cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Chorioamniotic membrane separation over the cervical os ("moon sign") in twin-twin transfusion syndrome.

Objectives To determine whether chorioamniotic membrane separation from the internal cervical os, the "moon sign," is associated with preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM) in twin-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS). Methods A retrospective study of patients with TTTS treated with laser surgery was performed. Membrane separation before and after surgery was tested against any PPROM, PPROM within 7 days, and PPROM within 21 days. Because intrauterine fetal demise (IUFD) was weakly associated with PPROM, these cases were studied separately. Results Among 304 consecutive patients, 247 patients (81.3%) had no IUFD, and preoperative and postoperative membrane separation rates were 13.4% and 13.0%, respectively. In 7 cases (2.8%), preoperative membrane separation disappeared postoperatively, and in 6 cases (2.4%), membrane separation appeared postoperatively; 26 cases (10.5%) had membrane separation at both times. Rates of PPROM did not differ between those who did and did not have preoperative membrane separation (30.3% versus 28.0%; P= .9511). Among those with and without postoperative membrane separation, the rates of any PPROM were 34.4% and 27.4%, respectively (P = .5473), and the rates of PPROM within 21 days were 15.6% and 5.6% (P = .0524). Those with postoperative membrane separation were 3 times more likely to have PPROM within 21 days (odds ratio, 3.13; 95% confidence interval, 1.02-9.58; P= .0453). Preterm premature rupture of membranes was not associated with preoperative or postoperative membrane separation in patients with IUFD. Conclusions The preoperative moon sign does not appear to be associated with PPROM in TTTS. Postoperatively, membrane separation may be weakly associated with PPROM at 21 days, but further research is required to confirm this association.
Reading, Dictionaries, and Vocabulary Learning

This article focuses on the contribution to vocabulary learning of the use of bilingual dictionaries during reading by 293 Japanese university students studying English as a foreign language. The results of the study show that students who used a dictionary scored significantly better on a vocabulary test than students who did not use a dictionary. However, evidence appeared for differential item functioning: Some items were harder for the group that used dictionaries. A possible explanation for this tendency is that students who were unable to locate the appropriate gloss in the dictionary were misled as to the meaning of the word. Moreover, students who used a dictionary read nearly half as quickly as the group that did not use dictionaries.
Psychology: Current practice and training issues in treatment of cognitive dysfunction

Psychology has a primary role in cognitive rehabilitation along with other disciplines, but may be best qualified for evaluating specific cognitive abilities directing, cognitive-behavioral intervention programs, and measuring outcomes. Several specialties within psychology provide cognitive rehabilitation services; however, current training guidelines are not specific enough to ensure adequate training. These specialties all have areas of strength and limitations, but none of them has published guidelines specific to training in cognitive rehabilitation. In this paper we critique current guidelines, and make suggestions for training to be followed for those psychologists conducting CR.
Defect inspection strategies for 14 nm semiconductor technology

This article presents strategies to overcome the defect inspection challenges expected at the 14 nm technology node: Smaller feature and defect sizes will require very sensitive inspections. At the same time the inspection recipes must be stable against inevitable process variation and potentially high defect density going along with new manufacturing methods for nonplanar transistors (FINFETs). The focus is on existing inspection methods and tools such as brightfield and darkfield optical inspection, e-beam inspection and scanning electron microscopy imaging. Examples from 20 nm technology are shown that can be applied to the next node, including: - Choice of the right type of inspection, based on defect type, - complementary inspections at the same step, each being optimized for certain defect types, - smart use of inspection tool features to extend the usefulness of optical inspection, - use of alternative inspections such as e-beam or advanced process inspection, based on technology maturity, - detection of small systematic defects and random defects, - understanding and overcoming the limitations of inspected area vs. sensitivity and throughput, - monitoring inspection recipe performance.
Interpolation by periodic radial functions

Let d be the natural (geodesic) metric on the circle S1. We study the interpolation of arbitrary data on a set of equally-spaced nodes YiϵS1 by means of functions having the form L αpsto A: Σi=1n ciφ (d(L,yi)), in which φ is a function at our disposal. A cardinal function is found, and convergence questions can be answered with the aid of it.
“My Heart Beats in Two Places”: Immigration Stories in Korean-American Picture Books

This article examines the impact of immigration on Korean children through a content and literary analysis of 14 children’s picture books. A majority of published children’s literature dealing with the subject of Korean Americans or Korean immigration contains culturally specific themes common to the Korean immigration experience. These include English acquisition difficulties, assimilation through name selection, language mediation, family separation and abandonment, and positive experiences post-immigration. While unassumingly couched in children’s fiction, these issues reflect real-life experiences and are analyzed here through a social and cultural context. I provide suggestions for applying the article’s findings in classrooms, schools, and districts in order to ease acculturation and transition procedures for Korean families. The article may appeal to readers interested in immigration issues, the interplay between home and school environments, language barriers for second language learners, and social studies issues found in children’s fiction.
The economics of state subsidized pupil transportation programs and their impact on urban school finances and public transportation

This article has suggested that self-financing pupil transportation programs may be more equitable and efficient than those financed from state and local general revenues, eliminating this subsidy implicitly makes more funds available for other public school purposes, for non-school purposes, or for tax reductions.
Stereopsis with chromatic contours.

