cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Radiopharmaceuticals and General Methods of Radiolabeling

This chapter details the general principles of labeling of ligands with radionuclides. Different physiological mechanisms that are taken advantage of in radiolabeling and different physicochemical factors affecting radiolabeling are discussed in detail. While general methods of radiolabeling have been elucidated, iodination and 99mTc are elaborately described. Various methods of radioiodination of different ligands for nuclear medicine imaging are detailed. Since 99mTc is a very important radionuclide for nuclear medicine studies, its properties and various chemical reactions involved in 99mTc labeling of many ligands are described in detail. Various oxidation states of 99mTc in labeled compounds are discussed. The basic principles of manufacturing kits for different radiopharmaceuticals are briefly described. A brief section is devoted to preparation of colloidal substances, and also different additives and preservatives that are often added to radiopharmaceuticals to maintain their integrity are discussed.
PATHOGENESIS OF BACTERIAL MENINGITIS: FROM BACTERAEMIA TO NEURONAL INJURY

Bacterial meningitis is an important cause of mortality and morbidity despite advances in antimicrobial therapy. A key factor that contributes to the high prevalence of this condition is the incomplete understanding of its pathogenesis. Most cases of bacterial meningitis develop as a result of haematogenous spread, but it is unclear how circulating bacteria cross the blood–brain barrier, and how bacterial entry into the central nervous system results in inflammation and in complications such as pleocytosis, blood–brain barrier disruption and neuronal injury. Recent studies have shed light on the pathogenic mechanisms of bacterial translocation across the blood–brain barrier and the meningitis-associated complications. I propose that bacterial translocation, a key step for the development of meningitis, is the result of specific bacteria–host interactions, and that its complications are the result of multiple host responses to the invading microorganism.
Biotechnology - A Perspective

Biotechnology is a diverse enterprise that captured the imagination of the general public in the last quarter of the 20th century.i¾ i¾ The announcement of the rough draft of the human genome at the beginning of the 21st century may prove to be one of the greatest steps in the development of mankind.i¾ i¾ For this potential to be fully realized, many technical barriers must be overcome.i¾ i¾ This perspective identifies and briefly discusses the major scientific areas that contributed to the foundations of biotechnology.i¾ i¾ This is not a complete historical account of the scientific advancements that were hallmarks of progress in the field.i¾ i¾ But, key contributions are noted to give the reader some feeling for the rapidity with which biotechnology is evolving.i¾ i¾ Now is an exciting time to be involved in biological research.i¾ i¾ Hopefully, this perspective will convey some of that excitement felt by the scientific community over the future of biotechnology.
Technological Advances Linking the Assessment of Students' Academic Proficiency to Instructional Planning:

Teachers' use of objective, ongoing assessment to help them formatively and empirically develop effective instructional programs is one signature feature of model special education programs. Despite their demonstrated efficacy, as well as frequent calls for their implementation, these assessment methods have failed to progress from model to typical special education practice due to feasibility problems. In this article, we describe a research program conducted over the past 8 years to address how technology can be used to surmount these implementation difficulties. The research program focused on one variety of objective, ongoing assessment known as curriculum-based measurement, in the areas of reading, spelling, and math. First, we discuss research on the use of computers to assume the mechanical aspects of measurement. Then, we discuss research on the use of computers to help teachers translate the assessment information into feasible instructional adaptations, even within the context of large instructi...
Detection of Receptor-Linked Phosphoinositide Metabolism in Brain of Lithium-Treated Rats

The metabolism of phosphoinositides that results from receptor-coupled processes in the CNS can be readily detected in rats treated with low doses of lithium chloride. Brain levels of myo-inositol 1-phosphate (IP) rise in response to agonists of this class of receptor and decrease on treatment with antagonists. For example, peripheral administration of the direct-acting muscarinic cholinergic agonist pilocarpine causes a rapid (<30 min) increase in the IP levels of cerebral cortex. Subsequent administration of the muscarinic antagonist atropine reverses the effect. The anticholinesterase physostigmine produces a similar IP elevation. Both of these agents produce seizures when given to lithium-treated rats. Because diazepam reduces the increase in IP while arresting seizures and because peripherally-administered kainic acid causes both seizures and an elevation in IP level that is partially reversed by atropine, we believe that the seizure activity itself contributes to the increase in IP observed. Nicotine, when administered subcutaneously to the lithium-treated rat, suppresses IP levels, while the two nicotinic cholinergic ganglionic blockers mecamylamine and pempidine give rise to atropine-reversible increases in IP that are comparable to the increases obtained with muscarinic agonists but without producing seizures. The effect of the nicotinic blockers is ascribed to disinhibition of Renshaw cell-like circuits.
Cognitive impairment in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease--a neuropsychological and spect study.

