cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A sensitive chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay for the bioanalysis of carboxyl-terminal B-chain analogues of human insulin.

Abstract Quantification of analogues of human insulin in biological matrices is complicated by differences in their immunoreactivity and the presence of both the analogue and endogenous concentrations of insulin in test samples. To facilitate pharmacokinetic comparisons of carboxyl-terminal B-chain analogues of human insulin, we undertook development of a sensitive ELISA. The ELISA detection method was optimized systematically to permit routine analysis of 10-μl serum samples. Accordingly, a noncompetitive ‘sandwich’ chemiluminescent ELISA was validated for the quantification of carboxyl-terminal B-chain insulin analogues in human serum over a concentration range from 5 to 3125 pM. The mean bias (RE%) within the validated range varied from −10.3 to 4.3%, with an intermediate precision (inter-assay CV%) from 4.2 to 11.5%. The two-sided 90% expectation tolerance interval for total measurement error was within ±25% of the nominal concentration for all levels of validation samples. Insulin lispro, human insulin, proinsulin, despentapeptide insulin (DPI) and porcine insulin displayed comparable crossreactivity in the ELISA. Potential utility of the new assay for insulin bioanalysis in nonhuman species was investigated by assessing the pharmacokinetic profile of DPI in rats following administration of a single subcutaneous dose. The sensitive chemiluminescent detection method is simple to perform and should be readily adaptable for ELISAs of other therapeutic proteins.
Short-term toxicity studies of rats fed triethyl phosphate in the diet

Abstract Triethylphosphate (TEP) was fed to rats at dietary levels of 0.1, 0.5, 1.0, 5.0, and 10% for 3 months plus additional time for reproduction studies. Inhibition of growth related to TEP occurred at the 5% level, and reproduction was adversely affected at 1%. Severe anorexia at 10% TEP made it necessary to exclude this group from consideration of TEP toxicity. Liver weight was markedly increased, being detectable in the males at 0.1% TEP or more and in the females at 5% TEP. Adrenal enlargement also occurred at the highest levels, especially in the males. Clinical studies included measurements of blood, brain, and liver acetylcholinesterase, plasma and liver alkaline phosphatase, liver tyrosine transaminase, blood urea nitrogen, liver nitrogen, and hematology. Alterations of these factors were for the most part minimal and would be considered to be within normal ranges. Small, transient elevations of blood cholinesterase were detected at 50 days, followed at 100 days by slight depression in the females receiving 0.5% TEP or more. Brain cholinesterase was also slightly depressed at 5% TEP. Liver alkaline phosphatase was elevated at 5% TEP, while liver tyrosine transaminase became significantly depressed in the males at 0.1% or more and in the females at 5%. Hepatocellular enlargement developed initially in the 1% female rats and appeared in both male and female rats of the 5% group. Minor bile ductule hyperplasia and retention of bile also occurred in the latter group. At levels that would be encountered if used as proposed as a food additive, the daily dosage of TEP would be far below the no-effect level in the rat as related to the present study.
Can rents run uphill?: A note on the theory of regulation*

No one familiar with the history of regulation would be surprised that inefficient firms can benefit at the expense of the efficient, yet this outcome has not been analyzed within the standard rent-seeking models. This paper has derived conditions under which less-efficient firms can profitably secure regulation that imposes costs on their more efficient rivals. The possibility that less-efficient firms can form a profitable coalition does not mean that they will actually do so. We have analyzed only the polar situations in which inefficient firms form a coalition to put efficient firms out of business, and efficient firms try to block the regulation by offering counter bids. The actual formation of coalitions will depend on political entrepreneurship (McChesney, 1987), the opportunity costs of various producers (Fort and Hallagan, 1987), and the particular cost functions of forming a coalition, functions that may well differ among various firms. I have placed these influences in the ceteris paribus pound in order to analyze the demand and supply conditions that are conducive to successful rent-seeking by less-efficient firms. The theoretical demonstration that less-efficient firms can outbid their more efficient counterparts for legislation, and still earn profits, helps explain a common regulatory outcome.
The effect of relaxation on the galvanic skin response to repeated phobic stimuli in ascending order

Abstract In two randomly selected groups of subjects phobic hierarchies were constructed, and from each hierarchy five evenly separated items were selected than spanned the range from least disturbing to most disturbing. One group was trained in relaxation and the other not. The five selected items from each subject's own hierarchy were presented to him, five times each in ascending order, during each of four sessions. The same schedule of scene presentations was administered to both groups. The galvanic skin response (percentage change) was recorded in respect of every presented stimulus. A consistent decreasing trend in magnitude of response was found for each of the 5 scenes across sessions for the relaxed group, and no trend for the non-relaxed group.
Brugia malayi: Antibody responses to larval antigens in infected and immunized jirds

