cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A laboratory model demonstrating the protective effects of surgical masks, face shields, and a combination of both in a speaking simulation.

Background The protection against aerosol transmission provided by masks vs face shields or in combination when speaking indoors is not well understood. Methods To simulate a human source, an aerosol generating system was made using a bacterial suspension in a nebulizer attached to an oxygen cylinder. A fan connected to the nebulizer created aerosols. Transmitted aerosols were detected using blood agar plates at 0.1524 and 1.8288 meters from source, simulating exposed person. The study was performed under controlled conditions at room temperature in a biohazard hood with high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter and UV light. Results When face shields were used alone, significant numbers of bacterial colonies grew on blood agar plates. When a mask used alone for both the subjects (source and exposed), the blood agar yielded minimal colony forming units at both distances. When face shields were used in combination with masks, no significant improvement was observed as compared to masks alone. Discussion Our results were similar to what have been observed in related studies. Conclusions Surgical masks alone provided good protection, surpassing the protection provided by face shields alone. Both used together provided the best protection, although the combined protection was similar to surgical masks use alone.
Development of novel combustion risk index for flammable liquids based on unsupervised clustering algorithms

Abstract Current liquid flammability classification mainly relies on flash point and its risk is largely dependent on consequence and probability. However, combustions of liquefied marine fuels have their uniqueness, leading to a less consistent with the common classification. This work aims at classifying flammable liquids in compression ignition engines for further safety evaluation. Besides liquid flammability characteristics, flame propagation and aerosol formulation are considered. Two unsupervised machine learning clustering algorithms, k-means and spectral clustering, are applied to the collected liquid compounds database. To consider both cluster cohesion and separation, the global mean silhouette value is used to find the optimal number of clusters and to evaluate the clustering performance. The results show that the spectral clustering outperforms k-means on classifying the risk ratings for all proposed models, while the clustering accuracy of the optimal model has been doubled by employing spectral clustering algorithm. Moreover, principal component analysis and star coordinate diagrams are presented to visualize high dimensional data to 2-D graphs. Finally, the overall liquid safety performance is evaluated by a novel combustion risk index via the weight values determined by the information entropy approach. This index can be used to explore inherently safer fuels in the process industries.
Tuning π-Acceptor/σ-Donor Ratio of the 2-Isocyanoazulene Ligand: Non-Fluorinated Rival of Pentafluorophenyl Isocyanide and Trifluorovinyl Isocyanide Discovered.

Isocyanoazulenes (CNAz) constitute a relatively new class of isocyanoarenes that offers rich structural and electronic diversification of the organic isocyanide ligand platform. This article considers a series of 2-isocyano-1,3-X2-azulene ligands (X = H, Me, CO2Et, Br, and CN) and the corresponding zero-valent complexes thereof, [(OC)5Cr(2-isocyano-1,3-X2-azulene)]. Air- and thermally stable, X-ray structurally characterized 2-isocyano-1,3-dimethylazulene may be viewed as a non-benzenoid aromatic congener of 2,6-dimethyphenyl isocyanide (2,6-xylyl isocyanide), a longtime “workhorse” aryl isocyanide ligand in coordination chemistry. Single crystal X-ray crystallographic {Cr–CNAz bond distances}, cyclic voltametric {E1/2(Cr0/1+)}, 13C NMR {δ(13CN), δ(13CO)}, UV-vis {dπ(Cr) → pπ*(CNAz) Metal-to-Ligand Charge Transfer}, and FTIR {νN≡C, νC≡O, kC≡O} analyses of the [(OC)5Cr(2-isocyano-1,3-X2-azulene)] complexes provided a multifaceted, quantitative assessment of the π-acceptor/σ-donor characteristics of the above five 2-isocyanoazulenes. In particular, the following inverse linear relationships were documented: δ(13COtrans) vs. δ(13CN), δ(13COcis) vs. δ(13CN), and δ(13COtrans) vs. kC≡O,trans force constant. Remarkably, the net electron withdrawing capability of the 2-isocyano-1,3-dicyanoazulene ligand rivals those of perfluorinated isocyanides CNC6F5 and CNC2F3.
Piggy Bank: Experience the Semantic Web Inside Your Web Browser

The Semantic Web Initiative envisions a Web wherein information is offered free of presentation, allowing more effective exchange and mixing across web sites and across web pages. But without substantial Semantic Web content, few tools will be written to consume it; without many such tools, there is little appeal to publish Semantic Web content. To break this chicken-and-egg problem, thus enabling more flexible information access, we have created a web browser extension called Piggy Bank that lets users make use of Semantic Web content within Web content as users browse the Web. Wherever Semantic Web content is not available, Piggy Bank can invoke screenscrapers to re-structure information within web pages into Semantic Web format. Through the use of Semantic Web technologies, Piggy Bank provides direct, immediate benefits to users in their use of the existing Web. Thus, the existence of even just a few Semantic Web-enabled sites or a few scrapers already benefits users. Piggy Bank thereby offers an easy, incremental upgrade path to users without requiring a wholesale adoption of the Semantic Web's vision. To further improve this Semantic Web experience, we have created Semantic Bank, a web server application that lets Piggy Bank users share the Semantic Web information they have collected, enabling collaborative efforts to build sophisticated Semantic Web information repositories through simple, everyday's use of Piggy Bank.
Examining the Role of Craving, Mindfulness, and Psychological Flexibility in a Sample of Individuals with Substance Use Disorder

