cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Grainger power electronics and motor drives laboratories at Illinois Institute of Technology

At Illinois Institute of Technology (ITT), we have established the Grainger Power Electronics Laboratory and Grainger Electric Motor Drives Laboratory with the support of a generous gift from the Grainger Foundation. These state-of-the-art laboratories are used for two senior-level, four-credit hour undergraduate courses (ECE 411: power electronics and ECE 412: electric motor drives). Each laboratory consists of 14 experiments, one research projects demonstration, and one major design experience. The laboratory experiments give simple practical introduction to operation and control of electronic switching circuits and motor drives. They are done in groups of 2-3 students. These elective courses are appropriate for senior-level undergraduate electrical engineering and computer engineering students. This paper aims at presenting these two courses with laboratories in detail.
Rational combination treatment with histone deacetylase inhibitors and immunomodulatory drugs in multiple myeloma

Immunomodulatory drugs (IMiDs) thalidomide, lenalidomide (Len) and pomalidomide trigger anti-tumor activities in multiple myeloma (MM) by targetting cereblon and thereby impacting IZF1/3, c-Myc and IRF4. Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) also downregulate c-Myc. We therefore determined whether IMiDs with HDACi trigger significant MM cell growth inhibition by inhibiting or downregulating c-Myc. Combination treatment of Len with non-selective HDACi suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid or class-I HDAC-selective inhibitor MS275 induces synergic cytotoxicity, associated with downregulation of c-Myc. Unexpectedly, we observed that decreased levels of cereblon (CRBN), a primary target protein of IMiDs, was triggered by these agents. Indeed, sequential treatment of MM cells with MS275 followed by Len shows less efficacy than simultaneous treatment with this combination. Importantly ACY1215, an HDAC6 inhibitor with minimal effects on class-I HDACs, together with Len induces synergistic MM cytotoxicity without alteration of CRBN expression. Our results showed that only modest class-I HDAC inhibition is able to induce synergistic MM cytotoxicity in combination with Len. These studies may provide the framework for utilizing HDACi in combination with Len to both avoid CRBN downregulation and enhance anti-MM activities.
Fate and distribution of sulfur-35 in yellow poplar and red maple trees

Two deciduous tree species (yellow poplar and red maple) on Walker Branch Watershed (WBW), near Oak Ridge, Tennessee, were radiolabeled with 35S (87 day halflife) to study internal cycling, storage, and biogenic emission of sulfur (S). One tree of each species was girdled before radiolabeling to prevent phloem translocation to the roots, and the aboveground biomass was harvested prior to autumn leaf fall. Aboveground biomass, leaf fall, throughfall, and stemflow were sampled over a 13 to 24 week period. Sulfur-35 concentrations in tree leaves reached nearly asymptotic levels within 1 to 2 weeks after radiolabeling. Foliar leaching of 35S and leaf fall represented relatively unimportant return pathways to the forest soil. The final distribution of 35S in the nongirdled trees indicated little aboveground storage of S in biomass and appreciable (>60%) capacity to cycle S either to the belowground system by means of translocation or to the atmosphere by means of biogenic S emissions. Losses of volatile 35S were estimated from the amount of isotope missing (∼33%) in final inventories of the girdled trees. Estimated 35S emission rates from the girdled trees were ∼10-6 to ∼10-7 μCi cm-2 leaf d-1, and corresponded to an estimated gaseous S emission of approximately 0.1 to 1 μg S cm-2 leaf d-1. Translocation to roots was a significant sink for 35S in the red maple tree (40% of the injected amount). Research on forest biogeochemical S cycles should further explore biogenic S emissions from trees as a potential process of S flux from forest ecosystems.
Preservation/Conservation Literature: A Core Reference Collection

These general preservation/conservation readings are presented as an introduction to the field. They serve also as a checklist for developing a small support library.
Muscle dystrophy single point mutation in the 2B segment of lamin A does not affect the mechanical properties at the dimer level

Lamin intermediate filaments at the inner nuclear membrane play a key role in mechanosensation and gene regulation processes, and further guarantee the mechanical stability of the cell's nucleus. The rod-like dimers are the elementary building blocks within the dense lamina meshwork, mainly consisting of four α-helical coiled-coil segments as fundamental building blocks. Several mutations in the 2B segment of the rod domain of lamin A have been linked to the disease muscle dystrophy. In these diseases, the cell nuclei have been shown to feature abnormalities in the shape and its mechanical properties, leading to torn nuclear envelopes or bleb formation. However, up to now the origin of these mechanical changes remains unknown, in particular whether or not the mutations in the rod domain influence the mechanical properties of individual dimers, or if the changes are due to effects at larger hierarchical scales. Here we report a series of large-scale molecular dynamics studies of lamin A dimer segments, systematically comparing the mechanical behavior of the wild-type protein structure and a missense mutated protein structure with the point mutation p.Glu358Lys. Our results show that the nanomechanical tensile behavior of the dimer segment does not vary under presence of this mutation, suggesting that this single point mutation in muscle dystrophy does not affect the mechanical properties of lamin at the dimer level, but probably influences higher hierarchical scales.
Survey Finds Few Orthopedic Surgeons Know The Costs Of The Devices They Implant

