cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fermionic α -vacua

A spin $\frac{1}{2}$ particle propagating in a de Sitter background has a one parameter family of states which transform covariantly under the isometry group of the background. These states are the fermionic analogues of the $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-vacua for a scalar field. We shall show how using a point-source propagator for a fermion in an $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-state produces divergent perturbative corrections. These corrections cannot be used to cancel similar divergences arising from scalar fields in bosonic $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-vacua since they have an incompatible dependence on the external momenta. The theory can be regularized by modifying the propagator to include an antipodal source.
Mass Production Goods, Torts and Justice: The Problem of Opt-Out

U.S. Judicial Conference endorsement of a "second opt-out opportunity" for class action settlements to supplement the option for pre-certification exit under Rule 23(b)(3) is retrograde. It represents a victory for the myopic "proceduralist" way of thinking and a loss for everyone whose welfare depends on federal class action enforcement of tort and other civil liability to prevent and compensate harm resulting from business risk-taking ("mass production risks"). To be sure, the Conference merely provides explicit authority for what is already widespread practice, but that hardly excuses making matters worse. Indeed, the Conference, as the author of the basically flawed 1966 revisions of Rule 23, had - and irresponsibly squandered - the legislative chance to make matters much better. At minimum, it should have applied advances in theoretical and empirical understanding of the social benefits derived from collectively adjudicating civil liability in business risk-taking cases not only to reject the "second opt-out," but also to eliminate the requirement for pre-certification opt-out.
Biosynthesis of Fumonisin and AAL Derivatives by Alternaria and Fusarium in Laboratory Culture

Cultures of Fusarium moniliforme and Alternaria alternata f. sp. lycopersici were grown in the laboratory and analyzed for various fumonisin derivatives. Analyses were made by continuous flow fast atom bombardment and ionspray mass spectrometry interfaced to microcapillary HPLC. Besides FB1, FB2 and FB3 derivatives, two isomers of the one-armed FB1 (protonated molecular ion at m/z 564) and two isomers of the one-armed FB2 (m/z 548) were found. Two different isolates of A. alternata when grown in culture yielded FB1, FB2 and FB3. One of them also yielded the one-armed FB1 which was identical to that metabolite found in Fusarium and naturally infected corn. FB1, FB2 and FB3 have been found in 2 different isolates of Alternaria alternata, both obtained from tomato.
A Relay Selection Based Bidirectional Full-Duplex Communication Scheme

Full-duplex (FD) is an emerging technology to alleviate the spectrum crunch. Self-interference is the major issue needs to be solved to realize FD devices, especially for the bidirectional FD model wherein two FD featured devices communicate with each other directly. Beamforming is an effective technology to reduce the self-interference by optimally allocating transmission power. However, the beamforming based self-interference cancellation schemes are not applicable in bidirectional FD model when FD featured transceivers are far away from each other, since large transmission power is needed to guarantee the signal to be received successfully. To enable the beamforming based self-interference cancellation mechanism for bidirectional FD communications with large distance, we propose a relay selection based self-interference cancellation mechanism. By introducing relays, two links in bidirectional FD communications are separated, which enables successful self-interference cancellation with existing beamforming based mechanisms. Simulation provides the guidance of optimal relay deployment. It also shows our proposed relay selection enabled self-interference cancellation mechanism outperforms the existing bidirectional FD communication schemes.
Combinations of Hypoxia-Targeting Compounds and Radiation-Activated Prodrugs with Ionizing Radiation

The potential clinical benefit of exploiting tumor hypoxia by combining a hypoxia activated drug with conventional cancer therapy has yet to be realized in routine clinical practice. Despite this, the positive clinical results with the combination of the hypoxic cytotoxin tirapazamine with cisplatin in advanced non-small cell lung cancer and with chemoradiotherapy with advanced head and neck cancer demonstrate the potential of this approach. There is a good reason to expect that future drugs or strategies will do better: indeed advances made in experimental models identifying the determinants of the efficacy of these hypoxia-targeting compounds, together with other strategies to exploit tumor hypoxia, auger well for the future of this field.
The Timing and Role of Atrial Fibrillation Ablation in Heart Failure Patients

Atrial fibrillation (AF) and heart failure (HF) are cardiovascular disease epidemics with increasing prevalence worldwide. AF can either be a cause or consequence of cardiomyopathy and HF. Catheter ablation (CA) has been a proven therapy for symptomatic, medically refractory AF patients. The purpose of this review is to highlight the role as well as timing of CA in treating AF patients with HF. Multiple randomized clinical trials in recent years have elegantly demonstrated the superiority of CA in improving survival, quality of life, ventricular function, and reduce hospitalizations, when compared to antiarrhythmic drugs, medical rate control, as well as AV nodal ablation and biventricular pacing, in patients with HF and cardiomyopathy. These data clearly show that restoration and maintenance of sinus rhythm in HF patients, when accomplished by CA, improves hard clinical endpoints in this complex population. A substantial reduction in AF burden, and not complete elimination, was strongly associated with better outcomes and suggests an occult ‘arrhythmia induced cardiomyopathy’. Long-term success rate of a single ablation procedure remains subpar, and additional procedures are often necessary to achieve durable rhythm control. Catheter ablation now occupies a central role in rhythm control of AF in HF patients and should be considered as a first-line therapy in these patients. More data is needed regarding optimal timing of CA in HF patients but it stands to reason that early ablation should aid in long-term reduction in AF burden and allow favorable LA and LV remodeling.
The effect of cholesterol depletion in resistant breast cancer cells.

