cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
E-Government Meets Social Media: Realities and Risks

This study uses a content-analysis methodology to examine 100 e-government websites in the US and relevant social media accounts, assessing how state government portals and state governors use social media. After comparing these two environments, the author discusses the inherent risks involved in using social media.
Instructional Simulation of a Commercial Banking System

An instructional simulation program that models a commercial banking system is described. The program allows students to manage a hypothetical bank in an imperfectly competitive environment where both local and national markets and a central bank exist. Students' portfolio moves seem to be represented by a linear model where asset acquisitions are functions of time and recently observed market interest rates for assets.
The Heteroglossic World of Preschoolers' Pretend Play

This inquiry applied Bakhtin's dialogic process to the pretend play of preschool children using an interpretive approach. It used vignettes from videotaped data and Bakhtin's theories of dialogism and heteroglossia to provide an understanding of how children appropriate social roles and rules in pretend play and use a variety of 'voices' in role enactment. The study also demonstrates how role enactment contributes to the development of children's ideological self; and how the relation between the self and social/cultural contexts, a perennial issue in the social sciences, is evident within preschool children's pretend play. When applying Bakhtin's dialogic theory to pretend play, three facets became evident. First, children appropriated and assimilated others' words in play. Second, children engaged in a heteroglossic world as they employed different ways of talking to enact play roles. Third, children engaged in a struggle between an authoritative voice and internally persuasive discourse.
A simple computer program for quantitation and Scatchard analysis of steroid receptor proteins.

Abstract This paper presents a relatively simple program for the analysis of data in tissue receptor protein assays. Information is presented to the computer as c.p.m. obtained from liquid scintillation systems. The program is adaptable to clinical studies while retaining sufficient flexibility to deal with cross-competition data and the generation of regression lines for Scatchard plot analyses.
Parent–Child Interaction Therapy for Mexican Americans: A Randomized Clinical Trial

This study compared the effectiveness of a culturally modified version of Parent–Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), called Guiando a Ninos Activos (GANA), to the effectiveness of standard PCIT and Treatment as Usual (TAU) for young Mexican Amerian children with behavior problems. Fifty-eight Mexican Amerian families whose 3- to 7-year-old child had a clinically significant behavior problems were randomly assigned to GANA, standard PCIT, or TAU. All three treatment approaches produced significant pre–post improvement in conduct problems across a wide variety of parent-report measures. GANA produced results that were significantly superior to TAU across a wide variety of both parent report and observational indices; however, GANA and PCIT did not differ significantly from one another. PCIT was superior to TAU on two of the parent report indices and almost all of the observational indices. There were no significant differences between the three groups on treatment dropout, and families were more satisfied wit...
Photoacoustic Measurement of Carbon Monoxide Using a Semiconductor Diode Laser

Photoacoustic measurements have been made at the 4.803 μm absorption line of carbon monoxide in a small nonresonant cell using a low power semiconductor laser source. A simple theoretical model correctly predicts the dependence of the CO signal on chopping frequency and concentration dependence but is inadequate in describing the pressure dependence. Concentrations as low as 50 ppmv were measured by operating the cell in a double pass mode.
Correlation of High-Frequency Esophageal Ultrasonography and Manometry in the Study of Esophageal Motility

Abstract Background & Aims: No studies correlate manometric measurements with morphological changes during the esophageal peristaltic sequence. The aim of this study was to develop and use a system for sonographically imaging the esophageal wall while simultaneously recording esophageal pressure changes. Methods: An ultrasonography transducer attached to a manometric probe was used to evaluate the esophagus. Results: Four sonographic phases of an esophageal peristaltic sequence were identified. The esophageal lumen was not open at rest in phase 1 (resting), increased to a maximum mean circumference of 4.90 ± 0.57 cm in phase 2 (passive distention), and returned to a closed position in phases 3 (contraction) and 4 (relaxation). The muscle layers of the esophageal wall were at baseline resting width in phase 1, decreased in width during phase 2, increased and reached maximum mean widths during phase 3, and returned to baseline widths during phase 4. The measurement of esophageal intraluminal pressure remained at a baseline resting level during phases 1 and 2, increased to a maximum mean peak of 67.95 ± 9.18 mm Hg during phase 3, and returned to baseline during phase 4. Conclusions: A combined ultrasonography transducer/manometry probe was used to dynamically and simultaneously evaluate esophageal wall motion, muscle thickness, and esophageal pressure changes during peristalsis.
Protection against chronic cadmium toxicity by glycine.

