cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Racial Disparities in Lung Cancer Screening: An Exploratory Investigation.

Abstract Background/Purpose Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the United States. Black Americans have the highest rate of lung cancer mortality, due to being diagnosed at later stage. Lung Cancer Screening (LCS) facilitates earlier detection and has been associated with a reduction in cancer death. We investigated LCS utilization and explored racial disparities (Black vs. non-Black) in LCS among patients for whom LCS is clinically indicated. Methods Using electronic medical records from the Lifespan Medical System, we randomly selected 200 patients who were likely to meet U. S. Preventive Services Taskforce (USPSTF) guidelines for LCS and mailed each patient a survey to assess LCS eligibility and uptake. Results Nearly three-quarters (n = 146, 73%) completed the survey and, of survey respondents, 92% (n = 134) were eligible for the study. Among eligible patients, 35% met criteria for LCS; non-Black patients were 90% more likely to meet criteria for LCS than Black patients (44% vs. 27%). Of the patients meeting USPSTF criteria, only 21% reported being screened; eligible non-Black patients were 2.8 times more likely to have had LCS than eligible Black patients (30% vs. 12%). Conclusions LCS utilization is low despite coverage provided through the Affordable Care Act. Black patients are less likely to qualify for screening and disproportionately less likely to be screened for lung cancer compared with non-Black patients. Targeted intervention strategies are needed to increase referral for and uptake of LCS in patients who are at high risk for developing lung cancer, and for Black patients in particular.
Toward Intergenerational Ministry in a Post-Christian Era:

This article addresses intergenerational fragmentation within the church's teaching ministry which undermines the unity and purpose of the body of Christ. This phenomenon is the consequence of an o...
Quality Control in the Endoplasmic Reticulum: Crosstalk between ERAD and UPR pathways

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-associated degradation (ERAD) and the unfolded protein response (UPR) are two key quality-control machineries in the cell. ERAD is responsible for the clearance of misfolded proteins in the ER for cytosolic proteasomal degradation, while UPR is activated in response to the accumulation of misfolded proteins. It has long been thought that ERAD is an integral part of UPR because expression of many ERAD genes is controlled by UPR; however, recent studies have suggested that ERAD has a direct role in controlling the protein turnover and abundance of IRE1α, the most conserved UPR sensor. Here, we review recent advances in our understanding of IRE1α activation and propose that UPR and ERAD engage in an intimate crosstalk to define folding capacity and maintain homeostasis in the ER.
A simple method for evaluating data from an interlaboratory study

Large-scale laboratory- and method-performance studies involving more than about 30 laboratories may be evaluated by calculating the HORRAT ratio for each test sample (HORRAT = [experimentally found among-laboratories relative standard deviation] divided by [relative standard deviation calculated from the Horwitz formula]). The chemical analytical method is deemed acceptable per se if HORRAT approximately 1.0 (+/- 0.5). If HORRAT is > or approximately 2.0, the most extreme values are removed successively until an "acceptable" ratio is obtained. The laboratories responsible for the extreme values that are removed should examine their technique and procedures. If > or approximately 15% of the values have to be removed, the instructions and the methods should be examined. This suggested computation procedure is simple and does not require statistical outlier tables. Proposed action limits may be adjusted according to experience. Data supporting U.S. Environmental Protection Agency method 245.1 for mercury in waters (manual cold-vapor atomic absorption spectrometry), supplemented by subsequent laboratory-performance data, were reexamined in this manner. Method-performance parameters (means and among-laboratories relative standard deviations) were comparable with results from the original statistical analysis that used a robust biweight procedure for outlier removal. The precision of the current controlled performance is better by a factor of 4 than that of estimates resulting from the original method-performance study, at the expense of rejecting more experimental values as outliers.
INFRARED WATER VAPOR MEASUREMENTS FROM THE KUIPER AIRBORNE OBSERVATORY

Since 1974 the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) aircraft observatory, based at Ames Research Center, has provided a platform for extensive year-around water vapor measurements at flight levels to 45,000 ft. (13.5 km). Three general methods have been employed for remotely sensing the total water vapor overburden above the aircraft. These are (1) broadband radiometry in the 20 μm to 40 μm range; (2) absorption spectra of astronomical sources in the 20 μm to 200 μm region; and (3) molecular oxygen-water vapor emission line ratios in the region of 700 μm. This paper reviews the existing data, and the implied stratospheric water vapor limits of these aircraft measurements in comparison with other methods of measurement.
Optimization and Analysis of Wire-Wound Coil Heads for EMI Systems

Many different coil head configurations are used in electromagnetic induction (EMI) systems for sensing buried targets; however, very little has been published on comparing the configurations. Comparing different coil head designs to one another is cumbersome because many factors determine how well different coil heads perform when constructed and attached to a system. Calculating the voltage received by a particular coil under ideal conditions is trivial, but this requires accounting for such factors as overall coil size, wire diameter, and conductivity. Comparing how only the winding geometries of various coil heads affect performance is much less straightforward. A set of normalized metrics that are independent of design decisions other than winding geometry are needed. This paper details a set of metrics for the characterization and comparison of EMI coil heads. These metrics are then used to optimize double-D, concentric, and dipole/quadrupole coil heads, which are then analyzed and compared to one another.
Essay: Common Fates, Common Goals—A Response to Cyr:

“The Soldier, the State, and the People—Costs and Benefits of Military Regimes”: Evaluating the Essay “Guns and Butter: Child Mortality and the Mediators of Militarization” raises several concerns ...
"HOT NEWS": THE ENDURING MYTH OF PROPERTY IN NEWS

The ‘hot news’ doctrine refers to a cause of action for the misappropriation of time-sensitive factual information that state laws today afford purveyors of news against free riding by a direct competitor. Entirely the offshoot of the Supreme Court’s 1918 decision in International News Service v. Associated Press, the doctrine enables an information gatherer to prevent a competitor from free riding on its efforts at collecting and distributing timely information. While the doctrine lay dormant for decades, the last few years have seen a renewed interest in its utility, given the financial difficulties of the newspaper industry. News gatherers of different kinds have begun using the doctrine with increased frequency, in the belief that it creates and protects an ownership interest in news, a right that they might be able to leverage to create a licensing market for the use of news that they collect. This Article argues that this belief misapprehends the basis for the hot news doctrine. As a doctrine that originates in the synthesis of two different areas of the common law, unfair competition and unjust enrichment, hot news is concerned principally with solving a collective action problem in the market for news gathering. Recognizing that news gathering involves enormous expenditures on the part of newspapers, it attempts to preserve the incentives of individual competitors to enter into cooperative newsgathering and sharing arrangements that raise their individual and collective profitability, while simultaneously maintaining the common pool (i.e., public domain) nature of factual news. Thus, it attempts to maintain a competitive equilibrium among news gatherers through a gain-based liability framework and, in the process, emphasizes a very different distributive baseline from that inherent in the idea of property in news. Appreciating this difference and its significance is crucial to the doctrine’s continuing survival and sheds light on its inherent unsuitability as a mechanism by which to "reinvent" or "save" newspaper journalism, as some claim it will.
How Psi Chi Became the International Honor Society in Psychology

Psi Chi, the National Honor Society in Psychology, was founded in 1929 during the Ninth International Congress of Psychology at Yale University, the first convened in the United States. Eighty years later, in 2009, Psi Chi officially became the International Honor Society in Psychology. Now, on the tenth anniversary of that change, it seems fitting to tell the story of how Psi Chi became the International Honor Society in Psychology. Several former leaders contributed significantly to this international expansion. My involvement began when I was elected to the position of Vice-President for the Southwestern Region. During my two terms as VP, I advocated for an international perspective whenever possible. After completing my second term as VP, I was elected to the position of PresidentElect and began writing short articles for Eye on Psi Chi that suggested a more international perspective. As President, I continued the effort to encourage Psi Chi to become international. I developed ten proposed amendments to the Psi Chi Constitution that, if approved, would transition Psi Chi from a national to an international society. During the last business meeting of my term as Past-President in August 2008, the Council approved all ten amendments. The final step, a national vote by the Psi Chi chapters in April of 2009, also approved all ten amendments and made the changes official. Now, in 2019, Psi Chi celebrates the tenth anniversary of the transition from a national to an international society with 23 chapters in 15 countries or U.S. territories.
Polymer nanocarriers for MicroRNA delivery

Abnormal expression of microRNAs (miRNAs), which are highlyconserved noncoding RNAs that regulate the expression of various genes post transcriptionally to control cellular functions, has been associated with the development of many diseases. In some cases, disease-promoting miRNAs are upregulated, while in other instances disease-suppressive miRNAs are downregulated. To alleviate this imbalanced miRNA expression, either antagomiRs or miRNA mimics can be delivered to cells to inhibit or promote miRNA expression, respectively. Unfortunately, the clinical translation of bare antagomiRs and miRNA mimics has been challenging because nucleic acids are susceptible to nuclease degradation, display unfavorable pharmacokinetics, and cannot passively enter cells. This review emphasizes the challenges associated with miRNA mimic delivery and then discusses the design and implementation of polymer nanocarriers to overcome these challenges. Preclinical efforts are summarized, and a forward-looking perspective on the future clinical translation of polymer nanomaterials as miRNA delivery vehicles is provided.
World’s Leading National, Public, Monastery and Royal Library Directors: Leadership, Management, Future of Libraries: by Patrick Lo, Allan Cho, and Dickson Chiu, Berlin, Germany, DeGruyter Saur, 2017, 366 pp.