Abstract Vaccination with irradiated third stage Brugia malayi larvae (L 3 ) has been reported to induce partial protective immunity to L 3 challenge in jirds. The purpose of this study was to identify antigens that may be targets of protective immunity in this model. Jirds were immunized by s.c. injection of irradiated L 3 and challenged either s.c. or i.p. Necropsy was performed 11 wk after challenge. Partial protection was achieved in s.c. challenged animals; worm recovery was only 41% of that observed in unvaccinated controls, and worms recovered from immunized animals were stunted. Worm recoveries in immunized animals that were challenged i.p. did not differ from those of unimmunized controls. Group differences in parasite antigen levels in sera collected 2–11 wk after larval challenge were consistent with parasitological findings obtained at necropsy. Antibody studies compared prechallenge sera from immunized animals to sera from infected (unimmunized) controls. Antibody responses to L 3 surface antigens (assessed by IFA) were much stronger after immunization than after infection. Immunoblot studies showed preferential recognition of several L 3 antigens (97, 54, 48, and 40 kDa) by antibodies in sera from immunized animals. Additional studies are needed to determine whether immunization with such preferentially recognized antigens can induce protection to larval challenge comparable to or better than that observed with live vaccines.
The Association Between Television Viewing and Irregular Sleep Schedules Among Children Less Than 3 Years of Age

Background. Regular sleep schedules are an important part of healthy sleep habits. Although television viewing is associated with altered sleep patterns and sleep disorders among children and adolescents, the effect of television viewing on the sleep patterns of infants and toddlers is not known. Objective. To test the hypothesis that television viewing by infants and toddlers is associated with having irregular naptime and bedtime schedules. Methods. We used data from the National Survey of Early Childhood Health, a nationally representative, cross-sectional study of the health and health care of children 4 to 35 months of age. Our main outcome measures were whether children had irregular naptime and bedtime schedules. Our main predictor was hours of television watched on a daily basis. We performed multivariate logistic regression analyses, adjusting for a variety of factors including demographic information, measures of maternal mental health, and measures of family interactions, to test the independent association of television viewing and irregular naptime and bedtime schedules. Results. Data were available for 2068 children. Thirty-four percent of all children had irregular naptime schedules, and 27% had irregular bedtime schedules. Mean hours of television viewing per day were as follows: 0.9 hours/day (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.8–1.0 hours/day) for children Conclusions. Television viewing among infants and toddlers is associated with irregular sleep schedules. More research is warranted to determine whether this association is causal.
Spatial search and spatial competition: a probability analysis of basic results from the spatially-restricted theory

Existing analyses of the interactions between spatial search and spatial competition are limited since it has been difficult to incorporate the complex routing component of the behavior. This paper examines the interactions between spatial search behavior and spatial competition using a probabilistic modeling strategy that doesnot restrict routing. Experimental analyses examine basic hypotheses from optimal search theory and competitive location theory in the context of spatial search. While experimental results support several of these basic hypotheses, the experiments also generate some contradictions and additional insights.
Cortical Dysplasia and Obstetrical Brachial Plexus Palsy

We report 2 patients with obstetrical brachial plexus palsy, ipsilateral leg weakness, and contralateral motor cortical dysplasia. To our knowledge, this is the first description of such an association. In both cases, the diagnosis of obstetrical brachial plexus palsy was established clinically shortly after birth and later confirmed neurophysiologically. Motor cortex dysplasia was diagnosed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The association of obstetrical brachial plexus palsy and contralateral motor cortex dysplasia, a condition known to produce congenital hemiparesis, raises the possibility that the cortical dysplasia was a predisposing factor for obstetrical brachial plexus palsy in these cases.
Hazards of transthoracic needle biopsy of the lung

cotomy was compared with the strategy of initial needle biopsy, expressed in terms of average years of life expectancy. Immediate thoracotomy for solitary uncalcified pulmonary nodules of unknown stability conferred a slightly greater average life expectancy than the biopsy strategy if the projected probability that the nodule was malignant was greater than 70%, whereas the strategy of initial needle biopsy was marginally preferable to immediate thoracotomy if the probability that the nodule was malignant was less than 70%. The clinical variables employed in the calculation of the probability of malignancy in a nodule included the age of the patient, the smoking history, and nodule diameter [8]. As would be expected, the advantage for needle biopsy as the preliminary procedure becomes somewhat greater if the predicted surgical mortality for exploratory thoracotomy is unduly high. With "standard" mortality rates (4% for resection of malignant nodules, 0.5% for removal of benign nodules), the differences in outcome, in terms of average life expectancy, between the needle biopsy and thoracotomy strategies are relatively miniscule over a wide range of values for the probability of malignancy. In such situations, the desires of the patient may properly become paramount in management decisions. Some patients are "risk-averse" and prefer to avoid thoracotomy unless a diagnosis of malignancy has been established; needle aspiration as the initial procedure would usually be chosen in this circumstance. Conversely, patients who prefer to get the problem settled definitively and expeditiously would undoubtedly choose exploratory thoracotomy as the initial investigative procedure.
Effects of microcosm preparation on rates of toluene biodegradation under denitrifying conditions

