cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Freezing of Gait Boot Camp: feasibility, safety and preliminary efficacy of a community-based group intervention.

Aim In this pilot study, we evaluated the feasibility, safety and preliminary efficacy of a 6-week, community-based group intervention designed to reduce freezing of gait (FOG) for people with Parkinson's disease (PD). Methods Seven people with PD completed 'FOG Boot Camp' provided by the St. Louis Chapter of the American Parkinson Disease Association. We recorded attendance, participant's acceptance of the intervention and adverse events during classes. Pre and post-tests included measures of freezing, balance, motor severity, quality-of-life and gait speed. Results No falls or injuries occurred and attendance was high. Participants had favorable feedback and showed reduced freezing and improvements in balance and gait. Conclusion Preliminary data suggest the FOG boot camp was feasible, safe and effective.
α-Gal Syndrome vs Chronic Urticaria.

This cohort study assesses the use of a blood test to distinguish galactose-α-1,3-galactose (α-gal) allergy from chronic urticaria.
Machine Learning on the Thermal Side-Channel: Analysis of Accelerator-Rich Architectures

The thermal profiles of integrated circuits (ICs) have been leveraged as a side-channel in multiple circuit and architectural scenarios. Applications range from identifying hardware Trojans to estimating the per-core power consumption of homogeneous multicore processors. Such scenarios leverage the correlation between the on-chip location of the consumed power with some target information of interest, such as correlating the extra power consumption at a specific circuit position with the presence of a hardware Trojan. While the spatial correlation between the power consumption and thermal profiles applies to all ICs, there is a fundamental difference in the context of modern SoCs. The difference stems from the presence of hardware accelerators, in which localized power consumption corresponds to the system performing the specific task that a given accelerator executes. The work described in the paper demonstrates the implications of correlating the thermal and power profiles of SoCs by presenting two working case studies that determine, at runtime, 1) the activity factor of each accelerator and 2) whether or not a system is infected by malware. This work relies on pre-processing thermal images in order to obtain a spatial profile of the estimated power density and uses a modified version of a previously developed technique that is tailored for use with accelerator-rich ICs. The resulting power estimates are fed into machine learning models that predict the core activity factor with mean average errors between 3% and 5% for the highest performing core. The statistical models used for malware detection result in an AuROC score of up to 1.0 and 0.9 when the malware offsets the activity factor of a single core by 2.5% and the 3-sigma width of the workload activity factor distribution is 2.5% and 5%, respectively.
Diagenesis and iron paleo-redox proxies: New perspectives from magnetic and iron speciation analyses in the Santa Barbara Basin

Abstract Sedimentary redox proxies are usually employed to reconstruct the paleo-redox conditions of bottom water environments, assuming that porewater and bottom water dissolved oxygen concentrations are similar. Using a combination of geochemical and magnetic techniques, we investigate the relationship between iron speciation and mineralogy in recent (~1760–2009 CE) sediments retrieved from the Santa Barbara Basin (SBB) – a modern silled basin with low-oxygen (dissolved O2
Linked CSF reduction of phosphorylated tau and IL-8 in HIV associated neurocognitive disorder

HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND) is a common condition in both developed and developing nations, but its cause is largely unknown. Previous research has inconsistently linked Alzheimer’s disease (AD), viral burden, and inflammation to the onset of HAND in HIV-infected individuals. Here we simultaneously measured cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of established amyloid and tau biomarkers for AD, viral copy numbers, and six key cytokines in 41 HIV-infected individuals off combination anti-retroviral therapy (14 with HAND) who underwent detailed clinical and neuropsychological characterization, and compared their CSF patterns with those from young healthy subjects, older healthy subjects with normal cognition, and older people with AD. HAND was associated with the lowest CSF levels of phosphorylated tau (p-Tau181) after accounting for age and race. We also found very high CSF levels of the pro-inflammatory interferon gamma-induced protein 10 (IP-10/CXCL10) in HIV regardless of cognition, but elevated CSF interleukin 8 (IL-8/CXCL8) only in HIV-NC but not HAND. Eleven HIV-infected subjects underwent repeat CSF collection six months later and showed strongly correlated longitudinal changes in p-Tau181 and IL-8 levels (R = 0.841). These data suggest reduced IL-8 relative to IP-10 and reduced p-Tau181 to characterize HAND.
Bounding Queue Delay in Cellular Networks to Support Ultra-Low Latency Applications

