cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Paradigm for the Development and Evaluation of Novel Implant Topologies for Bone Fixation: In Vivo Evaluation

While contemporary prosthetic devices restore some function to individuals who have lost a limb, there are efforts to develop bio-integrated prostheses to improve functionality. A critical step in advancing this technology will be to securely attach the device to remnant bone. To investigate mechanisms for establishing robust implant fixation in bone while undergoing loading, we previously used a topology optimization scheme to develop optimized orthopedic implants and then fabricated selected designs from titanium (Ti)-alloy with selective laser sintering (SLS) technology. In the present study, we examined how implant architecture and mechanical stimulation influence osseointegration within an in vivo environment. To do this, we evaluated three implant designs (two optimized and one non-optimized) using a unique in vivo model that applied cyclic, tension/compression loads to the implants. Eighteen (six per implant design) adult male canines had implants surgically placed in their proximal, tibial metaphyses. Experimental duration was 12 weeks; daily loading (peak load of ±22 N for 1000 cycles) was applied to one of each animal's bilateral implants for the latter six weeks. Following harvest, osseointegration was assessed by non-destructive mechanical testing, micro-computed tomography (microCT) and back-scatter scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Data revealed that implant loading enhanced osseointegration by significantly increasing construct stiffness, peri-implant trabecular morphology, and percentages of interface connectivity and bone ingrowth. While this experiment did not demonstrate a clear advantage associated with the optimized implant designs, osseointegration was found to be significantly influenced by aspects of implant architecture.
Improved image quality metric for predicting tactical vehicle indentification

Three perception experiments were conducted to quantify the relationship between tactical military vehicle identification (ID) performance when using an imager and the Modulation Transfer Function and noise characteristics of that imager. The results of these experiments show that the limiting resolution metric provides a reasonably accurate prediction of target ID performance. For example, limiting resolution is a better predictor of performance than Modulation Transfer Function Area or Integrated Contrast Sensitivity. However, a metric consisting of integrating the square root of the product of Contrast Sensitivity and spatial frequency provides a better fit to data than limiting resolution. This paper describes the perception experiments and test results. The predictive capability of a selected group of image quality metrics is evaluated. This paper also discusses possible improvements to target acquisition performance models.© (2000) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Microstructure and mechanics of crazes in oriented polystyrene

Abstract Crazes are produced in oriented polystyrene (PS) thin films, bonded to copper grids, by applying a tensile strain to the grids in directions parallel to, or perpendicular to the axis of molecular orientation. The crazes produced by straining parallel to the molecular orientation direction (parallel crazes) have a higher fibril volume fraction (vf=0.45) than crazes in unoriented PS (vf=0.25). The crazes produced by straining perpendicular to the molecular orientation direction (perpendicular crazes) have a much lower fibril volume fraction (vf=0.05) than either parallel crazes or crazes in unoriented PS. These differences in fibril volume fraction are reflected in the micromechanics of the crazes. Perpendicular crazes show a higher stress concentration at the craze tip and a larger stress relief behind the craze tip than do the parallel crazes. The fibrils in long perpendicular crazes break down readily to form cracks whereas no parallel craze breakdown at similar strains is observed. These differences in craze microstructure and micromechanics are believed responsible for the marked anisotropy in the fracture properties of oriented glassy polymers.
Transport of nitrate and gaseous denitrification in soil columns during leaching

Abstract Leaching of nitrate with first-order denitrification in a soil column of finite length has been theoretically analyzed. Transport equations and boundary conditions describing the movement of nitrate and denitrification, by chemical and/or microbiological means, in a soil column were set up and solved for continuous application of nitrate at the soil surface. From the mathematical model presented, relative concentration profiles can be determined for any time and known values of the diffusion coefficient and average solute velocity. The validity of this model has been supported by comparison of the results with experimental data from the literature.
Is Prophylactic Gastrojejunostomy Indicated for Unresectable Periampullary Cancer?: A Prospective Randomized Trial

Objective This prospective, randomized, single-institution trial was designed to evaluate the role of prophylactic gastrojejunostomy in patients found at exploratory laparotomy to have unresectable periampullary carcinoma.
Growth and behavior of surrogate-reared squirrel monkeys.

Infant squirrel monkeys of the Colombian and Peruvian varieties were reared on surrogates until they were 24 weeks old. The weights of the Colombian animals were consistently greater than those of the Peruvian animals, and the males of each type were heavier than the respective females. The behavior of both groups was similar in most respects and much like that reported for surrogate-reared rhesus infants. However, the Colombian infants did spend less time than the Peruvians on the surrogate during the first 12 weeks, and none of the animals exhibited anything resembling the stereotyped body-rocking that has been described for the surrogate-reared rhesus.
Study of human placental estradiol-17β dehydrogenase/20α-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase by preparative disc-gel electrophoresis

