cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Does screw length for primary two-level ACDF influence pseudarthrosis risk?

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND CONTEXT Pseudarthrosis remains a major complication for patients undergoing anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF; 0%–15% at 1-year follow-up). Potentially modifiable risk factors are known in literature, such as smoking and osteoporosis. Biomechanical studies suggest that plates with locking screws can enhance the fixation rigidity and pull-out strength. Although longer screws are known to be correlated with increased pull-out strength, deeper screw depths can increase the risk for intraoperative complications. An important factor that has yet to be studied is the minimum screw length relative to the diameter of the vertebral body (VB) necessary to achieve successful fusion. In this study, we hypothesize that screws with shorter depths relative to the VB will increase the risk for radiographic pseudarthrosis and result in poor patient reported outcomes (PROs). PURPOSE To examine the impact of ACDF screw length on pseudarthrosis risk. STUDY DESIGN A review of prospectively collected data. PATIENT SAMPLE A total of 85 patients were included in this study. The mean age ±standard deviation was 58.9±10.3 and 42.4% of patients were female. The mean follow-up was 21.6±8.3 months. OUTCOME MEASURES The neck disability index (NDI) was used to assess PROs up to 2-years after surgery. For each ACDF level, the screw length and VB% (screw length divided by the anterior-posterior VB diameter) were measured. Radiographic pseudarthrosis (interspinous motion [ISM] ≥1 mm) was recorded at 6-weeks, 6-months, and 1-year for each patient. The positive and negative predictive values (PPV, NPV) for ISM ≥ 1mm were measured for different VB% thresholds. A VB% of METHODS We reviewed a database (2015–2018) of adult (≥18 years old) patients who underwent a primary two-level ACDF with or without corpectomy. All ACDF constructs involved fixed angle screws. The minimum follow-up period was 1 year. Multivariate analyses were performed to determine if screw VB% was an independent risk factor for radiographic pseudarthrosis. RESULTS By 1-year, overall fusion success was achieved in 92.9% of patients. The 1-year revision rate was 4.7%. Patients with any screw VB% CONCLUSIONS In primary two-level ACDF, VB%
QTL mapping of winter dormancy and associated traits in two switchgrass pseudo-F1 populations: lowland x lowland and lowland x upland

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) undergoes winter dormancy by sensing photoperiod and temperature changes. It transitions to winter dormancy in early fall following at the end of reproduction and exits dormancy in the spring. The duration of the growing season affects the accumulation of biomass and yield. In this study, we conducted QTL mapping of winter dormancy measured by fall regrowth height (FRH) and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), spring emergence (SE), and flowering date (FD) in two bi-parental pseudo-F1 populations derived from crosses between the lowland AP13 with the lowland B6 (AB) with 285 progenies, and the lowland B6 with the upland VS16 (BV) with 227 progenies. We identified 18 QTLs for FRH, 18 QTLs for NDVI, 21 QTLs for SE, and 30 QTLs for FD. The percent variance explained by these QTLs ranged between 4.21–23.27% for FRH, 4.47–24.06% for NDVI, 4.35–32.77% for SE, and 4.61–29.74% for FD. A higher number of QTL was discovered in the BV population, suggesting more variants in the lowland x upland population contributing to the expression of seasonal dormancy underlying traits. We identified 9 regions of colocalized QTL with possible pleiotropic gene action. The positive correlation between FRH or NDVI with dry biomass weight suggests that winter dormancy duration could affect switchgrass biomass yield. The medium to high heritability levels of FRH (0.55–0.64 H2) and NDVI (0.30–0.61 H2) implies the possibility of using the traits for indirect selection for biomass yield. Markers found within the significant QTL interval can serve as genomic resources for breeding non-dormant and semi-dormant switchgrass cultivars for the southern regions, where growers can benefit from the longer production season.
Association of Congenital Heart Disease with Autism: A Case-Control Study

BACKGROUND: There has long been an association between congenital heart disease (CHD) and general neurodevelopmental delays. However, the association between CHD and Autism spectrum disorders (AuSD) is less well understood. Prior studies to assess an association have been limited by small sample size and questionnaire recall. OBJECTIVE: Using administrative data from the Military Health System, we sought to quantify the association between CHD and AuSD, as well as to identify specific CHD lesions with higher odds of developing AuSD. DESIGN/METHOD: We performed a 1:3 case-control study with …
Follicular Lymphoma-associated BTK Mutations are Inactivating Resulting in Augmented AKT Activation

