cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Pilot Study of Determinants of Ongoing Participation in EnhanceFitness: A Community-Based Group Exercise Program for Older Adults.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Physical activity has many benefits for older adults, but adherence is often low. The purposes of this study were to (1) identify motivators and barriers for participation in EnhanceFitness (EF), a group-based exercise program; and (2) quantitatively examine the association between motivators, barriers and individual characteristics, and ongoing participation in the program. METHODS This was a prospective, cross-sectional study. We mailed a pilot, investigator-developed survey to assess motivators and barriers to exercising to 340 adults who started a new EF class, regardless of their attendance rate. We precoded surveys on the basis of class attendance, with former participants defined as having no attendance a month or more before a 4-month fitness check. RESULTS Of the 241 respondents (71% response rate), 61 (25%) were precoded as former participants and 180 (75%) as current participants. The mean age of respondents was 71 years and they were predominately female (89%). More than half of respondents were whites (58%), and almost half were married (46%). Former participants reported lower total motivation scores than current participants (P < .01) and had a significantly higher mean total barrier score (P < .001). The effects of 5 barriers ("Class was too hard," "Class was too easy," "I don't like to exercise," "Personal illness," and "Exercise caused pain") and 2 motivators ("I want to exercise" and "I plan exercise as part of my day") were significantly different between current and former participants. Discrete event history models show that dropout was related positively to ethnicity (whites were more likely to drop out) and health-related barriers. DISCUSSION In newly formed EF classes, participants who drop out report more program, psychosocial, and health barriers, and fewer program and psychosocial motivators. Total barrier score and health barriers significantly predict a participant's dropping out, and white ethnicity is associated with a higher likelihood of dropping out. CONCLUSIONS Employing strategies that address health barriers to participation could improve attendance rates for group-based exercise programs.
Predicting Externalizing and Internalizing Behavior in Kindergarten: Examining the Buffering Role of Early Social Support

This study tested an ecological model predicting children's behavior problems in kindergarten from risk and protective factors (parent psychological distress, parenting behavior, and social support) during early childhood. Study participants were 1,161 sociodemographically diverse mother–child pairs that participated in a longitudinal birth cohort study. The predictor variables were collected at two separate time points and based on parent reports; children were an average of 2 years old at Time 1 and 3 years old at Time 2. The outcome measures were collected when children reached kindergarten and were 6 years old on average. Our results show that early maternal psychological distress, mediated by suboptimal parenting behavior, predicts children's externalizing and internalizing behaviors in kindergarten. Moreover, early social support buffers the relations between psychological distress and later suboptimal parenting behavior and between suboptimal parenting behavior and later depressive/withdrawn behavi...
Peptide-based Biopolymers in Biomedicine and Biotechnology

Peptides are emerging as a new class of biomaterials due to their unique chemical, physical, and biological properties. The development of peptide-based biomaterials is driven by the convergence of protein engineering and macromolecular self-assembly. This review covers the basic principles, applications, and prospects of peptide-based biomaterials. We focus on both chemically synthesized and genetically encoded peptides, including poly-amino acids, elastin-like polypeptides, silk-like polymers and other biopolymers based on repetitive peptide motifs. Applications of these engineered biomolecules in protein purification, controlled drug delivery, tissue engineering, and biosurface engineering are discussed.
Perforation of steel and polycarbonate plates by tumbling projectiles

An experimental investigation to assess the effect of tumbling by hard-steel, blunt-faced cylindrical projectiles on the impact response of thin 4130 steel and polycarbonate target plates was performed. Deformation and failure phenomena were observed and discussed; comparisons of the results with analytical models and numerical stimulation, described in a previous paper, were also performed for the steel targets. The final velocity of the projectile and the crater length in the target were correlated with the striker impact angle (or yaw angle with a zero oblique angle); reasonable agreement was attained among the experimental, analytical and numerical results. It was found that an increase of the impact angle can increase the velocity drop and the crater length markedly. The increase tends to be stabilized after the impact angle exceeds 50° and the consequences in such a case are almost the same as in side-on impact.
The effect of tetrachlorohydroquinone on hexachlorobenzene-induced porphyria in Japanese quail.

Female Japanese quail received either hexachlorobenzene (HCB, 100 mg/kg . d) or tetrachlorohydroquinone (TCHQ, 175 mg/kg . d) for 10 d as a primary treatment. Following this, a secondary treatment of HCB (100 mg/kg . d) or TCHQ (175 mg/kg . d), alone or in combination, was administered for 1, 5, 10 or 15 d. The primary HCB treatment caused elevated delta-aminolevulinic acid synthetase (ALA-S) activities and small increases in porphyrin concentrations. Subsequent treatment of these birds with lactose resulted in no further increases in porphyrins or ALA-S. TCHQ treatment caused increases in porphyrins similar to those seen with continued HCB treatment. Apparently, despite the fact that TCHQ alone had no affect on ALA-S or porphyrin levels, this compound is able, in the presence of elevated ALA levels to cause porphyria. A combination of HCB and TCHQ administered to HCB-pretreated animals caused a more severe porphyria than did follow-up treatment with either HCB or TCHQ alone.
Why Do the News Media Cover Certain Candidates More Than Others?: The Antecedents of State and National News Coverage in the 1992 Presidential Nomination Campaign