Abstract The soluble enzyme, estradiol-17β dehydrogenase from human term placenta, appears to co-purify with a second soluble enzyme, 20α-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase. The enzyme, which had been partially purified by affinity chromatrography, fractionated on a preparative electrophoresis gel to a homogeneous preparation containing both estradiol-17β dehydrogenase and 20α-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activities in a ratio of ∼100:1. Analytical polyacrylamide disc-gels resolved this homogeneous preparation as a single band by both protein and activity staining techniques. Homogeneous enzyme inactivated and affinity-radioalkylated by 16α-[2′-su14C]bromoacetoxyprogesterone or 16α-[2′-su14C] bromoacetoxyestradiol 3-methyl ether, and when analyzed by SDS disc-gel electrophoresis, gave a single protein band which corresponded identically to the radioactivity peaks. These observations support the hypothesis that estradiol-17β dehydrogenase and 20α-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase represent dual oxidoreductase activity in one enzyme. Preparative disc-gel electrophoresis, a technique which has not been previously adapted to purification of these human placental enzyme activities, was useful to rapidly (3 days) effect a 15-fold enrichment of the estradiol-17β dehydrogenase specific activity from “heat-treated cytosol”. Thus, laboratory-scale preparative disc-gel electrophoresis is useful for rapid, small-scale enrichment of this soluble enzyme.
Development of internal forest soil reference samples and testing of digestion methods

Our research requires determinations of total elemental concentrations of forest soils. The lack of certified forest soil reference materials led us to develop internal reference samples. Samples were collected from three soil horizons (Oa, B, and C) at three locations having forested, acidic soils similar to those we commonly analyze. A shatterbox was used to homogenize the nine samples. The Radiation Laboratory of the University of Massachusetts, Lowell completed neutron activation analyses (NA) on our samples. Our laboratory performed five digestion procedures: microwave [nitric acid (HNO3), hydrochloric acid (HCl), fluoboric acid (HBF4), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)], block [sulfuric acid (H2SO4), selenious acid (H2SeO3), and H2O2], hot plate ([hydrofluoric acid (HF) and perchloric acid (HClO4)], and flux [lithium borate (Li2BO2) and lithium treborate (Li2B4O7)].
Solvent Polarity Dependent Photophysics of a Fixed‐Distance, Symmetric Chlorophyll Dimer. A Model of the Special Pair in Photosynthetic Reaction Centers

The synthesis and properties of a fixed-distance symmetric bis-pyrochlorophyllide-a molecule are described. The molecule, 1, consists of two methyl pyrochlorophyllide-a (MePChlide-a) moieties which share a common vinyl group at the 2-position of each macrocycle. The two chlorophylls are trans to one another across the vinyl linkage. The dihedral angle between the plane of each macrocycle and the vinyl linkage is about 50°. The Qy absorption band of this dimer occurs at 689 nm and is essentially independent of solvent. The band is red-shifted by about 27 run relative to that of MePChlide-a. The fluorescence maximum of 1 occurs at 722 nm. This is a red-shift of 49 nm relative to methyl MePChlide-a. The circular dichroism spectrum of 1 shows strong, nonconservative bands in the red region. The fluorescence quantum yield, fluorescence lifetimes, and picosecond transient absorbance kinetics all exhibit a very strong dependence on solvent polarity. The fluorescence quantum yields of 1 in toluene, butyronitrile, and N, N-dimethyl formamide (DMF) are 0.18, 0.008, and 0.002, respectively. The bleach of the 689 nm band (following excitation with a 1.5-ps, 610-nm laser pulse) recovers with single exponential time constants of 2.51 ns, 100 ps, and 64 ps in toluene, butyronitrile, and DMF, respectively. Possible mechanisms for the polarity-dependent increase of the nonradiative decay rate of 1 are considered.
Farm Input, Farm Output and Retail Food Prices: A Cointegration Analysis

This paper investigates the adjustment mechanism between farm input prices, farm output prices and food retail prices in Canada. Johansen's maximum likelihood approach is used in addition to the Engle-Granger approach to test for cointegration. Contrary to the common assumption that farm output prices are more flexible than farm input prices, it is found that farm output prices, though cointegrated, are weakly exogenous in the sense that they do not respond in a systematic manner to disequilibrium in farm input prices and retail food prices. Evidence is found to support “cost push” and “demand pull” theories but, since food retail prices carry a heavier weight in the cointegration relations, it can be concluded that shocks manifesting themselves (first) at the retail level do not persist as long. Cet ouvrage se concentre sur le mecanisme d'ajustement entre les prix des intrants a la ferme, les prix payes aux producteurs agricoles et les prix de l'alimentation au detail au Canada. Les techniques developpees par Johansen et par Engle et Granger sont utilisees pour verifier des hypotheses reliees a la cointegration. Contrairement a la presomption que les prix payes aux agriculteurs sont plus flexibles que les prix de leurs intrants, on a decouvert que les prix payes aux agriculteurs, bien que cointegres, sont exogenes au moindre degre dans le sens qu'ils ne s'ajustent pas en fonction du desequilibre dans les prix des intrants et les prix de l'alimentation au detail. La theorie voulant que les prix montent a cause des hausses dans les prix des intrants est verifiee de meme que la theorie alternative voulant que les ajustements des prix se fassent du detail aux intrants. Fluctuations occasionees par des changements dans les prix de l'alimentation au detail sont dissipees plus rapidement que les ajustements causes par des variations dans les prix des intrants.
Multiuser Diversity in Downlink Channels: When Does the Feedback Cost Outweigh the Spectral Efficiency Benefit?

