension of a well-known technique for handling constrained processes based on linear models (QDMC) to nonlinear models. The NL-QDMC algorithm incorporates an Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) to handle state variable and parameter estimation; also included is an integrated white noise disturbance model. We consider (through simulations) the control of polymer properties such as number average molecular weight (NAMW) and polydispersity or branching. Temperature and volume measurements are available frequently while concentration and molecular weight distribution measurements are only available every 30 minutes with a delay of 30 minutes. There will always be both parametric and structural uncertainty in any model-based estimation and control scheme. We illustrate the effect of model structure uncertainty by using a simplified model for the control strategy, and a more complex model for the “plant” (incorporating the “gel effect”, for example).
Nielsen Fixed Point Theory

Nielsen Fixed Point Theory combines the ideas of the Lefschetz Fixed Point Theorem with the fundamental group to produce a richer version of the Lefschetz Theory. Just as the Lefschetz theorem concerns the “Lefschetz number”, L ( f ) ∈ ℤ, associated with a suitable map f : X → X , Nielsen Theory produces an invariant called the “Reidemeister trace”, R ( f ), not a number but an element of a certain free Abelian group. In fact, R ( f ) depends on a base point v and a base path τ from v to f ( v ), so I will need notation later which acknowledges this; but not in this Introduction.
Potential and Limitations of Microbial Reductive Dechlorination for Bioremediation Applications

Current knowledge and recent advances in the area of microbial reductive dechlorination of polychlorinated organic compounds are summarized. Factors which may limit the efficacy of the dechlorination process for the in situ bioremediation of contaminated soil and sediment systems are identified. Results of recent studies on the anaerobic biotransformation of soil-sorbed chlorinated ethenes and sediment-sorbed chlorinated benzenes are provided to illustrate how low contaminant bioavailability may control the rate and extent of dechlorination in subsurface systems, especially those with long-term contamination. Use of nonionic, polysorbate surfactants as the sole electron donors of a mixed, methanogenic culture supported the microbial sequential reductive dechlorination of either free or sediment-bound hexachlorobenzene (HCB) to primarily 1,3-dichlorobenzene, but did not enhance the bioavailability of sediment-bound HCB as compared to microcosms, which used glucose. Because current knowledge on the interactions of dechlorinating populations with other microbial populations in the presence of alternative terminal electron acceptors (e.g., nitrate, Fe3+ , Mn4+) is limited, such interactions and their effect on the dechlorination process in subsurface systems need to be further explored to improve our understanding of the reductive dechlorination process in complex environmental systems and lead to the development of more efficient in situ bioremediation technologies and strategies.
Practical type inference for the gadt type system

Generalized algebraic data types (GADTs) are a type system extension to algebraic data types that allows the type of an algebraic data value to vary with its shape. The GADT type system allows programmers to express detailed program properties as types (for example, that a function should return a list of the same length as its input), and a general-purpose type checker will automatically check those properties at compile time. Type inference for the GADT type system and the properties of the type system are both currently areas of active research. In this dissertation, I attack both problems simultaneously by exploiting the symbiosis between type system research and type inference research. Deficiencies of GADT type inference algorithms motivate research on specific aspects of the type system, and discoveries about the type system bring in new insights that lead to improved GADT type inference algorithms. The technical contributions of this dissertation are therefore twofold: in addition to new GADT type system properties (such as the prevalence of pointwise type information flow in GADT patterns, a generalized notion of existential types, and the effects of enforcing the GADT branch reachability requirement), I will also present a new GADT type inference algorithm that is significantly more powerful than existing algorithms. These contributions should help programmers use the GADT type system more effectively, and they should also enable language implementers to provide better support for the GADT type system.
CSP: a novel system architecture for scalable internet and communication services

The boundary between the network edge and the front-end servers of the data center is blurring. Appliance vendors are flooding the market with new capabilities, while switch/router vendors scramble to add these services to their traditional transport services. The result of this competition is a set of ad-hoc technologies and capabilities to provide services at the network edge. This paper describes the Comm Services Platform (CSP); a system architecture for this new 'communication services tier' of the data center. CSP enumerates a set of architectural components to provide scalable communication services built from standard building blocks that utilize emerging server, I/O and network technologies. The building blocks of CSP include a System Area Network, the Virtual Interface Architecture, programmable network processors, and standard high-density servers.
Attribute-Based Encryption: Applications and Future Directions

