cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Electron-Beam Patterned Monolayer-Protected Gold Nanoparticle Interface Layers on a Chemiresistor Vapor Sensor Array

Use of electron-beam induced crosslinking (EBIX) to pattern films of thiolate-monolayer-protected gold-nanoparticles (MPNs) on chemiresistor (CR) vapor sensors is described. MPNs with alkyl, cyanoalkyl, phenoxyalkyl, and hydroxyfluoroalkyl thiolate tail groups were patterned on integrated arrays of interdigital electrodes using electron doses of 500-750 μC/cm2. The dc resistances of solvent cast films of these MPNs decrease and the baseline-normalized changes in resistance to each of five organic vapors increase to different degrees with increasing electron-beam dose. Relative responses patterns from an array of MPN-coated CR sensors for the test vapors change after EBIX patterning and the diversity of responses is diminished, on average, but it is still projected to be sufficient for the discrimination of most of the individual test vapors and binary mixtures. Results are rationalized in terms of expected changes in ligand structures and film properties following EBIX patterning using known models of electronic conduction, and vapor-induced changes of conduction, through MPN films. The implications of the results for creating arrays of densely packed MPN-coated CRs as detectors for microanalytical systems are considered.
Electroencephalographic effects of antiepileptic drug therapy

Abstract We investigated the effects of therapeutic levels of antiepileptic drug (AED) monotherapy on computed measures of EEG frequency in seizure patients with normal interictal EEGs. Fourteen patients were taking phenobarbital, 14 were taking phenytoin, 13 were taking carbamazepine, and 12 were taking valproate. One-minute EEG spectra were recorded from Oz-A1 + A2. We measured the predominant alpha band frequency (modal alpha frequency—MAF), fastest alpha band frequency (maximal alpha frequency—MxAF), and highest prominent frequency between 13 and 30 Hz (spectral edge frequency—SEF). Patients taking phenobarbital or valproate had significantly lower MAF than those taking carbamazepine or phenytoin. MxAF did not differ significantly among the four patient groups. SEF was significantly lower in patients on valproate and carbamazepine than in those on other AEDs. Phenobarbital slowed background activity in the interictal EEG, whereas phenytoin and carbamazepine at therapeutic levels did not have such an effect. Valproate produced alpha and beta frequency decrease in the otherwise normal interictal EEG.
Laparoscopic subtotal colectomy for medically refractory ulcerative colitis: the time has come

To evaluate laparoscopic versus open subtotal colectomy (STC) in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) requiring urgent or emergent operative intervention. A retrospective review was performed of 90 patients with medically refractory UC who underwent STC with end ileostomy at The Mount Sinai Medical Center from 2002 to 2007. Patients with toxic megacolon were excluded. Univariate analysis was conducted by unpaired Student t-test and chi-square test. Results are presented as mean ± 95% confidence interval. Ninety patients underwent STC, 29 by laparoscopic and 61 by open approach. In patients undergoing laparoscopic versus open STC, intraoperative blood loss was decreased (130.4 ± 38.4 vs. 201.4 ± 43.2 ml, p < 0.05) and operative time prolonged (216.4 ± 20.2 vs. 169.9 ± 14.4 min, p < 0.01). In the absence of postoperative complication, hospital length of stay (4.5 ± 0.7 vs. 6 ± 1.3 days, p < 0.001) was shorter in laparoscopic versus open group. No mortalities occurred. Overall morbidity, 30-day readmission, and reoperation were equivalent regardless of operative approach. Wound complications were absent in the laparoscopic group compared with 21.4% in the open group (p < 0.01). Follow-up at a mean of 36 months demonstrated no difference in restoration of gastrointestinal continuity. Laparoscopic STC confers the benefits of improved cosmesis, reduced intraoperative blood loss, negligible wound complications, and shorter hospital stay. Laparoscopy is a feasible and safe alternative to open STC in patients with UC refractory to medical therapy requiring urgent or emergent operation.
A laboratory challenge method for estimating Taura syndrome virus resistance in selected lines of Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei

Among the strategies being developed to improve survival and harvest yields in the farming of Pacific white shrimp Litopenneus vannumei is breeding domesticated family lines and the selection for further development of those lines that demonstrate resistance to Taura syndrome virus (TSV) challenge in the laboratory. A standardized laboratory challenge method for measuring TSV resistance by per os exposure to the virus, relative to a reference stock of L. vannamei, was developed and used to screen a total of 176 family lines provided by five different companies over a period of several months. All challenged shrimp were exposed to TSV per os by feeding minced TSV-positive shrimp carcasses at ∼10% of the shrimp biomass once per day for three consecutive days. Studies were carried out for a minimum of 14 d from the first day (day 0) of exposure to TSV. The survival rates obtained following TSV challenge of the selected L. vannamei families ranged from 0% to 100%, with a mean of 31%. The reference line of L. vannamei (“Kona line”) gave survival rates of 0% to 37% with a mean of 13%. The results of the present study demonstrate that the use of a relatively simple laboratory challenge procedure provides a mechanism to evaluate and compare resistance to TSV among selected L. vannamei families and to predict the performance of selected stocks in farm environments where TSV is enzootic.
The Aftermath of the Palomares Nuclear Accident

Anxious to bolster public confidence after the worst nuclear weapons accident in history, in 1966 u.S. officials went to extraordinary lengths to keep the delicate peace the public had made with nuclear weapons.
Fungal infections complicating acute leukemia.