World’s Leading National, Public, Monastery and Royal Library Directors: Leadership, Management, Future of Libraries brings together interviews of senior leadership at twenty-eight libraries across...
Retail Rate Designs: Current Developments in the Industry [In My View]

Retail electricity pricing is evolving in the context of broader shifts in how electricity customers pay for grid services and are compensated for customer-sited generation. These retail rate reforms are occurring mostly, though not exclusively, among residential customer classes and are driven by a variety of technology- and policy related trends.
Thixotropy effects on drilling hydraulics

Abstract Thixotropy is the reversible breakdown of fluid microstructure when sheared. The microstructure achieves a new steady-state once shearing stops. Drilling fluids are thixotropic due to their rheological makeup which means that fluid microstructure has a time-dependent response to changes in applied shear rate. In contrast to the literature focusing on the time-independent nature of drilling fluid, few studies have focused on the time-dependent response and even fewer have considered cuttings transport while doing so. The purpose of this study is to investigate the fundamental relationship between thixotropy and drilling hydraulics. An algorithm is developed to model thixotropy using flow history. The results show that the addition of drill cuttings does not directly affect the thixotropic behavior, rather the steady-state response is impacted which consequently changes the thixotropic response. Since the fluid microstructure takes time to respond to shear rate variations, viscosity lags behind shear rate variations causing annular pressure loss to fluctuate. The magnitude of pressure fluctuations is inversely proportional to characteristic time and directly proportional to stretching exponent. At smaller characteristic time coupled with smaller stretching exponent, high yield stress deteriorates cuttings transport. For larger values of characteristic time and stretching exponent, a clear trend is not observed, and further investigation is recommended. Nevertheless, when the thixotropic behavior of drilling fluid is considered, the results show that high flow rates and yield stresses do not guarantee efficient hole cleaning. Out of the two industrial fluid samples discussed, WBM yields higher pressure fluctuations and better cuttings transport compared to OBM. Since the proposed algorithm does not differentiate between the types of drilling fluids, this is due to WBM's smaller characteristic time and larger stretching exponent. It is suggested that a fluid exhibiting a slower response to shear rate changes causes higher pressure fluctuations and better cuttings transport.
Using the Self-Regulated Strategy Development Framework to Teach Reading Comprehension Strategies to Elementary Students with Disabilities

This study examined the effect of the self-regulated strategy development (SRSD) instructional model on the reading comprehension of elementary students with behavior challenges using a multiple-baseline across students design. Students were taught TRAP (Think before reading, Read the paragraph, Ask yourself what the paragraph is mostly about and what is the most important information, and Paraphrase the paragraph; Mason et al. 2012) mnemonic using the six recursive stages of SRSD. A functional relation between the TRAP intervention and student scores on reading comprehension probes were observed. High treatment fidelity and social validity were reported. Limitations, implications for practitioner use, and directions for future research are discussed.
Leading Through the “Influx:” Leadership Responses and the Influence of a Political Spectacle:

Principals encounter numerous crises, such as migration influxes. Relevant literature explains principals respond to these crises in a variety of ways. However, there is a dearth in the literature ...
“It makes me feel like good inside because I helped him do stuff” – Perceptions of psychological well-being in adolescents providing dementia care

According to a 2018 report by the Alzheimer's Association, an estimated 250,000 children help support a family member with dementia, but few studies exist that describe their experience as family carers. This qualitative descriptive study sought to understand the perceived psychological well-being of adolescents who assist with providing care to family members with dementia. Eleven adolescents ages 12 to 17 caring for older non-parental family members with dementia in northwest Ohio participated in one of three focus group discussions. An adult family member was surveyed about family background and level of assistance provided. The data from the two questionnaires were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Focus group transcripts were analyzed using thematic content analysis. Thematic analysis revealed six themes related to psychological well-being: 1) Feeling compassion for the family member; 2) Finding connection through fun, humor, and mutual affection; 3) Helping even though it is not always pleasant; 4) Feeling good inside about helping family "do stuff"; 5) Believing no one can do it like family; and 6) Reflecting that it is just something that they do. The findings of this study provide new insight into adolescents' experiences of dementia family care and how it affects their psychological well-being. An examination of the themes suggests that secondary caring roles were mostly positive in nature and may help adolescents forge closer family relationships, find opportunities for personal growth and development, and overcome challenges to grow more confident. These findings may also suggest ways to include adolescents in family care as a means of positive growth opportunities.
QoP and Secrecy of a Cooperative Communication System

Cooperative communication (a.k.a. relaying communication) strategies are very important in modern wireless communication systems. In this paper, we investigate the secrecy performance of a generic relay cluster including a Nakagami-m fading link. We derive several benchmark metrics of this system. These metrics are explicitly expressed in the closed-form. The present work extends the results of a recently reported study, where only the Rayleigh fading was considered and only the metric bounds were presented. The results obtained in this paper, due to their simple yet closed-form expressions, could be used to describe some higher level attributes such as the Quality-of-Protection (QoP). We note that currently QoP is receiving ever a high attention in performance evaluation. As a necessary component of the present study, numerical results are included and discussed. Moreover, a case study associated with machine learning is also included. The presented methodology can be easily applied to other scenarios.
Sine Qua Non: Dentigerous Cyst