This survey focuses on the cryptographic access control technique, attribute-based encryption (ABE), its applications and future directions. Since its inception, there has been a tremendous interest in applying this technique to solve various problems related to access control. Significant research efforts have been devoted to design efficient constructions and operational parameters to suit various applications. The main functionality of ABE is to enforce cryptographic access control with help of policies specified over a set of system defined attributes. A key generator maps the attributes, in an access policy, into encryption and decryption keys for a resource access request. ABE is categorized into Key-Policy ABE (KP-ABE) and Cipher-text Policy ABE (CP-ABE), depending on the approach used to map the attributes to the encryption and decryption keys. Implementations of ABE have relied on mathematical primitives such as elliptic curves, pairing functions, generalized secret sharing notions and on the hardness of problems like computing discrete logarithm and computational Diffie-Hellman problem over elliptic curves. As they are essentially public-key systems, these schemes are usually proven secure under the semantically secure adaptive chosen cipher-text attack (IND-CCA). ABE has been utilized in solving a number of problems in different application domains including network privacy, broadcast encryption for on-demand television programming, health data access control, cloud security, and verifiable computation. In this survey, we discuss the evolution of ABE, covering significant developments in this area, the applications of ABE across various domains, and the future directions for ABE.
P31. Intraoperative complications and neurologic changes following posterior thoracic corpectomies via a costotransversectomy type approach

BACKGROUND CONTEXT Iatrogenic cord injuries, dural tears, and pleural injuries are operative risks associated with thoracic corpectomies via costotransversectomy approaches (TCCA). Few studies have comprehensively described the rates of intra-operative complications including motor score changes, intraoperative neuromonitoring changes, dural tears, and pleural injuries. PURPOSE We seek to describe the rates and sequelae of changes to lower extremity motor score (LEMS), neuromonitoring signal changes, dural tears and pleural injuries in patients undergoing TCCA. STUDY DESIGN/SETTING Retrospective chart review conducted at a single academic referral center. PATIENT SAMPLE A total of 118 consecutive patients undergoing TCCA over a 10-year period with documented preoperative and post-operative motor examinations. OUTCOME MEASURES Outcomes included documented LEMS (out of 50) and intraoperative neuromonitoring changes. Pleural and dural injuries and subsequent treatment were assessed. METHODS Data were retrospectively collected from operative notes, intraoperative neuromonitoring reports, and the post-operative inpatient and outpatient clinical notes. Preoperative LEMS greater than or equal to 48 were considered intact. Post-operative LEMS were categorized into improved, unchanged or lower as compared to the preoperative scores. Categorical data was assessed with the Fisher's Exact test. Significance was set at p=0.05. RESULTS Lower extremity motor scores: Of the 118 patients, 68 were intact pre-operatively and 50 were not intact. Four percent of non-intact patients demonstrated a declining post-operative examination as compared to 14.7% of intact patients (p CONCLUSIONS Most patients undergoing TCCA procedures have unchanged or improved LEMS by discharge. Approximately 10% of patients had an initial decline in their LEMS with less than 3% of patients demonstrating lasting decline in neurologic status at final follow-up. Most neuromonitoring changes occurred at the time of corpectomy or graft/cage placement. Intraoperative pleural and dural injures during these procedures generally only require simple routine treatment. This information can be valuable in counseling patients regarding the risk of neurologic outcome, dural tear, and pleural injury following TCCA. FDA DEVICE/DRUG STATUS This abstract does not discuss or include any applicable devices or drugs.
California's Vision for Reaching Zero-Carbon Emissions

In “The 100 Percent Clean Energy Act of 2018” the California legislature set a target of 100% of California's electricity generated from renewable and zero-carbon sources by 2045. The California Public Utility Commission (CPUC) and other state entities now have the task of planning to meet that target. The California Energy Commission (CEC) has sponsored multiple studies and sought public input on the pathways that they are exploring. A key result of that planning process is a Reference System Portfolio (RSP) based on existing and planned electricity generating capabilities, and modeled grid build out to meet the planned targets by 2045 at the lowest cost. Although this RSP has been discussed by the CEC in a public forum, to our knowledge, it has not been presented to the photovoltaic community. Here we document the CEC's current RSP, with emphasis on understanding their expectations for build out of solar as well as the associated need for storage and curtailment.
Tolvaptan vs. furosemide‐based diuretic regimens in patients hospitalized for heart failure with hyponatremia (AQUA‐AHF)