Abstract In this experiment stereopsis occurred for stimuli defined by chromatic contours. A chromatic contour was defined as a contour formed by a spatial chromatic change with the chromatic components heterochromatically equated using the criterion of a minimally distinct border. Discrimination differed for different combinations of target and background hue. Discrimination was better when the stereoscopic target was at a 30′ binocular disparity than at a 7′ binocular disparity. It was suggested that the discrimination level was related to the distinctness of border of the target against the background for a given magnitude of binocular disparity. Several theories of the cue to stereopsis were discussed in regard to the findings of this experiment.
Monoblock all-polyethylene tibial components have a lower risk of early revision than metal-backed modular components.

Background and purpose With younger patients seeking reconstructions and the activity-based demands placed on the arthroplasty construct, consideration of the role that implant characteristics play...
Imagining cancer: Sara Coleridge and the environment of illness.

Meiners traces Sara Coleridge's illness though her diaries and her essay "Nervousness." The author notes that in her writings Coleridge destabilizes salutary and sympathetic effects of nature characterized by the Romantic poets. Sara's writing presents a distinctly feminine view of illness, which is defined by contradictions and not by the need to eliminate them. Through both Sara's concealments and her explanations, she seeks to maintain control over how she is viewed as an invalid and to seek out a "language in which to communicate the radical incommensurability of suffering."
When and How Parliaments Influence Foreign Policy: The Case of Turkey’s Iraq Decision

Turkey’s decision on its role in the Iraq war in 2003 illustrates the power—and limits—of parliaments as actors in foreign policy. Traditionally, assemblies are not seen as important players in the foreign policies of parliamentary democracies. Instead, cabinets are generally considered the chief policymaking authorities. If the government enjoys a parliamentary majority, legislatures typically support the cabinet, if they are brought into the process at all. The March 1, 2003 vote by the Turkish parliament to not allow the United States to use Turkey as a base for the Iraq invasion challenges this conventional wisdom on parliamentary influence (in addition to many interest-based explanations of foreign policy). This paper examines this decision in the context of the role of parliaments in foreign policies and explores the relationships between parliamentary influence, leadership, intraparty politics, and public opinion.
5-cyano-1-[3-(N-methylpyrrolidin-2R-ylmethyl)indol-5-yl] benzimidazole (CP-161,242): A potent, centrally active 5-HT1D receptor agonist and benzodiazepine partial agonist

Abstract The discovery of CP-161,242 (5-cyano-1-[3-(N-methylpyrrolidin-2R-ylmethyl)indol-5-yl]benzimidazole), a potent, selective, orally active central serotonin (5-HT1D) agonist [IC50 (binding) = 1.3 nM, EC50 (inhibition of adenylate cyclase) = 42 pM] and benzodiazepine ligand [IC50 (binding) = 3.3 nM], is presented.
An exploratory examination of risk-taking behavior and PTSD symptom severity in a veteran sample

ABSTRACTThe present study conducted an exploratory examination of the relationship between self-reported symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and an expanded definition of risk-taking behaviors among 395 veterans at a large Midwestern Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms were associated with elevated rates of substance use, thrill seeking, aggression, risky sexual practices, and firearm possession. Results indicated that suicidal ideation and aggressive driving behavior were among the most frequently reported. The present findings hold significant public health implications and highlight the need to attend to risk-taking behaviors in treatment planning.
Iterative method for calculating derivatives of eigenvectors

The modified modal method uses the static solution to account for the contribution of truncated higher eigenvectors, which significantly improves the accuracy or effectiveness of the tuncated modal superposition. In this paper, we extended this method to an iterative procedure
A history of intraocular pressure and its measurement.

ABSTRACTDoctors have not always associated elevated intraocular pressure with the vision loss from glaucoma. Although several individuals appear to have noted firmness of the eye in this condition as far back as the 10th century, elevated intraocular pressure was not routinely assessed until the lat
Flexible diuretic titration in chronic heart failure: where is the evidence?

