cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Exploring the pH dependence of viologen reduction by α-carbon radicals derived from Hcy and Cys

The colorimetric reaction of homocysteine (HCy) with a series of viologen salts suggests a linear correlation between the mid-point reduction potential of Hcy-derived α-carbon radicals and pH.
Cultural anomalies and cultural defenses: towards an integrated theory of homicide and suicide

Abstract The increasing diversity of the US population is a phenomenon which has reshaped the social landscape in many parts of the country, reverberating into our institutions. Thus, for example, the legal and health professions have, respectively, struggled with concepts such as “cultural defense” and “cultural competence” in response to issues raised by cultural diversity. Whether such professionals engage such issues gingerly or wholeheartedly will depend partly on the extent to which social scientists can provide relevant empirical data to inform institutional decisions. In the present article, I follow sociologist Michael Burawoy's call to utilize “anomalies” as a stimulus for reconstructing theory, and in doing so focus on the sociological insights to be gained from an integrated analysis of suicide and homicide among Asian immigrants or Asian Americans. The cases in question all involve a “structural” strain in the marital (or quasi-marital) bond. The criminal offenses are in and themselves exceptional given the relatively rare appearance of Asians as defendants. Yet it is in the ways that these defendants—both male and female—depart from what structural theory predicts that is the impetus for reassessing the relationship between structure and culture. As such, what on the surface are anomalous findings become signposts calling for a more integrated theory. Apart from its contribution to theory, culture also has implications for mitigating “criminal intent”. In contrast to other discussions of the “cultural defense”, the present analysis looks at how both structural and cultural factors impinge upon intent or motivation (via the direction of aggression), how culture is unevenly accommodated by pre-existing “state of mind” defenses, and how it is the combination of structural and cultural factors that promises to contribute most to our theoretical and empirical understanding.
Nutrient biogeochemistry in an upwelling-influenced estuary of the Pacific Northwest (Tillamook Bay, Oregon, USA)

Tillamook Bay, Oregon, is a drowned river estuary that receives freshwater input from 5 rivers and exchanges ocean water through a single channel. Similar to other western United States estuaries, the bay exhibits a strong seasonal change in river discharge in which there is a pronounced winter maximum and summer minimum in precipitation and runoff. The behavior of major inorganic nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen, and silica) within the watershed is examined over seasonal cycles and under a range of river discharge conditions for October 1997–December 1999. Monthly and seasonal sampling stations include transects extending from the mouth of each river to the mouth of the estuary as well as 6–10 sites upstream along each of the 5 major rivers. Few studies have examined nutrient cycling in Pacific Northwest estuaries. This study evaluates the distributions of inorganic nutrients to understand the net processes occurring within this estuary. Based upon this approach, we hypothesize that nutrient behavior in the Tillamook Bay estuary can be explained by two dominant factors: freshwater flushing time and biological uptake and regeneration. Superimposed on these two processes is seasonal variability in nutrient concentrations of coastal waters via upwelling. Freshwater flushing time determines the amount of time for the uptake of nutrients by phytoplankton, for exchange with suspended particles, and for interaction with the sediments. Seasonal coastal upwelling controls the timing and extent of oceanic delivery of nutrients to the estuary. We suggest that benthic regeneration of nutrients is also an important process within the estuary occurring seasonally according to the flushing characteristics of the estuary. Silicic acid, nitrate, and NH4 + supply to the bay appears to be dominated by riverine input. PO4 −3 supply is dominated by river input during periods of high river flow (winter months) with oceanic input via upwelling and tidal exchange important during other times (spring, summer, and fall months). Departures from conservative mixing indicate that internal estuarine sources of dissolved inorganic phosphorus and nitrogen are also significant over an annual cycle.
Improved processing of the casie SAR data

In the summer 2009 NASA Characterization of Arctic Sea Ice Experiment (CASIE09), the microASAR, a small LFMCW SAR, was operated on the NASA Sierra unmanned aerial system (UAS). An overview of the microASAR and its role in CASIE09 are described in [1, 2]. While the limitations in the motion measurements stored with the microASAR data during the CASIE09 mission originally precluded full motion compensation, motion data collected for other CASIE sensors can be employed to improve the SAR image focus and calibration. This paper describes the methodology developed to time-align this motion data and applies this data along with other algorithm improvements to the processing of the microASAR data. This paper also presents a concise description of the backprojection image processing used.
A multiple criteria approach to the location-allocation problem

Abstract This paper presents a model for the location-allocation problem which considers both qualitative and quantitative factors. The proposed model is based on a weighted objective function. The weights are determined on the basis of the relative importance assigned to the qualitative factors. Applications of the proposed method to real-world problems are discussed and two examples are presented to describe the proposed method. The familiar transportation method of linear programming is used to obtain optimal solutions. Solutions for the examples were compared with those obtained from using only the quantitative factor (transportation cost) and the corresponding results are discussed.
Advances in the care of children with burns.

