cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse-Induced Peak Displacements Reflect Degree of Anisotropy in Transversely Isotropic Elastic Materials

In transversely isotropic (TI) materials, mechanical properties (Young’s modulus, shear modulus, and Poisson’s ratio) are different along versus across the axis of symmetry (AoS). In this paper, the feasibility of interrogating such directional mechanical property differences using acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) imaging is investigated. We herein test the hypotheses that: 1) ARFI-induced peak displacements (PDs) vary with TI material orientations when an asymmetrical ARFI excitation point spread function (PSF) is used, but not when a symmetrical ARFI PSF is employed and 2) the ratio of PDs induced with the long axis of an asymmetrical ARFI PSF oriented along versus across the material’s AoS is related to the degree of anisotropy of the material. These hypotheses were tested in silico using finite-element method (FEM) models and Field II. ARFI excitations had F/1.5, 3, 4, or 5 focal configurations, with the F/1.5 and F/5 cases having the most asymmetrical and symmetrical PSFs at the focal depth, respectively. These excitations were implemented for ARFI imaging in 52 different simulated TI materials with varying degrees of anisotropy, and the ratio of ARFI-induced PDs was calculated. The change in the ratio of PDs with respect to the anisotropy of the materials was highest for the F/1.5, indicating that PD was most strongly impacted by the material orientation when the ARFI excitation was the most asymmetrical. On the contrary, the ratio of PDs did not depend on the anisotropy of the material for the F/5 ARFI excitation, suggesting that PD did not depend on material orientation when the ARFI excitation was symmetrical. Finally, the ratio of PDs achieved using asymmetrical ARFI PSF reflected the degree of anisotropy in TI materials. These results support that symmetrical ARFI focal configurations are desirable when the orientation of the ARFI excitation to the AoS is not specifically known and measurement standardization is important, such as for longitudinal or cross-sectional studies of anisotropic organs. However, asymmetrical focal configurations are useful for exploiting anisotropy, which may be diagnostically relevant. Feasibility for future experimental implementation is demonstrated by simulating ultrasonic displacement tracking and by varying the ARF duration.
Clinical trial enrollment and follow-up visit rates among survivors of childhood cancer.

22Background: Childhood cancer treatment outcomes have improved substantially with five-year overall survival rates reaching greater than 80%. However, survivors are at increased risk of long-term complications, and long-term follow-up (LTFU) is critical. Distance from a cancer treatment center and increased time from completion of therapy have been associated with decreased LTFU rates. We studied whether lack of enrollment in a therapeutic clinical trial may be an additional barrier to receiving LTFU care. Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of 353 patient records at the Children’s Hospital of Michigan enrolled in our Children’s Oncology Group (COG) registry between 1/1/05-12/31/10. All patients were ≤ 25 years of age at diagnosis.Sixty-seven patients were excluded (died prior to follow-up, n = 61; still on therapy, n = 5; insufficient information, n = 1). A total of 286 patient charts were available for analysis after exclusion. One hundred sixty-two (57%) patients were enrolled in a therapeuti...
Abstract 24021: Sacubitril/Valsartan Attenuates Fibrosis and Improves Left Ventricular Function in a Rabbit Model of HFrEF

Background: Sacubitril/Valsartan (SAC/VAL), a drug combining a neprilysin inhibitor and an angiotensin receptor blocker, was shown to reduce myocardial infarct size and left ventricular (LV) dysfunction in preclinical models of myocardial infarction (MI). In the PARADIGM-HF trial, SAC/VAL prevented the clinical progression of patients with heart failure (HF) more effectively than enalapril. Whether SAC/VAL attenuates cardiac fibrosis and improves LV function in a rabbit model of MI-induced HF with reduced ejection fraction (rEF) is unknown. Methods: Anesthetized adult male NZW rabbits (~2.5kg) underwent left thoracotomy and the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery was identified and occluded for 45 min followed by reperfusion. Weekly echocardiography was performed to confirm reduced EF (~40%), which was uniformly achieved at 5 weeks post MI. Subsequently, rabbits were randomized to orally receive placebo (volume-matched water, BID), SAC/VAL (10 mg/kg, BID) or VAL (9.1mg/kg/day) starting on week 6. At 10 weeks post MI, rabbits were sacrificed and hearts were harvested, fixed with 10% formalin and embedded in paraffin to assess myocardial fibrosis (Picrosirius red staining). Operators performing echocardiography, Picrosirius red staining and analysis were blinded to treatment allocation. Results: Two weeks after treatment initiation, a significant improvement in LVEF was observed in the SAC/VAL group compared to both placebo and VAL, a benefit that lasted throughout the entire study (Fig. A). The functional improvement observed was associated with a significant reduction in LV scar size compared to placebo at week 10 (Fig. B). However, when compared to VAL, the decrease in scar size did not reach statistical significance despite a clear trend. Conclusion: Our results suggest that SAC/VAL may offer superior benefits compared to equivalent dose of stand-alone VAL in attenuating LV scar size and improving LVEF in a rabbit model of ischemic HFrEF.
Changing demographics of heart donors: The impact of donor drug intoxication on posttransplant survival.

