cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Treatment Effects on Speech Intelligibility and Length of Utterance in Children with Specific Language and Intelligibility Impairments.

This purpose of this randomized group experiment was (a) to test the post-treatment (i.e., immediately after treatment) and follow-up (i.e., 8 months after the end of treatment) efficacy of a treatment designed to facilitate both sentence length and speech intelligibility (i.e., broad target recast), and (b) to explore whether pretreatment speech accuracy predicted response to treatment in children with severe phonological and expressive language impairment. The results support the conclusion that broad target recast facilitated follow-up speech intelligibility in children whose speech accuracy was relatively low prior to treatment.
A thoracic complication of hereditary multiple exostoses in an adult

Hereditary multiple exostoses (HME) is a skeletal disorder characterized by formation of cartilage-capped prominences (exostoses) arising from the epiphyseal plates of long bones (1). Characteristic features of affected individuals include short stature and multiple skeletal deformities. Reported complications of this disorder include penetration or compression of visceral organs, nerves, or blood vessels by adjacent exostoses (2-6). Such complications occur almost exclusively in children and adolescents. With puberty, growth of the lesions usually ceases with closure of the epiphyseal plates. Thoracic complications of HME are rare, although several cases of haemothorax have been described. We report the case of a 39-year-old man with HME presenting with pleuritic chest pain as a result of an exostosis. This is the oldest patient reported to date with a thoracic complication of HME, and his clinical course was significantly different from previous descriptions.
Using hierarchy theory to explore the concept of sustainable development

Abstract It is commonplace to experience a discrepancy in values when assessing the same phenomenon or action from different perspectives, eg what is good to our taste (assessment on a short-term timescale) may be harmful to our health (assessment on a longer timescale). This pattern is repeated at each enlargement of perspective that brings another hierarchical level into the picture: what is profitable for the family—less taxes—may be harmful to the community. The study of these contrasts has traditionally been addressed by disciplines such as philosophy, political science and ethics. However, the development of hierarchy theory provides us with a scientific tool to explore the nature of the contrasts of values. This article discusses the major principles of hierarchy theory and goes on to consider the issue of sustainable development.
A Fixed Cavity, Moving Slab Nd:Glass Laser

A moving slab geometry Nd:Glass laser is capable of operating at much beyond the thermal stress fracture limit for a conventional fixed slab laser. Average power output of 43.8 W input power and at 2.06% slope efficiency in the first prototype. The moving slab laser has the potential for scaling to kilowatt average power levels.
Preflight calibration anomaly in the NOAA 14 AVHRR Channels 1 and 2

Abstract Preflight calibration data for the visible and near-infrared channels of the NOAA 14 AVHRR suggests a kink in the response function at a reflectance of ∼ 6% in Channel 1 and ∼ 12% in Channel 2. Analysis of the ratio of the instrument's response in the two channels shows that this is an artifact of the preflight calibration performed in 1993, and not a genuine response anomaly. This effect may be explained by the entry of stray light from the integrating sphere into the instrument during the period when the space clamp target is viewed. The preflight operational calibration equations were based on this flawed data set. Fortunately, there is sufficient information to permit a recalibration. The revision leads to a reduction in reflectance for a given digital count value, by comparison with the published preflight calibration. The revision had significant consequences for low radiance applications such as the NOAA/NESDIS aerosol optical depth product, which showed anomalously high values during the first months of operation of NOAA 14.
Fitting high-order Zernike polynomials to finite data

While the use of Zernike polynomials to represent simulated or measured data on a grid of points is common, the accuracy of the coefficients can be limited by the non-orthogonality of the functions over the pixelated domains. The Zernike polynomials are defined to be analytically orthogonal over a circular domain, but this breaks down for discrete data. A simple correction is presented that uses a weighted scalar product to determine coefficients. This method preserves the meaning of the Zernike polynomials and allows efficient calculations using an inner product. The algorithm for defining the weighting function is provided, and simulations are included that demonstrate nearly an order of magnitude improvement in accuracy when the new weighted scalar product is used.
Scale Control Aids Gas Recovery

The East Hitchcock field has produced natural gas since 1958. Toward the end of the primary production phase, the wells watered out and formed excessive amounts of calcite scale. Acidizing was required frequently. In recent years, some of these wells were recompleted for coproduction. Because large volumes of brine are produced, scale control is necessary. Prets Unit No. 1 was successfully treated by an inhibitor squeeze, while Thompson Trustee Unit No. 1 was completed with two treat strings installed at calculated depths to administer scale inhibitor downhole. An inhibitor squeeze protects the formation and the perforations as well as the production tubing, surface equipment, and disposal system. Periodic interruption of production, however, is required to repeat the squeeze, and the concentration of inhibitor in the produced brine is controlled by the chemistry of the inhibitor salt. Installation of treat strings requires that the tubing be pulled and reinstalled with the treat strings clamped to the tubing OD. The concentration of inhibitor in the effluent brine is controlled by a surface injection pump connected at the top of the treat string.
Single-walled carbon nanotubes chemiresistor aptasensors for small molecules: picomolar level detection of adenosine triphosphate

