cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Association of Thrombectomy With Stroke Outcomes Among Patient Subgroups: Secondary Analyses of the DEFUSE 3 Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance The DEFUSE 3 randomized clinical trial previously demonstrated benefit of endovascular thrombectomy for acute ischemic stroke in the 6- to 16-hour time window. For treatment recommendations, it is important to know if the treatment benefit was universal. Objective To determine the outcomes among patients who may have a reduced effect of thrombectomy, including those who are older, have milder symptoms, or present late. Design, Setting, and Participants DEFUSE 3 was a randomized, open-label, blinded end point trial conducted from May 2016 to May 2017. This multicenter study included 38 sites in the United States. Of 296 patients who were enrolled in DEFUSE 3, 182 patients met all inclusion criteria and were randomized and included in the intention-to-treat analysis, which was conducted in August 2017. These patients had acute ischemic strokes due to an occlusion of the internal carotid artery or middle cerebral artery and evidence of salvageable tissue on perfusion computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging. The study was stopped early for efficacy. Interventions Endovascular thrombectomy plus medical management vs medical management alone. Main Outcomes and Measures Functional outcome at day 90, assessed on the modified Rankin Scale. Multivariate ordinal logistic regression was used to calculate the adjusted proportional association between endovascular treatment and clinical outcome (shift in the distribution of modified Rankin Scale scores expressed as a common odds ratio) among patients of different ages, baseline stroke severities, onset-to-treatment times, locations of the arterial occlusion, and imaging modalities used to document the presence of salvageable tissue (computed tomography vs magnetic resonance imaging). Results This study included 182 patients (median [interquartile range] age, 70 [59-80] years; median [interquartile range] National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score, 16 [11-21], and 92 women [51%]). In the overall cohort, independent predictors of better functional outcome were younger age, lower baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score, and lower serum glucose level. The common odds ratio for improved functional outcome with endovascular therapy, adjusted for these variables, was 3.1 (95% CI, 1.8-5.4). There was no significant interaction between this treatment effect and age (P = .93), National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score (P = .87), time to randomization (P = .56), imaging modality (P = .49), or location of the arterial occlusion (P = .54). Conclusions and Relevance Endovascular thrombectomy, initiated up to 16 hours after last known well time in patients with salvageable tissue on perfusion imaging, benefits patients with a broad range of clinical features. Owing to the small sample size of this study, a pooled analysis of late time window endovascular stroke trials is needed to confirm these results. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov identifier:NCT02586415
Isovolumetric synthesis of chromium carbide for selective laser reaction sintering (SLRS)

Abstract A novel synthesis approach for the in-situ formation of isovolumetric non-oxide ceramics was demonstrated for application with selective laser sintering additive manufacturing (SLS-AM) methods. By optimizing the ratio of a metal/metal-oxide precursors system, the conversion of a 86/14 molar Cr/Cr2O3 composite precursor film to Cr3C2 by gas-solid reaction with CH4 was investigated as a model reaction synthesis process. The composite precursor mixture was ball-milled to nano/micro-sizes to enhance gas-phase mass transport for conversion. The feedstock was deposited as a 250 μm thick film representative of a single SLS layer using a high-volume low-pressure spray deposition method. The effects of H2 and trace amounts of oxidizing gas impurities on the reaction thermodynamics of the conversion process and microstructural evolution were investigated. The gas-solid reactions were carried out at 950 °C with an isothermal dwell time of 0.1 h under atmospheres of Ar/H2/CH4 and Ar/CH4. The results suggest that expeditious and thorough conversion of the precursor to Cr3C2 was achieved (greater ≥90 wt% in Ar/CH4 and ≥95 wt% in Ar/H2/CH4). Phase characterization of sample cross-sections using SEM image contrast methods were used to assess apparent volumetric occupancy of the as-deposited Cr/Cr2O3 precursor film and the Cr3C2 product ceramic. Results indicate approximate fill fractions of 81.3% (SD = 1.78) and 78.9% (SD = 1.52) respectively, suggesting near isovolumetric conversion. Ultimately, the results in this model system demonstrate isovolumetric reaction syntheses techniques broadly applicable for in-situ non-oxide ceramic production via selective laser sintering-AM.
Nexus of stochastic and deterministic processes on microbial community assembly in biological systems