Abstract Background Several sets of heart failure (HF) consensus/guideline statements support the use of a flexible diuretic dosing regimen for HF outpatient management of fluid overload–related signs and symptoms. However, despite the widespread acceptance of such an approach, the evidence supporting the effectiveness of this approach in improving clinical outcomes is unknown. The primary objective of this manuscript was to summarize and review the evidence supporting the use of a flexible diuretic regimen in the management of outpatient heart failure patients. Methods and Results A systematic review was performed, and 9 studies were identified relevant to the question of flexible diuretic titration in the setting of chronic heart failure. Among the 9 studies, 5 were randomized. Three of the randomized trials included flexible diuretic titration as part of a broader multifaceted disease management program, and only 2 were designed to specifically evaluate the sole contribution of flexible diuretic titration. Collectively, data from all of the studies reviewed supported the idea that flexible and individualized diuretic dosing is potentially associated with reduced emergency room visits, reduced rehospitalization, and improved quality of life in HF patients with reduced ejection fraction. Conclusions To date, only 2 randomized clinical studies were identified that were designed to determine the effects of a flexible diuretic dosing regimen in outpatient HF patients with reduced ejection fraction. Data are lacking in HF patients with preserved ejection fraction. There is a critical need to test this strategy in well designed prospective randomized clinical trials.
Doppler high-precision extra-solar planet surveys by a fixed delay interferometer

A fixed delay interferometer combined with a post-disperser is a new technique for high precision radial velocity (RV) measurements. The Doppler measurements are conducted by monitoring the stellar fringe phase shifts of the interferometer instead of absorption line centroid shifts as in the echelle. High Doppler sensitivity is achieved through optimizing the optical delay in the interferometer and measuring multiple fringes over a broadband. The broadband operation is achieved by using the post-disperser for dispersing fringes in different wavelengths. Comparing to the state-of-the-art cross-dispersed echelle spectroscopy, this interferometer technique provides almost identical RV precision based on photon statistics. However, the interferometer method has a potential for lower systematic noise due to its simpler instrument response than the echelle. The interferometer can be optimized for higher throughput than the echelle. The interferometer approach also allows fringes to be recorded in one dispersion order instead of many cross-dispersed echelle orders. Therefore, this instrument opens up a great opportunity for multi-object observations to allow all sky surveys for extra-solar planets at moderate sized wide field telescopes. Initial observations with a prototype at the Hobby-Eberly 9 m and Palomar 5 m telescopes demonstrate ~9 m/s Doppler RV precision with stellar fringe data recorded on a 1kx1k CCD detector (or 140 a wavelength coverage), a S/N ~ 120 per pixel and a post-disperser spectral resolving power of R = 6,700. This precision is consistent with the photon noise limit. Future improvement in wavelength coverage and wavelength calibration can reduce the Doppler error to a few m/s or less.
Halogenated pyrimidine sensitization of low dose rate irradiation in human malignant glioma

Abstract Purpose: To determine the potential advantage of combining halogenated pyrimidine radiosensitization and continuous low dose rate irradiation in human malignant glioma. Methods and Materials: An established glioma line (U-251) was incubated with 5-bromo-2-doxyuridine (BrdUrd) at clinically achievable concentrations at three dose rates of interest-100 cGy/min (typical of external beam therapy), 43 cGy/hr (typical of temporary afterloaded implants), and 12 cGy/hr (typical of permanent implants). Results: After exposure to 1 pM BrdUrd, the greatest enhancement ratio was seen at the 12 cGy/hr dose rate, implying a BrdUrd induced inverse dose rate effect independent of a G2M block. Under these conditions, the mean inactivation dose after 1 μM BrdUrd exposure was equivalent for 100 cGy/min and 12 cGy/hr. Conclusion: These results support the use of halopyrimidines as sensitizers of temporary afterloaded and permanent implants.
Hypertension with concomitant conditions: The changing role of β-adrenoceptor blockade

Hypertension often is associated with concomitant conditions such as chronic obstructive lung disease, diabetes mellitus, ischemic heart disease, and peripheral vascular disease. Moreover, other cardiovascular risk factors, including dyslipidemias and abnormalities of glucose and insulin metabolism, are common in patients with hypertension. Conventional beta-blockers used for antihypertensive therapy can have adverse effects in patients with airway disease, diabetes, and peripheral vascular disease, and can exaggerate the other risk factors. Newer beta-blockers such as celiprolol, which have selective partial agonist activity expressed at beta 2-receptors, appear to avoid these problems. Celiprolol exhibits antianginal and antihypertensive efficacy without adversely effecting left ventricular systolic function or exercise performance. It also may cause regression of left ventricular hypertrophy. The stimulatory action of celiprolol on vascular beta 2-receptors enhances regional flow and may increase walking distance in patients with claudication. The reduction in renal vascular resistance demonstrated by this drug is associated with preservation of renal blood flow and function. Spirometric measurements of airway function are unchanged during celiprolol treatment. Similarly, there are no adverse effects on lipid or glucose concentrations. These new developments in beta-blocker pharmacology indicate that this class of agents could be used in patients with hypertension with concomitant diseases or risk factors other than high blood pressure.
Dielectric, magnetic and optical properties of nanocomposites

Nanocomposites are media made of nanoparticles embedded in a matrix. Depending on the nanoparticle types and shapes, nanocomposites can have different properties. I discuss here dielectric and magnetic composites at low, as well as, high frequencies. At low frequencies, dielectric and magnetic properties can be enhanced by using elongated nanoparticles. At high frequencies various photonic, plasmonic and polaritonic effects can occur in nanocomposites, in particular in those with periodic arrangement of nanoparticles. The negative refraction can be achieved in nanocomposites with simultaneously negative dielectric function and magnetic permeability.
The treatment of osteoradionecrosis of the mandible: the case for hyperbaric oxygen and bone graft reconstruction.

