cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Investigation of Concrete Constitutive Models for Ultra-High Performance Fiber-Reinforced Concrete under Low-Velocity Impact

Abstract Among various alternatives developed for conventional reinforced concrete, ultra-high performance fiber-reinforced concrete (UHPFRC) is proven to provide superior mechanical properties, making it appropriate for impact-resistant structures. While several experimental tests have been conducted to determine the static and dynamic response of UHPFRC, the simulation of this important category of concrete materials, especially under impact loads, is still in need of extensive effort. To address this issue, the current study investigates how two widely-used concrete constitutive models, i.e., Continuous Surface Cap Model (CSCM) and Karagozian and Case Concrete (KCC), can be reliably employed for modeling UHPFRC subjected to low-velocity impact. Utilizing the available experimental test data, a rigorous calibration process has been developed in the current study for the two constitutive models, capturing the main strength parameters, damage evolution parameters, and strain rate effects. This process begins with single-element simulations performed under various stress paths to generate the information necessary for post-peak softening and confinement factors. The investigations with single-element simulations consist of four element sizes to study the mesh size sensitivity of both constitutive models. The study is then extended to examine the capabilities of the calibrated models in simulating the response of full-scale structural elements made with UHPFRC. For this purpose, the drop hammer tests are replicated on both plain and reinforced UHPFRC, and the performance of the two constitutive models is evaluated in comparison to the experimental tests. Specifically, this evaluation examines peak impact forces and displacements, considering various hourglass coefficients and drop hammer heights. Furthermore, a metamodel-based sensitivity analysis is conducted to quantify the effects of uncertainty inherent in the input parameters on the predicted impact response measures, in terms of force, displacement, and duration.
Virtually Amish: Preserving Community at the Internet's Margins

My forthcoming book (MIT Press), Virtually Amish, is an ethnographic study of the adoption, design and use of digital communication technologies among members of Old Order Amish communities. This paper explores a section of the book focusing on Amish strategies for internet management. These strategies are in place to protect Amish communities from perceived negative impacts of technologically mediated connectivity. Today it is increasingly common for the Amish to adopt computers, the internet and mobile devices in calculated ways to remain competitive in business. Often the use of these devices blends into the personal sphere as well. This research is notable for its empirical observations that show shared values are key to determining patterns of technology use in Amish communities. Data was collected via semi-structured interviews with thought-leaders (business and religious leaders) in Indiana Amish settlements. Findings show that the Amish consider their own cultural, social, political and religious autonomy in deciding how to engage with a broader social and economic system as technologies are essential to the mediation of these relationships.
The value of vehicle-to-grid in a decarbonizing California grid

Abstract Vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology could increase electric vehicle (EV) revenues and grid flexibility. Prior analyses have quantified potential V2G revenues, but each has ignored at least one of four factors that could drive future V2G revenues: future grid changes, large EV numbers, V2G interactions with electricity prices, and V2G operational responses to shifts in electricity prices. Our innovation is the capture of all four factors to quantify net revenues of a fleet of V2G-enabled EVs in California through 2030 by co-simulating optimization models for V2G and power system operations. We find V2G-enabled EVs generate an average of $32-$48 more annual net revenues than smart-charging EVs. Declining electricity prices through 2030 due to decarbonization and V2G participation decreases V2G revenues, and ignoring fleet-wide V2G participation significantly overestimates V2G annual net revenues. Overall, these results indicate V2G revenues could be modest and decrease in the future, underscoring the value of our co-optimization framework.
Spectrum Sharing Secondary Users in Presence of Multiple Adversaries

