cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
NANOSCALE FIELD IONIZATION SENSORS: A REVIEW

So far, one of the most promising applications of nanoscale science and technology has been in the area of field emission. The electric field amplification effects associated with sharp nanostructure tips can be used to significantly reduce the emission voltages. Another equally promising area that also takes advantage of the field amplification effects is the area of field ionization. The extremely high electrical fields generated near the vicinity of sharp nanostructure tips can be used to ionize chemical or biological species at a fraction of the voltage of a traditional ionizer. In this article we review two of the very first reported papers related to nanoscale field ionization published by our group at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. The first paper describes a carbon nanotube gas ionizer, which shows potential for gas sensing applications. The second paper describes an ultra low-power gas ionizer featuring β-phase Tungsten nanorod electrodes. We end with a review of the major challenges that ...
Machines, Medication, Modulation: Circuits Of Dependency And Self-Care In Las Vegas

The intensive entertainment infrastructure of Las Vegas is overlaid with a robust therapeutic network for those who become addicted to its technologies. Although the objectives of gambling machines and addiction therapeutics are seemingly at odds--the first work to encourage play, the second to stop it--both gear their interventions around a model of the self as a continuum of behavioral potentials that can be externally modulated. For compulsive gamblers implicated in this circuit of modulation, pharmaceutical drugs that have been prescribed to dampen cravings for machine play sometimes function as intensifiers of its effects. Caught in an intractable play between technologies of harm and technologies of care, recovering gambling addicts are challenged to assemble a technical array through which they can maintain balance; health itself, for these individuals, becomes a state of managed dependency. This essay explores the shifting terms and changing stakes of subjectivity and health in the contemporary United States by way of ethnographic research on compulsive gamblers who live and work in Las Vegas. The analysis draws on interviews with gamblers as well as on observations in local self-help groups, directed group therapy sessions, and chat rooms of Internet recovery Web sites.
Surface phases of Se deposited on Ni(001)

Reflection electron diffraction and Auger electron spectroscopy have been used to study the temperature versus coverage (T versus θ) phase diagram for Se submonolayers on Ni(001). Disordered, p(2×2) and c(2×2) phases are observed for θ 0.5) lead to bulk compound formation for substrate temperatures T>350 K with the only distinguishable diffraction pattern being c(4×4). The p(2×2)-disorder and c(2×2)-disorder transitions appear to be continuous (second-order) over the range observed. The character of the p(2×2)−c(2×2) transition may also be continuous but this cannot be unambiguously determined from the data. Symmetry arguments predict the Se/Ni(001) system to be a realization of the Ashkin-Teller model and thus make specific predictions which need to be confirmed in future studies. Good agreement with the phase diagram is obtained using a transfer matrix scaling calculation with up to fourth-nearest-neighbor pairwise interactions.
Renal failure associated with vesicoureteral reflux

In a review of over 600 charts with a major diagnosis of vesicoureteral reflux only 21 were found to have coexisting azotemia. Nine of 11 patients treated surgically with technically successful operations had either improvement or stabilization of their renal function. All such cases had moderate degrees of azotemia (creatinine of less than 3.5 mg. per 100 ml.). Surgery is recommended in cases of gross reflux and in cases with evidence of parenchymal damage, before deterioration in renal function has become irreversible.
Excitatory synapses in the rat superficial dorsal horn are strengthened following peripheral inflammation during early postnatal development

Peripheral inflammation can cause prolonged changes in pain sensitivity if it occurs during a critical period of early postnatal development, suggesting that neonatal pain circuits respond to tissue damage in a fundamentally different manner. However, the effects of early tissue injury on the function of emergent central pain networks have yet to be characterized at the synaptic level. Here, we investigated whether inflammation at different postnatal ages has distinct consequences for synaptic function in the superficial dorsal horn (SDH) of the rat spinal cord using in vitro patch-clamp techniques. Subcutaneous injections of carrageenan (CARR) into the hindpaw at postnatal day (P) 2 significantly increased the frequency, but not amplitude, of miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents (mEPSCs) in P3-4 SDH neurons compared to naive controls, while no changes were observed at inhibitory synapses onto the same neurons. The paired-pulse ratio of evoked EPSCs was unaltered by CARR at P2, suggesting that the elevation in mEPSC frequency following inflammation does not reflect an enhanced probability of glutamate release within the SDH. The potentiation of glutamatergic synapses did not persist beyond the duration of the injury, as the observed difference in mEPSC frequency had resolved by P10-11. In contrast, peripheral inflammation at P9 or P17 failed to significantly alter excitatory or inhibitory synaptic efficacy in the SDH. Meanwhile, carrageenan decreased the inward rectification of AMPAR-mediated currents throughout the first three postnatal weeks. These data suggest that distinct synaptic mechanisms may underlie central sensitization in the immature and mature spinal cords under pathological conditions.
A novel algorithm for automatic document clustering

