cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Clinical Educator and Student Perceptions of a Weekly Observed Practice Activity Evaluation Tool.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Clinical teachers (or preceptors) have expressed uncertainties about medical student expectations and how to assess them. The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) created a list of core skills that graduating medical students should be able to perform. Using this framework, this innovation was designed to provide medical students specific, progressive clinical skills training that could be observed. METHODS We used the AAMC skills to develop observable events, called Observed Practice Activities (OPAs), that students could accomplish with their outpatient preceptors. Preceptors and students were trained to use the OPA cards and all students turned in the cards at the end of the rotation. RESULTS Seventy-nine of 115 preceptors and 80 of 149 students completed evaluations on the OPA cards. Both students (60%) and preceptors (70%) indicated the OPA cards were helpful for knowing expectations for a third-year medical student, although preceptors found the cards to be of greater value than the students. CONCLUSIONS The OPA cards enable outpatient preceptors to document student progress toward graduated skill acquisition. In addition, the OPA cards provide preceptors and students with specific tasks, expectations, and a template for directly observed, competency-based feedback. The majority of preceptors found the OPA cards easy to use and did not disrupt their clinical work. In addition, both students and preceptors found the cards to be helpful to understand expectations of a third-year medical student in our course. The OPA cards could be adapted by other schools to evaluate progressive skill development throughout the year.
Bioinks and bioprinting strategies for skeletal muscle tissue engineering.

Skeletal muscles play important roles in critical body functions and their injury or diseases can lead to limitation of mobility and loss of independence. Current treatment modalities result in variable functional recovery, while reconstructive surgery, as the gold standard approach, is limited due to donor shortage, donor site morbidity and limited functional recovery. Skeletal muscle tissue engineering (SMTE) has generated enthusiasm as an alternative solution for treatment of diseased or lost tissue and serve as functional disease models. In recent years, bioprinting has emerged as a promising tool for recapitulating the complex and highly organized architecture of skeletal muscles at clinically relevant sizes. Here, we discuss skeletal muscle physiology, muscle regeneration following injury, current treatments following muscle loss, and then critically review bioprinting strategies implemented for SMTE. Subsequently, we discuss recent advancements that have led to improvement of bioprinting strategies to construct large muscle structures, boost myogenesis in vitro and in vivo, and enhance tissue integration. Bioinks for muscle bioprinting, as an essential part of any bioprinting strategy, are discussed and their benefits, limitations, and areas to be improved are highlighted. Finally, the directions that field should expand to make bioprinting strategies more translational and overcome the clinical unmet needs are discussed. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Sinatra: A Memoir

"He wants to see ya. Don't let 'im down. Frank doesn't like people what let 'im down." "But why would he want to see me?" "He read somethin' a yours." It was 1959. I was an associate professor of Classics and Humanities at Johns Hopkins University (master's: Columbia; doctorate: Tulane), all three of my books had appeared in one of the better university presses, I had recently published an article in Daedalus, and only last year I'd been mentioned on page 7 of The New York Times Book Review. So I wasn't exactly unknown. "I'm honored, of course. I've long been a fan of his music. But I'm puzzled as to why?" "Jus' get out here," the man said. "Some of the boys'll meet ya at the airport." "Some of the boys?"
Synthesis of active microwave mixers for optimum performance

Synthesis of new active microwave mixer circuits employing unique MMIC BJTs is described. A computer model was developed for each system and actual physical models developed. Fundamental performance characteristics of these devices are shown to be competitive with other modern active mixers utilizing FETs, although at much lower cost. >
Keynote address: the role of algorithmic research in computational genomics

In the early 1990s, after more than three decades of studying algorithms within the framework of theoretical computer science, I shifted my focus to algorithmic problems arising in genomics. There is a fundamental difference between the views of algorithms in the two fields: in theoretical computer science the input-output behavior of an algorithm is rigorously specified in advance, whereas in computational biology an algorithm is merely a vehicle for discovering Nature's ground truth. In order to be effective in computational genomics I have had to radically change my approach to research. On the occasion of this keynote address I will share some of the lessons I have learned, in the hope of making the way easier for computer scientists and mathematicians entering this field. These lessons will be encapsulated in a list of aphorisms, accompanied by illustrative examples.
Using simulation & Joint Time/Frequency domain analysis to evaluate absorber/lossy material performance in resonant cavities

Comparing the effectiveness of different absorber/lossy materials as a function of frequency can be difficult and prone to misunderstanding when the reduction in field strength is observed directly. Often these materials are used in highly resonant cavities, therefore a better measure of the reduction of field strength is the resonant quality factor (Q-factor). The Joint Time-Frequency domain analysis technique allows simulation data from time domain simulations to be easily converted to Q-factor, and allows quick and straightforward analysis of the improvement gained by using various absorber/lossy materials. Measurements are made to validate the simulation results.
μ-Opioid Receptors Are Localized to Extrasynaptic Plasma Membranes of GABAergic Neurons and Their Targets in the Rat Nucleus Accumbens

