cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Russell Hamilton: Pioneering Critic of African Literatures in Portuguese

Russell Hamilton’s scholarly career coincided with the anti-colonial liberation movements throughout the Portuguese African territories of Angola, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde, and Sao Tome and Principe, in the 1960s and 70s. During this critical time-period, written literature in the form of poetry, short stories, essays, and novels played a major role among African elites by imagining these newly emerging nations. While denouncing the injustices and ravages of Portuguese colonialism, literary art galvanized readers to the cause of independence.
Valar Morghulis (All Parasocial Men Must Die): Having Nonfictional Responses to a Fictional Character

Previous research has found that parasocial relationships mirror actual social relationships. The purpose of this study is to determine how people reacted to the end of a parasocial relationship pe...
Effects of student pairing and public review on physical activity during school recess

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of student pairing and feedback during recess on children's step counts. During baseline, participants wore a sealed pedometer during recess. During intervention, we paired participants with higher step counts with participants with lower step counts. We encouraged teams to compete for the highest step count each day and provided feedback on their performance during each recess session. Results showed a large mean increase in step count from baseline to intervention. These results suggest that children's steps during recess can be increased with a simple and cost-effective intervention.
A Novel Nano-approach for Targeted Inner Ear Imaging.

During the last decade, there have been major improvements in imaging modalities and the development of molecular imaging in general. However detailed inner ear imaging still provides very limited information to physicians. This is unsatisfactory as sensorineural hearing loss is the main cause of permanent hearing loss in adults and at least 134 genetic mutations that result in congenital hearing loss have been identified. We are still unable, in most cases where gross anatomical changes are not observed, to determine the exact cause of hearing loss at a cellular or molecular level in patients using non-invasive techniques. This limitation in inner ear diagnostic modalities is a major obstacle behind the delay in discovering treatments for many of the causes of sensorineural hearing loss. This paper initially investigated the use of targeted gold nanoparticles as contrast agents for inner ear imaging. These nanoparticles have many useful characteristics such as being easy to target and possessing minimal cytotoxicity. We were able to detect the nanoparticles diffusing in the hair cells using confocal microscopy. Regrettably, despite their many admirable characteristics, the gold nanoparticles were unable to significantly enhance CT imaging of the inner ear. Consequently, we investigated liposomal iodine as a potential solution for the unsatisfactory CT contrast obtained with the gold nanoparticles. Fortunately, significant enhancement of the micro-CT image was observed with either Lugol’s solution or liposomal iodine, with Lugol’s solution enabling fine inner ear structures to be detected
Microbial expansion–collision dynamics promote cooperation and coexistence on surfaces

Microbes colonizing a surface often experience colony growth dynamics characterized by an initial phase of spatial clonal expansion followed by collision between neighboring colonies to form potentially genetically heterogeneous boundaries. For species with life cycles consisting of repeated surface colonization and dispersal, these spatially explicit "expansion-collision dynamics" generate periodic transitions between two distinct selective regimes, "expansion competition" and "boundary competition," each one favoring a different growth strategy. We hypothesized that this dynamic could promote stable coexistence of expansion- and boundary-competition specialists by generating time-varying, negative frequency-dependent selection that insulates both types from extinction. We tested this experimentally in budding yeast by competing an exoenzyme secreting "cooperator" strain (expansion-competition specialists) against nonsecreting "defectors" (boundary-competition specialists). As predicted, we observed cooperator-defector coexistence or cooperator dominance with expansion-collision dynamics, but only defector dominance otherwise. Also as predicted, the steady-state frequency of cooperators was determined by colonization density (the average initial cell-cell distance) and cost of cooperation. Lattice-based spatial simulations give good qualitative agreement with experiments, supporting our hypothesis that expansion-collision dynamics with costly public goods production is sufficient to generate stable cooperator-defector coexistence. This mechanism may be important for maintaining public-goods cooperation and conflict in microbial pioneer species living on surfaces.
Pharmacoepidemiology in Pharmacogenetics.

Abstract Epidemiologic methods provide rigorous means by which to study the interplay between genetic factors and drug response. In this chapter, we describe the differences between experimental and observational study designs, and illustrate how to implement the highly efficient case–control study design. We discuss analytic approaches to evaluating gene–drug interactions within typical study designs and review sources of bias that must be assessed and accounted for in epidemiologic analyses.
RETINAL INSULIN RECEPTOR SIGNALING IN HYPEROSMOTIC STRESS

Abstract In the diabetic eye, the increased accumulation of sorbitol in the retina has been implicated in the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy (DR). Neurodegeneration is an important component of DR as demonstrated by increased neural apoptosis in the retina during experimental and human diabetes. Insulin receptor (IR) activation has been shown to rescue retinal neurons from apoptosis through a phosphoinositide 3‐kinase and protein kinase B (Akt) survival cascade. In this study, we examined the IR signaling in sorbitol‐induced hyperosmotic stressed retinas
Spinal cord blood flow and metabolism in transient spinal ischemia

