cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Research Experience for the Organic Chemistry Laboratory: A Student-Centered Optimization of a Microwave-Enhanced Williamson Ether Synthesis and GC Analysis

An inquiry-based experiment for the organic chemistry laboratory was developed to provide students with a cognitively rich research experience. Student teams were charged with optimizing the reaction conditions for the Williamson ether synthesis of 2-fluorophenetole from 2-fluorophenol, ethyl bromide, and potassium carbonate in either absolute ethanol or acetonitrile. Microwave acceleration of this SN2 reaction followed by rapid GC–MS analysis allowed students to review results, revise experimental conditions, and repeat the modified reaction and its analysis within a 3 h laboratory period. Variables that could be manipulated were reagent equivalencies, solvents and their volume, microwave reaction time, temperature, and wattage. Post-laboratory, all team data were available to the entire class for additional evaluation and each student was required to suggest new conditions for improvement in his/her laboratory report.
The Behavior of Electrochemical Cell Resistance: A Possible Application to Cold Fusion Experiments

AbstractKnowledge of the basic electrochemical behavior found in typical cold fusion experiments is important to understanding and preventing experimental errors. For a Pd/LiOH(D)/Pt electrochemical cell, the applied cell voltage/current relationship (the effective cell resistance) does not obey Ohm’s law directly, but instead exhibits a complicated response to the current, voltage, temperature, electrolyte conductance, and other factors. Failure to properly consider this response can possibly result in errors that could affect the heat balance in calorimetry and temperature measurement experiments. Measurements of this response under varying voltage, temperature, and electrolyte conductivity conditions are reported. A plausible scenario in which the temperature dependence of the effective cell resistance can either exaggerate or ameliorate novel exothermic processes is suggested.
Estimation of Pooled Pharmacokinetic Parameters Describing Populations

By population pharmacokinetics we mean the typical relationships between physiology and pharmacokinetics; the interindividual variability in these relationships, and their residual inexplicable intraindividual variability. Knowledge of such population features is useful both to gain insight into the drug-patient system, and to adjust individual drug dosage. Experimental data from which population kinetics might be estimated, often comes from only a few atypical individuals (e.g., normal volunteers, rather than patients) More representative data might be those coming from routine patients These data, however, are marked by varying quality, accuracy and precision, as well as there being little data per patient. To combine data from various sources, and to use routine data, one must overcome certain data analysis problems. The standard (experimental data oriented) approach does not do so. An approach is available that regards the population, rather than the individual, as the primary unit of analysis. It is useful for analysis of routine data and for combining data of varying quality. This paper discusses the approach and contrasts it with the standard one.
Dynamically scheduling observations of moving objects: the Catalina Sky Survey queue manager

The Catalina Sky Survey (CSS) at the University of Arizona has discovered 47% of all known near-Earth objects (NEOs) and contributed 59 million observations to the Minor Planet Center.[1],[2] CSS operates three telescopes fulltime, two of which primarily survey for new moving objects and one that follows up specific objects, particularly recent discoveries that may be NEOs. To be as efficient and effective as possible, CSS developed a flexible queue manager that enables all of our telescopes to perform both survey and follow-up observations as needed. The rate of discovery of new NEOs has increased greatly over the years, requiring a quantity of follow-ups that can only be accomplished with automated observing coordinated by a queue manager. Imaging moving targets also adds complexity, particularly the need for proper time intervals between images or the use of “track and stack” observing, necessitating that observations of multiple moving objects be properly interleaved in time. Targets are also added to and removed from the queue throughout the night when new discoveries are made or when objects are followed up by other telescopes. The CSS queue manager addresses all these challenges.
In This Issue: Teachable Moments for Patients, Practices, and Systems

The ability to identify and act on a teachable moment[1][1] is one of the hidden reasons why systems based on primary care have better outcomes. Primary care increasingly routinizes and involves teams in preventive and chronic disease care. This is a good thing. But it masks the subtle value of a
The Importance and Application of Bacterial Diversity in Sustainable Agricultural Crop Production Ecosystems

Soil inhabiting bacteria are integral to global biogeochemical cycles and influence nutrient cycling and mineral solubilization important to soil health, and crop productivity. Soil bacteria directly impact plant fitness as pathogens, beneficial mutualists, and indirectly as decomposers, or through antagonistic activity against plant pathogens. Moreover, such beneficial bacteria have the capacity to produce plant hormones and induce systemic disease resistance responses in plants. This chapter discusses bacterial diversity and its role in sustainable agriculture in crop ecosystems. The chapter also addresses the potential role of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), biological control agents (BCAs) and the significance of bacterial community diversity associated with soil borne plant disease suppression in sustainable agricultural crop production. The influence of herbicide resistant crop rotation systems on soil bacterial diversity is discussed. Current culture-independent approaches to study bacterial diversity, and directions for future applied research in agricultural production systems are also discussed.
To ERV Is Human: A Phenotype-Wide Scan Linking Polymorphic Human Endogenous Retrovirus-K Insertions to Complex Phenotypes.

