cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Production of the polysaccharide curdlan by an Agrobacterium strain grown on a plant biomass hydrolysate.

Production of the commercially available polysaccharide curdlan by Agrobacterium sp. strain ECP-1, isolated as a mutant strain from ATCC 31749, on a medium containing a hydrolysate of the plant prairie cordgrass with selected ammonium phosphate concentrations was investigated for a period of 144 h. Although several ammonium phosphate concentrations supported curdlan production by the strain, the optimal concentration after 120 or 144 h was 3.3 mmol·L–1. Only ammonium phosphate concentrations of 1.1 or 8.7 mmol·L–1 failed to support curdlan production by the strain after 120 or 144 h. Biomass production by strain ECP-1 on the hydrolysate-containing medium after 120 or 144 h was comparable, independent of the ammonium phosphate concentration present. The curdlan yield from the cordgrass hydrolysate indicated that the grass was an effective plant biomass substrate for polysaccharide production.
Bridging organizations in agricultural carbon markets and poverty alleviation: An analysis of pro-Poor carbon market projects in East Africa

Abstract International agricultural carbon market projects face significant challenges in delivering greenhouse gas mitigation objectives whilst also seeking to provide additional benefits for poverty alleviation. The carbon credit producer (the smallholder farmer) and carbon credit buyer in the carbon market transaction typically operate at different spatial and temporal scales. Buyers operate at a global scale, responding to opportunities for financial speculation and both private and public climate action plans. Farmers operate within households, farms, and immediate agricultural landscapes, pursuing livelihood and food security needs. These different scales often result in mismatches of timing, payment, and knowledge in market transactions and can be partially rectified by project developers who serve to broker the relationship between the farmers and the buyers. We examined eight East African agricultural carbon market projects to determine how project developers function as bridging organizations and minimize the mismatches between these actors. Results show that projects better bridged the timing and payment gap between buyers and producers when project developers provided non-monetary benefits or direct monetary assistance to farmers. However, knowledge gaps remained a significant barrier for farmers wishing to participate in the market. We discuss how project developers brokered relationships in ways that reflected their interests and highlight the limitations, trade-offs, and challenges that must be overcome if win-win outcomes of poverty alleviation and climate change mitigation are to be realized.
Accountants' Responsibility for the Information They Report: An Historical Case Study of Financial Information

This paper describes an instructional case that uses historical documentation to enable the reader to consider his/her own responsibility for the preparation and reporting of information. In this case, the reader is provided a summarized income statement. Then, as detailed information about the financial statement is introduced, the reader is asked to consider the ethics of preparing and using the statement. The financial statement represents a projected income statement for a Holocaust camp prisoner during World War II. The statement includes anticipated revenue from the selling of body parts upon the prisoner's death, estimated as nine months from the time of arrival at the camp. Usage of the case should develop a reader's understanding that accountants' responsibility for the preparation of information should not be separate from what the information reports or the intended use of the information.
The role of surgery in COPD.

Two surgical approaches to COPD are removal of bullae in emphysema and correction of abnormal large-airway collapse. Bullectomy has brought gratifying early improvement, but benefits are usually short-lived. Experience with the second procedure is limited.
Show Me Your Hands! Police and Public Perceptions of Violent Interpersonal Cues

Psychology has recently begun to examine human interpersonal social predictors of violence. One area yet unexamined is potential differences between law enforcement officers and non-police in their perception of aggressive interpersonal social cues. Using a sample of 129 police officers and 178 non-police individuals, a direct comparison was made about perceptions of interpersonal social behaviors associated with imminent violence. It was revealed that both samples generally shared similar perceptions, with a few exceptions. Police officers were more sensitive than other individuals are to each of the behavioral cues. The police sample also perceived the behavior of placing one’s hands in one’s pockets as more threatening than did the non-police sample.
Events Leading to Hospital-Related Disenrollment of Home Hospice Patients: A Study of Primary Caregivers' Perspectives

Abstract Background: Approximately 25% of hospice disenrollments in the United States occur as the result of hospitalization, which can lead to burdensome transitions and undesired care. Informal caregivers (e.g., spouses, children) play a critical role in caring for patients on home hospice. Research examining hospital-related disenrollment among these patients is limited. Objective: To understand the events surrounding the hospitalization of patients discharged from home hospice through the perspective of their informal caregivers. Design: Thirty-eight semistructured phone interviews with caregivers were conducted, and data regarding the events leading to hospitalization and hospice disenrollment were collected. Study data were analyzed by using qualitative methods. Setting/Subjects: Subjects included caregivers of 38 patients who received services from one not-for-profit home hospice organization in New York City. Participants were English speaking only. Measurements: Caregiver recordings were transcri...
The Integration of Common Core and Response to Intervention: Supporting Vulnerable Readers in a Time of Sophisticated Standards

AbstractThe Common Core State Standards and Response to Intervention are significant contemporary educational initiatives that have emerged largely in isolation from one another. We argue that an integration of these initiatives is beneficial. We trace the independent development of these two initiatives and offer suggestions for how they might fruitfully transact, fully supporting vulnerable readers in their efforts to master sophisticated standards. Results from a school implementing these initiatives as an integrated whole are discussed.
Differentiation of Human ES Cell into the Hemangioblast.

