cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Compact Surface Plasmon Resonance Biosensor for Sensitive Detection of Exosomal Proteins for Cancer Diagnosis.

Exosomes are nanosized (50-150 nm) extracellular vesicles released by all types of cells in the body. They transport various biological molecules, such as DNAs, RNAs, proteins, and lipids from parent cells to recipient cells for intercellular communication. Exosomes, especially those from tumor cells, are actively involved in caner development, metastasis, and drug resistance. Recently, many studies have shown that exosomal proteins are promising biomarkers for cancer screening, early detection and prognosis. Among many detection techniques, surface plasmon resonance (SPR) is a highly sensitive, label-free, and real-time optical detection method. Commercial prism-based wavelength/angular-modulated SPR sensors afford high sensitivity and resolution, but their large footprint and high cost limit their adaptability for clinical settings. We have developed an intensity-modulated, compact SPR biosensor (25 cm × 10 cm × 25 cm) for the detection of exosomal proteins. We have demonstrated the potential application of the compact SPR biosensor in lung cancer diagnosis using exosomal epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) as biomarkers. The compact SPR biosensor offers sensitive, simple, fast, user-friendly, and cost-effective detection of exosomal proteins, which may serve as an in vitro diagnostic test for cancer.
The World Gained and the World Lost: Labeling the Mentally Retarded

The subject of labeling the mentally retarded is fraught with controversy. There are, for example a host of empirical questions. Does the label ‘mental retardation’ affect how others think about and act toward retarded individuals or the retarded as a group? How do the retarded, especially the mildly retarded, respond to being so labeled? Do they find this designation burdensome? a stigma? or a matter of indifference? These and many other questions have been subjected to intensive empirical study in the past several decades [18, 29, 31]. They will not, however, be my chief concern. Instead, I will inquire into the more strictly conceptual and ethical dimensions of labeling.
The Effects of Content-Structure Focusing on Learner Structural Knowledge Acquisition, Retention, and Disorientation in a Hypermedia Environment

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of hypermedia content-structure focusing on learners’ structural knowledge acquisition, retention, and disorientation. Sixty-one students volunteered to participate in the study. A Completely Randomized Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) design with two groups of participants was used to test all hypotheses. The results of the study suggest that, when a learner’s attention is at least partially focused on the structural aspects of a hypermedia lesson, hypermedia disorientation will decrease and structural knowledge acquisition and retention will increase. Rationale for these findings are provided, and the implications for hypermedia design are discussed.
In-Cloud Scavenging by Thermophoresis, Diffusiophoresis, and Brownian Diffusion

Abstract The role of phoretic forces in providing an in-cloud scavenging mechanism is examined for the case of an evaporating cloud drop. A formula is presented which describes the coupled effects of diffusion and thermo- and diffusiophoresis around a stationary drop. Under those circumstances where the phoretically-induced collection dominates diffusion, the formula suggests that, regardless of the undersaturation experienced by the drop, causing it to evaporate, phoretic effects tend to be independent of their driving force. Such circumstances are also identified for the case of a failing cloud drop.
The economics of resource-conservation, pollution-reduction technology selection: The case of irrigation water☆

Abstract Irrigated agriculture is a major consumer of limited water resources and also a substantial source of pollution. Use of modern irrigation technologies has been proposed as one of several possible solutions to problems of water resource scarcity and environmental pollution in many irrigated agricultural areas. An economic model to assess irrigation technology choice is developed, which expands many of the aspects developed in previous publications, and takes into consideration aspects such as weather conditions and the dual effects of input quality (soil and water). General relationships between variables are derived and tested for cotton and tomatoes under conditions prevailing on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley, California. The results from the empirical model provide the following main conclusions: (1) modern irrigation technologies serve to substantially reduce impacts of quality and weather differences on profitability; (2) the impacts of changing one input quality indicator are not independent of other input-quality indicators; (3) the categorization of technologies as ‘input saving’ or ‘yield increasing’ may be misleading; (4) technology choices are sensitive to product (crop) characteristics, and (5) taxation on pollution increases the likelihood of water conservation, adoption of modern technologies, or transition from one crop to another.
A static heap analysis for shape and connectivity: unified memory analysis: the base framework

Modeling the evolution of the state of program memory during program execution is critical to many parallelization techniques. Current memory analysis techniques either provide very accurate information but run prohibitively slowly or produce very conservative results. An approach based on abstract interpretation is presented for analyzing programs at compile time, which can accurately determine many important program properties such as aliasing, logical data structures and shape. These properties are known to be critical for transforming a single threaded program into a version that can be run on multiple execution units in parallel. The analysis is shown to be of polynomial complexity in the size of the memory heap. Experimental results for benchmarks in the Jolden suite are given. These results show that in practice the analysis method is efficient and is capable of accurately determining shape information in programs that create and manipulate complex data structures.
Proposed IS accreditation criteria