Dentigerous cysts, also known as follicular cysts, are among the most common developmental cysts of the gnathic bones. The majority of cases are clinically asymptomatic and discovered incidentally on panographic radiographs during routine dental care. The cyst appears as a radiolucency, classically unilocular, associated with the crown of an unerupted or impacted tooth. Usually diagnosed in the 2nd-3rd decade, third molars of the mandible are the most commonly affected teeth. Histologically, dentigerous cysts demonstrate a fibrous or fibromyxoid connective tissue wall lined by squamous epithelium, classically lacking rete ridges. Inflammation may introduce histologic changes, however. The differential diagnosis includes hyperplastic dental follicle, periapical or radicular cyst, unicystic ameloblastoma, odontogenic keratocyst, and other odontogenic cysts and tumors. While the findings are generally classic and pose no diagnostic dilemma, the diagnosis is best made in the context of the appropriate clinical and radiographic setting. Submitted tissue with a lack of history, to include a detailed relationship with the affected tooth, may result in misdiagnosis and subsequent confusion for the clinician. So, despite its simple features, dentigerous cysts are not uncommonly mischaracterized. Therefore a review of a classic case of dentigerous cyst is presented.
The Internet of Things as a Global Policy Frontier

This paper surveys a variety of global public policy challenges arising from widespread adoption of cyber-physical systems, or "Internet of Things" technologies. Contrary to common understandings, which see cyber-physical systems as relevant primarily for consumer applications and local infrastructure, we argue that these technologies create important global policy and global governance considerations.
Do We Need More Cops? An Analysis of the Determinants of Metro Crime Rates

This paper studies and theorizes the impact that law enforcement in cities has on criminal activities. Exploring primarily covariates, the results from two IV approaches show that increasing police officers in regions does not reduce the corresponding crimes. There are two sets of data used in this research for each IV strategy—first, the city-level data for more than a hundred cities across the US. Second is the state-level data for fifty states and DC. Falsification tests are conducted to validate the empirical conclusion. Based on the results, I propose an alternative theoretical model compared to the conventional framework, in which there is a trade-off between hiring more enforcement law forces and raising taxes in an economy.
Cervical spine clearance when unable to be cleared clinically: a pooled analysis of combined computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging

Abstract Background The role of cervical spine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the evaluation of clinically unevaluable blunt trauma patients has been called into question by several recent studies. Methods A PubMed search was performed for all studies comparing computed tomography and MRI in the assessment of the cervical spine in patients who cannot be evaluated clinically. The radiologic findings and clinical outcomes from each study were collated for analysis. Results Data for 1,714 patients were available. All patients had a negative computed tomography scan and then underwent an MRI. There were 271 (15.8%) patients who had a previously undocumented finding on MRI with the majority (98.2%) being a ligamentous injury. Only 5 injuries (1.8%) resulted in surgical intervention. Conclusions MRI identifies additional injuries; however, the vast majority are of minor clinical significance. Routine MRI after a negative computed tomography of the cervical spine is not supported by the current literature.
Structure and Intranuclear Dynamics of Androgen Receptors

Amino terminal regions of human and rat androgen receptors (AR) are rich in oligo-and poly(amino acid) motifs as in some homeotic genes, whereas the androgen-binding domain is rich in methionine residues. The cysteine-rich DNA binding domain is well conserved and is highly homologous with the DNA-binding domains of receptors for glucocorticoids (GR) mineralocorticoids (MR) and progestins (PR). While steroid-receptor (S-R) complexes appearto regulate specific gene transcription by binding to hormone responsive elements in target genes, S-R complexes may also bind to specific sequences on RNAs and play a key role in modulation of RNA processing, stabilization, and/or utilization. In a study to explore this possiblity in the rat ventral prostate, we found that inhibition of RNA synthesis by actinomycin D resulted in trapping of the A-R complexes as a chromatin-bound form, whereas 3’-deoxyadenosine (3’-dA or cordycepin), a potent inhibitor of RNA processing, reduced chromatin-bound A-R complexes, apparently by limiting nuclear AR recycling.
Uniting States: Voluntary Union in World Politics

1. Introduction 2. Explaining Political Union 3. Force, Fraud, and the Founding of the American Constitution 4. America's necessity 5. Switzerland, Staatenbund to Bundesstaat 6. The Liminal Union of Sweden and Norway 7. Bolivar's Dreams of Gran Colombia 8. Europe's American Idol 9. Conclusion Appendix: Machiavelli and the Missing Romulus
On Spectral Asymptotics for Domains with Fractal Boundaries of Cabbage Type

The second term of the asymptotic expansion of the eigenvalue counting function N(λ) is found for the Dirichlet Laplacian in a class of domains with fractal boundaries.
Performance requirements for the military small mobile electric power generation

Results of a study of a small mobile electric power generation requirements of the US Army for the next two decades, identifies the technical and operational challenges from the war fighting doctrine. Considering the effect of a quantum leap in information technology, it provides examples of the changing nature of the tactical electrical load. It identifies both the need and capability of interconnection for the reliability at this level. Analysis of the doctrine and technology leads to several broad requirements for tactical electric power in the military. Indicators are defined to help identify the most promising designs. Performance drivers help prioritize these indicators.
Attitudinal, Personality, and Age Characteristics for Machine-Paced and Self-Paced Operations1:

