cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The hemispheric specialization for linguistic and non-linguistic tactile stimuli in third grade children.

Abstract Thirty third-grade children were given two dichaptically presented tests of hemispheric specialization. Specialization for linguistic stimuli was measured by a letters task and specialization for spatial stimulus was measured by a nonsense shapes task. The results showed a significant right hemisphere processing advantage for tactually presented spatial stimuli. There was no significant processing advantage for either hemisphere with tactually presented linguistic stimuli. The right hemisphere specialization for tactually presented spatial stimuli was present for both boys and girls. Thus there was no evidence of sexual bimorphism in the neurological organization of third grade children for spatial processing.
The pathway of propionate oxidation.

Abstract 1. 1. The oxidation of labelled propionate in the presence of large pools of unlabelled l -lactate, d -lactate and pyruvate gives rise to the appearance of label in these pools. The appearance of label suggests that the compounds mentioned are in equilibrium with the actual intermediates. Some evidence for incomplete equilibration has been presented. 2. 2. The modified α-oxidation pathway for propionate, supported by the above evidence is shown to be compatible with the randomization of label within propionate, if an α, β-symmetrical intermediate is assumed to occur during racemase action.
MicroRNA regulation of human protein–protein interaction network

Since the functional state of a protein–protein interaction network depends on gene expression, a fundamental question is what relationships exist between protein interaction network and gene regulation. In particular, microRNAs have recently emerged as a major class of post-transcriptional regulators that influences a large proportion of genes in higher eukaryotes. Here we show that protein connectivity in the human protein–protein interaction network is positively correlated with the number of microRNA target-site types in the 3′ untranslated regions of the gene encoding the protein and that interacting proteins tend to share more microRNA target-site types than random pairs. Moreover, our results demonstrate that microRNA targeting propensity for genes in different biological processes can be largely explained by their protein connectivity. Finally, we show that for hub proteins, microRNA regulation complexity is negatively correlated with clustering coefficient, suggesting that microRNA regulation is more important to inter-modular hubs than to intramodular ones. Taken together, our study provides the first evidence for global correlation between microRNA repression and protein–protein interactions.
Culture Studies of the Devils River Minnow

Abstract Requirements for indoor culture of the threatened Devils River minnow Dionda diaboli were developed and refined. Spawning over gravel previously occurred in experimental systems with a riffle area under a compressed seasonal cycle (temperature and photoperiod). Subsequently, spawning occurred without the riffle area and seasonal cycle. Given only gravel (15- 25 mm) and rock (40–80 mm) as spawning substrate, more eggs were found in the gravel (Mann-Whitney tests, P < 0.001). Additionally, pairwise breeding was achieved in both wild-stock and first-generation fish; average survival from egg to fry was improved from about 25% to 45%; a growth curve was developed, in which fish averaging 7 mm total length (TL) grew to an average of 35 mm TL in 192 d; growth rate was noted to decline as culture density increased (nonlinear regression, P < 0.001). Sexually dimorphic characteristics (yellow fins, blue body coloration, and nuptial tuberculation) and aspects of spawning behavior (substrate necessity, terr...
Fine‐needle aspiration of fibroadenomas of the breast with atypia: A spectrum including cases that cytologically mimic carcinoma

We herein report the cytologic and histologic findings in 11 cases of cytologically atypical fibroadenoma (FA). These ranged from cases recognizable as FA but showing epithelial atypia to cases that, even on review, completely mimicked the needle aspiration picture of ductal breast carcinoma. A retrospective review of 45 cases of previously excised FA showed that focal atypia is common (27%). Possible physiologic explanations for atypia in FA, along with strategies for avoiding false diagnoses of malignancy in aspiration smears, are discussed.
Women's health competencies in the undergraduate psychiatry curriculum: Past and future

Abstract Objective: To review the current psychiatry model clerkship objectives for their inclusion of women's health competencies and advise changes in light of recommendations of psychiatric educators and those developed at the Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics (APGO) Women's Health Education Retreat 2000. Study Design: The clerkship objectives promulgated by the Association of Directors of Medical Student Education in Psychiatry (ADMSEP) were reviewed for their relevance to women's health. ADMSEP members were surveyed at their 1997 annual meeting and again by means of their listserve in 2000 for opinions regarding inclusion of women's health topics in their curricula. Results: The current objectives imply many women's health competencies. Those pertaining to abuse are particularly comprehensive. Survey data suggest that educators perceive that psychiatric aspects of reproductive functioning, violence, and trauma; gender differences in prevalence, presentation, and treatment of psychiatric disorders; and gender aspects of the doctor-patient relationship merit particular emphasis in the clerkship curriculum. Conclusions: Women's health competencies are broadly but implicitly represented in the psychiatry clerkship objectives as currently formulated. Revisions should encompass more explicit appreciation of gender differences and specific additional knowledge, skills, and attitudes. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 2002;187:S15-8.)
BINDING OF BASIC FIBROBLAST GROWTH FACTOR TO FIBRINOGEN AND FIBRIN

