cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Photochemistry with Plane-Polarized Light: Controlling Photochemical Reactivity via Spatially Selective Excitation

Photochemical reactions are intrinsically difficult to control because they involve high-energy excited state species. Herein, we report a novel approach towards controlling photochemical reactions via using spatially selective excitation of specific electronic transitions. This can be performed using photochemical irradiation with plane-polarized light of a photoreactive compound uniformly aligned in a nematic liquid crystalline (LC) medium. Having chosen cyclopropenone photodecarbonylation as a proof-of-concept reaction, we demonstrated that it could be controlled via changing an angle between the incident light polarization plane and the LC director. We showed that two specific partially forbidden electronic transitions were mostly responsible for this photochemical reaction. We envision that this simple general method can be useful in experimental studies of fundamental details of various photochemical processes, as well as can help to increase selectivity of photochemical transformations.
Comments on the Article “Management of Suspected Acute Inflammatory Pancreatopathies in a "Real-world" Setting: A Single-Centre Observational Study”

No abstract available. Image: Mercer University School of Medicine ( Macon, GA, USA ) logo.
Interpretable Model-based Hierarchical Reinforcement Learning Using Inductive Logic Programming

Recently deep reinforcement learning has achieved tremendous success in wide ranges of applications. However, it notoriously lacks data-efficiency and interpretability. Data-efficiency is important as interacting with the environment is expensive. Further, interpretability can increase the transparency of the black-box-style deep RL models and hence gain trust from the users. In this work, we propose a new hierarchical framework via symbolic RL, leveraging a symbolic transition model to improve the data-efficiency and introduce the interpretability for learned policy. This framework consists of a high-level agent, a subtask solver and a symbolic transition model. Without assuming any prior knowledge on the state transition, we adopt inductive logic programming (ILP) to learn the rules of symbolic state transitions, introducing interpretability and making the learned behavior understandable to users. In empirical experiments, we confirmed that the proposed framework offers approximately between 30\% to 40\% more data efficiency over previous methods.
A Quadrilogy for (Big) Data Reliabilities

This paper responds to the challenge of testing the reliabilities of really big data and proposes a quadrilogy of four measures of the reliability of data, applicable quite generally. These measure...
Consumer perceptions of apparel products in internet shopping

The purpose of the present study was to determine consumer perceptions of apparel products in Internet shopping. According to the existing literature, four categories of perceptions play primary roles for apparel shopping consumer decisions: apparel appearance, apparel comfort, fabric characteristics, and apparel fit. The present study aimed to observe how consumers examine apparel products and focused on the role of consumers’ apparel product perceptions in making their purchase decisions within an Internet shopping environment. Research methods resulting in qualitative data were utilized to observe how consumers navigate Web sites and search for the information needed to make purchase decisions. Participants were asked to access their favorite apparel Web site and go through their decision making process for selecting one apparel item to purchase. Observations were made regarding navigation patterns. Participants were also asked about specific product perceptions. Interviews were conducted with 26 female participants and lasted from 30 minutes to 1 hour. All interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed. Emergent themes from the interviews were identified and factors related to consumers’ decision making processes were outlined. The results of the study showed how participants shopped for apparel products on the Web site using certain information. First, participants mentioned both positive and negative perceptions with Internet apparel shopping in general. Second, participants preferred certain Web sites based on their Internet shopping motivations. Third, based on Web site navigational patterns, five types of Internet apparel shoppers were identified: category shopper, bargain shopper, trend seeker, brand shopper, and visual shopper. Fourth, perceptions of apparel product value and quality were based on specific perceptions of image, comfort, fabric characteristics, and fit. The factors in each of these categories were examined and evaluated in relation to their importance in consumers’ purchase decisions. Lastly, additional factors were used by participants in Internet apparel shopping decision making including: price, country of origin, shipping and handling fees, and return policies. The results of this study further our understanding of consumer behavior of the apparel products in the Internet environment and can provide needed information to Internet apparel retailers as they strive to create effective and useful Internet shopping environments.
The pharmacology of prodrugs of 5-fluorouracil and 1-β-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the pharmacology of prodrugs. The term prodrug was first introduced by Albert (1958); it refers to a chemically modified form of a drug, devoid of pharmacological activity, that must undergo transformation in a biological system to release the active form of the drug which then exerts the desired action. Such chemical modification to form compounds that rely on an enzymatic activation process has also been called drug latentiation. Since prodrugs are designed to be devoid of biological activity, and since their physicochemical properties differ from those of the parent drug up to the time of release of the active form, prodrugs often differ significantly from the parent molecule in their pharmacokinetic properties, thereby possessing the potential for favorable increase in delivery to the target site and/or decreased delivery to sensitive normal tissues. Thus, prodrug design has been used to overcome absorption problems, to improve membrane transport of drugs with poor lipid solubility, to assist in the stabilization of orally delivered agents, to offer sustained or prolonged release properties to drugs with short plasma half-lives, to reduce the toxic effects of agents, and to assist in site-specific delivery.
Integrated risk assessment and predictive value to humans of non-clinical repolarization assays

