cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of Perovskite Overlay Coatings on Ferritic Stainless Steels for SOFC Interconnect Applications

Conductive oxide coatings are used to improve electrical performance and surface stability of metallic interconnects, as well as to mitigate or prevent chromium poisoning in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). To further understand materials suitability and shed light on mass transport, two conductive perovskites, were taken as examples and applied as dense coatings via radio frequency (rf)-sputtering on three stainless steels.
Engineered and Artificial Photosynthesis: Human Ingenuity Enters the Game

All oxygen-dependent life depends on photosynthesis. In addition to breathing the oxygen produced by photosynthesis, humans have been harnessing energy from photosynthesis for millennia. Since the beginning of human societal structures, human needs have driven the evolution of agricultural production, and they continue to do so. Recently, it has been suggested that agriculture can contribute substantially to human technological (nonnutritional) energy needs. This possibility raises concern because the projections of human energy needs argue convincingly that without large increases in energy conversion effciency (ECE), land-grown biofuel production and food production will compete for land, a largely untenable compromise given the current nutritional status of the world’s underdeveloped societies.
HyPAM: A hybrid continuum-particle model for incompressible free-surface flows

Three major issues associated with numerical simulations of complex free-surface flows, viz. interface tracking, fragmentation and large physical jumps, are addressed by a new hybrid continuum-particle model (HyPAM). The new model consists of three parts: (1) the Polygonal Area Mapping method [Q. Zhang, P.L.-F. Liu, A new interface tracking method: the polygonal area mapping method, J. Comput. Phys. 227(8) (2008) 4063-4088]; (2) a new algorithm that decomposes the interested (water) phase into a continuum zone, a buffer zone and a particle zone, based on material topology and graph theory; (3) a 'passive-response' assumption, in which the air phase is assumed to respond passively to the continuum part of the water phase. The incompressible inviscid Euler equations and the equations describing the free fall of rigid bodies are used as the governing equations for the continuum-buffer zone and the particle zone, respectively, and separately. A number of examples, including water droplet impact, solitary wave propagation, and dam-break problems, are simulated for the illustration and validation of HyPAM. It is shown that HyPAM is more accurate and versatile than a continuum-based Volume-of-Fluid model. One major contribution of this work is the single-phase decomposition algorithm, useful for many other hybrid formulations. Neglecting surface tension, viscosity and particle interactions, HyPAM is currently limited to mildly-fragmented free-surface flows with high Reynolds and Weber numbers.
Striate muscle tensional patterning in frontalis EMG biofeedback.

Four normal male subjects were exposed to 5 30-min alternate-day sessions of continuous frontalis EMG biofeedback training preceded by 15-min adaptation periods. A computer-controlled scanning electromyograph sampled integrated EMG activity from the frontalis and seven adjunctive muscle groups. Tensional profiles for all eight muscle groups were assembled every 1.84 sec, resulting in an 8 × 960 data array for each session. Statistical analyses revealed that although frontalis EMG levels decreased significantly in the training, those of adjunctive recording sites did not. Cross correlation analyses for session 1 frontalis and adjunctive site EMG levels showed typically negligible correlations at all temporal lags, although some neck sites showed moderate cross correlation with the frontalis in 2 subjects. Separate principal-component analyses for sessions 1 and 5 produced little evidence for a general muscle tension factor. Low coefficients of congruence between session 1 and session 5 truncated-component solutions demonstrated little replicability of tensional linkages from the first to the last session.
Word Processing in the Technical Editing Class

In a technical editing class, assignments based on the word processor teach editing skills, generate materials for editing, increase the students' awareness of the text as visual, give them experience with editing computer documentation, introduce them to readability programs and their use for the editor, and familiarize them with the electronic flow of text from author's draft to printed page. The word processor is thus integral in achieving the broad educational objectives of the course.
Expansion Effects In Intermediate Energy Heavy-Ion Reactions

Abstract Transverse kinetic energy spectra of fragments in the reaction 36 Ar + 197 Au are used to probe the multifragmentation mechanism at intermediate energies. The mass dependence of the average transverse kinetic energy is examined in the context of the statistical decay of an expanding, emitting source. The role of source expansion during emission is explored. Results suggest the onset of volume emission at the highest incident energy.
Determining the origin of cells in tissue engineered skin substitutes: a pilot study employing in situ hybridization

Background Definitive and high-quality coverage of large and, in particular, massive skin defects remains a significant challenge in burn as well as plastic and reconstructive surgery because of donor site shortage. A novel and promising approach to overcome these problems is tissue engineering of skin. Clearly, before eventual clinical application, engineered skin substitutes of human origin must be grafted and then evaluated in animal models. For the various tests to be conducted it is indispensable to be able to identify human cells as such in culture and also to distinguish between graft and recipient tissue after transplantation. Here we describe a tool to identify human cells in vitro and in vivo.
A microtiter well assay for quantitative measurement of estrogen receptor binding to estrogen-responsive elements.