Burns remain a significant cause of death and disability in the pediatric population. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there were 1168 burn-related deaths among 77,546,344 children ages newborn to 18 years in the United States in 2005, for a crude rate of 1.5 per 100,000. A review of 5 years of data from the authors’ burn center, which serves a total population of approximately 1.5 million people, reveals that there are on average 135 admissions to the pediatric burn unit and 2 pediatric burn deaths per year. The mean age for burn admissions is 5 years old, and the mean length of stay is 2.5 days. Approximately 44% of the patients admitted to the burn unit are transferred from other hospitals in the region. BURN EPIDEMIOLOGY AND ETIOLOGY Seventy-nine patients age birth to 4 years are admitted to the burn unit each year, and the leading injury mechanisms in this age group are hot liquids (scalds), followed by hot objects and outdoor fires (bonfires, camp fires, trash fires). Nineteen admissions per year occur in the 5- to 9-year age group, and the mechanisms for this age are (in order) hot liquids, house fires, and ignition of flammable materials. There were 22 admissions per year among the 10- to 14-year age group, and hot liquids also leads the mechanisms in this group, followed by ignition of flammable materials and outdoor fires. These statistics indicate that injury prevention programs directed toward scald injuries and reducing outdoor fires could reduce thermal injuries in children. There are also significant ethnic disparities in the rate of burn injury. Data collected from Ohio’s 6 pediatric trauma centers in 2005 indicated that African American children had a burn admission rate that was 7.70 times greater than the admission rate for white children. The admission rate for all minorities was 6.64 times greater than the white admission rate. Furthermore, data from this study demonstrates that thermal injury is a disease of poverty. A zip code analysis of the rate of burn injuries in the minority population found that the rate of burn hospitalizations correlates with the number of vacant housing units, the
Regulation of tyrosine protein kinase receptor Trk-B and motor function in rats following cardiac arrest

Following 10 min cardiac arrest and resuscitation, male Sprague-Dawley rats developed posthypoxic myoclonus. Sixty days later, the motor function of the animals was restored. In the present study, we investigated brain levels of tyrosine protein kinase receptor Trk-B with quantitative immunoblot analysis at various time points following cardiac arrest. In the frontal cortex, a significant reduction of Trk-B was found in rats 3 days (53%) after cardiac arrest, whereas significant increases were detected in rats 14 (124%) and an average 60 days (98%) after cardiac arrest. In the striatum, significant increases were found in rats 3 (389%), 14 (483%), and 60 days (521%) after resuscitation. In contrast, significant reductions of Trk-B were detected in the cerebellum of rats 3 (46%), 14 (22%), and 60 days (18%) after cardiac arrest. The results indicate that regulation of Trk-B may vary in different brain regions and have important roles in recovery processes following hypoxic-ischemic insults to the brain.
Regulation of feeding behavior in the prepubertal female rat

Abstract Responses to challenges of long-term regulation of feeding behavior were compared between adult and weanling female rats. Adulteration of a high fat diet with NaCl caused both adult and weanling rats to reduce their food intake, but neither group refused to eat. Food deprivation for 24 hr was followed by an increase in feeding for both adult and weanling animals during a period when food intake is normally very low. Continued limited food access to 2 hr during the light period was compensated for by an increase in the normal food intake for this period for both adult and young female rats. It was observed that both adult and weanling rats showed a marked preference for the more dilute glucose solution when given a choice. In addition, both groups maintained a constant caloric intake during presentation of the glucose solutions by adjusting their intake of a solid food source. In each challenge of long-term regulation of feeding behavior, the response of weanling animals was as good or superior to that shown by adults. It is concluded that weanling female rats regulate their feeding just as adults to maintain long-term energy balance. It was also observed that bilateral lesions placed in the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) at 21 days of age resulted in reduced daily food intake and retarded body weight gain. Furthermore, young rats with VMH lesions failed to respond to 24 hr of food deprivation or limited food access. These data suggest an important role for the VMH in the long-term regulation of feeding in young rats.
An approach to posture control of free-falling twin bodies using differential flatness

Often, electronics and packages must be prevented from damages resulting from awkward falls. The goal of this paper is to explore how actuators and control can be used to reorient bodies during free fall. It is well known that motion of a free-falling body or a set of interconnected bodies is characterized by the principle of conservation of angular momentum. The governing angular momentum equations are nonholonomic, i.e., are non-integrable rate equations. In this paper, we assume that the falling system consists of twin bodies interconnected by a hinge joint. One of the twin bodies is designated as the primary body which needs to be reoriented during fall. The secondary body is connected to the primary body by a hinge joint, similar to a protective cover on a cell phone. The relative angle between the twin bodies is actively controlled. In addition, two rotors are mounted on the primary body with axes orthogonal to the axis of the hinge between the twin bodies. The goal of this study is to use the framework of differential flatness to compute trajectories for the hinge joint and the two rotors so that the twin bodies achieve prespecified orientations at the end of the free fall.
Ribonucleoside metabolism by mouse oocytes: Metabolic cooperativity between the fully grown oocyte and cumulus cells