The potential for drugs to be associated with the life-threatening arrhythmia, Torsades de Pointes (TdeP), continues to be a topic of regulatory, academic and industrial concern. Despite being an imperfect biomarker, prolongation of the QT interval of the surface ECG is used to assess the risk of a drug being associated with TdeP such that a thorough examination of drug effects on the QT interval is required for all new chemical entities. Numerous studies have investigated the relationship between non-clinical findings and the risk of TdeP and QT prolongation in the general population. There are many literature references supporting the strong correlation between the clinical safety margin over human ether-a-go-go (hERG) inhibitory potency and the risk of drug-induced arrhythmia and sudden death. A quantitative analysis of the relationship between non-clinical studies and the outcome of a human Thorough QT study has also been reported. In the current manuscript, based on the outcome of the non-clinical assays the sensitivity and specificity of each assay and an integrated risk assessment for predicting the outcome of the human Thorough QT study has been conducted. The data suggest that for QT prolongation mediated through inhibition of the hERG current the non-clinical assays are highly predictive of drug effects on the QT interval. Based on the literature review and specific quantitative analysis reported above it is concluded that non-clinical assays predict the risk of compounds to prolong the QT interval and cause TdeP in humans if the mechanism is through inhibition of the hERG current.
Residential Segregation and Overweight/Obesity Among African-American Adults: A Critical Review

The relationship between residential segregation and overweight/obesity among African-American adults remains unclear. Elucidating that relationship is relevant to efforts to prevent and to reduce racial disparities in obesity. This article provides a critical review of the 11 empirical studies of segregation and overweight/obesity among African-American adults. Results revealed that most studies did not use a valid measure of segregation, many did not use a valid measure of overweight/obesity, and many did not control for neighborhood poverty. Only four (36% of the) studies used valid measures of both segregation and overweight/obesity and also controlled for area-poverty. Those four studies suggest that segregation contributes to overweight and obesity among African-American adults, but that conclusion cannot be drawn with certainty in light of the considerable methodologic problems in this area of research. Suggestions for improving research on this topic are provided.
8 Development and Evolution of an Egg Cytoskeletal Domain in Ascidians

Publisher Summary The egg is the only metazoan cell that can accumulate yolk, pause in the meiotic cycle, or initiate development of a new individual by fusing with a sperm. Developmental totipotency is also a special quality of the egg. As a totipotent cell, the egg contains instructions for generating the body plan and different cell types of the organism. Considering the unique properties of the egg, it is not surprising that the egg cytoskeleton also performs specialized roles. These roles include maintaining the integrity of a large cell, providing a framework for meiosis and syngamy, and generating a specific cleavage pattern. Perhaps the most unique role of the egg cytoskeleton is to sequester and correctly position regulatory factors in the embryo. Maternal mRNAs localized at the poles of the Drosophila egg encode transcription factors and other regulatory proteins that determine the ante- roposterior axes and germline. These polar mRNAs are maintained in their correct spatial positions by interactions with the cytoskeleton. Maternal mRNAs are also localized in the vegetal hemisphere of Xenopus eggs via cytoskeletal elements. As a gamete, the egg transmits genotypic information and establishes a phenotype that is influenced by mutation and selection in previous generations. Thus, evolutionary changes are transmitted through the egg and its product, the embryo. This chapter reviews an egg cytoskeletal domain in ascidians and its role in the evolution of development. It considers the ascidian life cycle and mode of development. The structure and function of the myoplasmic cytoskeletal domain (MCD) and its developmental roles are reviewed and the ascidian model system consisting of closely related species with different modes of development is described. Finally, the chapter considers how changes in the MCD may be involved in the evolution of development.
How the Law Mattered to the Mono Lake Ecosystem

The 2005 Millennium Ecosystem Assessment reported unprecedented degradation of ecosystems and the services they provide to human well being which, if allowed to continue would adversely affect human health, security and welfare. Our environmental legal authorities, however, are not designed to protect the health of our nation’s ecosystems focusing instead on clean air, clean land and clean water as single medium, often referred to as the silo approach to environmental protection. Protecting ecosystems requires a systemic approach to the environment in both policy and law; this in turn requires a change in our approach to environmental protection. How do we motivate such a change in our legal constructs and political systems? This is a question posed by a number of communities and states struggling with the concept of ecosystem protection. This article postulates that the strategic use of 1 Michael McCann argues that the key empirical question about the relationship between law and social change is “[h]ow law does and does not matter” to social change. Michael McCann, Law and Social Movements: Contemporary Perspectives, 2 Ann. Rev. L. Soc. Sci. 17, 19 (2006) (McCann (2006)). 2 1 Mark Twain, Roughing It 259, 262 (Harper & Row 1913) (1871). 3 Marc Reisner, Cadillac Desert: The American West and Its Disappearing Water 12 (rev. ed. 1993). Manuscript – For Review Purposes Only (5-27-2010) Not for distribution except as authorized by author 2 litigation by environmental social movements can destabilize established legal constructs to protect ecosystems. Using the case study of Mono Lake I examine the role law played in the struggle to change the political and social systems necessary to protect the Mono Lake Ecosystem – that is how and if law mattered to the protection of the Mono Lake Ecosystem. It further hypothesizes how other social movements might use law to protect ecosystems.
Simple Model of Eelgrass Growth and Water Quality: Another Catastrophe Theory?