Purpose: On the basis of the recent discovery of mutations in Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) in follicular lymphoma, we studied their functional properties. Experimental Design: We identified novel somatic BTK mutations in 7% of a combined total of 139 follicular lymphoma and 11 transformed follicular lymphoma cases, none of which had received prior treatment with B-cell receptor (BCR) targeted drugs. We reconstituted wild-type (WT) and mutant BTK into various engineered lymphoma cell lines. We measured BCR-induced signal transduction events in engineered cell lines and primary human follicular lymphoma B cells. Results: We uncovered that all BTK mutants destabilized the BTK protein and some created BTK kinase-dead mutants. The phospholipase C gamma 2 (PLCγ2) is a substrate of BTK but the BTK mutants did not alter PLCγ2 phosphorylation. Instead, we discovered that BTK mutants induced an exaggerated AKT phosphorylation phenotype in anti-Ig-treated recombinant lymphoma cell lines. The short hairpin RNA–mediated knockdown of BTK expression in primary human nonmalignant lymph node–derived B cells resulted in strong anti-Ig-induced AKT activation, as did the degradation of BTK protein in cell lines using ibrutinib-based proteolysis targeting chimera. Finally, through analyses of primary human follicular lymphoma B cells carrying WT or mutant BTK, we detected elevated AKT phosphorylation following surface Ig crosslinking in all follicular lymphoma B cells, including all BTK-mutant follicular lymphoma. The augmented AKT phosphorylation following BCR crosslinking could be abrogated by pretreatment with a PI3Kδ inhibitor. Conclusions: Altogether, our data uncover novel unexpected properties of follicular lymphoma–associated BTK mutations with direct implications for targeted therapy development in follicular lymphoma. See related commentary by Afaghani and Taylor, p. 2123
Causally Interpretable Meta-analysis: Application in Adolescent HIV Prevention

Endowing meta-analytic results with a causal interpretation is challenging when there are differences in the distribution of effect modifiers among the populations underlying the included trials and the target population where the results of the meta-analysis will be applied. Recent work on transportability methods has described identifiability conditions under which the collection of randomized trials in a meta-analysis can be used to draw causal inferences about the target population. When the conditions hold, the methods enable estimation of causal quantities such as the average treatment effect and conditional average treatment effect in target populations that differ from the populations underlying the trial samples. The methods also facilitate comparison of treatments not directly compared in a head-to-head trial and assessment of comparative effectiveness within subgroups of the target population. We briefly describe these methods and present a worked example using individual participant data from three HIV prevention trials among adolescents in mental health care. We describe practical challenges in defining the target population, obtaining individual participant data from included trials and a sample of the target population, and addressing systematic missing data across datasets. When fully realized, methods for causally interpretable meta-analysis can provide decision-makers valid estimates of how treatments will work in target populations of substantive interest as well as in subgroups of these populations.
Decoupling the ATP-binding Domain in the CheA Kinase by Increasing Linker Flexibility Dramatically Alters Kinase Activity

In bacterial chemotaxis chemoreceptors regulate the cytosolic dimeric histidine kinase CheA. To test the role that interdomain linkers play in CheA regulation the linkers that connect the P4 kinase domain to the P3 dimerization domain (L3) and the P5 regulatory domain (L4) were extended and altered in variants of Thermotoga maritima (Tm) CheA. Flexible extensions of the L3 and L4 linkers in CheA-LV1 (linker variant 1) allow for a well-folded kinase domain that retains WT-like binding affinities for nucleotide and normal interactions with the receptor-coupling protein CheW. However, CheA-LV1 autophosphorylation activity registers [~]50-fold lower compared to wild-type. Formation of the CheA-LV1 / CheA WT heterodimer fails to rescue CheA-LV1 autophosphorylation and instead reduces the activity of the WT subunit. Neither CheA WT nor CheA-LV1 can phosphorylate P1 in a CheA dimer that contains a single P4 domain. Rescue of autophosphorylation activity in variants with a poly-alanine L3 or an L3 that maintains a heptad repeat suggest that positioning and conformational transitions of P4 depend on L3 assuming helical structure. Pulse dipolar ESR measurements indicate that the CheA-LV1 P4 domains are in close proximity whereas broader distributions in other variants correlate with increased activity. CheA-LV1 has a substantially larger hydrodynamic radius than does CheA WT by SAXS, despite the P4 domains assuming a closed, inhibited conformation. These results explain negative cooperativity in CheA nucleotide binding, demonstrate coupling between P4 disposition and P1 / P2 dynamics and underscore the importance of P4-P4 interactions and an L3 -helix in CheA activity and regulation.
Amenorrhea following use of oral contraceptives.

Abstract The syndrome of irregular menses following the use of estrogen-progestogen compounds is discussed. A group of 16 women who developed this complication following the use of oral contraceptives is compared to a control group of 13 women who used these preparations and had no aftereffects. The pathophysiology of this syndrome is discussed in relationship to the mechanism of action of the estrogen-progestogen compounds. The various methods of treatment that have been used successfully are reviewed.
δ18O values, 87Sr86Sr and Sr/Mg ratios of Late Devonian abiotic marine calcite: Implications for the composition of ancient seawater

