cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Extra-Cellular Vesicles: A Promising Approach for Translating Cell-Based Therapy

As cell-based therapies have demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of experimental and clinical stroke, their mechanisms of action warrant intense investigation and are being investigated in greater depth. It is becoming increasingly clear that one of the main ways that cell therapies based on mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) and other cells impart functional benefits to animals is through release of exosomes and other extracellular vesicles in vivo. Mounting evidence shows that MSCs release exosomes, and that these exosomes induce predictable and impactful changes in recipient cells. These exosome-induced cellular changes are likely mediated through the content of the exosomes, which comprise mRNA, miRNA, proteins, and other macromolecules. Many studies that have been published in the last several years have shown that treatment of animals with exosomes, harvested from MSCs and other cells, after stroke and traumatic brain injury (TBI) recapitulate the effect of the parent cells. Exosomes lack the safety and manufacturability issues that plague cell therapy, and they therefore may represent the next generation of cell-free therapies. Their biology and potential use as therapies for CNS injuries are discussed herein.
Geovisualizing attribute uncertainty of interval and ratio variables: a framework and an implementation for vector data.

Abstract Geovisualization of attribute uncertainty helps users to recognize underlying processes of spatial data. However, it still lacks an availability of uncertainty visualization tools in a standard GIS environment. This paper proposes a framework for attribute uncertainty visualization by extending bivariate mapping techniques. Specifically, this framework utilizes two cartographic techniques, choropleth mapping and proportional symbol mapping based on the types of attributes. This framework is implemented as an extension of ArcGIS in which three types of visualization tools are available: overlaid symbols on a choropleth map, coloring properties to a proportional symbol map, and composite symbols.
Morbidity and Mortality of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement Performed During Non-Elective Hospitalizations

Calcific aortic stenosis (AS) is a progressive disease with an insidious onset. While asymptomatic patients can be monitored closely, those who are symptomatic or have reduced left ventricular func...
Code shift keying based joint radar and communications for EMCON applications

Abstract Due to the explosion in the demand for broadband wireless services by consumers, wireless network service providers require increased frequency allocations from an already crowded frequency spectrum. In an effort to satisfy the increased frequency spectrum requirements of wireless communications networks, several methods have been proposed to allow communication systems and radars to co-exist within the same bandwidth or adjacent frequency bands while minimizing or preventing mutual interference. Most methods explored in the literature focus on the use of cognitive sensing and dynamic spectrum allocation. Other proposed methods to prevent mutual interference between radar and communications systems focus on waveform design. In this manuscript, a dual function communication and radar system with EMCON applications is investigated that uses Gold or Kasami codes in a code shift keying digital modulation scheme. The use of both binary phase shift keying (BPSK) and quaternary phase shift keying (QPSK) to modulate the code bits is investigated. The communications signal is used as the radar signal to implement a pseudo-random BPSK or QPSK coded radar. The symbol error rate (SER) of the communication system is determined through Monte Carlo simulations and compared to an SER upper bound for M-ary frequency shift keying. The radar signal's periodic autocorrelation function (PACF) and periodic ambiguity function are also examined demonstrating the schemes potential for use in a low probability of intercept radar application. The radar signal's characteristics are compared when using pseudo-random BPSK and QPSK modulations.
On Using Carmichael Numbers for Public Key Encryption Systems

We show that the inadvertent use of a Carmichael number instead of a prime factor in the modulus of an RSA cryptosystem is likely to make the system fatally vulnerable, but that such numbers may be detected.
The Practice and Promise of Prison Programming

This report includes a literature review on the effectiveness of educational, vocational, and work programs in prison on employment outcomes and recidivism, and it includes an inventory of prison programs in seven states from the Great Lakes region. The report also makes recommendations for strategic opportunities and identifies policy targets for increasing and enhancing prison-based programming.
CoasterX: A Case Study in Component-Driven Hybrid Systems Proof Automation.

Abstract Component-driven proof automation (CDPA) exploits component structure to automate deductive verification of large-scale hybrid systems with non-trivial continuous dynamics. We use CDPA to implement a case study CoasterX, which is a toolchain for designing and verifying safety of 2-dimensional roller coaster track designs. Specifically, we verify velocity and acceleration bounds. CoasterX starts with a graphical front-end for point-and-click design of tracks. The CoasterX back-end then automatically specifies and verifies the track in differential dynamic logic (dℒ) with a custom procedure built in the KeYmaera X theorem prover. We show that the CDPA approach scales, testing real coasters of up to 56 components.
Life History Theory and Recovery From Substance Use Disorder

Recovery has emerged as an important paradigm in addictions treatment but the field has yet to achieve consensus on how it should be defined and measured. The recovery construct has been extended b...
Pacer: Automated Feedback-Based Vertical Elasticity for Heterogeneous Soft Real-Time Workloads

