cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 5374: Rapid microfluidic isolation and detection of circulating tumor cells/clusters with zero sample preparation

Background: Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and clusters of liquid biopsy permits continual access to phenotypic and genotypic landscape of primary and metastatic tumors for optimized personalized therapy. In addition, it holds the promise of deciphering the tumor heterogeneity which is one of the major sources of treatment resistance. Due to the extreme rarity of CTCs in peripheral blood, rapid and reliable isolation remains challenging amid new technologies being tested. Herein, we developed and demonstrated a novel microfluidic approach capable of direct isolation of CTCs and clusters from untreated whole blood within 20 min. Methods: Our microfluidic approach takes advantages of the intrinsic strong cell-cell interactions when whole blood flows in a microchannel, which leads to faster lateral migration of larger cells and thus label-free isolation of CTCs based on size. Our biochip integrates cell isolation and cell immobilization units and allows processing of untreated whole blood at high throughput (2 mL in 20 min). Immobilized CTCs and clusters were subsequently characterized onchip by immunocytochemistry as CD45-, CK+ and DAPI+. Results: Blood samples of 9 deidentified patients diagnosed with non-small-cell-lung cancer (NSCLC) were directly processed through our microfluidic biochip. 2 mL whole blood of each sample were used without pretreatment. Immunofluorescence assay identified at least 1 CTC in the blood samples from all patients (100%). CTC count ≥ 5 was found in 8/9 samples (89%). The median of CTC count was 9 per 2 mL blood. A maximum of 38 CTCs per 2 mL whole blood was found in the sample of a late stage patient. Grape-like CTC cluster was also detected in one of the nine samples (11%). Conclusions: These “proof of concept” results suggest that our novel, label-free microfluidic technology is capable of rapid isolation and detection of CTCs and clusters directly from patient peripheral blood without sample pretreatment. It completely spares the need of costly, time-consuming and laborious sample pretreatment required by other methods. Further validation studies with cases and controls using patient lung tumor compared to the obtained CTC from our microfluidic approach are required before its implementation in the real-world practice. Citation Format: Jian Zhou, Bin Liu, Qiyue Luan, Apurva Mallisetty, Alicia Hulbert, Ian Papautsky. Rapid microfluidic isolation and detection of circulating tumor cells/clusters with zero sample preparation [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 5374.
A Model to Detect Readability Improvements in Incremental Changes

Identifying source code that has poor readability allows developers to focus maintenance efforts on problematic code. Therefore, the effort to develop models that can quantify the readability of a piece of source code has been an area of interest for software engineering researchers for several years. However, recent research questions the usefulness of these readability models in practice. When applying these models to readability improvements that are made in practice, i.e., commits, they are unable to capture these incremental improvements, despite a clear perceived improvement by the developers. This results in a discrepancy between the models we have built to measure readability, and the actual perception of readability in practice. In this work, we propose a model that is able to detect incremental readability improvements made by developers in practice with an average precision of 79.2% and an average recall of 67% on an unseen test set. We then investigate the metrics that our model associates with developer perceived readability improvements as well as non-readability changes. Finally, we compare our model to existing state-of-the-art readability models, which our model outperforms by at least 23% in terms of precision and 42% in terms of recall.
The Rise of Dementia With Lewy Bodies: Nursing Interventions and Implications.

Background Age and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) are highly associated. As the elderly population in the United States increases, so will the incidence of DLB. Nurses increasingly can expect to care for this population. This article will examine and explain the current literature describing the state of DLB as well as best practices for nursing care of physical, psychosocial, and educational needs of DLB patients, families, and caregivers. Methods CINAHL Complete and Google Scholar were used to search for relevant literature within the last 6 years. The following keywords were used alone or in combination: "Lewy," "Lewy body," "dementia," "aging," "caregiver," "support," and "nursing." Results Eighty articles were reviewed and 26 were chosen, along with 1 government website, for this review article. Dementia with Lewy bodies is defined, and the presentation is described. Behavioral and psychological, motor, autonomic, and cognitive symptoms most common and those considered to be hallmarks are explained. Diagnosis and both pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic treatments, along with nursing implications and interventions, are provided. Conclusion Early recognition of signs and symptoms of DLB helps to provide timely diagnosis and appropriate treatment. The importance of knowledge acquisition for nurses to better care for DLB patients and their families is addressed throughout the article.
A General Model of Negative Frequency Dependent Selection Explains Global Patterns of Human ABO Polymorphism