c o h c s t r alignancies of the head and neck represent approxmately 4% to 5% of all newly diagnosed cases of ancer in the United States, over 50,000 on an annual asis. The vast majority of these cancers (85%) are quamous cell carcinomas in origin and the remaining 5% are distributed among salivary gland, lymphoid, nd sarcomatous tumors. During the course of the isease, more than 50% of these cases at one point ill receive radiation therapy alone or in combination ith surgery and/or chemotherapy. Of these, aproximately half will become long-term survivors, lacing this group of patients at risk for developing omplications from the above therapies. Despite the any advances in treatment of head and neck cancer, mprovement in the survivability of the patient with dvanced stage disease (stage III and IV) continues to e a challenge. Surgical management is unlikely to esult in significant gains in locoregional control in pite of continuous advances in microsurgical recontruction that permits more aggressive resections and upports reconstruction of large areas of soft and hard issues allowing for restoration of form and function. ore recent protocols, including combinations of diferent modalities of radiation therapy concurrent with hemotherapy, have shown promise in their efficacy or controlling advanced disease. The advantages of hese protocols appear obvious not only from their otential for curing these cases but also from organ
Aurora A Inhibitor (MLN8237) plus Vincristine plus Rituximab Is Synthetic Lethal and a Potential Curative Therapy in Aggressive B-cell Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma

Purpose: Aurora A and B are oncogenic serine/threonine kinases that regulate mitosis. Overexpression of Auroras promotes resistance to microtubule-targeted agents. We investigated mechanistic synergy by inhibiting the mitotic spindle apparatus in the presence of MLN8237 [M], an Aurora A inhibitor with either vincristine [MV] or docetaxel [MD] in aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL). The addition of rituximab [R] to MV or MD was evaluated for synthetic lethality. Experimental Design: Aggressive B-NHL cell subtypes were evaluated in vitro and in vivo for target modulation and anti-NHL activity with single agents, doublets, and triplets by analyzing cell proliferation, apoptosis, tumor growth, survival, and mechanisms of response/relapse by gene expression profiling with protein validation. Results: MV is synergistic whereas MD is additive for cell proliferation inhibition in B-NHL cell culture models. Addition of rituximab to MV is superior to MD, but both significantly induce apoptosis compared with doublet therapy. Mouse xenograft models of mantle cell lymphoma showed modest single-agent activity for MLN8237, rituximab, docetaxel, and vincristine with tumor growth inhibition (TGI) of approximately 10% to 15%. Of the doublets, MV caused tumor regression, whereas TGI was observed with MD (approximately 55%–60%) and MR (approximately 25%–50%), respectively. Although MV caused tumor regression, mice relapsed 20 days after stopping therapy. In contrast, MVR was curative, whereas MDR led to TGI of approximately 85%. Proliferation cell nuclear antigen, Aurora B, cyclin B1, cyclin D1, and Bcl-2 proteins of harvested tumors confirmed response and resistance to therapy. Conclusions: Addition of rituximab to MV is a novel therapeutic strategy for aggressive B-NHL and warrants clinical trial evaluation. Clin Cancer Res; 18(8); 2210–9. ©2012 AACR .
In memoriam: David Byar as an AIDS activist*

It is a great privilege to be able to address David Byar's professional colleagues and peers on behalf of his AIDS activist comrades. I fear that neither group on either side of the great divide which our work has for years striven to bridge possesses an adequate comprehension of the magnitude and generosity of David's contribution to AIDS research. His insights and energies transformed the field (in terms of a new methodologic openness) and empowered his colleagues (the statisticians and the activists alike) to create new models and seize greater control of the clinical trials process from the hitherto supreme, insular, academic clinical AIDS researchers. I will try to briefly sketch David's unique contribution to the ongoing process of opening up tile research system and rendering it more flexible and responsive to people with AIDS by contrasting the state of the activist critique of research before and after his engagement with it and by examining the concrete changes in the way AIDS research is performed. There were two arms to the activist response to the perceived failures of clinical research up to 1989: the activist critique of regulation (led by ACT UP) and the community-based clinicians' response to academic/NIH/pharmaceutical research, led by the Community Research Initiative (CRI) in New York and by the Community Consortium (CC) in San Francisco. Few in the establishment have realized how close tile AIDS community b.-,s come repeatedly to utter despair in any hope for rendering the research enterprise either useful or humane. Few understood the importance of the alternative structures we created such as the underground buyers' clubs, the CRIs, or Parallel Track and Expanded Access in rendering the rigors and protracted duration of randomized controlled trials more bearable. In early 1989 confidence in the randomized controlled trial was at a low ebb. ~4~idothymidine (AZT) was still the only approved AIDS drug. Few drugs were available to treat or prevent the opportunistic infections which kill most people with AIDS. The federal research effort was still pouring most of its research dollars
Optical Properties of Soot in Buoyant Laminar Diffusion Flames