Substance Use Disorder (SUD) continues to represent a significant public health crisis in the United States. Purpose: Novel and effective treatments are needed, and third wave behavioral approaches...
R&D validation planning: A methodology to link technical validations to benefits measurement

An important activity in many R&D departments is the internal development of new process technologies and practices to assist in the marketing, design and manufacturing activities of the enterprise. An integral part of this R&D development is the planning and management of validations of potential technology projects. These validations are necessary to determine the technical, financial and organizational feasibility of the projects and to develop data for benefits measurement for further funding of selected projects. This paper describes a methodology for validation planning of new process technologies and practices. The methodology allows for the explicit linkage of a validation to the identification of its financial and strategic benefits. These often diverse measures of worth are integrated using a proven multi-attribute justification approach within the planning methodology. The methodology and the multi-attribute approach also support the comparison of dissimilar projects having different benefits. The methodology acts as an organizational planning tool integrating the needs of the diverse constituencies involved in R&D planning. It also acts as a tool to aid engineers and scientists identify and present the benefits of the proposed technology.
A Runner’s High for New Neurons? Potential Role for Endorphins in Exercise Effects on Adult Neurogenesis

Physical exercise has wide-ranging benefits to cognitive functioning and mental state, effects very closely resembling enhancements to hippocampal functioning. Hippocampal neurogenesis has been implicated in many of these mental benefits of exercise. However, precise mechanisms behind these effects are not well known. Released peripherally during exercise, beta-endorphins are an intriguing candidate for moderating increases in neurogenesis and the related behavioral benefits of exercise. Although historically ignored due to their peripheral release and status as a peptide hormone, this review highlights reasons for further exploring beta-endorphin as a key mediator of hippocampal neurogenesis. This includes possible routes for beta-endorphin signaling into the hippocampus during exercise, direct effects of beta-endorphin on cell proliferation and neurogenesis, and behavioral effects of manipulating endogenous opioid signaling. Together, beta-endorphin appears to be a promising mechanism for understanding the specific ways that exercise promotes adult neurogenesis specifically and brain health broadly.
Large-aperture experimental characterization of the acoustic field generated by a hovering unmanned aerial vehicle

Unmanned aerial vehicles, specifically quadrotor drones, are increasingly commonplace in community and workplace settings and are often used for photography, cinematography, and small parcel transport. The presence of these flying robotic systems has a substantial impact on the surrounding environment. To better understand the ergonomic impacts of quadrotor drones, a quantitative description of their acoustic signature is needed. While previous efforts have presented detailed acoustic characterizations, there is a distinct lack of high spatial-fidelity investigations of the acoustic field of a quadrotor hovering under its own power. This work presents an experimental quantification of the spatial acoustic pressure distribution in the near-field of a live hovering unmanned aerial vehicle. A large-aperture scanning microphone array was constructed to measure sound pressure level at a total of 1728 points over a 2 m × 3 m × 1.5 m volume. A physics-infused machine learning model was fit to the data to better visualize and understand the experimental results. The experimental data and modeling presented in this work are intended to inform future design of experiments for quadrotor drone acoustics, provide quantitative information on the acoustic near-field signature, and demonstrate the utility of optical motion tracking coupled with a custom microphone array for characterization of live acoustic sources.
The Strategy of Cramming

Offered in this article is a new strategy, cramming, that can serve well in an attempt to answer an open question or in an attempt to find a shorter proof. Indeed, when the question can be answered by proving a conjunction, cramming can provide substantial assistance. The basis of the strategy rests with forcing so many steps of a subproof into the remainder of the proof that the desired answer is obtained. As for reduction in proof length, the literature shows that proof shortening (proof abridgment) was indeed of interest to some of the masters of logic, masters that include C. A. Meredith, A. Prior, and I. Thomas. The problem of proof shortening (as well as other aspects of simplification) is also central to the recent discovery by R. Thiele of Hilbert's twenty-fourth problem. Although that problem was not included in his 1900 Paris lecture (because he had not yet sufficiently formulated it), Hilbert stressed at various times in his life the importance of finding simpler proofs. Because a sharp reduction in proof length (of constructive proofs) is correlated with a significant reduction in the complexity of the object being constructed, the cramming strategy is relevant to circuit design and program synthesis. The most impressive success with the use of the cramming strategy concerns an abridgment of the Meredith–Prior abridging of the Lukasiewicz proof for his shortest single axiom for the implicational fragment of two-valued sentential (or classical propositional) calculus. In the context of answering open questions, the most satisfying examples to date concern the study of the right-group calculus and the study of the modal logic C5. Various challenges are offered here.
An Examination of Regional Trade Agreements: A Case Study of the EC and the East African Community