Cloud computing can be used to provide a virtualized platform for running various services, including soft real-time applications such as video streaming. To satisfy an application's real-time requirements, CPU resources are often allocated for the worst case, resulting in system under-utilization or overpaying to the cloud provider under the pay-as-you-go model. To solve this problem, we present Pacer, a framework that provides application developers a platform to implement custom virtual machine-level resource allocation algorithms that utilize real-time application-specific performance feedback from applications running in virtual machines. We also present two example resource allocation algorithms for Pacer that are based on additive-increase-multiplicative-decrease and self-tuning PID control. We apply Pacer to video stream object detection applications to show that Pacer can save more than 50% CPU utilization and use CPU resources more efficiently, while still meeting deadlines for real-time applications.
Tissue-specific extracellular matrix accelerates the formation of neural networks and communities in a neuron-glia co-culture on a multi-electrode array.

The brain’s extracellular matrix (ECM) is a macromolecular network composed of glycosaminoglycans, proteoglycans, glycoproteins, and fibrous proteins. In vitro studies often use purified ECM proteins for cell culture coatings, however these may not represent the molecular complexity and heterogeneity of the brain’s ECM. To address this, we compared neural network activity (over 30 days in vitro) from primary neurons co-cultured with glia grown on ECM coatings from decellularized brain tissue (bECM) or MaxGel, a non-tissue-specific ECM. Cells were grown on a multi-electrode array (MEA) to enable noninvasive long-term interrogation of neuronal networks. In general, the presence of ECM accelerated the formation of networks without affecting the inherent network properties. However, specific features of network activity were dependent on the type of ECM: bECM enhanced network activity over a greater region of the MEA whereas MaxGel increased network burst rate associated with robust synaptophysin expression. These differences in network activity were not attributable to cellular composition, glial proliferation, or astrocyte phenotypes, which remained constant across experimental conditions. Collectively, the addition of ECM to neuronal cultures represents a reliable method to accelerate the development of mature neuronal networks, providing a means to enhance throughput for routine evaluation of neurotoxins and novel therapeutics.
Hormonal regulation of bovine liver and skeletal muscle IGF-1 mRNA

63 INTRODUCTION 65 MATERIALS AND METHODS 67 Animals 67 Hormone Treatment 67 Blood Sampling 67 Biopsies 68 Radioimmunoassay 70 Nucleic Acid Isolation 70 Solution Hybridization 71 Statistical Analysis 71 RESULTS 73 Acute Response 73 Chronic Response 75 Correlation of Measurements 77 DISCUSSION 80 LITERATURE CITED 85 SECTION III. THE RELATIONSHIP OF THYROID STATUS 88 TO GH AND IGF-1 IN PLASMA AND IGF-1 mRNA IN LIVER AND SKELETAL MUSCLE OF CATTLE ABSTRACT 90 INTRODUCTION 91 MATERIALS AND METHODS 92 Animals 92
Perceived Parental Anxiety and Depressive Problems and Emerging Adult Oppositional Defiant Problems: Moderated Mediation by Psychological and Physical Maltreatment and Gender.

Recent studies have argued that Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) problems continue into emerging adulthood; however, few studies have examined ODD problems in this population. Moreover, previous studies have found that corporal punishment mediated the relationship between maternal anxiety/depression and child ODD problems in young children and that parental psychopathology is likely to affect child ODD. This study examined how maternal as well as paternal maltreatment (i.e., psychological and physical) mediated the relationship between parental anxiety/depressive problems and emerging adult ODD problems (i.e., irritability and defiance). Furthermore, child and parent gender were examined as moderators (i.e., moderated mediation). Participants included 1,012 emerging adults who completed questionnaires about parental psychological and physical maltreatment, parental anxiety and depression, and affective and behavioral ODD symptoms. Results suggested that mediation occurred for the father-daughter dyad along the perceived paternal depressive problems → psychological and physical maltreatment → irritability paths and for the mother-son dyad along the perceived maternal depressive and anxiety problems → psychological maltreatment → defiance paths. Given that mediation occurred for only these gender dyads, moderated mediation was suggested.
Exploring feasible design spaces for heterogeneous constraints

Abstract We demonstrate an approach of exploring design spaces to simultaneously satisfy kinematics- and physics-based requirements. We present a classification of constraints and solvers to enable postponing optimization as far down the design workflow as possible. The solvers are organized into two broad classes of design space ‘pruning’ and ‘exploration’ by considering the types of constraints they can satisfy. We show that pointwise constraints define feasible design subspaces that can be represented and computed as first-class entities by their maximal feasible elements. The design space is pruned upfront by intersecting maximal elements, without premature optimization. To solve for other constraints, we apply topology optimization (TO), starting from the pruned feasible space. The optimization is steered by a topological sensitivity field (TSF) that measures the global changes in violation of constraints with respect to local topological punctures. The TSF for global objective functions is augmented with TSF for global constraints, and penalized/filtered to incorporate local constraints, including set constraints converted to differentiable (in)equality constraints. We demonstrate application of the proposed workflow to nontrivial examples in design and manufacturing. Among other examples, we show how to explore pruned design spaces via TO to simultaneously satisfy physics-based constraints (e.g., minimize compliance and mass) as well as kinematics-based constraints (e.g., maximize accessibility for machining).
HPV Vaccination in Correctional Care: Knowledge, Attitudes, and Barriers Among Incarcerated Women

