cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Explaining the demographic transition: institutional factors in fertility decline

There is a need for institutional and social organization changes in agricultural productivity and womens role in production lineage and family systems in developing countries especially Sub-Saharan Africa. Fertility behavior occurs in the context of the cultural and institutional environment. Institutions contain ideational elements of belief represented in the culture and have the ability to survive changes in society. Institutional change occurs through the social behavior of individuals and is stimulated by changes in the economic resource and technological bases of society. The literature on demographic transition explains how transitions in birth and death rates occur but few theories explain why. The theoretical and empirical literature is heavily represented by decision-making models of household production functions and applied microeconomic theory. Cleland has raised serious questions about the applicability of culture and institution-free models to fertility in developing countries. Rural sociologists could play an important research role in examining the links between agriculture and fertility and that research must involve multilevel analysis and multiple data collection methods. Large scale surveys need to be supplemented with intensive micro-level studies of a few communities. Analysis should provide an in-depth knowledge of how key institutions work in communities a comparison between communities and model development that simultaneously includes individual and contextual variables. It is likely that development of the agricultural sector greater non-farm work for men and women and improvements in social services will greater affect whether fertility decline or continued high fertility will occur. Diversity of African lineage and family systems related to fertility patterns between countries and within countries defies gross generalization for Sub-Saharan Africa. Oversimplification detracts from the study of the impact of traditional patriarchal systems on the status and well-being of women.
Vaginal Granulation Tissue Secondary to Bone Anchors: Experience in Two Patients

Bone anchors have been used for the last decade in surgery for stress incontinence to create a “stable fixation point.” Relative risks and benefits of bone anchors have been debated, as significant complications, although rare, can occur. 1–3 Complications related to bone anchors used in female incontinence surgery can be difficult to recognize, resulting in delayed diagnosis. Bone anchor removal can be difficult. We report 2 cases of vaginal granulation tissue involving transvaginally placed bone anchors, and our experience with extraction. CASE REPORTS Case 1. A 60-year-old woman was referred with a 2-year history of vaginal discharge and persistent granulation tissue after transvaginal bone anchored ProteGen (Microvasive Urology, Natick, Massachusetts) sling. The patient had a 3 4 cm. excrescence of friable tissue arising from the right vaginal fornix (fig. 1). She had undergone removal of the sling and 3 excisions of recurrent granulation tissue. On exploration through an inverted U-shaped anterior vaginal incision granulation tissue was encountered to the level of the bone anchor. The anchor and a tiny piece of remnant sling material were visualized. To gain access to the anchor, the endopelvic fascia was perforated. The anchor was then grasped with a rongeur, which was used to remove the anchor and a small piece of surrounding portion of bone. All granulation tissue and a portion of the vaginal flap were also excised. Three weeks postoperatively bloody vaginal drainage and fever developed. Computerized tomography revealed a 5 10 cm. pelvic abscess. An infected hematoma was drained by taking down the previous flap. A small Foley catheter was
Binding of [3H]Monohydroxytamoxifen by Immature Rat Tissues in Vivo*

The distribution and tissue binding of a [3H] antiestrogen (monohydroxytamoxifen) have been determined in the immature rat and compared with that observed with [3H] estradiol. [3H]Monohydroxytamoxifen (20 μCi equivalent to 0.093 μg trans isomer) produced a prolonged retention of radioactivity in the uterus, vagina, and liver for up to 48 h. Binding of radioactivity in the spleen, heart, and skeletal muscle was lower than that in the liver, uterus, and vagina, rose to maximal levels at 4 h, and decreased thereafter. In contrast [3H]estradiol (10 μCi equivalent to 0.05 μg) rapidly bound in the uterus and vagina (within 2 h) and rapidly decreased toward values in nontarget tissue (spleen, heart, and skeletal muscle) by 24 h. The levels of radioactivity in the blood after [3H]estradiol and [3H]monohydroxytamoxifen treatment reflected the pattern of radioactivity in the uterus and vagina. Increasing the dose of monohydroxytamoxifen by adding 1 μg cold carrier to 18 μCi[3H]monohydroxytamoxifen/ immature rat ess...
MEMBERSHIP IN VOLUNTARY ASSOCIATIONS AND RATES OF SUICIDE IN THE PROVINCES OF CANADA

Applying Lester's method to data from 10 Canadian provinces, the 1997 and 1999 age-standardized rates of suicide were not associated with the extent (%) to which Canadians participated in voluntary associations.
FLOWS: performance guarantees in best effort delivery systems

A network-level communication abstraction called flow is discussed as a communication channel that has specific performance characteristics associated with its traffic. The underlying delivery system guarantees to meet performance requirements of a flow once it accepts a flow request. Upper layers use flows to implement transport-level protocols and high performance applications. The authors describe the concept of flows in detail and present algorithms that implement flows in a high-speed packet-switched network under development at Purdue University. >
Accelerated Cardiomyopathy in Mice With Overexpression of Cardiac Gsα and a Missense Mutation in the α-Myosin Heavy Chain