In this paper, we do a cost-benefit analysis of multiuser diversity in single antenna broadcast channels. It is well known that the multiuser diversity can be beneficial but there is a significant cost in terms of system resources, bandwidth and power associated with acquiring instantaneous CSI. We work out a cost-benefit analysis of multiuser diversity for 2 types of CSI feedback methods, dedicated feedback and SNR dependent feedback, quantifying how many users should feedback CSI i.e the amount of available multiuser diversity that should be used from a net throughput perspective. Dedicated feedback, in which orthogonal resources are allocated to each user, has significant feedback cost and this limits the amount of available multiuser diversity that can be used. SNR dependent feedback method, in which only users with SNR above a threshold attempt to feedback, has relatively much smaller feedback cost and this allows for all of the available multiuser diversity to be used. Next, we study the effect of single user multiantenna techniques, which reduce the SNR variation, on the number of feedback users. It is seen that a broadcast channel using single user multiantenna techniques should reduce the number of feedback users with the spatial dimension.
Including anharmonicity in the calculation of rate constants. 1. The HCN/HNC isomerization reaction.

A method for calculating anharmonic vibrational energy levels in asymmetric top and linear systems that is based on second-order perturbation theory in curvilinear coordinates is extended to the bound generalized normal modes at nonstationary points along a reaction path. Explicit formulas for the anharmonicity coefficients, xij, and the constant term, E0, are presented, and the necessary modifications for resonance cases are considered. The method is combined with variational transition state theory with semiclassical multidimensional tunneling approximations to calculate thermal rate constants for the HCN/HNC isomerization reaction. Although the results for this system are not very sensitive to the choice of coordinates, we find that the inclusion of anharmonicity leads to a substantial improvement in the vibrational energy levels. We also present detailed comparisons of rate constants computed with and without anharmonicity, with various approximations for incorporating tunneling along the reaction pat...
Subseasonal Variability of the Southeast Pacific Stratus Cloud Deck

Abstract Subseasonal variability of the stratus/stratocumulus cloud deck over the subtropical southeast Pacific is studied using satellite and buoy observations as well as the NCEP–NCAR reanalysis. It is found that subseasonal variability in the stratus cloud deck is closely related to variations in surface wind velocity, water vapor, sea level pressure, and 500-hPa geopotential height. An increase in cloud liquid water (CLW) over the subtropical southeast Pacific is found to be associated with the development of an anomalous anticyclonic circulation to the south off the west coast of Chile. The enhanced southerly to southeasterly winds advect cold and dry air into the stratus region against the mean sea surface temperature (SST) gradient. This cold and dry advection, together with increased wind speed, intensifies surface latent and sensible heat fluxes and destabilizes the boundary layer. Anomalous offshore easterlies north of the anomalous anticyclone cause a low-level divergence. The associated subsid...
Absence of p21Waf1/Cip1/Sdi1 Modulates Macrophage Differentiation and Inflammatory Response and Protects Against Atherosclerosis

Background— The tumor suppressor p53 protects against atherosclerosis progression in several different mouse models. A major target of p53 is p21, the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor that regulates entry into the cell cycle of different types of cells, including stem cells. p21 is also involved in the maturation and differentiation of monocytes into macrophages. Methods and Results— We studied the effect of p21Waf1 inactivation on atherosclerosis development in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice (apoE−/−). Contrary to previous data suggesting a protective role for p21, we found that absence of p21, either globally or in bone marrow-derived cells, protects against atherosclerosis. Atherosclerotic lesions of p21−/−/apoE−/− mice exhibit a more stable phenotype, with increased apoptosis and reduced inflammatory vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 immunostaining but no difference in cellular proliferation compared with lesions of p21+/+/apoE−/− mice. Because bone marrow-derived cells mediate many of the effects o...
Molecular Genotyping in Transfusion Medicine