In following a growing trend, the East African Community (EAC) was recently re-created in order to achieve rigorous developmental objectives it has set for itself. Regional trade agreements are becoming increasingly popular but their benefits are hotly debated. There is neither a great deal of clarity nor universal agreement as to what the over-riding conditions must be for a successful agreement. This, despite strong indications that a North-South agreement would be a necessary additional ingredient in order to improve the prospects for this Treaty. This paper examines those arguments and compares them to the alternative arguments made in favor of MFN trade and even free trade. Even if the economic theory were to be clear, a strong measure of domestic political support for the treaty will be an essential ingredient; several other potential requirements will be outlined.
Particle Deposition on an Infinitely Permeable Surface: Dependence of Deposit Morphology on Particle Size

Abstract Monte Carlo simulations of colloid deposition on a one-dimensional permeable surface from a uniform flow field are reported. The effects of particle size, fluid velocity, and particle density on the transport of particles to the collector surface by fluid drag, gravity settling, and Brownian motion are described in terms of a Peclet number, NPe. For NPe ⩽ 10-1.7 (small, near-neutrally buoyant particles and low fluid velocities) deposit morphology converges to one of diffusion-limited growth characterized by a fractal dimension, D, of approximately 1.7. Thus, small particles ( 103) corresponding to larger particles and higher fluid velocities. However, the theoretical limit is not attained due to constraints imposed on the simulation lattice and deposit restructuring. For intermediate values of NPe(10-1.7
Paranasal sinus cholesterol granuloma: systematic review of diagnostic and management aspects.

Background Cholesterol granuloma (CG) is an expansile, cystic lesion most commonly observed in the temporal bone. CG is rarely encountered in the paranasal sinuses. Given its paucity in this region, the diagnostic and management aspects remain to be elucidated. Methods Systematic review of the literature yielded 66 cases reported as individual data in 37 articles; an additional 69 cases were reported as aggregate data in 5 case series. Results The mean age of the 135 patients was 43.8 years, with a male:female ratio of 5.6:1. The most common presenting symptoms were orbital (66%), followed by headaches (19.3%). The most common location for CG was the frontal sinus (60%), followed by maxillary (34.1%) and ethmoid (3.7%) sinuses. Computed tomography (CT) imaging was used in 84 patients (63.3%), with bone erosion being noted in 80% of cases. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was reported in only 9 cases (6.7%); high signal on T1- and T2-weighted images was evident in 77.8% and 66.7%, of cases respectively. Surgical data was available on 65 cases; drainage was achieved by open and endoscopic techniques in 52 (80%) and 13 (20%) cases, respectively. Primary symptom improvement and CG cavity patency was achieved in 92% of cases at a mean follow-up of 34.5 months. Conclusion Paranasal sinus CG is most commonly observed in middle-aged males, arises in the frontal sinus, and typically presents with orbital symptoms. Both open and endoscopic techniques can be used with high success rate. The present study represents the first attempt in the literature to construct a clinical profile of this rare entity.
Synthesis and brush border expression of intrinsic factor-cobalamin receptor from rat renal cortex.

The main objective of the current study was to investigate the factors that affect brush border membrane expression of intrinsic factor-cobalamin receptor (IFCR). Because of high levels of IFCR expression (Seetharam, B., Levine, J. S., Ramasamy, M., and Alpers, D. H. (1988) J. Biol. Chem. 263, 4443-4449) in the rat kidney, we have studied the synthesis and expression of IFCR using rat cortical slices in culture. The IFCR activity in the renal apical brush border was maximum from rats between the age of 20-24 days and about 75% of the activity was lost from the isolated apical surface membranes following culture of cortical slices with nonradioactive intrinsic factor-cobalamin. However, the membrane IFCR activity recovered to 100 or 75%, respectively, when the slices were cultured with intrinsic factor-cobalamin mixed with either leupeptin or chloroquine. When these lysosomotropic agents were added during the metabolic labeling of the cortical slices with trans-35S-label neither the synthesis nor the amount of [35S]IFCR transported to the apical membrane was inhibited. However, with the addition of colchicine, the apical membrane expression of [35S]IFCR was inhibited by 75-80%. Metabolic labeling of cortical slices with trans-35S-label and immunoprecipitation of the Triton X-100 extract from the total, internal, and apical membranes revealed the presence of a 230-kDa band following sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. With either continuous or pulse-chase labeling of the cortical slices, the amount of 230-kDa [35S]IFCR recovered in the apical membrane did not exceed 10-15% of the total labeled receptor synthesized. Based on these and our recent studies (Seetharam, S., Dahms, N., Li, N., Ramanujam, K.S., and Seetharam, B. (1991) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 177, 751-756), we propose that rat renal IFCR is synthesized as a single polypeptide chain of 220 kDa and is transported slowly to the apical membrane during which four or five N-linked oligosaccharides are processed to the complex type. Moreover, the brush border expression of IFCR is regulated by the biosynthetic and not by the endocytic pathway.
Hydrogeophysical tracking of three‐dimensional tracer migration: The concept and application of apparent petrophysical relations