Some analogy exists between cognitive impairment in hypoxemic patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD). We purposed to verify whether the analogy extends to the cerebral perfusion pattern. Ten normal subjects, 15 COPD patients with and 18 without hypoxemia, and 15 patients with mild AD matched for age and educational level underwent brain perfusion single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and neuropsychological assessment. Normal subjects and non hypoxemic COPD patients had comparable perfusion patterns. The average perfusion decreased from non hypoxemic to hypoxemic COPD and, then, to AD patients. Hypoperfusion of associative areas was the hallmark of AD, whereas the average perfusion of anterior cortical and subcortical regions did not distinguish AD and hypoxemic COPD patients. Both COPD groups scored higher than AD patients (p ≤ 0.01) in 13 cognitive tests but below the normal in selected tests of verbal attainment, attention and deductive thinking. Perfusion of anterior cortical and subcortical regions of the dominant hemisphere was directly correlated with the number of correctly performed neuropsychologic tests. In conclusion, anterior cerebral hypoperfusion and selected neuropsychological dysfunctions characterized hypoxemic COPD patients and could herald frontal-type cognitive decline with the worsening of the hypoxemia.
Characterization of the electronic and catalytic properties of the vanadium carbide: A comparative study of VC/V(110) model surfaces and VC powder materials

We report here a comparative investigation of the electronic and catalytic properties of VC/V(110) model surfaces and VC powder catalysts. Our experimental results indicate that both the filled and unfilled-portions of the vanadium d-band are significantly modified due to the formation of carbide. By using CO and unsaturated hydrocarbons as probing molecules on the VC/V(110) surface, we observe a reduction in the charge donation from the metal d-band to the π* antibonding orbitals of the adsorbates, suggesting a narrowing of the filled-portion of the d-band on the carbide-modified surface. On the other hand, a comparison of the L-edge transitions in vanadium and vanadium carbide powder materials suggests that the unfilled-portion of the vanadium d-band is broadened as a result of carbide formation.
Reflections on Iraq, 2008

De Tray considers the role of outsiders in postconflict reconstruction and development in Iraq in 2008. The coalition in Iraq attempted state building in a couple of years that development experts recognize takes decades and must be undertaken from within a society. The Provincial Reconstruction Teams, focused on using local governance and development projects to build links between people and government, were seen by Iraqis as foreign occupiers. US efforts were hindered since government experts avoided working in Iraq because of harsh living conditions, and contractors with inappropriate backgrounds were hired. The military, eager to deliver visible results, often bypassed the Iraqi government. Working with local governments—districts, towns, and communities—offers the best chance to strengthen people’s ties with their own government.
Pine: a system for crowdsourced spatial data source discovery while map browsing

Locating spatial data sources for a specific area of interest (AOI) is a difficult task, because of constantly updating server locations (URLs), specific layer location changes within that server location, and the relative unpopularity of a specific spatial data source. The proposed system, named Pine attempts to remedy the issue using automatic, yet user-led discovery of data sources by utilizing a web plug-in that discovers spatial data sources as users browse the web. The web plug-in has a two-fold function, (1) immediately presenting the spatial data source and all of the layers contained within that server discovered by the plug-in, (2) sending those layers and servers into a centralized, search-able repository that is accessible via the web. By utilizing the users browsing habits, and their machines as the discoverers of spatial data, Pine avoids the very high computational overhead of discovery of spatial data sources from a central server using a web crawling approach. As with any user-contributed data set, Pine must get users to actually contribute to the central repository, and it achieves this by including functionality that is useful to the user on its own by displaying a search-able list in the web plug-in of spatial data sources that the user has discovered themselves, a previously difficult task. The system implements a push based approach for discovering data sources, as the plug-in sends the data directly to the central repository, it is always up to date with the newest data sources discovered by any of the many instances of the web plug-in running on users computers
Screening Tympanometry: Criteria for Medical Referral: Original Papers

Tympanograms were obtained from normal preschool and adult subjects with a prototype hand-held tympanometer to obtain normative values for four tympanometric variables: static admittance, equivalent ear canal volume, tympanometric peak pressure, and gradient. Effects of age group, sex, and pump speed (200 or 400 daPa/s) were determined. The results were incorporated into a four-part screening protocol (history, visual inspection, audiometry, and tympanometry) designed to reduce the excessive error rates associated with screening strategies that rely exclusively on tympanometry.
Water-in-Oil Cultivation Technology for Viscous Xanthan Gum Fermentation

Publisher Summary Water-in-oil (W/O) cultivation technology has been developed to enhance the performance of highly viscous fermentation processes. In this technology, the aqueous broth is dispersed as fine droplets in a continuous phase of organic solvent (oil). As the biopolymers produced are confined within the dispersed droplets, the overall system viscosity can be kept manageable. Using xanthan fermentation as an example, this new cultivation technology has been studied in both experiments and model simulations. Its feasibility has been demonstrated and the effects of operating factors such as agitation, aeration, aqueous droplet size, and various oil-phase properties have been examined. More recently, “smart,” pH-sensitive polymers, with a PMAA backbone as well as MPEG and dodecyl side chains, have been synthesized and characterized. When applied to W/O fermentation, the surfactants are shown to reduce the size of aqueous droplets during fermentation so that a better oxygen supply to cells inside the aqueous droplets and higher xanthan productivity can be achieved. The surfactants have also been shown to lose surface-activity at pH
Outcomes Following Dynamic Compression Bracing for Pectus Carinatum