Abstract Fibrin is formed at sites of tissue injury and provides the temporary matrix needed to support the initial endothelial cell responses needed for vessel repair. Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) also acts at sites of injury and stimulates similar vascular cell responses. We have, therefore, investigated whether there are specific interactions between bFGF and fibrinogen and fibrin that could play a role in coordinating these actions. Binding studies were performed using bFGF immobilized on Sepharose beads and soluble125I-labeled fibrinogen and also using Sepharose-immobilized fibrinogen and soluble 125I-bFGF. Both systems demonstrated specific and saturable binding. Scatchard analysis indicated two classes of binding sites for each withK d values of 1.3 and 260 nm using immobilized bFGF; and K d values of 0.9 and 70 nm using immobilized fibrinogen. After conversion of Sepharose-immobilized fibrinogen to fibrin by treatment with thrombin, bFGF also demonstrated specific and saturable binding with two classes of binding sites having K d values of 0.13 and 83 nm. Fibrin binding was also investigated by clotting a solution of bFGF and fibrinogen, and two classes of binding sites were demonstrated using this system with K d values of 0.8 and 261 nm. The maximum molar binding ratios of bFGF to fibrinogen were between 2.0 and 4.0 with the four binding systems. We conclude that bFGF binds specifically and saturably to fibrinogen and fibrin with high affinity, and this may have implications regarding the localization of its effect at sites of tissue injury.
Protein kinase C βII activation induces angiotensin converting enzyme expression in neonatal rat cardiomyocytes

Objective: Members of the protein kinase C (PKC) family are important mediators of cell signaling underlying multiple aspects of myocardial function. Activation of the βII isoform of PKC is thought to be involved in the development of congestive heart failure. To investigate the biological effect of PKC-βII, we measured gene expression of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) and angiotensin II (AngII) receptors AT1A and AT1B in cardiomyocytes overexpressing PKC-βII. Methods: An adenovirus construct expressing PKC-βII was introduced into cultured neonatal rat ventricular myocytes (NRVMs). Western blot and in situ kinase assay was used to measure PKC-βII level and activity in NRVMs. Real time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis was used to measure the mRNA levels of several genes following PMA stimulation of either un-infected or ad-PKC-βII infected cells. Results: Our data show that activation of PKC-βII in cardiomyocytes leads to elevated expression of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene. Treatment of adeno-PKC-βII infected cardiomyocytes with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) resulted in an 8-fold increase of ACE mRNA expression, whereas ACE mRNA levels only increased around 2-fold in uninfected or adeno-GFP (green fluorescent protein) infected cardiomyocytes with similar PMA treatment. The induction of ACE mRNA was blocked by the PKC-β-specific antagonist LY379196. No significant change of angiotensin II receptors AT1a and AT1b could be detected in the cardiomyocytes expressing PKC-βII. Conclusion: These data indicate that ACE is a transcription target of PKC-βII activation in cardiomyocytes, and also suggest a mechanism for the involvement of PKC in cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis through increased activity of angiotensin converting enzyme in the myocardium.
Simulation of wetlands forest vegetation dynamics

Abstract A computer program, SWAMP, was designed to simulate the effects of flood frequency and depth to water table on southern wetlands forest vegetation dynamics. By incorporating these hydrologic characteristics into the model, forest vegetation and vegetation dynamics can be simulated. The model, based on data from the White River National Wildlife Refuge near De Witt, Arkansas, “grows” individual trees on a 20 x 20-m plot taking into account effects on the tree growth of flooding, depth to water table, shade tolerance, overtopping and crowding, and probability of death and reproduction. A potential application of the model is illustrated with simulations of tree fruit production following flood-control implementation and lumbering.
A dual-task investigation of young stutterers and nonstutterers

Abstract Twenty right-handed grade-school stutterers and nonstutterers matched for sex, handedness, and age were the subjects of this neuromotor investigation. They were required to tap a button as rapidly as possible in a single-task control condition, in three increasingly demanding dual-task conditions in which finger-tapping and speech occured concurrently, and in a dual-task condition in which the subjects finger-tapped and vocalized the sound of a siren. The conditions were randomized, and hand order was counterbalanced. The overall tapping rate of the nonstutterers was statistically faster than that of the stutterers for both the right and left hand. Relative to the single-task silent control condition, the tapping rates of both groups decreased as the dual-task speech conditions became more demanding. However, the tapping rate of the nonstutterers was significantly faster across the speech conditions. Neither the group by hand, group by condition, or group by hand by condition interaction was statistically significant. The stutterers responded like the nonstutterers, though more slowly, providing support for the current contentions that the neuromotor system of stutterers is less robust than that of nonstutterers and more affected by the demands of speech production.
From Precipitation to Inhibition of Seizures: Rationale of a Therapeutic Paradigm