Microcosms were prepared with subsurface material from two aquifers to examine the effects of preparation methods on rates of toluene biodegradation under denitrifying conditions. In both cases, the data fit a zero-order kinetics plot. However, rates of removal were generally proportional to initial toluene concentrations, resulting in similar half-lives. Increasing the solid/liquid mass ratio resulted in decreased lag times in one aquifer material, although in both cases the specific toluene mass removal rate (g toluene g sediment-1 day-1) also decreased. Varying either the initial toluene concentrations or the solid/liquid ratios by two to three orders of magnitude resulted in a half-life variation of only a factor of two, with most of the differences occurring at the extreme ranges of the test variables. These data indicate that similar biodegradation rates might be expected from microcosms prepared with different contaminant concentrations and solid/liquid ratios, which is useful for design of microcosm studies to evaluate biodegradation at field sites.
Stage-specific expression of a family of proteins that are major products of zygotic gene activation in the mouse embryo.

Abstract Transcriptional activation of the embryonic genome occurs during the two-cell stage in the mouse embryo and is marked by the synthesis of a set of α-amanitin-sensitive proteins of Mr 73,000, 70,000, and 68,000. We have characterized these three proteins by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis of [35S]methionine radiolabeled two-cell embryos. Their isoelectric points range from 6.2 to 6.8 and their synthesis, which can constitute 5–10% of total protein synthesis, is restricted to the two-cell stage. These proteins are not heat shock proteins that have previously been reported as major products of transcriptional activation. Peptide mapping by limited proteolysis indicates that these three proteins are highly related to one another and the results of pulse-chase experiments indicate that they are likely to be degraded by the eight-cell stage. These proteins are nuclear-associated and insoluble in 2% Triton X-100/0.3 M KCl. Although these proteins share some features with somatic lamins—they exhibit solubility properties similar to somatic lamins—they do not cross-react with polyclonal antibodies to either lamins A C or B, nor do they comigrate with somatic lamins on two-dimensional gels. Additional evidence that these proteins are not lamins is that although treatment of two-cell embryos with okadaic acid, which is an inhibitor of protein phosphatases 1 and 2A, results in precocious nuclear envelope breakdown, the proteins remain insoluble in 2% Triton X-100/0.3 M KCl.
Current Trends in Dental Composites

The clinical performance of dental composites has been significantly improved over the past decade through modifications in formulation that include: using more stable polymerization promoters for greater color stability; incorporating high concentrations of finely ground fillers to produce adequate strength and excellent wear resistance while retaining translucency ; adding radiopacifying agents for improved diagnostics; and utilizing dentin adhesives. However, there are problems which limit the use of composites, especially in posterior teeth. The materials remain very technique-sensitive, due to the extensive contraction which accompanies polymerization and negatively influences marginal sealing. In addition, the materials are generally considered to have inadequate mechanical properties and wear resistance in contact areas to serve as total replacements for amalgams. Current efforts are focusing on several areas, including the development of non- or minimally-shrinking dental composites containing spi...
Entrepreneurialism in student affairs: The Eckerd College waterfront program story

This chapter describes an innovative program built by taking advantage of institutional setting, institutional needs, and community needs. Throughout the chapter a collaborative model for fundraising is described, however, the expertise of the waterfront staff in the development of funds and students should not be underestimated.
Stroke Classification A Personal View

Because all history is to some extent personal, and because I have been active throughout attempts at classification, I was asked to provide a personal account of stroke subtyping and stroke registries bringing the topic up to date. ### Early Studies Clinicopathological studies during the first half of the 20th century focused on clinical signs in patients who died after stroke. Brain hemorrhages and infarcts were recognized at necropsy, but could they be separated during life? In 1935, Aring and Merritt1 analyzed 245 stroke patients studied clinically and at necropsy at the Boston City Hospital. They reported demographic, epidemiological, historical, and clinical data to determine which features differentiated thrombosis from hemorrhage. Hemorrhages (intracerebral or subarachnoid) were found in 15% of patients and 82% had ischemic infarcts called “thrombotic;” however, only 3% were considered to have cardiogenic embolic brain infarcts. The main features favoring hemorrhage were headache, vomiting, impaired consciousness, progression of the clinical neurological deficit, bloody spinal fluid, and increased spinal fluid pressure.1 This series was biased toward patients with large fatal hemorrhages and infarcts. Later, Dalsgaard-Nielsen2 in Scandinavia compiled a series of 1 000 stroke patients, and clinicians at the Mayo Clinic analyzed series of patients seen during 1945 through 19543 and from 1955 through 1969.4 These studies were based on retrospective chart reviews and all preceded CT. Infarcts were >4-times more common than hemorrhages. Infarcts were classified as embolic only if the patients had rheumatic heart disease or recent myocardial infarction. Rates of brain embolism using these criteria ranged from 3% to 8%. Nonembolic brain infarcts were assumed to be “thrombotic” and related to occlusion of brain supplying large arteries. Carotid and vertebral artery disease in the neck and lacunar infarction were not diagnoses included in any of these early studies. ### The Harvard Stroke Registry5,–,8 In 1971, Howard Bleich, a …
Interfacial effects on the optical behavior of Ge:ITO and Ge:ZnO nanocomposite films

