cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
When an argument is the content: Rational number comprehension through conversions across registers

Abstract This article reframes previously identified misconceptions about repeating decimals by describing these misconceptions as limited understandings of how mathematics concepts are referenced. In particular, misconceptions about repeating decimals and their quotient of integer representations are recast as limited understandings of mathematics as a discipline that derives its content from representational systems and the denotations they provided. Under this framework, arguments (e.g., proofs) that convert repeating decimals to their quotient of integer representations provide content for “rational number,” which is represented in multiple ways, each offering distinct opportunities for mathematical activity. The notion of an argument as content is illustrated as arguments providing access to a concept. One Grade 8 student’s struggle with understanding rational number is used to illustrate this framework and its implications for teaching and learning.
Neuroepigenetics of Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a complex disorder of the brain, where genetic variants explain only a portion of risk. Neuroepigenetic mechanisms may explain the remaining share of risk, as well as the transition from susceptibility to the actual disease. Here, we discuss the most recent findings in the field of brain epigenetics applied to the study of schizophrenia. Methylome studies have found several candidates exhibiting methylation modifications in association with the disorder, but genes affected do not always overlap. Notably, these studies converge in that genes within the schizophrenia risk loci or genes differentially methylated in patients affected with the disorder are dynamically regulated during early life. They also imply that schizophrenia-associated genetic variation may affect DNA methylation in fetal and adult brains. Histone modifications may help mediating the effect of genetic risk variants associated with schizophrenia, and regulating chromatin higher-order structure. The 3D-organization of chromatin in the brain creates physical interactions within chromosomes, so that schizophrenia-associated genetic variants can be linked with genes distant from their loci; this suggests that chromatin conformation matters in the mechanism of risk for the disorder. Non-coding RNAs provide a novel and complex mechanism of gene regulation potentially significant for schizophrenia, as proposed by research on specific microRNAs and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). Finally, a recent study in epitranscriptomics identifies RNA methylation as a further epigenetic mechanism active in human brain and specifically in a portion of the transcriptome associated with schizophrenia susceptibility. These findings indicate that, as expected from the complexity of the brain and its development, several epigenetic mechanisms may intervene in the etiopathogenesis of schizophrenia. An understanding of their roles calls for research approaches integrating the investigation of different epigenetic mechanisms and of environmental and genetic risk, in the context of development.
Book review: Subsymbolic Natural Language Processing: An Integrated Model of Scripts, Lexicon, and Memory by Risto Miikkulainen (Bradford Books, MIT Press 1993)

The book describes a connectionist natural language processing system that is designed to process script-based narratives: DISCERN (DIstributed SCript processing and Episodic memoRy Network). At first blush, scripts and a connectionist network might look like a strange association. Scripts, which have various 'slots', or 'roles,' for stereotypical events and objects involved in routine activities, are used as data structures by Schank and Abelson (1977) because of their psychological plausibility in organizing experiences. 'Structures', the Achilles' heel for connectionism in natural language. The lack of internal structures in connectionist networks results in their incompetence in handling natural language which is systematic and productive, as Fodor and Pylyshyn (1988) emphatically argue. Furthermore, the fact that natural language is sequential puts another onerous burden on homogeneous connectionist networks which are basically simple pattern matching mechanisms.
Did a Goals-of-Care Discussion Happen? Differences in the Occurrence of Goals-of-Care Discussions as Reported by Patients, Clinicians, and in the Electronic Health Record

Abstract Context Goals-of-care discussions are associated with improved end-of-life care for patients and therefore may be used as a process measure in quality improvement, research, and reimbursement programs. Objectives To examine three methods to assess occurrence of a goals-of-care discussion—patient report, clinician report, and documentation in the electronic health record (EHR)—at a clinic visit for seriously ill patients and determine whether each method is associated with patient-reported receipt of goal-concordant care. Methods We conducted a secondary analysis of a multicenter cluster-randomized trial, with 494 patients and 124 clinicians caring for them. Self-reported surveys collected from patients and clinicians two weeks after a clinic visit assessed occurrence of a goals-of-care discussion. Documentation of a goals-of-care discussion was abstracted from the EHR. Patient-reported receipt of goal-concordant care was assessed by survey two weeks after the visit. Results Fifty-two percent of patients reported occurrence of a goals-of-care discussion at the clinic visit; clinicians reported occurrence of a discussion at 66% of visits. EHR documentation occurred in 42% of visits (P Conclusion Different approaches to assess goals-of-care discussions give differing results, yet each may have advantages. Patient report is most likely to correlate with patient-reported receipt of goal-concordant care.
Use of lidocaine for treatment of pulseless ventricular tachycardia after massive cocaine overdose