Abstract A total of 189 fungal infections were observed in 161 patients with acute leukemia between January 1954 and June 1964. There has been a significant increase in the incidence of fungal infections during the last 5 1 2 years of the study. Most of these infections were caused by Candida spp. Mucormycosis, histoplasmosis, cryptococcosis and T. glabrata infections were not observed prior to 1959. The fungal infection caused the deaths of 61 per cent of these patients. Most of the fungal infections were not diagnosed antemortem. Chest X-rays were frequently normal in patients with fungus infection of the lung. All eight patients who recovered achieved remission of their acute leukemia. The patients with fungal infection had more prolonged granulocytopenia prior to infection than a control group. They received more prolonged adrenal cortical steroid therapy and had more bacterial infection. Pulmonary fungus infection often occurred in patients with a resolving bacterial pneumonia. Antibiotics and antileukemic agents were administered with equal frequency to both groups. Patients with severe Candida infections received more prolonged antibiotic and adrenal cortical steroid therapy than patients with focal Candida infections. They also had more prolonged lymphopenia. Disseminated candidiasis most frequently involved the lungs and bowel. Three patients had infection with more than one species of Candida. The isolation of Candida sp. from the sputum or from both the throat and stool indicated the presence of candidiasis. If the organism was found in both urine and stool cultures, disseminated candidiasis was usually present. Aspergillosis was common and always involved the lung. Nineteen of these patients had disseminated infection and 5 per cent had a mycetoma. Aspergillus sp. was cultured only from patients with aspergillosis. Histoplasmosis and cryptococcosis usually developed prior to hospitalization and were not as closely related to adrenal cortical steroid therapy and prolonged granulocytopenia as were other fungal infections.
Contention-free MAC protocols for asynchronous wireless sensor networks

A MAC protocol specifies how nodes in a sensor network access a shared communication channel. Desired properties of a MAC protocol are: it should be contention-free (avoid collisions); it should be distributed and self-stabilize to topological changes in the network; topological changes should be contained, namely, affect only the nodes in the vicinity of the change; it should not assume that nodes have a global time reference, that is, nodes may not be time-synchronized. We give a set of TDMA-based MAC protocols for asynchronous wireless sensor networks satisfying all of these requirements. The communication complexity, number and size of messages, for the protocols to stabilize is small, poly-logarithmic in the network size.
Uncoupling Cognitive Workload and Prefrontal Cortical Physiology: A PET rCBF Study

Working memory is a fundamental cognitive building block involved in the short-term maintenance and transformation of information. In neuropsychological studies, working memory has been shown to be of limited capacity; however, the neurophysiological concomitants of this capacity limitation have not been explored. In this study we used the [15O] water PET rCBF technique and statistical parametric mapping to examine normal subjects while they performed two cognitive tasks, both individually and simultaneously. One task was the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, a complex reasoning task involving working memory, and the other was a rapidly paced auditory verbal shadowing task. When both tasks were performed simultaneously, there were significant decrements in performance compared with the individual task performance scores, indicating that cognitive workload had been increased. Analysis of the rCBF maps showed that when the two tasks were performed together, in contrast to when they were performed separately, there was less prefrontal activation. These results suggest that increases in cognitive workload do not necessarily recruit and then sustain cortical neurophysiological resources to a maximum, but rather may actually be accompanied by a diminution in cortical activity.
Postnatal Ethanol Exposure Simplifies the Dendritic Morphology of Medium Spiny Neurons Independently of Adenylyl Cyclase 1 and 8 Activity in Mice

Background Fetal exposure to alcohol can have multiple deleterious effects, including learning disorders and behavioral and executive functioning abnormalities, collectively termed fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. Neonatal mice lacking both calcium-/calmodulin-stimulated adenylyl cyclases (ACs) 1 and 8 demonstrate increased vulnerability to ethanol (EtOH)-induced neurotoxicity in the striatum compared with wild-type (WT) controls. However, the developmental impact on surviving neurons is still unclear. Methods WT and AC1/8 double knockout (DKO) mice were administered 1 dose of EtOH (2.5 g/kg) between postnatal days 5 to 7 (P5–7). At P30, brains were removed and processed for Golgi–Cox staining. Medium spiny neurons (MSNs) from the caudate putamen were analyzed for changes in dendritic complexity; number of branches, branch points and terminals, total and average dendritic length; spine density and soma size. Results EtOH significantly reduced the dendritic complexity and soma size in surviving MSNs regardless of genotype without affecting spine density. In the absence of EtOH, genetic deletion of AC1/8 reduced the dendritic complexity, number of branch points, spine density, and soma size of MSNs compared with WT controls. Conclusions These data indicate that neonatal exposure to a single dose of EtOH is sufficient to cause long-term alterations in the dendritic complexity of MSNs and that this outcome is not altered by the functional status of AC1 and AC8. Therefore, although deletion of AC1/8 demonstrates a role for the ACs in normal morphologic development and EtOH-induced neurodegeneration, loss of AC1/8 activity does not exacerbate the effects of EtOH on dendritic morphology or spine density.
THE WILLOW PALISADE