Nanophase semiconductors are of interest for their unique, size-tunable solar spectral absorption characteristics as well as their potential to contribute to the improved energy conversion efficiency of photovoltaics (PV). Embedding these nanoparticles within electrically active transparent conductive oxides (TCO) can also provide an opportunity for enhanced, long-range carrier transport. However, differences in the atomic and electronic structure, dielectric behavior, and chemistry between the matrix and semiconductor phases highlight the influence of interfacial effects on the optical absorption properties of the composite. In this work, nanocomposites of Ge:indium tin oxide (Ge:ITO) and Ge:ZnO were fabricated with sequential RF-magnetron sputtering and annealed at temperatures from 310 to 550 °C to investigate the impact of matrix identity on this interface and its contribution to nanostructure-mediated optical absorption. Transmission electron microscopy showed a decrease in Ge nanocrystal size relative to the initial semiconductor domain size in both matrices that was correlated with an increase in absorption onset energy after annealing. The effect was particularly pronounced in Ge:ITO composites in which Raman spectroscopy indicated the presence of germanium oxide at the semiconductor–ITO interface. These results support the primary contribution of carrier confinement in the Ge nanophase to the shifts in absorption onset energies observed.
Shape-aided kidney extraction in MR urography

MR Urography (MRU) plays an important role in pediatric renal diagnoses. While accurate measurement of the kidney is essential for each imaging study, it is challenging to extract the kidney from its background. In this paper, we propose a co-focus elliptical kidney model (CEKM) to integrate the shape prior and build a novel extraction method with both regional and edge information. With a similarity metric defined between a binary mask and CEKM, a kidney template can be obtained using optimization technique. Then, a shape term derived from a distance and orientation description is designed to modify an active contour model. The distance map is used to control the contours in terms of CEKM and orientation map is designed to reduce the artifacts resulting from fake edges. The final kidney was determined with iterative solution. With the priori shape description in a parametric space, the new method can precisely extract the kidney without training, and supply promising results as the experiments demonstrated.
A Novel, Stable, Aqueous Glucagon Formulation Using Ferulic Acid as an Excipient

Commercial glucagon is unstable due to aggregation and degradation. In closed-loop studies, it must be reconstituted frequently. For use in a portable pump for 3 days, a more stable preparation is required. At alkaline pH, curcumin inhibited glucagon aggregation. However, curcumin is not sufficiently stable for long-term use. Here, we evaluated ferulic acid, a stable breakdown product of curcumin, for its ability to stabilize glucagon. Ferulic acid-formulated glucagon (FAFG), composed of ferulic acid, glucagon, L-methionine, polysorbate-80, and human serum albumin in glycine buffer at pH 9, was aged for 7 days at 37°C. Glucagon aggregation was assessed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and degradation by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). A cell-based protein kinase A (PKA) assay was used to assess in vitro bioactivity. Pharmacodynamics (PD) of unaged FAFG, 7-day aged FAFG, and unaged synthetic glucagon was determined in octreotide-treated swine. No fibrils were observed in TEM images of fresh or aged FAFG. Aged FAFG was 94% intact based on HPLC analysis and there was no loss of bioactivity. In the PD swine analysis, the rise over baseline of glucose with unaged FAFG, aged FAFG, and synthetic native glucagon (unmodified human sequence) was similar. After 7 days of aging at 37°C, an alkaline ferulic acid formulation of glucagon exhibited significantly less aggregation and degradation than that seen with native glucagon and was bioactive in vitro and in vivo. Thus, this formulation may be stable for 3-7 days in a portable pump for bihormonal closed-loop treatment of T1D.
Hardware for fast global operations on workstation cluster multicomputers

The results presented show that the addition of a secondary network with a wide-tree topology and one or more coordination processors (COPs) to a workstation cluster multicomputer can speed up synchronization, broadcasting, reduction, and several other important global operations by two or three orders of magnitude. The wide tree topology contributes to this by allowing a large number of nodes to simultaneously send commands to a COP and allowing a COP to broadcast a computed value to a large number of nodes simultaneously. Hardware based protection mechanisms in the COP system permit direct user access to the COP network and thus eliminate the overhead of software protocol layers for these global operations. Although the COP system provides a large performance gain for global operations, it increases overall system cost by only 2-3%.
Memories of empire: The Empire Exhibition in Andrea Levy’s Small Island and Hari Kunzru’s The Impressionist

Two novels from the early 2000s set key scenes at the Empire Exhibition in London in 1924: Hari Kunzru’s The Impressionist (2002) and Andrea Levy’s Small Island (2004). In both novels, the Exhibiti...
An Analytical Approach for Network-on-Chip Performance Analysis

