cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Code-Domain, In-Band, Full-Duplex Wireless Communication Link With Greater Than 100-dB Rejection

This article presents a CMOS-based, code-domain (CD), full-duplex (FD) transceiver operating in a link at 1 GHz. The CD FD link rejects in-band transmitter self-interference (TX SI) by more than 100 dB through a combination of pseudo-noise (PN) code orthogonality, circulator, and digital cancellation algorithms. A nonmagnetic CMOS circulator based on switched transmission lines is used as an antenna interface with >40-dB maximum rejection. Then, transmitter (TX) and receiver (RX) modulators spread the TX SI and correlate the desired RX signal in the RF domain. Orthogonality between the PN codes allows an additional >40-dB maximum rejection relaxing the FD transceiver linearity requirements. Finally, digital self-interference cancellation (SIC) eliminates any residual TX SI in the digital domain using a least mean squares (LMS) estimation for the SI channel based on a nonlinear truncated Volterra series model. The digital SIC can have almost 40 dB of rejection depending on the SI power level. An implemented FD node leverages these techniques to achieve an overall rejection that is around 104 dB bringing the TX signal from 20 dBm to the noise floor of the RX at −85 dBm.
Determining the DNA Fingerprinting Profiles of Salmonella Isolates from Raw Poultry Meats and Human Clinical Samples from the Same Geographic Area Using Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis.

Abstract Foods of animal origin, such as poultry, eggs, and pork, are recognized sources of Salmonella infections, but determination of the proportion of foodborne infections associated with various food sources has been challenging. In the present study, 141 Salmonella isolates recovered from 1,322 poultry product samples purchased over a 1-year period from retail stores across Seattle, WA were subtyped by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) using restriction enzyme XbaI. The objectives of the study were (i) to analyze the longitudinal distribution of Salmonella PFGE profiles throughout the sampling period and their clonality within and between poultry processing establishments, (ii) to determine the association between PFGE profiles of Salmonella isolates from locally distributed poultry products and those of clinical isolates submitted to the Washington State Department of Health (WA-DOH) laboratories, and (iii) to compare the PFGE profiles of Salmonella isolates from the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) retail meats program. During the 1-year sampling period, multiple indistinguishable PFGE patterns were found across multiple poultry processing establishments. Twelve of the 30 unique PFGE profiles of Salmonella isolates from locally purchased poultry products were indistinguishable from the PFGE profiles of clinical Salmonella isolates submitted to the WA-DOH. When the PFGE profiles from the poultry samples were compared with those found in the NARMS database, eight indistinguishable PFGE matches were found with isolates recovered from chicken breasts, ground turkey, and ground beef from multiple states. Although this study revealed some association between PFGE profiles from raw poultry products and those of clinical isolates from the same geographical area, these results do not prove that all of those clinical isolates were from infections acquired through consumption or handling of poultry.
Topological Charge Mediated Raman Gain Modulation

We demonstrate that conventional Raman gain spectra can be non-trivially modulated by the OAM that fiber modes carry. An attendant "phase-matching" condition allows Raman spectra shifts by ~8 THz and strength modulations by ~20 dB.
Racial Disparities in Breast Reconstruction at a Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Breast reconstruction after a mastectomy is an important component of breast cancer care that improves the quality of life in breast cancer survivors. African American women are less likely to receive breast reconstruction than Caucasian women. The purpose of this study was to further investigate the reconstruction disparities we previously reported at a comprehensive cancer center by assessing breast reconstruction rates, patterns, and predictors by race. Data were obtained from women treated with definitive mastectomy between 2000 and 2012. Sociodemographic, tumor, and treatment characteristics were compared between African American and Caucasian women, and logistic regression was used to identify significant predictors of reconstruction by race. African American women had significantly larger proportions of public insurance, aggressive tumors, unilateral mastectomies, and modified radical mastectomies. African American women had a significantly lower reconstruction rate (35% vs. 49%, p < 0.01) and received a larger proportion of autologous reconstruction (13% vs. 7%, p < 0.01) compared to Caucasian women. The receipt of adjuvant radiation therapy was a significant predictor of breast reconstruction in Caucasian but not African American women. We identified breast reconstruction disparities in rate and type of reconstruction. These disparities may be due to racial differences in sociodemographic, tumor, and treatment characteristics. The predictors of breast reconstruction varied by race, suggesting that the mechanisms underlying breast reconstruction may vary in African American women. Future research should take a target approach to examine the relative contributions of sociodemographic, tumor, and treatment determinants of the breast reconstruction disparities in African American women.
De-escalation Technique Education: The Effect on Student Nurse Perceived Self-Confidence in Coping with Patient Aggression

