cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
How students choose E-learning resources: The importance of ease, familiarity, and convenience

Electronic learning resources are popular with today's students. However, how students choose their favorite e-learning resources is not well-understood. The popular SecondLook TM histology self-review tool was offered in three different interfaces to students participating in two histology courses (Cell and Developmental Biology [CDB] 450/550 and DENT 510). These interfaces included PowerPoint files, an online website, and a mobile application (app). Identical in content, each interface had specific advantages and disadvantages with respect to compatible devices, user features, and access limitations. Upon the conclusion of the courses, students were surveyed about their interface preference, reasons for their selection, and general usage of the SecondLook TM resource. With a 91.4% overall survey participation rate, only 3 out of 213 participating students never used the resource. Many students (46.3% CDB 450/550, 62.9% DENT 510) tried only one interface, with PowerPoint being the most popular final choice (56.5% CBD 450/550, 65.7% DENT 510). Although the interactive website and mobile app offered additional user-friendly features, they only garnered between 16% and 24% final popularity. "Convenience," "larger screen," and "easy to use" were most often reported as reasons for students' interface preference. The accessibility of where and when the SecondLook TM resource can be used was also frequently cited. This availability encouraged some students to forgo other learning resources and to use the mobile app in distractive environments. The results of this study suggest that today's students are in fact less motivated to seek out high-tech e-learning resources than commonly believed and instead often select interfaces with which they are already familiar.
Poaching the News Producers: The Athletic's Effect on Sports in Hometown Newspapers

When The Athletic, a conglomerate of subscription-based sports sites, launched in 2016, both its business model and editorial stance were viewed as a seismic shift in the journalism industry. Built...
Mapping the Transformation of Information into Knowledge in Early Modern Florence: Using the DECIMA Project to Assess Historical Thinking Skills

The recent use of geographic information systems (GIS) to visualize large historical datasets are particularly useful to History instructors who seek real-world platforms that support an open-ended investigation of past societies. The University of Toronto’s DECIMA Project (Digitally Encoded Census and Information Mapping Archive) presents an open-access platform through which anyone can explore census material collected in early modern Florence. This article explores how senior undergraduate students used the DECIMA Project to construct research-based learning assignments that they developed independently. A rubric assessed the resulting student work in order to evaluate several cognitive abilities that students employed during their method design, data analysis, and the contextualization of conclusions. The assignment also drew on central History disciplinary concepts (articulating a question, constructing an argument, evaluating sources, and discerning challenges to the narrative), while introducing students to 'real Florentines.'
Firm Complexity and Limits to Arbitrage

Several important anomalies are stronger for more complex firms. Despite conglomerates being on average larger and more liquid than single-segment firms, anomalies are stronger for conglomerates. In the conglomerates-only sub-sample, anomalies are stronger for conglomerates with more between-segments difference in market-to-book and operating leverage.
Phishing Website Detection Using Fast.ai library

In recent years, we see an enormous amount of increase in online activities whether it be for using an internet banking services or for using social media or for education purpose. On other side, most of the peoples did not focus on the privacy because either they are not well aware about the harm of privacy breach or they simply neglect the security part since security comes at the cost of some constraints. Because of these reasons we are witnessing a rapid increase in cyber security attacks. Now-a-days one of the top ten cyber-attacks is phishing attack. Phishing attack is an attempt to mimic the legitimate websites to obtain or gain the confidential data such as credit or debit card details, username and password, etc. The problem of phishing attack detection is addressed so many times. Recent advancements in this domain is classification using the deep learning techniques. However the results of deep learning technique highly depends on the architecture of the system and parameter tuning of learnable parameters. Most of the previous techniques requires high computational power systems to train the deep learning or neural network models. Hence, such approaches requires more time to train the model. In this paper, we propose a convolutional neural network architecture using fast.ai library across GPU which solves the problem of traditional neural networks. By applying the proposed method, we were able to improve the phishing detection accuracy and training time when compared to other existing approaches. We use the ISCX-URL-2016 dataset to train our model for binary classification as phishing and legitimate. We got the accuracy of 99% for phishing URL’s detection.
Chapter 4 Erbium in Silicon

Publisher Summary This chapter describes erbium (Er) in silicon (Si). Silicon is the dominating material in semiconductor manufacturing. Ninety-five percent of all semiconductor devices fabricated are based on Si. Although Si is technologically superb for electronic applications in terms of integration, control and cost,it is nonexistent in the emerging optoelectronic market. Erbium in Si has several advantages over other Si-based light emitters. Erbium, like other rare-earth metals, emits light at the same wavelength independently of the host. This emission is due to the excited states of the 4f manifold of the trivalent Er. The transition from the lowest excited state yields light at 1.54 μm, compatible with low loss optical fibers. The emission energy is independent of the temperature and the line width is only about 100 Ǻ at room temperature compared to several thousand Ǻngstroms in 111-V materials. Room temperature photoluminescence (PL) and electroluminescence (EL) has been reported from Er doped Si by several research groups.
Rudimentary NMR: The Classical Picture