Abstract Introduction: Children with pectus carinatum (PC) are particularly vulnerable to psychosocial effects of poor body image, even though they may not experience physical symptoms. Nonoperativ...
On oblique liquid curtains

In a recent paper (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 861, 2019, pp. 328–348), Benilov derived equations governing a laminar liquid sheet (a curtain) that emanates from a slot whose centreline is inclined to the vertical. The equations are valid for slender sheets whose characteristic length scale in the direction of flow is much larger than its cross-sectional thickness. For a liquid that leaves a slot with average speed, . Benilov’s parametric equations are shown to be identical to those derived by Finnicum, Weinstein, and Ruschak (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 255, 1993, pp. 647–665). In the latter form, it is straightforward to deduce an alternative solution of Benilov’s equations where a curtain falls vertically regardless of the slot’s orientation. This solution is consistent with prior experimental and theoretical results that show that a liquid curtain can emerge from a slot at an angle different from that of the slot centreline.
Adenoviral-mediated transfer of Fak-related non-kinase (FRNK) augments drug-induced cytotoxicity in cultured cells derived from squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck

5023 Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) has received much attention as a transducer of signals generated by integrin- mediated cell adhesion. FAK is overexpressed in several types of human cancer of epithelial origin including those derived from the head and neck region, breast, ovary, colon, prostate, and brain. Although FAK is not an oncogene, studies using cultured cells demonstrate that FAK positively regulates the cell cycle, cell migration, cell invasion, and cell survival. Fak-related non-kinase (FRNK) is an autonomously expressed C-terminal portion of FAK that inhibits FAK activity. I constructed a recombinant adenovirus (Ad-FRNK) that caused an increase in FRNK expression in cultured cells. When cells derived from squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck region (RPMI 2650 and SCC25) were infected with Ad-FRNK, there was a reduction in FAK autophosphorylation relative to cells infected with a control adenovirus (Ad-Empty) or nothing. The reduction in FAK pY397 phosphorylation was coincident with a large increase in FRNK expression. When RPMI cells were infected with Ad-FRNK, there was a decrease in cell viability relative to Ad-Empty infected cells ranging from 7-18 %, whereas Ad-FRNK generally did not affect the viability of SCC25 cells. As expected, chemotherapeutic agents (etoposide, 5-fluorouracil, cisplatin, paclitaxel) caused a concentration dependent decrease in viability of SCC25 and RPMI 2650 cells. Infection of RPMI 2650 cells and SCC25 cells with Ad-FRNK augmented drug -induced cytoxicity and this effect was most apparent at the higher concentrations of drug. In RPMI 2650 cells, Ad-FRNK and chemotherapeutic agents appeared to cause an additive decrease in cell viability, whereas in SCC25 cells, Ad-FRNK and chemotherapeutic agents appeared to cause a synergistic decrease in cell viability. When apoptosis was measured using a commercially available ELISA that quantitates the formation of histone-/DNA complexes, similar results were obtained. Finally, infection with Ad-FRNK led to substantially decreased migration of cultured SCCHN cells. These results suggest that FAK may be a target for anti-cancer therapies. The Flight Attendant Medical Research Institute supported this work.
Transdermal Lidocaine for Perioperative Pain: a Systematic Review of the Literature

The purpose of this review is to provide a summary of the perioperative studies that have examined transdermal lidocaine (lidocaine patch) as an analgesic and put the evidence in context of the likely overall benefit of transdermal lidocaine in the perioperative period. Several randomized controlled trials have been published in the past 4 years that concluded transdermal lidocaine can reduce acute pain associated with laparoscopic trocar or cannula insertion. Transdermal lidocaine may reduce short-term pain after surgery in selected surgery types and has a low risk of toxicity but its overall clinical utility in the perioperative setting is questionable. Transdermal lidocaine does not consistently reduce opioid consumption after surgery and has not been shown to improve patient function.
Intercorporeity and the first-person plural in Merleau-Ponty

