cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Creating community: Understanding the development of a locally oriented entrepreneurial community

In this article I present the results of an exploratory case study of an entrepreneurial community that successfully developed in a rural community by leveraging complementary assets and a shared v...
A Model-Based Systems Engineering Approach to Trade Space Exploration of Implanted Wireless Biotelemetry Communication Systems

This paper summarizes the application of model-based systems engineering (MBSE) to the development of a system trade study and decision-making tool for implantable ultra-wideband (UWB) wireless biotelemetry communications systems. The systems modeling language (SysML) is used to develop graphical representations, called descriptive models, of the system architecture, parameters, and interdependencies along with leveraging various analytical tools to produce performance and safety assessments of various system configurations. Both descriptive and analytical models are linked together to enable system designers the ability to rapidly run a wide range of system configurations such that the results can be visualized, analyzed, and pruned to meet system safety and performance requirements. This integrated system approach is more effective than typical standalone or disparate analysis since it enables system designers the ability to consider multivariate scenarios in the system simulation as compared to only a few. The modeling framework is also consistent and easily verified and validated at the component, sub-system, and system levels. An ultra-wideband communication system with an implanted transmitter sub-system is the exemplary case considered in this paper.
Montana’s Beef-to-School Project: Making Connections to Enhance Local Agriculture

Abstract At the heart of the local food movement, including farm-to-school, are communities with unique and often place-based motivations. The authors of this paper, researchers based in Montana, investigated what motivated the state’s local beef-to-school (B2S) programs through case study interviews, secondary data, and field observations. Overall, we found that a community-based sense of identity; specifically, a strong cattle-ranching culture throughout the state, was a significant motivation to engage in B2S. We also found that the perception that B2S would lead to particular social, economic, educational, and product benefits increased willingness to engage in B2S. Many times, schools and producers discussed the benefits of supporting B2S in light of national and global issues in beef production, including lack of transparency in the beef supply chain, concerns with sustainability, and a perception of lower-quality products. The purpose of this chapter is to highlight the grassroots efforts in Montana to serve local beef in schools and to distill barriers and opportunities in the hopes that other communities seeking local beef can benefit from lessons learned in this state.
Orbital Roof Reconstruction Using Nylon Foil Implants.

Purpose To describe a surgical technique of orbital roof reconstruction with a thin nylon foil implant. Methods This study is a description of a surgical technique with a retrospective chart review of 3 consecutive patients treated with a nylon foil implant for a complete superior orbital defect after meningioma resection via craniotomy approach. Results The nylon foil reconstruction achieved an anatomically stable orbit without globe dystopia, pulsatile proptosis, cerebrospinal fluid leak, or other serious cranio-orbital problems, in all cases. Postoperative visual acuity, pain, extraocular motility, proptosis, and globe position remained stable or improved in each case. There were no complications related to the orbital roof reconstruction. Conclusions Nylon foil implantation was an effective and inexpensive surgical technique for orbital roof reconstruction after tumor resection in this small series.
Signaling Networks That Control Cellular Plasticity in Pancreatic Tumorigenesis, Progression, and Metastasis

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is one of the deadliest cancers, and its incidence on the rise. The major challenges in overcoming the poor prognosis with this disease include late detection and the aggressive biology of the disease. Intratumoral heterogeneity; presence of a robust, reactive, and desmoplastic stroma; and the crosstalk between the different tumor components require complete understanding of the pancreatic tumor biology to better understand the therapeutic challenges posed by this disease. In this review, we discuss the processes involved during tumorigenesis encompassing the inherent plasticity of the transformed cells, development of tumor stroma crosstalk, and enrichment of cancer stem cell population during tumorigenesis.
Hypospadias risk is increased with maternal residential exposure to hormonally active hazardous air pollutants.

BACKGROUND With the increasing birth prevalence of hypospadias, there is growing concern for pollutant exposure interfering with normal penile development. We assess the association between hypospadias and hormonally active hazardous air pollutants (HAHAPs) through a nationwide database of hazardous air pollutants and the Texas Birth Defects Registry (TBDR). METHODS Using the TBDR, we identified 8,981 nonsyndromic isolated hypospadias cases from 1999 to 2008. Birth certificate controls were matched for birth year at a 10:1 ratio to cases. Estimated HAHAP concentrations from the 2005 U.S. EPA National-Scale Air Toxics Assessment were used to assign exposure based on maternal residence at birth. Exposure levels were categorized as quintiles based on the distribution in controls. Logistic regression was used to calculate the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for each increasing exposure category of selected HAHAPs. RESULTS Of the 10 HAHAPs studied, seven were significantly associated with hypospadias risk. The HAHAP that was most strongly associated with hypospadias was phenol, which was associated with risk in all groups except the high exposure group. Cumulative HAHAP exposure demonstrated a modest increase in hypospadias risk (OR 1.15, 95% CI: 1.07-1.24, p < 0.001) in the medium and medium-high quintiles. CONCLUSIONS While maternal exposure to some HAHAPs was significantly associated with the risk of hypospadias in male offspring, the effects were modest, and no dose-response effects were observed. Future work should employ biomarkers of exposure to better delineate the relationship.
A 25 Mbps, 12.4 pJ/b DQPSK Backscatter Data Uplink for the NeuroDisc Brain–Computer Interface

