cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
“One-Pot” Aminolysis/Thiol–Maleimide End-Group Functionalization of RAFT Polymers: Identifying and Preventing Michael Addition Side Reactions

We show that many of the nucleophiles (catalysts, reducing agents, amines, thiols) present during “one-pot” aminolysis/thiol–maleimide end-group functionalization of RAFT polymers can promote side reactions that substantially reduce polymer end-group functionalization efficiencies. The nucleophilic catalyst 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene and the reducing agent tributylphosphine were shown to initiate anionic polymerization of N-methylmaleimide (NMM) in both polar and nonpolar solvents whereas hexylamine-initiated polymerization of NMM occurred only in high-polarity solvents. Furthermore, triethylamine-catalyzed Michael reactions of the representative thiol ethyl 2-mercaptopropionate (E2MP) and NMM in polar solvents resulted in anionic maleimide polymerization when [NMM]0 > [E2MP]0. Base-catalyzed enolate formation on the α-carbon of thiol–maleimide adducts was also shown as an alternative initiation pathway for maleimide polymerization in polar solvents. Ultimately, optimal “one-pot” reaction conditio...
Characterizing gelatin hydrogel viscoelasticity with diffusing colloidal probe microscopy

In this study, we investigate viscoelasticity in gelatin hydrogels using diffusing colloidal probe microscopy (DCPM) to directly measure the elastic potential energy interaction between colloidal probes and the underlying viscoelastic media. Gelatin samples are prepared in four different concentrations between 0.3wt% and 0.6wt% to examine changes in viscoelasticity with concentration. A force balance describing the interaction between the colloidal probes and the hydrogel as a spring-damper system lead to a simple model for mean square displacement. A histogram of locations sampled by the colloidal probes is directly related to the elastic potential energy and the effective spring constant of the gelatin hydrogels. The effective spring constant is a fixed parameter used in the mean square displacement model to find effective viscosity. These parameters are comparable to viscoelastic parameters obtain by a microrheology analysis of two-dimensional mean square displacements. These results can serve as a guide for assessing hydrogel systems where viscoelastic properties are an important factor in biomaterial design.
Promising Treatments for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Call for Additional Research

Many patients with OCD respond partially or not at all to standard medications and cognitive behavioral therapy approaches, making alternate treatments necessary. We review the preliminary evidence that exists in support of the use of stimulants, high-dose caffeine, opiates, memantine, ondansetron, ketamine, and transcranial magnetic stimulation in some patients with OCD. Although limited by small or modest sample sizes, open-label study designs, and brief follow-up periods, studies suggest that each of these strategies can help some patients who have inadequately responded to first-line treatments. The existing data and the unmet needs of OCD patients justify research attention to further test these treatments' safety and efficacy. Previously untested drugs also deserve attention, especially as recent research has suggested new possible contributors to OCD pathophysiology. Similarly, psychotherapeutic interventions beyond CBT should be investigated, and treatments with preliminary evidence in OCD, including Acceptance Commitment Therapy, Danger Ideation Reduction Therapy, and technology-enabled interventions like computerized CBT and Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy, should be carefully tested.
Multi-modal and short-range transmission loss in thin, ice-covered, near-shore Arctic waters

In the past century, extensive research has been done regarding the sound propagation in Arctic ice sheets. The majority of this research has focused on low-frequency propagation over long distances. Due to changing climate conditions in these environments, experimentation is warranted to determine sound propagation characteristics in, through, and under first-year, thin ice sheets, in shallow water, over short distances. In April 2016 several experiments were conducted approximately 2 km off the coast of Barrow, Alaska on shore-fast, first-year ice, approximately 1 m thick. To determine the propagation characteristics of various sound sources, frequency response functions were measured between a source location and several receiver locations at various distances from 1 m to 1 km. The primary sources used for this experiment were, an underwater speaker with various tonal outputs, an instrumented impact hammer on the ice, and a propane cannon that produced an acoustic blast wave in air. The transmission loss (TL) characteristics of the multipath propagation (air, ice, water) are investigated and reported. Data indicate that TL in frequency bands between 125 and 2000 Hz varied from approximately 3–6 dB per doubling of distance which is consistent with geometrical spreading losses, cylindrical and spherical, respectively.
Ranking Law Schools Using Reported California Bar Exam Results: Some Observations and Conjectures