e11031 Background: A leading cause of breast cancer chemotherapeutic treatment failure is resistance of cancerous cells towards current anti-estrogen agents. This project investigated the relationship between inhibition of cholesterol synthesis and its effect on resistant breast cancer cells. Methods: MCF-7 cells were maintained in phenol red free media and pretreated with charcoal stripped media for 24 hours prior to the experiments (ensure all exogenous estrogen was taken out). Cells were plated in 96 well plates at 10,000 to 15,000 cells/well. MCF-7 cells were tested for their sensitivity to BIBB515 and whether the proliferation of cells with estrogen could be blocked with BIBB515. The cells were grown for 6 days, on day 7 the cell proliferation was determined by adding MTT and read at 570nM. Results: Estrogen, tamoxifen and anastrazole induced cell proliferation that was controlled by 10µM BIBB515. Inhibiting the cholesterol pathway in combination with tamoxifen induced cell death in MCF-7 cells (cell...
Pathways to news sharing: Issue frame perceptions and the likelihood of sharing

Abstract Online news sharing has become an important process through which contemporary citizens experience news.News sharing is not only a behavioral outcome of news consumption but also an essential form of political engagement that reshapes the online information environment. This study offers empirical evidence regarding important article perceptions that drive online news sharing. Specifically, we examine how issue frame perceptions shape user-directed dissemination of news information. Using an online survey that exposes respondents to multiple news articles on a given public issue, this study found that perceptions of issue frame believability, bias, importance and influence significantly affected audience intention to share a news article. However, perceiving an issue frame to be believable is not sufficient for readers to forward that article. Moreover, these frame perceptions are formed through the lens of one's political ideology. The relationship between issue frame perceptions and the likelihood of sharing is more pronounced for value-based frames and among partisans. Implications for online political participation and news exposure are discussed.
The Case of the Rapping Teen

A student was suspended from high school for a rap song he recorded and posted on the Internet that mentioned two coaches by name and violent acts to be committed against those coaches. The student filed suit, claiming a violation of his First Amendment rights.
Characterization of amorphous solid dispersions: An update

Abstract Amorphous solid dispersions (ASDs) are a promising formulation approach to improve the solubility, dissolution rate, and bioavailability of poorly water-soluble drugs. ASDs have complicated physicochemical properties due to the various formulations and processes used to produce them. These properties influence their physical stability, so it is important to develop comprehensive and effective characterization techniques for ASDs. Our understanding of the properties of ASDs can be improved through the use of a combination of these techniques. Key factors that affect the properties of ASDs include the glass transition temperature (Tg), molecular mobility, miscibility, and crystallinity. These factors must be evaluated to ensure a stable ASD. In this review, we discuss the most relevant analytical characterization techniques and their applications for the evaluation of ASDs.
Emotional Quality of Life After Radiation Therapy for Oropharyngeal Carcinoma.

Abstract Purpose Substantial research exists on the physical toxicities from radiation therapy (RT) for oropharyngeal cancers, but emotional quality of life is understudied. The purpose of this study is to map the effects and time course of radiation-related changes in mood and anxiety and to investigate the physical factors that drive these changes. Methods and materials We prospectively collected University of Washington Quality of Life questionnaires and identified patients with oropharyngeal cancer who were treated with curative-intent RT between 2013 and 2016 and had completed questionnaires within 12 months after RT (n = 69). We analyzed swallow, saliva, taste, chewing, speech, pain, mood, and anxiety scores, using a scale from 0 to 100. We conducted a multivariate regression analysis to identify physical functioning predictors of worse emotional scores. Results Physical functioning scores declined from before RT to 3 months after RT and then began improving but did not rebound to baseline levels within 12 months. Patient mood slightly declined, but anxiety improved immediately after RT, with both generally improving such that scores were higher at the 12-month follow-up than at initial consult. Analysis showed that longer duration of treatment is associated with a higher likelihood of worse mood scores at 12 months (odds ratio [OR], 1.446; P Conclusions Emotional changes are associated with certain treatment-associated toxicities. A patient's emotional health is complex and likely multifactorial in nature. Our study identified key associations and time points to potentially intervene upon.
Quantitative Results of a National Intervention to Prevent Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infection: A Pre-Post Observational Study.

