cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evolution, kinetics, energetics, and environmental factors of graphene degradation on silicon dioxide

Recent studies have qualitatively shown that the oxidative stability of monolayer graphene integrated on oxides is relatively poor. Here, the evolution, kinetics, and energetics of this degradation are quantified. Specifically, the deterioration of graphene on SiO2 is studied in grain interiors and at grain boundaries in ambient air, dry air and nitrogen between 473 and 673 K, using spatially and temporally resolved in situ Raman spectroscopy in addition to electron microscopy and charge transport measurements. The grain interiors of chemical vapor deposition (CVD) grown graphene monolayers oxidize with an activation energy of 0.63 ± 0.05 eV in ambient air (15 000 ppm H2O). This energy increases to 1.85 ± 0.17 eV in dry air, whereas degradation is immeasurable in nitrogen and for multilayers even in ambient air. Gasification at grain boundaries in a CVD monolayer proceeds at a rate of (1.08 ± 0.02) × 10−1 nm s−1 at 673 K with an activation energy EA = 1.14 ± 0.10 eV in ambient air. The more facile degradation of the monolayer grain interiors in ambient air indicates the role of the substrate in decreasing the stability against oxidation. The electrical transport mobility decays with an activation rate similar to that of grain interiors. These results can be used to quantitatively predict graphene oxidation and gasification on SiO2 in different environments and temperatures.
Electrochemical detection of the explosive, hexamethylene triperoxide diamine (HMTD)

Abstract A rapid electrochemical detection scheme for the improvised explosive, hexamethylene triperoxide diamine (HMTD) is demonstrated. This is based on the hydrolysis of HMTD releasing H2O2 and the electrochemical redox cycling of FeII/IIIEDTA via the following scheme: FeIIIEDTA + e−→FeIIEDTA FeIIEDTA + HOOH→FeIIIEDTA + HO + HO− where FeEDTA is the ethylenediaminetetraacetate complex. Cyclic voltammetric results indicate an electrocatalytic (EC′) mechanism. Mass transport aided chronoamperometry at a carbon disk electrode (Estep = − 400 mV vs. Ag/AgCl) gave a limit of detection of 30 μM (3Sb/m). Most interestingly, the hydrolysis of HMTD was found to be rapid under mild reaction conditions which was found to be complete, and nearly instantaneously when exposed to a 50/50 (v/v%) water/acetonitrile solution at pH 2.1. This is in contrast with previous investigations that require harsher conditions. Neutralization or further derivatization steps were not necessary as the FeII/IIIEDTA complex acted as an electron shuttle under these conditions. These results indicate a basis for a fast, one-step, and inexpensive detector for HMTD. Based on the results of a previous study, the simultaneous detection of HMTD with another improvised explosive, triacetone triperoxide is a strong possibility.
Administrative Stability and Change in Late-17th-Century Iran: The Case of Shaykh Ali Khan Zanganah (1669–89)

In June 1669 the Safavid ruler Shah Sulayman dismissed his grand vizier Mirza Muhammad Mahdi and appointed Shaykh ʿAli Khan Zanganah as his successor. Shaykh ʿAli Khan served in the exalted function of grand vizier or iʿtimad aldawla for a full twenty years and in this period grew into perhaps the most remarkable administrator of Safavid times.
Human T lymphocytes possess a limited in vitro life span

The T lymphocyte offers certain theoretical advantages over other available cell types for the study of aging. Immunosenescence is a well-established part of, and may be directly relevant to, mammalian aging, and the T lymphocyte is well-characterized as to function, cell-surface antigen make-up, and other factors. However, prior efforts at studying in vitro aging of T cells have been hampered by poor reproducibility in doubling potential and the occurrence of a peculiar type of crisis. We have improved the culture conditions for long-term in vitro propagation of normal human T lymphocytes so that previously described variability between identically manipulated cultures and the crisis period have been eliminated. Analysis of the growth patterns of 109 individual cultures revealed a limited proliferative life span, with the number of cumulative population doublings corresponding to that reported for adult human fibroblasts. This accord between the in vitro life spans of two vastly different cell types lends further support to the concept of the Hayflick Limit as a general biological phenomenon.
Extreme Imaging Architectures

Optical imaging systems are constrained in spatial dimensions by both physical and practical issues. In this talk, we review some possible architectures that may allow future construction of extremely large, small, flat, narrow, and conformal imaging systems. In addition, the supporting technologies of laser engineering, lens design, and self-assembly will be explored.
Understanding the “90% syndrome in software project management: a simulation-based case study

Abstract There is ample evidence in the literature to indicate that the “90% syndrome” is pervasive in software project management. The objective of this paper is to report on a study of this important phenomenon. Our research vehicle is a System Dynamics simulation model of the software development process. Model results obtained from an analysis of a NASA software project indicate that the problem arises because of the interaction of two factors: underestimation and imprecise measurement of project progress due to poor visibility. The model is used to investigate the viability of two project strategies for “curing” the 90% syndrome problem.
Multilevel Power-Point-Tracking for Variable-Conversion-Ratio Photovoltaic Ladder Converters