Abstract A Japanese drug containing glycine, glycyrrhizin, and cysteine (Stronger Neo-Minophagen C ® ) has been reported to protect against chronic cadmium (Cd) toxicity. The present study was conducted to evaluate which of the three constituents of this drug was the main antagonist for Cd toxicity and whether the mechanism of protection involved antioxidant action. Adult female Sprague–Dawley rats were injected sc with 5 μmol CdCl 2 /kg per day, five times per week, for 15 weeks. Four groups of Cd-injected animals received co-treatments with either 10 mg glycyrrhizin/kg, 100 mg glycine/kg, 5 mg cysteine/kg, or with a mixture of all three compounds, five times per week, starting from week 7. An additional Cd-injected group was co-treated with vitamin E (100 mg/kg, five times per week, starting from week 7) as a positive control. Only those animals that received vitamin E, Minophagen mixture, or glycine were protected against Cd-induced hepatotoxicity as well as nephrotoxicity. All three co-treatments suppressed Cd-induced hepatic and renal lipid peroxidation. We conclude that the reported beneficial effects of Stronger Neo-Minophagen C ® are due to glycine, which appears to protect against chronic Cd toxicity by reducing oxidative stress.
Direct electron transfer of ferritin adsorbed at tin-doped indium oxide electrodes

In this work, the electron transfer reactions of horse spleen ferritin at tin-doped indium oxide electrodes were investigated for the first time. Cyclic voltammetry reveals that ferritin adsorbs from phosphate solution into a layer composed of two adsorbed states, the relative packing density of the states depending strongly on ionic strength. Upon reduction, the initial layer reconstructs into a new one with faster electron-transfer kinetics. Reduction of the adsorbed layer in the presence of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid results in the disappearance of any further voltammetric response indicating that transport of iron from the protein shell had been induced electrochemically.
Caries-experience of preschool children in selected day-care centers.

Although the data presented by Dr. Conti and his group may be typical for one region of Florida, only, they have added to the scarce information on caries-experience of preschool black children who are consuming fluoridated water.
Teaching Engineering Design: Can Reading a Textbook Make a Difference?*

Teaching design is an integral part of most engineering curricula. Often, students are introduced to the engineering design process through a chapter in a textbook. Does this passive approach to teaching an active process aid the students' learning? An experiment was conducted to assess what students learn about the design process when they read a text. Here, 10 students enrolled in a freshman course were asked to read aloud from a freshmen engineering textbook. Half of the subjects read the text prior to solving three open-ended engineering design problems and the other half solved the same problems before they read the text. Both the subjects' process in solving the problems, as well as the quality of their solutions (the product), are assessed. Results show that subjects that read the text before they solved the three problems spent significantly more time solving the problems and were more sophisticated in their problem solving strategies. These subjects also scored better when judged on the quality of their approach to the problem (including the number of design criteria considered, communications, assumptions, and technical accuracy). However, these subjects did not score better on a quality measure of the final solution.
Improved table lookup algorithms for postscaled division

Postscaled division is a non-iterative algorithm delivering a quotient of single precision accuracy by the three term product (xy/spl circ/)c and of double precision accuracy by the formula [(xy/spl circ/)c][2-(yy/spl circ/)c]. Here x is the dividend, y/spl circ/ is a low order part complemented form of the divisor y, and c is a table lookup value approximating a "reciprocal function" 1/(yy/spl circ/) to a precision of over 27 bits. Table lookup latency is hidden by performing the lookup in parallel with the first multiplication (xy/spl circ/), with the second multiplication the "postscaling" by the lookup function value. Our contribution is the description of two new lookup algorithms for approximating the reciprocal function 1/yy/spl circ/ to high accuracy in fewer cycles than a typical floating point multiply latency. Our indirect bipartite lookup procedure has a latency of two successive lookups followed by a small integer addition. This first algorithm generates a 27 bit approximation of 1/yy/spl circ/ with total table size about 5 Kbytes. Our second lookup algorithm generates a 34 bit approximation with latency determined by 11 and 12 bit table lookups and a 4-1 addition. This second approximation employs some 20 Kbytes of tables to allow for a double extended precision division result in the same number of cycles as a double precision result.
A synthetic aperture radar calibration transponder at C-band

Part of Australia's contribution to the European Space Agency's ERS-1 synthetic aperture radar experiment is the development of an active transponder to assist in the calibration of radar images. The architecture and experimental evaluation of a C-band zero-delay transponder are described in detail. The self-calibration loop of the system has been shown to provide and maintain 60 dB of active gain to an accuracy of 0.1 dB. >
MR-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) is effective for the distinct pattern of uterine fibroids seen in African-American women: data from phase III/IV, non-randomized, multicenter clinical trials