Cognitive radio technology brings a lot of interesting features which affect the transmission and reception properties of modern communication devices. Dynamic spectrum sensing, channel hopping, allocation and strategically nullifying adversarial attacks are among the few. In the presence of primary users (PUs), we inspect the secondary user (SU) pair behavior in decentralized, ad hoc cognitive radio networks, before and after adversarial attacks. We have taken into consideration the power radius of each SU pair to calculate the payoffs which decide if they should participate in a coalition or not. We propose algorithms for coalition formation for the SU pairs and the adversaries. We also propose two attack strategies for the adversaries: smart or naive. Overall, we propose a game-theoretic framework to study the multi-SU-pair multi-adversary scenario. We investigate the effect of adversarial attacks on the proposed framework. We show that the decrease in the average utilities of the SU pairs after attack varies from 66% to 75% with adversary count increasing by 14.2%. We study how the channels are allocated if there is an attack and how the payoffs of those SU pairs vary with increasing or decreasing number of channels. We also show that the payoffs decrease by 14.66%, if adversaries adopt a smart strategy instead of a naive one.
Relationships between changes in daily occupations and health-related quality of life in persons with multiple sclerosis during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract Background: The COVID-19 pandemic provided a unique opportunity to explore the impact of the mandated lockdown and social distancing policies on engagement in daily occupations for individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) and able bodied (i.e. healthy) adults. The study also examined whether the changes in daily occupations were associated with health-related quality of life (HrQOL). Methods: Between the spring and early fall of 2020, 69 persons with MS and 95 healthy adults completed an online survey that included measurements of 26 activities of daily life. For each activity, participants reported whether they continued to perform the activity (with or without adjustments), whether they stopped, or started to perform the activity during the pandemic. Social support, HrQOL, and demographics, including financial distress were also obtained. Results: Participants with MS and healthy adults both reduced the number of activities performed during the pandemic. Healthy adults continued to do more activities with and without adjustments compared with participants with MS. In both groups, better HrQOL was associated with the number of activities participants continued to do with and without adjustments, and worse HrQOL with the number of activities they stopped doing. Conclusions: Fewer persons with MS engaged in everyday occupations than healthy adults following the COVID-19 pandemic. The ability to maintain occupational engagement and to participate in social and daily activities is important for maintaining high HrQOL in both groups. Thus, these results call for attention in treatment and self-management of MS symptomatology.
Donations for Sale - Rhetorical Methods in the Service of Compensated Egg Recruitment in Israel

Until 2010, egg donations in Israel could only be recruited from women undergoing fertility treatments for themselves. Donations did not meet the national demand for eggs. Until the policy changed in 2010 and allowed donations from healthy women undergoing egg retrieval process for the sole purpose of donation, there had been years of legislative efforts to increase the pool of eggs for childless people. This article tells the story of this change. It examines the change through the discourse involved in two governmental committees charged with discussing this issue in two distinguished generations of discourse concerning reproductive technologies. The discourse analysis exposes legal and ethical dilemmas that reflect a constant conflict between two constitutive narratives in Israeli society: “The procreation narrative” and the narrative regarding “the unique value of the human body.” Aside from telling the story, the article offers a typology of the rhetorical methods that served policy-makers settling this conflict. It shows how these methods shaped the nature of the debate and allowed a change in policy.
Genetic Control of Virus Susceptibility

The discovery that inbred strains differ in their susceptibility to tumor-inducing (oncogenic) viruses (for a review, see Gross, 1970) triggered a search for genes specifically involved in the control of viral oncongenesis. It was hoped that identification of such genes would provide clues to the mechanism of the neoplastic process itself, but the search was only partially successful. The several genes that were implicated in the viral induction of tumors failed to reveal the mechanism of their involvement. The discovery by Lilly and his co-workers (1964) that viral leukemogenesis could be influenced by the H-2 system raised new hopes. Here the relationship between the gene and the neoplastic process seemed more apparent and more easily accessible to genetic analysis. Soon after this discovery, six other viruses were also demonstrated to be influenced by the H-2 system: Tennant virus, radiation-induced leukemia virus, Bittner virus, Friend virus, lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus, and vaccinia virus. Of these, the first five are RNA-containing viruses and the last is a DNA-containing virus. As the mechanism of action is probably different in each of the six, each will be described separately. A brief description of the properties of each virus will also be provided.
X-Ray Nanolithography: Limits, and Application to Sub-100 NM Manufacturing

Proximity x-ray lithography (XRL), using wavelengths between 0.8 and 1.5 nm, provides a near ideal match to the “system problem” of lithography for feature sizes from 500 to 30 nm, by virtue of “absorption without scattering” and recently developed mask technology. We show that useful resolution is not limited by diffraction until linewidths are below 50 nm. Mask architecture and patterning methods are presented which are compatible with manufacturing at linewidths from 500 to 30 nm. Elimination of distortion at the pattern generation stage remains the problem of greatest concern. Spatial-phase-locked electron-beam lithography will solve this problem. Projection x-ray lithography with zone plates should be effective to the limits of the lithographic process. Applications of sub-100 nm XRL, including MOS, quantum-effect, and optoelectronic devices are discussed.
The importance of implementing, monitoring and evaluating congenital rubella syndrome surveillance

Rubella, once considered being a mild, benign rash illness, gained public health significance in 1941 when Gregg [1] associated the significance of congenital cataracts with rubella during pregnancy. In 1962–1965, a rubella pandemic resulted in approximately 12.5 million rubella cases, 20,000 infants born with congenital rubella syndrome (CRS), 11,250 fetal deaths (fetal wastage and abortions), and 2,100 neonatal deaths in the US alone [2]. This devastating epidemic and the ability to isolate and attenuate the virus expedited the development of a vaccine against rubella [3]. With the licensure of rubella vaccines in 1969, the goal of the rubella vaccination program was the prevention of congenital rubella infection (CRI) in the US [4]. CRI encompasses all outcomes associated with intrauterine rubella infection, including miscarriage, stillbirth, abortion, combinations of birth defects known as CRS, or asymptomatic infection (also known as infection only). To monitor the impact of the vaccination program, the US implemented CRS surveillance in addition to previously established rubella surveillance. The rationale for focusing on CRS surveillance instead of CRI is that CRS is easier to quantities; confirm diagnosis and monitor compared with CRI.
Determinants of service placements for youth with serious emotional and behavioral disturbances.