Recent reports have shown an increase in the number of organ donors from drug intoxication. The impact of donor drug use on survival after cardiac transplant remains unclear. The aim of our study was to illustrate changes in donor death mechanisms and assess the impact on posttransplant survival. We queried United Network of Organ Sharing thoracic transplant and deceased donor databases to identify patients undergoing heart transplantation between 2005 and 2015. We evaluated annual trends in donor death mechanisms. Recipients were propensity matched (drug-intoxicated-non-drug-intoxicated = 1:2) and posttransplant survival was compared using Kaplan-Meier curves. In total, 19 384 donor hearts were used for transplant during the period (donor age 31.6 ± 11.8 years, 72% male). Use of drug-intoxicated donors increased from 2% (2005) to 13% (2015) and decreased from blunt injury (40%-30%) and intracranial hemorrhage (29%-25%). After propensity matching, posttransplant survival of drug-intoxicated donor hearts was 90%, 82%, and 76% at 1, 3, and 5 years, which was similar to non-drug-intoxicated. Heart transplants using drug-intoxicated donors have significantly increased; however, they have not adversely affected posttransplant survival. Hearts from drug-intoxicated donors should be carefully evaluated and considered for transplant.
Intersecting with a Closed Ball

In order to examine the local geometry of a figure, we will need to focus attention on the collection of points that lie close to any given point. We will dissect the figure mentally, as it were. To be clear about what this means, it is best to employ some concepts from set theory.
Residual Immune Activation and Latency

The introduction of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) in the 1990s has dramatically changed the course of HIV infection, decreasing the risk for both AIDS- and non-AIDS-related events. Cancers, cardiovascular disease (CVD), liver and kidney disease, neurological disorders and frailty have become of great importance lately in the clinical management as they represent the principal cause of death in people living with HIV who receive cART (Kirk et al. in Clin Infect Dis 45(1):103–10, 2007; Strategies for Management of Antiretroviral Therapy Study et al. N Engl J Med 355(22):2283–2296, 2006; Ances et al. J Infect Dis 201(3):336–340, 2010; Desquilbet et al. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 62(11):1279–1286, 2007; Lifson et al. HIV Clin Trials 9(3):177–185, 2008). Despite the undeniable achievements of cART, we are now faced with its limitations: a considerable proportion of individuals, referred as to immunological non-responders, fails to reconstitute the immune system despite optimal treatment and viral suppression (Kelley et al. Clin Infect Dis 48(6):787–794, 2009; Robbins et al. Clin Infect Dis 48(3):350–361, 2009) and remains at high risk for opportunistic infections and non-AIDS-related events (Strategies for Management of Antiretroviral Therapy Study et al. N Engl J Med 355(22):2283–2296, 2006). Moreover, the generalized state of immune activation and inflammation, linked to serious non-AIDS events, persists despite successful HIV suppression with cART. Finally, the current strategies have so far failed to eradicate the virus, and inflammation appears a driving force in viral persistence. In the light of all this, it is of fundamental importance to investigate the pathophysiological processes that link incomplete immune recovery, immune activation and HIV persistence to design targeted therapies that could impact on the three.
NoMoAds: Effective and Efficient Cross-App Mobile Ad-Blocking

Author(s): Shuba, Anastasia; Markopoulou, Athina; Shafiq, Zubair | Abstract: Abstract Although advertising is a popular strategy for mobile app monetization, it is often desirable to block ads in order to improve usability, performance, privacy, and security. In this paper, we propose NoMoAds to block ads served by any app on a mobile device. NoMoAds leverages the network interface as a universal vantage point: it can intercept, inspect, and block outgoing packets from all apps on a mobile device. NoMoAds extracts features from packet headers and/or payload to train machine learning classifiers for detecting ad requests. To evaluate NoMoAds, we collect and label a new dataset using both EasyList and manually created rules. We show that NoMoAds is effective: it achieves an F-score of up to 97.8% and performs well when deployed in the wild. Furthermore, NoMoAds is able to detect mobile ads that are missed by EasyList (more than one-third of ads in our dataset). We also show that NoMoAds is efficient: it performs ad classification on a per-packet basis in real-time. To the best of our knowledge, NoMoAds is the first mobile ad-blocker to effectively and efficiently block ads served across all apps using a machine learning approach.
A Scalable Matrix-Free Iterative Eigensolver for Studying Many-Body Localization

