cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
INTRAUTERINE COCAINE AND CRACK EXPOSURE: NEONATAL EFFECTS. 1211

Adverse health effects are associated with intrauterine cocaine/crack exposure. To investigate the impact of fetal cocaine and crack exposure on neonatal outcome we enrolled 386 mother infants pairs, including 130 matched controls. The course of pregnancy and delivery was followed and neonatal outcome was assessed by physical and neurologic exams, the Brazelton Neonatal Behavior Assessment Scale and the Neonatal Stress Scale. These variables were subjected to principle component analysis and summarized as the neonatal outcome summary measure.
Protein cross-linking mediated by metalloporphyrins

A biomimetic protein cross-linking reaction is described which employs oxidatively-activated manganese and iron porphyrins as the reactive species. A wide range of proteins cross-link under these conditions, but only if they are intimately associated in solution. The reaction is rapid, efficient, and will be useful for the suprastructural analysis of multiprotein complexes.
Analyzing cellulose degree of polymerization and its relevancy to cellulosic ethanol

The degree of polymerization (DP) of cellulose in cellulosic biomass and how it changes during enzymatic and chemical transformations has remained a fundamental property of interest to numerous researchers. Currently, with increased interest in cellulosic biofuels, more attention is being focused on determining changes in cellulose DP before and during pre-treatment, as well as the effect of DP on enzymatic deconstruction of cellulose to glucose. Different sources of celluloses from woody and non-woody biomass have been isolated and the DP has been frequently examined as a key parameter contributing to efficient biomass deconstruction. The isolation and derivatization/dissolution of cellulose are crucial steps in determining cellulose DP. This review summarizes approaches to measuring DP developed over the past six decades and highlights opportunities for further improvements. © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
Establishing network computer forensics classes

This paper discusses the deployment of computer forensics classes at undergraduate and graduate levels in a shared classroom/lab environment. The course content combined broad-based computer forensics theory and practice with hands-on forensics tools, including networked EnCase Enterprise forensics software. Our discussion covers teaching and learning issues from the perspectives of the instructors and the graduate and undergraduate students. Lessons learned in these initial course offerings reveal effective practices as well as areas that require improvement..
Tropical warming and the dynamics of endangered primates.

Many primate species are severely threatened, but little is known about the effects of global warming and the associated intensification of El Nino events on primate populations. Here, we document the influences of the El Nino southern oscillation (ENSO) and hemispheric climatic variability on the population dynamics of four genera of ateline (neotropical, large-bodied) primates. All ateline genera experienced either an immediate or a lagged negative effect of El Nino events. ENSO events were also found to influence primate resource levels through neotropical arboreal phenology. Furthermore, frugivorous primates showed a high degree of interspecific population synchrony over large scales across Central and South America attributable to the recent trends in large-scale climate. These results highlight the role of large-scale climatic variation and trends in ateline primate population dynamics, and emphasize that global warming could pose additional threats to the persistence of multiple species of endangered primates.
Generalized Vaidya Metrics

We investigate criteria under which one may construct the energy tensor of a null radiation field from an algebraically special vacuum metric. The field bears the same relationship to the original metric as does Vaidya's to Schwarzschild's. As an example we generate a class of null radiation fields from a class of vacuum metrics without symmetry discovered by Robinson and Robinson.
Differential expression of the beta4 neuronal nicotinic receptor subunit affects tolerance development and nicotinic binding sites following chronic nicotine treatment

Abstract The role of neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR) containing the β4 subunit in tolerance development and nicotinic binding site levels following chronic nicotine treatment was investigated. Mice differing in expression of the β4-nAChR subunit [wild-type (β4 ++ ), heterozygote (β4 +− ) and null mutant (β4 −− )] were chronically treated for 10 days with nicotine (0, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0 or 4.0 mg/kg/h) by constant intravenous infusion. Chronic nicotine treatment elicited dose-dependent tolerance development. β4 −− mice developed significantly more tolerance than either β4 ++ or β4 +− mice which was most evident following treatment with 4.0 mg/kg/h nicotine. Subsets of [ 125 I]-epibatidine binding were measured in several brain regions. Deletion of the β4 subunit had little effect on initial levels of cytisine-sensitive [ 125 I]-epibatidine binding (primarily α4β2-nAChR sites) or their response (generally increased binding) to chronic nicotine treatment. In contrast, β4 gene-dose-dependent decreases in expression 5IA-85380 resistant [ 125 I]-epibatidine binding sites (primarily β4*-nAChR) were observed. While these β4*-nAChR sites were generally resistant to regulation by chronic nicotine treatment, significant increases in binding were noted for habenula and hindbrain. Comparison of previously published tolerance development in β2 −− mice (less tolerance) to that of β4 −− mice (more tolerance) supports a differential role for these receptor subtypes in regulating tolerance following chronic nicotine treatment.
Automating visual inspection of pipes used for natural gas production