Approximately 8% of the human genome is comprised of endogenous retroviral insertions (ERVs) originating from historic retroviral integration into germ cells. The function of ERVs as regulators of gene expression is well established. Less well studied are insertional polymorphisms of ERVs and their contribution to the heritability of complex phenotypes. The most recent integration of ERV, HERV-K, is expressed in a range of complex human conditions from cancer to neurologic diseases. Using an in-house computational pipeline and whole-genome sequencing data from the diverse 1,000 Genomes Phase 3 population (n = 2,504), we identified 46 polymorphic HERV-K insertions that are tagged by adjacent single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). To test the potential role of polymorphic HERV-K in the heritability of complex diseases, existing databases were queried for enrichment of established relationships between the HERV-K insertion-associated SNPs (hiSNPs), and tissue specific gene expression and disease phenotypes. Overall, hiSNPs for the 46 polymorphic HERV-K sites were statistically enriched (p 100 phenotypes. Experimental factor ontology enrichment analysis suggests that polymorphic HERV-K specifically contribute to neurologic and immunologic disease phenotypes, including traits related to intra cranial volume (FDR 2.00E-09), Parkinson's disease (FDR 1.80E-09), and autoimmune diseases (FDR 1.80E-09). These results provide strong candidates for context-specific study of polymorphic HERV-K insertions in disease-related traits, serving as a roadmap for future studies of the heritability of complex disease.
Fetus: An Exploration of Human Nature Through the Issue of Abortion

The issue of abortion touches deep emotions in individuals and continues to be a controversial topic in the United States. The Right to Life movement believes strongly that life begins at conception, and to abort an unborn fetus is an act of murder. The supporters of the Pro-Choice movement, however, believe that a woman has the right to choose what happens with her body, and this takes precedence over other considerations. This work of fiction uses the above controversy as its framework. The primary narrator is a fetus in utero who tells the story of how his father and mother arrive at his conception, and how their complicated circumstances threaten his future birth. These are the first five chapters of a larger work in progress, and thus deal with exposition and the development of the protagonist, Daniel Ernst, the father of the narrator and a very confused human being.
Marriage and reductions in men's alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis use.

Background Psychoactive substance use is lower among married compared to divorced or unmarried men; yet, the nature of this effect remains unclear because becoming and staying married is potentially confounded with substance-related background familial and individual factors, like parental divorce and personality. The authors investigated the associations between marital status and substance use; how substance use changed across the transition to marriage; and whether marriage effects were likely to be causal. Method The sample included 1790 adults from male–male twin pairs from a population-based registry. Measures of marital status and alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis use came from Life History Calendars. Data were analyzed using regression, co-twin comparison, and within-person models. The latter models are tools for quasi-causal inference that control for familial and individual-level confounders. Results Married men used less alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis than men who were divorced/separated or single. In analyses of substance use across the transition to marriage, men reduced their alcohol and cannabis use both before and after marriage, but their tobacco use only after marriage. These effects were largely robust in co-twin and within-person analyses. Conclusions Marriage was associated with substantial reductions in substance use compared to being divorced/separated or single, and these reductions began prior to marriage. The co-twin comparison and within-person models ruled out the alternative explanation that marriage effects were due to confounding background familial and individual factors. These results provide strong evidence that the social role expectations associated with marriage reduce psychoactive substance use.
Treating the Adult Patient: Alternative Drug Therapies

Standard therapy for autoimmune hepatitis can be limited by drug intolerance or inadequate biochemical response. After optimizing drug doses and excluding noncompliance, alternative immunosuppressive agents need to be considered. This chapter will review the role of second-line agents in the treatment of autoimmune hepatitis.
FTIR fingerprints discriminate ionic liquids’ antibacterial activity

Abstract Ionic liquids (ILs) are those organic salts which exist in liquid form below 100 ​°C. ILs have drawn attention of scientific community due to their increased industrial applications in variety of sectors. In the present study Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy has been utilized to discriminate the antibacterial activities of ILs having different cations and anions against various microorganisms found in the environment. Imidazolium, Pyridinium, Quaternary ammonium and Tetraalkylphosphonium were used as cations in the study whereas, Bromide, Methane sulphonate, Bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide, Dichloroacetate, Tetrafluoroborate and Hydrogen sulphate were used as anionic parts. High and low ILs relative to antibacterial activity is obtained through m-clust clustering. Mostly ILs formed with Octyl methyl imidazolium (OMIm) and butyl methyl imidazolium (BMIm) show high antibacterial activity against the considered microbes. Spectral base line is corrected through modified polynomial fitting (MPF) with smoothing parameter λ ​= ​1. For discrimination of ILs i.e. high and low antibacterial groups through FTIR spectral data sparse partial least squares discriminant analysis (sPLS-LDA) and jackknife partial least squares logistic regression (jPLS-LR) are used. Spectral wavenumbers selection and model parameters are optimized by maximizing the crossvalidation accuracy. Based on 100 Monte Carlo simulation runs, sPLS-LDA best discriminate ILs groups with 90% validated accuracy. Influential wavelength extracted by sPLS-LDA are used to identify the influential functional compounds i.e. C–Br, C = N, C = CH2, C = CH, C–O and O–H, which discriminate the ILs groups. The results indicated that FTIR fingerprints could be used as a rapid method to discriminate antibacterial activities of ionic liquids.
Fundamental Agreement: A New Foundation for the Harsanyi Doctrine

