cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pulsatile pressure affects the disappearance of echocardiographic contrast agents

The purpose of this study was to determine in an in vitro model the effect of pulsatile pressure on the decay of echocardiographic contrast agents. Use of contrast agents for quantitative assessment of perfusion requires understanding of the factors controlling their rates of disappearance. Prior studies have shown that constant pressure affects the rate of disappearance of these agents. It is not known whether pulsatile pressure influences the rate of decay of contrast agents. In an in vitro chamber, three contrast agents (Albunex, hand-agitated saline solution, and hand-agitated Angiovist) were exposed to pulses of pressure at three rates (30, 60, and 120 pulsations/min), keeping pressure characteristics (peak, nadir, and mean) within a narrow range. Five injections were performed for each agent at each rate. Two-dimensional echocardiographic images of the effects of contrast material were recorded from injection until total disappearance. Videointensity was measured and time-intensity curves were generated. These curves of intensity decay were fitted to an exponential decay function (I=Ae −λt ) and the velocity of decay (λ) was used for comparisons. For all agents, intensity of contrast decreased over time. Saline solution and Angiovist, but not Albunex, showed pulsatile decreases in intensity of contrast with each peak pressure and partial recovery of contrast intensity with each nadir pressure. At each pulse rate, Albunex demonstrated a faster velocity of decay than did saline solution ( p p p p p
Crosstie overlay slow-wave structure for broadband traveling-wave type electro-optical modulator

This paper proposes a new crosstie overlay slow-wave structure for a traveling-wave electro-optical modulator. This structure can be designed to satisfy the phase velocity and impedance matching conditions simultaneously over a broad spectral bandwidth. This idea can be applied to a number of electrode structures for broadband traveling-wave optical modulators.
Using qualitative research to inform survey development on nicotine dependence among adolescents

Researchers interested in measuring tobacco use and dependence among youth face several formidable challenges. These challenges include: most existing measures have been developed for adult samples and may not be suitable for adolescent respondents; surveys must be relevant to different youth subcultures and to both genders; questions must be developmentally appropriate and not perceived as judgmental or condescending; and the multidimensional nature of nicotine dependence in youth must be recognized and measured. This paper demonstrates how researchers can address these challenges by using qualitative techniques to obtain information on youth tobacco consumption, and then using this information to inform the development of quantitative instruments. A case study is presented where a measure of tobacco dependence originally developed for adults is adapted for use with adolescents. A seven-step formative research process is outlined, consisting of gathering information in open-ended interviews, conducting follow-up research, modification of questionnaire items and addition of new items based on the information gathered, constructing a reliable instrument that is readable and acceptable to youth, reducing the length of this instrument without significantly hurting reliability and validity, conducting additional follow-up research involving case studies, and examining cultural differences. Following a formative research process like this one will help tobacco researchers gain a better understanding of how nicotine dependence develops.
Drugs that increase intelligence?: Application for childhood cognitive impairment

Due in part to the favorable demographics of Alzheimer's disease in the general population, pharmaceutical companies worldwide are aggressively pursuing the research and development of cognitive-enhancing drugs. There have been two rather noteworthy successes in recent years as both tacrine and donepezil have received FDA approval as useful pharmacologic treatment for Alzheimer's disease. Given what is now known regarding the critical periods for synaptic development and the organization of large-scale neuronal circuits in the developing cerebral cortex, it appears that there may exist a window of opportunity during which specifically targeted, pharmacologic intervention could exert a significantly favorable biologic effect during development. Pharmacologic agents that increase the brain's responsiveness to activity-dependent plasticity may be of particular therapeutic benefit to children with some forms of mental retardation. Currently available medications designed for use in adults with dementia have targeted cholinergic neurotransmission and to a lesser degree glutamatergic neurotransmission, both of which play important roles in learning, memory, and developmental organization of the brain. The “cholinergic hypothesis” of memory dysfunction has done much to focus research efforts on cholinergic strategies for the enhancement of learning and memory. Medications that affect cholinergic neurotransmission include acetylcholine precursors, acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, and muscarinic agonists. Drugs targeting the glutamatergic system are among the most novel modalities in treating disorders of memory and learning. These drugs have grown in proportion to advancements in our understanding of the physiologic and pathologic effects of this important excitatory amino acid neurotransmitter. The most important class of medications that affect glutamatergic neurotransmission include nootropics (ampakines) and glycinergic compounds. The rationale for using drugs that act on the glutamatergic system during critical periods for neuronal organization depends, in part, on the degree to which abnormal dendritic spine morphology and/or function associated with some forms of mental retardation is mediated by dysfunctional glutamatergic neurotransmission. It also depends to what degree spine morphology and/or function can be modified in these conditions. MRDD Research Reviews 1998;4:36–49. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Formation of Monozygotic Twins: When Does it Occur?