Networks-on-chip (NoCs) have recently emerged as a scalable alternative to classical bus and point-to-point architectures. To date, performance evaluation of NoC designs is largely based on simulation which, besides being extremely slow, provides little insight on how different design parameters affect the actual network performance. Therefore, it is practically impossible to use simulation for optimization purposes. In this paper, we present a mathematical model for on-chip routers and utilize this new model for NoC performance analysis. The proposed model can be used not only to obtain fast and accurate performance estimates, but also to guide the NoC design process within an optimization loop. The accuracy of our approach and its practical use is illustrated through extensive simulation results.
Discursive Choices : Boycotting Star Wars Between Science and Politics

Few presidential initiatives have attracted more public ridicule from scientists and engineers than ‘Star Wars’, Ronald Reagan’s 1983 proposal to build a missile defense system that would render th...
Using Misbehavior to Analyze Strategic versus Aggregate Energy Minimization in Wireless Sensor Networks

We present a novel formulation of the problem of energy misbehavior and develop an analytical framework for quantifying its impact on other nodes. Specifically, we formulate two versions of the power control problem for wireless sensor networks with latency constraints arising from duty cycle allocations. In the first version, strategic power optimization, nodes are modeled as rational agents in a power game, who strategically adjust their powers to minimize their own energy. In the other version, joint power optimization, sensor nodes adjust their transmission powers to minimize the aggregate energy expenditure. Our analysis of these models yields insight into the different energy outcomes of strategic versus joint power optimization. We show that while joint power optimization fits the accepted paradigm of cooperation among sensor nodes (for example large number of sensor nodes cooperating for a task such as target tracking), it comes with both advantages and disadvantages when energy misbehavior is taken into account. One advantage is that it can (sometimes) be energy-dominant, i.e., the optimal energy cost for each node under joint energy minimization is lower than its strategically optimal energy cost. We then develop a model for characterizing energy misbehavior and show that joint optimization is disadvantageous because it is impossible to prevent misbehavior under any channel quality and load constraints, whereas strategic optimization is more resilient. We prove that it is impossible for a node to unilaterally and undetectably follow a different energy optimization strategy than the other nodes and hence the only threat to the network is misbehavior through false advertisement. We then provide sufficient conditions under which misbehavior through false advertisement can be prevented under a strategic optimization regime. Our analytical results reveal optimal strategies for attacking nodes in an enemy network through energy depletion and help develop effective defense mechanisms for protecting our own wireless network against energy attacks by an intelligent adversary.
Constraint nondegeneracy in variational analysis

This paper studies the sensitivity analysis of variational conditions defined over perturbed systems of finitely many nonlinear inequalities or equations, subject to additional fixed polyhedral constraints. If the system of constraints obeys a certain property called nondegeneracy, we show how to construct a local diffeomorphism of the feasible set to its tangent cone. Moreover, this diffeomorphism varies smoothly as the perturbation parameter changes.The original variational condition is then locally equivalent to a variational inequality defined over this (polyhedral convex) tangent cone. This extends stability results already known for variational inequalities over polyhedral convex sets to a substantially more general case. We also show that existence, local uniqueness, and Lipschitz continuity, as well as B-differentiability of the solution, can all be predicted from a single affine variational inequality that is easily computable in terms of the data of the unperturbed problem at the point in question.
Subharmonic and Superharmonic Resonances in the Pitch and Roll Modes of Ship Motions

We considered the motion of a ship with two degrees of freedom—pitch and roll—when secondorder, static couplings are included in the equations of motion, and we obtained a nonlinear analysis of the response of the ship to a harmonic excitation (i.e., a regular sea) using the method of multiple scales. In the first part of the paper, we considered the pitch frequency to be twice the roll frequency and found that a superharmonic response exists for any value of the amplitude of the excitation, but a subharmonic response is possible only if the amplitude of the excitation is above a critical value. In the second part of the paper, we considered ships without the two-to-one frequency ratio. We found that there are five resonant situations and, depending on the value of the parameters, three can involve large motions. Some of the present results were combined with some results from a previous paper to determine the variation of the amplitude of the response with the encounter frequency. Also, the accuracy of some of the present results was established by comparing them with a numerical solution.
Practical Materials Chemistry Approaches for Tuning Optical and Structural Properties of Group IV Semiconductors and Prototype Photonic Devices

We report new approaches based on rational design and preparation of chemical vapor deposition precursors involving novel main-group hydrides to fabricate new families of Si-based semiconductors and prototype devices that display compositional and structural inheritance, from the parent molecule to the solid end product. This methodology enables materials synthesis at extraordinarily low temperatures that are compatible with complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) processing/selective growth and provides the means for obtaining highly metastable strain states in prototype structures that cannot be obtained by conventional protocols. Some of the materials and devices under development, involving alloys in the Si-Ge-Sn system, open up exciting opportunities in photodetectors and photovoltaics because they grow directly on cheap Si substrates and cover an extended range of the near-infrared spectrum that is not accessible to current photovoltaic and optoelectronic group IV semiconductors.
Children hear the forest.