“Blood-Matching Goes Genetic,” a recent News Focus article in Science (1), illustrates the growing awareness of the impact of the genomics revolution on transfusion medicine and its potential to transform the way blood is selected for transfusion. Antibody-based technology has been the basis for blood group typing since the discovery of the ABO blood groups by Landsteiner and colleagues. With the availability of single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)1 genotyping, the blood bank is poised to become one of the primary laboratory disciplines to benefit from the PCR-technology revolution. DNA-testing methods are applicable to transfusion medicine because the genes encoding blood group antigens and the genetic polymorphisms associated with the antigens are known. Similar to many disease markers, most of the antigens in blood groups result from SNPs inherited in a straightforward Mendelian manner. SNPs account for much of human genome diversity, and the ability to link SNPs to disease or disease risk, and even to individual variation in drug responses, makes SNP profiling a technology likely to contribute to fulfilling the promise of personalized medicine. The appreciation of this potential has fueled the development of high-throughput SNP-genotyping platforms, which are currently being applied in the prediction of blood group antigens (2). The use of such platforms enables rapid, cost-effective screening for multiple clinically significant blood groups in a single assay. The field of transfusion medicine can now consider individualized transfusion treatment, i.e., matching donors with patients at multiple blood group loci in addition to the ABO and RhD systems. This approach holds promise for reducing, and potentially eliminating, alloimmunization. SNP typing allows the evaluation of blood group antigens in circumstances in which it is not possible with antibody-based methods. For example, in patients receiving chronic or massive transfusions, the presence of donor red blood cells (RBCs) makes typing inaccurate. In patients …
Relating smoking, obesity, insulin resistance, and ovarian biomarker changes to the final menstrual period

To determine if smoking, obesity, and insulin resistance mediated age at final menstrual period (FMP), we examined anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH), inhibin B, and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) as biomarkers of changing follicle status and ovarian aging. We performed a longitudinal data analysis from a cohort of premenopausal women followed to their FMP. Our results found that smokers had an earlier age at FMP (P < 0.003) and a more rapid decline in their AMH slope relative to age at FMP (P < 0.002). Smokers had a lower baseline inhibin B level relative to age at the FMP than nonsmokers (P = 0.002). Increasing insulin resistance was associated with a shorter time to FMP (P < 0.003) and associations of obesity and time to FMP were observed (P = 0.004, in model with FSH). Change in ovarian biomarkers did not mediate the time to FMP. We found that smoking was associated with age at FMP and modified associations of AMH and inhibin B with age at FMP. Insulin resistance was associated with shorter time to FMP independent of the biomarkers. Interventions targeting smoking and insulin resistance could curtail the undue advancement of reproductive aging.
Acetylcholinesterase of Haematobia irritans (Diptera: Muscidae): baculovirus expression, biochemical properties, and organophosphate insensitivity of the G262A mutant.

ABSTRACT This study reports the baculovirus expression and biochemical characterization of recombinant acetylcholinesterase from Haematobia irritans (L.) (rHiAChE) and the effect of the previously described G262A mutation on enzyme activity and sensitivity to selected organophosphates. The rHiAChE was confirmed to be an insect AChE2-type enzyme with substrate preference for acetylthiocholine (K m 31.3 µM) over butyrylthiocholine (K m 63.4 µM) and inhibition at high substrate concentration. Enzyme activity was strongly inhibited by eserine (2.3 × 10 -10 M), BW284c51 (3.4 × 10-8 M), malaoxon (3.6 × 10-8 M), and paraoxon (1.8 × 10-7 M), and was less sensitive to the butyrylcholinesterase inhibitors ethopropazine (1.1 × 10 -6M) and iso-OMPA (4.1 × 10 -4 M). rHiAChE containing the G262A substitution exhibited decreased substrate affinity for both acetylthiocholine (K m 40.9 µM) and butyrylthiocholine (K m 96.3 µM), and exhibited eight-fold decreased sensitivity to paraoxon, and ∼1.5- to 3-fold decreased sensit...
Real-time assessment of myocardial perfusion and wall motion during bicycle and treadmill exercise echocardiography: comparison with single photon emission computed tomography.

Abstract OBJECTIVES We sought to determine the feasibility and accuracy of real-time imaging of myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE) in detecting myocardial perfusion defects during exercise echocardiography compared with radionuclide tomography. BACKGROUND Ultrasound imaging at a low mechanical index and frame rate (10 to 20 Hz) after intravenous injections of perfluorocarbon containing microbubbles has the potential to evaluate myocardial perfusion and wall motion (WM) simultaneously and in real time. METHODS One hundred consecutive patients with intermediate-to-high probability of coronary artery disease underwent treadmill (n = 50) or supine bicycle (n = 50) exercise echocardiography. Segmental perfusion with MCE and WM were assessed in real time before and at peak exercise using low mechanical index (0.3) and frame rates of 10 to 20 Hz after 0.3 ml bolus injections of intravenous Optison (Mallinckrodt Inc., San Diego, California). All patients had a dual isotope (rest thallium-201, stress sestamibi) study performed during the same exercise session, and 44 patients had subsequent quantitative coronary angiography. RESULTS In the 100 patients, agreement between MCE and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) was 76%, while it was 88% between MCE and WM assessment. Compared with quantitative angiography, sensitivity of MCE, SPECT and WM was comparable (75%), with a specificity ranging from 81% to 100%. The combination of MCE and WM had the best balance between sensitivity and specificity (86% and 88%, respectively) with the highest accuracy (86%). CONCLUSIONS The real-time assessment of myocardial perfusion during exercise stress echocardiography can be achieved with imaging at low mechanical index and frame rates. The combination of WM and MCE correlates well with SPECT and is a promising important addition to conventional stress echocardiography.
Semi-supervised analysis of gene expression profiles for lineage-specific development in the Caenorhabditis elegans embryo