The "Harsanyi Doctrine" asserts that differences in individuals' beliefs are to be attributed entirely to differences in information. In its embodiment as a Common Prior assumption it is central to the economics of information and the foundations of game theory. This paper attempts to provide a framework for the Harsanyi Doctrine (in an incomplete information framework) based on two qualitative properties of individuals' belief hierarchies: Fundamental Agreement and Shared Worlds. A general notion of "agreeing to disagree" about "belief indices" satisfying a Bayesian Sure-Thing Principle is introduced and illustrated by a range of examples and subsequently characterized as equivalent to a local version of the Common Prior assumption. Fundamental Agreement is defined as the absence of any such (implicit) agreement to disagree. The non-trivial gap between this and Harsanyi Consistency proper is bridged by a novel Shared Worlds condition, which requires individuals' beliefs about what is commonly believed to be equal. Common belief in the conjunction of Fundamental Agreement and Shared Worlds is then shown to be equivalent to Harsanyi Consistency. On the technical level, this paper is probably the first to (have to) seriously confront the failure of the common belief operator to satisfy the axiom of "Negative Introspection."
Assessing the Link Between Survey Interview Method and Survey Outcomes: Evidence from the CPS and the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly affected data collection for the nation's primary source of household-level labor force data, the Current Population Survey (CPS). In the first four months of the pandemic period (March-June 2020) the average month-over-month nonresponse rate increased by 58 percent, while the size of newly entering cohorts declined by 37 percent relative to the prior 15 months. Together, these factors reduced the overall sample size of the CPS by around 16 percent. We hypothesize that these changes, and significant associated shifts in the demographic composition of the sample, were caused by the cessation of in-person interviewing. Geographic variation in nonresponse over this period does not appear related to variation in COVID case rates across metro areas or states. Using this change in interview method as a natural experiment, we compare labor market outcomes of those who entered the survey pre- and post-COVID pandemic and find that the change in how individuals were recruited into the survey affected estimates of unemployment and labor force participation. In an exercise generating a counterfactual group of "missing" respondents, we estimate that, between April and August of 2020, the average unemployment rate was 0.5 to 0.7 percentage points higher, and the labor force participation rate was 0.4 to 0.8 percentage points lower than estimates using the actual sample of respondents. One implication of these results is that web-based surveys, which are increasingly relied on in empirical labor market studies, may fail to reach important subpopulations of the labor market and that reweighting is unlikely to address the selection on outcomes we document.
On the Metaphysics of Rationalism and the Distinction between Ideas and Qualities

The rationalists believe that truth is a sufficient condition of thinking itself. This is an action of inference that suggests ideas are contingent on logical conceptions represented by other minds and the qualities of objects. In this view, mind is an interpreter of sensory data that contains observable effects. Consequently, there are demonstrative modes of action in ideas that exist as beings in themselves. There are intentional structures that provide reasons about why ideas are not of the same nature as beliefs because of interpreted representations. Induction is a mode of inference that shows reasons why innate awareness is dependent on the knowledge of logical relations. Thus, the mind has perceivable structures that cause the association of ideas to be part of future and unknown possibilities of justified beliefs.
Modeling of High-Temperature Corrosion of Zirconium Alloys Using the eXtended Finite Element Method (X-FEM)