Abstract Late Devonian (Frasnian) abiotic marine calcite has been microsampled and analyzed for 87 Sr 86 Sr ratios, δ18O and δ13C values, and minor element concentrations. Portions of marine cement crystals from the Alberta and Canning Basins have escaped diagenetic alteration and preserve original marine δ18O values (−4.8%. ± 0.5, PDB), δ13C values (+2.0 to +3.0%., PDB), 87 Sr 86 Sr ratios (0.70805 ± 3), and Sr/Mg weight ratios (0.04 to 0.05). Marine 87 Sr 86 Sr ratios are globally consistent and can be correlated within the Alberta Basin, and among the Alberta, Canning, and Williston Basins. Correlation of isotopic and chemical data strengthen the conclusion that marine cements from the Leduc Formation preserve original marine δ18O values which are 3 to 4%. lower than those of modern marine cements. These low δ18O values are best explained by precipitation from 18O-depleted seawater and not by elevated seawater temperature or diagenetic alteration. For comparison with Devonian data, analogous data were collected from Holocene Mg-calcite and aragonite marine cements from Enewetak Atoll, Marshall Islands. Mg-calcite and aragonite marine cements are in isotopic equilibrium with ambient seawater, and Mg-calcite cements are homogeneous with respect to Sr and Mg contents. Empirically derived homogeneous distribution coefficients for Mg and Sr in modern, abiotic Mg-calcite from Enewetak Atoll are 0.034 and 0.15, respectively. An equation describing the dependence of DSr on Mg content was based on a compilation of Sr and Mg data from Holocene abiotic marine calcite (DSr = 3.52 × 10−6 (ppm Mg) + 6.20 × 10−3). Unlike that derived from experimental data, this Sr-Mg relation is consistent over a range of 4 to 20 mol% MgCO3 and may represent precipitation phenomena which are minimally controlled by kinetic effects. Comparison of Sr and Mg contents of analogous Devonian and Holocene marine cements suggests that the Mg/Ca ratio of Late Devonian seawater was significantly lower and that the Sr/Ca ratio was significantly higher than that of modern seawater.
Reentrant condensation of lysozyme: Implications for studying dynamics of lysozyme in aqueous solutions of lithium chloride

Recent studies have outlined the use of eutectic solutions of lithium chloride in water to study microscopic dynamics of lysozyme in an aqueous solvent that is remarkably similar to pure water in many respects, yet allows experiments over a wide temperature range without solvent crystallization. The eutectic point in a (H2O)R(LiCl) system corresponds to R ≈ 7.3, and it is of interest to investigate whether less-concentrated aqueous solutions of LiCl could be used in low-temperature studies of a solvated protein. We have investigated a range of concentrations of lysozyme and LiCl in aqueous solutions to identify systems that do not show phase separation and avoid solvent crystallization on cooling down. Compared to the lysozyme concentration in solution, the concentration of LiCl in the aqueous solvent plays the major role in determining systems suitable for low-temperature studies. We have observed interesting and rich phase behavior reminiscent of reentrant condensation of proteins.
The Ultimate Model Organism

A deeper understanding of disease requires a database of human traits and disease states that is integrated with molecular information.
Immunologic injury in measles virus infection. IV. Antigens modulation and abrogation oflymphocyte lysis of virus-infected cells.

Abstract Antibodies to measles virus can modulate and thus remove measles virus antigens from the surfaces of infected cells in vitro. Measles virus antigens disappear rapidly from those cells' surfaces accompanied by a parallel reduction in the ability of immune lymphocytes to lyse the cells. Modulation of surface viral antigens is reversible; once measles virus antibodies are removed from culture medium, the surface viral antigens return, and the infected cells are again susceptible to lysis by immune lymphocytes. Like immune lymphocytes, antiviral antibodies and complement lysed the infected cells only when surface measles virus antigens were present. These observations may explain the persistence of virus in spite of a vigorous host antiviral immune response in certain chronic infections of man.
GPU-accelerated predicate evaluation on column store

Column scan, or predicate evaluation and filtering over a column of data in a database table, is an important primitive for data mining and data warehousing. In this paper, we present our study on accelerating column scan using a massively parallel accelerator. With a design that takes full advantage of the characteristics of the memory hierarchy and parallel execution in such processors, we have achieved very attractive speedup performance that significantly exceeds previously reported results, making the use of such an accelerator for this type of primitives much more viable. Running on a general purpose graphic processor unit (GPGPU), NVidia GTX 280 GPU, the GPU version is about 5-6 times faster than an implementation on an eight-core CPU, or over 40 times faster than that on a single-core CPU.
Reconceiving the family : critique on the American Law Institute's Principles of the law of family dissolution