Incarcerated women are at increased risk of developing cervical cancer and have high rates of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, an important cause of cervical cancer. However, many correctional...
The Medicare Innovation Subsidy

Policymakers on both ends of the political spectrum have been looking for ways to reduce prescription drug prices. Democrats have also been working on expanding healthcare coverage, including different versions of Medicare for All. All these proposals have been framed as issues of access and spending. If innovation incentives come up at all, it has primarily been because pharmaceutical companies claim that reducing drug prices will threaten innovation by lowering the returns from their patents. In fact, however, pharmaceutical access and innovation incentives are intimately related. Health insurance can change the structure of market demand. And Medicare in particular does so in a way that gives a very large subsidy to patented drugs, such that current U.S. pharmaceutical profits are often higher than they would be in an unsubsidized market. Medicare reimbursement rules thus can lead to greater-than-monopoly pricing of patented drugs, dramatically expanding the incentive U.S. policy provides to pharmaceutical companies. By not recognizing the Medicare innovation subsidy, policymakers have ignored one of the largest sources of innovation incentives. That extra incentive might be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on how much incentive pharmaceutical developers need. It may well be good for some classes of drugs and bad for others. But it is important for policymakers to understand how access policies like Medicare also serve as innovation incentives. This extra innovation subsidy may open the policy space for hybrid proposals that combine expanded government insurance like Medicare for All with lower drug prices while preserving or even increasing current returns to innovation.
Calibrating the Adaptive Learning Rate to Improve Convergence of ADAM

Adaptive gradient methods (AGMs) have become popular in optimizing the nonconvex problems in deep learning area. We revisit AGMs and identify that the adaptive learning rate (A-LR) used by AGMs varies significantly across the dimensions of the problem over epochs (i.e., anisotropic scale), which may lead to issues in convergence and generalization. All existing modified AGMs actually represent efforts in revising the A-LR. Theoretically, we provide a new way to analyze the convergence of AGMs and prove that the convergence rate of \textsc{Adam} also depends on its hyper-parameter $\epsilon$, which has been overlooked previously. Based on these two facts, we propose a new AGM by calibrating the A-LR with an activation ({\em softplus}) function, resulting in the \textsc{Sadam} and \textsc{SAMSGrad} methods \footnote{Code is available at this https URL.}. We further prove that these algorithms enjoy better convergence speed under nonconvex, non-strongly convex, and Polyak-Łojasiewicz conditions compared with \textsc{Adam}. Empirical studies support our observation of the anisotropic A-LR and show that the proposed methods outperform existing AGMs and generalize even better than S-Momentum in multiple deep learning tasks.
Setting up a classroom lab

The Computer Sciences Accreditation Board (CSAB) initially accredited the undergraduate computer science program at the university in June 1991. We were re-accredited in 1994 and 1997. Several universities accredited by CSAB have implemented closed labs for their CS1 and CS2 classes. We have set up a classroom lab for our majors which we use during regularly scheduled lectures. This lab is used not only for CS1 and CS2 but also for several other courses. Our experiences in setting up the lab at a minimal cost were sometimes pleasant and often frustrating. We would like to share these experiences with those in other small colleges and universities so that they can learn from us when setting up a classroom or closed lab for the first time and not repeat the mistakes that we made.
Immune cell infiltrate at the utero-placental interface is altered in placenta accreta spectrum disorders

To characterize the immune cell infiltrate associated with maternal vascular remodeling in 12 cases of cesarean hysterectomy from women with placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) disorder. Myometrial vessels were evaluated by hematoxylin and eosin and immunohistochemistry stains on tissue microarrays that included samples from the myometrium, deep to the implantation site. Vessels were quantified based on physiologic conversion and immune cell infiltrates. Placental bed biopsies from cases of repeat cesarean section, and decidual vessels from delivered non-PAS placentas were used as controls. Immune cells, predominantly macrophages and T-cells, were present as a band along the placental-myometrial interface in PAS cases. However, within the myometrium, the infiltrate showed a perivascular accentuation. The infiltrates around and within vessel walls were composed of T-cells (CD3) and macrophages (CD68), with fewer NK (CD56), Treg (FoxP3) and rare B-cells (CD20). Plasma cells (CD138) were absent. The majority of vessels with immune cell infiltrates had undergone complete or partial physiologic conversion by trophoblast. However, a subset of unconverted vessels in the myometrium had a similar immune cell infiltration. Control blood vessels showed a similar pattern of leukocytes infiltration in the decidua and placental bed biopsies, but with a lower density. Our findings suggest that myometrial vascular changes in PAS resemble the physiological changes of vessels noted in the implantation site of normal pregnancies. The presence of perivascular immune cell infiltrates in the absence of adjacent trophoblast suggests that the process may be initiated by paracrine effects rather than direct contact or endovascular growth of trophoblast.
Aristotle on Helios’ ‘Omniscience’ in Iliad 3 and Odyssey 12: On schol. B* Iliad 3.277

