cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Unraveling the Nanoscale Heterogeneity of Solid Electrolyte Interphase Using Tip-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy

Summary We employ tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS) to study model amorphous silicon (a-Si) thin film anodes galvanostatically cycled for different numbers. For the 1× cycled a-Si, TERS shows good correlation between solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) topography and chemical mapping, corresponding to distribution of lithium ethylene dicarbonate (LEDC) and poly (ethylene oxide) (PEO)-like oligomer species. Subsequent electrochemical cycling makes the SEI relatively thick and rough with the chemical composition heavily dominated by LEDC monomer-dimer for 5× cycled a-Si. For 20× cycled a-Si, the TERS signal is dominated by carboxylate (RCO2Li) compounds of various conformations and fluorinated species (LixPOyFz). A nanomosaic-multilayer hybrid SEI model on top of the a-Si anode is proposed. The significance of this work is applicable not only to silicon, where SEI plays a dominant role in determining the cycle life performance and reversibility, but also for a number of other relevant battery chemistries such as Na-ion and multivalent redox systems.
Measuring Innovation: Tracking the Growth of Smart City Ideas

From developing a long-term strategy to dealing with an immediate distraction, appropriate management of intellectual property maximizes gain and minimizes risk. Evaluating new ideas, optimizing product innovation pipeline, forecasting staffing and skill sets, and prioritizing markets are key areas of innovation in the Smart City space.
Nonimmune hydrops fetalis and congenital disorders of glycosylation: A systematic literature review.

Numerous etiologies may lead to nonimmune hydrops fetalis (NIHF) including congenital disorders of glycosylation (CDG). Recognition of CDG in NIHF is challenging. This study reviews prenatal and neonatal characteristics of CDG presenting with NIHF. A systematic literature search was performed. Thirteen articles met the inclusion criteria. Twenty-one cases with NIHF associated with a CDG were reported. There were 17 live births, three pregnancy terminations, and one fetal demise. Timing of CDG diagnosis was reported mostly postnatally (90%; 10/11). Postnatal genetic testing was reported in 18 patients; three patients were diagnosed by isoelectric focusing of serum transferrin that showed a type 1 pattern. The genes reported for CDG with NIHF for 15 distinct families include: PMM2 in 47% (7/15), ALG9 in 20% (3/15), ALG8 in 13% (2/15), ALG1 in 7% (1/15), MGAT2 in 7% (1/15), and COG6 7% (1/15). In our review, 81% (17/21) reported facial dysmorphism, 52% (11/21) reported CNS abnormalities, most commonly cerebellar atrophy (64%; 7/11), and 38% (8/21) reported cardiovascular abnormalities, most commonly hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (63%; 5/8). Among live births, 71% (12/17) infants died at a median age of 34 days (range 1-185). Thrombocytopenia was reported in 53% (9/17) patients. Of those who survived past the neonatal period, 80% (4/5) had significant reported developmental delays. CDG should be on the differential diagnosis of NIHF in the presence of cerebellar atrophy, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, or thrombocytopenia. Our review highlights the poor prognosis in infants with NIHF due to CDG and demonstrates the importance of identifying these disorders prenatally to guide providers in their counseling with families regarding pregnancy management. SYNOPSIS: Poor prognosis in fetuses and infants with nonimmune hydrops fetalis due to congenital disorders of glycosylation highlights the importance of prenatal diagnosis of this disorder.
Nonlinearities and Carrier Dynamics in Refractory Plasmonic TiN Thin Films

Titanium nitride is widely used in plasmonic applications, due to its robustness and optical properties which resemble those of gold. Despite this interest, the nonlinear properties have only recently begun to be investigated. In this work, beam deflection and non-degenerate femtosecond pump-probe spectroscopy (800 nm pump and 650 nm probe) were used to measure the real and imaginary transient nonlinear response of 30-nm-thick TiN films on sapphire and fused silica in the metallic region governed by Fermi-smearing nonlinearities. In contrast to other metals, it is found that TiN exhibits non-instantaneous positive refraction and reverse saturable absorption whose relaxation is dominated by slow thermal diffusion into the substrate lasting several hundred picoseconds. Ultrafast contributions arising from hot-electron excitations are found to be a small part of the overall response, only appearing significant in the TiN on fused silica at irradiance levels above 100 GW-cm-2. The modeling and origin of this response is discussed, and TiN is found to be adept at achieving ultrafast (below 1 ps) lattice heating which, combined with the robustness and low-cost of the material may prove useful in various thermo-optical applications such as local heating, heat-assisted processes, and nanoscale heat transfer.
Inferior Vena Cava Reconstruction in Symptomatic Patients Using Palmaz Stents: A Retrospective Single-Center Experience.

