cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A longitudinal study of high-risk children: Educational outcomes.

DATA FROM the Mother‐Child Project, a longitudinal study of high‐risk children, indicated that the percentage of children referred for school‐based problems was approximately 40% in grades one, two and three. Basically all of the children who were referred were receiving some form of educational services. Similarly, the majority of children achieving below the 25th percentile on a standardized achievement test were receiving special educational services. The reasons some of the low‐achieving students were not receiving services were higher social adjustment, better work habits and a past educational history of success as compared to those low‐achieving students who were receiving services. Greater differences between served and unserved groups were found on historical rather than current measures, which suggests that the chronicity of educational problems had a major impact in determining which students received services. The results suggest that across the large number of schools serving high‐risk childr...
Health Services Use and Mortality Among Older Primary Care Patients with Alcoholism

OBJECTIVE: To describe the prevalence of alcoholism in an older primary care population and to compare rates of health services use and mortality among those with and those without evidence of alcoholism. DESIGN: Baseline screening for alcoholism using the CAGE questionnaire and longitudinal assessment of health services use and mortality using an electronic medical record system. SETTING: An academic primary care group practice at an urban ambulatory care clinic. PATIENTS: A total of 3954 patients aged 60 and older who completed the CAGE alcoholism screening questionnaire during routine office visits. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Comorbidity, preventive health services use, hospital episodes and length of stay, emergency room visits, ambulatory care visits, total outpatient charges, and mortality. RESULTS: The prevalence of current evidence of alcoholism, as defined by a CAGE score ≤ 2 and alcohol use in the previous 12 months, was 10.6%. Patients with evidence of alcoholism were younger (66.2 vs 68.3 years), had fewer years of education (8.4 vs 9.1), were more likely to be male (65.8 vs 27.2%), black (71.2 vs 62.6%), smokers (40.4 vs 26.3%), and malnourished (32.5 vs 26.3%). Patients with alcoholism were more likely to have a diagnosis of obstructive lung disease (22.9 vs 18.3%), injuries (14.2 vs 8.3%), and gout (6.7 vs 2.9%) and less likely to have a diagnosis of hypertension (56.9 vs 61.8%), arthritis (23.3 vs 29.3%), and diabetes (15.9 vs 23.3%). Among those with evidence of alcoholism, 41.6% had a diagnosis of alcoholism in their outpatient medical record. Rates of completion of preventive health services did not differ between the two groups, and there was no difference in the number of ambulatory care visits, emergency room visits, or total outpatient charges. Patients with evidence of alcoholism were more likely to be hospitalized (21.5 vs 16.9%) and more likely to die within 2 years (10.6% vs 6.3%). CONCLUSIONS: One of 10 older patients in this primary care practice had current evidence of alcoholism, fewer than half of whom had documentation of alcohol abuse in their medical records. These patients were more likely to be hospitalized and more likely to die but did not consume a greater amount of outpatient resources. Further research is needed to determine if interventions to reduce alcohol use would also reduce excess hospitalizations and mortality among these older patients.
Doppler and Two-Dimensional Echocardiographic Assessment of Left Ventricular Function Before and After Intravenous Dipyridamole Stress Testing for Detection of Coronary Artery Disease

Abstract Thallium perfusion imaging following the intravenous infusion of dipyridamole, a potent coronary vasodilator, has been demonstrated to be useful in the evaluation of the functional significance of coronary artery disease (CAD). While recent studies have demonstrated that 2-dimensional echocardiographic monitoring of left ventricular (LV) function after intravenous dipyridamole has a sensitivity somewhat less than that of thallium perfusion imaging, none has examined the usefulness of Doppler evaluation of aortic blood flow in this setting. One hundred patients undergoing dipyridamolethallium imaging for clinical indications were studied. Technically adequate Doppler echocardiographic studies were obtained in 97 patients. LV ejection fraction, peak aortic velocity and acceleration, as well as segmental LV wall motion, were analyzed before and at peak dipyridamole effect. Thallium perfusion images were normal in 41 and abnormal in 53 patients studied. A statistically significant difference in percent change from baseline to peak dipyridamole effect in velocity, acceleration and ejection fraction was seen between the 2 groups (26 vs −2%, 51 vs −2% and 16 vs 4%, respectively, all p
Coaggregation-Mediated Interactions of Streptococci and Actinomyces Detected in Initial Human Dental Plaque