Foreword Mary Ann Glendon Introduction Robin Fretwell Wilson Part I. Fault: 1. Beyond fault and no-fault in the law of marital dissolution Lynn D. Wardle 2. A city without duty, fault or shame Scott FitzGibbon Part II. Custody: 3. Partners, caregivers, and the constitutional substance of parenthood David Meyer 4. Custody law and the ALI's principles: a little history, a little policy, and some very tentative judgments Robert J. Levy 5. Undeserved trust: reflections on the American Law Institute's treatment of de facto 'parents' Robin Fretwell Wilson Part III. Child Support: 6. Asymmetric Parenthood Katharine Baker 7. Paying to stay home: on competing notions of fairness and the imputation of income Mark Strasser Part IV. Property Division: 8. The ALI property division principles: a model of radical paternalism John Gregory 9. Unprincipled family dissolution: The American Law Institute's recommendations for division of property David Westfall 10. You and me against the world: marriage and divorce from creditors' perspective Marie T. Reilly Part V. Spousal Support: 11. Back to the future: the perils and promise of a backward looking jurisprudence June Carbone 12. Money as emotion and the distribution of wealth at divorce Katharine Silbaugh 13. Solidifying the 'no-fault' revolution: post modern marriage as seen through the Lens of ALI's 'compensatory payments' Katherine Spaht Part VI. Domestic Partnership: 14. Domestic partnership and default rules Margaret F. Brinig 15. Private ordering under the ALI Principles Martha Ertman 16. Marriage matters: what's wrong with the ALI's Domestic Partnership Proposal Marsha Garrison 17. Domestic partnership, implied contracts, and law reform Elizabeth Scott Part VII. Agreements: 18. Premarital agreements in the ALI principles: the move towards abolition of state marriage laws Jane Adolphe 19. The ALI principles and agreements: seeking a balance between status and contract Brian H. Bix 20. The principles on agreements and international law Barbara Stark Part VIII. Judicial and Legislative Perspectives: 21. A formula for fool's gold: the illustrative child support formula in chapter 3 of the American Law Institute's Principles of the Law of Family Dissolution Maura Corrigan 22. A response to the Principles' Domestic Partnership Scheme Jean Hoefer Toal Part IX. International Reflections: 23. Individualism and responsibility John Eekelaar 24. The ALI's past child-caretaking standard in comparative perspective Patrick Parkinson 25. Economic consequences of divorce: a Scandinavian perspective on the ALI principles Tone Sverdrup Afterword Carl Schneider.
Forces and torques between two square current loops.

We derive closed-form expressions for the magnetic forces and torques between two coaxial square current loops as a function of their relative tilt angle. These expressions involve simple numerical integrations. An analytic expression for the torsion constant at zero tilt angle is derived for loop filaments and for loops of finite axial extent.
Quadratic spatial soliton generation by seeded down conversion of a strong pump beam

Quadratic spatial solitons have been generated during second-harmonic generation under easy-to-achieve conditions and should be pervasive in other second-order nonlinear interactions. One of the more interesting cases is the downconversion process, which is the essence of parametric generators and oscillators. In this investigation, we report on the generation of two-dimensional quadratic spatial solitons (QSS) in a KTP crystal near the degeneracy point for the parametric interaction, i.e., the reverse second-harmonic generation. Here we report on the observation of such solitons in a l-cm-long KTiOPO/sub 4/ crystal where the extraordinarily polarized harmonic field interacts with two fundamental fields with both ordinary and extraordinary components.
A state space model for the HIV epidemic in homosexual populations and some applications

In this paper we have developed a state space model for the HIV epidemic in homosexual populations which have been divided into subpopulations according to sexual activity levels. In this model, the stochastic dynamic system model is the stochastic model of the HIV epidemic in terms of the chain multinomial model whereas the observation model is a statistical model based on the observed AIDS incidences. This model is applied to the San Francisco homosexual population for estimating the numbers of susceptible people, infective people and AIDS cases and for estimating the probabilities of HIV transmission from infective people to susceptible people given sexual contacts. The results show that the estimated numbers of AIDS incidences trace closely the observed numbers indicating the usefulness of the model. It is observed that the estimated numbers of latent people show multimodal curves and that HIV infection takes place during the primary stage and very late stage. The results have further shown that there are significant differences between the observed AIDS incidences and the estimates by the embedded deterministic model. These results indicate that using the embedded deterministic model to estimate the HIV-infected people and to predict future AIDS cases can be very misleading in some cases.
Heat of formation of the allyl ion by TPEPICO spectroscopy.

The 0 K onset of C3H6 → C3H5+ + H• is measured by threshold photoelectron−photoion coincidence (TPEPICO) spectroscopy. From the onset (11.898 ± 0.025 eV) the heat of formation of the allyl ion (CH2...
Assessing fungus prevalence in domestic interiors

Abstract Single-plate, Andersen sampler collections of mesophilic imperfect fungi were made at three points in and immediately outside a series of midwestern homes. During frost-free periods, emanations of dark-spored form genera predominated at both points with indoor levels averaging 25% of those in outside air. At these times, volumetric recoveries and those by 30-min exposure of open culture plates have correlated tenuously (r = 0.29) in bedroom air of 20 homes. During winter, form species of Penicillium, Aspergillus, Oospora, Sporothrix , yeasts, etc. predominated indoors, with levels exceeding 1,000 particles/M 3 noted in over 18% of homes; outdoor concentrations never exceeded 230 particles/M 3 . Comparisons of volumetric and open-plate recoveries from 50 homes during winter have revealed an almost random relationship (r = 0.06). These findings reflect the ease with which outdoor spore clouds may penetrate structures and obscure evidence of internal fungus sources. The data also imply that, because of size-related undersampling, open plates often seriously misrepresent prevalence levels and occasionally can exclude abundant types from recovery. The fungus flora of enclosed spaces merits further critical study by volumetric techniques of calculable efficiency in a setting that minimizes contamination from without.
Inhalation delivery of manganese superoxide dismutase-plasmid/liposomes protects the murine lung from irradiation damage.