The structure and optical properties of soot were studied in the fuel-rich (underfire) region of buoyant laminar diffusion flames of ethylene and acetylene burning in coflowing air. The objective was to evaluate scattering predictions based on the Rayleigh-Debye-Gans (RDG) approximation for polydisperse fractal aggregates of spherical primary soot particles having constant diameters, for conditions where the Guinier (small angle) regime, and the transition between the Guinier and the power-law (large-angle) regimes, were dominant, in order to supplement earlier work for conditions where the power-law regime was dominant
Cloning and expression in E. coli of the malarial sporozoite surface antigen gene from Plasmodium knowlesi

The malarial sporozoite, the infective stage found in the salivary gland of the insect vector, bears highly immunogenic surface antigen(s). Repeated exposure to irradiated sporozoites induces protection against malaria in several host species, including man. Further, monoclonal antibodies that confer passive immunity react with the immunogenic surface determinants of different sporozoite species. One approach to prevent malaria, therefore, would be to produce a vaccine that induces high titres of circulating antibodies against the sporozoite surface determinant(s). However, production of such a vaccine has not been possible since sporozoites cannot be cultivated in vitro and, therefore, only limited amounts of surface antigen may be obtained. To overcome this problem, we have prepared mRNA from Plasmodium knowlesi-infected mosquitoes to construct a cDNA library. From this library we have isolated a clone that expresses the sporozoite surface antigen as a beta-lactamase fusion protein in the plasmid pBR322. This is the first potentially protective malarial antigen to be cloned by recombinant DNA technology.
Avian community structure and habitat use in a Southern New England estuary

The habitat use of 126, 566 birds observed in a 158-ha tidal pond/salt marsh complex in southeastern Massachusetts was recorded during 218 fixed-width transect and 241 remote-count censuses conducted year-round over 5 years (June 1985–May 1990). The most abundant bird groups overall were waterfowl, gulls, shorebirds, and songbirds. Overall avian abundunce was greatest in the fall and winter. Avian richness ranged from a mean of 15 species in winter to 26 in summer; 131 species were sighted overall. Waterfowl, shorebirds, and gulls used tidal pond habitats (including flats) to a greater extent than marsh habitats; use of marsh habitats increased with tidal stage for each of those groups. Wading birds were more abundant in marsh habitats than in pond habitats, and songbirds used marsh habitats exclusively. The permanently flooded (subtidal) west pond segment was used to the greatest extent by cormorants and diving ducks and least by shorebirds and wading birds. Tidal stage influenced abundance patterns of shorebirds and gulls and activity patterns of shorebirds, gulls, and waterfowl. Time of day influenced abundance patterns of gulls. All macrohabitat types (intertidal and subtidal pond, emergent marsh) were used to a substantial degree by multiple bird groups indicating that the loss or disturbance of any type could negatively affect the estuarine avifauna.
Sexual size and shape dimorphism and allometric scaling patterns in head traits in the New Zealand common gecko Woodworthia maculatus.

Abstract Sexual dimorphism in shape and size is widespread across animal taxa and arises when natural or sexual selection operates differently on the sexes. Male and female common geckos (Woodworthia maculatus; formerly Hoplodactylus maculatus) in New Zealand do not appear to experience different viability selection pressure, nor do males appear to be under intense pre-copulatory sexual selection. It was therefore predicted that this species would be sexually monomorphic with regard to body size and the size and shape of the head. In line with the prediction, there was no sexual difference in head width, depth, or length or in lateral head shape. However, contrary to prediction, males had a larger body and lateral head size than females. This study suggests that males, at least on Maud Island, NZ, might be under stronger pre-copulatory sexual selection than previously recognized and thus have evolved larger heads (i.e. lateral head size) for use in male combat for females. Allometric scaling patterns do not differ between the sexes and suggest that head width and depth are under directional selection whereas lateral head size is under stabilizing selection. Diet ecology – an agent of natural selection common to both sexes – is likely largely responsible for the observed patterns of head size and shape and the lack of sexual dimorphism in them.
In defense of Morrissey's strategy.