Here we report single walled-carbon nanotubes (SWNTs)-based chemiresistor aptasensors for highly sensitive and selective detection of weakly or uncharged molecules using the displacement format. As a proof-of-concept we demonstrate the detection of ATP, a small weakly charged molecule, by displacement of the ssDNA anti-ATP aptamer hybridized to a small capture oligonucleotide covalently attached on SWNTs, with picomolar sensitivity and selectivity over GTP.
Prostate Cancer Therapy with High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound

High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) has been used to ablate benign and malignant prostate tissue for several decades. This review summarizes the technology and available clinical trials to date. Continued technological advances combined with well-designed clinical trials could allow HIFU to become part of the arsenal against prostate cancer.
Using Flip Camcorders for Active Classroom Metacognitive Reflection

A Center for Teaching and Learning provided Flip camcorders to a group of 10 new faculty members, who were asked to use this teaching tool in their classroom instruction. The classes included mathematics, political science, computer engineering, psychology, business, music and dance. The qualitative results indicate that all faculty members and many students enjoyed the experience. Faculty identified innovative methods to integrate the camera into their classroom teaching, which resulted in more engagement and positive student outcomes. Several faculty members developed methods, procedures, assessment rubrics and guidelines for using the Flip in assignments. The major finding may be the breadth of generalizability for the use of this tool across disciplines for increasing student engagement. The primary goal of this research is to provide data on one of many emerging technology tools to help faculty exploring potential devices for continued improvement and understanding of how we learn.
Mitochondrial Sheath Configuration in Abnormal Human Sperm

mRNA was isolated from the oviductal mucosal layer and RT-PCR performed. Relative band intensities, visualized by UV light following agarose gel electrophoresis, were determined by a densitometer reading. A semiquantitative value for oviductin mRNA expression was derived from the ratio of oviductin to b-actin. The student T-test for independent samples was used to evaluate statistical significance for differences seen and the Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient was used to determine significant correlation. Results: Oviductin mRNA was expressed throughout the ovulatory cycle with the lowest expression seen in the late luteal phase. The level of mRNA expression was significantly higher in the late follicular phase. (5.35 6 0.12) than in the early follicular phase (1.85 6 0.3) or the late luteal phase (0.57 6 0.43) (P,0.001). The concentrations of E2 and P were significantly correlated with oviductin mRNA (P,0.05) however the concentration of LH was more strongly correlated with oviductin mRNA expression (P, 0.01). Conclusions: Oviductin mRNA is expressed throughout the ovulatory cycle, however, its expression increases around the time of ovulation. For the first time a possible regulatory role of LH in human oviductin mRNA expression has been identified.
Influence of Prenatal Protein Malnutrition on Behavioral Reactivity to Stress in Adult Rats

In Experiment 1, adult prenatally protein malnourished and well-nourished male and female rats were tested in an open field after having been subjected to a 15-day regimen of varied uncontrollable and inescapable mild stress (experimental group). Their responses were compared with rats that had not been subjected to the stress regimen (control group). In the control group, females with a history of prenatal malnutrition made significantly fewer entries into the center of the arena than did well-nourished females, suggesting that baseline differences in anxiety exist between the two nutritional groups of females. In addition to open field, die experimental group of animals was also tested in a forced swim test conducted at the beginning (Day 5) and at the end of the stress regimen (Day 15). Significant differences were observed between nutritional groups on Day 15 only: prenatally malnourished males exhibited a lower latency to immobility than well-nourished males, whereas the opposite effect was found in malnourished females. In Experiment 2, separate groups of males were exposed to forced swim on two different occasions without the stress regimen between exposures. A somewhat different pattern of findings was generated. There was no significant difference in the latency to immobility between malnourished and well-nourished rats on the second forced swim. However, malnourished animals showed greater total immobility than the well-nourished controls in the second exposure to forced swim, providing further support for the interpretation that the malnourished males were less affected than well-nourished ones, or adapted more readily to the stress regimen in Experiment 1. Overall these results suggest that the relationship between prenatal malnutrition and stress depends on the level of stress (acute vs. chronic), the type of behavioral measure used to assess its effects, as well as gender.
Evaluation of the expression of water stress- responsive Pseudomonas syringae genes during plant infection and in the presence of low osmotic versus low matric potential in culture