Reproducible, rapid measurement of estrogen receptor (ER) binding to DNA was accomplished in microtiter wells treated so that ER-DNA complexes or DNA bound in preference to free ER. Mixtures of 35S-labeled DNA and [3H]estrogen-charged ER ([3H] ER), incubated to equilibrium in microfuge tubes, were transferred to microtiter wells reviously treated with histone followed by gelatin. After binding of the DNA or ER-DNA complex to the treated wells, free ER was removed by washing. Radioactivity retained in each well was measured by placing individual wells from snap-apart microtiter plates directly in scintillation fluid. Binding of DNA was saturable, and ER-DNA complex binding was complete within 2 h at 4 C. The use of 35S-labeled DNA and [3H]ER allowed stoichiometric determination of ER bound to DNA. The amount of ER specifically bound to a consensus estrogen-responsive element (ERE) containing the inverted repeat GGTCAgag-TGACC was determined by comparing ER bound to plasmid containing or lacking the ERE. At...
Plumbing the sources of endogenous MHC class I peptide ligands.

From fish to fowl to pharaohs, nearly all cells in jawed vertebrates constitutively process and present peptides derived from endogenously synthesized polypeptides. Such peptides, snug in the binding groove of cell surface MHC class I molecules, enable CD8+ T cell mediated immunosurveillance of viruses, other intracellular pathogens, and spontaneously arising tumors. The MHC class I system also plays an important role in olfactory-based vertebrate mate selection and perhaps even in preventing direct transmission of tumors between individuals. Recent findings indicate that MHC class I bound peptides are generated at higher efficiency from rapidly degraded polypeptides (including defective ribosomal products) than from old proteins. Intimately linking translation and antigen presentation makes perfect sense for immunosurveillance of acute virus infections, in which speed is of the essence to minimize viral replication, pathogenesis and transmission. The intriguing question of how translation is linked to presentation has prompted the immunoribosome hypothesis of immunosurveillance, which posits that MHC class I peptide ligands are preferentially generated from a subset of translation products.
Reflections on international political party assistance

For the past two decades, the international community has been providing assistance to political parties as part of its efforts to promote multi-party democracy in developing and transition societies. Its assistance programmes are designed to help political parties improve their organizational capacities, promote internal democracy, recruit women and minorities, and effectively participate in legislative processes. The programmes also support legal and regulatory reforms for effective functioning of parties. This article examines the nature and form of political party assistance given by the international community. It also raises a number of questions and issues concerning party assistance programmes. These are a lack of local ownership of assistance programmes; the possible negative impacts of financial and commodity assistance; limited technical expertise of donor and intermediary organizations; limited time horizon of assistance projects; partisanship nature of assistance; balancing political party an...
Typical, dysplastic, congenital, and Spitz nevi: A comparative immunohistochemical study

Nevus cell components have been observed in up to 40% of melanomas, but little is known of the pathobiology of these components in relation to their malignant potential. We studied 44 nevi of the typical, dysplastic, congenital, and Spitz types with a battery of monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies that react on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues (HMB.45, S-100 protein, RAP-5, epithelial membrane antigen [EMA], and neuron-specific enolase [NSE]) by avidin-biotin immunohistochemical methods. EMA and RAP-5 (which detects the ras oncogene-associated P21 protein) were negative in all cases. Melanoma-specific HMB.45 was strongly reactive with the epidermal component and had a weak to negative reaction with the dermal component in the typical nevi. However, the reaction seen with HMB.45 in the junctional component of dysplastic nevi, congenital nevi, and some Spitz nevi was heterogeneous. One Spitz nevi showed HMB.45 staining in a pattern near to that of melanoma. In contrast to HMB.45, S-100 protein labeled nevomelanocytes, regardless of whether they were within the epidermis or dermis, although, in half of the dysplastic nevi, the reaction was heterogeneous, with some atypical cells failing to stain. But, with cytologically atypical junctional component (dysplastic-appearing), congenital nevi also stained heterogeneously for S-100 protein compared with the dermal component. NSE stained the central component of some Spitz nevi more intensely than the lateral component. Junctional nevomelanocytic subsets of some congenital nevi revealed HMB.45 and S-100 reactivity similar to dysplastic nevi.
Simulations of a comet impact on the Moon and associated ice deposition in polar cold traps