Spinal cord ischemia and the resulting irreversible loss of neurological function (i.e. the development of spastic or flaccid paraplegia) represent serious complications associated with transient aortic cross-clamp (as for rep air of aortic aneurysm). While the precise mechanism leading to the irreversible spinal neuronal degeneration after spinal ischemia is not well understood, current experimental studies suggest that the progressive evolution of spinal injury after aortic cross clamp may be considered in at least two categories: i) spinal cord blood flow changes, and, ii) metabolic changes resulting from critical reduction of substrate (glucose/oxygen) delivery and corresponding release of active factors (excitatory amino acids, prostaglandins, oxygen free radicals etc.) into the spinal extracellular space.
Mineralization Reactions Involving Calcium Carbonates and Phosphates

The calcium carbonates and phosphates may precipitate as different polymorphs and phases under conditions typical of those in vivo. A constant composition method has been used to study the kinetics of crystallization in which the activities of ionic species in the supersaturated solutions are maintained constant by the potentiometrically controlled addition of reagents. For calcite, the rate of reaction is proportional to the square of the supersaturation, expressed in terms of the activities of free calcium and carbonate ions. The constant composition study of the dissolution of this salt indicates the participation of both transport and surface processes over a range of pH. At lower pH values, the reaction is controlled by the rate of formation of carbon dioxide. In the growth experiments, metastable phases may persist for considerable periods and kinetic considerations are of paramount importance in understanding the mechanisms of the reactions. Thus the calcium phosphates which form in solution are markedly dependent on pH, supersaturation, ionic strength, temperature, and the nature of the solid phases already present.
Defect Prediction Approach to enhance Static Fault Localization of Functional Logic Failure Defects using NIR Photon Emission Microscopy

Studies on defect induced emission characteristics have significantly enhanced the effectiveness of static fault localization on functional logic failures due to open and short defects. In this paper, using the distinctive differences in the defect-induced emission characteristic between open and short defects, together with layout trace and analysis, a defect prediction approach has been derived. It assisted in the hypothesis of the defect type, narrowing down the defect location within long failure net(s) and even pin-pointing the exact defect location in some cases. Successful case studies on advanced technology node devices were used to describe four different emission signatures of open and short defects and the effective application of aforementioned approach in isolating the defect.
Gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel (G/A) alternating with 5-FU/leucovorin/irinotecan (FOLFIRI) in first-line metastatic pancreatic cancer (MPC): Updated results.

314Background: Both gemcitabine- and 5-FU-based chemotherapy (chemoRx) have demonstrated efficacy in MPC. Alternating these two regimens may 1) decrease toxicity 2) slow emergence of resistant canc...
Sarcopenia in bladder cancer patients is an unmodifiable outcomes predictor.

480Background: Sarcopenia, a severe loss of skeletal muscle mass, predicts poor outcomes in bladder cancer (BC). But, why sarcopenia occurs in BC is unknown. Our objective was to assess if diet and...
The Assistant Principal: Neglected Actor in Practitioner Leadership Literature:

Both principals and assistant principals are site level administrators, and both are charged with leadership responsibilities in the school. Nonetheless, the organizational contexts in which they e...
Winners of 2018 SIGAda Awards

SIGAda is pleased to announce that Brad Moore and John Hamilton received SIGAda's awards for 2018. Brad Moore, a Software Engineer at General Dynamics Missions Systems Canada, received the Robert Dewar Award for Outstanding Ada Community Contributions. John A. "Drew" Hamilton, Jr., a Professor at Mississippi State University, received the ACM SIGAda Distinguished Service Award. The awards were presented during SIGAda's High Integrity Language Technology (HILT 2018) Workshop, held in Boston, MA, November 5-6, 2018.
Delayed motor skills associated with pediatric obesity.

Abstract Objective To review the literature regarding associations between developmental motor delay (DMD) and pediatric obesity. We hope to identify potential interventions that can improve motor coordination at an early age, thereby minimizing the deterring factors of physical activity down the road. Design An integrative review was undertaken using search combinations to best identify potential publications. Manuscripts were reviewed, summarized, and discussed in detail. An experienced clinician in pediatric obesity reviewed the final searches for substantive content. Criteria Inclusion criteria include English language studies or publications, children ≤18 years old, publication/study relates to DMD and pediatric obesity. Excluded publications regarded topics of pediatric obesity that have been extensively studied such as maternal and family histories of obesity, isolated nutritional or physical interventions to improve obesity without discussion of DMD. Results 21 publications were included for review. Papers fell into three main categories regarding the association between pediatric obesity and DMD: 1) Motor function - negative association with motor function and obesity 2) Motor Development - lower levels of motor function are associated with decreased levels of exercise, and 3) Role of Intervention - specific physical activity intervention showed improvements in motor function. Conclusions Motor function deficits appear to be associated with obesity. However, it is not well understood if children with obesity have delayed motor skills as a consequence of their weight or if the DMD is a risk factor for the development of obesity; existing studies do not provide an answer.
Provider recommendation for HPV vaccination across Hispanic/Latinx subgroups in the United States.

