cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Stability of biologically reduced chromium in soil

Abstract A large number of previous studies demonstrate that bacteria are able to transform hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) to less toxic trivalent chromium that is stabilized within soil rather than dissolved in groundwater. However, concern persists about the long-term stability of the chromium in these insoluble forms. The goal of this study was to determine the stability of chromium within soil after biotreatment. Laboratory columns packed with highly contaminated soil from a chromium plating site were used to simulate in situ conditions. Molasses, nitrate, and/or sulfate were added to artificial groundwater (GW) in order to stimulate naturally occurring bacteria in the soil to transform Cr(VI). Carbon consumption, nitrate reduction, and hydraulic conductivity decreases provided evidence of bioactivity as the main cause of reduced effluent Cr(VI) compared to columns without carbon and/or nitrate addition. Subsequent flushing of the biostabilized soil for 12–15 days with unamended GW maintained effluent Cr(VI) below 100 μg/L compared to conditions without molasses addition where the effluent Cr(VI) concentrations always exceeded 655 μg/L. In batch tests after biotreatment, the soil was equilibrated with three different types of aqueous solutions in order to determine the stability of the chromium. Equilibrium aqueous chromium concentrations were the lowest from the soil that was removed from columns treated with carbon and nitrate addition. The results demonstrate that biological activity stimulated by carbon and nitrate addition resulted in significant chromium stabilization to forms that were not readily desorbed from the soil.
Failure of a pharmacist-initiated antimicrobial step-down protocol to impact physician prescribing behavior or patient outcomes: A quasi-experimental, cross-over study

Background: Intravenous (IV) to oral (PO) conversion may expedite hospital discharge and decrease costs. Most IV-to-PO programs include antimicrobials with highly-bioavailable PO formulations, allowing sequential interchanges. Our aim was to evaluate clinical and economic outcomes of a pharmacist-initiated antimicrobial step-down protocol whereby intravenous (IV) antimicrobials were switched to different oral (PO) antimicrobials. Methods: A 12-month quasi-experimental, cross-over study was conducted on a 45-bed adult general medicine ward in two populations (A & B) receiving an IV antimicrobial for ≥ 48 hours in three phases: baseline (Phase 1); step-down protocol in Group A only (Phase 2); and step-down protocol in Group B, withdrawn from Group A (Phase 3). A step-down conversion form was used by pharmacists to screen patients for eligibility. If eligible, the form was placed in the medical record to be completed by the physician. Outcomes reported after step-down eligibility included percent receiving step-down conversion; length of stay; therapy duration; IV complications; clinical cure; and antimicrobial and hospitalization costs. Results: 2,635 patients were screened. Of 595 included patients, 33.6% (n=98) and 32% (n=97) were eligible for step-down in Groups A and B, respectively. During Phase 2, 42.1% of the eligible Group A and 28.6% of the eligible Group B patients were switched to step-down therapy ( p =0.12). No significant difference existed between the groups for length of stay; duration of therapy; IV complications; clinical cure; and costs. Similar results were observed in Phase 3. Post hoc analyses showed those receiving step-down conversion had shorter stays ( p =0.02) and decreased hospitalization costs ( p =0.006). Conclusions: Approximately 60%-75% of eligible patients did not receive step-down conversion. The step-down protocol was labor-intensive and poorly accepted. Successful step-down programs must anticipate these challenges. Step-down was associated with shorter stays and decreased costs.
Fracture toughness of nuclear graphite nbg-18

Objective: Graphite components in a Very High Temperature Reactor (VHTR) may fracture under the actions of external and internal (irradiation-induced) stresses. Measurement of the fracture properties of graphite is therefore essential in the design and structural integrity assessment of VHTR cores. This study aimed to evaluate the fracture toughness and its associated statistical characteristics of nuclear graphite NBG-18, for which there had been very little data. The effect of specimen size on its fracture toughness was also studied.Materials and methods: Three-point-bending tests were conducted with a MTS machine (858 Mini Bionix II, MTS, US) on single-edge-notched beams (SENB) of NBG-18 to measure its fracture toughness. Three different specimen sizes were considered: (I) 200mm (Support Span S) × 50mm (Width W) × 25mm (Thickness T), (II) 100mm (S) × 20mm (W) × 10mm (T), and (III) 40mm (S) × 10mm (W) × 5mm (T). A notch was machined into each specimen to give a crack length-to-width (a/w) ratio of 0.4 using a 0.3mm-thick diamond blade. The acoustic emission (AE) technique was applied to monitor the damage evolution process during loading.Results: The mean and standard deviation (in brackets) of the critical stress intensity factor KIC (MPa·m1/2) for each group were: (I) 1.69 (0.04), (II) 1.36 (0.05), and (III) 1.33 (0.06). Specimen size was found to significantly influence the fracture toughness results: the smaller the specimen, the lower the mean fracture toughness and the larger the variation.Conclusions: The fracture toughness of NBG-18 appears to reduce with the specimen size. The lower fracture toughness of the smaller specimens could be attributed to a finite process zone ahead of the crack tip.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Efficient autonomous learning for statistical pattern recognition