Workplace violence, in the form of patient-to-nurse assault, occurs in practically all healthcare environments. Patient aggression can increase nurse stress, fear, and create a hostile work environment. Hostile work environments can force nurses to leave the field of nursing prematurely. Implementing de-escalation technique education into the curriculum of junior and senior pre-licensure BSN students is an evidence-based and cost-effective approach to foster a culture of safety. Method: This pre and post-test quasi-experimental designed research project used the Clinician Confidence in Coping with Patient Aggression questionnaire developed by Michael Thackrey (1988) to assess the perceived self-confidence of nursing students before and after receiving de-escalation technique education. Results: There were 59 junior and senior level BSN students who participated in the research project. The majority of the participants were female (n=56, 94.9%), 18-24 years of age (n=34, 57.6%), and in their junior year of the BSN program (n=33, 55.9%). Statistical analysis revealed an increase in perceived self-confidence in coping with patient aggression after completing the de-escalation technique education (p=.000). Conclusion: Educating pre-licensure nursing students how to effectively defuse an escalating patient increases their perceived self-confidence when coping with patient aggression. Providing future nurses with the tools and concepts to create a safer work environment will increase the likelihood of these nurses remaining in the field of nursing until retirement.
PSA-activated proaerolysin as a prostate specific cancer therapy

2178 Native proaerolysin is a channel-forming bacterial protoxin that is activated upon cleavage by host proteases such as furin. PRX302 is an engineered form of proaerolysin in which the furin cleavage site has been replaced with a sequence known to be preferred by the protease, prostate specific antigen (PSA). The goal of this study was to examine the suitability of PRX302 for use as a therapeutic agent in prostate cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia as assessed by comparing proteolytic activation of PRX302 and native proaerolysin and their cytotoxicity towards PSA-producing and non-producing cell lines. Modification of native proaerolysin to PRX302 markedly altered the activity of each of the proteases (chymotrypsin, trypsin, furin, and thrombin) tested toward this protein. Activity toward proaerolysin was decreased 10-100 fold for each of the proteases tested except PSA, which showed a 4-fold increase in activity against the modified protein. Of all enzymes tested, only PSA cleaved more PRX302 than proaerolysin. Indeed the ratio of PRX302 to proaerolysin cleavage by PSA was more than 40 times that of any other protease tested. As expected, native proaerolysin was effectively cytotoxic at low pM concentrations in all cells tested (LNCaP, DU145, CWR22Rvi, PC3, PrEC, and RWPE2-W99). However, PRX302 was cytotoxic at low pM concentration only in normal (PrEC) and papilloma- transfected (RWPE2-W99) prostate cells, both of which produce active PSA. In conclusion, PRX302 appears to be preferentially activated by PSA and selectively kills PSA producing cells. PRX302 deserves further study for possible treatment of prostate cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia.
Underutilization of Environmental Adaptations for Bathing in Community-Living Older Persons

Objectives: To determine the prevalence and utilization of environmental adaptations (home modifications and assistive devices) for bathing in community-living older persons with and without bathing disability. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: General community of greater New Haven, Connecticut. Participants: Five hundred sixty-six community-living persons aged 73 and older. Measurements: Trained research nurses performed a comprehensive assessment of bathing function, including an in-home evaluation of the bathing environment and self-reported utilization of environmental adaptations for bathing. Results: The prevalence of most environmental adaptations for bathing was less than 50% and was only modestly greater in participants with bathing disability (range 6–54%) than in those without bathing disability (2–44%), although important differences in prevalence and utilization were observed according to the type of bathing disability. Participants who had difficulty (without dependence) with bathing were significantly less likely to have most of the environmental adaptations than participants who needed personal assistance (dependence) with bathing. These differences persisted in analyses that specifically evaluated the utilization of environmental adaptations for bathing transfers according to the type of disability with bathing transfers (59% of those with difficulty vs 88% of those with dependence, P<.001). Conclusion: Potentially valuable environmental adaptations are absent from the homes of many older persons with bathing disability and may be particularly underused by older persons reporting difficulty with bathing. To ameliorate or delay the progression of disability in community-living older persons, assessment and remediation strategies should be better targeted to bathing function across the continuum of disability.
Are Investors’ Gains and Losses from Securities Fraud Equal Over Time? Theory and Evidence

Most leading securities regulation scholars argue that compensating securities fraud victims is inefficient. They maintain that because diversified investors that trade frequently are as likely to gain from trading in fraud-tainted stocks as they are to suffer harm from doing so, these investors should have no expected net losses from fraud over the long term. This assertion, which analogizes trading in fraud-tainted stocks to participating in a coin toss game in which players win $1 on heads and lose $1 on tails, is problematic for a number of reasons. First, even if we accept this analogy, probability theory holds that as the number of trials (in this context, purchases and sales of fraud-tainted stock) increases, the lower the probability of being break-even. Second, though true that with increased trials, the likelihood of the proportion of gains and losses being roughly equal will increase, investors generally do not engage in enough trading activity to have a reasonable degree of certainty of reaching the expected proportion of equal gains and losses. Finally, given the variation in fraud-related gains and losses in each stock trade (i.e., the payoffs are not constant), the coin toss analogy is inappropriate. This study, using observational data and computer simulated trading data on 14 investor prototypes, sets out to test the conventional wisdom and reveals not only that undiversified individual investors can suffer significant net losses from securities fraud over a 10-year period, but also that large numbers of diversified institutional investors can, as well. These results refute the claims of fraud compensation opponents who assert that a diversified investor that engages in active trading should suffer little or no fraud-related net harm over the long term and that individual investors can protect themselves fully from fraud-related net harm by investing through mutual funds or other intermediaries.
Adjustment to separation and divorce: An analysis of 50 case studies.