A theory of the first-person plural occupies a unique place in philosophical investigations into intersubjectivity and social cognition. In order for the referent of the first-person plural—“the We”—to come into existence, it seems there must be a shared ground of communicative possibility, but this requires a non-circular explanation of how this ground could be shared in the absence of a pre-existing context of communicative conventions. Margaret Gilbert’s and John Searle’s theories of collective intentionality capture important aspects of the We, but fail to fully account for this shared ground of communicative possibility. This paper argues that Merleau-Ponty’s concept of intercorporeity helps reconcile the positive aspects of these accounts while also explaining how the genesis of the social world is continuous with perceptual life in general. This enables an account of the first-person plural as dependent on reciprocal communicative interaction (a la Gilbert) without the need to posit a primitive or primordial “we-mode” of consciousness (a la Searle). “Intercorporeity” designates a bodily openness to others that is not fundamentally different in kind from the general style of bodily comportment found in Merleau-Ponty’s rich analyses of perceptual life.
Facility Registration and Initial Regulatory Compliance Activities for Acidified Food and Low-Acid Canned Food Processors in Florida

Food businesses are subject to a wide range of regulatory requirements. Food entrepreneurs who want to produce and sell acidified foods or low-acid canned foods must abide by specific FDA regulations. This new 3-page document intends to clarify the initial steps food entrepreneurs must implement to comply with these regulations. This factsheet is one in a Food Entrepreneurship in Florida series, which assists beginning and established food entrepreneurs by providing them information on topics highly relevant to starting and running a food business: regulations, safety, labeling, processing, and marketing. Written by Matthew Krug and Soohyoun Ahn, and published by the UF/IFAS Food Science and Human Nutrition Department, February 2019. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fs318
The outcomes of subtalar arthroereisis in pes planus: a systemic review and meta-analysis.

Subtalar arthroereisis has been increasingly accepted as a solution to manage symptomatic pes planus. However, despite the recent developments related to arthroereisis, no other published literature has aimed to review the outcomes in paediatric patients since 2010. This systematic review and meta-analysis, therefore, aims to evaluate the current outcomes of subtalar arthroereisis in the treatment of symptomatic pes planus among the paediatric population. The review was conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. All studies reported on the clinical outcomes of subtalar arthroereisis in children aged 21 or younger were included. A total of 17 publications were included, with 1536 feet. The average duration of follow-up of the studies included in the review is 43.52 months. The studies consistently reported improvement in the radiological outcomes, approximating that of a normal population. Subtalar arthroereisis has shown to restore the collapsed medial longitudinal arch, supported by the decrease in Meary’s angle to 5.267° (95% CI: 4.695°–5.839°, normal: 0°–10.0°) post-operatively and an increased calcaneal pitch of 15.70° (95% CI: 15.41°–15.99°, normal 18.0°–20.0°). Deformities associated with pes planus such as heel valgus was also significantly reduced, evident by the post-operative lateral talocalcaneal angle of 27.19° (95% CI: 26.44°–27.93°, normal: 25.0°–45.0°) and a post-operative Kite’s angle of 18.13° (95% CI: 17.73°–18.52°, normal: 15.0°–30.0°). Subjectively, subtalar arthroereisis has generally resulted in an improvement in the grading of outcomes postoperatively from the patient’s point of view. Subtalar arthroereisis could serve as a procedure to correct radiological abnormalities, as well as relieve pain in selected patients with symptomatic pes planus.
Book review of "Design, ecology, politics: towards the ecocene" by Joanna Boehnert (2018). Bloomsbury Academic.

Design, Ecology, Politics: Towards the Ecocene is a must-read for any communication design educator or practitioner concerned with the deleterious effects of the Anthropocene (or its critical counterpart the Capitalocene), which names the current geological era marked by human dominance over environmental processes. In this book, Dr. Joanna Boehnert deftly incorporates ecological thinking into design pedagogy to articulate a path forward for a new era of human-environment relations built on cooperation rather than exploitation. Existential threats abound in a modern era built on endless consumption and production cycles driven by market logic. For too long, designers have tacitly participated in the destructive tendencies of the neoliberal political project by convincing themselves and others that their work is neutral. This book is a wake-up call that highlights the role that design has played in constructing the precarious conditions of the modern world and, more importantly, the role designers could play in charting a way out of the mess humanity has made.
Implementation of Obstetric Telehealth During COVID-19 and Beyond.

Purpose The purpose of this article is to illustrate and discuss the impact the 2019 novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on the delivery of obstetric care, including a discussion on the preexisting barriers, prenatal framework and need for transition to telehealth. Description The COVID-19 was first detected in China in December of 2019 and by March 2020 spread to the United States. As this virus has been associated with severe illness, it poses a threat to vulnerable populations-including pregnant women. The obstetric population already faces multiple barriers to receiving quality healthcare due to personal, environmental and economic barriers, now challenged with the additional risks of COVID-19 exposure and limited care in times much defined by social distancing. Assessment The current prenatal care framework requires patients to attend multiple in-office prenatal visits that can exponentially multiply depending on maternal and fetal comorbidities. To decrease the rate of transmission of the COVID-19 and limit exposure to patients, providers in Hillsborough County, Florida (and nationwide) are rapidly transitioning to telehealth. The use of a virtual care model allows providers to reduce in-person visits and incorporate virtual visits into the schedule of prenatal care. Conclusion Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, implementation of telehealth and telehealth have become crucial to ensure the safe and effective delivery of obstetric care. This implementation is one that will continue to require attention to planning, procedures and processes, and thoughtful evaluation to ensure the sustainability of telehealth and telehealth post COVID-19 pandemic.
Fund Family Matters: How Index Funds Improve Corporate Governance