Abstract Qatar is a worldwide leader in liquid natural gas (LNG) production and is poised to lead the world in gas-to-liquids (GTL) production with the commissioning of the Pearl GTL facility. Unfortunately, Qatar's gas fields contain non-negligible quantities of corrosive and toxic hydrogen sulfide (H2S), resulting in the ongoing need for expensive and labor intensive pipe inspection to detect and monitor areas of corrosion. Such inspection is critical to plant integrity, worker safety, and to ensure the economic productivity of the facility. Current industry practice relies on manual sensors operated by a worker located externally to the pipe. The complex pipe geometries and sheer number of pipes, result in a sparse inspection process that forces inspectors to extrapolate measurements to large areas of the pipe network that are unseen. To overcome these limitations, we are pursuing a radically different approach that uses an articulated robot to navigate inside the pipe, combined with a vision-based perception system that can build a detailed, registered, high resolution 3D appearance map of the inside pipe surface. By using an articulated robot, we can significantly increase the direct measurement coverage of the pipe network. By using a vision-based perception system, we can build models for visualization of the inside pipe surface that can be directly evaluated for corrosion damage. Moreover, our approach lays the foundation for automating corrosion detection by enabling changes in co-registered multi-sensor fusion (e.g. using magnetic flux leakage) to be evaluated over time. Our work to date has focused on developing monocular and stereo visual odometry systems, which are the core component to building high resolution 3D appearance maps of the pipe surface from a robot crawler located inside the pipe. We have developed algorithms that take imagery collected from a robot moving inside the pipe, and are able to estimate the motion of the vehicle and the resulting structure and appearance of the pipe surface. We have evaluated our algorithms on pipe segments and have generated accurate, high resolution stitched images of the internal pipe surface. We will describe the details of our algorithms, current results, and next steps in our work.
Removal of spurious reflections from computational fluid dynamic solutions with the complex cepstrum

The complex cepstrum is shown to remove spurious reflections from artificial boundaries in computational fluid dynamic (CFD) solutions. First, the complex cepstrum theory is presented. A time sequence consisting of a direct signal and reflections is analyzed theoretically with the complex cepstrum, and it is shown that the direct signal uncontaminated by reflections may be recovered in the time domain. Next, the complex cepstrum is applied to one- and three-dimensional CFD solutions, and spurious reflections from the boundary conditions are removed. By eliminating spurious reflections introduced by artificial boundary conditions, the applicability of CFD methods to aeroacoustic problems is enhanced greatly.
A multisubunit ribozyme that is a catalyst of and template for complementary strand RNA synthesis

Derivatives of the sunY self-splicing intron efficiently catalyzed the synthesis of complementary strand RNA by template-directed assembly of oligonucleotides. These ribozymes were separated into three short RNA fragments that formed active catalytic complexes. One of the multisubunit sunY derivatives catalyzed the synthesis of a strand of RNA complementary to one of its own subunits. These results suggest that prebiotically synthesized oligonucleotides might have been able to assemble into a complex capable of self-replication.
Effects of copper, iron, and ascorbic acid on manganese availability to rats.

AbstractFour experiments were done to characterize the interactions of copper, iron, and ascorbic acid with manganese in rats. All experiments were factorially arranged. Dietary Mn concentrations were <1 μg/g (Mn0) and 50 μg/g (Mn+). Dietary Cu was <1 mg/g (Cu0) and 5 μg/g (Cu+); dietary Fe was 10 μg/g (Fe10) and 140 μg/g (Fe140). Ascorbic acid (Asc) was not added to the diet or added at a concentration of 10 g/kg diet. Experiment 1 had two variables, Mn and Cu; in Experiment 2, the variables were Mn and Asc. In Experiment 3, the variables were Mn, Cu, and Asc; in Experiment 4, they were Mn, Cu, and Fe. Definite interactions between Mn and Cu were observed, but they tended to be less pronounced than interactions between Mn and Fe. Cu depressed absorption of 54Mn and accelerated its turnover. In addition, adequate Cu (Cu+), compared with Cu0, depressed liver, plasma, and whole blood Mn of rats. Absorption of 67Cu was higher in animals fed MnO diets than in those fed Mn+. Ascorbic acid depressed Mn superoxi...
Does transformation of microvascular endothelial cells into myofibroblasts play a key role in the etiology and pathology of fibrotic disease