Orthopedic procedures represent a large expense to the Medicare program, and costs of implantable medical devices account for a large proportion of those procedures’ costs. Physicians have been enc...
Ciliary action and normal movement of odorant wavefronts in garfish nasal capsule ofLepisosteus osseus

Le cours d'un courant d'eau produit par les cils dans la capsule nasale deLepisosteus osseus est decrit. Un certain volume d'eau ne passe sur l'epithelium nasal qu'une seule fois avant de sortir de la capsule, une situation differente de celle qui s'observe chez l'anguille. L'eau effectue son parcours en 2–9 sec, selon la route suivie a travers la cavite et la condition physiologique du poisson. Des cils sur des lamelles resequees produisent a la surface un ecoulement d'une vitesse moyenne de 2.2 mm par sec.
Information Technologies, Meta-power, and Transformations in Global Politics†

The transformational impact of information technologies changes the dominant meanings of the identity and interests of global actors. These transformations cannot be ascertained through technology's impact upon the capabilities of actors as understood in traditional accounts of power. The concept of meta-power explains the new meanings, which come about in global politics from an increasing number of perspectives and interactions facilitated through information exchanges and learning. Especially when information technologies diffuse or decentralize relations across global actors, we would expect that increased interactions among them would allow new meaning formation to increase. Individual and social identities are no longer singular or linearly consistent through time, and global politics reveal multiple meanings for the issues and actors in question. Illustrative examples are provided for individual-level identity formation and for the implications for global politics in networked environments.
Analysis and kinetics of 2,4-dinitrophenol tissues by capillary gas chromatography—mass spectrometry

Five groups of six ICR mice were orally dosed with 22.5 mg/kg 2,4-dinitrophenol. Groups were sacrificed at 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 h post treatment, and serum, liver, and kidney tissues were collected for analysis of dinitrophenol content. Quantitation was performed via a capillary gas chromatography--mass spectrometry technique after liquid--liquid extraction of biological specimens spiked with a trideuterated dinitrophenol internal standard. Concentration versus time data for each tissue were subjected to pharmacokinetic analysis. Similar two-compartment open models were found to characterize most phases of the disposition of this compound. The kidney appears to maintain a more persistent low concentration of 2,4-dinitrophenol.
Identifying the Battle Lines: Local-National Tensions in Organizing for Comprehensive Immigration Reform

Services designed to facilitate immigrant integration and civic-political engagement in the United States are highly privatized compared to those in Canada, where state funding provides the bulk of...
Structural Studies of Coupling Products Formed Between (C6H5)CH=N(C6H5) and the M(C5H5)(6,6-dmch) Fragments (M = Ti, Zr; dmch = dimethylcyclohexadienyl)

The reactions of Ti(C5H5)(6,6-dmch)(PMe3) and Zr(C5H5)(6,6-dmch)(PMe3)2 with two equivalents of C6H5C(H)=N(C6H5) have led to couplings of the imines to the 1,5 (terminal) positions of the 6,6-dmch ligands. In both cases the PMe3 ligands are lost, and the metal complexes each attain 18 electron configurations via η5-(C5H5), η3-allyl, and bis(π-amide) coordination. The complexes each crystallize in the monoclinic space group P21/c. For the titanium complex, a = 10.4336(1) A, b = 9.0407(1) A, c = 32.5547(6) A, β = 94.2939(5)°, V = 3062.17(7) A3, Dcalc = 1.264 at 200(1) K. For the zirconium complex, a = 13.8900(3) A, b = 10.0873(2) A, c = 22.4543(6) A, β = 90.7638(7)°, V = 3145.85(12) A3, Dcalc = 1.322 at 150(1) K. The reactions of M(C5H5)(6,6-dmch) fragments (M = Ti, Zr; dmch = dimethylcyclohexadienyl) with two equivalents of (C6H5)(H)C=N(C6H5) have led to couplings at the dienyl termini, resulting in 18 electron π-allyl, bis(π-amide) complexes.
Mechanism of the Orotidine 5’-Monophosphate Decarboxylase-Catalyzed Reaction: Importance of Residues in the Orotate Binding Site