ABSTRACT The functions of the Willow Palisade, a barrier of trees developed in China during the Ch'ing dynasty illustrate the Manchu government's attitude towards the Tungpei region. The location of gates and personnel, travel accounts, and hsien gazeteers reveal changes in the Palisade during the two hundred and fifty years of Ch'ing rule. Study of the Willow Palisade contributes to an understanding of traditional China's frontier viewpoint and illuminates contemporary China's attitude towards its northeastern border with the Soviet Union.
Maximizing profit for vehicle routing under time and weight constraints

Abstract Utilizing an empty backhaul vehicle on its way back to its domicile after a normal delivery trip has attracted many logistics carriers and third party logistics companies in the current revenue-hungry economy. In this paper, a backhaul vehicle routing and delivery scheduling problem is studied with the objective of maximizing the total business profit that the vehicle generates during its backhaul trip. The problem has two constraints: the time constraint for the entire backhaul trip and the capacity constraint of the vehicle. It also has two integral parts, vehicle routing and delivery scheduling. An analytical model is developed for this problem, which turned out to be NP-hard to solve due to its complexity. Therefore, the model is decomposed into two parts: finding feasible routes and generating the best delivery schedule for a given route. A heuristic solution is developed to solve the model, in which a genetic based algorithm is used to find the best known feasible route and a linear programming model is used to find the best delivery schedule for a given route. The two solution parts are integrated seamlessly and the best solution is found after iterating through the routes in search for improvement. Numerical study of various sizes of problems has demonstrated that relatively large size of problems could be solved with good solution quality in a reasonable time which is acceptable in real world practice. Third party logistics or other companies could use the solution method provided in this study to utilize their unused vehicle capacity in certain time periods, such as during a backhaul trip, which might be otherwise ignored.
Asenapine review, part I: chemistry, receptor affinity profile, pharmacokinetics and metabolism

Introduction: Asenapine is a second-generation (atypical) antipsychotic currently marketed for the treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar mania/mixed episodes. Areas covered: The purpose of this review is to describe the chemistry, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacokinetics of asenapine. Expert opinion: Asenapine has a complex pharmacodynamic profile with affinities at multiple dopamine, serotonin, histamine, and α-adrenergic receptors, all at which asenapine functions as an antagonist. Sublingual asenapine tablets are absorbed in the oral mucosa, with a Tmax occurring between 30 and 90 min. Terminal half-life is approximately 24 h. Asenapine has multiple inactive metabolites, produced via direct glucuronidation (primarily via UGT1A4), demethylation, and oxidative metabolism (primarily via CYP1A2). Hepatic and renal routes contribute approximately equally to the elimination of asenapine and its metabolites. Two notable drug–drug interactions are evident: asenapine (an inhibitor of CYP2D6) can increase plasma ...
Adhesion to dentin with and without smear layer under varying degrees of wetness.

Abstract The bond strengths of glass ionomer cements to prepared dentin ranged between 2.1 and 4.7 MPa for all test conditions and did not appear to be adversely affected by the presence of fluid under physiologic pressure or by the presence or absence of a smear layer. On the other hand, the resin dentin adhesive was adversely affected by the presence of moisture (1 ± 1.3 MPa when the tubules were full of fluid and under pressure; 9.4 ± 10.6 MPa when the tubules were full of fluid but not under pressure; and 18.3 ± 7.6 MPa when the tubules were empty).
ACTIVATED ACYL COMPOUNDS AS INTERMEDIATES IN THE THIOLATION OF PROTEINS.

Abstract Acylimidazole and other activated acyl derivatives act as reactive intermediates in the thiolation of proteins with thioparaconic acid or N -acethylhomocysteine thiolactone. The presence of these intermediates was shown by the catalytic effects of a variety of nucleophilic substances, including imidazole, methylmorpholine and pyridinealdoxine methiodide, on rates of thiolation.
Growth stimulation of Lactobacillus casei by sodium citrate.