A 35-year-old woman presented to the emergency department in cardiac arrest after ingesting large quantities of powdered cocaine. With an initial rhythm of ventricular fibrillation, emergency medic...
Spinal Epidural Abscess in Children: Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Background Spinal epidural abscess (SEA) is a rare but serious infection in the epidural space along the spinal cord. SEA should be considered in patients with backache, fever, neurological deficits and/or spinal tenderness. Early diagnosis is imperative to prevent permanent neurological sequelae. Case Description We report a case of lumbar SEA in a 13-year-old girl who was immunocompetent and presented with spinal tenderness, back pain and 4 days of fever. A lumbar magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated an epidural abscess from L3-S1. She had emergent surgical intervention. Cultures grew methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus. She was also given long-term systemic antibiotics and she made a complete recovery within 2 months. Conclusions SEA in an immunocompetent pediatric without risk factors is an extremely rare condition. In the English-language literature, there are only 30 reported cases in the past 19 years; our case brings the total to 31. Non-surgical treatment has been successful in both adult and pediatric patients under certain conditions. Still, there exists a risk of deterioration with non-surgical management, even in patients for whom treatment is begun in the absence of neurologic deficits. Tracking neurological deficits in children can be challenging, particularly in young children who are non-verbal and not yet ambulating, and a reliable neurologic examination is a critical component of non-surgical care. In consideration of these facts and the accelerated time frame of deterioration, once neurologic deficits are present, surgery plus systemic antibiotics remains the standard of care for pediatric SEA patients, with each individual case meriting review of the full clinical picture.
THE IMPACT OF PERCUTANEOUS CORONARY INTERVENTION APPROPRIATENESS ON PATIENT REPORTED OUTCOME MEASURES OF SYMPTOMATIC IMPROVEMENT

The extent to which appropriateness by the 2017 Appropriate Use Criteria (AUC) correlates with symptomatic improvement after PCI for stable angina is unknown. Validated patient surveys for angina (Seattle Angina Questionnaire [SAQ-7]), dyspnea (Rose Dyspnea Scale [RDS]), and depression (Patient
Finding our Place in the Solar System: The Scientific Story of the Copernican Revolution

Finding our Place in the Solar System gives a detailed account of how the Earth was displaced from its traditional position at the center of the universe to be recognized as one of several planets orbiting the Sun under the influence of a universal gravitational force. The transition from the ancient geocentric worldview to a modern understanding of planetary motion, often called the Copernican Revolution, is one of the great intellectual achievements of humankind. This book provides a deep yet accessible explanation of the scientific disputes over our place in the solar system and the work of the great scientists who helped settle them. Readers will come away knowing not just that the Earth orbits the Sun, but why we believe that it does so. The Copernican Revolution also provides an excellent case study of what science is and how it works.
Chronic adolescent exposure to ∆9-tetrahydrocannabinol decreases NMDA current and extrasynaptic plasmalemmal density of NMDA GluN1 subunits in the prelimbic cortex of adult male mice.

Adolescence is a vulnerable period of development when limbic connection of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) involved in emotional processing may be rendered dysfunctional by chronic exposure to delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (∆9-THC), the major psychoactive compound in marijuana. Cannabinoid-1 receptors (CB1Rs) largely mediate the central neural effects of ∆9-THC and endocannabinoids that regulate NMDA receptor-dependent synaptic plasticity of glutamatergic synapses in the prelimbic prefrontal cortex (PL-PFC). Thus, chronic occupancy of CB1Rs by ∆9-THC during adolescence may competitively decrease the functional expression and activity of NMDA receptors in the mature PL-PFC. We used a multidisciplinary approach to test this hypothesis in adult C57BL/6J male mice that received vehicle or ∆9-THC in escalating doses (2.5–10 mg/kg/ip) through adolescence (postnatal day 29–43). In comparison with vehicle, the mice receiving ∆9-THC showed a hyperpolarized resting membrane potential, decreased spontaneous firing rate, increased current-induced firing threshold, and decreased depolarizing response to NMDA in deep-layer PL-PFC neurons analyzed by current-clamp recordings. Electron microscopic immunolabeling in the PL-PFC of adult mice that had received Δ9-THC only during adolescence showed a significant (1) decrease in the extrasynaptic plasmalemmal density of obligatory GluN1-NMDA subunits in dendrites of all sizes and (2) a shift from cytoplasmic to plasmalemmal distribution of GluN1 in large dendrites receiving mainly inhibitory-type synapses from CB1R-labeled terminals. From these results and concomitant behavioral studies, we conclude that social dysfunctions resulting from excessive intake of ∆9-THC in the increasingly available marijuana products used by male teens may largely reflect circuit defects in PL-PFC networks communicating through endocannabinoid-regulated NMDA receptors.
Complementing the power of deep learning with statistical model fusion: Probabilistic forecasting of influenza in Dallas County, Texas, USA.