Internet has become an indispensible part of today's life. World Wide Web (WWW) is the largest shared information source. Finding relevant information on the WWW is challenging. To respond to a user query, it is difficult to search through the large number of returned documents with the presence of today's search engines. There is a need to organize a large set of documents into categories through clustering. The documents can be a user query or simply a collection of documents. Document clustering is the task of combining a set of documents into clusters so that intra cluster documents are similar to each other than inter cluster documents. Partitioning and Hierarchical algorithms are commonly used for document clustering. Existing partitioning algorithms have the limitation that the number of clusters has to be given as input and the clustering result depends on this input. If the number of clusters is not known, results are not acceptable. In this paper, we have developed a novel algorithm which generates number of clusters automatically for any unknown text dataset and clusters the documents appropriately based on Cosine Similarity between them. We have also detected zero clustering issue in partitioning algorithm and solved it using our novel algorithm.
Remediation, land use, and risk at Hanford

U.S. Department of Energy (US DOE) remediation responsibilities include the Hanford site in Washington State. Cleanup is governed by the Tri-Party Agreement (TPA) between the US DOE as the responsible party and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Washington State Department of Ecology as joint regulators. In 2003, the US DOE desired to implement a “Risk-Based End State” (RBES) policy at Hanford, with remediation measures driven by acceptable risk standards using exposure scenarios based on the 1999 Hanford Comprehensive Land-Use Plan. Facing resistance from regulators and stakeholders, the US DOE solicited public input on its policy. This led to a Hanford Site End State Vision in 2005 and a commitment that the TPA would continue to control remediation. This article describes how regulator and public participation modified RBES to an end-state vision. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Chiral dihydropyranones via hetero Diels-Alder reaction of Danishefsky's diene and α-ketoesters: a high-throughput screening approach

Abstract The chiral Lewis acid-catalyzed hetero Diels–Alder reaction between Danishefsky's diene and sterically hindered α-ketoesters has been optimized using a validated high-throughput screening method. The yields and enantioselectivities of three chiral dihydropyranones obtained by this multi-substrate one-pot screening approach are in excellent agreement with individual screening results. Employing ethyl benzoylformate, ethyl 3-methyl-2-oxobutyrate, and dihydro-4,4-dimethyl-2,3-furandione in one reaction mixture allowed a fast evaluation of chiral Lewis acid composition, solvent, temperature, catalyst loading, and dienophile concentration. The crude product mixtures were analyzed by HPLC using two chiral stationary phases coupled in series to avoid time-consuming work-up procedures.
The Two-Dimensional Stability of a Viscous Fluid between Rotating Cylinders

The problem of a steady motion of a viscous incompressible fluid between two rotating coaxial cylinders (Couette flow) is considered. It is shown by operator theory that it is linearly stable with respect to two dimensional disturbances under all circumstances. The proof is based on a lemma which can be generalized to apply to other problems with a similar structure.
System for Counting Endothelial Cells from Transparencies and Negatives

We have developed a system for endothelial cell density calculation and morphologic examination, which has proven to be convenient and reproducible, by using a currently available viewing unit, a few inexpensive materials, and simple arithmetic.
Effects of age on prognosis with imatinib mesylate therapy for patients with Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myelogenous leukemia.

BACKGROUND Older age is a consistent poor prognostic factor in patients with Philadelphia chromosome (Ph)-positive chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). Whether this is related to an intrinsic worse disease biology or to inadequate drug delivery or excessive treatment-associated toxicity is unknown. The availability of imatinib mesylate, a selective, Bcr-Abl-targeted therapy that is administered orally with minimal side effects, may clarify whether older age would remain an adverse factor (thus, implying a different age-related CML biology). METHODS Seven hundred forty-seven patients in different phases of Ph-positive CML who were treated with imatinib from 1999 until the time of last follow-up were evaluated. Among them, 187 patients had newly diagnosed, early chronic phase CML; 351 patients had chronic phase CML after interferon α (IFN) failure; 133 patients had accelerated phase CML; and 76 patients had blastic phase CML. The imatinib daily dose varied from 400 mg to 800 mg orally, according to the protocol design. Patients were categorized into a group of older patients (age 60 years or older) or younger patients (age younger than 60 years). Their characteristics, responses to therapy, and survival were compared by univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS One hundred eighty-seven patients had newly diagnosed CML, and 49 patients (26%) were in the older age group. Older patients had similar cytogenetic response rates and survival compared with younger patients. Among 351 patients with late chronic phase CML after IFN failure, 120 patients (34%) were in the older age group. Although the older patients had a lower incidence of achievement of complete cytogenetic response (Ph, 0%) by univariate analysis (56% vs. 44%; P = 0.05), age was not found to be an independent poor prognostic factor in the multivariate analysis. Similarly, older age was not an adverse poor prognostic factor for survival. Forty-two of 133 patients (32%) with accelerated phase CML were older. The incidence of any cytogenetic response was lower in older patients (53% vs. 33%; P = 0.04), but age was not significant in the multivariate analysis. Older patients also had a trend toward worse survival (P = 0.09) that was not significant in the multivariate analysis. Twenty-eight of 76 patients (37%) evaluated in blastic phase were older. Older age was not a significant prognostic factor either for achieving response or for survival. CONCLUSIONS With imatinib therapy, older age appears to have lost much of its prognostic relevance. This suggests that the previous poor prognosis observed with older age was related to treatment-associated factors (e.g., toxicity with allogeneic transplantation or with IFN therapy) rather than to an intrinsic, different disease biology of CML in older patients. Cancer 2003;98:1105–13. © 2003 American Cancer Society. DOI 10.1002/cncr.11629
Cation-Directed Structure Changes in Polyoxometalate Chemistry. Equilibria between Isomers of Bis(9-tungstophosphatodioxouranate(VI)) Complexes