Despite recent market conditions and significant consolidation among photovoltaic (PV) module and cell manufacturers, the widespread deployment of PV technologies is increasingly viable. Recent advances in power electronics systems include the emergence of sub-module partial-power processing architectures based on multi-level ladder converters. This work presents a control scheme and a multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) maximum power point tracking (MPPT) algorithm suitable for large PV arrays controlled by series-connected modular multi-level converters. We demonstrate stability of the control system experimentally on a four-level prototype and simulation results that show convergence to global optimum conditions in less than 20 perturb-and-observe cycles for up to 300 series-connected PV substrings.
Thermal Stratification and Annual Heat Budget of a Florida Sinkhole Lake

Aerial photographs of the Florida landscape, an area of Karst topography, show the country-side to be pockmarked by small lakes, many of which are nearly circular in surface outline. Lake Mize is quite typical of these sinkhole or doline lakes in its morphometric features, including its “morning glory” basin shape. The deeper portion of the basin occupies a relatively small fraction of the area and volume of the lake. Lake Mize becomes stably stratified at superficial depths in early spring and remains so until late fall or early winter. Even the violent winds of a hurricane are insufficiently strong to break up the stratification. Stratification disappears by December and the lake circulates through the winter months during which the water temperature drops to the winter low-generally near 11° C. The circulation pattern is typical of subtropical or warm monomictic lakes-a single, extended period of circulation with the minimum temperature always well above 4° C.
Honoring the Scholarship of Thomas O. Sloane: an Introduction

(2005). Honoring the Scholarship of Thomas O. Sloane: an Introduction. Advances in the History of Rhetoric: Vol. 8, No. 1, pp. 193-198.
How to Interpret Infant Socio-Cognitive Competence

I review recent evidence that very young, pre-verbal infants attribute belief-like states when anticipating the behavior of others. This evidence is drawn from infant performance on non-verbal false belief tasks. I argue that, contrary to typical interpretations, such evidence does not show that infants attribute belief-like states. Rather, it shows that infants apply an enhanced version of what Gergely (2011) calls the “teleological stance” to brief bouts of behavior. This requires them to parse behavioral sequences into goals and rationally/informationally-constrained means of achieving them; however, it does not require the attribution of unobservable mental states, like beliefs, that are causally responsible for behavior.
Ceramide synthases 2, 5, and 6 confer distinct roles in radiation-induced apoptosis in HeLa cells

The role of ceramide neo-genesis in cellular stress response signaling is gaining increasing attention with recent progress in elucidating the novel roles and biochemical properties of the ceramide synthase (CerS) enzymes. Selective tissue and subcellular distribution of the six mammalian CerS isoforms, combined with distinct fatty acyl chain length substrate preferences, implicate differential functions of specific ceramide species in cellular signaling. We report here that ionizing radiation (IR) induces de novo synthesis of ceramide to influence HeLa cell apoptosis by specifically activating CerS isoforms 2, 5, and 6 that generate opposing anti- and pro-apoptotic ceramides in mitochondrial membranes. Overexpression of CerS2 resulted in partial protection from IR-induced apoptosis whereas overexpression of CerS5 increased apoptosis in HeLa cells. Knockdown studies determined that CerS2 is responsible for all observable IR-induced C(24:0) CerS activity, and while CerS5 and CerS6 each confer approximately 50% of the C(16:0) CerS baseline synthetic activity, both are required for IR-induced activity. Additionally, co-immunoprecipitation studies suggest that CerS2, 5, and 6 might exist as heterocomplexes in HeLa cells, providing further insight into the regulation of CerS proteins. These data add to the growing body of evidence demonstrating interplay among the CerS proteins in a stress stimulus-, cell type- and subcellular compartment-specific manner.
A RAPID TECHNIQUE FOR DETECTING MULTIPLE ANTIGEN-ANTIBODY PRECIPITIN REACTIONS.

USING standard immunoelectrophoretic techniques in gelatin1 or on cellulose polyacetate2, the minimum time for an indication of multiple antigen–antibody precipitin reactions is from a few hours to two days. Even various gelatin diffusion techniques3–5 may take from a few hours up to 22 days6. The need for a rapid means of detecting multiple antigen–antibody reactions as evidence of antigen homogeneity or heterogeneity is therefore apparent.
Turtles all the way down: loggerheads at the root of the chelonian tree

The recent discovery of the oldest and most primitive stem turtle, Odontochelys semitestacea (Li et al. 2009), from the lower Upper Triassic of China reopens the debate regarding the origin of the turtle shell, the paleoecology of basal turtles (terrestrial or aquatic), and the placement of turtles among amniotes. The debate surrounding the origin of the shell dates back to Cuvier (1800–1805) with two competing hypotheses. The de novo hypothesis, argues that the carapace (dorsal shell) formed from the outgrowth of intramembranous bone from the periost of the ribs and neurals, and this view is largely supported by developmental data on current turtles (Gilbert et al. 2001; Cebra-Thomas et al. 2005). The composite origin hypothesis argues that the shell formed largely by the fusion of overlying osteoderms with the underlying ribs, and this perspective has some histological support (Scheyer et al. 2008).
FETAL SERUM LYSOSOMAL ENZYMES