Intratracheal injection of manganese superoxide dismutase-plasmid/liposome (MnSOD-PL) complexes has been demonstrated to delay the onset and reduce the extent of ionizing irradiation-induced murine pulmonary organizing alveolitis/fibrosis. To facilitate translation of this modality to clinical fractionated radiotherapy, inhalation delivery of MnSOD-PL was developed using an ultrasonic nebulizer. Transgene product was quantitated by immunohistochemical quantitation and pulmonary tissue levels of MnSOD biochemical activity. C57BL/6NHsd female mice demonstrated a plasmid dose-dependent increased expression of MnSOD transgene product over the range of 250 μg–2.5 mg of MnSOD-PL administered over a constant 5 min interval. Delivery of a constant concentration of 500 μg of MnSOD-PL with varying times of administration ranging from 0.5 to 10 min demonstrated optimal MnSOD expression at 5 min. Mice pretreated by inhalation delivery of MnSOD-PL demonstrated significantly improved survival after 20 Gy single fraction irradiation to both lungs compared to LacZ-PL inhalation-treated or irradiated control mice. Mice receiving 10 fractions of 3.5 cGy demonstrated increased pulmonary MnSOD transgene product activity by a protocol of every Monday–Wednesday or daily inhalation of MnSOD-PL. Thus, inhalation radioprotective gene therapy using MnSOD-PL provides a practical and effective method for delivery of lung-specific radioprotection during fractionated radiotherapy protocols in a mouse model.
Time-delayed second-harmonic generation with nanosecond broadband light pulses: Studies of femtosecond dephasing process of a monolayer of adsorbates

Abstract A new technique utilizing a broadband incoherent light source and surface second-harmonic generation is proposed for the measurements of the dephasing process of adsorbates. A broadband Fluorescein 548 dye laser having a correlation time of 112 fs was used to measure the dephasing processes of monolayers of rhodamine 6G and retinal molecules adsorbed on glass surfaces. Our experimental data agree with the results of the theoretical analysis based on a resonant three-level model.
The word processing game: “Engineering” the paper chase: Engineering students should learn the skills associated with word processing (WP) in order to use WP in their school work, and later in their careers

Most engineering work involves paperwork, and whether one is producing a report, a review, an article, a letter, a proposal, or whatever, content/quality and quality preparation is essential. In preword processing days, the author prepared the content/quality, and the typist provided the quality preparation. Indeed, very few engineers could type sufficiently well to prepare an error-free, attractive document. Engineers were hired to be creative in a different function, yet were responsible for communicating their ideas to others in such a way that they could be presented on paper.
Natural History of Surgically Treated Ventricular Aneurysm

Abstract Forty-one patients underwent resection of a postinfarction ventricular aneurysm. Thirty-seven of them had associated saphenous vein grafting procedures (average, 2.3 grafts per patient). Thirty-five patients sustained left ventricular dysfunction preoperatively. Forty patients were followed until death or for a minimum of five years (1 was lost to follow-up), and functional status was evaluated. Hospital mortality was 12%. Twenty-four patients survived five years or longer, and 20 patients were alive after a mean follow-up of 84 months. Eighty percent of the non-survivors died of atherosclerosis-related events. Forty-nine percent of the patients who survived the operation sustained severe atherosclerotic events postoperatively. Only 2 of 15 nonsurvivors ever regained functional status as judged by return to work. Twelve of the 20 long-term survivors returned to work. Of those patients less than 50 years old at operation, only 17% returned to work. Preoperative left ventricular function was a significant predictor of long-term functional results of aneurysmectomy and saphenous vein grafting. All patients remained at high risk for continued events related to atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, and only 37% returned to full-time, preoperative work status. Return to productive status was especially disappointing in patients less than 50 years old.
Nursing functions and computer support

Computer-based information system (CBIS) support for nursing functions has typically been a by-product of some other automation effort such as communication, admission-discharge-transfer, or finance. Support specifically for nurses has been narrow in scope and little used, in spite of ongoing discussion about its need. However, the situation seems to be improving of late. But is the situation really improving? Or, are we merely witnessing unproductive machinations? Herein, we discuss three basic conditions that have slowed NIS evolution. Following that, however, we offer some evidence of real progress in computer-based support for nursing functions.
Periodic elastic states: nontrivial body forces and exponentially decreasing asymptotic behavior

Solutions to periodic boundary value problems involving nontrivial body forces on bodies containing the upper half plane or space are examined. It is shown that, corresponding to each periodic strain solution, there is a relatively simple and easily computed asymptotic state. It is further shown that the error in using this asymptotic state rather than the actual solution decreases exponentially with the distance from the boundary. Implications of this behavior with regard to such topics as Saint Venant's principle, the theorem of work and energy, the uniqueness of solutions to periodic and non-periodic boundary value problems are also briefly discussed.
A Ten-year Study of Meroplankton in North Carolina Estuaries: Mysid shrimps