We present a scalable and matrix-free eigensolver for studying two-level quantum spin chain models with nearest-neighbor XX +YY interactions plus Z terms. In particular, we focus on the Heisenberg interaction plus random on-site fields, a model that is commonly used to study the many-body localization (MBL) transition. This type of problem is computationally challenging because the vector space dimension grows exponentially with the physical system size, and the solve must be iterated many times to average over different configurations of the random disorder. For each eigenvalue problem, eigenvalues from different regions of the spectrum and their corresponding eigenvectors need to be computed. Traditionally, the interior eigenstates for a single eigenvalue problem are computed via the shift-and-invert Lanczos algorithm. Due to the extremely high memory footprint of the LU factorizations, this technique is not well suited for large number of spins L, e.g., one needs thousands of compute nodes on modern high performance computing infrastructures to go beyond L = 24. The new matrix-free approach, proposed in this paper, does not suffer from this memory bottleneck and even allows for simulating spin chains up to L = 24 spins on a single compute node. We discuss the OpenMP and hybrid MPI--OpenMP implementations of matrix-free block matrix-vector operations that are the key components of the new approach. The efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed algorithm is demonstrated by computing eigenstates in a massively parallel fashion, and analyzing their entanglement entropy to gain insight into the MBL transition.
Quantitative Proteomics of All 14 Renal Tubule Segments in Rat.

Background Previous research has used RNA sequencing in microdissected kidney tubules or single cells isolated from the kidney to profile gene expression in each type of kidney tubule epithelial cell. However, because proteins, not mRNA molecules, mediate most cellular functions, it is desirable to know the identity and amounts of each protein species to understand function. Recent improvements in the sensitivity of mass spectrometers offered us the ability to quantify the proteins expressed in each of 14 different renal tubule segments from rat. Methods We manually dissected kidney tubules from rat kidneys and subjected samples to protein mass spectrometry. We used the "proteomic ruler" technique to estimate the number of molecules of each protein per cell. Results Over the 44 samples analyzed, the average number of quantified proteins per segment was 4234, accounting for at least 99% of protein molecules in each cell. We have made the data publicly available online at the Kidney Tubule Expression Atlas website (https://esbl.nhlbi.nih.gov/KTEA/). Protein abundance along the renal tubule for many commonly studied water and solute transport proteins and metabolic enzymes matched expectations from prior localization studies, demonstrating the overall reliability of the data. The site features a "correlated protein" function, which we used to identify cell type-specific transcription factors expressed along the renal tubule. Conclusions We identified and quantified proteins expressed in each of the 14 segments of rat kidney tubules and used the proteomic data that we obtained to create an online information resource, the Kidney Tubule Expression Atlas. This resource will allow users throughout the world to browse segment-specific protein expression data and download them for their own research.
Review: Perovskite Photovoltaics

As previously discussed, CH\(_{\mathrm{3}}\)NH\(_{\mathrm{3}}\)PbI\(_{\mathrm{3}}\) (MAPI) and the hybrid perovskites have recently emerged as a remarkably efficient class of solar absorbers. Unfortunately, MAPI suffers from several issues that limit its commercial viability.
Response of Five Woody Landscape Plants to Primo and Pruning

Abstract The use of Primo (trinexapac-ethyl) was investigated as an alternative to pruning of container-grown woody ornamental species. A foliar spray of 469, 938, or 1407 ppm (0.5, 1.0 or 1.5 oz/gal) was applied to pruned plants. A nontreated control (water) and an industry control [Atrimmec (dikegulac-sodium)] were also included for comparison. Monthly mechanical pruning or no pruning treatments were imposed during the production period. Monthly pruning alone reduced the height of euonymus, forsythia, Chinese privet, waxleaf privet, and azalea. Efficacy of plant growth regulator treatments differed among the five species. Primo was not effective in suppressing the height or trimming dry weight of forsythia, Chinese privet, or waxleaf privet and provided only a transient suppression of euonymus and azalea.
Career development: Preparation, integration, and collaboration

Although outcomes for adults with disabilities are improving, many do not have the same quality of life experienced by their peers without disabilities; they are unemployed, underemployed, have frequent job changes, and may not enjoy friendships or social interactions. To diminish the gap between students with disabilities and their non-disabled peers demands career development and transition planning from high school to post school activities. Students with support from their families, contacts, schools, and agencies can plan, prepare, and organize reasonable and efficient connections to employment, education and independent living options. This article will guide the reader through (a) the history and impact of career development, (b) a discussion about models of career development, (c) essential components and (d) how career development can be integrated into academic and community arenas. Finally, ideas for collaborative efforts that promote and enhance career development and transition are presented.
A Comparison of Beginning MSW and MBA Students on their Aptitudes for Human Service Management

This study argues that graduate students’ values and personal orientations are important in determining their aptitude for human service management. This article reports on a fall 1989 study which compared the answers of beginning MSW and MBA students to nearly 50 scaled statements on values and personal orientation. Because the qualities on which the MSW students outscored their MBA counterparts all support effective leadership of human service agencies, the authors posit that social work education should maintain or even strengthen its involvement in training future managers.
The relationship of theatre of revolution and theology of revolution to the black experience

(1971). The relationship of theatre of revolution and theology of revolution to the black experience. Today's Speech: Vol. 19, No. 2, pp. 35-41.
In vivo identification of sequence elements required for normal function of the adenovirus major late transcriptional control region

