cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fabrication of High-Concentration and Stable Aqueous Suspensions of Graphene Nanosheets by Noncovalent Functionalization with Lignin and Cellulose Derivatives

Stable aqueous suspensions of graphene (G) nanosheets with high concentration (0.6−2 mg/mL) were prepared through chemical reduction of exfoliated graphite oxide (EGO) with the aid of sodium lignosulfonate (SLS), sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (SCMC), and pyrene-containing hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC-Py). The noncovalently functionalized graphene nanosheets with a 3.3 ± 1.4 nm average thickness were characterized with use of UV−vis spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, attenuated total reflectance micro-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy.
The Somatostatin Analog Angiopeptin Does Not Reduce Chronic Hypoxic Pulmonary Hypertension in Rats

Angiopeptin is an analog of somatostatin-14, which has been found to inhibit cellular proliferation in several models of systemic vascular injury. As proliferation plays a major role in pulmonary hypertension, we examined the hypothesis that angiopeptin would inhibit the development of chronic hypoxic pulmonary hypertension in the rat. Angiopeptin was infused intravenously (90-100 microg/kg/day) by minipumps in 10 rats during a 3-week exposure to hypobaric hypoxia and in six normoxic rats. Normal saline was infused in six hypoxic control rats and in seven normoxic control rats. Angiopeptin produced no significant difference in mean pulmonary arterial pressure and resistance, right ventricular weight, or medial thickness of small pulmonary vessels. Vasoconstrictor responses of isolated lungs to acute hypoxia were not affected by angiopeptin. We conclude that angiopeptin, at the high intravenous dose used, does not significantly reduce the development of chronic hypoxic pulmonary hypertension in rats.
A Resonance Raman Spectroelectrochemical Study of the Zn(II) Tetraphenylchlorin Anion

Zinc(II) tetraphenylchlorin (ZnTPC) and its π-anion radical have been studied by UV−vis absorption and resonance Raman (RR) spectroscopies. Analyses of the RR spectra were aided by data for the pyrrole-d8, meso-C13, and phenyl-d20 isotopomers. Upon formation of the anion, significant frequency shifts are observed in skeletal vibrational modes, while substituent modes remain essentially unshifted. Both frequency upshifts (ν37, ν10, and ν19) and downshifts (ν2, ν11, and ν3) occur for the CαCm and CβCβ stretching modes in the π-anion. Modes involving significant CαCβ stretching motion, ν4 and ν41, upshift in the anion spectrum. The pattern of vibrational frequency shifts for the anion of ZnTPC is similar to what is observed for the anion of vanadyl tetraphenylporphyrin ((VO)TPP) despite the reduction of a pyrrole ring in TPC. This resemblance is due to the Jahn−Teller distortion in (VO)TPP-, which gives its singly occupied molecular orbital the same bonding pattern as in ZnTPC-.
Superhalogen Properties of Fluorinated Coinage Metal Clusters

Equilibrium geometries and ground state spin multiplicities of neutral and anionic coinage metal fluoride XFn clusters (X = Cu, Ag, and Au; n = 1−7) are obtained from density functional theory-based calculations. Our results show that in the case of neutral and anionic CuFn and AgFn clusters, a maximum of 4 F atoms (nmax = 4) can be bound atomically to the metal atoms, while remaining F atoms bind to the other F atoms to form F2 units. In contrast, a Au atom can bind up to six F atoms dissociatively. This contrasting binding scenario observed for these metal fluoride clusters is explained using the natural bond orbital analysis. The neutral XFn (X = Cu, Ag) clusters are stable against dissociation into X and F atoms up to n = 6, while AuFn clusters are stable up to n = 7. Similarly, with the exception of AgF7 and AuF6, all neutral clusters studied are stable against dissociation into F2 molecules. On the other hand, XFn− clusters are stable against dissociation into F atoms and F2 molecules over the entir...
Steroid ester hydrolysis by the rat gut.

Abstract This paper describes a general method for hydrolyzing steroid esters. Rat small intestine homogenized in saline was centrifuged. Steroid esters were incubated with the supernatant solution. Steroid mono- and diacetates, as well as a propionate, dienanthate, and phenylacetate were hydrolyzed. Esters of steroid hydroxyl groups at the 3α, 3β, 6β, 16α, sec-17β, and 21 positions were hydrolyzed. Steroids acylated at 11α, and tert-17α- and -β-hydroxyl groups were stable.
Cultured endothelial cells produce multiple growth factors for connective tissue cells.

