cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Continuity and Change: Black Entrepreneurship in South Africa

One of the most under-appreciated consequences of the transition from apartheid to non-racial democracy in South Africa is the unprecedented rise in the number and relative economic and political power of black entrepreneurs in various sectors of the economy from which they were previously excluded by over 800 laws and by social conventions. This change is occurring probably faster than was the case for previously excluded populations in the United States, Brazil, Malaysia, and certainly in Namibia, Zimbabwe and even several other non-settler African countries at comparable periods in their post-liberation experiences. This runs counter to the deafening but short-sighted claims that black business development or "black economic empowerment" (BEE) specifically, has benefited a few politically-connected "fat cats." Along with about 400,000 new black entrants into the salaried middle classes each year, black entrepreneurs are darkening the face of South Africa's economy, even though wealth is still disproportionately concentrated in the hands of the 9 percent white minority. Yet, a balanced and long-term view of these transformations suggests that the rise of black enterprise into the economic mainstream will have tremendous implications for black political struggles and for South Africa's democracy overall.
Reciprocal amplification of wave front for planar or point sources using a metamaterial lens to increase the inspection distance of pipelines

Ultrasonic testing and acoustic emission are acknowledged non-destructive testing methods for pipeline inspection; however, attenuation is a significant issue in long-range structures such as pipelines. A gradient-index metamaterial lens composed of subbed unit cells is proposed to address the energy loss by amplifying the signal through wave focusing. A prototype is tested actively (ultrasonic testing) and passively (acoustic emission) in the laboratory, and significant amplification of the signal is observed. The reciprocity between the two methods is validated.
Exploring the limits of sensitivity for strain gauges of graphene and hexagonal boron nitride decorated with metallic nanoislands.

The purpose of this work is to clarify the mechanism of piezoresistance in a class of ultra-sensitive strain gauges based on metallic films on 2D substrates (“2D/M” films). The metals used are gold or palladium deposited as ultrathin films (≤16 nm). These films transition from a regime of subcontiguous growth to a percolated morphology with increasing nominal thickness. The 2D substrates are either single-layer graphene or hexagonal boron nitride (hBN). By using either a conductor (graphene) or an insulator (hBN), it is possible to de-couple the relative contributions of the metal and the 2D substrate from the overall piezoresistance of the composite structure. Here, we use a combination of measurements including electron microscopy, automated image analysis, temperature-dependent conductivity, and measurements of gauge factor of the films as they are bent over a 1 μm step edge (0.0001% or 1 ppm). Our observations are enumerated as follows: (1) of the four permutations of metal and 2D substrate, all combinations except hBN/Au are able to resolve 1 ppm strain (considered extraordinary for strain gauges) at some threshold thickness of metal; (2) for non-contiguous (i.e., unpercolated) films of metal on hBN, changes in resistance for these small step strains cannot be detected; (3) for percolated films on hBN, changes in resistance upon strain can be resolved only for palladium and not for gold; (4) graphene does not exhibit detectable changes in resistance when subjected to step strains of either 1 or 10 ppm, but does so upon the deposition of any amount of gold or palladium, even for nominal thicknesses below the threshold for percolation. Our observations reveal unexpected complexity in the properties of these simple composite materials, and ways in which these materials might be combined to exhibit even greater sensitivity.
Genomic characterization of a PPP1CB-ALK fusion with fusion gene amplification in a congenital glioblastoma.

ALK (Anaplastic lymphoma kinase) fusion proteins are oncogenic and have been seen in various tumors. PPP1CB-ALK fusions are rare but have been reported in a few patients with low- or high-grade gliomas. However, little is known regarding the mechanism of fusion formation and genomic break points of this fusion. We performed genomic characterization of a PPP1CB-ALK fusion with fusion gene amplification in a congenital glioblastoma. The PPP1CB-ALK consists of exons 1-5 of PPP1CB and exons 20-29 of ALK. The genomic translocation breakpoints were determined by real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) and Sanger sequencing of genomic DNA. Next generation sequencing, RT-qPCR and fluorescence in situ hybridization analyses demonstrated PPP1CB-ALK amplification. Copy number analyses of genes between PPP1CB and ALK using RT-qPCR suggest that the PPP1CB-ALK is likely the result of local chromothripsis followed by episomal amplification. Transcriptome sequencing demonstrated high-level SOX2 expression and predicted WNT/β-catenin pathway activation, suggesting possible therapeutic approaches.
Little's Law: Does Anyone Know Which Time it is?