Most of the current active queue management (AQM) designs have major issues including severe hardship of being tuned for highly fluctuated cellular access link bandwidths. Consequently, most of the cellular network providers either give up using AQMs or use conservative offline configurations for them. However, these choices will significantly impact the performance of the emerging interactive and highly delay sensitive applications such as virtual reality and vehicle-to-vehicle communications. Therefore, in this paper, we investigate the problems of existing AQM schemes and show that they are not suitable options to support ultra-low latency applications in a highly dynamic network such as current and future cellular networks. Moreover, we believe that achieving good performance does not necessarily come from complex drop rate calculation algorithms or complicated AQM techniques. Consequently, we propose BoDe an extremely simple and deployment friendly AQM scheme to bound the queuing delay of served packets and support ultra-low latency applications. We have evaluated BoDe in extensive trace-based evaluations using cellular traces from 3 different service providers in the US and compared its performance with state-of-the-art AQM designs including CoDel and PIE under a variety of streaming applications, video conferencing applications, and various recently proposed TCP protocols. Results show that despite BoDe's simple design, it outperforms other schemes and achieves significantly lower queuing delay in all tested scenarios.
As the world turns, evolving lymphoma classifications–past, present and future

The last century and a half has seen first the recognition of lymphomas, and then the publication of one lymphoma classification after another often together with highly critical comments about preceding classifications or a welcome that was less than warm. The introduction of HUMAN PATHOLOGY in 1970 came just before one of the very acrimonious periods in lymphoma classification, as we were learning more about the normal immune system and with the proposed functional lymphoma classifications of Lukes/Collins and Kiel in 1974 relating the lymphomas to their normal B-cell or T-cell 'counterparts'. Those difficult times were followed by the regressive strictly morphologic NCI Working Formulation in 1982, with the REAL classification in 1994 putting us back on a rational path, once again grouping the lymphoid neoplasms first into those of B-cell and T- and putative NK-cell origin, and then using multiple parameters to define specific entities. Planning for the first modern WHO lymphoma classification began soon afterward, with concordance and collegiality leading to the 2001 WHO classification, which then evolved with publication of the 2008 and 2016 WHO classifications. While this review looks at these important past developments which have gotten us to where we are today, it also concentrates on where we are now, what has been learned since the most recent WHO classification and 'Blue Book' were published and on some of the unanswered questions that remain as we look to the future.
Bandwidth Based Repetitive Controller Design for a Modular Multi-actuated AFM Scanner

High-Speed Atomic Force Micrscopy (HSAFM) enables visualization of dynamic processes and helps with understanding of fundamental behaviors at the nano-scale. Ideally, the HSAFM video frames should have high fidelity, high resolution, and a wide scanning range. Unfortunately, it is very difficult for scanners to simultaneously achieve high scanning bandwidth and large range. Since the first bending mode of large piezos is a major limiting factor, we propose an alternative design by stacking multiple short range piezo actuators. This approach allows significant increase of scanner bandwidth (over 20 kHz) while maintaining large travel range (over 20 μm). The modular design also facilitates the easy adjustment of scanner travel range. In this paper, we first discuss the design and assembly of this scanner. We then present the modeling and control of this multi-actuated scanner. A comparative study is then given on the performance of different controllers. These include a PID controller, a LQR based controller and a bandwidth based repetitive controller. The proposed algorithm provides significant improvement in tracking performance when utilized with the scanner using optimized input trajectories.
Sustained low-dose dexamethasone delivery via a PLGA microsphere-embedded agarose implant for enhanced osteochondral repair.

Abstract Articular cartilage defects are a common source of joint pain and dysfunction. We hypothesized that sustained low-dose dexamethasone (DEX) delivery via an acellular osteochondral implant would have a dual pro-anabolic and anti-catabolic effect, both supporting the functional integrity of adjacent graft and host tissue while also attenuating inflammation caused by iatrogenic injury. An acellular agarose hydrogel carrier with embedded DEX-loaded poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA) microspheres (DLMS) was developed to provide sustained release for at least 99 days. The DLMS implant was first evaluated in an in vitro pro-inflammatory model of cartilage degradation. The implant was chondroprotective, as indicated by maintenance of Young's modulus (EY) (p = 0.92) and GAG content (p = 1.0) in the presence of interleukin-1β insult. In a subsequent preliminary in vivo experiment, an osteochondral autograft transfer was performed using a pre-clinical canine model. DLMS implants were press-fit into the autograft donor site and compared to intra-articular DEX injection (INJ) or no DEX (CTL). Functional scores for DLMS animals returned to baseline (p = 0.39), whereas CTL and INJ remained significantly worse at 6 months (p Statement of significance Articular cartilage defects are a common source of joint pain and dysfunction. Effective treatment of these injuries may prevent the progression of osteoarthritis and reduce the need for total joint replacement. Dexamethasone, a potent glucocorticoid with concomitant anti-catabolic and pro-anabolic effects on cartilage, may serve as an adjuvant for a variety of repair strategies. Utilizing a dexamethasone-loaded osteochondral implant with controlled release characteristics, we demonstrated in vitro chondroprotection in the presence of IL-1-induced degradation and improved in vivo functional outcomes following osteochondral repair. These improved outcomes were correlated with superior histological cartilage scores and minimal-to-no comorbidity, which is a risk with high dose dexamethasone injections. Using this model of cartilage restoration, we have for the first time shown the application of targeted, low-dose dexamethasone for improved healing in a preclinical model of focal defect repair.
The Homogalacturonan Deconstruction System of Paenibacillus amylolyticus 27C64 Requires No Extracellular Pectin Methylesterase and Has Significant Industrial Potential.