Abstract We hypothesize that during early human embryo development a common endothelial/hematopoietic precursor is formed. This precursor, named the hemangioblast, is an early endothelial/hematopoietic precursor responsible for angiogenesis and both primitive and definite hematopoiesis. The aims of this work are 1) to establish the ES/EB model system for genotypic studies of early vasculo/hematopoiesis. 2) to phenotype human hemangioblast and establish standard culture/storage condition that will stabilize the phenotype of these cells for a defined period and permit consistent, predictable outcomes of experiments. Human ES (H-1 line) cells (NIH code WA01) has been maintained on g -irradiated MEF cells supplemented with DMEM/F12 media containing 4ng/ml b-FGF and 15% knockout serum by changing media everyday and passaging cells every 3–4 days. EBs were generated either in liquid or 1% methylcellulose cultures (1 x 104 ES cells per 35-mm Petri dish) in medium containing Iscove modified Dulbecco medium (IMDM), 15% FCS, 2 mM glutamine, 450 μM MTG, 50 μg/mL ascorbic acid, and 20% BIT (1% bovine serum albumin (BSA), 10 μg/mL insulin, and 200 μg/mL transferrin. In order to induce EB formation two days old hES cells were plated in 1% methyl cellulose in IMDM media supplemented with 50mg/ml ascorbic acid, 10mg/ml insulin, 200 mg/ml transferrin, 20% Bits, 15% FCS, 450mM MTG, 2mM-L-glutamine for 3days. To generate hemangioblasts, 1 x 104/mL EB cells were replated in 1% methylcellulose in the presence of IMDM, 10% PDS (bovine platelet-poor plasma-derived serum; Biomedical Technologies, Stoughton, MA), 2 mM glutamine, 450 μM MTG, 25 μg/mL ascorbic acid, 20% BIT, 5 ng/mL human vascular endothelial growth factor (hVEGF), 50 ng/mL SCF, 10 ng/mL human fibroblast growth factor 2 (hFGF-2), and 2 U/mL hEPO. RNA from day 0, 2, 3 and 4 days old EBs was collected for gene regulation studies. We have chosen to study the key regulatory genes (FLK-1, Runx-1, SCL, HEX, GATA-1) during this process. RNA collected from undifferentiated hES cells has been used as control. We observed expression of stemness genes: Sox-2 and Oct-4, in the undifferentiated ES cells while there was an upregulation in expression of Brachury on day 2 and FLK-1 and Hex genes in day 3 of differentiation. In hemangioblast forming cells (BL-CFC), we observed upregulation of FLK-1, SCL, Runx and downregulation of Brachury and Hex. This sptio-temporal expression profile of genes suggest that during hemangioblast formation and at the initial stages of differentiation hemangioblast fate is decided by Hex, while after day 2 the control is taken by FLk-1, SCl and Runx genes. Ongoing studies will define signaling pathways involved in this process. Understanding of molecular processes involved in hemangioblast formation will allow directed generation of this progenitor from human ES cells in the future.
The impact of prior urethral sling on artificial urinary sphincter outcomes.

Introduction: We sought to evaluate device outcomes in men who underwent primary artificial urinary sphincter (AUS) placement after failed male urethral sling (MUS). Methods: We performed a retrospective chart review of 990 men who underwent an AUS procedure between 2003 and 2014. Of these, 540 were primary AUS placements, including 30 (5.5%) with a history of MUS. AUS revisions and explantations were compared between men stratified by the presence of prior sling. Hazard ratios (HR) adjusting for competing risks were used to determine the association with prior sling and AUS outcomes (infection/ erosion, urethral atrophy, and mechanical malfunction), while overall device failure was estimated using Kaplan-Meier and Coxregression analysis. Results: There was no significant difference in age, body mass index, prior prostatectomy, or pelvic radiation when stratified by history of MUS. However, patients with a history of MUS were more likely to have undergone prior collagen injection (p=0.01). On univariate and multivariate analysis, prior MUS was not associated with device failure (HR 1.54; p=0.27). Three-year overall device survival did not significantly differ between those with and without prior MUS (70% vs. 85%; p=0.21). Also, there were no significant differences in the incidence of device infection/erosion, mechanical malfunction, and urethral atrophy. Conclusions: AUS remains a viable treatment option for men with persistent or recurrent stress urinary incontinence after MUS. However, while not statistically significant, we identified a trend towards lower three-year device outcomes in patients with prior urethral sling. These findings indicate the need for longer-term studies to determine if slings pose an increased hazard.
CD-4/CD-8 lymphocytopenia in HIV negative patients with severe, chronic granulomatous infections