This article explores two approaches to campaign coverage in order to estimate their relative importance to state and national media coverage levels during presidential nomination campaigns: the horse race account and the campaign account. Using news coverage data from a sample of 21 state newspapers, three national newspapers, and the ABC World News Tonight, multivariate models of state and national candidate news coverage levels are estimated. The findings, although confirming the conventional wisdom that candidates who do well gain more media attention, also suggest that candidate activity can make a difference and that candidate factors can have a significant influence, whereas structural factors, such as the number of candidates competing, appear to have little influence on how the national and state media determine their distribution of coverage when other factors are present. Moreover, the state news media are strongly influenced by performance factors, but these are felt primarily through the prim...
Once-daily Gentamicin Dosing for the Preterm and Term Newborn: Proposal for a Simple Regimen that Achieves Target Levels

Once-daily Gentamicin Dosing for the Preterm and Term Newborn: Proposal for a Simple Regimen that Achieves Target Levels
No bit left behind: the limits of heap data compression

On one hand, the high cost of memory continues to drive demand for memory efficiency on embedded and general purpose computers. On the other hand, programmers are increasingly turning to managed languages like Java for their functionality, programmability, and reliability. Managed languages, however, are not known for their memory efficiency, creating a tension between productivity and performance. This paper examines the sources and types of memory inefficiencies in a set of Java benchmarks. Although prior work has proposed specific heap data compression techniques, they are typically restricted to one model of inefficiency. This paper generalizes and quantitatively compares previously proposed memorysaving approaches and idealized heap compaction. It evaluates a variety of models based on strict and deep object equality, field value equality, removing bytes that are zero, and compressing fields and arrays with a limited number and range of values. The results show that substantial memory reductions are possible in the Java heap. For example, removing bytes that are zero from arrays is particularly effective, reducing the application's memory footprint by 41% on average.We are the first to combine multiple savings models on the heap, which very effectively reduces the application by up to 86%, on average 58%. These results demonstrate that future work should be able to combine a high productivity programming language with memory efficiency.
The effect of pressure on the luminescence of the flexible dye molecule 6-amino-coumarin in four solid polymeric media

The luminescence energy and efficiency of 6-amino-coumarin (C-6) and C-6.HCl were measured to 100 kbar pressure at 295 K in four solid polymeric media. Data were also obtained at 0 kbar and 80 kbar at 85 K. The large Strokes shift (approximately 10 000 cm−1) in some media has been taken as an indication that this molecule may exhibit two different geometric conformations in the excited state (a twisted intramolecular charge transfer (TICT) molecule). In general, the emission shifts to lower energy and decreases in intensity with increasing pressure. From the combined pressure and temperature data, it is possible to separate the change in barrier height with pressure from the ordinary nonradiative processes. The increase in barrier height with pressure is larger in the more polarizable media, which indicates that the initial excited state is more polarizable than the emitting state.
Cytokine modulation of intestinal epithelial cell restitution: Central role of transforming growth factor β

Abstract Background: After various forms of superficial injury, mucosal integrity is re-established by rapid migration of epithelial cells across the wound margins in a process termed restitution. The aim of the present study was to assess the role of several regulatory peptides produced within the intestinal mucosa in epithelial restitution. Methods: The effects of various cytokines and peptide growth factors were studied in an in vitro model of intestinal epithelial restitution. Standard "wounds" were established in confluent monolayers of the intestinal cell line IEC-6, and migration was quantitated in the presence or absence of the physiologically relevant cytokines transforming growth factor (TGF)-α, epidermal growth factor (EGF), interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interferon gamma (IFN-γ), and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF). Results: Four factors (TGF-α, EGF, IL-1β, and IFN-γ) enhanced epithelial cell restitution by 2.3-fold to 5.5-fold. In contrast, IL-6, TNF-α, PDGF, and an endotoxin lipopolysaccharide had no effect on cell migration. Enhancement of restitution was independent of proliferation. The restitution-promoting cytokines TGF-α, EGF, IL-1β, and IFN-γ increase the production of bioactive TGF-β1 peptide in wounded IEC-6 cell monolayer. The promotion of IEC-6 restitution by various cytokines could be completely blocked by addition of immunoneutralizing anti-TGF-β1. Conclusions: These findings suggest that various cytokines that are expressed in intestinal mucosa promote epithelial restitution after mucosal injury through increased production of bioactive TGF-β1 in epithelial cells.
EFFECT OF INSULIN ON GLUCOSE METABOLISM OF THE EX VIVO PERFUSED CANINE LIVER.