Zostera marina Linnaeus, commonly known as eelgrass, has a wide distribution occupying coastal waters in the northern sections of both the Pacific and the Atlantic Oceans and extending into Arctic seas (Rasmussen, 1977; McRoy, 1969; Aioi, 1980). In New York waters eelgrass is found in the estuarine systems along the south shore of Long Island and in other protected sites (Suda, 1974).
A statistically robust payment sharing mechanism for an aggregate of renewable energy producers

Variability of supply is a fundamental difficulty associated with renewable resources in the electricity market. One way of mitigating this difficulty is to aggregate a diverse collection of resources in order to exploit the negative correlations that may exist among them. We consider an aggregation scheme where individual renewable energy producers offer day-ahead contracts to an aggregate manager which in turn participates in a two stage electricity market. The net payment received by the aggregate manager from the market has to be fairly distributed among the participants in the aggregate. Since the actual power supplied by the aggregate is random, the net payment it receives is also random. The problem of sharing this random payment is complicated by the fact that different participants may have different statistical models for the payment because they have different statistical models for their and other producers' net generation. We propose a simple payment sharing mechanism that is independent of the statistical models of the participants. We show that our payment sharing mechanism ensures that individual producers are better off in the aggregate than on their own. Further, under certain conditions, aggregation provides the social benefit of increasing the amount of renewable energy available in the day-ahead market.
AB-CHMINACA, AB-PINACA, and FUBIMINA: Affinity and Potency of Novel Synthetic Cannabinoids in Producing Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol–Like Effects in Mice

Diversion of synthetic cannabinoids for abuse began in the early 2000s. Despite legislation banning compounds currently on the drug market, illicit manufacturers continue to release new compounds for recreational use. This study examined new synthetic cannabinoids, AB-CHMINACA (N-[1-amino-3-methyl-oxobutan-2-yl]-1-[cyclohexylmethyl]-1H-indazole-3-carboxamide), AB-PINACA [N-(1-amino-3-methyl-1-oxobutan-2-yl)-1-pentyl-1H-indazole-3-carboxamide], and FUBIMINA [(1-(5-fluoropentyl)-1H-benzo[d]imadazol-2-yl)(naphthalen-1-yl)methanone], with the hypothesis that these compounds, like those before them, would be highly susceptible to abuse. Cannabinoids were examined in vitro for binding and activation of CB1 receptors, and in vivo for pharmacological effects in mice and in Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) discrimination. AB-CHMINACA, AB-PINACA, and FUBIMINA bound to and activated CB1 and CB2 receptors, and produced locomotor suppression, antinociception, hypothermia, and catalepsy. Furthermore, these compounds, along with JWH-018 [1-pentyl-3-(1-naphthoyl)indole], CP47,497 [rel-5-(1,1-dimethylheptyl)-2-[(1R,3S)-3-hydroxycyclohexyl]-phenol], and WIN55,212-2 ([(3R)-2,3-dihydro-5-methyl-3-(4-morpholinylmethyl)pyrrolo[1,2,3-de]-1,4-benzoxazin-6-yl]-1-naphthalenyl-methanone, monomethanesulfonate), substituted for Δ9-THC in Δ9-THC discrimination. Rank order of potency correlated with CB1 receptor-binding affinity, and all three compounds were full agonists in [35S]GTPγS binding, as compared with the partial agonist Δ9-THC. Indeed, AB-CHMINACA and AB-PINACA exhibited higher efficacy than most known full agonists of the CB1 receptor. Preliminary analysis of urinary metabolites of the compounds revealed the expected hydroxylation. AB-PINACA and AB-CHMINACA are of potential interest as research tools due to their unique chemical structures and high CB1 receptor efficacies. Further studies on these chemicals are likely to include research on understanding cannabinoid receptors and other components of the endocannabinoid system that underlie the abuse of synthetic cannabinoids.
Prognosis of patients with multifocal glioblastoma: a case-control study.