Fibrosis is a major cause of human death and disability. It has been hypothesized widely that activation of resident tissue fibroblasts is responsible for the increase in matrix protein synthesis present in fibrotic tissue. More recent studies in vitro of the physiology of human dermal microvascular endothelial cells and their transformation into spindle-shaped cells by proinflammatory cytokines may provide a new explanation for the increase in myofibroblasts in fibrotic diseases. In cell culture human dermal microvascular endothelial cells transform reversibly into 2 distinct cell phenotypes observed in the endothelium in vivo: an epithelioid phenotype present in a homeostatic microvasculature and a more spindle-shaped phenotype present in an inflammed and a reactive microvasculature. When epithelioid endothelial cell cultures are exposed to proinflammatory cytokines typically increased in fibrosis in vivo (e.g. TNF-alpha and IL-beta) for sustained periods, epithelioid dermal microvascular endothelial cells transform into a spindle-shaped morphology. Many of the transformed cells are identified as myofibroblast-like cells by electron microscopy (cytoplasmic microfilaments with attachment plaques), matrix protein synthesis (type I collagen, alpha smooth muscle actin, calponin) and by RT-PCR analysis of matrix protein mRNA. Following injury to an endothelial cell culture a similar (but reversible) transformation into myofibroblast-like cells also is induced. Drugs known to slow the clinical progression to fibrosis in vivo (e.g. phosphodiesterase inhibitors, antibodies to inflammatory cytokines) are the the same drug types capable of inhibiting endothelial cell tranformation in vitro. The in vivo and in vitro observations made on blood vessel physiology and pathology following sustained inflammation support a hypothesis that endothelial cell transformation into myofibroblast-like cells may begin to explain the increase in matrix proteins and myofibroblasts pathognomonic of fibrotic disease. The experimental and clinical evidence leading to and supporting this hypothesis is presented and discussed in this report.
Range of Influence and Impact of Physical Impairments in Long-Haul DWDM Systems

In long-haul dense wavelength-division multiplexing (DWDM) systems with periodic dispersion compensation and amplification, system performance is adversely affected by severe physical impairments due to fiber losses, dispersion and nonlinearity. Fiber modeling is a prerequisite for the development of physical impairment mitigation techniques to improve system performance. The distance between two interacting symbols in time and wavelength, i.e., the range of influence (RoI) of each physical impairment, plays an important role in the development of these mitigation techniques. In this paper, we use the Volterra series transfer function (VSTF) method to define impairment characteristic coefficients that capture intersymbol interference (ISI), self phase modulation (SPM), intrachannel cross phase modulation (IXPM), intrachannel four wave mixing (IFWM), cross phase modulation (XPM) and four wave mixing (FWM), to characterize the impact of these impairments individually on the system output. We then investigate the impact of system parameters, namely, duty cycle, spectral efficiency, frequency chirp, and span length, on the RoI for long-haul DWDM systems.
A technique to functionalize and self-assemble macroscopic nanoparticle-ligand monolayer films onto template-free substrates.

This protocol describes a self-assembly technique to create macroscopic monolayer films composed of ligand-coated nanoparticles1,2. The simple, robust and scalable technique efficiently functionalizes metallic nanoparticles with thiol-ligands in a miscible water/organic solvent mixture allowing for rapid grafting of thiol groups onto the gold nanoparticle surface. The hydrophobic ligands on the nanoparticles then quickly phase separate the nanoparticles from the aqueous based suspension and confine them to the air-fluid interface. This drives the ligand-capped nanoparticles to form monolayer domains at the air-fluid interface. The use of water-miscible organic solvents is important as it enables the transport of the nanoparticles from the interface onto template-free substrates. The flow is mediated by a surface tension gradient3,4 and creates macroscopic, high-density, monolayer nanoparticle-ligand films. This self-assembly technique may be generalized to include the use of particles of different compositions, size, and shape and may lead to an efficient assembly method to produce low-cost, macroscopic, high-density, monolayer nanoparticle films for wide-spread applications.
Constant Duméril’s Zoologie Analytique was published in 1805

Andre Marie Constant Dumeril (1774–1860) was at first an anatomist: on August 7, 1799, he was appointed chief of the anatomical works at the Paris Faculty of Medicine. As such, he helped Georges Cuvier in his anatomical researches, and from 1797 onwards he copied out his lectures; later, starting from 1802, he took the place of Cuvier to teach Natural History. Cuvier was grateful and stimulated him to work at the Paris Museum. Cuvier was convincing and effective: on June 16, 1803, he could offer Dumeril a position as assistant of Lacepede1, who was head of the herpetological and ichthyological department of zoology. In his turn, Dumeril had to be thankful, and he wrote a Traite d’Histoire Naturelle (1804), in which his “friend” Cuvier was greatly acknowledged; the author made clear that this work was a Cuvier’s “order”.
Cooperative retransmission in heterogeneous cellular networks

This paper studies spatiotemporal cooperation between base stations in the presence of interference in a heterogeneous cellular network. The focus of the paper is the cooperative retransmission scenario, where a set of randomly located base stations that are selected based on their average received powers, possibly belonging to different network tiers, jointly transmit data in each transmission. If a decoding error occurs in the first transmission, data is cooperatively retransmitted by a possibly different set of BSs, such that the receiver can benefit from spatiotemporal BS cooperation. Using tools from stochastic geometry, the coverage probability at the typical user is characterized as an integral function of the network parameters and the sets of cooperating BSs. An integral expression for the coverage probability is also derived for the case when the typical user is able to perform maximum ratio combining (MRC) of the received copies in two transmissions. Numerical evaluation shows that in the high coverage regime spatiotemporal cooperation outperforms joint transmission with no retransmissions and that the gains extend to all regimes if the user has MRC capability.
Biphasic Inhibition of Adrenocorticotropin Release by Corticosterone in Cultured Anterior Pituitary Cells