Background— To understand further the pathogenesis of familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, we determined how the cardiomyopathy induced by an Arg403→Gln missense mutation in the α-myosin heavy chain (403) is affected by chronically enhancing sympathetic drive by mating the mice with those overexpressing Gsα (Gsαx403). Methods and Results— Heart rate in 3-month-old conscious mice was elevated similarly (P<0.05) in mice overexpressing Gsα (Gsα mice; 746±14 bpm) and Gsαx403 mice (718±19 bpm) compared with littermate wild-type mice (WT; 623±18 bpm) and 403 mice (594±16 bpm). Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), as determined by echocardiography, was enhanced in Gsαx403 mice (88±1%, P<0.001) compared with WT (69±1%), 403 (75±1%), and Gsα (69±2%) mice. Isolated cardiomyocytes from Gsαx403 mice also exhibited higher (P<0.001) baseline percent contraction (11.9±0.5%) than WT (7.0±0.5%), 403 (5.5±0.5%), and Gsα (7.8±0.3%) cardiomyocytes. Relaxation of myocytes was impaired in 403 mice compared with WT but e...
Mucins, Mucus, and Sputum*

Normal airway mucus lines the epithelial surface and provides an important innate immune function by detoxifying noxious molecules and by trapping and removing pathogens and particulates from the airway via mucociliary clearance. The major macromolecular constituents of normal mucus, the mucin glycoproteins, are large, heavily glycosylated proteins with a defining feature of tandemly repeating sequences of amino acids rich in serine and threonine, the linkage sites for large carbohydrate structures. The mucins are composed of two major families: secreted mucins and membrane-associated mucins. Membrane-associated mucins have been reported to function as cell surface receptors for pathogens and to activate intracellular signaling pathways. The biochemical and cellular functions for secreted mucin glycoproteins have not been definitively assigned. In contrast to normal mucus, sputum production is the hallmark of chronic inflammatory airway diseases such as asthma, chronic bronchitis, and cystic fibrosis (CF). Sputum has altered macromolecular composition and biophysical properties which vary with disease, but unifying features are failure of mucociliary clearance, resulting in airway obstruction, and failure of innate immune properties. Mucin glycoprotein overproduction and hypersecretion are common features of chronic inflammatory airway disease, and this has been the underlying rationale to investigate the mechanisms of mucin gene regulation and mucin secretion. However, in some pathologic conditions such as CF, airway sputum contains little intact mucin and has increased content of several macromolecules including DNA, filamentous actin, lipids, and proteoglycans. This review will highlight the most recent insights on mucus biology in health and disease.
The design of an onboard digital Doppler processor for a spaceborne scatterometer

A digital Doppler processor, which will permit the Doppler center frequency of the measurement cell bandwidths to be adjusted to compensate for the effects of the Earth's rotation, will be used in the next NASA spaceborne scatterometer known as NSCAT. The authors describe the design and genesis of the NSCAT digital Doppler processor and discuss the performance tradeoff issues that were evaluated during the design phase. In this FFT (fast Fourier transform)-based technique, computation of the adjustment to the cell center frequencies will be done onboard using an approximate expression for the Doppler shift of the cell center versus orbit time. This technique also permits modification of the parameters used to locate the radar-backscatter-coefficient measurements cells by ground command in response to orbit changes. >
The effect of the economic downturn on college athletes and athletic departments on issues of diversity and inclusion.

In this paper I review the current and potential future effect of the economic downturn on matters of diversity and inclusion. I discuss reasons for cautious optimism in minority and female hiring patterns—both in the areas of athletic leadership and coaching. But this progress is uneven and tenuous. Special attention, I argue, is needed for the growing academic performance gap between white and African-American student athletes. Any economically-driven cuts in academic support and life skills education could exacerbate this problem. I conclude that the economic downturn, to date, does not appear to have had a major effect on diversity and inclusion. However, because periods of economic crisis typically have a greater negative impact on minorities than others, we need to carefully monitor athletic and academic programs from high school through college and continue to advocate for this “fragile ideal” of racial and gender equality.
Iterative solutions of boundary value problems

Recent work has shown that Neumann's method in potential theory could be extended to solve boundary value and transition problems for the Helmholtz equation. The procedure consists of formulating the problem as a boundary integral equation which is then rewritten, with the use of a homographic transformation of the associated eigenvalue equation, so that the spectral radius of the resulting integral operator is less than one for small perturbations of the corresponding potential operator. The present paper describes two extensions of this work. The transformation which maximizes the distance to the spectrum of the resolvent point of interest in potential theory (wave number equal to zero) is shown to be not optimal for non zero wave numbers. Thus while this transformation optimizes the rate of convergence of the Neumann series for zero wave number, this is not true in general. Some analytic and numerical examples are presented.
Early human herpes virus type 6 reactivation in umbilical cord blood allogeneic stem cell transplantation