The first examples of polyoxometalates incorporating uranyl hetero groups have been synthesized by reaction of Na9(A-PW9O34) with UO2(NO3)2. Sodium, ammonium, and potassium salts of (M2(UO2)2- (PW9O34)2) 12- (M ) Na, NH4, K) were characterized by P and W NMR spectroscopy and single-crystal structural analysis. The sodium salt (1) contains an anion of Ci symmetry in which two PW9O34 groups sandwich two UO2 2+ and two Na + cations. The uranium atoms have pentagonal-bipyramidal coordination, achieved by three equatorial bonds to one PW9O34 and two bonds to the other. The sodium cations have approximate tetrahedral coordination geometry. Single-line P and five-line W NMR spectra confirm that the anion structure is maintained in solutions containing excess Na + . The ammonium and potassium salts contain anions in which the UO2 2+ cations (pentagonal bipyramids) are unsymmetrically sandwiched between the PW9O34 groups, as are two closely associated cations, one internal and one external. In solution both, salts give two-line P and nine-line W NMR spectra that are consistent with the solid-state structures. Solution equilibria are rapidly established between the two structure types and are dependent upon the concentrations and identities of the cations. Based on integrated P NMR spectra, the equilibrium constants for (Na2(UO2)2(PW9O34)2) 12- + 2M + T (M2(UO2)2(PW9O34)2) 12- + 2Na + are 128 ( 12 (M ) K + ) and 1.8 ( 0.8 (M ) NH4 + ). The requirement of the second cation in order to satisfy the mass-action expression for Keq, coupled with a W NMR spectrum that implies Cs symmetry, demonstrates that the external ion-paired cation undergoes rapid exchange between several surface sites of the heteropolyanion. Solutions of 1 are stable at pH 7 in the presence of excess sodium cations, and the anion is transferable into toluene by phase-transfer techniques. Addition of calcium ions to solutions of 1 generates a new one-line P NMR spectrum of a Ca derivative which is assumed to be isostructural with 1.
Kindergarten Students' Qualitative Responses to Different Instructional Strategies During the Horizontal Jump

Background: The teaching strategies of modeling and the use of cue words are employed by both experienced and inexperienced teachers. While these strategies have received some attention in the literature, the effectiveness of these strategies in terms of the resultant change in the quality or kinematics of the motor skill performance has been limited. Purpose: To investigate the influence of cue words, when given independently and in conjunction with a modeled performance, on the qualitative or process characteristics (kinematics) of a motor skill. Participants and setting: Thirty kindergarten children participated in this study from a rural school in southern USA. Research design: A repeated measures design was employed to expose the participants to several teaching methodologies. Random assignment to order of methodology presentation was utilized. Data collection: Participants were pre-tested on the horizontal jump, initiated by the command, ‘jump as far as you can’. The participants were then randomly ...
Synthetic byproducts of tocopherol oxidation as inhibitors of platelet function

Vitamin E and its fully oxidized form tocopherol quinone are known inhibitors of platelet aggregation. Previous results from our laboratory have shown that the quinone was approximately equal in effectiveness to vitamin E. A recent report of a far greater inhibitory activity of the quinone produced by nitric acid oxidation of vitamin E prompted this investigation. Our studies show that the unusually high inhibition of platelet aggregation, release and cyclooxygenase activity associated with nitric acid oxidized vitamin E is due to byproducts of the oxidation process and not due to tocopherol quinone. Treatment of vitamin E acetate, a substance of mild effect on aggregation and arachidonate metabolism of platelets, with nitric acid did not produce tocopherol quinone but exerted as potent an inhibition as oxidized vitamin E. We conclude that nitric acid oxidation is unsuitable for preparation of tocopherol quinone unless the latter is carefully isolated. Oxidation with permanganate proved to be an alternate method without these difficulties.
Sidewall gate controlled diode for the measurement of silicon selective epitaxial growth-SiO/sub 2/ interface defects

