cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A tetrahedral molecular cage with a responsive vertex

Dynamic covalent chemistry (DCC) is a widely used method for the self-assembly of three-dimensional molecular architectures. The orthogonality of dynamic reactions is emerging as a versatile strategy for controlling product distributions in DCC, yet the application of this approach to the synthesis of 3D organic molecular cages is limited. We report the first system which employs the orthogonality of alkyne metathesis and dynamic imine exchange to prepare a molecular cage with a reversibly removable vertex. This study demonstrates the rational and controlled application of chemical orthogonality in DCC to prepare organic cages of expanded functionality which respond to chemical stimuli.
Using fNIRS and EDA to Investigate the Effects of Messaging Related to a Dimensional Theory of Emotion

Effective techniques for the analysis of messaging strategies is critical as targeted messaging is ubiquitous in society and a major research interest in the fields of psychology, business, marketing and communications. In this study, we investigated the effect of audiovisual messaging on participants’ affective state using a two-dimensional theory of emotion with orthogonal valence and arousal axes. Twenty-four participants were recruited and presented with either a positively framed or negatively framed environmental conservation messaging video. We monitored participants’ finger based electrodermal activity (EDA) as well as prefrontal hemodynamic activity using functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) during message viewing to attain measures related to neural activity and arousal. Consistent with our expectations, combined results from EDA and prefrontal asymmetry from fNIRS indicate positively framed messaging stimuli was related to higher arousal and higher valence compared to the negatively framed messaging stimuli. Combined brain and body imaging provides a comprehensive assessment and fNIRS + EDA can be used in the future for the neuroergonomic assessment of cognitive and affective state of individuals in real-world environments via wearable sensors.
Acetaminophen and Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs

Readily available and generally well-tolerated, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) provide significant relief for a gamut of painful conditions in people all around the world. Few drugs in the history of medicine are recognized as essential to the treatment of pain and suffering, but NSAIDs have proven themselves to be such for thousands of years. In this chapter, we will review the mechanisms by which these drugs work, how these drugs are used, and what considerations must be made before administering these drugs.
Emotional disclosure and cognitive processing in couples coping with head and neck cancer.

Head and neck cancer (HNC) patients and their spouses experience communication problems and high rates of emotional distress. Couple-based interventions that encourage emotional disclosure hold promise for improving cognitive processing and distress in this population, but more research needs to examine when and for whom emotional disclosure is an effective coping strategy. In this observational study, 125 HNC patients (83% male) and their spouses were videotaped discussing a cancer-related concern in the laboratory. Discussions were coded with the specific affect coding system. Actor–partner interdependence models showed that patient expression of negative emotions (i.e., disdain, contentiousness, distress) was not related to his/her own or the spouse’s cognitive processing (assessed as reaction times to cancer and noncancer words on a computerized cognitive task administered immediately following the discussion). When spouses expressed support (e.g., interest, validation), they had better cancer- (effect size r = − 0.21) and noncancer-related cognitive processing (r = − 0.17), but patients did not. However, when spouses expressed disdain (e.g., contempt) and contentiousness (e.g., criticism, domineering), patients had poorer cancer- (r = 0.20–0.22) and noncancer-related cognitive processing (r = 0.19–0.26). Findings suggest consideration of the valence of affective expression and which partner is disclosing/listening before unilaterally encouraging HNC couples to openly express emotions as a means of alleviating distress.
Dynamic Tissue Oxygenation Measurements from a Hand-Held Near-Infrared Optical Scanner (NIROS): In-vivo Validation Studies

A hand-held near-infrared optical scanner (NIROS) was developed to acquire spatial and temporal (dynamic) tissue oxygenation measurements, and the measurements validated via in-vivo occlusion studies on controls.
Evaluation of the Mitragynine Content, Levels of Toxic Metals and the Presence of Microbes in Kratom Products Purchased in the Western Suburbs of Chicago

Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa, Korth) is a tree-like plant that is indigenous to Southeast Asia. Kratom leaf products have been used in traditional folk medicine for their unique combination of stimulant and opioid-like effects. Kratom is being increasingly used in the West for its reputed benefits in the treatment of pain, depression and opioid use disorder. Recently, the United States Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control have raised concerns regarding the contamination of some kratom products with toxic metals (Pb and Ni) and microbes such as Salmonella. To further explore this issue, eight different kratom products were legally purchased from various "head"/"smoke" shops in the Western Suburbs of Chicago and then tested for microbial burden, a panel of metals (Ni, Pb, Cr, As, Hg, Cd), and levels of the main psychoactive alkaloid mitragynine. All of the samples contained significant, but variable, levels of mitragynine (3.9-62.1 mg/g), indicating that the products were, in fact, derived from kratom. All but two of the samples tested positive for the presence of various microbes including bacteria and fungi. However, none of the samples tested positive for Salmonella. Seven products showed significant levels of Ni (0.73-7.4 µg/g), Pb (0.16-1.6 µg/g) and Cr (0.21-5.7 µg/g) while the other product was negative for metals. These data indicate that many kratom products contain variable levels of mitragynine and can contain significant levels of toxic metals and microbes. These findings highlight the need for more stringent standards for the production and sale of kratom products.
COVID-19-related financial stress associated with higher likelihood of depression among pregnant women living in the United States.