The difficulties and hazards of prolonged tissue culture (3-6 wks.) needed to establish the prenatal diagnoses of the hereditary biochemical disorders of metabolism are well recognized. Direct fetal blood sampling for study of lysosomal enzymes should allow the prenatal diagnosis of many ‘storage’ disorders within 24 hours of amniocentesis. The normal range of specific activity (SA) for these enzymes in fetal serum need be established. The minimum volume of fetal serum required for, assay was 2.5-100 μl. Assays using 4-methylumbilliferyl glycosides as substrates, for hexosaminidase, glucuronidase, arylsulfatase, and mannosidase, were performed on 5 fetal sera (12-20 wks. gestation), 3 second trimester pregnancy sera, and 4 healthy adult sera. The total fetal serum protein (mean 40.7 mg/ml) was less than half the level of normal adult serum (91.0 mg/ml) and lower than mid-trimester pregnancy serum (74.7 mg/ml). The SA's of hexosaminidase in fetal serum (mean 38.4) was more than 3 times the adult control SA (11.4) and significantly more than the pregnancy sera (23.5). similar observations of increased SA for mannosidase were made in fetal serum. The SA of arylsulfatase was similar in fetal and pregnancy serum which were each almost 4 times the SA of normal adult serum. No difference was observed in the SA of glucuronidase in the 3 groups studied.
Computational identification of single-layer CdO for electronic and optical applications

The search for single-layer materials is an active research field. Using a first-principles design approach focusing on formation energy and bandgap, we search the family of II-VI oxides for metastable single-layer semiconductor materials. We discover a single-layer CdO phase that exhibits a small formation energy and a direct bandgap of 2.1 eV. The phonon spectrum confirms the dynamical stability of single-layer CdO. Calculations of the optical properties show a similar absorption to that of graphene. Estimates of the tunneling barrier of a graphene/CdO/graphene heterostructure reveal that CdO might be a potential dielectric for applications of graphene in electronic devices.
Kalman extension of the genetic algorithm

In typical GA application, the fitness assigned to a chromosome-represented individual in the context of a specified environment takes a deterministic calculable value. In many problems of interest, the fitness of an individual is stochastic, and the environment changes in unpredictable ways. These two factors contribute to an uncertainty that can be associated with the estimated fitness of the individual. The Kalman formulation provides a mechanism for a useful treatment of uncertainty within the GA framework. It provides for tracking the best-estimated fitness, and for assessing the uncertainty of the best-estimated fitness. The stochastic uncertainty of an existing individual can be reduced by additional evaluation of the fitness. The process (environmental) noise causes an increase in uncertainty as the age of the last evaluation increases. In a Kalman-extended genetic algorithm, we want to know the value of re-evaluating an existing solution in the population relative to generating and evaluating new individuals. A scheme for efficient allocation of computational resources among existing individuals and new individuals is developed. This Kalman-Darwin formulation is applied to the problem of maintaining an optimal network configuration of links between moving nodes, with time-dependent, stochastic blockages. The nodes, for example, could be environmental sensors with radio transmitter/relays located on vehicles, and the network is configured to provide communication paths from each sensor back to a central node with minimum message loss. As the sensors move, the optimal network changes, but information contained within the GA population of solutions allows new optima to be efficiently obtained. The performance of this approach is explored and results are presented.
THE AMERICAN STATES AND THE SHIFTING LOCUS OF POSITIVE ECONOMIC INTERVENTION

While there has been a turn away from positive government intervention in the economy at the national level, we have witnessed an embrace of this strategy in may of the American states. What impact, if any, have these efforts by state governments had on their economies? The paper focuses on variations in party control, competition, and ideology, the institutional capacities of governors and legislatures, and policy measures, while controlling for a variety of alternative influences on state economies. For the period from 1968–1979 states were dominated by the national economy and other forces over which they had little or no control, and thus had little or no effect on their economies. However, for the 1980–1985 period, party, political capacity, and policy exerted a statistically significant influence on state economic performance.
GENTAMICIN FOR THE PRACTICING UROLOGIST: REVIEW OF EFFICACY, SINGLE DAILY DOSING AND “SWITCH” THERAPY

Purpose:: We review the literature on gentamicin, including single daily dosing and “switch” therapy.Materials and Methods:: We used MEDLINE to search the literature from 1966 to June 1997, and then manually searched bibliographies to identify studies that our initial search might have missed.Results:: Gentamicin has attractive characteristics, including wide spectrum, infrequent resistance, economy and familiarity. Although limited by well known toxicities, gentamicin remains a drug of choice for serious Gram-negative infections. Dosing strategies, such as single daily dosing and switch therapy, have renewed enthusiasm for this time-honored drug.Conclusions:: Gentamicin remains a valuable drug in urology. Once daily dosing and switch therapy offer the potential to increase effectiveness and convenience while decreasing toxicity and costs.
Characteristics of African Easterly Waves

African easterly waves [AEWs, the term now preferred by R. Reed (2001, personal communication)] are synoptic-scale disturbances that form over tropical northern Africa and propagate westward, in a nearly unbroken progression, across Africa and the Atlantic Ocean during the summer months. Piersig (1936) was the first to describe a type of cyclones on historical surf ace weather charts that included the eastern tropical Atlantic and must have been the surface part of an unobserved AEW. He reported that these cyclones moved westward in the trade wind belt and occurred most frequently in August and September near the West African coast between 5° and 20°N. In view of the upstream location of these cyclones from the North Atlantic breeding grounds of hurricanes and their seasonal similarity to hurricanes, he speculated that the disturbances could be the precursors of some hurricanes. Subsequently, Hubert (1939) tracked a disturbance from near 5°W over Africa westward to the West African coast. He pointed out that if he extrapolated the disturbar..ce westward to the central Atlantic, at a similar speed, it would have arrived in the general area, at about the same time, where the 1938 New England hurricane wa; first detected.
A vintage year for Jorpes, Crafoord, and heparin