The reaction catalyzed by orotidine 5'-monophosphate decarboxylase (OMPDC) is accompanied by exceptional values for rate enhancement (k(cat)/k(non) = 7.1 × 10(16)) and catalytic proficiency [(k(cat)/K(M))/k(non) = 4.8 × 10(22) M(-1)]. Although a stabilized vinyl carbanion/carbene intermediate is located on the reaction coordinate, the structural strategies by which the reduction in the activation energy barrier is realized remain incompletely understood. This laboratory recently reported that "substrate destabilization" by Asp 70 in the OMPDC from Methanothermobacter thermoautotrophicus (MtOMPDC) lowers the activation energy barrier by ∼5 kcal/mol (contributing ~2.7 × 10(3) to the rate enhancement) [Chan, K. K., Wood, B. M., Fedorov, A. A., Fedorov, E. V., Imker, H. J., Amyes, T. L., Richard, J. P., Almo, S. C., and Gerlt, J. A. (2009) Biochemistry 48, 5518-5531]. We now report that substitutions of hydrophobic residues in a pocket proximal to the carboxylate group of the substrate (Ile 96, Leu 123, and Val 155) with neutral hydrophilic residues decrease the value of k(cat) by as much as 400-fold but have a minimal effect on the value of k(ex) for exchange of H6 of the FUMP product analogue with solvent deuterium; we hypothesize that this pocket destabilizes the substrate by preventing hydration of the substrate carboxylate group. We also report that substitutions of Ser 127 that is proximal to O4 of the orotate ring decrease the value of k(cat)/K(M), with the S127P substitution that eliminates hydrogen bonding interactions with O4 producing a 2.5 × 10(6)-fold reduction; this effect is consistent with delocalization of the negative charge of the carbanionic intermediate on O4 that produces an anionic carbene intermediate and thereby provides a structural strategy for stabilization of the intermediate. These observations provide additional information about the identities of the active site residues that contribute to the rate enhancement and, therefore, insights into the structural strategies for catalysis.
Lithographic characteristics of 193-nm resists imaged at 193 and 248 nm

During the past few years an intensive effort has been made to develop 193 nm photoresists for the next generation of DUV lithography tools. The early portion of this effort was focused on the development of photoresist polymers that are transparent at 193 nm. Since the polyacrylic materials developed for 193 nm lithography were not highly reactive ion etch (RIE) resistant, recent 193 nm resist polymer efforts have focused on both optical transparency and RIE etch resistance. Most of these polymers developed for 139 nm lithography are highly transparent at 248 nm. This dual transparency produces the option of developing a resist that is backward compatible, i.e. imagable at both 193 nm and 248 nm. This paper will investigate the lithographic characteristics of resists initially developed for use at 193 nm, but imaged at both 193 nm and 248 nm. Various resist families will be compared, and aspects such as absorbance effects and PROLITHH/2TM simulations will be taken into consideration.
Oil Field Hydrogen Sulfide in Texas: Emission Estimates and Fate

Hydrogen sulfide is released into the atmosphere during oil recovery operations. However, little is quantitatively known concerning the total sulfur flux due to these fugitive emis sions. A mobile laboratory, equipped to measure atmospheric gases and meteorological parameters, was used to collect quantitative data in the vicinity of various oil field operations. Fugitive emissions of H2S and soil sulfate levels were studied. Concentrations of atmospheric sulfur gases (SO2, H2S, mercaptans) were measured in the oil-producing regions of several west Texas counties. Hydrogen sulfide was by far the dominant reduced sulfur gas in all locations. Except in the vicinity of refining/processing plants, mercaptan levels were below 200 pptv. Sulfur dioxide levels were also very low, typically below 200 pptv. In all locations, a strong diurnal pattern of the ambient H2S concentration was observed. Specific sources, the flux, and the fate of the H2S emitted in oil field operations was studied. Crude oil storage tanks w...
Behavioral responses of sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) to a putative alarm cue derived from conspecific and heterospecific sources

The sea lamprey, Petromyzon marinus , exhibits a spectacular alarm response to the odor emitted from decayed conspecifics that may differ substantially in function from the well-characterized system in ostariophysan fishes. Here, we report a series of three laboratory experiments designed to characterize the behavioral responses of migratory-phase lampreys to a set of odors derived from conspecific and heterospecific tissues, determine whether sex or sexual maturation alters these responses, and ascertain if the putative alarm substance derives from a particular region of the body. A number of the findings were consistent with the prevailing predator-avoidance paradigm for fish alarm substances released from the skin after predator attack in that: (1) dilute odors derived from freshly ground skin were highly repellent; (2) the substance is contained in the organism early in life; (3) the odor derived from a close relative was avoided whereas those of a distant relative were not; and (4) upon sexual maturity female response to the alarm substance was attenuated. Two interesting patterns arose that differed substantially from the prevailing paradigm: (1) conspecific odors remained repellent after 96 h of aerobic decay; and (2) the cue was emitted from multiple areas of the body, not just the skin, and the repellency of the odor derived from any tissue increased in accordance with its mass. A persistent cue emitted from several sources suggests a broader ecological function than the detection and avoidance of a predator.
Guardian ad litem, a potentially expensive invitation to either the mismanagement or management of patients with cognitive disorders.