The activation of mu-opioid receptors in the nucleus accumbens (Acb) produces changes in locomotor and rewarding responses that are believed to involve neurons, including local gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic neurons. We combined immunogold-silver detection of an antipeptide antiserum against the cloned mu-opioid receptor (MOR) and immunoperoxidase labeling of an antibody against GABA to determine the cellular basis for the proposed opioid modulation of GABAergic neurons in the rat Acb. MOR-like immunoreactivity (MOR-LI) was localized prominently to plasma membranes of neurons having morphological features of both spiny and aspiny cells, many of which contained GABA. Of 351 examples of profiles that contained MOR-LI and GABA labeling, 65% were dendrites. In these dendrites, MOR-LI was seen mainly along extrasynaptic portions of the plasma membrane apposed to unlabeled terminals and/or glial processes. Dually labeled dendrites often received convergent input from GABAergic terminals and/or from unlabeled terminals forming asymmetric excitatory-type synapses. Of all profiles that contained both MOR and GABA immunoreactivity, 28% were axon terminals. MOR-containing GABAergic terminals and terminals separately labeled for MOR or GABA formed synapses with unlabeled dendrites and also with dendrites containing MOR or GABA. Our results indicate that MOR agonists could modulate the activity of GABA neurons in the Acb via receptors located mainly at extrasynaptic sites on dendritic plasma membranes. MOR ligands also could alter the release of GABA onto target dendrites that contain GABA and/or respond to opiate stimulation.
Proliferation of Tail Risks and Policy Responses in EU Financial Markets

This study draws attention to the proliferation of tail risks in financial markets prior to and during the course of the recent global financial crisis. It examines the level of tail risks in selected equity, interbank lending and foreign exchange markets in selected EU Member States in relation to the United States. The extent of tail risks is assessed by applying general error distribution (GED) parameterization in GARCH volatility tests of the examined variables. The empirical tests prove that tail risks were pronounced across all of the examined European financial markets throughout the crisis. They were also significant prior to the crisis outbreak. The analyzed interbank lending markets exhibited more extreme volatility outbursts than the equity and foreign exchange markets. Several countercyclical monetary and macroprudential policies aimed at abating tail risks are identified and discussed. Flexible capital adequacy and contingent capital requirements for financial institutions are advocated.
Simultaneous measurement of angular and spectral properties of light scattering for early cancer detection

A novel instrument has been developed for the angular, spectral, azimuthal and polarization measurements of the light backscattering by living biological tissues. These measurements provide the most comprehensive quantitative information about the light scattering and allow obtaining unique quantitative information about the microarchitecture of living cells and tissues. We have shown the potential of this technique to characterize and diagnose very early premalignant changes in the epithelia, for which no histological or molecular markers has yet been established. Using this technique in our studies with a rodent model of colon carcinogenesis we obtained several parameters diagnostically significant for the detection of precancerous changes, such as the number density of red blood cells in the capillary network immediately underlying the epithelium, the fractal dimension of the tissue microarchitecture, and the average roundness of subcellular structures.
Gathering Moss: The NLRA’s Resistance to Legislative Change

Why has the NLRA been so resistant to legislative change for more than 60 years? How was Congress able to enact two major labor relations laws within a 12-year period (1935 and 1947) but then unable to approve proposed reforms in the years since 1947? In an effort to answer these questions, the article closely examines contemporaneous newspaper accounts from the 1935 and 1947 legislative “successes” as well as from two more recent congressional “failures” in 1978 and 1992. The article’s examination proceeds based on an analytic framework borrowed from political scientist John Kingdon that posits a recurring interplay among three separately developing process streams: problems that capture the attention of the policy community working in and around Congress; proposals generated and refined as potential solutions to the problems; and political climate that allows for or discourages openings in the legislative process to enact the possible solutions.The article concludes that all four legislative campaigns featured potentially enactable proposals that were concrete, feasible, and sufficiently refined by policy participants so that they might have ripened into statutory solutions. What separates successes from failures, however, are the magnitude and resonance of the perceived policy problems and also certain distinctive aspects of the political environment before and during floor consideration. An essential predicate for legislative success in 1935 and 1947 was that identified problems commanded exceptionally broad attention from the public at large as well as the labor-management policy community. The bills defeated in 1978 and 1992 involved far less public awareness of or investment in the policy problems identified by members of Congress, their staffs, and relevant interest groups. In addition, unusual extrinsic circumstances - such as the announcement of Supreme Court decisions, the fear of spreading communism at the dawn of the Cold War, and the presence of intense divisions over approval of the Panama Canal Treaties - generated either important momentum or substantial headwinds during key periods. The article describes in detail the factors contributing to legislative successes and failures, and then addresses possible lessons for the future of labor law reform.
Adolescent physical activity and endometriosis risk.