Summary form only given, as follows. The time for accreditation of programs in IS seems appropriate because of demands of industry and academe. This project is funded by NSF and has representatives appointed by the leading societies in information computing - ACM, IEEE-Computer Society, Association for Information Systems (AIS), Association for Information Technoloy Professionals (A1TP)- and the Computing Sciences Accreditation Board (CSAB). Additionally major recent curriculum efforts in this area are also represented. This session will present a first draft of criteria for accreditation. Audience discussion will be encouraged. Panelists: John Gorgone, Bentley College Willis King, University of Houston. * Supported by NSFDUE grant 98.
Stable isotopes and LC–MS for monitoring metabolic disturbances in Friedreich's ataxia platelets

Background: Friedreich's ataxia (FRDA) is an autosomal recessive disease with metabolic abnormalities that have been proposed to play an important role in the resulting neurodegeneration and cardiomyopathy. The inability to access the highly affected neuronal and cardiac tissues has hampered metabolic evaluation and biomarker development. Methods: Employment of a LC–MS-based method to determine whether platelets isolated from patients with FRDA exhibit differentiable metabolism compared with healthy controls. Results: Isotopologue analysis showed a marked decrease in glucose incorporation with a concomitant increase in palmitate-derived acyl-CoA thioesters in FRDA platelets compared with controls. Conclusion: Our findings demonstrate that platelets can be used as a surrogate tissue for in vivo biomarker studies to monitor new therapeutic approaches for the treatment of FRDA.
Effects of prostaglandin and indomethacin on diet-induced acute pancreatitis in mice.

This study was performed to determine the effects of exogenous prostaglandin and a prostaglandin synthetase inhibitor on experimental pancreatitis in mice. An ethoinine-supplemented choline-deficient diet was used to induce pancreatitis in 4–6-wk-old Swiss Webster mice. Mice were injected subcutaneously with 16,16-dimethyl prostaglandin E2 (0.1, 1.0, 10 μg kg-1 · day-1), indomethacin (0.05, 0.5, 5 mg · kg-1 · day-1), or saline for 7 days. The ethionine-supplemented choline-deficient diet was introduced 24 h after the first injection, and animals ate the test diet for 48 h. A 55% mortality was observed in control animals (n = 100) treated with carrier alone. Treatment with 10 μg · kg-1 · day-1 of 16,16-dimethyl prostaglandin E2 significantly decreased (p
Review: little evidence exists on the benefits and harms of screening for and treating gestational diabetes.

Source Citation Hillier TA, Vesco KK, Pedula KL, et al. Screening for gestational diabetes mellitus: a systematic review for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Ann Intern Med. 2008;148:766-75...
Supporting men as fathers, caregivers, and educators

A review of research on fathering and research on men employed in work with young children in centers and in elementary schools emphasises the importance of positive male engagement with young children for their optimal development. Research also reveals the complexity of studying these relationships and the barriers in families and in society that impede the implementation of positive interactions. Suggestions are given for increasing positive male participation in the home and in educational settings.
8-fold 40-to-320-Gbit/s phase-coherent WDM-to-TDM multiplexing and 320-to-40-Gbit/s demultiplexing using highly nonlinear fibers

We experimentally demonstrate 40-to-320-Gbit/s phase-coherent WDM-to-TDM multiplexing based on cross-phase modulation (XPM) and subsequent 320-to-40-Gbit/s demultiplexing using XPM-induced frequency shift in highly nonlinear fibers. An average penalty of approximately 7 dB at 10-9 BER is observed after the nonlinear processes.
Graphene/Polyaniline Nanocomposite for Hydrogen Sensing

Here we report on the synthesis of a graphene/polyaniline (PANI) nanocomposite and its application in the development of a hydrogen (H2) gas sensor. Using a chemical synthetic route, graphene was prepared and ultrasonicated with a mixture of aniline monomer and ammonium persulfate to form PANI on its surface. The developed material was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray photoemission spectroscopy. The SEM study revealed that the PANI in the composite has a nanofibrillar morphology. We investigated the H2 gas sensing performance of this material and compare it with that of the sensors based on only graphene sheets and PANI nanofibers. We found that the graphene/PANI nanocomposite-based device sensitivity is 16.57% toward 1% of H2 gas, which is much larger than the sensitivities of sensors based on only graphene sheets and PANI nanofibers.
Smart People or Smart Contexts? Cognition, Ability, and Talent Development in an Age of Situated Approaches to Knowing and Learning

Intelligence, expertise, ability and talent, as these terms have traditionally been used in education and psychology, are socially agreed upon labels that minimize the dynamic, evolving, and contextual nature of individual-environment relations. These hypothesized constructs can instead be described as functional relations distributed across whole persons and particular contexts through which individuals appear knowledgeably skillful. The purpose of this article is to support a concept of ability and talent development that is theoretically grounded in 5 distinct, yet interrelated, notions: ecological psychology, situated cognition, distributed cognition, activity theory, and legitimate peripheral participation. Although talent may be reserved by some to describe individuals possessing exceptional ability and ability may be described as an internal trait, in our description neither ability nor talent are possessed. Instead, they are treated as equivalent terms that can be used to describe functional trans...
THE NORMAL SCORES TEST FOR THE c‐SAMPLE PROBLEM