A series of adenovirus type 5 variants were constructed to identify the sequence elements which comprise the major late transcriptional control region in the context of the viral chromosome. The variant chromosomes carried a second copy of DNA sequence derived from the region surrounding the major late mRNA cap site. The reiterated segments replaced the normal transcriptional control region of the E1A gene. By monitoring the rate of E1A transcription subsequent to infection with the variants, it was possible to evaluate the capabilities of the substituted major late elements. A segment derived from -55 to +33 (relative to the major late cap site at +1) functioned for early transcription, in the presence of the E1A enhancer domain, but failed to direct enhanced levels of activity late after infection. A segment from -122 to +33 directed both early and enhanced late transcription. The rate of late E1A transcription directed by this element was about 40% of that displayed by the major late control region at its normal position. Inclusion of additional upstream sequences (to -565) did not increase late transcription rates. Thus, function of the adenovirus major late control region.
Measurement Error, Missing Values and Latent Structure in Governance Indicators

Many variables have been created to measure aspects of "governance" in nation states, including measures intended to capture ideas such as rule of law, corruption, efficiency and effectiveness. Some measures are based on objective criteria, some on expert surveys and others are compilations of heterogeneous items. If these many variables measure a small cluster of concepts, they do so with error. We investigate this possible latent structure using a model that allows for a mix of continuous and categorical manifest variables, the categorical variables being specified using a set of index models. The measurement model has a number of special features: data may be missing but not missing at random; missingness is correlated with country characteristics such as GDP, but may also depend on the latent traits of interest. We investigate confirmatory and exploratory approaches to specifying the pattern of factor loadings. The infrastructure of models we use was developed by Lee, and we use Monte Carlo Markov Chain bayesian estimators both to determine posterior distributions for model parameters and to obtain latent variable values for each country over several years. We use the estimated latent variables to reassess several models from important cross-national studies of governance. We highlight how correcting for measurement error and missingness affects their results.
Operation of the Bayes Inference Engine

We have developed a computer application, called the Bayes Inference Engine, to enable us to make inferences about models of a physical object from radiographs taken of it. In the BIE calculational models are represented by a dataflow diagram that can be manipulated by the analyst in a graphical-programming environment. We demonstrate the operation of the BIE in terms of examples of two-dimensional tomographic reconstruction including uncertainty estimation.
Motion Planning for Knot Untangling

This paper investigates the application of motion planning techniques to the untangling of mathematical knots. Knot untangling can be viewed as a high-dimensional planning problem in reparameterizable configuration spaces. In the past, simulated annealing and other energy minimization methods have been used to find knot untangling paths. We develop a probabilistic planner that is capable of untangling knots described by over four hundred variables and known difficult benchmarks in this area more quickly than has been achieved with minimization in the literature. The use of motion planning techniques was critical for the untangling. Our planner defines local goals and makes combined use of energy minimization and randomized tree-based planning. We also show how to produce candidates with minimal number of segments for a given knot. Finally, we discuss some possible applications of our untangling planner in computational topology, in the study of DNA rings and protein folding and for planning with flexible robots.
THE TREND OF CLASS, RACE, AND ETHNICITY IN SOCIAL MEDIA INEQUALITY

Blogs were the original poster child of digital democracy as an egalitarian public forum. Some scholars have challenged this theory of equality based on race and ethnicity, but no empirical analysis of American adults has questioned a class-based divide over time. Blogs, as a form of digital content production, appear to mirror other technological innovations in which a small elite group of users begin to incorporate them in their daily living after which the innovation spreads quickly to the general population, as with basic Internet access. However, the author argues that unlike this consumptive practice, blogging fits into a productive framework that requires more resources. Furthermore, most studies on blogging and inequality, in general, derive from samples of college students, which make it difficult to understand class issues. By drawing on 13 national surveys of American adults from 2002 to 2008, this study incorporates class differences and finds that an educational gap in blogging persists, rath...
The West Island Site, 14PH10, a Keith Focus Plains Woodland Site in Kirwin Reservoir Phillips County, Kansas

Salvage excavations at a badly eroded site, now an island in the Kirwin Reser voir of west-central Kansas, produced pottery and other artifacts indicative of the Keith Focus. Although the site remains undated, it should fall at ca. A. D. 600.
Signalling among relatives. II. Beyond the tower of Babel

Models of costly signalling are commonly employed in evolutionary biology in order to explain how honest communication between individuals with conflicting interests can be stable. These models have focused primarily on a single type of honest signalling equilibrium, the separating equilibrium in which any two different signallers send distinct signals, thereby providing signal receivers with complete information. In this paper, we demonstrate that in signalling among relatives (modelled using the Sir Philip Sidney game), there is not one but a large number of possible signalling equilibria, most of which are pooling equilibria in which different types of signallers may share a common signal. We prove that in a general Sir Philip Sidney game, any partition of signallers into equi-signalling classes can have a stable signalling equilibrium if and only if it is a contiguous partition, and provide examples of such partitions. A similar (but slightly stricter) condition is shown to hold when signals are transmitted through a medium with signalling error. These results suggest a solution to a problem faced by previous signalling theory models: when we consider the separating equilibrium, signal cost is independent of the frequency of individuals sending that signal and, consequently, even very rare signaller types can drastically affect signal cost. Here, we show that by allowing these rare signallers to pool with more common signallers, signal cost can be greatly reduced.
Weldability and weld performance of candidate nickel base superalloys for advanced ultrasupercritical fossil power plants part I: fundamentals