Epileptic seizures can be triggered by both nonspecific facilitating factors such as sleep withdrawal, fever, or excessive alcohol intake, and specific reflex epileptic mechanisms. These consist of sensory or cognitive inputs activating circumscribed cortical areas or functional anatomic systems that, due to some functional instability, respond with an epileptic discharge. Interruption of seizure activity at the stage of the aura (i.e., locally restricted discharge) also can be achieved by nonspecific (e.g., relaxation or concentration techniques or vagal nerve stimulation) or by specific focus-targeted sensory or cognitive inputs. The latter, again, activate circumscribed cortical areas. Intriguingly, in some patients, the same stimulus can either precipitate or abort a seizure. The response depends on the state of cortical activation: seizure precipitation occurs in the resting condition, and seizure interruption occurs when the epileptic discharge has begun close to the activated area. These relations can be understood on the background of experimental data showing that an intermediate state of neuronal activation is a precondition for the generation of paroxysmal depolarization shifts, whereas a hyperpolarized neuron will remain subthreshold, and a depolarized neuron that already produces action potentials is not recruitable for other activity. Sensory input meeting an intermediately activated pool of potentially epileptic neurons is adequate to produce a seizure. In another condition, the same stimulus can depolarize a neuron pool in the same area sufficiently to block the further propagation of nearby epileptic activity. Understanding these interactions facilitates the development of successful nonpharmaceutical therapeutic interventions for epilepsy.
SHOPFLOOR PERFORMANCE METRICS FOR THE APPAREL INDUSTRY

In a typical apparel plant, there may be hundreds of machines, hundreds of employees and thousands of bundle subassemblies all simultaneously active. It is the responsibility of the manager to optimise through‐put and/or make efficient use of employee and machine resources and/or keep work‐in‐process inventory levels low. Ideally, to be able to deal with this complexity of scheduling, a manager would like to be presented with a handful of numbers which indicate how the plant is operating. A set of performance metrics which provide a manager with information concerning plant performance are identified and quantified. A mathematical analysis of many factors which concern plant performance are presented. The metrics enable a large amount of information to be condensed to summary form so that performance of an operational plan can be easily understood and lead to swift evaluation of that plan. The set contains about 70 metrics which the manager is free to interpret according to his/her operational goals.
An intronless gene encoding a potential member of the family of receptors coupled to guanine nucleotide regulatory proteins

Plasma membrane receptors for hormones, drugs, neurotransmit-ters and sensory stimuli are coupled to guanine nucleotide regulatory proteins. Recent cloning of the genes and/or cDNAs for several of these receptors including the visual pigment rhodopsin1, the adenylate-cyclase stimulatory β-adrenergic receptor2–4 and two subtypes of muscarinic cholinergic receptors5,6 has suggested that these are homologous proteins with several conserved structural and functional features. Whereas the rhodopsin gene consists of five exons interrupted by four introns1, surprisingly the human and hamster β-adrenergic receptor genes contain no introns in either their coding or untranslated sequences7. We have cloned and sequenced a DNA fragment in the human genome which cross-hybridizes with a full-length β2-adrenergic receptor probe at reduced stringency. Like the β2-adrenergic receptor this gene appears to be intronless, containing an uninterrupted long open reading frame which encodes a putative protein with all the expected structural features of a G-protein-coupled receptor.
Platinum complexes of terpyridine: Synthesis, structure and reactivity

Abstract With a rich history spanning over 75 years, platinum terpyridine complexes are a diverse and versatile family of coordination compounds. This review addresses the burgeoning field of research aimed at exploring synthesis and characterization, structure and bonding, thermodynamics and kinetics of ligand substitution, and stacking in solution and in the solid state.
Incidence and significance of nonaneurysmal-related computed tomography scan findings in patients undergoing endovascular aortic aneurysm repair.

Objective This study examined the frequency and nature of incidental findings seen on computed tomography (CT) scans during preoperative and postoperative follow-up in patients undergoing endovascular aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR). Methods Between January 1, 2000, and March 1, 2006, 176 consecutive patients who underwent EVAR at our institution were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were included in the study if all preoperative and postoperative surveillance CT scans were performed at our institution. Eighty-two patients, 26 women (32%) and 56 men (68%), met this criterion. Their mean age was 76 years (range, 51-103 years). Official CT scan reports were reviewed. Findings were considered primary incidental if they were noted on preoperative CT scans and secondary incidental if they appeared on surveillance CT scans but not on the preoperative study. Primary and secondary incidental findings were considered either benign (eg, gallstones, diverticulosis) or clinically significant if they warranted further workup (eg, suspicious masses or changes suggestive of malignancy, internal or diaphragmatic hernias, and diverticulitis). The median follow-up was 29 months (range, 3-60 months). Each incidental finding was counted only once, on the first scan in which it appeared. Results Of the 82 patients, 73 (89%) had at least one primary incidental finding, and 14 (19%) of these were clinically significant. Secondary incidental findings, many of which were clinically significant, continued to appear throughout the follow-up period. The most common clinically significant primary incidental finding was the presence of a lung mass (n = 4). The most common clinically significant secondary incidental findings were lung mass (n = 6), liver mass (n = 6), and pancreas mass (n = 3). There was a significant difference in the proportion of men to women in the group with clinically significant incidental findings vs the group without clinically significant incidental findings ( P = .03959). Differences between the groups with respect to age or aneurysm size were not significant. Conclusion CT scans yielded surprisingly large numbers of both primary and secondary incidental findings, many of which were clinically significant. Primary incidental findings were more common than secondary incidental findings; however, clinically significant findings were found at a consistent rate throughout the study period.
Selection of Appropriate Training Set of Chemicals for Modeling Dermal Permeability Using Uniform Coverage Design