Background The use of stents for treating central venous occlusion is well described. Limited evidence exists related to Palmaz balloon-expandable stent use in inferior vena cava (IVC) reconstruction. We analyzed patency and complication rates after IVC reconstruction using Palmaz stents. Methods From 2002 to 2019, 37 patients (mean age: 51 year) underwent IVC reconstruction with 68 Palmaz stents. Indications were symptomatic chronic venous obstruction in the infrarenal (n = 25) and intrahepatic (n = 12) IVC. Demographic, operative, and imaging data were evaluated. Clinical data, abdominal CT, and/or duplex ultrasound were used to determine patency at follow-up. Results Restoration of caval patency was achieved in all patients, with complications in 2/37 (5.4%) patients (thrombus formation within the stent; stent embolization eight days after placement). Follow-up data were available for 27 patients. Primary patency was maintained through last follow-up in 19/27 (70%) patients (mean: 1.1 year), with successful stent redilation performed in 6 patients. Mean duration of primary-assisted patency (n = 5) was 1.2 year. Late lumen loss was (n = 13) was 40% during a mean time to follow-up of 2.0 years. Primary patency in patients with occlusion secondary to malignancy was 109 day (range: 1 day–1.0 year), whereas primary patency in patients with occlusion from other etiologies was 1.1 year (range: 2 day–5.9 year). The Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated primary and primary-assisted patency of 66% and 84%, respectively, at 24 and 48 months. Conclusions Palmaz balloon-expandable stents for IVC reconstruction is feasible and effective for symptomatic IVC occlusion. Risk of stent migration was low.
Septic cavernous sinus thrombosis-Case series and review of the literature.

Abstract Background and Purpose Septic cavernous sinus thrombosis (CST) is a rare, life-threatening disease with infectious thrombosis causing associated complications resulting in high morbidity and mortality. We report a series of CST patients with assessment of arterial and intracranial complications. Methods We used the radiology database from a large, academic tertiary care center to collect all patients treated with CST between 2002 and 2019. Patient demographics, source of infection, treatment course and outcomes were evaluated. A review of the recent literature was also performed for similar reported complications from CST. Results 14 patients with CST treated during this time period were assessed. Of the 14 patients, 1 patient died. 7 patients had unilateral narrowing of ICA while 3 patients had bilateral narrowing. The ICA narrowing was reversible in 10/12 patients and improvement but persistent narrowing in one patient. One patient had an infectious pseudo aneurysm that was treated by coiling. Extension of thrombosis to the transverse- sigmoid sinuses and internal jugular vein were seen in 3 patients. Three patients had subdural empyema which was treated surgically. Conclusion The prognosis of CST has improved with advancement in treatment, but complications are not infrequent.
Are Top School Students More Critical of Their Professors? Mining Comments on RateMyProfessor.com.

Student reviews and comments on this http URL reflect realistic learning experiences of students. Such information provides a large-scale data source to examine the teaching quality of the lecturers. In this paper, we propose an in-depth analysis of these comments. First, we partition our data into different comparison groups. Next, we perform exploratory data analysis to delve into the data. Furthermore, we employ Latent Dirichlet Allocation and sentiment analysis to extract topics and understand the sentiments associated with the comments. We uncover interesting insights about the characteristics of both college students and professors. Our study proves that student reviews and comments contain crucial information and can serve as essential references for enrollment in courses and universities.
Duration of breast feeding and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in United States preschool-aged children.

Abstract Background Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by difficulties sustaining attention and controlling hyperactivity and impulsive behavior. Population-based studies concerning the association between breast-feeding duration and ADHD among preschool-aged children in the United States (U.S.) have been sparse. Aims To determine whether there is an association between the duration of breast feeding and ADHD in U.S. children aged 2–5 years. Methods and procedures We used nationally representative data from the 2016, 2017, and 2018 National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH) to examine the association between breast-feeding duration and ADHD in U.S. preschool-aged children. Sample characteristics were compared using Rao-Scott chi-square test, and adjusted prevalence odds ratios and 95 % confidence intervals were estimated using unconditional logistic regression. Outcomes and results Of the 20,453 children eligible for our study, 1.5 % had received a diagnosis of ADHD and 77.5 % were reported to have been fed human milk as infants. Prevalence odds of ADHD were 57 % lower among children fed human milk for 6–12 months compared to children never fed human milk after controlling for potential confounders. Among children with durations of breast feeding lasting less than 6 months or lasting 12 months or longer, prevalence odds of ADHD were not significantly lower than the comparison group, children who were never fed human milk, after controlling for potential confounders. Conclusions and implications We noted an inverse association between breast feeding durations of 6–12 months and parent-reported diagnosis of ADHD in preschool-aged children in the U.S. Future studies should use longitudinal designs to examine ADHD and duration of breast-feeding measures.
Predictive and Experimental Immunogenicity of Burkholderia Collagen-like Protein 8-Derived Antigens