vi Chapter 1. Literature Review 1 Foliar plant pathogens of plants 1 Plant defenses and the bacterial type III secretion system 1 The plant hypersensitive response 3 Arabidopsis ndr1-1 mutant plants 4 Measurement of water potential in the plant apoplast during compatible and incompatible interactions using an osmoresponsive gene fusion 4 Bacterial responses to low water potentials 5 Matric and osmotic water stress 6 Methods of direct measurement of mRNA transcripts 7 Thesis organization 8 References 9 Chapter 2. Limitations to the use of transcriptional fusion-based bacterial biosensors for detecting bacterial exposure to low water potentials in planta 14 Introduction 14 Materials and methods 15 Bacterial strains media and growth conditions 15 Isogenic plasmid construction 15 Bacterial inoculation and recovery from plants 16 Evaluation of the effect of a 4 °C incubation on activity of pre-formed InaZ protein 17 Ice nucleation assay 17 β-glucuronidase (GUS) activity assay 17 Results 19 Pre-formed ice nuclei contributed to high background nucleation in reporter cells grown on King’s B medium 19 Water potentials lower than -1.5 MPa were not measurable due to sensitivity limitations of the ice nucleation reporter fusion 21 Measurements of proU-inaZ induction during an incompatible plant interaction were not accurate due to a possible reduction in cell culturability 21 Near-isogenic avirulent biosensor strains indicate that plasmid loss in planta did not significantly alter in planta ice nucleation activity estimates 23 Environmental conditions inside the plant apoplast may influence the activity of the InaZ protein 25 Alternative biosensors based on a proU-uidA fusion exhibited a detection threshold that was unacceptable for biosensor use in planta 26 Discussion 30 References 32 Chapter 3. Comparison of the global expression profiles of P. syringae pv. tomato DC3000 in response to low water potentials due to osmotic versus matric stress 34 Introduction 34 Materials and Methods 35
A simple approximation of transmitted wavefront shape from point sources above lossy half spaces

Many subsurface sensing problems require knowledge of the shape of a wavefront in a half-space originating from a point source above the half-space. Impulse ground penetrating radar and air-coupled acoustic underground sensing systems usually have their emitters in air, transmitting waves through a quasi-planar interface into soil or water. The waves radiated by the emitter can be approximated as circular, but once they enter the half-space, they propagate with wavefront shape that resembles a hyperbola. The objective of this paper is to derive the exact shape and show that it is well approximated by a hyperbola with specific parameters depending on the dielectric constant of the half-space epsi'(=n2) the height of the source h, and the propagation time from source to wavefront multiplied by the wave velocity in the half space p. In addition, a correction formula is provided to reduce the error between the approximate hyperbola and the exact shape
The correctional melting pot: Race, ethnicity, citizenship, and prison violence

The United States prison population is becoming more diverse and comprised of increasingly more violent inmates. Although race has been cited as a risk factor for inmate violence, most prior research had narrowly investigated White/Black differences in inmate misconduct. Using a sample of 1,005 inmates from the southwestern U.S., the current study explored racial, ethnic, and citizenship correlates among male and female prisoners. Negative binomial regression models indicated that net of controls, Hispanics and Native Americans were the most violent male prisoners, while African Americans and Native Americans were the most violent female inmates. The current study was admittedly modest in scope; however, the findings were couched within a broader, imperative sociological framework that lamented the increasing interplay between communities and prison and the role of prison as a social institution.
A response‐spectrum‐based envelope for Mohr's circle

Mohr's circle is commonly used to determine the combinations of normal and shear stresses that act in any direction at a location of interest within a structure. During an earthquake, the radius and center of Mohr's circle naturally fluctuate with time. In such cases, an envelope that bounds the time-varying realizations of Mohr's circle at a given location is desirable to facilitate the identification of critical combinations of normal and shear stresses at that location. In this paper, a response-spectrum-based procedure for predicting the envelope that bounds Mohr's circle in a linear-elastic structure subjected to seismic loads is developed. The accuracy of the proposed envelope is evaluated by comparing it to the results of time-history analyses performed on a concrete gravity dam using simulated and recorded ground motions. It is found that the proposed envelope has a level of accuracy that is commensurate with its response spectrum bases. The largest observed difference between the simulated and predicted envelopes is less than 10%. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Interventricular differences in myofilament function in experimental congestive heart failure

This study was conducted to identify molecular mechanisms which explain interventricular differences in myofilament function in experimental congestive heart failure (CHF). CHF was induced in rats by chronic aortic banding or myocardial infarction for 32–36 weeks. Right and left ventricular (RV, LV) myocytes were mechanically isolated, triton-skinned, and attached to a force transducer and motor arm. Myofilament force–[Ca2+] relations assessed maximal Ca2+-saturated force (Fmax) and the [Ca2+] at 50% of Fmax (EC50). Myofilament protein phosphorylation was determined via ProQ diamond phospho-staining. Protein kinase C (PKC)-α expression/activation and site-specific phosphorylation of cardiac troponin I (cTnI) and cardiac troponin T (cTnT) were measured via immunoblotting. Relative to controls, failing RV myocytes displayed a ~45% decrease in Fmax with no change in EC50, whereas failing LV myocytes displayed a ~45% decrease in Fmax and ~50% increase in EC50. Failing LV myofilaments were less Ca2+-sensitive (37% increase in EC50) than failing RV myofilaments. Expression and activation of PKC-α was increased twofold in failing RV myocardium and relative to the RV, PKC-α was twofold higher in the failing LV, while PKC-β expression was unchanged by CHF. PKC-α-dependent phosphorylation and PP1-mediated dephosphorylation of failing RV myofilaments increased EC50 and increased Fmax, respectively. Phosphorylation of cTnI and cTnT was greater in failing LV myofilaments than in failing RV myofilaments. RV myofilament function is depressed in experimental CHF in association with increased PKC-α signaling and myofilament protein phosphorylation. Furthermore, myofilament dysfunction is greater in the LV compared to the RV due in part to increased PKC-α activation and phosphorylation of cTnI and cTnT.
What’s New: Proton Pump Inhibitors and Pediatrics