An individual embryo from day 15 of gestation in the rhesus monkey showed partial separation of the cranial end of the embryonic shield into two separate cell masses with separate amnions but with a common yolk sac. Although what the fate of this conceptus might have been is not known, it demonstrates that the physical features of implantation in this primate are permissive of relatively late division of the epiblast, which suggests that monozygotic twinning may occur as late as the embryonic shield stage just prior to primitive streak formation.
Enhanced Nutrient Transport in Hollow Fiber Perfusion Bioreactors: A Theoretical Analysis

Entrapped cells (or enzyme) in hollow fiber perfusion reactors is an attractive method for producing concentrated biologicals. Inherent in densely packed-cell masses are possible mass transfer limitations due to rate limiting transport processes resulting in loss of cell viability. To overcome this limitation, convective fluxes superimposed on diffusion have recently been proposed for entrapped animal cell perfusion bioreactors. We assessed whether radial fluid convection would enhance performance. In an asymptotic analysis using singular perturbation, we show that for large axial Peclet number, Pe−1/3 «« 1, it is permissible to ignore the mass transfer resistance in the lumen. Data from the literature appear to support this assumption. Radial convection of the feed in a shell and tube hollow fiber perfusion reactor is shown to be useful in increasing catalyst efficiency and production rates per unit volume. A series solution to the governing equation is presented assuming Darcy flow, first order kinetics, steady state transport, and irreversible reaction. The effect of convection is studied for many Thiele moduli, for each of two cases; catalyst activity being spatially uniform in one case and distributed in the second. Performance is essentially the same in each case.
Public satisfaction with the South Korean Police: The effect of residential location in a rapidly industrializing nation

Abstract Recent years have witnessed growing research interest in citizen perceptions of the police. This was likely the result of the community policing movement, which sought to strengthen ties between citizens and the police, as well as to concerns about the legitimacy of the police. Most of this research focused on police agencies in the United States, and little research had been conducted on citizen perceptions of the police in Asian countries. This study sought to fill this void through an analysis of citizen perceptions of the police in South Korea. To address these issues, telephone interview survey data gathered from 11,500 randomly selected citizens were obtained in the rapidly industrializing country, South Korea. Several sets of multiple-regression models were estimated to assess the effect of urbanization, demographics, evaluations of police services, and perceived corruption on citizen satisfaction with police. The results suggested that citizens in small to mid-sized cities and large urban cities were less satisfied with police than were residents of rural areas. In addition, age, evaluations of police service, and perceptions of corruption were related to citizen satisfaction. The results were discussed in comparison to previous research in Asia and the United States and other Western countries.
The effect of direct and indirect exposure to violence on youth survival expectations.

Abstract Purpose Research finds that adolescents gravely overestimate their risk of death and that these pessimistic attitudes correlate with risky behaviors undermining health and well-being; however, it remains unclear why adolescents have negative expectations about their survival. Because youth are most likely to be exposed to violence (as victims and/or witnesses), perhaps these experiences are key in undermining expectations about the future. We explored the effect of direct and indirect exposures to violence—across various contexts—on adolescents' survival expectations. Methods Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, we tested the effect of violent experiences: individual direct and vicarious violence, familial and relational violence, school violence, and community violence on adolescents' expectations of surviving to 35 years of age. Results Victims of childhood physical abuse were less likely to expect to survive to 35 years of age. Although not significant at the conventional p p Conclusions Violent victimization in childhood and adolescence is a public health issue with both immediate and long-term consequences. Violence exposure severely compromises individuals' optimism about the future and places them at risk for behaviors that can further undermine well-being. Practitioners should be mindful of diminished survival expectations as a less overt consequence of exposure to violence.
Magnetic hardening of the Pr2Co14B-based rapidly quenched alloys

Abstract Pr2Co14B-based permanent magnets have been prepared by heat treatment of melt-spun ribbons. The ribbons were produced using the melt-spinning technique at linear speeds of the wheel higher than 35 m/s. The as-spun ribbons were found to be ‘X-ray amorphous’ with a near-zero intrinsic coercivity and saturation magnetization of 80–100 emu/g depending on the composition. Upon annealing at temperatures above 560°C, the intrinsic coercivity increases sharply reaching values higher than 15 kOe. At the same time the saturation magnetization decreases sharply. At high heat treatment temperatures (800–1000°C) the intrinsic coercivity drops slightly and the saturation magnetization increases largely. Thermomagnetic analysis (TMA) of the amorphous as-spun ribbons revealed that their Curie and crystallization temperatures are approximately 520 and 560°C, respectively. During crystallization from the amorphous state, the first phase to precipitate is Pr2Co14B followed by the PrCo4B phase. At high temperatures a third phase appears which, depending on the alloy composition, can be the PrCo5 or the PrCo12B6. The development of the magnetic properties following heat treatment at different temperatures can be interpreted in terms of the phases generated at each temperature. The tendency towards the formation of these phases can be interpreted in terms of the Pr-Co-B phase diagram. No PrCo2 phase has been observed in the alloys. The maximum energy product of the isotropic Pr2Co14B-based permanent magnets is about 5 MGOe. The properties of Nd2Co14B-based rapidly quenched permanent magnets can be discussed in a way similar to the Pr2Co14B magnets. Their intrinsic coercivity and maximum energy product are about 10 kOe and 5.5 MgOe, respectively.
A comparison of enzyme immunoassay and polymerase chain reaction with the clinical examination for diagnosing ocular herpetic disease.