Law school rankings are ubiquitous and inevitable. That should not be surprising, since they may help prospective law students decide where to study and prospective employers decide which law schools’ graduates to hire. Unfortunately, none of the existing law school rankings are substantially based on measures of student learning outcomes, and most are not helpful in evaluating the relative performance of non-elite law schools. This article attempts to fill the gap in the literature by ranking law schools using the California bar exam results reported by the State Bar of California for first-time takers over the period from 1997-2011 and especially 2007-2011. There are problems with this ranking too. The data are incomplete, the California bar exam has probably varied in difficulty over the period of the study, and bar exams probably do not adequately test law graduates’ preparation for the practice of law. Nonetheless, most law graduates need to pass a bar exam before they can obtain satisfying legal jobs. Moreover, bar exams arguably test law graduates on at least some of the knowledge and skills they will need to succeed in their legal careers. In these respects, at least, bar exam results provide a measure of student learning outcomes that should be important for most prospective law students. Some of the results of this study are interesting and surprising: Yale appears to outperform all other law schools, and Virginia and Emory appear to outperform their US News rankings. Harvard, Columbia, Chicago, Northwestern, and Cornell appear to underperform their US News rankings. There appears to be a surprisingly strong in-state advantage on the California bar exam, and Californian schools generally appear to outperform higher-ranked out-of-state schools, but some Californian schools appear to outperform others: USC, Pepperdine, Loyola, California Western, and Chapman all outperform Californian schools that the US News ranks higher; UC-Davis, UC-Hastings, and San Diego underperform Californian schools that the US News ranks lower. Some Californian schools had such low California bar passage rates over the period of this study that one can only wonder whether they might be at risk of accreditation problems, and some out-of-state schools had passage rates that were even lower and atrocious by any reasonable standards.
Magnitude, numerosity, and development of number: Implications for mathematics disabilities

Leibovich et al. challenge the prevailing view that non-symbolic number sense (e.g., sensing number the same way one might sense color) is innate, that detection of numerosity is distinct from detection of continuous magnitude. In the present commentary, the authors' viewpoint is discussed in light of the integrative theory of numerical development along with implications for understanding mathematics disabilities.
Crowdsourcing Predictors of Residential Electric Energy Usage

Crowdsourcing has been successfully applied in many domains including astronomy, cryptography, and biology. In order to test its potential for useful application in a smart grid context, this paper investigates the extent to which a crowd can contribute predictive hypotheses to a model of residential electric energy consumption. In this experiment, the crowd generated hypotheses about factors that make one home different from another in terms of monthly energy usage. To implement this concept, we deployed a web-based system within which 627 residential electricity customers posed 632 questions that they thought predictive of energy usage. While this occurred, the same group provided 110 573 answers to these questions as they accumulated. Thus, users both suggested the hypotheses that drive a predictive model and provided the data upon which the model is built. We used the resulting question and answer data to build a predictive model of monthly electric energy consumption, using random forest regression. Because of the sparse nature of the answer data, careful statistical work was needed to ensure that these models are valid. The results indicate that the crowd can generate useful hypotheses, despite the sparse nature of the dataset.
Death, Betrayal, and a Guardian Angel

AbstractA familiar Epicurean argument for the conclusion that death (i.e., being dead) is not bad for those who die goes like this. The dead cannot experience anything, including being dead and its...
Interfacial curvature effects on the monolayer morphology and dynamics of a clinical lung surfactant

The morphology of surfactant monolayers is typically studied on the planar surface of a Langmuir trough, even though most physiological interfaces are curved at the micrometer scale. Here, we show that, as the radius of a clinical lung surfactant monolayer-covered bubble decreases to ∼100 µm, the monolayer morphology changes from dispersed circular liquid-condensed (LC) domains in a continuous liquid-expanded (LE) matrix to a continuous LC linear mesh separating discontinuous LE domains. The curvature-associated morphological transition cannot be readily explained by current liquid crystal theories based on isotropic domains. It is likely due to the anisotropic bending energy of the LC phase of the saturated phospholipids that are common to all natural and clinical lung surfactants. This continuous LC linear mesh morphology is also present on bilayer vesicles in solution. Surfactant adsorption and the dilatational modulus are also strongly influenced by the changes in morphology induced by interfacial curvature. The changes in morphology and dynamics may have physiological consequences for lung stability and function as the morphological transition occurs at alveolar dimensions.
Hopelessness Depression: An Empirical Search For a Theory-Based Subtype

Clinicians have long suggested that what we call depression really isn’t a single disorder at all. Instead, depression may be a group of disorders that are heterogeneous with respect to symptoms, cause, course, therapy, and prevention (e.g., Beck, 1967; Craighead, 1980; Depue & Monroe, 1978; Gillespie, 1929; Kendall, 1968; Kraepelin, 1913). How can we carve depression at its joints? How can we discover the meaningful but, as yet, unnamed and unidentified forms of psychopathology that are lumped together, and hidden away, in the messy category of depression?
Das Vietnamesische und das Chinesische

In diesem Aufsatz versuche ich, einige allgemeine Vorstellungen uber die Struktur zweier ostasiatischer Sprachen, des Vietnamesischen und des Chinesischen, zu geben. Von diesen hat die zweite ungefahr zehnmal so viele Sprecher (eine Milliarde) wie die erste (90 Millionen). Dem Leser wird es aber auffallen, dass ich ein bisschen mehr uber die Sprache reden werde, die viel weniger Sprecher hat. Der Grund hierfur ist nicht nur, dass ich Muttersprachler des Vietnamesischen bin, sondern auch, dass man mich eingeladen hat, dieses Kapitel zu schreiben, weil in Deutschland mehr Kinder vietnamesischer Herkunft an den Schulen sind als Kinder chinesischer Herkunft.
Linear Summation Underlies Direction Selectivity in Drosophila.