Two forms of a c-sample normal scores test are presented as alternatives to the Kruskal–Wallis test (KW). The normal scores test statistics and multiple comparison procedures are illustrated for large samples requiring a correction for tied observations. Theoretical and empirical evidence is cited in support of using the normal scores test in preference to a rank test such as the KW. The normal scores test is asymptotically more efficient than the KW for samples from common non-normal populations (e.g. uniform and exponential) and is less sensitive to non-normality and unequal variances than is either the F-test or the KW test.
Statistics on factoring polynomials mod p and p-adically

A well-known way to factor a polynomial f over the integers is to factor it modulo some prime p and then use Hensel's method to refine the mod p factorization to an approximate p-adic one, i.e., one correct modulo a suitably high power of p. Any integral factor of f is the product of some subset of the irreducible p-adic factors, so the computation reduces to testing a finite number of trial factors. The number of trial factors depends exponentially on the number of p-adic factors, so the latter is critical to the efficiency of the method.
Leukocyte Inflammatory Responses Provoked by Pneumococcal Sialidase

Cell surface expression of sialic acid has been reported to decrease during immune cell activation, but the significance and regulation of this phenomenon are still being investigated. The major human bacterial pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae causes pneumonia, sepsis and meningitis, often accompanied by strong inflammatory responses. S. pneumoniae expresses a sialidase (NanA) that contributes to mucosal colonization, platelet clearance, and blood-brain barrier penetration. Using wild-type and isogenic NanA-deficient mutant strains, we showed that S. pneumoniae NanA can desialylate the surface of human THP-1 monocytes, leading to increased ERK phosphorylation, NF-κB activation, and proinflammatory cytokine release. S. pneumoniae NanA expression also stimulates interleukin-8 release and extracellular trap formation from human neutrophils. A mechanistic contribution of unmasking of inhibitory Siglec-5 from cis sialic acid interactions to the proinflammatory effect of NanA is suggested by decreased SHP-2 recruitment to the Siglec-5 intracellular domain and RNA interference studies. Finally, NanA increased production of proinflammatory cytokines in a murine intranasal challenge model of S. pneumoniae pneumonia.
765-5 Platelet Inhibitory Effect of Endothelium-derived Relaxing Factor in the Human Coronary Circulation

Introduction Endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDAF) inhibits platelet activation by increasing platelet cyclic GMP content. In the human coronary circulation the vasodilator effect of EDRF released abluminally from the endothelium is well described, but the effects of luminal release of EDRF on platelets is unknown. Furthermore, whether decreased vasodilator responses to agents that stimulate EDRF release are also associated with an abnormal platelet response is unknown. Methods and Results We therefore studied the effects of intracoronary acetylcholine (ACh), which stimulates the endothelial release of EDRF, on blood flow and platelet cGMP content in 14 patients with agiographically normal coronary arteries undergoing cardiac catheterization. Seven patients received sodium nitroprusside (SNP) infusions. Blood flow was derived from Doppler flow velocity, and diameter was measured by quantitative angiography. Simultaneous samples were drawn from the great cardiac vein for measurement of platelet cGMP content by radioimmunoassay. During ACh infusion (30 μg/min) there was a transient increase in both coronary flow 138 ± 25% (mean ± SEM, p l 0.01) and platelet cGMP content (34 ± 13%. p l 0.01), that returned to baseline (both p l 0.01). Epicardial diameter responses to ACh were heterogenous: seven patients showed constriction (-7 ± 2%) and seven showed dilatation (11 ± 2%). Changes in platelet cGMP content and epicardial diameter paralleled each other: in patients with dilatation, ACh increased cGMP content significantly (54 ± 22%, P l 0.02), whereas in those with constriction the change in cGMP was insignificant (14 ± 8%, P = NS). During SNP infusion (40 μ g/min) flow increased by 127 ± 23% and cGMP content by 226 ± 55% (p l 0.02). Conclusions 1) luminal release of EDRF in the human coronary circulation causes an increase in platelet cGMP content; 2) this effect is less evident in patients with impaired endothelial-mediated vasodilation. Failure of this platelet inhibitory effect in patients with atherosclerosis and endothelial dysfunction may contribute to their increased susceptibility to thrombotic vascular events.
Placental and serum levels of carotenoids in preeclampsia.