AIMS Hyponatremia is associated with poorer outcomes and diuretic response in patients hospitalized for heart failure. This study compared a tolvaptan-based vs. furosemide-based diuretic regimen on short-term clinical responses in hyponatremic acute heart failure. METHODS AND RESULTS Prospective, randomized, open-label, parallel-group, single-centre study comparing oral tolvaptan vs. continuous infusion furosemide. Thirty-three subjects requiring hospitalization for acute congestive heart failure, and a serum sodium < 135 mmol/L, were randomized to tolvaptan 30 mg orally daily or furosemide 5 mg/h intravenously for initial 24 h, after which treatments could be escalated. Median daily dose throughout was tolvaptan 30 mg and furosemide 120 mg, with four subjects in each group requiring dose escalation. Urine output and net fluid balance were not different between groups at 24 h or subsequent time points up to 96 h. Changes in estimated glomerular filtration rate were comparable. Cystatin C improved at 24 h with tolvaptan compared with furosemide (-6.4 ± 11.8 vs. 4.1 ± 17.2% change, P = 0.036), but the effect was transient. No significant between group differences were seen for NT-proBNP, plasma renin activity, or urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin:Cr. Serum sodium, as well as copeptin levels, increased with tolvaptan compared with furosemide. CONCLUSIONS Oral tolvaptan was associated with similar, but not superior, diuresis compared with intravenous furosemide for acute heart failure with concomitant hyponatremia.
Modeling stochastic mortality for joint lives through subordinators

Abstract There is a burgeoning literature on mortality models for joint lives. In this paper, we propose a new model in which we use time-changed Brownian motion with dependent subordinators to describe the mortality of joint lives. We then employ this model to estimate the mortality rate of joint lives in a well-known Canadian insurance data set. Specifically, we first depict an individual’s death time as the stopping time when the value of the hazard rate process first reaches or exceeds an exponential random variable, and then introduce the dependence through dependent subordinators. Compared with existing mortality models, this model better interprets the correlation of death between joint lives, and allows more flexibility in the evolution of the hazard rate process. Empirical results show that this model yields highly accurate estimations of mortality compared to the baseline non-parametric (Dabrowska) estimation.
Machine Learning Reveals Modules of Economic Behavior Regulated by Genetic and Parental Effects in Foraging Mice

Complex ethological behavior patterns could be constructed from modules that are discrete functional units of behavior. Here, we test this idea for foraging and develop a paradigm to dissect rich foraging patterns in mice. We uncover discrete behavioral modules linked to round trip excursions from the home. Machine learning reveals 59 modules across different genetic backgrounds and ages. Different modules develop at different ages and are linked to different aspects of economic behavior, including memory, reward, risk and effort responses. Crosses of distant mouse strains reveal that parental and genetic effects shape different foraging patterns by altering module expression, and parental effects grow stronger with age. Specific modules, genes and pathways are found to be sensitive to parental effects. One candidate gene, Magel2, is linked to Prader-Willi Syndrome and shaped the expression of specific modules at later ages. Our results reveal building blocks for normal and abnormal economic behavior patterns.
The limits of interpretation. A reading of Bion’s “On Arrogance”

When re-read today, “On arrogance”, a very brief paper Bion wrote in 1958, reveals its extraordinary topicality. We can think of it both as a commentary on Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex and as an essay on...
Agriculture’s Moral Dilemmas

This chapter is a description not a prescription of agriculture’s most significant moral dilemmas, including a discussion of sustainability, which everyone favors. The agricultural community’s view that what must be sustained is production is contrasted with other views that the environment, other creatures, public health, small farms, and rural communities must be considered. Production is important but other criteria should often be primary. Biotechnology, the new, exciting scientific frontier in agriculture, and other disciplines are discussed. Significant questions about the purpose of biotechnology are explored.
Equilibrium Constants for Condensed-Phase Chemical Reactions, Response of Chemical Reactions to Temperature, and Le Chatelier’s Principle

The material presented in this lecture is adapted from Chapter 16 in T&M. In addition, Tables 33.1 and 33.2 are adapted from Introduction to Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics, Fourth Edition, by J.M. Smith and H.C. Van Ness, McGraw-Hill Book Company, NY (1987). First, we will complete our discussion of equilibrium constants that we began in Lecture 32. Specifically, we will discuss the equilibrium constant of a condensed (liquid or solid)-phase chemical reaction. Second, we will discuss how to determine the standard molar Gibbs free energy of reaction, including decomposing it into enthalpic and entropic contributions which can be calculated using results presented in Part I. Knowledge of the standard molar Gibbs free energy of reaction will then allow us to determine the equilibrium constant of the chemical reaction. Third, we will discuss how a chemical reaction responds to temperature, including classifying it as exothermic or endothermic. Finally, we will discuss Le Chatelier’s Principle.
Imaging 6-Phosphogluconolactonase Activity in Brain Tumors In Vivo Using Hyperpolarized δ-[1-13C]gluconolactone.