Microbial community assembly in engineered biological systems is often simultaneously influenced by stochastic and deterministic processes, and the nexus of these two mechanisms remains to be further investigated. Here, three lab-scale activated sludge reactors were seeded with identical inoculum and operated in parallel under eight different sludge retention time (SRT) by sequentially reducing the SRT from 15 days to 1 day. Using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing data, the microbial populations at the start-up (15-day SRT) and SRT-driven (≤10-day SRT) phases were observed to be noticeably different. Clustering results demonstrated ecological succession at the start-up phase with no consistent successional steps among the three reactors, suggesting that stochastic processes played an important role in the community assembly during primary succession. At the SRT-driven phase, the three reactors shared 31 core operational taxonomic units (OTUs). Putative primary acetate utilizers and secondary metabolizers were proposed based on K-means clustering, network and synchrony analysis. The shared core populations accounted for 65% of the total abundance, indicating that the microbial communities at the SRT-driven phase were shaped predominantly by deterministic processes. Sloan's Neutral model and a null model analysis were performed to disentangle and quantify the relative influence of stochastic and deterministic processes on community assembly. The increased estimated migration rate in the neutral community model and the higher percentage of stochasticity in the null model implied that stochastic community assembly was intensified by strong deterministic factors. This was confirmed by the significantly different α- and β-diversity indices at SRTs shorter than 2 days and the observation that over half of the core OTUs were unshared or unsynchronized. Overall, this study provided quantitative insights into the nexus of stochastic and deterministic processes on microbial community assembly in a biological process.
Worsening of Radiographic Knee Osteoarthritis Following Medial Meniscus Root Tears and Non-Root Tears:

Objectives:Medial meniscus root tear has an established association with knee osteoarthritis (OA), but little is known about the time course of cartilage breakdown or the severity of cartilage dama...
Traveling Without a Map: An Incomplete History of the Road to Implementation Science and Where We May Go from Here

This editorial provides a brief history of mental health services research over the last 30 years and how findings from large-scale studies shocked the field and led to the lines of inquiry culminating in current implementation science research. I review the manuscripts published in this special issue of Administration and Policy in Mental Health in light of that history and usethese studies as a way to assess the state of the field. Finally, I present five takeaways extracted from these articles that may be useful in considering future directions for implementation research.
Comprehensive Vital Sign Detection using a Wrist Wearable Nonlinear Target and a 5.8-GHz ISM Band Intermodulation Radar

Nonlinear components can be used to generate third order intermodulation frequencies. Taking advantage of this phenomenon the movement of a nonlinear target can be monitored and distinguished from background clutter. This paper discusses the use of an intermodulation radar, operating in the 5.8-GHz ISM band, and a passive nonlinear tag, located on the wrist, to monitor human vital signs and more specifically to improve remote monitoring of the heart rate. The non-ideal background clutter rejection of an intermodulation radar allowed for the respiration rate to also be monitored. Since the movement of the chest reflects the two individual tones from the transmitter and not the third order intermodulation frequency, for which the receiver is tuned, the respiratory frequency component has a scaled amplitude in comparison to what is seen with the use of a Doppler radar. This prevents the heart rate from being indistinguishable from the harmonics of the respiration.
EFFECTS OF SOLUTE SIZE AND TISSUE COMPOSITION ON MOLECULAR AND MACROMOLECULAR DIFFUSIVITY IN HUMAN KNEE CARTILAGE.

Summary Objective Articular cartilage is an avascular tissue. Accordingly, diffusivity represents a fundamental transport mechanism for nutrients and other molecular signals regulating its cell metabolism and maintenance of the extracellular matrix. Understanding how solutes spread into articular cartilage is crucial to elucidating its pathologies, and to designing treatments for repair and restoration of its extracellular matrix. As in other connective tissues, diffusivity in articular cartilage may vary depending both its composition and the specific diffusing solute. Hence, this study investigated the roles of solute size and tissue composition on molecular diffusion in knee articular cartilage. Design FRAP tests were conducted to measure diffusivity of five molecular probes, with size ranging from ~332Da to 70,000Da, in human knee articular cartilage. The measured diffusion coefficients were related to molecular size, as well as water and glycosaminoglycan (GAG) content of femoral and tibial condyle cartilage. Results Diffusivity was affected by molecular size, with the magnitude of the diffusion coefficients decreasing as the Stokes radius of the probe increased. The values of diffusion coefficients in tibial and femoral samples were not significantly different from one another, despite the fact that tibial samples exhibited significantly higher water content and lower GAG content of the femoral specimens. Water content did not affect diffusivity. In contrast, diffusivities of large molecules were sensitive to GAG content. Conclusions This study provides new knowledge on the mechanisms of diffusion in articular cartilage. Our findings can be leveraged to further investigate osteoarthritis and to design treatments for cartilage restoration or replacement.
Diverse Genotypes and Species of Cryptosporidium in Wild Rodent Species from the West Coast of the USA and Implications for Raw Produce Safety and Microbial Water Quality