Wireless brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) are used to study neural activity in freely moving non-human primates (NHPs). However, the high energy consumption of conventional active radios is proving to be an obstacle as research drives for wireless BCIs that can provide continuous high-rate data uplinks for longer durations (i.e. multiple days). We present a differential quadrature phase shift keying (DQPSK) backscatter uplink for the NeuroDisc BCI as an alternative to active radios. The uplink achieves a 25 Mbps throughput while operating in the 915 MHz industrial, scientific, and medical (ISM) band. The DQPSK backscatter modulator was measured to have an error-vector magnitude (EVM) of 9.7% and a measured power consumption of 309 $\mu$ W during continuous, full-rate transmissions, yielding an analog communication efficiency of 12.4 pJ/bit. The NeuroDisc is capable of recording 16 channels of neural data with 16-bit resolution at up to 20 kSps per channel with a measured input-referred noise of 2.35 $\mu$ V. In previous work, we demonstrated the DQPSK backscatter uplink, but bandwidth constraints in the signal chain limited the uplink rate to 6.25 Mbps and the neural sampling rate to 5 kSps. This work provides new innovations to increase the bandwidth of the system, including an ultra-high frequency (UHF) antenna design with a −10 dB return loss bandwidth of 12.5 MHz and a full-duplex receiver with an average self-jammer cancellation of 89 dB. We present end-to-end characterization of the NeuroDisc and validate the backscatter uplink using pre-recorded neural data as well as in vivo recordings from a pigtail macaque.
A multitranscript blood neuroendocrine tumor molecular signature to identify treatment efficacy and disease progress.

4137 Background: Gastroenteropancreatic (GEP) neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) or NETs (also called “carcinoids”) are problematic since they present with advanced disease and have limited treatment ...
Normal biodistribution and tumor uptake of 68Ga DOTATATE PET / CT in the clinical setting: normal background activity, and organ specific tumor characterization of metastatic lesions.

3031 Introduction: 68Ga DOTATATE PET / CT has demonstrated higher sensitivity and lesion detectability compared to 111In octreoscan for suspected neuroendocrine tumors. 68Ga DOTATATE PET / CT acquisition parameters have traditionally been chosen to mimic those for FDG PET / CT, without consideration for physical differences in 68Ga compared to 18F. Significant differences also exist in the 68Ga DOTATATE PET / CT injected dose, normal biodistribution, tumor uptake and tumor distribution. Both physical and biological differences can influence lesions detectability. For example, the lower administered activity and the higher background activity in the liver could obscure detection of hepatic metastases, commonly present in neuroendocrine malignancies. The purpose of this study is to determine radiotracer specific properties of 68Ga DOTATATE with respect to radiotracer normal biodistribution, tumor uptake, and location of metastases. Methods: After 68Ga DOTATATE administration (5.7 + 0.5 mCi) and uptake time (63.1 + 4.7) minutes, PET / CT imaging was performed in patients referred for known or suspected neuroendocrine tumors (n=50; M=29, F =21). Normal background organ uptake and their background noise levels were quantified with both SUVmean,, SUV max (mean+1std). Focal tumor abnormalities were confirmed by retrospective review of clinical reports, identified using a semi-automated program (MIM software), and quantified using imaging metrics including RECIST 1.1, modified PERCIST, and recorded as SUVmean, SUVmax (mean+1std). Tumor to background ratio (TBR) is reported for SUVmax of both the tumor and the background. Results: Normal background SUVmean measured: blood pool (1.06+0.35), brain (0.11+0.05), liver (5.01+1.44), lung (0.30+0.15), muscle (0.67+0.216), spleen (17.1+6.97), and T12 bone marrow (1.11+0.36). Of the 50 patients, 18 were normal, and 32 had focal disease. Of the 101 lesions, the most frequent site was the liver (43/101), which showed very high tumor uptake SUVmax (41.2+38.9; median 25.3; range=10.9-223.4). The TBR for hepatic lesions (mean=6.4+8.0; range=1.6-48.6; median 3.6) was significantly lower (P
In situ flow cell platform for examining calcium oxalate and calcium phosphate crystallization on films of basement membrane extract in the presence of urinary ‘inhibitors’