ABSTRACT Paenibacillus amylolyticus 27C64, a Gram-positive bacterium with diverse plant cell wall polysaccharide deconstruction capabilities, was isolated previously from an insect hindgut. Previous work suggested that this organism’s pectin deconstruction system differs from known systems in that its sole pectin methylesterase is cytoplasmic, not extracellular. In this work, we have characterized the specific roles of key extracellular pectinases involved in homogalacturonan deconstruction, including four pectate lyases and one pectin lyase. We show that one newly characterized pectate lyase, PelC, has a novel substrate specificity, with a lower Km for highly methylated pectins than for polygalacturonic acid. PelC works synergistically with PelB, a high-turnover exo-pectate lyase that releases Δ4,5-unsaturated trigalacturonate as its major product. It is likely that PelC frees internal stretches of demethylated homogalacturonan which PelB can degrade. We also show that the sole pectin lyase has a high kcat value and rapidly depolymerizes methylated substrates. Three cytoplasmic GH105 hydrolases were screened for the ability to remove terminal unsaturated galacturonic acid residues from oligogalacturonide products produced by the action of extracellular lyases, and we found that two are active on demethylated oligogalacturonides. This work confirms that efficient homogalacturonan deconstruction in P. amylolyticus 27C65 does not require extracellular pectin methylesterase activity. Three of the extracellular lyases studied in this work are also thermostable, function well over a broad pH range, and have significant industrial potential. IMPORTANCE Pectin is an important structural polysaccharide found in most plant cell walls. In the environment, pectin degradation is part of the decomposition process that turns over dead plant material and is important to organisms that feed on plants. Industrially, pectinases are used to improve the quality of fruit juices and can also be used to process coffee cherries or tea leaves. These enzymes may also prove useful in reducing the environmental impact of paper and cotton manufacturing. This work is significant because it focuses on a Gram-positive bacterium that is evolutionarily distinct from other well-studied pectin-degrading organisms and differs from known systems in key ways. Most importantly, a simplified extracellular deconstruction process in this organism is able to break down pectins without first removing the methyl groups that inhibit other systems. Moreover, some of the enzymes described here have the potential to improve industrial processes that rely on pectin deconstruction.
Abdominal aortic aneurysm measurement at CT/MRI: potential clinical ramifications of non-standardized measurement technique and importance of multiplanar reformation

Accurate and reproducible measurement of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) size is an essential component of patient management, and most reliably performed at CT using a multiplanar reformat (MPR) strategy. This approach is not universal, however. This study aims to characterize the measurement error present in routine clinical assessment of AAAs and the potential clinical ramifications. Patients were included if they had AAA assessed by CT and/or MRI at two time points at least 6 months apart. Clinical maximal AAA diameter, assessed by non-standardized methods, was abstracted from the radiology report at each time point and compared to the reference aneurysm diameter measured using a MPR strategy. Discrepancies between clinical and reference diameters, and associated aneurysm enlargement rates were analyzed. Two hundred thirty patients were included, with average follow-up 3.3±2.5 years. When compared to MPR-derived diameters, clinical aneurysm measurement inaccuracy was, on average, 3.3 mm. Broad limits of agreement were found for both clinical diameters [-6.7 to +6.5 mm] and aneurysm enlargement rates [-4.6 to +4.2 mm/year] when compared to MPR-based measures. Of 78 AAAs measuring 5-6 cm by the MPR method, 21 (26.9%) were misclassified by the clinical measurement with respect to a common repair threshold (5.5 cm), of which 5 were misclassified as below, and 16 were misclassified as above the threshold. The clinical use of non-standardized AAA measurement strategies can lead to incorrect classification of AAAs as larger or smaller than the commonly accepted repair threshold of 5.5 cm and can induce large errors in quantification of aneurysm enlargement rate.
Benzimidazole and Benzoxazole Zinc Chelators as Inhibitors of Metallo-β-Lactamase NDM-1

Bacterial expression of β-lactamases, which hydrolyze β-lactam antibiotics, contributes to the growing threat of antibacterial drug resistance. Metallo-β-lactamases, such as NDM-1, use catalytic zinc ions in their active sites and hydrolyze nearly all clinically available β-lactam antibiotics. Inhibitors of metallo-β-lactamases are urgently needed to overcome this resistance mechanism. Zinc-binding compounds are promising leads for inhibitor development, as many NDM-1 inhibitors contain zinc-binding pharmacophores. Here, we evaluated 13 chelating agents containing benzimidazole and benzoxazole scaffolds as NDM-1 inhibitors. Six of the compounds showed potent inhibitory activity with IC50 values as low as 0.38 μM, and several compounds restored the meropenem susceptibility of NDM-1-expressing E. coli. Spectroscopic and docking studies suggest ternary complex formation as the mechanism of inhibition, making these compounds promising for development as NDM-1 inhibitors.
Catheter ablation of atrial arrhythmias following lung transplant: Electrophysiological findings and outcomes.