Abstract Influenza is one of the main causes of death, not only in the USA but worldwide. Its significant economic and public health impacts necessitate development of accurate and efficient algorithms for forecasting of any upcoming influenza outbreaks. Most currently available methods for influenza prediction are based on parametric time series and regression models that impose restrictive and often unverifiable assumptions on the data. In turn, more flexible machine learning models and, particularly, deep learning tools whose utility is proven in a wide range of disciplines, remain largely under-explored in epidemiological forecasting. We study the seasonal influenza in Dallas County by evaluating the forecasting ability of deep learning with feedforward neural networks as well as performance of more conventional statistical models, such as beta regression, autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA), least absolute shrinkage and selection operators (LASSO), and non-parametric multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS) models for one week and two weeks ahead forecasting. Furthermore, we assess forecasting utility of Google search queries and meteorological data as exogenous predictors of influenza activity. Finally, we develop a probabilistic forecasting of influenza in Dallas County by fusing all the considered models using Bayesian model averaging.
Auf dünnem Eis

Wahrend die Menge an Treibhausgasen in der Atmosphare weiter steigt, zeigt die Arktis, was tatsachlich fur unseren Planeten auf dem Spiel steht. Im Sommer 2015 lies sich die Crew des Forschungsschiffs R/V Lance im Meereis einfrieren, um ein halbes Jahr lang, von seiner Bildung bis zum Schmelzen, die Veranderungen zu dokumentieren. Sie vermasen die Eisdicke, zeichneten Wetterdaten auf und liesen ferngesteuerte U-Boote unter das Eis tauchen.
IT’S NOT DIGOXIN OR CPVT, WHAT ELSE COULD IT BE? A CASE OF BIDIRECTIONAL VT

Bidirectional ventricular tachycardia (BVT) is rarely encountered in clinical practice. Appropriate treatment requires consideration of a broad differential diagnosis. A 35-year-old woman presents with nausea, vomiting, concern for alcohol withdrawal, and seizure. She suffered a ventricular
Correction to: A Simulation Study of Statistical Approaches to Data Analysis in the Stepped Wedge Design

The original version of this article unfortunately contained an error in ‘R code’ under Appendix section.
Unilateral Internal Cerebral Vein Thrombosis: Case Reports and Review of the Literature

The purpose of this manuscript is to present two cases of unilateral internal cerebral vein thrombosis (UICVT) and use them to review the typical imaging findings and clinical presentation, provide a differential diagnosis when presented with a unilateral thalamic lesion, and discuss current literature findings of internal cerebral vein thrombosis, including the interesting trend of left-sided involvement. Two cases of UICVT were gathered from our institutions. A literature review was then conducted, and cases in the literature were compared to look for common features. Both of our cases involved the left internal cerebral vein. A total of 7 cases of unilateral and 8 cases of bilateral internal cerebral vein thrombosis were reviewed from the literature. Of the unilateral cases, all but one were on the left, and the one on the right was in a patient with right-sided malignancy after surgical resection. Most of these cases completely resolved with anticoagulation. UICVT is an extremely rare entity, with less than 10 cases reported in the literature. The prognosis of this disease is excellent if diagnosed and treated early; however, with delayed diagnosis and treatment, this process can be fatal. This highlights the importance of keeping this diagnosis on the differential when presented with a unilateral thalamic lesion.
Framework for Developing Reconfigurable Intelligent Internet Protocols for Space Communication Networks

This report presents a framework for developing an intelligent Internet protocol, IIP, for space-based networks. IIP is compatible and interoperable with a variety of application, network, transport, and data link layer protocols. It is adaptive to accommodate the dynamic connectivity of space networks and reconfigurable to enable packets, routers, and protocols to be modified or upgraded remotely. IIP is IP-compatible, self-optimizing, fail-safe, secure, and intelligent with respect to energy and computational constraints of space technologies. IIP supports a variety of space missions for sustainable exploration. It enables autonomy, reusability, and robotic networks. The objectives of developing IIP are: (1) to develop the three building blocks of an intelligent space network protocol: a) intelligent network architecture, b) intelligent packet format, and c) intelligent flexible space router; (2) to determine the necessary IIP intelligence levels for different space network entities; (3) to develop a multi-objective optimization system to allow different routing schemes to support different distributed architectures; (4) to develop multiple levels of intelligent capabilities; which consist of: a) lower level: system requirements identification and upgrade; b) medium level: multi-objective optimization routing; and c) higher level: intelligent decision making capabilities; (5) to use simulation and emulation to measure the performance and analyze the tradeoffs of IIP.
Making Corporate Law More Communitarian

In this article, we analyze the Roberts Court’s personification of the business corporation and the effects of Citizens United and Hobby Lobby on corporate powers, rights, and responsibilities. The article examines whether the Court’s analysis is consistent with generally accepted principles of corporate law and whether these cases advance or hinder communitarian principles. Finally, we consider whether these cases’ expansion of corporate rights should bring with it a commensurate expansion of corporate responsibilities and whether state legislatures should take measures (such as mandatory constituency statutes and enhanced disclosure rules) in support of these responsibilities.
Social science for the next decade of carbon capture and storage