The sidewall gate controlled diode (SGCD) device structure for the measurement and evaluation of electrical defects near the vertical silicon-SiO/sub 2/ sidewall interface associated with low-temperature low-pressure silicon selective epitaxial growth technologies is discussed. Initial results give evidence that the SGCD operates as intended and is useful for quantifying the sidewall interface defects. The initial analysis of the sidewall interface indicates that the defects present are bulk defects near the interface and not dangling bonds or other defects at the interface. The next step toward understanding the nature of the sidewall defects is to investigate the dependence of the sidewall surface recombination velocity and near sidewall lifetime on various process variables. >
Torsional rigidity of non-circular bars in mechanisms and machines

Abstract Determining the exact value of the torsional rigidity for cylindrical bars is limited to a few cross-sections. Exact solutions can be found in Mathematical Theory of Elasticity [Sokonlnikoff, Mathematical Theory of Elasticity, McGraw-Hill, New York, pp. 120] for the circle, ellipse and equilateral triangle. Good approximations for rectangular cross-sections are available in Theory of Elasticity, [Timoshenko, Goodier, Theory of Elasticity, McGraw-Hill, New York, p. 309] and approximations for various cross-sections such as trapezoids, isosceles triangle, semicircles, circles with a keyway, etc. are found in handbooks such as the one written by Roark [p. 309]. A method to approximate the torsional rigidity of any cylindrical solid cross-section is presented on this paper. Cross sections are classified by similarity to an ellipse, rectangle and/or a triangle. An aspect ratio of length to width is used as the second criteria to enter a graph where the torsional rigidity of the cross-section is given as a ratio to that of a circle of equal area.
Effect of surface diffusion on the creep of thin films and sintered arrays of particles

An analysis is presented that illustrates the effect of surface diffusion on the creep of a uniform, sintered array of cylinders. The analysis is also appropriate for describing the creep of thin films bonded to substrates when there is no interfacial diffusion. The first part of the paper presents an analytical solution which can be obtained when it is assumed that a constant flux of matter out of the grain boundary is maintained. This solution illustrates the important physical phenomenon behind the problem in that a finite surface diffusivity causes a back stress to be developed owing to the enhanced surface curvatures in the region of the grain boundary. In the latter portion of the paper, this analytical solution is used to generate numerical solutions for more practical boundary conditions, and to illustrate the effects of finite boundary lengths.
2-D Phased Array Processing In Bulk Wave Acoustic Media

As a starting point for understanding the utility of focused acoustic wave devices it is useful to consider the operation of the electromagnetic antenna array. The aperture of the array can be considered as the aperture of a large camera lens. If such a lens were present, the electromagnetic radiaton received by the array would be imaged in the focal plane at a point corresponding to the location of the source. This concept is illustrated in Figure(1). The widely used parabolic dish antenna is a limited embodiment of this principle with a single image point or beam on the reflector axis. In the case of an array the antenna elements in the aperture sample the fields at discrete points (really smaller subapertures) and use various methods of combining the resulting signals to form approximations to the "images" at various angular locations or beam directions. In most cases it is simply not practical to put a physical lens or imaging reflector in the aperture location and place real sensors (feed horns) at the image points. Acoustic wave devices can be used to reduce the scale of the problem so that wave imaging approaches to beam forming become practical. Suppose that an array of acoustic radiating elements is arranged in a manner that exactly corresponds to the physical arrangement of the electromagnetic array elements. That is; the frequency is the same and the acoustic radiator spacing measured in acoustic wavelengths is identical to the electromagnetic element spacing measured in electromagnetic wavelengths. Under these circumstances the acoustic wave reconstructed from the aperture samples is a scaled replica of the electromagnetic wave incident on the array. The scale factor is equal to the ratio of the electromagnetic wave velocity to the acoustic wave velocity. This ratio is typically on the order of ten to the power five for useful acoustic materials. The possibility of forming an image of the far field source distribution becomes much more attractive when this scale factor is applied. This paper will deal with the design parameters of such an imaging system for a modest size (on the order of 10 X 10 elements) two dimensional array operating in the low gHz range.
Preparation of boron-carbon compounds, including crystalline B2C material, by chemical vapor deposition☆

B-C compounds have been deposited by the flow, over a surface maintained at 1000–1600 °C, of boron trichloride and carbon tetrachloride in the presence of a large excess of hydrogen as the flow gas. Use of an r.f. generator and deposition on a graphite disc led, for BCl3CCl4 ratios in the incoming gases of 4:1 to 9:1 and deposition at 1250–1275 °C, to microcrystalline materials of composition B4C. Experiments using an Astro Furnace with deposition on the walls of a graphite tube gave, at 1010–1185 °C and with a BCl3CCl4 ratio of 9:1, roughly hexagonal plates of composition B5.6C. Similar experiments, but using a graphite insert, designed to impede the flow of the gases, leads, as one moves along the insert, to initial crusty deposits of high boron content (at 960–1060 °C), hexagonal plates (at 1070–1150 °C) and finally (at 1250-1170 °C) to well developed needles (up to 1 mm in length); these needles were analyzed and have compositions within the range B2.0C to B2.4C.
On Effective Methods to Teach Mechanical Design