The inhibition of ACTH secretion by glucocorticoids in vivo is biphasic, with rapid early suppression followed by transient recovery and a late inhibitory phase. To evaluate whether this biphasic effect of glucocorticoids occurs at the pituitary level, the effects of corticosterone (B) on stimulated ACTH release were analyzed in rat anterior pituitary cell cultures. Preincubation with 1 μm B inhibited the ACTH response to 10 nm CRF in a biphasic manner, with rapid inhibition after 10–40 min of preincubation, followed by partial recovery between 40–80 min, and a later phase of inhibition after 80–140 min. Preincubation with B for 40 or 120 min caused a dose-dependent suppression of CRF-stimulated ACTH release, with ED50 values of 416 ± 21 and 45 ± 12 nm B, respectively. Pretreatment with B also caused a biphasic inhibitory effect on the stimulatory action of vasopressin, angiotensin II, and norepinephrine on ACTH release. However, addition of these stimuli in combination with CRF surmounted B inhibition of...
Repeated mating by female Drosophila melanogaster: The adaptive importance

Comparisons of productivity, fertility and fecundity between once-mated females ofD. melanogaster and females given the opportunity to remate reveals that remating sustains high levels of these fitness traits.
The Future of Statistics as a Discipline

Abstract The future of statistics as a discipline is discussed as are ways to enhance that future. The presentation includes sections on statistics as a discipline, recruitment into the discipline, training in statistics, the unification of statistics, and concluding remarks. The nature of statistics is reviewed with reference to the views of various practitioners of statistics. It is noted that public attitudes toward science and statistics are not conducive to the recruitment of students to the discipline and that anticipated shortages of personnel must be met by vigorous efforts to attract the best young people to statistics. Suggestions are made for improved training in statistics and for broader programs in continuing education. It is noted that research in statistics should deal both with topics motivated by problems of the real world and with the foundations of statistical inference. Specific recommendations are made that should strengthen statistics in the future and lead to its continued unificat...
Spreadsheet calculations of probabilities from the F, t, χ2, and normal distribution

By computing probabilities from the normalization of the F distribution (instead of by numerical integration methods), statistical capabilities in spreadsheet operations can be greatly expanded and enhanced.
Affinity Extraction into CO2. 2. Extraction of Heavy Metals into CO2 from Low-pH Aqueous Solutions

Because it is an environmentally benign solvent, CO2 is increasingly being evaluated as a medium with which to perform liquid−liquid extraction from water (unlike conventional organic solvents, no contamination of the aqueous phase results). A number of researchers have explored the design of highly CO2-soluble chelating agents to allow extraction of metal ions, yet the low pH of water in contact with CO2 (2.8−3.0) can lead to poor extraction efficiencies with many common chelating agents. In this paper, we describe the generation of a CO2-soluble analogue to ammonium pyrrolidinedithiocarbamate, an agent which has been shown to effectively extract a variety of metal ions at pH's as low as 1.0. We have found that the CO2-soluble analogue can extract high fractions of copper, nickel, and cadmium, although, like conventional APDC, extraction of chromium was less successful.
The Adult Persistence in Learning Model: A Road Map to Counseling Services for Adult Learners

The Adult Persistence in Learning (APIL) model focuses on personal issues of the individual adult learner, learning process issues, and environmental issues related to the particular institution to guide counseling services for adult leaners. Factors that facilitate a realistic approach to adult learning provide the focus: self-awareness, willingness to delay gratification, clarification of career and life goals, mastery of life transitions, sense of interpersonal competence, educational competence, intellectual and political competence in learning, information retrieval from the institution, awareness of opportunities and impediments in the environment, and perceptions of the compati-bility of the learning environment. Counseling interventions for individuals and groups based on the factors in the model can aid retention of adult learners.
Sensory and non-sensory factors and the concept of externality in obese subjects.