How do children develop the ability to recognize phonetic structure in their native language with the accuracy and efficiency of adults? In particular, how do children learn what information in speech signals is relevant to linguistic structure in their native language, and what information is not? These questions are the focus of considerable investigation, including several studies by Catherine Mayo and Alice Turk. In a proposed Letter by Mayo and Turk, the comparative role of the isolated consonant-vowel formant transition in children’s and adults’ speech perception was questioned. Although Mayo and Turk ultimately decided to withdraw their letter, this note, originally written as a reply to their letter, was retained. It highlights the fact that the isolated formant transition must be viewed as part of a more global aspect of structure in the acoustic speech stream, one that arises from the rather slowly changing adjustments made in vocal-tract geometry. Only by maintaining this perspective of acoustic speech structure can we ensure that we design stimuli that provide valid tests of our hypotheses and interpret results in a meaningful way.
ACTIVITY AND MICROHABITAT USE DURING INTERACTIONS AMONG FIVE SPECIES OF POND-BREEDING SALAMANDER LARVAE

We evaluated five species of the genus Ambystoma in laboratory aquaria to quantify the effect of other larvae on microhabitat use and activity. We studied microhabitat use by partitioning containers into microhabitats that either contained or lacked refuges and recorded movement to determine activity. All five species altered microhabitat preferences and activity levels when they shared tanks with larvae of most species. The smallest species (A. laterale and A. maculatum) spent the most time in the vegetated chamber, used the vegetated chamber more often, and decreased activity in the presence of potential predators. When species were paired, both species usually changed their activity and use of microhabitat in opposite directions. These behaviors may be important in maintaining coexistence among species by reducing interspecific aggression and intraguild predation.
Two Cheers for Forgiveness (and Even Fewer for Revenge)

In this paper I critically discuss what has come to be known as the consensus or standard view of interpersonal forgiveness noting some of the paradoxes it appears to generate, how its conceptual resources seem unable to help illuminate several other varieties of forgiveness that are either themselves instances of interpersonal forgiving or at least types of forgiveness that a theory of interpersonal forgiveness should be able to shed some light upon. In the final section I offer some remarks on the nature of revenge, which has recently come to be seen by some philosophers as a morally acceptable alternative to forgiving wrongdoers, note some of the puzzles to which it gives rise, and conclude that while both types of responses to wrongdoers remain morally complex, there is good reason to think that forgiveness is the morally more appropriate response to having been wronged.
Who Benefits from Bond Market Modernization

We analyze how modernization shapes U.S. corporate bond market transactions. To identify the effects of technological change, we use eligibility cut-offs that allow 'Well-Known Seasoned Issuers' (WKSI) to accelerate issuance and reduce review time. We find this innovation initiated widespread adoption of covenants. We then examine pricing, trading, and holding of these bonds. We find the benefits of modernization go to investors and issuers. This contrasts with theory that suggests intermediaries benefit. This distribution of benefits comes from covenants. Their presence serves a new rationale -- as a substitute for due diligence. Standardized covenants reduce underwriter liability risk, simplify valuation, and enhance liquidity.
A Long Short-Term Memory Model for Answer Sentence Selection in Question Answering

In this paper, we present an approach that address the answer sentence selection problem for question answering. The proposed method uses a stacked bidirectional Long-Short Term Memory (BLSTM) network to sequentially read words from question and answer sentences, and then outputs their relevance scores. Unlike prior work, this approach does not require any syntactic parsing or external knowledge resources such as WordNet which may not be available in some domains or languages. The full system is based on a combination of the stacked BLSTM relevance model and keywords matching. The results of our experiments on a public benchmark dataset from TREC show that our system outperforms previous work which requires syntactic features and external knowledge resources.
Patient iPSCs: a new discovery tool for Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome.

A new study with patient stem cell–based modeling of Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome (SLOS) shows that the accumulation of a specific cholesterol precursor dysregulates the Wnt/b-catenin pathway, which in turn leads to precocious neural differentiation.
Fast wavelet collocation method for three-dimensional Hammerstein equation

ABSTRACTIn this paper, we extend the wavelet collocation method to a class of three-dimensional Hammerstein equation with weakly singular kernel. Three-dimensional wavelets and collocation polynomials on the unit cube are constructed. A fast wavelets collocation method is obtained by the use of a practical block truncation strategy. Numerical results are also included.
Renewable energies – Future perspectives

The Global Energy Scenario is analyzed starting from a global energy consumption still sustained by fossil sources. Comparing the time to reach as much as the 50% of the market share of traditional sources with the trend of renewable ones, it appears that this growth is too slow taking into account the urgent request to lessen CO2 emissions. Some supporting technologies are presented with reference to the use of storage systems to mitigate the intermittent nature of energy produced by photovoltaic and wind plants. The adoption of power electronics systems to increase the energy saving quote is finally explained.
TH-EF-BRA-06: A Novel Retrospective 3D K-Space Sorting 4D-MRI Technique Using a Radial K-Space Acquisition MRI Sequence