BACKGROUND In the one study examining the relationship, adolescent physical activity was not associated with risk for endometriosis. Case-control studies have shown 40-80% reductions in risk for adult activity, while only an 11% reduction in endometriosis risk was observed in a recent prospective analysis. METHODS Using data collected from the Nurses' Health Study II, a prospective cohort study of premenopausal US nurses that began in 1989, we have attempted to clarify this relation. Data are updated every 2 yrs with follow-up for these analyses through to 2001. Women reported the average amount of time per week spent in moderate and strenuous recreational activity during three age periods: ages 12-13, ages 14-17, and ages 18-22. A metabolic equivalent (MET) score was assigned to each activity and these were summed to estimate total activity. RESULTS During 637,747 person-years of follow-up, 1,481 cases of laparoscopically confirmed endometriosis were reported among women with no past infertility. After adjusting for age, calendar time, birth weight, age at menarche, parity, oral contraceptive use, and body mass index (BMI), we observed a 16% increase in the risk for endometriosis comparing the greatest amount of activity (≥80 MET-h/wk) with the least (<20 MET-h/wk) during ages 12-13 (RR=1.16, 95% CI=0.98-1.37, p-value test for trend=0.02), and no associations for ages 14-17 or ages 18-22. In analyses of the individual activity types within each time period, only strenuous activity during ages 12-13 was associated with endometriosis. CONCLUSIONS We did not find evidence of a beneficial association between adolescent physical activity and laparoscopically confirmed endometriosis, but in fact found a small increase in risk.
Counting Beds and Shuffling Babies: Coordinating Labor and Delivery and NICU Bed Space Across Arkansas

This innovative program partners the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) with Arkansas Children’s Hospital (ACH) to collaborate with nine outlying hospital nurseries and labor and delivery units. This innovative program serves obstetrical and neonatal patients by launching a regional Obstetrical and Neonatal Telemedicine Triage system, virtual clinical census rounds, integration of targeted evidence-based clinical interventions, fetal echocardiograms with a pediatric cardiologist, and discharge management of high-risk neonates. Continued Efforts
Differential production of interferon-gamma and interleukin-4 in response to Th1- and Th2-stimulating pathogens by gamma delta T cells in vivo

Exposure to various pathogens can stimulate at least two patterns of cytokine production by CD4-positive T cells. Responses that result in secretion of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), lymphotoxin and interleukin-2 (IL-2) are classified as T-helper-1 (Th1); CD4+ T-cell production of IL-4, IL-5, IL-9, IL-10 and IL-13 is called a T-helper-2 response (Th2). Differentiation of CD4+ T cells into either Th1 or Th2 cells is influenced by the cytokine milieu in which the initial antigen priming occurs. Here we use flow cytometry to identify the presence of intracellular cytokines (cytoflow) and analyse T-cell production of IFN-gamma and IL-4 from mice infected with Listeria monocytogenes or Nippostrongylus brasiliensis. We show that T cells bearing gamma delta receptors discriminate early in infection between these two pathogens by producing cytokines associated with the appropriate T-helper response. Our results demonstrate that gamma delta T cells are involved in establishing primary immune responses.
Influence of enovid on the cytopathic action of staphylococcal alpha toxin.

To investigate the influence of Enovid (norethynodrel and mestranol) and natural progesterone on the cytolytic action of staphylococcal alpha toxin 1 ml samples of primary rabbit kidney tissues were incubated first in Eagle medium for 72 hours then in fresh medium containing 20 mu-g of either Enovid or progesterone per ml for 72 hours and finally in maintenance medium containing 1 tissue cytotoxic dose of alpha toxin per ml; control tubes (toxin added without hormone) cultures in Eagle medium alone and cultures containing heat destroyed alpha toxin were also studied. Cytotoxic action of alpha toxin was evaluated by counts of total and viable cells measurement of glucose utilization cell protein content and cell morphology. Cultures with Enovid showed increases in glucose utilization cellular protein content and total and viable cells when compared to control tubes but slight decreases (especially in viable cells) when compared to cultures with progesterone. As determined by cell morphology Enovid cultures showed delayed cytopathic effect (3-6 hours after toxin addition compared to 30 minutes for controls) and an approximate 65% reduction in cytolytic action after 24 hour toxin exposure compared to controls. Primary site of Enovid action may be the cytoplasmic membrane or in intracellular metabolic reactions (production of messenger RNA). It is concluded that the oral contraceptive preparation Enovid in pharmacological concentrations is capable of reducing the cytopathic action of alpha toxin but only to a slightly lesser degree than the natural hormone progesterone.
Hepatitis C Seroprevalence Among HIV-Infected Childbearing Women in New York State in 2006