The ABO locus in humans is characterized by elevated heterozygosity and very similar allele frequencies among populations scattered across the globe. Using knowledge of ABO protein function, we generated a simple model of asymmetric negative frequency dependent selection and genetic drift to explain the maintenance of ABO polymorphism and its loss in human populations. In our models, regardless of the strength of selection, models with large effective population sizes result in ABO allele frequencies that closely match those observed in most continental populations. Populations must be moderately small to fall out of equilibrium and lose either the A or B allele (Ne ≤ 50) and much smaller (Ne ≤ 25) for the complete loss of diversity, which nearly always involved the fixation of the O allele. A pattern of low heterozygosity at the ABO locus where loss of polymorphism occurs in our model is consistent with small populations, such as Native American populations. This study provides a general evolutionary model to explain the observed global patterns of polymorphism at the ABO locus and the pattern of allele loss in small populations. Moreover, these results inform the range of population sizes associated with the recent human colonization of the Americas.
Case ReportsAcute small bowel pseudo-obstruction due to AL amyloidosis: a case report and literature review

Amyloidosis may uncommonly present with intestinal pseudo-obstruction. Previous reports have described an acute presentation with AA amyloid and a more chronic syndrome with AL amyloid. We report the case of a 78-yr-old man who presented with clinical and radiographic features of an acute small bowel obstruction and who, at laparotomy, was found to have intestinal pseudo-obstruction due to AL amyloidosis. We believe this case represents the first report of acute pseudo-obstruction from AL amyloidosis; awareness of this presentation may facilitate earlier diagnosis.
Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis in the Emergency Department: Recognizing and Evaluating a Hidden Threat.

BACKGROUND: Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a life-threatening hematologic disorder resulting from an ineffective and pathologic activation of the immune response system that may mimic common emergency department presentations, including sepsis, acute liver failure, disseminated intravascular coagulation, and flu-like illnesses such as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). OBJECTIVE: This narrative review provides a summary of the disease and recommendations for the recognition and diagnostic evaluation of HLH with a focus on the emergency clinician. DISCUSSION: Though the condition is rare, mortality rates are high, ranging from 20% to 80% and increasing with delays in treatment. Importantly, HLH has been recognized as a severe variation of the cytokine storm associated with COVID-19. Common features include a history of infection or malignancy, fever, splenomegaly or hepatomegaly, hyperferritinemia, cytopenias, coagulopathies, abnormal liver enzymes, and hypertriglyceridemia. Using specific features of the history, physical examination, laboratory studies, and tools such as the HScore, HLH-2004/2009, and hyperferritinemia thresholds, the emergency clinician can risk-stratify patients and admit for definitive testing. Once diagnosed, disease specific treatment can be initiated. CONCLUSION: This review describes the relevant pathophysiology, common presentation findings, and a framework for risk stratification in the emergency department.
The Memory Function Formalism: What and Why

The discussion began with how, when facing the bewildering variety of motions that one witnesses in nature, viewing them in terms of the memory formalism helps unify extremes and provides a description of any intermediate degree of coherence. This power of the formalism stems from the basic nature of memory functions rather than from any particular detail. A damped harmonic oscillator and the telegrapher’s equation, with its limits of the wave and the diffusion equations, illustrated the situation. A simple example (the railway track model) showed how memories arise when one chooses to examine only a part of a given system. How memory functions can arise in quantum systems was explained next, an attempt being made to involve the reader in calculating results right from the beginning of the book, ensuring thereby an active process of learning. An overview of the various fields of research, ranging from fundamental studies of photosynthesis and sensitized luminescence to applied investigations of NMR microscopy and granular compaction, in which memories help naturally, was given.
Surface Coating- and Light-Controlled Oxygen Doping of Carbon Nanotubes

Tuning the optical properties of single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) via oxygen doping has been a simple and effective approach to create fluorescent quantum emitters. We performed oxygen doping ...
Nanofluidic Membranes to Address the Challenges of Salinity Gradient Power Harvesting.

Salinity gradient power (SGP) has been identified as a promising renewable energy source. Reverse electrodialysis (RED) and pressure retarded osmosis (PRO) are two membrane-based technologies for S...
A change of variables formula for mappings in BV

A change of variables formula for mappings in BV is obtained, where the usual jacobian is replaced by the determinant of the approximate differential.
More Than 60 Years with Social Group Work: Personal and Professional History

In this narrative article Catherine (Katy) Papell recollects her 65-year relationship with social work with groups—from the social settlements of New York City, to her own social work education, to her group work practice in a psychiatric hospital, to her career as an academic and scholar, to her work in addictions after she retired from teaching.
Governance and Accountability: The Regional Development Banks