[1] Direct estimation of groundwater solute concentrations from geophysical tomograms has been only moderately successful because (1) reconstructed tomograms are often highly uncertain and subject to inversion artifacts, (2) the range of subsurface conditions represented in data sets is incomplete because of the paucity of colocated well or core data and aquifer heterogeneity, and (3) geophysical methods exhibit spatially variable sensitivity. We show that electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) can be used to estimate groundwater solute concentrations if a relation between concentration and inverted resistivity is used to deal quantitatively with these issues. We use numerical simulation of solute transport and electrical current flow to develop these relations, which we call “apparent” petrophysical relations. They provide the connection between concentration, or local resistivity, and inverted resistivity, which is measured at the field scale based on ERT for media containing ionic solute. The apparent petrophysical relations are applied to tomograms of electrical resistivity obtained from field measurements of resistance from cross-well ERT to create maps of tracer concentration. On the basis of synthetic and field cases we demonstrate that tracer mass and concentration estimates obtained using these apparent petrophysical relations are far better than those obtained using direct application of Archie's law applied to three-dimensional tomograms from ERT, which gives severe underestimates.
From Face-to-Face to Virtual Space

While issues of formal communication for day-to-day learning tasks have been well investigated, the need for informal communication and its proper support by learning environments has been undervalued in instructional and technical design. Starting from constructivist theory, the paper expands the background for informal aspects towards the concepts of self-organization and awareness in learning processes. The discussion ponders the apparent paradox of spontaneous action versus preconceived infrastructure and suggests some constructive guidelines.
Genes located in a chromosomal inversion are correlated with territorial song in white-throated sparrows

The genome of the white-throated sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) contains an inversion polymorphism on chromosome 2 that is linked to predictable variation in a suite of phenotypic traits including plumage color, aggression and parental behavior. Differences in gene expression between the two color morphs, which represent the two common inversion genotypes (ZAL2/ZAL2 and ZAL2/ZAL2(m) ), may therefore advance our understanding of the molecular underpinnings of these phenotypes. To identify genes that are differentially expressed between the two morphs and correlated with behavior, we quantified gene expression and terrirorial aggression, including song, in a population of free-living white-throated sparrows. We analyzed gene expression in two brain regions, the medial amygdala (MeA) and hypothalamus. Both regions are part of a 'social behavior network', which is rich in steroid hormone receptors and previously linked with territorial behavior. Using weighted gene co-expression network analyses, we identified modules of genes that were correlated with both morph and singing behavior. The majority of these genes were located within the inversion, showing the profound effect of the inversion on the expression of genes captured by the rearrangement. These modules were enriched with genes related to retinoic acid signaling and basic cellular functioning. In the MeA, the most prominent pathways were those related to steroid hormone receptor activity. Within these pathways, the only gene encoding such a receptor was ESR1 (estrogen receptor 1), a gene previously shown to predict song rate in this species. The set of candidate genes we identified may mediate the effects of a chromosomal inversion on territorial behavior.
SemMobi: A Semantic Annotation System for Mobility Data

The wide adaptation of mobile devices embedded with modern positioning technology enables the collection of valuable mobility data from users. At the same time, the large-scale user-generated data from social media, such as geo-tagged tweets, provide rich semantic information about events and locations. The combination of the mobility data and social media data brings opportunities for us to study the semantics behind people's movement, i.e., understand why a person travels to a location at a particular time. Previous work have used map or POI (point of interest) database as source for semantics. However, those semantics are static, and thus missing important dynamic event information. To provide dynamic semantic annotation, we propose to use contextual social media. More specifically, the semantics could be landmark information (e.g., a museum or an arena) or event information (e.g., sports games or concerts). The SemMobi system implements our recently developed annotation method, which has been recently accepted to WWW 2015 conference. The annotation method annotates words to each mobility records based on local density of words, estimated by Kernel Density Estimation model. The annotated mobility data contain rich and interpretable information, therefore can benefit applications, such as personalized recommendation, targeted advertisement, and movement prediction. Our system is built upon large-scale tweet datasets. A user-friendly interface is designed to support interactive exploration of the result.
The Scientific Community: Organic or Mechanical?

(1969). The Scientific Community: Organic or Mechanical? The Sociological Quarterly: Vol. 10, No. 4, pp. 438-454.
Mechanisms of insulin degradation by isolated rat adipocytes.