Summary o 1. The livers of eight fasting dogs were perfused with oxygenated homologous blood in an isolated perfusion chamber to determine whether insulin altered the hepatic utilization of glucose. 2. No significant effect of insulin on hepatic glucose utilization was noted. 3. Factors that affect previous experiments are discussed and emphasis is placed upon utilizing a preparation totally free from interfering feedback stimuli. 4. A short discussion is given relating to the actual site of insulin activity in light of these paradoxical findings.
Fault detection, correction, and tolerance for collaborative target localization in visual sensor networks

Collaboration in visual sensor networks (VSNs) is essential not only to compensate for the limitations of each sensor node but also to tolerate inaccurate information generated by faulty sensors in the network. Fault tolerance in VSNs is more challenging than in conventional scalar sensor networks (SSNs) because of the directional sensing nature of cameras and the existence of visual occlusion. This paper focuses on the design of a collaborative target localization algorithm in VSNs that would not only accurately localize targets but also detect the faults in camera orientation, tolerate these errors and further correct them before they cascade. Targets are localized based on distributed camera nodes integrating the so-called certainty map generated at each node, that records the target non-existence information within the camera's field of view. Based on the locations of detected targets in the final certainty map, we then construct a generative image model in each camera that estimates the camera orientation, detect inaccuracies in camera orientations and correct them. Based on results obtained from both simulation and real experiments, we show that the proposed fault-tolerant method is effective in localization accuracy as well as fault detection and correction performance.
Calcium-activated potassium channels mask vascular dysfunction associated with oxidized LDL exposure in rabbit aorta.

Endothelium-dependent vasodilation is impaired in atherosclerosis. Oxidized low density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) plays an important role, possibly through alterations in G-protein activation. We examined the effect of acute exposure to ox-LDL on the dilator responses of isolated rabbit aorta segments. We sought also to evaluate the specificity of this dysfunction for dilator stimuli that traditionally operate through a Gi-protein mechanism. Aortic segments were prepared for measurement of isometric tension. After contraction with prostaglandin F2α, relaxation to thrombin, adenosine diphosphate (ADP), or the endothelium-independent agonists, sodium nitroprusside (SNP) or papaverine was examined. Maximal relaxation to thrombin was impaired in the presence of ox-LDL (17.7±3.7% p<0.05) compared to control (no LDL) (52.6±4.0%). Ox-LDL did not affect maximal relaxation to ADP or SNP. However, in the presence of charybdotoxin (CHTX: calcium-activated potassium channel inhibitor) ox-LDL impaired relaxation to ADP (17.4±3.2%). CHTX did not affect control (no LDL) responses to ADP (69.6±5.0%) or relaxation to thrombin or papaverine. In conclusion, ox-LDL impairs relaxation to thrombin, but in the case of ADP, calcium-activated potassium channels compensate to maintain this relaxation.
Juxtaposed Mesozoic diabase dike sets from the Carolinas: A preliminary assessment

Aeromagnetic anomaly maps of the North Carolina Piedmont provide confirming evidence of juxtaposed Mesozoic diabase dike sets. Dikes in North Carolina may be divided into four domains, on the basis of dike orientations. Most dikes are olivine normative, but there are apparent systematic differences in chemical compositions that are reflected in different orientations and ages. Two orientations dominate: northwest and north-south. The northwest-trending set dominates in the South Carolina Piedmont, and the north-south set extends through much of the central Virginia Piedmont and under the Coastal Plain in South Carolina. The north-south dikes are part of a set that converges near Charleston and Georgetown, South Carolina, and diverges northward into Virginia. Preliminary information suggests that the north-south dikes are younger than the more common northwest-trending dikes. Current models proposed for stress regimes associated with the breakup of Pangea can accommodate the northwest set, but not the north-south convergent set. This convergent set may be evidence for crustal deformation above a mantle plume centered near Charleston and Georgetown in Middle Jurassic time. It is possible that presumed mafic plutons under the Coastal Plain near Charleston, regional seismicity patterns, and orientations of the diabase dikes are all related to an intersection of zones of crustal weakness inherited from mid-Mesozoic time. The western margin of northwest-trending dikes may be related to tectonic features inherited from pre-Mesozoic time.
Recent advances in power electronics and applications

The advent of high frequency, high power switching devices has resulted in widespread application of power electronic converters for energy conversion and motion control. The use of high speed microcomputers and advanced software architectures has simplified control system design by permitting complex computation and decision making capabilities in the fields of real time motion control. This paper reviews the current technology, and presents the future trend in power electronic systems.
Functional dissociation within hippocampus.

Abstract Recent data on efferent projections of the hippocampus and biochemical characteristics of hippocampal afferents suggest that functional dissociation may exist within the structure. On the basis of the specific efferent and afferent data reported, the present study was designed to test the hypothesis that chemical stimulation of the hippocampus would lead to varied effects on eating, drinking and behavioral arousal, depending on the hippocampal cell field stimulated and the neurohumoral substance administered. The results of the study indicated that control of drinking was dissociated within hippocampus both on a neuroanatomical and biochemical basis. Behavioral arousal was also found to be dissociated within the structure, but only on a biochemical basis. In regard to the control of eating, the hippocampus was found to be functionally homogeneous. Thus, it appears that not only does neuroanatomical and biochemical differentiation exist within the hippocampus, but functional dissociation also occurs within the structure.
Medical student acquisition of clinical working knowledge.