Abstract Addition of sodium citrate to broth medium resulted in significant stimulation to growth of Lactobacillus casei . The optimum concentration for stimulation was 12 to 18μM/rnl of broth whereas 40μM/ml or more was completely inhibitory to growth. Both MgS0 4 and CaCl 2 were stimulatory and each enhanced the stimulatory effect of citrate. Certain tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates also stimulated growth, but their conversion to citrate may have accounted for this stimulation. Shaking of cultures and the addition of diacetyl had little effect on citrate induced growth stimulation. The results suggest the possible beneficial use of citrate in accelerating fermentations.
4-Amino-2-chlorophenol: Comparative In Vitro Nephrotoxicity and Mechanisms of Bioactivation

Chlorinated anilines are nephrotoxicants both in vivo and in vitro. The mechanism of chloroaniline nephrotoxicity may occur via more than one mechanism, but aminochlorophenol metabolites appear to contribute to the adverse in vivo effects. The purpose of this study was to compare the nephrotoxic potential of 4-aminophenol (4-AP), 4-amino-2-chlorophenol (4-A2CP), 4-amino-3-chlorophenol (4-A3CP) and 4-amino-2,6-dichlorophenol (4-A2,6DCP) using isolated renal cortical cells (IRCC) from male Fischer 344 rats as the model and to explore renal bioactivation mechanisms for 4-A2CP. For these studies, IRCC (∼4×10(6)cells/ml) were incubated with an aminophenol (0.5 or 1.0mM) or vehicle for 60min at 37°C with shaking. In some experiments, cells were pretreated with an antioxidant or cytochrome P450 (CYP), flavin-containing monooxygenase (FMO), peroxidase or cyclooxygenase inhibitor prior to 4-A2CP (1.0mM). Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release served as a measure of cytotoxicity. The order of decreasing nephrotoxic potential in IRCC was 4-A2,6-DCP>4-A2CP>4-AP>4-A3CP. The cytotoxicity induced by 4-A2CP was reduced by pretreatment with the peroxidase inhibitor mercaptosuccinic acid, and some antioxidants (ascorbate, glutathione, N-acetyl-l-cysteine) but not by others (α-tocopherol, DPPD). In addition, pretreatment with the iron chelator deferoxamine, several CYP inhibitors (except for the general CYP inhibitor piperonyl butoxide), FMO inhibitors or indomethacin (a cyclooxygenase inhibitor) failed to attenuate 4-A2CP cytotoxicity. These results demonstrate that the number and ring position of chloro groups can influence the nephrotoxic potential of 4-aminochlorophenols. In addition, 4-A2CP may be bioactivated by cyclooxygenase and peroxidases, and free radicals appear to play a role in 4-A2CP cytotoxicity.
Algorithmic insights and a convergence analysis for a Karmarkar-type of algorithm for linear programming problems

This paper is concerned with a modification of a recently proposed variant of Karmarkar's algorithm for solving linear programming problems. In analyzing this variant, we exhibit interesting and useful relationships of these types of algorithms with barrier function methods, and subgradient optimization procedures involving space dilation techniques, which subsume the well-known ellipsoidal type of algorithms. Convergence of this variant is established under certain regularity conditions. We also provide remarks on how to obtain dual variables or Lagrange multipliers at optimality.
Simple valence force field-bond energy bond order (SVFF-BEBO) model for chemisorption of Oxygen on Si(111)

Abstract When information is available for the configuration of an adsorbate during various stages of chemisorption on an absorbent, in principle, the energetics of the adsorption process can be calculated. Oxygen adsorption on silicon (111) has been studied extensively and various configurations of the silicon-oxygen molecular complex have been proposed. A Simple Valence Force Field-Bond Energy Bond Order (SVFF-BEBO) semi-empirical model has been used to determine the energetics of the initial stages of the oxidation of the ideal silicon (111) surface. The SVFF-BEBO method allows consideration of the lattice strain energy that is involved in the localized surface bonding during the formation of the surface complex. Using the best available data we show that direct oxidation of silicon to produce a SiO 2 -like surface configuration is energetically feasible, but unlikely. A large activation barrier separates this possible final chemisorbed oxide state from an easily formed peroxide-bridge structure. The results of this calculation are compared with, and are in agreement with, the most recent experimental data.
Extraction of Co-Products from Biomass: Example of Thermal Degradation of Silymarin Compounds in Subcritical Water

In an effort to increase revenues from a given feedstock, valuable co-products could be extracted prior to biochemical or thermochemical conversion with subcritical water. Although subcritical water shows significant promise in replacing organic solvents as an extraction solvent, compound degradation has been observed at elevated extraction temperatures. First order thermal degradation kinetics from a model system, silymarin extracted from Silybum marianum, in water at pH 5.1 and 100, 120, 140, and 160 °C were investigated. Water pressure was maintained slightly above its vapor pressure. Silymarin is a mixture of taxifolin, silichristin, silidianin, silibinin, and isosilibinin. The degradation rate constants ranged from 0.0104 min−1 at 100 °C for silichristin to a maximum of 0.0840 min−1 at 160 °C for silybin B. Half-lives, calculated from the rate constants, ranged from a low of 6.2 min at 160 °C to a high of 58.3 min at 100 °C, both for silichristin. The respective activation energies for the compounds ranged from 37.2 kJ/gmole for silidianin to 45.2 kJ/gmole for silichristin. In extracting the silymarin with pure ethanol at 140 °C, no degradation was observed. However, when extracting with ethanol/water mixtures at and 140 °C, degradation increased exponentially as the concentration of water increased.
Casa mediterranea, casa araba and primitivism in the writings of Carlo Enrico Rava