AbstractFossil fuel will continue to be the major source of energy for the foreseeable future. To meet the demand for clean and affordable energy, an increase in the operating efficiency of fossil fired power plants is necessary. There are several initiatives worldwide to achieve efficiencies >45% higher heating value (HHV) through an increase in steam temperature (700 to 760°C) and pressure (27.6 to 34.5 MPa). Realising this goal requires materials with excellent creep rupture properties and corrosion resistance at elevated temperatures. In order to accomplish this, three classes of materials have been identified: creep strength enhanced ferritic steels, austenitic stainless steels and nickel base superalloys. Although new alloys have been designed and developed to meet this need, welding can have a significant and often detrimental effect on the required mechanical and corrosion resistant properties. Two previous papers addressed the welding and weldability of ferritic and austenitic stainless steels. W...
Abstract P3-07-22: Predictors of neoadjuvant chemotherapy use in women with breast cancer: A review of 169,329 patients from the American College of Surgeons' National Cancer Database

Background: Randomized controlled trials have demonstrated that neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) offers equivalent long-term outcomes when compared to adjuvant chemotherapy while improving rates of breast conservation therapy (BCT). We sought to evaluate the national use of NAC and the patient, tumor, and provider characteristics associated with its use among women with stage I-III breast cancer. We hypothesize that younger women with larger tumors and HER-2+ or triple negative disease are more likely to receive NAC than their older counterparts with ER+ disease, and that use of NAC varies by region and practice setting. Methods: Using the American College of Surgeons National Cancer Database, which captures data on approximately 70% of new cancer diagnoses in the U.S., we identified women with diagnosed with stage I-III invasive cancer between 2008-2013. Women treated with both surgery and chemotherapy were included in the study. Demographic and clinical factors including race, ethnicity, income, insurance type, region of treatment facility, treatment facility type, tumor size, hormone receptor status, HER-2 status and Charlson Comorbidity score were analyzed to determine predictors associated with receipt of NAC. Utilization of preoperative chemotherapy and rates of breast conserving therapy (BCT) were evaluated as outcomes. Results: 169,329 women with stage I-III breast cancer underwent treatment with chemotherapy and surgery during the study period. Of these, 81.0% were White, 14.4% were Black, 4.6% were classified as Other Race. 28.7% were 18-49, 46.8% were 50-64 and 24.5% were >65 years. 64.4% had private insurance while 35.6% had public insurance (Medicaid, Medicare and VA), and 71.4% were treated at Community-Based Clinics while 28.6% were treated at Academic Medical Centers. Patients with larger tumors (p The overall % of BCT following NAC was 36.1% compared to 59.0% for those receiving adjuvant chemotherapy. The proportion of BCT following NAC differed significantly by subtype, 54.6% for ER+, 54.5% for Her2 +, and 59.7% for triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) (p Conclusions: In the treatment of stage I-III breast cancer across the US, variations in the utilization of neoadjuvant chemotherapy exist across the country suggesting clinical uncertainty about its use. Further research about the use of NAC therapy and the relationship to clinical outcomes can identify patient subsets who might obtain greatest clinical benefit from preoperative systemic therapy. Citation Format: Lynn J Howie, Rachel Greenup, Kevin Houck, Julie A Sosa, E Shelley Hwang, Jeffrey M Peppercorn. Predictors of neoadjuvant chemotherapy use in women with breast cancer: A review of 169,329 patients from the American College of Surgeons9 National Cancer Database [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirty-Seventh Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2014 Dec 9-13; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(9 Suppl):Abstract nr P3-07-22.
Mapping the Sensory Mosaic

The neocortex, evolutionarily the most recent part of the brain, contains maps that represent sensory space. In a report in this issue, Kilgard and Merzenich show that the auditory map of the rat can be coaxed to change dramatically by stimulating a nucleus in the basal forebrain. In her commentary, Juliano discusses this work in the context of what is known about long- and short-term regulation of maps in the brain.
The phase-diffusion equation and its regularization for natural convective patterns

We first present the phase diffusion and mean drift equation which describe convective patterns in large aspect ratio containers and for arbitrary Rayleigh and Prandtl numbers. Some applications are presented such as the prediction of the selected wavenumber or the instability of foci. We propose in a second step a regularized form of the phase diffusion equation able to reproduce the formation and dynamics of defects.
Experiments on pitch perception: Implications for music and other processes

This paper presents a review of the development of our understanding of pitch perception during the past three decades, in which the author was deeply involved. Some specific applications are discussed that are for the most part in the domain of music perception and show where the interest in pitch perception has led us today.
Language Learning Policy through the Lens of Language as a Problem, as a Right, and as a Resource