OBJECTIVES: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to unprecedented levels of unemployment and financial strain for many Americans. Among the individuals impacted by financial strain are pregnant women, for whom added financial stress may be particularly impactful due to the costs associated with prenatal care and providing for a newborn. Financial stress has been previously associated with elevated depression symptoms among pregnant women, which could have significant impacts on birth outcomes and long-term offspring health. However, the impacts of COVID-19-associated financial stress on maternal depression in pregnancy has not been investigated. METHODS: Here, we evaluated whether COVID-19-associated financial stress was associated with increased likelihood of a clinically significant depression score (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Score ≥ 15) among pregnant women living in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data come from an online survey administered to a convenience sample in April 2020 (N = 2099). RESULTS: Forty-three percent of participants reported experiencing financial stress as a result of the pandemic, while 24% of participants had a clinically significant depression score. COVID-19-related financial stress was significantly associated with increased likelihood of a clinically significant depression score, even after adjustment for covariates including participant education and income (adjusted Odds Ratio: 2.23, 95% CI = 1.80, 2.77, P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Financial stress caused by the COVID-19 pandemic is associated with more than two times the likelihood of depression during pregnancy, which could impact birth outcomes and long-term offspring health.
Reduced quadrature for FEM, IGA and meshfree methods

Abstract We propose a framework to improve one-point quadrature and, more generally, reduced integration for finite element methods (FEM), Isogeometric Analysis (IGA), and immersed methods. The framework makes use of first- and higher-order Taylor expansion of the integrands involved in the principle of virtual work, and the analytical integration of the resulting correction terms. Explicit forms of the correction terms, which eliminate rank deficiency of the resulting stiffness matrices and ensure optimal convergence of the discrete formulation, are derived for C 0 -continuous linear and quadratic FEM, and C 1 -continuous quadratic Non-Uniform Rational B-Splines (NURBS). The proposed methodology naturally extends to immersed methods, such as the Material-Point Method (MPM), provided the background discretization is sufficiently smooth. It also naturally lends itself to handle nearly incompressible materials, where the resulting correction is applied only to the deviatoric part of the internal virtual work term.
Performance of Optical Coupling Materials in Scintillation Detectors Post Temperature Exposure.

In this paper, the room-temperature performance of different optical coupling materials post temperature exposure was tested. The tested couplers included OC431A-LVP, OG0010 optical grease, BLUESIL V-788, and SAINT-GOBAIN BC-630. This was done by subjecting the whole detector with newly applied optical coupling materials to a 2-h temperature exposure—ranging from −20 to 50 °C and then by letting it return to room temperature before collecting a spectrum from a Cs-137 source. The energy resolution at 662 keV was computed as the metric for evaluating the performance. Three trials were run at each coupler–temperature combination. Our results reveal that the performance of all coupling agents do indeed change with temperature after the 2-h exposure. Over all the tested temperature trials, the energy resolution ranged from 11.4 to 14.3% for OC431A-LVP; 10.2 to 14.6% for OG0010; 10 to 13.4% for BLUESIL V-788; and 9.8 to 13.3% for SAINT-GOBAIN BC-630. OC431A-LVP had the lowest variance over the full range, while BC-630 was the most constant for temperatures above 20 °C. Ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectra experiments were also performed on isolated optical coupling materials to measure the light absorption coefficient. The results show that the temperature-induced variance in light absorption coefficient of each optical coupling materials is one of the reasons for the variance in energy resolution performance. Our findings suggest the need for further investigation into this effect and the recommendation that optical coupling materials need to be selected for the task at hand with greater scrutiny.
When ‘Go’ Becomes ‘Stay’, One Is Left to Ask, ‘Where Do We ‘Go’ from Here?’ Viewing the ‘Go’ of the Great Commission as a Command to Contextualize the Gospel to the Nations!

Worldwide, 272 million people live outside of their home country and another 800 million have been forced to migrate within their own county. This massive displacement of people provides a great opportunity in the Church’s own backyard, where many believers should be—and can be—involved in fulfilling Christ’s Great Commission. The ‘going’ in the Great Commission does not geographically move the disciples very far in the first months/years of the early Church; however, with the first outpouring of the Spirit, the Church was stretched contextually into places it never expected to go. This research will examine the aorist participle, ‘go’, in the Great Commission and postulate a contextual understanding of the command to ‘go’. This contextual understanding provides an opportunity to be part of the Great Commission in a world whose borders are closed, due to the world-wide Coved-19 pandemic.
Place-based motivations and normative beliefs predict pro-environmental behavior across involvement profiles