Abstract Carbon capture and storage (CCS) has been an object of social science research for nearly two decades now. However, CCS has moved beyond coal-fired electricity, and its roles in industrial decarbonization and atmospheric carbon dioxide removal are newly valued. Is the earlier social science research on CCS applicable to the current moment, or has the context and the object of inquiry changed? This paper assesses whether existing findings are fit-for-purpose, arguing that there are some useful insights, but they have not been applied well to CCS policy and development. The early period of social science research also faces topical and methodological limitations. The paper identifies four areas for social science research for this decade of broader CCS applications — researching CCS in the context of decarbonization, tradeoffs, and a just transition; shifting the focus from “whether” to “how” questions around deployment, including benefits and environmental justice dimensions; exploring new approaches to public engagement globally; and researching how understandings of CCS evolve within the current social media and information landscape.
A Frightened Heart (1960–1973)

This chapter deepens a period of disappointed love, homelessness, serious illness, and continued writing in her life. Having abandoned the fantasy that Bowen’s Court would shelter her and Charles Ritchie, Bowen bought a modest house in Hythe, a return to her childhood landscape, a period in which she finished The Little Girls (1964), “A Nativity Play” with Derek Hill, and Eva Trout (1966). Her work was interrupted with a serious bout of bronchitis and radium treatments for lung cancer, yet she struggled to complete part of her memoir, Pictures and Conversations before her death in 1973. Her memorial in Farahy Church reawakened rifts in Irish society.
TCAD for logic technology process development

Process and device simulation has been invaluable for logic technology development for many technology nodes. The main goal of this work will be to review the broad and diverse simulation hierarchy that is used in industry to understand and optimize both current and future device technology options. This hierarchy spans both continuum modeling and atomistic methods / beyond continuum tools. Current process and device simulation results will be presented along possible extensions to the hierarchy to improve TCAD’s ability to help technology development.
Rechtssystem und Wirtschaftsentwicklung

Ansatze fur die Beschreibung und Analyse des Verhaltnisses von Rechtssystem und Wirtschaftsentwicklung lassen sich grob in zwei Gruppen unterteilen: Kausalitatstheorien und Systemtheorien. Zu den Vertretern der Kausalitatstheorien gehoren solche, die die kausale Wirkung von Wirtschaftswandel auf Rechtswandel hervorheben, als auch diejenigen, die umgekehrt die kausale Rolle von Recht fur den Wirtschaftswandel betonen.
The role of a general cognitive factor in the evolution of human intelligence

Introduction The evolution of human intelligence is one of the outstanding problems in the sciences of life and mind. It is a problem that so struck Alfred Russel Wallace, the codiscoverer of natural selection, that he categorically ruled out evolutionary hypotheses and invoked divine infusion as the source of higher cognition in humans. This turn by Wallace has become a paradigmatic illustration of the difficulty and fascination that attends the scientific investigation into the genesis of our extraordinary cognitive powers (Gould, 1980). Although in many ways as daunted as their great predecessor, few psychologists and human evolutionists today endorse Wallace's solution. In the modern context the problem appears to pose two aspects with an as-yet uncertain degree of interdependence. The first aspect addresses the species-universal architecture of human cognition and its antecedents in more basal systems (Pinker, 1997). The second aspect is concerned with quantitative differences among individuals along dimensions of cognitive abilities and changes in the distributions of the traits represented by these dimensions over the course of evolutionary time. This second aspect, however, has been less well explored by evolutionary psychologists and other workers concerned with the stated outstanding problem. The aim of this chapter with respect to this underdevelopment is twofold: (1) to propose possible resolutions to problematic issues that may to some extent be responsible for this relative neglect, and (2) to discuss future prospects for the integration of differential psychology into human evolutionary studies.
Victory at C.

The cloning of two sodium-dependent vitamin C transporters defines in molecular terms how the vitamin is absorbed from the diet, reclaimed from the urine and accumulated in specific body compartments.
Analysis of Actual Company Filings Using XBRL: An Empirical Investigation into Interactive Use of XBRL Financial Statement Data

This study investigates the usefulness of eXtensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL) corporate filings to conduct a basic investment task: ratio analysis. Proponents of XBRL have long argued that its use will increase the timeliness, ease-of-access, and cost-effectiveness of accessing financial data over previous methods. Ratio analysis, a common investment analyst task, was chosen to test XBRL’s ability to provide access to financial data quickly, efficiently, and interactively. Unfortunately, the results suggest that XBRL data, even when in compliance with SEC filing requirements, is not tagged to a level of consistency that would enable users to perform ratio analysis faster or more efficiently than previous approaches allow. Although our findings indicate that instance documents are much less useful than they could be, requiring filers to manually tag all XBRL data elements is impractical. This study concludes by presenting alternatives that would help investors use XBRL data as originally envisioned.
A phaeohyphomycotic cyst and peritonitis caused by Phialemonium species and a reevaluation of its taxonomy.