Background: Working knowledge of physicians manifests as a combination of diagnostic pattern recognition and clinical data interpretation (analytic fact checking). Purpose: The purpose was to study medical student acquisition of these abilities as a function of years of medical training/experience. Methods: A cross-sectional study involving students who had completed 0, 1, 2, and 3 years of medical school. All students at all levels of training took the same tests of diagnostic pattern recognition and clinical data interpretation. Percent correct scores were calculated and used to estimate learning curves. A cohort of family physicians also took the test to provide a benchmark. Results: Student diagnostic pattern recognition and clinical data interpretation ability demonstrated a steady upward growth curve but leveled off in Year 3. Diagnostic pattern recognition performance was consistently higher than clinical data interpretation performance. The rate of diagnostic performance gain with training and exp...
Laser transmission welding of thermoplastics-Part I Temperature and pressure modeling

This paper discusses the development of a model of laser transmission welding that can be used as an analytical design tool. Currently the majority of laser transmission welding (LTW) applications rely on trial and error to develop appropriate process parameters. A more rigorous design approach is not commonly used primarily due to the complexity of laser welding, where small material or process parameter changes can greatly affect the weld quality. The model developed in this paper also enables optimizing operating parameters while providing monetary and time saving benefits. The model is created from first principles of heat transfer and utilizes contact conduction that is a function of temperature and pressure, Gaussian laser distribution, and many material properties that vary with temperature including the absorption coefficient. The model is demonstrated through a design example of a joint between two polyvinyl chloride parts. The model is then validated with samples welded with a diode laser system using the operating parameters developed in a design example. Using the weld width as the primary output, the error between the model and the experimental results is 4.3%, demonstrating the accuracy of the model.
Bioenergetics of mitochondria from flight muscles of aging blowflies: partial reactions of oxidation and phosphorylation.

Abstract Mitochondria from flight muscles of senescent blowflies, Phormia regina, which exhibit decreased rates of coupled, or ADP-stimulated, oxidation of α-glycerolphosphate or pyruvate show similar decreased rates of uncoupled, or carbonylcyanide-p-trifluoromethoxyphenylhydrazone-stimulated oxidation. Thus, uncoupled α-glycerolphosphate oxidation is decreased by 20% and uncoupled pyruvate oxidation by 39% in mitochondria isolated from 31- to 33-day-old blowflies as compared with mitochondria from 7- to 9-day-old flies. The finding of nearly equal decreases with age in coupled and uncoupled respiration suggests that the age-dependent defect lies within the oxidative or electron transport pathway, and not associated with phosphorylation. However, no such change with age is observed in any of the partial reactions of electron transport that were examined. These include the following partial reactions: (a) pyruvic dehydrogenase; (b) pyruvate-ferricyanide reductase: (c) α-glycerolphosphate dehydrogenase; (d) α-glycerolphosphate-ferricyanide reductase; and (e) cytochrome oxidase. In addition, no age-associated decline is observed in the content of cytochromes b, c + c1, a, or a3 or in the specific activity of the fully activated mitochondrial ATPase (assayed in the presence of carbonylcyanide-p-trifluoromethoxyphenylhydrazone). However, the specific activity of the masked ATPase (assayed in the absence of uncoupler) is increased 38% in mitochondria from senescent blowflies.
Incorporation of Hydroxypyridinone Ligands into Self-Assembled Monolayers on Mesoporous Supports for Selective Actinide Sequestration

In this study, three isomers of hydroxypyridinones (1,2-HOPO, 3,2-HOPO, and 3,4-HOPO) were attached to self-assembled monolayers on mesoporous silica (SAMMS). The HOPO-SAMMS materials have superior solid adsorbents properties: they do not suffer from solvent swelling; their rigid, open pore structure allows rapid sorption kinetics; their extremely high surface area enables the installation of high functional density; and being silica-based, they are compatible with vitrification into a final vitreous waste form. Kinetics, equilibrium, and selectivity of the adsorptions of actinide on the HOPO-SAMMS at various pH values and in the presence of other metal cations, anions, and competing ligands are reported. Rapid sequestration of U(VI), Np(V), and Pu(IV) was observed. Very little competition from transition metal cations and common species was observed.
Casimir forces in the time domain: Applications