Cryptosporidium spp. are protozoan parasites that infect perhaps all vertebrate animals, with a subset of species and genotypes that function as food- and waterborne pathogens. The objective of this work was to collate the Cryptosporidium species and genotypes from common wild rodents on the west coast of the USA and update the information regarding the zoonotic potential of Cryptosporidium from these ubiquitous wild species. Representative sequences of the 18S rRNA gene for a unique set of Cryptosporidium isolates obtained from deer mice, house mice, mountain beavers, yellow-bellied marmot, long-tailed vole, California ground squirrels, Belding’s ground squirrels, and a golden-mantled ground squirrel in GenBank were selected for phylogenetic analysis. Phylogenetic and BLAST analysis indicated that 4 (18%) of the 22 unique Cryptosporidium sequences from these wild rodent species were 99.75% to 100% identical to known zoonotic species (C. parvum, C. ubiquitum, C. xiaoi), suggesting that a minority of these representative Cryptosporidium isolates could have a public health impact through food and waterborne routes of human exposure. These zoonotic isolates were shed by deer mice and a yellow-bellied marmot from California, and from a mountain beaver trapped in Oregon. In addition, the group of unique Cryptosporidium isolates from deer mice and ground dwelling squirrels exhibited considerable DNA diversity, with multiple isolates appearing to be either host-limited or distributed throughout the various clades within the phylogenetic tree representing the various Cryptosporidium species from host mammals. These results indicate that only a subset of the unique Cryptosporidium genotypes and species obtained from wild rodents on the US west coast are of public health concern; nevertheless, given the geographic ubiquity of many of these host species and often high density at critical locations like municipal watersheds or produce production fields, prudent pest control practices are warranted to minimize the risks of water- and foodborne transmission to humans.
The Futility of Non-Response Responses: A Reply to Fridel

Fridel's response to my critique of her Justice Quarterly article is a “nonresponse response.” She does not actually respond to any of my criticisms, and does harm to the field of research on guns ...
Patient Centeredness in Orthognathic Surgery.

Patient centeredness in planning treatment and research has become paramount. The goal of this report was to describe a complex case in which untreated chronic pain was not properly addressed to reflect on the need to establish alternative protocols for controlling chronic orofacial pain. When a female underwent orthognathic surgery to correct her occlusion, she not only ended up with a worse occlusion, she developed chronic orofacial pain that could not be treated by opioids and only improved after the use of neuropathic medication, and finally disappeared after the use of low-level laser therapy. There is a need to incorporate alternative nonpharmacological approaches to manage chronic pain. Further, what the patient’s goals are for their treatments should be given priority in case of elective procedures.
“The people’s wisdom” and the 2011 Egyptian Revolution: folklore, colloquial poetry, and subalternity in Shaima’ al-Sabbagh’s praxis

This virtually inaugural scholarly study of the activist Shaima’ al-Sabbagh (1983–2015) documents and analyzes three areas of her production in relation to the 2011 Egyptian Revolution. The argumen...
Exploring novel technologies through board interlocks: Spillover vs. broad exploration

ABSTRACT We draw upon insights from social networks and organizational learning to argue that board interlocks not only affect technological exploration (technological innovations that explore new technological domains) but also bring about different outcomes based on the various primary roles of the individuals creating them. We also advance the knowledge-spillover literature by arguing that interlocks are more influential in affecting spillover exploration (imitating technologies from interlocked firms) than in influencing broad exploration (exploring novel technologies beyond interlocked firms). Moreover, we predict that interlocks created by focal executives (or executive-created interlocks) affect spillover and broad exploration of the focal firm more strongly than those created by outside directors (or non-executive-created interlocks). We test these hypotheses by analyzing information from multiple resources, including historical records of board appointments and data on technological innovations by U.S. public companies. Empirical analyses provide some support for our hypotheses. Specifically, our findings suggest that an increased number of board interlocks improves the likelihood of technological exploration. Results also indicate that board interlocks are more influential in generating spillover exploration than broad exploration. Finally, empirical evidence reveals that executive-created interlocks are more important than non-executive-created interlocks in promoting spillover exploration.
Inclusive Supervision in Student Affairs: A Model for Professional Practice: Wilson, A. B., McCallum, C. M., & Shupp, M. R. (2019). Inclusive supervision in student affairs: A model for professional practice. Routledge. $38.04, ISBN: 9781138584181

Authors Amy B. Wilson, Carmen M. McCallum, and Matthew R. Schupp are credited with the 2019 publication of Inclusive Supervision in Student Affairs: A Model for Professional Practice. The book high...
Politeness strategies in wiki-mediated communication of EFL collaborative writing tasks

Informed by the theory of social constructivism and computer-mediatedcommunication (CMC), wiki-mediated collaborative writing has beenincreasingly implemented in second or foreign language classes.However, to date, no research has addressed students’ interaction andnegotiation of their social relationship during wiki-mediatedcollaboration. Drawing on politeness theory, particularly Brown andLevinson (1987)’s taxonomy of politeness strategies, this studyanalyzed the wiki-mediated discourse of one collaborative writinggroup in a Chinese EFL context. This particular writing groupconsisted of three EFL college students at a southwestern university inChina. This article examined specifically how this small group activelyengaged in social interaction by adopting politeness strategies duringasynchronous communication in a wiki “Discussion” module. Resultsrevealed that this small group used three types of politeness strategies,i.e. positive, negative, and bald on record skillfully, to establishfriendship, solidarity and respect while completing their collaborativewriting tasks smoothly and efficiently. This study validates the value oflinguistic politeness strategies in the analyses of social interactionoccurring in computer-mediated discourse and also suggests somepedagogical implications.
Studies in optimization—III: The optimum operating conditions in sequences of stirred tank reactors