We describe a neural network learning algorithm that implements differential learning in a generalized backpropagation framework. The algorithm regulates model complexity during the learning procedure, generating the best low-complexity approximation for the Bayes-optimal classifier allowed by the training sample. It learns to recognize handwritten digits of the ATT the classifier has 650 total parameters and exhibits a test sample error rate of 1.3%.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
PARENTS' VIEWS OF DRIVER LICENSING PRACTICES IN THE UNITED STATES

Parents of 17-year-olds were interviewed about the licensing experiences of their sons and daughters. A nationally representative sample of 1,000 parents were asked about the path to licensure of their children, and about their participation in the process. Parents were asked about their opinion of the licensing practices in their own states and about their support for additional driving restrictions on novice drivers. The majority (86%) said their children already had licenses, and 81% of parents thought their sons and daughters were ready when first licensed to drive under most conditions. Over half were satisfied with the licensing process in their own state, but a sizable minority (25%) reported that states were not doing such a good job with the existing requirements. Forty-one percent of parents surveyed thought that it should be more difficult to obtain a license. Parents overwhelmingly supported restrictions for beginning drivers such as a minimum period of supervised driving, night driving curfews, restrictions on the number of teenage passengers in the car, and a zero blood alcohol concentration for teenage drivers. Graduated licensing programs that include delayed full-privilege licensure were supported by 58% of those surveyed.
INFLUENCE OF HYDROGEN ION CONCENTRATION ON THE GROWTH OF HIGHER PLANTS UNDER CONTROLLED CONDITIONS.

The effects of hydrogen ion concentration on plant growth occupy a prominent position in discussions of the adaptability of plants to their nutrient environment. In the last two decades, with the improvements of methods of measuring pH and particularly with the widespread adoption of the glass electrode, increasing attention has been given to the hydrogen ion concentration in soils as it may influence their suitability for different crop plants. An understanding of the responses of plants to soil reaction is dependent : first, on the determination of the true pH of the soil ; and secondly, on a knowledge of the effects of hydrogen ion concentration on plant growth. There is considerable doubt at present about the precise meaning of a soil pH measurement obtained by standard procedures including the glass electrode.3 But even if some particular pH value were to be assigned to a soil as truly representative of the hydrogen ion concentration that happens to characterize the boundary between the soil and the plant root, there still would remain the difficulty of interpreting a soil pH value in terms of an isolated and independent variable. Is the failure of plants to thrive in an acid soil due to a high hydrogen ion concentration or to such other unfavorable factors of which a lowT pH is generally symptomatic ; for example, a depletion of calcium and the presence of toxic amounts of aluminum or manganese in the soil solution? On the other extreme, there is the question whether poor plant growth in a soil characterized by a relatively high pH is to be attributed to a high hydroxyl ion concentration or to the unavailability of such plant nutrients as phosphate, iron, and manganese. In addition to these indirect effects associated with pH which make it difficult to interpret the responses of plants grown in a soil, there is a dearth of information about the effects of hydrogen ion concentration on plant growth, with other factors of the nutrient environment held constant. The purpose
Electroinitiated cationic polymerization of styrene by direct electron transfer

We have studied by cyclic voltammetry the mechanisms of electron transfer and peak potentials of eleven alkenes, propylene oxide, propylene sulfide, and carbon disulfide. We have also studied the cationic polymerization of styrene in acetonitrile solution initiated by controlled potential electrolysis at the anodic peak potential of styrene. The electrolyte used was tetrabutylammonium fluoborate, which was not electroactive at the electrolysis potential, and the reference electrode was a Ag0/Ag+ electrode. The electrochemical studies show that direct electron transfer from styrene is the initiation steps. Plots of reacted monomer concentrations versus time are sigmoidal curves. The propagation rate constant was found from a kinetic relationship based on an autocatalytic reaction. The activation energy is 15.6 kcal/mole at 20°C. The current behavior and effect of stirring on polymerization rate suggest that the growth of polymer takes place partially on the electrode surface.
Effect of particle size distributions on absorbance spectra of gold nanoparticles

Abstract In this paper, a method is developed to calculate the absorbance spectra of nanoparticles solution containing a size distribution of particles using the Mie theory. The standard gold nanoparticles solutions were purchased and characterized with the UV–visible absorption spectroscopy and dynamic light scattering size measurements techniques. Model size distributions were fit to the experimental absorbance spectra using the method described herein. Good semi-quantitative fits were found, which elucidate qualitative differences between “small” and “large” gold nanoparticles.
Cyber physical systems: aspects as a basis for robustness and openness