The sections in this article are 1 Introduction 2 Classical Mechanics of Precession: Magnetic Resonance 3 The Bloch Equations: Relaxation in the Classical System 4 The Rotating Frame 5 The Pulse NMR Experiment: Pulse and Fourier Transform NMR 6 Chemically Shifted Spectra 7 Biographical Sketch Related Articles
Image feature based GPS trace filtering for road network generation and road segmentation

We propose a new method to infer road networks from GPS trace data and accurately segment road regions in high-resolution aerial images. Unlike previous efforts that rely on GPS traces alone, we exploit image features to infer road networks from noisy trace data. The inferred road network is used to guide road segmentation. We show that the number of image segments spanned by the traces and the trace orientation validated with image features are important attributes for identifying GPS traces on road regions. Based on filtered traces , we construct road networks and integrate them with image features to segment road regions. Our experiments show that the proposed method produces more accurate road networks than the leading method that uses GPS traces alone, and also achieves high accuracy in segmenting road regions even with very noisy GPS data.
Systematic review of catheter-based intra-arterial therapies in hepatocellular carcinoma: state of the art and future directions

Intra-arterial therapies (IATs) play a pivotal role in the management of patients with primary and secondary liver malignancies. The unique advantages of these treatments are their ability to selectively deliver a high dose of anticancer treatment while preserving healthy liver tissue. The proven efficacy of these catheter-based locoregional therapies in a highly systemic chemoresistant cancer such as hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), along with the minimally invasive nature of these treatments, quickly yielded wide acceptance in the medical community and revolutionized the field of Interventional Oncology. In this article, we describe the clinical rationale and background of catheter-based IATs. We provide an overview of clinical achievements of these treatments alone and in combination with sorafenib in patients with HCC.
Bend sensitive wavelength filtering in concentric core solid photonic bandgap fibre

Bend sensitive wavelength filtering property in a concentric core solid photonic bandgap fibre is resented. The property is realised by not only the bandgap effect but mode coupling between the core mode and ring modes.
Water adsorption in UiO-66: the importance of defects

Simulated adsorption isotherms for water in UiO-66 illustrate that defects in the form of missing linkers make this MOF more hydrophilic. Heats of adsorption and density plots further confirm the effect of defects on adsorption of water in UiO-66 at low loadings. In addition, water and CO2 isotherms indicate that not only the amount of defects but their locations within the material affect the loading of guest molecules.
Alternative forms of ambulatory care: Implications for patients and physicians

In recent years, new providers of ambulatory health care have appeared in the U.S. These providers are characterized by an emphasis on profit making, where the primary care giver, the physician, is often an employee, and where patients receive care in a non-traditional setting. Examples of these alternative providers include for-profit Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs), freestanding ambulatory care centers (walk-in clinics), and outpatient surgery centers. These and other alternative suppliers of health care are of interest since they represent a new and growing form of health care delivery. For many patients, alternative providers of ambulatory care offer convenient, cost-effective medical service. However, the emphasis on profit which characterizes most of these providers may mean that rural, and inner city areas, as well as the poor and uninsured throughout the country, will not be able to take advantage of the convenience and savings these providers offer. For physicians, employment in an alternative ambulatory care system can be welcome as the costs of starting and operating a medical practice soar. Yet, physician-employees often face loss of autonomy, status and income. Authors point to the 'proletarianization' of physician-employees as they lose control over the location, means and direction of their work. This paper explores the development of alternative suppliers of health care. It focuses on three providers of alternative ambulatory care and the implications of these providers for both patients and physicians. Proposed directions for future research include obtaining data on the actual extent of alternative providers in the health care market and their effects on consumers and the deliverers of medical care.
A multilevel fast multipole based approach for efficient reconstruction of perfectly conducting scatterers

A nonlinear reconstruction scheme based on the Distorted Born Iterative Method (DBIM) is presented to solve two-dimensional inverse scattering problems with metallic scatterers. Half-quadratic regularization alleviates the inherently ill-posed problem of nonlinear inverse scattering while simultaneously preserving edges. Reconstruction results are found by minimizing a cost function. A bistatic experimental set-up is studied with angular and frequency diversity. A Multilevel Fast Multipole Algorithm (MLFMA) combined with a conjugate gradient (CG) scheme is introduced to solve the forward as well as the inverse scattering problem involved in the DBIM. The computational complexity per CG iteration using the MLFMA is of order O(N log N) compared to O(N2) in a standard implementation without the MLFMA. Numerical reconstruction results obtained from synthetic scattering data are presented.
F1: a distributed SQL database that scales

F1 is a distributed relational database system built at Google to support the AdWords business. F1 is a hybrid database that combines high availability, the scalability of NoSQL systems like Bigtable, and the consistency and usability of traditional SQL databases. F1 is built on Spanner, which provides synchronous cross-datacenter replication and strong consistency. Synchronous replication implies higher commit latency, but we mitigate that latency by using a hierarchical schema model with structured data types and through smart application design. F1 also includes a fully functional distributed SQL query engine and automatic change tracking and publishing.
Backarc spreading, rifting, and microplate rotation, between transform faults in the Manus Basin