This paper examines the association between race and type of service placement for youth with serious emotional and behavioral disturbances. Placements were reviewed for 2,803 black and white youth served in the community mental health system. Differences were found between black and white youth in the type of out-of-home placements they received after controlling for sociodemographic variables and presenting problems. Black youth were more likely than whites to be placed in correctional facilities and foster care while white youth were more likely than blacks to be hospitalized (p < .001). This variation in placement may not be clinically warranted. Placement criteria and outcome assessments are needed.
IL-4 and IL-13 induce protection from complement and melittin in endothelial cells despite initial loss of cytoplasmic proteins: membrane resealing impairs quantifying cytotoxicity with the lactate dehydrogenase permeability assay.

Endothelial cell activation and injury by the terminal pathway of complement is important in various pathobiological processes, including xenograft rejection. Protection against injury by human complement can be induced in porcine endothelial cells (ECs) with IL-4 and IL-13 through metabolic activation. However, despite this resistance, the complement-treated ECs were found to lose membrane permeability control assessed with the small molecule calcein. Therefore, to define the apparent discrepancy of permeability changes vis-a-vis the protection from killing, we now investigated whether IL-4 and IL-13 influence the release of the large cytoplasmic protein lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in ECs incubated with complement or the pore-forming protein melittin. Primary cultures of ECs were pre-treated with IL-4 or IL-13 and then incubated with human serum as source of antibody and complement or melittin. Cell death was assessed using neutral red. Membrane permeability was quantitated measuring LDH release. We found that IL-4-/IL-13-induced protection of ECs from killing by complement or melittin despite loss of LDH in amounts similar to control ECs. However, the cytokine-treated ECs that were protected from killing rapidly regained effective control of membrane permeability. Moreover, the viability of the protected ECs was maintained for at least 2 days. We conclude that the protection induced by IL-4/IL-13 in ECs against lethal attack by complement or melittin is effective and durable despite severe initial impairment of membrane permeability. The metabolic changes responsible for protection allow the cells to repair the membrane injury caused by complement or melittin.
Debating the Rule of Law and Virtue Politics in China's Twentieth Century

The relations between “rule of law (fazhi)” and “virtue politics (dezhi)” have been repeatedly debated in China over the last century. After a brief introduction to pre-twentieth-century Chinese discussions of these themes, the essay focuses on two such debates, from the mid-1910s and from the late1950s and early 1960s. Within these contexts, the essay pays special attention to the arguments of Zhang Shizhao (1885-1973) and Mou Zongsan (1909-95), respectively. The latter parts of the essay survey more recent Chinese discussions of the inter-relations between law and virtue, and then suggest various ways in which the arguments of Zhang and Mou might contribute to current dialogue, both within and without China, on issues like the limits on moral authority and on the role of virtue in politics, the relations between public and private, and the need for political and legal value to be rooted in morality.
Robust Parameter Design Using Generalized Linear Mixed Models

In robust parameter design, it is often the case that the quality characteristic is nonnormal. An example in semiconductor manufacturing is resistivity, which typically follows a gamma distribution...
Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy: Patients' outcomes, adequacy and quality of information given to decision-makers and procedure acceptance.

Aim We aimed to evaluate patients’ survival and complications after percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tube placement, the quality of information given to the decision-makers (relatives) before the procedure and their overall acceptance of the intervention. Methods We interviewed the relatives of 35 patients who underwent PEG tube placement in our facility from January 2008 to December 2009, using a structured questionnaire. Results Thirty-day survival rate was 83%. The cumulative median survival was 35 (95% CI: 27.7-42.3) days and it was not related to patient’s underlying condition. No patient died due to procedure related complication. Apart from topical skin reactions (26%), major complications, such as pneumonia, diarrhea, vomiting and tube misplacement were not common (3-11%). Although 83% of the decision-makers considered that they had provided an informed decision after being given comprehensive information about the procedure, 71% said that they had not adequately been informed about alternative methods. One third of the relatives considered that the intervention met their expectations and 67% of them would recommend PEG to other patients suffering from dysphagia. However, only 26% of decision-makers would consent again for PEG tube placement for their patient, while 69% did not answer this question. Conclusion Patients’ outcomes after PEG tube placement are favorable. However, several decision-makers are not satisfied with the quality of information given before informed consent while the acceptance of the intervention is not very high. Keywords percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy, outcome, acceptance, information, decisionmakers Ann Gastroenterol 2011; 24 (1): 29-34
Unusual misregulation of RNA splicing caused by insertion of a transposable element into the T (Brachyury) locus