In silico approaches to model dermal permeability require a training set of chemicals. Selection of an appropriate set of chemicals is the key factor in the precision of a model. The objective is to develop a training set of chemicals representing a wider chemical space relevant to biological activity such as dermal permeability and compare it with the currently used training set of chemicals by our laboratory, which was based on a subjective selection process. Wider chemical space refers to structurally diverse chemicals with a wide range of all the descriptor values. A parent dataset of 4098 chemicals with 5 solvatochromic descriptors obtained from ADME boxes database was used for this study. The approach for diverse chemical selection was performed using ‘uniform coverage design’ (UCD) run by SpaceFill program and compared with a cluster analysis using SAS. Five sets of 25 chemicals were obtained from the design and evaluated based on gas chromatographic assay amenability and representation of structurally diverse group. A final set of 25 chemicals to be used for modeling dermal permeability was selected, based on aforementioned criteria. Graphical plot of the principal components demonstrated that currently used training set of chemicals have narrow representation of parent dataset whereas the selected training set have appropriate representation in terms of chemical space. QSAR models were built from both training set of chemicals. The model based on the 25 selected chemicals (R2=0.83) performed equally if not slightly better then the model based on currently used training set of 32 chemicals (R2=0.82).
Kidney Internal Splint/Stent (KISS) Catheter Revisited for Pediatric Pyeloplasty

Objectives To review our experience using the Kidney Internal Splint/Stent (KISS) (Cook Medical, Bloomington, IN) to provide drainage after pyeloplasty. The KISS combines the attributes of nephrostomy tube diversion and anastomotic stent in a single tube. Since its initial description in 1993, additional reports on its use are limited. Methods We retrospectively reviewed charts of patients who underwent pyeloplasty by single surgeon, with simultaneous placement of KISS stent from 2003 to 2008. Preoperative and postoperative renal function and t ½ times of the affected renal unit were determined by nuclear renography. Nephrostograms were performed 10 days after surgery. Complications from the use of KISS catheter including premature dislodgement or infection were noted. Results We performed 59 pyeloplasties with KISS stent placement in 57 patients. Mean age of patients was 23 months with follow-up of 32 months (range 6-69). Median preoperative and postoperative renal function was 47% and 49%, respectively. Median preoperative and postoperative t ½ times were 80 and 12 minutes, respectively ( P = .001). Nephrostograms did not reveal leak in any patient. Unintentional removal of KISS stent did not occur in any patient. Postoperative febrile UTI occurred in 2 patients while the KISS stent was in place. Conclusions KISS stents can be used safely and effectively in a wide variety of clinical situations surrounding pyeloplasty. The KISS catheter was well tolerated by the patients in our series. The KISS stent offers the combined advantages of nephrostomy tube and internal stent while obviating the second anesthetic that would be necessary with an internal stent.
Renormalization-group relaxational dynamics of interfaces in 4 − ε dimensions

We present a dynamic renormalization-group calculation in $4\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\epsilon}$ dimensions of the capillary wave dispersion relation ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{q}$ for the interface of an Ising-like system driven by relaxational dynamics (model A). The dispersion relation is of the form ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{q}=\ensuremath{-}i\ensuremath{\Gamma}{q}^{z}\ensuremath{\Omega}(q\ensuremath{\xi})$, with $\ensuremath{\Omega}(x)$ universal and $z=2+O({\ensuremath{\epsilon}}^{2})$, and satisfies the Goldstone theorem for the spontaneously broken Euclidean symmetry.
Efficacy and Cross-Domain Effects of a Morphosyntax and a Phonology Intervention

Purpose: The purpose of this study was three-fold: (a) to determine the efficacy of a morphosyntax and a phonology intervention against a no-treatment control group, (b) to assess the effects of those interventions on the non-targeted domain, and (c) to evaluate sequence effects when children receive both interventions. Method: Twenty preschoolers with impairments in both morphosyntax and phonology were assigned randomly to an intervention of two 12-week blocks beginning with either a block of phonology first (n = 10) or a block of morphosyntax first (n = 10). Data were collected at pretreatment, after the first intervention block, and posttreatment. For a control group of 7 children, data were collected at the beginning and end of a time period equivalent to one intervention block. Changes in a finite morpheme composite and target/generalization phoneme composite were assessed. Results: In comparison to the control group, both interventions were effective at a statistically significant level in facilitat...
Antibodies to Candida albicans in IgA-Deficient Humans