1. Ashish S. Patel, MD* 2. John F. Pohl, MD* 3. David J. Easley, MD* 1. *Department of Pediatrics, Division of Gastroenterology, Scott and White Hospital, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Temple, TX After completing this article, readers should be able to: 1. Explain why proton pump inhibitors are more effective than histamine2-receptor antagonists. 2. Describe how proton pump inhibitors work. 3. Describe the best delivery system for patients requiring medication through a tube. 4. Identify the proton pump inhibitor currently approved in the United States for intravenous administration. Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) have become the mainstay of treatment for acid-related gastrointestinal disease in adults since their introduction in 1989. There are several inherent advantages of PPIs compared with the older medication classes of antacids or histamine2-receptor antagonists (H2-RAs). H2-RAs reduce acid secretion only by competing with histamine receptors located in the parietal cell membrane; other cellular receptors that respond to endocrine (gastrin) and neuroendocrine (vagal stimulation) pathways are not affected. As a consequence, H2-RAs do not completely block gastric parietal cell acid production. Unlike H2-RAs, PPIs demonstrate consistent gastric pH control and do not develop tachyphylaxis with repeated dosing. The pharmacology of every PPI involves targeting the gastric acid or proton pump (H+-K+ ATPase), which is situated in parietal cell membranes. After extensive first-pass metabolism in the liver, prodrug accumulates in the canalicular space of the parietal cell and is converted to an active metabolite through an acid-catalyzed reaction. Active drug then irreversibly binds to cysteine residues within the H+-K+ ATPase via a covalent bond. Consequently, PPIs inhibit the final step of gastric acid secretion by blocking proton production. PPIs require an acidic environment within the canalicular space for activation, and proton pumps are maximally exposed on the surfaces of meal-stimulated parietal cells. As a result, administration optimally should occur in a fasting state 30 minutes prior to the first meal of the day. In general, most PPIs …
Free drop test simulation for portable IC package by implicit transient dynamics FEM

Free drop test performance of portable IC packages is a key reliability criteria for handheld products. Various experimental test methods are widely applied to measure the drop test response and to test for visual and electrical failures after the drop test. However, the experimental data we can collect is very limited, especially for the impact of stress wave propagation and distribution to the component and device. For understanding the physical transient dynamic failure problem, modeling is an effective method that provides details of the dynamic stress wave and the response at any time, any cross-section or position.
Reduced Order Nonlinear System Identification Methodology

A new method is presented which enables the identification of a reduced order nonlinear ordinary differential equation (ODE) which can be used to model the behavior of nonlinear fluid dynamics. The method uses a harmonic balance technique and proper orthogonal decomposition to compute reduced order training datawhich is then used to compute the unknown coefficients of the nonlinear ODE. The method is used to compute the Euler compressible flow solutions for the supercritical two-dimensional NLR-7301 airfoil undergoing both small and large pitch oscillationsatthreedifferentreducedfrequenciesandataMachnumberof0.764.Steadyanddynamicliftcoefficient datacomputedusingathreeequationreducedordersystemidentificationmodelcomparedwellwithdatacomputed using the full CFD harmonic balance solution. The system identification model accurately predicted a nonlinear trend in the lift coefficient results (steady and dynamic) for pitch oscillation magnitudes greater than 1 deg. Overall the reduction in the number of nonlinear differential equations was 5 orders of magnitude which corresponded to a 3 order of magnitude reduction in the total computational time.
LEARNING FROM ACTIONS NOT TAKEN IN MULTIAGENT SYSTEMS

In large cooperative multiagent systems, coordinating the actions of the agents is critical to the overall system achieving its intended goal. Even when the agents aim to cooperate, ensuring that the agent actions lead to good system level behavior becomes increasingly difficult as systems become larger. One of the fundamental difficulties in such multiagent systems is the slow learning process where an agent not only needs to learn how to behave in a complex environment, but also needs to account for the actions of other learning agents. In this paper, we present a multiagent learning approach that significantly improves the learning speed in multiagent systems by allowing an agent to update its estimate of the rewards (e.g. value function in reinforcement learning) for all its available actions, not just the action that was taken. This approach is based on an agent estimating the counterfactual reward it would have received had it taken a particular action. Our results show that the rewards on such "actions not taken" are beneficial early in training, particularly when only particular "key" actions are used. We then present results where agent teams are leveraged to estimate those rewards. Finally, we show that the improved learning speed is critical in dynamic environments where fast learning is critical to tracking the underlying processes.
Kinetic studies of sulfur dioxide insertion reaction of some h5-C5H5Fe(CO)2R alkyl complexes in organic solvents