Streptococci and actinomyces that initiate colonization of the tooth surface frequently coaggregate with each other as well as with other oral bacteria. These observations have led to the hypothesis that interbacterial adhesion influences spatiotemporal development of plaque. To assess the role of such interactions in oral biofilm formation in vivo, antibodies directed against bacterial surface components that mediate coaggregation interactions were used as direct immunofluorescent probes in conjunction with laser confocal microscopy to determine the distribution and spatial arrangement of bacteria within intact human plaque formed on retrievable enamel chips. In intrageneric coaggregation, streptococci such as Streptococcus gordonii DL1 recognize receptor polysaccharides (RPS) borne on other streptococci such as Streptococcus oralis 34. To define potentially interactive subsets of streptococci in the developing plaque, an antibody against RPS (anti-RPS) was used together with an antibody against S. gordonii DL1 (anti-DL1). These antibodies reacted primarily with single cells in 4-h-old plaque and with mixed-species microcolonies in 8-h-old plaque. Anti-RPS-reactive bacteria frequently formed microcolonies with anti-DL1-reactive bacteria and with other bacteria distinguished by general nucleic acid stains. In intergeneric coaggregation between streptococci and actinomyces, type 2 fimbriae of actinomyces recognize RPS on the streptococci. Cells reactive with antibody against type 2 fimbriae of Actinomyces naeslundii T14V (anti-type-2) were much less frequent than either subset of streptococci. However, bacteria reactive with anti-type-2 were seen in intimate association with anti-RPS-reactive cells. These results are the first direct demonstration of coaggregation-mediated interactions during initial plaque accumulation in vivo. Further, these results demonstrate the spatiotemporal development and prevalence of mixed-species communities in early dental plaque.
Does β-adrenoceptor activation stimulate Ca2+ mobilization and inositol trisphosphate formation in parotid acinar cells?

Abstract The effects of the β-adrenoceptor agonist, isoprenaline, on Ca 2+ mobilization and inositol phosphate formation in parotid acinar cells were examined. Isoprenaline (2 μM) failed to increase cytosolic [Ca 2+ ] in acinar cells, as measured by Fura-2 fluorescence, even in the presence of a phosphodiesterase inhibitor. Likewise, neither the 8-bromo nor the dibutyryl derivatives of cAMP (both at 2 mM concentration) increased [Ca 2+ ] i . However, in confirmation of results previously published, a higher concentration of isoprenaline (200 μM) increased cytosolic [Ca 2+ ] i of rat parotid acinar cells, from 104 ± 4 nM to 151 ± 18 nM. The increase in [Ca 2+ ] i in response to isoprenaline, while transient in the absence of extracellular Ca 2+ , was sustained in Ca 2+ -containing medium. This isoprenaline-stimulated Ca 2+ signal was more potently antagonized by phentolamine than by propranolol, suggesting that the higher concentration of isoprenaline activated α-adrenoceptors. Furthermore, the Ca 2+ signal generated in response to the α-adrenoceptor agonist, phenylephrine, also was blocked by the same concentrations of propranolol necessary to block the effects of isoprenaline, suggesting that propranolol may block α-adrenoceptors under certain experimental conditions. The high concentration of (−)isoprenaline (200 μM) also increased inositol (1,4,5) trisphosphate and inositol (1,3,4) trisphosphate formation 45% within 30 s. Analogous to the increase in intracellular Ca 2+ , the formation of inositol phosphates stimulated by isoprenaline was more potently antagonized by the α-adrenoceptor antagonist, phentolamine, than by the β-adrenoceptor antagonist, propranolol, again suggesting that isoprenaline interacts with α-adrenoceptors on parotid cells. Thus, the effects of isoprenaline on [Ca 2+ ] i do not appear to be mediated by cAMP. Instead, the results suggest that the previously reported effects of high concentrations of isoprenaline on inositol phosphate formation and Ca 2+ mobilization can be attributed to activation of α-adrenoceptors. Therefore, the activation of exocytosis in the parotid acinar cell through β-adrenoceptors does not appear to involve changes in cellular Ca 2+ metabolism.
Efficacy of adding detergents to sanitizer solutions for inactivation of Escherichia coli O157:H7 on Romaine lettuce☆

Numerous Escherichia coli O157:H7 outbreaks have been linked to consumption of fresh lettuce. The development of effective and easily implemented wash treatment could reduce such incidents. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the addition of food-grade detergents to sanitizer solutions for inactivation of E. coli O157:H7 on Romaine lettuce. Freshly-cut leaves of Romaine lettuce were dip-inoculated to achieve a final cell concentration of 7.8±0.2 log CFU/g, air-dried for 2h, and stored overnight at 4 °C. Leaves were then washed for 2 min in an experimental short chain fatty acid formulation (SCFA) or in one of the following solutions with or without 0.2% dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid or 0.2% sodium 2-ethyl hexyl sulfate: 1) deionized water; 2) 100 ppm chlorine dioxide; 3) 100 ppm chlorine; and 4) 200 ppm chlorine. Following wash treatment, samples were blended in neutralizing buffer (1:3) and surface plated on the selective media CT-SMAC. The efficacy of wash treatments, with or without the detergents, in inactivating E. coli O157:H7 cells on lettuce leaves were not significantly different. The most effective wash solution was SCFA, which was capable of reducing E. coli O157:H7 populations by more than 5 log CFU/g. The rest of the wash treatments resulted in a population reduction of less than 1 log CFU/g. The effectiveness of SCFA surpasses that of other sanitizer treatments tested in this study and requires further research to optimize treatments to preserve lettuce quality. Conventional detergents did not enhance the efficacy of any of the wash treatments tested during this study.
Transverse photon effect in mirror nuclei

Abstract We discuss the effect of the interactions of transverse photons with nucleons in a nucleus on the energy difference between mirror pairs of nuclei. The inclusion of this interaction energy reduces the coulomb energy anomaly by about 10% in the mirror pairs of nuclei considered. (A = 13 – 33).
Early Stress and Genetic Influences on Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Functioning in Adulthood