Richard Ruiz first developed the framework of language as a problem, as a right, and as a resource as a way of engaging how we examine language learning policies. This lens remains a useful tool in examining our national language learning policies. This article incorporates the academic work of additional scholars to define the United States’ practices, policies, and outcomes of language as a problem, as a right, and as a resource. Through the use of this framework, we realize that our nation’s bilingual education programs are generating monolingual and limited bilingual students. Equipped with an understanding that our nation is not approaching language as a resource, we must consider looking globally for examples that support generating bilingual and bicultural students.
Noise reduction efforts for the infrared beamline at the Advanced Light Source

The quality of infrared microscopy and spectroscopy data collected at synchrotron based sources is strongly dependent on noise. We have successfully identified and suppressed several noise sources affecting Beamline 1.4.3 at the Advanced Light Source (ALS), resulting in significant reductions to the noise in the users' FTIR spectra. In this paper, we present our methods of noise source analysis and the techniques used to reduce the noise and its negative effect on the infrared beam quality. These include analyzing and changing physical mounts to better isolate portions of the beamline optics from low-frequency environmental noise, and modifying the input signals to the main ALS RF system. We also discuss the relationship between electron beam energy oscillations at a point of dispersion and infrared beamline noise.
A 15-MHz wavelength-stepped laser based on intracavity pulse stretching and compression for optical coherence tomography

We introduce a wavelength-stepped laser that uses dispersive fibers in combination with a lithium-niobate modulator and a fixed Fabry-Perot etalon to achieve wavelength selection for optical-domain subsampled OCT. A 15 MHz A-scan rate is demonstrated.
Fractionation, characterization, and study of the emulsifying properties of corn fiber gum.

Corn fiber gum (CFG) has been fractionated by hydrophobic interaction chromatography on Amberlite XAD-1180 resin using ionic, acidic, basic, and hydrophobic solvents of different polarities. Characterization, including determination of total carbohydrate, acidic sugar, and protein content, has been done for each fraction together with measurements of molar mass, polydispersity, radius of gyration, Mark–Houwink exponent, and intrinsic viscosity using multiangle laser light scattering and online viscosity measurements. Emulsification properties of all fractions in an oil-in-water emulsion system with 20:1 oil to gum ratio were studied by measuring turbidity over 14 days. The results indicate that CFG consists of different components differing in their molecular weights and carbohydrate and protein contents. The main fraction eluted with NaCl, although low in protein content, has the highest average molecular weight and was determined to be a better emulsifier than the other fractions. The unfractionated CFG...
Relationship Status, Health, and Health Behavior: An Examination of Cohabiters and Commuters:

A large amount of literature on relationship status, health, and health behavior indicates that marriage conveys health benefits. This literature, however, devotes relatively little attention to two theoretically interesting groups: unmarried cohabiters and married people who do not live with their spouse (“commuters”). The author hypothesizes that the health and health behaviors of these two groups will be intermediate between those of married people and unattached single individuals. Selective support is found for the hypothesis that the health behaviors of commuters are intermediate between those of married people and single people, but no support is found for the hypothesis that the health status of commuters is intermediate between that of married people and single people. Contrary to expectation, cohabiting persons tend to have poorer health status and health behavior than both their married and single counterparts. Also, while much previous research indicates that the health benefits of marriage ar...
Small carbon rings: dissociation, isomerization, and a simple model based on strain

Abstract Injected ion drift tube techniques have been used to examine the properties of carbon rings with 10–36 atoms. Previous studies have shown that the monocyclic ring is the dominant isomer for annealed clusters with 10–36 atoms, while for unannealed clusters a bicyclic ring first appears at n ≈ 22 and becomes the dominant isomer for n > 30. A detailed study of the annealing of the bicyclic ring has been performed for clusters with 24–36 atoms. Activation energies for the bicyclic to monocyclic transition are around 2.4eV and show a slight systematic decrease with increasing cluster size. The fragmentation of carbon cluster ions containing 6–30 atoms has been studied and dissociation energies estimated. A simple model for the strain energy of the carbon rings accounts for many of their physical properties, including isomerization to monocyclic rings, their fragmentation patterns, and dissociation energies. From simple estimates of their stabilities, planar graphite fragments should be lower in energy than the monocyclic rings for medium sized clusters ( n > 30), but little, if any, of this isomer is observed even after annealing. The low abundance of the graphite fragments is attributed to the large activation energy (induced by strain energy) for their formation from monocyclic rings.
Temperature dependence of the lithium and proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum of ethyllithium

Abstract Proton NMR linewidths have been measured for 7 LiC 2 H 5 and 6 LiC 2 H 5 in toluene solution in the temperature range +4 to −40°. The proton lines in samples prepared from 3 Li are narrower than in the 7 Li samples, indicating the existence of a scalar Li-CH coupling. The 7 Li NMR linewidths have been measured as a function of temperature for LiC 2 H 5 , LiC 2 D 5 and LiC(CH 3 ) 3 in toluene solution in the temperature range +23 to −42°. The results indicate a slow intermolecular exchange of alkyl groups in the entire temperature range. From the temperature dependences of the linewidths, quadrupolar coupling constants eqQ/h of 0.57 and 0.14 mc have been estimated for ethyllithium and tert -butyllithium respectively.
Identification of a calcium channel modulator using a high throughput yeast two-hybrid screen