The year was 1935. In Stockholm, Toronto and Berne preparations were under way for clinical trials to determine whether heparin prevented post-opera- tive thrombosis and could be used in the treatment of established thrombo- embolic disease. Heparin had been dis- covered almost 20 years earlier by McLean 1, who was then a second-year medical student working in Howelrs laboratory at Johns Hopkins University. It had finally been purified in sufficient quantity for testing in humans, thanks to the efforts of Charles and Scott in Toronto and Jorpes in Stockholm. In the summer of 1935, in Stockholm~ Clarence Crafoord began administering heparin to his surgical patients as pro-. phylaxis against post-operative throm-. bosis. Initially, a hefty dose of heparin was given several hours before surge D , but occasional complications in the form of massive hematomas in the wound area made Crafoord settle, somewhat reluctantly, for post-operative treat- ment. What was heparin like as a drug in 1935? There were still problems in arriv- ing at a preparation devoid of side effects. In a paper 2 in 1939, Crafoord pointed out that although heparin
Should Preoperative or Postoperative Therapy Be Administered in the Management of Rectal Cancer

Combined-modality therapy consisting of surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy with 5-fluorouracil is the recommended management for patients with stage II and III rectal cancer. The place of radiation therapy as part of this combined modality treatment for localized rectal cancer will be reviewed, and some of the novel chemoradiation combinations under investigation will be highlighted. Currently, there are two sequencing approaches for the adjuvant administration of pelvic radiation therapy. The first is surgical resection and, if the tumor is stage T 3-4 and/or N 1-2 , adjuvant postoperative chemoradiation and further chemotherapy. The second approach for patients with ultrasound T 3-4 or clinical T 4 disease is preoperative therapy followed by surgical resection and postoperative chemotherapy. The adjuvant radiation management approach in the United States and Europe has been shifting toward preoperative therapy to promote sphincter-preserving surgery and decrease acute and late bowel toxicity. The recently published 5-year results of the randomized German CAO/ARO/AIO 94 trial of preoperative versus postoperative chemoradiation support a standard preoperative treatment approach. Preoperative chemoradiation therapy also allows for the investigation of innovative agents (capecitabine, oxaliplatin, irinotecan, bevacizumab, and cetuximab) in combination with pelvic radiation. These new combinations may have the potential to further increase the therapeutic benefit of neoadjuvant therapy.
Oxomolybdenum tetrathiolates with sterically encumbering ligands: modeling the effect of a protein matrix on electronic structure and reduction potentials.

The effect of sterically encumbering ligands on the electronic structure of oxomolybdenum tetrathiolate complexes was determined using a combination of electronic absorption and magnetic circular dichroism spectroscopies, complimented by DFT bonding calculations, to understand geometric and electronic structure contributions to reduction potentials. These complexes are rudimentary models for a redox-active metalloenzyme active site in a protein matrix and allow for detailed spectroscopic probing of specific oxomolybdenum−thiolate interactions that are directly relevant to Mo−Scysteine bonding in pyranopterin molybdenum enzymes. Data are presented for three para-substituted oxomolybdenum tetrathiolate complexes ([PPh4][MoO(p-SPhCONHCH3)4], [PPh4][MoO(p-SPhCONHC(CH2O(CH2)2CN)3)4], and [PPh4][MoO(p-SPhCONHC(CH2O(CH2)2COOCH2CH3)3)4]). The Mo(V/IV) reduction potentials of the complexes in DMF are −1213, −1251, and −1247 mV, respectively. The remarkably similar electronic absorption and magnetic circular dichro...
A Randomized Trial of Alternative Medicines for Vasomotor Symptoms of Menopause

Hot flashes and night sweats are the most common vasomotor symptoms of menopause. Since the results from the Women's Health Initiative showed that estrogen therapy increases the risk for serious ev...
Probability of stress-corrosion fracture under random loading.

Mathematical formulation is based on cumulative-damage hypothesis and experimentally-determined stress-corrosion characteristics. Under both stationary random loadings, mean value and variance of cumulative damage are obtained. Probability of stress-corrosion fracture is then evaluated, using principle of maximum entropy.
Anorexia nervosa: an affective disorder.

