cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An improved preparation method for a titanium (III) media reductant

Abstract A detailed method for the formulation of titanium(III) nitrilotriacetate, a sulfur-free, media reductant, is described. Growth of Butyribacterium methylotrophicum on methanol was not significantly inhibited by 5 mM titanium(III) nitrilotriacetate. Concentrations as low as 30 μM effectively reduced cultured media and allowed growth of this obligate anaerobe. This reductant was used to investigate the nutritional requirements for sulfur compounds and growth of fastidious anaerobes in continuous flow culture.
Variations in Velar Position over Time

Changes in velar position during production of nonnasal speech in two adults were measured using field-by-field videoendoscopic tracking procedures. The data suggested that the changes in velar position were coordinated with syllable production. Peak velar displacement occurred during maximum oral closure for oral consonant production and was followed by lowering of velar position during vowel production. This pattern of velar movement was not altered by changes in speaking rate or by jaw fixation. The timing of peak velar elevation relative to peak intraoral air pressure and peak jaw elevation was also examined. Timing of peak velar displacement was statistically associated with timing of peak intraoral air pressure in one subject. The data are discussed with regard to the potential value of studying variations in velar position during nonnasal speech in patients with marginal velopharyngeal incompetence.
The Personal Expansion Questionnaire: Measuring one’s tendency to expand through novelty and augmentation

Abstract Previous research indicates that self-expansion, or acquiring a partner’s resources by “including the other in the self”, benefits satisfaction in romantic relationships ( Aron, Mashek, & Aron, 2004 ). The present investigation seeks to broaden traditional conceptualizations of self-expansion by integrating it with principles of social penetration theory ( Taylor, 1968 ) and considering expansion not only as a dyadic process, but also an individual personality trait. We have termed the newly conceptualized construct “personal expansion”. Three separate studies (N = 172 married adults, 606 undergraduate students, and 129 additional undergraduates, respectively) are presented to validate the Personal Expansion Questionnaire; a 10-item self-report scale developed to measure this newly defined construct. Results indicate a two factor structure underlying personal expansion. Both convergent and discriminant validity are established in comparison to one’s individual needs, affective traits, and the Big Five personality factors. Finally, test–retest reliability for the PEQ is demonstrated across five weeks. Consideration is given to the unique ways that personal expansion may be particularly relevant to long-term relationship success at both the individual and dyadic level.
The epidemiology of self-defense gun use: Evidence from the National Crime Victimization Surveys 2007-2011

ABSTRACT Objectives To describe the epidemiology of self-defense gun use (SDGU) and the relative effectiveness of SDGU in preventing injury and property loss. Methods Data come from the National Crime Victimization Survey for 2007–2011, focusing on personal contact crimes. For property loss, we examined incidents where the intent was to steal property. Multivariate analyses controlled for age, gender of offender and victim, if offender had a gun, urbanicity, and thirteen types of self-protective action. Results Of over 14,000 incidents in which the victim was present, 127 (0.9%) involved a SDGU. SDGU was more common among males, in rural areas, away from home, against male offenders and against offenders with a gun. After any protective action, 4.2% of victims were injured; after SDGU, 4.1% of victims were injured. In property crimes, 55.9% of victims who took protective action lost property, 38.5 of SDGU victims lost property, and 34.9% of victims who used a weapon other than a gun lost property. Conclusions Compared to other protective actions, the National Crime Victimization Surveys provide little evidence that SDGU is uniquely beneficial in reducing the likelihood of injury or property loss.
Improving energy efficiency for energy harvesting embedded systems

While the energy harvesting system (EHS) supplies green energy to the embedded system, it also suffers from uncertainty and large variation in harvesting rate. This constraint can be remedied by using efficient energy storage. Hybrid Electrical Energy Storage (HEES) system is proposed recently as a cost effective approach with high power conversion efficiency and low self-discharge. In this paper, we propose a fast heuristic algorithm to improve the efficiency of charge allocation and replacement in an EHS/HEES equipped embedded system. The goal of our algorithm is to minimize the energy overhead on the DC-DC converter while satisfying the task deadline constraints of the embedded workload and maximizing the energy stored in the HEES system. We first provide an approximated but accurate power consumption model of the DC-DC converter. Based on this model, the optimal operating point of the system can be analytically solved. Integrated with the dynamic reconfiguration of the HEES bank, our algorithm provides energy efficiency improvement and runtime overhead reduction compared to previous approaches.
Nonmicrosurgical options for soft tissue reconstruction of the hand