Sum7nary.-9 obese and 9 normal subjects ~erformed a psychophysical cask in which food- or non-food-related stimuli were briefly flashed tachistoscopically at a speed and intensity near the visual threshold. A signal was presented on one-half the trials and noise only on the other one-half of the trials. Using signal detection theory methodology, separate measures of sensory sensitivity (d') and response bias (p) were calculated. No differences were noted between obese and normal subjects on measures of sensory sensitivity but significant differences on response bias. Obese subjects had consistently lower response criteria than normal ones. Analysis for subjects categorized by whether :hey were restrained or unrestrained eaters gave findings identical to those for obese and normal. The importance of using a methodology that separates sensory and non-sensory factors in research on obesity is discussed. One of the most popular frameworks in which to explain the cause of obesity is the distinction of internal-external locus of control. This notion was developed in the late 1960s (5, 10). These studies suggested that the eating behavior of normal weight subjects was primarily under the conuol of internal stimuli while overweight people were unresponsive to these internal stimuli and instead were governed by external cues. This internal-external distinction was widely accepted and led to many attempts to verify the concept experimentally. Quite a few initial reports appeared to verify the notion while more recent studies question the generality of this formulation (7). The question of internality-externality appears to be one which could be addressed by psychophysical techniques. Schachter has maintained that obese humans are more efficient stimulus or information processors (9). To test this notion, a series of tests of external sensitivity using a variety of methodologies were conducted (8). Unfortunately most of these studies did not employ a psychophysical methodology but rather used other indirect measures of external stimulus sensitivity. The single exception in the 1974 article was a tachistoscopic study of recognition thresholds. Subjects were asked to identify a word which was flashed briefly in the field of a tachistoscope. An ascending method of limits was used in which the duration of flash was systemacically lengthened until the word was accurately reported. Analysis indicated that
Death of oligodendrocytes mediated by the interaction of nerve growth factor with its receptor p75

Members of the nerve growth factor (NGF) family promote the survival of neurons during development. NGF specifically activates the receptor trkA, initiating a signal transduction cascade which ultimately blocks cell death. Here we show that NGF can have the opposite effect, inducing the death of mature oligodendrocytes cultured from postnatal rat cerebral cortex. This effect was highly specific, because NGF had no effect on oligodendrocyte precursors and astrocytes. Other neurotrophins such as brain-derived neurotrophin factor (BDNF) and neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) did not induce cell death. NGF binding to mature oligodendrocytes expressing the p75 neurotrophin receptor, but not trkA, resulted in a sustained increase of intracellular ceramide and c-Jun amino-terminal kinase (JNK) activity, which are thought to participate in a signal transduction pathway leading to cell death. Taken together, these results indicate that NGF has the ability to promote cell death in specific cell types through a ligand-dependent signalling mechanism involving the p75 neurotrophin receptor.
Interfacial Lipid Oxidation and Antioxidation

Lipid oxidation is not well understood in systems in which the fat is dispersed in emulsion systems. Interfacial oxidation is a “surface” reaction dependent on the rate of oxygen diffusion and its interactions with unsaturated lipids, metal initiators, radical generators and antioxidants, which are distributed in different campartments of colloidal systems. This interfacial oxidation affects a large number of foods, which exist in the form of emulsions. The classical mechanism of inhibited lipid oxidation does not predict the changes in antioxidant effectiveness between solutions and emulsion systems. In multiphase systems antioxidants partition between the aqueous phase, lipid phase and surfactant-enriched environment. This partition of antioxidants in different phases changes their activity in food and biological systems. In these multiphase systems antioxidant effectiveness is determined by the heterogeneity and heterophasic nature of the/system, the localization of antioxidants in different phases, the colloidal properties of the substrates, the conditions of oxidation , and the stages of oxidation, the type and physicochemical state of the lipid substrate and its degree of unsaturation, the presence and types of initiators, such as transition metals, other components, and their possible interaction. Antioxidant activity is thus strongly affected by the physical composition of the test system, and the relative activity of antioxidants of different polarity varies significantly in different multiphase systems. For these reasons there cannot be a simple and rapid method to evaluate antioxidants in complex foods and biological systems. Valid methods require the use of more than one condition of oxidation and more than one specific method to determine lipid oxidation.
Simulation and theory of self-assembly and network formation in reversibly cross-linked equilibrium polymers

A simulation model of hard spheres capable of reversible assembly into chains, which then may reversibly cross-link into networks, has been studied through grand canonical Monte Carlo simulation. Effects of varying intra- and interchain bond strengths, chain flexibilities, and restrictions on cross-linking angle were investigated. Observations including chain-length distributions and phase separation could be captured in most cases using a simple model theory. The coupling of chain growth to cross-linking was shown to be highly sensitive to the treatment of cross-linking by chain ends. In some systems, ladderlike domains of several cross-links joining two chains were common, resulting from cooperativity in the cross-linking. Extended to account for this phenomenon, the model theory predicts that such cooperativity will suppress phase separation in weakly polymerizing chains and at high cross-link concentration. In the present model, cross-linking stabilizes the isotropic phase with respect to the nematic phase, causing a shift in the isotropic-nematic transition to higher monomer concentration than in simple equilibrium polymers.
Hydrocelectomy Evaluation of technique

A quick, simple, safe, and efficient means of hydrocelectomy is presented. The technique consists of extruding and fixing the testicle into a scrotal pouch. Twenty hydroceles were repaired without complication or recurrence.
Bottlenecking phenomenon near a saddle-node remnant in a Duffing oscillator

Abstract The bottlenecking phenomenon near a saddle-node remnant or ghost is discussed for an electronic circuit modeling Duffing's equation. Numerical simulation and a useful experimental perturbation method, stochastic interrogation, are used to confirm the analytic inverse square root scaling law associated with saddle-node bifurcations.
Frozen section diagnosis for axillary sentinel lymph nodes: the first six years