Background: The T Wis mutant allele of the Brachyury, or T, gene was created by insertion of an endogenous retrovirus-like early transposon (ETn) element into the exon 7 splice donor consensus sequence of the 8 exon T locus. While the developmental consequences of this disruption have been well characterized, the molecular consequences have not been previously investigated, and it has been assumed that the insertion results in a truncated protein. This study sought to further characterize the mutant T Wis allele by investigating the nature of the transcripts produced by insertion of this transposable element. Results: Using an RT-PCR based approach, we have shown that at least 8 different mutant transcripts are produced from the T Wis allele. All T Wis transcripts bypass the mutated exon 7 splice donor site, such that wild type T transcripts are not produced from the T Wis allele. Conclusions: This result shows an unsuspected misregulation of RNA splicing caused by insertion of a transposable element, that could have more widespread consequences in the genome.
Urologic Surgery Training Using Computer-Assisted Simulators

Trainees in urology must overcome many obstacles in order to achieve the skills required to become a competent and credentialed urologist. As urology has advanced in sophistication, the methods of teaching have also adapted and changed. The traditional Halstedian motto of see one, do one, teach one is no longer used on its own to teach trainees but is being augmented with tools such as simulation. Although simulation has been available in forms such as inanimate object manipulation and animal wet labs, only recently have advances in computing allowed for realistic virtual reality simulation to be employed. Computer-assisted simulators are currently available for endourology, laparoscopic surgery, and robotic-assisted surgery. This chapter will discuss the published literature regarding validity of each of the various simulators and the relevance of simulators in each of subspecialty of urology and highlight the importance of simulator use in the education of future trainees.
Recovery of a strain of Agrobacterium radiobacter with a mucoid phenotype from an immunocompromised child with bacteremia.

Agrobacteria are associated more commonly with plant than with human disease. The isolation of Agrobacterium radiobacter from blood cultures of an immunocompromised child with a transcutaneous catheter prompted a review of human infections caused by Agrobacterium species. Only 12 reports describing 19 cases of Agrobacterium infections in humans have appeared in the literature. Sixteen of the patients (84%) were equipped with implantable or transcutaneous medical devices at the time of infection, and 14 of the 19 (80%) patients could be considered immunocompromised because of underlying disease processes. Unlike those in previous reports, however, this patient was infected with a novel mucoid phenotype of A. radiobacter. Because of the significant relationship between infection and biomedical implants, we evaluated the adhesion of this mucoid strain and a nonmucoid strain of A. radiobacter to plastic by using two in vitro assays. No adhesion or biofilm formation was detected for either strain, but nonetheless it is clear from this review that the isolation of Agrobacterium spp. from patients with indwelling medical appliances should not be dismissed as an environmental contaminant. Images
Non-invasive monitoring of eating behavior using spectrogram analysis in a wearable necklace

Food intake levels, hydration, chewing and swallowing rate, and dietary choices are all factors known to impact one's health. This paper presents a novel wearable system in the form of a necklace, which aggregates data from an embedded piezoelectric sensor capable of detecting skin motion in the lower trachea during ingestion. We propose an algorithm based on spectrogram analysis of piezoelectric sensor signals to accurately distinguish between food types such as liquid and solid, hot and cold drinks and hard and soft foods. The necklace transmits data to a smartphone, which performs the processing of the signals, classifies the food type, and provides visual feedback to the user to assist the user in monitoring their eating habits over time. Experimental results demonstrate high classification accuracy of the proposed method, and validate the use of a spectrogram in extracting key features representative of the unique swallow patterns of various foods.
Role of platinum agents in the management of advanced pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic cancer, one of the most common gastrointestinal tumors, has a 5-year survival rate of 12 randomized Phase III trials in the last decade. Some trials showed improved response rates or progression-free survival, but there was no clear improvement in survival. Among these combinations, the combination of gemcitabine plus platinum agents showed improved progression-free survival or time-to-tumor progression, but failed to demonstrate a survival advantage over gemcitabine. This combination has regained attention after a recent pooled analysis and a meta-analysis suggested a su...
When Things Go Wrong: Organizational Failures and Breakdowns

The book, ‘When Things Go Wrong: Organizational Failures and Breakdowns,’ edited by Helmut K. Anheier, is a collection of essays and articles concerning organizational failure. Some of the contributions appeared earlier in a 1996 special issue of ‘American Behavioral Scientist,’ in which this same topic was addressed. The reviewer, who has spent the last decade researching organizational decline, downsizing, and turnaround, found that, despite some weaknesses, the chapters of the book were a coherent package that stimulated new thoughts about organizational failure.
Some new neotropical Simuliidae