Two cases of human fungal infections caused by members of the genus Phialemonium, a genus proposed by Gams and McGinnis (1983) for fungi intermediate between the genera Acremonium and Phialophora, are presented. The first case was a phaeohyphomycotic cyst on the foot of a renal transplant recipient. The fungus was detected by direct examination and histopathology and was recovered by several procedures over 4 months. It was flat, glabrous, and white becoming yellow with the production of a diffusible yellow pigment; it had conidiophores that were mostly solitary and lateral and terminal phialides and adelophialides with distinct collarettes producing cylindrical to curved conidia. The isolate resembled both Phialemonium dimorphosporum and Phialemonium curvatum, although its characteristics were more consistent with those of the latter. The second case was peritonitis in a renal transplant recipient. The fungus was white-to-cream colored and yeast like, but later became black with a green diffusible pigment, and produced obovoid conidia; it was easily identified as Phialemonium obovatum. Difficulties encountered in the identification and taxonomy of members of this genus highlight the need for standardized conditions, e.g., potato dextrose agar culture incubated at 24 to 25 degrees C for morphologic comparisons, to control significant variations due to culture conditions. Images
Bistatic aspect diversity for improved SAR target recognition

This paper analyzes the potential for improvement in the performance of automatic target recognition (ATR) for synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) with bistatic aspect diversity. Initial assessments using decision-level fusion of monostatic observations with bistatic observations provide promising results. Data was generated using three civilian vehicle facet files and an electromagnetic scattering simulator. Classification was performed using normalized cross-correlation template matching and majority voting. Results showed an increase in the probability of correct classification with decision-level fusion of bistatic observations over classification using single observations.
On a pseudo-normal form for nonlinear systems

A nonlinear system in pseudo-normal form has the property that its family of linearizations about constant operating points has input-output behavior that is independent of the operating point. Such a system is therefore said to be input-output pseudolinearized. The author develops necessary and sufficient conditions for existence of a static state feedback, state coordinate change, and output coordinate change that transform a given system into pseudo-normal form. This generalizes results where output coordinate changes were not considered and enlarges the class of input-output pseudolinearizable systems. >
Community Integration of Persons with Psychiatric Disabilities in Supportive Independent Housing: A Conceptual Model and Methodological Considerations

Despite the consensus regarding community integration as a major goal of mental health policy and the emergence of supportive independent housing as a critical component of community mental health services, mental health services research has not examined the extent to which housing and service characteristics are associated with community integration of persons with psychiatric disabilities in supportive independent housing. The main goal of this paper is to propose a conceptual model of factors influencing community integration that takes into account the differential configuration of housing setting and support structure in supportive independent housing. The conceptual model encompasses a multidimensional conceptualization of community integration and considers an array of housing and service characteristics that are potentially relevant determinants of community integration. On the basis of the proposed model, this paper outlines the methodological considerations for future research with regard to measurement, research designs, and statistical models.
La representación del pasado sexual de Guayaquil: historizando los enchaquirados

Este articulo busca entender el papel de los enchaquirados dentro del proceso de reconstruccion del pasado historico (y sexual) de la ciudad de Guayaquil. De esta manera, el presente analisis alternativo de los enchaquirados cuestiona la tradicional historia heterosexista de la ciudad.
Bacterial Abundance and Activity across Sites within Two Northern Wisconsin Sphagnum Bogs

Bacterial abundance, temperature, pH, and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration were compared across surface sites within and between two northern Wisconsin Sphagnum peatlands over the summer seasons in 1995 and 1996. Sites of interest were the Sphagnum mat surface, the water-filled moat (lagg) at the bog margin, and the bog lake littoral zone. Significant differences in both bacterial populations and water chemistry were observed between sites. pH was highest in the lake and lowest in the mat at both bogs; the opposite was true for DOC. Large populations of bacteria were present in surface interstitial water from the mat; abundance in this site was consistently higher than in the moat or lake. Bacterial abundance also increased across sites of increasing DOC concentration and declining pH. Bacterial activities (rates of [3H]leucine incorporation) and growth in dilution cultures (with grazers removed) were also assessed in lake, moat, and mat sites. Results using these measures generally supported the trends observed in abundance, although high rates of [3H]leucine incorporation were recorded in the moat at one of the bogs. Our results indicate that bacterial populations in Sphagnum peatlands are not adversely affected by acidity, and that DOC may be more important than pH in determining bacterial abundance in these environments.
Lithographic performance at 0.3- to 0.35-um patterns by using i-line stepper with off-axis illumination technology