Seven species of mysid shrimps taken in semiquantitative, nocturnal, surface plankton samples showed variable levels of abundance and frequency of occurrence from stations near the sea to the head of estuaries in North Carolina. Bowmaniella dissimilis occurred mainly in samples from stations near the sea in every month of the year, and reached its greatest abundance from spring through autumn coincident with its breeding season. B. johnsoni was taken at stations near the sea only twice. Mysidopsis bigelowi, the second most abundant species, occurred in samples from every station, and was in breeding condition throught the estuaries from late winter to mid-autumn. Metamysidopsis mexicana occurred sporadically in samples from 3 stations near inlets, was in breeding condition throughout the year, but appeared to be abundant in summer and fall. Promysis atlantica appeared infrequently at stations near inlets in all months except Feb. and Mar., usually in breeding condition. Neomysis americana was the most abundant species, reaching its greatest concentration in samples from middle to upper estuarine stations where spawners were almost always present. Size differentials suggested more than a single generation per year. The species showed no evidence of nocturnal stratification in the shallow 6-m deep estuarine water. Heteromysis formosa occurred sporadically from May to Dec.
Nurturing Scholarship through Holistic Faculty Development: A Synergistic Approach.

Institution-wide cultures of hope and opportunity help encourage, nurture, and support scholarship. This chapter identifies the prerequisites for creating such an environment, discusses the intrainstitutional partnerships that promote scholarship, and lists some of the benefits accruing from the resulting gestalt.
Thermal Conductivity of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube/PMMA Nanocomposites

Due to their exceptional thermal properties, single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNT) are considered as very promising filler materials for improving the thermal conductivity of conventional polymers. We carefully investigated the thermal conductivity of SWNT/PMMA nanocomposites with SWNT loading in the range up to10 wt% using the comparative technique. The samples were prepared by coagulation method. We demonstrated moderate improvement in the composites' thermal conductivity of about 250% at 10wt%. The experimental results were analyzed using the versatile Nielsen model, which takes into account many important factors, like the fillers aspect ratio and maximum packing fraction. The aspect ratio of SWNT material used to prepare our composites was determined by AFM and careful image analysis in order to use it as an input parameter in the Nielsen model. We obtained good agreement between our experimental results and the predictions of the Nielsen model. Based on our analysis we concluded that higher aspect ratio of filler material was needed to achieve better improvement in the composites thermal conductivities. One should also take steps in order to improve the thermal contact between the SWNT network and the matrix material.
Rational modification of protein stability by the mutation of charged surface residues.

Continuum methods were used to calculate the electrostatic contributions of charged and polar side chains to the overall stability of a small 41-residue helical protein, the peripheral subunit-bind...
Hormone growth responses of roots of shoot height mutants of pea

Growth of the roots vertical roots of 12 genotypes of peas (Pisum sativum), which differed in stem height because of differing gibberellin (GA) or brassinosteroid content or signal transduction, was recorded during continuous exogenous applications of differing concentrations of indoleacetic acid (IAA) and GA 3 , over a period of 12 h with a sensitivity of 2 μm. IAA was inhibitory to all genotypes tested at concentrations of 0.5 nM and above. The response was rapid, reaching a maximum within 20 min. There was no response to 0.1 nMIAA, and no concentration tested promoted growth. At 0.5 nM the growth rate dropped to the same extent as with higher concentrations but then recovered slowly over about 12 h. Roots of nana (na) plants, which have reduced levels of IAA, partially recovered slowly from the inhibition of even 1 μM IAA, to about 20% of the non-IAA growth rate after 10 h. When IAA (even 1 μM) was removed the growth rate of all lines slowly recovered over about 9 h after a lag of 1 h. IAA application to horizontal roots prevented bending in response to gravity. Roots of 3-day-old pea plants of all genotypes were unresponsive to exogenous GA but 5-day-old nana plants showed a gradual increase in elongation rate in response to GA, after a lag of a few hours, possibly because of a depletion of GAs provided from the cotyledons of the young plants. Roots in liquid culture did not branch and gradually became thinner. The growth of cultured roots was about 25% of that of intact plants of the same genotype. GA produced no effect on cultured roots, except in nana where it enhanced elongation. IAA was always inhibitory to growth in culture but stimulated branching. Some shoot-provided factor is necessary for the normal growth and development of the roots.
Factors that influence parents’ experiences with results disclosure after newborn screening identifies genetic carrier status for cystic fibrosis or sickle cell hemoglobinopathy

Abstract Objective Newborn screening (NBS) identifies genetic carriers for sickle cell hemoglobinopathy and cystic fibrosis. We aimed to identify factors during initial NBS carrier results disclosure by primary care providers (PCPs) that influenced parents' experiences and reactions. Methods Open-ended responses from telephone interviews with 270 parents of carriers were analyzed using mixed-methods. Conventional content analysis identified influential factors; chi-square tests analyzed relationships between factors and parent-reported reactions. Results Parents reported positive (35%) or negative (31%) reactions to results disclosure. Parents' experiences were influenced by specific factors: content messages (72%), PCP traits (47%), and aspects of the setting (30%). Including at least one of five specific content messages was associated ( p p Conclusion Parents identified aspects of PCP communication which influenced their reactions and results disclosure experiences. Practice implications Our findings suggest ways PCPs may improve communication of carrier results. PCPs should provide specific content messages and consider how their actions, characteristics, and setting can influence parental reactions.
The ARC-Size Illusion as Applied to Planar Displays of Aircraft Traffic Inforamtion