Titers of serum antibody to Candida albicans were studied in 111 IgA-deficient subjects by the passive hemagglutination method. Circulating antibodies to C. albicans (mean titer, 1:7) were found in only 7.3% of the 111 subjects, as compared with 80% of 137 controls (mean titer, 1:16). However, two IgA-deficient patients with systemic candidiasis were positive for these antibodies (mean titer, 1:64). Indirect immunofluorescence tests indicated that the antibody response in IgA-deficient subjects to superficial or deep-seated infection with C. albicans consists mainly of immunoglobulins of the IgG rather than of the IgM class.
Physiological Response Patterns in Ulcer Patients: Phasic and Tonic Components of the Electrogastrogram

Physiological response patterns in duodenal ulcer patients, rheumatoid arthritics, and healthy subjects were investigated by recording electrogastrograms (EGGs) and several other physiological measures during presentations of mildly stressful stimuli. Ulcer patients were physiologically less reactive to the stimuli than the other groups; with the exception of increases in tonic galvanic skin potential (GSP) responses during arithmetic problems, ulcer patients were responsive only while viewing slides taken during autopsies when they evidenced increases in gastric activity and phasic GSP responses. The EGG proved to be a valuable measure for differentiating both the groups and the tasks. Both ulcer patients and healthy subjects demonstrated increases in phasic (frequency and amplitude) EGG activity during affective but not during cognitive stimuli, and ulcer patients and arthritics could be differentiated from healthy subjects on the basis of tonic (basal resting levels and displacement) EGG activity. These results were interpreted to surest the possibility that phasic and tonic components of the EGG may each be associated with different types of gastrointestinal activity.
Stimulatory role of the chemokine CCL2 in the migration and peptide expression of embryonic hypothalamic neurons

Neuroinflammation is a feedback mechanism against infection, with recent studies suggesting a neuromodulatory role. The chemokine, (C-C motif) ligand 2 (CCL2), and its receptor, (C-C motif) receptor type 2 (CCR2), affect neuromodulation and migration in response to damage. Although CCL2 co-localizes with neuropeptides in the hypothalamus that control voluntary behavior, the function of CCL2/CCR2 is unknown. This led us to consider the possibility that CCL2 acting through CCR2, under natural conditions, may affect the migration and peptide levels of hypothalamic neurons that control voluntary behavior. This study used primary embryonic hypothalamic neurons to examine the effect of CCL2 on migratory behavior and on levels of the peptides, enkephalin (ENK) and galanin. Treatment with CCL2 led to a significant, dose-dependent increase in the number of migrated neurons and an increase in the velocity and distance traveled. CCL2 also significantly increased the number of ENK-expressing and CCR2/ENK co-expressing neurons and the percentage of neurons that contain higher levels of ENK. Lastly, CCL2 produced a dose-dependent increase in expression of ENK and galanin. These results provide evidence for a stimulatory effect of CCL2 on embryonic hypothalamic neurons involving changes in migratory behavior, expression, and synthesis of neuropeptides that function in controlling behavior. Our results demonstrate that the chemokine, CCL2, functions through its receptor, CCR2, to stimulate the migration and expression of the orexigenic peptides, enkephalin (ENK) and galanin (GAL), in developing embryonic hypothalamic neurons that are important for controlling ingestive behavior. This evidence reveals broad effects of CCL2 in the developing hypothalamus, showing this chemokine system to be tightly linked to the hypothalamic peptide neurons.
Surface science perspective of carbon dioxide chemistry—Adsorption kinetics and dynamics of CO2 on selected model surfaces

Abstract The adsorption or formation of CO 2 on surfaces is important in a variety of industrial and environmental applications such as methanol synthesis, exhaust cleaning, CO 2 capturing/sequestering, fuel cell poisoning, fuel synthesis, etc. For most of these processes, a deeper understanding of the kinetics and dynamics of CO 2 adsorption on surfaces could help to optimize the performance of catalysts. Historically, most surface science studies have focused on CO rather than CO 2 as the probe molecule, i.e., fundamental knowledge about CO 2 adsorption is still needed. This paper will focus on summarizing a few fundamental properties of CO 2 adsorption on a number of selected model systems recently studied in our group. In particular, metals (Cu, Cr) and metal oxide (ZnO, TiO 2 , CaO) single crystals as well as so-called model catalysts (Cu-on-ZnO, Zn-on-Cu) and nanocatalysts will be considered. The similarities and differences between metals and metal oxides will be highlighted as well as the effect of surface defects. An attempt to tie the different systems together by proposing structure–activity relationships rules will be made. Kinetics experiments and molecular beam scattering data are summarized, some of which have been modeled by Monte Carlo simulations and density function theory.
Time resolved fluorescence of anthracene in mixed crystals at 2K