Healthcare provider recommendation is a key predictor of HPV vaccination among adolescents, yet little is known about how parents’ receipt of a provider recommendation differs across Hispanic/Latin...
Status in Markets

This project tests for the effect of social status in a laboratory experimental market. We consider a special "box design" market in which a vertical overlap in supply and demand ensure that there are multiple equilibrium prices. We manipulate the relative social status of our subjects by awarding high status to a subset of the group based on one of two procedures. In the first, a subject's score on a trivia quiz determines his or her status; in another, subjects are assigned randomly to a higher-status or lower-status group. In both treatments we find that average prices are higher in markets where higher-status sellers face lowerstatus buyers, and lower when buyers have higher status than sellers. Across all sessions, the higher-status side of the market captures a greater share of the surplus, earning significantly more than their lower-status counterparts.
Pleasure, Pain, Perversity: Reading Byzantine Witness Literature After Auschwitz

This conclusion addresses a fundamental ethical question about witness literature: To what extent, if any, are readers allowed to take pleasure in literary depictions of suffering, whether fictional or nonfictional? And do those ethical obligations depend upon differences in time, space, language, and culture between the witness and those who are the audience of witness literature? The conclusion thus focuses less on the witness and more on those whom Thomas Trezise calls the “witness to the witness,” arguing that witness literature is inherently dialogic and that the audience has an important role. These different roles are often modeled within the corpus of witness literature: just as Elie Wiesel’s Night (1958) is preceded by Francois Mauriac’s account of hearing Wiesel tell his tale, so too do the Komnenian novels and other exemplars of Byzantine witness literature feature the various ways in which the audience plays the role of witness to the witness. Within witness literature (whether Byzantine or modern), ethical responses are defined by a commitment to listen even to difficult subjects, even when the things being narrated bring them no pleasure to hear.
Fusion Laser Technology Revisited

Laser research and development related to fusion began in the mid-1960’s in France (at the C.E.A laboratory at Limeuil and at the Companie Generale D’Electricite Research Center at Marcoussis), the U.S.S.R. (at the Lebedev and Kurchatov Institutes) and in the U.S.A. (at the Lawrence Radiation Laboratory and at Sandia). The brightness of lasers gave potential for producing high temperature and high density plasmas. The most notable work in laser development in this period was the development in a few years of very powerful neodymium glass lasers by CGE in France which by 1968 had attained energies of over 100 joules in pulses a few nanoseconds long. The discovery and demonstration of mode locking by DeMaria in 1966 provided a technique by which ultimately short and very well controlled temporal laser pulse shapes could be developed. After its invention by Patel in 1965 as a cw laser progress in developing high power pulsed carbon dioxide was also very rapid.
Technical feasibility comparison of off-grid PV-EDR and PV-RO desalination systems via their energy consumption

To explore the techno-economic feasibility of powering remote, rural desalination systems with renewable energies, this study conducted pilot-scale experimental work and software modeling to identify the energy consumptions of two common brackish water desalination technologies – electrodialysis reversal (EDR) and reverse osmosis (RO) – when operated with different water salinities, flow rates, and temperatures. The pilot-scale experiments were conducted in parallel at the Brackish Groundwater National Desalination Research Facility in Alamogordo, New Mexico; for the software modeling, WATSYS software was used for EDR, and WinFlows software was used for RO. The experimental results showed that product flow rate and the salinity of feed water significantly affected the specific energy consumptions (SECs) of EDR and RO. The SEC of EDR is more sensitive to feed water salinity variations, as compared to the SEC of RO. The SEC sensitivities of EDR and RO to product flow rate were slightly different. The SEC of EDR was not significantly influenced by temperature variations, while the SEC of RO was affected significantly by temperature variations. With the energy requirements for these systems identified under a range of operating conditions, HOMER software was used to identify optimal renewable energy systems for powering the desalination technologies under each combination of operating conditions. Lastly, the total net present cost of each renewable energy system was calculated, and the most economical systems were identified. As determined by measured energy consumption and modeled energy production, solar energy can feasibly power off-grid ED/EDR and RO systems in regions with meteorological conditions similar to Alamogordo, New Mexico. For low-salinity water with solar power, EDR was far more efficient than solar-powered RO, with a total net present cost difference of 48–159%, if the blending is not an option for RO. For higher-salinity water, solar-powered RO was more efficient than solar-powered EDR, with a lower total net present cost.
Serum levels of molecules that are markers of B cell activation are elevated prior to the development of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome-associated non-Hodgkin's B cell lymphoma