Burkholderia pseudomallei is an infectious bacterium of clinical and biodefense concern, and is the causative agent of melioidosis. The mortality rate can reach up to 50% and affects 165,000 people per year; however, there is currently no vaccine available. In this study, we examine the antigen-specific immune response to a vaccine formulated with antigens derived from an outer membrane protein in B. pseudomallei, Bucl8. Here, we employed a number of bioinformatic tools to predict Bucl8-derived epitopes that are non-allergenic and non-toxic, but would elicit an immune response. From these data, we formulated a vaccine based on two extracellular components of Bucl8, the β-barrel loops and extended collagen and non-collagen domains. Outbred CD-1 mice were immunized with vaccine formulations-composed of recombinant proteins or conjugated synthetic peptides with adjuvant-to assess the antigen-specific immune responses in mouse sera and lymphoid organs. We found that mice vaccinated with either Bucl8-derived components generated a robust TH2-skewed antibody response when antigen was combined with the adjuvant AddaVax, while the TH1 response was limited. Mice immunized with synthetic loop peptides had a stronger, more consistent antibody response than recombinant protein antigens, based on higher IgG titers and recognition of bacteria. We then compared peptide-based vaccines in an established C57BL/6 inbred mouse model and observed a similar TH2-skewed response. The resulting formulations will be applied in future studies examining the protection of Bucl8-derived vaccines.
What About Whitman ?: The Supreme Court’s Decision in EPA v. Homer to Authorize Cost Consideration in Environmental Regulation Contradicts Its Own Precedent

In 2011, in response to the ongoing problem of interstate air pollution, EPA promulgated the Transport Rule to restrict emissions in upwind states in order to achieve attainment of certain national ambient air quality standards in downwind states. State and local governments and industry and labor groups, unhappy with EPA’s process of determining which states would be regulated under the Transport Rule, challenged the rule on the grounds that EPA had exceeded its authority under the Clean Air Act. In 2014, in EPA v. EME Homer City Generation, L.P., the Supreme Court of the United States held that the Transport Rule is a permissible construction of the Good Neighbor Provision of the Clean Air Act. This Comment argues that the Transport Rule, because it permits cost consideration in determining emission reductions for upwind states with no textual authority to do so, is an impermissible interpretation of the Good Neighbor Provision by EPA. The Court’s holding in Homer authorizes EPA to force states to implement any measures it deems cost-effective, even if the measures require states to decrease their emissions by more than their share of pollution.
The Politics of Fiscal Austerity: Implications for the United States

As austerity becomes the new normal for advanced nations, questions are raised about whether nations can make the hard choices necessary to bring about a sustainable fiscal future. The political defeat experienced by so many European governments undertaking fiscal consolidations points to the vulnerabilities that leaders will face. This article shows that how some Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) nations have survived the daunting politics of fiscal consolidation by timing actions for periods of economic recovery and political honeymoons following elections and by pursuing deficit reduction strategies that emphasize broad sweeping changes yielding high potential for dramatic economic gains over the longer term. Unlike many European nations today, the seemingly endless appetite for US treasuries by worldwide markets give the United States the luxury of choosing to begin deficit reduction only when the economy strengthens. However, the absence of market pressure also reduces the sense of urgency, consigning national leaders to create internal crises such as the 2012 “fiscal cliff” to force their own hand. While the polarized politics characterizing our party system does not bode well for concerted fiscal action, divided government carries the potential for spreading political risks and promoting more sustainable fiscal outcomes, as it has in our recent history and in other nations as well. Advanced nations face nearly unprecedented fiscal challenges, both for the medium and longer term. The Great Recession has added to fiscal pressures and public debt in nations thatarealreadybeginningtoexperiencethefiscalfalloutfromagingpopulations.Budgeting is clouded by nearly unprecedented fiscal ambiguity, as governments are conflicted between forces demanding fiscal consolidation and those warning of the economic damage that deficit reduction can bring during deep recessions.
Prevalence of Canavan disease heterozygotes in the New York metropolitan Ashkenazi Jewish population.

Canavan disease is a severe neurodegenerative disease that occurs most commonly in the Ashkenazi Jewish population. Previous studies have indicated the carrier frequency to be between 1/59 and 1/45. The disease, now recognized as a deficiency of aspartoacylase, is associated with the pathological finding of spongy degeneration of the brain. Patients are usually normal at birth, but by 2-4 mo they lose milestones and develop seizures, macrocephaly, and hypertonia. Death occurs in early childhood. With the availability of enzymatic testing, an increase in the incidence of newly diagnosed cases has been observed, suggesting that the frequency of the disorder may have been underestimated. In 1993, the cDNA for the aspartoacylase gene was cloned, and an A{yields}C transition at nucleotide 854 was identified in affected individuals. This represents a missense mutation from glutamine to alanine at amino acid residue 285 (E285A). This mutation was found in 73/88 Canavan disease-bearing chromosomes from Ashkenazi patients. In the same study, a C{yields}A transition at nucleotide 693, which results in the conversion from a tyrosine codon to terminator codon at position 231 (Y231X), was found in 13/88 chromosomes. Thus, these two mutations provide a detection rate >97% in this population. The aspartoacylase gene spans 23more » kb of DNA and has been mapped to 17p13-ter by FISH. The gene consists of six coding exons. The E285A mutation is located in exon 6 and results in the creation of a new EagI site, whereas the Y231X mutation is found in exon S and creates an MseI site. In this study we have determined the frequency of these two mutations from a panel of unaffected individuals who live in the New York metropolitan area. 9 refs., 1 tab.« less
Applications on emerging paradigms in parallel computing