As discussed in a recent report for which I was a co-author, "as computers and communication bandwidth become faster and cheaper, computing and communication capabilities will be embedded in all types of objects and structures in the physical environment. Applications with enormous societal impact and economic benefit will be created by harnessing these capabilities in time and across space. We refer to systems that bridge the cyber-world of computing and communications with the physical world as cyber-physical systems (CPS). The internet transformed how humans interact and communicate with one another, revolutionized how and where information is accessed, and even changed how people buy and sell in the marketplace. Similarly, CPS will transform how humans interact with and control the physical world around us. Examples of CPS include medical devices and systems, aerospace systems, transportation vehicles and intelligent highways, defense systems, robotic systems, process control, factory automation, building and environmental control and smart spaces. However, the confluence of recent key technologies is fundamentally altering how these types of systems will operate. For example, the level of uncertainty in which these systems operate is growing (hence the need for greater robustness), and pervasive wireless access is opening these systems to unprecedented dynamic and non-deterministic influences." This talk will describe this new and emerging field called CPS. The talk will focus on what is new and why we need fundamentally new approaches to face robustness and openness challenges. Aspect oriented programming will be proposed as a possible basis for key work in CPS.
Spino-bulbar, spino-thalamic and medial lemniscal connections in the american opossum, Didelphis marsupialis virginiana

Projections from the spinal cord and dorsal column nuclei to more rostral levels of the neuraxis were investigated in seventeen adult opossums by the Nauta-Gygax and Fink-Heimer techniques. In all cases with spinal cord lesions a greater number of degenerating fibers distributed to the medulla and pons than to the midbrain and diencephalon. Numerous degenerating fibers ended within the medial reticular formation of the medulla and caudal pons, and within the lateral reticular formation of the rostral pons and midbrain. Degenerating fibers were numerous in the reticular formation following cervical and thoracic lesions, but sparse in specimens with damage restricted to either the lumbar or sacral spinal cord. The dorsal column nuclei received afferent connections from the well known dorsal funicular pathway and, although to a much lesser extent, from the main ventrolateral spinal bundle. Although most of the latter fibers ended in the subnucleus dorsalis and spinal vestibular nucleus, some penetrated into the gracile and cuneate nuclei. Conspicuous terminal degeneration was present within the inferior olivary nucleus following cervical and thoracic lesions, but was lacking in cases of either caudal lumbar or sacral cord lesions. The location of terminal degeneration within the lateral reticular nucleus is dependent upon the level of the lesion in the spinal cord. Degenerating fibers ended within the lateral vestibular nucleus in all cases of spinal cord hemisection, and within the medial portion of the facial nucleus in cases with a lesion rostral to C-4. After cervical and thoracic hemisections terminal fiber degeneration was present within the midbrain tegmentum, the periaqueductal gray, the intercollicular nucleus (Mehler,'69), the posterior thalamic nucleus, the ventrobasal nucleus, the parafascicular nuclei and the caudal nucleus ventralis lateralis. All thalamic nomenclature was taken from Oswaldo-Cruz and Rocha-Miranda, '68. In animals with more caudal lesions, no fiber degeneration was evident within the nucleus ventralis lateralis and so little within the ventrobasal nucleus that it was impossible to ascertain a somatotopic pattern of spinothalamic projections. Lesions of the dorsal column nuclei caused terminal degeneration within the inferior olivary nucleus, the pars lateralis of the nucleus of the inferior colliculus, the zona incerta, the posterior thalamic nucleus, the caudal part of the ventral lateral thalamic nucleus and the ventrobasal nucleus of the thalamus. Diffuse connections with the reticular formation, periaqueductal gray, midbrain tegmentum and the parafascicular complex were also observed. The results from small lesions indicate that the input to the ventrobasal nucleus in the opossum is organized in the typical mammalian fashion.
Influence of land crabs Gecarcinus quadratus (Gecarcinidae) on distributions of organic carbon and roots in a Costa Rican rain forest.

In Costa Rica's Corcovado National Park, the fossorial land crab, Gecarcinus quadratus (Gecarcinidae), densely populates (1- 6 m -2 ) a region of forest extending from the Park's Pacific coastline inland to ca. 600 m. Throughout this coastal forest ('crabzone'), crabs selectively forage for fallen leaves and relocate them to subterranean burrow chambers. Comparisons between surface soils (0 - 15 cm) sampled from the crab- zone and forest lying immediately inland that is naturally devoid of crabs ('crabless zone') suggest that crabzone top soils contained less organic carbon and fewer fine and very fine roots. In contrast, soils sampled from 70 - 100 cm depths in the crabzone contained twice the carbon of the crabless zone during the dry season but similar values during the wet season. Two years of experimental crab exclusion from 25 m 2 replicates established in the crabzone resulted in 16% more organic carbon content in surface soils relative to baseline conditions (n.s.) and 22% more carbon than final control values (P < 0.05). Excavations of burrow chambers, with an average (± SD) depth of 48 ± 12 cm, indicated localized, subterranean pockets of elevated (+ 60 %) organic carbon and increased densities of fine and very fine roots relative to same-depth samples from the crabzone unassociated with burrows chambers. Rev. Biol. Trop. 54(1): 149-161. Epub 2006 Mar 31.
Domain Adaptation with Latent Semantic Association for Named Entity Recognition