Abstract Understanding the relationships among social psychological drivers of pro-environmental behavior has been the focus of a long-standing body of research aimed at minimizing human impacts on the environment. Within public land management contexts, empirical evidence has suggested that place-based motivations and normative beliefs explain why people intend to engage in behavior that benefits the environment; however, the personal relevance of outdoor activities varies, in that recreationists often report distinct degrees of involvement that influence patterns of thought and behavior. Therefore, we tested the moderating effect of enduring involvement in outdoor recreation on the relationships among motivations, normative beliefs, and pro-environmental behaviors that reflected tenets of the Leave No Trace (LNT) educational outreach program. We segmented respondents into involvement profiles and tested a series of hypothesized relationships using multi-group structural equation modeling. Data were derived from a study of white water rafters on the Kern Wild and Scenic River in California's Sierra Nevada. Results indicated that both the strength and influence of select motivations on normative beliefs are stronger among individuals with higher involvement in rafting. A relationship between respondents' stated levels of importance for achievement as a motive for activity participation and normative beliefs about LNT also emerged among respondents with medium levels of involvement, whereas normative beliefs about LNT are associated with place-based motives for being with similar people and being in nature among those with high levels of involvement. These results explain the relationships among multiple antecedents of behavior within the context of a high-risk wilderness experience. Management implications The behavioral phenomena examined in this research explain the development of stewardship practices to help sustain environments while optimizing visitor experiences in the outdoors.Natural resource recreation managers should consider the personal relevance of activities as defining features that explain variation in motivations and responses to normative pressure. The presented results indicate that framing information in line with the involvement profiles will be more likely to resonate with recreationists in related contexts. Respondents were motivated to engage in white water rafting to be around similar people, enjoy nature, learn, and escape from personal and social pressures, but these motivations vary in accordance with levels of involvement. In settings where recreationists are presented with opportunities to engage in nature-based recreation that requires specialized skills, those with high levels of involvement may be more sensitive to normative pressures to protect the expected outcomes of their nature-based goals and desire to be around other highly involved recreationists.
Purification and Physical-Chemical Characterization of Bromocresol Purple for Carbon System Measurements in Freshwaters, Estuaries, and Oceans.

This work provides an algorithm to describe the salinity (SP) and temperature (T) dependence of the equilibrium and molar absorptivity characteristics of purified bromocresol purple (BCP, a pH indicator) over a river-to-sea range of salinity (0 ≤ SP ≤ 40). Based on the data obtained in this study, the pH of water samples can be calculated on the seawater pH scale as follows: pHSW = -log(K2e2) + log((R - e1)/(1 - Re4)) where -log(K2e2) = 4.981 - 0.1710SP0.5 + 0.09428SP + 0.3794SP1.5 + 0.0009129SP2 + 310.2/T - 17.33S1.5/T - 0.05895SP1.5 ln T - 0.0005730SP0.5T, e1 = 0.00049 ± 0.00029, and e4 = -7.101 × 10-3 + 7.674 × 10-5T + 1.361 × 10-5SP. The term pHSW is the negative log of the hydrogen ion concentration determined on the seawater pH scale; R is the ratio of BCP absorbances (A) at 432 and 589 nm; K2 is the equilibrium constant for the second BCP dissociation step; and e1, e2, and e4 are BCP molar absorptivity ratios. A log(K2e2) equation is also presented on the total pH scale. The e4 value determined for purified BCP in this study can be used with previously published procedures to correct BCP absorbance measurements obtained using off-the-shelf (unpurified) BCP. This work provides a method for purifying BCP, fills a critical gap in the suite of available purified sulfonephthalein indicators, enables high-quality spectrophotometric measurements of total alkalinity, and facilitates pH measurements in freshwater, estuarine, and ocean environments within the range 4.0 ≤ pH ≤ 7.5.
Mark Bingham: The Making of a Gay Hero and Queer Remembrance After 9/11

In this article, the author recounts some of the events that occurred on September 11, 2001, when four doomed airlines crashed after being hijacked by 19 Al-Qaeda terrorists, resulting in the deaths of 2,977 people in New York, New York, at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, and on an empty field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. It is at this latter location, where United Flight 93 crashed killing everyone onboard, including 31-year-old Mark Bingham, an openly gay businessman and member of a small group of people who, it is believed, wrested control from the hijackers and brought the plane down. In the years post-September 11, Bingham has become known as a modern-day hero by the various queer communities, while also garnering a high level of notoriety among many mainstream people as well. The author maintains, however, that Bingham’s hero status simultaneously contributes to the dismissal and erasure of countless other queer people, primarily Black, Brown, and transgender, who have also performed heroic acts throughout modern U.S. history. Without diminishing the actions Bingham and the others took on board United Flight 93, the author questions why this particular gay man is remembered, while countless other queer/trans people of color remain largely unknown.
Abstract P330: Cardiovascular Adipose Depots Of The Heart And Aorta Are Associated With CVD Risk Factors And Vascular Calcification In Women With SLE