This paper reports the findings of a study designed to provide an in-depth analysis of the postseparation period. Data from 50 open-ended, unstructured case study interviews were used to identify the critical areas of postseparation and postdivorce adjustment. Approximately 1,000 pages of verbatim field notes were collected. These data revealed that there are two separate but overlapping adjustments: (a) to the dissolution of the marriage and (b) to setting up a new life-style. Sources of significant adjustment problems reported by various segments of the sample included the legal system, lawyers, property settlements, children, the respondent's social network, emotional-psychological adjustment, economics, and heterosexual (dating) relationships. Four hypotheses were also examined. These hypotheses examined (a) the effects of lingering attachment to the former spouse, (b) the degree of social interaction outside the,home, (c) the role of dating relationships, and (d) the relative effects of sudden and un...
Vectorization for Java

Java is one of the most popular programming languages in today's software development, but the adoption of Java in some areas like high performance computing, gaming, and media processing is not as universal as in general-purpose computing. A major drawback preventing it from being extensively adopted in those areas is its lower performance than the traditional or domain-specific languages. This paper describes two approaches to improve Java's usability in those areas by introducing vector processing capability to Java. The first approach is to provide a Java vectorization interface (JVI) that developers can program with, to explicitly expose the programs' data parallelism. The other approach is to use automatic vectorization to generate vector instructions for Java programs. It does not require programmers to modify the original source code. We evaluate the two vectorization approaches with SPECjvm2008 benchmark. The performances of scimark.fft and scimark.lu are improved up to 55% and 107% respectively when running in single thread. We also investigate some factors that impact the vectorization effects, including the memory bus bandwidth and the superscalar micro-architecture.
Use of mobile wellness applications and perception of quality

This work-in-progress methodology poster introduces a research project which aims to investigate college students' use of mobile wellness applications and their perceptions of application quality and usefulness. The poster outlines the overall design of the project and reports on some of the preliminary findings from the first phase of the study. In particular, the poster discusses the findings of the content analysis of 250 consumer reviews on five top-tiered mobile applications for running sampled from Google Play. The analysis showed that the users greatly valued the accuracy of measurements, as well as the reliability and simplicity of the mobile applications.
Effects of subfornical organ lesions on acutely induced thirst and salt appetite

We examined the role of the subfornical organ (SFO) in stimulating thirst and salt appetite using two procedures that initiate water and sodium ingestion within 1-2 h of extracellular fluid depletion. The first procedure used injections of a diuretic (furosemide, 10 mg/kg sc) and a vasodilator (minoxidil, 1-3 mg/kg ia) to produce hypotension concurrently with hypovolemia. The resulting water and sodium intakes were inhibited by intravenous administration of ANG II receptor antagonist (sarthran, 8 micrograms . kg(-1). min(-1)) or angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (captopril, 2.5 mg/h). The second procedure used injections of furosemide (10 mg/kg sc) and a low dose of captopril (5 mg/kg sc) to initiate water and sodium ingestion upon formation of ANG II in the brain. Electrolytic lesions of the SFO greatly reduced the water intakes, and nearly abolished the sodium intakes, produced by these relatively acute treatments. These results contrast with earlier findings showing little effect of SFO lesions on sodium ingestion after longer-term extracellular fluid depletion.
Complementary transcripts from two genes necessary for normal meiosis in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Abstract The SPO12 gene, which is required for meiosis I chromosome division during sporulation of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, has been isolated. DNA sequencing has identified an open reading frame of 173 codons that encodes the putative SPO12 protein and has no significant sequence similarities to known genes. The last 15 amino acids of this putative protein have a high negative charge, which appears to be required for function. A second sporulation-specific gene, designated SPO16, was found adjacent to SPO12 and shown to be necessary for efficient spore formation. The two genes are encoded on opposite DNA strands with only 103 nucleotides between the termination codons. Up to 700 nucleotides of the SPO12 and SPO16 transcripts are complementary, and the 3' untranslated region of the longest SPO16 transcript is complementary to all or nearly all of the SPO12 mRNA. A strain homozygous for an insertion which removes the complementarity between the SPO12 and SPO16 mRNAs has an efficiency of sporulation, number of spores per ascus, and spore viability identical to those of a wild-type strain. The complementarity therefore has either no function or only a subtle function in meiosis and sporulation.
Predicting the strength of underfill/polyimide interfaces