The children of a multiple sclerosis (MS) patient filed a guardian ad litem case to be brought against the patient. The basis for the petition was that the MS patient had a significant reduction is his mental competence. The children were not aware that hyperthermia could adversely affect the brain of MS patients. The patient’s urologist recommended he have a suprapubic cystostomy done in a hospital. Passage of the two channel Foley catheter into his bladder immediately resolved his urinary tract infection, fever, and difficulty in communicating. Despite this dramatic improvement in his health from the urologic treatment, he was now faced with resolving his children’s petition for a guardian ad litem that would allow them to control his estate including his residence and financial retirement assets. A judge supported this petition by requesting that the patient with MS pay for his children’s attorney fees, 24 hour nursing home services that duplicated his own hired personal care assistants, the salary of the guardian ad litem, the attorney fees for the guardian ad litem, and payment for a psychological evaluation. The state law should be changed to require that the petitioner have adequate income to pay for his/her attorney as well as the salary of the guardian ad litem to prevent mismanagement of patients with cognitive disorders. In addition, the guardian ad litem should be an attorney or a registered nurse. The care of disabled individuals subjected to litigation should be coordinated by an attorney or registered nurse.
Tunicamycin reversibly inhibits the terminal differentiation of teratocarcinoma stem cells to endoderm

Abstract The differentiation of aggregates of certain teratocarcinoma stem cell lines begins with the formation of an outer layer of primary endoderm cells characterized by the production of plasminogen activator and the absence of histochemically detectable alkaline phosphatase activity. After several days of culture these outer cells develop into a mixture of two types of terminally differentiated endoderm: parietal endoderm which produces a thick layer of underlying basement membrane and visceral endoderm which produces α-fetoprotein (AFP). We report here that in the presence of tunicamycin, a drug that inhibits glycosylation of N-asparagine linked glycoproteins, a primary endoderm-like cell is formed which is alkaline phosphatase negative and plasminogen activator positive. However, terminal differentiation of these cells is inhibited as manifested by the lack of accumulation of a thick basement membrane and the absence of immunologically detected AFP. Such inhibition is reversible following removal of the tunicamycin. Terminal differentiation of endoderm depends, therefore, upon N-asparagine linked glycoproteins.
Access to health care and travel for birthing: Native American-white differentials in Montana

Abstract The location of medical services critically affects access to health care. We examine the extent to which the spatial distribution of health care resources allows expectant mothers to give birth in the county where they live or forces them to travel elsewhere for obstetrical care. We focus on native American-white differentials in access and travel because little is known about inter-racial differences involving native American Indians. Montana birth records for the period 1980–1989 are used to identify the degree to which women leave the county of residence to give birth. Thirty-seven percent of births to native American mothers involved travel, compared to 19% of births to whites. Sixty-one percent of births to whites were to mothers residing in counties with relatively high levels of obstetrical care (Level II hospitals), while that proportion for native Americans was only 18%. Of women who traveled, 65% of whites gave birth in counties with a Level II hospital, compared to 40% of native Americans. Results of logistic regression suggest that the distribution of health care facilities in the county of residence largely explains travel for birthing. Inter-racial differences in travel turn out to be minimal when the spatial distribution of health care resources is taken into consideration, and both groups act similarly when faced with the same level of health care resources. Suggestions to improve the delivery of health care in rural areas are offered.
Free radical drug enhancement.

CHLORPROMAZINE (CPZ) and related thiazine drugs have been much studied, and the suggestion1 that CPZ might act in vivo as its free radical form stimulated great interest in the charge transfer properties of this compound which was shown in vitro to be an excellent electron donor2.
Improved tumor identification using dual tracer molecular imaging in fluorescence guided brain surgery

Brain tumors represent a leading cause of cancer death for people under the age of 40 and the probability complete surgical resection of brain tumors remains low owing to the invasive nature of these tumors and the consequences of damaging healthy brain tissue. Molecular imaging is an emerging approach that has the potential to improve the ability for surgeons to correctly discriminate between healthy and cancerous tissue; however, conventional molecular imaging approaches in brain suffer from significant background signal in healthy tissue or an inability target more invasive sections of the tumor. This work presents initial studies investigating the ability of novel dual-tracer molecular imaging strategies to be used to overcome the major limitations of conventional “single-tracer” molecular imaging. The approach is evaluated in simulations and in an in vivo mice study with animals inoculated orthotopically using fluorescent human glioma cells. An epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) targeted Affibody-fluorescent marker was employed as a targeted imaging agent, and the suitability of various FDA approved untargeted fluorescent tracers (e.g. fluorescein & indocyanine green) were evaluated in terms of their ability to account for nonspecific uptake and retention of the targeted imaging agent. Signal-to-background ratio was used to measure and compare the amount of reporter in the tissue between targeted and untargeted tracer. The initial findings suggest that FDA-approved fluorescent imaging agents are ill-suited to act as untargeted imaging agents for dual-tracer fluorescent guided brain surgery as they suffer from poor delivery to the healthy brain tissue and therefore cannot be used to identify nonspecific vs. specific uptake of the targeted imaging agent where current surgery is most limited.
Adaptive Phase-ray Wavefield Extrapolation

Riemannian wavefield extrapolation (RWE) is a generalization of downward continuation to coordinate systems that closely conform to the orientation of extrapolated wavefields. If the coordinate system overturns, so does the computed wavefield, despite being extrapolated with a one-way solution to the acoustic wave-equation. This allows for accurate imaging of structures with arbitrarily large dips using simple operators which are equivalent to the standard 15 extrapolators. An obvious question for RWE is which coordinate system is optimal for a given velocity model. The solution advocated in this paper is a recursive bootstrap procedure where a frequency-dependent coordinate system is computed on the fly at every step from the gradient of the monochromatic wavefield phase of the preceding few steps, coupled with standard RWE.
Mental Fatigue and Workload: Effort Allocation during Multiple Task Performance