Objective: We compared placental tissue, maternal serum, and umbilical cord venous blood levels of four dietary carotenoids (α-carotene, β-carotene, lycopene, and canthaxanthin) in normal pregnant women and those with preeclampsia. Methods: Levels of α-carotene, β-carotene, lycopene, and canthaxanthin were measured in placental tissue, maternal serum, and umbilical cord venous blood from 22 normal pregnant women and 19 women with preeclampsia. The criteria for recruitment included gestational age of 30–42 weeks, singleton pregnancy, intact membranes, absence of labor contractions, and absence of any other medical complication concurrent with preeclampsia. Carotenoids were measured using high-pressure liquid chromatography. Results: All four carotenoids were detectable in human placental tissue, maternal serum, and umbilical cord venous blood samples. The levels of β-carotene, lycopene, and canthaxanthin in placentas from preeclamptic women were significantly lower (P = .032, .009, and .013, respectively, by Mann-Whitney test) than those from normal pregnant women. Maternal serum levels of β-carotene and lycopene were significantly lower (P = .004 and .008, respectively, by Mann-Whitney test) in women with preeclampsia. However, umbilical cord venous blood levels of these carotenoids were not significantly different between the two groups. Conclusion: Lower placental tissue and maternal serum carotenoid levels in women with preeclampsia suggest that oxidative stress or a dietary antioxidant influence might have an effect on the pathophysiology of preeclampsia.
Static and Dynamic Solvation at the Air/Water Interface†

The electronic excited-state solvation dynamics of coumarin 314 (C314) adsorbed at the air/water interface was investigated by femtosecond time-resolved second-harmonic generation (TRSHG). The second-harmonic spectrum of C314 at the air/water interface was determined using a tunable optical parametric generator, giving a spectral peak at 419 ± 3 nm. The solvatochromic shift is in good agreement with the recently proposed interfacial polarity scale, which predicts that the empirical polarity parameter of the interface is the arithmetic mean of the two bulk phases. The time-resolved second-harmonic response to the excited-state solvation was measured at two fundamental wavelengths (840 and 900 nm) and with two pump polarizations (S and P). The results indicate that the static spectral peaks of the S- and P-pumped distributions are offset ∼5 nm, while the dynamic interfacial solvation proceeds with two time constants, τ1 = ∼200 fs and τ2 = 1.2 ps, which are independent of C314 interfacial orientation. The sl...
Normal configurations and the nonlinear elastostatic problems of bending, torsion, expansion, and eversion for compressible bodies

First, we decompose a (deformed) equilibrium configuration into a disjoint union of a one-parameter family of surfaces, called lamina surfaces. We require that all of these lamina surfaces be two-dimensional universal solutions for homogeneous isotropic elastic membranes. Then the two tangential equations of equilibrium are satisfied without any body force, universally for all isotropic elastic (membrane) materials
Externalities, efficiency, regulation, and productivity growth in the U.S. electric utility industry

This paper examines the decomposition of total factor productivity growth for firms subject to regulation, given the production of a bad output. The production of good and bad outputs provides benefits and costs to society. Corporate socially responsible firms recognize the cost to society of producing the bad output. The paper separates the production technology and regulation effects from both the scale and technical change components. The paper also examines the measurement and decomposition of productivity growth when not accounting for production of the bad output. Using a 1992–2000 panel of 34 U.S. investor-owned electric utilities, results indicate that improvements in the scale, efficiency change, and technical change components contributed to positive growth. Not accounting for production of the bad output led to, on average, an overestimation of both the rate of productivity growth, and the contributions of scale economies and technical change to changes in productivity growth.
Leading for Urban School Reform and Community Development

Purpose: Improving urban schools of color and the communities where they are located requires leadership that spans school and community boundaries. The purpose of this study is to understand how principal and community leader actions support urban school reform along with community development at two community schools in the urban Midwest and Southeast. Research Method: Using a cross-case study design, this research draws on interviews, school–community observations, and document analysis. Concepts from community development leadership and cross-boundary leadership are joined to theoretically frame this study and guide the analysis. Data analysis was conducted using the constant comparative method. Findings: Leader actions varied across the two research sites based on the specific school–community tasks that were undertaken. However, cross-case findings suggest that leaders developed a broad vision for school and community, positioned the school as a spatial community asset, championed community causes at the school, and changed school culture. Implications: This approach to educational leadership highlights principals who purposefully work with community leaders toward mutually beneficial school and community outcomes. The study concludes with implications for leadership practice and future research.
Computer-Assisted Total Knee Arthroplasty for Significant Tibial Deformities

Computer-assisted total knee arthroplasty has been demonstrated to provide reproducible limb mechanical alignment within 3° from the neutral mechanical axis. However, restoring proper implant and extremity alignment remains a significant challenge with proximal tibial deficiencies. In this prospective study, we describe the use of computer navigation to quantify the amount of bone loss on the medial or lateral tibial plateau and the use of these data to assess the need for augmentation with metallic tibial wedges. In this study, we demonstrate that computer-assisted total knee arthroplasty in patients with significant tibial deformities can accurately measure severe tibial deformities, predict tibial augment thickness, and provide excellent mechanical alignment and restore the joint line without excessive bony resection, repeated osteotomies, and repeated augment trialing.
Comments on "An Esophageal Multiprobe for Temperature, Electrocardiogram, and Heart and Lung Sounds Measurements"