Abstract During early development, environmental challenges set the stage for permanent changes in the functioning of the pituitary–adrenal stress response. Since these data have been reported almost exclusively in single rat strains the role of phenotypic and genotypic factors in shaping the stress response is relatively unknown. This study examined whether the phenotypic/genetic profile of the rat influences the long-term response to challenge after early exposure to stress. Two strains of Sprague–Dawley rats were used in this study: one is a stress-induced animal model of “learned helpless” (LH) behavior and the other a resistant strain developed through selective breeding. Stress-induced adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and corticosterone release was monitored in adult congenital learned helpless (cLH) rats and congenital non-learned helpless (cNLH) rats. The rats were exposed to cold stress or maternal deprivation (on either postnatal day 7 or day 21). After the early acute stress exposure, animals remained undisturbed until challenged in adulthood (day 90) with footshock stress. In cLH animals (adults) early cold stress (particularly after acute stress on postnatal day 21) and maternal deprivation stress resulted in an enhancement of stress-induced ACTH release compared to nonstressed cLH and cNLH controls. In contrast, adrenal responsiveness was generally suppressed in cLH animals that were acutely stressed with cold stress or maternal deprivation stress early in life. The above results suggest that the genetic/phenotypic profile of the animal is a determinant in the changes observed in the adult stress response after early exposure to stressors.
Comparisons of several structure-toxicity relationships for chlorophenols

Abstract We compared the toxic response of chlorophenols from 10 different test systems. These systems used various experimental protocols including phylogenetically diverse test species. The best statistical model for explaining variation in toxic response (log TR) with changes in hydrophobicity (log K ow ) was a traditional analysis of covariance model. This model consists of a set of parallel lines corresponding to the different test systems. The y-intercepts for these lines fell into four clearly defined subgroups. In general, the toxic response of a given chlorophenol in one system could be used to predict its toxic response in other systems.
Projection structure of a gap junction membrane channel at 7 A resolution

Electron cryo-microscopy and image analysis of frozen-hydrated, two-dimensional crystals of gap junction membrane channels formed by recombinant alpha 1 connexin (Cx43) reveal a ring of transmembrane alpha-helices that lines the aqueous pore and a second ring of alpha-helices in close contact with the membrane lipids.
The effect of a novel VMAT2 inhibitor, GZ-793A, on methamphetamine reward in rats

Rationale Previous research suggests that the vesicular monoamine transporter-2 (VMAT2) is a novel target for the treatment of methamphetamine (METH) abuse.
SU-DD-A2-05: Impact of Fiducial Marker Placement for the Purpose of Phase Definition of the Respiratory Cycle for 4D-CT Image Reconstruction

Purpose: Most 4D‐CT acquisition methods rely on an externally measurable quantity proportional to the breathing cycle (e.g. chest wall excursion), for 4D‐CT image reconstruction. Typically, the position of a single reflective marker placed on the patient's chest is monitored. The marker location is often chosen primarily to maximize the measurable motion irrespective of proximity to tumor location. We examine the behavior of motion of multiple markers, at different locations, placed on the patient surface during 4D‐CT acquisition and evaluate the impact of marker location on respiratory cycle phase definition for 4D‐CT reconstruction and its subsequent application to radiotherapy planning. Method and Materials: An infrared guided positioning system (iGPS), capable of tracking multiple reflective fiducials in 3 dimensions, has been adapted to provide respiratory phase information for 4D‐CT reconstruction. Data for 3‐5 marker positions, placed at different locations on the patients chest, from 10 patients receiving 4D‐CT was examined. Results: For most patients (9/10) motion of 3–5 markers is reasonably well synchronized suggesting no significant effect of the fiducial location. For one patient, we observed a marker on the abdomen switch from being completely in‐phase to being completely out of phase relative to a marker on the center of the chest. This dramatically illustrates that the phase of a specific external marker may not correspond to the motion, external or internal, near the volume of interest. Conclusions: The position of a fiducial marker may affect not only the amplitude of motion but also the observed phase for some patients. The importance of this phase shift depends on how the resulting 4D‐CT is ultimately applied to radiotherapy planning. In particular, if specific phases (e.g. extremes) are selected for radiotherapy target definition, special attention should be paid to the location of the fiducial marker and its role in image reconstruction.
Alcoholic Hepatitis and Corticosteroids

Excerpt During the past decade, much progress has been made in understanding the pathobiology of alcoholic hepatitis. Prospective natural history studies indicate that 80% of patients with this les...
Mechanics of media motion in tumbling mills with 3d discrete element method

Abstract The charge motion in a tumbling mill is analyzed in detail using a numerical simulation scheme known as the discrete element method (DEM). In particular, the profile of the ball charge, impact energy distribution and power draft are predicted as a function of mill operating conditions. The analyses are verified by direct experimentation in a 90-cm diameter ball mill of adjustable length fitted with a transparent end plate. The images of the charge motion are captured on a video camera and analyzed with image-processing software. Simultaneously, the mill power is recorded with a torque sensor. The DEM prediction of power draw is compared with experimental measurements. Also, predicted charge profiles are compared with video images. Both ball segregation and surging phenomena are analyzed. A novel scheme of analyzing video images for obtaining impact energy spectra is shown. In all cases, the results of the numerical scheme are in good agreement with experimental measurements, thereby proving that the three-dimensional numerical code is a viable tool for ball mill analysis.
Biological perchlorate reduction in high-salinity solutions.