I propose a novel mechanism that explains why index funds may have a beneficial effect on corporate governance: Increased index fund holdings provide a fund family with greater incentives to monitor management. Mutual fund families centralize voting decisions and may have incentives to monitor even when their individual index funds do not. Increased index fund holdings facilitate the coordination between funds from the same fund family and lead to fewer votes cast in support of the management by funds in the same family. My results demonstrate that when families offer index funds with active funds, the increasing size of index funds does not lead to less monitoring of the management.
Model Predictive Control of DC-DC Buck-Boost Converter with Various Resistive Load Values

Direct current (DC-DC) converters are the most popular devices for power supply circuits. The pulse width modulation has significant influences on their operations to manage their output power. Control theory is required to be applied to these converters to govern their inherent nonlinearity and non-minimum phase behaviors to maximize their efficiency and effectiveness. This research studies theory of a constrained Model Predictive Controller (MPC) applied to a DC-DC Buck-Boost converter with various values of a resistive load. The Quadratic Programming (QP) optimization algorithm subjected to unequal input constraint solved to predict the input control signal at every sampling time interval. This approach can be implemented at a faster time with robust and stability. MATLAB, Simulink, and the optimization process were used to achieve this goal.
Measures Matter: A Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Educational Apps on Preschool to Grade 3 Children’s Literacy and Math Skills:

Thousands of educational apps are available to students, teachers, and parents, yet research on their effectiveness is limited. This meta-analysis synthesized findings from 36 intervention studies ...
Vacuum Assisted Closure Versus Conventional Surgical Techniques in Treatment of Post-Sternotomy Mediastinitis

Background: In cardiac surgery patients, post-sternotomy mediastinitis, also known as deep sternal wound infection (DSWI), is a major cause of postoperative morbidity and mortality. Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT), also known as vacuum assisted closure (VAC) dressing, is one therapeutic alternative that offers the following advantages: regulation of fluid drainage, reduction of local edema, and bacterial load reduction, and early development of granulation tissue by angiogenic stimulation. By acting topically with a low complication rate, offering greater comfort to the medical team and patient, and reducing hospitalization time, antibiotic usage, and dressing changes, this therapy has become an important and efficient method for fighting infection in complex wounds. Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness and clinical outcome of vacuum‑assisted closure (VAC) therapy in the treatment of post-sternotomy mediastinitis in comparison with conventional treatment. Patients and methods: This study was conducted in National Heart Institute (NHI), Egypt. Patients were hospitalized from March 2019 to March 2020. It included patients with post-sternotomy mediastinitis treated with conventional therapy and VAC divided in two groups each group contained 30 patients. Results: The duration of VAC therapy was 7.42±2.23 days. Mean hospital stay after VAC therapy was 12.18±1.92 days. Twenty-two (92%) patients were treated successfully. At the end of VAC therapy, the mean reduction in wound size was 31.7%. The mean granulation tissue formation was 59%. Conclusion: VAC is a safe, reliable, and relatively new option for the treatment of DSWI after cardiac surgery. VAC is an alternative to conventional treatment in wound healing strategy in post-sternotomy mediastinitis.
The breast pre-cancer atlas illustrates the molecular and micro-environmental diversity of ductal carcinoma in situ

The increased detection and treatment of early stage breast cancer as well as ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) has not led to significant survival benefits. Therefore, the current standard treatment of DCIS is questionable. An informed evidence-based treatment strategy, and likely de-escalation from the current standards requires new prognostic models built from more comprehensive characterization with objective criteria. Parallel profiling of the molecular landscape and micro-environment in pure DCIS remains challenging due to histological heterogeneity and the inevitable reliance on small archived specimens. Leveraging recent methodological advances, we characterized the mutational, transcriptional, histological and microenvironmental landscape across multiple micro-dissected regions from 39 cases to generate a multi-modal breast precancer atlas. The histological architecture was associated with grade, adiposity, and intrinsic expression subtypes. Similar to previous findings, high-grade lesions had higher mutational burden, including TP53 mutations, while low-grade lesions had more frequent 16q losses and GATA3 mutations. Multi-region analysis revealed most somatic alterations, including whole genome duplication events, were clonal, but genetic divergence increased with distance between regions. In 7/12 evaluable cases, somatic mutations in putative driver genes affected a subset of regions only. This genetic heterogeneity often accompanied phenotypic heterogeneity and regions with low risk features (Normal-like, Luminal A) occurred earlier than those with high-risk features (Her2-like, Basal or necrosis) according to the phylogenetic analysis. The immune-environment was evaluated using multiplex immuno-histochemistry to measure relative stromal and epithelial densities of B lymphocyte (B-cell), T lymphocyte (T-cell) and regulatory T cells (T-reg) and identify 3 immune-states: Active, Suppressed and Excluded (lower epithelial density). All states included both DCIS and adjacent benign regions, and none associated with intrinsic subtypes. The Excluded state was enriched in high-grade DCIS and, compared to benign areas, more likely acquired in DCIS, showing transcriptional evidence of stronger immune-suppression and possible evasion. The breast pre-cancer atlas therefore reveals correlated levels of phenotypic and genotypic heterogeneity, including at sub-histological resolution. These uniquely integrated observations will help scope future studies, prioritize candidate markers for progression risk modelling and identify functional similarities in precursor lesions from other types of adenocarcinomas.
A blood-to-brain delivery system to treat obesity.