There are many options for nonmicrosurgical soft tissue coverage of hand wounds, ranging from split thickness skin grafting to pedicled soft tissue transfer, depending on the size, location, blood supply, and depth of the wound. Although many of these techniques have been available for decades, recent advancements in wound management include synthetic dermal substitution, new dressing materials, and variations on previously described or novel pedicled flaps.The goals of coverage include maximizing healing, function, aesthetic appearance, and patient satisfaction, while minimizing donor site morbidity. Optimal management often relies on an individual surgeon's assessment and judgment, as hand wounds can vary greatly and pose unique challenges, and multiple coverage options often exist for each wound. Here, we aim to present useful and up-to-date information on nonmicrosurgical soft tissue coverage for hand reconstruction focusing on recent findings of interest to provide an update on areas with evolving evidence.
Tetracycline bone labeling in anatomy

Tetracyclines are deposited in vivo at centers of active bone formation, and can be seen by fluorescence microscopic examination of undecalcified bone sections. With this marker, the rate of bone formation at the level of the osteon can be measured, and is taken to indicate the speed of bone formation at the level of the osteoblast. When the number of bone-forming centers is then counted, it becomes possible to compute: (1) the number of new centers initiated per unit time, which number is taken to indicate the number of new osteoblasts created from the osteoprogenitor cell (mesenchymal cell) pool; (2) the rate of bone formation averaged over the whole sample, which is the form of protein anabolism characteristic of bone. Therefore the tetracycline-labeling technique permits the quantitative analysis of skeletal growth, as well as the maintenance of the mature skeleton, in terms of tissue dynamics and cell population dynamics. Of major importance in the design of future studies is the frequent finding that abnormalities in the rate of bone formation over the whole tissue may be the opposite of abnormalities in the rate of bone formation at the level of the osteoblast. This situation can exist because osteoprogenitor cell behavior can – and frequently does – produce major changes in the total number of functional osteoblasts, changes which do not correlate with changes in the behavior of individual osteoblasts.
Dendritic solidification—III. Some further refinements to the model for dendritic growth under an imposed thermal gradient

Some further refinements to a simple model for dendritic solidification in a binary alloy melt under an imposed positive thermal gradient are presented. Two new expressions for the dendrite tip undercooling have been obtained and shown to yield a limiting value of Delta T sub 0 and very small growth rates. Here Delta T sub 0 is the equilibrium solidification range of the alloy. At very large growth rates, all three tip undercooling expressions reach the same limiting value depending on the value of a dimensionless parameter lambda which is related to the effective diffusion distance ahead of the dendrite tip. The predicted tip undercoolings are, however, somewhat lower at intermediate growth rates. An improved calculation for the solute buildup at the dendrite tip due to curvature effects is also included.
Small low-cost unmanned aerial vehicle system identification: Brief sensor survey and data quality, consistency checking, and reconstruction

This paper serves as the next chapter in a series of papers on system identification (system ID) for small low-cost unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The purpose of this paper is to answer the question of, what is the next step in the process of system ID once a method of system ID and a model type have been selected? The focus of this paper is to show how sensors, data quality, and data consistency and reconstruction techniques provide an answer to this question. The paper also provides a broader scope for utilizing data consistency and reconstruction in small low-cost UAVs and how it can increase mission assurance and fault tolerance. A brief survey of small low-cost Micro-Electro-Mechanical systems (MEMS) sensors used in UAVs is given. Included in the survey is the data types provided by each sensor and issues of each sensor from a system ID perspective. The process of determining and improving data quality, utilizing data consistency checking and reconstruction techniques is outlined. The paper concludes with guidelines and lessons learned about sensor data for system ID and a future research direction.
Toxicologic studies on soventol (N-benzyl-N-phenyl-4-amino-1-methylpiperidine)

Abstract The oral LD50's of Soventol in rats and dogs were 460 and 189 mg/kg, respectively. In the lethal doses central nervous system stimulation was seen, followed by disorientation and death. Soventol was added to the diet of rats for 6 months so that the daily diet was 125 mg/kg in the highest dose level. The only sign of toxicity at this level was a decrease in growth rate in the male rats. Dogs were given doses up to 60 mg/kg per day of Soventol for 3 and 4 months and showed no signs of toxicity. Doses of 120 mg/kg per day of Soventol were not tolerated by the dogs and they all died within 4 weeks. Until the day before death no signs of drug toxicity were noted.
Effects of Hurricane Katrina on the Performance of U.S. Highway Bridges

This paper presents the observed bridges performance, including damage attributed to storm surge, wind, impact by debris and barges, and scour from Hurricane Katrina, and study of wave forces on bridge decks, including a recommended simple estimation method and countermeasures used to restore functionality to the bridges and transportation system. The lessons learned and research studies of the storm surges and mitigation measures performed directly by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and state DOTs through the National Cooperative Highway Research Program are also briefly introduced.
Late Quaternary sapropel sediments in the eastern Mediterranean Sea: Faunal variations and chronology