In studying the personality, attitude and subjective feelings of 33 female operators regarding their jobs, the following is concluded: that workers with specific identifiable attributes are more suited for machine-paced work than people having different attributes; attributes of people most suited for self-paced work are also identified. These attributes are detailed and discussed. Language: en
Nutritive value of rubber seed (Hevea brasiliensis) meal: utilization by growing pigs of semipurified diets in which rubber seed meal partially replaced soybean meal

Thirty-six four-way cross (Chester White X Landrace X Large White X Yorkshire) growing barrows and gilts were used to investigate the effects of replacing graded levels of protein from soybean meal with equivalent levels of protein from rubber seed meal in 16% CP semipurified diets on the performance characteristics, hematocrit, plasma metabolites and N utilization of pigs. The first diet (control) was largely cornstarch-soybean meal in which the soybean meal supplied all of the CP. In other diets, rubber seed meal replaced 10%, 20% and 30%, respectively, of the protein of soybean meal in the control diet. Twenty gilts were used in a 28-d growth trial and 16 barrows were used in an 8-d digestion trial (4-d collection). There were no differences (P greater than .05) in ADG, ADF intake and in the feed:gain ratios, even though there was a trend for lower ADG and gain:feed ratio as the level of rubber seed meal increased in the diet. There were no differences in hematocrit, but plasma protein and albumin tended to be depressed when rubber seed meal provided more than 10% of the dietary protein. Apparent digestibilities of GE, DM and N were lower with rubber seed meal at 20% of the protein than with any other diet, but apparent N retained and the percent of digested N retained were not depressed significantly (P greater than .05). Although rubber seed meal protein is of poorer quality than soybean meal protein for growing pigs, at least 10% of dietary protein can be provided by rubber seed meal without adversely affecting growth and N utilization.
Daisaku Ikeda’s Curriculum of Soka Education: Creating Value Through Dialogue, Global Citizenship, and “Human Education” in the Mentor–Disciple Relationship

AbstractThis essay review focuses on Daisaku Ikeda (b. 1928) and his curriculum of Soka, or value‐creating, education present in two works: Choose Life: A Dialogue (Toynbee & Ikeda, 1976) and Thoughts on Education for Global Citizenship (Ikeda, 1996b). In reviewing these works, the authors trace the biographical roots of Ikeda’s educational philosophy to his encounter with Josei Toda (1900–1958) and to the overwhelming concerns he has grappled with since childhood about the forces that ravaged his youth and family life; the authors also examine Ikeda’s concept of value‐creating education relative to value‐creating pedagogy theorized by Tsunesaburo Makiguchi (1981–1988) and suggest that Ikeda’s curriculum of Soka education is comprised of three key principles that also serve as its processes and goals—dialogue, global citizenship, and “human education” in the mentor–disciple relationship. The authors conclude with the implications of Ikeda’s curriculum of Soka education and of the two reviewed works.
Identification and quantification of hemoglobins A, F, S, and C by automated chromatography.

The Bio-Rad Variant Hemoglobin Testing System is an automated HPLC analyzer marketed with a Beta-thalassemia Short Program to quantify hemoglobins (Hbs) F and A2 and assist in detecting Hbs A, S, C, D, and E. We evaluated this system to replace several traditional methods for Hb in our hospital laboratory. Analytical performance relevant to quantifying Hbs A, S, C, and F was assessed with blood samples obtained from our local patient population. Studies of precision (CVs 0.93) with results by traditional methods. The satisfactory performance and efficiency led us to implement this system for routine quantification of clinically significant Hbs.
Efficient protein-facilitated splicing of the yeast mitochondrial bI5 intron

The splicing factor CBP2 is required to excise the yeast mitochondrial group I intron bI5 in vivo and at low magnesium ion concentrations in vitro. CBP2 binding is strengthened 20-fold by increasing Mg2+ concentrations from 5 to 40 mM, implying the protein binds, in part, to the same structure as that stabilized by the cation. The same transition is also observed as a cooperative increase in the rate of self-processing between 5 and 40 mM Mg2+, providing strong evidence for an RNA folding transition promoted by either Mg2+ or CBP2. The first step of splicing, guanosine addition at the 5' splice site, is rate limiting for exon ligation. At low (5 mM) magnesium ion, reaction (measured as kcat/Km or kcat) is accelerated 3 orders of magnitude by saturating CBP2. At near-saturating Mg2+ (40 mM), acceleration is 8- and 30-fold, for kcat and kcat/Km, respectively, so high magnesium ion concentrations fail to compensate completely for protein facilitation. Thus, self-splicing proceeds via two additional transitions as compared with reaction of the bI5-CBP2 complex, only the first of which is efficiently promoted by the cation. Guanosine 5'-monophosphate binds (Kd approximately 0.3 mM) with the same affinity to bI5 and the bI5-protein complex, supporting independent binding of the nucleophile and CBP2. Substitution of a phosphorothioate at the 5' splice site and pH profiles provide evidence that kcat is limited by chemistry at low pH and by a conformational step at high pH. Because binding by either Mg2+ or CBP2 increases the rate of chemistry more than the rate of the conformational step, in the physiological pH range (7-7.6) the protein-facilitated reaction is limited by a conformation step while self-splicing reaction is limited by chemistry. We conclude that CBP2 makes manifold contributions to bI5 splicing: binding compensates for at least two structural defects and accelerates the rate of the chemistry.
Creep rupture in ceramic matrix composites with creeping fibers

