cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Theoretical determination of exact-exchange-mixing parameter employing the ionization energy theorem

The value of Becke's exact-exchange-mixing parameter is determined by purely theoretical considerations by requiring that the ionization energy theorem (−ϵm=I) be satisfied as closely as possible. This method is applied to the case in which the density functional theory approximation to the exchange–correlation energy functional is given by the local spin density approximation with Perdew–Zunger self-interaction correction, which leads to the correct−1/r long-range behavior of the exchange– correlation potential and consequently to accurate highest occupied orbital energy eigenvalues, ϵm. Employing this approach on atoms with Z≤20 self-consistent optimized-effective potential calculations results in the determination of the mixing parameter, which is in good agreement with that of Becke, and the resulting calculations of the ionization potentials and electron affinities for these atoms are on average within 0.10 eV of the experimental results. In addition, the resulting correlation potential for both neon and argon exhibits a positive bump in the region of maximum density of the highest lying p states. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Quant Chem 69: 255–264, 1998
The Treatment of Erectile Dysfunction

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a common age-related sexual dysfunction. It can be a treatment challenge for the therapist because it is notoriously associated with psychological, physical and relational risk factors. Typically, ED adversely impacts the man's self esteem, partner satisfaction and the couple's intimate relationship. This sexual dysfunction is often co-morbid with physical risk factors such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease, especially as the man ages. Medical treatments for ED are improving rapidly; however, physicians rarely involve the partner in discussion of the remedies. The treatment for ED must address all of the contributory bio-psycho-social factors in the individual and couple; thus, it must be comprehensive, intimacy-based, and integrative.
Isometric composition operators on the analytic Besov spaces

Abstract We investigate the isometric composition operators on the analytic Besov spaces. For 1 p 2 we show that an isometric composition operator is induced only by a rotation of the disk. For p > 2 , we extend previous work on the subject. Finally, we analyze this same problem for the Besov spaces with an equivalent norm.
The crystal-crystal transition in poly[3,3-bis(chloromethyl)oxacyclobutane]

Abstract The transformation β to α form ‘Penton’ † was studied using differential thermal analysis and X-ray techniques. This transformation which starts around 115°C is rapid when accompanied by annealing of the β form, and the amount transformed increases with the annealing temperature. However, the α to β transformation does not occur even after long annealing times. Samples crystallized from the glassy state were predominantly β with a small amount of α, while samples crystallized from the melt were essentially all α form.
Optimal duration of therapy in HBV-related cirrhosis

It is estimated that one-third of the world's population has been exposed to hepatitis B virus and that 300-400 million people have chronic hepatitis B. In areas of the world where hepatitis B infection is endemic, this chronic viral infection is a major cause of premature morbidity and mortality related to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and complications of end-stage liver disease. Recent data from population-based studies suggest that the level of viral replication in chronic hepatitis B is an independent predictor of the future complications of the disease; patients with hepatitis B viral DNA titres >10(4) copies/mL (especially those with titres >10(5) copies) have a significantly greater risk of developing HCC and cirrhosis. There is also recent evidence that treatment with antiviral therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis B who have advanced hepatic fibrosis is associated with a reduction in the risk of decompensation of liver disease and HCC. Several new antiviral medications have been recently approved for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B. Several recent position statements and practice guidelines have recommended treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis B with oral antiviral medications. However, there remains some disagreement as to the threshold of viral load before treatment should be initiated and the optimal duration of therapy in patients with cirrhosis due to hepatitis B. This article describes the current recommendations regarding therapy in this group of patients and suggests some criteria for treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis B-related cirrhosis or advanced hepatic fibrosis.
School-Based Vocational Programs and Labor Laws: A 1990 Update.

This article describes how the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) administered through the United States Department of Labor (DOL) governs school-based employment and vocational training programs. Particular attention is paid to the regulations regarding employment and training for students with disabilities. Because the FLSA was recently reauthorized with final regulations published in late 1989, this paper updates the Journal of the Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps publication by Martin and Husch (1987) on the same topic. It further explains and interprets situations that are often misunderstood by educators and employment specialists through a series of case studies typical of school-based vocational programs for students with severe handicaps. Finally, suggestions for reform in federal and state policy as a result of counterproductive provisions of the FLSA are presented.
The role of radiation therapy in the treatment of locally unresectable or metastatic carcinoid tumors