Ribonucleoside uptake and metabolism were studied in mouse oocytes arrested at dictyate and metaphase II, with or without attached cumulus cells. Uptake of uridine and guanosine decreased after meiotic maturation, whereas that of adenosine and cytidine remained unaltered. Dictyate oocytes free of cumulus cells (denuded) phosphorylated all of the radiolabeled ribonucleosides. Little radiolabeled ribonucleoside-5'-triphosphate was found. This is in contrast to the early mouse embryo, which rapidly converts ribonucleosides to the 5'-triphosphate (Daentl and Epstein, "71; Clegg and Piko, "77). Following meiotic maturation, the major metabolite present when metaphase II oocytes were cultured with cytidine or uridine was the ribonucleoside, whereas the 5'-monophosphate was still the major species for oocyte cultured with guanosine or adenosine. Ribonucleoside uptake was increased and the distribution of phosphorylated metabolites was different for cumulus-enclosed dictyate oocytes compared to their denuded counterparts. This increase in uptake and alteration in metabolite distribution was not observed for cumulus-enclosed metaphase II oocytes. These results are discussed in terms of gap junction-mediated metabolic cooperatively between the cumulus cells and the fully grown oocyte and the possible role this type of cell-to-cell interaction may serve during oocyte growth.
Differential expression of sigE by Mycobacterium tuberculosis during intracellular growth

The Mycobacterium tuberculosis sigE gene encodes a sigma factor that is a member of the extracytoplasmic function subfamily of sigma factors. Using RT-PCR we demonstrated that sigE is expressed in M. tuberculosis bacilli during growth in human macrophages beginning after 30 min but before 6 h after infection through at least 5 days after infection, but that sigE is not expressed by M. tuberculosis bacteria during growth in Middlebrook 7H9 broth medium. However, sigE expression can be induced by treatment of broth cultures with hydrogen peroxide. Further, sigE is not expressed by M. tuberculosis bacilli during attachment or growth in type II pneumocytes. Using a green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter gene fused to the sigE promoter, we observed induction of GFP expression following macrophage infection. Western blotting confirmed that sigE protein expression correlated with mRNA expression in induced systems. Analysis of the region of the M. tuberculosis genome encoding sigE suggested it is part of an operon consisting of sigE-orf1-htrA-orf2. The data presented in this report showed that sigE is differentially expressed by M. tuberculosis bacilli in macrophages and might play a role in the pathogenesis of this organism.
Highly directive current distributions: General theory

A theoretical scheme for studying the properties of localized, monochromatic, and highly directive classical current distributions in two and three dimensions is formulated and analyzed. For continuous current distributions, it is shown that maximizing the directivity D in the far field while constraining C5N/T, where N is the integral of the square of the magnitude of the current density and T is proportional to the total radiated power, leads to a Fredholm integral equation of the second kind for the optimum current. This equation is a useful analytical tool for studying currents that produce optimum directivities above the directivity of a uniform distribution. Various consequences of the present formulation are examined analytically for essentially arbitrary geometries of the current-carrying region. In particular, certain properties of the optimum directivity are derived and differences between the continuous and discrete cases are pointed out. When C!‘, the directivity tends to infinity monotonically, in accord with Oseen’s ‘‘Einstein needle radiation.’’ @S1063-651X~98!02108-4#
Measuring Sexual Risk for HIV: A Rasch Scaling Approach

In this study, we developed an HIV transmission risk scale and examined its psychometric properties using data on sexual behavior obtained from a probability sample of adult men who have sex with men living in Chicago. We used Messick’s (Am Psychol 50:741–749, 1995) conceptualization of unified validity theory to organize the psychometric properties of data. Evidence related to scale content was investigated via Rasch item fit statistics, point-measure correlations, and expert evaluation. The substantive aspect of validity was addressed by interpreting the meaningfulness of the item difficulty hierarchy (continuum of risky behaviors) and assessment of person fit. The structural aspect of validity was assessed using Rasch item fit statistics, principal component analysis of standardized residuals, and other residual analyses. The generalizability aspect of validity was investigated via internal consistency reliability estimates for both items and persons, and aspects of external validity were addressed by examining between-group differences with respect to levels of risky behavior. Applications and suggested future studies are discussed.
The role of the zinc motif in sequence recognition by DNA primases.

The DNA primase of bacteriophage T7 has a zinc-binding motif that is essential for the recognition of the sequence 3′-CTG-5′. The T7 primase also catalyzes helicase activity, a reaction coupled to nucleotide hydrolysis. We have replaced the zinc motif of the T7 primase with those found in the gene 61 primase of phage T4 and the DnaG primase of Escherichia coli. The T4 and E. coli primases recognize the sequences 3′-T(C/T)G-5′ and 3′-GTC-5′, respectively. Both chimeric proteins can partially replace T7 primase in vivo. The two chimeric primases catalyze the synthesis of oligoribonucleotides albeit at a reduced rate and DNA dependent dTTPase activity is reduced by 3-10-fold. Both chimeric proteins recognize 3′-(A/G)CG-5′ sites on single-stranded DNA, sites that differ from those recognized by the T7, T4, or E. coli primases, indicating that the zinc motif is only one determinant in site-specific recognition.
The genetics of protein secretion in E. coli