INTRODUCTION Data on the mechanisms of atrial arrhythmias (AAs) and outcomes of catheter ablation (CA) in lung transplantation (LT) patients are insufficient. We evaluated the electrophysiologic features and outcomes of CA of AAs in LT patients. METHODS AND RESULTS: We conducted a retrospective study of all the LT patients who underwent CA for AAs at our institution between 2004 and 2019. A total of 15 patients (43% males, age: 61 ± 10 years) with a history of LT (60% bilateral and 40% unilateral) were identified. All patients had documented organized AA on surface electrocardiogram and seven patients also had atrial fibrillation (AF; 47% with >1 clinical arrhythmia). At electrophysiological study, 19 organized AAs were documented (48% focal and 52% macro-re-entrant). Focal atrial tachycardias/flutters were targeted along the pulmonary vein (PV) anastomotic site at the left inferior PV (n = 2), ridge and carina of the left superior PV (n = 2), left atrium (LA) posterior wall (n = 3), LA roof (n = 1), and tricuspid annulus (n = 1). Macro-re-entrant AAs included cavotricuspid isthmus-dependent flutter (n = 2), incisional LA flutter (n = 4), LA roof-dependent flutter (n = 1), and mitral annular flutter (n = 3). In patients with LA mapping (n = 13), PV reconnection on the side of the LT was found in six patients (40%, all with clinically documented AF), with a mean of 2.1 ± 0.9 PVs reconnected per patient. Patients with AF underwent successful PV isolation. After a median follow-up of 19 months (range: 6-86 months), 75% of patients remained free from recurrent AAs. No procedural major complications occurred. CONCLUSION In patients with prior LT, recurrent AAs are typically associated with substrate surrounding the surgical anastomotic lines and/or chronically reconnected PVs. CA of AAs in this population is safe and effective to achieve long-term arrhythmia control.
Associations of social capital with binge drinking in a national sample of adults: The importance of neighborhoods and networks.

Abstract Background While considerable research on adult binge drinking has focused on social influences, the potential role of social capital has been largely overlooked. This study examines the role of social capital, assessed in terms of both neighborhood and social network characteristics, in understanding adult binge drinking. Methods Adults ages 30–80 were randomly drawn from the RAND American Life Panel and completed an online survey (analytic sample n = 1383). The main predictor variables were neighborhood cohesion, neighborhood order, and social network density. Associations of social capital with past month binge drinking (any, number of days) were examined, controlling for demographic characteristics. Results Zero-inflated negative binominal regression analysis indicated that any binge drinking was more likely among adults who lived in highly ordered neighborhoods and who had denser social networks but was negatively associated with neighborhood cohesion. However, binge drinking was more frequent among those who lived in neighborhoods lacking order and who had sparser social networks, but had no association with neighborhood cohesion. Age was not found to moderate associations of social capital with binge drinking. Conclusions Given that the associations of social capital with adult binge drinking behavior appear to differ by level of influence and type of drinking behavior, there is a need to gain a more nuanced understanding of these complex associations, including the mechanisms through which they operate.
Turnout in a Small World

This article investigates between-voter interactions in a social network model of turnout. It shows that if 1) there is a small probability that voters imitate the behavior of one of their acquaintances, and 2) individuals are closely connected to others in a population (the "small-world" effect), then a single voting decision may affect dozens of other voters in a "turnout cascade." If people tend to be ideologically similar to other people they are connected to, then these turnout cascades will produce net favorable results for their favorite candidate. By changing more than one vote with one's own turnout decision, the turnout incentive is thus substantially larger than previously thought. We analyze conditions that are favorable to turnout cascades and show that the effect is consistent with real social network data from Huckfeldt and Sprague's South Bend and Indianapolis-St. Louis election surveys. We also suggest that turnout cascades may help explain over-reporting of turnout and the ubiquitous belief in a duty to vote.
The experience of pediatric cancer pain, part II: Management of pain

This paper reports on the results of qualitative data derived from a study on the impact of pediatric cancer pain on the family. Part I of this two-part article reported on the family caregivers' description of a child with cancer, the helplessness experienced in the management of the child's pain, and the impact of pain on the entire family. This article will describe the role of the parents in managing their child's pain, including use of pharmacological and nondrug interventions, family caregivers' perspectives on what physicians and nurses could do to improve the care of patients in pain, and family caregivers' advice to other families when placed in a similar situation of trying to manage pediatric pain. Five major themes were identified related to the role of family caregivers in managing the child's pain. Parents also identified six major ways in which physicians and nurses could help to improve care related to pain management. Although some parents were unable to identify information that may be useful for other parents in similar situations, nine major themes were identified. Study data demonstrates the experience of family caregivers in caring for a child with cancer pain and provides health care professionals with information that can promote effective pain relief for the pediatric cancer patient with pain as well as address issues affecting the family.
Spatial and temporal patterns in the seasonal distribution of toxic cyanobacteria in western Lake Erie from 2002-2014.