694 Persons with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection are at increased risk of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome-associated non-Hodgkin9s B cell lymphoma (AIDS-NHL). AIDS-NHL is heterogeneous, with tumors arising in both relatively immunocompetent and severely immunodeficient persons, and may be the result of inappropriate and/or chronic B cell activation, as well as loss of functional immunity to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). In a nested case-control study utilizing samples from participants in the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study, we assessed pre-AIDS-NHL serum levels of several B cell stimulatory cytokines and molecules associated with B cell activation by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Levels of interleukin (IL) 6, IL10, soluble CD23 (sCD23), sCD27, sCD30, C’-reactive protein (CRP), and total IgE were quantified in longitudinal serum samples collected at up to three time points prior to lymphoma diagnosis (3-5 years, 1-3 years, and
What is It Like to Be a Beetle? The Timelessness Problem in Gilson's Value Creation Hypothesis

This is a contribution to the 2014 mini-symposium honoring the thirtieth anniversary of the publication of Ronald Gilson’s seminal article Value Creation by Business Lawyers. In it, he coined two powerful metaphors: that of lawyers as “transaction cost engineers” and as beetles studied by their entomologist brethren in the legal academy. As a former lawyer-beetle and a current academic-entomologist, I am quite sure that the transaction cost economics he used to explain value creation missed something important about the subjective and real world experience of being a lawyer-beetle. In this essay, I (a) summarize two different but significantly related critiques of theory, (i) the physicist Lee Smolin’s powerful argument for the unreality and therefore timelessness of algorithmic models of the universe – i.e., why physics as generally practiced is “physics in a box,” and (ii) the philosopher Alasdair MacIntyre’s controversial argument for the unreality of modern conceptions of utility, rights, and efficiency, (b) borrow from both critiques in order to understand the difficulties in transposing timeless economic and legal conceptions (“utility” and “rights,” respectively) to real transactions that occur in real time, (c) criticize the tendency of the legal profession, in both the academic and practicing arms, to teach and practice a scientific “law in a box,” and (d) suggest a vision of what it means for a wise business lawyer not to be so constrained.
An analytical approach to the solution of the Hamilton-Jacobi-Isaacs equations (HJIE) in nonlinear L/sub 2/-gain control

In this paper, we present an approach to the solution of the Hamilton-Jacobi-Isaac equation (HJIE) arising in the H/sub /spl infin// control problem for nonlinear systems. We show that the HJIE can be solved analogously to a scalar quadratic equation, and present a computational procedure for determining symmetric solutions. Examples are given to illustrate the procedure.
Computing Backwater at Open Channel Constrictions

A previously developed subcritical (submerged) flow analysis for open channel constrictions has been modified to provide an improved technique for computing the backwater resulting from constrictions. Application of the method to results from model studies has shown that it provides a more accurate prediction of the effects of a contraction on open channel flow than the methods currently in use. Of particular advantage is the applicability of the proposed technique to any flow condition or regime and its independence of channel slope.
Soft Embalming of Cadaveric Components for Training Purposes

VA State Anatomical Program (VSAP) has developed soft embalming method (modified Thiel) for research & medical training. VSAP soft embalming technique(VSAP SE) accomplishes realistic tissue feel w/...
Model-based detection in a shallow water ocean environment

A model-based detector is developed to process shallow water ocean acoustic data. The function of the detector, is to adaptively monitor the environment and decide whether or not a change from normal has occurred. Here we develop a processor incorporating both a normal-mode ocean acoustic model and a vertical hydrophone array. The detector is applied to data acquired from the Hudson Canyon experiments at various ranges and its performance is evaluated.
Curiouser & Curiouser : Shaping the Shape of the Future: Contemporary Retellings of Folk and Fairy Tales for Young Adults and the Acculturated Reader

This article introduces a series of examinations of contemporary retellings of traditional folktales, with particular focus on the work of Robin McKinley.
Linking human brain local activity fluctuations to structural and functional network architectures

Activity of cortical local neuronal populations fluctuates continuously, and a large proportion of these fluctuations are shared across populations of neurons. Here we seek organizational rules that link these two phenomena. Using neuronal activity, as identified by functional MRI (fMRI) and for a given voxel or brain region, we derive a single measure of full bandwidth brain-oxygenation-level-dependent (BOLD) fluctuations by calculating the slope, α, for the log-linear power spectrum. For the same voxel or region, we also measure the temporal coherence of its fluctuations to other voxels or regions, based on exceeding a given threshold, Θ, for zero lag correlation, establishing functional connectivity between pairs of neuronal populations. From resting state fMRI, we calculated whole-brain group-averaged maps for α and for functional connectivity. Both maps showed similar spatial organization, with a correlation coefficient of 0.75 between the two parameters across all brain voxels, as well as variability with hodology. A computational model replicated the main results, suggesting that synaptic low-pass filtering can account for these interrelationships. We also investigated the relationship between α and structural connectivity, as determined by diffusion tensor imaging-based tractography. We observe that the correlation between α and connectivity depends on attentional state; specifically, α correlated more highly to structural connectivity during rest than while attending to a task. Overall, these results provide global rules for the dynamics between frequency characteristics of local brain activity and the architecture of underlying brain networks.
A tribometer for measurements in hostile environments