The Manus Basin in the eastern Bismarck Sea is a fastopening backarc basin behind the New Britain arc-trench system. Within the basin, motion between the Pacific and Bismarck plates about a pole located at 11° S, 145° E, occurs along three major leftlateral transform faults and a variety of extensional segments. We interpret SeaMARC II sidescan and other geophysical data to show that a Brunhes age plate reorganization created new extensional boundaries and a microplate between the NW-trending Willaumez, Djaul, and Weitin transforms. Two linked spreading segments formed in backarc basin crust between the Willaumez and Djaul transforms: the ESE-trending extensional transform zone (ETZ) in the west and the Manus spreading center (MSC) in the east. Positively magnetized crust on the MSC forms a wedge varying in width from 72 km at its southwest end to zero at its northeast tip, with corresponding Brunhes spreading rates varying from 92 mm/yr to zero. The MSC forms the northwestern boundary of the 100 km-scale Manus microplate and opens at 51°/m.y. about a pole near its apex at 3°02′S, 150°32′E. Opposite the MSC, bordering the arc margin of New Britain, the microplate is bound by a zone of broadly distributed strike slip motion, extension, and volcanism. Within this area, the Southern Rifts contain a series of grabens partially floored by lava flows. Left-lateral motion between the Pacific and Bismarck plates appears to drive the counterclockwise pivoting motion of the Manus microplate and the complementary wedge-like opening of the MSC and the Southern Rifts. The pivoting motion of the microplate has resulted in compressional areas along its NE and SW boundaries with the Pacific and Bismarck plates respectively. East of the microplate, between the Djaul and Weitin transforms and within the arc margin of New Ireland, another zone of broad extension referred to as the Southeast Rifts takes up opening in a pull-apart basin. There, en echelon volcanic ridges may be the precursors of spreading segments, but erupted lavas include calcalkaline volcanics. Kinematic modeling and marine geophysical observations indicate that the responses to similar amounts of extension in the eastern Manus Basin have varied as a function of the different types of pre-existing crust: arc crust tectonically stretched over a broad area whereas backarc crust underwent relatively little stretching before accommodating extension by seafloor spreading.
A Model for Predicting Field-Directed Particle Transport in the Magnetofection Process

Purpose To analyze the magnetofection process in which magnetic carrier particles with surface-bound gene vectors are attracted to target cells for transfection using an external magnetic field and to obtain a fundamental understanding of the impact of key factors such as particle size and field strength on the gene delivery process.
Enhanced synthesis and release of dopamine in transgenic mice with gain-of-function α6* nAChRs

α6β2* nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs)s in the ventral tegmental area to nucleus accumbens (NAc) pathway are implicated in the response to nicotine, and recent work suggests these receptors play a role in the rewarding action of ethanol. Here, we studied mice expressing gain-of-function α6β2* nAChRs (α6L9'S mice) that are hypersensitive to nicotine and endogenous acetylcholine. Evoked extracellular dopamine (DA) levels were enhanced in α6L9'S NAc slices compared to control, non-transgenic (non-Tg) slices. Extracellular DA levels in both non-Tg and α6L9'S slices were further enhanced in the presence of GBR12909, suggesting intact DA transporter function in both mouse strains. Ongoing α6β2* nAChR activation by acetylcholine plays a role in enhancing DA levels, as α-conotoxin MII completely abolished evoked DA release in α6L9'S slices and decreased spontaneous DA release from striatal synaptosomes. In HPLC experiments, α6L9'S NAc tissue contained significantly more DA, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, and homovanillic acid compared to non-Tg NAc tissue. Serotonin (5-HT), 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid, and norepinephrine (NE) were unchanged in α6L9'S compared to non-Tg tissue. Western blot analysis revealed increased tyrosine hydroxylase expression in α6L9'S NAc. Overall, these results show that enhanced α6β2* nAChR activity in NAc can stimulate DA production and lead to increased extracellular DA levels.
Modeling fuel saving investments and fleet management in the trucking industry: The impact of shipment performance on GHG emissions

Much has been written about the potential of technologies to reduce the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of trucking, but much less on the determinants of these investments. The Trucking Sector Trip Segmentation Model (TSTS) predicts how firms make these investments in the context of operating heterogeneous truck fleets to service the spatially dispersed demand of shippers. This analysis suggests that improving the performance of trucking (speeding up shipments) could reduce significantly GHG emissions: investments in technologies are incentivized by fuel savings accruing sooner. This effect could be potentially large in the US as trucking firms often discount the future heavily.
Primary and secondary shoulder reconstruction in obstetric brachial plexus palsy

Summary Objectives In this retrospective review, the methods and outcomes in 96 children (98 extremities) with obstetric brachial plexus palsy who underwent primary reconstruction and/or palliative surgery for shoulder function were analysed. Methods Thirty cases underwent primary reconstruction alone, 37 underwent both primary and secondary procedures, and 31 late cases underwent only palliative surgery. The mean follow-up period was 6.7 years. Results The mean shoulder abduction increased from 48° ± 32° preoperatively to 123° ± 35° postoperatively (average gain 75°); the mean active external rotation with the arm at the side increased from −19° ± 17° to 62° ± 21° (mean gain 81°); and the mean aggregate Mallet score improved from 8.8 points to 20.9 points, respectively. Conclusions Reconstruction of both axillary and suprascapular nerves yielded improved outcomes of shoulder abduction and external rotation. Early plexus reconstruction (≤3 months) offered the best functional results and reduced the need for secondary reconstructions. A marked improvement was observed after palliative surgery irrespective of prior nerve reconstruction. Rerouting of latissimus dorsi and/or teres major tendons, combined with extra-articular musculotendinous lengthening, significantly improved global shoulder function.
Influence of retail store environmental cues on consumer patronage behavior across different retail store formats: An empirical analysis of US Hispanic consumers