Background Central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) remains prevalent in hospitals in the United States. Objective To evaluate the impact of a multimodal intervention in hospitals with elevated rates of health care-associated infection. Design Pre-post observational evaluation of a prospective, national, clustered, nonrandomized initiative of 3 cohorts of hospitals. Setting Acute care, long-term acute care, and critical access hospitals, including intensive care units and medical/surgical wards. Participants Target hospitals had a cumulative attributable difference above the first tertile of performance for Clostridioides difficile infection and another health care-associated infection (such as CLABSI). Some hospitals that did not meet these criteria also participated. Intervention A multimodal intervention consisting of recommendations and tools for prioritizing and implementing evidence-based infection prevention strategies, on-demand educational videos, webinars led by content experts, and access to content experts. Measurements Rates of CLABSI and device utilization ratio pre- and postintervention. Results Between November 2016 and May 2018, 387 hospitals in 23 states and the District of Columbia participated. Monthly preimplementation CLABSI rates ranged from 0 to 71.4 CLABSIs per 1000 catheter-days. Over the study period, the unadjusted CLABSI rate was low and decreased from 0.88 to 0.80 CLABSI per 1000 catheter-days. Between the pre- and postintervention periods, device utilization decreased from 24.05 to 22.07 central line-days per 100 patient-days. However, a decreasing trend in device utilization was also observed during the preintervention period. Limitations The intervention period was brief. Participation in and adherence to recommended interventions were not fully assessed. Rates of CLABSI were low. Patient characteristics could not be assessed. Conclusion In hospitals with a disproportionate burden of health care-associated infection, a multimodal intervention did not reduce rates of CLABSI. Primary funding source Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Divergent color signals from homologous unfeathered ornaments in two congeneric grouse.

Color-based visual signals are important aspects of communication throughout the animal kingdom. Individuals evaluate color to obtain information about age and condition and to behave accordingly. Birds display a variety of striking, conspicuous colors and make ideal subjects for the study of color signaling. While most studies of avian color focus on plumage, bare unfeathered body parts also display a wide range of color signals. Mate choice and intrasexual competitive interactions are easily observed in lekking grouse, which also signal with prominent unfeathered color patches. Most male grouse have one pair of colorful bare part ornaments (combs), and males of several species also have inflatable air sacs in their throat. Previous studies have mostly focused on comb color and size, but little is known about the signaling role of air sac color. We measured comb size and the color properties of combs and air sacs in the Lesser and Greater Prairie-Chickens (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus and T. cupido, respectively), and investigated whether these properties varied with age and mass. We found that mass predicted color properties of air sacs and that age predicted comb size in the Greater Prairie-Chicken, suggesting that these ornaments indicate condition dependence. No conclusive relationships between color and age or size were detected in the Lesser Prairie-Chicken. Color properties of both ornaments differed between the two species. Further research is needed to determine mechanisms that link condition to color and whether the information advertised by color signals from these ornaments is intended for males, females, or both.
Do management control systems stifle innovation in small firms? A mediation approach

How entrepreneurial orientation (EO) as a strategy manifests into entrepreneurial behaviors like innovation, is an important research topic but not well understood. There is a gap in the examination of EO and entrepreneurial behavioral outcomes. Since mediators exist (see Rauch, Wiklund, Lumpkin, & Frese, 2009; Wales, 2016; Wales, Patel, Parida, & Kreiser, 2013) additional research is needed to uncover these potential relationships. Research suggests that management controls systems (MCS) may serve as a mediator between strategy and innovation outcomes. There is, however, conflicting evidence regarding the impact and use of management control systems (MCS) in the small firm context. As such, we examine the relationship between an individual-level measure of EO (IEO) and innovation level and explore the mediating role of financial and nonfinancial MCS on that relationship. Results suggest that nonfinancial MCS partially mediate the relationship between IEO and innovation, while financial MCS do not.
Annals On Call - The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly—the Sequel: GLP1 Agonists

In this episode of Annals On Call, Dr. Centor discusses the role of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists in the treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes with Dr. Tuttle of Providence Health ...
Composition of Caenorhabditis elegans extracellular vesicles suggests roles in metabolism, immunity, and aging

The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has been instrumental in the identification of evolutionarily conserved mechanisms of aging. C. elegans also has recently been found to have evolutionarily conserved extracellular vesicle (EV) signaling pathways. We have been developing tools that allow for the detailed study of EV biology in C. elegans. Here we apply our recently published method for high specificity purification of EVs from C. elegans to carry out target-independent proteomic and RNA analysis of nematode EVs. We identify diverse coding and non-coding RNA and protein cargo types commonly found in human EVs. The EV cargo spectrum is distinct from whole worms, suggesting that protein and RNA cargos are actively recruited to EVs. Gene ontology analysis revealed C. elegans EVs are enriched for extracellular-associated and signaling proteins, and network analysis indicates enrichment for metabolic, immune, and basement membrane associated proteins. Tissue enrichment and gene expression analysis suggests the secreted EV proteins are likely to be derived from intestine, muscle, and excretory tissue. An unbiased comparison of the EV proteins with a large database of C. elegans genome-wide microarray data showed significant overlap with gene sets that are associated with aging and immunity. Taken together our data suggest C. elegans could be a promising in vivo model for studying the genetics and physiology of EVs in a variety of contexts including aging, metabolism, and immune response.
Working With Them: Small-Scale Landlord Strategies for Avoiding Evictions

This study draws on 71 indepth, semistructured interviews with landlords and property managers in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. We find that the perceived burdens associated with evictions often make...
Addition of Chloroform in a Solvent-In-Salt Electrolyte: Outcomes in the Microscopic Dynamics in Bulk and Confinement