The process performance of i-line annular and quadruple off-axis illumination apertures with various opening sizes for pattern feature in the range of 0.4micrometers to 0.3micrometers were addressed in this paper. The process performance was theoretically and experimentally studied in terms of DOF performance and proximity effect. For L/S features, imaging resolution on wafer can only be improved to 0.35micrometers for annular aperture and to 0.30micrometers for quadruple aperture by using stepper with NA equals 0.48 and coherent factor of 0.62. In terms of opening ring size, smaller sized holes for quadruple or ring for annular leads to larger DOF. But for single line feature, DOF performance is much better by using quadruple apertures than by using annular aperture and DOF performance is not strongly dependent on the opening size of aperture stops. Comparing the process performance of single and dense line features, quadruple aperture can benefit in process control in 0.30 to 0.35micrometers patterning. However, proximity effect between L/S and single line becomes worse as the imaging feature gets down to 0.3micrometers . This large proximity effect is also related to the opening size of ring or hole in aperture stop. Therefore optical proximity correction is needed in 0.3-0.35micrometers feature patterning.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
PYRITE PARTICLE SIZE DISTRIBUTION AND PYRITIC SULFUR REDUCTION IN CRUSHED COALS: A PRELIMINARY REPORT

ABSTRACT Six bituminous coals were ground to 28, 100, and 400 mesh x 0, and examined by optical automated image analysis (AIA) to estimate their pyrite particle size distributions and degree of liberation (DOL). These data were used to determine the feasibility of estimating specific-gravity-based pyritic sulfur reduction by AIA methods. Preliminary results indicate that further research is warranted. A review of the progress is presented.
Deep-Level Transient Spectroscopy: Characterization And Identification Of Electronic Defects

This paper presents an overview of the application of deep - level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) for characterizing and identifying electronic defects in semiconductors. After a review of general principles, the range of defect problems that has been studied by DLTS is illustrated with results from crystalline semiconductors, semiconductor -insulator interfaces, and amorphous semiconductors. Abstract. This paper presents an overview of the application of deep- level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) for characterizing and identifying electronic defects in semiconductors. After a review of general principles, the range of defect problems that has been studied by DLTS is illustrated with results from crystalline semiconductors, semiconductor-insulator interfaces, and amorphous semiconductors. Subject terms: spectroscopy; semiconductors; defects; deep-level transient spec≠ troscopy.
Determination of piperazine in pharmaceutical drug substances using capillary electrophoresis with indirect UV detection

A fast, selective capillary electrophoresis (CE) method was developed for piperazine counter-ion analysis and applied to the analysis of an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) that exists as a hemipiperazine salt. Due to the poor chromophore, the detection method chosen was indirect UV detection using benzylamine as the UV absorbing probe. Piperazine quantitation was performed using diethylamine as an internal standard and the method was validated for specificity, linearity, precision, and accuracy. The results indicate the method is suitable for piperazine counter-ion analysis in support of salt form characterization.
The Multinational Management Game: A Simuworld

Simuworlds include a management game and business case competition. The Multinational Management Game Simuworld (MMG) is based on the Compaq Computer Corporation. The MMG Simuworld is designed so that participants view and feel the operations from a general management level and make decisions. The emphasis of game play is on combinations of strategies similar to those utilized by the microcomputer companies. Participants work in teams and make seven or eight rounds of simulated yearly budgeting decisions. A five‐year strategic plan is completed early in the programme and a five‐year plan for the future is completed and presented at the end of game play. The last five‐year plan also includes the analysis of an up‐to‐date case study about the microcomputer industry and Compaq Computer Corporation. Managerial and organizational learning are prompted through learning diaries, and a de‐briefing period. Participants learn from team activities and from computerized feedback results. Inter‐cultural learning can b...
Continuous spectrophotometric assay of mammalian phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase Cδ1 with a thiophosphate substrate analog

Abstract 1,2-Dimyristoyloxypropane-3-thiophospho(1 d -1-myo-inositol) ( d -thio-DMPI) was used as a substrate for the continuous assay of phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C (PI-PLC). Its activity with a Δ(1–132) deletion mutant of mammalian PI-PLCδ1 is about one-fourth that with PI under similar conditions. Optimal conditions for the assay include 0.2 mM substrate, 0.2 mM Ca2+, and a mole ratio of hexadecylphosphocholine detergent to substrate of 2.0. A minimum of about 60 ng of pure enzyme can be detected. The apparent bulk Km for PI-PLC with d -thio-DMPI under these conditions is about 6 μM. Enzyme activity as a function of surface concentration of substrate shows no sign of saturation up to the maximum mole fraction.
Super-resolution for synthetic zooming

Optical zooming is an important feature of imaging systems. In this paper, we investigate a low-cost signal processing alternative to optical zooming-synthetic zooming by super-resolution (SR) techniques. Synthetic zooming is achieved by registering a sequence of low-resolution (LR) images acquired at varying focal lengths and reconstructing the SR image at a larger focal length or increased spatial resolution. Under the assumptions of constant scene depth and zooming speed, we argue that the motion trajectories of all physical points are related to each other by a unique vanishing point and present a robust technique for estimating its 3D coordinate. Such a line-geometry-based registration is the foundation of SR for synthetic zooming. We address the issue of data inconsistency arising from the varying focal length of optical lens during the zooming process. To overcome the difficulty of data inconsistency, we propose a two-stage Delaunay-triangulation-based interpolation for fusing the LR image data. We also present a PDE-based nonlinear deblurring to accommodate the blindness and variation of sensor point spread functions. Simulation results with real-world images have verified the effectiveness of the proposed SR techniques for synthetic zooming.
Germinoma presenting as a fourth cranial nerve palsy in a patient with adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) gene mutation