Objective To identify factors associated with maternal hepatitis C virus (HCV) seroprevalence and transmission of HCV as identified by qualitative HCV ribonucleic acid (RNA) in the infants of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected women delivering in New York State (NYS) in 2006. Study Design In this retrospective cohort study of HIV-exposed infants born in NYS, leftover infant plasma from HIV diagnostic testing was de-identified and tested for HCV. If HCV antibodies were detected, a second specimen collected when the infant was >2 months old was tested for HCV qualitative RNA. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with HCV seropositivity. Results In a final sample of 553 live birth events with perinatal HIV exposure, 21 (3.8 %) of tested infant specimens had HCV antibodies indicative of maternal HCV seropositivity. Maternal age at delivery of >35 years, Hispanic ethnicity, white race and injection drug use (IDU) were significantly associated with HCV seropositivity in multivariate analysis. No cases of HCV vertical transmission were identified among HCV exposed infant specimens. Conclusions This statewide population-based study of HIV-infected childbearing women shows HCV seroprevalence of 3.8 %. Maternal age of >35 years and IDU are the strongest predictors of HCV seropositivity. Although no viral transmission was documented, more comprehensive longitudinal testing would be required to conclude that HCV transmission did not occur.
Ethical And Environmental Disclosures: An Analysis Of The Oil And Gas Industry

This study investigates the similarities of ethical and environmental disclosures, as well as risk factors contained within annual reports for the reporting year 2009. The data were collected from Fortune 500 oil and gas company annual reports. Findings include: 1) an emphasis on environmental, financial, nonfinancial and ethical disclosures and 2) similar reported risks for all companies investigated. The findings illustrate that many of the studied oil and gas companies have similar disclosures but, on the other hand, are situation specific to particular company and location.
Mythical) Revenue Benefits of Reducing Dining Duration in Restaurants

This article tests and calibrates an often repeated assumption about the revenue benefits of reducing dining duration. This assumption is that a reduction in dining duration yields a proportional i...
The effect of stand-biased desks on academic engagement: an exploratory study

Schools have been suggested as a viable avenue to combat childhood obesity. School administrators are sometimes faced with the conflicting demands of improving the health of their students and maintaining academic performance. Dynamic furniture such as stand-biased desks may be one way to address both academic and health demands placed on schools to prevent childhood obesity. Classrooms with stand-biased desks were compared with classrooms using traditional seated desks in 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grades. The academic engagement of 282 participants was observed in the fall and spring during one academic year. The engagement of the treatment classrooms was compared with the engagement of the control classrooms. Both groups showed general increases in their academic engagement over time. Stand-biased desks do not seem to result in adverse effects on academic engagement when used in elementary classrooms. The data suggest promising results for the use of stand-biased desks in elementary school classrooms. The resul...
An exploratory model of inter-country Internet diffusion

Abstract A model was developed and estimated to explain global inter-country differences in Internet usage rates (IURs), as measured by users per capita. Per capita income was the most important determinant. The relationship appears to be non-linear, with income differences having greater impacts on IUR at lower than higher levels. Two other important determinants were the openness of a society and infrastructure, using telephone and personal computer densities as proxies. To explore the possibility of Non-Economic Factors, other than openness, six regional divisions were used. The results were insignificant, perhaps due to heterogeneity with regard to Non-Economic Factors within these regions and large inter-regional differences in income, infrastructure, and openness. If true, there may be greater potential for exploring the impacts of Non-Economic Factors within areas more homogeneous in terms of the other variables. To demonstrate this, it was shown that, controlling for both income and infrastructure, there are significant differences in IUR across 16 European nations associated with religious affiliations.
The vibrational spectrum of crystalline syndiotactic. Poly(vinyl chloride)

A normal vibration analysis has been carried out for crystalline syndiotactic poly(vinyl chloride) and its deuterated derivatives. This was based on a general valence force field derived from an analysis of the spectra of small secondary chloride molecules. The calculations permit a very satisfactory assignment to be made of the observed bands in the IR and Raman spectra, including the low frequency region. Es wurde eine Normal-Schwingungsanalyse fur kristallines syndiotaktisches Poly(vinyl-chlorid) sowie seine deuterierten Derivate durchgefuhrt. Diese basierte auf einem allgemeinen Valenzkraftefeld (valence force field), das aus einer Spektrenanalyse von kleinen Molekulen sekundarer Chloride abgeleitet wurde. Die Berechnungen erlauben – auch fur das Gebiet niedriger Frequenzen – eine sehr befriedigende Zuordnung der beobachteten Banden in den IR- und Ramanspektren.
Cultural Gleanings from an Experimental Reading Assignment

RICH in its acquisition of lavishly illustrated post-war periodicals and albums devoted to aspects of French culture, present and past, Mount Holyoke College is in a specially favored position to encourage general campus interest in contemporary French thought. A generous and much appreciated gift made in the fall of 1946 through the Services Culturelles de 1'Ambassade de France, the collection includes copies of La France Vit, Vogue, Silhouette, Quadrige, Plaisir de France, Destin de Paris, Elites frangaises, L'Art et la Mode, I'Amour de l'Art, Album de la Mode du Figaro, Paris, L'El`gance frangaise, Quality, Art et Style, and Paris Libr developments on "la femme"-fashions and furbelows, perfumes and jewelry; pictorial sequences devoted to such facets of Parisian life as the Luxembourg garden with its statuesque Queens, or an evening at the Opera; sobering accounts of recent national developments;
Inhibition of PDGF beta receptor signal transduction by coexpression of a truncated receptor