Motivation: Gene expression profiling is a powerful approach to identify genes that may be involved in a specific biological process on a global scale. For example, gene expression profiling of mutant animals that lack or contain an excess of certain cell types is a common way to identify genes that are important for the development and maintenance of given cell types. However, it is difficult for traditional computational methods, including unsupervised and supervised learning methods, to detect relevant genes from a large collection of expression profiles with high sensitivity and specificity. Unsupervised methods group similar gene expressions together while ignoring important prior biological knowledge. Supervised methods utilize training data from prior biological knowledge to classify gene expression. However, for many biological problems, little prior knowledge is available, which limits the prediction performance of most supervised methods. Results: We present a Bayesian semi-supervised learning method, called BGEN, that improves upon supervised and unsupervised methods by both capturing relevant expression profiles and using prior biological knowledge from literature and experimental validation. Unlike currently available semi-supervised learning methods, this new method trains a kernel classifier based on labeled and unlabeled gene expression examples. The semi-supervised trained classifier can then be used to efficiently classify the remaining genes in the dataset. Moreover, we model the confidence of microarray probes and probabilistically combine multiple probe predictions into gene predictions. We apply BGEN to identify genes involved in the development of a specific cell lineage in the C. elegans embryo, and to further identify the tissues in which these genes are enriched. Compared to K-means clustering and SVM classification, BGEN achieves higher sensitivity and specificity. We confirm certain predictions by biological experiments. Availability: The results are available at Contact:[email protected] or [email protected]
Hyperthermic effects on viability and growth kinetics of human lymphoblastoid cells.

During clinical hyperthermia, various blood elements may be exposed to elevated temperatures. The effect of heat on human lymphocyte viability and human lymphoblastoid cell viability and growth was therefore measured. In the viability studies, cells were heated for different times and temperatures and stained with fluoresce in diacetate either immediately of at various times after treatment; dye uptake was then analysed using fluorescence microscopy. There was no significant decrease in lymphocyte viability when assayed at 0 and 24 h after heating at 42–43° for varying times. Similarly, when proliferating lymphoblastoid cells were heated at 42–43°, there was no decrease measured in viability immediately after heating. However, in contrast to the lymphocyte results, a progressive decrease of lymphoblastoid cell viability was observed with increasing time after treatment. A nadir in viability was observed 48–72 h after heating, followed by a subsequent apparent recovery. This recovery showed a correlation w...
Immunity to a pulmonary Cryptococcus neoformans infection requires both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells.

The role of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in mediating pulmonary clearance of a cryptococcal infection was investigated. Intratracheal inoculation of BALB/c and C.B-17 mice with a moderately virulent strain of Cryptococcus neoformans (52D) resulted in a pulmonary infection, which was cleared by a T cell-dependent mechanism. During this clearance, there was a significant influx of both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells into the lungs. Depletion of CD4+ T cells by injections of CD4-specific monoclonal antibody (mAb) prevented pulmonary clearance and also resulted in significant colonization of the brain and spleen of infected mice. CD4 depletion did not prevent the influx of CD8+ T cells into the lungs. Surprisingly, depletion of CD8+ T cells by mAb also ablated pulmonary clearance. CD8-depleted mice also had a small but significant increase in brain and spleen colony-forming unit compared to control mice by the end of the study. CD4+ T cell pulmonary influx was independent of the presence of CD8+ T cells. The lungs of T cell-depleted mice were examined histologically. CD4+ and CD8+ T cells each mediated a degree of inflammatory influx seen in the lungs of infected mice and raised the possibility that CD4+ and CD8+ T cells may synergize to generate the inflammatory response in the lungs. Numerous phagocytized but intact cryptococci were seen in the inflammatory foci of CD8-depleted mice but not in control or CD4-depleted mice. We propose that CD4+ T cells may recruit and activate effector phagocytes while CD8+ T cells predominantly function to lyse cryptococcus-laden unactivated phagocytes similar to the function of CD8+ T cells during listeria and mycobacteria infections.
The Coupling of Glucose Metabolism and Perfusion in Human Skeletal Muscle: The Potential Role of Endothelium-Derived Nitric Oxide

Insulin-mediated glucose metabolism in skeletal muscle is associated with a commensurate increase in muscle perfusion. The link between insulin action and vasodilation may be mediated by endothelium-derived nitric oxide (EDNO). The evidence suggests that insulin causes an increase in the production of EDNO in insulin-sensitive but not insulin-resistant subjects. This defect in insulinmediated vasodilation may contribute to 1 ) enhanced presser sensitivity and 2 ) reduced rates of insulin-mediated glucose uptake. We propose that the endothelium is an insulin target tissue that exhibits an increase in the release of EDNO in response to insulin. We postulate that the insulin-resistant state of obesity is associated with insulin resistance at the level of the endothelium, reduced EDNO release, and impaired vasodilation. Thus EDNO may act as the mediator coupling glucose metabolism to vasodilation. The interaction between insulin and the endothelium to enhance EDNO release describes a novel insulin action that deserves further exploration.
Testing and proving, hand-in-hand