Abstract A model has been developed for crack growth in an elastic matrix with creeping fibers. Specific solutions have been presented for the steady-state crack growth rate. These solutions provide straightforward connections to the constituent properties through well-known parameters that characterize matrix cracking with elastic fibers. An expression has also been given for the time taken to extend matrix cracks across the plies, as a preliminary estimate of the creep rupture life. A significant finding is the strong stress dependence of the life, even when the fibers creep linearly with stress.
Crossing Borders in Search of the Mother-Daughter Story: Interdependence Across Time and Distance

Although studies have identified the importance of the mother–daughter relationship and of familism in Mexican culture, there is little in the literature about the mother–daughter experience after ...
Reject the rejection technique

This note demonstrates that the rejection technique, often described in texts on the Monte Carlo method, is generally inadvisable to use in practice, despite its attractive simplicity.
The outer limits of the lunar sodium exosphere

[1] A new wide-angle coronagraphic-type imaging system used for the lunar eclipse of 16 July 2000 resulted in detections of the lunar sodium exosphere out to ∼20 lunar radii, approximately twice the size recorded with narrower fields of view during previous eclipses. These measurements and subsequent modeling provide a unique constraint on the fastest atoms ejected from the lunar surface that form the lunar exosphere, indicative of the most energetic space weathering processes acting on the lunar surface. At most, only a small fraction of the atoms are ejected from the surface with speeds faster than escape speed of 2.4 km s−1, meaning solar photon radiation pressure largely contributes to the escape of sodium atoms which form the comet-like tail. The total rate of sodium ejection from the surface for speeds >2.0 km s−1 is comparable to estimates from previous lunar eclipse observations and earlier images of the lunar sodium tail.
Ecdysteroid concentrations through various life-stages of the meiobenthic harpacticoid copepod, Amphiascus tenuiremis and the benthic estuarine amphipod, Leptocheirus plumulosus

Endocrine function in arthropods has principally been characterized in insects and malacostracan crustaceans. However, meiofauna represent the most abundant metazoan marine taxa, with harpacticoid copepods comprising the second most abundant taxon. In addition, their diminutive biomass has made characterization of endocrine components difficult, so little is known about endocrine control of reproduction, molting, and growth in meiofauna. In this study, a sensitive fluorometric enzyme immunoassay (EIA) was utilized to quantify and compare the arthropod molting hormone, 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E), in various life-cycle and developmental stages of a laboratory reared meiobenthic copepod, Amphiascus tenuiremis, and in an amphipod, Leptocheirus plumulosus. In copepods, gravid females carrying late stage pre-hatch embryos contained significantly more 20E (390+/-252 fmol/female) than gravids carrying early (Stage-I) embryos (172+/-83 fmol/female). In contrast, ecdysteroid levels in Stage-I L. plumulosus gravid females (277+/-83 fmol/female) was greater than pre-hatch gravid females (146+/-42). Stage-I embryos of both copepods (19+/-10) and amphipods (11+/-5 fmol/embryo) possessed lower ecdysteroid content than copepod (35+/-15) and amphipod (43+/-33 fmol/embryo) pre-hatch embryos. Ecdysteroid levels were also assessed in naupliar, juvenile, adult male and non-gravid female copepod life-stages. In addition, ecdysteroids measured in field collected copepod species indicated gravid females possessed ecdysteroid levels similar to gravid A. tenuiremis. However, upon normalization of egg sac 20E content by brood size, embryos from larger broods contained lower levels of ecdysteroids when compared to embryos from smaller clutch sizes-indicating an inverse embryo/ecdysteroid relationship may exist across species.
Community Thinkers' Tournaments for Coordinating other Community Resources to Complement the Educational Function of Schools

Existing computer, educational, and communications technologies can be combined in the form of a Community Thinkers' Tournament to supplement current educational institutions at the elementary, secondary and post-secondary levels with a powerful learning network that can be made available widely and inexpensively to any persons in the community interested in enhancing their fundamental reasoning skills. Classroom and home components of a Community Thinkers' Tournament are described, involving highly-developed instructional gaming courseware by computer-managed programs using touch-tone and ordinary dial phones as terminals as well as direct teaching by humans. Present efforts are directed at instruction in mathematics, logic, scientific reasoning, and language structure.
Crack-free high load Vickers indentation of silica glass

Abstract The surface of pure silica glass was prepared to be resistant to cracking from application of Vickers indentation loads of up to one kilogram force (1 kgf). Sample preparation, testing environment, and water content of the glass sample were found to be critical in producing crack-free indentations. Sample preparation consisted of a careful polishing and etching to remove the densified surface layer. Indentation was performed under a nitrogen environment which was also necessary to produce crack-free specimens. Water introduced into the silica glass sample mechanically as well as water introduced into the glass during melting or heat-treatment, were found to be detrimental to crack resistance.
Pachydermodactyly: A case report and discussion of the pathologic entity