A significant portion of the population suffers from idipoathic calcium oxalate (CaOx) kidney stones, and current clinical treatments of stones have limited lasting success with a high rate of patients suffering from reoccurring stones. Understanding the role of physiologically relevant urinary species on the formation, aggregation, and growth of CaOx crystals can allow for better understanding of this complex biomineralization process and lead to more effective clinical treatments. Our prior work has focused on developing a two-stage model system, where the first stage emulates the formation of Randall's plaque, and the second stage examines the influence of the plaque on overgrowth of CaOx into a stone. Herein, we report on the development of an easy-to-use flow-cell platform that utilizes basement membrane extract (BME) as a biologically relevant crystallization substrate to study the influence of urinary 'inhibitors' on the in situ formation and growth of CaOx on BME under flow conditions. Magnesium, citrate, and osteopontin were studied because of their known ability to inhibit CaOx formation, but their influence also led to interesting modifications to the terminal crystal habit. Magnesium had little to no effect on the CaOx crystallization, but both citrate and osteopontin resulted in significant changes to the crystallization kinetics and the terminal crystal habits. Triply inhibited artificial urine solutions resulted in CaOx monohydrate formations that resembled physiological stones, and the in situ platform allowed for morphogenesis to be dynamically monitored. The BME was also used in a two-stage model system to first grow CaP that mimicked Randall's plaques, whereby the impact of the CaP crystallizing surface on CaOx formation could be studied. It was found that the CaP surface did not result in any significant changes in CaOx crystal formation or growth indicating that the urinary inhibitors and the basement membrane substrate were the dominant factors in modulating CaOx crystallization. It was also found that the basement membrane surface promoted the attachment and/or nucleation and growth of both CaOx and CaP crystals compared to bare glass surfaces, thereby enabling easy study of the urinary inhibitors. The work presented here has elucidated the terminal growth habit of different COM structures and has provided an easy to use platform that can be widely adopted by the kidney stone and other crystallization communities.
Conflict change and persistence: the India-Pakistan and Arab-Israeli conflicts compared

There are many books on the Arab-Israeli conflict. There are also many books on the conflict between India and Pakistan. Conflict Change and Persistence: The India-Pakistan and Arab-Israeli Conflic...
Thoughts About Recognizing Excellence in Nursing

The purpose of this essay is to outline two strategies that can be used to increase recognition of nursing excellence—in research, education, and practice. The first strategy is to gain recognition...
Chest and Pelvis X-Rays as a Screening Tool for Abdominal Injury in Geriatric Blunt Trauma Patients.

BackgroundThis study evaluates the utility of chest (CXR) and pelvis (PXR) X-ray, as adjuncts to the primary survey, in screening geriatric blunt trauma (GBT) patients for abdominal injury or need ...
Rapid Blood Transfusion: The Importance of Hemodilution and Needleless Connectors.

Introduction Large-bore cannulas are critical to administering IV fluids and blood products during resuscitation and treatment of hemorrhage. Although catheter flow rates for crystalloid solutions are well defined, rapid administration of blood products is poorly characterized. In this in vitro study, we examined the effects of hemodilution and needleless connectors on red blood cell (RBC) flow rates. Methods To determine RBC flow rates through large-bore cannulae, a crystalloid solution (Normosol®, Hospira, Lake Forest, IL) or RBC units were warmed and delivered under pressure (360 mmHg) using a Level 1 H-1200 Fast Flow Fluid Warmer (Smiths Medical, St. Paul, MN). Flow rates for crystalloid, packed RBCs and diluted RBCs were determined using a stopwatch. Additionally, the effect of the MaxPlus® clear needleless connector (CareFusion, San Diego, CA) was measured in all three infusion groups. Results Flow rates for undiluted RBC units were 53% slower than crystalloid solution (220 mL/min vs. 463 mL/min; p=0.0003), however, when RBC units were diluted to a hematocrit of ~30% flow rate improved to 369 mL/min (p=0.005). The addition of the MaxPlus® needleless connector reduced flow of crystalloid solution by 47% (245 mL/min; p=0.0001), undiluted RBCs by 64% (78 mL/min; p=0.01), and diluted RBCs by 51% (180 mL/min; p=0.00003). Compared to undiluted RBC units, hemodilution increased RBC delivery rate through a MaxPlus® connector by 130% (p=0.004) and by 68% (p=0.02) when the catheter was directly connected to the Level 1 tubing (MaxPlus® excluded). Conclusion In settings requiring rapid transfusion of RBC units, needleless connectors should not be used and hemodilution should be considered in order to decrease the time required to deliver an equivalent red cell mass.
Police Violence, Community Dialogue, and Political Engagement in Urban America

Policing and the criminal justice system are major components of political life in marginalized urban communities (Cohen 1999; Isaac 2015; Soss and Weaver 2017). How does this facet of urban politics impact the broader political and civic engagement of local residents? Existing work on this question is sparse and focuses primarily on the ways in which levels of criminal justice contact stymie political participation (Weaver and Lerman 2010; Burch 2014; Lerman and Weaver 2014). In recent years, however, episodes of police violence have sparked vigorous discussions, debates, and movements in poor and predominately-minority communities across the US. These local and often-informal responses to police violence have been understudied by scholars of American Politics and Race Politics. This gap limits our understanding of the links between the criminal justice system and urban political and civic engagement: while most residents may not directly experience high-profile incidents of police violence, such incidents may nonetheless spur informal dialogues that help shape local attitudes and behavior as well as influence the way politicized racial identities are activated and used. This project uses a randomized field experiment to help address this gap. In the experiment, which we field spring 2018-2019, patrons in predominately-African American barbershops and beauty salons in Columbus, OH will be randomly selected to participate in lightly-moderated discussions about police violence. Comparing these patrons with members of control and placebo groups, we will measure civic engagement in terms of participation in a voter registration drive, intention to vote, and real-world donations to social initiatives. Our preliminary hypotheses bridge existing work on the political effects of the criminal justice system in the US with recent findings on the political and social effects of exposure to larger-scale violence (see Bauer 2016). Our broad expectations are as follows: we expect that discussions about police violence lead certain residents to increasingly withdraw from formal political life while contributing to more localized and targeted social initiatives; Black women and men will speak differently about police violence; and that linked fate moderates attitudes on local and federal governance. In building and testing these hypotheses, the results of this study will improve our understanding of the links between policing, politicized racial identities, political participation, and civic life in marginalized urban communities.
Working with Colleagues and Staff