The scholion, here reedited, deriving in part from Aristotle’s Homeric Problems , serves to elucidate an ancient debate about an apparent contradiction in the Homeric poems: Why would a god who sees all need a messenger?
Supervisory Control of Discrete Event Systems in the Presence of Sensor and Actuator Attacks

This work focuses on control of discrete event systems (DES) in the presence of attacks on their inputs and outputs. We propose to model such attacks as nondeterministic finite state transducers (FSTs) and show how FSTs can be used to capture a very wide class of attacks including all previously considered attacks on DES, as well as additional attacks and attack features reported in recent security incidents. We study the supervisory control problem in cases when attacks occur: (i) only on the sensors, (ii) only on the actuators, and (iii) both on the actuators and sensors of the plant. For each case, we present new sets of controllability theorems and synthesizing algorithms for attack-resilient supervisors. On a series of examples, we illustrate the use of our approach for modeling and design of such security-aware supervisory control.
The Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program: An Evaluation of Household Rent Savings

This paper presents an interdisciplinary overview and a robust discussion of various aspects of the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program. The study also evaluates rent savings accruing to ...
Environmental enrichment increases cue-dependent freezing and behavioral despair but decreases anxiety-like behavior in rats.

Abstract While post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can develop after exposure to severe traumatic events, data have shown that individuals with high sensation-seeking personality traits are less prone to developing PTSD. The current study used the rodent environmental enrichment preclinical model of sensation-seeking to determine if similar sensation seeking effects in animal models of PTSD-like behaviors were found. The study also attempted to determine whether environmental enrichment altered the effects of midazolam on these PTSD-like behaviors. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were received at postnatal day (PND) 21 and placed into either an enriched (EC), isolated (IC), or social (SC) condition. Beginning on PND 51, the animals underwent 3 fear conditioning trials where a tone was paired with a 2 s 0.7 mA footshock. Twenty-four hours later, rats were given 15-min i.p. pretreatments of 0, 0.5, or 1.5 mg/kg midazolam, before being placed into fear conditioning chambers for a test of expression of conditioned fear response in a novel context. Following fear conditioning, rodents were also tested in the elevated plus maze (EPM) and the forced swim task (FST) following pretreatments of midazolam. Results from fear conditioning indicated IC rats showed a significant decrease in freezing during acquisition compared to EC and SC rats. Also, during expression, IC rats had lower freezing following saline injections and 0.5 mg/kg midazolam but were equal in time freezing to EC and SC rats following 1.5 mg/kg midazolam. In the EPM there were no effects of midazolam and IC rats showed decreased time spent in the open arms compared to EC and SC rats. In FST, IC rats spent less time immobile and more time swimming compared to EC and SC rats. Overall, results suggest that the rodent environmental enrichment model of sensation-seeking seems to parallel the effects of sensation-seeking on likelihood of PTSD symptoms seen in humans.
Analyzing the spatial determinants of local Covid-19 transmission in the United States

The Coronavirus Disease 19 (COVID-19) has quickly spread across the United States (U.S.) since community transmission was first identified in January 2020. While a number of studies have examined individual-level risk factors for COVID-19, few studies have examined geographic hotspots and community drivers associated with spatial patterns in local transmission. The objective of the study is to understand the spatial determinants of the pandemic in counties across the U.S. by comparing socioeconomic variables to case and death data from January 22nd to June 30th 2020. A cluster analysis was performed to examine areas of high-risk, followed by a three-stage regression to examine contextual factors associated with elevated risk patterns for morbidity and mortality. The factors associated with community-level vulnerability included age, disability, language, race, occupation, and urban status. We recommend that cluster detection and spatial analysis be included in population-based surveillance strategies to better inform early case detection and prioritize healthcare resources.
Delivering Intensive PTSD Treatment Virtually: The Development of a 2-Week Intensive Cognitive Processing Therapy–Based Program in Response to COVID-19