Epoxy/polyimide interfaces are often found in microelectronics. Underfill/polyimide interfaces are found in many flip-chip packages. The strength of such interfaces is of paramount importance to reliability. As our understanding of interfacial phenomena grows, so does our ability to produce strong interfaces. This paper examines the underlying factors controlling the strength of underfill-polyimide interfaces.
Data-centric routing and storage in sensor networks

Early sensor network data access systems were built upon the the idea of data-centric routing. Data-centricity allows robust and energy-efficient communication by abstracting the physical location of data. In this chapter, we introduce a complementary idea called data-centric storage. Data-centric storage provides efficient rendezvous between the producer of a data item, and its consumer. The primitives underlying data-centric storage can be used to construct different distributed data structures for efficiently answering a variety of queries.
The influence of plant growth regulators on explant performance, bud break, and shoot growth from large stem segments of Acer saccharinum L

Benzyladenine (BA) and/or gibberellic acid (GA3) were applied in 20% white exterior latex paint separately at 0, 0.3, 1, 3, 10, or 30 mM; and at 1, 10, or 30 mM of each plant growth regulator (PGR) in a 3 × 3 factorial to 40 cm long stem segments of Acer saccharinum L. Softwood shoots were forced from these stem segments at various times of the year in a greenhouse and in a laboratory, these resulting shoots were surface disinfested and used as explants in vitro on Driver and Kuniyuki Walnut medium with 0 or 0.01 μM thidiazuron (TDZ). There was some response to the plant growth regulators applied in paint for shoot production from the stem segments and in vitro. Explants from softwood shoots forced from stems painted with 3 mM BA and cultured on medium with 0.01 μM TDZ produced more shoots than explants taken from softwood shoots forced with other BA concentrations or controls. Callus also grew significantly more on explants from stems treated with 3 mM BA cultured on 0.01 μM TDZ than explants harvested from stems painted with other concentrations of BA excluding 10 mM BA. When stem segments treated with BA plus GA3 were compared as a group to controls, more and longer softwood shoots grew on the stems painted with PGRs when all four runs were pooled (Sept. 2005 through Feb. 2006). Application of PGRs in paint extends the season of production of softwood shoots that may be used as explant materials and their subsequent performance in vitro.
High-order harmonic generation using intense femtosecond pulses.

Neon gas excited by 800-nm laser pulses (15 mJ, 125 fsec) at an intensity near ${10}^{15}$ W/${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$ generates harmonics up to 109th order. The appearance of successively higher harmonics as the laser intensity is increased is compared to recent calculations of the strong-field atomic response. Blueshifting of the laser and harmonic wavelengths indicates a small degree of ionization until the threshold for the highest harmonic (g91st) is reached.
Naltrexone Persistently Reduces Rats' Intake of a Palatable Alcoholic Beverage

Rats were given 30 days of opportunity to take a sweetened alcoholic beverage and water for 2 hr/day. At first, they took little alcohol, but subsequently took, on average, 2.3 g/kg of alcohol/daily session. They also took sufficient water, during the 2-hr period, to maintain their health and to steadily gain weight. At the end of the 30 days, they were divided into four groups so that their intakes of alcohol were similar. All groups continued on the daily regimen, but each group received different injections. One group received placebos, whereas the other two groups received either 5.0 or 10.0 mg/kg, respectively, of naltrexone daily, 30 min before the drinking session. The fourth group received 5.0 mg/kg of naltrexone 12.5 hr before the session and another 5.0 mg/kg 30 min before the session. This regimen of dosing and daily opportunities to drink continued for 30 days. With the end of injections, subjects continued on the regimen for another 5 days. Naltrexone, dose-relatedly, reduced rats' intake of alcoholic beverage. Furthermore, with respect to reducing intake of alcohol, no tolerance or refractoriness were observed across the 30 days of dosing. Within a couple of days after dosing, levels of intake returned to predosing levels.
Can nurses appropriately interpret the Ottawa Ankle Rule

The objective of this study was to determine if ED triage nurses could appropriately interpret the Ottawa Ankle Rules (OAR). We conducted a prospective, observational trial of a clinical decision rule in a suburban ED on a convenience sample of ED patients, aged >17 years with acute ankle injuries. Nurses and EPs were trained in the appropriate use of the OAR. Nurses and physicians recorded their initial blinded patient assessments on standardized data collection instruments that included the OAR. X-rays were ordered without specific discretion to OAR by nurses or physicians. Sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value, and positive predictive value were calculated as appropriate; kappa (k) values were calculated to assess interobserver agreement (IOA). One hundred three patients enrolled: mean age 37 +/- 16 years; 67% female; 27 had fractures. IOA between nurses and physicians was moderate for overall interpretation of OAR (kappa = 0.44). IOA (kappa) for each criterion varied from (1) moderate for fifth metatarsal pain (0.56), posterior malleolar pain (0.44), medial malleolar pain (0.40), and weight bearing with foot pain (0.48); to (2) fair for weight bearing with ankle pain (0.32) and navicular pain (0.21). Sensitivity of the nurse's interpretation of OAR for fracture was 92%, specificity 36%, negative predictive value 90%, and positive predictive value 32%. Sensitivity of the EP's utilization of the OAR for fracture was 92%, specificity 47% with a negative predictive value 94%, and a positive predictive value 38%. Nurses showed only a moderate ability to interpret the overall OAR for ordering of x-rays. Nurses' understanding of the individual criterion were variable.
Analog simulation techniques