Distinctive planktonic foraminiferal assemblages which characterize particular late Quaternary sapropel layers in deep basin sediments from the eastern Mediterranean Sea have been identified using cluster analysis. Three distinct clusters allow for identification and intercore correlation of the nine sapropels deposited during the last 250,000 yr. Cluster 1, representing sapropel layers S1 and S9, exhibits low abundances of Neogloboquadrina dutertrei and high abundances of Globigerinoides ruber; Cluster 2, which groups S3, S5, and S7, contains high abundances of G. ruber, N. dutertrei, and Globigerina bulloides, and Cluster 3, which includes samples from S4, S6, and S8, is marked by extremely abundant N. dutertrei and G. bulloides, and rare G. ruber. Analysis of sedimentation rates in 14 cores reveals the following approximate ages for the sapropel layers: S2 = 52,000 yr B.P.; S3 = 81,000–78,000 yr B.P.; S4 = 100,000–98,000 yr B.P.; and S5 = 125,000–116,000 yr B.P. As previously suggested, sedimentation rates on the Mediterranean Ridge were determined to be relatively constant during the last 127,000 yr. In contrast, basin sedimentation rates have fluctuated markedly from lower rates during interglacial stage 5 to higher rates during the last glacial episode. These glacial/interglacial differences are most pronounced in the northern Ionian Basin, because of increased terrigenous sediment deposition during glacial episodes. Unusually high biogenic sedimentation rates occurred in an arc south of Crete during the deposition of sapropel S5, probably due to higher productivity in this region.
Control networks and neuromodulators of early development.

Observations of parents and multiple experimental studies have revealed large behavioral changes in attention and self-regulation between infants, older children and adults (Posner & Rothbart, 2007; Rothbart, 2011). During infancy, regulation is often a function of the intervention of the caregiver. However, the infant does exhibit approach and withdrawal tendencies that provide a basis for self-regulation and, over the early years of life, children come to regulate their own emotions and behaviors more completely. This change in behavior is readily observed by all. However, the dramatic changes in brain function that lie behind the behavioral changes are only now becoming clear, based on studies of behavior and functional imaging. In this paper, we propose that a brain network including frontal and parietal areas related to attentional orienting provides the chief means of self-regulation in infancy, but that by 3 to 4 years the executive attention system, including the anterior cingulate and basal ganglia, increasingly controls cognition and emotion through its connections to remote brain areas. In older children and adults, executive attention can be measured by behavior in cognitive tasks involving the resolution of conflict or by the higher-order factor of Effortful Control (EC) assessed through parent or self-report temperament questionnaires (Posner & Rothbart, 2007; Rothbart & Rueda, 2005). This paper is divided into three major sections: An introductory review, an empirical section in which we provide a new analysis of longitudinal data and an overall discussion. The introductory review begins with neural networks related to attention that serve to provide control in adult studies. The networks have different neuromodulators, as found in anatomic and pharmacological studies. The networks show an interesting time course, with long connections developing over the first years of life. There is also development of increasing independence between the orienting and executive networks. We consider genetic polymorphisms related to individual differences in efficiency of these networks in adults. In the second section we present a longitudinal study of how these various levels contribute to behavioral control in infancy and childhood. In the final discussion section, we examine how our results inform our understanding of attention and self-regulation during early development.
Capital Market Imperfection, the Consumption Function, and the Effectiveness of Fiscal Policy

We shall derive a conventional macroeconomic consumption function from macroeconomic intertemporal consumer behavior. In addition, we show below that expansionary fiscal policy need not be ineffective even when the future tax implications of an increase in current government debt finance are perfectly foreseen. The common basis for both results is an imperfection in the capital market; consumers cannot borrow against future income.
Modeling and Control of a Singly Curved Active Aperture Antenna Using Curved Piezoceramic Actuators

There is an increasing need for aperture antenna devices that incorporate multifunctional capability. One popular solution to this problem is the use of an active aperture antenna that is able to vary the direction and shape of its radiation pattern by using actuators to alter the shape of the reflector. This study focuses on the use of a pre-curved piezoceramic actuator, referred to as a THUNDER actuator, to change the shape of a prototype reflector. These actuators offer greater force, deflection and higher strength than traditional PZT actuators, while maintaining cost effectiveness. In this study the design of a prototype antenna structure that can accommodate deflection experiments and far-field radiation pattern tests is presented. The theoretical relationship between the dish deflection and the input voltage is established in two stages. In the first stage, the deflection at the end of the actuator is determined using a combination of Hamilton's principle and laminated composite curved beam theory. The piezoelectric properties of the actuator are also considered during this stage. In the second stage, the deflection at the tip of the dish is calculated using geometric relationships, with the assumption that the remaining portion of the dish moves as a rigid body. The resulting deflection equations yield results that closely match the experimental quasi-static deflection results for a given input voltage, despite the presence of hysteresis. A dynamic model for a THUNDER actuator is developed based on experimental frequency response measurements. Positive Positioned Feedback (PPF) control is implemented on the system, in order to reduce position overshoot and oscillations in the transient response of the structure. The controller yields an improvement in the transient response in both simulation and experiments. Finally, the controlled system is utilized to transmit radiation in the far field.
Boron extended solubility and strengthening potency in rapidly solidified Ni3Al