Abstract The rates of the cleavage of the ironcarbon σ bond of h5-C5H5Fe(CO)2R by SO2 in chloroform, isopropyl alcohol, and benzene have been investigated by infrared spectroscopy in the ν(CO) region over the temperature range of 2 to 39° C. The reaction of the R = CH(CH3)2 complex is first-order in each of the iron alkyl and SO2, and proceeds with a ΔH‡ = 8.7 ± 0.6 kcal/mol and a ΔS‡ = −45 ±2 e.u. in chloroform solution. At 26° C, this insertion is approximately 7–8 times faster in chloroform or in isopropyl alcohol than in benzene. The relative second-order rate constants for the reaction of h5-C5H5Fe(CO)2R with SO2 in chloroform solution at 26° C decrease with R in the order R = CH(CH3)2 (430) > CH2C(CH3)3 (30) ≳ CH2Si(CH3)3 (26) > CH3 (1) ⪢ CH2C6H5, C(CH3)3; in isopropyl alcohol, also at 26° C, the order is R = CH (CH3)2 (440) > CH2Si(CH3)3 (57) > CH2C(CH3)3 (24) > CH3 (15). An associative mechanism which incorporates a polar, constrained transition state is proposed; various possible structures of the transition state are considered and discussed.
POST-FLEDGING DISPERSAL OF BURROWING OWLS IN SOUTHWESTERN IDAHO: CHARACTERIZATION OF MOVEMENTS AND USE OF SATELLITE BURROWS

Abstract Using radiotelemetry, we monitored dispersing juvenile Western Burrowing Owls (Athene cunicularia hypugaea) within a migratory population in southwestern Idaho during 1994 and 1995. Owls remained within natal areas for an average (± SE) of 58 ± 3.4 days post-hatching before moving permanently beyond 300 m, which was our operational cutoff for dispersal from the natal area. On average, owls dispersed on 27 July (range: 15 July to 22 August), which was approximately 4 weeks after fledging. After initiating dispersal, juveniles continued moving farther away from their natal burrows and, by 61–65 days post-hatching, they had moved 0.6 ± 0.2 km. Each juvenile used 5.1 ± 1.2 satellite burrows, and individual satellite burrows were used for up to 14 days. The average date on which we last sighted radio-tagged juveniles was 13 August, and all but one juvenile departed the study area by early September. Our study illustrates the importance of satellite burrows to dispersing Burrowing Owls.
Contingency without Unreason: Speculation after Meillassoux

AbstractIn this essay I critique the identification of contingency with sheer arbitrary possibility in Quentin Meillassoux's After Finitude: An Essay on the Necessity of Contingency. After offering logical and metaphysical reasons for why such an identification is a limitation on the speculative potential of reason, I draw upon Charles S. Peirce, Gilles Deleuze, and Giambattista Vico to articulate the outlines of a view of contingency which can underwrite a different speculative position to one that is grounded upon an absolute of unreason. This form of speculation, a realism of contingency without an axiom of unreason, is indicated in outline by the structure of divination practices. I thus propose, without defending its actuality, at least the possibility of a divinatory form of speculation that is adequate to the absolute status of contingency.
Hypothermia in Experimental InfectionsI. Preliminary Observations on Tolerance of Guinea Pigs and Rabbits to Induced Hypothermia

this treatment on various vital processes have been recently reported.2 Experimental hypothermia has also been produced and studied in non-hibernating, warm-blooded animals' as well as in hibernators such as the woodchuck.4 Most of the experiments reported in ordinary non-hibernating laboratory animals have been of short duration and not comparable to the prolonged periods of hypothermia induced clinically in man. The effect of exposure to cold on resistance to infections was early a subject of considerable bacteriological and immunological investigation, but most of the observations were relative to small reductions of body temperature and these were mostly of short duration. The results of the older experiments were summarized by Foord.s For the most part, these showed a lowered resistance to a variety of infections but the results were not in all instances con-
Conjugated Polymer:TiO2 Nanocomposite Solar Cells Based on P3HT Nanoparticles

There is widespread interest in developing efficient solar cells derived from conjugated polymers and TiO2. The conjugated polymer can act as a light harvesting dye as well as a hole transport material, and can potentially replace both the ruthenium dye and the I3 -/I- couple in the DSSCs. Herein, we report a novel and facile approach of using conjugated polymer nanoparticles to make conjugated polymer:TiO2 nanocomposite based solar cell. Nanoparticles from poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) were made using mini-emulsion technique. In this work we report on incorporation of these P3HT nanoparticles into nanoporous titania. Device characteristics made using P3HT nanoparticle sensitized solar cells were measured. These devices showed a short-circuit current density (Jsc) of 0.207 mA/cm2, open-circuit voltage (Voc) of 0.62 V and 0.07% (η) efficiency.
Image and Idea in Yeats' the Second Coming

There are poets whose art is an accumulating cluster of images that become more and more identified with specific ideas. I believe Yeats to have been such a poet, in whom a cluster of images grew in significance to produce the great poems of the period from the first World War to the second. Generally accepted as one of Yeats' finest lyrics is The Second Coming. I believe that the poem gains in richness by being considered in the light of associations that had long preoccupied Yeats, and that are frequently found together in his writings: Shelley, and especially his Prometheus Unbound; the Great Memory; and the Second Coming.
Public Sentiments About the Parenting Time Adjustment in Child Support Awards