Background: Uterine fibroids are common among women at the reproductive age. Magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound surgery (MRgFUS) is a novel and a conservative treatment for symptomatic cases. The aim of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of MRgFUS in African-American (AA) women compared with that in non-African-Americans (non-AA). Methods: A single-armed phase IV study was conducted to establish the efficacy of treatment in AA women. Comparison of patient, fibroid, and treatment characteristics from this trial was compared with that of the previously published phase III trial. Both studies were approved by the IRB of each medical center. Results: Sixty-three AA and 59 non-AA women were treated with MRgFUS. Although AA women had a different pattern of disease, outcomes were similar in both groups. AA patients had a significant higher total number of fibroids compared with non-AA (median 6.0, interquartile range (IQR) 3.0–10.0 vs. 2.0, IQR 1.0–4.0, respectively, p < 0.001), although their total fibroid volume was significantly smaller (median 196.9 cm 3 ,I QR 112.8–415.3 cm 3 vs. 394.8 cm 3 ,I QR 189.8–674.4 cm 3 , respectively, p < 0.001). AA women were younger compared with non-AA (mean ± SD 43.4 ± 5.1 vs. 46.3 ± 4.1 years of age, respectively, p = 0.001) when they presented for treatment. The rate of alternative treatments as well as fibroid-associated symptoms at follow-up time points (3, 6, 12, 24, and 36 months, period following MRgFUS treatment) did not differ according to race (p ≥ 0.62). Conclusion: Despite differences in the pattern of fibroid disease, MRgFUS for uterine fibroids has a similar efficacy for AA women compared with non-AA women.
Rare Book Acquisitions

The rebirth of interest in classical literature, the discovery of new lands with exotic customs, early investigations in the medical sciences and a nationalistic philological enterprise in a young country are the dominating themes of the rare books acquired for Special Collections & Archives this year. These volumes have been purchased with a view to enhancing those areas in which there are good base collections, areas in which Special Collections & Archives can make a contribution both to preserve a part of our cultural and intellectual heritage and to interpret our holdings to those in the Rutgers community and those outside. This revitalized rare book collection, through steady growth, can become an essential part of the library and an asset to the scholarly world. Accordingly, rare books are carefully selected for purchase each year, purchases made possible by the generous bequest of Charles H . ('25) and Mary Elizabeth Brower and, just this year, the Cameron Memorial Fund.1 The following is a discussion of the volumes thus acquired. The Venetian printer/publisher Aldus Manutius (1449/50-1515) and his heirs were among the driving forces in the popularization of classical literature in the sixteenth century. Aldus himself was responsible for the coming together of elements critical to both the quality and visual enjoyment of a text: stringent scholarly editing, an easy-to-read italic typeface and the handy octavo ("pocketbook") format. The Aldine volume acquired this year consists of two classical texts, the De coniuratione Catalinae. Eiusdem De bello lugurthino of Sallust (86-35 B . C . ) and the De rebus gestis Alexandri Magni of Quintius Curtius Rufus (1st cent. A . D . ) , published in Venice in 1509 and 1520, respectively. Neither were simply reproduced from earlier printed or manuscript editions; Aldus and his associates brought their own expertise to bear on the texts. Aldus and Francesco Torresano (d. 1546), the son of his partner Andrea Torresano (1451-1529), edited the Sallust texts, incorporating two previously un-
Exchange between a freshwater embayment and a large lake through a long, shallow channel

We analyze the exchange between a weakly forced lacustrine embayment and a large lake through a long, shallow channel. Exchange in the channel is the result of a multiple and subtle balance in which spatial thermal variations (baroclinic forcing), oscillations in the water level (barotropic forcing), bottom friction, diffusion, wind forcing, and the effects of unsteadiness are all important. Temperature gradients across the channel result from differences in thermal inertia of the embayment and lake at seasonal time scales and differences in the wind-driven internal dynamics of the lake and the embayment at diurnal to synoptic time scales. These gradients are, in general, weak and barotropic forcing dominates the channel momentum balance; however, episodic upwelling in the lake can shift the balance in favor of baroclinic dominance. A combination of scaling, analysis of observational data, and threedimensional simulations are used to demonstrate that bed stress, vertical turbulent diffusion, wind stress, and unsteadiness effect exchange relative to the predictions of internal hydraulic theory—the quasisteady inviscid theory that describes the motion resulting from a purely barotropic/baroclinic force balance.
High performance analog fiber-optic links for antenna applications

Summary form only given. Simple analytic lumped-element small-signal models have been examined for the two most common link implementations: direct modulation of a diode laser, and external modulation of a laser using a Mach-Zehnder integrated-optic modulator. Although both modulation methods result in an intensity-modulated optical carrier, the modeling reveals that there are fundamental differences between the two in the dependence of various link parameters on device parameters. Analytical and experimental data show that passive impedance matching can be used to reduce loss and even achieve net RF gain in directly modulated links. A similar analysis for externally modulated links shows that the optical power, modulator sensitivity, and impedance matching can be optimized to achieve net gain. >
Hydrostatic pressure derivatives of the single crystal elastic moduli of Gd, Dy and Er*