Human herpes virus type 6 can reactivate in patients after allogeneic stem cell transplantation and has been associated with serious sequelae such as delayed engraftment and an increased risk of developing acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). This study investigated human herpes virus type 6 (HHV-6) reactivation within 60 days of transplantation in stem cell transplants utilizing single umbilical cord blood, double umbilical cord blood, or umbilical cord blood plus haploidentical stem cells. Of 92 patients, 60 (65%) had HHV-6 reactivation. Reactivation was not significantly influenced by any patient characteristics, disease characteristics, or by stem cell source (umbilical cord blood only versus haploidentical plus umbilical cord blood). We did not observe any impact of HHV-6 reactivation on neutrophil or platelet count recovery or on relapse-free survival. HHV-6 reactivation was associated with subsequent development of prerelapse acute GVHD (HR = 3.00; 95% CI, 1.4 to 6.4; p = 0.004).
Abstract 1791: Targeting radiation-inducible cell surface GRP78 using GIRLRG peptide as a novel imaging and therapeutic strategy for tumors

The greatest challenge in radiotherapy is to maximize radiation doses to tumors while sparing the normal tissues. Ionizing radiation has been shown to induce expression of proteins on surface of tumor cells. Using this strategy, drug delivery can be targeted specifically to cancer and guided by use of a beam of radiation. We used phage-displayed peptide libraries to discover radiation-inducible antigens in different cancer models. One such inducible-antigen is Tax interacting protein-1 (Tip-1) which was shown to bind the hexapeptide HVGGSSV. TIP-1 is an atypical PDZ protein consisting of only a single PDZ domain that is predominantly cytosolic protein and expressed in all types of cells. Overall TIP-1 expression levels in tumor cells and non-tumor cells are similar; however it is over-expressed on the tumor cell surface following irradiation. In this study, we evaluated the affinity of binding of HVGGSSV and a scrambled peptide to TIP-1 using surface plasmon resonance (SPR) technology. A KD (dissociation constant) of 3.3e-8M for HVGGSSV and 1.37e-3M for the scrambled peptide was obtained. We next determined the specificity of HVGGSSV to bind tumors in vivo using nano SPECT technology. HVGGSSV was conjugated to a 40KDa PEG (for longer circulation time) and radiolabelled with 111Indium (111In) using diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid (DTPA) as the chelator. The A549 tumor bearing nude mice were irradiated (3Gy x 3 times) or sham irradiated prior to tail vein injections of 111In labeled HVGGSSV. The mice were imaged 48h and 96h post injection using nano CT-SPECT imager. The SPECT images revealed that HVGGSSV specifically bound to the irradiated A549 tumors while little or no binding was seen in the sham irradiated tumors. The post-SPECT imaging bio-distrubution also revealed maximum uptake in irradiated tumors. We further evaluated tumor binding of HVGGSSV in Glioma (D54), esophageal cancer (OE33), cervical cancer (HT3), and pancreatic cancer (BxPC3). The nano-SPECT imaging showed that HVGGSSV specifically bound to all the irradiated tumors tested. Phosphor images of the tumor sections showed that HVGGSSV specifically bound to the tumors and not to normal tissues. In conclusion, HVGGSSV peptide has high affinity to TIP-1 in vitro and in vivo. Radiolabeled HVGGSSV is a novel tool for imaging tumors and may be developed further as a therapeutic agent to deliver cancer specific drugs or therapeutic radioisotopes. Citation Format: Vaishali Kapoor, David Dadey, Kim Nguyen, Hua Li, Buck Rogers, Dinesh Thotala, Dennis Hallahan. Targeting radiation-inducible cell surface TIP-1 using HVGGSSV peptide as a novel imaging and therapeutic strategy for tumors. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 1491. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-1491
The construction of chromosome maps

The accuracy with which a chromosome map may be constructed depends upon several conditions. (1) The mutant characters employed should be carefully restricted to those cleanly separable both from the wild type and from each other, and whose viability is practically the same as that of the wild type. (2) Mutants should be selected whose loci are properly spaced—not so close together that the error of random sampling is excessive, nor so far apart that double crossing over occurs between them. (3) When the amount of double crossing over between two distant loci is accurately known, data involving them can be used by making the appropriate correction. (4) The data must be obtained under uniform conditions, special attention being paid to the age of the parents, constancy and suitability of temperature, and to freedom from genetic modifiers of crossing over. (5) Any experiment involving more than two loci should figure only once in the calculation of each particular region of the chromosome. (6) Data for each...
The Narrow Mathematician

(1962). The Narrow Mathematician. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 69, No. 6, pp. 461-469.
The chemical environments of oleate species within samples of oleate-coated PbS quantum dots.