Our previous article [Phys. Rev. A 80, 012115 (2009)] introduced a method to compute Casimir forces in arbitrary geometries and for arbitrary materials that was based on a finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) scheme. In this article, we focus on the efficient implementation of our method for geometries of practical interest and extend our previous proof-of-concept algorithm in one dimension to problems in two and three dimensions, introducing a number of new optimizations. We consider Casimir pistonlike problems with nonmonotonic and monotonic force dependence on sidewall separation, both for previously solved geometries to validate our method and also for new geometries involving magnetic sidewalls and/or cylindrical pistons. We include realistic dielectric materials to calculate the force between suspended silicon waveguides or on a suspended membrane with periodic grooves, also demonstrating the application of perfectly matched layer (PML) absorbing boundaries and/or periodic boundaries. In addition, we apply this method to a realizable three-dimensional system in which a silica sphere is stably suspended in a fluid above an indented metallic substrate. More generally, the method allows off-the-shelf FDTD software, already supporting a wide variety of materials (including dielectric, magnetic, and even anisotropic materials) and boundary conditions, to be exploited for the Casimir problem.
Diamond vacuum field emission devices

Abstract Diamond for field emission has attracted considerable attention in vacuum microelectronics due to its low electron affinity for electron emission, hardness to withstand ion bombardment, and good thermal and electrical conductivity to handle high current. We have developed multiple processes to micro-pattern diamond films by mold transferring technique and achieve topologically managed diamond field emitters that optimize both the geometrical and quantum aspects of the Fowler–Nordheim governed emission. In this paper, we report the development of (a) vertical and (b) lateral diamond field emission devices. Vertically self-aligned gated diamond vacuum triodes were fabricated on a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) mold. This fabrication technique utilizes conventional silicon micro patterning and etching techniques to define the anode, gate, and cathode. The fabrication has achieved diamond field emitter triodes over practical wafer areas. The field emission of the triode array exhibits transistor characteristics with high d.c. voltage gain ∼800 and good transconductance. Also, lateral diamond vacuum diodes were fabricated with a diamond patterning technique utilizing an oxide mask and lift-off. An anode–cathode spacing of less than 2 μm between the diamond anode and cathode was achieved. The lateral diode exhibits a low turn-on voltage of ∼5 V (field approx. 3 V/μm) and a high emission current of 6 μA, from four diamond cathode ‘fingers’ configuration.
Learning to Match: Deriving Optimal Template-Matching Algorithms from Probabilistic Image Models

Finding correspondences between images by template matching is a common problem in image understanding. Although a variety of solutions have been proposed, most of them rely on the arbitrary choice of a template and a matching function. Often, different cost functions lead to different results, and the choice of a good cost for a specific application remains an art. Statistical models on the other hand, allow us to derive optimal learning and matching algorithms from modeling assumptions using likelihood maximization principles. The key contribution of this paper is the development of a statistical framework for learning what function to optimize from training examples. We present a family of statistical models for grayscale images, which allow us to derive optimal template-matching algorithms. The intensity at each pixel is described by a random variable whose distribution is encoded by a deformable template. Firstly, we assume the intensity distribution to be Gaussian and derive an intensity-matching algorithm, which is a generalization of the classical sum-of-squared differences. Then, we introduce a hidden segmentation variable in the probabilistic model and derive a segmentation-matching algorithm that can handle photometric variations. Both models are exemplified on the automatic detection of anatomical landmarks in brain Magnetic Resonance Images.
Higher-order structure of the 5.8 S rRNA sequence within the yeast 35 S precursor ribosomal RNA synthesized in vitro

Dimethylsulfate, 1-cyclohexyl-3-(2-morpholinoethyl)-carbodiimide metho-p-toluene-sulfonate, RNase T1 and RNase V1 have been used as structure-sensitive probes to examine the higher-order structure of the 5.8 S rRNA sequence within the yeast 35 S precursor ribosomal RNA molecule. Data produced have been used to evaluate several theoretical structure models for the 5.8 S rRNA sequence within the precursor rRNA. These models are generated by minimum free energy calculations. A model is proposed that accommodates 83% of the residues experimentally shown to be in either base-paired or single-stranded structure in the correct configuration. Several alternative suboptimal secondary structures have been evaluated. Moreover, the chemical reactivities of several residues within the 5.8 S rRNA sequence in the precursor rRNA molecule differ from those of the corresponding residues in the mature rRNA molecule. This finding provides experimental evidence to support the notion that the 5.8 S rRNA sequence within the precursor rRNA undergoes structural reorganization following rRNA processing.
Calmodulin in interferon preparations: effect of interferon on calmodulin bioactivity.