Abstract Modeling results of the water vapor plume produced by a comet impact on the Moon and of the resulting water ice deposits in the lunar cold traps are presented. The water vapor plume is simulated near the point of impact by the SOVA hydrocode and in the far field by the Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method using as input the SOVA hydrocode solution at a fixed hemispherical interface. The SOVA hydrocode models the physics of the impact event such as the surface deformation and material phase changes during the impact. The further transport and retention processes, including gravity, photodestruction processes, and variable surface temperature with local polar cold traps, are modeled by the DSMC method for months after impact. In order to follow the water from the near field of the impact to the full planetary induced atmosphere, the 3D parallel DSMC code used a collision limiting scheme and an unsteady multi-domain approach. 3D results for the 45° oblique impact of a 2 km in diameter comet on the surface of the Moon at 30 km/s are presented. Most of the cometary water is lost due to escape just after impact and only ∼3% of the cometary water is initially retained on the Moon. Early downrange focusing of the water vapor plume is observed but the later material that is moving more slowly takes on a more symmetric shape with time. Several locations for the point of impact were investigated and final retention rates of ∼0.1% of the comet mass were observed. Based on the surface area of the cold traps used in the present simulations, ∼1 mm of ice would have accumulated in the cold traps after such an impact. Estimates for the total mass of water accumulated in the polar cold traps over 1 byr are consistent with recent observations.
Validity and community-health-nursing sensitivity of six outcomes for community health nursing with older clients

A survey research design was used to assess the importance, sensitivity to nursing interventions, and content validity of six client outcomes from the Nursing Outcomes Classification (NOC)). Outcomes relevant for elderly community residents and caregivers were included in a questionnaire mailed to American Nurses Credentialing Center–certified expert community health nurses. Two hundred thirty-nine experts rated specific indicators of the six outcomes for their importance in determining the outcomes and the contribution of nursing to their achievement. Outcomes also were rated for their importance for community health nursing clients and responsiveness to community health nursing intervention. Results strongly support the content validity and nursing sensitivity of outcomes and specific indicators. Experts judged all six outcomes to be important and 90% of indicators as important in determining the outcome. All outcomes and 78% of indicators were judged to be responsive to community health nursing intervention. Recommendations include the testing of NOC outcomes in community health nursing clinical practice and inclusion in community health nursing curricula. Areas for further research include development and validation of community-level outcomes, validation of outcomes with rural and home health nursing experts, and exploration of the community health nursing-sensitivity of one study outcome.
Micronucleus formation in V79 cells treated with respirable silica dispersed in medium and in simulated pulmonary surfactant.

Abstract Chinese hamster lung fibroblasts (V79 cells) were challenged with respirable silica particles using an in vitro genotoxicity assay. Two particle sizes of crystalline quartz and a non-crystalline silica were assayed for induction of micronuclei (MN) in V79 cells. Some of the silica dusts used were pretreated with simulated pulmonary surfactant to model in vivo exposure conditions. The results showed that both crystalline and non-crystalline silica dispered in medium (MEM) induced MN formation in a dose-dependent manner. Crystalline silica was more active in this assay than non-crystalline silica on a mass basis. The results also show that the frequency of micronucleated cells in cultures treated with surfactant-coated silica was not significantly different from that of the non-treated control cultures. These results seem to indicate that silica can cause chromosomal aberrations and/ or aneuploidies in V79 cells; however, pretreatment of silica particles with simulated pulmonary surfactant reduces or delays genotoxicity in this assay.
The molesworth enquiry: Does the report fit the evidence?

(1977). The molesworth enquiry: Does the report fit the evidence? Journal of Australian Studies: Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 33-51.
Polarographic Reduction of Benzoate in Acetonitrile

The polarographic wave observed for acetonitrile solutions of benzoic acid is due to reduction of the acid proton: the apparent diffusion current constant for the wave increases with con­ centration of benzoic acid as expected for the reduction of the acidic proton of a slightly dissociated acid. No wave was observed for ethyl benzoate.
Method of initial functions for thick shells

Abstract In the present work for circular cylindrical shells, three-dimensional elasticity equations are solved by assuming Taylor series expansions, in the radial direction, for the stresses and displacements. Depending upon the number of terms retained in the expansion, different order shell theories are derived., classical theories (referred to as eighth-order), the shear deformation-transverse normal stress theories (referred to as tenth-order), and higher order theories (referred to as twelfth-order). In each case, by carrying out the symbolic algebra using the digital computer, partial differential equations are derived. The procedure was carried out in detail for the case of a circular cylindrical shell with no loading on the interior surface and a given pressure distribution on the exterior surface. Then, numerical comparisons are made between the current theories and various shell theories, as well as the exact (three dimensional) theory. Thus, using this method with its associated computer programs, one can realize a spectrum of approximate shell theories ranging from the classical thin shell, through all current thick shell theories, right up to the three-dimensional elastic theories.
An assessment of recent applications of economic theory to the arts