Intraoperative frozen section of axillary lymph nodes for the detection of metastatic breast cancer has been controversial because of the labor-intensive techniques necessary to obtain a highly sensitive test, and because of the uncertain significance of frequently detected submicrometastatic carcinoma. In total, 874 consecutive axillary sentinel lymph node cases examined by intraoperative frozen section over a 6-year period were reviewed retrospectively. Frozen section had a sensitivity of 60% and was 100% specific, but when cases with submicrometastatic tumor cells were considered negative, the sensitivity rose to 83%. Rare cases were called 'atypical' on frozen section; almost all of these cases were negative for carcinoma on permanent sections.
Challenges Facing Immigrant Students Beyond the Linguistic Domain in a New Gateway State

Although there is a great deal of theoretical and practical scholarship related to immigrant students, the extant literature most often conflates the needs of English language learners with the needs of immigrant students (Goodwin in Educ Urb Soc 34(2):156–172, 2002; Sox in Theory Pract 48:312–318, 2009; Yoon in Am Educ Res J 49(5):971–1002, 2012). Findings from this study indicate that teachers in an area with a rapidly rising immigrant population perceived immigrant students to face four significant challenges beyond linguistic considerations. By analyzing interview and focus group data from six high school Civics teachers, this qualitative collective case study is positioned to make recommendations for teachers and teacher educators by bringing attention to the challenges facing immigrant students beyond the linguistic domain in a new gateway state.
The Reflexivity of Evil

The aim of this essay is to argue for the following claims: evil is prevalent; its prevalence is mainly the result of habitual and predictable patterns of action; these actions follow from the vices of their agents; in many cases, neither the evil actions nor the vices from which they follow are autonomous; it is nevertheless justified to hold the agents who perform these actions morally responsible for them; the widespread denial of this claim rests on the principle “ought implies can”; two versions of this principle must be distinguished; neither version can be used to exempt agents from moral responsibility for their nonautonomous actions and vices; this has fundamental implications for how morality and responsibility should be conceived.
Perceptions of credibility of scholarly information on the web

The purpose of this study is to investigate factors influencing students' perception of the credibility of scholarly information on the web. In addition to the four types of source credibility proposed by previous studies (presumed credibility, reputed credibility, surface credibility, and experienced credibility), this study shows that two other types of source credibility (verifiable credibility and cost-effort credibility) play a significant role in shaping students' perceptions of credibility. Circumstances that affect students' willingness to accept scholarly information on the web are identified. Implications for web system design are also discussed.
Transpublic urethorplasty for membranous urethral strictures

Abstract Six patients with traumatic membranous urethral strictures have undergone urethroplasty utilizing the transpubic approach with resection of a wedge of the symphysis pubis. Three patients are free of stricture, 2 required urethral dilatation in the early postoperative period only, and 1 patient requires dilatation every three months. Four patients are completely continent of urine, 1 has mild stress incontinence, and 1 is incontinent because of a neurogenic bladder. This approach provides excellent exposure with minimal morbidity and allows an easy under-vision anastomosis.
Distribution and characterization of short-range-order minerals in spodosols from the Washington cascades

Abstract Short-range-order minerals were examined in a subalpine Spodosol formed from mixed tephraandesitic glacial drift in the Cascade Range of Washington State. The short-range-order mineral fraction was examined using selective dissolution, IR spectroscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, and potentiometric titrations. Short-range-order minerals represented less than 5% of the inorganic, smaller than 2-μm fraction in the E horizon,and from 20 to 50% in the B and C horizons. Thick surface coatings were found on the sand-sized grains of the B horizons, but these coatings were absent in the E horizon. The coatings in the Bhs horizon were dominated by humic substances, ferrihydrite, and geothite; in the Bs horizons, imogolite, ferrihydrite, and goethite were the primary constituents. Concentrations of both ferrihydrite and imogolite decreased with depth. The variable charge surfaces of the short-range-order minerals strongly influenced the surface chemistry in the B horizons. The point of zero salt effect (PZSE) occurred at pH 3.6 and 4.7 for the Bhs and Bs horizons, respectively. There was no unique PZSE in the E horizon because of the absence of variable charged substances. Short-range-order minerals play important roles in ecosystem processes through their influence on acid/base buffering, sorption, and regulation of aqueous ion activities.
Coupled solid and fluid mechanics modeling of formation damage near wellbore