Radiation oncology is a unique field with an exceptionally diverse range of roles in the teams at work in a radiation oncology department. Team building, collaboration, and communication techniques span disciplines, and they also need to be tailored to the audience to optimize the relationship building that is critical to working together successfully. Herein, data and ideas are presented regarding effective teams. Recommendations are suggested regarding specific communication considerations for clinical and research teams, as well as professional relationships external to the organization. Success begins with recruiting and hiring diverse teams, fostering an environment that makes space for all to participate without a single dominant voice, and recognizing the skills and opportunities of all members. The importance of professionally addressing conflict is also addressed.
Targeted delivery of pentagalloyl glucose inhibits matrix metalloproteinase activity and preserves elastin in emphysematous lungs

Background Elastin degradation has been established as one of the driving factors of emphysema. Elastin-derived peptides (EDPs) are shown to act as a chemoattractant for monocytes. Effectively shielding elastin from elastolytic damage and regenerating lost elastin are two important steps in improving the mechanical function of damaged lungs. Pentagalloyl glucose (PGG) has been shown to preserve elastin in vascular tissues from elastolytic damage in vivo and aid in elastin deposition in vitro. Methods We created emphysema by elastase inhalation challenge in mice. Albumin nanoparticles loaded with PGG, conjugated with elastin antibody, were delivered to target degraded elastin in lungs. We investigated matrix metalloproteinase-12 activity and lung damage by measuring dynamic compliance and tidal volume changes. Results Ex-vivo experiments demonstrated elastin preservation in PGG treated samples compared to controls. Inhaled nanoparticles conjugated with elastin antibody retained for extended periods in lungs. Further, mice treated with PGG nanoparticles showed a significant suppression of MMP-12 activity measured in the lungs. We observed suppression of emphysema in terms of dynamic lung compliance and tidal volume change compared to the control group. The histological examination further confirmed elastin preservation in the lungs. Conclusion These results demonstrate successful targeted delivery of nanoparticles loaded with PGG to inhibit MMP-12 activity and preserve elastin in the lungs. Such targeted PGG therapy has potential therapeutic use in the management of emphysema.
Cyborg Divas and Hybrid Minds

This paper examines the relationship between neural enhancement, uploading, and personal identity. Building on our earlier work, it argues that the aspects of cognitive functioning that are central to the preservation of personal identity are those surrounding consciousness. Neural enhancements that do not preserve consciousness do not preserve personal identity. Examining in particular the influential arguments of Clark, Clowes, Gartner, and others regarding the extended mind, we argue for a pessimistic view of the ability for mind extension technologies that are currently available to provide a feasible path to transcend human biology while still preserving our personal identity.
Who uses alcohol mixed with energy drinks? Characteristics of college student users

ABSTRACT Objective: To examine characteristics associated with alcohol mixed with energy drink (AmED) use in a sample of college students. Participants: College students (N = 614, 53% female) in their second year of college participated during the fall of 2008. Methods: Students completed a cross-sectional survey with questions regarding AmED use. Results: AmED use in the last 30 days was reported by 27% of participants. Logistic regression analyses found that risk factors for AmED included participating in a fraternity/sorority; participating in athletics; living off-campus; having greater fun/social, relax, and image motives for alcohol consumption; and binge drinking. Protective factors included early morning classes, honors program participation, and greater physical/behavioral motives for not drinking. Conclusions: Risk factors for AmED use can identify college students most likely to consume AmEDs and thereby inform screening and intervention efforts to reduce negative AmED-related consequences.
Luminescence of L-(-)-Tryptophan in DMSO at 77 K in the Presence of Tb3+

The luminescence properties of tryptophan and its derivatives exhibit a strong dependence upon the nature of the microenvironment of the tryptophan moiety. Such a dependence can be exploited leading to information regarding the structural characteristics of systems containing tryptophan residues. The fluorescence and phosphorescence spectra of tryptophan and derivatives in solution depend upon the polarity and the viscosity of the solvent as well as upon the excitation wavelength (1–4). Due to the strong interaction of tryptophan with its microenvironment, the observed luminescence properties are often different from those of the unperturbed molecule.
The challenge of unsteady separating flows

It is noted that the general fluid dynamic problem of unsteady separation at most practical Reynolds numbers remains an unsolved one and that no completely reliable prediction techniques exist at the present time. The modern design engineer must therefore draw from a combination of approximate theories, empirical correlations of data, and finite difference programs based on uncertain physical modeling of turbulence. An attempt is made to describe the basic features of several representative classes of problems for which unsteady effects produce strong or unusual changes in the separation characteristics of the flow. The analysis concerns itself largely with external flow, and emphasis is placed on the physical phenomena involved.
Final State Gluon Effects in Charmed Meson Decays