The Mechanical Engineering Department of the Pennsylvania State University has created a “real world” approach to the teaching of mechanical design. This paper describes the efforts to restructure the teaching methods and integrate more effectively the knowledge of the design of machine elements through an open-ended case study approach. It is a “just-in-time” learning method which uses the text book as a reference and prepares the students for their “capstone” design course, The “capstone” design course also has been redesigned to emphasize teamwork, scheduling, communication, ethics, and economics as well as application of analysis and prototype construction.
Role of transesophageal echocardiography in the management of patients with bronchogenic carcinoma invading the left atrium

TEE played a significant role in the management of 2 patients by defining the extent of cardiac invasion. We believe TEE would be helpful in patients presenting with thoracic tumors believed to be encroaching on cardiac structures, where consideration is being given to surgical resection of the tumor.
Long-term Results of Continuous Oxygen Therapy at Sea Level

Twelve patients with hypoxemia associated with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were treated with continuous portable oxygen therapy and have been followed up for a mean period of 25.2 months at sea level. Pulmonary function testing has revealed no further significant deterioration at long-term follow-up (17 months). After oxygen therapy was initiated, arterial carbon dioxide tension increased slightly, but decreased to pretreatment levels when patients were allowed to breathe room air. The electrocardiogram, which was unchanged at one month, has shown some reversal of cor pulmonale in five patients. Six patients have died, yielding a 56 percent survival rate at two-and-one-half years by the life table analysis. Five patients were autopsied, with possible oxygen toxicity being present in only one. The quality of life in our patients was improved and was especially represented by a reduction in hospital admissions for respiratory illness. We believe that continuous oxygen therapy is beneficial and worthwhile economically in certain patients.
Ectopic expression of eIF2Bε in rat skeletal muscle rescues the sepsis-induced reduction in guanine nucleotide exchange activity and protein synthesis

Eukaryotic initiation factor 2B (eIF2B) is a guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) whose activity is both tightly regulated and rate-controlling with regard to global rates of protein synthesis. Skeletal muscle eIF2B activity and expression of its catalytic e-subunit (eIF2Be) have been implicated as potential contributors to the altered rates of protein synthesis in a number of physiological conditions and experimental models. The objective of this study was to directly examine the effects of exogenously expressed eIF2Be in vivo on GEF activity and protein synthetic rates in rat skeletal muscle. A plasmid encoding FLAG-eIF2Be was transfected into the tibialis anterior (TA) of one leg, while the contralateral TA received a control plasmid. Ectopic expression of eIF2Be resulted in increased GEF activity in TA homogenates of healthy rats, demonstrating that the expressed protein was catalytically active. In an effort to restore a deficit in eIF2B activity, we utilized an established model of chronic sepsis in which skeletal muscle eIF2B activity is known to be impaired. Ectopic expression of eIF2Be in the TA rescued the sepsis-induced deficit in GEF activity and muscle protein synthesis. The results demonstrate that modulation of eIF2Be expression may be sufficient to correct deficits in skeletal muscle protein synthesis associated with sepsis and other muscle-wasting conditions.
Skill-specific rather than General Education: A Reason for US-Europe Growth Differences? ∗

In this paper, we develop a model of technology adoption and economic growth in which households optimally obtain either a concept-based, “general” education or a skill-specific, “vocational” education. General education is costly to obtain, but enables workers to operate new production technologies. Firms weigh the cost of adopting and operating new technologies against increased profits and optimally choose the level of adoption. We show that an economy whose policies favor vocational education will grow slower in equilibrium than one that favors general education. More importantly, the gap between their growth rates will increase with the growth rate of available technology. By characterizing the optimal Ramsey education policy we also demonstrate that the optimal subsidy for general education increases with the growth rate of available technology. Our theory suggests that European education policies that favored specialized, vocational education might have worked well, both in terms of growth rates and welfare, during the 1960s and 1970s when available technologies changed slowly. However, in the information age of the 1980s and 1990s when new technologies emerged at a more rapid pace, they might have contributed to an increased growth gap relative to the United States.
Impact of Data Placement on Parallel I/O Systems

The I/O performance of several concurrent external merge jobs sharing a parallel I/O system is studied. The placement of the runs is found to have a significant impact on performance. Placements leading to serialization among jobs were identified and analyzed, and solutions discussed. Contrary to the behavior of a single merge, increasing the buffer size in this situation may actually degrade performance.
Delta MGMT-Transduced Bone Marrow Infusion Increases Tolerance to O6-Benzylguanine and 1,3-Bis(2-chloroethyl)1-nitrosourea and Allows Intensive Therapy of 1,3-Bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea-Resistant Human Colon Cancer Xenografts