The motivating ideal of my lifetime’s scientific research has been that of program correctness, achieved with the aid of mathematical proof. As suggested by Turing, Floyd, and others, the proofs would be based on the decoration of a program with assertions, that would be proved true if ever they were evaluated at the point where they were written in the code. During my long academic career, I regarded program testing as the main rival technology, and feared that improvement in the practice of testing would delay development and application of the superior technology of proof.
Socioeconomic Inequality in the Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder: Evidence From a U.S. Cross-Sectional Study

Background: This study was designed to evaluate the hypothesis that the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) among children in the United States is positively associated with socioeconomic status (SES). Methods: A cross-sectional study was implemented with data from the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, a multiple source surveillance system that incorporates data from educational and health care sources to determine the number of 8-year-old children with ASD among defined populations. For the years 2002 and 2004, there were 3,680 children with ASD among a population of 557 689 8-year-old children. Area-level census SES indicators were used to compute ASD prevalence by SES tertiles of the population. Results: Prevalence increased with increasing SES in a dose-response manner, with prevalence ratios relative to medium SES of 0.70 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.64, 0.76) for low SES, and of 1.25 (95% CI 1.16, 1.35) for high SES, (P,0.001). Significant SES gradients were observed for children with and without a pre-existing ASD diagnosis, and in analyses stratified by gender, race/ethnicity, and surveillance data source. The SES gradient was significantly stronger in children with a pre-existing diagnosis than in those meeting criteria for ASD but with no previous record of an ASD diagnosis (p,0.001), and was not present in children with co-occurring ASD and intellectual disability. Conclusions: The stronger SES gradient in ASD prevalence in children with versus without a pre-existing ASD diagnosis points to potential ascertainment or diagnostic bias and to the possibility of SES disparity in access to services for children with autism. Further research is needed to confirm and understand the sources of this disparity so that policy implications can be drawn. Consideration should also be given to the possibility that there may be causal mechanisms or confounding factors associated with both high SES and vulnerability to ASD.
Mandatory contractor codes of ethics and defense procurement integrity

The article examines the potential impact of FAR Subpart 3:10, Contractor Code of Business Ethics and Conduct on the system for regulating defense procurement integrity. The article argues that the adoption of the new Contractor Code of Business Ethics and Conduct will not change the already heavy emphasis placed on full compliance with criminal and civil statutes directed at protecting procurement integrity. The article also argues that the defense procurement integrity program should devote equal attention to adoption of non-criminal standards of conduct directed at assuring the impartiality and objectivity of contractor employees. Finally, the article argues that in order to rebuild public trust in contractor employees the FAR Council should require contractor employees who perform duties similar to full-time federal employees to comply with a new uniform set of non-criminal standards of conduct rules directed at assuring the impartiality and objectivity of contractor employees.
Presentation of: Cloud Computing's Software-as- a-Service (SaaS) Delivery Model Benefits Technical Courses in Higher Education

NOTE: The full paper was previously published under the auspices of the International Confer- ence on Electrical, Computer, Electronics, and Communication Engineering in the proceedings of the International Conference on Educational Sciences and Technology, Amsterdam, Netherlands, May 13-14, 2012. http://www.waset.org/confe rences/2012/netherlands/icecece/ It is being pre- sented here for discussion purposes. Abstract Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) is a form of cloud computing that relieves the user of the burden of hardware and software installation and management. SaaS can be used at the course level to en- hance curricula and student experience. When cloud computing and SaaS are included in educa- tional literature, the focus is typically on implementing administrative functions. Yet, SaaS can make more immediate and substantial contributions to the technical course content in educational offerings. This paper explores cloud computing and SaaS, provides examples, reports on experi- ences using SaaS to offer specialized software in courses, and analyzes the advantages and disad- vantages of using SaaS at the course level. The paper contributes to the literature in higher educa- tion by analyzing the major technical concepts, potential, and constraints for using SaaS to deliver specialized software at the course level. The paper is offered as a discussion session during the Informing Science & IT Education 2012 conference to increase the exchange of information and enable more students and educators to benefit from this emerging technology
Describing abortion attitudes among young, African American men

Abstract Objectives This paper describes African American teenaged males' attitudes and perspectives on abortion. Methods Data were derived from a larger cross-sectional survey of African American males aged 14–19, living in the south side of Chicago. Results Acceptability of abortion varied by partner type, such that 60% of teenagers felt abortion was acceptable with a casual partner while 37% found it acceptable with committed partners (p Conclusions Teenaged African American males have uniquely complex attitudes toward abortion.
America's First Black Socialist: The Radical Life of Peter H. Clark. By Nikki M. Taylor. (Lexington, KY: University Press of Kentucky, 2013. Pp. 320. $40.00.)