Introduction: Women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are at greater risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD), which is not explained by traditional CVD and SLE-related risk factors. Mounting evidence implicates small visceral adipose depots surrounding the heart and vasculature in the pathogenesis of CVD. Previously, we found that women with SLE had a greater volume of aortic perivascular adipose tissue (aPVAT) compared to healthy controls (HC). Here we quantify epicardial (EPI), paracardial (PARA), and total heart (TOT = EPI+PARA) adipose and evaluate their associations with aPVAT, CVD risk factors and coronary artery (CAC) and aortic (AC) calcification. Design: Data included clinically CVD-free SLE women never (SLEc-) or ever (SLEc+) on corticosteroids, and healthy controls (HC) (HEARTS cohort). Electron beam CT scans were used to quantify adipose depots and AC/CAC. Logistic and linear regressions were used and final models were adjusted for waist-to-hip ratio. Results: In this study, age- and race-matched women participated: 15 SLEc-, 15 SLEc+, and 15 HC. More SLE women had hypertension (p=0.04), elevated circulating eSelectin (p=0.04), albumin (p=0.01), and homocysteine (p=0.02) compared to HC. SLEc+ women had decreased circulating C3 (p=0.04) and C4 (p TOT was correlated with aPVAT in SLE (rho,p: 0.47, 0.01) and HC (0.69, AC was detected in 21/28 SLE women and 11/15 HC while CAC was detected in 13/28 SLE and 4/15 HC. Only aPVAT was associated with increasing AC (OR(95%CI),p): 1.09 (1.0-1.2), 0.04) and CAC (1.11 (1.0-1.2), 0.03) in SLEc+. In adjusted models, only aPVAT(log) remained associated with greater extent of AC in SLE(β(SE),p: 2.90(1.3), 0.04), which was driven by SLEc+ (5.13(1.8), 0.02) women. Conclusion: Adipose depots surrounding the heart and vasculature are greater in clinically CVD-free women with SLE and specifically SLEc+, with significant associations among CVD risk factors and calcification dependent on their location. Corticosteroid treatment may suppress circulating inflammatory markers, but is associated with greater adipose volumes surrounding the heart and increased calcification. Just as AC generally precedes CAC development, aPVAT may be a precursor to extensive PARA and EPI development, with PARA more strongly associated.
Developmental programs in bacteria.

Publisher Summary In this chapter, some of the better-studied examples of developmental cycles among bacteria are discussed, and then discusses the mechanisms that regulate these cycles. This chapter describes Cuulobucter crescentus for discussion as an example of a bacterium, with an extensively studied developmental cycle that is independent of environmental stress. The ease of synchronization and amenability to the genetic analysis of C. crescentus have allowed significant strides to be made in understanding the forces that drive its obligate developmental cycle. Development takes on many forms among the bacteria, from a natural part of the cell cycle as seen in C. crescentus to the sporulation pathways, initiated by stress in a variety of other organisms. Developmental programs are evident even in the prototypical bacterium of molecular biology, E .coli , as it responds to stress and enters or exits the stationary phase. Dissection of the factors, driving these programs in several different bacteria, is well underway, revealing in each case a complex network of signals temporally and spatially controlling gene expression. As the components, regulating development in bacteria, are understood at a molecular level, this fundamental knowledge should illuminate the basic principles that extend beyond the prokaryotic kingdom to aid in the understanding of the developmental processes in a variety of other organisms.
Chapter 18 Another timing variable composed of state variables: Phase perception and phase driven oscillators

Abstract In this chapter, we consider a perceptible variable that is related to τ, but is different from τ. The variable is phase, .is similar to τ in that both are timing variables and both are ratios of spatial variables that could be state variables of a dynamical system. As such, either could be used to drive a damped mass-spring system to yield an autonomous dynamical organization. Finally, both τ andare perceptible variables. We describe experiments in which we have investigated the perception of relative phase. Then, we describe a phase driven and phase coupled dynamical model of bimanual coordination. An important feature of this model is that it can account for both movement study and judgment study results. However, the way the perceptible property is used in each case is task-specific.
Cerebrospinal Fluid and its Abnormalities

Cerebrospinal fluid bathes the central nervous system, providing mechanical support and maintaining a stable environment. Alterations in its production, circulation or absorption result in a pathological condition termed hydrocephalus, characterized by an accumulation of fluid within the cranium, usually in the ventricles of the brain. Similarly, aberrations in the circulation or absorption of cerebrospinal fluid around the spinal cord can create a condition termed syringomyelia. Hydrocephalus can be life-threatening due to increased intracranial pressure. The most common causes of hydrocephalus are related to obstruction of cerebrospinal fluid flow. In the pediatric population, causes of hydrocephalus include developmental abnormalities, infectious aetiologies, mass lesions, and haemorrhage. Causes of high pressure hydrocephalus in adulthood are primarily related to haemorrhage and tumour, although idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) is also encountered. The management of hydrocephalus and syringomyelia relies primarily on neurosurgical interventions such as insertion of shunt devices. Key Concepts CSF provides a mechanical support for the brain and spinal cord. Overproduction of CSF, obstruction to CSF flow or impaired absorption of CSF may lead to disease states such as hydrocephalus or syringomyelia. CSF diversion by means of shunting with catheter implantation or fenestration of anatomic barriers is the primary treatment for diseases of CSF disturbances. Keywords: central nervous system; cerebrospinal fluid; hydrocephalus; ventricles; syringomyelia
Getting the Help We Need.