Purpose: Current retrospective 4D-MRI provides superior tumor-to-tissue contrast and accurate respiratory motion information for radiotherapy motion management. The developed 4D-MRI techniques based on 2D-MRI image sorting require a high frame-rate of the MR sequences. However, several MRI sequences provide excellent image quality but have low frame-rate. This study aims at developing a novel retrospective 3D k-space sorting 4D-MRI technique using radial k-space acquisition MRI sequences to improve 4D-MRI image quality and temporal-resolution for imaging irregular organ/tumor respiratory motion. Methods: The method is based on a RF-spoiled, steady-state, gradient-recalled sequence with minimal echo time. A 3D radial k-space data acquisition trajectory was used for sampling the datasets. Each radial spoke readout data line starts from the 3D center of Field-of-View. Respiratory signal can be extracted from the k-space center data point of each spoke. The spoke data was sorted based on its self-synchronized respiratory signal using phase sorting. Subsequently, 3D reconstruction was conducted to generate the time-resolved 4D-MRI images. As a feasibility study, this technique was implemented on a digital human phantom XCAT. The respiratory motion was controlled by an irregular motion profile. To validate using k-space center data as a respiratory surrogate, we compared it with the XCAT input controlling breathing profile. Tumor motion trajectories measured on reconstructed 4D-MRI were compared to the average input trajectory. The mean absolute amplitude difference (D) was calculated. Results: The signal extracted from k-space center data matches well with the input controlling respiratory profile of XCAT. The relative amplitude error was 8.6% and the relative phase error was 3.5%. XCAT 4D-MRI demonstrated a clear motion pattern with little serrated artifacts. D of tumor trajectories was 0.21mm, 0.23mm and 0.23mm in SI, AP and ML directions, respectively. Conclusion: A novel retrospective 3D k-space sorting 4D-MRI technique has been developed and evaluated on human digital phantom. NIH (1R21CA165384-01A1)
Superconductive Magnetoresistor Fabricated by Selective Growth of Y1Ba2Cu3O7-x Film Using Electrophoretic Deposition Technique

A novel patterning method for the improvement in sensitivity of the superconductive magnetoresistor is studied. By use of the electrophoretic deposition technique, Y1Ba2Cu3O7 - x film was selectively deposited on the patterned meander-line Cu thin film on YSZ. The meander-line element with a line width of 500 μm and a line length of 250 mm showed a magneto-voltage sensitivity of 57 mV/gauss at 50 K. The sensitivity is about one order higher than that of the previously reported mechanically patterned sensor.
Elastic-Plastic Behavior of High Porosity Rock

The constitutive behaviors of high porosity rock under confining pressure is studied. A failure surface and an initial yield surface are proposed based on the results, and an elastic constitutive model is given in terms of the hypoelasticity theory. The shear and bulk moduli are found to depend on confining pressure and volume strain, respectively. Also an elastic-plastic constitutive model is proposed to describe the irreversible deformation. The validity of the model is examined by comparing its predictions with the experimental results; predictions using this model agree well with the experimental observations.
Introduction to combustible dust hazards

Dust fire and explosion dynamics is the investigation of the physical and chemical phenomena that govern combustible dust hazards. This chapter explores the use of fundamental principles of combustion to evaluate the magnitude of combustible dust hazards in a variety of settings.
Interferon Therapy Is Predictive Factor for Improved Survival in Patients with Essential Thrombocythemia (ET).