Author(s): Batsios, Georgios; Taglang, Celine; Cao, Peng; Gillespie, Anne Marie; Najac, Chloe; Subramani, Elavarasan; Wilson, David M; Flavell, Robert R; Larson, Peder EZ; Ronen, Sabrina M; Viswanath, Pavithra | Abstract: IntroductionThe pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) is essential for NADPH generation and redox homeostasis in cancer, including glioblastomas. However, the precise contribution to redox and tumor proliferation of the second PPP enzyme 6-phosphogluconolactonase (PGLS), which converts 6-phospho-δ-gluconolactone to 6-phosphogluconate (6PG), remains unclear. Furthermore, non-invasive methods of assessing PGLS activity are lacking. The goal of this study was to examine the role of PGLS in glioblastomas and assess the utility of probing PGLS activity using hyperpolarized δ-[1-13C]gluconolactone for non-invasive imaging.MethodsTo interrogate the function of PGLS in redox, PGLS expression was silenced in U87, U251 and GS2 glioblastoma cells by RNA interference and levels of NADPH and reduced glutathione (GSH) measured. Clonogenicity assays were used to assess the effect of PGLS silencing on glioblastoma proliferation. Hyperpolarized δ-[1-13C]gluconolactone metabolism to 6PG was assessed in live cells treated with the chemotherapeutic agent temozolomide (TMZ) or with vehicle control. 13C 2D echo-planar spectroscopic imaging (EPSI) studies of hyperpolarized δ-[1-13C]gluconolactone metabolism were performed on rats bearing orthotopic glioblastoma tumors or tumor-free controls on a 3T spectrometer. Longitudinal 2D EPSI studies of hyperpolarized δ-[1-13C]gluconolactone metabolism and T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were performed in rats bearing orthotopic U251 tumors following treatment with TMZ to examine the ability of hyperpolarized δ-[1-13C]gluconolactone to report on treatment response.ResultsPGLS knockdown downregulated NADPH and GSH, elevated oxidative stress and inhibited clonogenicity in all models. Conversely, PGLS expression and activity and steady-state NADPH and GSH were higher in tumor tissues from rats bearing orthotopic glioblastoma xenografts relative to contralateral brain and tumor-free brain. Importantly, [1-13C]6PG production from hyperpolarized δ-[1-13C]gluconolactone was observed in live glioblastoma cells and was significantly reduced by treatment with TMZ. Furthermore, hyperpolarized δ-[1-13C]gluconolactone metabolism to [1-13C]6PG could differentiate tumor from contralateral normal brain in vivo. Notably, TMZ significantly reduced 6PG production from hyperpolarized δ-[1-13C]gluconolactone at an early timepoint prior to volumetric alterations as assessed by anatomical imaging.ConclusionsCollectively, we have, for the first time, identified a role for PGLS activity in glioblastoma proliferation and validated the utility of probing PGLS activity using hyperpolarized δ-[1-13C]gluconolactone for non-invasive in vivo imaging of glioblastomas and their response to therapy.
A Fairness Analysis on Private Aggregation of Teacher Ensembles.

The Private Aggregation of Teacher Ensembles (PATE) is an important private machine learning framework. It combines multiple learning models used as teachers for a student model that learns to predict an output chosen by noisy voting among the teachers. The resulting model satisfies differential privacy and has been shown effective in learning high-quality private models in semisupervised settings or when one wishes to protect the data labels. This paper asks whether this privacy-preserving framework introduces or exacerbates bias and unfairness and shows that PATE can introduce accuracy disparity among individuals and groups of individuals. The paper analyzes which algorithmic and data properties are responsible for the disproportionate impacts, why these aspects are affecting different groups disproportionately, and proposes guidelines to mitigate these effects. The proposed approach is evaluated on several datasets and settings.
Regulation of the immune response: III. Effect of the “accelerated” response on hapten-carrier responses☆

Abstract Using a combination of in vivo and in vitro experiments it has been shown that increasing the anti-carrier (SRBC) response by inducing an “accelerated” response with low doses of antigen results in an increase in the anti-hapten response. Similarly, reducing the anti-carrier response either nonspecifically by means of antigenic competition or specifically with anticarrier antibody results in a concomitant reduction in the anti-hapten response. Carrier or helper function is thought to be a thymus cell function and the data are interpreted as showing that antigen dose can affect the proliferation of thymus-derived cells and may be a significant regulatory phenomenon.
Hemoglobin function in the horse: the role of 2,3-diphosphoglycerate in modifying the oxygen affinity of maternal and fetal blood.