Abstract The hydrostatic pressure derivatives of the single crystal elastic moduli of Gd, Dy and Er have been measured at 298°K, to pressures near 5 Kbar. The very small pressure derivatives of the adiabatic bulk moduli indicate that a small ion core model should be appropriate for interpreting the data. The long-range electrostatic contributions to the shear moduli have a dominant influence on the pressure derivatives of the shear moduli of Er, whereas the Gd and Dy data evidently reflect band structure contributions. The values of the longitudinal stiffnesses correspond remarkably well with the Bohm-Staver model for velocity of waves in an ion plasma dispersed in a sea of electrons, where the ionic interaction is perely Coulombic. This model is extended to provide an interpretation of the volume derivatives of the longitudinal moduli in terms of the volume derivative of the density of electron states at the Fermi energy. The Gruneisen parameters calculated from averages of the acoustic model gammas are in relatively poor agreement with those determined from thermal expansion data. An explanation based on the changes in c/a ratio with volume change is tested quantitatively and found to be reasonably successful. The values of dKT/dP, where KT is the isothermal bulk modulus, are applied to the Murnaghan equation of state and give excelent agreement with Bridgman's direct compression data for Dy and Er to 40 Kbar. For Gd, Bridgman's data indicate either that (dKT/dP)p=0 should be considerably larger than deduced from the adiabatic dKs/dP measurements or that a phase change occurs near 20 Kbar. The occurrence of a phase change in Er at ∼90 Kbar is definitely indicated when comparing the Murnaghan equation with X-ray diffraction data.
Chelation controlled addition of allylstannanes to aldehydes in lithium perchlorate-diethyl ether

Abstract α-Alkoxy aldehydes undergo chelation controlled addition of allylstannanes with high diastereoselectivity in the presence of 5.0 M lithium perchlorate in diethyl ether at ambient temperature and pressure.
Fluorescence Fluctuation Spectroscopy on Viral-Like Particles Reveals Variable Gag Stoichiometry

Fluorescence fluctuation spectroscopy determines the brightness, size, and concentration of fluorescent particles from the intensity bursts generated by individual particles passing through a small observation volume. Brightness provides a measure of the number of fluorescently labeled proteins within a complex and has been used previously to determine the stoichiometry of small oligomers in cells. We extend brightness analysis to large macromolecular protein complexes containing thousands of proteins and determine their stoichiometry. This study investigates viral-like particles (VLP) formed from human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Gag protein expressed in COS-1 cells using fluorescence fluctuation spectroscopy to determine the stoichiometry of HIV-1 Gag within the particles. Control experiments establish that the stoichiometry and size of VLPs are not influenced by labeling of HIV-1 Gag with a fluorescent protein. The experiments further show that the brightness scales linearly with the amount of labeled Gag within the particle. Brightness analysis shows that the Gag stoichiometry of VLPs formed in COS-1 cells is not constant, but varies with the amount of transfected DNA plasmid. We observed HIV-1 Gag stoichiometries ranging from ∼750 to ∼2500, whereas the size of the VLPs remains unchanged. This result indicates that large areas of the VLP membrane are void of Gag protein. Therefore, a closed layer of HIV-1 Gag at the membrane is not required for VLP production. This study shows that brightness analysis has the potential to become an important tool for investigating large molecular complexes by providing quantitative information about their size and composition.
Exact equations for fluid and solid substitution

ABSTRACTWe derived exact equations, elastic bulk and shear, for fluid and solid substitution in monomineralic isotropic rocks of arbitrary pore shape and suggested methods to obtain the required substitution parameters. We proved that the classical Gassmann’s bulk modulus equation for fluid-to-fluid substitution is exact for solid-to-solid substitution if compression-induced mean stresses (pressure) in initial and final pore solids are homogeneous and either the shear modulus of the substituted solid does not change or no shear stress is induced in pores. Moreover, when compression-induced mean stresses in initial and final pore solids are homogeneous, we evaluated exact generalizations of Gassmann’s bulk modulus equation, which depend on usually known parameters. For the effective shear modulus, we found general exactness conditions of Gassmann and other approximations. Using the new exact substitution equations, we interpreted that predicting solid-filled rock stiffness from a dry rock stiffness measure...
The ergonomics of caring for children: an exploratory study.

BACKGROUND. Caring for one's children is among the most ubiquitous of occupations. However, few studies have examined the ergonomic risks involved in parents caring for children at home. PURPOSE. The purpose of this studywas to identify the frequency, type, and severity of musculoskeletal symptoms in parents of children less than 4 years old. The study further examined the factors that contribute to musculoskeletal pain in this sample. METHODS. A convenience sample of 130 parents with children younger than 4 years old completed a seven-page survey that included questions related to the parents' demographics, their musculoskeletal discomfort, their performance of child-care tasks with high biomechanical risks (such as carrying a child in a car seat), and parents' perceived psychological strain related to caring for their children. RESULTS. Ninety-two percent (92%) of the providers were mothers. Sixty-six percent (66%) of the sample reported the presence of musculoskeletal pain. The parts of the body most affected were the low back (48%), neck (17%), upper back (16%), and shoulders (11.5%). Factors associated with musculoskeletal pain were performing child-care tasks defined as having high biomechanical risks (p= .001), the perception that caring for children is highly demanding (p = .003), and performing hobbies less than 1 hour per week (p = .04). Parents' working status, age, and participation in other daily activities were not significantly related to musculoskeletal discomfort. CONCLUSION. This study demonstrates the high prevalence of musculoskeletal pain in parents of children under the age of 4 years. It underscores the association between physical and psychological factors in the development of musculoskeletal discomfort. It suggests the need for occupational therapy wellness programs that focus on preventing musculoskeletal discomfort and providing support for the parenting role.
Survey: Real-Time Tumor Motion Prediction for Image-Guided Radiation Treatment