The states differ substantially among themselves as to what their guideline systems specify about reducing child support awards as a function of the division of parenting time after divorce. Most adopt a “cliff-model”, whereby no reductions are accorded until the parenting time to the noncustodial parent reaches some “shared parenting” threshold, generally about 35% of the total parenting time. As another in a series of experimental investigations about the sentiments of lay citizens pertaining to family law issues, the current investigation probed this issue, as well as the allied issue of whether the reason for nonvisitation might influence the child support adjustment. Results showed that the public’s judgments displayed continuous visitation adjustments to child support (as opposed to the cliff-model system instituted by most states), and that the amount of the adjustment reflected the amount the custodial parent saved due to visitation, rather than the amount the noncustodial parent spent. Of the reasons for non-visitation, only the father’s move (not the mother’s move nor her refusal to permit visitation) significantly affected the respondent’s child support judgments.
Expression of organic anion transporter 3 in human vascular smooth muscle cells

AIM To detect the expression of organic anion transporter 3 (OAT3) mRNA and protein in human vascular smooth muscle cells and to find the effects of uric acid stimulation on its expression. METHODS Total RNA was isolated from cultured human vascular smooth muscle cells which had been obtained from arteria umbillicalis. The specific human OAT3 cDNA fragment was amplified by RT-PCR and a probe was produced using this amplified product. The OAT3 mRNA was detected by Northern blot and its protein expression level was measured by Western blot in human vascular smooth muscle cells. We also detected OAT3 mRNA and protein expression in human vascular smooth muscle cells with or without uric acid stimulation. RESULTS The OAT3 mRNA and protein were detectible in human vascular smooth muscle cells and uric acid significantly induces OAT3 mRNA and protein upregulation. CONCLUSION OAT3 is expressed in human vascular smooth muscle cells and uric acid induces upregulation of OAT3 expression. The results suggest that OAT3 may be involved in uric acid uptake to smooth muscle cells.
An analysis of the drill string vibration during gas drilling of horizontal wells

During horizontal well drilling,the drill string is in complicated motion.Vibration is common during drilling,and resonance is one of the major factors leading to drill string failure.What's more,the drill string used in gas drilling is subject to failure due to too much dynamic response to the drilling operation.So it is important to analyze the vibration produced on the drilling string during horizontal drilling with gas.The ANASYS software has been used to analyze axial vibration,radial vibration,torsional vibration,and coupling vibration produced on the drill string,and models for those types of vibration have been set up.The vibration law and the resonance frequencies are drawn out after studying data from actual cases.This study will be helpful for minimization of drilling tool failures,optimization of drilling parameters,and avoiding drill string resonance.
Der neue W12-TSI-Motor des Volkswagen-Konzerns

Dipl.-Ing. Friedrich Eichler ist Leiter der Aggregatentwicklung bei der Volkswagen AG in Wolfsburg. Dr. Wolfgang Demmelbauer-Ebner ist Leiter der Hauptabteilung Entwicklung Ottomotoren in der Aggregatentwicklung der Volkswagen AG in Wolfsburg. Dr. Jurgen Strobel ist Leiter der Abteilung VR-/W-Motorenentwicklung in der Aggregatentwicklung der Volkswagen AG in Wolfsburg. Dipl.-Ing. Jens Kuhlmeyer ist technischer Projektleiter W12-Motoren in der Aggregatentwicklung der Volkswagen AG in Wolfsburg. AUTOREN © Volkswagen TITELTHEMA EFFIZIENTE MOTOREN
Age Is Associated with Reduced Sharp-Wave Ripple Frequency and Altered Patterns of Neuronal Variability.

Spatial and episodic memory performance declines with age, and the neural basis for this decline is not well understood. Sharp-wave ripples are brief (∼70 ms) high-frequency oscillatory events generated in the hippocampus and are associated with the consolidation of spatial memories. Given the connection between ripple oscillations and memory consolidation, we investigated whether the structure of ripple oscillations and ripple-triggered patterns of single-unit activity are altered in aged rats. Local field and single-unit activity surrounding sharp-wave ripple events were examined in the CA1 region of the hippocampus of old ( n = 5) and young ( n = 6) F344 rats during periods of rest preceding and following performance on a place-dependent eyeblink-conditioning task. Neural responses in aged rats differed from responses in young rats in several ways. First, compared with young rats, the rate of ripple occurrence (ripple density) is reduced in aged rats during postbehavior rest. Second, mean ripple frequency during prebehavior and postbehavior rest is lower in aged animals (aged: 132 Hz; young: 146 Hz). Third, single neurons in aged animals responded more consistently from ripple to ripple. Fourth, variability in interspike intervals was greater in aged rats. Finally, neurons were tuned to a narrower range of phases of the ripple oscillation relative to young animals. Together, these results suggest that the CA1 network in aged animals has a reduced “vocabulary” of available representational states. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The hippocampus is a structure that is critical for the formation of episodic memories. Sharp-wave ripple events generated in the hippocampus have been implicated in memory consolidation processes critical to memory stabilization. We examine here whether these ripple oscillations are altered over the course of the life span, which could contribute to hippocampus-dependent memory deficits that occur during aging. This experiment used young and aged memory-impaired rats to examine age-related changes in ripple architecture, ripple-triggered spike variance, and spike-phase coherence. We found that there are, indeed, significant changes in characteristics of ripples in older animals that could impact consolidation processes and memory stabilization in the aged brain.
Band Structure Engineering by Substitutional Doping in Solid-State Solutions of [5-Me-PLY(O,O)]2B(1–x)Bex Radical Crystals