Object The prognosis of patients with glioblastoma who present with multifocal disease is not well documented. The objective of this study was to determine whether multifocal disease on initial presentation is associated with worse survival. Methods The authors retrospectively reviewed records of 368 patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma and identified 47 patients with multifocal tumors. Each patient with a multifocal tumor was then matched with a patient with a solitary glioblastoma on the basis of age, Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS) score, and extent of resection, using a propensity score matching methodology. Radiation and temozolomide treatments were also well matched between the 2 cohorts. Kaplan-Meier estimates and log-rank tests were used to compare patient survival. Results The incidence of multifocal tumors was 12.8% (47/368). The median age of patients with multifocal tumors was 61 years, 76.6% had KPS scores ≥ 70, and 87.2% underwent either a biopsy or partial resection of their tumors....
Nivolumab plus ipilimumab in the treatment of advanced melanoma

Advanced melanoma has historically been a difficult disease to treat due to few effective systemic treatment options. However, over the past few years, scientific advancements in immune checkpoint inhibition have resulted in several novel approaches that have changed front-line management of advanced melanoma. Despite these exciting developments, there remains room for improvement in treatment outcomes. Combination immunotherapy, in particular combined cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4) and programmed death 1 (PD-1) blockade, represents an important first step in this direction.
Lambda Gam protein inhibits the helicase and chi-stimulated recombination activities of Escherichia coli RecBCD enzyme.

The lambda Gam protein was isolated from cells containing a Gam-producing plasmid. The purified Gam protein was found to bind to RecBCD without displacing any of its subunits. Gam was shown to inhibit all known enzymatic activities of RecBCD: ATP-dependent single- and double-stranded DNA exonucleases, ATP-independent single-stranded endonuclease, and the ATP-dependent helicase. When produced in vivo, Gam inhibited chi-activated recombination in lambda red gam crosses but had little effect on the host9s ability to act as a recipient in conjugational recombination. These experiments suggest that RecBCD possesses an additional "unknown" activity that is resistant to or induced by Gam. Additionally, the expression of Gam in recD mutants sensitizes the host to UV irradiation, indicating that Gam alters one or more of the in vivo activities of RecBC(D-). Images
Just Research and Physical Activity: Diversity Is More Than an Independent Variable

The value of critically examining the way that research is done can provide a way to better understand a spectrum of people's experiences. Examining assumptions about data as well as how they are collected and analyzed to study issues related to leisure as well as physical activity requires individuals to recognize that insight about diversity can be gained in many ways. The purpose of this essay is to provide perspectives about including and moving beyond diversity (e.g., gender, race, disability status, sexual identity) as only an independent variable. The potential for these perspectives is just research that contributes to social and environmental justice related to leisure and physical activity. Existing research approaches are relevant but options are open for other possibilities when examining issues related to variables associated with diversity. These options add to the complexity of the research conducted when just research is undertaken.
ROBOTIC SURGERY IN UROLOGY

The demand for improved surgical performance and reduced health care costs have led to the evaluation of surgical robotic systems. Robotic devices to assist urologists with transurethral resection of the prostate, percutaneous renal access, and laparoscopy are currently in development or are already in clinical use. The rapid advances made in telecommunication technology also have allowed for the development of telesurgical systems that permit surgeons to participate in surgery from a remote location. In the twenty-first century, surgical robots will be efficient, invaluable, and safe adjuncts to urologic practice.
Riding journalistic coattails: How presidents create newsmaking opportunities for political opponents

Abstract Prior studies of news are based on a model of individual sources seeking journalists’ attention. The potential for one newsmaker's actions to influence how journalists treat other sources has received relatively little attention. Using data from print and television coverage of 105 presidential press conferences from 1981 to 2009, I show that the scheduling of events can influence both journalists’ determinations of newsworthiness and the concentration of opinion in their stories. As journalists determine events to be more newsworthy, norms of objectivity and preferences for conflict are triggered, causing journalists to seek out more comments from other sources. When presidents attract major media attention, they create what I call “journalistic coattails”—added opportunities for other sources to get into the news as well. I argue that a broader theory of news production as an organizational field is necessary to understand how journalists often bind newsmakers to their rivals.
Commodity-Specific Disaggregation of 2002 Freight Analysis Framework Data to County Level in New Jersey

The second generation of the Freight Analysis Framework, known as FAF2, is a continuation of the original Freight Analysis Framework developed by the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration. FAF2 provides trip interchanges for commodity flows between 114 domestic zones, 17 additional international gateways at which imports enter and exports depart the United States, and seven international regions. This paper presents methods for disaggregating the FAF2 data to the county level by developing different disaggregation factors for different commodity types. These new methods are also compared with other disaggregation methods. The objective is to enable state and local governmental agencies to utilize FAF2 commodity origin-destination data for a quick desktop analysis and to devise further strategies in collecting and acquiring local commodity data. The focus area of this study is the state of New Jersey. The study developed and applied different methods to disaggregate FAF2 commodi...
On-chip Fabry–Pérot interferometric sensors for micro-gas chromatography detection