Attempting to define Anorexia Neruosa among psychiatric disorders reveals many similarities to affective disorders, but several major discrepencies remain.
Genetic granular cognitive fuzzy neural networks and human brains for pattern recognition

Biological neural networks in the human brain can recognize different patterns with noise by the unknown biologically cognitive pattern recognition method. Since the human brain consists of biological neural networks that are the major components performing pattern recognition, it is very interesting and very important to investigate how the biological neural networks and the artificial neural networks recognize different patterns. A new genetic granular cognitive fuzzy neural network based on granular computing, soft computing and cognitive science is used in a pattern recognition problem to compare human brains with the biological neural networks. The hybrid genetic forward-wave-backward-wave learning algorithm is used to enhance learning quality. Both pattern recognition results generated by human persons and the genetic granular cognitive fuzzy neural network are analyzed in terms of computer science and cognitive science.
Chemical Durability of Lead-Oxide-Based, Thick-Film Binder Glasses

Lead-oxide-bearing glasses are incompatible with aluminum nitride metallizations, and federal legislation is recommending their replacement in thick-film electronics and labeling. To evaluate alternatives, the benchmark chemical durabilities of the lead borosilicate and lead aluminate thick-film binder glasses have been determined. Aluminum oxide (Al2O3) benefits water durability moderately, acid durability substantially, and basic durability indistinguishably. The rate of attack in water is approximately two orders of magnitude greater than for soda–lime glass. The thermal contractions of the glasses are compatible. An apparent, spontaneous phase separation in the Al2O3-free glass is suppressed by Al2O3 that is included as a batch component.
Diagnosis and management of transient neurologic symptoms following subarachnoid block with single-shot isobaric 2% lidocaine

Hyperbaric 5% lidocaine has been used extensively for spinal anesthesia for the last 50 yr. The implication of lidocaine as specifically etiologic for transient neurologic symptoms (TNS) has led to increasing focus on lidocaine spinal anesthesia and reports of TNS with single-shot, hyperbaric lidocaine. We report the details of a case of TNS associated with single-shot, isobaric 2% lidocaine in a 69-year-old female, scheduled for outpatient hysteroscopy, dilatation and curettage, and endometrial biopsy while placed in the lithotomy position.
Review: low glycaemic-index diets reduce HbA1c more than high glycaemic-index diets in diabetes mellitus.

In patients with diabetes mellitus, do low glycaemic-index (GI) or low glycaemic-load (GL) diets improve glycaemic control? Included studies were randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that compared a low GI or low GL diet with a higher GI or higher GL diet for ⩾4 weeks in patients with diabetes mellitus according to validated and specified criteria. The dietary intervention had to be explicit and supervised or documented. Outcomes were glycaemic control (glycated haemoglobin [HbA1c] for studies >6 wks; fructosamine or glycated serum albumin [GSA] for studies ⩽6 wks) and adverse effects. Cochrane Library , Medline, EMBASE/Excerpta Medica, and CINAHL (all to June 2008); and …
Age of Marine Pleistocene of California: ABSTRACT

Isotopic ages determined on glauconite from the Lomita Marl Member of the San Pedro Formation indicate that the marine Pliocene-Pleistocene boundary, as recognized in California by Woodring and others, is at least 3 million years old. End_of_Article - Last_Page 1087------------
An Empirical Evaluation of Assertions as Oracles

In software testing, an oracle determines whether a test case passes or fails by comparing output from the program under test with the expected output. Since the identification of faults through testing requires that the bug is both exercised and the resulting failure is recognized, it follows that oracles are critical to the efficacy of the testing process. Despite this, there are few rigorous empirical studies of the impact of oracles on effectiveness. In this paper, we report the results of one such experiment in which we exercise seven core Java classes and two sample programs with branch-adequate, input only(i.e., no oracle) test suites and collect the failures observed by different oracles. For faults, we use synthetic bugs created by the muJava mutation testing tool. In this study we evaluate two oracles: (1) the implicit oracle (or "null oracle") provided by the runtime system, and (2) runtime assertions embedded in the implementation (by others) using the Java Modeling Language. The null oracle establishes a baseline measurement of the potential benefit of rigorous oracles, while the assertions represent a more rigorous approach that is sometimes used in practice. The results of our experiments are interesting. First, on a per-method basis, we observe that the null oracle catches less than 11% of the faults, leaving more than 89% uncaught. Second, we observe that the runtime assertions in our subjects are effective at catching about 53% of the faults not caught by null oracle. Finally, by analyzing the data using data mining techniques, we observe that simple, code-based metrics can be used to predict which methods are amenable to the use of assertion-based oracles with a high degree of accuracy.
Clinical Applications of Outcome Tools in Ambulatory Children with Cerebral Palsy

This article provides an overview of outcome tools commonly used to assess ambulatory children with cerebral palsy, research findings from a recent large multi-center study, and ways to integrate the research findings into clinical practice. The information presented in this article and in the referenced articles provides information on: outcome tools' discriminatory ability and responsiveness; readily available comparison data on 7 commonly used outcome tools that can be used at the point of care; prediction equations for the Parent report Pediatric Outcomes Data Collection Instrument (PODCI) by age and Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) level; and minimum clinically important difference thresholds by GMFCS level. This information can help clinicians select the best outcome tools to discriminate among severity levels and avoid ceiling effects. The scores provided allow direct comparisons between a specific patient and a matched cohort, assisting clinicians in the creation of comprehensive and individualized evaluation and management plans. Use of appropriate outcome tools to assess children with cerebral palsy can lead to best practices and reduced costs in the clinical setting.
The Ion-Molecule Chemistry of C3H3 + and the Implications for Soot Formation