Background: CD-4 lymphocytopenia can occur in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome(AIDS), in severe combined immunodeficiency, with the use of corticosteroids and/or immunosuppressive drugs, and in patients with idiopathic CD-4 lymphocytopenia. The mechanism for the lymphocytopenia is different in each of these illnesses. Objective: Description of HIV-negative patients with severe disseminated tuberculosis or coccidioidomycosis and lymphocytopenia. Settings and patients: All patients were referred to a University Medical Center in Northwest Texas, USA. Four had disseminated tuberculosis, and three had disseminated coccidioidomycosis. Main outcome measures: Follow-up of lymphocyte subset counts and clinical improvement with the treatment of the underlying granulomatous infection. Results: Five patients had an increase in both CD-4 and CD-8 lymphocyte subset counts with treatment of the underlying granulomatous infection. All patients had clinical improvement with initial therapy of the granulomatous infection. One patient succumbed to disseminated tuberculosis (meningitis) and two to disseminated coccidioidomycosis. One patient was lost to follow up. Conclusions: We report a group of HIV-negative patients who had CD-4 lymphocytopenia in response to severe, disseminated, chronic granulomatous infections. With the treatment of the granulomatous infection the lymphocytopenia improved. This finding, coupled with preserved CD-4/CD-8 ratios, can help to differentiate these patients from those with other causes of lymphocytopenia or AIDS.
Robotic Retrocaval Metastasectomy After an Ipsilateral Radical Nephrectomy.

Objective Robotic management of a retrocaval metastasis can be challenging because of prior surgery leading to scarring and obscure surgical planes around vital structures. We present our robotic approach and technique to manage a large retrocaval, biopsy-proven, metastatic mass after previous laparoscopic right radical nephrectomy with concomitant adrenalectomy 10 years ago. Methods We present a 62-year-old man who previously underwent a laparoscopic right radical nephrectomy for pT1bNxMx chromophobe renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in 2007. Surveillance imaging in November 2016 indicated a 5-cm retrocaval mass, and biopsy confirmed the metastasis. The patient was positioned in standard robotic positioning for right renal surgery. Meticulous dissection was required to free the duodenum and inferior vena cava from the mass, enabling the mass to be lifted anteriorly. Posteriorly, a labyrinth of vessels required hem-o-lok clips before excision, which allowed complete extraction of the mass. Results Operative time was 234 minutes and estimated blood loss was 40 cc. Final pathology revealed a right 5 cm × 3.1 cm metastatic RCC, chromophobe-type, lymph node. The surgical margins were negative for tumor. Conclusion We present a successful surgical outcome of a robotic retrocaval metastasectomy for recurrent RCC, chromophobe type. At the time of publication, the patient continues to remain cancer free. Incorporating the da Vinci robotic platform allows for excellent visualization and access to difficult surgical locations while providing patients with the least invasive approach. A high degree of robotic experience is necessary before attempting this procedure, given the adherence of the mass to the inferior vena cava and duodenum.
Number words as number names

This paper criticizes the view that number words in argument position retain the meaning they have on an adjectival or determiner use (a generalized quantifier or plural property), as argued by Hofweber (Philos Rev 114(2):179–225, 2005) and Moltmann (Philos Stud 162(3):499–534, 2013a, Abstract objects and the semantics of natural language, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2013b). In particular the paper re-evaluates syntactic evidence from German given in Moltmann (2013a, b) to that effect.
International travelers with infectious diseases determined by pathology results, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — United States, 1995–2015

Abstract Background The failure to consider travel-related diagnoses, the lack of diagnostic capacity for specialized laboratory testing, and the declining number of autopsies may affect the diagnosis and management of travel-related infections. Pre- and post-mortem pathology can help determine causes of illness and death in international travelers. Methods We conducted a retrospective review of biopsy and autopsy specimens sent to the Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch laboratory (IDPBL) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for diagnostic testing from 1995 through 2015. Cases were included if the specimen submitted for diagnosis was from a traveler with prior international travel during the disease incubation period and the cause of illness or death was unknown at the time of specimen submission. Results Twenty-one travelers, six (29%) with biopsy specimens and 15 (71%) with autopsy specimens, met the inclusion criteria. Among the 15 travelers who underwent autopsies, the most common diagnoses were protozoal infections (7 travelers; 47%), including five malaria cases, followed by viral infections (6 travelers; 40%). Conclusions Biopsy or autopsy specimens can assist in diagnosing infectious diseases in travelers, especially from pathogens not endemic in the U.S. CDC's IDPBL provides a useful resource for clinicians considering infectious diseases in returned travelers.
A Model Study on the Summertime Distribution of River Waters in Long Island Sound