Domain adaptation is an important problem in named entity recognition (NER). NER classifiers usually lose accuracy in the domain transfer due to the different data distribution between the source and the target domains. The major reason for performance degrading is that each entity type often has lots of domain-specific term representations in the different domains. The existing approaches usually need an amount of labeled target domain data for tuning the original model. However, it is a labor-intensive and time-consuming task to build annotated training data set for every target domain. We present a domain adaptation method with latent semantic association (LaSA). This method effectively overcomes the data distribution difference without leveraging any labeled target domain data. LaSA model is constructed to capture latent semantic association among words from the unlabeled corpus. It groups words into a set of concepts according to the related context snippets. In the domain transfer, the original term spaces of both domains are projected to a concept space using LaSA model at first, then the original NER model is tuned based on the semantic association features. Experimental results on English and Chinese corpus show that LaSA-based domain adaptation significantly enhances the performance of NER.
The Irony of Environmentalism: The Ecological Futility but Political Necessity of Lifestyle Change

Environmentalists argue that we need to reduce population and consumption to protect the environment, and that this is something we can all do by individually choosing to have smaller families and buying fewer products. This article questions the ecological effects of such choice. When people have fewer children or reduce their consumption, they save money. What they then do with this money is crucial to the consequences of their actions. If they place it in conventional financial mechanisms, such as banks or stocks, they merely shift the locale of environmental harm since these mechanisms, within a capitalist economy, redeploy savings into further investment and productivity. For individual lifestyle choices to make a difference, environmentalists must find ways of linking such choices to efforts aimed at changing the nature of capitalist economies. If we had effective public policies that redistributed income, forced polluters to pay for the harm they cause, mandated more environmentally friendly technologies, and reduced the workday in the richer parts of the world, we could alter the way we live our material lives.
ASCORBIC ACID CONTENT OF BROCCOLI DURING MARKETING1

Fresh California-grown broccoli from eastern wholesale markets, retail stores and simulated consumer storage was analyzed for total ascorbic acid, L-ascorbic acid (AA) and dehydroascorbic acid (DHAA). Highest concentrations of AA were found in the buds of broccoli sampled from wholesale markets. During the course of marketing stems retained AA better than the buds. The differences in AA concentrations between retail and stored samples were significant only with the buds. Wide deviations in the AA content of broccoli were found within store samples and among samples from different marketing periods but not among stores. Dehydroascorbic acid comprised only a small amount of the total AA, indicating that AA content is an accurate indicator of broccoli's total vitamin C content during handling and storage.
Are antibodies to the capsular polysaccharide of Neisseria meningitidis group B and Escherichia coli K1 associated with immunopathology

As polysialic acid (PSA), the capsule of Group B meningococcus (GBM) and Escherichia coli K1, is a component of mammalian glycopeptides, there is concern that vaccines against PSA could induce immunopathology. Purified PSA is not immunogenic; however, as a component of bacteria or bound to proteins, it induces protective antibodies. In this review, we did not unearth data indicating an association of IgG anti-PSA with immunopathology in experimental animals or humans. We found no increased incidence of autoimmunity from GBM infections in our review of the natural history/sequellae of Neisseria meningitis infections. Accordingly, we propose that clinical trials of PSA conjugate vaccines, be considered.
Functional morphology of feeding and gill irrigation in the anuran tadpole: electromyography and muscle function in larval Rana catesbeiana.

This study provides the first data on muscle activity patterns during active feeding in a larval anuran. Data regarding muscle function during gill irrigation and hyperexpiration are also provided. Electromyographic and kinematic data were recorded from six mandibular and hyoid muscles in unanesthetized, unrestrained larvae of Rana catesbeiana. Only three (hyoangularis, orbitohyoid- eus, anterior interhyoideus) of the six muscles examined are active during gill irrigation. Feeding cycles are char- acterized by the recruitment of three additional muscles: intermandibularis, suspensorioangularis, and levator mandibulae longus superficialis. The latter two contrib- ute, respectively, to wide opening and forceful closing of the mouth during feeding. Hyperexpiration is character- ized by a reversal of water flow anteriorly out of the mouth. This hydrodynamic change occurs due to modula- tion of the timing of firing of the anterior interhyoideus, as well as recruitment of the posterior interhyoideus, which is only active during hyperexpiration. Both regions of the interhyoideus, which are responsible for evacuation of the buccal cavity, are active during the opening phase of hy- perexpiration. Kinematically, transitioning from gill irri- gation to feeding involves both an overall shortening of the gape cycle and a shift in the relative length of opening phase vs. closing phase. Our results corroborate many of the findings of Gradwell ((1972) Can J Zool 50:501-521) regarding muscle function during gill irrigation and hy- perexpiration. Furthermore, we demonstrate that in lar- val anurans the transition from gill irrigation to feeding involves modulation of gape cycle kinematics, changes in the level of activity of muscles, and recruitment of muscles that are not active during irrigation. In light of new data presented here, a review of muscle function in tadpoles is also provided. J. Morphol. 255:202-214, 2003. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Using higher order logic and functional languages to synthesize correct hardware

