cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Adult self-image and well-being after testicular cancer: The role of agency and meaning

Objective: Cancer during young adulthood can limit the extent to which one adopts an adult self-image. However, the relationship of adult self-image to cancer-related adjustment remains unexplored. The current study examines relationships of adult self-image and social/emotional well-being and job-related problems in young testicular cancer survivors. Factors thought to facilitate future-oriented goals (i.e. agency and meaning) are examined as intermediary processes.Design: Testicular cancer survivors (N = 171) between the ages of 18 and 29 completed questionnaire measures of adult self-image, agency, sense of meaning and indicators of adjustment.Main Outcome Measures: Social and emotional well-being were measured by the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General. Job problems were assessed using the EORTC’s testicular cancer supplement (EORTC QLQ-TC26).Results: Path model results revealed direct associations of survivors’ adult self-image with social (β = .20, p < .05), but not emotional well-being ...
Precision Polyelectrolytes with Phenylsulfonic Acid Branches at Every Five Carbons

A precision polyethylene containing phenyl branches at every fifth carbon (p5Ph) is nearly quantitatively functionalized (≈95%) with sulfonic acid groups on the para-position of each phenyl branch (p5PhS-H). Unlike polystyrene sulfonate (PSS), p5PhS-H has a glass transition temperature (Tg = 109 °C) well below its thermal decomposition temperature (Td ≈ 200 °C), making this new material capable of thermal processing into molds and films at temperatures between these thermal limits. Neutralization of the sulfonic acid groups with varying counter cations (Li+ , Na+ , Cs+ ) produces a new class of precision polyelectrolytes. Neutralization and increasing size of the counter cation improves the thermal decomposition temperature (Td ) to over 400 °C for the Cs+ form. Neutralization causes Tg to increase above Td for the Li+ and Na+ form. The Cs+ form is found to have an accessible Tg = 294 °C. Further investigations of water absorption and the polyelectrolyte effect of these systems are discussed.
Motion – The Available Treatments for Hepatitis C Are Cost Effective: Arguments against the Motion

Hepatitis C is a prevalent infection in North America. However, the natural history of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in the general population is not fully understood. Available cohortbased studies suggest that only a relative minority of patients develop significant liver disease, such as cirrhosis and/or hepatocellular carcinoma. Other studies, mostly conducted based on referral patients with established disease, portray much more serious consequences of HCV infection. Although a substantial improvement has been made in the treatment for HCV, the overall impact of antiviral therapy in altering the natural course of HCV infection remains uncertain. Therapeutic trials involve narrow selection criteria that would exclude the majority of hepatitis C patients in the community, and are conducted in ideal settings that may not be generalizable to the average practice setting. Demographic groups that are at high risk of developing severe liver disease include older male patients who consume alcohol. In contrast, antiviral therapy is more effective in young and female patients and those who do not drink alcohol. Thus, patients who appear to be successfully treated may not be those for whom clearance of the virus would be beneficial. Cost-effectiveness studies published to date have not been able to fully address the complex and heterogeneous matrix of the factors that influence the natural history of HCV infection and treatment response.
Household Labour Supply with Quantity Constraints

When household demand functions are estimated, it is customary and convenient to assume that individual agents can purchase the desired quantities of leisure or commodities at fixed prices. The possibility that the labour market, or other markets, might operate in such a way as to impose quantity constraints on the purchases of a household is thus ruled out.
Electron Tunneling Into YBCO and Its Alloys

We have performed tunneling measurements between a conventional superconductor (Pb) and the high Tc cuprate Y1−xPrxBa2Cu3O7−δ. Both quasiparticle tunneling and pair tunneling (Josephson effect) have been demonstrated and studied. With increasing concentration of Pr, the Tc decreases and the material becomes even more gapless. The Josephson coupling is reproducible, shows much of the conventional behavior. The a.c. Josephson effect is also observed.
A system for automating the update of spreadsheet documentation

This paper describes a system for automating the update of documentation for a spreadsheet model. A macro text formatting approach allows the documentation to be targeted to print media, web media, etc. The specific example creates a decision support system in the spreadsheet, using a macro programming language, that outputs formatting information used by the macro text formatter to update the generated documentation.
RELEASING THE TRAP: A METHOD TO REDUCE INATTENTION BIAS IN SURVEY DATA WITH APPLICATION TO U.S. BEER TAXES

This study uses discrete choice experiments to explore the efficacy of prompts targeted at reducing inattention bias. Upon receiving feedback, inattentive respondents are given the opportunity to reanswer a so‐called “trap question” that checks for attentiveness. We find that individuals who miss trap questions and do not correctly revise their responses have significantly different choice patterns as compared to individuals who correctly answer the trap question. Adjusting for these inattentive responses has a substantive impact on policy impacts. Results, based on attentive participant responses, indicate that a minimum beer price would have to be substantial to substantially reduce beer demand. (JEL C83, Q18, Q51)
New subcutaneous PowerFlow port results in cost and time-savings in a busy outpatient apheresis clinic

