cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Investigating the effect of complexity factors in gas law problems

Undergraduate students were asked to complete gas law questions using a Web-based tool as a first step in our understanding of the role of cognitive load in chemistry word questions and in helping us assess student problem-solving. Each question contained five different complexity factors, which were randomly assigned by the tool so that a different question was created for each attempt. Data were collected in general or preparative chemistry courses at four universities. The results were analyzed using logistic regression. Based on the student responses, the regression showed that the students ability to achieve a correct answer for their assigned question was dependent on three of the five complexity factors: number format, volume unit, and temperature unit. The creation of this tool provides a platform for developing a testing process and understanding student difficulties related to cognitive skills in chemistry.
Physical distress and cancer care experiences among Chinese-American and non-Hispanic White breast cancer survivors.

Abstract Objective The number of Chinese-American breast cancer survivors (BCS) is increasing as a result of increasing incidence rates. There has been little research on Chinese BCS' follow-up cancer care. This qualitative study aims to understand how Chinese-American BCS experience and cope with physical distress relative to non-Hispanic White (NHW) survivors. Methods Seventy-one BCS (37 Chinese immigrant, 7 US-born Chinese, 27 NHW) were recruited from the Greater Bay Area Cancer Registry to participate in focus group discussions or one-on-one interviews about their survivorship experiences. All BCS were diagnosed with breast cancer at stage 0-IIA between 2006 and 2009, and had survived for 1–4years without recurrence. Interviews were conducted in Cantonese, Mandarin, or English. Data analyses followed established qualitative methods of content analysis. Results BCS experienced pain and side effects from radiation, surgery, and hormonal therapy. Physical distress subsequently caused emotional concerns about recurrence or metastasis. Most BCS consulted physicians about their physical distress. Chinese immigrant BCS were less likely to have their issues resolved compared to NHW and US-born Chinese who were more likely to question physicians, ask for referrals, and make repeat attempts if their problems were not resolved. Some Chinese immigrant BCS turned to Traditional Chinese Medicine for relief or accepted the idea that physical distress was part of survivorship. Conclusion Chinese immigrant BCS may be at risk for greater distress compared with US-born Chinese and NHW BCS because of cultural norms that make them less inclined to express their needs to physicians or challenge physicians when their needs are not met. Furthermore, they may express symptoms in culturally unique ways (e.g., hot–cold imbalances). Further research is needed to determine how to best improve survivorship care experiences in this understudied population, with the goal of decreasing BCS' physical distress and improving quality of life.
Digital Library: Content Preservation in a Digital World

There is a growing need and worldwide trend to collect, organise, manage, protect and distribute information in digital form. In this paper, a brief discussion about information services trends and directions expands on this point and is followed by a description of IBM digital library whose components enable institutions to addresses digital content management issues. The description includes the integrated functions of create and capture, search and access, distribution, storage and management, and rights management. Guidelines and considerations which are important when contemplating implementation of a digital library project conclude this discussion. http://dx.doi.org/10.14429/dbit.17.6.3239
Probe measurements of TFTR edge plasmas at neutral beam heating powers up to 20 MW

Abstract This paper presents radial profiles in the scrape-off layer of neutral beam heated plasmas in TFTR at powers up to 20 MW. The measurements have been made with, among other, a novel “fast probe” which moves quickly through the scrape-off during the discharges to provide radial profiles of electron density, electron temperature, and power flux parallel to field lines. The dependence of the edge on changes in plasma current and density during beam heating has been measured. A number of heating scenarios have been investigated, including current ramping, power ramping, and variation in beam injection direction. Scrape-off scale lengths of density, temperature and power during ohmic and beam phases are found to be similar: λ n = 4.5 cm, λ T = 5 cm, λ P = 2.5 cm . The power to the ion side is consistently a factor 2–4 higher than that to the electron side, and there are differences in scale-length of up to 1 cm between the two sides. At low core electron densities, the edge electron density during counter-injection is found to exceed that during co-injection by more than a factor of ten.
The influence of triphosphopyridine nucleotide and other physiological substances upon oxygen evolution from illuminated chloroplasts

Abstract 1. 1. Phosphoglycerate, pyruvate, and hexose diphosphate increased oxygen production from illuminated spinach juice, but gave at most 16% of the stoichiometric yield calculated on the basis of the amount of substrate added. 2. 2. Evidence is presented for the occurrence in spinach juice of a substance which, in the presence of illuminated chloroplasts and catalytic amounts of TPN, produces oxygen. A specific coupling with the fixation of carbon dioxide could not be proved in juice preparations. 3. 3. The direct reduction of TPN by chloroplasts in a light reaction was demonstrated with the aid of the malic enzyme system. Under these conditions oxygen evolution occurs coupled with the fixation of carbon dioxide, as shown by the radioactive tracer method.
Intraoperative radiotherapy in the multimodality approach to colorectal cancer

Abstract The addition of intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) to the multimodality approach for the treatment of locally advanced and locally recurrent colorectal cancer seems to result in improvements in local control and long-term survival. Local control and survival are most likely in patients in whom a gross total resection is accomplished. Peripheral nerve is the dose-limiting structure for patients treated with IORT. Further improvements in local control require the addition of dose modifiers during external beam radiotherapy or IORT. Distant relapse remains problematic, and effective systemic therapy is necessary to significantly improve long-term survival.
Do phenolic and carboxylic groups coexist at the tips of oxidized single-wall carbon nanotubes (o-SWNTs)?