Higher-order logic (HOL), the HOL proof checker, and the functional language SCHEME have been used to describe and verify several hardware synthesis functions, including one which synthesizes Pezaris-like array multipliers. The synthesis functions are shown to be equivalence preserving transformations. The synthesis functions produce functional forms corresponding to gate level interconnection lists. Proofs of theorems relating the synthesized functional forms to functional specifications are developed within HOL. Unlike simulation-based methods, which require exhaustive case analysis for each implementation, these theorems assert the corrections of all implementations produced by the synthesis functions. The combinations of machine executable synthesis functions and correctness theorems are additional features which would logically extend CAD systems for design synthesis and design verification. >
Detection of rubbing location in rotor system by super-harmonic responses

A detection strategy for the rubbing locations in a rotor system based on the super-harmonic responses is developed. Firstly, the dy- namics of the rotor system with rubbing fault is investigated based on the theory of nonlinear output frequency response function. Then, the relationship between the super-harmonic components of the vibrations of fault rotor system and the receptance matrix of the fault-free rotor system is established. The detection method is then set up for rubbing location along the rotor. With this approach, the rubbing loca- tion can be determined by using super-harmonic responses measured at only two nodes under one case of operating speed. Finally, nu- merical simulations and experimental observations are carried out to verify the efficiency of the proposed detection method for rubbing location in a rotor system.
Use, nonuse, and abuse of weather radar

Proper use of weather radar is represented by numerous effective applications in government services and private meteorological groups. These applications include detection and identification of storms, measurement and extrapolation of storm motions, and, with 10-cm wavelength, measurement of heavy rains. An example of inappropriate nonuse of radar is given by high performance systems in the national radar network, whose data have not been dependably provided in real time as needed by aircraft pilots in terminal areas. This nonuse has contributed to inappropriate use of airborne Cand X-band radar equipment and of visual perceptions to support critical decisions to penetrate echoing regions. Indeed, fatal accidents have followed use of airborne radar and visual sightings to support decisions to penetrate convective clouds. We observe that all fatal aircraft accidents involving U.S. air carriers in convective weather have involved flight in heavy precipitation and that recent years have seen a marked rise in the proportion of accidents at terminals. While excellent research is under way to provide manifold improvements in the aviation weather system, some years will pass before the research can be applied in operations. Therefore, technology already available for communicating and displaying radar reflectivity data should be used to facilitate timely evaluation of convective weather and appropriate responses in terminal operations.
A Roadmap of Cancer Systems Biology

What is cancer systems biology? Why should we conduct systems biology research in cancer? What is the relationships between systems biology and personalized medicine? How do we conduct cancer systems biology research? This paper illustrates strategies, procedures and computational techniques for the study of cancer systems biology by focusing on network reconstruction, network analysis and modeling. Finally, certain challenges and hurdles in cancer systems biology will also be discussed.
Application of Haar-wavelet-based multiresolution time-domain schemes to electromagnetic scattering problems

The multiresolution time-domain (MRTD) algorithm is applied to the problem of general two-dimensional electromagnetic scattering. A Haar wavelet expansion is utilized. A parallel between Haar MRTD and the classic Yee finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) algorithm is discussed, and results of simulations on canonical targets are shown for comparison. We focus on the incident-field implementation, which, in our case, consists of a pulsed plane wave. Also, we consider scattering in a half-space environment, with application to subsurface sensing. The results illustrate the advantage of the Haar MRTD method as compared with the classic FDTD, which consists of reduced memory and execution time requirements, without sacrificing accuracy.
Spatial control of the βAR system in heart failure: the transverse tubule and beyond

The beta1-adrenoceptors (β1AR) and beta-2 (β2AR) adrenoceptors represent the predominant pathway for sympathetic control of myocardial function. Diverse mechanisms have evolved to translate signalling via these two molecules into differential effects on physiology. In this review, we discuss how the functions of the βAR are organized from the level of secondary messengers to the whole heart to achieve this. Using novel microscopy and bio-imaging methods researchers have uncovered subtle organization of the control of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), the predominant positively inotropic pathway for the βAR. The β2AR in particular is demonstrated to give rise to highly compartmentalized, spatially confined cAMP signals. Organization of β2AR within the T-tubule and caveolae of cardiomyocytes concentrates this receptor with molecules which buffer and shape its cAMP signal to give fine control. This situation is undermined in various forms of heart failure. Human and animal models of heart failure demonstrate disruption of cellular micro-architecture which contributes to the change in response to cardiac βARs. Loss of cellular structure has proved key to the observed loss of confined β2AR signalling. Some pharmacological and genetic treatments have been successful in returning failing cells to a more structured phenotype. Within these cells it has been possible to observe the partial restoration of normal β2AR signalling. At the level of the organ, the expression of the two βAR subtypes varies between regions with the β2AR forming a greater proportion of the βAR population at the apex. This distribution may contribute to regional wall motion abnormalities in Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, a syndrome of high sympathetic activity, where the phosphorylated β2AR can signal via Gi protein to produce negatively inotropic effects.
Quality-of-life change associated with robotic-assisted therapy to improve hand motor function in patients with subacute stroke: a randomized clinical trial.