Abstract We fabricated and characterized on-chip Fabry–Perot (FP) vapor sensors for the development of on-column micro-gas chromatography (μGC) detectors. The FP sensors were made by coating a thin layer of polymer on a silicon wafer. The air–polymer and polymer–silicon interfaces form an FP cavity, whose resonance wavelengths change in response to the vapor absorption/desorption, thus allowing for rapid detection and quantification of vapors. For proof-of-concept, two polymers (PDMS and SU-8) were used independently and placed in an array in a microfluidic channel, and showed different sensitivities for different vapors. A sub-nano-gram detection limit and sub-second response time were achieved, representing orders of magnitude improvement over those previously reported. This on-chip design will enable the unprecedented integration of optical vapor sensors with μGC systems.
Friendship and the Public Stage: Revisiting Hannah Arendt's Resistance to “Political Education”

Hannah Arendt's essays about the 1957 crisis over efforts of a group of youth, the “Little Rock Nine,” to desegregate a high school in Little Rock, Arkansas, reveal a tension in her vision of the “public.” In this article Aaron Schutz and Marie Sandy look closely at the experiences of the youth desegregating the school, especially those of Elizabeth Eckford, drawing upon them to trace a continuum of forms of public engagement in Arendt's work. This ranges from arenas of “deliberative friendship,” where unique individuals collaborate on common efforts, to a more conflictual “public stage,” where groups act in solidarity to change aspects of the public world. While Arendt famously asserted in her essay “The Crisis in Education” that political capacities should not be taught in schools, it makes more sense to see this argument as focused on what she sometimes called the conflictual “public stage,” reflecting the experience of the Little Rock Nine. In contrast, Schutz and Sandy argue that Arendt's own work implies that “deliberative friendship,” as described in her essay “Philosophy and Politics” and elsewhere, should be part of everyday practices in classrooms and schools.
Lane Choice Model for Signalized Intersections with an Auxiliary Through Lane

AbstractAn auxiliary through lane (ATL) is a commonly used congestion relief measure at signalized intersections in which fiscal and right-of-way constraints do not allow for full widening between intersections. Previously developed models have predicted the flow in the ATL as a function of macroscopic elements, such as through-movement demand and the ratio of average green time to cycle length. However, these models explain neither driver behavior nor motivation to use the ATL, nor can such an approach be used in microscopic simulation models. This paper presents empirically developed models for driver lane choice at signalized intersection approaches with one ATL and one continuous through lane (CTL). These models were developed from a calibration data set that covers eight ATL approaches in three U.S. states, for a total of 12 h of observation. The results suggest that the utility of the ATL is a function of each through-movement driver’s arrival time (during either the effective red or green phase), a...
A framework for object modeling

Abstract Modeling of products (objects) form a critical task in design and manufacturing. CAD–CAM techniques based on solid/geometric modeling have been developed for this purpose. Primarily, these methods capture the shape of the object. However, recent developments in diverse fields demand modeling schemes, which extend beyond the shape to include other relevant attributes of the object. In this paper, this issue is addressed and a new modeling framework is proposed. This framework enables the modeling of geometry and several attributes simultaneously in an integrated fashion.
Ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm complicated by horseshoe kidney and renal cell carcinoma.

A man presented emergently with acute left flank pain. Examination revealed a tender, distended abdomen. A single image from the enhanced abdominal computed tomography scan revealed a leaking abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) and horseshoe kidney (HK), with a 3.5-cm solid mass in the left lower pole (Fig. 1). The patient became hypotensive and was immediately taken to the operating room. After identifying a large retroperitoneal hematoma, the aorta was clamped and the retroperitoneum entered, revealing a 7-cm AAA with right lateral rupture. The HK was bluntly mobilized to gain access to the aneurysm, resulting in hemorrhage from the left renal cell carcinoma. After aneurysmal repair, bleeding continued from the renal cell carcinoma, forcing removal of the left HK moiety. The patient developed diffuse coagulopathy and despite resuscitative efforts, died. An HK occurs in approximately 1 in 400 patients.1 This is the second report of HK associated with AAA and renal cell carcinoma.2 Numerous cardiovascular anomalies have been reported with HKs, and these patients may be at higher risk of AAA. In 176 patients with an HK and AAA, 24% were discovered emergently.3 Patients with HK also have an increased risk of nephrolithiasis, ureteropelvic junction obstruction, and renal malignancy.1 Knowing the risks associated with this anomaly may help urologists preemptively treat associated life-threatening problems.
Diffuse Panbronchiolitis Preceding Ulcerative Colitis