Abstract Vibrational frequency analyses using density functional theory (DFT) resolves some structural features of purified oxidized single-wall carbon nanotubes (o-SWNTs). Both COOH and phenolic OH (OHph) groups, predicted in several experimental studies to be present in o-SWNTs, were considered at the tips of armchair and zigzag tubes with varying diameters. Hydrogen bonding, where carbonyl oxygen acts as proton acceptor while phenolic OH donates the proton, leads to the most stable isomers, with a H-bond energy of 9–12 kcal/mol, almost double that of simpler systems. Vibrational frequencies of participating bonds are significantly red-shifted, which is not reflected in experimental spectra, and which leads to the conclusion that phenolic OH is likely not present at the tips of o-SWNTs.
Hierarchy of symmetry breakings and neutral currents in an SU (6) grand unification model

In anSU(6) grand unification model with eight quarks and eight leptons belonging to 15-plet and singlet representations, the symmetry is spontaneously broken by the sequenceSU(6)→SU(3) c ×SU(2)×U(1)×U(1)→SU(3) c ×U(1). Fror two cases of symmetry breakings the effective weak neutral current coupling constants are compared with experiment. For theSU(3) c ×SU(2)×U(1)×U(1)×→SU(3) c ×U(1) symmetry breaking, the coupling constants reproduce the Weinberg-Salam model with a small correction term. Agreement with the experimental mean values is improved with the correction term. Parity violation in atomic physics is also discussed.
Synthesis and structure of Cu1+4Mo6+5O17☆

Abstract Crystals of Cu1+4Mo6+5O17 have been grown both hydrothermally and by the Bridgman technique from stoichiometric mixtures of the binary oxides. Cu4Mo5O17 crystallizes in space group P 1 with cell parameters a = 9.573(2), b = 10.958(2), c = 6.782(2) A, α = 91.63(2), β = 111.01(2), λ = 72.96(1)°, and V = 632.60 A3 (Z = 2). The structure was solved by the Patterson method and refined to R = 0.026 using 2223 independent reflections. The structure can be described as consisting in part of infinite, stepped ribbons of edge-sharing molybdenum oxide octahedra with a 2,3 ° 3,2 cluster repeat pattern. These molybdenum oxide ribbons propagate along the a axis and are joined together by copper oxide “hooks” to complete a three dimensional network. The “hooks” are formed by a linking of the four independent copper oxide polyhedra: three tetrahedra and one pseudo-octahedron (in fact, a linear coordination of the copper with two short trans (∼1.9 A) and four long (>2.3 A) oxygen interactions). The five independent molybdenum octahedra all show distortions typical of Mo(VI) oxides. A similarity in the lattice parameters of Cu4Mo5O17 and Li4Mo5O17 is noted. The electronic and catalytic properties of Cu4Mo5O17 are also reported.
Macroeconomic adjustment and the city

Abstract The 1980s has been a decade of macroeconomic adjustment. The impact of this has fallen most heavily on cities, where reductions in public expenditure have had serious effects. Yet without adequate infrastructure and services cities cannot fulfil their productive potential and contribute to social and economic development. Policy makers must begin to pay attention to the city as a unit and formulate explicit policies for its growth and management; failure to do so will exacerbate urban unrest and be detrimental to the whole national economy.
Capacity of purified antigens and whole pollen extracts to release histamine from leukocytes of hay fever patients.

Abstract Eighty-seven consecutive patients appearing with complaints suggestive of spring and fall hay fever were subjected to basophil histamine release study with 4 antigenic preparations: whole ragweed extract, antigen E of ragweed, mixed grass pollen extract, and Group I antigen of rye grass. Among the 87 patients, 12 failed to release histamine to ragweed extract or antigen E and 16 failed to release histamine to grass extract or Group I. Among the remaining patients 5 reacted to whole ragweed extract but not antigen E and 2 reacted to mixed grass extract but not Group I. The patients with this pattern were all at the lower end of the spectrum of sensitivity for the crude extracts. These data tend to confirm that antigen E and Group I are the antigens of prime importance in the majority of hay fever patients with ragweed and grass pollen sensitivity respectively.
Jacob engstrand's use of persuasive devices in Ibsen's Ghosts

Ibsen's minor character, Jacob Engstrand, has three goals in Ghosts: (1.) to persuade Regina to leave her post as housekeeper in the Alving residence and join him in town; (2.) to preserve Pastor Mander's friendship for him; (3.) to obtain financial support for his business venture. This article illustrates how he accomplishes all three goals by using varied persuasive devices including deductive reasoning, cause and effect reasoning, logic, use of evidence, dilemma, inducement, emotional appeal, flattery, harshness, and threat.
Synthesis and Structural Studies of Subicosahedral Adjacent-Carbon Carboranes