The blood of the newborn horse was found the hemoglobins of the newborn and adult to have a higher affinity for oxygen than horse have been shown to be structurally that of the mother. This difference was due identical. Furthermore, phosphate-free to the fact that the red cells of newborn solutions of newborn and maternal hemofoals contained 36% lower 2,3-diphospho- globins had identical oxygen saturation glycerate (2,3-DPG) than red cells from curves in the absence and presence of their respective mares. The ATP levels of added 2,3-DPG. This study demonstrates foal and maternal red cells did not differ that, in contrast to other species. the insignificantly. Following birth a prompt rise creased oxygen affinity of horse fetal red in the foal’s red cell 2,3-DPG occurred. cells is due to a lower level of the cofactor approaching normal (maternal) levels 2,3-DPG rather than to the presence of within 5 days. Unlike many other species, fetal hemoglobin. T HE OXYGEN SATURATION CURVE ofthe blood ofnewborn humans is shifted to the left of maternal blood, signifying increased affinity for oxygen.’ This phenomenon has also been demonstrated in a variety of other mammalian species including monkeys, rabbits, pigs, elephants, camelidae, and ruminants.”2 The higher oxygen affinity of fetal blood has been considered physiologically advantageous in facilitating oxygen transport across the placenta. In many species including man, hemoglobins of fetal blood differ struc
Visual illusions and neurobiology

The complex structure of the visual system is sometimes exposed by its illusions. The historical study of systematic misperceptions, combined with a recent explosion of techniques to measure and stimulate neural activity, has provided a rich source for guiding neurobiological frameworks and experiments.
Abstract W MP4: Psychometric Evaluation of an Instrument to Assess Perceived Benefits and Barriers to Exercise for Stroke Prevention among African Americans

Exercise can reduce the risk of stroke and identifying perceived benefits and barriers to exercise relevant to African Americans (AA) may contribute to ways to facilitate exercise participation. However, standardized instruments to assess exercise beliefs for stroke prevention have not been well tested in AA. Purpose: To examine the psychometric properties of the Exercise Benefits and Barriers for Stroke Prevention Scale (EBBSP), a combination of the perceived benefits and barriers subscales from the Cerebrovascular Attitudes and Beliefs Scale - Revised and the Health Beliefs Related to Cardiovascular Disease Scale, adapted for stroke. Methods: A non-random sample of 66 at risk, young to middle-aged AA completed the EBBSP, a 16-item self-report, 5-point Likert scale. Cronbach's alpha procedure tested reliabilities and principal components analysis with varimax rotation was employed to assess construct validity. Self-report measures of current exercise performance and future intentions to exercise were adm...
How 'Bad Law, Bad Economics and Bad Policy' Positively Shaped Corporate Behavior

The Delaware Supreme Court, known as one of the premier business courts in the country, has been instrumental in shaping the development of corporate law. In 2003, the court issued Omnicare, Inc. v. NCS Healthcare, Inc., an opinion that still remains one of the most controversial mergers and acquisitions decisions. While the Omnicare decision has been heavily criticized and many have called for its subsequent reversal, it continues to be good law. In conjunction with the 10-year anniversary of the court’s decision, this article addresses the impact Omnicare has had on M&A activity and how it has shaped modern corporate policy and decision-making. In re-evaluating this controversial decision, this article also takes a different perspective than most prior scholarship, discussing Omnicare’s contributions to the development of improved standards of director conduct. Despite its many detractors, the majority opinion positively influenced director decision-making in one of the most important events in the life of a corporation – the merger. By requiring a higher standard of director conduct in approving deal protection devices and holding directors accountable for their decisions, Omnicare can, and should, be viewed as a normatively good decision, advancing proper corporate governance norms and the policy of protecting stockholder interests. Relatedly, this article discusses whether these normative rules are efficient – do the gains to stockholders resulting from Omnicare’s preferred director conduct exceed the costs they impose?
The role of pulsed power in international security and counter terrorism