Abstract An optical Kerr shuttered spectrograph has been used to time resolve the spontaneous fluorescence of aromatic mixed crystal systems at low temperature with moderate resolution. Transient effects on the fluorescence of anthracene in naphthalene excited with 614 cm−1 vibrational excess energy in 1B2u have been observed that may signal measurable vibrational relaxation pathways. A model consistent with these observations is presented: it implicates a strong interaction between the intramolecular Franck—Condon and non-Franck—Condon modes in the relaxation process for specific excitation in the region of large excess lattice energy. Examination of the fluorescence for several aromatic systems integrated over the interval 0 to 30 ps following excitation high in the S1 vibrational manifold failed to reveal evidence of non-Boltzmann vibrational distributions, although other largely unexplained effects have been observed.
Breathing easier: Addressing the challenges of aerosolizing medications to infants and preschoolers

An increasing number of patients are dependent on aerosolized therapy to manage pulmonary diseases, including asthma, cystic fibrosis, and pulmonary arterial hypertension. An aerosol therapy is only useful if it can be appropriately and consistently delivered in the desired dose to the lower respiratory tract. Many factors affect this deposition in young children, including anatomical and physiologic differences between adults and children, patient-mask interface issues, the challenge of administering medication to uncooperative children, and behavioral adherence. Moreover, the techniques used to assess aerosol delivery to pediatric patients need to be carefully evaluated as new therapies and drug-device combinations are tested. In this review, we will address some of the challenges of delivering aerosolized medications to pediatric patients.
Unions without Borders: Organizing and Enlightening Immigrant Farm Workers

Farm workers pose special problems for union organizing due to their legal status, their high rates of turnover, their employment through subcontracts, and the temporary and seasonal dimensions of farm work. Yet by organizing farm workers, unions have developed and refined strategies that point to methods of meeting the challenges of contemporary work environments in and out of agriculture. This includes organizing workers across fragmented space, whether transnational or transregional, and organizing workers who are sifted into production regimes via subcontractual relationships. This paper examines two farm worker unions – the Farm Labor Organizing Committee and the Coalition of Immokalee Workers – in terms of their successes and failures with farm labor organizing. It finds that boycotts, the use of fine arts, balancing local and transnational interests, and building relationships based on confianza (trust) are critical to the formation and maintenance of effective union organization.
A Bayesian hierarchical model for maximizing the vascular adhesion of nanoparticles

The complex vascular dynamics and wall deposition of systemically injected nanoparticles is regulated by their geometrical properties (size, shape) and biophysical parameters (ligand---receptor bond type and surface density, local shear rates). Although sophisticated computational models have been developed to capture the vascular behavior of nanoparticles, it is increasingly recognized that purely deterministic approaches, where the governing parameters are known a priori and conclusively describe behaviors based on physical characteristics, may be too restrictive to accurately reflect natural processes. Here, a novel computational framework is proposed by coupling the physics dictating the vascular adhesion of nanoparticles with a stochastic model. In particular, two governing parameters (i.e. the ligand---receptor bond length and the ligand surface density on the nanoparticle) are treated as two stochastic quantities, whose values are not fixed a priori but would rather range in defined intervals with a certain probability. This approach is used to predict the deposition of spherical nanoparticles with different radii, ranging from 750 to 6,000 nm, in a parallel plate flow chamber under different flow conditions, with a shear rate ranging from 50 to 90 $$\text {s}^{-1}$$ s - 1 . It is demonstrated that the resulting stochastic model can predict the experimental data more accurately than the original deterministic model. This approach allows one to increase the predictive power of mathematical models of any natural process by accounting for the experimental and intrinsic biological uncertainties.
Democracy and human rights versus women's security: A contradiction?

Notions of security are often presumed to be gender neutral, with women and men assumed to share the same political freedoms and human rights. However, assumptions of gender neutrality often mask bias. Do democracy and human rights positively relate to women’s security? If a gender bias is inherent in these norms, then any conclusions drawn from studies using such measures will be strictlylimited, and policy prescriptions designed to ensure security must move beyond policies focusing on promoting democracy and human rights as currently conceptualized. Using a cross-national, longitudinal analysis, this article systematically examines whether democracy and human rights reflect women’s security, and concludes thatneither democracy nor human rights as commonly measured ensure women’s security.
Parametrically pumped electron oscillators

Parametrically pumped electron oscillators synchronise abruptly when the pump power exceeds a threshold and the oscillators are radiatively cooled in a cylindrical Penning trap. The collisionally coupled electron oscillators are under precise experimental control and exhibit a rich and varied nonlinear dynamics, with abrupt thresholds, hysteresis, abrupt transitions between bistable response phases, etc. Synchronised electrons are an ideal probe of the radiation field of a trap cavity, opening the way to a new generation of electron magnetic-moment measurements and to sideband cooling of an electron motion to millikelvin temperatures
Tunable Dual Band Filter with BST Capacitors