Abstract Oxidation modeling in modern nuclear fuel performance codes is currently limited by the lack of coupling with mechanics, thus preventing proper description of how high-temperature oxidation impacts mechanical properties. This is mostly due to the fact that the finite difference formalism adopted in corrosion models is incompatible with the direct coupling with mechanics in the finite element modeling employed in modern nuclear fuel performance codes. In this study, a physically based zirconium alloy corrosion model called the Coupled-Current Charge Compensation (C4) model, which was initially developed for operating temperature conditions, has been updated to include high-temperature corrosion in order to provide additional critical information (e.g., oxygen concentration profile) under loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA) conditions—information lacking in existing empirical models. The C4 model was implemented in the MOOSE finite-element framework developed at Idaho National Laboratory, enabling it to be used in the BISON nuclear fuel performance code based on the MOOSE framework. To precisely track the different interfaces at a relatively low computational cost, the eXtended Finite Element Method (X-FEM) was applied in MOOSE. The model’s results were compared to those of existing empirical models as well as metallographic analysis of high-temperature oxidized Zircaloy-4 coupons. Oxygen diffusivities in the α and β phases resulting from this comparison closely agree with those found in the literature. The C4 model implemented with X-FEM in MOOSE now has the capability to accurately predict oxide, oxygen-stabilized α, and prior β phase layer growth kinetics under isothermal exposure at high temperature (1000–1500 °C). Furthermore, in contrast with the empirical models, the C4 model accounts for the finite thickness of the fuel cladding. It can predict the oxygen concentration profile evolution through the whole cladding, enabling evaluation of the remaining ductile thickness—a crucial variable for modeling the mechanical behavior of the fuel cladding under LOCA. This implementation allows direct coupling with mechanics, at a low computing cost, using finite-element-based nuclear fuel performance codes such as BISON.
Neutron or photon irradiation for prostate tumors: enhancement of cytokine therapy in a metastatic tumor model.

We have shown that implantation of human prostate carcinoma PC-3 cells in the prostates of nude mice led to the formation of prostate tumors with metastases to para-aortic lymph nodes. We found that day 6 prostate tumors were responsive to systemic injections of interleukin 2 (IL-2) therapy. We have now investigated the combination of primary tumor irradiation and IL-2 for metastatic prostate cancer in this preclinical tumor model. The effect of neutron radiation was compared with that of photon radiation. Advanced prostate tumors (∼0.4 cm) were irradiated, and a day later, mice were treated with systemic IL-2 for three weekly cycles. In separate experiments, mice were either sacrificed on day 30 to assess prostate tumor size and tumor histology or followed for survival. A dose-dependent inhibition of prostate tumor growth was caused either by photons or neutrons, but neutrons were more effective than photons with a relative biological effectiveness of 2. The tumor inhibition obtained with 250 cGy neutrons and 500 cGy photons was significant (>75%) and was further increased (≥90%) by addition of IL-2 therapy. In survival studies, the combination of radiation and IL-2 showed a significant survival advantage compared with untreated mice ( P ≤ 0.005) or radiation alone ( P ≤ 0.003) and an increase in median survival compared with IL-2 alone. Histologically, the combined regimen resulted in a greater degree of tumor destruction, inflammatory response, and vascular damage than that observed with each modality alone. After this combined treatment, no tumor was histologically detected in the para-aortic lymph nodes of these mice, and the lymph nodes were significantly smaller. These findings showed that primary tumor irradiation, either with neutrons or photons, enhanced IL-2 therapeutic effect for the treatment of advanced prostate cancer. This combined modality induced an antitumor response that controlled the growth of prostate tumors and their metastases.
TIME SERIES DATA ANALYSES IN SPACE PHYSICS

Techniques of time series data analyses developed over the past decades are reviewed. We discuss the theoretical principles and mathematical descriptions of these analytical techniques that have been developed by scientists with different backgrounds and perspectives. These principles not only provide the guidelines to evaluate each particular technique but also point to directions for the development of new methods. Most time series analyses can be divided into three categories: discontinuity analysis, wave analysis and correlation analysis. Techniques for analyzing one-dimensional discontinuities have been well-developed and tested. The errors and ambiguities of discontinuity analyses are reasonably well, but not as widely, understood. Techniques for wave analyses have been developed for certain wave properties and are still under further active development. Problems in using these techniques are recognized to a certain extent. Because of the complicity of the waves in space and the limitation of probing, there are significant needs for the development of new methods. Although simple techniques for two-satellite correlation analyses have been developed and tested for some time, techniques for multiple satellites are in an embryonic stage. We expect to see significant advances in the development of new techniques and new concepts. We believe, however, that the problems in this area have not been fully appreciated.
Modeling Extreme Compression of the Magnetosphere: Results from a Global MHD Simulation of the May 4, 1998 Event

This paper reports results from a global magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulation of the extreme compression of the magnetosphere that occurred on May 4, 1998. Simultaneous Wind spacecraft measurements of solar wind ions and the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) upstream of the Earth were used as driving input for the MHD simulation. After assessing the validity of the model by comparing time series from the simulation with Geotail and Polar measurements, we examined the interaction of the leading edge of the solar disturbance with the magnetosphere. The simulation shows that the initial interaction of the interplanetary shock with the Earth bow shock produced a sunward motion of the resultant bow shock and that the transmitted shock wave launched a fast compressional wave at the magnetospheric boundary. We conclude the paper by examining the magnetotail's reaction to a sustained period of strong dynamic pressure. The simulation results suggest that the magnetotail can attain highly organized states during which large-scale flows are more laminar than expected.
Player for adaptive MPEG video streaming over the Internet