Advanced technologies, including pulsed power, play a vital role in preserving domestic and international security while working to counter terrorism. However, technology is not a universal sword and shield against terrorism. Technical countermeasures to terrorist activities must be cost effective and applied with some wisdom about terrorist objectives. The following paper features insightful perspectives on terrorism and terrorist organizations. The role of science and technology, as a tool against terrorism, is also discussed and examples of applied pulsed power technology are presented.
A cascade model for neutrally buoyant dispersed two-phase homogeneous turbulence—I. Model formulation

Abstract This work proposes a cascade model approach to describe two-phase turbulent flows of neutrally buoyant liquid dispersions for high dispersed phase fractions. A continuum framework is selected for the representation of the mean flow momentum and continuity equations. The cascade model of Desnyansky & Novikov is extended to describe the energy spectrum and eddy intermittency in the presence of a dispersed phase. The Reynolds stress in the mean balance equation is related to the cascade variables by a spectral eddy viscosity model. A population balance is formulated for each eddy size. This approach permits the specification of the immediate environment of the drop processes modeled in the population balance. Specific drop-eddy events such as grazing collisions, drop entrapment and eddy shattering are suggested and their effects on the turbulent spectrum, eddy intermittencies and drop size distributions are examined. The energy, intermittency and population balance equations modified to include the effects of drop-eddy interactions form the proposed two-phase cascade model for homogeneous, neutrally buoyant, turbulent dispersions.
An integrated approach to mapping the proteome of the human bone marrow stromal cell

Bone marrow stromal cells, also known as mesenchymal stem or progenitor cells, are thought to play a critical role in hematopoiesis. Because hematopoiesis is dysregulated in leukemic individuals, expression profiling in leukemic stromal cells might yield valuable insights into mechanisms of normal and dysregulated hematopoiesis. Here, proteomics was used to identify expressed proteins in normal and leukemic bone marrow stromal cells. Isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ) technology and MS/MS were used to identify and quantify proteins in bone marrow stromal cells from two normal and two leukemic individuals. Approximately 900 distinct proteins were identified with >95% confidence, 73 of which were differentially expressed in leukemic stromal cells. cDNA microarray analysis on Affymetrix oligonucleotide gene chips showed that transcripts correlated with approximately 90% of the expressed proteins. A novel integrated approach for mining and visualization of iTRAQ data is presented. The results provide an initial assessment of the proteome in human bone marrow stromal cells, laying the groundwork for comprehensive analysis of the proteome in these cells, and ultimately, for improved understanding of normal and dysregulated hematopoiesis.
Development and Fabrication of Nanoporous Silicon-based Bioreactors within a Microfluidic Chip

Multi-scale lithography and cryogenic deep reactive ion etching techniques were used to create ensembles of nanoporous, picolitre volume, reaction vessels within a microfluidic system. The fabrication of these vessels is described and how this process can be used to tailor vessel porosity by controlling the width of slits that constitute the vessel pores is demonstrated. Control of pore size allows the containment of nucleic acids and enzymes that are the foundation of biochemical reaction systems, while allowing smaller reaction constituents to traverse the container membrane and continuously supply the reaction. In this work, a 5.4 kb DNA plasmid was retained within the reaction vessels and labeled under microfluidic control with ethidium bromide as an initial proof-of-principle. Subsequently, a coupled enzyme reaction, in which glucose oxidase (GOX) and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) were contained and fed with a substrate solution of glucose and Amplex Red™ to produce fluorescent resorufin, was carried out under microfluidic control and monitored using fluorescent microscopy. The fabrication techniques presented are broadly applicable and can be adapted to produce devices in which a variety of high aspect ratio, nanoporous silicon structures can be integrated within a microfluidic network. The devices shown here are amenable to being scaled in number and organized to implement more complex reaction systems for applications in sensing and actuation as well as fundamental studies of biological reaction systems.
Optimization methods for electric utility resource planning

Abstract Electric utility resource planning is the selection of power generation and energy efficiency (conservation) resources to meet customer demands for electricity over a multi-decade time horizon. Because investments in these resources are large, electric utilities became one of the earliest users of optimization methods. The industry is now an eager consumer of the operations researcher's wares, and is a continual source of stimulating problems. The first purpose of this review is to examine how the needs of utility planners for optimization models have changed in response to environmental concerns, increased competition, and growing uncertainty. The second purpose is to survey the range of models that have developed in response to those needs, and to identify gaps requiring further research.
Infantile sexuality in monkeys.