Genetic studies have identified six genes whose products comprise the general protein secretion machinery of Escherichia coli. Insights from mutant analysis and the biochemical properties of the purified components allows the secretion pathway to be described in some detail. The picture emerging provides a useful paradigm for similar pathways in other organisms.
Nonverbal Memory Assessment with Designs: Construct Validity and Clinical Utility

The evaluation of memory is often a principal objective in psychological testing, especially for older adults. Differentiation between subtypes of memory functioning is critical in making differential diagnoses and in predicting everyday functioning. In this paper, 23 tests using memory for designs and developed for clinical or research applications are reviewed. Overall, reliabilities are low, normative samples varied in size, and findings regarding the construct validity of design memory testing are mixed. Tests with higher reliability, large numbers of designs, and recognition formats may be more specific to nonverbal memory. A series of studies that systematically establishes construct validity for design memory tests will enhance clinical utility.
REMARKS ON PION PHOTOPRODUCTION.

Abstract We record some predictions for charged pion photoproduction implicit in our previous work. These include extension of the pseudomodel to somewhat larger t -values and a discussion of photoproduction from a polarized target. Some remarks are also made on the predictions of gauge-invariant perturbation theory.
Carbohydrate and lipid metabolism during various growth hormone dosing regimens in girls with Turner syndrome

To analyze the effects of supraphysiological dosages of growth hormone (GH) on carbohyrate (CH) and lipid metabolism, we investigated 87 girls with Turner syndrome (TS) in two studies: (1) a 4-year GH dose-response (DR) study comparing three groups with stepwise GH dosage increases up to 8 IU/m2/d in girls aged 2 to 11 years, and (2) a 2-year GH administration frequency-response (FR) study in girls aged 11 to 17 years, comparing once-daily (OD) and twice-daily (BID) injections of a total GH dose of 6 IU/m2/d in combination with low-dose ethinyl estradiol (50 ng/kg/d orally). At baseline, impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) was present in 6% of the girls, and at the end of the studies, in 5%. In the DR study, the area under the curve for time-concentration (AUCab) for glucose after an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) showed no change over time and no significant difference between any of the study groups. However, in all three DR groups, the AUCab for insulin, fasting glucose, the insulinogenic index, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), and urinary C-peptide (uCp) were all significantly higher after 4 years compared with pretreatment (P < .05). In the FR study, group differences were not observed. Compared with healthy Dutch control subjects, the median baseline levels in relatively young girls in the DR study were similar for total cholesterol (TC) and lower for high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. In contrast, the median TC levels of relatively older girls in the FR study were higher and HDL levels were similar. With increasing GH dosage in the DR study, median TC and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels decreased, whereas median HDL levels increased. The changes after 4 years were significant, including a decrease in the atherogenic index. GH treatment at the supraphysiological dosages used in this study did not increase the frequency of IGT or clinical diabetes. However, we observed an increased insulinogenic index indicative of insulin resistance. Therefore, long-term follow-up study is warranted in these otherwise healthy subjects. OD injection regimens changed the lipid profile toward a more cardioprotective direction with a significant reduction of the TC/HDL cholesterol ratio.
Primary osteoblast-like cells from patients with end-stage kidney disease reflect gene expression, proliferation, and mineralization characteristics ex vivo

Osteocytes regulate bone turnover and mineralization in chronic kidney disease. As osteocytes are derived from osteoblasts, alterations in osteoblast function may regulate osteoblast maturation, osteocytic transition, bone turnover, and skeletal mineralization. Thus, primary osteoblast-like cells were cultured from bone chips obtained from 24 pediatric ESKD patients. RNA expression in cultured cells was compared with RNA expression in cells from healthy individuals, to RNA expression in the bone core itself, and to parameters of bone histomorphometry. Proliferation and mineralization rates of patient cells were compared with rates in healthy control cells. Associations were observed between bone osteoid accumulation, as assessed by bone histomorphometry, and bone core RNA expression of osterix, matrix gla protein, parathyroid hormone receptor 1, and RANKL. Gene expression of osteoblast markers was increased in cells from ESKD patients and signaling genes including Cyp24A1, Cyp27B1, VDR, and NHERF1 correlated between cells and bone cores. Cells from patients with high turnover renal osteodystrophy proliferated more rapidly and mineralized more slowly than did cells from healthy controls. Thus, primary osteoblasts obtained from patients with ESKD retain changes in gene expression ex vivo that are also observed in bone core specimens. Evaluation of these cells in vitro may provide further insights into the abnormal bone biology that persists, despite current therapies, in patients with ESKD.
Inhibition of STAT-3 Results in Radiosensitization of Human Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Abstract Background Signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 (STAT-3) is a downstream component of the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFr) signaling process that may facilitate the resistance of tumor cells to conventional cancer treatments. Studies were performed to determine if inhibition of this downstream protein produces radiosensitization. Methods/Results A431 cells (human squamous cell carcinoma cells with EGFr overexpression) were found to be sensitized to radiation after treatment with STAT-3 small interfering RNA (siRNA). Therefore, a short hairpin RNA (shRNA) against STAT-3 was designed and cloned into a pBABE vector system modified for shRNA expression. Following transfection, clone 2.1 was selected for further study as it showed a dramatic reduction of STAT-3 protein (and mRNA) when compared to A431 parental cells or a negative control shRNA cell line (transfected with STAT-3 shRNA with 2 base pairs mutated). A431 2.1 showed doubling times of 25–31 h as compared to 18–24 h for the parental cell line. The A431 shRNA knockdown STAT-3 cells A431 were more sensitive to radiation than A431 parental or negative STAT-3 control cells. Conclusion A431 cells stably transfected with shRNA against STAT-3 resulted in enhanced radiosensitivity. Further work will be necessary to determine whether the inhibition of STAT-3 phosphorylation is a necessary step for the radiosensitization that is induced by the inhibition of EGFr.
If You Build It, They Will Come (or Not): Going the Distance in Teacher Candidate Recruitment