Dr. Andrew Balfour, Director of the Wellcome Bureau of Scientific Research, has submitted to the writer for study part of the Diptera collected on his recent voyage in the American tropics. A species of Simulium from the valley of the Atrato River in Colombia proves to be new and is described below. Through the good offices of Dr. Balfour further interesting material was received from K. S. Wise, Surgeon-General for British Guiana, and from F. W. Urich, Entomologist of Trinidad. These lots contained an additional new species of Simulium each, of which the descriptions follow. Diptera belonging to other groups and of economic interest will be treated in subsequent papers.
A fast and sensitive ICP-MS assay for the determination of 230Th in marine sediments

Inductively-coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) with quadrupole mass analysis provides a very fast and sensitive method for the determination of 230Th in marine sediments. A detection limit of 0.40 DPM (36 femto-moles) was determined for the method with a precision of better than 3% (1σ). This is comparable to that of α-counting methods, but samples can be analyzed in five minutes, compared to up to two weeks counting time for α-spectrometry. Sample preparation is also significantly simplified, thus providing a relatively quick and easy method for the determination of “excess” 230Th accumulation histories in deep-sea sediment cores.
The surface of composite resin finished with instruments and matrices.

I t is difficult to obtain a smooth surface on composite resin restorations.‘-” The problem is inherent in the composite resin. Some investigators have suggested that the difference in hardness between the filler particles and matrix contributes to a roughened surface.‘, *, I37 I4 Still others suggest that a rough surface is to be expected and results from wear factors. These include wear of the resin matrix, exposure of air bubbles and loss of the filler particles by shearing forces, bond failure, and cracking of the resin matrix.2* 3, 6, “3 “* I6 Various finishing and polishing procedures have been studied to produce a smooth composite resin surface. ‘, 6, ‘3 “v 13, ‘X ” Nonsmooth or irregular and rough surfaces can be irritating to the periodontal ligament and lead to increased adhesion of dental plaque, inviting recurrent caries.‘-+ ‘3 *, I3 With complex lesions and defects occurring in the gingival third of teeth, restorations with rough surface texture, adhesion of dental plaque, and irritation of the periodontal ligament induce pathoses. In the cervical area, access for finishing and polishing with abrasive instruments is limited. To minimize these problems, care in the insertion of the composite resin and proper matrix technique have been suggested.‘3s’8 In this manner it is possible that with minimal finishing, a smooth surface, recreating the natural contours of the tooth, is produced and decreases the potential for dental plaque to injure the periodontal ligament and also induce recurrent caries. The purpose of this study was to compare the surface finish ptoduced by various insertion and matrix techniques.
THE EFFECTS OF PREY AVAILABILITY ON THE NUMERICAL RESPONSE OF WADING BIRDS

Reduced prey availability has emerged as a primary hypothesis to explain population constraints on wading birds in numerous wetlands around the world. However, there is almost no understanding of which component of prey availability (i.e., prey density or vulnerability of prey to capture) is affecting populations and whether the relative effects of each component differ among species. In this study, I manipulated prey density and water depth (i.e., prey availability) in 12 0.2-ha ponds to determine their relative effects on the numeric response of eight species of free-ranging wading birds (White Ibis, Eudocimus albus; Wood Stork, Mycteria americana; Snowy Egret, Egretta thula; Glossy Ibis, Plegadis falcinellus; Great Egret, Ardea alba; Tricolored Heron, Egretta tricolor; Great Blue Heron, Ardea herodias; and Little Blue Heron, Egretta caerulea). The experiment was conducted in a constructed wetland adjacent to, and west of, the northern tip of the remnant Everglades, in Palm Beach County, Florida, USA. Each pond was set to a water depth of 10 cm, 19 cm, or 28 cm, and was stocked with golden shiners (Notemigonus crysoleucas) at a density of either 3 fish/m2 or 10 fish/m2. Total bird use (all treatments pooled) increased from day 1 (day after stocking) to day 6, stabilized for several days at ∼280 birds, and then decreased until day 16, when bird use nearly ceased. Fish were depleted most rapidly in the shallow treatment and least rapidly in the deep treatment. The giving-up-density (GUD) of prey increased with increasing water depth. There was no significant difference among species in the slope of that relationship; however, a visual inspection of the data showed that differences in GUDs were becoming more apparent in the deepest treatment. At that depth, the White Ibis, Wood Stork, and Snowy Egret had higher GUDs than did the Glossy Ibis, Great Egret, Tricolored Heron, Great Blue Heron, and Little Blue Heron. Also, the first three species were affected significantly by both prey density and water depth, whereas the latter five species showed a decidedly weaker response to one or the other component of prey availability. The first three species were more abundant in the shallow treatments and the high prey density treatments, and they abandoned the study site before other species reached their maximum density. The feeding strategy of the first group appeared to be one of searching for new high-quality food patches rather than staying and exploiting food patches that were declining in quality. Species that employed a searching strategy also have shown the most severe population declines, suggesting that factors affecting bird density at feeding sites may also have affected population size.
Searching the Web by voice