Abstract The strengthening of the intermetallic compound Ni3Al by boron addition has been investigated via the rapid solidification technique of melt spinning. Using X-ray diffraction, differential thermal analysis and transmission electron microscopy it is shown that by rapid solidification up to 1.5 at.% boron can be held in solution in the aluminide without formation of boride. The lattice parameter results further show that the boron atoms in solution tend to occupy the interstitial sites, generate large lattice strain, and thereby strengthen the Ni3Al substantially. For example, addition of 1 at.% boron increases the room temperature yield strength of rapidly solidified Ni3Al from ∼480to∼750MPa. This represents a strengthening potency significantly larger than that of substitutional solutes.
Management of adverse side-effects after chemotherapy in macaques as exemplified by streptozotocin: case studies and recommendations

The chemotherapeutic streptozotocin is used for induction of diabetes in animal models including non-human primates. Being a cytotoxic nitrosourea compound, it can be associated with adverse events (AEs), mainly nausea and emesis, nephrotoxicity, elevated liver transaminase levels, pulmonary oedema and, most prominently, metabolic acidosis: these can be severe in some cases. The incidence and gravity are to some extent related to the characteristics of the individual animal, diagnostic tools, prompt recognition of symptoms and supportive measures. Careful animal selection, dose adaptation and supportive actions such as renal protective hydration are the main tools in managing AEs, but do not fully eliminate unavoidable and sometimes life-threatening conditions. In our centre we have built experience in a cohort of 78 cynomolgus and rhesus macaques in which six cases manifested severe AEs (8%). This experience has prompted implementation of strategies for early detection and management of adverse effects, together with an animal refinement programme. We present here specific pretreatment regimens, post-infusion laboratory evaluations, and flow charts to assess/treat metabolic acidosis and precipitating factors. Case reports of the six animals with severe AEs are presented to illustrate management of AEs, especially metabolic acidosis, and criteria for early euthanasia where appropriate. We conclude that improved monitoring and validated tools allow for optimal management of adverse effects in an early stage of their manifestation. Reduced morbidity and mortality not only improve individual animal wellbeing but also avoid model-induced confounding that diminishes the translational value of the experimental protocol.
Lactase dehydrogenase as a tumor marker for recurrent disease in Ewing's sarcoma

The serum lactase dehydrogenase (LDH) of 56 patients with Ewing's sarcoma was examined to determine the use of LDH as a tumor marker. The initial LDH level was used to determine its ability to predict survival. The follow-up LDH level also was examined, as an indicator of recurrent disease. The initial LDH level was found to have no prognostic value. Both patients with elevated and normal LDH levels had the same survival rate. The LDH level at recurrence was significantly higher, however, than the follow-up LDH level of those without recurrence (P < 0.001). The LDH level was most sensitive as a tumor marker for recurrent disease in those patients with multiple sites of tumor involvement at the time of recurrence.
Understanding Environmental Theology: A Summary for Environmental Educator

Environmental theology is a term generally used to describe physical-spiritual worldviews and associated ethics. It has been found that an operational definition or description for environmental theology is not readily available. The purpose of this report is to provide an accessible and objective overview of a topic of interest to environmental educators.
Assessing the gains from deregulation in Japan's international telecommunications industry

Abstract The Japanese government terminated the monopoly of international telecommunications service by Kokusai Denshin Denwa (KDD) as part of the regulatory reform in telecommunications in 1985. Two new carriers entered the market in 1989. In defending its market share, KDD intensified cost reduction efforts and accepted lower profitability in order to carry out a series of sharp rate reductions. I have assessed the size of the net welfare gain associated with the deregulation. Deregulation brought about a 22.2% fall in KDD's unit cost for the eight-year period ending in 1992. Because this efficiency gain was fully passed along to telephone users in the form of lower rates, the corresponding increment of consumer surplus was of significant size, equivalent to 25.6% of total international telephone call revenues in 1992. (JEL L95, O53)
Improving efficiency in engineering education through asynchronous computer-based instruction

The GOAL (Guided On-Demand Adaptive Learning) project produced three computer-based instruction modules for use in a course on Digital Logic Design. GOAL modules teach concepts interactively, provide exploratory interactive activities, and present material in a style that best matches the student's preferences. In addition, GOAL allows the student to set the pace, providing more detail and explanation when needed, moving quickly when possible. GOAL also can evaluate knowledge through assessment activities, allowing a student to earn validated credits for demonstrated mastery of material. Evaluation of the data collected during three semesters of student trials suggest that students using GOAL can achieve comparable learning in significantly less time. than traditional classroom lectures.
Patterns of Language Preference Among Bilingual (Filipino–English) Boys