The interaction of the N-type calcium channel beta3 subunit with the alpha1B subunit alters the activation/inactivation kinetics and the maximal conductance of the channel. The defined protein-protein interaction of the human alpha1B and beta3 subunits provides a target for small-molecule modulation of N-type channel activity. We describe a high throughput screen based on a counterselection yeast two-hybrid assay, which was used to identify small molecules that disrupt alpha1B-beta3 subunit interactions and inhibit N-type calcium channel activity. These small molecules may be a new class of calcium channel antagonists with therapeutic potential.
Robotic nephroureterectomy: a simplified approach requiring no patient repositioning or robot redocking.

Abstract Background Robotic technology is increasingly adopted in urologic surgery and a variety of techniques has been described for minimally invasive treatment of upper tract urothelial cancer (UTUC). Objective To describe a simplified surgical technique of robot-assisted nephroureterectomy (RANU) and to report our single-center surgical outcomes. Design, setting, and participants Patients with history of UTUC treated with this modality between April 2010 and August 2013 were included in the analysis. Institutional review board approval was obtained. Informed consent was signed by all patients. Surgical procedure A simplified single-step RANU not requiring repositioning or robot redocking. Lymph node dissection was performed selectively. Outcome measurements and statistical analysis Descriptive analysis of patients' characteristics, perioperative outcomes, histopathology, and short-term follow-up data was performed. Results and limitations The analysis included 31 patients (mean age: 72.4±10.6 yr; mean body mass index: 26.6±5.1kg/m 2 ). Twenty-six of 30 tumors (86%) were high grade. Mean tumor size was 3.1±1.8cm. Of the 31 patients, 13 (42%) had pT3 stage disease. One periureteric positive margin was noted in a patient with bulky T3 disease. The mean number of lymph nodes removed was 9.4 (standard deviation: 5.6; range: 3–21). Two of 14 patients (14%) had positive lymph nodes on final histology. No patients required a blood transfusion. Six patients experienced complications postoperatively, with only one being a high grade (Clavien 3b) complication. Median hospital stay was 5 d. Within the follow-up period, seven patients experienced bladder recurrences and four patients developed metastatic disease. Conclusions Our RANU technique eliminates the need for patient repositioning or robot redocking. This technique can be safely reproduced, with surgical outcomes comparable to other established techniques. Patient summary We describe a surgical technique using the da Vinci robot for a minimally invasive treatment of patients presenting with upper tract urothelial cancer. This technique can be safely implemented with good surgical outcomes.
A water column sampler for invertebrates in salt-marsh tidal pools

A column sampler for use in shallow (1 m) pools is described. The apparatus is a 10-cm diameter PVC pipe mounted on a base plate. A sliding trap on the base plate is attached to a cable which runs over a pulley to the upper part of the sampler. A whole water column of 78 cm2 is sampled and 1–2 cm of substrate can be included as desired. The sampler has been used successfully in salt marsh pools to census gastropods, amphipods, and copepods.
A study of polymer electrolyte fuel cell performance at high voltages. Dependence on cathode catalyst layer composition and on voltage conditioning

We report polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) performances at high cell voltages (>0.7 V). We have tested various carbon supported PtM alloys (M: Cr, Ni, Rh, Sn) as cathode catalysts and compared performances with Pt/C. PtNi and PtCr provided the best results. Fuel cell performance at high constant voltages (>0.8 V) decreases rapidly with time. Within 1 h currents may drop to one half of their original value. Experiments strongly suggest that, at these voltages, there is an inherent Pt activity loss for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) due to adsorption of oxygenated species from water. We also demonstrate that OH− species (from water oxidation), which block Pt active sites, adsorb at more positive voltages on PtM than on Pt surfaces. Thus, we conclude that the Pt surfaces of these alloys are more active for the ORR because of slower OH− species adsorption at high cell voltages. We have also found that short time cell voltage excursions from 0.8 to 0.5 V or lower at regular intervals, completely recovers the loss of performance. Consistent with our other results, pulsing to lower voltages reactivates the Pt surface by electrodesorption of OH− or other anions.
Defects in doped polyacetylene: An ab initio infrared and Raman spectroscopy of solitons

We report complete vibrational spectra, including IR and Raman intensities of C22H24, C21H+23, and C12H+14 +, as models for pure and doped polyacetylene. The results provide definitive evidence for charged solitonic rather than bipolaronic defects.
Epidemiology of Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia among Juvenile Pacific Herring and Pacific Sand Lances in Puget Sound, Washington