Abstract A tribometer at the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Boulder, Colorado is used to measure the coefficient of friction and the wear rate for various specimens in a controlled atmosphere of oxygen or non-corrosive gas. The wide range of demonstrated operating temperature of 80 to 1030 K is presently unavailable in any commercial apparatus. The machine uses ball-on-flat or ring-on-flat specimen geometries for comparison of conforming and non-conforming contacts. The tribometer can be loaded to produce a hertzian contact stress in excess of 12 GPa (1.7×10 6 Ibf in −2 ) and surface velocities from 0.06 m s −1 to 4.0 m s −1 . A range of environmental conditions this wide is unusual, especially the temperature range. The apparatus is described and some test results are compared with known values.
High-energy Antimatter Telescope (HEAT): basic design and performance

The high-energy antimatter telescope (HEAT) instrument has been flown successfully by high-altitude balloon in 1994 and 1995, in a configuration optimized for the detection and identification of cosmic-ray electrons and positrons at energies from about 1 GeV up to 50 GeV and beyond. It consists of a two-coil superconducting magnet and a precision drift-tube tracking hodoscope, complemented with a time-of-flight system, a transition radiation detector and an electromagnetic shower counter. We review the design criteria for optimal e+/- detection and identification, and assess the instruments' performance and background rejection during its first two flights. We also review the adaptation of HEAT for measurements of high-energy cosmic- ray antiprotons and for isotopic composition studies.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Biological Characteristics and Viral Spectrum of Serially Cultivated Fetal Rhesus Monkey Kidney Cells

SummaryA serially cultivated tissue, designated HL-8, has been developed from fetal rhesus monkey kidney. A limited supply, frozen in liquid nitrogen, is available (ECD).3 The tissue culture exhibits persistent aneuploidy with a mean diploid chromosome number. It displays contact inhibition, an epithelial-like appearance in sparse culture, and consistent morphology and viral susceptibility during an approximately 13-month lifespan in vitro. The viral spectrum is comparable to primary rhesus monkey kidney tissue culture. HL-8 was able to support the growth of enteroviruses as well as primary MK. Laboratory adenovirus and re-ovirus strains grew and could be passed on HL-8, as could vaccinia and rubella. Surprisingly, HL-8 was successful in the recovery of several myxoviruses including virulent and vaccine measles. As with other serially cultivated cells, HL-8 was significantly inferior for propagation of influenza A2 and parainfluenza 1.
Synthesis of imidazolium ABA triblock copolymers for electromechanical transducers

Abstract Nitroxide-mediated polymerization enabled the synthesis of cationic, imidazolium-containing triblock copolymers as a membrane for an electromechanical transducer. Nitroxide-mediated polymerization afforded poly(styrene- b -[1-ethyl-3-(4-vinylbenzyl)imidazolium bis(trifluoromethane sulfonyl)imide)]- b -styrene) in a controlled fashion as confirmed using aqueous size exclusion chromatography and 1 H NMR spectroscopy. Dynamic mechanical analysis revealed a modulus of approximately 100 MPa for the triblock copolymer at 23 °C, which was suitable for fabrication of an electromechanical actuator. Evaluation of electromechanical actuators revealed device curvatures over twice the curvatures for Nafion ® in both the presence and absence of a conductive network composite. Addition of the ionic liquid (IL) 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium trifluoromethane sulfonate selectively reduced the glass transition temperature ( T g ) of the central block and increased overall ionic conductivity. Normalizing temperature with the central block T g caused the ionic conductivity for the IL-incorporated polymers to collapse onto a single curve, which was an order of magnitude higher than the block copolymer in the absence of added IL.
Receptor regulation, competitive antagonism and pA2

Abstract A growing body of evidence suggests that the number of drug receptors on cell surfaces is not fixed, but is dynamically regulated circumstances that include exposure to the ligand itself. Because most traditional theories of drug action are based on the assumption of a fixed number of receptors, it is desirable to examine the importance of this regulatory process on the interpretation of dose-effect data. Of special interest is the impact of a variable receptor number on the equation of competitive antagonism and associated pA2 which, in the traditional theory, is a quantitative measure of antagonist-receptor affinity. Using a simple model of drug-induced endocytosis or exocytosis, it is shown that if the rate of either is appreciable, the pA2 is no longer a simple measure of affinity.
Linear polymers of some vinyl monomers containing a terminal acetylenic group