Synthesis and structural studies, employing combined NMR, X-ray crystallographic, and ab initio/IGLO/NMR methods, of a variety of new subicosahedral carboranes with adjacent cage carbons are reported. Acetonitrile-induced cage degradation of arachno-4,5-C2B7H12- gave nido-4,5-C2B6H9- (1-) in nearly quantitative yield, which can then be protonated to give the neutral carborane nido-4,5-C2B6H10 (1) in good yield. Both of these nido electron-count clusters are shown to have an arachno-type geometry, i.e. a six-membered open face. The nido-4,5-C2B6H10 (1) hydroborated alkenes or alkynes which following deprotonation gave nido-7-R-4,5-C2B6H8- (2a-−c-) ions. Both nido-4,5-C2B6H9- (1-) and nido-4,5-C2B6H10 (1) serve as useful precursors to other adjacent cage-carbon clusters. Thus, nido-4,5-C2B6H9- (1-) reacted with BH3·THF to give arachno-5,6-C2B7H12- (3-) which a single-crystal X-ray diffraction study showed is the first carborane to adopt the n-B9H15 cage geometry. Thermal or chemical degradation of nido-4,5-...
A comparison of genomic homologies among the coxsackievirus B group: use of fragments of the cloned coxsackievirus B3 genome as probes.

Summary Using fragments of the cloned coxsackievirus B3 (CB3) genome as hybridization probes, regions in the CB3 genome with widely varying homology to heterologous CB serotype genomes have been demonstrated. A region composed of about 3.2 to 3.5 kbp of the CB3 genome in the 5′ half of the map is essentially unique to CB3 and exhibits little or no homology with heterologous CB serotype RNAs. The non-coding terminal 5′ end of the CB3 genome is well-conserved among the CB serotype RNAs tested. A sequence in the P3 region of the CB3 genome is also well conserved among heterologous CB serotypes.
Opening of the Australia-Antarctica Gateway as dated by nannofossils

Abstract The opening of the Tasmanian Gateway between Australia and Antarctica has long been considered a critical element in the initiation of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, thermal isolation of Antarctica, and Cenozoic global cooling. The timing for the opening of the gateway to shallow-water circulation and subsequently to deep-water circulation was poorly known, however, and the dating of these events was a major objective of ODP Leg 189. Nannofossil data from Leg 189 sites and DSDP Site 281 in the Tasmanian Gateway suggest a 41–42 Ma age for the initiation of widespread glauconite deposition in the region, which coincided with a sharp drop in sedimentation rate. This is interpreted to be the opening of the gateway to shallow-water circulation, which occurred within the middle of the 51–33 Ma long-term cooling. The change from siliciclastic sediments to pelagic carbonates, the most conspicuous sedimentological and paleontological change in the region for the last 70 Ma and presumably the indicator for the opening of the gateway to deep-water circulation, is dated at about 31 Ma. This event is more than 2 my younger than the major high-latitude cooling in the earliest Oligocene, and thus cannot be the cause for the latter.
The link between structural damage and pain in a genetic model of osteoarthritis and intervertebral disc degeneration: a joint misadventure.

The major challenge to the field in studies of osteoarthritis (OA) and degenerative disc disease (DDD) is currently to understand how signs and symptoms of disease relate to structural damage. Cartilage degradation is a favored target for therapeutic intervention, but the development of new therapies has been hampered because it is difficult to assess the efficacy of structure-modifying drugs if they do not modify pain perception. Pain is the most prominent but least well studied feature of OA and DDD. Although the normal joint may respond predictably to painful stimuli, there is often a poor correlation between the perceived pain in chronic arthritis and the structural damage assessed radiographically. Developing models for assessing the pathological factors and mechanisms responsible for joint pain in OA has been difficult because of the subjective nature of pain and the complex role of cognitive interpretation of sensory information.
Ethical considerations in crisis and humanitarian interventions: The view from home

In this issue of Ethics & Behavior, Dr. Sommers-Flanagan (2007/this issue) has written a succinct article on the ethical dimensions that arise for health care professionals during humanitarian aid....
Widespread distribution of visual responsiveness in frontal, prefrontal, and prelimbic cortical areas of the cat: an electrophysiologic investigation.