We love the poetry and the primeval power of the formative processes of these simple buildings. We believe that — along with the recent prolific and fantastic technological possibilities — if they ...
Administering Family Leave Benefits and New Challenges for Public Personnel Management The New York State Experience

The importance of family-related benefits is often emphasized to promote the recruitment, productivity, and retention of capable employees in the public and private sectors This article explores the administration of family-related benefits and family leave benefits for public employees in New York State agencies. The study found that m administering family leave benefits under the Family and Medical Leave Act m 1993, personnel administrators were highly involved m coordinating procedures between supervisors and employees. In addition, personnel administrators did not perceive a positive impact of family leave benefits on the objectives of their organizations The article suggests that organizational leaders' and management's awareness of administering family leave benefits should be emphasized in relation to the available resources of personnel offices, including records management systems and training programs
The hot hand revisited : successful basketball shooting as a function of intershot interval

For 83 players the mean interval from making a field goal (n = 372) to making a field goal in 19 NBA games did not differ from the mean interval from making to missing (n = 394), which further chal...
Violent Offenders, Moral Selves: Constructing Identities and Accounts in the Research Interview

This article considers the research interview as a site for the construction of identities. In recent decades, identity has been conceptualized as something forged through the telling of life stories. To the extent that storytelling is a situated process, self-identification is as well. Using data from qualitative interviews with men who perpetrated violent crimes, I describe the narrated identities of these men, and clarify ways in which the men assimilated the research interview into their narrated identities. First, the fact and the nature of the interview were used to signify something about the moral self. Second, many of the research participants solicited and/or inferred my evaluation of them. The evaluation provided an outside opinion that was invoked or rejected to make self-claims. Third, the moral self and struggle were enacted during the interview. The men used the interview to exclude themselves from a problematic social group, “violent offenders. ” The research encounter was a venue for doing social problems work and social problems resistance.
Tissue engineering of endothelial cells and the immune response.

Background. While tissue engineering offers promise for organ and tissue transplantation, it can also be used to examine transplant and immune biology. Endothelial cells engrafted within 3-dimensional matrices create stable units that produce all of the factors of a functional quiescent endothelium. Perivascular implantation of tissue engineered endothelial cell constructs provides long-term control of vascular repair after injury. This control is established without restoration of the natural luminal:mural endothelium, and most intriguingly, without engendering host allo- and xenogeneic immune responses. We examined how endothelial immunogenicity is controlled by interaction with 3-dimensional matrices. Materials and Methods. Human aortic endothelial cells (HAE) were either grown to confluence on polystyrene tissue culture plates or within 3-dimensional collagen-based matrices. Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II, integrin, interferon (IFN)-γ receptor expression, and signaling were analyzed via confocal microscopy, flow cytometry, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and microarray. Splenocyte proliferation was assayed by thymidine incorporation. Results. Despite similar expression levels of IFN-γ receptors, matrix-embedded HAE elicited far less STAT-1 phosphorylation upon IFN-γ stimulation, and expressed 2-fold less MHC II than HAE grown to confluence on culture plates (P <.001). This effect correlated with reduced expression of integrin α v and β 3 (P <.002), and muted proliferation of porcine splenocytes (P <.001). Conclusions. Matrix architecture is critical for modulation of endothelial immunogenicity. Embedding HAE within a physiologic 3-dimensional environment affects activity of intracellular signaling pathways, MHC II expression, and subsequent activation of immune cells. These findings might offer novel insights into our understanding of endothelial-mediated diseases and might enhance our ability to leverage the potential for cell-based therapies.
Feasibility of single-photon cross-phase modulation using metastable xenon in a high finesse cavity

Abstract Cross-phase modulation at the single-photon level has a wide variety of fundamental applications in quantum optics including the generation of macroscopic entangled states. Here we describe a practical method for producing a weak cross-phase modulation at the single-photon level using metastable xenon in a high finesse cavity. We estimate the achievable phase shift and give a brief update on the experimental progress towards its realization. A single-photon cross-phase modulation of approximately 20 milliradians is predicted by both a straightforward perturbation theory calculation and a numerical matrix diagonalization method.
Ascertaining Teachers' Perceptions of Working with Adolescents Diagnosed with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.

There are few studies that have directly examined teachers’ perceptions of children with ADHD, particularly children in the adolescent age range. The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of general‐education ninth through twelfth grade teachers regarding working with adolescent students with ADHD. Sorted responses from a sample of 100 general‐education high school teachers were analysed and then represented visually using a concept‐mapping technique. The final concept map suggests that teachers perceive adolescents with ADHD along two dichotomies of thematic clusters on an orthogonal axis. Clusters at the top area of the concept map suggest perceptions related to high confidence and willingness, while clusters at the bottom suggest perceptions related to uneasiness and frustration. Clusters along the left side of the concept map suggest perceptions related to behaviour issues, while clusters along the right side suggest perceptions related to classroom teaching issues. Central to the verti...
Marrying Local Metadata Needs With Accepted Standards: The Creation of a Data Dictionary at the University of Illinois at Chicago