Good governance has become a mantra of the movement seeking to make multilateral financial institutions more accountable to their stakeholders while improving institutional governance. Although much of the visible criticism has been directed at the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, the "regional" development banks share many of the same governance and accountability problems. Important issues relating to governance and accountability include the banks' heavily unequal voting power based on capital contributions, limited transparency and disclosure requirements, questionable efficacy of monitoring programs on the impact of the banks' projects, and limited scope of the banks' private complaint mechanisms. This Article undertakes a thorough survey of the current state of governance and accountability at the African Development Bank, Asian Development Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and the Inter-American Development Bank. Understanding the banks' structures and policies relating to governance and accountability is crucial to evaluating critics' charges that the banks are ineffective, undemocratic, secretive, and even facilitate human rights violations and environmental destruction.
The intestinal mucosal barrier to intact antigenic protein: Difference between colon and small intestine

The integrity of the normal mature intestinal mucosal barrier to unaltered proteins was evaluated with tritiated bovine albumin in rats. Intact H3-BSA placed into either colon or small intestinal lumen regularly reached the bloodstream in quantities sufficient to be antigenic or toxigenic, although the fraction of H3-BSA absorbed from the colon (0.13 per cent) was significantly smaller than that absorbed from the small intestine (1.7 per cent). These studies support the possibility that uptake of ingested or bacterial antigens from the normal gut may be involved in the pathogenesis of local intestinal and systemic disease in man.
Numerical evaluation of subsurface soil water evaporation derived from sensible heat balance

[1] A recently introduced measurement approach allows in situ determination of subsurface soil water evaporation by means of heat-pulse probes (HPP). The latent heat component of subsurface evaporation is estimated from the residual of the sensible heat balance. This heat balance method requires measurement of vertical soil temperature and estimates of thermal properties for soil water evaporation determination. Our objective was to employ numerically simulated thermal and hydraulic processes using constant or diurnally cycled surface boundary conditions to evaluate and understand this technique. Three observation grid spacings, namely, 6 mm (tri-needle HPP), 3 mm (penta-needle HPP) and 1 mm, along with three soil textures (sand, silt, and silty clay) were used to test the heat balance method. The comparison of heat balance–based evaporation rate estimates with an independent soil profile water balance revealed substantial errors when thermal conductivity was averaged spatially across the evaporation front. Since the conduction component of heat flux is the dominant process at the evaporation front, the estimation of evaporation rate was significantly improved using depth-dependent instead of a space-averaged . A near-surface “undetectable zone” exists, where the heat balance calculation is irreconcilable, resulting in underestimation of total subsurface evaporation. The method performs better for medium- and coarse-textured soils than for fine-textured soils, where portions of the drying front may be maintained longer within the undetectable zone. Using smaller temperature sensor spacing near the soil surface minimized underestimation from the undetectable zone and improved accuracy of total subsurface evaporation rate estimates.
Dinuclear copper(I) complexes with N-heterocyclic thione and selone ligands: synthesis, characterization, and electrochemical studies.

The synthesis, characterization, and structures of a series of homoleptic and heteroleptic copper(I) complexes supported by N-heterocyclic chalcogenone ligands is reported herein. The quasi-reversible Cu(II/I) reduction potentials of these copper complexes with monodentate (dmit or dmise) and/or bidentate (BmmMe, BsemMe, BmeMe, BseeMe) chalcogenone ligands are highly dependent upon the nature and number of the donor groups and can be tuned over a 470 mV range (−369 to 102 mV). Copper–selone complexes have more negative Cu(II/I) reduction potentials relative to their thione analogs by an average of 137 mV, and increasing the number of methylene units linking the heterocyclic rings in the bidentate ligands results in more negative reduction potentials for their copper complexes. This ability to tune the copper reduction potentials over a wide range has potential applications in synthetic and industrial catalysis as well as the understanding of important biological processes such as electron transfer in blue copper proteins and respiration.
Robot programming by human demonstration: the use of human inconsistency in improving 3D robot trajectories

Programming by human demonstration is an intuitive method of robot programming, in which the programmer demonstrates how a task is performed using a teaching gripper that measures human motion, and the data gathered is used to generate the robot program. A direct duplication of the demonstrated trajectory would result in unsatisfactory robot motion due to human "wiggles" and unnecessary motion. Here, human inconsistency is not treated as noise that should be eliminated from the analysis, but is used to gain information regarding the task accuracy requirements. A task of moving a part to a desired location while avoiding stationary obstacles is demonstrated. Variation between the demonstrations is interpreted as human inconsistency and defines a range of acceptable obstacle free robot motion. In previous work, a method was presented to generate robot trajectories for two dimensional motion. Here an alternate algorithm is presented that is extended to include three dimensional motion. The presence of human inconsistency is used to improve robot performance by generating robot trajectories that are shorter than the demonstrated ones and with the addition of a buffer between the robot and the obstacles. >
Parametric and ensemble sequence alignment algorithms