Summary While linear mechanisms lay the foundations of feature selectivity in many brain areas, direction selectivity in the elementary motion detector (EMD) of the fly has become a paradigm of nonlinear neuronal computation. We have bridged this divide by demonstrating that linear spatial summation can generate direction selectivity in the fruit fly Drosophila. Using linear systems analysis and two-photon imaging of a genetically encoded voltage indicator, we measure the emergence of direction-selective (DS) voltage signals in the Drosophila OFF pathway. Our study is a direct, quantitative investigation of the algorithm underlying directional signals, with the striking finding that linear spatial summation is sufficient for the emergence of direction selectivity. A linear stage of the fly EMD strongly resembles similar computations in vertebrate visual cortex, demands a reappraisal of the role of upstream nonlinearities, and implicates the voltage-to-calcium transformation in the refinement of feature selectivity in this system. Video Abstract Download : Download video (23MB)
The Early Holocene-aged Component at the Jay Creek Ridge Site, Middle Susitna River Valley, Alaska

ABSTRACTThe Jay Creek Ridge site is an early Holocene stratified site located in the Middle Susitna River Valley in central Alaska. Two components, the Lower and Upper, were defined through several years of testing and excavation in the 1980s (1982–1983 and 1986). Accelerator mass spectrometry dating of the Lower Component indicates the site is around 11,000 calibrated years before present, placing it among the oldest upland sites in the central Alaska Range.
A HOPE for Study Abroad: Evidence from Tennessee on the Impact of Merit-Aid Policy Adoption on Study Abroad Participation.

Two distinct literature bases exist documenting the benefits of study aboard participation and state-adopted merit-aid policies. However, few, to date, have estimated the impact of merit-aid adopti...
Electrochemically Enabled Chan–Lam Couplings of Aryl Boronic Acids and Anilines

The Chan-Lam reaction remains a highly utilized transformation for C-N bond formation. However, anilines remain problematic substrates due to their lower nucleophilicity. To address this problem, we developed an electrochemically mediated Chan-Lam coupling of aryl boronic acids and amines utilizing a dual copper anode/cathode system. The mild conditions identified have enabled the preparation of a wide range of functionalized biarylanilines in good yields and chemoselectivities.
“Taxi Pirates”: A comparative history of informal transport in Nairobi and Kinshasa, 1960s –2000s

The chapter presents a comparative history of two African cities notorious for the way their informal transport systems are regulated by different actors. It looks at how small private (often unlicensed) transport operators took over public transport in the 1950s and 1960s, their efforts at self-regulating and the efforts of informal workers to organise. It traces problems plaguing the industry – and often attributed to the (mostly) young men working in the sector – back to colonial urban planning, which provided few avenues for Africans to move around in the city. The further development of the industry, it argues, has been hampered by government interference, often for political reasons and/or to participate in skimming off profits from the sector. The chapter is based on documents from unions, NGO and government reports, newspaper articles and interviews with informal transport workers from Nairobi and Kinshasa. A focus on historical processuality highlights the dynamics of the sector’s development, which lie in the interactions between city administrations, workers’ organisations and workers themselves. Tracing the history of the industry and workers’ struggles through the last half-century thus provides us with new perspectives on the history of neoliberalism, the African city and labour.
The gap between what patients know and desire to learn about their cardiac implantable electronic devices.

Background Advancement of digital technology now allows patients to have access to data from their cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs). However, patients' understanding regarding CIED data and perceived personal usability remain unclear. The present study is a prospective survey to examine patients' understanding of their CIEDs and their perception of what is important. Methods We screened 400 patients between July and December 2018 who presented to our outpatient clinic for a CIED interrogation. Patients received a one-page questionnaire asking baseline demographics, their perception about their own knowledge about their device, and multiple-choice questions in seven basic categories: type of CIED, original indication, functionality, manufacturer, number of active leads, estimated battery life, and number of shocks received. We compared these answers to their interrogation reports to assess accuracy. We also asked participants what they would like to be aware of regarding their CIED. Results From this cohort, 344 of 400 (86%) (62.9 ± 12.8 years and 64 % males) agreed to take the survey and were included in the analysis. At baseline, 63.2% agreed or strongly agreed that they were knowledgeable about their devices. The overwhelming majority of patients demonstrated CIED knowledge deficits in at least one content area (n = 294, 86%), or more than two content areas (n = 176, 51%). Patients agreed or strongly agreed that they had a desire to have information regarding each of the following: battery life (84%), activity level (79%), heart rate trend (75%), and ventricular arrhythmias (74%). Conclusion There is a large discrepancy in patients' level of knowledge regarding their CIEDs and their wish to know more details. Future technologies should satisfy providers' goals to educate their patients with basic information and fulfill patients' desire to obtain more data from their CIEDs.
Structure-Activity Relationship Study of Psychostimulant Synthetic Cathinones Reveals Nanomolar Antagonist Potency of α-Pyrrolidinohexiophenone at Human Muscarinic M2 Receptors.