Abstract Cultured bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAEC) secrete into their medium a growth-promoting factor that stimulates many connective tissue cells in culture. We now report that this growth-promoting activity is due to at least two different proteins which are biochemically separable and immunologically distinct. Cation exchange chromatography (Carboxymethyl-Sephadex) of concentrated BAEC-conditioned medium yields two major peaks of growth-promoting activity which adsorb at pH 8 and elute with a salt gradient. One of these peaks contains as well a protein that inhibits the binding of radioiodinated platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) to its receptor on target cells. The PDGF-like mitogen is purified approx. 25-fold by this Chromatographic step. A second peak of mitogenic activity exhibits no binding to the PDGF receptor. Both the PDGF-like mitogenic activity and the PDGF-distinct mitogenic activity are highly cationic, stable to boiling, sensitive to β-mercaptoethanol, and between 30 and 50 kD in molecular weight. Complementary studies with human umbilical vein endothelial cells in culture were performed. These human cells also produce both growth-promoting activity and a protein that binds to the PDGF receptor. The latter activity is greatly inhibited by a specific antiserum to human PDGF, whereas the growth-promoting activity of the conditioned medium is minimally affected. The degree of inhibition of the two activities is, however, quantitatively consistent: 3.5 ng of PDGF-like activity in the radioreceptor assay is inhibited, while 5 ng of PDGF-like activity in the DNA synthesis assay is inhibited. The data from the two species are consistent with the proposal that cultured endothelial cells produce at least two distinct mitogens, one of which is biochemically and immunologically related to PDGF.
A Universal Test of an Expected Utility Theory of War

Bueno de Mesquita and Lalman's version of an expected utility theory of war has become one of the most widely cited theories of international conflict. However, the testing of the theory has lagged behind its theoretical development. In its most sophisticated formulation, the theory has been tested on only 707 dyad-years, all drawn from Europe between 1816 and 1970. We present a test of the expected utility theory of war (as developed in War and Reason ) on the international system from 1816 to 1984. Specifically, we examine the relationship between the main equilibrium variables derived under the “domestic variant” of the international interaction game and behavioral outcomes using multinomial logit. We find that the equilibria correlate with actual behavior in both the set of all dyads and a subset of politically relevant dyads, even after including a set of control variables. The relationship is somewhat less clear among the population of all interstate-directed dyads, however, with key equilibrium variables having smaller effects at increasing the odds of interstate conflict among all dyads. We also present a new software program, EUGene , which generates expected utility data and can serve as an important data management tool for international relations researchers.
Modulation of Estrogen Receptor-α Transcriptional Activity by the Coactivator PGC-1

A transcriptional coactivator of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ), PPARγ-coactivator-1(PGC-1) interacts in a constitutive manner with the hinge domain of PPARγ and enhances its transcriptional activity. In this study we demonstrate that PGC-1 is a coactivator of estrogen receptor-α (ERα)-dependent transcriptional activity. However the mechanism by which PGC-1 interacts with ERα is different from that of PPARγ. Specifically, it was determined that the carboxyl terminus of PGC-1 interacts in a ligand-independent manner with the ERα hinge domain. In addition, an LXXLL motif within the amino terminus of PGC-1 was shown to interact in an agonist-dependent manner with the AF2 domain within the carboxyl terminus of ERα. The ability of PGC-1 to associate with and potentiate the transcriptional activity of an ERα-AF2 mutant that is unable to interact with the p160 class of coactivators suggests that this coactivator may have a unique role in estrogen signaling. It is concluded from these studies that PGC-1 is a bona fideERα coactivator, which may serve as a convergence point between PPARγ and ERα signaling.
Trajectory design and control for aggressive formation flight with quadrotors

In this work we consider the problem of controlling a team of micro-aerial vehicles moving quickly through a three-dimensional environment while maintaining a tight formation. The formation is specified by shape vectors which prescribe the relative separations and bearings between the robots. To maintain the desired shape, each robot plans its trajectory independently based on its local information of other robot plans and estimates of states of other robots in the team. We explore the interaction between nonlinear decentralized controllers, the fourth-order dynamics of the individual robots, time delays in the network, and the effects of communication failures on system performance. Simulations as well as an experimental evaluation of our approach on a team of quadrotors suggests that suitable performance is maintained as the formation motions become increasingly aggressive and as communication degrades.
Pregnancy outcome: Physical activities inside versus outside the workplace

There is concern that the thermal, cardiovascular, metabolic, and biophysical changes which accompany physical activity may have detrimental effects on both mother and fetus. Research focused on physical activity in the workplace has identified four specific physical stresses (quiet standing, long hours, protracted ambulation, and heavy lifting) that are associated with an increased incidence of both prematurity and low birth weight. The physiological basis for these is believed to be that these activities cause intermittent but protracted reductions in uterine blood flow. Research focused on recreational physical activity during pregnancy has not identified similar associations. Indeed, these data indicate that the overall impact of regular recreational exercise on pregnancy outcome is positive for both mother and fetus. The physiological basis for these beneficial effects is believed to be that the interaction between the physiological adaptations to both exercise and pregnancy improve maternal cardiovascular reserve, maternal mechanisms for heat dissipation, and placental growth and functional capacity. Finally, there is preliminary evidence suggesting that the vibratory and auditory stimuli associated with regular recreational exercise may enhance functional maturation of the fetal brain.
Localization of immunoreactive ubiquitin in the nervous system of the Manduca sexta moth