This article provides an example of how the University of Illinois at Chicago Library (UIC Library) consolidated previous metadata practices into a single data dictionary that covers all digital objects managed through the CONTENTdm collection management program. The work done at the UIC Library streamlines preparation and metadata creation for new projects, standardizes metadata within CONTENTdm, promotes consistency and comprehensiveness for sharing beyond CONTENTdm, and provides a foundation for further standardization. The use of wiki editing software for maintaining the data dictionary has helped both disseminate information across the library and keep information contained in the data dictionary up to date. This model may be used as an example for other libraries in similar circumstances.
Synthesis and biological activity of 3-hydroxy(phosphono)methyl-bearing phosphatidylinositol ether lipid analogues

Abstract Two 3-hydroxy(phosphono)methyl-bearing phosphatidylinositol ether lipid analogues were synthesized and shown to be inhibitors of Akt and PI3-K. These compounds were also shown to inhibit the growth of HT-29 human colon cancer cells and MCF-7 human breast cancer cells.
SU‐E‐T‐312: Development of a Rat Model of Radiation‐Induced Heart Disease Using SACRTD

Purpose: In radiotherapytreatment of thoracic and chest wall tumors, the heart may be included (partly/fully) in the radiation field, and as a result patients may develop radiation‐induced heart disease (RIHD) several years after irradiation. There is no method to prevent or reverse RIHD, and biological mechanisms are largely unknown. We developed a model of conformal local heart irradiation in rats and present the first results. Method and materials:A small animal conformal radiation therapy device (SACRTD) was used to irradiate experimental animals. Adult male Sprague‐Dawley rats were exposed to localized heart irradiation with a total dose of 18 Gy. For this purpose, rats were anesthetized with isoflurane and placed in a custom made vertical rat holder. The heart was exposed to 3 fields of 6 Gy each, one AP field and 2 lateral fields. For each field, the heart was visualized with the digital X‐ray imager and placed in the isocenter of the 1.8 cm diameter beam. Hearts and lungs were isolated at time points from 2 hours to 4 days after irradiation, fixed in formalin and processed. Immunohistochemistry was performed to show &#947;H2Ax, a marker for DNA damage caused by oxidative stress, and nitrotyrosine, a marker for protein nitration caused by nitrosative stress.Results: Both &#947;H2Ax staining and nitrotyrosine staining were observed throughout the irradiated hearts, indicating that the whole heart was exposed to radiation. &#947;H2Ax was most prominent at 2 hours after irradiation, as DNA repair is known to start immediately after exposure. Increased nitrotyrosine staining was observed mainly in cardiomyocytes, at all time points after irradiation. Minimal &#947;H2Ax and nitrotyrosine were observed in the lung samples Conclusions: The results showed that the SACRTD is an excellent tool for in‐vivo radiobiological studies. Studies on functional and structural changes in the rat heart after localized irradiation are ongoing.
Ageing parameters of the ocular lens by scanning fluorophotometry

A Beer-Lambert analysis of fluorophotometric scans of ocular lenses has been carried out. It is shown that an assumption of a single flourophor allows us to calculate the distribution of this fluorophor along the central lens axis. For the great majority of lenses in our study, covering a wide range of ages, our results are in essential agreement with published results on excised lenses. For a small subset of lenses in the study the assumption of a single fluorophor is found to be unsatisfactory. In these cases a reasonable symmetry assumption allows us to estimate the distribution of an additional agent which removes light from the entering or exiting beams without contributing to the fluorescence. The fact that this agent is restricted to the lens nucleus and that it occurs in lenses in which nuclear changes are clinically evident suggests that it is an expression of nuclear cataract.
A relationship between the vacancy-impurity binding energy and the heat of solution in aluminum

Abstract The vacancy-impurity binding energy B in aluminum dilute alloys has a following relationship with the heat of solution of the impurity H into aluminum and the solid solubility of the impurity C L : B = 0.52 H = −0.088 log C L + 0.088 ( eV )
SubZero: A fine-grained lineage system for scientific databases

Data lineage is a key component of provenance that helps scientists track and query relationships between input and output data. While current systems readily support lineage relationships at the file or data array level, finer-grained support at an array-cell level is impractical due to the lack of support for user defined operators and the high runtime and storage overhead to store such lineage. We interviewed scientists in several domains to identify a set of common semantics that can be leveraged to efficiently store fine-grained lineage. We use the insights to define lineage representations that efficiently capture common locality properties in the lineage data, and a set of APIs so operator developers can easily export lineage information from user defined operators. Finally, we introduce two benchmarks derived from astronomy and genomics, and show that our techniques can reduce lineage query costs by up to 10× while incuring substantially less impact on workflow runtime and storage.
The development of bioluminescence in the ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi

Abstract The photocytes of the ctenophore Mnemiopsis have a discontinuous distribution along the radial canal between the sites where the comb plate cilia cells are located on the side of the canal which contains the testes. They are separated from the lumen of the canal by a population of gastric cells. Cytologically these cells are characterized by a condensed nucleus and cytoplasm which stains lightly with basophilic dyes. The ability of the ctenophore embryo to produce light appears at the developmental stage when the comb plate cilia first begin to grow out. At this stage four light-producing areas are present; each area corresponds to one quadrant of the adult animal. At the sites of light production, a population of cells can be identified that have some of the cytological properties of the photocytes of the adult animal. Within 8–10 hr after light production begins there is a 10-fold increase in the amount of light produced by an embryo and a cytological maturation of its photocytes; during this time period there is no increase in photocyte number. At about the time the embryo begins to feed, each light-producing region splits into two regions, each of which corresponds to a radial canal. During the process of embryogenesis the photocyte cell lineage is first segregated from non-photocytes at the differential division which gives the 8-cell stage embryo. The M macromere lineage goes on to form photocytes, but the E macromere lineage does not. The M macromeres form a micromere at the aboral pole of the embryo at each of the next two cleavages; during these cleavages the potential for photocyte differentiation continues to segregate with the M macromeres. During the division which gives the 64-cell stage the M macromeres divide equally; the potential for photocyte differentiation segregates with the M macromeres nearest the oral-aboral axis. M macromeres which are isolated from the embryo at the 8-, 16-, or 32-cell stage of development will continue to cleave as though they were part of a normal embryo and differentiate to form photocytes. The events that are responsible for the differential division during the formation of the 8-cell stage embryo have been studied by centrifuging eggs to produce fragments of different cytoplasmic composition. Egg fragments which contain only cortical cytoplasm differentiate comb plate cilia cells, but do not produce photocytes. Cortical fragments with a small amount of yolk differentiate comb plate cilia cells and photocytes. Both the M and E macromeres from cortical fragments with no yolk produce comb plate cilia. Only M macromeres containing yolk form photocytes; if an M macromere forms photocytes it does not form comb plate cilia.
The international narcotics trade: Can it be stopped by interdiction?

Abstract Efforts to control illegal drug use and the international narcotics trade concentrate on interdiction. Empirical evidence discloses that these efforts have largely failed. The crucial question for policymakers seems to be ignored: Can interdiction succeed as a means to control drug traffic and use? A dynamic model of the illegal drug business indicates that feedback mechanisms exist that will thwart interdiction efforts by stabilizing price and street supply. The model suggests that efforts to control drug traffic and disrupt international drug cartel operations should concentrate on money flows and reduction of demand. It also suggests how to maximize the effect of interdiction, should that still be used as a strategy.
“Mistakes Happen”: Somatic Mutation and Disease

An intriguing quality of many genetic diseases in humans is the significant intrafamilial variability observed in their clinical presentation. It seems to be likely that definition of the factors responsible for such differences will provide important clues to the normal function of the genes and to the pathobiology of their associated diseases. For some diseases, such as fragile X syndrome and Huntington disease, it has been shown that genetically related individuals do not necessarily have identical germ-line mutations, and instability at the mutant loci may account for much of the observed clinical variation.
A rate theory of strain relaxation

Abstract Dislocation mobility studies indicate that the symmetrical form of the energy barrier and the corresponding sinh expression, usually assumed in the analysis of strain relaxation, cannot be reconciled with the results obtained in dislocation velocity measurements. In the present study an expression for strain relaxation is derived from the transition state theory for the asymmetrical forms of the energy barrier. The expression obtained is in full agreement with the dislocation velocity measurements. Three typical energy barrier shapes are analyzed in detail. One of the barriers is identified to be associated with logarithmic strain relaxation often observed during the initial, high stress period. For two of the barriers considered, the strain is shown to approach asymptotically to a limiting value. The analysis indicates that internal stress cannot be relieved completely when the energy barrier is asymmetrical.
A discrete-time, multi-type generational inheritance branching process model of cell proliferation

Mammalian cell populations, such as tumors, may contain subpopulations differing in parameters such as cell lifetimes, even if the populations are derived from single cells. The mode of inheritance of cell lifetimes has previously been the subject of experimental and mathematical investigation. To obtain data on cell lifetimes over more cell generations then previously available, Axelrod et al. [Cell Prolif. 26:235-249(1988)] measured the number of cells in primary colonies and secondary colonies derived form the primary colonies. The experimental results indicated large variance of cells per colony and highly significant correlations between the numbers of cells in primary and secondary colonies. To mathematically model these results we derive, for previously uninvestigated multi-type Galton-Watson branching process models, the covariance of the cell counts in the primary and secondary colonies. As a result, we are able to successfully model the data with two subpopulations having differing proliferation rates, in which the proliferation rate of a daughter cell is primarily determined by the proliferation rate of its mother. Interestingly, simulations display a trade-off between high values of variances and correlation coefficients. The values obtained from experiment are located on the boundary of the region attainable by simulation.
Effects of the acceleration vector on transient burning rate of an aluminized solid propellant.