Observers of the cultural economics "scene" cannot fail to notice two continuing themes: (1) the suspicion among the less conventional economists doing arts research that the tools of neoclassical economics simply do not provide adequate insight into problems related to the arts, and (2) the even greater suspicion among arts professionals and organization managers that very little helpful advice can be obtained from economists regarding the day to day decisions they must make. Thus, the editors of the proceedings of the International Conference on Economic Planning and the Arts, in Edinburgh, write in the preface: "Our collective perception was that economists might treat cultural studies as a novelty, as Schovshy describes, for their own intellectual stimulation. Economic applications are often no more than effort to deal with (the interdisciplinary issues) by finding escape points through which the closed system of economic thinking can be opened to other perspectives/' [1] Even though their ultimate verdict on the work being done by economists is cautiously approving, one suspects that they would favor a bit more art and a bit less economics in the economics of the arts. On this they are on the same side as the arts managers, who ofteri found in Edinburgh yet another reason to be wary of the economist, even as they become ever more attuned to the advice of the accountant. [2] This paper is a modest attempt to comment on this dilemma. In short, the argument is that (1) the substantive gaps between the nonconventional economists (perhaps called institutionalists) and the conventional neoclassical economists have been minor to date; the differences have been primarily of style and scope, rather than content; (2) neither approach has yet been able to provide much useful advice to arts decision makers; but (3) the chances of the neoclassical approach being able to provide insight into arts managerial
Cell cycle dependent antagonistic interactions between paclitaxel and carboplatin in combination therapy.

Purpose: The promising clinical activity of paclitaxel, a naturally occurring antimicrotubule agent, has promoted considerable interest in combining this drug with radiation therapy, but it remains unclear whether such a combination would increase the therapeutic efficacy. This study is to assess the potential interactions between paclitaxel and γ-radiation against human tumor cells in vitro . Experimental Design: Paclitaxel and γ-radiation were administered in three different sequences designated as pre-radiated, co-radiated, and post-radiated to BCap37 (human breast cancer cell line) and KB (human epidermoid carcinoma cell line) cells. The cytotoxic interactions between and mutual influences of these two agents on their antitumor activities were analyzed by a series of assays including cytotoxic, morphological, and biochemical examinations. Results: The combination of paclitaxel and γ-radiation did not produce a synergistic or additive effect. Instead, the overall in vitro cytotoxicity of these combinations was much lower than that of paclitaxel treatment alone. DNA fragmentation and flow cytometric assays showed that the addition of γ-radiation interfered with paclitaxel-induced apoptosis. Further analyses indicated that the addition of γ-radiation resulted in a transient or prolonged cell cycle arrest at G 2 phase, which likely prevented the cytotoxic effects of paclitaxel on both mitotic arrest and apoptosis. In addition, biochemical examinations revealed that γ-radiation inhibited paclitaxel-induced IκBα degradation and bcl-2 phosphorylation and increased the protein levels of cyclin B1 and inhibitory phosphorylation of p34 cdc2 . Conclusions: Our results suggest that γ-radiation might specifically block the cell cycle at G 2 phase, which in turn prevents the cytotoxic effects of paclitaxel on both mitotic arrest and apoptosis. Therefore, it eventually results in a cell cycle-dependent antagonistic effect on the antitumor activity of paclitaxel. This finding may be relevant to the clinical application of combination therapy with paclitaxel and radiation.
MECHANISMS OF MORAL DISENGAGEMENT IN SUPPORT OF MILITARY FORCE: THE IMPACT OF SEPT. 11

The present study examined the relation between disengagement of moral self–sanctions and support of military force. The modes of moral disengagement included moral sanctioning of lethal means, disavowal of personal responsibility for detrimental effects accompanying military campaigns, minimization of civilian casualties, and attribution of blame and dehumanization of one’s foes. The respondents were drawn nationally through a random digit dialing interview system. Partway during this nationwide study the country experienced the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. The Sept. 11 terrorist strikes raised the level of moral disengagement for the use of military force compared to the pre–strike level. The higher the moral disengagement the stronger the public support for immediate retaliatory strikes against suspected terrorist sanctuaries abroad and for aerial bombardment of Iraq. Moral disengagement completely mediated
A review of survival in mycosis fungoides.

ABSTRACT Objectives: The objectives of this study are to review prior publications of survival for patients with mycosis fungoides (MF), to perform some analyses on the consolidated data, and then to consider the implications of the results. Methods: The data for this study comprise 18 survival curves derived from seven prior publications of long-term survival in relatively large series of patients with MF. Altogether, the study uses results from over 5,000 patients. To examine fatality, the study uses hazard functions derived from the survival curves. Results: The analyses demonstrate significant variability in survival between different groups who have studied MF, and the results document that for most patients the diagnosis of MF has little impact on fatality. Conclusions: Although MF is considered a cutaneous lymphoma, that is, a malignancy, it may be time to reconsider low stages of MF as precursors to malignancy analogous to the precursors to malignancies of other types or organs.
Treatment of pyoderma gangrenosum with cultured keratinocyte autografts.

background. Pyoderma gangrenosum is an uncommon chronic skin disease characterized by rapidly enlarging cutaneous ulcers. Immunosuppressive agents, such as corticosteroids, are the mainstay of therapy. objective. We describe a patient with pyoderma gangrenosum treated with cultured keratinocyte autografts for a full-thickness ulcer located on the dorsal and lateral aspects of the foot. methods. After stabilizing the ulcer with intralesional and systemic corticosteroids, the ulcer was debrided and cultured keratinocyte autografts were secured with nylon mesh. An outer dressing of gauze and elastic bandage was used. results. The patient had > 95%“take” of the grafts and the ulcer was fully healed in less than 1 month. The grafted area preserved the clinical phenotype of the palmar skin from which the original biopsy was taken. conclusion. Cultured keratinocyte autografts can provide permanent wound coverage for patients on high doses of immunosuppressive medications.
Combined pulmonary venous thromboembolism and renal artery thrombosis in a patient with non-small cell lung cancer.