Abstract The ion-molecule chemistry of C3H3 + is systematically investigated with a series of alkenes, alkynes, and aromatic molecules under low-pressure, room temperature conditions. Based upon their reactivity differences, two C3H3 +structures are distinguished and are assigned as the cyclic (the most stable) and linear isomers. Cyclic C3H3 +readily reacts with unsaturated compounds having four or more carbon atoms. Linear C3H3 +is found to be even more reactive and, in particular, forms condensation products with acetylene and benzene. The relevance of these results for the higher temperature and atmospheric pressure conditions of a flame environment is discussed. Since C3H3 + has been found to be the dominant positive ion for rich and sooting hydrocarbon flames, its high reactivity provides a rapid first step in the ion models of soot formation.
Family Structure and Child Well-Being: Economic Resources vs. Parental Behaviors

We used data from the [U.S.] National Survey of Families and Households to investigate economic resources and parental behavior explanations for family structure effects on children. The economic explanation received considerable support in terms of single-mother disadvantage and accounted for a smaller proportion of disadvantage associated with mother-partner families. Parental behaviors particularly maternal and paternal support accounted for much smaller proportions of disadvantages found in mother-stepfather as well as mother-partner families. Parental behaviors did not appear to mediate any of the economic resource effects on children. (EXCERPT)
Mereological Nihilism and Theoretical Unification

Mereological nihilism (henceforth just “nihilism”) is the thesis that composition never occurs. Nihilism has often been defended on the basis of its theoretical simplicity, including its ontological simplicity and its ideological simplicity (roughly, nihilism’s ability to do without primitive mereological predicates). In this paper I defend nihilism on the basis of the theoretical unification conferred by nihilism, which is, roughly, nihilism’s capacity to allow us to take fewer phenomena as brute and inexplicable. This represents a respect in which nihilism enjoys greater theoretical simplicity than its rivals which has not yet been explored, and which is immune to many of the objections which have been leveled against previous arguments for nihilism from nihilism’s theoretical simplicity. Composition as identity might be thought to confer a similar degree of theoretical unification as nihilism. I end the paper by arguing that this is not the case.
The Use of Psychological State Terms by Late Talkers at Age 3.

The use of psychological state words during mother–child play sessions at age 3 was examined in 31 children diagnosed with delayed expressive language at 24–31 months and 21 age-matched typically developing comparison children. Children and mothers in the late talker group made more references to physiological states and fewer references to cognitive states than the children and mothers in the typically developing comparison group. The children’s use of cognitive terms correlated significantly with measures of language ability, including mean length of utterance, Index of Productive Syntax score, and use of propositional complements, as well as with their mothers’ use of cognitive terms. The delay in the emergence of psychological state words, particularly cognitive terms such as think and know, may affect other aspects of late talkers’ cognitive and social develop-
Exact theory of three-dimensional flow separation. Part 1. Steady separation

We derive an exact theory of three-dimensional steady separation and reattachment using nonlinear dynamical systems methods. Specifically, we obtain criteria for separation points and separation lines on fixed no-slip boundaries in compressible flows. These criteria imply that there are only four basic separation patterns with well-defined separation surfaces. We also derive a first-order prediction for the separation surface using wall-based quantities; we verify this prediction using flow models obtained from local expansions of the Navier–Stokes equations.
Participation of fad and mbt Genes in Synthesis of Mycobactin in Mycobacterium smegmatis

Colonies of Mycobacterium smegmatis LR222 on iron-limiting (0.1 μM Fe) minimal medium agar fluoresce under UV light due to the accumulation in the cells of the deferri form of the siderophore mycobactin. Two mutants with little or no fluorescence, designated LUN8 and LUN9, were isolated by screening colonies of transposon (Tn611)-mutagenized M. smegmatis. Ferrimycobactin prepared from iron-restricted cells of the wild type had an Rf of 0.62 on high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) and a characteristic visible absorption spectrum with a peak near 450 nm. Similar extracts from LUN8 cells contained a small amount of ferrimycobactin with an Rf of 0.58 on HPTLC and an absorption spectrum with the peak shifted to a wavelength lower than that of the wild-type ferrimycobactin. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy studies suggested that the LUN8 mycobactin may have an altered fatty acid side chain. Mutant strain LUN9 produced no detectable mycobactin. Neither mutant strain produced measurable amounts of excreted mycobactin, although both excreted exochelin (the mycobacterial peptido-hydroxamate siderophore), and both mutants were more sensitive than the wild-type strain to growth inhibition by the iron chelator ethylenediamine-di(o-hydroxyphenylacetic acid). The transposon insertion sites were identified, and sequence analyses of the cloned flanking chromosome regions showed that the mutated gene in LUN9 was an orthologue of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis mycobactin biosynthetic gene mbtE. The mutated gene in LUN8 had homology with M. tuberculosis fadD33 (Rv1345), a gene that may encode an acyl-coenzyme A synthase and which previously was not known to participate in synthesis of mycobactin.
Sequential classification for microarray and clinical data

Sequential classification uses in a stepwise process only part of the data (evidence) for partial classification, i.e., classifying only objects with sufficient evidence and leaving the rest unclassified. In the following steps the procedure is repeated using additional data until all objects are classified. This is especially useful when data become available only at certain points in time, as in surgical decision making, i.e., clinical patient data, lab data, or cDNA microarray expression data from tissue samples become available before, during and after the operation. Surgeons are interested in classifying patients into low or high risk groups, which might need special measures, e.g., prolonged intensive care.
The Science of Orgasm Has Finally Come: A Review of: “The Science of Orgasm. By Barry R. Komisaruk, Carlos Beyer-Flores, and Beverly Whipple.”