In validating uses of testing, it is helpful to distinguish those that rely directly on the information provided by scores or score distributions (direct uses and consequences) versus those that instead capitalize on the motivational effects of testing, or use testing and test reporting to shape public opinion (indirect uses and consequences). Some uses and consequences, both direct and indirect, are intended; others are unintended. Unintended consequences pose greater challenges in test validation because they must be identified before they can be investigated. Validation of uses and consequences can employ theories and methods from various social science disciplines. Educational measurement is most closely allied with psychology and statistics, but sociologists, anthropologists, economists, linguists, and others also could help in theorizing and investigating the consequences of test use, especially indirect and unintended consequences.
Prospective study of risk factors for hepatitis C virus acquisition by Caucasian, Hispanic, and Asian American patients.

Summary. Commonly known risk factors for infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) include blood transfusion, injection drug use, intranasal cocaine use, and body tattoos. We hypothesized that Asian Americans infected with HCV may not identify with these established risk factors present in Caucasians and Hispanics, and our aim was to conduct a survey of risk factors in HCV-infected patients in these ethnic groups. In this prospective study, 494 patients infected with HCV completed a detailed risk assessment questionnaire at a liver centre in Northern California from 2001 to 2008. Among subjects participating in this study, 55% identified themselves as Caucasian, 20% as Hispanic, and 25% as Asian. Asian Americans were older, less likely to smoke or consume alcohol, and have a family history of cancer compared with Caucasians and Hispanics. The laboratory profiles were similar, and genotype 1 was the most common infection in all groups (74–75%). The great majority of Caucasians (94%) and Hispanics (86%) identified with commonly known risk factors, which was in contrast to 67% of Asians (P < 0.0001). The most common risk factors in Asians were blood transfusions (50%) and acupuncture (50%). Furthermore, 74% of Caucasians and 66% of Hispanics identified more than one major risk factor, while only 20% of Asians reported having more than one risk factor (P < 0.0001). Survey for established risk factors for acquisition of HCV may be more appropriate for risk assessment of Caucasians and Hispanics, but not for Asian Americans. These findings may guide the development of HCV screening in our increasingly diverse population.
THE SCOPE OF NGOS AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME DESIGN: APPLICATION TO PROBLEMS OF MULTIDIMENSIONAL POVERTY

SUMMARY In this study, basic questions concerning the scope and structure of organisations working on development and poverty activities are addressed. Under what conditions is work on many or few poverty problems by a single organisation warranted? Moreover, for a given organisational scope, how many issues and in what combinations are best in a specific programme? How are these choices related? How does ‘inheriting’ an organisational structure, that is difficult (very costly) to change, influence choices concerning programme type? The application of the economics of organisation yields useful insights into non-governmental organisation (NGO) structure and activities, revealing opposing forces that may lead NGOs to diversify either excessively, or inadequately. NGOs working in the poverty field are a natural focus for this research because poverty is a multidimensional problem with potential (or contingent) complementarities across dimensions. Perspectives on activity choices such as child sponsorship and microfinance emerge from this broader context. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
“All‐or‐None” Versus “Most‐or‐Some” Options in Risky Choice: Effects of Domain and Handedness

Two methodological variants of Kahneman and Tversky’s Asian disease scenario were investigated. One variant involved replacing the “all-or-none” outcome scenarios of the risky choice with “most-or-some” scenario outcomes, and the second variant involved replacing the negative domain of lives lost with a positive domain of jobs created. In addition, the effects of strength of handedness, a variable related to individual differences in risk perception, were examined. Results indicated that standard framing effects were obtained across both domains, with a decrease in risky choice under the gain domain. Scenario type also interacted with handedness, such that the all-or-none scenario yielded framing effects for consistent (strong)-handers only, whereas the most-or-some scenario yielded framing effects for inconsistent (mixed)-handers only (consistent-handers are those who use the same hand exclusively for almost all activities). These results demonstrate that framing effects are strongly influenced by the presence versus absence of extreme/absolute outcomes and that individuals (in this case, decision makers with varying degrees of handedness strength) are differentially sensitive to different pieces of information. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A Cultural History of Jewish Dress (Silverman)

This work is a book review considering the title A Cultural History of Jewish Dress by Eric Silverman.
Sounding-derived indices for neural network based short-term thunderstorm and rainfall forecasts