Forty-four patients irradiated for metastatic or unresectable carcinoid tumors at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center from 1950 to 1986 were studied. The response to radiation was analyzed at four sites: epidural space (11 pts), brain (8 pts), bone (8 pts), and abdominal (17 pts). Although survival was generally poor, substantial palliation was achieved in most cases. No patient with brain metastases had progression of intracranial disease after radiation therapy (median dose: 3300 cGy); all died of progression of systemic metastases (median survival: 4 months). Infield control following radiation therapy for epidural and osseous metastases was achieved in 77% and 78% of sites, respectively, with median doses of 3000 cGy and 4000 cGy. Median survival for epidural and bone metastases was 11 and 13 months, respectively. In-field control was obtained in 62% of patients with intraabdominal disease (median dose: 2700 cGy). Among the subset of seven patients who were irradiated at ten sites of unresectable abdominal (non-hepatic) disease, the median survival was 23 months with 80% achieving a complete or partial response and 50% maintaining permanent in-field control. No dose-response relationship was demonstrated. Radiation therapy can achieve local control and symptomatic palliation in most patients with metastatic carcinoid tumors. Our current recommendation would be to treat non-hepatic sites with 4500-5000 cGy in 4-5 weeks. More rapid fractionation schemes could be used for patients with limited life expectancies.
One-shot optimal exposure control

We introduce an algorithm to estimate the optimal exposure parameters from the analysis of a single, possibly under- or over-exposed, image. This algorithm relies on a new quantitative measure of exposure quality, based on the average rendering error, that is, the difference between the original irradiance and its reconstructed value after processing and quantization. In order to estimate the exposure quality in the presence of saturated pixels, we fit a log-normal distribution to the brightness data, computed from the unsaturated pixels. Experimental results are presented comparing the estimated vs. "ground truth" optimal exposure parameters under various illumination conditions.
Constitutional Democracy: Creating and Maintaining a Just Political Order

Constitutional Democracy: Creating and Maintaining a Just Political Order. By Walter F. Murphy. Baltimore: The John Hopkins University Press, 2006. 568p. $55.00. This fine book brings to bear Walter Murphy's manifold gifts: breadth of knowledge about political systems around the world and throughout history, keen critical learning about ancient and modern political thought, deep understanding of constitutional law, and a clear and clever style. It is thus a perfect place for relative novices to get an overview of the search for the best possible political system for sustaining Murphy's highest value, “respect for the great and equal dignity of all human beings” (p. 341). “Constitutional democracy” is for him this best possible system. At the same time, graduate students preparing for field exams in political or constitutional theory can find in Murphy's references and footnotes an excellent bibliography for their studies.
Forage for thought: Mobilizing codes in the movement for grass-fed meat and dairy products

This study illuminates how new markets emerge and how social movements can effect cultural change through market creation. We suggest that social movements can fuel solutions to three challenges in creating new market segments: entrepreneurial production, the creation of collective producer identities, and the establishment of regular exchange between producers and consumers. We use qualitative data on the grassroots coalition movement that has spurred a market for grass-fed meat and dairy products in the United States since the early 1990s. Our analysis shows that the movement's participants mobilized broad cultural codes and that these codes motivated producers to enter and persist in a nascent market, shaped their choices about production and exchange technologies, enabled a collective identity, and formed the basis of the products' exchange value.
Genetic Change and Continuity from Fourteen to Twenty Months: The MacArthur Longitudinal Twin Study

Genetic change as well as continuity was investigated within the domains of temperament, emotion, and cognition/language for 200 pairs of twins assessed at 14 and 20 months of age in the laboratory and home. The second year of life is marked by change rather than continuity: correlations from 14 to 20 months averaged about .30 for observational measures of temperament and emotion, about .40 for language measures, and about .50 for mental development. 2 types of genetic change were examined: changes in the magnitude of genetic influence (heritability) and genetic contributions to change from 14 to 20 months. In general, heritability estimates were similar at 14 and 20 months. Evidence for genetic influence on change from 14 to 20 months emerged for several measures, implying that heritability cannot be equated with stability. Analyses of continuity indicated that genetic factors are largely responsible for continuity from 14 to 20 months.
ON ACC and threshold circuits

It is proved that any language in ACC can be approximately computed by two-level circuits of size 2 raised to the (log n)/sup k/ power, with a symmetric-function gate at the top and only AND gates on the first level. This implies that any language in ACC can be recognized by depth-3 threshold circuits of that size. This result gives the first nontrivial upper bound on the computing power of ACC circuits. >
The evolution of the evolvability properties of the yeast prion [PSI+]

Saccharomyces cerevisiae's ability to form the prion ( PSI1) may increase the rate of evolvability, defined as the rate of appearance of heritable and potentially adaptive phenotypic variants. The increase in evolvability occurs when the appearance of the prion causes read-through translation and reveals hidden variation in untranslated regions. Eventually the portion of the phenotypic variation that is adaptive loses its dependence on the revealing mechanism. The mechanism is reversible, so the restoration of normal translation termination conceals the revealed deleterious variation, leaving the yeast without a permanent handicap. Given that the ability to form (PSI 1) is known to be fixed and conserved in yeast, we construct a mathematical model to calculate whether this ability is more likely to have become fixed due to chance alone or due to its evolvability characteristics. We find that evolvability is a more likely explanation, as long as environmental change makes partial read-through of stop codons adaptive at a frequency of at least once every million years.
State space representations of 2-D FIR lossless transfer matrices