Synthetic cathinones (SCs) are designer, psychostimulant drugs of abuse that primarily act on monoamine transporters; little is known about their off-target liability. Abuse of pyrrolidine-containi...
Social Integration of Student Veterans: The Influence of Interactions with Faculty on Peer-Group Interactions

Student veterans are distinct nontraditional students, inasmuch as their transition to campus is twofold. They are not only taking on the role of a student, but also their new lives as civilians. Their relationships with peers can then be strained, as the age, maturity level, and expectations may differ from the traditional-aged college student. Therefore, interactions with faculty members are imperative to help encourage student veterans’ peer-group interactions. This quantitative analysis studied peer-group and faculty interactions of 87 veteran undergraduate students in the spring 2020 semester at a regional comprehensive university. Using a linear regression analysis, findings demonstrate that faculty interactions accounted for 23% of the variance in peer-group interactions. Further examination showed there was no statistically significant difference between peer-group and faculty interactions based on gender. Recommendations for practice to support faculty in recognizing the unique needs of student veterans and considerations for further study are offered.
Exacerbation of neurological symptoms and COVID-19 severity in patients with preexisting neurological disorders and COVID-19: A systematic review.

Abstract Background Patients with chronic diseases likely develop severe 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19). However, little is known about the effects of COVID-19 on patients with neurological disorders. We conducted a systematic review to evaluate the severity of COVID-19 and its effect on neurological symptoms in patients with preexisting neurological disorder and COVID-19. Methods We searched the MEDLINE (PubMed) and medRxiv databases for reports of patients with both preexisting neurological disorders and COVID-19. Studies reporting data on changes in the symptoms of preexisting neurological disorders and/or the severity of COVID-19 were included. Results Twenty-six articles with 2278 patients with preexisting neurological disorder and COVID-19 were identified. Of 232 patients, 74 (31.9 %) showed exacerbation of preexisting neurological symptoms of dementia (55/92; 59.5 %), Parkinson’s disease (10/17; 58.8 %), epilepsy (1/1; 100 %), and unspecified neurological disorders (8/106; 7.5 %). Of 2168 patients, 478 (22.0 %) showed severe COVID-19 course. These included patients with cerebrovascular disease (86/445; 19.3 %), dementia (70/316; 22.2 %), Parkinson’s disease (25/214; 11.7 %), multiple sclerosis (28/71; 39.4 %), spinal cord injury (5/7; 71.4 %), epilepsy (10/98; 10.2 %) and unspecified neurological disorders (254/1011; 25 %). Conclusions Patients with preexisting neurological disorders and COVID-19 may develop exacerbation of neurological symptoms and severe COVID-19. Clinicians should be aware of the risk of symptom exacerbation and severe COVID-19 in patients with preexisting neurological disease and should focus on the prevention and early care of COVID-19.
Effects of Nb and Mg doping on the dielectric and electromechanical properties of PbZrO3 thin films

Abstract Antiferroelectric PbZrO3-based thin films are extensively studied for energy storage applications. Indeed, extensive work has been performed on chemical doping to increase dielectric breakdown or (antipolar to polar) AP → P phase transition field, in order to achieve higher energy storage density. However, reduction of the AP → P phase transition field is worth investigating for alternative applications, e.g., high tunability filters or low power actuators. This paper discusses the effects of Nb and Mg co-doping on the functional properties of PbZrO3 thin films ( ∼ 200 nm in thickness) processed by chemical solution deposition on platinized Si substrates. Overall, Nb and Mg co-doping stabilizes the ferroelectric phase, significantly reduces the AP → P phase transition field from 461 to 173 kV/cm and increases the low-field dielectric permittivity. At an optimal 2.5% Nb, 1.25% Mg doping concentration, the PbZrO3 films show the highest dielectric tunability of 88.8%, while maintaining a very high strain of 0.74%, and low AP → P phase transition field of 232 kV/cm.
Scarce Societal Resource Allocation and the Price of (Local) Justice

We consider the allocation of scarce societal resources, where a central authority decides which individuals receive which resources under capacity or budget constraints. Several algorithmic fairness criteria have been proposed to guide these procedures, each quantifying a notion of local justice to ensure the allocation is aligned with the principles of the local institution making the allocation. For example, the efficient allocation maximizes overall social welfare, whereas the leximin assignment seeks to help the “neediest first.” Although the “price of fairness” (PoF) of leximin has been studied in prior work, we expand on these results by exploiting the structure inherent in real-world scenarios to provide tighter bounds. We further propose a novel criterion – which we term LoINC (leximin over individually normalized costs) – that maximizes a different but commonly used notion of local justice: prioritizing those benefiting the most from receiving the resources. We derive analogous PoF bounds for LoINC, showing that the price of LoINC is typically much lower than that of leximin. We provide extensive experimental results using both synthetic data and in a real-world setting considering the efficacy of different homelessness interventions. These results show that the empirical PoF tends to be substantially lower than worst-case bounds would imply and allow us to characterize situations where the price of LoINC fairness can be high.
Improving Knowledge Management in Patient Safety Reporting: A Semantic Web Ontology Approach