We have examined some of the chemical and biological characteristics of the insulin-derived cell-associated radioactivity following incubation of isolated adipocytes with 125I-insulin (10−10 M) for one hour at 37 °C S ephadex G-50 chromatography of the cell-associated radioactivity demonstrated three peaks: peak I eluted with the void volume and consisted of large molecular weight material; peak II comigrated with 1251-insulin; and peak III consisted of small molecular weight degradation products (probably iodotyrosine). When the insulin peak (peak II) was divided into fourths, it was found that the binding and biologic activity of this material was not homogenous; thus, binding and biologic activity (relative to native insulin) fell markedly from the earliest to the latest eluting fractions of this peak. Furthermore, when the entire peak 11 material was applied to DEAE-Sephacel and eluted with a 0.01–0.2 M NaCl gradient, three distinct peaks were observed. These peaks were all 90% TCA precipitable, whereas the ability of the latter two eluting peaks to precipitate with anti-insulin antiserum was markedly reduced. When similar experiments were performed with chloroquine-treated cells, a large increase in cell-associated radioactivity was observed, and Sephadex G-50 chromatography demonstrated that this increase was entirely confined to peaks I and II. When the insulin peak (peak II) was divided into fourths, it was found that chloroquine markedly inhibited the decreased binding and biologic activity, from the earliest to the latest eluting fraction of this peak. Furthermore, when the peak II material (Sephadex G-50) from chloroquine-treated cells was chromatographed on DEAE-Sephacel, this material eluted in a single peak which was 95% TCA precipitable and 106% precipitable by anti-insulin antiserum. In conclusion, these studies demonstrate that: 1) intermediate insulin-derived products with reduced binding and biologic activity are generated in the process of cellular insulin degradation, and 2) the formation of these intermediate products is mediated by a chloroquine-sensitive pathway.
Tests for nonrandomness in quantum jumps

In a fundamental test of quantum mechanics, we have observed $228 000$ quantum jumps of a single trapped and laser cooled $^{88}\mathrm{Sr}^{+}$ ion. This represents a statistical increase of two orders of magnitude over previous similar analyses of quantum jumps. Compared to other searches for nonrandomness in quantum-mechanical processes, using quantum jumps simplifies the interpretation of data by eliminated multiparticle effects and providing near-unit detection efficiency of transitions. We measure the fractional reduction in the entropy of information to be $l6.5\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}4}$ when the value of any interval between quantum jumps is known. We also find that the number of runs of successively increasing or decreasing interval times agrees with the theoretically expected values. Furthermore, we analyze $238 000$ quantum jumps from two simultaneously confined ions and find that the number of apparently coincidental transitions is as expected. Finally, we observe 8400 spontaneous decays of two simultaneously trapped ions and find that the number of apparently coincidental decays from the metastable state agrees with the expected value. We find no evidence for short- or long-term correlations in the intervals of the quantum jumps or in the decay of the quantum states, in agreement with quantum theory.
Adverse events and placebo effects: African scientists, HIV, and ethics in the 'global health sciences'.

This paper builds on the growing literature in ‘postcolonial technoscience’ by examining how science and ethics travel in transnational HIV research. I use examples of two controversial US-funded studies of mother-to-child transmission in Africa as case studies through which to explore quandaries of difference and inequality in global health research. My aim is not to adjudicate the debates over these studies, but rather to raise some questions about transnational research, science, and ethics that often get lost in public controversies over the moral status of such trials. Using interviews conducted with American and Ugandan HIV researchers as well as relevant material published in the popular and medical press, I argue that debates over research practice and the conditions under which practices are deemed ethically legitimate or questionable reflect the challenges faced by African researchers seeking to participate in global health science. In doing so, I show how questions of scientific legitimacy and ...
Modulation of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-release channels by caffeine, Ca2+, and Mg2+ in skinned myocardial fibers of fetal and adult rats.

Ryanodine causes depression of the caffeine-induced tension transient (ryanodine depression) in skinned muscle fibers, because it blocks the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+-release channels [Su, J. Y. (1988) Pflugers Arch 411:132–136, 371–377; (1992) Pflugers Arch 421:1–6]. This study was performed to examine the sensitivity of SR Ca2+-release channels to ryanodine in fetal compared to adult myocardium and to investigate the influence of Ca2+, caffeine, and Mg2+ on ryanodine depression in skinned fibers. Ryanodine (0.3 nM–1 μM) caused a dose-dependent depression in skinned myocardial fibers of the rat, and the fetal fibers (IC50≈74 nM) were 26-fold less sensitive than those of the adult (IC50≈2.9 nM). The depression induced by 0.1 μM or 1 μM ryanodine was a function of [caffeine], or [Ca2+] (pCa 8.0 plus 25 mM caffeine, a 20% ryanodine depression was observed in both the fetal and adult fibers, indicating independence from Ca2+. Ryanodine depression in skinned fibers of the fetus was less affected than that seen in the adult by pCai, [caffeine]i, or 25 mM caffeine plus pCai or plus pMgi (IC50≈pCa 4.5 versus 5.1; caffeine 12.7 mM versus 2 mM; pCa 6.7 versus 7.3; and pMg 3.9 versus 3.3 respectively). The results show that the SR Ca2+-release channel in both fetal and adult myocardium is modulated by Ca2+, caffeine, and Mg2+. It is concluded that less ryanodine depression seen in the skinned fibers of the fetus, indicating a relatively insensitive SR Ca2+-release channel, could contribute to the resistance of intact myocardium to ryanodine.
Effect of human follicular fluids from pregnant and nonpregnant patients on the development of mouse zygotes in vitro.