Abstract Viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS) and the associated virus (VHSV) were identified in newly metamorphosed Pacific herring Clupea pallasi and Pacific sand lances Ammodytes hexapterus captured from Puget Sound, Washington, between 1995 and 1998. During that 4-year period, virus was detected in less than 1% of free-ranging, age-0 Pacific herring; however, when groups of these fish were confined in the laboratory, they experienced severe mortality, occasionally exceeding 50%, with the prevalence of VHSV reaching 100% by 14 d postcapture. At 7–21 d postcapture, VHSV titers peaked in excess of 108 plaque-forming units/g of tissue; by 30 d postcapture, however, the virus could no longer be isolated. Fish surviving beyond 30 d eliminated the virus from their tissues, but some remained lethargic and continued to show signs of hemorrhage around the mouth, skin, and fins until about 6 weeks postcapture. No cutaneous ulcers were observed during either the acute or the recovery phases of infection. Eighteen-m...
Atom Probe Field-Ion Microscopy Characterization of Nickel and Titanium Aluminides

Abstract A review of the contributions of atom probe field-ion microscopy to the characterization of nickel and titanium aluminides is presented. The nickel aluminide systems studied include boron-doped Ni3Al and boron-, carbon-, beryllium-, zirconium-, molybdenum-, and hafnium-doped NiAl. These systems have been characterized in terms of solute segregation to boundaries, dislocations, and other defects, matrix solubilities, precipitation, and site-occupation probabilities. The partitioning behavior of impurities and alloying additions, matrix solubilities, precipitate compositions, and interfacial segregation in several of α2 + γ titanium aluminides and related alloys are also reviewed. Published by Elsevier Science Inc.
Blood-Brain Barrier Transport of 1-Aminocyclohexanecarboxylic Acid, a Nonmetabolizable Amino Acid for In Vivo Studies of Brain Transport

Regional transport of 1-aminocyclohexanecarboxylic acid (ACHC), a nonmetabolizable amino acid, across the blood-brain barrier was studied in pentobarbital-anesthetized rats using an in situ brain perfusion technique. The concentration dependence of influx was best described by a model with a saturable and a nonsaturable component. Best-fit values for the kinetic constants of the frontal cortex equaled 9.7 X 10(-4) mumol/s/g for Vmax, 0.054 mumol/ml for Km, and 1.0 X 10(-4) ml/s/g for KD in the absence of competing amino acids. Saturable influx could be reduced by greater than 85% by either L-phenylalanine or 2-aminobicyclo[2.2.1]heptane-2-carboxylic acid, consistent with transport by the cerebrovascular neutral amino acid transport system. The transport Km for ACHC was one-fifth that for the more commonly used homologue, 1-aminocyclopentanecarboxylic acid, and was similar to values for several natural amino acids, such as L-methionine, L-isoleucine, and L-tyrosine. The results indicate that ACHC may be a useful probe for in vivo studies of amino acid transport into brain.
Effect of FR 7534, a new calcium antagonist, on myocardial oxygen demand

The actions of FR 7534, a new calcium antagonist, nitroglycerin, and dipyridamole on myocardial oxygen demand have been compared. Six anaesthetized dogs received two infusion levels of each drug which produced equivalent arterial hypotension. All three compounds reduced the tension-time index (TTI). FR 7534 and nitroglycerin but not dipyridamole produced significant decreases in myocardial oxygen consumption (MVO2). FR 7534 demonstrated oxygen-sparing actions comparable to nitroglycerin. FR 7534 may prove beneficial in alleviating myocardial ischemia.
“To thenke what was in hir wille”: a female reading context for the Findern anthology

This article argues that close, critical attention to the selection, organization, and layout of texts in the Findern Anthology (Cambridge University Library MS Ff 1.6) provides evidence that the manuscript’s readers and compilers exercised interpretive control over its construction. The activity of female scribes in compiling the manuscript indicates that a literary culture of female readers may have driven the construction of the manuscript. Through analysis of texts by Gower, Chaucer, and Richard Roos, this article demonstrates that substantial alterations in the format indicate close critical readings of the texts by interested female readers who interpreted the court writing tradition through their more local experience and perspective. Far from being a merely “provincial” manuscript, however, this analysis reveals subtle interventions in the texts transmitted, suggesting a sophisticated reading of the court tradition that draws out crucial thematic inter-relationships. Foremost among the manuscript’s major themes are the power of female eloquence (as demonstrated in Gower’s story of Peronelle and Richard Roos’ translation of Alain Chartier’s La Belle Dame Sans Mercy) and the tension between female choice and social compulsion (as demonstrated in Chaucer’s Parliament of Fowls and Gower’s story of Rosiphelee).
More to learn from gene knockouts

Gene targeting by homologous recombination in mouse embryonic stem cells is a powerful technique to determine the physiological function of any gene product in embryonic and postnatal development and in molecular pathogenesis. Although the technique is very demanding and still in its developing stage several knockout mice carrying disrupted genes, which were once thought important for the development or molecular pathogenesis of certain tissues, have given unexpected results. A gene/function redundancy or superfluous and on-functional theory has been advanced by many investigatiors to explain the unexpected results. These surprising results may teach us a new lesson and lead to a revision of the strongly held view that highly conserved and abundantly expressed genes have a prominent role and function in cell physiology and development Additional, they may also support the notion that molecular cross-talk among the genes may play an important role in determining the minimal phenotype.