Numerous case reports have described idiopathic hypertrophy of the skin on the dorsum of the hands. Many different and confusing names have been assigned to these conditions. A case report of a patient with pachydermodactyly is presented, with a discussion of the literature, in an effort to clarify the identification, treatment, and nomenclature of idiopathic hyperkeratosis and acanthosis of the dorsum of the hands.
Theoretical and experimental study of microcell and macrocell corrosion in patch repairs of concrete structures

Patch repair is commonly used to rectify localized corrosion induced damage in concrete structures. However, inadequate durability in patch repair systems caused by new corrosion attack is prevalent. From the prevailing understanding, the mechanism is attributed to macrocell corrosion formed between repaired area (called patch) and its adjacent unrepaired area (called substrate), and thereby ensuring electrochemical compatibility between the two areas is deemed to be the key element to reduce the corrosion risk and thus to achieve a successful repair. This paper examined the corrosion mechanism and the concept of compatibility in patch repair systems from fundamental electrochemical principles and experimental verification. It was illustrated that both macrocell and microcell corrosion mechanisms could play significant roles, and the total corrosion could be underestimated if the latter is overlooked. Although the incompatibility serves as the driving force for the macrocell corrosion, in light of corrosion kinetics, it was shown that the corrosion magnitude depends more on the individual corrosion kinetics of the anode or cathode.
Selective use of an instrumental variable

A simple regression model is explored when x and ⌜ are correlated. Although the ordinary ieast squares estimates are biased and inconsistent, an instrumental variable can be used to form a consistent ratio estimate of the slope. The selective use of an instrumental variable is explored by simulation. The consequences of the true strength of the instrument, the stringency of the criteria for instrument use and sample size are studied. If the criteria is too strict one will be able to estimate the slope very infrequently while too lax a criteria might result in very unstable estimates (large mean square error), since the denominator of the ratio estimate might be very small. A rule of thumb of requiring a correlation of 0.3 between instrument and predictor is suggested for samples of size 50 or more.
Contour Photography Of The Ocular Fundus: Evaluation Of An Automated Image Processing Algorithm

A new technique for making a three dimensional map of the optic nerve head is expected to have a major impact on the way in which glaucoma is diagnosed and treated. The new technique, contour photography, allows the health of the optic nerve head to be objectively evaluated every six months during the patient's routine office visit. In contour photography, a set of parallel lines of light are projected into the patient's eye and the back of the eye is photographed using a standard camera that is available in almost all ophthalmologist's offices. The three dimensional information is encoded in the positions of the photographed lines, and is decoded by treating each stripe as the intersection of a plane of light with the fundus. At present, a trained human observer identifies the edges of the stripes. In order to decrease the data extraction time, several automated edge detection algorithms were examined for their suitability in the analysis of contour photographs, and the best was extensively evaluated using Monte Carlo simulation. The accuracy and reproducibility of the edge position estimate in images with various amounts of film grain noise were measured for many values of the edge detector parameter and of the signal parameter, its modulation, m. When normalized by the amount of film grain noise, the relationship between reproducibility and l/m was found to be linear over the range of parameters likely to be encountered in contour photography. The accuracy was found to be independent of the amount of film grain noise, and linearly related to 1/m. By estimating m for each edge, the accuracy could be treated as a correctable systematic error of the edge detection process. A sample calculation which used parameter values that are likely to be found in contour photography showed that the automated edge detection process would be expected to produce a random variation in the measurement of the depth of the optic nerve head surface whose standard deviation is 0.5 micrometers, or 0.05 percent of the deepest part of the surface.
Reaction of Cp*(CO)2ReRe(CO)2Cp* with Dimethyl Acetylenedicarboxylate Produces a 3,4-Dimetallacyclobutene Which Undergoes Photochemical Isomerization to a 2,4-Dimetallabicyclo[1.1.0]butane

The reaction of Cp*(CO)2ReRe(CO)2Cp* (1) with dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate (DMAD) produced the 3,4-dimetallacyclobutene Cp*(CO)2Re(μ-η1,η1-CH3O2CCCCO2CH3)Re(CO)2Cp* (2). Photochemical rearrangement of 2 produced Cp*(CO)2Re(μ-η2,η2-CH3O2CC⋮CCO2CH3)Re(CO)2Cp* (3), in which both Cp*(CO)2Re units are coordinated to the alkyne. Upon heating at 72 °C, 3 was converted (t1/2 ≈ 120 min) to a 78:22 equilibrium mixture of 2:3. Photolysis of 3 in a Rayonet photoreactor (maximum emission 300 nm) resulted in CO loss and formation of Cp*(CO)Re(μ-η2,η2-CH3O2CC⋮CCO2CH3)(μ-CO)Re(CO)Cp* (4). Compounds 2, 3, and 4 were characterized by X-ray crystallography: 2, orthorhombic, Pcba, a = 14.480(3) A, b = 16.246(3) A, c = 26.027(3) A, Z = 8, Dc = 1.946 Mg/m3; 3, monoclinic, C2/c, a = 12.854(2) A, b = 14.729(3) A, c = 16.650(3) A, β = 108.188(12)°, Z = 4, Dc = 1.989 Mg/m3; 4, trigonal, P3(2), a = 16.277(2) A, b = 16.277(2) A, c = 9.408(3) A, α = 90°, β = 90°, γ = 120°, Z = 3, Dc = 2.005 Mg/m3.
A new approach to 3-miktoarm star polymers using a combination of reversible addition―fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) and ring opening polymerization (ROP) via Click chemistry