There are persistent concerns in the literature related to recruitment and retention of highly qualified teacher candidates who are capable of achieving contemporary goals and meeting the professional expectations associated with the delivery of quality physical education programs in schools. The purpose of this article is to provide physical education teacher education faculty with recommendations for best practice in the area of teacher candidate recruitment by reviewing literature in the following areas: (a) identification of the characteristics of successful teachers as a basis for recruitment efforts, (b) fundamental principles of effective marketing and recruitment, (c) generational characteristics of college-bound students and the practical implications, and (d) recruitment of underrepresented populations. The recruitment tactics identified include actionable recommendations for faculty, departments/programs, universities, and community partners in teacher education.
The incidence of inflectional suffixes and the classification of word forms

Summary The hypothesis tested in this study is that speakers of a language which is complexly inflected in the suffix position will attend more closely to the ends of word forms than speakers of a language carrying fewer and simpler inflections. Four groups each of Italian and American children were given sets of nonsense words to classify when the criterial attributes for the classifications were either terminal or initial elements in the paralogs. More Italian than American children sort correctly on the basis of terminal elements. There are no differences between the groups when the classification depends on the initial letters.
A multiplexed 200 MSPS waveform digitizer with zero suppression for MACRO

Abstract We have built a 200 MSPS waveform digitizer (WFD) for the liquid scintillator system of the MACRO experiment. The major purpose of the WFD is to search for magnetic monopoles. This requires the ability to store extremely long records of mostly zero data. To do this, we have designed a zero suppression circuit that runs “on the fly” at 200 MSPS. Each WFD has 4 inputs. The inputs are summed before digitization. However, each input also has an independent discriminator, also read out every 5 ns providing a record of multiple hits. The 5 ns data stream is demultiplexed 1:4 to write into 15 ns TTL compatible BiCMOS memories. The memory sequencer and zero suppression circuits are ECL; the remainder of the circuit is TTL and TTL compatible CMOS.
A comparison of methods for the production of monodispersed cell suspensions from human primary breast carcinomas.

Production of monodispersed cell suspensions from primary human breast tumors is difficult due to the predominant stromal composition of most breast tumors. Our studies were designed to optimize dispersion of breast tumors of known stromal content and histopathology. In a first series of experiments three enzymatic protocols were compared to disperse minced tissue: (A) treatment with collagenase (2 mg/ml) in the presence of 5% serum for 24 hours; (B) treatment with collagenase (6 mg/ml) and DNase (0.002%) in 10% serum for 3 hours; (C) treatment with collagenase (2 mg/ml) for 3 hours followed by pronase (0.075%) for l hour. Protocol A produced better cell yields than B or C for all tumors tested. The monodispersed cells were suspended in a 0.3% semi-solid agar with alpha modified Eagles medium (αMEM), 10% serum, and selected hormones, then layered over similarly enriched 0.5% semi-solid agar. The cells prepared by protocol A had a higher plating efficiency and larger average colony size than B or C. In a second series of experiments, protocol A was repeated and compared to two additional procedures: (D) treatment with collagenase (2 mg/ml) and hyaluronidase (1 mg/ml) in the presence of 5% serum for 24 hours; and (E) mechanical disaggregation. Protocol D exhibited a small but significant negative difference from A, while E was the least efficient in producing viable monodispersed cells from the tumors. All enzymatically monodispersed cells produced clonal growth in our agar system. However, mechanically dispersed cells gave growth in only 4 of 7 tumors. Protocol A, in addition to yielding the highest number of viable cells per gram of tissue, gave the highest plating efficiency of all protocols tested.
Eliminating pinholes in CSS deposited CdS films