A combination of FT-IR, 1H NMR, nuclear Overhauser effect (NOESY), and diffusion-ordered (DOSY) NMR spectroscopies shows that samples of oleate-coated PbS quantum dots (QDs) with core radii ranging from 1.6 to 2.4 nm, and purified by washing with acetone, contain two species of oleate characterized by the stretching frequencies of their carboxylate groups, the chemical shifts of their protons, and their diffusion coefficients. One of these oleate species exists primarily on the surfaces of the QDs and either chelates a Pb2+ ion or bridges two Pb2+ ions. The ratio of bridging oleates to chelating oleates on the surfaces of the QDs is approximately 1:1 for all sizes of the QDs we studied. The second oleate species in these samples bridges two Pb2+ ions within clusters or oligomers of lead oleate (with a hydrodynamic radius of ∼1.4 nm), which are byproducts of the QD synthesis. The concentration of these clusters increases with increasing size of the QDs because larger QDs are produced by increasing the conc...
Mutual Connectivity Analysis (MCA) Using Generalized Radial Basis Function Neural Networks for Nonlinear Functional Connectivity Network Recovery in Resting-State Functional MRI

We investigate the applicability of a computational framework, called mutual connectivity analysis (MCA), for directed functional connectivity analysis in both synthetic and resting-state functional MRI data. This framework comprises of first evaluating non-linear cross-predictability between every pair of time series prior to recovering the underlying network structure using community detection algorithms. We obtain the non-linear cross-prediction score between time series using Generalized Radial Basis Functions (GRBF) neural networks. These cross-prediction scores characterize the underlying functionally connected networks within the resting brain, which can be extracted using non-metric clustering approaches, such as the Louvain method. We first test our approach on synthetic models with known directional influence and network structure. Our method is able to capture the directional relationships between time series (with an area under the ROC curve = 0.92 ± 0.037) as well as the underlying network structure (Rand index = 0.87 ± 0.063) with high accuracy. Furthermore, we test this method for network recovery on resting-state fMRI data, where results are compared to the motor cortex network recovered from a motor stimulation sequence, resulting in a strong agreement between the two (Dice coefficient = 0.45). We conclude that our MCA approach is effective in analyzing non-linear directed functional connectivity and in revealing underlying functional network structure in complex systems.
A cocktail algorithm for solving the elastic net penalized Cox’s regression in high dimensions

We introduce a cocktail algorithm, a good mixture of coordinate decent, the majorization-minimization principle and the strong rule, for computing the solution paths of the elastic net penalized Cox’s proportional hazards model. The cocktail algorithm enjoys a proven convergence property. We have implemented the cocktail algorithm in an R package fastcox. Numerical examples show that cocktail is comparable to coxnet [11] in speed and often delivers better quality solutions.
Giant Magnetoresistance Studies of NiFe-Based Spin-Valve Multilayers

The giant magnetoresistance in FeMn exchange-biased NiFe-based multilayer spin-valve structures prepared by rf-diode sputtering technique were studied. Experiments were performed on samples with different thicknesses of each layer in these multilayers. The magnetic properties were measured using a vibrating sample magnetometer and the giant magnetoresistance was measured using an in-line four-point magnetoresistance probe. A magnetoresistance of 6.5% in a magnetic field of less than 15 Oe was obtained in a Cu(30A)/FeMn(150A)/NiFe(50A)/Co(15A)/ Cu(20A)/Co(15A)/NiFe(60A) multilayer structure at room temperature. Annealing experiments of these multilayers were performed to study the thermal stability during the recording head fabrication processes. No degradation in the magnetoresistance has been found for annealing these films at 230°C up to four hours.
The Amanitas of Eastern North America

So much has been written on this important group of gill-fungi, both in Europe and America, that it is difficult to review in a brief paper the various opinions that have been held and the numerous discussions that have arisen regarding the identity, variability, distribution, and properties of the species it comprises. My present object is rather to list the chief eastern North American species, with a few of the names under which they have been known, and to add brief notes that students may appreciate. No reference is made here to the poisonous or edible properties of the individual species, as it is the opinion of the writer that the entire group should be strictly avoided by the mycophagist. After reading the following paper it may perhaps be more easily understood why this statement is made. Aside from the great variations in certain species, the accidental loss of a delicate structure like the veil may entirely remove a specimen from a dangerous genus and transfer it to one in which all the known species are harmless.
Challenges in the Management of Geriatric Obesity in High Risk Populations

The global prevalence of obesity in the older adult population is growing, an increasing concern in both the developed and developing countries of the world. The study of geriatric obesity and its management is a relatively new area of research, especially pertaining to those with elevated health risks. This review characterizes the state of science for this “fat and frail” population and identifies the many gaps in knowledge where future study is urgently needed. In community dwelling older adults, opportunities to improve both body weight and nutritional status are hampered by inadequate programs to identify and treat obesity, but where support programs exist, there are proven benefits. Nutritional status of the hospitalized older adult should be optimized to overcome the stressors of chronic disease, acute illness, and/or surgery. The least restrictive diets tailored to individual preferences while meeting each patient’s nutritional needs will facilitate the energy required for mobility, respiratory sufficiency, immunocompentence, and wound healing. Complications of care due to obesity in the nursing home setting, especially in those with advanced physical and mental disabilities, are becoming more ubiquitous; in almost all of these situations, weight stability is advocated, as some evidence links weight loss with increased mortality. High quality interdisciplinary studies in a variety of settings are needed to identify standards of care and effective treatments for the most vulnerable obese older adults.
Morphogenesis of Michaelis-Gutmann bodies in cerebral malacoplakia. An ultrastructural study