Many vascular access options, such as subcutaneous ports, are currently on the market for use in both medication infusion and for procedures, such as therapeutic plasma exchange and extracorporeal photopheresis. We compared the cost and time necessary to complete apheresis procedures using either Angiodynamic's Vortex or Bard's PowerFlow subcutaneous ports by reviewing our experience on two patients undergoing long-term apheresis treatments with at least 10 procedures with each type of port. We analyzed the cost of needles and thrombolytic therapy, staff time, overall procedure length, and the total time the patient was in the apheresis unit. We also compared flow rates and alarm rates between the two ports. In this small pilot study, use of the PowerFlow port resulted in significant cost and time savings, with mixed results for flow rates. Our results need to be confirmed in a larger patient population prior to recommending wide implementation of Bard's PowerFlow port.
A Hope-Based Intervention to Address Disrupted Goal Pursuits and Quality of Life Among Young Adult Cancer Survivors

Over 70,000 US young adults are diagnosed with cancer annually, disrupting important life transitions and goal pursuits. Hope is a positive psychology construct associated with better quality of life (QOL) that focuses on goal-oriented thinking. We developed and tested Achieving Wellness After Kancer in Early life (AWAKE), a scalable 8-week app-based program consisting of educational videos, mood/activity tracking, and telephone-based coaching to promote hope and QOL in young adult cancer survivors (YACS, 18–40 years old). A two-arm RCT was used to examine the feasibility, acceptability, and potential efficacy of AWAKE (n = 38) versus attention control (AC; n = 18) among YACS within 2 years of completing treatment and recruited from two NCI-designated cancer centers. Outcomes including hope (Trait Hope Scale), QOL (36-Item Short Form Health Survey; Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General), depressive symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire-9), and substance use were assessed at baseline, 8 weeks, and 6 months. Participants were an average of 32.55 (SD = 5.45) years old; 75.0% were female, and 80.4% White. The most common cancers were breast cancer (28.6%), melanoma (16.1%), and leukemia/lymphoma (12.5%). High retention, engagement, and satisfaction rates were documented in both conditions; AWAKE versus AC participants rated video content as more relevant (p = 0.007) and reported greater likelihood of talking positively about the program (p = 0.005). Many efficacy change scores showed positive trends in AWAKE versus AC. Reorienting to one’s goal pursuits after cancer diagnosis and treatment is critical and may be supported through hope-based interventions. Findings suggest that the AWAKE warrants subsequent research testing its efficacy, effectiveness, and scalability.
A Note of Trading the Term Structure of VIX Futures

The term structure of VIX futures contains a very strong signal of dealer risk appetite. Unlike balance sheet quantities, this feature is available at very high frequencies. Here we exhibit two systematic strategies to mine the attendant risk premium from the term structure of expected volatility. We optimize our two hyper-parameters by OOS cross-validation. We compare our strategies to holding the S&P 500, selling short-term vol un-hedged, and a portfolio that sells short-term vol and hedges by going long on medium-term vol. We find that our strategies allow us to harvest a considerable portion of the risk premium associated with the balance sheet management of market-based intermediaries. Both in-sample and OOS, the risk-adjusted returns on our strategies are at least twice as high as the three benchmarks.
Family Engagement in Schools: Parent, Educator, and Community Perspectives:

How engaged families are in their children’s lives, whether at home or in school, predicts their success in school and in life. The purpose of this study was to explore parent, educator, and commun...
Association of anticoagulation use with SARS-CoV2 detection.

• Patients who warrant chronic warfarin can safely continue warfarin therapy with precautions during the COVID-19 pandemic. • Chronic warfarin therapy is not associated with a higher rate of positively testing for SAR-CoV2. • Patients on warfarin during the COVID-19 pandemic maintained TTR rates consistent with those prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The CRISPR-Cas Mechanism for Adaptive Immunity and Alternate Bacterial Functions Fuels Diverse Biotechnologies.

Bacterial and archaeal CRISPR-Cas systems offer adaptive immune protection against foreign mobile genetic elements (MGEs). This function is regulated by sequence specific binding of CRISPR RNA (crRNA) to target DNA/RNA, with an additional requirement of a flanking DNA motif called the protospacer adjacent motif (PAM) in certain CRISPR systems. In this review, we discuss how the same fundamental mechanism of RNA-DNA and/or RNA-RNA complementarity is utilized by bacteria to regulate two distinct functions: to ward off intruding genetic materials and to modulate diverse physiological functions. The best documented examples of alternate functions are bacterial virulence, biofilm formation, adherence, programmed cell death, and quorum sensing. While extensive complementarity between the crRNA and the targeted DNA and/or RNA seems to constitute an efficient phage protection system, partial complementarity seems to be the key for several of the characterized alternate functions. Cas proteins are also involved in sequence-specific and non-specific RNA cleavage and control of transcriptional regulator expression, the mechanisms of which are still elusive. Over the past decade, the mechanisms of RNA-guided targeting and auxiliary functions of several Cas proteins have been transformed into powerful gene editing and biotechnological tools. We provide a synopsis of CRISPR technologies in this review. Even with the abundant mechanistic insights and biotechnology tools that are currently available, the discovery of new and diverse CRISPR types holds promise for future technological innovations, which will pave the way for precision genome medicine.
Enhancing Secure Coding Assistant System with Design by Contract and Programming Logic.