Mouse zygotes were cultured in medium containing follicular fluid from patients who had follicles containing oocytes which fertilized, did not fertilize, or were atretic and who did or did not become pregnant after in vitro fertilization and embryo replacement. The inhibitory effect was least with the follicular fluid from follicies in which the oocytes subsequently fertilized, greater when the oocytes did not fertilize, and most inhibitory when the follicle contained an atretic oocyte. More mouse zygotes developed to blastocysts when culture medium was supplemented with follicular fluid from patients who became pregnant compared to those who did not become pregnant. There was no difference in pregnancy outcome when an oocyte which subsequently fertilized was obtained from the follicle. These results indicate that follicles contain a substance(s) which inhibits mouse zygote development in vitro and that the inhibitory activity is related to the developmental potential of the oocyte in the follicle.
Novel, silver-ion-releasing nanofibrous scaffolds exhibit excellent antibacterial efficacy without the use of silver nanoparticles

Abstract Nanofibers, with their morphological similarities to the extracellular matrix of skin, hold great potential for skin tissue engineering. Over the last decade, silver nanoparticles have been extensively investigated in wound-healing applications for their ability to provide antimicrobial benefits to nanofibrous scaffolds. However, the use of silver nanoparticles has raised concerns as these particles can penetrate into the stratum corneum of skin, or even diffuse into the cellular plasma membrane. We present and evaluate a new silver ion release polymeric coating that we have found can be applied to biocompatible, biodegradable poly( l -lactic acid) nanofibrous scaffolds. Using this compound, custom antimicrobial silver-ion-releasing nanofibers were created. The presence of a uniform, continuous silver coating on the nanofibrous scaffolds was verified by XPS analysis. The antimicrobial efficacy of the antimicrobial scaffolds against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli bacteria was determined via industry-standard AATCC protocols. Cytotoxicity analyses of the antimicrobial scaffolds toward human epidermal keratinocytes and human dermal fibroblasts were performed via quantitative analyses of cell viability and proliferation. Our results indicated that the custom antimicrobial scaffolds exhibited excellent antimicrobial properties while also maintaining human skin cell viability and proliferation for silver ion concentrations below 62.5 μg ml −1 within the coating solution. This is the first study to show that silver ions can be effectively delivered with nanofibrous scaffolds without the use of silver nanoparticles.
HOMOGENEOUS HYDROCARBON CH BOND ACTIVATION AND FUNCTIONALIZATION WITH PLATINUM

Publisher Summary The latest developments in the mechanistic understanding of platinum-catalyzed alkane oxidation have involved Pt complexes with chelating ligands having mainly—but not exclusively—nitrogen donors. This chapter focuses on recent studies of these chelated Pt systems. Kinetic studies, isotope labeling, modeling of intermediates, and computational methods have all been used to determine the key factors necessary for achieving facile C–H activation by Pt(II). A general understanding that the alkane must coordinate to a site within the square plane of the Pt(II) center to form a σ-complex has been reached. Oxidative addition of a C–H bond of the alkane in the σ-complex to generate a five-coordinate Pt(IV) alkyl hydride appears to be a viable mechanism for C–H activation and in many cases favored over an electrophilic pathway.
Predicting adult psychopathology from adolescent MMPIs: Some Victories

A subset of members of the Hathaway and Monachesi (1953, 1961, 1963) normative adolescent MMPI dataset was examined to find MMPI scales that predict the future onset of schizophrenia or adult psychopathy. The sample consisted of 23 individuals who later developed schizophrenia, 30 individuals who later developed psychopathy, and their matched controls. Results suggested that nine MMPI scales could reliably distinguish between schizophrenia and no schizophrenia; an additional nine scales could distinguish between adult psychopathy and no psychopathy. These 18 scales could also be used to discriminate those individuals who later developed schizophrenia from those individuals who later developed psychopathy. The results support the hypothesis that latent personality characteristics can function as endophenotypes for some adult psychopathologies.
Quenching of axial-vector coupling constant in β-decay and pion-nucleus optical potential☆

Abstract A very simple description of the quenching in nuclear matter of the axial-vector coupling constant in β-decay is given in terms of the model of Barshay, Brown and Rho constructed to provide a microscopic picture to the pion-nucleus optical potential for π-mesic atoms. The connection between the two quantities suggests a plausible test of the Lorentz-Lorenz non-linear effect in π-nucleus scattering. By comparing with the sum rule estimate made by M. Ericson, we find that the quenching of g A is consistent with an essentially unsuppressed Lorentz-Lorenz term in the optical potential.
Biologically motivated cross-modality sensory fusion system for automatic target recognition

Abstract The need for robust target/background segmentation has led to the use of multiple band sensing systems. These sensors usually include some combination of visual, radar or laser range, and thermal infrared modalities. Despite over a decade of research, there are still a number of problem areas with existing automatic target recognition systems. Foremost among these are the high false-alarm rates frequently encountered due to nonrepeatability of the target signatures and possible obscuration of the targets from camouflage, environmental and sensor variations (Roth, 1989, IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man and Cybernetics, 19 , 1210–1217; Roth, 1990, IEEE Transactions on Neural Networks, 1 , 28–43). This paper presents a biologically motivated neural network system based on the rattlesnake that integrates multichannel sensory inputs for ATD/R. The system demonstrates a probability of detection greater than 90% with false-alarm rate less than l0 −5 false-alarms/km 2 jor very small fixed targets using two-channel infrared input. In addition, temporal properties of the thermal neurons in the rattlesnake are demonstrated to be of possible use for segmentation of mobile targets from background clutter. Also presented are the results of some experimental studies on real-world multichannel infrared images sampled throughout a day.
Tumor angiogenesis as a prognostic indicator in T2-T4 oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma: a clinical-pathologic correlation.