Abstract This study examined the influence of Hispanic consumers’ perceived importance of apparel retail store environmental cues and demographic characteristics (i.e., age and the number of years lived in the US) on their apparel store patronage behavior across various retail store formats. Three apparel retail store environmental cue dimensions were identified. Of the three dimensions, Customer Service appeared as a significant determinant in Hispanic consumers’ decision to shop at department stores, specialty stores, and mass merchant stores. Convenience was significantly, but negatively, related to the use of specialty stores. Physical Atmosphere appeared as significant determinants of Hispanic consumers’ use of Internet websites. The respondents’ shopping frequency at department stores, Internet websites, and catalogues was significantly different based on the respondents’ age and number of years lived in the US This study offers insights for apparel retailers in building effective retail store environments to attract Hispanic consumers.
Local Rings of Finite Cohen–Macaulay Type☆☆☆

Abstract Let ( R , m ) be a local Cohen–Macaulay ring whose m -adic completion R has an isolated singularity. We verify the following conjecture of F.-O. Schreyer: R has finite Cohen–Macaulay type if and only if R has finite Cohen–Macaulay type. We also show that the hypersurface k [[ x 0 ,…, x d ]]/( f ) has finite Cohen–Macaulay type if and only if k s [[ x 0 ,…, x d ]]/( f ) has finite Cohen–Macaulay type, where k s is the separable closure of the field k .
Changes in size and age at maturity in a population of kokanee Oncorhynchus nerka during a period of declining growth conditions

Trends in size distributions and age at maturity of spawning kokanee Oncorhynchus nerka during a 5 year period of declining growth conditions at Bucks Lake, California, U.S.A. were consistent with the hypothesis that reductions in growth rates in successive cohorts induce a shift to an older age at maturity. This forestalls decreases in size at maturity during a transitional period characterized by an increasing proportion of individuals that delay maturation. During the course of the study, kokanee first began declining in size at maturity, and then shifted from a 3 year to a 4 year egg to adult cycle. Individuals that spawned during their fourth year (age 3 years) were significantly larger, on average, than members of their cohort that spawned during their third year (age 2 years). This difference was greatest when age 2 year adults were smallest. The shift to an older age at maturity prevented a steady decline in size at maturity, even though age-specific size was steadily declining over time. Size at maturity, however, began to decline again once the transition to a 4 year cycle was complete. In addition, there was a general trend of decreasing length-specific mass. The data indicate that there is a range of growth trajectories over which delayed maturity can prevent a temporal pattern of decreasing size at maturity as growth rates decline.
A note on straight-line generating mechanisms incorporating a belt-pulley transmission

Abstract Recently, ‘straight-line’ mechanisms, incorporating belt-pulley transmission, have been used successfully in ‘pen-drive’ systems as in the case of recorders manufactured by Brush Instrument Division of Clevite Corporation. The theoretical analyses of these systems were discussed as special cases of a more general class of mechanisms in two excellent papers by McPhate [1] and by Freudenstein [2]. The purpose of this brief note is to present a simple and straight-forward derivation of the basic design equations for this type of straight-line mechanism and also to show that it is equivalent to the classical ‘grasshopper’ straight-line motion.
Optical properties of ribonucleic acids predicted from oligomers.

Abstract An empirical method has been developed for predicting the optical properties of single-strand polynucleotides from the corresponding properties of oligonucleotides. If only nearest-neighbor interactions are considered, the optical rotatory dispersion of polynucleotides can be predicted from that of dinucleoside phosphates and mononucleosides. These calculations are in good agreement with experimental results for poly A, poly C, poly U and tobacco mosaic virus RNA and other RNA's in the absence of salt at neutral pH. Thus in the limit of low salt concentration, the conformation of tobacco mosaic virus RNA is mostly a single strand with stacked bases. The nearest-neighbor formalism has been extended to take into account double-stranded conformations. At present there are not sufficient experimental data to include the contributions to the optical rotatory dispersion from all of the possible double-stranded dimers. However, the effects of double-strand formation can be estimated from the known optical rotatory dispersion of double- and single-strand homopolynucleotides. With these estimates it was possible to predict the change in optical rotatory dispersion expected when a single strand forms intramolecular base pairs. These calculations agree with the observed change in the optical rotatory dispersion of tobacco mosaic virus RNA when salt is added to a salt-free solution. A model has been constructed for the yeast alanine sRNA which includes the effects of base stacking as well as base pairing. The properties of this model are consistent with much of the experimental data on the conformation of sRNA's. The optical rotatory dispersion of partially double-stranded alanine sRNA is in good agreement with nearest-neighbor predictions.
Optical spectroscopy of excitons in quantum wells

Abstract Main aspects of the electric-field effects on excitons in GaAs-GaAlAs quantum wells by spectroscopic studies are presented, including thickness dependence and coupling between excitonic states.
White House Proposes 4% Increase to U.S. Geological Survey Budget

Although funding for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) pales compared with that for NASA, the U.S. National Science Foundation, and other U.S. federal science agencies, the overall percent increase for USGS for fiscal year (FY) 2015 would be bigger than for those other agencies if Congress goes along with the budget that the White House proposed on 4 March.
Abstract C24: Phase I trial of dasatinib and ixabepilone in patients with solid tumors.