The system titled Secure Coding Assistant was developed to automate early detection for a subset of the Java secure coding rules specified by the SEI CERT at the Carnegie Mellon University. This system can help Java programmers significantly reduce security vulnerabilities in their code caused by the violations of secure coding rules. Since other software defects can also lead to security vulnerabilities, efforts have been taken to extend Secure Coding Assistant aiming at empowering programmers to detect, locate and remove code errors during coding time. This paper presents an enhancement to Secure Coding Assistant by a combination of Design by Contract and Programming Logic. Java programmers using this system are advised to provide their design contracts, i.e., logic assertions, for program structures of methods, if-then-else statements and while-loop statements. The design contracts defined by programmers can be automatically checked at the time of their program execution. To further facilitate the process of detecting and locating of code errors, using the programmers-defined design contracts, sub-design contracts can be automatically generated by the system based on the inference rules for the if-then-else statement and the while-loop statement in programming logic. The sub-design contracts generated by the system can also be automatically checked at dynamic time. In addition, based on the assignment axiom and the inference rule for the sequence statement in programming logic, the weakest pre-conditions of certain assignment sequences can be automatically generated from the post-conditions of the sequences, enabling programmers to statically analyze the correctness of the corresponding design contracts they specify. With the enhancement presented, Secure Coding Assistant can assist programmers for the early detections of not only secure coding rule violations but also errors in code. These early detections are performed in unison with the coding process to pursue software security.
Partitioning of ribonucleoprotein complexes from the cellular actin cortex

Abstract The cell cortex plays a crucial role in cell mechanics, signaling, and development. However, little is known about the influence of the cortical meshwork on the spatial distribution of cytoplasmic biomolecules. Here, we describe a new fluorescence microscopy method to infer the intracellular distribution of labeled biomolecules with sub-resolution accuracy. Unexpectedly, we find that RNA-binding proteins are partially excluded from the cytoplasmic volume adjacent to the plasma membrane that corresponds to the actin cortex. Complementary diffusion measurements of RNA-protein complexes suggest that a rudimentary model based on excluded volume interactions can explain this partitioning effect. Our results suggest the actin cortex meshwork may play a role in regulating the biomolecular content of the volume immediately adjacent to the plasma membrane. Teaser A novel microscopy technique reveals partial exclusion of RNA-protein complexes from the actin cortex due to their large hydrodynamic size.
Realistic alpha oscillations and transient responses in a cortical microcircuit model

Neural-mass modeling of neural population data (EEG, ECoG, or LFPs) has shown promise both in elucidating the neural processes underlying cortical rhythms and changes in brain state, as well as offering a framework for testing the interplay between these rhythms and information processing. Models of cortical alpha rhythms (8 - 12 Hz) and their impact in visual sensory processing have been at the forefront of this effort, with the Jansen-Rit being one of the more popular models in this domain. The Jansen-Rit model, however, fails in reproducing key physiological observations including the level of inputs that cortical neurons receive and their responses to visual transients. To address these issues we generated a neural mass model that complies better with synaptic mediated dynamics, intrinsic alpha behavior, and produces realistic responses. The model is robust to many changes in parameter values but critically depends on the ratio of excitation to inhibition, producing response transients whose features are dependent on this ratio and alpha phase and power. The model is sufficiently flexible so as to be able to easily replicate the range of low frequency oscillations observed in different studies. Consistent with experimental observations, we find phase-dependent response dynamics to both visual and electrical stimulation using this model. The model suggests that stimulation facilitates alpha at particular phases and suppresses it in others due to a phase dependent lag in inhibitory responses. Hence, the model generates insight into the physiological parameters responsible for intrinsic oscillations and testable hypotheses regarding the interactions between visual and electrical stimulation on those oscillations.
A COMPARISON OF THE RELATIVE EFFECTIVENESS OF RADIATIONS OF DIFFERENT AVERAGE LINEAR ENERGY TRANSFER ON THE INDUCTION OF DOMINANT AND RECESSIVE LETHALS IN DROSOPHILA

An investigation was made of the effects of monochromatic 14-Mev fast neutrons and Co/sup 60/ gamma rays on the induction of dominant lethals and of 14- Mev neutrons on the production of sex-linked recessive lethals in Drosophila. These results were compared with those of other reports from this laboratory, In which radiations of different average LET were used. It was shown that the RBE of different radiations for the induction of both genetic effects studied is dependent on the LET of the radiation used. 34 references. (auth)
New Event-Processing Design Patterns Using CEP

Complex Event Processing (CEP) is a powerful technology for supporting advanced event-processing scenarios at a higher level of abstraction. Because of its expressiveness, CEP allows prompt creation and classification of new event-processing design patterns, some of which have been implemented in the past in a non-reusable form. This paper documents a set of new patterns for event processing, describing their problem domain and providing a solution template implemented using CEP, which is both succinct and highly re-usable.
Algorithms for Cooperative Active Localization of Static Targets With Mobile Bearing Sensors Under Communication Constraints