Abstract The problem of choosing the operating conditions, such as temperature and holding time, in a sequence of stirred tank reactors so as to maximize the profit from the conversion is here solved by a functional equation. This equation, derived by the method of dynamic programming, is very suitable for the repetitive calculations that a modern computing machine can perform. A general algorithm is given both in the case of a cascade of reactors and also when there is a by-passing of the original feed to later reactors.
Programmed Energy Dispersive X-Ray Analysis of Top Coats of Automotive Paint

Elemental, qualitative, and semiquantitative analyses of 1974 U.S. automotive paints by a Finnigan Model 900F Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) Spectrometer are examined. This EDX analytical system incorporates a minicomputer to receive, store, and present data. The paint samples were received from the National Bureau of Standards (NBS) Law Enforcement Standards Laboratory as a collection representative of the top coats used on all U.S. manufactured automobiles in 1974. Aspects considered include EDX system stability, homogeneity of similarly catalogued samples from different NBS collections, categorization of paints by predominant constituents, and comparison of data on paint standards that were similar. Automated analysis represents an important application of forensic science to the characterization of paint samples and provides for the nondestructive analysis of a variety of materials in a large range of sample sizes and concentrations.
Entire solutions of certain partial differential equations and factorization of partial derivatives

We show that the problem of characterizing entire solutions of certain partial differential equations and the problem of characterizing common right factors of partial derivatives of meromorphic functions in C 2 are closely related, and characterizations will be given using their relations.
Erica Chenoweth and Maria J. Stephan, Why Civil Resistance Works: The Strategic Logic of Nonviolent Conflict

Erica Chenoweth and Maria Stephan's book arrives at a time of renewed global attention to nonviolent revolution. Shortly before they went to press, a wave of nonviolent campaigns challenging author...
The Effect of Foreign Direct Investment on International Migration: Does Education Matter?

Using migration data in 1990 and 2000, we find that inward foreign direct investment (FDI) in non-OECD countries affects the out-migration of individuals with tertiary and secondary education to OECD countries originating the investments, but has no significant effect on the out-migration of individuals with primary education. Distinguishing between linkage and home effects, our results show a dominant home effect of FDI for individuals with tertiary education, but a stronger linkage effect for those with secondary education. The existing stock of former migrants in foreign countries influences the out-migration of individuals with primary education.
Human lymphocyte function-associated antigens.

Three cell surface molecules, designated LFA-1, LFA-2, and LFA-3 were identified by mAbs selected for their ability to block cytolysis by an OKT4+, HLA-DR-specific CTL line. The LFA mAbs block all CTL and proliferative functions studied. In addition, anti-LFA-1 mAbs inhibit NK-mediated cytolysis. By analogy with murine LFA-1, human LFA-1 may be involved in the adhesion stage of cellular interactions. LFA-2, the SRBC receptor molecule, appears to be a T cell function-specific molecule. We have not yet established whether LFA-2 participates in antigen recognition or whether it is involved in antigen-non- specific interactions. The anti-LFA-3 mAb specifically blocks function by binding to the target cells, implying that LFA-3 may be a target ligand for an effector-specific receptor. The CTL-target interaction involves a number of steps, including antigen recognitiion, cell adhesion, and delivery of the lethal hit [22]. The LFA antigens show the complexity of this process at the molecular level. The anti-LFA monoclonal antibodies will be useful probes into the T cell immune response and may prove clinically relevant, both diagnostically and therapeutically.
Modeling asset market volatility in a small market

Abstract The use of GARCH modeling in empirical finance has so far to a great extent been restricted to larger asset markets. This paper considers whether the GARCH framework can be used on a smaller, less liquid market. In particular, selected stocks on the Vancouver Stock Exchange, a smaller market in Canada, are examined. Modeling return volatility in the standard GARCH framework and returns as autoregressive fails to remove significant serial correlation in the mean. The results indicate that once the parameters are adjusted for non-synchronous trading effects, GARCH can also be successful in modeling stochastic volatility on smaller markets. Persistence in both the mean and variance are eliminated with these adjustments. In addition, for some stocks, volumes add explanatory power for explaining return volatility.
Abstract 24: Prenatal Socioeconomic Position is Associated with Adipose Tissue DNA Methylation in Women and Not Men