Abstract In the valence-quark c-decay scheme the decay D 0 → K 0 π 0 is expected to be strongly suppressed. We suggest that final state soft gluon exchange may account for the rather large branching ratio recently measured for this process, and study two-body decays of charmed mesons in our new scheme.
Molecular basis for heme-dependent induction of heme oxygenase in primary cultures of chick embryo hepatocytes : demonstration of acquired refractoriness to heme

The effects of heme on the induction of mRNA and protein synthesis for heme oxygenase-1 have been studied in primary cultures of chick embryo liver cells. Heme increased the amount of mRNA and the rate of heme oxygenase-1-gene transcription in a dose-dependent fashion, with a maximal 20-fold increase occurring at 20 μM heme. The largest increase in the rate of transcription, measured by nuclear run-on assays, occurred at 5 h, 2 h earlier than the maximum increase in the amount of mRNA, measured by densitometry of Northern blots. 7–15 h after heme addition, the half-life of heme-oxygenase-1 mRNA was 3.5 h in the presence or absence of actinomycin D. In contrast, addition of cycloheximide markedly increased the stability of the message (half-life = 18 h), suggesting that a short-lived protein plays a key role in modulating heme oxygenase-1 mRNA levels. The half-life of heme-induced heme-oxygenase-1 protein, measured by [35S]methionine labelling and immunoprecipitation, was 15 h. This long half-life of the protein can largely account for the additional finding that, following addition of heme, the amount of enzyme protein in the cells increased for 10 h, after which it remained essentially constant for 15 h. A striking finding was that, after an initial burst of heme-stimulated gene transcription, the cells became refractory to further heme-mediated induction. This acquired resistance could not be attributed to the following: a longer duration of culture time; cellular toxicity caused by heme; a lack of heme in the medium or the cells; secretion of heme-binding proteins into the medium, preventing further heme uptake; the induction of cellular heme catabolism sufficient to deplete cellular heme. Instead, the results suggest a down-regulation of the intracellular machinery required for heme-dependent induction of heme oxygenase-1.
An emotion-based approach to robotics

We describe a different approach to robotics in which emotions are at center-stage playing a much larger role than just that of facilitating emotional expression. Drawing inspiration from work in psychology, neuroscience, and ethology, we have developed a computational framework that captures important aspects of emotional processing and integrates these with other models of perception, attention, motivation, behavior, and motor control. We have followed this approach to control several autonomous agents, including a physical robot that is capable of emotional expression while exhibiting robust and effective behavior.
A closed-form solution for the optimal time evolution of an exponentially decaying signal with thermal noise

The signal-to-noise ratio of a monoexponentially decaying signal exhibits a maximum at an evolution time of approximately 1.26 T2. It has previously been thought that there is no closed-form solution to express this maximum. We report in this note that this maximum can be represented in a specific, analytical closed form in terms of the negative real branch of an inverse function known as the Lambert W function. The Lambert function is finding increasing use in the solution of problems in a variety of areas in the physical sciences. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Concepts Magn Reson Part A 43A: 54–56, 2014.
Viability of Actinomycetales Stored in Soil

About 1,800 Actinomycetales stored in soil for up to 20 years were checked for viability. About one-half were viable.
Multilayer Polymer Optical Backplanes for Frequency Multiplexed Phase Fluorometry Arrays

Fluorescence detection with dense sensor arrays is realized in a multilayer large core polymer waveguide optical backplane. The multilayer backplane employs optical vias combined with frequency domain multiplexing to facilitate 4:1 multiplexing in the readout.
Stabilimenta on the webs of Uloborus diversus (Araneae: Uloboridae) and other spiders

Uloborus diversus places extra silk (“stabilimenta”) near the hubs of its webs, preferentially on short radii ending near anchor threads. Spiders probably distinguish these radii from others by their relatively low extensibility. The stabilimentum probably functions as a camouflage device, and the orientation of the stabilimentum lines probably aids disturbed spiders in making quick exits from webs. Turning responses at radius-frame junctions during these exits are influenced by thread angles at the junctions (and possibly by other factors), and also enable disturbed spiders to reach hiding places quickly. The available data on other stabilimentum-building spiders suggests that they also use stabilimenta to provide defence against visually-hunting predators.
Racial Stereotyping: A Hidden Factor in the Vietnam War?