A tunable double band band-stop filter based on BST is presented. This configuration has a coplanar microstrip loaded with stepped impedance resonators. Ferroelectric BST parallel plate capacitors were loaded at the end of the stepped impedance resonators. When a DC voltage is applied to the BST capacitors, the change in capacitance shifts the resonance frequency of the stepped impedance transformers. The filters were designed with notch frequencies at 1.5 GHz and 3.5 GHz without loading them with BST capacitors. The filter circuits were simulated with Agilent ADS and were fabricated on FR-4 substrates. By loading the resonators with BST capacitors with no DC applied voltage, the first and second notch frequency shifts significantly. The first notch frequency can be tuned from 570 MHz to 781 MHz and the second notch frequency from 2.16 GHz to 2.55 GHz by applying the bias voltage of 5volts. The performance of the BST tuned filters were compared with filters tuned with p-n junction varactors.
MOCVD of field emission phosphors using a liquid delivery system

Thin film phosphors for field emission displays show the potential to overcome the life-limiting problems that traditional powders face because of their high surface areas. By depositing a fully dense thin film, the surface area can be dramatically reduced, while the electrical and thermal conductivity is increased. Metal organic chemical vapor deposition offers the ability to deposit high quality, dense films that are crystalline as deposited and at temperatures low enough to allow for inexpensive glass. Deposition has been produced from mixtures of Y(tmhd){sub 3}, TEOS, Tb(tmhd){sub 3}, and O{sub 2} using a liquid delivery system. Coatings were shown to be composed of Y, Si, and Tb by x-ray fluorescence, but x-ray diffraction did not show any crystallinity. Excitation using radioluminescence produced a peak in the visible green at approximately 540 nm, indicative of the excitation of a Tb{sup 3+}. The morphology of the deposition was smooth, with surface features on the order of one micron and below. Some limited microcracking was also observed from the morphology because of the thermal expansion mismatch.
Microphotometric Assessment of Spectral Absorption and Its Potential Application for Characterization of Harmful Algal Species

A comparison was made of microphotometric measurements and spectrophotometric measurements of particulate spectral absorption of four algal species, including the chlorophyte Dunaliella tertiolecta Butcher; a nontoxic dinoflagellate, Amphidinium carterae Hulburt; a diatom, Chaetoceros gracilis Schutt; and a toxic dinoflagellate, Gymnodinium breve Steidinger. Particulate spectral absorption of monospecies cultures was estimated as the product of the average absorption efficiency factor, Qa, determined by microphotometry, the cellular cross-sectional area, and the cell number density. Estimates of particulate spectral absorption from microphotometric measurements were, in most cases, within one standard deviation of values determined from spectrophotometric measurements of algal suspensions. Estimates of Qa(675) were shown to be consistent with values reported in previous studies for cells of similar size and pigmentation and were consistent with theoretical predictions. Absorption spectra of mixtures of C. gracilis and G. breve were numerically decomposed into contributions by absorption signatures of monospecies cultures using either spectrophotometric or microphotometric measurements as the basis for end members. Modeled contributions assigned to either species displayed trends consistent with the actual proportions contributed to the spectrum by each algal culture. However, the technique was sensitive to measurement variability, which reduced the level of agreement between modeled and actual contributions. The utility of this approach for identification of algal taxa will depend on the degree to which algal spectral absorption signatures differ and the capabilities for acquiring high-resolution data with low signal-to-noise ratios.
Life-history studies of Lydella jalisco (Diptera: Tachinidae), a parasitoid of Eoreuma loftini (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

Lydella jalisco Woodley (Diptera: Tachinidae) is a solitary endoparasitoid of the Mexican rice borer, Eoreuma loftini (Dyar) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), the key pest of sugarcane in Texas. This parasitoid was re-introduced into Texas in 1998 as part of a classical biological control program. Information on the biology of L. jalisco is scarce and indispensable for its propagation in captivity and understanding of L. jalisco-E. loftini interactions. Parasitoid longevity, reproductive biology and immature development were studied under laboratory conditions. At 22 °C, honey-fed mated adults lived about two weeks whereas lifespan of unmated individuals averaged three weeks. Females of L. jalisco emerged with a complement of eggs that continued to develop during the first days following emergence. Mating was necessary for embryonic development. After copulation, eggs were fertilized and gradually transferred to an elongated ovisac where they incubated for about one week before hatching. Hatching occurred in the female's reproductive tract, an attribute of true ovoviviparous reproduction. First instar larvae were available for oviposition during the female's entire lifetime. Egg load increased with adult female size; mean lifetime potential fecundity was 400 ± 140 eggs per female. Parasitoids successfully developed on second to sixth instar host larvae. However, host size at parasitization positively influenced the size of resultant adult parasitoids as well as the duration of the larval growth period which was shorter as host size increased. Parasitoid larvae did not complete development below 15 °C, whereas parasitoid larval and pupal mortality respectively reached 14 and 75 percent when temperature exceeded 30 °C. The importance of biological and reproductive attributes of L. jalisco for biological control, as well as for rearing are discussed.
Wissenschaftslogik: The role of logic in the philosophy of science