Abstract Heat-stable calmodulin immunoreactivity and bioactivity were detected in crude preparations of various types of human, murine and chicken interferons (IFNs). Calmodulin containing HuIFN-α was retained on a trifluorophenothiazine-Sepharose column. The two activities were separated by serial elutions with 50 μM Ca2+ (HuIFN-α) followed by 2 mM EGTA (calmodulin). While maintaining its full antiviral activity, calmodulin free HuIFN-α inhibited enhancement of Ca2+-ATPase activity in vitro by authentic purified eukaryote calmodulin. These results indicate that IFNs are calmodulin-binding proteins and that the secretion of both IFNs and calmodulin occurs from IFN-induced cells.
The American Solar Challenge 2012

The goal for the biennial American Solar Challenge (ASC) is for participating universities to build and race solar-powered electric vehicles across the country on public roads. While the route maps have varied greatly since the competition began as the GM Sunrayce in 1990, the distance traveled is typically between 1,200 and 2,400 mi. In 2012, the 1,650-mi race route from Rochester, New York, to St. Paul, Minnesota, took solar car teams through all of the states bordering the Great Lakes, using the slogan ?Eight States in Eight Days.?
Perceptual, cognitive, and linguistic development after early hemispherectomy: Two case studies

Abstract Longitudinal data on perceptual-motor, cognitive, and linguistic functioning is reported for two children: one with right hemispherectomy and one with left hemispherectomy. Both levels of functioning and specific profiles of abilities within an area of function are evaluated. The subjects both show effects from damage to the brain: shortened memory span, general perceptual and motor disabilities, and somewhat depressed general intellectual functioning. Areas of comparative strength and weakness in functioning in the two subjects are suggestive of adult patterns of hemispheric specialization, despite the young age of the subjects at the time of brain damage.
Charles E. Metz, PhD

A fan of high-performance automobiles, Charles Metz with his last splurge, a 2012 Porsche 911 Cabriolet. Before he passed away, he was able to drive it a few times, really fast, probably listening to Led Zeppelin. C harles EdgarMetz, professor of radiology and a member of the Committee onMedical Physics at the University of Chicago, died from pancreatic cancer on July 4 at his home in Burr Ridge. He was 69 years old. Charlie was a brilliant scientist, a passionate model airplane builder, a loving father and grandfather, and a compassionate and kind person. He was born September 11, 1942, in Bay Shore, New York, and grew up in Freeport, Long Island. He graduated cum laude from Bowdoin College with a degree in physics in 1964 and obtained his master’s and PhD degrees in radiologic sciences at the University of Pennsylvania in 1966 and 1969, respectively. He met his wife, Maryanne, also a graduate student, and they were married in 1967. Although divorced in 1987, they remained close friends. Upon graduation, Charlie became an instructor in radiology at the Argonne Cancer Research Hospital at the University of Chicago. He spent his whole career there, rising to assistant professor in 1971, associate professor in 1975, and professor in 1980. Over that time, he published more than 250 scientific papers. Charlie was humble and modest, and few knew of his accomplishments in both model airplane building and imaging science. But he excelled in both. In the model airplane world, he was known as the ‘‘Librarian,’’ being a resource for many other enthusiasts. He had assembled a sizable collection of books that are now being donated, along with his modeling kits of World War II airplanes, to the Pritzker Military Library in Chicago. In medical imaging, his research has contributed greatly to our understanding of the fundamentals of imaging science. Charlie was best known for his pioneering work in receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, but he also made important contributions through the 1970s and 1980s to our understanding of screen-film systems, nuclear medicine imaging, and image reconstruction. In particular, he developed the Metz filter, which is used widely in the postprocessing of nuclear medicine images for simultaneous image resolution enhancement and noise suppression. Developed during World War II for use with radar signals, ROC analysis entered medical research in the late 1960s.
Traversing Fantasies, Activating Desires: Economic Geography, Activist Research, and Psychoanalytic Methodology

In this article I recount the ways that key concepts in Lacanian psychoanalytic theory—the relationship between language and desire, fantasy and subject formation, ethics and the traversal of fantasy—have enabled a novel methodological approach to activist research. Psychoanalysis allows us to recast research as a process of encountering and traversing fantasies, which is simultaneously a process of engendering new representations, desires, subjectivities, and societies.
Mining for proposal reviewers: lessons learned at the national science foundation

In this paper, we discuss a prototype application deployed at the U.S. National Science Foundation for assisting program directors in identifying reviewers for proposals. The application helps program directors sort proposals into panels and find reviewers for proposals. To accomplish these tasks, it extracts information from the full text of proposals both to learn about the topics of proposals and the expertise of reviewers. We discuss a variety of alternatives that were explored, the solution that was implemented, and the experience in using the solution within the workflow of NSF.
Video-rate near infrared tomography for imaging thick tissue with dynamically varying absorption properties

A near-infrared (NIR) tomography system has been built to allow for imaging thick tissue at high frame rate. This tomography system uses a spectrally encoded source arrangement consisting of eight fibers coupled from temperature controlled single mode laser diode sources with about 1 nm spacing in their lasing wavelengths, having an overall spectrum confined to within 10 nm in the NIR region. Eight fiber-coupled, high-resolution, CCD based spectrometers were used to detect the intensities and decode their source origin locations. All detection CCDs were frame-synchronized using a computer controlled external TTL trigger circuit in order to preserve the temporal kinetics of the detected signals. A set of static heterogeneous phantom imaging was performed on a 64 mm thick resin phantom to verify the linearity and accuracy of the system and algorithm. Furthermore, to test the performance of this system at high frame rate, a dynamically varying absorption contrast study was realized by letting India ink diffuse into the phantom inclusion while continuously imaging it at 20 frames per second. The algorithm and the results from these phantom studies are presented. The 20 frames/second exposure rate and ability to image tissue beyond 60 mm thick makes this system perfect for potential clinical imaging of pulsatile hemodynamics in breast tumors.
Catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia in a 3-year-old with occult myocarditis

Catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT) is a rare clinical entity in children. Occult myocarditis has not been previously implicated as an etiologic agent. A 3-year-old female presents with a presumed breath-holding spell and is found to have ventricular fibrillation requiring DC cardioversion. An invasive electrophysiological study was performed demonstrating the absence of inducible ventricular arrhythmias. Low dose epinephrine confirmed the presence CPVT. Right ventricular endomyocardial biopsies sent for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis demonstrated the presence of adenoviral DNA. The authors hypothesize that occult myocarditis may be the inciting agent for CPVT in children.
Simulating blast effects on steel beam-column members: Methods

A beam-column element is formulated and implemented within a nonlinear explicit dynamic finite element code for simulating explosive effects in steel skeletal structures composed of wide-flange members. Blast damage is encapsulated by a bounding surface plasticity model in stress-resultant space. Bounding surfaces are formed by fitting numerical failure data to a basis of real-valued spherical harmonics: the data are obtained through numerical experiments in which a shell element-based model of a member is exposed to a blast and then statically loaded to failure for various combinations of proportional moment-thrust loading. Code validation and examples are presented in a companion paper [1].
Dissolution of waste plastics in biodiesel

The dissolution behavior of polystyrene (PS) and low-density polyethylene (LDPE) in biodiesel was investigated with an eye towards developing methods to dispose waste plastics by burning them with fuel. To complement and guide the experimental investigations, molecular dynamics simulations were performed to calculate solubility parameters, cohesive energy densities, Flory-Huggins χ parameters and phase diagrams of the target systems. Dissolution kinetics of PS and LDPE in methyl esters was monitored by gravimetry, from which parameters such as dissolution rates, activation energies, and scaling indices were estimated. The shear viscosity of the polymer solutions was measured to ascertain their suitability as fuel mixtures. The dissolution of PS in biodiesel appears to be controlled by the diffusion of polymer chains through a boundary layer adjacent to the polymer/solvent interface. Taken together, the experimental and modeling studies provide a predictive toolbox to design biodiesels of different compositions that will dissolve commodity polymers such as PS and LDPE to be used as fuels in engines. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2010. © 2009 Society of Plastics Engineers
Pattern of childhood ocular morbidity in rural eye hospital, Central Ethiopia

This study was aimed to determine the pattern of childhood eye disorders in patients attending outpatient eye department of a rural eye hospital in central Ethiopia. A cross-sectional survey of ocular morbidity among children less than 15 years of age who presented at a rural eye hospital in central Ethiopia between August – October 2012 was conducted. Demographic data, visual acuity, source and type of injury, type of refractive errors and diagnosis were collected and analyzed using SPSS. A p value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. A total of 735 children were examined in this study. The age range of the children varied from three months to 15 years of age. The mean (SD) age of the study population was 9.37 (4.95) years. 369 (50.2%) of the patients were females. The majority of cases were observed in older children (11–15 years) accounting for almost half of all the cases. The most common ocular morbidity encountered was conjunctivitis (35%), then ocular trauma (11.8%), refractive error (11.4%) and trachoma (7.6%). Bilateral visual impairment (UCVA < 6/18 in the better eye) was found in 119 children, and the causes were refractive errors (47.1%), keratitis/corneal opacity (16%), amblyopia (14.3%), ocular trauma (11.8%), cataract (6.3%), Glaucoma (2%) and uveitis (2%). The three most common causes of childhood ocular morbidity in this study were conjunctivitis, ocular injuries and refractive errors. These disorders require attention of all the health professionals for proper management or early referral because they can lead to visual impairment and blindness. Health education is necessary for the prevention of childhood eye injuries, as well as early presentation of children to eye care centers for the treatment of eye disorders.
Stress experienced during pediatric residency training. Its causes, consequences, recognition, and solutions.

In an EDITORIAL BOARD SPEAKS that appeared in AJDC last year, Ferry 1 addressed the issue of burnout experienced by pediatric residents, faculty, and practitioners. She cited the occurrence of four pediatric resident suicides in a major pediatric teaching hospital in the previous year and a 10% incidence of serious emotional difficulties among pediatric residents in four other training programs, which led those residents either to take a protracted leave of absence or to leave training altogether. These events and others led her to realize that the current structure of most pediatric residency programs can lead to an inhumane and unhealthy existence and to the potential for serious mental and physical impairment during training and later in life. She is quite correct; however, such stressful training also engenders decreased quality of medical care and of the education that residency training is supposed to provide. The subject
Men’s Crops and Women’s Crops: The Importance of Gender to the Understanding of Agricultural and Development Outcomes in Ghana’s Central Region