Solvent-in-salt electrolytes (SISEs) are a promising alternative to the electrolytes currently used in commercial devices. Nevertheless, despite the SISEs’ advantages, their applications are not ye...
Flexible Ink-Based Interconnects for Textile-Integrated RF Components

We present methods to improve the flexibility of fabric integrated RF structures by modifying solder contacts to epoxy based interconnects. Specifically, we assess the loss exhibited by two textile-based transmission lines (TLs) using interconnects made of CM-127-48 epoxy ink and solder. The TLs were fabricated with conductive surfaces embroidered onto fabric. The measurements revealed that TLs made of ink-based interconnects exhibited a loss of up to 0.2 dB/cm for frequencies from DC to 5 GHz. This represents 50% of improvement over their solder-based counterparts. For validation, a 7-element Yagi-Uda antenna was fabricated by embroidering onto denim fabric to operate at 2.45 GHz. The RF performance of the textile antenna with ink-based interconnects performed better than its solder-based counterpart. This result can be used as a guideline to integrate the textile RF modules into clothing.
Inverse-design of high-contrast metastructures for terahertz antennas

Three-dimensional metastructures are capable of surpassing planar metasurfaces in performance and range of functionality. Design of 3D devices is less intuitive than 2D metasurfaces, but is tractable with the help of inverse-design techniques. This talk will discuss the difficulties with employing gradient-based inverse optimization on high index-contrast devices, and will present innovative solutions to address this. The design methodology is applied to submillimeter-wave antenna design fabricated entirely with etched Silicon. This talk may be interesting to those interested in electromagnetic design for any frequency band, and the targeted application may be interesting to the terahertz astrophysics community.
Travel bans and COVID-19

In Justice for People on the Move, Gillian Brock helpfully proposes a number of internal and contribution requirements, central to human rights practice, that must constrain states’ exclusion of no...
Investigating the Effects of Test Accommodations with Process Data for English Learners in a Mathematics Assessment

Implementing a randomized controlled trial design, the present study investigated the effects of two types of accommodations, linguistic modification and a glossary, for English learners (ELs) taki...
Inferior Petrosal Sinus Sampling

Indication This test is performed in order to differentiate between ectopic ACTH syndrome (EAS) and Cushing’s disease (CD) in patients with ACTH-dependent Cushing’s syndrome.
The Commercial Paper Funding Facility

The commercial paper market experienced considerable strain in the weeks following the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers on September 15, 2008, leading to liquidity pressures as investors such as money market mutual funds became increasingly reluctant to purchase commercial paper. As a result, the percentage of outstanding commercial paper that had to be refinanced each day rose rapidly during the Fall of 2008, interest rates on longer-term commercial paper increased significantly, and the volume of outstanding commercial paper declined sharply. A large share of outstanding commercial paper is issued or sponsored by financial intermediaries, and their difficulties placing commercial paper reduced their ability to meet the credit needs of businesses and households. The Commercial Paper Funding Facility (CPFF) provides a liquidity backstop to U.S. issuers of commercial paper through a special purpose vehicle (SPV) that purchases eligible three-month unsecured and asset-backed commercial paper from eligible issuers using financing provided by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. The SPV holds the commercial paper until maturity and uses the proceeds from maturing commercial paper and other assets of the SPV to repay its loan from the New York Fed. The paper discusses design issues, as well as measures of evaluation of the facility.
Why does performance persistence vary among closed-end funds?

This study extends the research on closed-end fund performance persistence by investigating whether the persistence of both net asset value (NAV) and market price returns of U.S. registered closed-end funds is related to various fund characteristics. The sample consists of 505 closed-end funds, which are investigated over the period from January 1976 to December 1996. The analysis tests whether persistence is related to the fund characteristics size, goal, management fees, turnover, fund family membership, fund experience, and the exchange on which a fund is traded. The results vary across holding periods used to calculate persistence but are similar with respect to the NAV and market price returns. Funds with lower expense ratios and funds traded on the NYSE show more persistence of strong NAV and market price performance.
In pursuit of mammalian polyamine oxidase crystal structure (774.4)

Mouse Polyamine Oxidase (mPAO) is a mammalian flavoprotein that is necessary for the catabolism of polyamines. mPAO oxidizes the endo carbon nitrogen bonds of N1-acetylspermine and N1-acetylspermid...
Context Sensitive Paraphrasing with a Global Unsupervised Classifier

Lexical paraphrasing is an inherently context sensitive problem because a word's meaning depends on context. Most paraphrasing work finds patterns and templates that can replace other patterns or templates in some context, but we are attempting to make decisions for a specific context. In this paper we develop a global classifier that takes a word vand its context, along with a candidate word u, and determines whether ucan replace vin the given context while maintaining the original meaning. We develop an unsupervised, bootstrapped, learning approach to this problem. Key to our approach is the use of a very large amount of unlabeled data to derive a reliable supervision signal that is then used to train a supervised learning algorithm. We demonstrate that our approach performs significantly better than state-of-the-art paraphrasing approaches, and generalizes well to unseen pairs of words.
Anion formation in sputter ion sources by neutral resonant ionization.