There are several potential hazards in the use of an esophageal multiprobe such as the one described in a recent paper.1 These hazards must be carefully considered and precluded in the construction and use of such probes in order to safely exploit their advantages.
Adult day care centers and the treatment of Alzheimer's disease patients: A critical analysis:

Increasingly adult day care services will provide transitional care for Alzheimer's disease patients in mild or moderate stages of the disease. The following small scale studyfinds that adult day care services as transitional care allows patients with Alzheimer's disease to remain in the community for a longer period of care, than would otherwise be possible. The quality of life of patients appears to be highest in private (mostly voluntary) adult day care centers. The most comprehensive case management is found in private (voluntary and proprietary) adult day care centers rather than in public adult day care centers. Such private centers seem to have a more positive impact on behavioralfunctioning than the less comprehensive approach utilized by the public centers. Also, even where adult day care services are provided, informal caregivers are better able to function when they have an informal system of support offamily members and/or neighbors. In addition to adult day care service, family caregivers als...
Mode softening and the elastic constants of CeSn3

Abstract The transverse and longitudinal acoustic velocities have been measured in the [100] and [111] directions of CeSn3 as a function of temperature for 4.2 ≤ T ≤ 290 K. The elastic constants c44 and 1 2 (c 11 −c 12 ) increase smoothly with decreasing temperature and become temperature independent below 10 K but the bulk modulus has a 2% decrease at 135 K which is indicative of an electronically driven mode softening.
Design and Analysis of a Direct Borohydride Fuel Cell DC-DC Converter for Portable Applications

Due to high power density and reactivity compared with the use of gaseous hydrogen as the fuel, direct borohydride fuel cell (DBFC) is becoming an emerging renewable energy source. In this paper, DBFC characteristic is analyzed based on the frequency response measurement and test with different load conditions. The equivalent circuit of DBFC is obtained from the DBFC characteristic. A dc-dc converter is designed from the frequency domain and verified its performance at time domain with transient load test. Based on the combined model analysis of DBFC and the dc-dc converter, transient response of the model is discussed. In addition, load transient response tests with power supply and DBFC have been compared. A prototype of dc-dc boost converter for 5-cell DBFC has been built and tested.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Wildfire and the effects of shifting stream temperature on salmonids

The frequency and magnitude of wildfires in North America have increased by four-fold over the last two decades. However, the impacts of wildfires on the thermal environments of freshwaters, and potential effects on coldwater fishes are incompletely understood. We examined the short-term effects of a wildfire on temperatures and Steelhead/Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) bioenergetics and distribution in a California coastal stream. One year after the wildfire, mean daily stream temperatures were elevated by up to 0.6°C in burned compared to unburned pools. Among burned pools, light flux explained over 85% of the variation in altered stream temperatures, and 76% of the variation in light flux was explained by an index of burn severity based on proximity of the pool to burned streamside. We estimated that salmonids of variable sizes inhabiting burned pools had to consume between 0.3–264.3 mg of additional prey over 48 days to offset the 0.01–6.04 kJ increase in metabolic demand during the first post-fire summer. However, stomach content analysis showed that fish in the burned region were consuming relatively little prey and significantly less than fish in the reference region. Presumably due to starvation, mortality, or emigration, we found a significant negative relationship between the change in total salmonid biomass over the post-fire summer and the average energy costs (kJ·g−1·day−1) within a burned pool. This study demonstrates that wildfire can generate thermal heterogeneity in aquatic ecosystems and drive short-term increases in stream temperature, exacerbating bioenergetically stressful seasons for coldwater fishes.
In Silico Study of Formation and Collapse of T-Killer Cell Synapse Mediated by Receptor Recycling and Actin Network

T-killer cells of the immune system eliminate virus-infected and tumorous cells through direct cell to cell interactions. Reorientation of the killing apparatus inside the T-killer cell to the interface with the target cell ensures specificity of the immune response. Several research works were reported to explain the mechanism of reorientation but the most adversary situation, when the cell's initial orientation is complete opposite to the desirable direction, always left skepticism toward the suggested mechanism. We have constructed a computational model that incorporate T-killer cell receptor dynamics and all the possible mechanical properties which involve not only intrinsic physiology of T-killer cell but also the synapse formation with target cell. The model studies show that the actin network nucleation and degradation is a crucial part in the T-killer cell synapse formation. Furthermore, the role of actin network provides a safety feature for the T-cell reorientation mechanisms by allowing T-cells to detach from the target cell when they are stranded in situations in which reorientation is not available. Our computational model also provides insights into the actin network near the T-cell synapse including retrograde flow development.
The saddle-node separatrix-loop bifurcation