Selective neuronal death is a normal component of metamorphosis in the moth, Manduca sexta. In particular, the three unfused abdominal ganglia of the ventral nerve cord serve as a useful experimental preparation in which to study the regulation of the molecular mechanisms that mediate programmed cell death. Ubiquitin, a highly conserved 76-amino acid protein found in all eukaryotic cells, has previously been shown to be present in increased amounts in some tissue undergoing programmed cell death (e. g., larval intersegmental muscles inManduca sextamoths, dying cells in developing tunicates), but not in others (T-cells, Drosophila ommatidial cells, cultured sympathethic neurons deprived of nerve growth factor). It has been hypothesized that the need for ubiquitin-dependent proteolysis is increased in dying cells, and that the accumulation of ubiquitin might serve as an early marker for cells commited to die. Immunohistochemical localization of ubiquitin at the light microscopic level in the adbominal gaglia of Manduca sextasuggests that this protein plays a number of important roles in neuronal physiology and may be associated with the death of some neurons in this tissue. The most intense staining of neuronal cytoplasm, however, was found not in dying neurons, but instead in sets of persisting neurons that may serve a primarily neurosecretory or neuromodulatory function. The staining obtained in these cells with antibodies directed against ubiquitin was developmentally regulated. © 1994 Wiley-Lisx, Inc.
East Asian supply chains: designer mobile phones

This paper explores the unique events surrounding the launch in 2007 by KDDI, Japan's number two mobile telecommunications firm, of mobile phones that are fashion accessories. Reasons for their popularity are described, and with it the concurrent development of a unique global production and supply chain system. The contribution to the literature is the extension of existing theories on completion and value creation.
Effect of Stress-Like Concentrations of Cortisol on Gonadotroph Function in Orchidectomized Sheep

The effect of stress-like concentrations of cortisol (C) on the feedback potency of estradiol (E2) was assessed using 32 orchidectomized sheep (wethers) assigned at random to 1 of 4 treatment groups in a 2 3 2 factorial design. Wethers received C (3.6 mg/50 kg per hour; groups 2 and 4) or a comparable volume of C delivery vehicle (groups 1 and 3) as a continuous infusion for 7 days. During the final 48 h of infusion, wethers received E2 (0.3 mg/50 kg/h; groups 3 and 4) or E2 delivery vehicle (groups 1 and 2). The pattern of LH secretion was assessed during a 4h period of intensive blood collection beginning 44 h after initiation of E2 infusion. Gonadotroph responsiveness (LH secretion induced by GnRH challenge [500 ng, i.v.]) was determined 48 h after E2 delivery was begun. Although the frequency of secretory episodes of LH was not affected (p . 0.05) by infusion of Co r E 2 alone, LH pulse frequency was significantly decreased in wethers receiving C and E2 in combination. In contrast, neither the magnitude of basal gonadotroph responsiveness nor the extent of E2-dependent augmentation of responsiveness was significantly affected by stress-like concentrations of C. In a second experiment, the effect of C on the magnitude of E2-induced increase in pituitary concentration of GnRH receptor and GnRH receptor mRNA was assessed using 32 additional wethers. Continuous infusion of E2 for 48 h increased (p , 0.05) tissue concentrations of GnRH receptor and GnRH receptor mRNA. Concurrent delivery of C did not affect (p . 0.05) E2-induced increase in GnRH receptor mRNA but significantly reduced the magnitude of the E2-dependent increase in pituitary concentration of GnRH receptor. Collectively, these data indicate that stress-like concentrations of C enhance the negative feedback potency of E2 and reduce estrogen-dependent augmentation of the concentration of GnRH receptor in pituitary tissue.
Constraints for Heterogeneous Sensor Auto-Calibration

This paper describes a framework for calibrating motion sensitive sensors attached to an autonomous vehicle. Based on camera auto-calibration techniques, we derive constraints relating sensor measurements to the relative position and orientation of different sensors. For the case of a camera and laser range finder, we present an auto-calibration algorithm for discrete motions. Auto-calibration tools are vital for real world use of vision algorithms, and the framework presented here is important to merge image sensors with GPS, inertial, infrared and ultra-sonic sensors.
Parameter correlation and modeling of the power-law relationship in MOSFET hot-carrier degradation

Correlation between the parameters A and n in the empirical hot-carrier degradation formula, parametric shift=A*t/sup n/, is reported for both n- and p-channel MOSFETs fabricated with various submicrometer processing technologies. Analysis of data indicates that A increases with a decreasing value of n, satisfying a simple exponential relationship, A= alpha *exp(- beta n), within the stress conditions considered. A phenomenological model to explain this relation is provided. Implications for device lifetime prediction under different hot-carrier injection stress conditions are also indicated. >
The Suffolk County Mental Health Project: demographic, pre-morbid and clinical correlates of 6-month outcome

The diagnostic specificity and predictive utility of the classical prognostic indicators in schizophrenia were examined in psychotic patients enrolled in the Suffolk County Mental Health Project. First-admission psychotic patients with schizophrenia (N = 96), major depression (N = 42), and bipolar disorder (N = 64) drawn from 10 facilities in Suffolk County, New York, were assessed during their initial hospitalization and at 6–month follow-up. Longitudinal consensus diagnoses were determined after the 6-month interview. The diagnostic groups shared similar background characteristics, but schizophrenics had poorer pre-morbid adjustment, longer periods of psychosis before hospitalization and more negative symptoms initially. Except for rehospitalization, schizophrenics had the worst and bipolars the best functioning at follow-up. Among the classical prognostic indicators, the best predictor of 6-month outcome for each diagnostic group was premorbid functioning.
Cascade error projection: an efficient hardware learning algorithm