The open circuit voltage of cadmium telluride CdTe solar cells is strongly related to the cadmium sulfide CdS film thickness. It has been shown that thinning the window layer film can increase the short circuit current of the solar cell, but thinner CdS films tend to have more discontinuities and defects such as pinholes. These pinholes form weak CdTe/TCO diodes that decrease Voc and consequently device efficiency. Artificial sources of pinholes are the main focus in this study. This work focused on studying pinholes in CdS films of thicknesses ranging between 200nm and 50nm. Three experiments were conducted; the first was utilizing a class 1 mini-environment to eliminate dust and particulates collected on glass substrates prior to film deposition, the second experiment utilized a plasma cleaner to test the effects of plasma cleaning on pinhole elimination and the third experiment focused on studying pinholes on thinner CdS thicknesses. Experiment results indicate that cleaning substrates using plasma cleaners almost eliminated pinholes in CSS deposited CdS films for all film thicknesses.
Application Essays and Future Performance in Medical School: Are They Related?

Background: There is a paucity of research on whether application essays are a valid indicator of medical students' future performance. Purpose: The goal is to score medical school application essays systematically and examine the correlations between these essay scores and several indicators of student performance during medical school and internship. Methods: A journalist created a scoring rubric based on the journalism literature and scored 2 required essays of students admitted to our university in 1 year (N = 145). We picked 7 indicators of medical school and internship performance and correlated these measures with overall essay scores: preclinical medical school grade point average (GPA), clinical medical school GPA, cumulative medical school GPA, U.S. Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE) Step 1 and 2 scores, and scores on a program director's evaluation measuring intern professionalism and expertise. We then examined the Pearson and Spearman correlations between essay scores and the outcomes. Results: E...
Temperature Inversions of Anhydrous Gallium Orthophosphate

Crystalline GaPO4 was prepared in a hydrothermal bomb at 200° to 300°C. It was found to be isostructural with the berlinite form of AlP04. Thermal analysis and high-temperature X-ray techniques were utilized to show that the analogy extends to some of the polymorphic forms of AlPO4 as well. Three forms of GaPO4, corresponding to the berlinite, high-cristobalite, and low-cristobalite forms of the A1PO4 system, were observed. No evidence was found to indicate the existence of a tridymite form.
Modelling the evolution of globular star clusters

Globular star clusters provide a unique laboratory. In astronomy they present an opportunity to study dense stellar systems that are more accessible than galactic nuclei. In statistical mechanics, concepts of negative heat capacity and resulting gravothermal instabilities challenge the present framework of statistical deceptions of dynamical systems. In computer science, modelling their evolution poses an extreme challenge to the hardware and software capabilities of the next generation of parallel computers, and provides an ideal test case for teraflop machines.
Characterization of Switching Time and Cell Stress in a Gravity-Driven Microfluidic Cell Sorter Based on Hydrodynamic Switching

In this work we describe the control and characterization of the switching time and hydrodynamic stress in a microfluidic cell sorter. The device was designed to sort small (<1000) populations of live cells in buffer solution labeled with standard bio-markers such as live dyes or green fluorescent protein (GFP). Sorting occurs through a hydrodynamic switching technique where high-speed solenoid valves control a sheath flow used to steer sorted cells away from the unsorted bulk population. The device is constructed from a reusable hard plastic polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) chip machined with 127μm × 50μm microchannels and sealed with adhesive tape. Open reservoirs in the chip facilitate pipette access, standard microscope visualization, and a simple disassembly and cleaning procedure. The sorting frequency of this type of device is typically limited by the hydrodynamic switching time. Here, we present a theoretical and numerical analysis of the device switching time. These results show that the sorter switching time t is practically limited by the velocity of the flow and the characteristic length between inlet and outlet channels. We validate this theoretical result with experimental data obtained from flow visualizations, along with experiments conducted to evaluate the repeatability of the hydrodynamic switching scheme and the survival rate of sorted fibroblast cells Manually operated, the sorting frequencies were approximately 10 cells per minute, with switching time constants of approximately 130ms. Current throughput is limited by this switching time to approximately 450 cells per minute. Automation can increase the velocity and reduce the spacing between cells, thereby increasing throughput by at least an order of magnitude. The cell sorter was then tested by manually sorting 100 beads in 7 minutes, and 30 cells in less than 3 minutes, and was successfully used in the framework of a study on the bystander effect occurring during cell irradiation. Experiments with Trypan Blue dye verified that cell viability was maintained during the sorting process.© 2010 ASME
Injection or withdrawal at a plane boundary for stokes flow with stagnation

Abstract The Stokes equations are solved for the case of laminar flow with a plane surface normal to the direction of flow and an arbitrary, non-vanishing, symmetric, normal velocity component at the plane boundary. Solutions are presented in terms of certain functionals for the cases of two-dimensional flow and flow with axial symmetry. Pressure and velocity distributions are obtained for two examples of particular velocity variations at the plane boundary; other velocity distributions at the boundary are also discussed.
Finding an Obesity Gene — A Tale of Mice and Man

The term “complex disease” has been coined for conditions that arise from multifaceted interactions of environmental and heritable factors. It encompasses some of the most common disorders, such as...
Limit-Cycle Hysteresis Response for a High-Aspect-Ratio Wing Model