The effectiveness of manufacturing and service processes can be measured in many ways. Some key measures include throughput time, throughput rate, cycle time, and inventory. In this brief exercise, we define the relationships among these metrics, focusing specifically on a concept called Little's Law and distinguishing among throughput rate, throughput time, and cycle time—hence the title. Excerpt UVA-OM-1606 Rev. Apr. 17, 2019 Little's Law: Does Anyone Know Which Time It Is? The effectiveness of manufacturing and service processes can be measured in many ways. Some key measures include throughput time, throughput rate, cycle time, and inventory. In this brief exercise, we define the relationships among these metrics, focusing specifically on a concept called Little's Law and distinguishing among throughput rate, throughput time, and cycle time—hence the title. The Relationships among Inventory, Throughput Rate, and Throughput Time Identifying and reducing how long it takes an item or a customer to pass through a process leads to better customer service and thus directly impacts revenues by either increasing market share or allowing a firm to charge a premium for the better service provided. Reducing these times may also reduce costs through a reduction in inventory and time-related costs. Thus we must answer the questions: How long does it take the process to produce an item or service a customer? How might we reduce the time for an item or customer to go through the process? Below, we define three important terms for answering these questions: throughput rate, cycle time, and throughput time. . . .
Relationship between nurse burnout, patient and organizational outcomes: Systematic review.

Abstract Background Burnout, characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and decreased personal accomplishments, poses a significant burden on individual nurses’ health and mental wellbeing. As growing evidence highlights the adverse consequences of burnout for clinicians, patients, and organizations, it is imperative to examine nurse burnout in the healthcare system. Objective The purpose of this review is to systematically and critically appraise the current literature to examine the associations between nurse burnout and patient and hospital organizational outcomes. Design and data sources A systematic review following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses was conducted. PubMed, CINAHL, PsychInfo, Scopus, and Embase were the search engines used. The inclusion criteria were any primary studies examining burnout among nurses working in hospitals as an independent variable, in peer-reviewed journals, and written in English. The search was performed from October 2018 to January 2019 and updated in January and October 2020. Results A total of 20 studies were included in the review. The organizational-related outcomes associated with nurse burnout were (1) patient safety, (2) quality of care, (3) nurses’ organizational commitment, (4) nurse productivity, and (5) patient satisfaction. For these themes, nurse burnout was consistently inversely associated with outcome measures. Conclusions Nurse burnout is an occupational hazard affecting nurses, patients, organizations, and society at large. Nurse burnout is associated with worsening safety and quality of care, decreased patient satisfaction, and nurses’ organizational commitment and productivity. Traditionally, burnout is viewed as an individual issue. However, reframing burnout as an organizational and collective phenomenon affords the broader perspective necessary to address nurse burnout. Tweetable abstract: Not only nurse burnout associated w/ worsening safety & quality of care, but also w/ nurses' organizational commitment and productivity. Reframing burnout, as an organizational & collective phenomenon is necessary.
Determination of clay-water contact angle via molecular dynamics and deep-learning enhanced methods

Molecular dynamics modeling is a useful tool to study the interface physics of the clay-water system at the nanoscale. A key parameter to characterize the interface physics of unsaturated soils is the contact angle between clay and water. In this paper, we propose a deep-learning enhanced numerical method to accurately determine the clay-water contact angle at elevated temperatures from molecular dynamics simulations. In this approach the water droplet on clay is treated as a 3D point cloud. The spatial location of individual water molecular is derived from the coordinate of the molecule’s center-of-mass. At each point, the covariance matrix method is used to fit a tangent plane to a surface spanned by its k-nearest neighbors. The clay-water contact angle is calculated from the normal of the tangent plane. The covariance matrix method is enhanced by a deep-learning algorithm through the randomized Hough transform. Through the transform, each normal is mapped to a Hough accumulator with many bins. The final normal is obtained from the most voted bin via the deep-learning algorithm. Numerical results have demonstrated that the deep-learning enhanced algorithm is robust in characterizing variations of the contact angle between clay and water at elevated temperatures.
Renal Transplantation from a Deceased Donor with Polycystic Kidney Disease.

Renal transplantation is the gold standard treatment for patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) as it demonstrates improved long-term survival compared to patients who remain on renal replacement therapy. The widening gap between the demand and supply of organs warrants the expansion of donor criteria for renal transplantation. Kidneys with multiple cysts are often rejected for transplantation. Here, we present our recent experience of a 72-year-old patient with ESRD due to a biopsy-proven diabetic nephropathy who received a deceased donor kidney with adult polycystic kidney disease (APKD). At 31-month posttransplant, he had a serum creatinine of 1.6 mg/dL. Deceased donors affected by APKD should be considered an acceptable option for successful renal transplantation in select recipients, as well as an alternative kidney source to increase the donor pool.
Evaluation of Laboratory and Field Performance of Cold In-Place Recycling (CIR) Asphalt Mixtures

The objective of this research study is to evaluate both laboratory and field performance of Cold In-Place Recycling (CIR) asphalt mixtures in terms of rutting and cracking resistance. A balanced CIR mixture prepared with foamed asphalt at 2.5% foaming water was selected to construct three full-scale CIR sections at Rowan University’s Accelerated Pavement Testing Facility (RUAPTF): (1) a rut-resistant section (i.e., containing 2% binder content), (2) a crack-resistant section (i.e., containing 4% binder content), and (3) a performance-based section (i.e., containing 3% binder content). Once cured, one inch Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) was placed on top of the CIR Layer. An accelerated pavement testing (APT) was then performed on each section using Dynatest Mark IV Heavy Vehicle Simulator (HVS) to apply repeated truck tire loading magnitudes for 150,000 passes. Pavement mechanistic responses were recorded by asphalt strain gauges, pressure cells, and thermocouples embedded at the bottom of each CIR layer. Rutting and cracking performance of each section was assessed and compared to the laboratory performance of foamed asphalt CIR mixtures compacted with 30 gyrations and subjected to a three-day curing at 10 °C. The results showed that the rut-resistant section presented lower rutting susceptibility, while all three section showed a similar cracking resistance under accelerated truck loading.
Jacobi-Hamilton Theorie deterministischer Politikmodelle und Filtertheorie