The synthesis and polymerization of representative acrylic-type esters containing a terminal acetylene group, CH2C(R)COO(CHR′)mCCH, where R and R′ are H and CH3 and m = 1 or 2, by anionic initiation to linear polymers are described. In contrast, crosslinked polymers were formed when radical and cationic initiators were used. Crosslinked polymers were also obtained with organolithium compounds but not with sodium naphthalene and sodium benzalaniline; this observation is discussed and compared to the behavior of the acetylenic acrylic esters which do not contain a terminal acetylenic hydrogen. The unpolymerized acetylenic bonds in the resulting linear polymers were shown to be present by infrared spectroscopic methods and by the following post-reactions of these bonds: (1) the heat- and radical-initiated crosslinking of the polymers through the acetylenic bonds; (2) the post-bromination of the acetylenic bonds; and (3) the reaction of decaborane with the acetylenic bonds. The anionic copolymerization of acrylonitrile and styrene with these acetylenic monomers were performed and compared to the copolymerizations with 1-acryloxy-2-butyne and 1-methacryloxy-2-butyne. Dibromination of the linear polymers affords self-extinguishing polymers, while decaboronation yields soluble polymers which do not soften up to 300°C. The linear polymers may be classified as “self-reactive” polymers which yield thermosetting polymers.
Complex Interplay between Type 1 Fimbrial Expression and Flagellum-Mediated Motility of Uropathogenic Escherichia coli

Type 1 fimbriae and flagella have been previously shown to contribute to the virulence of uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) within the urinary tract. In this study, the relationship between motility and type 1 fimbrial expression was tested for UPEC strain CFT073 by examining the phenotypic effect of fimbrial expression on motility and the effect that induction of motility has on type 1 fimbrial expression. While constitutive expression of type 1 fimbriae resulted in a significant decrease in motility and flagellin expression (P < 0.0001), a loss of type 1 fimbrial expression did not result in increased motility. Additionally, hypermotility and flagellar gene over- and underexpression were not observed to affect the expression of type 1 fimbriae. Hence, it appeared that the relationship between type 1 fimbrial expression and motility is unidirectional, where the overexpression of type 1 fimbriae dramatically affects motility and flagellum expression but not vice versa. Moreover, the constitutive expression of type 1 fimbriae in UPEC cystitis isolate F11 and the laboratory strain E. coli K-12 MG1655 also resulted in decreased motility, suggesting that this phenomenon is not specific to CFT073 or UPEC in general. Lastly, by analyzing the repression of motility caused by constitutive type 1 fimbrial expression, it was concluded that the synthesis and presence of type 1 fimbriae at the bacterial surface is only partially responsible for the repression of motility, as evidenced by the partial restoration of motility in the CFT073 fim L-ON ΔfimAICDFGH mutant. Altogether, these data provide further insight into the complex interplay between type 1 fimbrial expression and flagellum-mediated motility.
Ring distributions in alkali- and alkaline-earth aluminosilicate framework glasses- a raman spectroscopic study

Raman spectra of crystalline polymorphs of a number of tectosilicate minerals having various sizes of smallest rings of TO4 tetrahedra (T = Si, Al) have been investigated to identify the bands that are sensitive indicators of the smallest rings in the network. The information obtained from the Raman spectra of tectosilicate minerals (e.g., SiO2 polymorphs, NaAlSi3O8 (Ab), NaAlSiO4 (Ne), KAlSi3O8 (Or), and KAlSi2O6 (Lc)) is used to interpret the Raman spectra of the isochemical glasses. It is shown that the frequency of the dominant νs (TOT) band in the spectra of both crystals and glasses is related to the dominant size of TO4 rings in the structure. In agreement with previous X-ray RDF work, it is found that in the glasses of Ab and Jd (NaAlSi2O6) compositions, six-membered rings of TO4 tetrahedra predominate. The Raman spectrum of Or glass, however, indicates that clusters of intermixed four- and six-membered rings of TO4 tetrahedra, similar to those existing in crystalline leucite, are also present in the glass. Raman evidence indicates that four-membered rings of TO4 tetrahedra predominate in the glass of An composition. Similarly, the higher frequency of the νs (TOT) band in the spectrum of Ne glass as compared with the frequency the νs (TOT) band in the spectra of crystalline cargenieite and nephelite indicates either an admixture of the four- and six-membered rings or the puckering of six-membered rings in the glass structure.
The Stem Family and Its Extension in Present Day Japan1

T HIS paper will discuss the significance of the stem family household in Japan today and attempt to demonstrate that this unit, which consists of a series of first sons, their wives and minor children, (see illustration, also Johnson 1962), has been a basic functional family form throughout much of Japanese history. It will also suggest that such a unit need not be destined to decline to smaller dimensions under the impact of recent "modernization"; indeed, it is best not to think at all of this family form as a reduction of a larger structural family unit.
An unusual example of steric buttressing in glycosylation

An unusual example of steric buttressing is presented in which a ‘remote’ tert-butyldimethylsilyl protecting group dramatically influences the stereoselectivity of a glycosylation reaction. # 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Genetic variation and phenotypic plasticity in a trophically polymorphic population of pumpkinseed sunfish (Lepomis gibbosus)