Long Island Sound (LIS), a large urban estuary in the northeastern USA, receives freshwater from many rivers along its northern shore. The size of these rivers varies widely in terms of basin area and discharge. The Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) was applied with conservative passive tracers to identify the distribution, mixing, freshwater residence times, and storm response for all of LIS’s river systems during the summer of 2013. A watershed model was applied to overcome the lack of adequate river discharge observations for coastal watersheds. The Connecticut River was the largest contributor to riverine freshwater throughout the estuary despite its entry point near the mouth. The Connecticut River strengthened bulk stratification in the eastern LIS the most but acted to weaken stratification near the mouths of other rivers and in far western LIS by freshening waters at depth. The Housatonic and Hudson Rivers had the strongest influence on stratification in central and western LIS, respectively. Smaller coastal rivers were the most influential in strengthening stratification near the southwestern Connecticut shoreline. The influence of small coastal rivers was amplified after a major storm due to shorter storm response times relative to the larger rivers. Overall, river water was close to a well-mixed state throughout LIS, but more stratified near river mouths. Freshwater residence time estimates, meanwhile, indicated monthly to multi-seasonal time scales (43 to 180 days) and grew longer with greater distance from the LIS mouth.
On the Relation between General Relativity and Quantum Theory: Difficulties as Seen by a Non-Expert

The basic mathematical assumptions underlying classical general relativity and its physical interpretation are reviewed. Those structural features which arise from the non-existence of an a priori, given spacetime metric and associated isometry group are stressed, and it is emphasized that general relativity is not just a Poincare-invariant theory with a complicated gauge group. Then the fundamental assumptions on which special-relativistic quantum field theories have been based are considered and compared with general relativity from a mathematical and physical point of view. Two (old fashioned?) types of attempts to “quantize gravity” are then briefly discussed: (i) perturbation theory starting with linearized, free Einstein gravity, and (ii) canonical quantization starting from the ADM-dynamics. This is done only to illustrate difficulties which arise in “quantizing” gravity and to explain to quantum field theorists the point of view of at least one classically oriented relativist with the aim of improving communication and mutual understanding.
Model-based Control of Automotive Selective Catalytic Reduction Systems with Road Grade Preview

This paper introduces a model-based control method for automotive selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems with preview information of road grade. SCR systems have been widely adopted in Diesel powered ground vehicles to reduce tailpipe NO x emissions. The major control problem is to properly design the ammonia dosing strategy that can efficiently remove NO x without generating excessive NH3 slip at the tailpipe. While most existing methods only utilize sensor feedback information to design controllers, the SCR controller performance can be improved by incorporating preview of road information such that the controller can act in a proactive fashion and reduce emissions over the whole trip. Road grade impact on vehicle SCR system is investigated in this paper. A corresponding controller with explicit consideration of preview road grade is developed and verified in a simulation environment. Comparison results under the US06 test cycle are presented to demonstrate the efficiency improvement of the proposed controller.
Chapter 26 – Measuring Association and Agreement

Abstract This chapter considers the distinction between association and agreement and addresses contingency methods and correlation methods as measures of association and agreement. Methods are given for measuring agreement among raters (kappa), concordance among rankers, reliability and internal consistency, and intraclass correlation.
Effect of grain alignment and processing temperature on critical currents in YBa2Cu3O7-δ sintered compacts

Magnetically aligned YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7{minus}{delta}} ceramics show resistivities approaching that of single crystals and improved transport critical currents in a magnetic field. Reduced microcracking and increased transport along the ab-plane are believed responsible for the improved performance over non-aligned ceramics. Aligned and non-aligned samples were prepared in parallel using a range of sintering and annealing temperatures. A rapid rise in density for samples sintered above 900 C in oxygen is accompanied by rapid grain growth, improved alignment, a drop in the room temperature resistivity and an increase in the critical current. The presence of low melting point (i.e., Ba-Cu-O rich) phases at grain boundaries is believed responsible for the rapid densification. However, the presence of this phase does {ital not} appear to be the most important factor limiting {ital J}{sub {ital c}}. A high temperature oxygen anneal at 900 C improved performance as compared to anneals at 500 C possibly due to the removal of carbon. For aligned samples sintered at 980 C, critical currents are over 200 A/cm{sup 2} at 77 K, 1/4 tesla, and room temperature resistivities are below 350 {mu}{Omega}-cm.
Evaluation of Logistics Service Providers with Uncertain Dynamic Intuitionistic Fuzzy Sets

Logistics management process includes many activities to collect materials and products are at the right place at the right time considering with customer satisfaction. Due to the developing technologies and increasing customer demands, logistics activities get more complex, and therefore firms get professional support from logistics service providers. At this point, choosing the best logistics service provider among many alternatives is critical for the firms and it can be considered in multi-attribute decision making (MADM) problems. In this paper, we use uncertain dynamic intuitionistic fuzzy MADM method in order to choose the best logistics service provider. We evaluate logistics service providers’ performance according to the six attributes at different time periods and the evaluation values take the form of interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy numbers. We calculate the closeness coefficient of each service providers and we rank them in descending order. We confirm that uncertain dynamic intuitionistic fuzzy multi-attribute decision making method is a useful method for if the values are collected at different time periods.
What Pediatricians Should Know and Do about Cyberbullying