This paper describes the design and implementation of a real-time, streaming, Internet video and audio player. The player has a number of advanced features including dynamic adaptation to changes in available bandwidth, latency and latency variation; a multi-dimensional media scaling capability driven by user-specified quality of service (QoS) requirements; and support for complex content comprising multiple synchronized video and audio streams. The player was developed as part of the QUASAR project at Oregon Graduate Institute, is freely available, and serves as a testbed for research in adaptive resource management and QoS control.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
On the use of a phased heater array for the controlled excitation of arbitrary three-dimensional perturbations in a laminar boundary layer

Flush mounted resistive heating elements were used successfully by Liepmann, Brown and Nosenchuck (1981) to excite and control the development of two-dimensional Tollmien-Schlichting waves. Due to increased interest in the three dimensional nature of boundary-layer transition, this technique has recently been extended to provide a means for introducing arbitrary controlled three-dimensional perturbations into a laminar flow. This paper describes the design and operation of a programmable 32-element linear heater array capable of exciting a wide variety of flow disturbances hitherto unobtainable in the laboratory.
Fabrication of Aluminum–SiC Laminate Nanocomposite by Ultrasonic Spray Deposited Sheet Bonding

One of the challenges in making layered metal composites reinforced at interfaces has been controlling the dispersion and microstructure of the reinforcement particles. The reinforcement elements are typically applied at the interface by manual spreading using brush or by immersing the substrate in a suspension. In this study, an ultrasonic spraying technique has been used to deposit silicon carbide (SiC) nanoparticles on aluminum 6061 (Al6061) substrate foils to fabricate a laminate metal composite to control the deposited structure. The suspension parameters and the spraying parameters were investigated, and their influence on the deposited microstructure was analyzed. The laminate composite was consolidated using hot compaction, and a three-point bend test was performed to evaluate the mechanical properties. The yield and ultimate flexural strengths of the laminate composite reinforced with SiC nanoparticles increased by 32% and 15%, respectively, compared with those of the unreinforced sample prepared at the same condition.
Fine-Needle Aspiration Cytology of T-Lymphoblastic Lymphoma Associated FGFR1 Rearrangement Myeloproliferative Neoplasm

Myeloid and lymphoid neoplasms with FGFR1 abnormalities, also known as the 8p11 myeloproliferative syndrome (EMS),1,2 represent a recently recognized entity described in the 2008 WHO classification of tumors of hematopoietic and lymphoid tissues,3 and have been recently reviewed by Jackson et al.4 EMS is a heterogeneous group of hematological neoplasms carrying a chromosomal abnormality involving the fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1), commonly presenting as chronic myeloproliferative neoplasms with eosinophilia and an aggressive course, with frequent occurrence of T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma (LBL) and progression to acute myeloid leukemia, which usually has a poor prognosis.1,2,4–6 In many cases, lymphadenopathy and/or neck mass is the presenting symptom, for which fine-needle aspiration (FNA) with cytologic examination, a popular alternative to lymph node biopsy, may be requested. Certain cytomorphologic findings on FNA specimens from lymph nodes diagnosed as precursor T-LBL may suggest the presence of the EMS, which would warrant further investigation including, but not limited to, cytogenetic and molecular testing. We report a case of an FNA of an axillary lymph node performed in a patient with EMS. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case describing FNA cytology of this entity.
Hypoxia induces endothelial cell synthesis of membrane-associated proteins.

Abstract Hypoxemia is associated with a prothrombotic tendency. In this study we report the purification and partial characterization of an activator of a central coagulation component, factor X, induced in endothelium by exposure to hypoxia (hypoxia-induced factor X activator or Xact). Expression of Xact occurred in a reversible manner when endothelial cell cultures were exposed to hypoxia or sodium azide but not in response to a variety of other alterations in the cellular milieu, such as heat shock or glucose deprivation. The activity of Xact, which was not detected in normoxic endothelial cells, was maximal under acidic conditions, pH 6.0-6.8, which often coexist with hypoxia in an ischemic milieu. By sequential isoelectric focusing and preparative SDS/PAGE of endothelial membrane-rich fractions, Xact was purified approximately 19,000-fold and found to be a single-chain, approximately 100-kDa polypeptide with pI approximately 5.0. Activation of factor X by purified Xact was not affected by blocking antibodies to other coagulation proteins or by phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride or leupeptin but was prevented by mercury chloride or iodoacetamide. In addition to the induction of Xact, two-dimensional gel analysis of membrane fractions from metabolically labeled hypoxic endothelial cultures revealed two groups of approximately 10 additional spots: (i) a group for which expression was maximal after 24 hr and (ii) a group for which expression continued to increase up to 48 hr. The pattern of hypoxia-mediated modulation of protein expression was distinct from that seen with other cellular stimuli but could be duplicated, in part, by sodium azide. These results indicate that hypoxia elicits a specific biosynthetic response, including the expression of endothelial cell-surface molecules that can alter cellular function and may potentially serve as markers of hypoxemic vessel-wall injury.
FOLLICLE-STIMULATING HORMONE PULSE AMPLITUDE DECREASES WITH THE ONSET OF THE BREEDING SEASON IN THE MARE