Background: Ixabepilone is an epothilone B analog that stabilizes tubulin, disrupts homeostasis and induces apoptosis. Dasatinib is a potent oral tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), which inhibits multiple targets including SRC. Synergistic activity has been reported when combining dasatinib with chemotherapy agents. This phase I study was conducted to determine the dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs), maximum tolerated doses (MTDs), pharmacokinetics (PK) and preliminary antitumor activity for ixabepilone and dasatinib when used in combination. Methods: Patients with metastatic or unresectable solid tumors who progressed on standard therapy received ixabepilone and dasatinib at escalating doses. An expansion cohort was formed after the MTD was reached. PK studies were performed. Results: Nineteen patients were enrolled. No DLTs were seen at dose level (DL) 1 (ixabepilone 30 mg/m 2 IV Q 3 weeks, dasatinib 100 mg PO QD). At DL 2 (ixabepilone 40 mg/m 2 IV Q 3 weeks, dasatinib 100 mg PO QD), the second patient had 3 DLTs (grade 3 diarrhea, grade 4 neutropenia and grade 3 febrile neutropenia), thus DL 2 was expanded to include 6 patients. No additional DLTs were seen at DL 2. At DL 3 (ixabepilone 40 mg/m 2 IV Q 3 weeks, dasatinib 150 mg PO QD), the first patient developed grade 3 diarrhea during cycle 2 and the second patient had a DLT (grade 3 diarrhea) and grade 3 mucositis during cycle 2. Accrual to DL 3 was halted due to these toxicities and MTDs were designated to be ixabepilone 40 mg/m 2 IV every 3 weeks and dasatinib 100 mg PO daily (DL 2). Additional 8 patients were then enrolled to DL 2. Three of these patients experienced DLTs (grade 4 neutropenia, grade 3 hyperkalemia and grade 3 fatigue). The best responses included one (5%) partial response (PR) in a lung cancer patient. Twelve (63%) patients had stable disease (SD) for at least 2 cycles. Altogether 13 (68%) patients came off study due to toxicities. Conclusion: The combination of ixabepilone and dasatinib showed modest clinical activity with doses 40 mg/m 2 IV every 3 weeks and100 mg PO QD, respectively. Treatment related toxicities were seen frequently. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference: Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2011 Nov 12-16; San Francisco, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2011;10(11 Suppl):Abstract nr C24.
The Incidence and Impact of Policy-Oriented Collective Action: Competing Views

This article asks four questions: (1) What are our theoretical expectations about the incidence of policy-oriented collective action and its impact? (2) What do the data show about the incidence of collective action and its impact? (3) How might the impact of collective action be related to its incidence? (4) What do our findings imply for our understanding of democratic politics? We suggest that predictions that little collective action will occur are more accurate than conventionally believed; that such action is often ineffective; that it may be ineffective partly because it is so infrequent; and that the analysis of the determinants of policy change should be rethought as a result.
Effect of oxygen on the dehalogenation of 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane by cytochrome P450cam (CYP101)

Cytochromes P450 are known to exhibit diverse catalytic functions against a large number of hydrocarbon substrates. The determinants of specific activity(ies) that operate on specific substrates have not been widely explored. Earlier, we showed that dehalogenation of 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane (DBCP) by P450cam (CYP101) monooxygenase exhibits oxygen- and substrate-dependent product distributions and reaction rates (1). Bromochloroacetone was the major conversion product when incubation media were saturated with oxygen, whereas allyl chloride was the sole product accounting for virtually all of the DBCP converted in the absence of oxygen. In an effort to develop a quantitative understanding of the effect of oxygen on product distribution and reaction rate, we have identified first generation products and measured reaction rates at four oxygen levels ranging from 0.01% to 100% saturation. In addition to bromochloroacetone and allyl chloride, a number of bromochloropropene isomers were identified in the presence of oxygen and are thought to be formed by an elimination mechanism. These products accounted for greater than 97 mol % of the reacted DBCP, which was run to high conversion (60-100 mol % DBCP converted). These measurements suggest that P450cam acts on the DBCP substrate through hydroxylation to produce 1-bromo-3-chloroacetone, through reduction to produce allyl chloride, and through elimination to produce bromochloropropene, with oxygen concentration determining the extent of each activity. A global data fitting kinetic model that describes the time-varying concentrations of substrate and products was developed to quantify the controlling level of oxygen on these multiple activities. The parameters of the model were compared with independent measurements and data from the literature.
Effect of ethanol on hepatotoxicity of acetaminophen in mice and on reactive metabolite formation by mouse and human liver microsomes