1. Jane Timmons-Mitchell, PhD* 2. Daniel J. Flannery, PhD* 1. *Begun Center for Violence Prevention, Research and Education, Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH When bullying occurs through technology it is called electronic bullying or cyberbullying , which first appeared at the beginning of the 21st century and has become an issue of great concern to pediatricians, parents, educators, and youths themselves. Although cyberbullying includes aspects of traditional, in-person bullying, it also differs in important respects. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines bullying as any unwanted aggressive behavior(s) by another youth or group of youths who are not siblings or current dating partners that involves an observed or perceived power imbalance and is repeated multiple times or is highly likely to be repeated. Bullying, whether in-person or through technology, can inflict distress on the targeted youth, as well as physical, psychological, social, or educational harm. Cyberbullying should be considered in the context of traditional bullying rather than as a separate entity: it shares characteristics with traditional forms of bullying, such as its risk factors, its negative consequences, and the effectiveness of interventions that work on both types bullying. But there are also important differences between the 2: cyberbullying does not always have a clearly defined power differential, and 1 negative post can have significant effects without being repeated by its perpetrator. Estimates of the frequency of cyberbullying vary. The CDC indicates that more than 15% of high school students report being cyberbullied in the past year. Other estimates include a range from 4% to 90%, with many studies reporting 20% to 40%. Rates of cyberbullying perpetration range from 3% to 36%. In 1 study, when …
Coupled backward erosion piping and slope instability performance model for levees

Abstract While backward erosion piping (BEP) and slope instability failure mechanisms have been investigated independently, they are not analyzed concurrently despite that the response of levees embankments to the BEP may likely impact the stability of the slope, especially if levees were to fail. This study presents a framework towards interfacing soil instability and BEP simulation with the goal of producing a performance model that considers the hydro-mechanical coupling between the material properties. This is afforded by updating the stiffness and strength properties of eroded zones based on the porosity changes that are determined according to a critical diameter model. The framework is then applied on a levee without a cutoff wall built on a silty sand foundation. The results show that the captured coupling between these two failure mechanisms crucially enhances our understanding of the performance of levee systems. Specifically, the results show that coupling effects are more substantial in cases where pipes extend to more than 50% of levee’s bottom width. Furthermore, the results indicate that ignoring the softening in the strength properties of the eroded zones due to BEP leads to overestimation of the slope’s factor of safety against instability by as much as 40%.
The Prevalence of Co-morbidities in Adult and Adolescent Bariatric Surgery Candidates

Severe obesity is often associated with co-morbid conditions such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and obstructive sleep apnea. Successful weight loss can result in remission of these conditions. The authors retrospectively examined the co-morbidity profiles of pre-operative gastric sleeve adult patients from the MBSAQIP database with subjects from our adolescent bariatric program. Five conditions were compared: hypertension (HTN), type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), dyslipidemia (DL), obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Patients were matched by gender and body mass index (BMI). The prevalence of each condition was statistically more significant in the adult cohort. Successful weight loss at an earlier age may reduce the prevalence of these co-morbid conditions.
Experience with Eslicarbazepine Acetate Treatment at a Pediatric Epilepsy Center

Eslicarbazepine acetate (ESL) is a novel, once-daily antiseizure medication. We evaluated the efficacy and safety profile of ESL treatment in epilepsy patients at a single tertiary epilepsy center. In this retrospective observational study, we included 32 patients with pharmacologically intractable epilepsy receiving ESL at Boston Children's Hospital from June 2014 to June 2018. We assessed treatment outcome in terms of efficacy and tolerability at first and last follow-up (f/u). Median age was 17 (interquartile range: 10.8–20.7; range: 6.5–36) years. Twelve (37.5%) patients, including three with seizure freedom, were responders at last f/u. Eleven patients discontinued ESL due to seizure worsening (9, 28%), adverse events (AEs) (2, 6%) or both (4, 12%). Responders showed greater seizure reduction at last f/u with fewer AEs as compared with nonresponders. Ten (31%) patients developed AEs, the most common being sleep problems (5, 15%). One-year retention rate with ESL treatment was 54%. In conclusion, ESL had a good response rate in patients with pharmacologically intractable epilepsy, with about one-third of patients developing AEs.
AuxeticBreath: Changing Perception of Respiration

AuxeticBreath is an interactive new-media installation that visualizes the rhythmic respiratory rate, as well as tidal volume - the amount of air displaced or exchanged in a single breath - of collective human breaths using soft robotics covered with auxetic structures (i.e. structures with a negative Poisson's ratio, exhibiting the property of becoming thicker when stretched and narrower when compressed) [1]. The goals of this artwork are 1) to encourage audience interaction with collective breaths and user contemplation of the changing perception of respiration during the COVID-19 pandemic; and 2) to explore a new artistic approach using a combination of auxetic structures and soft robotics. The metaphors and artistic expressions of continuous inflation and deflation of elastomers, and the emission of light from the expansion of auxetic structures invite an individual's presence to become part of the larger collective installation, and to take a moment to consider underlying changing perceptions of breath during the pandemic. By employing an emerging technology, we want to encourage other artists to explore and modify techniques and methods generally only used among engineers, and to embrace them as new artistic approaches for realizing their own ideas.
Is Risk of Secondary Surgery for Oronasal Fistula Following Primary Cleft Palate Repair Associated With Hospital Case Volume and Cost-to-Charge Ratio?:

Objective:This study assesses the association between risk of secondary surgery for oronasal fistula following primary cleft palate repair and 2 hospital characteristics—cost-to-charge ratio (RCC) ...
Molecular genetic analysis of a prokaryotic transcriptional coactivator: functional domains of the bacteriophage T4 gene 33 protein.