Long before Barack Obama and Martin Luther King Jr. were accused of being secret socialists, Peter H. Clark became the first African American involved in the socialist movement. Nikki M. Taylor's n...
Prevention of restenosis: medical treatment and procedures for iliac occlusive disease

The treatment of occlusive vascular disease has evolved considerably over the past decades, with management strategies shifting from open surgical approaches toward less-invasive endovascular solutions or hybrid open and endovascular therapies. The treatment of aortoiliac occlusive disease has followed a similar pattern, with a more aggressive, minimally invasive approach being used even for long-segment iliac artery occlusions. Regardless of the type of treatment, however, optimal results are still limited by restenosis. This is also true in virtually all locations undergoing treatment of arterial occlusive disease. The current review seeks to explore the medical therapy and treatment options available for preventing restenosis in the iliac artery following intervention. Here we include data regarding prevention of restenosis in other arterial locations. Finally, novel therapies not currently available for iliac artery use but showing promise in prevention of arterial restenosis are reviewed.
Duration Dependence, Functional Form, and Corrected Standard Errors: Improving EHA Models of State Policy Diffusion

Discrete event history analysis (EHA) is the analytic tool of choice for many scholars of policy diffusion across American states. Unfortunately, the policy diffusion literature largely ignores several important specification issues for EHA models: duration dependence, choice of functional form, and the computation of standard errors corrected for temporal and spatial dependence. We use data from Berry and Berry's (1990) seminal study of state lottery diffusion to demonstrate ways to deal properly with these issues.
Unusual Patterns of Incomplete Primary Molt in Laysan and Black-Footed Albatrosses

Laysan and Black-footed Albatrosses show a bidirectional pattern of incomplete molt in their primaries which has never before been described for any bird. Juveniles molting their flight feathers for the first time replace only their distal three or four primaries. In older birds the ten primaries are divided at their mid-point into two series, each with an independent set of rules for replacement. Unlike most other birds, the primaries of the two series are replaced in opposite directions, with molt proceeding toward the wing tip in the outer series and toward the body in the inner series. The outermost feathers of the distal series are replaced every year without fail; the time available to molt determines how many feathers of this series are replaced. In the inner series, feather replacement occurs only every second to third year. When molt does occur in the inner series it is normally incomplete, and it proceeds in a wraparound pattern which assures that the oldest and most worn feathers are always the first to be replaced
Fabrication and Characterization of Copper Oxide Resistive Memory Devices

Three synthesis techniques have been explored as routes to produce copper oxide for use in resistive memory devices (RMDs). The major results and their impact on device current-voltage characteristics are summarized. The majority of the devices fabricated from thermally oxidized copper exhibited a diode-like behavior independent of the top electrode. When these devices were etched to form mesa structures, bipolar switching was observed with set voltages <2.5 V, reset voltages <(-1) V and ROFF/RON ∼103-104. Bipolar switching behavior was also observed for devices fabricated from copper oxide synthesized by RT plasma oxidation (ROFF/RON up to 108). Voiding at the copper-copper oxide interface occurred in films produced by thermal and plasma oxidation performed at ≥200°C. The copper oxide synthesized by reactive sputtering had large areas of open volume in the microstructure; this resulted in short circuited devices because of electrical contact between the bottom and top electrodes. The results for fabricating copper oxide into ≤100 nm features are also discussed.
Dynamic Equivalence Research of Shanghai Power Grid for Real-time Simulation

In order to establish RTDS-based simulation model for Shanghai AC/DC power grid,this paper proposes the idea and method for the dynamic equivalence of Shanghai power grid oriented for real-time simulation.Coherency-based dynamic equivalence based on BPA and wide-band equivalence based on RTDS are adopted for dynamic equivalence of external network and internal low voltage network of Shanghai Power Grid respectively.The assessment of equivalence effect proves the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed method.
Free-Standing Kinked Silicon Nanowires for Probing Inter- and Intracellular Force Dynamics

Silicon nanowires (SiNWs) have emerged as a new class of materials with important applications in biology and medicine with current efforts having focused primarily on using substrate bound SiNW devices. However, developing devices capable of free-standing inter- and intracellular operation is an important next step in designing new synthetic cellular materials and tools for biophysical characterization. To demonstrate this, here we show that label free SiNWs can be internalized in multiple cell lines, forming robust cytoskeletal interfaces, and when kinked can serve as free-standing inter- and intracellular force probes capable of continuous extended (>1 h) force monitoring. Our results show that intercellular interactions exhibit ratcheting like behavior with force peaks of ∼69.6 pN/SiNW, while intracellular force peaks of ∼116.9 pN/SiNW were recorded during smooth muscle contraction. To accomplish this, we have introduced a simple single-capture dark-field/phase contrast optical imaging modality, scatt...
Examining the effectiveness of implementing Orton-Gillingham reading intervention on student engagement for elementary students with challenging behaviors.