Abstract A neural network-based scheme to do a multivariate analysis for forecasting the occurrence and intensity of a meteo event is presented. Many sounding-derived indices are combined together to build a short-term forecast of thunderstorm and rainfall events, in the plain of the Friuli Venezia Giulia region (hereafter FVG, NE Italy). For thunderstorm forecasting, sounding, lightning strikes and mesonet station data (rain and wind) from April to November of the years 1995–2002 have been used to train and validate the artificial neural network (hereafter ANN), while the 2003 and 2004 data have been used as an independent test sample. Two kind of ANNs have been developed: the first is a “classification model” ANN and is built for forecasting the thunderstorm occurrence. If this first ANN predicts convective activity, then a second ANN, built as a “regression model”, is used for forecasting the thunderstorm intensity, as defined in a previous article. The classification performances are evaluated with the ROC diagram and some indices derived from the Table of Contingency (like KSS, FAR, Odds Ratio). The regression performances are evaluated using the Mean Square Error and the linear cross correlation coefficient R . A similar approach is applied to the problem of 6 h rainfall forecast in the Friuli Venezia Giulia plain, but in this second case the data cover the period from 1992 to 2004. Also the forecasts of binary events (defined as the occurrence of 5, 20 or 40 mm of maximum rain), made by classification and regression ANN, were compared. Particular emphasis is given to the sounding-derived indices which are chosen in the first places by the predictor forward selection algorithm.
Moving Living Cells and Fluids on Microchips for Diagnostics

Biomedical applications of microfabricated devices is no longer limited to non-living systems as genes-on-a-chip or lab-on-a-chip, recent advances in the understanding of cellular behavior in microenvironments have started to pave the way toward living micro-devices. These emerging devices are expected to become key technologies in the 21st century of medicine with a broad range of applications varying from diagnostic, tissue engineered products, cell-based drug screening tools, and basic molecular biology tools. They will also include multiple cell types and/or genetically engineered cells to investigate complex interactions between cells from different tissues. These sophisticated devices will contain micro-engineered tissue units coupled to each other by complex microfluidic handling network. Microfluidic mixing systems will also precisely regulate the composition and concentration of drugs to be tested. This presentation will briefly review the early historical literature on the use of microtechnologies in cellular systems and then focus on various applications in cancer biology, HIV/AIDS and global health, inflammation, and systems biology. The presentation will primarily focus on interesting transport phenomena at the microscale and how such information can be used for the development of microfluidic systems for diagnostics and other applications.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Selected Temporal Aspects of Coordination during Fluent Speech of Young Stutterers

The purpose of this study was to compare the onsets, offsets, and durations of respiratory, articulatory, and laryngeal behaviors associated with the perceptually fluent speech of young stutterers ...
A Place to be Yourself: Empowerment from the Client's Perspective

This article describes a focused ethnography of a group of chronically mentally ill clients who were involved in a client-run drop-in center. Spradley's (1979) Developmental Research Sequence guided the research. Data were obtained from interviews, participant-observation and documents review. The qualitative analysis identified the major theme of empowerment, which had four process domains: participating, choosing, supporting and negotiating. These domains represented four levels of empowerment for this group. From the client's perspective, empowerment meant they participated more in the community, their choices were increased, they provided support for each other and they negotiated on a more equal basis with staff. A fifth domain, personal significance, described the effects of empowerment for each individual.
Field Estimation of a Lethal Oxythermal Niche Boundary for Adult Ciscoes in Minnesota Lakes

Abstract Ciscoes Coregonus artedi are coldwater stenotherms that are sensitive indicators of ecological stressors, such as eutrophication and climate warming, that reduce coldwater habitat. Temperature and oxygen profile data were collected during cisco mortality events at 17 lakes during an unusually warm summer in Minnesota in 2006. Combinations of temperature and oxygen from the profiles were mapped onto a two-dimensional niche space to directly quantify an oxythermal lethal niche boundary for ciscoes. Quantile regression was used to estimate the niche boundary that described lethal combinations of oxygen and temperature for cisco. The fitted lethal oxythermal niche boundary exhibited a curvilinear interaction between lethal temperatures and lethal oxygen concentrations. The lethal temperature under normoxia (about 8 mg/L) was estimated to be 24°C. Lethal temperatures were progressively less at lower lethal oxygen concentrations (e.g., the lethal temperature was 23.0°C at 5.0 mg/L, 22.0°C at 3.0 mg/L, ...
Oxidation of CrIII to CrVI during chlorination of drinking water

Drinking water treatment typically uses strong oxidants such as chlorine which are capable of converting CrIII to CrVI. The rates and extent of CrIII oxidation by chlorine are not well established. CrIII oxidation experiments were therefore conducted in distilled deionized water and New York City tap water dosed initially with CrIII and supplemented with sodium hypochlorite to increase free chlorine residual. Reaction progress was monitored using capillary electrophoresis which quenched reactions and allowed for quantification of CrVI. Three different forms of CrIII were used as reactants: a CrIII nitrate salt, CrIII–EDTA, and CrIII hydroxide. Rates of CrVI production for all three forms of CrIII were rapid, on the order of hours. However, oxidation rates slowed and a plateau in CrVI concentrations was reached. This resulted in less than 100% conversion of CrIII to CrVI even at relatively high chlorine doses (10 to 100 mg L−1 as Cl2). The loss of free chlorine due to a non-Cr chlorine demand, the precipitation of CrIII to Cr(OH)3(s), and the partial oxidation of CrIII to intermediate oxidation states (i.e. CrIV and CrV) were examined and eliminated as possible explanations for this behavior. Consumption of chlorine via reaction with intermediate oxidation states of Cr is therefore offered as a possible explanation for the plateau in CrVI concentrations.
Gene Expression Profiling of Listeria monocytogenes Strain F2365 during Growth in Ultrahigh-Temperature-Processed Skim Milk