Book reviewed in this article: Mark Bradley, Imagining Vietnam and America: The Making of Postcolonial Vietnam, 1919–1950
A Numerical Study of Air-Bearing Slider Form-Factors

This paper presents a numerical study comparing the performance of air bearing slider form-factors. The air bearing slider and air bearing surface (ABS) design has gone through drastic changes in recent years in order to achieve the performance required by lower flying heights. In the past, improvements have been seen by scaling down the form-factors of air bearing sliders. The pico form-factor (1.25×1 mm) has been successfully used for several generations of products and the question arises-should the formfactor be scaled down further? The dynamic characteristics and flying-height modulation (FHM) performance of two different ABS designs in the pico and femto (0.82 X0.66 mm) form-factors were numerically investigated. It was found that for the smaller form-factor designs, greater damping of the air bearing film and slider body system was achieved but with an undesirable decrease in modal frequencies. However, depending on the ABS design, beneficial dynamic properties can be achieved by scaling down the form-factor from pico to femto. Maximizing the total air bearing force (the sum of negative and positive) with a design featuring a large number of transverse pressure gradients can obtain high stiffness and damping. Geometric FHM was also investigated using both sinusoidal disk waviness and an actual measured disk topography. It was found that the FHM depends not only on the form-factor, but also on the ABS design. For long disk wariness wavelengths (longer than the slider body length, L), the FHM is proportional to L β where β was found to be between 2.6 and 4; hence, FHM is dependent on form-factor. For short disk waviness wavelengths, the FHM is a function of the ABS design and flying attitude and not form-factor. A disk waviness wavelength of 3 mm demarks the transition above which the FHM is a function of form-factor and below which the FHM is a function of the ABS design and the superposition of these two effects compose the geometric FHM. Simulations with an actual measured disk topography showed that the femto form-factor exhibited 22-32 percent less FHM than the pico form-factor for a similar design. However, by changing the ABS design, 35-40 percent less FHM was achieved within the same form-factor. By scaling down a pico slider to a femto slider, we do not necessarily achieve enhanced overall performance. Significant performance improvements in the pica form-factor can be attained if the ABS is properly designed. However, in designing a dynamically stable and low FHM air bearing slider a femto slider ultimately yields better performance when care is taken in designing the ABS.
Magnesium complexes containing β-ketiminate and β-diketiminate ligands with dimethylamino substituents on the ligand core nitrogen atoms

Abstract Treatment of dibutylmagnesium with two equivalents of 4-(2,2-dimethylhydrazino)dimethylhydrazone-3-penten-2-one (L1H) in diethyl ether afforded Mg(L1)2 (76%), which contains η2-L1 ligands with tetrahedral coordination at the magnesium ion. Similar treatment of dibutylmagnesium with 4-(2,2-dimethylhydrazino)-3-penten-2-one (L2H) or 5-(2,2-dimethylhydrazino)-2,6-dimethyl-4-hepten-3-one (L3H) and 4-tert-butylpyridine (4-tBupy) in diethyl ether afforded the octahedral complexes Mg(L2)2(4-tBupy)2 (85%) and Mg(L3)2(4-tBupy)2 (79%). Treatment of dibutylmagnesium with two equivalents of L2H or L3H in the absence of 4-tBupy afforded [Mg(L2)2]2 and Mg(L3)2, however, these complexes were difficult to isolate due to the sticky nature of the crude products. A better synthetic approach entailed sublimation of Mg(L2)2(4-tBupy)2 or Mg(L3)2(4-tBupy)2 at 95–100 °C/0.05 Torr, which afforded [Mg(L2)2]2 (94%) and Mg(L3)2 (80%) as colorless crystalline solids that were easily isolated. Treatment of [MgCp(CH3)(OEt2)]2 with two equivalents each of 4-tBupy and L1H afforded MgCp(L1)(4-tBupy) (65%). Similar treatment of [MgCp(CH3)(OEt2)]2 with two equivalents of L2H or L3H afforded the dimeric complexes [MgCp(L2)]2 (81%) and [MgCp(L3)]2 (84%), respectively. [MgCp(L2)]2 and [MgCp(L3)]2 decompose upon attempted sublimation at 125–130 °C/0.05 Torr to afford Cp2Mg (47–53%) and [Mg(L2)2]2 (67%) or Mg(L3)2 (74%). The X-ray crystal structures of Mg(L1)2, Mg(L3)2(4-tBupy)2, [Mg(L2)2]2, Mg(L3)2, MgCp(L1)(4-tBupy), [MgCp(L2)]2, and [MgCp(L3)]2 are described. The thermal stability and volatility of the complexes were determined through preparative sublimation experiments. Many of the complexes sublime without decomposition at moderate temperatures and low pressures, and thus represent new potential precursors for thin film growth using chemical vapor deposition and related techniques.
Ribozyme Catalysis Revisited: Is Water Involved?

Enzymatic catalysis by RNA was discovered 25 years ago, yet mechanistic insights are emerging only slowly. Thought to be metalloenzymes at first, some ribozymes proved more versatile than anticipated when shown to utilize their own functional groups for catalysis. Recent evidence suggests that some may also judiciously place structural water molecules to shuttle protons in acid-base catalyzed reactions.
Review of glow discharge instabilities

Abstract In a diffusion dominated discharge striations occur because excitations are reduced if the electrons can gain ionization energies in short distances and then ionize further on, but this process requires an energy transport distance Λ. This process no longer works in a recombination dominated discharge because any increase in electron density results in a decreased field and hence reduced ionization. However, if dissociative attachment is present the decreased field may result in decreased attachment and hence further increase the density, which is destabilizing. It seems that a negative differential conductivity dJ dE , which must be stabilized externally by a series resistance, remains unstabilized internally between adjacent sections of the plasma. The negative thermal coefficient ( ∂J ∂T g ) p,E is always destabilizing and produces a transverse contraction unless it is neutralized by thermal conduction or electron diffusion. Recent work by Haas, Nigan and Wiegand and Douglas-Hamilton and Mani are reviewed.
Evaluation of an association between gastrointestinal symptoms and cytokine production against common dietary proteins in children with autism spectrum disorders