This paper examines the properties of state-space realizations of square 2-D FIR lossless transfer matrices. Such matrices have found applications for the design of 2-D orthogonal perfect reconstruction filter banks. It is shown that 2-D FIR lossless matrices admit a minimal first-level realization with respect to one transform variable, where the dynamics are FIR and lossless in the other variable. This result is then employed to prove that 2-D FIR lossless transfer matrices admit a minimal 2-D Roesser realization whose dynamics are parametrized by a single constant orthonormal matrix, which satisfies constraints ensuring that the resulting transfer matrix is FIR. This parametrization is used to compute the number of degrees of freedom available for the synthesis of a 2-D FIR lossless transfer matrix of fixed McMillan degree in each variable. It is also shown that 2-D lossless FIR transfer matrices cannot necessarily be represented as a product of lossless FIR factors of lower degree, and conditions for the existence of such factorizations are given. >
High-pressure liquid chromatography of sialic acids on a pellicular resin anion-exchange column with pulsed amperometric detection: A comparison with six other systems☆

A wide variety of different sialic acids have been reported in nature. Following their release and purification, detection and quantitation of these molecules is now possible by a number of techniques. We and others have previously reported high-pressure liquid chromatography separation of sialic acids with several different columns, elution methods, and detection techniques. We report here a new method for the separation of sialic acids at neutral pH on a Carbopac PA-1 anion-exchange column of pellicular resin, with pulsed amperometric detection following postcolumn addition of alkali. The major advantages of this system are the separation of a variety of sialic acids, sensitive detection (into the picomole range), and the relative ease of use for preparative purposes. Using a set of defined sialic acid standards, this method is compared and contrasted with six other HPLC methods previously described by us and by others. The advantages and disadvantages of each system are also addressed. In the final analysis, no single method is adequate to completely separate and quantitate all of the known sialic acids. However, used in appropriate combinations, these methods allow exploration of the biology of sialic acids in a manner heretofore not possible.
Characteristics of linewidth-narrowed distributed Bragg reflector lasers with a fiber external cavity formed with the vertical grating emission

Linewidth reduction has been observed in a distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) laser with a second-order grating when an external cavity is formed with the vertical emission. The external cavity consists of a length of optical fiber which is brought close to the top of the laser. Displayed linewidths as low as 26 kHz have been measured. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of linewidth reduction via vertical emission from a laser diode. >
Live from Washington: The telecasting of president Kennedy's news conferences

This article is particularly interesting in light of the findings of the preceding article by Lawrence Lorenz on President Truman's broadcast news conferences. It is likely that, despite their apparent sophistication, the Kennedy news conferences will seem as primitive to us in the near future as the Truman news conferences do now. Dr. Sharp, assistant professor of Rhetoric at the University of California at Davis, based his article on research conducted for his dissertation on the same subject. This dissertation, completed at Purdue, was partly financed by the Purdue Research Foundation and was directed by Drs. Ronald Reid and Bruce Kendall.
Influence of plant abundance on pollination and selection on floral traits of ipomopsis aggregata

Competition for pollination has been hypothesized to select for the diver- gence of floral traits between species and populations. A primary prediction of this hy- pothesis is that the strength of competition for pollination, mediated by variation in plant abundance, should directly influence the strength of selection on floral traits. To test this prediction, I examined the relationships between multiple components of plant abundance and pollination, reproductive success, and phenotypic selection via female fitness on four floral traits in artificial and natural populations of the hummingbird-pollinated Iponlopsis aggregate. In the artificial arrays, I manipulated the absolute density and interspersion of neighboring I. aggregate and a competitor for pollination (Castilleja linariaefolia). I also measured natural variation in the absolute and relative density of these two species within a 2.5-m radius of focal I. aggregate plants in three natural populations. The strength of competition for pollination in the I. aggregata-C. linariaefolia system was only weakly influenced by local plant abundance. Both the absolute density and in- terspersion of plants in the arrays significantly influenced at least one component of I. aggregate's pollination and reproductive success, but the effects were not consistent across these components. For example, the treatment groups that received more nonspecific pollen were not the same ones that set more seeds/fruit. Within the natural populations, variation in relative and absolute plant density influenced two components of I. aggregata's polli- nation and reproductive success, but only in one to two populations per component. As would be expected from these inconsistent effects of plant abundance on pollination and reproduction, the strength of selection on floral traits of I. aggregata in both the arrays and natural populations was also only weakly dependent on abundance. Previous studies have indicated (1) that self-incompatible species such as I. aggregate should experience strong, abundance-dependent effects on pollination, and (2) that variation in plant abundance at a local scale should have a stronger effect on pollination than variation at a larger spatial scale. In contrast, my results suggest that the effect of plant abundance on pollination cannot be easily predicted from simple diagnostic traits such as breeding system or spatial scale.
Measured Endwall Flow and Passage Heat Transfer in a Linear Blade Passage With Endwall and Leading Edge Modifications