Tumor motion caused by patient breathing creates challenges for accurate radiation dose delivery to a tumor while sparing healthy tissues. Image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) helps, but there's a lag time between tumor position acquisition and dose delivered to that position. An efficient and accurate predictive model is thus an essential requirement for IGRT success.
Integrality Gaps for Strong SDP Relaxations of UNIQUE GAMES

With the work of Khot and Vishnoi (FOCS 2005) as a starting point, we obtain integrality gaps for certain strong SDP relaxations of unique games. Specifically, we exhibit a gap instance for the basic semidefinite program strengthened by all valid linear inequalities on the inner products of up to $\exp(\Omega(\log\log~n)^{1/4})$ vectors. For stronger relaxations obtained from the basic semidefinite program by $R$ rounds of Sherali--Adams lift-and-project, we prove a unique games integrality gap for $R = \Omega(\log\log~n)^{1/4}$.By composing these SDP gaps with UGC-hardness reductions, the above results imply corresponding integrality gaps for every problem for which a UGC-based hardness is known. Consequently, this work implies that including any valid constraints on up to$\exp(\Omega(\log\log~n)^{1/4})$ vectors to natural semidefinite program, does not improve the approximation ratio for any problem in the following classes: constraint satisfaction problems, ordering constraint satisfaction problems and metric labeling problems over constant-size metrics. We obtain similar SDP integrality gaps for balanced separator, building on Devanur et al. (STOC 2006). We also exhibit, for explicit constants $\gamma, \delta ≫ 0$, an n-point negative-type metric which requires distortion $\Omega(\log\log n)^{\gamma}$ to embed into$\ell_1$, although all its subsets of size$\exp(\Omega(\log\log~n)^{\delta})$ embed isometrically into $\ell_1$.
The mating behaviour of the tsessebe (Damaliscus lunatus lunatus) in the Kruger National Park.

The mating behaviour of tsessebe was observed in the Kruger National Park. A description of the typical sequences in the mating behaviour is given which includes the "nose and neck stretch" posture of the courtship display of the bull when approaching a cow, the role of olfactory stimuli which are derived from either smelling at the base of a cow's tail or from the ground where a cow had been laying down or urinated, the spontaneous ejaculation of the bull in response to such stimuli and mounting. Distinction is drawn between the dominance display ("nose forward-upward posture") and the courtship display of the tsessebe bull. Comparative notes on the mating behaviour of congeneric species, i.e. the blesbok (D. dorcas phillipsi), bontebok (D. d. dorcas) and topi (D. lunatus korrigum) are given. Many similarities are evident despite a number of dissimilarities. Attention is also paid to confliction interpretations of the courtship displays in the different species.
Reinforcement from In-Situ Precipitated Silica in Polysiloxane Elastomers under Various Types of Deformation

Elastomeric networks prepared by tetrafunctionally end linking hydroxyl-terminated poly(dimethylsiloxane) chains (PDMS) were filled by the in-situ precipitation of silica. The resulting networks were investigated under uniaxial elongation, biaxial extension, shear, and torsion in order to characterize the resulting changes in mechanical properties. Compared with the unfilled networks, the silica-filled materials showed large reinforcing effects. Specifically, their values of the modulus, ultimate strength, and rupture energy increased significantly. The results thus indicate that the PDMS networks filled by the in-situ precipitation of silica have very good mechanical properties in several, rather different deformations. Examples of other deformations of interest are equilibrium swelling, and dynamic cycling for characterization of compression set.
Improving the Writing, Knowledge, and Motivation of Struggling Young Writers: Effects of Self-Regulated Strategy Development With and Without Peer Support

Writing development involves changes that occur in children’s strategic behavior, knowledge, and motivation. The authors examined the effectiveness of self-regulated strategy development (SRSD), a strategy instructional model designed to promote development in each of these areas. Instruction focused on planning and writing stories and persuasive essays. The addition of a peer support component to SRSD instruction aimed at facilitating maintenance and generalization effects was also examined. SRSD had a positive impact on the writing performance and knowledge of struggling second-grade writers attending urban schools serving a high percentage of low-income families. In comparison with children in the Writers’ Workshop condition, SRSD-instructed students were more knowledgeable about writing and evidenced stronger performance in the two instructed genres (story and persuasive writing) as well as two uninstructed genres (personal narrative and informative writing). Moreover, the peer support component augme...
Materials integration issues for high performance fusion power systems