Abstract Perchlorate (ClO 4 − ) has been detected in numerous ground and surface waters, and has recently been added to the drinking water Candidate Contaminant List in the United States. Perchlorate can be removed from drinking water using ion exchange, but this results in the production of highly saline (7–12%) perchlorate-contaminated brines. Perchlorate-degrading microbial enrichments capable of growth in highly saline water were obtained by screening six salt water environments including marine and lake surface waters, salt marshes, subtidal sediments, and a biofilm/sludge from a seawater filter. Perchlorate reduction was obtained in three of these samples (seawater, saline lake water, and biofilm/sludge) at a salinity of 3%. The salinity range of two of these cultures was extended through serial transfers into media having higher salt concentrations (3–7%). Growth rates were measured over a salinity range of 1–15%. The maximum growth rate measured for the saline lake-water enrichment was 0.060±0.003 d −1 (doubling time of 11.6±0.8 d) at a salinity of 5%. Growth rates decreased to 0.037±0.002 d −1 at a salinity of 11%, and no growth was observed at salinities of 13 or 15%. These results demonstrate for the first time that biological perchlorate reduction is possible in solutions having a salinity typical of ion exchange brines.
War and Expected-Utility Theory

In his book The War Trap Bruce Bueno de Mesquita claims to offer a deductive theory of international conflict based on the assumption that foreign policy makers attempt to maximize their expected utility. The theory is subjected to a systematic empirical test that seems to provide impressive confirmation. The first part of this article examines Bueno de Mesquita's theory and argues that it cannot be derived from his assumptions. The second part examines the operational version of the theory, which was the one actually tested, and argues that it can be more plausibly interpreted as a version of a different theory—one that Bueno de Mesquita claims to have discredited. The essay concludes by discussing the significance of this book with regard to the question of whether theories of individual rational choice can explain foreign policy decisions.
Sequence Biostratigraphy of Prograding Clinoforms, Northern Carnarvon Basin, Western Australia: A Proxy for Variations in Oligocene to Pliocene Global Sea Level?

Abstract Sequence biostratigraphic analyses from five industry wells in the Northern Carnarvon Basin (NCB), Western Australia, are tied to seismic stratigraphic interpretations from a set of 3D and 2D seismic data. Distribution patterns of ∼286 benthic and 73 planktonic foraminiferal taxa in sidewall cores and ditch cuttings from Eocene to Pliocene intervals are documented and supplemented with observations of other fossil groups (e.g., fragments of ostracodes, bryozoans, corals, and mollusks) and lithological components such as calcite cement and quartz sand. Preservation of foraminiferal assemblages is extremely variable in latest Eocene to Pliocene stratigraphy, depending upon the location of wells and the interval investigated. Nonetheless, consistent, detectable faunal signals correlate between wells and with prominent seismic horizons and sequences. The late Oligocene to middle Miocene is characterized by deeper-water benthic assemblages dominated by infaunal taxa and a high planktonic abundance. St...
Fugue: Slow-Worker-Agnostic Distributed Learning for Big Models on Big Data

We present a scheme for fast, distributed learning on big (i.e. high-dimensional) models applied to big datasets. Unlike algorithms that focus on distributed learning in either the big data or big model setting (but not both), our scheme partitions both the data and model variables simultaneously. This not only leads to faster learning on distributed clusters, but also enables machine learning applications where both data and model are too large to fit within the memory of a single machine. Furthermore, our scheme allows worker machines to perform additional updates while waiting for slow workers to finish, which provides users with a tunable synchronization strategy that can be set based on learning needs and cluster conditions. We prove the correctness of such strategies, as well as provide bounds on the variance of the model variables under our scheme. Finally, we present empirical results for latent space models such as topic models, which demonstrate that our method scales well with large data and model sizes, while beating learning strategies that fail to take both data and model partitioning into account.
Reliance of preoperative scrotal examination versus final operative findings in the evaluation of non-palpable testes

Summary Objective The current study evaluates whether the preoperative scrotal examination in children with non-palpable testes is sufficient in all cases or if laparoscopy is necessary to confirm the examination findings. Are the findings different amongst physicians depending on their level of experience? Materials and methods This retrospective study was done between October 2009 and May 2013. Children with non-palpable testes underwent an examination under anesthesia prior to surgery to feel for a testis or nubbin, followed by a diagnostic laparoscopy to validate the scrotal examination. The test was considered correct if the laparoscopic findings supported the scrotal examination. It was considered incorrect if laparoscopy revealed a different finding. Results A total of 74 testes were evaluated. All patients underwent examination under anesthesia by the surgeon and senior resident. The findings were recorded separately. Despite careful examination by experienced surgeons under anesthesia, the scrotal examination was incorrect in 14 patients. Four viable testes would have been missed if laparoscopy had not been performed. Conclusion Laparoscopy should be considered in case of palpable scrotal nubbins to ensure no testis is left within the abdominal cavity. Download : Download high-res image (269KB) Download : Download full-size image Figure . Algorithm for the preoperative presence or absence of a scrotal nubbin.
Investigation of muscle pH as an indicator of liver pH and injury from hemorrhagic shock.