A new learning algorithm, termed cascade error projection (CEP), which provides efficient learning in hardware is presented. This algorithm is adapted a constructive architecture from cascade correlation and the dynamical stepsize of A/D conversion from the cascade backpropagation algorithm. The CEP technique is faster to execute, because part of the weights are deterministically obtained, and the learning of the remaining weights from the inputs to the hidden unit is performed as a single-layer perceptron learning with previously determined weights kept frozen. In addition, one can start out with zero weight values when the learning of each layer is commenced. Further, unlike cascade correlation algorithm, only a single hidden unit is added at a time. Therefore, the simplicity in hardware implementation is also achieved. In simulation, a fixed 100 epoch iterations is used for each single-layer perceptron learning. The highlight of this algorithm is that with round-off method, 5- to 8-bit parity problems can be solved with a limited synaptic resolution of only 3- to 4-bit, and the same problem with truncation technique would be solved with 5-bit or more synaptic resolution.
Advances in Molecular Imaging with Ultrasound

Ultrasound imaging has long demonstrated utility in the study and measurement of anatomic features and noninvasive observation of blood flow. Within the last decade, advances in molecular biology a...
Does Live Supervision Make a Difference? A Multilevel Analysis

While the benefit of live supervision on clinical training is largely unquestioned, research that examines how live supervision affects the therapeutic process is lacking. Although marriage and family therapy has embraced this method of supervision, there is little empirical evidence suggesting it "works." This study uses hierarchical linear modeling to examine how therapy cases utilizing live supervision affect perceptions of progress on the problem. Findings indicated that live supervision does appear to make a difference for therapists' ratings of progress on the problem over the course of therapy; however, clients did not rate their progress as improving to the same degree. Implications for the use of live supervision as well as limitations of the study are discussed.
Competing Norms of Cooperation É

A key question concerning social norms is whether norms, that are bad for its members, can survive. This paper proposes a theory of non-market interactions within organizations, in the presence of competition between them. The main Þnding is that in equilibrium,
Can One Determine Seismic Focal Parameters from the Far-Field Radiation?

Summary A number of postulates concerning the nature of faulting have been used in the construction of kinematical models, which give the source parameters of seismic moment, fault length, and stress drop from the spectral properties of d.c. level and knee frequency. Several one-dimensional models of faulting, calculated as well-posed boundary value problems, are obtained which give both the source parameters and the far-field radiation, providing a test for these empirical relations. The results for these models show that the high-frequency content of the seismogram is usually associated not with the onset of fracture, but with the onset of healing, that is, when the cessation of relative motion on the fault begins. In some cases, the high-frequency part of the seismogram is also associated with the termination of rupture. For different distributions of tectonic stress, dynamical friction and cohesion, healing can take place sonically, supersonically, or instantaneously over the entire fault. The final state of stress may be less than or greater than the dynamical friction. For four selected models of one-dimensional faulting, the calculation of fault parameters from the theoretical seismograms give internally consistent estimates of seismic moment. Unfortunately, the theory shows that the estimates of fault length and stress drop made from the empirical formulas may be completely without value, without additional information not usually derived from the radiation spectrum.
Spectral signatures and interference of 802.11 Wi-Fi signals with Barker code spreading

This paper characterizes interference in 802.11 Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) systems that utilize Barker codes as spreading sequences. Particularly, detailed spectral analyses are performed. These studies result in exact power spectral densities (PSDs) for 1 Mbps and 2 Mbps signaling schemes that define their spectral signatures. Investigation of the leakage of interference power into adjacent 802.11 channels, which can be useful for the deployment of cognitive radios, is presented The theoretical and computer simulation results for the Wi-Fi signal PSDs are verified through experimental measurements and emulation
Variation as Unalikeability.

Summary This article discusses concepts of variability and suggests a possible alternative measure that appears to support some students’ intuition.
Treatment outcomes for patients with synovial sarcoma of the head and neck

Evaluation of: Harb WJ, Luna MA, Patel SR, Ballo MT, Roberts DB, Sturgis EM. Survival in patients with synovial sarcoma of the head and neck: association with tumor location, size, and extension. Head Neck 29, 731-740 (2007). Synovial sarcoma of the head and neck occurs most commonly in males in their third decade of life. Synovial sarcoma of the head is rare, accounting for less than 10% of all head and neck sarcomas. Due to its rarity, there are very few publications on the treatment approach for these tumors. However, it is uniformly accepted that all head and neck synovial sarcomas should undergo complete surgical resection followed by postoperative radiation therapy in those at high risk for locoregional recurrence. In terms of chemotherapy, there are also emerging data on its effectiveness in the treatment of synovial sarcoma of the head and neck. The paper under evaluation reports a single institution's 36-year experience on the treatment of synovial sarcoma of the head and neck. This paper highlights the importance of a multidisciplinary approach in the treatment of this disease.
A relative weighting method for estimating parameters and variances in multiple data sets