Malacoplakia was found in the brain biopsy specimen from the wall of a cystic lesion in a 4-month-old girl. Ultrastructural study of the Michaelis-Gutmann bodies revealed that the initial stage of calcification appeared to be the deposit of needle-shaped apatite crystals within intracytoplasmic membrane-bound vesicles of histiocytes. Accumulation of apatite crystals and coalescense of calcified vesicles resulted in the formation of large laminated calcospherules. Extracellular Michaelis-Gutmann bodies and apatite crystal-containing matrix vesicles were also noted. Calcified vesicles and the Michaelis-Gutmann bodies were not observed in the phagolysosomes. Bacteria and viral particles were not identified. These findings suggest that matrix and intracytoplasmic membrane-bound vesicles play an important role in the initial stage of the formation of Michaelis-Gutmann bodies and that a mechanism other than bacterial or viral infection may be involved in cerebral malacoplakia.
Neurosarcoidosis in Pediatric Patients: A Case Report and Review of Isolated and Systemic Neurosarcoidosis.

Abstract Background Neurosarcoidosis occurs in fewer than 5% of adults with systemic sarcoid. However, only 53 examples of neurosarcoidosis have been reported in the pediatric population, with nine of those cases being isolated neurosarcoidosis. We present the tenth case of a child with an initial presentation of isolated neurosarcoidosis and a review of the literature. Methods We searched the Ovid Medline database from 1946 to May 28, 2015. The Mesh terms "neurosarcoidosis," "pediatric," and "child" were exploded, and the Boolean "AND" was used to combine "neurosarcoidosis" with "pediatric" or "child." Articles that were not available in the English language were not included. Results A literature search revealed 53 children with neurosarcoidosis. The most common manifestations included cranial neuropathy (21%), papilledema or optic neuritis (15%), seizures (24.5%), and hypothalamic dysfunction (17%), with the latter two being more likely in younger children. Diagnosis is made by biopsy, but imaging and laboratory tests can aid in diagnosis. Treatment includes corticosteroids or other immunosuppressants. Conclusions Neurosarcoidosis in children is rare, and our patient is only the tenth child with isolated neurosarcoidosis. These patients highlight the importance of considering a noninfectious diagnosis in the setting of clinical and radiographic findings suggestive of neurosarcoidosis.
Excelling in multitasking and enjoying the distraction: Predicting intentions to send or read text messages while driving

Abstract Guided by the theory of planned behavior and attitude functional theory, this investigation examined the factors that predicted one's intentions to read or send text messages while driving. Based on a survey of 555 undergraduate students in the United States, results showed that their attitudes toward texting while driving were predicted by utilitarian (e.g., safety/risk and entertainment) and self-esteem maintenance motivations, but not by value-expressive motivations. Furthermore, the present research showed that participants' self-efficacy in driving well while texting, but not their efficacy in refraining from texting while driving, predicted attitudes toward texting while driving. Attitudes and both types of self-efficacy, in turn, predicted intentions to text while driving. Neither injunctive norms nor descriptive norms predicted participants' intentions to text while driving. At the theoretical level, this research indicates that the integration of attitudinal motivations (i.e., functions) and the theory of planned behavior can help understand one's attitudes and intentions to engage in a risky health behavior.
A New Approach to Solve for Oil-Whirl and Oil-Whip Limit-Cycle Response

Oil whirl/whip phenomena have been observed for some lightly loaded or unloaded rotor-hydrodynamic bearing systems. To describe and analyze this type of unstable motion, nonlinear hydrodynamic bearing models have been used as well as numerical-integration approaches that eventually converge to limit-cycle orbits. However, if a system includes a large number of bearings, a numerical approach can be time consuming and slow to converge. This paper presents a new way to solve for the limit-cycle orbits of oil whirl/whip. A flexible lumped rotor is modeled as supported by two massless hydrodynamic bearings. Oil film force expressions in terms of the frequency and amplitude of the oil whirl/whip limit cycle are developed for both cavitating and non-cavitating bearings. Free-body analysis is conducted for the rotor and bearing, and then the Newton-Raphson Method (NRM) is adopted to obtain the stable oil whirl/whip response. The stability of NRM solutions is checked. Another approach using conventional nonlinear hydrodynamic bearing model and Runge-Kutta method is employed to confirm the reliability of the new approach. The effects of bearing cavitation, external damping, and imbalance are studied.
Single Fluorescent Protein-Based Indicators for Zinc Ion (Zn2+)

Genetically encoded fluorescent Zn2+ indicators (GEZIs) are highly attractive research tools for studying Zn2+ homeostasis and signaling in mammalian cells. Most current GEZIs are based on Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET) between a select pair of fluorescent proteins (FPs) fused with Zn2+-binding motifs. One drawback of such FRET-based GEZIs is their broad spectral profile bandwidths, creating challenges when monitoring multiple targets or parameters. To address this issue, we have engineered a group of intensiometric GEZIs based on single teal and red FPs that can be utilized to monitor subcellular Zn2+ diffusion and glucose-induced Zn2+ secretion in pancreatic INS-1E β-cells. These GEZIs offer the simplicity of intensiometric measurements, compatibility in multicolor imaging, large dynamic ranges, and relatively small molecular sizes, making them valuable additions to the molecular toolbox for imaging Zn2+.
Effects of inelastic radiative processes on the determination of water-leaving spectral radiance from extrapolation of underwater near-surface measurements.