The incidence of clinically significant thrombosis in a cancer patient varies from 5 to 60%. Venous thrombosis remains more common than arterial thrombosis, and combined arterial and venous thrombosis in cancer patients is rare [1]. We report a rare case of combined pulmonary thromboembolism and complete thrombotic occlusion of the renal artery in a patient with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) while receiving chemotherapy.
The Risk of Virologic Failure Decreases with Duration of HIV Suppression, at Greater than 50% Adherence to Antiretroviral Therapy.

Background: We hypothesized that the percent adherence to antiretroviral therapy necessary to maintain HIV suppression would decrease with longer duration of viral suppression. Methodology: Eligible participants were identified from the REACH cohort of marginally housed HIV infected adults in San Francisco. Adherence to antiretroviral therapy was measured through pill counts obtained at unannounced visits by research staff to each participant’s usual place of residence. Marginal structural models and targeted maximum likelihood estimation methodologies were used to determine the effect of adherence to antiretroviral therapy on the probability of virologic failure during early and late viral suppression. Principal Findings: A total of 221 subjects were studied (median age 44.1 years; median CD4+ T cell nadir 206 cells/mm 3 ). Most subjects were taking the following types of antiretroviral regimens: non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor based (37%), ritonavir boosted protease inhibitor based (28%), or unboosted protease inhibitor based (25%). Comparing the probability of failure just after achieving suppression vs. after 12 consecutive months of suppression, there was a statistically significant decrease in the probability of virologic failure for each range of adherence proportions we considered, as long as adherence was greater than 50%. The estimated risk difference, comparing the probability of virologic failure after 1 month vs. after 12 months of continuous viral suppression was 0.47 (95% CI 0.23–0.63) at 50–74% adherence, 0.29 (CI 0.03–0.50) at 75–89% adherence, and 0.36 (CI 0.23–0.48) at 90–100% adherence. Conclusions: The risk of virologic failure for adherence greater than 50% declines with longer duration of continuous suppression. While high adherence is required to maximize the probability of durable viral suppression, the range of adherence capable of sustaining viral suppression is wider after prolonged periods of viral suppression.
Temporoparietal hypometabolism in frontotemporal lobar degeneration and associated imaging diagnostic errors.

Author(s): Womack, Kyle B; Diaz-Arrastia, Ramon; Aizenstein, Howard J; Arnold, Steven E; Barbas, Nancy R; Boeve, Bradley F; Clark, Christopher M; DeCarli, Charles S; Jagust, William J; Leverenz, James B; Peskind, Elaine R; Turner, R Scott; Zamrini, Edward Y; Heidebrink, Judith L; Burke, James R; DeKosky, Steven T; Farlow, Martin R; Gabel, Matthew J; Higdon, Roger; Kawas, Claudia H; Koeppe, Robert A; Lipton, Anne M; Foster, Norman L | Abstract: ObjectiveTo evaluate the cause of diagnostic errors in the visual interpretation of positron emission tomographic scans with fludeoxyglucose F 18 (FDG-PET) in patients with frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) and patients with Alzheimer disease (AD).DesignTwelve trained raters unaware of clinical and autopsy information independently reviewed FDG-PET scans and provided their diagnostic impression and confidence of either FTLD or AD. Six of these raters also recorded whether metabolism appeared normal or abnormal in 5 predefined brain regions in each hemisphere-frontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, anterior temporal cortex, temporoparietal cortex, and posterior cingulate cortex. Results were compared with neuropathological diagnoses.SettingAcademic medical centers.PatientsForty-five patients with pathologically confirmed FTLD (n=14) or AD (n=31).ResultsRaters had a high degree of diagnostic accuracy in the interpretation of FDG-PET scans; however, raters consistently found some scans more difficult to interpret than others. Unanimity of diagnosis among the raters was more frequent in patients with AD (27 of 31 patients [87%]) than in patients with FTLD (7 of 14 patients [50%]) (P=.02). Disagreements in interpretation of scans in patients with FTLD largely occurred when there was temporoparietal hypometabolism, which was present in 7 of the 14 FTLD scans and 6 of the 7 scans lacking unanimity. Hypometabolism of anterior cingulate and anterior temporal regions had higher specificities and positive likelihood ratios for FTLD than temporoparietal hypometabolism had for AD.ConclusionsTemporoparietal hypometabolism in FTLD is common and may cause inaccurate interpretation of FDG-PET scans. An interpretation paradigm that focuses on the absence of hypometabolism in regions typically affected in AD before considering FTLD is likely to misclassify a significant portion of FTLD scans. Anterior cingulate and/or anterior temporal hypometabolism indicates a high likelihood of FTLD, even when temporoparietal hypometabolism is present. Ultimately, the accurate interpretation of FDG-PET scans in patients with dementia cannot rest on the presence or absence of a single region of hypometabolism but rather must take into account the relative hypometabolism of all brain regions.
Identification of four novel developmentally regulated gamma hemoglobin mRNA isoforms