Of the many vulnerable groups affected by the spread of COVID-19, veterans have been especially impacted by the pandemic. Beginning in March 2020, nationwide shelter-in-place orders rapidly led to widespread job loss and economic upheaval; disruption and breakdown of multiple support systems; and increases in family stress, all of which may exacerbate underlying PTSD symptoms. Although telehealth has proven an effective means of delivering evidence-based psychotherapies for PTSD, little is known about the delivery of these treatments in an intensive, daily format over telehealth. There is growing need for intensive treatment options to reduce treatment-interfering barriers such as high dropout rates. In order to address this gap in the literature, this paper details several design considerations as well as patient selection procedures for a 2-week virtual intensive treatment program (vITP) for veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), consisting of daily individual Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) and other adjunctive interventions. We also describe two cases of veterans who successfully completed the vITP including their clinical outcomes, therapist reflections on the process, feedback regarding the program, as well as challenges patients encountered with the telehealth platform. Intensive evidence-based psychotherapy for PTSD delivered through a virtual format seems to show promise, but more systemic research is needed.
Ultrasonic atomization of titanium isopropoxide at room temperature for TiO2 atomic layer deposition

Room temperature evaporation of titanium isopropoxide [Ti[OCH(CH3)2]4, TTIP] precursor was performed using ultrasonic atomization for TiO2 atomic layer deposition (ALD). Quartz crystal microbalance data show comparable results between room temperature TTIP ultrasonic atomization and conventional thermal evaporation. The TiO2 ALD saturation window is established for room temperature atomized TTIP exposure time and reactor temperatures. Room temperature atomized TTIP grown TiO2 films show smooth surface morphology before/after the annealing treatment. Two-dimensional TiO2 film thickness mappings on a 150 mm diameter Si(100) wafer were performed by spectroscopic ellipsometry. The thickness variation of TiO2 films by the room temperature atomized TTIP is less uniform than that of TiO2 films by thermally evaporated TTIP, probably due to the incomplete evaporation of the TTIP liquid droplets, which is more difficult to transport than its vapor.
Catalyst design to direct high-octane gasoline fuel properties for improved engine efficiency

Abstract The paraffin-to-olefin (P/O) ratio in gasoline fuel is a critical metric affecting fuel properties and engine efficiency. In the conversion of dimethyl ether (DME) to high-octane hydrocarbons over BEA zeolite catalysts, the P/O ratio can be controlled through catalyst design. Here, we report bimetallic catalysts that balance the net hydrogenation and dehydrogenation activity during DME homologation. The Cu-Zn/BEA catalyst exhibited greater relative dehydrogenation activity attributed to higher ionic site density, resulting in a lower P/O ratio (6.6) versus the benchmark Cu/BEA (9.4). The Cu-Ni/BEA catalyst exhibited increased hydrogenation due to reduced Ni species, resulting in a higher P/O ratio (19). The product fuel properties were estimated with an efficiency merit function and compared against finished gasolines and a typical alkylate blendstock. Merit values for the hydrocarbon product from all three BEA catalysts exceeded those of the comparison fuels (0–5.3), with the product from Cu-Zn/BEA exhibiting the highest merit value (9.7).
Postoperative Fever in Pediatric Patients with Neuromuscular Disorders after Deformity Correction Surgery: Frequency and Utility of Diagnostic Workup

Background Children with neuromuscular disorders have a significant chance of developing scoliosis and/or hip dislocation and often undergo surgical reconstruction. Due to their high rate of medical comorbidities, these patients are often co-managed, along with orthopaedics, by pediatric medicine and critical care teams and are at higher risk of post-operative complications. Postoperative fever is a frequent occurrence and often prompts extensive diagnostic workup which increase the cost and burden on the health system but have unclear effects on the care of the patient. Objective The objective of our study is to evaluate the …
Implementation Challenges Associated with Developing a Web-based E-notebook

As people increasingly turn to the World Wide Web to help them manage their daily tasks, they engage in the process of information assimilation (IA). IA refers to the gathering, editing, annotating, organizing, and saving of Web information, as well as the tracking of ongoing Web work processes. Although evidence suggests that IA is a critical process for Web users, it is currently not well supported by existing browsers and other software applications. The lack of adequate software support for IA may be attributed to implementation difficulties associated with developing general Web-based applications. In addition, usability must be a major priority in the development of interactive systems to support IA. The NetNotes prototype, a Web-based e-notebook, represents a limited solution to the problem of developing software to support IA. NetNotes works in conjunction with a specific Web domain, deals with a limited number of Web components, and requires minor server-side modifications. Despite these limitations, however, the NetNotes implementation exposes some of the key technical problems associated with implementing Web-based software, it successfully incorporates a number of critical IA requirements, and it is robust enough to be used in future experimental evaluations.
How Does Radiation Damage Materials

Two experimental studies shed light on the dynamic behavior of the defects created by radiation damage in materials.
METABOLIC CHARACTERIZATION OF THE GENUS BRUCELLA I. Statistical Evaluation of the Oxidative Rates by Which Type I of Each Species Can Be Identified