A 17-year-old boy with adenomatous polyposis and a history of an adenomatous polyposis coli ( APC ) gene mutation (IVS13(-2) A>G) presented for evaluation of vertical, binocular diplopia. Examination was suggestive of a fourth (trochlear) nerve palsy. A history of headaches was elicited and led to further investigation with neuroimaging, which identified a germinoma in the tectal plate and secondary hydrocephalus. We report the clinical, radiological, and histopathological findings of this patient, who to our knowledge is the first reported case of a germinoma occurring in association with adenomatous polyposis.
Regression effect in psychophysical judgment

Psychophysical judgment, like all other kinds of judgment, involves a matching or equating of two different domains. When the judgment involves the mate hing of values on two perceptual continua, the observer tends, on the average, to constrict the range of his adjustments on whichever variable is placed under his control. When the observer adjusts each variable in turn, two different regression lines are produced. This regression effect presumably occurs whenever the results of the matching judgments yield less than a perfect correlation. Illustrative examples are given for the continua, loudness, vibration, brightness, and duration.
PSA Screening Among Elderly Men With Limited Life Expectancies

ContextMost guidelines do not recommend prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening in elderly men who have limited life expectancies because the known harms of screening outweigh potential benefits. However, there are no large-scale studies of actual PSA screening practices in elderly men, according to life expectancy.ObjectiveTo characterize the extent of PSA screening among elderly men, including those with limited life expectancies.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsCohort study of 597 642 male veterans aged 70 years and older who were seen at 104 US Department of Veterans Affairs facilities during both 2002 and 2003, without a history of prostate cancer, elevated PSA, or prostate cancer symptoms. Charlson comorbidity scores were used to stratify men into 3 groups ranging from best health (score = 0) to worst health (score ≥ 4).Main Outcome MeasureReceipt of PSA testing during 2003 was based on US Department of Veterans Affairs data and Medicare claims.ResultsIn 2003, 56% of elderly men had a PSA test performed. Although PSA screening rates decreased with advancing age, within each 5-year age group the percentage of men who underwent a PSA test did not substantially decline with worsening health. For example, among men aged 85 years and older, 34% in best health had a PSA test compared with 36% in worst health. In multivariate analyses, many nonclinical factors, such as marital status and region of the country, had a greater effect on PSA screening than health, and screening rates exceeded 60% for some subgroups of men in worst health.ConclusionsProstate-specific antigen screening rates among elderly veterans with limited life expectancies should be much lower than current practice given the known harms of screening. More attention to prognosis is needed when making screening PSA recommendations to elderly men.
Induction of Rat Organic Anion Transporting Polypeptide 2 by Pregnenolone-16α-carbonitrile Is via Interaction with Pregnane X Receptor

The rat organic anion transporting polypeptide 2 (oatp2; Slc21a5) is a liver transporter that mediates the uptake of a variety of structurally diverse compounds, and has a high affinity for cardiac glycosides. Treatment of rats with pregnenolone-16alpha-carbonitrile (PCN), a ligand for the rodent pregnane X receptor (PXR), significantly enhances the rat oatp2 gene expression. To understand the molecular mechanism of oatp2 induction by PCN, rat oatp2 gene was cloned. The rat oatp2 gene consists of 16 exons; alternative splicing of the second noncoding exon gives rise to the two published rat oatp2 cDNAs. Approximately 8700 base pairs (bp) of the 5'-flanking region of the rat oatp2 gene were linked to the luciferase reporter gene and used in transient transfection assays in H4IIE cells. Treatment of PCN induced the expression of the reporter gene in a dose-dependent manner. Four potential PXR response elements (PXREs) were identified in the 5'-flanking region of the rat oatp2 gene. One element (DR3-1) is located approximately -5000 bp with three more (DR3-2, DR3-3, and DR3-4) clustered at about -8000 bp. Results from electrophoretic mobility shift assays showed that the PXR-retinoid X receptor alpha heterodimer binds to the DR3-2 with the highest affinity, to the DR3-4 and DR3-1 with a lower affinity, and weakly or not at all to the DR3-3. Furthermore, a series of partial deletions of the 5'-flanking region illustrated that both the proximal and distal clusters of PXREs are required for maximal induction of rat oatp2 by PCN. In conclusion, these data elucidate the molecular mechanism by which PCN treatment induces rat oatp2 gene expression. In addition, this study identifies rat oatp2 as a direct PXR-targeted gene and further supports the hypothesis that activation of PXR affects a network of genes that is involved in either metabolism or transport of drugs, steroids, and bile acids.
Variations of the187Os/186Os ratio of seawater over the past 28 million years as inferred from metalliferous carbonates