Objective To evaluate an association between cytokine production with common dietary proteins as a marker of non-allergic food hypersensitivity (NFH) and gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms in young children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Study design Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were obtained from 109 ASD children with or without GI symptoms (GI [+] ASD, N = 75 and GI (−) ASD, N = 34], from children with NFH (N = 15), and control subjects (N = 19). Diarrhea and constipation were the major GI symptoms. We measured production of type 1 T-helper cells (Th1), type 2 T-helper cells (Th2), and regulatory cytokines by PBMCs stimulated with whole cow's milk protein (CMP), its major components (casein, β-lactoglobulin, and α-lactoalbumin), gliadin, and soy. Results PBMCs obtained from GI (+) ASD children produced more tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)/interleukin-12 (IL-12) than those obtained from control subjects with CMP, β-lactoglobulin, and α-lactoalbumin, irrespective of objective GI symptoms. They also produced more TNF-α with gliadin, which was more frequently observed in the group with loose stools. PBMCs obtained from GI (−) ASD children produced more TNF-α/IL-12 with CMP than those from control subjects, but not with β-lactoglobulin, α-lactoalbumin, or gliadin. Cytokine production with casein and soy were unremarkable. Conclusion A high prevalence of elevated TNF-α/IL-12 production by GI (+) ASD PBMCs with CMP and its major components indicates a role of NFH in GI symptoms observed in children with ASD.
Probabilistic assessment of debris impact damage on orbital structures

Stochastic models of damage caused by man-made debris impacts on orbital structures are developed. Randomness in characteristics of debris objects and the target body are considered. The debris impacts are modeled as Poisson events in time and space. In a first model, the effect of damage accumulation (coinciding impact craters) is included and the statistical moments of the damage random field are derived. Numerical investigations show, however, that for typical space flights and debris environments the accumulation effect is negligible. Based on this finding, a simpler model is developed that neglects the accumulation of damage, but is able to provide statistics on the size of damage. The probability distribution of the size of the largest crater inflicted on the surface of a spacecraft during one or more flight segments is derived based on this model.
College females' perceptions of adult roles and occupational fields for women

College women rated the perceived marital, emotional, and role consequences; personality characteristics; and the overall evaluation of adult female stimulus persons who varied according to maternal role, career role, and sex dominance of occupational/educational field. The data indicated that marital and emotional reward and costs were associated with both the maternal and career roles, but only the mother role was perceived to involve role problems. Moreover, the overall evaluations of the mother and career roles were more favorable than those of the nonmother and noncareer roles. In relation to occupational field, sex dominance had no effect on the perception of rewards, costs, or role problems or on the overall impression. However, the data did indicate some tendency to stereotype occupational categories as well as roles, primarily in terms of expressiveness.
Computing Hough transforms on hypercube multicomputers

Efficient algorithms to compute the Hough transform on MIMD and SIMD hypercube multicomputer are developed. Our algorithms can compute p angles of the Hough transform of an N × N image, p ≤ N, in 0(p + log N) time on both MIMD and SIMD hypercubes. These algorithms require 0(N 2) processors. We also consider the computation of the Hough transform on MIMD hypercubes with a fixed number of processors. Experimental results on an NCUBE/7 hypercube are presented.
Isotope effects in HD(g)+W(001)

Abstract Quasiclassical trajectory calculations were carried out on HD(g)+W(001) from low to hyperthermal energies (0.9 to 15 eV). The effects of both high rotational energy and high translational energy on this reaction were studied. We focus on translational and rotational energy isotope effects observed in the dissociative trapping channel (HD(g)+W(001)→H(g)+D−W(001) or D(g)+H−W(001)). The isotope effects in dissociative trapping are compared to those observed in the analogous gas-phase reaction (HD(g)+A(g)→HA(g)+D(g) or DA(g)+H(g), where A is an atom).
Aplasia cutis congenita of the scalp

Aplasia cutis congenita is the congenital absence of skin. The majority of these defects involve the vertex of the scalp in the area overlying the sagittal sinus. The larger defects are predisposed to sudden lethal hemorrhage and require urgent closure. Local rotational scalp flaps are recommended for closure of the larger defects because they provide the most reliable coverage, eliminate the risk of infection and/or hemorrhage, and avoid the alopecia of secondarily healed wounds.
Resistance to cadmium-induced necrosis in testes of inbred mice: possible role of a metallothionein-like cadmium-binding protein.