Purpose: The results of two laboratory diagnostic herpes simplex virus (HSV) tests, an enzyme immunoassay ( improved Herpchek [ i HC]) and the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), were compared with the clinical examination in the diagnosis of HSV. We determined when diagnostic laboratory tests provided the initial diagnosis of HSV ocular disease and when they were only confirmatory. Methods: The sensitivity and specificity of i HC and PCR were determined using 22 HSV culture-positive clinical samples, 10 adenovirus culture-positive clinical samples, 5 samples from normal conjunctivas, 4 bacterial samples, and 1 sample containing Varicella zoster virus. The medical history of the 22 patients with positive HSV cultures were reviewed to determine the initial diagnosis by clinical examination and the initial therapy. Results: For typical presentations of ocular HSV disease, the clinical examination is as accurate as iHC ( P = 0.99) and PCR ( P = 0.24). However, for atypical presentations of ocular HSV disease, i HC ( P = 0.000005) or PCR ( P = 0.00006) were more accurate in detecting HSV infection than the clinical examination. Conclusion: Laboratory diagnosis of HSV from ocular samples was most useful to the clinician in atypical presentations of herpetic ocular disease.
Intensity ‐ Concentration Relationships for Sugar and Salt Solutions

SUMMARY– Intensity of sweetness or saltiness was examined as a function of concentration and logarithm of concentration in solutions of sugar and salt in water and orange or tomato juice. Solutions were Judged in linear or logarithmic concentration increments. No clear-cut evidence was found to show that the logarithmic function described the relationship better than the linear function. In the Juice experiments, the failure to demonstrate a logarithmic function apparently resulted from the panel's insufficient discriminating power relative to deviations from regression arising from fitting a linear function to logarithmic data. In the water experiments, where such discriminating power was present, some evidence that the judging was on a linear continuum was found.
Cracking the moody brain: The rewards of self starvation

Understanding how the complex molecular mechanisms of the brain can be blighted, and what their role is in neurological disorders, can be an intricate task. The basis of mood alterations and how humans react to a damaged or altered brain circuit can provide clues for new therapies to target the root of these neurological glitches. In 'Bedside to Bench', Daniel Weinberger and Caroline Zink discuss how people with anorexia nervosa showed a connection between self starvation and motivational value—an opposite perspective to the traditional idea linking the absence of joy to the symptoms of this disorder and a new paradigm for developing the appropriate treatments. In 'Bench to Bedside', Dennis Charney and James Murrough peruse how the antidepressant action of ketamine in rats—a neurotrophic effect—can explain the rapid reduction in depression observed in the clinic with this drug. The receptors and signaling cascades involved may be used to develop therapies that may further enhance this rapid beneficial effect.
The motile major sperm protein (MSP) of Ascaris suum forms filaments constructed from two helical subfilaments.

Abstract The amoeboid motility nematode sperm is mediated by cytoskeletal filaments composed of major sperm protein (MSP). We have used electron microscopy and image processing to show that MSP filaments are constructed from two subfilament strands which are themselves formed from a helical arrangement of subunits. The subfilaments are based on left-handed helices of pitch 9 nm that then coil along right-handed helical tricks of pitch 22.5 nm to form filaments. The subfilaments appear to be indistinguishable from the helices present in orthorhombic crystals of MSP. Because in filaments the subfilaments are themselves helical, not all subunits are able to participate in protein-protein interactions between different strands. One consequence of this interaction geometry is that the same molecular interactions that function to assemble subfilaments into filaments can also be used to assemble filaments into larger supramolecular assemblies such as the macrofibres formed in vitro and the fibre bundles found in vivo in sperm pseudopods. These results indicate the importance of filament bundling in addition to vectorial filament assembly in amoeboid cell motility.
Evaluation of a Novel Macromolecular Cascade-Polymer Contrast Medium for Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced MRI Monitoring of Antiangiogenic Bevacizumab Therapy in a Human Melanoma Model