The goal of the present study was to gain a better understanding of the effect of mental fatigue and workload on allocation of effort during prolonged multiple task performance was examined. Two levels of workload were manipulated between subjects. Time was assessed over three consecutive 30-min periods. Performance was measured on the Multi-Attribute Task Battery which was revised to include a new task. This new task was developed to investigate allocation of effort to various activities over time. A 2 (workload) X 3 (time) mixed factorial design was employed. The most dramatic shifts in allocation of effort were observed for the high workload participants. For these individuals, performance on several tasks suffered in the third period. These results suggest that varying workload in a multi-tasking situation can not only affect performance on concurrent tasks but also the allocation of effort over time.
The aggression-coercion cycle: Use of seclusion and restraint in a child psychiatric hospital

The widespread use of seclusion and restraint in child psychiatric hospitals to manage aggression and noncompliance is based on the assumption that coercive consequences reduce the frequency of undesirable behaviors exhibited by the patients. We report a study of the use of seclusion and restraint in a public child psychiatric hospital during a 3-year period. Twenty-eight percent of the patients had been secluded or restrained a total of 1670 times. About 25% of these patients had been secluded more than five times during their hospitalization, and 32% had been placed in restraints more than once. Behaviors that typically resulted in repeated seclusion included physical aggression toward staff, verbal aggression toward peers, non-compliant or oppositional behavior, and self-harm. Variables that predicted patients most at risk for repeated seclusion included age, gender, and psychiatric diagnosis. The predictor variables for those most at risk for repeated restraint included age, property destruction, and self-harm. The high rates of use of seclusion and restraint suggest that these methods for controlling the behavior of children and adolescents in this child psychiatric hospital may not have been therapeutic. We suggest that staff in such hospitals engage in a pattern of behavior characterized by an aggression-coercion cycle, in which increasingly aggressive and coercive behaviors are exhibited by both patients and staff.
On the spectral synthesis property and its application to partial differential equations

LetM be a (n−1)-dimensional manifold inR n with non-vanishing Gaussian curvature. Using an estimate established in the early work of the author [4], we will improve the known result of Y. Domar on the weak spectral synthesis property by reducing the smoothness assumption upon the manifoldM. Also as an application of the method, a uniqueness property for partial differential equations with constant coefficients will be proved, which for some specific cases recovers or improves Hormander's general result.
Exploiting the non-determinism and asynchrony of set iterators to reduce aggregate file I/O latency

A key goal of distributed systems is to provide prompt access to shared information repositories. The high latency ofremote access is a serious impediment to this goal. This paper describes a new file system abstraction called dynamic sets - unordered collections created by an application to hold the files it intends to process. Applications that iterate on the set to access its members allow the system to reduce the aggregate I/O latency by exploiting the non-determinism and asychrony inherent in the semantics of set iterators. This reduction in latency comes without relying on reference locality, without modifying DFS servers and protocols, and without unduly complicating the programming model. This paper presents this abstraction and describes an implementation of it that runs on local and distributed file systems, as well as the World Wide Web. Dynamic sets demonstrate substantial performance gains - up to 50% savings in runtime for search on NFS, and up to 90% reduction in 1/O latency for Web searches.
Rise time spectroscopy of nuclear radiations in a CsI(Tl) scintillator

Abstract The zero crossing method [1] of pulse shape discrimination was used to separate nuclear radiations with different decay times in a CsI(Tl) scintillator. A subnanosecond photomultiplier was used to separate gammas, protons, alphas and heavy ions such as boron (4+) and silicon (6+) in the time spectrum. Protons differing in energy by 1 MeV were also separated, albeit with poor resolution. The fission fragments from 252 Cf however were not resolved. The time resolution FWHM for alphas from 241 Am was 4.8 ns and for gammas from 60 Co it was 14.4 ns with a figure of merit [2] of 1.4 [3].
Material characteristics of Hg1−xCdx > Te grown by organometallic vapor phase epitaxy

Abstract We compare the material properties of Hg 1- x Cd x Te grown by conventioanal organometallic vapor phase epitaxy (OMVPE) with those obtained interdiffused multilayer OMVPE. Both are compared with material properties of state-of-the-art LPE Hg 1- x Cd x Te grown from Te-rich solutions. The Hg 1- x Cd x Te layers were grown on bulk CdTe, sapphire (Al 2 O 3 ) and GaAs substrates. Layers were characterized by optical microscopy, IR transmission, Hall effect, double crystal X-ray diffraction, electron microprobe and secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS). Better crystallinity and smoother morphologies are obtained by conventional OMVPE; interdiffused multilayer OMVPE currently results in better compositional uniformity and reproducibility. The observed differences can be interpreted on the basis of growth kinetics. Both techniques yield Hg 1- x Cd x Te epitaxial layers with LPE-like qualities.
Pregnancy Ambivalence and Contraceptive Use Among Young Adults in the United States