Patient safety reporting system is in an imperative need for reducing and learning from medical errors. Presently, a great number of the reporting systems are suffering low quality of data and poor system performance associated with data quality. For improving the quality of data and the system performance towards reducing harm in healthcare, we introduce an ontological approach with the scope of establishing a comprehensive knowledgebase. A semantic web ontology plays a crucial role to facilitate the knowledge transformation ranging from human-to-computer data entry to computer-to-human knowledge retrieval. The paper describes the theoretical foundation, design, implementation, and evaluation of the prototype ontology. Based on W3C open standard Web Ontology Language (OWL), the proposed ontology was designed and implemented in Protege 4.3. We envision that utilizing semantic web ontology would serve as a uniformed knowledgebase facilitating information retrieval and clinical decision making.
Systolic Array Synthesis by Static Analysis of Program Dependencies

We present a technique for synthesizing systolic arrays which have non-uniform data flow governed by control signals. The starting point for the synthesis is a Recurrence Equation with Linear Depencencies (RELD) which is a generalization of the simple recurrences encountered in mathematics. A large class of programs, including all (single and multiple) nested-loop programs can be described by such recurrences. In this paper we extend some of our earlier work [17] in two principal directions. Firstly, we describe a transformation called multistage pipelining and show that it yields recurrences that have linear conditional expressions governing the computation. Secondly, we discuss how it is possible to automatically derive control signals that govern the data flow by applying the same pipelining transformations to these linear conditional expressions. The approach is illustrated by deriving the Guibas-Kung-Thompson architecture for optimum string parenthesization.
Partial thyroxine-binding globulin deficiency in a family.

Deficiency of thyroxine-binding globulin (TBC) has been previously described in several families, and the mode of inheritance in most families has been interpreted as X-linked. The hemizvgous affected males have an absence of TBC, while the heterozygous females have wide range of TBC values (low to normal). A family recently studied by us presents a different form of TBG deficiency. The proband, who was born with ambiguous external genitalia and raised as a female, was found to have a testis on one side and a streak gonad on the other side. Her chromosome constitution showed a mosaicism of XYY/XY/XO. After a low PBI level was obtained, she was found to have reduced but not absent TBG activity. Similar reduction of TBC was found in her brother, who also had congenital hypothyroidism, and her normal male first cousin. The observation of the reduction of TBG levels rather than a total absence in the hemizygous affected individuals in this family suggests a variant of TBG deficiency, although it still appears to be due to an X-linked gene and is most likely due to an allele of the same gene.
Decay schemes of Al 30 , P 30 , and O 20

$^{30}\mathrm{Al}$ was produced in the $^{18}\mathrm{O}(^{18}\mathrm{O},\ensuremath{\alpha}pn)^{30}\mathrm{Al}$ reaction by bombarding a ${\mathrm{Ta}}_{2}$ $^{18}\mathrm{O}_{5}$ target with 42-MeV $^{18}\mathrm{O}$ ions. Following transfer of the target in a shuttle system the $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray spectrum was measured in a Ge(Li) detector. Nine $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray transitions were observed in $^{30}\mathrm{Si}$ and have been fitted to an $^{30}\mathrm{Al}$ decay scheme that includes five $\ensuremath{\beta}$-ray branches to excited states of $^{30}\mathrm{Si}$. The half-life of $^{30}\mathrm{Al}$ is 3.685\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.032 sec. $^{30}\mathrm{P}$ was formed in the $^{30}\mathrm{Si}(p,n)^{30}\mathrm{P}$ reaction and a value of 2.499\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.008 min was obtained for its half-life. The ${\ensuremath{\beta}}^{+}$ branching of $^{30}\mathrm{P}$ to the 2235-keV first excited state of $^{30}\mathrm{Si}$ was found to be (0.061\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.006)%, differing from previous results. $^{20}\mathrm{O}$, formed in the $^{18}\mathrm{O}$($^{18}\mathrm{O}$, $^{16}\mathrm{O}$)$^{20}\mathrm{O}$ reaction, was also studied and upper limits were placed on various $\ensuremath{\beta}$-decay branches. The half-life of $^{20}\mathrm{O}$ was measured as 13.49\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.05 sec. $\mathrm{ft}$ values for the $\ensuremath{\beta}$ decay of $^{30}\mathrm{Al}$, $^{30}\mathrm{P}$, and $^{20}\mathrm{O}$ are compared with recent theoretical calculations.
Evaluation Guidelines for the Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSAs)

The National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), a part of the National Institutes of Health, currently funds the Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSAs), a national consortium of 61 medical research institutions in 30 states and the District of Columbia. The program seeks to transform the way biomedical research is conducted, speed the translation of laboratory discoveries into treatments for patients, engage communities in clinical research efforts, and train a new generation of clinical and translational researchers. An endeavor as ambitious and complex as the CTSA program requires high-quality evaluations in order to show that the program is well implemented, efficiently managed, and demonstrably effective. In this paper, the Evaluation Key Function Committee of the CTSA Consortium presents an overall framework for evaluating the CTSA program and offers policies to guide the evaluation work. The guidelines set forth are designed to serve as a tool for education within the CTSA community by illuminating key issues and practices that should be considered during evaluation planning, implementation, and utilization. Additionally, these guidelines can provide a basis for ongoing discussions about how the principles articulated in this paper can most effectively be translated into operational reality.
Thermal analysis and degradation kinetics of thermoplastics