Focused Cs+ beams in sputter ion sources create mm-diameter pits supporting small plasmas that control anionization efficiencies. Sputtering produces overwhelmingly neutral products that the plasma can ionize as in a charge-change vapor. Electron capture between neutral atoms rises as the inverse square of the difference between the ionization potential of the Cs state and the electron affinity of the sputtered atom, allowing resonant ionization at very low energies. A plasma collision-radiation model followed electronic excitation up to Cs(7d). High modeled Cs(7d) in a 0.5 mm recess explains the 80 μA/mm2 C− current density compared to the 20 μA/mm2 from a 1 mm recess.
Type 1 Diabetes Is Associated With an Increased Risk of Fracture Across the Life Span: A Population-Based Cohort Study Using The Health Improvement Network (THIN)

OBJECTIVE This study was conducted to determine if type 1 diabetes is associated with an increased risk of fracture across the life span. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS This population-based cohort study used data from The Health Improvement Network (THIN) in the U.K. (data from 1994 to 2012), in which 30,394 participants aged 0–89 years with type 1 diabetes were compared with 303,872 randomly selected age-, sex-, and practice-matched participants without diabetes. Cox regression analysis was used to determine hazard ratios (HRs) for incident fracture in participants with type 1 diabetes. RESULTS A total of 334,266 participants, median age 34 years, were monitored for 1.9 million person-years. HR were lowest in males and females age P CONCLUSIONS Type 1 diabetes was associated with increased risk of incident fracture that began in childhood and extended across the life span. Participants with type 1 diabetes sustained a disproportionately greater number of lower extremity fractures. These findings have important public health implications, given the increasing prevalence of type 1 diabetes and the morbidity and mortality associated with hip fractures.
Comparison of the binding of Na+ and Ca2+ to bovine alpha-lactalbumin

alpha-Lactalbumin is a metal-binding protein which binds Ca2+- and Na+-ions competitively to one specific site, giving rise to a large conformational change of the protein. For this reason, the enthalpy change of binding Ca2+ to apo-alpha-lactalbumin (delta Ho) is strongly dependent on the concentration of Na+ ions in the medium. From that relationship a molar enthalpy of -145 +/- 3 kJ X mol-1 is calculated for the Ca2+-binding at pH 7.4 and 25 degrees C, while a delta Ho of -5 +/- 3 kJ X mol-1 is found to substitute a complexed Na+ by a Ca2+-ion. These measurements also allowed us to calculate a binding constant for Na+ of 195 +/- 18 M-1. The molar enthalpy of Na+-loading was found to be -142 +/- 3 kJ X mol-1, a value very close to delta Ho of the binding of Ca2+ to alpha-lactalbumin. Both enthalpy changes in binding Ca2+ and Na+ are independent of the protein concentration. These exothermic values are in agreement with the hypothesis that both Na+- and Ca2+-ions are able to induce the same conformational change in alpha-lactalbumin upon which hydrophobic regions are removed from the solvent, yielding a less hydrophobic protein. The latter is confirmed by means of affinity measurements of the hydrophobic fluorescent probe 4,4'-bis[1-(phenylamino)-8-naphthalene sulphonate](bis-ANS) to alpha-lactalbumin. The association constant (Ka) decreased from (6.6 +/- 0.5) X 10(4) M-1 in the absence of NaCl to (2.7 +/- 0.2) X 10(4) M-1 in 75 mM NaCl, while the maximum intensity (Imax) of the binary bis-ANS-alpha-lactalbumin complex remained constant at 0.44 +/- 0.02 (arbitrary units). The Ka value of bis-ANS for Ca2+-alpha-lactalbumin was determined at (1.7 +/- 0.2) X 10(4) M-1 and Imax was 0.43 +/- 0.02 (arbitrary units). The difference in hydrophobicity between the two conformational states of the protein was further demonstrated by adsorption experiments of both conformers to phenyl-Sepharose. Apo-alpha-lactalbumin, hydrophobically bound to phenyl-Sepharose, can be eluted by adding Ca2- or Na+-solutions.
A Fresh Theoretical Framework

Writing for "philosophers, biologists, and people outside of both those categories," Godfrey-Smith explores what the process of evolution by natural selection requires and what it can explain.
Angle-multiplexed spatial-spectral interferometry for simultaneous measurement of spectral phase and polarization state

A novel method to simultaneously extract the polarization state and relative spectral phase of an ultrashort laser pulse from an angle-multiplexed spatial-spectral interferometric measurement is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. Spectral interference is produced between an arbitrary polarized signal pulse and two orthogonal linearly polarized reference pulses. The accuracy of this technique has been verified by reconstructing the known relative spectral phase arising from material dispersion and the known elliptical polarization state. Measurement of the relative spectral phase and the spatially variable polarization state of a radially polarized pulse is also demonstrated. An additional independent measurement of the spectral phase of reference pulses provides absolute spectral and temporal characteristics of the signal pulse.
The determination of uranium isotopes by atomic absorption spectrophotometry