Recently algorithms for parametric alignment (Waterman et al. , 1992, Natl Acad. Sci. USA 89 , 6090–6093; Gusfield et al. , 1992, Proceedings of the Third Annual ACM-SIAM Discrete Algorithms ) find optimal scores for all penalty parameters, both for global and local sequence alignment. This paper reviews those techniques. Then in the main part of this paper dynamic programming methods are used to compute ensemble alignment, finding all alignment scores for all parameters. Both global and local ensemble alignments are studied, and parametric alignment is used to compute near optimal ensemble alignments.
Preparation, electronic, and magnetic properties of Sr3V2O6.99

Abstract Synthesis, electrical, and magnetic properties of a layered perovskite-related compound, Sr3V2O6.99, are reported. Powder X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed the body-centered tetragonal (I4/mmm) structure as proposed earlier. The electrical resistivity of the sample is 0.054 Ω · cm at room temperature and decreases with temperature down to 15 K, with a T2 dependence in the range 15-150 K. The temperature-dependent magnetic susceptibility shows a small cusp at ∼ 110 K. Spin-glass-like behavior is observed in the temperature range 5-26 K as evidenced by irreversibility of the zero-field-cooled and field-cooled magnetization curves. The spin-glass dynamics of the sample was confirmed via the measurement of the AC susceptibility. The observed electrical and magnetic properties suggest disorder-induced localization of the defects at low temperatures.
Transactivation of an intronic hematopoietic-specific enhancer of the human Wilms' tumor 1 gene by GATA-1 and c-Myb.

The Wilms' tumor 1 gene (WT1) encodes a zinc-finger transcription factor which is expressed in a tissue-specific manner. Our studies indicate that in addition to the promoter, other regulatory elements are required for tissue-specific expression of this gene. A 258-base pair hematopoietic specific enhancer in intron 3 of the WT1 gene increased the transcriptional activity of the WT1 promoter by 8–10-fold in K562 and HL60 cells. Sequence analysis revealed both a GATA and a c-Myb motif in the enhancer fragment. Mutation of the GATA motif decreased the enhancer activity by 60% in K562 cells. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays showed that the GATA-1 protein in K562 nuclear extracts binds to this motif. Cotransfection of the enhancer containing reporter construct with a GATA-1 expression vector showed that GATA-1 transactivated this enhancer, increasing the CAT reporter activity 10–15-fold. Similar analysis of the c-Myb motif by cotransfection with the enhancer CAT reporter construct and a c-Myb expression vector showed that c-Myb transactivated the enhancer by 5-fold. A DNase I-hypersensitive site has also been mapped in the 258-base pair enhancer region. These data suggest that GATA-1 and c-Myb are responsible for the activity of this enhancer in hematopoietic cells and may bind to the enhancer in vivo.
Central autonomic innervation of the lower urinary tract--a neuroanatomy study

Knowledge about the central innervation of the lower urinary tract is limited. The spinal cord and the pontine micturition center have been investigated most thoroughly, whereas high centers have received little attention. Pseudorabies virus (PRV), a self-amplifying and transneuronal tracer was injected into the bladder trigone of 21 Sprague-Dawley rats. The animals were killed after 72, 96, and 120 h. The whole CNS was sectioned and immunostained for PRV. CNS centers directly connected to the bladder include the intermedio lateral cell column, the central autonomic nucleus, and the nucleus intercalatus at the spinal cord levels T12-L2 and L6-S2. The raphe pallidus et magnus, the A5 nor-adrenergic area, the pontine micturition center, the locus coeruleus, the periaquaductal gray, the nucleus para- et periventricularis of the hypothalamus, the red nucleus, the medial preoptic area, and the cortex are supraspinal centers connected to the bladder. Lower urinary tract function is a complex multilevel and multineuronal interaction. It involves facilitation and inhibition at many levels of the CNS.
Knockout punch: cardiolipin oxidation in trauma

During brain injury, mechanical injuries to neural cells initiate an apoptotic cascade through cardiolipin oxidation. Mitochondrially targeted electron scavenger compounds block this process, suggesting new therapeutic avenues.
Capitalizing on Mexican parents’ cultural models of parental involvement from their children's perspectives

Abstract Educators have recognized the importance of parental involvement for students’ academic success. At the same time, there is not a universal definition of parental involvement. In the U.S. parental involvement includes activities such as bake sales, fundraisers, PTA/PTO, and back to school nights. However, many immigrants do not share the U.S. notions of what counts as parental involvement. In especial, Mexican parental involvement differs from what U.S. schools accept as parental involvement. Using critical discourse analysis and drawing on the concepts of culturally relevant pedagogy, this study explores the cultural models of Mexican parental involvement from the perspectives of some recently arrived Mexican students at a U.S. high school. The study also discusses why cultural models of Mexican parental involvement are not valued by the school and explores how those cultural models described can be recruited by the school when dealing with Mexican students.
The role of task difficulty in a discrete tracking task.