We study the problem of actively locating a static target using mobile robots equipped with bearing sensors. The goal is to reduce the uncertainty in the target's location to a value below a given threshold in minimum time. Our cost formulation explicitly models time spent in traveling, as well as taking measurements. In addition, we consider distance-based communication constraints between the robots. We provide the following theoretical results. First, we study the properties of an optimal offline strategy for one or more robots with access to the target's true location. We derive the optimal offline algorithm and bound its cost when considering a single robot or an even number of robots. In other cases, we provide a close approximation. Second, we provide a general method of converting the offline algorithm into an online adaptive algorithm (that does not have access to the target's true location), while preserving near optimality. Using these two results, we present an online strategy proven to locate the target up to a desired uncertainty level at near-optimal cost. In addition to theoretical analysis, we validate the algorithm in simulations and multiple field experiments performed using autonomous surface vehicles carrying radio antennas to localize radio tags.
Enhancing Junior High School Students' Life Skills as a Smoking Prevention Strategy.

(1985). Enhancing Junior High School Students' Life Skills as a Smoking Prevention Strategy. Health Education: Vol. 16, No. 3, pp. 45-49.
In search of a 'gold standard' for bilirubin toxicity.

In this issue of Pediatrics , Newman and Maisels1 have given us a thorough and thoughtful review of current knowledge about the toxicity of bilirubin in term, otherwise healthy, newborn infants and have concluded that there is little evidence that bilirubin toxicity can be predicted from the concentration of bilirubin in the serum. They propose that we worry about bilirubin less in this population and treat hyperbilirubinemia only if it reaches much higher concentrations than the traditional 20 mg/dL. Their conclusions and recommendations are very reasonable given that the serum bilirubin concentration is the primary predictive measure for bilirubin neurotoxicity available to us.
Gate Matrix Layout Revisited: Algorithmic Performance and Probabilistic Analysis

We consider the gate matrix layout problem for VLSI design, and improve the time and space complexities of an existing dynamic programming algorithm for its exact solution. Experimental study indicates the requirement of enormous computation time for exact solutions of even small size matrices. We derive an expression for the expected number of tracks required to layout in gate matrix style based on a probabilistic model. A local search approximation algorithm is studied experimentally and found to perform reasonably well on average.
Thiol Reduction of 3′-Azidothymidine to 3′-Aminothymidine: Kinetics and Biomedical Implications

The ability of thiols to reduce 3′-azidothymidine (AZT) to 3′-aminothymidine has been investigated. Incubation with glutathione, dithiothreitol (DTT), or mercaptoethanol at pH 7.2 and 37°C leads to quantitative reduction of the azido moiety to an amine. The reaction is first order in AZT and first order in reducing agent (mono- or dithiol). The second-order rate constants are 2.77 × 10−3, 6.55 × 10−5, and 6.35 × 10−6M−l sec−1 for the dithiothreitol, glutathione, and mercaptoethanol reductions, respectively. The thiol reduction of alkyl azide to amine under mild conditions is a synthetic method particularly suitable for water-soluble azido compounds that are sensitive to catalytic hydrogenation. The potential for the mono- or dithiol-mediated reduction of alkyl azides under biological conditions must be considered when conducting studies of azido drugs.
Sarcoplasmic reticulum. XVI. The permeability of phosphatidyl choline vesicles for calcium.

Abstract The Ca permeability of phosphatidyl choline vesicles of diverse fatty acid composition was measured. The rate of 45 Ca release from liposomes equilibrated with 1 m m 45 CaCl 2 was found to be about 8 × 10 −18 moles of Ca/cm 2 /sec for egg lecithin and about 5.3 × 10 −17 moles of Ca/cm 2 /sec for dioleyllecithin at 30 °. Incorporation of cholesterol into dioleyllecithin micelles reduced the rate of Ca release. The Ca permeability of the phosphatidyl choline micelles was insensitive to changes in the pH, calcium or sodium concentration of the medium but increased with increasing temperature. The effect of temperature was most marked with dioleyl lecithin dispersions, but was clearly apparent with dipalmitoyl, plant, bovine, and egg lecithins as well. The activation energy of Ca release fell in the range of 4.2–9.6 kcal/mole. Macrocyclic antibiotics (valinomycin, tyrocidin, and gramicidin) at relatively high concentration increased the rate of Ca release similarly to their effects on fragmented sarcoplasmic reticulum membranes.
Indoor positioning of mobile devices by combined Wi-Fi and GPS signals