Objective In the course of developing assays for the molecular prediction of biological age, we serendipitously discovered four novel isoforms of gamma hemoglobin mRNA, designated HBG1n1, HBG1n2, HBG2n2, and HBG2n3, collectively termed HBGn isoforms. Here we report the molecular characterization and tissue expression of these isoforms. Materials and Methods RNA obtained from human peripheral blood and various fetal and adult tissues was amplified with duplex reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assays to determine the expression profiles of the HBGn isoforms. To determine if their molecular origin was either a genomic recombination or an undefined RNA rearrangement event, DNA and RNA samples were pretreated with RNaseI and/or DNaseI and then analyzed with the duplex RT-PCR assays. Results Alignment analysis indicated that the HBG1n(1/2) and HBG2n(2/3) isoforms were identical to the expected parental HBG1 or HBG2 sequences except for unique deletions that spanned the 3′ end of exon two, the entire second intron, and the 5′ end of exon three. RT-PCR duplex reactions revealed that the isoforms exhibit restricted expression to fetal hematopoietic tissue and newborn peripheral blood and appear to be temporally regulated during development. Finally, nucleic acid digestion experiments illustrate that the isoforms appear to be created by an RNA rearrangement event between penta- or octanucleotide direct repeats in adjacent exons. Conclusion The precise genesis and function of these novel isoforms is unknown at present. Interestingly, each of the four isoforms identified maintain an open reading frame as well as 5′ and 3′ regulatory regions invoking the possibility that they encode a family of related polypeptides.
Future convective environments using NARCCAP

This study examines trends in atmospheric environments conducive to the development of severe convection in the United States, as simulated by a regional model forced with output from a global climate model. Meteorological variables necessary for severe convection from current (1981–1995) and future (2041–2065) epochs were compared. Results indicate a statistically significant increase in the number of significant severe weather environments in the Northeast United States, Great Lakes, and Southeast Canada regions. Regional severe weather environment increases can be attributed to both an increase in convective available potential energy (CAPE) and the number of times deep-layer wind shear and CAPE juxtaposition. Given the current distribution of severe convective weather, these changes would alter the current physical risk of severe convective storms across a large population.
Tunable MEMS Spiral Inductors With Optimized RF Performance and Integrated Large-Displacement Electrothermal Actuators

We propose a tunable microelectromechanical systems integrated inductor with a large-displacement electrothermal actuator. Based on a transformer configuration, the inductance of a spiral inductor is tuned by controlling the relative position of a magnetically coupled short-circuited loop. The magnetic coupling between the inductors can be changed from 0.17 to 0.8 through an electrothermal actuator that can change their relative position by over 140 mum . For the first time, we investigate the impact of this tuning scheme on the inductance and quality factor and propose optimal designs. While a previous preliminary study has focused on keeping the ratio between the two coupled inductors close to one, we find that optimal performance is a weak function of this ratio. Instead, it primarily depends on the resistive loss of the short-circuited coil. Our theoretical studies are backed by a variety of fabricated and measured tunable inductors that show a ~2:1 inductance tuning ratio over a wide frequency range of approximately 25 GHz. In addition, the maximum and minimum quality factors of the tunable inductor are measured to be 26 and 10, respectively, which agree well with the theoretically expected values.
Coccidioidomycosis in hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients

Coccidioidomycosis is an endemic fungal infection of the desert southwestern United States that can cause devastating disseminated infection in immunocompromised persons. Clinical coccidioidomycosis, which is caused by Coccidioides species, has been well characterized in patients who have had solid organ transplants, but it has rarely been described in patients who have received a hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT). We report the experience of 121 consecutive HSCT recipients at a single tertiary care institution in an endemic area. One patient had fatal disseminated coccidioidomycosis after receiving an allogeneic transplant, and 2 patients had pulmonary infection before successful autologous HSCT; 1 of these 2 had a reactivation of coccidioidal infection after HSCT but was treated and survived. Coccidioidomycosis was not commonly identified in HSCT recipients, even in the endemic area. A prospective evaluation is required to address the optimal use of coccidioidal serologic tests, antifungal protocols, and secondary prophylaxis in these patients.
RUSBoost: Improving classification performance when training data is skewed