Extrapolation of near-surface underwater measurements is the most common method to estimate the water-leaving spectral radiance, Lw(λ) (where λ is the light wavelength in vacuum), and remote-sensing reflectance, Rrs(λ), for validation and vicarious calibration of satellite sensors, as well as for ocean color algorithm development. However, uncertainties in Lw(λ) arising from the extrapolation process have not been investigated in detail with regards to the potential influence of inelastic radiative processes, such as Raman scattering by water molecules and fluorescence by colored dissolved organic matter and chlorophyll-a. Using radiative transfer simulations, we examine high-depth resolution vertical profiles of the upwelling radiance, Lu(λ), and its diffuse attenuation coefficient, KLu (λ), within the top 10 m of the ocean surface layer and assess the uncertainties in extrapolated values of Lw(λ). The inelastic processes generally increase Lu and decrease KLu in the red and near-infrared (NIR) portion of the spectrum. Unlike KLu in the blue and green spectral bands, KLu in the red and NIR is strongly variable within the near-surface layer even in a perfectly homogeneous water column. The assumption of a constant KLu with depth that is typically employed in the extrapolation method can lead to significant errors in the estimate of Lw. These errors approach ∼100% at 900 nm, and the desired threshold of 5% accuracy or less cannot be achieved at wavelengths greater than 650 nm for underwater radiometric systems that typically take measurements at depths below 1 m. These errors can be reduced by measuring Lu within a much shallower surface layer of tens of centimeters thick or even less at near-infrared wavelengths longer than 800 nm, which suggests a requirement for developing appropriate radiometric instrumentation and deployment strategies.
Photoemission and Inverse Photoemission from Semiconductor Interfaces

Two recent developments in the spectroscopy of semiconductor interfaces are discussed: The use of various core level spectroscopies to selectively look at the interface atoms, and the application of inverse photoemission to observe unoccupied electronic states.
Combined intra-arterial cisplatin, intravenous chemotherapy, and chemoradiotherapy is an effective program for treating advanced SCC of the head and neck: An analysis of 23 patients with a median follow-up of 6.1 years

16535 Background: Aggressive chemotherapy combined with radiation increases organ preservation and provides locoregional control in advanced head and neck (H&N) cancer. Intra-arterial (IA) cisplati...
Nitrate-Containing Beetroot Juice Reduces Oxygen Consumption During Submaximal Exercise in Low but Not High Aerobically Fit Male Runners.

Purpose to examine the effect of a 4-day NO3- loading protocol on the submaximal oxygen cost of both low fit and high fit participants at five different exercise intensities. Methods participants were initially assigned to a placebo (PL; negligible NO3-) or inorganic nitrate-rich (NR; 6.2 mmol nitrate/day) group; double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover. Participants completed three trials (T1, T2 and T3). T1 included a maximal aerobic capacity (VO2max) treadmill test. A 6-day washout, minimizing nitrate consumption, preceded T2. Each of the four days prior to T2 and T3, participants consumed either PL or NR; final dose 2.5 hours prior to exercise. A 14-day washout followed T2. T2 and T3 consisted of 5-minute submaximal treadmill bouts (45, 60, 70, 80 and 85% VO2max) determined during T1. Results Low fit nitrate-supplemented participants consumed less oxygen (p<0.05) at lower workloads (45% and 60% VO2max) compared to placebo trials; changes not observed in high fit participants. The two lowest intensity workloads of 45 and 60% VO2max revealed the greatest correlation (r=0.54, p=0.09 and r=0.79, p<0.05; respectively). No differences were found between conditions for heart rate, respiratory exchange ratio or rating of perceived exertion for either fitness group. Conclusion Nitrate consumption promotes reduced oxygen consumption at lower exercise intensities in low fit, but not high fit males. Lesser fit individuals may receive greater benefit than higher fit participants exercising at intensities <60% VO2max.
Propulsion for CubeSats

Abstract At present, very few CubeSats have flown in space featuring propulsion systems. Of those that have, the literature is scattered, published in a variety of formats (conference proceedings, contractor websites, technical notes, and journal articles), and often not available for public release. This paper seeks to collect the relevant publically releasable information in one location. To date, only two missions have featured propulsion systems as part of the technology demonstration. The IMPACT mission from the Aerospace Corporation launched several electrospray thrusters from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and BricSAT-P from the United States Naval Academy had four micro-Cathode Arc Thrusters from George Washington University. Other than these two missions, propulsion on CubeSats has been used only for attitude control and reaction wheel desaturation via cold gas propulsion systems. As the desired capability of CubeSats increases, and more complex missions are planned, propulsion is required to accomplish the science and engineering objectives. This survey includes propulsion systems that have been designed specifically for the CubeSat platform and systems that fit within CubeSat constraints but were developed for other platforms. Throughout the survey, discussion of flight heritage and results of the mission are included where publicly released information and data have been made available. Major categories of propulsion systems that are in this survey are solar sails, cold gas propulsion, electric propulsion, and chemical propulsion systems. Only systems that have been tested in a laboratory or with some flight history are included.
A new discrete-time stabilizability condition for Linear Parameter-Varying systems