Six Ss performed a self-paced, random-input, discrete tracking task in one and two dimensions by quickly touching well-defined lighted areas with a stylus. An index of task difficulty was computed for each of 14 experimental conditions. Performance in terms of information-processing rate was shown to be primarily determined by the degree of task difficulty and the number of target alternatives.
Analytic solution of the two-state problem.

An exact solution of the time-dependent Schroedinger equation is obtained for a simple model with only two quantum states. The calculated transition probability involves only exponential and hyperbolic functions.
Experimental Verification of the Improvement of Resolution When Applying Perturbation Theory to a Quantizer

It has been proven mathematically that with the application of a triangular perturbation signal quantized characteristics may be perfectly linearized for the ideal case [1], but that certain practical limitations will introduce errors if the signals are processed digitally [2]. In this paper the errors resulting from discrete sampling, imprecise triangular wave amplitude, and finite computer word size are examined experimentally and compared with the bounds established in [2]. In all cases the errors are well within the worst case predicted by the theory indicating that this method of resolution enhancement can be utilized where digital processing is required. The particular application reported here involves improving the resolution of an analog-to-digital converter.
Andean icefields to Amazonian jungles: a radical new view of the late pleistocene of South America

Late Pleistocene glaciation in the Altlplano of the Central Andes was far more extensive than previously recognized, with all of the northern Altiplano being covered by a glacial icecap. Large paleolakes existed in the Altiplano, but their relationship with glacial episodes is unclear. One Altiplano paleolake filled the basin to the 4,100±m contour drained catastrophically through the Achocalla Valley of Bolivia approximately 45,000-40,000 years B.P. The catastrophic floodwaters flowed north and south upon reaching the lowlands of eastern Bolivia, scouring much of lowland Amazonia and depositing the Belterra Clay. Asymmetric ripplemarks on the Amazon Cone record the passing of the floodwaters into the Atlantic Ocean. The Belterra Clay dammed the eastern outlet of the Amazon drainage to an elevation of 260±m, resulting in the formation of a great freshwater lake, Lake Amazonas Lake Amazonas accumulated vast quantities of fine-grained sediments through deposition in basin-wide "birds's foot" deltas before it began draining eastward about 13,500 years B.P. Except for minor drainage system refinements, the Amazon Basin had assumed its current physical parameters by 6,000 years B.P. Paleolakes may have covered the Altiplano up to the 3,950±m contour in the early Holocene, desiccating to form the modern lakes and salares only in the late Holocene. The geological, biological and climatological ramifications of the Altiplano glaciation and paleolakes, the catastrophic flood and the formation, filling and draining of Lake Amazonas are enormous.
Programming languages: Time for a change?

Abstract Must computer programs read like, well, computer programs? An overview of the software needs of the high-energy physics community and how modern languages can meet these needs is given. Using ADA as an example, the production of readable, efficient and maintainable code is shown to be directly supported by the language, integrating concepts such as top-down design, object-oriented programming and data encapsulation as a natural part of the language rather than as foreign ideas imposed on the language. Particular attention is paid to non-traditional aspects of a language and how these can help by providing an integrated support environment for all phases of the lifetime of the software.
A family of overconstrained linkages

Abstract An alternative derivation of the linkages discussed by Dimentberg and Yoslovich is given. This derivation has led to the discovery of a generalized class of overconstrained spatial linkages, of which those of Dimentberg and Yoslovich are special cases. It is also shown that a family of multiloop linkages which has similiarities with the family of planar linkages can be derived from these generalized linkages.
Effect Of Non Uniform Flow Distribution On Single Phase Heat Transfer In Parallel Microchannels

The continuum assumption has been widely accepted for single phase liquid flows in microchannels. There are however a number of publications which indicate considerable deviation in thermal and hydrodynamic performance during laminar flow in microchannels. In the present work, experiments have been performed on six parallel microchannels with varying crosssectional dimensions. A careful assessment of friction factor and heat transfer in is carried out by properly accounting for flow area variations and the accompanying non-uniform flow distribution in individual channels. These factors seem to be responsible for the discrepancy in predicting friction factor and heat transfer using conventional theory.
Incoherent DOA Estimation in Uniform Antenna Arrays with Inordinate Spacing Using a Subband Hopping Approach