RATIONALE: Adiposity is a major cardiovascular risk factor, suggesting an important role for adipose tissue in development of cardiovascular outcomes. There is evidence that early life adversity has a lasting impact on the development of adiposity, particularly in women. In utero exposure to famine was related to adulthood adiposity in women but not men, and associations between early life socioeconomic adversity and adulthood adiposity is established in women but less so in men. There is interest in epigenetic mechanisms by which early life adversity may program risk for adiposity, and utilizing directly affected tissue such as adipose tissue is ideal for investigating such mechanisms. Objective: To determine whether prenatally-assessed socioeconomic index (SEI) is associated with adulthood genome-wide DNA methylation in blood and adipose tissue, and whether associations differ between men and women. Methods: Participants (aged 44-50 y) were from the New England Family Study birth cohort, born in Providence, RI. Of 400 participants assessed during 2010-2011, a representative subsample of 106 participants (68 women, 38 men) was selected for DNA methylation analyses. SEI was measured prenatally as a composite numerical score, using a weighted percentile of both parents’ educational attainment, occupation, and income relative to the US population. DNA methylation in subcutaneous adipose tissue and peripheral blood leukocytes was evaluated using the Infinium HumanMethylation450K BeadChip. Results: Prenatal SEI was associated with adipose tissue DNA methylation in women (permutation-based omnibus p-values <0.001), but not men or the pooled sample. Associations in women were not attenuated after adjustment for race, current smoking, or mother’s smoking during pregnancy. Prenatal SEI was not related to blood DNA methylation. Conclusion: Results provide mechanistic insight on the association between early life adversity and adulthood adiposity, which is seen mainly in women. ![][1] [1]: /embed/graphic-1.gif
Conditional measurements in a heated turbulent jet

Statistical features--both conventional and conditional-- of the temperature and two of the velocity components were measured in details in an axisymmetric heated jet of air. Their significance in connection with the turbulent structure of the flow and the comparative transport of heat and momentum is discussed.
Boards of Directors, Audit Committees, and the Information Content of Earnings

We examine the relation between the information content of earnings (earnings response coefficients) and board and audit committee structure for a broad sample of more than 1,200 firms during 2001. We find that earnings are more informative the greater is the independence and the activity of the full board. Moreover, firms that have separated the CEO and board Chair positions appear to have more informative earnings. We also find that audit committee characteristics influence the information content of earnings. In particular, firms that have smaller audit committees have more informative earnings. However, we find that audit committee independence incremental to the independence of the full board is unrelated to the information content of earnings.
Analysis of Spatial Patterns of Phase in Neocortical Gamma EEGs in Rabbit

Arrays of 64 electrodes (8 × 8, 7 × 7 mm) were implanted epidurally on the surface of the visual, auditory or somatosensory cortex of rabbits trained to discriminate conditioned stimuli in the corr...
Longitudinal and seasonal dependence of nighttime equatorial plasma density irregularities during solar minimum detected on the C/NOFS satellite

[1] During the night in the F region about the equator, plasma density depletions form, causing scintillation. In April 2008, the Communications/Navigation Outage Forecasting System (C/NOFS) satellite developed by the Air Force Research Laboratory was launched to predict ionospheric scintillation. Using its Planar Langmuir Probe (PLP), C/NOFS is capable of measuring in situ ion density within the F region over the equator. Plasma irregularities are found regularly during the night. We examine how these irregularities depend on longitude, latitude, and season. The most significant observations from this study are longitudinal structures in which these irregularities most frequently occur. Since similar structure has been found in diurnal tides, we conclude that lower atmospheric tides may play a strong role in determining the amplitude of equatorial irregularities, at least during low solar minimum conditions when the presented observations were made. We propose that this link is likely related to the generation of zonal electric fields by the E-region dynamo.
The use of lyophilized plasma in a severe multi-injury pig model

Background Shock and severe tissue injury lead to an endogenous coagulopathy mediated by activation of Protein C and hyperfibrinolysis known as acute traumatic coagulopathy. Together, hemodilution, acidosis, inflammation, and hypothermia result in a global trauma-induced coagulopathy. Coagulopathy in trauma is associated with mortality. Early and effective hemostatic resuscitation is critical in restoring perfusion, correcting coagulopathy, and saving lives in exsanguinating trauma. Lyophilized plasma (LP) provides a logistically superior alternative to fresh frozen plasma (FFP). Study Design and Methods Plasma was lyophilized following whole blood collection from anesthetized swine. A series of studies were performed using anesthetized swine subjected to a validated model of polytrauma and hemorrhagic shock including a Grade V liver injury. Animals were randomized to resuscitation using reconstituted LP fluids. Physiologic data and blood loss were measured. Coagulation status and inflammatory mediators were evaluated. Results Full volume reconstituted LP (100%LP) retains on average 86% coagulation factor activity compared to fresh plasma and when used in 1:1 ratios with red blood cells demonstrated superior hemostatic efficacy compared to FFP. Hypertonic LP reconstituted using 50% of the original plasma volume (50%LP) had higher coagulation factor concentrations, was well tolerated in swine, and equally effective compared to 100%LP with respect to physiologic and hemostatic properties. Buffering with ascorbic acid resulted in significant reductions in serum levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin-6. Conclusion By minimizing the volume of reconstituted LP and optimizing its anti-inflammatory properties, an LP resuscitation fluid may be created to provide effective hemostatic resuscitation with superior logistical properties.
What's Normal Adolescent?: A Guide of the Assessment of Adolescent Behavior