The protective effect of a single dose of ethanol with regard to hepatotoxicity caused by acetaminophen (APAP) can be a consequence of either direct or indirect inhibition of APAP oxidation to its hepatotoxic intermediate (N-acetyl-p-benzoquinoneimine, NAPQI), or augmentation of repair mechanisms following the hepatotoxic insult. The mechanism of hepatoprotection appears to be species dependent. By varying the time of ethanol administration relative to APAP in mice (30 min before to 240 min after APAP), it was shown that ethanol must be administered early relative to APAP for hepatoprotection to be maximized. The role of direct inhibition of cytochrome P450 in the hepatoprotective effect of ethanol was evaluated by comparing the hepatoprotection afforded by ethanol and 4-methylpyrazole (4-MP) in vivo to the inhibition of APAP oxidation to NAPQI caused by each in mouse liver microsomes. At their respective peak in vivo concentrations attained following hepatoprotective doses, both ethanol and 4-MP inhibited the oxidation of APAP in microsomes by 25-30%. This result suggests that direct inhibition of cytochrome P450 by ethanol plays a role in the protection against acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity in mice. In human liver microsomes the inhibition of APAP oxidation to the hepatotoxic intermediate by 48 mM ethanol is less than half of the apparent inhibition of APAP oxidation reported in clinical studies in which the maximum ethanol concentration would have been 15-20 mM. Thus, in contrast to the mouse, inhibition of APAP oxidation to NAPQI in humans appears to be largely indirect, as has been reported previously in the rat.
Environmental Services Performance Improvement in the ICU Using a Cleaning Checklist, Educational Video, and Fluorescent Marking Solution with Rapid-Cycle Feedback

Project: In collaboration with Environmental Services, the Epidemiology Department set out to achieve optimal cleaning and disinfection of the ICU environment using a practical and sustainable approach. A 43-point cleaning checklist was developed to include 15 high-touch items which were marked with a transparent, ultraviolet-tagged marking solution (DAZO ). EVS personnel received instruction regarding room disinfection with an emphasis on cleaning high-touch surfaces and how to use the checklist. Cleanliness was graded on the basis of removal of the marking solution post cleaning. Baseline EVS performance data was collected over three different periods. An educational DVD encompassing cleaning of high-touch items was developed, and all EVS personnel were required to view the video. Fifteen rooms in each of the 3 Adult ICUs were surveyed each month to assess performance. Unit-specific results were tallied monthly and rapidly fed back during face-to-face meetings with EVS personnel.
Put Me in, Coach: Observations on Selected Studies Implementing Supportive Interventions to Teachers

This article describes and comments further on the content of five articles published in School Mental Health (viz., Coles et al. 2015; Cook et al. 2015; Pas et al. 2015; Shernoff et al. 2015; Sutherland et al. 2015). Although these studies used a variety of research designs, most employed supportive coaching procedures to persuade teachers to implement evidence-based practices with high integrity. Thoughts regarding coaching and consultation as vehicles for providing support to teachers are offered, as are opinions on the value of assessing various constructs within coaching/consultation research (i.e., teachers’ beliefs, attitudes, knowledge, and/or skills in relation to enhancing intervention implementation; procedural integrity of the coaching/consultation procedure itself; and student outcomes).
1492) Proposal to conserve the name Hibiscus sabdariffa (Malvaceae) with a conserved type

The plant known as "roselle" in English-speaking countries, and as "flor de Jamaica" in Spanish-speaking countries, has widespread and significant economic importance. Wilson & Menzel (Econ. Bot. 18: 80-91. 1964) summarised the manifold uses of this plant. The dried calyces have recently become commercially important in various herbal teas (e.g., "Red Zinger" or "Hibiscus" tea) because of the brilliant red colour and pleasant flavour imparted to the beverage. This plant has long been known by the name Hibiscus sabdariffa L. (Sp. P1. 695. 1753) wherever it is cultivated or where it has become naturalised. However, although Borssum Waalkes (Blumea 14: 64. 1966) discussed the typification of H. sabdariffa and concluded that it required "a special study", the name had never been typified until, in 1979, Abedin (Fl. W. Pakistan 130: 9) lectotypified it with a Commelin plate (Hort. Med. Amstelod. 1: 35. t. 18. 1697) with the associated phrase name, "Alcea benghalensis spinosissima, acetosae sapore, flore luteo pallido: umbone purpurascente", that had been included by Linnaeus (Sp. P1. 1753) under an unnamed variety (var. 6). Abedin perhaps misinterpreted a statement by Borssum Waalkes (l.c.) suggesting that the Commelin plate "could be" designated as the type of H. cannabinus L. instead of a specimen in the Linnaean Herbarium (LINN 875.27) that was in poor condition. Linnaeus (Syst. Nat. ed. 10. 1149. 1759) based H. cannabinus on his 1753 var. 6 of H. sabdariffa. Linnaeus had initially (Hort. cliff. 350. 1737) recognised the species now known as H. sabdariffa under the phrase name "Hibiscus inermis, foliis serratis: inferioribus ovatis integris; superioribus trilobis", but in publishing H. sabdariffa in 1753 (l.c.) he broadened his concept to include also spiny/aculeate stemmed plants, omitting "inermis" in the nomen specificum legitimum (phrase-name) and adding "caule aculeato", and recognising five unnamed varieties. In 1759, Linnaeus (I.c.) recognised the heterogeneity of his 1753 concept and rectified it by narrowing his concept of H. sabdariffa to include only the smooth-stemmed elements, recognising, as noted above, H. cannabinus for spiny plants that included Commelin's plate. Obviously the "spinosissima" of Commelin and "inermis" are discordant, and Abedin's choice does not accord with Linnaeus's reinterpretation of 1759 and all subsequent usage. However, Abedin's choice is not in conflict with Linnaeus' protologue of 1753 and so his choice "must be followed" according to Art. 9.17 of the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature (Greuter & al., Regnum Veg. 138. 2000). This would be destabilising of accepted usage, involving the names of two
The pulmonary arterial tree in ventricular septal defect. A quantitative study of anatomic features in fetuses, infants. and children.