The relationship between daily mean FSH concentrations in serum and the pattern of FSH detected by frequent sampling for 12-h periods (samples every 15 min) was examined in five mares during the transition into the breeding season. The five mature anestrous mares were exposed to a natural increase in daylength. Blood samples were collected daily from February 1 until the first ovulation of the breeding season (April 14 +/- 3.7 days, Mean +/- SEM). Periods of frequent blood collection were performed every two weeks. Blood samples were obtained daily by jugular venipuncture or jugular cannula (frequent samples). Mean daily concentrations of FSH in serum determined by RIA decreased during seasonal transition. Patterns of FSH in serum detected by frequent sampling were pulsatile. FSH pulse amplitude decreased during seasonal transition, and the decrease in amplitude was associated with the decrease in mean serum FSH concentrations. This decrease in FSH pulse amplitude may reflect an involvement of a follicular product from developing follicles or a change in hypothalamic stimulation of pituitary FSH release.
Neutropenia in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

After completing this article, readers should be able to: 1. Define neutropenia for preterm and term neonates and the neutrophil concentrations that place infants at risk of developing infection. 2. List the most common causes of neonatal neutropenia. 3. Describe important factors in the evaluation of a neutropenic neonate. 4. Delineate the roles of recombinant granulocyte-colony-stimulating factor and granulocyte macrophage-colony-stimulating factor in the treatment of neonatal neutropenia. Neutropenia was described initially in 1902, but it was not reported as a problem in newborns until the late 1930s. (1)(2) Neutropenia now is recognized relatively commonly among ill neonates, affecting up to 8% of all patients in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). (3)(4)(5)(6) Of the nearly 400,000 neonates admitted annually to NICUs in the United States, perhaps as many as 32,000 annually have neonatal neutropenia. The incidence of neonatal neutropenia is higher among preterm infants than among term infants, with estimates ranging between 6% and 58%, depending on the definition of neutropenia. (7) Often the neutropenia is transient and does not appear to convey a survival disadvantage. However, in some neonates, it is prolonged and severe, constituting a serious deficiency in antimicrobial defense. This article examines a general approach to the neutropenic neonate and some of the causes and treatments for this group of conditions. The diagnosis of neutropenia is based on a low blood neutrophil concentration. The blood neutrophil count can be calculated readily from a routine complete blood count as follows: ![Formula][1] The percent neutrophils generally is considered the sum of the segmented neutrophils, band neutrophils, and metamyelocytes. Several investigators have provided normal expected ranges for blood neutrophil concentrations among neonates. The definition of neutropenia, the lower limit of normal for blood neutrophil concentrations, has been reported variously as 1,500/mcL, (8) 1,800/mcL, (9) and 1,100/mcL. (10) … [1]: /embed/tex-math-1.gif
Genetic Factors on Mouse Chromosome 18 Affecting Susceptibility to Testicular Germ Cell Tumors and Permissiveness to Embryonic Stem Cell Derivation

Despite strong heritability, little is known about the genetic control of susceptibility to testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT) in humans or mice. Although the mouse model of spontaneous TGCTs has been extensively studied, conventional linkage analysis has failed to locate the factors that control teratocarcinogenesis in the susceptible 129 family of inbred strains. As an alternative approach, we used both chromosome substitution strains (CSS) to identify individual chromosomes that harbor susceptibility genes and a panel of congenic strains derived from a selected CSS to determine the number and location of susceptibility variants on the substituted chromosome. We showed that 129-Chr 18(MOLF) males are resistant to spontaneous TGCTs and that at least four genetic variants control susceptibility in males with this substituted chromosome. In addition, early embryonic cells from this strain fail to establish embryonic stem cell lines as efficiently as those from the parental 129/Sv strain. For the first time, 129-derived genetic variants that control TGCT susceptibility and fundamental aspects of embryonic stem cell biology have been localized in a genetic context in which the genes can be identified and functionally characterized.
Increasing Frequency of Opioid Prescriptions for Chronic Abdominal Pain in US Outpatient Clinics