It has come, finally: a book about orgasm that does not focus on witty prose—or prose meant to be witty but, ultimately, devoid of meaning or information—nor on the sensationalism of multiple orgas...
Partial Nephrectomy in the Setting of Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma

Purpose: Cytoreductive nephrectomy remains the standard of care for appropriately selected patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma. Although the role of partial nephrectomy is well accepted in patients with localized disease, limited data are available on partial nephrectomy in the metastatic setting. We identified the indications for and outcomes of partial nephrectomy in the setting of metastatic renal cell carcinoma with particular attention to partial nephrectomy subgroups.Materials and Methods: We analyzed data on a consecutive cohort of 33 patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma who underwent partial nephrectomy at a single institution between 1996 and 2011. Nonparametric statistics were used to compare partial nephrectomy subgroups. Overall survival was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method and survival functions were compared using the log rank test.Results: At presentation 8 patients had bilateral synchronous renal masses, 20 had a metachronous contralateral renal mass and 5 had a u...
Writing in the Accounting Curriculum: A Review of the Literature with Conclusions for Implementation and Future Research

ABSTRACT: Accounting practitioners, faculty, and professional organizations agree that good writing skills are imperative to success in accounting, yet successful implementation of writing in the a...
Human substance P receptor expressed in Sf9 cells couples with multiple endogenous G proteins.

AbstractTo identify the G proteins involved in the function of human substance P receptor (hSPR), the receptor was expressed in Sf9 cells using the baculovirus expression system. Maximal hSPR expression was up to 65 pmol/mg membrane protein. The following data indicated that hSPR in Sf9 membranes is coupled to endogenous G proteins: 1) binding of agonist radioligand [125I]BHSP to the receptor was sensitive to guanine nucleotides; and 2) stimulation of the receptor increased [35S]GTPγS binding. The hSPR-associated G proteins were identified by photoaffinity labeling with [α-32P]-azidoanilido GTP ([α-32P]AAGTP), followed by immunoprecipitation of the labeled G proteins with antibodies specific for various Gα-subunits. These experiments showed that stimulation of hSPR in Sf9 membranes activated multiple endogenous G proteins including Gαo, Gαq/11, and Gα. While hSPR's ability to associate with Gq/11 is well-documented, the present study provides the first evidence of hSPR's potential to activate Gαo and Gαs.
Distribution, Hosts, Abundance, and Seasonal Flight Activity of the Exotic Leafroller, Archips fuscocupreanus Walsingham (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), in the Northeastern United States

Archips fuscocupreanus Walsingham (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) is an eastern Asian leafroller that recently was detected in Connecticut and Massachusetts. Based on males captured in pheromone traps between 1998 and 2000, A. fuscocupreanus inhabits five northeastern coastal states between Massachusetts and New Jersey. In Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York, larvae had a broad host range, feeding on 87 plants in 15 families. Fifty-nine hosts (67.8%) were in the Rosaceae, the plant family that includes economically important pome and stone fruits. In outdoor cages, adult females laid a similar number of egg masses on five different species of potted fruit trees that are grown widely. At The Arnold Arboretum in Massachusetts, larval abundance was highest on Ilex verticillata (L.) Gray (3.4 larvae per plant) although it was statistically similar to that on four rosaceous species (1.0–1.8 larvae per plant), and significantly higher than that on another 12 rosaceous trees (0–0.5 larvae per plant). In an insecticide-free apple orchard at Hamden, Connecticut, males flew for 4–5 wk between mid-June and mid-July 2000–2001. Based on its broad host range in the United States and on its development of insecticide resistance in Japan, A. fuscocupreanus poses a threat to the fruit and nursery industries in North America.
In search of lost scent.

Three recent studies use optogenetics, virtual ‘odor-scapes’ and mathematical modeling to study how the nervous system of fruit fly larvae processes sensory information to control navigation.
A Promising Thermoelectric Material: Zn4Sb3 or Zn6-δSb5. Its Composition, Structure, Stability, and Polymorphs. Structure and Stability of Zn1-δSb

Composition, crystal structure, and stability of the thermoelectric material, known in the literature as “Zn4Sb3”, has been characterized using low- and room-temperature single-crystal X-ray diffraction techniques, as well as in situ room- and high-temperature powder X-ray diffraction methods. We have found that the Zn4Sb3 phase does not exist below 767 K (the β−γ transition temperature); it is the Zn6-δSb5 phase that is erroneously assigned the Zn4Sb3 composition and is considered to be a promising thermoelectric material. The structure of Zn6-δSb5 is similar to that of “Zn4Sb3” but no Zn/Sb mixture is observed on any Sb site. Instead, a significant deficiency on the Zn site is discovered. There are two, not one, as previously reported, Zn6-δSb5 polymorphs below room temperature. In dynamic vacuum and at elevated temperatures the Zn6-δSb5 phase becomes zinc poorer due to zinc sublimation and eventually decomposes into ZnSb and Zn before reaching its melting temperature of 841 K. The binary Zn1-δSb compou...
Digital Compensation Algorithm for Measuring Current Transformer