Results. The combined therapy group had a greater increase in rating of mood from preintervention to postintervention, and the RTP-only group had a greater increase in rating of social participation from preintervention to follow-up. Both groups had statistically significant improvement in activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living scores from preintervention to postintervention. Both groups reported significant improvement in hand function postintervention and at follow-up, and the magnitude of these changes suggested clinical significance. The combined therapy group had significant improvements in stroke recovery rating postintervention and at follow-up, which appeared clinically significant; this also was true for stroke recovery rating from preintervention to follow-up in the RTP-only group. Limitations. Outcomes of 30 hours of RTP in the absence of robotic-assisted therapy remain unknown.
Gene Profiling of Cancer Stem Cells-like Cells Reveals IGF-1R and IGFBP3 Pathway as a Promising Therapeutic Target for Lung Cancer

Purpose/Objective(s): Combination of platinum-based chemotherapy and radiation is currently the standard treatment for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. However, this approach often results in therapeutic resistance and disease relapse, partly because of the presence of cancer stem cells (CSCs) within the tumor. To investigate the CSCs hypothesis of chemoradiation resistance in NSCLC, we used high-throughput microarray assay to profile CSCs-like cells versus parental cancer cells to identify the candidate genes for cancer therapy.
A minimalist approach to the re-grammaticalization of morphology: Chinese verbal ‑le as aspect and tense

This paper examines variation in the interpretation of the Chinese verbal suffix ‑le and attributes it to a process of ongoing change in which an original aspectual system is gradually developing into a new tense system. The paper argues that the incremental pattern of re-grammaticalization can best be captured in a minimalist feature-based approach to the licensing of morphology, which factors clines of development into formally discrete, individual steps.
Gagnon, John (1931–)

John Gagnon is one of the most influential thinkers and writers on sexuality of the late twentieth century. His research and writing firmly established a social-constructionist approach to sexuality and he has conducted groundbreaking research on U.S. sexuality and HIV. Keywords: HIV/AIDS ; sex offenders; scripting theory; sexual stigma; social construction of sexuality; sexology
The Evolving Doctrine of Court Record Access

When the civil rights era supercharged the freedom of information (FOI) movement, resulting in the federal FOI Act and a wave of reforming state legislation, courts officiated famously over access to the Pentagon Papers and the Watergate tapes. At the same time, access to the court’s own records remained much the same affair as it had been for the first two centuries of the republic. Then came the information age. Viewed suddenly in the light of electronic tools that can quickly compile and manipulate data, the vast stores of information to be found in court records were a mouthwatering fruit suddenly within reach for many requesters. The myriad judicial regulatory systems that have resulted are still evolving.
Smoking-Related Genes and Functional Consequences

As the leading preventable cause of cancer and death, nicotine use and dependence have been the subject of a multitude of genetic studies in the past decade, ranging from candidate gene studies to genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to prospective studies. The genetics of nicotine addiction, smoking, and cancer are multifactorial, as would be expected from a complex behavior such as cigarette smoking. The combined heritability based on twin studies is estimated at 50–75 % (Li, Am J Med Sci 326(4): 168–73, 2003; Hall et al. Tob Control 11(2): 119–24, 2002; Lessov et al. Psychol Med 34(5): 865–79, 2004.; Lessov-Schlaggar et al. Int J Epidemiol 35(5): 1278–85, 2006; Maes et al. Psychol Med 34(7): 1251–61, 2004), with a large number of genes contributing to a small amount of risk individually. Some genes contribute to the quantity of nicotine used, while another set is associated with the duration of nicotine use, and yet another set is linked with severity of nicotine dependence. Associated “risky” genes comprise genes encoding for nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) subunits, but also include genes like the bitter taste receptor. Still others have been associated with initiation and with success, or lack thereof, in cessation. In this chapter we review the current findings in the genetics of smoking, focusing on those studies that have linked nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR) to nicotine addiction, and further discuss how mutations in these receptors alter their function.
Detectors for Accelerator-Based Security Applications

We present a review of detector systems used in accelerator-based security applications. The applications discussed span stockpile stewardship, material interdiction, treaty verification, and spent nuclear fuel assay. The challenge for detectors in accelerator-based applications is the separation of the desired signal from the background, frequently during high input count rates. Typical techniques to address the background challenge include shielding, timing, selection of sensitive materials, and choice of accelerator.
FCT and Direct Pressure Evaluation for Incompressible Flows