We are given multiple data sets and a nonlinear model function for each data value. Each data value is the sum of its error and its model function evaluated at an unknown parameter vector. The data errors are mean zero, finite variance, independent, are not necessarily normal, and are identically distributed within each data set. We consider the problem of estimating the data variance as well as the parameter vector via an extended least-squares technique motivated by maximum likelihood estimation. We prove convergence of an algorithm that generalizes a standard successive approximation algorithm from nonlinear programming. This generalization reduces the estimation problem to a sequence of linear least-squares problems. It is shown that the parameter and variance estimators converge to their true values as the number of data values goes to infinity. Moreover, if the constraints are not active, the parameter estimates converge in distribution. This convergence does not depend on the data errors being normally distributed.
Science in the Cloud: Accelerating Discovery in the 21st Century

Scientific discovery is transitioning from a focus on data collection to an emphasis on analysis and prediction using large-scale computation. With appropriate software support, scientists can do these computations with unused cycles in commercial clouds. Moving science into the cloud will promote data sharing and collaborations that will accelerate scientific discovery.
Contemporary Clinical Trials in Ventricular Tachycardia and Fibrillation: Implications of ESVEM, CASCADE, and CASH for Clinical Management

Recent clinical trials in patients with ventricular tachycardia (VT) or fibrillation (VF) have occurred in the setting of the disappointing results of postinfarction secondary prevention studies using Class I antiarrhythmics (e.g., CAST). ESVEM addressed in a randomized trial whether electrophysiologic study (EPS) or Holter monitoring (HM) is a more accurate predictor of long-term antiarrhythmic drug efficacy in VT/VF patients (N=486) and what the relative efficacy of various antiarrhythmic agents is for VT/VF. Surprisingly, arrhythmia recurrence rates were not significantly different by the method of determining an efficacy prediction. However, arrhythmia recurrence and mortality were lower (by about 50% at 1 year) in patients treated with sotalol (a mixed Class II/III agent) than with other drugs (Class I). CASCADE evaluated empiric amiodarone versus guided (EPS or HM) standard (Class I) therapy in survivors of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest due to VF. The primary endpoint of cardiac death, resuscitated VF, or syncopal shock (in ICD patients) was reduced by amiodarone compared with conventional therapy (9% vs 23% at 1 year). An interim report of the ongoing CASH study suggested in 230 survivors of cardiac arrest that propafenone (Class IC) provided less effective prophylaxis (approximately 20% 1-year mortality) compared with randomly assigned therapies with amiodarone, metoprolol, or an ICD (approximately 14% mortality rates) and was excluded from further study. These studies have led to a paradigm shift in the approach to antiarrhythmic therapy of VT/VF: drugs with antisympathetic plus Class III (refractoriness prolonging) action (i.e., sotalol, amiodarone) are superior to traditional drugs with Class I( conduction slowing) effects, even when guided by EPS or HM.
Traditional and newer pathologic factors.

There has long been a pressing clinical need to identify prognostic and predictive factors for patients with breast cancer. Although numerous candidate biological and molecular markers have been identified during the lasttwo decades, traditional factors such as lymph node status, tumor size, histologic type, histologic grade, and hormone receptor status remain the most useful indicators of prognosis and therapeutic response. A major obstacle to the translation of research advances into clinically useful prognostic and predictive markers has been the considerable methodologic variability used in the evaluation of the newer markers. It is now generally accepted that, to be useful in patient management, a putative prognostic or predictive marker must have clinical importance, independence, significance, and standardization with regard to methods, interpretation, and reporting. It is hoped that recognition and adoption of these criteria will serve to clarify the value of newer biologic and molecular markers.
How Did You Get That Job? Exploring the Role of the Perinatal Clinical Research Nurse

Professional Issues Poster Presentation Purpose for the Program Perinatal research is an emerging focus and has become the topic of many recent discussions. A priority at our level III facility is to promote research and provide our patients with the opportunity to participate in various studies that may have a significant effect on their outcomes. Proposed Change The addition of the perinatal research team was led by the system medical director for maternal–fetal medicine. Support from administration was imperative, as this position required a full‐time nurse, office space, supplies, and staff education. In addition, there were added responsibilities for the maternal–fetal medicine specialist as the principle investigator. Implementation, Outcomes, and Evaluation A plan to implement the perinatal research team was developed. The team consists of a full‐time perinatal clinical research nurse, several casual research nurses, and two perinatologists dedicated to the principle investigator role. Implementation required nurse/physician collaboration, as the perinatal clinical research nurse and physician principle investigators provided education to staff nurses, advanced practice nurses, obstetricians, and neonatologists regarding the various studies. Challenges included financial obligations related to salaries and supplies, office space, and staff resistance related to changes and new protocols. The addition of the perinatal research team has been an excellent addition to our facility as we strive to move forward and provide best practices to our moms and infants. Since initiation, our facility has participated in seven different studies that involve hundreds of patients. Several studies are ongoing for data collection and two remain open for recruitment. Two articles have been published in professional journals and data analysis continues. Implications for Nursing Practice The role of the perinatal clinical research nurse provides an exciting opportunity for professional growth and development. The position is the perfect balance of patient interaction and data collection. Essential responsibilities include educating patients about various studies and obtaining informed consent, collaboration with the direct care nurses and physicians, data collection, and follow‐up. Other duties include learning about new study procedures, Human Subject Protection policies, Institutional Review Board protocols and documentation, and good clinical practices. The benefits to both the patient and the research team are plentiful. The patient has the option to participate in studies that may improve outcomes for her and her infant and the research team has the opportunity to contribute to advances in perinatal care.
Chronology, sedimentology, and microfauna of groundwater discharge deposits in the central Mojave Desert, Valley Wells, California