Meyer, Margaret E. (University of California, Davis), and H. S. Cameron. Metabolic characterization of the genus Brucella. I. Statistical evaluation of the oxidative rates by which type I of each species can be identified. J. Bacteriol. 82:387-395. 1961.-The oxidative uptake rates on 11 amino acid and seven carbohydrate substrates were determined for 75 strains of brucellae that had been identified by the conventional determinative methods as Brucella melitensis type I, Brucella abortus type I, or Brucella suis type I. By calculating the standard deviation of the oxidative rates, it was demonstrated that a metabolic pattern that is characteristic and definitive for each of the species was formed by their differential oxidative utilization of substrate groups, and that qualitative as well as quantitative metabolic differences exist among the Brucella species. B. melitensis oxidized l-alanine, l-asparagine, and l-glutamic acid, but not l-arginine, dl-citrulline, l-lysine, dl-ornithine, l-arabinose, d-galactose, d-ribose, or d-xylose. B. abortus differed qualitatively from B. melitensis in that it oxidized the carbohydrate substrates. B. suis differed quantitatively from both of these species in its consistently low oxidative rates of l-alanine, l-asparagine, and l-glutamic acid, and its high rates of utilization of the carbohydrate substrates. It differed qualitatively in that it oxidized the four amino acid substrates that are components of the urea cycle.
Well‐being of mothers of children with mental retardation: An evaluation of the Double ABCX model in a cross‐cultural context

The present study was designed to compare the psychological well-being of mothers of children with mental retardation in the USA and Korea. The Double ABCX model of stress proposed by McCubbin and Patterson (1983) was evaluated for the two national groups. Thirty-eight American and 40 Korean mothers participated in the home-visit interview. The path models in the present study partially supported the ABCX model, but different path models for the two national groups provided important explanations for the well-being of mothers from the two nations. The cause of stress for the American mothers was specific to the individual variables. For Korean mothers, cultural values that carry social influence were more strongly associated with their attitudes towards the child and their experience of stress.
Clusters of Low 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose Uptake Voxels in Combat Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Abstract Individuals with mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) show diminished metabolic activity when studied with positron emission tomography (PET) with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG). Since blast injury may not be localized in the same specific anatomical areas in every patient or may be diffuse, significance probability mapping may be vulnerable to false-negative detection of abnormalities. To address this problem, we used an anatomically independent measure to assess PET scans: increased numbers of contiguous voxels that are 2 standard deviations below values found in an uninjured control group. We examined this in three age-matched groups of male patients: 16 veterans with a history of mild TBI, 17 veterans with both mild TBI and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and 15 veterans without either condition. After FDG administration, subjects performed a modified version of the California Verbal Learning Task. Clusters of low uptake voxels were identified by computing the mean and standard deviation fo...
Cauliflower mosaic virus aphid transmission factor protein is expressed in cells infected with some aphid nontransmissible isolates

Abstract An antibody raised to the gel-purified product (p18) of cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) open reading frame (ORF) II was used in conjunction with sensitive serological techniques to detect p18 in inclusion body preparations from turnip tissue infected with the aphid transmissible (AT + ) isolate Cabb B-JI. p18 was not detected when tissue was infected with the aphid nontransmissible (AT − ) isolate CM4-184 that contains a large deletion in ORF II. However, inclusion body preparations from tissue infected with the AT − isolates Campbell and CM1841 contained p18. Hence, the AT phenotype is not directly correlated with the presence or absence of the ORF II product, as was previously indicated when less sensitive techniques were used for analysis.
Characterization and hydrodesulfurization activity studies of unpromoted molybdenum sulfides prepared by elemental solid state reaction

Solid state reactions of elemental molybdenum and sulfur were used to synthesize unpromoted, model HDS catalysts. The samples studied had synthesis stoichiometries of MoS 2, MOSI.95, and MoSi.975 . Catalytic activity for the hydrodesulfurization of thiophene was tested in a flow reactor at temperatures ranging from 523 to 673 K and 1 atm of pressure. Characterization of these materials was carried out using X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, 02 and CO chemisorption, and Xray photoelectron spectroscopy. Our activity measurements indicate that increased HDS activity coincides with the presence of a nonstoichiometric molybdenum sulfide phase as determined by XRD and electron microscopy. The chemisorption studies revealed that a small reduction in a catalyst's sulfur content could cause a 20-fold increase in BET surface area and a 50-fold increase in 02 or CO uptake. Normalization of the HDS activity based on chemisorption data using 0 2 and CO as probe molecules proved to be a meaningful method for assessing HDS activities. On the stoichiometric MoS2 sample, XPS showed the presence of significant amounts of surface oxygen even after prolonged treatment in Hz/HzS while surface oxygen was completely removed from the nonstoichiometric samples after reduction under similar conditions. This resulted in greater Mo and S concentrations at the surface of the nonstoichiometric materials, improved the surface sulfiding, and may be linked to higher HDS activity. Additional work is necessary to establish the link between the observed increased in catalytic activity, increased H2 dissociation capability, and the specific surface reaction mechanism. © 1992 Academic Press, Inc.
3D perfusion mapping in post-infarct mice using myocardial contrast echocardiography

Myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE) was used to construct three-dimensional maps of perfusion defects in closed-chest mice, with and without myocardial infarction (MI) induced by permanent coronary ligation. Contiguous, short-axis MCE cine images spanning the heart from apex to base were acquired at 1 mm elevations in each mouse. MCE images at each elevation were color-coded to indicate relative perfusion and were compared with postmortem histology. A strong correlation (R > 0.93) in the size of perfused areas was observed between in vivo measurements and the results of conventional ex vivo tissue staining. 3D multislice and 3D surface renderings of perfusion distribution were created and these perfusion maps also matched well with postmortem histology. These methods provide for the noninvasive determination of the total ischemic region placed at risk by coronary occlusion: this is a critical variable in assessing the potential of novel therapeutic agents to reduce MI size in murine models of ischemia/reperfusion injury.
Desalination by ammonia–carbon dioxide forward osmosis: Influence of draw and feed solution concentrations on process performance

Abstract Forward (direct) osmosis (FO) using semi-permeable polymeric membranes may be a viable alternative to reverse osmosis as a lower cost and more environmentally friendly desalination technology. The driving force in the described FO process is provided by a draw solution comprising highly soluble gases—ammonia and carbon dioxide. Using a commercially available FO membrane, experiments conducted in a crossflow, flat-sheet membrane filtration cell yielded water fluxes ranging from 1 to 10 μm/s (2.1 to 21.2 gal ft−2 d−1 or 3.6 to 36.0 l m−2 h−1) for a wide range of draw and feed solution concentrations. It was found, however, that the experimental water fluxes were far lower than those anticipated based on available bulk osmotic pressure difference and membrane pure water permeability data. Internal concentration polarization was determined to be the major cause for the lower than expected water flux by analysis of the available water flux data and SEM images of the membrane displaying a porous support layer. Draw solution concentration was found to play a key role in this phenomenon. Sodium chloride rejection was determined to be 95–99% for most tests, with higher rejections occurring under higher water flux conditions. Desalination of very high sodium chloride feed solutions (simulating 75% recovery of seawater) was also deemed possible, leading to the possibility of brine discharge minimization.
Poets House Show-case: selected titles 2010

Purpose – Poets House, a poetry special collection in New York, hosts an annual exhibit of the preceding year's 2,100+ poetry publications in the USA. This paper aims to offer a selection of recommended titles that reflect the range of poetry titles including single‐author works, anthologies, and prose about poetry.Design/methodology/approach – The paper researched and requested donations of 2009‐2010 poetry titles from US poetry publishers to assemble and display a comprehensive collection of poetry publications, from which a selection of 50+ titles was made. The selections should appeal to a range of poetry readers, from novices and students to poets looking to access the latest work from their peers.Findings – More than 2,500 poetry titles were published in the USA between June 2009 and June 2010. These titles range from mainstream publishers to independent presses to artists' collectives publishing works from established poets as well as emerging and international poets.Research limitations/implicatio...
Use Of Metallic Mesh In Submillimeter Optical Components

AbstractMany optical components in the visible or near infrared make use of thin film evaporation technology toproduce coatings for narrowband filters, high- frequency and low -frequency pass filters, beamsplitter andantireflector coatings. The extension of these techniques to wavelengths beyond 50 um is virtually impos-sible due to absorption and the difficulty of adhesion of thick films. Many devices however can be fabri-cated using metallic mesh or its complementary structure as the reflecting elements in interference filters.This paper will discuss the performance of such filters, of either bandpass or blocking characteristics,and the application of these structures to high- resolution spectroscopy. Beamsplitters using the polariza-tion properties of metallic mesh will also be discussed. Introduction During the past fifteen years there have been many significant developments in the spectroscopic cap-abilities of the submillimeter wavelength region. Although conventional microwave and millimeter devicesare having their operating frequencies pushed higher and higher, most of the improvements in spectroscopyin the wavelength region 50 pm to 10,000 pm (6000 GHz to 30 GHz) have been optical in nature. Of specificimportance has been Fourier Transform Soectroscopyl (made possible by high -speed computers), optically -pumoed lasers,2 solid state detectors,3 and filters.`' This paper is mainly concerned with the latter andwith other devices which use similar components. This will include Fabry -Perot spectroscopy and beam
An inordinate fondness for behavioural ecology

Behavioural ecology might always be perceived by some as adaptive storytelling. But at its best, behavioural ecology represents the exciting synergy between evolution, ecology and behaviour. Although this book might not be able to change the opinion of those who do not share my fondness for behavioural ecology, it clearly captures this impressive synergy. As I read this Behavioural Ecology, I could not help but compare it to the field-defining Behavioural Ecology books edited and written by Krebs and Davies [1,2] and wonder whether this newcomer had any chance of supplanting it, or offering more than the other animal behaviour textbooks already available.
The interaction effect of relational norms and agent cooperativeness on opportunism in buyer–supplier relationships