Small extracellular vesicles (SEVs) can be used for the selective delivery of therapeutic agents from the blood to the brain. Milbank et al. make use of SEVs to selectively target neurons in the ventromedial hypothalamus of mice, extending this exciting approach to potential applications for the treatment of obesity.
How High a Degree is High Enough for High Order Finite Elements

Abstract High order finite element methods can solve partial differential equations more efficiently than low order methods. But how large of a polynomial degree is beneficial? This paper addresses that question through a case study of three problems representing problems with smooth solutions, problems with steep gradients, and problems with singularities. It also contrasts h - adaptive, p -adaptive, and hp -adaptive refinement. The results indicate that for low accuracy requirements, like 1% relative error, h -adaptive refinement with relatively low order elements is sufficient, and for high accuracy requirements, p -adaptive refinement is best for smooth problems and hp -adaptive refinement with elements up to about 10th degree is best for other problems.
Asymmetry across species

In both worms and flies, asymmetric cell divisions involve the protein Bazooka/PAR-3, which is required for the asymmetric segregation of cell-fate determinants. However, differential distribution of a determinant between daughter cells may be achieved by different means in alternative developmental settings.
Nitrite Toxicity to the Razorback Sucker, Xyrauchen texanus, and the Bonytail, Gila elegans

ABSTRACT Aquaculture for the purpose of supplementing natural recruitment is one approach used to assist the recovery of endangered fish populations. A common consequence of high-density culture is the accumulation of nitrite in the water. Razorback suckers (Catastomidae; Xyrauchen texanus) survived a 72-hour exposure to 25 mg/L nitrite-N. Bonytails (Cyprinidae; Gila elegans) died within 48 hours of exposure to 10 mg/L and 25 mg/L nitrite-N. A chloride:nitrite ratio of 5 (as either calcium chloride or sodium chloride) protected bonytail from nitrite toxicity. This study provides some basic knowledge that can be applied to the culture of these two endangered species and raises some interesting questions about the nature of nitrite toxicity and inhibition of toxicity in these two species.
Orange County Value-at-Risk Case

SUBJECT AREAS: Financial risk management, fixed-income portfolio. CASE SETTING: 1995, local government investment fund. The purpose of this case is to explain how a municipality can lose $1.6 billion in financial markets and how this can be avoided in the future. The case also introduces the concept of "Value at Risk" (VAR), which is a simple method to express the risk of a portfolio. After the string of recent derivatives disasters, financial institutions, end- users, regulators, and central bankers are now turning to VAR as a method to control financial market risks. The case describes the portfolio composition, leverage, and risk exposure of the OC portfolio. It then introduces the various approaches to VAR and shows how VAR can be related to the concept of duration. The case illustrates how VAR could have been used to warn investors of the risks they were incurring. The case also discusses the recovery of Orange County and the impact of the bankruptcy on financial markets. This is a stand-alone Web-based case. The case contains links to sites such as the Fed, Fannie Mae, and risk management sites. Students can also download a data file with historical yields, which allows them to compute the portfolio VAR based on a normal approximation or historical simulations.
Metastable helium molecules as tracers in superfluid 4He.

Metastable helium molecules generated in a discharge near a sharp tungsten tip immersed in superfluid $^{4}\mathrm{He}$ are imaged using a laser-induced-fluorescence technique. By pulsing the tip, a small cloud of ${\mathrm{He}}_{2}^{*}$ molecules is produced. We can determine the normal-fluid velocity in a heat-induced counterflow by tracing the position of a single molecule cloud. As we run the tip in continuous field-emission mode, a normal-fluid jet from the tip is generated and molecules are entrained in the jet. A focused 910 nm pump laser pulse is used to drive a small group of molecules to the first excited vibrational level of the triplet ground state. Subsequent imaging of the tagged molecules with an expanded 925 nm probe laser pulse allows us to measure the flow velocity of the jet. The techniques we developed provide new tools in quantitatively studying the normal fluid flow in superfluid helium.
Performance- and stability-robust digital control design for deterministic and stochastic perturbations