We study vector fieldx $\dot x = f(x)$, $x \in \mathbb{R}^2 $, having at some point an equilibrium of saddle-node type with a separatrix loop. Such vector fields fill a codimension two submanifold $\sum $, of an appropriate Banach space. We give analytic conditions that determine whether a two-parameter perturbation of $\dot x = f(x)$ is transverse to $\sum $ The new condition is a version of Melnikov’s integral around the separatrix loop. If it is nonzero, then as one perturbs away from $\dot x = f(x)$ in the direction in which an equilibrium of saddle-node type persists, the separatrix loop breaks in a nondegenerate manner. This integral is shown to be nonzero for the two-parameter pendulum equation $\beta \ddot \phi + \dot \phi + \sin \phi = \rho $ at its organizing center.
Women in criminal justice: Occupational interests

Abstract This study explores the extent to which women interested in careers in criminal justice tend to express interest in the female-role—compatible specialties within the field as compared to men and as compared to more traditionally male specialties. A sample of 288 criminal justice students was surveyed and the data revealed that females did express higher interest in female-role—compatible specialties both as compared to the males surveyed and as compared to their interest in most of the traditionally male positions. The results are especially noteworthy in that occupational areas recently opened to women (most especially police patrol officer) were of relatively low interest to those women as compared to traditionally female areas.
Kinetic measurements of molecular interactions by spectrofluorometry

The kinetics of antibody-antigen interactions are reviewed in terms of general trends observed in both polyclonal and monoclonal antibody populations. Anti-fluorescein antibodies are featured in the review as model proteins to explore fluorescence-based kinetic measurements. Since the fluorescence of the fluorescein ligand is significantly quenched upon interaction with both polyclonal and monoclonal anti-fluorescein antibodies, the quenching parameter can be advantageously employed in measuring the rates of association (k1) and dissociation (k2). The near diffusion-limited k1 rates and the prolonged k2 rates are discussed in terms of antibody affinity and mechanisms involved in ligand binding. Specific prolongation effects of reagents, such as anti-metatype antibodies, on the dissociation rate are discussed in terms of antibody dynamics and conformational substates.
Pd M 45 VV Auger spectrum determined by Auger-photoelectron coincidence spectroscopy: Intrinsic line shape and Coster-Kronig transitions

We have performed an Auger-photoelectron coincidence spectroscopy (APECS) study of the Pd ${M}_{45}\mathrm{VV}$ Auger transition to ascertain the intrinsic line shapes of the ${M}_{4}\mathrm{VV}$ and ${M}_{5}\mathrm{VV}$ transitions at high-energy resolution (0.72 eV considering electrons and photons). The line shapes cannot be described by a simple self-convolution of the valence-band density of states, but are well described by the Cini-Sawatzky (CS) theory when it is applied separately to each component of the multiplet structure of the ${d}^{8}$ Auger final state. A fit to the APECS data using the sum of a CS distortion of the final-state multiplet splittings for the ${M}_{4}\mathrm{VV}$ and ${M}_{5}\mathrm{VV}$ Auger transitions indicates that the correlation energy of the most intense ${}^{1}{G}_{4}$ multiplet is $3.2\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.1\mathrm{eV}.$ In addition, we find evidence that $(12\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}3)%$ of the intrinsic ${M}_{4}\mathrm{VV}$ intensity is associated with Coster-Kronig-preceded Auger decays of ${3d}_{3/2}$ core holes.
Timing and temperature of cataclastic deformation along segments of the Towaliga fault zone, western Georgia, U.S.A.

Abstract Foliated cataclasite and breccia exposed along a segment of the Towaliga fault zone (TFZ) in western Georgia, U.S.A., formed during two episodes of cataclastic deformation. Conventional KAr crystallization ages of muscovite collected along fractures in the foliated cataclasite at Dixon Mountain, suggest that following mylonitization, at about 296 Ma (Pennsylvanian), rocks along the TFZ were elevated upward across the 300°C isothermal surface and ductile deformation via cataclastic flow was initiated. Fluid inclusion microthermometry and quartz microfabric in the cataclasite suggest that the temperature during this first cataclastic deformation, which probably occurred at a depth greater than 8 km, was between 140 and 300°C. At around 237 Ma (Late Permian), cataclastic deformation was dominated by brecciation and extensive vein sealing and formed the silicified breccias at Dixon Mountain. Muscovites from another cataclastic segment of the TFZ give a relatively low apparent age of around 269 Ma, probably because of loss of argon or mixing with younger neocrystallized muscovite during cataclasis.
US Outpatient Office Visits for Bronchiolitis, 1993–2004