The thermal mechanical properties and degradation kinetics of Staybelite Resin, a thermoplastic, and its ester derivative Staybelite Ester 10 have been investigated using thermoanalytic methods. The thermogravimetric analyzer applied in the degradation studies has been interfaced with a minicomputer for data acquisition. The degradation kinetics of each thermosplastic have been satisfactorily attributed to an associated first-order process using a differential method.
Quantitative analysis of the cytokinetic response of KHT tumors in vivo to 1-. beta. -D-Arabinofuranosylcytosine

Quantitative estimates of cytokinetic perturbations induced over a 30-hr interval in KHT tumor cells in vivo by a single dose of 1-β-d-arabinofuranosylcytosine (ara-C) were inferred from measurements of DNA distribution sequences, tritiated thymidine incorporation into tumor cell DNA, and radioactivity of cells labeled with tritiated thymidine prior to treatment with ara-C. These data were analyzed collectively to produce a mathematical model describing the effects of ara-C on tumor cell cycle kinetics. During analysis, we postulated that ara-C produced a transient block at the a G1-S-phase boundary, that ara-C killed all cells in S phase, and that the cells killed by ara-C did not cycle after treatment. The analysis showed that the duration of the G1-S-boundary block was 5.5 hr, that cells were recruited from Go into cycle beginning 5.5 hr posttreatment, and that the G1, S, and G2M phase durations of the clonogenic cells which were initially 2, 11.5, and 2 hr, respectively, changed to 0.8, 4.6, and 0.8 hr at 14 hr posttreatment. Cells killed by ara-C were removed from the tumor beginning 10 hr posttreatment. We then used the mathematical model to predict clonogenic tumor cell survival following a second dose of ara-C administered at time intervals ranging from 1 to 30 hr after the first treatment. Clonogenic tumor cell survival following the second dose of ara-C was then experimentally determined and agreed well with the model predictions.
The "high weight for dates" fetus

Abstract The evaluation of abnormal fetal growth patterns has been hindered by the lack of accurate information concerning the rate of intrauterine development at various phases of gestation. In order to overcome this difficulty the menstrual age: crown-rump length ratios of 534 embryos and fetuses between 4 and 160 mm. sitting height, obtained exclusively by therapeutic abortion, have been investigated. On the basis of this study, new growth rate standards have been developed for the sixth to the nineteenth weeks of gestation. The findings were correlated to available data for the nineteenth to the forty-fourth weeks of pregnancy. With the new and reviewed standards for comparison with fetal growth patterns in 441 abnormal gestations, a high incidence of “large for calculated gestational age” fetuses could be demonstrated in connection with early abortion, ectopic gestation, and placenta previa. The evidence indicated that miscalculation of the expected date of confinement because of an apparent menstrual episode after fertilization was the reason for most of these discrepancies. It has been suggested that delayed ovulation and luteal phase defect are the pathogenetic factors responsible for the anomalous postconception bleeding and that these etiologically interrelated phenomena are closely associated with the occurrence of “overripeness” of the ovum.
HRS/SRp40-Mediated Inclusion of the Fibronectin EIIIB Exon, a Possible Cause of Increased EIIIB Expression in Proliferating Liver

Serine-arginine (SR)-rich proteins are believed to be important in mediating alternative pre-mRNA splicing. HRS/SRp40 expression is elevated in liver cell proliferation during development, regeneration, and oncogenesis. We tested whether HRS expression correlates with the appearance of alternatively spliced fibronectin transcripts during liver growth. HRS was highly expressed during the proliferative phase of liver development, correlating with expression of the fibronectin EIIIB alternative exon. In regenerating liver, HRS protein was induced in a time course consistent with the observed increase in fibronectin transcripts containing the EIIIB exon, particularly in nonparenchymal liver cells. Furthermore, in an in vivo assay, HRS, and not other SR proteins, directly mediated EIIIB exon inclusion in the fibronectin transcript. This alternative splicing was dependent on a purine-rich region within the EIIIB exon to which HRS specifically bound. We have established that HRS has the potential to contribute to the regulation of fibronectin pre-mRNA splicing during liver growth. Changes in fibronectin forms may be important in modifying liver architecture during the proliferative response, thus providing a potential mechanism by which SR proteins may participate in cellular growth control.
Differential effects of triclosan on the activation of mouse and human peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha

Triclosan is an anti-bacterial agent used in many personal care products, household items, medical devices, and clinical settings. Liver tumors occur in mice exposed to triclosan, a response attributed to peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα) activation; however, the effects of triclosan on mouse and human PPARα have not been fully evaluated. We compared the effects of triclosan on mouse and human PPARα using PPARα reporter assays and on downstream events of PPARα activation using mouse hepatoma Hepa1c1c7 cells and human hepatoma HepG2 cells. PPARα transcriptional activity was increased by triclosan in a mouse PPARα reporter assay and decreased in a human PPARα reporter assay. Concentrations of triclosan inhibiting 50% cell growth were similar in both human and mouse hepatoma cells. Western blotting analysis showed that triclosan increased acyl-coenzyme A oxidase (ACOX1), a PPARα target, in Hepa1c1c7 cells but decreased the level in HepG2 cells. Treatment of Hepa1c1c7 cells with triclosan enhanced DNA synthesis and suppressed transforming growth factor beta-mediated apoptosis. This did not occur in HepG2 cells. These data demonstrate that triclosan had similar cytotoxicity in Hepa1c1c7 and HepG2 cells, but differential effects on the activation of PPARα, the expression of ACOX1, and downstream events including DNA synthesis and apoptosis.
Graduate art therapy training within a school of professional art

In tutorial, an art therapy graduate student expressed exasperation with her coursework. She was being rigorously schooled in the artwork of disturbed, psychiatric patients, but, having come from a lecture on psychopathology. to a studio painting class where her instructor exhorted her to loosen her formal style, to dispense with convention, to take inspiration from Spencer and Bacon by floating or disintegrating her figurative forms, she was perplexed. What had happened to the edicts of a well grounded, undistorted human figure‘? What about the figure as a barometer for emotional balance? The instructor in psychopathology had described adaptive or integrated art in ways that made it sound more like the fascist art of National Socialism than the work shown by intact artists in Chicago’s contemporary galleries! By its hybrid nature, art therapy is a fieid of provocation and contradiction. The marriage between the visual art process, human psychodynamic process, and therapeutic intervention is uneasy at best. Successful art therapy, however, demands that these contrasting and sometimes conflictual areas be effectively integrated. Through rational and creative integration emerges what art therapists consider to be a powerful therapeutic tool. Individuals who are disturbed, depressed, or oblivious are given the means for finding self-worth, productivity, and a measure of cathartic relief-regardless of the capacity to articulate their concerns through conventional verbalization. Art therapy is subjective and is caught between the even softer field of visual art and the harder fields of behavior modi~cation, art education, and human development. Subsequently, in order to survive, gain credibility, and develop as professionals, art therapists have had to enter into the realms of relative yet sometimes hostile disciplines. The maturational pains that the field has sustained in the first 30 years of its development are reflected especially within the universities that train art therapists. Each graduate program has had its own conflicts to resolve, depending upon the context in which it is housed within the university structure. Traditionally, training programs have been a~liated with public and private liberal arts universities, with a few attached to teaching hospitals. Within these settings, the art therapy program is at its most neutral-sharing a wide range of interdisciplinary coursework in the humanities, psychology, studio art, and special populations. In this context, art therapy programs appear to dovetail nicely with universities whose resources already include medical schools, education departments, and tine arts programs. This paper will describe the education of art therapists within the nontraditional setting of an art school. The School of The Art Institute of Chicago houses one of the few graduate programs in the United States within a professional school of art and so must address issues specific to its atypicai circumstances. Art schools are usually perceived as meccas for innately gifted, developing artists, who deal with expressly personal, abstract, ethereal and
Implementation and Evaluation of a Lipid Screening Program in a Large Chain Pharmacy

Objective To evaluate the implementation of a lipid testing service across an entire market of a large chain pharmacy. Design Observational study using a validated satisfaction scale. Setting Nine Osco Drug pharmacies in Des Moines, Iowa. Main Outcome Measures Number of patients choosing to participate in a fee-for-service lipid screening program, type of test chosen, effects of marketing on service volume, and patient satisfaction. Results A total of 159 screenings were performed in the 9 pharmacies. The majority of patients (79.7%) chose the more expensive fasting lipid profile, and service volume seemed to correspond to the number and intensity of marketing efforts. There was a trend toward increased patient satisfaction with the services represented by the Managing Therapy and Friendly Explanation dimensions addressed in the survey. Conclusion Patients were willing to pay out-of-pocket for lipid screening. More efforts need to be devoted to marketing this service to create value for the customer and to establish it as a viable component
Purification and functional properties of the DCCD-reactive proteolipid subunit of the H+-translocating ATPase from Mycobacterium phlei.