This paper proposes a new heterogeneous interior positioning system using Wi-Fi and GPS signals. It uses the continuous Naive Bayes classifier to incorporate different sources of signal in a single probability estimate. The algorithm assumes that the signals are distributed normally in each location, and the parameters of these distributions (i.e. mean value and standard deviation) depend on the location only. Its accuracy of room-level positioning reached 97.1%, which exceeds the performance of other systems (Redpin, WASP, ProbIN) tested under similar conditions. This system does not require any auxiliary infrastructure, but due to its heterogeneous nature can benefit from it. For example, stationary sensors with locations known a priori can be used to provide a constantly updating reference for the signal levels in different locations. The system can also easily incorporate other sources of signals such as cellular signal or stationary Bluetooth beacons.
PROJECT HEAD START: TEACHER INTEREST AND COMMITMENT

In the summer of 1965, several thousand score of preschool children and some 40,000 teachers took part in Project Head Start. This eight-week program was intended to enhance underprivileged children's school readiness. Among the important questions that could be asked about Project Head Start, several concerned teachers' opinions of the program. Did teachers consider that Head Start would be effective? Did they think it would produce real changes in the children? Did teachers look on Head Start as a "boondoggle" or as a significant new effort in children's education and socialization? However they may have seen things, teachers' opinions and expectations well may have been an important program component, if for no other reason than that the results obtained could have reflected Merton's "self-fulfilling prophecy."l In the context of a larger research program, responses to eight questions regarding their initial opinions of the program, their expectations for it, and their predictions of its probable effectiveness were obtained from 1,25o Texas teachers who underwent one week of training for Head Start at The University of Texas. We have no reason to believe that these Texas teachers differed in the variables measured from those at other university training centers.
Physical transformations in differential scanning calorimetry

Abstract The mathematical model for describing physical transformations in differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) encompasses by necessity, a series of assumptions. However, the procedure which involves the use of an empty reference pan and the analytical extrapolation of the data to zero heating rate allows for accurate results. Basically, this is the common practice in DSC studies. This paper offers mathematical and physical reasons for the justification of this practice. Any departure from the assumptions of the mathematical approach can introduce errors in the DSC analysis of physical transformations.
Atmospheric correction of ocean color sensors: analysis of the effects of residual instrument polarization sensitivity

We provide an analysis of the influence of instrument polarization sensitivity on the radiance measured by spaceborne ocean color sensors. Simulated examples demonstrate the influence of polarization sensitivity on the retrieval of the water-leaving reflectance ρw. A simple method for partially correcting for polarization sensitivity—replacing the linear polarization properties of the top-of-atmosphere reflectance with those from a Rayleigh-scattering atmosphere—is provided and its efficacy is evaluated. It is shown that this scheme improves ρw retrievals as long as the polarization sensitivity of the instrument does not vary strongly from band to band. Of course, a complete polarization-sensitivity characterization of the ocean color sensor is required to implement the correction.
Caudate-putamen and nucleus accumbens extracellular acetylcholine responses to methamphetamine binges

Exposure of experimental animals to an escalating dose, multiple binge pattern of methamphetamine administration results in the progressive emergence of a unique behavioral profile, which includes a significant decrease in the duration of the stereotypy phase as well as a profound increase and qualitative change in the locomotor activation. This behavioral profile is associated with a selective decrease in the caudate-putamen but not nucleus accumbens extracellular dopamine response. Since the acetylcholine interneurons in these regions are partly under the control of the mesostriatal and mesoaccumbens dopamine inputs, changes in the activation of these interneurons should parallel the regionally differential dopamine responses during multiple binge treatment. Therefore, we characterized the caudate-putamen and nucleus accumbens extracellular acetylcholine responses to escalating-dose, multiple binge methamphetamine administration. An acute methamphetamine binge decreased acetylcholine levels in caudate-putamen, but had no effect on levels in nucleus accumbens. Furthermore, corresponding to the selective decrease in the dopamine response, the caudate-putamen but not nucleus accumbens extracellular acetylcholine response exhibited tolerance with repeated binge exposures; i.e. the decrease in acetylcholine associated with the acute methamphetamine binge was attenuated with multiple binge exposure. These results are consistent with our hypothesis and suggest that the regionally differential acetylcholine responses reflect one functional consequence of the escalating-dose, multiple binge stimulant treatment.
Response of a single-degree-of-freedom system to a non-stationary principal parametric excitation

Abstract We examine the non-stationary response of a one-degree-of-freedom non-linear system to a non-periodic parametric excitation with varying frequency. We use the method of multiple scales to obtain equations governing the stationary and non-stationary responses of the system, and we analyze the stability of the stationary responses. The response displays several phenomena, including penetration of the trivial response into the unstable trivial region, oscillation of the response about the non-trivial stationary solution, convergence of the non-stationary response to the stationary solution, lingering of the non-trivial response into the stable trivial region, and rebounding of the non-trivial response. These phenomena are affected by the sweep rate, the initial conditions, and the system parameters. Digital and analog computers are used to solve the original governing differential equation. The results of the simulations agree with each other and with those obtained by using the method of multiple scales.
Reactions of chlorine atoms with a series of aromatic hydrocarbons