Background Tumor angiogenesis has been shown to correlate with tumor size, metastatic potential, and prognosis in breast and other cancers. Studies in head and neck cancer have suggested a similar correlation, but results have been inconclusive. This study was performed to determine the correlation between angiogenesis and oral tumor behavior. Methods Tumor angiogenesis was evaluated in 31 T2–T4 primary oral cavity squamous cell carcinomas by quantitating the microvessel density with two different anti-endothelial cell antigens, factor VIII antigen (FVIIIAg) and CD-31. The stains were compared to assess whether these antigens yielded complimentary results. The microvessel densities were correlated with T stage and N stage and patient survival. Results FVIIIAg and CD-31 staining yielded consistent microvessel densities, but FVIIIAg was generally more uniform and easier to interpret. Increasing microvessel density was seen with increasing T stage and N stage; however, there was considerable overlap and no correlation with survival. Conclusions These results suggest that oral tumors are less angiogenesis dependent than tumors in other sites. Tumor angiogenesis, as currently measured, is not of value in predicting tumor aggressiveness in patients with oral cavity carcinoma. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Head Neck19: 276–280, 1997.
Delamination failure mechanisms in microlayers of polycarbonate and poly(styrene-co-acrylonitrile)

The peel strength and delamination failure mode of coextruded microlayer sheets consisting of alternating layers of polycarbonate (PC) and poly(styrene-co-acrylonitrile) (SAN) were studied with the T-peel test. Four delamination modes were observed: two modes where the crack propagated along the PC–SAN interface and two other modes where the crack propagated through crazes in the SAN. The SAN layer thickness determined whether crack propagation was interfacial or through crazes. Crazing and crack propagation through crazes were observed only if the SAN layer was thicker than 1.5 μm. As the thickness of the SAN layer increased, the amount of crazing in front of the crack tip and the amount of craze fracture gradually increased; the peel strength increased accordingly. If the SAN layers were thinner than 1.5 μm and the PC layers were relatively thick, the crack propagated along a single interface. The peel strength for this delamination mode was the lowest and equal to about 90 J/m2, independent of layer thicknesses. This delamination mode came closest to providing a ”real” measure of the adhesive toughness of PC to SAN. With both interfacial and craze delamination, the crack could move from layer to layer if the PC was thin enough. Tearing of the relatively thin PC layers increased the peel strength of the multiple-layer delamination modes. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 68:793–805, 1998
Treatment of Pediatric Obesity Using a Parent-Only Approach: A Case Example

Objective There is a great need for solution-oriented studies and descriptions of interventions for pediatric obesity in real-world settings. This report describes a group-based behavioral parent-only intervention to promote healthier lifestyle habits and reduce weight status in an obese 12-year-old female participant.
Evaluating radiation induced noise effects on pixelated sensors for the National Ignition Facility

The National Ignition Facility (NIF) utilizes several different pixelated sensor technologies for various measurement systems that include alignment cameras, laser energy sensors, and high-speed framing cameras. These systems remain in the facility where they are exposed to 14MeV neutrons during a NIF shot. The image quality of the sensors degrades as a function of radiation-induced damage. This article reports on a figure-of-merit technique that aids in the tracking of the performance of pixelated sensors when exposed to neutron radiation from NIF. The sensor dark current growth can be displayed over time in a 2D visual representation for tracking radiation induced damage. Predictions of increased noise as a function of neutron fluence for future NIF shots allow simulation of reduced performance for each of the individual camera applications. This predicted longevity allows for proper management of the camera systems.
Domain shuffling during evolution of the proteins of the bacterial phosphotransferase system.

Abstract About twenty permeases of the bacterial phosphoenolpyruvate: sugar phosphotransferase system (PTS) have been sequenced and analysed. The results of these analyses suggest that interdomain shuffling, splicing, fusion, deletion, and duplication have occured repeatedly during their evolution. A uniform nomenclature for these proteins and their domains is proposed.
Outcomes of Allergy/Immunology Follow-Up After an Emergency Department Evaluation for Anaphylaxis