Providing support to students with challenging behaviors is a critical focus of classroom teachers’ success. Finding ways to prevent and mediate academic and behavioral difficulties is a high priority area for both research and practice. The focus of this dissertation is on the effects of implementation of Orton-Gillingham Reading intervention strategies on active engagement for students with challenging behaviors. This study is a single-subject alternating treatments design across 3 elementary school classrooms, that examined the effects of increasing the rate of teachers’ positive feedback and OTRs on students’ engagement as measured direct observations for students identified with challenging behaviors. Dissertation study methods, results, future directions and recommendations are provided.
Insights into the Hydrothermal Stability of ZSM-5 under Relevant Biomass Conversion Reaction Conditions

Zeolite catalysts used for the conversion of carbohydrates to renewable platform chemicals in the condensed phase are shown to be sensitive to the presence of inorganic salts which alter the zeolite surface chemistry. The presence of NaCl (0.07–37 wt %) enhances the hydrolysis of Si–O–Al bridges and the release of Al3+ species that catalyze the conversion of glucose through homogeneous catalytic processes and obscure the apparent reactivity of the zeolite catalyst.
Games of character: team sports, games, and character development in Victorian public schools, 1850–1900

AbstractThis article examines the ascendance of team sports as tools of “character building” in British Victorian public schools in the second half of the nineteenth century. The focus of this enquiry is the commonly overlooked pedagogical innovation underlying this process – the utilisation of organised games as educational tools. Relying on Roger Caillois' delineation of the unique qualities of game playing, I explore how team sports’ game qualities shaped their educational function and perception in Victorian public schools. Broadly stated, these game qualities enabled team sports to function as an ideal site for shaping on-court behaviour, while limiting their long-term effect on student conduct. Two central limitations of the Victorian application of game playing are pointed out. First, offering an organised model of play, team sports increased adult control over students’ play patterns, yet they concurrently undermined student agency within play, and the relevance of these activities to external con...
Design Science Methodology Applied to a Chemical Surveillance Tool

Public health surveillance systems gain significant benefits from integrating existing early incident detection systems, supported by closed data sources, with public available data. However, identifying potential alerting incidents relies on finding accurate, reliable sources and presenting the high volume of data in a way that increases analysts work efficiency; a challenge for any system that leverages publicly available data. In this paper, we present the design concept and the applied design science research methodology of ChemVeillance, a chemical analyst surveillance system. Our work portrays a system design and approach that translates theoretical design methodology into practice creating a powerful surveillance system built for specific use cases. Researchers, designers, developers, and related professionals in the health surveillance community can build upon the principles and methodology described here to enhance and broaden current surveillance systems leading to improved situational awareness based on a robust integrated early warning system.
The Practice of Health Program Evaluation

The Practice of Health Program Evaluation provides an overview of the evaluation process for public health programs while diving deeper to address select advanced concepts and techniques. The book ...
Learning from Practice: Peacemakers as Educators

This chapter explores cases of peacemakers at the communal level and how their practice can provide an insight into a wealth of innovative strategies and solutions to making and building peace during violent conflicts as well as in their aftermath. Examples of people who are acting for peace even in the worst situations of violence are key to understanding processes leading toward sustainable peace. Learning about peacemakers, rescuers, and their agency as counterexamples to conflict behavior is essential in educating future generations.
Is Subsurface Oxygen Necessary for the Electrochemical Reduction of CO2 on Copper

It has recently been proposed that subsurface oxygen is crucial for the adsorption and subsequent electroreduction of CO2 on copper. Using density functional theory, we have studied the stability and diffusion of subsurface oxygen in single crystals of copper exposing (111) and (100) facets. Oxygen is at least 1.5 eV more stable on the surface than beneath it for both crystal orientations; interstitial sites are too small to accommodate oxygen. The rate of atomic oxygen diffusion from one layer below a Cu(111) surface to the surface is 5 × 103 s–1. Oxygen can survive longer in deeper layers, but it does not promote CO2 adsorption there. Diffusion of subsurface oxygen is easier to the less-dense Cu(100) surface, even from lower layers (rate ≈ 1 × 107 s–1). Once the applied voltage and dispersion forces are properly modeled, we find that subsurface oxygen is unnecessary for CO2 adsorption on copper.
Reheating the Cold War: us, Russia, and the Revival of Rollback

A neoconservative coalition of oppositional forces, comprised of the Clinton wing of the Democratic Party and their allies in the Republican Party, the liberal mainstream media, and the deep state have promoted a new Cold War against Russia. This is intended as a mobilizing strategy to overturn the Trump presidency, weaken the Russian state, and reconstruct state legitimacy following years of decline in the quality of life and democracy in America. The coalition reconstructed the Cold War as an ideological tool in the interest of continuing to pursue domestic and global neoliberal policies and dealing with a fractious public disenchanted with government, its elected officials, the mainstream media, and a failing democracy.