Adaptive variation can exist at a variety of scales in biological systems, including among species, among local populations of a single species and among individuals within a single population. Trophic or resource polymorphisms in fishes are a good example of the lowest level of this hierarchy. In lakes without bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus), pumpkinseed sunfish (Lepomis gibbosus) can be trophically polymorphic, including a planktivorous limnetic form found in the pelagic habitat, in addition to the usual benthic form found in the littoral zone. In this paper we examine the degree to which morphological differences between the two forms are caused by genetic differences versus phenotypic plasticity. Adults from pelagic and littoral sites in Paradox Lake, NY, were bred separately and their progeny were raised in cages both in the open water and shallow water habitats of an artificial pond. The experimental design permitted two tests of genetic differences between the breeding stocks (in open and shallow water cages, respectively) and two tests of phenotypic plasticity (in the limnetic and benthic offspring, respectively). Limnetic progeny were more fusiform than benthic progeny raised in the same habitat. In addition, progeny of both stocks displayed limnetic-type characteristics when raised in the open water and benthic-type characteristics in the shallow water. Thus, genetic differences and phenotypic plasticity both contributed to the trophic polymorphism. Phenotypic plasticity and genetic differentiation accounted for 53 and 14%, respectively, of the variation in morphology. This study addresses the nature of subtle phenotypic differences among individuals from a single population that is embedded within a complex community, a condition that is likely to be the norm for most natural populations, as opposed to very large differences that have evolved in relatively few populations that reside in species-poor environments.
Sonochemical Degradation of Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS) and Perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) in Landfill Groundwater: Environmental Matrix Effects

Perfluorinated chemicals such as perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) are environmentally persistent and recalcitrant to most conventional chemical and microbial treatment technologies. In this paper, we show that sonolysis is able to decompose PFOS and PFOA present in groundwater beneath a landfill. However, the pseudo first-order rate constant for the sonochemical degradation in the landfill groundwater is reduced by 61 and 56% relative to MilliQ water for PFOS and PFOA, respectively, primarily due to the presence of other organic constituents. In this study, we evaluate the effect of various organic compounds on the sonochemical decomposition rates of PFOS and PFOA. Organic components in environmental matrices may reduce the sonochemical degradation rates of PFOS and PFOA by competitive adsorption onto the bubble−water interface or by lowering the average interfacial temperatures during transient bubble collapse events. The effect of individual organic compounds depends on...
On the Mössbauer spectra of isopenicillin N synthase and a model (FeNO)7 (S = 3/2) system.

We have carried out a series of density functional theory (DFT) calculations to predict the 57Fe Mossbauer quadrupole splittings (ΔEQ) and isomer shifts (δFe) for the nitrosyl complex of isopenicillin N synthase with the substrate δ-(l-α-aminoadipoyl)-l-cysteinyl-d-valine (IPNS·ACV·NO) and an {FeNO}7 (S = 3/2) model system, FeL(NO)(N3)2 (L = N,N‘,N‘ ‘-trimethyl-1,4,7-triazacyclononane). B3LYP predictions on the model compound are in almost exact agreement with experiment. The same DFT methods did not enable the prediction of the experimental ΔEQ and δFe results for IPNS·ACV·NO when using the experimental protein crystal structure but did permit good predictions of ΔEQ, δFe, and the asymmetry parameter (η) when using a fully optimized structure. This optimized structure also enabled good predictions of the Mossbauer spectra of the photodissociation product of IPNS·ACV·NO. Mulliken and natural bonding orbital (NBO) spin density analyses indicate an electronic configuration of FeII (S = 2) anti-ferromagnetic...
Design and verification of high-speed VLSI physical design

With the rapid development of deep submicron (DSM) VLSI circuit designs, many issues such as time closure and power consumption are making the physical designs more and more challenging. In this review paper we provide readers with some recent progress of the VLSI physical designs. The recent developments of floorplanning and placement, interconnect effects, modeling and delay, buffer insertion and wire sizing, circuit order reduction, power grid analysis, parasitic extraction, and clock signal distribution are briefly reviewed.
Hemangiomas of infancy

Abstract Hemangiomas of infancy are unique, benign, pediatric tumors of endothelial cells characterized by an initial phase of rapid proliferation, followed by slow involution, often leading to complete regression. Although most of these tumors are small and innocuous, some may be may be life- or function-threatening, or have associated structural congenital anomalies. Uncertainties regarding their diagnosis or management often prompt referral to a dermatologist. The pathogenesis of hemangiomas of infancy is not well understood, but recent findings suggest a unique vascular phenotype with dysregulated vascular homeostasis. This article reviews new information regarding the pathogenesis of these tumors and highlights the more worrisome presentations, including syndromic hemangiomas, that are likely to be problematic. In addition, management strategies and treatment options are discussed. (J Am Acad Dermatol 2003;48:477-93.) Learning objective: At the completion of this learning activity, participants should be able to describe the clinical features of hemangiomas of infancy and potential complications as well as to understand the strengths and limitations of various treatment options.
What constitutes a useful economic study? The health systems perspective☆☆☆★