By using multiple-unit recording techniques, we explored the visual responsiveness of regions of cortex in and around the area described by others as the cat's “frontal eye fields” (Schlag J, Schlag-Rey M [1970] Brain Res 22:1–13; Guitton D, Mandl G [1978] Brain Res 149:295–312; Pigarev IN [1984] Neirofiziologiia 16:761–766). Our exploration included most of the cat's motor areas (subdivisions of areas 4 and 6) as well as prefrontal and prelimbic regions. Visual responses were routinely obtained from portions of each of the areas we explored, including prefrontal and prelimbic cortex. The qualitative characteristics of visual responses appeared to vary with cytoarchitectonic area. With few exceptions, receptive fields in these areas were large (most exceeding 2,500 deg2) and included the area centralis. Such large fields and inclusion of central vision at nearly all sites precluded retinotopic organization and prevented delineating distinct visual field representations. The most reliable and robust visual activity was observed on the ventral bank of the cruciate sulcus in area 6aα. The regions reported to correspond to the “frontal eye fields” did not exhibit any unique visual properties that distinguished them from surrounding areas. The widespread distribution of visually driven activity we observed is consistent with the known pattern of both cortical and subcortical inputs to this broad region of cortex. The observation of visually responsive activity across broad regions of cortex that is nominally motor is consistent with recent studies involving awake animals. J. Comp. Neurol. 405:99–127, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Stimulation of FSHbeta transcription by blockade of endogenous pituitary follistatin production: Efficacy of adenoviral-delivered antisense RNA in the rat.

This study investigated FSHβ transcriptional responses to the suppression of endogenous follistatin (FST) production using FST antisense RNA (FST-AS) expressing adenovirus constructs in female rat pituitary cells in vitro. Adenoviral delivery systems were characterized and optimized using an adenovirus-green fluorescent protein construct, and maximal infection (85–90% of cells) was seen 48 h post adenovirus treatment. A 424 bp fragment, which included the translational start site and exons 1–3 of the rat FST gene, was subcloned in the reverse orientation into an adenovirus vector. Construct efficacy was tested using cultured rat pituitary cells infected with the adenovirus—AS construct. Infection with adenovirus—FST-AS increased FST-AS mRNA expression in a dose-dependent manner, reduced FST protein expression to undetectable levels, and stimulated increases in FSHβ primary transcript and FSH secretion. Treatment with testosterone alone stimulated FSHβ primary transcript and FSH release, and responses were doubled in the presence of adenovirus—FST-AS. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of adenovirus FST-AS in suppressing pituitary FST protein expression and enhancing FSH biological responses at the transcriptional level. Thus, the FST-deficient rat gonadotrope cell is a model that allows for the investigation of factors regulating FSHβ expression, which might otherwise involve the autocrine/paracrine actions of FST.
MRI-monitored cryosurgery in the rabbit brain.

Abstract The inability to observe the transient, irregular shape of the frozen region that develops during cryosurgery has inhibited the application of this surgical technique to the treatment of tumors in the brain and deep in visceral organs. We used proton NMR spin-echo and spoiled gradient-echo imaging to monitor the development of frozen lesions during cryosurgery in the rabbit brain and the resulting postervosurgical changes up to 4 hr after freezing. Spoiled gradient-echo images (TE = 14 ms; TR = 50 ms) were acquired during freezing and thawing at a rate of 15 s/slice. Although the frozen region itself is invisible in MR images, its presence is distinguished easily from the surrounding unfrozen soft tissue because of the large contrast difference between frozen and unfrozen regions. T2-weighted spin-echo images (TE = 100 ms, TR = 2 s) obtained after thawing suggest that edema forms first at the margin of the region that was frozen (cryolesion) and then moves into the region's core. Histological examination showed complete necrosis in the cryolesion and a sharp transition to undamaged tissue at the margin of the lesion and its image. Blood-brain barrier (BBB) damage was investigated using gadolinium-DTPA. The region of edema in the T2-weighted spin-echo images was coincident with the area of BBB damage in the Gd-DTPA-enhanced T1-weighted spin-echo images (TE = 33 ms, TR = 400 ms) and both were distinguishable as areas of high signal relative to the surrounding normal tissue. The results of these experiments indicate that MR can both effectively monitor the cryosurgical freezing and thawing cycle and characterize the postcryosurgical changes in tissue during follow-up.
Spatial registration of temporally separated whole breast 3D ultrasound images

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the potential for use of image volume based registration (IVBaR) to aid in measurement of changes in the tumor during chemotherapy of breast cancer. Successful IVBaR could aid in the detection of such changes in response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy and potentially be useful for routine breast cancer screening and diagnosis. IVBaR was employed in a new method of automated estimation of tumor volume in studies following the radiologist identification of the tumor region in the prechemotherapy scan. The authors have also introduced a new semiautomated method for validation of registration based on Doppler ultrasound (U.S.) signals that are independent of the grayscale signals used for registration. This Institutional Review Board approved study was conducted on 10 patients undergoing chemotherapy and 14 patients with a suspicious/unknown mass scheduled to undergo biopsy. Reasonably reproducible mammographic positioning and nearly whole breast U.S. imaging were achieved. The image volume was registered offline with a mutual information cost function and global interpolation based on a thin-plate spline using MIAMI FUSE software developed at the University of Michigan. The success and accuracy of registration of the three dimensional (3D) U.S. image volume were measured by means of mean registration error (MRE). IVBaR was successful with MRE of 4.3 +/- 1.7 mm in 9 out of 10 reproducibility automated breast ultrasound (ABU) studies and in 12 out of 17 ABU image pairs collected before, during, or after 115 +/- 14 days of chemotherapy. Semiautomated tumor volume estimation was performed on registered image volumes giving 86 +/- 8% mean accuracy compared to the radiologist hand-segmented tumor volume on seven cases. Doppler studies yielded fractional volume of color pixels in the region surrounding the lesion and its change with changing breast compression. The Doppler study of patients with detectable blood flow included five patients with suspicious masses and three undergoing chemotherapy. Spatial alignment of the 3D blood vessel data from the Doppler studies provided independent measures for the validation of registration. In 15 Doppler image volume pairs scanned with differing breast compression, the mean centerline separation value was 1.5 +/- 0.6 mm, while MRE based on a few identifiable structural points common to the two grayscale image volumes was 1.1 +/- 0.6 mm. Another measure, the overlap ratio of blood vessels, was shown to increase from 0.32 to 0.59 (+84%) with IVBaR for pairs at various compression levels. These results show that successful registration of ABU scans may be accomplished for comparison and integration of information.
An experimental study of people creating spreadsheets