CONTEXT: Pregnancy ambivalence or conflicted desire about having a baby has been associated with decreased contraceptive use and unintended pregnancy. However prior studies have neither included men nor focused on young adults even though people in their 20s have the highest rates of unintended pregnancy. METHODS: Nationally representative data from 2008-2009 were used to examine pregnancy ambivalence and its association with contraceptive practices among 774 respondents who were 18-29 years old and in current sexual relationships. Bivariate and multivariate analyses assessed relationships between pregnancy ambivalence contraceptive use gender and other social demographic and psychosocial variables. RESULTS: Forty-five percent of respondents exhibited pregnancy ambivalence. The proportion was higher among men than among women (53% vs. 36%) and the difference remained significant in the multivariate analysis (odds ratio 2.9). Ambivalence was associated with lowered likelihood of contraceptive use but this relationship was statistically significant only for men: Compared with men with clear intentions to avoid pregnancy ambivalent men were less likely to have used any method of contraception in the last month (0.4). CONCLUSIONS: The association between mens pregnancy ambivalence and contraceptive practices suggests that women should not remain the sole targets of pregnancy prevention programs. Further research should explore whether clinical interventions that assess and address pregnancy ambivalence for both women and men could lead to improved contraceptive counseling and use. Copyright (c) 2012 by the Guttmacher Institute.
Further observations on asymmetrical solute movement across membranes.

The permeability of frog skin under the influence of urea hyperosmolarity has been studied. Flux ratio asymmetry has been demonstrated again for tracer mannitol. The inhibitors DNP, CN-, and ouabain have been used to eliminate active sodium transport and it was found that urea hyperosmolarity produces asymmetrical mannitol fluxes on frog skins having no short-circuit current. These findings suggest that flux ratio asymmetry is due to solute interaction and is unrelated to sodium transport. Studies with a synthetic membrane show clearly that bulk flow of fluid can produce a "solvent drag" effect and change flux ratios. When bulk flow is blocked and solute gradients allowed their full expression, then solute interaction "solute drag" is easily demonstrable in a synthetic system.
Quantitative trait locus analysis of saturated fatty acids in a population of recombinant inbred lines of soybean

Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] is an important crop which contributes approximately 58% of the world’s oilseed production. Palmitic and stearic acids are the two main saturated fatty acids in soybean oil. Different levels of saturated fatty acids are desired depending on the uses of the soybean oil. Vegetable oil low in saturated fatty acids is preferred for human consumption, while for industrial applications, soybean oil with higher levels of saturated fatty acids is more suitable. The objectives of this study were to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) for saturated fatty acids, analyze the genetic effects of single QTL and QTL combinations, and discuss the potential of marker-assisted selection in soybean breeding for modified saturated fatty acid profiles. A population of recombinant inbred lines derived from the cross of SD02-4-59 × A02-381100 was grown in five environments and the seed samples from each environment were evaluated for fatty acid content. Genotyping of the population was performed with 516 polymorphic single nucleotide polymorphism markers and 298 polymorphic simple sequence repeat markers. Eight QTL for palmitic acid, five QTL for stearic acid and nine QTL for total saturated fatty acids were detected by composite interval mapping and/or interval mapping, with a high level of consistency or repeatability in multiple environments. Most of these QTL have not been reported previously, with the exception of qPAL-A1 which confirmed the result of a previous study. Significant QTL × QTL interactions were not detected. However, significant QTL × environment interactions were detected in most cases. Comparisons of two-locus and three-locus combinations indicated that cumulative effects of QTL were significant for both palmitic and stearic acids. QTL pyramiding by molecular marker-assisted selection would be an appropriate strategy for improvement of saturated fatty acids in soybean.
An unbiased Bayesian approach to functional connectomics implicates social-communication networks in autism

Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI) studies reveal a complex pattern of hyper- and hypo-connectivity in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Whereas rsfMRI findings tend to implicate the default mode network and subcortical areas in ASD, task fMRI and behavioral experiments point to social dysfunction as a unifying impairment of the disorder. Here, we leverage a novel Bayesian framework for whole-brain functional connectomics that aggregates population differences in connectivity to localize a subset of foci that are most affected by ASD. Our approach is entirely data-driven and does not impose spatial constraints on the region foci or dictate the trajectory of altered functional pathways. We apply our method to data from the openly shared Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange (ABIDE) and pinpoint two intrinsic functional networks that distinguish ASD patients from typically developing controls. One network involves foci in the right temporal pole, left posterior cingulate cortex, left supramarginal gyrus, and left middle temporal gyrus. Automated decoding of this network by the Neurosynth meta-analytic database suggests high-level concepts of “language” and “comprehension” as the likely functional correlates. The second network consists of the left banks of the superior temporal sulcus, right posterior superior temporal sulcus extending into temporo-parietal junction, and right middle temporal gyrus. Associated functionality of these regions includes “social” and “person”. The abnormal pathways emanating from the above foci indicate that ASD patients simultaneously exhibit reduced long-range or inter-hemispheric connectivity and increased short-range or intra-hemispheric connectivity. Our findings reveal new insights into ASD and highlight possible neural mechanisms of the disorder.
A graphical model for evolutionary optimization