Rationale and Objectives To assess the applicability of a novel macromolecular polyethylene glycol (PEG)-core gadolinium contrast agent for monitoring early antiangiogenic effects of bevacizumab using dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Materials and Methods Athymic rats ( n = 26) implanted with subcutaneous human melanoma xenografts underwent DCE-MRI at 2.0 T using two different macromolecular contrast agents. The PEG core cascade polymer PEG12,000-Gen4-(Gd-DOTA) 16 , designed for clinical development, was compared to the prototype, animal-only, macromolecular contrast medium (MMCM) albumin-(Gd-DTPA) 35 . The treatment ( n = 13) and control ( n = 13) group was imaged at baseline and 24 hours after a single dose of bevacizumab (1 mg) or saline to quantitatively assess the endothelial-surface permeability constant (K PS , μL⋅min⋅100 cm 3 ) and the fractional plasma volume (fPV,%), using a two-compartment kinetic model. Results Mean K PS values, assessed with PEG12,000-Gen4-(Gd-DOTA) 16 , declined significantly ( P 3 to 10.4 ± 7.8 μL⋅min⋅100 cm 3 by 24 hours after a single dose of bevacizumab. In parallel, K PS values quantified using the prototype MMCM albumin-(Gd-DTPA) 35 showed an analogous, significant decline ( P Conclusion DCE-MRI enhanced with the novel MMCM PEG12,000-Gen4-(Gd-DOTA) 16 was able to monitor the effects of bevacizumab on melanoma xenografts within 24 hours of a single application, validated by the prototype, animal-only albumin-(Gd-DTPA) 35 . PEG12,000-Gen4-(Gd-DOTA) 16 may be a promising candidate for further clinical development as a macromolecular blood pool contrast MRI agent.
Development of a multi-layer diffusion couple to study fission product transport in β-SiC

Abstract A multi-layer diffusion couple was designed to study fission product diffusion behavior while avoiding the pitfalls of direct ion implantation. Thin films of highly anisotropic pyrolytic carbon (PyC) were deposited onto CVD β-SiC substrates. The PyC films were subsequently implanted with 400 keV silver, cesium, strontium, europium, or iodine at 22 °C to a dose of 10 16 cm −2 , such that the implanted species resided wholly within the PyC layer. The samples were then coated with 50 nm of SiC via plasma enhanced CVD (PECVD) to retain the implanted species during post-deposition annealing treatments. The design allows for high spatial resolution tracking of the implanted specie using Rutherford backscattering spectrometry. Annealing at 1100 °C for 10 h resulted in retention of 100% of implanted cesium, strontium, europium and iodine, and 70% of silver. This diffusion couple design provides the opportunity to determine diffusion coefficients of FPs in PyC and SiC and the role of the PyC/SiC interface in FP transport.
Proximity Effect and Josephson Coupling in the SO (5) Theory of High- Tc Superconductivity

We consider proximity effect coupling in superconducting-antiferromagnetic-superconducting sandwiches using the recently developed $\mathrm{SO}(5)$ effective theory of high temperature superconductivity. We find that, for narrow junctions, the $A$ region acts like a strong superconductor, and that there is a critical junction thickness which depends on the effective $\mathrm{SO}(5)$ coupling constants and on the phase difference across the junction, at which the $A$ region undergoes a Freedericksz-like transition to a state which is intermediate between superconductor and antiferromagnet. For thick junctions, the current-phase relation is sinusoidal, as in standard SNS and SIS junctions, but for thin junctions it shows a sharp break in slope at the Freedericksz point.
Interpenetrating polymer networks based on ionically crosslinked polymers: Reacidification and annealing as morphological variables

A carboxylic elastomer based on butadiene, styrene, and methacrylic acid was polymerized and neutralized to form an ionomeric network I. Sequential IPNs were formed by synthesizing in situ polystyrene crosslinked with divinylbenzene as network II. Annealing studies were carried out, with and without reacidification, to ascertain the role played by ionic crosslinks in influencing morphology and mechanical behavior. Finally, the product is reneutralized, resulting in are arranged, relaxed structure. Ionic crosslinks in polymer I provide an in situ decrosslinking mechanism which permits molecular rearrangements to be induced. By annealing the material, a more cocontinuous phase morphology with concomitant modulus increases is attained. This investigation suggests an alternative method of inducing dual phase continuity in multipolymer combinations.
Monument Without Honor: Paolo Trubetskoi’s Alexander III and Its Critics

Abstract This article focuses on Paolo Trubetskoi’s statue of Alexander III and the controversy surrounding it. Trubetskoi won the commission over other well-known sculptors thanks to his aristocratic origins, the approval of the imperial family, and his successful portraits of Lev Tolstoi and others. Through an analysis of the monument’s artistic value and its contemporary and subsequent reception, the article considers whether it was a failure, and if so why.
Cell Wall Composition and Ruminant Digestibility of Various Maize Tissues Across Development