The area of computing is seeing parallelism increasingly being incorporated at various levels: from the lowest levels of vector processing units following Single Instruction Multiple Data (SIMD) processing, Simultaneous Multi-threading (SMT) architectures, and multi/many-cores with thread-level shared memory and SIMT parallelism, to the higher levels of distributed memory parallelism as in supercomputers and clusters, and scaling them to large distributed systems as server farms and clouds. All together these form a large hierarchy of parallelism. Developing high-performance parallel algorithms and efficient software tools, which make use of the available parallelism, is inevitable in order to harness the raw computational power these emerging systems have to offer. In the work presented in this thesis, we develop architecture-aware parallel techniques on such emerging paradigms in parallel computing, specifically, parallelism offered by the emerging multi- and many-core architectures, as well as the emerging area of cloud computing, to target large scientific applications. First, we develop efficient parallel algorithms to compute optimal pairwise alignments of genomic sequences on heterogeneous multi-core processors, and demonstrate them on the IBM Cell Broadband Engine. Then, we develop parallel techniques for scheduling all-pairs computations on heterogeneous systems, including clusters of Cell processors, and NVIDIA graphics processors. We compare the performance of our strategies on Cell, GPU and Intel Nehalem multi-core processors. Further, we apply our algorithms to specific applications taken from the areas of systems biology, fluid dynamics and materials science: pairwise Mutual Information computations for reconstruction of gene regulatory networks; pairwise Lp-norm distance computations for coherent structures discovery in the design of flapping-wing Micro Air Vehicles, and construction of stochastic models for a set of properties of heterogeneous materials. Lastly, in the area of cloud computing, we propose and develop an abstract framework to enable computations in parallel on large tree structures, to facilitate easy development of a class of scientific applications based on trees. Our framework, in the style of Google's MapReduce paradigm, is based on two generic user-defined functions through which a user writes an application. We implement our framework as a generic programming library for a large cluster of homogeneous multi-core processor, and demonstrate its applicability through two applications: all-k-nearest neighbors computations, and Fast Multipole Method (FMM) based simulations.
Grazer-dominated Ecosystems

Grazer-dominated ecosystems are characterized by removal of significant amounts of net primary production by grazing animals and subsequent impacts on elemental budgets, species composition and fire regimes, all of which are manifest on physiological to evolutionary time scales. Keywords: grazing; grasslands; shrublands; herbivory; ecosystem ecology
Characterization of an amsacrine-resistant line of human leukemia cells: evidence for a drug-resistant form of topoisomerase II

HL-60/AMSA is a human leukemia cell line that is 100 times more resistant to the cytotoxic actions of the antineoplastic, topoisomerase II-reactive DNA intercalating acridine derivative amsacrine (m-AMSA) than is its parent HL-60 line. HL-60/AMSA cells are minimally resistant to etoposide, a topoisomerase II-reactive drug that does not intercalate. Previously we showed that HL-60 topoisomerase II activity in cells, nuclei, or nuclear extracts was sensitive to m-AMSA and etoposide, while HL-60/AMSA topoisomerase II was resistant to m-AMSA but sensitive to etoposide. Now we show that purified topoisomerase II from the two cell lines exhibits the same drug sensitivity or resistance as that in the nuclear extracts although the magnitude of the m-AMSA resistance of HL-60/AMSA topoisomerase II in vitro is not as great as the resistance of the intact HL-60/AMSA cells. In addition HL-60/AMSA cells are cross-resistant to topoisomerase II-reactive intercalators from the anthracycline and ellipticine families and the pattern of sensitivity or resistance to the cytotoxic actions of the various topoisomerase II-reactive drugs is paralleled by topoisomerase II-reactive drug-induced DNA cleavage and protein cross-link production in cells and the production of drug-induced, topoisomerase II-mediated DNA cleavage and protein cross-linking in isolated biochemical systems. In addition to its lowered sensitivity to intercalators, HL-60/AMSA differed from HL-60 in 1) the susceptibility of its topoisomerase II to stimulation of DNA topoisomerase II complex formation by ATP, 2) the catalytic activity of its topoisomerase II in an ionic environment chosen to reproduce the environment found within the living cell, and 3) the observed restriction enzyme pattern on a Southern blot probed with a cDNA for human topoisomerase II. These data indicate that an m-AMSA-resistant form of topoisomerase II contributes to the resistance of HL-60/AMSA to m-AMSA and to other topoisomerase II-reactive DNA intercalating agents. The drug resistance is associated with additional biochemical and molecular alterations that may be important determinants of cellular sensitivity or resistance to topoisomerase II-reactive drugs.
The Past and Future of S-Matrix Theory

The “diagrammatic” framework of S -matrix theory is provided by the unitarity equations. In its purest form, the S -matrix theory establishes those analyticity properties of the S matrix that can be based on physical principles clearly formulated separately from the field theory. The chapter presents a heuristic way to develop a diagrammatic expansion that is connected to the Feynman diagram expansion. It is required to write the S matrix as S = 1 + R + and its Hermitian conjugate as S + = 1 - R - . Scattering processes can be described by a Landau diagram. The Landau equations for a given Landau diagram are the set of conditions for all internal loops of the diagram. The set of external momenta that satisfies the complete set of equations provides the Landau singularity corresponding to the diagram. The set of all physical region (+α) Landau diagram thresholds is the minimal set of singularities that an analytic scattering amplitude must have.
A Single Protein S-acyl Transferase Acts through Diverse Substrates to Determine Cryptococcal Morphology, Stress Tolerance, and Pathogenic Outcome