Nine experienced users of electronic spreadsheets each created three spreadsheets. Although participants were quite confident that their spreadsheets were accurate, 44 percent of the spreadsheets contained user-generated programming errors. With regard to the spreadsheet creation process, we found that experienced spreadsheet users spend a large percentage of their time using the cursor keys, primarily for the purpose of moving the cursor around the spreadsheet. Users did not spend a lot of time planning before launching into spreadsheet creation, nor did they spend much time in a separate, systematic debugging stage. Participants spent 21 percent of their time pausing, presumably reading and/or thinking, prior to the initial keystrokes of spreadsheet creation episodes.
The efficacy of a nerve stimulator (CaverMap) to enhance autonomic nerve identification and confirm nerve preservation during total mesorectal excision.

Sexual dysfunction after total mesorectal excision may be caused by injury to the autonomic nerves. During surgery, nerve identification is not always achieved, and, to date, there has been no method to objectively confirm nerve preservation. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of a nerve-stimulating device (CaverMap®) to assist in the intraoperative identification of the autonomic nerves during total mesorectal excision, and objectively confirm nerve preservation after proctectomy is completed. Sexually active consecutive male patients undergoing total mesorectal excision were prospectively enrolled in this study. During pelvic dissection, the surgeon attempted to localize the hypogastric and cavernous nerves. Cavermap® was used to confirm these findings and to facilitate the identification in cases of uncertainty. At the completion of proctectomy, the nerves were restimulated to ensure preservation. Factors that could affect the surgeon’s ability to localize the nerves and Cavermap® to confirm this were evaluated. Twenty-nine male patients with a median age of 58 years were enrolled in this study. An attempt to visualize the hypogastric nerves during dissection was made in 26 patients; the surgeon was able to identify the nerves in 19 (73 percent) patients. Cavermap® successfully identified the nerves in six of the seven remaining patients, and failed to identify them in only one case. An attempt to localize the cavernous nerves during dissection was made in 13 patients, of which localization was successful in 8 (61.5 percent) patients. Cavermap® improved the identification rate in four of the remaining five patients. After proctectomy, Cavermap® successfully confirmed the preservation of both hypogastric and cavernous nerves in 27 of 29 (93 percent) patients. A history of previous surgery statistically correlated with failure to identify the hypogastric nerves by the surgeon (P = 0.005). There were no adverse events related to use of the device. Cavermap® may be a useful tool to facilitate identification of the pelvic autonomic nerves during total mesorectal excision and to objectively confirm nerve preservation.
The appeal of private targets in international acquisitions

Abstract Using a sample of 8000 targets in the US and Western Europe over the 1997–2009 period, we find that private targets receive significantly higher payments from bidders than public targets. We find that the private valuation premium is inversely related to the size of the target. We also find that the private valuation is relatively high when the target has better access to debt in its home country. Also, the private valuation premium is relatively high when the bidder country stock market is more fully developed and relatively low when the bidder has ample access to debt.
Persistent Calcium Sparklet Activity of L-Type Calcium Channels: Link Between PKC and c-Src

Ca2+ sparklets are a fluorescence signal associated with Ca2+ entry through L-type calcium (Cav1.2) channels, which are primary Ca2+ entry pathway in many excitable cells. Ca2+ sparklets are quantal in nature (q = 34 nM Δ[Ca2+]i) and their activity is categorized as low (0 0.2), where n = no. of quantal levels and Ps = active sparklet probability. Both types of Ca2+ sparklets are present in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) but only low activity Ca2+ sparklets are present in heterologously expressed Cav1.2 channels unless PKCα is activated. The latter effect presumably requires Cav1.2 phosphorylation, perhaps at the canonical PKA phosphorylation site, S1901, yet the exact phosphorylation site remains unclear. Using TIRF microscopy in conjunction with whole cell voltage clamp, we detected persistent Ca2+ sparklet activity in HEK 293 cells co-expressing S1901A Cav1.2c and PKCα, indicating that PKCα does not phosphorylate S1901. Also, persistent Ca2+ sparklets were detectable in cells expressing WT Cav1.2c in the absence of PKCα if c-Src was co-expressed. Furthermore, Ca2+ sparklet activity was reduced in cells expressing WT Cav1.2c and kinase dead c-Src (7/9 cells). To test if phosphorylation of a previously identified Cav1.2c tyrosine phosphorylation site (Y2122) by c-Src mediated persistent Ca2+ sparklet activity, we co-expressed Y2122F Cav1.2c and c-Src in HEK cells. Persistent Ca2+ sparklet activity was present under these conditions; however, Ca2+ sparklet activity was reduced in cells co-expressing Y2139FCav1.2c and c-Src. These data suggest that c-Src may phosphorylate Cav1.2c at Y2139 under basal conditions to produce persistent Ca2+ sparklet activity. Future experiments on HEK cells expressing Y2139FCav1.2c and PKCα will allow us to determine if persistent Ca2+ sparklet activity in VSMCs is evoked by a common mechanism involving PKCα and c-Src.
Peripheral 3-hydroxybutyrate and food intake in a model of dietary-fat induced obesity: Effect of vagotomy