The role of contouring via leading edge fillets or 3-dimensional end wall contouring is examined and compared. The contour endwall profile varies along both the pitch-direction and the axial direction and represents full-passage contouring. The fillets are employed at the corner of blade leading edge and endwall and extend about one-third of the blade axial chord along the blade. Both the endwall contouring and leading edge fillet are employed at the passage bottom endwall. Measurements are obtained for static pressure, pitchwise velocity, flow yaw angle, streamwise vorticity, and Nusselt number on the endwall. The Reynolds number based on the axial chord and passage inlet velocity for the measurements is 2.39×105 . The blade surface static pressure coefficients near the endwall indicate no effects of the leading fillet on the blade surface. However, the static pressure difference from the blade-pressure to the blade-suction surface near the endwall shows that the pressure differences generally decrease with the contour endwall and leading edge fillet. This results in less turning of the endwall region flow from the pressure side to suction side in the passage as indicated by reductions in the flow yaw angles and pitchwise velocity with the structural modifications. The streamwise vorticity of the passage vortex is also affected indicating weaker secondary flows in the endwall region for the contour endwall and leading edge fillet cases. The endwall Nusselt numbers are smaller especially upstream of the throat region for the contour endwall and fillet cases.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
A Basic Analysis Of Aging Aircraft, Region Of The World, And Accidents

Differences in aviation safety records around the world should be minimal or nonexistent considering the global nature of aviation. However, significant differences exist and the reasons for those require the attention of governments, regulatory agencies, aircraft manufacturers, airlines and the flying public. One concern is that aircraft are increasingly used beyond their designed economic life. This study focuses on the relationship between aging aircraft and the country where the aircraft was registered. Findings support the idea that in general, the frequency of accidents increases with the age of an aircraft. The study also revealed that there is a correlation between the number of accidents, their severity and aircraft manufacturers. The aircraft’s phase of flight was also related to the number of accidents, with the Approach/Landing phase having the greatest number of accidents. The FAA and JAA have been influential in the development and dissemination of safety programs around the world. However, their efforts have not yet resulted in a world-wide standardization of safety and maintenance programs. This may be an indication that while an aircraft may be a global product, the aviation industry lags behind in becoming a global industry.
Synthesis and evaluation of vitamin D receptor-mediated activities of cholesterol and vitamin D metabolites

A systematic study with phase 1 and phase 2 metabolites of cholesterol and vitamin D was conducted to determine whether their biological activity is mediated by the vitamin D receptor (VDR). The investigation necessitated the development of novel synthetic routes for lithocholic acid (LCA) glucuronides (Gluc). Biochemical and cell-based assays were used to demonstrate that hydroxylated LCA analogs were not able to bind VDR. This excludes VDR from mediating their biological and pharmacological activities. Among the synthesized LCA conjugates a novel VDR agonist was identified. LCA Gluc II increased the expression of CYP24A1 in DU145 cancer cells especially in the presence of the endogenous VDR ligand 1,25(OH)2D3. Furthermore, the methyl ester of LCA was identified as novel VDR antagonist. For the first time, we showed that calcitroic acid, the assumed inactive final metabolite of vitamin D, was able to activate VDR-mediated transcription to a higher magnitude than bile acid LCA. Due to a higher metabolic stability in comparison to vitamin D, a very low toxicity, and high concentration in bile and intestine, calcitroic acid is likely to be an important mediator of the protective vitamin D properties against colon cancer.
A Graphene and Aptamer Based Liquid Gated FET-Like Electrochemical Biosensor to Detect Adenosine Triphosphate

Here we report successful demonstration of a FET-like electrochemical nano-biosensor to accurately detect ultralow concentrations of adenosine triphosphate. As a 2D material, graphene is a promising candidate due to its large surface area, biocompatibility, and demonstrated surface binding chemistries and has been employed as the conducting channel. A short 20-base DNA aptamer is used as the sensing element to ensure that the interaction between the analyte and the aptamer occurs within the Debye length of the electrolyte (PBS). Significant increase in the drain current with progressive addition of ATP is observed whereas for control experiments, no distinct change in the drain current occurs. The sensor is found to be highly sensitive in the nanomolar (nM) to micromolar ( $\mu {\rm M}$ ) range with a high sensitivity of 2.55 $\mu {\rm A} ~({\rm mM}) ^{-1}$ , a detection limit as low as 10 pM, and it has potential application in medical and biological settings to detect low traces of ATP. This simplistic design strategy can be further extended to efficiently detect a broad range of other target analytes.
An old problem in a new age: Revisiting the clinical dilemma of misattributed paternity ☆