Constructing classification models using skewed training data can be a challenging task. We present RUSBoost, a new algorithm for alleviating the problem of class imbalance. RUSBoost combines data sampling and boosting, providing a simple and efficient method for improving classification performance when training data is imbalanced. In addition to performing favorably when compared to SMOTEBoost (another hybrid sampling/boosting algorithm), RUSBoost is computationally less expensive than SMOTEBoost and results in significantly shorter model training times. This combination of simplicity, speed and performance makes RUSBoost an excellent technique for learning from imbalanced data.
Electronic energy bands and optical transitions in tetragonal germanium dioxide

Abstract The electronic energy band structure of the tetragonal crystallographic modification of germanium dioxide (GeO 2 ) has been calculated by the APW method. Application of selection rules indicate only two allowed direct transitions at the center of the Brillouin zone which correlate with observed room temperature optical properties at the fundamental absorption edge in single crystals. The calculated band structure also predicts an indirect transition which, although not inconsistent with the optical data, cannot be completely verified without additional and more refined experimental work.
The Gamma Ray Arcminute Telescope Imaging System (GRATIS) detector performance and imaging

We are constructing a telescope with arcminute resolution in the soft 7-ray band. This telescope will provide the first images of cosmic sources on arcminute scales in the energy range 30 - 200 keV. Arcminute resolution gives us the capability, for the first time, to image truly diffuse emission in this wavelength band, opening up exciting new scientific opportunities. The payload consists of ~36 independent coaligned modules. Each module consists of an alkali halide scintillating crystal collimated to a one dimensional coded aperture mask. Every module is fixed in the telescope with a different rotational orientation, allowing reconstruction of two dimensional images. For our application this novel approach has several advantages over a standard two dimensional coded aperture implementation. We have simulated this system and demonstrated the fidelity and robustness of the reconstructions. In addition, we have refined the GRATIS detector technology and achieved improved spatial resolution over that previously reported.
Persistent diplopia and superior oblique muscle dysfunction following dissection of the orbital periosteum in cranial base surgery.

Background/aims Persistent diplopia secondary to a fourth cranial nerve palsy is poorly documented after open cranial base surgery. Methods Six cases of fourth cranial nerve palsy after cranial base surgery were drawn from the Neuro-Ophthalmology and Head and Neck Surgery Clinics at the University of Michigan from 2004 to 2012. Results Six patients developed diplopia and ocular misalignment in a pattern suggestive of superior oblique palsy following dissection of the medial orbital periosteum as part of a surgical approach to the anterior cranial base. Among the four patients in whom follow-up examination was available, the misalignment improved spontaneously in three patients and was stable in the fourth patient, but did not completely resolve in any patient. Conclusions This sparsely documented phenomenon is likely caused by dysfunction of the superior oblique muscle, possibly the result of malposition of the trochlea after spontaneous reattachment of the periosteum. Special factors such as invasive tumours, repeated surgeries of this nature, prior radiation, or chemical cementing material that adversely affects wound healing may be contributory.
Exploration versus Exploitation: Leadership and the Paradox of Administration

Focused on small firms, this paper explores the effectiveness of transformational versus transactional leadership in responding to disruptive environmental change and the need for the firm to balance the exploitation of its existing domain against the need to explore new ventures and modes of operation. The study finds that firms under transformational leadership were more effective in the development of new products, markets, manufacturing and management systems, and new skills and capabilities and earned greater revenues in the process. The study finds the best overall financial performance among the small number of firms whose owners combine both types of leadership.
Effect of strain on CHSH Auger recombination in strained In/sub 0.53+x/Ga/sub 0.47-x/As on InP

We calculate the mod conduction, heavy hole)- mod split-off hole, heavy hole) (CHSH) Auger rates in strained In/sub 0.53+x/Ga/sub 0.47-x/As on InP, a widely used material system for quantum well lasers. The bandstructure is obtained from an eight-band tight binding model with spin-orbit coupling, strain effects being included via the deformation potential theory. Adding excess In decreases the hole density of states: this effect acts to decrease the Auger rates. The excess In also decreases the bandgap, however, and increases the split-off gap: these effects act to increase the Auger rates. When we include both of these effects we find that the reduction in the net bandgap dominates; hence, the Auger rates increase with excess In for a fixed carrier concentration. We include these Anger rates in the threshold current calculation for a strained layer multi quantum well laser. We find that for x 0.15, however, the threshold carrier concentration changes little and the Anger rates continue to increase; thus, the threshold current begins to increase rapidly with x. >
Midlife Themes of Invisible Citizens: An Exploration into How Ordinary People Make Sense of Their Lives

This article reports on a two-part interview study of 23 men and women aged 35 to 45 who held low-profile jobs such as prison inmates and guards, hospital cooks, laundry workers, custodians, resort maids, gardeners, bartenders, and bellmen. A research approach incorporating interview, life study, and oral history methods, mixed open-ended questions with formal inventories such as the Rokeach Value Survey and the KilpatrickCantril self-anchoring scale.Four common themes emerged from the group. All were hopeful about their futures and most felt that their present lives were better than their past. A majority saw their lives as being strongly influenced by some painful and traumatic life event such as a divorce, death of a loved one, accident, drug addiction, or view of war. The women tended to select relational events when asked for their most significant life events, whereas the men chose public or personal events. All saw themselves as being responsible for their lives. The greatest contributions were the...
Dissent as a Site of Aesthetic Adaptation in the Work of Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.