We present a statistical model of empirical optimization that admits the creation of algorithms with explicit and intuitively defined desiderata. Because No Free Lunch theorems dictate that no optimization algorithm can be considered more efficient than any other when considering all possible functions, the desired function class plays a prominent role in the model. In particular, this provides a direct way to answer the traditionally difficult question of what algorithm is best matched to a particular class of functions. Among the benefits of the model are the ability to specify the function class in a straightforward manner, a natural way to specify noisy or dynamic functions, and a new source of insight into No Free Lunch theorems for optimization.
Sol-gel glass as a matrix for chemical and biochemical sensing

Abstract Sol-gel glass is a porous glass-like material produced at low temperatures by the sol-gel technique. Sol-gel glass has been increasingly used as a solid matrix for entrapment of chemical and biochemical agents in sensor development and other applications. This article will provide a brief introduction of sol-gel technique and a thorough up-to-date review of the applications of sol-gel derived glass in chemical and biochemical sensing. The sol-gel sensors reviewed include those for pH, ionic species, gases, and glucose. Sol-gel glasses for entrapment of organic dyes, proteins, enzymes and microbial cells, as well as sol-gel derived selective electrodes, are also reviewed.
Conserved amino acid residues within the amino-terminal domain of ClpB are essential for the chaperone activity

Abstract ClpB from Escherichia coli is a member of a protein-disaggregating multi-chaperone system that also includes DnaK, DnaJ, and GrpE. The sequence of ClpB contains two ATP-binding domains that are enclosed between the amino-terminal and carboxyl-terminal regions. The N-terminal sequence region does not contain known functional sequence motifs. Here, we performed site-directed mutagenesis of four polar residues within the N-terminal domain of ClpB (Thr7, Ser84, Asp103 and Glu109). These residues are conserved in several ClpB homologs. We found that the mutations, T7A, S84A, D103A, and E109A did not significantly affect the secondary structure and thermal stability of ClpB, nor did they inhibit the self-association of ClpB, its basal ATPase activity, or the enhanced rate of the ATP hydrolysis by ClpB in the presence of poly- l -lysine. We observed, however, that three mutations, T7A, D103A, and E109A, reduced the casein-induced activation of the ClpB ATPase. The same three mutant ClpB variants also showed low chaperone activity in the luciferase reactivation assay. We found, however, that the four ClpB mutants, as well as the wild-type, bound similar amounts of inactivated luciferase. In summary, we have identified three essential amino acid residues within the N-terminal region of ClpB that participate in the coupling between a protein-binding signal and the ATP hydrolysis, and also support the chaperone activity of ClpB.
Papain-induced asthma—physiological and immunological features

Increasing reports of respiratory disease associated with exposure to papain prompted clinical, physiological, and immunological studies of the supervisor of a meat tenderizer factory who developed asthma after long-term contact with papain dust. His symptoms were worse at work and better on weekends and vacations. Bronchial inhalation challenges produced both immediate and late asthma to papain but not to the other ingredients in the food product. Immunological studies revealed the presence of specific IgE antibodies by direct and passive transfer skin tests and the radioallergosorbent test, and specific precipitating antibodies by immunodiffusion tests. These findings are indicative of a dual type I and III hypersensitivity. Papain acting as an allergen in an occupational setting is a risk factor for eliciting asthma even in a nontropic individual.
Statistical inference for the common mean of two log-normal distributions and some applications in reliability

The statistical analysis for comparing the means of two independent log-normal distributions is often of interest in biomedical research. In this paper, we present a score test for testing the equality of the means of two independent log-normal populations and compare it with that of Zhou et al. [1997. Methods for comparing means of two independent log-normal samples. Biometrics 53, 1129-1135] test in terms of their type I error rate and power. Assuming that the two means are the same, we develop procedures for estimating the common mean and investigate the performance of the resulting confidence intervals. Finally, an estimate of the reliability in the strength-stress model, is developed and the performance of the procedure is evaluated by means of simulation studies. Illustrative examples are also provided.
Teachers Learning Communities for Cooperation in Diverse Settings.

(1999). Teachers learning communities for cooperation in diverse settings. Theory Into Practice: Vol. 38, Building Community Through Cooperative Learning, pp. 94-99.
The changing demand for higher education in the seventies: Adaptations within three national systems

Aspects of decline in the demand for higher education have become apparent in most Western systems of higher education in the mid-seventies. Although these are usually associated with deteriorating labor markets and falling relative earnings of university graduates, analyses of enrollment trends in Belgium, the United States and France reveal that other factors have an important influence upon enrollment levels. In the comparatively elite Belgian university system the maintenance of rigorous academic standards in secondary schools and the universities appears to be responsible for the stagnation in enrollments since 1971. The surprising decline in the enrollment rates of white males in the United States seems to be due to both worsening labor markets and declining academic achievement levels. French university students have responded to the devaluation of university degrees by decreasing the time and effort applied to university study; but even under these circumstances the traumas of the 1976 confrontation have apparently discouraged potential students from enrolling. These developments suggest that the expansion of higher education has reached a set of inherent limitations created by social conditions and educational organization; and that inducing further expansion would do little to raise real educational levels or further social advancement.
Arterial Spin Labeled CMR Detects Clinically Relevant Increase in Myocardial Blood Flow With Vasodilation