Cryptococcus neoformans is an opportunistic yeast that kills over 625,000 people yearly through lethal meningitis. Host phagocytes serve as the first line of defense against this pathogen, but fungal engulfment and subsequent intracellular proliferation also correlate with poor patient outcome. Defining the interactions of this facultative intracellular pathogen with host phagocytes is key to understanding the latter’s opposing roles in infection and how they contribute to fungal latency, dissemination, and virulence. We used high-content imaging and a human monocytic cell line to screen 1,201 fungal mutants for strains with altered host interactions and identified multiple genes that influence fungal adherence and phagocytosis. One of these genes was PFA4, which encodes a protein S-acyl transferase (PAT), one of a family of DHHC domain-containing proteins that catalyzes lipid modification of proteins. Deletion of PFA4 caused dramatic defects in cryptococcal morphology, stress tolerance, and virulence. Bioorthogonal palmitoylome-profiling identified Pfa4-specific protein substrates involved in cell wall synthesis, signal transduction, and membrane trafficking responsible for these phenotypic alterations. We demonstrate that a single PAT is responsible for the modification of a subset of proteins that are critical in cryptococcal pathogenesis. Since several of these palmitoylated substrates are conserved in other pathogenic fungi, protein palmitoylation represents a potential avenue for new antifungal therapeutics.
Nursing education challenge: A student with cancer

Abstract Information on how to best accommodate students with disabilities, including temporary disabilities, such as cancer are lacking. In presenting a case study of a nursing student with cancer, we will show that the concept of "accommodation" can be a fluid one which will expand the discourse on nursing students with cancer. Accommodating a student with cancer differs from accommodating a student with other types of disabilities such as learning or sensory impairment and requires a team approach to support. Caring for a student facing a crisis like a cancer diagnosis requires adherence to university procedures, coordination with open-minded faculty, and support from oncology nurse experts. This case study presents a collaboration between the faculty and student (smith-stoner) who was diagnosed and treated and who recovered from Hodgkin's lymphoma during a baccalaureate program. The experience of accommodating a student during a nursing program is presented as a contribution to the literature on understanding of the experience of accommodating a nursing student with cancer.
On the Motion of Lineal Bodies Subject to Linear Damping

Wilms (1995) has considered the plane motion of three lineal rigid bodies subject to linear damping over their length. He shows that these plane single-degree-of-freedom systems are governed by precisely the same fundamental differential equation. It is not unusual that several dynamical systems may be formally characterized by the same differential equation, but the universal differential equation for these systems is unusual because it is exactly the same equation for the three very different systems. It is shown here that these problems belong to a more general class of problems for which the differential equation is exactly the same for every lineal rigid body regardless of its geometry.
Inducible coexpression of connexin37 or connexin40 with connexin43 selectively affects intercellular molecular transfer

Many tissues express multiple gap junction proteins, or connexins (Cx); for example, Cx43, Cx40, and Cx37 are coexpressed in vascular cells. This study was undertaken to elucidate the consequences of coexpression of Cx40 or Cx37 with Cx43 at different ratios. EcR-293 cells (which endogenously produce Cx43) were transfected with ecdysone-inducible plasmids encoding Cx37 or Cx40. Immmunoblotting showed a ponasterone dose-dependent induction of Cx37 or Cx40 while constant levels of Cx43 were maintained. The coexpressed connexins colocalized at appositional membranes. Double whole-cell patch clamp recordings showed no significant change in total junctional conductances in cells treated with 0, 0.5, or 4 μM ponasterone; however, they did show a diversity of unitary channel sizes consistent with the induced connexin expression. In cells with induced expression of either Cx40 or Cx37, intercellular transfer of microinjected Lucifer yellow was reduced, but transfer of NBD-TMA (2-(4-nitro-2,1,3-benzoxadiol-7-yl)[aminoethyl]trimethylammonium) was not affected. In cocultures containing uninduced EcR cells together with cells induced to coexpress Cx37 or Cx40, Lucifer yellow transfer was observed only between the cells expressing Cx43 alone. These data show that induced expression of either Cx37 or Cx40 in Cx43-expressing cells can selectively alter the intercellular exchange of some molecules without affecting the transfer of others.
HIV Education and Health Education in the United States: A National Survey of Local School District Policies and Practices

: To determine the extent to which HIV education and health education policies and practices are required by school districts in the United States, a national probability sample of public school districts was surveyed by mail in 1990. Of 2,150 districts selected, 78.1% responded. HIV education was required by 66.9% of districts. Of these, the percentage requiring HIV education increased by grade level from 29.7% in kindergarten to 82.3% in 7th grade, then declined to 37.3% by 12th grade. Districts that required HIV education most often addressed HIV-related prevention skills in the upper grade levels. Similar to requirements for HIV education, health education requirements also declined from 7th to 12th grade, reaching even lower levels than HIV education by the last two years of high school. These declines are of particular concern given that students are most likely to engage in risk behaviors when HIV and health education is least likely to be required. Other practices and policies that support HIV and health education also were lacking in many districts.
Update in the treatment of traumatic brain injury.