Electronic simulation provides the engineer with a powerful analytical tool that makes it possible to test and evaluate proposed circuitry in the conceptual stage
An abnormal facial gesture in an estrous mare

Abstract A 24-year-old mare exhibited abnormal behavior only when she was in estrus. She was subordinate to other mares. During diestrus she aggressed against an approaching stallion as a normal non-receptive mare would, but during estrus she flexed her limbs, clamped her tail and opened and closed her mouth when a stallion approached. The facial expression appeared when she first noticed the stallion or heard his neighs. The limb flexing occurred only when a stallion was in close proximity. The facial expression closely resembled snapping (also known as champing or tooth-clapping) of immature equids and jawing of receptive zebra and donkey mares. It is hypothesized that the mare's expression, the snapping of foals and the facial expression of donkeys and zebras are the same expression — one that indicates that the animal is in an approach—avoidance situation. In this case, the mare may have been both fearful of, and attracted to, stallions.
A Simulated Annealing Inspired Test Optimization Method for Enhanced Detection of Highly Critical Faults and Defects

When testing resources are severely limited, special attention should be paid to critical faults/defects so that important or frequent field failures arising from test escapes can be minimized. We present a new algorithm to optimize test sets aimed at significantly reducing the criticality of test escapes--especially for very short test sets that may be applied in the field. The algorithm proposes an exponential-based test set quality model to evaluate the criticality of potential undetected defects and develops a programming model to search for a test set that effectively reduces this criticality.
Integrating Action and Reasoning through Simulation

This paper presents an approach for integrating action in the world with general symbolic reasoning. Instead of working with task-specific symbolic abstractions of continuous space, our system mediates action through a simple spatial representation. Low-level action controllers work in the context of this representation, and a high-level symbolic system has access to it. By allowing actions to be spatially simulated, general reasoning about action is possible. Only very simple task-independent symbolic abstractions of space are necessary, and controllers can be used without the need for symbolic characterization of their behavior. We draw parallels between this system and a modern robotic motion planning algorithm, RRT. This algorithm is instantiated in our system, and serves as a case study showing how the architecture can effectively address real robotics problems.
Objective and subjective measures reflect different aspects of balance in multiple sclerosis

The objective of this study was to evaluate relationships between subjective and objective measures of balance in multiple sclerosis (MS). In 54 subjects with MS, balance was measured objectively with the Sensory Organization Test (SOT) using dynamic posturography and subjectively with the Activities-specific Balance Confidence (ABC) Scale and the Falls Efficacy Scale-International (FES-I). MS-related disability was assessed with the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS). Relationships between the magnitude (root mean square, range, and area) as well as velocity of center of pressure sway (calculated from the center of pressure signal from the SOT), composite SOT, ABC Scale, FES-I, and EDSS scores were assessed. The magnitude and velocity of center of pressure sway was statistically significantly correlated with the ABC Scale (rho = -0.2 to -0.5), FES-I (rho = 0.3 to 0.5), and EDSS (rho = 0.3 to 0.4). The composite SOT was also statistically significantly correlated with the ABC Scale, FES-I, and EDSS. Objective balance measures, as reflected by posturography, were significantly related to subjective reports of imbalance and clinical measures of disability in MS. The relationships are moderate to weak, indicating that a comprehensive description of balance problems in people with MS likely requires both objective and subjective balance measures.
Critique of Alternative Research Orientations

(1975). Critique of Alternative Research Orientations. Theory & Research in Social Education: Vol. 3, No. 1, pp. 29-35.
Compiler-directed cache polymorphism

Classical compiler optimizations assume a fixed cache architecture and modify the program to take best advantage of it. In some cases, this may not be the best strategy because each loop nest might work best with a different cache configuration and transforming a nest for a given fixed cache configuration may not be possible due to data dependences. Working with a fixed cache configuration can also increase energy consumption in loops where the best required configuration is smaller than the default (fixed) one. In this paper, we take an alternate approach and modify the cache configuration for each nest depending on the access pattern exhibited by the nest. We call this technique compiler-directed cache polymorphism (CDCP). More specifically, in this paper, we make the following contributions. First, we present an approach for analyzing data reuse properties of loop nests. Second, we give algorithms to simulate the footprints of array references in their reuse space. Third, based on our reuse analysis, we present an optimization algorithm to compute the cache configurations for each nest. Our experimental results show that CDCP is very effective in finding the near-optimal data cache configurations for different nests in array-intensive applications.
Toward the ethical evaluation and use of maternal-fetal surgery