Abstract The infiltration of drilling mud below the bit and into the wellbore wall causes pressure gradients that significantly degrade drilling performance, wellbore stability and production. Due to heterogeneity, standard constitutive relationships and models yield poor predictions for flow (e.g. permeability) and rock properties (e.g. elastic moduli) of the invaded (damaged) formations. This severely reduces our ability to, for instance, estimate pressure build-up, optimize the mud cake properties or predict rock mechanical behavior. We propose a numerical model for permeability estimation in damaged formations near wellbore (e.g. sediments invaded by fines or sand crushing remnants). Grains of two length scales are present, but only larger ones are load-bearing. Detailed cemented granular packs were modeled using a discrete element method software, and ensuring mechanical stability. The particle positions and arrangement were available for subsequent pore throat network analysis. The standard network modeling approach for analysis of packing of nearly equal grains (Delaunay tessellation) cannot be used since grains of two different length scales create a high fraction of distorted pores. The main novelty of this work is adapting the network flow model to work with two length scales, and we present both the network creation and flow model in the multi-scale case. The effects of particle size and initial formation porosity on formation damage are studied in detail. Our study confirms that large particles tend to occupy the formation face, while small particles invade deep into the formation. Moreover, particles which are smaller than pore throats (entrances) impair permeability more than those larger than pore throats. Our study also indicates that a higher initial formation porosity leads to more particle invasion and permeability impairment. Thus in order to reduce formation damage, mud particle size distributions should be carefully selected according to given formation properties.
Genetic deletion of receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) Prevents formation of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) in a murine model

INTRODUCTION: AAAs are common, life-threatening vascular conditions whose pathophysiology involves chronic inflammation, increased expression and activity of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), and medial elastin destruction. RAGE transduces biological effects of ligands including AGEs,S100,and HMGB1 to upregulate inflammatory and tissue injury-provoking genes including MMPs. We previously implicated RAGE in accelerated atherosclerosis and intimal hyperplasia and identified increased RAGE expression in human AAAs. We sought to evaluate whether the absence of RAGE would prevent AAA formation in a murine model.
A note on the nonneutral taxation of indexed government bonds under alternative indexation schemes

Abstract This paper shows the nonneutrality of taxing income from indexed bonds, even if the tax is proportional, between the principal indexation and coupon rate indexation schemes, when the inflation compensation for principal erosion is taxed on an accrual basis under the former scheme.
Nonlinear disjunctive programming models for the synthesis of heat integrated distillation sequences

Abstract In this paper we present nonlinear optimization models for the optimal synthesis of heat integrated distillation sequences. These nonlinear optimization models can overcome problems with singularities that are encountered in the mixed integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) superstructure optimization of distillation columns with nonlinear short-cut models. The proposed optimization models are obtained from a systematic modeling procedure where generalized disjunctive programming models are derived using the state task network (STN) or state equipment network (SEN) superstructure representations. These models are solved with a modified logic-based outer approximation (OA) algorithm, in which the key item is an effective scheme for initialization for setting up the master problem. For heat integration, a disjunctive mixed integer linear programming (MILP) model based on pinch candidate selection is used that can be readily incorporated into the synthesis models. Numerical results are presented for both the state task network and the state equipment network representations, and for the case of no heat integration and with heat integration. As will be shown, robustness and efficiency of the structural optimization is greatly enhanced.
Neocortical neuronal subpopulations labeled by a monoclonal antibody to calbindin exhibit differential vulnerability in Alzheimer's disease.

Abstract Numerous studies have demonstrated that specific neuronal subtypes display a differential vulnerability to the pathological process in Alzheimer's disease. Large pyramidal neurons are likely to be highly vulnerable, whereas smaller neurons are more resistant to pathology. Using a monoclonal antibody to the calcium-binding protein calbindin, we observed in the human prefrontal cortex distinct populations of labeled cells. First, a subset of heavily stained interneurons was located in layers II and superficial III and in layers V–VI. Second, a subpopulation of pyramidal neurons in the mid and deep parts of layer III displayed a less intense, punctate staining pattern. The interneurons in the superficial layers were unaffected in the Alzheimer's disease cases. Interestingly, in layers V–VI, there was significant cell loss in the interneuron population, but only in the Alzheimer's disease cases with high neurofibrillary tangle densities. The calbindin-immunoreactive pyramidal neurons of layer III were dramatically affected in the disease. Moreover, there was a strong correlation between the extent of the loss of these cells and neurofibrillary tangle counts. These data suggest that calbindin is present in multiple neuronal subpopulations that exhibit a differential vulnerability in Alzheimer's disease and support the hypothesis that the degenerative process involves specific neuronal subsets with particular anatomical and molecular profiles.
Factors Influencing Age Expectations for Adolescent Autonomy: A Study of Early Adolescents and Parents

Few societal guidelines exist to help parents or adolescents make decisions about the pacing of autonomy, yet parents and adolescents exhibit well-defined expectations as to what constitutes age-ap...
Development of a molecularly imprinted polymer-based surface plasmon resonance sensor for theophylline monitoring

Molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) thin films and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensing technologies were combined to develop a novel sensing platform for monitoring real-time theophylline concentration, which is a compound of interest in environmental monitoring and a molecular probe for phenotyping certain cytochrome P450 enzymes. The MIPs hydrogel is easy to synthesize and provides shape-selective recognition with high affinity to specific target molecules. Different polymerization formulas were tested and optimized. The influence of the monomer sensitive factors were addressed by SPR. SPR is an evanescent wave optics based sensing technique that is suitable for real-time and label free sensing purposes. Gold nanorods (Au NRs) were uniformly immobilized onto a SPR sensing surface for the construction of a fiber optics based prism-free localized SPR (LSPR) measurement. This technique can be also applied to assess the activities of other small organic molecules by adjusting the polymerization formula, thus, this approach also has many other potential applications.
Family history of prostate cancer and obesity in relation to high-grade disease and extraprostatic extension in young men with prostate cancer.