This review focuses on recent advances in the treatment of traumatic brain injury (TBI) during 2004 and 2005. Injured brain is a very heterogeneous structure, significantly evolving over time. Implementation of multimodal neuromonitoring will certainly provide more insights into pathophysiology of TBI. More studies are needed to determine how to best incorporate these new parameters into effective management protocols. Based on current literature, corticosteroids should not be indicated for the treatment of TBI. Avoidance or immediate treatment of secondary insults remains a mainstream of clinical care for patients with TBI. It seems that the therapy should focus on control of intracranial hypertension, and values of cerebral perfusion pressure around 60 mm Hg appear to correlate with favorable outcome in most patients. Hypertonic saline may become a preferred osmotherapeutic agent in severely head-injured patients, especially those with refractory intracranial hypertension. Benefit and indications for performing a decompressive craniectomy remain to be determined. Overall, individualized treatment respecting actual status of a patient’s intra- and extracranial homeostasis should be the key principle of our current therapeutic approach toward severely head-injured patients.
USee A Mobile Usability Research Tool Using Google Glass

The rapid increase in mobile devices (such as smartphone, tablet, smartwatch, and Google Glass) has resulted in the need for more usability research of mobile applications and devices. However, tools for usability testing in a mobile environment are lacking. This demonstration introduces a new mobile usability research tool called uSee, which uses Google Glass, a smartphone or tablet, a smartwatch, and a computer for research observation and communication. With uSee, remote observers can view the scenes directly from a camera mounted near the users’ eye, which offers researchers a scene from the users’ point of view. Alternatively, a researcher can wear Google Glass and use the uSee application to record user video and communicate with remote observers. In addition, usability researchers can log important events by simply tapping the Google Glass stem. This demonstration will show how uSee can serve as a tool for mobile usability research as well as discuss the pros and cons of the tool.
A comparison between rheological data for polymer melts and the Spriggs four-constant viscoelastic model

An experimental and analytical study was made to determine how well the material functions, derived from the Spriggs four-constant viscoelastic model, could describe the rheological properties of polymer melts. Viscosity and elasticity of selected polymer melts were experimentally determined in the rotational and oscillatory modes using a Weissenberg Rheogoniometer. The Spriggs model was chosen for study because of its success in describing experimental data for polymer solutions and because of its uniqueness in combining results from molecular theory with results from the theories associated with continuum mechanics. It was found that the model provides a good description of the rheological data for polymer melts and that some of the model parameters depend upon the molecular characteristics of the polymer. Since this model contains a small number of well defined constants, it should be useful in developing dimensionless engineering correlations for the complex flows encountered in processes of industrial importance. Deviations between the theoretical and experimental results are discussed and deficiencies of the model noted.
Dynamics of growth in mammalian diploid tissue cultures.

Abstract The growth of a mammalian diploid tissue culture is described by a simple set of differential equations. The equations are motivated by data obtained by Merz and Ross which show that the fraction of sterile cells in a culture increases approximately exponentially with passage number. Solutions of the equations reproduce phases II and III of the culture growth pattern observed by Hayflick. The exact form of the solutions depends on a specific sterility-rate function which is defined by analogy with specific death-rate functions used in theories of aging. An autocatalytic theory leads to the use of an exponential function of time, while a multistep or a target theory leads to the use of a power function. Either of these functions yields solutions of the differential growth equations which are compatible with the observations made by Merz and Ross.
Asset Allocation and the Liquidity Premium for Illiquid Annuities

Academics and practitioners alike have developed numerous techniques for benchmarking investment returns to properly adjust seemingly high numbers for excessive levels of risk. The same, however, cannot be said for liquidity, or the lack thereof. This article develops a model for analyzing the ex ante liquidity premium demanded by the holder of an illiquid annuity. The annuity is an insurance product that is akin to a pension savings account with both an accumulation and decumulation phase. We compute the yield (spread) needed to compensate for the utility welfare loss, which is induced by the inability to rebalance and maintain an optimal portfolio when holding an annuity. Our analysis goes beyond the current literature, by focusing on the interaction between time horizon (both deterministic and stochastic), risk aversion, and preexisting portfolio holdings. More specifically, we derive a negative relationship between a greater level of individual risk aversion and the demanded liquidity premium. We also confirm that, ceteris paribus, the required liquidity premium is an increasing function of the holding period restriction, the subjective return from the market, and is quite sensitive to the individual's endowed (preexisting) portfolio.
The Theory of Thermionics