Maize stover, including stalks, leaves, and cobs, has potential utility as a cellulosic biofeedstock. Understanding how total stover ethanol potential is affected by the proportion and quality of major plant components would facilitate the genetic improvement of stover quality and inform decisions regarding which plant parts should be targeted for harvesting. Our objectives were to determine how the proportion and composition of plant components affected ethanol potential and whether there are early season predictors of stover quality at maturity. Twenty-three hybrids were evaluated including 20 from a factorial mating design between five silage inbred lines and four commercial inbreds and a brown-midrib3, a Leafy1, and a commercial grain hybrid checks. Plants were harvested and dissected into component parts at developmental stages vegetative 3, vegetative 12, reproductive 3, and reproductive 6 (R6). Tissues were evaluated for acid detergent fiber (ADF), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and NDF digestibility (NDFD). Stalk was the largest fraction of whole plant dry matter (46.2%) and had the lowest NDFD (3,750 g/kg) at R6. No relationship was found between stalk ADF at early developmental stages and whole plant ADF at R6, suggesting that quality at early developmental stages is not indicative of quality at physiological maturity. Differences were observed among hybrids for ADF and NDF for most plant parts evaluated. Hybrid-by-developmental stage and hybrid-by-plant part interactions were statistically significant. This indicates that there is minimal opportunity to identify superior hybrids for biofuel production based on the proportion of total biomass represented by a plant part and its quality at early developmental stages. Maximum conversion efficiency is attained when leaves are harvested compared to other tissue types at physiological maturity.
Determination of Thermal Life Expectancy of Overhead Distribution Transformers

The calculated thermal life expectancy of distribution transformers is used by the Southern California Edison Company as part of an evaluation program to develop a comparative basis for the economic purchase of annual transformer requirements. The test procedure utilized in accelerating the thermal aging of the transformers, the pre-test measurements, the test measurements, and the mathematical derivation of the transformer aging rate as demonstrated by its performance on the accelerated test are described. In addition to the test procedure, a simulated residential loading schedule has been developed and is used to calculate the expected life of each test transformer. A tabulation is used to demonstrate how the calculations are made and to provide a comparison of the life expectancy of two typical transformers.
Bevacizumab suppresses neuroblastoma progression in the setting of minimal disease.

Background We hypothesized that vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) contributes to autocrine stimulation of neuroblastoma and that inhibition of its signaling pathway contributes to the anticancer activity of bevacizumab, an anti-VEGF monoclonal antibody. Methods For in vitro studies, 2 neuroblastoma cell lines, CHLA-255 and NB1691, were treated with VEGF+/-bevacizumab. For in vivo studies, disseminated neuroblastoma was established by intravenous administration of luciferase-expressing tumor cells in SCID mice prior to bevacizumab treatment. Results Exogenous VEGF increased cell counts after 48 h (NB1691: 58,878 ± 8279 vs 137,500 ± 13,108 cells, P Conclusion Our results suggest that VEGF has a role in neuroblastoma autocrine signaling. Maintenance therapy with bevacizumab may be useful for disease suppression after maximal cytoreductive therapy; however, upregulation of proangiogenic factors may provide resistance to this approach, which suggests that maximal antitumor efficacy may require combination therapy.
Scanning transmission electron microscopy and microdiffraction techniques

At the moment scanning transmission electron microscopy (stem) instruments are not competetive with conventionaltem instruments for high resolution bright field imaging. For studies of the structure and defects of crystalline materials, their special virtues lie in the application of dark field imaging modes combined with observations of microdiffraction patterns from regions of diameter comparable with the microscope resolution limit (currently about 5 A). They also offer capabilities for microanalysis by use of energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (eds) or electron energy loss spectroscopy (els). In principle the spatial resolution of these microanalysis methods is comparable to that of the imaging modes but in practice it is limited by poor signal-to-noise ratios or by the nonlocalized nature of the inelastic scattering process. The capabilities for microdiffraction are illustrated by sequences of diffraction patterns obtained as the incident beam is moved within the unit cell of a crystal of large (20 A) periodicity. Applications of more immediate practical significance include diffraction studies of small crystallites of gold 20 to 50 A in diameter and of the near-amorphous, thin oxide layers formed on chromium and iron films at room temperature. Microdiffraction, combined with reflection electron microscopy andels analysis, provides a powerful new approach to the study of the surface structure of crystals, including bulk samples, and the investigation of surface reactions. In particular, if a beam of small diameter (10–20 A) is made to run along the face of a small crystal, the diffraction pattern andels curves are very sensitive to the form of the potential distribution at the surface and the excitations of the surface states of the crystal.
Computer simulation of galloping catenaries

Abstract In order to provide more detailed information on galloping, a computer simulation of a galloping catenary has been developed. The coupled non-linear partial differential equations describing the motion are solved using a combination of finite difference and numerical integration techniques. A major feature of this simulation is that the elasticity of the cable is included. Aerodynamic data are input to the program as functions of velocity and angle of attack and the relative wind speed and angle are calculated as functions of position along the span. Field test results from two dissimilar test lines were used to check the simulation.
Enhancement of Streptococcus mutans Colonization by Direct Bonded Orthodontic Appliances

Patients undergoing orthodontic therapy were evaluated for longitudinal changes in relative S. mutans numbers in plaque at discrete sites on the tooth surface associated with direct bond appliances. There was a significant linear increase in the percentage of S. mutans in the total streptococci isolated from the last pre-bracket sample through the last bracket sample.
Relative norms of Gauss sums

Abstract The explicit determination of the values of Gauss sums is a very classical problem and has some rather deep arithmetic consequences in classfield theory. Here we study the simpler problem of finding their relative norms. We give a complete determination of the relative norms of Gauss sums for norms whose values are known to be in an imaginary quadratic extension of the rational field.
Materials conservation: Not-so-new technology.