We have examined the effect of peripheral 3-hydroxybutyrate injections on food intake and the contribution of the vagus nerve in the resistance to dietary fat-induced obesity in a rodent model. S 5B/Pl rats, which are resistant to dietary-fat induced obesity, and Osborne-Mendel rats, which are sensitive, were adapted to reverse light cycle. Food intake was measured for 24 h following the injection of 3-hydroxybutyrate, lactate, or glycerol (all 5 mMol/kg0.75, SC) at the onset of dark. Three-hydroxybutyrate reduced food intake (p < 0.0001) in S 5B/Pl rats only. Lactate reduced food intake slightly (p < 0.009) in both strains and glycerol had no effect on food intake. In a second experiment, S 5B/Pl and Osborne-Mendel rats were adapted to a high-fat diet and were then subjected to either selective hepatic vagotomy or sham operation. Vagotomy had no effect on weight gain of Osborne-Mendel rats but allowed weight gain in S 5B/Pl rats (p < 0.0001). Even in vagotomized S 5B/Pl rats, however, blood 3-hydroxybutyrate levels were inversely associated (r = -0.50) with food intake. These data suggest that the hepatic vagus nerve may contribute to the resistance of S 5B/Pl rats to dietary-fat induced obesity, but the data do not rule out a strictly central role for the regulation of food intake by 3-hydroxybutyrate in this strain.
Interobserver variation in cervical cancer tumor delineation for image-based radiotherapy planning among and within different specialties

Radiation therapy for cervical cancer involves a team of specialists, including diagnostic radiologists (DRs), radiation oncologists (ROs), and medical physicists (MPs), to optimize imaging-based radiation therapy planning. The purpose of the study was to investigate the interobserver variations in tumor delineation on MR images of cervical cancer within the same and among different specialties. Twenty MRI cervical cancer studies were independently reviewed by two DRs, two ROs, and two MPs. For every study, each specialist contoured the tumor regions of interest (ROIs) on T2-weighted Turbo Spin Echo sagittal images on all slices containing tumor, and the total tumor volume was computed for statistical analysis. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare the differences in tumor volume delineation among the observers. A graph of all tumor-delineated volumes was generated, and differences between the maximum and minimum volumes over all the readers for each patient dataset were computed. Challenges during the evaluation process for tumor delineation were recorded for each specialist. Interobserver variations of delineated tumor volumes were significant (p < 0.01) among all observers based on a repeated measures ANOVA, which produced an F(5,95) = 3.55. The median difference between the maximum delineated volume and minimum delineated volume was 33.5 cm3 (which can be approximated by a sphere of 4.0 cm diameter) across all 20 patients. Challenges noted for tumor delineation included the following: (1) partial voluming by parametrial fat at the periphery of the uterus; (2) extension of the tumor into parametrial space; (3) similar signal intensity of structures proximal to the tumor such as ovaries, muscles, bladder wall, bowel loops, and pubic symphysis; (4) postradiation changes such as heterogeneity and necrosis; (5) susceptibility artifacts from bowels and vaginal tampons; (6) presence of other pathologies such as atypical myoma; (7) factors that affect pelvic anatomy, including the degree of bladder distension, bowel interposition, uterine malposition, retroversion, and descensus. Our limited study indicates significant interobserver variation in tumor delineation. Despite rapid progress in technology, which has improved the resolution and precision of image acquisition and the delivery of radiotherapy to the millimeter level, such "human" variations (at the centimeter level) may overshadow the gain from technical advancement and impact treatment planning. Strategies of standardization and training in tumor delineation need to be developed.
Phenobarbital-enhanced hepatobiliary scintigraphy in the diagnosis of biliary atresia: two decades of experience at a tertiary center.

Background Hepatobiliary scintigraphy is highly sensitive for diagnosing biliary atresia; however, its specificity has varied in the literature from 35% to 97%.
General practitioner ENT referral audit.