Carl Hempel introduced what he called “Craig’s theorem” into the philosophy of science in a famous discussion of the “problem of theoretical terms.” Beginning with Hempel’s use of ‘Craig’s theorem,” I shall bring out some of the key differences between Hempel’s treatment of the “problem of theoretical terms” and Carnap’s in order to illuminate the peculiar function of Wissenschaftslogik in Carnap’s mature philosophy. Carnap’s treatment, in particular, is fundamentally anti-metaphysical—he aims to use the tools of mathematical logic to dissolve rather solve traditional philosophical problems—and it is precisely this point that is missed by his logically-minded contemporaries such as Hempel and Quine.
Using field data and weight of evidence to develop water quality criteria.

ABSTRACT In the United States, ambient aquatic life water quality criteria are derived using guidelines developed in 1985 that include a clear and consistent methodology using data from standard toxicity tests. The methodology from these guidelines has been successful, but a broader methodology is needed because some effects of pollutants do not lend themselves to conventional toxicity testing. Criterion assessment is proposed as that methodology. In criterion assessment, a specific environmental goal is translated into a measurable benchmark of effect that is used together with a modeled exposure–response relationship to estimate a range of exposures that will achieve the specific goal. The model of the exposure–response relationships and the benchmark effect are developed from field data and laboratory data using multiple analytical methods. Then the model is solved for the effect, thereby estimating the criterion, an upper threshold for acceptable exposures. The resulting candidate criteria are synthes...
Effective optimization techniques for RF circuits

The best gradient and direct-search algorithms for constrained optimization of RF circuits are compared. Two complete, similar programs were written in the QuickBASIC language for personal computers to compare the Nelder-Mead simplex direct-search minimizer to a Gauss-Newton minimizer with Levenberg interpolation, automatic scaling, and finite-differenced derivatives. Powell's method for nonlinear bounds on circuit responses was used in both programs. It is concluded that the gradient method with approximate derivatives was only slightly better than the direct-search method. Neither program was anywhere near as fast and accurate as one that used exact partial derivatives with the same techniques. Clearly, the complicated arrangements for computing exact gradients are worthwhile for both speed and effectiveness. >
Adult Outcomes for Children and Adolescents With EBD: Understanding Parents’ Perspectives

Little is known about the adult outcomes for children with an emotional/behavioral disorder (EBD). The present study examines the perspectives of 34 parents regarding the adult outcomes for their children who experienced emotional and behavioral problems in their youth. Participants completed an online survey containing questions about their child’s behavioral characteristics, educational experiences, and adjustment to adulthood as well as questions about the stress they experienced as a parent of a child with EBD. Both quantitative and qualitative measures were used to assess parents’ perceptions of factors affecting their child’s successful or unsuccessful adult outcomes. Remaining in school was related to positive adult outcomes, while exclusionary disciplinary experiences such as suspension and expulsion were related to negative adult outcomes. The relationship of results to the Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act’s goals for adult functioning and implications for both parents and practitioners serving students with EBD are discussed.
On the performance of the dynamic packet reservation multiple access scheme in the presence of fading

The dynamic packet reservation multiple access (DPRMA) protocol is designed for integration of multimedia traffic over a wireless link. A primary feature of DPRMA is the centralized controller, a base station in a cellular system, whose responsibility is to allocate resources on the uplink channel. In DPRMA, the base station performs this function in an intelligent fashion based on the resource demands submitted by each active mobile, and the quality of service (QoS) requirements of each user type. Each user is responsible for providing updated information about its immediate bandwidth needs. The ability of a mobile user to dynamically change its bandwidth reservation request and the ability of the system to efficiently match this request with the actual resource allocation are the primary features of the system. The system investigated in this work contains voice, video conferencing, and data traffic. The capacity of the system over a Gilbert-Elliott fading channel is investigated. It is shown that there exists a threshold signal to noise ratio (SNR), above which the degradation of the system performance is relatively small. This threshold is traffic-type dependent. Values of the SNR threshold were identified for the different traffic types considered.
An Updated Framework for Human Performance Improvement in the Workplace: The Spiral HPI Framework

The current human performance technology (HPT) model has remained largely unchanged since its introduction 17 years ago. This model and its cousins are implicitly, if not explicitly, linear in nature, visually encouraging practitioners to complete earlier phases before later ones. This article proposes a spiral human performance improvement (HPI) framework to capture what is happening in savvy practitioners' heads and what is happening over time as those practitioners move through the performance improvement (PI) process in the often messy and chaotic real world. The intent is not to replace existing models but rather to give us a different way to visualize, think about, and discuss how experts approach the PI process in the real world without being overly prescriptive. The spiral HPI framework provides a different way of seeing that dynamic process and having those discussions.