Objective To describe the clinical epidemiology of US outpatient visits for children younger than 2 years with bronchiolitis. Methods Data were obtained from the 1993–2004 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey. Visits had ICD-9 code 466 and were restricted to patients younger than 2 years. National estimates were obtained by using assigned patient visit weights and reported with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) calculated by the relative standard error of the estimate; analysis included the χ2 test. Results From 1993 to 2004, bronchiolitis accounted for approximately 198 outpatient visits representing 8.75 million visits for children younger than 2 years. Among this same age group, the overall rate was 103 (95% CI, 83, 124) per 1000 US children and 17 (95% CI, 13, 20) per 1000 visits. When we compared bronchiolitis visits to all nonbronchiolitis visits, we found that those with bronchiolitis were less likely to be from the Northeast (12% vs 22%; P Conclusions The annual number of outpatient office visits for bronchiolitis among children younger than 2 years has remained stable over the last decade but has averaged almost 750000 visits per year. More than half of primary care providers are prescribing medications to children with bronchiolitis.
Risk factors for 90-day and 180-day mortality in hospitalised patients with pressure ulcers

An understanding of risk factors associated with mortality among pressure ulcer patients can inform prognostic counselling and treatment plans. This retrospective cohort study examined associations of comorbid illness, demographic characteristics and laboratory values with 90-day and 90- to 180-day mortality in adult hospitalised patients with pressure ulcers. Data were extracted from hospital databases at two academic urban hospitals. Covariates included mortality risk factors identified in other populations, including demographic and laboratory variables, DRG weight, 'systemic infection or fever' and comorbidity categories from the Charlson comorbidity index. In adjusted Cox proportional hazards models, diabetes, chronic renal failure, congestive heart failure and metastatic cancer were significantly associated with mortality in both time frames. There was no significant effect on mortality from dementia, hemiplegia/paraplegia, rheumatic disease, chronic pulmonary disease or peripheral vascular disease. Myocardial infarction, cerebrovascular disease, liver disease and human immunodeficiency virus/AIDS were associated with mortality in the 90-day time frame only. 'Systemic infection or fever' was associated with mortality in the 90-day time frame but did not show a confounding effect on other variables, and the only significant interaction term was with metastatic cancer. Albumin was the only studied laboratory value that was strongly associated with mortality. Understanding the context of comorbid illness in pressure ulcer patients sets the groundwork for more robust studies of patient- and population-level outcomes, as well as study of heterogeneity within this group.
Comparison of α-amylase and protease activities of a zoophytophagous and two phytozoophagous Heteroptera.

Abstract To better understand the nature of facultative phytophagy in the zoophytophagous Geocoris punctipes (Say), and facultative zoophagy in phytozoophagous Lygus hesperus (Knight) and Lygus lineolaris (Palisot de Beauvois), we compared the activities of both the starch digesting enzyme α-amylase and of general proteases in these species. The α-amylases and proteases were demonstrated in L. hesperus, L. lineolaris and G. punctipes. The presence of α-amylase in the salivary gland complexes of G. punctipes indicates a disposition of this species toward utilization of nutrients that can be derived only from plants, either directly from ingestion of plant macromolecules or from second-hand ingestion of plant material from the digestive system of their prey. The α-amylase activity in G. punctipes was much less than those of phytozoophagous L. hesperus and L. lineolaris. The relative importance of amylolytic activity and proteolytic activity is also discussed.
JOSEPHUS' USE OF HEIMARMENE IN THE JEWISH ANTIQUITIES XIII, 171-3

postulate that everything is brought about by fate (i[ptapp~vrl), still they do not deprive the human will of the pursuit of what is in man's power, since it was God's good pleasure that there should be a fusion and that the will of man with his virtue and vice should be admitted to the council-chamber of fate. (Ant. XVIII, 13) Later, in this same passage, he characterizes the position of the Sadducees and the Essenes by contrasting them with this Pharisaic position on heimarmene. The Sadducees, he writes, "own no observance of any sort apart from the laws," while the Essenes "leave
Visualizing nucleic acids and their complexes using electron microscopy.

Abstract Microscopic visualization of nucleic acid—protein complexes provides a means of obtaining structural information that is difficult to obtain in any other way, and of verifying conclusions derived from other approaches. The polymorphic, flexible, and irregular nature of these complexes presents particular problems in their analysis.
No Association between Calcium Channel Blocker Use and Confirmed Bleeding Peptic Ulcer Disease

Calcium channel antagonists are commonly used drugs that have recently been reported to be associated with an increased incidence of gastrointestinal hemorrhage. We performed a retrospective cohort study among 105,824 enrollees of the Tennessee Medicaid program 65 years of age or older between 1984 and 1986. Exposure to calcium channel blockers and other medications was determined from pharmacy files. Hospitalization for bleeding peptic ulcers was identified by hospital claims and verified by a review of the medical record. Univariate estimates of relative risk for current users of calcium channel blockers and beta-blocker users were 1.8 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.2-2.7) and 1.1 (95% CI 0.7-1.6) (reference group was nonuse of either). After adjustment for potential confounders, the relative risks for bleeding peptic ulcer among current users of calcium channel blockers and beta blockers were 1.1 (95% CI 0.7-1.7) and 1.0 (95% CI 0.7-1.6), respectively, when compared with those who used neither drug. In this population, after controlling for important confounders, there was no increased risk for hospitalization with bleeding peptic ulcer among users of calcium channel blockers.
Conservation of miR-15a/16-1 and miR-15b/16-2 clusters