Abstract In this study, we examined the effect of relational norms and agent cooperativeness on opportunism in buyer–supplier relationships. Drawing from the theoretical grounding of transaction cost economics, personality trait theory, and contingency theory, we proposed three distinct perspectives on opportunism mitigation in buyer–supplier relationships: (1) organizationalist, (2) individualist, and (3) interactionist, where relational norms, agent cooperativeness, and the interaction between them, respectively, serve as the key predictors in these three perspectives. The results of replicated experiments indicated that relational norms and agent cooperativeness interact with each other in mitigating opportunism and that the interactionist perspective yielded the highest explained variance in opportunism. This suggests that the interactionist perspective, a multi-level theoretical lens encompassing the dynamic interplay between organization-level and individual-level factors, was a more complete model in explaining opportunism than either the organizationalist or individualist perspectives. The consensus which emerged from post-experimental interviews of purchasing professionals is that agent personalities play an important role in buyer–supplier relationships. Some purchasing professionals had observed that uncooperative agents or personnel turnover in the boundary-spanning functions can substantially undermine even established relational exchanges. These qualitative findings are in line with our theoretical arguments and experimental outcomes.
Unbound bilirubin concentration is associated with abnormal automated auditory brainstem response for jaundiced newborns.

OBJECTIVE. This study was conducted to determine whether incidental jaundice affects automated auditory brainstem response results. METHODS. We reviewed the medical charts of jaundiced newborns of ≥34 weeks of gestation who underwent automated auditory brainstem response testing within 4 hours of plasma total bilirubin concentration and unbound bilirubin concentration measurements. We tested the hypothesis that the likelihood of abnormal automated auditory brainstem response results would increase as total bilirubin and unbound bilirubin concentrations increased. RESULTS. Forty-four infants with proximate total bilirubin concentration, unbound bilirubin concentration, and automated auditory brainstem response measurements were identified, and 4 (9%) had bilateral refer automated auditory brainstem response results. The mean total bilirubin concentration of 21.4 mg/dL (SD: 4.0 mg/dL; range: 14.4–29.5 mg/dL) for the 40 infants with bilateral pass automated auditory brainstem response results was not significantly different from that of 23.0 mg/dL (range: 14.9–33.1 mg/dL) for the 4 infants with bilateral refer automated auditory brainstem response results. However, the mean unbound bilirubin concentration of 1.32 μg/dL (range: 0.22–2.99 μg/dL) for the 40 infants with bilateral pass results was significantly lower than the mean of 2.62 μg/dL (range: 0.88–4.41 μg/dL) for the 4 infants with bilateral refer results. Logistic regression showed that increasing unbound bilirubin concentrations but not increasing total bilirubin concentrations were associated with of bilateral refer automated auditory brainstem response results. CONCLUSIONS. The probability of bilateral refer automated auditory brainstem response results increases significantly with increasing unbound bilirubin concentrations but not with increasing total bilirubin concentrations. Because unbound bilirubin concentrations are also more closely correlated with bilirubin neurotoxicity than are total bilirubin concentrations, bilateral refer automated auditory brainstem response results for jaundiced newborns may indicate increased risk of bilirubin neurotoxicity, in addition to the possibility of congenital deafness.
Work Characteristics and the Preventive Health Behaviors and Subjective Health of Married Parents with Preschool Age Children

The current study examines how job demands and resources are associated with preventive health behaviors and subjective health outcomes among a sample of married, working parents with young children (N = 144), a group for whom free time is limited and work–family obligations are high and competing. Of the job demands and resources considered here (work hours, work pressure, face time norms, job flexibility, and coworker support), all but face-time norms were significantly associated with the dependent variable in at least one of the statistical models. Job demands and resources were more useful in models examining subjective health outcomes (feeling worried or stressed, feeling overwhelmed, and feeling healthy and energetic) than models examining preventive health behaviors (days of adequate exercise, sleep, and healthy diet). For working mothers, the combination of work hours and job flexibility was important across models, whereas for working fathers, coworker support was influential. Implications of these findings are discussed.
National standards strategy: public/private cooperation for global competitiveness

Purpose – Establishing timely national product design standards is an important cooperative activity capable of capturing economic benefits from having the national product design standard adopted for global commerce. The purpose of this paper is to undertake an exploratory analysis of five global economic powers' – Canada, Germany, Japan, the UK, and the USA – national standards strategy (NSS), comparing them for commonality in institutional standards setting policy approaches, i.e. there should be a general “convergence” in specific NSS policy initiatives among similar, economically developed countries.Design/methodology/approach – The five national standards strategies are evaluated for distinctive policy initiatives, with common policy initiatives combined, resulting in 18 distinctive policy initiatives found among the surveyed population. Each national standard strategy is then compared to the 18 policy initiatives, with commonality recorded.Findings – Contrary to any preconception that economies con...