Abstract The Os concentration and isotopic composition of metalliferous carbonates deposited on the East Pacific Rise over the past 28 Ma are reported with complimentary Sr isotope data. Variations in the Os isotopic composition of these samples are interpreted as a record of past changes in the Os isotopic composition of seawater. These results are consistent with isotopic analyses of leachable Os in pelagic clays which have also been interpreted as a record of the187Os/186Os ratio of seawater through time [1]. The metalliferous carbonate record clearly shows that seawater Os and Sr isotope systems are partially decoupled from one another over the past 28 Ma. Accelerated weathering of ancient organic-rich sediments is suggested as a possible mechanism to account for this decoupling and the rapid increase in the187Os/186Os ratio of seawater over the past 15 Ma. This rapid increase suggests that the seawater Os record can potentially be used as a stratigraphic tool in some Neogene marine deposits.
In Vitro Autolysis of Plant Cell Walls

Primary cell walls of Zea mays prepared in a glycerol medium are capable of autolysis in vitro. Autolysis results in solubilization of about 10% of the wall substance during an 8 hour incubation period. Approximately 10% of the solubilized material is glucose and the remainder consists of an unidentified polymer which yields only glucose upon hydrolysis. Cell wall autolysis is a linear function of time of incubation and of wall concentration. The autolytic process occurs optimally over the pH range of 5.5 to 6.5. The possible relationship between autolytic capacity and capacity for elongation is discussed.
Dehydrogenase histochemistry of the rat molar pulp.

Abstract Activity of various dehydrogenases was studied histochemically in fully developed, functional Sprague-Dawley rat molar pulps using a method of demineralization that conserves substantial enzyme activity. Odontoblasts, cells of the subodontoblastic cell-rich zone, other connective tissue cells of the pulp and cells of blood vessels and nerves showed varying degrees of activity for succinic, malic, isocitric, glutamic, lactic, α-glycerophosphate, β-hydroxybutyric, glucose-6-phosphate, NADH 2 and NADPH 2 - dehydrogenases. Especially marked reactions were noted in odontoblasts and cells of the sub-odontoblastic zone. From these results it can be inferred that the cells of the pulp possess the capacity for glycolysis and fatty acid metabolism, and also a functional citric acid cycle and pentose shunt.
Mimicking Heterostructure Behavior Within a Single Material at Room Temperature Using Strain

We present a new platform for mimicking heterostructure behavior within nanowires of a single material by using non-uniform strain. These pseudo-heterostructures have lithographically customizable band profiles and show effective carrier confinement at room temperature.
Subcutaneous treprostinil is well tolerated with infrequent site changes and analgesics

AbstractContinuous prostanoid infusions are recommended for patients with advanced pulmonary arterial hypertension. Infusion site pain has discouraged some physicians from considering subcutaneous (SQ) treprostinil therapy even though it has safety and convenience advantages over intravenous epoprostenol. We conducted a 1-year prospective study of patients utilizing SQ treprostinil. We provided counseling on infrequent site changes and a written analgesic protocol including narcotics. After placement of a new site, subjects recorded daily pain scores and analgesic use. Twenty-six of 29 patients consented, including 4 patients who had recently started therapy. They returned 203 diaries, and we captured every site change in a diary. Sixteen subjects returned 8 or fewer diaries during 12 months, and 20% of diaries documented only mild discomfort. The majority of diaries documented brief periods of severe pain, but this had generally abated by day 7. Contrary to published guidelines, infusion site pain was in...
Essential role of tyrosine residues 1131, 1135, and 1136 of the insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) receptor in IGF-I action.

The insulin and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) receptors are related heterotetramers consisting of two extracellular ligand-binding alpha-subunits and two transmembrane beta-subunits whose cytoplasmic domains exhibit tyrosine kinase activity. Previous studies have shown that ATP binding by the cytoplasmic tyrosine kinase domains of these receptors is necessary to initiate the signal transduction pathway triggered by ligands or by ligand-mimetic antibodies, suggesting that receptor autophosphorylation is a necessary proximal step in this pathway. In the case of the insulin receptor, it has additionally been demonstrated that a cluster of three tyrosines in the kinase domain itself are the first to be phosphorylated, and that autophosphorylation of these particular residues is necessary for receptor activity. Using stably transfected NIH-3T3 cell lines, we now show that mutation of the analogous residues in the IGF-I receptor abolishes all short, intermediate, and long-term responses to IGF-I. These d...
Teaching and training of clinical biochemists: sub-specialization.

Abstract Clinical biochemistry, as one of the major ‘classic’ specialties within the broad field of laboratory medicine, continues to evolve under several different circumstances: (1) sub-specialiation within clinical biochemistry itself; (2) growth of new areas of biotechnology; (3) blurring of traditional ‘boundaries’ between disciplines in laboratory medicine. Post-graduate training in clinical biochemistry poses a challenge to universities charged with the responsibility for such professional education, particularly with the need to integrate and articulate training for both medical and non-medical graduates. Development of a career ladder is one response to this challenge.