One of the primary requirements for the development of fusion as an energy source is the qualification of materials for the frost wall/blanket system that will provide high performance and exhibit favorable safety and environmental features. Both economic competitiveness and the environmental attractiveness of fusion will be strongly influenced by the materials constraints. A key aspect is the development of a compatible combination of materials for the various functions of structure, tritium breeding, coolant, neutron multiplication and other special requirements for a specific system. This paper presents an overview of key materials integration issues for high performance fusion power systems. Issues such as: chemical compatibility of structure and coolant, hydrogen/tritium interactions with the plasma facing/structure/breeder materials, thermomechanical constraints associated with coolant/structure, thermal-hydraulic requirements, and safety/environmental considerations from a systems viewpoint are presented. The major materials interactions for leading blanket concepts are discussed.
Design of coupled-oscillator arrays without a posteriori tuning

We present a systematic design method for a bilateral nearest neighbor coupling oscillator array. Our goal is to eliminate tuning circuitry in the unit oscillator, and no post-tuning is required for such an array to achieve coherent operation. The method maximizes the locking range of oscillator cells by optimizing the phase slope of the open-loop gain. Experimental result validates the approach.
Direct In Vivo Manipulation and Imaging of Calcium Transients in Neutrophils Identify a Critical Role for Leading-Edge Calcium Flux

Calcium signaling has long been associated with key events of immunity, including chemotaxis, phagocytosis, and activation. However, imaging and manipulation of calcium flux in motile immune cells in live animals remain challenging. Using light-sheet microscopy for in vivo calcium imaging in zebrafish, we observe characteristic patterns of calcium flux triggered by distinct events, including phagocytosis of pathogenic bacteria and migration of neutrophils toward inflammatory stimuli. In contrast to findings from ex vivo studies, we observe enriched calcium influx at the leading edge of migrating neutrophils. To directly manipulate calcium dynamics in vivo, we have developed transgenic lines with cell-specific expression of the mammalian TRPV1 channel, enabling ligand-gated, reversible, and spatiotemporal control of calcium influx. We find that controlled calcium influx can function to help define the neutrophil's leading edge. Cell-specific TRPV1 expression may have broad utility for precise control of calcium dynamics in other immune cell types and organisms.
Exposure Modeling and Measurement: Exposure Factors

Exposure factors are disparate types of data that describe human characteristics and behavior that are essential for estimation of human exposure and risk from environmental chemical, biological, and physical agents. They include environmental media-specific intake rates (e.g., volume of water or air consumed daily), human body characteristics (e.g., height, weight, and skin surface area) and behavior patterns (e.g., children's hand-to-mouth contact rates), and chemical-specific data (e.g., dermal flux coefficients). They are important because they are necessary for linking measurements and models to actual human exposure. The exposure assessment process identifies potential exposed populations, pathways, and exposure conditions, and exposure factors are used to quantify the magnitude of agent intakes and potential doses. The quantitative estimation of exposure is typically approached in three ways: personal measurements, biomonitoring, or scenario-based assessment. All methods require exposure factors to translate exposure to a dose, and characterizing variability and uncertainty in the parameters and models is important for developing scientifically defensible estimates of exposure and risk.
Comparison of particulate deposition and clearance in mouse lung by two different drug delivery methods

AACR Annual Meeting-- Apr 12-16, 2008; San Diego, CA 3055 Oropharyngeal aspiration is a simple, easy, and fast method for delivering a drug directly to the respiratory tract. The current study was designed to compare the efficacy of chemical deposition and clearance in the lung by two different delivery systems (oropharyngeal aspiration and inhalation) by determining the time course of deposition and clearance of an agent. Female A/J mice were exposed to 9, 10 Phenanthrene diamine (PDA), a fluorescent chemical, at a single dose once (based on data from a dose selection study) or for 5 consecutive days (cumulative exposure) either by nose only inhalation for 1 hr or by oropharyngeal aspiration . At various time points (1, 2, 4, 6, 12 and 24 hrs after single exposure or 6, 12, 24 and 72 hrs after multiple exposures), the trachea, bronchus and lung tissues were removed and frozen in liquid nitrogen for determining the percent of PDA deposition using an HPLC method with fluorescence detection (FLD) at excitation of 250 nm and emission of 410 nm. For both methods, the data showed that PDA rapidly deposited in the lung. At one hour post-exposure, the percent of deposited PDA has reached to 82.5 and 88 % for aspiration and inhalation, respectively, and gradually increased with time indicating a similar trend in deposition by both aspiration and inhalation. However, the amount of PDA in the inhalation group remained the same up to 12 hrs and then decreased to background value by 24 hrs indicating that clearance in the inhalation group was slower than that of the aspiration group. On the contrary data from the 5-day cumulative exposure showed that the percent of PDA deposition in the lung remained 89 and 75 % for both the aspiration and inhalation groups, respectively, at 6 hours after exposure and then slowly reduced with time in both groups (75 to 46 % and 89 to 66 %, respectively). There was a significant decrease in the amount of PDA in lung tissue after 12 hours (798 µg to 85 µg) in the inhalation group with no difference between the aspiration and inhalation groups at the 72 hour time point (43 µg vs.33 µg), whereas, the amount of PDA remained similar at all time points in aspiration group. This data indicates that the clearance of PDA in the lung tissue was slower in the aspiration system by multiple dosing when compared to the inhalation delivery system. In conclusion, it appears that aspiration can be a feasible and advantageous alternative to administering agents to mice via inhalation, as it requires smaller amounts of chemopreventive agents in addition to maintaining drug concentration for extended periods, an essential parameter to consider when agents are tested for tumor inhibition efficacy (Supported by NCI #N01-CN-53301).
Understanding September 11th - An International Legal Perspective on the War in Afghanistan