MiR-15a/16-1 and miR-15b/16-2 clusters have been shown to play very important roles in regulating cell proliferation and apoptosis by targeting cell cycle proteins and the antiapoptotic Bcl-2 gene. However, the physiological implications of those two clusters are largely elusive. By aligning the primary miR-15a/16-1 sequence among 44 vertebrates, we found that there was a gap in the homologous region of the rat genome. To verify that there was a similar miR-15a/16-1 cluster in rats, we amplified this region from rat genomic DNA using PCR and found that a 697-bp sequence was missing in the current rat genome database, which covers the miR-15a/16-1 cluster. Subsequently, we also investigated the expression pattern of individual miRNAs spliced from miR-15a/16-1 and miR-15b/16-2 clusters, including miR-15a, miR-15a*, miR-15b, miR-15b*, miR-16-1/2, and miR-16-1/2* from various rat tissues, and found that all of those miRNAs were expressed in the investigated tissues. MiR-16 was most expressed in the heart, followed by the brain, lung, kidney, and small intestine, which indicates tissue specificity for individual miRNA expression from both clusters. Our results demonstrated that both miR-15a/16-1 and miR-15b/16-2 clusters are highly conserved among mammalian species. The investigation of the biological functions of those two clusters using transgenic or knockout/knockdown models will provide new clues to understanding their implications in human diseases and finding a new approach for miRNA-based therapy.
Determining reactive power levels necessary to provide optimal feeder line voltage regulation

An increasing adoption of rooftop photovoltaic (PV) generators presents a growing opportunity for the use of their grid-tie inverters to provide reactive power compensation on medium- and low-voltage distribution networks. This paper presents a generalized method based on particle swarm optimization (PSO) for determining how much reactive power is necessary to provide control over the voltage profile of the distribution line for any given operational condition and number of PV connections. The method is tested with data based on the IEEE benchmark 13-bus feeder system and simulations are run in DIgSILENT using the same system to validate the results. A future two-level distributed control architecture is described that will utilize the methods developed in this paper to provide reactive power compensation for voltage control of an entire feeder line without the need for global information sharing.
Reply to "Comment on 'Local exchange-correlation functional: Numerical test for atoms and ions' "

It is argued that our (ZP92) local exchange-correlation functional [Phys. Rev. A 46, R5320 (1992)] gives superior results for the total energies of H[sub 2] and N[sub 2] as functions of internuclear distance.
Study of the Foot Force Stability Margin for multi-legged/wheeled robots under dynamic situations

Stability analysis of multi-legged and wheeled robots is necessary for maintaining control of the robot especially under dynamic situations. This paper studies the use of the Foot Force Stability Margin and a modified extension of the Foot Force Stability Margin under dynamic situations. The Foot Force Stability Margin and its modified variant are applicable to all types of multi-legged and multi-wheeled robots under both static and dynamic situations. To facilitate the numerical validation of the stability margin under dynamic conditions, a foot force distribution technique is presented. The simulation results confirm that under dynamic situations, the Foot Force Stability Margin and its modified variant are accurate, simple in terms of calculation cost, and sensitive to top-heaviness and the geometry of the robot, making it practical for use within on-line controllers.
Prospective assessment of midsecretory endometrial leukemia inhibitor factor expression versus ανβ3 testing in women with unexplained infertility

Objective To evaluate endometrial leukemia inhibitor factor (LIF) expression as a marker of endometrial receptivity in women with unexplained infertility (UI). Design Prospective case-control study. Setting University-associated infertility clinics. Patient(s) Women with UI for more than 1 year and healthy control women. Intervention(s) Endometrial biopsy. Main Outcome Measure(s) Time to pregnancy was compared between patients with UI who were evaluated for endometrial LIF protein as well as ανβ3 integrin expression. Endometrium was evaluated using immunohistochemistry (IHC) and messenger RNA by real time reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction (PCR) (quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase–PCR) in samples from women with UI as well as healthy control women. Result(s) Leukemia inhibitor factor was expressed in epithelial cells in a cyclic fashion in controls, and overall expression in the secretory phase was similar between controls and women with UI, whereas ανβ3 integrin expression was reduced. However, using quantitative real-time PCR, LIF messenger RNA abundance was 4.4-fold lower in women with low levels of ανβ3 integrin expression compared with samples with normal integrins. By immunohistochemistry, ανβ3 integrin expression was always lacking when the histology was out of phase, whereas LIF expression was only negative in a subset of those samples. Reduced endometrial LIF expression was strongly associated with poor reproductive outcomes. Conclusion(s) Endometrial LIF expression peaks in the midsecretory phase and is reduced in some women with UI. The use of LIF in combination with ανβ3 integrin as biomarkers appears to be superior to integrin testing alone when evaluating endometrial receptivity, primarily because of its earlier pattern of expression during the secretory phase.