Thermodynamical theory of electron emission from metals.---By means of a reversible cycle similar to that first used by O. W. Richardson, an accurate expression for the thermionic emission is obtained and it is shown that the constant in the equation for the vapor pressure of the electrons is equal to the chemical constant for electron gas. It is shown that if all the internal heat of evaporation of the electrons is due to electrical forces then Richardson's original equation $I=A{\ensuremath{\theta}}^{\frac{1}{2}}{\ensuremath{\epsilon}}^{\frac{\ensuremath{-}b}{\ensuremath{\theta}}}$ must be correct and the specific heat of the negative electricity in the metal must be the same as for a monatomic gas at constant volume, but that if this specific heat is small, as is known to be the case, then all the internal heat of evaporation cannot be due to electrical forces and Richardson's second equation $I=A{\ensuremath{\theta}}^{2}{\ensuremath{\epsilon}}^{\frac{\ensuremath{-}b}{\ensuremath{\theta}}}$ is a better first approximation to the exact relation. It is shown that the equation $L=\frac{R{\ensuremath{\theta}}_{2}d(logp)}{d\ensuremath{\theta}}$ where $L$ is the heat of evaporation of a liquid at pressure $p$ and temperature $\ensuremath{\theta}$ is not exactly true for the evaporation of electrons. It is pointed out that the thermodynamical theory of evaporation was applied to electron emission by the writer in 1903 and that O. W. Richardson in 1912, M. V. Laue in 1918, R. C. Tolman in 1921 and S. Dushman in 1923 have made further applications of it to the same question.Quantum theory of the chemical constant.---A simple way of calculating the size of the region element in the state space for a monatomic gas is given which makes it equal to $N{h}^{3}$ where $N$ is the number of molecules in the gas and $h$ Planck's constant. This gives the same expression for the chemical constant as that found by Sackur.
Factors Affecting UK Primary-Care Costs of Managing Patients with Asthma over 5 Years

Objective: To determine the effect of age, disease severity and compliance on the annual primary-care cost of managing patients with asthma initially on British Thoracic Society British Guidelines on Asthma Management (BGAM) treatment steps 2/3 over 5 years. Design and setting: A modelling study performed from the perspective of the UK’s National Health Service (NHS). Study participants and interventions: A data set was created comprising 4519 patients with asthma in the DIN-link database who were prescribed twice-daily inhaled corticosteroids and who were on steps 2/3 between 1 January and 31 December 1993. These patients were followed over 5 years. Methods: Asthma-related primary-care resource utilisation data obtained from the DIN-link database were stratified by patients’ age, compliance and BGAM treatment step. Unit costs at 1999–2000 prices were applied to the resource use estimates to determine the mean annual cost per patient. Main outcome measures and results: High compliance with inhaled corticosteroids was not associated with a reduction in use of other primary-care resources, although the ratio of the number of prescriptions for inhaled corticosteroids to that for short-acting β2-agonists increased, suggesting that patients’ asthma was better controlled. Overall, the primary-care cost of managing a patient starting on steps 2/3 was found to be most strongly influenced by whether that patient moved onto steps 4/5 or continued to be managed on the same treatment step. If a patient continued to be managed at steps 2/3, costs were influenced in descending order of impact by compliance, previous BGAM step and the patient’s age. Conclusions: Better compliance with inhaled corticosteroids is likely to lead to better asthma control and fewer asthma attacks. Notwithstanding this, increasing compliance is likely to increase primary-care costs. Consequently increasing healthcare expenditure may be the inevitable consequence of improving asthma control.
EFFECTS OF FLORIDA CITRUS PEST CONTROL PRACTICES ON THE CITRUS BLACKFLY (HOMOPTERA: ALEYRODIDAE) AND ITS ASSOCIATED NATURAL ENEMIES

The postbloom and summer sprays recommended in Florida commercial citrus cultures for management of insect and mite pests and phytopathogenic diseases caused a significant (P < 0.05) reduction of citrus blackfly, Aleurocanthus woglumi Ashby, infesting urban dooryard citrus. There were no observed adverse chronic effects on populations of the parasite Amitus hesperidum Silvestri, or the predator complex consisting of spiders, chrysopids, and coccinellids attributable to the chemical treatments. The absence of chronic pesticide-induced interference with biological control agents was interpreted as an indication of the potential for development of integrated control strategies against A. woglumi should this insect invade commercial citrus areas in Florida.
Transepithelial transport and enzymatic detoxification of gluten in gluten-sensitive rhesus macaques.

Background and AimsIn a previous report, we characterized a condition of gluten sensitivity in juvenile rhesus macaques that is similar in many respects to the human condition of gluten sensitivity, celiac disease. This animal model of gluten sensitivity may therefore be useful toward studying both the pathogenesis and the treatment of celiac disease. Here, we perform two pilot experiments to demonstrate the potential utility of this model for studying intestinal permeability toward an immunotoxic gluten peptide and pharmacological detoxification of gluten in vivo by an oral enzyme drug candidate.MethodsIntestinal permeability was investigated in age-matched gluten-sensitive and control macaques by using mass spectrometry to detect and quantify an orally dosed, isotope labeled 33-mer gluten peptide delivered across the intestinal epithelium to the plasma. The protective effect of a therapeutically promising oral protease, EP-B2, was evaluated in a gluten-sensitive macaque by administering a daily gluten challenge with or without EP-B2 supplementation. ELISA-based antibody assays and blinded clinical evaluations of this macaque and of an age-matched control were conducted to assess responses to gluten.ResultsLabeled 33-mer peptide was detected in the plasma of a gluten-sensitive macaque, both in remission and during active disease, but not in the plasma of healthy controls. Administration of EP-B2, but not vehicle, prevented clinical relapse in response to a dietary gluten challenge. Unexpectedly, a marked increase in anti-gliadin (IgG and IgA) and anti-transglutaminase (IgG) antibodies was observed during the EP-B2 treatment phase.ConclusionsGluten-sensitive rhesus macaques may be an attractive resource for investigating important aspects of celiac disease, including enhanced intestinal permeability and pharmacology of oral enzyme drug candidates. Orally dosed EP-B2 exerts a protective effect against ingested gluten. Limited data suggest that enhanced permeability of short gluten peptides generated by gastrically active glutenases may trigger an elevated antibody response, but that these antibodies are not necessarily causative of clinical illness.
Absolute intensities and foreign gas broadening coefficients of the 111,10←112,10 and 180,18←181,18 lines in the v7 band of C2H4