Developmental patterns of sexuality for young male and female rhesus monkeys are illustrated. These patterns show oral, anal, and phallic components, in a manner reminiscent of Freud's postulated stages of human psychosexual development. Unequivocal sex differences exist at early ages. Significantly more pelvic thrusting is demonstrated by young males. Infantile female monkeys rarely exhibit male-type behavior, and males rarely exhibit responses of females. “Inappropriate” sexual posturing is seen in young monkeys prior to effective adult-type genital approximation. This is easily demonstrated by photographs taken during monkey “play periods.” Evidence is presented that a biological power exists which underlies a monkey's reproductive ends, independent of “training.” These findings may bear significance with respect to human sexuality.
Toy Talk: Simple Strategies to Create Richer Grammatical Input

Purpose The purpose of this initial feasibility study was to determine whether brief instruction in toy talk would change grammatical properties of adult language, specifically 3rd person lexical n...
Performance assessment of wood, metal and composite baseball bats

Abstract The purpose of this investigation was to develop and verify a predictive capability of determining baseball bat performance. The technique employs a dynamic finite element code with time dependent baseball properties. The viscoelastic model accommodates energy loss associated with the baseball's speed dependent coefficient of restitution (COR). An experimental test machine was constructed to simulate the ball–bat impact conditions in a controlled environment and determine the dynamic properties of the baseball. The model has found good agreement with the experimental data for a number of impact locations, impact speeds, bat models and ball types. The increased hitting speed generally associated with aluminum bats is apparent, but not for impacts inside of the sweet spot. A reinforcing strategy is proposed to improve the durability of wood bats and is shown to have a minimal effect on its hitting performance. The utility of using a constant bat swing speed to compare response of different bat types is also discussed.
Depressive disorders in maltreated children

This study examined the prevalence of depressive disorders in a sample of 56 7- to 12-year-old maltreated children. Overall, 18% of the sample met the diagnostic criteria for major depression, and 25% met the criteria for dysthymia, with the majority of the children who met the criteria for major depression also meeting the criteria for dysthymia. Ratings of the different types of maltreatment children experienced, together with measures of the children's social supports, attributional style, and cortisol secretion were examined to determine which maltreated children were most likely to evidence a depressive disorder. A discriminant analysis conducted using a subset of these measures correctly classified 91% of the sample in terms of their diagnostic status. Language: en
Visualisation d'écoulements turbulents avec ébullition sous-refroidie dans un canal rectangulaire

La comprehension et determination precise d'ecoulements avec ebullition sous-refroidie sont de prime importance dans de nombreux domaines d'applications. Le developpement de modeles d'ecoulements sous-refroidis pour la conception de reacteurs nucleaires, generateurs de vapeur, systemes de refrigerations est une tâche importante. La plupart de ces modeles est basee sur des techniques experimentales qui toutes utilisent des probes pour obtenir des mesures ponctuelles avec grande resolution temporelle. Cependant, il y a un manque concernant des experiences capables de capturer instantanement des mesures globales en des temps de reponse tres courts. Dans cet article, la Velocimetrie Par Suivi de Particule (PTV) est employee pour surmonter les contraintes associees avec les techniques de mesures ponctuelles. La PTV est une technique fournissant instantanement les vecteurs-vitesse d'un champ complet avec une haute resolution spatio-temporelle. La PTV est egalement un outil performant pour l'analyse d'ecoulements avec ebullition de par sa capacite a distinguer les phases liquide et vapeur, permettant ainsi d'obtenir les champs de vitesse pour chaque phase independamment. Dans cette etude, le champ de vitesse liquide d'un ecoulement turbulent avec ebullition sous-refroidie dans un canal rectangulaire a ete obtenu par PTV. Les resultats presentent un bon accord avec des etudes similaires employant des techniques de mesures ponctuelles. De plus, la PTV fournit des informations supplementaires : en plus des profils moyens de vitesse, les champs bidimensionnels sont disponibles avec une grande resolution spatio-temporelle. L'analyse des fluctuations de vitesses, des tensions de Reynolds, des moments statistiques d'ordre eleve des ecoulements est presentee. Ce travail s'inscrit dans un effort pour ameliorer les modeles de turbulence dans les ecoulements avec ebullition sous-refroidie.
Extracellular Ca2+-sensing receptors--an overview.