We introduce a new condition for the stabilizability of discrete-time Linear Parameter-Varying (LPV) systems in the form of Linear Matrix Inequalities (LMIs). A distinctive feature of the proposed condition is the ability to handle variation in both the dynamics as well as in the input matrix without resorting to dynamic augmentation or iterative procedures. We show that this new condition contains the existing poly-quadratic stabilizability result as a particular case. A numerical example illustrates the results.
The AI conference paper assignment problem

The Conference Paper Assignment Problem (CPAP) is the problem of assigning reviewers to conference paper submissions in a manner intended to minimize whingeing. It is assumed that papers are reviewed by members of a preset program committee (PC), each of whom has the opportunity to bid on papers prior to the assignment algorithm being run. In this survey, we show that CPAP is in P if the only information given is individual program committee members’ preferences for individual papers. However, if both preferences and expertise (based on, say, keywords) are given, the problem is potentially more complex.
Reasons for Pornography Consumption: Associations with Gender, Psychological and Physical Sexual Satisfaction, and Attitudinal Impacts

The purpose of this investigation is to examine the associations among gender and reasons for pornography consumption as well as attitudinal impacts. One hundred and forty-three participants, ranging in age from 18 to 48 (M = 21.22), participated in an online study at a large, southwestern university. Seventy-six of these participants identified as current consumers of pornography and are the primary focus of the analyses. Findings indicate that regardless of gender, pornography is preferably consumed in a solitary fashion for masturbatory purposes with a perceived positive physical, but not psychological, sexual satisfying impact for the self as well as for the consuming partner. Further, regarding attitudinal impacts, current male consumers of pornography report significantly higher adversarial sexual beliefs, rape myth acceptance and sexual conservatism than do current female consumers of pornography. Discussion and future directions follow.
18FDG PET/CT in Routine Surveillance of Asymptomatic Patients following Treatment of Sinonasal Neoplasms:

ObjectiveSinonasal neoplasms have a high rate of recurrence following treatment, and current guidelines support the use of a variety of surveillance techniques. Recent work demonstrates that perfor...
Performance Evaluations for an Automated Spray Chamber

Spray deposits associated with an automated spray chamber developed at Mississippi State University were evaluated. The data reported herein indicate that: (1) the deposits correspond to the calibr...
Katrina's Energy Agenda

Hurricane Katrina is a warning for the United States not only about disaster response but also about planning for a healthy and productive energy economy. The Energy Policy Act of 2005, signed into law only months before Katrina, continues a policy that has dominated our energy thinking for over a century. Neither the United States nor the world can continue on a path of increased fossil fuel burning without acknowledging the long-term, global, difficult to manage, and complex to understand consequences of climate change. This article advocates a significant energy transition away from that path to become less dependent on fossil fuels and more dependent on cleaner renewable and alternative fuels. An alternative energy policy has been developing over the last three decades that is based on the assumption that energy production has a direct impact on the quality of the environment, on national security, and on global relations, as well as on a healthy pro-growth economy. Katrina presents an opportunity to reevaluate the traditional policy and to engage in a transition to this new "smart" energy policy for a strong economic future.
FOREIGN POLICY DECISION-MAKING IN FINLAND AND AUSTRIA: THE APPLICATION OF A COGNITIVE PROCESS MODEL*

Must starvation be the price for good relations with the Soviet Union? Policy-makers in Finland had to face this question in 1947, when they decided against participating in the Marshall Plan, despite the fact that the country desperately needed economic aid. Although the Finns survived and prospered without Marshall Plan aid, relations with the Soviet Union continue to complicate the foreign policy decisions of Finland. In 1973, for example, Finnish policy-makers faced the question of whether or not to sign a free trade agreement with the enlarged European Community. Once again, the Finns were forced to consider both the economic and the political issues involved in this decision. On the one hand, the Finnish economy is highly dependent on trade, especially trade with Great Britain and other members of the European Community. The free trade agreement, by gradually eliminating tariffs on industrial goods, would help Finland to maintain its competitive position in Western Europe. On the other hand, the Finnish policy of neutrality is based on good relations with the Soviet Union, its powerful eastern neighbor.
Transient developmental hearing loss leads to disruption of striatal function in adults

Transient hearing loss during development can lead to deficits in the auditory perceptual abilities of children. These deficits arise from both peripheral ear and central neural dysfunction along the auditory neuraxis. Even if hearing loss resolves or is treated, persistent learning deficits and language impairments can occur. This suggests that regions downstream of the primary auditory neuraxis can be disrupted by brief auditory deprivation. One such region, which is highly involved in language development, is the auditory striatum. Thus I asked how the development of cellular properties in the auditory striatum are affected by hearing loss, and how these changes affect the learning of an auditory task. I used the gerbil and a brain slice preparation to assess how the expression of long term potentiation (LTP), which is a biomarker of learning, correlated with behavioral performance in adult animals that had undergone developmental hearing loss. I found that the cellular expression of LTP corresponded w...
The Evolution of Polymorphic Hybrid Incompatibilities in House Mice