Summary The study of gender and development is an area of inquiry fraught with tension between “theoretical” and “practical” concerns. This article seeks to intervene in the standoff between these concerns by examining the mismatch between the conclusions one can draw about gendered patterns of agriculture in Ghana if one adopts either a “mainstream” or a feminist post-structuralist approach to gender. By illustrating the ways in which mainstream approaches to gender and development conceal important variability in the vulnerabilities experienced by those often lumped into the categories of “woman” and “man,” this examination shows how contemporary writing on gender and development might inform “practical” development efforts in a manner that results in measurably improved project outcomes.
Detection of Cancer Metastases with a Dual-labeled Near-Infrared/Positron Emission Tomography Imaging Agent

By dual labeling a targeting moiety with both nuclear and optical probes, the ability for noninvasive imaging and intraoperative guidance may be possible. Herein, the ability to detect metastasis in an immunocompetent animal model of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2)-positive cancer metastases using positron emission tomography (PET) and near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence imaging is demonstrated. METHODS: (64Cu-DOTA)n-trastuzumab-(IRDye800)m was synthesized, characterized, and administered to female Balb/c mice subcutaneously inoculated with highly metastatic 4T1.2neu/R breast cancer cells. (64Cu-DOTA)n-trastuzumab-(IRDye800)m (150 µg, 150 µCi, m = 2, n = 2) was administered through the tail vein at weeks 2 and 6 after implantation, and PET/computed tomography and NIR fluorescence imaging were performed 24 hours later. Results were compared with the detection capabilities of F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (18FDG-PET). RESULTS: Primary tumors were visualized with 18FDG and (64Cu-DOTA)n-trastuzumab-(IRDye800)m, but resulting metastases were identified only with the dual-labeled imaging agent. 64Cu-PET imaging detected lung metastases, whereas ex vivo NIR fluorescence showed uptake in regions of lung, skin, skeletal muscle, and lymph nodes, which corresponded with the presence of cancer cells as confirmed by histologic hematoxylin and eosin stains. In addition to detecting the agent in lymph nodes, the high signal-to-noise ratio from NIR fluorescence imaging enabled visualization of channels between the primary tumor and the axillary lymph nodes, suggesting a lymphatic route for trafficking cancer cells. Because antibody clearance occurs through the liver, we could not distinguish between nonspecific uptake and liver metastases. CONCLUSION: (64Cu-DOTA)n-trastuzumab-(IRDye800)m may be an effective diagnostic imaging agent for staging HER-2-positive breast cancer patients and intraoperative resection.
Brown ground: a soil carbon analogue for the green world hypothesis?

Abstract: For many decades, ecologists have asked what prevents herbivores from consuming most of the plant biomass in terrestrial ecosystems, or “Why is the world green?” Here I ask the analogous question for detritivores: what prevents them from degrading most of the organic material in soils, or “Why is the ground brown?” For fresh plant detritus, constraints on decomposition closely parallel constraints on herbivory: both herbivore and decomposer populations may be controlled by plant tissue chemistry from the bottom up and predators from the top down. However, the majority of soil carbon is not plant litter but carbon that has been consumed by detritivores and reprocessed into humic compounds with complex and random chemical structures. This carbon persists mainly because the chemical properties of humic compounds and interactions with soil minerals constrain decomposition by extracellular enzymes in soil. Other constraints on decomposers, such as nutrient limitation of enzyme production and competit...
Sun-pumped lasers: revisiting an old problem with nonimaging optics.

The techniques of nonimaging optics have permitted the production of a world-record intensity of sunlight, 72 W/mm2, by using a sapphire concentrator. Such an intensity exceeds the intensity of light at the surface of the Sun itself (63 W/mm2) by 15% and may have useful applications in pumping lasers, which require high intensities of light to function. The author describes the production of high-intensity sunlight and reports its application in generating over 3 W of laser power from a 72.5-cm-diameter telescope mirror at an efficiency exceeding that typically attained in approaches not involving nonimaging optics.
Graviresponsiveness and abscisic-acid content of roots of carotenoid-deficient mutants of Zea mays L

The abscisic-acid (ABA) content of roots of the carotenoid-deficient w-3, vp-5, and vp-7 mutants of Z. mays was analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry with an analysis sensitivity of 6 ng ABA g-1 fresh weight (FW). Roots of normal seedlings of the same lines were characterized by the following amounts of ABA (as ng ABA g-1 FW, +/- standard deviation): w-3, 279 +/- 43; vp-5, 237 +/- 26; vp-7, 338 +/- 61. We did not detect any ABA in roots of any of the mutants. Thus, the lack of carotenoids in these mutants correlated positively with the apparent absence of ABA. Primary roots of normal and mutant seedlings were positively gravitropic, with no significant differences in the curvatures of roots of normal as compared with mutant seedlings. These results indicate that ABA 1) is synthesized in maize roots via the carotenoid pathway, and 2) is not necessary for positive gravitropism by primary roots of Z. mays.