A quantitative analysis was made of the pulmonary arterial medial thickness and index of medial surface area (ratio of medial tissue to pulmonary parenchyma) in 50 cases of uncomplicated ventricular septal defect in fetuses, infants, and children. The ages of the subjects ranged from 26 weeks of fetal life to 12 years. The results were compared with those obtained from a control group of the same age. During the fetal and newborn period, both the thickness and the index of surface area of the media were generally within normal limits, although in an occasional case pulmonary arterial branches were considerably thinner than those in corresponding controls. The subjects between 1 week and 5 weeks of age had a medial thickness and an index of medial surface area that were lower than the average values at the time of birth. In this regard the pulmonary arterial tree in cases of ventricular septal defect corresponded with that in normal newborn infants. Soon after, however, and most clearly from 8 weeks on, th...
Delayed presentation and successful repair of a recurrent vesicovaginal fistula after hysterectomy and primary abdominal repair

Urogenital fistulae are an uncommon consequence of gynecologic surgery. Vesicovaginal fistulae due to gynecologic surgery generally appear 1–6 weeks after surgery and recurrent fistulae within 3 months of their repair. The pathogenesis of vesicovaginal fistula formation remains unclear. We present the case of a 36-year-old woman with a spontaneously recurring vesicovaginal fistula 21 months after abdominal repair of a vesicovaginal fistula caused by a laparoscopic-assisted vaginal hysterectomy. During the repair of the fistula and excision of the vaginal cuff, two small fluid-filled cysts between the bladder mucosa and the vaginal epithelium were encountered. Vesicovaginal fistulae can occur spontaneously and remote from surgery. The finding of small fluid-filled cysts in the cuff suggests that rupture of a similar cyst may have led to the formation of the fistula.
Special Functions on the Sphere with Applications to Minimal Surfaces

A function which is homogeneous in x,y,z of degree n and satisfies V"x"x+V"y"y+V"z"z=0 is called a spherical harmonic. In polar coordinates, the spherical harmonics take the form r^nf"n, where f"n is a spherical surface harmonic of degree n. On a sphere, f"n satisfies @?f"n+n(n+1)f"n=0, where @? is the spherical Laplacian. Bounded spherical surface harmonics are well studied, but in certain instances, unbounded spherical surface harmonics may be of interest. For example, if X is a parameterization of a minimal surface and n is the corresponding unit normal, it is known that the support function, w=X.n, satisfies @?w+2w=0 on a branched covering of a sphere with some points removed. While simple in form, the boundary value problem for the support function has a very rich solution set. We illustrate this by using spherical harmonics of degree one to construct a number of classical genus-zero minimal surfaces such as the catenoid, the helicoid, Enneper's surface, and Hennenberg's surface, and Riemann's family of singly periodic genus-one minimal surfaces.
Neuron-specific delivery of nucleic acids mediated by Tet1-modified poly(ethylenimine)

Background The development of minimally invasive, non-viral gene delivery vehicles for the central nervous system (CNS) is an important technology goal in the advancement of molecular therapies for neurological diseases. One approach is to deliver materials peripherally that are recognized and retrogradely transported by motor neurons toward the CNS. Tet1 is a peptide identified by Boulis and coworkers to possess the binding characteristics of tetanus toxin, which interacts specifically with motor neurons and undergoes fast, retrograde delivery to cell soma. In this work, Tet1-poly(ethylenimine) (Tet1-PEI) was synthesized and evaluated as a neurontargeted delivery vehicle. Methods Tet1-PEI and NT-PEI (neurotensin-PEI) were synthesized and complexed with plasmid DNA to form polyplexes. Polyplexes were assessed for binding and uptake in differentiated neuron-like PC-12 cells by flow cytometry and confocal microscopy. In order to determine gene delivery efficiency, polyplexes were exposed to PC-12 cells at various stages of differentiation. Targeted binding of polyplexes with primary neurons was studied using dorsal root ganglion cells. Results Tet1-PEI and NT-PEI polyplexes bound specifically to differentiated PC-12 cells. The specificity of the interaction was confirmed by delivery to non-neuronal cells and by competition studies with free ligands. Tet1-PEI polyplexes preferentially transfected PC-12 cells undergoing NGF-induced differentiation. Finally, neuron-specific binding of Tet1-PEI polyplexes was confirmed in primary neurons. Conclusions These studies demonstrate the potential of Tet1-PEI as a neuron-targeted material for non-invasive CNS delivery. Tet1-PEI binds specifically and is internalized by neuron-like PC-12 cells and primary dorsal root ganglion. Future work will include evaluation of siRNA delivery with these vectors. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A Pragmatic Interpretation of the 'Indwelling of Christ' in the Preaching of Claude La Colombière (1641–1682)