During 2009, there were 3.3 million outpatient attendances at outpatient clinics across Ireland. Up to 20 % of these are directed towards ENT services. To determine the compliance rate of general practitioners with the ICGP referral guidelines. One-hundred referrals received were compared to the ICGP standardised form and graded accordingly. Each referral letter was graded to a maximum of 37 points. The average score recorded for referrals was 16/37. The referrer detail section scored the highest with a mean of 75.42 % (paediatric referrals) and 72.9 % (adult referrals). The clinical information provided demonstrated compliance rates of 34 % (paediatrics) and 35 % (adults). In total, only 32 letters made any reference to findings on examination. Both paediatric and adult referrals scored an average of 42 % when patients’ details are considered. This study demonstrates poor compliance rates with the introduced ICGP standardised referral form, which has implications for the accurate grading of referral letters received.
On the analysis of indexing schemes

We consider the problem of indexing general database workloads (combinations of data sets and sets of potential queries). We define a framework for measuring the efficiency of an indexing scheme for a workload based on two characterizations: storage redundancy (how many times each item in the data set is stored), and access overhead (how many times more blocks than necessary does a query retrieve). Using this framework we present some initial results, showing upper and lower bounds and trade-offs between them in the case of multi-dimensional range queries and set queries.
Improving the Financial Aid Process for Community College Students: A Literature Review of FAFSA Simplification, Information, and Verification

Research has shown that community college and other low income students have the most need regarding the financial aid process. Community college students are less likely to complete the free application for federal student aid (FAFSA) than students at public and private four-year and for-profit institutions. Surveys have shown that the complexity of the FAFSA and lack of information are two primary reasons students do not start the financial aid process. The purpose of this article is to highlight an additional barrier in the financial aid process that is currently under-researched, but is salient for student access and success at community colleges[#x02014]verification. This article reviews the current literature related to FAFSA simplification, information, and verification. In light of the literature review, the article concludes with suggested research questions and practical suggestions for community college financial aid practitioners.
Progesterone and estradiol production by normal and preeclamptic placentas

Placentas obtained from women with preeclampsia produce more thromboxane, a potent vasoconstrictor, and less prostacyclin, a potent vasodilator, than normal. Although the factors responsible for this are not known, steroids are known to affect eicosanoid production, and the placenta is a rich source of progesterone and estradiol. If placental steroids contribute to the imbalance of increased thromboxane/decreased prostacyclin in preeclamptic placentas, then their placental production might also be abnormal. The following study was performed to see whether the placentas of preeclamptic women produce progesterone or estradiol abnormally. Fresh human term placentas were obtained immediately after delivery from normal and mild preeclamptic pregnancies. Whole placental tissues (350 mg) were incubated for three hours. Samples were collected and analyzed for progesterone and estradiol-17 beta by radioimmunoassay. Progesterone production was significantly higher in preeclamptic than in normal placentas without the addition of a precursor and with the addition of pregnenolone sulfate as a precursor, but not with the addition of pregnenolone alone. Both normal and preeclamptic placentas converted pregnenolone sulfate into progesterone as efficiently as they converted pregnenolone into progesterone. Estradiol production rates were similar in both preeclamptic and normal placentas, regardless of whether dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate was added as a precursor. These data indicate that placentas of women with mild preeclampsia produce more progesterone than normal, probably because they contain more pregnenolone sulfatase and larger stores of endogenous cholesterol. Higher concentrations of progesterone in the preeclamptic placenta could contribute to lower prostacyclin production because progesterone inhibits placental prostacyclin production.
Transitions in Contact Resistance Between a Pin and Flat During Sliding at High Current Densities

A critical factor in the successful operation of an electromagnetic launcher (EML) is the maintenance of good electrical contact between the armature and rail. While there have been numerous experimental and theoretical investigations of armature-rail interfaces, a well-accepted model of the contact conditions has not yet been established. In the current study, we consider the interface between a stationary metallic flat and a translating pin with a hemispherical tip. Operating conditions of the experiments are designed to yield the contact pressures (∼500 MPa) and electrical current densities (∼5 GA/m2 ) existing in typical EMLs, albeit with much lower sliding speeds (∼3 m/s). Electrical current to the interface is supplied by a programmable 8V/350A power supply. The test apparatus is configured so that the pin can translate continuously along a 1.5 m rail, its carriage being powered by a direct drive linear motor. Loading of the pin against the flat is provided by means of a pneumatic actuator. Current, voltage, load, friction, surface temperature and position are monitored throughout the sliding event. Changes in surface topography and morphology are assessed via optical and stylus profilometry as well as optical microscopy. Arcing and phase change events are observed.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
Ecotourism and mass tourism in Southern Thailand: Spatial interdependence, structural connections, and staged authenticity