Lake Erie, the world’s tenth largest freshwater lake by area, has had recurring blooms of toxic cyanobacteria for the past two decades. These blooms pose potential health risks for recreation, and impact the treatment of drinking water. Understanding the timing and distribution of the blooms may aid in planning by local communities and resources managers. Satellite data provides a means of examining spatial patterns of the blooms. Data sets from MERIS (2002–2012) and MODIS (2012–2014) were analyzed to evaluate bloom patterns and frequencies. The blooms were identified using previously published algorithms to detect cyanobacteria (~25,000 cells mL−1), as well as a variation of these algorithms to account for the saturation of the MODIS ocean color bands. Images were binned into 10-day composites to reduce cloud and mixing artifacts. The 13 years of composites were used to determine frequency of presence of both detectable cyanobacteria and high risk (>100,000 cells mL−1) blooms. The bloom season according to the satellite observations falls within June 1 and October 31. Maps show the pattern of development and areas most commonly impacted during all years (with minor and severe blooms). Frequencies during years with just severe blooms (minor bloom years were not included in the analysis) were examined in the same fashion. With the annual forecasts of bloom severity, these frequency maps can provide public water suppliers and health departments with guidance on the timing of potential risk.
Synthesis of Cross-linked Peptidoglycan Attached to Previously Formed Cell Wall by Toluene-treated Cells of Bacillus megaterium

Abstract Cells of Bacillus megaterium can use the externally added precursors UDP-N-acetyl-d-glucosamine and UDP-N-acetyl-d-muramyl-l-alanyl-d-glutamyl-meso-diaminopimelyl-d-alanyl-d-alanine to synthesize peptidoglycan if the bacteria were first treated with toluene. Toluene-treated bacteria could polymerize these precursors into peptidoglycan which was attached to previously existing cell wall by peptide crossbridges.
Diet, the Gut Microbiome and the Metabolome in IBD

The human gut contains a vast number of microorganisms known collectively as the gut microbiota. Despite its importance in maintaining the health of the host, growing evidence suggests the gut microbiota may also be an important factor in the pathogenesis of various diseases, a number of which have shown a rapid increase in incidence over the past few decades. In some of these diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), the microbiota is dysbiotic with an abnormal community structure and decrease in diversity. If the dysbiotic microbiota plays a role in disease pathogenesis, interventions that modify its composition to make it more similar to the microbiota observed in health, might be a strategy to treat certain disease processes. Indeed, the high-level efficacy of fecal microbiota transplantation in the treatment of refractory Clostridia difficile infection supports this notion as proof-of-principle. The composition of the microbiota can be influenced by many factors including age, genetics, host environment, and diet. With respect to the later, diet has an impact upon both the composition and function of the microbiota. There are epidemiologic data associating diet with the development of IBD as well as evidence that diet can influence both the form and function of the microbiome in a manner that impacts upon the development of intestinal inflammation. Based on this evidence, studies are now underway to examine the effect of defined formula diets, an effective therapeutic modality in Crohn's disease, on both the gut microbiome and its metabolome as a therapeutic probe with the hope of better defining the 'healthy' diet in patients with IBD.
Deconjugation of bilirubin-IX alpha glucuronides: a physiologic role of hepatic microsomal beta-glucuronidase.

beta-Glucuronidase is an acid hydrolase located in both the lysosomal and microsomal compartments of the hepatocyte. The function of the latter remains undefined. We postulated that microsomal beta-glucuronidase may be responsible for the deconjugation of bilirubin-IX alpha glucuronides which are synthesized primarily in the hepatic microsomal compartment. We utilized two unique congenic strains of mice to characterize the role of hepatic beta-glucuronidase in the metabolism and disposition of bilirubin-IX alpha; the first exhibited less than 1% of total hepatic beta-glucuronidase activity (ATM), the second lacked only the microsomal enzyme activity (AT1). The biliary excretion of bilirubin-IX alpha conjugates was quantitated using reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography. Under basal conditions, there was a 2-fold increase in the biliary excretion of bilirubin-IX alpha monoglucuronides and total glucuronides in the AT1 and ATM mutants compared to the normal controls. When the plasma bilirubin-IX alpha level was increased to approximately 7 mg/dl to simulate hyperbilirubinemia, by intravenous administration of [14C]bilirubin-IX alpha, mathematical modeling of the biliary excretion curves of bilirubin-IX alpha glucuronides revealed qualitative differences between control and mutant animals, whereas both mutant groups were similar. Collectively, these data demonstrate that microsomal beta-glucuronidase modulates the net rate of bilirubin-IX alpha glucuronidation and glucuronide excretion in bile, under both basal and hyperbilirubinemic conditions, and that lysosomal beta-glucuronidase has no such effects. Hepatic microsomal beta-glucuronidase appears likely to influence the biliary excretion and hence the hepatic elimination of endogenous and xenobiotic substrates (e.g. carcinogens) which undergo hepatic glucuronidation.
Emission spectroscopy of ECRH non-axisymmetric helium mirror plasmas