Spoken queries are a natural medium for searching the Web in settings where typing on a keyboard is not practical. This paper describes a speech interface to the Google search engine. We present experiments with various statistical language models, concluding that a unigram model with collocations provides the best combination of broad coverage, predictive power, and real-time performance. We also report accuracy results of the prototype system.
A Quantitative Assay for the Juvenile Hormones and Their Precursors Using Fluorescent Tags

Background The juvenile hormones (JHs) are sesquiterpenoid compounds that play a central role in insect reproduction, development and behavior. The lipophilic nature of JHs and their precursors, in conjunction with their low concentration in tissues and susceptibility to degradation had made their quantification difficult. A variety of methods exist for JH quantification but few can quantify on the femtomole range. Currently applied methods are expensive and time consuming. In the present study we sought to develop a novel method for accurate detection and quantification of JHs and their precursors. Methods A sensitive and robust method was developed to quantify the precursor, farnesoic acid (FA) and juvenile hormone III (JH III) in biological samples. The assay is based on the derivatization of analytes with fluorescent tags, with subsequent analysis by reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography coupled to a fluorescent detector (HPLC-FD). The carboxyl group of FA was derivatized with 4-Acetamido-7-mercapto-2,1,3-benzoxadiaz​ole(AABD-SH). Tagging the epoxide group of JH III required a two-step reaction: the opening of the epoxide ring with sodium sulfide and derivatization with the fluorescent tag 4-(N,N-Dimethylaminosulfonyl)-7-(N-chlor​oformylmethyl-N-methylamino)-2,1,3-benzo​xadiazole(DBD-COCl). Conclusions The method developed in the present study showed high sensitivity, accuracy and reproducibility. Linear responses were obtained over the range of 10–20 to 1000 fmols. Recovery efficiencies were over 90% for JH III and 98% for FA with excellent reproducibility. Significance The proposed method is applicable when sensitive detection and accurate quantification of limited amount of sample is needed. Examples include corpora allata, hemolymph and whole body of female adult Aedes aegypti and whole body Drosophila melanogaster. A variety of additional functional groups can be targeted to add fluorescent tags to the remaining JH III precursors.
The Effect of Prelistening Activities on Listening Comprehension in Arabic Learners

Abstract: This study evaluated the effect of prelistening activities and repeated listening exposure on listening comprehension scores of Arabic students. Participants completed a prelistening activity (vocabulary preview or question preview) or a distracter activity (Arabic verb conjugation), listened to an Arabic listening passage, and took a listening comprehension test. Participants listened to the passage again and repeated the test. Students who completed either prelistening activity scored higher than those who completed the distracter activity; participants who received the question preview did better than those who received the vocabulary preview. All participants' scores improved after the second exposure to the listening passage. These findings suggest that while certain prelistening activities have a positive impact on student scores on tests of listening comprehension, repeated exposure to the passage is a better predictor of improved performance.
Receptors for steroid hormones: membrane-associated and nuclear forms.

Steroid hormones are now recognized to act through both nuclear and membrane-associated receptors. In this review we focus on receptors for estrogen and the vitamin D metabolite 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3. While the nuclear receptors are part of a ‘superfamily’ with common structural elements, membrane receptors are more diverse, ranging from variants of the nuclear forms to unrelated proteins. We conclude that both rapid (membrane-initiated) actions, as well as regulation of gene transcription, are necessary to explain the complex actions of steroid hormones on target cells.
Optical temperature measurements on metal-oxygen diffusion flames

Radial temperature profiles in low pressure oxygen-calcium wire diffusion flames from optical measurements based on radiative transfer equation
Detection of Skin Cancer Using Transient/Thermal Imaging

The incidence of melanoma in the United States has been increasing dramatically over the past several years [1] with melanoma currently being the sixth most common cancer in the United States. At present, there are no systemic agents available that significantly extend the lifespan of patients with advanced disease and improved survival relies solely on early detection and adequate surgical management [2]. The need to improve the diagnostic accuracy and sensitivity for skin cancer while increasing biopsy efficiency yields to the implementation of imaging technologies in dermatology. Current in-vivo imaging tools in use including digital photography (total cutaneous imaging or imaging of individual lesions), and dermoscopy are highly subjective and without broadly applicable standards or quantitative criteria.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
The Interplay of Secondary Degeneration and Self-Repair After Spinal Cord Injury