Abstract Essential thrombocythemia (ET) is a Philadelphia chromosome-negative Myeloproliferative Disease characterized by a relatively indolent clinical course, a predisposition to thrombotic and bleeding events, and a delayed occurrence of disease transformation into myelofibrosis (MF) or acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) in selected patients (pts). Current therapy for ET has not been shown to affect in a positive way either survival or risk of disease transformation. We retrospectively assessed 158 pts with ET seen at our institution between November 1983 and February 2006, and evaluated their long-term outcome, risk of disease complications and transformation, and prognostic factors for both survival and disease complications. Median age was 51 years (range, 17–83), 59% were females. The median time from diagnosis to MD Anderson visit was 5 years (range 0–21) and from MD Anderson visit median follow up was 1.5 years (range 0–19). Fifty-two % of pts had received therapy before MD Anderson visit. At presentation 53% of the pts were symptomatic, including fatigue in 32%, weight loss in 8%, headache in 7%, and night sweats in 5%; splenomegaly was present in 18 pts (11%); median hemoglobin was 13.3 g/dL (range 7.1–16.6), white blood cell count 9.4 × 109/L (range 1.9–21.9), and platelets 909 × 109/L (range, 153–1000 × 109/L); karyotype was diploid in 129 of 139 evaluable pts (93%). During the follow up 34 pts (22%) have never received any cytoreductive therapy, while 66 pts (42%) received more than one therapy. Therapy included hydroxyurea in 71 (45%), anagrelide in 47 (30%), and interferon/pegylated interferon in 67 pts (42%). Thrombotic and bleeding events occurred in, respectively, 33 (21%; 22 arterial and 11 venous thrombosis) and 29 (18%) pts. Transformation to MF occurred in 7 (4%) pts after a median of 73 months (range 5–159). At tranformation the karyotype was diploid in all but one pt (+1, der (1;17)(q10;q10), +8). Presently 135 pts (85%) are alive. The 5-year and 10-year overall survivals from MD Anderson visit were, respectively, 88.5% and 77.3%. The median survival has not been reached. The multivariate analysis of patients' characteristics at presentation to and since MD Anderson visit identified interferon therapy as favorable predictive factor for survival (unlike other therapies). In contrast, this therapy constitutes an independent risk for a thrombotic event. No predictive factor for transformation has been identified. We conclude that ET is a good prognosis disease with a low rate of transformation into more aggressive disease, and that interferon therapy may improve the outcome. Patients were referred to MD Anderson at different time in the natural history of their disease, and the evaluation of probable impact of interferon therapy on patients' survival in ET should be verified in newly diagnosed patients.
Neo-liberal reform, the public sector and Black–White inequality*

In this article, we offer an overview and critical assessment of recent changes wrought by “new governance” reforms within public sector work, highlighting the implications specifically for Black–White inequality, and denote where further sociological analyses are warranted. These foci are important given the widely accepted—though hardly comprehensively examined—assumption that public sector employment remains a favorable “economic niche” for African Americans. Recent sociological research, including our own, suggests that this is likely no longer the case. The very structure and functioning of public sector work have changed owing to neoliberal agendas and reforms toward privatization over the last two decades, becoming less bureaucratic and increasingly mirroring processes and inequalities more traditionally characteristic of the private sector. We emphasize the consequences particularly for African Americans and call for deeper sociological analyses of public sector racial inequalities, processes, and their consequences.
Information Literacy and Critical Thinking: Context and Practice**I would like to thank Alan Bailin for insightful comments and editing.

Abstract This chapter argues that information literacy is not comprised of a set of context-independent skills. Rather, it argues that information literacy is a way of thinking about information in relation to the context in which it is sought, interpreted, and evaluated. In making this argument, this chapter focuses on critical thinking, the ability to effectively evaluate information and research. It suggests that effective critical thinking crucially involves an awareness of the research conventions and practices of particular disciplines or communities and includes an understanding of the social, political, economic, and ideological context of the creation and dissemination of research. This chapter claims that neither the Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL) Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education nor the Framework for Information Literacy in Higher Education provides sufficient criteria for critically evaluating research. In so doing, it examines some of the specific contextual factors that affect, within communities of practice, which research questions are asked, research findings, and the dissemination of research.
Nanostructure Evolution during Relaxation from a Large Step Strain in a Supramolecular Copolymer-Based Hydrogel: A SANS Investigation

The nanostructure changes associated with stress dissipation in a tough, supramolecular hydrogel were determined by small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) and compared with stress-relaxation measurements to understand the molecular origin of the toughness. The hydrogels were formed from random copolymers of N,N-dimethylacrylamide (DMA) and 2-(N-ethylperfluorooctane sulfonamido)ethyl acrylate (FOSA), which exhibit a microphase-separated morphology with physical cross-links formed by the FOSA nanodomains connected by DMA chains. The stress relaxation behavior following a step strain was fit using seven exponentials with relaxation times that spanned 5 orders of magnitude. The deformation and relaxation of the FOSA nanodomains and network chains were independently resolved using two different contrasts with SANS experiments. Stretching of the hydrogel produced anisotropic scattering at both contrasts examined. The DMA network chains relaxed to an isotropic state at a fast rate that corresponded to the shorter...
Effects of Video-Assisted Debriefing Compared with Standard Oral Debriefing

Abstract Background Video playback during debriefing is a frequent recommendation to develop skillful practice; however, research shows no clear benefit. Method A randomized controlled trial was conducted to determine the effects of type of debriefing on psychophysiological stress responses and performance of nursing students in a repeated simulation after approximately two weeks. Results Compared with oral debriefing, video-assisted debriefing had no significant effect on the psychophysiological stress responses and performance. Across sessions, state anxiety significantly decreased and performance score improved. Conclusion Reduced psychological stress and improved performance found in the repeat exposure validate the usefulness of simulation-based education to foster practice-based learning.
Personality and Conditioning: A Series of Attempts to Modify Self-Concept

In a series of 3 systematically replicated studies, the effects of selective reinforcement on self-concept were investigated. While no direct significant conditioning effect was found, there was clear evidence that the personality of S affected his response to the-experimental encounter; in general, Ss attempted to present balanced self-pictures. These findings are consonant with current work on self-presentation.