The pattern of language preference in a simultaneous bilingual (Filipino–English) population was examined, including changes in the pattern of preference over time. Participants were 81 Filipino boys (Mean age=6 years, 2 months) recruited from two schools in the Philippines. A language preference checklist was completed by the parents of the children at the beginning of kindergarten (n=81) and the beginning of first grade (n=58). Factor analysis of the checklist items yielded three language preference factors at kindergarten and two factors at first grade. Findings show that bilingual boys evidence different patterns of language preference across situations, with variability in preference within individuals. Variables that may be influencing the patterns of preference are discussed.
A many-body stochastic approach to rotational motions in liquids: a reassessment of the Hubbard-Einstein relation

Abstract A multidimensional Fokker-Planck-Kramers equation for rotational relaxation of small solutes in complex liquids is developed wherein collective solvent effects are explicitly represented by rotating torques and stochastic fields. A simplified version of the model is applied to interpret the breakdown of the Hubbard-Einstein relation at high viscosities.
Malignant fibrous histiocytoma of the oral soft tissues

Abstract Between 1944 and 1984, six patients with a malignant fibrous histiocytoma of the oral soft tissues were treated at the M.D. Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute. From the time of the first description of this tumor until 1984, another 10 documented cases of malignant fibrous histocytoma involving the oral soft tissues were reported in the English-language literature. With respect to these 16 patients (including our 6 cases), the clinicopathologic aspects of malignant fibrous histiocytoma, treatment, and survival figures are discussed. The treatment of choice is early and radical surgery, including neck dissection, since in four of the six patients treated at the M.D. Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute regional lymph node metastases were found. The response to chemotherapy, except for the response of patients with the inflammatory type of malignant fibrous histiocytoma, and radiotherapy is usually poor. The 2-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates respectively, are, 36%, 30%, and 20%.
Outbreak of pyrazinamide-monoresistant tuberculosis identified using genotype cluster and social media analysis.

IN 2009, AN OUTBREAK of Mycobacterium tuberculosis heralded by monoresistance to pyrazinamide (PZA) was identified in a metropolitan area of Virginia among a young US-born population. PZA is a first-line anti-tuberculosis medication with unique bactericidal properties against intracellular semi-dormant bacilli, and an essential component of the quadruple-drug regimen for short-course anti-tuberculosis treatment.1 Monoresistance to PZA (PZAMR) has historically been associated with M. bovis, a M. tuberculosis complex organism with inherent resistance. However, over the past 15 years PZAMR M. tuberculosis has been increasingly reported.2–6 PZA susceptibility testing by conventional phenotypic methods remains technically demanding due to the need to replicate in vitro the acidic environment required for PZA activity. The radiometric method is considered a reference method; however, most laboratories use the non-radiometric BACTEC™ MGIT™ 960 (BD, Sparks, MD, USA) system. The reproducibility and validity of MGIT960 results have been variable,7 with some groups reporting high concordance with the radiometric method,8 and others notable discordance.9 Molecular assays have been developed for the pncA gene, a 561 base-pair gene encoding for the enzyme pyrazinamidase. Mutations within this gene or its promoter region may render the mycobacteria unable to convert PZA into the active drug, pyrazinoic acid. Approximately 85% correlation between pncA mutations and phenotypic results has been reported.10 When considering the spread of M. tuberculosis within a community, universal genotyping can be a valuable tool for tuberculosis (TB) control programs. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) supported National Tuberculosis Genotyping Service (NTGS) provides spoligotyping, mycobacterial interspersed repetitive units-variable numbers of tandem repeat (MIRU-VNTR) typing, and, on request, insertion sequence (IS) 6110 restriction length fragment polymorphism (RFLP) on TB isolates in the United States. Genotyping combined with epidemiologic investigations may aid conventional contact investigations by revealing unsuspected relationships and transmission settings.11 Social media websites such as Facebook.com have facilitated dissemination of health information; however, their use during genotype cluster investigations for TB has yet to be reported.12 In the present study, we report the investigative procedures involved in this outbreak of PZAMR TB in Virginia and describe how genotype cluster investigation impacted conventional contact investigation procedures. An unexpectedly extensive outbreak was revealed, necessitating an enhanced screening and treatment protocol that uncovered additional latent and active cases.
Abstract LB-202: Therapeutic efficacy of coencapsulated cisplatin and arsenic trioxide nanobins in murine models of breast cancer