Abstract BACKGROUND: Important clinical, social, and ethical questions are associated with the evaluation and use of surgical approaches aimed at correcting fetal anatomic abnormalities. In particular, the expansion of maternal-fetal surgery to ameliorate nonlethal fetal conditions has intensified the need to address issues about the adequacy of technology assessment and the safety of those who undergo these novel procedures. APPROACH: After discussions at a multidisciplinary conference, we reviewed the development and current practices of maternal-fetal surgery and analyzed the relevant ethical issues concerning the use of maternal-fetal surgery for nonlethal conditions, focusing on the correction of myelomeningocele. FINDINGS: Characterizing nonvalidated maternal-fetal surgery procedures as “innovative therapy” blurs the boundaries between research and therapy and creates uncertainty about the obligations of clinicians and researchers. Further, maternal-fetal surgery raises ethical issues related to maternal risks and benefits, informed consent, distinguishing lethal from nonlethal conditions, withholding unproven treatments, entrepreneurship, and prioritization. RECOMMENDATIONS: To help ensure that maternal-fetal surgery will be studied and eventually applied in a scientifically and ethically sound manner, we offer several recommendations. First, innovation in maternal-fetal surgery should be conducted and evaluated as research. Second, women must be considered research subjects in these trials. Third, the informed consent process must ensure adequate comprehension and genuine voluntariness in those considering participation. Fourth, discriminatory and fearful attitudes toward individuals with disabilities should be addressed explicitly prior to making a decision to proceed with maternal-fetal surgery in an attempt to correct such disabilities. Fifth, maternal-fetal surgery should not be performed for cosmetic indications unless and until there is reliable evidence that maternal-fetal surgery can be performed safely and that long-term side effects on women and their offspring are minimal. Sixth, centers of excellence should be established for conducting research and providing maternal-fetal surgery. Seventh, funding for research on maternal-fetal surgery should be considered in the context of societal needs.
Mechanisms of combustion instability

This paper presents results of a study aimed at understanding mechanisms involved in triggering, amplification, and suppression of acoustic waves, due to presence of flames. Experiments performed demonstrate that strong interactions between acoustic and flame oscillations can exist through flow oscillations, and that these interactions are due to energy transport between various oscillation modes through both linear and nonlinear coupling. The intensity of the interactions can be altered by varying flow velocity through an organ pipe. Under reduced-flow conditions, the linear coupling is eliminated and the flame exhibits periodic self-sustained oscillations. However, with imposed acoustic excitation of sufficiently large amplitude, the interactions again become important, due to nonlinear effects. Nonlinear coupling between longitudinal acoustic oscillations and tangential or radial flow and flame oscillations is also observed. Supporting evidence is presented, which shows that the onset of the above-mentioned self-sustained oscillations of diffusion flames is due to instability of travelling Tollmien-Schlichting disturbance waves—the same mechanism which leads to onset of transition from laminar to turbulent flows. Effects of changes in the flow fied, due to the presence of interacting burning and nonburning simulated fuel droplets, on the oscillation characteristics are reported and interpreted in terms of the postulated mechanism of boundary-layer instability. Under some conditions, oscillations can actually be stopped by placing nonburning cylinders near an (otherwise) oscillating flame.
Estradiol and endocrine disrupting compounds adversely affect development of sea urchin embryos at environmentally relevant concentrations

Abstract Environmental endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) are a wide variety of chemicals that typically exert effects, either directly or indirectly, through receptor-mediated processes, thus mimicking endogenous hormones and/or inhibiting normal hormone activities and metabolism. Little is known about the effects of EDCs on echinoderm physiology, reproduction and development. We exposed developing sea urchin embryos ( Strongylocentrotus purpuratus and Lytechinus anamesus ) to two known EDCs (4-octylphenol (OCT), bisphenol A (BisA)) and to natural and synthetic reproductive hormones (17β-estradiol (E 2 ), estrone (E 1 ), estriol (E 3 ), progesterone (P 4 ) and 17α-ethynylestradiol (EE 2 )). In addition, we studied two non-estrogenic EDCs, tributyltin (TBT) and o,p -DDD. Successful development to the pluteus larval stage (96 h post-fertilization) was used to define EDC concentration-response relationships. The order of compound potency based on EC 50 values for a reduction in normal development was as follows: TBT L. anamesus > OCT > TBT S. purpuratus ≫ E 2 > EE 2 > DDD ≫ BisA > P 4 > E 1 ≫ E 3 . The effect of TBT was pronounced even at concentrations substantially lower than those commonly reported in heavily contaminated areas, but the response was significantly different in the two model species. Sea urchin embryos were generally more sensitive to estrogenic EDCs and TBT than most other invertebrate larvae. Stage-specific exposure experiments were conducted to determine the most sensitive developmental periods using blastula, gastrula and post-gastrula (pluteus) stages. The stage most sensitive to E 2 , OCT and TBT was the blastula stage with less overall sensitivity in the gastrula stage, regardless of concentration. Selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) were added to the experiments individually and in combination with estrogenic EDCs to interfere with potential receptor-mediated actions. Tamoxifen, a partial ER agonist, alone inhibited development at concentrations as low as 0.02 ng/ml and was effective at this concentration in decreasing the sensitivities of the embryos to estradiol and estrogenic EDCs. The complete antagonist ICI 182,780 inhibited development at concentrations as low as 0.03 ng/ml but increased embryo sensitivity to estradiol and estrogenic EDCs. Estradiol and estrogenic EDCs all cause developmental toxicity in sea urchins through a TAM-sensitive but an ICI-insensitive mechanism. It remains to be demonstrated whether this mechanism involves an estrogen-responsive nuclear receptor (NR), a membrane receptor (NR or non-NR-related) or a completely different mechanism of toxicity. However, early embryo sensitivity and the differential response to SERM co-incubation further suggests more than one mode of EDC action in the developing sea urchin embryo.
The etiology of Colorado tick fever