Given a certain transmission frequency, the Shannon spatial sampling limit defines an upper bound for the antenna element spacing. Beyond this bound, the exceeded ambiguity avoids correct estimation of the signal parameters (i.e., array manifold crossing). In this survey, the problem of simultaneous signal and direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimation of broadband sources is addressed when the element spacing of a uniform array antenna (uniform linear array (ULA)) is inordinate. It is illustrated that one can resolve the aliasing ambiguity by utilizing the inherent frequency diversity of the broadband sources. An algorithm based on maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) has been developed to estimate the transmitted data signal and the DOA of each source. Through confirmatory simulation, it is shown that the performance gain of the proposed setup is potentially significant, specifically under a low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and when the transmitters are closely spaced. This relaxes the stringent maximum element-spacing constraint of ULAs pertinent to the upper-bound frequency of transmission and suggests that the element spacing—which in practical applications results in detrimental element coupling—can be conveniently increased, in particular under wide transmission spectrum and low SNR (e.g., license-free communication). A method similar to the frequency hopping approach (i.e., subband hopping) is utilized for the problem of source associations and identification. In the sequel, a suboptimal subspace-based algorithm is proposed and its performance is investigated. An approximate expression for the estimation error has also been developed to gauge the behavior of the proposed setup.
The Prison Industry: Carceral Expansion and Employment in U.S. Counties, 1969–1994*

Objectives. Despite the interest that social scientists have displayed in the rising rate of incarceration, little attention has been devoted to understanding its consequences for local areas. This is an important omission because prison construction has become a component of state and local economic development schemes. Indeed, there is a widespread belief that prison construction provides significant economic benefits to local areas. Methods. We analyze data on all existing and new prisons in the United States since 1960 and examine the impact of these prisons on the pace of growth (as measured by public, private, and total employment growth) in U.S. counties from 1969 to 1994. To our knowledge, our study is the first comprehensive and longitudinal assessment of the impact of prison construction on local areas. Results. We find no evidence that prison expansion has stimulated economic growth. In fact, we provide evidence that prison construction has impeded economic growth in rural counties that have been growing at a slow pace. Conclusion. Despite sharp ideological and intellectual differences, the critics and the advocates of the prison construction boom share the assumption that prisons can contribute to local growth, especially in hard-pressed local areas. This belief flies in the face of mounting evidence that state and local initiatives rarely have a significant impact on growth; this belief is also contradicted by our analyses.
Physicochemical, Microbiological, Aroma, and Flavor Profile of Selected Commercial Sweet Whey Powders

: Cheddar whey powders from the West Coast, Midwest, and East Coast regions of the United States were analyzed for composition, microbial content, solubility, wettability, hygroscopicity, color, and sensory quality. Seasonal variations were investigated by sampling during both winter and summer. Each sample was analyzed after 3- and 9-mo storage in the original packaging in a controlled environment (21°C, 30% relative humidity). Compositional parameters were within specifications except for calcium content, which was low. The largest variability among processors was observed in free moisture (1.1% to 2.8%) and salt content (2.18% to 4.22%). The microbial content was mostly low although 1 sample had a standard plate count >50000 colony-forming units (CFU)/g, and some variability was observed in the content of spore formers. Large variations were observed in solubility index (from 300 s). Titratable acidity ranged from 0.098% to 0.295% lactic acid and pH from 5.27 to 6.44. The powders ranged from slightly to extremely hygroscopic. Cooked flavor and aroma were the most intense attributes for all the whey powders. There was suggestive evidence of differences between the winter and summer production in regard to the cooked flavor and aroma, oxidized flavor and aroma, barney aroma, sour and salty taste. This study demonstrates that there are significant differences among commercial whey powders that could impact the application in further processing.
Detecting Submicron Pattern Defects On Optical Photomasks Using An Enhanced El-3 Electron-Beam Lithography Tool

This paper describes techniques to detect submicron pattern defects on optical photomasks with an enhanced direct-write, electron-beam lithographic tool. EL-3 is a third generation, shaped spot, electron-beam lithography tool developed by IBM to fabricate semiconductor devices and masks. This tool is being upgraded to provide 100% inspection of optical photomasks for submicron pattern defects, which are subsequently repaired. Fixed-size overlapped spots are stepped over the mask patterns while a signal derived from the back-scattered electrons is monitored to detect pattern defects. Inspection does not require pattern recognition because the inspection scan patterns are derived from the original design data. The inspection spot is square and larger than the minimum defect to be detected, to improve throughput. A new registration technique provides the beam-to-pattern overlay required to locate submicron defects. The 'guard banding" of inspection shapes prevents mask and system tolerances from producing false alarms that would occur should the spots be mispositioned such that they only partially covered a shape being inspected. A rescanning technique eliminates noise-related false alarms and significantly improves throughput. Data is accumulated during inspection and processed offline, as required for defect repair. EL-3 will detect 0.5 um pattern defects at throughputs compatible with mask manufacturing.© (1982) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Choroid plexus cyst in the lateral ventricle causing obstructive symptoms in an adult