In order to improve the measurement accuracy of current transformer(CT),the magnetic material with high permeability and core with large cross-sectional area are usually used to minimize the exciter current.However,the practice will increase CT manufacturing cost.In the paper,a digital compensation algorithm to improve the CT measurement accuracy is proposed.And the exciter current can be calculated and compensated according to the secondary measured current value and the magnetization characteristic of iron core.The effective of the algorithm is verified through simulation and experiment results.
A New Cell Block Technique for Large-Volume Effusion Cytology Specimens

Large-volume effusions are often sent to cytology. Cell blocks of these specimens allow for immunohistochemistry and molecular testing. However, with a large volume and small concentration of diagnostic cells, preparing a cell block can be difficult. Here we present a method for improving cell block cellularity without significantly increasing cost or turnaround time. We analyzed nine specimens received in August 2014. All …
Further demonstration of induction of ovulation with a hybrid human chorionic gonadotropin compound (AB1ER-CR-2XY) *

This study presents the first demonstration of the ability of a hybrid human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) compound, AB1ER-CR-2XY, to induce ovulation in humans. Thirteen patients with primary infertility were treated for 16cycles with varying dosages of human menopausal gonadotropin (hMG), and 10,000, 5000, and 2500IU of the hybrid hCG. Presumptive occurrence of ovulation was recorded in 15 courses of medication. Echographic studies did not indicate overt follicular or ovarian enlargement. Two singleton pregnancies occurred, one during the first treatment course and the other following the second course of hMG/hybrid hCG therapy. Due to its specific characteristics, the hybrid hCG may provide equal or greater effectiveness and a better margin of safety than commercial hCG used for ovulation induction in patients pretreated with hMG.
Effects of Health Level 7 Messaging on Data Quality in New York City's Immunization Information System, 2014.

Objective.We compared the quality of data reported to New York City’s immunization information system, the Citywide Immunization Registry (CIR), through its real-time Health Level 7 (HL7) Web servi...
Virus‐Inspired Polymer for Efficient In Vitro and In Vivo Gene Delivery

Clinical translation of nucleic acids drugs has been stunted by limited delivery options. Herein, we report a synthetic polymer designed to mimic viral mechanisms of delivery called VIPER (virus-inspired polymer for endosomal release). VIPER is composed of a polycation block for condensation of nucleic acids, and a pH-sensitive block for acid-triggered display of a lytic peptide to promote trafficking to the cell cytosol. VIPER shows superior efficiencies compared to commercial agents when delivering genes to multiple immortalized cell lines. Importantly, in murine models, VIPER facilitates effective gene transfer to solid tumors.
Identification of 236 Th

The radionuclide $^{236}\mathrm{Th}$ has been produced by the $^{238}\mathrm{U}(p,3p)^{236}\mathrm{Th}$ reaction with 100-MeV protons. The cross section for the reaction is ${5}_{\ensuremath{-}3}^{+6}$ \ensuremath{\mu}b. Radiochemical separations were performed to isolate the thorium fraction from uranium, neptunium, protactinium, and fission products. The $^{236}\mathrm{Th}$ half-life was determined to be 37.5 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 1.5 min by measuring the growth and decay of its daughter, 9.1-min $^{236}\mathrm{Pa}$. Electromagnetic isotope separation was also performed on the thorium samples, and although the resultant sources were very weak, evidence for several $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ transitions in the $^{236}\mathrm{Th}$ decay was obtained. A partial decay scheme is proposed for $^{236}\mathrm{Th}$ that includes excited states in $^{236}\mathrm{Pa}$ at 2.1, 112.7, 132, and $\ensuremath{\approx}230$ keV. The decay of $^{236}\mathrm{Th}$ is compared with the decay of $^{234}\mathrm{Th}$, with emphasis on the ${({p}_{\frac{1}{2}}\ensuremath{-}[530]+{n}_{\frac{1}{2+}}[631])}_{0\ensuremath{-},1\ensuremath{-}}$ bands in $^{234}\mathrm{Pa}$ and $^{236}\mathrm{Pa}$.
Utilizing non-ablative fractional photothermolysis prior to ALA-photodynamic therapy in the treatment of acne vulgaris: a case series.

Aminolevulinic acid (ALA) photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an emerging modality in the treatment of acne. While ablative fractional lasers have been used to enhance drug delivery into the epidermis, recent evidence suggests that non-ablative fractional photothermolysis may also improve uptake of ALA. We explored the use of non-ablative 1550 nm laser as a safe alternative in the delivery of ALA prior to red-light PDT for refractory inflammatory and cystic acne. Subjects referred for treatment of acne refractory to several topical and oral regimens, including isotretinoin, were pre-treated with non-ablative fractional photothermolysis (NAFP). This was followed by 20 % ALA application with an incubation time of 1–3 h and then exposure to 50–100 J/cm2 red light. Follow-up was at 1, 3, and 6 months. In all three cases, patients demonstrated marked reduction in inflammatory lesions. Two subjects had remission of acne after a single combination treatment. Non-ablative fractional laser applied immediately prior to PDT may be used in the treatment of acne with minimal side effects and fewer sessions needed than PDT alone. This may be due to enhanced delivery of ALA from pre-treating the skin with non-ablative fractional photothermolysis.