The flux-corrected transport algorithm (FCT) has been used to solve the Navier-Stokes equation for incompressible flows on colocated grids. In the approach presented here, FCT is used to calculate either the convection terms or to integrate the entire momentum equation. This has the eect of minimizing numerical diusion globally and adding diusion selectively where it is required to stabilize the algorithm. The odd-even decoupling instability arising in the standard pressure-correction procedure is avoided by using an intermediate velocity to update the full pressure, rather than the pressure correction. The new algorithm is tested by computing a series of two-dimensional flows. To demonstrate the general capability of the method, this algorithm is also used to compute the flow in a threedimensional herringbone micromixer.
Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions From U.S. Liquefied Natural Gas Exports: Implications for End Uses

This study analyzes how incremental U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports affect global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. We find that exported U.S. LNG has mean precombustion emissions of 37 g CO2-equiv/MJ when regasified in Europe and Asia. Shipping emissions of LNG exported from U.S. ports to Asian and European markets account for only 3.5−5.5% of precombustion life cycle emissions, hence shipping distance is not a major driver of GHGs. A scenario-based analysis addressing how potential end uses (electricity and industrial heating) and displacement of existing fuels (coal and Russian natural gas) affect GHG emissions shows the mean emissions for electricity generation using U.S. exported LNG were 655 g CO2-equiv/kWh (with a 90% confidence interval of 562–770), an 11% increase over U.S. natural gas electricity generation. Mean emissions from industrial heating were 104 g CO2-equiv/MJ (90% CI: 87–123). By displacing coal, LNG saves 550 g CO2-equiv per kWh of electricity and 20 g per MJ of heat. LNG save...
Reaction of Iodine Atoms with Submicrometer Squalane and Squalene Droplets: Mechanistic Insights into Heterogeneous Reactions

The gas-phase reaction of iodine atoms with hydrocarbon molecules is energetically unfavorable, and there is no direct evidence for iodinated product formation by either H abstraction or I addition reactions at ambient temperature. Here we consider the possible heterogeneous reaction of I atoms with submicrometer droplets composed of a saturated alkane, squalane (Sq), and an unsaturated alkene, squalene (Sqe). The investigations are performed in an atmospheric pressure photochemical flow tube reactor in conjunction with a vacuum ultraviolet photoionization aerosol mass spectrometer and a scanning mobility particle sizer. Squalane, a branched alkane, is unreactive toward I atoms within the signal-to-noise, and an upper limit of the effective reactive uptake coefficient is estimated to be γI(Sq) ≤ 8.58 × 10(–7). In contrast, the reaction of I atoms with unsaturated submicrometer squalene droplets results in observable iodinated squalene products. The effective reactive uptake coefficient of I atom with squalene particles is determined to be γI(Sqe) = (1.20 ± 0.52) × 10(–4) at an average I concentration of 1.5 × 10(14) molecules·cm(–3).
Effect of precipitate shape and orientation on Orowan strengthening of non-basal slip modes in hexagonal crystals, application to magnesium alloys

Abstract Orowan equations predicting the strengthening of non-basal slip systems in hexagonal crystals are derived for rationally distributed, shear resistant precipitates of typical morphologies and orientations. These equations may be employed for any hexagonal crystal, but application is made specifically to hexagonal close packed Mg, where alloy development is presently quite active. Particular focus is placed on discerning the effect on 〈 c + a 〉 dislocations, and generally speaking, 〈 c + a 〉 slip is most potently strengthened by prismatic plate shaped precipitates, as was shown previously for basal and prismatic slip. If strengthening is the primary goal, prismatic plate shaped precipitates appear ideal. Because the motion of 〈 c + a 〉 dislocations has been repeatedly emphasized as crucial for preserving ductility, it may be of interest to consider.
Rho GTPase signaling regulates tight junction assembly and protects tight junctions during ATP depletion

Tight junctions control paracellular permeability and cell polarity. Rho GTPase regulates tight junction assembly, and ATP depletion of Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells (an in vitro model of renal ischemia) disrupts tight junctions. The relationship between Rho GTPase signaling and ATP depletion was examined. Rho inhibition resulted in decreased localization of zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) and occludin at cell junctions; conversely, constitutive Rho signaling caused an accumulation of ZO-1 and occludin at cell junctions. Inhibiting Rho before ATP depletion resulted in more extensive loss of junctional components between transfected cells than control junctions, whereas cells expressing activated Rho better maintained junctions during ATP depletion than control cells. ATP depletion and Rho signaling altered phosphorylation signaling mechanisms. ZO-1 and occludin exhibited rapid decreases in phosphoamino acid content following ATP depletion, which was restored on recovery. Expression of Rho mutant proteins in MDCK cells also altered levels of occludin serine/threonine phosphorylation, indicating that occludin is a target for Rho signaling. We conclude that Rho GTPase signaling induces posttranslational effects on tight junction components. Our data also demonstrate that activating Rho signaling protects tight junctions from damage during ATP depletion.
Evaluation of the Patient with Syncope

Evaluation of the patient who has experienced spontaneous, transient loss of consciousness requires a comprehensive consideration of many disease etiologies. Syncope may be a relatively benign condition with a good prognosis or may be a precursor of subsequent cardiac arrest and sudden death. In this article, the cardiovascular causes of syncope and the role of electrophysiologic testing in the diagnostic evaluation of patients with syncope are discussed.
Preliminary study on 4 indices of basal body temperature in the evaluation of luteal phase insufficiency after clomiphene treatment