An experimental high-aspect-ratio wing aeroelastic model with a slender body at the tip has been constructed, and the response due to flutter and limit-cycle oscillations (LCOs) has been measured in a wind-tunnel test. A theoretical model has been developed and calculations made to correlate with the experimental data. Structural equations of motion based on nonlinear beam theory are combined with the ONERA aerodynamic stall model to study the LCO hysteresis phenomenon of a high-aspect-ratio wing model. Time simulation and a harmonic balance approach are each used to compute the LCO hysteretic response.The results between the theory and experiment are in good agreement.
A second detailed case study of functional blindness: Further demonstration of the contribution of objective psychological laboratory data

This report concerns an adolescent girl in whom an acute attack of meningoencephalitis coincided with the development of functional blindness. Her case study is of special interest for several reasons: first, her visual performance was examined by means of the same operant procedure which the authors had applied previously, but the characteristics of this patient's performance were markedly different. Nevertheless, they also suggested a functional disorder. And secondly, the patient's illness was documented from its onset to its termination 3 years later and her recovery followed up for an additional 3 years. The study provides further support for the notion that the use of behavioral laboratory techniques can make a significant contribution to the assessment of psychopathology.
Filamentous Escherichia coli cells swimming in tapered microcapillaries

This study analyzed the swimming characteristics of filamentous Escherichia coli cells inside tapered capillaries with a diameter decreasing from 700 μm to 4 μm and a mean body length of 27.8 μm ± 11.9 μm. Cells that were pre-oriented towards the narrower diameter section of the tapered capillary swam with high directional persistence, following conical-helix trajectories along the capillary wall. The confinement of the tapered capillary significantly diminished the mean swimming speed of filamentous cells when compared to their unrestricted mean swimming speed. The cell body rotation of individual filamentous bacteria decreased along the tapered direction, likely due to increased steric interactions with the capillary wall. Filamentous cells that swam under imposed flow rates ranging from 0.2 μl/min to 0.8 μl/min showed positive rheotaxis inside the 150 μm–350 μm diameter region of the tapered capillary. Depending on the imposed flow rate, none of the bacteria could advance beyond a critical diameter in the tapered capillary. This critical diameter is likely to be the position of the maximum shear rate they can tolerate without being flushed away. This work showed experimental evidence of how a simple flow constriction such as a tapered tube forms a hydrodynamic barrier that can deter the advance of bacterial rheotaxis.
Transparent conducting electrodes on silicon

Abstract Stable, transparent, electrical contacts to silicon using fluorine doped tin oxide as the transparent conductor are described. A thin titanium nitride or titanium oxide film between the silicon and tin oxide prevents interdiffusion and therefore stabilizes the structure, while still retaining good electrical contact and high transparency. All of the films are made by atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition.
Utilisation d'un guide angulé pour déploiement d'une endoprothèse aortique en zone tortueuse

Nous presentons le cas d'un homme de 90 ans qui presentait un anevrysme a composantes supra-renale, infrarenale et iliaque bilaterale dont le traitement par endoprothese fut decide a cause d'une augmentation de volume. En raison d'une angulation severe du collet sous-renal, une endofuite de type 1a s'etait developpee mais elle fut traitee avec succes par la mise en place d'une extension proximale. L'endoprothese fut deployee suivant une technique originale utilisant un guide rigide angule, adapte a la tortuosite de l'aorte a ce niveau. Dans la litterature, il s'agit du premier rapport decrivant cette technique pour le traitement d'une pathologie aortique en zone tortueuse.
Positron Emission Tomographic Measurement of Cerebral Blood Flow and Permeability—Surface Area Product of Water Using [15O]Water and [11C]Butanol

We have previously adapted Kety's tissue autoradiographic method for measuring regional CBF in laboratory animals to the measurement of CBF in humans with positron emission tomography (PET) and H2(15)O. Because this model assumes diffusion equilibrium between tissue and venous blood, the use of a diffusion-limited tracer, such as H2(15)O, may lead to an underestimation of CBF. We therefore validated the use of [11C]butanol as an alternative freely diffusible tracer for PET. We then used it in humans to determine the underestimation of CBF that occurs with H2(15)O, and thereby were able to calculate the extraction Ew and permeability-surface area product PSw of H2(15)O. Measurements of the permeability of rhesus monkey brain to [11C]butanol, obtained by means of an intracarotid injection, external detection technique, demonstrated that this tracer is freely diffusible up to a CBF of at least 170 ml/min-100 g. CBF measured in baboons with the PET autoradiographic method and [11C]butanol was then compared with CBF measured in the same animals with a standard residue detection method. An excellent correspondence was obtained between both of these measurements. Finally, paired PET measurements of CBF were made with both H2(15)O and [11C]butanol in 17 normal human subjects. Average global CBF was significantly greater when measured with [11C]butanol (53.1 ml/min-100 g) than with H2(15)O (44.4 ml/min-100 g). Average global Ew was 0.84 and global PSw was 104 ml/min-100 g. Regional measurements showed a linear relationship between local PSw and CBF, while Ew was relatively uniform throughout the brain. Simulations were used to determine the potential error associated with the use of an incorrect value for the brain-blood partition coefficient for [11C]butanol and to calculate the effect of tissue heterogeneity and errors in flow measurement on the calculation of PSw.
Librarian-Controlled RSS: A Novel Approach to Literature Search Follow-up