We have developed a novel strategy to encapsulate a combination of cisplatin and arsenic trioxide as a precipitate inside 100 nm liposomal nanobins, NB(Pt, As). Cisplatin is a widely used chemotherapeutic but has significant dose-limiting toxicity. Arsenic trioxide (ATO) is a potent FDA-approved therapy for acute promyelocytic leukemia; however, ATO has not been effective in clinical trials of solid tumors. Encapsulation in nanoliposomes can improve the anti-cancer efficacy of chemotherapeutic agents by extending serum half-life, increasing tumor drug delivery and attenuating toxicity. We have tested the therapeutic efficacy of NB(Pt, As) in orthotopic xenograft models of triple negative breast cancer using MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-435/LvBr1 cancer cell lines. Treatment with either NB(Pt, As) or cisplatin for three weeks inhibited growth of MDA-MB-231 mammary tumors in vivo. However, the NB(Pt, As) did not cause weight loss in treated animals and did not result in abnormal serum chemistries. NB(Pt, As) was also evaluated for its ability to inhibit lung metastases. Mice inoculated intraductally with highly metastatic MDA-MB-435/LvBr1 cancer cells develop mammary tumors that metastasize and form macroscopic lesions in the lung. Treatment with NB(Pt, As) was initiated when primary tumors reached∼250 mm3. Both NB(Pt, As) and cisplatin inhibited primary tumor growth in this model, whereas only NB(Pt, As) treatment significantly reduced lung metastatic burden. Our results suggest that nanobin encapsulated cisplatin and ATO is a promising nanoscale therapeutic agent for metastatic breast cancer. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-202. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-LB-202
CONSUMERS AND PRODUCT SAFETY: MARKET PROCESSES AND IMPERFECTIONS*

This paper reexamines the competitive market solution to the determination of product safety. The concept of an optimizing social level of product safety-defined at the point at which the costs of increasing safety are equated to consumers willingness to pay for it-is developed and discussed. Various potential market failures are outlined. These failures give reasons to expect that the competitive solution will not be achieved in practice and provide a rationale for certain types of governmental intervention. Various empirical studies of implicit markets for various types of risks are reviewed as a basis for evaluating market efficiency and regulatory efficiency.
Performance of RPL under wireless interference

Smart homes and environments will consist of a large number of low power wireless devices such as sensors and actuators. Recently IETF standardized a network protocol called RPL that is designed to run on these nodes. In this article, we study the performance of RPL on a variety of scenarios that these nodes will encounter when they are deployed in practice. We deploy a network of 23 sensor nodes in a computer lab to monitor energy used by each computer across the applications and users. We subject the network to four different levels of interference that are representative of the types and levels of interference that these networks might encounter in deployment. Our study finds that RPL reliability degrades even with an access point in overlapping channel under normal network traffic. With high interference, the packet delivery reliability goes down to 10 percent. The scenario that resulted in this performance is not unimaginable in smart home or environment. This performance degradation is partly due to lack of coordination across the layers of the protocol stack: RPL is unaware of the changes in the wireless environment underneath and proceeds as usual. As other research has shown, coordination across the network stack is essential for network protocols to work reliably in the presence of interference. This will require a more coordinated approach to standards across the bodies.
Comparing the Power of Robots

Robots must complete their tasks in spite of unreliable actuators and limited, noisy sensing. In this paper, we consider the information requirements of such tasks. What sensing and actuation abilities are needed to complete a given task? Are some robot systems provably "more powerful", in terms of the tasks that they can complete, than others? Can we find meaningful equivalence classes of robot systems? This line of research is inspired by the theory of computation, which has produced similar results for abstract computing machines. Our basic contribution is a dominance relation over robot systems that formalizes the idea that some robots are stronger than others. This comparison, which is based on how the robots progress through their information spaces, induces a partial order over the set of robot systems. We prove some basic properties of this partial order and show that it is directly related to the robots' ability to complete tasks. We give examples to demonstrate the theory, including a detailed analysis of a limited-sensing global localization problem.
Free myocutaneous latissimus dorsi flap transfer in total knee arthroplasty

The purpose of this article is to present our experience with free myocutaneous latissimus dorsi flap transfer in total knee arthroplasty in case of insufficient soft tissue prior to operation ('prophylactic indication'). Fourteen patients who underwent simultaneous flap surgery in the context of total knee arthroplasty because of insufficient soft tissue are reviewed in a retrospective clinical study. The following criteria were examined: (1) aetiology of the soft-tissue defect, (2) number of previous operations, (3) status of the knee extensor mechanism classified as complete, partial or missing, (4) primary wound healing, (5) complications and (6) active range of motion (ROM). Insufficient soft tissue resulted from multiple previous operations in 10 patients and large post-traumatic defects in four patients. All patients had 5-23 (mean 10.2) previous operations before free latissimus dorsi transfer. The status of the extensor mechanism was complete in one, partial in nine and missing in four patients. Primary wound healing could be achieved in eight patients. After free latissimus dorsi transfer, skin breakdown at the recipient site occurred in five patients. Secondary skin grafting was carried out in four patients and a fasciocutaneous flap in one patient. There were three late recurrences of infection, with ultimate removal of the knee prosthesis and conversion to arthrodesis. Average active ROM prior to surgery was for extension/flexion 0-9-28 degrees . One year after surgery the average active ROM was 0-6-75 degrees . A free myocutaneous latissimus dorsi flap transfer is rarely indicated in total knee arthroplasty and should only be considered for defects which cannot be covered by a pedicled (medial gastrocnemius) flap. Free latissimus dorsi transfer makes prosthesis implantation possible, prevents postoperative knee stiffness because of soft tissue and/or scar constriction and shows a low rate of severe complications in patients with a high risk of wound-healing problems. Moreover, transfer of well-vascularised tissue will improve trophicity in the knee region, and thus make future operations in this region easier.
Reduction of alcohol-related harm on United States college campuses: The use of personal feedback interventions