We report the substitutional doping of solid-state spiro-bis(5-methyl-1,9-oxido-phenalenyl)boron radical ([2]2B) by co-crystallization of this radical with the corresponding spiro-bis(5-methyl-1,9-oxido-phenalenyl)beryllium compound ([2]2Be). The pure compounds crystallize in different space groups ([2]2B, P1, Z = 2; [2]2Be, P21/c, Z = 4) with distinct packing arrangements, yet we are able to isolate crystals of composition [2]2B(1–x)Bex, where x = 0–0.59. The phase transition from the P1 to the P21/c space group occurs at x = 0.1, but the conductivities of the solid solutions are enhanced and the activation energies reduced for values of x = 0–0.25. The molecular packing is driven by the relative concentration of the spin-bearing ([2]2B) and spin-free ([2]2Be) molecules in the crystals, and the extended Huckel theory band structures show that the progressive incorporation of spin-free [2]2Be in the lattice of the [2]2B radical (overall bandwidth, W = 1.4 eV, in the pure compound) leads to very strong n...
Apomorphintherapie versus tiefe Hirnstimulation Klinische und ökonomische Aspekte bei Patienten mit fortgeschrittenem Morbus Parkinson

Im Verlauf der Parkinson-Erkrankung treten im Zusammenhang mit der dopaminergen Medikation Wirkungsfluktuationen und Dyskinesien auf. Insgesamt steigen die Behandlungskosten mit Auftreten dieser Motorkomplikationen deutlich an, und die Moglichkeiten einer konservativen medikamentosen Therapie sind limitiert. Alternativ ist in solchen Fallen ein therapeutischer Versuch mit einer kontinuierlichen subkutanen Applikation des Dopaminagonisten Apomorphin bzw. die tiefe Hirnstimulation moglich. Wahrend die Behandlungskosten fur die Apomorphintherapie nach Antragstellung von den Krankenkassen ubernommen werden, mussen die Kosten fur die tiefe Hirnstimulation derzeit aus dem jeweiligen Krankenhausbudget getragen werden. Die 3 hier vorgestellten Kasuistiken verdeutlichen, dass die tiefe Hirnstimulation bereits im ersten postoperativen Jahr ein kostengunstigeres Therapieverfahren als die kontinuierliche Applikation von Apomorphin in ausgewahlten Fallen darstellen kann, mit einer durchschnittlichen Kostenersparnis von ca. 60%. Zusatzlich traten bei allen 3 Patienten nach initialer Besserung unter Apomorphin wieder verstarkt Wirkungsfluktuationen und Dyskinesien auf, die durch die tiefe Hirnstimulation deutlich gebessert werden konnten. Die Kasuistiken verdeutlichen die Notwendigkeit, einen Vergutungsmodus fur die tiefe Hirnstimulation zu finden.
Triune Ethics Meta-Theory and Embodied Moral Development

Triune ethics meta-theory (TEM) identifies three distinctive ethical orientations, rooted in basic emotional systems and global brain states, that propel human moral action on an individual and group level. The first state, self-preservation, typically occurs when the stress response is activated, mobilizing the individual for “fight,” “flight,” “freeze,” or “faint” and drawing focus to self-regarding action. The second state, affiliation, relies on the upper limbic system and its connections to the frontal lobe and extends capacities from self-regarding to other-regarding as long as bidirectional links to the frontal lobe, critical for self-regulation, are well-functioning. The third state, reflection, requires frontal lobe capacities, especially the prefrontal cortex, extending capabilities of imagination and abstraction. Ethical orientations can shift by situation and also be dispositional.
Complications Associated with Botulinum Toxin Administration

First approved in 1989 for the treatment of various neuromuscular disorders, it was not until 2002 that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved botulinum toxin for its first dermatologic application: enhanced cosmesis of glabellar lines. By 2004, the FDA extended its approval of onabotulinumtoxin A, or Botox®, to the treatment of primary axillary hyperhidrosis refractory to treatment with topical agents [1].
Examining the interplay between depression, motivation, and antiretroviral therapy adherence: a social cognitive approach.

ABSTRACTA large body of research identifies depressive symptoms as a barrier to optimal antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence, whereas treatment motivation has been characterized as a facilitator. There is evidence, however, that these patterns may not hold for some ART patients despite the widespread use of motivational techniques aimed at promoting adherence. Little is known about how the interplay between different levels of depressive symptoms and variations in the types and levels of motivation may influence ART adherence. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between depressive symptoms, two types of motivation, and adherence, with self-efficacy as a mediator. The sample consisted of 121 ART patients who reported various levels of depressive symptoms (mean age = 41 years; 84% African-American; and 68% female). Path analysis revealed that self-efficacy fully mediated the relationship between the three predictor variables (depressive symptoms, intrinsic motivation, and extrinsic m...
Src Kinase Inhibitors Enhance ATRA-Mediated Differentiation of Myeloid Cells.