Trauma to the spinal cord involves the initial damage to the cells at the impact site, followed by expansion of the injury as a result of secondary injury mechanisms. Early after injury, there is substantial cell death, both necrotic and apoptotic. This is followed by the initiation of reparative mechanisms by the spinal cord, including proliferation of precursor cells and ependymal cells, and the infiltration of the lesion by Schwann cells and axons. Although the mammalian spinal cord is not capable of fully repairing itself after injury, it does undergo substantial remodeling. This article discusses the progression of contusive spinal cord injury and the remodeling that occurs. By understanding the endogenous repair responses that occur after injury, it may be possible to enhance them and thus produce more effective therapies.
Posterior fossa magnetic resonance imaging in autism.

ABSTRACT Objective To determine whether the sizes and volumes of the posterior fossa structures are abnormal in non–mentally retarded autistic adolescents and adults. Method Volume measurements of the cerebellum, vermis, and brainstem were obtained from coronal magnetic resonance imaging scans in 16 autistic subjects and 19 group-matched healthy controls. For the purpose of comparison with previous studies, area measurements of the midbrain, pons, medulla, total cerebellar vermis, and its three subregions were also obtained from a larger sample of 22 autistic males (mean age: 22.4 years; range: 12.2–51.8 years) and 22 individually matched controls (mean age 22.4 years; range: 12.9–52.2 years). Results The total volume of the cerebellum and the cerebellar hemispheres were significantly larger in the autistic subjects with and without correcting for total brain volume. Volumes of the vermis and the brainstem and all area measurements did not differ significantly between groups. Conclusions There is an increase in the volume of the cerebellum in people with autism consistent with the increase in regional and total brain size reported in this developmental disorder. This finding is also concordant with evidence of cerebellar abnormalities from neuropathological and neuropsychological studies that point to the role of this structure, as part of a complex neural system, in the pathophysiology of autism.
Acetylene reduction activity of pearl millet inbred lines grown in soil

Pearl millet inbred lines previously selected for differences in acetylene reduction activity (ARA) in seedling agar tubes were found to support low soil ARA. Lines selected for high ARA gave better performance than lines selected for low ARA. None of the high ARA lines was found to approach the ARA of alfalfa with their average rates over 40 fold lower.
Correlates of Suicidal Ideation and/or Behavior in Bariatric-Surgery-Seeking Individuals With Severe Obesity

Background: Approximately 10% of severely obese bariatric-surgery-seeking individuals report a lifetime history of suicide attempts, a higher rate than in the general community. Being overweight is associated with weight-related stigma, making an individual more vulnerable to social isolation, a potential risk factor for suicidal ideation and/or behavior. Aims: In this cross-sectional study of surgery-seeking adults with severe obesity, we examined whether weight-related stigma increases (1) the likelihood of suicidal ideation and/or behavior or (2) the degree of loneliness; and whether hypotheses (1) and (2) are supported (3) if loneliness mediates the effect of weight-related stigma on suicidal ideation and/or behavior. Methods: Online questionnaires were administered to 301 women and 95 men seeking bariatric surgery. Results: Approximately 30.3% reported having at least a passing thought of suicide, and 5.55% a suicide attempt during their lifetime. The suicide attempt rate appears lower than other bar...
High and selective CO2 adsorption by a phthalocyanine nanoporous polymer

A rigid macrocyclic phthalocyanine-based porous polymer, CPP, was synthesized by a one pot “click” reaction between tetraazido-phthalocyanine and bisamine diethynylbenzene. This CPP is the first example of a phthalocyanine porous polymer used for CO2 adsorption and it shows very high CO2 adsorption (15.7 wt% at 273 K/1 bar) and high selectivity for CO2/N2 (94) and for CO2/CH4 (12.8) at 273 K/1 bar. The CPP exhibited a Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area of 579 m2 g−1 and high thermal stability up to 500 °C, thus showing good potential for CO2 capture.
Fibroblast remodeling activity at two- and three-dimensional collagen-glycosaminoglycan interfaces.