Background Little is known about predictors of prostate cancer severity in young men. Therefore, we examined whether family history and obesity influence risk of high-grade disease and extraprostatic extension in men < 55-years old. Methods Four hundred ninety-eight men aged < 55 years who had had a radical prostatectomy (1992–1999) by one surgeon were mailed a survey in 2000 to assess family history of PCa and anthropometrics. Body mass index (BMI = kg/m2) was calculated as an indicator of obesity. Logistic regression was used to compute odds ratios (OR) for high-grade disease (Gleason score ≥ 7) and extraprostatic extension. Results Of the 363 respondents, 35.8% had at least one first-degree relative with PCa. Men with a family history were younger at surgery than those without a family history (48.8 vs. 50.1 years, P < 0.001). After controlling for age, cigarette smoking, and race/ethnicity, men with an affected father had a lower risk of high-grade disease compared to those without an affected father (OR = 0.42, 95% CI 0.23–0.76). Risk of high-grade disease increased with increasing BMI, especially in men < 50-years old (P-trend = 0.02). Family history and BMI were not clearly associated with extraprostatic extension. Conclusions After taking into account a younger age at presentation among men with a family history, young men with a family history of PCa were less likely to have high-grade disease. Obesity may be associated with a poorer histology in young men with PCa, especially in men younger than 50 years of age. Prostate 55: 140–146, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Recurrent Hypoglycemia Exacerbates Cerebral Ischemic Damage in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats

Background and Purpose—Stroke and heart disease are the most serious complications of diabetes accounting for >65% of mortality among diabetics. Although intensive insulin therapy has significantly improved the prognosis of diabetes and its complications, it is associated with an elevated risk of recurrent hypoglycemia (RH). We tested the hypothesis that RH exacerbates cerebral ischemic damage in a rodent model of diabetes. Method—We determined the extent of neuronal death in CA1 hippocampus after global cerebral ischemia in control and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Diabetic animals included an insulin-treated streptozotocin-diabetic (ITD) group and a group of ITD rats exposed also to 10 episodes of hypoglycemia (ITD+recurrent hypoglycemia: RH). Hypoglycemia (55 to 65 mg/dL blood glucose) was induced twice daily for 5 consecutive days. Results—As expected, uncontrolled diabetes (streptozotocin-diabetes, untreated animals) resulted in a 70% increase in ischemic damage as compared with the control g...
Laser-assisted solder closure of bronchial stumps

Broncho-pleural fistula is a difficult clinical problem without a simple solution. Laser-assisted solder techniques potentially offer a means to precisely fix tissue glues into the fistulae through a bronchoscopic approach. Using a canine model, secondary bronchi were sealed with cryoprecipitate made from solvent/detergent treated plasma (treated to inactivate membrane enveloped virus) mixed with indocyanine green (absorption 805 nm). Diode laser energy (emission 808 nm, 7.3 W/cm2) was applied to the solder until desiccation was observed. Leakage pressures ranged between 18 - 86 mmHg with a mean of 46 +/- 24 mmHg. Laser-assisted solder techniques provide a reliably strong seal over leaking bronchial stumps and use of dye enhancement prevents undesired collateral thermal injury to surrounding bronchial tissue. Solvent/detergent plasma, prepared by methods shown to inactivate large quantities of HIV, HBV, and HCV, is an effective source of cyroprecipitate and should allow widespread use of pooled human material in a clinical setting.© (1992) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Computational model of flexible membrane wings in steady laminar flow

A computational procedure is presented that models the interaction of a two-dimensional flexible membrane wing and laminar, high-Reynolds-number fluid flow. The membrane wing model is derived by combining a spatial-coordinate-based finite difference formulation of the equilibrium statement for an elastic membrane with a pressure-based control volume formulation of the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations written in general curvilinear body-fitted coordinates. The model is applied to initially flat membrane wings of both vanishing and finite material stiffness as well as to flexible inextensible wings with excess length. Computational results are presented for Reynolds numbers between 2 x 10 3 and 10 4 . The results from the viscous-flow-based membrane wing model are compared with predictions using a potential-flow-based model as well as with experimental data for membrane wings in turbulent flow. Although the assumption of laminar flow precludes a quantitative comparison with the available experimental data, the solutions obtained capture many of the significant features of the aeroelastic interaction that are unaccounted for with a potential flow description of the fluid dynamics.