This case of a rare symptomatic choroid plexus cyst in the lateral ventricle, which presented with papilledema and decreased vision, is the first such lesion found in an adult. Five earlier reported cases, all in children, are discussed, as are the limitations of computerized tomographic (CT) scanning and the need for further radiological studies to establish the diagnosis preoperatively. Metrizamide ventriculography with CT scanning is used to define the lesion and plan an operative approach.
Lethal Toxicity of Mycoplasma fermentans for Mice

Strains of Mycoplasma fermentans, isolated relatively recently from patients, induced a lethal toxicity in mice 24-48 hr after the ip injection of approximately 1010 cfu. Stock laboratory strains did not induce a lethal toxicity. Mice died of a syndrome that resembled shock and was similar to that caused by endotoxins of gram-negative organisms. Histopathologic changes provided evidence for overwhelming systemic infection and cellular necrosis without neurologic involvement. Toxic and control strains of M. fermentans were similar in morphologic, cultural, and biochemical properties. Hydrogen peroxide and arginine deiminase production did not correlate with toxigenicity. An exotoxin was not demonstrable. Viable organisms were recovered from the major organs and reached a peak concentration 6-8 hr after injection. Lethal toxicity appeared to be associated with a cell component of M. fermentans that killed mice when it reached sufficient concentrations in vivo.
Interaction of noncontingent cocaine and contingent drug-paired stimuli on cocaine reinstatement

Both noncontingent cocaine and the presentation of cocaine-paired external stimuli will reinstate cocaine-appropriate operant responding. However, the interaction of noncontingent cocaine and cocaine-paired stimuli in producing reinstatement has not been extensively examined. In the present study, the ability of noncontingent cocaine alone, the combination of noncontingent cocaine + contingent cocaine-paired lights + tone and contingent lights + tone alone to produce reinstatement were examined. No cocaine dose (3, 10, 17 mg/kg) produced significant reinstatement in the absence of cocaine-paired lights + tone. When responding also resulted in lights + tone presentation, all doses of cocaine produced similar, significant reinstatement. Finally, when only response contingent lights + tone were presented, none of the groups showed significant reinstatement. These findings indicate that in isolation, noncontingent cocaine alone and cocaine-paired external stimuli may be insufficient to engender significant levels of reinstatement, but when presented together produce robust reinstatement. The results highlight the important interaction between drug administration and drug-paired environmental stimuli in the reinstatement model.
Automatic timing and control system for activation experiments with particle accelerators

Abstract An automatic timing and control system for general activation experiments with particle accelerators has been built and tested. The system is designed for half lives in the range from 1 ms to approximately an hour.
Drosophila Naked cuticle (Nkd) engages the nuclear import adaptor Importin-α3 to antagonize Wnt/β-catenin signaling

Abstract Precise control of Wnt/β-catenin signaling is critical for animal development, stem cell renewal, and prevention of disease. In the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, the naked cuticle (nkd) gene limits signaling by the Wnt ligand Wingless (Wg) during embryo segmentation. Nkd is an intracellular protein that is composed of separable membrane- and nuclear-localization sequences (NLS) as well as a conserved EF-hand motif that binds the Wnt receptor-associated scaffold protein Dishevelled (Dsh), but the mechanism by which Nkd inhibits Wnt signaling remains a mystery. Here we identify a second NLS in Nkd that is required for full activity and that binds to the canonical nuclear import adaptor Importin-α3. The Nkd NLS is similar to the Importin-α3-binding NLS in the Drosophila heat-shock transcription factor (dHSF), and each Importin-α3-binding NLS required intact basic residues in similar positions for nuclear import and protein function. Our results provide further support for the hypothesis that Nkd inhibits nuclear step(s) in Wnt/β-catenin signaling and broaden our understanding of signaling pathways that engage the nuclear import machinery.
Replication of DNA Microarrays from Zip Code Masters

This report describes a mechanical method for efficient and accurate replication of DNA microarrays from a zip code master. The zip code master is a DNA array that defines the location of oligonucleotides consisting of two parts: a code sequence, which is complementary to one or more of the zip codes, and the functional sequence, which is terminated with biotin. Following hybridization of the zip code to the code sequence, a replica surface functionalized with streptavidin is brought into conformal contact with the surface of the master. When the two surfaces are separated, the functional and code sequences are transferred to the replica, and the zip code remains on the surface of the master. Using this approach it is possible to prepare replica arrays having any configuration from a single, universal master array. Here we demonstrate that this approach can be used to replicate master arrays having up to three different sequences, that feature sizes as small as 100 μm can be replicated, and that master a...
Limitations on the precision of atomic meanlife measurements