Abstract Background During hemorrhagic shock blood flow to vital organs is maintained by the diversion of blood from both the splanchnic organs and skeletal muscle. In this swine study, we tested the hypotheses that (1) liver and muscle pH are correlated during both shock and resuscitation and (2) muscle pH during shock is an indicator of potential liver injury after resuscitation. Materials and methods Hemorrhagic shock was induced over 15 min to lower systolic blood pressure to 40 mm Hg and was maintained for 60 (n = 5) or 90 (n = 5) min. Resuscitation was achieved with shed blood and warm saline to maintain mean pressure >60 mm Hg for 120 min. Liver and muscle pH were measured with microelectrodes throughout the entire shock and resuscitation periods, along with hepatic venous oxygen saturation. Arterial lactate and aspartate aminotransferase were measured at baseline, end of shock, and resuscitation. Correlation between muscle and liver pH was determined. The ability of muscle pH to predict liver injury (40% increase in arterial aspartate aminotransferase) was compared with other predictors: liver pH, arterial lactate, and tonometric-arterial PCO2 gap. Results pH values and rates of change were similar in both muscle and liver tissue. Liver pH was well correlated with muscle pH during both shock and resuscitation, R2 = 0.84. Muscle pH predicts potential liver injury with the same sensitivity as blood lactate in this swine shock model. Conclusions Minimally invasive measurement of muscle pH warrants further study as a method to assess splanchnic hypoperfusion and resultant injury.
A study of the 26Mg(3He, d)27Al reaction☆

Abstract Angular distributions of deuterons from the 26 Mg( 3 He, d) 27 Al reaction have been analysed with DWBA calculations to extract spectroscopic factors for most states in 27 Al up to 4.58 MeV excitation. Ground state occupation numbers for d 5 2 , s 1 2 and d 3 2 orbits in the 26 Mg ground state, and the single-particle centroids in 27 Al are obtained. The results are in reasonable agreement with the excited core model of the low-lying states of 27 Al. The negative parity state at 4.05 MeV in 27 Al is shown to be a 1p hole state rather than a 2p particle state. Finally, a previous estimate of the excitation of d 3 2 particles in the ground state of 28 Si is shown to be questionable.
Object-Intrinsic Oddities Draw Early Saccades.

The authors investigated whether anomalous information in the periphery of a scene attracts saccades when the anomaly is not distinctive in its low-level visual properties. Subjects viewed color photographs for 8 s while their eye movements were monitored. Each subject saw 2 photographs of different scenes. One photograph was a control scene in which familiar objects appeared in their canonical form. In the other picture, objects were altered in a way that rendered them deviant without introducing any obvious changes in low-level visual saliency. In Experiment 1, these alterations involved rotating an object in an unnatural fashion (e.g., an inverted head on a portrait, a truck parked on its front end). In Experiment 2, colors were distributed over objects in a way that was either reasonable or anomalous (e.g., a green cup vs. a green hand). Subjects fixated the anomalous items earlier (both in time and in order of fixations) than the nondistorted objects, suggesting that violations of canonical form are detected peripherally and can affect the likelihood of fixating an item.
Viscosity and textural attributes of reduced-fat peanut pastes.

The viscosity and texture attributes of reduced-fat peanut pastes (more than 50% fat reduction) using combinations of protein-based Simplesse-500 TM (S), starch-based PCR 352-1 (P), and water (W) were studied at 23´ °C. Viscosity data were obtained for the shear rate range of 0.067s -1 to 148.9 s -1 using the Brookfield Viscometer HB- DVIII with spiral adapter. Results demonstrated that two formulations produced pastes with viscosity similar to the control (reduced-fat (30%) peanut butter): 54:5, 59.5, and 57.6 Pas at 38.2 s -1 , respectively. Sensory tests showed that these pastes were lighter in color, easier to spread, less firm and grainy that the control. Results suggest the potential
Self-assembled nanoparticles from thiol functionalized liquid crystalline brush block copolymers for dual encapsulation of doxorubicin and gold nanoparticles