Background Anaphylaxis guidelines currently recommend referring patients with anaphylaxis seen in the emergency department (ED) to an allergist for follow up. Objective The objective of our study was to evaluate outcomes of allergy/immunology follow-up after an ED visit for anaphylaxis. Methods A retrospective health records review was conducted from April 2008 to August 2012. Charts were reviewed independently by 2 allergists to determine outcomes. Descriptive statistics with corresponding 95% CIs were calculated. Results Among 573 patients seen in the ED who met anaphylaxis diagnostic criteria, 217 (38%) had a documented allergy/immunology follow-up. After allergy/immunology evaluation, 16 patients (7% [95% CI, 5%-12%]) had anaphylaxis ruled out. Among those with an unknown ED trigger (n = 74), 24 (32% [95% CI, 23%-44%]) had a trigger identified; and, among those who had a specific suspected ED trigger (n = 143), 9 (6% [95% CI, 3%-12%]) had a trigger identified in a category other than the one suspected in the ED, and 28 (20% [95% CI, 14%-27%]) had an unknown trigger. Thus, there were a total of 77 patients (35% [95% CI, 29%-42%]) who had an alteration in the diagnosis of anaphylaxis or trigger after allergy/immunology evaluation. Four patients (2% [95% CI, 0.7%-4.6%]) were diagnosed with a mast cell activation disorder, and 13 patients (6% [95% CI, 4%-10%]) underwent immunotherapy or desensitization. Conclusion Overall, 35% of the patients with suspected anaphylaxis in the ED had an alteration in the diagnosis or suspected trigger after allergy/immunology evaluation. These results underscore the importance of allergy/immunology follow-up after an ED visit for anaphylaxis.
6.5 Day planetary waves in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere

Abstract The 5-day wave is a well documented feature in the lower atmosphere. Generally, the observed horizontal structure in the middle atmosphere resembles that of the Rossby (1,1) mode of classical tidal theory and the vertical structure shows little phase progression. The High Resolution Doppler Imager (HRDI) measures winds, temperatures, atomic oxygen, and ozone in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere. A wave with similar horizontal structure as the classical 5-day wave is found with periods near 6.5–7 days in HRDI measurements. The vertical structure, however, is that of a propagating wave of finite wavelength.
Self-Concept Gains by Gifted Middle School Students during a Summer Program.

The study reported here was conducted to determine the relationship between a 2‐week Gifted Students Institute summer program and the self‐concepts of 37 gifted middle school students, ages 10 to 14. To assess the relationship between the GSI program and the students’ self‐concepts, the Me Scale (Feldhusen) and the Self‐Esteem Inventory (Coopersmith) were administered on the first and final days of the 2‐week program. Students also completed a program evaluation, and writing samples describing their personalities. The results of the study indicated that it is possible to enhance gifted students’ self‐concepts through provision of a supportive educational and social environment of a summer program on a university campus.
Efficient Singlet Oxygen Generation from Polymers Derivatized with Hexanuclear Molybdenum Clusters

The molybdenum(II) chloride cluster Mo6Cl12 has been immobilized on 2% cross-linked poly(4-vinylpyridine) (PVP-Mo6Cl12) by the axial ligation of two pendant pyridines of the polymer to the hexanuclear metal core. Polymers with different cluster loadings exhibit the characteristic broad band emission of Mo6Cl12 at λmax = 765 ± 3 nm, and luminescence decays are composed of short- and long-lifetime components, which are consistent with the presence of cis- and trans-disubstituted cluster species, respectively. The lifetime of the cis form is too short to permit its bimolecular reaction with oxygen. However, the long-lifetime component is quenched efficiently by O2, and Stern−Volmer analyses of emission lifetimes yield quenching rate constants of (2−10) × 105 M-1 s-1 for cluster loadings in the range (3.5−0.3) × 10-3 g/g of PVP, respectively. The quenching rate constant increases to ∼50 × 105 M-1 s-1 for all polymers in MeOH regardless of cluster loading. In aqueous solutions (pH 3−6) intermediate quenching r...
Cellular automata and real-time geometrical shape recognition

2D cellular automata have recently been applied to detect geometrical shape regions. In this paper, 2D cellular automata rules are given that detect rectangular (square) and triangular regions in the plane. The cellular automata presented here are extremely fast with detection results after one or two applications of the rules.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Role of Area Postrema in Transgene Hypertension

Abstract Transgenic [Tg(+)] rats carrying the mouse Ren -2 d gene [(m Ren -2 d )27] are a newly established monogenetic form of experimental hypertension. To determine whether the area postrema contributes to the development of hypertension in m Ren -2 Tg(+) rats, this circumventricular organ in the fourth ventricle was removed from 5-week-old Tg(+) rats. From weeks 4 through 9, systolic blood pressure was measured weekly by tail-cuff plethysmography in area postrema–lesioned and sham-lesioned Tg(+) rats. Although systolic blood pressure rose markedly in sham-lesioned Tg(+) rats, the increase in systolic blood pressure was significantly attenuated in area postrema–lesioned Tg(+) rats. At 9 weeks of age, a femoral artery was cannulated for the measurement of arterial pressure in awake rats. Mean arterial pressure (MAP) in area postrema–lesioned Tg(+) rats was significantly ( P P Ren -2 d Tg(+) rats, and this attenuation may be attributed to decrease in sympathetic outflow.
A new horizon on organised crime: re-locating organised crime in America

David Critchely's reading of the historical records about Italian-American-organised crime seems deliberately provocative as a means of forcing new attention on an increasingly fossilised topic. In...