A mutated form of the platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) beta receptor lacking most of its cytoplasmic domain was tested for its ability to block wild-type PDGF receptor function. PDGF induced the formation of complexes consisting of wild-type and truncated receptors. Such complexes were defective in autophosphorylation. When truncated receptors were expressed in excess compared to wild-type receptors, stimulation by PDGF of receptor autophosphorylation, association of phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase with the receptor, and calcium mobilization were blocked. Thus, a truncated receptor can inactivate wild-type receptor function by forming ligand-dependent receptor complexes (probably heterodimers) that are incapable of mediating the early steps of signal transduction.
An Algorithm for Lymphatic Node Placement in Hybrid Computational Phantoms—Applications to Radionuclide Therapy Dosimetry

The presence of lymphatic nodes within computational human phantoms is critical to the evaluation of tissue doses in lymphoma patients treated with targeted radionuclide therapy. Furthermore, the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) now considers the lymphatic nodes to be a radiosensitive tissue of the remainder tissues of the effective dose as defined in ICRP Publication 103. Lymphatic nodes have previously not been included within the structure of stylized phantoms and are only present within a few voxel-based phantoms through manual retagging of voxels of the residual soft tissues. In this paper, an automated methodology is introduced whereby lymphatic nodes are placed-in an anatomically realistic fashion-within the University of Florida adult male reference hybrid phantom. First, a total of 16 lymphatic node anatomical sites are defined within the phantom. These include the extrathoracic, cervical, thoracic (upper and lower), breast (left and right), mesentery (left and right), axillary (left and right), cubital (left and right), inguinal (left and right), and popliteal (left and right) nodal regions. Secondly, individual lymphatic node positions are randomly sampled within spherical tissue regions centered at each previously selected lymphatic node site. Thirdly, smaller voxelized tissue spheres representing individual lymphatic nodes are then created to populate each nodal region of the phantom using a nominal nodal diameter. This process is repeated until a total lymphatic node mass is achieved to match age-dependent total reference masses derived from ICRP Publication 66 and 89 data. An illustrative set of radionuclide S-values for 131I are presented whereby regional lymphatic nodes are considered to be independent source and target regions of a reference lymphoma patient. As nodal size can easily be changed within individual nodal regions, the lymphatic node model suggested in this paper can be used to obtain realistic dosimetry for lymphoma patients treated with radionuclide therapy.
Sequences of reward magnitude and runway performance

Three groups of rats underwent 24 days of training and 12 days of extinction (three trials per day) in a runway under conditions of increasing (I), decreasing (D), and random (R) sequences of reward magnitudes (0, 45, and 500 mg). The I Ss ran faster over the daily trials, the D Ss slowed down, and the R Ss ran at approximately equal speeds on each trial. The patterned running observed in training persisted in extinction, with the R Ss running fastest and the I Ss next. The results were discussed in terms of Capaldi’s sequential theory and Amsel’s frustration theory.
An Efficient Derivation of the Aronsson Equation

For 1<p<∞, the equation which characterizes minima of the functional u↦∫ U |Du| p ,dx subject to fixed values of u on ∂U is −Δ p u=0. Here −Δ p is the well-known ``p-Laplacian''. When p=∞ the corresponding functional is u↦|| |Du|2|| L∞(U) . A new feature arises in that minima are no longer unique unless U is allowed to vary, leading to the idea of ``absolute minimizers''. Aronsson showed that then the appropriate equation is −Δ∞ u=0, that is, u is ``infinity harmonic'' as explained below. Jensen showed that infinity harmonic functions, understood in the viscosity sense, are precisely the absolute minimizers. Here we advance results of Barron, Jensen and Wang concerning more general functionals u↦||f(x,u,Du)|| L∞(U) by giving a simplified derivation of the corresponding necessary condition under weaker hypotheses.
Spring and summer macroinvertebrate drift in the Lower Mississippi River, Louisiana

Macroinvertebrate drift was sampled dielly each month at three stations across the lower Mississippi River, Louisiana. At least 134 taxa were identified from seven phyla. Total drift catches varied with respect to month, time of day, and station. Relative abundance was greatest in June and August, moderate in July, and lowest in April and May. Dipterans, ephemeropterans and trichopterans numerically dominated the catches and each tended to have its zenith in July, August and June respectively. Important non-insect groups were hydroids, oligochaetes, pelecypods and amphipods and with the exception of pelecypods, were most abundant in April. The presence of certain apparent ‘exotic’ oligochaetes suggested that at least some elements of the drift may be derived from rather remote areas — perhaps even the drainage headwaters. Diel periodicity was most pronounced during the summer months of high total drift densities. Ephemeropterans exhibited strong, nocturnally — oriented diel periodicity, both at the ordinal and lower taxonomic levels, trichopterans and dipterans showed varying tendencies with respect to individual lower taxa. Catches for the dielly-periodic taxa indicated a preponderance of the bigeminus forms. But each major insect order may have had one lower taxon exhibiting the alternans pattern. The stations were decreasingly productive from right-shore to left-shore, while taxonomic richness was greater at midstream and approximately equal along the shores. But spatial patterns of occurrence varied according to months.
LIBRA-LiTE : a 1000 MWe reactor