Adolescence represents a developmental continuum between childhood and adulthood. Assessment of an adolescent's behavior can be based upon his efforts in accomplishing developmental tasks and his functioning relative to his stage of development—early adolescence and the casting-off of childhood; middle adolescence with the teen-age subculture; or late adolescence with the establishment of adult values. One should be aware of the conflicts and complications which may arise in each stage of development and routinely evaluate the adolescent's functioning within his family, peer group, and school situation. Assessing behavior in this frame of reference enables the physician to differentiate variations of normal development and behavior from pathological states in his adolescent patients.
Transformation of Pb(II) from cerrusite to chloropyromorphite in the presence of hydroxyapatite under varying conditions of pH

The soluble Pb concentration and formation of chloropyromorphite [Pb5(PO4)3Cl] were monitored during the reaction of cerrusite (PbCO3), a highly bioavailable soil Pb species, and hydroxyapatite [Ca...
Mathematics and Educational Administration.

This paper is devoted to the topic of how mathematics might be more efficiently used in educational administration. The position taken here is that mathematics is a branch of philosophy whose subject matter is a set of abstract entities and identified operational rules. It is a vocabulary of symbols that can be used to label objects and, more importantly, a set of grammatical rules for using the vocabulary. The paper begins with a review of some recent developments reported in the social science literature on the uses of mathematics in political science, sociology and economics, and ends with some illustrations of how these developments could lead to similar applications in both the practice and theory domains of educational administration.
AFM Study of Water Meniscus Formation between an AFM Tip and NaCl Substrate

Water meniscus formation at the point of contact between an AFM tip and an atomically smooth NaCl substrate was experimentally studied as a function of atmospheric water content, from 70% relative humidity to ultrahigh vacuum (UHV). Meniscus formation was probed by measuring the pull-off point and evaluating the ability of the meniscus to dissolve the NaCl near the point-of-contact as a function of atmospheric water content. Hydrophilic and hydrophobic tips were studied, and although a decrease in meniscus size was observed for the hydrophobic tips, all data are consistent with both types of tips resulting in the formation of a meniscus even at 0% relative humidity.
Out of the frying pan and out of the fire: the indispensable role of exposure science in avoiding risks from replacement chemicals

Exposure science can move us toward a more protective chemicals management policy by preventing human and ecological risks that may occur when existing “bad actors” are replaced with alternative chemicals that may not be as well studied.
Efficient iterative solvers for structural dynamics problems

Abstract Direct solvers are commonly used in implicit finite element codes for structural dynamics problems. This study explores an alternative approach to solving the resulting linear systems by using preconditioned iterative schemes such as the preconditioned conjugate gradient algorithm and its variants. Preconditioners used in this study include approximate Cholesky factorization, block Jacobi, and the symmetric Gauss–Seidel over-relaxation scheme. The effects of various preconditioners and ordering schemes on the solution time and required storage are investigated. Performance results of these iterative solver are compared against the MA57 direct solver routine of the commercial Harwell Software Library.
Stem Cells: Specifying Stem-Cell Niches in the Worm

Recent work has shown that components of the Wnt signaling pathway directly activate a homeodomain transcription factor so as to specify the cell fate that provides niche function to germline stem cells in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans.
The value of adaption: Climate change and timberland management

Abstract Adaptation to exogenous change occurs on both intensive and extensive margins. Whether and how one accounts for human adaptation directly affects estimates of the economic consequences of environmental change, estimates that are both critical in informing policy decisions and notoriously difficult to value. This paper introduces and applies an analytical framework for placing an economic value on adaptation. We explore the issue first in a stylized model that facilitates making concrete generalizations about the kinds of adaptations that generate high or low economic value. We then test the soundness of our insights by incorporating learning and adaptive decision-making into a structural dynamic forestry model where climate change is imposed exogenously and agents respond optimally. Using downscaled climate projections integrated with site- and species-specific timber productivity data, we estimate the economic value of adaptation to climate change within the California timber industry. We find on the intensive margin, changing the rotation intervals will yield a low value of adaptation, but on the extensive margin, replanting more suitable tree species can yield significant value.
Testing the Linearity of Response of Gated Photomultipliers in Wide Dynamic Range Laser Radar Systems

Laser radar data acquisition systems have been utilized in conjunction with a light emitting diode to evaluate photomultipliers for laser radar use. Light pulses with an exponential decay rate of approximately one decade per sixty microseconds, as well as other pulse shapes, were used to drive the tubes. Properties studied in the analog mode include nonlinearity at high output currents, transient behavior upon gating, gate holdoff, dynamic range limitations because of light-induced noise, and the effect of dynode gating on tubes without a focus grid. Some of these properties were also studied in the photon counting mode, along with single photoelectron pulse shape and afterpulsing. Tubes studied were the RCA 7265, the RCA 8852, and the RCA C1034. A brief description of the laser radar technique of atmospheric measurements is included.
The Nature of Communications and Emerging Communities on Twitter Following the 2013 Syria Sarin Gas Attacks