The luteal phase insufficiency after Clomiphene treatment in 90 patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and other menstrual disorders was evaluated by four indices of BBT. The four indices of BBT are (1) BBT curve classification; (2) High phase score (HPS); (3) Planimetric nidation index (PNI); (4) Length of follicular phase. 90 patients (248 cycles) were divided into two groups: non-pregnant group (214 cycles) and pregnant group (34 cycles). The result indicated that 70% cycles of non-pregnant group, the types of BBT are type III-VI, HPS is less than 9; the mean value of PNI is 45.7; the follicular phase lists beyond 17 days, with a mean of 18.6 days. More than two-thirds of the study cycles are abnormal at least in two indices. In all cycles of the pregnant group, BBT curve are of type I, II, HPS greater than 9, PNI greater than 57. The results suggest that measurement of the four indices of BBT is a simple method which could be widely used for the evaluation of luteal phase insufficiency.
Transposition Of Great Vessels And Mobius Syndrome

The vascular theory of embryopathogenesis for Mobius syndrome is proposed in a case report of a 3-month-old boy from the University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM.
A Review of Factors that Promote Resilience in Youth with ADHD and ADHD Symptoms

The vast majority of research on youth with ADHD has focused on risk factors and describing the types of impairment individuals with ADHD experience. However, functional outcomes associated with ADHD are heterogeneous, and although many youth with ADHD experience significant negative outcomes (e.g., school dropout), some are successful in multiple domains of functioning (e.g., pursue and graduate college). There is a growing body of literature supporting the existence of factors that protect youth with ADHD from experiencing negative outcomes, but there is no published synthesis of this literature. Accordingly, the goals of this review are to conceptualize risk–resilience in the context of ADHD using a developmental psychopathology framework and to systematically review and critique evidence for promotive and protective factors in the context of ADHD. The literature search focused specifically on resilience in the context of ADHD symptoms or an ADHD diagnosis and identified 21 studies, including clinic, school, and community samples. Findings of promotive and/or protective factors are summarized across individual, family, and social–community systems. Overall, we know very little of the buffering processes for these youth, given that the study of promotive and protective factors in ADHD is in its infancy. The strongest evidence to date was found for social- and family-level systems. Specifically, multiple longitudinal studies support social acceptance as a protective factor, buffering against negative outcomes such as poor academic performance and comorbid depressive symptoms for youth with ADHD. There was also compelling evidence supporting positive parenting as a promotive factor. In terms of individual-level factors, positive or modest self-perceptions of competence were identified as a promotive factor in multiple studies. Future directions for research that will catalyze the study of resilience with ADHD are provided, and the potential for targeting protective mechanisms with intervention and prevention is discussed.
Eptifibatide in Coronary Intervention: Past Time for the Next Chapter

Although percutaneous transluminal coronary intervention has revolutionized the management of patients with coronary artery disease, this technologic advance is neither innocuous nor a panacea. In addition to the technical limitations of the procedure, it is now well recognized that serious vascular injury is caused by the treatment device, which creates an ideal milieu for coronary thrombosis (1–3). Clinical trials of the monoclonal antibody abciximab (c7E3 Fab; ReoProTM, Eli Lilly and Company/Centocor), an agent that blocks the platelet glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa integrin, have clearly documented that inhibition of this receptor during coronary intervention reduces thrombotic complications and improves clinical outcomes (4–8). These positive clinical trial results, coupled with a clearer understanding of platelet physiology, have stimulated the search and encouraged the development of other parenteral inhibitors of the GPIIb/IIIa receptor.
Existence of a Strong Correlation of Biomarkers and miRNA in Females with Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity in a Population of West Virginia

Objectives: Metabolic syndrome causes complications like cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). As metabolic syndrome develops, altered levels of cytokines and microRNAs (miRNA) are measurable in the circulation. We aimed to construct a panel detecting abnormal levels of cytokines and miRNAs in patients at risk for metabolic syndrome. Methods: Participants included 54 patients from a Family Medicine Clinic at Marshall University School of Medicine, in groups of: Control, Obese, and Metabolic Syndrome (MetS). Results: Serum levels of leptin, adiponectin, leptin: adiponectin ratio, IL-6, six miRNAs (320a, 197-3p, 23-3p, 221-3p, 27a-3p, and 130a-3p), were measured. Among the three groups, leptin, and leptin: adiponectin ratio, and IL-6 levels were highest in MetS, and levels in Obese were greater than Control (p>0.05). Adiponectin levels were lower in Obese compared to Control, but lowest in MetS (p 0.05). Conclusion: Our results support the clinical application of biomarkers in diagnosing early stage MetS, which will enable attenuation of disease progression before onset of irreversible complications. Since West Virginians are high-risk for developing MetS, our biomarker panel could reduce the disease burden on our population.