O6-Benzylguanine (BG) is a potent inhibitor of the DNA repair protein 06-alkylguanine DNA alkyltransferase (AGT), and sensitizes tumors to BCNU in vitro and in xenografts. The combination of BG and BCNU is now undergoing phase I clinical testing. The maximally tolerated dose of BCNU given after BG is expected to be lower then the doses tolerated as a single agent owing to BG sensitization of hematopoietic progenitors. We have previously shown that retroviral expression of G156A mutant MGMT (deltaMGMT) in mouse and human marrow cells results in significant BG and BCNU resistance. In this study we evaluated the effect of deltaMGMT-transduced marrow infusion on the therapeutic index of multiple BG and BCNU treatments in tumor-bearing nude (nu/nu athymic) mice. Prior to subcutaneous implantation of BCNU-resistant SW480 human colon cancer cells, cohorts of mice were given intraperitoneal injections of nonablative doses of BG (30 mg/kg) and BCNU (10 mg/kg, one-half of the LD10) and then infused with 1-2 x 10(6) isogeneic deltaMGMT (n = 29 mice) or lacZ-transduced (n = 20 mice) marrow cells. The xenograft-bearing mice were treated with multiple cycles of BG (30 mg/kg) and BCNU (10-25 mg/kg). After three cycles, deltaMGMT mouse bone marrow was repopulated with CFU containing the provirus, and demonstrated a 2.7-fold increase in AGT activity and a 5.5-fold increase in BCNU IC90 compared with LacZ mice. After five cycles, the BCNU IC90 of CFU cells increased nine-fold over control cells, indicating selective enrichment of CFU precursor cells expressing high levels of deltaMGMT. Starting with the third cycle of therapy, tolerance to BG and BCNU was significantly improved in deltaMGMT mice compared with LacZ mice, as evidenced by preserved peripheral blood counts, bone marrow cellularity, and CFU content 1 and 2 weeks posttreatment and a significantly higher survival rate. Xenograft growth was significantly delayed in mice tolerating multiple cycles and higher dose intensity of BG and BCNU as compared with mice receiving less intensive therapy. We conclude that deltaMGMT-transduced marrow cells can improve the therapeutic index of BG and BCNU by selectively repopulating the marrow and providing significant marrow tolerance to this combination, allowing intensive therapy of a BCNU-resistant tumor.
Ibutilide: An Antiarrhythmic Agent for the Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation or Flutter

OBJECTIVE:To discuss the clinical pharmacology of the antiarrhythmic drug ibutilide in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) or atrial flutter (AFl).DATA SOURCES:A MEDLINE search (January 1983–December 1997) was used to identify pertinent English-language articles on ibutilide. Key search terms included ibutilide, AF, AFl, cardioversion, and sinus rhythm. The MEDLINE search was supplemented by references included in the bibliographies of comprehensive review articles and studies.STUDY SELECTION:Studies and review articles describing the chemistry, pharmacology, and pharmacokinetics of ibutilide were selected. All abstracts and published clinical trials evaluating the efficacy and safety were reviewed.DATA EXTRACTION:Pertinent information on the pharmacology and mechanism of action of ibutilide was summarized. Data were extracted from the clinical trials describing trial design, patient population, interventions, methods of evaluation, outcomes, and statistical significance.DATA SYNTHESIS:Ibutilide is a V...
Jurisdictional Borderlands: Extraterritoriality and “Legal Chameleons” in Precolonial Alexandria, 1840–1870

This essay highlights the role of thousands of nineteenth-century Alexandrian residents with multiple extraterritorial legal identities. The manner with which extraterritoriality was practiced in Egypt effectively gave Western consulates legal jurisdiction not only over their citizens but also over all those able, through whatever means, to acquire protege status. Many Alexandrians acquired legal protection from multiple consulates, shifting their legal identities in order to maximize their immediate social and economic interests. These legal realities present historians with the dilemma of how to account for and “classify” this highly flexible and syncretic society. I strive to answer this question through the use of a borderland lens. Realizing that the heart of Egypt's borderland society was legal has led me to consider the concept of “jurisdictional borderland” as a productive method for examining the complexity of Egypt's nineteenth-century heterogeneous population. I define a jurisdictional borderland as a significant contact zone where there are multiple, often competing legal authorities and where some level of jurisdictional ambiguity exists. Jurisdictional borderlanders have their own unique and independent agenda that often conflicts with many of the competing “national” or imperial positions. Without an allegiance to any single government—be it Egyptian, Ottoman, or Western—and living in a peripheral environment with multiple, separate, and often competing “national” institutions, these borderlanders thrived in the jurisdictional spaces created in between multiple authorities. I conclude by suggesting how a jurisdictional borderland lens is useful for globally investigating other colonial and precolonial cities, many of which had similar extraterritorial legal systems.
Bradyrhizobium japonicum bacteroid appendages expressed in senescing and argon-treated soybean nodules

Bradyrhizobium japonicum bacteroids in soybean nodules expressed fibrillar appendages during senescence. In both scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM and TEM), these structures were observed to connect adjacent bacteroids, and bacteroids to symbiotic membranes. They were 20–25 nm in diameter, 100–2,500 nm in length and were linear, branched, or part of a web-like matrix. Bacteroids expressing appendages were not uniformly distributed, but were abundant within localized regions in the senescing nodule. The root systems of nodulated greenhouse-grown plants flushed with argon induced the appendages at earlier plant ages, and they were more prolific and wide spread than those in untreated nodules. Bradyrhizobium japonicum symbiotic appendages appear to be a response to an environmental niche within senescing nodules.
Structured Decision-Making and Rapid Prototyping to Plan a Management Response to an Invasive Species