Abstract The uranium isotopes, 235 U and 238 U, can be determined easily by atomic absorption techniques, employing relatively inexpensive and unsophisticated equipment. A water-cooled hollow-cathode discharge tube was used as an absorption tube. It was found that large amounts of uranium atoms, in the ground state, were produced by the discharge in the tube. Thus the inherently weak uranium resonance radiation coming from. an emission source and passing through the absorption tube was absorbed. For the first time in an atomic absorption technique, samples and related standards were used in the emission source instead of an absorption source, and a high degree of accuracy and precision was obtained. Valid results were also obtained by conventional techniques — that is, the samples and related standards were employed in the absorption source.
Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Associated with Congenital Heart Disease

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) with increased pulmonary vascular resistance is a frequent complication of congenital heart disease, most commonly occurring with systemic-to-pulmonary shunt lesions. The natural disease progression involves pulmonary endothelial damage due to exposure to increased pulmonary blood flow and pressure, and in its most severe form results in Eisenmenger syndrome, in which there is shunt reversal and cyanosis. Because of anatomic and pathologic similarities of PAH in the congenital heart disease population compared with idiopathic PAH, there is an evolving role for the use of the newer targeted PAH therapies in these patients. While early closure of shunt lesions is the best preventive measure, the concept of a combined medical-surgical approach for these patients has emerged as well. An additional group of patients that may benefit from the use of targeted PAH therapies includes the rapidly growing subpopulation of patients who have undergone the Fontan operation due to single ventricle anatomy.
Veno-Arterial Pulsatile Partial Bypass for Circulatory Assist

A method is described for circulatory assist utilizing the Simas computerized pulsatile postsystolic augmentation system adapted and modified for veno-arterial pumping with an oxygenator-heat-exchanger. This veno-arterial circulatory assist system has been compared with arterio-arterial pumping in 74 dogs. In shock states the benefits to regional flows and particularly to the coronary and carotid flows are much higher for the veno-arterial system. In 27 dogs pumped during one hour's ventricular fibrillation, coronary flows could not be adequately maintained with A-A pumping, but with V-A pumping coronary flow was restored to pre-pump or higher levels (normal sinus rhythm) and the mean value was two and one-half times the control values. The myocardium was readily converted from ventricular fibrillation to sinus rhythm by cardioversion. Clinical applications are discussed and therapeutic trials in selected cases with shock states as well as ventricular fibrillation appear to be warranted.
Disorder Dominated Microwave Conductance Spectra of Doped Silicon Nanowire Arrays

Conductance spectra of doped silicon nanowire (SiNW) arrays were measured from 0.5 to 50 GHz at temperatures between 4 and 293 K. For arrays consisting of 11 to >10(4) SiNWs, the conductance was found to increase with frequency as f(s), with 0.25 < s < 0.45, consistent with behavior found universally in disordered systems. A possible cause is disorder from Si/SiO x interface states dominating the conductance due to the high surface-to-volume ratio of the nanowires.
Chiroptical properties of cyclic α-diketones

The chiroptical properties of dissymmetric cyclopentanedione, 3-methylcyclopentane-1,2-dione, and glyoxal structures are examined on a theoretical model in which the electronic wave functions are obtained from semiempirical all-valence-shell molecular orbital calculations. Excited state wave functions are constructed in the virtual orbital-configuration interaction approximation. The rotatory strengths, dipole strengths, oscillator strengths, and dissymmetry factors of the lower energy singletsinglet transitions in eleven cyclopentanedione and ten glyoxal structures are calculated and reported. The signs and relative magnitudes of the rotatory strengths associated with the two lowest energy singlet transitions are found to be extraordinarily sensitive to ring substituents and ring conformational parameters as well as to inherent chirality within the α-dicarbonyl moiety of the cyclopentanedione structures. Vicinal effects play a significant role in determining the signs and magnitudes of the electronic rotatory strengths. For a given configurational isomer of an inherently dissymmetric α-dicarbonyl group (i.e., P or M), the signs of the electronic rotatory strength of the lowest energy transition in glyoxal and in cyclopentanedione are opposite. This result suggests that cisoid glyoxal structures may not be useful models for the chiroptical properties of cyclic α-diketone systems with cisoid dicarbonyl moieties.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE FREE CONCENTRATIONS OF CA2+ AND CA2+-CALMODULIN IN INTACT CELLS

Abstract Using stably expressed fluorescent indicator proteins, we have determined for the first time the relationship between the free Ca2+ and Ca2+-calmodulin concentrations in intact cells. A similar relationship is obtained when the free Ca2+ concentration is externally buffered or when it is transiently increased in response to a Ca2+-mobilizing agonist. Below a free Ca2+concentration of 0.2 μm, no Ca2+-calmodulin is detectable. A global maximum free Ca2+-calmodulin concentration of ∼ 45 nm is produced when the free Ca2+ concentration exceeds 3 μm, and a half-maximal concentration is produced at a free Ca2+concentration of 1 μm. Data for fractional saturation of the indicators suggest that the total concentration of calmodulin-binding proteins is ∼ 2-fold higher than the total calmodulin concentration. We conclude that high-affinity calmodulin targets (K d ≤ 10 nm) are efficiently activated throughout the cell, but efficient activation of low-affinity targets (K d ≥ 100 nm) occurs only where free Ca2+-calmodulin concentrations can be locally enhanced.
Nursing home ownership revisited: market, cost and quality relationships.