To expand the clinical spectrum of ulcerative colitis-associated lung disease, we describe a patient with panbronchiolitis associated with ulcerative colitis. In addition to his having a distinctive pulmonary manifestation of this bowel disease, other noteworthy aspects of this patient's course include the onset of pulmonary symptoms several years prior to bowel manifestations and the partial resolution of his pulmonary symptoms following colectomy.
The effects of maternal depression on child outcomes during the first years of formal schooling

Abstract Depression among parents, particularly maternal depression, is an important factor in children's lives. Among mental health disorders, depression is one of the most common and can be a debilitating and chronic condition. Little research has examined the effect of maternal depression on children's school-related outcomes during the early years of formal schooling. Using a nationally representative sample of over 16,940 kindergarteners (ages 5–6); we examine the association between the timing and persistence of maternal depression, measured in kindergarten and third grade, and children's school behaviors, academic achievement, and school absences through fifth grade. Results indicate that persistent maternal depression predicts more negative behaviors, smaller achievement gains, and increased school absences. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.
Toward refined estimates of ambient PM2.5 exposure: Evaluation of a physical outdoor-to-indoor transport model

Because people spend the majority of their time indoors, the variable efficiency with which ambient PM2.5 penetrates and persists indoors is a source of error in epidemiologic studies that use PM2.5 concentrations measured at central-site monitors as surrogates for ambient PM2.5 exposure. To reduce this error, practical methods to model indoor concentrations of ambient PM2.5 are needed. Toward this goal, we evaluated and refined an outdoor-to-indoor transport model using measured indoor and outdoor PM2.5 species concentrations and air exchange rates from the Relationships of Indoor, Outdoor, and Personal Air Study. Herein, we present model evaluation results, discuss what data are most critical to prediction of residential exposures at the individual-subject and populations levels, and make recommendations for the application of the model in epidemiologic studies. This paper demonstrates that not accounting for certain human activities (air conditioning and heating use, opening windows) leads to bias in predicted residential PM2.5 exposures at the individual-subject level, but not the population level. The analyses presented also provide quantitative evidence that shifts in the gas-particle partitioning of ambient organics with outdoor-to-indoor transport contribute significantly to variability in indoor ambient organic carbon concentrations and suggest that methods to account for these shifts will further improve the accuracy of outdoor-to-indoor transport models.
Two-Quantum Volume Photoelectric Effect in Sodium

Two-photon photoelectric emission has been observed from a freshly deposited sodium surface. The two-quantum yield for the process, $\ensuremath{\Lambda}(\ensuremath{\lambda}, T)$, was determined to be $\ensuremath{\Lambda}(8450 \AA{}, 300\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}\mathrm{K})\ensuremath{\sim}8\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}16}{I}_{0}$ A/W, where ${I}_{0}$ is the intensity of the incident radiation in W/${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$. Previous work attributed the phenomenon to a surface effect. However, it now appears more likely that it arises from a volume effect. The two-quantum yields for various metals, semiconductors, and organic crystals are compared.
Leading edge slot blowing on an open cavity in supersonic flow

Supersonic flow over an open cavity can create intense pressure loads on the surfaces within the cavity. In order to combat these loads, the development of a control scheme to reduce them is becoming increasingly important for many engineering applications. The present study implements steady leading edge blowing through various configurations of spanwise-aligned rectangular leading edge slots. The effects of this control on the flow field were examined to determine the suppression mechanisms exploited by the leading edge blowing. The cavity studied here had a length-to-depth ratio of 6 and was placed in a freestream flow with a Mach number of 1.4. Actuators with one continuous slot and three and five segmented slots spanning the width of the cavity were installed at the leading edge. Surface pressure reductions of nearly 45% were achieved on the aft wall of the cavity using the 5-slot configuration. Velocity field measurements acquired through 2-component (streamwise-aligned measurement plane) and 3-component stereoscopic (cross-stream-aligned measurement plane) particle image velocimetry revealed the presence of streamwise-aligned vortices created by the segmented slots. These act to significantly alter the shear layer formed at the mouth of the cavity creating highly three-dimensional flow field features.
Giving Students Time for the Academic Resources that Work

Engineering courses offer students multiple resources for learning; however, it is not clear how much time students devote to these resources or how effective they are for mastering the course material. We examined students' use of learning resources in introductory thermodynamics through the use of activity logs, and the relation of these self-reports to objective measures of course performance. Self-report data revealed that students generally favored some resources over others, that these resources were mutually supportive of instruction, and that measures of resource use were significantly correlated with each other and with academic performance. We suggest that knowledge of how students allocate time to course resources, and correlations between the use of these resources and course performance, could assist instructors in course and curriculum planning.
High-field MR imaging in pediatric congenital heart disease: Initial results

Background Comprehensive assessment of pediatric congenital heart disease (CHD) at any field strength mandates evaluation of both vascular and dynamic cardiac anatomy for which diagnostic quality contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (CEMRA) and cardiac cine are crucial.
A high-rate and long cycle life aqueous electrolyte battery for grid-scale energy storage