Abstract We developed components of a decision structure that could be used in an adaptive management framework for responding to invasion of hemlock woolly adelgid Adeleges tsugae on the Cumberland Plateau of northern Tennessee. Hemlock woolly adelgid, an invasive forest pest, was first detected in this area in 2007. We used a structured decision-making process to identify and refine the management problem, objectives, and alternative management actions, and to assess consequences and tradeoffs among selected management alternatives. We identified four fundamental objectives: 1) conserve the aquatic and terrestrial riparian conservation targets, 2) protect and preserve hemlock, 3) develop and maintain adequate budget, and 4) address public concerns. We designed two prototype responses using an iterative process. By rapidly prototyping a first solution, insights were gained and shortcomings were identified, and some of these shortcomings were incorporated and corrected in the second prototype. We found th...
Cognitive Biases, Linguistic Universals, and Constraint-Based Grammar Learning

According to classical arguments, language learning is both facilitated and constrained by cognitive biases. These biases are reflected in linguistic typology-the distribution of linguistic patterns across the world's languages-and can be probed with artificial grammar experiments on child and adult learners. Beginning with a widely successful approach to typology (Optimality Theory), and adapting techniques from computational approaches to statistical learning, we develop a Bayesian model of cognitive biases and show that it accounts for the detailed pattern of results of artificial grammar experiments on noun-phrase word order (Culbertson, Smolensky, & Legendre, 2012). Our proposal has several novel properties that distinguish it from prior work in the domains of linguistic theory, computational cognitive science, and machine learning. This study illustrates how ideas from these domains can be synthesized into a model of language learning in which biases range in strength from hard (absolute) to soft (statistical), and in which language-specific and domain-general biases combine to account for data from the macro-level scale of typological distribution to the micro-level scale of learning by individuals.
The effects of aquaculture on bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops sp.) ranging in Shark Bay, Western Australia

The increasing presence of aquaculture in coastal waters calls for a better understanding of its environmental effects. Currently little information is available on the impact of shellfish farms on cetaceans. Here we compare long-term ranging patterns of adult female bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops sp. in Shark Bay, Western Australia) before and during full-scale pearl oyster farming operations, to determine if they were displaced. When the exact location of the oyster farm was determined, the dolphins decreased their use of that area after the farm was in place. Tracks of adult female dolphin movement near the oyster farm were compared to tracks of dolphin movement near an ecologically similar area where no oyster farm existed. Tracks near the oyster farm were less likely to enter the oyster farm itself than tracks near an ecologically similar location. This suggests that shellfish aquaculture could have a large impact on small cetaceans. The analytical techniques discussed apply broadly to aquatic and terrestrial animals.
Specifying and dynamically verifying address translation-aware memory consistency

Computer systems with virtual memory are susceptible to design bugs and runtime faults in their address translation (AT) systems. Detecting bugs and faults requires a clear specification of correct behavior. To address this need, we develop a framework for AT-aware memory consistency models. We expand and divide memory consistency into the physical address memory consistency (PAMC) model that defines the behavior of operations on physical addresses and the virtual address memory consistency (VAMC) model that defines the behavior of operations on virtual addresses. As part of this expansion, we show what AT features are required to bridge the gap between PAMC and VAMC. Based on our AT-aware memory consistency specifications, we design efficient dynamic verification hardware that can detect violations of VAMC and thus detect the effects of design bugs and runtime faults, including most AT related bugs in published errata.
How do children perceive and act on dynamic affordances in crossing traffic-filled roads?

Successfully perceiving and acting on dynamic affordances is critical for children and adults to function. In our work, we look at how children cross roads as a model for understanding how they learn to perceive and act on dynamic affordances. Ten- to 14-year-old children and adults ride an interactive bicycling simulator through an immersive virtual environment where they cross intersections with continuous cross traffic. We consistently find developmental and individual differences in children's ability to tightly time their entry into the roadway relative to the lead car in the gap. Given that children do not adjust their gap choices to match their less precise timing abilities, children take more risks when crossing roads than adults. We conclude by discussing possible reasons for these developmental differences in movement timing.
Craniopharyngiomas: an update

Craniopharyngiomas have been challenging practitioners for over 100 years. These benign cystic tumors are thought to be a part of a continuum of ectodermal cystic lesions found in the suprasellar region. They are rare tumors found in both the adult and pediatric populations. Patients most often present with findings associated with ventricular outflow obstruction causing hydrocephalus, optic chiasm compression resulting in visual dysfunction or hypothalamic/pituitary compression leading to endocrinopathy. The mainstay of treatment involves a combination of radical or limited surgery followed by radiotherapy. Other adjunctive strategies include cyst fenestration, Ommaya catheter implantation and brachytherapy. Patients in general have high long-term survival but can have significant tumor- and treatment-associated morbidity requiring a lifetime of medical and psychological management.
Behavioral modification for institutionalized individuals with urinary incontinence