A systematic method is presented for designing discrete-time control systems. The method retains the systems' stability and guarantees minimum performance deterioration in the presence of a wide range of deterministic and stochastic disturbance/perturbation effects. This robustification process results in the modification of the Riccati equations used in the design of linear quadratic regulators. Conditions guaranteeing the existence and stabilizing properties of this robust controller are presented. >
Genetic studies of flower color in Tradescantia

The Phenotypic change of wild-type blue or blue-violet to pink color in petal and stamen hair cells of Tradescantia is often used as a measure of genetic damage produced by physical and chemical mutagens. Although cytological analyses of Tradescantia are numerous due to the unusually large chromosomes of this genus, self incompatibility, low germination and the length of generation time have made classical genetic studies of flower color very difficult. However, the importance of the Tradescantia test system in detecting chemical mutagens at low concentrations has made it equally important to provide an adequate description of the genetic transmission and segregation of the genes controlling flower color. To date, three flower colors of Tradescantia have been investigated chiefly with chromatography and spectrophotometry techniques. The present work proposes a model for white flower color and provides further genetic information on three flower colors, namely violet, pink and plum.
Learning Disabilities: The Missing Discussion in Disability Studies: Is There a Possibility for Alliance?

We propose an alliance between disability studies (DS) and the field of learning disabilities (LD); an alliance based on the need for shared research ethics and a critique of contemporary educational practices that perpetuate misunderstandings and marginalization of disabled students. The positivist thinking that has permeated both research and instruction in LD has resulted in significant minority overrepresentation. Not only could LD benefit from DS social analyses and humanities scholarship, but DS could become a more inclusive, more representative discipline.
Production scheduling of perishable products

This paper extends the classical m product, single machine economic lot size problem to include the cost of returns due to spoilage. A revised cycle time is determined for the case where spoiled items are always returned and for the case where there is a chance the spoiled item will not be returned. Differences among all three models are illustrated with a numerical example
Postoperative radiation therapy for small, low-/intermediate-grade parotid tumors with close and/or positive surgical margins

Background Patients with small, low-/intermediate-risk parotid cancers, treated with surgery, and who have the single prognostic factor of close and/or positive margins, constitute an unusual subset. This study evaluates local control and morbidity associated with postoperative radiation therapy for low/intermediate grade parotid cancer in these patients. Methods Between 1999 and 2006, 17 patients underwent postoperative radiation therapy at Beth Israel Medical Center for acinic cell carcinoma or low-intermediate-grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the parotid with close/positive margins. Pathology, treatment, and follow-up data were retrospectively analyzed for morbidity and local control. Two- and 5-year estimates of survival outcomes were performed followed by an analysis of complications. Results There were no local failures and no significant long-term complications. Conclusions Patients with small, low-risk cancer of the parotid gland have excellent local control and low treatment-related morbidity when receiving postoperative radiation therapy for positive or close margins of resection. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck, 2012
Creep and fatigue development in the low back in static flexion.

Study design In vivo measurements of low back flexion posture and muscle activity before, during, and after static flexion. Objective To identify the occurrence of creep and muscle fatigue development in the low back during static upper body deep flexion that resembled an above ground work posture. Summary of background data Static lumbar flexion has been related to the development of low back disorders, and its injury mechanism has been focused on the changes in passive spinal tissues. Potential influences of muscle fatigue of extensor muscles have not been explored. Methods A total of 20 asymptomatic subjects performed submaximal isometric trunk extension exertions and an isokinetic trunk flexion before and immediately after 5-minute static flexion while the trunk sagittal flexion angle and the myoelectric activities (electromyography [EMG]) of back extensor muscles were recorded simultaneously. Changes in the flexion-relaxation onset angle, maximum flexion angle, muscle activity level, and the median power frequency of EMG associated with the static flexion were evaluated. Results Flexion-relaxation onset angle in isokinetic flexion and EMG amplitude of isometric extension were significantly greater after static flexion, indicating creep of spinal tissues in static flexion. Median power frequency of lumbar erector spinae EMG during isometric extension was significantly lower after static flexion, suggesting the development of muscle fatigue. Consistent but low level of EMG was observed together with sporadic muscle spasms during the static flexion period. Conclusion Fatigue of low back extensor muscles may occur in static flexion due to prolonged passive stretching of the muscles. Low back extensor muscles are required to generate more active forces in weight holding or lifting after static flexion to compensate for the reduced contribution of creep deformed passive tissues in maintaining spinal stability and the posture. The degraded force generating capacity of the fatigued muscles can be a significant risk factor for low back pain.
Postprecipitation of zinc with homogeneously precipitated copper sulfide