Clinical genetics has wrestled with the problem of misattributed paternity for decades. While there are no clear directives on policy, surveys suggest that genetics professionals are inclined to avoid disclosure when possible. Changes associated with the increased use of genomic testing will alter the context and may limit the benefits of non-disclosure. Multi-site testing will preclude the uncertainty often associated with single-gene testing. Increased use of genetic testing in clinical and non-clinical settings will create new opportunities for the subsequent unmasking of misattributed relationships, as will the presence of test results in the electronic medical record. Family health history information will become more valuable as it is used more often and to better effect in risk assessment, diagnosis, treatment and reproductive decision-making. These changes associated with genomic testing increase the risks and decrease the benefits associated with the nondisclosure of misattributed paternity. For ethical and practical reasons, genetics professionals, and those who advise them, should consider a greater emphasis on the value of carefully planned disclosure.
Control of white swelling spot of tomato by the flower application of hormone added insecticide

Population densities of the thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis Pergande (Fo) and F. intosa (Trybom) on tomato flowers were suppressed at low level by the flower application of 4-CPA (p-chlorophenoxyacetic acid) 15 ppm added spinosad 50 ppm at 3 to 4 days' intervals during flowering period. White swelling spot on fruits was reduced greatly by the flower application. The total amount of the flower application was about 1/100 of the custom one. Spinosin residue on mature fruits by the flower application was fewer than by the custom one. The control effect for white swelling spot by the flower application of 8 insecticides were compared by releasing Fo adults. As a result, spinosad 50 ppm, tolfenpyrad 150 ppm and fipronil 22 ppm were highly effective, while acephate 500 ppm, acrinathrin 30 ppm and chlorfenapyr 50 ppm were moderate, and malathion 250 ppm and acetamiprid 100 ppm were non-effective.
Analysis of Apoptosis and Necroptosis by Fluorescence-Activated Cell Sorting

Fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) is a laser-based, biophysical technology that allows simultaneous multiparametric analysis. For the analysis of dying cells, fluorescently labeled Annexin V (Annexin V(FITC)) and propidium iodide (PI) are the most commonly used reagents. Instead of PI, 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) can also be used. DAPI is a fluorescent stain that binds strongly to A-T-rich regions in DNA. DAPI and PI only inefficiently pass through an intact cell membrane and, therefore, preferentially stain dead cells. DAPI can be combined with Annexin V(FITC)and the potentiometric fluorescent dye, tetramethylrhodamine methyl ester (TMRM), which measures mitochondrial permeability transition and mitochondrial membrane depolarization. TMRM is a cell-permeable fluorescent dye that is sequestered to active mitochondria, and hence labels live cells. On apoptosis or necroptosis the TMRM signal is lost. The advantage of using Annexin V(FITC)/DAPI/TMRM is that the entire cell population is labeled, and it is easy to distinguish living (TMRM + /Annexin V(FITC)-/DAPI-) from dying or dead cells (apoptosis: TMRM-/Annexin V(FITC)+ /DAPI-; necrosis: TMRM-/Annexin V(FITC)+ /DAPI+). This is important because cell debris (fluorescent negative particles) must be avoided to establish the correct parameters for the FACS analysis, otherwise incorrect statistical values will be obtained. To obtain information on the cell concentration or absolute cell counts in a sample, it is recommended to add an internal microsphere counting standard to the flow cytrometric sample. This protocol describes the FACS analysis of cell death in HT1080 and L929 cells, but it can be readily adapted to other cell types of interest.
α-6-Deoxyoxytetracycline II. Activity in Chemotherapeutic Studies In the Mouse

SummaryDOOTC, a new tetracycline antibiotic, was compared in protection studies in mice with MOTC, DMCT, and TC. Marked advantages of DOOTC over the other tetra-cyclines were demonstrated as follows: 1. Pre-infection protocol: DOOTC demonstrated greater Chemoprophylactic Persistence Time 50% values when administered at equal, at one-half, and, in one instance, at one-quarter the dosage used for the other tetracyclines against the Gram-positive organism S. aureus and the Gram-negative organism P. multocida. 2. Post-infection protocol: DOOTC demonstrated greater Survival Time 50% values in every instance when administered at equal, at one-half, and at one-quarter the dosage used for the other tetracyclines. The persistence time of DOOTC at antibacterial concentrations within the host, and its chemo-therapeutic efficacy in protecting mice from established infections, are advantageous properties and suggest possible advantages in clinical situations.
Teaching Manual: IHL Supplement (for Courses in Public International Law, International Criminal Law, or Military Law, Among Others).