The results from this study indicate that light ions can be a competitive factor in the race to commercial fusion power. The relatively simple and near-term driver technology is particularly attractive compared to higher cost laser and heavy ion schemes. The cavity design and engineering operations can be tailored such that Utilities could envision a reliable and maintainable power plant. The major problem to be faced now is the method of beam propagation to the target. The LIBRA-LiTE design reveals that ballistic transport may be more attractive from a physics standpoint, but the severe neutron environment presents a challenge to materials scientists. Continued experimentation and research is needed to develop a truly attractive ICF power plant.
Double pomeron exchange at the CERN Intersecting Storage Rings and $Sp\bar{p}S$ Collider

The CERN Intersecting Storage Rings, with from 22 GeV to 63 GeV and , allowed the first observations of p + p → p + X + p with two leading protons (xF > 0.95) or two rapidity gaps Δy > 3. Studies of the central hadronic system (X) were made to search for glueballs, finding f0 and f2 resonances, and to advance our understanding of hadronic diffraction. I review the experiments, not including those at the Split Field Magnet (SFM) facility covered elsewhere in this volume. Some double pomeron exchange studies at the CERN Collider are also covered.
Feasibility study of a smart pen for autonomous detection of concentration lapses during reading

We implemented a portable smart pen system capable of detecting lapses in concentration during reading. An accelerometer and a microcontroller are embedded within a pen casing to record data as a user reads sections of text using the pen as a pointer. When a substantial pause in reading is detected, the system generates an appropriate warning or alarm. An accompanying software program can communicate with the pen through a USB interface to customize system parameters, record relevant data, and graph collected data over time. The overall effectiveness of a prototype system was tested on 11 normal volunteers and 3 persons with attention deficit disorder (ADD). The prototype system had probability of false alarm of 19%, and sensitivity of 82%. With further refinement, this system could enable patients with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder maintain concentration during reading in a variety of environments.
Surface adhesion and hardening effects on elastic–plastic deformation, shakedown and ratcheting behavior of half-spaces subjected to repeated sliding contact

Abstract Deformation of homogeneous elastic-perfectly plastic (EPP) and elastic-linear kinematic hardening plastic (ELKP) half-spaces due to repeated adhesive sliding contact is examined with a two-dimensional finite element model. Interfacial adhesion is modeled by nonlinear springs with a force-distance constitutive relation derived from the Lennard–Jones potential. Deformation behavior is interpreted in terms of dimensionless parameters, such as the Maugis parameter, interaction distance (interfacial gap), and plasticity parameter. Numerical results provide insight into the stress–strain response and the evolution of subsurface plasticity. The effects of the interaction distance, plasticity parameter, interfacial adhesion, and Maugis parameter on the friction and normal forces and the accumulation of plastic strain are analyzed in terms of the number of sliding cycles. Deformation maps providing information about the steady-state mode of deformation are presented for both EPP and ELKP material behaviors. Results of this study illustrate the importance of elastic–plastic material behavior and interfacial adhesion in contact deformation due to repeated surface sliding.
Money: how to get it for your classroom

This article marks the beginning of a new column devoted to items of interest and concern to educators at all age levels. It addresses issues for those who teach computer graphics, as well as for those who use computer graphics to teach. This first column focuses on funding and how to obtain technology for the classroom.
Evolution of Staged Versus Primary Closure of Gastroschisis

Schuster made a major conceptual advance in the surgical treatment of gastroschisis in 1967. 1 His technique involved Teflon sheets sewn to the abdominal wall under a moderate degree of tension and mobilized skin flaps to cover the prosthesis. The abdomen required periodic reopening to perform serial reduction and staged removal of the material, with the attendant risk of bowel injury and infectious complications. Allen and Wrenn’s modification of this technique involved Silastic instead of Teflon, with no attempt at skin coverage. 2 This facilitated serial reduction and enabled continuous inspection of the bowel’s condition. Until the early 1990s, this technique endured as the favored method of staged closure (SC). However, due to the obligate loss of fascial strength at the margins of the defect, the infection risk from the lack of a watertight seal, and the risk of evisceration should the suture line disrupt, primary closure (PC) remained the primary objective of surgical treatment until the 1980s. 3–9 In 1997, we began to use a prefabricated Silastic silo (Dow Corning, Midland, MI) coupled to a spring-loaded ring (Ben-Tec, Sacramento, CA) in children with gastroschisis in whom we chose not to attempt primary closure. 10 The ease with which a single physician can accomplish serial reductions and the simplification of ventilator and fluid management led to increased usage of the device. Since that time, the proportion of children undergoing SC of the abdominal wall has dramatically increased in our practice. We reviewed our experience in the management of gastroschisis over the past 10 years to assess the impact of this change.
Expression in Escherichia coli of a rat cDNA encoding an apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease

A rat cDNA (rAPEN) with 85% DNA identity to the major human apurinic/apyrimidinic (AP) endonuclease gene was used to construct a fusion between it and glutathione-S-transferase (GST). The GST-rAPEN fusion was subsequently overexpressed in Escherichia coli, purified on glutathione-agarose affinity columns, and the purified protein tested for AP endonuclease activity. DNA nicks were found to be specifically introduced into AP DNA in a reaction that was dependent upon the time of incubation and the amount of GST-rAPEN added. The DNA scissions produced by GST-rAPEN were determined to be adjacent and 5' to an AP site. The purified fusion protein was also able to efficiently remove 3'-(4 hydroxy-5-phospho-2-pentenal) residues, and to a lesser extent 3'-phosphoglycolate residues. The GST-rAPEN activity failed to exhibit any 3'-5' exonuclease activity, a characteristic shared by the major AP endonuclease in bovine and human.
Collision-induced dissociation of [4Fe-4S] cubane cluster complexes: [Fe4S4Cl4 − x(SC2H5)x]2−/1− (x = 0–4)

Abstract Collision-induced dissociation (CID) experiments on a series of [4Fe-4S] cluster ions, [Fe 4 S 4 Cl 4 − x (SC 2 H 5 ) x ] 2−/1− ( x = 0–4), revealed that their fragmentation channels change with the coordination environment. Among the three Coulomb repulsion related channels for the doubly charged species, the collision induced electron detachment channel was found to become more significant from x = 0 to 4 due to the decreasing electron binding energies and the magnitude of repulsion Coulomb barrier, while both the ligand detachment of Cl − and the fission of the [Fe 4 S 4 ] 2+ core became more and more significant with the increase of the Cl − coordination, and eventually became the dominant channel at x = 0. From the parents containing the SC 2 H 5 ligand, neutral losses of HSC 2 H 5 (62 u) and/or HSCH CH 2 (60 u) were observed. It was proposed that inter- and intra-ligand proton transfer could happen during the CID process, resulting in hydrogen coordination to the [4Fe-4S] cluster. In the presence of O 2 , [Fe 4 S 4 Cl 3 (SC 2 H 5 )] 2− and [Fe 4 S 4 Cl 4 ] 2− can form the O 2 -substituted products [Fe 4 S 4 Cl 2 (SC 2 H 5 )O 2 ] − and [Fe 4 S 4 Cl 3 O 2 ] − , respectively. It was shown that the O 2 complexation occurs by coordination to the empty iron site of the [4Fe-4S] cubane core after dissociation of one Cl − ligand.
The oxidation of rhodium field-emitter surfaces during the CO oxidation reaction

The oxidation of Rh field-emitter surfaces during the CO oxidation reaction has been investigated by imaging atom-probe mass spectroscopy. Rhodium samples were heated to 500 K in various mixtures of O/sub 2/ and CO at total pressures between 1 and 2 torr (1 torr = 133.3 N m/sup -2/) and were subsequently transferred under ultrahigh vacuum to the atom probe for analysis. Surface oxides were detected when the O/sub 2//CO ratio was 40/1 or greater, but not when the ratio was 30/1 or less. The 40/1 ratio correlates with the ratio where deactivation of the reaction has been observed, and the results provide direct evidence that oxide formation is the surface process responsible for deactivation. Quantitative atom-probe analysis indicated that the oxide formed during the reaction is stoichiometric Rh/sub 2/O/sub 3/. 10 refs., 5 figs.
The Use of Electrical Stimulation of the Vagus Nerve to Treat Morbid Obesity

Abstract Obesity has become one of the rising epidemics in westernized societies. Patients who are 100 pounds overweight are considered morbidly obese and are at risk for many conditions including hypertension, diabetes mellitus, cardiac disease, sleep apnea, and osteoarthritis. Behavior modification and pharmacologic treatments have not resulted in any lasting success in this group of patients. Surgical options, which include both gastric restriction and malabsorptive procedures, have reduced the number and severity of comorbidities in this population by providing sustained weight loss. However, with surgery, there is the potential for short-term and long-term complications. New approaches to weight loss are necessary. Afferent vagal nerve stimulation may provide a viable alternative to standard surgical weight loss procedures.
Implementation of a continuous, enzyme-coupled fluorescence assay for high-throughput analysis of glutamate-producing enzymes.

Abstract Enzymatic formation of glutamate is critical to numerous biological pathways. However, current methods for assaying the activities of glutamate-forming enzymes are not particularly suitable for high-throughput screening in drug discovery. We present a continuous-read, fluorometric assay for high-throughput analysis of glutaminases. This assay is adapted to a microplate format and employs glutamate oxidase and horseradish peroxidase to couple glutamate formation to production of the fluorescent reporter molecule, resorufin, for enhancement of sensitivity (M. Zhou, Z. Diwu, N. Panchuk-Voloshina, and R. P. Haughland, 1997, Anal. Biochem. 253, 162–168). Described herein is the selection of suitable levels of coupling enzymes for optimal kinetic response and lag time of the reporter system, based on the kinetic characteristics of the individual coupling enzymes. Finally, implementation of the assay in a format for high-throughput kinetic analysis of glutaminases is demonstrated for Escherichia coli carbamoyl phosphate synthase. Derived kinetic constants are comparable to literature values determined using a variety of assay techniques.
On the volume fraction dependence of particle limited grain growth.