Objectives This study sought to determine whether arterial spin labeled (ASL) cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) is capable of detecting clinically relevant increases in regional myocardial blood flow (MBF) with vasodilator stress testing in human myocardium. Background Measurements of regional myocardial perfusion at rest and during vasodilatation are used to determine perfusion reserve, which indicates the presence and distribution of myocardial ischemia. ASL CMR is a perfusion imaging technique that does not require any contrast agents, and is therefore safe for use in patients with end-stage renal disease, and capable of repeated or continuous measurement. Methods Myocardial ASL scans at rest and during adenosine infusion were incorporated into a routine CMR adenosine induced vasodilator stress protocol and was performed in 29 patients. Patients who were suspected of having ischemic heart disease based on first-pass imaging also underwent x-ray angiography. Myocardial ASL was performed using double-gated flow-sensitive alternating inversion recovery tagging and balanced steady-state free precession imaging at 3-T. Results Sixteen patients were found to be normal and 13 patients were found to have visible perfusion defect based on first-pass CMR using intravenous gadolinium chelate. In the normal subjects, there was a statistically significant difference between MBF measured by ASL during adenosine infusion (3.67 ± 1.36 ml/g/min), compared to at rest (0.97 ± 0.64 ml/g/min), with p Conclusions This study indicates that myocardial ASL is capable of detecting clinically relevant increases in MBF with vasodilatation and has the potential to identify myocardial ischemia.
Study of the unaltered in situ appendix as a native continence mechanism: cadaveric and clinical correlation.

The past decade has seen intense efforts to develop the ideal pouch for use in continent diversion and bladder substitution. The aspect that has been singularly the most difficult to perfect has been the continence mechanism. In recent years much has been reported on the use of the vermiform appendix as a continence mechanism following one or more surgical manipulations. It was the aim of this study to determine whether the in situ appendix, without any surgical manipulation, could provide a native continence mechanism. Studies were carried out using (1) five cadaver subjects and (2) eight patients undergoing cystoprostatectomy in whom the distal tip of the appendix was removed and an ileocecal pouch was filled with irrigant until leakage was noted from the appendix. The pressure within the pouch at the time of leakage was defined as the appendiceal leak pressure. Mean appendiceal leak pressure was 50.6 cm H,O with a range from 21 to 86 cm H2O. These studies indicate that at the pressure being maintained ...
The Relationship Between Parent and Child Self-Reported Adherence and Weight Loss

Objective: Better adherence to treatment strategies in family-based behavioral weight control programs may lead to greater weight reduction and improved weight maintenance in youth. This study assessed the influence of child and parent self-reported adherence to behavioral strategies on changes in 2-year child and parent percentage overweight. Research Methods and Procedures: Participants included 8- to 12-year-old children in ≥ 85th BMI percentile and their parents from 110 families taking part in two family-based randomized controlled weight control studies. This study examined whether self-reported adherence to behavioral strategies measured at 24 months increased prediction of child and parent percentage overweight change through 24-month follow-up after accounting for other factors that may influence weight change. Results: Child adherence to weighing and to preplanning for celebrations where high-fat foods are served and parent adherence to praising the child and modeling healthy eating habits predicted 24-month child percentage overweight change (p < 0.001). Child adherence to recording food and calories and parent adherence to modeling healthy eating habits predicted 24-month parent percentage overweight change (p < 0.001). In hierarchical regression models, child weighing and preplanning and parent modeling were significant (p < 0.01) incremental predictors (r2 of 24.8%) of 24-month child percentage overweight. Child recording and parent modeling were significant (p < 0.01) incremental predictors (r2 of 14%) of parent 24-month percentage overweight change. Discussion: Child and parent adherence to specific components of family-based behavioral weight control treatment are independent predictors of long-term child and parent percentage overweight change.
Holocene lakes and prehistoric settlements of the Western Faiyum, Egypt

Abstract Holocene lake stages in the Faiyum depression commenced with a high lake stand during the 10th millennium bp, followed by an early Holocene lake from 8500 to 7000 bp. A pronounced recession and the development of a palaeosol preceded another rise to a mid-Holocene, high lake level from 6500 to 5100 bp. A major drop in level coincided with the late Neolithic and Early Dynastic. The Moeris lake witnessed by Herodotus is also documented. The drop in lake level during early Ptolemaic times marked the end of the freshwater lake and was apparently, in part, a result of declining Nile floods. Terminal Palaeolithic sites are associated with the early Holocene lake and Neolithic sites with the mid-Holocene phase. Prehistoric settlements were placed near lake-margin marshes and ponds. The richness of the lake margin in aquatic resources and its susceptibility to short- and long-term fluctuations influenced both subsistence and settlements, and is believed to have encouraged a para-agricultural economy.