To study how Listeria monocytogenes survives and grows in ultrahigh-temperature-processed (UHT) skim milk, microarray technology was used to monitor the gene expression profiles of strain F2365 in UHT skim milk. Total RNA was isolated from strain F2365 in UHT skim milk after 24 h of growth at 4 degrees C, labeled with fluorescent dyes, and hybridized to "custom-made" commercial oligonucleotide (35-mers) microarray chips containing the whole genome of L. monocytogenes strain F2365. Compared to L. monocytogenes grown in brain heart infusion (BHI) broth for 24 h at 4 degrees C, 26 genes were upregulated (more-than-twofold increase) in UHT skim milk, whereas 14 genes were downregulated (less-than-twofold decrease). The upregulated genes included genes encoding transport and binding proteins, transcriptional regulators, proteins in amino acid biosynthesis and energy metabolism, protein synthesis, cell division, and hypothetical proteins. The downregulated genes included genes that encode transport and binding proteins, protein synthesis, cellular processes, cell envelope, energy metabolism, a transcriptional regulator, and an unknown protein. The gene expression changes determined by microarray assays were confirmed by real-time reverse transcriptase PCR analyses. Furthermore, cells grown in UHT skim milk displayed the same sensitivity to hydrogen peroxide as cells grown in BHI, demonstrating that the elevated levels of expression of genes encoding manganese transporter complexes in UHT skim milk did not result in changes in the oxidative stress sensitivity. To our knowledge, this report represents a novel study of global transcriptional gene expression profiling of L. monocytogenes in a liquid food.
Near-resonant vibrational energy exchange between the stretching levels of H2O

Abstract The probabilities of vibrational energy exchange between the two stretching levels of H 2 O have been calculated from 200 to 3000 K by use of a semiclassical procedure. Probabilities of the exothermic process (001 → 100) take a near-constant value of 0.35 over the entire temperature range, while the endothermic probabilities closely follow a 1/ T dependence. Probabilities exhibit a strong orientation dependence; large values are found when one of the H atoms is interacting with the incident atom in close proximity producing strong stretch-stretch couplings. Various intramolecular couplings during vibration are discussed. The effects of stretch-bend couplings and displacement of the O atom from the center-of-mass on the energy exchange is found to be unimportant.
Performance characteristics of pixelated CZT crystals used on the GammaTracker project

GammaTracker is a handheld radioisotope identification device in development at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory that uses eighteen pixelated Cadmium-Zinc Telluride (CZT) crystals to provide energy resolution approaching that of high-purity germanium without the need for cryogenic cooling. Additionally, these crystals can be used to provide directional and imaging capabilities that cannot be found in other handheld detectors. A significant number of CZT crystals have been procured during the development of the GammaTracker system; the majority of these were procured with the same set of specifications. Each of these detectors has been characterized in terms of key parameters, including current-voltage response and pixel-by-pixel energy resolution. The results of this testing indicate that the overall quality of CZT crystals is improving over time.
Effects of Initially Excited Hole States on the Soft-X-Ray Emission Spectra of Metals

A general theory of the effects of Coulomb excitation of a deep hole state in a solid on the subsequent soft-x-ray emission line shape is given. For excitation energies well above threshold it is shown that the emission corresponds to the decay of a nonrelaxed initial hole state which is suddenly introduced into the solid. Using a weak-coupling approximation, a generalization of the Weisskopf-Wigner formula for radiative line shapes is derived which includes the enhancement of the high-energy tail of an emission line or edge due to initial excitations. Comparison of the approximate results with measurements of the $K$ edge of Li metal provides a reasonable explanation of the observed discrepancy between absorption and emission line shapes.
Mitotic cell cycle proteins increase in podocytes despite lack of proliferation