Abstract Objectives. To review the evaluation of urinary incontinence (UI) in institutionalized individuals and to discuss the use of behavioral modification in this population. Methods. The functional characteristics and patterns of incontinence typical of the institutionalized population are described to explain the rationale for the use of behavioral therapies. Results. Both mental and physical status must be evaluated when considering behavioral therapies for UI in institutionalized patients. Institutionalized individuals often have significant functional impairment that prevents the use of behavioral therapies requiring extensive patient participation. Assessments of bladder function and the severity of UI are also important when planning therapy. In appropriate candidates, a prompted voiding program can be expected to reduce the severity of incontinence and improve the quality of life, even though normal bladder control is rarely achieved. Standardized protocols for the implementation of a prompted voiding program have been developed. Conclusions. Few treatment options for UI are feasible for use in institutionalized individuals. However, prompted voiding can reduce the severity of UI in most of these patients and will thereby improve the quality of life.
An Interdisciplinary, Environmentally-Based Model of Care for Children with HIV Infection and Their Caregivers

In this paper we describe a home-based, interdisciplinary, environmentally-based model of intervention with children with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and their caregivers. The environmental perspective is focused on the animate and inanimate environments of the child and caregiver as the major agent of change. Following a detailed assessment of the supports and constraints of environments, the stress level and coping strategies of the caregiver, and the skills and capacities of the child, an interdisciplinary team meeting is held to summarize the data and make suggestions for intervention. The interdisciplinary team then develops an intervention plan which is shaped and guided by interactions and feedback with the caregiver. Effectiveness of the intervention is measured by specific outcomes reflecting enhanced competence in the caregiver and child as well as cost effectiveness. We anticipate that a program based on this model will address the need for cost effective, culturally relevant services fo...
A generalized region-based approach for multi-target tracking in outdoor environments

We propose a generalized region-based approach to multi-target tracking, which is applicable to structured and unstructured environments. In this approach each robot constructs virtual regions based on the latest tracking information from other robots. Without pre-partitioned region information, each robot independently estimates the most urgent region that needs to be visited. The idea is for robots to coarsely estimate where the targets are present, and to navigate there. A multi-robot system to track moving objects outdoors has been designed using this approach in order to validate the idea. The performance of the individual motion tracker; and the cooperative tracking behaviors is evaluated through experiments with different robot bases (a helicopter, a Segway RMP, and a Pioneer) and in simulation. Experimental results indicate that robots are able to distribute themselves appropriately in response to target movement.
Oral manifestations of erythema multiforme

Erythema multiforme is a reactive mucocutaneous disorder in a disease spectrum that comprises a self-limited, mild, exanthematic, cutaneous variant with minimal oral involvement (EM minor) to a progressive, fulminating, severe variant with extensive mucocutaneous epithelial necrosis (SJS and TEN). Significant differences exist among EM minor, EM major, SJS, and TEN with regards to severity and clinical expression; however, all variants share two common features: typical or less typical cutaneous target lesions and satellite-cell or more widespread necrosis of the epithelium. These features are considered to be sequelae of a cytotoxic immunologic attack on keratinocytes expressing non-self-antigens. These antigens are primarily microbial (viruses) or drugs and in rare instances histocompatibility antigens [5]. Although the precise pathogenesis is unknown, there is a tendency to consider EM both minor and major as part of one spectrum that is most often triggered by viral infections, and SJS and TEN as a separate one most often elicited by drugs with EM major and SJS representing a bridge in the continuum of EM. The oral manifestations of the spectrum of EM range from tender superficial erythematous and hyperkeratotic plaques to painful deep hemorrhagic bullae and erosions. Other mucosal surfaces including ocular, nasal, pharyngeal, laryngeal, upper respiratory, and anogenital may be involved. Scarring sequelae from ocular and pharyngeal involvement cause morbidity. The oral EM variant is an underrecognized form of EM. Most patients have chronic or recurrent oral lesions only, but one third have oral and lip lesions and one quarter have oral, lip, and skin lesions. This variant is a reaction pattern similar to EM minor, EM major, SJS, and TEN. The diagnosis of oral EM is one of exclusion. Careful clinical evaluation for other chronic mucocutaneous diseases, such as pemphigus, paraneoplastic pemphigus, mucous membrane pemphigoid, and lichen planus, is a necessary component of the diagnosis. The value of a biopsy specimen studied by both routine histopathologic and immunopathologic methods is fundamental to excluding the other causes for this variant of EM.
Some Aspects of Statistical Inference in a Markovian and Mixing Framework

This paper is a contribution to a special volume in memory of our departed colleague, Sidney Yakowitz, of the University of Arizona, Tucson.