In diesem Abschnitt berichten wir kurz uber einige Resultate der klassischen Kontrolltheorie und ihre Anwendung auf okonomische Politikmodelle. Diese Ergebnisse setzen wir dann zur Filtertheorie in Beziehung.
Nutritional features of Bacteroides fragilis subsp. fragilis.

Studies of three reference strains of Bacteroides fragilis subsp. fragilis showed that they grow well in a minimal defined medium containing glucose, hemin, vitamin B12, minerals, bicarbonate-carbon dioxide buffer, NH4Cl, and sulfide. The vitamin B12 requirement of 0.1 ng/ml was replaced with 7.5 μg of methionine. Cysteine or sulfide was an excellent source of sulfur, thioglycolate was a poor source, and thiosulfate, methionine, β-mercaptoethanol, dithiothreitol, sulfate, or sulfite did not serve as sole sources of sulfur. Neither single amino acids, nitrate, urea, nor a complex mixture of L-amino acids or peptides effectively replaced ammonia as the nitrogen source. Comparative studies with a few strains of other subspecies of B. fragilis including B. fragilis subsp. vulgatus, B. fragilis subsp. thetaiotaomicron, and B. fragilis subsp. distasonis indicate that they exhibit similar growth responses in the minimal medium. A single strain of B. fragilis subsp. ovatus required other materials. The results indicate the great biosynthetic ability of these organisms and suggest that, in their ecological niche within the large intestine, many nutrients such as amino acids are in very low supply, whereas materials such as ammonia, heme, and vitamin B12, or related compounds, must be available during much of the time.
Towards an ecological account of media choice: a case study on pluralistic reasoning while choosing email

The discourse around media choice has generated a diverse array of media choice factors originating from both the media-based and social interaction-based approaches. The multitude of these factors hints at the adaptive nature of media choice. Alas, how a user engages with such factors and adaptively carries out media choice has remained understudied. We undertake a field study to explore the role of a plurality of choice factors and their interactions in shaping media choice processes and outcomes. In particular, we focus on how a user identifies relationships among plural choice factors while he or she works on his or her particular choice resulting in a similar outcome - email - given a large number of alternatives. Drawing upon a theory of affordances, we propose a systemic way of narrating the dynamics of media choice as a multi-dimensional process where a user explores her or his surroundings - a niche - as to establish media affordances that will then help her or him achieve a communication goal. We identify five relational patterns of interactions among specific choice factors: reciprocity, emergence, complementarity, re-exploration and actualisation. These patterns are shown to be emergent and highly interdependent. We conclude by reviewing future research avenues to formulate richer 'ecological' accounts of media choice.
Japanese Love Hotels: Legal Change, Social Change, and Industry Change

Throughout Japan, people frequent hotels at which the primary purpose is not sleep, but sex. Although some establishments offer such non-sexual amenities as tanning beds, fitness equipment, and large-screen televisions, there is little question that the raison d'etre of a love hotel is, well, love (or something like it). In this Article, based largely on field observation, interview data, and quantitative analysis, I show that law has played an important but unrecognized role in the development of the love hotel industry (determining love hotel population, location, and form), and by default in the sex lives of many people in Japan. Specifically, I show first how social changes gave rise to a recent scheme to regulate love hotels. Second, in large part because of the underbreadth of the resultant controlling statute, the law invigorated the love hotel industry by creating a new class of "extralegal" love hotels and erecting barriers to entry sufficient to ensure greater market power for some surviving hotels. One underlying reason for these effects appears to be the capacity of the law effectively to "legitimize" enterprise in the minds of the public.
The European Union, the Treaty of Lisbon, and "Justice and Home Affairs"

The Treaty of Lisbon will work a sea-change in the operations of the European Union. Most notably, it will have the tendency to centralize European responses to homeland security and counter-terrorism matters. This change in European practice will require a concomitant change in America's approach to cooperation with the European Union.
Addressing Plagiarism in A Digital Age

Four faculty members from UMass Boston's English Department explore possible ways of addressing the issue of plagiarism with their students as easy access to materials on the Internet is making it easier then ever to draw on others' words, with or without appropriate doc- umentation. Approaching faculty concerns from four complementary perspectives, the authors make the case for 1) recasting our understanding of plagiarism in terms of influence, borrowing, and remixing of the sort that is central to musical and artistic creation, 2) examining how stu- dents might develop greater awareness of the ways in which they are working with sources in their writing and why, 3) proactively using specific teaching strategies to guide students in working with Internet materials, and 4) understanding the capabilities and limitations of anti- plagiarism software and finding ways to use such tools constructively and creatively to contrib- ute to students' learning.
TEMPERATURE-SENSITIVE HYDROGENASE AND HYDROGENASE SYNTHESIS IN A PSYCHROPHILIC BACTERIUM.