We synthesized new amphiphilic brush liquid crystalline block copolymers (brush-chol-BCP) comprised of polymethacrylates bearing polyethylene oxide (PEO) in one block and polymethacrylates bearing a cholesterol mesogen with a hemitelechelic thiol end group. Polymethacrylate bearing PEO (PMA-g-PEO) was first synthesized by reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization (RAFT) and used as a macro-chain transfer agent to prepare block copolymer (PMA-g-PEO)-b-PC5MA-thioester (brush-chol-BCP-thioester). Brush-chol-BCP-thiol was obtained by the reduction of a thioester to thiol in the presence of butylamine. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were prepared in situ with the brush-chol-BCP-thiol template via the reduction of gold ions and were stabilized by directly anchoring to the brush-chol-BCP-thiol chains through the coordination bonds with the thiol groups in the copolymer. The hydrophobic anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX) was successfully encapsulated into AuNP-templated brush-chol-BCP-thiol via physical entrapment to form dual-encapsulated NPs with a high drug loading of 21.4% (w/w) and a high encapsulation efficiency of 85.6%. The dual-encapsulated NPs had an average size of 157 nm, spherical shape, excellent stability, and a sustained drug release pattern. More importantly, the dual-encapsulated NPs could be effectively internalized by human cervical cancer cells (Hela) and showed dose-dependent cytotoxicity, while the blank nanoparticles were non-cytotoxic at the tested concentrations. The results indicate that the brush-chol-BCP-thiol and their nanoparticles are promising carriers for dual encapsulation and delivery of an anticancer drug and metal nanoparticles.
Characterization and Mapping of cDNA Encoding Aspartate Aminotransferase in Rice, Oryza sativa L.

Fifteen cDNA clones, putatively identified as encoding aspartate aminotransferase (AST, EC 2.6.1.1.), were isolated and partially sequenced. Together with six previously isolated clones putatively identified to encode ASTs (Sasaki, et al. 1994, Plant Journal 6, 615-624), their sequences were characterized and classified into 4 cDNA species. Two of the isolated clones, C60213 and C2079, were full-length cDNAs, and their complete nucleotide sequences were determined. C60213 was 1612 bp long and its deduced amino acid sequence showed 88% homology with that of Panicum miliaceum L. mitochondrial AST. The C60213-encoded protein had an N-terminal amino acid sequence that was characteristic of a mitochondrial transit peptide. On the other hand, C2079 was 1546 bp long and had 91% amino acid sequence homology with P. miliaceum L. cytosolic AST but lacked in the transit peptide sequence. The homologies of nucleotide sequences and deduced amino acid sequences of C2079 and C60213 were 54% and 52%, respectively. C2079 and C60213 were mapped on chromosomes 1 and 6, respectively, by restriction fragment length polymorphism linkage analysis. Northern blot analysis using C2079 as a probe revealed much higher transcript levels in callus and root than in green and etiolated shoots, suggesting tissue-specific variations of AST gene expression.
The thermal fission-induced crystalline-to-amorphous transformation in U 6 Fe

The crystalline-to-amorphous transformation in U6Fe produced by thermal fission fragment damage was studied using resistivity and differential scanning calorimetry. The results are described in terms of a model of radiation-produced defect buildup in the crystalline matrix followed by transformation of small regions to an amorphous phase when a critical local defect concentration is reached. This can occur directly in a single cascade or from cascade overlap. The total resistivity is modeled assuming an inhomogeneous media consisting of a crystalline matrix containing a dose-dependent concentration of defects and amorphous zones. The crystallization behavior is initially, starting at Tc = 388 K, a kinetically limited process of shrinkage of amorphous zones that gradually transforms to nucleation and growth in fully amorphous material at Tc = 555 K.
msBayes: Pipeline for testing comparative phylogeographic histories using hierarchical approximate Bayesian computation

Although testing for simultaneous divergence (vicariance) across different population-pairs that span the same barrier to gene flow is of central importance to evolutionary biology, researchers often equate the gene tree and population/species tree thereby ignoring stochastic coalescent variance in their conclusions of temporal incongruence. In contrast to other available phylogeographic software packages, msBayes is the only one that analyses data from multiple species/population pairs under a hierarchical model. msBayes employs approximate Bayesian computation (ABC) under a hierarchical coalescent model to test for simultaneous divergence (TSD) in multiple co-distributed population-pairs. Simultaneous isolation is tested by estimating three hyper-parameters that characterize the degree of variability in divergence times across co-distributed population pairs while allowing for variation in various within population-pair demographic parameters (sub-parameters) that can affect the coalescent. msBayes is a software package consisting of several C and R programs that are run with a Perl "front-end". The method reasonably distinguishes simultaneous isolation from temporal incongruence in the divergence of co-distributed population pairs, even with sparse sampling of individuals. Because the estimate step is decoupled from the simulation step, one can rapidly evaluate different ABC acceptance/rejection conditions and the choice of summary statistics. Given the complex and idiosyncratic nature of testing multi-species biogeographic hypotheses, we envision msBayes as a powerful and flexible tool for tackling a wide array of difficult research questions that use population genetic data from multiple co-distributed species. The msBayes pipeline is available for download at http://msbayes.sourceforge.net/ under an open source license (GNU Public License). The msBayes pipeline is comprised of several C and R programs that are run with a Perl "front-end" and runs on Linux, Mac OS-X, and most POSIX systems. Although the current implementation is for a single locus per species-pair, future implementations will allow analysis of multi-loci data per species pair.
Explanation and evidence in informal argument