Emission spectroscopy in the 3000 to 5000-AA range has been utilized to determine the electron temperature of helium plasmas produced by the Michigan Mirror Machine (MIMI). The plasma is generated and heated by whistler-mode electron-cyclotron resonance waves at 7.43 GHz and 500 W in 400- mu s pulses. Gas is puffed into the midplane region, where a quartz window is used to observe the plasma in a direction perpendicular to the mirror axis. Emission spectra are obtained using a 0.275-m spectrograph coupled to a gated optical multichannel analyzer. These spectra are interpreted using a model of the important collisional and radiative processes occurring in the plasma. From the analysis of line intensity ratios for neutral helium, the electron temperature is determined and its dependences upon the gas pressure, microwave power, and mirror and quadrupole field strengths are measured. The electron temperature is found to be independent of the power of the ECRH microwaves. The mirror and quadrupole currents have a small effect upon the electron temperature. This is probably a spatial effect due to a change in the location of the resonance planes where electrons are heated. By far the most important parameter is the pressure of the helium fill gas; the electron temperature ranges from 50 eV to 20 eV over the operating regime of MIMI (1*10/sup -5/ to 1*10/sup -3/ torr). >
O QUE ACONTECEU COM O BEHAVIORISMO

Whatever happened to that field called behaviorism? Roddy Roediger shares his theories on behaviorism’s disappearance—or lack thereof....
Raman spectrum of monobromoindigo

Monobromoindigo is a component of Tyrian purple, a purple–red natural colorant extracted from various species of sea snails, which was possibly first produced by the ancient Phoenicians and has been employed as a symbol of royalty and power by several civilizations over the centuries. Raman spectroscopy has proved to be an effective analytical technique to detect historical dyes, as it allows rapid and accurate identification of unknowns in a nondestructive way. Although other constituents of Tyrian purple have been comprehensively investigated by Raman spectroscopy, the Raman bands of 6-bromoindigo, a molecule that has been correlated with a specific snail species, Hexaplex trunculus (also known as Murex trunculus), have been reported but not previously assigned. This paper includes a complete assignment of the Raman spectrum of the 6-bromoindigo isomer, including experimental spectra recorded at 488 and 785 nm, which were compared with those collected from indigo under the same conditions.1 Theoretical Raman spectra for both molecules were obtained using density functional theory calculations. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Linear exact repair rate region of (k + 1, k, k) distributed storage systems: A new approach

Characterizing the exact repair storage-vs-repair bandwidth tradeoff for distributed storage systems remains an open problem for more than four storage nodes. Motivated by the prevalence and practical applicability of linear codes, the exact repair problem when restricted to linear codes is considered. The main result of this paper is a new approach to develop bounds for exact repair distributed storage systems with linear codes (LDSS). Using this approach, the exact repair region for the (k + 1, k, k) LDSS is completely characterized. The new approach utilizes the properties of linear codes together with the exact repair constraints. These constraints are formally captured through an optimization problem with a recursive structure, and its solution finally yields the new bounds for the LDSS. These bounds together with recent code constructions characterize the exact repair region for (k + 1, k, k) LDSS.
The Walking Renaissance: A Longitudinal Analysis of Walking Travel in the Greater Los Angeles Area, USA

Promoting walking travel is considered important for reducing automobile use and improving public health. Recent U.S. transportation policy has incentivized investments in alternative, more sustainable transportation modes such as walking, bicycling and transit in auto-oriented cities such as Los Angeles. Although many past studies have analyzed changes in walking travel across the U.S., there is little clarity on the drivers of change. We address this gap by conducting a longitudinal analysis of walking travel in the greater Los Angeles area from 2001 to 2009. We use travel diary and household data from regional and national surveys to analyze changes in walking trip shares and rates across our study area. Results show that walking has significantly increased across most of Los Angeles, and that increases in walking trips generally correspond with increases in population, employment, and transit service densities. Estimates from fixed-effects regression analysis generally suggest a positive association between population density and walking, and that higher increases in transit stop density are correlated with increased walking trips to and from transit stops. These findings illustrate how regional planning efforts to pursue a coordinated land use-transit planning strategy can help promote walking in auto-oriented or vehicle adopting cities.
Renaissance, recover, and renewal: The 3 Rs.