Upadhyay, J. (Washington State University, Pullman) and J. L. Stokes. Temperature-sensitive hydrogenase and hydrogenase synthesis in a psychrophilic bacterium. J. Bacteriol. 86:992–998. 1963.—Hydrogenase and its synthesis were more heat-sensitive in psychrophilic strain 82 than in mesophilic Escherichia coli. The enzyme was not formed above 20 C by the psychrophile, whereas it was formed by E. coli and other mesophiles at 45 C. Aerobically grown cells of strain 82 do not contain hydrogenase but could be induced to form the enzyme by incubation with glucose and amino acids. Hydrogenase adaptation proceeded best at pH 8.0. The psychrophile hydrogenase was destroyed 50% by exposure to 60 C for 2 hr compared with 25% destruction of mesophile hydrogenase under the same conditions. The psychrophile hydrogenase was most active at pH 9.0, and the mesophile hydrogenase was most active at pH 10.0 or higher.
Evaluation of signals activating ubiquitin-proteasome proteolysis in a model of muscle wasting

The ubiquitin-proteasome proteolytic system is stimulated in conditions causing muscle atrophy. Signals initiating this response in these conditions are unknown, although glucocorticoids are requir...
Prospects for laser cooling TlF

We measure the upper state lifetime and two ratios of vibrational branching fractions f_{v'v} on the B^{3}\Pi_{1}(v') - X^{1}\Sigma^{+}(v) transition of TlF. We find the B state lifetime to be 99(9) ns. We also determine that the off-diagonal vibrational decays are highly suppressed: f_{01}/f_{00} < 2x10^{-4} and f_{02}/f_{00} = 1.10(6)%, in excellent agreement with their predicted values of f_{01}/f_{00} < 8x10^{-4} and f_{02}/f_{00} = 1.0(2)% based on Franck-Condon factors calculated using Morse and RKR potentials. The implications of these results for the possible laser cooling of TlF and fundamental symmetries experiments are discussed.
Control of Nonlinear Time-Periodic Systems Via Feedback Linearization

The problem of designing controllers for nonlinear time periodic systems is addressed. The idea is to find proper coordinate transformations and state feedback under which the original system can be (approximately) transformed into a linear control system. Then a controller can be designed using the well-known linear method to guarantee the stability of the system. We propose two approaches for the feedback linearization of the nonlinear time periodic system. The first approach is designed to achieve local control of nonlinear systems with periodic coefficients desired to be driven either to a periodic orbit or to a fixed point. In this case the system equations can be represented by a quasi-linear system containing nonlinear monomials with periodic coefficients. Using near identity transformations and normal form theory, the original close loop problem is approximately transformed into a linear time periodic system with unknown gains. Then by using a symbolic computation method, the Floquet multipliers are placed in the desired locations in order to determine the control gains. We also give the sufficient conditions under which the system is feedback linearizable up to the rth order. The second approach is a generalization of the classical exact feedback linearization method for autonomous systems but applicable to general time-periodic affine systems. By defining a time-dependent Lie operator, the input-output nonlinear time periodic problem is transformed into a linear autonomous problem for which control system can be designed easily. A sufficient condition under which the system is feedback linearizable is also given.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Lessons Learned from Adapting Aerospace Engineering Tools to the Parallel and Grid Computing Environment

Many widely-used aerospace data visualization tools are interactive in nature and are programmed to run on a single processor. While such tools support real-time manipulation of simulation environments, the computations that generate the data are often batch oriented and computation intensive. In many cases, the data generation software is too tuned to a single-processor infrastructure to be readily adapted for emerging parallel and grid computing environments. This paper presents several lessons learned from adapting an aerospace engineering tool to the parallel and grid computing architecture. The architecture provides the ability to perform high-power computing by distributing process execution across many computers connected by a dedicated network or the Internet. Some of the challenging tasks involved in the adaptation are (1) to decouple the user interface and display functions from the computational functions, since interaction and graphics are usually unnecessary expenses in parallel and grid computing, (2) to identify and parallelize computationally expensive functions without the drastic modification of the code and data structures, (3) to find a lightweight, yet versatile software solution for a client-server machine interface for remote job execution. The solutions we found for these elaborate tasks are presented and their pros and cons are discussed.
Pre- and postoperative radiographic and computed tomographic evaluation of dogs with medial patellar luxation.