ences between proprietary and nonproprietary facilities.' In fact, although contradictory findings preclude any definitive statements about quality differences due to ownership status, previous research supports a pattern of lower expenditures among for-profits.2'5 Hence, even if similarities are numerous, the disparities are not necessarily trivial. Of course, differences in charter status do imply distinctive missions and priorities for the provision of nursing home care. In particular, an emphasis on profit maximization suggests that cost-related issues comprise the primary core of differences between profits and nonprofits. It is curious, given this fundamental distinction, that little attention has been paid to the markets in which for-profit and not-for-profit homes operate. To begin, part of the rationale for "public or nonprofit" (as opposed to private, profit-making) firms is the provision of goods and services in markets where profit-
Interfacial Properties of an Amphipathic α-Helix Consensus Peptide of Exchangeable Apolipoproteins at Air/Water and Oil/Water Interfaces

Amphipathic alpha-helices are the main structure and the major lipid binding motif of exchangeable apolipoproteins. To understand how these apolipoproteins behave at an hydrophobic lipoprotein interface, the interfacial properties of a consensus sequence peptide (CSP) derived from three exchangeable apolipoproteins (A-I, A-IV, and E) were studied using an oil drop tensiometer at air/water (A/W) and dodecane/water (DD/W) interfaces. CSP ((PLAEELRARLRAQLEELRERLG)2-NH2) contains two 22-amino acid tandem repeat sequences that form amphipathic alpha-helices. CSP, when added into the aqueous phase, lowered the interfacial tension (gamma) of A/W and DD/W in a concentration-dependent fashion. The gammaA/W was lowered approximately 24 mn/m, and gammaDD/W approximately 31 mn/m, indicating a greater affinity of CSP for DD/W. Using the Gibbs equation for surface, the surface area per CSP molecule was estimated at approximately 702 A2 ( approximately 16 A2/amino acid) on A/W and approximately 622 A2 on DD/W ( approximately 14 A2/amino acid) suggesting that adsorbed CSP lies flat with alpha-helices in the plane of both interfaces. At equilibrium gamma, CSP desorbed from the interface when compressed and re-adsorbed when expanded. The adsorption rate was concentration-dependent, but the desorption rate was not. Less CSP desorbed from DD/W than A/W indicating that CSP has higher affinity for DD/W. Dynamic analysis of elasticity shows that the faster the oscillation period (4, 8 s) and the lower the oscillation amplitude the more elastic the surfaces. CSP can be compressed 6-12% while remaining on the surface, but large increases in pressure eject it from the surface. We suggest that surface pressure-mediated desorption and readsorption of amphipathic alpha-helices provide lipoprotein stability during remodeling reactions in plasma.
A high-energy-density quasi-solid-state carbon nanotube electrochemical double-layer capacitor with ionogel electrolyte

This paper reports the fabrication of an electric double-layer supercapacitor that incorporates carbon nanotube electrodes with an ionogel electrolyte based on the sol–gel encapsulation of the ionic liquid, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate. The quasi-solid nature of the ionogel electrolyte enables this supercapacitor to become a solid-state device, which overcomes the limitations of many high-performance supercapacitors, whose liquid-based electrolyte prohibits the realization of truly compact energy storage that is practical for various existing and emerging portable electronics. The device reported here combines the intrinsic high power of an electrochemical double-layer capacitor with the increased energy density associated with the wide voltage window of the ionogel. The device was characterized by a suite of electrochemistry techniques and demonstrated both high power and high energy density.
Cyclic AMP incudes synthesis of prostaglandin E1 in platelets

Abstract Although platelets are known to synthesize small amounts of prostaglandin E 1 the control of the formation of this prostanoid has not been investigated. Incubation of human platelet-rich plasma with various compounds which are known to increase cyclic AMP concentration in platelets and inhibit platelet aggregation also increased intracellular prostaglandin E 1 synthesis. The prostaglandin E 1 was isolated by high pressure liquid chromatography and definitively identified by negative and positive ionization mass spectroscopy. The amounts of prostaglandin E 1 formed were proportional to the concentration of cyclic AMP in platelets. Prostacyclin (10 nM) which is the most potent stimulator of cyclic AMP formation increased intracellular cyclic AMP by 4.6 fold and prostaglandin E 1 level by 3 fold over the basal levels. Addition of theophylline, a cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase inhibitor, together with prostacyclin increased cyclic AMP concentration 8.7-fold and prostaglandin E 1 level 12-fold compared to basal concentrations. Dibutyryl cyclic AMP (2 mM) and 8-bromo cyclic AMP (0.1 mM) increased prostaglandin E 1 levels by 3 fold and 2 fold over the basal level, respectively. Prostaglandin D 2 (2 μM) when added to platelet-rich plasma increased the cyclic nucleotide levels by 2 fold concomitant with 2 fold increase in prostaglandin E 1 concentration. In contrast prostaglandin E 2 or prostaglandin F 2α which had no effect on cyclic AMP level did not affect the prostaglandin E 1 synthesis. Addition of 2′,5′-dideoxyadenosine, an inhibitor of adenylate cyclase, to platelet-rich plasma inhibited both the increase of intracellular prostaglandin E 1 and cyclic AMP levels induced by prostacyclin.
Collagen fibrillogenesis in situ: Fibril segments undergo post‐depositional modifications resulting in linear and lateral growth during matrix development