Abstract The synthesis of AB 2 -type miktoarm star polymers using a combination of reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT), ring opening polymerization (ROP) and “Click” chemistry was demonstrated in this work. An azide functional RAFT agent was used to polymerize butyl acrylate, polyethylene glycol acrylate and N -isopropylacrylamide monomers. Propargylamine was reacted with glycerine carbonate to obtain a dihydroxy functional alkyne compound which was used for the ring opening polymerization of ɛ-caprolactone (ɛ-CL) and lactide. The resulting alkyne functional polycaprolactone (PCL) and polylactide (PLA) polymers were reacted with azide functional polymers in the presence of copper bromide (CuBr) catalyst to obtain miktoarm star polymers. The polymers were characterized by gel permeation chromatography (GPC), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The star polymers had low polydispersity (∼1.3) with well-defined structures. These polymers have a number of potential applications including crosslinking agents for polyurethane (PU) coatings for biodegradable and fouling release applications.
Initial evaluation of an Internet intervention to improve the sleep of cancer survivors with insomnia.

Objective Insomnia is a common complaint among cancer survivors. Fortunately, cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) has been shown to be an effective treatment in this population. However, it is rarely implemented given its limited availability. To address this barrier, we examined the ability of an easily-accessible online CBT-I program to improve insomnia symptoms in cancer survivors.
Stability and well-posedness of a rate-dependent strain-softening plasticity model

This paper presents an investigation of the stability and well-posedness of a simple rate-dependent model for strain-softening materials. The model contains key features found in several advanced constitutive models that are currently used for damage and failure of materials. The stability and well-posedness of the model are studied by examining the behaviour of dynamic perturbations to the steady-state solution of a simple shear problem. It is shown that the introduction of strain-rate dependency makes the problem well-posed as dynamic perturbations with all wave lengths remain bounded for finite times. The effect of viscosity on the rate of growth of dynamic perturbations of different wave lengths is shown. It is found that the rate of growth for perturbations with short wave length is severely retarded by the material viscosity.
Genome mapping of kernel characteristics in hard red spring wheat breeding lines.

Kernel characteristics, particularly kernel weight, kernel size, and grain protein content, are important components of grain yield and quality in wheat. Development of high performing wheat cultivars, with high grain yield and quality, is a major focus in wheat breeding programs worldwide. Here, we report chromosome regions harboring genes that influence kernel weight, kernel diameter, kernel size distribution, grain protein content, and grain yield in hard red spring wheat breeding lines adapted to the Upper Midwest region of the United States. A genetic linkage map composed of 531 SSR and DArT marker loci spanned a distance of 2,505 cM, covering all 21 chromosomes of wheat. Stable QTL clusters influencing kernel weight, kernel diameter, and kernel size distribution were identified on chromosomes 2A, 5B, and 7A. Phenotypic variation explained by individual QTL at these clusters varied from 5 to 20% depending on the trait. A QTL region on chromosome 2B confers an undesirable pleiotropic effect or a repulsion linkage between grain yield (LOD = 6.7; R 2 = 18%) and grain protein content (LOD = 6.2; R 2 = 13.3%). However, several grain protein and grain yield QTL independent of each other were also identified. Because some of the QTL identified in this study were consistent across environments, DNA markers will provide an opportunity for increasing the frequency of desirable alleles through marker-assisted selection.
Hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation for Hodgkin's disease (HD): current status

Not all patients with Hodgkin's disease (HD) respond to standard chemotherapy and/or radiation, and hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation has been gaining increasing acceptance in the management of HD. Phase II and, to a lesser extent, phase III studies of high-dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplantation carried out at multiple institutions worldwide have proven the feasibility of the procedure and provided extended progression-free survival (and possibly cure) in a sizable number of patients with relapsed or refractory HD. Prognostic factors have been identified by multiple investigators (with response to chemotherapy being the most impressive one) and may ultimately allow a risk-adapted strategy. While early and late treatment-related morbidity and mortality remains an issue, with current supportive care modalities most patients tolerate this procedure with only minor or manageable complications. Disease recurrence remains a problem in many patients, and this can unfortunately occur as ...
Touch: sensitive apparel

Touch•Sensitive is a haptic apparel that allows massage therapy to be diffused, customized and controlled by people while on the move. It provides individuals with a sensory cocoon. Made of modular garments, Touch•Sensitive applies personalized stimuli. We present the design process and a series of low fidelity prototypes that lead us to the Touch•Sensitive Apparel.