Objective— To quantify, using radiographic and computed tomographic (CT) techniques, the effects of surgical procedures most commonly combined to treat dogs with medial patellar luxation (MPL). Study Design— Prospective study. Methods— Six dogs with 8 MPL were studied. Radiographs and CT of the pelvic limbs were obtained before and immediately after soft-tissue reconstruction, trochlear wedge recession, and tibial crest transposition. Radiographic measurements included angle of inclination, Norberg angle, quadriceps angle (QA), anteversion angle, ratio of the length of the patellar tendon (PT) to the length of the patella, and change in patella tendon angle. CT measurements included angle of inclination, Norberg angle, QA, anteversion angle, depth of the femoral trochlear groove, ratio of the middle femoral trochlear groove depth to the patella thickness, and tibial crest alignment. Results— Conformation of the coxofemoral joint was not affected by surgery. Surgical treatment corrected the QA by 33–58%. Trochlear wedge recession was most effective in deepening the proximal trochlea by 103.5%. The ratio of the middle femoral trochlear groove depth to the thickness of the patella postoperatively resulted in 50% coverage of the patella. Tibial crest transposition resulted in caudalization of the PT by 8.5±3.0°, with lateralization of the tibial tuberosity of 11.3°. Conclusion— The effects of surgery for MPL can be quantified with radiographic and CT measurements. Surgical correction restored the alignment of the quadriceps and adequately deepened the femoral trochlear groove. Tibial crest transposition resulted in caudalization of the patella tendon and lateralization of the tibial tuberosity. Clinical Relevance— These pilot data quantified the effects of surgical procedures most commonly combined to treat MPL. We hope to use these measurements to correlate surgical treatment with functional outcome and postoperative occurrence of luxation.
Biosynthesis of UDP-glucuronic acid in developing soybean embryos: possible role of UDP-sugar pyrophosphorylase

During soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill] embryo development, cell wall polysaccharides (CWPs) derived from UDP-glucuronic acid (UDP-GlcA) (uronic acids, arabinose, xylose) exhibited a linear increase during the period of 25–45 days after flowering (daf). At embryo maturity, CWPs derived from UDP-GlcA accounted for 39% of total CWPs. To ascertain the relative importance of the nucleotide sugar oxidation (NSO) and the myo-inositol oxidation (MIO) pathways to UDP-GlcA biosynthesis, UDP-glucose (UDP-Glc) dehydrogenase (UDP-Glc DH, EC 1.1.1.22) and UDP-glucuronic acid pyrophosphorylase (UDP-GlcA PPase, EC 2.7.7.44) activities, respectively, were measured in desalted extracts of developing embryos. UDP-Glc DH and UDP-GlcA PPase activities, expressed on a per seed basis, increased 3.5- and 3.9-fold, respectively, during the period of 25–45 daf. However, UDP-GlcA PPase activity was 35–50-fold greater than UDP-Glc DH activity. The soybean UDP-sugar pyrophosphorylase gene (USP1), a homolog of pea USP, and a candidate gene for UDP-GlcA PPase, was cloned and the recombinant enzyme characterized. Recombinant soybean USP1 (71 kDa) exhibited high activity with glucuronic acid 1-phosphate (GlcA-1-P), glucose 1-phosphate (Glc-1-P) and galactose 1-phosphate (Gal-1-P), but low activity with mannose 1-phosphate (Man-1-P), N-acetylglucosamine 1-phosphate and Glc-6-P. Determination of kinetic constants indicated that USP1 has a higher affinity for GlcA-1-P (Km= 0.14 ± 0.02 mM) than for Glc-1-P (Km= 0.23 ± 0.02 mM). Semiquantitative RT-PCR was used to measure transcript levels of the UDP-glucose DH (UGD) and USP gene families in developing soybean embryos. Transcript levels, normalized to the 18S rRNA controls, were greater for UGD than USP throughout embryo development. The possibility that USP serves as UDP-GlcA PPase, the terminal enzyme of the MIO pathway, is discussed.
Functional determinants on punctured Riemann surfaces and their application to string theory

Abstract We compute functional determinants on punctured Riemann surfaces by integrating the corresponding energy-momentum tensors. The results are applied to the bosonic closed string theory in two ways. We first give a rigorous proof of the relation between the scalar and ghost determinants for the singular metrics which are squares of meromorphic one-forms. This relation played an important role in the recent proof of the equivalence between the light-cone and Polyakov approaches given by D'Hoker and Giddings. Secondly we give explicit formulae for the scattering amplitudes as integrals over the moduli space of punctured Riemann surfaces.
Group psychotherapy with girls in early adolescence: Then and now

This paper addresses the intensification of problems which girls in puberty and early adolescence face today and identifies some of the changes in the practice of group psychotherapy for prevention and treatment which have developed to address these problems. While many therapy groups are run on psychodynamic, activity or activity interview methods with girls experiencing a variety of problems, there are more problem specific groups run today using a range of theoretical approaches and prevention groups particularly for habit disorders employ not only informational techniques but also psychosocial skill development and self esteem enhancement.
The sedimentation of coal in model oils: The effect of the viscosity and composition of the oil

The results of batch settling tests with various coal powders in model oils indicated that the viscosity and the aromatic/paraffinic nature of the oil influence the sedimentation and the aggregation rate of the particles. Oxidation of paraffin oil may result in the generation of surface active agents which retards the sedimentation of certain coals.
Tuning the crystal size and morphology of the substituted imidazole material, SIM-1

Zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs) are attractive materials for liquid and gas separations. They are chemically and thermally stable and their pores sizes/pore windows can be modified for enhanced performance. Substituted imidazolate material-1 (SIM-1) is a ZIF that crystallizes in the SOD and RHO topologies. Herein, we report a variety of new syntheses for SIM-1 in the SOD and RHO topologies using solvothermal in situ and ex situ reaction methods including microwave synthesis and linker exchange that result in nanoparticles with a narrow size distribution.
Cure of childhood ALL: exacting a lower toll

The unpredictable oncogenic effects of contemporary treatment for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) warrant continuous long-term monitoring of patients for second neoplasms. Bhatia and colleagues (page [4257][1]) in the Children's Cancer Group (CCG) reported cumulative rates of second
Ending intimate partner violence: an application of the transtheoretical model.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the application of the transtheoretical model (TM) to women's experiences of ending intimate partner violence (IPV). METHODS: Qualitative interviews were conducted with 23 abused women. RESULTS: Women use 7 traditional processes of change. Women in early stages of change use cognitive processes. Women in later stages use behavioral processes. Consciousness-raising and social liberation appear in both early and later stages. Helping relationships are critical throughout. Decisional balance and self-efficacy are also related. CONCLUSIONS: Women ending IPV do use the TM processes and constructs of change. These findings support the development and evaluation of a TM stage-based IPV intervention. Language: en
Anticonvulsants in bipolar disorders: current research and practice and future directions

Objectives: To determine the clinical effectiveness of drugs with anticonvulsant properties for interventions in persons with bipolar disorder and to place these findings in the context of clinicians’ practices and their implications for future research to more effectively manage bipolar disorders. Methods: Major electronic databases were searched up to February 2009 for clinical trial data, both original studies and reviews, on drugs with anticonvulsant properties studied for bipolar disorders. Results: Valproate, principally as divalproex, has strong evidence for effectiveness in mania, moderately strong evidence for benefits in prophylaxis of recovered states, and recent proof-of-concept evidence for benefits in bipolar depression. Lamotrigine has strong evidence for evidence for effectiveness in maintenance treatment of bipolar disorder, principally for benefits in depressive states. Lamotrigine has been established as ineffective in mania and has lacked efficacy in acute bipolar depression in most randomized trials. Carbamazepine has strong evidence for effectiveness in mania, but lacks adequate studies in other aspects of bipolar disorder treatment. Its adverse effect profile and pharmacokinetic interference with a wide range of drugs, including many employed in bipolar disorder, warrants limitation of use to patients who have responded inadequately to other regimens. Conclusions: Three drugs, valproate, lamotrigine, and carbamazepine, have strong evidence-based support for use in clinical states of bipolar disorder. Other anticonvulsant drugs investigated in bipolar disorder either have evidence of lack of benefits in bipolar disorder or have been inadequately studied to determine possible effectiveness.
Opening Ratio Effect on Electrowetting Droplet Actuation on Perforated Membranes

We have previously developed a microparticle sampling method in which electrowetting-actuated droplets sweep and pick up microparticles trapped on a perforated membrane. In this configuration, a critical issue is to increase the opening ratio (ratio of opening hole area to the total membrane area) in the perforated membrane as much as possible since the higher the opening ratio the lower power consumption in the process of air suction. In contrast, increasing the opening ratio hampers successful electrowetting operations of droplets and thus sampling of microparticles. In this study, we analytically investigate effects of the opening ratio on electrowetting operations. In particular, we are looking at the reversibility of electrowetting operation. Then, we fabricate testing devices to verify the analytical results in the range of the opening ratio up to about 90%. We will also discuss detailed challenging issues in microfabrication to reach such a high opening ratio.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Neurofibromatosis type 1 and associated malignancies

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is a common autosomal dominant neurocutaneous disorder with a predisposition to the development of benign and malignant tumors. Mutations in the NF1 gene result in loss of function of neurofibromin, a guanosine triphosphatase-activating protein that helps maintain the proto-oncogene Ras in its inactive form. Loss of neurofibromin results in increased proliferation and tumorigenesis. As a result, people with NF1 are at increased risk for the development of nervous and non-nervous system malignancies. Malignancy is a major source of morbidity and mortality in NF1. The natural history of NF1-associated malignancies is often different than that of their sporadic counterparts and, as such, management strategies need to be adjusted accordingly.
A method of analysis for propellers at extreme angles-of-attack.