Elucidating how collagen fibril growth is regulated is important in determining how tissues are assembled. Fibrils are deposited as segments. The growth of these segments is an important determinant of tissue architecture, sta- bility, and mechanical attributes. Fibril segments were isolated from developing tendons and their structure characterized. The post-depositional changes leading to linear and lateral growth of fibrils also were examined. Segments extracted from 14-day chicken embryo tendons had a mean length of 29 pm. The segments were asymmetric, having a short and a long tapered end. Most of the segments were centrosymmetric with respect to molecular packing. Segments extracted from 12- to 16-day tendons had the same structure, but mean segment length increased incrementally due to the addition of an increasingly large population of longer segments. At 17 days of development there was a precipitous increase in segment length. The morphological data indicate that the increase in length was the result of lateral associ- ations among adjacent segments. Analysis demon- strated that this fibril growth was associated with a significant decrease in fibril associated decorin. Using immunoelectron microscopy, decorin was seen to decrease significantly at 18 days of devel- opment. When decorin content was biochemically determined, a decrease also was observed. Decorin mRNA also decreased relative to fibrillar collagen mRNA during the same period. These data support the hypothesis that a decrease in fibril-associated decorin is necessary for fibril growth associated with tissue maturation. Growth through post-depositional fusion allows for appo- sitional and intercalary growth and would be es- sential for normal development, growth, and repair. 0 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Children of Color and Parental Incarceration: Implications for Research, Theory, and Practice.

Practical information about culturally appropriate interventions with children of incarcerated parents (CIPs) of color and their families is notably sparse. This study uses a cultural–ecological perspective to contextualize individual, family, and legal issues inherent in many intervention programs for CIPs of color. The authors highlight demographic trends, review research limitations, and discuss ways that therapeutic models can help counselors address their clients' needs. Recommendations are provided for future interventions with this underserved population. La informacion practica sobre intervenciones culturalmente apropiadas con hijos de personas de color encarceladas (CIPs) por sus siglas en ingles y sus familias es notablemente escasa. Este estudio usa una perspectiva cultural-ecologica para contextualizar los asuntos individuales, familiares y legales inherentes a muchos programas de intervencion para CIPs. Los autores destacan las tendencias demograficas, las limitaciones en la investigacion de resenas, y discuten formas en las que los modelos terapeuticos pueden ayudar a los consejeros a abordar las necesidades de sus clientes. Se proporcionan recomendaciones para intervenciones futuras con esta poblacion desatendida.
Drivers of soil carbon in residential ‘pure lawns’ in Auburn, Alabama

Urban land area is expanding worldwide and may contribute to long-term carbon (C) storage; however, little is known about potential drivers of soil C in urban areas. Residential areas are one of the largest urban land use zones and lawns can provide stable chronosequences for studying soil C dynamics. In residential lawns containing no trees (n = 23), the relationships between soil C and four potential drivers [home age (1–51 years), yard maintenance practices (fertilization, irrigation, and bagging or mulching lawn clippings), soil nitrogen (N) and soil texture] were investigated. Soil C increased with home age at 0–15 cm depth by 0.026 kg C m−2 yr−1, declined by −0.011 kg C m−2 yr−1 at 15–30 cm depth, and was stable at 30–50 cm depth. Soil C had a positive relationship with soil N (R 2 = 0.55) at the 0–15 cm depth. Soil C and N were not related to yard maintenance practices or soil texture. The low soil C sequestration rate and limited relationships between soil C and home age, yard maintenance, soil N and soil texture may have resulted from the positive influence of Auburn’s humid, subtropical climate on residue decomposition.
Use of PC-SAFT for Global Phase Diagrams in Binary Mixtures Relevant to Natural Gases. 1. n-Alkane + n-Alkane

Natural gases are complex, multicomponent mixtures for which most available theoretical approaches do not predict thermodynamic behavior correctly. Development of reliable and accurate models for these mixtures requires knowledge of the phase behavior for the component binaries over wide temperature and pressure ranges. This work provides an improved understanding of the properties of binary mixtures relevant to natural gases by reporting a systematic analysis of their phase behavior and classification within the van Konynenburg categories. We have used the molecular-based perturbed-chain statistical associating fluid theory (PC-SAFT) equation of state (EOS) with conventional monoparametric Berthelot−Lorentz mixing rules to calculate and analyze the global phase diagrams of these binary systems and compared the results to experiments when possible. We have developed the PC-SAFT pure-compound and binary interaction parameters when necessary. We have studied the effects on the phase behavior of n-alkane con...