Abstract The bacteriophage T4 gene 33 encodes a small, acidic RNA polymerase-binding protein that mediates enhancement of transcriptional initiation at T4 late promoters by the T4 DNA replication accessory proteins. A set of nested deletions in the gene 33 open reading frame was constructed by oligonucleotide site-directed mutagenesis. The resulting variant gene 33 proteins were radiolabeled during overexpression employing a T7 RNA polymerase-based system and substantially purified. Each variant was analyzed for three properties of gp33: RNA polymerase binding activity, ability to mediate enhancer-dependent transcriptional activation, and repression of unenhanced transcription. Two separate regions of gp33 were required to form stable complexes with RNA polymerase, whereas the extreme carboxyl terminus of gp33 was essential for mediating late gene activation. Variant gene 33 proteins lacking the carboxyl terminus nevertheless repressed nonenhanced transcription, demonstrating that the functional domains required for transcriptional activation and repression of unenhanced transcription are separable. The possible roles of gp33 in mediating late gene expression are discussed in the light of the identification of these functional domains.
Monodisperse Magnetic Nanoparticles: Chemical Synthesis and Surface Modification

Magnetic nanoparticles, due to their prospective applications in data storage, drug delivery, hyperthermia, and magnetic resonance imaging, have attracted considerable attention in the past decade. From aqueous-phase condensation to organic-phase thermal decomposition, the synthesis of magnetic nanoparticles has been greatly improved. Nowadays, one can readily synthesize monodisperse magnetic nanoparticles with controlled sizes, shapes, and magnetic properties. In this article, we first briefly describe the general synthesis of monodisperse nanoparticles, and then focus on the synthesis of magnetic nanoparticles via thermal decomposition of metal precursors. The nanoparticles are grouped into ferrite, metallic, alloy, and multicomponent categories, and the mechanism for the formation of nanoparticles with critical parameters in determining size, shape, and multifunctionality is discussed. We further summarize the chemistry used for nanoparticle surface functionalization and briefly discuss the potential applications of these magnetic nanoparticles in biomedicine. Keywords: magnetic nanoparticles; size and shape control; stabilization and surface functionalization; multicomponent nanoparticles; synthesis and self-assembly; biomedical applications
Chapter 13 Influence of Phosphate on Adsorption and Surface Precipitation of Lead on Iron Oxide Surfaces

Abstract Lead and phosphate sorption on goethite-coated and uncoated quartz sand was measured experimentally and modeled within a reaction-based framework. Single sorbate batch experiments and experiments with lead and phosphate present together were conducted. Adsorption of lead and phosphate to goethite-coated sand was dominated by adsorption to the goethite coating. A surface complexation model adapted from models for pure goethite successfully simulated lead and phosphate adsorption to goethite-coated sand over a broad range of pH and total sorbate concentrations; the inclusion of a surface complexation reaction for lead adsorption to the quartz surface was necessary to improve the model fit. Lead sorption on goethite-coated sand was enhanced by the presence of phosphate. The effect was most pronounced at low pH. The enhanced lead uptake was predicted by the combination of the single sorbate surface complexation models. The adsorption of phosphate at low pH decreased the surface charge and potential, which increases the extent of lead adsorption. No ternary surface complexes were needed to model the dual sorbate results. When a reaction for the precipitation of chloropyromorphite (Pb 5 (PO 4 ) 3 Cl) was included, the model predicted precipitation only at the lowest pH and highest phosphate loading studied. Over most experimental conditions, including conditions that were initially supersaturated with respect to chloropyromorphite, the equilibrium model predicted that adsorption was the dominant mechanism of lead sorption; however, the actual mechanisms may be controlled by the relative rates of precipitation and adsorption reactions.
Local Justice: How Institutions Allocate Scarce Goods and Necessary Burdens

A systematic analysis of the principle institutions use in allocating scarce goods and necessary burdens. It examines the criteria by which students are admitted to college, looking at the empirical, conceptual, explanatory and evaluative aspects of such issues.
Teaching Business Lawyering in Law Schools: A Candid Assessment of the Challenges and Some Suggestions for Moving Ahead