The understanding and description of a donation after cardiac death (DCD) protocol has changed during its short history. When these protocols were first discussed they were known as non-heart beati...
Crowdsourcing the Public Participation Process for Planning Projects

Public involvement is a central concern for urban planners, but the challenge for planners is how best to implement such programs, given many difficulties inherent in the typical public involvement...
Pertussis: pertussis control strategies and the options for improving current vaccines

Pertussis is resurgent in many countries, perhaps owing in part to waning immunity after acellular pertussis vaccination. We consider the options for improving current vaccines as well as other strategies to control pertussis.
Thermal cycling and degradation mechanisms of compressive mica-based seals for solid oxide fuel cells

Abstract Thermal cycling was conducted on compressive mica seals at 800 °C in air. Thin (∼0.1 mm) Muscovite mica was pressed between a metal pipe and an alumina substrate and tested for leak rates at a stress of 100 psi in the plain (mica only) and the hybrid design. The hybrid design involves adding two glass interlayers and was found to greatly reduce the leak rates in an earlier paper. Two metals (Inconel #600 and SS430) with high and low coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE) were used to evaluate the effect of CTE mismatch on thermal cycling. The results showed that the leak rates were lower for the hybrid design than the plain micas. In addition, using the lower CTE (SS430) metal pipe resulted in lower leak rates as compared to Inconel #600 metal (high CTE). In general, the leak rates increased with the number of thermal cycles; however, it tended to level off after several tens of thermal cycles. Microstructure examination using scanning electron microscopy revealed steps, indents, fragmentation and particle formation on the mica after thermal cycling. CTE measurement of the heat-treated Muscovite mica showed a relatively low value of ∼7 ppm/°C. The cause for the degradation of the mica is discussed.
Derivatized cardo-polyetherketone anion exchange membranes for all-vanadium redox flow batteries

Cardo-polyetherketone (PEK-C) based anion exchange membranes (AEMs) were synthesized by chloromethylation of PEK-C followed by quaternization using trimethylamine (TMA). The ion exchange capacity (IEC) of the AEM was 1.4 ± 0.1 mmol g−1. The sulfate ion conductivity and vanadium(IV) permeability were 5.6 ± 0.5 mS cm−1 and 8.2 ± 0.2 × 10−9 cm2 s−1 at 30 °C. The chemical stability and mechanical integrity of the AEMs were investigated upon exposure to 1.5 M VO2+ solution by monitoring the ionic conductivity, ultimate tensile strength, elongation at break, and chemical structure over 1500 hours. 1-D and 2-D NMR spectroscopy confirmed the chemical stability of the AEM over this period. The ionic conductivity of the AEM decreased from 5.6 to 4.4 mS cm−1 over the first 48 hours but subsequently stabilized and was reversible, while the ultimate tensile strength and the elongation at break were reduced by ca. 35%. The PEK-C based AEMs were stable during operation in a vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) for 100 hours of testing. The coulombic and energy efficiencies of the VRFB were 98% and 80%, respectively. Post-mortem analysis of the AEM using 1-D and 2-D NMR spectroscopy showed a 15% reduction in the number of quaternary ammonium groups in the AEM.
Does inorganic nitrogen limit plant growth 3–5 years after fire in a Wyoming, USA, lodgepole pine forest?

Nitrogen (N) is the major nutrient limiting plant growth and production in terrestrial ecosystems around the world. However, nutrient limitation is spatially variable, and different species within the same ecosystem may be limited by different nutrients. N constraints on plant growth have been investigated via fertilization experiments in a variety of ecosystems; however, recently burned coniferous forests are notably under-studied. Given the recent increase in fire activity across western North America, it is important to understand what limits plant growth and carbon sequestration in coniferous forests recovering from wildfire. We evaluated potential inorganic N limitation in four common native plant species, 3–5 years after stand-replacing wildfire in a lodgepole pine forest (Pinus contorta var. latifolia )i n Wyoming, USA. Granular reagent grade ammonium nitrate was added around individual plants at a rate equal to the natural background rate of net N mineralization and at 10 this rate. The grass Calamagrostis rubescens exhibited clear evidence of inorganic N limitation: above-ground biomass and shoot:root ratio increased with the high-fertilizer treatment. Nitrogen:phosphorus (N:P) ratio in un-fertilized C. rubescens plants was 16 in the high-fertilizer treatment, suggesting the onset of P limitation. The upland sedge Carex rossii and seedlings of lodgepole pine were not limited by inorganic N: neither species showed any growth response to N fertilization; N:P ratios were only slightly <14; and foliar N concentrations were greater than critical values reported for mature lodgepole pine. The N-fixing forb Lupinus argenteus was not limited by N, for it showed no growth response to fertilization; rather its N:P ratio of 21 indicated P limitation. In this study, to our knowledge the first experimental evaluation of N limitation in subalpine coniferous forests following wildfire, N limitation was seen in only one of four species tested.
Dialogic inquiry in life science conversations of family groups in a museum