Attendees at a symposium on the examination and care of ancient objects find that the materials can be as complex as the modern techniques used to examine them.
Large electric dipole moments of heavy neutrinos

In many models of $\mathrm{CP}$ violation, the electric dipole moment (EDM) of a heavy charged or neutral lepton could be very large. We present an explicit model in which a heavy neutrino EDM can be as large as ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}16}e\mathrm{cm},$ or even a factor of 10 larger if fine-tuning is allowed, and use an effective field theory argument to show that this result is fairly robust. We then look at the production cross section for these neutrinos, and by rederiving the Bethe-Block formula, show that they could leave an ionization track. It is then noted that the first signature of heavy neutrinos with a large EDM would come from ${e}^{+}{e}^{\ensuremath{-}}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\overline{N}N\ensuremath{\gamma},$ leading to a very large rate for single photon plus missing energy events, and the rate and angular distribution are found. Finally, we look at some astrophysical consequences, including whether these neutrinos could constitute the UHE cosmic rays and whether their decays in the early universe could generate a net lepton asymmetry.
Ultrasound-guided injections and aspirations of the extremities.

s C s HE USE OF RADIOLOGIC imaging to ensure the accuracy of needle placement before spiration of fluid or injection of medication is a ell-established technique. Traditionally, fluorosopy has been used to confirm needle position elative to bony structures or within a joint. The se of an overhead fluoroscopy tube allows easy aintenance of a sterile field and rapid confirmaion of needle position. Disadvantages of using uoroscopic guidance include the use of ionizing adiation and the inability to visualize adjacent oft-tissue structures. Computed tomography can be used to guide eedle placement into soft tissues or into bone hen precise placement of a needle is required for one biopsy or radiofrequency ablation. While llowing more precise positioning, computed toography (CT) has the disadvantages of using onizing radiation and being more time-consuming ecause serial scans are needed during positioning f the needle. More recently, CT fluoroscopy has ecome available that provides more rapid image cquisition but it still takes longer to do a needle lacement than using conventional fluoroscopy. When a lesion is visualized on magnetic resoance imaging (MRI) but not on other imaging odalities, an MRI with open magnet configuraion can be used to biopsy or treat such lesions. owever, special nonmagnetic instruments and evices are required for the procedures, and even ith ultrafast MRI pulse sequences, MRI-guided rocedures can be quite time-consuming. Ultrasound guidance is a well-established option or guiding needle placement within the abdomen nd the superficial soft tissues. This review will iscuss the use of ultrasound as a method for spirating fluid collections and injecting medicaions in the soft tissues and joints of the extremiies. Ultrasound is particularly advantageous for hese applications because fluid is easily identifible as is its relationship to critical adjacent soft issues such as blood vessels. Other advantages of ltrasound include its lack of use of ionizing adiation and real-time visualization of the needle s it approaches the site of interest. The major indications for ultrasound needle uidance in the extremities are to aspirate fluid or
NEW NBS TIME SCALE HARDWARE

New NBS designed time scale hardware is described briefly. This equipment is capable of measuring the phase between many clocks with a resolution of 10-13s. Measurements made on 4 different channels demonstrate a stability of the equipment of 10-11s per month i.e. Ɗν = 3.8 x 10-18.
Effective reinforcement learning for mobile robots

Programming mobile robots can be a long, time-consuming process. Specifying the low-level mapping from sensors to actuators is prone to programmer misconceptions, and debugging such a mapping can be tedious. The idea of having a robot learn how to accomplish a task, rather than being told explicitly, is an appealing one. It seems easier and much more intuitive for the programmer to specify what the robot should be doing, and to let it learn the fine details of how to do it. In this paper, we introduce a framework for reinforcement learning on mobile robots and describe our experiments using it to learn simple tasks.
Scrapyard Challenge Jr., Adapting an art and design workshop to support STEM to STEAM learning experiences

We present an informal learning experience for youth ages four through eleven and their families utilizing the integration of art, design, and technology to deliver STEM concepts. The workshop, titled Scrapyard Challenge Jr. 1.0 (SCJ 1.0), was developed from modifications made to an interaction design workshop oriented towards adults, in which participants build novel and expressive electronic objects using found materials and junk. Tapping into the momentum surrounding the maker and tinkerer movements, the learning experience introduces basic principles of electricity and systems thinking using hands-on activities that encourage personal and creative self-expression. Through detailing our experience we suggest that current trends in art, design, and technology practice can provide fertile ground for developing STEM learning. Indeed we argue that this triangulated space is the logical starting ground for the development of a wide variety of STEAMD initiatives.
Horizontal oscillations of a cylinder beneath a free surface: vortex formation and loading