New types of energy storage are needed in conjunction with the deployment of solar, wind and other volatile renewable energy sources and their integration with the electric grid. No existing energy storage technology can economically provide the power, cycle life and energy efficiency needed to respond to the costly short-term transients that arise from renewables and other aspects of grid operation. Here we demonstrate a new type of safe, fast, inexpensive, long-life aqueous electrolyte battery, which relies on the insertion of potassium ions into a copper hexacyanoferrate cathode and a novel activated carbon/polypyrrole hybrid anode. The cathode reacts rapidly with very little hysteresis. The hybrid anode uses an electrochemically active additive to tune its potential. This high-rate, high-efficiency cell has a 95% round-trip energy efficiency when cycled at a 5C rate, and a 79% energy efficiency at 50C. It also has zero-capacity loss after 1,000 deep-discharge cycles.
ISCHEMIC TIME IS A BETTER MORTALITY PREDICTOR THAN DOOR-TO-BALLOON TIME IN PATIENTS WITH ST-ELEVATION MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION

Current guidelines for ST- elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) recommend early revascularization with optimal ischemic time (IT) <120 min and door-to-balloon (D2B) time <90 min. Revascularization delays may increase mortality. The focus of most previous analyses has been D2B time, while total IT
The Basicity of Unsaturated Hydrocarbons as Probed by Hydrogen‐Bond‐Acceptor Ability: Bifurcated N ? H+⋅⋅⋅π Hydrogen Bonding

Scheme 1. Structures of hydrogen-bonded alkenes (A), alkynes (B), and benzene (C). Abstract: The competitive substitution of the anion (A � ) in contact ion pairs of the type (Oct3NH + )BA6F5)4 � by un- saturated hydrocarbons (L) in accord- ance with the equilibrium Oct3NH + ···A � + nL Q (Oct3NH + ···Ln)Ahas been studied in CCl4. On the basis of equilibrium constants, K, and shifts of nNH to low frequency, it has been es- tablished that complexed Oct3NH + ···Ln cations with n = 1 and 2 are formed and have unidentate and bifurcated N� H + ···p hydrogen bonds, respectively. Bifurcated hydrogen bonds to unsatu- rated hydrocarbons have not been ob- served previously. The unsaturated hy- drocarbons studied include benzene and methylbenzenes, fused-ring aro- matics, alkenes, conjugated dienes, and alkynes. From the magnitude of the redshifts in the NH stretching fre- quencies, DnNH, a new scale for rank- ing the p basicity of unsaturated hydro- carbons is proposed: fused-ring aro- maticsbenzene < toluene < xylene < mesitylene < durene < conjugated di- A � 1-alkynes < pentaAA A < hexamethylbenzene < internal alkynescycloalkenes < 1-methylA A This scale is relevant to the discussion of p complexes for incipient protonation reactions and to under- standing NH + ···p hydrogen bonding
Fine structure of the blood cells of the lobster, Homarus americanus

A light and electron micriscopic study was made of the blood cells of the Maine lobster,Homarus americanus. Observations based on cell shape and staining properties indicated three cell types: eosinophil, ovoid basophil, and spindular basophil. cytoplasmic structures observed in all three types included mitochondria, smooth and rough surfaced endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, ribonucleoprotein particles, and large electron dense granules. The granules were shown to be either acidophilic or basophilic and composed of both carbohydrate and protein, and although no conclusive evidence relating to the function of these granules was found, it is believed in conjunction with the theories of other investigators that they are implicated in coagulation of the blood. They appear to act by the release of their secretory product from the cell which initiates coagulation in other cells. The spindular basophil appeared to be involved primarily in coagulation, while the ovoid basophil and the eosinophil appeared to function in both coagulation and phagocytosis.
Invariant face recognition using a neural network based on the fringe-adjusted joint transform correlator

In this paper, we propose an optoelectronic two-layer neural network based on the fringe-adjusted joint transform correlator for invariant face recognition accommodating in-plane and out-of-plane 3-D distortions. The neural network is utilized in the training stage for a sequence of facial images and for supervised learning in order to create composite images that are invariant to 3-D distortions. The proposed technique is implemented by using the fringe-adjusted joint transform correlator. Simulation results are presented to verify the performance of the proposed technique. These results are then compared with those obtained using other techniques such as the synthetic discriminant function.
Some molecular ions of astrophysical importance: the infrared spectroscopy of H3+ and carbo-cations