Resolving the mechanistic and genetic bases of reproductive barriers between species is essential to understanding the evolutionary forces that shape speciation. Intrinsic hybrid incompatibilities are often treated as fixed between species, yet there can be considerable variation in the strength of reproductive isolation between populations. The extent and causes of this variation remain poorly understood in most systems. We investigated the genetic basis of variable hybrid male sterility (HMS) between two recently diverged subspecies of house mice, Mus musculus domesticus and Mus musculus musculus We found that polymorphic HMS has a surprisingly complex genetic basis, with contributions from at least five autosomal loci segregating between two closely related wild-derived strains of M. m. musculus One of the HMS-linked regions on chromosome 4 also showed extensive introgression among inbred laboratory strains and transmission ratio distortion (TRD) in hybrid crosses. Using additional crosses and whole genome sequencing of sperm pools, we showed that TRD was limited to hybrid crosses and was not due to differences in sperm motility between M. m. musculus strains. Based on these results, we argue that TRD likely reflects additional incompatibilities that reduce hybrid embryonic viability. In some common inbred strains of mice, selection against deleterious interactions appears to have unexpectedly driven introgression at loci involved in epistatic hybrid incompatibilities. The highly variable genetic basis to F1 hybrid incompatibilities between closely related mouse lineages argues that a thorough dissection of reproductive isolation will require much more extensive sampling of natural variation than has been commonly utilized in mice and other model systems.
Wrong turn: the wayward path of health care reform.

As health care coverage decreases and costs increase, the stage is being set for health care reform that includes adoption of a single payer health care financing plan. Virtual Mentor is a monthly bioethics journal published by the American Medical Association.
Comparison of the Sensitivity of Rodent and Human Cells to Chemical Carcinogens Using Viral Transformation, DNA Damage, and Cytotoxicity Assays

The close association between the mutagenic and carcinogenic activity of chemicals and their interaction with cell DNA has focused attention on assays that directly or indirectly measure damage to cellular DNA. Three such assays -- enhancement of viral transformation, analysis of DNA breakage, and stimulation of unscheduled DNA synthesis (UDS) -- have been used extensively in hamster embryo cells to determine the potential of these assays as predictors of carcinogenic activity of various environmental chemicals.
Metabolically Stabilized Double Stranded mRNA Polyplexes

The metabolic instability of mRNA currently limits its utility for gene therapy. Compared to plasmid DNA, mRNA is significantly more susceptible to digestion by RNase in the circulation following systemic dosing. To increase mRNA metabolic stability, we hybridized a complementary reverse mRNA with forward mRNA to generate double-stranded mRNA (dsmRNA). RNase A digestion of dsmRNA established a 3000-fold improved metabolic stability compared to single-stranded mRNA (ssmRNA). Formulation of a dsmRNA polyplex using a PEG-peptide further improved the stability by 3000-fold. Hydrodynamic dosing and quantitative bioluminescence imaging of luciferase expression in the liver of mice established the potent transfection efficiency of dsmRNA and dsmRNA polyplexes. However, hybridization of the reverse mRNA against the 5' and 3' UTR of forward mRNA resulted in UTR denaturation and a tenfold loss in expression. Repeat dosing of dsmRNA polyplexes produced an equivalent transient expression, suggesting the lack of an immune response in mice. Co-administration of excess uncapped dsmRNA with a dsmRNA polyplex failed to knock down expression, suggesting that dsmRNA is not a Dicer substrate. Maximal circulatory stability was achieved using a fully complementary dsmRNA polyplex. The results established dsmRNA as a novel metabolically stable and transfection-competent form of mRNA.
Laser durability evaluations of silica glass at 1064 nm and 213 nm

Nd:YAG lasers are easy to operate, and are used in material processing applications. Because they are high-power lasers, optical materials with high laser durability are required for their optical systems. One of the commonly used materials for high-power lasers is silica glass. The silica glass has not only high laser durability but also high transmittance from the UV region to the IR region. In this study, we evaluated the laser durability by measuring laser-induced bulk damage threshold (LIDT) of silica glasses at 1064 nm and 213 nm, as the one of the key indexes for laser durability. We obtained following results. First, at 1-on-1 LIDT measurements, the LIDTs of samples were almost the same at each wavelength. On the other hand, the LIDT results were different depending on the sample at 213 nm as well as at 355 nm and 266 nm. The more hydroxyl concentration the silica glass had, the lower laser durability the silica glass had. However the difference of LIDT results at 1064 nm was also small at 10000-on-1 LIDT. Second, the silica glass which includes chlorine had lower durability even if its hydroxyl concentration was very low. Finally, hydrogen concentration dependency of the durability was varied by the hydroxyl content. If the content of hydroxyl was ≤10 ppm, LIDT became lower as hydrogen concentration increased. On the other hand, if it was equal to 30 ppm, LIDT became higher as hydrogen concentration increased. Based on these results, we can improve laser durability of silica glass at 213 nm by either reducing hydroxyl and chlorine or controlling hydrogen concentration. We can also select an appropriate silica glass in accordance to use.