Aromatic hydrocarbons, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), are present in urban and rural atmospheres. Reactions of PAHs with Cl atoms may occur in the marine boundary layer and in coastal regions. To assess the importance of these reactions and to investigate whether any unique chlorine-containing products are formed from these reactions, we have measured the rate constants for the gas-phase reactions of Cl atoms with toluene-d8, 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene (1,3,5-TMB), naphthalene, 1-methylnaphthalene-d10 (1-MN-d10), 1- and 2-methylnaphthalene (1- and 2-MN), 1- and 2-ethylnaphthalene (1- and 2-EN), and the dimethylnaphthalenes (DMNs) at 296 ± 2 K. A relative rate technique was used, and, using our measured rate constant for the reaction of Cl atoms with 1,3,5-TMB of 2.42 × 10-10 cm3 molecule-1 s-1, the rate constants (in units of 10-10 cm3 molecule-1 s-1) are as follows: naphthalene, ≤0.0091 ± 0.0003; 1-MN, 1.21 ± 0.16; 2-MN, 1.05 ± 0.13; 1-EN, 2.12 ± 0.35; 2-EN, 1.38 ± 0.27; 1,2-DMN, 3.61 ± ...
The growth of two murine hemangioendotheliomas intracranially, subcutaneously, and in culture, and their comparison with human cerebellar hemangioblastomas: morphological and immunohistochemical studies.

Two thorium dioxide-induced murine hemangioendotheliomas, 42021 TCT and 44347 TST, were grown subcutaneously (for up to 22 and 15 passages respectively) or intracranially (single passage) and were adapted to culture as a monolayer and, in a limited fashion, in an organ culture system or in rotary suspension. They remained viable and malignant following 20–21 years of storage in liquid nitrogen, and had ultrastructural similarities to human hemangioblastomas. The murine tumors were positive for Griffonia (Bandeiraea) simplicofolia isolectin B4 binding, establishing their endothelial nature; however, unlike human hemangioblastic tumors, they did not cross-react with antisera to human factor VIII or fibronectin and they did not demonstrate Ulex europaeus type I lectin (UEA I) binding (as is also the case for non-neoplastic murine vascular endothelial cells). A variety of morphological cell types in cultures derived from the tumors were also positive for Griffonia (Bandeiraea) simplicifolia isolectin B4 binding. Both murine hemangioendotheliomas, when implanted in the cerebrum, were potent inducers of reactive gliosis, but there was no evidence of uptake of glial fibrillary acidic protein. Unlike the human cerebellar hemangioblastomas, murine tumors were malignant and invasive and did not contain stromal cells, nor did they demonstrate Weibel-Palade bodies or extensive pinocytotic activity. Thus, the murine tumors appear to more closely resemble angiosarcomas or epitheloid hemangioblastomas than the cerebellar hemangioblastomas.
Lower Esophageal (Schatzki’s) Ring: Pathogenesis, Diagnosis and Therapy

Schatzki’s or lower esophageal ring (LER) is one of the most common causes of solid food dysphagia. These rings are associated with hiatal hernias and appear to be produced by an infolding at the junc
Implications of increased Greenland surface melt under global-warming scenarios: ice-sheet simulations

Abstract The Greenland ice sheet is likely to make a faster contribution to sea-level rise in a warming world than previously believed, based on numerical modelling using a parameterization of recent results showing surface-meltwater lubrication of ice flow. Zwally et al. (Science 297(557) (2002) 218) documented correlation between increased ice velocity and increased surface melt (as parameterized by positive degree days). They argued that surface water is piped directly to the bed with little delay, causing increased basal-water pressures and basal-sliding velocities, an effect not included in recent Greenland ice-sheet models known to the authors. Using the Pennsylvania State University/University of Chicago thermomechanical flowline model, numerous simulations were conducted to test a wide range of parameter space linking surface melt with a new sliding law based on the Zwally et al. data under three different global warming scenarios (2×CO2, 4×CO2, and 8×CO2). Comparisons to reconstructions generated with a traditional sliding parameterization illustrate an enhanced sensitivity of the ice sheet to surface warming resulting in higher ablation rates, additional thinning and retreat of the margin, and a reduction in ice volume leading to an increased contribution to global sea-level rise.
Removal of venous endothelium with air

Abstract Much research on the activity and half-life of endothelium-derived substances has entailed the removal of endothelium from arteries by mechanical or enzymatic processes. It has been observed that the technique used for the removal of arterial endothelium may profoundly affect smooth muscle function and release of prostanoids by the vessel wall. The function and patterns of regeneration of arterial endothelium have been extensively described, but there is a relative paucity of information about the venous endothelium, due in part to the diffuculty of its removal. We developed a technique for removal of the endothelium of of rabbit femoral veins by passing a stream of air through the lumen of the vessel to dry and remove the endothelium. The effectiveness of endothelium removal was verified by the lack of in vitro reactivity to endothelium-dependent relaxing substances, examination of frozen sections of vessels, labeled with fluorescent-tagged acetylated low-density lipo-protein, with flourescent light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy of vessel segments. Air drying effectively removed the endothelium and abolished mechanical responses to endothelium-dependent vasodilators but did not affect the function of the smooth muscle. We propose the use of air to remove endothelium from veins to be used to study endothelium-derived factors since this method achieves complete removal of endothelium without causing detectable damage (morphological or functional) to the remainder of the vessel wall.
Petrographic products of freshwater diagenesis in Holocene ooid sands, Schooner Cays, Bahamas