To the Editor: I was surprised to see Parmley in his recent editorial1 referring to 3 etanercept trials by their acronyms (RENAISSANCE, RECOVER, and RENEWAL) without defining them. …
Latino Immigrants and Rural Gentrification: Race, “Illegality,” and Precarious Labor Regimes in the United States

This article examines the emergence of immigrant-based precarious labor regimes in U.S. rural areas undergoing gentrification. Drawing on field-based research in rural Georgia and Colorado, we explore how Latino and Latina immigrant workers were recruited to places that had been largely off the map of Latino immigrant settlement prior to the late 1990s to work in service and construction employment stimulated by gentrification. We trace evolving recruitment and labor practices that drew on hierarchies of race and “illegality” to fundamentally improve the productivity and profitability of gentrification-linked sectors. Key to this process was the active recruitment of Latino workers in the 1990s and early 2000s (usually recruited off subcontracted crews hired out from distant metropolitan areas) and the establishment of personal relations of loyalty and dependence between those workers and their white bosses. Over time, these personal relationships often produced informal labor brokers for business owners,...
Optical Properties of SrTi O 3 in the Region of the Absorption Edge

The absorption coefficient, reflectivity, and electroreflectance of SrTi${\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ in the neighborhood of the fundamental absorption edge are reported. The absorption coefficient shows an exponential rise with incident energy (Urbach rule) over five orders of magnitude. Its logarithm has a slope of $\frac{1}{\mathrm{kT}}$. The data indicate that the band gap of SrTi${\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ is about 3.4 eV. Additional results for reduced SrTi${\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ show that Redfield's model for an exponential edge is not applicable to this material. The reflectivity indicates structure in the region of 3.4 eV and the electroreflectance shows an appreciable signal from 2.5 to 5.0 eV with some structure near 3.4 eV. The electroreflectance signal appears to be due to some process other than the Franz-Keldysh effect. It could be due to a shift or splitting in the major oscillator (4.4 eV) responsible for the refractive index, with induced lattice polarization.
Ozone-responsive proteins in a tolerant and sensitive clone of white clover (Trifolium repens)

Abstract Two clones of white clover ( Trifolium repens L. cv. Regal), NC-R (O 3 -resistant) and NC-S (O 3 -sensitive), were used to investigate biochemical responses associated with O 3 tolerance. Plants were exposed in CSTR chambers to a step-function O 3 profile (minimum concentration of 50 nl liter −1 , maximum concentration of 150 nl liter −1 ) for 3 days, 8 h day −1 . No visible foliar symptoms were apparent on the sensitive genotype after fumigation. Total soluble leaf protein and the activity of superoxide dismutase isoenzymes either declined or was not affected by O 3 in both NC-S and NC-R. Catalase activity increased by 15–20% in the clones. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis demonstrated the differential, exposure-dependent accumulation of a small group (two to four) of O 3 -responsive proteins (ORPs). These polypeptides were not present at detectable levels in control plants. During the 3-day fumigation with O 3 , the ORPs progressively accumulated in both clones; however, the increase in NC-S was delayed and protein content never attained comparable levels to those observed in NC-R. The proteins have apparent molecular masses of 21.5–23 kD and pIs in the range of 4.2–4.5. The identity of these polypeptides is not known.
Classroom literacy activity for Spanish-speaking students

This study examined classroom literacy activity for second-grade Spanish-speaking students. Twenty-five students were observed in their respective high and low reading groups. On the surface, children appeared to receive similar types of instruction. The high group, however, received much less rote memorization instruction than did the low reading group. In spite of the differential treatment of reading groups, the findings showed that neither the high nor low group received instruction in which they could fully develop verbal cognitive skills. This was evidenced by the teacher-student interaction about the text and in the students' workbook writing assignments.
Physical Metallurgy of Automotive High-Strength Steels

This paper briefly reviews the various available types of high-strength steels — conventional, recovery-annealed, and dual-phase steels. A judgmental analysis of a large number of stamped automotive components shows that dual-phase steels, with their superior strength at a given elongation (formability), offer the best potential for weight savings. The rest of the paper concerns the physical metallurgy and mechanical response of dual-phase steels. It is shown that strength is a function of the percent martensite in the structure, although the strength is less than predicted by a simple rule of mixtures. The enhanced ductility of dual-phase steels is shown to be a consequence of the high s train-hardening rate observed in these steels, the reason for which is not well understood but probably reflects the properties of the ferrite matrix. The strain-rate sensitivity of dual-phase steels is found to be higher than that of conventional high-strength steels of comparable tensile strengths. Fatigue studies of dual-phase steels show them to be comparable to conventional high-strength steels in the notched condition; energy absorption during the axial collapse of tubes is shown to be solely a function of tensile strength. Also included are data on the temperature dependence of tensile strength in both the notched and unnotched conditions; high-strength dual-phase steels exhibit notch sensitivity even at room temperature. A study of formability (springback) shows that high-strength dual-phase steel is slightly worse than SAE 950X but much better than SAE 980X steel.
Green Manure as Nitrogen Source for Sweet Corn in a Warm–Temperate Environment