During the late Pleistocene, emergent groundwater supported persistent and long-lived desert wetlands in many broad valleys and basins in the American Southwest. When active, these systems provided important food and water sources for local fauna, supported hydrophilic and phreatophytic vegetation, and acted as catchments for eolian and alluvial sediments. Desert wetlands are represented in the geologic record by groundwater discharge deposits, which are also called spring or wetland deposits. Groundwater discharge deposits contain information on the timing and magnitude of past changes in water-table levels and, thus, are a source of paleohydrologic and paleoclimatic information. Here, we present the results of an investigation of extensive groundwater discharge deposits in the central Mojave Desert at Valley Wells, California. We used geologic mapping and stratigraphic relations to identify two distinct wetland sequences at Valley Wells, which we dated using radiocarbon, luminescence, and uranium-series techniques. We also analyzed the sediments and microfauna (ostracodes and gastropods) to reconstruct the specifi c environments in which they formed. Our results suggest that the earliest episode of high water-table conditions at Valley Wells began ca. 60 ka (thousands of calendar yr B.P.), and culminated in peak discharge between ca. 40 and 35 ka. During this time, cold (4‐12 °C) emergent groundwater supported extensive wetlands that likely were composed of a wet, sedge-rush-tussock meadow mixed with mesic riparian forest. After ca. 35 ka, the water table dropped below the ground surface but was still shallow enough to support dense stands of phreatophytes through the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). The water table dropped further after the LGM, and xeric conditions prevailed until modest wetlands returned briefl y during the Younger Dryas cold event (13.0‐11.6 ka). We did not observe any evidence of wet conditions during the Holocene at Valley Wells. The timing of these fl uctuations is consistent with changes in other paleowetland systems in the Mojave Desert, the nearby Great Basin Desert, and in southeastern Arizona, near the border of the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts. The similarities in hydrologic conditions between these disparate locations suggest that changes in groundwater levels during the late Pleistocene in desert wetlands scattered throughout the American Southwest were likely driven by synopticscale climate processes.
Dogs on the Move: Factors Impacting Animal Shelter and Rescue Organizations’ Decisions to Accept Dogs from Distant Locations

Long-distance dog transfer programs are a topic of burgeoning interest in the animal welfare community, but little research has focused on such programs. This exploratory study, which surveyed 193 individuals associated with animal shelter and rescue organizations in the United States, evaluated factors that impacted organizations’ decisions to transfer in dogs over long distances (>100 miles) and assessed what criteria were commonly valued by destination organizations. Specifically, we examined the following aspects of long-distance transfer programs: (1) logistics of long-distance dog transfers; (2) factors impacting dog selection; (3) medical requirements; (4) partnerships formed between source and destination organizations; and (5) perceptions of long-distance dog transfer programs by individuals affiliated with the destination organizations. This study revealed that many logistical considerations factor into transfer decisions and the formation of healthy partnerships between source and destination organizations. Participants indicated their organization’s willingness to receive dogs of various sizes, coat colors and ages, but organizations often had restrictions regarding the breeds they would accept. Study findings indicate some organizations have strict quarantine policies and pre-transfer medical requirements, while others have no such requirements.
Real Estate Taxes and Fees: Impacts on Urban Land and Housing Development in China

Real estate taxes and fees affect land markets and housing development patterns in significant ways affecting the timing of real estate development, spatial patterns of land development, and the capital intensity of development. This paper examines the economic impacts of real estate taxes and fees in a dynamic framework, with special application to proposed reforms in China. Impacts identified are also relevant for real estate tax and fee reforms more generally in developing countries whose institutional real estate regimes are in transition.
Social Work and Psychoanalytic Theory: A Historical Analysis

■ This paper, a historical analysis of the relation between social work and psychoanalysis in the United States, explores the reasons why social work became preoccupied with psychoanalysis at the expense of social reform and discusses the consequences of this for social work. The author suggests that the scientific and political climate of the 1920s stifled social reform and urges a more balanced historical view to avoid such a bias in the future. ■ Psychoanalytic theory has been both a stimulus and an impediment to the devel opment of the social work profession. Recognition of its ineffectiveness during the Great Depression and in the current War on Poverty has forced social workers to review their infatuation with this theory. As a theory, psychoanalysis is incompatible with certain basic tenets of the American creed—puritanism, scientism, and opti mism. It is pessimistic and highly libidinal. The theory had difficulty gaining acceptance
Solvation Effects on Transition Metal Hydricity