Social media has become an important communication tool especially following an extreme event. Research in social psychology has shown that people engage in gathering and "milling" information, and confirmation seeking during the process of forming intent to take action or voice an opinion. Twitter serves as a communications channel where people converge to compile collective intelligence, provide event reporting, and diffuse information. In this paper the investigation of Twitter usage seeks to describe human participation on Twitter following a controversial extreme event--2013 Syria sarin gas attack. The methodology employed incorporates Natural Language Processing (NLP) and network analysis to trace human response on Twitter to this event. NLP techniques include Named Entity Recognition (NER) used to extract relevant entities (e.g. countries), Event Extraction (EE) to excerpt relevant events (e.g. conflict, movement, life, etc.), and Stanford Parser to detect actionable verbs discussed by Twitter participants. Network analysis constructs a network based on the Twitter users' communications, detects communities, extracts their leaders and identifies their roles based on structural properties of the networks. Specifically, the research looked at the Twitter data for two days August 22-23, 2013 following the event. The research suggests that (1) there were no immediate polarization of opinions following the event, (2) the primary event of Twitter communication was the conflict and information about the victims of the event, (3) Twitter communities were too sparse to produce substantial amount of social pressure to force an opinion/opinion shift, (4) top community leaders were news sources, political activists, and select individuals, (5) 'individual' leaders political agendas were not revealed.
Age-related changes in metabolic properties of equine skeletal muscle associated with muscle plasticity

Abstract The purpose of the present study was to determine the age-related changes in myosin heavy chain (MHC) composition and muscle oxidative and glycolytic capacity in 18 horses ranging in age from two to 30 years. Muscle samples were collected by excisional biopsy of the semimebranosus muscle. MHC expression and the key enzymatic activities were measured. There was no significant correlation between horse age and the proportions of type-IIA and type-IIX MHC isoforms. The percentage of type-I MHC isoforms decreased with advancing age. Muscle citrate synthase activity decreased, whereas lactate dehydrogenase activity increased with increasing age. Muscle 3-OH acyl CoA dehydrogenase activity did not change with ageing. The results suggest that, similar to humans, the oxidative capacity of equine skeletal muscle decreases with age. The age-related changes in muscle metabolic properties appear to be consistent with an age-related transition in MHC isoforms of equine skeletal muscle that shifts toward more glycolytic isoforms with age.
Effectiveness and Cost Effectiveness of Persuasive Communications and Incentives in Increasing Safety Belt Use

The Safety Belt Connection Project was a worksite health promotion project conducted at a medical school and hospital complex to test the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of four treatment conditions (TCs): TC1, Persuasive Communications (PCs) alone; TC2, PCs plus overt monitoring; TC3, PCs plus incentives; and TC4, PCs plus incentives and prompts. Parking lots were randomized to treatment condition. A community traffic intersection served as a comparison group. Trained observers recorded safety belt use rates (SBURs) of subjects (front seat occupants) over a two-week period at baseline and after a four-week period of intervention. Results were analyzed by chi-square comparisons of pre-treatment and post-treatment SBURs. At baseline, significant differences in SBURs between treatment groups were observed. Significant pre-to-post differences were found for TC3 and TC4: the SBUR in TC3 went from 18.3% - 38.4% (p less than 0.001) and the SBUR in TC4 went from 16.9% - 44.8% (p less than 0.001). Both TC3 and TC4 were effective, but TC4 cost 2.6 times more per person influenced to wear their safety belt.
Anaphylactoid and adverse reactions to radiocontrast agents

Over the past 75 years, radiocontrast agents have provided numerous diagnostic and therapeutic advances. The benefits of these agents must be weighed against the potential risks for each individual undergoing radiologic tests. This summary is intended to be a guide for the allergy and immunology specialist to direct him or her to the current literature regarding adverse reactions to traditional and less commonly used radiologic contrast agents.
Abstract 2204: BCL11B is a critical EWS/FLI up-regulated target in Ewing's sarcoma