Mitotic cell cycle proteins increase in podocytes despite lack of proliferation. Background Podocyte proliferation is an uncommon response to glomerular injury and its lack may underlie the development of glomerulosclerosis. However, whether podocytes have the capacity to enter and finish mitosis and cytokinesis is not known. Methods The expression of mitotic cell cycle proteins (phosphorylated Histone 3, Cdc2, cyclin B1 and B2) was examined by immunohistochemistry in kidneys of embryonal mice, transgenic HIV-mice, and rats with experimental membranous nephropathy (passive Heymann nephritis, PHN). Mitotic proteins also were measured by Western blot in glomerular protein from PHN-rats and the activity of mitotic cyclins was quantified by histone kinase assay. Results Mitotic proteins were increased in embryonal mouse glomeruli during the S- and comma-shaped stages and were absent at the capillary loop stage and in mature rodent glomeruli. There was an increase in podocyte expression of Cdc2, cyclin B1 and B2 and phosphorylated histone 3 in PHN rats, and in HIV transgenic mice. Conclusions Podocytes have the ability to increase cell cycle proteins required for mitosis. Without obvious differences in the expression of the major mitotic proteins in PHN- and HIV-nephropathy, a regulatory disturbance in cytokinesis might be responsible for the development of polynucleated cells and a lack of podocyte proliferation in experimental glomerular disease.
The quality of managerial training in telecommunications: a comparison of the marketing and information systems managers' viewpoints

This paper compares the results of two studies - the first study targeted the marketing manager while the information systems (IS) managers were the focus of the second study. Both studies questioned the respondents about the quality of their training in thirty telecommunications issues. What was most surprising was the total dissatisfaction with the training in telecommunications voiced by both the marketing and IS managers. The marketing managers did not rate their training on even one issue as average or above. Only one issue, Local Area Networks (LAN), was rated as average or above average in the quality of their training by the IS managers. Training in the currently used applications was rated the highest while training in the advanced or emerging applications was rated the lowest. When these applications are used innovatively, an organization can capture a strategic advantage. Self-study, organizational programs, educational institutions and professional agencies were the primary sources of the training. Training programs provided by professional agencies were rated the highest in quality while the organizational in-house programs were rated the weakest.
A grounded theory of female adolescents' dating experiences and factors influencing safety: the dynamics of the Circle

Background This paper describes the nature and characteristics of the dating relationships of adolescent females, including any of their experiences of abuse.
Some problems of host and parasite interactions in the coccidia

SYNOPSIS. The current status of some concepts of host and parasite interactions in the coccidia are discussed and evaluated. It is suggested that winter coccidiosis of cattle caused by Eimeria zuernii results from activation of arrested endogenous stages in the tissues of the host. A second aspect of clinical coccidiosis is that infections are seldom monospecific, but little work has been done on infections in animals with multiple species of coccidia. Information in the literature indicates that there are interactions between species of Eimeria in concurrent infections, and it is hoped that investigators will undertake studies to define more clearly what interactions there may be. Finally, the finding that there is a genetic basis for successful transmission of Eimeria separata from rats to mice provides a tool for studying the basis of host-specificity in the coccidia.
Maternal Titers After Adequate Syphilotherapy During Pregnancy

Background. We aimed to construct a timeline for nontreponemal titer decline specific to pregnancy and evaluate factors associated with inadequate decline by delivery. Methods. This was a retrospective medical records review from September 1984 to June 2011 of women diagnosed with syphilis after 18 weeks of gestation. Women were treated according to stage of syphilis per Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. Patients with both pretreatment and delivery titers were included for data analysis. Demographics, stage of syphilis, maternal titers, delivery, and infant outcomes were recorded. Standard statistical analyses were performed for categorical and continuous data. The titer decline was analyzed using mixed-effects regression modeling. Results. A total of 166 patients met inclusion criteria. Mean gestational age at treatment was 29.1 ± 5 weeks, and 93 (56%) women were diagnosed with early-stage syphilis. For all stages of syphilis, maternal titers declined after syphilotherapy. Pretreatment titers were higher and declined more rapidly in primary and secondary disease than in latent-stage disease and syphilis of unknown duration. Sixty-three (38%) patients achieved a 4-fold decline by delivery. Patients without a 4-fold decline by delivery were older (24.6 vs 21.5 years; P< .001), treated later in pregnancy (30.3 vs 27.3 weeks; P< .001), diagnosed with latent syphilis or syphilis of unknown duration, and had less time from treatment to delivery (7.8 vs 11.1 weeks; P< .001). Conclusions. Maternal serologic response during pregnancy after adequate syphilotherapy varied by stage of disease. Failure to achieve a 4-fold decline in titers by delivery is more a reflection of treatment timing than of treatment failure.
Effect of Ascorbic Acid on the Serum Calcium Level in Laying Hens Fed Graded Levels of Dietary Calcium

Abstract Thornton and Moreng (1958, 1959) reported that the addition of ascorbic acid to the hen’s diet would maintain or increase egg shell thickness during heat stress. Further studies by Thornton (1960a, b, 1961) have suggested that this response to abscorbic acid may be influenced by factors other than heat stress: namely, dietary protein level, calcium level and the bird’s metabolic rate. In studies conducted by Pepper et al. (1961) and Harms and Waldroup (1961) supplemental ascorbic acid did not significantly alter egg production or shell thickness. In the latter study heat stress was definitely a factor. The present investigation was conducted to determine the effect of supplemental ascorbic acid on serum calcium level in laying hens fed graded levels of dietary calcium. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Fourteen S.C. White Leghorn hens of the Cornell Random-bred strain were maintained in individual wire cages during the six week experimental period. While the test was …