A substantial body of evidence shows that people tend to rely too heavily on explanations when trying to justify an opinion. Some research suggests these errors may arise from an inability to distinguish between explanations and the evidence that bears upon them. We examine an alternative account, that many people do distinguish between explanations and evidence, but rely more heavily on unsubstantiated explanations when evidence is scarce or absent. We examine the philosophical and psychological distinctions between explanation and evidence, and show that participants use explanations as a substitute for missing evidence. Experiment 1 replicates the results of other researchers, but further shows that participants generate more evidence when they are not constrained by their lack of data. Merely mentioning a source of data can alter both their evaluation (Experiment 2) and their production (Experiment 3) of explanations and evidence. In Experiment 4, we show that participants can explicitly consider the availability of evidence and other pragmatic factors when evaluating arguments. Finally, we consider the implications of using explanations to replace missing evidence as a strategy in argument.
Controlling performance in the congested parts of an asymmetric network using controls and routing

In this paper, we attempt to improve the performance in congested parts (CP) of an asymmetric network using network controls and routing mechanisms. Typically, an asymmetric network is characterized by non-uniform link capacities or uneven traffic load or both. In such a network, certain service classes can experience poor performance in parts of the network, even when the average performance is very close to the expected performance level. We studied a network derived from an actual service provider network with asymmetric concentration of traffic. We have developed two metrics in order to capture the congested part behavior in a network. In order to understand the generality of our conclusions, we used three variations of our network and show that controls like service class based multi-link dynamic capacity reservation (SMDCR) with a properly chosen reservation factor, significantly reduce variability in the performance over all parts of the network.
Manufacture and physical properties of alginate fiber papers as an analysis model of cellulosic fiber papers

The staple fibers of Ca alginate or alginic acid were found to have interfiber self-bonding, which allowed us to make papers composed of fibers with homogeneous fiber diameter and fiber length without binders. The analysis of the effect of the molecular weight (MW) and fiber diameter on physical properties of the sheets showed that strength factors, except zero span breaking length and tear index, increased with increase of MW of alginic acid up to 6 × 105 dalton. The folding endurance was the most sensitive to MW, requiring a MW of 5 × 105 dalton or higher to reach the level of 10 folds. The breaking length of alginate fiber papers ranged from 2.0 to 3.5 km and was higher than that of the corresponding free acid fiber sheets. Investigation of the effect of fiber length indicated that the folding endurance increased almost linearly with increase in fiber length but that the breaking length and tear index were maximum at a fiber length of 3.0 mm, suggesting that these factors were mainly influenced by sheet formation. The paper formability of the metallic salts of alginate fiber was as follows: Ca2+ > Ba2+ > Al3+ > > Fe3+. The admixture of acidic polysaccharides, such as pectin and κ -carrageenan with Na alginate, also made it possible to spin continuous yarn. Papers obtained from the admixed fibers had higher bulk density and Young's modulus by 1.5–1.8 times and were very transparent, just like glassine paper. X-ray microanalysis showed that the Ca alginate fiber had no skin-core structure, homogeneously distributing Ca2+ in whole fiber.
A Pilot Study of Exclusivity of Athletic Identity among Wheelchair Rugby Players: Implications for Therapeutic Recreation

Both congenital and acquired disabilities can impact identity development. Adapted sport participation can foster athletic identity for those with disabilities, but building an identity exclusively around athletic involvement may bring the risk of difficulty adjusting to role loss once an athlete's career ends. The purpose of this study was to examine how exclusivity of athletic identity among wheelchair rugby athletes related to self-esteem, perceived level of competition, length of wheelchair rugby involvement, participation in other sports, age, gender, and marital status. Athletes in the United States (n = 57) responded to an online questionnaire consisting of the Rosenberg Self- Esteem Scale, the Athletic Identity Measurement Scale, and several demographic items. The results of Pearson's correlation analysis indicated significant relationships between exclusivity and self-esteem (r = -.433, p < .01), perception of competitive levels (r = .317, p < .05), and length of wheelchair rugby involvement (r = -.371, p < .01). Multiple regression analysis indicated that all aforementioned variables were significant predictors (Adjusted R 2 =.47, F (4, 51) = 13.06, p < .01 ). Implications for therapeutic recreation practitioners included the recommended continued use of adapted sport as a modality for identity development, but also the encouragement of identity development in other areas to assist in the transition to life after sport.
Large optics for the National Ignition Facility

The National Ignition Facility (NIF) laser with its 192 independent laser beams is not only the world’s largest laser but also the largest optical system ever built. With its 192 independent laser ...
A Review of Modeling Bioelectrochemical Systems: Engineering and Statistical Aspects

Bioelectrochemical systems (BES) are promising technologies to convert organic compounds in wastewater to electrical energy through a series of complex physical-chemical, biological and electrochemical processes. Representative BES such as microbial fuel cells (MFCs) have been studied and advanced for energy recovery. Substantial experimental and modeling efforts have been made for investigating the processes involved in electricity generation toward the improvement of the BES performance for practical applications. However, there are many parameters that will potentially affect these processes, thereby making the optimization of system performance hard to be achieved. Mathematical models, including engineering models and statistical models, are powerful tools to help understand the interactions among the parameters in BES and perform optimization of BES configuration/operation. This review paper aims to introduce and discuss the recent developments of BES modeling from engineering and statistical aspects, including analysis on the model structure, description of application cases and sensitivity analysis of various parameters. It is expected to serves as a compass for integrating the engineering and statistical modeling strategies to improve model accuracy for BES development.
Force Difference Signal Feedforward Control of Electro-hydraulic Servo Loading