As a result of several recent studies and changes in the ABA's Standards for Approval of Law Schools, legal education is paying more attention to skills training for law students. The need to bring the skills and values of business lawyers into the classroom has never been greater, yet there remains a real risk that "skills training" may be skewed in favor of litgation skills, with little emphasis given to transactional practice. This Article assesses some of the obstacles that stand in the way of effective integration of transactional skills into the law school curriculum and offers some concrete suggestions for overcoming those obstacles.
Slow Synaptic Inhibition in Nucleus HVc of the Adult Zebra Finch

Nervous systems process information over a broad range of time scales and thus need corresponding cellular mechanisms spanning that range. In the avian song system, long integration times are likely necessary to process auditory feedback of the bird’s own vocalizations. For example, in nucleus HVc, a center that contains both auditory and premotor neurons and that is thought to act as a gateway for auditory information into the song system, slow inhibitory mechanisms appear to play an important role in the processing of auditory information. These long-lasting processes include inhibitory potentials thought to shape auditory selectivity and a vocalization-induced inhibition of auditory responses lasting several seconds. To investigate the possible cellular mechanisms of these long-lasting inhibitory processes, we have made intracellular recordings from HVc neurons in slices of adult zebra finch brains and have stimulated extracellularly within HVc. A brief, high-frequency train of stimuli (50 pulses at 100 Hz) could elicit a hyperpolarizing response that lasted 2–20 sec. The slow hyperpolarization (SH) could still be elicited in the presence of glutamate receptor blockers, suggesting that it does not require polysynaptic excitation. Three major components contribute to this activity-induced SH: a long-lasting GABAB receptor-mediated IPSP, a slow afterhyperpolarization requiring action potentials but not Ca2+ influx, and a long-lasting IPSP, the neurotransmitter and receptor of which remain unidentified. These three slow hyperpolarizing events are well placed to contribute to the observed inhibition of HVc neurons after singing and could shape auditory feedback during song learning.
Experiments on Ultrasonic Lubrication Using a Piezoelectrically-assisted Tribometer and Optical Profilometer

Friction and wear are detrimental to engineered systems. Ultrasonic lubrication is achieved when the interface between two sliding surfaces is vibrated at a frequency above the acoustic range (20 kHz). As a solid-state technology, ultrasonic lubrication can be used where conventional lubricants are unfeasible or undesirable. Further, ultrasonic lubrication allows for electrical modulation of the effective friction coefficient between two sliding surfaces. This property enables adaptive systems that modify their frictional state and associated dynamic response as the operating conditions change. Surface wear can also be reduced through ultrasonic lubrication. We developed a protocol to investigate the dependence of friction force reduction and wear reduction on the linear sliding velocity between ultrasonically lubricated surfaces. A pin-on-disc tribometer was built which differs from commercial units in that a piezoelectric stack is used to vibrate the pin at 22 kHz normal to the rotating disc surface. Friction and wear metrics including effective friction force, volume loss, and surface roughness are measured without and with ultrasonic vibrations at a constant pressure of 1 to 4 MPa and three different sliding velocities: 20.3, 40.6, and 87 mm/sec. An optical profilometer is utilized to characterize the wear surfaces. The effective friction force is reduced by 62% at 20.3 mm/sec. Consistently with existing theories for ultrasonic lubrication, the percent reduction in friction force diminishes with increasing speed, down to 29% friction force reduction at 87 mm/sec. Wear reduction remains essentially constant (49%) at the three speeds considered.
POST-ABORTION SYNDROME: CREATING AN AFFLICTION

The contention that abortion harms women constitutes a new strategy employed by the pro-life movement to supplement arguments about fetal rights. David C. Reardon is a prominent promoter of this strategy. Post-abortion syndrome purports to establish that abortion psychologically harms women and, indeed, can harm persons associated with women who have abortions. Thus, harms that abortion is alleged to produce are multiplied. Claims of repression are employed to complicate efforts to disprove the existence of psychological harm and causal antecedents of trauma are only selectively investigated. We argue that there is no such thing as post-abortion syndrome and that the psychological harms Reardon and others claim abortion inflicts on women can usually be ascribed to different causes. We question the evidence accumulated by Reardon and his analysis of data accumulated by others. Most importantly, we question whether the conclusions Reardon has drawn follow from the evidence he cites.
Design patterns – 15 years later

Design patterns are now a 15 year old thought experiment. And, today, for many, software design patterns have become part of the standard development lexicon. The reason is simple: rather than constantly redis-covering solutions to recurring design problems developers can refer to a body of literature that captures the best practices of system design. This talks looks back to the origins of design patterns, shows design patterns in action, and provides an overview of where patterns are today.
ORIGINAL RESEARCH—ENDOCRINOLOGY: Subjective Sexual Response to Testosterone Replacement Therapy Based on Initial Serum Levels of Total Testosterone