America's military response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks was an invasion and occupation of Afghanistan, toppling the Taliban government and pursuing al Qaeda remnants. This action was covered by Article 51 of the U.N. Charter as self-defense and carried forth under Article 5 of the North Atlantic Charter as a NATO operation. This paper analyzes the legality of the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan.
Effects of an oral contraceptive on hepatic size and antipyrine metabolism in premenopausal women.

Effects of an oral contraceptive (OC) on hepatic size and antipyrine metabolism in premenopausal women were investigated. Liver volume and antipyrine disposition were studied in 19 healthy women aged 16-32 years who received 30 mcg ethinyl estradiol plus 500 mcg dl-norgesterol. After 6 months of treatment a 17% increase (p < .05) in liver volume and a 21% (p < .01) decrease in antipyrine clearance were noted. Following discontinuation of OC therapy antipyrine clearance increased 30% (p < .05) returning to control values. These data confirm that conventional OC therapy for premenopausal women increases hepatic size and that it is a potent inhibitor of drug-metabolizing activity.
Red Cell Distribution Width and all cause mortality in critically ill patients

Objective:Red cell distribution width is a predictor of mortality in the general population. The prevalence of increased red cell distribution width and its significance in the intensive care unit are unknown. The objective of this study was to investigate the association between red cell distributi
Recovery of Synanthedon pictipes Males Released at Various Distances Downwind of Sex Pheromone Traps

Males of Synanthedon pictipes (Grote and Robinson) were released at 4 distances downwind of female pheromone traps. The recovery was 67% at 100 m and decreased gradually to 40% at 800 m. Findings from diffusion and probit theory were combined to derive a linear relationship between log of distance and probit of percent recovery that described the data. Various effects of wind velocity and associated turbulence on insect pheromone communication are briefly discussed.
Dermatologic therapy: 1993

This article reviews some therapeutic results reported in the English-language literature during 1993. Readers should review the original article in full before attempting any experimental or controversial therapy.
Approach to skeletal maturation.

SUMMARY Skeletal maturation is marked by an orderly and reproducible sequence of recognizable changes in the appearance of the skeleton during childhood. Such changes include the timing and sequence of the appearance of the centers of ossification, specific alterations in the contours of the bones, and the timing and sequence of the ultimate closure of the growth plates. Radiographically, skeletal maturity can be assessed by comparing the radiographic appearance of portions of an individual child's skeleton with the standardized appearance in a comparable population of children at various stages in their progress toward maturity. Radiographic assessment of skeletal maturity in the child is most frequently based on the appearance of the hand and wrist. Considerable normative data are available for this examination. The Greulich-Pyle atlas is the system which is most frequently used in the United States. Assessment of skeletal maturity can be useful in the evaluation and management of children with various endocrinopathies (especially those involving the pituitary, thyroid, and gonads) and in children with malformation syndromes. Skeletal maturity assessment is also frequently requested as part of the evaluation of children who are either too tall or too short for their chronologic age and can be used to predict height at maturity. Such assessment can also be useful in planning orthopedic procedures in which the outcome may be influenced by subsequent growth of the child (e.g., surgical management of scoliosis or leg-length discrepancy).
Chapter 14 Lipoprotein structure and secretion

Publisher Summary Plasma lipoproteins are macromolecular aggregates of specific lipids and proteins, which transport water insoluble nutrients through the bloodstream from their site of absorption or synthesis to peripheral tissue. This chapter discusses how the lipid composition and structure of the plasma lipoproteins are derived from their biosynthetic pathways. While within a particular class of lipoproteins there is considerable variation in its lipid composition and complement of apolipoproteins, certain common structural features prevail that reflect functional considerations. Understanding the origin, metabolism, and functions of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) subspecies are areas that require more attention. However, little definitive information exists regarding how HDL is assembled, and it is not yet clear whether HDL is assembled within the cell or is assembled extracellularly in the plasma compartment. Because of the generally accepted importance that lipoprotein assembly and metabolism play in regard to health and disease, new knowledge obtained will likely have significant medical implications.
The pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of sublingual and oral alprazolam in the post-prandial state.