This article attempts to gain a better understanding of how a library-mediated, RSS-generated literature update service may be received, valued, and used by health care providers in a mid-size community hospital, and considers specific quantitative feedback from providers to recommend to health science librarians—a logical approach to implementing a valuable and effective clinician-focused literature update service using RSS technology. To test the hypothesis that an RSS literature update service would be appropriate and well received across both clinical and nonclinical groups, a pilot literature update service was developed, implemented, and evaluated in an effort to measure the potential value of this service as well as to assess that the structure and processes were well aligned with the unique needs and preferences of this particular group of health care providers.
Effect of the direction of biasing field on magnetostatic volume wave delays

Abstract An investigation of the effect of the direction of a dc biasing field on the magnetostatic volume wave delays in YIG sandwiched between two ground planes has been made. Specifically, the magnetic field has been assumed to be arbitrary in three planes: (a) forward volume wave to backward volume plane; (b) forward volume wave to surface wave plane; (c) backward volume wave to surface wave plane. A general dispersion relation has been derived. The numerical results indicate that delays can be controlled by the direction of the dc magnetic field. The effect of the thickness of the dielectric on the delay characteristics of magnetostatic backward volume waves has also been studied. The present study shows that a suitable filter can be designed, whose bandwidth may be varied by rotating the direction of the magnetic field.
The Petri Project Pipeline for Education, Training Resources, and Innovation

Northampton Community College, in collaboration with industry, workforce, and secondary school partners, developed a multifaceted, replicable approach to meet the regional biotechnology workforce needs. Credit-bearing, career-latticed specialized diplomas and a cutting edge clean room laboratory provide a quick entree option into a high growth industry in our region.
Highly Distorted κ3-N,N,H Bonding of Bis(3,5-di-tert-butylpyrazolyl)borate Ligands to the Heavier Group 2 Elements†

Treatment of MI2 (M = Ca, Sr, Ba) with two equivalents of thallium bis(3,5-di-tert-butylpyrazolyl)borate (TlBptBu2) in tetrahydrofuran at ambient temperature afforded CaBptBu22 (67%), SrBptBu22 (79...
Treatment of Idiopathic Headshaking in Horses with Pulsed High-Dose Dexamethasone

Background Treatment of idiopathic headshaking in horses is complicated by an incomplete understanding of underlying pathophysiology and partially effective treatments. If an inflammatory etiology exists, corticosteroids could be beneficial. Hypothesis An anti-inflammatory dose of dexamethasone reduces the signs of idiopathic headshaking in a field setting. Animals Convenience sample of 20 adult horses with idiopathic headshaking syndrome. Cases were recruited from the general population and diagnosed by attending veterinarians. Methods Prospective, blinded clinical trial. Pulsed dosing was with oral dexamethasone (60 mg PO Q24h × 4 days, q3 weeks for 4 months) or placebo (inert paste). Owners were blinded and asked to score the headshaking from 0 to 4 (4 = most severe) 3 days per week. The change in headshaking scores (HS) over each treatment pulse was compared between groups by ordinal logistic regression. Results Twelve horses completed the trial. There was no significant difference between treated or placebo horses (P = .987). Sun (P ≤ .001), wind (P = .028), and exercise (P ≤ .045) significantly increased HS. Conclusions and Clinical Importance No benefit of dexamethasone treatment was detected for idiopathic headshaking. The results confirmed previous reports of common triggers for headshaking behavior.
Effects of two cognitive-behavioral interventions on immunity and symptoms in persons with HIV

Investigations in both healthy and clinical populations support the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral interventions for immune enhancement and symptom reduction. However, there is a paucity of research examining these interventions in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positive populations, and existing studies lack precision in design. In this study, HIV seropositive subjects, blocked by illness stage, were randomized to a guided imagery (N=23) or progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) (N=22) treatment, or a control group (N = 24). The six-week treatments were delivered via audiotape following brief face-to-face instruction, and effects on fatigue, depression, and three measures of cellular immunity were examined. Pre and posttreatment measures included the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), Sleep and Rest subscale of the Sickness Impact Profile (SIP), CD4+ and CD16+ lymphocyte numbers, and CD4+:CD8 + T lymphocyte ratio. Data were analyzed using a hierarchical multiple regression model, holding pretreatment effects constant while assessing the contribution of each treatment to the dependent variables. The guided imagery group had a significant decrease in depression and fatigue, while the PMR group demonstrated an increased CD4+ T lymphocyte count and a reduction in depression. Findings supported the effectiveness of both interventions for symptom alleviation, and of PMR for immune enhancement in persons with HIV, and suggest a differential effect for the two treatments in this population.