Freshwater influx into 700 and 2900 year-old islands of Holocene ooid sand in the Schooner Cays has produced significant amounts of aragonite dissolution and interparticle cementation by low-Mg calcite. The amount of diagenetic alteration, expressed as the diagenetic maturity of a rock, varies as a function of time and hydrologic regime. All other factors (i.e. climate, mineralogy, sediment type) are constant between the islands. There is a progression of interparticle cements inindividual phreatic pores from discontinuous rims of equant decimicron-sized rhombs to complete pore-filling mosaics. Individual phreatic pores proceed through this sequence at varying rates; thus a heterogeneous distribution of cement results. In no instance was a continuous circumgranular rim of isopachous cement observed throughout an entire phreatic rock sample. Subcrystals, indicative of rapid crystal growth from over-saturated solutions, were also noted on phreatic cement crystals. The heterogeneous cement distribution and presence of subcrystals are probably only characteristic of youthful, immature Holocene diagenetic systems. Older, diagenetically more mature Pleistocene analogs typically exhibit more homogeneous cement distributions and lack subcrystals. This suggests that all pores eventually infill to a similar degree and that subcrystals coalesce to form smooth crystal faces given adequate time and freshwater influx. All other diagenetic features observed, including those in vadose rocks, are simalar to features known from other freshwater diagenetic settings. These youthful, diagenetically immature case examples, which exhibit the initial products of freshwater diagenesis, are analogs for ancient systems that experienced only short periods of freshwater diagenesis or were similarly small, isolated islands.
Price placebo effect in hedonic consumption.

Abstract Given the widespread use of premium pricing strategies as a marketing practice, how consumers evaluate premium pricing actions is an interesting issue for both marketing researchers and practitioners. Thus, the objective of this study was to examine perceptions of premium prices and the role of prices, which act as a cue that improves consumers’ experiences in an upscale cafe setting. Indeed, the results indicated that both price–quality schema and prestige sensitivity were significant factors that induce a positive overall perception of quality at luxury cafes, including coffee, service, and atmosphere. Thus, this study evidences that a price placebo effect exists in hedonic consumption settings. To better understand consumers’ mental accounting based on their income source, the study examined the moderating effect of the origin of the respondents’ income as well. The results revealed that the price tag generates positive consumer responses to cafe quality.
In vitro fertilization of rabbit ova.

A repeatable procedure for in vitro fertilization of rabbit ova in which the percentage of ova fertilized is consistently high has been developed. When ova were recovered and subsequently incubated in vitro with capacitated spermatozoa at 37° or 39°C levels of ova fertilized were 15, 24 and 28% when 73–78%, 83%, and 90% relative humidities, respectively, were maintained. Twenty-one per cent of all ova in these experiments were fertilized. When the ova were recovered at 30–39°C and subsequently incubated at 37° or 39°C with capacitated spermatozoa under paraffin oil only 19% of the ova were fertilized. However, when ova were recovered and subsequently incubated with capacitated spermatozoa and fluids from the female tract all under paraffin oil at 39°C with 96–97% relative humidity levels of ova fertilized were 30, 32 and 73% when stored oviduct fluid, stored uterine fluid, and fresh uterine fluid, respectively, were included in the media. Thirty-seven per cent of all ova incubated with capacitated spermatozoa under paraffin oil were fertilized. This system with the inclusion of fresh uterine fluid in the medium yields the highest percentage of fertilization with greater consistency than any other system for in vitro fertilization of rabbit ova ever reported.
Sensory feedback mechanisms in performance control: with special reference to the ideo-motor mechanism.

Four interpretations of the manner in which sensory feedback may be involved in regulation of skilled performance are reviewed. For the serial chaining (SC) and closed-loop (CL) mechanisms, response selection is assumed to occur on the basis of peripheral feedback from preceding correct and incorrect responses, respectively; for the ideo-motor (IM) and fractional anticipatory goal response (ro-so) mechanisms, it is assumed that a response's performance is directed by anticipatory representation of its own feedback or of feedback from the reaction to a goal to which the response leads, respectively. Among the conclusions of the review are (a) evidence for re-so as a mechanism for specific response selection, as opposed to generalized facilitation or inhibition of instrumental performance, is lacking; (b) the notion of a mechanism for comparison of actual feedback with images of desired feedback is not essential for explaining error-correction performance which is characteristic of CL; (c) despite severe criticism by twentieth century behaviorists, the limited available evidence is quite supportive of a contemporary version of IM; and (d) IM, SC, and CL can be regarded as serving complementary performance control functions-selection or "programing" of voluntary performance (IM), coordination of action within invariant sequential performances (SC), and coordination of action within sequential performances requiring correction responses to error stimuli (CL). Analyses of the acquisition of skilled voluntary performance have frequently been formulated in terms of a transfer of performance control from situational stimuli to response feedback stimuli-that is, to interoceptive or exteroceptive stimuli produced by the learner's own behavior. This paper reviews four conceptions of the nature of sensory feedback mechanisms mediating voluntary performance, including serial chaining,
Cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase does not increase calcium transport in platelet microsomes