The method developed analyzes the propeller at extreme angles of attack by considerations on a simplified model of the wake similar to the classical Prandtl model for axial flight. The analysis consists of determining a "tip-loss" factor for the propeller at an angle of attack. This tip-loss factor is, like Prandtl's, a function of the number of blades, nondimensional propeller radius, and wake helix geometry; but a dependence on wake skew angle is also observed. The solution is obtained numerically on an IBM 7074 digital computer. A method of solution to the "direct problem" in propeller aerodynamics utilizing this tip-loss factor is suggested. Thrust and power requirements for an existing propeller are determined and compared with experimental values. Reasonable agreement between theory and experiment is obtained within a practical range of angle of attack a, and the parameter ju (i.e., tip-speed ratio) cosa. However, thrust and power are generally under predicted at low values of /* cosa for all angles of attack. Major sources of error are believed due to the relatively simple mathematical model and inaccurate airfoil data in the regions of blade section stall and reverse flow.
Investigating neural representations: the tale of place cells

While neuroscientists often characterize brain activity as representational, many philosophers have construed these accounts as just theorists’ glosses on the mechanism. Moreover, philosophical discussions commonly focus on finished accounts of explanation, not research in progress. I adopt a different perspective, considering how characterizations of neural activity as representational contributes to the development of mechanistic accounts, guiding the investigations neuroscientists pursue as they work from an initial proposal to a more detailed understanding of a mechanism. I develop one illustrative example involving research on the information-processing mechanisms mammals employ in navigating their environments. This research was galvanized by the discovery in the 1970s of place cells in the hippocampus. This discovery prompted research in what the activity of these cells represents and how place representations figure in navigation. It also led to the discovery of a host of other types of neurons—grid cells, head-direction cells, boundary cells—that carry other types of spatial information and interact with place cells in the mechanism underlying spatial navigation. As I will try to make clear, the research is explicitly devoted to identifying representations and determining how they are constructed and used in an information processing mechanism. Construals of neural activity as representations are not mere glosses but are characterizations to which neuroscientists are committed in the development of their explanatory accounts.
Hypoxia Inducible Factors-Mediated Inhibition of Cancer by GM-CSF: A Mathematical Model

Under hypoxia, tumor cells, and tumor-associated macrophages produce VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor), a signaling molecule that induces angiogenesis. The same macrophages, when treated with GM-CSF (granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor), produce sVEGFR-1 (soluble VEGF receptor-1), a soluble protein that binds with VEGF and inactivates its function. The production of VEGF by macrophages is regulated by HIF-1α (hypoxia inducible factor-1α), and the production of sVEGFR-1 is mediated by HIF-2α. Recent experiments measured the effect of inhibiting tumor growth by GM-CSF treatment in mice with HIF-1α-deficient or HIF-2α-deficient macrophages. In the present paper, we represent these experiments by a mathematical model based on a system of partial differential equations. We show that the model simulations agree with the above experiments. The model can then be used to suggest strategies for inhibiting tumor growth. For example, the model qualitatively predicts the extent to which GM-CSF treatment in combination with a small molecule inhibitor that stabilizes HIF-2α will reduce tumor volume and angiogenesis.
More Americans Living Longer With Cardiovascular Disease Will Increase Costs While Lowering Quality Of Life

In the past several decades, some risk factors for cardiovascular disease have improved, while others have worsened. For example, smoking rates have dropped and treatment rates for cardiovascular disease have increased—factors that have made the disease less fatal. At the same time, Americans’ average body mass index and incidence of diabetes have increased as the population continues to live longer—factors that have made cardiovascular disease more prevalent. To assess the aggregate impact of these opposing trends, we used the nine National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey waves from 1973 to 2010 to forecast total cardiovascular disease risk and prevalence from 2015 to 2030. We found that continued improvements in cardiovascular disease treatment and declining smoking rates will not outweigh the influence of increasing population age and obesity on cardiovascular disease risk. Given an aging population, an obesity epidemic, and declining mortality from the disease, the United States should expect ...
Minimal detectable change for gait variables collected during treadmill walking in individuals post-stroke

Abstract Post-stroke gait impairments are common and result in slowed walking speeds and decreased community participation post-stroke. Treadmill training has recently emerged as an effective gait rehabilitation intervention. Furthermore, kinematic and kinetic data collected during treadmill walking are commonly used for assessing gait performance. The minimal detectable change (MDC) for gait variables provides a useful index to determine whether the magnitude of change in gait produced after an intervention is greater than the amount of change attributable to day-to-day variability in gait or test–retest measurement errors. The MDC values for kinematic, ground reaction force (GRF), spatial, and temporal variables collected during treadmill walking post-stroke have not been previously reported. The objective of this study was, therefore, to compute MDCs for post-stroke gait kinematics, GRF indices, temporal, and spatial measures during treadmill walking. Nineteen individuals with chronic post-stroke hemiparesis (12 males; age = 47–75 years; 72.6 ± 63.4 months since stroke) participated in 2 testing sessions separated by 20.7 ± 26.8 days. Our results showed that test–retest reliability was excellent for all gait variables tested (intraclass correlation coefficients = 0.799–0.986). MDCs were reported for hip, knee, and ankle joint angles (range 3.8° for trailing limb angles to 11.5° for hip extension), peak anterior GRF (2.85% body weight), mean vertical GRF (4.65% body weight), all temporal variables (range 3.2–4.2% gait cycle), and paretic step length (6.7 cm). These MDCs provide a useful reference to help interpret the magnitudes of changes in post-stroke gait variables.
Metastatic mediastinal neoplasm masquerading as aortic dissection: a skip sign on computed tomography for their distinction