Abstract Absolute intensities and foreign gas broadening coefficients of the 18 0,18 ←18 1,18 and 11 1,10 ←11 2,10 transitions in the v 7 band of C 2 H 4 near 948 cm -1 have been measured at a spectral resolution of ∽5 × 10 -4 cm -1 using tunable diode laser spectrometry. Ar, He, N 2 , and O 2 were used as the broadening gases. In order to determine the temperature dependence of the broadening coefficient, data were obtained at temperatures ranging from 150 to 296 K. The absolute intensity of the 5 0,5 ←5 1,5 transition was also found at 296 K. A band strength of 339 ± 10 cm -2 atm -1 was obtained from weighted averages of the individual line intensities and a rigid asymmetric top calculation.
Structure of 7li and mechanisms of the low-energy 6Li+n reactions☆

The positive-parity states in 7Li necessary to explain the properties of the low-energy 6Li+n reaction Cross sections using compound nuclear reaction formalism have not yet been identified experimentally, though theoretical model calculations predict them to exist and to be unbound. The present work employs an R-matrix analysis of the 7Li system in which the positive- and negative-parity states have been included at excitation energies and with reduced widths consistent with existing model calculations. With this representation, properties of the 6Li+n reactions have been properly predicted from thermal neutron energies up to 4 MeV. The positive-parity states are shown to be of necessity broad and will not be observed in the traditional sense as peaks in the 6Li+n reaction cross sections. Effects of all states in7Li included in the analysis on the cross sections are discussed and detailed comparisons with model calculations are made.
One-trocar surgery: a less invasive videosurgical approach in childhood.

Abstract Background/Purpose: Laparoscopic techniques and instruments are evolving to lessen the invasiveness of this surgical approach. The authors present their experience with the videosurgical approach using only 1 trocar. Methods: Between October 1997 and January 2000 the authors performed 59 videosurgical procedures using a 1-trocar approach (mean age, 11.5 years; range, 4 to 18 years). A 10-mm Hasson trocar was inserted in an "open" fashion either through the umbilicus (laparoscopy) or below the apex of the 12th rib (retroperitoneoscopy). An operative laparoscope was used in all cases. The operations were 18 retroperitoneoscopic Palomo varicocelectomies, 1 retroperitoneoscopic renal biopsy, 38 appendectomies, and 2 ileal resections (Meckel's diverticulum, duplication cyst). For appendectomies and ileal resections, the corresponding intestinal loop was grasped and exteriorized through the umbilicus to perform conventional surgery. Results: Mean operating time was 50.9 minutes (range, 30 to 120) for laparoscopies and 44 minutes (range, 15 to 80) for retroperitoneoscopy. There were 11 conversions (8 appendectomies, 3 varicocelectomies) and no postoperative complications. Conclusions: "One-trocar surgery" is safe, effective, and fast with a low complication rate and excellent cosmetic results. The authors believe it is the least invasive as well as the most effective approach in the treatment of varicocele, appendicitis, and selected intestinal diseases. J Pediatr Surg 36:811-814. Copyright © 2001 by W.B. Saunders Company.
Giant magnetoresistance and enhanced antiferromagnetic coupling in highly oriented Co/Cu (111) superlattices.

We demonstrate the presence of large oscillatory antiferromagnetic (AF) interlayer coupling and ``giant'' magnetoresistance in crystalline (111)-oriented Co/Cu superlattices grown on Pt buffer layers on (0001) sapphire substrates. The AF coupling strength is \ensuremath{\approxeq}4--5 times larger than previously reported for sputtered polycrystalline Co/Cu multilayers. However, a significant fraction of the superlattice (\ensuremath{\approxeq}70%) remains ferromagnetically coupled. This may account for the comparatively low giant magnetoresistance values observed of \ensuremath{\approxeq}40% at 3.5 K and \ensuremath{\approxeq}26% at 295 K compared to values of g120% at 4.2 K and g65% at 295 K, respectively in sputtered structures. Similar crystalline (111) Co/Cu structures grown on Cu buffer layers on GaAs(110) show no evidence for antiferromagnetic coupling, although they are of nearly comparable structural perfection. The presence or absence of antiferromagnetic coupling in (111) Co/Cu superlattices appears to be a result of subtle structural imperfections giving rise to direct ferromagnetic coupling of neighboring Co layers.