Abstract Uncertainty estimates in atomic meanlife measurements are usually obtained by statistical inference based on the hypothesis that the exponential decay law is exact and the distribution of random errors about it is Gaussian. At some level of precision these parameter evaluation methods must be accompanied by additional hypothesis testing. Possible limitations on these accuracies are examined in the light of recent measurements and calculations, and are quantitatively studied through the simulation and fitting of several alternative models.
Neuropathies in Runners

Nerve entrapment represents an uncommon but important cause of lower limb pain among runners. This article reviews the diagnosis and management of several nerve entrapment syndromes that may be encountered among runners, but clinicians must be aware that any peripheral nerve may be affected. Successful diagnosis and management are predicated on several underlying principles: (1) maintain a high index of suspicion for neurologic syndromes, (2) recognize common presentations of neuropathic pain, (3) perform a meticulous physical examination, including postexercise examination when necessary, (4) consider a broad differential diagnosis (neurologic and nonneurologic), (5) use diagnostic testing appropriately, and (6) make rational clinical decisions, including referral for second opinion when indicated. A thorough knowledge of neuroanatomy and running biomechanics allows the clinician to successfully apply these principles to almost all clinical scenarios.
Isotope Enrichment by Aerodynamic Means: A Review and Some Theoretical Considerations

Aerodynamic separation processes are characterized as those involving diffusion of disparate masses driven either by a pressure gradient or by inertia effects. Seven aerodynamic schemes are identified for the separation of isotopes and their salient features discussed briefly. Numerical methods are developed for analyzing the flowfields associated with those devices. The methods consist of a finite-difference solution of the ternary gas mixture equations and two Monte Carlo numerical simulation techniques. A test case is employed to compare the three techniques. The tracer-field Monte Carlo method is then used to evaluate the separation characteristics of two of the seven aerodynamic devices. 12 figures, 4 tables.
Review of: E. Dendy Sloan, Jr., “Clathrate Hydrates of Natural Gases” (Monticello, NY: Marcel Dekker, Inc., 1990), 641 pp. plus hydrate computer programs on a floppy diskette, $125.00.

(1990). Review of: E. Dendy Sloan, Jr., “Clathrate Hydrates of Natural Gases” (Monticello, NY: Marcel Dekker, Inc., 1990), 641 pp. plus hydrate computer programs on a floppy diskette, $125.00. Energy Sources: Vol. 12, No. 4, pp. 523-526.
Total synthesis of plusbacin A3: a depsipeptide antibiotic active against vancomycin-resistant bacteria.

Plusbacin A3 is a depsipeptide antibiotic isolated from Pseudomonas sp. Although the stereochemistry at the lactone stereocenter had not been determined, biological evaluation of this compound demo...
A hardware approach to deadlock detection in computer systems

The problem of deadlock in computer systems is defined and techniques for its detection and control are surveyed. A hardware approach to deadlock detection that allows for real-time deadlock checking is presented. This scheme operates in real time and imposes minimal restrictions on users. The hardware-time complexity trade-offs are considered in detail and a discussion of the interface of the device and the system is given.
Laparoscopic duodenal switch for morbid obesity.

Laparoscopic duodenal switch gives a consistent excess weight loss of 70–80% with acceptable long-term nutritional complications. It is especially indicated for super-obese patients with a body mass index greater than 50 kg/m2. A systematic review of the literature and results of open and laparoscopic duodenal switch is thoroughly presented. Also presented for the authors’ surgical colleagues are some technical details concerning their preferred method. Meta-analysis now demonstrate a low mortality rate for the laparoscopic procedure close to 0.5%, and operative times close to 200 min. Laparoscopic duodenal switch is likely to increase in popularly for the treatment of morbid obesity, especially with the recent advent of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy for higher-risk patients.
Operational constraints and hydrologic variability limit hydropower in supporting wind integration

Climate change mitigation will require rapid adoption of low-carbon energy resources. The integration of large-scale wind energy in the United States (US) will require controllable assets to balance the variability of wind energy production. Previous work has identified hydropower as an advantageous asset, due to its flexibility and low-carbon emissions production. While many dams currently provide energy and environmental services in the US and globally, we find that multi-use hydropower facilities would face significant policy conflicts if asked to store and release water to accommodate wind integration. Specifically, we develop a model simulating hydroelectric operational decisions when the electric facility is able to provide wind integration services through a mechanism that we term 'flex reserves'. We use Kerr Dam in North Carolina as a case study, simulating operations under two alternative reservoir policies, one reflecting current policies and the other regulating flow levels to promote downstream ecosystem conservation. Even under perfect information and significant pricing incentives, Kerr Dam faces operational conflicts when providing any substantial levels of flex reserves while also maintaining releases consistent with other river management requirements. These operational conflicts are severely exacerbated during periods of drought. Increase of payments for flex reserves does not resolve these operational and policy conflicts.