1. The infectious agent of Colorado tick fever filtered through 181 mmicro membranes caused infection in hamsters and one volunteer. 2. In five out of seven instances, hamsters were infected initially with serum filtered through 24 mmicro membranes or the tick fever appeared on serial transfer. 3. We could not infect two volunteers with 24 mmicro filtrates, though these filtrates did cause infection in hamsters as shown by development of the fever on serial transfer. In one instance, the serum of the hamsters rendered ill in this way was injected into the volunteer who had remained well after inoculation with the original material and it caused Colorado tick fever. 4. Normal hamster serum was passaged through 10 groups of animals and then two human volunteers were injected with it. They did not come down with Colorado tick fever, although both of them were susceptible to the disease as shown by the fact that they fell ill of it on later inoculation with serum from a natural instance of the disease. 5. The infectious agent of Colorado tick fever passes through 24 mmicro membranes. On this basis, it is classified as a virus.
Terrain Modeling and Simulation of a Tumbleweed Rover Traversing Martian Rock Fields

A tumbleweed rover is a spherical wind-driven vehicle designed to negotiate harsh Martian terrain while searching for areas of scientific interest. This papermodelsMartian rock fields and analyzes the rover’s dynamics on these terrains. Computational procedures are established for creating randomized Martian rock fields based on statisticalmodels. Optimization techniques allow for terrain generation to coincidewith the rover’smotion, reducing the computational cost of exploring broad regions. Efficient collision detection routines reduce the number of tests of potential collisions that must be performed between the rover and the terrain while establishing new contact constraints. Simulations demonstrate that bouncing is the rover’s dominant mode of travel through the rock fields, and Monte Carlo simulations illustrate how the rover’s downrange position depends on the rover design and atmospheric conditions. The rover’s capacity for long-distance travel over Martian rock fields is verified.
Oxygen isotope evidence for submarine hydrothermal alteration of the Del Puerto ophiolite, California

Abstract The oxygen isotope compositions and metamorphic mineral assemblages of hydrothermally altered rocks from the Del Puerto ophiolite and overlying volcaniclastic sedimentary rocks at the base of the Great Valley sequence indicate that their alteration occurred in a submarine hydrothermal system. Whole rock δ18O compositions decrease progressively down section (with increasing metamorphic grade): +22.4‰ (SMOW) to +13.8 for zeolite-bearing volcaniclastic sedimentary rocks overlying the ophiolite; +19.6 to +11.6 for pumpellyite-bearing metavolcanic rocks in the upper part of the ophiolite's volcanic member; +12.3 to +8.1 for epidote-bearing metavolcanic rocks in the lower part of the volcanic member; +8.5 to +5.7 for greenschist facies rocks from the ophiolite's plutonic member; +7.6 to +5.8 for amphibolite facies or unmetamorphosed rocks from the plutonic member. Modelling of fluid-rock interaction in the Del Puerto ophiolite indicates that the observed pattern of upward enrichment in whole rock δ18O can be best explained by isotopic exchange with discharging18O-shifted seawater at fluid/rock mass ratios near 2 and temperatures below 500°C.18O-depleted plutonic rocks necessarily produced during hydrothermal circulation were later removed as a result of tectonism. Submarine weathering and later burial metamorphism at the base of the Great Valley sequence cannot by itself have produced the zonation of hydrothermal minerals and the corresponding variations in oxygen isotope compositions. The pervasive zeolite and prehnite-pumpellyite facies mineral assemblages found in the Del Puerto ophiolite may reflect its origin near an island arc rather than deep ocean spreading center.
RESEARCH ON INFERTILITY: WHICH DEFINITION SHOULD WE USE?