This article considers Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. as a writer in the aesthetic,pragmatic tradition of Ralph Waldo Emerson and William James. Holmes, like Emerson, has been compared to Nietzsche, and may be said to have ushered in an era of postmodern jurisprudence in America. Holmes’s aesthetic pragmatism anticipates the antifoundationalism of Richard Rorty and lends itself to rhetorical superfluity, especially in the medium of dissent. Holmes turned the dissent into an aesthetic medium both pleasurable and memorable; in so doing, he ensured that future judges, practitioners, academics, and other commentators would revisit his dissents. By revisiting Holmes’s dissents, these individuals were revisiting legal reasoning, and judges in particular were vindicating that reasoning and perhaps even transforming that reasoning into law. Section one contextualizes Holmes’s ideas within the broader currents of American jurisprudence and postmodern philosophy in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. This section shows that Holmes was a transitional and transformational force in American legal thought and that he ushered in an era of postmodern judging. Section two spells out the concept of pragmatist aesthetics as a judicial framework. It suggests that Holmes is an Emersonian who falls within the pragmatic-aesthetic tradition. This section builds on themes about postmodernism, but focuses above all on Holmes’s style and creativity. Although classical pragmatism is not postmodern, and although Holmes is not a postmodernist, Holmes’s pragmatism enabled the development of postmodern jurisprudence. Against entropy, Holmes stood for mobility and expediency, the implications of which were more postmodern than Holmesprobably intended. Section three considers this postmodern jurisprudence and synthesizes sections one and two while analyzing the dissent as a communicative and rhetorical medium. This final section is both biographical and theoretical; it brings together the three principal themes of this piece: pragmatism, aesthetics, and postmodernism.
CREATIVITY, GENERATIVITY, AND THE NEXT GENERATION

(2009). CREATIVITY, GENERATIVITY, AND THE NEXT GENERATION. Journal of Pastoral Theology: Vol. 19, No. 2, pp. 94-103.
Examining rater and occasion influences in observational assessments obtained from within the clinical environment

Background : When ratings of student performance within the clerkship consist of a variable number of ratings per clinical teacher (rater), an important measurement question arises regarding how to combine such ratings to accurately summarize performance. As previous G studies have not estimated the independent influence of occasion and rater facets in observational ratings within the clinic, this study was designed to provide estimates of these two sources of error. Method : During 2 years of an emergency medicine clerkship at a large midwestern university, 592 students were evaluated an average of 15.9 times. Ratings were performed at the end of clinical shifts, and students often received multiple ratings from the same rater. A completely nested G study model (occasion: rater: person) was used to analyze sampled rating data. Results : The variance component (VC) related to occasion was small relative to the VC associated with rater. The D study clearly demonstrates that having a preceptor rate a student on multiple occasions does not substantially enhance the reliability of a clerkship performance summary score. Conclusions : Although further research is needed, it is clear that case-specific factors do not explain the low correlation between ratings and that having one or two raters repeatedly rate a student on different occasions/cases is unlikely to yield a reliable mean score. This research suggests that it may be more efficient to have a preceptor rate a student just once. However, when multiple ratings from a single preceptor are available for a student, it is recommended that a mean of the preceptor’s ratings be used to calculate the student’s overall mean performance score. Keywords: clinical ratings; generalizability theory; clinical skills (Published: 23 February 2016) Citation: Med Educ Online 2016, 21: 29279 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/meo.v21.29279
Supporting America's Military Children and Families

Military children are our nation's children and military families are our nation's families. They serve courageously and their commitment and sense of duty is comparable to their military service f...
Laser Multiphoton Ionization of Tetrakis(dimethylamino)ethylene

The tetrakis(dimethylamino)ethylene (TDAE) molecule possesses the lowest known molecular ionization potential (<5.4 eV) and exhibits an intense Rydberg series between the first and second ionization limit (∼14 eV). The ionization of TDAE using multiphoton ionization photoelectron spectroscopy was carried out using laser light at a variety of wavelengths with a hemispherical energy analyzer. Interestingly, photoelectron signal due to direct two-photon ionization was not seen, rather ionization from a fluorescent charge-transfer state located ∼2.5 eV below the ionization limit was evident and in general agreement with a previous study. In addition, a second intense peak exists corresponding to thermal energy electrons. Measurements of the angular distribution for the electrons due to photoionization from the intermediate state are peaked along the electric field vector of the laser and the thermal electrons direction is independent of this angle. From this, we propose that the thermal peak is most likely du...