Abstract Interaction of N,N′-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCCD) with ATPase of Mycobacterium phlei membranes results in inactivation of ATPase activity. The rate of inactivation of ATPase was pseudo-first order for the initial 30–65% inactivation over a concentration range of 5–50 μM DCCD. The second-order rate constant of the DCCD-ATPase interaction was k = 8.5·105 M−1·min−1. The correlation between the initial binding of [14C]DCCD and 100% inactivation of ATPase activity shows 1.57 nmol DCCD bound per mg membrane protein. The proteolipid subunit of the F0F1-ATPase complex in membranes of M. phlei with which DCCD covalently reacts to inhibit ATPase was isolated by labeling with [14C]DCCD. The proteolipid was purified from the membrane in free and DCCD-modified form by extraction with chloroform/methanol and subsequent chromatography on Sephadex LH-20. The polypeptide was homogeneous on SDS-acrylamide gel electrophoresis and has an apparent molecular weight of 8000. The purified proteolipid contains phosphatidylinositol (67%), phosphatidylethanolamine (18%) and cardiolipin (8%). Amino acid analysis indicates that glycine, alanine and leucine were present in elevated amounts, resulting in a polarity of 27%. Cysteine and tryptophan were lacking. Butanol-extracted proteolipid mediated the translocation of protons across the bilayer, in K+-loaded reconstituted liposomes, in response to a membrane potential difference induced by valinomycin. The proton translocation was inhibited by DCCD, as measured by the quenching of fluorescence of 9-aminoacridine. Studies show that vanadate inhibits the proton gradient driven by ATP hydrolysis in membrane vesicles of M. phlei by interacting with the proteolipid subunit sector of the F0F1-ATPase complex.
Spatial adaption procedures on unstructured meshes for accurate unsteady aerodynamic flow computation

Spatial adaption procedures for the accurate and efficient solution of steady and unsteady inviscid flow problems are described. The adaption procedures were developed and implemented within a two-dimensional unstructured-grid upwind-type Euler code. These procedures involve mesh enrichment and mesh coarsening to either add points in a high gradient region or the flow or remove points where they are not needed, respectively, to produce solutions of high spatial accuracy at minimal computational costs. A detailed description is given of the enrichment and coarsening procedures and comparisons with alternative results and experimental data are presented to provide an assessment of the accuracy and efficiency of the capability. Steady and unsteady transonic results, obtained using spatial adaption for the NACA 0012 airfoil, are shown to be of high spatial accuracy, primarily in that the shock waves are very sharply captured. The results were obtained with a computational savings of a factor of approximately fifty-three for a steady case and as much as twenty-five for the unsteady cases.
Unusual causes of sellar/parasellar masses in a large transsphenoidal surgical series

Differentiating among the etiologies of a mass in the sella may not always be straightforward. Most often these masses are either hormone-secreting or nonsecreting pituitary adenomas. However, as shown here in this large transsphenoida1 surgical series, in 9% of cases other etiologies are responsible for these mass lesions. In some cases there are no features that clearly distinguish the unusual etiologies from the clinically nonfunctioning pituitary adenoma, but in our experience certain endocrine and neurological abnormalities are more characteristic of patients with a nonpituitary sellar mass. We present here the transsphenoidal surgical experience of K.D.P. and describe the incidence and presentations of the nonpituitary intrasellar and parasellar masses. Two cases in which the diagnoses were unexpected are presented in detail, one from this operative series and one who did not require surgery, to illustrate certain critical features that may aid in the evaluation of the sellar/parasellar mass. On physical examination, the patient was mildly obese, but otherwise normal in appearance. Her examination was notable for a visual acuity of 20/40, a bitemporal superior visual field deficit, and patchy loss of central vision in the left eye without other cranial neuropathy. She had expressible galactorrhea of the right breast with no masses. Admission laboratories showed normal routine chemistries and hematocrit. Urinalysis showed a specific gravity of 1.020 and a pH of 5.0. Endocrine studies showed a morning cortisol of 3.4 Fg/dL, T, of 2.3 pg/dL (normal range, 4.5-12.0), T, radioiodine uptake of 0.90 (normal range, 0.84-1.31), TSH of 2.8 mU/L (normal range, 0.23-5.9), LH of 0.8 mIU/L, FSH of 1.2 mIU/L, PRL of 42 ng/mL, and GH of 2.3 ng/mL. She was given glucocorticoid and thyroid hormone replacement and underwent transsphenoidal exploration. At surgery, an extremely vascular extensive mass was found in the sella and sphenoid sinus, with erosion of the sella. The mass was partially resected and proved on pathology to be metastatic breast carcinoma. She did well postoperatively, with mild diabetes insipidus that did not require vasopressin, and was discharged under ongoing treatment with levothyroxine (100 Fg/ day) and dexamethasone (0.5 mg/day). There was no evidence of metastatic disease elsewhere. She received 4500 cGy of radiation to the pituitary fossa.
Potassium Channels in Drosophila: Historical Breakthroughs, Significance, and Perspectives

Drosophila has enabled important breakthroughs in K+ channel research, including identification and first cloning of a voltage-activated K+ channel, Shaker, a founding member of the KV1 family. Drosophila has also helped in discovering other K+ channels, such as Shab, Shaw, Shal, Eag, Sei, Elk, and also Slo, a Ca2+- and voltage-dependent K+ channel. These findings have contributed significantly to our understanding of ion channels and their role in physiology. Drosophila continues to play an important role in ion channel studies, benefiting from an unparalleled arsenal of genetic tools and availability of tens of thousands of genetically modified strains. These tools allow deletion, expression, or misexpression of almost any gene in question with temporal and spatial control. The combination of these tools and resources with the use of forward genetic approach in Drosophila further enhances its strength as a model system. There are many areas in which Drosophila can further help our understanding of ion c...