Legumes utilized as GM may provide on-farm organic N. Nonetheless, data regarding GM use on sandy soils in warm-temperate environments remains scarce. We conducted a 2-yr field study to evaluate growth and decomposition of sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea L.), blue lupin (Lupinus angustifolius L., winter 2001-2002), and Cahaba white vetch (Vicia saliva L., winter 2002-2003) used as GM to provide N for sweet corn (Zea mays L. var Rugosa) in a reduced tillage system in northern Florida. Intercepted solar radiation accounted for most variability in total GM dry weight and N content regardless of species or year. Sunn hemp exhibited substantial growth and N accumulation (≤12.2 Mg ha -1 and 172 kg N ha -1 in 14 wk). However, rapid N loss (45-58% within 4 wk after death) occurred after sunn hemp death. Winter GM growth (2.0-4.0 Mg ha -1 and 51-104 kg N ha -1 in 18-20 wk) appeared limited by low LAI response to growing degree days (GDD) and was not affected by previous sunn hemp GM. Sunn hemp residues and living winter legume together contained 120 to 125 kg N ha -1 at time of final sampling before sweet corn planting. Corn rotated with sunn hemp plus winter GM and supplemented with 133 kg synthetic N ha -1 produced marketable ear yields similar to monoculture corn fertilized with 200 kg synthetic N ha -1 , but the practical value of this benefit is low. In northern Florida, winter and/or summer GM use may substitute only for a relatively small portion of synthetic N rates.
The Educational Intervention “GRIEV_ING” Improves the Death Notification Skills of Residents

BACKGROUND: Death notification is a common, difficult, and emotionally laden communication for emergency physicians. Teaching emergency medicine residents the skills for success in this communication is an important focus for educators. To accomplish this task, educators need practical, proven teaching and assessment tools focused on death notification skills. OBJECTIVES: To test the hypothesis that a teaching module, based on the mnemonic "GRIEV_ING," could improve resident confidence, competency, and communication skills when delivering a death notification. METHODS: The GRIEV_ING intervention consisted of a two-hour educational session composed of small-group, role-play, and didactic experiences. The authors used a pre-post-retention repeated-measures design to test their hypothesis immediately following and three months after training. For each assessment cycle, three quantitative measures were collected: self-confidence, relationship-communication, and competency. Relationship-communication and competency scores were collected during simulated survivor encounters. RESULTS: Complete data for 20 residents were obtained. Significant improvements were noted in resident confidence scores at the pre-post (F = 16.7, p <0.0001) and pre-retention (F = 14.0, p = 0.001) comparisons. Likewise, significant improvements were noted in resident competence scores at the pre-post (F = 4.7, p = 0.04) and pre-retention (F = 8.8, p = 0.008) comparisons. Resident relationship-communication scores were uniformly high, and there was no significant change in this score across study intervals. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that a defined educational intervention focused on the GRIEV_ING mnemonic can improve physician confidence and competence in death notification.
Limb salvage in end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Comparison of modern results in patients with and without ESRD.

• We reviewed our experience with femoral-popliteal-tibial reversed vein bypasses performed for limb salvage in 226 patients without and 19 patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). While 18-month primary patency rates were comparable (85% and 89%), limb salvage was significantly lower (76% vs 95%) in patients with ESRD. Five amputations in the ESRD group were required for nonhealing, large foot ulcers in diabetic patients despite patent arterial bypass while only five of 13 amputations in patients without ESRD were required in the presence of patent grafts. The need for major amputation despite patent bypass in diabetic patients with ESRD who have extensive foot gangrene or ischemic ulceration occurs sufficiently often that we recommend primary amputation be considered in these patients without regard to possible vascular reconstruction. ( Arch Surg 1988;123:1164-1168)
The Effect of Bit Geometry on Rock Cutting Efficiency

Abstract This article presents an analysis of the performance of various types of bits during rock cutting. Six types of bits, including conical (point attack) and drag bits, were tested at depths of cut ranging from 3 to 18 mm. Three force components—cutting, normal, and lateral—were measured for each experiment. The cut surface of the rock was photographed and analyzed for depth of cut and damage to the rock surface (i.e., chipping or crushing) at the conclusion of the test. The cut surface was also casted to measure rock yield, and the effect of bit geometry in regard to bit rock interaction was analyzed. The study indicated that bit geometry is the most significant parameter affecting both bit wear and cutting action. For a typical angle of attack, approximately 45°, some bits had only the bit body contacting the cutting surface, resulting in excessive bit wear, higher normal force to cutting force ratio, more crushing and less chipping of the cutting surface, and less bit penetration into the rock. T...
Time and vehicle studies of a safe and effective method for administration of 5-fluorouracil.

Eighty-seven patients with histologically proven cancer were given a course of 5-fluorouracil to study the effect of time of infusion and of 5% glucose in regard to toxicity and antitumor effectiveness. The over-all response rate of 25% was unrelated to time of infusion or vehicle and compares favorably with that reported for more toxic methods of administration. Beneficial effect was not dependent upon the production of systemic drug toxicity; the data suggest that, when response is slow, a significant number of patients may be forced to discontinue the drug because of toxicity before sufficient time is allowed for response. The frequency and degree of toxicity encountered with 5-FU infusions was lower than that noted following courses of undiluted drug. Infusion of 5-FU in the regimen tested seems a safe and effective method of drug administration which can be used widely on an ambulatory basis.