Abstract Extracellular Ca 2+ -sensing receptors (CaRs) are the molecular basis by which specialized cells detect and respond to changes in the extracellular [Ca 2+ ] ([Ca 2+ ] o ). CaRs belong to the family C of G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). Activation of CaRs triggers signaling pathways that modify numerous cell functions. Multiple ligands regulate the activation of CaRs including multivalent cations, l -amino acids, and changes in ionic strength and pH. CaRs in parathyroid cells play a central role in systemic Ca 2+ homeostasis in terrestrial tetrapods. Mutations of the CaR gene in humans cause diseases in which serum and urine [Ca 2+ ] and parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels are altered. CaR homologues are also expressed in organs critical to Ca 2+ transport in ancient and modern fish, suggesting that similar receptors may have long been involved in Ca 2+ homeostasis in lower vertebrates before parathyroid glands developed in terrestrial vertebrates. CaR mRNA and protein are also expressed in tissues not directly involved in Ca 2+ homeostasis. This implies that there may be other biological roles for CaRs. Studies of CaR-knockout mice confirm the importance of CaRs in the parathyroid gland and kidney. The functions of CaRs in tissues other than kidney and parathyroid gland, however, remain to be elucidated.
Growth of AlInAs and heterostructures on InP by OMVPE

Abstract AlInAs epilayers and GaInAs/AlInAs quantum well structures were grown on InP substrates by organometallic vapor phase epitaxy (OMVPE) using trimethylaluminum, trimethylindium, triethylgallium and arsine in a vertical reactor at reduced pressure. A smooth and flat surface was achieved at a substrate temperature of around 650°C. From double crystal X-ray rocking curves, a narrow linewidth of 24 arc sec was obtained from a 1 μm thick AlInAs epilayer, where that of the InP substrate was 14 arc sec. The variation of the lattice mismatch of the AlInAs epilayer with respect to the InP substrate was less than 5 × 10 −4 across a 2-inch diameter substrate. In photoluminescence (PL) measurements at 4.2 K, an excitonic transition with a linewidth of 12 meV was observed from the AlInAs epilayer grown at 650°C with a high V/III ratio of 225. This linewidth is the narrowest ever reported for the AlInAs epilayer grown by OMVPE. We also observed a strong and narrow emission from PL measurements for a GaInAs/AlInAs single quantum well as thin as 6 A with an energy shift of 645 meV from a GaInAs bulk bandgap at 4.2 K. Further, we obtained an excellent uniformity of single quantum wells evaluated by PL peak energy fluctuation across a 2-inch diameter substrate. In the doping study for AlInAs epilayers using disilane, an improved doping efficiency was achieved at a higher V/III ratio. The doping efficiency in AlInAs had a larger dependence on the substrate temperature than that in GaAs.
Computational Complexity of Algebraic Functions

Abstract We consider algebraic functions that are rational functions of roots (of various degrees) of rational functions of indeterminates. We associate a cost C(d) with the extraction of a dth root and assume that C satisfies certain natural axioms. We show that the minimum cost of computing a finite set of algebraic functions of the form considered is C(d 1 ) + … + C(d r ) , where d 1 … d r are the torsion orders of the Galois group of the extension generated by the functions.
RECENT FOCUS RESULTS ON CHARM MIXING

We present the recent result on CP mixing based on a high statistics photoproduced charm sample collected by the FOCUS experiment. We compare the lifetimes of two neutral D meson decays: D0→K- π+ and D0→K-K+. A mixing parameter for the neutral D system (yCP) is obtained under the assumption that K-π+ is an equal mixture of CP odd and even eigenstates.
Benzene dilution shifts and steric interactions in N,N-dialkylamides

The NMR spectra of ten disubstituted amides have been recorded at 0°C in carbon tetrachloride and in benzene solutions. The benzene dilution shifts (ASIS) and proton spin decoupling were used to make the chemical shift assignments. A time-averaged solvent cluster model for the association between the amide and benzene is consistent with the observed ASIS values. The assignments for the N-methine and N-methyl resonance peaks in RCON[CH(CH3)2]2, where R is methyl, ethyl or propyl are inverted from the assignments for N,N-diisopropylformamide (R H).
Development of a New Device for In-Vitro Simulation of Upper Extremity Fractures

Upper extremity fractures are common among all age groups, and distal radius fractures are the most prevalent type of fracture among individuals younger than 75 [1]. In 1999 the US Consumer Product Safety Commission estimated that approximately 117,000 emergency room visits were the result of a fall event at a playground [2]. The increased popularity of activities such as inline skating, snowboarding and skateboarding in the aging population has been correlated with increased numbers of upper extremity fractures, as these activities have a high fracture risk [3]. While personal protective equipment such as wrist guards and elbow pads may alter fracture risk, little is known about fall biomechanics and the effects of a fall arrest on the upper extremity.Copyright © 2007 by ASME