Background & Aims Opioids are sometimes used to treat chronic abdominal pain. However, opioid analgesics have not been proven to be an effective treatment for chronic abdominal pain and have been associated with drug misuse, constipation, and worsening abdominal pain. We sought to estimate the national prescribing trends and factors associated with opioid prescribing for chronic abdominal pain. Methods Chronic abdominal pain-related visits by adults to US outpatient clinics were identified using reason-for-visit codes from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey and National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (1997–2008). Data were weighted to produce national estimates of opioid prescriptions over time. Logistic regression analyses, adjusted for complex survey design, were performed to identify factors associated with opioid use. Results The number of outpatient visits for chronic abdominal pain consistently decreased over time from 14.8 million visits (95% confidence interval [CI], 11.6–18.0 visits) in 1997 through 1999 to 12.2 million visits (95% CI, 9.0–15.6 visits) or 1863 visits per 100,000 population in 2006 through 2008 ( P for trend=0.04). Conversely, the adjusted prevalence of visits for which an opioid was prescribed increased from 5.9% (95% CI, 3.5%–8.3%) in 1997 through 1999 to 12.2% (95% CI, 7.5%–17.0%) in 2006 through 2008 ( P = 0.03 for trend). Opioid prescriptions were most common among patients aged 25 to 40 years old (odds ratio [OR] 4.6; 95% CI, 1.2–18.4). Opioid prescriptions were less common among uninsured (OR 0.1; 95% CI, 0.04–0.40) and African American (OR 0.3; 95% CI, 0.1–0.9) patients. Conclusions From 1997 to 2008 opioid prescriptions for chronic abdominal pain more than doubled. Further studies are needed to better understand the reasons for and consequences of this trend.
Effects of Impressions of Amazement and Foolishness on Compliance

Impression management theory maintains that the use of strategic tactics such as self-promotion can influence targets in desired directions. Self-promotion concerns an actor's attempts to establish an image of competence. In this study, a confederate attempted to sell raffle tickets to targets after promoting himself by amazing his targets with his extraordinary calculating skills (high competence), making a fool of himself by exhibiting calculating skills falling far short of pretensions (low competence), or making no impression at all. Amazing targets was achieved by communicating with the experimenter using a concealed communications device. It was found that amazement increased compliance substantially over foolishness and making no impression, while foolishness yielded the same degree of compliance as making no impression. Thus, the utility of self-promotion in influencing others, as predicted by impression management theory, received empirical support.
A Model for the Growth of Hydrogen Attack Cavities in Carbon Steels

A detailed analysis of precision dilatometry data of McKimpson on plain carbon steel during the incubation stage of hydrogen attack has been carried out in the light of both the surface and grain boundary diffusion limited cavity growth models. The results are consistent with cavity growth by grain boundary vacancy diffusion provided the methane pressure in the cavity exceeds a threshold pressure. The threshold pressure observed by the analysis decreases with an increase in temperature from ~400 MPa at 658 K to ~200 MPa at 723 K. The magnitude of the threshold pressure is consistent with a constrained cavity growth model in which the strain due to atom plating is accommodated by local plastic deformation around the precipitates in the boundary. Quantitative agreement between model predictions and experimental data on expansion rates is good.
SU‐FF‐J‐94: Metrics for Assessment of Reproducibility of Respiratory Motion for Four‐Dimensional Computed Tomography Imaging

Purpose:Imagedata sets obtained via four‐dimensional (4D) computed tomography(CT) quantify motion of internal anatomy as a function of the patients' unique respiratory cycle. Crucial to the acquisition of high‐quality 4D CTdata sets is the regularity of the respiratory cycle. The purpose of the present study is to develop metrics that can be used to assess the regularity of respiratory motion, as well as software that can readily extract these metrics from files containing respiratory information generated in a course of 4D CTimagedata acquisition.Method and Materials: 4D CTimagedata sets from 282 patients were acquired, along with files describing motion of an external fiducial that gathered respiratory patterns. Software was developed to calculate the mean amplitude and standard deviation of the amplitude, the mean period and standard deviation of the period of each respiratory data set, and the cross‐correlation of the fiducial amplitude in each respiratory cycle with the mean amplitude. Results: The range of mean amplitudes was 3.45 mm. to 29.26 mm., and the associated standard deviations ranged from 0.04 mm. to 10.64 mm. The mean breathing rates ranged from 2.39 to 10.88 sec., with a range of standard deviations of 0.02 to 10.92 sec. Histograms were generated that relate the various metrics assessed and the variability encountered. The cross‐correlation can be readily displayed for each respiratory cycle. Conclusion: The data obtained is thus available to correlate with the quality of the 4D CTimages.
The joint peristimulus-time scatter diagram is an index of the operational significance of a synapse.