This is the Teaching Manual for a supplement (also posted http://ssrn.com/abstract=2444988) designed to provide comprehensive yet focused materials on international humanitarian law (IHL), or the law of armed conflict, for inclusion in other substantive courses, such as public international law, international criminal law, or foreign relations law. The manual and supplement is divided into four main substantive chapters on IHL — when does IHL apply, conflict classification, and means and methods of combat — with an emphasis on how these concepts would arise in a legal proceeding, such as a war crimes prosecution. Each chapter contains an introduction to the main IHL concepts; cases and primary source materials drawn from the jurisprudence of the international criminal tribunals; notes and questions for discussion; and a series of problems to enables students to further explore the topics at hand.
Motion, Memory, and Conflict in Chuang Hua's Modernist Crossings

Chuang Hua's novel Crossings is not an easily navigable text. As a series of disjunctive but vivid images, it obligates the reader to organize events, their locations, and the characters influencing or affected by them through careful rereadings. In this nonlinear fashion, where the text often circles backwards without warning to reposition the reader in the present, the novel belies a resistance to forward narrative progression.1 It relies on stark contrasts-of temporal and spatial cues, of pleasant memories interspersed with violent ones, and of brilliant colors laid against sharp sounds-to highlight not only this sense of implicit and constant motion, but also to emphasize the tension between protagonist Fourth Jane's desire to move away from her family and her desire to remain emotionally connected to it. Considered Asian America's first Modernist text,2 yet to date never thoroughly examined through this lens, Crossings re-imagines traditional textual structures through its fragmented narrative.3 The work is exemplary of Modernism's eclectic forms, which often reflected a prevailing dissatisfaction of self in the world. Human experiences before late-nineteenth century Modernism are marked by "cosmic emptiness," says Ricardo Quinones (40, 150).4 Malaise initiated Modernism, whose authors created restless characters resisting established orders. In Crossings, the dissastified protagonist relocates to Paris while her Chinese family remains in America. In her Parisian flat, she agonizes about the seemingly mutually exclusive union of a traditional family and her personal desires to be an independent woman. She rebels against her dominating father, wondering if, in her haste to leave home, she has reacted against an innate Chinese self by criticizing the strictures of her heritage. Her stream-of-consciousness memories-fluctuating frames of clarity and obscuritycontribute to the difficulty of not only grasping the text, but also of
Determination of nitrite in air by headspace gas chromatography

Objective:To establish a method for determination of nitrite in the air by headspace GC.Methods:The nitrite in the air was collected by fiberglass filter paper and dissolved in deionized water.After it was esterified with sodium cyclohexylsulfamate,the derivative product was separated by headspace GC and detected with FID detector.Results:The linear range of the method was 0.5~20.0 μg/ml with correlation coefficent of 0.9998.The detection limit of the method was 0.56 μg/ml.The lowest detection concentration of the method was 0.019 mg/m3 for 300 L of air.The average recoveries were 95.2%~99.1%with RSD of 0.77%~2.74% and desorption efficiencies of 98.8%~99.5%.Sampling efficiencies of the method were 93.4%~97.2%.The samples could be stored at room temperature for at least one week.Conclusion:The method is simple,sensitive and of good selectivity and wide linear range.It is suitable to to the determination of nitrite in the air.
Challenges of program implementation in a managed care environment: a case study in measuring medication persistence.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the challenges of implementing a disease management program in a managed care environment. SUMMARY: A key element in the successful management of depression is ensuring persistent consumption of medication throughout the duration of a standard course of therapy. However, treating physicians rarely have easy access to the exact records necessary to determine medication persistence. Prescription claims databases do contain this information. Properly identifying problem consumption patterns from these data is one of the most valuable services that managed care pharmacists can provide in a disease management program. The experiences of Aetna Inc. in implementing a depression management program illustrate some of the most important factors to be considered when designing a program: obtaining approval from senior management, measuring baseline performance before program initiation, selecting plan members and physicians based on patterns of consumption in prescription claims data, and quantifying effectiveness. CONCLUSION: A visual representation of prescription refill dates and quantities available in prescription claims databases allowed member physicians to determine, at a glance, each patient’s medication persistence. Such representations of data are valuable for helping identify problem consumption patterns that require further analysis, such as noncontinuous treatment, low usage, and nonpersistence. However, such data are not recommended for use in a vacuum— that excludes considerations such as therapeutic indication and environment.
An Aggregation Advisor for Ligand Discovery

Colloidal aggregation of organic molecules is the dominant mechanism for artifactual inhibition of proteins, and controls against it are widely deployed. Notwithstanding an increasingly detailed understanding of this phenomenon, a method to reliably predict aggregation has remained elusive. Correspondingly, active molecules that act via aggregation continue to be found in early discovery campaigns and remain common in the literature. Over the past decade, over 12 thousand aggregating organic molecules have been identified, potentially enabling a precedent-based approach to match known aggregators with new molecules that may be expected to aggregate and lead to artifacts. We investigate an approach that uses lipophilicity, affinity, and similarity to known aggregators to advise on the likelihood that a candidate compound is an aggregator. In prospective experimental testing, five of seven new molecules with Tanimoto coefficients (Tc’s) between 0.95 and 0.99 to known aggregators aggregated at relevant conce...
Leadership obligations and the ASHP national surveys