Shorter arcs are perceived as having less curvature (i.e., they are “perceptually flattened”), and this phenomenon has been labeled the Arc-size Illusion. This illusion was explored as it relates to planar displays of traffic information. Such displays often represent intent and/or history information with lines. Participants were presented with aircraft traveling on curvilinear paths, and their estimations of future aircraft location were examined. There were three major findings from the study. First, the data suggest that “perceptual flattening” and the Arc-size Illusion do indeed affect predictive judgments about aircraft on curvilinear paths. Second, and most surprising, the data suggest that increasing the size of the arc with a history line does NOT lessen “perceptual flattening.” Third, the data suggest that “perceptual flattening” is especially pronounced when predictor length is relatively short and the judgment location is relatively far. However, the effect of the predictor length essentially ...
Prediction of supercritical ethane bulk solvent densities for pyrazine solvation shell average occupancy by 1, 2, 3, and 4 ethanes: combined experimental and ab initio approach.

We introduce a method that addresses the elusive local density at the solute in the highly compressible regime of a supercritical fluid. Experimentally, the red shift of the pyrazine n−π* electronic transition was measured at infinite dilution in supercritical ethane as a function of pressure from 0 to about 3000 psia at two temperatures, one close (35.0 °C) to the critical temperature and the other remote (55.0 °C). Computationally, stationary points were located on the potential surfaces for pyrazine and one, two, three, and four ethanes at the MP2/6-311++G(d,p) level. The vertical n−π* (1B3u) transition energies were computed for each of these geometries with a TDDFT/B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) method. The combination of experiment and computation allows prediction of supercritical ethane bulk densities at which the pyrazine primary solvation shell contains an average of one, two, three, and four ethane molecules. These density predictions were achieved by graphical superposition of calculated shifts on the ex...
"VICTORIAN" POETRY AT THE PRESENT TIME

Since our categories of thought produce what they claim to categorize, how are we conceptualizing Victorian Poetry today and what is the Victorian poetry we are producing? The two journal volumes and online essays under review, Victorian Poetry Spring 2004 (42.1) and Winter 2003 (41.4) and Literary Compass: Victorian online 2003-2004, feature discussions about the field's identity and new directions, while appraising where it has been. It is useful to see how recent books by Constance Hassett, Amy Billone, Ana Parejo Vadillo, Helen Groth, E. Warwick Slinn, and David Riede might be located in this larger moving picture. The name of the field is still a topic of discussion for many scholars. From Isobel Armstrong to Susan Wolfson, nineteenth-century poetry scholars have been talking for at least ten years about field names and boundaries. Again recently, the cry has been heard about chronological, political, and national limitations embedded in the field name "Victorian," not so prevalent in "the long Nineteenth Century" or "modernity." On the other hand, some critics such as Virginia Blain critique the broadness of period markers and favor the specificity of the old term. At least two top American journals in the field are not about to change their names, even though they encourage articles and reviews pushing or transcending field boundaries. For anyone interested in disciplinary identity, the politics of naming, and the state of nineteenth-century literary history as practiced today, I recommend Joseph Bristow's online analysis in Victorian Compass. There he suggests that we attend carefully to the ways in which the nomination came about as well as to the ways nineteenth-century intellectuals and writers conceptualized the period themselves, and why. Whether one agrees with Bristow or not about renaming, his essay invites our attention for various reasons. Bristow argues that it is more than just politically correct in today's climate of global multiculturalism to reassess our monarchically defined field name. He claims it is intellectually responsible to do so. It may also be pragmatic. In light of the continuing administrative push for interdisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity, which saves money and seems intellectually safe and exciting at the same time, it is important to think carefully about the boundaries and permeabilities of one's discipline of study. Just how interdisciplinary can we be and still hold on to the distinctiveness of nineteenthcentury literature and culture? What would we now say that distinctiveness might be? More to the point, how do we generate a mutually informing dialogue among disciplines as we move beyond old names and old "fields"? For those students who once learned high theory as a second discipline to literature, are we now imagining we can teach geography, anthropology,
Baryon resonances in nuclei: Magnetic moment anomaly in 3H and 3He

Abstract The exchange current contributions to the static magnetic moments of 3 H and 3 He are described by the admixture of baryon resonances to the ground state. It is found that the dominant contribution comes from the admixture of the N ∗ (1470) in a spatial symmetric 2 S 1 2 state by means of the magnetic photoproduction matrix element. An admixture of about 1 percent would be sufficient to account for the magnetic moment anomaly.
Being There for Another With a Serious Mental Illness