Abstract This paper reviews research evaluating personalised feedback interventions (PFIs) for reducing the harms associated with alcohol abuse among US college students. PFIs provide students with feedback about their own alcohol use relative to college norms, as well as information about other aspects of their drinking behaviours, related problems and/or perceived risks. Studies conducted in the United States using randomised designs indicate that PFIs are efficacious for reducing various aspects of alcohol use and/or related negative consequences for both high-risk volunteer and mandated college students. To date, these studies have demonstrated that written-feedback-only PFIs are as efficacious as brief in-person PFIs, at least on a short-term duration. Therefore, college administrators should be encouraged to develop interventions to screen students and provide written personal feedback in order to reduce high-risk drinking patterns among college students. Web-based approaches might prove to be a very cost-effective strategy, although more research is needed to determine their efficacy, as well as what aspects of the feedback are the most effective.
Development of the Juvenile Justice Anger Management Treatment for Girls

Female juvenile offenders exhibit high levels of anger, relational aggression, and physical aggression, but the population has long been ignored in research and practice. No anger management treatments have been developed specifically for this population, and no established anger management treatments are empirically supported for use with delinquent girls. Thus, to alleviate anger and reduce the frequency and severity of aggressive behaviors in this underserved population, we developed the gender-specific, Juvenile Justice Anger Management (JJAM) Treatment for Girls. This cognitive-behavioral intervention was adapted from the Coping Power Program (Lochman & Wells, 2002), a school-based anger management treatment for younger children that has established efficacy and effectiveness findings with its target populations. This paper describes how the content of JJAM was developed to meet the unique needs of adolescent girls in residential juvenile justice placements. It also traces the process of developing a manualized treatment and the steps taken to enhance efficacy and clinical utility. An overview of the treatment, a session-by-session outline, an example session activity, and an example homework assignment are provided. A randomized controlled trial is currently being conducted to evaluate the efficacy of the JJAM Treatment for Girls.
Deciwavelength-scale fade mitigation

This work presents empirical results illustrating that mitigation of the deepest fades produced by environments expected for machine-to-machine (M2M) systems can be readily accomplished with antenna elements spaced at intervals as small as λ/10. Results are presented for laboratory measurements collected between 5 and 6 GHz. The implication of this work is that compact antenna diversity schemes, which are less than optimal, can still be highly effective in improving M2M link reliability.
Chemical syntheses of inhibitory substrates of the RNA–RNA ligation reaction catalyzed by the hairpin ribozyme

The chemical syntheses of RNA oligomers containing modifications on the 5'-carbon of the 5'-terminal nucleoside for crystallographic and mechanistic studies of the hairpin ribozyme are reported. Phosphoramidites 4 and 8 were prepared and used in solid phase syntheses of RNA oligomers containing the sequence 5'-N'UCCUCUCC, where N' indicates either 5'-chloro-5'-deoxyguanosine or 5'-amino-5'-deoxyguanosine, respectively. A ribozyme ligation assay with the 5'-chloro- and 5'-amino-modified RNA oligomers demonstrated their inhibition of the hairpin-catalyzed RNA-RNA ligation reaction.
Impaired coronary flow and ventricular function in hearts of hypertensive rats

Hearts of rats made hypertensive (BP greater than 150 mmHg) by left renal artery clipping and sham operated controls were studied in two series of experiments. In series I, cardiac function was studied in an isolated working heart apparatus at weeks 4, 9 to 10 and 16 to 17 post-surgery. In series II, coronary flow was studied during normoxic and anoxic retrograde perfusions at days 6 to 9 and at weeks 4 and 10 post-surgery. In series I, when compared with controls, hypertensives had lower body weights at weeks 4 and 9 to 10, and higher left ventricular weights at each period. Heart function was depressed for hypertensives when compared with controls as measured by lower stroke volume, peak left ventricular systolic pressure, stroke work, ejection fraction, positive dP/dt, peak aortic flow, and maximal flow acceleration. Relaxation rate as measured by negative dP/dt was also depressed. Hearts from hypertensives had significantly lower coronary flows and MVO2, and increased percent oxygen extraction and effluent lactate/pyruvate ratios. LVEDP was significantly elevated for hypertensives, when LVEDV (ml) was similar for hypertensives and controls. Myocardial actomyosin ATPase activity was depressed for hypertensives at weeks 9 to 10 and 16 to 17 post-surgery. In series II, when hearts were perfused retrogradely, coronary flow was lower for hypertensives than for controls during normoxia at days 6 to 9 and at week 4, and during anoxia at all time periods. The findings demonstrate that impaired coronary vascular reserve develops within days of the development of hypertension in rats, and this can be associated with impaired ventricular function.
Age Differences in Anger Frequency, Intensity, and Expression