This research illustrates the efficacy of a new approach for collecting and analyzing family conversational data at museums and other informal settings. This article offers a detailed examination of a small data set (three families) that informs a larger body of work that focuses on conversation as methodology. The dialogic content of this work centers on biological themes, specifically adaptation. The biological principle becomes visible when families talk about survival strategies such as breeding or protection from predators. These themes arise from both the family members and the museum exhibit. This study also analyzes the inquiry skills families use as they make sense of science content. I assume that children and adults offer different interest areas or expertise for dialogic negotiation and that family members use inquiry skills in dialogue to explore matters of importance. This analysis offers educators methodological tools for investigating families' scientific sense-making in informal settings. 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 40: 138-162, 2003 Museums are places where families play, talk, and learn from each other. Yet, although families make up more than half of all visitors to museums, we have little detailed understanding, beyond behavioral descriptions, of how family members interact with one another (Diamond, 1986; Ellenbogen, 2002; Hilke, 1987). In this research, I demonstrate a new methodological tool that allows a fine-grained analysis of collaborative scientific sense-making, based on family conversations. I call these conversations dialogic inquiry (Wells, 1999) because families use dialogue when they undertake mental and physical inquiry. In this article I focus specifically on two aspects of family dialogue: the thematic content that underpins conversations about life sciences and the inquiry process skills (Ash, 1999) that advance or hinder dialogue. Looking at dialogue is not new to classroom research (Brown et al., 1993; Rosebery, Warren, & Conant, 1992; Wells, 1999) but it is relatively new to informal learning research settings which, one can argue, offer a richer context and more free-choice learning opportunities (Falk &
What Is Eosinophilic Pneumonia

Ever since the pioneering work of Paul Ehrlich at the end of the 19th century, physicians have been intrigued by the mysteries of the eosinophil. In addition to its important role in host defense, there is increasing evidence that the eosinophil is also capable of host lung cellular injury.1,2When stimulated, eosinophils produce a number of potentially injurious substances, including major basic protein, eosinophilic cationic protein, eosinophil-derived neurotoxin, reactive oxygen species, peroxidase, and collagenase.1,3Although eosinophil activation is incompletely understood, the cytokines interleukin-1, interleukin-3, interleukin-5, and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor4-6have recently been found to be involved in eosinophil growth, chemotaxis, and adhesion. When present in excessive numbers, eosinophils can serve as central mediators of a number of diseases involving many different organs, including the lung. The eosinophilic lung syndromes encompass a wide variety of pulmonary disorders including interstitial lung diseases, infectious diseases, vasculitis, malignancies, drug reactions, obstructive
Relative effectiveness of four preoperative tests for predicting adverse cardiac outcomes after vascular surgery: a meta-analysis.

Various noninvasive tests have been proposed to stratify perioperative cardiovascular risk, including dipyridamole thallium scintigraphy (DTS), ejection fraction estimation by radionuclide ventriculography (RNV), ischemia monitoring by ambulatory electrocardiography (AECG), and dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE). Which of these tests is most effective for predicting adverse perioperative cardiac outcome? To answer this question, and also to stimulate future studies, we evaluated 56 studies examining one or more of the four tests. We conducted meta-analysis on 20 studies that met the inclusion criteria. Outcome measures evaluated were cardiac death or myocardial infarction occurring during hospital stay or within 1 mo after surgery. Relative risk (RR), which is the probability of adverse cardiac outcome when the test is positive divided by the probability of adverse outcome when the test is negative, was used to combine evidence from different studies. An empirical Bayes procedure with a normal-normal hierarchic model was then used to obtain a meta-analytic confidence interval for the overall median of the relative risks. The between-study variance was estimated using the method of moments approach described by DerSimonian and Laird (Controlled Clin Trials 1986; 7:177–88). Combined (median) RR [95% confidence interval (CI)] and the number of studies included in our meta-analysis for different evaluative tests were as follows: DTS 4.6 (2.1–10.4) (n = 6); RNV 3.7 (1.6–8.3) (n = 5); AECG 2.7 (1.4–5.1) (n = 6), and DSE 6.2 (1.7–22.8) (n = 3). We conclude that while DTS, RNV, AECG, and DSE are effective (the 95% CIs are greater than 1.0) in predicting the cardiac outcome after vascular surgery, the data are not definitive in determining the optimal test (95% CIs for RR overlap). Future studies should include DSE, as this test shows great promise for predicting adverse cardiac events after vascular surgery.
Theory and observations of microbunching instability in electron machines

Over the last years there have been several reports of quasiperiodic bursts of coherent synchrotron radiation (CSR) in electron rings in the microwave and far-infrared range. The observations were made on synchrotron radiation light sources which include the Synchrotron Ultraviolet Radiation Facility SURF II, VUV ring at the National Synchrotron Light Source at BNL, second generation light source MAX-I, BESSY II, and the Advanced Light Source at the Berkeley National Laboratory. General features of those observations can be summarized as follows. Above a threshold current, there is a strongly increased radiation of the beam in the range of wavelengths shorter than the bunch length, /spl lambda/ < /spl sigma//sub 2/. At large currents, this radiation is observed as a sequence of random bursts. In the bursting regime, intensity of the radiation scales approximately as square of the number of particles in the bunch, indicating a coherent nature of the phenomenon.
Dynamic nonlinear effect on lasing in random media

We review our recent work on lasing in active random media. Light scattering, which had been regarded detrimental to lasing action for a long time, actually provided coherent feedback for lasing. We also trapped laser light in micrometer-sized random media. The trapping was caused by disorder-induced scattering and inference. This nontraditional way of light confinement has important application to microlasers. The threshold of random laser can be reduced by incorporating some degree of order into an active random medium. Our calculation result shows that by optimizing the degree of order one can dramatically reduce the threshold of random laser to the values comparable to those of photonic bandgap defect lasers.
Vascular anomalies: A pictorial review of nomenclature, diagnosis and treatment