We continue to perform high resolution infrared spectroscopic studies on the vibration-rotation spectra of small polyatomic cations: H3+, CmHn+, HmOn+, and NmHn+, (m,n >= 1). All these ions have been proposed as having fundamental roles in the chemistry of interstellar molecular gas clouds, the birthplace of stars. In particular, H3+ plays the part of the universal protonator: H3+ + X yields H2 + HX+. The work horse of our high resolution molecular ion spectroscopy has been our difference-frequency laser spectrometer with its tunable infrared source. The molecular ions are made in a Pyrex multiple-inlet-multiple-outlet discharge cell using a gas mixture with a high fraction of He (approximately 95%) and various types of cooling (air, water, and liquid nitrogen). The ion signals are detected by velocity modulation of the plasma with unidirectional multipassing and noise subtraction of the probing infrared radiation. This spectrometer has been used for our studies of the vibration-rotation spectra of H3+ fundamental, overtone and hot bands, and of CH2+, CH3+, C2H2+ and C2H3+ fundamental bands. Most recently, we have used a water cooled, Cu hollow cathode discharge to re-examine C2H3+.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
METACONTRAST INTERFERENCE AS DETERMINED BY A METHOD OF COMPARISONS.

Interaction between successively presented visual stimuli with adjacent contours was investigated in order to see whether maximal metacontrast which appears typically at intermediate interstimulus intervals (ISI) is also obtainable when a method of comparisons is employed where several interference stimuli are shown, only one of which is preceded by a test stimulus. When such a method is used, for the two highly practiced Ss employed in this study data showed that the first stimulus was nearly always detectable at intermediate ISIs (50 to 100 msec.). However, when the duration of the test stimulus was very short, its detectability decreased as the interstimulus interval decreased, becoming maximal at the shortest interstimulus interval. Similar findings were obtained with the method of comparisons when the successively presented stimuli overlapped.
Selective text utilization and text traversal

Abstract Many large collections of full-text documents are currently stored in machine-readable form and processed automatically in various ways. These collections may include different types of documents, such as messages, research articles, and books, and the subject matter may vary widely. To process such collections, robust text analysis methods must be used, capable of handling materials in arbitrary subject areas, and flexible access must be provided to texts and text excerpts of varying size. In this study, global text comparison methods are used to identify similarities between text elements, followed by local context-checking operations that resolve ambiguities and distinguish superficially similar texts from texts that actually cover identical topics. A linked text structure, known as a text relationship map, is then created that relates similar texts at various levels of detail. In particular, text links are available for full texts, as well as text sections, paragraphs, and sentence groups. The relationship graphs are usable as conceptualization tools to illustrate various text manipulation operations and may also serve as browsing maps in situations where searches or text traversal operations are conducted under user control. In this study, the relationship maps are used to identify important text passages, to traverse texts selectively both within particular documents and between documents, and to provide flexible text access to large text collections in response to various kinds of user needs. An automated 29-volume encyclopedia is used as an example to illustrate various possible text accessing and traversal operations. Implementation details are not included in this initial study.
Cognitive neuroscience. Seeing in the sound zone.

The development of the brain's cortex relies on both intrinsic and extrinsic cues. But what are the relative contributions of these factors? New research provides the most compelling evidence yet that visual inputs through the retina have a key role in controlling the structural features and responsiveness of the visual cortex.
Interaction of Arginine with Proteins and the Mechanism by Which It Inhibits Aggregation

Aqueous arginine solutions are used extensively for inhibiting protein aggregation. There are several theories proposed to explain the effect of arginine on protein stability, but the exact mechanism is still not clear. To understand the mechanism of protein cosolvent interaction, the intraprotein, protein−solvent, and intrasolvent interactions have to be understood. Molecular dynamics simulations of aqueous arginine solutions were carried out for experimentally accessible concentrations and temperature ranges to study the structure of the solution and its energetic properties and obtain insight into the mechanism by which arginine inhibits protein aggregation. Simulations of proteins (α-chymotrypsinogen A and melittin) were performed. Structurally, the most striking feature of the aqueous arginine solutions is the self-association of arginine molecules. Arginine shows a marked tendency to form clusters with head to tail hydrogen bonding. Due to the presence of the three charged groups, there are several ...
Treatment of HIV-associated nephropathy.

HIV-associated nephropathy (HIVAN) is the most common cause of renal failure in patients infected with type 1 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1). The renal prognosis for HIVAN is poor and is typically associated with rapid progression to renal death. We report a patient with biopsy-proven HIVAN who was successfully treated with corticosteroids and review the currently available evidence supporting the specific treatments of this condition. A 34-year-old African-American male with a 2-year history of uncomplicated HIV disease developed progressive azotemia despite treatment with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). He was treated with an uncomplicated 4-month course of prednisone, which improved his serum creatinine from 2.9 to 1.9 mg/dl and decreased his degree of proteinuria from 8 to 2.1 g/day. Two years post-steroid treatment his renal function remains stable. Increasing evidence supports that both ACE inhibitors and HAART are effective in preventing and in some cases of reversing HIVAN indu...