Abstract Background: Although research consistently indicates harmful effects of mismanaged anger, little attention has been given to age differences in the experience and expression of this emotion. It is plausible that, with age and experience, people have less intense anger or learn to manage it more constructively. Objective: The purpose of this project was to examine age differences in anger frequency, intensity, and expression in a nonclinical sample of students, faculty, and staff who participated in a health fair at a large southeastern university. Study Design: This descriptive study involved a predominantly white sample, ranging in age from 18 to 76 years. There were 206 men and 199 women. Anger variables were measured by an instrument to assess anger at home and at work or school. Results: No significant age differences were found in anger experienced at home. Women in their 40s scored significantly higher on anger at work than did women of other ages; moreover, their scores were almost twice as high as the scores of men in their 40s. Significant age and gender differences were found in the propensity to overtly express anger, with younger women (those in their 20s and 30s) having the highest mean scores on Total Expressed Anger. Conclusions: Findings of this study suggest the need for continued exploration of anger in samples of diverse ages so that anger management interventions can be appropriately tailored for clients. (J Am Psychiatr Nurses Assoc [2002]. 8, 44-50.)
Performance Portability in the Physical Parameterizations of the Community Atmospheric Model

Community models for global climate research, such as the Community Atmospheric Model, must perform well on a variety of computing systems. Supporting diverse research interests, these computationally demanding models must be efficient for a range of problem sizes and processor counts. In this paper we describe the data structures and associated infrastructure developed for the physical parameterizations that allow the Community Atmospheric Model to be tuned for vector or non-vector systems, to provide load balancing while minimizing communication overhead, and to exploit the optimal mix of distributed Message Passing Interface (MPI) processes and shared OpenMP threads.
Rotor Broadband Noise Prediction with Comparison to Model Data

This paper reports an analysis and prediction development of rotor broadband noise. The two primary components of this noise are Blade-Wake Interaction (BWI) noise, due to the blades' interaction with the turbulent wakes of the preceding blades, and "Self" noise, due to the development and shedding of turbulence within the blades' boundary layers. Emphasized in this report is the new code development for Self noise. The analysis and validation employs data from the HART program, a model BO-105 rotor wind tunnel test conducted in the German-Dutch Wind Tunnel (DNW). The BWI noise predictions are based on measured pressure response coherence functions using cross-spectral methods. The Self noise predictions are based on previously reported semiempirical modeling of Self noise obtained from isolated airfoil sections and the use of CAMRAD.Modl to define rotor performance and local blade segment flow conditions. Both BWI and Self noise from individual blade segments are Doppler shifted and summed at the observer positions. Prediction comparisons with measurements show good agreement for a range of rotor operating conditions from climb to steep descent. The broadband noise predictions, along with those of harmonic and impulsive Blade-Vortex Interaction (BVI) noise predictions, demonstrate a significant advance in predictive capability for main rotor noise.
Simulation and optimization of spin-orbit quantum dot circuit with integrated quantum point contact read-out

We use computer simulation to study a novel laterally coupled quantum dot (LCQD) circuit with integrated quantum point contact (QPC) for charge read-out. The prototype of the device is shown (Elzerman at al., 2003) with the SEM view of the top gate patterns in the xy direction. The two circles indicate the location of the two dots. The simulated layer structure in the z direction is shown. In order to obtain the electron density inside the LCQD, we solve self-consistently 3D Poisson and Kohn-Sham equations within the local spin density approximation (LSDA), while outside the LCQD, we use the Thomas-Fermi approximation to compute the charge densities. The above differential equations are discretized on a nonuniform 3D mesh using realistic doping profiles and boundary conditions (Matagne and Leburton, 2002). Electronic states and eigenenergy spectra reflecting the particular LCQD confinement are obtained as a function of the external gate biases. The conditions for charging the dots with successive electrons, as a function of the applied gate biases, are determined by the Slater's rule, by which we derive the stability diagram for the system in the few-electron regime (Zhang et al., 2004). We investigate the detector sensitivity of different QPC gate geometries to the first electron charging in the quantum dot. For this purpose, we obtain the variation of the potential energy saddle point in the constriction at the first electron charging as a function of different QPC gate biases. We then use the Buttiker formula (Buttiker, 1990) to compute the relative change of the conductance (/spl Delta/G/G) over the specified QPC gate bias range. Our results indicate that constrictions with dented designs give more sensitive detectors than conventional QPC geometries.