AbstractIn his sermon 'Pour la profession d'une religieuse', French Jesuit Claude La Colombiere (1641–1682) explains that a girl who has professed religious vows becomes a perfect nun when Jesus Christ lives in her in place of the world. Traditionally, spiritual writers have tended to discuss this 'indwelling' of Christ in quasi-mystical terms, as a kind of metaphysical and often eroticized union with God. With reference to the classical American philosophical tradition, the present article interprets the expression, 'le Christ vit en moi', as La Colombiere himself uses it, not as a mystical state but as a conception of one's feelings, actions, and thoughts. In this sense, to say that Christ 'lives in' a nun is to call to mind what one can expect of her — even what she can expect of herself.By focusing on the logical structure of this expression, pragmatic method thus helps reveal how La Colombiere understood nuns and how they understood themselves, as they lived within the religious institutions created ...
Endothelin receptor antagonists for pulmonary hypertension in adult patients with sickle cell disease

Pulmonary Hypertension is a serious complication of sickle cell disease (SCD), with high morbidity and mortality. Endothelin (ET)-1, a potent vasoconstrictor elevated in SCD, acts through the ET receptors (ETR), ETR-A and ETR-B. Bosentan and ambrisentan are ETR blockers used in primary pulmonary hypertension. We report on the use of ETR blocking agents in a cohort of 14 high-risk SCD adult patients with pulmonary hypertension. Patients underwent right heart catheterization, 6-min walk test, echocardiogram, physical examination and blood work-up before starting ETR blockers. Eight patients received ETR blockers as initial therapy; six patients were already taking sildenafil. Over more than 6 months of therapy, sequential measurements of 6-min walk distance increased significantly (baseline 357 +/- 22 to 398 +/- 18 m at 5-6 months, P < 0.05). Downward trends were observed for amino-terminal brain natriuretic peptide and tricuspid regurgitant velocity. Pulmonary artery mean pressures decreased in three patients that had repeat right heart catheterization (44-38 mmHg). Adverse events were: increased serum alanine aminotransferase (2), peripheral oedema (4), rash (1), headache (3), decreased haemoglobin (2). Therapy was stopped in two patients who were switched then to the other ETR blocker agent. These data suggest preliminary evidence for the benefit of bosentan and ambrisentan in pulmonary hypertension in SCD.
Electrical source localization of human movement-related cortical potentials

Movement-related cortical potentials (MRCP) of healthy humans were analyzed with a brain electrical source analysis program for modelling equivalent electrical dipoles in order to suggest the generators of the MRCP. Both right and left voluntary self-paced index finger movements were performed by 14 subjects and MRCP were recorded on the scalp with 29 electrodes. A spatiotemporal three-dipole model was developed and it explained 94.1% of the right-hand data and 96.4% of the left-hand data. The models for right- and left-hand data were almost similar except for the different hemispheres. A midline dipole was most active during the preparatory period before the onset of voluntary movement and two contralaterally locating dipoles were most active during and immediately after the motor act. The present model did not support recently suggested bilateral activation of primary motor cortices preceding the voluntary movement. The locations, orientations and the time course of activation of the dipoles suggest the involvement of the supplementary motor area in preparation of the movement and the contralateral primary motor cortex during the execution of the movement and the contralateral primary sensory cortex following the movement.
Comparison of brush border membrane vesicles prepared by three methods from larval Manduca sexta midgut

Abstract Brush border membrane vesicles (BBMV) were prepared from freshly isolated posterior larval Manduca sexta midguts by differential calcium precipitation, differential magnesium precipitation and differential ultrasonication. BBMV were also prepared from frozen posterior larval M. sexta midguts by differential calcium precipitaion and differential magnesium precipitation. The yield of BBMV by both differential precipitation methods was 5–6 times greater than that by the differential ultrasonification method. Enrichments of the brush border membrane marker enzymes alkaline phosphatase, γ-glutamyl transferase, and aminopeptidase were similar in all preparations. The polypeptide composition of all preparations was also similar. The specific activity of mitochondrial and microsomal marker enzymes was higher in BBMV prepared from freshly isolated midguts by the differential precipitation methods than in BBMV prepared by the ultrasonication method. The specific activity of cytochrome-c oxidase was 2.5–7 times higher in BBMV prepared from frozen midguts than in BBMV prepared from fresh tissue.