Abstract The postprecipitation of zinc ion onto copper sulfide which has been precipitated from homogeneous solution using thioacetamide has been investigated under various conditions. The zinc carried increases with increasing time, increasing concentration of zinc, increasing digestion temperature, increasing thioacetamide added, and decreasing acid concentration. On the basis of these and several other special observations, it is believed that the postprecipitation is a result of adsorption of bisulfide ion on the surface of the copper sulfide, this adsorbed layer then reacting with the zinc ion.
Distribution pattern of Notch3 mutations suggests a gain-of-function mechanism for CADASIL

Mutations in Notch3 cause the syndrome CADASIL (cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy). The mechanism by which these mutations result in a CADASIL phenotype has been widely speculated upon. A first step toward understanding a disease mechanism is to learn whether the mutations result in the loss of Notch3 function, in particular, its role in signaling or in the gain of a novel function. Notch3 genomic sequences were analyzed for sites of conservation across species. We present here a bioinformatic analysis of the Notch paralogs and orthologs that suggest that CADASIL mutations result in a gain of function. This finding diminishes the likelihood that a Notch3 signaling deficit is responsible for the phenotype and increases the likelihood that CADASIL joins the growing list of neurological diseases with protein deposits due to misfolding and aggregation.
High-throughput immunoglobulin G N-glycan characterization using rapid resolution reverse-phase chromatography tandem mass spectrometry

Abstract We present an optimized high-throughput method for the characterization of 2-aminobenzamide (2-AB)-labeled N -glycans from recombinant immunoglobulin G (rIgG). This method includes an optimized sample preparation protocol involving microwave-assisted deglycosylation in conjunction with an automated sample cleanup strategy and a rapid resolution reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RRRP–HPLC) separation of labeled N -glycans. The RRRP–HPLC method permits generation of a comprehensive glycan profile using fluorescence detection in 45 min. In addition, the profiling method is directly compatible with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI–MS), allowing immediate and sensitive characterization of the glycan moiety by intact MS and tandem MS (MS/MS) fragmentation. We conservatively estimate an efficiency gain of fourfold with respect to the throughput capabilities of this optimized method as compared with traditional protocols (overnight deglycosylation, sample cleanup by graphitized carbon or cellulose cartridge, high-pH anion exchange chromatography, fraction collection, and processing for matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight [MALDI–TOF] MS analysis) for a single sample. Even greater gains are achieved when processing of multiple samples is considered.
A learning model for signal detection theory-temporal invariance of learning parameters

Temporal invariance of learning parameters of an additive-operator model was evaluated on signal-detection data collected by Dorfman and Biderman (1971). Their study was a two-interval forced-choice auditory detection task in which the presentation probability of the signal in Interval 1 was manipulated. Parameters of the model were estimated separately in the nonstationary and stationary phases of the learning process. The results showed quite respectable temporal invariance of the learning parameters and of sensitivity. Pure error correction was observed in both phases, which agreed with general conclusions of Dorfman, Saslow, and Simpson (1975).
Testing the distinctiveness of visual imagery and motor imagery in a reach paradigm.

We examined the distinctiveness of motor imagery (MI) and visual imagery (VI) in the context of perceived reachability. The aim was to explore the notion that the two visual modes have distinctive processing properties tied to the two-visual-system hypothesis. The experiment included an interference tactic whereby participants completed two tasks at the same time: a visual or motor-interference task combined with a MI or VI-reaching task. We expected increased error would occur when the imaged task and the interference task were matched (e.g., MI with the motor task), suggesting an association based on the assumption that the two tasks were in competition for space on the same processing pathway. Alternatively, if there were no differences, dissociation could be inferred. Significant increases in the number of errors were found when the modalities for the imaged (both MI and VI) task and the interference task were matched. Therefore, it appears that MI and VI in the context of perceived reachability recru...
Beyond Protest: The Street as Humanitarian Narrative

Son, a comparison that has not generally worked in Petry's favorinterpreters continue to concentrate on issues associated with that literary mode. Central terms for interpreting The Street remain determinism, environment, and protest. Critics have concluded that "Petry evicts hope entirely" from The Street and that the novel expresses "unqualified despair" as well as "horror" at the stagnation of life (Wurst 2; Yarborough 46; Barrett 106).' Such conclusions mesh with the standard definition: we expect a deterministic protest novel not only to present a negative picture but also to function as a negative act. Simply put, protest always speaks out against something. The novel's bleak ending provides ample rationale for such a reading. After Lutie Johnson murders Boots Smith, she flees Harlem for Chicago, leaving behind her son Bub whom she has tried throughout the novel to protect. Bub's recent implication in mail fraud will assuredly land him in reform school, signaling the absolute failure of his mother's efforts. As if this denouement were not bleak enough, the novel concludes with Lutie doubting her humanity, wondering what good could ever come from teaching a person such as herself to read. Insofar as reading is a central trope of personhood in African American literature from the slave narrative onward, Lutie's doubting her humanity sounds an especially dismal note.2 Most critics look to the environment to explain the pervasive sense