Cyclic AMP inhibits platelet activation, at least in part, by reducing intracellular levels of ionic calcium. Previous studies using platelet microsomal fractions have suggested that one mechanism for this effect is stimulation by cyclic AMP and its protein kinase of calcium uptake into microsomal storage sites. In the present study, the effect of cyclic AMP and its protein kinase on calcium uptake by microsomal membranes has been re-examined using the active catalytic subunit of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase. The catalytic subunit increased calcium uptake two-fold, but this effect was not inhibited by boiling the catalytic subunit or by recombination with the regulatory subunit of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase, conditions that inhibited catalytic subunit activity. Conversely, dialysis of the catalytic subunit preparation against low phosphate buffer, which did not inhibit catalytic subunit activity, inhibited the stimulation of calcium uptake by the catalytic subunit preparation. Finally, the addition of high phosphate buffer, similar in phosphate concentration to that of the catalytic subunit preparation, stimulated calcium uptake. We conclude that the catalytic subunit does not directly stimulate calcium uptake by platelet microsomes.
New methods for suboptimal feedback control of parabolic systems

A new class of algorithms for the suboptimal feedback control of parabolic systems is presented. Three specific techniques within this class are developed and tested numerically using a linear example with three different types of boundary conditions. Performance of two of these techniques is found to compare favorably with that obtained by use of a rigorous open-loop optimal control computed by the gradient method. It is also shown for linear systems having quadratic performance criteria that the new algorithms are superior to the technique presented by Vermeychuk and Lapidus (1973) in cases where state deviation has a weighting coefficient much greater than that for control energy.
The non-diagnostic ultrasound in appendicitis: is a non-visualized appendix the same as a negative study?

Abstract Purpose The purpose of this retrospective study was to investigate outcomes in children who underwent a non-diagnostic ultrasound (US) evaluating for appendicitis and to identify predictors of a negative diagnosis. Methods An IRB-approved retrospective chart review was performed on patients age 0–18, who underwent an abdominal US evaluating for acute appendicitis from 2004 through 2013. Clinical data and specified outcomes were recorded, and exams were categorized into non-diagnostic studies and further separated into studies where the appendix was non-visualized. Results Of the 1383 studies included for analysis, 876 were non-diagnostic for acute appendicitis (63.34%) with 777 specifically because the appendix was non-visualized. Seven hundred forty of the 876 non-diagnostic studies and 671 of the 777 non-visualized studies were ultimately considered true negatives, corresponding to a negative predictive value (NPV) of 84.47 and 86.36%, respectively. In patients with WBC 9 /L, the NPV of non-diagnostic and non-visualized studies increased to 97.12 and 98.86%, respectively. Patients with WBC 9 /L have similarly high NPVs of 95.59 and 96.99% (non-diagnostic and non-visualized). Conclusion Based on the high NPV of a non-diagnostic US in children without leukocytosis, these patients may safely avoid further diagnostic imaging for the workup of suspected appendicitis.
Remedial Therapy Referral Times for Stroke Patients

A point-prevalence survey in Salisbury Hospitals identified 62 inpatients with a primary diagnosis of stroke, 56 of whom had been conscious on admission. Overall, 96% of patients had been referred for physiotherapy and 72% for occupational therapy. However, analysis by admitting specialty showed large differences between geriatric and general medicine in both percentage of patients referred and average referral times. The Salisbury results were compared with the Edinburgh stroke unit randomized controlled trial which had shown differences in referral patterns and early functional outcome. Geriatric medicine admissions followed the Edinburgh stroke unit pattern for remedial therapy referral, but general medicine admissions were similar to the Edinburgh study's control units. The implications of these results for functional outcome and resource use led to recommendations for referral policies for stroke patients in Salisbury.
PC-Based Image Processing With Half Toning

A versatile and useful personal computer-based procedure to generate halftone representation of digitized image data is presented. This feature provides limited interactive image processing capability for a basic personal computer work station without having to acquire a video monitor and a digital-to-analog converter board. The generated halftone images can be displayed on the standard dot-addressable graphics monitor and/or they can be printed out on regular paper via an associated printer. The halftoning procedure is based on an error diffusion technique in which dots are produced randomly, one at a time, based on both the local grey level value and some accumulated measure of the error due to previous assignments. The key elements in halftoning such as dynamic, spatial, and display medium resolutions are defined and the mathematical correspondence among them are established.
FAUST: A new forward array detector

Abstract A new forward array has been designed and constructed using silicon technology. The detectors telescopes are Si followed by CsI that are read out by photodiodes. This combination allows for isotopic resolution through Z = 6. The special edge-mounting of the silicon detector combined with the ring-like structure of the overall array has allowed for a design that minimizes dead area.