A major goal in neurobiology is to trace the neural circuits responsible for simple behavioural acts, and to try to understand the properties of the behaviour in terms of those of the neural elements and the connexions between them. Once the outlines of a neural circuit have been obtained, the following question frequently arises: What is the functional significance of a particular connexion between neurones, or of a class of connexions among a population of neurones? Statistical techniques have recently been developed to analyse the relations between the neural activity in two or more neurones 2,a,1°,11. These methods, the joint peristimulus-time (PST) scatter diagram and cross-correlation histogram, are usually employed to deduce what connexions may be present or responsible for generating the observed relationsl,5,s,9, az. I report here a new experimental application of these techniques: the joint PST scatter diagram is used to test the effect and significance of known synaptic connexions. The connexions treated in this report are the class of weak electrical synapses between tactile interneurones in the crayfish, Procambarus clarkii. The major input to these interneurones consists of chemically-mediated excitation from tactile afterents17, ~9. When the interneurones are activated by tactile stimuli or by electric shocks to afferent nerves, the summated excitatory postsynaptic potential (EPSP) in an interneurone often includes small rapid unitary EPSPs which are generated by impulses in other interneurones. It has previously been demonstrated ~7 that these potentials are due to weak electrical connexions between some of the interneurones. These unitary EPSPs are always much less than the threshold for generating spikes. What, then, is the utility of these connexions, or are they merely artifacts of a loosely wired nervous system? This question was approached by studying the response patterns of activity in two interneurones which were known to be coupled. I shall describe one typical experiment in detail. The dissection and stimulating and recording techniques are
Under the radar attacks in dynamical systems: Adversarial privacy utility tradeoffs

Cyber physical systems which integrate physical system dynamics with digital cyber infrastructure are envisioned to transform our core infrastructural frameworks such as the smart electricity grid, transportation networks and advanced manufacturing. This integration however exposes the physical system functioning to the security vulnerabilities of cyber com- munication. Both scientific studies and real world examples have demonstrated the impact of data injection attacks on state estimation mechanisms on the smart electricity grid. In this work, an abstract theoretical framework is proposed to study data injection/modification attacks on Markov modeled dynamical systems from the perspective of an adversary. Typical data injection attacks focus on one shot attacks by adversary and the non-detectability of such attacks under static assumptions. In this work we study dynamic data injection attacks where the adversary is capable of modifying a temporal sequence of data and the physical controller is equipped with prior statistical knowledge about the data arrival process to detect the presence of an adversary. The goal of the adversary is to modify the arrivals to minimize a utility function of the controller while minimizing the detectability of his presence as measured by the KL divergence between the prior and posterior distribution of the arriving data. Adversarial policies and tradeoffs between utility and detectability are characterized analytically using linearly solvable control optimization.
Library-Museum Connections in Community Colleges: Innovations for Lifelong Learning

Abstract Little attention has been paid to community college librarymuseum connections. Using nine examples, this article describes a variety of community college museums in Florida and other states, explains the historical and philosophical connections between libraries and museums, and discusses recent developments that favor library-museum collaboration. The author suggests some strategies librarians can use to support community college museums and calls for a national directory and online database of community college museums.
Introducing Spectrophotometry in Grades 6–12 Using a College‐Based Spectrophotometer Loan Program

Abstract Science faculty members at Sweet Briar College have joined in partnership with area schools in a novel project bringing spectrophotometry to teachers and their students in grades 6–12. A sourcebook of classroom experiments has been created and field‐tested. These experiments are written around “real‐world” themes and problem solving scenarios and invoke an inquiry‐based (constructivist) approach to teaching and learning. The broad‐based theme that has emerged is “Light, Color, and Energy” which we tie into Virginia's Standards of Learning (SOLs) for each of the science classes that are involved. The College maintains and distributes a set of 21 Spectonic® Educator™ spectrophotometers that are used for summer professional development workshops for teachers and are loaned to trained teachers during the academic year. The 6th–12th grade classroom spectrophotometry experiences are also used in the education of future teachers, as project components are included in the College's pre‐service education ...
Diagnostics and performance of a 1/4-scale MPD thruster

The primary purpose of this study is to evaluate the performance and scaling characteristics of a 1/4-scale magnetoplasmadynamic (MPD) thruster operating with and without applied magnetic nozzle fields. The experiment was carried out with separate pulse forming networks for the thruster and the applied field solenoidal coil. A strong correlation of impact pressure signal with thruster current was noted. Also striking was the larger impact signal when the magnetic nozzle field was applied. Measurements of N(e) and T(e) from Langmuir probes have been made. Compatible interpretation of pressure with N(e), T(e), allow local velocity to be mapped, thus enhancing understanding of the acceleration process.
Untangling mixed modes in model-independent analysis of beam dynamics in circular accelerators.

Model-independent analysis of beam dynamics in circular accelerators reveals spatial-temporal modes due to beam oscillations. Although such modes have been shown to be informative, their usefulness is limited by the lack of quantitative understanding in general. Here we present a simple approach to studying the modes analytically, which results in a quantitative understanding of the modes and an algorithm to extract the physical modes by untangling the mixed singular value decomposition modes. Particularly, we focus on the coupled betatron modes that are of great interest for high-energy colliders. A simple relationship between the coupling modes and the lattice functions is established, which not only provides a quantitative understanding but also lays the foundation for using these modes to measure machine properties and beam motion in phase space.