Vascular anomalies, including vascular malformations and tumors, are frequently straightforward to detect; however, accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment are often challenging. Misdiagnosis of these lesions can lead clinicians in the wrong direction when treating these patients, which can have unfavorable results. This review presents an overview of the classification systems that have been developed for the diagnosis of vascular lesions with a focus on the imaging characteristics. Pictorial examples of each lesion on physical examination, as well as non-invasive and minimally invasive imaging are presented. An overview of the endovascular treatment of these lesions is also given. In some cases, vascular anomalies may be associated with an underlying syndrome and several of the most commonly encountered syndromes are discussed. Understanding of the classification systems, familiarity with the treatment options and knowledge of the associated syndromes are essential for all physicians working with this patient population. The approach to the described entities necessitates an organized multi-disciplinary team effort, with diagnostic imaging playing an increasingly important role in the proper diagnosis and a combined interventional radiologic and surgical treatment method showing promising results.
Oral Health and Nutrition in the Elderly

There is a multidirectional association between nutrition and oral health. Oral diseases such as dental caries (tooth decay), periodontal disease, tooth loss, and oral cancer compromise the condition of teeth and supporting tissues, which, in turn, impacts food choice, nutritional intake, and quality of life. Conversely, nutritional status affects the development and progression of oral diseases. The cyclical nature of this interaction is particularly important in older adults, because elders are at increased risk for both poor nutritional status and oral health problems. Still, an oral health assessment is not a routine component of periodic examinations or nutrition counseling for older adults. To include this oft-overlooked component of systemic health, health care providers must understand the link between nutrition and oral health and learn how to conduct simple oral health assessments. The knowledge gained from an oral health assessment will help clinicians provide more appropriate nutritional counseling and enable them to screen for and make appropriate referrals for oral health problems that may adversely affect their patients' nutritional status. Simple oral health assessments can be easily administered by health professionals, can be completed in less than five minutes, and may have the potential to improve patients' oral health, nutrition, overall health, and, ultimately, the quality of their lives.
Scalp potentials follow the low frequency envelope of complex acoustic stimuli

Scalp potentials which follow the low frequency envelope of an amplitude modulated (AM) stimulus waveform were evoked and recorded from anesthetized gerbils. This envelope following response is presumably due to the synchronized discharge of populations of neurons in the auditory pathway. AM stimuli, alone and in the presence of pure-tone maskers of varying frequencies, were presented and scalp potentials recorded. A strong envelope following response, at the frequency of the modulator, was obtained to AM stimuli alone. The response could be eliminated by the simultaneous presentation of a masking stimulus (f/sub mask/). When f/sub mask/ was close to the carrier frequency, responses at the modulation frequency were diminished by up to 20 dB. Measurements of the group delay, determined from the phase of the response relative to the stimulus phase, indicate that the response is generated in at least three distinct brain regions. >
Evaluating ad hoc routing protocols with respect to quality of service

The ability of a mobile ad hoc network (MANET) to provide adequate quality of service (QoS) is limited by the ability of the underlying routing protocol to provide consistent behavior despite the inherent dynamics of a mobile computing environment. In this paper we study three MANET routing protocols: OLSR, DSR and AODV, with an emphasis on the effect they have on various QoS metrics. We describe and analyze how the protocols differ in the mechanisms they use to select paths, detect broken links, and buffer messages during periods of link outage. The effects of these differences are quantified in terms of packet delivery ratio, end-to-end hop count, end-to-end latency, and mechanism overhead. We show that the proactive protocol, OLSR, builds paths with consistently lower hop counts than the reactive protocols, AODV and DSR, a fact that leads to a reduction in end-to-end latency that assists a QoS model in meeting timing requirements and improves global network performance. We further show the impact of broken link detection latency on the packet delivery ratio. A routing protocol that can not quickly recover from link breakage caused by mobility renders a QoS model incapable of meeting delivery requirements. Finally, we analyze the effect of mobility on the distribution of end-to-end latencies. Traditionally, reactive protocols are criticized for buffering during the building of routes, however we also study buffering phenomenon caused by the proactive mechanisms of OLSR.
Accurate photonic analog-to-digital conversion

Photonic analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) are attracting significant interest due to promise of overcoming the problem of aperture jitter and improving ADC performance level by orders of magnitude. This work examines several critical factors which define the accuracy of an optically-sampled wavelength-demultiplexed ADC built on a silicon chip using silicon photonic technology. These factors are the optical power-dependent shot noise, optical power-dependent nonlinearities due to two-photon and free-carrier absorption in silicon, and nonlinear transfer function of a silicon modulator. Ways to reduce the impact of these factors on ADC accuracy are considered.