Four years after undergoing a left lower lobe lobectomy for squamous cell carcinoma, a 77-year-old man presented with a mass lesion in the left upper mediastinum associated with chest pain. Computed tomography revealed a homogeneous density immediately adjacent to the aortic arch and thoracic aorta consistent with aortic dissection. Upon thoracotomy, however, the lesion was found to be an oat cell carcinoma. Retrospective review of the computed tomography scans detected a normal segment of descending aorta, indicating the interruption of the paraaortic lesion. Such a skip sign can be used to rule out aortic dissection.
Prognostic implications of initial oropharyngeal bacterial flora in patients with cystic fibrosis diagnosed before the age of two years

To evaluate the significance of early bacteriologic findings in infants and younger children with cystic fibrosis, we divided patients identified at < or = 2 years of age into groups by initial oropharyngeal culture: group NF, normal respiratory flora (n = 17); group SA, Staphylococcus aureus without Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n = 20); group PA, P. aeruginosa without S. aureus (n = 6); group PA/SA, P. aeruginosa and S. aureus (n = 7); and group O, other potentially pathogenic bacteria (n = 31). Follow-up of patients ranged in age from 5.4 to 13 years. At diagnosis, group PA/SA had lower Brasfield scores (p < 0.02) and higher gamma-globulin levels (p < 0.03) than the other groups. Five years after diagnosis, Brasfield scores were significantly lower in groups PA and PA/SA compared with the other groups; mean gamma-globulin levels did not differ significantly among the groups. Groups PA and PA/SA also had evidence of significantly greater obstructive pulmonary disease by spirometry than groups NF and O. Group PA/SA had a 10-year survival estimate of 57%, significantly lower than the 92% to 100% estimates of the other four groups (p < 0.0001). Thus P. aeruginosa in initial oropharyngeal cultures from patients < or = 2 years of age with cystic fibrosis was associated with significantly increased morbidity, and the finding of P. aeruginosa and S. aureus together in initial oropharyngeal cultures with a significantly increased mortality rate during the first 10 years after diagnosis.
Preparation of a Fraction of Guinea Pig Testes Enriched in Its Content of Steroid C-17α Hydroxylase

To obtain a testicular preparation enriched in its content of steroid C-17α hydroxylase, a technique has been devised for the filtration of tissue suspensions of guinea pig testes through nylon monofilament mesh of varying pore sizes. The meshes effectively retained the seminiferous tubules. The resulting filtrate contained a variety of individual cells and cellular aggregates, but no recognizable tubular fragments. A 105,000 × g sediment prepared from the filtrate converted as much progesterone to the sum of 17-hydroxyprogesterone,1 androstenedione and testosterone as did comparable sediments prepared from whole testes. Owing to the lower protein content of the filtrate-derived sediments, 3–4 times as much substrate was hydroxylated at C-17 per mg of protein in such incubations as in those containing sediments derived from whole testes. By this criterion, filtration yielded a tissue preparation enriched in its content of steroid C-17α hydroxylase that can be utilized in attempts at further purification o...
Urban carbon monoxide: Contributions of automobiles and wood burning

Abstract Usually automobiles are the main source of CO in urban environments. However, this is not always the case. During winters, in areas where wood is burned to heat homes, it can contribute almost as much CO as automobiles. We show that in the Pacific Northwest wood burning may contribute 20%–30% of the CO during winters. The contribution of automobiles is a little less than 50% during the same time. Some 10% – 15% is from distant sources that make up the background, and the rest is unaccounted for.
A system for assaying homologous recombination at the endogenous human thymidine kinase gene.

Abstract A system for assaying human interchromosomal recombination in vitro was developed, using a cell line containing two different mutant thymidine kinase genes (TK) on chromosomes 17. Heteroalleles were generated in the TK+/+ parent B-lymphoblast cell line WIL-2 by repeated exposure to the alkylating nitrogen mustard ICR-191, which preferentially causes +1 or -1 frameshifts. Resulting TK-/- mutants were selected in medium containing the toxic thymidine analog trifluorothymidine. Mutations were characterized by exon-specific polymerase chain reaction amplification and direct sequencing. In two lines, heterozygous frameshifts were located in exons 4 and 7 of the TK gene separated by approximately 8 kilobases. These lines undergo spontaneous reversion to TK+ at a frequency of less than 10(-7), and revertants can be selected in cytidine/hypoxanthine/aminopterin/thymidine medium. The nature and location of these heteroallelic mutations make large deletions, rearrangements, nondisjunction, and reduplication unlikely mechanisms for reversion to TK+. The mode of reversion to TK+ was specifically assessed by DNA sequencing, use of single-strand conformation polymorphisms, and analysis of various restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) linked to the TK gene on chromosome 17. Our data suggest that a proportion of revertants has undergone recombination and gene conversion at the TK locus, with concomitant loss of frameshifts and allele loss at linked RFLPs. Models are presented for the origin of two recombinants.