Abstract Altered accumulation and subcellular disposition of testicular Cd were examined as possible explanations for the resistance to Cd-induced testicular damage observed in certain inbred strains of mice. Mouse strains susceptible ( 129 J ) or resistant A/J to Cd-induced testicular necrosis were injected iv with 10 or 45 μmol CdCl 2 /kg, respectively. This dosing regimen compensated for decreased Cd accumulation by A/J testes and established similar concentrations of Cd in testes of both strains (approximately 4 nmol Cd/g tissue). Twenty-four hours later, 129 J testes showed marked interstitial hemorrhage and seminiferous tubule necrosis, while A/J testes showed no microscopic evidence of damage. Two hours postinjection, no histopathologic changes were detected in testes of either strain; however, A/J testes had 15% more Cd associated with the cystosol than 129 J testes, and three times more Cd bound to a 14,500 MW cytosolic protein which had gel filtration and ion-exchange chromatography properties in common with metallothionein (MT). Therefore, resistance of A/J testes to Cd does not appear to be determined solely by decreased Cd accumulation, but is associated with increased binding of testicular Cd to a MT-like protein. However, this increase is not accompanied by a proportional increase in the total Cd-binding capacity of the MT-like protein in A/J testes compared to 129 J testes.
Leveraging Chinese Stock Markets: Tracking the Performance and Return Deviation of U.S.-listed Chinese LETFs†

This paper presents a comprehensive examination of the tracking performance and return deviation of U.S.-traded Chinese Leveraged Exchange-traded Funds (LETFs). Our results suggest that investors should be mindful of the fact that these Chinese LETFs actually track U.S.-based benchmarks rather than their Chinese index benchmarks, and consequently suffer from tracking errors due to “benchmark substitution” and nonsynchronous trading between the U.S. and Chinese markets. As for the Chinese LETFs’ ability to track their target return, market inefficiency accounts for the majority of daily return deviations, but this effect does not accumulate over time due to the creation/redemption feature; the net asset value (NAV) deviation is small on a daily basis, but accumulates over time. Over multiple trading days, there is a sizable, cumulative, and generally negative compounding return deviation owing to the daily rebalancing nature of these funds and high volatility in the benchmark return during the sample period.
On the Temperature Spectrum in the Convective Boundary Layer

A model for the temperature spectrum in the convective boundary layer is presented. The model is developed by using local similarity parameterization of the mixed layer. The model is compared with an idealized temperature spectrum obtained during the Minnesota experiment and exhibits behavior very similar to that observed in the atmosphere.
Influence of age, sex, lactational state and exogenous growth hormone on erythrocyte UMP synthase in dairy cattle.

Abstract 1. 1. UMP synthase activity was determined in erythrocytes of Holstein cattle to assess differences attributable to age, sex, lactational state, and exogenous growth hormone. 2. 2. Newborns had 80% more UMP synthase activity per ml erythrocytes than mature cattle. 3. 3. Males had 10% more UMP synthase activity than females of the same age. 4. 4. Lactating and non-lactating mature females did not differ in UMP synthase activity. 5. 5. Over the first six weeks of life, the decrease in UMP synthase activity was less pronounced in calves partially deficient for the enzyme. 6. 6. Ten daily injections of growth hormone altered neither UMP synthase activity in erythrocytes nor orotic acid concentrations in milk and urine.
Virtual quark-quark scattering in the pseudoparticle background

Abstract We calculate off-shell four point functions of massless fermions in a pseudoparticle background. The results are exact to lowest order quantum fluctuations about the classical pseudoparticle field. Only pseudoparticle solutions of unit winding number contribute to the calculated correlation functions. The developed technique requires knowledge only of the zero frequency fermion solutions in the pseudoparticle potential.
A study of social dominance in cats.

Two female and six male domestic cats ranging in age from eight to ten and one-half months were studied in two different food-competitive dominance testing situations. In one of the test situations the animals were paired in all possible combinations for a session of ten trials in the WGTA; in the other, the eight animals simultaneously competed for food in a relatively unrestricted (in terms of space) environment designated as the FE condition. The drive level (12, 22, and 36 hrs food deprivation) was systematically varied in the two test situations in order to determine its effect on dominance relationships.
Reliability-Output Decoding of Tail-Biting Convolutional Codes

We present extensions to Raghavan and Baum's reliability-output Viterbi algorithm (ROVA) to accommodate tail-biting convolutional codes. These tail-biting reliability-output algorithms compute the exact word-error probability of the decoded codeword after first calculating the posterior probability of the decoded tail-biting codeword's starting state. One approach employs a state-estimation algorithm that selects the maximum a posteriori state based on the posterior distribution of the starting states. Another approach is an approximation to the exact tail-biting ROVA that estimates the word-error probability. A comparison of the computational complexity of each approach is discussed in detail. The presented reliability-output algorithms apply to both feedforward and feedback tail-biting convolutional encoders. These tail-biting reliability-output algorithms are suitable for use in reliability-based retransmission schemes with short blocklengths, in which terminated convolutional codes would introduce rate loss.
The study of aluminum soap-hydrocarbon systems: Effect of additives and metathesis

Many additives have pronounced and manifold effects on the behavior of aluminum soaps-hydrocarbon systems. Some additives accelerate the formation of jellies, other retard it. Some thicken the jellies, others liquefy them. The mechanism of the action of additives is probably manifold, too. One of the many possible mechanisms is that of metathesis between the fatty acid radical of the soap and acidic additives. The actual occurrence of such metathesis is demonstrated by both qualitative observations of a variety of systems and by the preparation in benzene of aluminum dibenzoate from the dilaurate.