The free energy of hydride donation (hydricity) for [HNi(DHMPE)2][BF4] (DHMPE = 1,2-bis(dihydroxymethylphosphino)ethane was experimentally determined versus the heterolytic cleavage energy of hydrogen in acetonitrile, dimethyl sulfoxide, and water to be 57.4, 55.5, and 30.0 kcal/mol, respectively. This work represents the first reported hydricity values for a transition metal hydride donor in three different solvents. A comparison between our values and the hydricity of hydrogen and formate reveals a narrowing in the range of values with increasing solvent polarity. The thermochemical values also reveal solvation effects that impact the overall thermodynamic favorability of hydride generation from hydrogen and transfer to carbon dioxide. The quantitative solvation effects described herein have important consequences to the design and reactivity of catalysts for transformations that have hydride transfer steps throughout synthetic chemistry.
Dechlorination of DDT by membranes isolated from Escherichia coli.

The capacity of cellular components of Escherichia coli to metabolize DDT-14C was investigated. Washed membrane fractions were obtained by lysozyme treatment followed by osomotic shock. Gas chromatography with electron capture detection and thin-layer chromatography were used to measure the effect of exogenous Kreb’s cycle cofactors and intermediates on the metabolism of DDT by particulate components of the bacteria. Reductive dechlorination of DDT to TDE occurred in the membranous fraction of the bacterial cell and was stimulated by a factor (s) present in the cytoplasmic fraction. Isolated membranes produced substantial amounts of TDE only in the presence of exogenous flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD), and the prior reduction of FAD is essential to the production of TDE. The presence of Kreb’s cycle energy inhibited TDE production, indicating that DDT does not accept electrons produced by the oxidation of Kreb’s cycle intermediates directly from the cytochrome system.
Renal Consequences of Rapid High Dose Contrast CT

A retrospective study of renal deterioration after high doses (80 g I) of intravenous contrast medium was done of 286 adult patients. The incidence, duration, and severity of renal deterioration were compared with those reported in a series of 377 similar patients after low dose contrast infusion (43 g I). No statistically significant difference between these groups was seen in nondiabetics with a preinfusion serum creatinine below 4.5 mg/dl. A prospective study of fractional excretions in 35 patients receiving high dose infusion demonstrated no additional subtle renal damage in 34 patients. One patient developed a transient rise in serum creatinine that was identical to the course of renal deterioration after 43 g of iodine. It is concluded that the severity and duration of renal deterioration was not affected by the dose of contrast material (43–80 g iodine).
TMIC-03LOSS OF DAMAGE-ASSOCIATED MOLECULAR PATTERN SENSING IN CANCER STEM CELLS PROMOTES GLIOBLASTOMA MAINTENANCE

TMIC-03. LOSS OF DAMAGE-ASSOCIATED MOLECULAR PATTERN SENSING IN CANCER STEM CELLS PROMOTES GLIOBLASTOMA MAINTENANCE Alvaro Alvarado1,2, James Hale1, Erin Mulkearns-Hubert1, Daniel Silver1, and Justin Lathia1,2; Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA; Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA Glioblastoma (GBM) is composed of heterogeneous cellular populations, including self-renewing, tumorigenic cancer stem cells (CSCs). Discrete anatomical niches have been described where CSCs communicate with their surroundings to promote their self-renewal, tumor maintenance and increased resistance to conventional therapies. A hallmark of GBM is necrosis and the tumor microenvironment also contains many damage-associated molecular pattern molecules (DAMPs) that elicit an immune response and trigger cell death. These DAMPs are sensed by receptors such as those from the toll-like receptor (TLR) family, which have well-established roles in non-immune cells within the brain. The mechanisms by which CSCs but not other tumors cells can thrive despite DAMPs have yet to be elucidated. We analyzed the expression of TLR family members in patient-derived cells and found TLR4 was significantly decreased inCSCs comparedwith non-CSC. Bioinformatics analyses of patient datasets confirmed lower TLR4 expression is associated with poor prognosis. Stimulation of TLR4 induced a decrease in proliferation in non-CSCs, which was not observed in CSCs. Overexpression of TLR4 in CSCs decreased proliferation and self-renewal as well as expression of the stem cell markers SOX2, OCT4, NANOG, and OLIG2. We analyzed the promoter region of these critical genes and identified common transcription factors that were further validated by comparing their expression in CSCs vs. non-CSCs in a RNA-seq dataset. The expression of the top ten candidates was analyzed in the context of TLR4 overexpression. We identified Retinoblastoma binding protein 5 (RbBP5) as a potential key player in this signaling pathway. Mechanistic studies are in progress to determine how RbBP5 and TLR4 interact to regulate stem cell and self-renewal pathways. Our results link a damage-sensing receptor to a CSC-specific transcription factor that is upregulated in GBM and allows cells to tolerate hostile environmental cues. Neuro-Oncology 17:v221–v225, 2015. doi:10.1093/neuonc/nov236.3 Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Neuro-Oncology 2015.
A Parallel Sliding-Window Generator for High-Performance Digital-Signal Processing on FPGAs