The purpose of this paper is to offer an analytical model that accounts for the different variation of the limiting grain radius with volume fraction of particles found in previous computer simulations as compared to the classic Zener predictions. The effect of particles, seen both in the simulations and in the predictions, is to cause grain growth to cease at some limiting grain size. The source of the discrepancy arises from Zener's assumption of random particle/grain boundary intersections. The computer simulation, on the other hand, shows a high correlation between boundaries and particles.
27Al(p, α0)24Mg resonance profiling of aluminum in silicon-on-sapphire materials

Abstract A resonance in the 27 Al(p, α 0 ) 24 Mg reaction at a proton energy of 1364.8 keV with a full with at half maximum of 1.1 keV has been used to measure the absolute aluminium concentration as a function of depth in epitaxially-grown Si layers on sapphire substrates. The α-particles associated with the resonance were selected by a 180° double-focusing magnetic spectrometer with a position-sensitive detector in the image plane.
A hybrid decision support framework for generating & selecting causal explanatory regression splines models for information systems research

Much of Information Systems research is of the behavioral science category that involves the analysis of quantitative data. Typically a confirmatory approach is taken where only unconditional hypotheses are specified based on existing theory and evaluated using techniques such as regression analysis. In this paper we present a knowledge discovery via data mining (KDDM) process model based multi-criteria framework for selecting the most appropriate causal explanatory model based on the researchers subjective preferences including accuracy, simplicity, the relative importance of variables in his/her tentative research model, relative preferences for inclusion of some causal relationships.
A Comparison Using Parent Report and Direct Observation of Mealtime Behaviors in Young Children With Cystic Fibrosis: Implications for Practical and Empirically Based Behavioral Assessment in Routine Clinical Care

Parental stress and mealtime behavior problems have been found to be elevated in families with a child who has cystic fibrosis (CF). The purpose of this study was to conduct an exploratory comparison of parent report and direct observation of mealtime behaviors and parenting strategies in young children with CF. We take a pragmatic approach in that we strive to provide additional clinical validity for the Behavioral Pediatric Feeding Assessment Scale (BPFAS). Data are based on 19 families with a young child with CF who participated in a larger multisite study. Results indicated significant agreement between the two methods for a number of child and parent behaviors at mealtimes. Results of this study provide useful information for practitioners who are following the CF Foundation Nutrition Guidelines related to behavioral assessment of mealtimes and using the BPFAS as part of routine care.
Precision of surface measurements for below-knee residua

Abstract Objective: To determine the absolute and relative precision of geometric measurements made of below knee (BK) residua and their BK plaster positive casts using calipers, electromagnetic digitizer, optical surface scanner (OSS), and spiral x-ray computed tomography (SXCT). Design: The experimental measurement protocol for a single measurement session was as follows: Dot markers were placed on the residuum, and volume and distances were measured using water displacement and calipers; residuum was measured using electromagnetic digitizer; residuum was scanned using three-dimensional (3D) OSS; a negative plaster cast of subject's residuum was made; and residuum was scanned using SXCT scanner. These steps were repeated at a second measurement session. Plaster positive casts were constructed and subsequently measured using the same protocol. Participants: Thirteen adult below-knee amputee volunteers (subjects) participated in the study, and nine subjects returned for a second measurement session. The study group consisted of 9 men and 4 women; 10 Caucasians and 3 African Americans. Results: Distance measurements for all measurement devices were repeatable within 1% in vivo and within 0.5% on plaster casts; and volumes were within 1% in vivo and within 0.1% on plaster casts. Distance measurements for each device were precise within 3% in vivo and within 1% on plaster casts; and volumes were within 5% in vivo and within 6% on plaster casts when compared with caliper and water displacement measures. Conclusion: These measurement systems were found to be substantially equivalent in terms of repeatability and precision for measurement of lower extremity residua.
The Symbolism of Learning in St. Augustine

There is widespread disagreement as to exactly what Augustine might have meant by his theory of learning, in which Christ, the truth, teaches within. The precise interpretation of Augustine's doctrine of illumination has been the subject of centuries of debate. How is this kind of learning process which Augustine outlines—a process by which the word of God illumines the soul—to be understood? The major schools of thought on this subject have been: the ontologistic version, which regards the immediate presence of the divine light, the continuity between the mind of man and the mind of God, as primary in the act of learning; the ideogenetic version, which regards the activity of the word of God, mysteriously producing ideas in the human mind, as primary in the learning process; and, finally, what we might call the normative version, which understands the metaphor of illumination to refer to the way in which the divine light provides an ultimate standard of certainty by which knowledge is evaluated, rather than describing an inner, psychological process through which the act of learning occurs.