We gave 12 healthy male volunteers 1 mg of alprazolam or placebo on three occasions after a standard breakfast in a double-blind, randomized, single-dose, three-way crossover study. The three trials were: (a) oral alprazolam and sublingual placebo; (b) oral placebo and sublingual alprazolam; (c) placebo by both routes. Plasma alprazolam concentrations during 24 h after each dose were measured by electron-capture gas-liquid chromatography. Peak plasma concentrations were reached later after sublingual than oral dosage (2.8 vs 1.8 h, P less than 0.01). Other kinetic variables were not significantly different: peak plasma concentration, 11.3 vs 12.0 ng.ml-1; elimination half-life, 12.5 vs 11.7 h; and total area under the plasma concentration versus time curve, 197 vs 186 h.ng.ml-1. Pharmacodynamic measures showed that sublingual and oral alprazolam both produced sedation, fatigue, impaired digit symbol substitution, slowing of reaction time, and impairment of the acquisition and recall of information. These changes were initially observed at 0.5 h after dosage and lasted up to 8 h. In general the two routes were significantly different from placebo but not from each other.
Transient Expression of Plasmodium berghei MSP8 and HAP2 in the Marine Protozoan Parasite Perkinsus marinus.

Abstract Perkinsus marinus is a protozoan parasite of molluscs that can be propagated in vitro in a defined culture medium, in the absence of host cells. We previously reported that P. marinus trophozoites can be transfected with high efficiency by electroporation using a plasmid based on MOE, a highly expressed gene, and proposed its potential use as a “pseudoparasite.” This is a novel gene expression platform for parasites of medical relevance for which the choice of the surrogate organism is based on phylogenetic affinity to the parasite of interest, while taking advantage of the whole engineered surrogate organism as a vaccination adjuvant. Here we improved the original transfection plasmid by incorporating a multicloning site, an enterokinase recognition sequence upstream of GFP, and a His-tag and demonstrate its potential suitability for the heterologous expression of Plasmodium sp. genes relevant to the development of anti-malarial vaccines. Plasmodium berghei HAP2 and MSP8, currently considered ca...
The Diseased "Terror Tunnels" in Gaza: Israeli Surveillance and the Autoimmunization of an Illiberal Democracy

This essay provides an ideological critique of the media tropes that have been used by Israeli militarists, politicians, diplomats, and members of the public to characterize Gazan “terror tunnels” as existential threats. The author extends the work of Butler, Derrida, Esposito, and other scholars to illustrate the ways that autoimmunizing rhetorics are used to render precarious the lives of Israelis while erasing the non-combat status of Gazan civilians who are accused of aiding and abetting those who build smuggling tunnels. This focus on the alleged existential danger of the tunnels is used to ward off international criticism of those who accused the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) of violating the international humanitarian law principles of distinction, proportionality, necessity, and humanity.
Using Longitudinal Social Media Analysis to Understand the Effects of Early College Alcohol Use.

While college completion is predictive of individual career happiness and economic achievement, many factors, such as excessive alcohol usage, jeopardize college success. In this paper, we propose a method for analyzing large-scale, longitudinal social media timelines to provide fine-grained visibility into how the behaviors and trajectories of alcohol-mentioning students differ from their peers. Using propensity score stratification to reduce bias from confounding factors, we analyze the Twitter data of 63k college students over 5 years to study the effect of early alcohol usage on topics linked to college success. We find multi-year effects, including lower mentions of study habits, increased mentions of potentially risky behaviors, and decreases in mentions of positive emotions. We conclude with a discussion of social media data’s role in the study of the risky behaviors of college students and other individual behaviors with long-term effects.
Harnessing uncertainty to approximate mechanistic models of interspecific interactions

Because the Lotka-Volterra competitive equations posit no specific competitive mechanisms, they are exceedingly general, and can theoretically approximate any underlying mechanism of competition near equilibrium. In practice, however, these models rarely generate accurate predictions in diverse communities. We propose that this difference between theory and practice may be caused by how uncertainty propagates through Lotka-Volterra systems. In approximating mechanistic relationships with Lotka-Volterra models, associations among parameters are lost, and small variation can correspond to large and unrealistic changes in predictions. We demonstrate that constraining Lotka-Volterra models using correlations among parameters expected from hypothesized underlying mechanisms can reintroduce some of the underlying structure imposed by those mechanisms, thereby improving model predictions by both reducing bias and increasing precision. Our results suggest that this hybrid approach may combine some of the generality of phenomenological models with the broader applicability and meaningful interpretability of mechanistic approaches. These methods could be useful in poorly understood systems for identifying important coexistence mechanisms, or for making more accurate predictions.
Conjugated Polymers: The Interplay Between Synthesis, Structure, and Properties

Polymers containing highly loosely held electrons in their backbones, often referred to as conjugated polymers or conducting polymers, have attracted much research effort in the last ten years or so. Many investigations were first motivated by the observation that oxidizing or reducing the backbone (doping) of polyacetylene at a level equivalent to removing/adding an electron in one out of every 5–15 repeat units, increased the conductivity of the matrix by many orders of magnitude.1–3 Because the electrons in these delocalized systems are also easily polarized by an external electric field such as that found in light, these types of polymers have also attracted interest for their nonlinear optical properties.4–6 These polymers have also been proposed as “molecular wires” for nanotechnology.7