In this article I describe the unique caring and caretaking relationship between a mentally ill person and the nonprofessional caretaker in his or her life. Stressing the perspective of the caretaker, I call this relationship "being there" for the mentally ill person. I collected the data through in-depth interviews and used a descriptive phenomenological approach to unveil the general structure of the experience. Eight constituents emerged as central to the general structure of this experience: (a) accepting the changed other and grieving the loss of who the other once was; (b) taking action in challenging circumstances; (c) recognizing the ongoing, never-ending, and sometimes unpredictable nature of the experience; (d) feeling isolated; (e) having ambiguity of the heart; (f) experiencing the tension of waiting; (g) knowing the other well; and (h) caring for the other. Knowledge gained from the study findings will help health care professionals understand and support people who are in this experience from a more caring paradigm.
A New Look at the Present Pullorum Disease Status

Abstract PULLORUM disease may affect chickens of all ages, including several species of fowl other than chickens. However, it is commonly recognized as a disease of chicks. During the first three decades of this century pullorum disease was very prevalent among flocks and exacted a heavy death toll among chicks. However, pioneer investigations laid the ground work for a sound control program developed in later years (Jones, 1913; Gage et al., 1914; Rettger et al., 1915; W. R. H., 1928; Schaffer et al., 1931). Among the major advances toward the eradication of the disease was the inauguration of the National Poultry Improvement Plan in 1936 and the National Turkey Improvement Plan in 1942 (Simms, 1946). These Plans introduced minimum testing standards and they also stimulated further interest in the control and eradication of the disease from a national viewpoint. Also of major importance was the mode of operation of the Plans …
RISK FACTORS DIFFER ACCORDING TO SAME-SEX AND OPPOSITE-SEX INTEREST

Are risk behaviours in adolescence differentiated according to same-sex vs opposite-sex interest? For all respondents a five-point scale of interest in each sex used information from both of the first two in-home waves of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). Logistic regression predicted the probability of experiencing each risk behaviour from the same-sex and opposite-sex interest scores. Same-sex interests have more effect on emotional risk, and opposite-sex interests have more effect on substance use. Nevertheless, all risk variables except boys' depression are responsive to both same-sex and opposite-sex interest. The same-sex interest component of risk is attributed to the emotional strain of living with an anomalous sex interest in a heterosexual society.
On the asymptotic behavior of the solutions of the Caldirola―Kanai equation

We study in this Letter the asymptotic behavior, as t→+∞, of the solutions of the one-dimensional Caldirola-Kanai equation for a large class of potentials satisfying the condition V(x)→+∞ as |x|→∞. We show, first of all, that if I is a closed interval containing no critical points of V, then the probability Pt(t) of finding the particle inside I tends to zero as t→+∞. On the other hand, when I contains critical points of V in its interior, we prove that Pt(t) does not oscillate indefinitely, but tends to a limit as t→+∞. In particular, when the potential has only isolated critical points x1, ..., xN our results imply that the probability density of the particle tends to \(\sum\nolimits_{k = 1}^N {{\text{ }}c_k {\text{ }}\delta (x - x_k )}\) in the sense of distributions.
Paleocurrent evidence for lateral displacement of the Pliocene Colorado River delta by the San Andreas fault system, southeastern California

More than 600 paleocurrent measurements from fluvial paleochannels of the early Colorado River delta plain, preserved in the Palm Spring Formation in the Fish Creek–Vallecito (FCV) section of southern California, indicate that the FCV section was on the Gulf of California (southeastern) flank of the delta plain as recently as 2.8 Ma. These measurements imply ∼130 km of tectonic translation to the northwest since 2.8 Ma, which can be accounted for by the displacement histories of Baja California and component faults of the San Andreas system. Stratigraphic data from the FCV section and other Neogene localities, when plotted on a palinspastic base, indicate (1) marine transgression of a narrow Gulf of California rift basin and Bouse embayment (site of modern lower Colorado River) by 5.5 Ma, and (2) uplift of the Bouse embayment, initiation of the: lower Colorado River, and southward progradation of the delta to essentially its present position by 4 Ma.
Integrated MOSFET-based hydrophone device for underwater applications

It is always desirable to fabricate low-cost, highly sensitive and miniaturized hydrophones for applications in sonar technology. In this project, silicon based integrated hydrophone devices were designed, fabricated and tested. A theoretical model was also developed. A piezoelectric polymer, polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF), was employed as the sensing material. Acoustic impedance possessed by this piezoelectric material provides a reasonable match to that of water, which makes it very attractive for underwater applications. A MOSFET with extended gate electrode fabricated on a silicon wafer using standard NMOS process technology was designed as the interface circuit. The electrical signal generated by the PVDF film was directly coupled to the gate of the hence improve the device sensitivity, a thick photoresist, SU-8, was used as the interconnecting dielectric layer under the extended gate electrode. With an 11 micrometers thick SU-8 layer, a sensitivity of the hydrophone was improved dramatically. For underwater operation, the hydrophone was encapsulated by a Rho-C rubber. To improve the reliability of the hydrophone, the active device was passivated by a silicon nitride layer, which is a good barrier material to most mobile ions and solvents. The device after passivation also shows a lower noise level. Further improvement is also achieved by using a differential amplifier as the interface circuit in the electronics. The differential amplifier is also less susceptible to noisy environments and thus improves the signal to noise ratio.