Objective Different definitions of infertility are used in clinical practice as well as in epidemiological and demographic research. This study assessed whether the definition makes a difference for estimates of the prevalence and sociodemographic differentials of infertility and whether one definition would be applicable in both research and clinical practice. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting Moshi town in northern Tanzania. Patient(s) Community-based sample of 1,125 women, ages 20 to 44 years, in first union. Main outcome measure(s) Six definitions of infertility. Result(s) Similar levels and sociodemographic characteristics of infertile women were obtained from asking the question "How long have you tried to get pregnant?" and from secondary data collected in a birth history that included date of marriage, date of last birth, current contraceptive use, and whether the woman wants another child. Conclusion(s) The infertility definition made a difference. The World Health Organization definition based on 24 months of trying to get pregnant is recommended as the definition that is useful in clinical practice and research among different disciplines.
The professional as public servant: the decision-making dilemma

Administrative decision-making is increasingly complicated today by conflicting responsibilities that pressure decision-makers in different directions. Public servants are responsible to the law, Congress, administrative superiors, the agencies in which they serve, and the public. Those public servants who are members of a profession, attempting to apply special expertise and knowledge to the solution of public problems, face a set of even more complex responsibilities, governed as they are by their own professional codes of conduct whose tenets must be melded with the other obligations of governmental decision-makers. Conscientious governmental officials are likely to base their decisions on their responsibilities to the public, in light of moral and ethical criteria as well as professional standards (where applicable), while recognizing their accountability to their organizational superiors. Civil servants who are members of a profession frequently find themselves making extremely complex decisions for ...
Effect of tempering conditions on milling performance and flour functionality.

ABSTRACT Tempering conditions of wheat grain change the quality of the flour, yet most experimental milling systems use a standard tempering without optimization. The effect of tempering condition on milling performance and flour functionality for soft red winter (SRW) wheat grain was tested by measuring flour yield, ash, polyphenol oxidase (PPO), and solvent retention capacity (SRC) in grain samples from three SRW cultivars (Roane, Cyrus, and Severn). Tempering was conducted with a full factorial design of initial wheat moisture, tempered wheat moisture, tempering temperature, and tempering time at two levels. Tempered wheat moisture had the largest effect on milling performance and flour functionality. Flour yield was more reduced for all samples tempered at 15% moisture than for samples tempered to 12% moisture. Flour quality of the 15% tempered sample was better than the 12% tempered samples due to less bran contamination as measured by flour ash and PPO. Increasing the tempering moisture increased fl...
Effects of ICRF-186 [(L)1,2-bis(3,5-dioxopiperazinyl-1-yl)propane] on the toxicity of doxorubicin in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

An evaluation was made of the protective effects of ICRF-186 [(L)1,2-bis(3,5-dioxopiperazinyl-l-yl)propane], the L-enantiomer of ICRF-187 [(D)1,2-bis(3,5-dioxopiperazinyl-l-yl)propane], against the cardiotoxicity and nephrotoxicity induced in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) by doxorubicin. SHR were given doxorubicin (1 mg/kg, i.v.), once a week for 12 weeks. Group 1 (n = 10) received doxorubicin alone; Groups 2, 3 and 4 (each, n = 5) received ICRF-186, 25 mg/kg (group 2), 12.5 mg/kg (group 3) or 6.25 mg/kg (group 4), i.p., 30 min before each dose of doxorubicin. Two groups of control animals (each, n = 5) received 12 weekly i.p. injections of saline or 25 mg/kg ICRF-186. ICRF-186 provided significant protection, in a dose-dependent manner, against the cardiotoxicity and nephrotoxicity of doxorubicin and attenuated the increases in cardiac immune effector cells (interstitial dendritic cells, cytotoxic T-helper lymphocytes and macrophages) associated with this cardiotoxicity. The results of the study were compared with those obtained with ICRF-187 under identical experimental conditions. Analysis of the cardiomyopathy scores, nephropathy scores and counts of the numbers of immune effector cells in the heart showed that, at a dose of 25 mg/kg, ICRF-186 is a somewhat less effective protectant than ICRF-187. At a dose of 12.5 mg/kg, both compounds induced generally similar degrees of protection. At a dose of 6.25 mg/kg, both had comparable, but only minimal, protective effects.
p-Type thermoelectric properties of the oxygen-deficient perovskite Ca2Fe2O5 in the brownmillerite structure

Abstract Brownmillerite calcium ferrite was synthesized in air at 1573 K and thermoelectric properties (direct current electrical conductivity σ , Seebeck coefficient α , thermal conductivity κ , thermal expansion α L ) were measured from 373 to 1050 K in air. Seebeck coefficient was positive over all temperatures indicating conduction by holes, and electrical properties were continuous through the Pnma–Imma phase transition. Based on the thermopower and conductivity activation energies as well as estimated mobility, polaron hopping conduction was found to dominate charge transport. The low electrical conductivity, α 2 σ ), and thus the figure of merit for thermoelectric applications. The thermal conductivity values of ∼2 W/mK and their similarity to Ruddlesden–Popper phase implies the potential of the alternating tetrahedral and octahedral layers to limit phonon propagation through brownmillerite structures. Bulk linear coefficient of thermal expansion (∼14×10 −6 K −1 ) was calculated from volume data based on high-temperature in situ X-ray powder diffraction, and shows the greatest expansion perpendicular to the alternating layers.