A method was proposed in which the force difference signal was fed forward to eliminate the redundant force in electro-hydraulic servo loading.The feedforward,in the new scheme,was the force which generated the rudder's acceleration while in conventional method,the approximate speed signal was taken as the feedforward.The simulation results show the new method is superior to the conventional way in eliminating the redundant force and compensating disturbance.
Time-averaged and transient pressure drop for flow boiling with saturated inlet conditions

This study explores flow boiling pressure drop of FC-72 in a rectangular channel subjected to single-side and double-sided heating for vertical upflow, vertical downflow, and horizontal flow with positive inlet quality. Analysis of temporal records of pressure transducer signals is used to assess the influences of orientation, mass velocity, inlet quality, heat flux, and single-sided versus double-sided heating on magnitude of pressure drop oscillations, while fast Fourier transforms of the same records are used to capture dominant frequencies of oscillations. Time-averaged pressure drop results are also presented, with trends focusing on the competing influences of body force and flow inertia, and particular attention paid to the impact of vapor content at the test section inlet and the rate of vapor generation within the test section on pressure drop. Several popular pressure drop correlations are evaluated against the present pressure drop database. Predictions are presented for subsets of the database corresponding to low and high ranges of inlet quality and mass velocity. The correlations are ranked based on mean absolute error, overall data trends, and data spread. While most show general success in capturing the data trends, they do so with varying degrees of accuracy.
On Third-Culture Building

(1993). On Third-Culture Building. Annals of the International Communication Association: Vol. 16, Communication Yearbook 16, pp. 429-436.
Herausforderungen für die internationale Unternehmensführung in der Automobilindustrie

Mit dieser These konstatiert GHEMAWAT ein Managementdilemma fiir die Unternehmens• fiihrung. Er proldamiert, dass oftmals Managemententscheidungen fiir die Aufnahme von Aktivitiiten in ausllindischen Miirkten anhand einiger weniger Parameter (wie beispielsweise Volksvemiligen, Verbrauchereinkommen, Konsumfreudigk:eit) getroffen werden, die zwar populiir, jedoch fiir eine differenziertere Betrachtung eines Zielmarktes nicht ausreichend sind.
The enduring legacy of Alfred Gilman senior (1908–1984) to pharmacology and clinical medicine:

Alfred Gilman was best known for his co-authorship with Louis Goodman of the seminal textbook on pharmacology The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics in 1941. The book made the discipline of pharmacology relevant to clinical medicine by providing a link between the basic medical sciences and the practice of medicine. Gilman was also instrumental in establishing the use of chemotherapy in the treatment of cancer and made important contributions in areas related to renal function, acid-base balance, and diuretics. During the 1960s, he created a first rate department at the newly formed Albert Einstein College of Medicine. A superb lecturer, he commented incisively on issues related to pharmacology, therapeutics, and pathophysiology. Dr Gilman also provided a key link between academia and the pharmaceutical industry by serving as a consultant to several drug firms. The legacy of Alfred Gilman senior was continued by his son, Alfred Goodman Gilman, who became a Nobel Laureate.
Post-neoliberal labor in Patagonia: informality and citizenship in the green economy

This article examines post-neoliberal labor in Argentina by attending ethnographically to seasonal workers in the ecotourism destination of El Chalten and Los Glaciares National Park. In Argentina, post-neoliberalism is associated with the presidential administrations of Nestor Kirchner (2003–2007) and Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner (2007–2015), which advanced a center-left political agenda ideologically opposed to the neoliberal reforms of the military dictatorship (1976–1983) and the Menem government (1989–1999). I argue that Kirchnerist post-neoliberalism has facilitated a vision of labor-based citizenship that is embraced but not realized by Patagonian tourism workers, drawing attention to the entrenched conditions of informality that exist within local and national contexts. The article contributes to scholarly debates about post-neoliberalism by highlighting the representational pluralism of Kirchnerismo and the conditions of receptivity under which this political ideology is refracted through local citizenship vernaculars.
Modeling Information Sharing Behavior on Q&A Forums

Q&A forums pool massive amounts of crowd expertise from a broad spectrum of geographical, cultural, and disciplinary knowledge toward specific, user-posed questions. Existing studies on these forums focus on how to route questions to the best answerers based on content or predict whether a question will be answered, but few of them investigated the inherent knowledge sharing relationship among users. We study knowledge sharing among users of StackOverflow, a popular Q&A forum, where the knowledge sharing process is related to the time elapsed since a question was posted, the reputation of the questioner, and the content of the posted text. Taking these factors into consideration, the paper proposes time-based information sharing model (TISM), where the likelihood a user will share or provide knowledge to another is modeled as a continuous function of time, reputation, and post length. With the resulting knowledge sharing network learned by TISM, we are able to predict for a given question the number of responses over time, who will answer the question and who will provide the accepted answer. Our experiments show that predictions using TISM outperform NetRate, query likelihood language, random forest, and linear regression models.