A major goal of cost-effectiveness analysis is to inform medical decisions by helping physicians and others understand which “investments”of health care resources are most likely to produce the most health benefits for a population.1-4 In the traditional fee-for-service environment, neither insurers nor health care providers were directly rewarded for pursuing strategies that maximized outcomes such as quality-adjusted lifeyears.The same is equally true in the current managed care environment. Cost-effectiveness analysis can provide important data to the health care community, particularly to decision makers. In the past, however, such analysis often seemed an academic exercise that at best might inform public opinion and thereby influence national policy. Recent years have brought an increasing concentration of financial risk and clinical decision making into the hands of the same party—either the insurance company or a provider organization that assumes financial risk from the insurer.This trend has been spurred by rising health care costs combined with the growing resolve by government and employers to limit health care spending. In this recent environment, whichever party bears financial risk tends to demand control over such basic decisions as how tests and therapies are used. Whether it is an insurance company or a provider organization that is bearing the financial risk, the organization’s need to control costs is tempered by its need to deliver care that meets the standards of the medical community and keeps members satisfied. In short, if disillusioned members—or physicians—abandon a health plan, there is no chance that it will be financially viable. A loss of healthy members is particularly disastrous to the insurer. In this context, financial incentives support a careful consideration of which health expenditures yield the greatest benefits. At first glance, cost-effectiveness analysis appears to be consistent with the strategic needs of managed care organizations. But as compelling as this logic might be, cost-effectiveness analyses do not appear to be used routinely or consistently by managed care organizations. Exploring why this is the case provides insights into the forces that drive medical decision making under managed care; it also helps clarify the types of economic research most likely to influence care in the years ahead.
The Nature of Natural Convection in Binary Gases due to Horizontal Temperature and Vertical Concentration Gradients

Abstract Results are presented that illustrate the effect of augmenting or opposing thermal and solutal body forces on the flow, temperature and concentration distributions. For augmenting buoyancy forces, the flow field is very similar to that for a single-component fluid. Multicellular flow patterns are observed for opposing buoyancy forces that depend on the buoyancy parameter. The solutal buoyancy force does not dominate the flow field for all values of opposing body forces, because the solutal gradient is vertical. The concentration gradient affects the natural convection through both the additional buoyancy force and the thermophysical properties of the gas mixture.
Biosynthesis of antibiotic peptides with isoleucine stereoisomers.

Abstract Streptomyces antibioticus normally synthesizes an actinomycin mixture which contains N -methyl- l -valine and d -valine in the antibiotic peptides. Amino acid analyses indicate that trace amounts of isoleucine and, possibly, N -methylalloisoleucine are present also in actinomycin molecules. S. chrysomallus produces a number of actinomycins which contain either d -valine, d -alloisoleucine, or both amino acids in the molecule. During antibiotic synthesis in the presence of each of the four isomers of isoleucine, both organisms formed actinomycin mixtures which contained appreciable amounts of d -isoleucine and N -methyl- l -alloisoleucine. The conclusion that isoleucine possesses the d -configuration was based on studies of (1) optical rotary dispersion, (2) ion-exchange chromatography of appropriately synthesized dipeptides, and (3) reaction of the amino acid with d - and l -amino acid oxidases. Depending on the actinomycin-synthesizing organism, N -methyl- l -alloisoleucine and d -isoleucine substitute for N -methyl- l -valine and either d -valine or d -allo soleucine, respectively, in the antibiotic peptides.
A Multidimensional Scaling Analysis of Perceived Similarities of Rivers in Western Montana

To investigate the usefulness of multidimensional scaling analysis, 24 canoeists and fishermen were asked to judge the degree of similarity between all possible pairings of 12 river sections in Wes...
Constrictive Pericarditis: Serial Hemodynamic Studies with an Explanation for Reversible Congestive Phenomena

A new explanation for certain instances of acute reversible congestive phenomena in constrictive pericarditis is offered on the basis of 6 patients studied clinically and by right heart catheterization. In 2 cases intermittent tamponade in the presence of a rigid pericardium accounted for the reversibility of the congestive state, as contrasted with 4 cases presenting the chronic progressive course of classical constrictive pericarditis. The diagnosis in the 6 cases was proved by surgery or autopsy.
How managers decide to use planning models

Abstract Recent published reports and surveys have shown that a growing number of corporations and government agencies are using decision models not only for lower level scheduling and resource allocation but also for short-range and long-range planning. Although the literature has described in some detail the types of models used and the ways in which they are used, limited attention has been paid to the ways in which managers decide whether or not to use these models. This paper, which is based on a series of case studies, suggests that the decision to use planning models is made not by performing a comprehensive cost benefit analysis, but by the use of a reference model—that is, an existing model, sometimes in a competitive organization, similar to the one being considered.
Back pain and sciatica.

LOW back pain is usually a self-limiting symptom, but it costs at least $16 billion each year1 , 2 and disables 5.4 million Americans.3 The fact that a benign physical condition has such an importa...