The patterns of vortex formation from a cylinder oscillating in a horizontal plane, located at various depths of submergence beneath a free surface, are characterized using high-image-density particle image velocimetry (PIV). Instantaneous representations of the velocity field, streamline topology and vorticity patterns are referenced to the instantaneous velocity of the cylinder. In turn, these features are related to the magnitude and phase of the instantaneous transverse force, which can exhibit highly nonlinear, spike-like fluctuations. When a finite gap is maintained between the free surface and the cylinder, the patterns of vorticity concentrations are altered in such a fashion that both the peak magnitude and the degree of amplitude modulation of the negative transverse force spikes are attenuated, but shifted little in phase, relative to the case of the fully submerged cylinder. On the other hand, when the cylinder is sufficiently close to the free surface such that the gap region is eliminated, the patterns of vorticity concentrations are fundamentally different and the negative transverse force spikes are remarkably more pronounced and consistent than for deeper submergence.
A Psychoeducational Group for Clients with Heterogeneous Problems Process and Outcome

The improvement of 23 clients with heterogeneous psychological problems attending three 16-sessiont psychoeducational (structured) tlherapy groups was compared to 20 similar clients attending three experiential (less structured, conttrol) groups, employing the Autoinatic Thoughlts Questiotnnaire atnd a measure of overall pathology based on the American Psychiatric Association 's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Additionally, the clients in the psychoeducational groups were assessed by a GoalAttainment Scaling procedure. The clients in the experienttial groups were considered to be a conservative cotntrol group rather than a comparison group because of the length of treatment. Additionzally, clienits in both types of group completed process evaluations selected by thle therapists of both cotnditions after every session. Results inidicated that the clients in the psychoeducational groups improved significantly more than the clients in the experiential grouips ont both measures and impr...
Reflecting Socially on Social Issues in a Social Studies Methods Course

Reflection is widely embraced in teacher education as a necessary process in becoming a good teacher. While there is broad acceptance of this idea, the nature of reflection has been challenged, particularly by those seeking reflection that is socially situated and critical, implicating teaching in its broader social context. This paper examines the use of critical social reflection in two social studies methods courses that allows teacher candidates to theorize rather than consume theories generated by others. Engaging reflection as critical and social discourse reveals the idea‐making that goes on among pre‐service teachers and instructors as they actively engage theory construction.
Redox activity of nonstoichiometric cerium oxide-based nanocrystalline catalysts

Nonstoichiometric cerium oxide-based catalysts were investigated for SO2 reduction by CO to elemental sulfur, CO oxidation, and complete methane oxidation. Nanocrystalline processing by inert gas condensation was exploited for its unique potential to generate nonstoichiometric ultrahighly dispersed oxides. Nanocrystalline CeO2−x materials, pure or doped with 10 at.% La or 15 at.% Cu, were generated by magnetron sputtering from pure or mixed metal targets, followed by controlled oxidation. These materials allowed us to investigate the effects of oxide nonstoichiometry and dopants on catalytic activity in oxidation reactions. The nonstoichiometric materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction, nitrogen adsorption porosimetry, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Catalytic properties were studied in a packed-bed reactor and compared to materials of similar composition prepared by coprecipitation. In general, the nonstoichiometric CeO2-based materials exhibited greater catalytic activity than precipitated ultrafine materials. The light-off temperatures for SO2 reduction by CO, CO oxidation, and CH4 oxidation were 100-180°C lower for the nanocrystalline pure and La-doped CeO2−x catalysts than for the respective precipitated materials. The Cu-doped form of both types of catalysts possessed comparable activity. The nonstoichiometric materials did not show a hysteresis behavior in the activity profile for SO2 reduction by CO, unlike the precipitated catalysts. They further demonstrated a remarkable stability against CO2 poisoning in this reaction. The differences between the nanocrystalline and the precipitated materials are discussed in terms of the stoichiometry of these oxide catalysts.
Role of endothelin B receptors in enhancing endothelium-dependent nitric oxide-mediated vascular relaxation during high salt diet.