Myeloid leukemias are characterized by a blockade in differentiation resulting in accumulation of proliferating progenitor cells and a lack of mature granulocytes and monocytes. In acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), a subtype of AML, treatment with all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) has been shown to overcome this blockade in differentiation and is the current standard of care for APL patients. However, other forms of myeloid leukemia show no response to ATRA. Src family kinases (SFK) have been shown to be activated during normal myeloid development by both proliferation-inducing cytokines, such as IL-3, and differentiation-promoting factors, such as G-CSF. To elucidate the role of src family kinases during myeloid differentiation, we examined the impact of SFK inhibitors, PP1 and PP2 on ATRA-mediated differentiation of myeloid cell lines. Interestingly, PP1 potentiated ATRA-mediated myeloid differentiation of HL-60 cells, inducing a two-fold increase in differentiated cells at 72 hours as determined by CD11b staining, NBT reduction and morphological analysis. To determine whether enhancement of ATRA-mediated differentiation was specific for PP1, or could be promoted by a different src family kinase inhibitor, we evaluated the impact of PP2. PP2 was found to exhibit similar effects on ATRA-induced myeloid differentiation of HL-60 cells. Additionally, both PP1 and PP2 enhanced ATRA-induced monocytic differentiation of U937 cells and granulocytic differentiation of NB-4 cells. Interestingly, PP1 was found to enhance ATRA-induced differentiation even when added 24 hours after addition of ATRA. The impact of PP1 on ATRA-mediated myeloid differentiation was dependent on signaling via the MEK/ERK pathway since pre-treatment with U0126, a MEK-1/-2 inhibitor, attenuated myeloid differentiation induced by the combination of RA and PP1. Reporter assays utilizing an RARE-luciferase construct indicate that PP1 and PP2 do not enhance ATRA-mediated differentiation by promoting the transcriptional activity of the retinoic acid receptor (RAR). Together, our results demonstrate that PP1 and PP2 potently enhance ATRA-induced myeloid differentiation of AML cell lines and suggest that src inhibition in combination with ATRA may be a useful treatment for AML. Studies evaluating the impact of src inhibition on ATRA-mediated differentiation of primary AML cells are currently underway.
Optical Autocatalysis Establishes Novel Spatial Dynamics in Phase Separation of Polymer Blends during Photocuring

We report a fundamentally new nonlinear dynamic system that couples optical autocatalytic behavior to phase evolution in photoreactive binary polymer blends. Upon exposure to light, the blend undergoes spontaneous patterning into a dense arrangement of microscale polymer filaments. The filaments’ growth in turn induces local spinodal decomposition of the blend along their length, thereby regulating the spatially dynamics of phase separation. This leads to the spontaneous organization of a large-scale binary phase morphology dictated by the filament arrangement. This is a new mechanism for polymer blend organization, which couples nonlinear optical dynamics to chemical phase separation dynamics, and offers a new approach to light-directed patterning and organization of polymer and hybrid blends.
Moral responsibility for actions and omissions: a new challenge to the asymmetry thesis

This paper presents a new challenge to the thesis that moral responsibility for an omission requires the ability to do the omitted action, whereas moral responsibility for an action does not require the ability to do otherwise than that action. Call this the asymmetry thesis. The challenge arises from the possibility of cases in which an omission is identical to an action. In certain of such cases, the asymmetry thesis leads to a contradiction. The challenge is then extended to recent variations of the asymmetry thesis defended by John Martin Fischer and Carolina Sartorio. Finally, a possible objection to the challenge is addressed.
Rational randomness: the role of sampling in an algorithmic account of preschooler's causal learning.

Abstract Probabilistic models of cognitive development indicate the ideal solutions to computational problems that children face as they try to make sense of their environment. Under this approach, children's beliefs change as the result of a single process: observing new data and drawing the appropriate conclusions from those data via Bayesian inference. However, such models typically leave open the question of what cognitive mechanisms might allow the finite minds of human children to perform the complex computations required by Bayesian inference. In this chapter, we highlight one potential mechanism: sampling from probability distributions. We introduce the idea of approximating Bayesian inference via Monte Carlo methods, outline the key ideas behind such methods, and review the evidence that human children have the cognitive prerequisites for using these methods. As a result, we identify a second factor that should be taken into account in explaining human cognitive development—the nature of the mechanisms that are used in belief revision.
Vulnerability analysis for simultaneous attack in smart grid security

Power grid infrastructures have been exposed to several terrorists and cyber attacks from different perspectives and have resulted in critical system failures. Among different attack strategies, simultaneous attack is feasible for the attacker if enough resources are available at the moment. In this paper, vulnerability analysis for simultaneous attack is investigated, using a modified cascading failure simulator with reduced calculation time than the existing methods. A new damage measurement matrix is proposed with the loss of generation power and time to reach the steady-state condition. The combination of attacks that can result in a total blackout in the shortest time are considered as the strongest simultaneous attack for the system from attacker's viewpoint. The proposed approach can be used for general power system test cases. In this paper, we conducted the experiments on W&W 6 bus system and IEEE 30 bus system for demonstration of the result. The modified simulator can automatically find the strongest attack combinations for reaching maximum damage in terms of generation power loss and time to reach black-out.