The desire to spend leisure time in ‘natural’ settings represents a key factor behind the recent and rapid growth of ecotourism. A search by ecotourists for remote landscapes and locations has shaped the way in which geographers have defined ecotourism, but few scholars have explored, in detail, the mechanics of the spatial relationship between ecotourism and mass tourism, two forms of travel usually considered mutually exclusive in spatial terms. Using the island of Phuket — southern Thailand’s premier resort destination — as a case study, this paper investigates the spatial overlaps and connections between ecotourism and mass tourism and tests the assumption that ecotourism and mass tourism must exist spatially apart in order for the former to succeed. Despite Phuket’s association with mass tourism, and the small physical distances between built-up mass tourist areas and ‘natural’ ecotourism settings, the ‘communicative staging’ of natural authenticity allows ecotourism companies to convey geographical remoteness to tourists. Although ecotourism in Phuket must struggle constantly to overcome the perceptual impact of spatial proximity to resort locations, the tourist markets and business networks of the existing mass tourism industry remain crucial to the survival of ecotourism in this region. Thus, contrary to conventional notions that ecotourism and mass tourism must exist as separate entities, this paper argues that an interconnected, symbiotic, and spatially-contiguous relationship between the two is necessary in the case of Phuket.
One-Dimensional Turbulence-based closure for turbulent non-premixed flames

A new One-Dimensional Turbulence (ODT) based closure model for turbulent non-premixed flames is proposed. The model is based on the tabulation of scalar statistics based on two parameters, which measure the extent of mixing and entrainment. The table is generated using different realisations of stand-alone ODT simulations of turbulent jet diffusion flames. The table look-up process is coupled with a Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) computation. The scope of the ODT formulation is to predict thermo-chemical scalars statistics in sample space; while its coupling with RANS reproduces these statistics in 3D space. The resulting formulation yields reasonably good agreement with experimental data.
Structures, compressibilities and relative stabilities of the α, β and γ phases of Mg2SiO4 deduced from an electron‐gas ionic Hamiltonian

The properties of forsterite (α-Mg2SiO4) and its high-pressure polymorphs wadsleyite (β-Mg2SiO4) and ringwoodite (γ-Mg2SiO4) play an important role in the chemical, dynamic and elastic behaviour of the upper 660 km of the Earth's mantle. Mineralogists have tended to rationalize their structures in terms of empirical ionic models, guided by Pauling's rules. Modern electron-gas theory of ionic interactions is accurate enough to encourage a detailed study of the structure and properties of these minerals within an intuitively appealing ionic model that is independent of empirical data. We therefore undertook to obtain the minimum-energy lattice structures, and their corresponding equations of state, of electron-gas models of the Mg2SiO4 polymorphs. We find that the model densities compare very well with actual observations, while compressibilities are somewhat underestimated. Unit cell geometries are also accurately represented, but coordination polyhedra tend to be more distorted than those observed, mainly because of excessive bond-angle variance. We also found that Pauling's rules do not offer a complete accounting for the observed stability of olivine at low pressures. Instead, in the model crystals it is a difference in the magnitude of the Mg–O repulsions that give olivine the energetic advantage. The higher density of ringwoodite, and a rapidly increasing Mg–O repulsion energy in olivine stabilize ringwoodite at high pressure.
Structural Variability of Cobalt(II) Coordination Polymers: Three Polymorphs of Co3(TMA)2 [TMA = Trimesate, C6H3(COO)33-]

The aqueous reaction of cobalt(II) sulfate with trimesic acid (H3TMA = 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylic acid) in the presence of a base yields complexes with the general formula of Co3(TMA)2. The identit...
Considerations of Peer Support for Persons with High Tetraplegia

Peer support is founded on key principles of respect, shared responsibility, and mutual understanding. At Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, the coordinator of the peer support program and a rehabilitation psychologist implement a training program. Peer support is an integral part of rehabilitation; it is even more important for the person with high tetraplegia (C4 and above). Individuals with high tetraplegia face unique challenges in coping with the functional impairments that accompany high cervical injuries. Peer support volunteers provide the newly injured patient and family with personal insight and techniques on managing activities of daily living and maximizing quality of life.
Productivity and Income Distribution in the Post-Bellum South

Racial discord, political violence, and agrarian unrest are integral to the history of the American South from the close of the Civil War through the end of the nineteenth century. The economy of the region had undergone traumatic changes during the war, not the least of which were the destruction of large amounts of physical capital and the transition of the black agricultural labor force from slavery to freedom. The disruption of production during the war was followed by attempts to reorganize agriculture through a variety of institutional arrangements, including wage labor, cash renting, and widespread use of the sharecropping form of land tenure. Many of the legal and cultural manifestations of the racial prejudice which has long outlived chattel slavery made their appearance during these years. Both contemporary observers and modern historians have recognized possible connections between the economic conditions and the political or institutional developments of the period, yet certain basic characteristics of the post-bellum southern economy have never been adequately determined. Consequently, the influence of economic forces in southern society and political life has remained obscure.
Second harmonic generation from the Si/SiO2 interface

Optical second harmonic generation is very sensitive to surfaces or interfaces if the bulk material is inversion symmetric. We present the results of second harmonic studies of the interface between silicon and silicon dioxide. Previous results have shown that the technique is sensitive to roughness at this interface. To develop a further understanding of why roughness influences second harmonic generation, we investigate the dependence of the second harmonic on the photon energy of the incident pulses. Measurements are made on a series of samples, with varying vicinal angles, in order to determine what role miscut and step edges play.