Experimental results concerning the transient burning-rate augmentation of a 16% aluminum polybutadiene acrylic acid (PBAA) propellant burned in a 2-in. web motor at pressure levels from 300 to 1200 psia with centrifugal accelerations from 0 to 140 g. The orientation of the acceleration vector was varied to determine its effect on the transient burning rate. The burning-rate augmentation was strongly dependent on (1) acceleration level, (2) propellant distance burned (or burn time), and (3) orientation of the acceleration vector with respect to the burning surface. This transient rate augmentation resulted from the retention of molten metallic residue on the burning surface by the normal acceleration loading. The presence of the residue altered the combustion zone heat transfer and caused increased localized burning rates, as evidenced by the pitted propellant surfaces that were observed from extinction tests conducted at various acceleration levels.
Hume versus the vulgar on resistance, nisus, and the impression of power

In the first Enquiry, Hume takes the experience of exerting force against a solid body to be a key ingredient of the vulgar idea of power, so that the vulgar take that experience to provide us with an impression of power. Hume provides two arguments against the vulgar on this point: the first concerning our other applications of the idea of power and the second concerning whether that experience yields certainty about distinct events. I argue that, even if we accept Hume’s conception of the vulgar’s approach, neither of Hume’s arguments succeeds. The first argument can be resisted either by using the very arguments Hume provides concerning other causal representations or by simply rejecting Hume’s strict empiricism. The second argument can be resisted on epistemological grounds: there is no reason to think that an experience of a maximally-strong metaphysical connection would provide a maximally-strong epistemological connection. Unlike some recent neo-Anscombean responses to the second argument, my response does not require challenging Hume’s view that causal relations are strictly necessary. Though I do not attempt to translate the resilience of the vulgar view into contemporary terms, the failure of Hume’s arguments challenges one of the long-standing motivations for Humean approaches to causation.
Tumors line up for a letdown

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) and the pathways that regulate their expression have critical functions during normal development. A new study demonstrates that select cancer cells have appropriated one developmental mechanism of miRNA regulation, the inhibition of let-7 biogenesis by the Lin-28 and Lin-28B RNA binding proteins, to rid themselves of an antitumorigenic miRNA.
A micro-sized microbial solar cell

We report a micro-sized microbial solar cell (MSC) that can produce sustainable energy through photosynthetic reactions of cyanobacteria, Synechocystis PCC 6803 in the anode. The MSC has 57-μL anode/cathode chambers defined by laser-machined poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) substrates. We obtained a maximum power density of 7.09 nW/cm 2 which is one hundred seventy times more power than previously reported MEMS MSCs. The importance of the light intensity was demonstrated by the higher values of generated current during daytimes than those through the nights, indicating light-dependent photosynthetic processes. Considering that sunlight offers an unlimited source of energy, development of self-sustainable MSCs that rely on light as an energy source will become an increasingly important area of research in the future. In accordance with the MSC, we developed a photosynthetic cathode-based microbial fuel cell (MFC) showing that the use of cyanobacteria can be useful as well as efficient and sustainable catalysts for the cathode since they act as oxygenators.
American Board of Surgery In-Training Examination (ABSITE) performance: Effects of residents' perception, preparation, and past performance

Abstract Objectives: Performance on the ABSITE might be affected by factors such as residents' perception of the test and their level of preparation, as well as any previous experience with ABSITE. Methods: In order to study residents' perception, each resident was asked to assign a level of difficulty (range 1–5) immediately after ABSITE 1997. The perceived impact (range 1–5) of a series of 23 problem-based conference series on residents' readiness for the test and their attendance at each served as a measure of preparation. In order to evaluate previous experience, the 1996 ABSITE scores and predicted scores for 1997 ABSITE were correlated with actual 1997 ABSITE scores. Pearson correlation was calculated between each of these parameters and the 1997 ABSITE scores. Results: There was no correlation between perceived level of difficulty of ABSITE or the impact of and attendance at conferences and ABSITE scores. However, there was a strong positive correlation between previous performance (p = 0.0001), predicted score (p = 0.0004), and ABSITE scores. Conclusion: Past performance correlated highly with future examination scores. In this study, residents' perception of ABSITE and their participation in a formal course did not correlate with ABSITE scores.
Effect of temperature on cat flea (Siphonaptera:Pulicidae) development and overwintering.

Cat fleas Ctenocephalides felis (Bouche), were reared at different temperatures to examine further the effects on egg-to-adult development and emergence of adults from cocoons. Three different temperatures (26.7, 21.1, and 15.5°C) were used to rear fleas. Emergence of adults from cocoons was monitored using 2 experimental designs—cocoons maintained in groups and cocoons individually isolated. At cooler temperatures, cocoons kept in groups had a higher incidence of late-emerging adults than did individual cocoons. At 15.5°C, adults continued to emerge from grouped cocoons up to 80 d after all had emerged from individual cocoons. Developmental time of prepupae and pupae was determined by inhibiting cocoon formation of late 3rd instars. Male prepupae and pupae developed ≈20% slower than did females. Comparisons between emergence of adults from cocoons and from naked pupae indicate that a large percentage of adults emerge from cocoons soon after molting. The possible association of developmental temperatures and emergence from cocoons with overwintering populations is discussed.