Abstract Previously we demonstrated that high throughput gene expression experiments can yield novel information about how cells respond to a collagen–glycosaminoglycan (GAG) three-dimensional culture environment. The goal of the current study was to determine which of these differences result from culture in a three-dimensional construct versus those caused simply by the presence of the collagen–GAG biomaterial. To make this distinction, cells were cultured both in collagen–GAG scaffolds fabricated using a phase separation method and on thin two-dimensional coatings of the same material. Control cells were grown on standard tissue culture polystyrene (TCPS). Cell response was measured using histology and microarray analysis and select results were verified with real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assays. Genes involved in matrix remodeling (matrix components, matrix metalloproteinases and growth factors) and angiogenesis (VEGF, HGF and HMOX) were shown to be differentially expressed between the treatment conditions. Several matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) were up regulated in mesh grown cell while some of their inhibitors (TIMPs) were down regulated. These results suggest that the three-dimensional presentation of the collagen–GAG material to the cells is required to stimulate the observed increase in fibroblast remodeling behavior.
Novel endoscopic imaging devices and applications

New imaging modalities are being brought to bear on an increasing number of clinical problems, aided by advances in imaging speed, delivery probe miniaturization and device portability. Several optical imaging techniques are ideal for micron-scale resolution imaging but at the tradeoff of shallow imaging depth. Therefore, miniature delivery systems have been developed to extend imaging possibilities to organs that can be reached in a minimally invasive manner. This theme will cover the technology and applications of endoscopic imaging devices.
Evaluation of Native Bees as Pollinators of Cucurbit Crops Under Floating Row Covers

Production of cucurbit crops presents growers with numerous challenges. Several severe pests and diseases can be managed through the use of rotation, trap cropping, mechanical barriers, such as row covers, and chemical applications. However, considerations must also be made for pollinating insects, as adequate pollination affects the quantity and quality of fruit. Insecticides may negatively affect pollinators; a concern enhanced in recent years due to losses in managed Apis melifera L. colonies. Row covers can be used in place of chemical control before pollination, but when removed, pests have access to fields along with the pollinators. If pollination services of native bees could be harnessed for use under continuous row covers, both concerns could be balanced for growers. The potential of two bee species which specialize on cucurbit flowers, Peponapis pruinosa Say and Xenoglossa strenua Cresson, were assessed under continuous row covers, employed over acorn squash. Experimental treatments included plots with either naturally or artificially introduced bees under row covers and control plots with row covers either permanently removed at crop flowering, or employed continuously with no added pollinating insects. Pests in plots with permanently removed row covers were managed using standard practices used in certified organic production. Marketable yields from plots inoculated with bees were indistinguishable from those produced under standard practices, indicating this system would provide adequate yields to growers without time and monetary inputs of insecticide applications. Additionally, application of this technique was investigated for muskmelon production and discussed along with considerations for farm management.
Dynamic analysis of the cybernetic model for diauxic growth

Abstract The cybernetic framework is a mathematical formalism developed by Ramkrishna and coworkers for modelling microbial systems. In this work, we analyze the dynamics of the cybernetic model for diauxic growth (Kompala et al. , 1986, Biotechnol. Bioengng . 28 1044–1055). Recent data shows, however, that microbial growth on binary mixtures is frequently nondiauxic. The goal of this work is to: 1. (1) Understand why the model captures the diauxie. 2. (2) Determine if the model can embrace the nondiauxic growth patterns. The analysis shows that the global dynamics of the cybernetic model agree with diauxic behavior, and the autocatalytic nature of enzyme synthesis plays a key role in ensuring this agreement. But there exists no set of parameter values for which the model embraces the nondiauxic growth patterns; this observation is specific to the model of Kompala et al. (1986) and does not apply to the more recent cybernetic model of Ramakrishna et al. (1997, Biotechnol. Bioengng 52 , 141–151).
Dirichlet boundary stabilization of the wave equation with damping feedback of finite range

Abstract A “closed loop” system consisting of the wave equation with a feedback acting in the Dirichlet boundary condition in the form of a nonlocal, one-dimensional range operator, defined on the “velocity” vector (damping) is considered. Beside the well-posedness question (generation of a feedback C 0 -semigroup), the boundary feedback stabilization problem is studied: while asymptotic decay to zero in the uniform operator norm can never occur for the considered class of closed loop systems, however checkable sufficient conditions on the vectors in the boundary conditions are provided that guarantee asymptotic decay to zero in the strong norm of appropriate Sobolev spaces. These conditions include, but are not limited to, the standard case of dissipativity of the feedback system. The starting point of this approach is a functional analytic model for the study of nonsmooth boundary input hyperbolic equations recently developed (I. Lasiecka and R. Triggiani, Appl. Math. Optim. 7 (1) (1981), 35–93).
Device to prepare extruded nuclei and chromosome squashes

A horizontal toggle clamp mounted on a rigid base plate makes nuclear extrusion and polytene chromosome squashing simple and reproducible. The base plate has a stage with shallow flat grooves to align the tissue sample directly below the clamp's swivel foot and hold the microscope slide in place during squashing. Appropriate pressure to obtain either extruded nuclei or squash preparations of polytene chromosomes is established empirically by adjusting the clamp's spindle assembly up or down.