As healthcare grows more complex, pharmacists are implementing technology essential for dealing with this complexity and preventing harmful medication errors. Developments in the design of effective computer systems and adoption of medication-use technology are reflected in the results of the 2014
Transmission Electron Microscopy of Unfrozen and Frozen/Thawed Cells of Listeria monocytogenes Treated With Lipase and Lysozyme

Unfrozen cells of Listeria monocytogenes typically contained no preplasma space exterior to the plasma membrane (PM) when viewed by transmission electron microscopy. Cells of L. monocytogenes strains Scott A, V7, and California (CA), after freezing and frozen storage, exhibited one or more of the following when viewed with transmission electron microscopy: (a) retraction of cytoplasm and infolding of the PM to form mesosomes, (b) extra-and intracellular rupture of the cell wall (CW), (c) formation of intracellular “bubbles,” and (d) damage to the CW and PM that could have resulted from autolysin activity. Type and degree of effect depended on frozen storage time and strain of L. monocytogenes. Lysozyme treatment of unfrozen or frozen/stored (19 d)/thawed cells of strains Scott A, V7, and CA resulted in protoplast formation and damage to the CW. Three stages of protoplast formation were observed when cells of strain CA were frozen, stored 2 weeks, thawed, and treated with lysozyme. More damage to the CW an...
Maintenance therapy with decitabine in younger adults with acute myeloid leukemia in first remission: a phase 2 Cancer and Leukemia Group B Study (CALGB 10503).

Maintenance therapy with decitabine in younger adults with acute myeloid leukemia in first remission: a phase 2 Cancer and Leukemia Group B Study (CALGB 10503)
Spemann organizer gene Goosecoid promotes delamination of neuroblasts from the otic vesicle

Neurons of the Statoacoustic Ganglion (SAG), which innervate the inner ear, originate as neuroblasts in the floor of the otic vesicle and subsequently delaminate and migrate toward the hindbrain before completing differentiation. In all vertebrates, locally expressed Fgf initiates SAG development by inducing expression of Neurogenin1 (Ngn1) in the floor of the otic vesicle. However, not all Ngn1-positive cells undergo delamination, nor has the mechanism controlling SAG delamination been elucidated. Here we report that Goosecoid (Gsc), best known for regulating cellular dynamics in the Spemann organizer, regulates delamination of neuroblasts in the otic vesicle. In zebrafish, Fgf coregulates expression of Gsc and Ngn1 in partially overlapping domains, with delamination occurring primarily in the zone of overlap. Loss of Gsc severely inhibits delamination, whereas overexpression of Gsc greatly increases delamination. Comisexpression of Ngn1 and Gsc induces ectopic delamination of some cells from the medial wall of the otic vesicle but with a low incidence, suggesting the action of a local inhibitor. The medial marker Pax2a is required to restrict the domain of gsc expression, and misexpression of Pax2a is sufficient to block delamination and fully suppress the effects of Gsc The opposing activities of Gsc and Pax2a correlate with repression or up-regulation, respectively, of E-cadherin (cdh1). These data resolve a genetic mechanism controlling delamination of otic neuroblasts. The data also elucidate a developmental role for Gsc consistent with a general function in promoting epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT).
TSPC Logic [A Circuit for All Seasons]

Since its introduction in the 1980s, true single-phase clock (TSPC) logic [1] has found widespread use in digital design. Originally proposed as a high-speed topology, the TSPC structure also consumes less power and occupies less area than other methods. In this article, we study the properties of this logic family.
A case of cavernous sinus thrombosis complicating orbital cellulitis

A 47-year-old patient with a swelling of the left upper eyelid, redness, proptosis, and defective vision of few days duration was seen in our clinic. The history, examination, and investigations were suggestive of cavernous sinus thrombosis complicating orbital cellulitis. The patient was admitted and treated by a team of specialists including ophthalmology, neurosurgery, and hematology. Patient recovered fully after 3 weeks of treatment. This case report is being presented to highlight the importance of careful clinical examination and high index of suspicion in recognizing such a serious complication.
Brinkmanship Busts: When Nuclear Coercion Fails