Sliding-window applications, an important class of the digital-signal processing domain, are highly amenable to pipeline parallelism on field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). Although memory bandwidth often restricts parallelism for many applications, sliding-window applications can leverage custom buffers, referred to as sliding-window generators, that provide massive input bandwidth that far exceeds the capabilities of external memory. Previous work has introduced a variety of sliding-window generators, but those approaches typically generate at most one window per cycle, which significantly restricts parallelism. In this article, we address this limitation with a parallel sliding-window generator that can generate a configurable number of windows every cycle. Although in practice the number of parallel windows is limited by memory bandwidth, we show that even with common bandwidth limitations, the presented generator enables near-linear speedups up to 16x faster than previous FPGA studies that generate a single window per cycle, which were already in some cases faster than graphics-processing units and microprocessors.
Ultrasound versus digitally directed prostatic needle biopsy.

AbstractDuring an 8-month period 55 patients with suspected but unproved prostatic carcinoma were entered randomly into a study designed to evaluate the effectiveness of ultrasound-directed transperineal needle biopsy of the prostate. Each patient was biopsied with and without ultrasound assistance; the method used first was determined randomly. Of the 15 patients diagnosed as having adenocarcinoma only 9 were proved by conventional transperineal biopsy, whereas ultrasound-guided biopsy was accurate in all 15 patients (p less than 0.005). Transrectal ultrasound guidance significantly improves the yield of transperineal needle biopsy when it is performed for suspected malignancy.
Treatment of comminuted distal radius fractures with pins and plaster.

SUMMARY Based on this review, it is evident that the anatomic results obtained by the use of pins and plaster for the treatment of comminuted distal radial fractures is insufficient to yield a high percentage of satisfactory functional end results. In addition, the high complication and reoperation rate noted in our series makes us question whether the technique of pins and plaster should remain a treatment option for these difficult fractures. Perhaps a combination of internal fixation with bone grafting combined with external fixation will provide a solution to this fracture, particularly in young, active patients.
Functional recovery following incision of spinal meninges in dogs.

Summary The spinal cord meninges of normal dogs were incised laterally as deep as the subarachnoid space. This was performed via a left-sided hemilamiuectomy of lumbar vertebrae 1 to 3 and a right-sided hemilaminectomy of lumbar vertebrae 4 to 6. The results indicate that a hemilaminectomy and incision of the meninges in normal dogs result in only mild, temporary neurological deficits. This suggests the possibility that spinal cord oedema in dogs could be surgically treated by incision of the meninges without damage to the spinal cord.
Magnetic resonance neurography in the diagnosis of neuropathies of the lumbosacral plexus: a pictorial review

Magnetic resonance neurography (MRN) is an important tool to detect abnormalities of peripheral nerves. This pictorial review demonstrates the MRN features of a variety of neuropathies affecting the lumbosacral plexus (LSP) and lower extremity nerves, drawn from over 1200 MRNs from our institution and supplemented by the literature. Abnormalities can be due to spinal compression, extraspinal compression, malignancy, musculoskeletal disease, iatrogenesis, inflammation, infection, and idiopathic disorders. We discuss indications and limitations of MRN in diagnosing LSP neuropathies. As MRN becomes more widely used, physicians must become familiar with the differential diagnosis of abnormalities detectable with MRN of the LSP.
A JEWISH VIEW OF CREATION

The charge that Rosenzweig's philosophical theology is not Jewish is both general and specific. In general the objection is that philosophy is foreign to Judaism. It is true that at one time in Jewish history – from the time of Saadia in the tenth century through the time of Albo in the fifteenth, rabbinic Jews engaged in philosophical speculation about the doctrines of Jewish faith. However, that period constitutes an exception to the major trends in Jewish civilization, where the emphasis is always on praxis and (possibly) spirituality, but not on conception. Philosophic speculation is a foreign import that infected Judaism for one period (viz., when Islamic civilization dominated the ways that Jews think), but it was precisely that – an infection. Fortunately Judaism cured itself and subsequently returned to its more characteristic pragmatic concerns with law and ethics. The only other period of infection was the late nineteenth-, early twentieth-century Germanic tradition of Hermann Cohen and those whom he influenced (Baeck, Buber, Rosenzweig, etc.), but this period also is an aberration. It occurred because of the highly assimilated condition of German Jewry under the dominant influence of liberal Protestantism. Underlying this general objection are a number of assumptions about Judaism, two of which are relevant to our enterprise. The first is that only what is distinctively the product of Jewish civilization should be called “Jewish.” The second is that certain periods are more definitive of Judaism than others. The claim is that because the Hebrew scriptures, the early works in Jewish law (viz., the Mishnah and the two talmuds) and (possibly) the early commentaries on the Bible (viz., classical midrash) are uniquely Jewish products, they define what Judaism is.