Proceedings: AACR 103rd Annual Meeting 2012‐‐ Mar 31‐Apr 4, 2012; Chicago, IL Objective: Ewing's sarcoma is a highly aggressive tumor of the bone and soft tissue that affects the pediatric and young adult population, and is characterized by the EWS/FLI chromosomal translocation. This fusion protein acts as an oncogenic transcription factor to dysregulate the expression of a number of genes that contribute to the transformed phenotype. One challenge is to define which of these dysregulated genes are important for the oncogenic phenotype of Ewing's sarcoma. To address this issue, we used a proteomics approach to identify new protein-protein interactions among target genes of EWS/FLI. This screen identified BCL11B, which had previously been identified in genome-wide transcriptional profiling studies by our group, and others, as an up-regulated target of EWS/FLI. Methods: To define the function of BCL11B in Ewing's sarcoma, we used retroviral mediated shRNA knock-down of EWS/FLI, followed by re-expression of the EWS/FLI cDNA, to verify that BCL11B expression is modulated by the fusion protein. Anchorage independent growth assays assessed the oncogenic potential of patient derived Ewing's sarcoma cell lines in which BCL11B had been knocked-down with shRNA. Luciferase assays and chromatin immunoprecipitation techniques were used to interrogate BCL11B regulation by EWS/FLI. Results: Our results show that BCL11B is up-regulated by EWS/FLI and is necessary for oncogenic transformation in patient derived Ewing's sarcoma cell lines. Our work addressing the mechanism of BCL11B regulation by EWS/FLI is on-going, but preliminary data suggests that BCL11B may be a direct target of EWS/FLI. Conclusion: This work identified BCL11B as an EWS/FLI up-regulated target that contributes to transformation in Ewing's sarcoma. It also provides a setting in which we can broaden our knowledge regarding the mechanisms used by EWS/FLI to up-regulate critical target genes. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2204. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-2204
Electron impact ionization cross section measurement of lithium-like Ba

The electron impact ionization cross section of Li-like Ba53+ has been measured at 22 keV using an electron beam ion trap. The measurement makes use of a novel technique which is discussed in detail. We find a value that is somewhat higher than predicted.
Infrared reflectance spectral characterization of various organic coatings on glasses

Abstract Oleic acid, polymethyl methacrylate, and polyacrylic acid were coated on soda-lime-silicate and silica glasses from ethyl alcohol, benzene, or water. The structural interaction of each organic compound with the surfaces of the glasses is determined on the basis of varying coating conditions such as solvent, composition of the glass, the coating (adsorption) time and the aging time in air. Metal chelates are identified in the organic coatings on the soda-lime-silicate (SLS) glasses. For oleic acid coatings on the soda-lime-silicate glass developed from benzene, sodium oleate is the dominant species, while for coatings from ethyl alcohol, the formation of calcium oleate increases. Aging the coating in air produces additional sodium oleate. Increasing coating time increases the formation of calcium oleate. Addition of Al2O3 into the glass or coating TiO2 onto the glass alter the interaction mechanisms for oleic acid, and improves the durability of the coating. Polymethyl methacrylate produces less metal-chelate bonds on the SLS glass surface than oleic acid due to the presence of a CH3 group in the COOCH3 unit. Coated polyacrylic acid possesses different configurations with different pHs of the preparation solution. Thus, the surface structural interaction of the organics is closely related to the metal ions on the glass surface possessing high mobility as well as the bonding strength of the organics with adsorption sites on the glass surfaces.
The effect of fatigue and habituation on the stretch reflex of the ankle musculature.

Abstract Many ankle injuries are said to occur when athletes are in a fatigued state; therefore, studies investigating the role that fatigue plays in ankle injuries are warranted. Furthermore, the contributions of the stretch reflex in countering the injury mechanism are still unclear. We hypothesized that (1) fatigue would impair the reflex response, (2) there would be no differences between genders, (3) habituation would be present, and (4) fatigue would exacerbate the effect of habituation. Forty healthy subjects participated and were divided into treatment and control groups. Stretch reflex measurements were taken for the tibialis anterior (TA), peroneus longus (PL), and peroneus brevis (PB) muscles in response to a rapid inversion perturbation. A fatigue intervention was administered to the treatment group, while the control group sat quietly. Post-test measurements were recorded within 5 min and reflex latency (RL) and amplitude (RA) were calculated. RA decreased significantly, however a significant improvement was noted in RL in the PL and PB muscles. The effect that peripheral fatigue has on RL should not be considered a cause of ankle injuries. However, the diminished RA may suggest reduced dynamic stability after fatigue. Habituation was present and was exacerbated by fatigue, indicating that reflex testing is affected by fatigue and habituation, which must be taken into consideration in future studies.
Adrenal steroids and plasticity of hippocampal neurons: toward an understanding of underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms.

The hippocampal formation of the mammalian brain and its homologue in birds are involved in spatial information processing as well as in aspects of learning and memory (Sherry et al., 1989; Krebs et al., 1989; Eichenbaum and Otto, 1992), and the size of the hippocampus is sometimes an index of the degree to which an animal is involved in such behavior. For example, the volume of the hippocampal complex relative to brain and body size is significantly greater in bird species that store food than in species that do not (Krebs et al., 1989). Furthermore, in two species of kangaroo rat, differences in foraging behavior in terms of use of environmental space positively correlate with hippocampal size (Jacobs and Spencer, 1991), and in mice, hippocampal size correlates positively with maze performance (Crusio and Schwegler, 1991; Crusio et al., 1990). Thus the hippocampus varies in size according to the importance of spatial memory for the species, but it is not known thus far whether it is malleable in the course of an individual animal's life. The hippocampus is also a brain structure with many intriguing histological and neurochemical properties, including sensitivity to a variety of hormones