ABSTRACT Introduction Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) has been shown to be beneficial for men with hypogonadism. However, it is unknown how well hypogonadal men respond to TRT based on the severity of testosterone deficiency. Aim To determine subjective sexual response rates to TRT based on initial serum testosterone values, with particular interest in men with “low-normal” levels of total testosterone (TT). Main Outcome Measures Subjective responses to TRT in the domains of erectile dysfunction, libido, orgasm, and morning erections. Methods A retrospective study was performed of 211 men with sexual symptoms of hypogonadism who underwent TRT. All men had either low values of TT ( Results The mean age was 55.2 years. Testosterone gel was used in approximately two-thirds of each group. Improvement in libido was reported in 61.5%, 96.6%, and 29.8% for Groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively ( P P P = nonsignificant). Conclusions These preliminary data suggest that men with sexual symptoms of hypogonadism respond well to TRT across a wide range of initial TT values, including men with low-normal TT levels. These men may have low bioavailable levels of testosterone that are not reflected in TT values. Reyes-Vallejo L, Lazarou S, and Morgentaler A. Subjective sexual response to testosterone replacement therapy based on initial serum levels of total testosterone.
Molecular markers distinguishing supragranular and infragranular layers in the human prefrontal cortex

The human neocortex is organized into six layers that are differentiated by the size and packing density of their constituent neurons. The gene products that guide the establishment of this lamination have been studied extensively, but the gene expression gradients present across the layers of the adult human neocortex are mostly unknown. As the supragranular (SG) and infragranular (IG) layers of the human prefrontal cortex (PFC) differ in their connectivity and developmental time course, we hypothesized that the SG and IG layers will show distinct differences in their transcriptomes. To test this prediction, we used laser capture microdissection coupled with DNA microarray transcriptome profiling. Sixty-nine genes exhibited robust and highly consistent expression differences between the SG and IG layers. For six selected markers, in addition to validating the microarray findings, in situ hybridization revealed a complex, subpopulation-specific neuronal distribution. The markers we identified are likely to be related to the functional differences between the SG and IG layers of the human PFC and can be used for assessing alterations in structure and function of this cortical region in human brain disorders.
Use of aluminum films as substrates for enhanced fluorescence in the ultraviolet-blue spectral region

Thermal evaporation was used to deposit particulate aluminum films of varied thicknesses on quartz substrates. These substrates were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), which reveal that with an increase in aluminum thickness, the films progress from particulate towards smooth surfaces. Until now, metal-enhanced fluorescence (MEF) has primarily been observed in the visible-NIR wavelength region using silver or gold island films and roughened surfaces. We now report that fluorescence can also be enhanced in the ultraviolet-blue region of the spectrum using nano-structured aluminum films. We used two probes, one in the ultraviolet (a DNA base analogue 2-aminopurine: 2-AP) and another one in blue spectral region (a coumarin derivative: 7-HC) for the present study. We observed increased emission, decrease in fluorescence lifetime and increase in photostability of the dyes in a 10 nm spin-casted polyvinyl alcohol film on the Al nanostructured surfaces. We observe that the fluorescence enhancement factor depends on the thickness of the Al films because the size of the nanostructures formed varies with Al thickness. These studies indicate that Al nano-structured substrates can potentially find widespread use in MEF applications particularly in the UV - blue spectral regime. Finite-Difference Time-Domain (FDTD) calculations were performed that revealed enhanced near-fields induced around aluminum nanoparticles by a radiating fluorophore emitting at the emission wavelength of 2-AP. The effect of such enhanced fields on the fluorescence enhancement observed is also discussed.
The light (H+,H2+,He+) and heavy (Na+) pickup ion dynamics in the lunar-like plasma environment: 3D hybrid kinetic modeling

Abstract In this report we discuss the self-consistent dynamics of pickup ions in the solar wind flow around the lunar-like object. In our model the solar wind and pickup ions are considered as a particles, whereas the electrons are described as a fluid. Inhomogeneous photoionization, electron-impact ionization and charge exchange are included in our model. The Moon will be chosen as a basic object for our modeling. The current modeling shows that mass loading by pickup ions H + , H 2 + , He + , and Na + may be very important in the global dynamics of the solar wind around the Moon. In our hybrid modeling we use exponential profiles for the exospheric components. The Moon is considered as a weakly conducting body. Special attention will be paid to comparing the modeling pickup ion velocity distribution with ARTEMIS observations. Our modeling shows an asymmetry of the Mach cone due to mass loading, the upstream flow density distribution and the magnetic field. The pickup ions form an asymmetrical plasma tails that may disturb the lunar plasma wake.
Novels as Case-Study Materials for Psychology Students

This article describes a writing assignment based on the main character of a novel, an autobiography, or a biography about mental illness. Students are asked to describe the character's symptom and the treatment received, to provide a diagnosis, and to suggest a treatment plan. This assignment promotes critical thinking and empathy for the mentally ill.
Pluralistic Ontology and Theory Reduction in the Physical Sciences

It is demonstrated that the reduction of a physical theory S to another one, T, in the sense that S can be derived from T holds in general only for the mathematical framework. The interpretation of S and the associated central terms cannot all be derived from those of T because of the qualitative differences between the cognitive levels of S and T. Their cognitively autonomous status leads to an epistemic as well as an ontological pluralism. This pluralism is consistent with the unity of nature in the sense of a substantive monism.