High salt diet is often associated with increases in blood pressure, and the state of activation of endothelium-dependent vascular relaxation pathways is critical under these conditions. Basal activation of endothelial endothelin B (ET B ) receptors by endothelin has been suggested to stimulate the release of factors that promote vascular relaxation. However, whether ET B receptors play a role in enhancing endothelium-dependent vascular relaxation during high salt diet is unclear. In this study, we investigated whether chronic treatment with an ET B receptor antagonist is associated with impaired endothelium-dependent vascular relaxation and enhanced vascular reactivity particularly during high salt diet. Isometric contraction was measured in aortic strips isolated from male Sprague-Dawley rats on normal sodium (NS, 1%) and high sodium diet (HS, 8%) for 7 days and untreated or treated with the ET B receptor antagonist A-192621 (30 mg/kg per day) for 5 days. The mean arterial pressure was (in mm Hg) 122±3 in NS, 132±3 in HS, 144±2 in NS/ET B antagonist, and 171±12 in HS/ET B antagonist rats. In endothelium-intact strips, phenylephrine (Phe, 10 −5 mol/L) increased active stress to 7.6±1.0×10 3 N/m 2 in NS rats and 8.2±0.9×10 3 N/m 2 in HS rats. Phe (10 −5 mol/L) -induced stress was significantly greater in NS/ET B antagonist (11.3±0.9×10 3 N/m 2 ) than NS and far greater in HS/ET B antagonist (14.1±0.1.2×10 3 N/m 2 ) than HS rats. Also, Phe was more potent in NS/ET B antagonist and HS/ET B antagonist rats (ED 50 =0.3×10 −7 and 0.15×10 −7 mol/L) than in NS and HS rats (ED 50 =0.8×10 −7 and 0.7×10 −7 mol/L). Removal of the endothelium enhanced Phe-induced contraction significantly in NS and to a greater extent in HS, but not in NS/ET B antagonist or HS/ET B antagonist rats. In endothelium-intact strips, acetylcholine (ACh) caused relaxation of Phe contraction that was less in NS/ET B antagonist than NS and far less in HS/ET B antagonist than HS rats. Pretreatment of endothelium-intact strips with L-NAME (10 −4 mol/L), to inhibit nitric oxide (NO) synthase, or with methylene blue (10 −5 mol/L) or 1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3]-quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ, 10 −6 mol/L), to inhibit cGMP production in smooth muscle, inhibited ACh-induced relaxation and enhanced Phe-induced contraction significantly in NS and HS, slightly in NS/ET B antagonist, but not in HS/ET B antagonist rats. Measurement of basal and ACh-induced nitrite/nitrate production from aortic strips showed a significant reduction in NS/ET B antagonist compared with NS, and a greater reduction in HS/ET B antagonist compared with HS rats. Relaxation of Phe contraction with sodium nitroprusside was not significantly different among the different groups of rats. Thus, an endothelial ET B receptor-mediated pathway of vascular relaxation involving release of NO seems to be active under basal conditions and may protect against excessive vasoconstriction and increased blood pressure particularly during high salt diet.
CD40 ligand and MHC class II expression are essential for human peripheral B cell tolerance

Hyper-IgM (HIGM) syndromes are primary immunodeficiencies characterized by defects of class switch recombination and somatic hypermutation. HIGM patients who carry mutations in the CD40-ligand (CD40L) gene expressed by CD4+ T cells suffer from recurrent infections and often develop autoimmune disorders. To investigate the impact of CD40L–CD40 interactions on human B cell tolerance, we tested by ELISA the reactivity of recombinant antibodies isolated from single B cells from three CD40L-deficient patients. Antibody characteristics and reactivity from CD40L-deficient new emigrant B cells were similar to those from healthy donors, suggesting that CD40L–CD40 interactions do not regulate central B cell tolerance. In contrast, mature naive B cells from CD40L-deficient patients expressed a high proportion of autoreactive antibodies, including antinuclear antibodies. Thus, CD40L–CD40 interactions are essential for peripheral B cell tolerance. In addition, a patient with the bare lymphocyte syndrome who could not express MHC class II molecules failed to counterselect autoreactive mature naive B cells, suggesting that peripheral B cell tolerance also depends on major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II–T cell receptor (TCR) interactions. The decreased frequency of MHC class II–restricted CD4+ regulatory T cells in CD40L-deficient patients suggests that these T cells may mediate peripheral B cell tolerance through CD40L–CD40 and MHC class II–TCR interactions.
A pilot study to describe antidepressant prescriptions dispensed to veterans after stroke.

Abstract Background Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States, following only heart disease and cancer. Approximately 500 000 strokes occur each year in the United States. Patients suffering from poststroke depression have higher rates of morbidity and mortality, slower physical recovery, and lower functional status than stroke patients without depression. Depressed stroke patients may benefit from early treatment with an antidepressant. Objectives The objectives of this study were to (1) describe antidepressant-dispensing patterns to veteran patients during the 6-month period before their stroke and 1-year time afterward and (2) examine the association of poststroke antidepressant treatment with mortality. Methods Veteran patients (n = 543) with one or more hospital discharges during FY2001 with a primary diagnosis of stroke were identified. The discharge date minus the length of stay indicated the index hospitalization date. Antidepressant prescription dispensing records were obtained from the Veterans Integrated System Network 8 Veteran's Affairs (VA) Pharmacy Benefits Management database. Results One-third of eligible veteran patients were dispensed one or more antidepressant prescriptions (n = 181) either before or after the index hospitalization. Of these veterans, 146 received an antidepressant after the index hospitalization. More than 80% of veteran patients survived the stroke for 1 year or longer (n = 448). Among the veteran patients who were discharged from the index hospitalization alive, those with no antidepressant or an antidepressant dispensed only before the stroke had a higher 1 year all cause mortality rate (8.0%) compared with those who were dispensed a prescription for one or more antidepressants afterward (4.8%). Conclusions Veterans dispensed an antidepressant after their stroke appeared to have benefited. Opportunities to reduce poststroke sequelae and improve recovery may be lost.