The next two chapters take a close look at the most dangerous coercive nuclear crises since 1945. In this chapter, we discuss nine nuclear coercion failures. These are cases in which countries openly brandished nuclear weapons but still failed to achieve their coercive objectives. The leaders who issued these ill-fated threats – particularly Nikita Khrushchev, Richard Nixon, and Kim Jong Un – followed the nuclear coercionist playbook to the letter. They alerted nuclear forces, forward-deployed atomic weapons, and appeared willing to engage in nuclear conflict. This kind of brinkmanship behavior should make coercive nuclear threats effective, according to nuclear coercionist logic. However, in these cases, it did not. This chapter illustrates two key features of nuclear skepticism theory. First, it shows that credibility problems in nuclear blackmail are pervasive. In all of the nuclear coercion failures analyzed in this chapter, targets questioned the credibility of atomic threats, albeit to varying degrees. Although it is often difficult to determine precisely why states dismissed threats as not credible, two problems associated with nuclear coercion – the high costs of carrying out nuclear threats and the relatively low stakes in coercive crises – seem to play an important role in most crises. Second, this chapter underscores that brinkmanship is an imperfect solution to the credibility problem in nuclear coercion. In each instance of failed blackmail, countries tried to make nuclear threats believable. Yet targets nevertheless largely dismissed the possibility of nuclear escalation. Brinkmanship failed to pay coercive dividends, in part, because of signaling failures. Nuclear coercion theory assumes that nuclear signals are easily detected and interpreted. If one state manipulates the risk of nuclear war by alerting its nuclear forces, for example, the other side should notice and understand what the alert is meant to communicate. However, the evidence suggests that this view is overly optimistic. Consistent with our theory, the cases show that nuclear signals are sometimes misinterpreted or totally missed. That atomic threats fail in serious brinkmanship crises – not just in cases with a minimal nuclear dimension, like the Iranian hostage crisis in 1979 – demonstrates that it is exceedingly difficult to engage in credible nuclear blackmail.
Enhancing the Career Planning Self-Determination of Young Adults with Mental Health Challenges

The impact of an intervention on the self-determination and career planning engagement of young adults with mental health challenges was studied. Sixty-seven young adults, 20 to 30 years of age, with mental health diagnoses (e.g., depression, bipolar disorder) were randomly assigned to intervention and control groups. Statistically significant greater increases were made by the intervention group versus the control group for self-determination and career planning engagement, and self-determination at least partially mediated increases in career planning engagement. With career planning self-determination interventions, young adults with mental health challenges might be able to achieve better career and life outcomes than is typical for this population.
The Nature and Significance of Anthropogenic Soils

Anthropogenic soils (anthrosoils) are soils that have been influenced, modified or created by human activity, in contrast to soils formed by natural processes. They are found worldwide in urban and other human-impacted landscapes. Anthrosoils are formed by: (1) sealing a natural soil beneath pavement or other artificially manufactured impervious material, (2) transformation of a natural soil by human action, or (3) development of a new soil profile in parent materials created and deposited by human action.
Parametric evaluation of ambient desorption optical emission spectroscopy utilizing a liquid sampling-atmospheric pressure glow discharge microplasma

An evaluation of the parametric dependence of emission responses for ambient desorption optical emission spectroscopy utilizing a liquid sampling-atmospheric pressure glow discharge (AD-OES-LS-APGD) microplasma is described. The influence of optical sampling position, acid type, sample matrix, solution flow rate, discharge current, sample displacement, angle of solution electrode interelectrode separation, and gas flow rates on the emission response of copper as the model matrix and analyte are investigated. The type of acid plays a major role in the emission response of copper suggesting a possible reaction-based desorption process on the surface of the sample. The physical make-up of the matrix (bulk or thin film) has no major effect on the emission response. The incidence angle between the solution electrode and the target surface is shown to have a major influence on emission response, indicating that the momentum of the sheath gas plays some role in desorption or transport of vaporized material to the plasma. There is positive correlation between solution flow rate, electrode distance, and emission response while only a minor emission dependence is seen from sheath gas flow rate. A region of intense emission is observed in spatial profiling experiments. Further development will be directed towards a field deployable ambient source for analysis of solid samples with no requirement of sample preparation.
Annulled van der Waals interaction and fast Rydberg quantum gates

A pair of neutral atoms separated by several microns and prepared in identical s-states of large principal quantum number experience a van der Waals interaction. If microwave fields are used to generate a superposition of s-states with different principal quantum numbers, a null point may be found at which a specific superposition state experiences no van der Waals interaction. An application of this novel Rydberg state in a quantum controlled-Z gate is proposed, which takes advantage of GHz rate transitions to nearby Rydberg states. A gate operation time in the tens of nanoseconds is predicted.
When Procedure Limits Practice: Lab Versus Lecture in High School Science Classrooms

In this chapter, we use examples from ninth grade lab and lecture science classes to illustrate how classroom language practices reveal and reinforce particular conceptions of classroom science knowledge, and position students as learners and knowers in relation to classroom science knowledge. Our data indicate that prescribed lab activities resulted in prescribed and constrained language practices, very different from the language used to explore, hypothesize, or describe and substantiate one’s scientific findings. Surprisingly, we found more exploratory language from students’ personal engagement in science learning during lectures as new material was presented by the teacher and discussed by the class. We situate our findings in light of recommendations related to language and practice in the 2012 National Research Council’s A Framework for K-12 Science Education. These examples frame a discussion of how to shift classroom language norms to support science learning that emphasizes scientific inquiry and argumentation.